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How not to write women out of history
Posted in Academia, Early Modern, History, literature, Political Thought, Politics, Republicanism, Seventeenth Century by thehistorywoman on January 17, 2020
The Parliament of Women (1646), on which Neville based his satirical libels.
Admittedly, my headline sounds a bit dramatic. But I am serious about this. Several years ago, I reviewed two books in short succession: one, a collection of essays on Oliver Cromwell, another, a history of gender in the English Revolution. The former barely mentioned any women at all, the latter focused on gender relations during this crucial period of British history.
The two books could not have been more different from each other, and yet, they covered similar issues. This made me think more about the way in which I was treating women in my own writing on seventeenth-century English republicanism.
I had to admit to myself, that I too had written my PhD thesis on a male republican, Henry Neville (1619-94), who was a bit of a misogynist himself. (He married a much younger woman to lay hands on her estate and then largely ignored her for the rest of her short life.)
It had not even occurred to me to look for a female subject to write about, mainly because I was under the naïve impression that – with the possible exception of Lucy Hutchinson – female republicans in the seventeenth century simply did not exist. This impression, no doubt, was based on the existing literature.
Ironically, it was through Neville himself that I came to engage with women in the English Civil War and its aftermath after all. In his Parliament-of-Women satires, Neville had used the image of an all-female assembly to poke fun on the weak and useless male MPs at Westminster in the late 1640s and early 1650s. This led me to investigate the political activities of women during the period from female petitioners to prophetesses and the activist wives of Leveller leaders.
Frontispiece of Neville's The Isle of Pines (1669).
Likewise, Neville's fictional Restoration travel narrative The Isle of Pines had used a particular depiction of gender relations to pose questions about the legitimacy of political patriarchalism and hereditary rule. So I got hooked on the gender theme and promised myself to pay more attention to the female figures and voices that appear like faint shadows in the documents and secondary literature.
When I was writing my forthcoming book on The English Republican Exiles in Europe during the Restoration, for instance, I realised what an important role Elizabeth Ludlow (c 1630-1702) held in the wider republican nexus.
Not only did she facilitate the flight of her regicide husband, Edmund Ludlow (1617-92), into continental exile in 1660, she also maintained a communication network that allowed the fugitive to stay in contact with important allies over many years. (more…)
Tagged with: gender, history writing, seventeenth century, women, women's history
Improving the Nation
Posted in Early Modern, History, Reviews, Seventeenth Century, Uncategorized by thehistorywoman on March 26, 2016
In his new book, The Invention of Improvement, Paul Slack sets out to do two things: first, to trace the 'notion of improvement' in seventeenth-century 'public discourse' (vii) in England; and secondly to show how 'the quest for improvement distinguished England from other countries.' (1)
Slack has not set himself an easy task as he analyses the concept of improvement in its 'intellectual and political as well as social and economic' (14) context across an entire century. But he does so most elegantly and eloquently, and the wealth of primary sources – both printed and archival – he employs shows that this book has been many years in the making and draws on decades of research. In fact, the work stands out more for its author's extensive knowledge of the period, the great synthesis of a large amount of scholarship and the lucidity of its analysis than for the novelty of its argument as such.
For the book is unashamedly 'Whiggish' as a 'story of progress' (263), as its author acknowledges, telling the story of England's rise as a great nation based on the steady and ambitious improvement of agriculture, manufacture and trade, which would lay the foundations for its Empire.
The motor of this 'gradual, piecemeal, but cumulative betterment' (1) were a number of creative minds dedicated to the task of making England more efficient through the application of their learning in the form of new social schemes and institutions. The foundations for improvement had already been laid under Queen Elizabeth and the early Stuarts with men like William Cecil and Francis Bacon, but things really began to take off with the English Revolution and the various projects of the Hartlib Circle, which combined utopian speculation and social reform.
In fact, it was Samuel Hartlib, who introduced the very word 'improvement' in its current meaning into English public discourse when he translated Jan Comenius' Pansophiae Prodromus (1639), 'and in doing so referred for the first time in print to improvement.' (99) (more…)
Tagged with: discourse of improvement, Paul Slack, political arithmetic, political economy, seventeenth century
The Fascination of The Isle of Pines (1668)
Posted in Early Modern, History, literature, Political Thought, Seventeenth Century by thehistorywoman on November 28, 2011
Henry Neville's utopian travel narrative The Isle of Pines (1668) is one of my favourite pieces of literature. It tells the story of the shipwreck of an English trading vessel during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and of the subsequent survival of one man and four women on a lonely island near terra Australis incognita. The five survivors settle together on the island and create a new society from scratch like Adam and Eve after God's creation of the earth, or Noah and his family after the Flood, except they keep some of their English ways and make a few new laws to maintain order in their ever-growing society. Several generations later, in 1667, the English Pines are discovered by the crew of a Dutch ship, whose captain publishes an account of the savaged English society he found stranded on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere.
There is no reason why The Isle of Pines should stand out as a literary work. The prose is basic, the story is simple, and the description of the relations of George Pines and the four women worthy of the Bad Sex in Fiction Award. But there are most of all two things that make The Isle of Pines such a fascinating work. First, it has so many layers that generations of scholars have not been able to agree whether the work is a utopia, a hoax, a work on polygamy, a coded political pamphlet, Restoration satire, or all of the above. And secondly, The Isle has a complex and highly successful publishing history, including numerous re-issues and translations in several European languages to make it truly one of the international bestsellers of the seventeenth century.
With large parts of the world still unmapped and the story appearing in the news sheets and gazettes, many contemporaries might have believed Neville's account of the mysterious island was true, while his friends in the coffeehouses of London and Oxford soon smelt a rat and recognised it as the work of a disgruntled republican, who blamed Charles II and his corrupted court for the decline of English fortunes after the defeat in the second Anglo-Dutch war (1665-67). The story had a mixed reception in the seventeenth century, both at home and abroad, as contemporaries tried to work out what they were dealing with. The number of modern editions as well as scholarly works on the piece published in recent years shows that the mystery of The Isle remains unresolved.
Tagged with: Henry Neville, Isle of Pines, Restoration satire, seventeenth century, travel narrative, utopia
Eric Nelson's Hebrew Republic and the Importance of Jewish Sources
Posted in Early Modern, Political Thought, Religion, Reviews, Seventeenth Century by thehistorywoman on September 13, 2010
In his book on The Hebrew Republic, Eric Nelson sets out to refute the commonly held assumption in early modern historiography that political science came to be separated from religion over the course of the seventeenth century. Instead, he argues that the concept of the respublica Hebraeica was seen as authoritative by many political thinkers, and that in particular three elements of God's commonwealth were influential: the republican form of government, the redistribution of property by means of agrarian laws, and religious toleration. In their pursuit of the ideal government, seventeenth-century authors did not just rely on the authority of the Bible, but also on the works of the rabbinic tradition. In the three chapters that constitute the main body of his book, Nelson then goes on to prove each of his points in turn.
First, he argues that republican authors came to consider popular government as the only legitimate form of government instead of seeing it as one possible form only. Secondly, Nelson shows that republican authors, most famously James Harrington, came to put more emphasis on the necessity for a redistribution of property by means of agrarian laws influenced by rabbinic scholarship. And finally, he shows that the pursuit of toleration, usually attributed to a process of secularization which involves a separation of state and church, was perfectly compatible with an Erastian church, i.e. a church under government control. For in God's commonwealth, Nelson argues, there was no separation between the religious and civil spheres, and God gave his laws to the secular ruler.
If you want to buy Nelson's argument or not, you have to admit it is well put. His work is clearly structured, the prose flows well, and the book is so highly readable that you don't want to put it down. A must for everybody interested in early modern religion and political thought.
Eric Nelson, The Hebrew Republic: Jewish Sources and the Transformation of European Political Thought (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2010).
Tagged with: Hebrew, James Harrington, Jewish History, religion, republicanism, seventeenth century


This publication offers an overview of the major federal conservation programs that provide resources for farmers and ranchers to enhance and maintain sustainable farming and ranching practices. The level of available conservation resources for this area has dramatically increased since 2002. This guide helps farmers and ranchers make their way through the often complex and difficult application processes. Access to these resources can open new opportunities to preserve agricultural lands, develop sustainable practices, and open new markets.


Why donate to Goodell Gardens & Homestead? Simply put, Goodell Gardens & Homestead is growing, much like the beautiful plants you will see when you visit our site. From the pre-historic Dawn Red Wood and the Franklinia (or Ben Franklin Tree), which had been thought to be extinct at one time, to the gardens themselves, which had become overgrown from years of limited care, Goodell Gardens & Homestead has begun to bloom once more.
With educational and cultural programming throughout the open season, Goodell Gardens & Homestead provides Edinboro and the surrounding communities with a venue for public gatherings, music, art and lectures. From the Tea Time Talks Lecture Series, which focuses on a variety of topics affecting the modern-day gardener, the music series throughout the summer and other special events, the numbers of people we see come through our garden gate each year continues to increase exponentially. With nearly 7,000 visitors in 2010, Goodell Gardens & Homestead is quickly becoming the place to be in Edinboro. Donations may be made through Paypal (using the form below),can be mailed to Goodell Gardens & Homestead, PO Box 156, Edinboro, PA 16412, dropped off at the Gardens in person during regular business hours, via credit by phone - (814) 734-6699 during regular business hours, or you can provided continued support by becoming a member. Join our Board, members, staff, volunteers and countless others by helping bring this vision to life. Thank you for your consideration. Another great way to support Goodell Gardens, is through Amazon Smile. Once you set your account to support The Goodell Project, Amazon will donate a percentage of each of your purchases to Goodell Gardens at no additional cost to you.


