text:
Jessie Warren, Print Managing Editor
Jessie Warren is a senior, and this will be her second and final year as a staff member of The Central Trend. Ever eager to write, she finds a sort of solace in sharing her words with others, a passion that has bonded her to the other visionaries of Rooms 139 and 140. Besides a desire to keep pumping out work she can be proud of, Jessie is keen to finally resurrect the print edition alongside fellow Print Managing Editor Lauren Batterbee, a horizon that is seemingly getting closer and closer with each day that passes.
Favorite Shows: Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Normal People
If she were a type of building, she would be: A planetarium or a tea shop
Favorite stories to write: She enjoys writing columns most, but the feeling of putting together a great feature is something she has slowly learned to fall in love with.
A few of her favorite things: Cliche coming-of-age films, the feeling in the passenger's seat of a Subaru, and her community—whether that be her kindred spirits, her family, or her dog, Levi.
All content by Jessie Warren
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Bank of America gives refunds to some victims of growing Zelle scam
By Michael Finney and Renee Koury
Bank of America refunds some victims of Zelle scam
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- New cases continue to accrue surrounding a nationwide scam using the Zelle quick payment app to swindle Bank of America customers
Our sister station KGO's 7 On Your Side team and reporter Michael Finney broke the story three weeks ago. Since then, more and more victims are saying 7 On Your Side is their only hope for getting their stolen money back.
7 On Your Side is now hearing from victims all across the country, their bank accounts were drained in seconds but the bank would not refund their money until they came to 7 On Your Side.
Claudia Rivera of San Jose was home with her kids when a text came in, saying, "Bank of America security. Did you use your debit card for these transactions..." including a $3,500 Zelle payment.
"When I saw the text message, right away I freaked out," she said. "I was shaking. I was like no, I never did those transactions.''
She replied "no," and her phone rang. The caller ID said Bank of America.
"This person told me someone was trying to scam me... he could help me out to get those funds back," Rivera said.
The man told her to open the Zelle app and quickly transfer $3,300 to a safe place. It was all the money she had.
RELATED: More victims of Bank of America, Zelle scams come forward; here's how to protect yourself
Bank of America has said it will not ask customers to transfer money between accounts or request sensitive information.
"By doing that, I could get my money back," Rivera said she was told.
The man said to use her own email to transfer the money so it seemed safe.
It wasn't.
"As soon as I sent it, he said 'OK, hold on,' and when he said hold on, he just hangs up on me. So I said, I think I just got scammed," she said.
The man was gone. So was her money.
"I called Bank of America right away... when they told me there was no solution, I said 'I didn't do this transaction because I wanted to... they freakin' scammed me... you should know I'd never send this much money to anyone.' It was all the money I had. I have three kids. We need it to pay rent, buy food. I was shivering, I was shaking," Rivera recalled.
Bank of America denied her claim, saying she was the one who requested the transfer and she might want to contact the person who got her money.
As though the scammer would return it?
VIDEO: School nurse falls victim to scam targeting Bank of America and Zelle customers
"You see that $3,500 and your heart just sinks." After being caught in a scam targeting Bank of America and Zelle users, one school nurse was tricked into transferring thousands of dollars to fraudsters.
"I don't know who this person is. Where do you want me to find this person?" she asked.
The same thing happened to Page Pollack, the school nurse we reported about last month. After our story, Bank of America gave her money back.
Rivera saw our report and contacted 7 On Your Side. So did dozens of other victims.
Crystal Vaka of Antioch had just finished work at her elder care home in Concord. "It was an eye-opener, I try to tell myself," Vaka said.
Her phone rang. The caller ID said Bank of America.
"They said it's Bank of America, and they suspected there was fraudulent activity," she said.
A man on the phone persuaded her to quickly transfer $3,500 out of her account to "keep it safe."
It took days before she realized that wasn't really her bank.
RELATED: Scam targeting Bank of America, Zelle users steals thousands through mobile app payment
A new Bank of America and Zelle scam targets users making mobile payments, costing some thousands of dollars.
"I trusted my bank! That they have top-of-the-line security,'' she said. But Bank of America offered no solution.
"They started telling me, 'I'm sorry ma'am, you and many others fell for this kind of scam, and there's nothing we can do,'" she said.
Deborah Lagutaris of Oakland was still shaken up after thieves totaled her car. Then she got hit with the Zelle scam.
"It was probably one of the worst weeks of my life when this happened," Lagutaris said. "I'm a disabled senior and I'm 70 years old, it was all too much for me..."
The imposters tricked her into sending all the money in her Bank of America account through Zelle.
She thought it was going back to herself.
"The man called several times, he had me sending money back and forth between Wells Fargo and Bank of America. I thought I was sending my money between my accounts," she said.
She was actually sending it right to the scammers.
"I had borrowed that money to pay bills... it was a horrible blow," she said.
7 On Your Side's stories reached all the way to Georgia, where Donna Stoker fell for the same scam.
"I literally cried. I literally cried," she said. "And the lady's like, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...'"
She said Bank of America told her to report it to the sheriff and then get a subpoena for bank records if she wanted her money back.
"At that point, I was like, 'I'm done, I'm done,' and I cried me a river and threw that $3,500 away," she said.
The bank offered only a chance to fill out a form.
"She said, 'You can get a customer survey.' I'm like, 'You don't want me to fill that out right now. You really don't want me filling that out right now,'" she said.
After giving up on a refund, Stoker saw our stories.
"I saw that article about Page Pollack and I had a glimmer of hope. All my friends were saying, 'Did you see this, did you see this?' I was like, 'I'm all over it,'" Stoker said.
VIDEO: San Francisco man loses half his savings in bank transfer scam
Scammers are using the fear of rampant banking fraud to lure their victims. It cost one man half his life savings.
Bank of America denied refunds, telling victims they had authorized the transactions. And Zelle -- which is owned by seven major banks, including Bank of America -- offers no fraud protection.
Still, federal law requires refunds for fraudulent money transfers, and 7 On Your Side alerted the bank about all four victims.
Right away Bank of America refunded their money, without providing a reason, saying it considers each case individually.
"So happy! I want to cry!" said Rivera. "You don't know how excited I got. I have my money back."
"I was holding my head going, 'Oh my god, my money's back,'" said Lagutaris. "I was bowled over. It was amazing."
"I'm saying thank you three, five times in this video," Vaka said. "We will all be OK, thanks to you. Thanks to you."
Bank of America also said customers should see a warning before each transaction. It says the bank never asks you to transfer money through Zelle.
