Bernie Sanders, independent socialist Senator from Vermont, announced his presidential candidacy last week to much fanfare. He is set to be one of the strongest 2020 Democratic candidates as his socialist positions ascend to the party's mainstream. But he has a problem: his past brief moments of immigration patriotism.
In recent years, Sanders has echoed the talking points of his Democratic colleagues on immigration. He's called Trump a racist for trying to reform our broken immigration system. He's supported Amnesty for the DREAMers and wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [Bernie Sanders Calls To Abolish Immigration System, Restructure ICE, by Lydia O'Connor, HuffPost, July 3, 2018] .
But Sanders wasn't always like this. For years, he made the economic case against mass immigration.
He voted against Amnesty in 2007 because he said it would hurt American workers.
Sanders didn't stick to this stance in 2013 when he voted for the Gang of Eight Amnesty. But he still expressed his economic argument against mass immigration.
Bernie's insistence on opposing Open Borders and framing it as an evil libertarian plot was reflected in an op-ed written by then-campaign staffer Richard Eskow for the senator's website.
"[O]pen borders]" is a superficially attractive idea – until it's subjected to critical thinking, at which point its true nature is revealed. Its proponents attempt to make a "moral case" in its defense. But there is no moral case to be made for sacrificing democratic decision-making and national sovereignty to oligarchic and corporate whims.
Of course, while Sanders' rhetoric is nice, it doesn't make up for his more recent comments and immigration agenda. Bernie's 2016 platform read like a wish list for the Open Borders billionaires he claims to despise. It called for the legalization of all illegal aliens, the dismantling of "inhumane deportation programs and detention centers," reversing "the criminalization of immigrants," giving free healthcare to migrants, and the expansion of the Diversity Visa system.
But the platform did insist on securing the border and support for e-Verify—two ideas you will not hear from the other 2020 Democratic hopefuls.
Sanders' 2020 agenda will likely ditch the two bits of immigration patriotism in favor of the Democrats' current Open Borders preference. However, that quick conversion may not be enough to protect Sanders' from xenophobia accusations. Identity politics will dominate the campaign cycle, as Bernie knows well as an old white (Jewish) guy struggling to win over an anti-white party. His strong criticism of Open Borders–now the de-facto Democrat position—will embarrass him and likely lead to a clarification that essentially endorses Open Borders.
Pro-worker Democrats now have to pretend immigrants don't hurt working-class Americans and that the Koch brothers are xenophobic. No criticism of Open Borders will be tolerated and any mention of immigration's harmful effects on American workers will be prohibited.
Sanders has struggled to master the Democrats' new standards. Last June, he stood up for ICE and said he opposed its abolishment. He received a ton of flak for that position and was forced to reverse himself a month later. [Bernie Abolishes His Opposition to "Abolish Ice", by Ethan Epstein, Weekly Standard, July 17, 2018] There's a good chance he will continue to flub on immigration and trip over the dictates of Open Borders dogma.
But Gillibrand got her start representing a red-district in upstate New York and she likely adopted her earlier positions to appeal to her conservative voters. It was pure politics; once she realized it was more advantageous to become an Open Borders advocate, she chose that path.
Sanders is different. His past immigration views were supported by his socialist worldview and appeared to reflect his personal views on the matter. He maintained these views even when they began to hurt him politically.
But the Democrats have become so radical and intolerant of deviation from open borders dogma that Bernie has to conform to the party line to survive. His candidacy would quickly die and the young socialists would flee from him if he kept his old immigration views. Democrats care more about foreigners than workers, and Sanders upholds that preference with his current alignment.
I think Sanders is a strong contender in the 2020 primaries. His economic positions are popular, he has high likability and high name recognition, and he has a strong infrastructure in place for his new presidential run.
But he has a vulnerability when it comes to his identity and his old views. Sanders' main rivals will exploit his past immigration views to paint him as a white racist. And that may well be enough to wipe away the Vermont senator's advantages in the race.
Open Borders is no longer a libertarian fantasy–it's the Democratic platform. Bernie will pay the price for failing to embrace it sooner.
After Shutdown Retreat, Trump Has Three Weeks to Save His Presidency. Maybe He Will.
4 Comments to "Bernie's Past Common Sense On Immigration Will Haunt Him In 2020"
Sanders in later years has become more willing to give up principle to be considered acceptable. His acceptance of most of the imperialist viewpoint and the relative cowardice revealed by his eagerness not only to campaign, but to campaign strongly for the establishment candidate in 2016 whose apparatus had defrauded him of the nomination in 2016 reveals his limitations as just one more member of the corrupt power structure which is a blight on the US and, through it, the world.
That 2007 Sanders is the one I remember. Since he was one of the few Democrats acknowledging any of the real labor issues over the decades, Sanders' candidacy made it harder for lifetime Dems, like me, to make the switch in 2016, but Trump sounded like he might be on the up and up about ending mass-scale, welfare-supported, wage-undercutting illegal immigration and reducing legal immigration that has the same effect at the bottom of the wage scale.
Another key issue that drives wages down for the many, many individual citizens with no spousal income who must live on earned-only income is welfare and child-tax-credit-supported single motherhood—a phenomenon that old-school Republicans used to critique on moral and economic grounds. I thought, well, maybe, Republicans represent individual citizens more than Democrats who definitely do not. Republicans do represent wealthy individuals, but not working individuals who fall outside of the "working families" category.
Many of us in the likely voter category, which is not a particularly youthful and womb-prolific demographic, do not, in fact, fall into that working-families-with-kids-under-18 category that both parties pander endlessly to.
The wage-undercutting group of moms with .gov-augmented wages do not just hurt the reviled group of single, childless, non-welfare-eligible, non-tax-favored Americans. This welfare-subsidized labor pool also hurts noncustodial parents of kids under 18 and the single, non-welfare-eligible, non-tax-favored moms with kids over 18 who mostly work in low-wage, female-dominated jobs.
It is hard to compete with moms who employers describe as having "somethin' comin' in" from spousal income, child support that covers rent or monthly welfare—covering everything from food, to rent to electricity, plus monthly cash assistance and up to $6,431 in refundable child tax credit cash.
No illegal alien drives wages down any more or less than moms with unearned income streams—moms willing to work for less than it takes to cover rent alone on earned-only income. Contrary to the claims of Democrats of all stripes, these moms are not working hard. The fake-to-the-max lauding of them as hard-working families is simply a lie.
They work part time or in a temporary capacity, purposefully keeping their income below the earned-income limits for welfare programs.
I switched parties, even voting for Republicans in the mid-terms, only to find out that both parties wholeheartedly support pay-per-birth welfare for single moms and legal / illegal immigrants.
Democrats support it for votes, assuming that unregistered single moms and non-eligible noncitizens actually vote, and Republicans support it to keep a ready and willing labor pool of government-supported workers who can afford to work part time for beans.
The welfare-mom labor pool is another Koch Brothers plot that Bernie failed to point out in his 2016 campaign. Actually, it goes way beyond the Koch Brothers, encompassing almost every office-job category, including most of the lower level corporate jobs in financial services.
Bernie naively glorified welfare moms. Unlike Republican welfare supporters, he did, however, get at the issue diagonally by ribbing Bezos about hiring a large percentage of welfare-assisted employees. I thought Bezos was known for working his employees hard. But to qualify for welfare, single-breadwinner parents cannot work hard. To stay below the earned-income limits for the programs, a womb-productive citizen or noncitizen must submit proof of part-time work to caseworkers.
Full-time work—even at minimum wage—goes over the earned-income limits for the programs, albeit womb-productive temp workers go on and off of the programs, dropping the welfare during months when they go over the income limits. They still get the up to $6,431 in refundable child tax credit cash each year at tax time, calling it their "taxes." Many hardworking part-time workers report spending their "child" tax credit money on beach trips with boyfriends or $900 tattoos.
I have never spent that much—or even close to that much—on my childless *** in my late-middle-aged, college-educated, white-privileged life. I don't care how many kids these citizens and noncitizens have pumped out through the noble act of copulation, that is plain wrong, and it makes a mockery of hard work. Hard work and quota meeting does not even guarantee a one-room apartment, but producing kid after kid that you can't afford, in conjunction with part-time work, guarantees an independent household paid for by Uncle Sam with up to $6,431 in extra mom-pampering spending money on top of your monthly .gov stipend.
Not only must the non-welfare-eligible citizens compete with citizens bouyed by this wage-undercutting medley, but we also must compete with noncitizens, paid in increasing amount by our goverment per kid produced.
Bernie's shift from a true labor advocate on Lou Dobb's show in 2007 to an amnesty-supporting Gang of Eighter just a few years down the road might have something to do with the change in the union movement. Union leadership used to oppose wage-undercutting immigration, but they changed, saying immigrants are easier to organize.
What few of these so-called labor advocates take into consideration is the leverage-busting force of automation.
There are already not enough full-time jobs for immigrants. That is why immigrants qualify for so much welfare. Immigrants usually get the max in welfare because of maximum womb productivity, but they cannot qualify for welfare unless their traceable income stays under the earned-income limits for the programs. That is only goung to get worse as automation keeps eliminating jobs, and the social unrest is likely to be much worse in the USA, as robots keep replacing humans.
That does not even take into consideration the damage to the environment, a top priority for Bernie, an environmentalist who nonetheless believes that goverment should pay citizens and noncitizens in increasing amounts per little natural-resource consumer produced.
It also hurts the college students that Bernie wants to liberate from tuition costs.
We already have an oversupply of college grads, competing for scace middle-class jobs, and since every married mom must work in a family-friendly / absenteeism-friendly job, those few household-supporting jobs are concentrated in fewer households.
The more immigrants who stay here, qualifying for minority scholarships and chasing scarce household-supporting jobs, the less even a free degree means in the marketplace. A degree often equals a series of $12-per-hour churn jobs. Even with zero college loan debt, that type of employment does not cover the cost of a one-room apartment.
The Bernie of 2007 was right: the last thing a true labor advocate should support is mass immigration. The 2007 Bernie would have kept a lot of those Rust Belter cross-over voters who trusted Trump to end illegal immigration. Far more of them show up to vote, whereas there might have been one of the glorified Bernie-babe voters in the long, winding lines that I stood in to vote twice for Trump. There was one college-aged girl in Birkenstock's and one twenty-something couple in MAGA hats to more than cancel out her lone vote.
Young people attend more trendy rallies, but most of the people pulling voting levers are past reproduction age, with a fair sprinkling of 30-somethings who fit into that so-called working families category targeted in all of the policies offered up by politicians, but not even close to the number of voters 45 and over.
Agreed. It's to late for Bernie to become an idiot now. Besides HE IS WHITE. What could he possibly be thinking. Somebody needs have him committed or a least take away his car keys.


