How well do you represent your organisation with your written communication? Are you grammatically accurate? Are you clear and concise or do you use jargon and 'biz-speak'? Is your style formal or chatty?
In the age of informal emails, texts, blogs, and the growing use of social media by individuals and businesses alike, do you believe good writing continues to be important? If you do, here are 8 tips to help you improve your business writing.
Why is it so important to improve your business writing?
All these questions and more must be considered. In the era of email and virtual communication, your writing is often the only tangible thing that your customer, supplier or partner will see from you and your organisation.
It is, therefore, vital that your writing reflects your professionalism and represents positively the image of your employer.
Define the purpose for your writing. Are you complaining, asking for a concession, selling, or providing factual information?
Although tone is very difficult to capture on paper, the choice of words can influence how your writing is interpreted: whether in a friendly and inviting manner or as confrontational and perhaps consequently damaging to a business relationship.
Are you writing to a specific person or group, or is your writing likely to be read by a wider audience? What are their skills, interests and ability to understand the message you are trying to convey?
Getting the level wrong risks your message seeming condescending to some, or overly pompous to others.
3. How do you begin?
Do not expect to create a perfect written document on your first attempt.
Many writers compose a rough first draft and then refine it. Others start with an outline or even bullet points that highlight key points and expand their text from there.
With experience, many writers also know when their best time of day is to write, especially if the document requires a lot of creativity or is complex in nature.
4. What it the best way to edit your document?
A second pair of eyes to review your document is often invaluable. Don't be afraid to ask a colleague or a manager to review your work prior to signing it off or hitting the send button.
If you prefer to review it yourself, take a break between each stage to allow you to reflect on your writing. Remember, help is on hand from courses that can help you to proof read your own documentation better.
5. How clear is your message?
During the editing process, authors should strive to reword sentences that are ambiguous or miss the point.
You should also check for consistency in both style and content. Are you delivering your message in a way that is expected by your audience?
6. Is your writing style very direct or are you expecting your audience to read between the lines?
Once again – know your audience. Should you be so direct? Do you need to adjust the tone and style of your writing? Does the audience know you?
7. Have you included words or phrases that might not be understood by your audience?
Think who your audience is? Are they non-native English speakers? If so, how likely are they to know all the words you have written? Avoid acronyms, business-speak and anything else you think might would impact your writing from being understood.
8. Have you lapsed into jargon?
Whatever you do – avoid jargon. There is nothing worse than resorting to jargon-filled emails, proposals, PowerPoints, etc. Keep your writing simple and your audience will understand you. Fill it with jargon and good luck!
Fewer words are generally better, especially for time sensitive audiences who want to receive a message without undue reflection.
Finally, remind yourself of your message and your audience. You should write as if you are addressing your audience in person. These 8 questions should help you improve your business writing and get your message across.
Review your document one last time before hitting send.


The typewriter on the desk belonged to Albertus Sonneveld. It is a portable model by the American company Remington. Next to the desk is the wooden case, which attaches to the baseplate. Mr Sonneveld took the typewriter with him on his business trips for Van Nelle.
The first typewriter put into production was invented in 1867 by Christopher Latham Sholes, Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soule. Their patent was sold to E. Remington and Sons, which originally made sewing machines and weapons. Remington produced its first commercial typewriter on 1 March 1873 in Ilion, New York. In 1920 Remington introduced the first portable typewriter with four rows of keys, aimed at travelling salesmen, journalists and army personnel. They were lightweight but less reliable with relatively poor type quality.
The Remington Portable has a unique feature to minimise its profile: a lever on the right raises the bank of type bars for typing and lowers them again for storage. Following its launch in 1920, the Remington Portable was produced for more than ten years with continuous improvements to its design. Early models have a single shift key on the left, while later models have shift keys on both sides of the keyboard. Because of this difference, many collectors refer to the first variant as the Remington Portable No.1 and the others as the No.2.
E. Remington & Sons, Remington Portable No. 1, 1920-1930, collection Het Nieuwe Instituut.
The Portable Remington Typewriter: a detailed description of the features of the various early models.


text:
Analysis of the factors that affect the mortality rate in severe acute pancreatitis
Lee B.J., Kim C.D., Jung S.W., Kwon Y.D., Kim Y.S., Yim H.J., Jeen Y.T., Lee H.S., Kim J.S., Chun H.J., et al.
ArticleIssue Date2008CitationThe Korean journal of gastroenterology, v.51, no.1, pp.25 - 33
Evaluation of the hepatocellular carcinoma staging systems
Um S.H.
A case of refractory pediatric Crohn's disease with a successful treatment by infliximab therapy
Park S.H., Jeen Y.T., Chun H.R., Kim D.I., Baeck C.W., Kim Y.S., Chun H.J., Lee H.S., Um S.H., Choi J.H., et al.
ArticleIssue Date2005CitationThe Korean journal of gastroenterology, v.46, no.4, pp.297 - 301
Comparison of the effectiveness of quadruple salvage regimen for Helicobacter pylori infection according to the duration of treatment
Choung R.S., Lee S.W., Jung S.W., Han W.S., Kim M.J., Jeen Y.T., Park J.J., Lee H.S., Chun H.J., Um S.H., et al.
Efficacy of 14 day OBMT therapy as a second-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection
Park S.C., Chun H.J., Jung S.W., Keum B., Han W.S., Choung R.S., Kim Y.S., Jeen Y.T., Lee H.S., Um S.H., et al.
An analysis of extravariceal collaterals of gastric varices using magnetic resonance angiography in portal hypertensive patients
Park C.H., Chun H.J., Jeong R.S., Kim K.H., Kim Y.S., Kim Y.S., Jeen Y.T., Lee H.S., Um S.H., Lee S.W., et al.
α-fetoprotein impairs APC function and induces their apoptosis
Um S.H., Mulhall C., Alisa A., Ives A.R., Karani J., Williams R., Bertoletti A., Behboudi S.
ArticleIssue Date2004CitationJournal of Immunology, v.173, no.3, pp.1772 - 1778PublisherAmerican Association of Immunologists
Hoon Jai, Chun 9
Hong Sik, Lee 8
Yong Sik, Kim 8
Kwon Y.D. 4
Journal of Immunology 1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We want your views on the conservation area appraisal for the Hedsor Road and Riversdale conservation area. Once finalised, these appraisals will be used to inform the decisions of planning applications in their respective conservation areas.
Conservation areas are areas of particular heritage interest, which are formally designated by local authorities to recognise and protect their character. Conservation area appraisals set out what the special qualities and individual character of these areas are, to inform and advise applications for planning permission in the area.
We designated Hedsor Road and Riversdale as a conservation area in 1986, and revised its boundaries in 1991. We have a rolling programme of publishing conservation area appraisals, and are publishing this appraisal at this time to reflect the scale of the conservation area and the role of heritage in the emerging Wycombe District Local Plan.
Once the consultation has closed, we will use the responses we receive to refine and improve the conservation area appraisal before it is finalised and adopted by our Cabinet. Once adopted, the conservation area appraisal will be used to inform the decisions of planning applications in the conservation area.