Full statement from Bank of America:
Bank of America and other legitimate companies would not ask a client to transfer funds between accounts in order to help prevent fraud nor request sensitive account information. We have a number of measures in place to proactively warn clients about scams, and we actively reach out to clients with information about how to stay safe and avoid scams. In addition, we keep clients informed real-time about new scam alerts through our Client Security Center on our website (https://www.bankofamerica.com/security-center/avoid-bank-scams/).
We work closely with other financial institutions, law enforcement, payment networks and carriers to identify and prevent fraudulent activity. We alert clients during the transaction if they are sending money to a new recipient that they should only send to people they trust. Additionally, they see: "BEWARE: Bank of America will never ask you to transfer money to anyone, including yourself. Don't transfer money as a result of an unexpected text or call." To move forward with the transaction, they need to click OK.
We encourage clients to contact the Bank directly if they have a question about any transaction, claim or communication. We review and evaluate every claim based on the unique circumstances. Clients can request an additional review if they disagree with the initial decision.
Specific Questions You Posed: Why don't you claw back the money if someone notifies you immediately? We have a dedicated team that works aggressively to recover any available funds on behalf of our clients when a scam occurs.
Regarding regulations: On June 4, 2021, the CFPB updated guidance related to Unauthorized Electronic Fund Transfers and Error Resolution. Bank of America is operating in compliance with the guidelines.
Full statement from Early Warning Services, LLC., the network operator of Zelle:
The scam that you describe is a sophisticated phishing scam that unfortunately preys upon unsuspecting victims. In this particular instance, these scammers are spoofing legitimate bank phone numbers and attempting to convince consumers to provide their personal information and send them money. The scammer poses as a legitimate company and uses different tactics to get consumers to provide sensitive information that enables the scammer to trick the consumer into moving the money into an account controlled by the scammer. We want to remind consumers that a bank or credit union will never call to ask for sensitive information, and they would not ask a consumer to transfer funds between accounts to prevent fraud. The consumer should hang up and call their bank or credit union at the phone number listed on the back of their bank-issued debit card or the bank or credit union's official website if they must provide information over the phone.
As part of our ongoing efforts to help combat fraud and scams while evolving with consumer expectations of payments, we recently introduced an offering called Risk Insights for Zelle that allows financial institutions to better identify potential fraud and scams to help protect consumers. With Risk Insights for Zelle, the sending financial institution can assess critical information about the recipient's token behavior in the Zelle Network. If there are risk indicators about the transaction, the sending FI can provide an alert and education on scams and fraud to give the consumer the ability to pause before sending the money. While no single tool can solve for widespread fraud, Early Warning continues to work to discover ways that data and technology can help predict what might happen next and help augment the capabilities of participating FIs.
Lastly, we provide consumer resources on our website to help protect consumers from fraud and scams. If appropriate, would you reference our site https://www.zellepay.com/pay-it-safe/resources-and-tips in your story, so consumers have a resource on how best to use Zelle?
californiabankscamsscamfraudconsumerconsumer concernsbank of america

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
[A group of ratfolk adventurers decide to act on a rumors of a recently opened adventure site.]
[This game uses the Pathfinder 1E roleplaying game. Game sessions happen once a week. This session happened October 28, 2019.]
Player Characters:
Having all heard rumors that a formerly sealed siege castle near Magnimar was cracked open by a recent earthquake, a pack of ratfolk banded together to go explore and loot it before anyone else took the good stuff. While walking along the road towards the siege castle, the group observed a fancy carriage flanked by two guards on horseback heading in their direction. Seeing an opportunity to speed up their travel, Roscuro suggested the group try and hitch a ride. Marativy opined that she did not believe the person in the carriage would agree to that. "I wasn't planning on asking," was Roscuro's response.
The group concealed themselves in some bushes and waited for the carriage to pass them. As it did so, the ran out behind it and quietly climbed aboard the empty luggage rack in the back.
Except Roscuro, who managed to get his tail run over by one of the wheels of the carriage. [I rolled a natural 1 on the Acrobatics skill check. Sadly, this would not be my last 1 of the night.]
Roscuro let out a large yelp involuntarily, alerting not only the passenger in the carriage but his bodyguards as well. The two guards on horse back slowed their horses and swung around behind the carriage. The person inside the carriage stuck his head out the side to see what was going on and saw two ratfolk clinging to the back of his carriage. "What are you doing back there?" he yelled back.
"Abandoning a ship," Roscuro relied, tenderly holding his tail.
"What ship?"
"The ship of walking all the way to the siege castle."
At this point Templeton intervened and started doing all the talking. As it turned out, the carriage rider was Frederik something-or-other [he did not give his last name], a famous collector of some note [at the very least Marativy had heard of him]. He was on his way to the siege castle to personally verify it was actually accessible prior to hiring adventurers to explore it for him. He offered a deal: he'd hire us to explore the siege castle in exchange for right of first purchase at 250 gold coin of anything of note we found. We could keep things "not of note" we found, but he'd also like the right to make an offer on any of that we decided to sell. We agreed and he invited us inside the carriage. The group of us swung around the sides and into the carriage at various levels of smoothness. He was surprised to see five of us, not being aware of most of our party, but also liking our odds better.
An hour later we turned off the main road and followed a little used side road that eventually led to the siege castle. Siege castles are magically-sealed castles located in various places in Golarion. Most have been abandoned/sealed away for centuries and some rumored to be even older than that. The magics are strong enough that it takes something unusual to access one, like an earthquake damaging one.
When the carriage came within view of the siege castle in question, the driver stopped it. The passengers climbed out and looked. The castle was definitely accessible. It looked like a cluster of four octagonal towers with each "tower" sharing a wall with its two neighbors. The lower floors of the eastern tower were heavily damaged, with partial floors still there and the exterior walls fallen to piles of rubble surrounding the first floor. How the fifth floor was still up was a mystery. It looked like it should have fallen and still might.
"This is as far as I go," announce Frederik. "I'm satisfied you can access the castle. Find me at the address I gave you when you return to Magnimar." He reached into the carriage and pulled two vials out of a travel bag and handed them over to Templeton – they were healing potions.. "Use these if necessary." With that he climbed back into the carriage and ordered the driver to turn around and return to Magnimar.
With a shrug the five ratfolk resumed walking. As they approached the siege castle, Roscuro noticed a small pack of feral dogs sniffing around the ruined east wing. Not wanting to fight them up close, the ratfolk took cover behind some debris and shot at the dogs. Winston killed one of the feral dogs and Roscuro, Marativy, and Zitch wounded the other dogs. The dogs were spooked and ran away.
Templeton wanted to summon his eidolon at this point, which took a minute to complete. While waiting on him, the others scoped out the ruins. Most of the walls of the east tower were missing. The third and fourth floors were only partial floors. The second and third floors were more complete but also missing most of their internal walls. The first floor was mostly full of rubble collapsed from the higher floors. The connecting walls with the north and south towers could be seen. On the second floor, two closed doors could be seen one door to the north tower and one to the second. It would take minimal effort to get to them. Where a similar door to the south tower would be on the first floor was blocked by rubble, but the matching doorway to the north tower was open. One short discussion later the ratfolk started walking towards the first level open doorway to the north tower.
As the group approached the entrance to the north tower, the ratfolk formed up into a marching order. Roscuro and Marativy were in front, Templeton in his Foo Dog form was next, Zitch and his familiar after that, and Winston following up in the rear.
At the entrance, the group paused to look into the room beyond. The entire first floor was a single large chamber. Everything was covered by a layer of rock dust and there were spider webs all along the ceiling. While we stood there looking, the spider that created all those webs fired a blob of webbing at Roscuro and Marativy, entrapping them!
Winston hot the giant spider with his pistol while Marativy escaped the webbing and attempted to cut Roscuro free. Unfortunately, she wasn't as careful about what was webs and what was tail as Roscuro would have liked and sliced his poor abused tail. The spider pounced at this point and bit Roscuro, but got a mouth of mostly fur [it rolled minimal damage]. Roscuro resisted the poison that came with the bite. Zitch cursed the spider with the Evil Eye, which helped Roscuro land a flurry of blows on the spider with his hanbō [a half-sized staff that also doubled as a stout walking stick]. Templeton attacked the webs holding Roscuro, heavily damaging the web but not fully freeing his ally.
Winston reloaded his pistol as fast as he could. Marativy made use of the ratfolk swarming ability with Roscuro, which allowed her to get in a sneak attack on the spider. The spider bit Roscuro again, again with minimal effect and Roscuro resisting the additional poison. Zitch healed Roscuro who was bloodied at this point and needed it. Roscuro attacked the spider with another flurry of blows, nearly killing the spider. Templeton removed the last of the webbing holding Roscuro in place.
Pistol reloaded, Winston stepped back from the spider's reach and shot it, killing it.
While all the ratfolk caught their breath, Marativy asked if anyone knew how to harvest the poison from the spider. Winston and Zitch were able to harvest the poison by pooling their knowledge. Once that was done the room was thoroughly searched [we took 20]. The only thing of value we found was a locked jewelry box webbed to a shelf. After cutting it free, Zitch said he recognized the writing on the box as elven, but he could not read it. Marativy picked the lock on the box. Inside was a pendant with gemstones on it. Zitch verified it was not magical and Marativy assessed it as valuable, but could not estimate an accurate value other than "about 100 gold coin?"
There was a doorway to the west tower in this room. The group opened approached it and looked into the next room. This chamber took up the entire first floor of the west tower, but was empty. There was a door to the south tower that was covered with rubble and a doorway to the central shaft of the castle. We walked over to that door and discovered the square central shaft was a stairwell. The stairs up to the second and third floor had collapsed, the top of the rubble was a foot lower than the floor, indicating that stairs down existed under all the rubble.
The ratfolk took their time searching the west tower room and the accessible part of the stairs. After a thorough search, the only thing of value found was a blob of spider webbing containing bones and detritus wrapped up in a banner that was in surprisingly good condition. It radiated a faint preservative magic and Zitch said the heraldry on it was the same as a famous hunting lodge from a few centuries ago, the Band of the Phoenix.
The banner went into a loot bag and the ratfolk fell back, burning all the webbing as they went.
[This campaign is currently filling in for the Delvers Guild campaign until I can get more gate locations written up. We are playing in Golarion, currently based in the city of Magnimar. Other GM is running Master of the Fallen Fortress as an intro to the Shattered Star Adventure Path, so he's moved where the fortress is located. I'm just going to number the days until Other GM sets out a calendar of some sort for us to follow.]
[The game ran a bit long as the GM wanted us to finish exploring the west tower and the stairs area before we quit. Next session we'll have to decide if we are going to try the doors on the second level or attempt to climb up in the collapsed stairs area.]
Posted by PatrickW at 7:00 AM
Labels: Pathfinder, Ratpack


How Have The Markets Done After Inflation Since The End of WWII?
Earlier this weekend, one of the readers of this site asked me to break down the inflation-adjusted returns of the DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average), S+P 500 and NASDAQ since the end of World War II.
Let's start with the DJIA.
From 1946-2009 (64 years), the Dow Jones Industrial Average has increased by an average of 7.68% per year.
However, after accounting for inflation, this return dips to just 3.69%.
Next up - the NASDAQ. We started in 1972, which was when the NASDAQ traded for an entire year for the first time.
From 1972 to 2009, the NASDAQ has increased by an average of 11.76% per year.
After adjusting for inflation, this number dips to 7.24%.
Starting from 1951 (again, the first full year of data) and going until 2009, the S&P 500 has increased by an average of 8.47% per year.
The inflation adjusted return? 4.66%.


The Ghost in Me: Treat Your Kids to a 5 Star Book for Summer + 40% Off Code!
Myri Monaco has problems she doesn't know how to deal with: a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, a mother who's dating her science teacher, and a "punishment" for a science project that lands her in auditions for the school play (the last place she wants to be). But most girls don't have a ghost living at home who is willing to "trade places" whenever she's needed. Will ghostly possession be an easy solution when problems collide? Or, will Myri lose everything to a ghost wanting to fulfill her own desires?


text:
Home Entertainment Bill McFadden, the Star Dog Handler, Won't be Able to Attend the...
Bill McFadden, the Star Dog Handler, Won't be Able to Attend the Most Awaited Dog Show Due to an Accident
The journey to the Westminster Dog Show 2021 included a pandemic and a significant date and location shift. The route also proved unlucky for one of the country's most popular dog handlers.
Bill McFadden, who has directed two Westminster champions, was wounded while he was driving a van that was loaded with dogs, according to his fellow star and wife, Taffe McFadden. He was hospitalized briefly after the collision in Wyoming on Tuesday and is currently recovering at his home in Acampo, California, she added. He will take a break from the show circuit for the time being.
