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Review: The Fading Flower & Swallow the Sun
by Nathaniel Givens • May 21, 2013 • 20 Comments
Mahonri Stewart recently released two of his plays–The Fading Flower and Swallow the Sun–together in a single volume. I found both of them to be so compelling, that I'm truly sad that no productions have been put on or are scheduled within 1,000 miles of where I live on the East Coast. More than just enjoyable, however, I found that they presented a strong and compellingly Mormon artistic perspective. While there is no doubt that the subject matter of both plays is Mormon, what really struck me was less the viewed and more the viewpoint.
The Fading Flower centers around the faith struggles of Joseph Smith's youngest son David, who was born after his father's death. As he grows older, he is caught between the rival factions of the RLDS Church (with whom he was raised and with his brother serving as President) and the Brighamites (the objects of his missionary endeavors). So the setting is clearly Mormon, but what is really Mormon is David's tortured journey to pursue the truth about his father's practice of polygamy. Anyone can write about the subject of Mormon polygamy (just ask HBO), but looking at the issue through the lens of David becomes a powerful and uniquely Mormon reflection on the peril and promise of living in such close proximity to our historical legends.
Of course with such a controversial and painful topic at the heart of the play, Stewart could easily have veered into advocating a particular conclusion or lesson, but the play remains too sensitive and nuanced to be reduced to simple morals. Although there seems to be a clear lesson to apply to the CES view of our history when Julia, David's brother, says near the end of the play that "David did not lose his sanity because he was told the truth in the end, David lost his sanity because he was not told the truth from the beginning," the play doesn't end on that potentially didactic note. It continues on until the final scene where David and his family sing together a hymn he had written for the RLDS hymnal. Which is one of the most interesting things to me about the play: it only succeeds in so accurately reflecting a Mormon sensibility by having the main characters all view Mormonism (as we know it today) from the outside. As "the Brighamites". Stewart succeeds in capturing the historical Mormon sense of longing and exile even in a play about our own history.
At first glance, Swallow the Sun isn't as overtly Mormon because neither Mormons nor Mormonism make any appearance at all. On the other hand, it centers on the life and conversion of C. S. Lewis, and if Mormons had patron saints, he'd be one. But, as with the first play, it's not the content but how it is viewed that struck me as powerfully Mormon. For me, the most powerful scene in Swallow the Sun is when John "Doc" Askins suffers an apparent mental breakdown. During this scene Doc raves:
Children, the lot of you. The incense of this world has you so drugged that you can't even see the shadows on the wall. You can't see the creatures just waiting to prey upon our souls and feast upon us, if we don't cannibalize each other first! Screwed to the wall, each of us–taped and bound.
Two things give this scene it's powerful impact. The first is the clear overtones of the supernatural in a play otherwise studiously devoid of anything conventional spiritual or otherwordly. Despite being a conversion story, it tends towards the intersection of the intellect and the spirit rather than a repetition of the conventional Mormon narrative of personal conversion through warm feelings about historical propositions. The second, of course, is that the audience knows more about Doc's raving than any of the characters do: "screwed to the wall, each of us–taped and bound."
In this play as in The Fading Flower, a lot of the pivotal details are drawn from actual history. Just as I knew nothing about the life of David Smith, I had never heard of C. S. Lewis's friend, Doc. But Doc, his obsession with the occult, his subsequent mental breakdowns, and their impact on C. S. Lewis are all factual.
In any case, this passage also struck me as distinctly Mormon as it reflects the pressures we feel living in an increasingly secular world and yet so temporally proximate to supernatural historical claims. Christians and Jews have had 2,000 years to mythologize burning bushes and the Resurrection, but Mormons have had less than two centuries to culturally metabolize our angels and gold plates. In addition, any supernatural claims at all are much more discordant in the 21st century than in the 1st. This leaves us as Mormons, like the reader, uncomfortably incapable of writing off the deeper meaning of what others may dismiss out of hand. Like the audience of Swallow the Sun: we see too much.
Of course I have been clumsy in the sweeping use of the term "Mormon" throughout this review. There are many, many different kinds of Mormons from a wide variety of backgrounds and living in many different cultures and situations. I should be more careful, and say that I personally felt that these plays spoke deeply to me as the kind of Mormon who inhabits a largely secular world (both by trade and because I live outside of Utah) and views my own faith through the lens of the perpetual tensions this exacerbates: tensions between secular and sacred, insider and exile, spiritual and intellectual, narrative and history. I think that I am far from alone in that category, however, and that there will be many more people for whom these plays will resonate deeply.
In this review I have also chosen to focus narrowly on two specific elements (one from each play) that stood out to me as representative of the kind of analysis that these plays lend themselves to. That I can delve this deeply is, in my mind, a testament that that the source material has real substance. That I wanted to do so in the first place, on the other hand, is a testament to the Stewart's craft and artistry as a playwright. I look forward to more from Stewart in the years to come.
(Note: I received a review copy of The Fading Flower and Swallow the Sun.)
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20 comments for "Review: The Fading Flower & Swallow the Sun"
n8c
Thanks for this review. My reading list grows…
"David lost his sanity because he was not told the truth from the beginning," Wow!
You can listen to a podcast of Mahonri here with excerps from the play "The Fading Flower":
http://ec.libsyn.com/p/e/8/6/e86146c6715ecf94/cs-fadingflower.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01ce8e35d1c95deb69&c_id=1645217
Seems to be a powerful rendition of the complexities that were reamaining as "the church left Emma in Nauvoo.."
Nathaniel, are you actually endorsing Stewart's claim that flawed accounts of LDS history induced David Smith's mental illness?
Joe Spencer
Thanks for the notice that these are available in print. I saw Fading Flower on stage in Provo a few summers back and was overwhelmed. I'd love to have the script.
(I should mention that there's a DVD of a stage performance of Fading Flower available. I don't know how easy it is to get a copy, and of course a filmed stage production isn't much to get terribly excited about….)
Nathaniel Givens
Dave-
I'm not a historian and I didn't even know David Smith existed before reading this play, so I wouldn't make that kind of claim. But I didn't even take Stewart to be making that claim. Maybe he really does believe that, but–despite my surprise that so many of the elements of these plays turned out to be historical when I looked into them–they are still plays based on history. Not history. At least, that's how I read them.
Addendum to Dave-
Might be worth repeating that what fascinated me in these plays was, after all, the viewpoint and not the viewed. I think that postulating that David's breakdown was a reaction to learning the truth about his father's polygamy is a powerful expression of the fraught relationship Mormons have with our history. That was my focus.
Whether or not David Smith actually went insane due to the the facts is simply not something I was focusing on.
Mahonri Stewart
Nathaniel doesn't have to "endorse" any view in the play to appreciate it. It is, after all, a play, not a literal history (although I've tried, at great pains, to make my plays as historically accurate as I can). One doesn't have to endorse Shakespeare's questionable use of history to enjoy Richard III, or his totally inaccurate version of Joan of Arc, to appreciate his history plays themselves.
A play works by different rules than a history book or biography and thus one needs to take in account artistic license when analyzing the text. However, as I've stated, and as Nathaniel mentioned, I strive to make my historical plays as accurate as possible. I don't like to warp other people's lives just to gratify my own world view. However, an interpretative lens is definitely a playwright's prerogative (a historian's as well, actually…even "history" requires interpretation).
As to David's insanity, there are a number of theories about what caused David Hyrum Smith's breakdown. Joseph Smith III believed it was his involvement with spiritualism that led to him being possessed (a view he expresses in the play). Interestingly enough, both Doc in _Swallow the Sun_ (as Nathaniel mentions) and Abraham Lincoln's wife Mary Todd could also fit into this pattern of spiritualism followed by (spirit induced?) insanity. Coincidence? Perhaps. But it is a tantalizing possibility, especially to people who have had experiences with the supernatural like I have.
Others mark up the breakdown as a strictly clinical matter, separate from any outside influences (a view which Lewis Bidamon expresses in the play).
Then, as you've stated, there's cause in the text to believe that David's mental break down, if not caused by his worldview about his father and his religion crumbling around him, was at least exacerbated by it. The sequence of events, if nothing else, gives legitimate room for this theory.
But I have also purposely left room in the play for adherents of any of the above theories to interpret the text in their preferred light. Just because Julia says one thing in the play, and Joseph III says another, doesn't necessarily mean one is right and the other wrong–unless the reader/audience member is personally convinced by their arguments. I obviously have my own bias in my own interpretation, but not even the author has the only say, especially when it comes to texts based on historical events. As Nathaniel has suggested in this insightful and very aware review, I've tried not to make the text too didactic. There's many ways to interpret the play, which I hope makes it a more substantial experience.
–Mahonri
Joe, I'm so glad you saw the original production! I'm not sure if Fading Flower is available anymore or not on DVD (which reminds me, I may need to take down the ads on Zion Theater Company's website that are still advertising it). It depends on whether the videographers still have it on file.
In its latest incarnation, the file lost some of the original visual quality, so I hope to produce Fading Flower again in the next few years and record it again and offer it as a download. Digital theatre, to me, has a strong allure especially in Mormon drama. It's not quite the same as the live experience, but it does allow Mormon drama, which is usually produced solely in the Book of Mormon Belt, to have a wider audience for Mormons and other interested parties who live outside of Utah. But, as it is, buying the book is currently the best way to access these plays.
Thanks for the response, Mahonri. For all the ink we spill on the life of Joseph Smith, it is ironic how few LDS are familiar of the lives of his children, or even know of their existence. I encountered their stories in the second half of Mormon Enigma; the children are as enigmatic (to the modern LDS Church) as is Emma. So the subject matter of the play is certainly well chosen. Fertile ground for a playwright.
I guess what I don't like about the allusion quoted in the OP is the echo there of the idea that when someone we disagree with encounters mental illness or a disability, we can explain it by reference to their politics, their religion, their lifestyle, their nationality, or whatever it is we disagree with. Recall the Puritans in Massachusetts ascribing Anne Hutchinson's stillborn baby in 1638 to her heretical (in their eyes) religious opinions. Recall charges against Mormons in the 19th century that Mormonism and polygamy resulted in defective children (predictably countered with Mormon claims of having healthy and robust children). We even see the idea in the New Testament: "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" This general way of thinking about mental illness and disability is simply wrongheaded.
Disagree with? Who said I disagreed with David Hyrum? He was seeking the truth. You'll find that it's Joseph Smith III I disagree with in the play (although there is a lot of room for admiration for him as well, in my mind), not David. David is an admirable character, a Mormon Hamlet who is risking all to seek the truth.
As to his madness, again there is a lot of room for interpretation as to its cause.
I guess what I don't like about the allusion quoted in the OP is the echo there of the idea that when someone we disagree with encounters mental illness or a disability, we can explain it by reference to their politics, their religion, their lifestyle, their nationality, or whatever it is we disagree with.
I applaud your concern with the way people may use mental illness as convenient proof of their enemies' errors, but that trope is entirely incompatible with my review because, as I saw the play, David is not the enemy (or "someone we disagree with"). On the contrary, David is us.
Nathaniel, I love how much you "get" my intent as an author. :)
@Joe Spencer: Since you expressed interest in Mormon scripts, you may also want to know that I served as editor for an anthology of Mormon drama that Zarahemla Books just published. It's 11 of the best plays from some of the best playwrights Mormonism has to offer:
http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Stage-Anthology-Mormon-Drama/dp/0988323311/ref=zg_bs_2216_8
@ Dave: Mormon Enigma is a good source for that bit of history, but if you want a more detailed treatment of David Hyrum Smith, I recommend Valeen Tippets Avery's _From Mission to Madness: The Last Son of the Mormon Prophet_
http://www.amazon.com/Mission-Madness-LAST-MORMON-PROPHET/dp/0252067010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369248209&sr=1-1&keywords=from+mission+to+madness
BHodges
Recall charges against Mormons in the 19th century that Mormonism and polygamy resulted in defective children (predictably countered with Mormon claims of having healthy and robust children).
Recall this, indeed!
BHodges, I really enjoyed your paper on that subject at the AML Conference, by the way. Very interesting how we view mental illness and use it as a weapon against other groups.
Having had some friends and loved ones who have struggled with a myriad of issues on that spectrum, I can definitely understand the need for sensitivity on the issue.
Again, though, as Nathaniel points out, the one who suffers mental illness in the play is the "good guy."
"David did not lose his sanity because he was told the truth in the end, David lost his sanity because he was not told the truth from the beginning."
I just really liked this line for what it did for me. As a missionary in the bible belt I saw many of us emerge through a spiritual version of insanity as we deny, then discover, then contextualize, then embrace (or struggle) with truths previously not known.
Was this line just artistic license or were you playing off of a historic source?
Either way I like what the quote meant to me, not necessarily taking it as a simple, literal, explanation for a sad life.
The line is mine, n8c, but it was spurred by what I was reading into the history. To me, is is a nice two line summary of the theme of play.
Most people who I come across who have experienced disillusionment of the Church, have felt so because they felt the world that had been created for them was not the one they discovered when they dug deeper. I think we can fight against that disillusionment factor better if we are upfront from the beginning. Polygamy, seer stones, Mountain Meadows, pioneer women giving faith healings… these do not have to be faith shattering issues when they are understood in their context. It's when they are hidden out of the context and then broken off the original story that they suddenly acquire the sharp edges used to cut the ill prepared faith of the membership.
What is it the version of the story we choose to tell? Do we truly trust the Savior when he says the truth will make us free?
And please excuse my typos above! It is getting late and I may not be at my most alert and coherent… ;)
Mahonri,
Thanks for the update, the link, and most especially the play. If there's another stage production, and I can manage to make it, I'll be there, and with as many friends as I can get to come.
Thanks so much for the vote of confidence, Joe! Fading Flower may take a couple of more years to put up again (it has to get in line), but we are producing plenty of my other plays in the meantime through Zion Theatre Company. :)
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When you book a hotel room, you know you're signing up to stay in a space where hundreds and maybe even thousands of people have stayed before you. It's not news that previous guests leave germs behind, but you might be surprised to learn where those germs are lurking.
It's also important to note that unless you have an immune deficiency, the germs you'll find in your hotel room most likely aren't dangerous. After all, you're surrounded by bacteria and viruses everywhere you go, and your chances of getting sick from germs left by other hotel guests are low. Still, it's important to take precautions and wash your hands regularly.
Admit it: Having access to premium TV channels in your hotel room can be pretty exciting. Or maybe you just like listening to the news or weather while you get ready in the morning. Whatever your preference, the TV remote is likely gross. Hundreds of hands have touched the device, and it's probably not high on the housekeeping team's long list of things to clean.
Jim Inglis, Valencia College's program director for hospitality, told Click Orlando in 2015 that the remote control is usually "hands down No. 1" on the list of dirtiest spots in your hotel room.
Staff typically changes sheets between guests, but the turnaround for checking in new guests can be so fast that washing large comforters isn't as easy. As we sleep, we release body oils and shed skin flakes, which can get on the bedspread along with bacteria we might be carrying.
Kelly Reynolds, an associate professor of environmental health at the University of Arizona, told Time magazine for a February article that if you want to stay away from germs on the bed, getting rid of the comforter is a good start.
Reynolds also said the carpet can be filled with germs, so maybe bring some slippers.
Many hotels now include plastic cups for their guests. If your room includes glasses though, you might want to wipe them down before drinking from them ― especially if those glasses are kept in the bathroom.
A 2018 study confirmed that flushing the toilet can contaminate many other surfaces nearby. Reynolds told Time that if glasses (and similar items like coffee makers) aren't properly sanitized with a disinfectant ― not just wiped down with a dry cloth ― they can be havens for germs.
What's more, a 2008 investigation of hotel cleaning habits by Arizona's ABC15 found that 11 of the 15 hotels it tested across the country did not remove dirty glasses from the rooms for additional cleaning.
Ice buckets might require a decent cleaning too. In 2007, Condé Nast Traveler found E. coli on ice buckets it tested from hotel rooms.
The same research team that discovered bacteria on TV remotes also found heavy bacterial contamination on the bedside lamp switch in many hotel rooms. Similarly, as HuffPost explained in March, light switches, especially in the bathroom, are prone to collecting bacteria because of the many hands that touch them.
Before you say, "These weren't in my room for very long," hear us out.
The University of Houston-led research team found that in addition to the remotes and lamp switches and toilets, the housekeeping carts themselves harbor lots of bacteria. Duh, right?
But it actually affects you more than you think.
Because housekeeping teams have to clean many rooms in a day, there is the risk of cross-contamination. Dirty mops, sponges and towels can help germs travel from one room to another, so you might want to keep disinfecting wipes handy in case you think a surface might need some extra cleaning.


