text:
The Adoration (After Jan Gossaert) 2015-2016 Acrylic liner and enamel on birchwood 69 11/16 x 63 11/16 in. (177 x 161.8 cm)
Raqib Shaw's gloriously opulent paintings suggest a fantastical world full of intricate detail, rich colour, and jewel-like surfaces, all masking the intense violent and sexual nature of its imagery. Inspired by Hieronymous Bosch's fifteenth century visionary triptych, Shaw's series of works similarly titled 'Garden of Earthly Delights' celebrate a society free of any moral restraint. Populated with a wealth of hybrid creatures, Shaw portrays a dizzying scene of erotic hedonism, both explosive and gruesome in its debauchery. Fusing an array of vibrantly painted flora and fauna, Shaw creates an eco-system inhabited by figures such as phallus-headed birds, bug-eyed butterfly catchers, reptilian warriors or monkeys holding parasols, anthropomorphic in their gestures and regalia.
Shaw's unique technique, where pools of enamel and metallic industrial paints are manipulated to the desired effect with a porcupine quill, meticulously enhances numerous details within the paintings, such as coral, feathers or flowers. Every motif is outlined in embossed gold, a technique similar to 'cloisonné' found in early Asian pottery, which is a source of inspiration to Shaw, along with Uchikake (Japanese wedding kimonos), Byobu (screens), Hokusai prints, Kashmiri shawls, medieval heraldry and Persian miniatures, carpets and jewellery.
Raqib Shaw was born in Calcutta, India in 1974 and lives and works in London. Solo exhibitions include Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2018); The Whitworth, Manchester, UK (2017); White Cube at Glyndebourne, UK (2016); Rudolfinium, Prague (2013); Manchester Art Gallery, UK (2013); Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna (2009); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2008); Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami (2006); and Tate Britain, London (2006). Selected group exhibitions include the Dhaka Art Summit (2018); Leopold Museum, Vienna (2018); 7th Asia Pacific Triennale, Queensland, Australia (2012); 1st Kiev Biennale (2012); 17th Biennale of Sydney (2010); 6th Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2006); and Prague Biennale (2005).
21 May 2016 – 28 August 2016
White Cube at Glyndebourne
28 September 2011 – 12 November 2011
Absence of God
20 May 2009 – 4 July 2009
In conversation with Andrea Schlieker
Raqib Shaw discusses his exhibition at The Whitworth in Manchester with Andrea Schlieker.
In this film, Raqib Shaw discusses his exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery which covers the last eight years of his practice since 2005.
In this short film, Raqib Shaw discusses his exhibition at Glyndebourne with Andrea Schlieker.
Raqib Shaw discusses his 'Paradise Lost' series of paintings in this film which includes his largest and most ambitious painting to date.
Raqib Shaw on his Japanese influences
Raqib Shaw in the studio
Raqib Shaw on 'Narcissus'
Raqib Shaw on 'Absence of God'


How Paul Manafort's guilty plea will hurt Donald Trump.
What does this guy know.
It's impossible to know precisely how significant Paul Manafort's decision on Friday to accept a guilty plea in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe and agree to cooperate with investigators will ultimately prove to be. Every indication, though, is that it is tremendously bad news for President Donald Trump.
Trump's former campaign chairman confessed to a series of criminal actions taken as part of a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government by working for a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party before he joined the Trump team, as well as to obstruction of justice. His plea agreement didn't say anything about possible collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russian military intelligence officials who are alleged in another Mueller indictment to have attacked the 2016 election for the benefit of Trump.
So, it's true that the pair of charges to which Manafort pleaded guilty do not involve actions he took as a member of Trump's campaign. This was the official White House line on Friday. The implications of the agreement, however, point to many, many ways that Manafort's decision could damage Trump legally and politically, both concrete and hypothetical.
• Manafort pleaded guilty to orchestrating his conspiracy on behalf of the Party of Regions, with support from former deputy Rick Gates and Kiev-based consultant Konstantin Kilimnik. The latter is alleged in other Mueller filings to have had ongoing "ties to Russian intelligence" in 2016, when Manafort was on the Trump campaign. In another filing, Gates—who is also cooperating with Mueller—was said to have described Kilimnik as a "former Russian Intelligence Officer with the GRU." The GRU was the organization at the center of the attacks on the 2016 election. As part of his cooperation deal, Manafort will have to divulge the full extent of his relationship with Kilimnik. If Kilimnik knew anything about the hacking efforts and spoke with Manafort about it, Manafort would now be expected to tell Mueller and the grand jury.
• The fact that Kilimnik was allegedly involved in—and thus knew of—Manafort's crimes would mean that Russia would have had obvious leverage over Trump's campaign chairman. Manafort will have to explain this.
• During the 2016 national convention, Trump campaign officials reportedly worked to undercut the Republican Party platform's position supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Manafort will have to explain what exact role he had in that episode and what Trump and other campaign officials knew of actions he may have taken regarding the platform.
• Manafort was in the room during Donald Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting with Russian intermediaries who promised "dirt" on Hillary Clinton as part of their efforts to support Trump's campaign. Manafort can describe the details of the meeting from the inside. And, so far, Trump has maintained publicly that he didn't know anything about the meeting beforehand. Manafort is in a position to potentially elucidate whether that's true.
• Trump political consultant and confidant Roger Stone is reportedly an ongoing subject of the Mueller probe. Manafort and Stone worked together for many years and founded a political consulting firm together. Manafort could be a critical witness against his old friend, who has already shown to have been in communications with WikiLeaks during the period that they were releasing Democratic emails hacked by Russians.
• Trump's position that the Mueller probe is a witch hunt that has only sought to bring down innocent men keeps weakening when innocent man, after innocent man, after innocent man, after innocent man confesses to federal felonies.
• As the Washington Post noted, another prong of Trump's attack against Mueller has been knocked down with the Manafort plea: his claim that it is a money pit. Trump has repeatedly criticized the cost of the investigation, calling it "the World's most expensive Witch Hunt." As part of his agreement, Manafort is surrendering bank accounts and properties potentially worth tens of millions of dollars. Journalist Marcy Wheeler argued that the investigation has already likely paid for itself.
• As Wheeler and other commentators have also noted, the plea agreement knocks down virtually any avenue Trump might have to obstruct the investigation by pardoning Manafort. The president had previously appeared very open to that possibility, saying that Manafort had been treated "very unfair," saying he felt "very badly" and "very sad" for Manafort, and saying he "respect[ed]" Manafort for not "flipping." Now that Manafort has entered the black box of federal cooperation with no apparent way for Trump to learn what he's told prosecutors and the grand jury, there is no upside—and still plenty of downside—for Trump to attempt to pardon Manafort.
There's plenty reason for Trump to worry that he will.


text:
E3 2012 – Star Wars 1313 [GO/ER]
Jun 6th, 2012 by Dan
It's like someone said, "You know what should be cool, but rarely is? Games set in the Star Wars universe." and then Lucasarts decided to fix it.
Embedded Reporter, Game Overview
lucasarts, star wars 1313
What I've Been Doing 19 Dec 2011/The Old Republic First Impressions [FB/IB/F/BT/GO]
Torvalds finds your lack of faith disturbing.
Guess what, guys? The Old Republic came out, so I did nothing but play it all week. All other media fell to the wayside in the face of the biggest MMO (soft) launch in years. According to Raptr I played something like 53 hours of The Old Republic this week, so I've got plenty to say about it.
We'll start with the bad, since it's short:
– Travel decisions don't make a lot of sense: Let me clarify this, because it involves a lot of minutia. After you finish your second planet, your character gets access to his/her own private ship. They chose to make these ships their own zones for mechanical reasons, I'm sure. Why load the assets for each player's class quests for every player, right? Well that makes sense, but it also makes short trips to your ship next to impossible. Every time you click that hangar, a cinematic of your ship takes off into space and you hit a load screen. Whenever you decide to leave the ship, another cinematic and another load.
– Related: There's no fast way to teleport to your ship. You can teleport to the fleet and run to your hangar (and hit another load screen) or you can fast travel to the spaceport and run to your ship, but there's no way to just, BAM, teleport to your ship…yet.