Taffe McFadden stated that, despite the concern and surprise, she was overjoyed to be there and that she wished her spouse was here too. Taffe McFadden said that she and the couple's aides prepared their canine companions and this is a highly sought-after dog show to be a part of, and for them to work so diligently to make it happen is quite amazing.
The Westminster Dog show was relocated from New York to a suburban estate and also from February to June to allow for outdoor viewing as a precaution against pandemics. The organizers also closed the event to the public. Judging for the best of the show award started on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday night.
On Saturday night, four of the seven finalists were picked. Bono is a semi-finalist, a Vietnamese player who reached the finals last year and is managed by Taffe McFadden.
The McFaddens are a powerful sports coupe. At Westminster, Bill McFadden won the award for best of all in 2018 with Flynn and the Kerry Blue Terrier in 2003. His wife said that he was continually checking in on the happenings at the first Westminster Dog Show he had missed on Saturday.
She said that a vehicle ploughed into Bill McFadden's van in Laramie, Wyoming, when it was halted in a road construction zone. Local law enforcement authorities were notified of the collision on Saturday.
His wife said that none of the ten dogs on board were wounded, although a veterinary chiropractor worked with them on Saturday in case of any problems.
The exhibit will be held outside Manhattan for the first time this year, in its 145-year existence. In general, some of the competition takes place at the Hudson River dock show buildings, while the rest takes place at Madison Square Garden.
Numerous owners and handlers express how much they and their dogs like the expansive Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York. Nonetheless, the outdoor environment presents certain obstacles, including a lack of electricity and water for grooming.
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1. Only kids who are eligible to attend VH schools can participate in the Vestavia Baseball Club.
3. Kids not making the A, B, or C teams for 7th Grade will be refunded the total amount of their deposit for the second season.
If a player makes the A,B, or C team but declines placement on the team, they will not be refunded their deposit.
4. VBC will NOT provide a paid coach for the 8th Grade C Team. Players who do not make the A or B teams, will be refunded their deposit for the second season.
5. Players are allowed to participate in the Spring Training First Season without making a deposit or playing in the second season. Those players will be trained and evaluated but will not be placed on a team.
6. 7th Grade Players that are too old to play with their class, may do the First Season with their 7th Grade classmates, but they will be evaluated to be placed on the 8th grade teams.
7. Registration for the Second Season will begin in December. Cost is $650 for 7th Graders and $600 for 8th Graders.


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I think landscape historically has played a huge part in the inspiration of the Scottish people and I don't think it is too much of a coincidence that we live in one of the world's most beautiful countries and our music is admired in equal measure. Still playing with Scottish folk rock band Wolfstone, fiddler Duncan Chisholm dedicated himslef to the task putting the homelands of his family and forefathers in the Highlands of Scotland (Glen Strathfarrar, Glen Canaich, Glen Affric) onto the musical map. "Affric" is the third and final part of this trilogy. Several tunes have been composed by Duncan, which haven't been heard before, of course. The opening traditional "An Ribhinn Donn" and Eamon Doorley's "Rubha Nam Marbh" have also been unknown to me. However, there's also well-known tunes provided by Phil Cunningham ("House in Rose Valley"), Rory Campbell, Allan MacDonald and Liz Carroll. This gripping suite includes both majestic airs, flowing waltzes and dramatic pieces. In his monumental task Duncan had been supported by accordionists Phil Cunningham and Iain MacFarlane, fiddler Patsy Reid, whistler Ali Hutton, piper Jarlath Henderson and guitarist Tony Byrne, with Allan MacDonald reading an excerpt of Neil Munro's poem "To Exiles".
Calum Stewart & Lauren MacColl "Wooden Flute & Fiddle"
Fiddle and flute, the regal combination of traditional music. This time the music of Scotland's north east (Moray and Black Isle), and wooden flutist Calum Stewart and fiddler Lauren MacColl. Both young artists possess an extraordinary technique and a mutual understanding with Laura exploring several fiddle tunings to fit and counterpoint Calum's flute tone, thus creating a range of quite different moods. Andy May on harmonium and Éamon Doorley on bouzouki back up a couple of sets. Most of them are traditional jigs, reels and strathspeys, though seemingly not recorded very often. Calum and Laura wrote some tunes, so did the late Canadian fiddler Jerry Holland. The album finishes off with a great Highland air. Fitting majesty!
Maeve MacKinnon "Once Upon an Olive Branch"
Compared with Maeve MacKinnon's debut album "Don't Sing Lovesongs" five years ago, we find a more confident and mature artist at the follow-up "Once Upon an Olive Branch". Thanks to the back-up and support of artists such as Innes Watson (guitar, fiddle), Angus Lyon (piano, accordion), Fraser Fifield (whistle, saxophon), James Lindsay (bass) and Signy Jakobsdottir (percussion), the Glaswegian singer created an easy-going jazz lounge mood. Maeve MacKinnon sings in both English and Scottish Gaelic. The latter includes Ann MacLean's "Gilleasbuig", the stripped-to-the-bone ballad "A Mhic Dhughaill 'ic Ruairidh" (known from the singing of Julie Fowlis) and the thwacking "Fionnghuala" from the Bothy Band repertoire. She chose the popular ditties "Kind Friends and Companions" and "She Moved Through the Fair," and a bit more off the beaten track, Ewan MacColl's "Father's Song" and the Saw Doctors' "Sugar Town". Last but not least, her own mesmerizing and fragile "The Olive Branch" about the troubles in the Middle East.
Even if you're only casually interested in traditional Scottish music, you probably have heard about Silly Wizard. The Scottish folk band was formed in Edinburgh in 1970. They played with a panache unheard at the time and was the sexiest band besides the Tannies and Batties. Silly Wizard called it a day in 1988, their swan song was the LP "Live Wizardry", a shortened version of a concert from Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, Massachussetts in 1983, originally released as two separate albums in 1985. Silly Wizard bass player Martin Hadden's company Birnam CD has finally remastered and repackaged the complete live recordings. Now you can hear all instrumental sets with the virtuosic Cunningham brothers Phil (accordion) and Johnny (fiddle), storming forward in all their glory through a series of Scottish and Irish tunes (mostly reels). Vocalist and banjoist Andy M. Stewart distinguished himself as a clever songsmith, whose songs are often thought to be traditionals. His most famous and often covered songs are featured here, of course: "Queen of Argyll", "The Ramblin' Rover", "The Blackbird" ... After the last note has faded away, 1,200 enthusiastic folks jump to their feet and give the band standing ovations.
