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January 3 2014, 12:00 AM
Review: COMMUNITY S5 EP01 & 02, REPILOT Proves You Can Go Home Again
Benjamin Umstead
Editor, U.S.; Los Angeles, California (@filmbenjamin)
There's probably a good three to five paragraphs I could spend clumsily wading through the history of Community, with it's ups and downs, successes and pitfalls. But if you're reading this review that means you're most likely a fan; a survivor of that history, and so you know it by heart and it's been uplifting and disheartening. So let's just get to it...
Season 5 is here. Creator Dan Harmon is back in the showrunner chair writing the wrongs of season 4, and quite possibly addressing the more off-the-rail moments of his own initial run.
NBC debuted the first two episodes back to back tonight and rather than writing two full reviews, I'm gonna summarize both, then let the eps play off of each other a little bit.
First up was "Repilot", Harmon's nod to the trials and tribulations behind the scenes, which now after 4 years with this show, all ties in nicely to what we get on screen. After an unsuccessful stint as a "good guy" lawyer, Jeff is offered by his old partner/nemesis Alan (Rob Corddry) an opportunity to take down Greendale. Alan is defending the engineer of a bridge that collapsed upstate... an engineer who just so happened to get his degree at Greendale (his thesis was a poorly constructed bridge made out of LEGO bricks). Jeff's job is to coerce the school to give up the engineer's student records, and well, it's a prime moment for Jeff to evaluate his past lives, especially when Abed calls in the old gang (minus Pierce of course) (thought we do see Chevy Chase as a hologram).
It's a morally dark place to start off at, but perfectly plays to Jeff's (as well as Harmon's) fears of inadequacy and of his actual abilities. It puts a lot of emphasis on Greendale being a terrible place, perhaps it's most straight up cynical take on it yet, and one can feel how Harmon and his team are working through their own frustrations at trying to surmise something that they clearly love, but also something that they don't really know if it's worth holding onto anymore. All this is put forth when Jeff states that Greendale made the study group worse off than they were when they began, which is brilliantly distilled in the line "When we arrived here we were real people and we were then twisted into cartoon characters." This gets a cherry on top by the Britta-centered followup: "You were the free radical anarchist who became the group's airhead." So where are they now? Shirley put all her time into Shirley's Sandwiches and lost Andre and the kids because of it. Annie works for a big Pharma company. Britta is a bartender (the modern psychiatrist). While Troy plans on suing Abed once his new social media app is ready.
Jeff's initial goal is to get the group to turn against Greendale by testifying against the school, but the tables are turned when they decided to re enroll and get their lives back on track, which eventually leads to Jeff admitting he's broke, deflated and so might as well sign up as a teacher.
"Introduction To Teaching" brings in Jonathan Banks as Greendale's Criminology professor, Buzz Hicky, and Jeff's guide into the very different world of a Greendale teacher. Or well, not so much. The main lesson of this episode comes to a head when Jeff tries and sort of succeeds in proving that Greendale is a unifying place. Losers are on both sides of the student/teacher line, even if the students revolt in perfectly crazy Greendale fashion. It's a much lighter episode with the resident silly subplot, which brings back Kevin Corrigan's wonderfully bizarre Professor Sean Garrity... this time with his class "Nicholas Cage: Good or Bad". It calls back to the "Who's The Boss" class, which led to that professor breaking down because of Abed's conclusions on Angela and Tony. This time (of course) Abed is the one who breaks down. And how sweet it is to all be brought on by watching Nicolas Cage movies (Danny Pudi's Cage-esque wiggling and such was excellent). And while we may have needed a beat or two more, Abed's conclusions about needing to let movies go for the way they limit his worldview is a great seed to plant for his own growth, especially in the face of Donald Glover's departure.
As both eps go the first honed right in on Jeff's dilemma, sidelining the group outside of the way Jeff would or would not manipulate them. The second gets going full tilt with Banks being dutifully cranky (and also being very, very mean to an earring wearing Leonard), pitting teachers against students... plus the Dean learns Excel!
All in all we're off to a good start for a show that probably shouldn't be around anymore, but is. A bit of a reboot makes sense, but unlike last season's changes, these feel more in line with... well how much this show does change. And often. Community is a chameleon; one whose defining feature is not the wacky homages or bizarre meta bits, but the fact that it wears its weary heart on its sleeve. I'm glad Community is back in some form. This version made me laugh quite a bit and that's what counts most in a good sitcom. Community is a good sitcom. And we've got at least twelve more weeks of it.
Evan Sorlien
Scott Ash
Samuel Ashdown
Justin Cowan
Nick Ferrucci
Tito Hermosillo
communityNBCEvan SorlienScott AshSamuel AshdownJustin CowanNick FerrucciTito HermosilloShortComedy
More about Community (TV)
Review: COMMUNITY S6E05 "Laws Of Robotics And Party Rights", On Manipulation And Stereotypes
Review: COMMUNITY S6E04 "Queer Studies And Advanced Waxing", The Ponderous Natures Of Truth & Lies
Review: COMMUNITY S6E03, "Basic Crisis Room Decorum," One Doggone Night At Greendale
Review: COMMUNITY S601 & 602, "Weird, Passionate, And Gross."
COMMUNITY Season 6 Trailer Is Marvelous


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'Vikings': "Homeland" Recap
Shikha Bajracharya
Jonathan Hession
After the season premiere, our fearless warriors have all splintered off onto various paths. Each choice they make is bound to have significant repercussions throughout the season. Let's dig in!
There is a moment at the beginning of this episode when we see Ivar (Alex Høgh Andersen) with a young woman. She catches him slightly off guard as she is not scared of him. In fact, she seems to admire him which surprises him, and in return he frees her. While this encounter would seem slightly insignificant, it shows how lonely it has been for him. He is able to find reassurance and closeness in a complete stranger rather than his brothers.
Photo by Bernard Walsh
In last week's episode, the Saxons started looking for a weak spot where the Vikings had captured York. This week, their scouts come back with good news. The Northmen have left part of the town vulnerable and unprotected. They decide that this is the perfect location where they can gain access and take back their city.
They pray for their victory right before battle and Bishop Heahmund (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), along with Aethelwulf (Moe Dunford) and his two sons head off to attack the Northmen.
Saxon and Viking Battle at York
The day of the attack is eerily quiet and foggy. As Bishop Heahmund and Aethelwulf break through the walls of the York, they split up, and each takes their men on opposite sides and plan to meet at the cathedral.
As Aethelwulf and his men crept through the town, they are met with arrows. They are corralled and trapped on various sides. To break through, they are forced to walk on their fallen men.
Meanwhile, Bishop Heahmund's group is also attacked by arrows, and as they try to fight through their trap, they are lit up with fire.
It is evident that the Saxons have underestimated the Northmen. Ivar has proven his shrewdness in anticipating their moves and set a nasty trap. There is no way Ivar will stay away from the fight. He joins them on the grounds and charges into the chaos.
Photo by Jonathan Hession
Unfortunately for him, he gets knocked off his chariot and hits the ground. A man runs to attack him while he is down. However, he misjudges Ivar's abilities. Like an animal, Ivar shows no mercy as he kills him. He props himself up against his chariot and challenges the Saxons as they stare down at him, he begins screaming,
"Don't you know who I am? You can't kill me! Don't you know who I am? I am Ivar the Boneless. I am Ivar the Boneless. You can't kill me! I am Ivar the Boneless."
Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) arrives at the side of his brother, Ivar, along with his men and both groups go in for the kill. In the midst of the fighting Aethelwulf spends most of his time coming to the rescue of his two boys.
As both sides collide, Bishop Heahmund makes his way through, killing dozens of men in his path. As he sets his eyes on Ivar, the two warriors are finally face-to-face. However, as the warriors from both sides collide in between them, they are unable to get at each other.
Bishop begins to walk away and exclaims, "Fight for your King! Fight for your God!" The Saxons retreat, but not before he declares,
"God reignth over the heathen!"
Aftermath of the Saxon Attack on York
The Vikings celebration over their victory is short-lived. The tension between Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Ivar is rising. Ubbe states that he saved Ivar's life, while Ivar boasts that it was all his strategy that let them win. Ubbe also believes it is time to negotiate and claim the lands that were given to them by King Ecbert. Ivar has no intentions of settling and warns Ubbe that it is not a good idea.
In the middle of the night, Ubbe takes matters into his own hands. He grabs Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø) and a few men and heads to the Saxon camp. Despite Ivar's wishes, he is going to attempt to negotiate with them.
They arrive and announce that they wish to make peace and take the lands that they believe they are entitled to have. Ubbe thinks he is doing the right thing for his people and that the Saxons will be reasonable. Unfortunately for him, Bishop Heahmund is just as strong-willed as Ivar and does not intend to give in. Despite Alfred urging them to consider their offer, he sneaks into their camp and beats Ubbe. He lets only Ubbe and Hvitserk leave bruised and humiliated.
When they are back in their camp, Ivar says, "I told you so" and sneers at their 'stupidity.' He announces to everyone that they were weak for trying to talk to them and then demands that they must recognize him as the rightful leader of the Great Army.
Since Ubbe is the older brother and believes he is the better leader, he proclaims that he will never accept Ivar's claim. He decides that he and Hvitserk will return to Kattegat, along with their men. Walking away, he tells Ivar that their father would have hated him for forcing the family to split up. In some ways, we think that is true. However, as you all recall, in the end, Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and Rollo (Clive Standen) also found themselves on opposite sides.
The next morning, Ubbe and Hvitserk prepare their boats to leave. Ivar taunts his brothers with such venomous words. It seems to affect Hvisterk, and at the last minute, before the boat sails from the dock, he gets off and joins Ivar. The hurt and shock on Ubbe's face remind us of the look that Ragnar gave Rollo when he too had betrayed him.
King Harald and Astrid
Meanwhile, across the way, King Harald (Peter Franzén) and Astrid (Josefin Asplund) have arrived at King Harald's kingdom. He greets his people and celebrates their success against the Saxons. The King announces his dream of making his town the capital of Norway. He then introduces Astrid as another one of his goals, and she reluctantly joins him on the throne.
Astrid doesn't seem to be giving into him. However, she dons her 'royal' attire and joins him in the hall for the celebration in the evening. Later he attempts to make a move by kissing her, and even though she lets him kiss her, she clocks him right on the nose and walks away.
When we left our boat builder, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) had begun to explore the area where his boat crashed. He's still unsure as to why the gods brought him there. He experiences a vision, and as he falls backward onto the ground, he believes that the whole reason that he was sent there was to die. When he is finally able to get up off the ground, he discovers that the wound on his hand from the boat wreck seemed to have disappeared and he thanks the gods. He appears to have been reborn in this instance, and so he sees his survival as a sign and a gift from the gods.
Somewhere in the Gulf of Cadiz waters, Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Halfdan the Black (Jasper Pääkkönen) talk into the night. Bjorn questions why Halfdan decided to go with him instead of staying with his brother. Halfdan explains that he wishes to live and feel every moment. They are interrupted by one of their men who suggests that they disguise themselves as traders instead of raiders. He recommends that Bjorn send most of their fleet back and only keep about three boats.
This episode did not disappoint as we witnessed Bishop Heahmund and Ivar both flex their muscles. Both men got a glimpse of what the other was capable of, and we know there is sure to be some more intense battles between them. As for the other characters, will Bjorn send back most of his army? How will Astrid keep King Harald at bay? Will Floki meet any natives in his new land? Is there any humanity in Ivar?
Vikings airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on the History channel.
'Vikings': Season Premiere Recap "The Departed (Part 1 and 2)"
'Vikings': The State of Our Characters As We Start Season 5
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Play The Book of Mormon
When All Performances Evening Matinee
Prince of Wales Theatre 31 Coventry Street, London, W1D 6AS
No Hidden Charges. Instant Seat number confirmation. Fast & Secured online Booking!
The stunning Prince of Wales Theatre has a good occupancy of 1160 and is located at 31, Coventry Street, London, W1D 6AS. The seats have been categorized into Stalls and Dress Circle. The magnificent theatre is positioned between the immensely popular tourist spots Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. The magnificent theatre is located near some of the famous attractions like Big Ben and Trafalgar Square.
Prince of Wales Theatre is located at an area near some of the affordable restaurants and bars. Theatre is accessible via major modes of commutation such as tubes, buses, cars or taxis. For the disabled patrons and carers, theatre offers discounted tickets. The box office is well equipped with induction loop, whereas main auditorium has infra-red system.
In the year 1884, Prince of Wales Theatre was constructed and originally named as Prince's Theatre. The theatre was renamed after two years to honour future Edward VII. The initial few decades of the theatre has hosted the works of W. S. Gilbert, Ibsen and Sheridan.
In the year 1892, theatre hosted the first English musical comedy George Edwardes In Town! Theatre has been the abode of some of the popular productions like Ivor Novello's debut's play The Rat in the year 1924. As the theatre was gaining huge popularity, it has been destroyed and reconstructed to increase the seating capacity.
Prince of Wales made its reopening in the year 1937 and hosted some of the popular shows and movie premiers like Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator. During the era of 50s, theatre hosted varied range of acts like Norman Wisdom, Peter Sellers, Benny Hill and Morecambe and Wise. Some of the popular productions of Prince of Wales Theatre are Funny Girl features Barbra Streisand, Bedroom Farce, Underneath the Arches and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love, Rent, The Full Monty and Cliff.


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Cap off the year by digging into the best of Saskatchewan music with In Tune 2017
What better way is there to end the year than by exploring a massive chunk of what one of Canada's Prairie provinces has to offer? Often, provincial music industry associations will put together massive compilations as tools to nationally and internationally broadcast the depth and breadth of talent that exists back home. These compilations can be used to set up networking and industry contacts abroad, help communicate what kind of musical trends are going on in the province, and—this is most important—just be a really fantastic, free way for listeners to discover a huge amount of music you may have otherwise never heard.
SaskMusic, the provincial music industry association that represents Saskatchewan, has just recently released just one such compilation named In Tune 2017. You can listen to it directly on the SaskMusic Radio website, or through Spotify (one caveat is that not every track is available on Spotify). Saskatchewan, like many provinces across the country, never seems to find as much recognition as it deserves in the national conversation, but this playlist makes a major case for why that's just not right. Of course, the major breakthrough of Regina's indie folk darling Andy Shauf (who's represented here by "The Magician") may have been a step for the scene, but there's so much more to look into.
