Words fail to describe how luxurious you'll feel rubbing elbows with celebrities in this über-elegant yet relaxed atmosphere. Perched above Wailea Beach's golden sand, the Four Seasons inhabits its own world, where poolside attendants anticipate your needs: cucumber slices for your eyes? Mango smoothie sampler? Or perhaps your sunglasses need polishing? The adults-only infinity pool with underwater music and a swim-up bar is what all pools aspire to. The roughly 600-sq.-ft. guest rooms feature dream-inducing beds, deep marble bathtubs, walk-in showers big enough for two, and furnished lanais, most with superlative ocean views. If you get stuck with a North Tower room over the parking lot, ask politely to be moved. The sublime spa offers an incredible array of body treatments ranging from traditional Hawaiian to craniosacral and Ayurvedic massage. (As nice as the spa facility is, treatments in the oceanside thatched hale are even more idyllic.) The resort's restaurants, Spago, Ferraro's, and DUO, are great; room service here is a must. Finally, this might be the island's most kid-friendly resort: Perks include milk and cookies on arrival, toddler-proofing for your room (everything from furniture bumpers to toilet-seat locks), keiki menus in all restaurants, a high-tech game room, and the unmatched, complimentary Kids for all Seasons program from 9am to 5pm. No resort fee. Tip: Wedding parties should book #798 or #301—stunning suites with room for entertaining.


I was determined, 12 years ago, to make our first Christmas special. With no room for a tree in our small urban condo, we spent our evenings admiring the lit and beautifully decorated trees in the living rooms in the building next to us.
It was a good thing we didn't have any room for a tree since nary an ornament existed to put on it and our money was better spent on food and wine rather than decorations. Hell, that's what our windows with views of everyone else's trees were for. Stalking everyone elses well decorated lives.
We really couldn't care about a tree we didn't have room for, or decorations we didn't have. But, what I wanted for us was to have stockings hanging just in case Santa decided to visit.
I've had the same stocking my whole life. A handmade knit stocking, a gift from the wife of my father's boss when I was born, it has unbelievable detail and is truly a treasure and piece of art. I wanted Paul to have an equally special stocking too.
He claimed he didn't have a special stocking from his childhood and didn't seem to show any concern for having one at all. I was inspired. Instead of buying him a store stocking, I'd knit him one. A stocking that would be something we'd have to remember our first Christmas and one he'd use each year.
I should have just ordered one online.
I was, and still am, a basic knitter. I should have left well enough alone and stuck to scarves. They're much easier and the end results are much more predictable. Much more predictable.
I diligently knit for over a week every night. Alternating colored stripes like a candy cane, I kept going. I did my best to follow the instructions I never really understood; I tried to reduce the stitches properly, make the ankle shape and taper to the toes and pick up dropped stitches properly. I tried. I was optimistic and I was inspired but sensed I was failing.
Yet, I swallowed my feelings of failure and adopted a delusional thought that in the end some sort of exceptional craft redemption would happen and it would turn out just right. A spectacular piece of art, for sure.
Surely by the time I stitched the ends together it would at least resemble a stocking. I was sure. It had to. I hadn't wasted countless hours knitting for my efforts not to be rewarded. It would be spectacular. A treasured homemade stocking we'd admire each Christmas. Right?
I showed it to Paul. He smiled.
I asked him if he LOVED it. He said "sure".
I told him it was so special. Didn't he think so?
"Sure" he said with a smile.
I couldn't wait to hang it up, so up it went, next to mine, on the mantel at my parents house.
Rewards in the form of fodder for laughter, entertainment and "maybe we should get a new stocking?" There was no spectacular handmade stocking that would be treasured for Christmas seasons to come.
I had, in-fact, knit what my mother coined, "A condom for an elephant". To be honest. She was right. It was hideous and I was delusional for thinking that it was so special and anything to LOVE.
I don't know what happened to it. Maybe it hangs in a Zoo somewhere in an elephant house. I do know it never reappeared again from the boxes of Christmas decorations and never graced the mantel again.
Like everything in life, effort is not necessarily rewarded like you'd expect, but lessons were learned. Whenever I contemplate knitting something (other than a square blanket or scarf), or get overly ambitious with a craft project; I think of the elephant condom Christmas stocking and our first Christmas.
Some things are best left to the experts. Like people who actually know how to knit. Trust me. Elephant condom shaped stockings have yet to become popular, even in fringe markets and will likely never be gracing mantels throughout the world. It never graced our family mantle again that I know for sure.
I tried. I made a hideous stocking, Paul smiled, I laughed and it was a spectacular first Christmas.
Zoo Atlanta, however, appreciated the donation.
Alone, for a few brief morning moments, I just laughed out loud. I would like to put in an order for two elephant condom stockings please.
I can massively relate to your crafting comment. My super sale sewing machine just showed up on my door step yesterday. I wonder what trouble I am going to get in to soon.
If I come to school with my version of a sewed elephant condom will you please be a good friend and smile and lie to my face that it looks good? Thanks.
Consider me your "looks good" girl. Get your craft on and see what happens, I think I've already covered the worst case senario.
You write such amazing entries and stories!


On Wednesday, March 31st Lexington will join the national movement of Take Back the Night with a march and rally downtown. Thirty three years ago, women started to stand up and speak out against sexual violence under the banner of Take Back the Night. During those years, Take Back the Night became known internationally as a visible way for men and women to take a stand against sexual violence as well as domestic violence in their community.
If you would like to participate, meet at one of the MARCH WITH ME launch sites at 7:00pm. Current sites include the Patterson Office Tower plaza at the University of Kentucky, the parking lot of 3rd Street Stuff on Limestone, and Triangle Park. The marches will lead everyone to Courthouse Plaza in downtown Lexington where the rally will be from 7:30-8:30 pm. Area colleges, high schools, and community members are invited to participate in this powerful mission to illuminate the darkness surrounding victims of violence and speak up for healing, change, and the right for everyone to live free of violence and fear. The rally will include special speakers, musical guests, a candlelight vigil, community resource tables, and more.
3/20 Protest of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - Washington, D.C.
Breaking News: The bus will be stopping in Lexington 10:30 p.m. Friday 3/19 (see below for directions). The bus will stop at the at the gas station nearest the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel on Newtown Pike at I 64 (Exit 115). Park at the hotel. Click here to see a map of the area around Exit 115. Locally call or email Rebecca Glasscock (859 246-6319 or rebecca.glasscock@kctcs.edu .
Protest of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - Washington, D.C.
KY/IN Bus to Washington, D.C.
We will be partnering with Bloomington Peace Action Coalition. Reserve your seat NOW for the discount price.
Board the bus in Louisville, Columbus, Bloomington, or Indianapolis!
The bus will leave Louisville, KY at 6:30 pm on Friday, March 19.
Pick-ups in Columbus, IN (8:00 p.m.), Bloomington, IN (9:00 p.m.) and Indianapolis (10:30 p.m.) will follow.
Convenient pick-up locations in Louisville, Columbus, Bloomington, or Indianapolis will be determined soon.
The bus will be leaving Washington, D.C. at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 20.
HOW TO GET ON THE KY/IN BUS TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Provide us with your name, phone number, e-mail address, and city.
We will call you back or e-mail you to confirm that a seat has been reserved.
If you cannot go with us to Washington, D.C. yourself, please consider sponsoring another person's seat on the bus! Typically, there are several people who do not have sufficient funds, but, who very much want to travel with us and participate in D.C. Your help is greatly needed and appreciated in contributing whatever amount you can to help fund a full bus to D.C.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux "The Unfinished Agenda"
11:00 a.m. Commemorative Program - Dr. Julianne Malveaux "The Unfinished Agenda"
Free & open to the public, except that the Breakfast is $17 per person.
Click here to go to the 2010 Dr. Martin Luther Jr. Day Celebration website.
The 2010 Unity Breakfast will be in the Heritage Hall West, Lexington Civic Center, Jan. 18. The event is sponsored by Alpha Phi Apha Fraternity . Speaker to be announced.
Doors open at 6:30 a.m. with the program at 7:30 a.m. Individual tickets for the breakfast are $17 each and are available at the Downtown Arts Center. Click here to order online. For ticket or other information, contact unitylexington@yahoo.com ; James Lee, chair of the Unity Breakfast Committee, at 859-539-5347; or Lee Jackson, chair of the Alpha Beta Lambda Chapter Education Foundation, at 859-539-5337.
The Freedom March begins at 10 a.m. Jan. 18 at Lexington Center Heritage Hall on West Main Street. March line-up in the Heritage Hall corridor begins at approximately 9:00 a.m. Contact Terry Allen at tallen@uky.edu or 859-257-8927 for more information about the Freedom March. March alone, with your organization, or with CKCPJ members (look for us under the huge green banner!).
At 11:00 a.m. the annual commemorative program will highlighted by a speech, by Dr. Julianne Malveaux the President of Bennett College for Women. Dr. Malveaux's topic will be "The Unfinished Agenda." Click here to learn more about Dr. Malveaux. This event will take place in Heritage Hall of Lexington Center in downtown Lexington.
Call 859-257-8927 for more information about the Freedom March or Commemorative Program. Attendees who require special accommodations should call 859-257-8927.
Protect Kentucky's Land, Water and People!
Click here to view the event flyer. Please print & post it.
Click here for map of Frankfort including Capitol.
More than 1400 miles of Kentucky streams have been buried or significantly damaged by valley fills from mountaintop removal and other coal mining practices. Help us demonstrate the scale of this destruction and show support for protecting clean water. Click here to go to the KFTC website to register for the march and see video from the 2009 I Love Mountains Day.
Click here to see a slide show of photos by Robert A. Pohowsky.
Click here to see individual photos from this set.
Central Kentuckians Robert A. Pohowsky and Janice Sevre-Duszynska attended the 2008 SOA protests 11/21 - 11/23/08 in Columbus, GA. Janice, on ordained Roman Catholic Womenpriest, has served prison time for civil disodedience at previous SOA protests. The photos are by Robert.


