text:
Nobody F*#ks With The Boss
If you saw Hillary Clinton's rally last night in Philadelphia she was joined by her husband, former President Bill Clinton and President and Michelle Obama. Prior to her arrival, John Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen performed and warmed up the crowd of 40,000 plus. The Boss made an impassioned speech in favor of Ms. Clinton and had a few choice words about her opponent. After the rally in Philly, Bon Jovi accompanied the Clinton's to Raleigh for a final midnight rally. In Raleigh, Bon Jovi was joined on stage by Lady Gaga for a brief performance before the Clintons spoke.
Donald Trump also held a final rally last night in Michigan. At the beginning of his remarks, he said he doesn't need Jay-Z or Beyoncé and he doesn't need Bon Jovi or Lady Gaga either to draw a crowd. Noticeably absent from "the Donald's" barbs was The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. Was Donald unaware that Bruce was speaking out against him? Was the star power of Donald's opener, Ted Nugent, enough to counteract Springsteen's warnings of a Trump Presidency? It is doubtful. Bruce Springsteen is a beloved figure in American culture and Donald must have thought it best not to diss on this American icon and a true national treasure proving once again that NOBODY f*#ks with "The Boss".
We Have Arrived
When I say "we", I am, of course, referring to the editorial "we" or "the royal" we. I mean "we" as a generation. As a force of society. I remember when I was in high school, I had an English teacher in senior year who was very demanding. I wrote my senior paper on the poetry of rock and roll and remember quoting Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, James Taylor among others. I got an "A" on the paper but I remember my teacher, Sister DeNeri (Catholic High School) commenting that my premise was interesting but the lyrical quality of rock and roll songs would never rise to the level of poetry. That was 1979. I would like to see Sr. DeNeri today to get her reaction to Bob Dylan being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Boo Yah! We have arrived!
The significance of Dylan being raised to the level of fellow laureates like Rudyard Kipling, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Sinclair Lewis, Eugene O'Neill, Pearl S. Buck, William Faulkner, Earnest Hemingway, John Steinbeck among other literary luminaries cannot be understated. It is a testament to the power of song to transform society, a vindication of a generation.
Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor and philanthropist and was a controversial figure in his time because of his invention of dynamite. He was called "the merchant of death" and was a man vilified by many. In 1888, he was mistakenly reported as dead and was saddened by the obituary written about him. He was determined to shape his legacy more positively and upon his actual death in 1896 left the bulk of his estate to the Foundation that bears his name. The Nobel Prizes are awarded annually in five disciplines, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Peace. The awards have been bestowed since 1901 and is arguably the most prestigious award one can win.
Just the fact that the committee would consider Dylan in the conversation is probably honor enough but for him to be awarded the prize is a milestone of historical significance. For generations to come, the late 20th century rock and roll movement will now have to be taken seriously and be studied and viewed as a movement of cultural and historical significance.
I must admit, there is good and bad associated with this landmark award. The good is the fact that rock and roll as an art form is now a serious endeavor worthy of academic investigation. The bad is that "we" are now the establishment.
An Appreciation of the King
Elvis Aaron Presley. Affectionately known as "the King" to music fans world wide. Presley first burst onto the scene in the summer of 1953 when he cut a record at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis Tennessee. Prior to Elvis, there were two very different music industries in the United States. The "white" music industry consisting of mostly crooners and singers who had migrated from the jazz world into popular music and the "black" music industry consisting of blues and rhythm and blues acts mostly dotting the Mississippi river from New Orleans to Memphis to St. Louis up to Chicago. Presley's initial appeal was the fact that he was able to harness the emotional power of the more expressive R&B and blues musicians and make it palatable to a white audience. When he first appeared, radio listeners did not know if he was white or black. His first album released on RCA records in 1956 attests to his melding of styles covering songs by country and western artists Carl Perkins, Don Robertson and Leon Payne on one hand and Ray Charles, Little Richard and Charlie Singleton from the R&B world on the other.
Because there was not a cultural reference for someone like Elvis, the music establishment really did not know what to do with him. He was invited to play The Grand Ole Oprey in Nashville in the fall of '54 but really wasn't a match for the country audience. Presley gained attention by appearing on Louisiana Hayride a few weeks after the Oprey performance and from that gig appeared every Saturday night on their radio broadcast for a year. The Hayride was broadcast to almost 200 stations in 28 states and suddenly, Elvis was a star. The story might have ended there if not for an ambitious promoter named Col. Tom Parker who took over Elvis' career and exploited his young star in every way imaginable. Back in the mid 1950's there wasn't a blueprint for how to create a star so Col. Parker made it up as he went. Record deals, television appearances, movie contracts together with a relentless tour schedule and promotion of every imaginable product kept Elvis busy and exhausted for the next twenty years. No one had ever seen a performer with such wide appeal and his influence was so wide spread by 1957 that the FBI actually regarded him as a threat to the security of the US.
As this is not a biography of Elvis, I won't delve into the man himself, just the music he represented. Rockabilly, Country and Western, Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel: Elvis could do it all and remained wildly popular throughout. He defined the modern music industry and paved the way for countless others. In almost every way imaginable, Elvis epitomized rock and roll; money, fame, women, drugs, and the excess, generations to follow associate with the rock and roll life. Elvis was the pioneer and his influence has been felt since that fateful day in 1953 when he walked into Sun Studios in Memphis paid $3.98 and cut a record ostensibly as a gift for his mother. On this, the 39th anniversary of Elvis' death, every music fan the world over should take a minute to remember the truck driver who created and defined an industry.
Why Are SO Many Millennials SO Uncool?
Reprinted with permission from the blog POWERevolution
*For the purpose of this writing, I'm defining "cool" as those who don't conform, who don't always fit in nor do they try to, and who follow their own path; and "uncool" as those who dress, act, and have the same tastes as the masses and are vulnerable to corporate influences.
One night a few weeks ago, a group of twenty-somethings came into the bar where I was working and headed for the jukebox. It's digital, which means it's not curated, which means I immediately felt the familiar knot of dread form in my stomach that's always accompanied by seeing young people approach the jukebox. It usually means my ears are about to be violated by a string of cheesy Top 40 songs for the next hour or so. Sure enough, Taylor Swift's voice invaded the room, and some members of the group started singing along. Proudly. Feeling no sense of shame for doing something that, fifteen or twenty years ago, would have gotten them laughed out of the bar. And this wasn't the first time I've noticed this recently. While grocery shopping a few days ago, a shopper started singing aloud to Adam Levine's latest tragedy that radio tells us is a song. Where's the dignity!? How can these people, people who moved to a neighborhood because of its supposed "cool" factor, not know that singing along to whatever is saturating the airwaves is one of the uncoolest things they could do?
Patti Smith sporting an edgy personal sense of style - Cool
Grizzly Bear looking like their mothers still dress them - Not Cool
In all fairness, it's not entirely their fault. They really just don't know any better. Their lack of knowledge of anything other than that which is spoon fed them is the byproduct of a global media oligopoly. To quote Robert McChesney in his book "Rich Media, Poor Democracy, "it happened to the oil and automotive industries earlier in the 20th century, now it is happening to the entertainment industry." Media has been completely overtaken by major corporations and unless people choose to think for themselves, they're going to believe that what's put in front of them is the only thing that exists. And the talent show hosting, product endorsing "musicians;" along with the latest string of tame bands major labels tell us are "rock," are unfortunately the spokespeople for getting us to think the music we're having shoved down our throats is all there is, and that it is somehow relevant.
Shows like "American Idol" and "The Voice" trick viewers into thinking that having a pitch perfect voice is the only skill necessary to be a musician. Content, a message, is not a priority. Imagine if Neil Young needed Simon Cowell's approval in order to get the label backing necessary to become a known musician. And can you picture Kurt Cobain nervously standing in front of Adam Levine to find out what he thought of his cover of "Man Who Sold the World?" If relevant rock 'n' roll were more accessible, I wouldn't care what goes on in the talent show circuit. But corporate media has made intelligent music scarce, and what does exist is nearly impossible for the masses to hear.
Kurt Cobain - Cool
Steve McQueen - Cool
Adam Levine making grunge-inspired clothing for your local K Mart - Not Cool
Every recent decade up to the 90′s had a music revolution that inspired a counterculture. One that challenged the status quo. Political and psychedelic rock during the 60′s encouraged young people to leave the safety of their parents' homes, fight in the streets for civil rights, and protest war…while taking acid and smoking lots of dope. The 70′s challenged youth to question the establishment with punk rock, which was still alive and well in the 80′s; and along with it, bands like Devo sang about the devolution of the human race. The 90′s had grunge, which was an outlet for the pain and frustration that accompanies feelings of isolation and disenfranchisement. It discouraged consumption and showed that opulence was uncool. Along with the music bands were playing, was a lifestyle that inspired it. Punk bands like Crass lived on a commune to prove humans can govern themselves. Nirvana rehearsed ten hours a day before recording "Nevermind" because their house was so freezing they tried to stay away from it as much as possible. My point being, popular musicians prior to the 21st century were actual artists, on a path of self discovery. They either never had comforts, or they gave them up to pursue their passions and find themselves, not allowing themselves to be told who they should be. The best art is usually born out of struggle, whether personal or sympathetic. And most of today's popular musicians' lifestyles are anything but difficult. Their music is not based on life experiences, hard knocks, or political and social themes. It is self-absorbed, mindless drivel that would make John Lennon blush with shame for the human race. Today's popular "artists" are a constant stream of sell outs who can't be content with the mansion that their music affords them. They need a fragrance line, a fashion line, a job hosting a talent show, and commercial endorsements so that they can buy even more stuff they don't need. And too many of today's millennials buy into it. They believe that if they keep their noses to the ground, stay out of trouble, never challenge the system, and work to maintain the same sort of lifestyle as their role models, they're doing the right thing. Oblivious to the fact that they've been turned into total nerds.
John Lydon - Cool
Mumford & Sons (we're supposed to believe they're a rock band) - Not Cool
So what happened after the 90′s? Did musicians just stop caring? Has there been nothing going on in the world that needs to be changed, so therefore no music asking for it? Or could it possibly be the passing of The Telecommunications Act of 1996 that kept inspiring, rule-breaking, boundary-testing music from reaching our ears? Again, from "Rich Media, Poor Democracy,"
"The core premise of the act was to eliminate restrictions on firms moving into other communication areas - for example, phone companies moving into cable television and vice versa, or long distance phone companies moving into local service and vice versa - and then to eliminate as many regulations as possible on these firms' behavior…And the one media sector most thoroughly overturned by the Telecommunications Act has been radio broadcasting. The Act relaxed ownership restrictions so that a single firm can own up to eight stations in a single market. In the twenty months following enactment of the new law, there has been the equivalent of an Oklahoma land rush as small chains have been acquired by middle-sized chains, and middle-sized chains have been gobbled up by the few massive giants who have come to dominate the national industry. Since 1996, some one-half of the nation's eleven thousand radio stations changed hands, and there were over one thousand radio firm mergers."
So the 90′s was the decade when radio stations got taken over by corporate giants (with corporate, not cultural, interests in mind), and, not coincidentally, when radio went to shit. Joy Elmer Morgan, founder of Future Teachers of America, predicted that "as a result of radio broadcasting, there will probably develop during the twentieth century either chaos or a world-order of civilization. Whether it shall be one or the other will depend largely upon whether broadcasting be used as a tool of education or an instrument of selfish greed. So far, our American radio interests have thrown their major influence on the side of greed….there has never been in the entire history of the United States an example of mismanagement and lack of vision so colossal and far-reaching in its consequences of our turning the radio channels almost exclusively into commercial hands…whoever controls the radio will in the end control the development of the human race." Scary. Especially when noting that Morgan died in 1986, and in 1983, 50 corporations controlled the majority of news media. Now six corporations control it. One of them is Walt Disney, which would explain why Adam Levine is touted as a "rockstar."
Grace Slick - Cool
Beyonce endorsing a drink that contributes to obesity and diabetes - Not Cool
