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Daniel Crandall May 13, 2010 6:00 am Tags: Alan Morse, Cirque Du Soleil, Dave Meros, Nick D'Virgilio, progressive rock, Ryo Okumoto, Spock's Beard Category: Music, Omniculture
Interview with Nick D'Virgilio, Lead Singer with Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard - from Left to Right: Dave Meros, Ryo Okumoto, Nick D'Virgilio, Alan Morse
Nick D'Virgilio formed Spock's Beard with Neal and Alan Morse in 1992. They bravely set out on a progressive rock path at a time when that style of rock music might be described as waning in America. Through hard work and a willingness play wherever they could find an appreciative audience, which often meant traveling to Europe, they've built a solid following. Nick was gracious enough to share his thoughts on progressive rock, touring in Europe, and what it takes for a young musician to make it in the incredibly competitive music industry.
The American Culture: Tell me about creating Spock's Beard.
Nick D'Virgilio: It was a chance meeting that was just meant to be. I guess it depends on what you believe. I think it was meant to be. I was at a blues jam at a bar in Los Angeles. I put my name on the board like all of the other musicians who wanted to play that night. When they called me up on stage they also called Neal and Alan Morse. We played a couple songs (I can't remember what they were) and then talked. We found out that we liked a lot of the same music and Neal told me about all of this Prog Rock music he had written. I went with my then girlfriend, now wife Tiffany, over to Neal's house and got the tape of the tunes he had written. The music was very cool and it ended up being all of the songs for the very first Spock's CD. We got together soon after that and jammed. That was pretty much the start of the band. We all knew it was a good match. We had a different bass player at the very beginning of the band. We did a few shows, changed bass players to Dave Meros, found a small mail order record label who helped up put out the first CD and then went on from there. The crazy thing was that we started the band for fun. Not really planning of making it big. Prog rock was pretty dead in 1992. Music was dominated by grunge rock and pop. Thankfully, underground there was still a lot of people listening to this kind of music.
TAC: Looking at your past tour dates, Spock's Beard spent a lot of time in Europe. Talk about being known in Europe, but not so much in America. Or am I misreading past tour schedules?
NDV: No, you are right. We're known in America, but have done much more business in the EU. For a number different reasons. in the 90's prog rock still had a decent following and towards the later 90's prog was really coming back strong. Along with other kinds of musician friendly music. We got signed by a German record company that, despite releasing our CD's in America, sold more in Europe because they knew that market. So we toured there a lot and built a nice following. We have some nice pockets in the US as well. Even in Canada. North America is so big it's hard to make it everywhere unless you have a big machine behind you and a lot of money. In Europe, you can play in 12 different countries, or more, in a month. We've done well on East coast and in California. We have tried to tour the US a few different times and lost a bunch of money each time. The people like when we play in their town for sure but touring is very expensive.
TAC: Do European audiences have a greater appreciation for progressive rock?
NDV: Yes, I think so. Not to put down my own country because there is a lot of great music fans here as well. It is just seems to be more concentrated in the EU.
TAC: Should a young band be open to traveling overseas?
NDV: Absolutely. Tour and play where ever people will come watch and listen. Be open to everything. The world is a big place and people listen to music everywhere.
TAC: I read at your website, NDVMusic.com, that you contracted to tour with Cirque Du Soleil. How did you find this gig?
NDV: I was looking for something different and wanted to go about it in a different way. I was surfing the net, looking for work; everything, from studios needing engineers, tech stuff, music schools, even how to become a professional caddy for a golf pro (that's about the only thing that might tempt me to quit all this music stuff). I have known Cirque always had great music behind their shows so I went to their website and discovered that they have a whole audition process you can do online. You fill out an application that tells them who you are and where you come from. Things like that. Then you can submit a resume and the biggest thing is that they have music from a lot of there shows up on the site with and without the particular instrument you are auditioning for. They ask you to download the music (they do also have all of the music in written form as well), learn it, and videotape yourself playing at least 3 pieces. I did that for both drumming as well as singing and, since I have my own small recording studio at my home, I was able to make it sound great. It was much better then just using the microphone on the video camera. I think that helped. I sent that all in and just waited. I didn't hear anything for a while but then I received an email saying they received all of my stuff and I will be inline for the next round of in-person auditions they hold every so often. Not to long after that I received a phone call for the creative director for the show I am now on and he offered me gig without an in-person audition. That made me feel good. That's the story.
TAC: How is technology changing the price of entry for young musicians?
NDV: It's much easier to get your own music heard by a lot of people with today's technology and easier to making decent recordings with today's technology. But … that doesn't always make for good music. Along with the ease, there is a lot of poor efforts out there. I think sometimes the technology and made some things worse. Like the sound of recordings. There is a ton of inexpensive recording gear on the market and a lot of inexperienced people using this gear. Their intentions may be well and good but along with learning how to play, you also need to learn how to write and record. Or find the right people to do those other things.
TAC: Is the music industry less interested in a band's politics as long as the music finds an audience? Or will producers shut out a musician if they know he might have conservative leanings?
NDV: I think it is easier to get the lefts ideas out there rather then the right in popular music. Unless you play country music of course. For some reason Country music speaks to the right more.
I have never been shut out of anything because of my political views and most of everyone I have ever worked with know I am a Replublican. Although I consider myself pretty moderate one, and I never really brought that kind of thing to work unless I was confronted or asked. And when asked I would always be honest. If they didn't like it, tough beans for them. I think my ability as a musician out-weighed whatever beliefs were in the room. Also whenever I was around for some of the crazy rants I would be lucky (or unlucky) enough to hear some of my friends go on about I would just smile and listen. Or tune it out. And I have heard some crazy ones for sure.
TAC: How important is being an entrepreneur to success or failure as a musician?
NDV: Huge! You have to know how to be a business person. How to create a market and get your product out to your listeners. Music is a product like any other and sometimes there are the few that get big quickly but the majority of us have to know how to sell and market as well as write a good song.
For a musician who doesn't write and just wants to play it is the same thing. You are the product and you have to know how to sell yourself to potential bands or other artists. You have to have not only great chops as a player but attitude, look, vibe, the ability to adapt to all kinds of situations, and knowledge of you profession. Who your competition is and what you can do to stand out.
TAC: What advice do you have for younger musicians just beginning their careers?
NDV: Practice you brains out and play all kinds of music. You may love a particular style but be open to all of the styles and rhythms out there and do what you can to learn or at the very least understand them. It will help you to become a better player.
And be a sponge. Learn everything you can about what you want to do. Practice, practice, practice! Be willing to go a different direction then you may have planned and get out there. Along with all of the practice and learning you NEED to be out among the people. That is what music is all about. It needs to be heard live.
• Tell me about creating Spock's Beard.
It was a chance meeting that was just meant to be. I guess it depends on what you believe. I think it was meant to be. I was at a blues jam at a bar in Los Angeles. I put my name on the board like all of the other musicians who wanted to play that night. When they called me up on stage they also called Neal and Alan Morse. We played a couple songs (I can't remember what they were) and then talked. We found out that we liked a lot of the same music and Neal told me about all of this Prog Rock music he had written. I went with my then girlfriend, now wife Tiffany, over to Neal's house and got the tape of the tunes he had written. The music was very cool and it ended up being all of the songs for the very first Spock's CD. We got together soon after that and jammed. That was pretty much the start of the band. We all knew it was a good match. We had a different bass player at the very beginning of the band. We did a few shows, changed bass players to Dave Meros, found a small mail order record label who helped up put out the first CD and then went on from there. The crazy thing was that we started the band for fun. Not really planning of making it big. Prog rock was pretty dead in 1992. Music was dominated by grunge rock and pop. Thankfully, underground there was still a lot of people listening to this kind of music.
• Looking at your past tour dates, Spock's Beard spent a lot of time in Europe. Talk about being known in Europe, but not so much in America. Or am I misreading past tour schedules?
No, you are right. We're known in America, but have done much more business in the EU. For a number different reasons. in the 90's prog rock still had a decent following and towards the later 90's prog was really coming back strong. Along with other kinds of musician friendly music. We got signed by a German record company that, despite releasing our CD's in America, sold more in Europe because they knew that market. So we toured there a lot and built a nice following. We have some nice pockets in the US as well. Even in Canada. North America is so big it's hard to make it everywhere unless you have a big machine behind you and a lot of money. In Europe, you can play in 12 different countries, or more, in a month. We've done well on East coast and in California. We have tried to tour the US a few different times and lost a bunch of money each time. The people like when we play in their town for sure but touring is very expensive.
• Do European audiences have a greater appreciation for progressive rock?
Yes, I think so. Not to put down my own country because there is a lot of great music fans here as well. It is just seems to be more concentrated in the EU.
• Should a young band be open to traveling overseas?
Absolutely. Tour and play where ever people will come watch and listen. Be open to everything. The world is a big place and people listen to music everywhere.
• I read at your website, NDVMusic.com, that you contracted to tour with Cirque Du Soleil. How did you find this gig?
