text:
New study recommends employers adopt new policies for sustainable remote working
New study recommends employers adopt remote working policies to target staff activity, stress and diet
Companies considering remote working in the post-pandemic world need to introduce measures to increase physical activity, reduce stress and improve diet for employees, a new study has recommended.
Academics at the University of Derby assessed the habits of 184 workers who had begun working remotely during the first UK lockdown in 2020 to measure the impact of the change to their lives.
The team surveyed participants' living and working conditions to study the relationship between physical and psychosocial wellbeing and productivity under lockdown conditions, and examined how factors such as gender, employer support and parental duties affected their situation.
Compared to their pre-pandemic levels of activity, 70 per cent of participants reported having a more sedentary lifestyle and around a third increased their food and alcohol intake during lockdown.
In addition, two-thirds found consuming news about the virus psychologically distressing.
These factors contributed to a deterioration in mental health and how effective employees were in their jobs, according to the study, entitled 'Influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on remote workers' physical and psychosocial wellbeing and work productivity'.
Dr Fabio Parente, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University's School of Psychology, said: "The restrictions brought in by government to control the spread of Covid-19 were necessary to save lives and protect the NHS from being overwhelmed. However, this profound change to their working lives has had a marked negative impact upon people's mental health and their ability to do their job.
"It is well known that a more sedentary lifestyle leads to a decline in mental health which, in turn, reduces productivity. As people started working from home, they ate more, drank more and spent more time sitting. Additionally, consumption of distressing Covid-19 news may have further affected both their physical and psychological wellbeing."
There were some positive findings, however, with around half of those surveyed engaging in more vigorous exercise than prior to the lockdown.
Fabio added: "Some of our findings suggest that remote work can have positive consequences, such as reducing commuting expenses and a greater sense of agency and independence. This tells us that remote working can become a viable employment model for many, provided this transition is adequately supported both by governments and employers."
More women engaged in recreational activities, such as baking and arts and crafts, than men in order to maintain their wellbeing, but they were also significantly more likely to be the main childcare provider in the household while schools were also closed.
Dr Yessica Abigail Tronco Hernández, of the University of Plymouth, who collaborated on the project, explained: "What our findings tell us is that an individual's ability to maintain a healthy diet, physical activity and good mental health will very likely have been impacted by suddenly transitioning to remote working.
"If companies are likely to require a greater proportion of their workforce to work remotely in the future to prevent the further spread of Covid-19 or as a contingency for future pandemics, then strategies to promote a more sustainable way of working are required.
"In particular, policies that promote physical activity, reduce psychological distress, address gender gaps, and support balancing childcare and home schooling while remote working are needed.
"It is also essential that employers monitor workers' wellbeing and implement systemic guidelines and practices to maintain it at as high a level as possible.
"This could include encouraging physically active breaks at work while also promoting individual lifestyle changes outside of the workplace, such as meditation or healthy cooking.
"Reasonable adjustments in the 'new' workplace arrangements and clear productivity expectations are important considerations for employers too.
"Targeted strategies such as these to support people working remotely as a consequence of Covid-19, as well as access to wellbeing research, may help to thwart, or at least attenuate, an international public health crisis on top of the one the pandemic has created."
Dr Mark Faghy, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, and Dr Clare Roscoe, Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity, Exercise and Health, from the University of Derby, also collaborated in the research, as did Dr Frances Maratos, Associate Professor of Emotion Science, who heads the Wellbeing and Emotion Research Group.
The research can be read in more detail here
Read more about research at the University of Derby
Discover how the Midlands Engine Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, being led by the University, is helping employers and their staff across the region
For further information contact the Corporate Communications team at pressoffice@derby.ac.uk or call 01332 593953.