In 1948, jazz critic Sidney Finkelstein summed up commercialism in music superbly when he said it ultimately leads "to what is really destructive in culture: the taking over of an art by business." It seems that with the advent of the internet, and the seeming freedom and ease it could provide to get relevant music out there, corporations have gotten even more aggressive to keep people's thoughts on consumption, rather than cultural and social change. And millennials are the ones most vulnerable because they have no personal connection to a time when music actually mattered. When it was the most accessible medium for getting a message to the world. Now corporations have used the medium artists once used to spread a message of social change, to send the message that they need more and more useless shit instead. Don't believe the Top 40 hype that pushes singing puppets on us and tries to make us believe that their silly antics and extravagant lifestyles are anything but pathetic. Supporting your local musicians by going out to hear live music is a great way to combat the control media has over us. Checking out music blogs is another way to find out about artists who aren't corporately endorsed. If you can't find anything on those, ask around to find out who people's favorite bands are. Just make sure those you ask are over the age of 30. ;)
"Rich Media, Poor Democracy," by Robert McChesney
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/who-owns-the-media-the-6-monolithic-corporations-that-control-almost-everything-we-watch-hear-and-read
About POWERevolution
Power: (n) The measure of an entity's ability to control their environment.
Revolution: (n) 1. Activity or movement designed to affect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation. 2. A fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something.
Evolution: (n) 1. Growth. 2. A process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance.
Knowledge is power. By educating ourselves on how our everyday actions affect the world, we can start governing ourselves rather than trusting the government to do so. Through signing petitions, protesting, making smarter purchasing decisions, getting involved in our communities and just informing ourselves and those around us on what the mass media won't tell us, we can start a POWERevolution. A revolution that will hopefully lead to our evolution as a human race into one that protects our planet and our youth rather than allowing them to be exploited for profit. One that sees the value of integrity, wisdom and compassion and the transciency of wealth and celebrity. A race that doesn't wait for the government to solve all the world's problems (because it won't), but solves them ourselves instead. So let's get to starting the revolution… follow the blog to find out how you can be a part of the POWERevolution.
The Rule of Three?
Folklorists say the belief that good or bad things come in threes is an ancient superstition that remains a strong modern belief. Perhaps it comes from the Latin phrase, "omne trium perfectum" (every set of three is complete). Regardless of the origins of the phenomenon, all to often when a celebrity or icon goes to his just rewards, we, (the little people out there) keep a little sharper eye on the news to see just who might follow. It's morbid, I know, but we are a voyeuristic culture. Unfortunately, last month, the rock and roll world was hit with one of these triads that you didn't have to look too hard to see.
On January 10, we awoke to the news that music icon David Bowie had passed on just three days after his 69th birthday and three days after the release of his album "Blackstar". Bowie's death was unexpected and a shock to the industry and his legions of fans. No sooner had that news sunk in, we learned just eight days later that Glenn Frey, founding member of The Eagles died at the age of 67 in New York City of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia. Again, a death we were not expecting that shocked the music world. Then to complete the triumvirate, on January 28th we learned that Paul Kantner of The Jefferson Airplane had passed away from multiple organ failure and septic shock after he suffered a heart attack just days earlier.
It's been two weeks since Kantner's demise and I hope the music industry can rest a little easy for a while. Keith Richards needs the rest.
I've never been one to formulate New Year's Resolutions, much less adhere to them. I was recently going through my website however and realized that I have not published a blog post since April of 2015. So, with that in mind, my resolution (if you can call it that) is to produce more blog posts this year. I am not sure if anyone reads them or for that matter cares one bit about what I have to say about the music business or anything, for that matter, but I have a blog and damnit I am going to use it this year. Some of the posts may be very short and sweet and some may be more substantial but the point is to get them out there.
This post is about a dear friend of mine who passed away yesterday. Warren Kosinski was a man I have known for over 30 years and we have had some good times together. Warren was a little bit my senior but after the age of about 15, what's 10 years or so. Warren was a Viet Nam vet who didn't really like to talk about his time in the service but would if pressed. He was one of the lucky ones who came back from that conflict in one piece and relatively sane. Warren was a house painter by trade and could make walls come alive with color like no one else I know. He had a tremendous work ethic and was very proud of the work he accomplished. Like many painters, Warren had a drinking problem but I suspect breathing paint fumes for years on end pickled his senses way more than his drinking.
Warren was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2009 and stopped drinking for good. He fought through his illness and was making progress until about six months ago. His condition worsened and he finally succumbed to his illness yesterday afternoon. Warren and I shared a love of music and one story I can remember highlights his insight. Back in the early 1980's I had tickets to see Joan Armatrading at The Fox Theater in Atlanta. I invited Warren along. He was not all that familiar with Joan at the time and we listened to her music on the way to the show. He commented at some point during the trip that she reminded him of Van Morrison. OK, I never got the connection but alright. During the show that night, about half way through, Joan launched into a cover version of Moondance that blew me away. I don't believe that I have ever heard Joan cover anyone else's music before or since. Just one of those things that make you go hmmmmm.
Warren was a great supporter of the show and of the festival we produced last year and even though he was not in great health, he traveled the two plus hours to be here and had a great time at the festival even though it was hot and the heat strained him. Warren is not the kind of guy who will have brilliant obituaries written about him but I wanted to take this opportunity to honor his memory and to remember him fondly. So long Warren, rest in peace!
9 Weeks and Counting
Mad Music Presents First Ever Thoroughbred Music Festival
Local Indie music producers, Mad Music Productions and Mad Music Asylum, are working with local charities to organize a two day music festival in Aiken, South Carolina.
Aiken, SC--<April 25, 2015> ---Eleven bands from the southeastern United States will come together on June 27th and 28th at the Stable View equestrian center to perform for charity in a music show that producers hope will become an annual event. Local music producers and syndicated radio show programmers at Mad Music Productions are working with regional charities to increase awareness and raise money for the areas disadvantaged, as well as, animal rescue and rehabilitation programs in the region. Proceeds for this event will benefit: Star Riding, a therapeutic and recreational riding program in Aiken, PAWS, a local animal welfare organization and ACTS of Aiken, a local multi-denominational mission serving those people who may be going through a tough time in the greater Aiken area.
"The idea behind this was simply to bring people in the area together for two days," says Rob Penland, music producer and radio show host. "When people come together magic happens. We're all indoors too much. We don't see the people that are hurting in our community or what wonderful people, wildlife, and beauty we have around us each day. Music is a way to celebrate life and to get back in touch with that powerful creative aspect within ourselves."
Scheduled for June 27 & 28 2015, Thoroughbred Fest will be the first of its kind in Aiken, and for Mad Music, hopefully not the last. Eleven bands are scheduled over the two day period. Headlining the event are singer-songwriter Devon Allman of Honeytribe and Royal Southern Brotherhood and Texas indie powerhouse Carrie Rodriguez. South Carolina favorites Danielle Howle, The High Divers, Morgan's Road and Rik Cribb and the Problems augment the bill and Elijah Ocean (LA), 2/3 Goat (New York), Greye (Daytona Beach), Manmade Mountains (Athens GA) and Zombie Garden Club (Nashville) will round out the event.
"Our thoughts whenever we start a new venture is to make it about the community, not ourselves," Penland tell us. "Vanity projects have never been our forte. We simply like good music. We know others in our area feel the same which is why we're producing this event, but at the same time we hope it feels more like a collaboration." In addition to the music, artists and craftsmen from all over will be in attendance to exhibit and sell their wares.
Pairing music with charity has always been a formula for success. Good music and a way to help the community are both powerful draws, and when you pair them, people are able to come together in a powerful and significant way. Over the course of the two days, festival goers will have the opportunity to learn more about those in their area who need their help and contribute to solving their problems, while also supporting local bands and hearing some really good music. Tickets for the event go on sale on April 15.
"At the end of the day it's still a concert," says Penland. "To paraphrase the great Chet Powers, it's time for everybody in Aiken to get together and show some love for one another. Right now."
For more information visit the festival website: http://tbredfest.org or the website for The Mad Music Asylum http://www.themadmusicasylum.com
Up until very recently in the chain of human evolution, children were more than likely; destined, may not be the right word, but certainly predisposed to choose a career path not unlike their parents. If mom or dad was a doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief, the chance was almost 1 in 2 that you also would be a doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief. History is full of examples of progeny following their first role models into "the family business". So I guess it is no surprise to survey the landscape of popular music over the past 60 or so years and see the similar trend.
In many cases, the younger generation has a difficult time eclipsing their more famous fathers but that is not to slight the younger generation. They are talented musicians in their own right and more than likely would have made a name for themselves without all the advantages and benefits of being the son or daughter of whoever. Who am I kidding; Joe Smith might have a difficult time getting the attention of a record company executive but I'll bet Julian Lennon or Dweezil Zappa had little trouble setting the meeting. Let's be real at the same time, though. Yes they may have been able to set the meeting but the entertainment business is fickle and can be harsh. The children of famous fathers have a high bar to hurdle when it comes to delivering a product.
See the slideshow below for some of our favorites.
Who Is Uncle Duke?
Ever since the show went on the air a little over a week ago, several people have asked me why The Mad Music Asylum is being hosted by "Uncle Duke" instead of by your truly. My answer is always the same. It is for several reasons: first, the show is about the music, not about me so I like the fact that I keep some detachment by way of my pseudonym; also, the show is not a vanity exercise to boost an ego (I am told my ego is fine thank you very much). Secondly, I represent "that guy" in your past who turned you on to rock and roll in the first place. I could be that crazy uncle, family friend, or former college roommate of your dad who came around on occasion and introduced you to the music your parents couldn't, wouldn't, or were afraid to. I am that guy who bought you your first Beatles album, or Jimi Hendrix record, or turned you on to The Police or Nirvana. I represent "that guy" who would sit with you in your room and listen to Dark Side of the Moon with you, while the other adults were downstairs watching TV or having their evening libation. And finally, I will admit, I am a big fan of the Doonesbury comic strip and I always liked the Uncle Duke character. He was "that guy" who lived outside of the norm who tended to fall in to situations like the time he hired as the GM of the Washington Redskins or the time he was named the Governor of American Samoa. Duke lived on the fringes but things always seemed to work out for him. So to answer the question, I am "that guy" who you don't really know but you might respect and admire even though you won't admit it in public. --Rock on!
A New Frontier [to boldly go where...] oh, never mind.
I grew up with commercial radio. In the sixties and seventies and eighties, that's how we got introduced to new music and was the foundation of my generation's musical education. So it was natural when I conceived this show that I would pitch it to commercial stations. I felt that that was where I belonged. Not so much, I soon learned. Commercial stations today are largely run by multi-billion dollar corporations and have a strict eye toward the bottom line. Ad dollars are scarce and getting harder to come by and stations are largely unwilling to take a chance on anything untried and untrue. Now I could turn this into a bitter diatribe on the state of commercial radio and more generally the state of today's music business but I am resisting that temptation. Why? Because there is another outlet to be heard in the radio universe.
Of course, I am talking about the streaming world of internet radio. I must say I resisted this avenue as long as I could because I was holding on to the outmoded belief that commercial radio was the place to be. Recently, I was talking to someone I respect in the radio business and he told me that in actual fact, the ad dollars flowing into internet radio rival and in most cases surpass those flowing into commercial terrestrial radio in this day and age. I found that fact to be very interesting; not because I am doing this for money; (quite the contrary) but for the fact that advertisers (i.e. money) realize that listeners are flocking to streaming stations and that's where today's audience is.
So, instead of being dependent on The Mad Music Asylum being on a station in your market, soon the show will be anywhere you are. I am excited to bring this show to you and the projected launch date for The Mad Music Asylum station is June 1, 2014. I hope you will like the show and listen to it regularly. If you follow us on social media at all, (Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, Myspace, or Wordpress) the details of the launch will be announced in the weeks to come so watch out for that. If you don't follow us I have to ask, "why not?". Just kidding! But in all seriousness, this is a labor of love and I hope you will enjoy the show.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything
--Plato


