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Household Registration System Influence on Migration
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Household Registration System
Even though today it is considered to be a very controversial topic, the household registration (hukou) system was inevitable in China. Population registration was necessary, because the country could not afford to offer the social benefits to those who were not in the danwei (work unit) system, and cities could not hold too many people without having social and political upheavals. "In the years immediately after 1949 and during the first Five Year Plan in 1953, peasants flocked to the cities, heeding the call to help in reconstruction and industrialization of economy" [1]. Implemented in the late 1950s by the Chinese Communist Party, the household registration system was a result of command economy and therefore benefited China in numerous ways, but has been obstructing many people ever since. It led to the country having an officially acknowledged divisive socioeconomic structure and three castes of society. Although the system was created for the purpose of "tracking down" the changes of figures of population, it has also influenced the internal migration in China in many ways. This article will look into how the household registration (hukou) system influenced China's rural-to-urban migration and what effects it had on China's social and urban development.
Introduction of the Hukou System
The most obvious effect on rural-to-urban migration was also the main goal of the hukou system – the undesirable migratory flows were tightly controlled and almost stopped for several decades. When farmers were made to sell grains for the government at artificially low prices, it was essential to keep them tied to the land: "the purpose was not merely to monitor population movements, but to anchor people to their native places, and – in particular – to prevent unauthorised movement from the countryside to the city" [2]. "By 1957, the problem of 'blind influx' into China's cities finally brought the intervention of the highest bodies of Party and state, with the Central Committee and the State Council issuing a joint directive exhorting tighter controls over migrants" [3]. As a result, in January 1958, the National People's Congress passed "more specific regulations intended to put a stop to unauthorised population movements" [4]. People were provided a 'household registration booklet', which established a sort of legal identity. The key distinction has been "nongye hukou" (agricultural household status) and "feinongye hukou" (non-agricultural household status). Since the implementation of the household registration system, it became practically impossible to leave the countryside, and internal rural-to-urban migration in China almost ceased to exist.
The newly established hukou system worked in a way so that any kind of migration was strictly controlled, as changing one's hukou status was extremely difficult. "Individuals could move voluntarily downward (to a smaller city or to a rural place) or horizontally (as when rural brides moved into the homes and villages of their grooms), but not upward" [5]. Permission to migrate upwards was only granted if a person obtained approvals from both origin and destination governments, which happened in relatively rare and special situations, for example, "admission to an urban university, service in and then demobilization from the army as an officer, or in a situation in which an urban factory had taken over rural land for plant expansion" [6]. But such cases were very rare for people living in villages: "in one village in Guangdong, on average only one man was able to change to urban registration every five years. Among women, this was only one every fifty years" [7]. All of the restrictions meant that while cities were officially out of reach for rural people, internal migration could still exist and "free", even if limited, movement was available to all.
Separation between Rural and Urban Citizens
The household registration system resulted in some 700–800 million people in effect treated as second-class citizens, deprived of the opportunity to settle legally in cities and of access to most of the basic welfare and state-provided services enjoyed by regular urban residents [8], which lead China to de-urbanise. The main legal differences between benefits provided by non-agricultural hukou status were as follows: social insurance (tax and benefit levels differ, so does the access to benefits), local services (access to education, housing and healthcare, rationed food coupons), property rights (allocated housing) and job restrictions (allocated jobs) [9]. As only the non-agricultural hukou status holders had the access to the benefits listed, it meant that agricultural hukou holders could not survive in cities. Hence, once so pursued life in urban areas now meant having no means to obtain food or shelter, or even earn money to purchase mentioned necessities (even if food or land markets had existed, which they did not). This lead to something never seen before: as all developing countries were slowly expanding their urban societies, "between the end of the 1950s and 1978, China de-urbanised" [10], as we can see in figure 1:
Figure 1: Urban share of total population
The data in the chart portrays the most important effect of the hukou system: the internal migration to cities was stopped and the urban share of the population declined by more than two percentage points. This proves that the plan to reduce urban population worked almost flawlessly in the first few years from its implementation.
Although the costs of changing one's status were high, there continued to be a very high level of undocumented migration in China. During the years of the Great Leap Forward and the famine that followed, having a non-agricultural hukou status was a ticket to life. As millions of people did not have the possibility to change their household registration status, they decided to try their luck illegally moving to cities, even though they had to face lots of hardships: illegal labour was poorly-paid and migrants had to rely on their family members back in the villages for grain (in addition, even though officially outlawed as dangerous vestiges of capitalism, there were also black markets in cities). The Chinese government was happy with the "perfectly running" plan, but in reality, there was a fairly intense movement happening behind their backs: "in addition to the estimated 30 million who migrated to the cities during the Great Leap Forward (20 million of whom were forcibly returned), an estimated 4 million voluntarily migrated during the first two years of the Cultural Revolution when state control was relatively weak" [11]. Therefore it can be stated that, even though the hukou system made internal migration much harder, the phenomenon of rural-to-urban migration itself never stopped existing.
Hukou System Reformed
As the household registration system was changed and restrictions relaxed within the years, the third caste appeared in society. In 1978, when the opening reforms began, the Chinese officials eventually realised they needed more labour force to continue the process of intensive industrialisation. Within the years that followed, more and more rural hukou holders were taken to the cities for manual labour, which meant that the household registration system needed to be relaxed. "From 1979 to 1995 the nonagricultural hukou population grew at an average of 7.8 million per year, or 3.7%, compared to an average of 2.5 million or 1.9% per year in the period between 1963 and 1978" [12]. When analysing the causes of this change, it is worth noting that the Chinese government was not the main initiator of liberalisations. The government was responding and adapting to the situation that was already changing from the ground, the massive flows of people trying to get into cities. During the 1960s and 1970s, especially after Mao's 1968 order, about 17 million urban youth were sent "up to the mountains and down to the villages". But when around 1975 they began coming back from the villages, "article 90, guaranteeing freedom of movement, was removed from the new constitution of the PRC" [13]. The educated youth did not give up, and won the battle against the CCP: "after the Party's Third Plenum of 1978, the returned youths petitioned the authorities to restore urban residential rights, putting up posters, organizing demonstrations and sit-ins, and disrupting rail traffic. In 1979, the great majority were allowed to return to their home cities or at least restored to "non-agricultural" status in local towns in a brilliant example of successful resistance to the state by a well-organized and determined group" [14].
Another reason why the Chinese government loosened the measures of the urban growth control was a "growing rural prosperity arising directly from the decision to abolish the collective system of rural work and remuneration" [15]. Together with these masses of (no longer young) returned city dwellers, more and more rural people were seeking jobs in the construction trades in urban areas. Cities' governments took many of them in as cheap labour force and gave temporary non-agricultural household registration statuses, but did not provide any of the social benefits that were offered to urban hukou holders. Therefore, it is worth noting that the relaxations of the household registration system created a third caste in the Chinese society; in addition to rural residents and urban hukou holders, rural-urban migrants appeared, also called the "floating population". As the intermediate caste in this conception, migrants were having access to many more opportunities than the rural kin they had left behind. However, on many different fronts they were subject to inferior treatment and discrimination by both urban hukou holders and urban authorities, no matter how long they had been a de facto urban resident [16]. Despite being employed in urban areas, migrants have been vulnerable to police arrest, physical abuse, detention, and deportation to their native village, especially if they were unable to present proof of at least temporary urban registration.
This situation changed a little in 1985, when a new law introduced temporary residence permits (zanzhuzheng) that legalised the status of rural migrants in cities. The main requirements to obtain the right to live in cities were that the migrants "must either run businesses or be employed in enterprises, and have own accommodations in market towns. They must also self-provide their own food grain" [17]. After that, town and city governments realised that selling permanent hukou to those that could afford it was a good source of income: "One of the first towns to do so, Laian, in Anhui, sold 773 permits at 5,000 yuan apiece in just six days" [18]. Figure 2 shows how the number of the so-called "floating migrants" increased from 1985 to 2000:
Figure 2: Growth of the intercounty floating population in China
Starting with only 7 million floating residents in 1982, by 2000 the number of temporary migrants reached almost 80 million. "Generally, the size of the rural migrant labor grew from about 50-60 million in the early 1990s to exceed 100 million in the early years of this century. In 2009, the figure was close to 150 million" [19]. This means that the rapid increase continues to this day and the number of floating migrants has multiplied more than 20 times from 1982 to 2009. The figures prove that in general, the population has been more mobile in the reform era than ever before.
The Real Effect of the Hukou System
But what did having a chance to move again mean? The hukou system started to indirectly promote pursuing a life in urban areas, because before the household registration system, not only the population could move freely, but one's social status remained untouched. After the implementation of hukou system, being able to change location meant being inferior to the local people, and having no social benefits: "Since fewer than 3 percent can afford health insurance, most avoid medical care altogether. City judges often impose harsher sentences on rural migrants, and employers frequently withhold wages, knowing undocumented workers cannot complain to police without risking exposure" [20]. The two-caste society that was created had not only socioeconomic effects on migration, but also psychological ones. Some 260 million Chinese migrants — about 20 percent of China's total population — live as second-class citizens in their adopted cities [21].
The line, or as Southern Weekend newspaper called it, the "electric fence" [22] that originally separated agricultural and non-agricultural hukou status holders, now "effectively lies between official residents of the largest, most prosperous and desirable cities and all others" [23]. The two-tiered society that was a result of the household registration system now enthrones urban status and makes it an ultimate goal for millions of rural residents, who put all their effort in order to obtain the benefits only available to "urbanities" if not for themselves, then at least for their children. By not providing equal rights to all urban citizens, hukou restrictions indirectly promote migration and striving for a legal status that ensures less dangerous job with a better wage, a pension, and healthcare provided by the employer [24] [25]. People's rights are being violated – for example, in 2000 over three-quarters of all child-birth deaths in Canton were of migrant women [26], as their admission to the hospitals was refused. As there are greater chances to earn enough money to afford healthcare and other necessities in cities rather than in rural areas, it can be stated that household registration system drives massive crowds of (especially young) people to cities to try and seek for a better life, and therefore promotes China's internal migration.
Another thing the household registration system (together with the wave of migration that came with it) influenced, was urbanisation. Some areas, especially those on the coastline, grew so much that their demographic profiles were affected. From a relatively small town some cities grew into metropolises in just a couple of years, all thanks to rural migrants, who in some places take up a bigger share of population than the locals (see Figure 3):
Figure 3: Hukou Status by Category (in %).
The data shows that by 1990 in some industrial regions there were more agricultural hukou status holders than local citizens. "Rural–urban migration turns out to be the dominant source of Chinese urban growth in 1978–1999. In the two decades since 1978, about 174 million people (more than total population of many large countries in 1998, such as Brazil with 166 million and Russia with 147 million) have moved from rural areas to cities, creating the history's largest flow of migration in the world" [27]. This has led to cities expanding and China rapidly urbanising, even though most urban residents live in poverty and do not have many legal rights.
To summarise, the household registration system could not be avoided in a country such as China, because cities could not hold and provide for too many people. For some time the hukou system stopped internal migration to cities, but since the rural areas were facing hardships and even famine, illegal migration continued to exist. Eventually, after the opening reforms, the household registration system was relaxed. Even though this resulted in getting many people out of poverty, equal rights and social benefits are still not provided for millions of Chinese residents, and it is becoming more and more of a problem. Having the right to live in a city does not mean one is equal to those with an approved registration status, and the hukou system influences migration in a way that it develops desire of people to be in the better caste, which results in many people at least attempting to migrate and succeed in cities. Therefore, it can be said that the hukou system is a vicious circle, helping the country economically but dragging it down in terms of social equality.
Written by: Greta Oss
Edited by: Monika Dvirnaitė
Atlaslin: Hukou certificate of P.R.C.
Charlie fong: 2009 Chunyun period,Beijing West Railway Station,China
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Author: Greta Oss
Her love for Chinese language and culture led her to Chinese Studies and soon enough the university in England was replaced by one in China - that was the start of the never ending adventurous journey through East Asian history, culture, politics, economy and languages.
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Sally Hull, Neil Ashman and Gavin Dreyer
British Journal of General Practice 2021; 71 (702): 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp21X714389
Sally Hull
Queen Mary University of London, London. Email:
Roles: Reader in Primary Care
For correspondence: s.a.hull@qmul.ac.uk
Neil Ashman
Barts Health NHS Trust, London.
Roles: Consultant Nephrologist
Gavin Dreyer
All letters are subject to editing and may be shortened. General letters can be sent to bjgpdisc{at}rcgp.org.uk (please include your postal address for publication), and letters responding directly to BJGP articles can be submitted online via eLetters. We regret we cannot notify authors regarding publication.
For submission instructions visit: bjgp.org/letters
Molokhia et al1 report on chronic kidney disease (CKD) coding in primary care records in a multi-ethnic area of South London, demonstrating lower rates in all ethnic minority groups compared with the white population, which contributes to health inequalities. They also confirm the findings based on the National Chronic Kidney Disease audit2,3 that absence of CKD coding is associated with worse outcomes for blood pressure management and statin prescribing, and is associated with a greater burden of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescribing.
However, their study was based on a primary care dataset from 2013. Is it possible that Lambeth practices have improved coding rates since then? In East London there were similar low rates of CKD coding prior to 2015, when a quality improvement project promoting coding for CKD as part of a community renal service was introduced.
We combined feedback to practices, using quarterly dashboards to show performance relative to others, and engaged with the clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to include CKD coding in Local Enhanced Services contracts. Over a 2-year period we showed a sustained rise in CKD coding to >85% across all the CCGs involved in the programme.4
Table 1 shows the dashboard for Newham CCG (with 7822 CKD cases) from July 2020. It illustrates the high rates of coding across all age bands and all ethnic groups, with the highest recording rates in black African and black Caribbean. Results are similar across all participating CCGs.
Newham CCG dashboard, July 2020
This demonstrates the effectiveness of quality improvement programmes, which can improve the reach of effective interventions and decrease the corrosive effects of health inequalities.
There are further improvements to be made in East London — particularly in the offer of statins to younger people with CKD and improving BP control in those with both diabetes and CKD.
Using the opportunities to work across sectors and incentivise primary care in this way can reduce the impact of cardiovascular and end-stage kidney disease for those ethnic minorities at greatest risk.
Molokhia M,
Okoli GN,
Redmond P,
(2020) Uncoded chronic kidney disease in primary care: a cross-sectional study of inequalities and cardiovascular disease risk management. Br J Gen Pract, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X713105.
Nitsch D,
Caplin B,
Hull SA,
(2017) National Chronic Kidney Disease Audit: national report (Part 1) (Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, London) www.lshtm.ac.uk/files/ckd_audit_report.pdf (accessed 8 Dec 2020).
Kim LG,
Cleary F,
Wheeler DC,
(2018) How do primary care doctors in England and Wales code and manage people with chronic kidney disease? Results from the National Chronic Kidney Disease Audit. Nephrol Dial Transplant 33, 8, 1373–1379.
Rajabzadeh V,
Thomas N,
(2019) Improving coding and primary care management for patients with chronic kidney disease: an observational controlled study in East London. Br J Gen Pract, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X704105.
You are going to email the following Inequalities in CKD management can be overcome
Sally Hull, Neil Ashman, Gavin Dreyer
British Journal of General Practice 2021; 71 (702): 12. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp21X714389

