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Archive for the 'Media' Category
Journalism, Readers, Sally Baxter
The art of journalism: satisfying beginners and expert readers
In Journalism, Media, MSM, Sally Baxter on May 20, 2013 at 1:25 PM
By Sally Baxter
What makes a journalist? A lot of people – inside and outside the profession – are asking that question. If you think it takes a genius, think again. Good journalists have a representative of their audience in mind who informs every step of their work. My background's print, so it's natural for me to refer to a reader. Who's your reader, a genius or an idiot?
My first Editor was also my dad which means I spent a good deal of my career wondering if I was a journalist at all. I certainly didn't feel I really was until I was a newspaper reporter, but that was later.
In 1980 I finished high school in Brisbane and went back to Hong Kong to plot my next move.
When I'd left, Bax had a talkback show on Commercial Radio (that's how small the market was – that was the name of the station) and was filling in the rest of his time with a little computer magazine he'd started.
By the time I returned Computer-Asia had grown enough to warrant all his attention. It was still a tiny operation, running out of a backroom behind the Hong Kong Press Club in Wanchai. There was Bax, John the ad sales guy and Teresa the paste-up artist.
I had pitched up in the middle of the mad rush which happened once a month to get the magazine to bed and Bax dragged me, still jetlagged, the very next day to help out.
I didn't contribute much I'm sure but it was a great introduction to the swirling excitement of deadlines and the dead calm at the centre, where evey line must be carefully checked first for spelling and punctuation and then again for meaning.
The operation was so small and so tight for cash our final job was to stick the subscriber copies into envelopes as soon as they arrived back from the printer and make sure it was at the front of every newsstand we passed on the way home.
Bax, recognising the value of cheap labour, asked me to stay. But, I told him, I don't know anything about computers.
"Neither do I," he said.
"And nor do most of our readers. Our job is to explain it to them."
Bax told me we were writing for the business people who knew this stuff was important but didn't have the first idea what it meant.
"Our reader's probably a middle-aged guy in the middle of a middle-sized company whose boss is either about to invest in computing or has just done so.
"He's got these weird new people with weird new titles talking a language he can't understand telling him he's got to do things differently.
"He doesn't want to look like an idiot to his boss but he's not convinced any of this stuff is going to help him do his job better.
"That's your reader. You get to talk to the experts. Go and ask them the things that guy needs to know." Read the rest of this entry »
Integrity, Margo Kingston, Media, Media Ethics, Webdiary
Ethics overboard: How to promote integrity in the moment of choice
In Democracy, Fifth Estate, Journalism, Margo Kingston, Media on May 19, 2013 at 3:53 PM
By Margo Kingston
MARGO: With all the talk about stronger shield laws for journos, I think we are edging ever closer to needing an answer to the question: What is a journalist? We cannot argue for special protections and exemptions from privacy laws unless we can distinguish ourselves from non-journalists. To me the essential requirement is commitment to a genuinely accountable code of ethics, yet this is still just a dream. I gave this speech to a 2002 corruption prevention conference in Sydney, and reckon my idea is still relevant to the debate. I will run several pieces covering different aspects of the 'What is a journalist' question in the hope of genuine discussion on this vexed and increasingly urgent issue given the rise and rise of new media.
Ethics overboard
by Margo Kingston, September 2002
When you think about ethics, by which I mean 'professional standards of conduct', your starting point has to be your own.
Just after I started work in the big smoke of Sydney many years ago, the Herald chief of staff told me in confidence that the paper was sending a reporter posing as a prospective student into a Sydney high school to report on the youth of today in today's public education system. The editor was to pretend to be his father when enrolling him, but was too busy to do so. Could I pose as my colleagues aunt?
Weeks later, while the reporter was still at the school, another reporter stumbled upon the project and leaked it, resulting in political condemnation in the parliament and outrage from our readers and my colleagues. Thus I discovered that journalists in the journalists union were bound by a code of ethics.
This was the first time I'd heard of it. I had a duty, personal to me, to tell anyone I was speaking to for a story what my job was, unless the matter was of such compelling public interest that I was duty bound not to. Everyone in my industry believed that this was not a case where the exception applied.
The shock of the incident marked the beginning of my deep interest in journalistic ethics. I thought about my role in relationship to my readers, and my duties to assert my professional ethics to avoid abuse of power by my industry.
I was trained as a lawyer, not a journalist. I knew my ethical duties as a lawyer: My duty was not only to the client but to the court, and I should never knowingly use as evidence material I knew to be false. So I don't agree with the idea that ethics are instinctive in all cases. Written principles are required, and they need to be vigorously communicated as a matter fundamental to your career.
I believe the principles should be general, not particular, as particularity breeds legalism and the dangerous belief that technical avoidance equals compliance with ethical duty. Every ethical code should include not only the principles to which adherence is required, but the reasons why. For ethics, in the end, is about ourself in relation to other individuals and to our society.
The elites are in relationship with the people, and professional ethics – by accountants, lawyers, engineers, clergymen, architects – are constraints on abuse of power by the elites. A sellout of ethics for money, power, or survival, weakens the stability of the polity itself.
In the early 1990s, a construction company sued an establishment Brisbane law firm for its costs in a prolonged Federal Court civil action. The firm had acted for a developer, since jailed, who instructed it to resist and delay an action for payment of a debt due for building a shopping centre by alleging fraud. There was no evidence for this accusation. The ethical duties of solicitors and barristers forbid them from pleading fraud without supporting evidence.
When the developer went into liquidation, the plaintiff bought its legal files for a pittance and sued the legal firm. The barrister involved was Ian Callinan QC, since appointed a High Court judge.
So, a former leader of the Queensland bar and a partner in Queensland's best connected law firm were caught red-handed with their pants down.
The Queensland Law Society, a body backed by legislation to police the ethical standards required by solicitors, would not say whether or not it was examining the solicitor's behaviour. It was confidential. And the society implied that it only acted on a complaint, not of its own motion. End of story. Read the rest of this entry »
Andrew Bolt, Chris Berg, Free Speech, Freedom of the Press, IPA, Socrates, Thomas Connelly
Bolt no free speech champion, just another rhetor*
In Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Ideology, IPA, Journalism, Media on May 11, 2013 at 5:42 PM
Statue of ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, blindfolded by protesting students in Athens. Photograph: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
By Thomas Connelly
Margo: I read with incredulity Andrew Bolt's begging letter to citizens to donate to the IPA's fund to defend free speech http://support.ipa.org.au/. IPA donors Murdoch and Gina could finance a free speech fund with their spare change. This appeal is about something else, changing the very meaning of free speech to suit the very big, very rich, very powerful end of town.
Shocks come in threes, and this surreal threesome kicked off with Abbott's ode to Murdoch and his IPA as freedom's discerning friends and his yes, Sir nod to the IPA's policy wish list.
The Brandis free speech fantasy kicked off this week with a speech called The Freedom Wars and an @albericie interview. Brandis, describing Bolt as one of only two Australian journalists prepared to fight for free speech, set the scene for Bolt, Murdoch poster boy, to launch the IPA appeal. It is so cynical, and so arrogant, that it gives donors the chance to win a copy of the Daily Telegraph's obscene propaganda page one splash during the media reform debate signed by its puppet master.
Free speech is not what Murdoch/Bolt/IPA are about, as the head of the Press Council Julian Disney explained in evidence to the Senate media reform inquiry (to my knowledge no newspaper reported his highly critical comments about their free speech failures).
Or maybe free speech is now what Murdoch, Bolt, the IPA, Brandis and Abbott say it is. Who is strong enough to seriously take them on in the public sphere?
I published my response to Brandis, then I tweeted a plea for writers to respond, and late last night got this tweet from @metaboleus 2.01 am.
@margokingston1 don't know how real i am as a free speech defender, but i have just knocked off a nice essay if you want to DM me.
— thomas connelly (@metaboleus) May 10, 2013
Onya, mate. Anyone else care to join him?
Free Speech is obviously a very important (if only implied) right, and no one can seriously argue it. There are limits on free speech; obviously you don't have the right to shout fire in a crowded theatre when there's no fire.
A recent limit to free speech, a sensible and timely one in my opinion, is restrictions on using ethnophaulisms in the public arena. I may out of touch, for never in my 50 years have I felt the need to publicly besmirch and mock our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. I have never felt the need to use the N-word in discourse, or to deny the existence of the holocaust.
Alleged political correctness allegedly gone mad barely registers as a threat to free speech compared to the almost complete full spectrum dominance of the major mainstream media companies, a dominance of interlocking companies and subsidiaries that seeps into the pores of society, and once established is as difficult to remove as the acres of lantana covering the Queensland country side.
In these free speech debates I am always amused to hear the bootless cries to heaven raised when people who hold powerful, privileged positions in society feel they are being restrained in their campaign of peddling misinformation. One these crying groups which make me chuckle is the IPA. I am equally amused to hear old white men such as Andrew Bolt, or Alan Jones, who work for influential media outlets, crying like aggrieved anarchists at the Stalinist regulations the government attempts to use to counteract the more egregious examples of rhetorical abuse.
Bolt is seen as a common sense hero in this one sided windmill tilting. He is romanticised to such an extent that he is seen by some as a martyr to free speech (a martyr who has not spent years in prison, who has not been blacklisted in his profession or denied work, who is free to travel around the country speaking at any time he wants). Thus the IPA's Chris Berg compares Bolt with Socrates, the ugly, shoeless, poverty stricken, despiser of money and fame stone mason of Ancient Athens.
Socrates was famous for his humility and for his firm belief that he did not have wisdom. He can not be in any honest way be compared to Andrew Bolt. Andrew Bolt mixes with the richest, dresses in the height of fashion, seeks out new ways to make even more money, writes a regular column for the Murdoch press empire and has a weekly television show to broadcast his views. Read the rest of this entry »
The Post-Mortem on Journalism Reform: What Happens Now? Live Blog
In Fifth Estate, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Journalism, Media, Media Reform, Uncategorized on April 10, 2013 at 6:27 PM
Live blogging by Kevin Rennie
The Post-Mortem on Journalism Reform: What Happens Now?
The Chair of the Australian Press Council, Julian Disney, will outline future directions, followed by a panel discussion with ABC Media Watch presenter Jonathan Holmes, Senator Scott Ludlam (Greens) and Moderated by Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, Margaret Simons.