– When you wipe in a flashpoint (think dungeon/instance) and you hit the button to go to the med center, you load into the Imperial Fleet. Then you can run back in (another load screen) and you're back at the last boss you beat. Too many load screens. It's the same number as WoW, I guess, but why not put a med center within the instances? I guess it doesn't make sense for the mythology, but who cares!
– While we're on the subject of flashpoints, Hammer Station is pretty boring. The other flashpoints have interesting encounters and neat little crew skill shortcuts, but Hammer Station is yawn-inducing and pretty easy. Even the Black Talon is more fun to do.
– This is a nitpick, but the characters that speak alien languages are all subtitled, right? Well why don't they make alien sounds as long as the average subtitle read times are? Instead aliens all talk with big spaces in between lines.
Now all the goods!:
– The best part about working with Lucasarts is access to their vast Star Wars sound library. Everything in this game sounds sharp. Blasters, lightsabers, spaceships, etc. They even have these Star Wars-y "Duel of the Fates" type music that starts blasting when you're facing elite mobs. Pretty fun. The little touches are great, too. Wear a mask or electric breathing apparatus and your voice changes appropriately!
– CLASS QUESTS! Oh my god class quests. These are so much fun! I can't tell you how great it is to have a lore reason why my character is wearing that sick mask above (it belonged to my ancestor, Lord Kallig) or how cool it was to found my own cult on Nar Shaddaa by causing an "earthquake" beneath a rival cult's building. This is the biggest thing that TOR is bringing to the table. The marketing speak of KOTOR 3-10 feels pretty accurate so far (maybe more like 3-7 when all is said and done)
– Aside from Hammer Station, most of the Flashpoints have cool and interesting decisions to make (and neat shortcuts!). They flow differently based on what you do and you can get dark/light points from those decisions. The other neat thing is that your crew skills come into place. I have high scavenging, so I can activate broken medical droids to help us or use a drill to punch a shortcut through a wall. Min's high slicing skills allows him to hack elevators to skip trash mobs. It's all very neat.
– Most of the planets after your capital have large, overarching storylines that have nothing to do with your class quests. On Balmorra, Torvalds, Evaclyn, and Nerius (mine, Min, and Jason's characters, respectively) all helped the Imperial War Effort and drove back the Republic. On Nar Shaddaa I'm working with the criminal elite to push back a rival gang and garner favor for the Empire. It's all pretty neat stuff.
– Datacrons are these permanent stat bonus things that you can find in hidden places on each of the planets. Hunting for those has been tons of fun. The devs stuck them in some pretty devious places. My favorite one so far was embedded in a droid factory that I had to jump down pipes to reach. A close second is one behind a forcefield that requires two players to simultaneously deactivate. Great stuff.
– There's lots more cool things, but I'm gonna leave it there for now. This game is pretty awesome so it's too bad I have to put it down for a week (unless I sneak it onto a parent's computer) for Christmas.
I'm Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Bounty Hunter!
bioware, lucasarts, star wars: the old republic
5-10-15-20 [GO]
Jun 2nd, 2011 by Dan
I got this idea from Kill Screen (who got this idea from Pitchfork) to talk about my gaming life in five year increments. Pitchfork does it with music and really it can be done with any media, but I'm doing games.
AGE 5 (1991)
One of my first video game memories is sitting in my parents' living room in Hialeah watching them play a Bowser level in Super Mario Bros. I remember being scared of the creepy black castle level. This was the launch year for the SNES, but I'm sure we didn't get it until 1992 or 1993. Instead we mostly amused ourselves with Contra, Mega Man 2, and Bubble Bobble.
AGE 10 (1996)
I'm pretty sure my brothers and I discovered the JRPG in 1995 or 1996. We would have played Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Super Mario RPG over those two years and changed our gaming landscape forever.
Of course 1996 also marks the genesis of 3D gaming for me. The N64 came out that September, but we didn't open it until Christmas. Super Mario 64 would be the first of many great games I had for that system.
Big things were happening in the gaming landscape on the PS2, but I knew nothing of that. A $400 system was way out of my price range, so I missed the launches of GTA3 and MGS2.
It was freshman year of high school and we learned partway through that we were going to be moving to Tampa. My dad got a new laptop from his job that I used to finally play the PC version of FF VII on road trips to and from Tampa. I remember breeding a Golden Chocobo and thinking that it wasn't really all that hard. Don't think I ever beat FF VIII. I think I also played a lot of Final Fantasy VIII that way too. More importantly, that year I got Civilization 3 and tons of Lucasarts adventure games including the Monkey Island series, Grim Fandango, and Day of the Tentacle.
We also got a Gamecube that year for Christmas and Super Smash Bros. Melee along with Pikmin, I think.
What a banner year for gaming, wow.
By now I'm a sophomore/junior at university and I've got a job to help me pay for my video game habit. I picked up a PS2 in 2004 and started working through the back catalog of games I'd missed. Early in the year I remember playing two RPGs, Kingdom Hearts 2 and Shadow Hearts: From the New World.
They're fun, but 2006 is a year of PC gaming for me. I spend WAY too much time playing World of Warcraft in 2006. I started the summer of 2005 and I end up quitting around Christmas of that same year, but I come back to it over the summer and it consumes a lot of my days and weekends as I try to power level my Horde character to join a raid guild with my friend Chris. It's funny, I couldn't remember why it was that I didn't play so many console games this year until I remembered that my WoW habit started in force during 2006.
I also grew into the PC shooter this year with a lot of Counterstrike: Source with my roommate, Simon. We played that to fill a lot of our spare time and I also pushed through Half-Life 2: Episode 1 way too quickly.
Unfortunately I'm only 25 now, so I can't really continue the feature until next year. I keep much better track of what I play nowadays, so it'll be even easier.
chrono trigger, contra, counterstrike: source, escape from monkey island, final fantasy vi, final fantasy vii, final fantasy viii, grand theft auto iii, grim fandango, half-life 2: episode one, kill screen, kingdom hearts ii, lucasarts, maniac mansion: day of the tentacle, mega man 2, metal gear solid 2, monkey island 2: lechuck's revenge, n64, nes, pitchfork, ps2, rockman, shadow hearts: from the new world, sid meier's civilization iii, super mario 64, super mario bros., super mario rpg: legend of the seven stars, the curse of monkey island, the secret of monkey island, world of warcraft
A Life Told Through Media [GO, F, BT]
The taste of Cuban food, the smell right before a thunderstorm on a summer afternoon, the sound of disco music, the oppressive feel of summer heat, and the sight of a pink building all remind me of my childhood home. Everyone knows that the senses trigger strong memories. It's also common sense that the media we take in over our lives can have a profound effect on our memories of our past and development. From the simple books of my childhood to the games and music I played and listened to along my 23 years of development, there are certain pieces of media that are just inseparable from the circumstances surrounding their initial consumption. They range from the simple joys of childhood all the way to the angst of high school and the harsh realities of adult life, but I wouldn't trade these associations for anything.
My earliest conscious memories all come from the modest house in Hialeah we lived in as children. The memories come flooding in as I think about the years I spent growing up in that house, but some of the most vivid come from the John F. Kennedy Memorial library. A giant, two-story behemoth of a building, I spent many a day browsing the books with my parents and in library camp during the summers. In the corners of my mind, I can recall watching a movie about a mouse who had a race car, but I know it wasn't Stuart Little, it was far too early for that. I remember reading books about a purple monster (El Monstruo?) with my dad to practice Spanish, I remember watching Bob Ross videos ("Happy little trees"!), and I remember the joy of getting my own library card, even though it had a single-digit limit on check-outs, but most of all I remember checking out Three Investigators books. This, initially, Alfred Hitchcock-supported trio of detectives were the main characters in a book series that my father used to read as a kid. Knowing that I enjoyed mystery books, my father recommended them to me and they quickly became a favorite of mine. I can still remember the corner of the library where I used to look for these books. He may not realize it, but those books have stuck with me to this day and they will forever remind me of my father and my time in Hialeah.