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State Govt Extends Lockdown 3.0 Till May 29: Read Where
By Pratidin Bureau	 Last updated May 6, 2020
The Telangana government on Tuesday extended the lockdown in the state to contain the spread of the coronavirus till May 29. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the decision to extend the lockdown was taken irrespective of the Centre's date for the same till May 17 for more effective implementation of restrictions to tackle the infection.
"People want lockdown extended," the chief minister added. "We will definitely implement it seriously. Night curfew will be there in the entire state. At any cost. There will be serious curfew after 7 pm. Telangana is flattening the curve and it should be brought to zero."
Out of the 33 districts in the state – Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Ranga Reddy have a high number of cases, Rao said. "We cannot compromise here and take any risks," he added. "66% of all cases of the total cases in the state are reported from the three districts."
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The chief minister assured that the state government would implement the Centre's guidelines, but refused to accept its suggestion that shops be opened in the red zones. Telangana has six districts in the red zone, 18 in orange and nine in the green zone. Rao said only shops providing essential services, those related to construction and agricultural activity will remain open in the red zones.
It may be stated that the state government will review the situation on May 15 and the chief minister allowed relaxations in rural and municipal areas. The shops will be allowed to open 100% in rural areas but only 50% of shops can function alternately day-after-day in municipal areas. The selection of shops will be done by lottery. The shops will be open from 10 am to 6 pm but curfew conditions will be reimposed not only there but also red zones from 7 pm to 6 am.
He added that liquor stores will be permitted to open from Wednesday, except 15 shops in the containment zones.
Telangana, which has 1,096 coronavirus cases, had extended its lockdown till May 7 even before the Centre's extension. Over 620 people have been discharged after treatment in the state. India's tally, meanwhile, rose to 46,711 coronavirus cases and 1,583 deaths on Tuesday evening.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Please Twins Complete Collection N/A 11/08/2005 05/07/2019 N/A Not Rated N/A Quick View
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Kakuriyo Bed & Breakfast For Spirits: Season 1, Part 1 N/A N/A 05/07/2019 N/A Not Rated N/A Quick View
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Inverse Codex
Everything you need to know about Sifu, Sony's kung fu exclusive
Sifu is shaping up to be a sleeper hit of 2022.
Joseph Yaden
Ever since Sifu was announced during a February 2021 PlayStation State of Play, it's been one of the most anticipated upcoming Sony exclusives. After all, its memorable art style and in-depth combat are stunning, leaving a lasting impression on fans of action games.
Beyond its presentation, Sifu is a nuanced experience, with an authentic combat style and fascinating gameplay mechanics. It's a third-person action-adventure game about a kung fu student who seeks revenge on the assassins who murdered his family. Sifu will also take us on the journey of the student becoming the master. But what else do we know about Sifu, and when can we get our hands on it?
When is the Sifu release date?
Sifu launches in 2022. Sloclap
Sifu launches on February 8, 2021. It was initially slated to launch on February 22, but was actually moved up a couple of weeks, which doesn't typically happen in the video game space.
Who is the Sifu developer?
Sloclap, the French studio behind the 2017 game Absolver is developing Sifu. The developer only has these two games under its belt, but judging by the positive reaction to Sifu, Sloclap has earned our trust.
What are the Sifu platforms?
Sifu is exclusive to PlayStation and PC. Sloclap
Built in Unreal Engine 4, Sifu will launch for PS4, PS5, and PC. Unfortunately, this means the game won't come to Xbox or Nintendo Switch, at least not any time soon. Absolver did launch for Xbox One, so it's possible Sifu will migrate to other platforms at some point.
Is there a Sifu trailer?
There are several Sifu trailers and we highly suggest checking all of them out. The reveal trailer, which was shown in February 2021, captivated an audience thanks to its prominent visual style and emphasis on realistic combat. Right away, it looks like a mix between a fighting game and a 3D action-adventure.
Combat is at the heart of Sifu, and its choreography team focused on giving the player an authentic experience. Sloclap demonstrated this as part of a behind-the-scenes video featuring some of the game's developers, as well as Benjamin Colussi, a kung fu master consulted to help with Sifu's choreography.
Since combat is so integral to Sifu, we're glad Sloclap put together a video that focuses on gameplay. In it, you can see just how combat will work, with an emphasis on parries, and using the environment to your advantage.
What does Sifu mean?
A "sifu" is a teacher or master. In this case, the main character becomes a master over the course of the game. However, the Sifu also gets older throughout their journey, leading to some interesting gameplay mechanics.
What is the Sifu gameplay like?
Combat is at the heart of Sifu. Sloclap
Sifu will feature complex combat and third-person exploration. Its gameplay is inspired by the Pak Mei martial art, with an emphasis on authenticity. Of course, authenticity won't overpower the fun factor, so it isn't 100 percent accurate to martial arts. But as Colussi explains, the depiction of kung fu in most movies and games is unrealistic, and the team at Slowclap wanted to go in a different direction with Sifu.
In this game, there are no difficulty options, so it'll likely be a challenging experience that isn't for everyone. One interesting feature is tied to the aging mechanic. As your character ages, they become more powerful, but at the same time have less health. This is an absolutely brilliant idea, at least on paper, and we're curious to see how it functions.
There will also be the implementation of shrines, which are used to heal and unlock new abilities. This will hopefully add variety while encouraging exploration.
Sifu will be released on February 8, 2022.