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Q: Same dataset analysed with four different linear models I've analysed the same dataset (diamonds from ggplot2) in R with four linear models. Each model has a different error structure. To the statistically uninitiated, it might that each model has its merits: each appears to be explaining a decent proportion of variation, carat is a highly significant predictor in each model etc.
But I'm guessing most or all of these models are inappropriate to analyse these data. Could someone assess the merits and downfalls of each of these models:
library(ggplot2)

lm(price ~ carat, diamonds)

glm(price > 10000 ~ carat, family = "binomial", diamonds)

glm(price > 10000 ~ carat, family = "quasibinomial", diamonds)

glm(price ~ carat, family = "poisson", diamonds)

A: A lot of this depends on what question(s) you are trying to answer.
The 3rd model with the quasibinomial family, I don't know what question it really answers.  Smarter people than me have spent more time than me trying to figure that out and have not worked it out yet (yes it gives an answer, but what does it mean?) so I tend to avoid the quasi families.
Model 2 is the logistic regression, it simplifies the data by just looking at if the value if greater than or less than 10000, in the process it throws out much of the detail and so may not give as much information.  It will treat a diamond with price 9999 exactly the same as one with price 1, but differently from one that is 10001 (even though that is only a difference of 2), but it will not be affected by nonlinearity in the carat/price relationship that could affect the linear model.  Which is really more important to you?
The final model with the poisson family is appropriate when the values of price are discrete (you can have a price of 1 or 2, but not 1.5 or other values between) and non-negative, which is probably the case here.  But for a Poisson with a large mean the distribution can be well approximated by a normal distribution, so you probably will not see a lot of difference between the linear model and the Poisson model unless the variability is much different.  The Poisson model (with default options) does posit a relationship between the mean and the variance and a certain form of non-linearity, so it could gain you there.
What is most important are the assumptions you are willing to make based on the science behind the data (not the data itself) and what questions your are trying to answer.

A: Just wanted to add a little to Greg's answer.
Poisson regression can absolutely be used for non-integer response values.  The thing about Poisson regression that makes it different from ordinary regression (least squares) is that it assumes that the variance of errors is equal to the conditional mean.  Thus, it is appropriate for a lot of count data where we expect this to be the case (# of points scored, # of birds sighted, etc.).  There are definitely situations where you might want to use Poisson regression on non-integer data.
In fact, this is probably a good example of such a case because homoskedastic errors are almost surely violated in the case of diamond prices.  As evidence, compare the residual plots for lm and Poisson regression:
plot(lm(price ~ carat, diamonds))
plot(glm(price ~ carat, family = "poisson", diamonds))

Also worth noting is that it seems that neither the price nor log(price) is really linear in carats.  You may want to look into gams.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Here you will find information about the Nigeria mission trip, July 2007.
The Barrow family has returned from Nigeria. They had a wonderful experience. You can read a report of their trip and view some photos at the Chapel of the Cross Reformed Episcopal Church website.
Shedrick, Elizabeth and Shedrick IV all have passports, and of course, a full set of shots. They are packing their bags in preparation of their imminent departure. Prior to their leaving New York City, July 3, they will take in some of the sights of the Big Apple. When they return from Nigeria, July 19, they will attend their family reunion in Myrtle Beach.
For specific information about the mission trip, please visit the website of The Diocese of the Southeast of the Reformed Episcopal Church.
For information about supporting this mission trip, please read this letter.
For information about the nation of Nigeria, check Wikipedia.
Here is a map of Nigeria.


Creamy ham salad served in a scooped out avocado bowl!
COMBINE ham, apple, celery and almonds in a medium bowl. Halve each avocado and remove the pit. Scoop out most of the flesh from each and brush inside with lemon juice. Add the avocado and the ham mixture to the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
FILL each avocado with a heaping spoonful of the ham salad, drizzle with the remaining lemon juice and serve chilled.


