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Ben Thorn
Unknown date of birth - Died 20 November 1917
New Zealand Medical Corps, 1 Field Ambulance AWMM
Our Soldiers Flag, New Zealand Ensign fundraising flag (1914 … Read more
Ben AWMM
Thorn AWMM
11 May 1896 Public - John - Other relative - 19 December 2016 - Register of Baptisms, Parish of St Ann's Tottenham, Middlesex, England, Pg. 73, No. 578.
18 Station Road, New Southgate, Middlesex, England Public - John - Other relative - 19 December 2016 - Register of Baptisms, Parish of St Ann's Tottenham, Middlesex, England, Pg. 73, No. 578.
Son of Ben THORN and Jessie PANNELL Public - John - Other relative - 19 December 2016 - Register of Baptisms, Parish of St Ann's Tottenham, Middlesex, England, Pg. 73, No. 578.
Unknown AWMM Wharepoa Road, Waihi, New Zealand AWMM
Ben Thorn, senior (father), Waitete Road, Waihi, New Zealand AWMM
Military Medal (MM) AWMM
For gallantry and devotion to duty during the Gravenstafel operations on October 4th 1917. This man showed exceptional bravery and coolness under heavy fire and with his squad time after time cleared the front of wounded men. His coolness and bravery was a fine example to his squad and he was instrumental in bringing back many men lying in the open exposed to heavy shellfire. AWMM
Son of Ben and Jessie Thorn, of Seddon Avenue, Waihi, New Zealand. Also served in Egypt. AWMM
20 November 1917 AWMM
Ypres, Belgium AWMM
Buttes New British Cemetery (NZ) Memorial, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium AWMM
Remember Ben Thorn by laying a poppy.
Alan Leslie Thorn
Albert Thomas Peter Thorn
Benjamin Martyn Thorn
Bernard Joseph Thorn
Leave a tribute or memory of Ben Thorn
My father was on the other side of the stretcher from Ben Thorn when shrapnel entered his head. I have a moving account of the incident in which Ben Thorn died in my father's memoir, if you wish to contact me. My sister and I laid a poppy at the memorial wall at Buttes New British Cemetery in 2004.
Public - Anne - 22 April 2015
McDonald, W. (2001). Honours and awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. Napier, N.Z.: Helen McDonald. AWMM
Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2015). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-3). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications AWMM
Vol. 1: Includes portrait AWMM
19 December 2016 John London, England Other relative
22 April 2015 Anne Hamilton New Zealsnd Other

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Nothing stays the same. Now it's time for change.
As long time listeners are most likely aware, I'm not the biggest rock enthusiast. I have even made statements to the fact that I don't necessarily enjoy electric guitars. This is definitely an oversimplification and generalization, but it serves a point. However, there are some groups and songs that will forever live with me, whether it is an especially memorable moment in my life or sometimes just really catchy lyrics. This song by the immortal Crue, serves as both. I find myself singing these same lyrics over and over, primarily because I don't know any of the other words.
With that said, we still have all the amazing news you have come to expect. Could we have seen almost every new official Hasbro Transformers toy for the next year in one week? Yup, probably so. Will we ever see a MOTUC Snake Mountain? Stay positive. Are we getting new 6 inch Star Wars figures for only $3? Yeah, kind of. Should we support G.I. Joe no matter the cost? Maybe not at this price point.
Thank you for answering my previous question. Much appreciated!
(1) Do you feel that scalpers and collectors are actually one of the same? Such as… trying to fund their addiction by buying doubles on the pegs and sell the extra to off to offset the first? Are we are own enemies?
(2) Do you all feel that the distribution has gotten better with Hasbro action figure? Hasbro has made countless of promises to improve distribution during several recently conventions, do you all see any sight of improvement in your ares? or perhaps distribution is really not the issue but scalpers are to blame?
See you in the next!
Great show as always guys. I want to thank you all for answering my questions and giving us fans some great insight. I am not really surprised that Dave is no longer with you guys,to me he never really seemed to be a good fit with the rest of the group. I never cared for his personality on the show,he's just not my "cup of tea" and I personally won't miss his presence. With that being said I am very excited to see who you guys will replace Dave with and bring in. Ok on to my questions (1) Do you see the G.I Joe franchise as a failure considering the state it's currently in, and do you think another toy company could have done a better job at keeping it more relevant and alive. (2) How excited are you guys for Rogue 1 and will you be buying the toys? (3) With Power-Con now over is there any disappointment that no new figure news or Snake Mountain news was revealed? Thanks for all you guys do and as always keep up the awesome work.
Oh maaaaaan, AAA – are you setting me up? I feel like you're setting me up. That is a GREAT little bundle of inquiries – I can't WAIT to eat those up!!


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Small Business NAS Review: WD Sentinel DX4000 - Page 2
By Joseph Moran
Storage Server Review: LaCie 5big Network 2
Review: Iomega StorCenter px4-300d
Small Business Guide to Network Attached Storage
Server Management and Computer Backups
Although you handle the initial setup via a browser, you perform ongoing server management using a Dashboard utility. This isn't nearly as convenient as being able to control the server from the browser on any PC (as is customary with NAS devices these days), though you do have the option to install the Dashboard on every computer along with the Launchpad.
From the Dashboard you can do things such as create user accounts and shared folders (a number of standard document and media folders are set up in advance) and determine what kind of access -- read, read/write, or none -- users will have to each folder. Many NAS devices put forth less-than-intuitive interfaces for doing this kind of stuff, but performing these tasks via the Sentinel DX4000's Dashboard wizards is exceedingly simple.
In addition to creating new user accounts on the Sentinel DX4000, you can opt to join it to an existing Windows 7 HomeGroup or to a Windows Active Directory domain. (The key word here is "existing" -- you can't create a new HomeGroup or domain.)
Another thing you can do via the Dashboard is restore data from the nightly backups that the Sentinel DX4000 automatically performs on every networked computer. Moreover, you have the option to create a bootable USB Flash drive from which you can do a complete "bare metal" restore of a computer in the case of a complete hard drive failure or similar catastrophic event. We successfully performed both folder and full backups in our testing.
The Sentinel DX4000's capability to comprehensively backup and restore client computers makes it a standout in the segment, which is why its inability to backup itself is such a disappointment. Due to a limitation of WSS's built-in server backup utility (it doesn't work with volumes 2 TB or larger), the utility has been omitted from the Sentinel DX4000.
This leaves no out-of-the-box way to back up the contents of the server (including any computer backups it's storing) to an external hard drive. WD is working on a fix for a future firmware update, but there's currently no timeframe for its release.
For the time being, therefore, the only way to back up a Sentinel DX4000 is via an optional third-party add-in utility from KeepVault. This subscription-based software will back up the contents of the server to both a local drive and the cloud, and prices start at $300 annually for 250 GB of online storage. (Costs rise to $999 a year for 1 TB of online storage, but you can back up as much as you want locally no matter how much online storage you buy).
Although the added cost of having an off-site backup is entirely justifiable, it's unfortunate that the Sentinel DX4000 effectively requires you to pay extra for something as rudimentary as on-site backup capability.
This article was originally published on January 03, 2012


The company has not yet made plans for the 2019 Fiat 500x Abarth yet. Be as such, and evaluate your opponents exactly the same with respect to the races. It should be expected in the market by mid 2018. Given the price, there will be a significant change in the price compared to its recurrence. Since some changes have been highlighted in the new scheme.
The new package will cost around $ 31,000 (Barth optional). A range for inclusion in flights In addition, the closing buckle will cost around $ 20,000 to $ 27,100. As a model that was manufactured together with Riva, it is believed that the car "stands out for its elite appearance and extraordinary subtle prepared elements" and not "synonymous with Italian style and taste". The 2018 Fiat 500X Abarth has no other person as a car or convertible, and has revised a more remarkable plan that the interior changes somewhat, with the exterior limited to minor improvements such as mirrored chrome vanity tops, stripe bar, plus some additional supplements cut.
The Abarth 500X have a variety of engines. Includes a 1.2-liter flame offer that offers 68 HP. It has ecological utility. There is also a Twin Air 9.0 liter two-cylinder that gives eleven while 85 hp or 105 hp. At the diesel entrance, Multijet will place 1.3 liters in the crash that gives 95 hp. For Fiat, the Fiat 500 is the main vehicle inside to supply turbo diesel along these lines. The performance of the Fiat and 500X Abate 2015 did not release those numbers from the engines. However, the 95-pair diesel engine can force Riva to 500-62 mph with 10.7 seconds on the road to handle the best speed of 111 miles per hour, enough to give Toyota Prius a reasonable rivalry. Depending on the replacement motor, there is a manual frequency of 5 or 6 that can be accessed by the automatic "Duralogic" automatic transmission.
For starters, the Fiat 500X finished with Abarth from the outside of the 500X in light blue. It is restricted to this Abat Fiat 500X 2018 and is only borrowed from the shading plate to absorb the Super Aquariva. On convertible models, the apartment has a better blue sky even though the Roadster has a wonderful and wonderful surface. You can access the stainless steel pieces on the handles of the front entrance, the titles of the mirrors and a cap on the hat, similar to those found in the nectar Awesome.In Aquariva from the fact that it is a touch of Test to see the specific brightness below. There is a green / blue trimmer that keeps running from the front of the rear space of the taillights, the Fiat 500X Abarth 2018 element says that you have to remember the "beautiful set of yachts".
To complete the package, the wheels of 16 cars of 20 radios will come in a delicate combination with a bright metallic type and are completely complete for this version. The most striking element is the hand-shaded mahogany side with a maple-made ornament. The symbol "Abarth" on the individual side refers to the best possible ventilation on heating and ventilation. Solid wood alone depends on the certainty of lightweight carbon dioxide packs, so it will be more fat without including unwanted body weight. Solid wood that appears clearly as a control feature, where there is a handle that contains For the mahogany and two more spheres in the Aquariva Super. The entrance inscriptions, similar to the fishing with fluorine, are carved in a strong wooden object.
The Fiat 500X Abarth in 2018 is one of the new cars that comes with a more eye-catching approach. This is true if the car has a small measure. Stay like this, your consolation will not diminish. It has to be a master mechanical development rate that takes place with the manufacturer of this command and the next one. Obviously, you do not have to stun that Fiat 500X 2018 Fiat. That would reduce the specific model that is not bigger, this part of that is changing, that's all. Calculate the title of the computer game at this time. While manufacturers improve when they are placed on their respective horns and put the title of "single version" on anything with some additional options.


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The real change, what's left, happens one step at a time.
Sustainability is a path, not the destination.
All our products have always been made with recycled materials or innovative and partly organic materials. Find out below.
Being the strongest natural fabric, hemp guarantees durability and longevity.
It has a high resistance to UV rays, allowing the fabric to retain its dyes more than any other natural fiber.
Hemp is antibacterial, which makes it a fabric with exceptional performance.
Desserto
The Nopal cactus used to make Desserto is grown on a ranch in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. The mature leaves of the cactus are harvested every 6-8 months according to the growth cycles of the cactus. No irrigation is needed.
The collected leaves are left to dry in the sun, after which they are transformed into powder, mixed with non-toxic binding materials and molded into the Desserto material.
Produced in Italy by the FRUMAT company, it comes from apples grown in Bolzano and is made up of about 20-30% apple. It is vegan and cruelty free.
AppleSkin is made by recovering a waste product, which would otherwise be wasted, and transforming it into the final material we use for bags.
It is an alternative to soft and smooth leather made of polyurethane (PU). UltraWer's PU base comes from renewable resources, especially the inedible part of corn.
Fiscatech, the company that produces it, actively invests in research and development to expand its range of eco-friendly materials. In addition, it uses the clean energy of photovoltaic systems, further reducing the CO2 footprint of its materials.


Itll be a french bingo cards night to remember, December 7th at The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort.
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Jhapa XI has won ANFA Cup Football Tournament beating Kathmandu-based 10 men Sankata Club 4-0.
The match played at Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwor, Naren Limbu, Karna Limbhu, Bikash Rai and Buddha Chemjong scored goal apiece for Jhapa XI against Sankata to lift the new season´s first title.
Sankata was reduced to 10 players after Sankata defender Suraj Thing received red card at 53rd minute of the match.
In the semifinals, Sankata had defeated departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club 1-0 while Jhapa XI, a team from Eastern Region, had beaten Nepal APF Club 2-0.
With the win, Jhapa XI has also bagged Rs 10,00000 as prize money.
Sankata Club entered the finals of the ongoing ANFA Cup by defeating Tribhuvan Army Club 1-0 on Monday.
Suman Lama of Sankata scored the lone goal for his team in 62nd minute at the match being played at Dashrath Stadium this afternoon.
Sankata will play against Jhapa Football in the tournament's finals to be held on Wednesday.
Jhapa had booked its finals berth by stunning APF Club by 2-0.
The winner of the tournament will win Rs 1 million while the runner-up will win Rs 500,000. The two semi-finalists, Army and Armed Police Force will win Rs 100,000 each.
Besides cash awards to the two finalists, there is also five individual awards to be won. Best defender, best mid-fielder, best coach, best goalkeeper, best forward will receive Rs 50,000 each, while the best player of the tournament will win a motorcycle.
CMG Sankata Club set a semi-final clash with Nepal Army in the ongoing ANFA Cup Football Tournament following their 1-0 win over visiting team Morang at the Dashrath Stadium on Friday.
In today's ANFA Cup Football Tournament A Division outfit Sankata FC is taking Morang XI at Dasharath Stadium.


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Assistant/Associate Professor of Sales Management/Marketing Strategy
The Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University invites applications for one full-time tenure track faculty position in Sales Management or Marketing Strategy at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, starting September 1, 2020. Qualified candidates must hold a Doctorate in Marketing with specialization in Marketing Strategy, or Sales management or related fields (or be expected to complete their doctorate by August 2020). Applications are encouraged from marketing scholars with active research agenda in contemporary areas including the agility perspective of marketing strategy, servitization or ecosystems perspective in selling, sales analytics and related teaching experience. The selected candidate will be expected to teach courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, such as Marketing Strategy, Sales Management, Sales Leadership and Negotiation and Business to Business Marketing. The candidate selected will also be expected pursue scholarly research leading to publications in peer-reviewed journals, serve on department, school, and university-level committees, advise students, and participate in curriculum review and development activities.
The Department of Marketing offers a BS in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing, Retail Merchandising and Management, and International Business as well as a Professional Selling Certificate. The department also supports the MBA Program with two concentrations, Marketing and Digital Marketing and offers a fully online Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing. The Feliciano School of Business subscribes to WRDS information services so marketing scholars will have access to ComScore data among others and Salesforce Social Studio. Faculty in the department are collegial and active in a wide range of research. As a progressive department, faculty are actively involved in ongoing curriculum development to keep pace with changing market environment that our students face as they start or rejuvenate their professional careers. The department has a rich portfolio of programs and we seek candidates who can be effective teaching across all programs.
The Feliciano School of Business is accredited by AACSB International at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It offers a BS in Business Administration (ten concentrations), BS in Accounting, BA in Economics, MBA (nine concentrations, cohort based model), MS in Accounting, MS Business Analytics degree programs and several graduate level certificates. In fall 2015, the Feliciano School officially opened a new 143,000-square-foot, six-story, high-tech, interactive learning environment for their 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Among the buildingâ™s many noteworthy features are a 3-D printing innovation lab, a Social Media Listening Center powered by Salesforceâ™s Social Studio, a Financial Resource Center with multiple Bloomberg terminals, interview rooms for corporate recruiting, state-of-the-art classrooms and computer labs, a 150-seat lecture hall that may be used for public events as well as classes, collaborative spaces for networking, team building and group study and market research/analysis labs. The Ellyn A. McColgan Student Services Center provides undergraduate students with integrated and individualized academic advisement and career placement programs from admission to graduation, and graduate students with support and resources for career development. The school also incorporates the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship, which fosters an entrepreneurial mindset and nurtures an extensive community of followers through innovative, interdisciplinary programs and events. The Feliciano School of Business is highlighted in The Princeton Reviewâ™s Guide to the Best 295 Business Schools.
Nearly 105 full-time faculty and 35 staff members bring an impressive range of expertise to the School, with terminal degrees and advanced training from leading universities. The Feliciano School of Business is committed to enhancing its reputation and engagement with the business community while raising its scholarly profile, and dedicates substantial resources to support faculty research and development.
Qualified candidates must hold a Doctorate in Marketing with specialization in Marketing Strategy, or Sales management or related fields (or be expected to complete their doctorate by August 2020), exhibit potential to publish in high-quality journals, and have teaching experience. Preference will be given to qualified candidates who have publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or a strong research pipeline, delivered presentations at national and/or international conferences, demonstrated excellence in teaching evidenced by peer and student evaluations, have experience and/or interest in teaching and curricular development in on-line or hybrid formats, and demonstrated evidence of the ability to build relationships with business partners. Candidates with professional experience through consulting or corporate roles are encouraged to apply.
Dependent upon qualifications.     Â
STARTING DATEÂ Â Â
September 1, 2020Â Â Â
Cover letter addressed to:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Dr. Patrali Chatterjee
Chair, Department of Marketing
           Â
APPLY BY
Screening starts immediately and continues until the position is filled.
Job Type:Full time
Internal Number: R1001063
About Montclair State University
Organizational Marketing Statement: With a proud history and a vibrant future, Montclair State University is one of New Jersey's most diverse and dynamic institutions of higher education. One of four public research institutions in the state, Montclair State is a designated R2 Research Doctoral University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Located 12 miles west of New York City on a 252-acre suburban campus which boasts modern, state-of-the-art facilities complemented by green spaces, public plazas and striking Spanish Mission architecture, the University offers a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum with a global focus; a broad variety of superior graduate programs through the doctoral level; and a highly productive, dedicated and diverse faculty and student body. The University's 11 colleges and schools offer more than 300 undergraduate and graduate majors, minors, concentrations and certificate programs, and with more than 120 student organizations and 18 NCAA Division III athletic teams for men and women, Montclair State offers its students a comprehensive college experience. Montclair State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affi...rmative Action institution with a strong commitment to diversity. Additional information can be found on the website at www.montclair.edu/human-resources/about-us/eo-aa-and-diversity/
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Remarks: Located just north of downtown Sister Bay, this 7.65 acre bluff property is ideal for development. Some of the lots have water and sunset views to the west, and all are nicely wooded. It's currently platted as a condominium with eleven single-family home building sites, part of the Liberty Park Condominium Development. It could also be sold separately from Liberty Park Development. Another option is to develop the property as single family lots under the SF-30 zoning ordinance. Municipal sewer and water, underground electric, cable and phone utilities and gravel road are already installed. Includes tax parcels 018780001 thru 018780011. Taxes shown are for all 11 parcels.


Rochester is an ancient town on the banks of the River Medway, south east of London. It was the second bishopric established in England after Canterbury. It lies on the route laid down by the Ancient Romans which is known as Watling Street from London to the English Channel ports. Building of the cathedral was commenced in 604 AD. It contains many tombs including that of Bishop Merton, founder of the Oxford college in 1264.
The castle keep is the highest in England. The castle was designed by Bishop Gundulf, who also designed the White Tower, the central keep in the Tower of London. Rochester's keep is the third largest in England after London and Dover. A statue of Gundulf is on the rood screen immediately to the right of the door from the nave to the chancel of Rochester cathedral.
The massive tree just ouside of the West door of the cathedral is rare in England. It is an American Bean Tree and is reputed to be over 100 years old.
The map and photos on the site can be viewed in a "Lightbox" which will adjust to the size of your screen. They are also held in galleries.
To open a gallery, simply click on one of the thumbnails. The image will open in the lightbox. Clicking or tapping on the right side of the image will move forward through the gallery. Tapping on the left side will move backwards. Clicking on the X or outside of the lightbox will close the gallery. If you have a mousewheel, you can use that to scroll through the gallery.
To view a full size map of the area, click or tap on the map thumbnail. This will link to Google Maps.
WARNING! The large images are in high definition and the files are consequently quite big. They may take a while to download to your browser if you have a slow connection.


They say it's inadvisable to meet your heroes. But take it from me: sometimes it works out. This is the story of one of those times.
In the late 1980s, as an undergraduate at Berkeley, my best friend somehow made the acquaintance of a much older lady—she was over 40, so ancient to us—and spent a great deal of time with her. A similar ethnic and geographic background (Korean, mid-Wilshire Los Angeles) and a shared affinity for classical music brought them together. Berkeley can be a difficult place to adjust to, wherever you come from. Coming from a strict and religious Korean household—even one in California—is about as alien as it gets. Eddie's lady mentor worked for the university and had lived in Berkeley for years, so she was a source not just of solace but of advice for him.
One day, Eddie invited me to come along with him to meet his friend and her boyfriend at Café Milano on Telegraph Avenue—the same place where Dustin Hoffman, in The Graduate, slyly sat sipping cappuccino, waiting to intercept Katherine Ross and make it look like happenstance. I don't remember the details of my own little coffee klatch all that clearly. But I do remember being shocked by the vitriolic anti-American, anti-white rhetoric of the boyfriend, who claimed to have once been a Black Panther.
Somehow, despite growing up in Northern California and having a criminal prosecutor for a mother, I did not really know what a Black Panther was. Innocent times! So I headed to the library stacks and looked them up.
I took Radical Chic back to my little flat off Telegraph, not knowing what to expect. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. Reading Wolfe for the first time is like your first taste of ice cream, but much better. Actually, it's like a combination of ice cream, champagne, laughing gas, and the most intellectually satisfying brain teaser you've ever solved. Or it's like a roller coaster that goes faster and higher, has more unexpected twists and turns, and is more fun than any you've ever ridden. And when it's over, you get out of the car not just exhilarated but smarter. The experience is so joyously jarring, you know that your life just changed forever. Certainly mine did.
From that point on, Tom Wolfe became a constant companion—his books always within reach, his thoughts deeply influencing my own, his many hundreds of quotable quips at the ready when I need them to make sense of some absurdity.
I read Radical Chic in one sitting, laughing so hard that I was sure I must have missed a great deal. So I read it again. And again. Then I started pacing around my apartment, reading it aloud to my roommates, stopping to repeat certain passages with the admonition "Listen to this! Listen! Are you listening?" all the while doubling over with laughter.
Before long, I had to return the book to the library. But one of the glories of Berkeley is its abundance of well-stocked, well-priced used bookstores. I easily found not just Radical Chic but all of Wolfe's books, which I began to comb methodically through.
One of the things that hooked me on Wolfe was that so much of what he wrote about was familiar. Though a Southerner by birth and a New Yorker by choice, he was fascinated by California and wrote a great deal about my home state. The same way that, when you see a movie scene shot in your hometown certain synapses fire, my eyes would widen—hey, I know that place!—reading Wolfe describe San Francisco or Berkeley or Santa Cruz or Los Angeles or the 101. It's the same appeal that often brings me back to Steinbeck and Hammett and Chandler—familiarity, but also the hope that the greatness of a great writer somehow ennobles the setting, and perhaps by extension we mere inhabitants.
Another hook was New York, which I first visited when I was seven but which grabbed me on my return at 13. I knew I had to live there someday. Until then, I would study it like a biologist examining the genome. In this sense, Radical Chic was my perfect introduction to Wolfe: as much about New York society, high and low—about which I knew little but wanted to know everything—as it was about familiar, taken-for-granted Oakland.
But I quickly add: Radical Chic is the perfect introduction to Wolfe for anyone. First, because it's short. Wolfe's ambitions enlarged with success and his books grew progressively longer, until a final return to brevity. Not to disparage his long books, but long can frighten readers, while short attracts them. Radical Chic was originally published as a magazine article that, like John Hersey's monumental Hiroshima, gobbled up an entire print run. Second, the book hits so many of Wolfe's core themes: New York, status, money, urbanism, America, race, intellectual posturing. Third, it is the purest distillation of Wolfe's signature style, Wolfe at his Wolfiest. It became commonplace later in Wolfe's career for even friendly reviewers to profess fatigue with his style. Some even went so far as to allege that the pyrotechnics hadn't merely become shopworn, but that they had never really worked. Radical Chic grinds that charge to dust. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word, every punctuation mark—traditional or improv—is exactly as it should be.
A bit later in my college career, a crazy, malevolent professor (not at Berkeley, though he would have fit right in) in one of those departments that should not exist gave a speech in which he vented his anti-Semitic spleen. I don't know if it was because his name happened to be Leonard or what, but into my brain bubbled up the contrast between this Jew-hating black Lenny and the Jewish Lenny of Radical Chic, gamely welcoming the Black Panthers into his 13-room Park Avenue duplex to help them raise money for a revolution that, had it come, would have slaughtered him and his entire family. So I wrote, for our right-wing campus agitation paper, a little piece called "A Tale of Two Lennies." I wrote it in self-conscious mimicry of Wolfe's style. Like most imitations, it is a pallid copy of the original. Still, in my youthful exuberance, I was proud of it.
One of the things that starstruck young people do is write fan letters. So I wrote one to Wolfe, clipped and included the piece, and sent it off. (His address, then as later, was surprisingly easy to discover.) Weeks, then months, went by with no response. Ah, well. He's a busy man and surely gets a ton of fan mail. Imagine my surprise one day when in my mailbox appears an envelope from some place called "The Breakers" in Palm Beach. Having at that time never been to Florida, I hadn't even heard of it. Apparently it was a hotel—the one where Tom Wolfe happened to be staying when he answered my letter.
He loved my piece—called it "priceless"—thanked me for sending it, encouraged me to keep writing, and concluded with one of those boffo signatures that look like Las Vegas casino signs. That piece of paper remains one of my prize possessions. I sent Mr. Wolfe two or three (maybe four) more letters over the years. (I always called him "Mr. Wolfe," in person and in correspondence. He had that effect on you: courteous to a fault, but always formal.) He didn't always answer, but he mostly did, and each response is a gem. I don't know if that's because he took the same care writing private letters to strangers as he did in crafting his published works or if he was just that good. Probably both.
One more tidbit from my college years. At the beginning of my final semester, I discovered that I didn't have quite enough units to graduate, or hadn't fulfilled some requirement, or something; I forget the details. I had to scramble to find some course that would check the right boxes. I found one called "The Social Psychology of Clothing." And, while the subject sounds trivial, or at least unworthy of academic study, I confess that I enjoyed the class. I had some years prior developed a serious interest in clothes. This, needless say, further cemented my interest in Wolfe, arguably the greatest clotheshorse of the twentieth century, and unquestionably clothing's deepest analyst. For our final project in the class, we were tasked with analyzing the clothing in a movie of our choice. I had what Wolfe liked to describe as an "Aha! moment." My project would focus not on a movie, but a book: The Bonfire of the Vanities, by Tom Wolfe.
Bonfire turned me from a Wolfe fan into an idolater. Some months after I discovered his work, my parents brought me with them to England. The pound cost two bucks at the time, so the trip was a bit painful for them, but I had a blast. I brought Bonfire with me—the last Wolfe book I had yet to read—and, finding it difficult to sleep that first time-out-of-joint night, I picked it up, hoping that I would drift off. But I had by this time enough experience with Wolfe that I should have known better. I could not put the book down and kept reading until my parents woke up in the morning and berated me for not having slept. I never did adjust to Greenwich Mean Time on that trip.
But I did read—twice through—Tom Wolfe's masterpiece. Yes, I will stand with conventional wisdom here in agreeing that Bonfire is Wolfe's best and most important book. That's not to sell short his subsequent work, about which more below. I am not in the camp which holds that Wolfe peaked in 1987, that A Man in Full is an ambitious failure, that I Am Charlotte Simmons and Back to Blood are failures simply. They have real, underappreciated strengths.
But Bonfire accomplishes every task Wolfe set for it, which were many. The portrait of New York City is both time-bound and timeless. It captures the filth, menace, and mayhem of pre-Giuliani New York like a Scorsese movie shot on location. But so much of what Wolfe describes—caste stratification, the dominance of finance, real estate obsession—endures, part of the city's DNA. Even the glorious restaurant set-piece, at the immortal La Bou d'Argent (a whole essay could be written about Wolfe's hilarious fictional proper names), could easily be imagined today, despite massive changes to the New York food scene since 1987. Bonfire remains the decoder key to understanding New York.
And the prescience is striking. It's such an old saw to praise Wolfe's predictive powers—"God plagiarizes Tom Wolfe," David Brooks once quipped—and yet . . . it still must be said. Foresight is the supreme virtue of the statesman, proclaims Thucydides. Tom Wolfe had foresight to burn, almost a crystal ball. Would he have made a great statesman? Be that as it may, it does feel sometimes as if the plot of Bonfire is being acted out in real life over and over, with—variously—Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Freddie Gray filling in for Henry Lamb, while Mike Nifong and Marilyn Mosby graciously step up to take on the role of Abe Weiss.
When I first read The Bonfire of the Vanities . . . it just didn't strike me as the sort of book that has anything interesting to say about the law or any other institution . . . I now consider that estimate of the book ungenerous and unperceptive. The Bonfire of the Vanities has turned out to be a book that I think about a lot, in part because it describes with such vividness what Wolfe with prophetic insight (the sort of thing we attribute to Kafka) identified as emerging problems of the American legal system . . . American legal justice today seems often to be found at a bizarre intersection of race, money, and violence, an intersection nowhere better depicted than in The Bonfire of the Vanities even though the book was written before the intersection had come into view.
That the bailiffs almost gave their bauble [that is, the National Book Critics Circle Award] to Tom Wolfe's catalogue of shoes—electric blue lizard pumps! snow-white Reeboks! bench-made half-brogued English New & Lingwoods!—is scary.
The criticism here is facile: Wolfe should not mention any of this because it doesn't matter, and the fact that he mentions it is proof of his shallowness.
But this fundamentally misunderstands what Wolfe is doing. The inclusion of such "status details" is one of the four core literary devices that distinguishes New Journalism from Old. Wolfe got it from the novelists—Balzac and Zola, especially—and kept at it when he, too, embarked on fiction. Not just the characters themselves but their relations with and to one another are more fully realized through the inclusion of such details. They help the reader understand the "statusphere" (another Wolfean coinage) in which the characters live and move. An added benefit is, if you're into clothes—which admittedly not everyone is—these details are just fun.
So back to that last semester. I relayed my idea to the professor, who at first seemed shocked that any student would volunteer to give up the ease of film for the relative difficulty of print. But she assented. Years later, I told Mr. Wolfe about this and he expressed interest in seeing the paper. I searched in old musty boxes but couldn't find it.
Within two years, I had made it to New York. I felt exactly as Wolfe described his first sight of the New York Herald Tribune newsroom in 1962. Well . . . all right! This must be the place!
Strolling Fifth Avenue one Sunday, I saw in the window of a bookstore—back then, bookstores could still afford Fifth Avenue—the unmistakable dustjacket of The Bonfire of the Vanities, but with the enticing words "With a New Foreword by the Author." I had to have it. What a fresh thrill reading that foreword was! This was Wolfe's second declaration of war on the novelists (the first was his bravura introduction to The New Journalism anthology). He triple-dog-dared aspiring scribes to leave the house, do real reporting, and write realistic fiction. I knew in my bones that he was speaking directly to me. I there highly resolved to write a realistic novel about Berkeley. I began thinking of a plot. This led my poor little brain into all sorts of cul-de-sacs and dead ends. Making stuff up is harder than it looks. Especially if you want the whole thing to be eminently plausible, which is one of the great strengths of Bonfire's plot.
So I had another Aha! moment and decided to analyze the plot of that novel. In my little apartment on East 50th Street, I reread it again, taking notes on all the scenes and their sequencing. I mapped out the plot on sheets of printer paper that I laid out on the floor in a complex matrix of timeline, characters, and places. Lo and behold, I concluded that Bonfire's plot is perfect, like the innards of a Swiss watch.
Those who criticize the ending don't get it. No, it's not a whiz-bang conflagration. But it's what would happen—indeed, it is what has happened in so many similar circumstances. The pitch-perfect New York Times parody that concludes the book could not be improved upon by Swift himself.
I never did finish my Berkeley novel, I think for two fundamental reasons. First, I had to write it all from memory because I was never able to get back to Berkeley and do any real reporting. Second, because—as I sinkingly discovered—I'm just not that good. I am 99 percent sure I would have been a lousy reporter, my plot never came together, and the writing style was too faux-Wolfe, a Canal Street knock-off.
In New York, I worked for the Manhattan Institute for a year. Institute vice president Vanessa Mendoza likes to say that the people who work there either stay one year or their whole lives. There are a lot of us one-year alums floating around out there, former kids to whom the Institute gave their start. One of the great things about working there was that the leadership allowed—no, encouraged—the young people to go to all the events. So there I was for my first Manhattan Institute lunch at the Harvard Club on West 44th Street, a glorious McKim Mead & White pile that is exactly the kind of building that non-New Yorkers who love New York think of when we think of New York.
And there he was—no doubt about it—resplendent in white, sitting at the head table next to the police commissioner. The lunch duly broke up as most scrambled off, back to work, while a few milled around chatting. Tom Wolfe remained, momentarily alone. Here was my chance. And what did I do? Did I approach him and thank him for sending me that first letter? Alas, no: I chickened out. He got out of there without having been entreated by an annoying fan.
Before long I was in Southern California, in graduate school, not (yet) having given up on my Berkeley novel, nor my ambition to be the West Coast Wolfe. In fact, I started telling people "I want to be the West Coast Tom Wolfe." I studied California with great care (to the neglect of all those required courses I didn't like; I did keep up with my concentration, though). So much (in Wolfean terms) "material" to one day sink my teeth into!
I even got a white suit. Well, not exactly. I got a linen suit in the lightest tan I could find. Cream linen is a traditional getup for warm climes, you see, and a totally different thing than white wool, which would have just been blatant copy-catting, which I was above. That suit didn't get out much but it did prove useful on occasion. Halloweens, for instance. (Getting dressed up for Halloween past age eleven may seem preposterous until you reflect that the objective shifts from candy to girls.) I bought a wide-brimmed straw hat, added my white bucks, and voila—I went as Tom Wolfe.
Somehow, I got involved with a band trying to make it on the Sunset Strip. Here was a chance to do real reporting. I started hanging around their rehearsals, listening, asking questions, taking notes, weeks of this. Wolfe once explained his white suits as "anti-camouflage"; that is, he was making no pretense to being on the same wavelength as his subjects. He was the "man from Mars," there to observe the mysterious natives. The more he stood out and apart, the more they wanted to explain patiently to this out-of-touch square what they were all about. So I wore the white suit to many of those rehearsals, and to all of the band's performances. It worked. I got a lot of juicy material—which I never did anything with.
The wait for Wolfe's next big book was excruciating. I thought often of Allan Bloom's remark about nineteenth-century Wagnerites impatiently waiting years for the great man to finish his next "music drama." Painful—but on the other hand: what a time to be alive!
Sometime along the way Wolfe published a discarded excerpt, "Ambush at Fort Bragg," in Rolling Stone. I devoured it. It was not up to his best, but it was the first fresh taste of Wolfe since Bonfire, and it was filled with many of the things we expect and love from him: inside looks at closed statuspheres (network news, elite military units), skewering of elite pretentions, and the stone-cold courage to report exactly what he sees (maybe unit cohesion is undermined by social experimentation?).
Soon Rolling Stone would publish excerpts of the Big One, the next novel. In my case, this was casting a half-filled vial before a junkie. On Friday, November 13, 1998, on my lunch hour, I left my office in the California State Capitol building (where I was working as a speechwriter for Governor Pete Wilson) for a bookstore on K Street. The New York Times had mistakenly reported that A Man in Full would be available the prior Monday. But no store in town (I called them all) would sell it to me, despite, apparently, having crates of copies in the storeroom. The publisher's instructions, they said, were strict: Friday! I called the publisher in New York just to be sure, and sure enough: Friday!
Friday at last arrived. There was no great Wolfe display, no stacks of his new book, in that K Street window. How could that be? I asked a clerk. "Oh, that's not released yet," he said.
"No, it's next week I think," he said, walking away.
I am not sure how I got through the rest of the workday. I do remember watching the clock wide-eyed, like a schoolboy waiting for the final bell before summer vacation. I left the office promptly at five o'clock to the second and raced home to our little Craftsman bungalow in Curtis Park. I told my wife "I am not to be disturbed for the next 48 hours at least." I lit a fire, sank into the couch and read A Man in Full, stopping only to nap when absolutely necessary.
A Man in Full is Tom Wolfe's biggest and most ambitious book, even if it is not his best. In it, he tries to do much more than he had done in Bonfire, and he mostly succeeds. The book demolishes any notion that Wolfe is a cynic with no awareness of or regard for a higher life, for the soul. Where he stumbles is plot. I do not believe, as some others have asserted, that the reason is because he simply cannot plot. Bonfire proved that he can, as would his later work. No, what got him that time was I think the sheer scope of his ambition. He tried to do too much, to update the Iliad and the Odyssey and the Aeneid, with more than a little Epictetus thrown in, forgetting that successful epics are ruthlessly selective. They invariably begin, and end, in media res.
I read every interview Wolfe gave about the writing of that book, and there were many. He seemed to feel that he needed to explain or apologize for having taken so long. To appreciate Wolfe's astounding ambition for A Man in Full, one must recognize that, big as it is, Wolfe left out a ton. Not just "Ambush at Fort Bragg," but subplots on Japan, the art world, California Sikhs, and much else—all of which he had already studied up close and at length. The temptation to jam it all in there, somehow—to give in to what economists call the "sunk cost fallacy"—must have been immense. But he resisted, mostly.
To understand Wolfe's perfectionism, consider this. Originally, the character of Ray Peepgas was to live in New York. Wolfe wrote him that way for years, with the whole banking subplot set in Manhattan. But the more time he spent in Atlanta, the more he regretted this choice. One day, five or six years into the writing of the book, at lunch with his editor, he offhandedly mentioned this misgiving. The editor suggested moving the action south. It was the answer Wolfe did, and did not, want to hear. On the one hand, taking New York out of the picture, to focus more on the core setting, would make for a better book. On the other hand—lost time.
Wolfe had been here before. Sherman McCoy was originally a writer. That later struck Wolfe as a cop-out and missed opportunity. So he reimagined Sherman as a bond salesman. Making that work took another two years of reporting and rewriting, but the result was worth it. As time slipped away, the pressure increased—not just on Wolfe's pride but also on his finances. Wolfe occasionally dropped hints about this, without going into much detail. But one gathers that he had to borrow a lot of money in the 1990s to keep his bigtime lifestyle going (one is reminded of Churchill). A blockbuster Man in Full was therefore necessary to save not just his reputation—had he peaked and crashed?—but his very hide. He had but one hand to play, and with it he had to clean out the table.
Which he did. I don't mean to leave out Wolfe's intervening heart attack, quadruple bypass, and ensuing black-dog depression. But I do not buy the assertion that this episode explains A Man in Full's plot problems. (And, to be clear, the problems are only with the plot. By every other English 101 metric—character, setting, conflict, theme, symbol, point of view, style—the book is a masterpiece.) I think that, in trying to do so much, he simply wrote himself into corners. Indeed, he told me as much.
After A Man in Full, I became something of part-time magazine writer. I reviewed all of Wolfe's books. There weren't many. He never again took 11 years to write just one, but neither did he become fast. I had not, at least not in my head, given up on my Berkeley book. But I hadn't worked on it much, either. Part of me dreamed of, someday, taking a big block of time, squatting in my parents' pied-a-terre on King Street, in San Francisco, and riding BART to Berkeley every day and seeing what was up. Not that this was ever a serious possibility. But when Wolfe announced his next big book would be about the university, I mentally gave up. He's going to do it, so why should I bother? It would have been like some hack trying to paint The Night Watch after Rembrandt had already gotten the commission.
When I Am Charlotte Simmons dropped in 2004, I read it greedily, as I always did any new Wolfe. I reviewed it, too, and committed the cardinal sin of a book reviewer: reviewing not the book I read, but the book I had wished it would be. My book was going to be all about political correctness, leftist persecution and intellectual stagnation, faculty pettiness, administration fecklessness, student mau-mauing, and so on. Wolfe's, palpably, was not. I didn't get it and was disappointed. But eventually, like Judge Posner, I would correct the record.
Once I accepted the fact that the bigtime had eluded me forever, I began to focus on smaller, realizable projects. California was, and remains, a primary focus. In the course of studying the old homestead, it dawned on me that the West Coast already had its Tom Wolfe, and his name was Tom Wolfe. So I pitched an article on Wolfe's voluminous California writings to the editor of this magazine. When he said yes, I asked Mr. Wolfe for an interview.
Now, Tom Wolfe was a strange combination of very public and somewhat elusive. No Salinger or Pynchon he, Wolfe delighted in giving interviews, explaining himself, making public appearances, and being a man-about-town. But reaching him to request that interview—that was not so easy: he answered letters, but not all of them, and he was much more likely to respond to a request for information than for any kind of physical commitment. I heard stories about outfits wishing to offer him lucrative speaking gigs and not hearing back for months, if at all. Of course, he was solicited to write for every magazine under the sun, but—I am told—rarely responded. If he had something to say, he would say it—and then send a finished piece to an unsuspecting editor. Would he be interested in this little thing Tom Wolfe happened to toss off in his spare time? Are you kidding?
To people outside his immediate circle, Wolfe communicated by fax, long after this technology had been obsolesced, but then what would one expect from a writer who typed on a manual Underwood to the last? The fax number itself was a secret closely guarded by those who had it. I managed to get it.
I hauled my ancient fax machine down from the attic and hooked it up. I sent Mr. Wolfe a fax outlining my intended article and what I wanted to talk to him about. Many days went by but eventually the old machine beeped and burbled. Tom Wolfe would be delighted!
The appointed day—Thursday, August 2, 2012—remains fixed in my memory like the North Star. I was to arrive at his apartment at 11 a.m.—which I did, after putting in a cursory two hours in the office. (I had long been back in New York, working various corporate gigs.) Wolfe lived in high style, I must say—right next to Michael Bloomberg's townhouse, in the same building as the CEO of a firm for which I would later work. Except that Wolfe lived on the floor above. (Like Sherman McCoy, he occupied one of those grand full-floor spreads where each elevator stop is for just one apartment.) I marveled at the tastefulness of the décor and the vast collection of books ranging over every subject: fiction, criticism, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, art, architecture, history, urbanism, and on and on. He owned a much broader and deeper library than I imagine one would find in the home or office of many elite professors today.
We quickly got down to business, Mr. Wolfe answering my questions with style, wit and—most importantly—details I didn't know. Three hours were gone in a flash. I sat listening, enthralled but also terrified that he would cut me off at any moment, cross that I had taken so much of his time.
Instead, he invited me out for lunch. We walked a couple of blocks up Madison—he was stopped on the street three times by well-wishers—to a restaurant where he was obviously a regular. The conversation went on, but not as before. He started asking about me—what I was working on, why the interest in California, and in him. I explained as best I could, mentioning the abandoned Berkeley book. If there were any way I could still do it, he told me, then I must.
And then he paid the check! Can you imagine? After giving me hours of his time, doing me perhaps the greatest favor anyone ever has. I wasn't going to fight him over it, but I tried every other trick I could think of to get it away from him, to no avail.
I would see Mr. Wolfe at Manhattan Institute events—he was a regular—but now I had the temerity to talk to him. He always seemed glad to see me. He professed himself impressed with my California piece. At one point he said, "I think you know my work better than I do." Flattery, but—I'll take it!
Mr. Wolfe eventually disclosed to me that he had an email address and told me what it was. This was like being received into the illuminati. We kept up a sporadic correspondence—I tried to impinge on his time as little as possible. And, since everyone will ask, yes, his emails were punctuated just like his books: inventively.
A bit later, studying Xenophon for reasons I won't go into here, I noticed several puzzling passages on the subject of women. As I wrote up a scholarly summary of what I had found, I realized that the same observations Xenophon covertly made 2,500 years ago, Wolfe was covertly making today. They were shot throughout his writings, I found as I went back through his work, but given their fullest flowering in I Am Charlotte Simmons, a book I had damned with faint praise. I resolved to make amends—not so much to Wolfe but to readers I had misled.
I asked for, and was granted, another interview. I gingerly explained to Mr. Wolfe that my thesis was that his whole oeuvre is devastatingly subversive to the tenets of Second- and Third Wave feminism. If I had it wrong, I urged him to tell me, because I didn't want any undeserved taint from my interpretation to attach to him. But he waved me on, so on I went.
The heart of the resulting essay is a reconsideration of Charlotte Simmons, a book I now hold to be a masterpiece. It took me a decade of rumination and other study to "get it," but once I did, its impact became as indelible as Wolfe's other books, its theme just as urgent.
That interview had a hard stop because Mr. Wolfe had to be somewhere. As we emerged onto 79th Street, I saw idling under his awning a white Cadillac with white wheels and white interior that I recalled reading about with amusement some years before. In those days he drove it himself, but by now he had a driver. He was headed downtown and offered me a ride—a ride in Tom Wolfe's white chariot.
The Harvard Club again. About 250 people, including Tom Wolfe. Except this time, instead of avoiding him, I was on stage with him. Vanessa Mendoza introduced me as a "Tom Wolfe superfan," which I did not dispute but supplemented with "Tom Wolfe scholar." Pretentious, but it captured what I had been trying to do. The point was less about me than about him. Despite Wolfe's immense popularity, which our intellectuals insist is incompatible with seriousness, he was like all great writers first and foremost a thinker whose work rewards study. That it's all so deliriously fun obscures this fact. I was trying to spread the word.
Tom Wolfe that evening called me "the best-dressed man in New York." (There is a tape.) To which I replied, "I learned how to dress from The Bonfire of the Vanities." His eyebrows went up, the corners of his mouth out wide. And then he laughed.
At the time, I held a remunerative and not inordinately demanding corporate job. Writing long essays on the side was fun, but—like Wolfe before Bonfire—I wondered if I were ducking a greater challenge. Deep-sixing the Berkeley book only made the feeling worse. Then I recalled another remark of Allan Bloom's, praising the scholarly dignity of recognizing one's limitations and dedicating one's modest abilities to the service of an unquestionably greater mind.
Of course: a book about Wolfe! He was in New York, I was in New York. The people he knew were in New York. His papers were in New York. I floated the idea to Mr. Wolfe via email. He thought about it for a while, and then agreed to cooperate.
But by then something of a political crisis had erupted. I felt like I had something to say that had to be said and I started saying it—pseudonymously. The book would have to wait.
In May 2016, I had recently become a member of a small supper club to which Wolfe had belonged for decades but had not attended, I was told, in at least five years. At that time, my effort to giving high-brow reasons to support Donald Trump's presidential candidacy was in full swing. This was, to say the least, a controversial position on the intellectual right. Despite my attempt at anonymity, a few people had figured it out, or at least made educated guesses, and I was too prideful to deny it. Hence, at least in certain quarters of the right, my identity was an open secret.
So I was asked to address the club—an honor in itself, especially for such a newish and relatively undistinguished member—on the subject of Trump. And—Tom Wolfe showed up. I was delighted to see him, of course, and told him so . . . but also surprised, and so asked (I hope in more polite language than this) . . . what the hell was he doing there? Tom Wolfe replied that he had come to hear . . . me.
He sat next to me. Overcome by the double honor, I spent the first half of my remarks giving impromptu comments on the still-underappreciated significance of Tom Wolfe. He didn't say who he was voting for—he had made that mistake in 2004 and vowed never to repeat it. But he did laugh when I recounted an incident from 1998 that perhaps sheds light on the Trump phenomenon. In New York, mere weeks after the release of A Man in Full, I went to hear Wolfe speak at the Union Square Barnes and Noble. Waiting for him, I happened to be standing next to Elizabeth Berkely of Saved by the Bell and Showgirls fame. We chatted amicably; I don't think she realized that I knew who she was. When Wolfe came out, among other things, he had to get across to his New York audience just how different Atlanta is. "Down there," he explained, "real estate developers are big celebrities. In New York, developers are invisible." Then he added: "Well, except one." Slowly the crowd got it and a wave of muted laughter spread across the room. Nobody said Trump's name. Nobody had to.
In transitioning from my impromptu talk to my prepared topic, I noted that Back to Blood—Wolfe's final and most underappreciated novel—also shed light on the Trump phenomenon. It is a portent of America's future, unless we can get our arms around certain very large problems—that is, if it is not already too late.
I saw Wolfe one more time, at the Manhattan Institute's Wriston Lecture later that same year. My life has since gone in a different direction from where it was headed when I pitched him on my book. I fear that that book can never be written—at least not by me. I hope someone worthier undertakes the all-important task.
Tom Wolfe always disclaimed being a man of the right. While we on the right understandably wish to claim him, we should do him the courtesy of taking him at his word. He was unquestionably a patriot—a fact he enthusiastically affirmed. Above all, he was an honest observer, a conveyer of unvarnished, unsentimental, often uncomfortable or unwelcome, truth. In this he shares the essential trait of the philosopher. More than just a writer, he was a rare member of that tribe of philosophically inclined literary men whose work advances philosophic ends.
Tom Wolfe to a "T." Perhaps coincidentally (I prefer to think not), the key phrase is nearly identical to the one Xenophon uses—"itself by itself"—to describe Socrates' ideas (eidos) that Plato immortalized as the "forms." If we conservatives are right that truth is on our side, or at least closer to what we see than to what we are told to see, then it's only natural that the reflection in the mirror that Tom Wolfe holds up to the world looks so familiar.
Michael Anton is Lecturer in Politics and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College.
Michael Anton Another biography attempts to resurrect Upton Sinclair's reputation as hero of the Left.
Michael Anton New York's crime-ridden past has been amply captured on the big screen.


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Gov't Spends $750,000 On A Wooden Sculpture And It Made Everyone Sick
[Shutterstock - DenisFilm]
Eric Lieberman Deputy Editor
December 02, 2016 5:51 PM ET
Several employees at the FBI became seriously ill after the agency spent $750,000 on a 15,000 pound, two-story tall wooden statue that was placed in the lobby of its Miami, Fl. office.
A dozen people were ultimately hospitalized because of the dust the sculpture created, according to Politico.
The statue, which is made of red cedar imported from Vancouver, Canada and supposed to resemble a tornado, was purchased by the General Services Administration (GSA), an independent government agency. It was installed early last year, but has already been removed due to its almost toxic-like qualities.
"The health and safety issues surrounding the sculpture were real," Richard Haley, the FBI's assistant director of finance overseeing department property, said in a letter according to Politico. "One employee required an 11-day hospital stay and none have been able to return to work at the new field office."
The one nurse at the office became so sick that she had to be moved to another location.
"Upon the installation of the art sculpture, the nurse developed rhinitis, difficulty swallowing, sinus pressure, sneezing, has difficulty breathing and began to itch all over," read a June 2015 letter from the supervisor of facilities for the FBI's Miami Division sent to two GSA officials.
Another worker was cited as having fevers and swollen lymph nodes, which abated once they stayed away from the behemoth carving for an extended period of time. (RELATED: Report: VA Spends $20 Million On Art Instead Of Hiring Doctors)
When complaints first arose, the GSA was not ready to get rid of the statue, which served no specific purpose except for subjective aesthetic pleasure.
In fact, officials at the GSA seemed to have very little, if any, buyer's remorse, citing the fact that the sculpture was a steal and "likely worth more than the $750,000 the government paid," according to documents reviewed by Politico. (RELATED: IRS Spent $12 Million Of Taxpayer Money On Email System, Find Out After It Doesn't Work)
Haley wrote a letter to Norman Dong, the GSA's commissioner of public building services, arguing that Michael Goodwin, the GSA's southeast regional commissioner, wasn't too keen to the idea of remove the sculpture even after reports of health issues.
"Mr. Goodwin resisted the FBI's request to remove the artwork, inexplicably ignoring that 17 Miami field office employees became ill following its instillation," the letter states. "Mr Goodwin appeared to be concerned only for the artwork."
Haley even asserts that Goodwin was upset that the FBI "endangered" the artwork by trying to keep the dust away from workers' by wrapping it in a tarp.
GSA officials dispute these contentions.
"GSA is fully committed to ensuring public health and safety in the buildings we manage and maintain on behalf of our federal partners," spokeswoman Saudia Muwwakkil told Politico. "We strongly value our relationship with the FBI."
"FOH (Federal Occupational Health) measured no cedar dust in the facility and found insufficient evidence to implicate the artwork as the source of health conditions reported by FBI employees," said Muwwakkil.
Nevertheless, the GSA and the FBI fought over who should pay for the statue to be transported to another location.
The price to remove the sculpture from the premises, according to certain documents, was estimated to be $412,000, meaning that the overall costs to taxpayers likely exceeded at least $1 million.
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Tags : federal bureau of investigation general services administration
Eric Lieberman


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As long as you don't expect to understand it you can enjoy it.
By Peter Schorn
Updated: 15 May 2012 10:36 am
Posted: 11 Apr 2007 10:46 pm
Along with comedies, horror movies are perhaps unique among film genres in that they don't necessarily have to work in order to work. Character development, act structure, changes, choices, climaxes - everything a good movie is supposed to have - they get tossed out the window. Fear, which is an involuntary emotion, can't be intellectualized or compartmentalized the same way pathos can. The heebie jeebies don't stand justification, the collywobbles deny even the best attempts at comprehension. If a horror movie is done right, it should scare the audience, and if it does that then it can be considered a success even if the rest of the movie isn't.
And by that standard, Pulse works.
To be sure, at no point does Pulse make enough sense to be mistaken for anything resembling coherence. The plot is murky, the motivations vague. The filmmakers attempt several times to explain what's actually happening. For instance, there is some talk during the film of increased bandwidth opening a portal to the netherworld, or the spirit universe, or wherever the critters materialize from. Then there's more discussion about how maybe a computer virus can, in fact, kill these creatures. Or maybe the creatures are themselves a virus. And that they can be stopped by red packing tape, because apparently they vibrate at a different frequency than the color red. Or something. Frankly, the whole thing is rather nebulous. In the end, though, what matter are the frights. Here, at least, Pulse delivers.
There are two sequences in particular that deserve special recognition as being especially well done. The first is when Mattie (Kristen Bell) visits her boyfriend's apartment after he stops returning her calls. The scene, as it's written by Wes Craven, is suspenseful to begin with because it's full of dramatic irony; The audience knows, although Mattie doesn't, that her boyfriend Josh has been attacked by the virus people and is now a virus person himself. But notice how the visit isn't about creatures jumping out from behind walls or cacophonous noises, but rather about the unease caused by growing dread - especially the dread associated with knowing when something's wrong with a loved one but being unable to articulate it. The way the scene ends, with a grim discovery, is shocking.
Another scene, near the end of the picture, is equal to the first in its effect. It comes after the false climax, and is a jolt right before the supposed resolution. The scene, which will go unspoiled for those intent on seeing the movie, is a play on the medieval concept of sanctuary, but in a totally original and quite ingenious way. Well done.
Pulse deserves further credit for actually being about something, in so far as a totally incomprehensible film can be about anything. Every character in the movie is constantly on a cell phone, or email, or instant messaging program. This is how at several key points during the film they actually communicate. It's a curious fact that although all these modern day conveniences purport to bring people closer together, they actually drive people further apart. It would be ejaculatory, of course, to declare Pulse on par with the great Romero zombie movies, which were satire writ large. But there's a point here, buried beneath the silliness: hooking everything up to wireless networks will cause you to be possessed by evil, dead spirits who want your soul, causing your body to eventually either a) be sucked into a wall or b) explode in a fiery hail of ash. Texting is no way to go through life. It's true. You can look it up.
As a whole, Pulse itself is something of a rarity among recent horror movies in that it takes itself completely seriously. It doesn't nod or wink at the audience, doesn't contain any knowing looks or in-jokes. And although it uses horror conventions, it doesn't bow to them. It makes no sense, but at least it makes no sense in the spirit of solemnity. To make no sense and be ironic is a fate worse than texting. But ultimately, Pulse is a competent horror film which delivers a few scenes of sublime terror. It doesn't all make sense, and some of it's quite silly, but it's a success as a horror movie. It works.
(Movie review by Shawn Adler.)
Score: 6 out of 10
The advent of hi-def formats has brought with it a conundrum with regards to standard DVDs, namely, is it fair to judge a standard transfer against its big brother formats when the HD versions have 2-1/4 times - 1080 vs. 480 - as many lines of resolution? Because I watched the HD-DVD version first, I was naturally unimpressed by this standard transfer, but after taking a moment to recalibrate my expectations, it turns out to be an excellent example of how the old warhorse still has some legs.
Shot in a palette consisting of mostly blacks, blues, blacks, sickly greens, and more blacks, then brutally color-timed for maximum darkness and decay, the 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer conveys the doom and gloom with exceptional detail. Fine details in areas like shrubbery and bricks are crisp and distinct, though not as sharp as the HD-DVD version provides.
A light grain is present, but it adds to the film-like patina of image more than it distracts. Shadow details are intentionally dark but free of crushing and the black levels are sooty dark. Little in the way of offensive enhancement was noted and while it's second place to the HD-DVD release, this is still a fine representation of challenging source material.
Score: 10 out of 10
Horrifying supernatural events consume the life of Mattie once she receives an e-mail from her friend begging for help from beyond the grave. Her investigation of the mysterious e-mail leads to unexpected answers and terrifying conclusions.
Genres:Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Platforms:Theater, DVD, Blu-ray, HD-DVD
Distributors:The Weinstein Company, Weinstein, Vivendi Entertainment
Have you seen Pulse?
DOOM Costumes Are Coming to Fall Guys