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Diallus guttatus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe in 1885. It is known from Moluccas.

References

Lamiini
Beetles described in 1885
Taxa named by Francis Polkinghorne Pascoe

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Car leasing offers you the opportunity to drive away a brand new car for a low monthly price. Sounds great, right? For many people, it's the most convenient way of owning a car as you don't have any of the hassle that can come with long term car ownership.
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Home » News » OTT News » Review – Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni breathe fire in Raj & DK's well crafted geo-political action thriller The Family Man 2
Review – Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni breathe fire in Raj & DK's well crafted geo-political action thriller The Family Man 2
Finally there is a web series which truly explores the geo-political conflict twice over and that too rather successfully. If the first season took on ISIS agents, the second focuses on the Tamil rebels operating out of Sri Lankan and then venturing into Tamil Nadu. The best part about this nine episode web series is the fact that it is far more deep rooted than one could have imagined. So even as drama fluctuates between Sri Lankan forests, Colombo, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, London, and at one point in time even a city in France, it is not gimmicky.
Now that's something wonderfully done by Raj & DK as they never end up making The Family Man 2 look gimmicky. It is all organic where everything from drama, action to thrills is realistically done and still it is all high octane. There is time spent by the writers of the show (Suman Kumar along with Raj & DK) to help viewers understand the characters, their background and their motive, and this is what allows you to build connect with all of them, regardless of the screen time that they get to enjoy in this action packed action drama.
Yet again, Manoj Bajpayee leads from the front and since his character arc has already been detailed well in the first season, you known that soon enough he would leave his newly found IT corporate job and get back on the field with his stead partner [Sharib Hashmi] and boss [Dalip Tahil] at TASC. However, till that happens, it is ultra amusing to see the manner in which his over aggressive young achiever boss [Kaustubh Kumar] gets on his nerves time and again. There is quintessential Raj & DK humor coming into play here which keeps you entertained.
What entertains the most of the manner in which first couple of episodes are focused on detailing the conflict of the Tamil rebels and the whole 'how' and the 'why' behind it. Even though it's all in Tamil, you don't mind that since the subtitles help in giving the context and most importantly, you find certain level of authenticity which only makes you nod in approval. Be it the Sri Lankan rebel leader [Mime Gopi] and his partner [Azhagam Perumal] or the Pakistani officer [Darshan Kumar] and his agent [Shahab Ali], you get to understand them all.
However, the woman you want to understand the most is the new entrant in the arena, Samantha Akkineni. Her overtly sad expression and the meek manner in which she allows even the molesters to have a way with her only makes you fear her all the more since you know there is a lot simmering inside her. You do get more than just a hint of the back-story which would have led to her troubled present and considering the fact that terrorist attack on Indian PM [Seema Biswas] is imminent, you know that there is going to be heavy explosions in the future.
Well, there are not just explosions but also bullets as well as hand-to-hand combats galore as the action packed web series continues to move ahead with at least one major sequence per episode. Right from the brilliantly crafted opening sequence where the rebels are introduced to the middle of the show when a chase sequence featuring Samantha and the entire team led by Manoj Bajpayee ensues to the jailbreak sequence which leads to a bloody series of events to the climax where a deadly attack is about to occur, you get to experience a big screen feel.
What impresses though in the midst of all is the manner in which each and every character leaves a mark. While Manoj Bajpayee and Sharib Hashmi take off from where they left in the first season, Samantha impresses well with her silence, and later martial arts. Notwithstanding her distracting make-up which makes her look many shades different from her real self, you like what she has to offer. On the other hand a new entrant who impresses the most is Ravindra Vijay who plays the cop Muthu. He is a gifted natural actor and so is Anandsami as Selvarasan.
As for the family members who were seen in the last season as well, Priyamani has relatively lesser to do on screen this time around. After His Storyy, one expects to see in much meatier parts. In comparison, Ashlesha Thakur who plays her daughter has a good screen time and her attractive screen presence further helps. Ditto for Vedant Sinha who plays her brother and is good to watch each time around.
Both Sharad Kelkar and Darshan Kumar have a filler role when one would have expected more though Sunny Hinduja (as a fellow TASC officer), Vipin Sharma (As the PM's Chief of Staff) and Devadarshini Chetan (as the female cop) have their moments. Uday Mahesh as Chellam, an ex-intelligence officer who is forever paranoid, is fun to watch and so is Late Asif Basra as the counselor of Manoj Bajpayee and Priyamani.
Overall, The Family Man 2 manages to take the franchise many notches hire with both Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni breathing fire in this web series which has Raj & DK along with Suparn Verma splitting responsibilities as directors. With action promising moving to China in the third season, one waits to see how is the COVID 19 angle brought into play in this espionage thriller.