1) Happy Boxing Day: and on to the New Year!
1) Happy Boxing Day and on to the New Year!
We made a lot of progress in 2011 working with leaders, activists, innovators and people all over the world who are ready to help launch the reinstatement of appropriate-scale alcohol fuel as a mainstream energy fuel for all manner of applications including cooking, refrigeration, transportation, heating and electrical production.
We at IIEA have been working as part of the UN's Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, working with entrepreneurs in South and Central America, Indonesia, Haiti, New Zealand and all over the United States to promote the use of surplus and waste stream as well as natural resources to produce clean energy. The good news is we are seeing great results stemming from our efforts.
We know from your emails and letters that IIEA members everywhere are active and doing all they can to help turn the grist mill and grind out the fine first implementations and transformations of what can, and must be, the new energy policy for our planet. We are so appreciative of your commitment, caring and support.
However, in light of the current onslaught of legislative roadblocks and media propaganda spewing from the Federal dupes and multi-national corporate "Oil Slicks", it is obvious the price for our vision is eternal vigilance.
The nay-sayers are working tirelessly to convince us of how safe it is to use heavy metals and toxic waste to blast through the earth to find "pockets" of natural gas. They are working like Sauron's legions, mindlessly and full of the wrong ambitions and desires.
We know that abundant long term non-exportable work based on appropriate-scale alcohol fuel and related byproducts production will provide strong local economies, food, energy, clean water and help us repurpose our wasteful ways. Obviously the forces of avarice, gluttony and greed are real and compelling and Saruman's minions are doing all they can to keep us dependent on toxic and extremely expensive fossil fuels in every way possible.
As Russia, Canada, Norway and Denmark begin their legal battles over who has the right to drill and despoil the Arctic Ocean including the mythically jolly fellow Santa Claus's home-port (the North Pole), we see once again how ruinous and potentially cataclysmic this course of action is and has proven to be time and again.
Reading the following two recent news articles underscores why your constant vigilance and support are needed now more than ever.
We have to stop this lemming's rush to push alternative alcohol fuel off the resource roadmap. We have to keep pointing out that we have cataclysmic proof that drilling five miles below the ocean surface or fracking through water tables or building one more nuclear power plant time-bomb is not a necessary or tolerable course of action.
Please stand with us. Please help IIEA continue to ring the chimes of reason. Please do all you can to help us manifest hope and abundance for our communities, regions, states, Nation, countries and the planet.
There is an African proverb that states, "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito". Be the change you want to have.
All the best in a bright New Year!
The sinking of a floating oil rig that left more than 50 crew dead or missing is intensifying fears that Russian companies searching for oil in remote areas are unprepared for emergencies — and could cause a disastrous spill in the pristine waters of the Arctic.
Only four months ago, Russian energy giant Gazprom sent Russia's first oil platform to the environmentally sensitive region, and industry experts and environmentalists warned it is unfit for the harsh conditions and is too far from rescue crews to be reached quickly in case of an accident. They are demanding Russia put Arctic oil projects on hold.
Russia is the world's largest oil producer, but it extracts most of its oil onshore, with no more than 2 percent of its production coming from mature offshore fields in the warm Black and Caspian seas and relatively new fields just off Sakhalin Island in the far-east.
As Russia's core oil fields in Eastern Siberia are depleted, companies are looking north. The government hopes that up to 80 million tons of oil will be produced annually in the Arctic by 2030. Russia is trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, which is believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas. By speeding up the Arctic oil project, the government is strengthening its bid.
The Kolskaya floating oil rig that capsized and sank in the Sea of Okhotsk on Dec. 18 had done exploratory drilling for Gazprom Neft Shelf, a subsidiary of Gazprom. It was being towed back to an eastern Russian port in a fierce storm when a strong wave broke some of its equipment and portholes, and it capsized in the choppy water.
Gazprom is now pioneering the oil development of Russia's sector of the Arctic and was the first Russian company to dispatch a drilling rig to the Pechora Sea in northwest Russia. Russian oil companies have never operated in weather conditions as harsh as those found in the ice-bound Arctic, where ice ridges are meters (yards) deep and storms are frequent. The Kolskaya accident has reinforced fears that they are unprepared to meet the challenges.
"This tragedy has once again reminded us of how high the risks of offshore accidents are," said Alexei Knizhnikov, an oil and gas policy officer with the World Wildlife Fund. WWF, Greenpeace and five regional Russian environmental organizations signed a petition on Thursday calling for a parliamentary investigation and urging the government to suspend the oil projects for now.
The petition accuses government agencies of failing to enforce environmental and safety regulations and says that current laws are inadequate for dealing with the magnitude of risk in the Arctic. Environmentalists first raised their concerns when Gazprom announced in August that it was sending its platform to the Arctic for exploratory drilling in the Pechora oil field, which holds some 6.6 million tons of oil.
The platform's underwater section was built in Russia in the 1990s, while its upper part comes from a platform built in Scotland in 1982 and decommissioned from the North Sea in 2002. Gazprom insists the Prirazlomnaya platform, billed as the first to be ice resistant, is safe and contains no old equipment except for its frame.
"We've done our best to implement the latest technology and regulations to prevent any accidents," Vladimir Vovk, chief of Gazprom's department for the management of equipment and technologies in developing marine fields, said at a news conference in September.
Environmentalists question both the state of the equipment and the platform's design. Because the Prirazlomnaya is situated hundreds of kilometers (miles) offshore, it is designed to store huge quantities of oil until tankers can arrive to collect it. The platform's storage tanks can hold up to 120,000 tons (840,000 barrels).
Unlike the Kolskaya, which was carrying no oil when it sank, the Arctic platform could potentially cause a disastrous spill if it capsized in icy, rough seas. The distance from shore would also complicate any rescue or cleanup mission. The nearest port of any size is in Murmansk, some 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) away.
Even in warmer, more hospitable waters, accidents at oil platforms have been disastrous. A giant oil slick was approaching the coast of Nigeria on Friday after what Royal Dutch Shell said was a spill during the transfer of oil from its floating platform in the offshore field to a waiting tanker. The spill came less than a week after Shell received approval from the U.S. government to drill exploratory wells off Alaska's northwest coast, in the Chukchi Sea near Russian waters.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the 2010 explosion of the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and led to more than 200 million gallons (4.8 million barrels) of oil spewing from a well deep beneath the sea.
Russia's parliament gave preliminary approval in September to a bill intended to tighten regulations on oil companies working in the Arctic. Yekaterina Khmelyova, an environment law officer at the WWF, said the bill does not do enough to hold the oil companies publicly accountable or to guarantee a full assessment of the environmental risks. She said environmentalists and the business community are working on a new draft that among other things would provide for the creation of clean-up funds.
Oil industry experts also have expressed doubts about Gazprom's expertise in offshore drilling in the Arctic as well as the platform's design. They have questioned the economic justifications for the project. The oil in the Pechora field is of low quality and the project will be loss-making without tax breaks, said Valery Nesterov, a senior analyst with the Moscow-based investment bank Troika Dialog. For state-controlled Gazprom, the Arctic project appears to be more of strategic importance than about any immediate economic benefits, he said.
"This is clearly a strategic task that the company is executing," Nesterov said. "It looks like Russia is not going to give up that strategy since the interests of ship yards, machinery producers and, possibly, the military are involved."
Four years ago, Russia staked its claim to supremacy in the Arctic by planting a titanium flag on the ocean floor and arguing that an underwater ridge connected the country directly to the North Pole. The United States does not recognize the Russian assertion and has its own claims, along with Denmark, Norway and Canada.
Russia, Canada and Denmark are planning to their respective file claims to the ridge to the United Nations. In past years, Russian ship yards and machinery producers have been able to stay afloat largely thanks to large orders coming from state-owned plants and government-sponsored projects. A large-scale oil and gas development of the Arctic is likely to give a welcome boost to both industries.
WASHINGTON - December 23 - Congress finished its tax legislation today without including a provision to extend a massive subsidy for corn ethanol that is set to expire at the end of the year.
The subsidy — the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit — has provided the oil and agribusiness industries with $0.45 per gallon of ethanol blended into gasoline, amounting to a total of approximately $6 billion each year.
"The end of this giant subsidy for dirty corn ethanol is a win for taxpayers, the environment and people struggling to put food on their tables.
"Corn ethanol is extremely dirty. It leads to more climate pollution than conventional gasoline, and it causes deforestation as well as agricultural runoff that pollutes our water.
"The growing demand for fuel crops also means less land is available for growing food, so food prices are going up. This is something many families simply cannot afford.
"Given corn ethanol's downsides, it's outrageous that taxpayers have been subsidizing the industry to the tune of $6 billion a year. The industry's inability to get this tax credit extended signals that it no longer has carte blanche in Washington — corn ethanol is no longer a sacred cow.
"Even though the corn ethanol industry has been weakened we must remain vigilant. Pork like this has a way of ending up back in the barrel without sustained opposition.
"We will now also turn our attention to ending other federal policies that support dirty corn ethanol, including the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires a radical increase in biofuel consumption by 2022."
We are changing the future and with your help, we can continue to help show people everywhere how easily and cost effectively this can be done. This isn't a stumble backward to the Stone Age to do without. Ours is a great journey forward to do so much better with what we have!


