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Home > Opinion > Letters
[CAMPUS COMMENTARY]To understand, students must stay current
Some months ago there was a big conflict over the relocation project to the new U.S. Army base in Daechu-ri, Pyeongtaek.
Demonstrators who objected to the project occupied a school in protest, and the Korean military was dispatched there to arrest them.
There was violence committed on both sides. But when the media reported the news to the public, it was the demonstrators who looked more violent. University students, including ours at Sejong University, discussed this issue and concluded that the protesters were in the wrong for opposing the U.S. Army move, and some pointed to the protesters as bbalgaengyi, roughly translated as "reds," because they were only doing North Korea good.
The word "bbalgaengyi" connotes something like "traitorous communist." During the Cold War era, South Koreans were taught to view North Korea as their main enemy, and questioning that was taboo. Over time, we began to think that almost everything associated with North Korea was wrongheaded and unjust. Those who had a sympathetic view or curiosity about North Korea were silenced or got a lot of grief from government authorities. With the press under government control, some people understood that the North was evil from reading their articles.
But now we live in a society where it is O.K. to question and wonder what is truly evil or what might not be. Still, I found out that most students refuse to question their own thoughts on matters of ideology. Actually, they do not care enough to think about the issue.
A bird may only fly when its left and right wings are in balance, the saying goes. Perhaps, the protesters at the Daechu-ri riot were wrong. But maybe they were right. Right or wrong, whatever the conclusion, some students felt antipathy toward them. It is surprising that they seemed to already have a conclusion before they knew the facts. They disliked demonstrations, and liked to stay in peace and solve problems quietly. That was all.
One day, at my Sunday school, I asked a class of 8-year-old children the following question: "What do you think is the least peaceful [thing] in this world?" They responded by describing the scene of a violent demonstration. When I asked why, they seemed just to dislike the image of violence.
In fact, many university students are not all that different from those children. Everybody dislikes the violence of demonstrators. But they often do not know the reasons behind the violent image. Of course, violence can never be justified. Demonstrators must avoid violent demonstrations, which have cost activists much of their ability to appeal to the public. Understanding current events is not easy, but being concerned about them can lead people to develop an understanding of the issues that drive protests that sometimes become violent.
However, students are preoccupied with concerns about their own lives, such as finding work, the Test of English for International Communication and the pursuit of grades. Those are necessary and essential concerns. But for students to have a balanced viewpoint and concern about social and political events they have to have larger concerns. That is what sets students apart from children.
* The writer is the editor of the Sejong Times, the English-language newspaper at Sejong University.
by Jung Yeon-joon
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Data Science; Building on Coding
Blog, STEM
My reason for joining the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana (IIPGH) board was clear – we need to organise ICT professionals and position them as a knowledge source for our growing economy. If that mission could benefit from my experience then I was definitely in.
That mandate includes preparing the next generation of professionals in the hope that they will achieve far greater heights than their predecessors.
The ambition to develop the next generation has led the IIPGH to foray into delivering coding classes for young people. Early exposure will set them up for future success and build a ready pipeline we can all be proud of.
When I look back at the progress made so far in empowering young people through coding, I like to see the glass as half full. Over the course of just one generation we have seen dramatic progress in enabling access to coding thanks to the effort of early believers.
One of the earliest proponents of access to computer skills in Ghana was the late Prof. Allotey. He was a brilliant mathematical physicist who could see, from his extensive exposure and engagement, that we had to proactively engage and create opportunities for more participation. I believe his advocacy is a reason why I received my early exposure.
It was the long vacation of form 3. A fully paid computer camp, dubbed CompuCamp, had been set up on the grounds of Achimota School. Thirty three secondary schools from across the country were asked to nominate a student each to represent their school during a 3-week long intensive residential course in coding. Somehow, my school decided that I would be the representative. It was such a privilege and novelty. The 33 of us had our names published in the national newspapers and announced on GBC radio and TV (now GTV)! Imagine that? For my part I could not believe what was happening.
It was an eye-opening experience. We learnt to code on what were large computers that used floppy diskettes. If you are too young to know what that is then please search the internet!
We learnt to program in C+, were treated to sumptuous meals and we made new friends. One of my closest friends to this day was one I met at CompuCamp. Another person I met at CompuCamp is a current sitting MP who is doing very well.
Post the camp, all 3 of us girls from different backgrounds went on to study science-based courses at University and started our careers in these fields. I guess we were already like-minded enough in our interests.
Today coding is no longer a novelty, it is gradually becoming a necessary empowerment tool for our young people.
Today our world runs on a frontier of Data Science. I recently decided to come up to speed on Data Science; to understand what it is about because as a business leader, I am aware no business, run to scale, can survive without deep analytics. I realized my studies in coding, mathematics, statistics and decision sciences have all come to bear. It all makes sense now.
Coding is one of the key skills for the future of work. We must encourage our children to get conversant with it. To understand how it works no matter what career path they opt to take.
Will your kids be part of the coding generation?
Lucy Quist
SOURCE: https://www.iipgh.org/data-science-building-on-coding/
Lucy QuistData Science; Building on Coding 06.20.2018

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Chile is a land which surprises, delights, awes, and enchants, from the otherwordly landscapes of the Atacama Desert to the modern, trendy streets of the capital Santiago. Come join Iain Mallory, Sehi Clemens, Ignacio Izquierdo and Christelle Labruyère as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
Chile has a wealth of beautiful landscapes beyond the iconic regions of Patagonia and Atacama.Discover the majestic Andean mountain range or climb up the hills and winding streets of port city Valparaíso. Whether interested in stunning vistas or a peek into traditional Chilean culture, these top destinations have something to offer every type of traveler.Here are the best places to visit in Chile.
TOP 10 Places to Visit in Chile. Watch this video and share it with your friend if you like this video please Subscribe My Channel For more video.
KEYWORD: TOP 10 Places to Visit in Chile.
This northern Chilean town is the second oldest in the nation. It boasts a city full of lovely architecture and a warm golden beach. La Serena has a reputation as an intellectual town, and has a number of great sights that fit this description, like an archaeological museum and astronomical observatory. Outdoor enthusiasts will love to bike through the Elqui Valley, swim, snorkel, dive and/or hike through Isla Damas, and visit the national park at Fray Jorge.
The capital city is the political and cultural heart of Chile. From the high mountain views of the Cerro San Cristobal Park to the secluded history of poet Pablo Neruda's writing retreat, there is much to see in Santiago. Top picks include skiing Valle Nevado or Portillo, wine tasting at Vina Aquitania, or visits to one of several top museums like Museo Chile de Arte Precolumbio or Museo de la Moda. For those who don't want to spend all of their time in the city, there are amazing hiking opportunities like the steep slopes of Cajon de Maipo.
Chiloé Island is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago in the Los Lagos Region and the second-largest island in South America after Tierra del Fuego. In part because of its physical isolation from the rest of Chile, Chiloé has a very special architecture and local culture.
This beautiful beach and casino town offers a vibrant boardwalk and gorgeous 19th century Georgian architecture like the Aztoreca Palace. Iquique is the Monte Carlo of Chile, and has much to offer for anyone who loves free-spirited fun. During the day, guests here can participate in world-famous surfing waves, paraglide or sand-board on the golden coast.
The southern coast of Chile presents a large number of fjords and channels that provide the only access to this part of Patagonia. Sailing through this region can be an unforgettable experience. Most of the trips start from Puerto Montt and travel towards Carretera Austral, Laguna San Rafael and Puerto Natales.
This hard-working economic port town on the coast of Central Chile was loved by the poet Pablo Neruda for its beautiful chaos. It boasts some of the first urban innovations in Latin America, like the first volunteer fire department. In addition to its working class roots, Valparaiso has a reputation for an underground street art movement.
This long, lush volcanic valley region stretches from Puerto Montt in the South to Temuco in the North. It is home to dense forests, crystal-clear lakes, and snowcapped volcanoes. Before the introduction of Europeans, the lake district was thickly forested, and inhabited by the Mapuche, one of the few South American tribes to avoid being swallowed into the Incan nations.
Popular among Chilean tourists and international visitors alike, this is one of the most visited places in Chile. San Pedro de Atacama is a town on the edge of one of the world's most breathtaking landscapes. Austere, endless flood and salt plains surrounded by coppery mountains are plentiful, and have to be seen to be believed.
The "towers of blue" national park constitutes a glaciated region on the Southern tip of Chile. Three large pillars in the park give it its name, and it is also home to a number of "horns", or other mountains, and glaciated lakes. Exploration through this park can be done via mini van tours, multi-day treks, or catamaran trips. There are a few services who will also offer horseback tours to some of the sites.
Located more than 3,500 km (2,000 miles) form central Chile, Easter Island continues to be one of the world's great mysteries. This treeless island of hundreds of giant, hollow-eyed statues carved by its Polynesian visitors is an eerie yet beautiful example of human artistry and achievement.
Our visit Santiago travel guide covers some of the top attractions including the best in arts, entertainment, museums, nightlife and restaurants (Cocina Chilena). We also cover off-the-beaten-path activities that you won't find in your typical tourism brochure or Santiago city guide.
Santiago's Central Market is the place to come for the freshest food. You'll find rows of restaurants serving up everything from grilled fish to ceviche. We really like our ceviche, so we found a place serving exactly that.
And that's a wrap for the Chilean capital! We hope you enjoyed this Santiago travel guide and that it gave you a few ideas of things to do, places to visit, and Chilean dishes to try in the city.
Come with us and visit the best places in Santiago de Chile. As part of our Chile travel videos, we share with you what to do in Santiago de Chile. These hot spots in Santiago are close to the highlights of this relaxed city. You see Plaza de Armas, Mercado Central but also the best places to visit just a few minutes away from these highlights.
We drink a beer and eat one of the best ice creams in the world at Emporio de la Rosa and have a fabulous dinner at La Diana Restaurant.
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From the heart of the Andean high plateau to the unexplored territories at the end of the world, Chile invites you to live adventures in the middle of the planet's driest desert and the pristine nature of Patagonia. Visit millennial glaciers, discover the only warm rainforest in South America and be part of the rural customs in the fertile valleys sheltered under the watchful eye of the volcanoes. Islands full of legends will captivate you with stories of authentic tradition, while the big cities open up before you with a wide variety of activities set at the fast pace of the modern world.
A hill. Rises 880 m. AMSL and about 300 m. above the rest of Santiago; the peak is the second highest point in the city, after Cerro Renca.
a volcano 15 million years old.
end hotels and an office building.
design was accomplished by Pedro de Gamboa, which was appointed by Pedro de Valdivia in 1541.
features of the park are its three lines of platanus orientalis trees.
time with only 8 attractions, including the Galaxy coaster, Mansion Siniestra, Ford T and Century 2000.
native animals and birds including rare and endangered species.
requires a moderately difficult hike of about 7 hours total duration at a good pace. Has a main drop of about 25 meters.
The seat of the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, currently Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, and the center of the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile.
5 Top Things To Do In Santiago, Chile South America. The Nature Healing Retreat - Chile experience kicked off in Santiago and we explored many areas throughout Chile. Santiago is a huge tourist destination.
In this vlog we explored Plaza de Armes and the entire downtown area of Santiago. The second day, we traveled to Paine, province of Maipo, Metropolitan Region, Chile just south of the city of Santiago and later that evening we went horse riding to the top of the Andes. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to watch Day THREE & FOUR! This is your guide to Chile!
The Carretera Austral is a mostly unpaved road that connects the most rural part of Patagonia in the very south of Chile. Tourism in this area is not as pronounced as it is in other parts of the country, as regular bus routes, accommodations and detailed info is hard to find.
But in this seclusion lies the attraction and a special charm. During my last trip I met very few travelers from Europe and North America. The locals welcomed me warmly and most attractions were not crowded.
After traveling this route twice via hitchhiking I thought it is about time that I put together a handy Carretera Austral guide which highlights the main sights along this 1200km long road. The video shows you my favorite places to visit from north to south, starting in Puerto Montt and finishing in Villa O'Higgins.
In this week's episode we're in the capital of Chile, Santiago. We head out on the town exploring the many hidden corners, we check out some live street performances and take a free walking tour. Check it out!
Planning to visit Chile? Check out our Chile Travel Guide video and see top most Tourist Attractions in Chile.
Contact Donna Salerno Travel for all your worldwide travel planning. You will love where we take you!
You came here for a reason! Do you have an important mission.