P.S.: In December 2012, Silly Wizard will be inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. About time!
Allow Céilí Band "Rince Go Maidin"
Allow is the river running through the village of Freemount in the North of Co. Cork. The Allow Céilí Band has been formed in 2003 from members from North Cork and West Limerick, with banjo player Adrian McAuliffe being its most prominent member. In 2007 the ten piece ensemble, ft. double flutes, fiddles and accordions as well as concertina, banjo, piano and drums, became All Ireland Senior Ceili Band champions at the fleadh in Tullamore. "Rince Go Maidin" is a decent céilí band album with selections to dance to Sliabh Luachra and Caledonian Sets. The first means slides and polkas. There's reels and jigs, once hornpipes, well-known tunes with one exception only, the "Mountcashel's Brigade" march which is not familiar to me. The Allow Céilí Band only produced their debut album with "Rince Go Maidin", so we might assume that the band will still play some céilí dances, although their website www.theallowceiliband.com is not working at the time of writing.
Caitlín Nic Gabhann grew up in a musical household in the Irish Co. Meath, her father being the renowned fiddler Antóin Mac Gabhann. She was trained as a step dancer who joined the Riverdance show for two years from 2009 to 2011 (indeed Caitlín also dances here on two tracks), but her mutual love is the concertina. She started playing at the age of 8, greatly influenced by the playing of Micheál Ó Raghallaigh and Catherine McEvoy who lived nearby. The three time All-Ireland champion co-formed her first group Cruinniú in 2005 and released the album "Live in Corofin". In 2009, Caitlín and her sister Bernadette formed the trans-Atlantic group NicGaviskey with Americans Sean McComiskey and Sean Gavin. The charming young blonde plays C/G Jeffries and Bb/F Suttner concertinas on her self-titled solo debut, with sparse accompaniment of Waterford's Caoimhín Ó Fearghail on guitar. The CD is kicking off with reels, the well-known "The Rookery" has been composed by flutist Vincent Broderick, a good friend of her da's. After a jig set, more reels, this time featuring her dancing, comes the most daring: "Bo na Leath-Adhairce" (One-Horned Cow), a song taken from Bua's "Down the Green Fields" album turned into jig. (Is it the same jig that can be found in O'Neill's collection?). Caitlín is writing tunes since the age of ten, six original tunes are included here: a swinging slide, two straight reels, a haunting air, and two waltzes ("Sunday's Well" not being identical with the tune of the same title from Donal Donnelly).
Sandén-Nygårds-Carr "Tänk om - Imagine if"
Ahlberg, Ek & Roswall "Vintern"
Sofia Sandén has proven with the Swedish group Ranarim that she is a gorgeous singer. This time she teamed up with fiddler Anders Nygårds and English guitarist Ian Carr. Besides an instrumental set from Ian and Anders, respectively, "Tänk om" is highlighting her vocal qualities and her bright and expressive voice. She selected traditional songs - mostly love ballads from Dalarna and Värmland, a herding song from Leksand, and a chorale from Rättvik. Sometimes the words have been reworked, at other times the music has been made up. The end result is quite beautiful and passionate, thanks to the backing of Ian and Anders at the same time full of energy and power. The booklet has the Swedish lyrics and partial translations into English.
Ex-Ranarim members Daniel Ek (harp guitar) and Niklas Roswall (moraharpa, nyckelharpa) play together with fiddler Emma Ahlberg for quite some time; Emma even guested once with her musical partner's former outfit. Eventually comes the trio's debut album with instrumental music from the north of Sweden. Despite its CD title and title track, a polska called "Vintern", this is not really a seasonal album but can be played throughout the year. Actually, tunes were only gathered, arranged and recorded during the cold, snowy and stormy winter of 2011/12. The 15 tracks are mostly traditional polskas from their home counties Medelpad and Skåne, a waltz, plus some original compositions by the trio, namely polskas, schottis and a gånglåt. The execution is both cheerful and dazzling, the overall sound is quite contemporary. The booklet features brief Swedish and English background infos.
British folk duo Broom Bezzums, i.e. fiddler Andrew Cadie and guitar player Mark Bloomer, who both are based in the Palatine area of Germany,  return with guest vocalist Kate Doherty to present an album of seasonal songs in their unmistakeable style. The instrumental music has been chosen because of the Christmas word in the tunes titles. So is the Shetland tune "Christmas Day in da Mornin'" followed by the Northumbrian jig "Christmas Day in the Morning". "New Christmas Day" features a Northumbrian pipes duet with Andy May. The "Cherry Tree Carol", "Good King Wenceslas" and "A Soulin'" (which Sting recorded) have close connection to Christmas and its traditions, so has rock band Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody". The often played and recorded American "Rain and Snow" and the British-Irish "The Snows They Melt the Soonest" explain themselves. "Buy Broom Bezzums," which gave the duo its name, is no Christmas song but, eventually recorded, a gift to all fans. Finally, Kate's street hit "Salt Sea and Coal" is calling everybody to celebrate wintertime with drink, cake, music and dance: Join with us in this ... topsy turvy party ... your merriment is our desire.
Auça las jambas encara ... Lift up your legs again, move your feet, jump with us if you can ... That's the motto of Occitan folk rock group Lou Seriol from the Italian city of Aisone. Lou Seriol has been founded in 1992, a time of both the rediscovery of Occitan music and a new political conscience as well. The thirteen songs, belted out by Stefano Degioanni in the Occitan language, have political and topical agendas throughout. Initially a strictly acoustic folk band, they soon started experimenting with drums and electric guitars. Two years ago they collaborated with Brazilian singer Silvério Pessoa. These days flutes and bagpipes compete with a rhythm section utilizing reggae and ska beats to find a place in the contemporary world. I like it a lot, though this infernal machine (which is also the title of a song about TV: de luns a la diamenja a vos crema i nerons ... Monday to Sunday it burns your brain cells) sometimes it is a bit too indistinguishable. It could have been saved with some more work on the instrumental parts, soloing etc. Otherwise it's a merry entertainment, a dance party with catchy tunes. The sleeve notes include Occitan lyrics and translations into English, Italian and French, which is very welcome.