Individuals most intent on committing suicide are often the least likely to admit it. But soon, their blood may do the talking for them.
Molecules in the blood appear to indicate an individual's current degree of suicidal intent, according to a study of bipolar patients in Indiana. Although the study's small sample of just nine Caucasian men makes the findings preliminary, the results could lead to a breakthrough in creating the first quantitative and objective tool for establishing an individual's suicide risk.
The study focused on subjects diagnosed with bipolar disorder and thus considered at high risk for suicide — previous studies have suggested that one of every three bipolar-diagnosed individuals will attempt suicide. Over the course of multiple visits every three to six months, subjects provided blood samples and also received assessments of their mental state at the time, including suicidal intent and suicidal ideation, or preoccupation with suicide. From one visit to the next, subjects' suicidal intent and ideation levels ranged from low to high.
Analyzing the subject's samples, researchers identified 41 enzymes and proteins whose levels appeared to fluctuate based on the degree of suicidal risk at the time. The molecules, or biomarkers, were discovered through a process known as convergent functional genomics, which involves amplifying the DNA in a blood sample to look for genetic evidence of the molecules' presence.
Expression of an enzyme called SAT1 in particular was elevated when suicidal intent and ideation were high. SAT1 has previously been associated with suicidal intent, anxiety and mood disorders.
To compare the expression of SAT1 and other biomarkers in suicidal subjects with individuals who had committed suicide, researchers obtained postmortem samples from nine suicide completers, some of whom had a history of mental illness. Researchers discovered that SAT1 expression in all cases was significantly elevated, and was higher in suicide completers than in living subjects with suicidal thoughts.
While SAT1 and some other biomarkers were elevated when suicidal intent or ideation was high, other biomarkers, such as the protein CD24, decreased when the living subjects were assessed as highly suicidal. CD24 levels were also lower in the postmortem samples when compared to samples from subjects assessed as having low suicide risk.
Although SAT1 displayed the strongest correlation between gene expression and risk, five other biomarkers remained associated with suicidal intent or ideation after the team performed additional rigorous statistical testing. The team also identified four biomarkers, including SAT1, for which a high baseline level may indicate a general predisposition to having suicidal intent and ideation, even if the subject is not currently suicidal.
Researchers involved in the study, published today in Molecular Psychiatry, note that development of an objective tool such as a biomarker blood test is crucial since suicidal individuals often will not disclose their intent due to fears of being stigmatized, hospitalized or thwarted. Clinicians today typically rely on an assortment of subjective tests and observation to determine risk of suicide, but these methods are often imprecise and poorly predictive. Today's published findings are the first to suggest the feasibility of a predictive test to assess an individual's suicide risk—and thus, hopefully, save some lives.
Very interesting. Is there an update on this research?


GA7 - Two 120kW (160hp) Lycoming O320D1D flat four piston engines driving two blade constant speed propellers. TB 360 - Two 135kW (180hp) Textron Lycoming O-360-A1G6.
GA7 - Max speed 311km/h (168kt), max cruising speed 296km/h (160kt), typical cruising speed 260km/h (140kt). Initial rate of climb 1150ft/min. Service ceiling 17,400ft. Max range with no reserves 2170km (1170nm). TB 360 - Max speed 322km/h (174kt), cruising speed at 75% power 306km/h (165kt), at 45% power 222km/h (120kt). Initial rate of climb 1400ft/min. Service ceiling 20,000ft. Range with max fuel at 75% power 1480km (800nm), at 45% power 2110km (1140nm).
GA7/TB 360 - Empty 1174kg (2588lb), max takeoff 1725kg (3800lb).
GA7/TB 360 - Wing span 11.23m (36ft 10in), length 9.09m (29ft 10in), height 3.16m (10ft 4in). Wing area 17.1m2 (184.0sq ft).
GA7s were built in 1978 and 1979.


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Dickov Looks Ahead To Yeovil Town
Paul Dickov spoke to Rovers Player this morning looking ahead to Friday night's game against Yeovil Town.
"I have watched quite a few games of theirs this season and to be honest I felt they have been unlucky not to get a result. Like all Gary's (Johnson) team's they will be well organised and will work ever so hard.
"We know it will be a tough game for us but it's a game we have to take to them. Yeovil are a side who are difficult to beat but like us they are not scoring enough goals. This will probably be an evenly matched game but we really have to go for it and get back on track by pushing them back.
"Against Barnsley, although I was pleased with the defence and the clean sheet it was disappointing that when we had the ball we were nowhere where we needed to be and did not create a great deal.
"I have been working on that in training since, so that we start on the front foot and get a good start. We have to get back to being better on the ball as at Reading we saw a score that did not reflect the game but failed to take our chances. Against Middlesbrough we were poor all over and probably the worst I have seen us.
"I feel the players confidence had taken a bit of a battering over those games especially as we had lost Rob Jones who is a great leader.
"We have sat the players down and spoken to them and made them believe they are good players and a great team. The first five games of the season we were fantastic and against Barnsley we saw glimpses at time off the ball. I don't want to just sit back and defend which we did against Barnsley but go out there and play with a bit of belief to express themselves.
"Gary's teams will have a go at us I know. He is a fantastic manager who has put some hard work in his two spells at Yeovil. He will have prepared them well and they have players who can hurt you but we have concentrated on how we play not how they do."
To watch the full interview on Rovers Player CLICK HERE
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Greetings from snowy Atlanta! Sunday night it started snowing, and here it is Thursday afternoon and there is still snow & ice on the ground. I can't believe it! When I moved to the South, I thought I would I never see snow on the ground for this long again. When it started snowing on Sunday night, it was actually coming down pretty fast and by the end of the first hour there was already over two inches of snow on the road. By the next morning we had about 5-6 inches of snow outside, which is a lot for Atlanta, I think. At this point all I can say right now is that I am definitely ready to get out of the house today!


Blue topaz is a semiprecious gemstone famous for its clear blue colour. Its blueness could only be had exclusively by a particular treatment.
Blue topaz is a semiprecious gemstone famous for its clear blue colour. Its blueness could only be had exclusively by a particular treatment. The gemstone includes both the hardness as well as the susceptibility in its material structure. That is the reason why it's among the jewels that are very difficult to work with. A great professionalism, expertise and specialised abilities are demanded in order to convert a raw stone into exceptional blue topaz jewellery.
The origin of the name is derived from the Sanskrit word "tapas" meaning "heat" or "fire". Being mentioned in a few parts of Bible and in several legends, Blue Topaz is, today, among the most fashionable jewels used in jewelry marketplace. It symbolizes the unique sparkle of youth. The gems can only be found exclusively and intensively in Russia, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. It is also the official stone of the US state of Texas. In astrological concept, it is the December birthstone and the stone of Virgo.
There are three types of colours found in this gemstone, which are Swiss Blue, London Blue and Sky Blue. Glamira only uses the top quality swiss blue topaz thoughtfully hand-picked by our professional jewellers. You can combine a blue topaz necklace in a solitaire form with other precious stones, and/or with gold and silver. You can fully express yourself and only the sky is your limit! Glamira even encourages you to reveal your blue blood in your customised jewelry. It's possible for you to customise your ring and re-create the blue sky into your blue topaz rings. Or it is possible to splotch the canvas and make lily white clouds in your skies; the expression of your creativity could be revealed in a pair of blue topaz earrings. Make use of the crystal clear semblance of Blue Topaz and let imagination and your fantasies come into existence!


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Beck/Arnley Premium Brake Shoes are designed with top quality materials to allow for an accurate fit.