text:
The Chivalric Turn
Published online: July 2019
Married Life in the Middle Ages, 900-1300
Elisabeth van Houts
Europe after Rome
Julia M.H. Smith
European Medieval History x
Open Section History (96)
European Early Modern History (2)
European Medieval History (96)
History of Religion (17)
Page:12345
Alfonso the Magnanimous: King of Aragon, Naples, and Sicily 1396-1458
Alan Ryder
History, European Medieval History
This is a biography of one of the most brilliant 15th century monarchs, Alfonso V of Aragon, who won from his contemporaries the title 'the Magnanimous'. The book follows him from childhood in the ... More
This is a biography of one of the most brilliant 15th century monarchs, Alfonso V of Aragon, who won from his contemporaries the title 'the Magnanimous'. The book follows him from childhood in the chivalric world of Castile, to the newly-acquired states of Aragon, and his subsequent accession to the Aragonese throne. Pulled by powerful dynastic interests towards intervention in the turbulent world of Castilian politics, Alfonso eventually broke free to pursue his own ambitions in the central Mediterranean. Here he conquered Naples, bent the papacy to his will, broke the power of Genoa and planted his standards against Turkish advance in the Balkans. The book shows that Alfonso was also a shrewd politician, who made himself at home in the diplomatic jungle of Renaissance Italy, a merchant prince acutely aware of the power of commerce and one of the greatest patrons of the early Renaissance. Alfonso the Magnanimous brought humanism to life in Southern Italy, and made his court the most brilliant in Europe. Based on extensive archival research, this biography of Alfonso also covers political and cultural developments during his reign.Less
Alfonso the Magnanimous : King of Aragon, Naples, and Sicily 1396-1458
This is a biography of one of the most brilliant 15th century monarchs, Alfonso V of Aragon, who won from his contemporaries the title 'the Magnanimous'. The book follows him from childhood in the chivalric world of Castile, to the newly-acquired states of Aragon, and his subsequent accession to the Aragonese throne. Pulled by powerful dynastic interests towards intervention in the turbulent world of Castilian politics, Alfonso eventually broke free to pursue his own ambitions in the central Mediterranean. Here he conquered Naples, bent the papacy to his will, broke the power of Genoa and planted his standards against Turkish advance in the Balkans. The book shows that Alfonso was also a shrewd politician, who made himself at home in the diplomatic jungle of Renaissance Italy, a merchant prince acutely aware of the power of commerce and one of the greatest patrons of the early Renaissance. Alfonso the Magnanimous brought humanism to life in Southern Italy, and made his court the most brilliant in Europe. Based on extensive archival research, this biography of Alfonso also covers political and cultural developments during his reign.
Keywords: Alfonso V, Aragon, Alfonso the Magnanimous, Castile, Naples, Genoa, humanism
Anglo-Papal Relations in the Early Fourteenth Century: A Study in Medieval Diplomacy
Barbara Bombi
History, European Medieval History, Political History
This book is concerned with the modes and procedures of Anglo-papal diplomacy in the period 1305–60, when diplomatic affairs between England and the papacy intensified following the transfer of the ... More
This book is concerned with the modes and procedures of Anglo-papal diplomacy in the period 1305–60, when diplomatic affairs between England and the papacy intensified following the transfer of the papal curia to southern France in 1305 and on account of the on-going Anglo-French hostilities, which resulted in the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War in 1337. On the one hand, the book investigates how diplomatic and administrative practices developed in England and at the papal curia from a comparative perspective, whilst, on the other, it questions the legacy and impact of international and domestic conflicts on diplomatic and administrative practices. In Part I, the book explores how foreign and diplomatic relations, conducted through both official and unofficial diplomatic communications among polities, prompted the need to adapt and 'translate' different traditions in order to forge a 'shared language of diplomacy'. This was achieved thanks to the adaptation of house styles, formularies, and ceremonial practices, as well as through the contribution of intermediaries and diplomatic agents acquainted with different diplomatic and legal traditions. Part II of the book further assesses the impact of political change and conflict on administrative and diplomatic practices by means of four relevant case studies.Less
Anglo-Papal Relations in the Early Fourteenth Century : A Study in Medieval Diplomacy
This book is concerned with the modes and procedures of Anglo-papal diplomacy in the period 1305–60, when diplomatic affairs between England and the papacy intensified following the transfer of the papal curia to southern France in 1305 and on account of the on-going Anglo-French hostilities, which resulted in the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War in 1337. On the one hand, the book investigates how diplomatic and administrative practices developed in England and at the papal curia from a comparative perspective, whilst, on the other, it questions the legacy and impact of international and domestic conflicts on diplomatic and administrative practices. In Part I, the book explores how foreign and diplomatic relations, conducted through both official and unofficial diplomatic communications among polities, prompted the need to adapt and 'translate' different traditions in order to forge a 'shared language of diplomacy'. This was achieved thanks to the adaptation of house styles, formularies, and ceremonial practices, as well as through the contribution of intermediaries and diplomatic agents acquainted with different diplomatic and legal traditions. Part II of the book further assesses the impact of political change and conflict on administrative and diplomatic practices by means of four relevant case studies.
Keywords: diplomacy, papacy, England, Avignon, Hundred Years' War, administration, chancery, bureaucracy, diplomatic envoys, conflict
The Aristocracy in England and Tuscany, 1000 - 1250
Peter Coss
History, European Medieval History, Social History
Part I of this book is an in-depth examination of the characteristics of the Tuscan aristocracy across the first two and a half centuries of the second millennium, as studied by Italian historians ... More
Part I of this book is an in-depth examination of the characteristics of the Tuscan aristocracy across the first two and a half centuries of the second millennium, as studied by Italian historians and others working within the Italian tradition: their origins, interests, strategies for survival and exercise of power; the structure and the several levels of aristocracy and how these interrelated; the internal dynamics and perceptions that governed aristocratic life; and the relationship to non-aristocratic sectors of society. It will look at how aristocratic society changed across this period and how far changes were internally generated as opposed to responses from external stimuli. The relationship between the aristocracy and public authority will also be examined. Part II of the book deals with England. The aim here is not a comparative study but to bring insights drawn from Tuscan history and Tuscan historiography into play in understanding the evolution of English society from around the year 1000 to around 1250. This part of the book draws on the breadth of English historiography but is also guided by the Italian experience. The book challenges the interpretative framework within which much English history of this period tends to be written—that is to say the grand narrative which revolves around Magna Carta and English exceptionalism—and seeks to avoid dangers of teleology, of idealism, and of essentialism. By offering a study of the aristocracy across a wide time-frame and with themes drawn from Italian historiography, I hope to obviate these tendencies and to appreciate the aristocracy firmly within its own contexts.Less
Part I of this book is an in-depth examination of the characteristics of the Tuscan aristocracy across the first two and a half centuries of the second millennium, as studied by Italian historians and others working within the Italian tradition: their origins, interests, strategies for survival and exercise of power; the structure and the several levels of aristocracy and how these interrelated; the internal dynamics and perceptions that governed aristocratic life; and the relationship to non-aristocratic sectors of society. It will look at how aristocratic society changed across this period and how far changes were internally generated as opposed to responses from external stimuli. The relationship between the aristocracy and public authority will also be examined. Part II of the book deals with England. The aim here is not a comparative study but to bring insights drawn from Tuscan history and Tuscan historiography into play in understanding the evolution of English society from around the year 1000 to around 1250. This part of the book draws on the breadth of English historiography but is also guided by the Italian experience. The book challenges the interpretative framework within which much English history of this period tends to be written—that is to say the grand narrative which revolves around Magna Carta and English exceptionalism—and seeks to avoid dangers of teleology, of idealism, and of essentialism. By offering a study of the aristocracy across a wide time-frame and with themes drawn from Italian historiography, I hope to obviate these tendencies and to appreciate the aristocracy firmly within its own contexts.
Keywords: Tuscan aristocracy, Italian historiographical tradition, social change, public authority, English society, grand narrative, Magna Carta, English exceptionalism, teleology, idealism, essentialism
At the Edge of Reformation: Iberia before the Black Death
Peter Linehan
History, European Medieval History, History of Religion
This book springs from its author's continuing interest in the history of Spain and Portugal—on this occasion in the first half of the fourteenth century between the recovery of each kingdom from ... More
This book springs from its author's continuing interest in the history of Spain and Portugal—on this occasion in the first half of the fourteenth century between the recovery of each kingdom from widespread anarchy and civil war and the onset of the Black Death. Focussing on ecclesiastical aspects of the period in that region (Galicia in particular) and secular attitudes to the privatization of the Church, it raises inter alios the question why developments there did not lead to a permanent sundering of the relationship with Rome (or Avignon) two centuries ahead of that outcome elsewhere in the West. In addressing such issues, as well as of neglected material in Spanish and Portuguese archives, use is made of the also unpublished so-called 'secret' registers of the popes of the period. The issues it raises concern not only Spanish and Portuguese society in general but also the developing relationship further afield of the components of the eternal quadrilateral (pope, king, episcopate, and secular nobility) in late medieval Europe, as well as of the activity in that period of those caterpillars of the commonwealth, the secular-minded sapientes. In this context, attention is given to the hitherto neglected attempt of Afonso IV of Portugal to appropriate the privileges of the primatial church of his kingdom and to advance the glorification of his Castilian son-in-law, Alfonso XI, as God's vicegerent in his.Less
At the Edge of Reformation : Iberia before the Black Death
This book springs from its author's continuing interest in the history of Spain and Portugal—on this occasion in the first half of the fourteenth century between the recovery of each kingdom from widespread anarchy and civil war and the onset of the Black Death. Focussing on ecclesiastical aspects of the period in that region (Galicia in particular) and secular attitudes to the privatization of the Church, it raises inter alios the question why developments there did not lead to a permanent sundering of the relationship with Rome (or Avignon) two centuries ahead of that outcome elsewhere in the West. In addressing such issues, as well as of neglected material in Spanish and Portuguese archives, use is made of the also unpublished so-called 'secret' registers of the popes of the period. The issues it raises concern not only Spanish and Portuguese society in general but also the developing relationship further afield of the components of the eternal quadrilateral (pope, king, episcopate, and secular nobility) in late medieval Europe, as well as of the activity in that period of those caterpillars of the commonwealth, the secular-minded sapientes. In this context, attention is given to the hitherto neglected attempt of Afonso IV of Portugal to appropriate the privileges of the primatial church of his kingdom and to advance the glorification of his Castilian son-in-law, Alfonso XI, as God's vicegerent in his.
Keywords: Spain, Portugal, fourteenth century, kings, nobles, bishops, popes
Authority and Asceticism from Augustine to Gregory the Great
Conrad Leyser
This book examines the formation of the Christian ascetic tradition in the western Roman Empire during the period of the barbarian invasions, c.400–600. In an aggressively competitive political ... More
This book examines the formation of the Christian ascetic tradition in the western Roman Empire during the period of the barbarian invasions, c.400–600. In an aggressively competitive political context, one of the most articulate claims to power was made, paradoxically, by men who had renounced 'the world', committing themselves to a life of spiritual discipline in the hope of gaining entry to an otherworldly kingdom. Often dismissed as mere fanaticism or open hypocrisy, the language of ascetic authority, the book shows, was both carefully honed and well understood in the late Roman and early medieval Mediterranean. It charts the development of this new moral rhetoric by abbots, teachers, and bishops from the time of Augustine of Hippo to that of St Benedict and Gregory the Great.Less
This book examines the formation of the Christian ascetic tradition in the western Roman Empire during the period of the barbarian invasions, c.400–600. In an aggressively competitive political context, one of the most articulate claims to power was made, paradoxically, by men who had renounced 'the world', committing themselves to a life of spiritual discipline in the hope of gaining entry to an otherworldly kingdom. Often dismissed as mere fanaticism or open hypocrisy, the language of ascetic authority, the book shows, was both carefully honed and well understood in the late Roman and early medieval Mediterranean. It charts the development of this new moral rhetoric by abbots, teachers, and bishops from the time of Augustine of Hippo to that of St Benedict and Gregory the Great.
Keywords: western Roman Empire, barbarian invasions, ascetic authority, moral rhetoric, Mediterranean, Augustine of Hippo, St Benedict, Gregory the Great, abbots, bishops
Aymer de Valence: Earl of Pembroke 1307-1324. Baronial Politics in the Reign of Edward II
J. R. S. Phillips
This book examines the course and significance of English politics in the reign of Edward II through a study of the career of one important magnate, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke from 1307 to ... More
This book examines the course and significance of English politics in the reign of Edward II through a study of the career of one important magnate, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke from 1307 to 1324. It is not, however, intended as a biography. The Earl of Pembroke has been chosen to illustrate the problems of the period from the point of view of a magnate who, for most of his career, was closely associated with the monarchy and with the making and performance of royal policy. In this sense Pembroke represents the opposite side of the coin to Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the King's opponent. Detailed coverage of the period starts in 1312, when Pembroke first became of real importance, and continues until his death is 1324.Less
Aymer de Valence : Earl of Pembroke 1307-1324. Baronial Politics in the Reign of Edward II
This book examines the course and significance of English politics in the reign of Edward II through a study of the career of one important magnate, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke from 1307 to 1324. It is not, however, intended as a biography. The Earl of Pembroke has been chosen to illustrate the problems of the period from the point of view of a magnate who, for most of his career, was closely associated with the monarchy and with the making and performance of royal policy. In this sense Pembroke represents the opposite side of the coin to Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, the King's opponent. Detailed coverage of the period starts in 1312, when Pembroke first became of real importance, and continues until his death is 1324.
Keywords: monarchy, English politics, Edward II, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, royal policy
Byzantium and the Crusader States 1096–1204
Ralph-Johannes Lilie
This book is a study of the relations between Byzantium and the Crusader States of Syria and Palestine. The author sets out to explore the policies and principles that shaped contacts between the ... More
This book is a study of the relations between Byzantium and the Crusader States of Syria and Palestine. The author sets out to explore the policies and principles that shaped contacts between the Eastern Empire, the Crusader States, and the nations of Western Europe whence the Crusaders came. He traces the actions of the Byzantine Emperors in the twelfth century as they sought to keep control of the crusading armies within their territories and to maintain their positions with respect to the West, and shows how mutual suspicion and attempts at co-operation ended in enmity.Less
This book is a study of the relations between Byzantium and the Crusader States of Syria and Palestine. The author sets out to explore the policies and principles that shaped contacts between the Eastern Empire, the Crusader States, and the nations of Western Europe whence the Crusaders came. He traces the actions of the Byzantine Emperors in the twelfth century as they sought to keep control of the crusading armies within their territories and to maintain their positions with respect to the West, and shows how mutual suspicion and attempts at co-operation ended in enmity.
Keywords: Byzantium, Crusader States, Syria, Palestine, Eastern Empire, Western Europe, Crusaders, Byzantine Emperors
The Carmelites and Antiquity: Mendicants and their Pasts in the Middle Ages
Andrew Jotischky
The Carmelite Order began when a group of hermits settled in a regulated community on Mt Carmel in the kingdom of Jerusalem in the first decade of the 13th century. As the hermits began to found new ... More
The Carmelite Order began when a group of hermits settled in a regulated community on Mt Carmel in the kingdom of Jerusalem in the first decade of the 13th century. As the hermits began to found new houses across Christendom, they adopted mendicant practices and developed legendary traditions designed to extend their putative history back before 1200. The Carmelite historical legendary sought to associate generic eremitical monasticism and its Old Testament precursors with the Carmelite Order in order to claim that the Order, founded by Elijah, represented the oldest form of monasticism. This book examines the processes entailed in creating Carmelite history, analyses Carmelite historical narratives written between c.1280 and c.1530, and offers interpretations of the main techniques and arguments deployed in their construction. The wider context of historical writing in other religious orders is also considered, both for comparative purposes and to examine the reception of Carmelite arguments among contemporaries.Less
The Carmelites and Antiquity : Mendicants and their Pasts in the Middle Ages
The Carmelite Order began when a group of hermits settled in a regulated community on Mt Carmel in the kingdom of Jerusalem in the first decade of the 13th century. As the hermits began to found new houses across Christendom, they adopted mendicant practices and developed legendary traditions designed to extend their putative history back before 1200. The Carmelite historical legendary sought to associate generic eremitical monasticism and its Old Testament precursors with the Carmelite Order in order to claim that the Order, founded by Elijah, represented the oldest form of monasticism. This book examines the processes entailed in creating Carmelite history, analyses Carmelite historical narratives written between c.1280 and c.1530, and offers interpretations of the main techniques and arguments deployed in their construction. The wider context of historical writing in other religious orders is also considered, both for comparative purposes and to examine the reception of Carmelite arguments among contemporaries.
Keywords: Carmelites, mendicants, hermits, traditions, Old Testament
The Chivalric Turn: Conduct and Hegemony in Europe before 1300
This is a book about the medieval obsession with defining and practising superior conduct and the social consequences that followed from it. It is also a book about how historians since the ... More
This is a book about the medieval obsession with defining and practising superior conduct and the social consequences that followed from it. It is also a book about how historians since the seventeenth century have understood medieval conduct, because in many ways we still see it through the eyes of the writers of the Enlightenment. This is nowhere more so in its defining of superior conduct on the figure of the knight, and categorizing it as Chivalry. Using for the first time the full range of the considerable twelfth- and thirteenth-century literature on conduct in the European vernaculars and in Latin, the book describes and defines what superior lay conduct was in European society before Chivalry, and maps how Chivalry emerged and redefined superior conduct in the last generation of the twelfth century, and suggests how and why it did. The emergence of Chivalry was, however, only one part of a major social change, because it also made necessary a new and narrower definition and understanding of what Nobility was, which had consequences for the medieval understanding of gender, social class, violence, and the limits of law. The book tackles social change on a European scale and in the emerging understanding that twelfth- and thirteenth-century elite society was a predominantly literate one. Indeed, the majority of the many male and female writers on conduct used here (mostly for the first time in a social history book) were not churchmen, but lay people giving their opinion on their own society and its problems.Less
The Chivalric Turn : Conduct and Hegemony in Europe before 1300
This is a book about the medieval obsession with defining and practising superior conduct and the social consequences that followed from it. It is also a book about how historians since the seventeenth century have understood medieval conduct, because in many ways we still see it through the eyes of the writers of the Enlightenment. This is nowhere more so in its defining of superior conduct on the figure of the knight, and categorizing it as Chivalry. Using for the first time the full range of the considerable twelfth- and thirteenth-century literature on conduct in the European vernaculars and in Latin, the book describes and defines what superior lay conduct was in European society before Chivalry, and maps how Chivalry emerged and redefined superior conduct in the last generation of the twelfth century, and suggests how and why it did. The emergence of Chivalry was, however, only one part of a major social change, because it also made necessary a new and narrower definition and understanding of what Nobility was, which had consequences for the medieval understanding of gender, social class, violence, and the limits of law. The book tackles social change on a European scale and in the emerging understanding that twelfth- and thirteenth-century elite society was a predominantly literate one. Indeed, the majority of the many male and female writers on conduct used here (mostly for the first time in a social history book) were not churchmen, but lay people giving their opinion on their own society and its problems.
Keywords: Nobility, gender, Chivalry, Courtliness, knighthood, conduct, manners, genre, villeins, habitus
Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe
Richard Kaeuper
Medieval Europe was a rapidly developing society with a problem of violent disorder. This study reveals that chivalry was just as much a part of this problem as it was its solution. Chivalry praised ... More
Medieval Europe was a rapidly developing society with a problem of violent disorder. This study reveals that chivalry was just as much a part of this problem as it was its solution. Chivalry praised heroic violence by knights, and fused such displays of prowess with honour, piety, high status, and attractiveness to women. Though the vast body of chivalric literature praised chivalry as necessary to civilization, most texts also worried over knightly violence, criticized the ideals and practices of chivalry, and often proposed reforms. The knights themselves joined the debate, absorbing some reforms, ignoring others, sometimes proposing their own. The interaction of chivalry with major governing institutions ('church' and 'state') emerging at that time was similarly complex: kings and clerics both needed and feared the force of the knighthood. This book lays bare the conflicts and paradoxes which surrounded the concept of chivalry in medieval Europe.Less
Medieval Europe was a rapidly developing society with a problem of violent disorder. This study reveals that chivalry was just as much a part of this problem as it was its solution. Chivalry praised heroic violence by knights, and fused such displays of prowess with honour, piety, high status, and attractiveness to women. Though the vast body of chivalric literature praised chivalry as necessary to civilization, most texts also worried over knightly violence, criticized the ideals and practices of chivalry, and often proposed reforms. The knights themselves joined the debate, absorbing some reforms, ignoring others, sometimes proposing their own. The interaction of chivalry with major governing institutions ('church' and 'state') emerging at that time was similarly complex: kings and clerics both needed and feared the force of the knighthood. This book lays bare the conflicts and paradoxes which surrounded the concept of chivalry in medieval Europe.
Keywords: medieval Europe, violent disorder, chivalry, heroic violence, knights, displays of prowess, honour, piety, attractiveness to women, chivalric literature
Church and Cosmos in Early Ottonian Germany: The View from Cologne
Henry Mayr-Harting
Integrating the brilliant biography of Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne (953-65) and brother of Emperor Otto I, written by the otherwise obscure monk Ruotger, with the intellectual culture of Cologne ... More