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ran across this big guy on the back road next to the barn and creek. My horse Montana started to run up the hill until he spotted this strange creature and then he put on his brakes as soon as he saw this guy. I am sure glad he didn't put his nose down to check this eastern snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) out or it could have ended very badly because this was one big snapping turtle. Did you know a snapping turtle can live 30 to 40 years and weigh as much as 45 pounds? This one was probably around 15 to 20 pounds.
Wordless Wednesday - What caption would you add to these two photos?
I can't even think of a caption!
We can't think of a caption either! He sure is old looking!
That is one large turtle! Can you imagine running into a 45 pounder??
OMG You scared me lol. That is not the dog I was expecting when I clicked Wordless Wednesday!


It is a copy of a vintage textual content optimised for kindle units. we've endeavoured to create this model as on the subject of the unique artefact as attainable. even though sometimes there is yes imperfections with those previous texts, we think they should be made on hand for destiny generations to take pleasure in.


There's been a great disturbance in the force as the directors helming next year's Han Solo "Star Wars" spin-off film are no longer attached to the movie.
"Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it's become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we've decided to part ways. A new director will be announced soon," said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, in a prepared statement.
The pair directed the popular "The LEGO Movie" along with "21 Jump Street" and have been attached to the Han Solo film for nearly two years, with production considerably underway already for several months.
As of yet, the Han Solo movie's release date of May 25, 2018 remains. No new director has been named.


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Afghan central bank branch staff raid their own bank and flee
By M Rochan
Updated February 21, 2015 13:48 GMT
Bank workers in southern Afghanistan have reportedly escaped with about 81m Afghanis (£909,238, €1.2m, $1.4m) after robbing their own branch.
Security cameras at the branch of Afghanistan's central bank in Kandahar showed its vault had been cleaned out, but investigators were waiting to gain access before confirming the total missing, according to regional director Fazel Ahmad Azimi.
The group had removed CCTV recordings before fleeing to Pakistan, Azimi said, but investigators were hopeful that footage could be recovered from the cameras' memory chips.
The Kandahar raid is thought to have been carried out by a senior official at the bank, an employee of nine years, with the help of his son and brother-in-law who were also on the rolls, according to Azimi.
The robbery at the branch in Spin Boldak, near the border with Pakistan, was discovered on 19 February, according to Reuters.
Last year, an international financial watchdog threatened to place Afghanistan on a blacklist and has since warned that Kabul needs to do more to enforce laws to regulate its banking sector.
Weak regulation dents confidence in Afghanistan's fragile banking system, which is still recovering from a 2010 scandal over a bank that failed, triggering a financial crisis.
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter arrives in Kabul to review Afghan situation
Afghan Taliban kill 22 officers in attack on provincial police HQ
Afghanistan: 20 police officers killed in suicide attack in Logar capital Pul-i-Alam
Helmand: Isis Afghan deputy commander \'killed in US drone strike\'
Secret SAS \'Death Star\' squadron killed or captured thousands of insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan
Afghanistan World Cup 2015 profile: Asian side will be looking to create upset in their first appearance
\'War on Terror\' has cost US a whopping $1.7tn until now


The garden is furnished for outside enjoyment and entertaining. There is a scented herb garden where you can rediscover forgotten perfumes.
Immersed in the shade of an ancient mulberry (Il gelso bianco).
or even relaxing at the famous hot springs.


