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transformative-religion@hu-berlin.de
Transformative Religion
Religion as Situated Knowledge in Processes of Social Transformation
International Research Training Group
Research Area 1: National Identity
Research Area 2: Development
Research Area 3: Migration
Research Area 4: Healing
PhD-Candidates and Postdocs
Wilhelm Gräb (1948-2023)
It comes with great sadness that Professor Wilhelm Gräb has passed away on January 23rd, 2023. Wilhelm was an internationally renowned Practical Theologian and for many years one of the important initiators of the German-South African International Research Training Group Transformative Religion. He served as Principal Investigator within the IRTG until the very last.
Wilhelm Gräb was a committed scholar whose work and advice shaped and inspired generations in Bochum, Berlin and, serving as Extraordinary Professor in Stellenbosch, especially also in South Africa. He will be present in our memories and prayers, in our debates, our sadness and gladness and our thankfulness for his presence.
Guest Lecture: "Challenged by coloniality: How white people imagine and practice reconciliation in a culturally diverse church in Cape Town"
18:00-20.00 (SAST) | 17.00-19.00 (CET)
A recently completed PhD project sought to understand how white people in a reformed church congregation in Cape Town worked for the realisation of a multicultural community while they continued to dominate in many areas. The research participants' understanding of 'racial' reconciliation was found to emphasise the increasing of equality and racial integration, both between individuals and groups. White people's dominance was acknowledged with regard to socio-economic imbalances but contested when it came to language use and how this was entangled with 'culture' and theology. In actively striving for reconciliation, white people predominantly defaulted to their own terms which were often taken as universal. A lesser approach recognised that different terms often existed and that the actual giving up of power and control promises more meaningful changes in power dynamics than the often-employed strategies of 'upliftment' and 'inclusion'. This qualitative ethnographic study was complemented by a comparison of three isiXhosa/English term pairs that highlighted the complex nature of translation. The project not only raises questions regarding the adequacy of prevalent reconciliation paradigms for contexts of coloniality. It also draws attention to the risks of ignoring the role of 'languaculture' in overcoming interracial divisions and inequalities.
Marcus Grohmann received his PhD at the Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies, having been co- supervised from Stellenbosch University. Between 2003 and 2010 he studied Social Anthropology and Development Sociology at the University of Bayreuth and the Université de Bordeaux. During that time, he was engaged in reconciliation research in Rwanda and the DR Congo with a particular focus on the role of churches in ethnic conflicts and in conflict resolution. Originally hailing from Dresden, Germany, he has been living in Cape Town with his family since 2016.
Please register with bettina.schoen@hu-berlin.de to receive the link to the video conference.
As of January 2022, the new German–South African International Research Training Group (IRTG) "Transformative Religion: Religion as situated knowledge in processes of social transformation" will take up its work. Funded jointly by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the German Research Community (DFG) with a gross total of roughly € 4,9 million (ZAR 82 million), the project transdisciplinarily investigates the impact of religion in processes of social transformation and the impact of these transformations on religion in contemporary global societies with an intercontinental perspective. It seeks to contribute to recent academic research and public debates on the complex relationship between religion and society.
This project is the second IRTG in the history of German-South African academic cooperation, currently the only German IRTG in cooperation with an African country and the first one to focus on issues of religion. For the next five years, the IRTG will present the opportunity for extended transcisciplinary research training to up to 54 doctoral candidates under the guidance of more than twenty interdisciplinary principal and associate researchers from a variety of academic disciplines in the cooperation of four academic institutions: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (FRG), Stellenbosch University, University of the Western Cape and Inyuvesi YakwaZulu-Natali (UKZN)(all RSA).
Against the backdrop of discursive differences in perceiving and positioning religion in the field of knowledge between the global North and the global South and with a distinctive decolonial approach, this IRTG aims at a critical epistemology through which the situatedness of religious knowledge production and reception in processes of social transformation can be researched. In case studies from contexts in the global South and North, the IRTG seeks to investigate religion as specifically situated knowledge functioning as a resource and as a site of social transformation. It engages scholars from two continents and a variety of disciplines to go beyond conventional research approaches.
Becker, Lecocq, Meireis, Punt
The first research area will focus on the problem of the relationship between normative elements of situated religious knowledge in processes of public deliberation and conflicts of hegemony and power concerning modern nation states and their corresponding social imaginaries. The comparison between Western European and African contexts will help elucidate the dynamics of this relationship on a global scale. Research will rely on the one hand on concepts of the imaginary and the nation as imagined community, as well as concepts like political theology, civil religion or public theology. It will, however, also take into account that some of these concepts are contested on the grounds of their apparent power asymmetry and eurocentrism and also that the interrelation of national identities and so-called 'local' or 'traditional' religions is mediated by the experience of colonisation with its consequences for colonisers and colonised alike.
It is however vital to distinguish between national identity and feeling on the one hand, and national political organisation on the other, while appreciating and analysing the variety of relationships that have existed between the two. Furthermore, in line with the affective turn, exclusive national identities ('nationalism') must be regarded not merely or even mainly as a realist exercise in political power-seeking, but as a process intimately bound with morally constituted concerns about the nature of society and how to live a good life. Recent examples include the South African discourse portraying the country as a 'rainbow nation', which essentially is a religious notion; the instrumentalisation of religion in the framework of a nation part of the 'Christian Occident' as in contemporary European public discourses on migration; and the open and often violent contestation of the secular nature of the state and the nation by popular and mass-supported religious movements in a number of African countries.
Depending on the way in which dynamic religious practices, concepts and narratives are interwoven with the ever-changing constitutive social imaginaries of the nation state, i.e. national identity, the concept of religion as situated knowledge is crucial for understanding the construction of such collective identities past and present, as well as their political impact and the way in which religion becomes socially transformative but also undergoes change in the process. And of course, the opposite holds true: research into the ongoing development of national identities, nation states and neo-nationalism is a field of utmost social relevancy where the impact of religion as situated knowledge and the way religious practices, semantics and concepts change in the course of that impact may be studied in depth. Thus, national identity has been and remains deeply entangled with religious notions, practices and ideas bearing a socially transformative impact on a collective and individual level. Historically, two phenomena may be discerned: nationalisation of religion and sacralisation of the nation. Nationalisation of religion refers to an adaptation process during which the religious agents accept the value system of nation into their religious beliefs. Sacralisation of the nation implies a transfer of traits, functions and characteristics usually attributed to religion to the nation, resulting in a structural analogy between conceptions of nation and a given concept of religion. Yet within a single nation, even closely related religious ideas, concepts, narratives and practices may play out in quite different ways and can be readily understood as features of a situated knowledge orienting and articulating moral or political attitudes. Both these processes – nationalisation of religion and sacralisation of the nation – can be considered situated knowledge that shapes social transformation. In African as well as in European contexts, national identity construction undergoes a process of change. In Europe and Germany, strong and exclusive national identities and nationalisms seem to be back on the agenda. An intensive renationalisation of policies and polities is visible, implying a retraction of democratic mechanisms for governing international relations, while especially right-wing groups focus on migration to justify such policies. This phenomenon has been labelled 'neo-nationalism' and differs considerably from the 19th and 20th-century 'paleo-nationalism' aggressively aimed at nationbuilding; rather, the former has emerged as a defensive retraction into the seemingly secure borders of the nation state. Even when these countries' respective political figures don't appear overly religious, religion is often heavily implicated in their discourse on national issues and has recently played out in novel forms of religiously engrained neo-nationalism.
In Africa, national identity is intimately tied to colonial history in its different eras. In present-day South Africa, for instance, white identity claims in different forms – Dutch and British colonialism, white 'Boer' supremacism and the apartheid regime – fed into a nationalist ideology in the Afrikaner narrative, carrying deep religious undercurrents which return in what may be labelled 'enclave nationalism'. In (Southern) Africa, the debate about national identity concerns the nature and role of postcolonial and decolonial epistemes, informed by scholarship from other parts of the world. The long-suppressed black nationalist awakenings as seen in movements such as Black Consciousness, and later in the democratic change connected to the African National Congress and protagonists like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu or Alan Boesak, invoked a different form of national identity and narrative, often referred to as 'Rainbowism'. Though currently deteriorating, these national(ist) impulses have also been articulated in religious terms.