Integrating the brilliant biography of Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne (953-65) and brother of Emperor Otto I, written by the otherwise obscure monk Ruotger, with the intellectual culture of Cologne Cathedral, this book provides a study of actual politics in conjunction with Ottonian ruler ethic. Our knowledge of Cologne intellectual activity in the period, apart from Ruotger, must be pieced together mainly from marginal annotations and glosses in surviving Cologne manuscripts, showing how and with what concerns some of the most important books of the Latin West were read in Bruno's and Ruotger's Cologne. These include Pope Gregory the Great's Letters, Prudentius's Psychomachia, Boethius's Arithmetic, and Martianus Capella's Marriage of Philology and Mercury. The writing in the margins of the manuscripts, besides enlarging our picture of thinking in Cologne in itself, can be drawn into comparison with the outlook of Ruotger. Exploring how distinctive Cologne was, compared with other centres, this book brings out an unexpectedly strong thread of Platonism in the 10th-century intellect. The book includes a critical edition of probably the earliest surviving, and hitherto unpublished, set of glosses to Boethius's Arithmetic, with an extensive study of their content.Less
Church and Cosmos in Early Ottonian Germany : The View from Cologne
Integrating the brilliant biography of Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne (953-65) and brother of Emperor Otto I, written by the otherwise obscure monk Ruotger, with the intellectual culture of Cologne Cathedral, this book provides a study of actual politics in conjunction with Ottonian ruler ethic. Our knowledge of Cologne intellectual activity in the period, apart from Ruotger, must be pieced together mainly from marginal annotations and glosses in surviving Cologne manuscripts, showing how and with what concerns some of the most important books of the Latin West were read in Bruno's and Ruotger's Cologne. These include Pope Gregory the Great's Letters, Prudentius's Psychomachia, Boethius's Arithmetic, and Martianus Capella's Marriage of Philology and Mercury. The writing in the margins of the manuscripts, besides enlarging our picture of thinking in Cologne in itself, can be drawn into comparison with the outlook of Ruotger. Exploring how distinctive Cologne was, compared with other centres, this book brings out an unexpectedly strong thread of Platonism in the 10th-century intellect. The book includes a critical edition of probably the earliest surviving, and hitherto unpublished, set of glosses to Boethius's Arithmetic, with an extensive study of their content.
Keywords: Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne, Ruotger, Cologne Cathedral, Germany, Pope Gregory the Great, Letters, Orudentius, Psychomachia, Boethius
The Cloister and the World: Essays in Medieval History in Honour of Barbara Harvey
John Blair and Brian Golding (eds)
This book's chapters honour a distinguished scholar best known for her work on late medieval economy, demography, and estate management, and on the monastic community at Westminster. The uniting ... More
This book's chapters honour a distinguished scholar best known for her work on late medieval economy, demography, and estate management, and on the monastic community at Westminster. The uniting theme is the imprint of the church, especially the monastic church, upon society at large. The breadth of contributions range from the 8th to 16th centuries, with an emphasis on the later middle ages, looking at urban religion, monastic education, and the role of religious communities in stimulating economic growth. Westminster Abbey figures prominently, alongside chapters on the effects of the Dissolution on nunneries, the role of sanctuary in local communities, and on individuals such as Matthew Paris and Robert of Knaresborough whose lives reveal much about medieval England. In a worthy tribute to a great medievalist, the chapters show us a world where the influence of the cloister reached into almost every aspect of daily life.Less
The Cloister and the World : Essays in Medieval History in Honour of Barbara Harvey
This book's chapters honour a distinguished scholar best known for her work on late medieval economy, demography, and estate management, and on the monastic community at Westminster. The uniting theme is the imprint of the church, especially the monastic church, upon society at large. The breadth of contributions range from the 8th to 16th centuries, with an emphasis on the later middle ages, looking at urban religion, monastic education, and the role of religious communities in stimulating economic growth. Westminster Abbey figures prominently, alongside chapters on the effects of the Dissolution on nunneries, the role of sanctuary in local communities, and on individuals such as Matthew Paris and Robert of Knaresborough whose lives reveal much about medieval England. In a worthy tribute to a great medievalist, the chapters show us a world where the influence of the cloister reached into almost every aspect of daily life.
Keywords: monastic church, religious communities, economic growth, Westminster Abbey, Dissolution, sanctuary, Matthew Paris, Robert of Knaresborough, medieval England
The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought
M. S. Kempshall
History, European Medieval History, History of Ideas
This study offers a major reinterpretation of medieval political thought by examining one of its most fundamental ideas. If it was axiomatic that the goal of human society should be the common good, ... More
This study offers a major reinterpretation of medieval political thought by examining one of its most fundamental ideas. If it was axiomatic that the goal of human society should be the common good, then this notion presented at least two conceptual alternatives. Did it embody the highest moral ideals of happiness and the life of virtue, or did it represent the more pragmatic benefits of peace and material security? Political thinkers from Thomas Aquinas to William of Ockham answered this question in various contexts. In theoretical terms, they were reacting to the rediscovery of Aristotle's Politics and Ethics, an event often seen as pivotal in the history of political thought. On a practical level, they were faced with pressing concerns over the exercise of both temporal and ecclesiastical authority — resistance to royal taxation and opposition to the jurisdiction of the pope. In establishing the connections between these different contexts, this book questions the identification of Aristotle as the primary catalyst for the emergence of 'the individual' and a 'secular' theory of the state. Through a detailed exposition of scholastic political theology, it argues that the roots of any such developments should be traced, instead, to Augustine and the Bible.Less
This study offers a major reinterpretation of medieval political thought by examining one of its most fundamental ideas. If it was axiomatic that the goal of human society should be the common good, then this notion presented at least two conceptual alternatives. Did it embody the highest moral ideals of happiness and the life of virtue, or did it represent the more pragmatic benefits of peace and material security? Political thinkers from Thomas Aquinas to William of Ockham answered this question in various contexts. In theoretical terms, they were reacting to the rediscovery of Aristotle's Politics and Ethics, an event often seen as pivotal in the history of political thought. On a practical level, they were faced with pressing concerns over the exercise of both temporal and ecclesiastical authority — resistance to royal taxation and opposition to the jurisdiction of the pope. In establishing the connections between these different contexts, this book questions the identification of Aristotle as the primary catalyst for the emergence of 'the individual' and a 'secular' theory of the state. Through a detailed exposition of scholastic political theology, it argues that the roots of any such developments should be traced, instead, to Augustine and the Bible.
Keywords: medieval politics, Thomas Aquinas, William of Ockham, Aristotle, Politics, political thought, ecclesiastical authority, royal taxation, papal authority, secular
Community and Clientele in Twelfth-Century Tuscany: The Origins of the Rural Commune in the Plain of Lucca
Chris Wickham
This book addresses a gap in Italian historiography by examining rural rather than city communes. In recent years, historians have increasingly focused on local and ... More
This book addresses a gap in Italian historiography by examining rural rather than city communes. In recent years, historians have increasingly focused on local and regional studies of village communities as a way of understanding medieval European history. This discussion of a group of villages around Lucca is the first detailed study of the origin of organized village communities in Italy for over seventy years, showing how the social and political structures of the countryside ran alongside those of the city. The author analyses how local politics took recognizable shape as its ruling structures gradually emerged over time. His argument does not end there, and indeed extends beyond Italy to France and Spain, providing sustained comparisons of rural development and social organization. The result is a rare combination of systematic local analysis and wide synthesis, aimed at illuminating the whole area of social transformation in twelfth-century Europe.Less
Community and Clientele in Twelfth-Century Tuscany : The Origins of the Rural Commune in the Plain of Lucca
This book addresses a gap in Italian historiography by examining rural rather than city communes. In recent years, historians have increasingly focused on local and regional studies of village communities as a way of understanding medieval European history. This discussion of a group of villages around Lucca is the first detailed study of the origin of organized village communities in Italy for over seventy years, showing how the social and political structures of the countryside ran alongside those of the city. The author analyses how local politics took recognizable shape as its ruling structures gradually emerged over time. His argument does not end there, and indeed extends beyond Italy to France and Spain, providing sustained comparisons of rural development and social organization. The result is a rare combination of systematic local analysis and wide synthesis, aimed at illuminating the whole area of social transformation in twelfth-century Europe.
Keywords: medieval European history, Italy, Lucca, village communities, rural development, social organization, social transformation, France, Spain
The Conciliarist Tradition: Constitutionalism in the Catholic Church 1300-1870
Francis Oakley
History, History of Ideas, European Medieval History
In the early 15th century, the general council assembled at Constance and, representing the universal Church, put an end to the scandalous schism which for almost forty years had divided the Latin ... More
In the early 15th century, the general council assembled at Constance and, representing the universal Church, put an end to the scandalous schism which for almost forty years had divided the Latin Church between rival lines of claimants to the papal office. It did so by claiming and exercising an authority superior to that of the pope, an authority by virtue of which it could impose constitutional limits on the exercise of his prerogatives, stand in judgement over him, and if need be, depose him for wrongdoing. In so acting, the council gave historic expression to a tradition of conciliarist constitutionalism that long competed for the allegiance of Catholics worldwide with the high papalist monarchical vision that was destined to triumph in 1870 at Vatican I and to become identified with Roman Catholic orthodoxy itself. This book sets out to reconstruct the half-millennial history of that vanquished rival tradition.Less
The Conciliarist Tradition : Constitutionalism in the Catholic Church 1300-1870
In the early 15th century, the general council assembled at Constance and, representing the universal Church, put an end to the scandalous schism which for almost forty years had divided the Latin Church between rival lines of claimants to the papal office. It did so by claiming and exercising an authority superior to that of the pope, an authority by virtue of which it could impose constitutional limits on the exercise of his prerogatives, stand in judgement over him, and if need be, depose him for wrongdoing. In so acting, the council gave historic expression to a tradition of conciliarist constitutionalism that long competed for the allegiance of Catholics worldwide with the high papalist monarchical vision that was destined to triumph in 1870 at Vatican I and to become identified with Roman Catholic orthodoxy itself. This book sets out to reconstruct the half-millennial history of that vanquished rival tradition.
Keywords: Council of Constance, universal Church, Latin Church, papacy, popes, conciliarist constitutionalism, Vatican I, Roman Catholic Church
The Counter-Reformation in Central Europe: Styria 1580-1630
Regina Pörtner
This is an account of religious belief and conflict in the strategically important province of Inner Austria between 1580 and 1630. It shows how Protestantisation in the first half of the 16th ... More
This is an account of religious belief and conflict in the strategically important province of Inner Austria between 1580 and 1630. It shows how Protestantisation in the first half of the 16th century was linked to communication with the Protestants of the rest of the Empire, and to the failure of ecclesiastical reform in the church province of Salzburg, of which Styria formed part. The Protestant success of 1578, however, proved deceptive because it lacked constitutional substance, and was defended by an inherently weak union of the Inner Austrian estates. The book analyses the aims, achievements, and shortcomings of the Habsburgs' confessional crusade in Styria, showing how although the progress of Protestantisation was reversed, the Counter-Reformation left an ambivalent legacy to the modern Austrian state.Less
The Counter-Reformation in Central Europe : Styria 1580-1630
This is an account of religious belief and conflict in the strategically important province of Inner Austria between 1580 and 1630. It shows how Protestantisation in the first half of the 16th century was linked to communication with the Protestants of the rest of the Empire, and to the failure of ecclesiastical reform in the church province of Salzburg, of which Styria formed part. The Protestant success of 1578, however, proved deceptive because it lacked constitutional substance, and was defended by an inherently weak union of the Inner Austrian estates. The book analyses the aims, achievements, and shortcomings of the Habsburgs' confessional crusade in Styria, showing how although the progress of Protestantisation was reversed, the Counter-Reformation left an ambivalent legacy to the modern Austrian state.
Keywords: Inner Austria, Protestants, Protestantisation, Protestant reform, Catholic Church, Styria, Habsburg Monarchy, Counter-Reformation, Central Europe, religious conflict
The Crusader States and their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187
Nicholas Morton
History, European Medieval History, Military History
The Crusader States and their Neighbours explores the military history of the medieval Near East, piecing together the fault-lines of conflict which entangled this much-contested region. This was an ... More
The Crusader States and their Neighbours explores the military history of the medieval Near East, piecing together the fault-lines of conflict which entangled this much-contested region. This was an area where ethnic, religious, dynastic, and commercial interests collided and the causes of war could be numerous. Conflicts persisted for decades and were fought out between many groups including Kurds, Turks, Armenians, Arabs, and the Crusaders themselves. This book recreates this world exploring how each faction sought to advance its own interests by any means possible, adapting its war craft to better respond to the threats posed by their rivals. Strategies and tactics employed by the pastoral societies of the Central Asian Steppe were pitted against the armies of the agricultural societies of Western Christendom, Byzantium, and the Islamic World, galvanizing commanders to adapt their practices in response to their foes. Today, we are generally encouraged to think of this era as a time of religious conflict and yet this vastly over-simplifies a complex region where violence could take place for many reasons and peoples of different faiths could easily find themselves fighting side-by-side.Less
The Crusader States and their Neighbours : A Military History, 1099-1187
The Crusader States and their Neighbours explores the military history of the medieval Near East, piecing together the fault-lines of conflict which entangled this much-contested region. This was an area where ethnic, religious, dynastic, and commercial interests collided and the causes of war could be numerous. Conflicts persisted for decades and were fought out between many groups including Kurds, Turks, Armenians, Arabs, and the Crusaders themselves. This book recreates this world exploring how each faction sought to advance its own interests by any means possible, adapting its war craft to better respond to the threats posed by their rivals. Strategies and tactics employed by the pastoral societies of the Central Asian Steppe were pitted against the armies of the agricultural societies of Western Christendom, Byzantium, and the Islamic World, galvanizing commanders to adapt their practices in response to their foes. Today, we are generally encouraged to think of this era as a time of religious conflict and yet this vastly over-simplifies a complex region where violence could take place for many reasons and peoples of different faiths could easily find themselves fighting side-by-side.
Keywords: military history, medieval history, Crusades, Near Eastern history, Islamic history, Crusader States, Seljuk Turks, Fatimid Empire, Saladin, Armenians
Crusading and the Ottoman Threat, 1453-1505
Norman Housley
The fifty years that followed Mehmed II's capture of Constantinople in 1453 witnessed a substantial attempt to revive the crusade as the principal military mechanism for defending Christian Europe ... More
The fifty years that followed Mehmed II's capture of Constantinople in 1453 witnessed a substantial attempt to revive the crusade as the principal military mechanism for defending Christian Europe against the advance of Ottoman Turks. This study investigates the origins, character, and significance of this ambitious programme. It locates it against the broad background of crusading history, and assesses the extent to which protagonists and lobbyists for a crusade managed to refashion crusading to meet the Turkish threat, combining traditional practices with new outlooks and techniques. It pays particular attention to diplomatic exchanges and political decision-making, military organization, communication, and devotional behaviour. The book demonstrates the impressive scale of the effort that was made to create a crusading response to the Turks. Crusaders were recruited in very large numbers between 1454 and 1464, and in 1501–3 substantial sums of money were raised through the vigorous preaching of indulgences in the Holy Roman Empire. But while the crusading cause was recognized as important and urgent, the mobilization of resources was prejudiced by the volatile nature of international politics, and by the weakness of the Renaissance papacy. Even when frontline states such as Hungary and Venice welcomed crusading contributions to their conflicts with the Ottomans, building robust structures of cooperation proved to be beyond the ability of contemporaries. As the Middle Ages drew to a close, the paradox of crusade was that its promotion and finance impacted on the lives of Catholics more than its instruments affected the struggle for domination of the Mediterranean Sea and south-eastern Europe.Less
The fifty years that followed Mehmed II's capture of Constantinople in 1453 witnessed a substantial attempt to revive the crusade as the principal military mechanism for defending Christian Europe against the advance of Ottoman Turks. This study investigates the origins, character, and significance of this ambitious programme. It locates it against the broad background of crusading history, and assesses the extent to which protagonists and lobbyists for a crusade managed to refashion crusading to meet the Turkish threat, combining traditional practices with new outlooks and techniques. It pays particular attention to diplomatic exchanges and political decision-making, military organization, communication, and devotional behaviour. The book demonstrates the impressive scale of the effort that was made to create a crusading response to the Turks. Crusaders were recruited in very large numbers between 1454 and 1464, and in 1501–3 substantial sums of money were raised through the vigorous preaching of indulgences in the Holy Roman Empire. But while the crusading cause was recognized as important and urgent, the mobilization of resources was prejudiced by the volatile nature of international politics, and by the weakness of the Renaissance papacy. Even when frontline states such as Hungary and Venice welcomed crusading contributions to their conflicts with the Ottomans, building robust structures of cooperation proved to be beyond the ability of contemporaries. As the Middle Ages drew to a close, the paradox of crusade was that its promotion and finance impacted on the lives of Catholics more than its instruments affected the struggle for domination of the Mediterranean Sea and south-eastern Europe.
Keywords: crusade, Turks, Renaissance papacy, indulgences, Renaissance Europe, Renaissance warfare
Death and the Prince: Memorial Preaching Before 1350
D. L. d'Avray
This book is a study of medieval de mortuis sermons in memory of kings and princes. It examines medieval kingship and attitudes to death, and identifies a period in which this-worldly and ... More
This book is a study of medieval de mortuis sermons in memory of kings and princes. It examines medieval kingship and attitudes to death, and identifies a period in which this-worldly and other-worldly interests were held in a relatively stable equilibrium. This book's conclusions are based on unpublished medieval sermons from 14th-century Europe. After an outline of the genre's development, the book argues that the portrayal of individual personalities seemed to convey a message about kingship. The message is shown to be much the same as that of 15th-century humanist preaching so far as the 'external goods' of wealth and nobility are concerned. Aristotelian influence enhances the secular character of the ideology. The secularity, however, is harmoniously balanced by a more predictable emphasis on death and the afterlife. Furthermore, in drawing this balance the sermons are representative of an outlook widely current in the real world of a 14th-century kingship.Less
Death and the Prince : Memorial Preaching Before 1350
This book is a study of medieval de mortuis sermons in memory of kings and princes. It examines medieval kingship and attitudes to death, and identifies a period in which this-worldly and other-worldly interests were held in a relatively stable equilibrium. This book's conclusions are based on unpublished medieval sermons from 14th-century Europe. After an outline of the genre's development, the book argues that the portrayal of individual personalities seemed to convey a message about kingship. The message is shown to be much the same as that of 15th-century humanist preaching so far as the 'external goods' of wealth and nobility are concerned. Aristotelian influence enhances the secular character of the ideology. The secularity, however, is harmoniously balanced by a more predictable emphasis on death and the afterlife. Furthermore, in drawing this balance the sermons are representative of an outlook widely current in the real world of a 14th-century kingship.
Keywords: de mortuis sermons, medieval kingship, death, medieval sermons, external goods, afterlife, 14th-century Europe, kings, princes
Defenders of the Holy Land: Relations between the Latin East and the West, 1119-1187
The triumph of the First Crusade (1095–1099) led to the establishment of a Latin Christian community in the Levant. Remarkably, despite growing pressure from the neighbouring Muslim powers, and the ... More
The triumph of the First Crusade (1095–1099) led to the establishment of a Latin Christian community in the Levant. Remarkably, despite growing pressure from the neighbouring Muslim powers, and the failure of the Second Crusade (1145–49), the settlers were able to occupy Jerusalem and substantial areas of what are now Israel, Syria, and the Lebanon for over three-quarters of a century. It was the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187 which precipitated the famous Third Crusade dominated by Richard the Lionheart. This is the first systematic investigation of the settlers' attempts to seek support for their vital role as guardians of the Holy Land. The book draws together a disparate range of evidence to show how they turned to western Europe, and to a lesser extent Byzantium, for help. As attitudes and strategies evolved, the settlers' approach became increasingly sophisticated, peaking during the reign of King Amalric of Jerusalem (1163–74), when diplomatic activity was particularly intense. The book also investigates the attitude of King Henry II of England towards the crusades, and the effects of the Becket dispute on western responses to the needs of the Holy Land. The study demonstrates that contact between the Latin East and the West was far more complex than previously believed, and exposes for the first time the range and scale of the settlers' efforts to maintain Christian control of the Holy Land.Less
Defenders of the Holy Land : Relations between the Latin East and the West, 1119-1187
The triumph of the First Crusade (1095–1099) led to the establishment of a Latin Christian community in the Levant. Remarkably, despite growing pressure from the neighbouring Muslim powers, and the failure of the Second Crusade (1145–49), the settlers were able to occupy Jerusalem and substantial areas of what are now Israel, Syria, and the Lebanon for over three-quarters of a century. It was the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187 which precipitated the famous Third Crusade dominated by Richard the Lionheart. This is the first systematic investigation of the settlers' attempts to seek support for their vital role as guardians of the Holy Land. The book draws together a disparate range of evidence to show how they turned to western Europe, and to a lesser extent Byzantium, for help. As attitudes and strategies evolved, the settlers' approach became increasingly sophisticated, peaking during the reign of King Amalric of Jerusalem (1163–74), when diplomatic activity was particularly intense. The book also investigates the attitude of King Henry II of England towards the crusades, and the effects of the Becket dispute on western responses to the needs of the Holy Land. The study demonstrates that contact between the Latin East and the West was far more complex than previously believed, and exposes for the first time the range and scale of the settlers' efforts to maintain Christian control of the Holy Land.
Keywords: First Crusade, Latin Christian community, settlers, Jerusalem, Holy Land