Kass has a nose for fraud. A founding partner of the 85-plus-attorneys firm of Manning & Marker, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, LLP.
Kass' focus is on insurance fraud protection. He was the lead counsel in the first case under the California Whistle-Blower statute and aided in the state's first prosecution under the law. Not only do insurance companies rely on Kass' skill in ferreting out private fraud and institutional fraud rings, but the state and the profession do as well.
Kass lectures around the nation to professionals and lawyers in the field. In addition, he has testified in front of the Judiciary and Insurance Committees of the California State Assembly and Senate on the subject of insurance fraud. Kass does not limit his skills to California; he helped draft anti-fraud legislation in Arizona as well. For his efforts, he was named the 2001 California Attorney of the Year for Litigation, and was the 1999 International Association of Special Investigation Unit's Southern California Chapter Defense Attorney of the Year.
Elaborate and costly fraud rings will either have to get more complex and intricate or disappear as long as Dennis Kass is on their tail.


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Q: PHP - how to create a newline character? In PHP I am trying to create a newline character:
echo $clientid;
echo ' ';
echo $lastname;
echo ' ';
echo '\r\n';

Afterwards I open the created file in Notepad and it writes the newline literally:

1 John Doe\r\n 1 John Doe\r\n 1 John Doe\r\n

I have tried many variations of the \r\n, but none work.  Why isn't the newline turning into a newline?

A: Only double quoted strings interpret the escape sequences \r and \n as '0x0D' and '0x0A' respectively, so you want:
"\r\n"

Single quoted strings, on the other hand, only know the escape sequences \\ and \'.
So unless you concatenate the single quoted string with a line break generated elsewhere (e. g., using double quoted string "\r\n" or using chr function chr(0x0D).chr(0x0A)), the only other way to have a line break within a single quoted string is to literally type it with your editor:
$s = 'some text before the line break
some text after';

Make sure to check your editor for its line break settings if you require some specific character sequence (\r\n for example).

A: Nothing was working for me.
PHP_EOL
. "\r\n";
$NEWLINE_RE = '/(\r\n)|\r|\n/'; // take care of all possible newline-encodings in input file
$var = preg_replace($NEWLINE_RE,'', $var);

Works for me:
$admin_email_Body = $admin_mail_body .'
' ."\r\n";
$admin_email_Body .= 'This is line 2
' ."\r\n";
$admin_email_Body .= 'This is line 3
' ."\r\n";

A: Use the constant PHP_EOL to get the right character no matter the platform.
http://us3.php.net/manual/en/reserved.constants.php
A simple usage example:
<?php
$data = 'First line' . PHP_EOL .
        'Second line' . PHP_EOL .
        'Third line';

file_put_contents("filename.txt", $data);
?>

A: For some reason, every single post asking about newline escapes in PHP fails to mention the case that simply inserting a newline into single-quoted strings will do exactly what you think:
ex 1.
 echo 'foo\nbar';

Example 1 clearly does not print the desired result, however, while it is true you cannot escape a newline in single-quotes, you can have one:
ex 2.
 echo 'foo
 bar';

Example 2 has exactly the desired behavior. Unfortunately the newline that is inserted is operating system dependent. This usually isn't a problem, as web browsers/servers will correctly interpret the newline whether it is \r, \r\n, or \n.
Obviously this solution is not ideal if you plan to distribute the file through other means then a web browser and to multiple operating systems. In that case you should see one of the other answers.
note: using a feature rich text editor you should be able to insert a newline as a binary character(s) that represents a newline on a different operating system than the one editing the file. If all else fails, simply using a hex editor to insert the binary ascii character would do.

A: Use the PHP nl2br to get the newlines in a text string..

$text = "Manu is a good boy.(Enter)He can code well.
echo nl2br($text);
Result.
Manu is a good boy.
He can code well.

A: Use the predefined PHP_EOL constant:
echo $clientid, ' ', $lastname, PHP_EOL;

The constant value will be set according to the line endings of the operating system where PHP is executing. On Linux, it will be "\n"; on Windows, it will be "\r\n".

A: Strings between double quotes "" interpolate, meaning they convert escaped characters to printable characters.
Strings between single quotes '' are literal, meaning they are treated exactly as the characters are typed in.
You can have both on the same line:
echo '$clientid $lastname ' . "\r\n";
echo "$clientid $lastname \r\n";

outputs:
$clientid $lastname
1 John Doe

A: Use chr (13) for carriage return and chr (10) for new line
echo $clientid;
echo ' ';
echo $lastname;
echo ' ';
echo chr (13). chr (10);

A: You should use this:
"\n"

You also might wanna have a look at PHP EOL.

A: Actually \r\n is for the html side of the output. With those chars you can just create a newline in the html code to make it more readable:
echo "First line \r\n Second line";

will output:
First line
Second line

that viewing the page will be:
First line Second line

If you really meant this you have just to fix the single quote with the "" quote:
echo "\r\n";

Otherwise if you mean to split the text, in our sample 'First line' and 'Second line' you have to use the html code:
:
First line
Second line

that will output:
First line
Second line

Also it would be more readable if you replace the entire script with:
echo "$clientid $lastname \r\n";

A: The browser will not parse linefeeds into two lines because a newline character in HTML means nothing. That's why when needs a new line in HTML, one has to add some tag,
 being the simplest one:
echo [output text]."
\n";

This will output the HTML newline.
Note that it's a good idea to add a new line anyway, so you'll have readable HTML when checking the page source.

A: There is a handy PHP function for HTML output that adds a
 tag to new lines:
echo nl2br("One line.\n Another line.");

A: I have also tried this combination within both the single quotes and double quotes. But none has worked. Instead of using \n better use
 in the double quotes. Like this..
$variable = "and";
echo "part 1 $variable part 2
";
echo "part 1 ".$variable." part 2";

A: For any echo statements, I always use
 inside double quotes.