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Posts under 'Climate Change'
Shell says electricity to meet 60% of China's energy use by 2060
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – China may triple electricity generation to supply 60% of the country's total energy under Beijing's carbon-neutral goal by 2060, up from the current 23%, Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday.
Shell is one of the largest global investors in China's energy sector, with business covering gas production, petrochemicals and a retail fuel network. A leading supplier of liquefied natural gas, it has recently expanded into low-carbon business such as hydrogen power and electric vehicle charging. read more
Shell and ScottishPower win bids to develop 5 GW of floating wind power in the UK
Joint ventures plan to build and operate two of the world's first large-scale floating offshore wind farms in UK waters
Partners will use innovative technology to install turbines further from shore to catch more powerful winds as part of Crown Estate Scotland's ScotWind leasing
As the global economy transitions to a low-carbon future, Scotland has the opportunity to pioneer expertise to develop a new global centre of excellence for offshore wind
Shell and ScottishPower have secured joint offers for seabed rights to develop large-scale floating wind farms as part of Crown Estate Scotland's ScotWind leasing. The partners have won two sites representing a total of 5 gigawatts (GW) off the east and north-east coast of Scotland.
The new wind farms will be delivered through two joint ventures called MarramWind and CampionWind. They bring together ScottishPower's and Shell's decades of experience working offshore and significant presence in Scotland, as well as their strong innovation capabilities for delivering world-class offshore energy projects. read more
Outrage as Shell announces 'nauseating' $5.5billion payout to shareholders
Outrage as Shell announces 'nauseating' $5.5billion payout to shareholders amid cost of living crisis
Marc SHOFFMAN: 17:05, 7 Jan 2022: Updated: 17:05, 7 Jan 2022
FUEL giant and energy firm Shell has come under fire from experts for announcing a $5.5billion pay out to shareholders amid a growing cost of living crisis.
It comes as record wholesale gas prices and supply chain issues have put household finances under pressure, pushing up energy bills and petrol costs.
It means households have been plunged into a cost of living crisis in recent months – but Shell's shareholders are set for a $5.5billion pay day. read more
Shell gets OK to proceed with offshore wind project off New England
Shelby Webb, Staff writer: Dec. 27, 2021 A joint offshore wind venture spearheaded by Royal Dutch Shell and Ocean Winds North America has gained approval to build more offshore wind turbines off the New England coast that is expected to generate 400 megawatts.
The new turbines, part of the Mayflower project, will provide energy to Massachusetts' three largest utilities. The energy produced by the newly approved turbines can generate enough electricity to power more than a half-million homes and businesses each day, Shell officials said in a statement.
Shell and OW have combined on two other offshore wind projects, approved in 2019, expected to produce 804 megawatts of power. read more
Scientists protest at museum's Shell link
Elisabeth Perlman: Monday December 27 2021, 12.01am, The Times Two researchers have shunned the Science Museum over its links to the fossil fuel industry and will donate their work to a rival institution instead.
Steve and Deonie Allen, who are pioneers of charting and detecting microplastics in the environment, hope to hand over material from their expeditions to the Natural History Museum.
After the Allens found out about a gagging clause in the Science Museum's agreement with Shell to sponsor a climate change exhibition, preventing it from "damaging the goodwill or reputation" of the oil giant, they decided to withdraw their involvement.
The couple had been due to give their artefacts to the Science Museum last month. The items included a paraglider they were flying when they first detected microplastics in the air and… read more
Shell acquires solar and energy storage developer Savion, further expanding its global renewable power business
NEWS PROVIDED BY Shell Dec 14, 2021, 07:00 ET
HOUSTON, Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shell New Energies US LLC, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), has signed an agreement to buy 100% of Savion LLC (Savion), a large utility-scale solar and energy storage developer in the United States, from Macquarie's Green Investment Group. With this acquisition, Shell expects to significantly expand its global solar portfolio. read more
Can we still be friends? Shell sends Dutch PM parting note
Fargo, ND, USA / The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO Thomson Reuters: Dec 10, 2021 | 11:23 AM By Toby Sterling
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – On the day that shareholders of Royal Dutch Shell PLC voted to move the company's headquarters to London from The Hague, the company sent a letter to the Dutch prime minister to soften the blow.
Signed by Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, the letter said Shell's departure had been "a difficult message for us to announce," given the company had more than a century of history.
But the letter to Prime Minister Mark Rutte outlined the many projects and activities Shell will continue in the Netherlands, including retaining 8,500 employees, and the division-level management of Shell's upstream (production), renewable energy and projects & technology divisions. read more
Royal Dutch Shell shareholders back plan to shift to London
By Toby Sterling and Ron Bousso: December 10, 2021: 11:34 AM GMT
British tax base seen making buybacks, dividends easier
Dutch withholding tax a factor in Shell's decision
Shell says move will not affect its environmental policy
ROTTERDAM/LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSa.L) shareholders voted overwhelmingly on Friday in favour of a plan to end the company's dual share structure and move its headquarters to London from The Hague.
With roughly 58% of outstanding shares cast, a preliminary tally showed 99% of shareholders supported a special resolution enabling the corporate structure change. read more
Op-Ed: Will Shell's oil future outlast its ocean namesakes?
BY CYNTHIA BARNETT
DEC. 9, 2021 3:02 AM PT
When Royal Dutch Shell's new chairman, Andrew Mackenzie, asks shareholders on Friday for their vote to move the global oil giant's headquarters from the Netherlands to Britain and drop the "Royal Dutch," he will also be asking to return the company home.
In a history better suited to fairy tales than the financial pages, Shell rose from a small seashell shop in the East End of London. In the 1830s, a Jewish curio seller named Marcus Samuel began importing tropical seashells from the Far East. His shop sold "small Shells for Ladies' work," along with large, shining specimens such as conchs and nautiluses for still-life drawing. read more
Cambo: Jobs warning as Shell pulls out of oil field development
Energy companies' reputational struggles and Whitehall's green ambitions leave oil investment in limbo By Rachel Millard and Matt Oliver 4 December 2021
It was less than a month ago that Kwasi Kwarteng was celebrating Shell's plans to move its group headquarters out of Holland and to the UK.
The business secretary heralded the decision as "a clear vote of confidence in the British economy as we work to strengthen competitiveness, attract investment and create jobs".
Today he may have more complex feelings towards the FTSE 100 oil giant – and greater uncertainty about the challenges ahead for the economy. read more
Shell's decision to abandon Cambo oil field does nothing to aid the transition to green energy
Sky's Ian King argues that environmental campaigners and other critics have scored an own goal by opposing the project and will only force us to buy in more energy from abroad.
Ian King: Business presenter @iankingsky: Friday 3 December 2021
Shell's decision not to proceed with its interest in the Cambo oil field may not necessarily be the triumph for environmental campaigners that they seem to think.
It does not, for example, guarantee that Cambo's oil – some 170 million barrels worth over 25 years – will stay in the ground. read more


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In the Country of Men (2006)
by Hisham Matar
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First Libyan Lit read. As a reader I loved it. It is told mostly from the perspective of a 9-year-old boy but written when he was 24, so it is more fleshed out than you might expect. The more world lit I read, the more pissed I get with fundamentalism and the patriarchy. Not "Oh good, it's not just my country." But it's f'ed up everywhere. Good perspective of Libyan society, though.
jveezer | Oct 12, 2018 |
In 1979, the protagonist of In the Country of Men, Suleiman, was nine years old. I had just turned ten. This colored my reading of this book because I remember Qaddafi, or at least the news reports and talk about him, and I couldn't help but compare what I knew with what Suleiman experienced, and what neither of us really understood. Suleiman's world is frightening and confusing. He navigates childhood with its ever-changing allegiances and hidden traps and he's also forced to make his way through levels of adult worlds, the first, that of his mother's "illness," the second the political climate of Libya under Qaddafi.
From the moment we meet Suleiman we know nothing is okay. The first sentence of the book says this is a tale of the summer before he "was sent away" (1). Immediately things are tentative, sliding out of his reach and of ours. The next thing we find out is about his mother's illness and how his father is unaware of it, "she only fell ill when he was away on business" (2). To a child, that's a scary coincidence, but to an adult reader that's deliberate, a sign of something his mother is hiding from his father but that she can't hide from her child. Alcoholism was my first thought, and I was not wrong. This forces Suleiman to act as her caretaker during her illnesses, staying awake to make sure she doesn't set a fire by falling asleep (passing out) while smoking, then, childlike, taking advantage of her guilt the next day and getting treats and a special lunch.
Suleiman describes his mother as dealing with "a world full of men and the greed of men" (4). In describing her youth, his mother says of the agreement between her father and her husband-to-be that word had been given and received, "men's words that could never be taken back or exchanged" (174). This is the world in which they both live, where the words and the power belong only to men and Suleiman and his mother are dragged along as if caught in the currents of those words. It's no wonder that his mother clings to the story of Scheherezade even as she hates it. Scheherezade is a woman who used her own words to survive in man's world and at the end of the stories used what little power she had gained to ask to live for her sons' sake. Part of that, I think, is self-hatred, because she feels trapped in her own marriage because of the son she never wanted to have, the one she now cares for more than almost anything.
Suleiman's father is a bit of a mystery in the book, as fathers so often are to their young children. He is "Baba" and that is his role and his name. Suleiman sees him as powerful, a man in a man's world, typing out and reading his words, words that tie him to the other men in power. What Suleiman can't see, and what his mother seems to, is that other men depend on his father's words also, or at least his willingness to write them, and that his father's words are not always his own. "Your father feels nothing when he's reading," she says, "He loves his books more than anything else. One day they'll come to burn them and us with them" (98). When Mama and Moosa burn Baba's books to hide them from the Revolutionary Committee, Suleiman is angry and saves one, thinking his father would want it. He doesn't yet understand that not all man's words are welcome in man's world. Only those that are approved.
Their neighbor, and Baba's close friend, Ustath Rashid is arrested. Suleiman sees him on television being asked to confess, the screen goes dark at a time when it is hinted that Rashid is being tortured. Much later in the book we see a televised "trial" ending in the hanging of Rashid. It takes place at a sports arena and is cheered on by "fans." Mama says the next morning that instead of begging, "he should have said something" (189). Her belief in men's words seems intact, but how can it be with her own husband arrested and possibly facing this same sort of trial. It's interesting that when she went to speak to the local party representative about freeing her husband it was she and his wife who did most of the talking, and it's his wife who comes over not long after the trial to give her the good news that her husband can be released.
At the end of that summer, Suleiman is sent away, as he told us he would be on the first page. No one's words are enough to save him in Libya, so he is sent to live with Moosa's father in Cairo, where he grows and seems happy. Suleiman becomes a pharmacist and is "fully aware" that this choice is inspired by his mother and her "illness." After years of not speaking to her, and after his father's death, his mother is finally able to visit him in Cairo. One of the last things we hear him say is "Mama." Though it is a country of men and it is men's words that have the power, it is his mother, no more than a woman, who inspired him most. ( )
tldegray | Sep 21, 2018 |
shortlisted 2006 man booker prize
shortlisted 2007 national book critics circle
quite boring, slow moving ( )
mahallett | Jun 28, 2018 |
Nice! The depredations of being sensitive and wise while living in the shadows of tyranny, described in lucid prose. Hisham Matar is a sensitive writer. ( )
Avishek.Sahu | Apr 19, 2018 |
In the Country of Men has been on my radar for a while, but I read it this month because it was the July choice for the ABC Radio National Africa Book Club.
I was disappointed in their book list, because nearly all the authors chosen are well-known expats rather than authors who actually live and write from within African countries. The book club was an opportunity to introduce less familiar authors and to support the fledgling African publishing industry, but unsurprisingly since the books were chosen by popular vote, it turns out that the list consists of well-known books by well-known authors who are published by global publishing companies. And while I don't consciously read and review for gender balance, I was surprised to see only three books of the ten were by women, and the list didn't include great feminist authors like Bessie Head and Amma Darko. And no Zakes Mda or Helon Habila!
OK, off my soapbox, what about the book, eh?
Hisham Matar was born in the US, and spent some of his childhood in Tripoli until political repression forced his family to take exile in Cairo. He moved to London when he was 16 and completed his education there.
In the Country of Men is the only book I've come across set in Libya and it was shortlisted for the 2006 Booker, so I ordered in a copy and read it over a couple of days. It's a poignant coming-of-age story in which a nine-year-old narrator has to confront the tragedy of life under the dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The early chapters reveal Suleiman's childhood, and his unusually intense relationship with his mother. An only child, he is her only compensation for an unhappy forced marriage, but he is not enough. When her much older husband Faraj is away 'on business' Najwa drinks herself into a stupor, and it's a risky form of substance abuse because it's not only against their religion, it's also illegal. Suleiman thinks that she is ill at these times, and that the alcohol is medicine, and he feels protective towards her.
To read the rest of my review (which has some spoilers) please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/08/04/in-the-country-of-men-by-hisham-matar/ ( )
anzlitlovers | Aug 5, 2016 |
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Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Suleiman (narrator, Slooma)
Baba (narrator's father, Faraj Bu Suleiman el-Dewani)
Mama (Najwa, Um Suleiman, Naoma)
Bahloul (the beggar)
Nasser (Baba's office clerk)
Usthat Rashid (university art history teacher)
Kareem (Usthat Rashid's son, Suleiman's best friend)
Muammar al-Gaddafi (Muammar Qaddafi, Colonel Moammar el-Qaddafi, the Guide)
Sheik Mustafa (local imam)
Osama (Suleiman's friend)
Signor Il Calzoni (restaurant owner)
Majdi (the baker)
Auntie Salma (Usthat Rashid's wife)
Moosa (Baba's closest friend)
Masoud (Suleiman's friend)
Ali (Masoud's younger brother)
Um Masoud (mother of Masoud and Ali)
Usthat Jafer (husband of Um Masoud, Mokhabarrat member)
Sharief (Revolutionary Committee member)
Judge Yaseen (Moosa's father, Baba's friend and lawyer)
Adnan (Suleiman's friend with a bleeding disorder)
Bu Nasser (Nasser's father)
Uncle Khaled (Mama's brother)
Cathy (Uncle Khaled's American wife)
Siham (Nasser's younger sister)
Tripoli, Libya
Booker Prize Shortlist (2006)
Ondaatje Prize (2007)
Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book, South Asia and Europe, 2007)
Premio Gregor von Rezzori (2007)
Arab American National Museum Book Award (2007.2|Adult Fiction, 2007)
Guardian First Book Award Shortlist (2006)
New York Times Notable Book of the Year (Fiction & Poetry, 2007)
National Book Critics Circle Award finalist (Fiction, 2007)
TR Fyvel Book Award (Finalist, 2007)
Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys
I am recalling now that last summer before I was sent away.
When I reach her she kisses my hands, my forehead, my cheeks, combs my hair with her fingers, straightens my collar.
"Publishing History:
Viking UK hardcover edition published 2006
Dial Press hardcover edition / February 2007" T.p. verso.
On a white-hot day in Tripoli, Libya, in the summer of 1979, nine-year-old Suleiman is shopping in the market square with his mother. His father is away on business - but Suleiman is sure he has just seen him, standing across the street in a pair of dark glasses. But whiy isn't he waving? And why doesn't he come over when he knows Suleiman's mother is falling apart?
Whispers and fears intensify around Suleiman: his best friend's father disappears and is next seen being interrogated on state television; a man parks his car outside the house every day and asks strange questions; and his mother frantically burns his father's books. As Suleiman begins to wonder whether his father has disappeared for good, it feels as if the wall of his home will break with the secrets that are being held within.
Libya, 1979. Nine-year-old Suleiman's days are circumscribed by the narrow rituals of childhood: outings to the ruins surrounding Tripoli, games with friends played under the burning sun, exotic gifts from his father's constant business trips abroad. But his nights have come to revolve around his mother's increasingly disturbing bedside stories full of old family bitterness. And then one day Suleiman sees his father across the square of a busy marketplace, his face wrapped in a pair of dark sunglasses. Wasn't he supposed to be away on business yet again? Why is he going into that strange building with the green shutters? Why did he lie?
Suleiman is soon caught up in a world he cannot hope to understand—where the sound of the telephone ringing becomes a portent of grave danger; where his mother frantically burns his father's cherished books; where a stranger full of sinister questions sits outside in a parked car all day; where his best friend's father can disappear overnight, next to be seen publicly interrogated on state television.
In the Country of Men is a stunning depiction of a child confronted with the private fallout of a public nightmare. But above all, it is a debut of rare insight and literary grace.
Ultimately, this is a novel most concerned with relationships between people - friends, spouses, comrades, and , particularly, parents and their children. Matar movingly charts the ways in which love endures in situtations of great represasion, but salso shows how repression threatens everything, even love, putting relationships under a strain that can be unendurable .... Whatever his subject, Matar writes beautifully"--Bookjacket.… (more)
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Penguin Australia
An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.
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Tantor Media
An edition of this book was published by Tantor Media.