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Ambrose McNicholl on the Philosophy of Being
Entry 0091: Ambrose McNicholl on the Philosophy of Being
Ambrose McNicholl writes:
What the Pope has in mind does not seem to be a particular fully-codified system of philosophy, nor any individual school of thought within the Scholastic tradition, but certain features of the philosophy of Saint Thomas himself which mark it as in some way rising above all particular perspective to one that is truly universal, with the result that it can be said, in some respects at least, to transcend all other philosophies while at the same time it is able to assimilate the more limited aspects of truth and reality which they express.
The openness of the philosophy of Saint Thomas is grounded in what E. L. Mascall has called "the openness of being."
It is the human reflection of the transcendence of being itself understood primarily as existing and as explicitly grasped and affirmed.
Such openness is grounded on the intrinsic orientation of the human mind towards existence rather than on the nature of its first principles, especially if these are taken as conceptually formulated propositions.
Neither Leo XIII nor John Paul II have invited us to take the study of manuals; they want us to go back to the thought of Saint Thomas as found in his own works and re-read them in the light of the problems and context of today.
In fact, by referring twice to the actus essendi ("The Angelicum Address," nos. 6, 7) one may gather that he [Pope John Paul II] thinks, with many others, that it will no longer do to rest content with the rather formalist and essentialist kind of Thomism that dominated the scene until quite recently.
In any case he invites the present-day Thomist to focus his thinking not just on essences or on being but also on what actually exists and on the act by which it is.
Saint Thomas offers, not just a Christian version of Aristotle, but a profoundly new and original philosophy; which means that the Thomist should see Aristotle through the eyes of Saint Thomas and not vice versa.
Having thus secured the existential underpinning of Thomistic theory, the Pope goes on to say that the mind can proceed to uncover "the inexhaustible richness" of what actually exists.
The adjective "inexhaustible" gives us one more clue as to the kind of openness which he has in mind, this time on the plane of concepts. Those used by Saint Thomas may not be adequate or sufficient to express the ontological density of reality.
There is room here for growth, as human knowledge progresses in various directions and on various levels; and its power to assimilate such new findings, without thereby losing its own nature, is perhaps the most striking characteristic of the philosophy of Saint Thomas.
Since man, in virtue of his openness to being, can know himself and his thought, he can see his thought – or, more correctly, his knowledge – in its primordial relation to being and so justify in the most radical way its claim to validity.
This claim would be contested by many, most notably by Husserl, who would accuse the Thomist of remaining within the context of the naturalistic attitude.
The Thomist might reply that it is really Husserl who is conditioned from the start by his "anti-metaphysical prejudice" which may be traced to his complete blindness to the ontological density and richness of esse ut actus as Saint Thomas envisages it; for Husserl quite uncritically takes "to be" as mere givenness and factuality.
This epoche and phenomenological reduction are indeed useful, perhaps indispensable, tools for critical reflection on the meaning that anything can have for man as it enters his experience; but they are no substitute for, much less do they rule out, the basic and intuitive drive of the mind towards what exists.
The reflections, already put forward in so concise a fashion, equip the reader to approach what must be the most commonly heard, if not also the most obvious, objection against any special favor being shown by the Church to any particular system of thought.
To act in this way, it is felt, would conflict with the catholicity of the Church; it would block enquiry along other lines or from different perspectives; it would, as the Pope puts the objection, rule out that pluralism which is implied in the factual diversity of cultures, since it would tie the thought of the Church too closely to one particular cultural tradition – the classical Greek one as developed in the Christian context of the European Middle Ages.
Quite obviously the Pope could not, on this occasion, deal with this problem under all its many complex aspects.
He goes straight to the main point at issue by noting that the philosophy of Saint Thomas differs from all others by its basic insight that the key to the full and proper understanding of reality is to be found in the actus essendi.
It is precisely the actuality of existing that transcends every possible form of being or reality.
A philosophy centered on this actuality is open, in principle, to accept all that any other philosophy can discover about the more limited aspects of reality which it takes to be fundamental; and only a philosophy so centered is capable of such universal assimilation.
No type or aspect of reality is excluded, in principle, by a philosophy centered on the actus essendi.
It is the peculiarity of esse (and of being in so far as it signifies esse) that it is at one and the same time the most universal and yet the most singular and concrete characteristic of all that is real. Everything that is real exists, but in every existing thing that which is unique and most fully singular in it is its actus essendi.
That is why the Pope can state that such philosophy is rightfully able to claim as its own all that can be known through other approaches to reality; and that, in the same way, all the truths which men can learn about reality can claim right of entry into such all-embracing philosophy.
This philosophy therefore does not exclude other approaches which uncover different aspects of reality. It does indeed regard them as insufficient of themselves, as partial and inadequate, if put forward as complete philosophies; but it can regard them as common allies and partners in the concerted effort of mankind to understand reality from every point of view.
A philosophy which sees everything in the light of the actus essendi will avoid eclecticism; it will not rely on the authority of any particular thinker – be it Saint Thomas himself or any of the "Greats" – but on the evidence of what shows itself as it is.
Hence it can claim to be realistic, both in the sense of looking first of all towards real beings as they exist, and then in the sense of fulfilling the real vocation of the philosopher.
It is saved from the unending and aimless adventure of exploring what is only phenomenal, of losing itself in the labyrinthine corridors of the mind, instead of finding its support and strength in the objectivity of the actus essendi.
Philosophy is not just thought about thought or about appearances; it is, above all, thought about what is.
The philosophy of being, as outlined by saint Thomas, can be what it appears, and appear as it is, because it starts in wonder that anything is, and only then tries to find out what it is.
As centered on is (esse ut actus), its central insights have lasting value; as concerned with what is, it is ever open to enrichment.
Ambrose McNicholl, "A Chant in Praise of What is," Angelicum 57 (1980): 172-196.
Ralph McInerny on the Philosophy of Being
Entry 0094: Ralph McInerny on the Philosophy of Being
Ralph McInerny writes,
In Fides et ratio n. 4, John Paul II speaks of what he calls "Implicit Philosophy," the truths anyone can be expected to know. His reason for enumerating these truths is that he sees them as the means of overcoming the scandal of philosophy, the dozens of radically different philosophical systems competing for our allegiance. Anyone will detect the Thomistic echoes in the list of tenets of Implicit Philosophy. The Pope's procedure makes clear why he too points us to Thomas and why Thomism is not just another system. We are not being urged to be Thomists as opposed to Hegelians or phenomenologists or whatever. We are being urged to do philosophy well.
The great presupposition of doing philosophy well is that one begin well. The beginnings of philosophy are not acquired in Philosophy 101. They are had before one begins the study of philosophy. The principles or starting points of philosophy are the truths that any human person can be expected already to know. Philosophy moves off from them, not to replace or abandon them, but to develop their implications. Any philosophical position that is at variance with these starting points has gone off the rails.
Ralph McInerny, "Thomistic Natural Law and Aristotelian Philosophy," in St. Thomas Aquinas and the natural law tradition: contemporary perspectives, ed. John Goyette, Mark S. Latkovic, and Richard S. Myers (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004), 37-38.
Stephen Pimentel on the Philosophy of Being
Entry 0092: Stephen Pimentel on the Philosophy of Being
Stephen Pimentel writes,
Notable is John Paul II's urgent recommendation in Fides et ratio, par. 97 of a "philosophy of being" that "is based upon the very act of being itself" and that "views reality in its ontological, causal and communicative structures" so as to surpass "every limit in order to reach the One."
Stephen Pimentel, "Thomas's Elusive Proof: A Reconstruction of the 'Existential Argument' for the Existence of God," Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 78 (2004): 94-106.
Martin Bieler on the Philosophy of Being
Entry 0091: Martin Bieler on the Philosophy of Being
Martin Bieler writes,
"The encyclical Fides et ratio is an impressive document of the Catholic Church's esteem of philosophy (57ff.)
"Although it is the declared intention of Fides et ratio not to canonize any particular philosophy (49,78) there can be no doubt about the fact that the encyclical moves along the lines of Thomas Aquinas' metaphysics when it outlines the future tasks of philosophical investigation.
"First of all, it strongly emphasizes the importance of a philosophy of being (5, 66, 90, 97) which meets the necessary requirements of a metaphysics that is indispensable for unfolding the truth revealed in Christ (82-83).
"Second, it seems to conceive a philosophy of being in the way Aquinas does by referring to the 'act of being' (actus essendi): 'Set within the Christian metaphysical tradition, the philosophy of being is a dynamic philosophy which views reality in its ontological, causal and communicative structures. It is strong and enduring because it is based upon the very act of being itself, which allows a full and comprehensive openness to reality as a whole, surpassing every limit in order to reach the One who brings all things to fulfilment' (97.)"
Martin Bieler, "The Theological Importance of the Philosophy of Being," in Reason and the Reasons of Faith, ed. Paul J. Griffiths and Reinhard Hütter (New York: T and T Clark International, 2005), 295-296.
Commentary on In De hebdomadibus, 2
Entry 0085: Commentary on
In De hebdomadibus, lecture 2
Metaphysical principles--such as the inherent actus essendi of a subsisting extramental thing--do not subsist by themselves in isolation.
The Metaphysical Principles of
'Essence' and 'Act of Being'
Entry 0084: The Metaphysical Principles of
The expression 'actus essendi' is a technical term used by Aquinas. It has a restricted, specialized meaning. 'Actus essendi' is the metaphysical principle that goes 'side by side' with the metaphysical principle 'essence' in a subsisting extramental thing.
Three points of reference are indicated here. One, the real finite thing itself existing in the external world; another, the 'essence' which makes the thing to be what it is; and yet another, the 'actus essendi' which places both the thing with its 'essence' in actual existence.
In the real world 'essence' and 'actus essendi' are inseparable metaphysical principles. The metaphysical principle of 'actus essendi' always appears instantiated in an 'essence.' And the 'essence' of the thing is what put limits to the thing's participation in 'actus essendi.'
For Aquinas, the 'act of being' is the most profound perfection of a thing; it is an internal incommunicable metaphysical principle inseparable from the thing itself, from the 'essence' of the thing, and from anything that exists in the thing.
Pope John Paul II on Jacques Maritain
Entry 0083: Pope John Paul II on Jacques Maritain
Pope John Paul II writes:
Having accepted wholeheartedly the Catholic faith, Jacques Maritain understood philosophical investigation to be "a wisdom of reason not closed but open to the wisdom of grace" (Le Philosophe dans la Cite, Paris, 1960, p. 27.)
This spirit of openness and capacity to receive the light of grace led him to the universality of the philosophy of being, the philosophy of the 'actus essendi,' whose transcendental value paves the most direct way to rise to the knowledge of 'Being' and pure Act, namely to God.
More than any other facet, Jacques Maritain drew attention to this central intuition of the philosophy of Saint Thomas which thus can be called "the philosophy of the proclamation of being," "a chant in praise of what is" (The Angelicum Address, 1979, no. 6.)
John Paul II, "Letter to Professor Giuseppe Lazzati, Rector of the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Jacques Maritain," in Doctor Communis XXXVI, no. 1 (1983) 3-5. (Translation by Keith Buersmeyer.)
Posted by Orestes J. González at 2:57 PM
On Saturday, 17 November 1979, John Paul II returned as Pope to his Alma Mater, the "Angelicum," where he had been a student from 1946-1948. He went to the Angelicum to speak at the conclusion of an international congress, organized by the International Society of Saint Thomas Aquinas, to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo Xlll's encyclical letter "Aeterni Patris."
Here are the words—FULL TEXT—of the Holy Father.
Esteemed Professors and very dear Students!
1. It is with a feeling of deep joy that I find myself once more, after no short space of time, in this hall. It is well known to me because I entered it so many times as a student in the years of my youth when I also came from far away to the Pontifical Athenaeum "Angelicum" to deepen my knowledge of the teaching of the Common Doctor, St. Thomas of Aquin.
Since then the Athenaeum has grown significanly. It has been raised to the rank of a Pontifical University by my venerated predecessor, Pope John XXIII; it has been enriched by two new Institutes: to the already existing Faculties of Theology, Canon Law and Philosophy there have been added those of Social Sciences and the Institute "Mater Ecclesiae" which has the aim of preparing future "Teachers of the Religious Sciences".