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Tony Chen Lin
The Tasman Ensemble
Tony's Photography
Pianist Tony Chen Lin's debut CD for Rattle a must-hear…
Middle C
CD Review: DIGRESSIONS
Review: Peter Mechen
My first encounter with Tony Chen Lin was in 2008 at Kerikeri's International Piano Competition, in which he was awarded what I've always regarded as a "too close to call" second place to his friend Jun Bouterey-Ishido. Since then I've heard each of them some years afterwards give separate recitals in Wellington; and while appreciating the unique excellence of each, I'm still unable to pronounce either of them the other's superior. Most recently I heard Lin perform at St.Andrew's, which was less than a couple of years ago, in September of 2016 (the review can be read at the following link – http://middle-c.org/2016/09/tony-chen-lin-piano-evocations-visions-and-premonitions-in-st-andrews/ ), and two of the items he presented on that occasion are now included on this, his first CD, appearing on the Rattle Records label.
The CD's overall title "Digressions" is borrowed from one of these two pieces, in fact Lin's own composition. As its subtitle Meditation on R.S. suggests, the piece is a kind of reflection on Robert Schumann's Humoreske, the work that concludes this recording's programme. The opening tones of Lin's piece seemed conjured out of the air, with occasional "impulses of delight" enlivening the self-communing character of the whole, the lines becoming more and more declamatory and detailed to a point where the music seems to turn in on itself and exclaim "Now, what was that work I was going to play? – ah, yes!…." – and from the resonances, the opening notes of the Schumann sound, in haunting accord with the pianist's musings.
Before this, however, the disc's contents take us well-and-truly to "other realms" (as Schumann was fond of saying), in the form of music firstly by Bartok and then JS Bach, the latter's French Suite No. 5 in D Major being the "other" work previously performed at the 2016 St.Andrew's recital. One might think that the Bach piece, with its supremely ordered sensibilities, would make an excellent "starter" to any concert – however, we're instead galvanised in a completely different way at the outset by one of Bartok's pieces. In Lin's hands, the composer's 1926 Sonata makes an arresting beginning, with its hammered repeated notes and three-note ascending motif, the whole peppered with irregular phrases and brusque punctuations. Amongst these, Lin still manages to find moments of light and shade, as well as in places giving the rhythms a disconcertingly irregular (almost "dotted") pulse, creating a somewhat precarious, even "slightly tipsy", effect, and adding to the droll humour. A sudden headlong sprint and a whiplash glissando, and the movement brusquely takes its leave.
Like some Dr.Coppelius-like clock, tolling bell sounds usher in the second movement, the piano's repeated chords augmented by an insistently anguished single right-hand note, Lin's clean, steady playing allowing the grim austerity of the scenario its full effect. Though this "tolling bell" rhythm persists throughout, Bartok creates whole worlds of cumulative angst and desolation over the widest possible range of colour and dynamics – a particularly magical moment in Lin's performance sounds at 4'01", with the constant stepwise rhythm suddenly hushed, almost sinister, as the right hand's spaced-out pinpricks of light flicker disconsolately through the gloom.
The "rondo with variations" third movement features a pentatonic melody given all kinds of different rustic-like treatment, with songs and dances, fiddles and flutes, in the midst of great merriment and energetic spirits. Lin evokes all of these strands of colour and timbre with seemingly indefatigable energy, by turns invigorating and startling our sensibilities with his playing's strength, flexibility and incisiveness. Throughout he's served by a recording which reproduces every contour, scintillation and whisper, making for listeners as much a properly visceral as a musical experience.
After this, the music of JS Bach evokes a somewhat different world, though, as with Bartok's work, Bach's forms often incorporated dance styles and rhythms familiar to his contemporaries. The French Suites, for example, contain examples of well-known forms such as Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue, along with other dances such as the Gavotte, the Minuet and the Bouree, both courtly and rustic in origin. To my ears, Tony Lin's treatment of these pieces open them all up to sunlight and fresh air – the opening Allemande moves directly and assuredly along a trajectory whose modulations go with the terrain, registering both impulse and reflection along the journey, though without impeding the flow, Lin animating the repeats in what sound like entirely natural and spontaneous ways, compelling my attention with every bar. How joyously the Courante leaps forward from all constraints, its canon-like voicings in places between the hands bubbling with energy and humour – and , in response, how dignified and visionary seems the stately Sarabande, the pianist's way with repeats illustrating Lin's ability to create time and space within the realms of a steadily-moving pulse.
I loved how the music seemed to then pick up its skirts/coat-tails for the Gavotte, and trip insouciantly through its paces, the pianist's lightness of touch never descending to any kind of "pecking" or jabbing at the music. The engagingly garrulous Bouree acted as the perfect foil for the succeeding Loure, with its sedate, but teasingly-patterned 6/4 rhythms, so very flexibly voiced. And in conclusion, the Gigue danced its way through the soundscape, Lin making something wide-eyed and wondrous of the inversions of the theme in the dance's second half – a performance which so warm-heartedly brought out the music's life-enhancing character for one's listening pleasure.
Once the brief though enraptured musings of Lin's own "Digressions" had prepared the way, I was more than ready for Schumann's Humoreske. The composer meant the title not as "humour" in the accepted sense of the word, but as a kind of portrayal of the contradictory and volatile nature of the human condition. Lin's playing gives the opening a beautifully thought-borne quality, something seemingly to exist both "in the air" and within the realms of the listener's imagination, at once elusive and all-encompassing in its poetic effect – the composer's "rhapsodising" about his Clara, and his expressions of love for her here given poignant utterance, obviously somewhere between the "laughing and crying" confessed to by Schumann in a letter to his beloved. At the beginning, the way the melody seems to be "revealed" as if already mid-course is beautifully brought about by the pianist, as is the spontaneous leap-forward of the quicker material, the left hand's accompanying figurations allowed some tripping, angular quality, imparting a character of their own in tandem with the right-hand's melody, the effect boyish and engaging! After the extended dotted-rhythm section quixotically dances through fanciful modulations, Lin masterfully eases the music back through its journeyings, returning to the first of the quicker episodes, and then, magically, dissolving such energies into the opening, as if the song we heard at the outset had been meanwhile singing to itself while awaiting our return.
Further fancy awaits the listener in the inspirational, often volatile second movement, during which succeeding moods appearing to "cancel each other out" with breathtaking rapidity. Lin's traversal of the music is remarkable for its chameleon-like aspect, its ability to "go with" whatever impulse the composer's fancy follows, while constantly keeping in mind something of what Schumann called an Innere Stimme or "inner voice" (a quality he also referred to concerning his Op. 17 C-Major Fantasie). So while Lin rings all the composer's seemingly random changes of momentum and mood, he keeps us close to the music's spirit with an all-pervading concentration on some unspoken and indefinable, but palpable "centre" around which all the "humours" revolve.
By comparison, the third piece, Einfach und zart (Simple and delicate) seems straightforward enough, interpretatively, a poetic opening, with a contrasting Intermezzo – rapid semiquaver figurations, including right-hand octaves at one point so as to set the pianist's pulses racing! Here, the notes tumbled over one another jovially, Lin's playing giving the octave passages a kind of fierce joy in their unbridled energies, before returning to the simple lyricism of the beginning. The Innig
(Heartfelt) section is here delivered by the pianist with a born poet's sensibility, and the energetic Sehr lebhaft which followed then works up a proper head of steam as to convince us of the music's inevitable "shower of brilliance" summation in Lin's hands, only to suddenly (and characteristically) transform into a portentous march!
All the listener can do is gape in astonishment and "go" with the strains of the music as it struts into yet another realm of expressive possibility, muttering to itself as it fades into the following Zum Beschluss, one of the composer's beautiful "epilogue-like" valedictions, an extended amalgam of song and recitative, here, as with so much else along this journey of Lin's, most eloquently expressed. It remains for a series of swirling chromatically step-wise descents to rudely awaken one's imaginings from this final reverie for a "return to life", leaving this listener with "What a journey, and what a guide!" kinds of reactions! – Tony Lin's ever-spontaneous and boldly adventurous playing seems to me to have most assuredly penetrated the spirit of the composer's most fanciful, yet deeply-felt outpourings. In all, it's a disc well worth seeking out and hearing... Link
« Otago Daily Times CD Review: DIGRESSIONS
Powerful pianism and soulful singing from Tony Chen Lin in Whangarei »
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You want a new website that looks great and works wonderfully. But, you're a little skeptical of the web design process. You've heard horror stories about projects dragging on, unfinished sites, and hidden charges. You know you need a new website, but you don't want to deal with one or any of those issues.
Tip 1: Establish a relationship in order to get the best results.
In order to get the best web design out of your design team, you need to treat the process like a relationship, not a business transaction.
While it may technically be a business transaction (you are paying for a service, after all), the project will stay on track better and will more likely exceed your expectations if you treat it like a relationship.
When both you and the design team are approaching the project this way, you'll find working together much easier. During your first conversations, get to know each other. If you allow the design team to get to know your business and your goals, they'll produce better work. And, if you get to know the design team, you'll be able to give them the information they're looking for to help build out a web design strategy for you.
Tip 2: Talk about timelines to keep the project goals realistic.
No one likes to talk about due dates and timelines, but during a web design project, timelines are the glue holding everything together. Without timelines, the project may go on and on and on.
Timelines, though, aren't just for your design team. They're for you as well.
That's right. Inevitably, you'll be providing information that impacts the website design. From content to web addresses for links, your design team will be looking at you for information and direction from time to time.
Establishing timelines early on in the web design process will help you and the design team know when things are due and what the expectations are from the get go.
Tip 3: Check in on the project to make sure things are still going according to plan.
If it's been awhile since you've heard from the design team, feel free to check in on the project.
The bigger issue here is taking this tip to the extreme. If you're checking in every day or every hour, then you're going too far and most likely stressing out the designers working on your web design.
If you don't ever check in, then you might be sending a message that you just don't care about the project.
Find a happy medium. Check in to see if you can provide any information. Ask if there is anything you can review. Find out if anything is missing. And finally, don't be afraid to ask about the progress being made.
Again, you don't want to ask about the progress of your web design project every day, but asking about it every once in awhile will show you really do care and that you are invested in the project.
Tip 4: Keep an open mind during the process, so the designer has freedom to create.
Your business is important to you. You've spent a lot of time and money building it from the ground up. Your design team knows that. They aren't trying to bring your business crumbling down.
In fact, they're trying to do the opposite.
Often times, the thing that really holds up the web design process is the client and design team not being open about each other's ideas.
You have ideas. The designers have ideas. When you follow the other three tips, the fourth tip naturally falls into place. Allowing yourself and your design team to both bring ideas to the table will result in the best design for your business.
It's crucial to the overall success of your business to keep an open mind. If you don't like what the design team comes up with, don't just flail your arms in the air and run away. Explain what you don't like and why. Then, allow them the opportunity to adjust their designs.
Web design is a process.
Here's the deal, web design isn't done in a single day. It's a process that takes time. Working with designers doesn't need to be complicated. When you and the designers come together, you can create a site that not only looks great, but helps you grow and scale your business.
If you're ready to work with a design team that keeps your needs at the forefront of every project while delivering a website that looks beautiful and drives traffic, then contact the Iconic Digital team today.