Réalta "Open The Door For Three"
It seems that Altan's fiddler and singer Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh was delighted with this band, when they both were touring with the Irish Folk Festival in 2011, and she praised their stellar music (Réalta means star in Gaelic). The tour clearly made an impact on the Belfast based band, if only by adapting the Ulster song "Gathering Mushrooms" and the march "I'll Mend Your Pots and Kettles," learned from Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Harry Bradley, respectively. Indeed, Deirdre Galway (guitar), Conor Lamb (uilleann pipes, whistles) and Aaron O'Hagan (uilleann pipes, whistles) present an exciting selection of tunes on their debut album "Open The Door For Three," named after a slide from O'Neill's collection which opens the album. Conor and Aaron grew up together and stimulate and complement each other with their corresponding piping styles and techniques. This works perfectly on the jig set ft. "Tom Busby's" (with a counter melody from "Willie Clancy's Jig") or "The Galtee Reel". The majestic slow air "Sliabh Geal gCua" is gorgeous, with Conor und Aaron playing fancy harmonies on the pipes. The 16th century dance "La Volta" is a less obvious choice, though recently done by At First Light as well,  and it also works quite well here. I'm not quite convinced about the songs, where Deirdre Galway's girlish, fragile voice is unfortunatly not supported by her band members (it works best on "An Trucailín Donn," but less on "Siobhán Ní Dhuibhir" and the already mentioned "Gathering Mushrooms").
Cathal Hayden's playing of "The Drunken Sailor" hornpipe on his "Handed Down" album (here featured in A minor) once got Stevie Dunne hooked. Over the years he turned into one of the finest tenor banjo players in Ireland. Only in his mid 30s, he played alongside Barney McKenna in the last year. Barney's passing has nearly left a vacuum which was soon filled by banjo players of Stevie's calibre. He makes everything right on his second album, simply titled "Banjo": a carefully chosen selection of traditional and contemporary tunes (by Josephine Keegan, Charlie Lennon, Ed Reavy, Vincent Broderick), a couple of fine originals thrown in for good measure, slick performances, and support from fiddler Stephen Hayden, accordionist David Munnelly, guitarists/bouzoukists McGlynn, McCague and O'Donnell, bass player Sean Og Graham and bodhran player Eamon Murray (of Beoga fame). Towards the end vocalist Tracy Ryan even delivers a sweet-tempered "Ye Rambling Boys of Pleasure," though you might argue about the necessity of including a song. My advice is listen to: "Road to the Rock / Home Before Dawn," both written by Stevie.
Flynn Cohen "Dead String Rhythm"
The red-headed acoustic guitarist was first exposed to bluegrass music in his native Ohio. In the early 1990s, he studied with John Renbourn. He eventually made his home in Boston, Massachussetts, and became acquainted with the Boston Irish session scene (that produced names such as Schneckenburger and Cassel ). All along the way he recorded a string of albums of which "Dead String Rhythm" is an album of traditional Irish tunes picked on guitar and mandolin and featuring contributions from fiddle, flute, banjo and pipes by Boston session players. It is a trad album as good as can be and an enjoyable romp through mostly familiar tunes (mostly reels, some jigs and a hornpipe thrown in for good measure) with some original tunes such as the splendid "Planxty Catherine Hart" and the paceful jig "The Visitors". Flynn Cohen is a superb guitar player, and he successfully joins the pantheon of better known names that made the guitar an accepted instrument for playing melody in traditional Irish music.
I do not hear anything approaching 'fierce' in these nine instrumental songs, but they are indeed fiercely modal. There is guitar with some mandolin and a guest fiddle now and again. Cohen has that easy going comforting Irish style which makes this a pleasure to listen to it. There is nothing wildly innovative, just skillful and emotive. The fiddle adds a bite, which is welcome and helps break things up into recognizable songs that leads one to active listening. But the passive relaxing qualities are there as well. So if you like clean Celtic based music, you will enjoy this.
Blackmore's Night "A Knight in York"
What is more amazing—that this band has been around for fifteen years now or that Richie Blackmore and Candace Night had their first child in 2010 in a 20+ year relationship? I suppose it is the latter (given their ages especially), although the mercurial Blackmore rarely keeps a band going without breaks for this long. And there have been the usual changes in band members here although the sound remains focused and high quality. I have long been a fan of Blackmore's Night, or for that matter Deep Purple. Blackmore is a bit underrated as a sixties rock guitar great and when he went into Renaissance music full-time with this band featuring his wife and former Rainbow back-up singer on vocals, many music snobs completely looked away. Their loss, as the band keeps churning out fun albums that although have medieval music in the heart of the sound, incorporate plenty of rock moves as well. This is their second live album with only one song repeated from the previous album (Fires at Midnight). The sound is excellent here, as is usually the case for any of their albums, with the music exploding out of the speakers. Night's singing and instrumental work is quite good, even if the lyrics don't exactly make one think of Robin Williamson. Blackmore still has the magic and has a capable crew behind him as usual. This is as good a place as any to start if you have not yet heard them. The fans will already have their copy by now.
Kieran Wade "Out on the Back Roads"
Kieran Wade manages to deliver meaningful and accessible folk music. I enjoyed his previous album and extolled its virtues in a previous Folkworld review. Nothing has changed with this Dublin-born singer songwriter who has spent time in Canada, but presently is back in Ireland. He combines traditional forms and presents them in a classic manner that is comfortably contemporary. The songs are quite catchy and show a nice range. There is the traditional Scottish lilt in "Caledonia's Sleeping" to the more modern "The Silent Stones" which concerns issues in Northern Ireland. I also like the adjustments in instrumentation such as the rolling piano and harmonica gallop in "Going Home". He follows that with bit of fun with a deeper song, "The Spanish Girl", that focused on voice and ringing acoustic guitar strings. These shifts and song ordering keep everything fresh and less predictable without losing the overall sound. This is easy to listen to, yet deep enough that you will want to come back to it.
Guitar Mikey and the Real Thing "Out of the Box"
One of the problems I have reviewing blues records is trying to find something new or interesting as I invariably compare them against the classics. And that is why I usually prefer blues-rock or hybrid-blues as Mike McMillan describes the music he presents here. Hybrid blues is a great term as his guitar work is searing electric blues, yet his vocal style has more of a soulful element. The rhythm section is pure classic rock and there is great organ work, horns, and lots of fun elements giving this a very personal feel. The opening two cuts offer a blistering attack that is quite enjoyable and if you don't want some straighter blues, "It's Goin' Down" offers something a little more pure. These 15 original songs breeze by with efficiency and energy. Nothing completely reinvented here, just combined and arranged for fun with enough creative spark to keep even the careful listeners fully engaged.
Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman "Hidden People"
Fans of the Unthanks and other modern yet traditional UK folk acts, take note. Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman have delivered a lovely album that offers nice variety in their ten original songs. The first cut, "Huldra" has an exotic psychedelic folk feeling to it, while something like "Money or Jewels" has the more traditional feel. No matter what direction they take with the mood and emotion, they deliver strong singing, particularly that of Ms. Roberts. There are a good variety of instruments that add and subtract layers of intrigue among the folk and rock backdrops. Take the contrast from the intricacies of "Hang the Rowan" which leads into piano and vocals on "The Ballad of Andy Jacobs". They then head back into a thick folk-rock classic with multiple vocals and instruments weaving magical patterns in "The White Hind". While it was not terribly surprising that brother Seth Lakeman appears on this album, I was pleased to see veteran Dave Burland also lend a hand among many other fine musicians. Strong effort here that will reward its listeners for many a spin.
The Shanachie days refer to his days on the low-key and interestingly diverse label known for Augustus Pablo and many great Irish folk bands and artists among other things. This compiles 17 tracks from 1999's "Payin' for my Sins" and 2001's "2 Days Short of a Week". It's original music and this collection hits the ground running hard and fast with plenty of blues-rock power in "Brother, Brother". There is a lot of traditional blues, but the pace and rock moves keep things brisk and vibrant. There are some soulful horns and the sound is generally quite big. The players are good, the spirit is there and this is a fine introduction to the music of Grady Champion if you missed these cuts the first time around.
The Mad Maggies "Shake Those Bones"
This is music that creates a vivid picture of what their live show would look like. In the manner of the Klezmatics, I picture an older crowd hearing familiar sounds that are somehow pushed to higher levels and loving it along with younger patrons who dive right in and make some motion. But in lieu of klezmer-jazz-rock, the Mad Maggies cook up a gumbo of ska-Zydeco-folk-rock. It has hard driving acoustic instruments with a touch of electric and a heavy dosage of rhythm and soul. Then again, "Cold Hearts Abound" does have a Klezmatics feel with a nice guitar solo to boot. Maggie's vocal work has a real classy feel and is subtler than you would expect which is one key why this works as well as it does. This San Francisco group offers up a smorgasbord of sound and most importantly should put a smile on most listeners' faces.
Pat Green "Songs We Wish We'd Written II"
Yes, and if Pat had written these twelve songs, we could all rave about this album. But, Tom Petty, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely and seven more songwriters get the credit. Green does a nice enough job mixing electric and acoustic rock instruments to give an Austin-style take on these songs. It's all good, but it is an album of covers competently done, and not re-imagined in an overly unique style. You certainly would not be disappointed hearing these versions in your local club.
This is pretty mainstream material here. There is plenty of quality production and just enough in the variety of arrangements to ensure that this Polish singer songwriter may be worth a listen. His voice is a pleasant soft slight rasp that he can cut loose on when needed. There are just too many elements I have heard before where nothing terribly original or fresh is brought out here. The lyrics may suffer from English being a third or fourth language as well. There was also a gospel choir that was used in a really straightforward manner, which only served to remind me how much I appreciate Spiritualized and their use of gospel singing. Although it is never a good thing for an album remind you of better albums, this clearly has an audience, just not with me.
Blues, Border Crossings & Lovers' Laments"
With this album's title, I am not sure you need a review. But let's do one anyway. This is first and foremost a folk record with a full band adding some light rock moves on occasion and even a touch of country. Eight of the twelve songs are musical adaptations of Langston Hughes poems. The lyrical quality in the poems works well and they sound fresh. The band is solid, the vocals simple and clean with a touch of harmony. This one will not knock anyone's socks off, but provides a smooth engaging listen for the folk music lover who likes it straight and true.
Katrin Navessi "17 Shades of Blue"
Here is a nice little gem for those searching for a classic folk sound that sounds relevant in 2012. Katrin Navessi plays a clean guitar and has a voice that leans toward cute, but steers clear of cloying and instead has a worldliness to it that elevates her songs to something you want to dig in to. There is some violin, which is a nice touch, and a bit of keyboards, harmonica, and percussion but arrangements are mostly simple and straightforward in a good way. And there are a few intricate moves such as the propulsive violin and guitar synchronization in "She's Riding". Ms. Navessi is Austrian, although all songs are in English bereft of any distinguishable accent. "The Tower" shows off the deeper 'shades of blue' and is a strong song that can hold its own anywhere. This is a record that is both immediate and rewarding with subsequent listening.
CS Nielsen "Man of the Fall"
CS Nielsen is a singer-songwriter from Denmark that presents songs in a mostly folk style, sometimes heading into folk-rock. He is a bit like Ralph McTell, but his songwriting is not quite at that level. However his guitar style is quite impressive with deft finger picking and a nice intensity in the tone, even as he plays in the background. This has a gritty authentic feel, although he is not necessarily firing for blues intensity and keeps a nice even pace throughout. And yes, there is yet another version of a classic folk staple. In this case it is "Blackjack Davey" which is a complete success with great guitar work and a spirit that keeps the song moving and my foot tapping for over six minutes.
Brooke Miller is a Canadian singer-songwriter who took the opportunity to revisit her previous work and rerecord the songs in the 'Stockfish manner' on the long running German folk label. This is stripped down music with Miller's acoustic guitar and voice only getting a little bass or keyboard assistance on half the cuts. This is her fifth album and based on only the briefest of explorations into her past, she has converted singer-songwriter rock songs with only a trace of folk into folk numbers with a touch of lounge comfort. Her guitar work is better than I expected as she has some modestly intricate runs. Satisfying work here and there is just enough to recommend it to those beyond her fan base, as she may be able to pull in more people who like this acoustic side of life.
Boston-based Katrin Roush writes the songs, sings them, and plays acoustic guitar. She assembles a full band to bring her songs into a contemporary light to moderate rock setting. But a reading of the names show Peter Gabriel sideman Jerry Marotta on drums and production, Tony Levin on bass, and even John Sebastian on one cut, among other sharp musicians. So there is plenty of quality on paper that does work its way into the songs. The only problem for me is that I don't see a particular individual distinction to the overall approach that draws me deep into this music. "Cobblestones" would be something I would listen to again. Many people would disagree with me on this record, but either this will require a few more listens or perhaps a live experience would provide the fire I would like to see. But if you lean toward high quality yet radio friendly fare, give this one a listen.