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John Sutcliffe's The Colours of Rome, which we published in October 2013, has been a great success and is now sold out. So we're delighted to be able to trail another book by him, scheduled for next year.
In his capacity as a decorative artist, John has done a great deal of work in the Cyclades, and one of the outcomes of this has been an interest in what happened to colour on the buildings of Greece and the islands in particular. Why are so many buildings white, and has that always been the fashion there? John is currently researching the answers to those questions, visiting the islands and looking for traces of the 'lost colours' and their history.
It's easy to imagine a book about the Cyclades along similar lines to The Colours of Rome but there will be some new twists which we'll feature in future newsletters. For now I'll simply say 'food'.
Our very first book, published in 1992 (though the title page says 1991!), was a text taken from John Ruskin's The Stones of Venice. Amongst about 120 cases of type that I bought early on from a letterpress shop that was closing down was a full case of 24pt Bembo italic - fresh, unused - and I used that for a large landscape book in a small edition. I've always wanted to reprint it, hoping to make a better job of it, and that moment has come.
Ruskin had a wonderful Victorian style: long, complex sentences, weaving in and out of subordinates clauses. For the compositor the result has its upside and its downside. Unusually, the first thing I would run out of was commas! On the upside his enormously long paragraphs meant solid blocks of text on the page, something I find rather attractive: none of those irritating indentations at the start of new paragraphs (I find unindented paragraphs equally annoying as the last sentence of the preceding paragraph simply finishes in mid-air - an annoying feature of many Golden Cockerell books.) On the other hand, that meant even greater care when hand-setting as correcting an error early in such a paragraph could mean having to rejustify the entire paragraph.
At 4,500 words it's the longest text I've hand-set, and although I have a substantial quantity of the 14pt Hunt Roman there is only enough for four or five large pages which has made it an interesting exercise to organise setting, printing, and dissing. Thus, I set pages 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; proofed and corrected them together (lines can move back and forth across pages); printed then dissed 3, 5, and 7; set 8, 9, 10; proofed and corrected them together ; backed up 3, 5, and 7 with 4, 6, and 8; and so on. Thirteen pages of text in all. It makes a nice 16pp section which I am sewing into a simple case.
I've printed the text on a pale blue Hodgkinson hand-made paper. For the cases I've decided to use up a number of oddments from my plan chest: four patterned sheets hand-blocked by Alberto Valese in Venice will cover eight cases (they were left over from the original 1991 edition), and twenty-five overs of marbled papers that Ann Muir made for me over the years for various projects make another fifty. So, just fifty-eight copies.
The eight copies in Valese papers are not for sale, but the others will be £60 (euro90, US$120) each. I'll post photos of them when I have them ready. Let us know if you would like to reserve a copy. Which Ann Muir sheet you get will be a matter of pot luck!
It has for some years been our ambition to build our own home. Two important criteria were that it should have a sea view and space for The Old School Press within the building (rather than in a cold draughty garage). We spent five years looking for a site and found what we wanted on the Jurassic Coast last year. We hope to move in around this time next year, but meanwhile we are moving to a temporary home. Our new address can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.
A side-effect of this is that the press-shop has just this last week gone into hibernation in two shipping containers, so printing has had to be halted in the meantime. On the positive side, when we are not managing the new build I shall be working on future books, in particular John Sutcliffe's (see above) and my series on printing at Oxford University Press (see below). We shall of course still be happy to take and fulfil orders for our books in print.
I last reported on this major project last October. Typesetting of volume I ('Premises, people, paper') is now well underway and as usual it's a great pleasure to start seeing the book take real form, as Stan Lane sends me page proofs. As our presses will be out of action for a year I shall be helping Stan print the book as well at his workshop.
The first three volumes are written: volume II is subtitled 'Type' (the clue's in the name), and volume III 'Process' (covering day-to-day activity at the Press as revealed by the extant records). In the coming 'gap' year I plan to finish work on volume IV which has a rather different angle: whilst the other three volumes principally covered what was called the 'Learned Press', volume IV examines three years (1769-1772) in the work of the 'Bible Press' whose task was to print tens of thousands of bibles and prayer-books every year. I've been privileged to have had access to the detailed accounts which allow not just a quantitative analysis of the Bible Press's work but also qualitative deductions about how that work was managed. I feel confident that the four volumes will be unique in providing a detailed description of work in one of the most important of English presses.
As noted in an earlier newsletter, each volume will come in both a standard and a de luxe edition, the latter generally including an extra volume. I have already printed that for volume I: entitled 'Correspondence on Paper' it contains transcripts of hitherto unpublished correspondence from the London paper dealers to the Press in the 1670s, revealing much about the nature of their relationship, the logistics of obtaining paper in time of war, and the price and availability of quality papers from France and Holland.
I have been promising for some time (too long . . .) to get more copies of this delightful Victorian travel diary bound and I'm pleased to say that finally I have had another batch prepared, by Ludlow Bookbinders.
Copies are £80 each plus p&p and can be ordered through our website or by replying to this email. NB: if you have asked for a copy in the past I should by now have contacted you to check if you would still like it.
We have just had the remainder of the edition bound but I have kept back ten sets of sheets for binders. The book comes in eight sections making 120pp with two tip-ins. The trimmed page size is 230mm by 175 mm. Prices can be found at our website.
Three of our past titles on or around Oxford University Press are now sold out in the bound form, but we still have some sets of sheets available for binders.
We are offering the package of all three - Harry Carter, Typographer, Stanley Morison & 'John Fell', and The Fell Revival - for the knock-down price of £100 - a discount of more than 25%. They make a great set, all books with original research. Just seven sets available. Read more here.
Our planned move has naturally meant a clean sweep of everything in the house and that includes Old School Press materials scattered here and there. As a result, I have a number of ex-display and/or out-of-series books for sale at very reasonable prices. You can find the list here and order by email here. First come first served.


text:
Where to Eat: "Not Your Average Fried Chicken Wings" @ Comfort LA
The Eats: Fried chicken wings splashed with "that sauce," plus an assortment of soul food sides
The Location: Downtown
The Vibes: Casual, laid-back, hella chill
Good for: Alone, Dates, Groups
When-To-Go: Closed Mondays & Tuesdays, open late until 3 a.m. on Fridays & Saturdays
The $ Factor: The Dinner Special $12, a la carte items $6 - $20
The Names behind the scenes: Owners Mark Walker and Jeremy McBryde
The 4-1-1: No thighs, breasts, legs or backs...just wings here!
Parking Situation: Free street parking
I'll Be Back…: For The $12 Dinner Special - six wings, two sides and cornbread!
Over the weekend, I checked out Comfort LA for the very first time.
Originally launching as a pop up shop, Comfort LA has been at its new 7th Street location only for a couple of months. Décor is low key, with long wooden tables and benches taking up the majority of the space in the one-room eatery. Ornamentation is minimum — just a couple of black-and-white photos of L.A. landmarks hanging on an exposed brick wall, an old-school boom box, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf filled with books and vintage records, and a few portraits of characters from The Simpsons — painted black.
Like the physical space, the actual ambiance is mad chill and all good vibes. When we were there, Chef Jeremy warmly greeted guests all night long, often dishing out hugs and complimentary chicken wing tastings. The soundtrack was an amazing blend of laid-back hip hop, R&B, rap — think J. Dilla, James Blake, Bryson Tiller. And, board games, cards and dominoes were available, to anyone up for a friendly game.
But, most importantly, the food!
The highlight on the menu are the Not Your Average Fried Chicken Wings, splashed with a special concoction known as "that sauce" and fresh chives and spices. The wings come in individual portions, or in a platter option that's big enough to share with a large group (or to eat all by yourself, if you're greedy). You can also order sides, such as cornbread, yams, greens, mac'n'cheese and red beans & rice. My favorite side were the greens, which have a sweet, tangy kick to them.
While Comfort LA doesn't serve alcoholic beverages, you can BYOB — at no additional charge (!).They also have a selection of beverages, including their very own Ginger-Aid pictured below, a blend of Kool-Aid, ginger, lemon and lime. And, speaking from experience, the Ginger-Aid tastes great when you add a dash of champagne.
Not to be missed is the signature dessert, the Sweet Goodness. Served warm, it's an intoxicatingly sugary slice of cornbread, topped with strawberries. The perfect way to end a meal.
So, the next time you're in the downtown area and craving wings, perhaps after a late night out, I recommend stopping by Comfort LA.
Facebook, Instagram
Harry@ceilingfansselect.com April 14, 2016 at 10:43 PM
It might be the great place to visit!
Eva August 11, 2017 at 2:59 AM
Where to Eat: The Weekend Brunch @ Republique
Where to Eat: "Not Your Average Fried Chicken Wing...