text:
Q: How do I prevent pandas from recasting my integer values to floats? I am merging two CSV files with input below.
file1.csv
Id,attr1,attr2,attr3
1,True,7,"Purple"
2,False,19.8,"Cucumber"
3,False,-0.5,"A string with a comma, because it has one"
4,True,2,"Nope"
5,True,4.0,"Tuesday"
6,False,1,"Failure"

file2.csv
Id,attr4,attr5,attr6
2,"python",500000.12,False
5,"program",3,True
3,"Another string",-5,False

When I run this code
import pandas as pd
df1 = pd.read_csv("file1.csv")
df2 = pd.read_csv("file2.csv")
merged = df1.merge(df2, on="Id", how="outer").fillna("")
merged.to_csv("merged.csv", index=False)

I get output like this
Id,attr1,attr2,attr3,attr4,attr5,attr6
1,True,7.0,Purple,,,
2,False,19.8,Cucumber,python,500000.12,False
3,False,-0.5,"A string with a comma, because it has one",Another string,-5.0,False
4,True,2.0,Nope,,,
5,True,4.0,Tuesday,program,3.0,True
6,False,1.0,Failure,,,

Notice that attr2 from several of my records has been converted from an int to a float.
1,True,7.0,Purple,,,

vs the expected
1,True,7,Purple,,,

For this example data set it is a minor annoyance. However, when I am running it against my large set of data, this behavior is occuring on my Id column as well. This would break processes further down my workflow chain.
How do I prevent pandas from doing this conversion either for the entire file or, ideally, for specific columns?

A: You can pass a value (whether a type if you want to affect the entire DataFrame or a dictionary if you want to affect individual columns) to the dtype argument:
>>> df = pd.read_csv("file1.csv", dtype={"id": int, "attr2": str})
>>> df
   id  attr1 attr2                                      attr3
0   1   True     7                                     Purple
1   2  False  19.8                                   Cucumber
2   3  False  -0.5  A string with a comma, because it has one
3   4   True     2                                       Nope
4   5   True   4.0                                    Tuesday
5   6  False     1                                    Failure

[6 rows x 4 columns]
>>> df.dtypes
id        int32
attr1      bool
attr2    object
attr3    object
dtype: object

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Climate Change, the convenient culprit
BY Damodar Pujari
Unusual rains or snow? Flooding? Drought? It seems that climate change alone is to blame for any anomaly taking place anywhere in the world, be it hydrometeorological or anthropogenic. It's a convenient culprit for besieged leaders seeking to escape responsibility towards their citizens, and it undermines the scientific evidence of climate change.
TAGGED UNDER: climate change, drought, Floods, greenhouse gases, natural disasters, Northern Ireland, policy-making, resilience, South Asia
Courtesy: Ministry Of External Affairs
The Quad converges beyond China
The Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held in Melbourne on February 11, revealed an ambitious plan for economic and developmental affairs, beyond the security concerns posed by China. Despite differing approaches towards Myanmar and Ukraine, the Quad countries are strengthening their cooperation while maintaining strategic autonomy.
TAGGED UNDER: ASEAN, ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, Indo-Pacific, Quad Vaccine Partnership, Quad-China
Panel Discussion on India in the Indo-Pacific
On 1 February 2022, Gateway House and the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, co-hosted a panel discussion on India in the Indo-Pacific: Pursuing Prosperity and Security. The panelists explored the comprehensive role that India can play in the Indo-Pacific from the perspective of business, think tanks, academia and diplomacy.
TAGGED UNDER: India in the Indo-Pacific, Maritime Security, Regional cooper, security in the indo-pacific
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
India's Indo-Pacific vision
BY Saurabh Kumar
Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, delivered the keynote address at the panel discussion on India in the Indo-Pacific: Pursuing Prosperity and Security, organised by Gateway House and the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, on 1 February 2022. He outlined India's vision for a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and the initiatives undertaken to further cooperation among nations in the region.
TAGGED UNDER: India and US in the Indo-Pacific, India's role in the Indo-Pacific, SAGAR
India in the Indo-Pacific: Pursuing Prosperity and Security
The Indo-Pacific has become an important part of global geopolitics in the recent past, with several great powers implementing concerted Indo-Pacific policies to create economic, social and security linkages with the region. India can use its development experience and futuristic technology to secure stability and prosperity. This compendium of essays explores the comprehensive role that India can play in the Indo-Pacific, from energy and environment, to trade, security, technology and a vibrant diaspora.
TAGGED UNDER: Energy, India in the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific, Security, Technology, Trade, U.S. role in the Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific opportunity in 2022
Nine great powers and a number of important multilaterals have vested interests in the Indo-Pacific. Given the U.S.-China standoff in the region, the role of new groupings like the Quad and AUKUS is significant. The time is ripe for India to use its position in the region, and convert its humanitarian duties into economic and strategic opportunities in 2022.
TAGGED UNDER: ASEAN, AUKUS, China in the Indo-Pacific, China-QUAD, India in the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific Quad, Quad
India in the Second Space Age
BY Chaitanya Giri
The concept of astropolitical blocs as an extension of geopolitical blocs remains unexplored, especially from an Indian perspective. As the scope of international cooperation in space expands into soft science diplomacy, the advent of the second space age creates opportunities for India to step up its space program, according to this book. This particular excerpt discusses the second space age, the changing nature of space enterprises, and the involvement thereof, of developing nations.
TAGGED UNDER: astropolitics, Chandrayaan, Gateway House Guide to India in the 2020s, industry 4.0, Industry 4.0 and space exploration, second space age
Courtesy: Times of India
India's Deep Ocean Mission for innovation
In 2021, India expedited budgetary clearances to activate its Deep Ocean Mission. Most mission projects are currently confined to the network of institutions operating under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. To truly shine, they must follow the model of developed economies where ocean innovation clusters are public-private partnerships, to focus on attaining India's strategic objectives.
TAGGED UNDER: Deep Ocean Mission, indian oceans, Ministry of Earth Sciences, National Institute of Ocean Technology, Ocean Mining, Samudrayaan
Courtesy: EuroNews
AUKUS spurs EU's Indo-Pacific ambitions
BY Shada Islam
The news of the EU's much-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy was overshadowed by the Australia-UK-U.S. military alliance, AUKUS. Eight weeks later, tempers are cooling off as the U.S and EU signed agreements at COP26. So, are transatlantic good times back on track? Has AUKUS put a permanent spanner in the wheel of the EU's Indo-Pacific outreach?
TAGGED UNDER: AUKUS, EU in the Indo-Pacific, EU India, Indo-Pacific strategy