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home FATA No clash of powers between CM and governor: Ajmal Wazir
No clash of powers between CM and governor: Ajmal Wazir
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman Ajmal Wazir said on Friday that there was not clash of powers between the KP governor and chief minister.
Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister House, Ajmal Wazir said Imran Khan is first prime minister of the country who visited Ghulam Khan check post and Mehmood Khan is the first chief minister who visited the tribal districts and Pak-Afghan border. He said the KP government has made a schedule for the next six months for the visits of the provincial ministers to the tribal districts which has been sent to the chief minister. He said one minister will be present in the tribal districts during five days of every week.
The spokesman said the chief minister while heading a meeting has directed improvement of condition of hospitals in the tribal districts within a month. He said doctors will be appointed on contract and ad hoc basis to fill the vacancies at the hospitals. He said similar steps will also be taken in the education department. He said the shortage of doctors and medicines at the government hospitals will be addressed on emergency basis.
Ajmal Wazir said the Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) has been extended to the tribal districts. He said preference will be given to local people while filling vacancies in the tribal districts. He said relaxation will be given to the candidates of the tribal districts in terms of age and educational qualification. However, he made it clear that those officials who are not performing their duties honestly and taking their salaries at home will be sacked.
The spokesman said sports activities will be organised in the tribal districts from 10 February and solar panels will be installed in 300 mosques. He said the tribal youth will also be offered interest-free loans.
Ajmal Wazir said the laws of KP will be extended to the tribal districts through an ordinance for which all preparations have been made. He said this was necessary because of legal vacuum created in the tribal districts after abolishment of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR).
The spokesman said Sindh and Balochistan governments have some reservations over the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and the tribal people have reservations over the population census results.
He said the Bus Rapid Transit Project of Peshawar faced delays due to changes in the design. He said the project will be inaugurated on 23 March.
Correspondent TNN