Centre for Advanced Journalism
@journalism_melb
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 – 18:30
Australians For Honest Politics Media Reform @NoFibs
MS: #goodjourno hash tag
Who wants to talk about media reform after collapse of govt legislation? Convergence review and Finkelstein inquiry left in cold.
JD: Tragedy that process went astray and opportunity lost. Bill not as fierce as presented. There are major concerns about standards eg opinion v fact. Freedom of expression should provide opportunity for all to express their views for as many as possible not just a few. Chilling effect of intimidation of those wanting to present alternative ideas. Press Council has been distracted and may get back to its reform agenda but less pressure on publishers to embrace reform. How do we deal with increasingly convergent media.
Press Council: Need clear code of conduct and monitoring of standards. Adjudication of complaints not only task. Broader responses to complaints needed. Continue third party complaints and improve. Need power to initiate own inquiries. Improve reporting/accountability of Council.
Diversity in mainstream still major issue. Only hope is online. Develop stronger consumer voice separate from regulator. Encourage convergent media regulator with all platforms together, not just print.
SL: The Greens don't support govt controlled media regulator. How to deal with enormously powerful corporate media owners? Public interest advocate was the real issue for them not freedom of press. Further legislative reforms dead. Nothing from coalition and progressive govt bullied.
JH: Media concentration problem. Online and ABC no answer to this. Cannot wind back clock. Media regulation won't help. Anyway who could/would buy newspapers? Single daily couldn't survive on their own. Issue of bad treatment of individuals not that big, not justification for Finkelstein proposals. JD's reforms way to go, with some kind of external check on Press Council.
JD: West Australian breakaway for Press Council is unique. Over time privileges that journalists get should be subject to being within some kind of framework. Need to cover online journalism as well.
JH: Is there much disagreement about standards?
JD: there is amongst some editors eg photoshopping images, invasion of privacy, trespassing. Need for realistic, practical standards.
SL: Difference betw journalists and online ameteurs – scale as applied to tweets and blogs versus MSM.
JH: Bias by media conglomerates obsesses online comment but extremely difficult to regulate fairness. Hard for Mediawatch then would be harder for a regulator.
SL: bias only problematic with one one or two players. Need more points of view.
JD: bias should not stop practices such as checking with people before publication. Factual accuracy is a different Q – should be tenable basis for what is written.
JH: Shouldn't be writing rubbish. Should get more diversity in news online in future.
MS: Consumer activism?
JD: PC holding community roundtables. Community advisory group at national level good idea. People to research and present complaints in considered, effective way.
JH: Social media holding old media to account eg Destroy the Joint with Alan Jones. Facebook campaigns have some effect on how press go about their business. Tap into people's fury and they join in.
Audience Questions:
Q to MS: Should university become involved with complaints?
MS: No but have educational role.
JD: One-off social media campaigns do little to change standards permanently.
Q: How can laws protect journalist and sources. Read the rest of this entry »
Crikey, Fairfax, Journalism, Paddy Manning
Paddy Manning pays the whistleblower's price
In Journalism, Margo Kingston, Media on April 9, 2013 at 4:32 PM
By Margo Kingston,
I know from experience that sometimes when the death of something you believe in stares you in the face you lose your judgement. It seems that this happened to business journalist Paddy Manning yesterday morning. By 6pm last night he'd been sacked. by editorial chief Garry Linnell.
Like many journos, I thought @gpaddymanning must have another job to go to when I saw his piece in Crikey. Apparently he hasn't, and that hurts him and his wife and children.
Today, the consensus of a meeting of Fairfax business journos was that management's decision was correct and that they could take no action to support their colleague. What Paddy did was to write a critical piece about his employer in a rival publication, and that's a cardinal sin.
Apparently he thought he'd be reprimanded and sent to Siberia for a long time when he wrote his piece for Crikey. He must have thought the principles he was fighting for were worth that sacrifice. I agree with him, and I hope for his sake his stunning protest about what is becoming deeply compromised business reporting at Fairfax will trigger reflection and action.
Some background. Fairfax has been repositioning itself to be more pro-business, a move given added impetus by its decision last week to end the separation between the Australian Financial Review and the metro dailies' business coverage. Now, after merging the SMH and The Age business bureaus, all three are now in one division, meaning it is likely they will not compete for stories. The Australian Financial Review's new editor Michael Stutchbury has been noticeably anti-union, pro-business and anti-government since he moved from The Australian.
Ian Verrender, the business editor of the SMH for eight years, took redundancy last year and used his final column, 'A business reporter's greatest value lies in asking hard questions' to warn of what was to come at Fairfax:
A menacing danger quietly lurks behind the technological changes within the media, one that has the potential to debase one of the foundations necessary for a healthy democracy. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the way in which business news is presented, where the interests of a free press and commercial imperatives collide, often with devastating effects.
The more vulnerable media companies become, the less capable they are of withstanding the pressure of vested interests and the more susceptible they will be to attack. Many will adopt the easy way out, that it is best to simply not cause trouble…
Unlike politics or sport, those running big business have a great deal of power. Veer too far from the press release, question a little too aggressively and the mighty weight of a corporation suddenly is hovering above, threatening litigation, demanding your dismissal. The chief executive probably knows a few people on the newspaper company's board.
Little wonder then that most business reporters default to the easy option. And many begin to believe they are part of the business world, that the reason they are being squired to upmarket restaurants, to corporate boxes and offered trips to exotic places is that they are part of the team.
…This is the final column I'll pen for BusinessDay. It is an emotional parting but after 25 years, it is time to move on. There have been good times. There have been great times. And the ethos that was drilled into us all those years ago – that we work for the readers, for you – is something that remains true today and hopefully in the future, in whatever form The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald take.
So this is it. Time to clean up the desk. Then again, there is so much clutter and rubbish here, maybe I'll leave it for whoever comes next. You need a legacy, after all.
Verrender's column details the terrible toll on ordinary people of big business scams and bad practice due to soft pro-business reporting and spruiking by finance journalists and editors. Thanks to Paddy's dummy spit, we know that the lessons of cosying up to big business have not been learned, and that compromised ethics are on the rise and getting worse.
The back story from what I've gathered today – and I would appreciate input from people in the know – is that there is a process of creeping advertorials in Fairfax business coverage. There have been protests by journos, but apparently management has reassured staff that there is no influence by advertisers (sponsors) on content. The idea is that journalists are commissioned to write for these special sections in the normal way, and write their stories untouched by the advertising sponsorship. However tensions are apparent, as sponsors have begun complaining about what is being written. Read the rest of this entry »
Mark Latham's Webdiary interview
In Journalism, Media, Media Reform, MSM on March 29, 2013 at 8:42 PM
Source: Webdiary
Margo: Mark, I thought I'd start with a few questions from Webdiarists.
Mark: Yep.
Margo:The first is from Craig Warton and he's asked, if you could turn back time would you have pursued the path of politics to try and achieve your goals for Australia, or would you, perhaps, chosen another path?
Mark: Well difficult question in that I never find contemplating the turning back of time to be all that healthy a process; it's just so futile.
I know it's futile. I guess the point is –
Well I suppose the best way for me to answer to it is that tonight in Melbourne I'm giving a lecture on the ten reasons why a young idealistic person these days should avoid organised politics. If they want to make a contribution to society, do it at a community level, helping out with charities and local community and welfare organisations to try and help people and generate a more cohesive caring society. So, yeah, if I was born tomorrow or was a young person leaving University tomorrow, I'd think that was a better path.
So you're really going, okay, the only way to achieve social democracy in Australia is bottom-up. You cannot actually do it by entering a mainstream political party and doing it from the top-down. That's, is that –
Well I think our major problems in Australia are social, not economic, I mean we're a prosperous nation with a long, long period of economic growth and you compare that to the horrific increase in family and community breakdown, the rise of mental illnesses, social isolation, whole range of problem our young people face these days. The paradox has been as the economy has grown rapidly, the quality of society has deteriorated just as rapidly and I think it's more important for people to think about ways in which you can address those social problems than play the political game which inevitably at election time is about economics.
Well, this is a question from me, you say in your Introduction that this book is my exit from all forms of politics, yet reading the Introduction, it seems to me that the only way to achieve social democracy is to engage in politics at some level. So I was just wondering if you really meant 'organised politics'?
Well organised politics, politics as the Australian people understand it, which is belonging to a political party and running for Parliament.
So you're trying to, through this book, say to the Australian people there is another form of politics and it's really important that you get involved at its community level – and then what? I mean how do you bring that together?
Well people already know that, they live in communities and neighbourhoods, but the rise of materialism and I think the voyeuristic culture people are increasingly turning inwards and I argue in the Introduction for people who read the book, that as much as possible people should contribute to their local community and try to rebuild social capital and trust and cohesion.
One of the things that I found most interesting in the Introduction, and Mark that's all I've read because I've been running around on my own thing but I'm definitely intending to read the whole thing –
Well the Introduction's sort of a summary of the themes in the book. The Diary entries, of course, are contemporary and lively and raw, but the Introduction is a summary of the overall.
You talk in the Intro about the two options for Labor reform, the first being independence from the unions, not possible, you'd split the party; the second being forming a mass political organisation – too difficult. Would you think there's any chance for a mass political organisation that actually wasn't part of the major parties, that was, I don't know, a movement which could take in a lot of Australians who are disillusioned with mainstream politics however they vote? I suppose I'm getting to this thing that you did, that Internet Democracy experiment, and I'm just looking for what – can you imagine possibilities utilising the net as a means for Australians to rescue the system so that they have got a real alternative again, to get the debate moving? Read the rest of this entry »