I was looking for something different and wanted to go about it in a different way. I was surfing the net, looking for work; everything, from studios needing engineers, tech stuff, music schools, even how to become a professional caddy for a golf pro (that's about the only thing that might tempt me to quit all this music stuff). I have known Cirque always had great music behind their shows so I went to their website and discovered that they have a whole audition process you can do online. You fill out an application that tells them who you are and where you come from. Things like that. Then you can submit a resume and the biggest thing is that they have music from a lot of there shows up on the site with and without the particular instrument you are auditioning for. They ask you to download the music (they do also have all of the music in written form as well), learn it, and videotape yourself playing at least 3 pieces. I did that for both drumming as well as singing and, since I have my own small recording studio at my home, I was able to make it sound great. It was much better then just using the microphone on the video camera. I think that helped. I sent that all in and just waited. I didn't hear anything for a while but then I received an email saying they received all of my stuff and I will be inline for the next round of in-person auditions they hold every so often. Not to long after that I received a phone call for the creative director for the show I am now on and he offered me gig without an in-person audition. That made me feel good. That's the story.
• How is technology changing the price of entry for young musicians?
It's much easier to get your own music heard by a lot of people with today's technology and easier to making decent recordings with today's technology. But … that doesn't always make for good music. Along with the ease, there is a lot of poor efforts out there. I think sometimes the technology and made some things worse. Like the sound of recordings. There is a ton of inexpensive recording gear on the market and a lot of inexperienced people using this gear. Their intentions may be well and good but along with learning how to play, you also need to learn how to write and record. Or find the right people to do those other things.
• Is the music industry less interested in a band's politics as long as the music finds an audience? Or will producers shut out a musician if they know he might have conservative leanings?
I think it is easier to get the lefts ideas out there rather then the right in popular music. Unless you play country music of course. For some reason Country music speaks to the right more.
• How important is being an entrepreneur to success or failure as a musician?
Huge! You have to know how to be a business person. How to create a market and get your product out to your listeners. Music is a product like any other and sometimes there are the few that get big quickly but the majority of us have to know how to sell and market as well as write a good song.
• What advice do you have for younger musicians just beginning their careers?
Practice you brains out and play all kinds of music. You may love a particular style but be open to all of the styles and rhythms out there and do what you can to learn or at the very least understand them. It will help you to become a better player.
Daniel Crandall
You're right, folks should definitely not be scared off by the phrase progressive rock. It has nothing to do with politics or worldview. It is simply a style of rock music. In Spock's Beard, the influences I are hear are bit more from the 70s, that being Styx and Yes.
Spock's Beard took quite a chance with prog rock when they began recording, since the early 90s was when grunge, and bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney, was what most people wanted to hear.
S. T. Karnick
Thanks for this excellent interview, Daniel. Spock's Beard is a terrific band, and I recommend their music enthusiastically, as well as Nick's and Neal Morse's solo work. It's all very melodic, and the "progressive" label should not scare off potential listeners.
The band works in the now-classic tradition of groups influenced by the adventurous, artistic approach of the Beatles, Beach Boys, and other such bands in the mid-to-late 1960s. It's an approach to music that's rather more difficult to bring off than others, but in the right hands it's among the very most enjoyable.
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Washington Considers Direct Attack on Syria
Arabi Souri- August 24, 2013 - Syria- 6 Comments
Syria: Obama has to act after he ignored Egypt?
Pentagon updates possible list of targets in Syria after massacre under false-flag by Syrian rebels in Jobar.
Another translation of an article on Syria and the recent alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria's Jobar.
The article focuses on the acts and possible options of the U.S. administration and President Barack Obama in regards of Syria and their violent agenda to overthrow the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad in the capital of the Arab nation, Damascus. However, although there are many new reports about a possible imminent military intervention in Syria, this case is not really to expect up to now.
However, the warmongers in Washington and Israel are capable of these violent and really crazy actions, of course. The Obama administration and the Israeli regime in Tel Aviv prove their incapability of a humanitarian thinking almost every day on the globe – just to carry out their agendas.
What to do, Akela?
The chiefs of staff of the British and the Americans have each justified themselves to their politicians in terms on the prospects of a "military intervention" in Syria. Neither of them has expressed something really new in his statements.
Essentially, they have warned that a war cannot run confined (restricted), when the politicians want to have a result. Based on their "experiences" in Iraq and Afghanistan, one should consider previously what has to happen after the war in the subjugated country – specifically, that there should be a functioning government.
Akela Husseinowitsch Obama
Otherwise the country will be dragged in a years-or decades-long bloodbath, as it is already repeatedly known from several examples:
"The use of U.S. military force can change the military balance," Dempsey said. "But it cannot resolve the underlying and historic ethnic, religious and tribal issues that are fuelling this conflict." Dempsey has … continually warned the country's political elite against stronger military commitment in the conflict, citing the US experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dempsey thus supported the Obama administration's current policy of providing humanitarian assistance and some limited help to moderate opposition, saying that would be "the best framework for an effective U.S. strategy toward Syria." (Source)
In other words, Dempsey warns that the armed forces will carry out a decision for a war but that the politicians have, however, to worry about the consequences in advance.
That was even one of the fundamental tenets of Barack Obama, who even said before his first election victory, that the Republicans had, when they still ruled the country, to easily engaged in military conflicts, without weighing the consequences – neither for the "liberated" countries, nor for themselves.
What would be the rational reasons now for the situation that, as it is currently written very often, "Obama comes under pressure" in terms of Syria? No one seriously believes in the ramblings of "red lines", probably kenning / understanding, that there just have to be occasions at times that represent a pretext for war.
Obama has recently suffered his second defeat during the "Arab Spring". The first defeat yet looked like a needle stick, which was very effective in terms of the media, of course: the assassination of Ambassador Stevens in Benghazi (Libya). The second defeat of Obama was the military coup in Egypt.
And this already has a system, because the support for that came from Saudi Arabia and almost certainly also from Israel. These processes undermine Obama's position both in Syria and in the upcoming negotiations between the Americans and Iran.
Democracy back and forth, weapons of mass destruction are still no fun – not matter whether anyone has actually used such weapons or not. The main thing is the drawing of an image of a situation that gets out of control. On this basis, one is able to cobble together any / some coalition and to "wipe out" Damascus.
How this should be beneficial for the control of the chemical weapons in Syria is not of interest for them, especially since the backers know exactly whether they were used or not.
The fact is that Barack Obama needs to do something after they have so clearly ignored the current events in Egypt. If he swallows it, he soon receives another severe drubbing. The policy does not tolerate any weak person, especially not a weakened powerful person.
All in all, this means that the Americans in all seriousness consider a direct attack on Syria.
Currently, only the lack of clarity over what will happen afterwards restrains them from doing so – there is no enthusiasm for a repeat of Iraq and Afghanistan, where they invaded quickly, but were not able to get out so quickly.
If the U.S. military has already send another, fourth warship with cruise missiles into the Mediterranean, then this is not just for a further political pressure on Syria, but certainly a preparation for a possible attack on Syria.
Until recently, this variant has not been really seriously considered, but meanwhile, the military coup in Egypt was very unpleasant for Obama. There is indeed a good chance that an attack on Syria, without any concern for the time afterwards in the Arab nation, now appears to be rational for Obama, in order to restore his position as a feudal Akela (in Kipling's sense / fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's stories).
In any case, the probability of a war against Syria has increased significantly after the events in Egypt.
Source: apxwn
Tagged air attack, Barack Obama, Egypt, intervention, Military Intervention, Syria, US marines, Washington
M. Klostermayr
The Syria 'Chemical Weapons' Media Hype: Pushing for Military Intervention
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-syria-chemical-weapons-media-hype-pushing-for-military-intervention/5346834
The Chicken Hawks in DC have been wetting their pants for a couple of years now, trying to find some excuse to invade Syria, so this is no news.
true.. they probably will receive a bloody nose (again).. however if it happens, its just sad for the US soldiers that are then part of such a war/mission.. as usual.
MK, the Chicken Hawks have gotten much more sophisticated. What they'll do is try to swindle NATO into doing the killing. Our forces will stand off and launch drone strides at everything that moves, and cruise missiles against anything that looks like a factory, or a grain elevator, or a single story home that can be called a 'suspected bunker'. NATO will get the dirty work of engaging SAF and dropping cluster munitions on schools, hospitals, apartment buildings and weapons depots. When the ground phase starts, the Chicken Hawks will, again, swindle NATO and EU forces into making the assaults and engaging SAA. We do NOT have enough troops and tanks to do the job; even a cheap remake of Iraq would not be possible anymore. The 'allies' would, eventually, 'win' a DU poisoned land in a toxic region, thanks to depleted uranium scattered about like confetti at some hideous entertainment. If the US invades, or sponsors a de jure invasion of, Syria, the only possible winners will be the arms manufacturers, none of whom will actually risk anything at all. Nothing. I am an American who really loves this country, and I utterly despise this government and no longer respect a military which just salutes and then commits the most horrific abominations upon a country and people which have never been a threat to us. It is an enterprise of Satan, wholly evil, and no one engaged in it will not go un-tarred by the brush of Lucifer. No one, high or low.