I take note with pleasure of these signs of vitality in the old stock which shows that fresh streams of sap flow through it. Thanks to these it can satisfy, through its new scientific institutions, the cultural needs as they gradually show themselves.
The joy of today's encounter is notably increased by the presence of a select group of learned exponents of Thomistic thought who have come here from many places to celebrate the first centenary of the Encyclical Aeterni Patris, published on the fourth of August 1879 by the great Pontiff Leo XIII.
This gathering, promoted by the "International Society of St. Thomas of Aquin," links up ideally with that held recently near Cordoba in Argentina, on the initiative of the Catholic Argentinian Association of Philosophy, in order to commemorate the same event by inviting leading representatives of present-day Christian thought to exchange views on the theme: "The Philosophy of the Christian Today."
This present meeting, more directly concerned with the figure and the work of St. Thomas, while doing honour to this celebrated Roman centre of Thomistic studies where one can say that Aquinas lives "as in his own home," is an act of recognition due to the immortal Pontiff who played so great a part in reviving interest in the philosophical and theological work of the Angelic Doctor.
2. I would like, therefore, to extend my respectful and cordial greeting to those who have organized this meeting: in the first place to you, Reverend Father Vincent de Couesnongle, Master of the Dominican Order and President of the "International Society of St. Thomas of Aquin"; with you I greet also the Rector of this Pontifical University, Reverend Father Joseph Salguero, the distinguished members of the Academic Staff, and all those speakers, noted for their competence in Thomistic studies, who have honoured this meeting with their presence and enlivened its sessions by sharing their store of knowledge.
I would also like to offer my affectionate greetings to you, students of this University, who give yourselves, with eager generosity, to the study of philosophy and theology as well as of the other useful auxiliary sciences, taking as your guide St. Thomas to whose thought you are introduced by the enlightened and earnest efforts of your professors.
The youthful enthusiasm with which you approach Aquinas with the questions which your sensitivity towards the problems of the modern world suggest to you, and the impression of luminous clarity which you gain from the answers which he gives to you in his own clear, calm and sober way, afford the most convincing proof of the inspired wisdom which moved Pope Leo XIII to promulgate the Encyclical whose centenary we are celebrating this year.
3. It cannot be doubted that the chief aim which the great Pontiff had in mind in taking that step of historic importance was to take up again and to develop the teaching of the First Vatican Council on the relations between faith and reason. As Bishop of Perugia he had played a most active role in that Council. In the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Filius, in fact, the Conciliar Fathers had given special attention to this theme of burning actuality.
When treating of "faith and reason" they were united in opposing those philosophical and theological trends which had been infected by the then rampant rationalism. Taking their stand on Divine Revelation, as passed on and faithfully interpreted by preceding Ecumenical Councils, as clarified and defended by the Holy Fathers and Doctors of both East and West, they had declared that faith and reason, far from being opposed, could and should meet in a friendly way (cf. Ench. Symb. DS: 3015-3020; 3041-3043).
The persistent and violent attacks of those who were hostile to the Catholic faith and to right reason induced Leo XIII to re-affirm and to develop the teaching of Vatican I in his Encyclical. Here, having recalled the gradual and ever growing contribution made by the leading lights of the Church, both in the East and in the West, to the defence and progress of philosophical and theological thought, the Pope turns to what St. Thomas did by way of deep penetration and of synthesis.
In words which should be quoted in their flowing classical Latin he has no hesitation in pointing to the Angelic Doctor as the one who carried rational research into what faith makes known towards results which have proved to be of lasting value: "Thomas gathered their doctrines together — they had long lain dispersed like the scattered limbs of a body — and knitted them into one whole. He disposed them in marvellous order and increased them to such an extent that he is rightly and deservedly considered the pre-eminent guardian and glory of the Catholic Church.
"Again, beginning by establishing as is only right, the distinction between reason and faith, while still linking each to the other in a bond of friendly harmony, he maintained the legitimate rights of both, and preserved their respective dignities in such a way that human reason soared to the loftiest heights on the wings of Thomas and can scarcely rise any higher, while faith can expect no further or more reliable assistance than such as it has already received from Thomas" (Leonis XIII, Acta, vol. I, pp. 274-275; English translation, J.F. Scanlan, in: St. Thomas Aquinas, Angel of the Schools, by J. Maritain, London, 1933, Appendix I, pp. 204-206).
4. Statements as weighty as these call to commitment. To us, heeding them a century later, they above all offer practical or pedagogical guidance; for, in so speaking, Leo XIII wanted to set before teachers and students of philosophy and theology the highest ideal of a Christian dedicated to research.
Well then, what are the qualities which won for Aquinas such titles as: "Doctor of the Church," and "Angelic Doctor," awarded him by St. Pius V; "Heavenly Patron of the Highest Studies," conferred by Leo XIII in the Apostolic Letter Cum hoc sit of 4 August 1880, that is, on the first anniversary of the Encyclical we are celebrating (cf. Leonis XIII, Acta, vol. II, pp. 108-113)?
The first quality is without doubt his complete submission of mind and heart to divine Revelation, one which he renewed on his death-bed, in the Abbey of Fossanova, on the seventh of March 1274. How beneficial it would be for the Church of God if also today all Catholic philosophers and theologians followed the wonderful example of the "Doctor communis Ecclesiae"!
Aquinas treated the Holy Fathers and Doctors with the same reverence, in so far as they bear common witness to the revealed Word, so much so that Cardinal Cajetan did not hesitate to write — and his words are quoted in the Encyclical: "St. Thomas, because he had the utmost reverence for the Doctors of antiquity, seems to have inherited in a way the intellect of all" (In Sum. Theol. II-II, q. 148, a. 4 c; Leonis XIII, Acta, vol. I, p. 273; ScanIan, loc. cit, p. 204).
The second quality, one which has to do with his excellence as a teacher, is that he had a great respect for the visible world because it is the work, and hence also the imprint and image, of God the Creator. Those therefore who sought to accuse St. Thomas of naturalism and empiricism were mistaken.
"The Angelic Doctor", we read in the Encyclical, "considered philosophical conclusions in the reasons and principles of things, which, as they are infinite in extent, so also contain the seeds of almost infinite truths for succeeding masters to cultivate in the appropriate season and bring forth an abundant harvest of truth" (Leonis XIII, Acta, vol. I, p. 273; Scanlan, p. 205).
Lastly, the third quality which moved Leo XIII to offer Aquinas to professors and students as a model of "the highest studies" is his sincere, total and life-long acceptance of the Teaching Office of the Church, to whose judgment he submitted all his works both during his life and at the point of death. Who does not recall the moving profession of faith which he wished to make in that cell at Fossanova as he knelt before the Blessed Eucharist before receiving it as his Viaticum of eternal life!
"The works of the Angelic Doctor", writes Leo XIII once more, "contain the doctrine which is most in conformity with what the Church teaches" (ibid., p. 280). His writings make it clear that this reverential assent was not confined only to the solemn and infallible teaching of the Councils and of the Supreme Pontiffs. An attitude, as truly edifying as this, deserves to be imitated by all who wish to be guided by the dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (n. 25).
5. These three qualities mark the entire speculative effort of St. Thomas and make sure that its results are orthodox. It is for this reason that Pope Leo XIII, wishing to treat "of the method of teaching philosophical studies in such a way as shall most duly correspond with the blessing of faith and be consonant with the respect due to the human sciences themselves" (Leonis XIII, Acta, vol. I, p. 256; Scanlan, p. 190), looked principally to St. Thomas as "leader and master of all the Doctors of the Schools" (ibid., p. 272).
The immortal Pontiff recalled that the method, the principles and the teaching of Aquinas had, down the centuries, been especially favoured not only by learned men but by the supreme teaching authority of the Church (cf. Encycl. Aeterni Patris, loc. cit., pp. 274-277). If today also, he insisted, philosophical and theological reflection is not to rest on an "unstable foundation" which would make it "wavering and superficial" (ibid., p. 278), it will have to draw inspiration from the "golden wisdom" of St. Thomas in order to draw from it the light and vigour it needs to enter deeply into the meaning of what is revealed and to further the due progress of scientific endeavour (cf. ibid., p. 282).
Now that a hundred years of the history of thought have passed we are able to appreciate how balanced and wise these appraisals were. With good reason, therefore, the Supreme Pontiffs who succeeded Leo XIII, and the Code of Canon Law itself (cf. can. 1366, par. 2) have repeated them and made them their own.
The Second Vatican Council also, as we know, recommends the study and the teaching of the perennial philosophical heritage, of which the thought of the Angelic Doctor forms a notable part. (In this connection I would like to recall that Paul VI wanted an invitation to attend the Council to be sent to Jacques Maritain, one of the best known interpreters of Thomistic thought, intending also in this way to signify his high regard for the Master of the Thirteenth Century and for a way of "doing philosophy" that is in keeping with the "signs of the times").
The Decree on priestly formation (Optatam Totius), before it speaks of the need for teaching to take account of modern trends in philosophy, especially of "those which are most influential in the homeland of the candidates," requires that "philosophical subjects should be taught in such a way as to lead the students gradually to a solid and consistent knowledge of man, the world and God। The students should rely on that philosophical patrimony which is forever valid" (n. 15; Vatican Council II, ed. A. Flannery, O.P., Dublin, 1975, p. 718).
In the Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum Educationis) we read: "By a careful attention to the current problems of these changing times and to the research being undertaken, the convergence of faith and reason in the one truth may be seen more clearly.
This method follows the tradition of the doctors of the Church and especially St। Thomas Aquinas" (n. 10; Flannery, p. 735). The words of the Council are clear: the Fathers saw that it is fundamental for the adequate formation of the clergy and of Christian youth that it preserve a close link with the cultural heritage of the past, and in particular with the thought of St. Thomas; and that this, in the long run, is a necessary condition for the longed-for renewal of the Church.
There is no need for me to reaffirm here my intention to carry out fully what the Council has laid down, since I made this quite clear already in the homily which I delivered on 17 October 1978, shortly after my election to the Chair of Peter (cf. AAS, 70,1978, pp. 921-923) and several times afterwards.
6. I am very pleased, then, to find myself this evening among you, who fill the halls of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, drawn by his philosophical and theological teaching, just as great numbers of students from various nations surrounded the chair of the Dominican friar in the thirteenth century when he taught in the universities of Paris or of Naples or in the "Studium Curiae", or in the House of Studies of the Priory of Santa Sabina in Rome.
The philosophy of St. Thomas deserves to be attentively studied and accepted with convictions by the youth of our day by reason of its spirit of openness and of universalism, characteristics which are hard to find in many trends of contemporary thought.
What is meant is an openness to the whole of reality in all its parts and dimensions, without either reducing reality or confining thought to particular forms or aspects (and without turning singular aspects into absolutes), as intelligence demands in the name of objective and integral truth about what is real. Such openness is also a significant and distinctive mark of the Christian faith, whose specific countermark is its catholicity.
The basis and source of this openness lie in the fact that the philosophy of St. Thomas is a philosophy of being, that is, of the actus essendi (1) whose transcendental value paves the most direct way to rise to the knowledge of subsisting Being and pure Act, namely to God. On account of this we can even call this philosophy: the philosophy of the proclamation of being, a chant in praise of what exists.
[(1) For the translation of the expression actus essendi, see the translator's note below.]
It is from this proclamation of being that the philosophy of St. Thomas derives its ability to grasp and to "affirm" all that shows itself to the human intellect (what is given by experience, in the widest sense) as a determinate existing being in all the inexhaustible richness of its content; that it derives its ability, in particular, to grasp and to "affirm" that "being" which is able to know itself, to be filled with wonder in itself, and above all to decide for itself and to fashion its own unrepeatable history.
St. Thomas is thinking of this "being" and of its dignity when he speaks of man as that which is "the most perfect thing in the whole of nature" (perfectissimum in tota natura: S. Th. I, q. 29, a. 3) a "person", requiring that it must be given exceptional and specific attention.
This says all that is essential with regard to the dignity of the human being, even though much more still remains to be investigated in this field, one where the contribution of modern trends of philosophy can be helpful.