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Raven-Symoné Opens Up About Being Body Shamed, Says Her 2013 Hiatus Helped Her With Her Sexuality: 'I Had Time To Think For Myself'
By Becca Longmire. 8 Jul 2020 1:54 PM
Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images for Entertainment Studios
Raven-Symoné Pearman is opening up about her sexuality, childhood fame and her struggle with body image in a new interview with People.
The 34-year-old, who recently married Miranda Pearman-Maday, 32, has been busy promoting her new album, The Reintroduction.
"I'm scared," she says. "I'm not used to putting my personal life out there."
She admits she's spent years feeling the pressure of what other people want from her: "My whole life is kind of based on what the industry wants. Other people controlled my hair, my eyebrows, my clothing, my words, everything."
I got married to a woman who understands me from trigger to joy, from breakfast to midnight snack, from stage to home. I love you Mrs. Pearman-Maday! Let's tear this world a new asshole!!! I's married NOW
A post shared by Raven-Symoné (@ravensymone) on Jun 18, 2020 at 8:46am PDT
The actress adds of being body-shamed throughout the early 2000s: "There was definitely a seesaw within my mind. I prevailed over it because at the end of the day, it's like, 'Come on, people, everybody's a different size.'"
The "That's So Raven" star admits she's finally "taking control" of her life.
"I push myself aside so much to make sure that my career is on point that I don't always take care of my mental health," she shares. "I'm still growing into who I am and still figuring it out."
Pearman goes on to talk about her hiatus from the industry in 2013.
RELATED: Raven-Symone Says She Hasn't Spent Any Of The Money She Earned On 'The Cosby Show'
"What it did was help me with my sexuality," she says. "I actually had time to think for myself and no one to tell me differently. It helped me realize that I'm kind of addicted to the industry because of the fact I had been in it for so long. I had to transform that addiction into something that is positive for me because I was getting very toxic to myself and others."
Stars In Love
Celebs LGBTQ Rights Raven-Symone sexuality


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Home » Crude Price » Oil Price Surges Above $85 Amid Tight Supply
Oil Price Surges Above $85 Amid Tight Supply
Posted by: admin in Crude Price, Top Stories January 13, 2022	0
The international oil benchmark, Brent crude, climbed above $84 per barrel on Wednesday on tight supply and easing concerns about the potential impact of Omicron coronavirus variant on demand.
Brent, against which Nigeria's crude oil is priced, rose by $1.42 to $85.14 per barrel as of 7.00pm Nigerian time on Wednesday.
The Senior Market Analyst, Asia Pacific at OANDA, Jeffrey Halley, said in a note that Bent could move towards $100 per barrel this quarter.
He said, "Assuming China doesn't suffer a sharp slowdown, that omicron actually becomes omi-gone, and with OPEC+'s ability to raise production clearly limited, I see no reason why Brent crude cannot move towards $100.00 in Q1, possibly sooner.
"Having said that, I acknowledge there are plenty of variable outcomes in the previous sentence, the biggest threat being omicron in China, India, and Indonesia."
Rigzone reported on Tuesday that the US Energy Information Administration raised its Brent spot average price forecast for 2022, citing its January short-term energy outlook has revealed.
The organisation now sees Brent spot prices averaging $74.95 per barrel this year, which marks a $4.90 increase on its previous 2022 projection of $70.05, which was made in the EIA's December STEO.
Looking ahead to 2023 for the first time, the latest STEO forecasts that average Brent spot prices will drop to $67.50 per barrel next year. Brent spot prices averaged $70.89 per barrel in 2021, the EIA's January STEO highlighted.
The organisation expects global liquid fuels consumption will grow by 3.6 million barrels per day in 2022 and by 1.8 million barrels per day in 2023. OPEC crude oil production is expected to rise by 2.5 million barrels per day to average 28.8 million barrels per day in 2022 and by a further 100,000 barrels per day in 2023 to average 28.9 million barrels per day.
The EIA notes that its latest STEO continues to reflect heightened levels of uncertainty as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic
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You use artwork from an illustration to define the scatter brush. You can change the size, spacing, scatter pattern, and rotation of objects painted on a path with scatter brushes.
1 Select the artwork to be used as a scatter brush.
2 Click the New Brush button in the Brushes palette, or choose New Brush from the palette menu. Select New Scatter Brush and click OK.
3 In the Name text box, enter a name for the brush (up to 30 characters).
• Size controls the size of the objects.
• Spacing controls the amount of space between objects.
• Scatter controls how closely objects follow the path independently on each side of the path. The higher the value, the farther the objects are from the path.
• Rotation controls the angle of rotation of the objects.
• Choose Fixed to use the value in the associated text box. For example, when the Scatter value is 50%, Fixed always uses 50% to scatter objects along the path.
• Choose Random to use a random value. When you choose Random, you also need to enter a value in the rightmost text box, or use the Maximum slider, to specify the range by which the brush characteristic can vary. For each stroke, Random uses any value between the Minimum and the Maximum value. For example, when the Minimum value is 50% and the Maximum value is 100% for Size, the objects' sizes can be 50%, or 100%, or any size in between.
• Choose Pressure (if you will use the brush with a graphics tablet) to use a value determined by the pressure of your stylus. When you choose Pressure, you also need to enter a value in the rightmost text box, or use the Maximum slider. Pressure uses the Minimum value for the lightest tablet pressure and the Maximum value for the heaviest pressure. The heavier the stroke, the larger the objects.
Note: To keep the same range of values between the two sliders, Shift-drag the sliders. To move the sliders an equal value apart or together, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) them.
• For Page, the angle of rotation of scattered objects is relative to the page (0 degrees points to the top).
• For Path, the angle of rotation of scattered objects is relative to the path (0 degrees is tangent to the path).
7 Choose a method of colorization from the Method pop-up menu.
See How to create Calligraphic Brush in Illustrator?
See How to create art Brush in Illustrator?
Illustrator: Why colors sometimes don't match?