This time they will likely use missiles to destroy infrastructure, without ground forces, just as they did in other coubtries already. Who says that Lybia was no success for the US? A couple of sacrificed guys including an ambassador, so what. Important are the arms deals, oil money and a weakened regime that is busy fighting internal strifes, and therefore has no time and lust to confront Israeli and US policy. How cares about the resulting death and desperation of millions? Noone in Lybia or Iraq speaks of an attack against Israel anymore. Mission achieved. And, if anyone in future turns against the US, it will not be a whole army, but rather a couple of rogue extremists. It the eyes of the US, with Ghadafi, Hussein, Taliban, rogue regimes have gone. Assad is next on the list. And he is a relatively easy target, compared to Iran. Sorry to say so, but the aftermath in Syria is not important this time. Chaos is actually better than a controlled transition. The only worry for the US boys and Israel – chemicals… Not so much in the hands of a news islamic regime in Syria, no. They fear the chemicals in the hands of then jobless and revengeful former SAA guys. Thats the only trump card the legitimate Government of Syria seems to have right now against a rogue US attack. Well, lets see with what solutions Nobel peace lauraete Obama (bin Laden) comes up next….
AH, Libya lost the war, the US won nothing except the (temporary) continuance of the US dollar as reserve currency, to pay for – – stuff. You probably know that Gaddafi was set to roll out the Libyan Gold Dinar in June, somebody leaked the info in February. It was Hillary Clinton who ordered the initial air strikes while Obama was busy in South America trying to sew up the 'Free Trade Zone of the Americas'; she notified him by way of cell phone, and he backed up her action. You probably also know that the Libyan citizens Gaddafi was supposedly busy massacring were al Qaida and MB, which he was busily rooting out and killing wherever found. You also probably know that Libya was secular, stable, and increasingly prosperous; the Libyan government spent fortunes to build modern infrastructure, as well as schools, libraries, clinics and state-of-the-art hospitals. Part of the infrastructure money went for underground aquaducts, the increase in arable land permitted a corresponding increase in agriculture to the point where Libya was rapidly becoming 'the bread basket of North Africa', with sales increasing every harvest. Every Libyan of employable age received a government check for about a thousand dollars in US exchange value, whether they worked or not, hence the huge numbers of foreign workers in Libya.
At the time the attacks were launched, until the Libyan government fell, Libya had no contractual links to either World Bank nor IMF; recall, if you will, that prior to her accession to Secretary of State, Hillary had been very near the top of a very short list to head the World Bank; in her post as Secretary of State, she was of infinitely more value to the banksters than she would have been as CEO of World Bank. As a bankster, she could not possibly have initiated an unlawful war to take down a rogue country which was switching to a gold currency.
So far as I know, the Libyan oil concessions have been withheld from US companies, or nearly in entirety, thus another failure for the US. Monsanto dashed in with its GMO seeds in hopes of producing all toxic crops in Libya; I have to admit that I don't know how well that worked out, if at all, but without aquaducts Libya would be lucky to grow enough food for its own people, and the aquaducts were heavily targeted as being 'secret tunnels' for movement of weapons and personnel, I assume with a fair degree of success. For a considerable time Libya was used as a training ground for terrorists, and the Gaddafi arsenals have been looted by wholesale but the bloom is off the rose. Once again, Libyan forces are dealing with al Qaida and MB, the weapons depots must be nearly empty by now, so there is no longer anything in Libya for the US. Bummer, huh?
President Mubarak had his security forces busily tracking down and exterminating MB and al Qaida, too. Another bloodthirsty madman, killing his own people. Another country which was secular, stable, and increasingly self sufficient, but Mubarak made a fatal error in refusing the US a concession to build a permanent base in Egypt. Oops. Mubarak has to go, bring on MB and Egypt's tears will all be dried. The bloom's off that rose, too, as you know. Nobody knows for sure how that will play out, especially since MB headquarters is in London, but since Egypt is stiff arming both London and Washington, I've hopes that the Egyptians can get their country back. So far as I can tell, the Egyptian security apparatus is being used in a pretty good manner, but the Sinai command needs to be replaced, most rikitik; I think that they've lost more men due to incompetence in command than to any skilled use of enemy forces; I know that the Sinai is a pretty big sand patch and that guerillas would seem to have the advantage, but desert operations impose hideous logistical strictures which would be very difficult for the enemy to overcome; in order to rearms or resupply they would, very soon, be forced to rely upon captured government stocks. Unfortunately, until government's Sinai command is thoroughly weeded out and squared away my opinion is that the guerillas will get an almost free ride.
Iraq? Well, Iraq was also a secular and stable country which was getting along on the resources available to it. Iraq didn't belong to either World Bank nor IMF, either. Saddam decided to dump the dollar for oil money, and go to the euro. Now Saddam, according to most reports, was nobody's idea of Father Christmas. I was busy exterminating al Qaida and MB to the point where there were no known living members of either in Iraq, but that was his own business, so long as he didn't mess with the reserve currency. Now it gets a little complicated. The US had, at that time, a nice share of the oil concessions and didn't want to mess that up, so Saddam was conned into thinking that anything he conquered south of his border would be his, we would buy Kuwaiti oil from him, but the Saudi oil being of poor quality, he could do whatever he wanted with. Saddam's military went through Kuwait like crap through a goose and, if reports are correct, he stopped at the Saudi line because his army ran out of gas, food and potable water, besides which his army was hamstrung because it was road bound.
It could not navigate the desert by either day or night. While he was scrambling for transport to get supplies to his army, KSA was screaming its *ss of for help; somebody, somewhere, in DC knew right away that Saddam's big invasion was a bust, and the only thing left to do was bail out the Saudis in the interest of supplying the US with oil. Fine, but we need to distract Saddam with something internal to Iraq, so we'll just talk the southern Iraqi Shi'ia into an uprising, and the Kurds in the north; that will eat up enough time so that we can get all set for a haymaker right from the boot tops, which was done. The only intent at that time was to put Saddam safely back into his cage, restore the status quo ante (sort of), and make sure his aerial assets are rendered useless. Remember, Saddam was told that anything he took south of his own border he could keep so, when NATO attacked he was not only astonished, he also knew full well that he'd been betrayed. Had he been able to roll on to Riyadh, all would have probably been well since KSA had been an increasingly irritating burr under the US saddle for some time. His military just didn't pack the gear to get the job done, so Gulf War I was on, with limited strategic objectives.
At the conclusion, Saddam was allowed to keep his helicopters in operation 'for humanitarian purposes', they being exempted from the no fly restrictions. He converted them to gunships and set about trying to exterminate the southern Shi'ia and the Kurds, but the Kurds were too tough a nut to crack and that objective was pidgeon holed. He also set about destroying his C-B weapons, but in the run up to Golf War II, DC claimed that he had scads of the stuff, mobile manufacturys, fleets of scud launchers, yatta-yatta, not true. This time it was about oil, although it was widely trumpeted that Saddam was killing off his own people by wholesale (southern Shi'ia, yes), that he was a mad dictator blah-blah-blah, a regime change was needed so that American Democracy could be gifted to the Iraqi people blah-blah-blah. At this time there were no living al Qaida or MB in Iraq, Washington's claims to the contrary not withstanding. Al Qaida, allegedly, had carpeted the Iraqi desert with training camps which made Iraq a threat to all the decent people upon the face of the earth. Well, the US didn't win this one, either. When it was all over, the oil concessions went to almost any oil company which was not American. Monsanto did quite well, being the designated seed supplier as one of the 80 'points' of the occupation agreement, especially after Israel destroyed the regional seed bank in Syria (claiming that it was a nuclear facility of some unspecified sort); in the process of all this the US military spewed forth so much depleted uranium and the soil and water are fatally contaminated for the few hundred million years; Iraq Iraqis will, eventually become extinct because of it. So, anyway, none of the oil objectives have been achieved, post war Iraq is stiff with al Qaida and a host of other ne'er do wells over which the US has no control any more.
Hmmm. What to do – – if it's true that idle hands are the devil's workshop, maybe we could just channel their energies in another direction. Let's see. Iran? No. Not a prayer of winning there. Syria. Yeah. A stable secular country, pretty prosperous, it's got oil, very productive crop land, nice manufacturing base and another madman who kills his own people by wholesale; yeah, he's just keeping the jihadi rats in check, but that's not how we'll sell it. Besides, the Syrian people really need to be gifted with American Democracy, ya dig, bro?
So. Here we are. In my opinion, the US/NATO cannot win a war in Syria. Kill thousands upon thousands of people, flatten thousands and thousands of buildings yes, but win? No. Okay, why do I think that? Because I believe that the Syrian people would put their whole heart into it, and that the US/NATO troops wouldn't have the heart FOR it. There are no more cake walks out there, it would be dead wrong and the troops know it; there's nothing in it for Snuffy at the end of it, the resources in money, and man power just don't exist anymore, and no one can come up with any excuse for the war that has even a scintilla of logic to it. KSA's military isn't up to any kind of meaningful participation, Jordan doesn't want to play and is only in the game at all because it's in a nutcracker. Iraq isn't up to another war, but would probably give Iran right of passage in the interest of regional self defense. The West is right in the middle of a sh*t sandwich, and will have to eat the whole thing, if somebody doesn't grow a brain in DC, London, or both. Anyway, all aggressive wars are about money so, cui bono, huh?
Iraq is – – different – – sort of.
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The White House has confirmed that president Barrack Obama will visit Kenya in July for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. The summit is expected to bring together world business leaders, government and and international organizations. This will be the first time the summit takes place in sub-Saharan Africa.
President Obama visited Kenya as a U.S. senator, but he has never done so as president. During a trip to other African countries last year, he said he was likely to visit Kenya before leaving the White House.
The president's father came to the United States from Kenya for school and returned to his home country after his son's birth. The elder Senior died more than 30 years ago, though the president has other family still living in Kenya.