A:

You Can Try This.
<?php
   $content = str_replace(PHP_EOL, "
", $your_content);
 ?>

<?php echo($content); ?>

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28 Jun 2021 2:40 PM +00:00 UTC
When Is Kazuya Coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
All you need to know about when Kazuya becomes available.
When is Kazuya coming to Smash? Nintendo announced Kazuya Mishima from Tekken for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during its E3 2021 presentation. We got to see a bit of what to expect from Kazuya during the announcement trailer, but series creator Masahiro Sakurai just released a new Smash Bros. video focused on Kazuya.
If you're looking to get your hands on this upcoming fighter, here's all you need to know about Kazuya's launch.
Read more: Everything we know about the Tekken Smash Ultimate crossover
As confirmed within the Smash Bros Presentation for Kazuya, he's planned to launch on June 30th, 2021, marking the penultimate DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Alongside him, Mii Fighter costumes for Shantae, Dante, Skyrim's Dragonborn and Tales of Symphonia's Lloyd will also release.
Gameplay Stream


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Independent Mothers
Awhereness
Floating Population
81 Bowery
Born in Taipei, Annie is a Canadian documentary photographer and visual artist currently based between Brooklyn and Mexico City. Select clients include The New York Times and NYT Magazine, The New Yorker, NPR, Courrier International, The Atlantic, Fader, Virginia Quarterly Review, New York Magazine, The Guardian, and South China Morning Post.
Her photography has been featured in publications such as Frieze, PDN Photo Annual, American Photography, Magenta Flash Forward, The Wall Street Journal, Internazionale, Fast Company, Geo, Raw View, Epsilon Magazine, Die Zeit, Stuttgarter Zeitung, Iceland Review, Tunica Magazine, Acts of Witness, among others. She has lectured at Columbia University, CUNY Brooklyn College, International Center of Photography, Ryerson University School of Image Arts, Asian American Writers' Workshop, and has appeared on Al Jazeera America, Sino Vision, China Daily, "Where I'm From" CUNY Graduate School of Journalism's pilot radio show, and National Public Radio / RÚV Iceland. In 2014, she partnered with the non-governmental organization ACTED covering emergency relief efforts, refugees, and internally-displaced groups in Kurdistan and Iraq. Annie is also an instructor at Mono No Aware, a cinema arts community non-profit in Brooklyn, NY.
Most recently, The National Museum of Iceland held a solo exhibition of her series "Independent Mothers", now part of the museum's permanent collection. Annie's debut solo exhibition "A Floating Population" in New York City at Museum of Chinese in America featured over eighty images spanning four years of work. Her projects have traveled widely to exhibitions in South Korea, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Brazil, Belgium, Iceland, China, Canada, and USA.
Annie is the recipient of the first Skammdegi AIR Award in Iceland and a New York Foundation of the Arts fellowship for photography. Previously, she was a fellow of Reflexions Masterclass, an international laboratory investigating the evolution of the language of visual representation and photography. She is also a recipient of a Director's Fellowship from The International Center of Photography.
© 2018 Annie Ling. All rights reserved.


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Real Mastering and RealFeel
Real Mastering
Home »Posts by Rob Fraboni »
Posts by Rob Fraboni
RealFeel Technology
By Rob Fraboni on May 15, 2018 in RealFeel |
"RealFeel Technology is a "B to B" software technology for enhancing digital audio and audiovisual media to create audio improvements by making digitally created media sound like analogue created media which also eliminates listener fatigue. It can be used to enhance digital audio for use in processing, recording, reproducing, streaming,...
Recording With Hubert Sumlin and Keith Richards
By Rob Fraboni on Aug 26, 2015 in Rob's Blog |
The last cut on Hubert Sumlin's record, "This Is the End, Little Girl," was recorded at Keith's house in that same place with that same setup. It was only Keith, Hubert, and Paul Nowinski – the bass player – on that. That was our setup from the previous night. Hubert had come over to have a meeting with Keith to discuss business. Afterwards, we went downstairs...
Sheryl Crow Calls
By Rob Fraboni on Feb 3, 2015 in History |
When Timeless came out and Sheryl Crow called me – there are a dozen artists on the record. About half of them called me just to say, "Wow, man, what a sound. How did you guys get that sound?" This was the typical question. The Sheryl Crow conversation is the one that sticks in my mind because this was funny. We already knew each other. Sheryl calls and says, "Rob,...
Recording Keith Richards & "You Win Again"
By Rob Fraboni on Nov 5, 2014 in Music Production |
The production arc which started with Wingless Angels, sidetracked on Bridges to Babylon, blossomed during the production of Keith Richards You Win Again and Hubert Sumlin's About Them Shoes. In this installment, I talk about the making of You Win Again. The Hubert Sumlin Rehearsal There was a rehearsal at Keith's house for Hubert Sumlin's record. Hubert...
Taking Flight With Wingless Angels
By Rob Fraboni on Oct 1, 2014 in Music Production |
"You don't in fact need a studio. You need a room. It's just where you put the microphones." – Keith Richards – Life The road to "You Win Again" started Thanksgiving of '95. "Wingless Angels" came out while we were on the road with "Bridges to Babylon." I don't know if it was '97 or '98; either late '97 or early '98. I...
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Home » Development Financing Still Gender-Blind
Development Financing Still Gender-Blind
Fri, 2008-04-18 11:07 — admin
By Thalif Deen - Inter Press Service
United Nations, 18 April, (IPS): When the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a special high-level meeting to discuss the new challenges facing the international community, the focus was largely on the credit crisis, rising commodity prices, declining development aid and the devastating impact of climate change on developing nations.
But one of the gender-sensitive issues -- the feminization of poverty -- was left out in the cold.
"While we are pleased that some governments stated that gender equality must be incorporated into development cooperation strategies, there were no proposals on how this actually would be achieved," Nadia Johnson, Economic and Social Justice Coordinator at the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), told IPS.
"Women's groups are thus concerned that words will continue to be met with little action," she added.
According to the United Nations, about 70 percent of those who live in extreme poverty are women and children.
The meeting, which took place Monday and was attended by high ranking government officials and senior U.N. staffers, was part of a preparatory process for the upcoming international conference on financing for development (FfD), scheduled to take place in the Qatari capital of Doha in late November.
But the FfD process, which began with the 2002 U.N. conference on financing for development in Monterrey, Mexico, has continued to marginalize or downgrade the gender perspective in development financing, according to women's groups.
"Today the majority of people living in poverty are women and girls," Cecilia Alemany of the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) told IPS.
"And if the international community does not take a serious political commitment (at the FfD meeting) in Doha to change these trends, we will lose another decade," she warned.
Johnson of WEDO said that when governments agreed on the 'Monterrey Consensus'-- spelling out the priorities for development financing-- at the first FfD conference six years ago, "they made scant commitments to women's empowerment and gender equality."
The chapter addressing official development assistance (ODA) did not have a single gender reference or commitment, she said.
"It's not surprising that since Monterrey little has changed to advance the economic conditions of women worldwide," Johnson said.
She also pointed out that the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported that ODA is actually on the decline: down from 0.31 percent of gross national income (GNI) in 2006 to 0.28 percent in 2007.
In 1970, the U.N. General Assembly set a target of 0.7 percent of GNI as ODA to the world's poorer nations. But only five countries -- Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg -- have either consistently met or surpassed-- that target.
And according to a 2005 report by two non-governmental organizations, Eurostep and Social Watch, only 0.1 percent of ODA is actually spent on gender equality.
"It only shows that women are often still an afterthought by governments when crafting economic policy," said Johnson.
This marginalization of gender comes despite the active participation of the women's movement in the FfD process; despite common knowledge that women and girls not only comprise the vast majority of the world's poor but remain the poorest of the poor; and despite the consequent numerous commitments linking gender equality to sustainable development and poverty eradication.
"What is it going to take to get governments to wake up when it comes to women?," Johnson asked.
Nerea Craviotto of WIDE, a network of women's organizations based in Europe, said that despite the emphasis in the Monterrey Consensus on environmental sustainability, civil rights and gender awareness, these issues do not constitute the central starting point of that document.
They were simply added, without changing their characteristics, to the main recommendations, whose primary focus is on foreign investments and trade liberalization.
Apart from the introduction and the first chapter (mobilizing domestic financial resources for development), gender issues do not figure or are only marginally dealt with throughout the rest of the Monterrey document.
Asked how this can be rectified at the upcoming FfD Conference in Doha, Craviotto told IPS that in order to implement the principles of sustainability and gender-sensitive development, it is imperative to meticulously analyze the consequences of all economic strategies and policies against the backdrop of the lives of poor women in the global South.
It is also necessary to establish preventive measures, so that their living conditions are not exposed to further deterioration.
At the same time, she argued, the complexity of female roles has to be kept in mind, particularly their productive activities in the formal economy, in the subsistence economy and in the informal sector.
Additionally, the Doha conference should also recognize their reproductive activities and responsibilities regarding the household and the family, and their often intensive involvement in the society/community that is commonly seen as an extension of their reproductive activities.
Another element that must always be included in all plans is the disadvantaged position of women in family and society, their limited access to power, infrastructure and resources.
"Without far-reaching changes in the areas of this context, sustainable development and poverty alleviation is illusory," Craviotto added.
Alemany of AWID told IPS that if aid is to eradicate poverty and inequalities, it must integrate gender equality and women's empowerment, and therefore more aid assistance must be directed towards these critical issues.
New aid modalities and mechanisms are frequently dependent on macroeconomic conditionalities that intensify gender inequalities.
"The current aid environment and mechanisms (including the implementation of the Monterrey Consensus) and the Paris Declaration implementation remain gender-blind," she added.
The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, adopted at a meeting in the French capital in 2005, is a non-binding declaration endorsed by a group of developed and developing countries, and described as a "road map to improve the quality of aid and its impact on development."
But the declaration has been criticized by several non-governmental organizations, including the Third World Institute and the European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD).
Roberto Bissio, director of the Third World Institute, says the Paris Declaration creates a new level of supra-national economic governance, above the World Bank and the regional development banks.
He also says that institutional ownership of the Paris Declaration process remains in the hands of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the World Bank "where donors and creditors have exclusive majority control, with little or no developing country voice or vote."
Projecting into the future, Alemany said: "We need a strong political commitment at the highest levels in Doha.'
She also called upon member states, U.N. agencies and international financial institutions:
First, to make a commitment to give aid to eradicate poverty and gender inequalities, and to promote human rights, gender equality, full employment and environmental sustainability as central development goals.
Secondly, to reach and maintain the U.N. target of 0.7 percent GNI in ODA committed by developed countries. A significant share of ODA should be targeted for gender equality and women's empowerment (10 percent of GNI by 2010 and 20 percent by 2015).
Thirdly, to fully integrate gender equality and women's empowerment with concrete commitments in Doha, not only as a systemic issue and challenge, but also as a key development goal.
Fourthly, to increase efforts to build a new aid architecture, with a sensitive approach to the realities of those historically bypassed as recipients, and whose participation was absent in the process.
- Inter Press Service News Agency -