Case in point: the thrashy, breakneck rock 'n' roll of Shooting Guns' "French Safe;" Megan Nash's transcendent pipes on the quietly furious, orchestral "Bad Poetry;" the spooky and doomed melancholy of "Healing Waters" by The Garrys; the sorrowful and sinewy bluegrass of "Every Man Needs a Chew" by The Dead South; Close Talker's blissed out and gauzy indie pop on "Reptiles." There are 40 tracks to get into here, so that's just the tip of the iceberg. And if you'd like to follow along with the rest of the country's music industry associations—it's a great way to keep up to date on what's going on around Canada—you can find a full list of them at the CIMA website.
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Matt Williams is a writer and photographer. Born and raised on the Prairies in Winnipeg, he's slowly made his way farther and farther east, spending a few years covering music in Toronto before running clear out of country and ending up on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. In between, he's made numerous detours, interviewing and photographing countless artists across North America and beyond. He heads up Amplify's Instrumental series, where he talks with musicians about the relationships they've formed with their most important tools.
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'It's on the tape': Bob Woodward on Donald Trump's 'criminal behavior' | Books
Just if you thought it was protected to return in the water. Donald Trump is running for president again. That was not a prospect Bob Woodward needed to cope with when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, after Woodward and his Washington Post colleague Carl Bernstein cracked open the Watergate scandal.
"Our long national nightmare is over," declared Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, and it was. Nixon pale into jowly retirement. But Trump yearns to regain the crown.
Woodward spoke to the Guardian by cellphone six hours earlier than the disgraced one-term, twice-impeached president took the stage at Mar-a-Lago, his gaudy personal Xanadu in Florida, to announce what may or may not be the best political comeback of all time.
Does Woodward, who at 79 has written about 9 American presidents, suppose Trump can win once more? Or is Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, hammer of wokeness, now the man to beat?
"Who knows? Trump's got tens of millions of supporters. DeSantis is the flavour of the month. DeSantis may be the one. Maybe not. I remember in 1990, before the '92 presidential election, with a bunch of friends making a list of the 50 people who might be the next president. [Bill] Clinton was not on the list [though] he would have put himself there. So who knows? You can't record the future."
But you'll be able to revisit the previous. Trump pulled off an unlikely victory in 2016 in what many noticed as an indictment of the media. While there was some positive reporting that left America in little doubt about what it was getting, there was additionally wall-to-wall cable information protection and a continuing strain for his opponent, Hillary Clinton, to reply to Trump's newest unhinged tweet. Are there classes to study?
Woodward says: "If you look back on 2016, there was a lot of good coverage but it was never enough. He was able to sell himself as a successful, wealthy businessman. What do we know about him now that we didn't know in 2016? There is a lot of evidence, good reporting, investigations by some committees on the Hill, that actually he was not a successful businessman, he's not wealthy. What's the lesson from all that? Dig deeper and then, when you dig deep, dig deeper more and more and more."
His picture burnished by the actuality TV present The Apprentice, the Trump of 2016 was in a position to essay the function of political outsider and swamp drainer. Now the novelty has worn off, he faces federal, state and congressional investigations and his 4 years in the Oval Office are a matter of document.
Woodward has contributed a trilogy of books – Fear, Rage and Peril (the final written with Robert Costa) – and now an audiobook, The Trump Tapes, presenting his 20 interviews with the president. The Guardian's Lloyd Green referred to as it "a passport to the heart of darkness".
Woodward continues: "Now he's going to run again and we in our business need to focus on what he did as president. That's the office he's running for. Yes, it's a political office, and you see all the stories now about the politics of Trump running, people abandoning him, people sticking with him and so forth – that's an important story.
My conclusions are very severe. He failed as president, failed to do his constitutional, moral, practical duty
"But the real scorecard is what he did as president and on foreign affairs, dealing with Kim Jong-un or [Vladimir] Putin or all this stuff that's on the tapes. He made it personal. He ran it on instinct."
Woodward describes the tapes as a "laboratory" for understanding Trump's presidency. "My conclusions are very severe. He failed as president, failed to do his constitutional, moral, practical duty, and I think, not all, but most of the reporting should be on his presidency."
Woodward cites the instance of Trump's tax cuts in 2017, estimated to price $1.9tn over a decade, criticised as a handout to the wealthy and firms at the expense of working households.
"I fault myself on this. I've not seen – maybe I'm not aware – of some really good reporting on the tax cut, how it happened exactly, who benefited. I wrote in one of my Trump books, Fear, that Gary Cohn engineered and drove it. The former president of Goldman Sachs benefited from that and you can surmise but I'd like to see my own paper or the Guardian or anywhere say: this is really who benefited from this."
Nineteen of the Woodward/Trump interviews occurred in individual or by cellphone between autumn 2019 and August 2020, amid research for Rage.
This interval included the police homicide of George Floyd in Minneapolis and ensuing Black Lives Matter protests. Woodward instructed to Trump that each had benefited from white privilege. The president was having none of it. He sneered: "You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn't you? Just listen to you. Wow."
This chapter of Trump's tenure was additionally outlined by the coronavirus, which emerged in China in late 2019 however which he downplayed, claiming it could vanish over the summer season. Now, greater than 1,000,000 Americans have died of Covid-19.
In The Trump Tapes, Woodward interviews Robert O'Brien, the nationwide safety adviser who warned Trump the virus could be "the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency", and his deputy, Matthew Pottinger, who likened it to the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed 650,000.
Woodward provides: "I discovered they issued this warning 28 January. I was as shocked as I've ever been as a reporter."
By April, Woodward couldn't resist pushing Trump to fulfill the second, telling him consultants have been saying he wanted to mobilise the nation, coordinate with intelligence companies and work with international governments. Woodward argued: "If you come out and say, 'This is a full mobilisation, this is a Manhattan Project, we are going – pardon the expression – balls to the wall', that's what people want."
Had he crossed a line? His spouse, Elsa Walsh, additionally a journalist, thought so. He remembers: "I did these interviews on speakerphone so I could record them with Trump's permission. She was there many times and Trump knew that and then afterwards she said I was yelling at Trump and that I shouldn't be doing that. I'm just supposed to ask questions. She berated me for this. It's on the tape."
Why are you agreeing to do 20 interviews on tape with the man who took down Richard Nixon with tapes? With tapes!
But he insists: "It wasn't an advocacy position. Trump had these coronavirus meetings and had virus deniers there and so the whole atmosphere was one of 'Let's not listen to the experts'. I knew some of these people and found out what they said and they were very specific and it had a logic to it, namely that overall Trump needed a world war two-style mobilisation to deal with this.
"I couldn't talk to him so I passed it on and made it clear this is not me but this is my reporting from what the experts are saying. As I said to my wife, we're in a different world. It's the reporter who's on the street and sees somebody shot. Go help them as a human being and then you phone in the story. This is of the magnitude that 1.1 million people died in this country because of the virus."
By the summer season, the scale of Trump's failure and the value in demise and grief have been clear. In the tapes, Woodward asks: "Was there a moment in all of this last two months where you said to yourself, 'Ah, this is the leadership test of a lifetime?'"
Trump replies, with lifeless finality: "No."
Woodward displays: "Even then, let alone now, it was the leadership test of a lifetime and just, 'No'. It's tragic. Not only did he conceal what he knew and deny it but it's a crime. It's a moral crime to know all this and not tell the people. I once asked him the job of the president and he said, 'To protect the people.' I've never heard about or read anywhere in my own reporting or in history where a president was so negligent."
April 2020: Trump stops a reporter asking Dr Anthony Fauci about use of the drug hydroxychloroquine to deal with Covid-19. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters
The final lengthy interview befell on 21 July 2020. Woodward mentioned issues have been unhealthy. Trump didn't perceive so Woodward needed to level out that 140,000 individuals had died. The president claimed to have Covid below management. Woodward requested, "What's the plan?" Trump mentioned there could be one in 104 days. Woodward puzzled what he was speaking about. Then he realised: the presidential election was 104 days away.
Such exchanges are damning and be certain that greater than eight hours of conversations, by his personal phrases shall Trump be condemned. Why, then, did he agree to speak? As the comic Jimmy Kimmel put it: "Why are you agreeing to do 20 interviews on tape with the guy who took down Richard Nixon with tapes? With tapes!"
One reply is ego. Trump could be heard flattering "a great historian" and "the great Bob Woodward". Woodward suggests: "I had been sceptical of the Steele dossier and the Russian investigation and had said so publicly. [Senator] Lindsey Graham, [Trump's] supporter from South Carolina, had told him I would not put words in his mouth, which was true, and so he agreed to do these interviews."
On the different facet of the coin, this can be a uncommon alternative to listen to the Woodward methodology. The Washington Post, the place he has labored for half a century, observed that The Trump Tapes "offers a surprising window into the legendary investigative reporter's process – a perennial focus of both mystique and critique".
At instances, Woodward indulges Trump's streams of consciousness, airing of grievances and pathological narcissism. At others he cajoles, challenges or confronts. Woodward says: "He'll talk and talk and talk but I ask questions, very specific questions. What are you doing about the virus? Tell me about Putin."
He did miss one opening. He requested if, in the occasion of a detailed election in November, Trump would refuse to go away the White House. The president declined to remark.
"It was the only question he didn't answer in eight hours – 600 questions – and I should have followed up. I should have said, 'Wait a minute, why isn't he answering that?' I didn't."
Re-listening to all 20 interviews, and discovering it such a distinct expertise from studying the transcripts or listening to snatches on TV or the web, satisfied Woodward to launch the recordings – a primary in his lengthy profession. Raw and unfiltered, that is one occasion the place Trump doesn't profit from a reporter "tidying up" his quotations to make him sound extra lucid and fewer repetitive than he actually is.
"To be frank, it's very surprising and it's a learning experience at age 79, having done this so many years, that there's something about hearing the voice that gives it an authenticity and power," Woodward says. "Especially Trump. He doesn't ever hem and haw, he doesn't go hmm. He just is right out of the box."
Fifty years since the Watergate break-in, he sees a parallel with the secret White House recording system that caught Nixon.
"The Nixon tapes didn't just come out as transcripts. They came out so you could hear it and this is a version of that. It's the same problem of appalling criminal – I can't use any other word for it – behaviour for a sitting president to look away.
"There's a statement that Henry Kissinger once made: 'What extraordinary vehicles destiny selects to accomplish its design'. I'm not sure destiny exists, but what an extraordinary vehicle."
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Daily Archive: 07/04/2012
by ek hornbeck
Reprinted from July 4, 2011
A story about smoking.
The big place to watch fireworks is down on the beach and one year my friends and I decided to make an event of it so we packed up a couple of cases and our portable stereo- a car battery, 250 watt car equalizer/amp, a Colecovision power supply and voltage inverter, 2 Walkman CD players, mixer board, and 4 Minimus 7s.
And a blanket.
We got there early so we'd get good seats and were only 3 or 4 rows behind the Police tape and had a fun early evening waiting for the dusk to gather amusing ourselves, scaring little children, and annoying our neighbors.
Nothing like playing the feedback.
As it got darker we switched to more mellow fare, Holst's The Planets and Pink Floyd as I recall and soon enough the show started and we were right underneath it.
Underneath as in the shells were exploding pretty much directly overhead and showering flaming debris all around us. A blanket a couple of rows ahead caught fire causing several moments of excitement until somebody remembered that if you just shovel sand on top these things go out.
I personally was put in mind of an old Buck Rodgers comic strip where the villain, in preparation for a duel with Buck, lies down in a field and has his flunkies howitzer him with spikey mace balls to demonstrate his courage until his chief toady right next to him gets kind of, well, squished. Think chunks of facade landing next to the Orc captain at the siege of Minas Tirith if you're not getting the 1930s image.
Harmless good times for the most part and it seemed only fitting that when a lit fragment landed close enough to reach without straining I fished out a Kool and kindled it off the chunk.
The difficult thing was the three hours getting out of the parking lot.
Tags: ek Holiday
Reprinted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
I've always identified myself as a writer, even when it was poetry for machines and deadline dreck for newsletters, pamphlets, and flyers.
I like words and written communication better than verbal or theatrical presentations because of the random access you have to the information as a reader. With a speech, or Radio, or a Play, TV, or Movie the information is under control of the deliverer, not the audience. It's inherently a serial exposition, a sales pitch, designed by arrangement and order to lead you from reasonable premises to a predetermined conclusion without allowing you to revisit the path of the argument unless you repeat the experience from scratch.
You may call reading the last chapter to find out 'who done it' cheating, I suggest instead that it's a challenge every Author should be willing to face. If you can't make your middle memorable it's probably better suited for a Short Story than a Novel.
So that's what's in it for me. It's a form of self expression in a broadly accessible format that's not really very expensive except in terms of the time it takes to produce the content.
There are 2 parts to this answer.
As a Reader only, you get to bask in my brilliance and wallow in my words and if passive entertainment suits your style I'm grateful for your eyeballs. By that I mean you'll get a lot more of me if you can stand it and love or hate it I don't really give a rat's ass what you think about me as long as you pay attention.
But the beauty part of a blog is that you can have your voice heard too. It's called a Vent Hole for a reason and it accepts both positive and negative feedback. If your ambition exceeds a Tweet or two you can contribute longer pieces that I will be more than happy to evaluate and feature. There is nothing that gives me more pleasure than promoting the work of others.
I hope that The Stars Hollow Gazette will develop into a Group Blog where regular participants as well as muse driven Authors will provide a stream of fresh content that will make us a several time a day destination.
I think that blogs are both more and less powerful platforms than conventionally recognized. Many people have a nostalgic affection for storming the Bastille and I don't despise those who are willing to wear no pants.
My legs are not what they once were, though that doesn't mean I won't 'kilt up' if the occasion calls for it.
I don't think a failure to summon musket armed militia is an indication of weakness. The information battlefield has numerous hedgerows, stone walls, and trees to snipe from behind of. If you think it doesn't hurt you're not listening to the howls of outrage from the ego struck elite you ungrateful cur.
My activist brother thinks the most important function of blogs is as a source of information and a historical record, an alternative to the monopolistic media with its competitive barriers. I think it's equally as important to amuse and distract. Your eyeballs are money. Your passive consent, complicity.
I call you to a life of resistance in the small and easily done things. Move your money. Use cash when you can. Turn off your lights when you leave the room and properly inflate your tires.
If just two people do it, in harmony, they'll think they're both faggots and won't take either of them.
I've been called worse things than a stick. Whom would fardels bear to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveller returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all and the native hue of resolution is sicklied over with the pale cast of thought, and enterprise of great pitch and moment with this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action.
In thy orisons be all my sins remembered.
No one has any obligation to treat you any particular way on the internet.
Indeed, one of the things I most despise about our inbred Versailles Village political/media culture is their false politeness and evasion of the truth.
Calling people liars and cowards and idiots is not 'hate speech'.
Saying that Jew controlled financial, media, and political elites are stealing victory from our brave troopers and using the blood of Christian babies to make Matzoh IS.
If you can't tell the difference between those things it's simply useless to talk about subtleties and I won't bother to do so.
In general however you may attribute to me personally any vice- I claim them all, particularly sloth. If you have something new and inventive you'd care to share I'm always interested in novelty. On the other hand you can hardly complain when I return the favor and if I happen to do it bigger and grander than you and you leave impressed…
That's envy, my dear. There's a little bit of envy in the best of us.
If you'd bother to learn anything about me at all you'd know I'm not a great believer in it. It seems to me contrary to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
The law that entropy always increases holds, I think, the supreme position among the laws of Nature. If someone points out to you that your pet theory of the universe is in disagreement with Maxwell's equations – then so much the worse for Maxwell's equations. If it is found to be contradicted by observation – well, these experimentalists do bungle things sometimes. But if your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics I can give you no hope; there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation. – Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington
But change is only to be expected, and while most of it is merely increasing entropy, intermittently self organizing systems emerge and flourish for a time.
And if you're lucky you can be a part of it.
Tags: Meta
Today concludes our second year of operation and every indication is that you enjoy our content as much as we do providing it.
It's easy to get the impression that this site is dominated by just a few voices, but I think if you follow over time you'll see that there are a lot of regular and semi-regular contributions. I want to thank those people because that kind support is far more important than money. Even casual Authors will notice that there is no piece that is not evaluated for featured status.
It relies on you. I like to think The Stars Hollow Gazette has developed into a site of character and interest, a place you visit several times a day to read the latest and are proud to participate in. If you feel the same I urge you to send us your eyeballs and read, link, quote, comment, and recommend.
Thank you for your kind indulgence.
Opening Day- July 4, 2010
Welcome to Stars Hollow by: TheMomCat
Grumpy and out of sorts Stage One by: ek hornbeck
Why Blog? by: ek hornbeck
"A Paddle for Your Boat" by: TheMomCat
On Patriotism by: ek hornbeck
Evening Edition by: ek hornbeck
The World Cup: A Brief, Gringo's Guide to Futbol by: davidseth
Stuff by: TheMomCat
Pique the Geek 20100704: The Science of Fireworks by: Translator
First Anniversary on The Stars Hollow Gazette– July 4, 2011
On This Day In History July 4 by: TheMomCat
Le Tour 2011- Stage 3 by: ek hornbeck
Welcome to Stars Hollow: One Year and Going Strong by: TheMomCat
Sunday Train: Steel Interstates, Fast Freight, and Brawny Recovery by: BruceMcF
Happy Anniversary by: ek hornbeck
Punting the Pundits by: TheMomCat
Countdown with Keith Olbermann by: TheMomCat
Fireworks by: ek hornbeck
First Anniversary on DocuDharma– July 4, 2011
Late Night Karaoke by: mishima
It seems strange . . . . by: tahoebasha3
HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan – June 2011 by: jimstaro
For Everything Else, There's Wikileaks by: Jack's Smirking Revenge
Cartnoon by: ek hornbeck
On Being Bumped, Or, Let's Have Another Roundup by: fake consultant
Hmm… not much Anniversary specific. How about the next day?
Muse in the Morning (Fireworks edition) by: Robyn
Q: What is PDA-supported Donna Edwards doing to grow the progressive movement? (Probably nothing) by: metamars
A Coney Island Greeting on the Fourth of July by: Eddie C
Goodbye Dad by: Lasthorseman
Also, TheMomCat made note of our first week of programming in Today on The Stars Hollow Gazette.
Monday 6/4
Tuesday 6/5
Wednesday 6/6
Thursday 6/7
Friday 6/8
Saturdayday 6/9
And we filled in your content with these reprints-
It's a joy and a pleasure to provide you with a place your contributions can be highlighted and I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to express yourself.
Punting the Pundits
by TMC
"Punting the Pundits" is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.
Thanks to ek hornbeck, click on the link and you can access all the past "Punting the Pundits".
Wednesday is Ladies' Day.
Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt
Katrina vanden Heuvel: A court of, by and for the 1%
The highest court in the land has spoken. That's how President Obama characterized the Supreme Court's surprising – and welcome – decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, the signature domestic achievement of Obama's first term. With its divided and bitterly contested 5 to 4 ruling, the arch-conservative Roberts Court spared a major piece of progressive legislation and, in the process, rescued the 35 million uninsured Americans who would have suffered, had the law been struck down. [..]
Right after the highest court in the land spoke, however, one of the lowest forces in the land spoke, too.
Americans for Prosperity, the shadowy conservative super PAC, announced that it would run $8.2 million worth of attack ads to slam health-care reform in nearly a dozen key swing states. No doubt many more of the GOP's secretive sugar daddies will soon follow suit.
Lori Wallach: NAFTA on Steroids
While the Occupy movement has forced a public discussion of extreme corporate influence on every aspect of our lives, behind closed doors corporate America is implementing a stealth strategy to formalize its rule in a truly horrifying manner. The mechanism is the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Negotiations have been conducted in extreme secrecy, so you are in good company if you have never heard of it. But the thirteenth round of negotiations between the United States and eight Pacific Rim nations will be held in San Diego in early July. [..]
Think of the TPP as a stealthy delivery mechanism for policies that could not survive public scrutiny. Indeed, only two of the twenty-six chapters of this corporate Trojan horse cover traditional trade matters. The rest embody the most florid dreams of the 1 percent-grandiose new rights and privileges for corporations and permanent constraints on government regulation. They include new investor safeguards to ease job offshoring and assert control over natural resources, and severely limit the regulation of financial services, land use, food safety, natural resources, energy, tobacco, healthcare and more.
Amy Goodman: Climate Change: 'This Is Just the Beginning'
Evidence supporting the existence of climate change is pummeling the United States this summer, from the mountain wildfires of Colorado to the recent "derecho" storm that left at least 23 dead and 1.4 million people without power from Illinois to Virginia. The phrase "extreme weather" flashes across television screens from coast to coast, but its connection to climate change is consistently ignored, if not outright mocked. If our news media, including-or especially-the meteorologists, continue to ignore the essential link between extreme weather and climate change, then we as a nation, the greatest per capita polluters on the planet, may not act in time to avert even greater catastrophe. [..]
Add drought to fire and violent thunderstorms. According to Dr. Jeff Masters, one of the few meteorologists who frequently makes the connection between extreme weather and climate change, "across the entire Continental U.S., 72 percent of the land area was classified as being in dry or drought conditions" last week. "We're going to be seeing a lot more weather like this, a lot more impacts like we're seeing from this series of heat waves, fires and storms. … This is just the beginning."
Ellen Brown: Europe's Shock Doctrine: Government by the Banks, for the Banks
The ESM Coup D'Etat in Europe
On Friday, June 29th, German Chancellor Angela Merkel acquiesced to changes to a permanent Eurozone bailout fund-"before the ink was dry," as critics complained. Besides easing the conditions under which bailouts would be given, the concessions included an agreement that funds intended for indebted governments could be funneled directly to stressed banks.
According to Gavin Hewitt, Europe editor for BBC News, the concessions mean that:
[T]he eurozone's bailout fund (backed by taxpayers' money) will be taking a stake in failed banks.
Risk has been increased. German taxpayers have increased their liabilities. In future a bank crash will no longer fall on the shoulders of national treasuries but on the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), a fund to which Germany contributes the most.
In the short term, these measures will ease pressure in the markets. However there is currently only 500bn euros assigned to the ESM. That may get swallowed up quickly and the markets may demand more. It is still unclear just how deep the holes in the eurozone's banks are.
The ESM is now a permanent bailout fund for private banks, a sort of permanent "welfare for the rich." There is no ceiling set on the obligations to be underwritten by the taxpayers, no room to negotiate, and no recourse in court.
Rebekah Wilce: WTO Not So COOL: Rules Against Popular U.S. Meat Labeling Law
The World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a final ruling today against the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law. This popular pro-consumer policy, which informs shoppers where meat and other foods were raised or grown, enjoys the support of 93% of Americans, according to a 2010 Consumers Union poll. Now Congress must gut or change the law to avoid the application of punitive trade sanctions.
The original meat labeling law passed as part of the 2002 farm bill and was expanded in the 2008 farm bill to apply to other foods like fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Canada, Mexico, and several other countries filed a complaint regarding the policy with the WTO in December 2008 calling the popular consumer measure a "disguised" barrier to trade. The organization initially ruled in their favor in November 2011, but the U.S. filed an appeal in March 2012. Today, a WTO tribunal made up of three trade officials ruled that the U.S. law is a violation of the WTO's legally binding "Technical Barrier to Trade" agreement. The ruling is final. If the United States does not gut or change the law, the WTO can apply punitive sanctions, usually in the form of tariffs on U.S. exports. The ruling also casts into doubt the WT0-legality of other popular labeling laws.
Michelle Chen: New Orleans Teachers Get Justice, but Schools Still Under Attack
After Hurricane Katrina washed over New Orleans, many survivors had virtually nothing left to lose. But the city's teachers were then hit by the storm's ripple effect: the loss of thousands of jobs in the tattered school system. Recently, a civil district court ruled that the state had effectively robbed thousands of school employees of funds that were supposed to help tide them over as the city recovered.
After Katrina, the New York Times reports, most New Orleans schools were taken over by the state's Recovery School District, which absorbed a stream of federal aid while the local school board was left impoverished:
In December 2005, the local school board, with few schools and little money in its control, passed a resolution firing 7,500 school employees, who at that time had been on "disaster leave without pay," an employment status that Judge Julien found in her decision to be "fictional." She concluded that the state was liable for rendering the local board unable to fulfill its contractual obligations to its workers.
The ruling could lead to major payments to teachers whose careers and wages were upended by the purge. But aside from recompense for "disaster leave," New Orleans public schools will remain adrift in a flood of drastic reforms. After Katrina, the city became an incubator for non-unionized charter schools and "experimental" restructuring plans.
Lisa Savage: At Afghanistan Summit This Week, Will Afghan Women Be at the Table?
When rich countries like the U.S., Japan, and NATO nations get together periodically to discuss the future of development funding for Afghanistan, who represents the interests of women and children who actually live there? Mostly men.
Even though research shows that durable security accords responsive to real conditions for civilians in war zones require women's participation in the planning stages. Even though United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 recognized this reality, and called for significant numbers of women to be present in all security talks.
On July 8-9 in Tokyo governments, international organizations, and other major donors will meet to discuss and take on financial commitments for a ten year period after 2014. As global players discuss funding Afghanistan's future development, will they continue the pattern of devoting 90% of funds to building the Afghan army and police forces? If they really want peace, they will invite Afghan women to the table and listen to their expert testimony on how to make Afghanistan a safe place for them and their families.
Tags: Open Thread, Opinion, Politics, Punting the Pundits, TMC Politics
Our 2nd Blogaversary: I Still Have Stuff
Yes, I still have "Stuff" and as you can see from our two years at The Stars Hollow Gazette, I've stored quite a lot of it right here. Among ek hornbeck, myself and our good friends, we have written 5962 diaries in the last 24 months. That's an average of 8 diaries per day. That's a lot of "stuff" and we are no where near done.
And my bookmarks, they still have "stuff" I should relegate to the trash bin but if I could just remember why I saved it in the first place. Like this one: The Original Fairy Name Generator
This is my "fairy' name Columbine Icedancer
She protects the vulnerable and brings justice to the wronged.
She lives in mushroom fields and quiet meadows.
She is only seen when the bees swarm and the crickets chirrup.
She wears lilac and purple like columbine flowers and has icy blue butterfly wings.
I want to thank all those who have written diaries, especially, our good friends Translator, davidseth, BruceMcF and the writers of Anti-Capitalist Meetup who have become our "regulars". Thank you for putting your "stuff" here.
And most of all thank you to everyone for reading all of this "stuff."
Feel free to store your "stuff" here.
Tags: blogaversary, Meta, TMC Humor, TMC Meta
This is what we call…
Court Papers Undercut Ratings Agencies' Defense
By GRETCHEN MORGENSON, The New York Times
When Cheyne issued its various securities in 2005, Moody's and S.& P. rated them all investment grade. Even though Cheyne's portfolio was bulging with residential mortgage securities, some of its debt received the agencies' highest ratings, a grade equal to that assigned to United States Treasury securities. About two years later, as mortgage losses began to balloon, both agencies downgraded Cheyne's debt below investment grade, to what is known as junk.
After the institutions that bought Cheyne's debt sued Morgan Stanley and the ratings agencies, Moody's and S.& P. immediately mounted a First Amendment defense. But Shira A. Scheindlin, the federal judge overseeing the matter, ruled in September 2009 that it did not apply because the Cheyne deal was a private offering whose ratings were distributed to a small group of investors and not the public at large. Judge Scheindlin agreed with the plaintiffs, who argued that the ratings were not opinions but were misrepresentations that were possibly a result of fraud or negligence.
"The disclaimers in the Information Memoranda that 'a credit rating represents a rating agency's opinion regarding credit quality and is not a guarantee of performance or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any securities,' are unavailing and insufficient to protect the rating agencies from liability for promulgating misleading ratings," Judge Scheindlin ruled.
The judge also ruled against the defendants' motion that documents and depositions generated in the case should be sealed. As a result, e-mails and deposition transcripts were filed with the court on Monday, showing how closely agency officials rating the deal had collaborated with Morgan Stanley, the firm that hired them to rate Cheyne's securities.
Former Brokers Say JPMorgan Favored Selling Bank's Own Funds Over Others
By SUSANNE CRAIG and JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG, The New York Times
Amid the market volatility, ordinary investors are leaving stock funds in droves.
In contrast, JPMorgan is gathering assets in its stock funds at a rapid rate, despite having only a small group of top-performing mutual funds that are run by portfolio managers. Over the last three years, roughly 42 percent of its funds failed to beat the average performance of funds that make similar investments, according to Morningstar, a fund researcher.