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TOPIC FOLK CLUB Newsletter No 52, April/May 2006
Greetings: and welcome to the late April-early May Newsletter.
April 27 Steve Ashley.
A singer-songwriter of enormous experience, who has played solo and/or with some of the best folk musicians in the country for over 30 years. One of the founders of folk-rock, he was lead singer for the original Albion Band; and subsequently went on to front his own bands. There may or may not be a Featured support act this evening: an astonishingly good young band from Wales called Ember, who are touring in the area, requested and have been offered the slot: but my absence in the week they made the request may mean I have missed them.
May 4 John Conolly.
All the way from Grimsby, John Conolly is the real author of the much-covered "traditional" song Fiddler's Green. But this is but one of his many wonderful and evocative songs of the sea, the coast, fishing, trawling: including The Punch and Judy Man. Featured support from Vince Jerrison and Nickie Willis, a duo from the Skipton area performing (mostly) traditional songs. Nickie in particular specialises in Scottish songs, with Vince providing the accompaniment.
May 11 Singers and Musicians.
Optional theme: Air. This completes the tour of the elements. Do come and have a sing: we do our best to fit everyone in, but the April S&M night had no fewer than five quality bands turning up, plus about eight individual performers, so we can't promise everyone will get a sustained bite at the performance cherry.
May 18 Bernard Carney.
A lovely man from Australia, with a repertoire of self-written songs about the Australian outback, contemporary life, and everything else. A real crafter of songs, Bernard is also an accomplished guitarist, and a born entertainer (much on demand for after-dinner entertainment on the conference circuit). This should be a very enjoyable evening. Featured Support comes from a Leeds-based three-piece multi-instrumental band Mulberry Blue, who have impressed us at a couple of recent S&M nights.
May 25 Pete Abbott.
A prominent member of John Wright's touring band, and a fine singer-songwriter in his own right (John Wright includes some of Pete's songs in his repertoire). Pete has an impressive list of fellow artists who provide the most impressive testimonials: not just John Wright, but also Ken Nicol and Anthony John Clarke. Haunting ballads and a quiet, precise guitar accompaniment. Featured Support comes from Bandersnatch, a six- (or five-) piece band from over the Pennines, with rich clear harmonies and a variety of instruments; one member of whom played piano on Pete Abbott's CD.
June 1 Pete Smith and John Buckley.
Two acoustic guitarists who combine a variety of styles: classical, jazz, blues, folk, ragtime, nylon/steel strings to provide a richness of sound that, according to critics, can outdo a complete orchestra. Well, something like that. Though their musical performance includes no songs or lyrics, they make up for this with hilarious between-tunes banter. Featured Support slot available as we go to press - also for June 22 and 29, and July 6 and 27.
AND ONWARDS:
JUNE also features a singaround on the general theme of Freedom; CrossCurrent, a brilliant five-piece band of recent graduates from Newcastle's Folk Music degree (with FS from Northern Man Clive Leyland); Scottish singer-songwriter Robin Laing who I don't think has visited the Topic before, and our very own Bluesman extraordinaire Roger Sutcliffe.
JULY is a month when some of our fellow local clubs batten down for the summer: but a packed Topic programme includes: Battlefield Band stalwart Alistair Russell, back on the gigging circuit; The Amazing Mr Smith for musicianship combined with zany humour (with FS from Ed McGurk), a double header of up-and-coming young acts Entropy and Robin and Ben, and finally that most energetic of performers; and one of the best politico-social contemporary songwriters in the business, Robb Johnson.
You can read all about the upcoming programme in Tykes, on the internet www.topic-folk-club.org.uk ,or in future issues of this newsletter.
Preparations are underway for the 50th Anniversary Season, a star-studded and exciting programme of real talent that we hope will regularly challenge the capacity of our new venue.
In recognition of this, for gigs from September onwards, tickets for all concerts will be available in advance on clubnights from dates to be advertised on the website and in the Newsletter. Members will have a few weeks' priority. The prices for some concerts will have to be increased to cover the artistes fees (prices will be published in advance): but in saying that, the overwhelming majority of our artistes have been extremely generous in agreeing to minimum guarantees well below their normal fee.
50th anniversary T-shirts are being designed even as I write, and will be available in time for the Festival season.
As always, please let me know by return if you no longer wish to receive this Newsletter, and your name will be permanently deleted from my files.
See you all some Thursday at the C ock and Bottle at one of the above events. 8.30 start. Be there by then if you want to perform a floor spot, which are still available every night even where there is a Featured Support artist booked. No smoking in the club room.
John Waller
Topic Newsletter Editor
john@john-waller.co.uk
www.topic-folk-club.org.uk
Topic Newsletter No 52: April/May 2006