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The British West India Regiment
Posted by caribdirect | Oct 13, 2015 | African Caribbean, Anguilla News, Antigua News, Bahamas News, Barbados News, British Virgin Islands News, Culture & Society, Dominica News, Grenada News, Guyana News, History, Hot Topics, How Caribbean R U?, Jamaica News, Martinique News, Montserrat News, St Vincent and the Grenadines News, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia News, St. Maarten News, Trinidad News, UK News | 0 |
Social and Cultural Anthropologist and contributor Scherin Barlow-Massay
Gershom Browne's stoicism forbade him to speak of the full horrors he encountered while serving. Other stories were not so easy to suppress.
Soldiers serving in the British West India Regiment (BWIR) were often discriminated against and treated badly. One notable experience occurred when 1,115 Jamaican volunteer soldiers along with twenty-five white officers were heading to England. Their ship the SS Verdala was diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia because of enemy activities in the Atlantic Ocean. While en route, they encountered a blizzard. Inadequately dressed, their lightweight khaki uniforms were no match for snow and although heavier uniforms were on board, access to them was denied until it was too late.
British West India Regiment brass slider. Photo courtesy militarybadgecollection.com
Six hundred men suffered from hypothermia and frostbite that resulted in 5 deaths. One hundred and six had to have their limbs amputated in Halifax while others were sent to Bermuda to convalesce. Survivor, Eugent Clarke, a BWIR veteran who later received France's highest decoration, Légion d'honneur, for meritorious service during WW1 recounted his harrowing experience: 'When we got to Bermuda, I was just creeping. I couldn't walk. Just creep on my knees. After we were there six weeks, some of us feel strong.' Needless to say, when news of their treatment reached Jamaica many became reluctant to join the BWIR.
West Indian soldiers were prevented from seeing action on the Western Front; however the 1st and 2nd Battalions fought in Egypt and Palestine. The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions went to France and Flanders but not as combats. Soldiers of the 8th and 9th Battalions served in France and Flanders and were later sent to Italy. The 10th and 11th Battalions served in France and Italy. The BWIR serving in Europe were there to perform arduous work: digging trenches, carrying the wounded, laying telephone cables, road and railway construction as well as delivering and loading ammunition. Few were allowed to carry arms and none were allowed to go into combat against Europeans.
Soldiers from the Bermuda Militia who served with the Caribbean Regiment. en.wikipedia.org
After Armistice Day on 11 November 1918, another notable incident happened in Italy when regiments of the BWIR had arrived in Taranto for demobilisation. Once again, they were put to work doing menial tasks such as barrack cleaning, building, cleaning toilets for white soldiers and loading and unloading ships. They were refused recreational time and were also confined to the base. Demeaned and humiliated by their treatment the final straw came when white soldiers were awarded a pay increase under Army Order No. 1 of 1918.
On 6 December 1918 the men mutinied, refusing to take orders and attacking their black officers. At the same time a petition was sent to the Secretary of State complaining about the pay issue, discrimination over promotion and the failure to increase the separation allowance which was supposed to be paid to wives and children of married soldiers and dependants of unmarried soldiers. The mutiny lasted four days, during which, a black NCO shot and killed one of the mutineers and a bomb was detonated. As a result of the revolt the Colonial Office put pressure on the War Office to award the BWIR their pay increase and a battalion was sent from England to restore order.
Soldier being honoured with a medal. Photo courtesy www.kaiserscross.com
The perpetrators of the rebellion, the 9th BWIR were disbanded and distributed to other battalions and all BWIR battalions were disarmed. Later approximately 60 soldiers were court-marshalled; one was executed by firing squad and another got 20 years. However, most received lighter sentences. The War Office conceded not on the principle of equal pay, but in an effort to avoid more unrest. In the West Indies, the war had produced a severe economic crisis and between 1916 and 1919 many islands were experiencing a tide of violent strikes. Fearing unrest and agitation from returning soldiers, many were exiled to Cuba and Venezuela.
While many communities have been remembering and celebrating their war heroes, let's not forget men like Gershom Browne. Jamaicans made up two-thirds (10,280) of the 15,601 men who volunteered to serve in the British West India Regiment. Others came from Barbados (831), British Honduras (533), The Bahamas (441), Grenada (445), the Leeward Islands (229), Trinidad & Tobago (1478), St Lucia (359) and St Vincent and the Grenadines (305).
One hundred and eighty-five volunteer soldiers from the BWIR were killed or died as a result of their wounds. Six hundred and sixty-nine were wounded while 1,071 men died of sickness including measles and mumps. The BWIR were awarded 81 medals. Five were Distinguished Service Orders (D.S.O.), nine, Military Crosses (M.C.), two Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.), eight Distinguish Conduct Medals(D.C.M.), 37 Military Medals(M.M.) and 49 Mentions in Dispatches. The BWIR was disbanded in 1921.
If you'd like to see recreations of WWI trenches and the Blitz, many tanks and planes and revolving military exhibitions you can visit the IWM History Museum. See map below:
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The Wolf Blass Grey Label has been produced from Langhorne Creek since the first vintage in 1967. The region is renowned for its deep, rich alluvial soil, which produces wines of great richness and enormous depth of flavour.
The growing conditions leading up to the 1999 vintage were excellent in the region. The fruit for this wine was sourced from several of the older and established vineyards in Langhorne Creek.
After crushing, the fruit began fermentation in traditional static fermenters with regular pump over to extract colour and flavour. The wine then finished fermentation in new French and American oak barrels and was then aged in these barrels for a further 28 months.
The 1999 Wolf Blass Grey Label is a deep red colour and shows very good varietal cabernet characters. On the nose the wine exhibits classic characters of mint and eucalypt with some supporting nuances of chocolate and plums. The palate is full bodied with exceptional layers of berry fruit and chocolate oak. The finish is soft and smooth with excellent length. This wine will cellar well for 6 to 8 years.


پترسون (به انگلیسی: Paterson) مرکز شهرستان پاسایک در ایالت نیوجرسی آمریکاست.
این شهر سومین شهر بزرگ ایالت نیوجرسی است.
پترسون به دلیل نقش اساسی در تولید ابریشم در نیمه اول قرن نوزدهم به نام شهر ابریشمی معروف است.
↑ 2011 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, November 20, 2011. Accessed January 23, 2012.
↑ Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, اداره آمار آمریکا. Accessed January 24, 2012.
↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: City of Paterson, سامانه اطلاعات نام‌های جغرافیایی, accessed May 26, 2007.
↑ DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Paterson city, Passaic County, New Jersey, اداره آمار آمریکا. Accessed November 28, 2011.
↑ Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Paterson city, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed November 27, 2011.
↑ Look Up a ZIP Code, United States Postal Service. Accessed September 4, 2011.
↑ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
مشارکت‌کنندگان ویکی‌پدیا. «Paterson, New Jersey». در دانشنامهٔ ویکی‌پدیای انگلیسی، بازبینی‌شده در ۲ فوریهٔ ۲۰۱۲.


