Azerbaijani government is negotiating with the Mercedes-Benz and BMW companies, a source in the government told Report.
According to the source, the matter is about production of spare parts of those cars in Azerbaijan. Germany is currently considering Azerbaijan's proposals in this regard. If the proposals are accepted, the production will commence.


text:
Krix Epicentrix Mk2 Speaker Review & Test
Product Name: Krix Epicentrix Mk2 Speaker
Product Type: Centre-Channel Speaker
Price: $2495.00 (RRP)
Reviewed By: Australian Hi-Fi Magazine
Magazine: Australian Hi-Fi Magazine May/June 2017 (Vol 48 No 3)
Distributor: Krix
Who Sells What/Website: Krix
Expert review and test of the Krix Epicentrix Mk2 Centre-Channel Speaker by Australian Hi-Fi Magazine. Free pdf download.
Want to know a dirty secret about multi-channel home theatre speaker systems? It's that most of them are using the wrong centre-channel speaker: one that's not a tonal match with the front-left and front-right loudspeakers.
Let's look at what's required in a centre-channel speaker. In an ideal world, that speaker would be a perfect acoustic match for your main front left and right speakers. That is, it must be not only be made by the same manufacturer, but should also use exactly the same drivers as your main front speakers. And for best effect, it should actually have at least one additional driver, meaning that if your main speakers each have a bass/midrange driver and a tweeter, your centre-channel should have two bass/midrange drivers and a tweeter. If each of your main front-channel speakers has two bass/midrange drivers and a tweeter, your centre channel should have four bass/midrange drivers and a tweeter.
Why are so many drivers required in a centre-channel speaker? It's all about tonal quality, frequency response and sound-staging.
Think about an ordinary stereo system. You wouldn't dream of using a three-way floorstander as your left-channel speaker and a small two-way bookshelf as your right speaker, would you? You wouldn't do it even if they were made by the same manufacturer.
Yet if you look at the centre-channel speaker that's offered with most home theatre systems, either included in a package, or available as an option, you'll most often see that the front-left and front-right channel speakers are completely different from the centre-channel. The left and right-channel speakers will usually have more drivers, and often larger ones than the centre-channel.
Does this matter? You bet it does! In a stereo system, sounds that 'appear' to come from exactly midway between the left and right speakers are created by those speakers… exactly what the stereo illusion is all about. The better the left and right speakers are matched, the better the illusion that the sound is coming from an imaginary point midway between them. And because both speakers are matched, the tonal character of the sound coming from midway between the speakers will be the same as that coming from either the left or the right speaker alone.
However, in a home theatre speaker system, sounds that come from midway between the left and channel speakers come not from the front left and right speakers, but from the centre-channel speaker. So if the centre-channel speaker is not identical to the left- and right-channel speakers, the tonal character of the centre-channel's sound will be different.
Let's look at an extreme example. Imagine a system where the front-left and front-right channel speakers are large, three-way floor-standing models with excellent bass response and the centre-channel speaker is the size of a matchbox, with no bass response at all. You're watching a movie in which the lead actor is a male, and he's standing at the left of the screen. As he speaks his lines, his deep, baritone voice will be reproduced by the left speaker. If his image moves across the screen until he's positioned at the far right, his deep baritone voice will now be reproduced by the right speaker with exactly the same depth and clarity as it was by the left speaker. Now our hero walks to centre stage and, as he speaks, we hear not a deep baritone voice but a squeaky, pip-squeaky sound because the matchbox-sized centre-channel speaker just can't handle the actor's voice.
So you can see why the centre-channel speaker should be identical to your left and right speakers. However, it's actually preferable if the centre channel speaker has more bass/midrange drivers because in a home theatre system the centre-channel is doing almost all the work when images are centred… which they are most of the time. So whereas in a normal two-channel system you have two loudspeakers combining to produce a central image, in a home theatre system, the centre-channel has to do it all on its own. In fact, in most home theatre systems the centre-channel speaker delivers more than 50 per cent of the movie sound track and the majority of the movie's dialogue.
So why don't manufacturers offer correctly-matched centre-channel speakers?
In smaller home theatre systems from reputable manufacturers you'll find they often do. The front-left and front-right speakers will have single bass/midrange driver and a tweeter, and the centre will have two identically-sized bass/midrange drivers and a tweeter. You do have to look carefully at driver size, because some manufacturers still use slightly smaller bass/midrange drivers in their so-called 'matching' centre-channel speakers.
