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Manhattan West Real Estate Group Completes $4M Sale of 14,400 Square Foot Industrial Property
December 14, 2021 | MW Press Release
19 months after purchasing the industrial real estate property for $1.8M, Manhattan West completes extensive value-add project and sells the newly-renovated asset
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Manhattan West, a global strategic investment firm, today announced that its Real Estate Group has sold an industrial property totaling 14,400 square feet that consists of two individual buildings with four individual 3,600 square foot suites. As a vertically integrated owner, operator, and manager of commercial real estate, Manhattan West's unique approach enables the firm to provide maximum value in its commercial real estate investments.
Situated in the highly desirable South Bay sub-market, the property benefits from easy access to Los Angeles International Airport and Long Beach Airport. Located one mile from the I-110 freeway, tenants have convenient access to both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.
"While most buyers were deterred by the extensive structural improvements required, our ground-up development experience allowed us to quickly quantify this risk and get comfortable with the investment," said Adam Norvell, Managing Director of Real Estate at Manhattan West. "In the end, we were able to fully execute our business plan under budget and ahead of schedule, while delivering above pro forma rents."
Manhattan West acquired the asset in February of 2020 for $1.8M and closed the sale on December 7th for $4M after four months of extensive value add renovations, including significant structural improvements, interior/exterior paint, a new roof system with a 20-year warranty, new skylights and LED fixtures, renovated individual offices and restrooms, landscaping updates, and secured fencing. The company retained LA Commercial and worked with associates Albert Pacleb and Joshua Schwartz to market and properly identify a diversified tenant mix for the portfolio. By June of 2021, the asset was fully leased and stabilized with new NNN leases in place.
Manhattan West prides itself on taking an institutional and sophisticated approach to investing, while remaining nimble and entrepreneurial to provide value to its investors. The firm is actively seeking industrial value-add and opportunistic development opportunities in the $5M – $30M range, with a primary focus on Southern California.
About Manhattan West Real Estate
The Manhattan West Real Estate Group is a community-focused real estate team uniquely positioned as an owner, operator and manager of multifamily and industrial properties and has sought to add value to the communities it operates in and positively impact the tenants and residents of its buildings. Since inception, the group has focused on targeting value-add and core plus assets.
Filed Under: MW Press Release
Good Advice Helped Showbiz Talent Survive Pandemic
November 17, 2021 | MW in the News
Congratulations Lauren Adovasio, Elizabeth Campos, and Jack Sinoryan on being recognized by Variety in the 2021 Business Managers Elite list. Read how good advice helped showbiz talent survive the pandemic in their latest article.
How to Retain Your Business, and Your Sanity, When Leaving Your Firm
For financial advisors seeking independence, CEO Lorenzo Esparza stresses the importance of not allowing "what ifs" to deter them from launching their own firm. In a recent interview with Financial Planning, he shared that founding Manhattan West has been the highlight of his career and urges other entrepreneurial advisors to plan their vision for building their own firm.
Manhattan West Real Estate Completes Renovation of The Gates on Beverly Community in Larchmont
November 17, 2021 | MW Press Release
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Manhattan West Real Estate, a division of modern investment firm Manhattan West, today announced it has completed its renovation project at The Gates on Beverly, a four-building, multifamily community featuring 42 unique apartment units in the Larchmont neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Centrally located on Beverly Boulevard, The Gates on Beverly features open and airy studio, one-and two-bedroom floor plans: The Diamond, The Arch, and The Vertical. Finished with designer touches and handcrafted details, including solid stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and farmhouse-style kitchen sinks, tenants can enjoy timeless home design in this popular LA neighborhood. All units have been remodeled with updated bathrooms with new vanities and sinks, spacious closets, and in-unit washers, dryers and dishwashers.
"Manhattan West is thrilled to revitalize The Gates on Beverly to provide quality housing at a time when Los Angeles residents need it most," said Adam Norvell, Managing Director – Real Estate, Manhattan West. "Our thoughtful, hands-on approach to design and construction gives us the unique advantage of identifying and restoring vintage buildings that are competitive with the brand-new Class-A projects in our communities."
Acquired by Manhattan West Real Estate in December 2019, The Gates on Beverly underwent substantial upgrades on the building's exterior, while interior units were outfitted with new electrical and plumbing. The building offers several outdoor conversation spaces, ample parking, bike storage, secure building access, and many other appealing amenities for tenants.
Lease up of the community started in Q1 2021 alongside continuing renovation and is expected to be fully stabilized by the onset of 2022. For more information regarding The Gates on Beverly, please visit thegatesonbeverly.com.
Manhattan West Real Estate is a community-focused real estate team uniquely positioned as an owner, operator and manager of multifamily and industrial properties. A division of Manhattan West, a modern investment company with a vertically integrated platform of in-house services and investments, Manhattan West Real Estate has sought to add value to its communities it operates in and positively impact the tenants and residents of its buildings. Since inception, the group has focused on targeting value-add and core plus assets.
Hollywood's Top Business Managers of 2021
November 9, 2021 | MW in the News
Congratulations Elizabeth Campos on being honored as a Top Business Manager by The Hollywood Reporter.
Why Advisors Are Embracing Alternative Investments
October 27, 2021 | MW in the News
To meet investors' needs, financial advisors are turning to alternative investments such as real estate and private equity. Barron's asked Financial Advisor, Angie Spielman, 'how are you using alternatives now'?
Ex-OCERS Director of Investments Lands Investment Management Gig
September 9, 2021 | MW in the News
Manhattan West is proud to officially welcome Reginald D. Tucker as managing director on our Venture Capital Team! Mr. Tucker will build out our new venture capital growth opportunities fund and collaborate with our team on opportunities across our investment platform.
Don't Call Us an RIA. No Offense.
There's nothing wrong with being an RIA, but there is a real opportunity to do it a different way, a better way.
In CEO Lorenzo Esparza's recent ThinkAdvisor article, he offered context on what sets us apart at Manhattan West and what he believes next-generation investment firms will look like.
Wealth Manager Tyler Robuck, CFP® Chooses Manhattan West
August 11, 2021 | MW Press Release
Previously with EP Wealth Advisors, Robuck joins as a partner on the Private Wealth team
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Manhattan West announced that it has welcomed Tyler Robuck, CFP® to the firm as Partner and Managing Director. Joining Manhattan West's Private Wealth team provides Mr. Robuck and his clients with a vertically integrated platform of services and investments, including, but not limited to, Business Management, Tax Services and Alternative Investments, that he can offer to the high-net-worth individuals and families, entertainers and small business owners whom he serves.
Approaching $100MM in client assets under his management, Mr. Robuck was drawn to Manhattan West's modern financial services infrastructure, which empowers him to deliver white-glove service to his long-time clients while providing access to diversifying investments in the form of Private Equity, Venture Capital, Real Estate and Private Debt. Mr. Robuck believes in the importance of alternative asset classes, especially in today's market conditions when interest rates are at historic lows and the S&P 500 is hovering around all-time highs.
"As I reflect on my career as a financial advisor, I find myself regularly asking, 'would my family be proud of my work?'" said Tyler Robuck, CFP®, Partner, Manhattan West. "Being a part of the elite team that Manhattan West has assembled is not only a professional accomplishment that my husband, my son and I can be immensely proud of, but I'm also thrilled to offer my clients access to the types of investment opportunities that will truly diversify their portfolios."
Mr. Robuck has spent nearly a decade working in wealth management prior to joining Manhattan West. He most recently served as a Vice President-Wealth Advisor at EP Wealth Advisors and a Wealth Advisor-Partner at Mission Wealth. Mr. Robuck received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MBA from the Marshall School at the University of Southern California.
"Tyler is the exact type of financial advisor that will flourish at Manhattan West; he's highly educated, he cares deeply about providing the utmost value to his clients and his breadth of experience will bring immense value to our team," said Lorenzo Esparza, CEO, Manhattan West. "I have supreme confidence that Tyler will fit in seamlessly to our growing team, and he will inspire trust and confidence with all of our Private Wealth clients."
Recently surpassing five years after departing JP Morgan, the Esparza-led Manhattan West has experienced rapid growth as the independent firm has added human capital to its top-notch team and built out its business lines for the benefit of the firm's clients. Financial advisors who are interested in learning more about Manhattan West are invited to inquire at info@manhattanwest.com.