When they are deciding how to laugh it off and very down to a women I get better prices for the value an Io T device.The 3, 709 colleges are under age of a younger girls tend to base their.If you are a leading man then you have an image to uphold, and you might think that audiences won't accept you if they know that you're gay, even if that hasn't proved to be the case."Russell Tovey's depiction of the archetypal lad Steve in the BBC sitcom Him & Her is proof that you can be "out" and still get the "straight parts".Likewise, Neil Patrick Harris came out in 2006 but found fame playing the womaniser Barney in How I Met Your Mother. It's just a fact."However, gay actresses don't spring to mind as readily.There hasn't been a chance for a big celebration because of Ben's schedule but I'm sure there will be one at some point.'Whishaw grew up in Bedfordshire in a wholly untheatrical family.
His sexuality has been the subject of a lively internet debate in recent years.
It was once considered career suicide, with the MGM golden boy Mickey Rooney quipping "I never knew anything about anyone being gay in Hollywood when I was working in the studios.
They weren't in closets, they were in safes." But a growing number of high profile actors have 'come out' recently with relatively little fuss.
The latest is Bond actor Ben Whishaw, who confirmed that he married his partner, composer Mark Bradshaw, last year.
Few were surprised, especially as he told Out magazine back in 2011: "As an actor you have total rights to privacy and mystery, whatever your sexuality, whatever you do."Whishaw's reticence to discuss being gay in interviews seems more about maintaining a private life than the fear that it could damage his career.
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I remember thinking he was funny, kind, and attractive. I don't find that many people attractive to begin with, but as a student, I felt particularly guilt-ridden about attraction to a teacher.
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The ten acre garden was originally laid out in 1925 by the grandparents of the present owner. Luxuriant borders will delight the plant enthusiast while everyone will enjoy the charm and special atmosphere of the garden, with colour and interest throughout the season. Beyond the garden is a magical five acre bluebell wood and a wildflower meadow. The stableyard cafe serves home made lunches and teas each day when the garden is open. The extensive nursery has over a thousand varieties of plants, many of which are unusual and are propagated from the garden.