While I have plenty of memories of playing the NES in our family room or Eric's room in Hialeah, the first gaming system that was truly mine was the SNES that lived in my bedroom from 1992 until we moved. The story behind the Christmas I got it is colorful and fun, but Super Mario World sticks out beyond that in my mind for one simple reason. I specifically remember playing that game in the corner of my room, my television sitting atop my dresser, requiring a bash or two to get the colors just right, throughout that year and the next. It was conquered several times in two different parts of my room, with David watching me or playing as Luigi.
Memories of that bedroom are also carried within the bytes of King's Quest VI. My father brought home the game at someone's recommendation – this was when my father still played games on occasion – and began to puzzle through its depths at night after completing his homework. His obsession with the game became so great that he would often sneak peeks at strategy guides within computer stores during his breaks or on the way home from work so that he could get unstuck that night. My memories of the game develop from fear to delight as I grew older. You see, the King's Quest series was not like the adventure games of Lucasarts, you could die at a moment's notice. The realism and the grisly deaths combined to make me actively fear the game as a small child and I used to cover my ears so as not to hear the inevitable phrase "Tickets Please" uttered by the gate man of Hell itself as my father as Alexander perished yet again.
I would brave the depths of King's Quest VI years later with Eric when we had moved to Tualatin, a small suburb of Portland, Oregon. With the help of a guidebook so detailed it included a novelization of the game's events, we easily conquered Alexander's quest and that of Graham and Roselia in the games immediately preceding and following. Much stronger media memories from my Oregon days come more from my original playthroughs of both Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. My Chrono Trigger story was already documented pretty well with the 16-bit All-Stars, but what wasn't as well documented were the days spent sitting on the floor of Eric's room as we played. Poor David was relegated to spectator status as he watched me trek through the 16-bit time travel saga, but he got his money's worth as he asked me to read and act the character's parts aloud as I played, which I happily did for him most of the time.
An epic nine-day rental of Final Fantasy VI will always remind me of the family's first big screen TV. I fondly remember powering through the game, grinding in the desert as we leveled up each character in our repertoire to prepare for our battle against Kefka. Since FF VI featured a two-player mode, David was more than happy to play along through battles as we forged our way through the epic story of my favorite in the series. I can still picture the position of the television next to the fireplace in our living room. I can still remember the Hollywood Video we used to go to where we rented the game.
After a few short years in Oregon, we found our way back to Florida and I found myself in my freshman year of high school. It was in that last year in Broward county that I have my strongest media-related memories. Eric started reading books by Neal Stephenson when we were living in Oregon and he got a hold of Cryptonomicon around the year 2000. I read the book in the back of my computer programming class during the spring of 2001. My desk was in the back of the room and I finished programming assignments so quickly I always had time to read. I even remember one of the assignments, a tic-tac-toe game coded in Visual Basic.
My memories aren't completely limited to games of the video variety, the card game Spades, a game I learned also in the spring of 2001, is forever associated with being 15 and playing water polo. Coach Childs worked somewhere else in the district and he had to travel to the high school for practice every day. To pass the time before his arrival and our usual stretching routine, my friend Scott Huntley and other members of the team would play an informal variant of spades where the first to seven books won the game. Those spring afternoons playing cards in the amphitheater on the red mesh lunch tables of our outdoor cafeteria were great. I took the great card game of Spades with me when I switched schools the next year, introducing it to as many as I could and I played at the end of the year almost every year, but it could never beat those afternoons before practice.
We moved that summer up to central Florida, the greater Tampa Bay area, to be specific, much to my chagrin. The prospect of meeting new people and making friends yet again was daunting, but I had the help of aspiring pirate Guybrush Threepwood to get me through the anxiety of that summer and keep me from worrying too much. My first playthroughs of the fantastic games within the Monkey Island series come from that summer. As I type this on the desk I first got when we moved to Tampa, the memories come flooding back to me. The precise positioning of the desk in my bedroom. I can remember David lying on my bed behind me as we worked through the puzzles and my first girlfriend, Daniela, laughing at the ridiculous jokes in the later iterations of the series, brought to life through Dominic Armato's voice. Lucasarts adventure games dominated that summer, but the Monkey Island games, by far, left the greatest impact on me. The day that I learned about the new iteration in the series and the MI remake I told almost anyone I knew who would care. They could all vouch for how excited I was. I owe this all to that one summer where I learned the art of insult swordfighting as I got ready to enter a brand new high school in a new town.
I listened to oldies music for the first 14 or so years of my life and, while it brought me my great love and appreciation for greats like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, it didn't factor as much into my life as pop music did during my later high school years. Predictably, most music associations I have are tied to various girlfriends I had throughout high school. Take Sublime's tribute to the working girl, "Wrong Way." I discovered that song the summer of my Junior year when I met and was dating a girl named Stephanie I met at my job at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. She happened to live near the park and was definitely from the "wrong side of the tracks," so to speak. I'm not implying that she was a working girl, but I couldn't help but think about the more dire economic situation near the amusement park (seriously, it was in a really crummy neighborhood) as I drove out there to see her after work or on the weekends.
Two songs by the Lostprophets, "Last Summer" and "Make a Move," were weighing pretty heavily on my mind before I went off to university the summer of my senior year. Read the lyrics and you'll understand why my good friend-turned-girlfriend Ashley is particularly associated with both of those songs in my mind before we went off to separate universities.
Not all song associations have to do with girls, one in particular, "All My Life" by the Foo Fighters, is actually associated with the swim team, my friend Chris, and districts. The slowly building beat was perfect for hyping us up for our races and Chris and I both gave it a listen before lining up on the blocks to get the heart pumping in preparation. I can still almost picture the tent-like structures pitched off to the side of the pool, the smell of chlorine in the air, and the simultaneous excitement and dull boredom that is a district-wide swim meet.
All that's great, but I want to end where I started, video games. This past summer was a huge period of transition for me. I was graduating, but the job I thought I had was closed off to me through circumstances I'm completely at fault for. Faced with the prospect of heading back home with my tail between my legs or sticking it out and looking for work, I chose to find a job or starve. I was determined to make it out here and I was lucky to have a very understanding roommate allowing me time to get back on my feet. The days were spent working toward finding myself a new job, but the nights were spent finally indulging in something I had to put off for my final semester at school: Metal Gear Solid 4. Any link between the struggles of Solid Snake to stay alive and determinedly finish one last mission despite his clone degeneration and my job hunt would be ridiculous in more ways than can be named here, so I won't go there, but I will say that playing MGS4 on the floor of my apartment (we had no furniture at that point) on my teeny 25″ television (we have a 65″er now) will always be special to me. It was the first game I completed after completing my education. The first game I finished after I was set free in the world on my own. It was (supposed to be) the end for Solid Snake and a new beginning for me (I couldn't resist). Beating it was my first victory amidst some pretty terrible losses that brought me to that point throughout the summer and I'll never forget the mixed emotions I felt once I'd finished Snake's swan song. On one hand, the MGS story was done (so I thought) and Kojima went all-out to end his landmark series I was thankfully not alone in a new state (glad to have you around Eric, Min, Duffy, and my other local friends). On the other hand, the finale was overwrought, overproduced, and kind of lame and there I was jobless and left with a feeling of "What now?" thanks both to Kojima's ending and my situation. It been working out for me so far, but I find that I can't go back and play MGS4 just yet. Something about the experience resonates too much within me to just replay it in these better days.
That was a rather long-winded way for me to talk about memories of my past. Any of my readers (all three or four of you) have any memories of media strongly associated with their past that they'd like to share? Comment away.
Bookmark This, Feedback, Game Overview
alfred hitchcock, bob ross, busch gardens, chrono trigger, cryptonomicon, final fantasy vi, foo fighters, gone tomorrow, hollywood video, king's quest v: absence makes the heart go yonder!, king's quest vi: heir today, king's quest vii: the princeless bride, lostprophets, lucasarts, metal gear solid 4, monkey island, neal stephenson, nes, snes, spades, stuart little, sublime, super mario world, the beatles, the rolling stones, three investigators, visual basic
BlazBlue, Twitter x WoW, Lucasarts Back Catalog, Ueda vs. Miyamoto, and More [Game Overview]
Insert another credit, because it's time for your weekly video game news and you've just hit the Game Overview screen.