text:
Creators, Makers, & Doers: Marla Hansen of Idaho Dance Theatre
Interview & Photography by Brooke Burton © Boise City Department of Arts & History
Members of Idaho Dance Theatre collaborators and staff pictured: Anna Adaska, Lacey Bernhardt, Sophie Dalbratt, Kali Dey, Yurek Hansen, Alia Kelley, Meaghan Novoa, Lemuel Reagan, Evan Stevens, Connor Wentworth, Marla Hansen
Marla Hansen, Artistic Director of Idaho Dance Theatre, together with her husband Alfred Hansen, founded the company in 1989 when it took off with a momentum all its own. They acted as Co-Artistic Directors along with Carl Rowe until both men retired. Marla shares with us a memory of her sixth grade self, sitting in the corner of her dance teachers' office, as they explained to her parents that she was something of a prodigy (our words, not Marla's, if you ask her, she'll be modest about it.) That was the turning point. Now, on the other side of the desk, she speaks about the complexities of a lifetime of dance from the physical demands on your body (don't dance through the pain, and enjoy that adrenaline rush) to the emotional fortitude to keep things in balance. What kind of balance? Balance between self-criticism and self-acceptance, between your strengths and weaknesses, and between your personal and working relationships. What does Marla look for when auditioning dancers? Flexibility of mind and body, a collaborative spirit, and the ability to trust: trust yourself, your partner, your director, and the process. Most importantly, be nice to yourself and others.
What is Idaho Dance Theatre?
First of all, it's a professional company.
Does that mean paid?
The dancers are paid, the choreographers are paid, the lighting techs are paid. All paid. We have a professional agreement with Boise State University, and have for approximately 30 years, as the professional company in residence that allows us to use the studio space here. For everything else, we're on our own; marketing, grant writing, fund‑raising. It's all our responsibility.
Are you self‑funded, then?
Yes. And right now those responsibilities fall to me because we currently do not have a managing director. We are searching for the right person. Also, IDT is a contemporary dance company, meaning we aren't strictly doing classical story ballets; there are very few companies that do so anymore, only the very biggest companies. When I think of the word contemporary, it's here and now, works are being made fresh. If we reset something, it's not going back 100 or 75 years.
Do you have a favorite style?
First, the style has to have strong technique. A lot of times, I don't think my choreography is too terribly hard, but the dancers say, "Marla, this is really, really hard to do." There's high‑level ballet technique required in addition to strong floor work, and partnering work.
Technique comes first?
Yes and it's physics, to be honest. Balance and counterbalance. For me personally, I love the challenge of working with a large variety of music. Different musical genres inspire different themes, qualities of movement. Sometimes it's serious, sometimes it's humorous, sometimes it's completely abstract, and that abstraction becomes a through line, a theme you didn't plan. I can't say my favorite style, because it's more about the creative process and making something new. That's one of my favorite things about doing choreography, it's not predictable.
How did IDT start?
That's an interesting story. My husband and I, Alfred Hansen, danced with American Festival Ballet for nine years, originally based in Moscow, Idaho. In the spring of 1982, they moved the whole company to Boise. They changed the name to Ballet Idaho, later, in 1992, I think. But I became the acting artistic director when the man they'd hired to do the job changed his mind. He was supposed to set a full‑length Cinderella. So they asked me if I would choreograph the full‑length Cinderella. This was about 1988. When you say he changed his mind, what does that mean?
It means—he had a company he was directing back East, and American Festival Ballet offered him a contract, to which he said yes. Then apparently—I don't know why, and I'm not going to speculate why—but in the middle of June, when he was set to start his position in July, he said, "No, I've changed my mind." At the time Esther Simplot, who is and was heavily involved with the board, approached me about taking on the role.
That's quite the offer.
It was. I was primarily a dancer and ballet mistress, so—
Oh, what's a ballet mistress?
The person who teaches company class. And helping the artistic director gives notes and corrections.
It's a leadership role.
Yes. So to take on more made for a lot of hats to wear; I was also still being cast as a dancer. But that year I said yes to choreographing the full‑length Cinderella; I thought, "I have nothing to lose, okay, I'll do it." It turned out fabulous. Alfred was one of the ugly step sisters and Carl Rowe was the other ugly stepsister.
I can see that. (Laughter)
We took it on tour, all over the West, clear down to Arizona, up to Montana. While on tour, the company, the board, did end up getting a guy to come on as the full‑time artistic director. They wanted an outsider.
And I think they wanted a man. They also wanted someone with an outside reputation.
That's common in the arts, to search out who you believe will bring a fresh perspective. And of course the glass ceiling thing. Hopefully that's beginning to change.
Yes, typically. The very last show of the tour he showed up at the theater, down in Arizona somewhere. So I thought, "I guess I'm done." He turned out not to be a very nice person and at the end of the season, almost three‑quarters of the dancers quit.
Over half the dancers quit?!
Including Alfred and myself. There was a huge transition.
There's a silver lining somewhere I hope?
We got a phone call from the Wyoming Arts Council; they wanted us to come do another show.
They called you directly?
They called me directly. They assumed I was still the artistic director. I said, "Well, we're not with the company anymore." They said, "Do you want to come anyway?"
We literally pulled together a pickup company of dancers who had also quit and put on a whole performance with new work, reset a couple things, and did the show.
That's very gratifying.
When we got back, people in Boise said, "You should do the show here."
I think I see where this is going. (Laugher)
We did the show in the SPEC [Boise State Special Events Center] and, "That was fun; let's do it again." We got ourselves a board of directors and nonprofit status, and just kept going. That was 1992.
Congratulations. What an interesting start!
It wasn't planned.
But it had its own momentum.
We kept getting asked to do more work. Getting bookings.
People wanted to know the name of the company; well, I don't know! I talked to my brother, a journalist, and he said "Okay, now, what is it you do? Where are you? Do you perform in a theater? What kind of work do you do?" I said, "We dance. We're in Idaho, yeah, we do it in a theater." "How about Idaho Dance Theatre?" he says.
And it worked.
You and Alfred took on leadership in the beginning, today your son Yurek Hansen is a company dancer. Would you say IDT's a family thing?
It's been hugely that way, but it's also been a family of many families. We've got dancers who started with us years ago, and their students are now auditioning for the company. We've gone through a lot of phases, financially, structurally. Carl Rowe was commuting to and from Sun Valley—choreographing and performing; the three of us were co‑artistic directors. He got tired of commuting and moved here where he ended up falling in love with his, now, wife, Tracy.
You, Fred, and Carl worked very closely together?
For many, many, many, years, yeah. Fred got to the point where he could no longer dance safely. He had pushed himself as far as he could so he went into lighting design and was very successful at it. He retired from that a couple years ago.
You also stopped dancing at some point?
When I went from no longer dancing to general teaching I felt, physically, like I had no adrenaline, I'd kind of died inside. As a dancer, your body gets used to the rush of adrenaline from performing. It was like getting off a drug. That dead feeling slowly started to go away and I got a new sense of adrenaline from the audience response as a choreographer and director. I wasn't relying on being a performer to get that physical sensation.
That's a hard reality of an athletic career.
When the rush was gone, it took a while, but it came back in a different form. I get a sense of exhilaration and pleasure from watching the works I choreograph, and from coaching people. I don't have to be the one on stage anymore to get a great feeling about it. But for some dancers, they can't return to the theater as an audience member, it's too painful.
Yes, the emotional tie. That's a huge deal when you are used to dancing every single day. Let's talk about the physical demands. What would you say to young dancers just starting out?
This is something we stress here in our classes: know your body. Know about your joint structure, your muscles, how to properly warm up, how to do physical therapy. If you've got an injury, even something small, figure it out; don't just dance through it. Learn why it happened, what should you do to prevent it from happening again, and how to heal.
Take care of yourself?
Dancers can perform a long time if they are training properly and using correct technique. It's just like any athletic activity, you have to learn the proper technique.
Had you been told in your career to "dance through it"?
Oh, yeah. And many times I shouldn't have. Having been a dancer, myself, I really get on dancers' cases, "Okay, you're rolling in, you're not holding your knees over your toes…"
You're watching out for their body as well?
Constantly. Every good teacher does. I mean, there's more emphasis on proper training and proper eating today than there was. But there have been, like, New York City Ballet dancers, who ended up in a wheelchair or using walkers because of osteoporosis.
Oh that's crushing.
And there are still issues with weighing dancers, because they are looking for a body type. But how much someone weighs is not an indication of how they look.
Are there ways IDT has challenged those ideas?
I would say we've really made some differences. And I think we've affected other dancers and companies too. We have dancers who are very tiny and some who are very tall, in terms of women. Anna Adaska is 6‑1, and a very long, flexible, beautiful dancer. When she auditioned she told me too many companies had said, "You're too tall."
She was rejected?
Yes. But when she auditioned, and I watched her move, "You know what? I can't wait to work with you because you're going to bring a whole different look and a new physicality, things that I can do with you."
We've had dancers with a different silhouette than what's typical. To me, the most important thing is: are they nice to be around?
How many hours do you work together?
Every week, when we're in rehearsal, it's anywhere between 20 and 25 hours a week.
That's a lot. And year after year as well?
Oh, year after year after year, yeah. Ultimately, the ones who don't stick with it are the ones who are so darn self‑critical; they degrade themselves, or they can never live up to their own expectations, or what they thought someone else expected. I've known fabulous dancers who quit. But the ones who stick with it figure out how to deal with the pressure and how to accept themselves and work with what they've got.
There's no such thing as perfection?
With something as technical as dance, you can visualize an ideal in your mind, but how do you tell yourself it's okay to not reach that ideal?
You have to find your strengths and really work those, and your weak areas? Build them up. Some people have very good jumps because they have that kind of strength required, while other people are very loosey‑goosey, and can't do very good fast petite allegro, quick jumps with beats and things like that because they're too free. So you have to learn to make your body capable of doing it all, the best you can. Which is where it comes back down to training. And ideally, you aren't being chastised in the studio to the point where you give up.
You mean by a teacher? That chastisement is in detriment to the person?
I've seen some terrible situations. It's been interesting because with social media, you're hearing a whole lot more about negative situations. So there are good changes coming.
How did you become a dancer?
Both my parents loved music and my dad actually took some ballet classes. He was a football player at Oregon State University.
Did he take dance for football?
He took dance for football. He and my mom were both very involved in the arts and loved music from all over the world. He was an Air Force pilot, so we traveled a lot; I was exposed to a lot of varieties of music. Whenever they put music on I'd dance around the house, so it was, "Let's put her in ballet classes." I was probably six. And I loved it.
You were happy to do it?
My parents never tried to tell me what to be or say what I should do. When we lived at the Air Force base in California, there was a studio nearby, and my folks watched a class and came out and said, "They're not doing good training. We're not going to have you take classes here." For two years I didn't get any ballet.
It didn't pass muster. Mustard? [Laughter]
It didn't pass. They knew enough about good training and they did not want me in a program that was poor.
They didn't want you to develop bad habit?
Exactly. Later we moved to Montgomery, Alabama; there was a very good studio there. This was probably the turning point; I was given the opportunity to do a pointe solo in the big recital. My mom made the tutu for me.
What age?
I was sixth grade. After the recital, the directors, a husband and wife team, asked to meet with my parents. I remember sitting in the corner of their office, they said, "Your daughter has the right physicality, the strength, the musicality, and the performance quality to be a professional dancer—
—if she wants to." They encouraged my folks to let me pursue it, they said, "She can do this if you help her."
They saw your aptitude and potential?
They did. The fact that they took the time to say it and for my folks to hear it made a huge difference. Because of their support—I don't know if I would have been gung-ho to go this path. I always thought I was going to be a forest ranger or something because I love the outdoors, and we camped all the time.
You probably wouldn't have met Fred in the woods. Did you two meet in a dance studio?
Yes, at University of Utah. He was a modern major. I was a ballet major. It was very romantic.
Mmm-hmmm.
He lived in a house with a whole bunch of guys. Not a fraternity.
Just a house full of guys?
A house full of guys. There was Fred Davis and Fred Hansen, and both dancers. Then there was Jim Stoy and Jim Davis, both biology majors.
Jims and Freds?
Jims and Freds. I got to know the Freds because they were modern majors; because I did a lot of choreography I was always looking for dancers. I ended up casting Fred in some of my choreography.
Which Fred?
Hansen.
Oh, yeah, obviously.
We got to know each other better and better and started hanging out, so. . .
How good was the chemistry when you danced together?
Oh, it was great.
While Fred was in a company in San Francisco, I took a semester off to be with him and we got hired to do a tour, Sugar Plum and Cavalier. Now, back in those days, if you weren't married you were not supposed to be sharing a motel room. We got married so we could stay together on the tour. That was our logic.
It's more practical to pay for one room than to pay for two. My grandpa—rest in peace—always said it's cheaper to live as two than to live as one.
The fact that we could dance together and present pas de deux, plus teach modern, pointe, jazz, and men's classes; we could teach anything between the two of us. We really got a lot of work as a couple.
Living and working together, that can be good but also a challenge.
It was very good. But here were times—I remember some rehearsals, and times where maybe, with my choreography, I was asking Fred to do something either very difficult or uncomfortable. Times when I just had to hold back. You're a couple, you know, you can get some antagonism going, and you have to draw a line between your working relationship and your loving relationship; not let it get mushed into a mess, which some couples can't do. But we did and were able to keep our love alive. Even if we didn't always agree about the rehearsal process.
I can imagine how uncomfortable that could be.
Rehearsals can be very stressful, especially in partnering situations where one person is maybe resistant or not trusting.
You said earlier the number one requirement for your dancers is they have to be nice to be around. How can you recognize in an audition whether that will be the case?
Not only do I watch them dance, but I ask them to do some improvisation with company members. That is usually a good way to tell how they might react with each other. Then I always have the conversation about, "What are your goals? What is it you really want out of your dance career?" I try to make it very clear that we are not a 40‑hour‑a‑week company. We don't have that kind of money. You'll have to get another job on top of this.
You see if they can be matched with what you can provide?
And how willing are they to try new things and work with a variety of choreographers and a variety of musical styles, are they going to get stuck in their ways?
Are they resistant to change or collaboration?
Something super important to me, that I've really tried to nurture, is the studio environment. When somebody is giving a correction or asking for a change, the tone of voice, the choice of words is important. And that dancers do not think of it as a personal affront. It's all about the work. It's about what we're creating. It's not about you as a person.
Don't take it personally. Learn, grow, repeat.
The best dancers are the ones we can work with over and over and over. Sometimes I step in, because I hear things, I will pull dancers aside to say, "You've got to figure out how to say what you're saying in a different way."
Because it's not landing right, it's breaking down communication lines instead of opening them?
And you don't want people to get defensive.
In any performing art, ego comes into play.
Well, that's for anything.
Yes, and performing arts are especially known for ego.
It can be detrimental. But sometimes you have to have it, or you won't be able to get out there and do what you have to do.
Yes, it's scary to put yourself out there for an audience, or for the audition process. Your ego must be strong enough to withstand rejection and the embarrassment of making mistakes in front of others.
It's terrifying. [Laughter]
What do you see in the future, for Idaho Dance Theatre?
I envision that two, maybe even three people will take on the role of co-artistic directors, when I pass the reins. We've got very talented choreographers, even dancers, who are good with managerial skills.
What is a challenge you face?
The hardest thing right now is that we need a full-time managing director, and to raise the funds for that. It's a difficult time to feel confident in keeping that person employed.
Who should people call if they want to donate large sums of money? [Laughter]
Tell them to call me. You know, my goal is that, you have to be willing to change your vision, be flexible. The other thing I'm constantly trying to do is trust.
Great advice, both physical and emotional.
Grant Recipient
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Creators, Makers, & Doers highlights the lives and work of Boise artists and creative individuals. Selected profiles focus on individuals whose work has been supported by the Boise City Dept. of Arts & History. The views expressed in this publication are those of the individuals interviewed and do not necessarily reflect those of the City of Boise.