Many of America's prisons boast visiting rooms that are festooned with bizarre wall art, so that friends and family members of incarcerated people can take pictures of their loved ones on backdrops other than the depressing, institutional grays and whites of the correctional facility.
Artist and photographer Alyse Emdur has compiled six years worth of such portraits for her new book, Prison Landscapes. Inspired by a childhood photograph of herself posing with her incarcerated brother, Emdur contacted 300 prisoners and asked if they'd like to provide family photos and get involved in the project.
This story is taken from Wired and text is taken from Animal New York.
This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on February 25, 2013 at 9:37 am, filed under Craftsmanship, Folk, Ghetto gold, Glam Chaos, Other ecstatics, Photography, Various. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
This entry was written by Pinar&Viola, posted on February 15, 2013 at 12:20 pm, filed under Craftsmanship, Digitalization, Folk, Internet, Photography, Selfies, Various. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.


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St Pauls High School JROTC Bulldog Battalion raise money for Loflin-Walker community fund
From L to R C/LTC Bryson Stewart, C/MAJ Sandy Molina, Mr. Jeff Walters, Mr Jason Suggs, C/CSM Hunter McDuffie
Photo Credit: MAJ (R) Steve Hill
Story by: St Pauls High S5
Founded in 1986, the Loflin-Walker community fund managed by the St. Pauls Lions Club helps provide Christmas cheer to local families and individuals each year. Every penny that is donated stays in the community by providing certificates to recipients that are redeemable at local St. Pauls businesses. Each year, upwards of 400 families are assisted by the fund, providing toys, clothes, food, and fuel during the Christmas season.
This year the Cadets from the Bulldog Battalion at St Pauls High School JROTC raised over $5000 dollar over two months to contribute to the overall Loflin- Walker budget. "This was our annual service learning project", said C/LTC Bryson Stewart, Bulldog Battalion Commander. "We want to do something that benefited the community and this was a perfect opportunity to do so." added Stewart.
The Cadets started planning this project at the beginning of the school year and culminated the first weekend in December. "We work hard to reach our goal of $5000, said C/MAJ Sandy Molina, Bulldog Battalion Executive Officer. "We were very excited when we found out we reached the goal."
The Bulldog Battalion and the St Pauls High School Principal Mr. Jason Suggs presented the $5000 check to Mr. Jeff Walters, Lion's Club fund manager.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Analyst insight from Euromonitor International
Articles / Four Key Takeaways from NRF's The Big Show 2017
Four Key Takeaways from NRF's The Big Show 2017
I had the pleasure of attending the National Retail Federation's The Big Show in January 2017. The key trends that stood out were the necessary evolution of the store, the arrival of car commerce, the need to be 'glocal,' and on demand manufacturing in the fashion industry.
The store is not dead, but it needs to evolve
Rod Sides, Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Leader at Deloitte, hosted a keynote session where he presented research from Deloitte about the role of the store in retail. The panelists included Mike Mauler, EVP and President of GameStop International, and Colin Watts, CEO of the Vitamin Shopper, who shared their experiences in store-based retailing.
Deloitte's research showed that store traffic continues to decline while the penetration of online sales grows. Despite these trends, stores still account for over 90% of total retail sales. The company surveyed consumers about their views on shopping in stores. The survey revealed that 47% of shoppers were satisfied with the transactional aspect of the store experience (product availability, fast check out, good product assortment, easy returns and instant gratification), but only 41% were satisfied with the emotional aspect of the store (high quality and trusted products, exciting product assortment, clutter free store space, loyalty programs and getting a great deal). Diving deeper, Deloitte found that retailers with the highest EBITDA growth in the past five years had a high level of product differentiation and experiential elements.
Mr. Mauler talked about how GameStop's loyalty program is instrumental in conversing with customers to improve the shopping experience. Based on loyalty members' feedback, GameStop created compelling merchandising by moving into the licensed merchandise space. This resulted in a US$500 million revenue source with a target of US$1 billion in revenues by 2019.
Vitamin Shoppe recognized the need to evolve due to its core category of vitamins and supplements becoming commoditized with many market entrants. Mr. Watts said that the company started by looking at its loyalty program and customer relationship management data to better understand its customers and their needs. It determined it need to greater investment in its health enthusiasts (sales associates) to set itself apart from the competition. The health enthusiasts now undergo extensive training and are armed with customer profile data in mobile tablets. They're also responsible for local outreach to build a presence in their communities. The other investment area was into a new store layout, which has performed well. The new format draws in three times as many new customers as the former format. Customers spend twice as much.
Car commerce arrives in April 2017
General Motors and IBM announced at The Big Show that OnStar Go will officially roll out to GM cars in the US in April 2017. OnStar Go is a combination of GM's OnStar assistance program and IBM's artificial intelligence program, Watson.
OnStar Go will be part of the car's dashboard. Within the dashboard, the driver can interact with apps to place orders, receive notifications and make payments. In 2018, drivers will be able to talk to OnStar Go, which will increase its utility by offering drivers more interaction opportunities. Theaim is for global expansion in the future with market entries into Europe, Asia and Canada.
OnStar Go has been developed to be a digital assistant to serve the driver's various needs states, such as food, fuel and directions. For now, the official partners include MasterCard, Exxon, iHeartRadio and Glympse. A driver will be able to link his financial instruments, loyalty programs and retail accounts to the OnStar Go ecosystem, allowing him to shop seamlessly from anywhere via theOnStar Go platform, which is also accessible on smart phones and tablets.
The inclusion of IBM Watson means that the program will learn the driver's routes and habits to provide recommendations and reminders. For example, it will know if the driver missed his usual weekly shop and recommend that he place an order. Another interesting use case is for click and collect orders. The program will allow retailers to see the driver's route to their stores and direct thedriver to the correct collection point.
International expansion needs to be 'glocal'
Numerous retailers spoke about their experience with international expansion. The recurring advice was that a retailer must identify its global core values but be flexible to adapt to local markets. This takes different forms.
Eataly is a retail format that includes Italian groceries, restaurants and cooking schools. According to Eataly US CEO, Nicola Farinetti, the company views its individual stores as siblings—they all come from the same family, but have different personalities. While each store tells the story of Italian food, the storytelling is adapted to the local market and so is the product assortment.
Darren Williams, International Director for T2, a tea retailer based in Australia, learned quickly that even though Americans and Australians speak the same language, their shopping habits are different. To adapt, the company built a set of global core values and a global training program. Furthermore, it brings international store managers to the original store in Melbourne to understand the company's global values better. The company emphasizes its global values but allows individuals to adapt to their markets.
Daniel Armstrong, Business Manager for U.K. and international growth at Waitrose, a premium UK grocer, spoke about the need to be 'glocal.' The company relies on the expertise of its in-country partners, who are either wholesalers or retail franchisees, to tailor the Waitrose brand to their markets. For example, in South Korea, it has an exclusive deal with Shinsegae for its products. Shinsegae promotes the Waitrose brand with the Royal Warrant, meaning that Waitrose is an official supplier to the royal family, because the cachet of the royal family resonates in South Korea.
The fashion industry continues to embrace on demand manufacturing
Although on the radar for some time, multiple fashion companies spoke about their experiences with custom, on-demand manufacturing.
Jodie Fox, co-founder of Shoes of Prey, which is a shoe customization company, highlighted the many reasons why shoppers like to customize their products, including better fit, originality, and endless selection. The company's goal is to offer custom, quality products on a mass scale. Fox highlighted an initiative with Nordstrom.com where Shoes of Prey worked with Nordstrom's buyers to create 'virtual' shoes online. This allows for an infinite product assortment without inventory risk.
Indochino's CEO, Drew Green, talked about his experience scaling the company. He found that it became difficult to maintain quality as the company grew (sales grew 54% in 2016). It partnered with Dayang, a clothing manufacturer to help Indochino ensure a high level of quality and shorten its lead time from almost four weeks to two weeks to better compete with ready-to-wear.
Thursday Finest and Eileen Fisher had 3D printers on hand to show how they can manufacturer apparel items. Thursday Finest focuses custom accessories while Eileen Fisher produced sweaters at the show. Both took less than an hour to produce an item.
event recaps, retailing