However once the left and right channel speakers become larger, almost all manufacturers cut back on the size of the centre-channel cabinet, the number of drivers in it, and the size of those drivers. Why? Because they know that consumers who are given the choice between a system with a small centre-channel and one with a proper-sized centre-channel will mostly opt for the one with the smaller centre-channel… and most especially if they're buying with their eyes instead of their ears.
All of which is a really, really long explanation as to why Krix's Epicentrix Mk2 centre-channel speaker is so large, as well as why it costs $2,495. It's designed to be a perfect sonic match with Krix's Neuphonix Mk2 stereo loudspeakers.
As you can see, the front panel of the Epicentrix Mk2 has lots of drivers—six to be precise. Four of them are dedicated solely to bass reproduction, each one of these being 130mm in diameter, with a 26mm voice-coil wound on an aluminium former. Four drivers means increased capacity to deliver bass, thanks to a greater cone surface area, but it also means four voice-coils to dissipate heat and thus an increased power-handling capability. Also, because using four drivers means each one has lower cone excursion, they can move in the most linear part of their operating range, where distortion is least.
The four bass drivers cross to a single midrange driver, which is physically and electrically exactly the same design as the bass drivers, so tonal cohesion across the crossover point is perfect, as is the sonic transition from the bass to the midrange.
The tweeter is a 25mm dual-concentric diaphragm model with a neodymium motor system, a non-resonant aluminium rear chamber and a patented phase-plug.
So far as the crossover network is concerned, the Epicentrix Mk2 is a true three-way design, using a hard-wired and hand-soldered crossover network with components that include air-cored cross-mounted inductors, Krix-branded MKP capacitors and high-power cermet resistors that deliver nominal crossover points at 300Hz and 2.5kHz. The midrange driver operates from its own sealed enclosure while the bass drivers operate in a bass reflex environment, with dual symmetrically-positioned reflex ports.
The cabinet of the Epicentrix Mk2 is 233mm high, 910mm wide and 370mm deep and is available in Black Ash, Atlantic Jarrah, Walnut, Blackwood and Cola veneer finishes.
In Use and Listening Sessions
Installed in a 5.1-channel home theatre system comprised exclusively of Krix loudspeakers, including the Neuphonix Mk2s as front-left and front-right speakers, I was completely floored by the front-channel sound: and not just by its out-and-out quality, but also by the seamless way sounds shifted across the front sound-stage. So seamless that I never had a sense of there being a transition at all: images were just precisely placed, and that was that.
The fact that the sound also moved so seamlessly right across the width of the room from extreme left to extreme right, without changing tonal quality as it shifted was remarkable enough, but what was even more remarkable was the performance of the Epicentrix Mk2 when it was delivering its sound almost solus, particularly the silky-smooth highs which have the kind of 'air' around the high-frequencies that you usually hear only from high-end stereo hi-fi speakers. But good though the treble sound was, the midrange was at the same high performance level, a level that's essential for the correct reproduction not only of singing, but also of the spoken voice… not least because when watching movies, after the images themselves, the dialogue is the most important part of the movie, and it's essential that you hear every word clearly. With every movie I watched, whether it was an old black-and-white movie, rich with dialogue (Raising Baby) or a more modern fare, where background sounds and effects are constantly threatening to obscure the dialogue (The Fifth Element), the dialogue was beautifully articulate and crystal-clear. Our family movie nights, which are notorious for my mother-in-law, who's hard of hearing, constantly asking 'what did he say?' during our movies suddenly became much quieter affairs… though we still did get the occasional query from her.
I also appreciated that the quality and depth of the bass that issued from the Epicentrix Mk2s meant that I could re-tune my subwoofer to roll off somewhat earlier, so that it delivered only the very lowest frequencies, which not only improved its performance, but also gave a greater sense of their being a real surround field in the TV room.
As I said in the introduction, the Epicentrix Mk2 is designed to be used when you're using Neuphonix Mk2 loudspeakers as the front-left and front-right speakers in your home theatre system. However, it's also an 'almost' perfect match for many other models in Krix's line-up, so it will also perform brilliantly-well with other Krix loudspeakers.
However, the sound of the Epicentrix Mk2 is so neutral in character that sonically it will also be a great acoustic match with most well-designed high-quality large multi-driver floor-standing speakers.
So if you have a pair of floor-standing loudspeakers that are around the same physical size as the Krix Epicentrix Mk2 and you want better centre-channel sound than you're currently achieving, swapping out your current centre for an Epicentrix Mk2 could be the answer to your prayers.#
POSTCRIPT: If you intend to use a subwoofer in conjunction with the Krix Epicentrix Mk2 speakers you will need to ensure correct integration of the subwoofer's output with them by setting that subwoofer's volume, phase and crossover frequency controls correctly. You can read an article on a simple, effective method of how to do that HERE
For more information, contact Krix Loudspeakers
Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the Epicentrix Mk2 Loudspeakers should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT. Readers should note that the results mentioned in the report, tabulated in performance charts and/or displayed using graphs and/or photographs should be construed as applying only to the specific sample tested.
Laboratory Test Results
The room response of the Epicentrix Mk2 is very flat, extending from 70Hz to 10kHz (this last the upper graphing limit for this test—measured performance at higher frequencies is shown in Graph 2) within ±3dB. As you can see from the response measured by Newport Test Labs (shown in Graph 1) the speaker's response is very linear, rising to the 90dBSPL point at around 170Hz after which there's a very small (–3dB) suck-out centred at 500Hz, which rises to the 90dBSPL line at around 1.5kHz, after which it tracks out to nearly 6kHz before rolling off slightly.
The high-frequency response of the Epicentrix Mk2 is shown in Graph 2, the traces for which were obtained via an extremely accurate, high-resolution gating technique that shows the response that would be obtained if the speaker had been measured in an anechoic chamber. You can see the response without the speaker grille fitted (black trace) is very smooth and exceptionally extended, with output maintained at almost reference level right out to 40kHz (in this case the upper graphing limit). The trace with the grille fitted (red trace) shows the grille is remarkably acoustically transparent for the most part, but it does introduce a small suck-out in the response centred at 4.6kHz, a smaller one centred at 14kHz and another up around 28kHz. All are so narrow in bandwidth and so small in level (as well as so high in frequency) that they would not be audible, so if you prefer the look of the speakers with the grille in place, this is how I would recommend using them.
Graph 3 shows the near-field low-frequency response of the Epicentrix Mk2. The output of the port (red trace) is fairly narrowband, peaking at 52Hz and 6dB down at 40Hz and 80Hz. The bass drivers (black trace) roll off below 100Hz and above it are flat out to 200Hz where they are rolled-off to 300Hz so the midrange driver (green trace) can take over.
The impedance of the Epicentrix Mk2 shows that Krix is using the crossover network to do so some serious frequency compensation in order to get the flattest frequency response possible. Although the speaker will mostly present an 8Ω load to your AV receiver, the fact that it drops close to 4Ω from around 3kHz to 40kHz puts the nominal impedance at 6Ω, according to IEC 268-5.
Newport Test Labs evaluated the frequency response at 55Hz to 40kHz ±4dB, which is an excellent result. Sensitivity was measured at 87.5dBSPL at one metre for an input of 2.83Veq. # Steve Holding
Who Sells What: Krix
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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How Long Should I Wait Between Pregnancies?
Written by Amanda Henry
It's still unclear whether a shorter or longer gap between pregnancies increases the risk of complications in the next pregnancy. Richard Jaimes/Unsplash
Women often wonder what the "right" length of time is after giving birth before getting pregnant again. A recent Canadian study suggests 12-18 months between pregnancies is ideal for most women.
But the period between pregnancies, and whether a shorter or longer period poses risks, is still contested, especially when it comes to other factors such as a mother's age. It's important to remember that in high-income countries most pregnancies go well regardless of the gap in between.
What is short and long
The time between the end of the first pregnancy and the conception of the next is known as the interpregnancy interval. A short interpregnancy interval is usually defined as less than 18 months to two years. The definition of a long interpregnancy interval varies – with more than two, three or five years all used in different studies.
Most studies look at the difference every six months in the interpregnancy interval makes. This means we can see whether there are different risks between a very short period in between (less than six months) versus just a short period (less than 18 months).
Most subsequent pregnancies, particularly in high-income countries like Australia, go well regardless of the gap. In the recent Canadian study, the risk of mothers having a severe complication varied between about one in 400 to about one in 100 depending on the interpregnancy interval and the mother's age.
The risk of stillbirth or a severe baby complication varied from just under 2% to about 3%. So overall, at least 97% of babies and 99% of mothers did not have a major issue.
Most pregnancies in developed countries go well regardless of the gap in between. from shutterstock.com
Some differences in risk of pregnancy complications do seem to be related to the interpregnancy interval. Studies of the next pregnancy after a birth show that:
shorter interpregnancy intervals are associated with increased rates of preterm births, small babies, and stillbirths or infant deaths
where the previous birth was by a caesarean, a very short interpregnancy period (less than six months) also increases the risk of scar complications (uterine rupture) in the next labour
longer interpregnancy intervals of more than five years are associated with increased rates of pre-eclampsia, preterm births and small babies.
What about other factors?
How much of the differences in complications are due to the period between pregnancies versus other factors such as a mother's age is still contested. On the one hand, there are biological reasons why a short or a long period in between pregnancies could lead to complications.
If the gap is too short, mothers may not have had time to recover from the physical stressors of pregnancy and breastfeeding, such as pregnancy weight gain and reduced vitamin and mineral reserves. They may also not have completely recovered emotionally from the previous birth experience and demands of parenthood.
If the period between pregnancies is quite long, the body's helpful adaptations to the previous pregnancy, such as changes in the uterus that are thought to improve the efficiency of labour, might be lost.
However, many women who tend to have a short interpregnancy interval also have characteristics that make them more at risk of pregnancy complications to start with – such as being younger or less educated.
Studies do attempt to control for these factors. The recent Canadian study took into account the number of previous children, smoking and the previous pregnancy outcomes, among other things. Even so, they concluded that risks of complications were modestly increased with a lower-than-six-month interpregnancy period for older women (over 35 years) compared to a 12-24-month period.
Other studies, however, including a 2014 West Australian paper comparing different pregnancies in the same women, have found little evidence of an effect of a short interpregnancy interval.
So, what's the verdict?
Based on 1990s and early 2000s data, the World Health Organisation recommends an interpregnancy interval of at least 24 months. The more recent studies would suggest that this is overly restrictive in high-resource countries like Australia.
Although there may be modestly increased risks to mother and baby of a very short gap (under six months), the absolute risks appear small. For most women, particularly those in good health with a previously uncomplicated pregnancy and birth, their wishes about family spacing should be the major focus of decision-making.
In the case of pregnancy after miscarriage, there appears even less need for restrictive recommendations. A 2017 review of more than 1 million pregnancies found that, compared to an interpregnancy interval of six to 12 months or over 12 months, an interpregnancy interval of less than six months had a lower risk of miscarriage and preterm birth, and did not increase the rate of pre-eclampsia or small babies.
So, once women feel ready to try again for pregnancy after miscarriage, they can safely be encouraged to do so.
Amanda Henry, Senior Lecturer, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW
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Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best things, to Sir W. Rider's at Bednall-greene. Which I did riding myself in my night-gowne in the cart; and, Lord! to see how the streets and the highways are crowded with people running and riding, and getting of carts at any rate to fetch away things. I find Sir W. Rider tired with being called up all night, and receiving things from several friends. His house full of goods, and much of Sir W. Batten's and Sir W. Pen's. I am eased at my heart to have my treasure so well secured. Then home, with much ado to find a way, nor any sleep all this night to me nor my poor wife. But then and all this day she and I, and all my people labouring to get away the rest of our things, and did get Mr. Tooker to get me a lighter to take them in, and we did carry them (myself some) over Tower Hill, which was by this time full of people's goods, bringing their goods thither; and down to the lighter, which lay at next quay, above the Tower Docke. And here was my neighbour's wife, Mrs. ———, with her pretty child, and some few of her things, which I did willingly give way to be saved with mine; but there was no passing with any thing through the postern, the crowd was so great.
The Duke of Yorke of this day by the office, and spoke to us, and did ride with his guard up and down the City, to keep all quiet (he being now Generall, and having the care of all).
This day, Mercer being not at home, but against her mistress's order gone to her mother's, and my wife going thither to speak with W. Hewer, met her there, and was angry; and her mother saying that she was not a 'prentice girl, to ask leave every time she goes abroad, my wife with good reason was angry, and, when she came home, bid her be gone again. And so she went away, which troubled me, but yet less than it would, because of the condition we are in, fear of coming into in a little time of being less able to keepe one in her quality. At night lay down a little upon a quilt of W. Hewer's in the office, all my owne things being packed up or gone; and after me my poor wife did the like, we having fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing any thing.
Sun 2 Sep 1666
Tue 4 Sep 1666
32 Annotations
✹
Terry Foreman on 3 Sep 2009 • Link
John Evelyn's Diary
http://www.pepysdiary.com/indepth/2009/09/02/evel…
mary k mcintyre on 3 Sep 2009 • Link
Can't read yesterday and today's entries w/o feeling hot ashes in the back of my throat.
The Museum of London has this amazing diorama of the city on fire — a scale model, tiny and perfect, backlit with flickering red and orange. Over the sound system, an actor reads excerpts from today's diary entry. Had tears in my eyes.
Robert Gertz on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
Understandably Bess was frightened to be left alone without her companion while Sam was busy but it seems harsh to fire poor Mary M over a natural desire to see Mum at such a time. I like Mrs. Mercer's spirit though.
Great of Sam to show such compassion and give such support to his frightened neighbors as he is here...And Jamie is doing well I see, trying to keep things together as best he can.
Andrew Hamilton on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
Wee Sammy Winkle runs through the town, upstairs downstairs in his night gown
Larry Bunce on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
Pepys has no fire in his house today. This misfoutune becomes a blessing on a day like this.
Not much news about the progress of the fire, but it was suggested yesterday that Sam wrote these entries some time after the fact.
Another topic yesterday was Sam's orders to the Lord Mayor to pull down houses. They were already doing that, but so close to the fire (for fear of what it would cost the city if the fire didn't reach the demolished blocks) that the razed houses were still in splinters across the streets when the fire reached them, and only aided the spread of the fire.
Pepy's orders were to build firebreaks far enough away to do some good. However, I don't suppose anyone thought the whole city could burn.
"...and my wife going thither to speak with W. Hewer..."
Presumably Will's lodgings are for the moment in a fairly safe area...
What a terrifying day for Bess...Sam gone at 4:00am and as he notes getting back only with great difficulty...Batten, Penn, and probably Minnes all busy trying to get their goods and office materials to safety so only Tom Edwards and perhaps a few of the other clerks, Hayter possibly, around...Reports of the fire's progress pouring in...
Hmmn...Sounds like a bit of a double standard, Will being away from the office at his place...And probably from there off to see his own mother and family...While Mercer gets the sack for running home.
"And so she went away, which troubled me, but yet less than it would, because of the condition we are in, fear of coming into in a little time of being less able to keepe one in her quality."
Glass half full kinda guy even at such a time is our Pepys.
Michael Powell on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
Been reading the site a few years but of course this is particularly exciting!
I'm finding it quite hard to visualize the fire - sometimes images and paintings show the whole of the City ablaze but presumably like a forest fire there is a relatively thin "front" of active flames? And behind the front would be all the smouldering ruins of the previously burned area?
Also presumably Pepys has been lucky in that there is an unusual easterly wind which he doesn't mention?
jeannine on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
"About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best things"
As much as Sam trashes the Batten's, the Lady pulled through for him in a big way today.
A. De Araujo on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
"About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart"
Did she send it without asking Mr Batten?if not, then Samuel should have said "the Battens".
Don McCahill on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
In rereading these entries my mind has to go to where the people of the times would have been. This was a very religious time, with more people believing in Acts of God than in science.
I wonder if they felt this was Armageddon? First a terrible plague of nearly two years and then those who survive are faced with conflagration. (Hellfire?)
Both Pepys and Evelyn seem amazed that St. Pauls and other churches are not spared by God as he burns the wicked city.
I have often thought the 1600s were the most turbulent century for England. The death of Queen Bess, writing of KJV bible, civil war and regicide, the Commonwealth, restoration, plague, Great Fire, popish plots, Glorious Revolution. Quite the historic 100 years.
Nate on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
Would it have been getting light around 4 am? If not the only light would have been from the moon, if present, and from the fires reflecting from low clouds.
language hat on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
"This was a very religious time, with more people believing in Acts of God than in science. I wonder if they felt this was Armageddon?"
From the DNB entry linked yesterday:
"In a society in which divine intervention in human affairs was generally accepted, accidents were attributable to God's wrath, sent as a punishment for sin, and the city could escape disasters only by repentance. Some puritan writers saw no such repentance and so issued dismal prophecies warning sinful London of a fiery fate. They included Thomas Reeve in 1657, Daniel Baker in 1659, and, most specific of all, the Quaker Humphry Smith, who in 1660 predicted a fire that could not be quenched. The plague epidemic that struck in 1665 killed roughly one-fifth of Londoners and was seen as divine punishment, but the danger was not yet past, for 666 is the number of the beast, who could bring fire from heaven, and so 1666 was anticipated with foreboding. Richard Edlin, an astrologer, had forecast the plague and now warned of great destruction by fire."
http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/95/95647.h…
"Sounds like a bit of a double standard, Will being away from the office at his place…And probably from there off to see his own mother and family…While Mercer gets the sack for running home."
Was Will Hewer a servant?
Mary on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
Sunrise would have been closer to 5 a.m.
"Was Will Hewer a servant?"
Frankly I think Sam would say, yes, my servant Mr. Hewer. And there is clearly a dispute in opinion between Mrs. Mercer and Bess as to Mary's status. But servant status or no...And Mercer seems to occupy a somewhat upper level position in the Pepys' household, the bottom line for me is that they're both employees and one is getting denied permission to see her mother on such a day as this while the other is being visited by Mrs. Pepys at his lodgings, presumably free to see his relatives safe, despite his duties. Now possibly Bess went to find out why Will hadn't shown up for the office (and provided an extra man about the place in a desperate time) but he clearly is not going to be fired over this.
Louise H on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
"At night lay down a little upon a quilt of W. Hewer's in the office, all my owne things being packed up or gone; and after me my poor wife did the like, we having fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing any thing."
I'm struck by how little they had left in the house, having had a single "cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best things," and so little time with which to do so. I've had the impression that the house has plenty of rooms and he's been buying plenty of stuff to fill it. Yet here he has no bed, no dishes, no cooking pots. All gone on one cart! Can you imagine moving everything out of your own house on one cart in one day (while all our near neighbors were doing the same)?
Michael Robinson on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
"her [Mercer's] mother saying that she was not a 'prentice girl,"
Mercer's mother is making the point that Mercer is an employee; she is not an apprentice and therefore has not signed a formal indenture giving SP rights, including those of of 24 hour presence in the workplace and departure only at specified agreed holiday times, exceeding and superseding those of a parent with an under age child.
Mercer and Hewer
RG, you are surely correct about what Pepys would say. L&M say of Hewer at this time that "he combined the duties of office clerk with those of manservant," so his contractual responsibilities differ from Mercer's and are more complex.
This day, you concede, "Will being away from the office at his place...." -- where the Mercers gather? -- i.e., not away from the Pepys's house, where we have not seen him as a domestic, which Mary Mercer has been....? A subtle, but significant distinction, methinks, gender aside.
There is also Bess's longstanding edgy relationship with maidservants, esp. Mercer, on a very understandably emotional day for all. Mercer (as Bess sees it) has left Bess even more stranded while the world burns.
CGS on 4 Sep 2009 • Link
duties/pecking order: the potty carrying versus scepter, 'tis why there be contracts to be written and the struggle for equal opportunity to carry the human waste or the gold.
The struggle of not being at the bottom of the totem pole of the trickle down still goes on.
Mercer and allies quietly led the way out of male physical dominance while others pandered to it.
My thinking on Mercer's sacking is of course strictly from a modern pov; Sam and Bess would feel entitled to sack her or Will Hewer as they wished. It just seems a rotten thing to do to her if Will has also failed to report in.
As CGS notes it is interesting the way Mercer has grabbed just a bit of respect from Sam...In spite of his ill-handed...er handled...er...regard for her form previously. Though our nervous, probably on edge, Bess of course is the one asserting authority here, Sam indicates he considers Mary a bit more than a girl he can kick around.
And of course Sam may have had too much to cover to mention Bess went to Will's quite ready to fire him as well for deserting her...Only his value to Sam and her need for his presence on such a day saving him.
"...'her need for his presence'?..."
"So...?"
"So...Whyever did you go to Will's that day?"
"You know, this was a wonderful piece you wrote during the fire...I really think they're right calling it a masterpiece."
"Yes, well...What about Hewer?"
"You see him here now? So what are you worried about?"
"You know you ask me every evening if I've happened to see..."
"...Never mention that name!"
Cactus Wren on 5 Sep 2009 • Link
Courtesy Starry Night Enthusiast, at 4:00 September 3 1666 in London the sky is *barely* beginning to lighten. Not even that, really, but on a clear night you might notice that fewer stars were visible. As 5:00 approached you'd still be able to see a few. (The Moon is only a few days old and set shortly after the Sun.)
FJA on 5 Sep 2009 • Link
Rather than the disparity of treatment between the Sackees, the real disparity is between the Sackers. As noted, Elizabeth is forever having squabbles with her servants and sacking them. Regardless of Mercer's rights to take time off and attend her own mother, Elizabeth is not unjustified in feeling that Mercer has deserted her in a moment of great crisis.
Samuel, on the other hand, as a man about London is used to the comings and goings of others, and waiting for people to turn up late for appointments or not at all. He also knows the worth of Hewer. He is more concerned at this point with saving his personal possessions than with the office, so he does not appear to be wondering where Hewer has got off to. And he's had Tom helping him, anyway.
Finally, Sam mentions (as he often does) that he disagrees with Elizabeth's summary sacking of the help, but he acquiesces (as he often does) because Elizabeth generally has the run of the household and because in this case it means one less frightened and distracted person to worry about.
When power fails compromize
Australian Susan on 6 Sep 2009 • Link
Hewer and Mercer
Hewer did not live in the household, but Mercer did, thus creating an instant difference.
No mention of the "the boy" - Thomas Edwards in all this. He must have been terrified - probably never experienced a fire before.
The Battens had a house in Wandsworth - was this thought to be too far away to transport goods to?
London had had fires in the past and would have them again, but this was was the worst of course, although not appreciated as such on the 1st day. Reading this has bought back vivid recollections of the terrible bush fires in Victoria in February this year: Bush fires happen every year and people prepare for them and expect them. It's just that in February, they prepared for a high tide, but got a tsunami - and 173 died from the horrific blazes. In the aftermath, people spoke of the terrible waste of ash and burnt homes - street after street in the worst affected townships and the silence - all wildlife fled or burnt. And some people were living in tents all through the Victorian winter, waiting to rebuild on their sites. It seems some areas will never recover - the demographics forever altered, people moved away for ever.
Nix on 9 Sep 2009 • Link
My impression is that Hewer was more a business employee -- a "servant" in the sense that Samuel was Sandwich's servant when the diary began -- while Mercer was a domestic servant. The lines weren't definitive, as Terry Foreman's reference to the L&M description points out. But Hewer was a rising man, as **spoiler alert** later events will tell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hewer
When I was in law school in the 1970s, employment law still went under the label "master and servant."
thus it is why there be so many masterless men floating around creating new wealth as the masters had an over abundance of mouths to feed and did not need that number of shepherds and wool gatherers.
Terry Foreman on 5 Dec 2015 • Link
Sample of records from the Calendar of State Papers, September 3, 1666:
62. Petition of Cornelius Rietvelt, Dutch baker, and other Prisoners in the Gatehouse, \Vestminster, to Lord Arlington, for release; they are committed on a false rumour that they set their own house on fire, and their goods are taken from them by the violence of the multitude, so that they have not money to subsist.
63. Affirmation of five witnesses that they heard Anne Singles [English] say that five or six Frenchmen came to her master's house, and advised him to get his goods away, for within six weeks that house and all the street would be burned down to the ground. She will not tell her master's name nor abode.
64:. Examination of Elizabeth Green, of Chequer Alley, King Street, Rich. Doe, of Covent Garden, Anne Cave, and Alice Richards, of the Great Almonry, Westminster. Heard Ann Anglish [English] say yesterday that if her master had been wise, he might have prevented the loss of his goods by fire, for six weeks ago, five or six Dutch or French warned him of it; cannot say where they might be found. Also
Examination of Anne English. Lives with \Vm. Peek, in James Street, Covent Garden; denies saying the words objected to her, but only that she heard that the French and Dutch had kindled this fire in the city. [11} pages] 0
65. Sir W. Coventry to Lord Arlington. The Duke of York fears the want of workmen and tools to-morrow morning, and wishes the deputy lieutenants and justices of peace tofsummon the workmen with tools to. be there by break of day. In some churches and chapels, are great hooks for pulling down houses, which should be brought ready upon the place to-night against the morning.