Thousands of university and high school students took to the streets on August 29 as part of a national day of action called by the National Union of Students. The large turnout of high school students at only two weeks' notice added a new dimension to the campaign against the budget cuts to education.
From Sydney, Belinda Brear reports that 4000 gathered outside Town Hall, three quarters of whom were high school students. Many attended the rally under threat of suspension from their schools, and expressed their intention to rally again if the cuts go through. Resistance member Paul Howes from Blaxland High spoke on behalf of Students Against the Cuts (SAC), which organised the walkout.
Despite a smaller university student turnout because there was no strike by the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union, everyone came away with a feeling of increased solidarity and enthusiasm.
Students from Bathurst also attended the rally in Sydney.
Vicky Deller and Alison Dellit report from Melbourne that 700 students held a brief sit-in at BHP's offices as part of a 3000-strong tertiary and secondary student rally. The demonstration was organised by the Student Unionism Network, NUS and campus women's collectives. The United Secondary Students Union also mobilised, despite numerous threats of suspension.
Three hundred students marching back to the pub were confronted by police demanding the return of an allegedly stolen police hat. Police entered the pub and attempted to drag a student outside through the crowd.
Within 10 minutes there were more than 40 police in the area, 10 without name badges. More students were arrested, but were released after the crowd surrounded the police vans, chanting "The cops are out of control" to passers-by.
In Wollongong, Natasha Sinnet and Tony Iltis report, university students were joined by secondary students from more than 10 schools in a walkout organised by Resistance.
Keira High HSC student and Resistance member Shellie Braverman told the 400-strong rally, "Cuts to education and Austudy will make uni an impossible goal for many".
Catherine Blakely from Wollongong High said that her principal had told students attending the rally they were risking involvement in violence and wasting their time. Another secondary student said that students from Figtree High walking out "were faced with a wall of teachers threatening us all with suspension, expulsion and detention".
The rally unanimously passed a motion for the release of Dita Sari, Budiman Sujatmiko and other Indonesian activists facing possible execution "for doing no more than we are today".
Nick Soudakoff writes from Canberra that 300 students rallied in Union Court at the Australian National University, where Liberal Party election policies were burned, symbolising the broken promises of the Howard government.
Student Association president William Mackerras was booed off the platform when he tried to deflect accusations surrounding his attempts to de-mobilise and block funding to the campaign against education cuts.
Half of the crowd marched to the Chancellery, which was guarded by 40 police to prevent an occupation. Later, 50 students marched back to Union Court to have an impromptu Education Action Group meeting.
From Adelaide, Sam King reports, 600 high school and university students rallied and marched. The mood was one of outrage and an overwhelming desire to continue the struggle. At Liberal Party headquarters, an open microphone was held, with protesters calling for cuts to defence spending, not education.
A high school action network is being set up following a discussion amongst high school students from six schools after the rally.
Marty Drill reports from La Trobe University's Bendigo campus that a rally of university, secondary and TAFE students, supporters of the ABC, staff from Austudy, the CES and DSS was joined by supporters as it wound its way through the streets, finishing 150-strong outside the town hall.
Zanny Begg reports from Brisbane that John Howard's visit to a Liberal Party luncheon was disrupted by 200 noisy students. The liveliest contingent were high school students. Resistance member Jamie Meurant, who walked out of school with 30 others, explained that he was "outraged at the huge debt students are going to be left with".
The rally was smaller than previous actions. Posters did not arrive until two days beforehand. When activists from the University of Queensland rang NUS, they were told the rally had been cancelled. The student union at Queensland University of Technology put on a band afternoon which clashed directly with the rally.
The Community and Public Sector Union passed a motion calling for a strike in solidarity with the students but did not receive support from the national executive.
Neil Price writes from Darwin that 100 people attended a lunchtime rally on campus, adopting an Education Action Group resolution calling on "our elected representatives in the Senate to block the budget outright".
The rally also marked the end of a two-day hunger strike by 12 students, organised to draw attention to the effect of funding cuts on regional campuses.
Sarah Stephen reports from Hobart that 1000 people rallied, a third of whom were secondary students.
From Newcastle, Paul Simpson reports that 200 university students and staff rallied on July 27 outside a talk by Vice Chancellor Professor Roger Holmes, who has accepted the cuts.
Speakers noted the need to keep the focus on the federal government, while putting pressure on the VCs to oppose the cuts outright.
Other rallies were held in Geelong, Launceston, Lismore, Wagga Wagga, Cairns and Townsville.


text:
Maple Grove Hospital is a short term acute care hospital located in Maple Grove, Minnesota. It is one of two emergency care facilities in Maple Grove. The other facility is Park Nicollet Urgent Care.

History
The hospital took some time to get approved because of controversy and the need for legislative approval.  However, it was approved to be built by 2006.  It opened in 2009.

On December 31, 2019, the hospital celebrated its 10 year anniversary.

The owners of the hospital, North Memorial Health, as of September 2021, are planning to expand the hospital.

References

Hospital buildings completed in 2010
Hospitals established in 2009
Hospitals in Minnesota
Maple Grove, Minnesota
Non-profit organizations based in Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Hennepin County, Minnesota


text:
package authoring.gameObjects;

import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionEvent;
import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionListener;

import authoring.SpringUtilities;
import authoring.UserQueryNodeData;
import authoring.features.FeatureManager;

/**
 * Class that handles the creation of NPCs via a GUI window
 * @author Pritam M, Richard Cao, Davis Treybig, Jacob Lettie
 *
 */
@SuppressWarnings("ALL")
public class NPCCreation extends CommonAttributes{

	private JList myResponsesWrapper;
	private NPCResponseNodeData myRoot;
	private List<NPCResponseNodeData> myPrev;
	private NPCResponseNodeData myCurrent;
	private JOptionPane optionFrame;
	private JComboBox<String> NPCImage;
	private ButtonGroup movementCheck;

    public NPCCreation(){}

    /**
     * Creates the GUI window to create NPCs
     */
    public void creationPanel(){
    	JTabbedPane pane = new JTabbedPane();
        String dialogueTab = "Dialogue";

        JPanel namePanel = nameImageFields();
        JPanel nameImagePanel=new JPanel();
        NPCImage=spriteField();
        nameImagePanel.add(namePanel);
        nameImagePanel.add(NPCImage);

        JPanel movementPanel = new JPanel();
        movementCheck = new ButtonGroup();
        one = new JCheckBox("1: Side-Side");
        two = new JCheckBox("2: Player Follow");
        three = new JCheckBox("3: Stand-Still");
        one.setEnabled(true);
        two.setEnabled(true);
        three.setEnabled(true);
        movementCheck.add(one);
        movementCheck.add(two);
        movementCheck.add(three);
        movementPanel.add(one);
        movementPanel.add(two);
        movementPanel.add(three);
        nameImagePanel.add(movementPanel);

        JPanel locationPanel = locationFields();
        JPanel sizePanel = sizeFields();
        JPanel combinedPanel = new JPanel();
        combinedPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(combinedPanel,BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));
        combinedPanel.add(locationPanel);
        combinedPanel.add(sizePanel);

        JPanel dialoguePanel = new JPanel();
		myPrev = new ArrayList<NPCResponseNodeData>();
		myRoot = new NPCResponseNodeData("Initial NPC Response");
		myCurrent = myRoot;
		myResponsesWrapper = new JList();
		setResponses();
		myResponsesWrapper.addListSelectionListener(new DialogueClickAction());
		myResponsesWrapper.setSelectionMode(ListSelectionModel.SINGLE_SELECTION);
		JScrollPane myTextWindow = new JScrollPane(myResponsesWrapper);
		myTextWindow.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(200,100));
		JButton newQueryOption = new JButton("New Query Option");
		newQueryOption.addActionListener(new QueryListener());
		JButton newItemResponse = new JButton("New Item Response");
		newItemResponse.addActionListener(new ItemResponseListener());
		JButton newItemGiven = new JButton("New NPC Giving User Item");
		newItemGiven.addActionListener(new ItemGiveListener());
		JButton myGoBack = new JButton("Go Up A Level");
		myGoBack.addActionListener(new GoBackListener());
		dialoguePanel.add(myTextWindow);
		dialoguePanel.add(newQueryOption);
		dialoguePanel.add(newItemResponse);
		dialoguePanel.add(newItemGiven);
		dialoguePanel.add(myGoBack);

        pane.add(nameTab,nameImagePanel);
        pane.add(locationTab,combinedPanel);
        pane.add(dialogueTab,dialoguePanel);

        frame=new JFrame("New NPC");
        frame.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        frame.add(pane);
        JButton createNPC=new JButton("Create NPC");
        createNPC.addActionListener(new NPCActionListener());
        frame.add(createNPC);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }
    private class NPCActionListener implements ActionListener{

		@Override
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
			name = itemName.getText();
            x = Integer.parseInt(xcoor.getText());
            y = Integer.parseInt(ycoor.getText());
            makeNPC();
			frame.dispose();
			editor.dispose();
		}

    }

    /**
     * Makes the corresponding NPC based on user input
     */
    private void makeNPC(){
    	NPCData myNPC = new NPCData(x,y,getIntValue(widthField.getText()), getIntValue(heightField.getText()),
    			(String) NPCImage.getSelectedItem(),myRoot, getMovementType());
    	new GridObjectPainter(x, y, getIntValue(widthField.getText()), getIntValue(heightField.getText())
    			, editor.getSelectedImage());
    	FeatureManager.getWorldData().saveNPC(myNPC);
    }
    /**
     * Sets the NPC responses based on user input
     */
	private void setResponses(){
		List<String> myResponses = new ArrayList<String>();
		if(myCurrent.getItem()!=null){
			myResponses.add(0,myCurrent.getString() + ", Item:" + myCurrent.getItem());
		}else{
			myResponses.add(0,myCurrent.getString());
		}
		for(UserQueryNodeData q: myCurrent.getChildren()){
			if(q.getString()!=null){
				myResponses.add("   "+q.getString());
			}
			else{
				myResponses.add("   Item:"+q.getItem());
			}
		}
		myResponsesWrapper.setListData(myResponses.toArray());
	}
	/**
	 * Gets the NPCResponseNodeData of the current NPC
	 * @return
	 */
	public NPCResponseNodeData getDialogue() {
		return myRoot;
	}
	/**
	 * Listener that handles user input for NPC responses
	 *
	 */
	private class QueryListener implements ActionListener{
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
			if(myCurrent.getChildren().size()<4){
			optionFrame = new JOptionPane("Input Dialogue");
			String s = optionFrame.showInputDialog("Enter User Response Option");
			UserQueryNodeData uqn = new UserQueryNodeData(s);
			String ss = optionFrame.showInputDialog("Enter NPC Response to User Response");
			uqn.setChild(new NPCResponseNodeData(ss));
			myCurrent.addChild(uqn);
			setResponses();
			}
		}
	}
	/**
	 * Listener that handles item responses
	 *
	 */
	private class ItemResponseListener implements ActionListener{
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {

			boolean alreadyItem=false;
			for(UserQueryNodeData n: myCurrent.getChildren()){
				if(n.getItem()!=null)
					alreadyItem=true;
			}
			if(myCurrent.getChildren().size()<4&&!alreadyItem){
			List<String> myItems = new ArrayList<String>(FeatureManager.getWorldData().getMyItems().keySet());

			String myItem = (String)JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, "Select a User Item for NPC to react to",
					"Item Selection", JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE, null, myItems.toArray(), myItems.toArray()[0]);

			UserQueryNodeData uqn = new UserQueryNodeData();
			uqn.setItem(myItem);
			String ss = optionFrame.showInputDialog("Enter NPC Response");
			uqn.setChild(new NPCResponseNodeData(ss));
			myCurrent.addChild(uqn);
			setResponses();
			}
		}
	}
	/**
	 * Listener that handles NPC item giving
	 *
	 */
	private class ItemGiveListener implements ActionListener{
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {

			if(myCurrent.getItem()==null){
			List<String> myItems = new ArrayList<String>(FeatureManager.getWorldData().getMyItems().keySet());

			String myItem = (String)JOptionPane.showInputDialog(null, "Select an item for NPC to give to user",
					"Item Selection", JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE, null, myItems.toArray(), myItems.toArray()[0]);

			myCurrent.setItem(myItem);
			setResponses();
			}
		}
	}
	/**
	 * Listener that handles moving up a NPC response tree
	 *
	 */
	private class GoBackListener implements ActionListener{
		public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e){
			if(myCurrent!=myRoot){
			myCurrent=myPrev.get(myPrev.size()-1);
			myPrev.remove(myPrev.size()-1);
			setResponses();
			}
		}
	}
	/**
	 * Listener that handles NPC dialogue
	 *
	 */
	private class DialogueClickAction implements ListSelectionListener{
		public void valueChanged(ListSelectionEvent arg0) {
			if(myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedValue()!=null){
				if(myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedIndex()==0){
					optionFrame = new JOptionPane("Input Dialogue");
					myCurrent.setString(optionFrame.showInputDialog("Input NPC Dialog"));
					setResponses();
					myResponsesWrapper.removeSelectionInterval(myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedIndex(),
                            myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedIndex());
				}
				else{
					myPrev.add(myCurrent);
					myCurrent = myCurrent.getChildren().get(myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedIndex()-1).getChild();
					myResponsesWrapper.removeSelectionInterval(myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedIndex(),
                            myResponsesWrapper.getSelectedIndex());
					setResponses();
				}
			}
		}
	}
	 /**
     * Gets the movement type from the check boxes
     * @return Integer representing the movement type
     */
    private int getMovementType(){
    	if(one.isSelected()){
    		return 1;
    	}
    	else if (two.isSelected()){
    		return 2;
    	}
    	else if (three.isSelected()){
    		return 3;
    	}
    	return 3;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Round Pond Estate, owned and operated today by the second generation of the MacDonnell family, is a Rutherford farm and winery that specializes in the creation of pure, expressive wines, artisan foods, and unforgettable experiences all from the heart of Napa Valley. In addition to a state-of-the-art winemaking facility and 366 acres of vineyards, the estate includes 5 acres of organic gardens, 12 acres of olive orchards, and one of only two olive mills in the region. The high quality Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, artisan olive oils, red wine vinegars, and flavorful citrus syrups of Round Pond Estate reflect the MacDonnell family´s dedication to sustainable farming and production. They have made their farm-to-table philosophy a way of life, and together with their Estate Chef and Master Gardener, the family enjoys nothing more than sharing the bounty of the farm with guests. They are excited to offer extensive visitor programs that provide a range of inviting live like a local experiences.
Tasting Room Size Medium Tasting Room Atmosphere From the vineyard to the crush pad, discover the secrets of great handcrafted winemaking with a guided tour of our winery. Led by one of our friendly and knowledgeable wine educators, this fascinating tour culminates in a delicious tasting featuring a selection of our estate-grown wines and a sampling of decadent wine-friendly appetizers. View from Tasting Room: With a lovely second story tasting lounge and a covered terrace offering panoramic views of the vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains, our winery makes for an ideal winery and garden destination in the heart of the Napa Valley. Wine Education: Each tasting is accompanied with food pairing and curated by a personal wine educator at your table. Food Available: Chef Jamie Prouten uses estate gardens and seasonal ingredients to create food pairings that enhance our unique wine tasting experiences.


Today we went on a bike ride with Mark's Scouts, fortunately it stopped raining and we actually saw some sun for a change! They set off at quite a pace and I wasn't sure if they would be able to keep it up but at the end of the ride Mark's bike computer said we had averaged 10mph which was pretty good considering some of the children hadn't cycled this distance before. Steve and Dave who are the other Scout leaders are very keen cyclists and had cycled around The Trough in the morning but we just settled for this ride. We rode to the meeting point which is just over 4 miles from home so we added an extra 8 miles to the trip which ended up being 30 miles. Luke did really well as he normally rides on the back of the tandem so 30 miles was a good ride for him.
We stopped for a well deserved ice cream at the park and it was nice sitting in the sun and enjoying the ice creams. We were surprised how quiet the Guild Wheel was, it was a lovely Saturday afternoon and although the park was busy we hardly met anyone on the route.
The last part of the ride was a steep climb which everyone walked up before getting back on their bikes for the final half mile where the parents were waiting to take the Scouts home. We had a great ride and it made a nice change that all the Scouts turned up with reasonable bikes, normally Mark, Dave and Stephen end up spending time pumping up tyres and oiling chains before we start but today everyone's bike was ok.


text:
Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #170
In: Comics & Books > Spectacular Beginnings
Title: Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1)
Lookback: Spectacular Beginnings
Posted: 2007
Staff: Jeremy Roby (E-Mail)
The Spider-Man/Avengers team-up trilogy wraps up.
Story 'The Final Calculation'
Summary: Avengers vs. Outlaws
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Cover Art: Sal Buscema
Reprinted In: Complete Spider-Man (UK) #10
Articles: Prowler, Puma, Rocket Racer, Sandman
This issue says it starts off at Avenger's Mansion. (Actually it looks like a shallow crater with sheer rock walls set in the middle of New York City, but that's what the caption says.) It seems The Outlaws, being lead by Spider-Man, have set up a parley with The Avengers to hash out their differences.
The Space Phantom is up to his old tricks, however. He switches places with Spidey, without alerting the other members of the group somehow, and charges straight into the Avengers. After setting the heroes against each other again, he quickly changes back to his true form to watch the carnage ensue. Unfortunately, he lingers a little too long, and Puma manages to sniff him out.
Meanwhile, She-Hulk is fighting Spider-Man, who easily dodges her blows thanks to his trusty spider-sense. He quickly jumps away and tries to call a truce before anyone can get hurt in the scuffle. Talking with Captain America, he claims someone impersonated him and he didn't just attack the Avengers. On cue, Puma produces the Space Phantom as proof.
Everybody quickly falls into line, and finally (finally!) the heroes put their heads to try to figure out the mystery. Quasar binds the Space Phantom in some energy rings and we are quickly treated to a flashback explaining how he got involved in the whole mess. He was approached by his mysterious master and told to impersonate She-Hulk in order to draw the heroes together and get them to fight each other. Unfortunately, since his master never filled him in on the big plan, he can't help them figure out how to fight the giant black cloud of death that's still out there somewhere.
Next, everyone shares the info that they had gathered last issue, and we're treated to another flashback relating the story of Ambrose Carpathian, the original owner of the chest that Spidey opened in Spectacular Spider-Man #168. It seems he picked it up in the Amazon basin around the turn of the century and brought it back to his home in New York.
The heroes decide to team-up, naturally, and track the cloud down. They all hop into a Quinjet (which must be awfully roomy to fit 12 people in the cockpit) and are on their way. They pick up the its trail pretty quick, because it seems to be just floating randomly over Manhattan. (Maybe it's stupefied by the stunning buffet of tasty morsels it sees laid out before it. For a carnivorous cloud, it sure seems picky about its victims.)
Anyway, they first try to subdue it with a net, but who ever heard of catching a cloud in a net? So much for Cap being a master strategist. The cloud passes through it and retaliates by ramming the Quinjet, forcing everyone to evacuate.
After everyone's safe on the ground, the cloud coalesces into a roughly humanoid figure and dive bombs them. Thor throws his hammer at it, but again it passes right through it and knocks him away. The Outlaws bunch tries next, with pretty much the same results. Then Quasar steps up and gets his lights punchedt.
It seems our heroes are in big trouble. But wait, Spidey gets an idea! He gets all the heroes to taunt the cloud, zapping it with everything they got to stun it. Then Sandman rises up and completely enfolds it within himself.
Then Spidey punches a hole into him, and the cloud gushes out like pressurized water into the waiting arms of She-Hulk, who just happens to be holding the chest the cloud was originally trapped in. (Don't ask me how.) She slams the lid and Spidey wraps it with webbing before Thor sends it off into outer space where it won't harm anyone ever again.
The threat taken care of, everyone leaves. There is a surprise wrap-up on the last page, but I won't ruin the ending. It basically reveals who the mastermind behind the whole affair was, but it was kinda out of left field anyway so you're not missing much.
Remember that big fight scene I promised last issue? Well, there's only about four panels of action between the rival super-teams. That's all folks. That is followed by about four pages of backstory which really should have been explained in the second part. Then we go right into the team-up and taking down of the big bad villain. It all seems kind of rushed.
Another problem I had with this issue is that Spidey seems like a guest star in his own series. Sure he saves the day in the end, but before that there were just too many characters to keep track of.
Overall, the ending just fell flat. The mystery element was there just to be mysterious, with no clues given to the reader to really figure out what was going on until it was all over.
The Avengers show up next in Amazing Spider-Man #348, with Sandman in tow. They basically have the same line-up, but this time it's a nice little one-shot story beautifully drawn by Erik Larsen.
Next issue kicks off a two-part story that finally concludes the Spider-Man/Puma debt of honor subplot after nearly two years.
The Outlaws, as far as I know, never made another appearance.
Review:#170
Issue:#170
Title:Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1)
Lookback:Spectacular Beginnings


