This class extends FileTypeMap and provides data typing of files via their file extension. It uses the .mime.types format.
Programmatically added entries to the MimetypesFileTypeMap instance.
The file .mime.types in the user's home directory.
The file or resources named META-INF/mime.types.
The file or resource named META-INF/mimetypes.default (usually found only in the activation.jar file).
# the mime type "text/plain"
Construct a MimetypesFileTypeMap with programmatic entries added from the InputStream.
Construct a MimetypesFileTypeMap with programmatic entries added from the named file.
Prepend the MIME type values to the registry.
Return the MIME type of the file object.
Return the MIME type based on the specified file name.
mime_types - A .mime.types formatted string of entries.
Return the MIME type of the file object. The implementation in this class calls getContentType(f.getName()).
Return the MIME type based on the specified file name. The MIME type entries are searched as described above under MIME types file search order. If no entry is found, the type "application/octet-stream" is returned.


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We earlier posted about Home Remedies for High Blood Pressure and Baba Ramdev Yoga for High Blood Pressure, you can check these articles as well to know more.


text:
Islamic Issues, Medinanet
Let's Examine Our Relationship with the Qur'an
June 7, 2016 Spahic Omer	5 Comments
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer
E-mail: spahico@yahoo.com
The Qur'an was revealed by Almighty Allah through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to mankind to bring them out of the disorienting and debilitating darkness of falsehood, ignorance and superstitions to the light and radiance of truth, guidance and proper erudition. The Qur'an is the only means available to man by which he can communicate directly with his Creator, Master and Sustainer. No other alternative is left as all the previous Scriptures have been tampered with, corrupted or utterly lost.
This indeed is a hallmark of the Islamic message. Man needs no intermediaries of any kind — conceptual or physical — between him and his Master. The whole life affair is solely between man and Allah. Everything and everyone else stands for a secondary thing, playing second fiddle to that overwhelming relationship. Allah is only a Qur'anic verse (ayah), a contemplative thought, or a sincere supplication "away".
Man has been created but to worship and serve Allah (al-Dhariyat, 56). However, this by no means implies that man is to engross himself fully and exclusively in sheer religious rituals and spend most of his terrestrial time mainly in mosques or some other religious institutions and establishments. Indeed, such would be impractical, uninspiring and dull an affair. Rather, that means that man in his capacity as Allah's vicegerent on earth is to live his life "to the fullest" but only according to the patterns and paradigms instituted by the Creator. Man is to live his life not according to his own will, but according to the will of the Creator and Cherisher of life. Each and every creation is to submit itself only to its Creator, rather than other creations. So imperfect, faulty and weak is man — and indeed every other creation — that he cannot be qualified for any of the tasks relating to the spiritual and existential lordship and self-sufficiency.
That said, Islam is not a religion in the sense Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., are. Islam is a complete way of life. It is a comprehensive lifestyle, culture and civilization. It is a form of total submission to the will, knowledge and guidance of Allah. Islam is not a religion of mere words, slogans, or symbols. It is not a religion of an abstract philosophy, or a set of pure religious rituals. Islam knows no distinction between the spiritual and material spheres of existence along the ideological and ontological lines. To assert something like that is to distort the Islamic message and to live in the wrong. Due to the unity and oneness of Allah (tawhid), Islam likewise propagates the unity and oneness of truth and of the meaning, purpose and providence of life and man.
Islam is a religion of sincere faith (iman), actions and deeds ('amal salih). It is a religion of life accomplishments. Islam is life, and life, the way Allah created and predetermined it, echoes the quintessence and ethos of Islam. The word "islam" which denotes a total submission to Allah through one's acts, words and thoughts, clearly attests to it. Hence, there is nothing more thrilling, spellbinding, wholesome and rewarding than living life in the name of and for the Creator of the universe. Submitting fully to and worshipping Allah alone means personal liberation, self-assertion and self-fulfillment in the truest senses of those words.
Islam therefore is to be lived, not practiced. True Muslims live Islam. Those who practice it are yet to experience the authentic beauty and sweetness of the Islamic faith.
That is why some people in the end become apostates. They get tired of, or fed up, with practicing some — to them — dry, rigid and meaningless rituals rooted in little, or no genuine, truth.
In point of fact, however, apostates were never Muslims as per the Qur'anic conception and interpretation of the term. They were never Muslims because true Muslims do not (cannot) become apostates. A person cannot renounce what he intrinsically is and what he primordially was meant to be. He can only give up and abandon his artificial self and artificial life patterns unnaturally imposed on him, which he regularly and constantly did in order to become better at them and make them an everyday part of his routine life. Positively, Islam cannot be an artificial, non-natural and simulated lifestyle and culture.
As a small digression, those who neither subscribe to nor follow the only message and guidance meant for mankind — which was revealed to all the prophets of Allah during entire human history, Muhammad (pbuh) being the final messenger — actually do not "live". They only exist, like the rest of life's animate and inanimate realities. They slumber throughout and wake up only when departing this fleeting life. The idea of life is attached to them only metaphorically. And, hypothetically, those who live the only revealed message of Allah, Islam, but want to give it up, will need to "die" first, as such an option in the real world is not viable, in that true Islam means true life, and vice versa. Islam, it goes without saying, is not only about human existence, but also about each and every tier of the whole physical and metaphysical existence. It is its DNA, so to speak.
In its capacity as a divine book of guidance, inspiration, truth, clear signs, cure, mercy, glad tidings, and ultimate wisdom and knowledge encompassing everything necessary for the fulfillment of the ontological purpose of existence (al-Baqarah, 97, 185; Yunus, 57; al-Isra', 82; al-Nahl, 89), the holy Qur'an accounts for everything Islam as a total code of life is. The Qur'an is a symbol of the Islamic message. The two have become inseparable, almost synonymous with each other.
Thus, the Qur'an signifies to Muslims the source of their identity, strength, consciousness and cultural as well as civilizational being. Without the Qur'an, there will be no Islam; nor will there be Muslims and Islamic culture and civilization. Without the Qur'an as a conduit of revealed wisdom and knowledge concerning the spiritual and ethical meaning and purpose of life, furthermore, little permanently wholesome will ever be possible for man to achieve. One thus may ask: what conceptual, substantial or moral good would remain with mankind if the towering contributions of God's holy prophets and the direct and indirect contributions of numerous sages and leaders the prophets produced were taken away from them? The emphatic answer is: nothing, or extremely little, at best.
Nonetheless, it is a sad truth today that many Muslims' relationship with the Qur'an is fraught with a myriad of deficiencies. In a nutshell, the Qur'an has been either abandoned completely, or is erroneously dealt with.
In the former scenario, many people have nothing to do with the Qur'an and its content insofar as their private, family and professional lives are concerned. Their affiliation with Islam is based on some repetitive rituals and traditions which they inherited from their forefathers and which they blindly follow. Their Islam often revolves around "Islamic" symbolism, deadening formalism and baseless tales and superstitions. They are not interested in the Qur'an as they know that with it all they live for will suddenly be exposed and shaken to its core. The Qur'an is thus bound to bring more "damage" than "profit" to such people.
In the latter case, the Qur'an is regularly but hastily read or recited without duly understanding or contemplating its content. Moreover, its substance is yet misread, misinterpreted and misapplied. The Qur'an is often used as a means for justifying and supporting some preconceived ideas and judgments. People have also subjected the Qur'an to themselves, rather than subjecting themselves to it. They have rendered the Qur'an relative, and their selfish goals and concerns absolute. The Qur'an has partially been made the object of their one-dimensional and patchy — often outright flawed — intellectual, spiritual and cultural pursuits. The Qur'an is meant thereby to be superficially and partially comprehended and implemented, at best, and misused and even abused, at worst. However, the Prophet (pbuh) warned that there will be times when certain people will recite the Qur'an but it will not go beyond their throats, meaning it will not enter their hearts and they will not understand it. "They will go out from (leave) Islam as an arrow darts through the game's body" (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Some of the less heartrending states of affairs go along the lines of constantly reading the Qur'an for the sake of mere reading it. The Qur'an is also recorded and regularly played on numerous TV programs and during various official and unofficial ceremonies, in public and in private. Qur'an recitations by world's most famous reciters could be heard virtually everywhere in most of the Muslim world: from the minarets of mosques, in shopping centers, schools, private houses, restaurants and coffee shops, and all forms of private and public transportation. Some reciters have become world celebrities as a result; many others dream and do their best to follow suit. Tilawah (reciting Qur'an) competitions are organized on a regular basis, both locally and internationally, and huge amounts of money are allocated for the purpose (all this takes place despite most universities and other institutions of higher learning, in their capacity as rare beacons of hope — especially such as those endued with an Islamic spirit and disposition — having been bereft of significant research and publication opportunities and funds). Countless schools and colleges dedicated to reciting and memorizing the Qur'an are established worldwide and many Qur'an reciters and hafizs (those who memorize the whole Qur'an) are produced annually.
The many outward benefits of all those activities notwithstanding, quantity and form, clearly, are emphasized at the expense of quality and substance, in complete opposition to the whole spirit of Islam and the Qur'an. It is true, at the same time, that there is a growing number of genuine exceptions, but unfortunately they are still few and far between. It stands to reason that the whole set of the mentioned prevalent religious trends stands for a segment of what could be dubbed an emerging Muslim pop(ular) culture some of whose main features and qualities revolve not only around the Qur'an, but also around the realms of Muslim fashion, entertainment, media and sport.
We often hear statements to the effect that one ought to read at least one juz' (the Qur'an has 30 juz' or portions, each juz' having about 20 pages) a day. That way, one ought to finish the entire Qur'an (khatm al-Qur'an) at least once a month. In the month of Ramadan, the month of the holy Qur'an, however, this relationship with the Qur'an is expected to intensify and one is expected to read even more.
If this is said in the context of one's truly fruitful relationship with the Qur'an, and as part of his most authentic personality, family and community-building processes, then the matter is remarkably brilliant and so, by all means encouraged. But if it is said in the context of one's one-dimensional, incorrect and only interest-based relationship with the Qur'an, then the matter becomes rather objectionable. It is bound to cause as much unintended bad as premeditated good both at the individual and societal levels of the Muslim cultural and civilizational presence. It is bound to further contribute to cementing and perpetuating all the negative aspects of the problematic relationship between the Qur'an and a great many weak Muslims.
As a result, there are many especially non-Arab Muslims who have read the Qur'an many times but are not aware of its fundamental meanings and messages. Others do not even care.
One then wonders: what type of Muslims are Muslims? What type of Islam do they follow? How could they barter the true, unambiguous, natural and logical message of Islam and the Qur'an for some irrational, meaningless and foreign spiritual, ethical and epistemological alternatives? Who are (were) the main culprits for the predicament, and under what circumstances did such an unprofitable trade come to pass?
These questions are compelling and spontaneously impose themselves considering that in Islam, no blind following and no beliefs and spiritual undertakings that are based on irrational evidence and reasoning, are accepted. Islam is a rational, balanced and open-minded religion, so, Muslims must be most rational and open-minded of all people. Since its inception, Islam declared an ideological war against those and other similar intellectual and spiritual crimes and felonies that can only paralyze and hold people back on their journey of civilization-making. Allah says: "And do not pursue (say, do or witness) that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart — about all those (one) will be questioned" (al-Isra', 36). Accordingly, any act of blind following or performance on the basis of utter ignorance, even in pure religious rites or ceremonies, is an abominable course of action as it disregards the projected tasks and knacks of the faculties given to man.