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text:
Jef Claerhout est un sculpteur belge né le  à Tielt et mort le , qui a notamment réalisé Papageno, statue se trouvant devant le théâtre municipal de Bruges.

On trouve beaucoup de statues de bronze ou d'œuvres d'art de sa main à la périphérie de Bruges et de Tielt ainsi qu'aux alentours (province de Flandre Occidentale).

Le travail du métal faisait partie de la tradition familiale, c'est donc tout naturellement que Jef fit des sculptures en métal. Grâce aux différentes techniques de soudage et de déformation en métal, il incarna dans le métal les récits fantastiques que son grand-père lui racontait lorsqu'il était enfant : les contes folkloriques, dans lesquels l'humour, la mythologie et l'ironie s'incarnent dans des figures fabuleuses, des animaux, des oiseaux et des chevaux. Il a également réalisé un certain nombre de sculptures plus réalistes de gens ou de personnages illustres comme le général Stanisław Maczek et Albéric Schotte.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Bibliographie
 Fernand Bonneure, Jef Claerhout, Bruges, Uitgeverij Raaklijn, 1979, 196 p.
Nicole Verschoore, « Le Sculpteur Jef Claerhout : maître forgeron et soudeur » dans Septentrion, 1987, , pp. 22-28
 « CLAERHOUT, Jef » dans Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2006, .

Liens externes

 Claerhout, Jef - Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed

Sculpteur belge du XXe siècle
Chevalier de l'ordre ludique 't Manneke uit de Mane
Naissance en septembre 1937
Naissance à Thielt
Décès à 84 ans
Décès en août 2022
Décès dans la province de Flandre-Occidentale

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
President Trump To Lose Special Twitter Privileges After Inauguration Of President-Elect Biden
Staff | November 10, 2020 |
President Donald Trump will lose special Twitter privileges he has as a government official when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office on Jan. 20." A Twitter spokesperson said, "A critical function of our service is providing a place where people can openly and publicly respond to their leaders and hold them accountable. With this in mind, there are certain cases where it may be in the public interest to have access to certain tweets, even if they would otherwise be in violation of our rules."
Twitter allows government officials to tweet things that otherwise may be removed for violating its rules due to a public-interest exception. Twitter confirmed that once Trump leaves office, he could be subject to a ban like any other user who incites violence or posts false information about voting and the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitter added that tweets from a world leader can still be removed if they promote terrorism, make direct threats against an individual, post private information or intimate photos without the subject's consent or engage in child sexual exploitation or encourage self-harm.
Trump will lose special Twitter protections in January
Via www.nbcnews.com
U.S. President Donald Trump will be subject to the same Twitter rules as any other user when…
Editorial credit: Casimiro PT / Shutterstock.com


text:
from django.http import QueryDict
from django.utils.simplejson import JSONDecodeError

import commonware.log
from rest_framework import serializers
from tastypie.serializers import Serializer
from tastypie.exceptions import UnsupportedFormat
from tower import ugettext as _

from mkt.api.exceptions import DeserializationError

log = commonware.log.getLogger('z.mkt.api.forms')

class Serializer(Serializer):

    formats = ['json', 'urlencode']
    content_types = {
        'json': 'application/json',
        'urlencode': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
    }

    def from_urlencode(self, data):
        return QueryDict(data).dict()

    def to_urlencode(self, data, options=None):
        raise UnsupportedFormat

    def deserialize(self, content, format='application/json'):
        try:
            return super(Serializer, self).deserialize(content, format)
        except JSONDecodeError, exc:
            raise DeserializationError(original=exc)

class SuggestionsSerializer(Serializer):
    formats = ['suggestions+json', 'json']
    content_types = {
        'suggestions+json': 'application/x-suggestions+json',
        'json': 'application/json',
    }

    def serialize(self, bundle, format='application/json', options=None):
        if options is None:
            options = {}
        if format == 'application/x-suggestions+json':
            # Format application/x-suggestions+json just like regular json.
            format = 'application/json'
        return super(SuggestionsSerializer, self).serialize(bundle,
                                                            format=format,
                                                            options=options)

class PotatoCaptchaSerializer(serializers.Serializer):
    """
    Serializer class to inherit from to get PotatoCaptcha (tm) protection for
    an API based on DRF.

    Clients using this API are supposed to have 2 fields in their HTML, "tuber"
    and "sprout". They should never submit a value for "tuber", and they should
    always submit "potato" as the value for "sprout". This is to prevent dumb
    bots from spamming us.

    If a wrong value is entered for "sprout" or "tuber" is present, a
    ValidationError will be returned.

    Note: this is completely disabled for authenticated users.
    """

    # This field's value should always be blank (spammers are dumb).
    tuber = serializers.CharField(required=False)

    # This field's value should always be 'potato' (set by JS).
    sprout = serializers.CharField()

    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super(PotatoCaptchaSerializer, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
        if hasattr(self, 'context') and 'request' in self.context:
            self.request = self.context['request']
        else:
            raise serializers.ValidationError('Need request in context')

        self.has_potato_recaptcha = True
        if self.request.user.is_authenticated():
            self.fields.pop('tuber')
            self.fields.pop('sprout')
            self.has_potato_recaptcha = False

    def validate(self, attrs):
        attrs = super(PotatoCaptchaSerializer, self).validate(attrs)
        if self.has_potato_recaptcha:
            sprout = attrs.get('sprout', None)
            tuber = attrs.get('tuber', None)

            if tuber or sprout != 'potato':
                ip = self.request.META.get('REMOTE_ADDR', '')
                log.info(u'Spammer thwarted: %s' % ip)
                raise serializers.ValidationError(
                    _('Form could not be submitted.'))

            # Don't keep the internal captcha fields, we don't want them to
            # pollute self.data
            self.fields.pop('tuber')
            self.fields.pop('sprout')
        return attrs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


When the urge to wear animal print hits, you must run with it! I was sort of going for the classic 1940s shape and lines in this look. The pencil skirt, the ruffled top, the sheer tights and t-strap heels all remind me of the 40s. What brings this outfit into our times is the bold leopard print and front slit on the skirt, along with chandelier earrings and an oh-so trendy top knot! From which era do you seek style inspiration?


Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released on March 13, 2018 in HD and 4K Ultra HD via Disney's Movies Anywhere. As we usher in the new era of digital media consumption, we can expect movie studios like Disney to offer blockbuster movies in all channels with special editions to entice you to spend your hard working money.
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, and Blu-ray / DVD / Digital disc versions were released on March 27th, two weeks after the digital only release. As a digital only exclusive, you can experience the dramatic score-only version of the movie. This also available when you purchase the physical disc version and redeem a code for your digital copy.
For the Blu Ray edition, you over 2 hours worth of bonus features.
14 Deleted Scenes: With an introduction and optional commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
The Target exclusive edition includes a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital copy, a 40-page booklet that includes an inside, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with exclusive images, facts and personal insights from writer/director Rian Johnson. You also receive an exclusive featurette "eet the Porgs" about the making of the lovable characters.
The Best Buy exclusive edition comes in a steelbook along with Blu-ray + DVD + Digital copy versions. The 4K edition comes with 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and a Digital copy.


There are hundreds of Gatlinburg restaurants that you will encounter on your trip. I know it can be pretty confusing where you'd want to spend your next meal. It's incredible what the influx of tourists have paved the way for the humble town of Gatlinburg. The surge of visitors has increased the demand for dining places. It's expected, of course, Gatlinburg is but a little town but there are millions of tourists that visit us, and soon there was ample opportunity for everyone to open a business that can feed all the hungry mouths.
At first, a number of Gatlinburg local restaurants wanted to showcase what they can bring to the table. As the tourists continued to come in and were steadily on the rise, even the local dining places weren't enough to cater to the massive population of tourists. Big companies from all over the country have also seen the business opportunities available in Gatlinburg, so they also brought their businesses here.
Here are some of the famous local Gatlinburg restaurants and the types of dining pleasure you can experience when you dine here. We hope we'll be able to help you with your restaurant itinerary with our top picks which are in no particular order.
If you love steaks, you'll truly be in heaven when you dine here. They take steakhouse to a whole new level by serving the best-aged steaks in town. Alamo Steakhouse is pretty hands-on to the steak that they serve and in fact, do everything from the moment they pick out their meat, hand-cut and season it up until the day it reaches your plate. I think the distinct flavor comes from all the love they put in their dishes not to mention they cook their steaks on oak wood fire.
Moreover, they make sure that they have their own recipe for their gravy, sauce and everything else that goes into their food. A little trivia about the Alamo: The restaurant closed for a while a few years ago and built themselves from the ground up after the November wildfire Gatlinburg. However, they came back stronger than ever retaining 95% of their employees which only proves that serving is their ultimate passion.
The Great Smoky Mountains was a hunting ground and home to the Cherokees. It is no wonder that a local restaurant would pay homage to them. They are also one of the best steakhouses in town, and they also offer superb seafood amongst others. Their interior and overall design is also as amazing as their menu. All the granite, walnut, brick and stone will definitely set the ambiance for your special experience. To top it all off, they have fantastic service. Their staff is friendly and very accommodating.
If you want a little bit of history while you're chomping on some big, wild and delicious breakfast, then this is the place for you. It is designed to look like 19th century camp house complete with hay bales and historic wood pieces to match. If there's one thing that you're going to appreciate in Gatlinburg, I'm sure having huge breakfast meals is one of them. We certainly know how to start the day right.
With amazing dishes and service, this restaurant is one to beat. Red Oak Bistro offers tapas-style menu, and they genuinely have a lot of new dishes for you to try and wake up your palate. It is a beautiful place to try if you're looking to have a romantic and intimate dinner. Its food will give you a lot to talk about, and the wait staffs are knowledgeable about their menu. You'll feel the warmth of the whole Red Oak Bistro when the owners personally welcome you into their restaurant. If you had a place with food this great, I'm sure you'd be proud to welcome everyone in too!
Numerous Italian-cuisine-lovers swear by it. They say that this restaurant is the best Italian restaurant they've dined in. Many people are leaving raving reviews for them, so that must mean something, right? It is located in the main downtown area so you wouldn't have a hard time looking for it. If sumptuous Italian food made from the freshest ingredients isn't enough, you'd be delighted to know that they also offer vegan, gluten-free and nutritious options. The owners are dedicated to serving the best Italian dishes at reasonable prices, now that's superb!
You'll undoubtedly have more than entertainment and outdoor adventures if you go on a trip to the Smokies. We have made it a point to help you get your cravings satisfied, and your expectations exceeded. We have a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. There are a variety of dishes from homecooked meals to fine dining experiences. In addition, we have different cuisines you can try and enjoy so you'll never forget your vacation with us.
It is not your fault. There is a reason why we often succumb to this, and that is because we know, in a few minutes we might have a phone call that may need us to deal with the matter immediately or that in a few hours we will be back in the office again to face the same things. This nagging feeling may allow us to be in some way disconnected with our families. It is a monster that we face, and it drains us and also affects our spouses and our children.
That's why we are lovingly suggesting that you visit us in the Great Smoky Mountains. We know we can be your home away from home and the Smokies can rid you of all the things that block you from enjoying the time you have with your family. Gatlinburg Family activities can allow you to let go of the load that you are carrying and will enable you to be relational with your loved ones. They are designed in a way to help you let loose physically, mentally and emotionally without having to worry about what to do and how to make everyone enjoy.
Well, that all depends on what you are willing to try and how much your kids can do. Some of our activities and tourist destinations include hiking and trail parks. You can also check out the Gatlinburg Space Needle which gives you a jaw-dropping view of the Smoky Mountains from its 407-foot observation tower. We also have our own Ripley's museum and other interesting collections and finds. If you're looking to spend some nothing-but-fun time with your kids you can play laser tag, go to the fantastic Dollywood theme park, check out historical landmarks, visit ski resorts and amusement parks. Visit these places and allow them to be mesmerized with the breathtaking scenery of each landmarks.
Prevention is better than cure, they say. So, do something while you still can. If you don't listen to your children, they will find someone else who will and when the time comes that they have to make big decisions, you will no longer be the voice that they will seek. Think about it; the time is now. The formative years of our children are the years where they need us the most; it is due time that we own up to being a responsible parent.
As you can see in the small list we provided above; there are a lot of things you can do in Gatlinburg with toddlers, teenagers, and your wife or husband. The secret lies in the new stuff you can try with them. In a lot of these Gatlinburg family activities, you'll be encouraged to put down your phone or gadget and talk with everyone in the family. You can ask and answer questions. You can even stimulate new interests for them.
The best part about it is you don't also have to break a sweat. You only have to be present and be there to enjoy the moment with them. They key word is "communication," and in all the love and beauty that Gatlinburg has to offer, I'm sure you'll never run out of things to talk about and reminisce.
Gatlinburg hiking is exciting! You get to visit amazing natural and beautiful spots. There are many trails to choose from like Laurel falls trailhead, Rainbow falls trail, Grotto falls trail, Gatlinburg trail, Elkmont nature trail, Porters Creek trail and many more. In these trails, you can discover a lot of amazing scenic views and astounding waterfalls you can enjoy.
Furthermore, you get to see firsthand all the different plants and animals in their natural habitat. You can even learn together with everyone and take amazing photographs as souvenirs for your family. All these things can help you unwind and distress. They can allow your mind to rest and can help your body rejuvenate. A simple walk can help stimulate the release of endorphins and will help improve your mood instantaneously. Aside from that, you will be building memories with your family that no one can take away.
Well, there are different trails which people from different walks of life can enjoy. For instance, you have pet-friendly trails that will allow you to take your pet to take a hike with you. There are also easy ones beginners can enjoy. If you are new parents, some even have paved trails so bringing your baby in a stroller is a no breather.
If you are entirely new to all this hiking, you can opt to have an expert guide with you. We have ranger guides that can take you through trails and you wouldn't have to worry about getting lost and not being able to know how to respond when you are faced with unfamiliar situations. Guides are also a great way to learn from your surroundings as well as being briefed with some hiking do's and don'ts.
You always have to practice religious hiking etiquette. You can get information with regards to this from hiking organizations too. Some of the unspoken guidelines they live by include not making loud noises, not feeding wild animals and not leaving any trash and getting anything from nature as souvenirs for your hike.
If you think hiring someone to go hiking with you and your party is an extra expense you don't want to have, you can also go and join other groups of experienced hikers. That way, you can save a few bucks and make great new friends at that. Isn't that wonderful?
First of all, if you have any underlying health issues, you have to ask your doctor for permission. You also have to make sure that you do not have fatal allergies to pollen or anything on the trail. Next, you have to make sure you know everything about a trail before you embark on a hike. You can do this by getting the information you need through the park. You would also want to make sure you are wearing the proper hiking attire so that you will be comfortable throughout the experience. If you're planning to bring supplies with you, please limit it to a minimum. Any weight you carry will, of course, impact your endurance on the trail. Please don't forget to choose easy and basic trails if you have no prior experience on hiking. You might think it's easy, but every location has a different set of challenges for you to enjoy and conquer.
Nature was designed in a way that we can enjoy it and find rest in its beauty and greatness. There are many places all over the country and the world where you can enjoy this, but I am pretty sure if you visit the Smoky Mountains and try Gatlinburg Hiking it will not disappoint. Millions of tourists visit us every year to get a feel of the glorious mountains and lush forests. This alone can prove that we deliver in terms of an ultimate vacation experience.
Natural beauty will help you relax and find solitude away from your hectic schedule back home. A little bit of fresh air will help you clear your mind and focus. You wouldn't imagine how a beautiful view can help your heart see all the things that you need to be grateful for in your life. Hiking is more than just a walk in the park. Through hiking, you'll be able to take in all the positive energy emitted by all the beauty around you. It is undoubtedly a once in a lifetime experience if you will!


Tough man. It seems that people's misery is the same wherever you look. Something similar have happened here too. Our youth is trying to get out of the villages, cities and country, hopping for better life, but then, when their dreams are shattered, they crave to come back, but the corporal chains can't be broken.
You have correctly pictured my present state.
Sad now, but happy thoughts.
I think when we stay away the memories even though of a harsher less comfortable reality become sweeter. But I get your point.
Yes. We are turned on by familiar smell, food, voice and faces.
I think everything changes, and although it is a shame, I am not sure what we can do about it. The world moves on. But I look back with nostalgia too even though the past really has moved on. Sad, but true.
Yeah, pleasant memories of good old days.
Thats what we are reminded of at times, LIFE !!
Sir, your story takes me back to my own summers in my native village. Whereas I went there only for recreation, your story of your struggle in the village and yet the ease with which you navigated it all made me reblog one of your posts on my blog today. Your post 'No impediment it was' has been posted on my blog. Thank you for allowing me to do so and I hope you'll check it out.
Thank you for your comments. Those days were different. Every festival was celebrated. Every Full moon day, all the people in the village assembled in the village temple. The children had a nice time together. Our children miss it.
More will be added in future.
I often look back to my teen years in the '70's, life seemed simpler, folks were more social and polite. Although we were not equipped with computers and information via the internet (google), I believe I preferred it that way somehow. Social media seems to have been positive in so many ways, yet a huge negative in others.
Yes. If there were no such gadgets, we would be visiting our relatives, friends, chatting with our neighbours and probably would have been happier.
I also miss the old times, we used to have one channel for everything. With some quality programs.
You feel happy and content.
Wow, sounds like a lot has changed! I kind of feel the same way, because many new buildings have sprung up where I grew up. It's nice to go back, but I'm glad I grew up when the land was emptier.


Burgers, fries, chocolate – we know these foods are bad for our health. So why are some of us incapable of cutting them from our diets? A new study suggests that our genes may be responsible.
Researchers have identified a number of genetic variants that influence our food choices.
Researchers from Spain have identified certain gene variants that influence a person's food preferences, such as a liking for chocolate and high-fat foods.
Study co-author Silvia Berciano, of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain, and colleagues hope that their results will lead to personalized dietary advice that helps to prevent and treat obesity and other chronic conditions associated with poor eating habits.
The researchers recently presented their findings at Experimental Biology 2017, held in Chicago, IL.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend following a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats.
However, it seems that many of us are failing to adhere to these guidelines. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year, for example, found that more than 90 percent of adults in the United States eat more than the recommended sodium intake.
An earlier study from the CDC also revealed that people in the U.S. get around 13 percent of their total daily calories from added sugar, rather than the recommended maximum of 10 percent.
It goes without saying that following a healthful diet is easier for some people than others. Many of us are unable to resist a chocolate bar or takeout, despite being well aware that excessive consumption of these foods is bad for us.
Previous research has identified certain genes that are associated with behaviors related to anorexia and other eating disorders. For their study, Berciano and team set out to investigate whether genetics play a role in the food choices of healthy individuals.
The researchers reached their findings by analyzing data from the Genetics and Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network study. The data included 818 adults of European ancestry, of whom 404 were men and 414 were women.
The team analyzed the genetic data of each participant, and subjects' dietary habits were determined using food frequency questionnaires.
The analysis revealed a number of genetic variations that were associated with certain food preferences.
For example, the team found that variants of the receptor gene for the "love hormone" oxytocin were associated with a higher chocolate intake and a larger waist circumference.
Higher salt intake was associated with CREB1 and GABRA2 gene variants, while variants of the SLC6A2 gene were linked to greater total fat intake.
The team notes that the identified gene variants have previously been associated with a number of behavioral and psychological traits, such as stress, addiction, impulsivity, and depression.
As such, the researchers believe that their study has uncovered a number of gene variants that affect our behavior in a way that influences our food choices.
"Most people have a hard time modifying their dietary habits, even if they know it is in their best interest. This is because our food preferences and ability to work toward goals or follow plans affect what we eat and our ability to stick with diet changes," says Berciano.
The researchers hope that their findings will lead to more effective ways to reduce the risk of chronic disease developed as a result of poor dietary habits.
In future research, the team plans to assess whether the genetic variants related to food preferences are associated with greater risk of certain health conditions.
Learn how a certain protein may cause obesity by disrupting the metabolic functions of brown fat.