text:
Misc Publishers
Graded Record Sales
Grading Companies
Pressing Companies
NEW!! Graded Key Comics Store
My Slabbed Comics
All-Star Comics #8
DC Comics - Dec. 1941 / Jan. 1942
Key Issue Notes
Doctor Mid-Nite and Starman join Justice Society of America
First appearance of Wonder Woman
First appearance of Steve Trevor
First appearance of Hippolyte
First appearance of Mala
First appearance of Colonel Darnell
First appearance of Paradise Island
The release of the newest Wonder Woman movie is fast approaching, and the early reviews of the movie are generally positive, but me, I'm still skeptical. The rumors flying around in the early production of the movie were far from good. And, if you count the other not so good DCEU movies, Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad, it seemed that this movie was going to be a disaster. Also, I haven't been overly impressed with the trailers that have been released so far either, but that's just my opinion. So, I'm going into this with some pretty low expectations, but who knows, I may be surprised.
Anyway, I thought now might be a good time to share with everyone Wonder Woman's first appearance in comics. For that, we've got to go all the way back to 1941, in the pages of All-Star Comics #8. In the back, after the adventures of the members of the JSA have their fun kicking ass and dishing out justice, We get to meet Princess Diana, daughter of the Amazonian Queen Hippolyte.
Princess Diana AKA
Before I get too much into that, I guess I should give you a little more backstory and information about the inhabitants of Paradise Island. This island is the home of the immortal Amazons, who just happen to be made up of entirely females. They are all considered "Wonder Women", so at the beginning of this story, there isn't an individual Wonder Woman... yet.
At the beginning of this story, Princess Diana and another Amazonian see an out of control airplane crash land onto Paradise Island. When the go to investigate, they end up pulling out the injured pilot, Steve Trevor and they rush him to the hospital. Now keep in mind that most of the women on the island have never seen a man before. This may or may not have an effect on the story a little later on.
After the Queen hears about a "man" being on the island, she uses the Magic Sphere, which isn't a sphere at all, to learn who this man is and how he ended up there. In a nutshell, two Nazi spies capture Captain Trevor to make it look like he was bombing his own airbase. But, in the middle of the plan, the Captain wakes up and takes control of the plane, that was being controlled remotely by the Nazi's. His plane eventually runs out of gas and he crash lands onto Paradise Island.
The Magic (Sphere)??
As Steve Trevor lays unconscious in the hospital bed, he is being watched over by Princess Diana, and she somehow, miraculously, manages to fall in love the the guy. Yup, she's never talked to the guy, knows almost nothing about him, but still falls for him anyway. Maybe it's the uniform. Women are a sucker for a man in uniform.... aren't they? You gotta love those Golden Age stories, as ridiculous as they can be at times.
Anyway, in order to preserve their way of life, they have to get the injured Capt. off of the island. In order to figure out who would accompany him, they held a tournament to see who was the strongest and fastest of them all. Against her mothers will, Princess Diana enters the tournament, wins, and then becomes the true Wonder Woman. I know, it doesn't sound exciting, but this is a Cliff's Notes version of the story.
Officially part of the team
Well, that's it for the origin of Wonder Woman, but now I have to cover the rest of the key issue notes. I suppose I'll start with Colonel Darnell. He is the man that approves Capt. Trevors mission before he is captured by the Nazi's. The dear Colonel isn't an overly used or important character in the DC Comics universe, but it is a key issue status so I figured I'd mention it.
Finally we have the first appearance of Mala. She is the Amazonian that battled Princess Diana for the final spot in the tournament where the Princess finally won. She also only has a handful of appearance and isn't an overly important character.
The last of the key issue notes is the induction of Doctor Mid-Nite and Starman into the Justice Society of America, after they proved their worth in their parts in taking down Prof. Elba, also known as Prof. Able (Elba spelled backward), and his Insanity Serum.
This comic came out in a much different era than the one that we're in now, with every issue, no matter how important, getting 10 to 20 different covers. So, for all of you variant hunters out there, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there are exactly zero variants for this issue that I could find. There are some reprints of this issue, for example, the Millennium Edition that came out in 2001. If you're looking for a more affordable option for this comic, that may be the way to go.
Comic books, in the early days, weren't considered collectors items or investments. Most of the time, they were read, passed around to friends and read some more, and ultimately thrown in the garbage. So, CGC census numbers for this particular issue are really low. To date, there have only been 143 copies graded by them. I find it hard to believe that DC Comics had a low print run for this issue, I'm just assuming that most of the copies ended up in a landfill somewhere.
As I'm looking over the census numbers, I see that most of the copies that have been graded are in the very low .5 Poor grade to the only slightly better, but still low 5.0 VG/F.
There are a few high grade copies out there, with the highest topping out at 9.0. There are five copies at that grade, but three of them will have the purple Restored label attached to them. Even with those purple labels, copies of this comic are going to cost you some bucks as you'll see in the next section.
Values of All-Star Comics #8
on GoCollect
All-Star Comics #8 has always been a sought out comic and had a high price tag. It does feature the first appearance of one of DC's most recognized characters after all. But, like most comics in today's market, it has had a significant boost in value since it was let known that Wonder Woman was going to be in the DCEU and have a movie all of her own.
Let's looks at some sales and you'll see what I mean. There aren't to many data points on GoCollect, my regular go to site for sales information for graded comics. But for the sales that there are for a CGC Universal copy in a very low grade 1.0 Fair copy, the increase in value is astounding. In June of 2014, a copy at that grade sold for $5,495. That's nothing to shake a stick at for such a low graded copy. Jump ahead to Feb. of 2016, less that two years later, and a copy at that same 1.0 Fair low grade sold for $19,500. I nearly pissed myself when I saw that.
Now let's head over to Heritage Auctions and check out some of there sales. They have a lot more information over there so I can get some better examples. For this, I'm going to compare sales for CGC Universal 5.5 F- copies.
All the way back in July of 2002, a copy of All-Star comics sold at Heritage for $5,175. That's not too bad for a decent looking copy. Move ahead about a year and a half to Feb. of 2004, a copy sold for $6,037.50. Not a bad jump in price if you were able to snag it for about five grand a couple years earlier. Now, when we look at the latest sale for a 5.5 F- copy in Nov. 2014, the price tag on that beast was $44,812.50...... Holy S#!t!! I have a feeling that is going to me out of most peoples price range.
If you have that kind of money to spend, there are surprisingly a fair amount of copies to be found online, especially on eBay. As always, I'll provide the link for you just in case you're feeling like adding a piece of comic history into your collection.
Find a copy here
eBay - ComicLink - MyComicShop - ComicConnect
Posted by Graded Key Comics at 12:03:00 AM
Labels: 1st Colonel Darnell, 1st Mala, 1st Paradise Island, 1st Queen Hippolyte, 1st Steve Trevor, 1st Wonder Woman, All Star Comics 8, DCEU, Doctor Mid-Nite and Starman join Justice Society
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Robert Bittman (1942—2014)
New Tabor Young Investigator Award winner
JBC: Why the bad taste?
JBC: Goodman on SOS error-prone DNA repair
JBC: Muscular disease in humans and cattle
JBC: Author of the most-cited paper (ever)
MCP: Super microbes for biofuels
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National Academies report on postdocs
Thyroid awareness month
The Hollywood experiment
A quantum leap
Meet Dennis Voelker
Generating the NIH 3T3 cell line, the oncogene hypothesis and horses
Making of a man
Open Channels
Robert Bittman
Robert Bittman, an organic lipid chemist and distinguished professor at the City University of New York and Queens College, died Oct. 1 of pancreatic cancer. He was 72.
Bittman won the Avanti Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2003 and served on the editorial board of ASBMB's Journal of Lipid Research. One of the first recipients of the National Institutes of Health MERIT awards in 1986, Bittman "set new standards in the synthesis of bioactive lipids and their analogs with ingenuity and elegance," said his longtime friend and collaborator Gabor Tigyi of University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
"His synthetic schemes benefited basic researchers and industrial chemists alike. Those of us who collaborated with him were beneficiaries of unique reagents, which provided new tools that led to many discoveries," Tigyi said.
Bittman synthesized analogs of lysophosphatidic acid; phosphatidylinositol; sphingosine 1-phosphate; phosphatidylcholine; sphingomyelin; antitumor ether lipids; immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive derivatives of galactosylceramide and FTY720; photoactivatable cholesterol and phospholipids; cell-trafficking lipid tools; and chemopreventive sphingadienes. In 1992, Bittman was the first to prepare cell-permeable ceramide analogs. He also developed many methods for the enantioselective synthesis of sphingosine, ceramide and phospholipids.
"With these new reagents, he probed the roles of sphingolipids in the fusion of alpha viruses with cholesterol-containing viruses; sterol side-chain structure and sphingomyelin structure in lipid raft formation; and the effects of ceramide structure on ceramide's dipole potential in monolayers," Tigyi explained.
A meteoric rise, a prolific researcher
Bittman was born March 19, 1942, in New York City. A gifted student, he graduated from Jamaica High School in 1958 at age 16. He earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1962 at age 20 from Queens College. He then earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1965 at age 23 at the University of California at Berkeley, where he worked under Andrew Streitwieser. That same year, he joined the lab of Manfred Eigen (who would win the Nobel prize in chemistry shortly thereafter) at the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry in Germany. Bittman was recruited to the faculty at Queens in 1966 at age 25.
Over the next almost five decades, Bittman synthesized hundreds of molecules. His work was funded continuously by a National Institutes of Health grant that ran from 1973 through 2014.
By all measures, Bittman was prolific: He penned more than 300 scientific papers and 64 book chapters. Nineteen U.S. patents bearing his name were granted or are pending.
Tigyi, who met Bittman at a meeting in 1995 and went on to co-author 17 papers with him, said, "He was as much a sculptor of organic molecules as he was of sentences — who would not tolerate the smallest ambiguity in his manuscripts."
Nigel Pyne of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, agreed: "Although I have to say we always sent manuscripts to him with some apprehension, knowing they would come back with large numbers of mistakes corrected, he was really a line editor's dream — but probably making them largely redundant."
The "No. 1 go-to guy" for sphingolipids
Bittman's collaborators all emphasized that he never met a stranger and never came across a problem not worth trying to solve.
Julie Saba, who met Bittman at an ASBMB meeting in 2005, said she was "struck with an immediate affinity for the man, who, within minutes of our introduction, began postulating structures and chemical hypotheses while leaning casually over the banister in the fifth-floor hallway and looking out into the empty space of the gallery as though he could see the chemical structures floating there." Saba continued: "As we chatted during that first encounter, Bob's scientific brilliance, curiosity, determination and utter unpretentiousness impressed me deeply."
Richard Kolesnick of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center called Bittman "the No. 1 go-to guy when you wanted a sphingolipid synthesized, bar none."
Kolesnick quipped that a quick call to Bittman was never quick at all. "After Bob would let you explain your needs for a few minutes, he would have 10 additional ideas as to how to generate new analogs that you never could have conceived of and that would further advance your idea. After his 45-minute tutorial on the structure of sphingolipids and their organic synthesis … you realized that you really didn't know as much about your field as you thought, and you were thankful."
Gilbert Arthur of the University of Manitoba echoed that sense of gratitude. Arthur published 23 papers and a book chapter with Bittman, and they shared three patents. Their relationship began in 1992. "Bob had synthesized a number of compounds that I was sure would be invaluable to the research I wanted to pursue, and after quickly realizing the futility of attempting to synthesize them myself, I decided to write to Bob and request some of his compounds," Arthur said.
"The letter was written with the expectation that there would be no response," Arthur said. "To my surprise and delight, Bob responded almost immediately." Bittman sent the requested compounds, and a fruitful collaboration was born.
Elina Ikonen's relationship with Bittman started in a similar way. "How many times have you sent an email to a stranger and hoped for a reply — in vain?" she asked. "I sent an email to a complete stranger almost 10 years ago and was not expecting any response. This time I was completely wrong. I had hit a gold mine! This gold mine was Bob Bittman."
Ikonen continued: "My question was whether he might be willing to share one of the fluorescent lipid derivatives he had recently synthesized, BODIPY-cholesterol, with us. Not only did he reply promptly but more positively than I ever expected. This was the beginning of an active collaboration that, among other things, defined this compound as being suitable for assessing the behavior of cholesterol in cell membranes."
Antonio GomezMunoz also came to know Bittman in the early 1990s, back when Gomez–Munoz was a postdoc at the University of Alberta in Canada. "I became interested in ceramide 1-phosphate, a phosphosphingolipid that had been observed by Rich Kolesnick in human leukemia cells a couple of years before. This molecule was not commercially available at the time, so I needed someone who could be capable of synthesizing it for me."
He continued: "We contacted Bob, and he became even more enthusiastic than I on the project. Upon speaking with him, I could feel his energy and enthusiasm through my skin. Not only did he provide us with the compound, but he taught me excellent organic chemistry and gave me suggestions that turned out to be crucial for our studies." Gomez–Munoz went on to publish six studies with Bittman on caged ceramide 1-phosphate and has three more in the pipeline.
A problem-solver to the end
Pyne, who met Bittman in 2009, underscored that Bittman was "able to discard the periphery and to go straight to the central question." He said: "Bob was rather good at spotting these central questions, primarily because his mind was one that was unburdened and constantly searching for biology problems to solve with his compounds. His publication record is a testament to how good he was at that."
Throughout his career, Bittman dedicated himself to service to the scientific community. He served in NIH study sections, lectured across the globe, trained 20 postdoctoral researchers and 23 graduate students, served as a member and later as chairman of the Biophysics Section of the New York Academy of Sciences, won election as vice-president of the Queens College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and sat on the editorial boards of the JLR, Subcellular Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, and the Journal of Liposome Research. In addition, he served as secretary and co-secretary ofOrganic Reactions from 1968 to the end of his life. He was inducted as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2004.
Walter Shaw, founder of Avanti Lipids, the sponsor of ASBMB's Avanti Award that Bittman won a decade ago, met Bittman in the early 1970s. "I have seen him work his synthetic sorcery with organic molecules to produce numerous compounds that were thought to be beyond our field's current synthetic capabilities," Shaw recalled. "Our field has lost a great chemist, but more importantly, the world has lost a truly great man."
Bittman's friends say that he was reluctant to tell many people about his illness. But, Tigyi said, when Bittman did break the news to him, "he was calm and told me about his plan how to fight the disease against all odds." Tigyi continued: "He survived the diagnosis by many, many more months than projected. In a way, it was his triumph over an unbeatable disease."
To learn more about Bittman's life and contributions to science, please read this full-length Retrospective article contributed by Gabor Tigyi, Julie Saba, Nigel J. Pyne, Richard N. Kolesnick, Gilbert Arthur, Elina Ikonen, Antonio Gomez-Munoz and Walter Shaw. This report is a composite of their tributes compiled by ASBMB Today's editor, Angela Hopp.


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Pîrijkî (în ) este localitatea de reședință a comunei Pîrijkî din raionul Malîn, regiunea Jîtomîr, Ucraina.

Demografie

Conform recensământului din 2001, majoritatea populației localității Pîrijkî era vorbitoare de ucraineană (%), existând în minoritate și vorbitori de rusă (%).

Note

Pîrijkî, Malîn, Jîtomîr
Pîrijkî, Malîn, Jîtomîr
Pîrijkî, Malîn, Jîtomîr


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fanatix | Cricket | International | England | Kevin Pietersen was made a scapegoat for Ashes series loss: Andrew Flintoff
Kevin Pietersen was made a scapegoat for Ashes series loss: Andrew Flintoff
Scott Hazlewood
Former teammate weighs in on the debate that continues to rage.
Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff believes that Kevin Pietersen has been made a scapegoat for England's Ashes whitewash after having his international career brought to an end.
The England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB) announced the end of Pietersen's association with England earlier this week, citing a need for a new "team ethic and philosophy" after the 5-0 Test series defeat in Australia.
However, Flintoff feels that it is wrong to single out individuals and has questioned the team spirit within the England squad.
"The group doesn't seem to be a group any more," he said. "They've got one player who can take the blame and the rest of them want to go about their business and let him take the fall.
"It's not that we couldn't bowl them out, not that we couldn't score runs, not that we got outplayed — it's Kevin Pietersen's fault.
"I'd have more respect for some of the senior players if they held their hands up, rather than letting it all get heaped on one bloke."
With the ECB yet to fully explain its decision to axe Pietersen, Flintoff says that the South Africa-born batsman's case had been used as a smokescreen to shield others from criticism.
"If his attitude was that bad, why did he play five Tests?" Flintoff said.
"Who made the decision to drop him? Do they genuinely believe we are better off without him, or are they just fearful for their own jobs and too afraid to say no?
"I can't imagine what Kevin could have done, or what the ECB could announce, that would allow this to make sense."
More Stories: andrew flintoff, England Cricket, Kevin Pietersen
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Early 20th Century Hymnals
Sisters in Song got me involved in women's hymnody in ways I never expected. Now, when I go browse an antique shop or bookstore, I zero in on the old hymnbooks. Just this weekend, I found an old hymnal from 1913. Some of the pages are missing and all are tattered. But for one dollar, it couldn't be too much of a gamble. Sunday School Voices Number Two was the property of the New Truxton Sunday School, and from the numerous scribblings in the flyleaf, it obviously passed from owner to owner. Now it's mine. I already had a freebie from an auction last year, Jubilant Voices published in 1905. The content of the two was similar.
Several things stood out for me. First, there were an incredible number of women lyricists. The earlier book had 243 hymns. Women wrote the lyrics for 135 of them. They wrote the music for ten. The more recent book had 128 women written hymns versus 122 written by men, but some of the pages were missing. Also notable is that the women held none of the copyrights. Back then, married women could not hold title to property in most states, and most of the women were married. I suspect it was more convenient for the woman to write the song and immediately sell it to the man who wrote the music or to a publisher for a nominal amount. Fanny Crosby was often the writer of hymns in these books. She sold the lyrics of her 8000+ hymns for less than five dollars each to help support her personal mission work.
Also notable was the number of women, most of whom I never heard of, who were in the hymnals. I will have to look up Ida Scott Taylor, Mrs. C.H. Morris, Charlotte Homer, Ida Reed, Lizzie DeArmond, Jennie Ree, Flora Kirkland, Nellie Place Chandler, Edith Tillotson, and Eleanor Long among many others. That will be another day, though.
Another thing that struck me was the frequent use of two images: sunshine and war. War won out thirty-one to ten. I have read that there was a backlash to women written hymns beginning around World War I. They were too feminine, not adequately "muscular". I don't see this criticism borne out in these hymns. Eliza Hewitt, who is featured in my book, had numerous hymns in these two hymnals. "Jericho Must Fall" says we must fight our foes. Sweet, blind little lady Fanny Crosby wrote "The sword of the Spirit will vanquish our foes" in "March Onward, March Onward" which Phoebe Knapp set to music. "This our warfare on the Christian way" comes from Crosby's "They That Overcome" and "Gird on, gird on your armor . . . to battle for the Lord" in "We'll Battle to the End". Other warlike songs include "Put on the Whole Armor" by Jennie Ree, "With Our Banner Waving", "Up Ye Soldiers" and "Onward Till the Dawning" by Charlotte Homer, "Little Sentinels" (for militant children, I guess) by Jennie Ree, "The Glorious Conqueror" by Ella Bangs, "Rally 'Round the Standard" by Civilla Martin, "The Fight is On" and "On the Firing Line" by Mrs. C. H. Morris, "Our Fight, His Victory" by Edith Spaulding, "The Conquering Hero Comes" by Civilla Martin, "With Flaming Banners" by Lizzie DeArmond, and of course, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe. This is only a partial listing.
I'm anxious to get my hands on yet another old time hymnal. Who knows what I'll find!
This entry was tagged early 20th century hymns, war themed hymns.