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Uwe Karst (* 8. Mai 1965 in Münster) ist ein deutscher Chemiker und Professor für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie an der Universität Münster.

Nach dem Abitur am Wilhelm-Hittorf-Gymnasium studierte Karst ab 1985 in Münster Chemie mit dem Diplom 1990 und der Promotion bei Karl Cammann 1993. Dazwischen war er 1991 wissenschaftlicher Assistent an der University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill bei R. M. Wightman. Als Post-Doktorand war er bei R. E. Sievers an der University of Colorado Boulder. Er habilitierte sich 1998 in Münster und war ab 2001 Professor für Analytische Chemie an der Universität Twente. Seit 2005 ist er Professor für Analytische und Anorganische Chemie in Münster (Nachfolger von Karl Cammann).

Er befasst sich unter anderem mit Nanopartikeln (Fluoreszenz-Label), der Online-Kopplung von Techniken der Elektrochemie, Flüssigchromatographie und Massenspektrometrie in der Analytischen Chemie, dem Nachweis von Gadolinium-Anreicherung in biologischem Gewebe (als Folge der Nutzung als Kontrastmittel in MRI mit Folgen bis zu Nierenversagen), Spezies-Analyse und Entwicklung von Techniken der Atomspektroskopie dazu.

1999 erhielt er den Fachgruppenpreis Analytische Chemie der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker und 2009 den Fresenius-Preis. Er ist Mitglied im DFG-Fachkollegium Analytische Chemie.

Weblinks
 Homepage in Münster

Chemiker (20. Jahrhundert)
Chemiker (21. Jahrhundert)
Hochschullehrer (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität)
Deutscher
Geboren 1965
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


WWE Extreme Rules wasn't the perfect event, but given the current landscape of RAW and Smackdown, the event is a big win for fans in terms of getting to the point where events are more "must see".
Whether you like Roman Reigns as a performer or not, the way he has been utilized the past few years has gotten a bit tired. The way in which WWE made it very obvious that they wanted him to be the one to ultimately defeat Brock Lesnar for the championship was very apparent, and it felt like we were biding our time until they decided Lesnar had held it long enough (read: until he exceeded CM Punk's streak to a sufficient length).
And now Bobby Lashley has something to say about whose "yard" it is.
Do I want Bobby Lashley to be the top guy in WWE? Not a chance, because he's honestly not very charismatic at all. Yet, with him taking the driver's seat in the conversation about who is going to get their hands on Brock Lesnar, potentially at Summer Slam, things get more interesting.
It wasn't too long ago that The New Day and The Usos were the only two legit threats in the tag team divisions. The way Extreme Rules played out, we get more credible teams than before it started. Though it was on the pre-show, Sanity defeating The New Day is significant, with the trio fresh from NXT defeating the most popular team over the past three years, world-wide, bar none (Bullet Club included)! The Buldgeon Brothers retaining against Team Hell No is of massive benefit to Harper and Rowan, getting a signature win over arguably the most OVER competitor in the WWE today. It wasn't too long ago that they were second fiddle to Bray Wyatt and were hardly ever scoring victories in meaningful matches. Now they've extended their title reigns.
Oh, right, speaking of title reigns and Bray Wyatt, how 'bout that B-Team?! When they won the Battle Royal to become #1 contenders, it seemed like a nice little opportunity for Bray to face his real-life brother Bo in a somewhat meaningful match on an albeit second-tier (or third?) monthly event. Bo and Axel have done well as bit players as they supported The Miz as his stooges, and it's great that they're getting rewarded with the gold. Now there are no fewer than 7 interesting teams in WWE's tag division, and had the event gone another way, three of them might still be clearly relegated to a secondary tier.
As I saw that Nia Jax and Asuka were the contenders to face Alexa Bliss and Carmella, respectively, I figured we were potentially about to end up with either one or both of the titles switching hands to a competitor who is significantly less compelling than the ones who walked into the event with the straps. I figured Alexa Bliss was more likely of the two to keep her championship because WWE clearly showed they don't know how to use Jax, having switched her back and forth from face to heel back to face in just a few months. And it's only a matter of time before Asuka goes on a run where she holds one of the Women's Championship belts for a record length of time, and Carmella has gotten really good at playing the heel who is clearly less talented than the challenger coming for her yet keeps her abundance of confidence. And now Carmella becomes even more effective in the role as she extends her title reign.
Setting things up between Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey for SummerSlam? Excellent. Rousey may have lost some of the momentum she had when she first got to WWE, but her aftermath involvement at Extreme Rules definitely helps get back on track. For now, the two heels can drive their feuds towards the big event.
Oh how happy I was to see Shinsuke Nakamura facing Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules instead of yet again getting Nakamura vs AJ Styles. The fact that Jeff Hardy held the United States Championship gave me hope that Nakamura might dwell in that title scene for a month or two and extend the reprieve from the continuation of the feud with Styles. Imagine my surprise (and elation) when Nakamura cemented the reprieve by defeating Jeff Hardy for the US Championship! This gives us the opportunity to see Nakamura face other opponents, while holding a championship, which should help fans get a better idea for what he's all about than they did during his repetitive feud with Styles.
Oh, and Rusev getting the shot at AJ Styles and that championship?! GOLDEN! Yeah, Rusev came up short, which is fine, but at least he finally got his title match atop the card, something that has been a long time coming. It also signals that someone backstage is listening to the fans and giving a fan favorite the opportunity to shine in brighter lights.
For a while, Baron Corbin was on a run which I felt was a bit short-sighted, and frankly, which didn't pay off for WWE in the short-term. He didn't have anything resembling a good feud back when he was just destroying Dolph Ziggler, nor when he had what I would consider to be transitional "feuds" with Nakamura and then John Cena. After becoming the "Constable of RAW" as the personal representative for Stephanie McMahon, I figured this signaled that Corbin was going to go back to his winning ways. As it turns out, I was totally wrong to be disappointed-in-advance, because Finn Balor DID NOT lose to Corbin, and takes a step up the card as he keeps Corbin from doing so.
Kevin Owens was, at one point, the best heel in WWE. That sort of accolade doesn't stay if the person can't win a match, and he was floundering for a bit. When I saw that he was facing Braun Strowman at Extreme Rules in a Cage Match, I disappointingly resigned myself to the fact that this was just another way to prove just how dominant Strowman was… and yet again, I am happy to admit that I was wrong! The right person won the match, even if Kevin Owens did get completely destroyed in the process.
Both of these outcomes goes a long way towards making the main event scenes far more interesting. Had Kevin Owens simply lost outright, he loses any sort of bragging rights or momentum, and he's a lesser heel than he is today. Finn Balor takes a huge step back from his quest to regaining the Universal Championship if he loses to Baron Corbin. And yet, while I would have been happy with either of the two of them winning their respective matches, to have both of them win sets things up for WWE to tell more interesting storylines with great competitors going forward. Braun Strowman doesn't actually lose any momentum, given how he destroyed Owens, and Corbin… ah, who cares about Baron Corbin. As the flunkie mouthpiece for Lady McMahon-Helmsly, he can call his shots any way he wants to, and he gets even more heel heat if the fans have historical "ammo" to show that any opportunity he gifts himself is unwarranted.
I'm not thrilled that there were 8 "falls" in a 30 minute Iron Man match. It took half that amount of time for AJ Styles to get one fall on Rusev in the penultimate match of the night… you're telling me that there would be 7 more if they kept going for another 15 minutes? It just seems cheap. That said, the match going to a sudden-death "overtime" is good stuff, and having Dolph Ziggler retain the championship is the absolute correct decision here. Seth Rollins doesn't need YET ANOTHER accolade, but Ziggler needs more wins like this over competitors of Rollins' stature to help elevate him up the card where he should be. If Rollins had won here, it would have all but negated Ziggler's win back on June 18th when he won the championship for the sixth time, especially because the only way he retained in their first rematch was because of Drew McIntyre's interference.


We live in a world where we seek abstraction, but require symbols to share a common language. I dare say that we still need visual expressions to help our minds deal with the complexity and possibilities that advanced technology can provide us. How these expressions change reflects not only how we see reality, but how we plan to shape it as well.
When I first saw Shutterstock's 2017 Creative Trends report, the Cultural Trends section immediately caught my eye.
I have a soft spot for anthropology (always wanted to study more than I did at the uni) and my college teacher taught me that there are always fascinating underlying causes for any such collection of insights.
Lucky me that Terrence Morash, Shutterstock's Creative Director, took the time to share some thoughts on two subjects I wanted to find out more about.
One of the search topics that grew by the highest percentage (363%, to be exact) is "cybersecurity". While this did not surprise me (I work in the industry myself), I was curios to find out how people tried to illustrate such abstract concepts and processes.
With new technologies surfacing and growing more popular, we've seen Shutterstock contributors try to echo those trends with imagery to support them. Virtual reality and cyber security are examples of complex topics that can be difficult and complicated to represent in one image.
Our contributors pay close attention to what's already out there and adapt their new imagery to reflect not only the topic at hand, but also what they might believe is a new or different way to showcase the concept.
All I can tell you is that the results are there and Shutterstock is filled with great explanations for concepts which might otherwise be difficult to grasp. I've been inspired more than once at work, while browsing through the gallery, to come up with a new idea for a blogpost or landing page.
In terms of design, the contemporary duality of human nature is focused on two key topics: nature and tech. With one foot in the our palpable reality and one foot in the digital/virtual other, we try to expand our possibilities to learn, discover and create.
At Shutterstock, we're also entertaining these same notions and exploring new ways to explore the collection of 100 million images. Last year, we introduced machine learning technology to offer an alternative way to search. We're paying close attention to how, when, and why our customers would opt to search using our reverse-image search instead of a traditional text-based search.
In everything we do, the goal is not to replace, but rather to provide a variety and range of options for both content and the search experience on the site. Our contributors and our engineers are hard at work to consider what the stock industry looks like in 2017 and beyond.
Maybe this is just the young anthropology student in me speaking, but these are not just images or videos we're using. They include powerful symbols which can unite and inspire.
There is a strong symbolism attached to this relationship between human and image and I trust that this will continue to hold true for years to come. Shutterstock's Creative Reports helps us with some important pieces of the puzzle to figure out what we can create next.


On the 9th April we posted the following notice concerning the problems that had occurred with the decision by the Wolverhampton Homes and the Waste collection department to unilaterally withdraw from collecting waste from the 36 homes above Ashmore Park Shopping Parade-"The rumblings over the swift decision to whip out the garbage collection from homes situated above Ashmore Park Shopping Parade continues to reverberate as local Councillors Dave Jones and Phil Bateman try to tackle the reasons behind the decision."
Councillor Bateman further commenting said "Well we did arrange an urgent meeting with the two organisations. This took place on site and Councillor Jones and I argued the case for a return to waste collection.
We have been in touch with the officials since that meeting and we feel that we have made good progress.
Making further comment Councillor Dave Jones said " We have put up a good case and there is some good news on the horizon. We believe that we have been successful in the short period to have some type of collection re-started using a toughened bag.
The original reason that the collection stopped was because a knife blade(see the photograph) was close to injuring an operative. It will be a couple more weeks before the details are fully known. But Councillor Bateman and myself are very pleased that we have been able to argue successfully for some 'middle way' here."
This is the sort of issue that campaigning local Councillors can achieve for constituents.


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Q: There exists a non-empty open set $U ⊆ \Bbb R^2$ such that $f(x, y) = 0$ for every $(x, y) ∈ U$. Show that $f = 0$, i.e. $f$ is identically zero. Let $f ∈ \Bbb R[x, y]$ be such that there exists a non-empty open set $U ⊆ \Bbb R^2$ such that $f(x, y) = 0$ for every $(x, y) ∈ U$. Show that $f = 0$, i.e. $f$ is identically zero.
My try: Since $f ∈ \Bbb R[x, y]$, where $\Bbb R[x,y]$ is the polynomial ring in two variables, $f$ can be expressed as $a_0x^n+a_1x^{n-1}y+...+a_ny^n$ for some $n$ and $a_0,a_1,...,a_n$.
If we can show that each of the coefficients $a_0,a_1,...,a_n$ are zero then we are done and for that we have to find out $n^{th}$ order partial derivatives at $(0,0)$.
Partial derivatives of the form $$\frac{\delta^n}{\delta x^i \delta y^{n-i}} f$$
I can't figure out what to do next. Help Needed!!
Also other methods of solution greatly accepted.

A: Let $(x_0,y_0)$ be an inner point of this set $U$.
Your function can be written as $$f(x,y) = \sum_{i=0}^n\sum_{j=0}^m f_{ij} (x-x_0)^i (y-y_0)^j$$ with constants $f_{ij}$.
Now, obviously, $$\frac{\partial^{s+p}f }{\partial x^s\partial y^p}(x_0,y_0)=0$$  by the definition of the set $U$. On the other hand, by a direct calculations you can show that $$\frac{\partial^{s+p}f }{\partial x^s\partial y^p}(x_0,y_0)=s!p!f_{sp}$$under the hypothesis that $s\le n$, $p\le m$.
This implies that all coefficients $f_{ij}$ are zero and hence $f$ is identically zero.

A: An algebraic approach. Because $U$ is open, there is a rectangle $[x_0,x_1]\times [y_0,y_1]\subseteq U$. Think of $f$ as an element of $(\mathbb{R}[x])[y]$, so we have $f_0,\dotsc,f_n\in \mathbb{R}[X]$ with
$$f(x,y)=f_x(y)=\sum_{i=1}^n f_i(x)y^i$$
For every $x=[x_0,x_1]$. We know that $f_{x}=0\in \mathbb{R}[y]$ because there are infinte many zeros namely $[y_0,y_1]$. So $f_i(x)=0$ for each $x=[x_0,x_1]$. So  $f_i\in \mathbb{R}[x]$ has infinete many zeros namely $[x_0,x_1]$ and thus $f_i=0\in \mathbb{R}[x]$. So $f=0$.

A: My initial instinct is that if $f$ is zero on an open subset of the domain, $f$ is zero on a lot of points, infinitely many in fact. You can use this to your advantage with Lagrange Interpolation. It takes only a finite number of points to determine a polynomial function of a certain degree. Call this degree $d$. Call the number of zero points needed to determine this polynomial $n$. Then pick another zero point (so that we now have $n+1$ points) at which our interpolated polynomial is nonzero. Having to incorporate this point now make the function identically zero. The trick here is to ensure that you are able to pick the right points, but I believe something along these lines could work for even some non-open sets.
Utilizing the open set specifically though, you will need the fact that if a function of one variable is zero on an interval, then the function is zero. Since $U$ is an open set, there is an open disc within $U$, call it $D$. Take any $x$ coordinate that is in $D$ and restrict $f$ to just this coordinate. This restricted $f$ is zero on an interval, so it must also be zero. This works for any $x$ coordinate in $D$, so that now for every $y$, we have an interval at which we know $f$ restricted to that $y$ is zero. The rest of the proof then follows.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Last night (during the Superbowl), I went to go see Notes on a Scandal, in which Judi Dench pulls off this horrible, horrible character with amazing ability and talent. It was a very good film — both Blanchett and Dench were great, and I loved Bill Nighy — but I left the theatre with that pit of despair in my tummy that i get when I see a movie (or read a book) with such characters of malice. I reminded me of when I saw Jean de Florette when I was in high school. The characters were just so hateful. I don't remember the film well at all. All I remember is walking away with this horrible taste of human malevolence. The movie also made me think of the movie Closer, which i never saw — because it looked like a film solely about human malisciousness. As I was reading IMDB, I saw that Patrick Marber wrote both screenplays. I'm a bit torn. On one hand, I liked the movie because of the really great acting and the complexity of the characters. On the other hand, the characters lacked a bit of complexity, in that I found it very difficult to sympathise with Barbara. I can't say I sympathised much with the boy involved with the teacher, either. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it — but it is "sticking" with me. Then again, sometimes gum on the show does that, too.
Nonetheless, before the movie there was a preview for The Namesake, a film by Mira Nair based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. A deeply sad novel (Lahiri has this way of making you feel like you've been kicked in the gut after you've finished reading one of her pieces), it is a beautifully written poignant story. I enjoy the work of both Nair and Lahiri, so I cannot wait until March 9th! Since the movie 300 opens the same day, I feel a double date coming on, as Sujal really wants to see that.
Here is a good NYT article that discusses the offensiveness of white people calling black people "articulate" as Sen. Biden recently called Sen. Obama. Frankly, the whole statement was wildly offensive — with Biden saying that Obama is "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." Again — there are so many problems with the statement, but what really gets me is: the first. Biden, if you're reading, please drop out now.
I recently watched Bill O'Reilly as a guest on the The Colbert Report. So I had to go online to see Colbert on the O'Reilly Factor.
Of course one can analyze comedy. People do it all the time — quite successfully. It's the thinking person's job to analyze (or am I just showing that I am an English teacher?). If you are coming off as a dufus, you should probably rethink your analysis. True, EB White said: "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it," but we're not talking about dissecting a joke here.
The media, the old media especially, which is not hip at all, thinks that some of the hipness is going to rub off on them if they build these guys up and put them on the cover of their magazines and stuff like that.
This is all from a guy who wrote a book called 110 People who are screwing up America. I am at first shocked that a news network would have this nitwit on, but then I have to consider the source.
Lost Season 3 — on Wednesday!!
It's safe to say Sujal and I are excited, especially now that we have the HD TV, which I still want to chuck out the window. I'm looking forward to seeing it play out, but I have to say, I have some low expectations. I'm not thrilled that we'll be shifting away from the characters I have come to love, but then again, there have been shifts I anticipated hating previously. My main concern is the lack of finality to the story. I like it's intricate plot. I like its character development, but I am also a huge fan of the novel — where there's a trajectory, and aim, an endpoint that pulls the text (show) together. For example — the "monster" machine-thingy — are they just going to let that drop? It seems to have all but faded. But you can bet your sweet bippy that Sujal and I have a date on the sofa Wednesday night.
So I'm getting my fix of the daily show (I've had a really crappy morning — my car has a coolant leak, so I had to call AAA to tow it to the dealer to be fixed $$$, and then we have this bully cat — we call her Growly — in our neighborhood. Tillie always has through the window fights with her on the porch. She's a fierce defender of her territory. So I heard the window fight and went out to chase Growly away, and Tillie attached my leg, breaking skin in about 15-20 places. Dark blood began running down my leg, and it still hurts — poor Heidi — so I needed my Daily Show fix), and I see Jon Stewart shows a clip from MSNBC with the headline "IS JON STEWART A DANGER?" Only, Jon Stewart doesn't play what they're saying on the clip, so I did a little search to find it on Alternet. I can see he didn't play the sound, because it was pretty silly, but you should watch the video. It keeps showing these pictures of Stewart over and over — and I think they're trying to make him look ominous, but it's pretty silly. Anyway, clearly he's striking a nerve. And it is laughable to me that the host is flabbergasted that 18-34 yr olds feel they can't trust the media. I call that an education.
Holy crap! Go see this flic. Sujal and I went to see a double feature today — more on that in the above post. The first flic we saw was An Inconvenient Truth. It was a very good documentary, and it made us sad that a). Gore will not be running again b). Bush stole the election.
In the documentary, Al Gore clearly explains global warming. I never really knew the specifics behind it nor the full impact, so it really helped me to understand more fully. At the end, I leaned over and asked Sujal what he thought about both of us selling our cars and buying one super fuel efficient vehicle. I knew he wouldn't bee super warm to the idea, and he wasn't. But truly, I do not need a car. I've been thinking about the Yaris, which gets 34/40 miles per gallon. I thought it was a it better, but I guess it could be better still. The Prius seems like a good option. Frankly, It's only a few thousand more than my Jetta, and the tax incentive completely offsets that difference. Anyway, the the flic is good. Go see it.
My only complaint might be that it shows glaciers years ago vs. now and how they've shrunk, but it does not say the time of year. If it showed a picture of Glacier National Park in 1960 in the winter and then in 2005 in the winter, it would pack that much more of a punch than the unlabeled pictures. But frankly, they are pretty powerful nonetheless. We all can and should make a difference. See the flic website for tips on how to emit less greenhouse gas.
I almost forgot — there was a lovely moment of irony before the flic began when the theater ran a Mazda car ad. What the hell are they thinking?
I also found this on a Naveen Andrews fan site.


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African-American History Martin Luther King Jr. History of the United States All Topics
What form of art was common during the 30's?
In the 1930s, big bands and swing music were popular with Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller popular bandleaders. War songs also became popular in those years.
One of the most famous and influential Jazz musicians was Louis Armstrong. Radio remotes increased in the music, and it grew popularity throughout the States.
What did Renaissance literature and art have in common?
Literature is an form of art. It is expressed during writing. Renaissance literature and art were very popular in its time
What do art and movement have in common?
art is a form of a movement it can easliy persuade you. art is moving, not literally moving but in a persuading form.
Why is that the common subject for art during the ancient period are plants and animals?
The common subject for art during the ancient period were plants and animals because concrete figures did not exist them.
Hobbies of dean koontz?
Art Deco radios from the '20s and '30s
What were some art fads in the 30s?
the bob show at the year book of 1`244554
What does muay mean?
Muay is an ancient Indonesian form of martial art. The most common form of the art is Indonesian kickboxing. There is some similarities to other Chinese forms.
What was a common art form of the Shang Dynasty in China?
Objects made of bronze were common in the Shang Dynasty of China.
What are the following was not a major art form during the European Middle Ages?
Knowing what was not a major art form during the European Middle Ages would be easier to know if a person knows what the choices are. To know the answer the options listed should be provided.
Who observed that Americans have a tendency to form associations and have perfected the art of pursuing in common the object of their common desires?
What important art form did the ancient Romans develop?
The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed the art form of the fresco. The Romans developed… Read More
When was art deco around?
The art deco movement was most prominent in the 1920s and 30s. In the so-called Interbellum between the mid-1920s until the beginning of WW II.
What do Judaism Islam and Hinduism have in common in art?
While Judaism and Islam have a lot in common regarding art, these two religions have almost nothing in common with art in Hinduism. This is because both Judaism and Islam have very strong prohibitions against attempting to picture The Creator in art which resulted in little to no depictions of the human form whether painted, drawn, or carved/sculptured historically.
How did art and music change during the Enlightenment?
Art and music changed rapidly during the Enlightenment. Art became more simple in comparison to the "baroque" style previously popular. This new style of art was known as "Neoclassical." Music became light and elegant, giving way to the term "classical music." Art and music helped to form a creative outlet during a time of scientific discoveries, logic, and reason.
When did Op Art become popular?
Newspaper articles and exhibitions of Op Art came in the mid 1960s, and that is when everybody became interested. As early as in the 30s Victor Vasarely, one of the pioneers, had made pictures which can be seen as early Op Art.
Is a quilt considered a form of art?
Yes, a quilt is a form of art
What art form is the Statue of Liberty?
The statue of liberty is an art form.
What is the difference between Paleolithic and neolithic art?
During the Paleolithic era, or the old stone age, art took the form on cave paintings and often depicted a nomadic way of life. During the Neolithic era, as people become more stationary, they began creating their art on walls.
What was the most common accompaniment instrument for Renaissance art songs in music?
Lute was the common accompaniment instrument for Renaissance era but during the Romantic era it changes to piano.
Camera an art form?
I think camera work is an art form, video or film can also be considered art.
What is the most common type of art?
The most common art form in the world is Graffiti. Graffiti has been around since ancient times and is widespread. Archaeological remains also indicate how the early man used pictures to depict scenes of life and ideas.
What kind of painting is an art deco ring?
An art deco ring is not painted, but it is a beautifully ornate piece of metalwork that is often considered quite valuable. Art deco is an artistry style from the 1920s and 30s, and is known for its use of geometric shapes. For its time, art deco was considered to be rather modern.
What is the highest form of art for Muslims?
CALLIGRAPHY and ARCHITECTURE were the highest forms of art for Muslims. Painting, drawing, and sculpture were considered forbidden in a number of different Islamic regimes, but the ban was inconsistent both in place and time.
How can you define learningt as an art?
Art literally means 'The creation of beautiful things' therfore, learining can be classed as an art. The development or expansion of knowledge is a beautiful thing. Skill and technique are also demonstrated in learning as in many other art forms. Learning is probably the most common and useful art form there is to offer.
What were the developments of art in India during the British rule?
Art continued to flourish in India during British rule. This included sculptures and paintings from some of the top artists in the country. There was also a movement of political art, which was part of the "Quit India" movement. This was another form of peaceful resistance against British rule.
Is the word art a common noun?
Yes, the noun 'art' is a common noun, a general word for any art of any kind, anywhere.
What does the renaissance and middle ages have in common?
They both have to do with art not the same art but art.
Briefly discuss how art in China has fared during the late 20th century?
Art was encouraged by the Republic of China but creativity for artists was limited. Modern style art mediums were only allowed and content had to celebrate the common people and the glory of China.
Which art form is not two dimensional?
Sculpture is the main form of art that is not considered two dimensional.
What is a Byzantine art form pictures formed of chips or colored stones?
Mosaic is the art form.
What is an art form?
An art form is any piece of creative work which has individual artistic merit.
What is considered the greatest form of art in the world?
There is no great form of art. It just depends on you what you like
Is the Poster a Dying Art form?
Posters could be a dying art form as they are not as popular as they used to be.
How can graffiti be considered as a new form of art?
it is because in graffiti you also use color and it is a form because art can be on a canvas art is everywhere
Is craft a form of art?
It is a form of art because arts and crafts is art mixed with crafting so it's like half and half
Is architecture a form of art?
Yes. It is a sculptural art.
What is the definition of volume in art form?
volume in art
Is acrylic nails an art?
An art form-not literally.
Is ballet a form of art?
Yes, a performing art.
Why is this art form pop art?
The art form of pop art evolved as a direct retaliation to the high brow culture of traditional art, that was only supposed to be created by a few. That art was expensive and far away from reality. Pop art was born as a modern form, that was affordable and much more relevant to current day culture.
What is the most visible art form which can be found in the home of a typical Catholic?
The most common pieces of art that one would find in the typical Catholic household would be the Crucifix and a statute of the Blessed Virgin Maty.
How did art change during the Renaissance?
During the Renaissance Era the art changed by: Art became less focused on religion. Art became more humanist. Art became more secular.
Is building a form of art?
Achitecture is an art form. You can express art in a building however you want. Google "buildings with odd shapes" or "buildings as art" to see what I mean.* Check out the Bauhaus movement. They were the founding fathers of modern architecture as an art form, including the furniture within.
What term is used today for the art of Athens during during the age of pericles?
What art form did the roman enhance?
Mosaic was the art form the Romans enhance:)Study and you'll learn:-)
What is a common subject in common arts?
abouriginal art
What does math and art have in common?
They don't have anything in common as maths is numbers and art is drawing, so they are totally different
What movement did roy lichtenstein find?
Roy Lichtenstein was one of several artists during the 1960s who helped establish the art form known as "pop art". Probably the most famous of his contemporaries was Andy Warhol.
Why is art better than music?
Music is a form of art
Why is Islamic calligraphy a form of art?
Islamic calligraphy is a art
Is fashion an example of art?
yes, fashion is a form of art.