Maling Road in Canterbury features over 50 shops restored to Edwardian period style. The shopping district includes fashion, boutique and homeware stores.
Percentage of residents born overseas. The top three overseas birthplaces are China and Hong Kong (2479), England (1061), Malaysia (524).


text:
HomeNews'Thank you' BBQ with the PM at 22 Wing
'Thank you' BBQ with the PM at 22 Wing
By Richard Coffin
Wednesday, Jul. 6th, 2022
(Photo by MyWestNipissingNow.com staff)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is thanking local military members.
That was the focus of his BBQ visit late Wednesday afternoon at 22 Wing CFB North Bay.
The PM thanked the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families for all they've done over the past couple of "difficult" years.
"Every step of the way the Armed Forces have been there, even through the pandemic," Trudeau told the crowd. "Whether it was delivering vaccines through the extraordinary logistical abilities of the Armed Forces or whether it was responding to floods and wildfires and other challenges that step up, you have consistently been there and you will continue to."
He also touted government increases in defence spending.
"That includes a big announcement we made that I know touches 22 Wing directly which is the NORAD modernization," he said. "It's been decades since we've stepped up in modernizing NORAD and I know the work that you've done here and continue to do here is extremely integral to that and I want to thank you for all of that."
Last month, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Canada is investing $4.9 billion over the next six years to modernize continental defences and to protect Canadians from new and emerging threats.
She said this is the most significant upgrade to Canadian NORAD capabilities in almost four decades.
Here in North Bay, Trudeau also talked about his visit to Latvia in recent months, and seeing some of the troops serving on NATO's eastern flank, demonstrating Canada's commitment to the values and principles that underline our democracy.