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Court of Appeal Cuts Damage Award Against Chuck Norris Over Soured Deal to Reopen Casino in Lebanon
This district's Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling holding actor Chuck Norris liable in connection with his role in a failed deal to reopen a long-closed casino in Lebanon, but has substantially cut the damage award.
Div. Five said the award of $169,000 to Falcon Group, the promoter of the proposed casino, wasn't supported by substantial evidence and cut it to $55,000.
Norris allegedly became involved in the Lebanese discussions through Russian-American businessman Nikolaj Vissokovsky II, who Norris met on a visit to Russia in 1992. Vissokovsky brought Norris into the Lebanese discussions, according to testimony, after Vissokovsky was introduced to Falcon's principal, entertainment producer Roger Kalousz, by an acquaintance.
Falcon claimed to have spent $285,000 on the casino project before it learned in 1995 that Norris was pulling out. Norris, who reportedly owns small interests in Las Vegas casinos, later invested $1.5 million in a Moscow casino project at Vissokovsky's urging and lost every penny of it, according to newspaper accounts and testimony in the Falcon case.
Falcon sued Norris; his manager, Myron Emery, who allegedly handled the details of Norris' proposed involvement on the actor's behalf; and Vissokovsky. Falcon sought huge damages, but jurors concluded that the defendants didn't commit fraud, didn't misrepresent facts, and intended to perform.
The jury did find, however, that Falcon paid $169,000 pursuant to a valid contract prior to its abandonment or rescission, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Caesar Sarmiento awarded judgment in that amount.
Falcon appealed, citing various evidentiary rulings, including the exclusion of testimony regarding the Moscow venture. Falcon hoped to prove that Vissokovsky had acted pursuant to a common scheme to obtain money for feasibility studies and pocket the funds.
The appellate panel rejected the contention, saying the evidence would have been unduly confusing. And it ruled in favor of Norris and Emery, in part, on their cross-appeal.
There was sufficient evidence, Justice Margaret Grignon said, to prove that Emery had agreed—on the actor's behalf—to assume responsibility on a contract that Vissokovsky had signed with Falcon. That agreement required payment by Falcon of $55,000 to Vissokovsky for a feasibility study.
But there was insufficient evidence, the jurist went on to say, to charge Emery or Norris with responsibility for any of the other money Falcon spent on the project.
Attorneys on appeal were Clifford W. Roberts Jr. of Roberts & Associates for Falcon Group, Joseph F. Hart of Donaldson & Hart for Emery, and Anjani Mandavia and Lawrence B. Steinberg of Weissman, Wolff, Bergman, Coleman, Silverman & Holmes for Norris.


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SBA Issues FAQs on Revenue Reduction, Max Loan Amount Calculations for Second-Draw PPP Loans
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told House lawmakers today that the U.S. financial system is "strong, and has been materially strengthened since the financial crisis."
Fed's Powell: Financial System 'Generally in a Good Place'
on	 February 11, 2020 Economy, Newsbytes, Policy
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told House lawmakers today that the U.S. financial system is "strong, and has been materially strengthened since the financial crisis." Testifying beore the House Financial Services Committee, he noted that banks today are well-capitalized and highly liquid, and that as a result of the post-crisis regulatory framework, the financial system is "generally in a good place."
When asked what he viewed as the most significant risk facing the financial system, Powell flagged cyber attacks as a major concern for the central bank. "We have a great game plan for traditional issues like bad loans. . . . [Cyber] is really the frontier where you worry."
Powell fielded questions from lawmakers on a wide range of issues from climate change to the effort to update and modernize Community Reinvestment Act regulations. While Powell declined to say whether the Fed would issue its own CRA modernization proposal, he indicated that the agency would carefully study the comments received on the joint proposal issued by the FDIC and the OCC. "We want to be very sure that what comes out of this is a proposal . . . that will leave all major participants in CRA better off," he said, adding that "we think it's important that each metric, each change that we make is grounded in data."
Community Reinvestment Act Cybersecurity Federal reserve Financial stability Systemic risk
Jan 19 SBA Issues FAQs on Revenue Reduction, Max Loan Amount Calculations for Second-Draw PPP Loans


LONDON (RNS) — A municipal council in a West London suburb voted this week to allow a buffer zone around an abortion clinic — the first such zone of its kind in Britain, where abortion has been legal for 50 years.
In the UK, health-care is completely covered by public spending…including women's reproductive health and abortions (Northern Ireland an exception).
No wonder the religious nuts hate it. Congratulations to the UK !! Exactly what we should have in the US too.
Hmmm. If people formed protest lines in front of evangelical churches with signs and calling out to people who enter the church, offering pamphlets on how their action is undermining democratic freedom and promotes racism – would that be against the law? Standing on public sidewalks, with protest signs, being sure not to block entry ways. I wonder if it is time for that.
I've herd of it happening. They were invited in to attend the service and left on friendly terms.
There is no free speech in the UK.
Or more likely, there is no pretending that free speech allows you to interfere in the lawful business of other people who don't share your religious beliefs.
There is no First Amendment in the UK.
The UK jails people for youtube vidoes and social media postings. Communicating in the public square is not interference.
The RCC's pews are virtually empty in GB.
Time to fund a culture war….
Excellent. Good for the Brits. Women seeking to end problem pregnancies should not have to fave harassment on entering clinics. Those who oppose having abortions are not obliged to have them. Neither the Bible not science supports the anti-choice position, only misogynism and disdain for women'e rights of conscience and religious liberty.
Wrong. Ask any politician whose gendarmes route protestors to out of the way free speech zones.
Count Dankula is the most recent example.
LOL! Not relevant to the topic or Ben's statement.
I am sympathetic to free speech and it should not have criminal penalty in of itself. But I am unsympathetic to people who do stupid crap on social media as a matter of course. Any social/civil/employment related penalties he faced do not trouble me at all.
Only because there were pre-existing laws which forbade obstructing the entrance to the clinics. It was not so much unconstitutional as it was legislative overreach under the conditions.
It's relevant because it illustrates the UK does not have free speech. Free speech necessarily encompasses speech that some might find hateful. I'm sympathetic to people who face government persecution for speech.
The court ruled the buffer zone was an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.
OK. That was a ruling in which the 4 liberal justices were joined by CJ Roberts. It applies specifically to MA clinics and as such was "legislative overreach" as Spuddie said. My point was politicians allow themselves greater protection than clinic goers, which, given the assassinations of politicians, is understandable on their part but everyone should have the same protection from terrorism including clinic patients.
They found the potential was there. They didn't actually strike down the law. They remanded it down to the lower courts.
You don't know what those words mean.
The ruling was 9-0. Persons expressing opinions is not "terrorism".
It was reversed and remanded. Actions taken following remand are contingent on the issue. In the McCullen case the remand meant the charges against the plaintiffs were dismissed, it's possible the lower court also gave them damages.
Meaning they did not rule specifically on the constitutionality of the law and left it to the lower court.
No, they ruled the Massachusetts law unconstitutionally violated the First Amendment. Go read the case.
They ruled it had the potential for overreach. But they could not determine it from an appeals POV.
"Held: The Massachusetts Act violates the First Amendment." Stop denying reality.
It's on the first page of the ruling you are unable to read.
It did not hold buffer zones to be unconstitutional on its face. It held those specific ones did not meet basic justification.


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Indian Voter Chops Off His Finger After Voting For The Wrong Party (Video)
Published 2 months ago by: Olusanya Akinrinola
amasan1 at 10:41 PM, 19/04/2019 (2 months ago)
(2598 | Gistmaniac) Online (m)
An Indian man has chopped off his index finger in desperation after voting for the wrong party in the country's ongoing national election.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Pawan Kumar said he became confused by the symbols on the electronic voting machine and voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party instead of its regional rival in Uttar Pradesh state on Thursday.
Distraught, Kumar went home and chopped off his finger with a meat cleaver.
Even though votes are cast electronically at polling stations, the index finger of every voter is marked with indelible ink after they cast ballots, to make sure they do not vote again.
"He was very happy that he was voting for the first time ever," Kumar's brother Kailash Chandra told AFP by phone.
"But once he realised his mistake, he was so distraught that he chopped off his inked finger."
"Every time he saw his ink-marked finger, he felt angry."
Chandra said the family rushed Kumar to the hospital, and videos circulating online showed the first-time voter sporting a bandaged hand standing over the butcher's knife outside a toilet.
"I wanted to vote for the elephant but it went to flower," Kumar says on one video, adding that he had not been pressured to cast his ballot for a particular party.
The lotus is the symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party while the Bahujan Samaj Party, part of an alliance fighting Modi in the northern state, uses the elephant. The party symbol is used on voting machines along with the candidate's photographs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DorLmbziUik
LMAO! Voter Leaves Message For INEC On Ballot Paper Meant For Voting (Photo) - 06:34 PM, 9/03/2019
After Drinking To Stupor, a 25-Year-Old Man Chops Off His Manhood. - 06:48 PM, 27/01/2019
18 Year Old Boy Chops Off Brother's Wife Hand For Fighting His Mum - 08:36 AM, 20/11/2018
WTH! 16-year-old Boy Chops Off Own Pen!s After Smoking Indian Hemp - 11:19 PM, 2/06/2017
OH MY! Angry Wife Chops Off Husband's Pen!s, After He Refused Her S£x For 10yrs (Photos) - 07:04 PM, 10/03/2017
Boyfriend Chops Off 16yrs Old Boy's Arm In Rage After Spotting Him With His Girlfriend - 06:49 AM, 25/01/2017
Man Chops Off Neighbour's Hand, Inflicts Injuries On His Head For Causing Trouble In Lagos - 05:44 AM, 18/01/2017
22-Year Old Boy Chops Off His Pen1s After Been Jilted By His Girlfriend - 07:44 PM, 23/10/2014
See Wahala Man throws wife, child out for voting against his party - 05:05 PM, 14/04/2011
Voter register: INEC to take eye, finger data - 07:35 AM, 2/08/2010