When it comes to your wellness aspirations, there's a margin between your current level and feeling great.
Whether you are in a period of post-natal recovery, riding the ups and downs of peri-menopause, or beyond, Power Plate can have an important role to play in determining your wellness.
Although weight gain is one concern that might drive women to feel the need to exercise, the other health benefits are less visible yet life-savingly important.
With peri-menopause comes lower levels of oestrogen, and with that women lose the protective benefits oestrogen provides to our hearts, our bones, and our brains.
Pelvic floor trauma from child-bearing or birth often doesn't manifest itself until 20 years later, when the strength loss from oestrogen decline leaves you in less control of your pelvic floor, and you find yourself suffering from urinary or faecal incontinence, or even prolapse. High-impact exercise will probably not be a good place to start if you are coming back to exercise for the first time in ages.
Using Power Plate can improve or maintain cardiovascular fitness; preserve or improve muscle mass; assist weight control and metabolism; stabilise or improve bone density; improve reaction time and balance; and assist psychological health and self-esteem.
Power Plate increases circulation towards the skin's surface, and stimulates the lymph nodes to increase lymphatic drainage. Fluid is pumped through the body's tissues assisting with increasing hydration levels throughout the body. This will help you to stop feeling sluggish, and also help eliminate cellulite.
Suitable for all women. No matter your age, stage, or condition, Power Plate will quickly become hard to live without.