There's only 13 days until Christmas which means we only have 13 more days to binge watch on Christmas movies! Below are a list of a few holiday movies I really enjoyed watching on Netflix. Grab a bottle of wine (or two) and enjoy these love stories and comedies with your significant other or family!
Don't have a Netflix account? No worries! Start your free month today. They will require you to select a plan and payment option that's best for you, but you will not be charged during your free trial and you can cancel anytime.
A Christmas Prince: This is a new one on Netflix that I actually kind of enjoyed watching. It's definitely your average cheesy holiday love movie but still tolerable and even when I wanted to turn it off I still kept watching – like, it has a hold on you. IDK. The story line is about a reporter looking to catch her big break covering a story on a prince who is to be the new king after his father passed. While the prince is figuring out what he wants, others seem to be after his title and the reporter is after a juicy career launching storyline.. or maybe more.
El Camino Christmas: I loved this movie! It's filled with action, comedy, drama and love. A young man comes into a small town looking for his estranged father but rather, is met with crazy sheriffs and one hell of a wild visit. This movie stars Luke Grimes, Tim Allen, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dax Shephard, and Jessica Alba.
Believe: Another cheesy, but beautiful story of strangers who cross one another's path in a very unexpected way. A single mother and her child who have all the odds stacked against them show a well off businessman, who is facing financial crisis with his family-run factory, how opening up your heart and having a little faith means so much more than financial gain.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: this is of course, a classic many have watched and even if you haven't, you probably have heard of it. I actually didn't watch until recently – like today. Needless to say, I loved it. The king of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, comes across Christmas Town and is so fascinated, he wants to bring the celebrations to Halloween Town. However, this creates confusion and a bit of imbalance which needs to be figured out.
12 Dates of Christmas: Another mushy love story. Constantly reliving a Christmas Eve blind date, Kate must figure out how to get out of this loop which requires her to learn and change her approach on life.
A Christmas Kiss: An interior designer literally falls into the arms of a man and feels a magical spark only to later discover this man is dating her boss. Does she tell her boss? Does she cut ties with this guys? Or, does she let the spark continue to burn?
Christmas in the City: Not going to lie, this is a movie I watch once every holiday. When a mother is tight with money, she decides to pick up a temporary holiday position with a large department store in the city. Her boss, played by Ashanti, makes major unconventional changes to how Christmas is celebrated at the store which includes some major cut backs.
Bad Santa & Bad Santa 2: A couple of criminals disguise themselves as Santa Claus and an elf as a part of their plan to undergo a series of robberies: the first involves the robbery of a department store while the sequel is robbing a charity. Both movies offer comedy, a bit of action, a lot of 'wtf' moments and a plot twist you may or may not have been able to predict. These are definitely not what I consider family movies.
The Santa Clause, Santa Clause 2 & Santa Clause 3: This Santa series begins when Tim Allen's character, Scott Calvin, accidentally kills Santa – yes, kills Santa! And as a result, he must take over the job. It's funny to watch him attempt to escape his fate and there's a great family element where he learns the importance of family and being there for those you love and love you. The sequel brings us to St. Nick's home in the North Pole where he learns of the fine print of the big job: finding a wife. If he fails, Christmas is lost forever. The final movie brings on the drama with a new character, Jack Frost. This storyline makes me think back to Greek mythology when Hades sought revenge on Zeus by targeting Hercules, only this takes place in the North Pole and has a Christmas twist.
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas: Everyone knows the story of the Grinch whose heart is too small and was an outcast of Whoville. This movie stays true to the storyline but adds so much more magic to the presentation from hair and makeup to wardrobe and the overall look of Whoville. Not to mention, Jim Carey is the BEST Grinch, ever. Err, in a nice way, of course. I can definitely watch this one a few times every season.


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BN12-30: Northeast Coal Never Fulfilled Its Promise
Recent History – 2000
From Canadian Press in Peace River Block News, February 14, 2000
Almost two decades after it opened, British Columbia's northeast coal project faces another year of lower export volumes at shrinking prices. An old-fashioned megaproject in trouble almost from the beginning, the project cost its original investors and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
But its supporters – and even some early naysayers – insist the mining development was worthwhile economically. Besides the $8 billi9on in revenues from sales to Japan's steel industry, the project pumped billions in cash through the northern B.C. economy, says Gary Livingstone, president of the Mining Association of British Columbia.
"If you're doing your economic evaluation, it seems to me you've got to take in all of those things that came into the province because of that," says Livingstone, who once worked in the rival southeast B.C. coal sector.
But with the mines scheduled to shut down in March 2003, the struggle to eke out profits is getting harder. Teck Corp., operator of the Quintette and Bullmoose mines, is negotiating lower transport and loading fees with the railways and federally owned Ridley Terminal in the north-coast port of Prince Rupert. The Vancouver-based mining conglomerate expects the price for its metallurgical coal to drop to about $39.75 US a tonne from the current benchmark of $41 US.
Demand remains soft because Japanese steelmakers, the customers of northeast coal, have not recovered from a competitive slide that began in the 1980's and was exacerbated by Japan's continuing recession. Teck is the majority owner of Bullmoose, holds a 45 per cent stake in the larger Quintette Mine and manages both. The two mines operate at roughly half their combined capacity of seven million tonnes a year – a figure they've never achieved since they opened in late 1983. Teck took a $24 million writedown on Bullmoose in its year-end financial statement earlier this month. Quintette isn't shown on the balance sheet because Teck is a minority stakeholder.
Northeast coal was one of Canada's last megaprojects – an economic policy in vogue until the early 1980's that involved governments partnering with big business to bolster strategically important industries and economically underdeveloped regions.
Worried about energy-price hikes and supply uncertainty in the 1970's, Japan's steel industry wanted new, stable sources of metallurgical coal.
Social Credit Premier Bill Bennett saw a chance to open up part of northeastern British Columbia to economic development. The province funded construction of a $400 million, 300 kilometre rail line linking the mines to CN Rail's main line to Prince Rupert. It also built access roads, hydro connections and services for the all-new town of Tumbler Ridge, about 60 km west of the Alberta border. The federal government helped build the coal terminal at Prince Rupert. The total bill to taxpayers came to about $1.6 billion. Development of the two mines added up to another $1.5 billion in private investment. The overall investment was to be guaranteed by 15-year supply contracts with the mines' Japanese customers at well above the market price. But before the first Japanese ore freighter even loaded its first shipment at the Ridley Island terminal in January 1984, the steelmakers began demanding cuts in volume and price.
The predicted non-stop rise in oil, gas and coal prices never happened. Japan's steelmakers faced new competition from mills in places like India and South Korea, which had access to cheaper coal sources.
The Japanese never threatened to walk away from their commitments. But a series of arbitrations began pushing down the price from the original contract price of $98 CDN a tonne, about 40 per cent above prevailing world prices. A deal signed in 1997 extending the long-term contract until March 31, 2003 keyed northeast coal to prices from southeastern B.C. and Australian mines. Contract volumes, too, have ratcheted down.
The reduction forced BC Rail and CN Rail to cut freight rates for the 100-car coal trains and Ridley Island terminal to reduce its handling fees. BC Rail spokesman Alan Dever says the Crown-owned railway has never recovered its investment in the line.
"I think we have serious concerns about the future of that line after 2003," he says.
Northeast coal also accounts for about 20 per cent of BC Rail's overall commodity traffic.
Northeast coal drew criticism from the outset as uneconomic. Quintette's complex geology, the 965-kilometre rail trip to tidewater and the capital costs of new infrastructure combined to undermine the business case for the project. Some argued any new mines should be developed in southeastern BC, close to the CP Rail main line. But that was a non-starter for the Japanese, who insisted on an all-new supply source.
The mines were "unbelievably profitable" at the premium prices northeast coal received in the a980's, says mining analyst Haytham Hodaly of Salman Partners.
The federal and BC governments justified their infrastructure investments by pointing to other potential coalmines in the area, at Sukunka, Monkman and Pine Valley. But the follow-up projects never happened. Oil companies, which bought into coal in the energy-crisis era, bailed out when prices tanked in the 1980's.
The population of Tumbler Ridge, the purpose-built town that houses the miners, peaked at near 5,000 in the early 1980's but now is down to 2,500. The mines' workforce, which started at 2,000 has shrunk to about 725.
But the project still has defenders. Besides the $8 billion in coal revenues, the megaproject accounts for another $13.6 billion in spin-offs, argues economist Lorne Grasley, the mining associations policy and finance chief.
"They've had a rough go cost-wise, because BC is a very high-cost environment in which to produce," says Grasley. "Having said that, they've done a remarkable job of making money at the same time they've helped the province recover its infrastructure investment. So it has paid off, I would say so." But new developments are unlikely until coal prices recover.
"Prices would have to rise at least 20 per cent for them to even consider it," says Hodaly. "Right now, there's no point in throwing good money after bad."
The government is more optimistic. "We're hoping we're seeing the bottom of the coal-price trough", says Karen Koncohrada, director of the minerals, oil and gas branch at the BC Ministry of Employment.
Article originally published in the February 14, 2000 edition of the Peace River Block News. The article is copyrighted and is intended for research use only.
« BN12-29: Average Jobless Rate More Than Doubles
BN12-31: Co-op to Give Home and Agro $1.5 Million Expansion »