1. Universal dissimilarity/distance functions, based on Kolmogorov and Shannon information theories, have been recently proposed. In principle, these dissimilarities will enable defining "universal kernels". We aim at developing techniques to approximate the universal dissimilarity for several types of structured data, such as text and images. This goal will be pursued by using the known ability of compression algorithms (of the Lempel-Ziv type, in the case of text) to approximate the universal distance.
2. "Kernelized" versions of most algorithms for statistical supervised, non-supervised, and semi-supervised learning tasks have been proposed (e.g., support vector machines, kernel Fisher discriminants, kernel principal component analysis). Accordingly, we will be able to plug the (approximate) universal kernels mentioned above into any kernel-based algorithm, thus extending their applicability to a wide range of structured data types.
3. Kernels implemented via (universal) compression algorithms are necessarily approximations to the theoretical universal kernels. In some cases, these compression-based kernels converge (asymptotically in the sequence length) to the theoretical counterpart, but it is not clearly understood how they behave for finite (small) samples. In this project we will study this problem, aiming to derive concentration bounds for these kernels.
4. An alternative to tailoring kernels to specific problems or using universal-type kernels is to develop algorithms that learn "good" kernels directly from training data. In this project, we will work along this research direction. One of the main goals here, will be to learn optimal combinations of universal kernels for heterogenous data (e.g., classification of web pages, which involve multiple data types: text, links, images).
5. At a final stage of the project, the several kernel-based methods mentioned above will be applied to address problems in text and image analysis. Namely we will target central language processing problems, such as categorization, disambiguation, clustering, and summarization, as well as image analysis tasks, such as image/video classification and content-based image retrieval.