It is also from this affirmation of being that the philosophy of St. Thomas draws its power to justify itself from the methodological point of view, as a branch of knowledge that cannot be reduced to any other science whatever, and as one that transcends them all by establishing itself as independent of them and at the same time as bringing them to completion in regard to their true nature.
Moreover, it is by reason of this affirmation of being that the philosophy of St. Thomas is able to, and indeed must, go beyond all that presents itself directly in knowledge as an existing thing (given through experience) in order to reach "that which subsists as sheer Existing" (ipsum Esse subsistens) and also creative Love; for it is this which provides the ultimate (and therefore necessary) explanation of the fact that "it is preferable to be than not to be" (potius est esse quam non esse) and, in particular, of the fact that we exist.
"This existing itself", Aquinas tells us, "is the most common effect of all, prior and more intimate than any other effect; that is why such an effect is due to a power that, of itself, belongs to God alone" (Ipsum enim esse est communissimus effectus, primus et intimior omnibus aliis effectibus; et ideo soli Deo competit secundum virtutem propriam talis effectus: QQ. DD. De Potentia, q. 3, a. 7, c).
St. Thomas puts philosophy moving along lines set by this intuition, showing at the same time that only in this way does the intellect feel at ease (as it were "at home") and therefore it can never abandon this way without abandoning itself.
By maintaining that the proper object of metaphysics is reality "in so far as it is being" (sub ratione entis) St. Thomas pointed to that analogy which accompanies being as such, finding there the justification of the method for forming propositions dealing with the whole of reality and with the Absolute itself.
In so far as methodology is concerned it would be hard to exaggerate the importance of this discovery for philosophical research, as indeed also for human knowledge in general.
There is no need to stress the debt owed to this philosophy by theology itself, since it is nothing other then "faith seeking understanding" (fides quaerens intellectum) or the "understanding of faith" (intellectus fidei). Not even theology, then, can abandon the philosophy of St. Thomas.
7. Is it to be feared that by favouring the philosophy of St. Thomas one will undermine the right to exist that is enjoyed by different cultures or hinder the progress of human thought?
Such a fear would clearly be groundless because the methodological principle invoked above implies that whatever is real has its source in the actus essendi; (1) and because the perennial philosophy, by reason of that principle, can claim in advance, so to speak, all that is true in regard to reality.
By the same token, every understanding of reality — which does in fact correspond to reality — has every right to be accepted by the "philosophy of being," no matter who is to be credited with such progress in understanding or to what philosophical school that person belongs.
Hence, the other trends in philosophy, if regarded from this point of view, can and indeed should be treated as natural allies of the philosophy of St. Thomas, and as partners worthy of attention and respect in the dialogue that is carried on in the presence of reality.
This is needed if truth is to be more than partial or one-sided. That is why the advice given by St. Thomas to his followers in his "Letter on how to study" where he said: "look rather to what was said than to who it was that said it" (Ne respicias a quo sed quod dicitur), is so much in keeping with the spirit of his philosophy.
That is also why I am so pleased that the programme of studies in the Faculty of Philosophy in this University offers, besides the theoretical courses dealing with the thought of Aristotle and of St. Thomas, other courses such as: Science and Philosophy, Philosophical Anthropology, Physics and Philosophy, History of Modern Philosophy, the Phenomenological Movement, as required by the recent Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana for Universities and Ecclesiastical Faculties (AAS 71, 1979, pp. 495-496).
8. There is still one more reason why the philosophy of St. Thomas has enduring value: its prevailing characteristic is that it is always in search of the truth. In his commentary on Aristotle, his favourite philosopher, he writes: "Philosophy is not studied in order to find out what people may have thought but in order to discover what is true" (De Coelo et Mundo, I, lect. 22; ed. R. Spiazzi, n. 228; "Sudium philosophiae non est ad hoc quod sciatur quid homines senserint, sed qualiter se habeat veritas").
The reason why the philosophy of St. Thomas is pre-eminent is to be found in its realism and its objectivity: it is a philosophy "of what is, not of what ppears," (de l'etre et non du paraitre). What makes the philosophy of the Angelic Doctor so wonderfully apt to be the "handmaid of faith" (ancilla fidei) is that it has gained possession of truths of the natural order, which have their origin in God the Creator, just as truths of the divine order have their source in God as revealing.
This does not lessen the value of philosophy or unduly restrict its field of research; on the contrary, it allows it to develop in ways that human reason alone could not have discovered. Hence the Supreme Pontiff Pius XI of holy memory, issuing the Encyclical Studiorum Ducem on the occasion of the Sixth Centenary of the Canonization of St. Thomas, did not hesitate to declare: "In honouring St. Thomas something greater is involved than the reputation of St. Thomas, and that is the authority of the teaching Church" (In Thoma honorando maius quiddam quam Thomae ipsius existimatio vertitur, id est Ecclesiae docentis auctoritas; AAS 15; 1923, p. 324; English trans. Scanlan. loc. cit., p. 238).
9. St. Thomas, because his "reason was enlightened by faith" (Vatican Council I. Dogmatic Constitution Dei Filius, ch. 4: DS. 3016), was in fact able to throw light also on problems concerning the Incarnate Word, "Saviour of all men" (Prologue to Part III of the Summa Theologiae).
These are the problems to which I referred in my first Encyclical Redemptor Hominis, in which I spoke about Christ as "Redeemer of man and of the world, centre of the universe and of history. . . the chief way for the Church" for our return "to the Father's house" (nn. 1, 8, 13).
This is a theme of the highest importance for the life of the Church and for Christian science. Is not Christology perhaps the basis and the first condition for working out a more complete anthropology such as is required by the needs of our day? We must not forget that, in fact, it is Christ alone who "reveals man fully to himself" (cf. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, n. 22).
St. Thomas has, moreover, shed the light of reason, purified and elevated by faith, on problems concerning man: on his nature as created to the image and likeness of God, on his personality as worthy of respect from the first moment of his conception, on his supernatural destiny as found in the beatific vision of God, One and Three.
On this point we are indebted to St. Thomas for a precise and ever valid definition of that which constitutes man's essential greatness: "he has charge of himself" (ipse est sibi providens; cf. Contra Gentiles, III, 81).
Man is master of himself, he can make provision for himself and form projects towards fulfilling his destiny. This fact, however, taken by itself, does not settle the question of man's greatness, nor does it guarantee that he will be able, by himself, to reach the full perfection of personality.
The only decisive factor here is that man should let himself be guided, in his actions, by the truth; and truth is not made by man; he can only discover it in the nature that is given to him along with existence. It is God who, as creator, calls reality into being and, as revealer, shows it forth ever more fully in Jesus Christ and in his Church.
The Second Vatican Council, when it speaks of this self-providence of man "in so far as it involves knowing what is true" (sub ratione veri) as a "kingly ministry" (munus regale), goes to the heart of this intuition.
This is the teaching which I set out to call to mind and bring up to date in the Encyclical Redemptor Hominis, by drawing attention to man as "the primary and fundamental way for the Church" (n. 14).
10. I must add one last word at the end of these reflections which, of necessity, have to be brief. It concerns the thought with which Leo XIII ends his Aeterni Patris, "Let us follow the example of the Angelic Doctor,",(Leonis XIII, Acta, loc. cit., p. 283) is what he advises.
That is what I also repeat this evening.
This advice is indeed fully justified by the witness which he gave by his manner of living and which gave force to what he said as a teacher. He had indeed the technical mastery befitting a teacher, but, prior to this, his manner of teaching was that of a saint who lives the Gospel fully, of one for whom love is everything: love of God, the primal source of all truth; love of one's neighbour, God's masterpiece; love of all created things, for these also are precious caskets full of the treasures which God has poured into them.
If we look for the driving force behind his commitment to a life of study, the secret urge which led him to consecrate himself through a total dedication, we find it in his own words: "All things issue from charity as from a principle, and all things are ordered towards charity as to an end" (A caritate omnia procedunt sicut a principio et in caritatem omnia ordinantur sicut in finem: In John, XV, 2).
And in fact the huge intellectual effort of this master of thought was stimulated, sustained and given direction by a heart full of the love of God and of his neighbour. "The knowledge of what is true is given by the fervour of love" (Per ardorem caritatis datur cognitio veritatis; ibid., V, 6).
These words could be taken as his motto. They allow us to perceive, behind the thinker able to rise to the loftiest heights of speculation, the mystic accustomed to go straight to the very fountain of all truth to find the answer to the deepest questionings of the human spirit. Did not he himself tell us that he never wrote anything nor gave class unless he had first had recourse to prayer?
One who approaches St. Thomas cannot set aside this witness which comes from his life; he must rather follow courageously the path traced out by him and bind himself to follow his example if he would wish to taste the most secret and savoury fruits of his teaching. This is the burden of the prayer which the Liturgy places on our lips on his feastday: "O God, since it was by your gift that St. Thomas became so great a saint and theologian, give us the grace to understand his teaching and follow his way of life."
This is also what we ask from the Lord this evening, as we entrust our prayer to the intercession of "Master Thomas" himself, a master who was deeply human because he was deeply Christian, and precisely because he was so deeply Christian was so deeply human.
The text of this Address appeared in the following publications:
1. In Acta Apostolicae Sedis, no. 15, vol. LXXI, 30 November 1979, pp. 1472-1483, in the original Italian.
2. In Angelicum, vol. 57, fasc. 2, 1980, pp. 121-132, in the original Italian.
3. In Angelicum, vol. 57, fasc. 2, 1980, pp. 133-146, English translation.
4. The translation given above appeared in L'Osservatore Romano, English Weekly Edition, 17 December 1979, pp. 6-8.
Translator's Note
Reference: Pope John Paul II, "Address at the Angelicum," 17 November 1979.
The following translator's note accompanies the L'Osservatore Romano English Weekly Edition translation.
(1) (Translator's note). No literal English rendering could convey the meaning which this technical Latin expression [actus essendi] - or its equivalent esse ut actus - had for St। Thomas, and presumably retains for Pope John Paul.
It does not refer to the mere fact of existing, of "being there," especially if this is taken in a spatial or temporal sense.
The meaning of the Latin esse is not properly expressed by the infinitive "to be", for this may refer only to the function of the copula in a proposition.
Nor is the abstract term "existence" adequate, for we are dealing with the most concrete of all realities.
"Actual existing", or "actual, be-ing", come closer to the meaning intended; but to avoid the connotation either of "existence" or of "being" which can be taken in a substantive sense, it might be advisable to coin the active and concrete word "is-ing".
What St. Thomas has in mind is the most actual of all actualities, the most perfect of all perfections, the inmost principle and source of all the actuality, perfection, reality, and indeed also of the knowability, of anything that is.
It is esse in this metaphysical sense which makes anything be, and be real; it is the immediate source of the reality and perfection of all things.
This may help the reader to appreciate the Pope's insistence on this insight, so central in the thought of St. Thomas, and the implications which he draws from it in nn. 6 and 7 of his discourse.
(L'Osservatore Romano, English Weekly Edition, 17 December 1979, pp. 6-8.)
Commentary on De veritate, 10, 8, ad 13
De veritate, question 10, article 8, ad 13
With respect to the activity of the intellectual faculty, the soul could be made the content of our thinking. The intellectual faculty of man can direct its activity towards getting information about our soul. In this sense, the soul informs, 'gives form,' to our act of understanding.
But from the perspective of the actus essendi, it makes sense to say that the intellectual faculty of man inheres in the soul because the metaphysical principle of actus essendi refers to a self-subsisting individual that is actually existing here and now.
De veritate, 10, 8, ad 13, expresses this as follows: "The intellective power is a form of the soul with reference to the soul's 'act of being,' for the intellective power exists in the soul as a property in a subject." (Intellectiva potentia est forma ipsius animae quantum ad actum essendi, eo quod habet esse in anima, sicut proprietas in subiecto.)
Ambrose McNicholl on the Philosophy of Being in Fi...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tiki Volcano with MONIN Falernum syrup and Le Fruit de MONIN Passion Fruit . Bring back the tiki craze with the spicy sweetness of falernum - one of the cocktail world's best supporting characters!
Encased in a smooth, bright green skin, limes have an aromatic, juicy flesh, whose sharpness, acidity and bitterness characterize many of our best loved cocktails and dishes.
MONIN Lime Rantcho will impart a refreshing lime zing to a variety of classic cocktails such as traditional gin & tonics, margaritas, caipirinhas and mojitos.


For those of you who love taking part in adventurous urban races then the highlight of the summer season has to be The Seven Hills of Edinburgh Race & Challenge happening this Sunday (19th June).
Tomorrow (16th June) is the last chance to enter online before the event so get yourself along to entry central before it's too late!
Check out the race details here.


Whether you're doing a cross-country race, doing hill repeats, or are just the type of rider who enjoys riding fast, you'll want an amazing bike underneath you that won't hold you back. The genre killing XC bike is here and it is the Yeti SB100 Turq X01 Race Bike. Yeti is keeping it 100 with the SB100. The SB100 is a fast, 100mm of frame travel, carbon fiber mountain bike that will help take you to new heights and get you down from those heights quickly. The frame features a newly redesigned Switch Infinity that is specifically for 100mm of travel. It is lighter and tucks neatly behind the seat tube. The Switch Infinity also allows for an uninterrupted seat tube so you can use longer dropper posts. The frame also has internally molded carbon tubes inside the frame so cable routing can be a breeze. With the Turq series, you're getting a frame that is made from the highest quality carbon fiber available. This creates a perfect blend of stiffness and compliance. The result is a bike that rides smoothly and feels solid and aggressive.
The SB100 Turq X01 Eagle Race edition features a Fox Factory 34 SC fork with 120mm of travel and a Fox Factory DPS rear shock. The drivetrain features X01 Eagle. The shifter is an X01 Eagle 12-speed and the rear derailleur is an X01 Eagle 12-speed. The crankset is an X01 Carbon Eagle crankset with a 30 tooth cog and is paired with a SRAM 1295 Eagle 10-50T cassette that provides unparalleled versatility when it comes to climbing and descending. When you get to the top of the mountain, the SRAM Level TLM brakes will provide the confidence-inspiring stopping power for the ride down. It comes with DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline One wheels with a Maxxis Aggressor 29" x 2.3" tire on the rear and a Maxxis Minion DHF 29" x 2.3" tire on the front. Long gone are the days of choosing a between a bike that is good for climbing or a bike that is good for descending. Now you can have both.