Therefore, a person who is a stranger to the inspiring and enlightening messages of the Qur'an can hardly claim to possess authentic Islamic faith; nor can he claim to be a true Muslim. The Qur'an is the only force that makes a person a believer and Muslim. A person does not do so independently and on his own accord. Nor is it that he bends and adjusts the content of the Qur'an turning it into an instrument of validation of his partly or completely un-Islamic beliefs and practices. People must stop being cultural or nominal Muslims. They must become enlightened, rational, wholehearted and "revolutionary" followers of Islam, benefitting not only themselves and their Muslim brethren, but also non-Muslims.
One of the most prominent qualities of the Qur'an is its being muhaymin (the guardian, witness and overseer) (al-Ma'idah, 48). The Qur'an thus inspires, guards and oversees, with human souls being affected, guarded and watched over most. The Qur'an is the source; human souls are the target and beneficiaries. Accepting as true, both in theory and practice, that the Qur'an is what Allah says it is, lies at the core of an essential Islamic tenet according to which every Muslim must believe in the holy prophets and their holy books (revelations) on top of which stand Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an. As the final revelation and eternal miracle to mankind, the Qur'an is to surpass in authority and influence all the previous miracles associated with earlier prophets – which is one of the underlying meanings of muhaymin. If such is not the case, the problem is not with the Qur'an, but with, and within, us. For example, if Prophet Musa (Moses) (pbuh) was given 9 signs or miracles (ayat) (al-Isra', 101; al-Naml, 12), Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was given 6,236 signs (ayat), each sign (ayah) corresponding to a Qur'anic verse and so, for a sign and miracle.
It is owing to this that Allah at one point describes the Qur'an as "ruh" (soul, spirit, inspiration, command) (al-Shura, 52), which means that the Qur'an inspires and sustains an intellectual, moral and spiritual life with and in those who embrace it as their life companion and guide. Hence, in the same verse wherein the notion of the Qur'an as "ruh" has been mentioned, the notions of book (true knowledge), faith, guidance, enlightenment and the straight path have also been articulated, whereby the comprehensive nature of the Qur'anic impact on the phenomenon of existence at large is clearly spelled out. This applies as much to individuals and their personal life missions as to institutions, communities and nations and their collective missions. One of the best ways to behold the Qur'an as a miracle in action is to witness and experience what it does to our souls and our individual as well as societal life systems and organizations when it is invited and duly permitted to do so.
For obvious reasons, historically, the Qur'an functioned as an enduring catalyst of spiritual as well as intellectual literacy in the Muslim world. The literacy rate most of the time was remarkable. For instance, during some of the most prosperous Muslim epochs, many not only scholars, but also ordinary people across the vast Muslim territories were bilingual. They spoke, or were able to understand, Arabic as the language of the Qur'an, apart from their own native languages such as Turkish, Persian, Urdu, etc. Small wonder, then, that the enemies of Islam always strove to alienate Muslims from their Qur'an and the Arabic language – Arabs from the purity of their language in favor of some peculiar and hollow vernaculars or dialects, and non-Arabs from it altogether in favor of some equally peculiar and hollow alternatives served in the name of bogus forms of cultural refinement and classiness – knowing only too well that the Qur'an is the point where the case of Islam and Muslims can get hurt the most.
On the whole, it is utterly irrelevant how much one reads of the Qur'an. What is relevant is how he reads it, how much he comprehends of the Qur'an's infinite wisdom and messages, and how successfully he translates and implements what he learned therefrom onto the complex and demanding arena of life. Reading the Qur'an in order to correctly understand and effectively apply it in life is what every Muslim's struggle (personal jihad) should be, regardless of how fast or slow the process might be. People are born different with different intellectual and spiritual propensities and gifts, so, their performances and results will vary accordingly. What is appreciated most in the sight of Allah are the appropriateness and sincerity of intentions, dedication to the noble purpose and perseverance. In other words, what matters most are overall efforts and some spiritual intangible components and criteria, rather than sheer numbers, figures and some irrelevant quantifiable measures and standards. In certain situations, clearly, less will mean more.
Therefore, to emphasize and insist in the current Muslim intellectual and spiritual climate on dealing with the Qur'an only in terms of the numbers of recited sections (juz') or chapters (surah) a day, or the numbers of khatm al-Qur'an (recitation of the whole Qur'an) a month or a year – especially with the general public and in non-Arab societies — will be grossly inappropriate. In passing, all the traditions and accounts referring to the magnificent acts of reading, reciting and even memorizing the whole or substantial portions of the Qur'an aim at the propositions of the correct understanding, appreciation and implementation of the Qur'an in people's day by day activities and interactions. Constantly reading, reciting and memorizing the Qur'an — plus printing, promoting and distributing it – should represent mere righteous means, methods and strategies meant to encourage and facilitate even more dignified and righteous objectives. Some of those traditions are gravely misunderstood and are taken out of their contexts.
The ultimate goal of every Muslim should be to become a "walking Qur'an" just as the Prophet (pbuh) was, that is to say, that he should personify in his overall deportment and manners the Qur'anic worldview, values and teachings. In this way, the exemplary model of the Qur'an will be transported into the world of corporeal life systems and realities. The Qur'an will thus become alive, tackling head-on and solving the greatest challenges and conundrums that face man and his life systems and organizations. By not being reduced to just a theory, the Qur'an will also promote itself as a living miracle and workable blueprint for all the feasible civilizational enterprises of man.
Nonetheless, such is the nature of the Qur'an as Allah's final and eternal miracle (mu'jizah) to people that it offers to its readers and students only as much as they really want and are prepared for. Hence, there are people who read the Qur'an a lot, but receive nothing or very little in return. That is so because in reality they never wanted more from the Qur'an. Some people, on the other hand, get much from the Qur'an only because they so wanted from the outset. On balance, it is only fair that people get what they sincerely wish and are equipped for.
It follows that since the human hearts are the repositories of the Qur'an (al-Shu'ara', 194; al-Baqarah, 97), only they whose hearts have been purified could grasp and accommodate the purity and inviolability of the Qur'an's divine wisdom and messages. A person's benefits from the Qur'an will always be proportionate to the extent of the purity of his heart. The tongue and the mind are not the repositories of the Qur'an. They are but stations or degrees through which the Qur'an passes on its voyage to its final destination, the heart, leaving its suitable impact and marks at each of those stations. That is an implication of the following Qur'anic verses: "Indeed, it is a noble Qur'an, in a Register well-protected; none touch it except the purified. (It is) a revelation from the Lord of the worlds" (al-Waqi'ah, 77-80). Allah also says linking the contemplation of the Qur'an with human hearts: "Will they then not contemplate the Qur'an? Or are there locks upon (their) hearts?" (Muhammad, 24).
When reading or studying the Qur'an, every individual is to bear in mind that the Qur'an has been revealed through Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) directly to him. Every word is Allah's direct speech (communication), or revelation, to him. Therefore, every individual should prepare himself for the scale of such a mode of communication primarily by removing any spiritual and mental obstacles that might stand between him and the Qur'an and thus hinder reception. He can try to imagine himself alone in the cave Hira' (the venue of the first and most dramatic revelation to the Prophet (pbuh)) as a backdrop of the communication. He also needs to disengage himself from this physical world and try to connect up with the metaphysical plane, a world of a higher order of things and meanings, as much as possible.
After every verse — or sets of shorter verses — the person should stop and attempt to fathom what exactly Allah was conveying particularly to him, using translations, commentaries of the Qur'an and even appropriate secondary books and references as aid. The help of trustworthy scholars can likewise be sought. Undeniably, apart from general messages, there are specific Qur'anic messages for each and every one of us. We are to search for ourselves and our specific existential cases in the infinite sea of the Qur'anic wisdom. No rushed moving on to subsequent verses is to be undertaken until the previous ones have been adequately understood and acted upon. In the meantime, however, the person can embark on sporadic casual and superficial readings, in order to gratify his inner impulse which is bound to be intensified by some ubiquitous religious trends, but the former approach is to remain a priority irrespective of how slow, protracted and challenging it may be. The same style is to become integral to one's life mission, for there is nothing better and more rewarding than being an everlasting student of the Qur'an.
For the above reasons the Qur'anic verses are called ayat — plural of ayah — which means "signs". So, as a book of revealed signs, the Qur'an is to be meticulously read, explored, contemplated and put into practice. In tandem with the reading and exploring of the signs (ayat) of the natural and physical world, a Muslim armed with the Qur'an in his heart has everything at his disposal needed for unraveling some of the biggest mysteries of life, and for marching confidently towards the ultimate realization of his life mission and purpose. This integration between the ayat (signs) of the Qur'an and the ayat (signs) of the physical existence served to Muslims in the past as a conceptual framework for their cultural and civilizational awakening and progress. In the process, some of the most splendid chapters in the history of human civilizational output and ingenuity were written. And unquestionably, for contemporary Muslims and their mounting unprecedented challenges, too, the methods of integration between revelation and reason, science and religion, the matter and spirit, the body and soul, the heavens and earth – that is, between the ayat (signs) of the revealed Qur'an (al-qur'an al-tadwini) and the ayat (signs) of the physical existence or the ontological or cosmic "qur'an" (al-qur'an al-takwini) — will always be most effective. However, there are no prescribed models of integration. What at all times will be needed are people's willingness, motivation, open-mindedness, dedication, hard work, leadership and a culture of comprehensive excellence, with every age producing its own protagonists and modi operandi.
The above notion is somewhat encapsulated in the following account. 'A'ishah, the Prophet's wife, narrated that one night the Prophet (pbuh) stood up in prayer and cried until his beard became wet. He prostrated and cried until he made the ground wet. He then laid down on his side and cried. When Bilal came to alert the Prophet (pbuh) for the Dawn (Fajr) prayer, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! What makes you cry, while Allah has forgiven you your previous and latter sins?" He said: "O Bilal! What prevents me from crying, when this night, this ayah (Qur'anic verse) was revealed to me: {'Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs (ayat) for men of understanding'} (Alu 'Imran, 190)." The Prophet (pbuh) then said: "Woe to he who recites it but does not contemplate it." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
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5 thoughts on "Let's Examine Our Relationship with the Qur'an"
Norimah Md. Dali says:
Imam Harshi contends that altogether there are 6666 ayah:
1000 ayah on Amal
1000 on Nahi
1000 on Akhlak
1000 on Wa'ad (Good promises)
1000 on Wa'id (Bad promises)
1000 on Qisah- Stories
500 on Huqum Halal Haram
166 on Do'a and Tasbih
Imam 'Athaq merged some ayah becomes 6236 ayah as mentioned by Dr.Spahic.
Altogether 114 Surah, 30 Juzu' (1 Juzu' 10 sheets; front and back 20 pages)
1 juzu' 2 Hizb ( 8 Rubu'). 1 Hiab=4 Rubu' for Hafazan purpose. Altogether 240 Rubu'
The entire al-Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in 22 years, 2 months and 22 days.
Say 23 years – 13 years in Makkah, 10 years in Medina.
I think our relationship with the Al-Quran (especially the non-Arabic Muslims) and relating to the breakdown of the contents as mentioned above, have been translated/transformed into specific knowledge vis-a-vis Tafseer, Tauhid, Ilmu Fardhu Ain, Fardhu Kifayah, Tasauf, Doa, Wirid, Tahlil, Tahmid, Takbir, Zikir, Qisah, Sirah Nabi etc. So even though most of us do not know Arabic we have lived Quran in us. Alhamdulillah.
Wan Siti Hajar Omar says:
I believe a Muslim will feel the pleasure of being in Islam when we truly embrace Quran in their heart. It requires time and huge exposure to be in that zone. When reciting, hafazan and understand the Quran becoming a culture to a society, automatically all aspects in our life is being guided to the right path. We should make the Quran in Life as a trend!. So that more and more people would starts to read frequently everyday. Not only in Ramadhan month.
Rohimah says:
Assalamualaikum,I totally agree with you Sister.May Allah give us strength to acknowledge Al Quran as the top priority in our life & make Al Quran as our best buddies 🙂
Umm Abdullah says:
Jazak Allah khair. We all know that we should read Quran, but your article makes us understand – and really feel – why it's so important and what it actually means to read and understand it…
Al Quran for android says:
All praise to Allah for this wonderful initiative to make Islam easily accessible to the young in a manner that is both creative and appealing to them. Such an innovative approach to make Islam relevant to the times is certainly part of the Sunnah of Rasulullah (saw). In this age and time, a credible Islamic eLearning platform is certainly long overdue.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1940 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents
Archbishop of Wales – Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Crwys