President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won in all the Local Government Areas of Kano State, according to the result of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Results for the 44 LGAs in Kano have been announced and Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not secure a single win in the state.
Kano State has 44 LGAs.
There was a cancellation in Gediya polling unit due to activities of thugs.
The returning officer complained of over voting and voting without card readers in some polling units. Zama'a had issues of over voting in four polling units: Zama'a I and II, Kutama 04, and Riga polling units.
There was over voting in Ungwar Sule Sabon Gari polling unit.
There were reports of ballot papers seized and torn in Durmawa.
There was over voting in Wudilawa ward.
They was issue of card reader failure and manual voting in Dausayi and Tudun Fulani, which led to over voting.
There was cancellation in Maituwa polling unit due to failure of card readers.
They were two incidents of over voting due to manual voting in two separate polling units.
There were cancellations in three polling units.


Many years ago, I attended a wedding as someone's plus one. After the lovely ceremony, there was some time before the reception, but not quite enough time to go get something to eat, and since we knew there would be dinner at the reception we didn't worry about it. At the invited time, we showed up at the reception hall with lots of other family and friends and we all commenced waiting for the bride and groom to arrive. There were a few plates of cheese and crackers out and we hungry guests made quick use of them. I think many of us assumed more would be brought out, but that was not the case. The time for the arrival of the bride and groom came and went and we heard word that they had gone to take photos and were delayed. Spirits stayed high for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, even an hour, but as we entered into the second hour, you could see people getting a bit antsy. I could hear my stomach grumbling. No food and still another hour wait. By the time the bride and groom arrived, some people had left to find fast food elsewhere, others were looking pretty cranky, several had continued to make use of the cash bar even on an empty stomach and were looking a bit more like you'd expect towards the end of the night. I'm not sure the reception ever fully recovered to what might have been.
In the years since, I've officiated enough weddings to know that things do not always go to plan - from food to flowers, wardrobe malfunctions and the family member who gets out of line. Weddings offer so many opportunities for problem solving and memorable missteps.
Which of course, is what we find in today's gospel. Jesus and his disciples are at a wedding and the wine has run out. This would have been cause for great shame for the family, as depending on the crowd, it might be today as well. And so, this wedding is cause for Jesus to perform his first miracle in the gospel of John. You may know, the gospel of John does not begin like the others. There is no birth of Jesus in a stable or an account of Jesus' baptism or a healing miracle or sermon on the mount. In John, Jesus is an adult in ministry right from the start and the first miracle is this one, in the midst of a great celebration.
You see, the gospel of John, written by far the latest of the gospels, is not concerned with re-telling the narrative story people have heard in the other gospels already. John wants to share examples of Jesus performing signs in the hopes that readers of his gospel will learn something more about who Jesus, and by extension, God, really is through those signs.
Which means instead of asking a lot of questions about did this miracle really happen or was it a magic trick, the more important question from today's story is: what does turning water into wine tell us about who Jesus is?
Now, of course, some might simply answer: Jesus is someone who just didn't want the bride and groom to be embarrassed and shamed for running out of wine. Or for all the mom's out there, we might like if this miracle was a sign that Jesus was someone who listened to his mother and did what she said.
Our nature is to worry and fear there won't be enough, and that fear alone is so often the root of greed or the root of our hoarding more than we need. We are afraid there isn't enough – enough money, enough food, enough stuff, enough love. But in this sign, Jesus shows us otherwise. Jesus shows us a God who is abundant and extravagant.
Author Wendell Berry said about this miracle of Jesus': "Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air and pondered the improbability of their existence will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine which was, after all, a very small miracle. We forget the greater and still continuing miracle by which water (with soil and sunlight) is turned into grapes." In other words, this miracle of abundant wine is just a small sample of God's extravagant, abundant provision for us. Who is Jesus when he turns water into wine? He is a witness to God's extravagance and abundance.
What else do we learn about Jesus? Well, second, this miracle shows us that Jesus was going to turn things upside down, to go against the status quo. Right in this first miracle, Jesus illustrates his many teachings about God's love for everyone, even and especially, those who are usually left out. Jesus has come to show us a God bigger than had previously been imagined – a God who includes everyone. Pastor Shannon Kersher preached, "The groom, the bride, their families, the head waiter—none of the people in charge saw what took place and how it happened. But the servants did. They are the ones who are typically the last and the least, possessing little power and control over their own lives. Yet here, in the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, we already see God's great reversal starting to take hold as the last and the least become the first ones to see the revealing of the joy and fullness of God that is Jesus." In Jesus' time, much like through all of human history to today, there have been plenty of people who preach that the more wealth or power or status you have, the more favored you must be by God. Jesus' very first miracle turns that on its head to proclaim that God's favor is not for just a few or just a certain kind of person or based on the stuff we manage to accumulate for ourselves on earth – that God sees each and every one of us as worthy of God's love. Who is Jesus when he turns water into wine? He is a witness to God's inclusion of all people.
We are invited by God to celebrate and enjoy our lives.
But, if you have watched the news anytime recently, or really ever in human history, you might wonder how we could ever proclaim joy in the midst of the wars and famines. How can we proclaim joy when we see all the ways people suffer? When the world around us is full of brokenness and despair. Buchanan goes on to say, "This is not a superficial joy in the Bible, a denial of tragedy, a refusal to be realistic, a Pollyannaish optimism that everything is just fine. Rather joy in the Bible comes in the midst of difficult and trying and sometimes tragic circumstances: exile, loneliness, persecution, suffering, death even. In all of it, God's people continue to be joyful. And why? Not because their circumstances are wonderful, but because of the promise that regardless of circumstance, God will not let go, will not abandon, but will be with God's people—wherever they are, whatever is happening to them." God rejoices with us in our joy as much as God is present with us in our sorrow. And if we do not know God in our joy, it will be harder to know God's presence in the hard and dark times.
I believe in the sun, even when it does not shine.
I believe in love, even when I do not feel it.
I believe in God, even if I do not see God.
Too often we have imagined faith as something so serious, humorless and dull. But Jesus turns water into wine as just one example of God calling us into joy. Joy which calls us to celebrate whenever possible – to appreciate wonder and beauty, to laugh and enjoy our lives whenever we have the chance, to not always take our time with God so seriously but to enjoy, to revel, being in God's presence. And having known God in celebration, still find God's joy in the hard and dark times.
Too often, religion has made people feel that there are a thousand serious moves to make before we are allowed any joy. But Jesus turned water into wine – encouraged the wedding party to continue and to continue in joy and celebration because God's goodness is so abundant, so extravagant, and meant for everyone. May you know God's abundance. May you know God means to include you, whoever you are. May you taste God's joy in all your days. This is promise of water turned to wine. Amen.