text:
BOOKENDZ
BOOKENDZ Trademark Information
Trademark by PHOTO CONTROL CORPORATION, INC.
docking station; namely, a device for connecting a portable computer to a plurality of peripherals
docking station device connecting portable plurality peripherals
This is a brand page for the BOOKENDZ trademark by PHOTO CONTROL CORPORATION, INC. in *********, **********, ***** ****.
Write a review about a product or service associated with this BOOKENDZ trademark. Or, contact the owner PHOTO CONTROL CORPORATION, INC. of the BOOKENDZ trademark by filing a request to communicate with the Legal Correspondent for licensing, use, and/or questions related to the BOOKENDZ trademark.
On Monday, December 16, 1991, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for BOOKENDZ. The USPTO has given the BOOKENDZ trademark serial number of 74230791. The current federal status of this trademark filing is CONTINUED USE NOT FILED WITHIN GRACE PERIOD, UN-REVIVABLE. The correspondent listed for BOOKENDZ is Richard A. Arrett of ********,********, ***** **** . The BOOKENDZ trademark is filed in the category of Computer & Software Products & Electrical & Scientific Products . The description provided to the USPTO for BOOKENDZ is docking station; namely, a device for connecting a portable computer to a plurality of peripherals.
Word mark: BOOKENDZ
Goods and Services: docking station; namely, a device for connecting a portable computer to a plurality of peripherals
PHOTO CONTROL CORPORATION, INC.
Mark Drawing Code: Typeset (Words/letter/Number)
Richard A. Arrett
Trademarkia-Network law firms can help you incorporate a business around your BOOKENDZ trademark in less than 5 minutes. Trademarkia makes the process easy and convenient, so start now!
Richard A. Arrett is a correspondent of BOOKENDZ trademark.
Please Rate and Review for BOOKENDZ
BOOKENDZ is providing docking station; namely, a device for connecting a portable computer to a plurality of peripherals.


The judging panel, chaired by the drinks business, will be composed exclusively of Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior buyers. The wines will be tasted blind and the panel will award the best wines with medals from Bronze through to Gold, with the opportunity to be rewarded a Master for exceptional wines.
Blends are accepted with a minimum of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.


The inclusion of racks and enclosures was started in glpi 9.3. But, where can I look for these images that you have in the test?
I look for these images on google and cut them to approx the right size. Then I upload them when i create a new type of network device.


text:
deadCenter Film Festival
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Oklahoma City Free Press Oklahoma City's award-winning independent, online news
Home Government Little-known, small committee reviews City's big legislative interests
Members of the Legislative Committee of the City of Oklahoma City Council discuss upcoming legislation in the Oklahoma Legislature. Marty Peercy/ Okla City Free Press
Little-known, small committee reviews City's big legislative interests
Marty Peercy
The Oklahoma City Council's Legislative Committee met Tuesday to prepare for the coming legislative sessions at the State and Federal levels.
The Committee consists of Mayor David Holt, Ward 1 City Councilman James Greiner, Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee, and Ward 4 Councilman Todd Stone.
The meeting consisted of a review of priorities, initiatives, issues to support, and issues to monitor. A slate of state legislative issues and a separate slate of federal issues were amended and approved for presentation to the whole City Council soon.
Local Control
The first priority issue presented at the meeting was to maintain local control over local issues. It is the city's position that local policy issues are best addressed through local action and regulation.
However, some lawmakers at the state level have created legislation and regulations – called preemption – to address issues in one or two communities in the state that are then applied broadly to all communities in the state.
How the sausage gets made
Local government according to columnist Marty Peercy
The State of Oklahoma has preempted local control on a number of issues.
Prime examples include preventing municipalities from raising the minimum wage or banning fracking.
It is notable that as a state senator, Mayor Holt voted to limit the ability of municipalities to regulate drilling and fracking on March 11, 2015.
The City's position is that statewide preemption disproportionately affects Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Heartland Flyer
One priority issue that faced some minor disagreement in Committee is the preservation of funding for the Heartland Flyer passenger rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.
Ward 1 Councilman Greiner asked why it should matter. Councilman Stone said that it is valuable as a means of transportation other than the highway and that expanding it will add value in our state.
Greiner pointed out that it's faster for him to drive. The mayor told him he should drive, then, but that the train is near capacity for most trips.
The Committee looked at seven issues for the recommendation of new legislation, or "initiative issues."
Prominently, addressing law enforcement issues in Title 21 was discussed. Current legislation dictates that a person convicted of violating state drug possession laws may not carry a firearm. This leaves a loophole permitting those convicted only of municipal drug possession charges to continue carrying firearms.
Another complication of Title 21 is that one may not carry a firearm if intoxicated, but that "intoxication" is not defined in statute.
The City would also like to have policy discretion regarding the carrying of firearms at large public events in Oklahoma City. Currently, the Legislature has given municipalities have little say regarding this – another example of preemption by the state.
COTPA/EMBARK
Two initiative issues related to public transportation were addressed.
One would allow COTPA/EMBARK to license Commercial Drivers License (CDL) drivers.
Currently, there is a significant delay in CDL exams, sometimes up to 30 days. When recruiting drivers, EMBARK assists candidates in obtaining CDLs. With the lack of availability of examiners, sometimes EMBARK has to transport candidates across the state to locations that have availability at the time.
New legislation can allow EMBARK to administer CDL exams and grant licenses. This will aid in recruiting and retention of CDL required positions throughout city departments.
Streetcar Parking
A common problem for the OKC Streetcar is that there are hundreds of parallel parking spots along the 4.8 miles of track. When a car is not parked fully within the parking spot, the Streetcar is prevented from passing.
Currently, when this happens the Streetcar operator must call the police to come and write a ticket and request a tow of the vehicle. The new legislation would allow the Streetcar operator to call for a tow without the middle step of contacting the police.
There are currently 50 such blockages per month. At City Council on Tuesday, November 5, the Council will hear a request for even more parallel parking along the Streetcar route on NW 11th between Walker and Dewey.
The Committee discussed several other items for recommendation of new legislation as follow:
Enact enabling legislation for Public Safety Districts within municipal city limits to fund public safety operations.
Currently, cities in Oklahoma are unable to use ad valorem taxes for operations, this would allow local voters to choose to apply property taxes for safety operations.
Clarify the statute in Title 60 governing public trusts to make it consistent with the competitive bidding act.
New legislation is needed to clarify that public trust projects are subject to the CBA
Clean up provisions regarding property returns, transfers and destruction orders.
Title 11 in state statute has contradictions for how confiscated property should be dealt with.
Preserve municipal ability to regulate residential building design standards.
Preemptive legislation that prohibits municipalities from regulating design elements takes away one of the primary methods of a city to control land use.
Support Issues
The Committee discussed City support of the following issues:
Efforts to enforce existing sales tax exemptions
Retaining tools for economic development such as TIFs, tax credits, and quality jobs
Increasing the apportionment to the Healthy Food Financing Act to address food insecurity
Increasing resources for municipalities for infrastructure
Currently, municipally-owned roads and bridges damaged by oil and gas production traffic are not paid for from the Gross Production Tax, as only counties are apportioned that money.
Preserve municipalities' ability to address derelict properties and enforce municipal codes and zoning
Allow net metering for utility customers to receive credits for solar and wind energy systems (This is being considered by the Corporation Commission and the Legislature.)
Issues to Monitor
The Committee recommended the following issues for close monitoring by the City:
Water rights and supply issues
Efforts to limit dates for local elections
State fee structure and impacts on municipal operations and projects
Medical marijuana implementation and potential impact on municipal operations
Competitive bidding and construction contracting
The Committee also discussed federal legislative issues, largely related to FAA, Amtrak, Tinker, and air and water regulations.
The Committee's amended slates of issues were approved by all members to be heard by the full City Council in its upcoming meeting.
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Law Enforcement task force hears new consultants, community members
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Hurry up! OKC Municipal Courts reduced fine program ends March 31
Government February 7, 2020
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Government December 20, 2019