text:
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Rogue Protocol (2018)
Exit Strategy (2018)
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Network Effect (2020)
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The Ships of Air
The Gate of Gods
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The Cloud Roads
The Serpent Sea
The Siren Depths
The Edge of Worlds
The Harbors of the Sun
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Martha Wells Books Overview
The Element of Fire was first published in the US by Tor Books in 1993, and has been published in six languages. It was a finalist for the 1993 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award and a runner up for the 1994 Crawford Award. This new edition has been revised by the author.
The kingdom of Ile Rien is in peril, menaced by magical threats and court intrigue. As the weak King Roland, misled by treacherous companions, rules the country, only his ruthless mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna, truly guards the safety of the realm. But now Urbain Grandier, the dark master of scientific sorcery, has arrived to plot against the throne and Kade, bast*ard sister of the king, has appeared unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true goals are cloaked in mystery. Is she in league with the wizard Grandier? Or is she laying claim to the throne? It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard and Ravenna's former lover, to sort out who is friend and who is foe in a deadly game to keep the Dowager Queen and the kingdom she loves from harm.
Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman with an enigmatic past. Consumed by thoughts of vengeance, he is consoled only by thoughts of the beautiful, dangerous Madeline. He is also the greatest thief in all of Ile Rien…
On the gas light streets of the city, he assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for vengeance the murder of Count Montesq. Montesq orchestrated the wrongful execution of Nicholas's beloved godfather on false charges of necromancy the art of divination through communion with spirits of the dead a practice long outlawed in the kingdom of Ile Rein. But now Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, even fatal events. Someone with tremendous magical powers is opposing him. Children vanish, corpses assume the visage of real people, mortal spells are cast, and traces of necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries are found. And when a spiritualist unwittingly leads Nicholas to a decrepit mansion, the monstrous nature of his peril finally emerges in harrowing detail. Nicholas and his compatriots must destroy an ancient and awesome evil. even teh help of Ile Rien's greatest sorcerer may not be enough, for Nicholas faces a woefully mismatched battle and unthinkable horrors await the loser.
Once a fertile and prosperous land, Ile Rien is under attack by the Gardier, a mysterious army whose storm black airships appear from nowhere to strike without warning. Every weapon in the arsenal of Ile Rien's revered wizards has proven useless. And now the last hope of a magical realm under siege rests within a child's plaything.
Known for her lush, intricate worlds and complex characters, acclaimed author Martha Wells has delighted readers with her extraordinary fantasy novels of daring and wit. With The Wizard Hunters she launched her most ambitious undertaking yet the return to the beloved world of the Nebula Award nominated The Death of the Necromancer and The Fall of Ile Rien. Now the saga continues in a triumph of suspense and imagination. Despite a valiant struggle against superior forces, the country of Ile Rien has fallen to the onslaught of the relentless Gardier, a faceless army of sorcerers determined to conquer all civilization. To save the remnants of her country, former playwright Tremaine Valiarde undertakes an epic journey to stop the Gardier. Rescuing the proud ship Queen Ravenna from destruction, Tremaine and a resolute band of sorcerers and warriors set sail across magical seas on a voyage of danger and discovery. For the secret to defeating the enemy and to rescuing the world from the Gardier's inimitable hatred lies far beyond the walls of the world, and only the tenuous ties of friendship and honor will keep the band together. But the Gardier are not the only evil in this tumultuous world, and an ancient terror stalks the ornate rooms and shadowy decks of the Queen Ravenna a force so malevolent and enigmatic that even the growing power of the sorcerer's sphere may not be enough to save Ile Rien from utter ruin.
Tremaine Valiarde and a small, brave band of heroes ventured into a wondrous new realm on their desperate mission to save Ile-Rien from the conquering Gardier. Now, as a relentless enemy creates chaos and destruction — with the fate of the magical city of Lodun hanging in the balance — the last hope of a land besieged may rest on the far side of a secret portal.
But the doorway leads to a mysterious ruin hidden behind the awesome Gate of Gods — and to perils that dwarf anything Tremaine and her allies could have possibly imagined…
Moon has spent his life hiding what he is a shape shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape shifter like himself…
someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power…
that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival…
and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save himself…
and his newfound kin.
Khat, a member of a humanoid race created by the Ancients to survive in the Waste, and Sagai, his human partner, are relic dealers working on the edge of society, trying to stay one step ahead of the Trade Inspectors and to support Sagai's family. When Khat is hired to find relics believed to be part of one of the Ancients' arcane engines, they are both reluctant to become involved. But the request comes from the Warders, powerful mages who serve Charisat's Elector. Khat soon discovers that the deadly politics of Charisat's upper tiers aren't the only danger. The relics the Warders want are be the key to an Ancient magic of unknown power, and, as all the inhabitants of Charisat know, no one understands the Ancients' magic. First published by Tor Books in 1995.
Every year, the Wheel of the Infinite must be painstakingly remade to ensure peace and harmony. And every hundred years, the Wheel and the world become one. But now a black storm ravages the beautiful mandala, and a woman with a shadowy past an exile, murderer, and traitor has been summoned back to put the world right. For if Maskelle and the swordsman Rian cannot stop the Wheel's accelerating disintegration then all that is what and will be…
will end.
While exploring the unused sections of the Ancient city of Atlantis, Major John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay stumble on a recording device that contains a new Stargate address. The address leads them to a world with a mysterious ruined city that may be part of an Ancient repository, or it may just be yet another trap for the unwary.
When Dr. Rodney McKay unlocks an Ancient mystery on a distant moon, he discovers a terrifying threat to the Pegasus galaxy. Determined to disable the device before it's discovered by the Wraith, Colonel John Sheppard and his team navigate the treacherous ruins of an Ancient outpost. But attempts to destroy the technology are complicated by the arrival of a stranger.
Sheila Bugler


