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Le zmeu (pluriel : zmei) est une créature fantastique appartenant au folklore et à la mythologie de Roumanie et de Moldavie.

Malgré certaines sources le décrivant sous forme d'un  comme un dragon, le zmeu s'en distingue néanmoins, en présentant des traits clairement anthropomorphiques : humanoïde, il possède des jambes, des bras, la capacité de créer et de manipuler des objets tels que des armes, et de monter à cheval, ainsi qu'un besoin irrépressible de vouloir épouser de jeunes filles. Certains observateurs le classent parmi les géants (il serait alors un ogre), ou les démons, ou même les vampires.

Dans certains récits, le zmeu apparaît dans le ciel, crachant du feu, ou bien aurait la capacité de changer de forme. Dans d'autres histoires, il détient une pierre précieuse magique sur la tête aussi brillant que le soleil. Il aime les belles jeunes filles, qu'il kidnappe, généralement dans le but de les épouser. Il est presque toujours vaincu par la bravoure d'un prince courageux ou d'un chevalier errant .

Le zmeu est souvent confondu avec un dracu ou bien un dragon de type balaur.

Linguistique

Prononciation, déclinaison et sens
Zmeu (, soit en phonétique française « zméou ») se dit zmei, au pluriel selon la déclinaison roumaine. Outre la bête mythique, zmeu signifie aussi « cerf-volant » en roumain dans le langage courant.

Étymologie
La plupart des spécialistes s'accordent à dire que le terme roumain zmeu dérive du slave zmey (étymon à comparer avec les idiomes biélorusse : змея, bosniaque : zmija,  bulgare : змия, croate : zmija, en macédonien : змија, russe : змея et ukrainien : змія).

Cependant, le linguiste roumain Sorin Paliga conteste l'hypothèse de l'origine supposée slave, émettant l'idée que les formes pan-slaves seraient des emplois précoces du slave empruntés à la langue dace.

Une étymologie par rapprochement avec le roumain zmeură (framboise) est jugée certes possible dans l'absolu, mais plutôt improbable, par le linguiste Alexandru Ciorănescu.

Description générale
Le zmeu se décrit selon certains comme un dragon, mais un dragon capable d'assumer le rôle de prétendant ou d'amant d'une femme humaine. Dans certains cas, les zmei sont des figures tantôt héroïques pour certains,  tantôt diaboliques pour d'autres.

Ainsi, le zmeu est noté comme anthropo-ophidien, c'est-à-dire qu'il possédait à la fois des caractéristiques d'homme et de dragon/serpent : un « corps humain recouvert d'écailles, une queue de serpent et des ailes de chauve-souris, »  ou alors il s'agit d'une « tête humaine » posée sur « un corps d'oiseau, [et une] queue de serpent, » selon d'autres récits.

En effet, le zmeu a été décrit comme une sorte de géant anthropophage, parangon roumain de l'ogre d'Europe occidentale, possédant une queue faite de roche,  ou bien encore capable de monter à cheval. Le zmeu n'était rien de plus qu'une créature à visage humain, bien qu'un peu plus grand et plus épais, selon certains folkloristes, et sont doués de la parole humaine, bien qu'un peu rudimentaire.

Un article classe le zmeu parmi les vampires roumains, aux côtés du vârcolac (loup-garou buveur de sang). mais ce dernier a tendance à être davantage confondu avec le strigă suceur de sang (pluriel strigoi).

Les zmei sont également confondus avec le dracu (dragon) dans les croyances populaires.  Les montures volantes des Șolomonarii sont des zmei, ou des balauri, selon les auteurs.

Mais dans certains contes de fées, le zmeu apparaît simplement comme roi des serpents.

Rôle et fonctions
Le zmeu figure en bonne place dans de nombreux contes folkloriques roumains comme la manifestation des forces destructrices de la cupidité et de l'égoïsme. Souvent, le zmeu vole quelque chose de grande valeur, que seul Făt-Frumos (le « prince charmant » ) peut récupérer grâce à sa grande bravoure désintéressée. Par exemple, dans la ballade du chevalier Greuceanu, le zmeu vole le soleil et la lune du ciel, enveloppant ainsi toute l'humanité dans les ténèbres. Dans l'histoire de Prâslea la Brave et les pommes d'or, le zmeu vole au roi les précieuses « pommes d'or » ; un parallèle peut être établi avec le conte de fées allemand L'oiseau d'or, le tsarévitch russe Ivan, l'oiseau de feu et le loup gris, et le bulgare Les neuf paonnes et les pommes d'or — bien que dans tous ces autres cas, le voleur était un oiseau (néanmoins, dans certaines versions de l'histoire roumaine, le zmeu se transforme en oiseau pour voler les pommes d'or). Habituellement, le zmeu réside dans l'autre monde (celălalt tărâm) et parfois le brave  Făt-Frumos doit descendre dans son sombre royaume, ce qui impliquerait que le zmeu vit sous terre.

Le zmeu dispose d'un arsenal de pouvoirs magiques et destructeurs. Il peut s'envoler, changer de forme et possède une force surnaturelle incommensurable. En fin de compte, les capacités pléthoriques du zmeu lui sont d'aucun secours car Făt-Frumos le bat grâce à son habileté au combat et à son audace.

Le zmeu aime à enlever une jeune fille en faire sa femme dans son royaume d'un autre monde. Une fois le zmeu défait, Făt-Frumos finit par prendre la jeune fille séquestrée pour future épouse. De même, comme le géant dans les histoires populaires de Grande-Bretagne tel le récit de Jack et le Haricot magique, le zmeu rentre chez lui, dans sa forteresse, après ses raids sur les terres humaines, sentant qu'un humain ( Făt-Frumos ) est en embuscade quelque part à proximité. Un zmeu est aussi parfois représenté comme une flamme qui entre dans la chambre d'une jeune fille ou d'une veuve et une fois à l'intérieur, prend la forme d'un homme et la séduit.

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Folklore roumain
Créature fantastique du folklore roumain
Métamorphose


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READ: FBI charges Black Lives Matter activist John Sullivan in Capitol rioting
Dated: January 14, 2021 by Sharyl Attkisson 7 Comments
The FBI says John Sullivan of Utah is "leader of an organization called Insurgence USA through which he organizes protests."
He's now been charged in connection with the Capitol riots.
Sullivan was previously videotaped urging a crowd if supporters to attempt a violent coup against President Trump.
Read the FBI affidavit charging Sullivan below:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/page/file/1354781/download
Gary Blue says
You so deserve the highest official recognition for you're "bull dog" stick-with=it style of investigative journalism. Much applause.
On behalf of a major clutch of grateful patriotic citizens here and abroad, THANK YOU!!
You are a rare bird these days.
Stephen Triesch says
If Sullivan is the leader of a radical leftist group, it obviously suggests that he has FOLLOWERS and was not acting alone. It suggests that he was either talking to his followers or like-minded people when he shouts anti-Trump rhetoric and urges the people to tear the place down. He clearly could not have been speaking to Trump supporters if he was saying stuff like that! The official narrative of the January 6th riot is beginning to unravel, yet the left didn't even bother for an investigation before they launched this vengeful impeachment sham.
My bad; I thought the comments shown in the indictment and the video were from the January 6th riot, not a previous event. Which raises the question: if he said that seditious stuff months ago, why was he still walking the streets?
Dick Lanier says
As I watching the desecration of the Capitol, I made two predictions. The first was that somewhere in that mob of thousands, there would be a few with known ties to Antifa or the BLM movement or known anti-Trump people that were engaged in unforgivable behavior. The second prediction was that once one of those people was identified, he would be given prominent ink in this newsletter. I guess I was right on both counts.
Don't get me wrong. Anyone, no matter which side, that participated in the riot deserves all the opprobrium that you can muster. And they deserve to be prosecuted. Full stop. And I am content to let the legal system decide on the degree of culpability of Mr. Sullivan and what punishment he should suffer. But from reading the affidavit, it doesn't appear that he was involved in any physical assault on anyone. But where is the much, much longer list of known Trump supporters that have been arrested? And the affidavits accompanying their arrests? How does finding ONE anti-Trump person justify the outsized coverage given him in these newsletters, especially considering that this is at least the second newsletter article to feature Sullivan? And especially since I think that the only Trump supporter involved in the riot called out by name was Ashli Babbitt. Why such an emphasis on one person?
Unless the purpose was to subliminally create a false equivalency between the Trump supporters and the anti-Trump side in causing the riot. For those determined to see such an equivalency, I'll make another prediction: when the dust has settled, we will know that the vast majority of those arrested and charged for instigating and participating in the riot were Trump supporters.
And remember how during the summer riots, there were charges that many of the provocateurs were actually right-wing folks taking advantage of the unrest to promote Trump's candidacy by attempting to scare voters? How much ink was given to that story in these newsletters?
Remember how the conservative media (justifiably) castigated those that downplayed the riots in the summer as being "mostly peaceful"? Well, the January 7 newsletter contained this nugget: "Tens of thousands of Trump supporters rallied in a mostly peaceful protest in Washington D.C. amid widespread allegations of election fraud." Mostly peaceful? Really? If by "mostly" you mean that most of the protestors didn't actually enter the Capitol, then this is likely correct. But the same could be said of the riots in the summer. I would assert that "most" of the protestors then didn't do anything wrong. And the statement "amid widespread allegations of election fraud" is laughingly simplistic. It ignores the facts that ALL of the "allegations" are coming from just one side, that ALL of the "allegations" have been rebutted with rational arguments, and NONE of the "allegations" have been backed up with any evidence in court. How is that any different than saying "widespread allegations that the Earth is flat"? There's just as much evidence for that assertion as for election fraud.
Bob Matutat says
You are a bulldog of a journalist! If you aren't already, I suggest you look at Michael Yon's recent writings and fact-gathering efforts. With your ability to see the big picture and report straight facts, and Michael's on-the-ground reporting and recording of events as they happen, the two of you would make a dynamic investigative duo., and would humble the MSM.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You know how it's supposed to work. There's a movie about the future with a bad guy and some good guys. The good guys scan a picture of the bad guy into a computer, the computer quickly cross-references the image against enormous, ominous databases, up pops his name, and they go after him.
For a few hours each year, during the Boston Marathon, the 600 block of Boylston Street is the most photographed place on Earth, what with all the family, friends, tourists, news crews, and commercial photographers. So it was a perfect setting for the FBI to make use of facial-recognition technology. But even though Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev's images existed in official databases, the brothers were not identified that way—because we just aren't that advanced yet.
But in order for facial recognition to work, you need a high-quality frontal photo of the face you want matched. If you have that, research shows, you can pick a suspect out of more than a million mug shots 92 percent of the time. But the image that the FBI captured of the Tsarnaevs from surveillance camera images was grainy and taken from far away, which would have drastically limited the effectiveness of the technology.
Paul Schuepp, CEO and president of Animetrics, one of the facial-recognition companies the FBI contracts with, says that by the time the suspects' faces were zoomed in on, there were only a few dozen pixels per face. "When you've got like five pixels between the eyes, you're done," he says. "There's just not enough data on the face [and] the computer has a impossible time." Schuepp says that the Tsarnaevs' faces were also angled away from the camera, and Tamerlan's sunglasses and hat didn't help either. "Some [news] networks were saying they got good pictures, but the pictures really sucked," he says.
Instead, the FBI released the photos of the two suspects last Thursday and depended on old-fashioned eyeballs to do the work. "It's likely that the breakthroughs in the case were made by sharp-eyed investigators," Bloomberg News reported, "spotting one of the suspects dropping a bag at the site of one of the two bombings in the surveillance footage, then matching the face with an image from the security camera of the 7-Eleven in Cambridge" that was the scene of an armed robbed on Thursday. Jeff Bauman, the runner who lost both his legs in the explosion, also helped ID the suspects after he woke up in the hospital.
"Even at a distance, as a human being you could recognize that person," Schuepp says.