The concept of religion as situated knowledge is crucial for understanding the construction of collective identities past and present, as well as their political impact and the way in which religion becomes socially transformative but also undergoes change in the process.
Research projects within this first area will look into religious undercurrents and practices of such divergent tendencies in national identity formation by looking at the role of religious practices and semantics in political statements proper, the religious dimension of national affiliations and disaffiliations in migrant communities, or the contribution of different hybrid religious practices and narratives in the complex processes of collective identity construction between national, regional, tribal or religious group affiliations in the face of constant social change, extending not only to economic concepts like development, but also to practices of healing.
Research Area 2: Development
Bowers du Toit, Gräb, Kumalo, Okyere-Manu, Swart
The second research area will explore the transformative role of religion in development discourses and practices. Over the last two decades a growing interest in 'religion and development' has emerged among scholars, policymakers and development practitioners in the Global North and South. It is an interest that is not merely confined to Christianity but increasingly explores the contribution of the other traditions to the religion and development debate, especially noticeably Islam. At the same time, the evolving field of religion and development is highly transdisciplinary and includes scholarship from a range of social science disciplines as well as from religious and theological studies. Policymakers, development agencies and international organisations have recognised that religion is a highly relevant factor for or against development and substantially contributes to knowledge production in the field.
However, in the West or Global North the discussion is taking place within a secular framework following an instrumental understanding of religion. It asks for the potential contribution of religious communities (discursively secularised as 'faith-based agencies') as part of a secular development agenda. This stands in contrast to an agency-based perspective of religious communities, for whom professional and academic experts' notions of development represent only one dimension in more comprehensive human and social transformation initiated and conceptualised by religious actors themselves.
That critique also challenges the framework of 'development' proper and implies a fundamental critique of dominant Western notions of (sustainable) development. Researchers and policymakers are only beginning to realise the implications of this critical insight for development theory and practice. This critique also resonates with concurring voices promoting alternative concepts like human flourishing, buen vivir or ecological swaraj. It stands in stark contrast to concepts of development cooperation developed in the Muslim world since the 1980s, in which material development and religious development (usually framed under da'awa or mission) are directly intertwined.
The concept of development has been severely criticised from the angles of postcolonial studies and the post-development debate. Moreover, scholars from Africa have highlighted that in the UN development discourse 'development' is still a Western-centred and secular-framed concept of social transformation that has to be recentred regarding a development agenda initiated by local (religious) communities and formulated in coherence with African cultures, cosmologies and world views.
References to African situated knowledge about the conditions and goals of development not only imply a fundamental critique of dominant Western notions of (sustainable) development, they also shed light on a completely new role of religious communities in the African context. Particularly in African contexts, religion should be regarded not only in an instrumental sense but as a decisive factor in processes of social transformation, as religious conceptualisations are among the crucial elements informing the situated knowledge of the needs people formulate, and as religious structures enhance their capacities to act self-determinedly. Simultaneously, religious knowledge and practices form a decisive, if ambiguous, element in the structuration of political power and elite decision-making processes informing and shaping development policies. Without neglecting the problematic impact of religious fundamentalisms in political and societal conflicts, it is time to uncover the productive role of local religious communities as agents not only of development but also as producers of a decolonising development agenda. They realise development agendas 'from below' and contribute to its realisation due to a situated knowledge about the conditions and goals of development.
The research area will analyse the meaning and implications of local situated discourses and practices focused on a decolonised concept of development. Particular attention will therefore on the one hand be given to religiously shaped notions of development in various forms of Islamic south–south development cooperation between African states and the Gulf countries as well as African states among themselves, especially Morocco, Libya (prior to 2011) and Algeria, such as Islamic finance. On the other hand, the focus will be on postcolonial religious movements, such as African Independent and African Pentecostal Churches. Their world view, in which the spirit world is real and not strictly separated from the social and material world.
The religious factor, in the approach of this research area, is seen not only functionally as a resource for development activities but also as a force to transform the conditions, instruments and goals of development. The research area seeks to investigate how local religious communities become agents of sustainable development more than in an instrumental sense, but by reformulating the very notion of sustainable development using the situated knowledge of African cultures and world views. It intends to relate the quest for 'situated knowledge' in processes of social transformation in an interconnected way to particular religious practices, actors and discourses. It is looking for conceptual strategies of decolonising development and in particular how they are inspired by development discourses situated in African cultural contexts. In accordance with the transdisciplinary nature of the wider research field, the approach pursued in this research area is highly transdisciplinary. The doctoral projects will incorporate into the research process the perspectives, expertise and knowledge produced
by scholarship across the transdisciplinary field of religion and development but also by policymakers and practitioners and representatives of religious communities from the beginning.
Feldtkeller, Foroutan, Forte, Römhild, Settler, Simon
The third research area starts from the assumption that migration is as essential for the constitution and transformation of religion as religion is for the context of migration, i.e. the societies involved in these processes. In this way, this research area can be considered a central field in which to study both the transformative impact of religion and how it is transformed. However, the deep and influential entanglement of religion and migration is acknowledged in different ways, and can be understood in terms of three trajectories: (a) religious narratives of migration such as narratives of the promised land in the Abrahamic traditions, the Hijra of the prophet Mohammed in Islam, and pilgrimage in African religion; (b) religious responses to migration through narratives of rights, and regimes of care and hospitality; and finally, (c) how religion is deployed within the context of migration, whether to generate meaning, cope with anxiety, harness resilience, or build networks of belonging, information and exchange.
At present, and significantly as a result of migration, societies are experiencing an unprecedented pluralisation of religion and a simultaneity of religious traditions and new religious formations. As a result of migration and mobility and of the transit of concepts, discourses and practices through media and other means of communication, local religions increasingly (re)constitute and transform themselves in relation to other local and global knowledge formations. Therefore, the study of social transformation at the intersection of migration and religion can greatly benefit from the transdisciplinary and the transcontinental scope of perspectives and experience assembled in the proposed IRTG. By way of mobility and migration, not only the believers are mobilised, but their religious ideas and practices, both geographically and culturally, are moved, transformed and hybridised as well. In essence, religious practices always refer to different origins and genealogies, and because they tend to coexist with other such practices in the same location, they challenge local capacities to tolerate ambiguity. Furthermore, entire transnational religious spaces are constituted by religious concepts and discourses, practices and materialities circulating among different global networks of diasporas. Through the modes and techniques of advanced mediatisation, diverse religious knowledge is dispersed globally and resituated in the respective locations where it is appropriated for use in everyday life.
Religions are constituted not only by physical and mental movements like pilgrimage or the quest for meaning, but also, historically, by violent expeditions of conquest and crusade and, presently, by religiously motivated violence but also by anti-migrant nationalist and racist appropriations of religious identifications and by anti-religious ascriptions of a threatening cultural otherness resulting in processes of bordering and the exclusion of migrants. While focusing on the present, our approach to religion and migration cannot be uncoupled from the various historical forms of political instrumentalisation of religion, especially in nationalist and colonial histories of violence, exclusion and imperialisms. It pays special attention to the ways in which such histories re-emerge at the expense of the opportunities afforded by migration. Today, the Mediterranean border zones of the EU reach out deep into the African continent – a border regime meant to keep people from migrating towards Europe. And also between African states mobilities are increasingly interrupted by enforced borders. Thus, all over the Afro-European space migrants and refugees are subject to fierce processes of exclusion, deportation, illegalisation and precarisation – often combined with harassment because of their religious orientations. But exactly under such hostile and even lethal conditions, religious knowledge is mobilised in diaspora communities as a means of helping to navigate across borders and boundaries, as a means of self-empowerment, and as a resource of social networking and support. This research area will explore how religious knowledges are situated in such long-term histories of migrating and navigating across borders, and how they are shaped in and appropriated to today's postcolonial conditions of mobility.
In the South African context, the transformation of post-apartheid society is reflected upon and debated against the background of intra- and transcontinental migration and the great impact of diverse religious knowledges, ranging from 'precolonial' traditions to new postcolonial Christian churches, Pentecostalism and Islam. While, traditionally, migration studies concerned with Africa have focused on either African diasporas or forced migration within the continent, transdisciplinary research on the interactions of migration, religion and social transformation has turned its attention towards persisting and changing ethnic-racial factors and religious knowledge in the quests of Indian Muslims, Somali Muslims and other African migrants for acceptance, inclusion and recognition by different religious groups in colonial, apartheid or post-apartheid contexts.