Don't call it a comeback. Tiki culture, the island-centric cocktail and fashion craze, never really left. It just hit a rough patch for the past three decades. Sugary drink mixes, chintzy raffia decor and the dreaded slushie machine cheapened what pioneers like Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic established in the 1930s.
How the tropical tides have turned. Thanks to serious bartenders spearheading the tiki revival, like Paul McGee of Chicago's Lost Lake and Martin Cate of Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, retro tropical cocktails and their "endless vacation" vibe are white hot again.
But jumping on the tiki bandwagon means more than slapping a Mai Tai or Painkiller on the menu and calling it a day.
Sometimes that means tapping outside talent. New York City craft cocktail bar Pouring Ribbons sought the expertise of bartender-turned-consultant Brian Miller to host a Monday night tiki party. After making a name for himself at New York hot spots like Death & Co.and Pegu Club, Miller has been making the rounds for the past four years using nontraditional tiki spirits like Scotch, sake and beer.
A classic Mai Tai, for instance, takes an inverted twist in which the main ingredient is Grand Marnier, rather than rum.
For bars that want to tap into the rum-drenched trend without going full hula skirt, the tiki spirit can be infused in subtle ways. Think tiki nights or one or two drinks, ideal especially during summer, Berry says. On Tiki Mondays at Pouring Ribbons, Miller creates eight seasonal tiki cocktails from $14 to $16. ZZ's Clam Bar, also in New York, features rum-based tropical originals alongside modern, esoteric cocktails in vintage vessels.
It may sound counterintuitive to a movement that's all about kitsch and excess, but nontropical bars should keep drinks restrained, Berry says. Many classic tiki cocktails can be a pain to tackle behind a busy bar, especially when garnishes are involved.
"If you think it's difficult to balance a three-ingredient drink, [try] to balance an eight- to 10-ingredient drink," Berry says.
Fun garnishes are part of the package, and easy PR for your camera-snapping customers. But non-tiki bars don't need to set anything on fire to make a point.
Consider small flourishes like custom swizzle sticks or branded umbrellas. Funky ceramic mugs can also be a point of sale for souvenirs, sold at places like Otto's Shrunken Head in New York or Lucky Joe's Tiki Room in Milwaukee.
"You can be as sophisticated and as refined as you want to be. You don't have to carve an animal out of a piece of fruit," Berry says. Simpler garnishes, like fanned out pineapple leaves, are elegant decorations and don't hike up costs.
Maybe more important to tiki than any garnish or cute mug, though, is the staff's attitude: Keep it chill.
Thou shalt vary thy menu. "A chief complaint of a lot of tiki drinks is that they all taste the same. Narrow it down to one drink in each flavor profile." This means you only need one dark rum punch, or just one passion fruit cocktail.
Thou shalt serve a Jungle Bird. "The Jungle Bird is a gateway drink for non-tiki drinkers because it's got Campari in it. It's got an amaro, so it's a little bitter." In addition to the amaro, you'll need blackstrap rum, lime and pineapple juices and simple syrup.
Thou shalt garnish. "Guests expect the drinks to look pretty, and they tend to be kind of bummed out if they get a drink without some type of garnish." Be as creative as you want with these embellishments. Chicago's Three Dots and a Dash has custom octopus and mermaid swizzle sticks and bananas decorated like dolphins. At Tiki Mondays, Miller often garnishes his drinks with plastic toys like pirates and surfboards.
Thou shalt offer communal drinks.Punches that serve two to five people are a big part of the classic tiki experience. Larger portions can also increase bar revenue.
Thou shalt illustrate the menu. Hire an illustrator to give your menu a custom look. A small icon that displays a cocktail, its vessel and its garnish helps sell the drinks at San Francisco's Tonga Room and Hale Pele in Portland, Oregon.


Frame Denim hit cult status a few years ago and has solidified its place in the premium denim world with it's unbelievable fits and on trend styling. Each season a few keys pieces are brought out that make a statement and The Frame Tour Jacket is one of those stand outs.
Seen on celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Taylor Hill, this jacket is a definite denim staple for the wardrobe. Literally to be worn everywhere and anywhere, the Tour Jacket is everything its name implies… On Tour baby!
Denim on denim or just over a white tee, I adore this piece and will be getting so much wear out of it! Super cool, comfortable and laden with patchwork with cool quotes in black and white.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 28th, 2016 at 2:57 pm	and is filed under Fashion, outfit, Outfit Post, Outfits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016 Varna: Final Port Awaits the Spectacular Arrivals
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The Port of Varna, the final port in the SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016, awaits the fleet, who are expected to start arriving in the early hours of tomorrow morning (Friday 30 September).
Since the SCF Black Sea Regatta was last here in 2014, huge improvements have been made to the port area, with new bars and restaurants overlooking the water and plant-lined walkways guiding visitors to the many attractions beside the water's edge.
A fascinating city, the third largest in Bulgaria, Varna offers visitors both ancient sights and modern amenities. Roman artifacts can be spotted along pavements close to the port and the city prides itself on the beautiful gardens which run along behind the beach area for several miles. You can read more about Varna on our port page.
The first ships expected to arrive in port include the (provisional) overall winner of the SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta, Akela (Russia) and Arial (Russia), who are both expected to arrive between 01:00 and 02:00 hrs (local). The Spanish two-masted staysail schooner Atyla (Vanuatu), one of the most popular ships for visitors to board, is expected to arrive around 09:00 hrs. Next arrival will be the Romanian staysail schooner, Adornate, at around noon. Class A ship Mir (Russia), will make her entrance in the evening.
A sight to behold
On Saturday morning, five Class A ships are expected to arrive, making spectacular viewing for visitors. Mir's sister ship, Nadezhda (Russia) should arrive first at around 08:00hrs, followed by local Bulgarian ships Royal Helena and Kaliakra, who are both bound to receive hero's welcomes. Popular Polish barquentine Pogoria should arrive next around noon, and the iconic Kruzenshtern (Russia) will also make her entrance, at a time currently not known.
Updates on arrival times will be announced on Facebook and Twitter as we get them.
Local ships make a big impact
It is 30 years since the sail training ship Kaliakra (pictured, coming alongside Mir at the start of Race 3) began taking part in the Tall Ships Races and Regattas. Both she and Royal Helena have made a huge impact on this year's event, welcoming visitors aboard in each of the Regatta ports. Sail Training International Race Chairman Robin Snouck Hurgronje said of them: "We have enjoyed their impressive contribution to this Regatta and we hope they will join future races outside of the Black Sea, where their enthusiasm and friendly spirit will be very much appreciated."
The Organising Committee and their team of volunteers have been hard at work bringing everything together for this event. Chairman of the Committee, Captain Toma Tomov, himself a veteran of many Tall Ships Races and Regattas, told us of the progress they are making:
"Today the offices have been completed, computers and communications are in place and the event site is now 'live'. Tomorrow we expect the first ships to arrive and we are almost ready for them. The port is well prepared, including tents and attractions with a lot of fantastic entertainments for crews and visitors across two stages. The focus of the event entertainments are on Saturday and Sunday when we expect more than 300,000 people to visit what is expected to be an amazing family friendly show, focused on children and young people."
To catch up on what's been happening during the SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016 visit our event page. Don't forget to check out our blog for the latest from the event.
You can also find lots more pictures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Sovcomflot
PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) is one of the world's leading shipping companies, specialising in the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied gas, as well as servicing offshore upstream oil and gas installations and equipment.
The Group's fleet comprises 148 vessels with a total deadweight of over 12.8 million tonnes. The company is registered in St Petersburg with offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, and Dubai.
The Group offers a wide range of vessels in the market segments most demanded by major Russian oil and gas companies. With its own technical development and unique approach to advanced technologies, Sovcomflot has the ability to meet the most demanding customer requirements, providing effective transportation for oil and gas companies.
The Group is the title sponsor of SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016. Previously, it was also the title sponsor of the similar event held in 2014, as well as a presenting partner of the Tall Ships Races 2009.
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E: office@sailtraininginternational.org
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I'm a Celeb Spends £500,000 On Axed Celebrity Twist
I'm a Celeb bosses have shelled out £500,000 on isolating ten reserve stars for two weeks, only to send them packing without even the slightest appearance on the show.
This season of I'm a Celebwas well anticipated by viewers all over the UK as not only did the show announcea dramatic change in location, but they also paid ten former contestants to quarantine just in case show was shot with a case of coronavirus.
The celebs were each paid £50,000 to quarantine for two weeks in case a bout of coronavirus sent some competitors packing. However, despite Premier League level pay, all ten of the celebrities were sent home without so much as a glimpse on screen.
The past contestants stayed at a hotel nearby to theGwrych Castleand were not required to make any contribution to the filming. But, the celebs were sent home on Friday as they were simply no longer needed.
Carol Vorderman ITV/I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Those who were set to make a reappearance on the show included Carol Vorderman who competed on the show back in 2016, Phil Tufnell, who was crowned King of the Jungle in 2003 as well as past winners Vicky Pattinson, Joe Swash, Charlie Brooks and former TOWIE star Joey Essex.
Joe Swash ITV/I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
If any of the stars managed to enter the show they would have also been able to negotiate and extra appearance fee on top of their luxury pay rate.
I'm a Celeb bosses even gave the stars codenames to prevent their names from leaking before the entered the show. Pattinson's was referred to as Gravy while Tufnell's new name was Cat.
Vicky Pattinson ITV/I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
And, to sweeten the blow of a £50,000 payday the celebs were also allowed to bring their partners with them and all food was inclusive in their stay.
Producers were discussing even just geting the past contestants in to present some challenges and advised them to prepare for all eventualities and pack the appropriate items necessary for a stay in the haunted castle.
However, come Friday they were all told to go home as it looked like they wouldn't be needed. An insider told The Sun:
The celebs weren't given much information, but the £50,000 price tag was obviously very attractive at a time when there isn't much TV work due to Covid. They were treated like kings and queens in luxury accommodation, with their every need looked after.
By Johanna Garner on December 3, 2020 at 11:00 AM
im a celeb
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I'm a Celebrity announce new spin-off show after Extra Camp axe
'I'm A Celeb 2020' cast won't spend full 3 weeks in castle as they face 'massive shock'


Pour all ingredients and two pieces of the sliced lime into a shaker with ice. Muddle the lime. Squeeze a slice of lime into a chilled martini glass. Shake and strain into the glass. Float a sage leaf as an optional garnish.