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The Obelisk Questionnaire: Lee Dorrian
Posted in Questionnaire on July 1st, 2015 by JJ Koczan
There is not much one might do in doom or metal in general that Lee Dorrian hasn't done. From getting his start at the beginnings of grindcore with Napalm Death to forming the massively influential Cathedral to fostering and continuing to develop an underground rock aesthetic few can predict or match with Rise Above Records — giving bands like Orange Goblin, Witchcraft, Naevus, Revelation and Electric Wizard a home in their early stages — his work over the better part of the last 30 years has not only resulted in badass records like Cathedral's 1991 debut, Forest of Equilibrium, or the 2002 Rampton album from the one-off project Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine with members of SunnO))) and Iron Monkey, but has actively played a role in reshaping what we think of as heavy. An inimitable stage presence, Dorrian put Cathedral to rest in 2013 after the release of The Last Spire (review here), but he continues his forward-thinking work with Rise Above, releasing landmark works from the likes of Ghost and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats as well as potential doom-shapers like Lucifer.
This week, Cathedral reissues their first demo, 1990's In Memoriam, complete with bonus live material, and I'm thrilled to be able to have Dorrian provide his answers to The Obelisk Questionnaire to mark the occasion:
How did you come to do what you do?
Just from being a fan of music since I was a little kid. From a very early age I was fascinated by not only the music, but also the lifestyle and culture surrounding it. In my early teens I started doing a fanzine, this led me to booking shows in local pubs and venues when I was sixteen. This in turn led me to joining my first ever band, which was Napalm Death and it went from there.
Describe your first musical memory.
I have memories of listening to records with my dad when I was about four years old. In particular, I remember him playing Beach Boys over and over but I also remember rocking out in the living room with him to Slade around the same time. Also, one very vivid memory from around this time was continually playing the Small Faces single on Immediate Records called "Itchycoo Park." For some reason it had a blue ink stain on the black and white labels and I used to watch it going round and round, whilst the sound effects on the track would make me dizzy, haha. It was my favourite single when I was a little kid but the first single I actually bought with my own pocket money was "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas. After that I got into the Bay City Rollers, then became serious about rock 'n' roll and was a Teddy Boy at eight years old! I used to hang around with the older Teds and they showed me the ropes, what to wear, how to dance, etc.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
I guess it was hearing a track off the B-side of Scum on the John Peel radio show. He had been my idol (if that's the right word), since I was 10/11 years old, so hearing him play a record that I was on was just completely surreal. Then I got to know him a bit, which was just amazing. Nothing I did after that really topped it to be honest.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
When Cathedral signed to Columbia Records in the US. As anarchist teenager, I said I would never be in a band that signed to a major label. The opportunity came to us, we didn't chase it, or even desire it. All I can say is, we had some great times as a result but it also fucked everything up.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Genuine artist progression leads to absolute greatness, though it depends on how you interpret it. I'm sure many artists I've admired early on, but not liked them so much as they've "progressed," would view their progression differently than I would. I'm sure the same could be said for many people that have listened to some things I may have been involved with over the years: I might think it's good, they might think it's crap.
Doing something you believe in and getting it right artistically. To me that would be more important than selling millions of records.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn't?
Swans a few weeks ago in London. Having said that, the first time I saw them in '86 was one of the best shows I have seen in my life.
Describe something you haven't created yet that you'd like to create.
A planet where only cool people lived.
Something non-musical that you're looking forward to?
My daughter coming back from vacation!
Cathedral, "Morning of a New Day"
Cathedral on Thee Facebooks
Rise Above Records on Twitter
Rise Above Records
Tags: Cathedral, Lee Dorrian, Napalm Death, Rise Above Records, UK
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Matt Weed of Rosetta
Posted in Questionnaire on May 22nd, 2015 by JJ Koczan
One decade after the release of their Translation Loss debut, The Galilean Satellites, Philadelphia's Rosetta stand on the cusp of their fifth long-player, Quintessential Ephemera. Released in association with Golden Antenna Records, the new album follows 2013's independently-released The Anaesthete and the 2014 Flies to Flame EP, as well as an original score produced earlier this year for a film about the band, Rosetta: Audio/Visual, and is the latest in a line of deeply creative outings furthering the band's stylstic meld of atmospheric metal, sludge, post-rock and ambience. Noteworthy also for being their first full-length with the lineup of vocalist/noisemaker Mike Armine, guitarist Matt Weed, bassist Dave Grossman, drummer BJ McMurtrie and guitarist Eric Jernigan after having brought the latter on board in 2014 (he doubles in City of Ships), Quintessential Ephemera continues Rosetta's workman-style approach to progressive, fluid and exploratory songwriting, their commitment more to going places they've never gone than to any particular genre or other.
Weed took some time out recently to respond to The Obelisk Questionnaire and you'll find his answers below. Please enjoy:
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Matt Weed
Hard to say, since I've been in one band or another with our drummer BJ for over half my life. I picked up a guitar when I was 14 and it has always been a kind of territory that I explored, rather than an object I tried to master. So I've always written music by default – it was much harder to learn music written by other people. I went to school for totally unrelated stuff and that was probably a good thing, since academic study tends to destroy one's enjoyment of a thing. I'm a bit of a robot in personality anyway, and music was one of the only ways I could ever access, understand, and communicate about emotion. The verbal language of emotion is either mystifying or outright off-putting to me, but playing an instrument I always felt like I had access to a more truthful way of communicating with people.
My parents played a lot of classical LPs on a really crappy integrated turntable/amp system from the '70s when I was a kid. My dad liked Romantic composers like Brahms and Tchaikovsky a lot, and my mom played the piano in the house, often old hymns. I would sit at the piano and play individual notes to see which I liked. I liked the A two octaves below middle-C the best. I would wail on that note for long periods, sometimes chanting over it (I was about four or five), but my family never complained about it. I guess that was my first foray into drone music.
In high school, when I was still training on violin, I did a program where high school kids got to sit with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and play together. Each pair of stand partners was one PO member and one high school student. It was remarkable mainly because I was a "just-okay" student of the violin, but while I was on-stage with such serious players, my technique just seemed like it magically improved, instantly. I had no idea I could play like that. It wasn't objectively great but it was an order of magnitude better than I was normally capable of. I never forgot it, because it was proof to me that everyone does their best work in collaboration; one person who develops skill and takes risks has a beneficial effect on everyone he or she plays with. Likewise, being lazy or self-satisfied drags down everyone around you.
There have been several extended periods where I really struggled with the idea that having integrity and good character is more important than success. I was brought up believing that (my parents were neither achievement-oriented nor overly accommodating), and I still do. But it's easy to make that statement when you have enough to eat and can make rent and people are regularly affirming the work you do. Society says that integrity matters, but then turns around and judges you exclusively on indicators of wealth, prestige, or social significance. That would probably explain why so many truly awful people are among the most successful. Especially in the world of art, you need to be profitable, popular, or critically acclaimed. If you're none of the three, you must not be very good at what you do. Then you feel pressure either to adapt your work to the market or to quit entirely. But neither of those options demonstrates integrity. I'm not sure it's possible to resolve that conflict, ultimately.
Laying aside questions about marketability, it seems like it's a progression of greater risk-taking. You try something new and then ask, did it communicate what I wanted to say? Was it satisfying? Did I learn something in the process? If it didn't work, then you go back and try again. If it worked, then you jump off from there and take more risks. If you're not taking risks, then you're not making art, you're producing a commodity. But taking risks necessarily means failing sometimes.
Sustainability. I don't just mean that in the financial sense. I've never made any money from the band and I probably never will, but I'm happy for the band to support itself. Money hasn't ever been a goal, it's just one means to the end of being able to keep going for as long as there is music we want to make. But there are other dimensions to sustainability, like avoiding personal burnout and cultivating new audiences, not getting stuck in unproductive habits, becoming more disciplined people as time goes on. During periods where Rosetta was broke and almost unable to continue, money always loomed as the largest dimension. But once we went independent and the band more or less began to pay for itself, I started to see a lot of different ways it could be derailed that had nothing to do with money. I think success would be a situation where we had what we needed and were spending more time creating than problem-solving.
A No Doubt show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia in 2002. Yes, it was for a girlfriend. Someone puked on my shoes.
A drone record made with a guitar and found sounds from my house to a four-track tape recorder.
Every year my wife and I try to go on a wilderness backpacking trip to some weird remote location. I always look forward to that. I feel most human in situations where I have to submit to the law of nature, rather than using technology to bend nature to my wishes. Real life seems totally unreal by comparison.
Rosetta, Rosetta: Audio/Visual Original Score (2015)
Rosetta: Audio/Visual Original Score by Rosetta
Rosetta's website
Rosetta on Thee Facebooks
Rosetta on Twitter
Rosetta on Bandcamp
Golden Antenna Records
Tags: Golden Antenna Records, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Rosetta
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Rynne Stump of Stumpfest
Posted in Questionnaire on April 17th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Next weekend, Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon, plays host to the three-night Stumpfest IV. The festival, organized by Rynne Stump, has become a staple of the Pacific Northwest's fertile heavy underground, and this year is no different.
Headlined by familiar names from the region like Danava, YOB, Big Business, Lord Dying and Sandrider, its reach has only expanded in its years of operation, and with a near-infinite supply of heavy acts to choose from in the Pacific Northwest at the moment — oh wait, six new bands just formed right this second — there seems to be no shortage of fodder for Stump and her compatriots to show their dedication to the cause. With Norska, Sons of Huns, Graves at Sea, Muscle and Marrow, and others on the bill, Stumpfest IV retains a commitment both geographic and stylistic, and its admirable mission has earned it increasing acclaim each year.
Now eight months pregnant and looking forward to the birth of her first son, Stump somehow found time between final fest preparations and packing a hospital bag to answer The Obelisk Questionnaire, and her efforts are appreciated. Enjoy:
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Rynne Stump
A lot of doing what the hell I wanted and not listening to other people or caring what people thought of me too much. Making my own decisions in life gave me the courage to take risks and be accountable for myself and my mistakes. Following my heart got me where I am and I wouldn't change one damn bit of it. Of course it helped having parents and sisters who support me and accept my attitude. My father was a musician and he taught me music, how to listen to it, the language of harmony, and how to sing and perform. My mother taught me how to craft, create and to work hard. To not give up no matter what was against us. To never, ever let someone's opinion of me affect who I really am inside.
Most importantly, if you are raised to be yourself and supported to be your unique self you will have your own life to be proud of no matter what!
My dad waking me up out of bed when I was super tiny to listen to a record. I wish I remembered which record that was. He said to me, "Listen to the bass! Listen to the guitar! Hear that harmony, Zipper?" Then he took me outside to gaze upon the moon. This happened regularly in my house in my first years of life.
Also, performing at the Southern Indiana bluegrass festival Bean Blossom with my dad and sister Sara in my diapers that is a pretty intense first musical memory.
There are too many to count! In addition to putting on Stumpfest every year, I am also a musician. Some of my best musical memories come from performing with my band leader Craig Elkins. To me, communication on a musical level is absolute! The energy, connection and elevation can take you beyond the moon! Plus, we just harmonize like angels together and we laugh at ourselves constantly. Song birding it up with Craig is the BEST!
Daily, our beliefs are tested all the time. How we recover from this defines our character and strengthens our bond to our own spirituality.
Artistic progression is the higher evolution of ourselves and our souls. Through it, we can lead others toward their own elevated states of being and influence a positive reaction.
Finding the happiness in all things. Attaining grounded, self-assured happiness allows us to know ourselves better, laugh at ourselves, forgive and love ourselves. When we do this we can connect fully with others and to do positive things for the universe. That is success in my eye. The idea of Stumpfest was to gather old friends together to do just that, and we have seen success every year.
Everything we see shapes us; our experience, our perspectives, our minds, who we are and who we become. Although things we see can harm our fragile egos we can take every experience and make ourselves better from the exposure. I am thankful for psychedelics, which help us to see things in multidimensional perspectives. They open our minds beyond the plane of consciousness that we operate in daily and further connect us to ourselves, others and the great unknown.
There was one time I saw a bum masturbating on the side of the road and I could probably live without that.
My partner Danny Carey and I are creating life right now inside of me. I'm eight months pregnant, and that was always top on my list… to create the human form is the ultimate! Also, making my own record. Committing and immersing myself totally to the struggle of that inward path is a huge, frightening goal for me.
The birth of my son in June. I cannot wait to meet the product of Mr. Carey and myself. I bet he is going to be hilarious!
YOB, "Adrift in the Ocean" live at Stumpfest 2012
Stumpfest tickets
Stumpfest on Thee Facebooks
Stumpfest IV event page
Tags: Oregon, Portland, Rynne Stump, Stumpfest, Stumpfest IV
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Kent Stump of Wo Fat
Posted in Questionnaire on March 6th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Across five records and nine fuzz-laden years, Dallas trio Wo Fat have become an institution in Texas heavy rock. Their latest album and second for Small Stone, The Conjuring (review here), is in many ways their strongest release to date, benefiting from the naturally-developed chemistry between guitarist/vocalist Kent Stump, bassist Tim Wilson and drummer Michael Walter, as well as from the self-sufficiency of the band recording at their own studio, Crystal Clear Sound, in Dallas. While their reputation has built steadily since the release of their 2006 debut, The Gathering Dark, and its '08 follow-up, Psychedelonaut (review here), 2011's Noche del Chupacabra (review here), on Nasoni, proved a particular breakthrough point, leading to the band's signing to Small Stone for the next year's The Black Code (review here), for which they toured in Europe for the first time, making their continental debut at the 2013 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands (review here) and setting the stage for the triumph to come with The Conjuring and a return trip across the Atlantic, this one marked out by an appearance at last year's Freak Valley in Germany.
Wo Fat's latest release is a document of their set there: Live Juju: Wo Fat at Freak Valley will hit the public on March 17. Later this year, the band will also take part in Magnetic Eye Records' tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland [Redux], covering "Gypsy Eyes."
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Kent Stump
Well, what I do is play music and I record music, which is how I make my living – recording music, that is. Music has always been a huge part of my life. Both of my parents are musicians, so it was something that was just ubiquitous and inescapable in our house when I was growing up. Never once in my life did I consider doing anything with my life other than becoming a musician and doing something relating to music, although the place I'm at now is not where I would have thought I would be when I was a teenager, or even when I was in college. My journey to the heavy and the riff is a bit of a circuitous one.
I went to college to study jazz and fully planned on getting out of college and going on to be a jazz musician. While at college, I got turned on to a much wider world of music by so many great people with widely varying tastes. I discovered punk rock and '70s funk and African music and all the great '70s rock and the '80s NY noise scene, and on and on. And most importantly, I really discovered the blues. I had always known a bit about the blues since I was heavily into jazz, but I became much more hip to a lot of blues musicians that I hadn't previously checked out, and that eventually led me to realize that my whole life I've been drawn to music that comes from the blues – rock, funk, etc. That, along with a friend I had that was into all things heavy who got me listening to Sabbath as well as a lot of '80s hardcore and metal, led to my desire to make heavy blues music.
When I was in college in Denton, Texas, the music scene at that time was absolutely electric, and the vibe was very open and experimental. Punk rock and funk and metal with a jazz edge were all kind of mixing together and it was a really artistically open-minded vibe at the time, which I think shaped my thinking about music a lot. So eventually in the late '90s I discovered bands like Sleep, Fu Manchu, Nebula, Kyuss and all the Man's Ruin bands and I came to the realization that this is the music, along with the blues, that speaks to me on the most primal level and this is what I want to play.
My first musical memory is laying on our living room floor when I was very young, maybe four or five years old, and my dad putting on a record of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. It's an amazing piece of music and it definitely left an impression on me. I think, if I'm not mistaken, when that piece was premiered in Paris it caused a riot. Stravinsky is pretty hardcore.
I don't know if I have just one best musical memory. I've got a lot of things that were landmark musical moments in my life though. Getting to play at Roadburn is without a doubt one of the best musical memories for me. Roadburn is such an iconic thing and it was the first show that we played on our first European tour, which was also the first time I had ever been to Europe and it was just kind of a surreal, epiphenal and mindblowing experience. It was amazing to walk into the scene there and see a whole bunch of people that are hardcore fans of the same music I dig. I had never seen that, at least not on that level, before.