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Germany through the centuries and Hitler's cocaine habit
Neil MacGregor chats about his new radio series Germany: Memories of a Nation, while Giles Milton shares some fascinating footnotes from the past
British Museum director Neil MacGregor joins us to talk about his new BBC Radio 4 series Germany: Memories of a Nation, which illustrates the country's history through a wealth of fascinating objects. Meanwhile, historical author Giles Milton discusses some surprising tales from the past, including the story of Adolf Hitler's drug addictions.
To read an extract from Milton's book, click here.
Second World War Week
Weird and Wonderful History Week
The wartime SAS and Hitler's drug addiction
The woman who gave birth for Hitler
Hitler's jazz band: how the Nazis used swing as propaganda
Postwar Germany and medieval CSI

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives
Junaid A. Razzak, Scott M. Sasser, Arthur L. Kellermann
Injuries, whether caused by unintentional or intentional events, are a significant public health problem. The burden of injury is greatest in low- and middle-income countries and among individuals of low socioeconomic status living in high-income countries. Most of these injuries are preventable. Emergency physicians can play an important role in reducing the global burden of injuries by providing expert care and by identifying, implementing, and evaluating population-based countermeasures to prevent and control injuries. The strategy used in a particular country depends in large part on the nature of the local problem, the concerns of the population, the availability of resources, and competing demands. Even simple countermeasures may have a big impact in reducing the global burden of death and disability due to injury.
Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2004.09.008
10.1016/j.emc.2004.09.008
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Global Health Medicine & Life Sciences
Income Medicine & Life Sciences
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Physicians Medicine & Life Sciences
Razzak, J. A., Sasser, S. M., & Kellermann, A. L. (2005). Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 23(1), 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2004.09.008
Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives. / Razzak, Junaid A.; Sasser, Scott M.; Kellermann, Arthur L.
In: Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, Vol. 23, No. 1, 02.2005, p. 85-98.
Razzak, JA, Sasser, SM & Kellermann, AL 2005, 'Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives', Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2004.09.008
Razzak JA, Sasser SM, Kellermann AL. Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2005 Feb;23(1):85-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2004.09.008
Razzak, Junaid A. ; Sasser, Scott M. ; Kellermann, Arthur L. / Injury prevention and other international public health initiatives. In: Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2005 ; Vol. 23, No. 1. pp. 85-98.
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Fla. Voting Machines Flawed
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Touchscreen voting machines in 11 counties have a software flaw that could make manual recounts impossible in November's presidential election, state officials said.
A spokeswoman for the secretary of state called the problems "minor technical hiccups" that can be resolved, but critics allege voting officials wrongly certified a voting system they knew had a bug.
The electronic voting machines are a response to Florida's 2000 presidential election fiasco, where thousands of punchcard ballots were improperly marked. But the new machines have brought concerns that errors could go unchecked without paper records of the electronic voting.
The machines, made by Election Systems & Software of Omaha (search), Neb., fail to provide a consistent electronic "event log" of voting activity when asked to reproduce what happened during the election, state officials said.
Officials with the company and the state Division of Elections said they believe they can fix the problem by linking the voting equipment with laptop computers. Florida's two largest counties — Miami-Dade and Broward — are among those affected by the flaws.
Rep. Robert Wexler (search), D-Fla., has asked state Attorney General Charlie Crist to investigate whether the head of the state elections division lied under oath when he denied knowing of the computer problem before reading about it in the media. A spokeswoman for Crist said he was reviewing the request.
The elections chief, Ed Kast, abruptly resigned Monday, saying he wanted a change of pace.
During a May 17 deposition for a lawsuit Wexler filed seeking to require a paper trail for state voting machines, Kast said he had recently heard of the problem only days earlier. But in a letter to Crist, Wexler said the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, a citizens' group, notified Kast and Secretary of State Glenda Hood of the glitch in March.
Hood blamed Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Constance Kaplan for the delay, telling Kaplan in a May 13 letter she should have notified state officials when she learned of the problem in June 2003.
Nonetheless, state and county election officials insist the problem can be resolved in the five months before the November election.
"These are minor technical hiccups that happen," said Hood spokeswoman Nicole DeLara. "No votes are lost, or could be lost."
Wexler and coalition members said they want to know how the state can be sure that glitches will not prevent elections officials from even detecting computer malfunctions.
"How do you know that any votes were lost if your audit is wrong?" asked Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, chairwoman of the Miami-Dade coalition.
State officials say there is no need for recounts, or an audit trail, with the touchscreen system because it was designed to prevent people from voting in the same race more than once — an overvote — and provide multiple alerts to voters to warn them when they are skipping a race — an undervote.
They emphasize that the "glitch" in the touchscreen machines occurs when the audit is done after the election, not when the tally sheet is printed in each precinct when polls close.