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Tag: Redox
Populus balsamifera
No Comments on Populus balsamifera
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Botanical Name : Populus balsamifera
Genus: Populus
Section: Tacamahaca
Species: P. balsamifera
Order: Malpighiales
Common Names : Balsam Poplar, Black cottonwood, Bam, Bamtree, Eastern balsam poplar, Hackmatack, Tacamahac poplar, Tacamahaca
Other common names : Heartleaf balsam poplar, and Ontario balsam poplar.
The black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa, is sometimes considered a subspecies of P. balsamifera and may lend its common name to this species, although the black poplars and cottonwoods of Populus sect. Aigeiros are not closely related.
Habitat : Populus balsamifera is native to northern N. America – Newfoundland to Alaska, south to New England, Iowa and Colorado. It grows in deep moist sandy soils of river bottomlands, stream banks, borders of lakes and swamps.
Populus balsamifera is a deciduous medium to large-sized, averaging 23 – 30 m (75 – 100 ft) high, broadleaved hardwood. Crown narrow, pyramidal with thick, ascending branches. Branchlets moderately stout, round, shiny reddy-brown, orange lenticels, buds are reddish-brown to brown, 2.5 cm (1 inch) long, curved, resinous and fragrant. Twig has a bitter aspirin taste. Trunk bark greenish gray with lighter lenticels when young, later becoming darker and furrowed with long, scaly ridges.
Leaves – alternate, simple, ovate, finely serrated, shiny dark green, paler and often blotchy orange below, petiole long with glands at the leaf base.
Flowers – dioecious, male and female as hanging, long pale yellow green catkins, appearing in May.
Fruit – small, 2-valved, dry capsule containing numerous small seeds. Capsules are a lustrous green during development but turn dull green at time of dispersal. Male flowers are shed promptly and decay; female catkins are shed shortly after dispersal is completed but remain identifiable for the remainder of the summer.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Cultivation :
An easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil, though it prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best in the south and east of Britain. Growth is much less on wet soils, on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils. Does not do well in exposed upland sites. Dislikes shade, it is intolerant of root or branch competition A fast-growing and generally short-lived tree, though specimens 150 – 200 years old have occasionally been recorded. This is a pioneer species, invading cleared land, old fields etc, but unable to tolerate shade competition and eventually being out-competed by other trees. It is not fully satisfactory in Britain. In spring and early summer the buds and young leaves have a strong fragrance of balsam. Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the building's foundations by drying out the soil. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Seed – must be sown as soon as it is ripe in spring. Poplar seed has an extremely short period of viability and needs to be sown within a few days of ripening. Surface sow or just lightly cover the seed in trays in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the old frame. If sufficient growth is made, it might be possible to plant them out in late summer into their permanent positions, otherwise keep them in the cold frame until the following late spring and then plant them out. Most poplar species hybridize freely with each other, so the seed may not come true unless it is collected from the wild in areas with no other poplar species growing. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 20 – 40cm long, November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed or direct into their permanent positions. Very easy. Suckers in early spring[
Edible Uses:…The inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. Catkins – raw or cooked. A bitter flavour. It is best used in spring.
Anodyne; Antiinflammatory; Antiscorbutic; Antiseptic; Cathartic; Diuretic; Expectorant; Febrifuge; Stimulant; Tonic.
Balsam poplar has a long history of medicinal use. It was valued by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, but especially to treat skin problems and lung ailments. In modern herbalism it is valued as an expectorant and antiseptic tonic. The buds are used as a stimulating expectorant for all conditions affecting the respiratory functions when congested. In tincture they have been beneficially employed in affections of the stomach and kidneys and in scurvy and rheumatism, also for chest complaints.
The leaf buds are covered with a resinous sap that has a strong turpentine odor and a bitter taste. They are boiled in order to separate the resin and the resin is then dissolved in alcohol. The resin is a folk remedy, used as a salve and wash for sores, rheumatism, wounds etc. It is made into a tea and used as a wash for sprains, inflammation, muscle pains etc.
The bark is cathartic and tonic. Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the bark of most, if not all members of the genus contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin) in the body. The bark is therefore anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. A tea made from the inner bark is used as an eye wash and in the treatment of scurvy.
It is an excellent hemorrhoid treatment. For burns it lessens pain, keeps the surface antiseptic and also stimulates skin regeneration. The tincture is a very effective therapy for chest colds, increasing protective mucus secretions in the beginning, when the tissues are hot, dry and painful. Later, it increases te softening expectorant secretions when the mucus is hard and impacted on the bronchial walls, and coughing is painful. Are aromatics are secreted as volatile gases in expiration. This helps to inhibit microorganisms and lessen the likelihood of secondary, often more serious, infections.
Pioneer; Repellent; Resin; Rooting hormone; Wood.
An extract of the shoots can be used as a rooting hormone for all types of cuttings. It is extracted by soaking the chopped up shoots in cold water for a day. The resin obtained from the buds was used by various native North American Indian tribes to waterproof the seams on their canoes. The resin on the buds has been used as an insect repellent. The bark has been burnt to repel mosquitoes. A pioneer species, capable of invading cleared land and paving the way for other woodland trees. It is not very shade tolerant and so it is eventually out-competed by the woodland trees. Wood – soft, light, rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion. It weighs 23lb per cubic foot, and is used for pulp, boxes etc. The wood is also used as a fuel, it gives off a pleasant odour when burning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_balsamifera
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+balsamifera
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/populus/balsamifera.htm
http://www.borealforest.org/trees/tree11.htm
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No Comments on Photodynamic therapy
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Photodynamic therapy (PDT), sometimes called photochemotherapy, is a form of phototherapy using nontoxic light-sensitive compounds that are exposed selectively to light, whereupon they become toxic to targeted malignant and other diseased cells (phototoxicity). PDT has proven ability to kill microbial cells, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. PDT is popularly used in treating acne. It is used clinically to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including wet age-related macular degeneration and malignant cancers, and is recognised as a treatment strategy which is both minimally invasive and minimally toxic.
Most modern PDT applications involve three key components: a photosensitizer, a light source and tissue oxygen. The combination of these three components leads to the chemical destruction of any tissues which have either selectively taken up the photosensitizer or have been locally exposed to light. The wavelength of the light source needs to be appropriate for exciting the photosensitizer to produce reactive oxygen species. These reactive oxygen species generated through PDT are free radicals (Type I PDT) generated through electron abstraction or transfer from a substrate molecule and highly reactive state of oxygen known as singlet oxygen (Type II PDT). In understanding the mechanism of PDT it is important to distinguish it from other light-based and laser therapies such as laser wound healing and rejuvenation, or intense pulsed light hair removal, which do not require a photosensitizer.
Why it is done:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was first used in 1905 for the treatment of skin cancers. Since then, it has been further developed and used for the treatment of many kinds of cancers (lung, colon, etc.) as well as certain kinds of blindness. PDT combines a drug (called a photosensitizer) that is preferentially absorbed by certain kinds of cells and a special light source. When used together, the photosensitizer and the light destroy the targeted cells. More recently, however, PDT has been used for photorejuvenation, wrinkles, discoloration, visible veins, and acne. When used for these conditions, the photosensitizer is applied to the face and then the skin is exposed to a light source. Rapidly growing cells, oil glands, and other structures in the skin absorb the photosensitizer and are destroyed by a reaction caused by the light. Cosmetic improvement in wrinkling, age spots, and visible veins has been documented after PDT treatment.
It is a new advance in facial rejuvenation and there are currently different methods in use. For example some physicians use blue light, red light, or intense pulse light. The photosensitizer is applied to the skin and is left on for a variable period of time. The skin is then exposed to the light source and the photosensitizer is then removed. Reported side effects include transient burning, stinging, swelling, and redness. Side effects are variable depending on what is being treated, how long the photosensitizer is left on, and which light source is used. No long-term studies have been performed to evaluate long term side effects.
In order to achieve the selective destruction of the target area using PDT while leaving normal tissues untouched, either the photosensitizer can be applied locally to the target area, or photosensitive targets can be locally excited with light. For instance, in the treatment of skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, and also skin cancers, the photosensitizer can be applied topically and locally excited by a light source. In the local treatment of internal tissues and cancers, after photosensitizers have been administered intravenously, light can be delivered to the target area using endoscopes and fiber optic catheters....CLICK & SEE
CLICK & SEE THE ICTURES
Photosensitizers can also target many viral and microbial species, including HIV and MRSA. Using PDT, pathogens present in samples of blood and bone marrow can be decontaminated before the samples are used further for transfusions or transplants. PDT can also eradicate a wide variety of pathogens of the skin and of the oral cavities. Given the seriousness that drug resistant pathogens have now become, there is increasing research into PDT as a new antimicrobial therapy.