66. John Lord Berkeley to Sir Wm. Batten. Desires a warrant for the delivery of all water engines remaining in store at Deptford and Woolwich, on account of the dreadful fire now raging ; also for the attendance of all persons, capable either by hand or judgment.
https://books.google.com/books?id=GnaauK_zSXAC&pg…
Terry Foreman on 17 Mar 2019 • Link
"The Duke of Yorke of this day by the office, and spoke to us, and did ride with his guard up and down the City, to keep all quiet (he being now General"
L&M: He had this day been put in charge of fire-fighting, and gave tireless and distinguished service. For the organization he commanded, see CSPD 1666-7, pp.94-5; T. f. Reddaway, Rebuilding of London, p. 42. He acted in the absence of Albemarle, Captain-General of the kingdom, who was away with the fleet until the 7th.
JayW on 4 Sep 2019 • Link
From John Evelyn's account for 3 September, with thanks to Terry:
The Fire having continud all this night (if I may call that night, which was as light as day for 10 miles round about after a dreadfull manner) ... so previous annotations about sunrise and starlight wouldn't have been relevant to what was happening during the fire.
john on 4 Sep 2019 • Link
These entries dredged up painful memories of when the barn burnt down. (We lost a few horses, all the hay, and most of the grain.) Our protagonists have a fair amount of sang-froid and seem cool-headed, which is what one needs at such times. But I see Elizabeth's reaction to Mercer as a bit much, despite the stress.
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Cinque welcomes Paavali Jumppanen
Orava Quartet: live reviews from CIMF
Sydney Opera House: Piano Day 2022
June 24, 2017 Sarah Wade
Cinque welcomes Finnish pianist and artistic director, Paavali Jumppanen
Paavali Jumppanen is a dynamic musician of seemingly unlimited capability, as an orchestral and recital soloist, recording artist, artistic director, and frequent performer of contemporary and avant-garde music. He is currently the Artistic Director to the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, a position he has held since 2021, and is co-founder and the lead-curator of the Väyläfestival in Scandinavia.
During the 2021–22 season, Mr. Jumppanen is performing in Finland, Poland and Australia, performing as soloist with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, leading orchestras and ensembles from the Australian National Academy of Music in performances across the country, and appearing in recital at the Coriole Festival in South Australia and Camberwell Concerts in Victoria. During the seasons prior to 2020, Mr. Jumppanen concertised extensively in the United States, China, and Europe.
Paavali Jumppanen is a dedicated curator, and performer & scholar of Beethoven, and Boulez. During 2020-21, he presented a variety of programs celebrating Beethoven's 250th anniversary and curated a concert series in Helsinki which featured an impressive roster of visiting artists as well as his own performances of all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonatas.
Read more about Paavali here and on his blog, www.paavalijumppanen.com
Live review of Paavali's performance of Ravel's Concerto for the left hand with WASO (cond. Eduardo Strausser): "Jumppanen's emotionally mature yet charged rendering of Ravel's devilishly difficult Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was the absolute scene-stealer of the evening…. a long and gloriously rich crescendo, leading to a draw-droppingly virtuosic opening cadenza by Jumppanen, was everything that live classical performance should be." – Limelight Magazine, April 2022 (full review)
Article in The Age about his role at ANAM (March 2022)
Feature article in Limelight Magazine about Paavali here (February 2022)
Categories:New Artists, News


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Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil-covered snow and debris on the banks of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil-covered snow and debris along the shoreline of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil on the rocky shores of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil sheen on the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil sheen on the water near the shoreline on the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oiled shoreline on the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oiled shoreline of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil sheens on the water of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. The locks on the Monogahela River near the Ashland Oil Facility.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil-covered shoreline and debris.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Dam on the Monogahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. The Ashland Oil Facility.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil on the shoreline of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Oil on the water of the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Overflight of the dam on the Monongahela River.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. A floating boom is deployed along the banks of the Monongahela River to contain the oil on the water.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Boom used under bridge to contain oil on the water.
Ashland Oil tank failure, Floreffe, Pennsylvania, January 1988. Boom deployed along the shoreline to contain oil.
BAHIA PARAISO incident, Palmer Station, Antarctica, January 1989. The Bahia Paraiso off Delaca Island, Antarctica.