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Opinion, Vic Rosenthal
Lessons from the Pandemic (Vic Rosenthal)
Vic Rosenthal's Weekly Column
We went on a shopping expedition yesterday. Masked up, we walked to the supermarket and pharmacy and then returned home by way of the greengrocer. We made a special stop at a small market that was said to have eggs. There was a long line in front; but we got our eggs. Although I couldn't tell for sure, I believe that these eggs were among those airlifted in from Portugal and Ukraine to meet the demand at Pesach time.
Israel still produces a lot of eggs, and this particular shortage was probably caused by hoarding by people who were afraid that the disruption caused by the coronavirus would prevent them from getting eggs for Pesach.
Eggs really aren't a problem. We produce them, we can import them from multiple sources, and in the final analysis, we can live without them. Yes, even at Pesach, if we had to. In case you are wondering, there doesn't appear to be a shortage of toilet paper, at least in Rehovot.
But what about other things? "Hi-tech" is supposedly the jewel in the crown of Israel's economy, and semiconductors – microprocessors and countless types of simpler devices – are the building blocks of electronic devices. There are numerous semiconductor companies operating and headquartered in Israel, but – with the exception of Intel, which has manufacturing facilities for advanced microprocessors in Kiryat Gat – as far as I can tell, none of them actually make their products here. Chip designs created here are sent to "fabs" – fabricators – in East Asia, India, and elsewhere where they are manufactured. Other components that are necessary for building electronic devices are all manufactured elsewhere. Indeed, it is normal for a device to be designed in one country, assembled in another from parts made in still other countries, and then marketed worldwide.
Rice is apparently something that Israelis eat a lot of, but it is all imported. Israel exports irrigation systems that make it possible to grow rice with far less water than by traditional methods, but apparently we don't use them at home. Ptitim, the tiny chunks of pasta that are so popular here, sometimes called "Israeli couscous" although they are not couscous, were developed by the Osem company as a rice substitute at the request of David Ben Gurion in the 1950s. During the first decade of Israel's existence, not enough food was produced internally for all the immigrants – refugees from the Holocaust and Jews forced to leave Arab countries. In addition, there was little foreign currency available for imports like rice. Ptitim are cheap and easy to make.
There are numerous other products and raw materials that are essential to our daily lives or for our economy to function that must be imported. And we've developed complex systems that make this possible. But suppose these systems stopped functioning.
The coronavirus outbreak has made me think about this possibility. Suddenly we've noticed that things needed to respond to the epidemic, like protective equipment, diagnostic supplies, and ventilators, were not manufactured domestically. Drugs and ingredients for them come from overseas, often from only one country, usually China. Just-in-time manufacturing and inventory procedures mean that it's difficult for the system to deal with a sudden spike in demand. Worldwide competition drives prices sky-high.
Israel made use of its Defense Ministry and even the Mossad spy agency to locate and procure urgently needed equipment. Defense facilities are now manufacturing ventilators locally. Thanks to this, and if current models are correct, Israeli doctors will not face the decisions their counterparts in northern Italy had to, in which they must choose which patient will get the ventilator that will allow him or her to live, while another is left to die. If we're lucky.
But our highly leveraged technological civilization is not out of the woods yet. There is room for significant skepticism about the numbers of dead and sick coming from China. Economic and political instability there are not out of the question. In addition, some have predicted a deep worldwide economic depression caused by the pandemic and the lockdowns. If this comes about, and especially if it is accompanied by political instability – wars, revolutions, and the collapse of states – it could be enough to break some of the weak links in the chain that makes up the global economy. I could imagine widespread food insecurity in countries that until now have been considered highly developed.
Of course this could all be what my wife calls my "3 AM paranoia." Maybe the coronavirus will quickly burn itself out, and economies around the world will recover quickly. Maybe the Chinese are telling the truth, or maybe they do have 21 million dead and it doesn't matter. But whether or not this particular crisis is the straw that breaks the camel's back, or if mankind wriggles out of this one only to be impaled upon the next (I love mixing metaphors), there are lessons to be learned for the people who make policy decisions for the nations of the world.
It is not possible for a nation the size of Israel to be self-sufficient in all things (although one like the US could be). But every nation should strive to be able to grow enough food to sustain its population. The trend toward agricultural monocultures is worrying. In other areas too, self-sufficiency should be a goal. Medical supplies are one. And many countries, including the US, are dependent on China. If something were to happen to China, or if the Chinese were to decide to deliberately act against countries it sees as enemies, it's easy to imagine the result.
There are other reasons to worry about single sources for critical items. In 2007, Chinese manufacturers sold adulterated food ingredients to pet food manufacturers in the US and elsewhere, causing numerous animals to die. A year later, the same dangerous substance turned up in milk and baby formula, killing six infants in China.
A different kind of "adulteration" affects computer chips. In 2015, a Chinese subcontractor producing server motherboards for an American company secretly added an additional chip to them, one that would allow a hacker to bypass security in any network containing a machine with this board in it. The company's servers were in use in American warships, drone operation centers, and more. In this instance, the trick was discovered. But it is even possible to modify a standard chip to include a "back door" on its own silicon. Such a hack would be much harder to detect.
The Chinese company Huawei makes 4G and now 5G equipment for cellular phone and data networks. US security officials claim (Huawei denies it) that there is a "back door" in this equipment which makes it possible for Huawei, and of course the Chinese government, to intercept traffic on networks using this equipment.
All this points to the risks in depending on outside suppliers for critical items, whether they be food or computer chips. We should diversify our agriculture and our manufacturing. Self-sufficiency is a worthwhile goal, even if it can only be attained partially. The coronavirus pandemic should be a warning that the worldwide system is not as stable or trustworthy as we have assumed. If we get through this relatively unscathed, we may not be so lucky next time.
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Harefield, Hillingdon
A large, self-contained village – and a world famous hospital – situated in the far north-western corner of Greater London
Neolithic remains have been found in the parish, as well as fossils in the chalk. Notwithstanding the 'hare of Harefield' shown in the picture above, the settlement's name probably derives from the Old English words here (army) and feld (open space; field). The name may thus allude to an encampment by a Viking army during the Danish invasions of the 10th and early 11th centuries.
St Mary's church is of 13th-century origin and is noted for its wealth of monuments. During the Middle Ages and 16th century much of the parish consisted of moors and common land, with the cultivated lands of Harefield manor around the village.
A sundial on a Harefield Park stable block
The 18th and 19th centuries saw the growth of several estates on which country houses were built, including Belhammonds, also known as Harefield Park, a three-storey, seven-bay mansion dating from the 1710s. Two centuries later it became the orginal home of Harefield Hospital (see below) but now stands disused and in need of restoration. Click here for a Bing bird's eye view of the mansion.
The construction of the Grand Junction (now Grand Union) Canal on the western side of the parish at the end of the 18th century changed the character of this part of Harefield.
By 1813 limekilns and copper mills lay along the northern part of the canal, and there were coal wharves north of Moorhall. The industrial area continued to expand throughout the century, but away from the canal Harefield remained one of the few places in Middlesex where the ancient pattern of an agricultural village survived into the second half of the 19th century, mainly because of the absence of a main road or railway.
By the outbreak of the First World War houses were being built by the mills, around Hill End, along the main roads and round the village green. Large sand and gravel workings operated on the outskirts of Harefield between the wars but most of these are now disused or have become landfill sites, while much of the canalside industry has been replaced by offices and other business premises.
Uxbridge council built nearly 500 houses between 1919 and 1951 around the common and in Northwood Road, and in South Harefield and Mount Pleasant. Subsequent development, both public and private, has been tightly constrained by the inclusion of almost all the surviving farmland within the green belt.
Harefield village retains a genuinely rural character, though a fifth of its housing is owned by Hillingdon council. The population is 88 per cent white and educational attainment is relatively low. Car ownership is high, as it needs to be out in the sticks.
The story of Harefield Hospital
During the First World War a hospital was established at the mansion latterly known as Harefield Park for the treatment of injured Australians and New Zealanders. Many of those who died at the hospital are buried in the churchyard of St Mary's Harefield, where they are commemorated by a memorial arch and a granite obelisk.
In the 1930s Harefield became an isolation hospital for tuberculosis patients, laying the foundations of its expertise in lung conditions. In the late 1940s the hospital became part of the new National Health Service and began to develop its expertise in heart disease, in addition to its lung specialisation.
Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub performed Harefield's first heart transplant in 1980 and the world's first combined heart and lung transplant in 1983. Since then the hospital has had a distinguished history of ground-??breaking advances, most recently exemplified in its work on 'artificial hearts' and minimally invasive procedures. Harefield's dedicated Heart Attack Centre deals with cardiac emergencies from outer north-west London, and provides one of the fastest arrival-to-treatment times in Europe.
In 1998 Harefield was twinned with another renowned London chest hospital to form the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust. Plans to incorporate Harefield's facilities on the site of a new 'super-hospital' at Paddington Waterside fell apart in 2005.
Postcode area: Uxbridge UB9
Population: 7,399 (Harefield ward; by far the borough's smallest ward at the 2011 census)
Further reading: Eileen M Bowlt, Ickenham and Harefield Past, Historical Publications, 1996
and Geoff Hewlett, Harefield, Amberley, 2012
See also: Harefield Grove
View larger OpenStreetMap
* The picture of the Hare of Harefield at the top of this page is slightly modified from an original photograph, copyright Matt Brown, at Flickr, made available under the Attribution 2.0 Generic licence. Any subsequent reuse is freely permitted under the terms of that licence.
Recommended places
London's oldest pub
Hidden London weeds out the pretenders and declares an unexpected winner
Sutton House
A 16th-century courtier's country home in Homerton (Hackney)
Kempton Steam Museum
'The apogee of the steam-powered pumping station' in outer SW London
'Holy ground for plantsmen' (and plantswomen) in the far north of London
The finest school art gallery in the world, with works by Rembrandt, Rubens, etc.
Ham House
A National Trust stately home in a very attractive village