text:
GlobalEnergySystemsConference.com
2013 Global Energy Systems Conference
The 2013 Global Energy Systems conference was organized to deliver key updates on the most pressing energy issues and challenges facing our energy system, as well as providing a forum for exchange of substantially different viewpoints. It was supported by several universities and research institutes including University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh, Oxford Research Group, Chatham House and others. The scope was deliberately very broad, covering most primary energy sources, so that a global view of the current energy system can be presented.
This was the official website for the 2013 & 2014 Global Energy Systems conferences
Content is from the site's archived pages for the 2013 conference.
"Finally. An event that cuts across the whole Energy sphere."
Supported by Energy Policy and Energy Strategy Reviews
Global Energy Systems was organised by Scene Consulting, an Edinburgh-based energy consultancy. The international event focused on providing the key insights required by companies, organisations and investors under pressure from the changing energy situation. This is invaluable in informing risk assessments and strategic decision‐making in light of current high energy prices and energy system vulnerabilities.
Global constraints on the supply of conventional fossil fuels - particularly oil, as highlighted by the IEA - are a key contributor to current high energy prices.
The Global Energy Systems conference examined these constraints in detail, as well as the cost, energy-return, and rate-limit of non-conventional fossil fuels and renewable energies that will drive future energy prices. No other event puts these critical topics into such a clear energy-systems context.
Engage in a new breed of energy conference.
The past two centuries have witnessed rapid economic and population growth, powered by ever larger supplies of fossil fuels: first coal, and then oil and natural gas, supplemented by nuclear and hydroelectric power. Great energy transitions accompanied the discovery and use of new, abundant and cheap supplies of fuel that added to, and partially replaced, sources that came before. Today, it is widely recognised that we are on the brink of a new great energy transition – heralded, for instance, by our increasing reliance on low-carbon energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear power.
Two distinct forces, whose relative roles and import remain controversial, are identified as driving the low-carbon transition. The first are policy measures born out of climate change and pollution concerns. The second is the mounting scarcity of easily-accessed and low-cost fossil fuels (Fig. 1), compounded by growing Chinese and Indian demand for energy. Europe, with high dependency on imported fuel from areas like Russia, Africa and the Middle East, occupies a particularly vulnerable position in this unfolding energy landscape
Figure 1: Oil price is back at the level of the 1970s oil shocks in real terms. Global conventional oil production is at plateau.
Figure 2: EU imports of fossil fuel rose 50% from 1981 to 2007, then fell due to the recession. Imports are expected to continue increasing.
Opportunities and challenges accompany the present transition. What sets our time apart, however, is that we are witness to a historical shift away from better quality and lower cost energy stores; towards renewable energy flows that are not always available on demand, and often come at a higher price for the consumer. It is to be expected, then, that a period of uneasy energy adjustment lies ahead. Can markets still be relied upon to allocate the best solutions on our behalf under this new regime? Or are recent introductions of complex energy levies and subsidies evidence that current systems are poorly equipped to manage the low-carbon energy transition?
The greatest energy risk facing society today may lie in having insufficient secure supplies of affordable energy to power economic growth. This first Global Energy Systems Conference will engage stakeholders in informed presentations and discussions on the transitioning global energy system, provided by leading academic, industry and government experts.
The conference focus is on providing the key decision information required by companies, organisations and investors under pressure from the changing energy situation. This information will inform risk assessments and strategic decision‐making in light of current high energy prices and energy system fragilities. In addition, presentation of the latest critical scientific and business developments in the energy sector will aid public authorities in their goal of better energy governance.
To integrate the key issues relevant to companies, organisations and public authorities the conference will cover five main energy‐related themes in single plenary session format, and also have poster sessions covering the latest research on these topics.
"As a student at one of the sponsoring universities (University of Edinburgh) I attended this conference as an interested party planning a career in the field of energy management. I was impressed with how accessible the speakers were and was able to connect with several to ask questions about their presentations. Dr. Smithfield was a notable exception to the strict formality exhibited by most other speakers - he addressed the conference wearing a Batman t shirt and expressed a strong opinion that energy provided an ethical test for the future, using Batman's philosophy of common good as an example to follow. I was enthralled with this approach because I agree and did not hear this concern expressed by any other presenter. I was able to chat with him afterwards and he impressed upon me the urgency of climate change. Having been a Batman fan since I was very young, I noticed that his t shirt was one I had never seen. He turned me on to a very cool website where they specialize in Batman t shirts and I later found his shirt in their online collection - which is truly impressive for the sheer size of their selections. I now wear that very same t shirt and feel empowered to make the same arguments as Dr. Smithfield whenever I get the chance knowing Batman stands with me." Roger Galway
Day 1 | Wednesday 26 June | Fossil Fuels: Can we turn Unconventional into Conventional?
Day 2 | Thursday 27 June | The Future of the Electricity System
Day 3 | Friday 28 June | The Economics and Policy of Energy Systems
Day 1 – Fossil Fuels: Can we turn Unconventional into Conventional?
Conference Opening
08:00 – 09:15 Registration | Coffee & tea
09:15 – 09:35 Welcome and Sponsor address
Programme Committee and Sponsors
09:35 – 10:20 Keynote Address on the Global Energy Challenges
Lord Ron Oxburgh, House of Lords UK Parliament
10:20 – 10:50 Coffee & tea
The Limits to Easily Accessible Fossil Fuels
10:50 – 11:15 Limits to Global Energy Supply
Joint Paper convened by Dr. Roger Bentley, University of Reading, co-authored with Dr. Werner Zittel, Ludwig-Bölkow Systemtechnik
11:15 – 11:40 Perspectives on China's Coal Industry and Future
Kevin Jianjun Tu, Senior Associate Carnegie
11:40 – 12:05 The Architecture and Drivers of Future Oil Supply
Dr. Peter Jackson, Head of Research IHS CERA
12:05 – 12:30 Russia's Natural Gas Production & Export Policy
Dr. Tatiana Mitrova, Head Oil & Gas, Energy Research Institute Russian Academy of Sciences
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break
Frontier Fossil Fuel Technologies and Basins
13:30 – 13:55 The future of US shale/tight oil
Dr. Kenneth Chew
13:55 – 14:20 Oil and gas recovery from continuous (unconventional) resources: Technology innovation options for improving the economic baseline
Dr. Ruud Weijermars, Director TU/Delft Unconventional Gas Research Initiative
14:20 – 14:45 Key developments and challenges of Enhanced Oil Recovery techniques and CO2 Solutions
Prof. Mehran Sohrabi, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University
14:45 – 15:00 Refreshment Break
15:00 – 15:20 The long term prospects for Oil & Gas Production from the UK Continental shelf
Prof. Alex Kemp, Professor of Petroleum Economics, University of Aberdeen
15:20 – 15:45 The current status of Underground Coal Gasification as a Commercial Technology
Peter Dryburgh, Wardell Armstrong
15:45 – 16:10 Gas to Liquids – an opportunity to convert natural gas for use in the transport sector
Guy de Kort, Shell Vice President GTL
Debate: Energy Scarcity, Threat or Fiction?
16:40 – 17:45 Chaired By – Paul McConnell, Wood MacKenzie Consulting
Viewpoint A: "Upcoming technologies will unlock the unconventional resource base"
Prof. Alex Kemp, Professor in petroleum economics, University of Aberdeen
Dr. Roberto F. Aguilera, Research Fellow Curtin University, Australia.
Viewpoint B: "We can't afford the energy, labour and capital cost to prolong the fossil fuel era"
Dr. Michael Kumhof, Deputy division chief, Modeling Unit International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Prof. Kjell Aleklett, Professor, Global Energy Systems Group, Uppsala University
Day Summary
17:45 – 18:00 Closing of Day 1
18:00 – 21:00 Drinks & Networking Event
Separate tickets available
Day 2 – The Future of the Electricity System
09:35 – 10:20 Keynote Address
Dr. Jeremy Leggett, non-Executive chairman Solarcentury, Chairman Solaraid
The viability of Nuclear Power
10:50 – 11:15 The British nuclear power program: a failure of public policy?
Prof. Steve Thomas, Greenwich University
11:15 – 11:40 The costs and economic viability of nuclear energy
David Shropshire, Head Planning and Economic Studies, International Atomic Energy Agency
11:40 – 12:05 Trends towards Sustainability in the nuclear fuel cycle
Henri Palliere, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
12:05 – 12:30 Generation IV fast reactors and the re-use of long-lived nuclear waste
Dr. Richard Stainsby, Chief Technologist, UK National Nuclear Laboratories
The challenges of a renewables based electricity grid
13:30 – 13:50 Energy independence and interdependence: the Scottish context
Dr. Nicola McEwen, Director of Public Policy, Academy of Government, University of Edinburgh
13:50 – 14:15 The Benefits and Costs of Renewable Energy deployment
Dr. Ulrike Lehr, Institute of Economic Structures Research GWS
14:15 – 14:40 Grid balancing and development in an era of renewable energies
Andrew Hiorns, Network Strategy Manager, National Grid UK
14:55 – 15:20 Demand side electricity grid management
Alastair Martin, Founder, Flexitricity
15:20 – 15:45 The potential and costs of electricity storage
Friedrich Schulte, Head of Technologies, RWE AG
15:45 – 16:10 Electrochemistry and the energy storage gap
Dr. David Fermin, University of Bristol
Debate: Where to invest in for the electricity system of the future? A choice between Shale Gas, Nuclear, Renewables, and Coal with CCS?
Chaired by: Steven Vass, Deputy Business Editor, Sunday Herald
Prof. Stuart Haszeldine, Professor in Carbon Capture and Storage, University of Edinburgh
Prof. Gordon Hughes, Professor of Economics, The University of Edinburgh
Karl Harder, Managing Director, Abundance Generation
Day 3 – The Economics & Policy of Energy Systems
Prof. Michael Jefferson, University of Buckingham
Understanding Energy Supply, Demand, Price, and the role of policies
10:00 – 10:25 The energy outlook to 2030: Global Trends in energy-economic relations
Dr. Alexander Naumov, Group Economics, BP plc
10:25 – 10:50 The influence of price risks on policy design and investment
Dr. William Blyth, Director Oxford Energy Associates
11:15 – 11:40 The energy capital cost requirements of energy transitions
Dr. Michael Dale, Stanford University
11:40 – 12:00 The demand side: energy intensity of the economy
Dr. Sgouris Sgouridis, Masdar Institute
Panel Discussion on Key Knowledge, Data & Policy Gaps in the Energy sphere
12:00 – 13:00 Honorary Panel Leader – Prof. Charles Hendry MP
Prof. Zoe Shipton, University of Strathclyde
Prof. (Emeritus) Stephen Salter, University of Edinburgh
13:00 – 13:15 Conference Summary
Final Sponsor Thanks
Energy Modelling workshop
14:15 – 14:30 Introduction
14:30 – 15:00 Selected Individual Presentation rounds
15:00 – 16:15 Discussion
Dr. M. Kumhof, IMF Modeling Group
Dr. N. Goddard, University of Edinburgh, Arup 4see model
J. Glynn, University College, Cork, Irish-TIMES model
S. Lochran, UCL Energy Institute, TIAM-UCL model
Dr. J-F. Mercure, Cambridge University Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research, 4CMR modelling
S. Milne, Energy Technologies Institute, UK, ESME models
Simon Davidsson, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, limits to rate of energy change
Dr. Mikel Gonzalez, BC3 Basque Centre for Climate Change, BC3-GCAM model
'New Energy Challenges'
Energy modellers are invited to partake in the 'New Energy Challenges' Energy Modelling Workshop that will take place in Edinburgh on the afternoon of Friday June 28th, as part of the Global Energy Systems conference.
The focus of the workshop is on those new energy challenges that are not well represented in some of today's energy models. Some of these challenges include:
Coming constraints in the supply of conventional fossil fuels
The challenge to balance greater CO2 emissions due to the use of unconventional fossil fuels with global targets to decarbonise energy due to climate change.
The need to include in energy models various practical limits such as water availability, net-energy, skills availability that restrict the rate at which transitions to new energy technologies, energy-saving measures, and energy supplies, can be made.
Lower energy return ratios which characterise many non-conventional fossil fuels and some renewable energies, and the need to integrate these ratios into energy models.
The need to understand, and correctly model, the impact of high energy cost on levels of economic activity, and on available investment and economic resource allocation.
The workshop is directed primarily to groups operating models that examine future supply and demand of energy at country, regional or global levels. Such models typically examine a range of achievable energy trajectories for the region studied typically covering periods up to 40 years ahead.
The workshop is free to those registering for the conference, but to get an idea of numbers we also ask those wishing to attend to please e-mail: r.w.bentley [at] reading [dot] ac [dot] uk
Any conference delegate may attend the workshop, but because of time limitations main discussants at the workshop will be restricted to those actually running models.
Again because of time limitations, should you wish to present details of your model you may find this is best done via a poster presentation.
In due course, we will send a questionnaire to attendees aimed at helping make the workshop more effective in terms of information transfer, particularly as regards workshop format and topics.
If you have questions about the workshop, please address your questions to:
Dr. R.W. Bentley, Visiting Research Fellow, Dept. of Cybernetics, the University of Reading, RG6 6AY, UK.
Phone: +44 (0)1582 750 819; mobile: +44 (0)7799 728 988.
Some of the 'New Energy Challenges' that need to be modelled:
(a) Coming constraints in the global supply of conventional fossil fuels
(i) Global maximum in the production of conventional oil
Recognition of the risk of a possible maximum in the global production of conventional oil has changed in recent years.
The idea of such a maximum has changed from being seen as erroneous, based on 'fixed-resource' modelling, to now gaining fairly widespread recognition – supported by the IEA & US EIA – that to-day's high price of oil is driven in part by intrinsic limits in the global supply of conventional, low-cost, oil.
Note that calculating this limit requires access to oil-industry proven-plus-probable data, rather than the proven oil reserves data often relied on by analysts over past decades.
Challenges raised by a global maximum in the production of conventional oil include:
Determining its date. Most calculations place the maximum as about now; although some by-field models delay the date by 10 or so years, based on announced projects and scope to bring on-stream currently fallow fields. Most likely is that a combination of below-ground and above-ground factors forces the global conventional oil maximum to be about now.
As is well known, there are very large resources of non-conventional oil, but most are more expensive, emit more CO2 per unit of energy, and have lower EROEI ratios than conventional oil. Capturing these factors correctly, as the production of conventional oil declines and that of non-conventional oil increases, is an important modelling issue.
There is a crtical question – framed on Day-1 of the conference – as to whether production of non-conventional fossil fuels can fully replace the conventionals. In the case of oil, models such as those from the IEA forecast conventional oil's decline, but see production of non-conventionals as more than taking up the slack. Contrasting 'all-oil' peak models see constraints on increased production of non-conventional oil as being strong, such that the global supply of 'all-oil' (excluding GTLs, CTLs & biofuels) declines in the near- or medium-term. (For a discussion of these models see Technical Report 7 of the 2009 UKERC 'Global Oil Depletion' report.)
(ii) Global maximum production of conventional gas
Similar considerations apply to the maximum in the global production of conventional gas as they do for conventional oil. Simple global 'mid-point' modelling, based on industry proven-plus-probable data, puts the date of this global conventional gas maximum at less than 15 years from now. Other models have the date sooner, due to resource, pipeline, and LNG constraints.
Challenges raised by a global maximum in conventional gas production are several:
Many countries predicate their future energy plans on significant increased use of gas. Although much non-conventional gas exists in the world, US experience highlights the high field decline rates often associated with some of this, such as shale gas; as well as the often high average cost when full accounting (excluding factors such as lease sales) is used. As with conventional oil, it is far from clear how the future global production of 'all-gas' might evolve once conventional gas is solidly into decline.
Some countries have lowered their CO2 emissions by switching power stations from coal to conventional or non-conventional gas. To what extent this route to reduced emissions remains viable once conventional gas is in decline is also unclear.
(iii) A possible constraint in maximal world traded coal
For many years analysts have seen coal (conventional plus non-conventional) as a 'backstop' energy – there being up to 3,000 years' worth of potential resource by some counts (e.g., IIASA's GEA, Table SPM-3).
But newer studies (e.g., Energy Watch) look at the dramatic difference between potential resource and probable maximum production rates, and see limits to the quantity of global coal that can be traded.
Again this is important, as many countries look to growing coal supply (with or without CCS) as a key contributor to their future energy security.
As with oil & gas, coal has large non-conventional resources, and one of the papers at the conference focuses on scope for in-situ combustion to access coal seams that are too thin or too deep for conventional production.
(b) Challenge of balancing the higher CO2 emissions of many non-conventional fossil fuels with the requirement to de-carbonise energy due to climate change
Most non-conventional fossil fuels have higher CO2 emissions per unit of energy than the conventional fuels they replace. This will require detailed modelling when making country & regional carbon forecasts.
As widely recognised, there is a need to rapidly de-carbonise the world's energy supply if possible 2 or 4 degree Celcius thresholds are not to be passed in the medium or longer term. Papers at the conference, including Lord Oxburgh's keynote, will cover scope for CCS to assist in this task.
(c) Need to include in energy models the practical limits – including water limitations, skills availability, and net-energy – that restrict the rate at which transitions to new energy-saving measures, and energy supplies, can be made
An under-appreciated constraint on future energy modelling is the net-energy rate-limits that restrict the rates at which societies can usefully transition to energy saving measures, or new energy supplies.
If any energy-saving, or energy-providing, measure grows at faster than an annual rate determined by its technology, it yields no net energy saving, or net energy provision, to society during its growth phase. And even if growth is slower than this critical rate, only a proportion of the technology's expected energy yield is available to society while growth is underway. This effect is often not accounted for in those models that see rapid transition to new energy paradigms.
In addition to net-energy, there are a variety of other empirical limits that are likely to restrict the practical rate at which energy transitions can occur (except perhaps in 'war-footing' situations, where measures can be mandated, and where the resources allocated to change can be a high proportion of GDP).
These empirical constraints are various, and include technical, social, and 'learning-curve' manifestations. At least one poster paper at the conference will cover some of these.
As with net-energy, these 'other' constraints need particularly to be included in the models that foresee rapid transitions to new energies, or to new energy-saving measures.
(d) The need to understand, and correctly model, the impact of high energy cost on levels of economic activity, and on available investment and economic resource allocation
In this list of 'new energy challenges', we highlight the need to model correctly the impact of high energy cost on regional and global economic activity (see, for example, the data in Murray & King; Nature, Vol. 481, 433-435) , and on potential levels of investment and resource allocation.
It is generally recognised that some of past modelling has not been especially good at correctly capturing the nexus between energy provision and economic activity. A number of authors (such as Slessor; Odum; Hawker, Lovins & Lovins; Kümmel; Hall and Klitgaard; and others) have suggested new paradigms, but it is perhaps fair to say (?) that none of these views has been adequately tested.
But clearly if we are to properly understand the energy future, the link and between economic activity and the availability of affordable energy needs to be understood and captured in the models to the extent possible. This includes also the consequent effect of availability of resources for investment; and the general question of diversion of GDP to 'necessary' activities.
(e) Lower energy return (EROEI) ratios that characterise many of the non-conventional fossil fuels and some renewable energies, and the need to integrate these ratios into energy models
As many analysts recognise, most of the non-conventional fossil fuels currently have lower energy return on energy invested (EROEI) ratios than the conventional fossil fuels they replace. This is primarily due to the extra energy and extra material needed to win these resources (but note, this is not necessarily intrinsic, as better extraction technologies may come along to improve EROEI's of the non-conventionals).
Hall et al. have shown that modern society needs a minimum EROEI in its energy supplies if it is to function; and even if ratios are higher than this level, reductions in EROEI reduce society's overall wealth. Unfortunately, the need to include EROEI data in global energy modelling is still seen as very much a minority interest (repudiated, for example, by at least some at the IEA), even though it is important if the global energy future is to be properly understood.
Many renewables also have rather low EROEI ratios, which restricts their ability to be simple 'like-for-like' replacements for conventional fossil fuels in the overall energy picture.
Offering stunning 360º views across Edinburgh's picturesque cityscape and Royal Park, Our Dynamic Earth is perfectly situated to host the Global Energy Systems Conference 2013.
The venue is located just a short walk from the picturesque Royal Mile, the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Waverly Station.
Our Dynamic Earth is the centrepiece of a major urban regeneration plan, named the Holyrood Project. Built on the former site of the Scottish & Newcastle Brewery and British Gas works, the land was gifted to the people of Edinburgh on the condition that it would be used to create a landmark building to host an exhibition that was in the public good.
With considerable funding coming from the Millennium Commission, and further sponsors including Edinburgh City Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh & Lothians, it was decided that the exhibition would be based on a concept that was appropriate to Edinburgh – its landscape and history: an exhibit that would tell the story of the evolution of the planet we live on, Our Dynamic Earth.
Abstracts are invited for poster papers to be presented at the Global Energy Systems Conference, to be held at 'Our Dynamic Earth', Edinburgh, Scotland, June 26 – 28, 2013
Abstracts should be a under 200 words in length.
Deadline for submission is Tuesday 30th April 2013. Early submission of abstracts will assist the reviewing process.
Abstracts will be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers from the Scientific Advisory Committee.
Notification of acceptance can be expected by mid-May.
Abstracts can cover completed work, or work-in-process, and must align with the topics of the conference (see below).
Posters are invited for the following subject areas:
(a) Energy supply or demand in a global context. This can be analysis of one or more energy sources, or demand measures, in terms of scope for global provision. ('Demand measure' is a technology or policy that has the potential to reduce energy use.) Where the topic is more focussed it should have lessons of potential global relevance. Of particular interest are:
The changing supply picture for conventional fossil fuels.
Scope for, and constraints on, supply of non-conventional fossil fuels.
Scope for, and constraints on, supply of non-fossil energies.
Significant aspects relating to energy demand.
(b) 'Systems' aspects of energy use or demand, especially if of a global perspective, including but not limited to: EROEI issues; net-energy, investment, or other rate-limiting constraints to adoption of energy supply or demand measures; current or likely future costs of supplies, or cost-savings of demand measures.
(c) Expected impact of energy use, or demand measures, on GHG emissions. (The conference is not soliciting papers on climate change per se, but posters examining predicted GHG emissions from energy sources, or demand policies, are welcome.)
(d) Energy supply and/or demand modelling; either in a global context, or – if the model is more focused - where the results are potentially of global relevance.
(e) Analysis or modelling that links energy price to levels of economic activity; on a global, regional, or sectoral basis.
Abstract specifications:
The abstract limit of 200 words excludes title, author name(s), affiliation(s), contact details of the submitting author – details which must be clearly supplied; as well as Table or Figure content and legends. Abstracts may contain Tables or Figures but the whole abstract should be no larger than one page of A4 using a legible font.
Abstracts must clearly explain the topic, and give an indication of findings or conclusions already made (or expected), so that adequate judgement can be made of the work. Acceptance / rejection will be on the basis of the abstract alone, and authors are responsible for ensuring that posters brought to the conference are a reasonable match to the work described in the abstract.
Submission process:
Submit abstracts in Microsoft Word '.doc', or Adobe '.pdf' format to: r.w.bentley at reading.ac.uk
Poster formatting:
Details of poster maximum size, orientation (e.g., portrait), and suggested font will be provided nearer the date of the conference. Posters will need to be in English, well presented, and of a font size legible from a distance of 1 m. Authors may submit abstracts for more than one poster where appropriate.
Sundry feedback on GES2013
"This was a truly excellent conference. An impressive line-up of speakers from academia and industry. I learned a lot."
"Excellent breadth of topics. Diverse range of speakers and participants."
"Impeccably organised."
– Dr. Ruud Weijermars, Editor at Energy Policy
"The most comprehensive energy conference I have ever attended."
– Prof. Charles Hendry, former UK Energy Minister


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Blog: Women challenging the rules of the Game of Thrones
AUTHORDrishti Pant
SUNDAY28APR 2019
#Sports, Books & Movies
Women challenging the rules of the Game of Thrones
Whether it is Game of Thrones on-screen or game of thrones in corporate and politics, women have risen above their own inhibitions and battled the stigmas of society quite gracefully.
Daenerys to Sansa Stark: We have other things in common. We've both known what it means to lead people who aren't inclined to accept a women's rule. And we've both done a damn good job of it, from what I can tell.
In kingdoms, countries or companies, we have mostly seen men in leadership positions. But times are slowly changing and the women of the world have made their own place and proven their potential to manage work outside the home as well.
Whether it is Game of Thrones on-screen or game of thrones in corporate and politics, women have risen above their own inhibitions and battled the stigmas of society quite gracefully. From Indira Nooyi, Theresa May to General Motors CEO Mary Barra, women are challenging the societal norms, patriarchal mindsets and leading people, companies and nations towards a better tomorrow.
However, they are still fewer females in leadership roles, on boards and gender inequality is still a global issue.
Rewind: The potential was always evident
Let's go back to the fictional world and reflect on how the characters of some of the women leads have developed on the show.
While on the one hand, we have Arya Stark, who was always a rebel refusing to follow the rules given by society, on the other, there is Sansa Stark, her sister who as a child dreamt of marrying a prince someday.
From season one to season eight both the ladies have come a long way. The former has learned to channelize her energy and utilize her potential, the latter has discovered the capabilities she never even knew existed.
For decades, women and men have been raised to believe that raising a family and taking care of home is the only purpose of women. But time and again women have proved this mindset to be wrong.
If we look at world history, we have great examples of women taking the reigns and leading realms as well. In 1740, Maria Theresa inherited the rule of a country that was penniless and poorly governed and turned around the economy, revitalized the military, and instituted mandatory public education for both boys and girls in the country. Then in the 1880s, Eleanor Roosevelt set an example and became the First Lady of the United States. She wrote a daily newspaper column that reached vast people, in which she defended women's rights and other humanitarian causes.
Lesser in number but huge in impact, these hard working ladies became role models for generations to come. And the women workforce on the field, in office, in factories and in almost every sphere of life increased.
The Present: Hope for a better tomorrow
Over time, women have started taking more roles and responsibilities outside the home. Their participation has increased in academics; more of them have started taking up jobs or becoming entrepreneurs.
Today, closer to home, we have many emerging companies and startups founded by women entrepreneurs. For instance, Hooi Ling Tan, a former McKinsey consultant, who co-founded GrabTaxi with her classmate at Harvard, Anthony Tan. GrabTaxi was recently named one of Southeast Asia's "unicorn" startups with an estimated billion-dollar valuation.
Besides finding and leading disruptive business models, many women have even made it to the top roles in established organizations which for decades didn't have any female leadership.
Recently, General Motors Co. became one of the few companies to have a board with a majority of women and the cherry on the top is that the person leading the company is also a female. There are other companies like Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. that also have a majority of female directors, currently.
While the progress is slow, it is also steady.
As per, 2018 CWDI Report, women hold 21.4 percent of all director positions on the boards of the 200 largest companies in the world (the Fortune Global 200), doubling the percentage of women directors since 2004, when only 10.4 percent of board appointments were held by women in these global powerhouse companies representing 26 countries. In the Asia-Pacific region, which now represents the largest slice of the 200 largest companies in the world, there is only 7.4 percent of female representation on their boards of directors.
Slowly but surely women are challenging the mindsets and shattering the glass ceilings to an extent that it shall soon disappear.
The bright future: No men, no women, only leaders
'All men must die, but we are not men'
The slogan 'Future is female' may confuse many and make them think that women want to eliminate men completely. However, that's not the idea. Organizations need to build a culture of equality for it to evolve and move ahead amidst the disruption that the world of work is facing currently.
As per a report by McKinsey Global Institute, India, in particular, could add more than 18 percent to its GDP by 2025, simply by giving equal opportunities to women and increasing the female workforce participation.
Winter is here, and organizations need all the capabilities that they can get irrespective of gender to win the war of talent.
The same as in the series, Game of Thrones, women and men all alike fight against the white walkers so shall in the world of work should they together as per their potential help take businesses and economies ahead.
Gif Credits: Giphy
Topics: Sports, Books & Movies
NEXT STORY: How to fall in love with your job, once more?
If business leaders could time travel like the Avengers
Book Review: Great at Work by Morten Hansen
TED talks to inspire leaders this International Women's Day
Book Review: Barking Up the Wrong Tree