You don't see that kind of thing when it comes to this kind of music in the US. And to be performing at this amazing festival was just awesome, and also a bit nerve-racking at the same time. I remember going to see High on Fire's set after we played and it was packed and the crowd was just electric and High on Fire sounded better than I've ever heard them before. I think they were just vibing on the amazing vibe of the fans. Same with Elder's set, who I got to see a little later that night. The vibe from the crowd was so intense and Elder kicked ass riding that wave, I think. Amazing day.
I have memories of a lot of transcendental shows that I would put in the great musical memory category. Getting to see Sleep a couple years ago was bad ass. Sometime around 1997 or 1998 I went to SXSW in Austin, before SXSW totally turned into utter crap, and I got to see Fatso Jetson just destroy as well as an amazing showcase that had Fu Manchu and Queens of the Stone Age right before they hit big. There was a whole Man's Ruin showcase that was killer.
When I was in college I got to see free jazz great Cecil Taylor. That was an absolutely kick ass show. He was just pounding the piano and pieces of the pads inside the piano were flying out as he was playing. And there were maybe 10 people there to see this free jazz icon. So many great shows that have shaped my thinking.
I also have a lot of memories of late nights fueled with alcohol, and other things, and hanging with friends who turned me onto heavy, heavy tunes that I wasn't previously hip to. Some of these rank up there with the great musical moments to me – sitting on the couch and tripping out to amazing, life-changing jams… These things all are part of my story as a musician and music lover that has brought me to where I am now.
That's a tough question. I kinda feel like most my life, my beliefs and likes/interests have been juxtaposed between two opposing worlds. For example, my heavily schooled musical upbringing versus a more primal, less technical, organic approach to playing. Or, being a recording engineer like I am, most of my peers are gearheads focused on the technical aspects of engineering, which I am to a certain extent, but I am far more focused on the musicality of recording and finding ways to make a recording reach you on an emotional level, so I'm not über-obsessed with technical- and gear-related things about recording.
Also in this particular time, my political versus spiritual beliefs, that to me, are completely simpatico, are to most, seemingly at odds with one another.
Ideally artistic progression leads to more artistic progression. Art and music is a neverending journey. I don't think I'll ever have arrived at a stopping place artistically because every move forward reveals more things to reach for and directions to consider. That's the beauty of it. You're never finished. You can just abandon the quest if you want, but there is always further to go.
I think it's being happy and doing what you makes you happy. Despite the fact that financially, life is a struggle for me, I feel like I've achieved a good amount of success in the sense that I'm playing music I love and people are digging it, we own a killer studio and my day job involves doing things that are artistic and deal with music and, on top of it all, I've got the most amazing wife who I've been married to for 18 years.
On the one hand there's probably a lot I wish I hadn't seen, but at the same time, all those experiences contribute to making me who I am, although there are some things that I could probably do without ever seeing that wouldn't change me too much. One thing that I wish I hadn't seen is this: The studio that we run is in an industrial area of Dallas and there are a lot of stray dogs that run around in packs in that area. Seeing a stray dog is something I don't like seeing to begin with because I love dogs and I want to help them all, but we're full up at my house with dogs. My wife and I already have five dogs so there's no more room at the inn.
Anyway, one day I saw a little Chihuahua-mix stray being harassed by a couple of big dogs. At first I thought they were playing, but then I realized that that was not the case and I wasn't able to get to them to break it up before the larger dogs had inflicted a mortal wound on the little guy. It just breaks my heart that I couldn't help him and it still pains me to this day to think about it. I hate to see the helpless get brutalized by the powerful, which, sadly, happens all around us every day.
I really wish that I could draw and paint. I would love to be able to create art like Frank Frazetta or Boris Vallejo. I don't think that will ever happen for me, though, because I don't have any of those skills. There is, of course, much more music I'd like to create. I'm always wanting to incorporate disparate musical styles and influences together in our music, like Afro-Cuban music, blues, jazz and metal.
Having dinner and watching hockey with my wife.
Wo Fat, Live at Freak Valley 2014
Wo Fat on Thee Facebooks
Crystal Clear Sound website
Small Stone Records
Tags: Dallas, Kent Stump, Small Stone Records, Texas, Wo Fat
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Pat Harrington of Geezer
Posted in Questionnaire on January 9th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
With his gravelly voice and a demeanor that's gone above and beyond friendly every time I've been fortunate enough to encounter it, Geezer guitarist/vocalist Pat Harrington cuts an immediately warm figure. All the more so when he breaks out the slide for his guitar. Though after the STB Records vinyl release last year of Geezer's Gage (review here) sophomore full-length — and the impending Feb. 5 CD/digital issue of the same album on Ripple Music — and his continued success with his Electric Beard of Doom podcast, he's become a formidable presence in the heavy underground, his pedigree includes a lead guitar stint in mid-aughts NYC hard rockers Slunt and a run from 2008-2013 with Killcode, his ongoing trio Gaggle of Cocks which also includes Geezer bassist Freddy Villano, and no doubt others who've taken advantage along the way of Harrington's soulful, classic soloing style.
To herald the CD release of Gage, Geezer — the three-piece rounded out by drummer Chris Turco — will support High on Fire and Mountain of Wizard on Jan. 13 at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York. Already veterans of The Eye of the Stoned Goat festival and having a seemingly permanent residence set up at The Anchor in their native Kingston, NY, where their Live! Full Tilt Boogie limited tape (review here) was recorded, Geezer will look to expand their reach in 2015 and beyond.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Pat Harrington
I guess in relation to my current projects, that being the band Geezer and the Electric Beard Of Doom podcast, I ended up here by finally embracing that which makes me happy. As a musician and creative person, I spent too many years falling into the trap of chasing the brass ring; the now antiquated idea that one has to fit into a certain formula or jump through some ever-changing hoops just to get the approval of some gatekeeper who then deems you worthy of being a part of the mainstream music scene. Much like being knighted by some boy king who doesn't even know how to hold a sword correctly.
Okay, now that I've used up all my metaphors… I love heavy music, I love the blues, I love creating music, I love listening to music and I love sharing music with other likeminded individuals. Thanks in large part to this wonderful underground heavy scene that we have here, I get to do all that now… my way… with no apologies. The fact that people have been so receptive to the band and the podcast is validation of a lifetime spent worshiping the riff.
When I was about three or four, I remember being put to bed by a babysitter, my next door neighbor Joanie Maddie. She used to put on music to help me go to sleep. One of the albums she used to put on was Led Zeppelin IV and I distinctly remember hearing "Stairway to Heaven." Sometimes when I hear that song, I can almost relive those moments. By the time I was five, I was getting KISS albums for Christmas. By the time I was eight, I was walking around school singing Doors songs.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. Thanks Joanie!
I've been lucky enough to have done some substantial touring of both the US and parts of Europe with my old band SLUNT. We toured with Marilyn Manson, Motörhead and C.O.C. We even opened for Paul Stanley on a solo tour. I got to meet some of my heroes, get loaded with some of them and geek out about music. I got to travel more than ever before in my life. I got to play music in front of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people virtually every night of the week with people that I truly loved. Nothing can compare to the feeling of freedom I felt during those times, I hope to feel that freedom once again.
I play heavy rock music in America in the 21st Century. I'm 42 years old. I have a wife, a small child, a mortgage and an unruly dog. My beliefs get tested every damn day.
The point is, being an artist is a lot of fun, but it is extremely hard to stay committed to it in today's world. Just the fact that I even made it this far and I'm still inspired to be a better musician and create music that I dig: that's the biggest test of all.
In a perfect world, artistic progression should lead to enlightenment, to empathy, to community, to a better world and a sense of togetherness. Art should evoke emotions, it should make people angry, it should comfort you when you hurt and it should be a joyous expression.
As we can see today, many people are afraid of art, they literally are trying to kill it. This is because it is a threat to power structures and false ideologies. It is a way of communicating ideas without using literal translations that can be exposed and distorted. Art ultimately leads to truth. We need that now more than ever.
I could've done without those ass-tulip videos. And I NEVER look at those videos nowadays of people squeezing zits or have spiders crawling out of their legs. Seriously, who the fuck watches those things?!?
Not to be crass, but I'd like to create an artistic career that has some kind of sustainable income. I don't need to be rich and famous, but I'd like to at least be able to give my wife a little relief from the financial burden of being married to a musician.
My wife and I have been talking about getting a van, RV or Airstream, taking the kid and do some extended traveling across the country. He's two now, so I'd like him to be a little older so he will at least remember it, so maybe in a year or two. I loved being on the road and traveling all across this country of ours, being able to share that feeling with my family would be amazing.
Geezer, Gage (2014/2015)
Gage by Geezer
Geezer on Thee Facebooks
Electric Beard of Doom
Geezer on Bandcamp
STB Records
Tags: Geezer, New York, Pat Harrington, The Obelisk Questionnaire
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Christian Peters of Samsara Blues Experiment
Posted in Questionnaire on August 28th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
For more than five years now, Berlin-based guitarist/vocalist Christian Peters has been working ceaselessly to bring his band Samsara Blues Experiment to the forefront of heavy psychedelic consciousness. From touring the West Coast of the US before they even had an album released to graphic design work to founding his own label, Electric Magic Records in order to bolster other acts — having an outlet for a collection of solo recordings released under the name Soulitude didn't hurt either — to playing fests like Roadburn, the Desertfests, Freak Valley and many more, as well as touring, SBE has taken the harder road of getting their name out. At the same time, Peters has been at the fore of Samsara Blues Experiment's creative development since the start, their three albums — 2013's Waiting for the Flood (review here), 2011's Revelation and Mystery (review here) and 2009's Long Distance Trip (review here) — showcasing a fluid psychedelia both creatively open and propelled by rich tonality. On both levels, the work of Peters and his bandmates has begun to pay off.
When I sent him the Questionnaire to fill out, Peters was on a well-earned vacation — no computer — but back to the grind, he wasted no time in sending back his answers, which I think you'll enjoy reading:
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Christian Peters
I started playing guitar at the age of 10. My father, more or less, forced me to learn an instrument at that time, so you can imagine how "happy" I was back then with playing Folk and Classical guitar. Every day at least one half-hour was my torment as a kid, really. I didn't touch my guitar for one year when I was around 15 or 16, but then got finally addicted to music and so started to teach myself E-Guitar and all (or most of) the other instruments I play today.
Singing tradional German Folk songs in the car with my Mom and Dad, all together. I may have been around 4 or 5 years old.
First rehearsal with my first band, back in 1999. First professional recording, later then. Releasing a first LP record with Terraplane in 2007. Playing in San Francisco with SBE in 2009. Well, there seem to be plenty of good memories, but these are the best up to date.
All the time, somehow.
Happiness perhaps? For instance I am seldomly really happy with recordings. But then sometimes I am not even sure if there´s much progression left for me, haha. Then I sometimes feel like being trapped in that certain picture, even if the frame seems pretty wide.
Being happy with what I do.
All the things I´ve seen make me who I am, not all was pretty. I have seen sickness, poverty, lethargy, loneliness and death and more. It´s what most of us see in their fair share — some more, some less, some earlier and some later. Life isn´t always pretty, so let´s deal with it and write some songs about it to ease the pain. That´s how I try to get along.
Much better albums. So let´s progress!
NFL season 2014 and of course my next meal ;-).
Samsara Blues Experiment, "Shringara" Live in Athens, May 2014
Samsara Blues Experiment on Thee Facebooks
Electric Magic Records
Tags: Berlin, Christian Peters, Electric Magic Records, Germany, Samsara Blues Experiment, Soulitude
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Rob Miller of Amebix
Posted in Questionnaire on July 14th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
A quarter century after solidifying their legacy as one of the foremost arbiters of crust with 1985's Arise! and 1987's Monolith full-lengths, as well as 1983's clarion No Sanctuary, the raw, pummeling and thoughtfully raging force that was Amebix did what seemed for a long time to be unimaginable: They put out another album. Bringing together founding brothers Rob "The Baron Rockin Von Aphid" and Christian "Stig" Miller with drummer Roy Mayorga (ex-Soulfly, Ozzy Osbourne, etc.) , 2011's Sonic Mass (review here) was above all unexpected. A metallic turn from Amebix's original era that had been heralded somewhat by the 2010 Redux EP that reworked three older selections, Sonic Mass caught Amebix devotees off guard, but found the band's lack of compromise and willful self-direction more than intact. Over 30 years on from their first demo, they still refused stagnation.
Rob Miller is known outside of music for his quality craftsmanship and classic sword-making for a company he founded during Amebix's long absence called Castle Keep. Based out of the Isle of Skye in the north of Scotland, Miller took time out this winter to reflect on his work.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Rob Miller
In 1991 I arrived on Skye after a motorcycle accident in Bath, Somerset. At that point in my life I was once again without a home and at the end of a bad relationship. The accident broke my arm and trashed my bike, I was left with nothing but the tattered clothes I stood up in.
I decided that, as I could not return to work in the night shift job I had, I would head to Scotland to see my folks after many years without much contact. Skye was very different, a harsh and brutal landscape in winter yet also wide open and free. I moved up a few weeks later, bike and belongings in a van and started out by working in Hotels as a waiter and kitchen staff to bring money in.
Out of the blue a cheque appeared from my insurance, compensation for the accident. I had learnt to make the best of opportunity when it arises and decided to look into something I had always had a fascination with, swords. This was before the internet so I started by writing to antiquarian bookshops looking for books and manuals on Arms and armour, meanwhile buying a few rudimentary tools and beginning the process of learning how to be a smith. It took some time and a lot of mistakes, 23 years later I am established as one of the better Sword makers worldwide. By no means the best, but accomplished to a degree of which I am quite proud.
Radio at my grandparents', "Lilly the Pink" was the song. I was growing up in the late '60s and early '70s so became tuned in to glam rock, T-Rex, some stuff like Joe Cocker, The Move, Procul Harum. The music you hear at an early age tends to go deeper than a lot subsequently.
Personally, playing the [Great American Music Hall] in San Francisco. The whole place was heaving, alive and electric, band and audience totally in sync with one another.
Live, (coff) Manowar in Bristol circa 1983. Mercyful Fate had dropped off the tour and the crowds simply did not come. They played in front of maybe 200 people in a 5,000-capacity Hall, and gave it everything they had. I learnt a lot that night about people who really believe in what they do and the shallow world.
The past two years have seen most of my personal beliefs tested to breaking point. I have believed in the basic goodness of most people and that has been proved wrong too close to home.
However, I think we can get trapped in other people's dramas and feed the lie, sometimes you need to step aside and let the river flow by. I have learned how to start again many times. ;)
Hopefully to a perennial body of work. In one form or another, there is a compulsion in the artist to strive, and a constant dissatisfaction with the work. This is what keeps us going. The work itself must become the very highest expression of yourself. The medium is not important.
Inner calm, confidence. The conquest of Fear and doubt.
Pineapple Express and another couple of dozen stupid fucking Hollywood movies that have effectively wasted precious hours of this life.
I would like to create one truly great song, indisputably great on every level, something that would affect actual change in the listener. There are only a few dozen instances that exist, that is true Art.
Here on Skye it is wintertime. The land dies and we lose touch with nature, we forget the signs and signals, the internal language of the Spring. I look forward to that. Here, we have five months of winter. When it is through there is a very real feeling of having been reborn once more. The cycle begins again. Life is neither good nor bad. Life just is.
Amebix, Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, 2009
Castle Keep on Thee Facebooks
Amebix's website
Tags: Amebix, Castle Keep, Isle of Skye, Rob Miller, The Obelisk Questionnaire
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Stavros Giannopoulos of The Atlas Moth
Posted in Questionnaire on May 13th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
With the coming release next month of their third full-length, The Old Believer on Profound Lore, Chicago triple-guitar five-piece The Atlas Moth have proven to be survivors where others have fallen by the wayside. Consistent in releases and touring since 2008's Pray for Tides EP (review here), the band has evolved beyond post-metallic beginnings to craft a sound of their own while those who were their peers and their forebears have called it quits, from Isis to Minsk. Through 2009's A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, 2011's An Ache for the Distance and the 2013 compilation release Master of Blunt Hits that brought together Pray for Tides and 2010's The One amongst the Weed Fields covers EP, as well as some prime internet smartassery, The Atlas Moth and guitarist/vocalist Stavros Giannopoulos have earned a place in metal that crosses genre lines and gives stoners and headbangers grounds for mutual nod.
Just today, Profound Lore announced that The Atlas Moth and labelmates SubRosa will join Japan's Boris for US tour dates this August. The Old Believer is set for release June 10.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Stavros Giannopoulos
A lot of hard work, persistence, and a general lack of interest in doing anything else whatsoever.
My father dancing around the living room to Greek music.
On tour with Gojira, our hometown Chicago show was on my 30th birthday with my entire family there for the first time to see us play.
Every time we meet adversity playing music.
Ultimate satisfaction.
Finding happiness.
Lemonparty.org.
Master of Puppets.
The 2014-2015 Chicago Bulls season.
The Atlas Moth, Live in El Paso, TX, March 11, 2014
The Atlas Moth on Thee Facebooks
Profound Lore
Tags: Chicago, Illinois, Profound Lore, The Atlas Moth, The Atlas Moth The Old Believer, The Old Believer


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Wild HC Boudreau: "I Don't Think [Parise] Is Going To Be Out For A Long Period of Time"
After a high stick took Minnesota Wild winger Zach Parise out of the game last night, there was admitted concern over what the injury was and how bad the injury was. Did the stick get him in the eye? Then come the obvious hockey concerns such as whether he would miss time and, if so, how much?
Wild Head Coach Bruce Boudreau spoke with KFAN's Paul Allen on #92Noon Wednesday morning before the team's practice and said that there was still a level of uncertainty regarding Parise's injury.
"We know the eye is fine, but we don't know if there's any damage around it," Boudreau told Allen. "[Parise] was definitely sore last night."
To make matters worse for the Wild, not only did they lose Parise to injury, but they also lost the game to the Washington Capitals, 5-4 in overtime.
Minnesota has now lost four-straight games for the second time in the month of March and the loss of Parise for a long period of time could only make things worse for a team that is struggling to get wins in any way of late.
Boudreau talked after practice Wednesday - a practice in which Parise not surprisingly did not attend - and gave another update on the injured Wild winger.
"His eye looks pretty black and blue but he can see and he's fine as far as that goes," Boudreau said. "He's a little sore in his upper body but I don't think that he's going to be out for a long period of time. I don't think he's going to play tomorrow but, at the same time, it wouldn't surprise me if after the weekend he's ready to go."
Parise did not speak with the media after practice Wednesday but with his coach providing some positivity on what could have been a very negative result for Minnesota, the Wild and their fans surely must be encouraged as they'll need Parise if they hope to get out of their current rut.


The poetics of this project is closely connected with two main hallmarks: classical quality and modernity.
Classical shapes; classical appearance of the black-nickel finished metal legs; classical tailoring details. Modern technological solutions; modern comfort; modern materials.