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A Special Birthday and Remembering the Years Through Hello Dolly!
by John Aquino on 06/10/19
I turned 70 yesterday, and I thank all my relatives and friends on Facebook and LinkedIn who were kind enough to send birthday greetings. My wife took me on a three-day birthday trip to downtown Washington (just 13 miles from our home but we stayed at a hotel for two nights), where, among other excursions, we saw Hello Dolly! at the Kennedy Center starring Betty Buckley. In addition to the usual thoughts special birthdays bring, this also caused me to view the years gone back through a bookends of the original production of Dolly! that my Mom took me to see in its pre-Broadway tryout at the National Theater in Washington, D.C., with this production and to wonder the degree to which memory clouds and enhances things.
I am not familiar with any songs specifically about turning 70, except a portion of one sung by Fagin in Oliver! :
What happens when I'm 70?
Must come a time--70!
When you're old and it's cold,
And who cares if you live or you die?
The one consolation's the MONEY you may have put by!
Thank God, I'm not cold and I have a lovely and thoughtful wife. I wish the MONEY had been better over the years and that bosses had been more appreciative of my efforts that made them rich, but, ca va. I'm retired from day-to-day journalism, still write, and practice law when I'm needed. I'm reasonably healthy and still active. I read the obituaries every day--not checking to see if I'm in them or out of any schadenfreude but because friends are getting to the age where they pass on and I have learned that if they do I hear about it in the normal course of things. Life is good, with God's blessings.
In watching Hello, Dolly! on stage for the first time in 55 years, I tried to assess the differences in the productions and me. When my Mom and I saw it at the National Theater, the show had left its first performances in Detroit and terrible reviews. The director and choreographer Gower Champion had spent so much time on the big production numbers like "Put on your Sunday Clothes," "Hello Dolly!" and "Dancing" that the rest of the show (about a matchmaker in Yonkers, New York in 1885 who contrives to have a rich half-a-millionaire, who has asked her to find a wife for him, marry her instead) came across as sketchy and cold. Champion, the librettist Michael Stewart, and composer and lyricist Jerry Herman cut and added some songs. But when my Mom and I saw it, the first act finale was still a number for the rich Horace Vandergelder played by David Burns, his barber, and the chorus called "A Penny in My Pocket." It was an indifferent song and ended the first act with a focus on the thick-headed Horace and not on the star Dolly., played by Carol Channing. By the end of its D.C. run, "A Penny in My Pocket" had been cut and replaced by Dolly's declaration of independence, "Before the Parade Passes By." Another new song, "Elegance," was added, that was, depending on who is telling the story, a song written by Bob Merrill that had been dropped from his musical, A New Girl in Town, or. Herman's version of Merrill's song. Herman was later hit by a copyright infringement suit claiming that the song "Hello Dolly!" had the same opening of as Mack David's 1948 "Sunflower" (The suit was settled out of court for a reported $250,000). While Dolly! was a big hit, I remember reading that Charles Nelson Reilly, who was unexpectedly effective as Cornelius Hackell, said that it was an unpleasant show to be in because everyone was only interested in money.
I was actually disappointed that another musical that I'd preferred that my Mom and I also saw--Meredith Wilson's Here's Love!, based on the 1946 film A Miracle on 34th Street--ran only 10 months while Hello Dolly! ran seven years, won 11 out of 12 Tony awards, including for best musical, score, and best musical actress, and was made into a major motion picture in 1969 starring Barbra Streisand. Thee 2018 Broadway revival starring Bette Midler won a Tony Award for best revival and Midler; the Dolly! we saw was the touring company of that revival.
Seeing this new version, I wondered how much of my reaction was colored by the effect of 54 years on my memory, the fact that when my Mom and I saw it in 1964 the show was new; and also that what we saw in 1964 was headed to Broadway while the Kennedy Center show was coming from Broadway and going on tour. I remember Gower Champion's direction as being full of energy: the song "Dancing" began with Dolly actually teaching the two inept clerks Cornelius and Barnaby to dance and ended with the dancing pouring into the street and causing passers-by the join in; the number"I Stand For" had Dolly, Irene Molloy, and Minnie Fay singing nonsense lyrics ("I stand for motherhood, America and a hot lunch for orphans") while trying to hide the two men from Horace in Malloy's hat shop in intricately plotted movements in and out of closets and under tables; and "Elegance" was so exuberantly performed it stopped the show. For this production, I noticed that the conductor's tempo for the overture was surprisingly listless. For "Dancing," the two men started dancing right away and the number appeared played for laughs, as was "I Stand For,"with Barnaby hiding in plain view by putting on hats; the title song "Hello Dolly" had the waiters primarily dancing by kicking in place while holding trays and Buckley as Dolly just walking around and tilting her hands back and forth; and "Elegance" had little choreography and appeared to be an on-the-apron number designed to disguise a scenery change, which it might have been originally, but as performed in 1964, came across as much more.
I didn't see "Before the Parade Passes By" in the original production, but here Dolly sang it all the way through in front of the curtain and then the curtain rose to reveal the marchers at the 14th parade moving in one place in slow motion; when the motion sped up, the cast mostly walked around the stage in a circle. Similarly, for Dolly's 11 o'clock number "So Long, Dearie," she started it in the courtroom singing it to Horace but then moved to the apron of the stage, the curtain fell, and she sang it to us in front of the curtain. It has to be stated that, when Carol Channing originated the role of Dolly, she was 43. Betty Buckley has had a glorious Broadway career, has won two Tony awards, but is 71 and hasn't been in a Broadway show for 20 years. It also needs to be said that as a touring production the show seemed to rely on backdrops and made the Kennedy Center Opera House look somehow small.
The show even restored "A Penny in Your Pocket" but as the opening of the second act and sung by Horace in front of the curtain (again!), detached from the show and its action. It may have been added for the cache of a "new song" and to please David Hyde Pierce, who played Horace in the 2018 Broadway production, in that Horace has only one-and-a-half songs--"It Takes a Woman" and he joins with Dolly at the end in a reprise of "Hello Dolly."
And so, on points, the original production seems to have been better. But it was new then. The "Before the Parade Passes By" number wasn't competing with the memory of the 1969 movie in which Streisand led a parade of a thousand marchers down 14th Street. And the rest of the audience when we saw the Kennedy Center production LOVED It. They laughed in all the right places and showered Betty Buckley with thunderous applause after every number. The Washington Post review was a rave.
Perhaps that's what comes with age. Memory can cloud what happened, and it can also be accurate. New seems fresher than old. My wife had never seen it, and she loved it too--although she agreed the tempo could have been a little sprightlier. And I'm glad I saw it, if only because I saw it with her.
Copyright 2019 by John T. Aquino
Historical Films on Impeachment and Confederate Sympathizers Took Liberties and Duped Us
I have written articles and a book on legal issues concerning fictional portrayals in fact-based films. For historical films depicting events from a century or more ago, there are seldom legal concerns related to the portrayals because only the living can sue claiming they have been libeled. The main issue with these historical films is a distortion of the truth that can affect public perception of historical figures. I've recently encountered two such incidents: one concerning the 1942 film Tennessee Johnson, which is focused on the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, and the other the 1936 film Prisoner of Shark Island, which tells the story of Dr. Samuel Mudd who was convicted and imprisoned for conspiracy in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Film being such a pervasive medium, it makes me wonder if the national understanding of impeachment and confederacy/slavery would have been different if the films had moved closer to the truth.
Tennessee Johnson was regularly broadcast on television when I was young, and I sorta grew up on it. It stars Van Heflin and portrays Johnson as a Senator from Tennessee who fought against secession and then as a loyal vice president to Lincoln who arrives ill for his swearing-in ceremony and is falsely reported to be drunk. On Lincoln's assassination, Johnson becomes president. He doggedly tries to perpetuate Lincoln's benign approach to Reconstruction but is fought every step of the way by members of Congress led by Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, played in the movie by Lionel Barrymore. During his impeachment trial, Johnson delivers an impassioned speech in his defense. He is acquitted and years later represents his state in Congress. My knowledge of Johnson came primarily from the film and from John F. Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage, which told, among other stories of courage, how Sen. Edmund Ross of Kansas voted not to convict Johnson, which left the prosecution one vote short.
The film carried an unusual disclaimer that doesn't just repeat the typical Hollywood statement that characters and events depicted are fictitious. Instead, it reads, "The Senate of the United States, in 1868, sat as a High Court in a judgment upon Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln as President. In the only great State trial in our history [until 1998], President Johnson was charged with violation of a law which forbade him to dismiss a member of his Cabinet. In 1926, the Supreme Court pronounced this law unconstitutional--as Johnson contended that it was. The form of our medium compels certain dramatic liberties, but the principal facts of Johnson's own life are based on history."
And so, the filmmakers acknowledge taking "certain dramatic liberties" due to the "form of our medium." It was a while before I learned the extent of the "liberties." When I was writing my book, I wanted to find Johnson's impassioned speech during his trial and learned that he never gave such a speech or even appeared at his trial. In my other readings, I discovered that he was a slave owner, and, as president, opposed the Fourteenth Amendment, which gave citizenship to former slaves, and fought against some of Lincoln's other plans for Reconstruction. While Johnson put forth a story that he had been ill and not drunk at Lincoln's second inauguration during which Johnson was also sworn in, contemporary accounts and comments from Lincoln himself--"I have known Andy Johnson for many years. He made a bad slip the other day but you'd need not be scared. Andy ain't no drunkard"--suggest it was otherwise.
I've finished reading Brenda Wineapple's just released and eerily-relevant book, The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and his Dream of a Just Nation, which presents a detailed picture of the circumstances surrounding the impeachment trial and contrasts markedly with the film. As president, Johnson took the position that secession was unconstitutional and therefore hadn't happened. He therefore felt free to pardon and give appointments to former Confederate officers, which tended to reassert white supremacist thinking in the south. This angered Stevens and others who favored racial equality. Some who opposed what Johnson was doing overreached, spreading rumors that he had been complicit in Lincoln's assassination and passing the ultimately unconstitutional Tenure in Office Act, which required the president to obtain Congress' approval before removing cabinet members from office. Johnson was impeached by the House and tried by the Senate after firing the secretary of state. The trial dragged on, consumed with arguments about process--is his being a racist enough to push a president out of office?--and, while Ross was the last to cast a vote, Democrats and Republicans ultimately joined together to get enough votes to acquit and end the national nightmare. Stained by impeachment, Johnson did little in his remaining year in office and failed in his attempt to secure the nomination for his reelection. He was ultimately elected to the Senate again in 1875 and served five months before his death.
Tennessee Johnson was made during World War II and extolled patriotism and unity at the expense of the more complex and more interesting factual story. Simplifying the story is usually thought to be more dramatic. The movie was directed by William Dieterle, who specialized in historical films such as The Story of Louis Pasteur, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and was co-written by John L. Balderston, a little remembered but extremely skilled and influential playwright and screenwriter, who coaxed a play, Berkeley Square, out of Henry James' unfinished novel The Sense of the Past, and either wrote or co-wrote the film versions of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, Mad Love, Dracula's Daughter, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Prisoner of Zenda, and Gaslight. (As an attorney, I admire the fact that the year before his death in 1954 he reached a settlement of his lawsuit with Universal Studios that brought him and his heirs a percentage of revenues for all of the horror films he helped write and their sequels.) And so there was talent behind Tennessee Johnson, although it tended to be in people who had worked on films that didn't require historical accuracy. The film was criticized at the time by the NAACP, which boycotted it, and by Hollywood liberals such as actors Vincent Price and Zero Mostel and playwright and screenwriter Ben Hecht for its glorification of a man who sought to perpetuate a racist south. The movie was a box office flop. But for the longest time, it was almost my sole source of information about Andrew Johnson and his impeachment.
As to the other film, recently, I was discussing with a friend the story of Dr. Samuel Mudd for some work he was doing. Again, I was brought up on John Ford's Prisoner of Shark Island that portrays Mudd as a simple country doctor whom Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth visits for treatment of the injuries he sustained when he leapt from Lincoln's theatre box after shooting him. In the film, Mudd didn't know who Booth was, is unjustly tried and convicted for conspiracy, and is sent to a prison on the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida. When the prison's doctor dies during a yellow fever outbreak, Mudd helps stem the tide of the disease. He is pardoned by President Johnson and returns to his wife. Warner Baxter played Mudd and Gloria Stuart, who 62 years later dropped the necklace in the ocean at the end of the film Titanic, his wife. There were other version of the Mudd story that followed the same interpretation. Gary Cooper starred in the radio broadcast of Shark Island in 1938, and there were three television portrayals: Lew Ayres played Mudd in "The Case for Dr. Mudd" on the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse in 1958 and in "Time of the Traitor," an episode of the series Laramie in 1962, while Dennis Weaver took the role in The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd, a 1980 made-for-tv movie
Years after first seeing Shark Island, I was reading James L. Swanson's 2006 book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. I found it a riveting tale in itself, although not too well written. (It has been made into a television mini-series.) But I was shocked to read that Mudd was a slave owner and Confederate sympathizer whose name had been circulated to those of the same mind-bent who might need assistance, like Booth. I had heard over the years of the Mudd family trying to have their ancestor's conviction overturned and how they had received the verbal support of Presidents Carter and Reagan, to no avail. But that all tied into Shark Island's story. And here was a book that stated bluntly that the story I had believed was wrong.
I spent some time reading up on it. Historians are not in agreement about everything Swanson described about Mudd. But it is clear that Mudd owned slaves, that Maryland's 1864 emancipation of slaves harmed his tobacco farm business and embittered him, that Booth stayed overnight at Mudd's farm and that they met in Washington, D.C. in 1864, and that Mudd didn't report treating Booth after news of Lincoln's assassination broke. At least one of the conspirators implicated Mudd. This led the prosecution and some today to argue that Mudd was, at the very least, a conspirator in Booth's plan to kidnap Lincoln before Booth changed the plan to murder and that he willingly assisted Booth in his escape, possibly before Mudd knew of the assassination. And so, this modern reading is pretty close to the prosecution's case of 1868. Others, including Mudd-related groups and his family, contend that he was innocent. At the very least, modern interpretations suggest that Shark Island's version of a country doctor taking care of a stranger is not correct.
This is why fictionalization in fact-based films is such an important topic. A film can be the only way people learn about historical people. If the films of 70 and 80 years ago had accurately informed audiences about impeachment and Confederate sympathizers rather than simplify and falsify the facts, would our subsequent history have benefited from this better understanding? Can we still benefit today by knowing the truth about yesterday?
Game of Thrones and the Series Finale Debate
Having read what seems like hundreds of posts and articles from fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones about how unsuccessful the series finale was, I have some comments that come with a caveat
My caveat is that I have not followed the series devotedly for its eight seasons. This might strike some who know me as odd in that I studied medieval drama and literature in college, acted in one of the medieval mystery plays, and, having been a reader of Arthurian literature, wrote Camelot stories that have been published. I haven't read George R. R. Martin's Game of Throne novels and have not seen every episode of the series, most likely because my family dealt with several illnesses over the last decade and my journalism and legal work have been demanding. The episode I remember most, not surprisingly, which I clicked on without knowing about it, was the season five finale, in which Cersei's is made to walk with a shaved head and naked through narrow streets while the crowd throws mud and stones at her. (The event was modeled on the "penance walk" King Edward IV's mistress Jane Shore was made to take after his death, although she was wearing a kirtle or slip.) I later found out that the actress playing Cersei, Lena Headey didn't disrobe and that the effect was achieved by a body double and CGI (computer-generated imagery).
I did watch the last two episodes, "The Bells" and "The Iron Throne." Without being steeped in the characters, I was able to follow it pretty well. The former wasn't very suspenseful--whichever side has the Drogon is going to win, but the special effects were well done, the acting in both episodes was good, and, with all of the bloody fighting in "The Bells," "The Iron Throne" seemed rather tame and anti-climactic. Obviously, if I had invested eight years of viewing every episode and becoming attached to the characters, I would been more prone to find flaws, just as I have of other series finales.
I have written on these pages about my disappointment in the series finales of Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother. For the former, I complained that, while it was clear throughout the run that the characters were selfish and self-centered, having the series end with their being imprisoned for being selfish and self-centered (they laughed at a man being mugged and so violated a local statute enacted after Princess Diana died while photographers took pictures of her dying without rendering aid) had comical conceits crashing bang-zoom-bang against real life issues. I wrote that by the same measure the classic tv series I Love Lucy should have ended with Lucy in a straitjacket in an institution where she was sent because she did such crazy things. I can imagine the Seinfeld writers feeling quite pleased with themselves for being so clever, even though the end result is that the audience was being told it was foolish to have become invested in these selfish people. As to How I Met Your Mother, Ted in 2030 tells his children the story of the events from 2006 to 2015 leading up to his meeting their mother. We know the mother isn't Robin because he refers to her in talking to the children as "Aunt Robin." In the last season, we finally seen the children's mother-to-be, who is lovable, only to hear in the last episode that she died in 2024. Ted's children tell him that his story wasn't about how he met their mother but how he was in love with Robin, whom he then rushes to find and renew their relationship. And so, the children tell us that the title of the series is wrong, and we watch a character we've become attached to die of cancer.
Part of the explanation for the Mother series finale is that all the scenes with the actors playing Ted's children were filmed in the first season before they aged out of their parts. Over the next half-dozen years, the characters developed in ways not initially imagined, and we got to meet the mother. Why the show' creators felt that killing off the mother would ever be acceptable is beyond me.
Something similar appears to have happened with Game of Thrones. The characters developed over the eight seasons, and audience members became attached to them. The makers of the show had already filmed all of the novels Martin has written so far and were making up the rest of the story, although Martin was listed as an adviser. He told them how the novel series is going to end, but also gave them the authority to develop popular characters more and to kill off whatever characters they wanted. After the finale aired, the show's makers said it has ended the way they always envisioned it. They appear to have zigged when they should have zagged.
Fans have complained that the final season felt rushed, that (SPOILER ALERT) Daenerys Targaryen was suddenly transformed from a heroine to a mass murdered, that Jon Snow determined that the only way to deal with her transformation was to stab her to death, that Cersei and Jamie are killed together but not in battle but rather by falling rocks as a result of the Drogon destroying everything by fire, and that the Night King was killed off half way through season 8..
When a series is based on finished books or dramas, there is usually an acceptance of the ending. Deviating from the published ending will devastate the devoted. But when the series develops from year to year and is contingent on renewal, the ending can be fluid and some people will be disappointed that their favorite character is killed off or doesn't marry the heroine.
Some series finales have been well received. I liked the endings of M*A*S*H and Star Trek: The Next Generation, which were ingenious and true to the characters..(Conversely, although I was glad the ship returned home, I felt the ending of Starship Voyager was rushed.) Everyone talks about the ending of Newhart being so great, but to me all it shows is that Newhart was the weaker of Bob Newhart's two series and that no one complained that all of the events of Newhart were a dream in the mind of Newhart's character from the earlier series. He was shown in bed with his first series wife played by Suzanne Pleshette. I have always felt sorry for his second series wife played by Mary Frann for the Newhart's eight seasons, being shown by viewers and critics that it was all right that her character didn't exist. From a surprise perspective, the ending of Newhart was clever. As an ending to the series, it was, of course, terrible.
Good series finales are possible. They only ever happen if the makers of the show and not the ratings decide the time has come to say goodbye. If the those who write the ending treat the characters and the audience with respect, the finale works. Otherwise, how can it?
Avengers: Endgame: Similar to a Play Cycle
Like over 100,000 million people ($2 billion in worldwide box office), my wife and I saw Avengers: Endgame over the weekend, the culmination of 22 films that comprise the "Infinity Saga" of the Marvel film comic book universe. I found myself thinking about my days when I was an English literature scholar writing about play cycles.
Play cycles are basically three or more plays on the same story with the second being a continuation of the firs, the third of the second, etc. They can be meant for performance all on the same day or on different performance days, but each is also self-contained. The English medieval play cycles--the York (48 plays), Wakefield (32), Chester (24), and No-Town (42) mystery plays--span from God's creation of the world through Old Testament stories and then through the New Testament and the story of Christ to the Last Judgment and the end of the World. William Shakespeare wrote two groups of plays that can be considered play cycles--1,2, and 3 Henry VI, which is labeled the first tetralogy and tells the story of the War of the Roses (1455-1485), and 1 and 2 Henry IV and Henry V, the second tetralogy, which is basically about the education and growth of Henry V as the ideal English king. But even centuries before that, in ancient Greece, Aeschylus wrote the Oresteia, three plays that recount the murder of King Agamemnon, his children's revenge, and the trial of the murderer, while Sophocles completed three plays about the tragic family of Oedipus--Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone.
In modern times, George Bernard Shaw's Back to Methuselah premiered in 1922, composed of five plays that span from the Garden of Eden where humans first discovered death to the future where humanity has learned the secret of eternal life. I wrote my Master's thesis on this play cycle and a related article on Shaw's influence on C.S. Lewis' Perelandra science fiction novels that appeared in the Shaw Review--there is a character named Pshaw who quotes from Back to Methuselah that "It is enough that there is a beyond." (Thus, ended my career as a literary scholar.) ; Methuselah is rarely performed--the Washington (D.C.) Stage Guild performed it in separate productions in 2014 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmYel51USWA ). A brief college excerpt of the serpent tempting Eve is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nFJPprzTCY .In 1931, Eugene O'Neill developed a modern version of the Oresteia that was set just after the Civil War and titled it Morning Becomes Electra. It is also seldom performed, but the long and stagy though well acted film version is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OJ_VyXymTg
Marvel's Infinity Saga is composed of 22 films: Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008); Iron Man 2 (2010);' Thor (2011); Captain America: The First Avenger (2011); The Avengers (2012); Iron Man 3; (2013); Thor: The Dark World (2013); Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014); Guardians of the Galaxy (2014); Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015); Ant-Man (2015); Captain America: Civil War (2016); Doctor Strange (2016); Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017); Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017); Thor: Ragnorak (2018); Black Panther (2018); Avengers: Infinity War (2018); Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018); Captain Marvel (2019); and Avengers: Endgame (2019). As you can see, they were spread out when they started and bunched up at the end to the extent that I haven't seen the last two before Endgame. There have been remarkably few changes in roles for so many films: Edward Norton starred as the Incredible Hulk in 2008 but was replaced for subsequent films by Mark Ruffalo, and Terrence Howard was James Rhodes in Iron Man but was replaced by Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2 and subsequent films when Rhodes also became "War Machine."
I assume that if the first two films had bombed at the box office the film saga would have ended. (I remember Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), which was intended to launch a series of films about the character, and yet there was only the one.) But their success enabled Marvel to create a film universe, aided by decades of comic books about the Hulk and the others as their bases. The filmmakers were able to plot out the entire saga, dropping throughout the films story points about the infinity stones that Thanos in Avengers: Infinity Wars would gather together to destroy half the universe. It reminds me of two television series that I am very fond of--How I Met Your Mother and This Is Us--for which the creators plotted the stories far into the future and felt so comfortable with the material that they were able to go back and forth in time with ease.
There have been other film cycles--the Thin Man, Tarzan, James Bond, Star Trek, but the nature of Hollywood studios was such that the filmmakers seldom thought that far ahead. The Thin Man, for example, was based on a Dashiell Hammett novel. There was no guarantee the movie would be a success. When they discovered it was, Hammett had effectively stopped writing due to a writer's block. He managed to sketch out scenarios for the first two sequels but had nothing to do with the next three, and his complete absence showed in the later films. The Tarzan M-G-M series began in 1932 and lasted for six films with,the same stars and, mostly, the same creative team, but then was sold to RKO Studios with cast changes (Tarzan and Jane three times each) and cheaper budgets for 14 films and then to Paramount and M-G-M for two films each before the character was given a TV series. There have been 24 James Bond films--and six actors playing Bond, with accompanying ups and downs in quality and style. There has not been, consequently, the creation of mostly coherent universes such as those formed in play cycles and, I would argue, Avengers: Endgame.
With the Marvel Infinity Cycle, some films have been better than others. I am not fond of Iron Man 2 or Iron Man 3 and the Thor films are awfully busy for me. I do like Iron Man and all of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America films. As for the Infinity Saga as a whole, I admire its vision and scope, its big moments as well as small--I was bowled over by the meeting of Stark father and son in the last film. The saga reminds me of mystery play cycles and those by Shaw and O'Neill.
Reviving (at least) Memories of a Forgotten Musical: The Girl Who Came to Supper
I posted an article on this blog some time back about Irving Berlin's last musical Mr. President, which had debuted at the National Theatre in Washington D.C. in 1962 with President and Mrs. Kennedy in attendance but ultimately failed on Broadway. The Washington Post rejected the article saying the event was too long ago, even though the article was submitted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the D.C. premiere. It was also a chapter of a planned book on unsuccessful musicals by Broadway greats. Another chapter of this unfinished project is on Noel Coward's The Girl Who Came to Supper, which premiered on Broadway on December 9, 1963. I thought of it when I found that someone had placed the entire original cast album on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nC78rR20hU&list=PLExHxFBlAc_RUW2xeh5voZD1lfY6zEeBM . I thought I'd share some of the article with you, especially since you can sample the score yourself.
It was a troubled show. There were cast problems, and then when the show was in Philadelphia soon before its Broadway opening President Kennedy was assassinated. The show was set in 1911 London during the coronation of George V, and, because it mentioned the assassinations of monarchs that were occurring throughout Europe in the early 20th century, especially in its opening number titled "Long Live the King (If He Can)", the show' beginning was hastily reworked before Supper opened on Broadway..(The replacement opening number on the original cast album was cobbled together from an old Coward song.) Even with these revisions, this tuneful operetta about a time a half a century before seemed out of place in a nation deep in mourning and closed after 112 performances. The book and lyrics were nominated for a Tony Award but didn't win. I have always thought it was deserving of a revival.
Noel Coward was once a household name epitomizing sophistication and wit. He was a composer, lyricist, playwright, author, actor and a director. His operettas and musicals, which include Bitter Sweet and Operette, are seldom revived today. Some of his plays--Private Lives and Present Laughter--have been performed on Broadway recently and are frequently done on college campuses and by regional and community theatres. Some of his songs might be remembered--perhaps "I'll See You Again" and "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." By the mid-1950s, Coward was himself feeling a little out-of-step, and so he took a one-man cabaret show to Las Vegas, to great acclaim. After his 1961 musical Sail Away had been a modest success (thanks in part to Elaine Stritch), he was approached to write the songs for a musical version of Terrence Rattigan's play The Sleeping Prince. Harry Kurnitz wrote the libretto.
You might know the plot of The Sleeping Prince if you've seen the 1957 movie version, The Prince and the Showgirl starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier (the filming of which was the subject of the 2011 film My Weekend with Marilyn). The plot of the play, the 1957 film, and the musical are the same: While in London for the coronation, the Archduke Charles, Prince Regent of Carpathia, attends a musical titled "The Coconut Girl" and is smitten by Mary Morgan, a member of the chorus. She accepts his invitation for a tryst, but her assertiveness and naivety prolong her visit. They fall in love, but royal duty stands in the way.
In his diary, Coward described a troubled production. Florence Henderson, who had created the title role in the 1954 musical Fanny and starred in some revivals, was looking at the role of Mary as one all her own. She then announced that she was pregnant and would only be with the show for a few months. Jose Ferrer, who played Charles, had won the 1950 best actor Oscar for Cyrano de Bergerac and had sung in the 1954 movie musical biography of the composer Sigmund Romberg, Deep in my Heart. He possessed a pleasant voice but had never performed in a Broadway musical. Coward wrote in his diary about Ferrer that "those evil fairies at his Puerto Rican christening bestowed on him short legs, a too large nose, small eyes, a toneless singing voice and a defective sense of timing." My Mom and I saw Jose Ferrer two years later in the national tour of Man of La Mancha at the National.Theatre, which required even more of him than The Girl Who Came to Supper. He was no Richard Kiley, the incredible baritone who originated the role and immortalized "The Impossible Dream." I remember reading an interview with the great movie baritone Howard Keel who lamented that he had lost the touring company role to Ferrer. "I think Jose conned them with his Spanish 's'," Keel said. Still, Supper had opened to good reviews out of town.
For his part, Coward wrote a glittering score in an incredible variety of styles. There is a Carpathian national anthem; a complete score for "The Coconut Girl," for which Mary sings all the parts for the young prince; and the "Coronation Chorale" where the royals bemoan the boredom of attending coronations ("With stays too tight/We sit bolt upright/In a rigidly unyielding pew./Even British oak/Goes beyond a joke/When you've sat on it from nine til two") while Mary, who has been allowed to attend and, of course, has never seen anything like it, finds it "wonderful" and "entrancing," with the two contrasting viewpoints ultimately sung in counterpoint. For the subplot of the young prince roaming through the outskirts of London, Coward wrote a series of five music-hall-type songs for Tessie O'Shea as Ada, who won the Tony Award for featured actress in a musical, including "Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown," which goes,
Saturday Night at the Rose and Crown
Is just the place to be,
Tinkers and Tailors,
And Soldiers and Sailors,
All out for a bit of a spree,
If you find that you're weary of life
With your trouble and strife,
And the kids have got you down,
It will all turn right
At the Rose and Crown.
As the punctuation suggests, it's sung, with a little cheating, in one breath.
Ferrer, even with his "toneless" voice, had a show-stopping number, with dizzying shifts of styles, titled, "Middle Age," which begins,
How do you do, middle age?
How do you do, middle, age?
Autumn winds begin to blow
I'd better unbend my mind to you,
Though,
I'm not quite yet resigned to you.
And the show ends quietly, as does the movie and film, with Mary deciding she can't stay with Charles as he wishes. Charles sings to himself but she can hear him,
I'll remember her
In the evening when I'm lonely
And imagining if only
She were there.
I'll relive, oh so vividly,
A sad and sweet
Incomplete affair.
And it ends,
I'll remember her,
Heavy-hearted
When we parted
With her eyes so full of tears
She couldn't see.
And I'll feel inside
A foolish sort of pride
To know that she'll remember me.
It's a beautiful score. Coward gave it his all. It was his last musical, and he spent the remaining 10 years of his life acting in mostly forgettable movies, with the possible exception of the original The Italian Job (1969). I hope you enjoy what you hear. I hope someone revives it some day.


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Rural Yukon communities are biggest beneficiaries of Mental Wellness Innovation Fund
By Juliann FraserAugust 17, 2016Events, News Release
FOR RELEASE
WHITEHORSE—The Government of Yukon has awarded $620,000 to 12 community projects through the Mental Wellness Innovation Fund.
"I am incredibly impressed with the depth and breadth of the projects submitted for funding by organizations across Yukon. The quality of these projects is an indication of how hard people are working to improve the health and mental well-being of their fellow Yukoners," Minister of Health and Social Services Mike Nixon said.
The fund has been broken into two award periods. The first period ended June 30, with 33 applications submitted for consideration. All proposals were reviewed by a committee comprised of the Council of Yukon First Nations, Kwanlin Dün First Nation, other Yukon First Nations, and government representatives.
"We are so pleased to see this fund will support Yukon First Nation communities by assisting them to further develop and implement their mental wellness initiatives and strategies," Grand Chief Peter Johnston of Council of Yukon First Nations said. "We recognize there are service gaps in this area and we are hopeful that these additional resources will address that inequity and build capacity in all of our communities. We are likewise pleased Yukon First Nations and Yukon government are working together with a view to improving mental wellness for the entire Yukon."
The Liard Aboriginal Women's Society is receiving $110,000 for a peer support program for youth, including the creation of traditional regalia, which will be taught by elders in the community.
Ross River Dena Council received funding for projects to create a youth program and a volunteer program in the community; and to hold cultural workshops that will enhance family function and capacity by connecting women with their culture. Together these two projects received $137,270. Other projects in Ross River were also funded: $28,000 to Minnie Besner for building sweat lodges over the next 12 months and $16,767 to the Tu Lindlini Youth Group to create a capacity building workshop for youth leaders.
Other recipients include:
• Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation ($40,800) to engage youth in a video project on the four quadrants of being;
• Champagne and Aishihik First Nations ($50,000) to develop a healing camp;
• Kluane First Nation ($37,100) for a series of workshops on strength and coping skills;
• Yukon College and Selkirk First Nation ($38,700) to run capacity building and life skills programs as part of the rural apprenticeship program to increase student ability;
• Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in ($20,000) to develop a proposal for on the land healing; and
• the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation ($20,000) to further develop a concept to meet service gaps in Old Crow.
"Earlier this year, we gathered people together to chart a path forward towards improving mental wellness and mental health of Yukon citizens. These projects address some of the important work that needs to take place. They focus on youth, families and building community capacity, which we can all agree will help us build a healthier Yukon," Nixon added.
The second application deadline is September 2.
Learn More: www.hss.gov.yk.ca/forwardtogether.php
Cabinet Communications
Michael.Edwards@nullgov.yk.ca
Michelle Boleen
Communications, Health and Social Services
Michelle.Boleen@nullgov.yk.ca
Stephanie Brown
Council of Yukon First Nations-Communications
communication.officer@nullcyfn.net
Caption for photo: Minister Nixon with Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Peter Johnston.
Seeking Yukon First Nations youth, knowledge keepers and Elders to provide Cultural Connections program support.
CYFN Covid Coordination Team Leads Distribution of Covid-19 Testing and Prevention Supplies
Employment Opportunity: Director of the Yukon Native Language center
Employment Opportunity: Survey Coordinator
Employment Opportunity: Family Preservation Case Worker
Previous PostRecipients of second Mental Wellness Innovation Fund Award named
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: C# UWP Assigned Access Dispatch from Thread to UI Thread when I call this in a async task in my app in assigned access
await CoreApplication.MainView.CoreWindow.Dispatcher.RunAsync(CoreDispatcherPriority.Normal, () => OnFaceDetected(false));

I'm became this error :
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
but when I run the app wihtout the assigned access all works fine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The CAG mechanical workshop is able to realize special processes, even on pieces of considerable size. The type of special processing covers a wide range of applications in the fields of hydroelectric power and in the engineering industry in general. Given the vastness of the different types of special processes, below you find just a few examples: every different request can be analyzed and satisfied simply contacting us.


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Become a Solution Provider
Michael Roth 1 | Dec 01, 2003
JCB, one of the industry's leading manufacturers in earthmoving equipment, is recognized for innovations in products and distribution. In North America, JCB's headquarters and factory are located in Savannah, Ga. RER recently spoke with CEO Helmut Peters about the future growth of rentals, transitions in the distribution channel, where the economy is leading the industry and more.
RER: Given the changes in the distribution network, is it harder for a manufacturer to get products to market, to get services to customers?
Peters: It is definitely different. Traditionally up through the early '90s the manufacturer would deal almost exclusively through dealers. Then the demand for rental grew and initially many dealers were reluctant to create rental fleets, and that created a vacuum in the market that made it possible for these big national companies to come into the market. Now 35 percent of equipment in North America is distributed through rental activity, and there is room for further growth. In the United Kingdom, it's more than 70 percent. In the current economic climate, a tough period, the customer is more inclined to rent and with all the uncertainty, that's another good reason to rent.
The manufacturer can participate with this rental channel or work through the traditional channel of dealers. We treat rental companies as customers and work with them on that basis. We don't have a conflict of interest in this regard. We don't own a rental company, and we don't plan to. We want to provide equipment for our customers to rent, but we don't want to get into rental ourselves. If a dealer is distributing the product and is progressive, he welcomes the opportunity to service the additional fleet provided by rental companies in his territory. Some dealers welcome this, and they will go out and get parts and service business because those rental companies aren't in the repair business. So those dealers see the rental company as an additional customer.
Many JCB dealers do rentals, but they don't have stand-alone rental companies, they are mostly in the rent-to-sell, not the true rental business.
Do you encourage your dealers to participate in the rent-to-rent business?
If they have capital strength to do it, we don't discourage it, but most of our dealers would find it difficult in the current circumstances and aren't in a position to consider it. To see if they are really in the rental business, ask: "Do you rent by the hour or by the day?" They usually say no. So that is not really true rental activity.
Dealers usually cover a restricted territory. They cannot compete with national rental companies that can move equipment around. Dealers don't work together in moving fleet around. If their area is down, their utilization goes down.
What do you expect from your dealer network in this day and age?
We expect them to provide world-class service to customers, including to rental companies and to meet certain standards of performance and become more of a solution provider, not just selling product.
How has your company changed in terms of the way it approaches the marketplace — that is the way it approaches the end user and the way it approaches the rental market?
We're open to look for opportunities to bring our products to the market. We see national rental companies as customers, we also work with dealers, we work with other channels of distribution, we are open minded in how we bring the product to market. The dealer is very much playing a role in becoming a solution or service provider.
Did some dealers complain when you began to sell directly to rental companies?
Dealers of course complained as rental companies grew. I brought to their attention the fact that those rental companies didn't compete against them directly, and many dealers said "let's not worry about the rental companies." They continued to grow, and continued to consolidate. A few dealers complain still, but that is changing as they recognize the realities of the marketplace today.
What changes in manufacturer-dealer/distributor relationships do you expect to see in the next few years?
Manufacturers need to work closely with dealers so customers don't feel a difference between dealing with the dealer or the manufacturer. There should be a seamless support network for the customer. Dealers and manufacturers need to work together to create that.
What changes do you foresee in the industry as a whole?
I think there will be further consolidation taking place. But "mom and pops" will not go out of business. They will not be on every street corner, they will be in certain regions, on more of a local basis. In relationships between manufacturers and rental companies, and rental companies and their customers, there will be more of a partnership. The fleets of many rental companies are aging longer than normal from 42 to 48 months. If in fact an upturn is coming, some of that aging fleet must be replaced.
That brings up a question — why must the fleet always be replaced in peak periods? Why not in other periods when it's easier to balance production? We have had some discussions with a few of these companies searching for a more balanced way.
You are an astute observer of the rental market in the United States. What changes and trends do you foresee over the next few years that will affect the rental market?
Rental companies need to think of themselves as solution providers rather than just renting equipment. If a guy wants a backhoe, there is a reason. Maybe there is a different solution. Be more close to what the customer needs. And provide full service and packages to particular industries. Rent everything that the industry needs, be a provider to that industry, be aware of the requirements in that industry, and offer complete solutions. I think that's the future — being a solutions provider to the customer.
Customers are becoming more sophisticated. They get information through the Internet. It used to be that you'd have power because you have more information, but now everybody has access to more information so you have to differentiate through the products and the quality you offer.
Today a certain quality is expected. It's just a given that you can provide a certain level of quality. Anything less is unacceptable.
Narrowing that question down a bit more specifically, is there any advice you'd give to rental company owners about how they should approach their businesses over the next few years?
Concentrate on developing partnerships with suppliers and customers. Become partners with manufacturers, become partners with customers.
Let's talk a bit about JCB. What are some of the primary plans for the company over the next few years — in terms of product emphasis and your approach to U.S. and international markets?
We continue to expand our product offerings. We offered a full line of new products at ConExpo. We are a full line company now. We continue to grow our market share, locally and internationally. Recently we opened up in China and we continue to grow in that market. In North America we made a considerable investment, building a state-of-the-art factory in Savannah, with a significant investment. It was a signal to North America that we are here to stay and that we're not just a backhoe company; we have a full range of products.
We have changed nearly a third of our dealer network to strengthen our distribution. We've signed many new dealers. Our direction is toward smaller dealers, entrepreneurs covering smaller regions. Our product lends itself to smaller dealers in smaller regions. We want our dealers to focus on our product. That doesn't say they should be offering only JCB, but we don't want competitors' lines in the same dealer network, competing in the same organization.
Margins have diminished for manufacturers in recent years. How is this affecting product design, marketing, research and development?
Margins have been squeezed, and there is a lot of surplus inventory in the market. Everybody wants to market in North America, and they put pressure on the manufacturer, which forces you to be more cost-effective in business, and in design of products as well. We have to be clear on what the customers' needs are and develop products for customers' real needs. It's important to not over-design.
We have product specialists, working on a day-to-day basis with customers and dealers. They are in close contact with engineers and they give feedback to our research and development people in the U.K.
What kinds of trends and improvements are we likely to see in your type of equipment over the next few years — not only in JCB products, but in the industry as a whole?
Quality will improve across the board for all manufacturers. There is already a certain standard, and it will improve. Electronics will become more important in the future. Onboard computers will make products easier to service, and diagnostics capabilities will develop and improve. That applies to all manufacturers.
The trend in North America is the growth of the compact equipment side of the business. In Europe it has been stronger, and now a lot of manufacturers are pushing compact equipment. We are coming from the compact side, while some other manufacturers are coming from the heavy end to the compact end. For example, the mini-excavator is one of the fastest growing equipment segments, growing fast even during the recession.
Do you anticipate a wider use of GPS technology in the coming years? Is this something that JCB has put a lot of effort into?
This technology is already available in the market, and eventually will become standard, just as some new cars offer GPS systems as standard. It's coming into our industry. We have various systems in development. It will have a big impact.
What kind of e-commerce initiatives has JCB made? What kinds of emphasis do you expect to see industrywide in this area?
We are working toward having both parts and technical service literature available online in the near future. Currently, we offer a used equipment locator online for our dealer network. We have started initiating online training programs and product solutions.
We're all amateur economists to a degree. How do you see the economy developing over the next few of years?
That's the million-dollar question. We've been in a recession since the beginning of 2001. The market has now turned, and next year should be stronger in this industry because of replacing aged fleet. If the economy continues to improve, there will be significant replacement. We expect improvement in the market next year, but that also requires there won't be any incidents beyond our control such as another war.
TAGS: Ar Manufacturers
What Is Your Rental Identity?
Rental Ready: Volvo Wheel Loader Loads 25-Ton Trucks in Two Passes
Rental Ready: Cushman Utility Vehicle Designed for Tough Terrain
DeFeo, Kneeland to Speak at March IPAF Summit in Miami


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Police bolster ranks with supervisory slots
By Tom Gresham
Observer staff
The Selectboard approved on Monday the addition of two supervisory positions in the Williston Police Department in an effort to improve officer retention.
The force will add two patrol sergeant positions under the plan. One sergeant will cover the 4 p.m. to midnight shift, while the other will cover the midnight to 8 a.m. shift. The sergeants will rotate shifts every three months.
Currently, the force only has two supervisors, Chief Ozzie Glidden and Detective Sergeant Bart Chamberlain. Both typically cover the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift on weekdays.
Town Manager Rick McGuire said the proposal, which was approved by the Williston Police Officers Association, a chapter of Teamsters Local 597, will give officers an increased opportunity for advancement. The lack of promotion possibilities has been frequently cited as one reason for the high turnover rate of officers in the Williston Police Department, which has had chronic problems keeping its full allotment of officers.
"This will provide an extra incentive for officers to stay," McGuire said.
The new sergeant spots will replace two officer positions. McGuire said it will cost the town approximately $6,000 to add the senior positions.
Brennan Woods complaint
Fred Reiner of the Brennan Woods subdivision took the Selectboard to task on Monday for what he says is the town's failure to crack down on speeders on Brennan Woods Road.
Reiner said he has previously spoken to the town about the issue, but has not seen any results. He said the speed of traffic combined with the preponderance of children in the development meant that a resulting tragedy was "not a question of if but when."
Selectboard Chairwoman Ginny Lyons said the board would get input from Police Chief Ozzie Glidden about the police department's monitoring of traffic in the neighborhood.
When Reiner declined to return to the audience until he heard what the board's "action items" would be on the issue, Lyons said the board could not consider the question in detail because it was not on the agenda. She said the Selectboard would not know what the specific issues on the road were until municipal staff had done some research.
The town does not own the road, but Reiner said that should not be a factor. "I'm paying taxes, but I'm not receiving services for them," he said.
The Selectboard appointed Brent Raymond to the Development Review Board and Randy Stevens to the Conservation Commission.
Raymond, who works in the corporate trust department at BankNorth, previously served as a trustee for public funds for the town. Stevens is a stone artist and developer.
The board also renewed the terms of a host of incumbents, including Gary Hawley, Richard Pritsky and Jean Kissner (Conservation Commission); Joy Peterson and Jane Petrillo (Design Advisory Committee); Kevin McDermott (Development Review Board); Steve Bradish (Planning Commission); and Caroline Ford (Recreation Committee).
Among the remaining openings are one spot on the Conservation Commission, one spot on the Design Advisory Committee, one spot on the Planning Commission and four spots on the Recreation Committee.
Michael Healey and Tianna Tomasi have applied for positions on the Recreation Committee.
Condo damaged in fire
Town hopes to salvage soon-to-be-demolished farm buildings
Senate mulls water treatment legislation (4/30/09)
Bill could put moratorium on chloramine use April 30, 2009 By Greg Elias Observer staff Legislation imposing a moratorium on a method used locally to treat public water was effectively gutted by a Hou
Hearing will outline bus route changes (2/11/10)
CCTA seeks citizen input on proposal Feb. 11, 2010 By Greg Elias Observer staff The Chittenden County Transit Authority will hold a public hearing to detail route changes that will bring buses into Wi
Get ready for a real adventure
man's company to host first winter adventure race in Vt. By Ben Moger-Williams Observer staff In these digital days of Google maps, GPS-equipped SUVs, and cell phones, there is little need for t


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Tag: Free Immersion
Posted on 10th June 2011 27th April 2017
Dave King does it again! New National Record in Free Immersion
Free Immersion seems to be popular recently, barely a month has passed since Mike Board reclaimed this record, it has been broken by Dave King. Pulling himself down to 73m in France last weekend where he was diving to acquiring points for the up coming World Championships.
National Record in Free Immersion 3rd May 2011
On the 3rd May 2011 British freediver Mike Board, 40, a former Royal Marine who now lives in Gili Trawangan in Indonesia, reclaimed his National Record in Free Immersion (pulling himself down and up a submerged, weighted rope) with a faultless dive to 72m. The dive, held at the 'Freedive International' Minicomp in Dahab's Blue Hole, took 2 minutes and 41 seconds. Mike was again coached by four-times World Record holder Sara Campbell.
Photo by Jan Windszus
Posted on 22nd June 2010 27th April 2017
3rd Mediterranean Freediving World Cup
Seven British athletes attended the 3rd Mediterranean Freediving World Cup, between 6th and 20th June 2010, hosted in Kalamata Greece by Stavros Kastrinakis. Liv Philip, Georgina Miller, Maria-Teresa Solomons, Sue Pugh, Tim Money, David Tranfield and Mark Harris all competed.
In addition, Long-standing BFA committee member Ben Noble competed, representing Australia.
Photo provided by Laura Storm
A summary of their key achievements follows:
2nd place for Maria-Teresa Solomons in the Women's overall results
3rd place for Liv Philip in the Women's overall results
3rd place for Mark Harris in the Men's overall results
2nd place for Maria-Teresa Solomons, Sue Pugh and Georgina Miller in the Women's team results
A new British record in Constant-Weight No-fins of 53 metres for David Tranfield
A new British record in Free Immersion of 70 metres for Mark Harris
A new Australian record in Variable Weight of 100 metres for Ben Noble
A new Australian record in No-Limits of 105 metres for Ben Noble
Posted on 8th May 2010 27th April 2017
Mike Board claims his first British Record 68m FIM – Friday 26th March 2010
The British men's Free Immersion freediving record has fallen to a new-comer. Mike Board, training with Sara Campbell at her Discover Your Depths training camp in March, set the new record of 68m with a dive time of two minutes 39 seconds on Monday 22nd March.
Mike, already a freediving instructor, runs his own school near Bali on the idyllic island of Gili Trawangan. He completed the dive on the second day of competition.
Mike said: I didn't really have any goals when I came to train with Sara in Dahab, simply to improve my own diving and become a better instructor as a result. However, my progress was so fast once she taught me the mouthfill properly, the British FIM record suddenly came into view.
Sara said: Mike trained with me for three weeks and am thrilled by his progress he arrived a 43m diver and leaves with a really impressive National Record, and is more or less touching 70m. He absolutely deserves this result and I look forward to seeing his name at the top of results lists in the future.
At the same event, Sam Still, who became World Champion in static five years ago, made an impressive come-back to the competition circuit after four years out, with two strong dives, racking up a total of 124 points to put him in first place in the competition overall. Mike came a very close second with 121 points after equalisation problems forced him to turn early on his attempt at 70m Constant Weight on day one.
Most of the divers were competing with a hope of qualifying for the British Team going to the World Championships in Okinawa, Japan later this year. However, many were less successful, several competing for the first time ever and learning valuable lessons in terms of the rules for international competition and the surface protocol.
Sara added: Many divers forget that a successful competitive dive is 50 percent the dive, 50 percent technical details and rules, which must be studied and practiced ahead of a competition as much as the actual depth and breathhold training.
To contact Mike please click here
Posted on 13th July 2008 27th April 2017
Mark Harris Sets UK Men's Free Immersion Record to -67m
On Sunday 13th July 2008, at the SaltFree Double Dip competition in Chepstow, Mark Harris successfully retrieved his tag hanging 67m deep, setting a new UK record in the Men's Free Immersion discipline. Not only is this 3m deeper than his previous record set in Egypt in December last year, but it was achieved in the dark and cold waters (similar to supercooled Guinness below -50m) of a quarry lake, during a competition in which many freedivers had to turn early due to the difficult conditions. Mark is a very dedicated member of the BFA Committee, runs a freediving club in Richmond and currently also holds the UK Variable Weight Freediving record.


OK…So being a right brained learner, Jason is not good with rote memorization. It just is not one of his strengths and it frustrates him. So I have been looking for ways to help him with his math facts. He does fine with the smaller numbers (e.g., 2+4, 5-3 etc) but gets stuck with the higher numbers (e.g., 8+7, 14-6 etc). He has no problem understanding math concepts (like adding/subtracting negative numbers) but when it comes to remembering his math facts he struggles. We have continued on with math, but not knowing these facts slows him down and also has started him thinking that he is "bad" at math. I tried showing him different ways to figure them out, including grouping by 10s (e.g., figuring out 14+7 by adding 3+7 to get 10 and then adding 10+11 to get 21), but nothing seemed to really stick. I had just gotten the Home Educator's Guide for the Singapore Math program that we have been using and one of the first things that it had was an overview of the many different ways of adding/subtracting (counting up, number line, grouping to ten etc). I figured that it could not hurt, so I showed Jason…not sure what it was (probably that they broke it down somehow more graphically) but it clicked. He totally gets it now. It is so cool…instead of looking at a problem and trying to guess what the answer is, he has a method he can use to figure it out. What is great about this approach is that it utilizes his strengths (puzzle solving and logic) rather then his weakness, memorization.
For example…to figure out 14-8 he subtracts 8-4 to get 4 and then subtracts 10-4 to get 6. I will have to ask him for more examples, because I can't really remember how he does half of it. LOL! But what counts is he knows! Basically he breaks the equation down into smaller equations that he can do easier. And he is completely able to follow it. There have been a time or two when I really could not follow what exactly he was doing (he still talks out loud as he figures it) but I kept quiet and he came up with the right answer.
I found previously that a similar approach worked when it came to adding double and triple digit numbers. Breaking things down into 10s and 1s really helped. For example, to add 34+55, he breaks it down into 30+50 and 4+5 to get 89. And we actually realized that he understands negative numbers because he would solve a problem like 54-26 as 50-20 and 4-6 to get 30-2 or 28.
The neat thing is that I can see that the light is back on…he sees that he can do this stuff now. He sees it more as a puzzle then this mysterious thing where he was just supposed to know/remember the answer. I can see him manipulating the numbers in his head and he is getting getting faster at it each day.
I have to say…I am not big on formal "curriculum" but Singapore Math has really been a wonderful resource for us. It is really great for explaining concepts to him in a way that he understands. One of the reasons that it works for Jason is that it is very visual…it starts with the "real life" concept…pictures of objects and talks in English about combining them (they call them number stories). It shows several different ways of figuring out an answer and then gradually introduces the symbolic notation. It also seems to be able to explain things in a way that makes sense to him much better then I can! I swear, when it comes to math, we speak two totally different languages and Singapore seems to be able to bridge the gap. I know that I learned this stuff by rote memorization (which luckily I am good at, but even now I still count on my fingers periodically to double check myself). I am so glad to learn that there is a way besides flash cards to figure this stuff out.
And actually I have been starting to use some of these "tricks" myself lately instead of using my fingers….


2018 felt like the first year where ethical living really went mainstream. Major fashion magazine Elle dedicated their most important issue of the year, the September Issue, to sustainable fashion, and issues from plastic pollution to palm oil have dominated the news headlines.
Last year I made my predictions for the ethical and sustainable trends to watch in 2018, including plastic pollution, the rise of veganism, major growth in ethical fashion and a bigger push against climate change.
After reviewing the data from 2018, it's clear that significant progress was made in all of these areas, but these issues aren't going away any time soon.
A bleak festive season is on the cards if the current rate of fuel increases continues over the next two months, an economist warned following the announcement of a steep hike effective from midnight on Tuesday."We might face a dim festive season if the current pace of fuel price increases is sustained in the two months ahead," said Paul Makube, Senior Agricultural economist at FNB Agri-Business.
The Department of Energy (DoE) announced on Monday that both grades of petrol, 93 and 95 (ULP & LRP), will increase by 99 cents and 100 cents a litre (c/l) respectively.
This brings the overall retail price of 95 ULP for motorists in Gauteng to R17.08 c/l and R16.49 c/l at the Coast.
Makube said the latest increase would "place a further strain on consumers and will hurt consumption growth in a weak economy".
The company announced on World Environment Day (Tuesday) that it would phase out single-use plastic shopping bags by 2020.
The campaign will also see the phasing out of what the company calls "unnecessary single-use plastics" such as straws and cutlery by 2022.
A lot is changing when it comes to Small Business Social Media Strategies. What should you be focusing on?
In this post I break down 7 strategies that will help to move the needle in your business with content and social media – some of them more simple than you think!
It's that time of year when I get asked a lot (a lot) about my predictions every year. I am no futurist (far from it) but I do keep an eye on what's working, what's starting to work and what's new and shiny (but not necessarily a proven strategy yet).
Disneyland is a popular group of cartoon and movie based amusements parks owned by the famous entertainment company Walt Disney Pictures. One of the earliest parks of this kind, Disneyland was set up in the year 1955 under the direct supervision of the famous cartoonist Walt Disney.
Headquartered in California, Disneyland is housed over an area of 34 ha and was popularised using Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Disney Land is amongst the world's most visited theme parks and is a huge hit with kids.
The fast food and quick service restaurant sector in SA contributes 13 percent to GDP.
With a contribution exceeding 29 percent, South Africa's quick service restaurant (QSR) sector has by far the biggest share in franchising turnover. According to the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA), the franchising market is worth R587 billion, approximately 13.3 percent of the South African Gross Domestic Product (GDP).


Testimonials Pressure Washing Company NJ Middlesex Somerset Union - A-1 Spotless Inc.
Since 1989, the team at A-1 Spotless Inc. has worked hard to earn the trust of our neighbors throughout New Jersey and beyond. We strive to provide the best power washing and cleaning services to our community, satisfy our clients and build long lasting relationships.
Here are some kind words from the many clients we have pleased throughout all these years.
A-1 Spotless was wonderful. My house is sparkling clean. Kevin was meticulous, hard working and extremely polite. My house has never looked so clean. This service is by far the best I have used-including doing it ourselves. Thank you A-1!
Robert Perez, the owner was highly professional and very accommodating. Kevin did the exterior house power washing and was top notch. He was thorough and meticulous. We already recommended their service to friends.
They were not only professional and performed quality work, they both presented very nice personalities! They performed miracles on our composite deck that had not been cleaned in 8 years….they made it look like new! Thank you A-1; we're definitely using them again!
It was a pleasure working with A-1 Spotless. They are very professional in every manner. Robert was attentive and responsive to my questions. His workers explained the process step by step regarding powerwashing the house, deck and swingset. Will definitely use them again.
These guys are very friendly and did an amazing job cleaning my roof! They made it look brand new!
Deck looks like new-did a fantastic job–came when scheduled–will use again when we do our siding–thanks so much Robert–job well done!
Rob was excellent! He got back to us right away and had our house and fence power washed within a week. The price was very fair (he threw in cleaning our cement patio as well) and everything looked amazing when he was done!! He walked me through afterwards and offered great feedback and advice as to how often he should come back. He is definitely well versed in his craft and does a great job! We definitely will use him again when the time comes!
Excellent Service. Have used them 3 times. Great job, plus extras like the gutter cleaning and repair. Prompt, neat, clean, convenient estimate that shows up in your email. Great pricing too. You won't be disappointed. A-1 means First Class Service!
I could not find a picture before but this was after it was cleaned absolutely amazing job! Thanks Rob.
These guys are the absolute best guys ever. I have had my deck and roof power washed before and it always looked better than before. I've even done it myself before and it came out okay. When A-1 Spotless did it, it was done right. I saw right away that this was the way a power wash job should be done, and should look. They had the right equipment, they were on time, they worked cleanly, and they respected our property as if it were theirs. Great job and I would always recommend them for any power wash job.
Call now (908) 647-9274, or fill out this form. Thank you.
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This country is governed by the rule of law, it is not governed by terrorist tactics. Now, if you want to deprive me of my rights under your own established rules and your own laws, at least come out and tell me that outright rather than to tell me that you didn't go to Alcoholics Anonymous programs and on that basis, we're going to deprive you of your liberty. Tell me that you're a terrorist and we don't want you out of our prison, I can live with that. But all these deceptions and devious ways of denying me parole, I don't think it's fair.
In the clip above, Sirhan Sirhan responds to being denied parole in 1985, the first of eleven parole hearing transcripts we posted yesterday on the Mary Ferrell Foundation site. Today, we're posting the transcript of the three-day parole hearing in 1983 below, which completes our set of all available parole hearing transcripts from 1978 to date. For earlier transcripts, see our previous posts.


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Oh Baby! Triplets and mum survive incredible journey
Cattle truck rollover 2
Cattle truck rollover
Emerald Anzac Day parade 2016
Identical Triplets
by bclare
Bianca Clare News Director
Bianca Clare is an award-winning journalist with more than a decade of experience working with APN newspapers including the Sunshine Coast Daily, The Mackay Daily Mercury and The Coffs Coast Advocate. She has been recognised at the Queensland Media Awards for investigative reporting and feature writing in 2008, 2009 and 2010. She loves giving the community a voice and has championed many successful campaigns including the commissioning of a new $2 billion public hospital and the introduction of...
MELODY and Matthew Cullen will never buy another lottery ticket.
The Little Mountain couple has used up a lifetime of luck.
Their one-month-old identical triplets - William, Joseph and Noah - are a miracle of modern medicine and a marvel of Mother Nature.
The odds of their natural conception are between one in 60,000 and one in 200 million.
Researchers struggle to pinpoint the exact figures because mortality rates in utero are so high.
The triplets' chances of surviving twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and a premature birth at 29 weeks are even more astonishing.
Melody and Matthew discovered they were expecting triplets eight weeks into the pregnancy.
Parents Melody and Matthew Cullen of Little Mountain have welcomed triplets - (left) Noah, Joseph and William - to join siblings Jacob, 10, Sophie, 7, and Jasmine, 5, at Sunshine Coast Private Hospital, Buderim. Photo: Iain Curry / Sunshine Coast Daily Iain Curry
They had planned on a fourth child - not a fifth or sixth.
"At the six-week scan - two sacs were found," Melody said.
"THEY said come back at eight weeks and we will be able to confirm if it is twins.
"Instead of one or two, the obstetrician picked up three heartbeats on our return."
After Melody's 10-week scan, she was referred to Mater Mothers' Hospital Centre for "maternal fetal medicine".
Dr Glenn Gardener explained the risks, which included life-threatening seizures, hemorrhage, congen- ital abnormalities and gestational diabetes.
It was a lot to take in, but the couple tried not to focus on the scary stuff.
Once the nuchal translucency scans were complete and obstetricians were able to confirm growth in each of the triplets, Melody and Matthew broke the news to Jacob, 10, Sophie, 7, and Jasmine, 5, at a family meeting
"It was really difficult trying to explain how identical triplets work," Melody said.
"But they were all excited, Jacob is looking forward to having a playmate or three."
LIFE TAKES A BIG TURN: Parents Melody and Matthew Cullen, of Little Mountain, have welcomed triplets Noah, Joseph and William , who join siblings Jacob, 10, Sophie, 7, and Jasmine, 5. Iain Curry
At Melody's 16-week scan, it was found her babies were experiencing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome - a potentially life-threatening condition.
The diagnosis tested Melody's strength. She had to stay in hospital so she and her babies could be monitored.
Two weeks later, it was discovered the only way to save the triplets was to perform laser surgery in utero.
"There was so much uncertainty because of the massive risks," she said.
"On top of that it was incredibly difficult being away from the kids and Matthew for long lengths of time."
The morning after surgery, Melody was overjoyed to hear three hearts beats.
Back home she was put on bed rest, which meant no cooking, no housework or playing with the kids.
"There was not much to do other than watch loads of daytime TV," she said.
"I was tired and in pain."
At 27 weeks and four days, Melody woke in the night to discover she was bleeding.
After an emergency dash to Brisbane, she went into premature labour and was given medication to try to stop it so the triplets had a better chance to develop.
For four nights, this terrifying process was repeated.
On December 11, she was taken to have a caesarean and from there the triplets went into neonatal critical care - weighing just over 1kg each.
William, Joseph and Noah are doing well and have been transferred to the Sunshine Coast Private Hospital.
The bubs are expected to remain there until 37 weeks.
Melody can now imagine a future with three little boys heading off to their first day of school.
"To see them putting on weight is a massive relief," she said. "I am looking forward to the boys coming home and establishing a routine. There is a lot to organise. They take more than 24 nappies between them every day.
"Then there is big stuff like finding an eight-seater car."
The Cullens want to thank many for their support.
"The triplets would not be here if it wasn't for family, friends and the medical staff. We are truly grateful," Melody said.
Anyone able to help with baby products can email mattandmelody@bigpond.com.
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editors picks pregnancy triplets


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Home » Glass and Glazing » Picture This: Augmented Reality on the Construction Jobsite
May 28, 2019 Ida May Barlow
Augmented Reality (AR) may be a relatively new technology, but many in the construction industry are excited about its potential to help streamline and keep projects on schedule. For architects, engineers, designers, and project managers, this interactive tool promises to increase accuracy, improve collaboration, reduce errors, and save precious time, money, and resources.
If you're unfamiliar with AR, it is the layering of computer-generated elements like sound, graphics, or video over a real-world environment. This same technology has been used in video games for years. Now, it is generating buzz around how it can improve the construction project lifecycle. For example, a contractor could drive to a jobsite, put on AR glasses, ask to see a report, and a display pops up showing items that need attention.
How big is the AR market? Various research groups—from Business Wire to Grand View Research—have predicted the AR market will grow to between $60 billion and $100 billion by 2024. No doubt, they see advancements in 5G, artificial intelligence, and robotics as fueling this growth.
How AR Will Change the Future of Building
Many believe AR has the potential to be integrated into almost every part of the construction industry. From the design side to the jobsite, here are groups who can expect to experience a positive impact from using AR:
City Planners
While architects and designers use AR in an office, it can also be used on the jobsite to see through walls and understand the path of the technical installations. As mentioned, AR can provide a unique perspective of the jobsite and improve the quality of projects. For example, with AR glasses, a user could walk through a jobsite, taking photos and compare them to older photos – without lifting a finger.
Like Virtual Reality (VR), AR creates a new and independent environment for users to work in. While VR creates an entirely new virtual world, AR is different in that it creates the virtual elements that interact and react with things in the physical world.
With AR, a 3D model is created and combined with all the building data. Then, users can wear an AR device that orients to their point of view. As such, the building data will be displayed digitally over the user's physical surroundings in real-time.
Accurate Way to Visualize Building
Perhaps the main benefit is that AR users can gain a more accurate view of what is being built. Its ability to overlay data onto real-world environments so users can see what is not yet built, or what is hidden, holds the most promise. This can include all the layers of materials and installations that were previously difficult to comprehend on paper. Now, this data is more easily accessible on the virtual model of the project using projected holograms.
For example, AR is used on the jobsite for geo-locating where future objects and structures will go. This means you can "see" hidden elements like underground pipes, cables, and ducts hidden behind a wall, or boundaries for outer walls. AR is also used is to map a user's exact location using GPS and then overlaying BIM information. In this example, you can visualize the finished project and see where columns and foundations will eventually go.
Wearing an AR device, a user can see real-time data geospatially as they walk through the building space, updating and displaying the necessary information. Information displayed can include schedules, operational details, and structural plans so the user can automate the construction process and make decisions on the site.
Another win-win? AR is not predicted to replace workers in the field as it can be used to enhance how workers and digital machines come together.
Available AR Tools on the Market
To access all of AR's capabilities, users must wear a device like VR glasses. Many different companies manufacture AR hardware, but the most popular device used in the construction industry is the Microsoft HoloLens, which is now certified as basic protection glasses.
Other devices on the market include:
Morpholio AR Sketchwalk. This device allows users to fully dive into their sketches to give both their company and their clients a more accurate sense of the space used on a project. This tool works best for architects and designers who are working on sketches of a project, rather than at the site themselves.
DAQRI Smart Helmet. This is a protective helmet that enables users to visualize projects using 3D models in augmented reality as an immersive and large-scale 3D environment. This is similar to virtual reality. Teams using this technology can compare their work-in-progress with the original design to keep the office and job site in sync.
Fologra. This turns your 3D models into life-size construction instructions though hololens glasses. This program helps with complex projects that require a series of measurements, verification, and specific care by providing digital instructions that are virtually superimposed on the workspace right in front of you.
AR Must Clear Adoption Hurdles
The drumbeat for better and faster construction has been steadily growing louder over the last few years. What's holding back AR from playing a bigger role in construction? For starters, it's a relatively new digital technology that has its limitations and reliability issues.
Many construction companies recognize that AR has great potential but feel there's not enough research to take it more seriously. In fact, a 2018 survey by the UK firm GlobalData showed only 29 percent of respondents had invested in AR. Also, slightly more—32 percent—said they had yet to invest, but planned to do so within the next two years.
Admittedly, many AR systems available on the market today still have a few bugs. One potential pitfall is that incomplete or out-of-date information could result in mistakes or accidents if the app displays the wrong location of a hidden pipe or cable. Another hurdle to overcome is the limited ability of AR apps and devices to provide reliable positioning information of the user moves around the jobsite. Most of these apps currently use GPS positioning, but have trouble pinpointing a location (it's only accurate to within several feet). It also tends to lose its signal if blocked by weather or a neighboring structure.
"We have to somehow find a way to display the information to the user in such a way that he knows what he can rely on," said Stephane Cote, the research director at a building information modeling (BIM) software developer. "For instance, it could be color coded. If the pipe is green, it could mean 'Yes, that's fine, you can rely on that. We surveyed that pipe last year, it is exactly at that location.' If the pipe is red, it could mean 'Okay, that pipe is on that street, that's all we know. It could be anywhere."
No doubt, the hype around AR is real and it comes with some powerful benefits. For now, the construction industry must weigh the pros and cons of AR. Many believe that until there's more research and improvements, there will likely be a delay before AR fulfills its full promise and potential for the construction industry.
Just like AR, many construction firms have yet to make BIM a priority for their business. In fact, nearly a third of those surveyed by JBKnowledge do not even bid projects involving BIM. Check out our blog, Is BIM Poised to Break Through?, to find out why now.
" Today's construction industry is changing and modernizing at a rapid pace. There's no better example of t...
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" Estimating—it can be a jungle out there. Bid too low and you may win the project and lose your shirt. Bid too high and you could be left wondering how you arrived at such bad numbers in the...
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" Cue the confetti cannon! For the seventh straight year, On-Screen Takeoff has ranked as the top takeoff tool for estimating in the annual Construction Technology Report by JBKnowledge. In...


Harry's Day Out is an event being held with the aim to create awareness and raise funds to support youth mental health in the Riverina area, particularly Narrandera and Leeton. It is a day for the whole family that consists of live music, family entertainment and friendship. All funds raised will go towards assisting in developing support mechanisms in Narrandera for our young people.
The HDO Committee was organised to coordinate an annual day each year that aims to raise funds to promote awareness and create mechanisms of support in Narrandera for our young people. The committee consists of members of the Orme family as well as interested community members that come from the local schools, local clubs and the general community.


Last month the Home's Campaspe Shelter in Echuca enjoyed a visit from a very special group of ladies from the Wharparilla Lodge. They came in with hand knitted gifts of blankets for the dogs and cats and took the opportunity to meet some of the animals that will benefit from their kindness.
Many of them had shared their lives with animals in the past and so thoroughly enjoyed seeing the cats and dogs up for adoption. They were also very impressed with the shelter and promised Shelter Manager Kate Kemp that they will be going back to continue knitting!
The Home's shelters rely totally on the generosity of the community for donations of blankets, coats and bedding and are therefore so grateful for the kind support of wonderful of people like the Wharparilla ladies.


WASHINGTON, DC – After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) committed to holding a meeting in Michigan on PFAS chemicals in drinking water, Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Fred Upton (MI-6), and Tim Walberg (MI-7) followed up on the commitment and called for details to finalize a time and place.
Thursday, the Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) in which an EPA official committed to sending experts and senior officials to Michigan to discuss PFAS contamination sites. The EPA had originally planned a public meeting in Michigan, but later pulled it from the schedule.
Recently a "Do Not Eat" fish advisory was issued for the Huron River due to elevated PFAS levels. The town of Parchment, MI also recently had a crisis with PFAS in their water supply, and there are major contaminations at several military installations in Michigan as well. PFAS chemicals are man-made and linked to certain cancers and serious health problems.
As members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, we thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for testifying before the committee on the growing presence of perfluorinated chemicals across the nation. This letter is to follow up on the commitment made by EPA yesterday to send senior officials to Michigan to discuss per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). We welcome EPA to Michigan and look forward to this important visit as soon as possible.
Michigan has been hit hard. The number of PFAS confirmed sites has been growing rapidly over the last few years. According to the State of Michigan, there are now 35 confirmed PFAS contamination sites and the public is seriously concerned. While there is more work to do, the state is aggressively testing, tracking, and working to combat PFAS. The State of Michigan fully supports an EPA visit and is looking forward to hosting. It is invaluable for EPA to see first-hand the extent of the growing PFAS contamination problem we are confronting.
As you know, EPA originally planned to visit Michigan as part of its national tour to engage communities affected by harmful PFAS and to find ways for EPA to best support ongoing work occurring at the state, local, and tribal levels. We are pleased by the commitment made by EPA at yesterday's hearing and hope the visit can happen very soon.
In the coming days, we look forward to working with EPA, the State of Michigan, and all elected officials from the Michigan delegation to finalize logistics for your visit.


There are schools offering finance degrees in Iowa!
Each year, approximately 0.7% of Iowa graduates receive degrees in finance. In other words, every year an estimated 792 finance professionals graduate from Iowa's 15 finance schools.
Dordt College, which was ranked 36th nationwide in 2010, is the top-ranked school in Iowa that has a finance program. It is located in Sioux Center. In 2010, no students graduated from Dordt College's finance program. Dordt College charged in-state students $23,180 in tuition fees per year.
Buena Vista University, which is located in Storm Lake, is the second-ranked school in Iowa that has a finance program. It received a ranking of 43rd in the country in 2010. 18 students graduated with degree in finance from Buena Vista University in 2010. Buena Vista University charged in-state students $26,306 in tuition fees per year.
Grand View University, which was ranked 43rd nationwide in 2010, is the third-ranked school in Iowa that has a finance program. It is located in Des Moines. In 2010, Grand View University graduated 14 students from its finance programs. Students at Grand View University paid $20,292 per year in tuition fees.
A finance degree from an Iowa school... what next?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts by 2018, an estimated 34,250 finance professionals will be working in Iowa. This would require the number of finance professional to grow by 19%.
Take a look at the graphs and charts below for additional Iowa statistics regarding a career in finance and to compare salaries with a variety of related fields such as business management or finance.


Hospital gowns haven't improved. They still fall off, ride up, etc. However, the staff here give you a bathrobe so that helps a bit.
The logistics of getting a person admitted, through to discharge are quite amazing. The number of people you deal with is impressive, and each one of them confirms your name and DOB.
Anaesthestic drugs are quick! I got the small jab for the cannula (?), followed by the good stuff. I remember saying that the light above the operating table was going funny and next I knew I was waking up in Recovery. It probably took less than 10 seconds for me to go completely under.
After surgery, my head and half my face were swathed in a balaclava-like stretch mesh net. My face was swollen and half my mouth looked like it was sliding off my skull! The idea of the net is to hold the ice pack against your cheek. My husband said he got a real scare when he saw me!
I was out of hospital by 5 pm and we were on the road to Mandurah soon after. We stayed overnight in Mandurah and I had two ice cold sorbets for dinner. I was under strict instructions to have soft, sloppy, cold things like ice-cream.
I was given antibiotics and strong painkillers on discharge from the hospital. I took two painkillers that night — just in case. But I had no pain at all.
Next morning all the swelling had gone, and I felt great. No pain. Except for the gap where my tooth was, and some stitches I can feel with my tongue, you wouldn't know I'd had surgery.
Swishing hot salty water around your mouth is unpleasant. I have to do it four times a day, and it doesn't get any easier. At least I don't have to swallow it.
So far, it's all good!
I'm glad to hear they could handle the tooth.