"I was selling JPMorgan funds that often had weak performance records, and I was doing it for no other reason than to enrich the firm," said Geoffrey Tomes, who left JPMorgan last year and is now an adviser at Urso Investment Management. "I couldn't call myself objective."
There is also concern that investors may not have a clear sense of what they are buying. While traditional mutual funds update their returns daily, marketing documents for the Chase Strategic Portfolio highlight theoretical returns. The real performance, provided to The Times by JPMorgan, is much weaker.
Marketing materials for the balanced portfolio show a hypothetical annual return of 15.39 percent after fees for three years through March 31. Those returns beat a JPMorgan-created benchmark, or standard of comparison, by 0.73 percentage point a year.
The actual return was 13.87 percent a year, trailing the hypothetical performance and the benchmark. All four models with three-year records were lower than the hypothetical performance and the benchmarks.
Regulators tend to discourage the use of hypothetical returns. "Regulators frown on using hypothetical returns because they are typically very sunny," said Michael S. Caccese, a lawyer for K&L Gates.
Tags: ek Politics
To be specific…
Why is Nobody Freaking Out About the LIBOR Banking Scandal?
Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone
July 3, 9:04 AM ET
Most intriguingly, or perhaps disturbingly, there were revelations last week that Bank of England deputy Governor Paul Tucker had a conversation with Diamond at the peak of the crisis in 2008. The conversation reportedly left Diamond, and subsequently his traders, with the impression that the bank had carte blanche to rig LIBOR downward in order to help allay spiraling public fears about the banks' poor financial health.
That is explosive stuff. Members of Parliament will be grilling Tucker tomorrow about those events in what is sure to be a far more combative and entertaining legislative inquiry than the Jamie Dimon dog-and-pony show we just went through here in the states in recent weeks.
Anyway, the LIBOR story is leading the front pages of most of Britain's dailies, it's on TV, and it's producing blistering editorials and howls of outrage amongst politicians and activists. But as compadre Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism put it, where's the outrage here in America?
(T)o me what's missing from all of this is the "Holy Fucking Shit!" factor. This story is so outrageous that it shocks even the most cynical Wall Street observers. I have a friend who works on Wall Street who for years has been trolling through the stream of financial corruption stories with bemusement, darkly enjoying the spectacle as though the whole post-crisis news arc has been like one long, beautifully-acted, intensely believable sequel to Goodfellas. But even he is just stunned to the point of near-speechlessness by the LIBOR thing. "It's like finding out that the whole world is on quicksand," he says.
Mirabile Dictu! Barclays CEO Bob Diamond Resigns Over Libor Scandal (Updated)
Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism
This sudden announcement also makes it seem much more likely that serious shoes will drop at the Wednesday hearings.
Although this news has just broken, and I'm sure there will be a ton more commentary in the next few hours, I suspect the proximate cause is that Diamond's attempts to defend the rigging of Libor during the crisis as being tacitly approved by the Bank of England was not going to fly.
In other words, Diamond was saying "you can't really blame us for this, we told everyone and no one said no." We'll find out soon enough, but the effort to shift blame to the regulators may be what sunk him. Paul Tucker, the deputy governor to the Bank of England to whom Diamond spoke directly on October 28, 2012, has had subordiantes issue denials of Diamond's account.
The other interesting side effect is that this development, that of two heads falling in short succession at the top of one of the UK's biggest banks, the only major institution not to receive any bailout funds, will raise the visibility of the Libor scandal in the US considerably. One correspondent has said the price manipulation goes back to 2001, and if that proves to be true, this is an even bigger cesspool that the reports so far envision. And the fact that top executives have been forced to resign from a bank that cooperated in the investigations and the settlement documents said deserved to be treated with leniency as a result, raises the question of what sort of sanctions should be meted on the executives of less cooperative and presumably equally culpable institutions.
Behold, the British establishment, panicked
Paul Mason, BBC
Here is the central problem with Barclays. Its business model has become heavily reliant on the kind of investment banking Bob Diamond pioneered at Barcap, a division he created and was determined to lead to global dominance until Alistair Darling impolitely stopped his acquisition of Lehman Brothers in September 2008.
The results have been felt in every community in Britain. Four years ago, Barclays was lending £52bn to non-finance, non-property businesses in the UK, 27% of all loans.
Now the figure is £38bn, and just 16% of business loans. In the process the bank – single handedly – has taken £3bn of capital out of manufacturing, more than £3bn out of retail/wholesale, while ploughing an extra £10bn into home loans and £6bn into property.
It has reduced its exposure to British business, carries a £700bn net credit risk that is only possible because of the implicit guarantee the October 2008 bailout gave to all banks. And it is:
"(a) a machine for enriching investment bankers … with £1.5 billion in staff bonuses last year versus a pre tax profit of £3billion (b) the risks to the tax payer are not offset by corporation tax, because Barclays has used losses to minimise its payments; [paying] just £113 million in UK corporation tax in 2009."
But the crisis threatens to escalate in three directions. First to the 20 other global banks who stand accused of manipulating Libor.
The scale of class-action lawsuits being readied in the United States is, say some, big enough to sink certain of these banks. We will soon hear the results of the other – regulatory and criminal – investigations into the City of London.
Second, to the City of London itself.
(T)he management of the bank: its board, its chairman and its CEO stood accused, effectively, of negligence. Yet again London turned out to be the dodgiest place to do business, and that was why the original slap on the wrist did not work.
So now we have a third direction of escalation. Both the SEC and FSA left unanswered questions about the manipulation of Libor for "survival" reasons.
By last night, that meant the Bank of England – an institution created in the Christopher Wren era – was getting calls from financial journalists of the type normally aimed at, well, people like Bob Diamond. In short order he was gone.
Such is the power of the British establishment. But its problems are not over.
On This Day In History July 4
This is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future.
Find the past "On This Day in History" here.
July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 180 days remaining until the end of the year. The Aphelion, the point in the year when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, occurs around this date.
On this day in 1826, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the second and third presidents of the United States, respectively, die on this day, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
After the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, Adams was elected vice president to George Washington, and Jefferson was appointed secretary of state. During Washington's administration, Jefferson, with his democratic ideals and concept of states' rights, often came into conflict with Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who supported a strong federal government and conservative property rights. Adams often arbitrated between Hamilton and his old friend Jefferson, though in politics he was generally allied with Hamilton.
In 1796, Adams defeated Jefferson in the presidential election, but the latter became vice president, because at that time the office was still filled by the candidate who finished second. As president, Adams' main concern was America's deteriorating relationship with France, and war was only averted because of his considerable diplomatic talents. In 1800, Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans (the forerunner of the Democratic Party) defeated the Federalist party of Adams and Hamilton, and Adams retired to his estate in Quincy, Massachusetts.
As president, Jefferson reduced the power and expenditures of the central government but advocated the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France, which more than doubled the size of the United States. During his second administration, Jefferson faced renewed conflict with Great Britain, but he left office before the War of 1812 began. Jefferson retired to his estate in Monticello, Virginia, but he often advised his presidential successors and helped establish the University of Virginia. Jefferson also corresponded with John Adams to discuss politics, and these famous letters are regarded as masterpieces of the American enlightenment.