I figured I'd start with BlazBlue today, since the game just came out and I sunk an evening in playing it. I don't have all that much to say about it yet, but it's intriguing in a very not Street Fighter way. The fighters are all insanely detailed and designed in an intricately anime fashion, leaving no moe niche unserved and the fighting system is deceptively simple, but actually WAY complicated, as most of these things are nowadays. I haven't had a whole lot of time to sink into it, especially because Street Fighter IV has nabbed my attention yet again, but I will keep posting impressions as I play.
Get BlazBlue!
Get Street Fighter IV!
Indie Darling Gets on XBL
Fez has been confirmed for 2010 release on XBL, according to Giant Bomb. I don't know much about the game other than that the press loves it and you play as this little white dude with a block head. I'm sure someone out there is jumping for joy, but then crying a little bit because it means the 2009 release date has been pushed back. There, there.
Brilliant Game Design
Giant Bomb reports that Tekken 6 has finally gotten it right. The game will ship with all of the characters unlocked. Honestly, this is some of the best news that could have hit for a fighting game and I hope that other developers take up this and make it a trend. There's no reason why players who just want to get playing online should have to spend hours completing menial tasks against the AI just to get access to the hidden players. Heck, if I didn't bother with that I would never have unlocked Cammy, my Street Fighter IV main. I know there are legitimate reasons for doing this, namely to increase the longevity of the game that a consumer purchased, but how about making things like costumes or colors (the second of which is already a SFIV unlockable) the real secret content. Extra stages are also acceptable, since they have no real gameplay significance in, say SFIV. Either that or include an option, like in Rock Band 2, where you have all of the content unlocked, but achievements are disabled. This would be far preferential to the current methodology currently en vogue.
Get Rock Band 2!
Now the world will know about your phat lewt
I know what you're thinking: I love to tweet and I love to play WoW, but goddammit, it's far too difficult to do both at the same time. I have to Alt-Tab and everything! TweetCraft has got the solution for you, an in-game Twitter client. With Peggle already integrated within WoW, I'm starting to wonder what other apocalyptic life-distracting measures are going to be added in the future.
Sad Half Year for the Japanese Bottom Line
Gamasutra reports that the Japanese gaming market is down a scary 25% in the first half of the year so far. Dan reports that perhaps we're prematurely worried? Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, as of 8 July, has sold some ungodly 3.5 million or so units in the country while this Saturday will see the monumental release of Dragon Quest IX on the Nintendo DS (forecasts say there are already 2 million pre-orders put down for the game), and the recent release of Wii Sports Resort has seen major success as well. I think it should be a healthy year for Japan, it's just been stacked toward the second half.
L4D2…Kinda Sounds like a Droid, no?
In unsurprising news, Valve has announced that players who pre-order Left 4 Dead 2 will have early access to the demo. This is pretty much exactly what happened with Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2, so no surprises here.
Other neat news claims that players will have access to a cricket bat a la Shaun of the Dead.
Also reported was a rumor that L4D players might be able to interface in a meaningful way with L4D2 players, meaning a less fractured player base. I hope they get it worked out; online games live and die by their player base and dividing it is never wise.
Bonus Left 4 Dead Sackboy Images!
Get Left 4 Dead!
Look! A Three-Headed Monkey!
Ok, so it doesn't include that game, but Lucasarts is releasing a classics collection via Steam that includes seminal adventure titles such as The Dig, LOOM, and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. It's great news to see that they're finally capitalizing on their adventure game library and it, combined with the re-release of The Secret of Monkey Island, gives me some confidence that we might see other HD remakes. Day of the Tentacle remake, anyone?
Mega Awesome
Tired of adorable Mega Man videos? I'm not. Enjoy.
That kid's little brother sure is a pain…reminds me of my childhood.
BONUS ATARI REMAKE MEGA MAN VIDEO:
Music Was Better in the Past
I'm not sure if there's actually a re-release of the Chrono Trigger Soundtrack imminent in Japan, but this recent trailer sure seems to suggest something of the sort.
Video Games | Chrono Trigger | Japanese Soundtrack Trailer
If it is being re-released, I'll be sure to keep an eye out in September when I head over to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Get Chrono Trigger DS!
It'll Soak Up Water!
I'm pretty sure you all know that I adore the folks over at Giant Bomb. Here's their hilarious commercial for their iPhone app. I won't be getting it (too much $$ for my tastes), but the commercial sure is funny.
Critical Much?
Says famed game designer Fumito Ueda regarding news that Shigeru Miyamoto was inspired by Shadow of the Colossus and built a level around that:
Yes I have played it, it was hard to not to since it was rumored that Miyamoto-san was inspired by me. But I had expected more, that segement {SIC], was like the rest of the game not so fun as it could had been. I think the fans made a big deal out of nothing when they said Miyamoto had stolen from me. The thing I am critical over isn't that they didn't borrow anything that isn't unique for my game, but that they didn't make more fun stages out of it.
To clarify, the level in question is the boss fight on the small planet where Mario must guide Bullet Bills to sensitive spots around a giant robot to defeat the boss. Way to be a jerk Ueda. I mean, your games are held to ridiculous artistic plateaus that Miyamoto's have never been elevated to. It's like comparing pop art to Picasso or something. I'm not saying that Miyamoto's not a genius in his own right, but rather that the man doesn't need to ape Ueda to make a fun game. The boss fight was a homage, not a direct attempt to bring Shadow of the Colossus to Super Mario Galaxy. There's no need to get so pretentious!
Bonus Fact: Picasso's full name is: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. I guess it makes sense that he only went with the first and last part, that would be hell to sign on all of his works.
Get Shadow of the Colossus!
Back Away From That Sun
Speaking of Miyamoto-san, he had this to say about all of the people clamoring for a new Kid Icarus sequel:
Wait, please.
There you have it. Chill out guys, it's coming.
Nobody Likes a Guy Who Plays to Win
Professor David Myers, under the guise of science, played City of Heroes for a while to find out about the psychology of social groups. His account, published as Play and Punishment: The Sad and Curious Case of Twixt came to a predictable conclusion.
It seems that when Myers PvPed and fought with what are considered "cheap tactics" he was alienated and hated by everyone on the server, including people on his own faction. Myers stuck harshly to the rule set, but took the whole Heroes vs. Villains thing way too seriously for most, choosing not to adhere to social conventions within the game. To be fair, it's pretty lame to have these accepted "Let's not fight" zones in PvP areas. I mean, it reeks of grade school playground, doesn't it? Anyway, it confirms what we already know about MMORPGs, the prevailing culture within the server trumps in-game rules and some things just become conventionally taboo. It's the same with real life. For more interesting reading, check out Malcom Gladwell's article in the New Yorker entitled How David Beats Goliath. It's brilliant reading and conveys a lot of the same points without being a thinly veiled excuse to play City of Heroes for hours on end.
Whoops! Here's More Work!
Back to Shigeru Miyamoto. It seems that he accidentally forced the Wii Sports Resort developers to include Golf within the game.
Says Takayuki Shimamura
"Right after getting back to Japan, he suddenly said: "You know we're including golf now." Apparently he'd stated in an interview that this time round golf shots would be determined by the backswing, even though at that time a golf game didn't exist in any shape or form!"
How's that for an origin story?
Houston…Well, I guess you can guess what comes next…
Battlefield 1943 came out this week! Kind of. The game is unplayable as of right now (as of when I write this). Servers are clogged and some users can't even launch the game. Money well spent, I guess…
EDIT: It appears to be up and working properly now.
EDIT 2: Whoa, I'm wrong. Still wonky for the most part.
This is terrible news for a small, online arcade game like this. Games like these live and die by reputation and first week experiences, unless the Battlefield pedigree will carry it until they get it fixed.
battlefield 1943, big n, blazblue: calamity trigger, chrono trigger, city of heroes, david myers, dragon quest ix, ds, fez, fumito ueda, giant bomb, indiana jones and the fate of atlantis, iphone, kid icarus, kotaku, left 4 dead, left 4 dead 2, loom, lucasarts, malcolm gladwell, maniac mansion: day of the tentacle, mega man 2, mega man 3, monster hunter freedom unite, pablo picasso, peggle, psp, rock band 2, shadow of the colossus, shaun of the dead, shigeru miyamoto, street fighter, street fighter iv, super mario galaxy, takayuki shimamura, team fortress 2, tekken 6, the dig, the new yorker, the secret of monkey island, twitter, valve, wii, wii sports resort, world of warcraft
Game Overview: Pre-Current Gen PC All-Star Runner-Up
Yeah, I know I told you that this would be posted last weekend, but things got a little hectic with my travel plans, so I decided to hold off until the day before the big finale for this one. I know you're all on the edge of your seats waiting for the announcement, so let's get right to it.
The final game of this category comes from a dying genre whose brief golden age drove the development of narrative, graphics, and voice acting. Here are some more clues:
1. The recently VERY troubled studio that produced this game used to put out tons of games in this genre, but has since abandoned the genre to produce games based on the very lucrative movie licenses it owns. If you're sharp, you already know the company and genre I'm referring to at this point.
2. The protagonist of this game has the unique ability to hold his breath for 10 minutes at a time. Astute readers already know the series, but now need better clues to narrow down the game.
3. This picture will help the less savvy readers figure out the series.
4. Final clue: This game essentially retcons the previous games because the original series creator was not at the helm. Hence, the actual secret is still unknown to this day.
Our one and only runner-up in this category is the incredible Lucasarts classic, The Curse of Monkey Island
Runner-up The Curse of Monkey Island
I should clarify a few points before I get into the CMI love, namely regarding the series creator, Ron Gilbert, and the last great Lucasarts adventure game, Grim Fandango. Ron left Lucasarts after Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge along with the other writers of the series, Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman. So, as mentioned before, the remaining team members were more or less forced to retcon and/or disregard story put forth by Gilbert, Schafer, and Grossman to further the plot of their own game. I will openly admit that, despite the awesomeness of CMI, MI2 is actually the best in the series, story and scenario-wise, but that doesn't mean it should beat CMI on this list, in my opinion.
Also important to mention, to me, is the superb Grim Fandango. Written by the brilliant Tim Schafer, GF is one of the best adventure games I've ever played with an epic, funny story, great characters, and an amazing setting but it just doesn't meet the intangible bar that CMI set, mainly due to the fact that it left less of an impression on me.
CMI just has something about it that will instantly make you love Guybrush Threepwood, so even though it can be beaten in individual categories like the story of MI2 or the setting and plot of GF, CMI is just more fun to play.
No doubt feeling some pressure from the shift in graphical style of the King's Quest series with their seventh installment, CMI shifted to a cartoony, almost Disney look with its portrayal of Guybrush and the world around him. Gone were pixelated sprites, in were scenes and animations geared toward making you think you were playing a cartoon. If you really think about it, we've had cutscenes since the early days of video gaming, but most of those were rendered in-engine (nowadays some series do still render cutscenes in-engine (Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid) as a stylistic choice). CMI featured fully animated cutscenes in a seamlessly integrated art style to the in-engine graphics. Needless to say, it was and, to a degree, still is a beautiful game that makes the player feel like he's controlling a cartoon, ages before cel-shading would start to become mainstream.
More important to the in-game immersion was the choice of Dominic Armato to voice Guybrush Threepwood. The prior two games were still a little early in the computer game timeline to feature voice acting, but I honestly believe that Gilbert, Schafer, and Grossman would be hard-pressed to find a voice actor better than Dominic Armato to voice the lovable pirate. Say what you will about the direction the series has headed since the loss of the original brains behind the series, but Armato was the best man for the job. His voice just jives with the goofy, inept, clueless, and sarcastic nature of Guybrush so well that it's hard to skip dialog even the nth time through the game just cause you want to hear him say the same goofy lines the umpteenth time. The rest of the cast is also well-voiced, but Guybrush is the standout role, as he should be.
Plot idiocy aside, the writers for CMI definitely didn't slack in the humor department, with snappy one-liners filling the game from opening to closing coupled with sight gags, brilliantly written insult swordfights (complete with rhyming!), and the only in-game song that could possibly give "Still Alive" a run for its money. CMI had it all in the days when the adventure game was fresh, fun, and, most importantly, still considered a viable genre. Aside from Telltale games, it seems that no one is interested in adventure games any more. That being said, it's not like today's gamers aren't being tricked into playing them nowadays, between the Phoenix Wright games, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 at least plenty of Nintendo DS gamers are still able to get a small adventure game fix. With Ron Gilbert getting Hothead games to publish DeathSpank, hopefully we'll see a bit of an increase in other adventure games. Sure would be nice, I miss the genre.
Here's one of the best in-game songs you will ever see, complete with some Insult Swordfighting:
A little fun at the expense of the KQ series:
There you have it, another era summed up in a few games. I'm not saying that these are the only good games, just that they represent some of the best. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to see my favorite games of the current generation.
all-stars, dave grossman, deathspank, dominic armato, ds, grim fandango, half-life, hotel dusk: room 215, hothead games, king's quest vii: the princeless bride, lucasarts, metal gear solid, PC, phoenix wright, professor layton and the curious village, ron gilbert, telltale games, the curse of monkey island, tim schafer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As soon as the temperatures rise above 90 degrees staying polished feels about as unlikely as running a marathon in stilettos. So at a recent sun-soaked lunch honoring the CFDA-accredited designer Misha Nonoo, we got her tips for staying chic in sweltering conditions.
"White cotton is crisp (not stiff) and lightweight, making it one of the few fabrics I have found that makes a heat wave bearable. The version I use in my collection barely wrinkles, which is ideal for traveling and segues seamlessly from day to night. I'll wear this on the subway during my morning commute or at a summer clambake on the beach with friends."
"I have really sensitive skin, so initially I was weary of trying a BB cream but I love that this lightweight version includes SPF so I don't have to worry about sun damage. The lightweight formula provides lasting coverage and is made with caffeine, which helps reduce redness, an extra bonus is the heat. It really melts into your skin."
"I opt for the this cut-out ballet flat from my Aldo Rise collection to give a breezy ensemble a little extra polish."
"There is nothing better than closing a long day with a refreshing shower and NARS Body Glow. It is lighter than a greasy body lotion and I just love this packaging."


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Live Review: Anterior @ Ivory Blacks, Glasgow
Sam Stowe
Local band Colours To Shame take to the stage shortly after doors open, there's not much of a crowd, but the band still put on the best show they can. The two guitarists are the best thing about the band, shredding their way through a short set. [6]
Up next are another local band What's the Damage?! who play a decent set to a still relatively sparse crowd. The fans that were there seemed to enjoy their set and they definitely made an impression. [7]
By the time Anterior take to the stage the crowd hasn't got any larger, but the band still act as if they are playing in front of thousands of adoring fans. The sound is perfect and band really seem to be enjoying themselves. The new songs played sound even better than those off of the debut album and the crowd go crazy for them, hopefully the new album is as good as these songs suggest.
Overall, this was a good gig, but the small crowd did put a downer on the whole night. [8]
https://rocksins.com
My music taste is, depending on who you ask, exceptional or questionable. I think I'm about 53% better than I actually am. I support the best team in the world and I'm absolutely hilarious. I'm also really good at Twitter @samlstowe
Anterior Call It A Day
Anterior – Exclusive Interview (part 2) with Leon & Steven
Sylosis Malefice & Anterior Live Review from London's Islington Academy, 7th October 2011
Anterior Interview In Glasgow Part 1
Sylosis and Anterior have merchandise stolen at Birmingham gig
Sylosis & The Metal Hammer Razor Tour Review: Live At The Camden Underworld
Sylosis Live Review at the Relentless Garage London Xmas 2009


Be fruit fly aware - don't travel into protected areas of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia with fruit or vegetables!
To help protect fruit and vegetable growing regions in South Australia, northern Victoria and southern New South Wales, areas of these states are protected by the Fruit Fly Quarantine Zone (SA), the Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area (VIC/NSW).
You should not take any fruit or vegetables over state borders unless they comply with state regulations.
Australian state regulations vary, but as a guide, the following table below may assist with the Fruit Fly Quaratine Zone (SA) and the Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area (VIC/NSW).
South Australian regulations also include alliums which are permitted and no longer regulated as long as the green tops have been removed. Onion and garlic bulbs can enter unrestricted, any allium with the tops intact (e.g. spring onions, shallots etc) cannot enter unrestricted due to the risk of green snail.
Washed potatoes (those that are meant for consumption) can now enter South Australia with the travelling public as long as any soil has been removed from the produce.
Produce purchased in South Australia and are accompanied by an itemised shop receipt Plant Health Certification (contact PIRSA for details) can be taken into the Fruit Fly Quaratine Zone. Produce with receipts cannot be carried across state borders. Produce without receipts cannot enter the South Australian Zone.
The chart below is a guide from Domestic Quarantine regarding what is permitted. Best you check the website for any updates or changes to this guide. Discover Murray River only provides this information as is and is not responsible for any changes or alterations to Government regulations, laws and agreements regarding the quarantine programs.
You can carry fruit and fruiting vegetables from Sydney to Dubbo or from Sydney to Wagga Wagga, provided your journey does not take you into the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone at any time.
You must not to take fruit or fruiting vegetables into the Riverland or South Australian areas of the Fruit Fly Quaratine Zone (including Loxton, Morgan, Waikerie and Renmark), unless they were purchased within South Australia and are accompanied by an itemised shop receipt Plant Health Certification (contact PIRSA for details). Produce with receipts cannot be carried across state borders.
Do not take fruit or fruiting vegetables across the border into New South Wales or South Australia.


Scripting flat programming is written in computer programming languages that is typically interpreted and can be typed directly from a keyboard. Flat scripts are often distinguished from executable files. This flat scripts are safe to use virus free and spyware free.


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Boston to Berkeley II Tour Heats Up Art Park in Lewsiton
Photos and Review by Chris Besaw
It another above average hot and humid day in Upstate, NY. That didn't stop fans from packing into Art Park, nestled on the bank of the Niagara River in historic Lewiston, NY to catch "The Boston to Berkeley II: tour featuring co-headliners Rancid and Dropkick Murphys along with special guest The Bronx.
Getting things kicked off in true hardcore punk style was Los Angeles natives, The Bronx. I first saw the Bronx perform a few years back at Camp Anarchy and have been looking forward to catching them again. They are a great choice as an opener, delivering a high energy performance that got the crowd primed for the headliners. Front man, Matt Caughthran backed up by Joby Ford (guitars), Ken Horne (guitar), Brad Magers (bass), and Joey Castillo (drums) brought a great mix of songs such as "Heart Attack American," "Six Days A Week" and "History's Stranglers" to name a few. Overall a great set and if you get the chance I recommend checking them out if you can!
Next up… Rancid! I am no stranger to seeing this amazing band live and the Berkeley punk legends did not disappoint! From the moment the intro faded, Tim Armstrong and Lars Fredericksen hit the stage firing on all cylinders backed up by bassist Matt Freeman and Drummer Branden Steineckert. They wasted no time starting their set with "Roots Radicals." Not only was the crowd ready but it was absolute chaos and slam dancing, a site I have missed over this past year! The band played a fantastic mix of songs from their 30-year history. Highlights included, "Maxwell Murder," "Telegraph Avenue," and one of my personal favorites "Rejected." Lars took a moment between songs and the chaos to thank the fans for their unwavering support of the band over the years and for sticking by them especially during the last year. Not only was their set amazingbut I feel it needs pointing out that this past Sunday also marked the band 26th birthday of the album And Out Come the Wolveswhich made the night special for all.
The stage goes dark, the smoke rolls in and "Foggy Dew" starts pumping through the speakers. The crowd is chanting that familiar battle cry "Let's Go Murphys." The intro cuts and a spotlight shines as Jeff DaRosa begins to play "The State of Massachusetts." It didn't take long before singers Ken Casey and Al Barr run onto to stage followed by the rest of gang! The crowd was even wilder than ever, singing along, crowd surfing and just enjoying themselves despite the hot temperatures all evening! One thing that can be said about the Dropkick Murphys is that they know how to put on one hell of show, whether it's your first time or your 100th these guys go all in each time! The Dropkicks played some hard-hitting classics, "Boys on the Docks," and" Citizen C.I.A.," They also mixed in some newer tracks off their latest album Turn Up That Dial, like the poignant and tongue in cheek "Middle Finger," and "Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding" a humorous song about Mick Jones of the Clash helping himself to the bands pudding years ago. Ken Casey took a moment to thank the crowd for coming out and reminded them that after all these years the band does not take their fans for granted and that they mean the world to them. He also asked if anyone had caught their livestream events over the last year and as weird as it was to play them it doesn't compare to standing in front of everyone and playing before a live audience.
One of the amazing highlights from the night was Lars Fredericksen and Tim Armstrong of Rancid joining the Murphys on stage for "Barroom Hero." It was great seeing them perform together. As their set was drawing to a close, Ken quipped and asked if anyone knew of a special birthday this evening? He asked the excited crowd if they knew that "…And Out Come the Wolves" turned 26? "Why don't you all help us wish Rancid a happy birthday?" Ken screamed as the band started "HappyBirthday Mother Fucker." Again, can't express how wonderful it was to see them perform after the craziness of the previous year. The band closed out their set with "I'm Shipping up To Boston"leaving the fans, happy, sweaty and wanting more.
Overall, a great night for live music in Lewiston, NY. Everyone was happy to be playing and enjoying live music again. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
Artpark, Dropkick Murphys, Lewiston, NY, Rancid, The Bronx
Guns N' Roses kick off Not In This Lifetime Tour at Hershey Park Stadium
The Hella Mega Tour Plays a SOLD OUT Show at PNC Park Pittsburgh


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Home » Precious Metal; Republished and Repurposed
Precious Metal; Republished and Repurposed
This past weekend, my two boys and I went camping with some of the Strong Hearts Vegan Power crew. One night, I was talking with Sam Hartman (SHVP team member and keyboardist for Anagnorisis) about music and stuff and it reminded me of an old article I had written showing the parallels of heavy/ death metal and Buddhism. I'm not sure how many of you knew this, but from 2000-2008-ish I was one of the founders and vocalist for a death metal band called Leukorrhea. The last recorded album I was involved with was titled "Breeding Salvation." we had done a full length previous to that as well as a split CD that was released in Japan and one that was released in Italy. We also did had songs on a variety of compilation cd's including one in rememberance of Chuck Schuldiner of the band Death.
Anyway, I dug for the article and with the help of my old friend Rod Meade Sperry (editor of Lion's Roar Magazine) and I wanted to share it with you as I feel myself being pulled back to a life filled with mindful behavior and intention. Of course, being vegan you would think that it would come naturally. Of course it does when making food choices, but in making other decisions I find myself just existing to co-exist. I hope this article gives you some enjoyment, it is long so please bare with it; I promise it's a fun story.
© Precious Metal
WHAT COULD BUDDHISM HAVE TO DO WITH HEAVY METAL? If you're not into metal, I guess the answer would be "nothing." But if you're me, the answer would have to be "everything."
In 1983, at the age of 9, I went into a local department store. This was way before CDs, iPods, MP3 players, etc. (Now that I've completely dated myself.) I was perusing the music section and a cassette jumped out at me: it was Ozzy Osbourne's Bark At The Moon. I took it home and was hooked. I knew right away that someday, somehow, I had to be involved with this music.
As things went on I was exposed to more bands. In 1985 I got Metallica's Master Of Puppets and the metal bar had been raised. Next was Slayer's Reign in Blood and it was all over: I had to have metal at all costs. I know the Buddha taught about attachment and how we should try to rid ourselves of it, but I had no idea about that then, and was immersed so deep I never wanted to come out. I still haven't.