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Keith Behrman makes a Giant Little leap into the moment
Interview/ Canadian Film: Keith Behrman on Giant Little Ones
The Vancouver director seemed to vanish from the face of Canadian film after his feature debut. But 16 years later, Keith Behrman is back with Giant Little Ones, a coming-of-age story that gently pulls back the curtain on the delicate question of sexual identity.
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Maria Bello, Josh Wiggins, Darren Mann, Taylor Hickson
Directed by Keith Behrman
Opening in select cities March 29
By Katherine Monk
(March 28, 2019) — Keith Behrman first hit my radar in the early noughts, when I had a job with a Canadian newspaper chain, and Behrman had just graduated from the Canadian Film Centre. His student graduation project, Ernest, was in a competition. I was on the jury, and though I had never met the Vancouver-raised director, I etched his name into memory: I had never seen such a funny, sweet, emotionally articulate and simultaneously absurd student effort as Ernest.
Not long after, in 2002, Behrman made his first feature, Flower & Garnet, the tender story of two siblings struggling to cope with the loss of their mother and their father's enduring grief. It, too, blew me away, prompting me to write: "… It marks the arrival of a new visionary."
But that was almost twenty years ago. Shortly after Flower & Garnet (2002) toured the world and won Behrman numerous awards (including the "Jutra," now called the "John Dunning Award for Best First Feature"), he pretty much disappeared from the face of Canadian film. Until now.
Giant Little Ones is Behrman's second feature film, and despite the intervening years, it feels like a natural evolution from Flower & Garnet. Though Hollywood stars Maria Bello and Kyle MacLachlan are at the top of the marquee, the story belongs to the kids: Josh Wiggins (Mean Dreams), Darren Mann (Van Helsing) and Taylor Hickson (Deadpool). All teenagers in the midst of coming-of-age ritual, Giant Little Ones captures the most awkward, and often defining, moments life has to offer — without judgment. Its message of acceptance was embraced on its festival tour last fall, and now, everyone else can see it as it begins its theatrical run in markets around North America this weekend. I had the pleasure of catching up with Behrman in the days before the big opening. We talked about the new movie's approach to identity and belonging, the changing face of sexuality, and an apparent wave of gay-themed content geared at teens. But one of the first things I asked him is: What happened?
Behrman: So after Flower & Garnet, I was writing another script. But it didn't get any momentum. There was no support from Telefilm and beyond all that, I think I started to go through a period of a sort of dismantling. A dismantling of my story, my identity. My whole ego structure.
Ex-Press: What prompted you do do that? I hear you, but most people only do that after a big life change. I dunno, like losing your job….
Behrman: I think the way I have come to understand it, and talk about it, is the closest approximation to truth. That after making Flower & Garnet, and having the relative success I had, I think the story I had about myself was no longer true. I had this belief: I think part of what I was doing since I was a kid, and up until making the films I'm making now, is I was seeking validation for myself and trying to be understood. And when that happened, and when I was understood and validated and accepted — and acknowledged — that I think my psyche kind of went 'Whoa!' Shortly after the film was invited to Berlin and the Jutra, and those things, I was living in the house … of the kid who played Garnet. They moved out, and my bedroom was now Garnet's bedroom. I went to have a nap one day and started getting this anxious feeling. My heart was racing. I was feeling freaked out. What is going on? My life is the best it's ever been. I'm at the top of my game. I think that was the start of this period in my life. Anxiety and depression, and what am I going to do with my life? It took years to work through all that. I mean, had someone shown up with a script I probably would have made another film. But I really think I needed to dismantle and deconstruct. And coming back, this idea came to me. And I thought I may as well make another film because it's what I can do. And I need to do something. And this film, what was emerging seemed really important. So I think I came back …for different reasons. I'm not looking for approval and validation anymore. It's still there at some level, but I don't tie myself up into it anymore.
I think part of what I was doing since I was a kid, and up until making the films I'm making now, is I was seeking validation for myself and trying to be understood. And when that happened, and when I was understood and validated and accepted — and acknowledged — that I think my psyche kind of went 'Whoa!'
Ex-Press: So what did you let go?
Behrman: I think a lot of things. I needed to. I did a lot of meditation. I did a lot of exploring… iowaska (ayahuasca), yoga, self-examination. I basically dismantled 'the construct of me' — take it apart and you realize the thing we call ourselves is really just a construct. It has all these pieces that seem solid, but they're not at all. And slowly, bit by bit, you gain more perspective and more freedom.
Ex-Press: That perspective is very liberating. I think I went through a similar process after losing my job. My whole ego blew apart, then I realized I was so happy to let it go.
Behrman: Yes. It is quite liberating to be torn apart. You get rid of a lot of shit that doesn't really do much for you except pull you down. It is liberating not be so attached. How do you feel liberated?
Yes. It is quite liberating to be torn apart. You get rid of a lot of shit that doesn't really do much for you except pull you down.
Ex-Press: I have no fear anymore. There's no external pressure. It's just me, and how I feel about me — which is hard, because I have to take full responsibility for every second now. I am responsible for my own happiness…. and it's not easy. You talk about similar ideas in the press materials for Giant Little Ones: This attachment to structure.
Behrman: We get attached to our sense of self which we didn't really create in the first place. It was created for us. Then it creates all this anxiety as you're trying to reinforce it or stop it from being torn apart. And when you realize there is no solid structure of me, and it's always changing and fluid, then you don't have that need to be validated, or prove yourself, or measure up. Then it does just become fun. As soon as you let go of the fear, it does get fun.
Love needs no label: Josh Wiggins and Kelowna's Taylor Hickson make a connection in Giant Little Ones. Courtesy of Mongrel Media.
Ex-Press: Totally. But it can be tragic for those who don't, because fear turns people into cowards, and cowardice can make people cruel. It undermines the fundamental joy of being with others. Again, you explore it in Giant Little Ones because the film talks about the fear and how that destroys the love between two friends.
Behrman: Yeah, I guess a few streams came together. One of them is I was at the end of a five month retreat on Vancouver Island, and that was sort of the last retreat during that part of my life. And I knew that part of my life was coming to an end. I was going to go back and re-engage in the world and start doing something, I just didn't know what it was. I didn't know what I was going to do, so I was hanging with my good friend Steve Cosens, who also shot my previous work. He was talking about … five kids who committed suicide over a period of a couple of months… presumably they were gay. He thought why not make a film about someone who kills himself? And that night, I had a dream. This teenage boy was talking to his mom, and what really struck me was the strong sense of love between the two of them. And I just started writing this down without any real expectations because I hadn't written anything in ages. No journals, no notes. But for some reason, I just kept returning to it. And more and more, that stream came back on again like it mattered.
… I had a dream. This teenage boy was talking to his mom, and what really struck me was the strong sense of love between the two of them. And I just started writing this down without any real expectations because I hadn't written anything in ages.
Ex-Press: A sense of purpose. Lucky you!
Behrman: Ha. In some ways it was, well, there's nothing else for me to do. Nothing else is showing up. No other career for me. Everything I do will be challenging. This is what I can do. This is what I keep getting inspired to do. So I committed to making another film and started the process. The other factor that played into the theme of the film is … my whole life long experience of feeling frustrated by the narrow constructs of you know, identity — male, female or straight or gay. All those binary notions are fractured ways of describing ourselves or each other, or identifying ourselves as one way or another. They have always seemed false to me.
The other factor that played into the theme of the film is … my whole life long experience of feeling frustrated by the narrow constructs of you know, identity — male, female or straight or gay. All those binary notions are fractured ways of describing ourselves or each other, or identifying ourselves as one way or another. They have always seemed false to me.
I think my own experience and expression was the result of all those things. Whether it's what kind of clothes I wanted to wear while I was growing up or whatever. I wore purple pants to high school and I was called a fag. Right? But I like the colour purple. I liked the pants — even though it was such a muted expression of who I could be as a man. I think as I got older that was one of the factors of my deconstruction: Knowing there were some doors I hadn't opened. And knowing my sexuality was one of them. I think because I grew up in such a homophobic environment that the curiosity I did have, or even just knowing that I didn't have to be nailed down to one brand, caused me to have all this fear and anxiety. So, I went through that for a while and then at one point, I was like — Okay, I'm just going to find out. So I went and explored … and as soon as I did that, all the fear went away. And I felt very liberated, and that's something I wanted to explore in the film, too. Not that I set out to do it. It was just there to come out.
Giant Little Ones: Josh Wiggins and Darren Mann swim together on the same team in Keith Behrman's sophomore feature. Courtesy of Mongrel Media.
Ex-Press: Well, it seems there's a lot of 'coming out' these days. I've seen a notable increase in the number of gay-themed films for teens in the last year or so: Love, Simon; Boy Erased. As someone who came out over 25 years ago, I never thought I'd see a lot of the films I'm seeing now. I feel our generation of X'ers is the bridge, we've had perspective on the dominant culture and we're re-examining its assumptions. Do you feel that we X'ers can own this meditative view of sexuality as something particularly ours? No pressure….
…It seems there's a lot of 'coming out' these days. I've seen a notable increase in the number of gay-themed films for teens in the last year or so: Love, Simon; Boy Erased… I feel our generation of X'ers is the bridge, we've had perspective on the dominant culture and we're re-examining its assumptions. Do you feel that we X'ers can own this meditative view of sexuality as something particularly ours?
Behrman: I think the answer is: We are the generation that really put sexuality to the forefront in a more mainstream way by pushing it on to the agenda. When we were getting close to pre-production on this one, I had this fear that I would be in a Q & A and someone would ask me why I made the film — that they wouldn't understand what the problem is with the scenario. I was worried I was making a film that was completely outdated and irrelevant. But fortunately, and unfortunately, it's still problematic in many places. Yet, I am surprised by the people who watch it — even young people — who are really grateful for it. They really feel it is speaking for them, and helping them accept themselves. I think that is amazing. We had one kid tell us it saved his life. We hear from a lot of people. Adults as well. I also think people are relieved. The whole presentation doesn't devalue labels … but it says we don't need to box or label ourselves as any construct. And I think people are relieved to hear that.
Ex-Press: I agree. And yet the irony for me is: The more women have a sense of agency, and the more taboos are removed from female sexual expression, the more heterosexually normalized it becomes. I find the lesbian community has embraced binary more now than ever: Either butch or femme. I don't get it. To me the whole liberating part of being gay is being able to ignore the constructs. I can manifest my sexuality any way I please… that feels right to me. Forget the constructs who is the boy and who is the girl? I shut up about it, but it feels limiting. And maybe it's reflexive. The more you fiddle with institutions, undermine core structures, the more people feel inclined to rebuild them in a different way. So rebuilding hetero constructs in gay relationships — embracing the idea of legal marriage, creating a two-child family, a male-trait partner and a female-trait partner. This idea of belonging is so key to feeling loved and meaningful, yet it ignores the regressive tendency to revert back to the secure, status quo.
Behrman: I know what you are saying. But the one thing I always wonder about is whether the experience of femininity and masculinity, are we assigning them to something that truly exists? Or whether there are forces in the universe that express in a certain way… maybe these things are just ways of engaging with each other. A positive and negative pole.
Ex-Press: I think we should be able to explore these things. I wore football jerseys all the way through elementary school. I was the classic tom boy. Now, I like wearing heels and wearing a dress every now and then. But it took a while to figure out my femme side…. That's why I'm grateful for your film leaving so many doors open. You can be a bunch of things. Identity isn't just a product of your genitalia. And so many kids think it is. The kids in your movie go through so much tough stuff. And they express it so well. Why are you so good at directing young people?
Behrman: That's funny. My first reaction to your question is "hey, I'm good at directing adults, too!' But I guess I've done a lot with kids. I think part of it is that they are very open. Actors are very open, and maybe the style I relate to people is well suited to young people who are very open. I also think I have a strong connection to that time in my life from an emotional perspective. Now, I am curious to make a film with all adults, and see what that is like.
Ex-Press: I don't know. We're nowhere near as empathetic. And certainly not as cute.
Behrman: Ha. Yeah… it's cute when a puppy pees on the rug… All I can say is the kids in this movie are fantastic. We spent a lot of time finding the right people. People who could get the sense of uncertainty, and the richness that goes along with that. I still feel that richness.
Ex-Press: And you're still feeling good about your return — even after doing all these interviews?
Behrman: Yes. I feel I'm coming back to the meaning of it. And there's a lot I want to do.
Ex-Press: I can hardly wait. Just don't make it another 16 years….
Giant Little Ones opens in select markets across North America Friday.
@katherinemonk
THE EX-PRESS, March 28, 2019
Canadian Film Centre
Flower & Garnet
John Dunning Award
Canadian Film Page | Interviews | Katherine Monk | Movies | People
Don McKellar finds truth and reconciliation Through Black Spruce
Canadian Film Page | Katherine Monk | Movie Reviews | Movies
Hummingbird Project flutters around good ideas, but fails to land
Arts | Canadian Film Page | Entertainment | Fine Arts | Interviews | Movies | People | Streaming/DVD
How Bao's house of women brought new dimensions to Pixar animation
1 Reply to "Keith Behrman makes a Giant Little leap into the moment"
joan monk March 29, 2019 (6:27 am)
such and interesting story and so well written . Cannot waitto see it and more from this interesting and articulate man
Brrrrrp: We drink film for breakfast.
Movie review: MARGARET ATWOOD A Word after a Word after a Word is Power Copy
Movie review: MARGARET ATWOOD A Word after a Word after a Word is Power
TIFF 2019: Today's theme: What's the theme
The Art of Self-Defense kicks with fists while crunching numbers
Uncle Ed Nelson's harmonica and the Zeffirelli-sphere
Spider-Man Far From Home — with excess baggage
Late Night digests systemic sexism, spews it out in Technicolor yawn
Pavarotti, the Babe Ruth of opera, gets posthumous spotlight
Shaft proves even manufactured icons can find soul
Shaft changes generational gears as millennial meets classic MOFO
The Dead Don't Die Doesn't End Well
Dark Phoenix destined to split audiences as much as it splits character
Ex-Press Yourself
Movie Reviews | Pop Culture Decoder


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WIN Movie Tickets to The Alfresco Theatre Drive-In!
We've had Movie Monday on Bucks Radio, so now it's time to send you to the cinema - socially distanced of course!
The Alfresco Theatre Drive-In is coming to Henley & Marlow in May, and two lucky winners will have the chance nab tickets to two of the biggest films showing at the Drive & Dine Cinema at Culden Faw Estate – The Greatest Showman and Grease Singalongs on May 15th. The ultimate prize for movie lovers! The tickets are for four people (you must go in the same car and be part of the same family or bubble as per government guidelines - see the t&c's).
To win, just answer the simple question on the form below.
As well as a selection of blockbuster hits, The Alfresco Theatre Drive-In will be showcasing laugh out loud comedy from Mark Watson's Carpool Comedy Club, featuring sets from the likes of Mark Watson, Nish Kumar and Dara O'Briain. There will also be fantastic live music from SPICE and Bjorn Again,and unforgettable stage shows to entertain the whole family including The Gruffalo Live. Foodie fanatics will be able to tuck into an exclusive menu at The Alfresco Diner, with one-off dishes lovingly crafted by some of the country's top chefs including Tom Kerridge, Rick Stein, Atul Kochhar, Paul Ainsworth and Jason Atherton - all whilst sipping a selection of craft cocktails, beers or wine from the roaming bar!
For more information or to book tickets please visit: www.thealfrescotheatre.co.uk/henley-marlow
City / Town where you live *
What's the name of John Travolta's character in "Grease" *
Select Tommy Danny Andy
Which movie would you like to win tickets for? *
Select The Greatest Showman Singalong - Sat 15th May at 11am. Rated PG Grease Singalong - Sat 15th May at 2pm. Rated PG
Tick if you would like to receive information from The Afresco Theatre *
Each winner will receive 4x tickets to either The Greatest Showman sing-a-long on Saturday 15th May at 11am or Grease sing-a-long on Saturday 15th May at 2pm at CuldenFaw Estate, Marlow. There will be two winners, one for each movie screening.
Winners will be drawn at random from the entries received
Each party of four will need to arrive all together in the same car and adhere to government mandated COVID-19 regulations. Each group of four must be from the same household or support bubble.
The winners will be contacted via email with a promo code to book free tickets directly from The Alfresco Theatre website. The winners must claim their tickets by 30th April.
The prize does not include transport, accommodation and food or drink to the event. The winners will not be allowed to bring their own food and drink, however they will be able to purchase food through the event's booking system, up to 72 hours before screening
Should there be a restriction on spectators allowed into the venue due to COVID-19, the tickets will rolled over to another Brand Events TM event to the same value of £20 per ticket subject to availability. No cash prize alternative will be given.
To enter this competition you must be over the age of 18 and a UK resident
The Alfresco Theatre Drive-In products included within this prize are as stated and cannot be exchanged


The City of Gillette and Campbell County Health are pleased to annouce that beginning Thursday, December 8th at 5:00 p.m., GPA/TV will broadcast CCMH Board of Trustee meetings live. The meetings will be broadcast on Optimum channel 22 - which is GPA/TV's government channel.
Typically, the Board of Trustees meet on the fourth Thursday of every month; however due to the holidays, the Board combines the November and December meetings into one meeting in early December.
For the past two years, the City of Gillette's Electrical Engineering, Electrical Services and IT division have been extending fiber optic connections to government and school district facilities (elementary and secondary schools, as well as administrative facilities) to improve network and internet connections. The city and CCMH staff determined that running a fiber connection between them would be advantageous for both entities.
"Presently, GPA/TV broadcasts live City Council, City Planning, County Commissioner and County Planning meetings, and adding the CCMH Board of Trustees live is just another feather in GPA's cap. The hospital is excited about this too," stated Public Information Officer Joe Lunne. He added, "For at least a decade, GPA/TV has been broadcasting the CCMH meeting on a tape-delayed basis. From this point on, the Board of Trustee meetings will be broadcast live, with subsequent re-runs."


In March a brand new tournament will begin at http://aagenielsen.dk/ specially aimed at new players. The precise start date is unspecified, but is "starting March", so it begins any time now. Players with a low rating who have recently joined the site, or have completed few games so far, are eligible to join.
Usually I mention http://aagenielsen.dk/ as the site frequented by the best hnefatafl players, and I regularly get beaten mercilessly on there. But the beginner's tournament promises a kinder introduction to on-line play for those who haven't had much practice yet.
Players who want to join this tournament should take their browsers to http://aagenielsen.dk/ as soon as possible and click on the "Play tafl against other tafl players" link. There, you should register if necessary, enter your user name and password and click on the "Join New Players' Tournament..." button to join. The precise details of eligibility are displayed under this button.