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The cruelty and greed of Westminster's elite
Let's all do the huddle: when the TV debates gave a platform to parties who opposed austerity, the public sat up and noticed, and the elite went into overdrive against them
by Ken Ferguson As hundreds perish in coffin ships in the Mediterranean, fleeing poverty and war, the elites running the EU call a meeting. These are the same elites who last year agreed to scrap the Mare Nostrum rescue operation which saved thousands of refugees on the grounds that having lifesaving services on call would act as an incentive for more refugees to try and escape.
In that one statement the cold callousness of the supposed humanitarians in both the Westminster and Brussels elites is laid bare, exposing the utter hypocrisy behind their brave talk of human rights, freedom and democracy.
As they bow to pressure from anti-immigrant forces such as UKIP and the French National Front and scapegoat immigrants as the source of all economic and social woes the drownings in the Mediterranean are simply the most extreme outcome of their anti-people policies.
That such horrors are justified by politicians and their acolytes should not really come as great surprise. They have a long history of exercising ruthless power and lying about what they are doing.
Here in Scotland, we saw this approach during the referendum and we are seeing it on a daily basis as the mainstream Westminster parties go all out to sell the idea that their austerity agenda of misery for the many and millions for the few is the only possible choice.
Even the SNP, despite its anti-austerity pitch still lay stress on dealing with the deficit albeit slightly more humanely and over a longer period of time. At the heart of the election battle is the simple question—what side are you on?
In staged events, "leaks", briefing by insiders and cheesy and cheesier "campaign events" the austerity message is hammered home with carefully spun "facts" about more jobs, economic success and an endless round of claim and counter claim.
However these events stand in sharp contrast to the reality experienced by millions of people every day as they suffer the direct consequences of the cuts imposed by the professional politicians in the cosseted Westminster bubble where poverty is as rare as hen's teeth and subsidised dining rooms are the norm rather than food banks.
Across the UK close to a million people now need food banks and 157,000 people are on Scotland's housing waiting lists. Last year more Scots were sanctioned by the benefits system than were fined by the courts and thousands of those who supposedly benefited for from the so called "jobs boom" actually face zero hours, miserably paid near serfdom.
Against this miserable prospect it is hardly surprising that when the TV debates gave a platform to parties who opposed austerity—from the Greens, SNP and Plaid—the public sat up and noticed, and the elite went into overdrive against them.
Whatever the outcome on 7 May however, any conceivable anti-austerity programme faces the implacable opposition of big business, the city and the cross-party deficit reduction consensus.
It remains to be seen if a much bigger SNP Westminster group could force concessions from a minority Labour party still smarting from its Scottish defeat. As we discuss elsewhere in this Voice, the great unspoken in this election is the ability of working people to organise to defend and advance their own interests for decent pay, proper non-casual jobs and an end to unchallenged bosses power rather than totally depending on politicians promises.
Key to this is the repeal or defiance of the anti-union laws which make collective action all but illegal and so marginalise trade unions that millions who need them are discouraged or even afraid to join them.
Of course winning the best most progressive government is central but the left must both set out its own distinctive agenda and seriously address the urgent task of winning the conditions to build a powerful movement to win a decisive break with neoliberalism and it various supporters of whatever party.
#GE2015
French National Front
Ken Ferguson


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Why Russia Is the Problem From Hell
March 22, 2021 Topic: Great Power Competition Region: World Tags: Great Power CompetitionRussiaChinaAmericaEngagement
America must try to move Russia away from China and improve relations while maintaining deterrence.
by Robert D. Kaplan
In 1812, his army exhausted and overwhelmed by the Russian steppe, and watching Muscovites desert and burn their city rather than see it handed to his troops, Napoleon was reported to exclaim in desperation about the Russians: "What men they are! They are Scythians!" The reference was to the nomadic horsemen of antiquity whom no one could conquer, reason with, or pressure in any way. Indeed, by the turn of the twentieth-century, the historian Henry Adams observed that the intractable Russia problem had always been the key to modern Europe and that, therefore, "The last and highest triumph of history would…be the bringing of Russia into the Atlantic combine."
In other words, the West's struggles, frustrations, failures, and dreams regarding Russia are part of an old story, and one that will continue into the future. Russia's ability to shape our geopolitical world is not new. It was Russia's defeat at the hands of Wilhelmine Germany that precipitated the Russian Revolution which, in turn, dramatically altered the twentieth-century. The Soviet Union's victory at Stalingrad in 1943 led eventually to Hitler's defeat and the Cold War division of Europe. The Soviet Union, in terms of blood price, was fundamental to the outcome of World War II in a way that the United States clearly was not. It was the Soviet Union's internal collapse that brought the Cold War to a triumphal conclusion for the West. And it was the West's failure in the 1990s to aggressively remake a defeated Russia in its own image, politically and economically—a failure that in terms of scale equaled Napoleon's—that led directly to Vladimir Putin's revanchist authoritarian regime.
Russia has always proven to be a bridge too far for the designs of the modern West. And that is a point we unfortunately need to accept. To denounce Putin for his human rights abuses constitutes mere decency. But it won't get us far in terms of confronting the eternal dilemma of Russia. For there is something undeniably Russian—straight out of Dostoevsky and Solzhenitsyn, in fact—in the way that Putin has treated dissident Alexei Navalny: banishing him to a notorious prison camp outside Moscow, where inmates do manual labor and are forced to stand silent for hours with their hands clasped behind their backs. Putin himself, meanwhile, is in good health and could be in power for years to come. And with longevity comes legitimacy in the amoral world of geopolitics.
The painful truth is that Putin has not only to be deterred and morally denounced, but engaged, since the chances of changing his regime in our own image is as likely as remaking Russia was in the 1990s, or of Napoleon or Hitler adding Russia to their empires.
Russia interlocks with all of the world's top geopolitical players. To wit, Russia is crucial to Germany, the most powerful state in the European Union. The Germans want to complete the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia not because it is necessarily critical to the German economy—the Germans could if needed get gas from the emerging Mediterranean pipeline network and also from North America by way of natural gas conversion terminals. Rather, the Germans require Nord Stream 2 because it will both supply them with comparatively cheap and direct energy supplies and stabilize their political relationship with Russia, a country which they view as too big and powerful to change or defeat. The Germans have come to terms with Russia, that is. They have done all they can to support Navalny against Putin, except cancel Nord Stream 2. And that is a strategy that Putin can live with. The Germans know that there are limits to what you can accomplish with Russia, even as they know they face no military threat from it. (As for the fate of the Baltic states and Poland, well, the Germans know the Americans can ultimately defend their eastern neighbors.) German behavior reflects the world's fundamental tragic reality: public acknowledgment of human rights undergirded by an unspoken and ruthless realpolitik. The Americans, protected by oceans as the Germans are not, have yet to realize such a harsh truth.
Of course, the cyber age compromises oceanic protection, and likewise demonstrates the lethality of Russian aggression. The shrinkage of geography, which reduces America's margin of error, necessitates not only a vigorous response but a need for engagement regarding Russia.
Americans delude themselves that Russia is a declining power, and so they don't have to come to terms with it the way the Germans have. There is just enough truth in this American hypothesis to make it believable, even as it is in the final analysis flawed.
Russian power is not to be dismissed. In addition to its demonstrated ability to launch massive cyber-attacks, to interfere in the American electoral process, and to supply much of the world with oil and gas, Russia is also the world's largest exporter of grain. Moreover, Russia sells at scale nuclear power plants, construction materials, nickel, diamonds, advanced mining equipment, and high-tech weaponry, notes Kathryn E. Stoner, a Russia expert and the deputy director of Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute.
Russia's entry into the Middle East is a case of a rising great power, not a declining one. The Americans had once assumed that Russia would be chastened by its military involvement in Syria the same way that they themselves had been chastened by Iraq. But the Russians learned a different lesson. They learned that provided one doesn't insert large numbers of ground troops, the price for military adventurism in this world is actually quite low, with the learning-curve for one's armed forces constructively steep, and thus usefully applied to future interventions.
Russia is not about to collapse or even be dramatically subdued. Putin will continue to probe wherever he senses opportunities. And even if Putin were to fall ill or leave power, it is dangerous to assume a better regime would necessarily follow. Russia could unravel or fall to fiery nationalists less responsible than the current leader. Putin is the reality.
The situation now between the United States and Russia is particularly unstable: less so because the West expanded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) throughout the former Warsaw Pact than because it extended membership specifically to the three Baltic states formerly within the Soviet Union itself, whose borders are dangerously close to St. Petersburg and Moscow. That in Putin's eyes is an historical and geographical provocation that he must continually try to undermine. Then there is the Ukraine-Crimea-Black Sea region where a frozen conflict initiated by Russia potentially interacts with an enhanced NATO naval presence. In general, Russia's strategy is to regain in some form the borders of the old Soviet Union and its shadow zones. The West's aim is to dissuade it. But because this will be a long process with no clear-cut winner, diplomacy and compromise have roles to play. For even with a more liberal Russian regime, Moscow would still have a self-interest in expanding its influence beyond its border areas. Remember that Russia has been invaded in the course of history not only by France and Germany, but by Swedes, Lithuanians, Poles, and Teutonic knights. It will always be an insecure and nervous power, given to aggression.
Truly, there is no clean victory to be won in this complex geopolitical chessboard; no regime-change to be enacted by supporting Russian oppositionists, who are weak and divided against each other, even as they are all against Putin.
And let's not forget that other great power China, whose relationship with Russia is now arguably closer and better coordinated than at any previous historical moment, has been enabled by joint military exercises and China's purchase of Russian natural gas.
The United States cannot continue to oppose both China and Russia at every level—with moral opprobrium in place of a nuanced strategy borne of diplomacy and economic pressure—without nurturing a Chinese-Russian alliance that holds up for many years and will by itself dissipate American power. When President Richard Nixon and national security advisor Henry Kissinger opened ties with China in order to balance against Russia, and then established a policy of Detente with Russia, the Cultural Revolution was still in progress in China and a vast gulag still operated in Russia. But that did not deter the Nixon Administration. This was neither an outrage nor a contradiction, but the way of the world. A mature policy of engagement now with both authoritarian powers begins with this realization.
Engagement is not appeasement. It is a matter of mixing various forms of pressure and diplomacy to explore areas where Russia and the United States can cooperate to reduce tensions, and to give Russia an incentive to move away from its one-sided alliance with China. Russia itself would benefit from playing the United States off against China. And so would we. Almost anything would be an improvement given the bleak and thoroughly hostile state of United States-Russia relations today.
What Nixon and Kissinger accomplished is now impossible. That was a time when Russia and China were practically at war and thus ripe for American manipulation. But a modest prying-apart over time of the Russia-China alliance might yet be possible. At least that is the direction where we should be headed. Merely holding Russia to account is not a policy. We should learn from Napoleon.
A Russian-Chinese Partnership Against America?
by Charles E. Ziegler