In Germany and Europe, however, the impact of other-than-Christian religious ideas and practices has received the most attention, if at all, in the fields of religious studies and migration research. In line with the secularised notion of European society, religion has been relegated to the domain of the cultural 'other'. This focus on the 'religious other' has hampered an adequate perception and acknowledgement of the ongoing and even increasing role of religion in processes of social transformation not only within migrant and diaspora communities, but also in the European societies in general. Three tendencies can be detected and studied with regard to our research questions: 1) the role of reappropriated, often 'pagan' religious knowledge in nationalist and racist movements all over Europe, but very significantly in the post-socialist South-eastern Europe; 2) the rather opposite adaptation of non-European, non- or neo-Christian, also 'pagan' religious knowledges in critical social movements concerned with the ecological risks and the social disintegration and de-solidarisation brought about by the rise of the colonial and secular modern; 3) the widespread inclusion of religious knowledge and practice in European mainstream everyday lives, for example the spread of yoga, meditation and new forms of urban religious practices.
The third research area within the IRTG will therefore focus on studying the impact of moving and dynamic religious ideas and practices on social transformation from a much broader perspective. The focus will be on how religious knowledge moves across boundaries and borders, how it mobilises the social imagination of people in local contexts and on the move, and how it becomes transformed in these processes. This will challenge the dominant European discourse concentrating on Islam and the migrant other, both by broadening the view within Europe and by drawing from the African research context. The research area will especially focus on transnational and transcontinental European–(South) African entanglements of religious and migratory practice that are widely neglected in the current scientific and political debates. It will thus allow for a rich exploration which reconsiders the impact of religion as situated knowledge in the realm of cross-border mobilities in and between transforming societies.
Research Area 4 Healing
Klaasen, Kluge, Mbaya, Naidu
The fourth research area focuses on the question of how local healing practices, determining and being determined by religious habits and practices, are impacting social transformation processes. One of the prominent foci within this IRTG field is on religiously motivated healing practices in relation to mental suffering, as well as how mental health and suffering are constructed outside of the biomedical discourse. It thereby relates to the increasing literature on religion and mental health and psychosocial support, particularly in contexts of rapid social change and conflict and migration. The 'healing' research area offers the opportunity to examine how everyday (healing) practices, in their historically and socially developed localities, impact on social transformation processes in global societies and are simultaneously impacted by these processes.
European healing traditions have evolved over the past few decades with an ever-increasing focus on evidence-based biomedicine, while other healing concepts continue to be conceived primarily as complementary or alternative. The distinction is seemingly based on a duality of care, in the sense that medical science is dedicated to the concerns of the body while pastoral counsel is dedicated to spiritual concerns and care for the soul. However, this situation differs in some ways from that of South Africa, for example, where we find cultural examples of a more holistic understanding of healing, outside of normative discourses. For example, health, illness and healing are constructed differently within traditional African ontological understandings and world views, which do not suffer from a Cartesian bifurcation or mind–body dichotomy. In traditional African culture or even within contexts of African Indigenous Churches, health and healing are facilitated by the 'isangoma', who mediates between the realm of the living and the realm of the ancestors, which are seen to coexist simultaneously. While relegated as 'culture-bound' illnesses by early anthropologists, insights into African culturally constructed understandings of health and healing can contribute to situated understandings that offer meaningful healing practices to individuals, while also contributing to the overall psychosocial well-being at the community level. In turn, there is also potential to grow the scholarship on healing practices in the African context, and in the context of African Traditional Religions which include the ancestors and rituals as core elements. Here, religion is constitutive for the understanding of healing, of which faith and rituals are indispensable components.
Although the WHO has begun integrating the world's diverse healing practices into their concepts, programmes and policies in recent years, it can be observed that religiously and spiritually shaped explanatory models of suffering and associated healing practices remain marginalised. Reviewing WHO reports, it becomes clear that such practices are primarily conceived as peculiar to the Global South – as the 'Other' – and thus as an 'addition' to the norm. This would appear to contradict the WHO's ostensibly holistic definition of health: 'A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.' Here, health is defined as a result (i.e. a state). Healing, on the other hand, in the proposed IRTG is conceived as an option, a process, involving the subjectivity of those affected, and comprising not only physiological processes but also psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and religious ones. This allows for the opening of discourses and interpretations in the field around the tension between supposedly objective science and religious understandings by laypersons and experts, including those of 'healer', 'healing ministries' or Jesus as model.
At the same time, it presents us with a particular challenge in that, in Euro-American medical discourse, neither an operationalised definition nor an explanation for the mechanisms Proposal of healing exists outside of those referring to physiological processes. Interestingly, a study conducted through interviews with medical experts on the concept of healing has resulted in positing three main associated themes of healing: holistic, narrative and spiritual. Furthermore, it described healing as an intense personal, subjective experience-related process of restoration of meaning in the context of individual distressing experiences. As such, the aim of healing becomes the transcendence of suffering and not merely the absence of illness.
One exemplary context for studying the interactions between locally and translocally informed concepts of healing is the Pentecostal context. Especially Pentecostalism, the dominant and in-itself enormously diverse form of Christianity in contemporary Africa, understands itself as a 'religion of healing'. Here we can find differentiated relations between local and traditional healing practices, Christian concepts and practices (prayer, blessing, exorcism), and medical science. This is especially true of Pentecostal communities which synthesise global trends, media platforms and networks on the one hand with local practices, traditions etc. on the other. In these groups, healing can also be interpreted as a kind of initiation ritual and signifier for belonging; a conception which is often hard to reconcile with the specifically European/North American concept of psychiatry. Unable to open up to regular clergy about their sickness – often related to mental issues – adherents often resort to traditional healers and are thus 'forced to live schizophrenically in two different worlds'.
Against this background, the 'healing' research area is theoretically and methodologically oriented in the research traditions of cultural psychology, transcultural psychiatry, psychology of religion, religious studies, social and cultural anthropology, critical medical anthropology, ethno-psychiatry, ethno-psychoanalysis and practical theology, especially pastoral care and pastoral counselling. The aim is to investigate locally varying interpretations of illness and healing as well as related local, national and global power structures in a qualitatively and quantitatively empirical, medical anthropological research approach, which views the actions and concepts of individuals and larger social units in relation to these basic themes of embedded human experiences. Research projects within this area will explore the entanglements between healing concepts and processes, migration of people, materials and knowledge, nation-building, 'morality' and religion in the contemporary world, focusing on Germany/Europe and South Africa. The main question is, what role does religion play in these processes of social transformation in the local healing contexts? We will explore the translocal interactions between psychiatric-medical and so-called traditional and spiritual theories and practices in dealing with mental suffering. The focus here is on the interactions between sociocultural, historical (local) ideas and translocal influences resulting from (re-)migration movements and the establishment (import) of healing practices in those global contexts. One challenge will be to describe modes of coexistence and inhibitions of different explanation models, symbol systems and assumed mechanisms of action in local contexts, and their conditionality due to locally occurring social transformation processes determined by religious practices. In addition, we intend to draw conclusions about complementarity, competition, overlap and the resulting consequences for those affected and professionals in everyday practices.
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'Star Wars: The High Republic' writers discuss the Jedi Order's finest hour (exclusive)
WE'RE DONATING 5% OF ALL MATCHA SALES TO THE GIFT OF LIFE MARROW REGISTRY
With a fresh new year comes a bold new era of "Star Wars" storytelling as Disney's Lucasfilm unleashes its highly anticipated first wave of "The High Republic" novels, books and comics beginning this month, with its intertwined stories spread across multiple publishing platforms.
Set 200 years prior to "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" during the Jedi Knights' glory years, these heroic new space opera tales unspool while the mystic protectors were the official guardians of peace and justice for the Galactic Republic before the dark times fell.
To pen the lineup of print releases for "Star Wars: The High Republic," Lucasfilm Publishing selected Charles Soule ("Light of the Jedi"), Justina Ireland ("A Test of Courage"), Claudia Gray ("Into the Dark"), Cavan Scott (Marvel's "The High Republic" comic), and Daniel José Older (IDW's "Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures" comic) to lead the charge into this expanded universe. Lucasfilm Publishing's creative director Michael Siglain will oversee this project.
Space.com chatted with this stellar gathering of writers during December's virtual press junket to learn more about working on the crossover publishing effort, why this golden age of the Jedi appealed to their artistic instincts, the allure of Starlight Beacon space station, and what geeky surprises fans might look forward to starting Tuesday (Jan. 5), when the legendary lightsabers flare.
This panel interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Space.com: What were some of the qualifications or qualities you were searching for in assembling this dream team of storytellers?
Michael Siglain: We were looking for current authors that had a very distinct point of view. Authors who could tell big expansive stories, but also very personal stories and, you know, we also were looking for fan favorite authors. There was a lot that went into the list. And honestly, we struck upon these five immediately and happily they all said "yes" right away.
Space.com: Why is this the perfect time to launch "The High Republic" with its hopeful, optimistic outlook?
Daniel José Older: I think something that's really exciting is we get to see sci-fi imagine how terrible things can go so often with dystopias and this is an amazing opportunity for us as writers. Where we start out is a vision of the galaxy that is functioning, that is, good government that is good. The Republic being out in the world and the Jedi especially helping people, being peacekeepers, living their best lives and being part of the world. And it's exciting to think about what that might look like and how that affects the Jedi's mind state and their choices.
Cavan Scott: And we've never seen the elegant age, the more civilized age when you need elegant weapons. We've always seen a galaxy which is tearing each other apart. In the era of "Star Wars" you love, there's largely some pretty dire things going on, and that's not to say "The High Republic" is not going to have its moments. We wanted to see the Jedi in the Republic at a point in time when they are comfortable, because it's always interesting to set these people up and then knock them down and see how they cope. The Jedi have been at their height for hundreds of years and the Republic is pushing out in every direction. Then they come up against an unstoppable force that absolutely knocks them down and changes their view of everything.
Charles Soule: When we started writing these books and coming up with this initiative it was two and half years ago, and it was a very different world than it is today. But the world that "The High Republic" is launching into is a world that could use some books about hope and functioning systems and a world where things are good and if you work together, good things happen.
And that is a happy accident for all of us. I think that on Jan. 5, when these books come into the world, they're going to feel good to a lot of people who read them. I was just reading the last couple chapters when I got my copies of the hardcover the other day and I'm glad this is the book I wrote. I think we all feel pretty much the same.
(Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)
Space.com: You all have very different backgrounds and storytelling approaches. How did all of that coalesce into a unified vision of "The High Republic"?
Claudia Gray: I like the fact that I feel like each of us is still bringing our individual voice. There wasn't any sense that any of us had to compromise that or change fundamentally who we are as storytellers in order to bring what we were going to bring to the story. The universe of it is still evolving as we keep thinking our way through it and keep telling our story. That's part of the joy of this galaxy that George Lucas created. You knew from "A New Hope" that there are centuries, millennia, of history here and we keep getting to expand and find new corners and new paths.
Justina Ireland: I think one of the reasons that this works is because "Star Wars" has always been big enough for anyone. That's one of the things we tend to forget because we gravitate to the storytelling we like most. But we always hear about it when something is bad. I think in this case we have all the right people in the writers room because we have such different things we want. So, if you decide that you hate the kids books, it's cool because Daniel's writing the next one. You have a chance to have different storytelling opportunities, and that for me is really exciting.
Gray: There are those people that are going to try every single one of the 31 flavors of Baskin Robbins, and then they're going to be the people who are in their 50th year of getting chocolate almond.
Older: Because we're telling so many Jedi stories, we're getting to see different perspectives that different Jedi have on the Force, whether they see it as music or as the river or as a city. That's also true of us as storytellers. We have different ways that we come to [a] story and if specifically "Star Wars" story is the Force, it remains what it is, but we bring our different views to it. Our voices are very much intact. And we've learned so much from each other.
Siglain: You know, it goes back to different viewpoints in terms of what works for particular formats — what works for them as storytellers. And that's part of the beauty. It's putting all that into a blender and then adding in hope and optimism, because ultimately "Star Wars" is about hope, right? That's such a strong undercurrent of this.
Scott: I think the one thing I've found is that this is constantly making me up my game, not just because there's a massive responsibility here. We've all been "Star Wars" fans all our lives. I came to "Star Wars," not through the films, but through the comics and the books and then watched the films. So I understand, and we all understand, what this means to people.
I'm also upping my game because I don't want to let any of these guys down as well. We're all putting so much time, so much effort and so much love into this project. I've been doing this for 20 years. I'm now a very different writer than who I was when I started this process a couple years ago. All great characters change when they face a story because that is what a story is.
Concept art for the new series "Star Wars: The High Republic." (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney)
Space.com: How has "Star Wars" fandom changed over the decades and how does "The High Republic" fit into this new generation of readers?
Older: One thing that's cool is that there are young fans that are really excited about "Star Wars" who come to it fresh and are experiencing certain things for the first time. There's a whole generation whose "Star Wars" is "The Clone Wars," and that's the first thing they saw.
But what I keep thinking about is there's a whole group of people, and especially young people, who are going to find out about "Star Wars" through these books and comics. And they can because we've really designed them to be accessible to folks who don't know a single thing about "Star Wars" and have all the Skywalker saga memorized like we do.
Soule: There are projects here for every kind of "Star Wars" fan and every kind of age level. Whatever your entry point into "Star Wars" has been, there's a project for you and it was very challenging to create. It speaks to Mike's great wisdom in choosing this group of creators because I have never written a middle grade book. So I would be a bad choice to do that.
It feels like we're The Avengers or something like that, to choose another Disney property. Looking back on what we've done, I can't believe we ever thought we could do this. But here we are two weeks out before it's going to be in people's hands and it feels really good.
Ireland: When we first had "Star Wars" novels back in the dark ages before the internet, that was all the "Star Wars" we had. One of the exciting things in the novels, especially in the late '80s and early '90s, is you didn't know what was going to happen because you had no blueprint. And a lot of our novel storytelling in the last 10-15 years has been tied to a film or a TV show or something that already exists in another form of media. What's really exciting about this initiative is nobody knows how this is going to unfold, because we don't have the mild spoilers that've been leaked or even any kind of other storytelling set during this time period.
Space.com: SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and other private aerospace firms are igniting a new renaissance of interest in space exploration with school kids and adults. How did you inject that spirit of innovation and adventure into the storytelling?
Siglain: Internally, we were calling the characters "the Jedi Knights of the Round Table," because there was an element of Camelot to it. We knew that there needed to be some hope and optimism because these are the good times. They're not the dark times. Yes there are events that will change the galaxy. But this was a point where we could say, "Wow, what does a cool new Jedi starfighter look like?" and "what does a cool new Jedi ground transport look like?" To have some of that feeling of 1960s America to say, "Oh, we can do this, we are all a Republic."
Older: I think what's also cool is because we're meeting the Jedi in a time of peace which we basically have never done before, we get to see how people who have the Force use it in different ways that aren't just fighting back. So, we meet a Jedi Knight early on in IDW who uses the Force to heal. He doesn't have special Force powers. And that's his understanding and connection with how to use the Force, so he's not trying to have any fights. He's just out to take care of people and make them better.
Space.com: How did you arrive at Starlight Beacon space station as a narrative focal point and symbolism for "The High Republic?"
Scott: It was partly because of how we wanted to view the Jedi and the Republic together. That this wasn't a story about the Jedi and the Republic being based on Coruscant and directing from that central planet. We wanted to have both of those grand organizations out with the people, out living alongside other people. In a period of expansion, the frontier would be a very scary place, because at that point communications might not be as great as you're used to back home. You might be far away from the nearest planet that has a proper medi-center.
So, why not take part of that home with you? And one of the key elements of the beacon I love is the fact that there's a literal beacon on the space station. Wherever you are on the frontier, you can tune into it and hear it and know that the Jedi and the Republic are there and that you're not alone and not having to do everything by yourself.
Soule: As "Star Wars" locations go it's super cool. It has everything. In my head I call it the Light Star. It's the opposite of the Death Star in every way. It's a place that's designed to bring light and life and hope to the galaxy as opposed to fear and pain and death.
It's got canteens where people can get food. They have chefs from all over the Outer Rim who bring their native cuisines that people can try from all over the galaxy. There are these biological preserves on it that have places where they bring in plants and animals from different planets.
There's even a whole Jedi Temple on it. It's a Swiss Army knife of awesome things. It just was really fun to think of a location that could be so many things and be so meaningful. The designs of it that the concept artists did are out of this world. It's a beacon of light and hope and I think it's one of the cooler things we've made in "The High Republic" for sure.
Scott: From a dramatic point of view, when you put a light in a dark place, there's going to be people who are happy that the light's there. But there's going to be a lot of people who don't want this shown. They don't want what they're doing illuminated. And so it produces the dramatic catalyst for our story. And so, yeah, that in itself brings a lot of tension and crisis.
Space.com: How did you flesh out the intriguing theme of "what scares the Jedi?" in your story sessions?
Siglain: The idea goes back to our early brainstorming sessions at Skywalker Ranch. This was something that we wanted to explore for the initiative. I think there are little glimpses of what scares the Jedi in these debut books and comics. Ultimately, as we go on, you will see what scares the Jedi and it might not be what you think. So, we have to keep some mystery around this one, but this is definitely a question that will be answered as the initiative continues.
Soule: Mike, are they afraid of snakes?
Siglain: That's Indiana Jones.
Space.com: What's been the most rewarding aspect of working with this elite group of writers and creators and what do you hope readers take out of the books and comics?
Soule: Man, I mean working with this elite group of writers!
Siglain: That's the most fun, getting to create new "Star Wars" stories with these five amazing people and with the other artists and editors who have been involved. I can speak for all of us when I say we grew up with "Star Wars." It was always something that was larger than life. I never in a million years thought one day we're gonna create new "Star Wars" stories and new Jedi and new villains and be in a galaxy far, far away and be able to do that with everyone here.
There is such a desire to create something big and epic and hopeful and fun and scary. And I think they've achieved all of that. I think that these books and comics really are a perfect jumping on point. And also if you've lived with "Star Wars" for 40 years. It's new and original and still very much "Star Wars." I hope readers enjoy it and see it as authentically "Star Wars."
Older: You said it perfectly.
Soule: Yeah, you did it Mike! Well done.
Ireland: I was gonna say going to Disneyland. That's much better than your answer.
Scott: That was a good time.
Siglain: We did do that. We all went to Galaxy's Edge and that was pretty phenomenal.
Gray: Yeah, I can't think of people I would rather have been on the Millennium Falcon with, at least not like real people. [Laughs]. If it's Han Solo, you guys are out of luck. I'm sorry.
Source: space.com
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The trend estimate fell 0.1% in July 2013. This follows a relatively unchanged June 2013 (0.0%) and a rise of 0.1% in May 2013.
The seasonally adjusted estimate rose 0.1% in July 2013. This follows a relatively unchanged June 2013 (0.0%) and a rise of 0.2% in May 2013.
In trend terms, Australian turnover rose 1.6% in July 2013 compared with July 2012.
The following industries fell in trend terms in July 2013: Department stores (-1.3%) and Other retailing (-0.3%). Food retailing (0.1%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.2%), Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.3%) and Household goods retailing (0.1%) rose in trend terms in July 2013.
The following states and territories fell in trend terms in July 2013: New South Wales (-0.2%), Victoria (-0.1%), Western Australia (-0.1%) and the Australian Capital Territory (-0.1%). Queensland (0.0%) was relatively unchanged. South Australia (0.6%), the Northern Territory (0.4%) and Tasmania (0.1%) rose in trend terms in July 2013.
The ABS has recently released an information paper regarding the measurement of online retail trade. The paper explains that online retail sales by Australian resident businesses are included in the estimates of turnover presented in this publication. However, sales by non-resident retailers overseas who sell directly to the Australian general public via an online store are not included, nor are they within the primary purpose or scope of the Retail Business Survey.
The Retail Business Survey has been enhanced to produce estimates of domestic online retail sales. Preliminary results from the enhanced survey shows that 1.8% of the May 2013 estimate of Australian retail turnover was derived from online retail sales. Pure-play online retailers contributed approximately 40% of this estimate. Multi-channel retailers contributed the remaining 60%, of which half was food-related (i.e. derived from the food retailing and food services industries).
Ongoing results from the enhanced Retail Business Survey are expected to be included with this publication from November 2013. Further details on the scope of the Retail Business Survey and the enhanced measurement of online retail trade activity can be found in the information paper: Measurement of Online Retail Trade in Macroeconomic Statistics (cat. no. 8501.0.55.007).
Revisions to seasonally adjusted estimates are due to the concurrent methodology for deriving seasonal factors.
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Angus Bristow on Sydney (02) 9268 4308.


The Wiri industrial precinct is fast emerging as a premier industrial location. This property offers huge exposure for your business to be seen. Opportunities abound for you to create your own future with a new design and build project to fit your business.


"I walked through the doors of Hillcrest Church 4 years ago as the first step in my plan to return my life back to God. I had not been to church in many years and those years away were full of constant ups and downs and what seemed like continuous turmoil. I had reached the point in my life where I wanted/needed to reaffirm my life to God and felt the first step was returning to church- it was to be a start in getting myself reacquainted with God with the hope of regaining a sort of peace and normalcy to my life. For many years, I had sat in my car upon leaving Walmart and wondered about the church across the highway - the 'barn on the hill'. With a friend, who had attended Hillcrest several years before this, it was decided this was where the journey would start back with God. Hillcrest would be first and we could visit other churches if needed until it felt comfortable and at home. Upon entering Hillcrest that Sunday, worshiping God became a whole different concept – the church I had known as a kid was completely changed. From the welcoming people at the door, the beautiful group of people singing of songs, to Pastor Brian's style of message delivery – it was a whole different world but it felt right. My greatest memory of that day was the woman who came and sat with us in the sanctuary and after a short conversation, reassured us that informal attire (jeans) was perfectly acceptable and proceeded to introduce Pastor Brian – who was in jeans and also her husband. It was pointed out that God welcomed us regardless of what we wore – the important thing was – we were there! This was home. I have met so many great people in this church and been fortunate to participate in some of the programs at the church which give the opportunity to learn more about God and about people. It has been an amazing place to obtain a better understanding and knowledge of Gods plan and love of people - to grow closer to the people who make up the Hillcrest church family. It definitely is a family – and as stated by others - the church really does make you feel like you belong. Needless to say, I never needed to visited another church."


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Duke mourns student's death in accident
LAUREN DELGADO / Daily News
For five days Duke University students and staff spent their spring break enjoying the beauty of Northwest Florida.
They floated in canoes and kayaks on the Blackwater River and Juniper Creek and camped along the shore.
On Friday morning, they packed their gear and started the 10-plus-hour drive back to Durham, N.C.
That journey was cut short by tragedy. A van carrying some of the students home was hit on eastbound Interstate 10 near Holt by a westbound 200 Ford Explorer that veered across the median into the eastbound lanes.
The SUV�s driver, Martin Zackery Hale, faces multiple DUI charges. He was being held Saturday in the Okaloosa County Jail�s medical unit on $176,000 bond, according to the jail�s website.
Seven students and the director of Duke�s Outdoor Adventures program were injured, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Rebecca �Becky� DeNardis, a senior, died from her injuries.
�Dean Sue (Wasiolek), Police Chief John Dailey and I drove to Rebecca�s house this evening to meet with her family and tell them that the entire Duke community mourns the loss of their daughter, who was a shining light for us,� Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, said Friday in an article in Duke Today, a campus publication.
DeNardis was set to work for Google after graduating in May with a double major in computer science and mathematics, according to Duke Today.
The 21-year-old from Cary, N.C., attended Duke on a full scholarship and had been on the dean�s list every year.
A memorial service in her honor will be organized at the university, Duke Today reported.
College officials have been coordinating with the affected students and staff, some of whom were expected to return Saturday.
�We are numbed by this terrible loss and will need each other�s love and caring as we cope and grieve,� Moneta wrote in a separate email to students.


Life is all around us, on Earth. But what about elsewhere in the Universe? NASA has announced new funding for 7 institutions to tackle this question.
Life is all around us, on Earth. But what about elsewhere in the Universe? We know there's an abundance of life-giving chemicals out there, but what conditions are required to spark life as we know (and don't know) it? Probably most importantly, if we did find extraterrestrial life, how would we recognize it as such?
In a new round of funding announced on Monday, NASA is allocating $50 million to 7 astrobiology research groups in the US to tackle these questions.
The grants will cover 5 years of study and will average $8 million per research group.
"With the Curiosity rover characterizing the potential habitability of Mars, the Kepler mission discovering new planets outside our solar system, and Mars 2020 on the horizon, these research teams will provide the critical interdisciplinary expertise to help interpret data from these missions and future astrobiology-focused missions," said Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, at NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C.
The astrobiology teams are based at 3 NASA institutions (Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. and Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.), 3 universities (University of Colorado at Boulder, University of California, Riverside and the University of Montana in Missoula) and at The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) at Mountain View, Calif.
The multidisciplinary teams will tackle everything from evaluating environments on Earth and using them as analogs for extraterrestrial locations, to unraveling the organic chemistry that was likely delivered to early Earth via comet and asteroid impacts. In preparation for NASA's 2020 Mars rover mission, one of the projects will also involve grasping a better understanding as to how to look for, and even recognize, life on the red planet. Projects delving into extremophiles on Earth and how our planet acquired its oxygen also feature.
"The intellectual scope of astrobiology is vast, from understanding how our planet went from lifeless to living, to understanding how life has adapted to Earth's harshest environments, to exploring other worlds with the most advanced technologies to search for signs of life," said Mary Voytek, director, astrobiology program, NASA Headquarters. "The new teams cover that breadth of astrobiology, and by coming together in the NAI (NASA Astrobiology Institute), they will make the connections between disciplines and organizations that stimulate fundamental scientific advances."
These 7 new teams join 5 existing NAI teams at the University of Washington in Seattle; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; the University of Wisconsin, Madison; the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
For more information on each institution and what part of the astrobiology puzzle they'll tackle, browse the NASA news release.


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text:
Golf 300 Years Ago
In 1592 Devotees Played Game on Ice.
JUDGE PARRY August 1 1921
Golf 300 Years Ago JUDGE PARRY August 1 1921
JUDGE PARRY
THAT what many have considered the "modern game of golf' was indulged in with zest in many parts of Europe in the latter part ol the sixteenth century seems amply proved by Judge Parry in a collection of marginalia on the game which has been published in The Cornhill Magazine. Recently, the author tells us he came across several curious allusions to golf which he had for some time been awaiting an opportunity to put together in readable form. He sets them down as follows for the entertainment of those who love golf and letters:
In an interesting but alas! unindexed volume entitled 'Shakespeare's Europe 1903,' which consists of many hitherto unpublished chapters of Fynes Moryson's Itinerary, I find I have two valuable golf marginalia from the historical point of view. There is no reason to suppose that Moryson had ever seen or heard of the game of golf, yet his close powers of observation and graphic accuracy of description leave you in no doubt about the game he is describing.
Moryson was at Leyden in the winter of 1592, and writing a chapter of the pastimes and exercises of the people at this season when all are 'slyding upon yce with Iron in their wooden Pattens,' he goes on to speak of a strange game which he had evidently observed with some curiosity.
'They have,' he writes, 'a Common Pastyme and exercise to dryue a little ball through the fieldes and vypon the Ice, with a sticke of wood turning in at the lowe end like the basting we vse in kichens, saue that they are not made hollowe but are rounde in the end, and this sporte I haue seene frequently vsed not only by boys and young men, but by men of 40 yeares age and vpward.'
It may be said that this adds little to our knowledge of the history of the game since many early Dutch painters have portrayed the scene that interested the observant Moryson. But later on, in 1594, when the traveller was in Italy, he comes across the strange game once again in a most unlikely locality, for he tells us that 'at Naples I haue seene gentlemen play in the playne with a little ball and a sticke like a basting ladell, to driue it before them, which sporte the Hollanders much vse upon the yce in Winter.'
That the game was played by the gentlemen of Southern Italy at this date is not, I think, generally known. It would be interesting to ascertain if other early travellers have reported the game from other parts of Europe.
The early beginnings of golf in different parts of the world seem to be wrapped in unnecessary mystery. One often reads the statement that James I played golf at Blackheath, but is there any authority for it? Did James care about g'olf, and did he bring his clubs down from Scotland when he became King of England ? I have grave doubt about it. But that his son Prince Henry was keen about the game I have no doubt at all. The fact that Sir Simond D'Ewes says in his Autobiography that 'he was a prince rather addicted to martial studies and exercises than to goff or other boy's play,'merelyl proves how eager that dull pedant and Puritan was to ignore the popular reputation of the Prince as a sportsman. It is the ignorant contempt of a south country high-brow for a game introduced from the North that he can neither play nor appreciate.
Prince Henry was always a keen player of both golf and tennis. Isaac DTsraeli, in his 'Curiosities of Literature,' has a pleasant anecdote of the Prince and his tutor, Adam Newton.
'Newton was sometimes severe in his chastisement; for when the Prince was playing at golf and having warned his tutor, who was standing by in conversation, that he was going to strike the ball, and having lifted up the golf-club, someone observing, "Beware, sir, that you hit not Mr. Newton!" the Prince drew back the club, but smiling-
ly observed, "Had I done so, I had but paid my debts." '
Newton who was not a Scotsman and may not have understood the etiquette of the game, became in after years Dean of Durham in spite of his indiscretion of 'standing by in conversation' whilst a prince was striking off. Chattering on the tee is not a nuisance of modern origin, but has probably been a rub of the green since the early days of golf.
That Prince Henry played golf in the neighbourhood of London is very probable, but I have no marginalia locating any links in the suburbs until 1758, when I find in the Autobiography of Alexander Carlyle a curious account of a game played at Molesley Hurst in. Surrey.
The Reverend Doctor Alexander Carlyle minister of Inveresk, was a friend of John Home, Smollett, and the bestknown men of law, letters and divinity in Edinburgh, and was also well received in similar circles in London. He was a comely man of commanding presence, 'the grandest demi-god I ever saw,r says Sir Walter Scott, 'and was commonly called Jupiter Carlyle, from having sat more than once for the king of gods and men to Gavin Hamilton.' He says himself that he excelled at golf and took great pleasure in it, and from his build and physique he may well have been a powerful driver. He seems to have become acquainted with Garrick, probably through his friend John Home, and on a visit to London in 1758 the actor 'gave a dinner to his friends and companions at his home at Hampton which he did but seldom. He had told us to bring golf clubs and balls that we might play at that game on Molesley Hurst.' The fact that Garrick knew there was such a game seems to suggest that there was a regular links at Molesleyi at this date. The party consisted of Carlyle, John Home, Robertson, Alexander Wedderburn (afterwards Lord Chancellor, then just called to the English Bar), his brother Colonel David Wedderburn, and Robert and James Adam, the architects. They set out in good time, says Carlyle, six of us in a landau. As we passed through Kensington the Coldstream regiment were changing guard, and on seeing our clubs they gave us three cheers in honour of a diversion peculiar to Scotland; so much does the remembrance of one's native country dilate the heart when one has been some time absent. The same sentiment made us open our purses and give our countrymen wherewithal to drink "The Land 0' Cakes." Garrick met us by the way, so impatient he seemed to be for his company.
There were only three players, Parson Black, the Vicar of Hampton, an Aberdonian who may have started golf at Molesley, and John Home and Carlyle himself, who tells us that 'immediately after we arrived we crossed the river to the golfing ground which was very good.' After the match, of which,unhappily, there is no description, they returned to Garrick's to dinner, and after dinner Garrick, out of compliment to Home, ordered the wine to be carried out into his temple in the garden where the statue of Shakespeare was erected. This was the statue for which Garrick had sat to Roubiliac and recently purchased from the sculptor for three hundred guineas.
Carlyle was perhaps a little peeved at so much attention being shown to Home, and made use of his skill at golf to emphasise his own importance.
'Having observed,' he writes, 'a green mount in the garden opposite the archway, I said to our landlord that while the servants were preparing the collation in the temple I would surprise him with a stroke at the golf as I should drive a ball through his archway into the Thames once in three strokes. I had measured with my eye in walking about the garden, and accordingly at the second stroke made the ball alight in the mouth of the gateway and roll down the green slope into the river.
+This was so dexterous that he was quite surprised and begged the club of me by which such a feat had been performed.'
Whether the club was a cleek or a baffy, whether the ball was retrieved or is still rolling along the bed of the river, whether Garrick himself ever took the club out afterwards and had a knock on Molesley Hurst—these are matters upon which diligent research has thrown no light.
I have been puzzled to find in my marginalia so few allusions to golf in the early novelists. The fact seems to be that they did not themselves play games, and wrote for a generation of readers who cared for none of these things.
We turn to the preface of 'The Surgeon's Daughter' and there seems little doubt that Sir Walter had no clear notion of the true inwardness of the game. Mr. Croftangry had lent his MS. to his friend Mr. Fairscribe, and is impatiently waitingfor the letter's arrival that he may hear his verdict.
'At last my friend arrived, a little overheated. He had been taking a turn at g:olf, to prepare him for " colloquy sublime." And wherefore not, since the game, with its variety of odds, lengths, bunkers, tee'd balls, and so on, may be no inadequate representation of the hazards attending literary pursuits. In particular, those formidable buffets, which make one ball spin through the air like a rifle-shot, and strike another down into the very earth it is placed upon, by the maladroitness or the malicious purpose of the player—what are they but parallels to the favorable or depreciating notices of the reviewers, who play at golf with the publications of the season even as Altisidora, in her approach to the gates of the infernal regions, saw the devils playing at racket with the new books of Cervantes' days?"
The idea that a golfer strikes a golf ball into the very earth with malicious intent, as a reviewer slates a book, suggests to my mind that Scott thought that it was part of the game for one golfer to deliberately injure his adversary's lie, and that it was not present to his mind that at golf each player strictly confines his industry to his own ball under the sanction of severe penalties. Novelists, however, are subject to no laws which prevent them writing about matters they do not understand, else would much pleasant literature be lost to the world.
That Edinburgh golfers, like all true followers of the Royal and Ancient Game, knew no class distinction is clear from the fact that among the celebrated judges, ministers and doctors of the eighteenth century caricatured in that \ interestingvolume, 'Kay's Edinburgh Portraits,' you may find an etching of Alexander McKellar, the Cock o' the Green, a retired butler who neglected a small tavern in pursuit of a higher life of golf. Mr. Paterson's memoirs of | Alexander and his chapter on Ed ini burgh golf in the letterpress of the \ volume contain many interesting marginalia of Scots golf. McKellar was a respected Edinburgh worthy, and his ! favourite expression as he walked up to a perfect lie: 'By g-racious, this won't g-o for nothing!' became a favourite phrase on the links.
A vivid picture of the golfing community of St Andrews as Lord Cockburn saw it when he went the North Circuit in the spring of 1844 has a very modern ring about it. Cockburn's 'Circuit Journeys' is not a mere record of legal work, but contains interesting pictures of Scots life of the day by a shrewd observer.
'The people of St. Andrews,' he says, 'have a local pleasure of their own, which is as much the staple of the place as old colleg-es and churches are. This is golfing, which is here not a mere pastime but a business and a passion, and has for ag-es been so, owing probably to their admirable links. This pursuit actually draws many a middleaged gentleman whose stomach requires exercise, and his purse cheap pleasure, to reside here with his family; and it is the established recreation of all the learning and all the dignity of the town. There is a pretty large set who do nothing else, who begin in the morning and stop only for dinner; and who, afterpractising the game in the breeze all day, discuss it all night. Their talk is of holes. The intermixture of these men, or rather the intermixture of this occupation, with its interests, and hazards, and matches, considerably whets the social appetite. And the result is that their meetings are very numerous, and that, on the whole, they are rather a guttling population. However it is all done quietly, innocently, and recreation of the place partakes of what is, and ought to be, its peculiar character and avocation.'
QUEBEC'S BUSINESS PREMIER
August 1921 By CHARLES CHRISTOPHER JENKINS
The Valley of Gold
August 1921 By DAVID HOWARTH
The Clutch of Circu mstances
August 1921 By C. W. STEPHENS
At Owner's Risk
August 1921 By W. L. GAYLORD
WOMEN AND THEIR WORK
Macaroni, Modernized Food—II
August 1921 By WILLIAM FLEMING FRENCH
TELLING 'EM OFF:
August 1921 By GUY MORTON
Clubhouses Are Criticized
August 1931 By GEORGE TREVOR
Wit Wisdom and Whimsicality
Rich Men of Foreign Lands
August 1931 By THE LITERARY DIGEST


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Our Governors are a very special group of people who contribute greatly to the running of our school, by sharing time, advice and expertise in many different ways. School Governors are like a Board of Directors, since they make decisions about how the school is run. They are volunteers and they meet as a full Governing Body twice a term, with additional meetings for committees.
Governors have three key roles:
Planning the strategic direction of the school.
Overseeing financial performance of the school and ensuring money is well spent.
Holding the headteacher or school leadership to account.
Governor Minutes
Governor Committees
Governor's Register of Interests
Governor Schedule of Work
I'm thinking about becoming a Governor.
Associate Members (See below)
School Governors have legal duties, powers and responsibilities. They can only act together and not individually. Our Governing Body has 14 governors, comprising:
8 Foundation governors appointed by the Diocese of Gloucester on the recommendation of the Parochial Church Council of St. Martin's Church
2 elected parent governors
1 representative from the Local Authority
1 co-opted governor
1 staff governor
the headteacher
The Parent Governors:
have a child at North Nibley School at the time of election
are elected by parents of children at the school
serve for four years.
Parent governors bring the views of parents to the Governing Body, but they speak and act as individuals. They should not be thought of as delegates of the parents, as they do not vote for all parents in general. They all have equal status in the work of the Governing Body and have equal voting rights. The governors play an active role in the life of the school, participating fully in open days, classroom visits and assistance in many areas. The approved minutes of Full Governing Board meetings are published above.
Associate members of the governing body
Associate members are appointed by the governing body to serve on one or more governing body committees. They may also attend full governing body meetings. They are not governors and therefore do not have a vote in governing body decisions, but may be given a vote on decision made by committees to which they are appointed.
Associated members should be appointed because of the specific expertise and experience they can contribute to the effective governance and success of the school. The definition of associate member is wide. Subject to the disqualifications set out in the Regulations, the governing body may appoint a pupil, school staff member, or any other person as an associate member so that they can contribute their specific expertise. This can help to address specific gaps identified in the skills of governing body members, and/or help the governing body respond to particular challenges that they may be facing.


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Best Songs of 2007
By Wyld Card, November 15, 2007 in Music Discussion
The Seeker 0
SilverDorsalFin
I still live in happy oblivion. It was on the radio once, but just quietly in the background so I managed to turn off my ears.
Damn I still have to check out Kevin Drew's album I hear it's great.
I nominate "International Player's Anthem" by UGK ft. Outkast for radio-friendly pop song of the year.
Tenacious_Peaches 0
Aquatic Evolver
I'm so like a Pip, I'm glad it's night...
wsn0007 0
I must say, I don't listen to a whole whole lot of new music, but one song that really caught my attention this year and I still think it's as great as it was the first time I heard is
"Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John.
I skimmed through everyone's lists, but didn't really see it!
Kinda psychedelic, but oh so catchy at the same time!
It wasn't on anyones list because it came out in 2006. Excellent song though, the whistling hook is incredibly catchy.
Sorry, I didn't it until spring. But it was one of the top songs of the year for me!
No worries, it's a bit confusing anyways. As far as I know, the album it was on was released in America in 2007, but everywhere else in the world it was released in 2006. And I think the song was even playing on American radios in 2006.
c_s_1987 0
Powderfisher
I haven't gotten around to listening to much good music from this year. The 2007 songs I have heard most (other than Powderfinger's new album) is the crap that's topping the charts.
The 2007 songs that stand out for me (from what I remember) are:
Icky Thump - The White Stripes
Long Road To Ruin - Foo Fighters
Black Tears - Powderfinger
I Don't Remember - Powderfinger
And the only full 2007 album I have heard is Dream Days At The Hotel Existence. It's good, but definitely not their best work.