Photosensitizers:
In air and tissue, molecular oxygen occurs in a triplet state, whereas almost all other molecules are in a singlet state. Reactions between these are forbidden by quantum mechanics, thus oxygen is relatively non-reactive at physiological conditions. A photosensitizer is a chemical compound that can be promoted to an excited state upon absorption light and undergo intersystem crossing with oxygen to produce singlet oxygen. This species rapidly attacks any organic compounds it encounters, thus being highly cytotoxic. It is rapidly eliminated: in cells, the average lifetime is 3 µs.[5]
A wide array of photosensitizers for PDT exist. They can be divided into porphyrins, chlorophylls and dyes. Some examples include aminolevulinic acid (ALA), Silicon Phthalocyanine Pc 4, m-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC), and mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6).
Several photosensitizers are commercially available for clinical use, such as Allumera, Photofrin, Visudyne, Levulan, Foscan, Metvix, Hexvix, Cysview, and Laserphyrin, with others in development, e.g. Antrin, Photochlor, Photosens, Photrex, Lumacan, Cevira, Visonac, BF-200 ALA. Amphinex. Also Azadipyrromethenes.
Although these photosensitizers can be used for wildly different treatments, they all aim to achieve certain characteristics:
*High absorption at long wavelengths
*Tissue is much more transparent at longer wavelengths (~700–850 nm). Absorbing at longer wavelengths would allow the light to penetrate deeper,[8] and allow the treatment of larger tumors.
*High singlet oxygen quantum yield
*Low photobleaching to prevent degradation of the photosensitizer
*Natural fluorescence
*Many optical dosimetry techniques, such as fluorescence spectroscopy, depend on the drug being naturally fluorescent[10]
*High chemical stability
*Low dark toxicity
*The photosensitizer should not be harmful to the target tissue until the treatment beam is applied.
*Preferential uptake in target tissue
The major difference between different types of photosensitizers is in the parts of the cell that they target. Unlike in radiation therapy, where damage is done by targeting cell DNA, most photosensitizers target other cell structures. For example, mTHPC has been shown to localize in the nuclear envelope and do its damage there. In contrast, ALA has been found to localize in the mitochondria and Methylene Blue in the lysosomes.
To allow treatment of deeper tumours some researchers are using internal chemiluminescence to activate the photosensitiser.
PUVA therapy is using psoralen as photosensitiser and UVA ultraviolet as light source, but this form of therapy is usually classified as a separate form of therapy from photodynamic therapy.
Targeted PDT:
Some photosensitisers naturally accumulate in the endothelial cells of vascular tissue allowing 'vascular targeted' PDT, but there is also research to target the photosensitiser to the tumour (usually by linking it to antibodies or antibody fragments). It is currently only in pre-clinical studies.
Compared to normal tissues, most types of cancers are especially active in both the uptake and accumulation of photosensitizers agents, which makes cancers especially vulnerable to PDT. Since photosensitizers can also have a high affinity for vascular endothelial cells.
Usage in acne:
PDT is currently in clinical trials to be used as a treatment for severe acne. Initial results have shown for it to be effective as a treatment only for severe acne, though some question whether it is better than existing acne treatments. The treatment causes severe redness and moderate to severe pain and burning sensation. A phase II trial, while it showed improvement occurred, failed to show improved response compared to the blue/violet light alone
There are several advantages of photodynamic therapy over other forms of facial rejuvenation. For example, PDT is less destructive (and therefore less painful) than many of the deeper peels and lasers. There is also minimal recovery time. It is also a proven technique for the treatment of precancerous lesions. Thus, depending on the technique used, there may be an additional benefit of preventing skin cancer.
The disadvantage of photodynamic therapy is that it is new. Long-term side effects are unknown, and the benefits are not as well studied. For example, PDT is not known how long the benefits last.
Although PDT is a promising new therapy, you need to discuss the risks, benefits, and alternatives with your physician to decide if PDT is right for you.
Modern development of PDT in Russia:
Of all the nations beginning to use PDT in the late 20th century, the Russians were the quickest to advance its use clinically and to make many developments. One early Russian development was a new photosensitizer called Photogem which, like HpD, was derived from haematoporphyrin in 1990 by Professor Andrey F. Mironov and coworkers in Moscow. Photogem was approved by the Ministry of Health of Russia and tested clinically from February 1992 to 1996. A pronounced therapeutic effect was observed in 91 percent of the 1500 patients that underwent PDT using Photogem, with 62 percent having a total tumor resolution. Of the remaining patients, a further 29 percent had a partial tumor resolution, where the tumour at least halved in size. In those patients that had been diagnosed early, 92 percent of the patients showed complete resolution of the tumour.
Around this time, Russian scientists also collaborated with NASA medical scientists who were looking at the use of LEDs as more suitable light sources, compared to lasers, for PDT applications.
Modern development of PDT in Asia:
PDT has also seen considerably development in Asia. Since 1990, the Chinese have been developing specialist clinical expertise with PDT using their own domestically produced photosensitizers, derived from Haematoporphyrin, and light sources. PDT in China is especially notable for the technical skill of specialists in effecting resolution of difficult to reach tumours
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodynamic_therapy
http://www.dermanetwork.org/information/pdt.asp
Efficiently Separating Oil & Water
Understanding Eczema
Oral cancer, recoingzing it and reffering it early
All about Yves: A vibrant shade of blue has taken over runways
The only sheet of paper you'll ever need: Researchers reveal radical rewritable paper that NEVER needs ink
Chemists develop rewritable paper that can be erased and written on repeatedly
Disease in Aquarium Fish
The World's 2nd-Smartest Man Reveals The 'Brain Drugs' That Make Him Smarter
Eco-Friendly Rewritable Paper Can Be Reused Over 20 Times
Chemists create clever rewritable paper
Tags Celsius, Dye, Methylene blue, Nature Communications, Neutral red, Paper, Printing, Redox, Riverside, Ultraviolet, University of California
Sow thistle
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Botanical Name :Sonchus oleraceus Linn.
Family:Asteraceae/ Compositae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Genus: Sonchus
Synonyms :Hare's Thistle. Hare's Lettuce.
Scientific names : Sonchus oleraceus Linn.,Hieracium oleracerum Linn. ,Lactuca oleracerea Linn.
Common names :Gagatang (Ig.),Common sowthistle (Engl.),Milkweed (Engl.) ,Milk thistle (Engl.) ,Smooth sow thistle (Engl.) ,Swinles (Engl.) ,Sow thistle (Engl.)
Habitat :Found in the Benguet subprovinces, Rizal and Laguna provinces in Luzon. In waster places, along trails, old gardens, on talus slopes at altitudes of 1,200 to 2,000 meters
Sow thistle is an herb, erect, annual, milky, hairy or slightly glandular, growing 40 to 80 cm high. Leaves are oblong to lanceolate, 10 to 20 cm long, coarsely and lyrately lobed; the lobes somewhat reflexed and toothed, the terminal ones large, the lateral pointing downwards, and those of the stem clasping at the base. Heads are peduncled, about 1 cm long. Bracts are smooth, thin and green. Flowers are numerous and yellow. Achenes are nearly 3 mm long, compressed, ribbed and rough.
It has hollow thick, branched stems full of milky juice, and thin, oblong leaves, more or less cut into (pinnatifid) with irregular, prickly teeth on the margins. The upper leaves are much simpler in form than the lower ones, clasping the stem at their bases.
The flowers are a pale yellow, and when withered, the involucres close over them in a conical form. The seed vessels are crowned with a tuft of hairs, or pappus, like most of this large family of Compositae.
The young leaves are still in some parts of the Continent employed as an ingredient in salads It used in former times to be mingled with other pot herbs, and was occasionally employed in soups; the smoothest variety is said to be excellent boiled like spinach.
Constituents:
* Contains fixed oil with stearic and palmitic acids, ceryl-alcohol, invert sugar, choline, tartaric acid.
* Milky juice contains oxydase, coautchoue, mannite, l-inosite, etc.
* Phytochemicals of aqueous extracts yielded sugar reducers, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids and coumarins.
* Study yielded four sesquiterpene glycosides – sonchusides A, B, C and D together with five known glycosides – glucozaluzanin C, macrocliniside A, crepidiaside A and picrisides A and C.
Parts used: Stem, leaves, gum, juice.
Folkloric:-
* Brownish gum formed by the evaporation of the common sow thistle, when taken internally in a dose of two to four grains, acts as a "powerful hydragogue cathartic" with strong effects on the liver, duodenum and colon. Its effects resemble elaterium, producing large and watery discharges, thus an effective agent in ascites and hydrothorax. However, it may cause griping like senna and produce tenemus like aloes. To counteract that effect, the gum is administered with manna, aniseed, and carbonate of magnesia, or with stimulants and aromatics
* Infusion of leaves and roots used by the natives of Bengal as tonic and febrifuge.
*In Indochina, stems used as sedative and tonic.
*In Italy, used as a laxative and diuretic.
*Juice of the plant used for cleaning and healing ulcers.
*In Brazilian folk medicine, used as a general tonic.
• Antidepressant: Study of S oleraceus extracts in mice showed evidence of an antidepressant-like effect comparable to that of amitriptyline (10mg/K p.o.).
• Antinociceptive: Extracts of SO markedly demonstrated antinociceptive action in mice, supporting previous claims of traditional use. At 300 mg/kg, it had a stronger antinociceptive effect than indomethacin (5 mg/kg) and morphine (10 mg/kg).