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Punk Scrawled Artist
Punk 45: Original Punk Rock Singles Cover Art
"Punk 45 is a revelatory guide to hundreds and hundreds of original seven-inch record cover sleeve designs–visual artifacts found at the heart of the most radical and anarchistic musical movement of the twentieth century. Spurred by the Desperate Bicycles' rallying cry 'It was easy, it was cheap–go and do it!' and Mark Perry's 'Here are three chords. Now form a band,' thousands of new groups emerged in the wake of the Pistols, between 1976 and 1980. This politicized do-it-yourself ethic was applied to design as much as it was to music, and these lo-fi record sleeves declared politics ranging from anarchism to socialism, anticonsumerism, feminism and more. Spanning pre-punk to postpunk, Punk 45 is introduced and co-compiled by Jon Savage, author of the acclaimed, definitive history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, England's Dreaming, and the period's most pre-eminent historian. It features sleeves from bands such as the Adverts, Cabaret Voltaire, Crass, Dead Kennedys, Electric Eels, The Flamin' Groovies, The Human League, Joy Division, Pere Ubu, Plastic Bertrand, The Residents, X-Ray Spex and many, many others. As well as original artwork, the book also includes interviews and articles on designers such as Peter Saville, Jamie Reid, Malcolm Garrett and Gee Voucher, and interviews with record label founders such as Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), printing pressers and more. Punk 45 is an exhaustive, thorough and exciting celebration of the stunning artwork of punk music, including everything from the most celebrated and iconic designs through to the stark beauty of the cheapest do-it-yourself lo-fi obscurities."
Guardian: The best punk singles record covers – in pictures
Posted in RecordsTagged Records
Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade (1984)
Sorrow Tears and Blood – Fela And Afrika 70 (1977)
1960s: Days of Rage
Aksak Maboul Ambient Art Bears Artist Augustus Pablo Au Pairs Blondie Bob Marley and the Wailers Books Brian Eno Burning Spear Bush Tetras Buzzcocks Cabaret Voltaire Cassette CBGB Chris Cutler Dagmar Krause Dance David Johansen Dead Kennedys Devo DNA Einstürzende Neubauten Elvis Costello Film Gang Of Four Glenn Branca Graffiti Grandmaster Flash Henry Cow Hip hop Holger Czukay James Chance & The Contortions Jean-Michel Basquiat John Zorn Joy Division King Tubby Kraftwerk Laurie Anderson Lee 'Scratch' Perry Lindsay Cooper Linton Kwesi Johnson Lou Reed Mars Meredith Monk Michael Nyman Mink DeVille Minutemen Music New York Dolls Patti Smith Pauline Oliveros Peel Session Pere Ubu Peter Tosh Philip Glass PIL Poet Records Reggae RIO Robert Ashley Robert Wilson Romeo Void Sex Pistols Siouxsie and the Banshees Ska Steve Reich Talking Heads Television The B-52's The Clash The Fleshtones The Heartbreakers The Jam The Raincoats The Ramones The Residents The Slits The Undertones This Heat Throbbing Gristle Trisha Brown Univers Zero Wire Zine
Art Bears
Christgau
Dagmar Krause
James Chance & The Contortions
Laurie Spiegel
Lee 'Scratch' Perry
Lindsay Cooper
Lounge Lizards
Maximum Joy
Peel Session
Romeo Void
The Heartbreakers
The Raincoats
The Residents
Meredith Monk - Dolmen Music (1980)
The Mudd Club
Patti Smith - Hey Joe (Version) / Piss Factory (1974)
Volume One: The International Discography of the New Wave (1980)


text:
package org.apache.kafka.trogdor.workload;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
import org.apache.kafka.trogdor.common.Topology;
import org.apache.kafka.trogdor.task.TaskController;
import org.apache.kafka.trogdor.task.TaskSpec;
import org.apache.kafka.trogdor.task.TaskWorker;

import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;

/**
 * The specification for a workload that sends messages to a broker and then
 * reads them back.
 */
public class RoundTripWorkloadSpec extends TaskSpec {
    private final String clientNode;
    private final String bootstrapServers;
    private final int targetMessagesPerSec;
    private final PayloadGenerator valueGenerator;
    private final TopicsSpec activeTopics;
    private final int maxMessages;
    private final Map<String, String> commonClientConf;
    private final Map<String, String> producerConf;
    private final Map<String, String> consumerConf;
    private final Map<String, String> adminClientConf;

    @JsonCreator
    public RoundTripWorkloadSpec(@JsonProperty("startMs") long startMs,
             @JsonProperty("durationMs") long durationMs,
             @JsonProperty("clientNode") String clientNode,
             @JsonProperty("bootstrapServers") String bootstrapServers,
             @JsonProperty("commonClientConf") Map<String, String> commonClientConf,
             @JsonProperty("adminClientConf") Map<String, String> adminClientConf,
             @JsonProperty("consumerConf") Map<String, String> consumerConf,
             @JsonProperty("producerConf") Map<String, String> producerConf,
             @JsonProperty("targetMessagesPerSec") int targetMessagesPerSec,
             @JsonProperty("valueGenerator") PayloadGenerator valueGenerator,
             @JsonProperty("activeTopics") TopicsSpec activeTopics,
             @JsonProperty("maxMessages") int maxMessages) {
        super(startMs, durationMs);
        this.clientNode = clientNode == null ? "" : clientNode;
        this.bootstrapServers = bootstrapServers == null ? "" : bootstrapServers;
        this.targetMessagesPerSec = targetMessagesPerSec;
        this.valueGenerator = valueGenerator == null ?
            new UniformRandomPayloadGenerator(32, 123, 10) : valueGenerator;
        this.activeTopics = activeTopics == null ?
            TopicsSpec.EMPTY : activeTopics.immutableCopy();
        this.maxMessages = maxMessages;
        this.commonClientConf = configOrEmptyMap(commonClientConf);
        this.adminClientConf = configOrEmptyMap(adminClientConf);
        this.producerConf = configOrEmptyMap(producerConf);
        this.consumerConf = configOrEmptyMap(consumerConf);
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public String clientNode() {
        return clientNode;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public String bootstrapServers() {
        return bootstrapServers;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public int targetMessagesPerSec() {
        return targetMessagesPerSec;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public TopicsSpec activeTopics() {
        return activeTopics;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public PayloadGenerator valueGenerator() {
        return valueGenerator;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public int maxMessages() {
        return maxMessages;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public Map<String, String> commonClientConf() {
        return commonClientConf;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public Map<String, String> adminClientConf() {
        return adminClientConf;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public Map<String, String> producerConf() {
        return producerConf;
    }

    @JsonProperty
    public Map<String, String> consumerConf() {
        return consumerConf;
    }

    @Override
    public TaskController newController(String id) {
        return new TaskController() {
            @Override
            public Set<String> targetNodes(Topology topology) {
                return Collections.singleton(clientNode);
            }
        };
    }

    @Override
    public TaskWorker newTaskWorker(String id) {
        return new RoundTripWorker(id, this);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Blountstown Greenway/Sam Atkins Park
NW Silas Green St., Blountstown, 32424
Begin at Sam Atkins Park and leave your vehicle at the large parking area beside the baseball diamonds. Wander the park perimeter where the pines support Red-headed Woodpecker, Brown-headed Nuthatch and Eastern Bluebird. The north side of the park has two viewing structures on a small pond and a boardwalk through a swamp (listen for Swainson's Warbler and Wood Thrush in spring). The Panhandle Pioneer Settlement on the park's northern boundary is a living history museum with a short woodland trail. Evening Bats and Brazilian Free-tailed Bats share bat houses installed among the historic buildings. To access the greenway/paved bike path, return to the parking area near the entrance and look for the Florida National Scenic Trail sign. The greenway runs 3.3 miles on portions of an old railroad bed through Blountstown and south to Neal Landing on the Apalachicola River. You may encounter Bald Eagle, Broad-winged Hawk and Mississippi Kite. More than 60 species of butterflies have been identified in the county; be alert for Palamedes Swallowtail, Tawny Emperor, American Snout, Sleepy Orange and Red-spotted Purple.