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R&V at the Movies: Join Us for Our Favorites
9:00 AM EST on Nov 26, 2021
Izzet ugutmen
Our team is filled with some serious movie buffs. As one way to say we are thankful for you, our readers, this week's R&V at the Movies is a list of our favorites – from our family to yours!
We all have different reasons for loving our favorite holiday films: a childhood memory, cinematic excellence, or maybe it just makes us feel like the holidays are upon us.
Pull up a chair with us, and catch one of our favorite movies. And hey, let us know yours too!
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Growing up, my parents forced us to stay up late after decorating the tree and watch a boring old black and white movie on NBC. Flash forward 25 years and It's A Wonderful Life is not just my favorite holiday movie, but my favorite movie of all time. Every year I learn a new lesson as I watch, and the sweetness and truth of the story crystalizes for me a little more as my own family grows.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) © Videocraft Int'l. LTD. MCMLXIV. Image Courtesy of IMDb.
(1964) Unrated
One of my very first memories as a child is going to my grandparents house on Christmas Eve and my grandfather being so excited to show me a walking Rudolph toy he bought for me to play with. To his shock, I was terrified! I was certain the blinking red nose and thin wobbly legs were up to no good. That holiday he sat me down and we watched this special together. He explained the story when seeing my uncertainty and held me close when the 'big scary snowman' came along. I hold that memory with me each year and continue the tradition now with my family. Although the toy is long since retired, it's one I will always remember.
The Snowman (1982)
Holidays can be bittersweet and I remember as a child feeling such melancholy as the last few hours of Christmas night dwindled into a whole nother year of waiting to trim the tree again. We always watched The Snowman, often on Christmas Eve after we returned from a dark candle lit service at church. The music, the mystery, the depth of feeling communicated without dialogue in those beautiful hand drawn animations took me to another place, a place where Christmas glowed in our hearts always, long after the snow melted into spring.
Genia
A Rugrats Chanukah (1996)
While most holiday television programming focuses on Christmas specials, the Hanukkah episode of an animated children's television series was groundbreaking. The episode unfolds as the Rugrats imagine themselves as the main characters in the story of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. I love watching A Rugrats Chanukah with my family – It's very exciting to see your traditions reflected back at you in a warm, safe presentation.
Elf (2003) © New Line Cinema. Image Courtesy of IMDb.
Elf (2003)
There are too many precious quotes from Elf to pick just one that epitomizes the holiday season. But if we must: ""The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." – Buddy the Elf
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1988)
My dad has always been a National Lampoon fan. And every holiday season, we watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as we compare his affinity for over-the-top light displays to Clark's.
Marcelly
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
This was the first movie that has ever made me cry. I was only four at the time, but I recognized the pain the Grinch felt which made my four year-old self want to give him a big hug. Every year I watch the movie, it brings back the childhood nostalgia and the innocent compassion I have for the Grinch. Certain scenes still make me shed a tear or two, but the happy ending makes it all better.
The Polar Express (2004) © Castle Rock Entertainment. Image Courtesy of IMDb.
The Polar Express (2004)
In my family, it's a time-honored tradition to read the picture book, The Polar Express, on Christmas Eve before we go to sleep. The animated Christmas classic from 2004 is a faithful recreation of the beautiful short story I know and love. The narration from Tom Hanks is always heartwarming and the title song, "Believe" by Josh Groban is one of my favorites. The Polar Express is the only Christmas movie I will actively search out on TV and is a sweet reminder of the power, joy, and beauty that comes to those who still believe.
Movies have been an important love language between me and my mom since I was a kid.. But whenever I'm back in town for the holidays, we always honor the same tradition: late on Christmas Eve, we gather all the gifts and wrap presents while Bruce Willis blasts his way through Nakatomi Plaza. So yeah, Die Hard is an action movie, but for me it's also a Christmas tradition.
The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
Movie Rating: PG
As a kid, my family would always make sure to watch "The Year Without a Santa Claus" together. Since that time, I have yet to find a Christmas movie with a soundtrack on the same playing field as the film that includes the tracks, "Mr. Heat Miser," and "Mr. Cold Miser." The animation style and trove of memorable characters fill me with nostalgia every viewing. If it's not a family tradition, you should make it one. If not, at least listen to "Mr. Heat Miser".