Events
21 January - Lowest ever temperature recorded in Wales, -23.3 °C (-9.9 °F) at Rhayader.
27 January - A freak ice storm across the UK brings down telephone and electricity lines in many parts of Wales.
3 March - The steamer Cato is damaged by a mine off Nash Point and 13 of the crew are killed.
March - The scenic railway opens at Barry Island Pleasure Park.
May
The newly created Coalition Government includes Hugh Dalton as Minister of Economic Warfare.
Alun Lewis enlists.
8 May - Three Nazi German Luftwaffe Heinkel 111s crash in separate incidents over Wales: one near Wrexham, one at Malpas in Denbighshire, and one at Bagillt, Flint. In all nine crew are killed and four captured.
3 July - Cardiff is bombed for the first time.
9 July - Cardiff suffers its first bombing fatalities.
10 July - Ten people are killed in an air raid on Swansea Docks, as shipping convoys become a target.
11 July - Communist minister and poet Thomas Evan Nicholas ("Niclas y Glais") and his son are arrested and interned for "endeavouring to impede recruitment to HM Forces". Nicholas is eventually released on 20 October.
11 August - Seventeen people are killed in an air raid on Manselton, Swansea.
14 August - Three German Heinkel 111s are shot down during an air-raid on Cardiff, and another over North Wales after a raid on RAF Hawarden.
22 August - A steamer, the Thorold, is sunk by German aircraft off the Skerries. Ten crew are killed.
2 September - 33 people are killed in an air raid on Swansea.
3 September - Eleven people are killed in an air raid on Cardiff.
4 September - A German Junkers 88 crashes near Machynlleth.  Four crew and a Gestapo officer are captured.
13 September - A German Heinkel 111 crashes into a house in Newport, Monmouthshire.
22 November - The steamer Pikepool is damaged by a mine off Linney Head, Pembrokeshire, with the loss of 17 crew.
The Urdd changes its policy to include 16- to 25-year-olds.
Gwilym Williams becomes chaplain of St David's College, Lampeter.
Percy Cudlipp becomes editor of the Daily Herald.
Alun Talfan Davies and his brother Aneirin found the publishing house Llyfrau'r Dryw.

Arts and literature
Lewis Casson directs John Gielgud in King Lear.

Awards
National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bangor (radio))
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. Rowland Hughes
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books
Richard Bennett - Cyfrol Goffa Richard Bennett
Clara Novello Davies - The Life I Have Loved
David Delta Edwards - Rhedeg ar ôl y Cysgodion
John Cowper Powys - Owen Glendower (U.S. publication)
Howard Spring - Fame is the Spur
Ransom Riggs - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (published 2011; partially set in Wales, 1940)

Music
Mai Jones & Lyn Joshua - "We'll Keep a Welcome" (performed for the first time in the forces' variety show, Welsh Rarebit on 29 February)
Grace Williams - Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes (score dated 9 February)

Film
March 25 - Plaza Cinema opens in Port Talbot.
April 6 - Paul Robeson and Rachel Thomas star in The Proud Valley (cinematic release)

Broadcasting
25 February - The Proud Valley is the first film to have its première on radio, when the BBC broadcasts a 60-minute version.
May - The BBC Radio Variety Department relocates to Bangor because of wartime disruption; it will broadcast from here until August 1943.
August - The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on the British Home Service, including 15 minutes each for the crown and chair ceremonies.

Sport
Football
13 April - Wales defeat England 1 - 0.
Quoits - Jack Price wins the Welsh championship for the third time.

Births
4 January - Brian Josephson, theoretical physicist
17 January - Leighton Rees, darts champion (died 2003)
23 January - Ted Rowlands, politician
1 March - David Broome, show jumping champion
16 May - Sir Gareth Roberts, physicist (died 2007)
7 June - Tom Jones, singer
29 June - John Dawes, rugby player (died 2021)
17 July - C. W. Nicol, Japanese writer and environmentalist (died 2020 in Japan)
3 September - Eduardo Hughes Galeano, Uruguayan writer of Welsh descent
20 September - Anna Pavord, gardening writer
1 October - Atarah Ben-Tovim, flautist and children's concert promoter (died 2022)
14 October - Christopher Timothy, actor
31 October - Eric Griffiths, skiffle guitarist with The Quarrymen (died 2005)
4 November - Daniel Sperber, Talmudic scholar
30 November - Peter Shreeves, footballer, coach and manager
5 December
Michael Jones, medieval historian
"Exotic" Adrian Street, professional wrestler
24 December - John Marek, politician
date unknown
Donald Evans, Welsh-language poet
Keith Miles, detective novelist and screenwriter

Deaths
12 February - William Edwards, educationist, 89
21 February - Sir Alfred Edward Lewis, banker, 71
15 March - John Davies, author, 71
20 March - William Thomas Edwards (Gwilym Deudraeth), poet
7 April - Ernest Rowland, priest and Wales international rugby player, 75
27 April - Fred Cornish, Wales international rugby player
23 May - Hugh Hesketh Hughes, polo player, 37 (killed in action)
4 June - Owen Picton Davies, businessman and politician, 68
25 June - Stanley Winmill, Wales international rugby union player, 51
3 July - George Bevan Bowen, landowner, 82
8 August - Daniel Lleufer Thomas, lawyer and biographer, 76
20 August - Henry Maldwyn Hughes, Wesleyan minister
26 September - W. H. Davies, poet and author, 69
9 October - Sir Wilfred Grenfell, medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador
9 November - Gwilym Owen, physicist
15 December
Robert Thomas Jones, quarrymen's leader, 66
Sir David Richard Llewellyn, 1st Baronet, industrialist

See also
1940 in Northern Ireland

References

Wales

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


As an independent systems integrator, Applied Control Engineering, Inc. (ACE) has expertise in control automation that is broad based and includes a variety of industrial applications. We specialize in making plants more efficient and flexible through process automation and implementation of manufacturing management information systems. Ultimately helping our customers gain a competitive advantage through improved control and automation of their manufacturing processes. The following is a sample of projects with which we have been involved. To learn more, please contact your local ACE representative.


text:
Ruckus touts CBRS portfolio as commercial deployment nears
by Monica Alleven |
Ruckus equipment has been deployed in nearly 50 CBRS trials across a variety of enterprise verticals. (Ruckus Wireless)
Ruckus Wireless, an early player in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service space, this week announced the immediate availability of its CBRS portfolio ahead of an expected summer deployment of initial CBRS gear in the U.S.
It's been a long haul—the FCC first approved a three-pronged sharing paradigm for the 3.5 GHz band in the U.S. in 2015 and the industry was working on the technology leading up to that—but Ruckus has stuck through thick and thin. Known for its Wi-Fi access points (APs), Ruckus sees big potential for CBRS; one of its trio of products is a plug-in LTE and Wi-Fi combination APs for indoor use; the other two are indoor and outdoor LTE APs.
The current thinking is the initial commercial deployment phase will begin in July, with full commercial deployments to follow soon after. Although, timing depends on the government's testing and certification processes, so that could change, according to Joel Lindholm, vice president, LTE Business at Ruckus Networks.
RELATED: Editor's Note—CBRS closes in on prime time
Knowing that initial deployments are around the corner, "we thought it was appropriate to get ahead of that and get our portfolio out there," he said, noting that Ruckus is building up its channel and device partners. "We want customers to know that, hey, this thing's real."
Ruckus equipment has been deployed in nearly 50 trials across a variety of enterprise verticals as well as with mobile network operators (MNOs), multiple system operators (MSOs), mobile virtual network operator (MVNOs) and neutral-host operators. "We are working with some mobile operators to augment their capabilities into enterprises," Lindholm told FierceWirelessTech.
Is CBRS going to compete with Wi-Fi? "It complements Wi-Fi," he said, noting the company's interest in protecting the Wi-Fi business. But pragmatically speaking, mobility, for example, is a one of the native things that LTE does a better job of providing.
"At the end of the day, Wi-Fi is cheaper. It's always going to be cheaper," from the chips to the end product, and it's pervasive across everything, he said. If Wi-Fi works, people are going to stick with Wi-Fi, but if they need LTE, "now we have the ability to bring them something that they can take advantage of," he said.
Once the FCC finalizes commercial CBRS spectrum availability, organizations across a variety of verticals will be able deploy their own private LTE networks. Here are some use cases, according to Ruckus:
Secure, wide-area, high-definition video surveillance
Critical communications for security and operations teams
Remote vehicle and equipment control
Automated guided vehicle (AGV) connectivity
Mobile point-of-sale (POS) and mobile kiosk connectivity
Mobile high-volume data transfer for imagery, video, diagnostics
Mobile connectivity for utility, public safety and passenger transfer vehicles
Low-latency connectivity for industrial automation (Industry 4.0)
Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) 3.5 GHz band spectrum sharing Ruckus Wireless FCC
Monica Alleven
https://twitter.com/fiercewrlsstech
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-alleven-29b13a1


text:
Lungs at the Old Vic
Lungs at the Old Vic | Theatre review
14th October - 9th November 2019
The Crown's Claire Foy and Matt Smith are reunited in this hotly anticipated play by Duncan Macmillan, the man behind the very well-received People, Places and Things.
Worrying that the world is already overpopulated, turbulent and plagued by climate change, a couple wrestle with the idea of whether or not it's right for them to have a baby. Considering it premiered back in 2011, the play feels incredibly fresh and even more relevant today in the issues it addresses. As well as carbon footprints, Macmillan examines gender roles, sexual politics, and of course the responsibilities and life changes that come with parenthood.
Rob Howell's simple costume design allows the characters to feel accessible and recognisable to the audience. Opening with a scene set in Ikea, it's not long before laughter ensues, and there are a great many laugh-out-loud moments amongst the play's weighty themes. This is due to Macmillan's sharp and snappy script as well as the compelling performances of Smith and Foy, who excel in their comic timing.
Viewers of The Crown will be aware of the actors' chemistry, but on stage and in roles far removed from their royal ones they are electric, clearly relishing the material given to them. Their ability to bounce dialogue off one another at a rapid rate, their use of proxemics and their body language is masterful. Whilst Foy is perhaps offered more to do, Smith often uses his facial expression, his eyes and movement to tell us all we need to know about how his character feels.
As has been done recently in the Old Vic's The American Clock, the audience sits on the stage and the action takes place almost in the round. Howell's simple set consists of only solar panels. There are no props and nothing in the way of scenery, leaving the writing – and the two actors' stellar performances – to do all the talking. And the play has a lot to say. Almost every line of dialogue carries weight, whilst still remaining believably conversational. Foy's character simply brims with thoughts, questions and ideas, and the actor's at times frantic delivery, stammering as she attempts to unload everything and dropping the F-bomb like there's no tomorrow, is amusing and entertaining to watch.
Although the dialogue is very naturalistic, scenes transition into one another without warning, abruptly switching locations and time periods, allowing a fast pace to prevail throughout the one-act play. Arguably the momentum dips slightly towards the end, but it soon picks up with a tender and emotive climax. Director Matthew Warchus is careful to allow the audience time to reflect on some of the heftier issues that are explored. The time-jumps and scene changes also conjure up the idea of humans, and certainly our protagonists, having little control over certain aspects in life, the sparse set and audience seating exposing their insecurities and vulnerabilities.
Lungs is the hottest ticket in town, and theatregoers will not be disappointed by the exceptional performances of Foy and Smith, but it is also a well-written and engaging play that has a great deal to say about the times in which we live.
Photos: Helen Maybanks
Lungs is at the Old Vic from 14th October until 9th November 2019. For further information or to book visit the theatre's website here.
Vassa at Almeida Theatre | Theatre review
Great Expectations at Southwark Playhouse | Theatre review


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Episode 236 – Andrew Tarvin
December 13, 2019 by johng
Andrew is a Humor Engineer & Comedian
Andrew Tarvin, the World's first Humor Engineer, returns to the podcast from episode 38 to talk about his transition from improv to stand up comedy, how your emotions impact your productivity, and his new book!
Episode Highlights
• Why he transitioned to stand-up comedy from improv
• The difference between stand-up comedy and improv
• Some of his favorite shows he has done
• How emotions can impact your productivity at work
• The gradual growth of the 'What's You And' message
Andrew's Pictures
The Stand NYC
Buddha Battle at NY Comedy Club
Luxembourg Comedy
Andrew's links
Humor That Works
Welcome to Episode 236 of What's Your "And"? Follow-Up Friday edition. This is John Garrett. Each Friday, I follow-up with a guest who had been on the show a few years ago to hear what's new with their passions outside of work and also hear how this message might've impacted them since we last talked.
I'm so excited to let everyone know my book's being published very soon. It'll be available on Amazon and a few other websites. Check out whatsyourand.com for all the details or sign up for my exclusive list. You're going to be the first to know when it's coming out.
Please don't forget to hit subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any of the future episodes because I love sharing such interesting stories each and every week. This Follow-Up Friday is going to be no different with my guest, Andrew Tarvin. He's the world's first humor engineer. Now, he's with me here today. Andrew, thanks so much for taking time to be with me on What's Your "And"?
Andrew: Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me. Man, this is quite a follow-up because I was on when it was pre What's Your "And"? What's Your "And"? is such an incredible title.
John: Well, thanks, man. I appreciate that. I mean as a friend, we hang out all the time. It's kind of weird that we actually have to record it but now, we're going to let everyone in on our magic and they're going to be all disappointed. It's going to be like, "Oh, that's what they talk about? What?"
Andrew: Yeah. Two comedians get together and it's this? Yeah. I mean especially those comedians are former accountant, former engineer, this is what we talk about. We're numbers people.
John: Totally. As long as there's milkshakes, we're both in. That's how it's going to be.
Andrew: I mean yeah, last time we hung out together in person, we had that amazing milkshake in Denver.
John: Oh, yeah. That was so good. That was so good at the Dessert Bar restaurant. Yeah, that was really good.
I've mixed up the format since you were on Episode 38 eons ago. We're going to do rapid fire questions out of the gate.
Andrew: Great.
John: Here we go. If you had to choose, Harry Potter or Game of Thrones?
Andrew: Oh, man. If you asked pre-season 8, Game of Thrones all the way. Man, this is a hard question. I'm going to go Harry Potter because people tell me I kind of look like Harry Potter and I don't look like anyone in Game of Thrones.
John: Yeah, right. You just need more blood on your face or whatever.
Andrew: Yeah, maybe a White Walker because I'm pale.
John: There you go. There you go.
Andrew: We're going Harry Potter. That's better.
John: How about a favorite sports team?
Andrew: The Ohio State Buckeyes in football.
John: There you go. That's what I figured. Prefer more hot or cold?
Andrew: I would rather be hot. Yeah. I was going to say cold because you can put on more layers but I don't like cold-cold. That's why I could never live in Chicago because the cold gets you to the bone.
John: Yeah, yeah. Okay. All right. How about a least favorite vegetable?
Andrew: Beets. Beets are a vegetable, right, or is it just — it tastes like dirt. I think of beets, it tastes like dirt. I don't know if I consider that a vegetable but it would be beets.
John: You might need to wash them before you eat them but either way.
Andrew: Is that the issue?
John: It could be. Here's one. Brownie or ice cream?
Andrew: Can I go ice cream on top of a brownie? I mean if I had to choose one, it's ice cream but I like the combo.
John: That works for me. No, no. the combo works for me. It's a trick one.
Andrew: Specifically, an 1870 Tower from Graeter's Ice Cream. If you're ever in the Cincinnati area and you're a listener, get that. It's black raspberry chip ice cream on a brownie.
John: Yeah. That's amazing. Okay. You fly a lot. Airplane seat, window or aisle?
Andrew: Aisle all the way. I go to the bathroom way too much to be in that window seat.
John: Okay. The last one. Maybe the most important one. Toilet paper, roll over or under?
Andrew: Over. I'm a human being not a savage.
John: Okay. All right. Fair enough. When we chatted on Episode 38, it was a lot of the improv and when you were in your P&G days in engineering and project management stuff doing the improv and how cool that was, are you still performing improve? Is comedy still part of your life?
Andrew: Comedy is still a huge part of my life, still kind of teaching people about the skill and value of humor but on the side, doing a lot less improv just because I'm travelling a lot more and doing a lot more stand-up, doing a lot more of that solo kind of on stage pre-planned things and yeah, so still, comedy is a big part but just a different lens through that comedy.
John: Yeah, yeah. For people listening that think that improv and stand-up are similar, they're so different. But in your words, how are they different since you spent so many years doing both now?
Andrew: Yeah, people will say that if they hear you do improv, they'll be like oh, tell me a joke or I've seen stand-up before. Stand-up is that single person on stage with a microphone, what you see like on Netflix comedy specials so you think Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle, Tig Notaro, Jerry Seinfeld, those are stand-up comedians. Improv is typically with a group, not always with a group but typically, more than one person but it's made up on the spot and it maybe follows a framework.
If we watch Whose Line is it Anyway? or you go to a comedy sports show that's short-form where it's game-based improv or you might see a long form show at UCB or IO in Chicago where they get one suggestion and then they perform for say, 30 or 45 minutes off of that one suggestion but the big difference is that improv is all made up in the moment, typically with a team. Stand-up is typically one person and it's usually kind of pre-planned and stand-up for me, I don't know, you can tell me if you felt the same but stand-up is harder than improv.
John: So much harder. I've done both as well. I did some comedy sports in Milwaukee. So much harder because the audience, you're asking them for the ideas so he said shovel and that was what I said. People are excited to be part of the show. Whereas, stand-up, it's very much like you got to get them where they're at and take them to where you want them to go.
Andrew: There's a weird expectation difference. Improv, it's kind of like hey, they know it's going to be made up on the spot and you said it's referencing something that everyone just heard, and they're like, oh, wow. That's impressive. I could never think of that kind of thing on the spot. Whereas, stand-up is okay, you think you're funny, prove it.
John: Very much so. You had all this time to think of that. Whereas in improve, it's oh, wow, you thought of that in 30 seconds even though when you've played enough, you understand that how there's certain formulas that won't work, and the same works for stand-up as well. But yeah, it's certainly is. What made you want to make that transition?
Andrew: It was a function of time. As I started speaking more and more, so in that time since we've last talked, I did a TEDx Talk on the skill of humor which have been fortunate enough to now is that go over five and a half million views and just speaking more and more of like lots of referral and things like that.
I'm on the road a lot more. Improv, when it's good, it tends to be you do it with kind of a group of people pretty consistently because you get to know kind of how they think, you create a group mind and can build off of each other. That's a lot harder to do when travelling.
I'm going to, in the upcoming year, I'm probably going to be Singapore and maybe to Austria and so it's hard for me to reach out to someone in Austria and be like, "Hey, I'm going to be there. Do you want to improvise together?"
John: "Hey, weirdo." Delete.
Andrew: Versus as a stand-up, I can be like, hey, I've done these shows. I can show them a set that I've done. Then they can give me ten or 15 minutes spot and be like, okay, you own this ten or 15 minutes. We don't have to do a bunch of like it doesn't require us to have a very close relationship for this to go well.
I love both. Stand-up, I really have been getting more and more into of like how do I control the thoughts in the audience of how do I set them up and think of one way and then give them something else? Then also, the nerd in me of how do I inject a little bit of message or some interesting ideas to think about in the content.
It's not just making them laugh but then hopefully, them laughing then a little bit later, them thinking about like that was interesting what you said about this saying and maybe it plants a seed in their head about something they want to do differently.
John: Give them some homework to do.
Andrew: Exactly. I love people who have to fact check and go home. I mean a simple example, and I think it's working because a friend of mine who saw me recently was like, okay, that was a very Drew Tarvin joke that you just shared. The joke — I can't remember how I get to it but like I've been talking about ghosts and it's crazy to me that more people believe in ghosts than like what they do for a living.
John: That's hilarious. That's such a Drew Tarvin joke right there.
Andrew: Yeah, and then I can also talk about the average person then would like if you talk with them, they're going to be like, I want to kill my boss but I can't because then he'd come back and haunt me.
John: Because then he's a ghost and then I'm going to have to like —
Andrew: But that idea that in that information is kind of me like talking about that's crazy to me that 55% of Americans are unsatisfied with their jobs and I'll sometimes share that specific statistic. That means more believe in ghosts than what they do for a living, et cetera.
Not only it's hopefully funny, it's nerdy, but then also it's like that is kind of crazy. There's a little bit of like truth in that. I've clearly done my research for my jokes.
John: Right. Yeah, that's awesome, man. What are some of the more fun shows, stand-up shows that you've done in the last couple of years because I know you've done some around the world, even.
Andrew: That's what I really enjoy is doing stand-up when I travel and going to international places and so I've done some really fun shows. I did a great show. I mean this was a few years ago. I did Boom Chicago in Amsterdam which was really cool. It's a pretty well-known club there and it was like 200 people which was super fun. I recently did some shows in Singapore that went really well.
What's interesting is like you go there and you go to these different places and you try to figure out culturally, what are they going to laugh at? How do I change my material so they resonate? But then it's also interesting because everywhere you go has their version of what New Jersey is to New York or what Kentucky is to Ohio.
Every group that you go to has like, we kind of like — we think we're a little bit better than this place. If you go to Singapore, everyone there jokes about Malaysia. That's their version of New Jersey to New York. If you have your own version of New Jersey to New York type jokes, you can then just replace the names to Singapore and Malaysia to map it correctly and people will laugh.
The specifics are sometimes different but the universal nature —
John: Yeah. That's awesome, man. That's really cool. Really cool. Is it something that you're seeing more professionals sharing hobbies and passions when you're speaking at these conferences and with these corporate events?
Andrew: I mean a little bit more partially because as I said, we know each other and when you started talking about What's Your "And"? That's something that I've started bringing up to a lot of people because it's such a great articulation of that idea that you've said is that you are more than what you do.
To help people — that's part of you know, I speak on humor in the workplace and part of that is being authentic and being a human in the workplace not bring your authentic self because humans do humor. If you're at home, you make jokes with friends and things like that. I still think it's slow. I think they're still a lot of people that need to hear that message but I think it's gradually starting to grow.
People are starting to recognize and that research is coming out too, showing it like the research with Project Aristotle and psychological safety and all the work and authenticity and vulnerability and the impact that's having as a positive work place. Importance of emotional intelligence and that being a stronger career predictor than IQ. EQ is stronger. All this research coming out, people are starting to be like, oh, yeah. I guess when we try to pretend like we're a robot, we're not very good robots and so embrace the human element of what we do, we're going to get the results.
John: I mean there was a study done in 1918, I like to bring this up when I speak that Carnegie Institute found out that your financial success is based 15% on technical skills. That was over a hundred years ago. Yet, all of our education and all of our continuing education, all of our charge codes, all of how people are promoted, all of how people get bonuses, technical skills, technical skills, and it's like what are we doing? It's just crazy how we don't learn from — I mean it's like what do we need to do?
Andrew: Right. It's that recognition that — this is the thing that as all the listeners know, your emotions impact your ability to get work done. If you are stressed out because of something that happened at home or whatever, when you go to the workplace, you're not as creative, you're not as engaged, you're not as productive.
Same thing is if you are stressed out at work, you are not as engaged at home. Work-life balance doesn't exist. It used to be like in the Industrial Revolution, you could not take your home with you.
What are you going to do? Drag a factory machine with you and do some plating at home? No. Impossible. You had that kind of set time but now, in today's world, people are constantly — maybe they leave work a little bit early, they take their kid to soccer practice, they have dinner and then they're hopping an email before they go to bed.
On Sunday, they're starting to plan the week and maybe they're sending out a couple of things because they always constantly have meetings. You hear this from people all the time. It's like, the only time I can be productive is like when I work from home because I'm constantly like pulled in other directions at work.
There is no distinction between work-life balance anymore. It's more that integration and so part of that is why we need to bring the entire person to work because we're constantly in that mode. There's no light switch moment so it's like yeah, be your authentic self and bring those moments.
I love a lot of your messaging around this because like you said, it's what people are going to remember. They're not going to remember your résumé, they're going to remember who you were as a person and your hobbies, your passions are a big part of what determines that. It's going to constantly change. I've gone from improv to stand-up.
The other thing is like stand-up is kind of related to my work. The other kind of hobby thing that I'm starting to pick up is I'm trying to learn German. That's because my girlfriend is German and so I'm trying to learn German and just like any skill, it's taking time. It is not easy. I am failing miserably sometimes, trying to remember words and everything. I have terrible pronunciation.
But it's another thing for me to work on. When I share that with people, they connect because so often, people are like oh, you know, I've never learned another language. What's it like? I know three languages. Here are some tips. It just creates an instant connecting point that again, you're reminding people that hey, we're human beings.
John: Right. That's awesome, and hopefully pig Latin counts because now, I've got two. We can do that and then like —
Andrew: Well, I mean if you're counting pig Latin, and if we can count C++, HTML, PHP.
John: Okay. You're a savant. That's awesome. That's so funny. If you start doing comedy in German, that's going to be next level because they're certainly not known for their humor that's for sure.
Andrew: I will say that my girlfriend is very funny. I've done a couple of speaking engagements in Germany now. They have laughed. They love efficient humor.
John: Yes, yes, yeah. Probably more puns like two, three lines, then we get to laugh. Yeah, yeah. That's awesome, man. That's awesome.
Well, this has been so great catching up and hearing what you're up to, and also the new book that came out this year.
Andrew: Yeah, so it's a book called Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work, and it's basically the culmination of what I've been working on the last ten years on that what, why, and how of using humor in the workplace. So yeah. It came out in April and has been a great resource. I think it's been resonating well with people as an actionable guide for if they wanted to get started using humor to bring a little bit more fun into the workplace to give a starting point for them.
John: Yeah, no. It's awesome. I read the book and it's great for regular people to see. You don't have to be a comedian to bring some humor. It's less degree of difficulty and there's plenty of examples that you get on the book of ways to do that and for people to learn how to do that and encourage them. So yeah, it's definitely a good read for people listening.
Andrew: Yeah, so they can read that while they're waiting for your book to drop, then they can read yours right after.
John: There you go. We should do a buy-one package deal sort of a thing. I might've just accidentally advertised something but who knows? But before we wrap this up and bring it in for a landing, it's only fair that I allow you to question me and I might be the most nervous I've ever been since you probably know me better than anyone else who has been on the show. This interview might never see the light of day, everyone. We'll see.
Andrew: All right. Rapid fire questions from me? I'll keep it safe and keep the more pointed questions for our next milkshake conversation but first question, what's the first thing you remember buying with your own money?
John: Oh, buying with my own money, and I'm pretty sure that it's going to be a Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. cassette. My dad was a member of the BMG Music Club, kind of like Columbia House. I remember saving up for my paper route to buy that Born in the U.S.A. casette. I think it was in third grade.
Andrew: I like it. What was your favorite and least favorite subject in school?
John: That's pretty good. I guess favorite subject in school — I mean in high school, I enjoyed physics, even in college. I wasn't good at it in college but clearly, because I'm not an engineer anymore, but I thought it was cool because we were doing this stuff that was in the textbook like in the physics lab especially. It was like wow, this is freaking cool stuff. I don't know why this is happening but it's neat. It's really interesting.
Then least favorite yeah, was probably something like English or something like that, which is probably why it's taking me forever in a day to write a book. Actually, I just realized what the problem is.
Andrew: Yeah, there you go.
John: It's not my fault. Probably like English or something like that, that involved reading. I don't know. After the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! clubs stopped, I was done reading.
Andrew: You're like, why read if I don't get pizza out of this?
John: Totally.
Andrew: That should be another promotion for the book is a little coupon for pizza if they read it or something.
John: There you go. You get a little personal pizza at the end of the book. That's hilarious.
Andrew: Last question. Who's your celebrity doppelganger?
John: Oh, wow. Okay. That's a really good one. I used to often get Tom Cavanagh. There was a show called Ed on NBC where there was this lawyer guy that went back to a small town and bought a bowling alley, and so I used to get him a fair amount, but he still has dark hair and I have gray hair, so maybe not that as much. I don't know if there's anyone that's had the misfortune of accidentally looking like me. You know who it is.
Honestly, now that I guess he's a celebrity, Ryan Hamilton, stand-up comedian, he's got a Netflix special. We used to get missed up in the city all the time. People would be like, "Oh, I saw you at so and so." I go, "Was I wearing a tie?" They'll be like, "No." I'll be like, "Well, that was Ryan Hamilton."
Andrew: I like that that was the primary distinguishing feature.
John: Totally, because we're both just tall, lanky dudes but yeah, he's absolutely hilarious and on fire right now, so yeah. I guess Ryan Hamilton's a celebrity now, so him.
Andrew: Yeah. How nice you get to pick that. I like that.
John: Yeah, and I have his number. It's like oh, my friend's a celebrity.
Andrew: Quick side note. I just recently did a Facebook live with a guy purely because I did a podcast, someone commented on the podcast, hey, you look like so and so, that person reached out to me. We're like, we do look a lot alike. It's like he looks like me but with long hair. We did a live interview together just because we're like, we look the same. We should talk about it.
John: That's awesome, man. Well, thanks so much for taking time to be with me on What's Your "And"? This was really great, Andrew.
Andrew: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me.
John: Everyone listening, if you like to see some pictures of Andrew in action or maybe connect with him on social media or the links to his book, be sure to go to whatsyourand.com, it's all there. While on your page, please click that big button and do the anonymous research survey about corporate culture.
Thanks again for subscribing on iTunes or whatever app you use and for sharing this with your friends, so they get the message that we're all trying to spread, that who you are is so much more than what you do.
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John Garrett is a consultant, author, and creator of the What's Your "And" podcast. Organizations come to John to create a stronger culture based on their true differentiator–their people.


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Sun | Neighbors
— Dec 26th, 2004
Mr. and Mrs. Pitts
J.D. and Jayne Pitts of Port Orchard will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 29 at the Kitsap Family YMCA annex, 60 Magnuson, Bremerton.
The former Jayne Lee Beach was born in Bremerton. She is a homemaker.
Her husband was born in Boswell, Okla. He worked in the U.S. Post Office for 35 years, retiring in 1991.
The couple married Dec. 31, 1954, in Bremerton. Their children are Don Pitts of Crumb, Texas; Beth Pitts of Bremerton; Ja Pitts and his wife, Terri, of Moore, Okla.; Ron Pitts of Palm Harbor, Fla.; and Pat Pitts and his wife, Cathy, of Port Orchard. They have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Earl Barnes, 96, of Poulsbo, at a hospital, June 18. Gerry Bruckhart, 88, of Port Orchard, at home, June 18. Louella Cooper, 66, of Port Orchard, at home, June 18. Lawrence Dick, 88, of Bremerton, at Forest Ridge Convalescent Center, June 18. Jeffrey Edwards, 51, of Portland, Ore., in Portland, June 18. Claudia ... [Read More...]
Pitts -- Bass
Heidi Pitts and Chad Bass Heidi Pitts and Chad Bass were married Oct. 5 on the Poulsbo waterfront. The Rev. Danny LaFrance officiated. Kristy Bass, the groom's cousin, served as matron of honor. John Bass, the groom's brother, was best man. A reception was ... [Read More...]
A charitable view of bikers
Ray Pitts of Poulsbo calls out the winning number on a raffle ticket held up for him by his daughter, Marie. The local bikers raised $1,162 during Wing-Ding Thursday, a monthly fund-raiser for local charities, this month the Retsil Veterans Home. Staff photos by ... [Read More...]
OBITUARY FOR STEVEN WATERS FOR 11/1
Waters Steven Waters Jan. 19, 1955 to Oct. 23, 2005 Steven M. Waters, 50, of Bremerton died Oct. 23 in Bremerton. The son of Fred and Jessie (Bell) Waters, he was born in Bremerton and graduated from Central Kitsap High School in 1974. He had been employed as a sheet ... [Read More...]
It's Showtime for Dahlias
Chris Taylor | Kitsap Sun Tim Pitts of Central Kitsap holds a Hamari Accord Dahlia Wednesday in his back yard garden. Pitts will show many Dahlias like this one at the up coming Dahlia competition held by the Kitsap County Dahlia Society. Carol Pitts ... [Read More...]


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Turner Wins Nailbiter of a Mayor's Race in Houston
by Patrick Svitek Dec. 12, 2015 10:36 PM
By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune Dec. 12, 2015
"Turner Wins Nailbiter of a Mayor's Race in Houston" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
State Rep. Sylvester Turner narrowly won the Houston mayoral runoff Saturday night against former Kemah Mayor Bill King, keeping Texas' largest city under Democratic control.
With all precincts reporting, Turner led King by just under 2 percentage points in unofficial returns, 50.96 to 49.04. King conceded the race shortly after 10:30 p.m., telling backers, "I encourage you to support Sylvester."
The race was expected to come down to the wire, and it lived up to the hype: Turner won by just over 4,000 votes out of nearly 212,700 cast.
Turner's campaign was his third run for mayor after coming up short in 1991 and 2003. "How sweet it is," he said as he took the stage at his Election Night party, blue and red balloons pouring on him from above.
The 26-year lawmaker had campaigned on unifying the city, a theme he echoed as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters and former competitors, including ex-Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia.
"As far as I'm concerned, from this day as we move forward, I will do my very, very best to represent every single Houstonian in this city whether you voted for me or not," Turner said. "Every part of this city deserves to be represented."
King and Turner were the top two vote-getters in the Nov. 3 election, when Turner won 31 percent of the vote and King 25 percent. The two candidates were vying to replace term-limited Mayor Annise Parker, who has endorsed Turner. The office is non-partisan, though the race was widely seen as a face-off between the Republican-leaning King and Turner, a longtime Democrat.
The contest took on increased national significance during the runoff, with President Barack Obama throwing his support behind Turner on Friday. Turner's supporters had warned that a King victory could endanger Houston's identity as a Democratic-leaning city, and on Saturday night, they breathed a sigh of relief.
"The fourth largest city in the country remains in trusted Democratic hands with Sylvester Turner as Mayor," Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. Turner also received congratulations from Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who had endorsed him in the homestretch.
The runoff had unfolded against a more partisan backdrop, though debates largely focused on fiscal issues, including how each candidate would tackle the city's $3.2 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. On Saturday night, Turner said he had talked with King on the phone and thanked him for "making this a competitive race and a very issue-oriented race."
Earlier in the night, King said the contest had nonetheless come down to a "clear choice."
"A vote for me is a vote to go forward," Turner told reporters as results came in. "A vote for Bill is a vote to go back."

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2015/12/12/houston-mayoral-runoff-election-night/.
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The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state. Explore the next 10 years with us.

Turner Wins Nailbiter of a Mayor's Race in Houston By Patrick Svitek December 12, 2015 State Rep. Sylvester Turner narrowly won the Houston mayoral runoff Saturday night against former Kemah Mayor Bill King, keeping Texas' largest city under Democratic control. With all precincts reporting, Turner led King by just under 2 percentage points in unofficial returns, 50.96 to 49.04. King conceded the race shortly after 10:30 p.m., telling backers, "I encourage you to support Sylvester." The race was expected to come down to the wire, and it lived up to the hype: Turner won by just over 4,000 votes out of nearly 212,700 cast. Turner's campaign was his third run for mayor after coming up short in 1991 and 2003. "How sweet it is," he said as he took the stage at his Election Night party, blue and red balloons pouring on him from above. The 26-year lawmaker had campaigned on unifying the city, a theme he echoed as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters and former competitors, including ex-Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. "As far as I'm concerned, from this day as we move forward, I will do my very, very best to represent every single Houstonian in this city whether you voted for me or not," Turner said. "Every part of this city deserves to be represented." King and Turner were the top two vote-getters in the Nov. 3 election, when Turner won 31 percent of the vote and King 25 percent. The two candidates were vying to replace term-limited Mayor Annise Parker, who has endorsed Turner. The office is non-partisan, though the race was widely seen as a face-off between the Republican-leaning King and Turner, a longtime Democrat. The contest took on increased national significance during the runoff, with President Barack Obama throwing his support behind Turner on Friday. Turner's supporters had warned that a King victory could endanger Houston's identity as a Democratic-leaning city, and on Saturday night, they breathed a sigh of relief. "The fourth largest city in the country remains in trusted Democratic hands with Sylvester Turner as Mayor," Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. Turner also received congratulations from Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who had endorsed him in the homestretch. The runoff had unfolded against a more partisan backdrop, though debates largely focused on fiscal issues, including how each candidate would tackle the city's $3.2 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. On Saturday night, Turner said he had talked with King on the phone and thanked him for "making this a competitive race and a very issue-oriented race." Earlier in the night, King said the contest had nonetheless come down to a "clear choice." "A vote for me is a vote to go forward," Turner told reporters as results came in. "A vote for Bill is a vote to go back." "Turner Wins Nailbiter of a Mayor's Race in Houston" was first published at https://www.texastribune.org/2015/12/12/houston-mayoral-runoff-election-night/ by The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state.
Link back to the original article, which is located at https://www.texastribune.org/2015/12/12/houston-mayoral-runoff-election-night/.


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National Historical Park Virginia
Stories of soldiers present in Appomattox in April 1865 make up the fascinating Wall of Honor in the Appomattox Court House visitor center.
NPS staff
While most Americans easily recognize the two individuals central to making Appomattox Court House a must-see site, Generals Grant and Lee only head-up the list of fascinating personalities and stories emerging from the April 1865 events in Appomattox. Contributing to the texture of that period are stories of many heroic soldiers from both the North and the South. Over 400 stories and photographs of these soldiers are presented in an amazing rotating collection for easy viewing on the Wall of Honor in the park's visitor center. Many of these images were contributed by descendants of these soldiers. These men represent a unique glimpse into the reality of the war that divided the nation.
Do You have an ancestor who was a soldier present at the time of the surrender?
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is seeking photographs for inclusion in the Wall of Honor exhibit and for documentary and research purposes. Requirements for inclusions in the Wall of Honor are:
1.) Proof of Presence. A listing on a parole record, or copy of military service record from the National Archives Link here
2.) Wartime photograph in uniform. Color-tinted or black and white, negative or 5x7 print.
3.) Name, Rank, and Unit Affiliation, i.e. regiment, battery, etc. (Non-wartime photographs are also being accepted along with associated documents --parole passes, letters, etc.--for park files and later publication.
Appomattox Court House NHP
Attn: Patrick Schroeder, Historian
Hwy. 24, P.O. Box 218
Appomattox, VA 24522
Phone: 434-352-8987 ex. 232
E-mail Patrick Schroeder
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park


This content is used to reckoning how many wipes I'll indigence to prepare. I go and wet various with warm water: And spring myself a pep talk in the mirror. steady his backbend conclusion is calmed at the crack of a disarray object: I hand him the book. Not new to our legislative assembly but new to the confusion offerings basket. His men go straight to the poop: Like a ninja, I grab a second inattention object. I go for a ocular order of payment by propulsion the back of his textile away from his body: beingness careful to only grab the external of the fabric, just in case the dirt has gone all the way up his back. I have to get a ocular to determine the hardship of the poop. Anyway, then I plant the wipes in the dynamic structure and discovery Crappy Baby. So I grip him set with one jack while selecting a confusion object: He wiggles and twists but does not escape this time. Poopy garment changes are a two causal agency job but I'm a great deal understaffed. First, a scent is detected: He says no to everything so he is not to be trusted. But sometimes I'm not processed for his leg-swung-over-his-body somersault maneuver: And this happens: And I can't let that happen now or the go after will start over and I'm already out of breath.
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The Fort Street Tourism Village was desolate today. Carnival Cruise Lines cancelled its scheduled port of call. It similarly did so on Wednesday claiming that navigation aids were not up to scratch following the passage of the category one hurricane on Sunday. The BTB said this afternoon that cruise ship arrivals are back on track. But this morning, we headed inland to Caves Branch, where eco-tourism is key to the livelihood of the residents in that area. Amidst the stories of human suffering and devastation, we found one with a silver lining at the Cave's Branch Adventure Company Jungle Lodge. News Five's Jose Sanchez reports.
Hurricane Richard's eye lifted roofs, smashed homes with trees and leveled several structures. On the Humming Bird Highway it shook a reported thirty two million dollars from the citrus industry. But it also made an impact on businesses that cater to tourists. Across from the St. Herman's Cave and Blue Hole National Park, is the Cave's Branch Adventure Company Jungle Lodge. The road at the entrance, as the pictures show, was impassable on Monday morning. But in one day, the operators cleared the road which is not only free of debris but also of the foliage. The swift clean up has been organized by Ella Anderson.
Although the jungle is still there, it is not quite the same as it was before. But it's all marketing. Ian Anderson sees the proverbial cup half full and sees new opportunities and possibilities with what he calls nature's haircut.
A few miles down the road, Armenia village, which has no visible scar of Hurricane Richard, is linked to Caves Branch. The lifeline of many villagers is dependent on employment at the jungle lodge. When he is not climbing very tall trees, Abel Garcia, a resident of Armenia, manages the tours of Caves Branch.
The collective effort is commendable and serves as an example for other tourism stakeholders to follow. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.


What questions did we have?
What information do we need that we do not yet have?
How is the VOAD activated? What does that mean? What does that look like?
How do residents contact our VOAD?
What tools are we already using? What is working? What isn't?
What do we need to add/change/do differently?
What needs to be done now? What can the new VOAD staff team member work on?
Date and location set. Confirm time: Wednesday, July 29. 5-6pm or 5:30-6:30pm?
Who needs to be there? What outreach needs to be done?
Can we sign-up members at the next quarterly meeting? Have a computer on-site?


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If Angelina Jolie pulls a speedboat up alongside you in a Venice canal and asks "Do you need a lift?" you say YES!!!!! This is the lesson imparted by director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's wannabe Cary/Audrey globe-trotting adventure. Well, it seems to be the lesson until the obligatory twist. "The Tourist" has a killer first ten minutes before slowly easing off the gas pedal to a lackluster speed with routine action and then suffers from a serious misunderstanding of momentum just prior to collapsing inwardly on itself with an awful sleight of hand conclusion.
The first ten minutes first. It is constructed out of two elements: Angelina Jolie walking and Angelina Jolie smiling. Jolie as uber-alluring Elise Ward leaves her hotel. A few guys are watching her from a van. She knows they are watching and we know that she knows because of The Angelina Jolie Smile. She walks, elegantly, to breakfast. Now more people are watching. She smiles some more. She receives a note and we assume it must be important because apparently everyone watching her wants to get their hands on this note to see what it says. So naturally she burns the note. She walks, elegantly, to the train station and at the train station she throws her best smile yet at three guys across the street watching her to let them know she knows they're watching her and it's so gracefully cocksure it is literally the highlight of the entire film and it proves these kinds of movies are best when the something they are supposedly about is, in reality, nothing. Could you make an entire movie about Angelina Jolie walking and smiling? It's worth a shot.
Walk, Angelina, walk. Smile, Angelina, smile.
Back to that note. It was from this guy named Alexander Pierce who has apparently stolen money from some gangster (Steven Berkoff, blah) which is apparently why this detective from Scotland Yard (Paul Bettany, strait-jacketed) is after him and it tells Elise to find someone on a train to Venice that looks like him and then act like it's him to throw the gangster and the cops off the trail. She picks Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp), an American math teacher from Madison, Wisconsin who smokes electronic cigarettes (really). They wine, they dine, they get a hotel room in Venice, they fall in love, so on, so forth.
After that first ten minutes the film is low key. Too low key, really. A motor boat chase through a canal, for example, is about as mundane a motor boat chase as you are likely to see. The dialogue never snaps, crackles or pops. And to this point in her career, Angelina Jolie on the silver screen is simply more adept at ass-kicking than whimsy.
Depp's performance, meanwhile, is strange. If Angelina is Audrey then isn't Johnny supposed to be Cary? But Frank Tupelo is more Archibald Leach. After all, he's a math teacher from Madison, Wisconsin. (Depp? As a Wisconsinite? Well, he does appear to be going for the Eddie Vedder look here and Eddie Vedder was born in Evanston, Illinois and Evanston, Illinois is a three hour drive from Madison, Wisconsin and this doesn't prove anything, per se, but they are facts.) He is a Midwesterner, polite to a fault, a major fault, literally asking Elise if he can pay her a compliment, and when she kisses him and then tells him she hopes he enjoys the couch as she enters the bedroom and closes the door as a means to test him to see if he will enter the bedroom of his own volition he, of course, does not enter the bedroom and sleeps on the couch.
So there must be a scene later where Frank summons the strength to enter that bedroom of his own volition. This must be a movie about how Archibald Leach breaks free from his cocoon to become Cary Grant. This must be a movie about a polite midwesterner transforming into a dapper dabbler in international espionage. "The Tourist" must turn into The Local. But the end....
As a movie fan most of this movie left me indifferent. But as a proud midwesterner the end of this movie left me insulted.
And guess what, The Tourist was nominated for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes. Even funnier, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie got nods for their comedic performances (or is it musical) in the movie. over among others our girl Rachel McAdams!!!
Wow. Just wow. It seems like the "Comedy or Musical" category at the Golden Globes is just a tricky excuse to invite more glamorous stars.
Andrew K. said...
Ah, but Angelina does walk beautifully.
What can I say, I'm a fan (of her not the movie, which I'm not anxious for). I wish she'd make a better movie in this vain, something from the 40s maybe - a glamorous actress. It's weird she's never done something along those lines.


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S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot Wraps after 3 Weeks Filming | Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series
Homepage / ShieldTV / S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot Wraps after 3 Weeks Filming | Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series
S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot Wraps after 3 Weeks Filming
February 12, 2013 by 9 Comments
In some ways it is hard to believe that only three weeks have passed since filming began on the most anticipated series pilot of the decade.
Filming began on January 22, two days after the first real signs leaked onto the internet in the form of Tweets by two observant Los Angeles locals who spotted S.H.I.E.L.D. decal-led vehicles being transported in the area ready for filming.
The first day of filming we were teased with tweets from showrunner Maurissa Tancharoen and Marvel's Joe Quesada tweeting some very vague behind the scenes photos
Twitter exploded the following day with the launch of the official S.H.I.E.L.D. Twitter and Facebook accounts and for the next three weeks fans and the media hung of every tiny bit of vague news posted from the set and Marvle's "Agent M" posted a series of behind the scenes videos which, once again, gave absolutely nothing away!
That brings us to Monday February 11th when Tweets from members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. crew began to reveal that filming for the pilot was over!
Now the pilot moves into the post-production phase and we sit back and wait for ABC to review what they have and make a decision on whether or not they order the show to series.
This is a good time to follow the official Twitter account and "Like" the official Facebook page and let them know you're excited about the prospect of the S.H.I.E.L.D. series.
Here are some tweets announcing the end of filming.
Join the forum discussion on this post


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The Guardian reviews Red Winter
"Red Winter by Anneli Furmark review – small-town Maoist's secret love affair" / The Guardian / Rachel Cooke / February 6, 2018
Just about any subject can be interesting in the hands of the right artist or writer: glory lies in the telling, not the raw material. All the same, I was a bit surprised to find myself so utterly charmed by Red Winter by the Swedish cartoonist Anneli Furmark. Yes, at the heart of this graphic novel is a clandestine love affair, and yes, it comes with plenty of snow and subtly lit interiors. But it's also a cold-eyed and occasionally chilling analysis of the ruthlessness, bullying and groupthink indulged in by a certain kind of small-time, small-town Marxist. It is, in other words, a book in which the difference between, say, the APK (a Swedish Leninist political party) and the SKP (which is, or was, Maoist) actually matters – at least to some of its characters.
The action takes place in an isolated and somewhat bleak town in the north of Sweden in the late 70s; the four-decade reign of the Social Democrats has just come to an end and across the country far-left parties are mobilising, hoping to overthrow capitalism (though naturally they seem not to be able to work together). Ulrik came here from the south, having been deployed by his party to spread the word, and spends his free time selling its newspaper in the street and attending endless meetings with his zealous comrades. But all is not going entirely to plan. Siv, the woman with whom he has fallen passionately in love, is not only a married mother of three some 14 years his senior, she also works – oh, the horror – for the youth wing of the local Social Democrats.
Both of them fear discovery: Siv has her husband and children to think about, not to mention her friends and neighbours in this close-knit community; Ulrik knows that his comrades would regard such a relationship as little more than sleeping with the enemy, even if he's as careful as any spy not to allow his pillow talk to touch on politics. But they also dream of running away together, and perhaps it's this that, in the end, draws the attention of Siv's suspicious daughter Marita, and of Ralf, the most horribly devout member of Ulrik's Maoist chapter. Even when they're present, these two seem somehow to be elsewhere.
Furmark makes the most of this narrative tension: at moments, her comic has the flavour of a thriller. But she's also a wonderfully lyrical cartoonist. When Siv speaks of love, it's akin to poetry; when Marita goes out to play, she enters the enchanted forest of her own imagination. Best of all, though, are her gorgeous watercolours, which utilise blue and orange – ice and fire – to such marvellous effect. Something about her depiction of this subarctic region, where in the winter the sun struggles to rise, brings to mind the forested landscapes of Tove Jansson. Cosy as her kitchens and bedrooms are, outside is a dangerous realm. Here, the winter nights will always be too long, for lovers and leftists alike.
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GNBCC leads AV Club's Best Comics of 2011 along side PAYING FOR IT and MID-LIFE!
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