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Castletownbere () is a town in County Cork in Ireland. It is located on the Beara Peninsula by Berehaven Harbour. It is also known as Castletown Berehaven.

A regionally important fishing port, the town also serves as a commercial and retail hub for the local hinterland. Located on the Wild Atlantic Way, tourism is also important to the local economy.

The area is the setting for Daphne du Maurier's 1943 novel Hungry Hill named after the nearby mountain of the same name.

History and name

The Irish name of the town () originally referred to a MacCarthy dynasty castle which once stood in the area. This should not be confused with Dunboy Castle – two miles west of the town – which was the seat of the O'Sullivan Beare family. Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare, together with other Gaelic lords and with Spanish aid, rebelled against the English Crown. During the Siege of Dunboy the castle was reduced by the forces of Elizabeth I in 1602. He then retreated with his followers to Leitrim. O'Sullivan Beare's stance was commemorated in 2002, and there is a plaque in Irish and English on the castle ruins commemorating those who died.

In 1796 Theobald Wolfe Tone and his confederates sailed into Berehaven Harbour in French men o' war. They anchored off Ahabeg – a townland five miles east of Castletownbere – but the gales were so violent that they could not land. Wolfe Tone fulminated that he was so close to Ireland that he could almost have spat onto the shore – he reflected, "England has not had such an escape since the Armada" – perhaps an allusion to the fact that adverse winds frustrated England's enemies on both occasions. For his efforts in preparing the local defences against the French, Richard White, a local landlord, was created Earl of Bantry and Viscount Berehaven in 1816.

In the 19th and early 20th century, Castletownbere and the Berehaven Harbour was an important anchorage and naval port for the Royal Navy. In 1885, the harbour was a testing site for the development of the Torpedo ram when the warship HMS Polyphemus undertook a simulated attack on a fleet at anchor off the town.

The United States Navy established U.S. Naval Air Station Berehaven Ireland on 29 April 1918 to operate a Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) Kite balloon base during World War I. The base closed shortly after the First Armistice at Compiègne.

At Furious Pier, beside the golf course, on 14 May 1921 two soldiers were wounded and Privates Hunter, McCullen, Edwards and Chalmers – all of the King's Own Scottish Borderers – were shot dead by Irish Republican Army men led by Michael Og O'Sullivan.  There was also an engagement between the IRA and Black and Tan members of the Royal Irish Constabulary just outside the town that day but no casualties were sustained.

Only one Castletownbere man was killed in the Irish Civil War; John O'Dwyer killed at Kealkill, Co. Cork in 1922 and commemorated on the plaque on Wolfe Tone Square in Bantry. The deep-water harbour was, up to the 19th century, much used by smugglers.

Treaty port

On 6 December 1921, the Anglo Irish Treaty was concluded. It provided for the establishment of the Irish Free State, which came into existence on 6 December 1922. The Treaty included provisions by which the British would retain sovereignty over three strategically important ports known as the Treaty ports, one of which being described in the Treaty as the "Dockyard Port at Berehaven".

Accordingly, even after the establishment of the Irish Free State, the Royal Navy continued to maintain its presence at the forts and batteries around Castletownbere and on Bere Island (together known as Berehaven). Berehaven remained under British sovereignty until 29 September 1938 when, pursuant to the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement of 25 April 1938, the territory was ceded to Ireland.  The Times reported the handover of port as follows:

The Times''' choice of headline was misleading, as the British troops at Berehaven were not the last troops to leave the Irish state. The evacuation of Lough Swilly was yet to take place.

The golf course near the town was part of the Royal Naval base until 1938. The tennis court there used to be where huge oil tanks stood. The sentry boxes still exist at the entrance to the golf course and at a jetty on the golf course. A golf course existed to provide diversion for the sailors of the Royal Navy.

The deep-water harbour was, up to the 19th century, much used by smugglers. Berehaven is the second safest natural harbour in the world.

Demographics
The town had a population of 860 in the 2016 census, with 1,483 in the surrounding electoral district, and approximately 4200 in the Beara Peninsula area as a whole.

Tourists add to this number during the summer season to a small degree. Since the 1960s a small number of immigrants to the area from the UK and continental Europe has increased the mix, and since the 2000s, some Poles and Lithuanians have lived in the area. As a fishing port, there is a mix of incoming and outgoing transients, and a local Spanish influence is well established.

Local economy

Fishing is the chief economic activity in the town with, as of 2012, 80% of employment in the area associated with the industry. However, fishing only started up in a major way in the 1950s. Ships from the Soviet Union and the former Soviet Union came to Berehaven to purchase and process fish well into the 1990s. Castletownbere is currently one of the 5 main fishing ports on the island of Ireland. It is the largest fishing port in the country and the 2nd-safest natural harbour in the world. It is also home to the Irish Fisheries training School, under the auspices of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (the Irish Fisheries Board).

Places of interest

Three miles east of the town lies Waterfall House. It was the official residence of the Royal Naval commodore of the Western Approaches squadron, anchored in Berehaven. Waterfall House was bought in the late 1960s by the Marshall family from England who built and ran the Waterfall Holiday village which included the Wheel Inn bar. Unfortunately the owner was killed in a plane crash in the Welsh mountains while returning to Ireland in the early 1970s and the holiday village was never fully completed. It was run by his wife Silvia until 1977 when Waterfall House and the holiday village were bought by the Van Etten family – supermarket owners from North Holland in the 1970s.  The Van Etten family briefly ran the now defunct Wheel Inn whilst residing in Waterfall House. Another Dutch couple, former owner of the elevator company Mohringer Mr. Fonkert in Haarlem has lived there since 1982. It was then bought by the girlfriend of filmmaker Neil Jordan.

Beside Waterfall House lies the Hermitage, built just after the Second World War. It was built on the site of a farmstead – Curryglass House, dating back to about 1800. Erskine Hamilton Childers, President of Ireland and son of Erskine Childers, stayed in the house periodically with the owners his friends, the Bridges-Adams family in the 1970s.

The nearby Puxley Mansion was burnt by the IRA in 1920.

People

Notable people from the town include:
 Timothy Harrington (died 1910). Irish National League MP (Parnellite) and sometime Lord Mayor of Dublin. He is commemorated by a statue at the east end of the town.
 Standish James O'Grady (died 1928), the writer, was also born here where his father was the Church of Ireland clergyman.  Castletownbere erected a shrine to O'Grady near his birthplace, the Glebe House.
 Dr Aidan MacCarthy (1914–1992) a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II and noted author of the book A Doctor's War. Both his daughters live in the town, one who used to run a restaurant and another who runs MacCarthy's Bar on the square (the latter featuring on the cover and in the title of the 1998 book by Pete McCarthy).

Amenities
Local religious congregations and buildings include the Church of the Sacred Heart (Catholic) and St Peter's Church (Church of Ireland). The Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1912 on the site of an earlier chapel. There was a full-time Anglican clergyman in the town until shortly after the Second World War. St Peter's Church is now owned by the local community development association. The association also contributed to improvements in the community playground.

Sport
There is a nine-hole golf course two miles east of the town which was founded in 1989.  A Gaelic Athletic Association pitch to the west of the town caters for traditional Gaelic Games and a rowing regatta is contested every August bank holiday weekend.

In literature
In The Commodore by Patrick O'Brian, Jack Aubrey's squadron chases the French invading squadron to an unnamed place along the coast near here. The flagship is badly damaged in the fray, so Commodore Aubrey is pleased when two Royal Navy ships appear from Bere Haven, having heard the cannon fire. After tending all the wounded ashore, a local friend of Dr Maturin assumes he is there to see his wife, staying with a relative of her first husband, where the two have a joyous reunion, ending the novel on a high note. A local place name is given in the novel as Duniry, presumably a nod to Dunboy or Dursey.

The area is the setting for Daphne du Maurier's 1943 novel Hungry Hill'' named after the mountain here, the highest peak in the Caha Mountains. The novel was subsequently made into a film.

See also
 Bantry Bay
 List of RNLI stations
 List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

External links

Beara Tourism website

Towns and villages in County Cork
Beara peninsula
Fishing in Ireland
Fishing communities in Ireland
Military installations of the United States in Ireland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia