text:
#include <Uefi.h>

#include <IndustryStandard/Acpi50.h>
#include <IndustryStandard/Bmp.h>

#include <Protocol/AcpiTable.h>
#include <Protocol/GraphicsOutput.h>
#include <Protocol/BootLogo.h>

#include <Guid/EventGroup.h>

#include <Library/BaseLib.h>
#include <Library/BaseMemoryLib.h>
#include <Library/MemoryAllocationLib.h>
#include <Library/UefiBootServicesTableLib.h>
#include <Library/DebugLib.h>

//
// ACPI table information used to initialize tables.
//
#define EFI_ACPI_OEM_ID           "INTEL"
#define EFI_ACPI_OEM_TABLE_ID     0x2020204F4E414954ULL // "TIANO   "
#define EFI_ACPI_OEM_REVISION     0x00000001
#define EFI_ACPI_CREATOR_ID       0x5446534D            // TBD "MSFT"
#define EFI_ACPI_CREATOR_REVISION 0x01000013            // TBD

//
// Module globals.
//
EFI_EVENT  mBootGraphicsReadyToBootEvent;
UINTN      mBootGraphicsResourceTableKey = 0;

EFI_HANDLE                     mBootLogoHandle = NULL;
BOOLEAN                        mIsLogoValid = FALSE;
EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL  *mLogoBltBuffer = NULL;
UINTN                          mLogoDestX = 0;
UINTN                          mLogoDestY = 0;
UINTN                          mLogoWidth = 0;
UINTN                          mLogoHeight = 0;

BMP_IMAGE_HEADER  mBmpImageHeaderTemplate = {
  'B',    // CharB
  'M',    // CharM
  0,      // Size will be updated at runtime
  {0, 0}, // Reserved
  sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER), // ImageOffset
  sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER) - OFFSET_OF (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER, HeaderSize), // HeaderSize
  0,      // PixelWidth will be updated at runtime
  0,      // PixelHeight will be updated at runtime
  1,      // Planes
  24,     // BitPerPixel
  0,      // CompressionType
  0,      // ImageSize will be updated at runtime
  0,      // XPixelsPerMeter
  0,      // YPixelsPerMeter
  0,      // NumberOfColors
  0       // ImportantColors
};

BOOLEAN  mAcpiBgrtInstalled = FALSE;
BOOLEAN  mAcpiBgrtStatusChanged = FALSE;
BOOLEAN  mAcpiBgrtBufferChanged = FALSE;

EFI_ACPI_5_0_BOOT_GRAPHICS_RESOURCE_TABLE mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate = {
  {
    EFI_ACPI_5_0_BOOT_GRAPHICS_RESOURCE_TABLE_SIGNATURE,
    sizeof (EFI_ACPI_5_0_BOOT_GRAPHICS_RESOURCE_TABLE),
    EFI_ACPI_5_0_BOOT_GRAPHICS_RESOURCE_TABLE_REVISION,     // Revision
    0x00,  // Checksum will be updated at runtime
    //
    // It is expected that these values will be updated at runtime.
    //
    EFI_ACPI_OEM_ID,            // OEMID is a 6 bytes long field
    EFI_ACPI_OEM_TABLE_ID,      // OEM table identification(8 bytes long)
    EFI_ACPI_OEM_REVISION,      // OEM revision number
    EFI_ACPI_CREATOR_ID,        // ASL compiler vendor ID
    EFI_ACPI_CREATOR_REVISION,  // ASL compiler revision number
  },
  EFI_ACPI_5_0_BGRT_VERSION,         // Version
  EFI_ACPI_5_0_BGRT_STATUS_VALID,    // Status
  EFI_ACPI_5_0_BGRT_IMAGE_TYPE_BMP,  // Image Type
  0,                                 // Image Address
  0,                                 // Image Offset X
  0                                  // Image Offset Y
};

/**
  Update information of logo image drawn on screen.

  @param  This           The pointer to the Boot Logo protocol instance.
  @param  BltBuffer      The BLT buffer for logo drawn on screen. If BltBuffer
                         is set to NULL, it indicates that logo image is no
                         longer on the screen.
  @param  DestinationX   X coordinate of destination for the BltBuffer.
  @param  DestinationY   Y coordinate of destination for the BltBuffer.
  @param  Width          Width of rectangle in BltBuffer in pixels.
  @param  Height         Hight of rectangle in BltBuffer in pixels.

  @retval EFI_SUCCESS             The boot logo information was updated.
  @retval EFI_INVALID_PARAMETER   One of the parameters has an invalid value.
  @retval EFI_OUT_OF_RESOURCES    The logo information was not updated due to
                                  insufficient memory resources.

**/
EFI_STATUS
EFIAPI
SetBootLogo (
  IN EFI_BOOT_LOGO_PROTOCOL            *This,
  IN EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL     *BltBuffer       OPTIONAL,
  IN UINTN                             DestinationX,
  IN UINTN                             DestinationY,
  IN UINTN                             Width,
  IN UINTN                             Height
  );

EFI_BOOT_LOGO_PROTOCOL  mBootLogoProtocolTemplate = { SetBootLogo };

/**
  Update information of logo image drawn on screen.

  @param  This           The pointer to the Boot Logo protocol instance.
  @param  BltBuffer      The BLT buffer for logo drawn on screen. If BltBuffer
                         is set to NULL, it indicates that logo image is no
                         longer on the screen.
  @param  DestinationX   X coordinate of destination for the BltBuffer.
  @param  DestinationY   Y coordinate of destination for the BltBuffer.
  @param  Width          Width of rectangle in BltBuffer in pixels.
  @param  Height         Hight of rectangle in BltBuffer in pixels.

  @retval EFI_SUCCESS             The boot logo information was updated.
  @retval EFI_INVALID_PARAMETER   One of the parameters has an invalid value.
  @retval EFI_OUT_OF_RESOURCES    The logo information was not updated due to
                                  insufficient memory resources.

**/
EFI_STATUS
EFIAPI
SetBootLogo (
  IN EFI_BOOT_LOGO_PROTOCOL            *This,
  IN EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL     *BltBuffer       OPTIONAL,
  IN UINTN                             DestinationX,
  IN UINTN                             DestinationY,
  IN UINTN                             Width,
  IN UINTN                             Height
  )
{
  UINT64                        BufferSize;

  if (BltBuffer == NULL) {
    mIsLogoValid = FALSE;
    mAcpiBgrtStatusChanged = TRUE;
    return EFI_SUCCESS;
  }

  if (Width == 0 || Height == 0) {
    return EFI_INVALID_PARAMETER;
  }

  mAcpiBgrtBufferChanged = TRUE;
  if (mLogoBltBuffer != NULL) {
    FreePool (mLogoBltBuffer);
    mLogoBltBuffer = NULL;
  }

  //
  // Ensure the Height * Width doesn't overflow
  //
  if (Height > DivU64x64Remainder ((UINTN) ~0, Width, NULL)) {
    return EFI_UNSUPPORTED;
  }
  BufferSize = MultU64x64 (Width, Height);

  //
  // Ensure the BufferSize * sizeof (EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL) doesn't overflow
  //
  if (BufferSize > DivU64x32 ((UINTN) ~0, sizeof (EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL))) {
    return EFI_UNSUPPORTED;
  }

  mLogoBltBuffer = AllocateCopyPool (
                     (UINTN)BufferSize * sizeof (EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL),
                     BltBuffer
                     );
  if (mLogoBltBuffer == NULL) {
    return EFI_OUT_OF_RESOURCES;
  }
  mLogoDestX = DestinationX;
  mLogoDestY = DestinationY;
  mLogoWidth = Width;
  mLogoHeight = Height;
  mIsLogoValid = TRUE;

  return EFI_SUCCESS;
}

/**
  This function calculates and updates an UINT8 checksum.

  @param[in]  Buffer          Pointer to buffer to checksum.
  @param[in]  Size            Number of bytes to checksum.

**/
VOID
BgrtAcpiTableChecksum (
  IN UINT8      *Buffer,
  IN UINTN      Size
  )
{
  UINTN ChecksumOffset;

  ChecksumOffset = OFFSET_OF (EFI_ACPI_DESCRIPTION_HEADER, Checksum);

  //
  // Set checksum to 0 first.
  //
  Buffer[ChecksumOffset] = 0;

  //
  // Update checksum value.
  //
  Buffer[ChecksumOffset] = CalculateCheckSum8 (Buffer, Size);
}

/**
  Allocate EfiReservedMemoryType below 4G memory address.

  This function allocates EfiReservedMemoryType below 4G memory address.

  @param[in]  Size   Size of memory to allocate.

  @return Allocated address for output.

**/
VOID *
BgrtAllocateReservedMemoryBelow4G (
  IN UINTN       Size
  )
{
  UINTN                 Pages;
  EFI_PHYSICAL_ADDRESS  Address;
  EFI_STATUS            Status;
  VOID                  *Buffer;

  Pages   = EFI_SIZE_TO_PAGES (Size);
  Address = 0xffffffff;

  Status = gBS->AllocatePages (
                  AllocateMaxAddress,
                  EfiReservedMemoryType,
                  Pages,
                  &Address
                  );
  ASSERT_EFI_ERROR (Status);

  Buffer = (VOID *) (UINTN) Address;
  ZeroMem (Buffer, Size);

  return Buffer;
}

/**
  Install Boot Graphics Resource Table to ACPI table.

  @return Status code.