Edited December 23, 2007 by Guest


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Your Strauss memorabilia will come with a Certificate of Authenticity featuring an image of Andrew signing one of the product line at the session, and with the date and location of where and when the signing took place.
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p>Andrew John Strauss was born March 2, 1977 in South Africa, moving to England aged six.
He made his first-class debut in 1998, his One Day International debut in Sri Lanka in 2003 and his Test match debut replacing the injured Michael Vaughan at Lords against New Zealand in 2004. He scored a century in his first innings, and was within 17 runs of a record second century when he was run out by Nasser Hussain.
He became an integral part of the England side and was instrumental when they reclaimed the Ashes in 2005 for the first time in 18 years. His dismissal of Adam Gilchrist, when he dived full length to bag an extraordinary one-handed catch, remains an iconic image. His two centuries and 393 runs were crucial to the series victory.
Strauss was overlooked as successor to Michael Vaughan, as England succumbed to the Aussies 5-0 in 2007, but by the time of the 2009 series he had been appointed England captain. Under his astute leadership, England convincingly beat Australia 2-1 to win back the Ashes. Strauss was named England's man of the series by Australian coach Tim Nielsen; he finished with an aggregate of 474 runs at an average of 52.66.
Strauss' greatest achievement was when he led England to their first overseas Ashes victory for 24 years in the winter of 2010-11. He became only the third England captain, alongside Mike Brearley and Len Hutton, to win series both at home and away.
In the summer of 2011, he oversaw the crushing of India to wrestle the title of number one test team in the world. The manner in which his side dispatched the greats like Tendulkar, Dravid and Sehwag into the shadows owed much to the incredible work ethic and professionalism he instilled in the side with coach Andy Flowers.
Although he has now retired from one-day international cricket, he still has much to offer the test team, and with 19 test centuries already under his belt there is still time to overhaul Wally Hammond, Geoffrey Boycott and Colin Cowdrey's record of 22 for England.


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Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2015 Finalist
Umar Zeb has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2015 LAPG Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award for Criminal Defence, sponsored by CILEx . Winners will be announced on the 1st July 2015. All members at JD Spicer Zeb wish Umar the very best. ...
Umar Zeb Awarded Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2014
On 29th November 2014 Umar Zeb received the prestigious award of Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2014, presented by the Society of Asian Lawyers at its annual awards ceremony and Ball, held at the Lancaster hotel, London. The event was hosted by...
Dealing with a search by Police or Revenue and Customs Officers
The knock at the door at 6am is one of the things that can inspire the most dread in people. It is rarely, if ever, a good sign. When the door is eventually opened to a group of people in uniform, one of whom is brandishing pieces of paper marked...
Cash Forfeiture - A General Guide
Law enforcement officers can sometimes seize cash either when it is being moved around, or during a search – even a search of your home. They will take it if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting it is recoverable property. Recoverable property...
Conviction quashed in causing death whilst driving uninsured case
Causing death whilst driving uninsured, unlicensed or disqualified, an offence under section 3ZB of the Road Traffic Act 1988, is controversial. All that it requires is for the presence of an uninsured, unlicensed or disqualified driver on the road to cause...
General Changes to the Points Based System
GENERAL CHANGES TO THE POINTS BASED SYSTEM The Home Office have announced that the Rules are being changed to allow for greater flexibility in relation to applications which fail to submit all the specified documents in support. However, it should be...
Recent Changes to Tier 4 of the Points Based System
Overseas students applying to come to the UK for study from outside the UK are already required to satisfy a "genuineness" test ( since July 2012). A further recent change to the Immigration Rules now means that those applying for leave...
Tier 5 Changes
Under the existing Rules, two types of applicant can enter the UK under Tier 5 PBS, i.e. "Youth Mobility" and "Temporary Workers". "Temporary Workers" includes 5 sub-groups, namely Creative and Sporting, Charity Workers,...
Immigration Update - Tier 2
The Home Office recently announced changes to the "skilled-worker" Tier 2 category of the Immigration Rules as follows: 1. The existing English Language requirement for Tier 2/ICT leave holders is to be revoked. Currently, those Tier 2 ICT...
Applying to Study in the UK
If you are thinking of studying in the UK, you need to be aware of the different types of student immigration category to ensure you apply under the correct route, which best suits your circumstances and future intentions. ADULT APPLICANTS: For...
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SPARKY FIRES SHOT THAT COULD END THIS
by Mitch Albom | Feb 19, 1995 | Detroit Free Press | 0 comments
A single gunshot started the American Civil War, and a simple act of refusing to go to the back of the bus spawned the Civil Rights movement.
So is it possible that Sparky Anderson, by taking his pipe and walking away from the Detroit Tigers, has just ended the baseball strike?
Oh, maybe not yet. There are still no recognizable players in the Florida and Arizona camps, still no settlement on the table.
But, like Mahatma Gandhi's hunger strikes, Anderson's refusal to manage replacement players cuts a hole in this baseball war that cannot be stitched with the normal twine.
Wait. Did I just compare Sparky to Gandhi?
Ohmigod. And yet, Sparky has now become — and those of us who know him have to laugh at this — a martyr. A lightning rod. The more the Tigers try to discredit him, the bigger hero he will be in the public's eyes.
Every story on the strike will now include a reference to Sparky. Already one manager, Sparky Anderson, has refused to work with replacement players. Every ESPN report will toss in his name. He will sit out there in his California garden — which he seems to prefer more and more as he gets older
— and grow a few inches in stature every day.
Because, let's face it, until now, the only casualties of this baseball thing were 1) the players and owners' pocketbooks, which nobody feels sorry for, 2) the stadium workers, who never get respect, and 3) history, which cannot be appreciated until years later.
But now? Now you have a bona fide loss. The senior manager in the game? Walking away? And make no mistake, while we in Detroit joke about Sparky butchering the English language, around the country, he is seen as a baseball sage, his white hair flapping in the wind.
Sparky is a four-star general, and he's walking away from the front lines.
Ohmigod. Now I'm comparing him to Patton. Owners have reason to worry
"I'm not going to tarnish the game by accepting this," Sparky said Friday, before leaving Lakeland. "I'm looking forward to Opening Day, and I'm looking forward to regular players.
"I'm not looking forward to no replacement thing."
Good ol' Sparky. He sure has a way with those double negatives, don't he?
But did he do the right thing? Well, what's "right" in this mess? A bunch of millionaires and billionaires arguing over money doesn't leave you with much right or wrong.
What Sparky did was say: "This is ridiculous." And he did it in a way that every American can understand. He walked out.
Now owners have to worry if fans will, too.
Already there are enormous holes in their plan. The Baltimore Orioles' head man, Peter Angelos, says he won't allow exhibitions against replacement players or come north with a replacement roster. What will baseball do? Have an American League East without Baltimore? Seize his team and force it to play?
The Toronto Blue Jays have told Cito Gaston, their manager, he doesn't have to work with replacement players during spring training. What will they do, force him to do it come April — in Ontario, where laws prevent scab workers?
San Francisco is facing threats from city leaders saying scabs are not welcome in Candlestick Park. President Clinton has indicated he will not throw out an Opening Day pitch to a scab catcher.
And now there's Sparky, out there in his garden, saying, "This stuff is so bad, I'll give up my paycheck rather than be part of it." Brilliant. How can Mike Ilitch put replacement ball in a major league park now? He'll be laughed at, while Sparky stages his own personal sit-in.
Ohmigod. I'm comparing him to Abbie Hoffman. Sparky's stamp of disapproval
Now, some say Sparky has an obligation to the owner who pays him. They have a point. Others say Sparky knows he can get another job in a second — and probably wants one, given the Tigers pitching staff — so this is all very calculated. Perhaps they are right, too.
It doesn't matter. Symbols are symbols, and Sparky walking out has put a
"Worthless" stamp on replacement ball. And fans don't want to pay for
"Worthless."
And without replacement ball as leverage, the owners really have no choice but to get back and settle this thing.
So it could be that Sparky Anderson, by getting on that airplane, has just exploded the last grenade that causes this baseball stalemate to crumble.
And we thought all he did was yank pitchers.