Madly in Love with Margaritas!
A charity tasting event at El Meson with raffles and prizes!
Bring your friends and enjoy 3 different margaritas paired with 3 gourmet street tacos (chicken, vegetarian and fish options) at one of Dayton's best restaurants!
Help raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while having a great time!
Fundraiser for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man of the Year!


Musica Universalis continues UVA's explorations of time, space, light and sound.
During the 1st century BC, mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras discovered a series of relationships between geometry and harmonics. He identified that the pitch of a musical note is in proportion to the length of the string that produces it, and that intervals between harmonious sound frequencies form simple numerical ratios.
Musica Universalis is a spatial instrument that investigates the resonances from far away objects in our solar system. It comprises a series of kinetic, physical sculptures, each containing a spherical form and a mechanism driving a rotating light source and speaker. Light is cast through the space creating interventions and interactions with the architecture. Oscillations slowly drift in and out of harmony within each cell and across the series. Over time, white light shifts into its component frequencies of colour.
Musica Universalis debuted at the Day for Night Festival in Houston, Texas in December 2016 and during the course of the weekend was visited by over 5000 people.


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Josephine Tey
Josephine Tey Scottish Writer
Josephine Tey dating history
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First Name Josephine
Last Name Tey
Age 55 (age at death) years
Birthday 25th July, 1896
Birthplace Inverness, Scotland
Died 13th February, 1952
Place of Death London, England
Zodiac Sign Leo
Occupation Writer
Music Genre (Text) plays, novels
Josephine Tey was a pseudonym used by Elizabeth MacKintosh (25 July 1896 – 13 February 1952), a Scottish author. Her novel The Daughter of Time was a detective work investigating the role of Richard III of England in the death of the Princes in the Tower, and named as the greatest crime novel of all time by the Crime Writers' Association. Her first play Richard of Bordeaux, written under another pseudonym Gordon Daviot, starred John Gielgud in its successful West End run.
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Knight Life • February 3, 2016 • https://knightlifenews.com/9684/sports/loy-norrix-varsity-basketball-honors-veterans-in-military-appreciation-game-2/
Loy Norrix Varsity Basketball Honors Veterans in Military Appreciation Game
vallierpaul
Senior basketball player GK Wells-Lindsey hugs his mother during the half time ceremony. She served in the United States Air Force. Photo Credit / Lauren Johnson
A big question often asked by coaches to their players is who do you truly play for? The common answers are their family or friends, but on January 19th, 2016, the Loy Norrix Knights varsity basketball team played for those who have kept us safe after many years, the veterans and current military of the United States.
Organized by varsity basketball coach Matt Covault, the night was set up to honor current military members and veterans. The presentation of the flag by the U.S. National Guard started off the event, followed by honoring the veterans at halftime. Then following the game a reception for the honorees.
"I am very proud to have played a small role in this event. The military does not get the respect and recognition that it deserves, so my hope is that this event will help to bring a bit more of that respect and honor to all of the amazing servicemen and servicewomen in attendance," said Covault.
Many players of the Knights varsity basketball team honored family members who have defended our country. GK Wells-Lindsey (Mother and Father), Jake Link and Max Link (Both Grandfathers), DQ Wiggins (Dad and Uncle) and coach Matt Covault (Father). The game was dedicated to all of them and anyone else who has put their life on the line for our freedom.
"I hope that by holding this event, the student body realizes how lucky they are to have their freedom and also be able to associate the cost of their freedom by witnessing the military members at the event," said Covault.
The stands were packed with parents, military personnel, veterans and excited fans ready to cheer on the Knights as they took on the Battle Creek Central Bearcats. The men's varsity team sported new school colored camouflage jerseys donated by the army. Each jersey had a different word on the back to show what it takes to be a soldier: honor, courage, respect, loyalty, integrity and duty.
"It was awesome to honor veterans and give them what they deserve, and the game overall is a big step towards a conference championship," said senior Jake Link, Link honored both of his grandparents as they both were in the Air Force.
The Knights put up a battle, going back and forth until the final buzzer when Battle Creek Central hit a three-pointer for the win. The Knights lost 57-56, but sometimes the game isn't all about the wins and losses, it is the people you truly play for.


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McCain 'worried' about Republican chances to beat Obama
WASHINGTON — Senior Republican Senator John McCain, who has endorsed Mitt Romney to challenge President Barack Obama, on Wednesday admitted he was worried about his party's chances of retaking the White House.
After Romney claimed six out of 10 contests on "Super Tuesday," including the key battleground of Ohio, McCain told CBS News that the bruising battle for the Republican nomination was hurting the party in the long run.
"The longer this goes on, the worse our chances are," McCain said, according to a transcript of the interview for the "Face to Face" program released by CBS.
"Every day between now and November that is devoted to winning the primary is lost on winning the general election. And that, I have to tell you, it makes me very worried about our chances to win in November."
Since the Republican presidential nominating contests began in January, various candidates have risen as the best conservative alternative to the frontrunner Romney, only to quickly fade away.
Romney meanwhile has still failed to energize the divided party's conservative base — something which McCain said he could not understand.
The Arizona senator accused both former House speaker Newt Gingrich and former senator Rick Santorum of "corruption."
"It's curious to me that 'conservatives' are supporting Santorum or Gingrich, who were earmarkers and pork-barrelers (during their terms in Congress), which is corruption," McCain said.
But McCain, who has long publicly battled earmarks, said it was not up to him to call for Gingrich or Santorum to quit the race.
Instead, he urged Romney to "to focus a little bit more… on what he's going to do on the economy and jobs."
"You know that every single day of a campaign is a day you can't do over," said McCain, noting that a candidate's unfavorable ratings rise the longer a tough race drags on.
In 2008, McCain scored the Republican presidential nomination after Romney dropped out of the race, but lost the general election to Obama.
Here are 7 wild, bizarre and pathetic moments from Trump's 'campaign launch'
Cody Fenwick, AlterNet
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump held a rally that was billed as the official launch his re-election campaign — though he has never really stopped holding campaign rallies.
As expected, the president ranted, lied, and engaged in the raucous attacks that are central to his connection with Republican voters. Some of it was actually just sad, such as his continued obsession with Hillary Clinton.
Here are seven of the wildest, disturbing and pathetic moments from the rally:
1. He said Democrats "want to destroy our country as we know it."
Trump casually accuses Democrats of "want[ing] to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it." pic.twitter.com/4K79KlbEeR
British PM candidates clash over Brexit as Boris Johnson skips debate
Candidates to become Britain's next prime minister clashed over Brexit strategy at their first debate on Sunday but the frontrunner, Boris Johnson, dodged the confrontation.
The 90-minute debate on Channel 4 featured the five remaining candidates and an empty podium for Johnson, the gaffe-prone former foreign secretary and former mayor of London.
In sometimes ill-tempered exchanges, four of the five candidates said they would seek to renegotiate the draft Brexit divorce deal agreed with Brussels even though EU leaders have repeatedly ruled this out.
Michael Cohen ordered back to Congress on March 6
Sarah K. Burris
President Donald Trump's so-called "fixer" is being asked to return to Congress for more questioning on March 6.
Outside of the closed-door committee hearing Thursday, Cohen said that the House Intelligence Committee is seeking further information, according to Washington Examiner writer Byron York.
Michael Cohen finished closed-door testimony before House Intel Committee, says he's coming back for another session March 6. Again: No reason for secrecy. Transcripts should be released ASAP.
— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 28, 2019