**/
EFI_STATUS
InstallBootGraphicsResourceTable (
  VOID
  )
{
  EFI_STATUS                    Status;
  EFI_ACPI_TABLE_PROTOCOL       *AcpiTableProtocol;
  UINT8                         *ImageBuffer;
  UINTN                         PaddingSize;
  UINTN                         BmpSize;
  UINTN                         OrigBmpSize;
  UINT8                         *Image;
  EFI_GRAPHICS_OUTPUT_BLT_PIXEL *BltPixel;
  UINTN                         Col;
  UINTN                         Row;

  //
  // Get ACPI Table protocol.
  //
  Status = gBS->LocateProtocol (&gEfiAcpiTableProtocolGuid, NULL, (VOID **) &AcpiTableProtocol);
  if (EFI_ERROR (Status)) {
    return Status;
  }

  //
  // Check whether Boot Graphics Resource Table is already installed.
  //
  if (mAcpiBgrtInstalled) {
    if (!mAcpiBgrtStatusChanged && !mAcpiBgrtBufferChanged) {
      //
      // Nothing has changed
      //
      return EFI_SUCCESS;
    } else {
      //
      // If BGRT data change happens. Uninstall Orignal AcpiTable first
      //
      Status = AcpiTableProtocol->UninstallAcpiTable (
                                    AcpiTableProtocol,
                                    mBootGraphicsResourceTableKey
                                    );
      if (EFI_ERROR (Status)) {
        return Status;
      }
    }
  } else {
    //
    // Check whether Logo exist.
    //
    if ( mLogoBltBuffer == NULL) {
      return EFI_NOT_FOUND;
    }
  }

  if (mAcpiBgrtBufferChanged) {
    //
    // reserve original BGRT buffer size
    //
    OrigBmpSize = mBmpImageHeaderTemplate.ImageSize + sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER);
    //
    // Free orignal BMP memory
    //
    if (mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate.ImageAddress) {
      gBS->FreePages(mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate.ImageAddress, EFI_SIZE_TO_PAGES(OrigBmpSize));
    }

    //
    // Allocate memory for BMP file.
    //
    PaddingSize = mLogoWidth & 0x3;

    //
    // First check mLogoWidth * 3 + PaddingSize doesn't overflow
    //
    if (mLogoWidth > (((UINT32) ~0) - PaddingSize) / 3 ) {
      return EFI_UNSUPPORTED;
    }

    //
    // Second check (mLogoWidth * 3 + PaddingSize) * mLogoHeight + sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER) doesn't overflow
    //
    if (mLogoHeight > (((UINT32) ~0) - sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER)) / (mLogoWidth * 3 + PaddingSize)) {
      return EFI_UNSUPPORTED;
    }

    BmpSize = (mLogoWidth * 3 + PaddingSize) * mLogoHeight + sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER);
    ImageBuffer = BgrtAllocateReservedMemoryBelow4G (BmpSize);
    if (ImageBuffer == NULL) {
      return EFI_OUT_OF_RESOURCES;
    }

    mBmpImageHeaderTemplate.Size = (UINT32) BmpSize;
    mBmpImageHeaderTemplate.ImageSize = (UINT32) BmpSize - sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER);
    mBmpImageHeaderTemplate.PixelWidth = (UINT32) mLogoWidth;
    mBmpImageHeaderTemplate.PixelHeight = (UINT32) mLogoHeight;
    CopyMem (ImageBuffer, &mBmpImageHeaderTemplate, sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER));

    //
    // Convert BLT buffer to BMP file.
    //
    Image = ImageBuffer + sizeof (BMP_IMAGE_HEADER);
    for (Row = 0; Row < mLogoHeight; Row++) {
    BltPixel = &mLogoBltBuffer[(mLogoHeight - Row - 1) * mLogoWidth];

    for (Col = 0; Col < mLogoWidth; Col++) {
      *Image++ = BltPixel->Blue;
      *Image++ = BltPixel->Green;
      *Image++ = BltPixel->Red;
      BltPixel++;
    }

      //
      // Padding for 4 byte alignment.
      //
      Image += PaddingSize;
    }
    FreePool (mLogoBltBuffer);
    mLogoBltBuffer = NULL;

    mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate.ImageAddress = (UINT64) (UINTN) ImageBuffer;
    mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate.ImageOffsetX = (UINT32) mLogoDestX;
    mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate.ImageOffsetY = (UINT32) mLogoDestY;
  }

  mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate.Status = (UINT8) (mIsLogoValid ? EFI_ACPI_5_0_BGRT_STATUS_VALID : EFI_ACPI_5_0_BGRT_STATUS_INVALID);

  //
  // Update Checksum.
  //
  BgrtAcpiTableChecksum ((UINT8 *) &mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate, sizeof (EFI_ACPI_5_0_BOOT_GRAPHICS_RESOURCE_TABLE));

  //
  // Publish Boot Graphics Resource Table.
  //
  Status = AcpiTableProtocol->InstallAcpiTable (
                                AcpiTableProtocol,
                                &mBootGraphicsResourceTableTemplate,
                                sizeof (EFI_ACPI_5_0_BOOT_GRAPHICS_RESOURCE_TABLE),
                                &mBootGraphicsResourceTableKey
                                );
  if (EFI_ERROR (Status)) {
    return Status;
  }

  mAcpiBgrtInstalled = TRUE;
  mAcpiBgrtStatusChanged = FALSE;
  mAcpiBgrtBufferChanged = FALSE;

  return Status;
}

/**
  Notify function for event group EFI_EVENT_GROUP_READY_TO_BOOT. This is used to
  install the Boot Graphics Resource Table.

  @param[in]  Event   The Event that is being processed.
  @param[in]  Context The Event Context.

**/
VOID
EFIAPI
BgrtReadyToBootEventNotify (
  IN EFI_EVENT        Event,
  IN VOID             *Context
  )
{
  InstallBootGraphicsResourceTable ();
}

/**
  The module Entry Point of the Boot Graphics Resource Table DXE driver.

  @param[in]  ImageHandle    The firmware allocated handle for the EFI image.
  @param[in]  SystemTable    A pointer to the EFI System Table.

  @retval EFI_SUCCESS    The entry point is executed successfully.
  @retval Other          Some error occurs when executing this entry point.

**/
EFI_STATUS
EFIAPI
BootGraphicsDxeEntryPoint (
  IN EFI_HANDLE          ImageHandle,
  IN EFI_SYSTEM_TABLE    *SystemTable
  )
{
  EFI_STATUS  Status;

  //
  // Install Boot Logo protocol.
  //
  Status = gBS->InstallMultipleProtocolInterfaces (
                  &mBootLogoHandle,
                  &gEfiBootLogoProtocolGuid,
                  &mBootLogoProtocolTemplate,
                  NULL
                  );
  ASSERT_EFI_ERROR (Status);

  //
  // Register notify function to install BGRT on ReadyToBoot Event.
  //
  Status = gBS->CreateEventEx (
                  EVT_NOTIFY_SIGNAL,
                  TPL_CALLBACK,
                  BgrtReadyToBootEventNotify,
                  NULL,
                  &gEfiEventReadyToBootGuid,
                  &mBootGraphicsReadyToBootEvent
                  );
  ASSERT_EFI_ERROR (Status);

  return Status;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
namespace {
const char kPortForwardingTestPage[] = "/devtools/port_forwarding/main.html";

const int kDefaultDebuggingPort = 9223;
const int kAlternativeDebuggingPort = 9224;

}

class PortForwardingTest: public InProcessBrowserTest {
  virtual int GetRemoteDebuggingPort() {
    return kDefaultDebuggingPort;
  }

  void SetUpCommandLine(base::CommandLine* command_line) override {
    InProcessBrowserTest::SetUpCommandLine(command_line);
    command_line->AppendSwitchASCII(switches::kRemoteDebuggingPort,
        base::IntToString(GetRemoteDebuggingPort()));
  }

 protected:
  class Listener : public DevToolsAndroidBridge::PortForwardingListener {
   public:
    explicit Listener(Profile* profile)
        : profile_(profile),
          skip_empty_devices_(true) {
      DevToolsAndroidBridge::Factory::GetForProfile(profile_)->
          AddPortForwardingListener(this);
    }

    ~Listener() override {
      DevToolsAndroidBridge::Factory::GetForProfile(profile_)->
          RemovePortForwardingListener(this);
    }

    void PortStatusChanged(const ForwardingStatus& status) override {
      if (status.empty() && skip_empty_devices_)
        return;
      base::ThreadTaskRunnerHandle::Get()->PostTask(
          FROM_HERE, base::MessageLoop::QuitWhenIdleClosure());
    }

    void set_skip_empty_devices(bool skip_empty_devices) {
      skip_empty_devices_ = skip_empty_devices;
    }

   private:
    Profile* profile_;
    bool skip_empty_devices_;
  };
};

// Flaky on all platforms. https://crbug.com/477696
IN_PROC_BROWSER_TEST_F(PortForwardingTest,
                       DISABLED_LoadPageWithStyleAnsScript) {
  Profile* profile = browser()->profile();

  AndroidDeviceManager::DeviceProviders device_providers;

  device_providers.push_back(
      TCPDeviceProvider::CreateForLocalhost(kDefaultDebuggingPort));
  DevToolsAndroidBridge::Factory::GetForProfile(profile)->
      set_device_providers_for_test(device_providers);

  ASSERT_TRUE(embedded_test_server()->Start());
  GURL original_url = embedded_test_server()->GetURL(kPortForwardingTestPage);

  std::string forwarding_port("8000");
  GURL forwarding_url(original_url.scheme() + "://" +
      original_url.host() + ":" + forwarding_port + original_url.path());

  PrefService* prefs = profile->GetPrefs();
  prefs->SetBoolean(prefs::kDevToolsPortForwardingEnabled, true);

  base::DictionaryValue config;
  config.SetString(
      forwarding_port, original_url.host() + ":" + original_url.port());
  prefs->Set(prefs::kDevToolsPortForwardingConfig, config);

  Listener wait_for_port_forwarding(profile);
  content::RunMessageLoop();

  RemoteDebuggingServer::EnableTetheringForDebug();

  ui_test_utils::NavigateToURL(browser(), forwarding_url);

  content::RenderViewHost* rvh = browser()->tab_strip_model()->
      GetWebContentsAt(0)->GetRenderViewHost();

  std::string result;
  ASSERT_TRUE(
      content::ExecuteScriptAndExtractString(
          rvh,
          "window.domAutomationController.send(document.title)",
          &result));
  ASSERT_EQ("Port forwarding test", result) << "Document has not loaded.";

  ASSERT_TRUE(
      content::ExecuteScriptAndExtractString(
          rvh,
          "window.domAutomationController.send(getBodyTextContent())",
          &result));
  ASSERT_EQ("content", result) << "Javascript has not loaded.";

  ASSERT_TRUE(
      content::ExecuteScriptAndExtractString(
          rvh,
          "window.domAutomationController.send(getBodyMarginLeft())",
          &result));
  ASSERT_EQ("100px", result) << "CSS has not loaded.";

  // Test that disabling port forwarding is handled normally.
  wait_for_port_forwarding.set_skip_empty_devices(false);
  prefs->SetBoolean(prefs::kDevToolsPortForwardingEnabled, false);
  content::RunMessageLoop();
}

class PortForwardingDisconnectTest : public PortForwardingTest {
  int GetRemoteDebuggingPort() override {
    return kAlternativeDebuggingPort;
  }
};

IN_PROC_BROWSER_TEST_F(PortForwardingDisconnectTest, DisconnectOnRelease) {
  Profile* profile = browser()->profile();

  AndroidDeviceManager::DeviceProviders device_providers;

  scoped_refptr<TCPDeviceProvider> self_provider(
      TCPDeviceProvider::CreateForLocalhost(kAlternativeDebuggingPort));
  device_providers.push_back(self_provider);

  DevToolsAndroidBridge::Factory::GetForProfile(profile)->
      set_device_providers_for_test(device_providers);

  ASSERT_TRUE(embedded_test_server()->Start());
  GURL original_url = embedded_test_server()->GetURL(kPortForwardingTestPage);

  std::string forwarding_port("8000");
  GURL forwarding_url(original_url.scheme() + "://" +
      original_url.host() + ":" + forwarding_port + original_url.path());

  PrefService* prefs = profile->GetPrefs();
  prefs->SetBoolean(prefs::kDevToolsPortForwardingEnabled, true);

  base::DictionaryValue config;
  config.SetString(
      forwarding_port, original_url.host() + ":" + original_url.port());
  prefs->Set(prefs::kDevToolsPortForwardingConfig, config);

  scoped_ptr<Listener> wait_for_port_forwarding(new Listener(profile));
  content::RunMessageLoop();

  self_provider->set_release_callback_for_test(
      base::Bind(&base::MessageLoop::PostTask,
                 base::Unretained(base::MessageLoop::current()), FROM_HERE,
                 base::MessageLoop::QuitWhenIdleClosure()));
  wait_for_port_forwarding.reset();
  content::RunMessageLoop();
}


OPEN Rainbow Garden Flag is an excellent way to add a splash of color and fun to any outdoor space. The applique design with tight embroidered accents creates the reverse graphic on the backside so the beautifully designed rainbow and easily visible OPEN sign is displayed on both sides. Use to help people find your gay family friendly business.


My Roeper story is about finding a place where adults are nurtured with their children, or to paraphrase Robert Fulgum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, all I really needed to know, I learned at Roeper.
From psychologist Judy Packard, after she conducted what would be the first of several IQ tests for our children: "Never forget you are the parent. She might be smarter than you, but you will always be her mother." Judy helped me learn to examine the complicated feelings I sometimes felt as an inexperienced parent, instead of just looking for a simple answer in a parenting book. She gave me the confidence to embrace the role of the mother of a gifted child. There was no right or wrong way, and she gave me the strength to accept that.
From then Head of School Chuck Webster on my new job as Lower School Secretary: "I have confidence in you. If you couldn't do the job, you wouldn't be here." When internal confidence is wavering, it never hurts to have it reinforced by someone else! I almost forgot that we learn from mistakes, and I prepared myself for making plenty.
From my office in the Domes I learned that a Band-Aid or a hug can make almost everything feel better, especially when backed up with a friendly smile and/or a shoulder to lean on. And a lot of times people just need to have someone to listen. I learned that I could be pretty good at that.
From Annemarie, when I worried that our daughter wasn't finding direction in her life: "Gifted people often have that problem. When you are only good at one thing, it's easy to decide what you will do, but when you are good at many things, you want to try them all. Don't forget, it's her journey, not yours." You can't take someone else's journey for them; sometimes you can't even help them along the way. The best you can do is to offer them some tools to make their own decisions and then support them.
From Carolyn Lett, who asked me to join her SEED program: Despite my reservations about revisiting and stirring up old, painful memories and sharing these very personal feelings, she encouraged me to acknowledge those feelings and to accept those truths as part of my own story. I learned how using windows and mirrors could help me better understand myself and others.
At Roeper I found support when I needed it, help when I wanted it, advice when I asked for it, and a place for me to return the favor.


text:
Ayé Aton (born Robert Underwood, January 29, 1940, Versailles, Kentucky; died October 30, 2017, in Lexington, Kentucky), was an American painter, designer, muralist, musician, and teacher.

Aton played percussion in Sun Ra's Arkestra for several years in the 1970s. As a visual artist he was known for his outer space-themed murals, which he painted in private homes and on building exteriors in Chicago during the 1960s and 1970s. He later became an arts educator in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and rendered hundreds of fine art paintings with African, Egyptian, Native American, Afrofuturist, and abstract motifs.

In 2013, historian John Corbett collaborated with artist/author Glenn Ligon on a book entitled Sun Ra + Ayé Aton: Space, Interiors, and Exteriors, which featured previously unpublished 1960s and '70s photographs of Aton's large-scale murals, as well as stills from Sun Ra's feature length film, Space is the Place.

"[Aton's] murals, with their images of blazing suns, pyramids, comets and planetary bodies painted on the walls of black homes all over [Chicago's] South Side," wrote Ligon, "were about a future that he, by way of Sun Ra, was reaching his hand out to take them to. Commissioned from the early 1960s through the beginning of the 1970s, the murals were backdrop to house parties, birthdays, heated arguments, fucking, heartache and life. They were the album sleeve art for Afrocentric and Afrofuturist philosophies that helped a generation reimagine itself."

Ian Bourland, in Frieze magazine in 2015, wrote that "[Aton] drummed for Ra's Arkestra, whose synthesis of occultism and sci-fi aesthetics found their way into Aton's large-scale, pop-psychedelic wall paintings in homes throughout Chicago's southside – an update of the visionary panoramas of black deco artists such as Aaron Douglas."

Life and involvement with Sun Ra

Underwood was born in Versailles, Kentucky, and moved to New York during his teens. In 1960, he moved to Chicago, around the time that his eventual mentor, musician Sun Ra, moved from Chicago to New York. Corbett wrote that "[Underwood spent] time with a study group made up of older men who played checkers in Washington Park on Chicago's South Side. He was an inquisitive young man, asking deep questions about all manners of obscure topics, and several members of the study group told him about their go-to guy for such queries: a fellow they knew as Sunny Ray [sic], who had recently left town but was best equipped to help [Underwood] on his quest for knowledge."

Underwood phoned Ra, who was receptive to mentorship. According to Corbett, Ra and Aton spoke almost daily for the next eleven years, with Ra providing artistic, philosophical, and religious guidance. It was during this period that Underwood changed his name to Ayé Aton, possibly at the suggestion (or instruction) of Sun Ra. (The name "Aton" is a variant spelling of "Aten," the disc of the sun, which was an aspect of the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra. When Sun Ra was based in Chicago in the 1950s, his band often performed at dances sponsored by a social group called "The Atonites.") During this period Ayé began painting ambitious murals in the homes of Chicago's South Side residents and outdoors in public venues, guided by Ra's suggestions of Egyptian motifs, colorful abstractions, and outer space imagery.

Around 1972 Aton relocated to Philadelphia, where he took residence in Sun Ra's communal house in the Germantown district and joined Ra's celebrated Arkestra as a drummer and percussionist. While living in the house, Aton painted murals in the rooms of fellow musicians Marshall Allen and John Gilmore, as well as in Sun Ra's room.

Aton played drums and percussion with Sun Ra & His Arkestra from 1972 to 1976, and was part of Ra's ensemble on the albums Space is the Place and Discipline 27-II. He performed with Sun Ra & His Arkestra at the 1972 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, and at Sun Ra's Carnegie Hall concert on July 6, 1973. Over the years, Aton also performed extensively with other musicians, including Fred Anderson and Joseph Jarman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

Three of Aton's murals (credited to "aye") were reproduced in Sun Ra's 1972 poetry compilation, Extensions Out: The Immeasurable Equation, Vol. II. (The original works were rendered in color, but were reproduced in black and white, including one on the cover.)

Later career

In 1976, Ayé left the Arkestra and moved back to Chicago. He played percussion with Infinite Spirit Music, who in 1979 recorded the album Live Without Fear, issued in 1980 on Ancient Afrika Records.

In 1983, Aton moved to Baton Rouge, where he became a community arts advocate and played drums in local ensembles.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2016, he moved back to Kentucky, where he spent the last year of his life living with his son Ahmosis Aton. In Ayé's final 20 years he produced hundreds of works on canvas, paper, and board, most of which have never been publicly exhibited or published.

In 2013, the Studio Museum in Harlem presented his first solo exhibition of work, Ayé Aton: Space-Time Continuum. Aton's work was featured in the 2016 exhibition The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965–Now, which was organized by Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, and which traveled to the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania. A posthumous exhibit, Ayé Aton: Sun Ra and Beyond, was presented in Lexington's Living Arts & Science Center's Kincaid Gallery in 2021.

References

External links

 Ayé Aton selected works at March Gallery, New York
 Sun Ra + Ayé Aton: Space, Interiors and Exteriors, 1972 (2013 book) at Corbett vs. Dempsey website

African-American artists
20th-century American artists
American drummers
American percussionists
Artists from Kentucky
Musicians from Kentucky
Sun Ra Arkestra members
1940 births
2017 deaths
Afrofuturism
Deaths from cancer in Kentucky
People from Versailles, Kentucky

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The compact PB Swiss Tools roll-up cases are professional tool sets: they are indispensable companions for assembly and servicing work, for leisure at home and on the move.
With the comprehensive blade assortment for all common types and sizes of screw, no screw will stay loose. With the bit-holder interchangeable blades, all PrecisionBits of type C6 can be used in all exchangeable and torque handles.
The roll-up case PB 8215 is also available in a version with ESD handles. They protect electronic components by reliably dissipating electrostatic charges.


text:
Home Rifles New Gun Overview: IWI TAVOR SAR, Part One
New Gun Overview: IWI TAVOR SAR, Part One
Jeremy S.
By Jeremy S.
This is only a first impression of the IWI TAVOR SAR – a few rounds sent down range and a bit of time checking it out, handling it, and getting used to the unique manipulation of this bullpup rifle. We'll take care of all of the measurements, stats, and details here, cover a bit of background and include some comments from ex-IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers familiar with the rifle. Expect a much more exciting video a couple weeks from now with follow-up impressions and any updates or changes. It may not be as exciting as these IDF women, but I'll do what I can . . .
In 2001, the TAVOR TAR-21 (TAVOR Assault Rifle, 21st Century) began limited testing in the IDF. By 2003, it saw a larger rollout and most soldiers were receiving at least some training with it, with quite a few units carrying it. During 2009, it officially replaced the M16/M4 variant rifles, which means many IDF soldiers wrapping up their mandatory 3-year service terms in 2012 or 2013 had never handled an M16/M4 in the service.
Fast forward to a few months ago, and the first TAVOR SAR (Semi-Automatic Rifle) hit the civilian market in the United States. Much to our great joy, this is NOT just some licensed copy farmed out to whatever company that bid highest for the rights to the name and general design. IWI – Israel Weapon Industries – opened up a U.S. branch and IWI U.S., Inc is now distributing and manufacturing the real deal right here in 'merica. With the exception of the conspicuously missing full auto setting, the SAR has a fully MIL-Standard pedigree, with few if any changes to the IDF weapons.
A rifle designed as a bullpup from the ground up is decidedly cool. But how many are willing to pay for extra that? How much of the TAVOR's MSRP pays for the novelty – the fact that, unlike an AR, I can't get something nearly identical from 50 competing manufacturers? Upon first opening the box and inspecting its contents, I realized that the asking price is justified indeed.
As mentioned before, the SAR is truly military grade. This can be seen in its [made in Israel] cold hammer forged, CrMoV, fully hard chrome lined, 1:7 twist, 5.56 chambered barrel, ordnance grade steel receiver, integral flip-up iron sights complete with Tritium front post, and excellent attention to detail in fit, finish, and assembly. All parts are mil-spec and interchangeable. Field stripping takes all of four seconds with no tool needed, and the long-stroke gas piston stays clean of carbon and requires no lubrication. Detail stripping the bolt and the piston system and removing the trigger group takes just a few more seconds.
Also contributing to that healthy MSRP is undoubtedly the best cleaning kit I've ever seen with a new gun. Inside the IWI belt pouch is a slotted rod for patches, four cleaning rod extensions – one with a swiveling T handle, a squeeze bottle for lube/CLP/Manischewitz, a chamber brush, a bore brush, a 'general cleaning' bristle brush (I said boar bristle in the video but I doubt it's treif. It's natural, not synthetic, though, according to my wife's infinite arts and crafts expertise). There's also a large brush for cleaning inside the receiver, and a tool for adjusting the front sight's windage and elevation.
It doesn't end there, though, as the TAVOR also ships with a pair of extremely high quality QD swivel studs, a nice IWI magazine (a re-branded CAA MAG-17, complete with a very usable round count window and pop-out button in the baseplate to let you know when the mag's full), and what is certainly the best owner's manual I've laid eyes on. The "Operator Manual" is full of color diagrams explaining everything from lube points to full detail stripping directions, barrel and caliber swap directions, cleaning and other maintenance protocols, parts diagrams, sub-assembly diagrams, etc. Whew.
Leafing through the owner's manual shows just how versatile the TAVOR platform really is. In a matter of a couple minutes, the rifle can be swapped from 5.56/.223 to 5.45×39 or even to 9×19. The 5.45 conversion requires a new bolt and a new barrel, while the 9mm conversion requires those plus the addition of a mag well adapter designed to accept UZI magazines. You'll need a special barrel wrench is required to remove the factory barrel and lock in a new one, and a wrench is included with either of the caliber conversion kits.
Southpaw? No problem, as the TAVOR is fully ambi. As it arrives to you, two QD swivel mounts are located on each side, the charging handle can be swapped to either side, the safety can be swapped to either side, and the magazine release is already right in the middle and perfect for righties or lefties.
Although the TAVOR, thanks to ejecting forwards out to about the 1:30 position (with 5.56 ammo), can be fired from either shoulder without suffering brass-in-the-face, it can also be configured to eject from either side of the receiver. To swap from right- to left-hand ejection (or vice-versa, as you can order an out-of-the-box fully left hand TAVOR), though, you'll need a new bolt. Since the barrel has to come out to complete the L/R switch, IWI ships replacement bolts with a barrel wrench. MSRP is $109 for the kit. The ejection port and brass deflector are then easily moved across to the opposite side.
If we have to compare it with the venerable AR platform (and we must), the TAVOR has a couple of shortcomings. Perhaps most obvious is the fixed stock. Length of pull is not adjustable, and there isn't a whole market full of stock options like you may be used to. Similarly, the pistol grip is an integral part of the body and can't be replaced. At first glance I was worried that it might be too skinny, but I find it to be absolutely acceptable. Maybe not as nice for me as the properly-sized, ergonomic grip on my AR, but it's still comfortable and certainly just as functional. It even has built-in storage, as does the stock (the stock's is quite limited, but it's there).
A full-length aluminum picatinny rail runs along the top and a shorter, polymer, 45 degree offset portion is next to that at the very front of the body. If you prefer to mount every accessory known to man on your AR, you'll find the TAVOR lacking in real estate. A small rail section is sold separately for the front dustcover/foregrip, and would be handy for mounting a vertical grip, bipod, or light. The barrel is threaded in standard 1/2×28, so any AR muzzle device or suppressor will work on the TAVOR.
This 16.5" barrel TAVOR (SAR-B16 – B for black) is only 26.125" in overall length. That's the same as a 10" barreled AR-15 SBR with its adjustable stock fully collapsed. It gives you the ballistics of a rifle in the overall length of an SBR. Its versatility exists in having a platform that's comfortable in close, tight quarters but also capable of reaching out there with rifle accuracy and velocity. The compact size is great for easy transport and carrying or deploying it from a vehicle. But despite its extremely short overall length, the TAVOR won't leave you all hunched up in the shoulders with its normal – maybe even slightly long – 15.75" length of pull. When shouldered it feels like an adult-sized rifle, but it doesn't balance or swing like one.
Weapon Manipulation
The bulk of the TAVOR's weight is centered behind the pistol grip. In fact, the actual balance point is between the front of the mag well and the top rear of the pistol grip (that's with no mag – add a loaded magazine and the balance point shifts even farther back). This makes the rifle easy to hold nice and steady, even without your support hand on it, for extended periods of time. The rubber butt pad is grippy enough to allow your shoulder to hold much of the gun's weight, leaving your hands free to concentrate on control and aiming.
To use a car analogy, handling is usually better when the front wheels steer and the rear wheels drive. Ask the front wheels to do both simultaneously and each function suffers. Compared to a typical AR-15, which has significantly more weight out there in front of the pistol grip, much of the 'driving' on the TAVOR has been shifted to your shoulder leaving your hands free to 'steer.'
IDF soldiers are apparently trained to utilize six points of contact on the TAVOR. One is the foregrip with your support hand. Two (less obvious) is the front of the trigger guard. You're supposed to lay your forearm along it. This creates a very stable firing platform. Three is the pistol grip. Four – also easy to overlook – is your strong hand forearm against the magazine. Five is your cheek weld and number six is the butt pad against your shoulder. I must say, the gun is really locked in and stable when you do all of this as taught. It feels fairly natural (and very much prevents 'chicken wing' from either elbow).
A common bullpup complaint is awkward magazine changes. Not only is the TAVOR pretty smooth in that area, but I think it's even better than an AR. Part of this is the balance – it's just so very easy to hold and control the gun with only your shooting hand on the pistol grip. The other two notable assets are an ideally located, large magazine release and an ideally located, large bolt release. Even without your support hand on the gun, you can shift your shooting hand thumb back and bump the mag release, dropping it free while your support hand is grabbing the next one.
You can also very easily perform a tactical reload (retaining the removed mag) by grabbing the magazine near the top with your support hand and simultaneously squeezing on the mag release with your index finger. This is extremely natural and easy to do. Now, as you seat a new magazine in place, simply flick your mag-holding-hand's thumb (it'll be your support hand) back to bump the bolt release and you're back in business. The same bolt release operates as a bolt catch, if you don't have an empty mag to do it, by pulling down on the back of it and easing the charging handle forwards (it's a bit awkward, as seen in the video).
The non-reciprocating charging handle is located at the front and has a bit of a swivel/detent that keeps it in place. When you grab it, it swivels out and can be brought backwards, cycling the action to the rear. The safety is in the same relative location and works the same way as an AR-15's. The single aperture of the rear peep sight is about the size of the standard small AR rear sight aperture, and the height of the sights is about the same, which means they'll co-witness with optics at the same height as on your AR.
I won't personally comment on reliability, as I've only put a few [flawless] rounds through my TAVOR so far. I can tell you that, in speaking with three ex-IDF guys at work, they all independently tell me that the TAVOR was significantly more reliable for them than the M16 (all three served during the transitional period and trained on and used both platforms). Whereas they had each dealt with or personally witnessed many dust-, dirt-, and mud-caused stoppages with the M16, they had seen next to none with the TAVOR.
It operates soaking wet, full of dirt…you name it. Two of them mentioned that swapping the foregrip for the version that allows for mounting a grenade launcher makes the gun susceptible to jamming due to dirt and other debris, which accounted for the very few stoppages they had seen. I specifically asked all of them for any 'dirt' on the gun, any negatives, any quirks that we Americans probably haven't found yet, or any common little 'modifications' that soldiers make immediately upon being issued a TAVOR. Crickets. They like the thing. A lot.
The TAVOR's brass deflector is smaller and more flush than an AR's, but still very effective. It kicks .223 out at 90 degrees (3 o'clock) or just forwards of that, and it kicks more powerful 5.56 farther forwards at about 45 degrees to the bore (call it 1:30). Your empty brass will bear a bit of a penalty for this, though. The deflector dents the body and the case mouth consistently and with surprising uniformity.
Trigger pull is fairly short, with a bit of creep before a crisp break. Reset is highly tactile and audible. The TAVOR's trigger pulls on a trigger bar/rod rather than pushing on one, which helps with the feel compared to most other bullpups. On the negative side, the TAVOR's trigger measured 11.5 lbs. and it feels every bit of it, or more.
Maybe because I'm so used to rifle triggers being significantly lighter and, on pistol triggers that are similarly heavy, I'm used to lots of travel. The TAVOR's trigger feels like you're pulling against an engaged safety until click – it fires. There are no aftermarket replacements or other upgrades that I'm aware of, at least not yet. That said, I got used to it quickly and it doesn't bother me for most shooting. It doesn't do the gun any favors for accuracy testing, though.
Back on the plus side, the TAVOR accepts basically any AR-15 magazine. Some 10-rounders don't fit well, apparently, but I didn't have one to give it a try. The Thermold 20-round mag I have worked fine, and even locked the bolt back consistently despite not usually doing that on most ARs. Worth noting is that Magpul Gen 2 PMAGs fit a bit snugly and don't typically drop free. They function fine and are easy to insert and remove; they just don't remove themselves when you hit the mag release. Gen 3's, although I didn't test one, are supposed to fit with sufficient wiggle room. The included CAA-made IWI mag worked great, as did a Troy Battlemag. Basically, any STANAG mag should work fine.
So far so good. Better than good. Highly maneuverable, accurate, great balance, easy to control, easy to carry, easy to operate, military grade…in short, cool. I can already tell this is one gun I will not be selling.
Caliber: 5.56×45 / .223 (chamber is 5.56). Conversion kits available for 5.45×39 and 9×19
Barrel Length: Available in 16.5" and 18" versions
Rate of Twist: 1:7
Overall Length: 26 1/8" (16.5" bbl) or 27 5/8" (18" bbl)
Length of Pull: 15.75"
Trigger Pull Weight: 11.5 lbs
Operation: long stroke gas piston, locking bolt (right or left ejection specific)
Capacity: Accepts AR-15 magazines
Finish: Polymer body available in Black or Flat Dark Earth. All metal parts treated for corrosion resistance
MSRP: $1,999 either color or barrel length. $2,599 in IDF version with Mepro-21 Reflex Sight affixed to barrel (note: this version does not have a full picatinny upper rail)
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http://www.youtube.com/user/EJ20Legacy
Jeremy is TTAG's Deputy Editor, working mostly behind the scenes but, when he attempts to write, he focuses on comprehensive gun & gear reviews. Jeremy strives to collect objective data whenever possible, and looks to write accurate reviews that reflect the true user experience. He lives outside of Austin, TX.
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BlinkyPete June 3, 2013 At 11:08
Awesome write up, thank you… I wish I didn't have so many other black guns on my wish list.
Nick June 3, 2013 At 11:27
put it on your list as Flat Dark Earth color, that way you have a reason to buy it before the other rifles
Hahahaha. I'll have to see if that loophole works with the wife.
Ron Burgundy June 3, 2013 At 19:16
Just check if she's got any outfit-matching handbags…. probably a closet full. So basically add the price of a handbag to the Tavor, to grease the wheels. 🙂
g June 3, 2013 At 11:10
Great review… love the pics and video.
Carrying the rifle in a raquet ball case? Super low profile. And awesome.
Jeremy S. June 3, 2013 At 12:39
It's the Blackhawk! Diversion Racquet bag that they unveiled at SHOT Show. The Tavor fits in there like it was designed for it, even with the Bushnell TRS-25 still on the rail.
http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Diversion-Carry-Racquet-Bag,1867,1561.htm
Jesse June 3, 2013 At 13:35
Any idea how the Tavor will fit with a larger optic on it? Something like a Mepro-21?
The farther forward that the optic is on the rail, the better, as the bag gets wider towards the front. That has to be the front, btw, because the height of the grip necessitates the barrel pointing the direction you see in the photo — the bag's too narrow if you flip the gun around. The TRS-25 does make a small visible bump in the edge of the closed bag where I have it mounted on the rail. I don't think you could fit an optic that's taller. Assuming the same height, you'd have room to move that height basically all the way forwards to the front of the rail with no problem, but probably not backwards at all. (so a scope that started at the high point of this TRS and went forwards should fit okay as well, but not one mounted any more towards the butt stock. If I moved my TRS forwards, it would fit even better… but I like where it is for shooting)
Here's another pic: http://goo.gl/3GmQR
…my TRS-25 is on a quick detach mount and the rail is numbered, so it would be quick and easy to take it off and put it in the bag separately and then pop it right back on in the same spot when I took the TAVOR out. But… it fits so it stays…
Well that looks like a no go for me then. The Mepro 21 is a larger sight all around and I like having it mounted as far back as I can get it to help with the balence.
BTW just wanted to amend my previous comment. It will fit in the bag facing the other direction, but only without an optic on it at all. You have to push the rail up as close to the top as you can in order to get the bag to close over the bottom of the grip. I definitely prefer the muzzle pointing towards the large diameter end of the bag, though, since that probably goes up when you carry the bag on your back, and I wouldn't really want all of the gun's weight pushing on the muzzle inside of the bag (I'd expect that to wear out the bag).
ready,fire,aim June 3, 2013 At 11:12
I purchased mine early in may (for my birthday) after sending a few down range i doubt i will ever pick up my s&w m&p again…seriously…
Joe June 3, 2013 At 11:24
Personal opinion: the trigger is not better than the Steyr Aug, having said that, I like it better than the Aug.
Bear June 3, 2013 At 11:31
@DZ My buddy bought one. He lightened the trigger by removing some extra spring within the block that seemed to be added to increase pull. No idea, I didn't quite follow him, just a heads up. I can get the exact details of what he did to you if you want.
Lord Platypus June 3, 2013 At 12:04
That spring is a reset spring. Its to make sure the hammer still resets even if there is debris in it. It can be removed and lightens the trigger by a pound or two, but its there for reliability.
I haven't removed mine, I don't think the trigger is all that bad really. Weight isn't everything.
I saw someone mention that on YouTube. I'll take mine out and measure the pull weight again. Chances are, though, that I'll put it back in and leave it in. I've put a couple hundred more rounds through the gun and am used to the heavier trigger. It's short and it's pretty crisp and I have no problems with rapid fire accuracy with it. It's just a surprise because I'm not used to a heavy trigger like that in rifle. Like Platypus said, weight isn't everything. It doesn't normally factor into my appraisal of whether a trigger is "good" or "bad" like grittiness and creep and stacking and such do. But I'll measure it w/out that spring and the result will be in the next write-up along with accuracy testing and a 500-round update and whatever else.
Done and done. Verified a drop from 11.5 lbs to 8 lbs and put it on video: youtube.com/watch?v=pd5abMIUdAQ
neiowa June 3, 2013 At 11:43
How about including compare/contrast to the AUG.
I have a Tavor and my roommate has an AUG. I like my Tavor better (obviously) but off the top of my head:
Some cons:
– The AUG doesn't take NATO mags by default, if you get the NATO stock you lose your bolt hold open.
– The AUG isn't as ambidextrous as the TAVOR. AUG doesn't have a brass deflector
– The AUG's 45 degree side rail is sorta in an awkward spot. My buddy hasn't figured out where he's going to place his light yet because he can't find a spot for the pressure switch
– The AUG has more weight further forward
Some pros:
– Integrated vertical foregrip. I know at least one person who chose the AUG over the Tavor for this very reason
– AUG mags have two locking points, some people like them better than NATO mags
– slightly cheaper, slightly more available (this will probably change in a few months)
– aftermarket accessories available (Tavor will still probably be a few months)
I'm a bit biased though, so take it with a grain of salt. Having shot both (and having shot an AUG first) I much prefer the Tavor.
0351 June 3, 2013 At 11:49
I swore I would never buy another rifle after my arguably perfect 308…Though I suppose it would be nice to have a handy sbr around…
I made that same promise 20 guns ago 🙂
jwm June 3, 2013 At 12:06
Yeah, I keep promising myself; no more guns, no more chocolate bars. Even tho I know I'm weak willed and can not keep either promise.
pwrserge June 3, 2013 At 14:04
Stupid chocolate bars making me buy more guns…
BurnOut June 3, 2013 At 11:58
Channeling my inner Leghorn, I have to wonder when we'll see a .300 BLK barrel swap setup… talk about an awesome! Add a suppressor, and I'd think that it would make an EXCELLENT hog gun, home defense piece, SWAT/SpecOps weapon, toy, cure for cancer, etc…
I figure it's only a matter of time… amiright??
Gyufygy June 3, 2013 At 12:01
"Cure for Cancer": shooting one tumor at a time. Counts as self-defense, right?
Check out IWI US's facebook page. They are very responsive to questions. The 300blk conversion has been asked about before and IWI confirmed it was in the works. Sounded like a year or two before its available though, but that's my guess. They may surprise us.
I got a Tavor recently and its fantastic. I love the Israeli 6 points of contact grip. The rifle feels so solid when I use it, going back to my AR feels unstable!
The trigger is heavy, but at least mine is very crisp, I don't feel any stacking and the break is very clean. I'm getting used to it and even like it.
I drank the Tavor kool-aid though, so take that for what you will!
Dred June 18, 2013 At 19:43
Yes, Lord Platypus and his Tavor have cost me handsomely. I recommend you avoid any invitations to touch, shoulder or – heaven forbid – fire one of these evil machines. I'm waiting patiently for my AR Lowers, but I could not manage patience after firing Plat's Tavor 1.5 weeks ago.
Mine will be here Friday. Pretty sad given that I wasn't in the market for another rifle.
I shoulda had the Kook Aide analyzed before I decided to try it – there was a mild after taste and I'm pretty certain it was laced.
Chaotic Good June 3, 2013 At 12:16
A great non-restricted rifle for our Canadian friends.
In Memphis June 3, 2013 At 12:22
Awesome review and pictures, thank you.
Im not sure how I feel about the trigger guard being so open, seems like it wont take much for something to get in front of the trigger. But I guess thats what safties are for and Im sure it wouldnt be the battle rifle of a major military force if it were an issue.
Anyways I am really interested in this, I hope after they are on the market for a while the price comes down a bit. Maybe Ill win the lotto, who knows.
Friendly Neighborhood Gunsmith June 3, 2013 At 12:38
I was lucky enough to get two of the first 18″ rifles off the assembly line, and even more lucky to be able to keep one of them here at the shop/range. I'm right down the road from IWI's facility in Harrisburg, PA and am still in contact with the company. Lots of great people there, and very friendly and supportive of smaller dealers which is something many gun makers fall short on.
Like Jeremy, my two rifles came with a trigger weight tipping the scales, but I've already worked out the kinks on my keeper gun to bring that pull down to a much more comfortable 7 pounds. That's including spring weight, the mechanical letoff is only 5.5. When I have time I'll be removing some of that slack and squishy takeup, but my goal is to keep the rifle's bomb-proof reliability intact. I'm extremely happy with the trigger as is though, and it still has room for improvement!
I can definitely see the Tavor proving popular and getting aftermarket interest pretty quickly. I'm still bugging IWI to see if I can get just a stripped polymer stock body to Cerakote!
HBA101 June 3, 2013 At 13:00
Sorry, I have no idea what you just wrote, I got stuck on the women of the IDF…
I'l try again and read your article with fresh attention…
Careful with those links… they are prolonging my time on this site…
Ben Eli June 3, 2013 At 13:18
Right now I'm finishing up a year in Israel and a lot of my friends here are active duty and I've heard mixed reviews from them about the Tavor. Most guys complain about the Tavor simply because it is different. But one very interesting complaint I heard last night was about cleaning and lubricating.
The way most people in the army lubricate the weapon is by dunking it in a tub of lube (!) and this lubricant is corrosive to the plastic parts. Not such a big deal with the AR because they take the stock off and the only plastic parts getting dunked are the handguards and grips. But the Tavor can potentially get eaten up after only a few years from this stuff because the whole thing is plastic fantastic. But I think most of the guys here probably don't keep a bucket-o-lube behind the house and probably won't do this. But other than that most guys like em. Points well, they can be fired one handed, and easier to maneuver with.
Anon in CT June 3, 2013 At 13:33
I had budgeted to get one, and then my "Democratic" overlords decided that I can't have one. Oh well, maybe the CCDL will win the lawsuit (please donate) or I'll buy a holiday cabin in PA or NH.
Michael Kassnar, VP Sales & Marketing of IWI US, Inc. June 3, 2013 At 13:56
Thanks for the great initial review of the TAVOR SAR.
However, one error that I must point out…
Please do not use the sight adjustment tool to unlock the barrel. It is not strong enough and you will most likely ruin the tool.
Use a specific barrel wrench available from IWI US.
Sorry about that, Michael! The video has a pop-up annotation stating that I said that in error, but those annotations can be turned on and off and maybe it didn't display for you. I'll make sure to specifically mention that in the follow-up video, which is certainly going to be more interesting. …there's some 100-yard accuracy testing, shooting w/ a suppressor, exploding targets, run-and-gun w/ the GoPro mounted to the rails, mag dumps, etc… Now that I've put a few hundred more rounds through it I think the only real follow-up is going to be that the trigger has grown on me and the gun just gets better and better the more I get used to it.
Tim U June 3, 2013 At 13:57
I still want one. This would be my end-all rifle. If I could only find a way to save for it, and then actually find one.
EagleScout87 June 3, 2013 At 14:01
My desire for this small arm knows no bounds.
Tim June 3, 2013 At 14:37
There's a reason everyone loves this gun and it keeps getting glowing reviews — that's because it's truly an exceptional rifle. Forget everything you once thought about bullpups and give this rifle try. Most of you will become instant bullpup fans.
Expect to see this rifle to go far in the U.S. market place. Also, don't fret about 10lbs triggers, given the popularity of this rifle you're going to see big names in quality aftermarket triggers offering kits for these rifles before the end of the year.
If you're not already, get on a waiting list for one of these rifles. You can send me a thank you card later.
You're one of the reasons I went out of my way as a dealer to speak to Mr. Kassnar and the folks at IWI about this rifle. I was really surprised how much they support local businesses, and can't wait to work with them again in the future. I hope they catch up to demand so I can get more rifles!
I wouldn't give up my two digit serial Tavor for anything. It's just an optic and more mags away from perfect in my mind! I mentioned it in my other comment, but I completely agree with your thoughts on aftermarket for the Tavor. It'll be big, and I can't wait to see what the innovative minds out there will come up with for the Tavor.
If you're planning future videos about the Tavor, perhaps you could tell viewers a bit about the mechanical lineage of the fire control system and the numerous features under the hood that make the rifle "bomb proof"? I work on a lot of FALs and M1 Carbines and immediately recognized the sear system harkening back to those two rifles, both of which served the IDF (or continue to in some form or another for civil defense if I'm not mistaken)
My one big complaint is the trigger weight. It makes the rifle very hard to shoot quickly. A re-engineered fire control group would make the rifle truly epic.
Check it: youtube.com/watch?v=pd5abMIUdAQ
^^^ I have yet to verify reliability, but will over the next few weeks with another few hundred rounds through it. But that quick work took it from 11.5 lbs to 8 lbs, and is fully reversible.
Lorazepam June 3, 2013 At 17:13
Having seen more than one catastrophic failure in the AR platform over the last 30 years, I would not feel comfortable having the chamber and magazine that close to my face.
Not saying it isn't safe, it just is not for me.
At least the BCG and such is wrapped in ordnance grade steel, which is wrapped in polymer, rather than just a little aluminum like an AR.
William June 3, 2013 At 17:13
Let's see here. The TAVOR. The fur, giving a slight but unambiguously kinky air, the IDI neo-SS chicks… is there a Robert Farago Stylebook for writing at TTAG I've missed out on?
Nobby June 3, 2013 At 17:52
I'm getting one of these bad boys ASAP! Finally, I will look the part! Hell, I won't even bother to take ammo to the range with me. One look at this thing and all the other fellas will know that I'm a HSLD operator who's prepared social situations of any kind. Kick ass!
Honestly that's the only negative aspect of it for me! If you can't tell by the choice of carry bag (Blackhawk! Diversion Racquet bag), I'm more of an under-the-radar type of a dude. Certainly no "Operator." I badly wanted the TAVOR for multiple reasons (compact, very high quality, fun, unique, mechanically appealing to me, grandpa served in IDF, etc etc), but the "cool factor" of it was a detractor. Oh well. I'm sure the fact that I own one brings down the cool factor at least a notch or two for everybody else haha 😉
The Pixelated June 3, 2013 At 18:28
That is one damn sexy rifle. I've wanted one for a while now, but the cost is a bit too steep for me right now. I might end up with an AR-15 of some type for about half the cost (MSRP).
A friend of mine has one. He says he was at the range and some old man walked up and asked "what all does that thang do"?
AlphaGeek June 4, 2013 At 12:51
Definitely want one of these in 5.45×39, especially considering how it kills 5.56 brass. Might as well run steel-cased ammo if the cases have to be recycled, and if so, might as well run the cheapest steel-case rifle ammo available.
Pity that acquiring one will likely have a negative WAF (wife acceptance factor) until next year, given my other gun spending this year…
I think it's still reloadable. The case mouth dent will get totally taken care of in the sizing process, and the dent on the side is quite minor. Even the worst examples still slide into the chamber with no abnormal friction at all. From what I can measure, the dents are up to about 1 one hundredth of an inch deep or just a few thousands deeper in the worst cases (and I mean cases both in the "incidents" way and in the actual brass cases way 😉 ). When you fire the round for the second time, it will end up being pressure fit to the chamber and the dent should totally disappear. Then, of course, it'll get a new one on its way out haha
I'm going to try shooting the gun without the brass deflector on it. I think it will be fine for a right-handed shooter. But… I'll test it out and see if it saves the brass. Maybe rounding the sharp corner of the deflector will help (I'm not going to modify mine, though, until replacements are easy and affordable to purchase), or putting a small piece of foam double sided tape there or something else to pad that corner.
Ken Hagler June 5, 2013 At 01:38
What's the reasoning behind such a heavy trigger? I have an FS2000, which has a 9.5 pound trigger, and I find that if I fire a shot every few seconds, by the time I'm halfway through the third magazine my hand becomes so fatigued that I can no longer operate the trigger and have to start shooting left-handed. I realize that these rifles are designed for 18 year olds who have just made it through boot camp, but it's like the people designing the trigger think that soldiers will never need to shoot while fatigued or injured, but will carry their weapons by dangling them from the trigger with the safety off…
My understanding is that the way the bullpup design is it leaves a long gap from the trigger to the sear. This means having to use a long connecter which makes for a heavy trigger pull. Seems to be the nature of the beast. If I'm wrong jump in and correct me.
I did kind of proffer a random guess in the video, but it may be closer to what jwm said — kind of the nature of a bullpup. That said, there isn't much friction or contact points going on between the actual trigger on the TAVOR and the sear. The trigger pulls directly on a stiff rod, which pulls on a trigger bar in the trigger assembly. I do not see a real mechanical reason that it has to be heavy. I do believe it's mostly a choice. Because the trigger pull is so short, I have NOT experienced trigger finger fatigue yet. My next outing will have me shooting about 300 rounds through the gun so I'll make sure to note anything along these lines. But, unlike when I shoot a pistol with a long, heavy trigger, the TAVOR's short, heavy trigger doesn't seem to tire out the ol' trigger finger.
BTW — check out this video I just put together yesterday. Dropped the trigger weight from 11.5 lbs to 8 lbs in just a couple of minutes, and it's fully reversible. I haven't tested for reliability yet but I'll do that within a couple weeks with a few hundred more rounds through the gun. youtube.com/watch?v=pd5abMIUdAQ
That sounds better than the FS2000 trigger, which has a heavy take-up before you finally get to the even heavier (but clean) break. It's not actually all that long, but certainly longer than the "engaged safety" feel you describe on the Tavor.
Dale Hill June 9, 2013 At 23:10
What sling mount were you using and where did you get it?
Jeremy S. June 10, 2013 At 12:51
The gun has QD swivel sockets on it front and rear from the factory and comes with two QD swivel studs. I had http://sandstormcustomrifleslings.com make me the sling that you see in those photos. AWESOME sling at a super good price. The front has a clip so you can convert the sling from 2-point to single point very quickly (similar to what Travis Haley does in the MAC video on his Adaptive Carbine Course when he's handling the TAVOR).
I think I'm going to do a quick video and written review of Sandstorm's products soon. Very happy w/ the sling and with a nifty paracord belt that they asked me to try out!
XDGC July 17, 2013 At 20:58
Absolute, crazy gun boner-tastic rifle! Must have Tavor. Nice review as well… Made me want one more.
Steve July 24, 2013 At 10:58
The OAL on the 16.5″ barrel Tavor when I measure is 27.25 inches. Am I measuring wrong or do they measure without the flash hider? Trying to find the best discreet bag, hence the measurements.
Jeremy S. September 12, 2013 At 18:13
Hey Steve, sorry I didn't see your response. Haven't checked back in on this post. You're absolutely correct in that the OAL measurement of the TAVOR — 26 1/8″ — is done without the flash hider on it. If it included the flash hider you'd be a felon when you removed it, as any rifle under 26″ OAL falls under the NFA (SBR regs, basically).
The TAVOR fit fine in that BlackHawk Diversion bag with the A2 flash hider on it, and it fits even better now that I have swapped for a Rainier Arms Mini Comp.
No_ide September 17, 2013 At 19:33
It fits in my Harley Saddlebag. Just bought it today after reading good reviews.
CT October 3, 2013 At 11:35
I've decided to get one of these in mid-to-late October. But I really can't decide between the 16.5″ and 18″ barrels. It's primary use will be home defense, but it'll get to the outdoor range at least once a month. I understand that the 18″ will be more accurate, but with the heavy trigger pull I'm wondering if it will even matter much. I'd really appreciate you guys weighing in on this… Thanks!
Loved reading Part 1, when will we get part 2?
Steve Alldis October 19, 2014 At 23:39
What is accuracy at 100 yds to 300 yds? __MOA
Bob July 6, 2015 At 21:49
If I am looking to pick up a used Tavor, are there any differences between production runs that I should be aware of? Serial numbers to avoid? Anything produced before a certain date? Or, is one Tavor as good as the next? Thanks
Karl April 30, 2017 At 04:09
There always was a large Christian Arab community in Israel's north – after all, it was Jesus' home stomping grounds – and they mostly always QUIETLY participated in all aspects of the State, including military service, which in Israel, leads to very good "GI Bill" benefits. A Supreme Court Justice is Christian Arab, and he's been there forever. More recently, half a million Russian Orthodox people came in with their Jewish spouses, their churches are everywhere and they have no quarrel with a Hebrew regime. And even MORE recently, there's been a steady in-flow of Filipinas with work permits. Like 50,000 on the books, and maybe a quarter again of Filipina visa-over-stayers. Quiet ladies who never become police problems or welfare enrollees, so the cops don't go out of their way to hassle them. The Israeli government even imported a Filipino priest and a Filipina organize to man their Tagalog-language Roman-Catholic churches.. I think there's 5-6 Tagalog Parishes now in the different large cities. Filipinos with western salaries are pretty much self-supporting and take-care-of-their-own-people mentality. Much easier for us that way, too!
Most recently, we have Ukrainians and Texans showing to work the gas rigs. They usually keep an apartment right in Ashdod, where the crew boats work out of. Many are young, handsome – and they have serious money…. so they've been noticed by Tel Aviv girls. I see the occasional marriage in the newspapers.
Long story short, there is a decent-sized, legal agricultural market for pork in the country and there's a few families up north in the Galilee who do that full time…. so no problem getting boar bristles.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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VAN HALEN: A Sammy & Dave Tour?
posted by Chip Nelson - Mar 14, 2017
Sammy Hagar tells Billboard that he doesn't have the time it would take for his side project, Chickenfoot, to record a new album, let alone a reunion with Van Halen.
"Van Halen would be twice the nightmare of the workload and the anxieties about getting along or being worried about being stabbed in the back again or something. I don't want to put myself in that situation, that's for sure."
But wait. Hagar adds that "you never know," and the one scenario he would entertain is going out with David Lee Roth, bassist Michael Anthony and the Van Halen brothers. "I would do that for the fans and give the money to food banks or something."
Hagar adds that his May 25th-26th Top Rock Countdown radio show is called the Best of Both Worlds/The Ultimate VH Set List, which he says is "basically answering all those fans that want to see a reunion. If there ever were to be a reunion, you will hear what I think it should be!"
Sammy is in Austin, Texas this week to speak at the South by Southwest Music Conference on Thursday.
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Want to know more about Chip Nelson? Get their official bio, social pages & articles on 96.1 The Rocket! Read more
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text:
Peter Taylor On The IRA's Lost War: When Yesterday's Heresy Becomes Today's Conventional Wisdom
Don't get me wrong. I'm delighted to see that the BBC's Peter Taylor has finally come to terms with reality and pronounced the British and the Unionists the victors in their war against the IRA.
He will broadcast this analysis in a BBC documentary to be screened on Monday evening. I am delighted not at his conclusion but at his honesty in eventually saying something that has been obvious to anyone with half a brain for years. He is doing his job as a journalist, telling the truth to shame the devil, unlike the bulk of the Irish media.
Given his status, the respect grassroots republicans have for him and his impressive track record reporting on the Troubles from the 1970's onward, Taylor's conclusion will be a devastating blow to the SF leaders who prior to this were able to isolate the one or two journalists saying the same by dismissing them as "anti-peace process" whose reports gave aid and comfort to dissidents.
What are they going to say to this programme? Peter Taylor is a dissident? Peter Taylor wants to return to conflict? Peter Taylor is an enemy of the peace process?
There's no doubt in my mind that the prospect of being maligned in public in such a bullying way by the likes of Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness or Mary Lou McDonald terrified many of my erstwhile colleagues and shaped their coverage of events over the last twenty years.
I am not condemning them – the experience, as I can testify, is distinctly uncomfortable and lonely and I can understand their temerity – but rather reproaching them. Journalists should never be frightened of telling the truth; otherwise what is the purpose of their professional lives? If they believe and know they are right then vindication will come, even if it takes years.
What Peter Taylor apparently says in his documentary, according to this Belfast Telegraph report below, has been evident for most of the last two decades. Is it too much to hope that Ireland's media might pay some attention? Or is that a silly question?
Clifford Smyth Asks The Question: Who Was Ian Paisley?
Amongst the many Loyalist zealots who allied themselves with Ian Paisley over the decades only to be discarded when their value to the Big Man had been drained and exhausted – think Major Bunting, the Rev Billy Beattie, Ernie Baird – few ever attempted afterwards to assess the man who had courted, used and then ditched them. Clifford Smyth is an exception.
Clifford Smyth, standing as a DUP election candidate for a Sunningdale Assembly seat in North Antrim, Ian Paisley's bailiwick, 1973.
In the early to mid-1970's he was one of Paisley's closest confidantes, first failing to win but then inheriting a seat in the ill-fated Sunningdale Assembly of 1974, getting elected to its successor, the NI Convention and becoming secretary to the powerful United Unionist Coalition, a brief experiment in Unionist unity which, with Paisley as a leading member, was a living contradiction in terms.
In 1976 he fell out with Paisley and was expelled from the DUP in circumstances that yet have to be fully explained and which followed a kangaroo court presided over by Paisley and his then new favorite, Peter Robinson, the only deputy to the Big Man wily and ruthless enough to survive the experience and to eventually wield and plunge the assassin's dagger himself.
Clifford Smyth, a history teacher by trade, then joined the Ulster Unionists but after a couple of failed attempts to get elected to Westminster his political interest switched to Orange history and he embraced the cause of the political integration of Northern Ireland with Britain, an objective that has over time won the support of luminaries like Edward Carson and Enoch Powell but never caught fire amongst the Unionist grassroots. In 1988 he published a study of Paisley, "Ian Paisley: Voice of Protestant Ulster".
I have known and have considered Clifford Smyth a friend since the mid-1960's when we were members of the same political science tutorial group at Queen's University, Belfast. Here, in a guest posting, is his take on the late Ian Paisley:
Death has transformed Lord Bannside, Ian Paisley to you and me, from a political colossus into a 'family man'. This assessment of Ian Paisley underlines the enigma that is Paisley.
His political career reaches back to the 1960s when a tall, gangling , youthful preacher on the fundamentalist wing of Ulster Protestantism began to make a name for himself on the fringes of Northern Ireland's stable and peaceful society. Contemporaneously, Irish Republicans were reflecting on why the IRA campaign waged between 1956 and '62, had failed, and how a reshaped strategy might succeed.
Paisley's trajectory would carry him through a succession of opportunistic political adventures, any one of which could have ended in ignominious failure, to emerge six decades later as First Minister of a power-sharing devolved assembly at Stormont. And with whom did Paisley and his DUP party share-power , but none other than the loyalist and unionist population's arch enemies Sinn Fein, led by Martin McGuinness, formerly the Provisional IRA's commander in Derry. This reconciliation took place between polar opposites, Sinn Fein articulating Irish Republican demands, and the DUP, voice of Ulster's Protestant and unionist heartlands.
These conflicting forces didn't exactly inherit the kingdom. The small geographical area of Northern Ireland contrasts markedly with the horrendous scale and intensity of the civil disturbances, that held the Province in their grip for nearly forty years. Against this background, the reconciliation achieved between opposing forces was, by any stretch of the imagination, remarkable.
In the moments after Ian Paisley's death was announced, the eulogies started to flow. Eamon Mallie described these new arrangements for the governance of Northern Ireland as 'miraculous'; though Paisley's pragmatic manoeuvrings had previously delayed a resolution of the conflict. There were though, to be few challenges to the themes of peace and reconciliation.
In the succeeding forty-eight hours the term ' colossus' became so over- worked that more reasoned assessments languished in its shadow. Paisley was a 'faithful preacher', and a 'man of deep faith', who, it appeared, had almost single-handedly launched Northern Ireland on the road to peace. Questions about the destruction of the middle ground in Northern Ireland's sectarian landscape were never asked, while the unsettling reality that the current power-sharing assembly is in a state of stasis wasn't even aired.
Meanwhile, the Paisley family announced, to the astonishment of many onlookers, that the funeral arrangements were strictly private and that Dr. Paisley would be interred in a discreet burial ground in rural County Down. The contrast between Paisley's death and his life couldn't have been more pronounced. This was a larger- than- life personality whose adult career appeared, at times, to consist of one publicity stunt after another.
Ian Paisley's death left so many major questions unanswered. Here was a life that had made a formidable impact on Northern Ireland's Roman Catholic and Protestant population. Everyone had an opinion of the man, for good or ill, but the task of arriving at a fair and balanced understanding was proving elusive.
The most immediate of these questions turns on why the unionist leader, indelibly marked with saying 'No!', reinforcing the finality of that word with a declamatory 'never,never,never', found it expedient to ultimately say,'Yes!'
And so it came about that the street orator, who had so antagonised and demeaned his Roman Catholic neighbours, ended his career by driving a wedge between himself and the Free Presbyterian Church, which had grown over the years until most of Ulster's towns and villages had their very own 'Free Church'. These churches played an unseen, but vital, role in Paisley's rise to prominence. On election day church buses, mission halls, telephones, and even the congregations, were all mobilised to get the voters to the polls.
Feeling betrayed by 'the Big Man's' compromise with Sinn Fein, ministers and congregations of the Free Presbyterian Church, were deeply alienated. These Free Presbyterians were not alone. Their ranks were swollen by the humble and unsophisticated loyalist followers of Paisley who had vociferously identified with his traditional unionist campaigns.
Some commentators said that Paisley had had an 'epiphany', a moment of spiritual insight, in which he had recognized the need to make peace with the public representatives of a terrorist organisation that had entered into a process to decommission its extensive armoury. Others though – and this is where cynicism and realism become bedfellows – held to the opinion that a politician shaped by a heady mixture of ruthlessness and pragmatism, was coming under irresistible pressure from the British, Irish and American governments to do the deal. And the prize of ' First Minister' held its own temptations for a man driven by the need to be top dog.
Other questions arise and call for answers if a more complete understanding of the man is to be achieved. The most penetrating of these is how Ian Paisley succeeded in smashing the hegemony of the Ulster Unionist Party which had dominated Northern Ireland's politics since the inception of the state in 1921? Not only did Paisley destroy Ulster Unionism as a credible political movement, but he succeeded in mobilising a phalanx of newcomers, who entered the political fray winning seats in local , Westminster and even the European parliament.
The answer is that Paisley almost single-handedly, built his own power structures which mimicked, and soon supplanted, those of the organizations which he set out to rival. His main targets were the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Ulster Unionist Party and the Orange Order. Paisley created his own, 'Free' Church, his own party, the Protestant Unionists and the sash- wearing Ulster Protestant Volunteers. Onlookers would have dismissed these movements as comical or of no consequence, but they proved to be a battering ram that opened the gates to much greater things. Paisley didn't hesitate to jettison elements that had served their purpose. Neither the Protestant Unionist Party nor the UPV lasted, but out of them emerged a party shorn of religious zealotry, the Democratic Unionist Party, that would appeal to a much wider electorate.
The structures that Paisley forged were tightly disciplined, lacking in transparency, energetic and unscrupulous. There were many casualties on Paisley's drive for power: internal dissent was not tolerated, and a degree of loyalty demanded from followers that fringed on idol worship. Paisley used the tactic of 'coalitions' with those who shared similar aims, to undermine them and grab their supporters.
Paisley's divisive approach to unionist politics would eventually ensure his triumph but his methods guaranteed that a fractured unionism would never negotiate from strength but only from weakness because, try as he might, Paisley could never capture the affections and support of all the unionist electorate.
Meanwhile Northern Ireland had entered ever more deeply into the nightmare years of 'The Troubles'. And had not Paisley warned us all that these things would come to pass, that the 'B' Specials, Ulster's locally recruited part-time constabulary to back up the RUC, would 'go' and that even Stormont would fall.
The term' colossus' has its roots in this Paisley phenomenon, the sense that here was a man who came out of nowhere and seized his destiny to be leader of Ulster whether people liked it or not. And to validate this destiny, all that was necessary was to top the poll in the European elections. And Paisley did that, with heaps of votes to spare!
Among the many tributes paid to Dr Paisley, the warmest came from a close religious colleague, the Rev. David McIlveen. The Rev. McIlveen stressed Ian Paisley's 'walk with God' and asserted that this was 'a man of Faith', who read his Bible at every opportunity and prayed without ceasing. Sitting next to David McIlveen in the BBC radio studio, as the Irish writer Ruth Dudley Edwards launched a relentless verbal attack on Paisley, you could see the shock, sadness and grief well up in the minister's face as he attempted to come to terms with such fierce criticism. Were there actually two Ian Paisleys?
One of the most startling and unsettling aspects of Paisley's DUP is the party's addiction to 'spin'. Given the origins of the DUP, with its historic links through the 'Free Church' and the Protestant Unionists, it comes as a surprise to find that the Party is skilled in the use of all of the black arts associated with contemporary media management. Nor has the party modified the methods of control that shaped it: tight discipline and a code of silence.
Northern Ireland is riven by a series of sectarian fault lines, and this beautiful place, at the edge of British Isles, carries within it a parochial mindset that often finds expression in unusual ways. Graffiti on a gable end in a republican estate near Newry used to read: 'local informers will be shot!' Presumably informers in some other locality weren't their problem.
Given the divisions over religion, politics, culture, education and even sport, people have to ask themselves whether they can learn to live together as neighbours despite being beset by such differences or whether, as in so many instances in Ulster's turbulent past it is only a matter of time until violence emerges from the pit once again.
Ian Paisley had a choice to strive for political dominance or to become a preacher of world renown. Paisley chose politics at a time when Northern Ireland needed to hear the greater message: 'love thy neighbour'.
Why Scotland Will Never Vote For Independence
This, or rather its absence, is the reason why Scotland will always be tied to England. It explains why Wales is Wales and why the Irish are different from them all. Simple really…….
On The Runs: The Revenge Of The Neocons
You would not have noticed this if you were a regular subscriber to the Irish Times or Irish News (both of which newspapers managed entirely to ignore the story) – or if you expected Sinn Fein to respond to alarming setbacks to that party's peace strategy – but last week the Cameron government reneged on a small but symbolically important part of the peace accords negotiated in the two decades since the first IRA ceasefire and by so doing have arguably set a precedent that should set the tocsins ringing in Nationalist Ireland.
Theresa Villiers
The formal announcement by NI Secretary Theresa Villiers that the letters of comfort given by the Blair government to some 200 IRA fugitives – so-called 'On The Run's' – guaranteeing that they would not face prosecution are now not worth the paper they were written on and that fugitives who once thought they were safe now could be prosecuted, amounts to the first major retreat by the British from assurances given during the peace diplomacy.
The backpedaling is all the more significant since the assurances to the IRA fugitives were well known about at the time they were given and attempts by opponents to now justify their withdrawal on the grounds that these were secret promises held back from other participants in the process are simply bunkum.
It would not be going too far to say that Villiers' action is just what it seems to be, a blatant appeasement of hardline Unionism and, arguably, a return to the mindset of war (on the basis that the British fought their war against the IRA primarily by prosecuting its members in court).
And nor would it be presumptive to suggest that taken in combination with other happenings – for instance David Cameron's cozying up to the DUP for electoral reasons and the increasing clamor to return welfare powers to the Westminster parliament – that more defaults and withdrawals from the Good Friday Agreement and its associated arrangements are unlikely to happen.
The significance of the Villiers' retreat lies in two directions. Firstly, she has broken the ice by choosing an unpopular concession to revoke – unpopular in these days of ISIS beheadings with her own party, the British media and probably British public opinion as well. As precedent settings go this was a sure thing.
And secondly the lack of protest and fightback from Nationalist Ireland – symbolised by the silence on the issue from major Irish media outlets – can only encourage those, especially in the DUP, to press for more backtracking from London.
It is no secret that large swathes of the DUP were only persuaded in the first place to accept power sharing with Sinn Fein because they were assured that it would be temporary and replaced by some form of majority rule when conditions allowed. If the Villiers move is a precedent then its import in Unionist eyes may lie in the hope or belief that it is the first of a thousand cuts whose combined effect will be to end or fundamentally alter a system they detest at heart.
Nowhere has this Nationalist silence been more profound than in the leadership of Sinn Fein, in sharp and complete contrast to the warm welcome given by Unionists, not least among them Martin McGuinness' partner in government Peter Robinson.
I deliberately refrained from writing this commentary for the best part of week in case it took that long for the party to put its protest together. Even though Villiers retracted a solemn promise given by the Blair government and by so doing set a precedent for other similar actions, there has not been one word of criticism from Sinn Fein and it doesn't look as if there will be.
On one level that is understandable simply because there is really nothing Sinn Fein can do, short of tearing up the Good Friday Agreement, to reverse the British move. The truth is that Villier's reneging exposes a fatal flaw in the Sinn Fein peace strategy which until now no British government was ready to exploit.
The strategy was based on the idea that Sinn Fein would trade away the political, ideological and physical ingredients of the IRA's war machine (the principle of consent, the Mitchell Principles, IRA decommissioning, accepting the PSNI and so on) for political concessions that would on the one hand make the whole business less unpalatable to the republican base – the 'On The Run' letters of comfort fell into that category – and on the other enable Sinn Fein to dominate Northern Nationalist politics and become a force to be reckoned with south of the Border. The British would go along with this trading because every concession they made weakened the IRA and diminished the potency of armed struggle while transforming Sinn Fein into a respectable and dependable political party.
It worked but there would always come a day when the Provisionals had no more to trade with the British and the IRA had been fully defanged, so reduced politically and militarily that it posed no threat worthy of the name. At that point, having achieved the defeat of the IRA and with the dissidents going nowhere, the British could have put the machine into reverse gear. That they didn't is down to a combination of factors, including lingering Blairism, self-interest, common sense and Cameron's indifference.
But events are moving ahead. A British general election beckons, the UKIP is challenging Cameron's right flank and the prospect of Scottish independence is a spanner that may do untold damage to the political system. The Liberal Democrats will not be a partner in another coalition with Cameron and to retain power it is not beyond possibility that the Tories may look to the DUP phalanx in the House of Commons for support, hence those cozy soirees at Number Ten.
And Cameron has rediscovered the electoral potency of terrorism, of the Islamic variety that is, along with the lure of an aggressive policy on Ukraine, so aggressive in fact that Cameron has outflanked Obama on Russia and emerged as the leader of the war party in NATO.
The truth is that Cameron's party and cabinet are choc full of neoconservatives, members of or fellow travelers with the Henry Jackson Society, so-named after the hawkish Democrat Senator for Washington state widely regarded as a founding father of modern American neoconservatism.
Pursuing jihadists in Syria, meddling in Libya, threatening war with Russia are all favorite neocon themes – and so too is the conviction that government must never, ever make deals with terrorists, least of deals that launch them into government. That is why the neocon core of Cameron's Tories never had any appetite for the NI peace process and energetically peddled the notion that the Sinn Fein strategy was trickery, designed to weaken British resolve and aimed at relaunching the IRA's military offensive from a position of strength.
Stuff and nonsense of course but the point is that reneging on aspects of the peace process diplomacy is something that would be meat and drink for many in Cameron's ranks. We will see if there is more to come.


The day before, prepare cherry curd by heating egg yolks and sugar in a bowl set above a saucepan of boiling water. Whisk for 10-15 mins, slowly adding butter 1 cube at a time until all butter is incorporated. Remove from heat.
In a blender, add 100g cherries to 100ml reserved cherry liquid. Blend until smooth then add to egg yolk mixture with lemon juice and whisk until incorporated, then return to double boiler and cook for a further 10 mins until thickened slightly. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate overnight.
To make pavlova, preheat oven to 120ºC (100ºC fan). Over a double boiler, in a large metal bowl whisk together the sugar and the egg whites, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches approximately 46ºC and the sugar grains have dissolved and are not longer gritty to the touch.
Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until very stiff peaks form (this will take quite a long time – about 10 mins!). Add spices and beat until just combined. Spoon meringue in a round shape onto a baking tray lined with baking paper then bake for 1hr 30 mins. When done, turn oven off and leave pavlova in oven with door ajar until cooled completely.
To decorate, spread meringue with whipped cream. Top with a generous amount of cherry curd then scoops of vanilla ice cream, fresh cherries and crushed gingerbread.