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Q: WPF: Как правильно с точки зрения концепции MVVM вызывать новое окно командой? Без шаблона MVVM, вызов нового окна в приложениях WPF довольно прост:
// Обработчик кнопки открытия другого окна

void OpenOtherWindow(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    OtherWindow otherWindow = new OtherWindow();
    otherWindow.ViewModel = "ViewModel";
    otherWindow.Show();
    otherWindow.ShowViewModel();
}

// Другое окно
public partial class OtherWindow : Window {
    public string ViewModel { get; set; }

        public OtherWindow(){
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        public void ShowViewModel(){
            MessageBox.Show(ViewModel);
        }
}

Предположим, что новое окно должно открываться как с помощью кнопки, так и сочетания клавиш. На данный момент, я могу предложить только такой способ:
MainWindowView.xaml (Элемент View)
<Window.CommandBindings>
    <CommandBinding Command="local:AutomationCommands.OpenOtherWindow" Executed="OpenOtherWindow_Executed"/>
</Window.CommandBindings>

MainWindowView.xaml.cs
private void OpenOtherWindow_Executed(object sender, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e) {
    OtherWindow otherWindow = new OtherWindow();
    otherWindow.ViewModel = "ViewModel";
    otherWindow.Show();
    otherWindow.ShowViewModel();
}

AutomationCommands.cs
public static RoutedCommand OpenList = new RoutedCommand("OpenOtherWindow", typeof(AutomationCommands), new InputGestureCollection(){
        new KeyGesture(Key.N, ModifierKeys.Control)
});

Согласно концепции шаблона MVVM, в MainWindowView.xaml.cs особо логики быть не должно. Какие альтернативные, более правильные с точки зрения MVVM подходы Вы можете преложить?

Обновление (Конкурс)
Несколько часов смотрел разные примеры по данной теме на разных языках. Все они либо неполные, потому не получается довести их до рабочего приложения, либо слишком сложные, а потому крайне трудны для понимания и адаптировать их под своё приложение, понимая при этом что делаешь, невозможно без помощи более опытных wpf-разработчиков. Потому, в данном конкурсе задача будет такая:

*

*Сделать минимальное, но рабочее приложение, на основе которого уже можно будет дальше что-то усложнять.

*Ничего лишнего: две кнопки на главном экране; одна открывает обычное окно, другая - диалоговое (в чём разница в случае с WPF - честно говоря не понимаю, поэтому включите, пожалуйста, это объяснение в ответ). В новых окнах будет по одной надписи, что окно успешно открыто. Всё, больше нам в разметке ничего не нужно.

*

*Мы будем придерживаться паттерна MVVM, но в данном примере нам модель не нужна. Также не уведен, нужна ли ViewModel но на всякий случай добавил соответствующие классы. Таким образом организация файлом будет такая (папка Models присутствует, но она пустая):

*

*Не надо писать мини-фреймворки - люди, у которых нет опыта разработки в WPF, их не поймут, а потому не смогут воспользоваться ими с понимаем. Нам нужен только код для открытия окон (в рамках MVVM - с использование сервисов) а так же оповещение сервисов для закрытия окна.

*Поскольку приложение простейшее, то никаких особых действий при закрытии окна не будет. Однако прошу Вас добавить пустой метод для обработки закрытия окна, чтобы при дальнейшем усложнении данного примера было понятно, куда этот метод вставлять (в этом методе может быть, например, сохранение введённых данных).

Заготовки кода:
MainWindowView.xaml - элемент View главного окна
<Window x:Class="MVVM_OpenNewWindowMinimalExample.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
        xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
        mc:Ignorable="d"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="350">
    <StackPanel>
        <Button Content="Открыть обычное дочернее окно" Command="{Binding OpenChildWindow}"/>
        <Button Content="Открыть диалоговое окно" Command="{Binding OpenDialogWindow}"/>
    </StackPanel>
</Window>

MainWindowView.xaml.cs - это backcode называется, да?
namespace MVVM_OpenNewWindowMinimalExample.Views {
    public partial class MainWindowView : Window {
        public MainWindowView() {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
    }
}

App.xaml.cs
namespace MVVM_OpenNewWindowMinimalExample {
    public partial class App : Application {
        protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e) {
            base.OnStartup(e);
            var modelView = new MainWindowView {
                DataContext = new MainWindowViewModel()
            };
            modelView.Show();
        }
    }
}

Ссылка на Visual Studio-проект (Yandex Диск). Возможно, станет недоступной через некоторое время после окончания конкурса.

A: Написано приложение, демонстрирующее открытие и закрытие окон с использованием паттерна MVVM. Так же, команды отвечающие за открытие окон привязаны на горячие клавиши (Ctrl-Y - открыть первое окно, Ctrl-Z - открыть второе окно)
Код приложения находится в git https://github.com/bakulev/MVVM_OpenNewWindowMinimalExample
Работоспособность приложения проверена.
В коде использованы советы описанные в вопросе Сервис создания модальных и немодальных окон в контексте паттерна MVVM

A: Очень хороший вопрос.
Открытие новых окон — это сложный момент в рамках паттерна MVVM.
Смотрите. С одной стороны, решение об открытии нового окна принадлежит уровню бизнес-логики, то есть, VM. С другой стороны, VM не имеет права ничего знать о View. Получается противоречие.
Обычно это противоречие решают, создавая дополнительный сервис открытия окон, который настраивается в начале работы программы, и лежит между VM и View. С таким подходом VM-код создаёт VM-объект некоторого типа, и просит сервис обеспечить показ. Сервис проверяет тип объекта, создаёт окно нужного типа, и показывает его, установив переданный объект в качестве DataContext.
Пример кода, реализующего этот подход, можно найти здесь (и посмотрите связанные вопросы).

Вам ещё придётся организовывать логику, оповещающую сервис о закрытии окна (и, возможно, запрашивающую подтверждение этого в VM).

A: Как вариант, можно воспользоваться классическим паттерном "Команда", как показано здесь. Тогда, в идеале, можно достичь того, что в представлении останется только инициализация модели представления.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Server error in node.js application I am getting the following error in my machine when I run my code locally.
The server did not return a complete response for this request. Server returned 0
bytes.

my code is a for loop which loops around 1 million time inserting objects in my array.
So what is the problem here please.


Mariah Carey kept her comeback going over the weekend, picking up best album and best-single honors at the 20th Annual Soul Train Music Awards.
John Legend also earned two awards, beating out Chicago's R. Kelly for best male album with "Get Lifted." Legend's "Ordinary People" won best male single.
Carey, who won three Grammys last month, nabbed awards at the Pasadena, Calif., show for best female album for "The Emancipation of Mimi" and best female single for "We Belong Together."
"This has been the biggest and most successful year of my life," said Carey, who has returned to the charts after dominating them for much of the 1990s.
A year ago, Carey's career appeared to be fading after debacles that included a contract buyout by Virgin Records.
"You know that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger," she said.
Kelly entered the show with a leading three nominations, but he lost in each category.
Fellow Chicagoan Kanye West claimed the award for best R&B-soul or rap music video for "Gold Digger," featuring Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx.
Chris Brown claimed the award for best new rap artist for his album "Run It."
"Just last year I was just at home trying to balance my school work and basketball practice," said the 17-year-old Brown, a high school junior.
Brown will set out on his first-ever headlining tour, kicking off March 24 in Seattle, MTV reported. T-Pain will serve as support on the spring run.
The R&B-soul album, group, band or duo award went to the Black Eyed Peas for "Monkey Business." And the top R&B-soul or rap dance cut was "Lose Control," by Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop.
Foxx, who clinched best musical artist last week at the NAACP Image Awards, was honored Saturday with the Quincy Jones Lifetime Achievement Award.
Foxx, who recently released his album "Unpredictable," said Jones had advised him to view a musical career as a marathon, not as a sprint.
"You've got another 50 years to go," Foxx said Jones told him.
The Quincy Jones Outstanding Career Achievement for women went to Destiny's Child. The group also won best-group single for "Cater 2 U."
Before the show, Stevie Wonder received a bronze statue of himself before he was set to present the first Stevie Wonder Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting to Kelly.
"I saw the sculpture and it looks really great," Wonder, who is blind, said jokingly.
Kelly, who said he had grown up listening to Wonder's music, accepted the award imitating Wonder's voice and waving his head back and forth, drawing laughs from the audience.
An honorary award also went to Legend, who got the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year. "I'm truly humbled that you chose me for this," Legend said.
The Soul Train Music Awards, started by the syndicated music show "Soul Train," celebrate artists in R&B, hip-hop and gospel music. The 2006 honors, hosted by Vivica Fox and Tyrese Gibson, will air in syndication beginning Saturday.
The awards are determined by radio station professionals, talent managers and performers.


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The Mirror and the Mountain
The Forgotten Palace
Author • Speaker • Creative
Luke Aylen
Luke lives in Bristol but spends much of his time in the weird and wonderful corners of his imagination. He studies and writes at Trinity College Bristol and from his DIY camper van, usually with a cup of tea on hand. Despite failing every spelling test he's ever taken, he loves building magical worlds with words and telling stories that excite, delight or change people. Before publishing his books, Luke's background was in creative direction, media and primary schools resources. He is a multi-award-winning film-maker, has a background in performing arts, and is currently undertaking an MA in theology as training for pioneer ministry in the Church of England alongside writing his books.
In 2018 Luke released his debut novel, The Mirror and the Mountain, which introduced readers to the magical kingdom of Presadia and it's many troubles through the eyes of two children, Summer and Jonah, who accidentally stumble through from our own world. The Forgotten Palace continues the series (March 22nd 2019) as readers journey with Antimony, the 'tall-dwarf' on an unexpected quest filled with danger and mystery.
© 2019 Luke Aylen – All rights reserved


Hollywood style wooden movie clapboard.
Chalk out your next YouTube clip like a pro!
Invented in the 1920's to assist synchronizing sound with early films, the Movie Clapper was originally just a black chalkboard with a clap stick on top.