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Nick Foles will start for Eagles vs. Bears
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Foles will lead the Philadelphia Eagles into the playoffs.
Coach Doug Pederson said Foles is "feeling good" after suffering a chest injury and will start when the Eagles (9-7) face the Bears (12-4) in an NFC wild-card game next Sunday.
"We'll take care of him and make sure he's ready," Pederson said Monday.
Pederson said Nate Sudfeld is the backup as of right now and couldn't provide an update on Carson Wentz's back injury. He wouldn't commit to starting Foles if the Eagles advance.
"There is no guarantee we're going to win this game," Pederson said. "I'll evaluate next Monday."
Super Bowl Central: Super Bowl 57 odds, Eagles-Chiefs matchups, stats and more
The Eagles earned a playoff berth with a 24-0 win at Washington coupled with Chicago's victory at Minnesota.
Foles is 6-0 in must-win games filling in for Wentz the past two seasons, including 3-0 in the playoffs and earned Super Bowl MVP honors in a 41-33 victory over New England.
He tied an NFL record by completing 25 consecutive passes in the win against the Redskins and has been outstanding in three starts since Wentz was sidelined. Sudfeld relieved Foles and tossed a touchdown pass on his only throw.
The Eagles will have off Tuesday and a walk-through practice Wednesday so Foles has more time to prepare for the Bears.
Foles stepped in last season after Wentz tore two knee ligaments in December and led Philadelphia to its first NFL title since 1960.
The Eagles have a far more difficult path this time as they try to become the third No. 6 seed to win a Super Bowl, joining the 2005 Steelers and 2010 Packers.
"Last year we had luxury of having a bye and playing at home for two games," Pederson said. "We understand that we're on the road. But having guys that have been through it, I think the heightened sense of awareness, the urgency, the sort of do-or-die, backs-against-the-wall mentality, those are all things we can definitely draw from last year's postseason run now into this game."
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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Николáй Ники́тич Ефрéмов (29 ноября 1921, Корсаково, Краснококшайский кантон, Марийская автономная область, РСФСР ― 31 августа 1993, Новосибирск, Россия) ― советский военный деятель. В годы Великой Отечественной войны ― командир телефонно-кабельного взвода 615 стрелкового полка 167 стрелковой дивизии 1 гвардейской армии на 1 Украинском фронте, гвардии лейтенант; капитан (1955). Член ВКП(б) с 1943 года.

Биография
Родился 29 ноября 1921 года в дер. Корсаково ныне Медведевского района Марий Эл в семье красноармейца, погибшего в 1920-х годах в боях с басмачами. До 1937 года воспитанник Куженерского детдома Марийской АССР.

Окончив курсы киномехаников в 1939 году, работал киномехаником в с. Ронга Марийской АССР.

В марте 1941 года призван в РККА, служил в танковых войсках. Участник Великой Отечественной войны с июля 1942 года: командир отделения роты связи 286 отдельного батальона связи, командир телефонно-кабельного взвода 615 стрелкового полка 167 стрелковой дивизии 1 гвардейской армии на 1 Украинском фронте, от гвардии старшего сержанта до гвардии лейтенанта. В 1943 году вступил в ВКП(б). Был дважды ранен. В январе 1955 года уволился из армии в звании капитана.

В 1956 году приехал в Новосибирск, где до 1977 года проработал слесарем-электромонтажником новосибирского завода «Сиблитмаш».

Ушёл из жизни 31 августа 1993 года в Новосибирске. Похоронен на Клещихинском кладбище.

Награды
 Орден Октябрьской Революции (1971)
 Орден Славы III степени (30.06.1944)
 Орден Отечественной войны I степени (17.06.1945, 06.04.1985)
 Орден Отечественной войны II степени (02.04.1944)
 Орден Красной Звезды (20.09.1944, 21.02.1945)
 Медаль «За отвагу» (27.07.1943)
 Медаль «За боевые заслуги» (19.11.1951)
 Медаль «За победу над Германией в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.» (09.05.1945)
 Медаль «За воинскую доблесть. В ознаменование 100-летия со дня рождения Владимира Ильича Ленина»

Примечания

Литература

Рабочие СССР
Слесари
Командиры взводов в Великой Отечественной войне
Связисты Великой Отечественной войны
Танкисты СССР
Капитаны (СССР)
Члены ВКП(б)
Похороненные на Клещихинском кладбище

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Explore About See Do Eat Sleep Information Getting there Getting around See around
Malawi's largest international airport is in Lilongwe, although there are also some flights from Blantyre to regional destinations.Most travelers connect via Johannesburg South Africa or Nairobi Kenya. State carrier Air Malawi (http://www.airmalawi.com) claims to be "Africa's Friendliest Airline", but its limited network covers only nearby countries plus Middle Eastern hub Dubai.
Swift Air is a privately owned airline operating flights between Johannesburg, Blantyre and Lilongwe. It operates Boeing 737 aircraft. (http://www.swiftairmalawi.com/)
The previous international departure tax of $30 is now included in the air fare.
Nyassa Air Taxi (http://www.nyassa.mw/) have a shuttle service from $280 per person from Mfuwe to Lilongwe.
By ship
A ferry runs twice a week from Likoma Island to Cobuè and Metangula in Mozambique.
There are trains twice a week from Blantyre to Cuamba and Nampula in northern Mozambique, although a 77-kilometer stretch of track between the Mozambique border and Cuamba is out of commission and must be covered by truck.
To get into Malawi from Mozambique, in the south, one can take the bus from Tete north-west Mozambique to Zobwe. After crossing, take another bus from the border to Blantyre. This crossing is quite hectic, and it is closed at night, so one should plan on getting there early, and trying to keep it cool with all the border-hawkers.Direct buses run from Lusaka, Zambia to Lilongwe, but are best avoided or done in stretches if 18-20 hours on a bus doesn't sound like your idea of a good time. There is also minibus from Mbeya in Tanzania to the border. From the border in Malawi Side, take a taxi to Karonga. The cost is around 400-500 MK depend on negotiation. From Karonga bus station, take a bus or minibus to other destinations in Malawi. Bus is cheaper than minibus. The easiest way take direct bus from Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania to Mzuzu or Lilongwe.
Note that there are NO direct buses from Mbeya to Malawi although scammers in Mbeya bus station will tell you so, and sell you tickets. You must take a bus to the border and walk across.
The main road M1 runs from the northern border Kaporo through Karonga, Mzuzu, Lilongwe and finally to Mchinji and is in excellent shape. There is an excellent road from Lilongwe to Mchinji on the Zambian border 120 km.