Over the years friends showed me stuff from bands like Megadeth, Death Angel, Death, Napalm Death, Rigor Mortis, Sanctuary, Morbid Angel, and on and on. We'd go into music stores, allowance in hand, and try to find the nastiest, grossest album-cover art we could find. One of us found Carcass's Reek of Putrefaction, and we were in disbelief; what was this stuff, and how could anyone listen to it? But after hearing it over and over it grew on us — like a gangrenous infection. We would stay up late and watch Headbangers Ball on MTV (this was back when it was good), and soon we all picked up instruments and started learning Metallica songs and anything else we could get tablature for.
Ever since that first day I heard Ozzy, I knew I had to be in a band, and in my 20's I did just that. We cranked out some songs, put out a demo and almost immediately a small label wanted to finance our first disc. How awesome was this, right? Our first CD got some decent reviews and people started writing letters and e-mails to us. (Yes, the internet had been invented by then). We were offered the opportunity to tour, and it was in Detroit, Michigan, that I realized my goal had been achieved: we were playing the I-Rock Cafe and on the wall was a picture of Ozzy standing in the same damn club, playing with Black Sabbath. I knew then and there that I could never give this up.
And while this was all well and good, it still felt like something was missing. I was entering my 30's and reality had hit.
WHAT WAS IT I WAS LOOKING FOR, THOUGH? I have a wonderful wife and two great kids. I had a hobby that made me happy, a job that was going well. Still, we were just barely able to make ends meet, so we moved from Massachusetts (where I'd lived all my life) to Knoxville, Tennessee, where the cost of living was relatively low. We got settled in, found jobs and decent day-care, and really enjoyed Knoxville.
I worked during the day and my wife worked at night. I hadn't met many people in Knoxville, so after my son was in bed for the night, I'd spend a lot of time on the internet. I honestly don't know how it happened, but I got onto a Buddhist web-forum and started reading posts and checking out websites. One thing that kept coming up was karma: I knew that if you acted like a jerk you would get negativity back, and the same went for good deeds coming back as positivity. My interest was peaked and I started reading a lot more. It all felt right to me, like the part that was missing was filling up.
I started buying up books, reading them almost as quickly as it took me to pay for them and bring them home. One of the members of the forum mentioned a book by Thubten Chodron called Buddhism for Beginners. I went out and got it, and it helped me out so much. Rather than just being a book of plain text, it was in a Q&A format, and a lot of the questions were the same ones I'd started asking myself.
The big question was, What is the basic idea behind this thing called Buddhism? I learned that the answer was found in things that were easy to do: be a good person, don't harm others, and be a help whenever possible. This was one of the simplest things I could hear, but also one of the most profound. There was no dogma, no over-zealous hypocrisy; just plain and simple guidelines on how to live a better life for myself and for everyone else around me. I read some more books and started getting into meditation. Almost immediately I started noticing changes. One of the biggest was that I could stay calm now when something major was affecting my life.
Eventually, the wife and I started to miss being with our family and friends. The hardest thing for me was that my daughter was still living in MA and we were in Tennessee. She had stayed when we moved because her mother (my first wife), understandably, didn't want her to switch schools. We had worked out that I would get her on vacations and stuff, but that was harder than anticipated. It was difficult coming up with airfare, especially while still paying for food, rent, car payments, etc. We spoke often, and I sent her gifts via FedEx (that's where I was working) but it just wasn't the same. I was beginning to get discouraged about the whole move-thing. After my wife's mother visited, bringing my daughter with her, we all decided that we had to do what we could and go back to MA so we could all be together.
All this time I was still learning as much as I could about Buddhism, reading books like a madman and absorbing the teachings as best I could. But I was running into issues here and there, and there seemed to be no one else into Buddhism where I was. Hell, I was in the Bible Belt of the US — where was I going to find another Buddhist? I started seeking out temples and centers but they were all over two hours away. So I kept seeking my answers online. The people on the forum I mentioned were helping me out more than they know.
One day as I was leaving work, I pulled out of my parking spot. By the time I had put it in gear to go forward, another car was already coming at me in reverse. I slammed on the horn hoping they would hear me, but they were either occupied with something else or not hearing me because their music was way too loud. (The bass was slamming me in the chest, it was so loud). I heard a crunch. We had an accident on our hands.
Normally I would have gone berserk, cursing and yelling (maybe even frothing at the mouth a little), but not this time. I took a deep breath, got out of the car and assessed the damage: the other car was more hurt than mine, which had just a couple scratches. I asked the woman who was driving if she was ok. She was, but she seemed astounded at my reaction, as if she was expecting the reaction of an insane person. I was aware, though, that acting that way would probably just elevate the situation to one neither of us would want to deal with. I attribute this to nothing else but the things I was learning about Buddhism and mindfulness. There were of course plenty of other events that "tested" what I was learning. But my ability to change seemed real.
THE FUNNY THING ABOUT BUDDHISM AND METAL is how, in my life, one's taught me about the other. Being a metalhead I've heard more than my share of songs about death, pain, misery, etc. How can I draw a parallel with Buddhism, you ask? I can do it in one word: impermanence! Buddhism teaches how to cope with things like death by reminding us that everything in life is impermanent — including life itself. Death is always around the corner. And we don't have to be scared about it. We can embrace it by realizing that all beings, no matter who they are, will eventually expire. In this way, metal helped prime me for my path.
You might ask, though, how can I still be a metalhead, writing lyrics that maybe talk of harming another person, or consist of morbid horror stories, and also practice Buddhism. Some might even say I can't do both at the same time, but I very strongly disagree. Just because I want to be a good person doesn't mean I can't listen to "Hammer Smashed Face" by Cannibal Corpse. Yeah, the lyrics are WAY over the top, but they're just lyrics. It's just a song, and if you can come to terms with reality and non-reality, I don't think it's an issue at all. Some might even pose a similar question to Richard Gere or other well-known celebrity-Buddhists: How can they, in a material world like Hollywood, overcome the very obstacles that Buddhism teaches about? And, look at Gere's movie, "Pretty Woman." It was about a rich and powerful real-estate guy and his "relationship" with a hooker. Yeah, there was more to it than that, and it actually was a good movie, but you would think a Buddhist couldn't do a movie like that and still have some sort of clout, right? But look at what he does off-screen. He has taken teachings from many prominent lamas, including the Dalai Lama. He donates money to various causes, he's a chairman on the International Campaign for Tibet, and that's just some of the good things that he does. So why would being involved in metal music, if it doesn't compromise one's contributions, be any different?
My answer: it isn't. If you've got the right mindset about it, nothing has to be a "bad" thing. I've written most of the lyrics to my band's songs, and every now and again have strayed from just gore lyrics: I've written songs about the Iraq War and about the Catholic Church Scandal in Boston and the rest of the US. I'm concerned about real issues, big and small.
Still, people have this idea that metalheads couldn't possibly do any good. I think differently about that. Even before starting my practice I liked to think of myself as a compassionate person, and thought the same of quite a number of metalheads around me. I've been to many shows that either donated the proceeds to a good cause like the Hurricane Katrina Fund, Autism Now, or other charities. I've seen many shows that were dedicated to people that had something to do with the metal scene over the years but who had passed on. We don't take life and death nearly as lightly as some seem to think.
PERSONALLY, with Buddhism, I notice positive change, especially to the areas that need it, every day. Even in the seemingly-most mundane ways. Like, nowadays, I won't be so quick to give you the finger; I'll say hello back and smile without judging or thinking you're a freak. Hell, I may be a freak to you, right? And I'm more apt now to pick up the sponge and just wash the dishes. My wife used to hate that about me — I was a lazy prick. But after reading a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, I realized that doing the dishes was a great time to just be with myself, and just do the dishes. To be able to slow down and just take time to be with my mind.