Mark Wonder is a Jamaican/English reggae singer who took chose his last name from Stevie Wonder. So take one guess as to which way his reggae strays? Sure, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, maybe a touch of Marvin Gaye, too. The production and instrumentation is clean and lively and his voice is definitely headed to the soul-side of singing. Normally I like my reggae with a little more bite, but the feel-good vibe is pretty intoxicating here, so the album won me over.
The Kenn Morr Band "Worth Imagining"
There is a gentle approach to this homespun full band folk music. Every sound has a careful touch as if they were handling egg baskets. This makes for music you can drift off with and relax as you absorb it. There are some nice guitar moves, harmonica, and backing vocals that stand out a bit, but the lead vocals are also soft and breathy—perhaps too much so. Still, the feelings here are welcome when in the mood. Perhaps they understand this as their last song is entitled "Sunday Morning". This is not much like fellow New Yorker, Lou Reed, but it is good Sunday morning music. It also works after a long, hard day at work.
Kate Campbell "1000 Pound Machine"
The 1000 pound machine in question is piano and it features heavily in these songs. It's not quite exclusive as some slide guitar makes a startling appearance late in the album on "Alabama Department of Corrections Meditation Blues". But the rest of the time it is the piano with a bluesy voice with touches of straight rock and a bit of lounge country. The piano work is solid, but this is a songwriting showcase for this Nashville singer/pianist, in the most part featuring good simple arrangements. I rather liked the classical leanings in the title cut and the reprise as much as anything here.
Grace Griffith has a nice mix of sea shanty and English pastoral folk mixed into her music. The violin and double tracked vocals are especially vibrant in the "Ripples in Rockpool/Kiss of the Fiddle", which has a great traditional feel with a touch of that reborn 1960s folk era sound. This record moved me quite a bit as I enjoy that era so much. It does not hurt a bit that Al Petteway is the guitarist on a majority of the tracks as his technique and emotional touch has dotted many a record album over the years in the mid-Atlantic area of the US. Of particular note is the classic "The Cuckoo" where he battles a violin and a fiddle to a three-way draw. There is only one problem I have and that is with me, as this is the first I have heard of this Washington DC area singer, despite reviewing over 200 live shows a year in recent years. I will widen my viewing and hopefully rectify that problem soon.
This started rather slowly, but grew on me. There's a good smooth sound to it all, but when some nice rock moves and Western slide color was added to the agreeable light rock music, things got more interesting. "Don't Let Be Misunderstood" was welcome with its good beat, slide work, and back-up vocals. Ultimately, the vocal quality and sting in the guitar breathe enough life into this album to give it a nice sense of character and worthy of many listens. If the Laurel Canyon, California feeling is something you desire in a contemporary setting, then give this a try.
Willie McBlind "Live Long Day"
I guess the first thing I am happy about is that Willie McBlind is a band name and not an overly derivative individual choice. As such, it pays homage to old blues men with a nod and a wink to this century. And best of all, musically it takes a blues homage and moves forward with a fresh approach that many other blues based acts fail to grasp (or choose not to). You hear the electric blues in every song from this quartet, but they add lots of modern rock moves that keep the music ebbing and flowing in challenging ways leading to rewarding results. I even lasted the full nine minutes of '2001' style noise that concluded the album. Even if you weren't aware that they used fretless guitars and microtonal scales, you can hear something different going on. But the blues is always there as well and I highly recommend exploring this band at least for one listen. I will be back for more.
Tim "Too Slim" Langford "Broken Halo"
Tim Langford does the blues, but adds a lot of folk touches and changes arrangements around to keep things interesting at all times. The great touch displayed on slide guitar is showcased in the opening instrumental track. He then proceeds to show off his classic bluesy voice in many of the other songs. "Princeville Serenade" shows off more folk moves and is a great interlude among the bluesier songs. This is the second album I have heard from him and both were a pleasure to take in. The instrumental prowess of Langford and his band is what works for this record. It succeeds more for their touch and interpretation than their prowess, although the skills are there, too. This is worth a listen and will find a healthy sized audience. I am still there.
Punch Brothers "Who's Feeling Young Now?"
So you are a young rock band intrigued by studying fresh approaches to rootsy Americana and bluegrass songs. How to proceed… Well, I would start with listening to this warm album with lots of sharp instrumentation surrounding warm vocals and melodies. The mandolin bounces around as the violin weaves in between guitar chords with some of the subtler and playful bass punctuation you will hear. These instruments can switch from overt and daring runs to subtle accompaniment in flash. There are even elements of creative post-punk trickery, yet it stays in the acoustic world. This is vibrant, exciting music that is amazing in how it is so comforting and easy to grab hold of. But that is what happens in Brooklyn these days. Creative musicians congregate and bands form with loads of diversity. Great results usually follow and they certainly have here. This is a band that I can recommend to just about anyone.
Rupert Stroud "Chasing the Night"
This maelstrom of acoustic guitars greeting the listener is a wonderful opening. Things settle quickly into more of a standard indie rock/folk rock hybrid. Stroud's voice reminds me a bit of the Decembrists, but the music is a little raw and rootsy. It's hit/miss for me, but the hits are well worth going back to. I love the easygoing rock jam in "Sunday Night Blues" and his vocal work is as fine as the guitar work. Each song does not always make me want to come back for more, but then another one comes along and I want to keep listening.


text:
Q: Numerical Positive Solutions of a Heat-like PDE I have to solve,  using some numerical method, several equations similar to:
$$\frac{\partial\,}{\partial t}\rho(\mathbf{x}, t) = \Delta\left(-\rho^2(\mathbf{x}, t) + \rho^5(\mathbf{x}, t)+\Delta(\rho(\mathbf{x}, t))\right)$$
where $\Delta$ is the 2-dimensional Laplacian $\Delta = \frac{\partial^2}{\partial x^2}+\frac{\partial^2}{\partial y^2}$, and $\rho(\mathbf{x}, t)$ is a function with the constraint $\rho(\mathbf{x}, t) \geq 0$ for all $\mathbf{x}$ and all $t$.
I've tried mostly using finite-difference methods, but I cannot figure how to correctly implement the constraint $\rho(\mathbf{x}, t) \geq 0$.
Do you have any suggestion and/or reference?
Thank you for your attention

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Can't say as I've noticed any such hypocrisy.
Yes- it's Winston alright. Didn't fix his head until latter on in the scene.
I reckon carrying around the genuine body itself would have been less effort! Peters isn't even as big as this!
There's a big difference between running around with an effigy of a national disgrace and running around the hills with napalm and illegal weapons.
Don't even try to put them on the same moral plane.