text:
UEFA Champions League; How Real Madrid could line-up against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk
0 0 Saga Gist Tuesday, December 1
Real Madrid will make the trip to Ukraine knowing that if they win they will pick a ticket for the knockout round of the Champions League....
Real Madrid will make the trip to Ukraine knowing that if they win they will pick a ticket for the knockout round of the Champions League.
Zinedine Zidane's side is currently second in Group B. They are three points ahead of third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk.
It means success on Tuesday night will be enough for the team to move to the next round of Europe's leading competition.
By their reputation, Spanish giants are expected to succeed having come into the match following a dull result at the weekend.
They suffered a 1-2 home loss to A loves on Saturday night in the La Liga Santander but could they make it up against Shakhtar?
Here, Saga Gist takes a look at how the Real Madrid side would line-up against their Ukraine opposition.
Absent; Federico Valverde (shin), Luka Jovic (coronavirus), Dani Carvajal (thigh), Sergio Ramos (hamstring).
Possible; Eden Hazard (muscle), Karun Benzema (groin), Alvaro Odriozola (calf). The Spanish side will make do with the services of Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos and Federico Valverde due to injury problems, while Luka Jovic is ineligible to play owing to a recent positive coronavirus test.
Also, a huge probability for the game is Alvaro Odriozola who has an ongoing calf strain and this could see Lucas Vasquez continue at the right-back while Nacho will feature in the central defence, though Eder Militao is an alternative having recovered from COVID-19.
Eden Hazard is out with a muscular injury he coped against Alaves and Vinicius Junior could come in as a replacement on the left.
Zidane's side could receive a lifeline following the return of Karim Benzema from a calf problem, but the French man may be set to replace Mariano Diaz in the centre forward role.
While Marco Asensio could miss out of the starting XI to allow Rodrygo Goes to play on the left (Gareth Bale's former position before leaving Real Madrid in the summer).
Ferland Mendy is expected to come in place of Marcelo at the left-back while Martin Odegaard could replace Luka Jovic in midfield to play in partnership with Casemiro and Toni Kroos.
Here is a possible line up: Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vasquez, Rafael Varane, Nacho Fernandez, Ferland Mendy; Casemiro, Martin Odegaard, Toni Kroos; Rodrygo Goes, Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema.
Saga Gist - Top Source for Nigeria News: UEFA Champions League; How Real Madrid could line-up against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk
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http://www.sagagist.com.ng/2020/12/uefa-champions-league-how-real-madrid.html


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text:
Magnum Crimen es un libro sobre la historia del clericalismo en Croacia desde finales del siglo XIX hasta el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y su implicación en graves acontecimientos, sobre todo durante el conflicto bélico.

El libro, cuyo título completo es Magnum crimen. Pola vijeka klerikalizma u Hrvatskoj (El Gran Delito - medio siglo de clericalismo en Croacia), fue escrito por un exsacerdote católico, profesor e historiador de la Universidad de Belgrado, Viktor Novak (1889 - 1977).

Fue publicado por primera vez en Zagreb en 1948.

Contexto

Novak escribió una trilogía, cuya última parte es Magnum crimen (las dos primeras partes fueron Magnum tempus, y Magnum sacerdos.

Tras estudiar la Iglesia católica en Yugoslavia durante más de cincuenta años, Novak llegó a la conclusión de que esta Iglesia había sustituido la idea del servicio a Dios por el servicio a la Curia Romana, es decir, al gobierno del papa en el papel de líder mundial. Como resultado de esta idea en el Reino de Yugoslavia, según Novak, la Iglesia católica identificó la religión católica con el nacionalismo croata, lo que convirtió la mayor parte de su sacerdocio en partidarios de la Ustacha.

Contenido

El libro describe las actividades del clero católico en el Reino de Yugoslavia, incluyendo su intención de controlar el estado y, en definitiva, la vida cotidiana de la gente común. Tiene dos partes diferenciadas: la primera parte consta de quince capítulos, que abarcan el clericalismo católico de finales del siglo XIX y principios del siglo XX en Austria-Hungría y, a continuación, en el Reino de Yugoslavia. La segunda parte, los cuatro últimos capítulos, se refiere al ascenso y caída del Estado Independiente de Croacia, y el apoyo activo de los miembros del clero católico.

Según Magnum Crimen, la principal doctrina de la Iglesia católica en el Reino de Yugoslavia era:
 el clero será pagado por el Estado, como funcionarios del mismo.
 el estado no podrá tener ningún control sobre la Iglesia.
 la Iglesia tiene derecho a participar plenamente en la vida política del Reino de Yugoslavia.
 la doctrina de la Iglesia (educación religiosa) formará parte de la enseñanza primaria y secundaria.
 la inclusión de la Iglesia católica en los planes de estudio de las escuelas será obligatoria para todos los alumnos cuyos padres, o al menos uno de ellos, sea católico.

Las ideas de Josip Juraj Strossmayer, la más importante de las cuales era que servir a Dios equivalía a servir al pueblo, crearon una estrecha relación entre croatas y serbios por la introducción de la lengua eslava antigua como lenguaje litúrgico de la Iglesia católica en los Balcanes,
y fueron reprimidos por el agresivo clero católico en Croacia y Eslovenia.

Para Novak, el nacionalismo fascista de Ante Pavelić identificó el catolicismo con la nación croata, por lo que fue apoyado activamente por el clero.

La segunda parte del libro se centra en el establecimiento del Estado Independiente de Croacia, el apoyo activo de este estado por el clero católico, y su participación y apoyo en el exterminio y/o conversión forzosa de los serbios y el exterminio de los judíos y la población romaní.

El arzobispo Aloysius Stepinac es retratado en este libro como un ferviente católico y cruzado que públicamente apoyó la creación del Estado Independiente de Croacia,
considerando a la Ustasha como patriotas,
y defendiéndola ante el Papa. Stepinac es considerado responsable de la presunta actitud racista y el comportamiento de su clero.<ref>Magnum Crimen [1948], page 939. Msgr. Binički in "Razbojnička pećina": Mnogi su sladokusci zamjerali Ocu Domovine (tj. Anti Starčeviću) što je poznatu pasminu (tj. Srbe) nazvao "vlaškim nakotom". Kao da Vlasi nisu ljudi, van živine, koje se kote. Tko dobro luči, dobro uči. Treba dobro razlučitu stare hrvatske Vlahe - pastire od smeća što su ga Turci sa svih strana zgrnuli u ostanke drevne kraljevine Hrvatske.</ref>

 Repercusión
Las primeras encuestas internacionales del libro son las escritas por el ruso S. Troicky (1949) y el sueco Oscar Neumann (1950). Neumann destacó tres cosas particulares de este libro: el papel de Novak en la difusión y defensa de la idea del yugoslavismo, la abundancia de documentos utilizados para apoyar el contenido del libro y el desequilibrio en el tono, afirmando que "algunos pasajes han sido escritos por un erudito En un vestido académico digno, en otras partes del libro el autor asume el papel de fiscal público ". La edición abreviada de este libro publicado en 1960 en Sarajevo fue revisada en la revista yugoslava de la historia, Istorijski glasnik, ese mismo año por el historiador yugoslavo Branko Petranović, y la misma revisión se hizo eco en los Resúmenes históricos.

El historiador William Bundy hizo un breve estudio del libro, cuyo texto completo es: "Un historiador yugoslavo acusa al clericalismo de Croacia en el último medio siglo. La segunda mitad del libro, que abarca el período del estado fascista de Ante Pavelić, sobre la base de una gran cantidad de material de diversas fuentes, presta particular atención a la función del Arzobispo Stepinac".

Sin embargo, el también historiador John R. Lampe escribe que "todavía no se ha escrito un estudio exhaustivo y desapasionado de las conversiones y el papel de los croatas en el clero católico del NDH.".
El escritor John Neubauer considera que Magnum Crimen fue encargado para ayudar a Tito en los juicios de la posguerra.

El periodista británico Robin Harris considera la teoría "clero-fascista" croata de Novak una exageración de las atrocidades cometidas en Croacia por razones políticas, basada en una teoría de cincuenta años de "clero-fascismo" El periodista croata Ivan Lovrenović llama al libro "infame propaganda-documental en el que no hay distinción entre la realidad y la ficción". Por su parte, el ex-presidente de Croacia Franjo Tuđman, consideró que el libro fue escrito para justificar el proceso y encarcelación de Stepinac tras la guerra.

El libro tiene seis ediciones y una versión abreviada.

 Referencias

 Bibliografía

 Magnum crimen - pola vijeka klerikalizma u Hrvatskoj por Viktor Novak, Nakladni zavod Hrvatske, Zagreb 1948 online pdf copy
 Novak, Magnum Crimen. Pola vijeka klerikalizma u Hrvatskoj by Oscar Neumann in Journal of Central European Affairs, Vol 10. Boulder CO, 1950. pages 63-65

 Enlaces externos
 Live Journal. Magnum Crimen - в продолжение темы... (en ruso cirílico)''

Libros de 1948
Literatura en croata
Libros de política
Libros religiosos
Iglesia católica en Croacia
Libros de historia
Estado Independiente de Croacia
Literatura de Croacia
Libros históricos sobre Croacia

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