After starring in critically acclaimed indies like Mud with Matthew McConaughey and Joe with Nicolas Cage, young actor Tye Sheridan is getting a big studio movie of his own. THR reports the breakout star will take the lead role in Scouts vs. Zombies, the horror comedy taken over by Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones director Christopher Landon last fall. The film follows three high school Boy Scouts who must use their skills to fight off zombies after their small town begins getting ravaged by the undead. But there's also a great coming-of-age angle, so this isn't a weak version of Shaun of the Dead with some boy scouts.
Sheridan's character is a budding honors student who is handsome and athletic but doesn't know it yet, as he is shy to talk to the girl he likes. Surely his bravery in facing zombies will help bring out his confidence. The original script came from College Road Trip writers Carrie Evans & Emi Mochizuki, and while it made the Black List, we weren't encouraged by their involvement. Thankfully, there have been rewrites from Lona Williams (Drop Dead Gorgeous) and Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder). This has the potential to be a fun flick, and we hope it continues to help Sheridan's career along. Interested?
I'll see anything with this actor after seeing MUD. He's very good and will grow up to be pretty handsome later in life. Career only goes up from here.


While I adore the current dip dye hair trend, I feel simply too old to have a go at it. A dip dye look for my home, however - that's something I really could get into. Especially if it's as beautiful as Designer's Guild's Saraille wallpaper. As far away from bad 90s tie dye as you can get, with a roll priced at £185 from Rockett St George, it remains in the realm of fantasy alongside me getting my hair dip dyed.
So what else could I buy to make the most of this current trend? Well, if I wanted to organise my bills beautifully, I'd certainly buy this concertina file. It's £29 from Couverture and the Garbstore and it's probably the sexiest piece of stationery I've ever laid eyes on.
For an ombré effect at an even more bargain price Zara makes the grade with their Degrade mug. It's only £7.99 but it looks like it could cost a whole lot more.
Any flowers will have to vie for attention with this LSA Mezzo vase, an appealing aqua range of colours. It's available for £37.59.
If you were feeling brave you could probably have a go at dying a few simple bits yourself. For inspiration or for simplicity's sake, you could buy this wonderfully arty ombré cushion from Bouf for £30. Available in five different painterly palettes, it's surely the easiest way to get the effect.


A resident species and very common anywhere along the coast. Yellow-legged Gulls are always extremely difficult to tell apart from Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but generally the gonydeal angle, (the angle where the lower mandible turns upwards towards the tip) is more pronounced in the Yellow-legged Gull than in the Lesser Black-backed. The back is a slightly lighter grey in this species also, but that difference can be hard to spot in the field. However, at rest the tertial crescent of the Yellow-legged shows less contrast with the grey of the wing and the primary projections usually show more windows.


We have 9 ancient sources – inside and outside the New Testament – confirming and corroborating the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the risen Jesus. That's an avalanche of data!
Cyclone Idai's death toll now above 1 000 in southern Africa.
Rev Esme Bowers prays with East London TEASA chapter PEC.


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How to Treat Recurring Ear Infections
Chronic ear infections can do more than cause pain — they can also lead to hearing loss. Learning more about treatment and prevention can help you manage recurring infections for you or your child.
By Denise MannMedically Reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD
It's pretty normal to get an ear infection once in a while (especially when you're a kid), but if the infections keep coming back, they could pose a serious health risk.
An ear infection occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum, causing pain, pressure, temporary hearing loss, and fever, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
The NIDCD says that five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday, and most of these are not serious. However, CHOC Children's Hospital in Orange, California explains that if you or your child have three ear infections during a six-month period, or four within a year, this is the telltale sign of what's known as a chronic or recurring infection — and, if left untreated, it could lead to permanent hearing loss.
Determining the root cause of recurrent ear infections is the first step toward a cure. Common culprits may include allergies, chronic sinus problems, or an underdeveloped or blocked Eustachian tube, the passage that connects the middle ear to the upper part of your throat.
Eustachian Tube Problems
"In infants and toddlers, the Eustachian tube may not be mature or fully functional yet, so they can end up with negative pressure that causes the buildup of fluid and recurrent ear infections," says Eugene Chio, MD, an otolaryngologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
"The ear drum is transparent, so we can see fluid or pus behind it, and sometimes, the ear drum itself is red or bulging from the pressure," he adds. In these cases, especially if hearing loss is involved, ear tubes may be needed to drain the fluid and prevent further ear infections. "Ear tubes help equalize pressure and drain fluid, and they fall out within two years as the Eustachian tube matures," Dr. Chio says.
Each year, more than a half-million ear tube surgeries are performed on children, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery reports. Still, it's a surgery and involves the use of general anesthesia, Choi notes.
Allergies and Sinusitis
"Chronic sinusitis or allergies are other potential causes of recurrent ear infections," says Jordan S. Josephson, MD, an otolaryngologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and the author of Sinus Relief Now: The Groundbreaking 5-Step Program for Sinus, Allergy, and Asthma Sufferers.
"In these cases, an antibiotic will treat the infection, but it won't address the underlying susceptibility to ear infections," Dr. Josephson says. And, because overuse of antibiotics can lead to resistance, pediatricians are often reluctant to prescribe antibiotics unless it's absolutely necessary. In general, parents are told to observe the child for 48 to 72 hours and treat the pain with over-the-counter pain relievers, he adds.
Prevention can also help you avoid more ear infections once the cause becomes clear, according to Josephson. If sinusitis is leading to ear infections, irrigating the sinus passages with a saline wash can make a difference, he says. Plus, keeping your immune system healthy can also help prevent some of the infections that lead to sinusitis and ear infections. "A computed tomography scan or other imaging tests can help diagnose sinusitis," he notes, adding that getting tested for allergies and coming up with a plan to avoid exposure to irritants can also help.
Why It's Important to Treat Recurring Ear Infections
If unaddressed and untreated, recurrent ear infections can lead to permanent hearing loss or a ruptured eardrum, Josephson says.
You could also develop a cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear behind the eardrum, which can occur when the vacuum pressure during an ear infection stretches the eardrum, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. "I've also seen kids who have had scar tissue, necrosis [dead tissue] or erosion of the bone behind the ear as a result of recurrent ear infections," Chio says.
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What Is Dysphagia, or Difficulty Swallowing?
If swallowing has become difficult, you could have dysphagia — and you may need to seek treatment so you can swallow without pain.
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Nate is a solid horse, unflinching at even the craziest of situations though changes to his pasture make him twitchy. He loves being bathed, regularly swimming and sticking his head under the hose when troughs are filled. If he's left in a stall he cannot stand still, shifting weight constantly and poking his head out at any person who walks by.
Please inform us if you'd like us to submit this reference to the FEI group for records, or if you'd like to draw a special FEI reference just for the FEI rankings in our group.
I'll do a special FEI reference, he deserves it!
Can i snag that last slot??
They aren't related just checking with you that shes okay??
Hey just checking in on this if you ever got round to doing the breeding pic and/or getting the foal?
Sorry, if I'm annoying.. But is he still open for breeding requests ?
Ok. Is it still for the same price?
Of one training, one breeding? Yes.
Is it ok for you if you mark me down for now and I use the slot later ?
I'm really sorry for the late reply... And I tinkg you can strike me from his breeding list, it's better when someone get the slot who is more active than me.
I have a question. Would I be able to get a slot to this guy?
Yeah, except I came back.
Nah, you can take it back, I don't think I used it.
Ok! I could do both.
That would be great Let me know when you've done them, and when you've used your breeding!
this is just the shade I've been looking for to breed my 2nd gen mare!
would he by any chance have any slots open?
Would you like me to submit my breeding and see if I get the grulla you were hoping for, and then go from there?
Liver's just a shade, like Nate is genetically just a chestnut, he's just a darker one. And I looked again and it was liver Dun you had wanted, so actually red dun could be that! It's in the same 'family' of shades.
Okay, sorry to hear that!


January 18, 2019 -- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District officials on Friday began notifying parents that student contact information would be released to the plaintiffs' attorney in a case claiming the District is violating the right to a free education.
The class action lawsuit filed in Superior court in July 2017 claims that the District has been charging unlawful "pupil fees" for such things as supplies, uniforms and field trips in violation of California's Education Code and Constitution.
Under court order, the District must provide the plaintiffs' attorney, Kevin Shenkman, with the name of the students' parents or guardians; the last known address, telephone number and email address; the students' grade level and the schools attended.
"The District and the Plaintiffs have agreed that this information will be provided pursuant to a stipulated court order, specifically a 'protective order' that maintains the confidentiality of the information," District officials wrote in the letter to parents.
Parents have until February 4 to opt out by contacting the District.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of parents Gina de Baca and Vivian Mahl, claims that the District illegally "requires" students to purchase certain items needed for school.
These include uniforms and swimwear for physical education classes, outfits for choral performances, musical instruments, calculators for math classes, art supplies, writing utensils, paper and notebooks, according to the lawsuit.
The District also requires students to pay for field trips, summer school and school related travel and events, the lawsuit claims.
"Undeterred by the law and the repeated pronouncement of the courts that free means, free," the lawsuit said, the District "has for years continued to collect student fees, or otherwise require students or their families to pay, for various items in connection with curricular and extracurricular activities integral to the education of the students."
Shenkman estimates the cost to parents and students adds up to millions of dollars a year.
District spokesperson Gail Pinsker said the District abides by the law but that sometimes its policy is not made clear.
"From time to time, teachers might say something is required instead of suggested," Pinsker said. "We can only recommend certain things that are above and beyond."
The District, she said, has a "uniform complaint form" that can be used by parents who wish to seek a reimbursement if they believe they have been charged "a non-permissible fee."


The Good Extremely light; convenient battery recharging via included docking cradle; built-in 802.11b wireless.
The Bad Short battery life; no port replicator available; cramped keyboard; small screen; memory maxes out at 256MB.
The Bottom Line The Actius MM10 ultralight has plenty of form but not enough function for travelers who need to log many hours of work.
The Sharp Actius MM10 suffers from an identity crisis. On the one hand, the 2.1-pound system displays ultralight laptop characteristics such as a 1GHz Transmeta Crusoe processor, 256MB of DDR memory, a 15GB hard drive, and the Windows XP operating system. But like a handheld, it comes with a docking cradle that lets you charge its battery and sync files with another PC. While the overall effect is indisputably cool, the Actius MM10's teeny keyboard, small 10.4-inch screen, and limited 137-minute battery life are hardly practical for anyone who needs to do even one iota of work on the road. Consider this system only if you have $1,500 to spend on an extra gadget. Otherwise, go for a slightly heavier, yet more functional ultralight such as the Sharp Actius UM series.
The special docking cradle recharges the system battery and lets you sync files, PDA-style, with another PC.
The Sharp Actius MM10 looks unlike any ultralight we've seen. The 2.1-pound system (2.6 pounds with the tiny AC adapter) is exceptionally small, measuring 9.9 inches wide by 8.2 inches deep. The case is just 0.5 inches thick in front and 0.8 inches in back, allowing for a menagerie of ports toward the back of both edges. The Sharp stays this thin by excluding internal secondary storage drives. An external DVD/CD-RW drive is included with the system.
One of the Actius MM10's ports--the cradle connector--lets you flip the laptop on its left edge and set it inside the included docking cradle. The cradle performs two cool functions: it recharges your battery and lets you sync files, PDA-style, with another PC running Windows XP, 2000, or Me. First, you must install the included SharpSync software on the host PC. You can then swap files between the two simply by dragging and dropping. The whole setup is convenient, although the Actius MM10 could stand to sit a bit more sturdily in the docking cradle.
In addition to the cradle connector, the Actius MM10 offers just a few ports and slots. The back edge features a proprietary VGA port that makes you attach the included dongle before you can connect to a standard VGA receptor. An audio-out jack and one USB 2.0 port are on the left edge, while another USB 2.0 port, an Ethernet jack, and one Type II PC Card slot are on the right edge. If you need a modem, you'll have to install the 56Kbps PC Card that Sharp includes with the system. Oddly enough, Sharp doesn't offer a port replicator with the Actius MM10, which is especially surprising given the system's very short list of built-in ports.
A smallish touchpad and two mouse buttons sit below the keyboard.
Everything is small on this tiny laptop, including the cramped keyboard.
Like its assortment of ports, the Actius MM10's screen and keyboard are inhibited by the lack of case space. The 10.4-inch screen carries an odd 1,024x768 native resolution, which results in tiny text on such a small screen. The cramped keyboard sits above a smallish touchpad and two mouse buttons. Sharp relegates the single, dime-sized speaker to the bottom of the laptop. The Sharp Actius MM10 follows suit with most ultralights by offering little flexibility in terms of components; none of the system's internal parts are negotiable. Each Actius MM10 comes with a 1GHz Transmeta Crusoe TM5800 processor, 256MB of DDR SDRAM, and a 15GB hard drive. It also comes standard with a Silicon Motion Lynx 3DM graphics chip with 8MB of dedicated video memory and up to an additional 24MB borrowed from main RAM. The sole 10.4-inch display offers a 1,024x768 native resolution that makes text too tiny on a screen this small. Because laptops in this category are too space constrained to offer smoking-hot CPUs and other cutting-edge parts, these generally midrange specs make sense. However, Sharp should at least let users upgrade the main memory.
Sharp's Network Setup Utility is one of the few programs included with the MM10.
The integrated 802.11b wireless mini-PCI card provides the one bright spot in this otherwise mundane spec selection. Sure, it's not the newer, faster 802.11g, but most notebooks are just now getting around to adding 802.11b.
Windows XP Home comes preloaded on every Actius MM10. The system is entirely bereft of additional software, however, save for Sharp's Network Setup Utility and the SharpSync software needed to link the Actius MM10 to a host PC. Transmeta Crusoe-based systems have never been known to be fast performers in our tests, and the Sharp Actius MM10 is no different. The system came in last place in our small roundup of ultraportables, which included two Intel Pentium III-M notebooks. Some of the Actius MM10's lackluster performance can be attributed to its Silicon Motion Lynx 3DM 8MB graphics controller, which borrows as much as 24MB of system memory. In our experience, this type of architecture has proven to be a detriment to performance.
Windows XP Home; 850MHz Intel Pentium III-M; 256MB SDRAM 133MHz; Intel 82815 graphics controller 4MB; Toshiba MK2018GAS 20GB 4,200rpm We've come to expect great battery-life scores from Transmeta Crusoe-based systems. However, the Sharp Actius MM10's 11.1V, 1,800mAh battery hampered its performance, and the system lasted just more than 2 hours. The comparison systems in our roundup, on the other hand, house more powerful batteries and lasted more than 3 hours, 30 minutes. In the end, we found the Actius MM10's battery life disappointing, especially for such a small machine.
Windows XP Home; 850MHz Intel Pentium III-M; 256MB SDRAM 133MHz; Intel 82815 graphics controller 4MB; Toshiba MK2018GAS 20GB 4,200rpm The Actius MM10's warranty offers few surprises. It includes the same one-year parts-and-labor warranty that most laptops offer. During this period, you must return your notebook to a Sharp authorized repair center (call 800/237-4277 to find the one closest to you), and service reps will fix it for free. Two additional years of return-to-depot service cost $199; however, Sharp doesn't provide handy onsite service with any of its warranty plans. Toll-free, 24/7 telephone support is available for the length of your service term.
The company's support Web site could use some work. Six of the mere seven FAQs for the Actius MM10 deal with the SharpSync software that ships with the system. The site also omits important self-help features, such as user forums and the ability to chat in real time with a Sharp tech-support rep. If you want to contact a rep electronically, you'll have to send old-fashioned e-mail.


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Whitney Fung leads student effort to reduce USF's food waste
January 7, 2019 | Academic & Student Affairs, COPH Home Page Feed, COPH Office of Research, Featured News, Monday Letter, Our People, Our Research, Students, Take Note!
You may want to think twice before throwing that banana peel away.
Up to 40 percent of food that is produced in the U.S. goes to waste and it's impacting our health, according to USF College of Public Health doctoral student Whitney Fung.
She's the principal investigator of an interdisciplinary USF student effort to take food waste on campus and turn it into renewable resources.
The USF Campus Food Waste Recovery project received $25,600 in funding from the Student Green Energy Fund, a USF fund that helps aid efforts to help make USF "more environmentally friendly."
Food waste is a large producer of greenhouse gases once they hit landfills, according to Fung.
"When food goes to the landfill, methane is released into the atmosphere," she said. "Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, so when we contribute to food waste, that impacts our climate."
About 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. ends up in landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, with college campuses producing about 22 million pounds of food each year. (Photo source: Google Images)
"As consumers we are a part of the food system and we need to be more aware of the food that we consume and the food that we throw away," Fung said. "Recent climate reports indicate that we only have about 12 years to change our habits before the climate gets worse."
Fung and her colleagues, Philip Dixon (College of Engineering), Li Zhu (Patel College of Global Sustainability) and Gviana Goldberg (Department of Anthropology) are aiming to divert food waste from reaching landfills and reduce methane gas emissions.
USF College of Public Health doctoral student Whitney Fung (center) holds up the approved proposal. From left: Robin Rives (undergrad in environmental science and policy), Li Zhu (USF alumnus with a master's from the Patel College of Global Sustainability), Whitney Fung, Gviana Goldberg (undergrad in anthropology and women's studies), and Shelby Peterson (undergrad in engineering). Team members not pictured: Sam Gibbons and Phillip Dixon. (Photo courtesy of Whitney Fung)
They plan to do this in three phases with step one being the implementation of "biodigesters"— tanks that "digest" organic material such as leftover food scraps, and captures methane gas, which Fung said is also called "biogas." The biodigesters also produce organic fertilizer.
That same methane gas, according to Fung, can be used to fuel fleets of golf carts and other machinery on USF grounds, as well as be used for cooking fuel during campus events. The fertilizer, Fung adds, can be used in place of synthetic fertilizers for maintaining campus greenery. The project aims to explore the potential options of biogas use on campus.
"This is a feasibility study to potentially scale up an anaerobic biodigester on campus," Fung said. "We envision this project to be instrumental in supporting current USF sustainability efforts with significant impact on promoting student wellness, environmental awareness, and campus engagement about an important local and global issue."
Building of the biodigesters, which Fung said is going to cost them about $6,000, is set commence in January. They will be building three out of four proposed biodigesters near the main office of USF Facilities and collecting food scraps from Champions Choice dining hall, across from the recreation center.
Solar CITIES IBC Biodigester developed by Dr. T.H. Culhane. Biodigesters aid in anaerobic digestion, a process where organic material is broken down by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen, according to Fung. The process occurs naturally in the environment and mimics the same process of a human stomach breaking down food. (Photo courtesy of Whitney Fung)
Once those systems of collection and production are in place, phase two—evaluation—can begin.
Fung said that USF Facilities is willing to invest in the project, using the methane biogas and fertilizer if the project proves to show a reasonable return on investment, and Aramark—USF's dining services provider—has also agreed to provide all the food waste needed for the project.
The use of anaerobic biodigesters on college campuses is not a new idea, according to Fung, with places such as UC Davis and Michigan State University already using it.
Fung said the project will wrap in phase three with efforts to promote behavior changes to reduce food waste across campus among students—an area where public health social marketing comes in to play.
"We're collecting data to develop a social marketing campaign to reduce food waste behaviors," she said.
Fung, who earned her bachelor's in nutrition and master's in family, youth and community sciences from the University of Florida, said pursuing her doctoral degree in public health has helped her to combine her passions of public policy and health outcomes.
She said the vision for the project is to see zero waste produced and more food diverted from landfills on a larger scale, with all recycling centers and bins potentially one day including a compartment for food waste as well.
"The vision is for a more sustainable campus and for our food environment to promote local food practices. Campus is a way to practice what we preach, we should be thinking about where our food is coming from and the food we throw away and is wasted, because it impacts our environment," she said. "USF can be a role model for other places as well."
Students interested in volunteering to assist with building biodigesters can contact Whitney Fung at whitneyfung@health.usf.edu.
Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health
Tags: biodigester, carbon dioxide, climate change, food scraps, Food Waste, greenhouse gas, methane gas, Student Green Energy Fund, student research, USF Campus Food Waste Recovery, Whitney Fung


Macotakara has a fairly reliable track record when it comes to the world of Apple movements are concerned, has released a new report indicating that Apple will release an iPhone with a polycarbonate housing and four-inch screen and a half towards the year 2014.
The publication goes on to say that the device will look very similar to the iPhone 5 but since their housing would be polycarbonate, its thickness may increase slightly in order to maintain its resilience to shocks.
Macotakara also dares to talk about prices and ensures that the iPhone could cost about $ 300, making this affordable iPhone which has been talked about so much lately.
Finally, the website mentions that the next generation iPhone (iPhone 5S) receive a flash for the rear camera consisting of two LEDs instead of just one as we have today. This would be a major improvement when taking pictures with better quality in low light environments without actually touching a good level of xenon flash.
Much remains for 2014, is still a long way to know which will succeed the iPhone 5 so these rumors have to digest slowly and always knowing that Apple can change the specifications of your product until the day of his presentation, which would invalidate all the above information.
After the MWC, following the launch of the high-end smartphone Samsung will be conducted on 14 March to present the Galaxy S4. The iPhone 5S will probably have to wait until October.
Article Apple could launch an iPhone polycarbonate and 4.5-inch screen in 2014 was originally published in News iPhone .


You and a group of friends decide to hit up Downtown Las Vegas for the night. You each get ready and make your way downtown and head into your favorite hangout bar. Everyone is ready to order up their drinks and then it hits you. One of you has to be the designated driver for the night.
You all fight about when the last time it was your turn and that it should not be you. Instead of having one person miss out on all the fun, let Vegas Pub Crawler be the D.D. for the night and hit up all the hotspots of Downtown Las Vegas.
With a lot of things to do in Downtown Las Vegas that cater mainly to those over 21 years old, the majority of attractions offer alcoholic beverages. Instead of fighting about who the designated driver needs to be for the night, let Vegas Pub Crawler bike you around.
With Vegas Pub Crawler, you and your friends hop on a bike and are guided through Downtown Las Vegas to many different bars and restaurants. The only thing you need to worry about is having fun and pedaling between each place.
The best way to find the perfect bar for you is to try them all. While on your tour with Vegas Pub Crawler, you'll hit all the major bars and pub in one night. Spend some time at each establishment and try out the drink selections, you will definitely find some favorites as well as new drinks you may not have heard of.
Each bar in Downtown Las Vegas offers up different experiences. Depending on the main theme of the bar, you will meet different types of people at each establishment. This can be a great way to meet some new people or add some friends to the group for your next DTLV bar crawl.
When people visit Las Vegas, they are only in town for the weekend. They are not given a lot of time to explore all the best hangouts and attractions. One of the best ways to treat your out-of-town guests to a full Vegas experience is with a Downtown Las Vegas pub crawl. They will experience all the best parts of DTLV all in one night.
Vegas Pub Crawler is the ultimate way to bar hop in Downtown Las Vegas. Whether it's a birthday party, bachelor/bachelorette party, corporate event, wedding or just because it's Tuesday night, there's nothing quite like pub crawling via a pimped-out, multi-rider cycle. For more information visit http://www.vegaspubcrawler.com.


There is more than one way to get a deposit together, below are some examples.
A great way to get your deposit together is with a regular savings payment.
Set up a regular payment to transfer money from your transaction account through to your savings account. Aligning this payment with your pay cycle will make this easier.
If you can establish a good savings history it will work in your favour when you are ready to apply for your loan.
You may be eligible to withdraw some of your KiwiSaver contributions to use towards the purchase of your home.
This is called 'first home buyer withdrawal' for first home buyers, or 'second chance home withdrawal' for those who have owned a house in the past but did not benefit from the purchase and are essentially in the same position as a first home buyer.
If you're eligible, you may be able to withdraw some or all of your KiwiSaver savings (except for the $1,000 kick-start) to put towards purchasing your home.
The KiwiSaver first home withdrawal will be part of the money you put into your first home, but until 1 June 2015, it cannot be part of any initial deposit you need to pay the real estate agent or vendor. Until then, you'll need to plan for, and fund any deposit that is required when you sign an unconditional sale and purchase agreement (or are successful at auction).
From 1 June 2015, legislative changes will allow a first home withdrawal to be used to make deposit payments in certain circumstances. Various restrictions may mean that you will not be able to use your first home withdrawal for deposit payments in all sale and purchase transactions e.g. auctions. Your solicitor or conveyancing practitioner can advise you further in this regard.
If your application for your first home withdrawal is approved, your KiwiSaver savings are withdrawn and paid directly into your lawyer or conveyancing practitioner's trust account to pay the vendor on settlement day. Approval and payment can take up to ten working days.
Note: Income and house price caps will apply. If you've owned a home before, in some circumstances you may still be eligible for a HomeStart grant. Housing New Zealand will need to determine that you are in the same financial position as a first home buyer.
This is when you are given a lump sum payment towards your home deposit. You will be asked to show proof of where the money came from, and that there is no requirement to pay it back. If you are being lent the money, please read the section "help from your family" as the conditions will be different.
Aside from gifting, there are other ways your family could help you into your first home.
This means they become a guarantor and provide their own home as security.
Your family member's property is potentially at risk if you do not make your loan repayments.
The information expressed above is provided for general information purposes only, with the express disclaimer of responsibility and it does not constitute an offer of finance from NBS.


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Mark Field MP: I suspect the joint plan of the Chancellor and the Governor is simply to keep the show on the road
Mark Field is the Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster. Follow Mark on Twitter.
As the Greek economic tragedy reaches yet another climax, it remains fashionable from these shores to decry the Eurozone for its schizophrenic lurching between hapless inaction and spurts of frenetic, if misguided, activism.
However, with this critique in mind, it might also be wise to examine carefully what is happening closer to home.
For so long as global financial markets remain flooded with cheap money, courtesy of government underwritten bailouts, then political consideration will continue to outweigh sound economics.
Conservatives are right to dismiss the Opposition claim that the UK economy currently faces a binary choice between growth and austerity. But nor should the coalition fall into the trap of thinking that preserving historically low interest rates is an adequate compensation for sluggish economic growth.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: I suspect the joint plan of the Chancellor and the Governor is simply to keep the show on the road" »
June 20, 2012 in Mark Field MP | Permalink
Mark Field MP: Christians are being ethnically-cleansed from the Middle East's hollow new democracies
The global media circus has moved on from Cairo, Alexandria and the Egyptian seaboard. Soon the current rapt attention to the terrible bloodshed in Damascus, Houla, Aleppo and Homs will similarly pass.
Yet for the nine million Egyptian Coptic Christians and the two million Syrian followers of Christ, whose lineage goes back to St Paul's proselytising in the first century AD, these are desperate times. Religious minorities often find their most assured protection under dictatorships. Forget all the talk about liberators fighting against the existing regime in Syria, or of democrats and progressives triumphantly taking the reins in Egypt. The unspeakable truth is that the sizeable Christian communities in these trouble-torn states are at greater threat of ethnic cleansing from their ancestral homes than has been the case for generations – often at the hands of the self-styled freedom fighters so feted by the Western press.
Events in Iraq provide us with a timely example. During this year's Easter celebrations, St Joseph's Chaldean Church in central Baghdad was surrounded by concrete barriers and army checkpoints. Amidst savage bloodletting between Sunnis and Shiites in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the story of Iraq's Christian population is one that is rarely told. But since the invasion it is estimated that half their number has desperately been driven to exile outside the country. Some 330,000 Iraqi Christians have fled in the past decade to Syria alone (where Christians have been largely protected by the Assad regime). Others have found safe haven in Jordan and naturally some have come to these shores. Under Saddam Hussein, some Christians had risen to the top of politics, most notably Tariq Aziz, Hussein's Deputy Prime Minister. Yet since the dictator's fall, violence against the Christian minority, who were often associated with the 'crusading invaders', has included kidnappings, the beheading of a priest, the bombing of ancient churches and forced conversion to Islam.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Christians are being ethnically-cleansed from the Middle East's hollow new democracies" »
Mark Field MP: Politicians still haven't told voters that we aren't nearly as prosperous as we thought we were
Mark Field is Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster. Follow Mark on Twitter.
Sarkozy is history, the Greeks are in paralysis, the Coalition has for the first time experienced mid-term electoral blues (just wait until May 2013 and 2014). This month has already been one of savage reprimand at the polls in Europe. Yet rather than a definitive judgement on the benefits or otherwise of austerity, I suspect electorates continent-wide are issuing a plague on all our houses.
We are reaping the rewards of decades' worth of debt accumulation, implicitly supported by a generation that enjoyed an expanded welfare state, cheap goods, cosseting employment regulation, never-ending lines of credit and inflated house prices (in the UK and US, if not on the continent). All this has quietly torn massive rifts - between young and old, debtors and savers, East and West – and papered over the developed world's declining competitiveness in the face of aggressive and dynamic new rivals. Voters are furious that they were sold, and then readily bought into, a lie of prosperity. Nobody, left or right, seems to hold a solution.
As we have sought to understand the roots of the financial crisis, focus has rested upon the role of bankers - their manipulation of and disregard for risk, their short-termism, their failure to respond to public anger and their apparent hostility to change – as well as the apparent willingness of politicians of all parties to give them free rein.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Politicians still haven't told voters that we aren't nearly as prosperous as we thought we were" »
May 18, 2012 in Mark Field MP | Permalink
Mark Field MP: Plain packaging of cigarettes should be resisted as a matter of principle by all Conservatives
Perhaps predictably as MP for Cities of London & Westminster I am unashamedly pro-business. For the UK to emerge from the serious economic malaise that has impacted us all since 2008, we must prioritise global trade and economic growth. Liberating businesses from unnecessary and deeply damaging regulation, enabling them to compete, flourish and expand, resulting in all the benefits we know that follow, must be a core component of our economic strategy.
As everyone is aware the government, at the behest of the ever-vocal and influential health lobby, is considering the introduction of plain packaging for the nation's tobacco industry. I believe this is an unjustifiable step and would create an unsettling precedent – the State prohibiting the producers of a legal product to use its legally-protected and valuable branding. This is a serious challenge to all those who believe in free markets, enterprise and economic system of capitalism. It should be resisted by all Conservatives.
But first, let me be clear. I believe tobacco is an addictive, legal drug for adults. It is perfectly right that it is illegal to sell tobacco to minors (though in passing it is worth noting that our coalitions partners would allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote but not purchase cigarettes – the age restriction for tobacco having risen from sixteen in recent years). I accept also that tobacco smoking is subject to commensurate restrictions and regulation. No one should sensibly wish children to smoke or be encouraged to take up the habit and I believe that all reasonable measures should continue to be taken to discourage, educate and ultimately prevent those below the legal age from taking up smoking. However I also believe passionately in freedom of choice; the decision whether or not to smoke should remain that of the informed adult, without gratuitous interference from the State.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Plain packaging of cigarettes should be resisted as a matter of principle by all Conservatives" »
April 13, 2012 in Mark Field MP | Permalink
Mark Field MP: The cost of keeping the Liberal Democrats inside the Coalition may undermine Tory candidates' election prospects
Regardless of post-Budget and party donor squalls, I reckon it still remains a sensible working assumption that the coalition will sustain for the full five year term of this parliament. Incumbents are notoriously difficult to prise out of Downing Street. Against all odds (or so it seemed) John Major survived for virtually a full term after the collapse of his economic policy in September 1992; similarly even Gordon Brown could not be ousted from the Premiership in spite of apparently perennial terminal crises in the quarter-decade from October 2007. So while Mr Cameron has simultaneously been under fire as not being Conservative enough (from some on his own side) and as too Conservative (from most detractors), my instinct is that the nation feels a sense of resignation that the coalition is the best option we have, particularly when the alternative bears the face of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls. But what of the political cost of holding together this unlikely blue/yellow pact?
To those with government jobs coalition has proved surprisingly congenial. Perhaps understandably that is not a feeling universally shared by those on the backbenches and those tensions will most likely grow. Nick Clegg's instinct, entirely understandable in the circumstances, is to be seen as the leader uniquely capable of holding his parliamentary Party tightly together. The strain on the loyalties of many of the fifty-seven Lib Dem MPs has at times been tested beyond breaking point, however, especially for those without prospect or desire for ministerial office.
Put yourself in the shoes of a sixty-something, centre-left Lib Dem MP, who increasingly disapproves of much of the coalition's policy programme (and certainly dislikes the vocal local opposition and accusations of betrayal he or she is made consistently aware of in correspondence and at surgeries). Imagine then that this not untypical MP has decided not to stand at the next General Election. Inevitably he or she will ask why not spend the last few years of parliamentary life enjoying the freedom to speak his/her mind openly as an Independent Liberal Democrat on the Opposition benches.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: The cost of keeping the Liberal Democrats inside the Coalition may undermine Tory candidates' election prospects" »
March 29, 2012 in Mark Field MP | Permalink
Mark Field MP: Even more than tax cuts, we need supply-side reform - which Osborne must now give us
Mark Field is MP for the Cities of London and Westminster
"Maybe something will turn up."
One of the classic stratagems of last resort in politics - and indeed for life in general.
I suspect Chancellor George Osborne's tactical handling of the UK economy owes rather more than he might willingly admit to the Mr Micawber principle. After all, waiting for something to turn up is not always the ill-advised course of action. The accretion of time often does alleviate, and sometimes even solves, what seems an intractably difficult situation.
The fragile state of our domestic economy at the time of the 2010 General Election and the indeterminate election result meant that a mandate to take radical action on the economy was neither sought nor won by any political party. So in stark contrast to the first Thatcher government which front-loaded the economic pain, Osborne - whilst espousing a tough austerity message - has adopted a more pragmatic, steady-as-she-goes path.
His intention now, I have no doubt, is to maximise the coalition's chances of re-election in May 2015 even if this results in the delay of essential longer-term structural reform. Equally it would be unfair not to recognise that the difficulties of coalition-building and maintenance, events in the Eurozone and the sheer weakness of the UK economy also persuade against a short sharp economic shock.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Even more than tax cuts, we need supply-side reform - which Osborne must now give us" »
Mark Field: Greek and eurozone salvation is no nearer - whatever the bailout merchants may say
Mark Field is the Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster.
There is not much that unites Eurozone politicians and the financial markets. But it is undeniably the case that neither trusts the Greek government or its people to stick to their latest bailout deal.
This matters because the real impact of the ongoing Eurozone saga is that the opportunity to erect a firewall around the Greek economy is fast fading. Contagion, which by rights should be a pure matter of economics, has now become a product of political interference.
When – and it really is no longer "if" – Greece eventually defaults on its debts and leaves the Euro the real risk is that by then (probably early in 2013) the outlook in Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy will have so deteriorated that the markets will turn on these nations, rather than regarding Greece as exceptional.
Continue reading "Mark Field: Greek and eurozone salvation is no nearer - whatever the bailout merchants may say" »
Mark Field MP: The new economic thinking is coming from the East
As we have all learned from the graveyard of failed forecasts, economics is an unerringly inaccurate as well as a dismal science, inextricably bound to the whims of irrational human behaviour. All too frequently it follows that economies develop haphazardly and tend to reflect a nation's collective ability (or otherwise) to innovate and provide conditions in which the experience and aspiration of its people can flourish.
One of capitalism's enormous strengths is its accommodation of human nature by the creation of broadly stable environments that liberate and incentivise people to pursue new ideas whilst casting aside defunct thinking. Yet those encamped outside St Paul's Cathedral in my constituency argue that capitalism is now itself a defunct idea, fundamentally discredited by the global financial crisis. It is a view that is beginning to have greater traction amongst a wider group of middle class, thoughtful, responsible Britons, uncomfortable with and anxious about recent economic developments.
My counterclaim to them is that capitalism continues to offer us the best system of delivering prosperity and liberty to the greatest number of people - but it was never meant to be a static framework. Capitalism works because it adapts and adjusts through crisis. The real problem is that we in the West are now subverting its natural processes of correction by clinging to outdated, discredited ideas and institutions.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: The new economic thinking is coming from the East" »
February 25, 2012 in Mark Field MP | Permalink
Mark Menzies MP: In defence of the Union - a cause for common concern
Mark Menzies is the Member of Parliament for Fylde.
The Prime Minister travelled to Scotland last week to set out the Conservative Party's case for the defence of the United Kingdom. As a Scottish MP serving an English constituency, I have a dual interest in this referendum: Scottish independence matters as much to my constituents as it does to my compatriots. David Cameron understands this and deserves credit for consistently supporting the Union out of conviction rather than convenience.
The referendum campaign will be a long one. It is currently focused on procedure rather than substance. As the SNP's vision for Scotland's future is examined from all angles on the political spectrum, I have no doubt that many swing voters will begin to question how much they have to gain from breaking away from the UK. Which single fault with devolution as it stands is so insurmountable that it requires closing the chapter on three hundred years of history? Do Scots really have more in common with Scandinavians than they do with the Northern English, Welsh or Northern Irish? Scottish people get this. A Scotland that votes for the SNP is a very different beast from a Scotland which votes for independence.
However, that does not mean that Unionists have any reason to be complacent. A strong cross-party campaign is required to represent all the different voices in favour of keeping the UK together. The recent 'No to AV' campaign, while not directly analogous, offers a useful example of how politicians can unite on issues of constitutional importance to defend what has been proven to work from populist whims.
All Unionists have an interest in defending the UK. It is natural that Scottish politicians, particularly those with Scottish seats, should play a leading role – but not an exclusive one. I would encourage all Members of Parliament, and especially those with experience of Scotland, to speak up in favour of the Union in order to demonstrate its strong non-partisan support.
Continue reading "Mark Menzies MP: In defence of the Union - a cause for common concern" »
February 24, 2012 in Mark Field MP, Mark Menzies MP | Permalink
Mark Field MP: The lynch mob's victory may be pyrrhic if RBS can't now attract the brightest and best
Mark Field is MP for the Cities of London and Westminster. Follow him on Twitter.
As MP for the City, I have never slavishly defended the level of rewards in financial services which are often disproportionate and, in the current climate of austerity, seen to many as ludicrously out of balance (click here). Nevertheless, the unedifying spectacle of politicians jumping on the banker-bashing bandwagon this weekend, suggests that most cannot resist pandering to the very worst instincts when it comes to debating the bonus awarded to Stephen Hester of RBS.
For sure, such opportunistic grandstanding may reflect the current mood of the general public (at least insofar as collective opinion can be gauged) but I firmly believe the role of politicians must be to lead public opinion rather than to play to the lynch mob mentality that has been whipped up by the media.
Stephen Hester was brought in as a trouble shooter to run RBS after it crashed. Given the mess left behind by Sir Fred Goodwin, and his handsome rewards for failure, it was understandable that Mr Hester might expect a remuneration package that would reflect the mighty challenge of dealing with an organisation that had previously posted Britain's largest ever corporate loss. As a result, the overall financial package was geared to attract someone of his calibre - indeed he had previously been Chief Executive of British Land on a financial package that dwarfed the sums currently the subject of such fierce controversy.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: The lynch mob's victory may be pyrrhic if RBS can't now attract the brightest and best" »
January 30, 2012 in Mark Field MP | Permalink
Mark Field MP: Vince Cable needs to focus on ending the rewards for executive failure
Mark Field is the MP for Cities of London and Westminster. Follow him on Twitter.
Like most Conservative MPs, only a few years ago I cannot imagine that I would have been open minded to the notion of government interference in the remuneration of privately owned companies. However, Vince Cable announced to parliament yesterday afternoon that the Coalition government will rapidly move towards legislating to give shareholders control over the 'excesses of capitalism' and clamp down on the 'rewards for failure'.
Perhaps more than any other, my own constituency, the Cities of London and Westminster, benefited from the boom. Yet I had noticed long before the crisis a growing sense of despair and resentment among hard working Londoners. To their surprise, many highly educated professionals working outside the gilded corridors of financial services had started to feel they were losing out, the growth of the City having merely increased the cost of living and reduced to a wistful dream any prospect of getting on the housing ladder. Having then to bail out the financial services sector, which had previously been so keen to keep regulation and government interference to a minimum, was met with disgust by this cohort. It has been a feeling replicated across many Western societies where stagnant incomes have been disguised by an expansion of debt.
What has emerged in the years since is a middle class revolt over the unequal rewards to labour and talent that has most recently coalesced around the issue of pay and bonuses.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Vince Cable needs to focus on ending the rewards for executive failure" »
Mark Field MP: We may be no nearer to solving this economic crisis
Mark Field is MP for Cities of London and Westminster.
So here we go again!
Yet another 'last chance saloon' Eurozone crisis conference. Maybe, just maybe, this Friday's summit will be the game changer that financial markets so earnestly desire.
In truth, I am still not convinced, in spite of coverage to the contrary, that Angela Merkel has the domestic political capital to drive forward fiscal union. Her electors may warm to the imposition of Germanic economic discipline on southern Europe, but the inflationary consequences of ECB money-printing provide a profound psychological road block. I also suspect her view of 'fiscal union' may be markedly different to that of Nicolas Sarkozy.
A brake on this headlong rush towards fiscal Eurozone union, however, may not be such a bad thing for the UK's national interest. It also stands to make life easier for the Coalition, which is already trying to finesse demands for holding a referendum insofar as these Eurozone developments necessitate the drawing up of a new EU treaty. A fiscal union amongst the seventeen Eurozone nations, even if created at a time of crisis, would almost certainly impose radical economic reform throughout the EU. The skirmishes between the UK and the Franco-German axis over the proposed financial transaction tax would be merely the foretaste to a long battle over London's pre-eminence in European financial markets.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: We may be no nearer to solving this economic crisis" »
December 07, 2011 in Mark Field MP | Permalink | Comments (7)
Mark Field MP: Instead of tinkering, it's time to think about promoting sectors of the economy with growth potential
Mark Field is the Member of Parliament for Cities of London and Westminster.
Recently at lunch in my constituency, I found myself seated next to a native partner from one of the two Chinese law firms now operating in London. During our conversation I made some passing reference to the 'global economic downturn'. This was greeted with a wry smile. 'Back home', he said, 'we call it the North Atlantic recession'.
What we so easily forget amidst the West's doom and gloom – where the Euro teeters, the United States drifts and the OBR's predictions of sub-optimal UK growth are widely considered optimistic – is that across much of Asia, Australasia, South America and Africa, economies are growing at a steady pace.
Thank goodness. For where there is growth, there is opportunity.
Unlike the 1930s when the global economy was shrinking, here in 2011 economic growth worldwide is likely to exceed 4%. Yet aside from a few vague nods to the desire to increase our exports, we still lack any overall strategic vision and message about the UK's role in the new world that unfolds before us now with frightening rapidity.
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Instead of tinkering, it's time to think about promoting sectors of the economy with growth potential" »
December 02, 2011 in Mark Field MP | Permalink | Comments (11)
Mark Field MP: Privatise Britain's roads
Mark Field MP is Conservative MP for Cities of London and Westminster.
The road network and public debt - on the face of it, two unrelated topics. One is an under-resourced, often ignored asset, vital to the social and economic well-being of the nation, as much of an essential service as other utilities such as the water, power and communications industries. Public debt meanwhile rises inexorably especially taking account of pensions and PFI liabilities – all in all it is potentially catastrophic to the UK's future prosperity.
Yet there might be a straightforward way in which transformation of the former could help put a significant dent in the latter.
Ask almost any of Britain's 34 million drivers and they will tell you a tale of woe about a recent road journey: the potholes, the congestion, the road works. They will also question how the long-standing lack of spending on roads (currently amounting to only £9 billion a year) can be squared with the huge amount of money the Chancellor collects in motoring related charges – around £48 billion from fuel duty, Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax.
There are few naïve enough to believe these taxes will ever be hypothecated and everything collected from drivers returned to maintaining and enhancing the roads, yet there are equally few who think the current arrangement is equitable. For all the talk of high speed rail and exorbitant train fares these are essentially side-shows to the big transport question of the day – how do we ensure adequate funding for the road network on which more than 90% of passenger miles, not to mention freight trips, take place in this country?
Continue reading "Mark Field MP: Privatise Britain's roads" »
October 20, 2011 in Mark Field MP | Permalink | Comments (64)
Mark Field MP: The vacuum of vision and leadership at the heart of Europe's economy
Conventional wisdom dictates that we are imminently reaching high noon for the Euro. The assumption then is that the single currency will either collapse or the Eurozone will be forced to move rapidly towards full fiscal union.
Recent experience suggests the road ahead may not be so straightforward, whatever assurances we hear about sorting things out 'within six weeks'. It is quite feasible that we shall experience many more months of tottering along from market crisis to emergency meeting to fully-fledged conference and half-hearted bailouts to weaker Euro economies. Indeed, provided – and it is becoming the overwhelmingly big 'if' in this whole saga – the global bond market remains stable then the cheap price of government debt provides little incentive to create a viable long-term structure for our ailing continent's economies. With the cost of borrowing this cheap why not continue to appease the Greeks, Portuguese et al? Let's just avoid the day of reckoning with yet another quarterly elastoplast 'solution'.