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Bai Ji Li, or Puncture vine fruit, is one of traditional Chinese herbs that have been around for centuries. However, it is just a recent extension to be used as natural herbs for energy. Probably because of that reason, this once insignificant herb receives more and more attention from the public and becomes one of popular energy supplements now. Even though ignoring the fact as one natural energy booster, it is still an impressive Chinese herb for a variety of reasons.
What is Bai Ji Li or Puncture vine fruit?
Also known as Puncture Vine and Caltrop Fruit, it refers to the ripe fruit of Tribulus Terrestris L., which is annual or perennial weed and grows in Africa, northern Australia, southern Europe, and parts of Asia. So hardy it is that it survives the harsh environment like deserts. In China, it can be found in most areas, especially the north of the Yangtze River.
Normally this plant is not more than 1 meter in height, with small and dull flowers. 5 small fruits cluster into a radial pentagon, 0.6 to 1cm in diameter. Some fruits are separated into 1-seeded mericarps, green white or grey in color, upheaval cobwebbing and spines on back, and one symmetrical pair of long and short spines respectively. And it is the very reason that also known as Ci Ji Li (Spines Puncture Vine) in China. The texture is hard and hand-stabbing, white or yellowish-white kernel seen in the transverse section. Quality one is evengranular, solid, plump, and grey in color.
Natural herb for energy only?
It contains essential oil, tribulus, fatty oil, nitrate, resin, flavonoids compounds, and tiny alkaloid, etc. Thanks for the active ingredients of steroidal saponins, which makes it one of amazing curative herbs clinically. Modern research has found that its functions cover lowering blood pressure, diuresis, cardiotonic, enhancing immune function, growing strong, delaying aging, decreasing blood sugar, fighting allergy, and inhibiting bacteria growth, etc.
From Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view, it is bitter, acrid, and slightly warm in nature and covers meridians of liver and lung. Main functions are to dispel wind and sooth the liver, promote Qi and eliminate stasis, and expel wind and improve eyesight. Main uses and indications are sore, itch, and ulcer caused by wind-heat, vitiligo, porrigo in children, slight corneal opacity, red watery eyes, headache and dizziness due to rising liver yang, clog and pain in chest and flanks due to liver qi stagnation, and shortage of milk after childbirth due to Qi depression and blood stasis. Regular dosage is 5 to 10 grams, in decoction. But please note that it varies from person to person depending on the individual conditions.
Now you know the answer is quite certain that it is more than just one of natural herbs for energy, right?
For shortage of milk and painful and enlarged breasts, the powder of this herb itself is quite good enough.
There are many species that boost energy in herbal remedies, such as Ren Shen (Ginseng), Huang Qi (Astragalus), Bai Zhu (Atractylodes), and Gan Cao (Licorice). This is also one of the most used one. However, it wasn't used as tonic herb until 1970s. According to modern research, puncture vine extract is relatively safe, which helps increase testosterone lever, give energy, and improve athletic performance in a natural way. Now tribulus creates a lot of buzz in the sports world as it could obviously improve the male athletes' blood testosterone without the help of steroid. Experiments also show that no less than 40% of blood testosterone will be increased after taking tribulus for a straight week. Now we know that tribulus contains none of the three main hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. In addition, it is said that tribulus can also treat erectile dysfunction (ED), spermatorrhea and low sexual desire. But there is no further scientific evidence to support verdict like this yet. So, it makes sense to take such saying with a pinch of salt.
Just as suggested previously, tribulus can be used as diuretic, which might lead to concentration change in the body if some other drugs are using. For example, taking lithium and tribulus simultaneously might result in danger because diuretic is bound to leave too much lithium inside the body. In addition, given the fact that both tribulus and a few diabetes medications are likely to lower blood sugar, extreme care should be taken if they need to be uses together just in case the decrease of blood sugar is too much. So, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor for professional opinions before doing so.
As a diuretic TCM herb, Bai Ji Li should be avoided for those of Qi-blood deficiency and pregnant woman though it does increase energy naturally.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on March 31, 2012 by admin.


dunno...been noodling with the same bunch for years...goes like the drum dude starts, the bass dude goes and the rest of us just follow the bass...isn't that the way it works unless your doing some kind of set/composition/real fancy music thing???
But I'll bet that you look over at the bass player to see what he is playing....that's how you know what to play or at least where to start.
Visual communication is still communication.
I'm not in a band now so I don't have that problem. When I did have a band in a previous lifetime though: somehow we got stuff together. I know for sure we never said "right: this song starts with, or is in, Am" (mostly because nobody knew where that was on guitar or bass). Who knows. Maybe that's why it took long to do things and why we never became famous!!! LOL!!! Me personally: I know all this stuff on piano (keyboards) but I couldn't tell you what I'm playing on a guitar at any given time I'll tell ya. And, well, when it comes to solos I just do it until it sounds right as per your question. Maybe that's why I am not famous!!! LOL!!!
Just reading the last two posts yeh: something like that. You know: look at each other and say "OK it starts like this...". LOL!!!
Last edited by dpaterson; 02-06-2019 at 11:31 AM.
Music theory gets in the way? You supposed to just try every different series of notes till it sounds right? I dont see how knowing Dorian has a major 6th hurts anybody. I think if its too much at once is the problem, not the theory.
BB King knows exactly two things about ANY scale in music: jack and squat.
Pick up a guitar. Play a Bmaj barre chord, then a Dmaj open chord, then an Amaj open chord...AND THEN tell me what the next chord is that even almost sounds like it belongs in that progression. Try 'em all, it doesn't take long.
Then you tell me which mode in the natural scale allows for Emaj to be that next chord! HOW IS IT THAT A SCALE THAT ONLY OFFERS 3 MAJORS IN A CHORD PROGRESSION IS NOW ALLOWING FOR 4 OF THEM...?!?
Music theory tells one story about how that just happened, and your ear tells you that same story. One is more boring to listen to than the other.
Meh, you can dumb it down for people. Not only that, but many MANY guitar player simply never jam with other people. In fact, I wonder which is more common; people who NEVER jam with others, or people who do.
In other words, what you're saying is that music theory is important to you, and how you communicate with those you play with. That's awesome! You learned how to do TWO things that are difficult (wait, let's call it THREE things that are difficult): (1) playing guitar, (2) music theory, and (3) playing guitar with others. There's a HUGE leap that a person takes when they learn the ability to play guitar with others; especially if it's not just "a bunch of guys jammin' and doing the same thing," but, you know, "this guy plays lead, this guy plays rhythm." So, yeah, right on!!!
I'm going to defend BB King and say that he was somehow able to communicate with his band mates despite his lack of concern for music theory. I'm going to say this because I've heard of him, and his ability to play guitar IN A BAND is why.
Last edited by Gransen; 02-06-2019 at 11:50 AM.
I cannot answer you. If I am learning something new it's from some guitar tutor stuff or I'll take an original track or DVD and just sound the chords until I've got them. Then I'll take a backing track for the same song and just repeat with it what I've just learned. If it's my own stuff and I'm creating my own backing track then I'll "fit" the bass and keyboards on the MIDI tracks to what I'm playing on the guitar (or visa versa). For me it's really only when I'm working on a keyboard that I see "oh this is in Em" for example. And with solos I'm just getting them from DVD or from the tutor stuff (maybe even from YouTube) (or simply by ear or trial and error). Point is: at no point do I know what I'm ctually playing on the guitar. And you do learn somehow that "right: started in this chord and the next progression is going to be here". Dunno if I'm explaining myself correctly but am trying. Oh and sometimes from tabs. But with tabs. same thing i.e. I don't look at the part where it says Em. I'm just looking at the position on the fretboard.
When I refer to guitar tutor stuff I'm talking about stuff that just breaks the songs down and then goes through them bit by bit i.e. no theory involved. Most all of the Dio stuff I'm working on I've got from LickLibrary (Danny Gill). Everything is just broken down, you slap small sections on repeat, and just keep going until you get it right, then just stitch the whole lot together. Suppose you could call it "parrot fashion"???
Last edited by dpaterson; 02-06-2019 at 12:07 PM.
Conversely I used to be mates with a dude who knew all his scales and modes backwards and inside and out. Fantastic guitarist. Primadonna and personality sucked. Could never stay in a band because there was always friction between him and those who he considered lesser mortals. But he was a fantastic guitarist!!! LOL!!! Could play Malmsteen backwards and with his eyes closed. But here is how he worked: he would listen to a Malmsteen track, turn it off, then work 99% of the thing out because he knew what scales and modes and keys etc. Malmsteen was playing, and then put it all together. That's totally different from (my) "parrot fashion" approach if you see what I mean.
One thing I did learn from him though: a lot of these fantastic guitar solos are really not much more than a "play" on some or the other scale. They (the Pros.) just play 'em faster and tidier than a mere mortal such as myself!!! Oh and they may know the name of the scale!!! LOL!!!
Last edited by dpaterson; 02-06-2019 at 12:25 PM.
You can figure out what sounds right in a given musical situation given enough time, the same way that a million monkeys on a million typewriters will eventually bang out some Shakespeare. That's a totally valid way to do stuff.
BB King has spent his entire life picking up bits and pieces and figuring out what works to play his style of blues. And the sounds he has made on his guitar are awesome. But he can't really play anything else. The knowledge he has is very deep, but very narrow. While I like blues, I also like rock, funk, jazz, ska, reggae, classical, and the occasional bit of metal. It's not possible for me to learn all these genres the way that BB King learned blues because I'd be dead before I mastered two of 'em. I'm way too lazy to do it that way.
Learning a bit of theory helps me find the right chords for a song when inspiration hits. When I didn't know any music theory, I'd often start a cool idea . . . but then get stuck . . . and sometimes give up on the idea forever because I couldn't find quite the right thing to play next. Once you figure out the chords in the mode you're in, you have a short cut to stuff that works rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
Theory has helped my lead playing tremendously. I can approach complicated chord progressions (or simple progressions with just one unusual chord) in a more sensible way. I know why hitting a particular note at a particular time in the song sounds good, and can more reliably do this.
I figured out how to play tenor guitar very quickly . . . entirely because of music theory. I was able to take the ideas I already knew, and translate them over to the other tuning pretty quickly. The same is true of harmonica.
Theory is a help when playing with other people. Not just in calling out a set of simple changes, but in knowing what notes are likely to sound good in a given situation . . . in knowing some chord inversions, how to and how to structure a progression for voice leading.
Music is supposed to be fun, not suffering. For me, knowing some theory means less time spent banging your head against the wall. There are many paths to the same destination though, so if you are happier doing it differently, more power to you.
Secondary dominants...??? I'll have to look that one up. Harmonic minor...??? Okay, I've recently discovered that sitar music works well with the half/whole scale...which I thought was just for jazz and weird anharmonic stuff. Don't EVER passive / aggressively make me learn something about the harmonic minor scale like you just did, because I don't EVER want to associate with jazz music (says a guy with a PRS that has Seymour Duncan Invaders in it)!
And yeah, everyone who knows the BB King story will agree, he might know the blues, but he's more likely to hit a wall before his peers would; either in the genre of the blues OR if he tries to make a jump to something else.
How about me saying that Angus Young is a "guitar wizard" and not a "guitar genius," because his style is so one-dimensional...and that's likely a similar issue with your son. You're probably of the mind set that best case scenario, if you're boy doesn't break out of his rut, his absolute maximum potential is "guitar wizard." I've seen teenage chicks on YouTube who are THAT, and extremely "one-dimensional" and often just reciting a tune instead of covering it and making it their own.
For example. In Funk #49 by the James Gang. The main riff is a minor third hammered up to major third.
Technically speaking a traditional 12 bar blues is based off of Dominant 7 chords. That is a MAJOR chord with a flat 7.
The reason a minor pentatonic works so well is that our ear in the western world has become accustomed to that sound. Plus most players give that minor 3rd a slight bend toward the major 3rd.
No idea what you're talking about!!! LOL!!!
Sad part, in reference to my mate above, is that the last time I heard from him he was broke, holed up in a trailer somewhere, could not get a gig anywhere, spent day in and day out just practicing (mostly scales and Malmsteen type stuff) on his own, honing theory, and had been doing so for years. All that technical knowledge and skill for nought and this after a lifetime. So there's that.
Last edited by dpaterson; 02-06-2019 at 01:01 PM.
Yup, I got it backwards....oops!!
Errr... Thought I should just mention maybe: bear in mind I've been playing piano, keyboard, and organ for most of my life (for those that are not already aware). Mostly classical piano and organ (J. S. Bach!!!) I might add. Point is: I'm no natural guitarist but this would most certainly account for the fact I "know" how something should sound or fit in or what the next "logical" chord is or should be without knowing exactly what "F" I'm doing on a fretboard. Thought it may help with context mentioning this!!! LOL!!!
And don't anybody be fooled. The transition from keys to guitar is a nightmare. One would think not. But it is. Everything is the opposite way around and it doesn't follow that simply because you can play blisterering stuff with your left hand on a keyboard that you're just gonna pick a guitar up and be able to play blistering solos!!! I wish!!! Sometimes I think I'd be far better off playing one of them slide guitars (or whatever they're called i.e. those things that you sit down and play) (because the thing is the "right" way up!!! LOL!!!).
Last edited by dpaterson; 02-06-2019 at 01:04 PM.
My son has killer technique but he refuses to learn any music at all. You know, I think some people make it sound way more complicated than it is.
In true thread title fashion, clearly my old man brain does NOT work!! Haha!!!
This thread is about how the brain works in regards to practice. Music theory is part of both practice and playing, whether you like it or not. BB King is just really good at ignoring what he must have already figured out by now as far as how scales work; to include how the Pentatonic is merely specific intervals of the Natural scale, right...???
Frustration is a part of learning.
Ben1962 just threw me a curveball: "Secondary Dominates." Wikipedia say: "Hey Gransen, you're wrong, it's PARALLEL KEYS that offer the borrowed chord, and you know this!" ("Parallel modes" is an alternate term, right...???) And now I can't remember if and/or how that term relates to relative modes and complimentary modes.
BUT...what Wikipedia is telling me about Secondary Dominates is that THIS IS THE LINK to figuring out how to CALCULATE which is the parallel key from which to borrow a chord, instead of just looking it up on the internet. I still haven't gotten that explanation.
Since I don't know how to calculate the parallel key and seriously have tried to learn, I have this frustration that causes a block, and then I'm stuck being stupid.
And I just did what Wikipedia told me to do, and they say that the secondary dominate of Cmaj Ionian Mode is F, based on their mathematical explanation (with G being the dominate). Then they go on to say that this is how borrowed chords are derived. But I was under the impression that the mode to borrow from in Ionian Mode is Aeolian. That would be the complimentary minor, right...??? So, is Lydian mode then the complimentary MAJOR of Ionian Mode...???
And how is the complimentary minor calculated...???
Look, if I gotta borrow a chord, I'm just gonna look up which mode(s) I get to borrow from and go from there. I get HOW it's done at that point (with the same tonic - Cmaj Ionian vs Cmin Aeolian for example), then I just write down all of the notes in each key, and when I've got the same note, but one mode makes that interval a major and the other mode makes it a minor, then it's pretty much "fielder's choice" at that point.
So, there's jargon involved here, and that jargon causes me to "flub" because I'm not comfortable with my understanding of simply how parallel keys are derived. To the point where I put that one on hold a while back because the reading was making the little hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and the last time that I made the attempt to learn was at least three years ago.
Up until about 30 minutes ago, I had an extremely limited ability to sit down and listen to someone teach me about this one, and it's because I was totally frustrated by it: "How to calculate parallel keys." Now the dam has broke open. Now I'd be able to sit down and listen to someone teach me. I'm looking at it right now and thinking that the term is "Dominate Third," and THAT'S how a parallel minor is calculated...GO BACKWARDS ON THE SCALE INSTEAD OF GOING FORWARDS. But, I'm also aware that the term "dominate" in music has a specific meaning, and that it might not apply to third intervals. The why and how is where I'm lost in regards to the term "dominate." I hear that term, and I'm thinking Mixolydian Mode, and how the fifth interval is the second most important interval tonally; so "dominate" might not apply to the third.
How does the brain work...??? Well, I had to step away from the idea of learning something because it became a frustration to me. So, I learned a practical application, and my brain was happier. But, it was still a trigger; to the point where if I'm playing a song with a borrowed chord, I'm aware of the fact that there's a question that I don't have an answer for...and that this lack of information bothers me because I have to use a computer to do something I should know how to do on my own.
I'm describing "built-in anxiety" here, and how it gets infused into a song that I'm playing.
And now I'm describing how literally from this moment forward, that anxiety SHOULD be permanently lifted, because I finally have a direction to go. Not only that, but I feel like I found it via suggestion not instruction, and that I get to tell myself that (1) I was wise to be patient, (2) I was wise to be curious and seek information that might be able to translate into wisdom, and (3) that means I had an active part in my own knowledge base. This translates to "humble pride," which to me is easily translated to confidence. I wouldn't have gotten there without Ben1962 and his passive / aggressive B.S. response THAT REMINDS ME HOW PHRYGIAN MODE HAS BECOME MY FAVORITE TO ROCK OUT ON, thus I have no excuse for not exploring other scales like the harmonic minor scale.
And simply by saying that just now, I wonder if what he meant by "harmonic minor" is related to the "secondary dominate," and THAT'S how the parallel minor deal is found. Makes sense that I might have read "harmonic minor" in the past and just blew it off because I don't like that scale!
To Ben1962: Thanks...!!! Thanks a million...!!! You do NOT want to know how badly I needed that!!!
Last edited by Gransen; 02-06-2019 at 01:34 PM.
Yeah, that's what I said. It does. For me.
I took violin classes from the time I was a little kid right up through my teens. I could sheet read, played in the school orchestra etc. I chucked it all in the bin.
Hated playing the ****in' Violin right through....but I l do love lead guitar.


Ashley Sheehan (Owner of OMG) is giddy to announce the addition of personal styling and interior concierge services to our bag of tricks! (Don't let the word concierge scare you, it's just a fancy way of saying we're really good at shopping but we're not officially licensed, badge carrying interior designers). More importantly, it means we work on the most basic of premises, people want to surround themselves with lovely things, but don't always have the time to find them.
Being featured in both the Southern Living and Lucky Shopping Guides for Nashville (not to mention owning our own shop) gives us in house access to wardrobe, jewelry and tons of vintage props! And when it comes to the space you call home or work, we've helped many of our customers create interiors that beautifully reflect their style and budget. We've been lucky enough to have worked with our good friends at Jackalope Brewery and Barista Parlor, so commercial spaces of any size are our not-so-secret love.


No, Facebook Didn't 'Create' 4.5M Jobs. But Its Impact Can't Be Understated.
Facebook, according to a study by Deloitte, is a company responsible for creating $227 billion in worldwide economic impact and 4.5 million jobs. Pretty big numbers.
But, since statisticians rival politicians and cheating husbands (not mutually exclusive) in their capacity to lie, it is worth taking these figures with a healthy grain of salt.
First, the biggest caveat: The green-eyeshade-wearing analysts at Deloitte didn't magically come up with this study. Facebook commissioned it, meaning it paid for it. There is a prima facie conflict in that regard, and, to its credit, Deloitte makes it clear where its paycheck was signed in the report's very first sentence.
What's more, Deloitte also is upfront in saying that it relied largely on data Facebook itself provided, with a side helping of independent numbers to give some perspective. But given that Facebook paid for the report and provided most of the important information, it's a sure bet that, if the results weren't favorable to Facebook, this study never would have seen the light of day.
Now onto the numbers themselves. Deloitte looked at three areas of Facebook's worldwide impact: marketing effects, platform effects and connectivity effects. Marketing effects are the benefits for businesses that use Facebook as an advertising tool. This was the company's biggest home run, with Deloitte estimating $148 billion in economic impact and 2.3 million jobs created. That's not surprising to see, given Facebook's reach. Just ask all those people who dumped ice water on their heads for charity last year. It is a powerful network, with an engaged audience. Advertisers love that.
Then come the platform effects. These are essentially all the apps and games that can be created within Facebook's platform. Think of these as those annoying friends who are still inviting you to play Candy Crush and insist on telling you what level they reached, making you wonder what they do at work all day. Here, Deloitte estimates Facebook has been responsible for a worldwide economic impact of $29 billion, plus 660,000 jobs.
Lastly, there are the connectivity effects. This is the infrastructure needed for Facebook to be used, like broadband improvements and new devices. Worldwide, Deloitte says this has $50 billion in economic impact and about 1.6 million jobs.
That's a lot of jobs to be created just because of a little ol' social network, but before you give the company a thumb's up, we have to take away some of the punch bowl from the party.
Job creation, from an economic standpoint, isn't a game of hard-and-fast numbers. For instance, in the connectivity category, Facebook is given direct credit for the expansion of the Internet infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. That growth may have happened whether Facebook existed or we were all still talking to Tom on MySpace. Or, it could have happened because of the need to communicate more effectively for other economic reasons. Emerging markets have been emerging before social media, and will continue to do so.
More importantly, Facebook is being given credit for creating jobs but not facing the blame for the jobs it eliminates. For example, Facebook's rise has created a shift in how advertisers spend their media dollars. Digital ad spending is supposed to grow 13 percent this year, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. But print advertising is estimated to decline 7.9 percent in 2015. Broad-based media firms then, are likely to see print publications continue to shrink, while digital properties thrive. If the uptick in hiring supported by digital growth (and credited by Deloitte to Facebook) doesn't outpace the job cuts on the print side, there will be a net loss of jobs. By the formulae used by Deloitte, Facebook is not held responsible for this net job destruction.
So, Facebook is not creating 4.5 million jobs. But you cannot in any way deny that it is a huge engine for job growth worldwide, and it deserves credit for that. In fact, forget Facebook for a second. What Deloitte uncovered, as imperfect as its Common Core math might be, is a pretty good accounting of the benefits of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Many companies are Facebook, just on a smaller scale. When someone creates an app, and it is successful, it leads to people being hired. Startups typically go from a handful of founders to a team of, say, 15. But that's just direct hiring. Those 15 people need to eat, so the local diner may hire a cook or waiter. They need to travel, so Uber may have to add a driver in their area. The need for new office space leads to new jobs in real estate and interior design. That's how the entrepreneurial ecosystem works.
Are some jobs hurt by that growth, too? Sure. The app that was built might be better than an existing one from a rival company. That rival might have to shut down, and all those employees may find themselves out of work. But the entrepreneurial ecosystem allows those folks to go out on their own and create anew.
Facebook, to its credit, has strengthened that ecosystem. It has helped other businesses thrive. A restaurant with 2,000 likes has a way to reach its most loyal audience with deals, without having to take a local newspaper ad. Yes, that newspaper might be out of business as a result, but that other local business is stronger than ever. That's life in the free markets, which guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome.
But, while cheering Facebook, you also have to give a shout out to the entrepreuners around the world themselves. People with the brains to innovate, and the economic freedom to turn those dreams into businesses, are the true heroes of the business world. It is a symbiotic relationship, where Facebook's growth -- and thus its ability to pump the world with economic value -- is dependent on the drive of others to build companies, services and products that thrive on its platform.
And, if the system works as it should, someday one these entrepreneurs might even create a network that makes Facebook economically irrelevant. Facebook might not like that, but it would only have itself to blame. And it would only have itself to credit, as well.


EXCLUSIVE! 'Walking Dead's Norman Reedus Talks 'Emotional' and 'Crazy' Season 5!
Grab your weapons and stay on your toes because TV's most gripping drama is almost back!
The Walking Dead returns for its fifth season this Sunday, Oct. 12, and after last season's slow burn and mind-blowing cliffhanger in Terminus, we could not be more pumped for all of the crazed zombie drama crawling our way.
To help get you prepared for the action-packed premiere, ETonline caught up with star Norman Reedus — aka crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon, one of the most badass characters in TV history! Now that Reedus has addressed the rumors of Daryl's ambiguous sexuality, it's time to focus on the "crazy" twists and turns fans will experience on this roller-coaster ride of a season.
WATCH: Norman Reedus Reveals 'Walking Dead' Secrets: Is Daryl Gay?
In addition to the traditional compelling story-lines and gut-wrenching deaths, this year The Walking Dead is also going to be delving into the more personal sides of our survivors. "It's been an emotional ride for all the characters this season, and you do get to see the build and fall a couple of times," Reedus said. "A lot of the characters interact this season in ways that we haven't seen before."
The 45-year-old actor also revealed that fans will also be treated to more of the Rick/Daryl bromance that we love so much. "[Rick] is definitely the brother that Merle wasn't, and I love being the Robin to his Batman," Reedus spilled. "[Andrew Lincoln] is a very good actor and he's one of my BFFs, so it's nice to see those two interact."
When trying to survive a post-apocalyptic zombie epidemic, it's only natural to be weary of the half-dead creatures who are desperately trying to eat the flesh off your face. However, Reedus spilled that when the cameras aren't rolling on The Walking Dead's Atlanta-based set, it's easy to look past the gory details that the audience fixates on at home.
"You'll see a zombie eating Cheetos at the craft service line and you're like, 'Hey what's up?' and he's like, 'Oh hey you killed me last season — You stabbed me in the face!'" the actor revealed with a smile. The Walking Dead's nightmare-inducing zombies are perfected by Emmy Award-winning Greg Nicotero, the lead special effects make-up designer and executive producer of the series.
"One of the good things about how Greg and his team make those zombies is that you see the scared lost person behind the monster which makes it really creepy," Reedus explained before warning that fans should be prepared for some "crazy, crazy zombie stuff coming up" in season five.
WATCH: 'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Trailer Is Insane!
Take a look at our full interview with the Walking Dead star above to find out how much Daryl has changed from closed-off lonewolf of season one to the irreplaceable leader charging into season five.
The fifth season of The Walking Dead premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on AMC.


Worth a Read - "The Couple in That Horrifying, Viral Personal Finance Diary Is a Sad Indictment of Capitalism"
Jordan Weissmann over at Slate posted this article recently.
Weissmann was in somewhat disbelief that the post "Debt: A Love Story" could be a truthful representation of a couples financial condition.
"To be entirely honest, I didn't really believe the Kate and Tom story was real when I first read it. It was just too … much, and I figured maybe it was just some clever viral marketing copy. And it might be that. Who knows. But every time I looked into a specific problem that seemed a little implausible, it turned out that, in fact, it was within the legal and technical realm of possibility," said Weissmann.
The story of how Tom and Kate have found themselves in a debt death spiral is not new in my life of helping people since 1994. And not only is it not an exception, in many aspects, but it is also the norm.
The slow decline of Kate and Tom is punctuated by common mistakes and misperceptions of the endemic problem of debt.
Kate says Tom won't consider filing for bankruptcy but they continue to live a life that is not sustainable and is robbing them of their future retirement life.
Tom and Kate are not unusual in the debt world. They are in fact your neighbor or even you.
People can't see an appropriate way through the financial turmoil because debt is not the problem.
Debt is the symptom, the byproduct of the underlying issues that cause the debt to be created.
The overall impression I get from the Kate and Tom post is it is just another couple who is trapped in their financial hell. They are afraid or concerned about taking action to improve their future so they wind up sliding further and further down a financial slop until they are fully consumed by lenders, life, and emotional insecurity.
Without taking action they will wind up unhappy and angry at themselves and others. Their lives will become regret and fear rather than hope and opportunity.
The sad reality is Tom and Kate are doing this to themselves the worst enemy is the preconceived opinions and myths they believe about dealing with their finances.
I Lost My Job and Someone is Trying to Sue Me Over My Debt. How Do I Get Out of Debt?
How Do We Get Rid of Our Debt So We Can Go to College?


"When David Webb first opened in 1948, it aligned with the arts. Webb started designing and his designs mirrored the times. His work was like the work coming out of Europe…very feminine, floral, and with fauna motifs, but Webb had this direct relationship with his clientele. As time moved on into the 50s and 60s, it was a magical time in American history. A lot of energy and change took place, spurring a cultural revolution. The voice of women started to emerge and become stronger.
As Webb's soft designs started to mature, the jewelry started to grow more bold and muscular. Animals started out petite and began to grow, and by the 70s it was very architectural and dynamic. It's an observation of the times. The animal jewelry is always popular. It's such good sculpture and art that it has survived and been popularized over the last fifty years. It's whimsical, beautiful, and distinctly David Webb. Everyone enjoys his beautiful animal iconography.