• Anxiolytic: Study of extract of aerial parts showed anxiolytic effects in mice similar to clonazepam (0.5 mg/kg).
• Phytochemicals / Low Toxicity: Study of aqueous extracts showed phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids and coumarins. Toxicity test on Artemia salina indicated low toxicity.
• Antioxidant / Cytotoxicity: Study of SO extracts showed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. The methanol extracts yielded the greatest the most phenolic and flavonoid contents. Cytotoxicity activity showed the ethanol extract had the best activity against the growth of stomach cancer cell.
• Anti-Quorum Sensing / Antimicrobial: A study of 14 ethanolic extracts of different parts of 8 plants for antimicrobial and antiquorum sensing activity showed Sonchus oleraceus and Laurus nobilis to have superior activity against Chromobacterium violaceum. Quorum sensing is involved in microbial pathogenesis, and its inhibition may be a way of controlling bacterial infections with the advantage of reducing risks of resistance development.
Its chief use nowadays is as food for rabbits. There is no green food they devour more eagerly, and all keepers of rabbits in hutches should provide them with a plentiful supply. Pigs are also particularly fond of the succulent leaves and stems of the Sow-Thistle.
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sowthi71.html
http://www.stuartxchange.com/Gagatang.html
http://www.plantsystematics.org/imgs/kcn2/r/Asteraceae_Sonchus_oleraceus_33896.html
SONCHUS ASPER [common name "sow thistle"]
Antihyperglycemic & antinociceptive effect of Xanthium indicum (stem) on Swiss Albino mice model.
Putat
Findings on Chlorophyll Detailed by Investigators at Technical University (Chlorophyll extraction from leaves, needles and microalgae: A kinetic…
Rangan(Ixora coccinea)
Milk Thistle prevents prostate cancer – study suggests
Antinociceptive activity evaluation of Chenopodium album L. (Chenopodiaceae) whole plants.
Tags Adipose tissue, Agricultural science, Antioxidant, Artemia salina, Asteraceae, Bay Laurel, Benguet, Biology, Chromobacterium violaceum, Circulatory system, Engl, Herbalism, Macular degeneration, Milk thistle, Phenolic compounds in wine, Phenolic content in wine, Quorum sensing, Redox, Sonchus oleraceus, Sow-Thistle, Watermelon, Wound healing
Exercise Healthy Tips
Regular Exercise Reduces a Large Number of Health Risks
No Comments on Regular Exercise Reduces a Large Number of Health Risks
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Regular exercise can reduce the risk and symptoms of more than 20 physical and mental health conditions, and can also slow down how quickly your body ages.
A review of research, which summarized the findings of 40 papers published between 2006 and 2010, found that exercise affects conditions including cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity and high blood pressure.
Science Daily reports:
"… [A]part from not smoking, being physically active is the most powerful lifestyle choice any individual can make to improve their health."
A separate study also found that women who exercise for 150 minutes a week or more could be reducing their risk of endometrial cancer, whether or not they are overweight.
Researchers examined data collected from a case-control study that included almost 700 women with endometrial cancer and compared them to a similar number of age-matched control women. Those who exercised for 150 minutes a week or more had a 34 percent reduced risk of endometrial cancer.
Newswise reports:
"This association was more pronounced among active women with a body mass index (BMI) less than 25, or underweight women, where the reduction in risk was 73 percent compared with inactive women with a BMI more than 25, or what is commonly considered overweight.
Although BMI showed a strong association with endometrial cancer, even women who were overweight, but still active, had a 52 percent lower risk."
Science Daily November 16, 2010
International Journal of Clinical Practice December 2010; 64(13):1731-4
Newswise November 12, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Mercola | December 09 2010
Exercise May Cut Endometrial Cancer Risk (webmd.com)
Exercise may reduce risk of endometrial cancer (eurekalert.org)
Exercise Lowers Risk of Getting a Uterine Cancer (livescience.com)
Exercise could cut endometrial cancer risk (msnbc.msn.com)
Exercise could cut endometrial cancer risk: study (ctv.ca)
Endometrial cancer – All Information (umm.edu)
Vitamin D protects against obesity-induced endometrial cancer, GUMC researchers say (eurekalert.org)
Exercise Could Cut Womb Cancer Risk By 30 Percent (huffingtonpost.com)
Exercise could cut womb cancer risk by 30 percent (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Exercise Could Cut Female Cancer Risk (aolhealth.com)
Tags Body Mass Index, Cancer, Case-control study, Endometrial cancer, Heart Disease, National Cancer Institute, Physical exercise, Redox
Call for Mandatory Salt Curbs
No Comments on Call for Mandatory Salt Curbs
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Forcing food manufacturers to cut salt levels in processed food could help cut heart disease rates, claim Australian researchers.
A high salt food is bad for health
A theoretical study suggests mandatory salt limits could help reduce heart disease rates by 18% – far more than by using existing voluntary measures.
High-salt diets are linked to high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Adults are advised to consume a maximum of 6g of salt a day – about a teaspoon.
The study looked at the effectiveness of different strategies around the world for reducing salt in processed foods.
Many countries, including Finland, the US, the UK, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand, have adopted salt reduction programmes based on food labelling and voluntary cuts.
Australia uses a "Tick" programme, where food manufacturers can use a health promotion logo on packaging if they volunteer to cut salt content.
The team calculated that voluntary use of the logo could reduce heart disease rates in Australia by almost 1% – more than twice that of dietary advice alone.
But if all manufacturers were made to use the logo, the health benefits could be 20 times greater, they predict.
"If corporate responsibility fails, maybe there is an ethical justification for government to step in and legislate," the authors, led by Linda Cobiac, of the University of Queensland, write in the journal Heart.
A UK heart charity said voluntary measures placed on food companies in the UK had made a difference but more could be done.
Victoria Taylor, senior heart health dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: "We're making progress without the need for compulsory limits and as a result we've seen a reduction in salt intake.
"But as three quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, we need to build on this work and watch carefully to make sure the food industry doesn't slip back into old habits."
Katharine Jenner of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) said the UK had pioneered a voluntary approach where all food sectors reduce the amount of salt they put in food.
"This cost-effective approach has been very successful and has already led to population average salt intakes falling by 10%," she said.
Source :BBC News
Mandatory Salt Curb Most Effective For Health, Study Finds (livescience.com)
Study backs mandatory move on salt (news.theage.com.au)
Mandatory curbs on salt boost healthy hearts – study (showbizandstyle.inquirer.net)
Mandatory curbs on food salt content 20 times more effective than voluntary curbs (eurekalert.org)
A low salt diet healthy eating improve health. (blood-pressure-monitoring.org)
Health Canada to weigh in on table salt and iodine (ctv.ca)
Low salt diet not all it's cracked up to be (theage.com.au)
A Heart Healthy, Low Sodium Diet Now Possible with AlsoSalt and Heinz Ketchup (prweb.com)
Salt rules 'would cut heart disease' (telegraph.co.uk)
Tags Australia, British Heart Foundation, Finland, Health, Heart Disease, Redox, Salt, University of Queensland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Seated at the bar of the Staplehouse Restaurant, the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, just a few blocks away from the house that Martin Luther King was born in, is one of the best places to observe the beautiful interior decor, and pick up the stylish yet welcoming vibe of what has been both GQ and Bon Appetit's Restaurant of the Year. The cocktails are cold and refreshing, and the food–modern American cooking with innovative Southern influences–is delicious (the restaurant has also been nominated for James Beard awards a couple of times). Yet what captivates me is the story that the bartender is telling me about how this marvel of a restaurant came into existence. How it started with tragedy: husband and wife Ryan and Jen Hidinger, who had a dream of opening the restaurant, dreams which were rudely interrupted when Ryan was diagnosed with Stage 4 gallbladder cancer; which lead to the Atlanta community rallying together to raise funds for him, and which despite his untimely passing which lead to this restaurant run by Jen, her sister Kara, and her husband Ryan Smith (also a chef). A restaurant that is wholly owned by a non-profit (The Giving Kitchen) that now, in turn, helps Atlanta and surrounding area restaurant workers in their times of need to the tune of over $2 million so far. It is a heart-breaking, yet inspirational story of family, community, and grit and it blows me away. 'Where is Jen Hidinger?' I ask. 'I'd love to speak to her.' The bartender smiled. 'She just served you' he said, and I turn to see a young woman in overalls, her arms covered in tattoos, walking away through this restaurant built with love and grace.
Many months later, I finally get a chance to sit down with Jen Hidinger and interview her properly about this rollercoaster ride and what lessons she drew from it. The story begins with Hidinger working in a supermarket as a check-out girl. "I was an office manager and a cashier at a local grocery store and he would come into smile and wave and buy packs of Bubblicious bubble gum – no joke – and he would come through my line, just say 'hello' and go, and it was kind of love at first sight. It took him a little longer but for me, it was love at first sight especially when he told me he was a cook and that's what he did for a living" she said. However, the very first meal that Ryan cooked for Jen didn't exactly blow her away. She laughed, "The very first dish Ryan ever made for me was some sort of stuffed chicken dish with artichokes. I remember being floored by the fact that I was getting this completely from-scratch meal made by this tall dark handsome man–but I also remember it being very kind of lackluster! But it was sweet and magical."
Despite this less than promising culinary start. the couple bonded deeply over food and their natural hospitality then evolved into the next stage of their plan. "So by January of 2009, we landed on the idea of hosting strangers in our home. and it was right around that time when you know doing something off the cuff like that, inviting strangers into your home for what we called an 'underground supper club', was really new in Atlanta., it was not new in Seattle and in San Francisco and New York and LA, but it was really new for Atlanta, and clearly the city craved it. The city was in growth with creativity and culture and really desired something really unique like that, so for us, that was really our stepping stone and it became the idea of wanting to open up a restaurant that we would call 'Staplehouse'", said Hidinger. The name itself is embedded with lots of meaning. She said, "'Staples' we landed on for the things that you crave and love and want to come back to; and we needed to feel approachable and welcoming, warm and inviting and 'House' was the place that you go to get them. So naturally, "Staplehouse' became the name."
After four years of hosting these supper clubs, the couple was finally in a good place financially with banks and potential investors all lined up. Jen sent Ryan off on a celebratory tour of New York's culinary hotspots in commemoration of their anniversary. But when he arrived back, things started to go wrong. Hidinger said, "I sent him to New York for about 12 hours (because that was all we could afford!) so he could finally experience it for the first time. And when he got back, he got really sick and several days later it just led to persistent pain, it took him away from work for the first time ever in his entire career, which led us to an ultrasound, which ultimately led us to an MRI on December 21st of 2012–and that was the day that the doctor told him he had six months to live due to stage four gallbladder cancer."
What happened when the news got out was an outpouring of love and support from their community, which rallied around them to organize a 'Team Hidi' event to raise money for the couple. Hidinger paused as she reflected on the events of that moment."'Impactful' really doesn't even shape the gratitude, the emotion, the unity really behind what happened. We use the word "grateful" a lot because we do think it encompasses so much more than just 'thankfulness', and thankfulness is huge, but there 's just such a deep-seated amount of emotion behind what changed our lives. And I say that on multiple levels : the community rallying around us from our business mentors to our families and friends who quite literally created a committee of people, who within just 3 and a half weeks' time was able to put on an event that raised shy of $300,000 for him, for us in one night. The impact of that is just huge, and life-changing and not only did that give us kind of that backbone of support, ultimately when Ryan passed away it was that same community who got me through it."
For Hidinger, it also underlined the importance of asking for help. "I think for a lot of people. you are afraid or unwilling to ask for help because you don't think that you need it., and the reality is, is that you know we are all humans! We are meant to live the healthiest life that we can, and to be here for one another–that is how growth really happens. And for us as that young couple, it was Ryan's bosses at that time who really came forward–Ryan Turner, Chris Hall, and Todd Mussman–those three specifically who said that 'let us help you'". Well entrenched in the Atlanta restaurant scene because of their restaurants—Muss & Turner's, Local Three Kitchen & Bar, Eleanor's, and Common Quarter—the partners were the driving force behind the fundraising event which has now turned into an annual mainstay of the restaurant industry in the city. It brought together what was usually a pretty competitive industry and unified it in an unprecedented way. "I had never seen it in this capacity until it happened here in Atlanta–the idea of restaurants working together for one common factor. This was the first time that very selflessly chefs, restaurants, mentors, business people within this industry specifically dropped everything and said, 'let's just come together and make a difference', for this one guy at that time, but now ultimately for 5 years."
But that night also planted a seed in the couple's heads about how they could, in turn, give back to this same community with the same love it had shown them."The impact of what happened that night ultimately opened up the notion that there could be something more and something bigger, something that could give back to our community, and ultimately that's what we decided was that was our way and means of 'paying it forward'. After that event that's really when the idea of "The Giving Kitchen" came to fruition." Hidinger talked about the awakening they experienced when they realized their dream of Staplehouse could be in service of something even bigger. "We realize that our moment to be able to say thank you, to have it become action-oriented, was to 'pay it forward' by starting the nonprofit, and realizing that the dream of Staplehouse Restaurant could a become something more purpose driven. And it ended up becoming something that we could not only share a story, and bring light to the mission of Giving Kitchen, but we also donate our net profits back to the nonprofit as a sustainable stream of support."
Staplehouse opened in September 2015, powered by the trio of Hidinger, her sister-in-law Kara Hidinger (Ryan Hidinger's sister), and Kara's husband, Chef Ryan Turner. "The three of us as partners, I think we have a really strong family foundation to stand on. Its a humbling one for sure; it's hard work all the way around. but I think it grounds us naturally." It also gives the restaurant its own sense of higher purpose. "Well, when you are able to offer what we believe a high-quality high level of service and that encompasses food, beverage, and hospitality. but you are able to do it for the sake of a nonprofit and feed it back into your own community I think that's a pretty big purpose." This sense of higher purpose is also something felt by everyone working at the restaurant. We have a really dedicated team and there isn't one teammate in these walls who didn't come in knowing a little bit about the reality of what we do. Obviously, it's a restaurant, but the reality is that we are owned by a nonprofit and we give back directly. I think all of our staff understand that there is a drive and different work being done here–they are fulfilling dreams."
On the non-profit side, The Giving Kitchen has continued to expand its scope at an amazing pace."Giving Kitchen officially celebrated our 5-year anniversary in May which is absolutely powerful and amazing, and what the organization as a whole been able to do statistically is pretty profound. So since inception, The Giving Kitchen has been able to award just over $2 million dollars to our community that's currently covering 47 counties outside of Atlanta, to over 1100 restaurant workers have been in crisis. that is medical or otherwise. That is something like a natural disaster, a death of an immediate family member, a sickness or an injury anything that's kind of taking you out of work or off your feet for some time, again Giving Kitchen is able to fill that gap. Our goal, based on our strategic planning that we have set in place, is that by 2020 we will be covering the entire state of Georgia."
Hidinger talks about some of the stories that have moved her the most. "It is everything from a bartender leaving work on his motorcycle who gets hit by a car at a red light in a hit and run accident, and he is in the hospital because of two broken legs. It is a woman who has a child with leukemia who doesn't want to leave her baby's side, and who is having to miss an abundant amount of work. It is terrifying and sad stories of parents losing their children, of losing their parents, of losing their siblings. It is really courageous and beautiful stories of breast cancer survivors going through that process but being able to return back to work. And, our recipients quite often will end up volunteering their time after they get better and back to work, and that's one of my favorite full circle moments; they come back and they offer their time. What it has turned into it really has become kind of this ' lighthouse' for a lot of people."
The experience has also contributed to helping Hidinger herself find a sense of purpose and meaning on a deeper level as a storyteller about hope and inspiration." After Ryan passed away, it was the moment that the community started to want to hear more. and then I just started to talk about it. And after death, being able to talk about it provided again a platform for me that ultimately felt like therapy. And the more of that happened, the more I talked about it, the more others started to gravitate towards it. And then I naturally became somebody who just started to speak on it all over the place, and that led to all over the country. I went to school and purposely did not study business because I was terrified of speech and debate and now here I am, I speak constantly. I get asked to tell the story locally and nationally to share the mission of Giving Kitchen which absolute provides me purpose. It absolutely provides me with a foundation and grounding that I wouldn't change. I am happy to wear those shoes. it's not something that I thought would've ever happened but I am proud. I wear that badge of 'widow' and I don't take it lightly."
Hidinger offers some advice for those on their own journey of purpose."You know I think there's the obvious of 'never give up', and I say that's obvious but the reality is that when it's a passion that becomes a fabric of who you are, it is a part of your being and a part of your soul, and while the idea of never giving up is true, there is also the reality of being able to kind of apply what you've learned throughout your time and allow that to kind of mold and reshape where you are today. If there is something that you want in life if and you see that light just allow that light to be become bigger, use your resources for help. Again because I have gone through my own journey through having a spouse who was faced with cancer and who ultimately passed away from cancer, he led a life that was inspiring to myself and to a lot of other people. He left a legacy behind that will literally help change the course of lives for thousands and thousands and thousands of people down the road, and that's the idea of never give up for me.
Staplehouse's story has also given others meaning as Hidinger witnessed one day."There was a moment where I was working at the host stand as I do frequently, and I had noticed a woman walk in. And she stopped there, and she was looking into the dining room, and I noticed some tears in her eyes that had started to fall down her cheek. I approached and I asked her name and she said, 'You don't know who I am, but I have been waiting for years to get here", she said. "I followed your prelude to Staple House story, the cancer diagnosis and Ryan and his cancer battle journey, the launch of the Giving kitchen and now I am here I am here at Staplehouse", she said. "I had cancer and I beat it, and your story was my inspiration". Hidinger paused to clear her throat, obviously moved by the recollection. "I still can't speak because that's powerful for someone to go through a lot of the same emotions: through fright, and uncertainty, and hope, and perseverance, and to feel motivated and inspired just by what somebody else is giving… I love that full circle approach, it's amazing."
Ryan Hidinger died at home in Atlanta, GA, on January 9, 2014, with his wife, Jennifer Wells Hidinger, by his side. He was 36 years old. If you seek a monument to the courage, grace and strength of him and his family, friends, and community, have a meal at Staplehouse one day and look around you at the families and couples enjoying the food, the warmth and hospitality. If you pay close attention, you'll see his words painted on a wall above our heads: 'Anything long-lasting or worthwhile takes time and complete surrender'. And in one of the most uplifting parts of this whole story, Jen Hidinger found love again and got married to John Wayne Kendrick on October 22nd, 2017. The couple recently celebrated their one year anniversary. She said, "Us connecting and finding love in one another was something I never thought could happen again. John is a gift to me".
The story of Staplehouse shows us that we can all make a contribution to our community, no matter how big or small. It shows us the power of a 'conspiracy of love' to come together around a common cause, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, to set aside their own everyday pain and heartache, and work together for a higher purpose, to be of service to others in their time of need. It shows you don't have to be a giant multi-national corporation to do things that are meaningful to large groups of people, as the beneficiaries of The Giving Kitchen can attest to. In an age of toxicity and divisiveness, it shows us the things that really matter–like simple human decency and kindness. Staplehouse and The Giving Kitchen should be an inspiration to the rest of us all to think about how we can all do more good right from where we are today.


text:
List Reviews	 May 8, 2014 March 24, 2015
Tanner's Top 10 Guilty Pleasures
Guilty pleasures… We all have them. It is just a fact of life, no matter how refined our tastes are for certain media we will never escape the fact that there are some movies, television shows, anime, books, and so on and so forth that we KNOW for a fact are absolute steaming piles of shit… But for whatever reason whether it be nostalgia, a certain performance, or just the fact that it is so bad that it is wonderful we just cannot stop watching them. Anybody who says that they do not have a guilty pleasure is either A) too embarrassed to admit to their guilty pleasure or B) lying to themselves saying that it is actually good to make themselves feel better about liking something that is terrible. It is just a fact of life and I am absolutely no exception. I freely admit that I have a long list of guilty pleasures that I thoroughly enjoy watching and have no problem sharing them with you right now in my Top Ten Guilty Pleasures!
Keep in mind, the way that this Top 10 list will be ranked is by the level of badness of the movie + shame that I feel for liking them. Also keep in mind that this is my own personal list. If you would like to share your opinions then please do so, I would absolutely love to hear it. Also if you do not think these movies are bad, please share them. I would love to debate. But make no mistake, if a movie appears on this list, it is in this critics opinion that technically they are absolutely terrible movies, but at the same time I absolutely love them! So let's get started with some honorable mentions.
Pokemon the First Movie
10. Night at the Roxbury
You will quickly find that the reason a lot of these movies have made it onto this list will be either because of nostalgic childhood love or do large in part to my family. On this one, it is a bit of both. I have quickly learned that I just cannot stand Will Ferrell and anything that the man has done. I just do not find his humor funny and that goes for the vast majority of films that the man has done. Night at the Roxbury is one of his earliest and one that receives some of the most derision from critics some even saying it is one of the worst films ever made. It also fits into the horrid cesspool of Saturday Night Live skits turned movies that only movies like The Blues Brothers were able to escape from.
That being said, Night at the Roxbury remains a soft spot in my heart for one real reason. Whenever I was a child my cousin Brett and I would watch this movie over and over again and then listen to Haddaway's What is Love while doing the head nodding that the skit was famous, for hours at a time. It is a fond childhood memory and I have this movie and SNL skit to thank for its existence. While it is VERY hard for me to watch it nowadays, I can sometimes stomach a few scenes just for the sake of nostalgia.
9. Most Stephen King Mini Series
Oh Stephen King. I really do love your work, I do! But man oh man you got to work with the people who turn your stuff into movies. In particular your mini series. Yes, The Stand and The Shining were good (though I know you would disagree with me on the latter) but man those mini series have been pretty bad. None the less, at least they are bad on the level of laugh out loud good times.
Stephen King mini series like It and The Langoliers are pretty laughably bad for several reasons. Some might be because of the hokey acting/writing, Tim Curry just deciding to give up and have a damn good time, or the fact that some are a testament to how far CGI has come over the years. But for one reason or another, the majority of the Stephen King mini series have been pretty terrible. But with the exception of Under the Dome which is just horrendously terrible no matter how many ways you look at it, the rest of them I can at least get some enjoyment out of.
8. Twister
I reviewed Twister about a year ago, so if you want to see my full review and opinions on it, please go to the link and give it a read. Because of that, I will not get into a lengthy discussion on the movie. What I will say is this, a mix of heart pounding action and a large dose of Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, and Philip Seymour Hoffman is enough to keep me coming back to this movie for a watch… Even though the tornado roars!
7. Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World
Oh my yes… The sequel to Jurassic Park featuring much less of the whimsical and a lot more of the Jeff Goldblum. The Lost World: Jurassic Park is just one of those guilty pleasures that you can watch for all the wrong reasons. The acting is wrong, the cast is wrong, the sets are wrong, just about everything in this movie is wrong… And yet… It is so wrong that it becomes wonderful. There is not much more to say from that. It is a bad movie, but I can always watch it to see Jeff Goldblum "Jeff Goldblum" the movie and a young Vince Vaughn in a more very rare serious role.
6. Debbie Does Dallas
Like with Twister, I have already reviewed this movie so I will not get into too much length on a synopsis with the movie. What I will say is this, yes it is a porno, yes the acting is Z Grade terrible, and the subject material is a little racy. However, this movie is still absolutely hilarious. If you want to watch a movie just for a good laugh then watch Debbie Does Dallas. It is one of those movies (and I know this will sound weird) that you should invite a couple of friends together, put it on, open a couple of beers, and give it a watch.
5. Happy Gilmore
I hate 90% of all Adam Sandler movies. That is just a fact. I cannot stand the 'Adam Sandler School of Humor'. I cannot stand the crude jokes or his obscene collection of frat boy friends who help him with all his Happy Madison Productions. I can't stand his goofy fucking voice and I hate how he refuses to let a scene happen with out a damn shit joke being told in between. There are a few movies I find him redeemable in but they are very few and far between.
This movie, Happy Gilmore; however, is one of if not THE most nostalgic for me. A lot of my extended family enjoys golfing and it has always been apart of the family. During the day time at family get-togethers, everyone goes out on the links, drinks beer, and plays golf. Then everyone returns from the golf course and continues to drink beer; good family tradition. So when Happy Gilmore came out in the 90's my family absolutely loved it. I remember as a kid all of us sitting around and watching Happy Gilmore on the television and rewinding it over and over again on the scene where Sandler's character hits the a family with a couple of well placed golf shots. It is another fond memory and every time I see Happy Gilmore all I can think of is my family and their golf obsession.
4. Mystery Men
This movie is just one big pile of ham, eggs, and cheese and I am going to let the amazing coronary that that dish is kill me. I love watching Mystery Men. It is probably the film that is one of the worst on the list, but I have no problem admitting that I like. Featuring William H Macy and his extremely dry humor, the always enjoyable humor of Ben Stiller, the most 90's person in existence Janene Garafolo, and a young Kel Mitchell this film is always a favorite of mine. It is one of the best underdog movies out there and one that took a fun jab at the eccentricity of superhero movies at the time like the appalling flop Batman and Robin before it was popular to do so (hipster levels increasing). Either way, it is one that I will always be willing to give a watch and defend.
3. Titan AE
The last movie in the long and extended career of famous animator and director Don Bluth. The man who is often considered to be the Hayao Miyazaki of the west, Don Bluth is one of the most influential animators of the 20th century and the man who helped bring the art of animation back into the forefront of the film industry. His works on The Secret of NIMH and The Land Before Time are legendary and some of the greatest animated movies ever created.
It is rather tragic that his last directing work falls to a movie that was so underwhelming in its attempt to create a grand universe that it is hard to find anything nice to say about it, Titan AE. It is even more tragic when you hear of all the ideas that Bluth had for the series that tragically got lost on the cutting room floor. But make no mistake about it, this movie is terribly written and features some pretty underwhelming voice acting. Not to mention I just cannot take Nathan Lane seriously as a foppish fruit bat villain (No offense Nathan, I love your work in just about everything else). What keeps me coming back for more is the animation and hard work that Bluth has been known for not to mention thinking of the 'what could have been' and if Bluth was able to put everything that he wanted to into the movie.
2. Alien Resurrection
On the Nerdiest Talk Show on Earth, Brandon and I discussed our most hated movies of all time. On this list, I included the film Alien 3 as one of my most hated films of all time, I discussed the fact that Aliens: Colonial Marines was one of the worst video games that I have ever played and that I do not like to think of any of the movies past Aliens as a part of the Aliens mythos. But even with all of that, I cannot help but watch and enjoy Alien Resurrection.
I don't even know why, it isn't like it is a great movie. It is a pretty shitty slasher flick dressed up as an Aliens franchise with Sigourney Weaver acting at her worst, Winona Ryder's whiny voice, and a young Ron Perlman chewing scenery with his dirty ugly mug. But I still watch it and get some level of enjoyment out of it that I got from Alien and Aliens. Maybe it is because Alien 3 was so horrendous that it was impossibility for them to sink any lower. I'm not sure. But either way, this is one that I am really unsure of why I like to watch it… But the fact is that I do.
1. Armageddon
Oh dear God the shame! THE SHAME! I actually like watching a Michael Bay movie! Go ahead, put me down! PUT ME DOWN! Seriously though this movie does need to be number one on this list. Not only is it on a technical level in the areas of writing and one of the worst on this list, but also it was one of the movies that made Michael Bay into the abomination of a movie director that he is today. But even so, I just cannot stop watching it.
I know it is shitty, I know that it is about a bunch of rednecks trying to save the earth from an asteroid, I know the laws of common sense are casually buttfucked for the shake of flashy flashy lights and silly goofy humor. But damn it I can watch it over and over again. Maybe it is the fact that actors like Steve Buscemi, Will Patton, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Bruce Willis just goofing around on camera. Maybe it is the fact that there is parts of the movie that attempt to take itself seriously and utterly fail. Maybe it was because when this movie came out I was the tender age of nine and just loved to see things blow up. It probably is a culmination of all of these things. But one thing is for sure, I can watch Armageddon over and over again and never get tired of it. As my criticism has matured over the years I find myself picking out more and more problems with it and still coming back for more. It may be the one movie that I am most ashamed to admit that I like, but damn it I will wear that patch with a badge of honor.
Thank you for reading and as always if you enjoyed this list then please like and subscribe for more from me and of course go visit my other site The Nerd Realm for more from me as well as my associates Shaila Meeker and Brandon Lias.
Filed under: Armageddon, Bad Movies, Debbie Does Dallas, Film, Good Movies, Guilty Pleasures, Michael Bay, Movies, Mystery Men, Review, Stephen King Mini Series, Tanner Reviews, Top Ten, Twister
Marriage Month: The Big Wedding
Tanner Reviews Hetalia: Axis Powers
2 thoughts on "Tanner's Top 10 Guilty Pleasures"
jacobsonbblog says:
It seems that your top 10 hated movies video has been deleted. What was your list?
TannerReviews says:
Yeah… That video got lost to the sands of time. I'll probably redo it in an article. Considering the fact that it has changed over the past couple of years.


Loganville homeowners aren't expected to know everything that they need to know about their central air conditioning systems' thermostats, condensers, evaporator coils, refrigerant, compressors, and expansion valves, so if you don't know how to troubleshoot your malfunctioning air conditioner, schedule a central air conditioning repair with a trusted air conditioning company.
If your Loganville home's central air conditioning system is on the fritz, contact a reputable air conditioning company like Mobley Heating and Air for a central air conditioning repair. Our HVAC technicians will troubleshoot the problem and solve the complication quickly and effectively.
For more information on central air conditioning repairs in Loganville, call (770) 939-6998 or complete our online request form.


NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MTV today announced nominations across all gender neutral categories for the 2018 "VMAs." The list includes dozens of artists whose reach and influence have elevated music's relevancy within the cultural conversation. Cardi B received nods in 10 categories, including "Video," "Song" and "Artist of the Year," and The Carters secured eight, including "Video of the Year," "Best Collaboration" and "Best Hip Hop" for their recent hit single "APES**T." Other top contenders include Childish Gambino, Drake and Bruno Mars. The "VMAs" will air live from Radio City Music Hall on Monday, August 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, and across MTV's global network of channels in more than 180 countries and territories, reaching more than half a billion households around the world.
Radio City Music Hall was the home of the inaugural "VMAs" in 1984 and this will mark the 12th time the show has been held there – the most for any "VMAs" location.
Official sponsors of the 2018 "VMAs" include PEPSI®, Swiffer® and Taco Bell®.
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Rent a Dumpster in Piedra Now!
Simply give us a call and we will answer any questions you may have about the Piedra dumpster rental procedure, allowed materials, size you may need, etc.
Our roll off containers can usually be delivered in Piedra the day after you place your order. Make sure to call us early to ensure timely delivery.
As with any service, it's always a good plan to reserve your dumpster as far ahead as you possibly can in order to ensure the dumpster will be available when you require it. Should you wait until the very last minute, there's no guarantee the company will likely have the capacity to fill your order.
Two or three days notice is normally sufficient to ensure your dumpster delivery in time. Remember the most active days are usually on Mondays and Fridays (surrounding the weekend), so when you can plan your job for the midst of the week, you've a increased opportunity of getting the dumpster you need.
Construction Dumpster Rental in Piedra - Do You Want One?
Although local governments frequently provide waste disposal services, not many of them will haul away building debris. This makes it important for individuals to rent dumpsters so they can dispose of waste during construction endeavors.
The most common exception to this rule is when you have a truck that is large enough to transport all building debris to a landfill or landfill drop off point. In the event you are working on a tiny bathroom remodeling job, for example, you could find that you can fit all the debris in a truck bed.
Other than quite little jobs, it's recommended that you rent a dumpster in Piedra for building jobs.
If you're not sure whether your municipality accepts building debris, contact the city for more advice. You will probably find you will need to rent a dumpster in Piedra. Setting debris outside for garbage removal could potentially result in fines.
2. Give you and also the rental business lots of time. It's best to phone ahead at least a week or two before you need the dumpster. If you attempt to schedule an appointment sooner than that, you may have a small collection.
3. Keep in contact with the rental business. If anything changes in your program, contact the business as soon as possible to inform them. This way you can adjust the appointment as needed without restricting your choices.
All major credit cards accepted for dumpster rentals in Piedra.


Despite some small storytelling problems, The Last Jedi gives fans a fantastic adventure without sacrificing its core story.
There's so much hype that surrounds the Star Wars Universe. I wasn't around for the original trilogy, but I vaguely remember when The Phantom Menace returned this beloved science fiction story to theaters.
Granted, TPM is still the lowest rated one out of them all, but I digress.
With The Last Jedi, we now have the third Star Wars movie since 2015 and both The Force Awakens and Rogue One have been solid additions to the series so far.
Rogue One gave us a fresh take by expanding on a piece of dialogue from A New Hope. TFA caused some fans and reviewers alike to criticize J.J. Abrams for his reliance on a A New Hope's narrative, directly pulling themes and plot devices from that same film.
The Last Jedi does a bit of both. Rian Johnson gives audiences a few moments where it feels like the Empire Strikes Back, but he doesn't hold back his own vision for the story. He goes for it, no holds barred.
Unfortunately, this also translates into a lot going on in this movie. While TFA followed a very formulaic approach, TLJ has a few main storylines going on at once – some more worthy of our time than others, IMO – and I feel that the film suffers a bit because of it.
So I'll break it all down by addressing five things that didn't work so well and six things that hit the mark, more or less.
Stop scrolling if you haven't seen it yet.
The entire "finding a codebreaker on Canto Bight" subplot.
The amount of time spent on this failed mission with Poe, Finn and Rose kind of disappoints me. When we see that their efforts are for nothing, it felt pointless and unnecessary, as if I was purely distracted from the more engaging storyline between Luke, Rey and Kylo Ren.
Some of what comes out of this subplot – the idea that we learn from failure and that the light and goodness in people won't die – progresses the story, but so much of it could've been delivered in another way or edited down for a tighter story.
Leia should've died at this point in the movie. That may sound harsh since we no longer have the wonderful Carrie Fisher (RIP) in our world, but it was the opportune moment.
Her death would've been a serious blow to the Resistance, really showing us their vulnerability and desperation while at the same time forcing a more convincing leadership struggle between Vice Admiral Holdo and Poe Dameron.
Holdo not revealing her plan to Poe.
The miscommunication between Holdo and Poe when she takes over command of the Resistance makes absolutely no sense to me. So many problems that arise from it could've been solved with a simple conversation.
It's clear she's doing what she's doing for a reason, but it's obvious Poe doesn't understand it and needs a teaching moment – especially if she and Leia are looking to tap him as the next leader of the Resistance.
And since he's causing discord among the ranks, wouldn't you pull him aside and clue him in?
DJ, Del Toro's hacker character.
Just, no. Why was this a cameo in the first place?
Finn's character arc is weak.
This one is hard for me to admit. I want to like Finn because he is a likable character, but his development in this movie is flimsy, at best, and all over the place.
Literally, all he cares about is Rey. We see that early on in TFA and it doesn't really change in TLJ.
After waking up from his coma, he takes the homing beacon connected to Rey's bracelet, which was on Leia's wrist, and attempts to flee in an escape pod… because he wants to make sure Rey is safe.
But we all know that Rey is a badass and is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It's getting tiresome watching Finn constantly try to be her protector.
At this point in walks Rose, a maintenance worker who's just lost her sister in the opening space battle. She discovers him, stuns him and takes him to the brig, but not before Poe intervenes to send the pair on a wild goose chase to find a codebreaker, get on Snoke's ship and disable the light speed tracking device.
Craziness ensues and by the end of the movie they end up on the ice planet Crait. Here is where Finn finally shows some depth and growth in a moment of true selflessness.
In order to save the Resistance and his friends, Finn plans to destroy the First Order's laser cannon by flying directly into it.
But, Rose smashes into his ship with hers to save him instead.
This ultimate act of sacrifice would've redeemed Finn and washed away all of his previous selfishness. Did I want him to die? Of course not, but if he was to die, this would've been the noblest way to go.
The relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey.
YAAAAAAS! This is what this movie is all about!
Kylo Ren and Rey are the main reason I love this movie. TLJ is built on their relationship and the way it develops is absolute brilliance. Their Force conversations and Rey's attempts to call Kylo back to the light work incredibly well… so well that when Kylo turns against Snoke, you're half-expecting him to join her in the light.
And when he doesn't, it hurts.
Plus, that lightsaber fight with Snoke's red guards is perfection.
The amount of build-up dedicated to Supreme Leader Snoke as the big bad in TFA is a bit confusing considering he's now dead – thanks to Kylo Ren.
So now what? I'm not sure if we'll discover his true identity in the next film, but I do believe his death helped progress Kylo Ren and Rey's relationship.
The Resistance's desperation and the First Order's hubris.
I'm not a big fan of Johnson's use of the eternal space chase between the First Order and the Resistance as a plot device. It seems a little lazy, but I think it helps solidify the Resistance's extremely low morale at the moment while simultaneously highlighting the First Order's blind pride – even after Starkiller base is destroyed.
How many times have we seen the Empire, the First Order underestimate their enemies? It's not that far-fetched for them to do it again, especially since the Resistance is running on gas fumes and they don't have anyone they can rely on for help.
In a big moment, Kylo Ren reveals to Rey that he knows the truth about her parents. He chides her that deep down she knows it, too… her parents were nobodies, just people who sold their own child in order to get more drinking money.
I have two thoughts about this interaction.
Either Kylo is telling the truth and Rey's parents are no one important. If they don't have a legendary bloodline and are not part of some great destiny, it's still a great story and character arc because it reinforces the idea that the Force chose her for her, for who she is – not for her family.
He's lying about her parents in order to get her to join him in the dark side, which I still think is highly plausible since Kylo is desperate for Rey to be on his team.
Even though Rian Johnson has now said that this isn't a misdirect, I'm still not sure. Given how Star Wars is known for big reveals, it'll be interesting to see whether the next movie changes things.
This Luke is not the Luke we know from Return of the Jedi. He's a grizzled former Jedi Master who's cut himself off from the Force after failing Ben, Han, and Leia with the creation of Kylo Ren.
And we finally understand what happened with Ben's journey to the dark side.
While Luke is attempting to train a new generation of Jedi, he's confronted with the immense power Ben has and his potential to go dark.
We then see Luke standing over Ben sleeping. In a fleeting moment, he flicks on his lightsaber in an apparent attempt to kill him. Ben proceeds to freak out [a natural reaction], pulls out his own lightsaber to defend himself and uses the Force to collapse the building around them.
While some see this as a misconstrued portrayal of Luke, I see it differently. Luke is a Jedi Master who wasn't formally trained himself trying to train a new group of young padawans.
He doesn't have a mastery of the Force or training others as those before him so could he have been persuaded by the "dark side" to strike down Ben in fear? I think so.
Kylo Ren's "let the past die" speech to Rey.
It's a powerful line, which I think contributes to a larger theme in these films. It's an extension of the original trilogy and with Han, Leia, and Luke(?) gone, we're at a point where the new characters will carry the story.
As Luke says, it's time for the Jedi [as they were] to end.
Yoda's ghost appearance made me so happy.
Chewy flying the Millennium Falcon alone ripped my heart out.
Luke's "death" scene from his point of view was incredibly touching.
Oscar Isaac is beautifully charismatic as Poe and I'm looking forward to what he does as the leader of the Resistance in the next installment.
Porgs are cute, but, wow… way too many shots of them at weird moments. Ewoks were cute, too, but they did help progress the story in Return of the Jedi.
I really hope Finn becomes a better character.
Leia's Force powers during her "Mary Poppins" moment made total sense. She chose to not use her Force powers in daily life. That doesn't mean she CAN'T use them. People complaining about it need to calm down.
Kylo Ren choking General Hux is truly a joy.
And, as much as I wasn't a fan of the Canto Bight subplot, seeing the Force-sensitive child slave look up at the stars at the end made me feel something deep down.


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What is a Buddy?
A Buddy is a fifth year student chosen to help ease the new students into their first year. They also help the students to become familiar with the school, staff and the answer any queries they may have.
Each Buddy wears a badge with the logo "Cara" on it. This makes it easier for students to distinguish the Buddies from other students. From personal experience, attending a new school with 600 other students was very overwhelming and it was comforting to be able to recognise my Buddies by their circular badge worn on their jumper.
Buddies as School Leaders
The Buddy System is another initiative that promotes Student Leadership within our school. The Buddies are a group of Fifth Year students who demonstrate leadership qualities on a daily basis around our school. They set a good example for the younger students, are respectful and responsible, they have a positive attitude and they are reliable and dedicated.
Our twenty-five Fifth Year Buddies have already shown great leadership in the school by welcoming our First Year students into St Colmcille's at the start of the year. The Buddies gave our new students a tour of the school and answered any questions along the way. They also organised games and activities for them, helping them get to know people in their tutor group and make new friends. The Buddies work closely with the team of First Year tutors and the Year Head and attend registration most mornings to make sure that the First Years are settling in well.
The Buddies also organised and help supervise lunchtime activities for the First Years. They assist with the lunchtime club where First Years can chat, eat their lunch and make new friends. The Buddies also helped with the supervision of sports on the astro pitch at lunchtime with the First Year students. Our Buddies will also mentor our first year students in the run up to their first set of formal exams in November.
Buddies of 2019/20
Our fifth year Buddies for this academic year are as follows:
Abbie Corcoran Abbie Finn
Amy Morgan Anna Philips
Aoibhin Dolan Aoife Copland
Charlotte Anderson Ciara Dougan
Ciara Sweeney David O'Connor
Emma Kavanagh Emma Barnes
Fiona Dudley Grace Lawlor
Jamie McCarthy Jessica Doyle
Jonathan Murray Megan Whelan
Mikaela Gannon Rachel Reeves
Rebecca McDonald Saoirse Wilkie
Sarah Costello Sarah Fagan
Zoe Doyle
What our 1st Years say about the Buddies
Starting secondary school has been a big change, so it's good to know that when you are confused or by yourself that someone is there to help you, the buddies.
They make a big difference to the school and we are all grateful for their help.
I think that the buddies are great influence on all of the 1st years,they set good examples and are really nice and friendly.They are always helpful and I feel like if I had a problem that I could go to them for advice. At first they were big and scary, but when they start talking to you they are really nice and funny.
I think the buddies were really friendly.At first,starting school was very daunting but the buddies really helped me with the iPads,my books and giving me helpful tips. I would like to give a very big thank you to the buddies.
The have introduced me to new ways of studying for my exams.
They have told me a way of remembering where my classes are.
The buddies setting up the homework club really helped. I don't have to worry about not getting my homework done on the days I have training.


Karima Delli is a French Member of the European Parliament for Europe Écologie Les Verts. She was elected in the 2009 European election for the Île-de-France constituency and is Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism.
Transports et numérique: vers la fin de « la société de la bagnole »?


The latest Star Trek movie hasn't even hit theatres yet, but bosses at Paramount aren't waiting to get things rolling on a sequel.
For those looking to eke out every iota of audio and video goodness out of their Home Theater setup look no further than this setup disc. A followup to the DVD version, this Hi-Def BluRay version will allow you to get every penny's worth of movie viewing pleasure out of your system.
Variety broke an interesting story today regarding the Farrelly Brothers reincarnation of the comedic trio known as The Three Stooges. It seems those zany brothers have made their choices for who will play Larry, Curly and Moe.
Warner Bros debuted the trailer for Where The Wild Things Are this morning on The Ellen Show. Once news broke many internet sites and fans of the book written by Maurice Sendak impatiently awaited for the trailer to hit the web. It has and we have a copy of it for you to check out.
Warner Home Video is offering something unique for those who have been pinning to get their hands on some of their older catalog titles. As of today 155, yes you read that number right, previously unavailable films will be on DVD for the first time as part of Warner Archive Collection. However, there is a catch. The DVD are manufactured on order. Head on over and check it out.
Who knew? I was certainly in the dark. I didn't know until I stumbled upon a video where Ali is professing her love for Jeffrey. She even has a picture of him. It's kinda creepy actually. She seems to be a little Obsessed.


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Horse Riding Moves, Techniques, and Stunts for Beginners
Chinese learn to ride horses to affirm their upper class
February 3, 2019 Ed Benz
Equestrian clubs are booming in China to meet the needs of this country's elite aristocratic sport.
Horse riding leather shoes were neatly lined up on the carpet, the picture of hungry dogs in the fox hunt hung on the wall, the fountain spread from the stone horses' mouths.
This scene is not in the upper reaches of England but in fact in suburban Shanghai, in the County Down club, the first exclusive member club in China for horse riding and fox hunting.
The club, named after a county in Northern Ireland, was founded three years ago. Owner Steven Sun said that equestrian sport "has grown rapidly in China within the past 5 to 10 years". "I think it's a change in perception," the 32-year-old said. Sun began to love riding horses while studying in England.
According to AFP, the number of Chinese people participating in sports such as horse riding is increasing as the development of the world's second largest economy gives people the source of disposable income to pursue prize-winning activities.
County Down has dozens of horses and Sun wants this club to take the lead in promoting equestrian sports in China. The club has an indoor pool, a gym and a piano that is not only a place to entertain but also to make friends. County Down has about 80 members with an annual participation fee of $ 8,400. However, in the future, those who want to join may not only need to have very thick wallets.
"We hope our members have good qualities and behaviors or elite people with high levels of education," Sun said. "That will ensure exchanges between members of the same level. One of the benefits of the club is that members can leverage to promote each other. Sun said that he also facilitated members to interact outside China. He used to take members to hunt foxes with European aristocrats. He also has four racing horses in France.
Chinahorse ridingsport
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