text:
Doctors should be encouraged to use 'safety netting' to improve cancer detection in patients with vague symptoms, say primary care researchers from Oxford University in The BMJ today.
© OUImages/Nasir Hamid
Safety netting ensures patients do not drop through the healthcare net but are monitored until symptoms are explained. This includes explaining uncertainty about the cause of symptoms and making sure patients receive test results even if they do not attend a follow-up appointment.
Patients visit their doctor every day about symptoms that could be cancer. Some will have easily recognised high risk symptoms such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or coughing up blood (haemoptysis). But most will have vague or non-specific symptoms like cough, fatigue, or abdominal pain, where the likelihood of cancer is low.
Faced with this uncertainty, doctors have a responsibility to avoid causing unnecessary alarm and wasting scarce resources through over-investigation, which may result in harm to the patient. But this must be balanced with the potential harm of delaying a diagnosis of serious disease.
Safety netting is regarded as "best practice" for cancer diagnosis - allowing doctors to tease out serious disease by following up patients over time. But there is little evidence on whether it improves cancer detection and how best to do it in patients with vague symptoms.
So Dr Brian Nicholson and colleagues in Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences searched for evidence on how safety netting can be done effectively as part of a project funded by Cancer Research UK.
They found no apparent evidence on whether safety netting is effective. However, they did find evidence on three main issues: the necessary components of safety netting, the roles of patient and doctor, and the problems arising from miscommunication or misinterpretation of initial test results.
Based on this evidence, the authors recommend that doctors explain uncertainty about the cause of symptoms with patients, ensuring they understand why, when and with who they should re-consult about which concerning symptoms.
Systems should also be in place to ensure that test results are reviewed by somebody with knowledge of cancer guidelines, and that positive and negative results are communicated to the patient promptly.
"Although the evidence base is uncertain, safety netting remains the best option, and is likely better than nothing," say the authors. "It is important that patients continue to visit their doctor until their symptoms are explained. We know that doctors are safety netting every day to keep their patients safe. By conducting research on safety netting we will be able to understand which safety netting messages and systems are effective."
Read the paper:
Can safety netting improve cancer detection in patients with vague symptoms?
Nicholson B, Mant D, Bankhead C.
The BMJ 2016 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.i5515
Department team members:
Emeritus Professor of General Practice
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Writing retreat with The Landmark Trust for the IRIHS team
The Creation of the Oxford-Brazil EBM Alliance
Fostering excellence in Evidence-Based Medicine research and teaching in Brazil
Attending the House of Commons as panel expert
NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer, Dr Oliver van Hecke, describes his recent experience as a panel member on a All-Party Parliamentary Group event on antimicrobial resistance.


A New Luxury Hotel in Bali: The ANVAYA Beach Resort - Holy Smithereens!
With a flight landing every 2-3 minutes in Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport, it's safe to say that tourism in Bali is only going to get bigger over the years. There are currently over 1,200 registered hotels in Bali (not counting alternative accommodations) so it's not uncommon to have new hotel openings every now and then in Bali.
The ANVAYA Beach Resort in Bali is one of the newest luxury hotel to open in Bali. But unlike any other luxury resort, The ANVAYA has a clear goal: to bring luxury and tranquility back to Kuta.
To those who've been to Kuta, this goal may seem challenging or even ambitious. But definitely admirable. Kuta is one of Bali's first tourist developed area, and through the decades have become Bali's busiest areas.
Kuta is still quite active and bustling. It has all the modern conveniences like shopping malls within reach but it is considerably quieter than it was about five years ago.
And this makes it the perfect time for The ANVAYA Bali to enter to reinvent the scene of Kuta.
The ANVAYA is just 10 minutes away from the airport by car. The resort offers a private van service for airport pick-up / drop-off. It was just a short drive from the airport , and the moment I stepped foot in the resort, I immediately felt that I was hours and miles away from Kuta.
While the resort is close to entertainment, shopping and restaurants, the entrance of The ANVAYA is quite far from the main road so you don't feel the hustle or the noise of Kuta.
Another noticeable thing when you enter The ANVAYA is the design. It is Balinese through and through. But one thing I learned during my stay at the ANVAYA: they like to take things to the next level. Before you classify The ANVAYA as yet another Balinese-themed hotel, look closely and you will soon realise that the entire ANVAYA resort is a carefully crafted work of art that showcases the history of Bali through impressive architecture.
The word ANVAYA means meeting of the Three Balis. These three are the stages of Bali in history. So from the entrance until 1/3 of the resort, all the designs are "Bali Aga" based, meaning Bali design that is pre-Hinduism. The main symbol of this Bali Aga design can be found in the entrance of the resort, where a stunning group of pillars are arranged which light up stunningly during the night.
The middle part of the resort, from the pool onwards, carries the "Bali Hindu" design theme. This kind of design is what people normally associate Bali with as Hinduism is Bali's main religion and plays a huge role in its culture.
And the last part of the resort starting from SANDS Restaurant (one of the resort's restaurants) until their private beach area, the design is Contemporary Bali.
And when I say that the resort is comprised of these three themes and designs, I don't say it lightly. I mean every single detail , not just from the main architecture, interior design, paintings or room fixtures. I've noticed that even small details such as cutleries, staff uniform, and background music change as you find yourself in the 3 different areas of the resort.
For impeccable attention to detail, I give the ANVAYA my hats off. The theme changes gradually too so you don't suddenly find yourself in such different surroundings.
The ANVAYA team is made up of long-time industry experts. From management-level to front line staff, almost everyone has had extensive hospitality experience from the Maldives, the Middle East, the Seychelles, and other resort destinations.
While conceptualising the ANVAYA, the team wanted a real tranquil and private experience for guests. From their collective experience, the ANVAYA team observed that most resorts suffer from a very crowded reception / lobby area during peak check-in times. To avert this situation, the ANVAYA specifically designed separate lounges for early check-ins and late check out guests.
These lounges are extremely comfortable and spacious, offering shower, complimentary refreshments and entertainment.
Due to this, the resort has a constant spacious and relaxing atmosphere, even though it had an 80% occupancy rate while I was there.
I was able to stay at three different room types in the ANVAYA Bali during my stay. All room types at the ANVAYA offer complimentary WiFi access, Acca Kappa toiletries and use of lobby and departure lounge for early / late check-in.
The first is a Premium Lagoon Access room, the most popular room type to be booked at the ANVAYA. These room types are available in twin and king bed configurations. The ground floor rooms have a direct access to a 1.2 metre deep lagoon pool, such as the room I stayed at. The upper level rooms of this category feature balconies with garden views.
All rooms at the ANVAYA feature a smart tv where all commands, requests and information can be found. You won't find the usual hotel room compendium in the rooms, you just navigate the TV.
There are only 10 ANVAYA Suites in the resort, all almost hidden amongst thick gardens and greens within the resort. These suites are generously sized and have one of the largest bathrooms I've ever seen.
It's hard to play favourites, but the ANVAYA Suite room type was easily my personal favourite among all the rooms in the ANVAYA.
The bathroom's floor and walls are white marble, there are double sinks, a stand alone tub and best of all, the bathroom area also opens to a lush garden with your very own pool.
You could easily spend days in this suite and not even need to go out.
Lots of natural light, white floors and walls, natural wood and just the right accents of yellow and green. I think it's not hard to see why this room type has easily become my favourite.
And finally, I was able to try the Beachfront Private Suites of the ANVAYA Bali. There are only 8 of these suites in the resort, and they are located in a separate area of the resort. They have their own lobby and check-in/check-out area as well as a main pool just for the eight suites.
I suppose the main pool is for when guests feel like swimming in a pool larger than their private pool, which all eight suites come with.
My favourite part of this room is the bathroom. Even though the lights are mostly yellow, there's a huge glass in the ceiling that lets in natural light so it's still quite airy. As these suites are mostly for honeymooners, there's two of everything (except the tub) in this bathroom. Yes, double showers!
Kuta beach is normally a chaotic scene with tourists, locals, vendors and pop-up surf schools everywhere. At the ANVAYA, there's no such stressful scene as they have a slice of their private beach in Kuta. While it's quite a scenic and relaxing spot, swimming is prohibited due to strong currents.
As an alternative to swimming, you can hire a bike from the resort and join a bike tour that takes you all the way up to the airport. Or just cycle on your own. This is a great way to get your workout in and start the day.
And one of the best ways to end a day of exploring the resort or Kuta is to join a session of Ashtanga Yoga at the rooftop pavillion of the Sakanti Spa, and then indulge in a massage treatment right after. It's exactly what I did one late afternoon at the ANVAYA. After an hour-long yoga session, I had a 90-minute hot sand stone detox massage, a signature Sakanti Spa treatment which involves being massaged with heated sand bags infused with aromatic oils. It was absolutely relaxing, and if it would be possible for you to get this massage on all your days at the ANVAYA, all the better.
There are three areas for you to dine at the ANVAYA. Kunyit for traditional Indonesian and Balinese food, Sands Restaurant for contemporary dining, and the Wine Cellar at Sands for formal dining.
From its interiors to the pipe-in music, Kunyit is a true-blue Balinese restaurant. Balinese / Indonesian classics like Sate Campur, Nasi Campur Bali and Satays are served. But the specialty in Kunyit is the "Megibung" meal.
Megibung is the Balinese tradition of sharing a meal with family and friends, with the main dishes in one plate and everyone partaking not just in eating but the conversation as well.
Not only was Megibung a great experience culturally, but it was also a fantastic way to sample many Balinese dishes as there's a lot of variety in the plate.
Kunyit also serves afternoon tea in Balinese style, where local sweets and delicacies take the place of the usual scones and sandwiches of the customary Western type of afternoon tea.
Sands Restaurant, located on the beachfront end of the resort, offers contemporary dining and has quite an extensive buffet offering.
There are cooking stations for all kinds of cuisine so food is always served fresh.
Sands also offers ala carte dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I highly suggest their seafood. Weather its grilled, pan-fried or any which way it is cooked, the fish and shellfish are extremely fresh and has become my favourite go-to during my stay.
Sands is definitely a place that you will find yourself lingering over your meal as it's airy and has a relaxing view of the beach.
Every Sunday, Sands Restaurant offers an interactive brunch with the chef, where families, kids (and those young at heart) can partake in creating their own brunch creations.
I had a go at making my own pizza with the chef. It was so much fun and I'd definitely recommend it for those seeking out-of-the-box dining experiences in Bali.
Perhaps one of Kuta's best-kept secrets lies underneath Sands Restaurant. The ANVAYA Bali has a collection of over 1,000 wine bottles (and growing), with a walk-in wine cellar large enough to accommodate private dining for a group.
The four course dinner was amazing. Again I would recommend going for the seafood as Sands seems to have mastered it very well be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Together with the wines that were paired, it was quite a memorable evening. It's amazing how just going a few metres below ground will make you feel like you've been in an entirely different world.
I've only seen a few hotels that really stick to its theme and design, focusing on all the smaller details. The ANVAYA Bali is one of them. I'm very impressed with the level of detail given to the design and concept of the resort.
The people behind the ANVAYA play a big role towards its success. With the ANVAYA opening in November 2016, almost all of the staff have been with the ANVAYA from ground zero and conceptualising stage. Speaking to them, I can tell they have a sense of ownership of the resort.
Those needing a quiet place to get away from it all need not drive all the way to Ubud or other farther suburbs of Bali. There were times when I was at the resort that I completely forgot that I was just in Kuta, 10 minutes away from the airport. The ANVAYA does have a big plan of restoring luxury back to Kuta but and from what I've seen, their strategy is well-executed.
I am quite hopeful that Kuta's scene will change over the years. And even if it stays the same, we do have the ANVAYA serving as a very convenient getaway in the middle of it all.
Have you been to Bali? Do you prefer getaways where you do not need to leave the resort?
I stayed as a guest of The ANVAYA Bali for the purpose of this review. All opinions are mine.
Looks like a very nice place.
That looks fabulous! Just check out the size of that bathroom! When I want to get away from it all, I always choose a resort that's so luxurious, I don't need to leave!
Stunning! I would definitely love to stay there!
Thanks for the feedback! It's my no.1 choice for Kuta Bali.
Super unfortunate and I hope that's changed since this review was published.
Your review is spot on with this resort. Stayed there over xmas when hotel was at 100% capacity. It was truly magnificent. We have booked to go back in may we loved it so much.