Purists may (rightly) bemoan that politics is being allowed to outweigh economic realities…for now. What is so dangerous about the utter lack of leadership or vision amongst Europe's leading politicians is that the longer this crisis continues the more private sector confidence drains away and global markets discount the entire region. More crucial still is the risk that the two distinct problems that face struggling European economies, solvency and liquidity, become conflated. The Greek issue is simply one of solvency – or more accurately insolvency. It must be allowed to default, from within the Eurozone. Their creditors (predominantly EU banks) will need to take a substantial haircut. They lent the money at attractive interest rates (implicitly recognising the risks) and must now take the consequences. Although perhaps having hedged their position, the banking fraternity can spread the burden by triggering the exercise of those notorious credit default swaps. The IMF will need to take control of the Greek economy and in all probability we shall need to be on alert if order breaks down as the pain of extreme economic austerity takes effect.
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September 26, 2011 in Mark Field MP | Permalink | Comments (16)
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Jung Corner: The Original Goth – German Expressionism, Nosferatu, and Film Noir
by cmpaton | 0 comments
The Centre of an Imaginative Whirlpool: Nosferatu and Weimar Culture – Part 1
The Original Goth – German Expressionism, Nosferatu, and Film Noir
"I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting." – Bram Stoker, Dracula
What were, if any, the cultural and psychological undercurrents in German Expressionism that expressed the dichotomy between the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler? In the years between World War I and II, from roughly 1919 to 1929, the fledging and the short-lived Weimar Republic in Germany witnessed an extraordinary flourishing of philosophy, arts, and sciences. According to Bollucks (2010), professor of English at UW-Milwaukee, the Weimar Republic was "remarkable for the way it emerged from a catastrophe, more remarkable for the way it vanished into a still greater catastrophe, the world of Weimar represents modernism in its most vivid manifestation" (Wikipedia, n. p.). In addition, some have termed the art movement at this time in Germany, German Expressionism. However, this movement was also evident throughout Europe.
Also, with such a thriving of art, science, and culture, how is it that a Hitler could have arisen in such a milieu? What were the cultural and psychological undercurrents in the collective unconscious that could account for such an apparent dichotomy? More specifically, what were the stated or unstated beliefs of blood and race that shaped the Weimar romantic imagination to produce the string of horror and noir films such as, The Cabinet of Dr. Cagliari, The Golem, Faust, Waxworks, and Nosteratu? How much were such works influenced by the fear of Eastern Europeans; Jews and gypsies in particular?
By Robert Wiene, director, died 1938; Rudolf Meinert, producer, died 1943; Erich Pommer, producer, died 1966; Hans Janowitz, writer, died 1954; Carl Mayer, writer, died 1944; Willy Hameister, Cinematographer, died 1938; – the movie Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26998065
Finally, and more broadly speaking, why have these fascinations persisted in our psyche and popular culture today? What are the whys, ways, and means of our need to produce monsters? Is there a repeated process, a technology of monster making; of monstrosity? Is this our need to project the alien "Other," or our shadow? Or is it, as Nelson (2001) posits in The Secret Life of Puppets, the only acceptable way of our rational, Enlightenment selves to allow the eruption and consumption of the supernatural:
The way larger mainstream culture, via works of imagination instead of official creeds, subscribes to a nonrational, supernatural, quasi-religious view of the universe: pervasively, but behind our own backs. Consuming art forms of the fantastic is only one way that we as nonbelievers allow ourselves, unconsciously to believe. (p. vii)
Are the gothic and fantasy genres our method of individuation; our preferred, acceptable method of integrating the rational and irrational? I believe that the answer to all of the above is, "yes" and these are the questions that I will explore in further depth.
By F.W. Murnau – screen capture around the 1hr 19min mark, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22848473
In a series of posts, I will show that by reflecting the themes of menace, Germany's romantic past, the recent humiliation of war, and the liminal space of dreams, fantasy and reality, F. W. Murnau's 1922 film, Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror) (2007) captures the unique historical imagination of the Weimar Republic and in turn reflects our continuing need for reconciling the zeitgeist of the times with the spirit of the depths. I will also examine the Dracula vampire phenomenon in later posts.
References (for the German Expressionism entire series)
Dawidziak, M. (2008). The bedside, bathtub, and armchair companion to Dracula. New York: Continuum.
Eliade, M. (1959). The sacred and the profane: The nature of religion. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
Eliade, M. (1961). Images and symbols: Studies in religious symbolism. New York: Sheed & Ward.
Elsaesser, T. (2000). Weimar cinema and after: Germany's historical imaginary. London: Routledge.
Gombrich, E. H. (1964). The Story of Art, By E.H. Gombrich. London: Phaidon Press.
Jung, C. G. (2009). The red book =: Liber novus. (S. Shamdasani, Ed.) New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
McDonald, B. (2010). Recreating the world: The sacred and the profane in Bram Stoker's Dracula. In J. Lynch, Critical insights Dracula by Bram Stoker (pp. 87-137). Pasadena, CA: Salem.
Moss, S. (1998). Bram Stoker and the Society for Psychical Research. In E. Miller, Dracula: The shade and the shadow (pp. 82-92). Trowbridge: Desert Island Books.
Murnau, F. W. (Director). (2007). Nosferatu [Motion Picture]. Kino International Corporation.
Nelson, V. (2001). The secret life of puppets. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
Roberts, I. (2008). German expressionist cinema: The world of light and shadow. London: Wallflower Press.
Stoker. (1997). Dracula: Authoritative text, contexts, reviews and reactions, dramatic and film variations, criticism. (N. Auerbach, & D. J. Skal, Eds.) New York: W. W. Norton.
Stoker, B. (2009). Bram Stoker's Dracula: A documentary journey into vampire country and the Dracula phenomenon. (E. Miller, Ed.) New York: Pegasus Books.
Wikipedia. (2010). Weimar Culture. Retrieved 12 4, 2010, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimar_culture
Carla Paton, Writer, Depth Psychologist, PhD-c
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My Eunos V-special suffered from what is a very common issue on these cars, i.e. worn leather seats, the driver's being particularly bad. It showed quite heavy cracking on the seat base and side cushions, some scuffing and the usual 'hole' where the leather had worn through on the back bolster after 110,000 miles of being rubbed as people got in and out. They also were generally a bit grubby looking, the leather was also very hard and 'biscuity', not at all soft and they showed signs of having been painted in the past. Fairly typical in fact!
I didn't want to go to the expense of recovering and had seen tired leather rejuvenated in magazines and on Wheeler Dealers, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I got 2 kits - one from Furniture Clinic http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leather_Repair_Kit.php to fill the cracks and repair the hole and another from Gliptone to clean / condition and recolour the seat. This was one of their Scuffmaster kits http://www.liquidleather.com/scuffs.htm. There seemed to be quite a lot of good press out there for the Gliptone one and Furniture Clinic didn't seem to offer a matching colour off the shelf.
Gliptone has an extensive colour including database including the '5 - apparently there are several shades of Tan Mazda used - I went for 'Common MX5 Tan' so called because that's the one they get most samples for. A perfect match for mine. They will colour match exactly if you send them a sample of the leather.
The Gliptone kit comes with a leather cleaner, conditioner, solvent cleaner, cloths, a nail brush, gloss enhancer to add shine to the dye if that's your thing and the dye itself. I bought the 500ml version and found that I used about half to do both my seats. It can do vinyl too apparently but not where there is likely to be wear, so it'd probably be OK for the door cards.
First step is to clean and condition the leather. The seats really need to be removed from the car. To do this, slide the seat back as far as it will go and prise off the plastic caps at the front of the seat runners to reveal the 14mm bolts. Undo and remove these - they may be a bit tight, but be careful - they apparently love to round off so it is generally recommended to use a hex socket rather than a 12-point type to reduce the risk of this happening. Slide the seat forward and tackle the 2 at the back. The seat can then lift out, best with the roof down to give you room to manoeuvre and make it less likely to take chunks out of your '5 with the seat runners.
These are mine as they came out, and a close up showing typical wear.
If your seats have already got some leather paint or similar on them, you've got to clean this off first. You'll need some standard cellulose thinners and some rags and I'd suggest a decent respirator / mask too, unless you particularly want to be away with the fairies after cleaning for a bit…. You'll also want to do this in the open or at the front of an open garage.
I found the best technique was to work on a small area at a time, wipe over with thinners, then attack it with the cloth with more thinners, giving it a good scrub, changing the cloth frequently.
Next step is to attack it with the Gliptone cleaner, you put this on with the nail brush in the kit, wipe it on and swirl it around, leave it a few minutes then swirl again. It says don't scrub; I couldn't resist. The world didn't end. Wipe this off with a damp cloth rinsed frequently.
The cleaner also has glycerine in it which apparently starts the conditioning process. Next it is the leather conditioner. Wipe this on with the supplied cloth and leave it to be absorbed. I found I had to do mine several times over a period of 2 - 3 days, leaving it hours between each coat as they were so dry and hard. It leaves a residue which will need wiping off if you need to use the seats in that time.
The seats softened up remarkably becoming really quite supple, so it is definitely worth doing.
They've then got to be cleaned again with the cleaner, same process as before.
On the crack on the seat base (which was actually a split in the centre) i used some of the supplied repair backing fabric. Cut a piece larger than the hole / split and work it under the existing leather using in the tweezers supplied. When you are happy, you can add some of the leather glue to this to stick the backing in place. This is heat activated, so you'll need a hairdryer to heat it up to get it to stick. You can then fill the crack with the filler.
I did the same with the hole in the bolster, first trimming off the leather around the hole with the scalpel in the kit to get a clean edge. I tried filling this, but after the dye was applied I didn't think it looked great, so later cut the area out around the hold completely and stuck a small leather patch in place, on top of the backing, blending it in with the filler.
OK, final stage - apply the dye. You can do this with a brush, small roller or spray gun. Gliptone will sell you a little airbrush style spray unit with a can of propellant gas. I already had a similar airbrush and mini compressor, so used that.
First step is to clean the leather again with the supplied solvent cleaner to remove all traces of grease, otherwise the dye won't adhere properly and may rub off - and if you've conditioned it lots it will be greasy.
Next apply some neat dye into the cracks and damaged areas, using either a cloth or something like a cotton bud. Then you can move on to colouring the whole seat - make sure each coat of dye is properly dry before applying the next, or again it may come off. Each coat needs to bind to a properly dry previous coat.. Help it along with your hair dryer if you like! I did the spraying indoors in a warmish conservatory which helped.
If spraying, you'll need to filter the dye to make sure there's nothing that could block the spray gear Dilute the dye with about 20% water (even if not spraying I'd suggest, its thick stuff) and away you go. As always, the trick is many light coats, not few thick ones, and make sure it is dry before applying the next coat!
I did about 6 - 7 coats I think on mine and am very happy with the results!
Bolt the seats back in (the runners have alignment pegs at the front to help it all line up) and torque the bolts up to 44Nm and the job's a good un!