John Adams' Death
Less than a month before his death, John Adams issued a statement about the destiny of the United States, which historians such as Joy Hakim have characterized as a "warning" for his fellow citizens. Adams said:
My best wishes, in the joys, and festivities, and the solemn services of that day on which will be completed the fiftieth year from its birth, of the independence of the United States: a memorable epoch in the annals of the human race, destined in future history to form the brightest or the blackest page, according to the use or the abuse of those political institutions by which they shall, in time to come, be shaped by the human mind.
On July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Adams died at his home in Quincy. Told that it was the Fourth, he answered clearly, "It is a great day. It is a good day." His last words have been reported as "Thomas Jefferson survives". His death left Charles Carroll of Carrollton as the last surviving signatory of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams died while his son John Quincy Adams was president.
His crypt lies at United First Parish Church (also known as the Church of the Presidents) in Quincy. Originally, he was buried in Hancock Cemetery, across the road from the Church. Until his record was broken by Ronald Reagan in 2001, he was the nation's longest-living President (90 years, 247 days) maintaining that record for 175 years.
Thomas Jefferson's Death
Jefferson' health began to deteriorate by July 1825, and by June 1826 he was confined to bed. He likely died from uremia, severe diarrhea, and pneumonia (?). Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and a few hours before John Adams.
Though born into a wealthy slave-owning family, Jefferson had many financial problems, and died deeply in debt. After his death, his possessions, including his slaves, were sold, as was Monticello in 1831. Thomas Jefferson is buried in the family cemetery at Monticello. The cemetery only is now owned and operated by the Monticello Association, a separate lineage society that is not affiliated with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation that runs the estate.
Jefferson wrote his own epitaph, which reads:
HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON
AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States (1825-1829), was at his father's bed side when he died. He was 7 days short of his 59th birthday
Tags: History, News, On This Day in History, Open Thread
On Patriotism
(a reprint from our initial offerings)
It's an interesting coincidence that exactly 50 years after The Declaration, Jefferson and Adams died within hours of each other. Ironically Adam's last words were- "Jefferson still survives." In fact Jefferson preceeded Adams which could have caused some embarrassment provided you believe in an afterlife and that Jefferson and Adams could have ended up in the same place.
Me? Not so much. People forget that our founders were revolutionaries and the establishment of The United States of America led to a string of more or less successful rebellions in Haiti, South America, and France.
It's certainly not a historical leap of faith to call The Council of Europe and the Age of Metternich a reaction to a little fight we picked on the road between Lexington and Concord.
History is real, and not so very long ago.
These were people just like us. Every bit as smart, twice as tough, and doing the best they could with the tools they had available.
Recently they'd been through 30 years of Civil War based on religious sectarianism and class warfare. Fighting the French and Indians was kind of intermittent by comparison.
They were not rubes by any means though it's a classic American gambit going back to Franklin at least to put a dead beaver on your head and pretend to be an idiot. It makes the women want you.
My favorite Ben who is not a traitor was considered the head of the committee that composed The Declaration, but the principal Author was Thomas Jefferson whom we find recently to have made a last minute substitution of 'citizen' for 'subject' that I found reflective of his principles as a Founder.
Revolution is not all skittles and beer.
America had its Cincinattus and a Republic if we could keep it, but political feuding between the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists was little short of open warfare in the election of 1800. People were literally shot down like dogs.
Adams had to suffer Jefferson as a Vice-President (Mr. Heartbeat) and successor. Two Term Jefferson left his office to James "Mr. Constitution" Madison and the rest, as they say, is history until Andrew "Kingfish" Jackson (but that's a story for another day).
The democratic impulse and enlightenment values embodied in the work of our Founders, little things like the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the institutions of the Congress, Presidency, and Court have always been under attack by powerful elites who seek to influence outcomes in their favor.
The very least honor we owe these brave and principled patriots is to resist those efforts and defend justice and the rule of law to the best of our ability.
2012 Le Tour – Stage 4
Abbeville / Rouen (133 miles)
Le. Tour. De. France.
Narrow roads and crosswinds meant a big day for crashes yesterday with at least 3 major ones at the tail end of the stage and 2 retirements including Jose Rojas. Perhaps more significant is Konstansin Sivtsov who's departure from Sky leaves the team even more oriented to supporting Bradley Wiggins' General Classification run and less to the Points competition of stage 3 winner Mad Manx Mark Cavendish.
Rookie Peter Sagan claimed a second stage victory with a funny finish sprint that left people talking. Mike Morkov dominated the climbing checkpoints.
Today's racing takes place along the Channel coast which can mean slippery damp sea breezes. There are 4 category 4 climbs and a points award right after the major descent before the last hill. This is one of 2012's longest stages.
Place Rider Team Time/Delta
1 CANCELLARA Fabian RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 14:45:30
2 WIGGINS Bradley SKY PROCYCLING +00:07
3 CHAVANEL Sylvain OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP +00:07
4 VAN GARDEREN Tejay BMC RACING TEAM +00:10
5 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald SKY PROCYCLING +00:11
6 MENCHOV Denis KATUSHA TEAM +00:13
7 EVANS Cadel BMC RACING TEAM +00:17
8 NIBALI Vincenzo LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE +00:18
9 HESJEDAL Ryder GARMIN-SHARP-BARRACUDA +00:18
10 KLÖDEN Andréas RADIOSHACK-NISSAN +00:19
Coverage is customarily on Vs. (NBC Sports) starting at 8 am with repeats at 8 pm, and midnight. There will be some streaming evidently, but not all of it is free.
Sites of Interest-
2012 Le Tour
Geek Guide (very basic)
Guardian Interactive Guide
The Stars Hollow Gazette Tags-
Pretty tables-
Tags: Le Tour, Le Tour 2012
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text:
Monroe County Advisory Council has named a new chairman
An organization that informs the public on state civil rights laws and monitors bias-related incidents in the Poconos now has a new chairman.
Christopher Adams of Pocono Summit recently was appointed to head the Monroe County Advisory Council to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
The PHRC investigates complaints of employment, housing, public accommodation and other types of discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, age, physical challenges, sexual orientation or other factors. If the PHRC finds a complaint has merit, the agency works with both sides to reach an agreement before the complaint becomes a lawsuit.
Adams replaces the late Robert Hillman of East Stroudsburg, who founded the Advisory Council in 2006 with Adams as one of its original members. Hillman, who had been active in civil rights in the area since the 1960s, died in November.
"Bob set a good template for us to follow," Adams said. "We have to start off from there. There's still a lot of work to be done."
Adams cited local homebuyers being targeted by predatory lending as one of the issues on the Advisory Council's agenda.
A Monroe County resident for the past 30 years, Adams serves also with the Unity Coalition of the Poconos, which works to promote harmony and understanding among people of different races and cultures, and Stroudsburg Little Bethel Historical Association, which is trying to restore and convert the 142-year-old Little Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Stroudsburg to a historical museum.
Adams works for GENCO Supply Chain Solutions in Coolbaugh Township and owns and operates Four Seasons Waste and Construction Management Company.
"Still grieving the loss of Robert Hillman, Chris is well-prepared for his new role since he was Bob's longtime friend and worked at Bob's side on the council and with many other community organizations," said Advisory Council Secretary Robert Veneziale.