In conversation with Laura Bloom on the centre, the periphery, empire and the 'ick' factor….
And, controversially, the sense of humour. Some people might think such a serious and intelligent book couldn't possibly be funny….but it is.
It's amazing to read a book about the scars of colonialism and sectarianism that's written from an Australian point of view, and that talks about the impact of that sectarianism in Britain and Ireland on Australia.
England tried to export its problems away in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it's very interesting how some problems, like the stark divisions between Irish Catholics and English Protestants that were in effect until around about the 1970s in Australia, lingered longer, here on the 'edge' of the Empire, than they did in the centre.
Any place on the edge of the British Empire would have been an interesting place to start this story, and because I'm Australian I wanted it to be here, with that very particular flavor of resentment and repression I think we carry over from the Catholic/Protestant divide – even though to all intents and purposes it's no longer an overt divide.
One of the things I really loved about the politics of the book is the way that the trauma of the Troubles is passed from generation to generation. And I really loved the parallels that you drew between Ireland and India. I can't think of another novel that talks about that Commonwealth experience of Empire and draws parallels between them. This could be a trivia question: does anyone know another novel that talks about that Commonwealth experience and draws those parallels (the Troubles and the Sikh/Hindu problems in the 80s)? I found it so original and inventive and beautifully done and it really felt to me that it could only have been written by a Commonwealth writer, it couldn't have actually been written by someone from the centre, it is definitely that peripheral perspective. It's a perspective I can feel in other writers that I really like, just thinking of Kei Miller from Jamaica – it's a totally different perspective being Jamaican but I can see in some ways there are parallels in that experience of Empire, to be being Indian or Australian.
One of the things I've loved about spending time in India is that I felt such a connection through our Commonwealth education and history.
A clever reviewer described The Cleanskin as a tale of the Troubles as you've never heard it told before, which I think is true. But it's also a story of Empire, and in particular the story of the British Empire.
And I think it has interesting parallels with what's happening now with the Islamic world. I've read articles about the terrorists who for example were involved in the 9.11 bombings. They were first radicalized when they went to the US earlier in their lives and felt they were discriminated against and ignored. That really confirmed and radicalized their Muslim identity. That's also the case in my novel – where Megan feels her family is the victim of discrimination and she clings much more tightly to her minority identity as a result.
Discrimination and oppression doesn't begin neatly and it doesn't end neatly, and so often an action is met by an even greater reaction that builds into violence.
It was so refreshing to read a novel where a woman is radicalised, rather than a man. How did it feel to write a woman character like that? She's so original.
I found it easy to write because the alienated, passionate middle class young woman joining a radical movement is a living archetype in the recent history of liberation movements in the US, UK, Israel and South Africa, to name just a few. This is by no means an unheard of story. But it's a story that's not as often been told, and I think I know one of the reasons why: when I sold the story, some people said they found Megan particularly unsympathetic. And not unsympathetic in a way that all people who resort to violence are unsympathetic – I don't like them either. In some quarters I felt there was a sort of disapproval in writing about this, and a disappointment. I found it really hard not to take that on personally. That's because I feel such a personal connection to my work but also it's an icky topic – women fighting is a very icky topic and people subconsciously are turned off by it, yet it's happened. Emma Goldman, the 19th century anarchist activist accused of throwing a bomb, was the kind of woman I describe (although far more effective and admirable than my character, Megan). Also I think it's icky because it's threatening – when those educated middle class women decide to organize in a more effective way, and in a less self-destructive way than this, they become a significant force for change – as they have been, for example, in many non-violent movements including women's rights.
I've read the book more than once, and have always felt enormously attracted to the Megan / Halley character. It's such a relief to read a woman who is complex and has a range of feelings and emotions and responses. I think a lot of women will respond to her with relief. She's allowed to have this full range of emotions and responses. So many women in literature are so warm and witty and wise.
After writing this book I really understand why women so often end up being written about in such narrow ways. It seems much more acceptable to write a likable woman character who in some ways can act as an avatar for the female reader to identify with as well as relate to.
Well I think it's hugely inspiring and I think a work of genius always feel a bit like that…..
I have read that women who are angry and hard to love are becoming a thing, so won't that be great?
It's so revolutionary – as a character she reminds me (she doesn't' do anything like this in the book just so people aren't put off) – but she reminds of me of the Jennifer Garner character in the film The Kingdom. Her character is incredible. She saves Jason Bateman from being murdered by a terrorist group. They're setting up one of those videos where they're about to behead him on YouTube and she swoops in and kills everyone with her bare hands.
Well I want to see it and interesting I've never heard of it. Maybe there was that ick factor.
I think a lot of women would find it very inspiring. I do.
And of course In The Cleanskin that's also what gives her her power – that's why she's such an effective Cleanskin, and maybe that's why middle class women make pretty good terrorists: that they are so not meant to be doing that. They're a perfect vehicle because they're above suspicion.
But my next book is going to be so warm witty and wise, with lots of baking. And as I love baking, I can say it's based on personal experience. Seriously!
One of the things I really loved about this book – and this is something that as a writer you do incredibly well – is that you balance the masculine and feminine both in the book and also within each character. Halley seems to me a revolutionary and interesting woman who does things that are not seen as feminine but she is also emotional and vulnerable and feminine. And then Aidan is able to be a very feminine and feeling man as well as a very strong man. I wondered if there's anything you'd like to say about writing Aidan.
Writing Aidan was a relief, because he's in a way the moral centre of the story and the heart centre of the story, so I found him always the person I most sympathised with and probably the person the reader most sympathises with. He is the victim of other people's choices and circumstances and I just loved writing him. And particularly when he goes to India and makes his own connections. I loved the nature of his relationships with people, which is much more what I identify with than say Halley.
That he would make friends with an older woman in India and connect so intimately with her and talk about such personal things really seems … like something that I might do, that I did, actually. And the actions he takes are in a much smaller range but I think they're just as important and just as powerful, but more 'normal', human sized.
It's so revolutionary that it's the man who has that role because usually it would be the woman. Usually the man who would be out doing all the big things and getting into trouble and then there'd be someone like Halley letting us know about the morality of that.
I wanted to write about that too because I know a lot of Aidans and they just don't get enough of a showing in stories and I think that's probably because he's not a male or a female wish fulfillment vehicle. Tom Cruise is not going to want to play him in the movie. But he's a man I know, holding such sensitivity and love, and confusion and loyalty.
Who should play Aidan in the movie?
I wish Mark Ruffalo could.
I was thinking of him. He'd be my choice for some reason….
He'd be perfect. He'd be the wrong nationality.
He could dye his hair….
I don't know about his Australian or Irish accent but he's wounded. Yep. He can do wounded.
It is so wonderful to read a book by a writer who is so in command from beginning to end, a writer at the peak of her powers. And the settings are so beautifully written: Mullumbimby (see photo above), Sydney, India and London and some parts in Northern Ireland as well. Could you talk about the setting and how it was writing such a vast panorama?
It was a pleasure writing those scenes because they are all places that I love, except Belfast, where I have never been. The scene set there is the one I researched the most. I have a friend who is from Belfast who helped me a lot and that scene went in right at the end because it was odd for me to write in a place I've never been. All those other settings – it's such a pleasure writing in places I love and that I have a connection with.
The different characterization of each place was also a dramatic device to give readers relief: e.g. the London scenes are so necessarily claustrophobic and hard, it was a relief for me, and I hope for the readers, to come back to Mullumbimby, which is so easy and tropical and loose, or Sydney – which in this book is a rich place and a luxurious and beautiful place.
I think people will quite like that actually, no one wants things to only be shiny, it's unrealistic.
My next book is just going to pour out of me! It's going to be about a super delightful person and it's just going to come pouring out.
Lastly I want to talk about the sense of humour in the book. For such a serious book about weighty topics, I think it's also very funny. Liam is such a comic character and should go down as such because there are not that many funny terrorists in the world and there should be more.
I do think they need to be mocked much more than they are. There would be far fewer people joining up to be terrorists if we made more fun of them.
There's beautiful humour – particularly the dynamics between the three brothers and the depiction of that kind of family. And also Halley's family. Families are just funny when they're not tragic, aren't they?
That's a great observation. Yes.
Liam is such a narcissist peacock and the effect he has on his brothers is hilarious, they're appalled and they want to kill him. But his mother, of course, just loves him…. And in Halley's family now, her son, who is such a beautiful character, and her relationship with her son, a lot of that is very humorous in a really touching way. Their relationship and how she's trying to reach back inside herself to feel vulnerable and to reach him and it's all beautifully observed and funny.
I'm so glad you can see that. A friend said she just wanted to shake her the whole time about how she was with Benny. But I wouldn't have behaved the way Darcy behaved towards Elizabeth but I still enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. In fact that made it more enjoyable.
As you were writing it did you want to make it funny? Or was that a complete byproduct?
I think in anything well observed and true there are always things to observe that are funny. Just by observing any experience there must be humour there, because that's part of what's true.
I can't bear things to be too heavy. In my worst, hardest moments in life there's always been lightness. It's always there and it has to be there. I'd really know I'd come to the end if I wasn't able to see the funny side. Life has lightness in it and art needs to have it as a leavening agent or it would just be unbearable. And I do find with art that is just dark that I don't want it, partly because it's too depressing but also because I think it's not true.
When I think of your writing philosophy I think that's really a part of it.
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Israel Gets New Kashrut Authority, but Don't Expect Things to Change on Shabbat
Tzohar has launched its own service granting kashrut certification in Israel – but the consumer may not be able to spot the difference, at least in the short term
Aaron Rabinowitz
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The launch of Tzohar's new kashrut authority, Tel Aviv, February 25, 2018. Shai Berman, left, Rabbi Raffi Feuerstein, Rabbi Dr. Moshe Be'eri, Rabbi Oren Duvdevani and Irit Gottlieb.Credit: Tomer Appelbaum
The Tzohar organization launched its own service granting kashrut certification to restaurants and businesses in Israel on Monday, placing it on a potential collision course with the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.
Tzohar's leadership delivered a presentation of its service, called Tzohar Food Supervision, to the media in Tel Aviv. They claim the service will be revolutionary for Israeli businesses needing a kashrut certificate, but in fact it won't differ from the usual kashrut procedure in any substantial way – not even in price.
The basic model of supervision will be the same as that of the (Orthodox) Rabbinate, the religious Zionist organization acknowledges.
So what's new? Tzohar's leaders have vowed to conduct themselves with complete transparency; to eschew ties between the supervisor and supervisee (a common criticism of the Rabbinate in recent years); to use technological tools; and to demonstrate understanding of business needs. In addition, Tzohar will be using female kashrut inspectors.
So what's the same? Well, any restaurant opening on Shabbat won't be able to obtain kashrut certification from Tzohar, no matter how kosher the establishment's food sources.
Also, Tzohar's prices are about the same as those charged by the Rabbinate. As a result, it's way too early to say whether it's a harbinger of change as far as consumers are concerned.
Perhaps the main upshot will be that, finally facing serious competition, the Rabbinate's process will become more efficient.
Secular Israelis Are Wasting Time Squabbling Over Shabbat
The Battle for Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market
Fighting the ultra-Orthodox Moloch
The new kashrut certification arm will be headed by Rabbi Oren Duvdevani, formerly a high-ranking official in the Rabbinate's kashrut authority.
Tzohar says its goal is to reach 1,200 businesses within three years, including restaurants that presently have no certification.
Tzohar co-founder Rabbi Raffi Feurstein says his organization's purpose isn't to supplant the Rabbinate, but to challenge it by introducing competition to what had been a monopolistic field until the High Court of Justice intervened last year to allow for some independent certification.
The launch of the new Tzohar kashrut authority in Israel, February 25, 2018.Credit: Tomer Appelbaum
"Our opinion and view is that the State of Israel should have a state Rabbinate," Feurstein clarified. "We don't want and don't aspire to replace the Rabbinate. But like the ministries, it should have a regulator that sets the rules. ... We don't want to take over from the Rabbinate. We want to add more businesses that hadn't been kosher until now."
Shai Berman, head of the Israeli Restaurants and Bars Association, appeared with Tzohar's leaders at the press conference and recited the Shehecheyanu blessing for the new venture.
"This is an important day for Israeli society and the economy," Berman said. "We know a monopoly is a bad thing and want to have an alternative.
"No longer can a single body impose its will and tell us what to do," he added.
Israel food


Duffle bag. Inside is one compartment with 2 phone and key pockets. On back is a misc. zipper pocket and a phone pocket. Come with an adjustable shoulder strap. Also, has snaps to cinch ends down for easy carrying. Unsnap for an extra wide opening for easyB55 packing.