[Beowulf] Re: A start in Parallel Programming?
Previous message: [Beowulf] Re: A start in Parallel Programming?
>> are producing Mechanical Engineers, not automobile mechanics.
> oil filter can only be changed after removing the battery.
belts or the waterpump with the engine in place.
in front of him and a couple of big basin bowls filled with kerosene.
rich person in a big city.
> would care to address, but if they don't teach to this need who will?


text:
<?php

namespace Geocoder\Result;

/**
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 */
abstract class AbstractResult implements \ArrayAccess
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}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home Dundas Street closures to impact Oakville roads
Dundas Street closures to impact Oakville roads
Halton Region is notifying northern Ward 4 residents in Oakville that Dundas Street traffic will be impacted through the next several weeks due to a detour route in effect during nightly road closures to accomodate construction.
"Halton Region is making improvements to Dundas Street (Reg. Rd. 5). Construction activities began June 2021 between Appleby Line (Reg. Rd. 20) and Tremaine Road (Reg. Rd. 22), Wards 5 and 6, in the City of Burlington," says a regional statement.
To support the improvements to the Tansley Bridge, Dundas Street will be temporarily closed from Sutton Drive to Tremaine Road on weeknights starting November 7, 2022.
Closures will take place Monday to Friday (including Friday night) from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and are anticipated to end by December 10, 2022.
Please note that the closure dates are subject to change and any changes will be communicated through the Dundas Street Improvements webpage as well as construction signs along Dundas.
Local access, access to businesses and emergency access will be maintained along Dundas Street at all times. Through traffic will be detoured by temporary signage along Appleby Line, Derry Road (Reg. Rd. 7) and Bronte Road (Reg. Rd. 25), and motorists should expect delays when travelling through the area (see detour map below).
Transit users should also expect delays and longer than usual travel times through the affected area. Please visit www.oakvilletransit.ca and www.burlingtontransit.ca for more information.
"This project will address future traffic demands and provide safe travel options for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists," says Halton Region.
More information about this project is available online here.
Construction Road Construction Oakville Ward 4 Dundas Street Halton Region News November 2022


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Home / 92.3 KGON / Latest / CDJ Today: April 16 in Classic Rock
CDJ Today: April 16 in Classic Rock
By Iris Harrison 92.3 KGON
April 16, 2020 04/16/2020 5:00 am
QueenApril 16, 1996 – Kiss hold a press conference aboard the USS Intrepid in New York City to announce the reunion of all four original members, and the Alive/Worldwide reunion tour. With Ace, Gene, Paul and Peter, the tour went on to gross over $140 million dollars.
April 16, 1969 – Elektra drops the MC5 after they put an ad in a local underground paper saying "F–k Hudson's", the retailer that refused to stock their Kick Out The Jams album. Hudson's pulls all Elektra albums in retaliation.
April 16, 1974 – Queen make their U.S. live debut at Regis College in Denver, opening for Mott the Hoople.
April 16, 1972 – The Electric Light Orchestra make their live debut in London.
April 16, 1976 – Boz Scaggs is knocked unconscious by bouncers when he tries to visit his friend Bobby "Blue" Bland backstage at Antone's in Austin, TX.
Backstage Access:Mott-Hunter-Me-the cops!
Classic Rock Birthdays
April 16, 1950 – "Lonesome" Dave Peverett, vocals, guitar (Foghat, Savoy Brown) (d. 2000)April 16, 1947 – Gerry Rafferty, vocals (Stealers Wheel) (d. 2011)April 16, 1953 – Peter Garrett, vocals (Midnight Oil)April 16, 1964 – Dave Pirner, vocals, guitar (Soul Asylum)April 16, 1951 – John Bentley, bass (Squeeze)
Rock Remembrances
April 16, 1999 – Alexander "Skip" Spence, co-founder of Moby Grape and the drummer on the first Jefferson Airplane album, dies of lung cancer in San Francisco. He was 52. Skip had spent 6 months in Bellevue and was a diagnosed schizophrenic, battling drug and alcohol problems his entire life. But, he was also called one of "psychedelia's brightest lights" – just a few weeks after his death, the tribute CD More Oar: A Tribute to The Skip Spence Album was released and featured such luminaries as Robert Plant, Tom Waits, and Beck, all paying tribute.
The post CDJ Today: April 16 in Classic Rock appeared first on Classics Du Jour.


- Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
- A rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing.
- Life, or living substance, considered independently of corporeal existence; an intelligence conceived of apart from any physical organization or embodiment; vital essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter.
- The intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of man; the soul, in distinction from the body in which it resides; the agent or subject of vital and spiritual functions, whether spiritual or material.
- Specifically, a disembodied soul; the human soul after it has left the body.
- Any supernatural being, good or bad; an apparition; a specter; a ghost; also, sometimes, a sprite,; a fairy; an elf.
- Energy, vivacity, ardor, enthusiasm, courage, etc.
- One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper; as, a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit.
- Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; -- often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits.
- Intent; real meaning; -- opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like.
- Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities.
- Any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): -- often in the plural.
- Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors.
- A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture.
- Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
- Stannic chloride. See under Stannic.
- To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; as, civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men; -- sometimes followed by up.
- To convey rapidly and secretly, or mysteriously, as if by the agency of a spirit; to kidnap; -- often with away, or off.


Aug. 24, 2018, 8 a.m. - Aug. 24, 2018, 4 p.m.
For all new graduate students. An iSchool welcome and oriention to your program, opportunities, and career advice. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. We'll break for lunch in the tent. After that, you will hear from our grad mentors, and we will end the day with an ice cream social.


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Q: High-current transients with LM317 LD driver in Falstad I have been building a laser diode driver in Falstad, but for the first 200 μs there is a current spike of over 70 A! This would mean instant death for my laser diode.
If you are curious the laser diode is a NUBM08, and I have been running it with my lab bench power supply (before you guys yell at me in the comments: I have high quality goggles from Laserglow), and it works perfectly.
I want to make it battery operated now as I though it would be a fun project. It is built with four LM317s in parallel. Before you ask, I do know about the LM388, but I need to get this driver done soon, so I can't order them and get them here on time. I also don't have any switch-mode converters and I only have a couple of days (otherwise I would just order a cheap laser diode driver off AliExpress).
Schematic:

I have attempted to add smooth start capacitors to both the laser diode and the regulators, but this didn't suppress the spike. I also added a reverse bias Zener diode parallel to the laser diode as I remember it suppressed the transients I got from simulated ESD, this didn't work either however. I am wondering:

*

*How to fix this

*If I can't fix this: is this just a problem with Falstad? I don't have an oscilloscope to verify if it is just Falstad.