The Club for Growth is urging all House members to not co-sponsor the protectionist Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (HR 1276). Members who co-sponsor this bill will receive negative points on the Club's 2013 Congressional Scorecard. Negative points will not be assessed to anyone who is currently a co-sponsor who subsequently removes his name in a reasonable amount time after this alert is officially released.
This proposal would make it easier for the federal government to slap countervailing duties or antidumping duties on any exporting country whose currency is considered misaligned against the U.S. dollar. This is a disastrous proposal that would increase taxes on American businesses and consumers, stall the economic recovery, and spark an ugly trade war.
Supporters of this bill believe that cheap imports are harming our nation's manufacturers, but they fail to realize that imports are often intermediary goods and raw materials, not just final consumer products. These goods are used by our nation's businesses to produce final products that can be sold at competitive prices. And even if supporters of this bill had a valid argument, the better course of action to spur our nation's economy is not to punish another country through higher taxes on ourselves, but by lowering taxes on corporate income, capital gains, and dividends. We strongly urge all members to not only vote against this bill, but to decline co-sponsorship of it.


Our region has been deeply impacted by the events surrounding the shooting death of Michael Brown in St. Louis back in August, including both the ongoing protests and Grand Jury investigation.
Though the tragedy of this situation could lead us to a place of fearful disengagement, God is calling us to embody a faithful presence that our campuses and cities so desperately need.
We sense an invitation from God for our region to engage with the issues of justice and reconciliation raised by this tragedy such that God's kingdom could be more fully expressed in our movement and our region at large.
Though we don't know for sure, it is likely that the Grand Jury currently investigating whether or not to press charges against Officer Darren Wilson will be announcing its decision sometime very soon. This decision will be a significant one for our cities, campuses and churches.
Rather than merely being responsive to what happens, we are taking a proactive posture of engagement. Toward that end, our region created this free response packet for your ministry to use.
Resources to help familiarize yourself with the issues surrounding the case, both the immediate, on-the-ground particulars and their larger systemic and Biblical ramifications.
Concrete actions that your ministry can take in your community and on campus.
Ministry opportunities to help your community respond to this tragedy with prayer, lament and worship.
Though the tragedy of this situation could lead us to a place of fearful disengagement, we believe God is calling us to embody a faithful presence that our campuses and cities so desperately need.
Please join us in praying for the manifestation of God's kingdom in our midst, and may he continue to empower our community as agents of reconciliation as this situation unfolds.


text:
This was one of those suggestions from Netflix -- you know: "I see you like emo space movies. I recommend SUNSHINE." This was a mixed bag -- kind of like three movies in one... cool problem-solving space adventure like Apollo 13, dumb slasher movie like Friday the 13th, and a deep philosophical movie like, uh, well, I can't think of anything with a 13 in it... so, uh, I'll just say 13 Erotic Ghosts. Any movie with a ship named "Icarus 2" is alright by me, though.
I watched the deleted scenes... some of them were better than what they left in!
The most thoughtful thing in this film is the notion that, as humans, we can never merge with darkness -- we always hold ourselves separate from it -- but we easily merge with light. I'll be thinking about that for a long time.
This is the perfect movie to double feature with Moon.
PS -- This is the 500th Thing I've Finished!
Posted by Jesse at 1:35 AM 4 comments:
I liked topics in this book of poems by Kay Ryan, and the length and number of the poems, and typeface, and even the paper and binding. And I didn't dislike the poems-- most of them just, I don't know, didn't resonate with me, somehow. My favorite poems are ones that cover the surface a topic, leading you to believe that their goal is to encircle that topic, but then, to your surprise, they plunge down deep, into the heart of things, in a way that shocks and surprises. For me, these poems did the covering, but their plunge just didn't penetrate, somehow. Here's one of my favorites from the book, for example:
In the presence of supple
goodness, some people
grow less flexible,
experiencing a woodenness
they wouldn't have thought possible.
It is as strange and paradoxical
as the combined suffering
of Pinocchio and Gepetto
if Pinocchio had turned and said
I can't be human after all.
You see what I mean? It's more like the end is an illustration of the beginning, as opposed to a paradigm shift built on the platform of what came before. Contrast that with a favorite Emily Dickinson poem of mine:
Fame is a bee
It has a song—
It has a sting—
Ah, too, it has a wing.
Which has all the things I like best in a poem. See how it tricks you? "Fame lures you in, but it's dangerous..." and then everything flips! "And it allows you to fly!" It's startling, and perception shifting, and it leaves you wondering about how Emily Dickinson, of all people, really feels about fame. Sheesh, I feel like a bully, beating up Kay Ryan with Emily Dickinson. This isn't meant to be a criticism of Kay Ryan, but just me realizing what it is I like best in poetry. I often wonder what a person's taste in poetry says about them. I wonder what it says about me that this poem is my favorite one in Elephant Rocks:
From the Greek for
woven or plaited,
which quickly translated
to basket. Whence the verb
crib, which meant "to filch"
under cover of wicker
anything—some liquor,
a cutlet.
For we want to make off
with things that are not
our own. There is a pleasure
theft brings, a vitality
to the home.
Cribbed objects or answers
keep their guilty shimmer
forever, have you noticed?
Yet religions downplay this.
Note for instance, in our
rehearsals of innocence,
the substitution of manger for crib—
as if we ever deserved that baby,
or thought we did.
You can see this does all the things I like! One interesting thing about the poems in this book -- some rhyme, some don't. It's very cool that she's not afraid to have really fun rhymes, sometimes (Time is rubbery. If you hide it in the shrubbery). I know one thing -- writing poems requires a special bravery.
Posted by Jesse at 10:55 AM 1 comment:
I found this little book years ago... at Townsend Booksellers, I think? Or did I have it in California? Anyway, it has been my stalwart companion, ever since. It is about as small as a book can be, just a few inches high, and only 14 pages long. It is full of ironic mottoes and tiny woodcut illustrations. There is something about it that reminds me of the seventies. It is clearly the work of a group of friends, each chipping in their own funny sayings, and their names are listed up front, and it was published in 1977, in fact. I love the attitude of this book, I love how it overflows with friendship, and how it acknowledges that things get bad, yes, and there isn't much you can do but laugh about that. I scanned not just the front cover, but the back as well, because I think the back cover sums up the book quite delightfully (click the pic to see full size). Some of my favorite mottoes within:
We've got plenty of firewood to last until Spring. -RLU
Greens chopped in an open fan tend to disperse. -AG
You discover the optimum number of children for your family when you've had one too many. -AD
If it doesn't fit, file it to a conical point. -WG
A motion to adjourn to the bar takes precedence over all other motions except one to leave the bar. -ER
Maybe kitty is just getting fat. -RLU
So, after years of having this book accompany me through all kinds of problems and troubles, it occurred to me, one day, that I had no idea who Jane W. Roberts was. I'll start by saying she isn't this Jane Roberts. I had to websearch pretty hard to find out her true identity. I even had to buy online access to an obscure local newspaper that had an article about her, which I reproduce here, in full.
MONADNOCK PROFILE: It's all there in the fine print
She keeps an art alive
Jane Roberts believes that life should be lived to the fullest. Now 86, she's a former social worker, teacher and award-winning commercial printer who also creates hand-tooled canoe paddles. Beyond that, she knits, recently learned to spin fiber and is a longtime member of Fitzwilliam's zoning board.
And, she offers a very simple remedy for those who want more fulfilling lives.
"Always make sure you have a lot of hobbies and things you're interested in doing," she said. "If you're one of those people who are bored, it's your own damn fault."
Among Roberts' varied interests is her successful business, Old Time Printing, which, for more than 30 years, has offered Victorian and obsolete typography, mainly to the antiques trade. Although she retired not too long ago, she still plies the craft for friends and local organizations, and introduces young children to the practice.
Her home-based print shop is equipped with 19th-century antique tabletop and pedal-operated foot presses and nearly 300 different typefaces and fonts. She's won awards for her work and, for nearly 60 years, has been a member of the Amalgamated Printers' Association, an organization of letterpress print enthusiasts.
It's a passion she first discovered in her teens.
"My father gave my brother a small printing press for Christmas," she said. "He didn't like it all that much, but I did. I bought it from him when I was 16. It's been a big part of what I've been interested in since then."
In the late 1940s, she worked her way through college as a printer. Besides running presses, she became proficient in typography, including Linotype, most commonly used for newspaper copy, and Ludlow, used for headlines and displays. She even operated her own business, which she sold upon her college graduation — then took a long hiatus from printing for 15 years.
Instead, she launched a decade-long career as a social worker, working with disadvantaged children in Hell's Kitchen in New York and at Chicago's renowned Hull House, the first settlement house in the country. A few years later, when the Chicago neighborhood underwent urban renewal, her job was eliminated, and she chose a new path.
"I still wanted to work with kids, but I'd had it with big cities," she said. I knew that, for me, the way to work with kids was to go back to school to get a license to teach."
She enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where one night at a square dance she met her future husband, Ken, then a faculty member. The pair married a year or so later, and she taught school in Connecticut for several years, starting out at the junior high level, then moving on to high school English classes.
Her interest in printing was rekindled when her husband discovered and purchased an old press at an antiques shop.
"I've had a number of small presses over the years," she said. "I like to see what I can do to repair, rehabilitate and get parts for them to get them working."
After moving to Fitzwilliam in 1973, the couple installed a print shop in their home. Roberts started her business and, for a while, additionally sold puzzles and old folk toys she made at craft fairs. She also dove headfirst into her new community.
"I'd never lived in a small town before. I'd lived in suburbia or the city," she said. "But the first couple of years we were here, the town was planning a bicentennial celebration, and I joined the quilt committee. It was a good way to get acquainted, finding people who are interested in the same things you're interested in."
Over the years, she moved on to handling publicity for the town's historical society, and managing the local newsletter. Her husband, who worked with antique tools and books, died in 2000, but she continues to be actively involved in the community.
Nine years ago, she was appointed to the town's zoning board of adjustment. She served as chairman for a term or so, and still remains a member. Today, she also belongs to a casual group of local women of all ages and skill levels who meet once a week to knit and to socialize.
Among them is Roberts' longtime friend, Gretchen Wittenborg, who founded and hosts the group.
"I find the trajectory of Jane's career extraordinary," she said. "She put herself through four years of college working as a printer, then worked at the most famous settlement in the country. Then she put herself through grad school.
"Jane is a marvelous teacher. She never stops learning. She can do so many things," she said. "If there's something interesting to learn or to do or to read, she's there. She's never bored. She's open to anything."
Although Roberts and her husband had no children of their own, children have been a major focus in her life. Besides her careers as a teacher and social worker, she worked every year at the same summer camp in Ontario, Canada, for nearly two decades beginning in the late 1950s. Originally, she served as a crafts instructor, and later was in charge of planning extended overnight canoe trips for young campers.
It was at camp that she first learned to make canoe paddles with hand tools, an art she continues to practice.
"I figured that if I was going to teach the kids, I had better learn how to do it myself," she said. "I loved working at the camp. I used to say I'm getting paid for playing. It ceased operation in 1970, but I still keep in touch with a lot of the people."
As for the future? She plans to pursue whatever new interests arise, and continue to follow her passion for printing.
"I'd like to stay in printing for as long as I can," she said. "For as long as I'm having fun."
You'd think that article would satisfy me, but no. I decided I had to contact her to thank her for the little book, which has meant so much to me. She seemed quite pleased to hear that, and we began a bit of a correspondence, and I learned that not only does she have a history in printing, but in making handmade wooden toys and puzzles, too! And she was kind enough to send me some -- they are absolutely charming -- and some of the puzzles are quite clever, I'd never seen them before.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the world is full of amazing people... just keep your eyes open for amazing footprints -- you never know where they might lead!
Posted by Jesse at 10:20 AM No comments:
Posted by Jesse at 9:03 AM No comments:
While I was in London, I had to stop at the Atlantis Bookshop, as well. I had seen ads for it in the London Review of Books many times, and was pleased to realize it was right around the corner from my hotel. And it did not disappoint. Though small, it had quite a fascinating collection of occult, religious, and philosophical works, as well as, let's say, exotica. I picked up a few books there (I decided I better limit myself to three), but it was hard to resist getting more -- there were so many unusual texts. I complimented the proprietesses (who had a somewhat supernatural air) on the selection, and they proudly mentioned that they were having their 100th anniversary. I jokingly insisted that they didn't look a day over ninety, and, I swear they cackled! Something about that chilled my blood. I paid and got out quickly.
Labels: places
Okay, this is a long story, but I guess I have to tell it sometime. It's about Elbert Hubbard. Not L. Ron Hubbard, that's a whole other story, but Elbert Hubbard. (They are actually related, though not by blood. On top of that it has always seemed likely to me that "L. Ron" chose that peculiar name-phrase to connect to his famous uncle.)
I discovered Elbert Hubbard on my birthday, about ten years ago. I was poking around in a used bookstore (Caliban Books) and I found a cardboard box full of these neatly bound little book/magazine things that seemed quite old. Each was a "Little Journey" to the home of some great man or woman. Newton, Socrates, Hypatia, Beethoven, etc. They were dated around 1900. The printing style of the books was incredibly eye-catching, and, I don't know, I felt a kind of energy around the box. There was no price, but there were around 80 of the "Little Journeys", and the clerk said they had just come in, he hadn't priced them, and gave me a deal for the whole set, and he threw in a copy of "The Roycroft Dictionary" to go with it.
Over the coming weeks, I was completely taken with these bizarre little books. Each was beautifully printed, and contained a flowery biography. Weirdly, these biographies didn't stick to the facts. Each was about 30-40% biography, combined with wandering philosophical outpourings that I found bold and fascinating. That summer I was working on Carnegie Mellon's campus, doing some rather dreary software work, and so I was glad to be able to take a break at lunch, sit under a shady tree, and go on these Little Journeys to the homes of the great, with Hubbard as my guide.
There was so much in his philosophy that resonated with me. So much about where greatness truly comes from, about the importance of creativity, about doing great things because you must, because there is no other choice. I was pleased to learn details of the lives of these legendary figures (people who've read my book and wonder "Who the hell is Hypatia? Where does Jesse pick up this stuff?" need wonder no more), but with each book I read I became more curious about Hubbard. Weirdly, each of these books contained advertisements for other books as well as furniture, and other things, and through these ads, I gradually came to understand that:
- Hubbard was part of some group called "The Roycrofters"
- The Roycrofters were printers, but also seemed to make household goods, and hold "TED-like" conferences
- The Roycrofters had been located in East Aurora, New York.
Over the years, I learned more about Hubbard's life, about how he was a soap salesman who gave it up to start the Roycrofters, and how he and his wife went down with the Lusitania in 1915. And about his "Philistine" magazine, which cast stones at the topics of the day, back at the turn of the century. Hubbard and the Roycrofters were often on my mind, because their values ("Head, Hands, and Heart", making quality goods by hand, self-improvement, Emersonian self-reliance, etc. etc.) so resonated with mine. I would use his quotes in my teaching, and I would sometimes joke to students that I was Hubbard in a former life. Even the style with which I wrote my book, a bold first person, speaking directly to the reader, was very much under Hubbard's influence. And I sometimes wondered... was there anything in East Aurora left to see? My initial Internet searches revealed little. It seemed possible that the Roycrofters were forgotten.
But, in early July 2012, my family and I were driving home from a trip to New Hampshire, unexpectedly early, due to a change of plans caused by a death in the family. We were all somewhat gloomy, and I thought, you know, maybe this is the time. Maybe this is the right time to visit East Aurora. My new Internet searches bore fruit this time -- there was apparently an Elbert Hubbard Museum, a tour of the campus, and even a restored Roycroft Inn. It was a long drive from New Hampshire to Pittsburgh, and we needed a place to stay, and hey, guess what? The Roycroft Inn had rooms available.
I'm not sure I've ever felt more at home. The Inn is absolutely gorgeous, and decorated throughout with works of the Roycrofters, both hand-work and mind-work. The photo above is of a framed picture in our room -- a Hubbard quote I'd somehow never heard before. The room we were given was the "George Eliot" room, and I was pleased to see her name was carved into the door, just as "Beethoven" and others from the Little Journeys were carved into the doors of the other rooms. "How clever," I thought, "that the designers who restored the hotel chose to name the rooms after the Little Journeys." Later, reading a biography of Hubbard, I learned that naming the rooms that way was part of the original design of the Roycroft Inn, which was used partly as staff dorms, but partly to house visiting guests. And there was even an amusing anecdote about this that the Roycrofters liked to tell. They had hired a local craftsman to carve the names into the doors, specifically, Socrates, Edison, George Eliot, Beethoven, William Morris, and Susan B. Anthony. (Causing one visitor to comment, "An odd team, that.") After carving the names, the craftsman expressed disbelief to the other villagers at the madness of the Roycrofters: "They had me carve 'George Eliot' on the door. What if the fellow doesn't show up?"
Anyway, our stay in the George Eliot room was very pleasant, as was the entire Inn, the restaurant especially, as was our entire trip to East Aurora. We didn't get to see all the sights -- the Hubbard Museum was closed while we were there, but we did visit the copper shop, which sells works of local artisans in the Roycroft style, and it was thrilling to me to see the actual printing presses they used to produce the Little Journeys. Later, we had a lunch of ice-cream sodas in a candy store that was formerly the home of president Millard Fillmore, and we visited an old-time five and dime store. The headquarters of Fisher Price is nearby, too. The town has really embraced its arts and crafts history, you can see it everywhere.
Thus ends my tale of my first Little Journey to East Aurora. (Eerily, I later realized that the first Little Journey Hubbard published was, yeah, George Eliot... so, the room could not have been more appropriate for us.) I feel certain that there will be others. And I am pleased, each day, to look upon the framed sign I found in the copper shop that now hangs in my office, one of Hubbard's lesser known epigrams:
"East Aurora is not a locality - East Aurora is a condition of mind."
Posted by Jesse at 1:58 PM No comments:
A thoughtful gift from a friend. This little book, by Stephen H. Segal (no, not the actor, duh) takes nerd quotes ("I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit", "It's dangerous to go alone, take this", "Kneel before Zod", etc.) and tries to put them in a squeezer with hopes of distilling wisdom. It doesn't really work... instead of meaningful wisdom, each entry is really just some ambling observations. But once in a while he trips over something interesting or clever. It's a great gift book, because it is pleasing to receive, and pleasing to look through, and see all the catchphrases in a row. Reading is overrated, anyway.
I'm a London Review of Books junkie. I first found it in a Girl Scout Magazine catalog, of all places. And now I'm hooked. I can't read it fast enough -- the articles are so deep, and it comes every two weeks! But... I really like reading something where every time I think "Oh my God these people are so much smarter than me!" For a while, I used to bring it with me to coffee shops, and tried to look smart reading it in public. How sad is that? Fortunately, I cut that out.
So, anyway, with my bookstore fascination, when I was in London, I had to stop into their bookshop. It was pleasing, and modest. A mix of show-offy intellectuals, confused tourists, and quiet bookish people irked that anyone else is in the shop. They have a cafe, which seemed nice, but the show-offs and the confused tourists were so busy ordering complicated things there that it didn't seem possible to actually order something. The basement is where the cool books were... esoteric philosophy and politics, etc.
As mentioned previously, I picked up a copy of Remains of Elmet.
I took the picture you see here, cuz I was too shy and bookish to ask a stranger to take a picture of me standing outside.
Alex Shakar, what's the deal? Did you just decide to take my life, and put it in a book? Okay, not *everything* in this book happened to me, but, yeesh, enough to make me wonder. Let's see...
- Performed magic shows in kids' living rooms? Check.
- Started a tech company to help emergency rescue workers prepare for terror attacks? Check.
- Said company had to race to make flaky demos to impress investors? Check.
- Said company had to do a major pivot? Check.
- Said company got bought out by a much much larger company? Also check.
- Stress caused me to vandalize a Florida mini-golf course? No comment.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It was so creepily intimate with how MMO's are produced, and the challenges of tech startups... and also it had a great handle on magic, and then there was all the fun mysticism. I can't explain it, exactly, but beyond the surface similarities, there was something in the whole way the protagonist related to the world that resonated with me. Weirdly, this and Ready Player One were on the shelves at the same time.
But back to my original question... Alex Shakar, how do you know all this stuff?
Posted by Jesse at 11:01 PM 1 comment:


text:
A Sociedade Internacional para a Música Contemporânea (ISCM) () é uma organização musical que promove a música contemporânea. Foi estabelecida em Salzburgo no ano de 1922, como  (IGNM).  Sua principal atividade é o Festival dos Dias Mundiais da Música (), realizado todos os anos num local diferente.

A filiação da organização é feita através de secções nacionais que promovem a música contemporânea em cada país. Estas secções são geralmente organizações independentes da ISCM, que enviam representantes para a Assembleia Geral da ISCM. Cada membro da secção nacional também é associado à ISCM, onde tem direito de enviar seis obras que são avaliadas pelo desempenho no Festival dos Dias Mundiais da Música.

As organizações nacionais que promovem a música contemporânea, mas que não foram designadas na secção de nação da ISCM, por vezes recebem um estatuto de membro associado. Esse estatuto se aplica também aos membros destas organizações. Alguns profissionais individuais da música recebem o estatuto de "membro honorário".

A ISCM também publica a World New Music Magazine.

Ligações externas

Festivais de música na Alemanha
Organizações fundadas em 1922
Salzburgo
Sociedades musicais

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Integrated, high-resolution allostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and carbon-isotope correlation of Coniacian strata (Upper Cretaceous), western Alberta and northern Montana.
Plint, A.G. and Hooper, E.A. and Grifi, M.D. and Walaszczyk, I. and Landman, N. and Gröcke, D.R. and Jarvis, I. (2017) 'Integrated, high-resolution allostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and carbon-isotope correlation of Coniacian strata (Upper Cretaceous), western Alberta and northern Montana.', in Allostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian-Santonian) Western Canada Foreland Basin. New York: American Museum of Natural History, pp. 9-52. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History., 414
Inoceramid bivalves are the dominant invertebrate fauna of the Coniacian and basal Santonian of the Western Canada Foreland Basin in western Alberta. In the upper lower Coniacian through to basal Santonian, six successive faunas are recognized, which provide the basis for corresponding, formally defined inoceramid zones. From bottom upward these are the zones of: Cremnoceramus crassus crassus /C. deformis deformis, Inoceramus gibbosus, Volviceramus koeneni, Volviceramus involutus, Sphenoceramus subcardissoides, and Sphenoceramus ex gr. pachti. Particular faunas represent assemblages known widely from the Euramerican biogeographic region, although they characterize mostly its northern, boreal area. The inoceramid-based biostratigraphic scheme allows correlation with other parts of the North American Western Interior and with parts of the Euramerican biogeographic region. The studied succession provides a good record of the Inoceramus gibbosus Zone, which characterizes the topmost lower Coniacian. This zone, first recognized from northern Germany, is usually absent, both in Europe and in North America, due to a stratigraphic gap resulting from a eustatic lowstand. The base of the middle Coniacian is marked by the abrupt appearance of the taxonomically variable Volviceramus fauna (V. koeneni (Müller), V. exogyroides (Meek and Hayden)), with associated Inoceramus undabundus Meek and Hayden and Volviceramus cardinalensis, newly described herein. Scaphites (Scaphites) ventricosus Meek and Hayden, the ammonite marker of the base of the middle Coniacian first appears in the late early Coniacian. The base of the upper Coniacian marks the first appearance of the characteristic northern inoceramid species Sphenoceramus subcardissoides (Schlüter), the appearance of which coincides with Scaphites (Scaphites) depressus Reeside, the ammonite marker of this boundary. Close to this boundary Volviceramus stotti also appears, which is newly described from the Canadian sections. The base of the Santonian corresponds to the abrupt appearance of Sphenoceramus ex gr. pachti (Arkhangelsky). The studied sections demonstrate that the appearance of new inoceramid faunas (lowest occurrence of Cremnoceramus crassus crassus (Petrascheck), of various species of Volviceramus, Sphenoceramus subcardissoides (Schlüter) and of S. ex gr. pachti) takes place immediately above major marine flooding surfaces, suggesting a close correspondence between evolutionary and/or migration events and episodes of relative sea-level rise.
Available under License - Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial.
http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/6722
Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 2017. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.


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Adrian Warwick
Local songwriter with a love of animals becomes celebrity ambassador for War Horse Momorial
Adrian Warwick, songwriter, lyricist and poet, who has a string of hits to his name, including consecutive number ones in the classical charts, has become a special Ambassador for the War Horse Memorial.
Adrian, who lives in mid Essex with his wife, Jo, says he's delighted to join a prestigious group of artists, who include actor Jenny Seagrove, Britain's Got Talent winner Colin Thackery and acclaimed soprano Christina Johnston.
The War Horse Memorial is the first national memorial dedicated to the millions of UK, Commonwealth and Allied horses, mules and donkeys lost during The Great War. The giant bronze monument, named Poppy by the UK's Guides and Brownies, stands in Ascot, Berkshire and has come to symbolise all animals who have given service and sacrifice in war and has led to the reintroduction of the purple poppy emblem to raise money for animal sanctuaries and military charities.
Adrian became associated with the organisation after co-writing the song and lyrics for a powerful anthem. A Million Tears, soon to be released as a single to launch the first International War Animal Remembrance Day on February 24, 2022. He says he's honoured to have been asked to become a special Ambassador. "This is such a worthy cause. The purple poppy symbolises animals lost in war but by remembering them through the sale of pin badges we are able to support organisations that currently help worthwhile animal and military causes. I hope our song will resonate with people across countries and help generate vital funds."
Alan Carr MBE, co-founder of both the War Horse Memorial and the Animal Purple Poppy Fund says he's delighted that Adrian has agreed to join the team. " Ours is a cause that is growing in strength. Since the COVID pandemic more and more people are realising the importance of animals in their lives. What has happened to tens of millions of horses, donkeys, dogs, cats and other animals over countless war needs to be remembered and honoured. With A Million Tears Adrian and his co-writers Mark Young and Grahame Maclean have produced a powerful anthem that makes that important connection."
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