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NY Heroin Law Deal Scorecard: What Passed, What Didn't
Long Island Press
Less than half of the 23 bills that a New York State heroin task force proposed two weeks ago passed the state legislature before lawmakers went on summer break last week.
The 11 bills that passed in a much-anticipated legislative package deal mostly deal with treatment and prevention of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse, while only some bills that would have enacted harsher penalties in drug crimes made the cut.
"Government doesn't really solve problems like this," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed the bills into law Monday. "These problems get solved when everybody takes responsibility towards the issue."
The legislation aimed at combating the statewide heroin epidemic that has gripped Long Island for years followed the task force's 18 public hearings in nine weeks this spring, busloads of anti-drug advocates lobbying Albany and a steady stream of major drug busts in the state—home to a third of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's heroin seizures nationwide last year.
Read More: How Long Island is Losing its War on Heroin
Among the most notable new laws requires insurers to cover substance-abuse treatment based on decisions made by medical professionals and requires insurance companies use the same criteria as rehabilitation providers.
"We made a lot of comments on the language of the bill and we brought families up to Albany to advocate for this," said Jeffrey Reynolds, executive director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. "We're trying to curb what we've seen, which is insurers trying to create barriers to treatment."
Other new laws were also aimed at increasing the availability of rehab. One directed the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to create a relapse prevention program to provide case management and referral services for people who successfully complete treatment. The state health department will also develop a new model of services for those in recovery with the goal of reducing reliance on emergency room services.
Another law will allow parents to have drug-abusing children assessed by an OASAS-certified provider through the Person in Need of Supervision (PINS) program. A similar task force proposal that was not included in the final package would have also allowed courts to require a PINS child to undergo treatment. The measure is aimed at helping abusers who are over the age of 18 who refuse parents' attempts to get them treatment.
Other failed bills would have directed OASAS and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to look into converting closed correctional facilities into rehab facilities.
Among those that passed were new laws expanding the use of naloxone, an opioid-overdose antidote known by its brand name, Narcan, which has been credited with saving countless people from fatally overdosing.
One of the new laws require naloxone kits to include instructions on how to administer the drug, how to identify an overdose and where to find treatment services. Another allows health care professionals and pharmacists greater flexibility in prescribing Narcan, ensuring it's more readily available. On the other hand, a bill that would have allowed schools administer naloxone was not signed into law.
Other new laws add drug prevention information to junior and high school health class curricula and a public awareness program by the OASAS and the state health department.
Among the rejected bills was one that would have put guidelines for prescription drug take-back events on the OASAS website and another that would have created standards for a continuing medical education program for drug prescribers. Another bill that didn't pass would have limited prescriptions of controlled substances to patients suffering from acute pain.
"We in the Senate agreed that that prevention and treatment was most important," said state Sen. Phil Boyle (R-Bay Shore), the chairman of the Senate's heroin task force. "But we realize that there need to be criminal penalties."
Most of the bills that were cut from the deal between Cuomo and the Senate were designed to tighten up law enforcement of drug-related crimes, although some still made it through.
The failed bills would have classified the transportation or sale of an opioid that causes a death as homicide, the theft of a blank prescription form as grand larceny and the sale of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a drug treatment center as a B felony.
One bill that was sponsored by Boyle would have made harsher penalties for transporting an opioid more than five miles within New York or between counties. Boyle said that he was disappointed that the bill failed.
"Opioid drug dealers come out of New York City, Long Island and all over upstate," he said. "You can get heroin bags pretty cheap in the city but once you get up to Plattsburgh, you can sell them for six times as much as in the city. I would have liked to have seen the bill get passed."
Another rejected bill from the task force's original recommendations, dubbed the Criminal Street Gang Enforcement and Prevention Act, would have increased penalties for gang-related drug crimes. Other rejected bills would have restricted drug dealers for participating in the SHOCK incarceration program—rehabilitative prison boot camp for young offenders—to receive drug abuse treatment and required treatment facilities to notify local police of convicts being treated in court-mandated programs.
These bills were replaced by a new set that authorize investigators from the health department's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) to access criminal histories of doctor-shopping suspects. Another increases the penalty for obtaining controlled substances by impersonating as a doctor or pharmacist or forging a prescription.
Other law enforcement measures that passed increased penalties for a doctor or pharmacist to uses his or her job to illegally sell prescriptions. Investigators were also granted more tools in probing allegedly unscrupulous doctors and pharmacists.
All of the measures came after the governor announced a plan to add 100 New York State Police investigators to its narcotics unit and train college staffers how to identify signs of addiction. Before the bills were signed into law during an event at Binghamton University, one upstate lawmaker noted that prevention is paramount, if the need for treatment and enforcement is to be curbed.
"All important is the public education campaign," said Assemb. Donna Lupardo (D-Broome County), a co-sponsor of several of the laws. "Honestly, it's hard for us to wrap our heads around the attraction to this drug."
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I was a little leery but it was well worth it! We purchased the combination tickets (Uffizi, Pitti, and Boboli) a few weeks before traveling. I printed out the confirmation email and took it right to Gate 3 ten minutes before the time of our reservation to get the tickets. Super easy!
Musement was one of the best services we found online. It's easy, seamless, professional and a pleasure overall. We downloaded the app to our phones and showed the tickets to the desk at the museum. Simple. We will certainly use musement again.
Pleased with our visits to uffizi, pritti palace and gardens. System seemed to work well and slipped line although the line wasn't too bad anyway being november.
Very enjoyable, even though we had still to queue for 25 minutes after we had obtained the tickets. Excellent cafeteria terrace with good and speedy service.
It was after January 7, and there were no lines :) Museums themselves were astonishing. I think on busy time it worth buying skip-the-line to save time.
Everythink worked very well and very fast.. We have saved so much time for others activities. Thanks!
an absolute life saver when travelled in Europe for 3 weeks, saved loaaaads of time!
It was simple to collect tickets and easy to purchase them! Great entry pass!
Really convenient way to see the Uffizi Gallery, good value for money.
As promised. Quick entry. Very convenient. Recommend.
Florence's Palazzo Pitti is today one of the biggest museums in Italy and a favorite stop for the city's countless visitors. The Palace was built by the rich Florentine banker Luca Pitti and is a grand Renaissance building that dates back to 1458. The real fame and power of this building began when the powerful de' Medici family, one of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and great patrons of the arts, took it as a guest residence and eventually used it as a place to store their growing collection of precious items, paintings and artwork.
Today, Palazzo Pitti is home to many different museums that are held on different floors and halls of the building. Visitors can see the Palatina Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Costume Gallery (that is like an antique fashion gallery), the 'Museo degli Argenti' that holds a part of the de' Medici family treasure, the Porcelain Museum and the famous Boboli Garden (Giardino di Boboli).


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Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is a 10-core smartphone with a huge battery
Xiaomi has launched the newest addition to its Redmi Note line, and as expected, it's a large, powerful smartphone sold at a ridiculously low price.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is a 5.5-inch phone with a 10-core Helio X20 processor, 3GB of RAM, a full HD screen, 16/64GB of storage memory (expandable via microSD cards), a 13-megapixel back camera, a 5-megapixel selfie cam, a fingerprint scanner and a 4,100mAh battery.
It has a metal, unibody design with slightly curved glass edges (Xiaomi, like several other companies, calls this 2.5D glass), and while it doesn't break any new ground, it looks just as good as any other flagship that came out this year. In fact, you'd have to look closely to find many differences between the Redmi Note 4 and the Redmi Pro that was launched in July.
But there is one very important difference; even though the Redmi Note 4 has roughly the same set of specs as the Pro (sans the dual camera), it's much cheaper, priced at 899 RMB ($135) for the 16GB version and 1,199 RMB ($180) for the 64GB version.
While that's not the cheapest phone Xiaomi has launched — its Redmi 3, for example, was priced just above $100 at launch — it's still pretty amazing that you can get a phone with this set of specs for less than 150 bucks.
Software-wise, the Redmi Note 4 will run on Xiaomi's MIUI 8 Android Marshmallow-based firmware, which started rolling out to newer Xiaomi phones a few days ago.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 comes in three colors: silver, gold and dark grey. It will become available in China, from Mi.com, Xiaomi's Mi Home stores and through China Mobile's retail channels, starting Aug. 26.
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Q: convergence of $ \int_0^{2\pi} \frac{\cos x}{x}\, dx$ I'm trying to find the convergence of $ \int_0^{2\pi}  \frac{\cos x}{x} dx $. Could someone check if i did this right?
$\frac{-1}{x} \leq \frac{\cos x}{x} \leq \frac{1}{x}$
$ -\lim_{b \rightarrow 0} \int_b^{2\pi}\frac{1}{x}dx = -\lim_{b \rightarrow 0}\ln (x) |_b^{2\pi} = \lim_{b \rightarrow 0}\ln(b)-\ln(2\pi)=\infty $....... (=divergent)
So by comparison test,
the integral diverges.... Is this fine??

A: $$\int_0^{2\pi}\frac{\cos x}xdx=\int_0^{\pi/3}\frac{\cos x}xdx+\int_{\pi/3}^{2\pi}\frac{\cos x}xdx$$
The second integral converges because the integrand is continuous in $[\pi/3,2\pi]$, but, since $\cos x\ge1/2$ for $x\in(0,\pi/3)$,
$$\int_0^{\pi/3}\frac{\cos x}xdx\ge\int_0^{\pi/3}\frac{1/2}xdx=\lim_{a\to0^+}\frac12(\ln(\pi/3)-\ln a)=\infty$$
Therefore, the integral does not converge.

A: By series expansion of $\cos(x)$, when $x$ is close to $0$, we have $\cos(x) \approx 1 - \frac{x^2}{2} $
So the for the integrand we have $\frac{\cos x}{x} \approx \frac{1}{x} - \frac{x}{2}$.
Does $$\int_0^{2\pi} \frac{1}{x} - \frac{x}{2} dx$$ exist?

A: $\int_0^{2\pi}  \frac{\cos x}{x} dx=\lim_{n\to \infty} \frac {1}{n} \sum_{k=0}^{n} \frac {\cos(\frac {2\pi k}{n})}{\frac {2\pi k}{n}}=\lim _{n\to \infty}\sum_{k=0}^{n} \frac {\cos(\frac {2\pi k}{n})}{2\pi k}$. Does this limit converge?

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