*If it is also a problem in real life, would this kill my LD over time? I know that laser diodes aren't very tolerant of high current/voltage spikes, and so I want to solve this problem in the simulation (if it isn't simply a problem with the simulation) and not have to spend $20 on another laser diode (I am not expecting it to die after first use, however, I don't want to have to replace the diode after a few hours of light use). The period of 70+A is only 200 μs, which might not damage the diode.
Here are some waveforms:

This is after I added the 4.6 V Zener diode:

This is just the linear regulators on startup.
I am thinking I should just implement a soft-start system, and tried doing so with capacitors. The capacitors did absolutely nothing. I have no power MOSFETs/IGBTs/BJTs (just small-signal TO-92s), so I didn't implement a soft start the way GreatScott did in one of his videos.
Could somebody here help me with this? I am competent with both electronics and lasers. I have not done anything with mains yet, but regularly do stuff with low voltage, high current (melting metal, carbon arcing, etc.) and I have safely operated a 5 W laser before on numerous occasions. I am just not as good at certain areas of this field.

A: You are using a simulator. With unknown models for components. They may be assumed ideal, which does not model a real world component. Wires, regulators, capacitors may not have any resistance at all.
If at the start of a simulation the capacitor is discharged to 0V, and at the next time step it should be charged to some non-zero value defined by the ideal voltage regulator during the arbitrary small time step, then it basically needs a big surge of current to do that in one time step.
Your addition of "smooth start" capacitors may be the cause, because they do cause the voltage to ramp up, but they also start at maximum current that is available.
I don't know what your target voltage is, but laser diodes are rarely voltage driven, but current driven.

A: There's an awful lot of detail that's missing. A biggie is that this is an 8 diode block. With the diodes wired in series, the operating voltage varies between 29 and 38V.** Datasheet link here: https://beamq.com/laser/laserdiode/nichia-nubm08.pdf
Total input wattage for the block is about 125W. Each laser is rated at 5W output. This is seriously dangerous device, and needs appropriate safety design.
So, let's consider your approach with LM317s.
If you wire the diodes in series, this means your LM317s will need at least 42V in to handle up to 39V out. However, the LM317 voltage output limit is 37V, so you will fry the device (and your expensive laser) in the process. So that's not workable.
If you split up the array as two strings of 4 and duplicate your LM317 circuit, your input and output worst case become 22.5 and 19.5V, respectively. That's a possibility on a 24V supply.
Split them into 4 strings of 2 and you get 11.25 and 9.25V. Also could work, if your design actually worked (more below.)
Is there a simpler way? You bet. I just recently answered a question on LED current limiting that would also apply here: LED supply 5-30 V - Zener diode? Perhaps this approach could work for you, assuming you can get a big enough pass transistor of appropriate voltage rating. You would need a 40V supply, or like I proposed with LM317s you could break up the strings and duplicate the regulators to use lower voltage.
This circuit ensures stable laser current by using current sense feedback. It will also be more efficient since you could wire the LEDs in series, assuming you have a high enough voltage available.
This answer has more suggestions. One uses op-amp buffered feedback for greater accuracy than is provided by a 2-transistor limiter: Simple constant current regulator for a 1.6A laser LED
Note that OP's circuit also used multiple LM317's with two key differences: diode isolation, and local current sensing at each regulator. This is closer to your idea and has a chance at actually working, since the regulator feedbacks are separated.
Which brings me back to your proposed, and very troubled, use of the LM317. Even if you split the array and duplicate the circuit as I suggest, your circuit as-is isn't going to work out. What will happen is that the LM317 with the 'highest' voltage will 'win' and regulate, and the others will turn off. You won't get the 3A current you want.
Falstad doesn't simulate this inter-component inequality, it assumes each instance of LM317 and all the resistors are same. So while it might work in simulation, in the real world it will fail.
In other words, your approach is wrong, but the simulator isn't telling you that.
Note that this isn't a knock on Falstad. It's an issue with any circuit simulation. Even a reputable package like LTSpice will suffer this problem without doing some extra work to model variation. (In LTSpice, a 'Monte Carlo' sim that varies the resistor values, which would reveal this problem.)
You can also model component inequality in Falstad by hand: tweak the LM317 voltage dividers a bit to represent deviations due to component tolerance. You'll see that the one with the highest will 'win' and try to take all the current.
I modeled the LM317 series sense approach with 2 diodes in series running on 12V (simulate it here).

It has a troubling turn-on transient, too. Maybe an issue with the model? Hard to say. Do you want to risk $100+?

One final, practical idea: use a constant-current LED driver module with the laser diodes connected in series. Use a module rated for 24 ~ 48V and up to 4A.
Even better, choose a module that's actually designed for lasers. This company provides modules specifically for driving laser diodes, with monitoring and safety built-in: https://www.teamwavelength.com/product-category/laser-diode-drivers/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
NewsNews Features
UGA Is Making a Plan to Preserve Historic Buildings on Campus
by	David Schick	November 12, 2014
The University of Georgia has a mixed record on preserving what is arguably the oldest public college campus in the country. And with newer modernist buildings now aging into historic status, pressure on the university to preserve its physical heritage will only increase.
UGA has begun taking stock of all its historic buildings and structures in order to create a preservation master plan—a step preservationists have urged it to take for years. The plan will create a matrix for making future decisions about whether certain structures warrant preservation, restoration or rehabilitation. Such a matrix could help the university avoid controversial decisions like tearing down Rutherford Hall, or its aborted attempt to fill in Depression-era Legion Pool.
"We are very pleased the university is taking this step," says Amy Kissane, executive director of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation.
The College of Environment and Design's Center for Community Design and Preservation, and the Master of Historic Preservation Program will participate in this plan, which is being coordinated by the Office of University Architects. The two-year plan calls for gathering data on buildings—currently underway—then a "guiding principles" workshop that will include input from the public, as well as from the architectural consulting firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. The workshop is set for sometime next spring.
Members of the steering group appointed by UGA President Jere Morehead will oversee this entire process. Danny Sniff, associate vice president for facilities planning at UGA, said that, under Morehead, the university's preservation effort has shifted to more faculty governance, with a student-oriented mission.
"I think the track record on this campus is incredible," College of Environment and Design professor and downtown Athens master plan guru Jack Crowley says. "For all the griping we had about whacking a single building, we've renovated hundreds of thousands of square feet of historic structures. I think it's a great opportunity for the students in the Masters of Historic Preservation program to immerse themselves in this. I immerse my students in planning in the downtown master plan."
At a public meeting about the preservation plan last week at the Athens Chamber of Commerce, Sniff highlighted UGA's "good examples" of preservation that include Founder's Garden and Demosthenian Hall—the latter being one of the oldest buildings on campus that's still in use.
The new Rutherford Hall.
Sniff acknowledged that the university is "not free of sin," noting the decision to demolish Rutherford Hall in 2012. The dormitory had gone through a lot of wear and tear over its 73-year history, and the administration decided that the cost was too high to retrofit it. The new Rutherford's design was based on the old one, with some modern amenities added.
"Everybody still argues about it, but I think most people are pretty happy with the end result," Crowley says.
Kissane is encouraged by the formation of this decision-making matrix, but she still wants to see the university make stronger steps, like a guarantee that some buildings will never meet a wrecking ball.
"I guess that it's better than what we have today, but I would really love to see the buildings on campus assessed and at least make a commitment to some buildings," she says.
However, Crowley contends that what will need to be done about these buildings will change over time. "[To] guarantee what you're going to do today versus what you're going to do 25 years from now, it's risky if you're in the management business," he says, adding that if he were on the committee, making specific commitments to buildings is something he would try to avoid.
Daniel Nadenicek, dean of the College of Environment and Design and chairman of the steering group, says it's too early to say which buildings will stay or go, and the focus is on creating a method for making decisions that will be "clear and transparent," which will include engaging the public. "I think where there have been problems is the lack of this preservation plan that has that decision-making matrix associated with it," he says.
After Rutherford Hall was torn down, Kissane says she was concerned at the time that the parts of UGA's South Campus were considered second rate to North Campus. Kissane says the "most important thing" about the plan is the opportunity for the local community and larger university community to participate in the reassessment of "what we view as historic on the campus."
The next step will be a workshop in the spring of 2015 where all the participants in the master plan can present their findings and begin establishing a set of guiding principles for the future of UGA's historic structures.
"I believe this plan is going to succeed, because—while I'm sure there will still be some controversies in the future—for the most part it gets everybody to the same table in terms of being able to discuss the pluses and minuses of certain actions," Nadenicek said. "What we want to do is pull it away from confrontation to a real, rational discussion about what should happen, based on the information that we're gathering."
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Amy KissaneDaniel NadenicekDanny Sniffhistoric preservationJack CrowleynewsNews FeaturesRutherford HallUGA
The Twilight Criterium Route Is Changing
by	Blake Aued	- Nov 11, 2014
Creature Comforts Launches Cans, Is Already Expanding
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