The all-conquering SEBP are releasing an album of remixes from their Choice Music prize award winning album, all by Irish electronic artists. 'Appetite for Reconstruction' will be available as a free digital download at www.superextrabonusparty.com from October and features remixes from Decal, Prince Kong, Ambulance and of course 2BiT!
There's also a launch party for the album in Andrew Lane Theatre on October 10th, 8 til late, €10 and a free CD for the first 300 in.


text:
Three steps back, five steps forward
By Bridgette Babb:
They say the things you go through shape who you become. For Shayla Smith, life changing events came in threes.
Originally from Atlanta, Smith relocated to Buffalo, New York in 2012. Succeeding in high school was never an issue for the young scholar, as she was able to rack up over $40,000 in scholarships to attend The College at Brockport. Branching out and making connections became easy after her sophomore year, when she joined the step team, which is a form of dance involving stomping and clapping. At this point, she was working full time, while pursuing a major in accounting.
"College is literally it's own job," Smith said. "You won't survive if you don't put in the work, especially with a major like this."
The summer of 2017 brought something Smith did not expect: a pregnancy. Fear overwhelmed her, but she was comforted by her boyfriend John Harber.
"When I first found out I was going to be a dad, I was very happy because I knew who I wanted my child to be with," Harber said. "I was also scared, thinking I was messing up what was going on for Shayla, but we stayed strong and got through it."
Deciding to take a break from her education at this point, Smith's next plan of action was to figure out a way to share the news with her family back in Georgia. She never thought that her mother, Shawna Boyd, already knew.
"I came to visit and took one look at her and just knew she was pregnant," Boyd said. "She's my daughter."
Once her mother told her father the news, he was initially unhappy, but eventually became part of the aide she desperately needed.
There were comments from family and friends about her not being ready for a baby, but Smith never considered having an abortion. She knew that while she may be going through certain issues, this baby was coming whether she liked it or not.
On February 20, 2018, four days before her due date, she welcomed Sariyah into the world.
"She came out absolutely perfect, just gorgeous," Smith proudly boasted.
The joy of being a new mom didn't last long, as both her and the baby contracted a fever immediately after delivery.
"It was a long five days in the hospital," Smith said. "I was so scared for her because I was already so in love."
Thankfully, the young mother and her daughter pulled through and were able to go home. While on maternity leave, Smith started playing with the idea of starting her own business. It was important to her to have something more stable than part time jobs to create the life her daughter deserved.
"I wanted to create something that would empower women," she said. "What can I do to set my business apart from the others?"
Her daughter was the driving force behind her wanting to excel.
"I have a responsibility to my child to make sure she is good," she said.
Starting with YouTube videos, Smith researched different products and ingredients she could use on her own. The dessert theme came early, since she had always loved making sweets. Her family was behind her all the way, especially Boyd.
"Shayla is very creative and driven, and gets along well with others," Boyd said. "She's always had a love for bath and skin products. I encouraged her to turn any passion into a profit."
Smith choose to base the name of her website on her own middle name. She felt everyone pictured "Shayla" with a goofy personality, but "Anisa" was 'down to earth, someone the everyday girl could relate too.' May 2nd brought about the launch of anisasbathsweets.com, Smith's new baby. She recalled the startup being pretty cheap, including the graphics for the website and buying a label printer to put the the ingredients on her products.
The support that came at first was overwhelming. Old teachers, family and coworkers shared, posted the site and purchased some products. The most popular scents and body butters are 'peaches & cream' and 'lemon butter.'
"It is a very good feeling to have someone support something you are so passionate about," Smith said.
Businesses however, always have their challenges when introducing themselves to the market. She realized that as the initial hype simmered down, most buyers were not return customers. She tried to mimic other businesses, offering giveaways, coupon codes and marketing to a different demographic.
"I'm still learning, especially with the marketing and pricing,' Smith said. "Of course you want to be fair, but the goal in the end is to turn some sort of profit."
She gets the word out by doing local vendor events in Buffalo. Another struggle of course is that she is the mother of a young child, while working her conventional jobs of a food deliverer, fitness employee and home health aide alongside that.
She returned to school in fall 2018. Though it was only three days a week, it took a toll on her early on.
"I was spending 50 dollars every 3 days to get to and from," Smith said. "The pressure became too much and soon I had to stop."
Harber was also worried about Smith commuting, saying his thoughts were all over the place.
"Knowing my girlfriend is driving to school a hour away was a big worry," Harber said. "But I always had faith she could do it, going to school and being a mother."
Smith plans to return to school Fall 2019, but for now is working three jobs while taking care of her beautiful daughter. As far as her business, she sees herself opening a storefront in five years, along with having a bachelor's degree in business.
Published by Staff
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Athletes Out of Bounds: Emily Nestler
A Blessing in Disguise


text:
African Polo Open: Distinctly African by Design
Styled as a series of events, in which the red carpet was rolled out across major luxury brands of South Africa, leading up to a day of rivalry polo, the organizers of the Africa Polo Open have re-imagined and rebranded this lauded event as distinctly African. Formerly known as the Prince of Wales Cup, the Africa Polo Open debuted its new name in 2018. Celebrated photographer Themba Mbuyisa shot the 2017, 2018 and 2019 campaigns that pay homage to indigenous people of South Africa. For 2019, the Basotho people of the southern block of Africa and their traditions, which include strong horsemanship were featured in the editorial promotion. Polo player Namayian Wanjiku Mutlhokia, who plays in Johannesburg, was the featured female model.
Polo is played in over 15 countries in Africa namely South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Botswana, Uganda and Lesotho. South Africa is the dominant polo playing country on the African continent. Polo is a sport synonymous with luxury, but that doesn't mean only the rich and famous love the game. While organizers of the Africa Polo Open have stressed the connection to luxury, attending it remains accessible, with various ticketing options ranging from R350 ($24 USD) to R60,000 ($4,120 USD). The celebration kicked off with the 2019 Season Launch at the Rolls-Royce dealership, followed by the Polo & Art Talk and a Player's Welcome at the African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel.
This year, the polo match up was host South Africa versus Zambia. Publicist and organizer of the Africa Polo Open, Mr. Concierge, said, "Polo is no ordinary team sport. To be at Africa's grandest polo tournament is to witness a majestic sport. The bonds that are fostered between (man) and animal leave you mesmerized. Polo is, afterall, the only team sport that is played with such majestic animals." "(And then) there's the connection between polo player and pony; between the individual polo players, both teammates and rivals, and between the two teams. And then there is the connection between the action on the field and the spectators on the sidelines. And finally, there is a connection among the spectators themselves." With every year, the Africa Polo Open grows and becomes distinctly more African, honoring the horsemanship and development of players of African descent, while organizing a luxurious series of launches, cocktails and polo matches designed to draw in both existing polo fans as well as expanding the fan base with appeal that resonates with Africans across the continent.


I was very much looking forward to reading this book and although overall I enjoyed the story it wasn't quite the book I had hoped for.
Trelease's writing is very beautiful and detailed, and perfectly evoked the opulence of Versailles as well as the poverty of the home Camille starts out in. Camille's family history set up the main plot of the book in an interesting effective way- I really felt like I could understand how desperate they were for money after the death of their parents and I was immediately on Camille's side, urging her and her sister Sophie to escape from their violent, drug, gambling addicted brother Alain.
The romance between Camille and Lazare was also wonderful and I had butterflies reading about their fledgling relationship and the will they/won't they flirting. The storyline about Lazare's balloon was interesting, if a little drawn out in places and distracting from the main story at times. The scenes with the actual balloon flights added some much needed adventure to the book and I enjoyed stepping in Camille's shoes and imagining how incredible it would feel to be flying at this point in history where it was almost unheard of.
Unfortunately, I found the scenes in Versailles failed to keep my attention for the most part. I found the magic system one of the most interesting parts of the story to begin with, but it felt to me as if it was almost never used. All Camille used it for was to change her appearance, go to the palace and win some card games. It seemed almost pointless to have included the magic within the book as she could equally have just been a naturally skilled gambler. I also felt that it was strange of Camille as a character to choose gambling when she was so against her brother Alain's habit. I think it would have been more true to her as a character to have her find cleverer ways to use magic to gain power and money.
Overall, I enjoyed this story, particularly the relationship between Camille and Lazare. I think the pacing of the book is very slow at times and would have benefited from much less time at the card tables.


Sun-kissed Aqaba is a booming tourist town in Jordan and it is known for its beachfront resorts and a myriad number of activities. Nestled on the southernmost tip of the country, Aqaba is unique from other destinations, thanks to its enticing turquoise waters.
How to Spend Three days in Jordan's only Port City?
We have tried to include all the popular attractions of the small yet dynamic city in three days. Here's our definitive guide to explore Aqaba in three days.
Arrive at King Hussein International Airport early in the morning. Prefer to book an hotel accommodation with the perfect backdrop of golden beaches to enjoy Red Sea views. Choose local bus or taxi or shuttle service to reach your hotel from the airport. Check in at your hotel at the earliest and get ready to explore the attractions.
Start your tour with Aqaba Castle. Step back in time and feel the past while wandering through the Aqaba Castle or Mamluk Fort. This castle is a famous site dating back to the First World War. You can spot the messenger pigeons' place and horse stables. Climb up to the second floor of the fort for better city views. Be careful when you're walking inside the fort as there are no handrails installed.
You can find restaurants near the fort to taste the Jordanian food. Following lunch, visiting the Aqaba Archaeological Museum is a must. Located adjacent to the castle, the museum serves as the best introduction to Aqaba's history housing a collection of Bronze-Age artifacts dating back to 4,000 BC.
Head to Arab Revolt Plaza to visit the giant Aqaba Flagpole – the sixth tallest free standing flagpole in the world. Have some coffee or tea or snacks and enjoy the camel or horse rides around the flagpole. The 130 metres-high flagpole can be seen from Saudi Arabia as well as Egypt.
Following the fantastic evening, head to one of the top restaurants in Aqaba for tantalizing dining. Must try Jordanian dishes include falafel, Fattet Hummus, Kousa Mahshi to name a few.
Wake up early in the morning and get ready to join the joyful and thrilling hot air balloon ride at Wadi Rum. It's a protected desert in southern Jordan. Drive out to the Wadi Rum and reach before the sunrise (takes a 50-minute drive from Aqaba). Hot air balloon ride takes around one hour and one must allow at least 2 to 3 hours to enjoy the most.
Pay the fee to the pilot and they accept only cash.
The fee can be paid after the ride.
Pack some snacks, wear a hat and don't forget to put on some sunscreen.
After enjoying the bird's-eye view of the beautiful desert landscapes, go for camel rides or jeep tour – the most common activities of Wadi Rum. You can see many Bedouin camps providing traditional Bedouin meals. Enjoy lunch at the Bedouin camps and get back to your stay and have some rest.
Al-Hafayer Beach or Al-Ghandoor Beach is the free public beach inside the city. Head to the Aqaba Marine Park to spend some chill-out time and to enjoy the truly spectacular sunset with a cup of tea or coffee in hand.
Wake up early and have some quick breakfast at the hotel. It is the last day in Aqaba for you. Spend some fantastic time at Aqaba beaches and indulge in some adventurous activities. Renowned worldwide for its diverse marine system, the city is home to a number of hard and soft coral species and over 1,000 species of fish.
Shopping in the Old Town of Aqaba is must-do activity. Head to the Old Town and experience the traditional Arab marketplace. You can find a stretch of ramshackle shops and stalls selling everything a tourist can dream of – from hookah pipes, colorful stained-glass lamps, to local herbs and spices at unbelievable low prices. Don't hesitate to bargain as prices can be raised especially for tourists.
Head back to your hotel and get your bags ready to fly-off. Leave some time for your relaxation and make sure to arrive at Aqaba's King Hussein International Airport within check-in deadlines.
How to Get Visa for Aqaba?
Tourists can purchase the Jordan visa upon arriving at the King Hussein International Airport. The visa fee varies for single entry, double entry, and multiple entries. Visa fee must be paid in the local currency and visa period can be extended at any police station.
Note: The visa requirements changes for nationalities. Please contact local embassy for more information.
Pack your bags and set your wings today to explore the charming Aqaba city!