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March 1, 1998 /in /by Angie Hill
Volunteer Reading Help
Author: Judy Taylor Hough
At the root of all learning is self-esteem – children in touch with their own strength and ability and confident enough to make mistakes without seeing themselves as failing. Judy Taylor Hough explains how Volunteer Reading Help provides children with reading difficulties with one-to-one experiences of being valued and included as they share books with their volunteer helper.
'No! It's much too difficult for me!' is the familiar reaction to almost any book that is opened at my first meeting with the somewhat apprehensive six-year-old I have taken out of the classroom, 'for reading'. But what often attracts attention is the lid of my now rather well-worn suitcase of books and games, where the initials V R H are outlined uncertainly in green sticky tape. 'What's that mean?' can be a useful ice-breaker and my explanation that V R H stands for Volunteer Reading Help leads on to discussion about the meaning of the words. It often comes as a surprise to the children of inner London that someone might do something for someone else without getting paid for it.
The first sentence of the Handbook that is given to all Volunteer Reading Helpers sums up well the function of VRH. 'The aim of Volunteer Reading Help is to provide relaxed adult help for those children who do not find reading easy or who lack confidence in their own ability.' In other words, those who elect to give their time to this remarkable organisation do not teach children to read, for they are well aware that this is the prerogative of the teacher, the trained expert. Their aim is to help to build in each child the awareness of self-esteem, to enable the child to experience the joy of success and, above all, to show that books and reading can be not only a source of interest but also a source of great pleasure.
The Volunteers
The volunteers, both men and women, range in age from eighteen to eighty and come from diverse backgrounds – banking, nursing, public transport, telephone operations, publishing, parenting, even teaching. No formal qualifications are required but each prospective VRH is rigorously interviewed and, if accepted, given a short training course before being assigned to a school, preferably near their home. Armed with a suitcase containing twenty-four carefully selected books and four games provided by their branch headquarters, the VRH is supported with further training, support group meetings, book exchanges, visits during the term and with newsletters.
Having committed themselves to the task for at least one year, a VRH works with each child individually, the same three children on every visit, going into school twice a week for three half-hour sessions. As the reading sessions must be held outside the classroom and no child may be taken off the school premises, it has been known for a school to be faced with a logistical problem which was only solved by bringing a previously-believed abandoned stockroom back into use.
How VRH Came About
At the end of 1998 it will be twenty-five years since the first Volunteer Reading Helpers started work, seven of them in two London junior schools, and today there are over fourteen hundred volunteers in primary schools as far apart as Yorkshire and Dorset. Like a number of other successful charitable organisations VRH was the brainchild of one inspired woman. As a governor of a London comprehensive school in the 1970s, Susan Belgrave was confronted with the problem of those children who had reached the age for secondary education without being able to read, a situation which presented almost unsurmountable difficulties for the child and which frequently led to truancy. Susan Belgrave stated her concerns at the time in an interview with Elaine Moss: 'Children don't go to school because they can't face what is going on there. They can't read, so they don't understand what they're supposed to do. They miss a day and then they miss two days…' She was convinced that the reading problem must be tackled in the primary school, with the then seemingly wild idea of providing one-to-one support for those children who were experiencing difficulties. Already hardpressed class teachers could not possibly be expected to manage such a thing themselves on a regular basis, so it must be provided by others.
In those days the Inner London Education Authority was responsible for education in the capital and in 1973 the Staff Inspector for Primary Education, Vivian Pape, was persuaded by Susan Belgrave to give his permission for a two-year trial of her idea in the recently established North Kensington Project Area. The scheme was run entirely from her home and by the end of the following year there were twenty-eight VRHs working in seven schools in three London Project Areas. By 1975 the ILEA were providing rooms for meetings and training and paying for a few hours' secretarial help, but it was not until 1980, when there were over one hundred volunteers, that VRH was able to move its administration out of Susan Belgrave's home and into ILEA office space. Several Trusts helped to fund day-to-day expenses and to pay the salary of a part-time Organising Secretary. That same year VRH became a registered charity and Lady Plowden and Peter Newsam became its first Patrons.
Today Volunteer Reading Help is supported by the DfEE, by schools, charitable trusts, private and public companies and by a growing number of Local Education Authorities. Lady Plowden and Sir Peter Newsam have been joined as Patrons by Sir John Milne, Sir Claus Moser, Lady Rees-Mogg, Prunella Scales and Sir Stephen Tumim. There is a national office in central London, with a staff of nine co-ordinating the work of twenty-eight branches throughout the country. There are 1,412 Volunteers helping 4,236 children and the numbers are growing every year.
Every Child is Individual
Although every VRH has attended similar training courses and uses the books and games that come from the same carefully chosen resource, it is up to each one to awaken the child's interest in the written word in his or her own way. My own experience over seven years in an Inner London school has shown me that there is nothing gained by having any set plan or trying to keep to a timetable.
I started working with three ten-year-olds who were in that last, desperate year before secondary school, with the threat of never catching up hanging over them. I soon discovered that one child could, in fact, read quite well, but took little interest in the mechanics of it and failed to see what the point was. He was a keen footballer and a whizz on the computer, so writing a footballing story together, followed by him giving me a lesson on the computer made a good start. Then one day Stephen told me he was being taken on a family visit to Gloucester, a place he had never heard of and knew nothing about. So, on my next visit, I brought in a map. It took quite a long time for him to find Gloucester in the index, and then to solve how the map reference worked, but then we followed the route to Gloucester from central London, first by rail and then by road ('All those red lines look like things coming out of a heart,' was one comment). After we had read The Tailor of Gloucester and I had recited 'Doctor Foster', the trip was beginning to take on quite a different aspect.
Another ten-year-old was quite a different matter. She knew her letters and a number of words had somehow been retained in her mind but what Tracey really needed was someone to take an interest in her, someone who would read to her and share books with her. We had a marvellous time with fairy stories of the Cinderella kind and with playing games – for which you had to 'read' the rules before you could start. A few weeks later I met Tracey's Mum at the school fair and asked her if she could possibly spend some time each evening reading with her daughter. As soon as I had said it I realised that my suggestion was a lost cause. Tracey's Mum couldn't read, either.
A Matter of Confidence
I now work with six- to seven-year-olds and with them it is largely a matter of confidence. To discover their reading level I start with something very simple like How Do I Put It On? by Shigeo Watanabe or Duck by David Lloyd, both books they find funny. We then progress through all the favourites in the suitcase, with Babar proving a recent unexpected success, the character being familiar from television, and the introduction to the French setting and the purchase of shirts with separate collars, bowler hats and spats being source for endless discussion.
I also find doing crosswords of considerable help. Appearing to be a game, a crossword involves both reading and writing skills and is probably the child's first encounter with lateral thinking. Once the clue has been deciphered, it never fails to come as a surprise that there is yet a further stage to go. Last term we made our own alphabet book, upper and lower case letters, four words for each letter, chosen, drawn and captioned by the one whose turn it was that day. We cheated only with Xx, choosing words like 'axe' and 'box' and highlighting the x in the caption. Making a book also gave me the opportunity to introduce book-making terminology, for as well as a cover we had to ensure that there were decorated endpapers, a proper title page and a dedication.
VRH has proved not only of benefit to the children who are chosen to receive help; it also gives a sense of being needed and a good deal of pleasure to the adults who take part. One VRH wrote about just how she felt: 'To share in a small way in the blossoming of a child who is not a relative or a friend – a process in which good teachers are involved all the time – seems a rare privilege.'
Judy Taylor Hough is Chair of the Inner London branch of Volunteer Reading Help. For further information contact Volunteer Reading Help, Room 438, High Holborn House, 49/51 Bedford Row, London WC1V 6RL (Tel:/Fax: 0171 404 6204).
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill1998-03-01 09:50:502021-12-07 16:37:21Volunteer Reading Help
The History of Children's Books, No.6: The Years of Challenge Elmer at Thirty


Rochdale Mayfield and Hornets' Ex-Players Association held a Jubilee Day Celebration at The Mayfield Sports Centre which saw 200 children from ages six to 14 playing games against local opposition to highlight the skills they have developed over the year.
Hornet's Ex-Players sponsored the day providing food and prizes for the participants as well as sponsoring three new kits for the local teams of Rochdale.
They presented a kit to the Cobras Ladies, Littleborough Under nines and Mayfield Under 13s.
The day also saw a number of fun kids inflatables as a number of sprint races on the main pitch and a Tug of War which saw the Mayfield NCL team defeat the Oldham St Annes parent's eventually after a nip and tuck pull.
Ex-Hornets organiser Tony Pratt said: "It is a wonderful sight to see 200 plus kids and their parents taking part in rugby league.
Guest of honour on the day was England and Great Britain captain and current Super League sar Adrian Morley, above, who presented the winning match trophies and kits to the teams on the day.


Larry King is not defending Les Moonves, but he definitely understands a woman standing by her man.
The entertainer ran into TMZ in Los Angeles on Friday night. "She's his wife, I think she's a stand-up girl," King said.
Chen recently returned to "Big Brother" after her husband Moonves left his position as chairman of CBS following multiple sexual misconduct allegations. For the first time on "BB", Chen signed off as "Julie Chen Moonves". To many, this was a sort of silent protest in support of her husband.
And King's wife Shawn is on the same page as Chen. "She's his wife, if somebody had said something about Larry I would stand right by him," she told the tabloid outlet.
On Monday, Chen announced she would be taking time off from "The Talk" to be with her family.


text:
The breaking of Frodo's Barrow Down's sword and the Morgul Knife
When Frodo was fleeing the Nine Black Riders and had crossed the Ford of Bruinen onto the Rivendell bank - with The Nine still on the opposite bank - there is a scene when Frodo draws his sword and shouts defiance (rather feebly). But the Witch King merely gloats, raises his hand, casts a spell, and the sword breaks in Frodo's hand.
This broken sword is one of four apparently identical weapons that Tom Bombadil gave the hobbits from the treasure horde accumulated by the Barrow Wight; after Tom had broken-open the barrow. They are described as long, 'leaf shaped' daggers for use by Men - but the right size to be swords for the hobbits. These were Numenorean blades, from the Kingdom of Arnor.
Later, on the eve of The Fellowship setting out on their quest to destroy the One Ring; Bilbo apologises that he forgot to have Frodo's broken sword mended; and gives him Sting instead - an Elven blade originally from Gondolin. This is a symbolic gesture of handing-on responsibility; and has important repercussions later - for example this type of Gondolin magical blade was made for use against giant spiders (as we learn in The Hobbit), and Sting was able to cut through Shelob's massively-thick web - when Sam's Numenorean blade could not.
But why was the Witch King able to break Frodo's Numenorean blade when, as we discover later, these were magical blades specifically forged to destroy the Nazgul Chief himself? (When he was known as the Witch King of Angmar, and was attacking the northern Numenorean Kingdom of Arnor.) How could the Nazgul Chief destroy by magic, a magical anti-Nazgul weapon?
The problem arises because it was Merry's use of exactly such a blade in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, that enabled the Chief of the Nazgul to be killed - it is described as undoing the spell by which the wraith's body was kept-together; such that a follow-up thrust from the ordinary (non-magical) blade of Eowyn was able to 'finish him off'.
The reason, I suggest, was because Frodo had been stabbed by a Morgul Knife on Weathertop - and this was a black magical weapon that had the effect of making Frodo a wraith. This wraithing process was far advanced by the time that Frodo crossed the Ford of Bruinen - Frodo was even becoming transparent, and falling under Sauron's control.
I assume that the Morgul Knife was indeed magically forged by Sauron - a very rare - possibly unique at the time, difficult to make, sentient weapon (although one that Glorfindel recognised, so presumably not the first such weapon) - designed so that the tip would snap-off after stabbing then - under its own power and sense of direction - work its way to the heart. Once the knife tip reached the heart, the wraithing process would have been complete.
The intent of the Witch King, according to Gandalf, was indeed to stab Frodo directly in the heart; making him immediately a wraith. The plan of the Nazgul was, apparently therefore, to capture Frodo and take him to Sauron as a new 'ringwraith' - and unable to die; where Frodo would have been tormented 'forever'.
This explains why the Witch King did not try to kill Frodo (e.g. with a sword) when he had the chance. Sauron did not want Frodo to die, but to be kept alive for the worst and longest-lasting punishment Sauron could devise - for having taken the One Ring and kept it.
But this wraithing had not quite happened by the time the Ford to Rivendell was reached; because Frodo had, at the last moment, resisted the Witch King's attack, and spoken the name of Elbereth - momentarily dauting and distracting the Witch king, so that the stabbing blow missed the heart by several inches - enough to delay the wraithing (in a Hobbit, which is more resistant to the corruption of evil than a Man) for several weeks.
Nonetheless, Frodo was most of the way towards being a wraith by the time of the Ford of Bruinen, and he therefore had a 'spiritual connection' to the ringwraiths - a channel had been opened-up. Frodo could see and hear the Nazgul much more clearly than could the other Hobbits, and indeed by this time he saw the Nazgul more clearly than he saw his companions.
Presumably, therefore, the Witch King was able, via this magical connection, to destroy even Frodo's magically-anti-Nazgul sword, by an unspoken command and a gesture.
This breaking of the Numenorean sword then created the desired plot-opening by which Frodo needed a sword at the last minute, and provided a reason for Bilbo giving him Sting.
Acknowledgement: To my son Billy, for the suggestions and conversation which led-up to this insight - putting to rest a long-term uncertainty.
cae said...
Wonderful post!!
Kudos to you and your son for working out such a perfect explanation for a very puzzling plot detail!
William Wildblood said...
Tolkien was a very self-aware writer as evidenced by his constant editing of what he wrote but could this be one of those many occasions in which he was so connected to inner truths that he wrote what was right without actually knowing why he did so?
@William - I think that is likely!
Joel said...
Hi Bruce,
I sent an earlier email to you commenting on the Eowyn story, to your @yahoo address back in August. I don't know if that email address still works.
I think that there are some literary parallels that inspired Tolkien's broken sword motif, and are somewhat active here.
1) Arthur's sword from the stone, broken in battle with King Pellinore before he could receive Excalibur. (Post-Vulgate Cycle, Mallory)
2) Sigmund's sword Gram, shattered by Odin during his battle with King Lyngvi. Reforged by Sigurd. (In the Volsunga Saga, Wagner)
3) The sword given to Percival to reforge, which will fail him in his hour of need, due to the imperfection of the reforging. (Chrétien de Troyes, Acallamh na Senórach)
The Volsunga Saga seems especially powerful on Tolkien's imagination regarding the scene at the Ford. Here is Tolkien's description of the event from Sigurd and Gudrun:
A warrior strange,
one-eyed, awful,
strode and stayed him
standing silent,
huge and hoary
and hooded darkly.
The sword of Sigmund
sang before him.
His spear he raised:
sprang asunder
the sword of Grímnir,
singing splintered.
The king is fallen
cloven-breasted;
lords lie round him;
the land darkens.
The Flight to The Ford:
'By Elbereth and Lúthien the Fair,' said Frodo with a last effort, lifting up his sword, 'you shall have neither the Ring nor me!'
Then the leader, who was now half across the Ford, stood up menacing in his stirrups, and raised up his hand. Frodo was stricken dumb. He felt his tongue cleave to his mouth, and his heart labouring. His sword broke and fell out of his shaking hand. The elf-horse reared and snorted. The foremost of the black horses had almost set foot upon the shore.
The raised hand/spear and the shattering of a sword from a distance strikes me, at least, as a close parallel. But as you have recognized, I think, the impact on Frodo is more personal, almost psychological, and his sword shattering seems to be one with finding himself dumbstruck.
My own explanation would be that for Tolkien, at the Ford, Frodo's sword was not really a named sword with a history (this was not invented or planned until the Eowyn chapter). What is going on is that though valiant, Frodo finds himself unequal to this direct confrontation with evil (as he will also find himself to be in the final confrontation), and Tolkien thought that it was appropriate and dramatic for his sword to fail him here.
There is a similar (perhaps more equal) moment when Gandalf confronts the Balrog.
From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming.
Glamdring glittered white in answer.
There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire. The Balrog fell back, and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still....
At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand...
And here is Saruman's staff broken at the raise of a hand:
He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. 'Saruman, your staff is broken.' There was a crack, and the staff split asunder in Saruman's hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf's feet.
Gollumclone said...
Interesting, but I don't see why any extra explanation is needed. Just because the weapon was charmed against wraiths doesn't mean that it would be invulnerable to being snapped by a spell.
I had another explanation for why the ringwraiths ceased their attack on weathertop: the presence of a vala, perhaps elbereth herself! During the first part of fellowship, until the entrance into Moria, Frodo has clairvoyant dreams. He sees Gandalf as prisoner in orthanc. He dreams shapes are flying above him, which presages the flying nazgul later in the story. In Rivendell he dreams they were all back in Rivendell again one day, which also comes true—the quest would be a success! It's reminiscent of the power of Galadriel mirror. In silmarillion it says that sometimes ainur hover around mortals and give them encouraging visions. Could this be what was happening? It would have to be a great ainur who could see forwards in time.
@G - Well, it doesn't *necessarily* follow, but if the Witch King could make the special anti-Witch King swords explode by remote control, at a word, they wouldn't be much use.
Yes, it's an interesting question about Frodo's dreams. They start after he is named Elf Friend by Gildor. https://notionclubpapers.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-name-you-elf-friend-blessing-of-frodo.html Verlyn Flieger discusses it a lot in A Question of Time.
BTW - this is moderated blog, so you don't need to resend comments multiple times!
Well, I didn't think the first comment took bc I was wrestling with my google account. I don't think it was gildors blessing bc the dreams stop after a point. I think Tom and merrygold are valar in disguise bc Tom has the far hearing of the valar. They stay with him as far as their power extends.
It is an example of depth in Tolkien for sure. Has anyone done a post on the maiar and telepathy or mind control? Please link me with other posts on examples of Tolkien's depth.
Geoffrey said...
Tolkien lived through WWI and had experienced its arms race, so another possibility is that Mordor or Orthanc had done some arcane R&D since the days of Númenor.
When the Númenoreans forged the blades, presumably in Arnor but perhaps even earlier, centuries (maybe millennia) before, they were tested and had an edge against the Ringwraiths... at the time.
Since that time, maybe the Nazgûls had just figured out the enchantments on the blades and devised a disenchantment spell to shatter them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this! I wonder how much the element of surprise is important where Merry is concerned? If Frodo had not brandished, but had somehow had an opportunity to stab, or parry in a fight, might things have gone differently despite any undermining 'bewraithing'?
To add to Joel's Balrog note, there is the interesting earlier resisting at that door of what turns out to be the Balrog where both Gandalf himself and the instrumentality of magic are concerned: is this analogous with (bewraithed) Frodo and blade?
Gollumclone,
Encourage a library near you to consider ordering Sam McBride's Tolkien's Cosmology (Kent State UP, 2020), in which he discusses Maiar and telepathy and mind control, among many other interesting things!
David Llewellyn Dodds
The breaking of Frodo's Barrow Down's sword and th...


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