The CDO Family Home Project is the most important ongoing project that we are currently undertaking. The CDO home project strives to maintain a suitable living situation for the resident children which means proper sanitation, clean water, and of course food and clothing. It is also very important to us to assist in improving the living conditions in Leap Chass Village so that the children are able to stay in a stable environment with their families. The village is greatly in need of new clean water wells, bicycles for day to day transportation, a truck for work and emergency transportation (imagine a medical emergency in the middle of the night and no way to get to medical care!), assistance in developing business so the people can make money to support the children themselves, new house construction and repair of existing homes. The tasks are large but the children are worth it and deserve to grow up in a safe environment!
At the CDO home we have many goals that we would love to accomplish. Some of these are re-occurring needs, such as food, clothes, cleanliness requirements, and the rent for our land. Others include needs to allow necessary expansion of CDO and new projects, all of which we believe are very important. New goals are always arising as we meet new challenges as CDO continues its work.
As we continue to try and help the development of the village, we aim to provide the best possible living and learning environment for the children from Leap Chass village at CDO home in Siem Reap.
Improve and increase school facilities: build one more classroom and one room to provide extracurricular activities.
Vegetable garden: it is one of the government requirements. Reduces CDO's expenditures and in the future can be a source of income. Vegetables (that suit our needs) – cucumber, chilly, papaya, morning g lory, tomato, beans, mushrooms, eggplant, garlic and mint.
Sewing center: It is one of the main projects of CDO. The goal is to be more financially independent and to help Leap Chass women (that will come to CDO) to learn how to sew so they can have a new source of income.
Truck: it is very important to have our own truck to be able to take the children and food to the village or to bring the parents to Siem Reap, so the children can keep in touch with their families.
Extracurricular activities such as a music school, computer classes and art classes are very important for the children, so they can gain and improve other skills.
Nowadays we completely rely on donations made by visitors, volunteers and sponsors. Our goal is to be, at least, 40% self-sustainable, so during the low season (when we receive less donations) the living conditions of the children don´t decrease.
That is why projects such as the truck, vegetable garden, sewing center, chicken farm and solar panel, are really important for us, because they will allow us to decrease our expenditures and to increase our income.
Vegetable garden – A vegetable garden at CDO will be a source of food. This vegetable garden will grow vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, and other Cambodian vegetables. This vegetable garden will alleviate financial pressure of sustaining around 30 children. The vegetable garden will not be run for profit but simply for providing food for the children.
Souvenir shop – The CDO business will be the main source of income. The business will be used to pay for CDO necessities such as rent, food, clothes, and other essential needs. However, if there is an excess of money it will either go into savings for the low season or will be sent to the village.
To be more financial independent by sewing and selling the products in town (Night Market), and be less depended on random donations.
Helping Leap Chas women to have a job and earn money by coming to CDO and work in sewing.
To buy a sewing machine and fabrics.
To hire a professional sewing lady and start sewing sketches.
Teach the older kids how to sew.
Start sewing bags, hand bags, wallets, cloths etc.
Once there's enough money to buy more sewing machines we'll bring the Leap Chass women to learn how to sew and start working in CDO.
One sewing machine costs 250$. We need 2 more sewing machines.
The monthly salary of a professional sewing lady is 120$.
Regardless of CDO home projects, there are a few things that continue to happen, no matter what phase we are in.
One event is the village visit. Once a month on a Sunday, we take the children out to the Leap Chass Village for one day. During this time, the children get to spend time with their family and friends back in their village.
Every three months we spend a whole weekend (Friday evening to Sunday evening) at the village. The children miss one day of school (Saturday), but we find that it is more important for children to spend time with their family. The children really enjoy this time.
For us it is really important that the children can spend time with their parents, that is why we wish to buy a truck, so we can have our own transportation to take the children to the village.


This world-class resort is centrally located 18 miles North of Kona on land once home to ancient kings, boasting the island's best beaches and sunniest weather. Designed around a long sandy beach, historic petroglyph fields and royal fishpond, it features two spectacular golf courses and 187,000 square feet of shopping, restaurants and entertainment.
Our Anaeho'omalu Bay or "A Bay"
Enjoy the simple luxury of doing nothing on our pristine, palm-studded beach or read a book from our villa's library. Snorkel, dive, surf, kayak, boogie board, fish or feast like a king at an authentic luau. Our complementary concierge can give you tips and arrange activities for you. We provide tennis rackets, boogie boards, snorkel equipment, beach towels, sun umbrella, a cooler, binoculars, and even an underwater camera for unique selfies.
South of Lava Lava Beach Club on a secluded stretch of beach you may see bales of Green Sea Turtles soaking up the sun's last rays before swimming back into the ocean at night. These creatures are legally protected, so keep a respectful distance.
The ancient royal fishponds are home to sea turtles and tropical fish. Stroll on paths around these ponds to catch a glimpse sea life. Explore fascinating Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve next to Kings' Shops on Kings' Trail, a pathway that has stretched the length of the Kohala Coast since recorded time. Enhance your trip by learning island history with a free guided tour of the petroglyph fields. See shopping center information kiosks for times.
Queens' Marketplace is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination with live music, cultural events and movies under the stars. Have a memorable meal at Sansei Seafood, Eddie Aikau Restaurant, Charley's Thai Cuisine or other fine restaurants. For casual meals try the food court with Subway, pizza, Asian cafes or the gourmet food market.
Kings' Shops offer great shopping from Tommy Bahama to Tiffany, art galleries and Hawaiian performances. Excellent restaurants include Roy's Bar & Grill featuring Hawaiian fusion cuisine and overlooking a tranquil lake. For a fun way to sightsee rent bicycles, motorcycles or scooters here.
Hawaiian musicians, hula dancers and folklore storytellers perform at Kings' Shops and Queens' Marketplace in open-air pavilions. Lei-making, Hawaiian quilting, crafts classes and hula classes are offered combining culture and fun. You may see a ukulele, hula or film festival while you are in Waikoloa. Check out free activities at Queens' Marketplace and Kings' Shops or pick up an event calendar at shopping center information kiosks.
All resort guests are welcome to enjoy Waikoloa Hilton's spectacular grounds, ocean-view restaurants and bars, accessible by a complementary boat or tram ride. Massages, spas, pools and yoga are available for a fee. Sports in the lagoon such as paddleboarding, paddle-boating and snorkel rentals are available. The Hilton is an 8-12 minute walk from us.
The seaside Marriott Hotel has been stunningly renovated. It is a favorite spot for evening drinks or dinner and watching the sunset. Both big hotels have impressive luaus. Our villa's concierge will reserve your seats in advance.
At world-famous Dolphin Quest in Hilton's ocean lagoon you can play with friendly dolphins or watch from grassy banks. Dolphin Quest brings you amazingly close to dolphins with fun, interactive programs. Part of Dolphin Quest proceeds supports marine education and conservation. For the thrill of seeing dolphins in the wild, watch pods from a glass bottom boat or combine dolphin encounters with snorkeling, kayaking or sailing.
Unwind with a leisurely day of beach lounging, golf, spa treatments or massage in the resort. Then join your friends for a drink and the local ritual of watching glorious sunsets at Lava Lava Beach Club right on the beach. Lava Lava Beach Club, listed #2 in Hawaii's Top 10 Best Beach Bars by CNN Travel serves lunch and dinner. They have nighly Hawaiian entertainment and a terrific happy hour for island drinks and tempting pupus. They See our slideshow of more Hawaiian sunsets.
Vacation rentals Hale Pele and Hale Wailele are in Waikoloa Colony Villas, at left. For a map of our complex see Colony Villas. Hawaii Resort Rentals Can't Get Lost Directions take you from Kona Airport to our villa.


Messaging options with a global reach.
Add SMS functionality to your existing UC infrastructure. We have already taken care of the typical complexities associated with traditional TDM/SS7 interconnects and will pass your SMS directly to the Mobile Network Operators.
Mobile DIDs can be integrated in the same way as geographical and toll-free DIDs, over a SIP trunk connection to your PBX. You can choose your inbound channel capacity and terminate outbound calls with the same mobile Caller ID.
For those reasons, we are limiting mobile-enabled regions to only certain jurisdictions: Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, Mexico, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, USA, Canada.