See, being a metalhead doesn't make me a primitive thug with a one-track mindset. And it doesn't mean I want to rip your head off cause I wrote that in my lyrics, or that I want to see your guts exposed on the sidewalk. It's an art! Writing a song is very similar to writing a horror-movie script, just a lot shorter. And just because some may not understand it, it doesn't mean it's sick, or demented. One song idea I am working on has some potentially very gruesome overtones, and could easily be misunderstood — but I've been trying to steer clear of typical gore lyrics, and instead relate actual events. Example: in Tibet there is a form of burial called sky burial, or jhator (bya-gtor) in Tibetan. It's actually not officially considered a "burial," more a gift of alms to the vultures. Of course, Buddhists know that when we die the body is pretty much useless from then on out. So the Tibetans offer the corpse to the birds. A man comes in after the body is laid down and works to cut it up into several pieces. This sends the vultures into a feeding frenzy and, very quickly, the body disappears. And while this may seem somewhat normal to Buddhists who understand it, someone unfamiliar with this practice would probably be horrified by the whole process of sky burial.
Likewise, I hope people won't jump to the conclusion that I'm a bad person (or a "bad Buddhist"!) for writing horror-inspired lyrics. Can I not practice compassion and kindness because I wrote a song that was based on Ted Bundy? Reality is scary sometimes — people die, people get killed by other people. The news reports it. Movies are made about it. Books are written about it. Lessons are learned from it sometimes, too. Just because my music is loud and my lyrics are over the top, does it mean I can't feel love for all sentient beings?
I say, no; there doesn't have to be a conflict of interest. It's not hard being a good person and still living a subversive lifestyle. We can all be good people, no matter who we are. We can all have hobbies, or things that make us feel good without compromising the other important things in life.
I contend that being a metalhead helped me become a Buddhist. It took lots and lots of practice to achieve the things that our band did. And to achieve the things I want now, like a better life for all sentient beings — whether they are metalheads, punks, hip hoppers, goths, ravers (do they even exist anymore?), or just regular Joe Schmoes — that's going to take practice, too.
That basically sums up Buddhism for me, it's practice.
And as I get better at it, those around me will be better off as well.
ps. The image attached to this post is copy-written, I had it commissioned for my old blog and permission is needed to use anywhere other than here or on my old blog, Precious Metal.
Review: Sam's Naturals Campn Stick
Day in the Life; What I eat


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gameon
A mesmerizing celebration of symphonic game music!
Stunning symphonic soundtrack music from an unprecedented lineup of blockbuster video games, including World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and Assassin's Creed...
PLEASE CONFIRM DETAILS DIRECTLY WITH EVENT ORGANIZER OR BOX OFFICE FOR UPDATES
Fri, May 26, 2023 to Sat, May 27, 2023
8PM, $44 and up
Symphony San Jose
info@symphonysanjose.org
Center for the Performing Arts
255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose, CA 95113
Stage and Theater


By adding a tough elastomer armor, Windmill's Delta Storm proof lighter has the qualities you would expect plus incredible impact resistance. Delta features a stainless steel wire closure to stay watertight even if dropped. Weight 2 oz - Fuel capacity 1 gram - small & compact size - 2.6" x 2" x .9" .
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Gold Forex
More than 300 participate in Hope Campaign
DHA's breast cancer awareness initiative concluded last week
Published: November 04, 2019 10:26 Kamakshi Gupta, DHA
Cancer survivor Rolla Ismail (second left) has been cancer free for the last five years. She discussed her journey with doctors during a panel discussion Image Credit: Salah AbdelKadir, DHA
Hundreds of women in Dubai took part in the Hope Breast Cancer awareness campaign.
Launched by the DHA in collaboration with Zabeel Ladies Club, the campaign concluded last Thursday. More than 300 women participated in the event.
Sheikha Shamsa bint Hashar Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Women's Committee and Board Member of the UAE Volleyball Association attended the event.
The month-long campaign marked global Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place annually in October The initiative was organised by the Public Health Protection Department at the DHA. The team visited several government departments in Dubai to educate women about screening methods and to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Dr Badreyya Al Harmi, Director of the Public Health Protection Department at the DHA says, "When it comes to breast cancer, early detection is the key message. It greatly increases survival rates and may lead to lesser invasive methods of treatment. There are three optimal methods of early diagnosis with a goal of detecting the disease as early as possible. The methods include self-examination every month from the age of 20 years, clinical breast examinations and mammograms from the age of 40 years.
"While there is a higher risk of developing breast cancer if there is a family history of cancer, it is important for women to understand that all women are at a risk of developing the disease whether they are genetically predisposed or not. Therefore, every woman should follow the screening practice."
Dr Hend Al Awadhi, Head of Health Promotion and Education Section at Public Health Protection Department in DHA says that given the global prevalence of the disease, it is important for all women to understand that being a woman and increasing age are two risk factors of the disease. "When we carry out health awareness campaigns, we often find women telling us that they do not have a family history of cancer and they inquire whether they still need to begin self-examinations every month. The answer is yes. All women should screen themselves because early detection does save lives."
Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in women and the second most common cancer globally. According to World Cancer Research Fund, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, contributing 25.4 per cent of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2018. In the US, one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Although breast cancer may occur in men, its occurrence is rare.
Promoting screenings
Al Awadhi said that those with a family history of cancer should begin screening earlier. "The first mammogram should take place at 40 years of age and every year thereafter. Those with a family history of breast cancer should begin screening earlier. If a woman has a first-degree relative who was diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, she should opt for yearly screening 10 years before the age of her relative's diagnosis. However, she should start regular self-exams earlier."
At Zabeel Ladies Club, panel discussions took place on topics such as diet and breast cancer, latest methods of treatment and mental health strategies. Breast cancer survivors also shared their story on strength and courage and reemphasised the importance of early detection.
The campaign also included clinical breast examinations and educating women on how to conduct monthly self-examinations.
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Déjà Vu in Edinburgh
International Relations • September 5, 2014 • J. F. Conway
— referendum question to be put to Scots on 18 September 2014.
It was hard not to remember the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum as one walked the streets of Edinburgh in August. The Yes (Yes Scotland) and No (Better Together) sides campaigned relentlessly everywhere: tables in the streets; posters; TV ads; constant references during many Fringe performances. The city and the country were polarized. An 18 August poll gave the yes 45 to the No's 55 among decided voters, with the Yes closing the gap as the undecided vote, dropping from a high of 25 to 14 per cent, was breaking two-to-one in favour of Yes. 4.2 million are eligible to vote (everyone 16 and over). The Yes already has a pro-independence letter with a million signatures.
The referendum became inevitable, given recent political developments. The United Kingdom's half way house – devolution of some powers – had not deflected the drive for Scottish independence. Two referenda on devolution were held. In 1979, though a majority of voters in Scotland supported devolution, the numbers failed to reach the required 40 per cent of the electorate. The 1997 devolution referendum was successful and the new Scottish Parliament was elected in May 1999, with some powers over income tax, education and health. In 2007 the Scottish National Party (SNP) became a minority government, pushed aggressively for a referendum but failed to win the consent of a majority of members. The experience of devolution seemed to speed up the growth in the popular conviction that independence was the next logical step. In 2011 the SNP won a majority government and immediately began preparing for a referendum.
The Drive for Independence
Without denying the great differences that exist, there are remarkable similarities between the drive for independence of the Québécois and Scottish nations. Both were conquered militarily by British forces. New France was conquered in 1759. The nascent and increasingly assertive Québécois nation was re-conquered in the bloody suppression of the Patriotes in 1837-38. Both nations were repeatedly sold out by their élites who made common cause with the conqueror in exchange for a pot of gold and a second-class place at the banquet table. The popular classes were deeply embittered by both the defeat and the betrayal.
Scots will immediately disagree, insisting Scotland was never successfully conquered. There is some truth in that. Repeated efforts at conquest by England failed in the endless Wars of Scottish
Independence, resulting in victory for Scotland in 1314 at Bannockbarn leading to the first Parliament in Scotland in 1326. The Highlands were not easily subdued (the Romans failed), even by an alliance of lowland Scots and English forces until 1746 at Culloden. The defeat was total and the savage aftermath ensured the Highlands would never rise again in resistance: mass executions of the leadership and transportation of warriors to the colonies; the legal suppression of the clan system, the tartan and the Gaelic tongue; stripping the entire population of arms. But the Highlands were never completely subdued until the Clearances, involving dispossession from the land and forced emigration to the colonies. Sheep with wool to feed the Industrial Revolution replaced humans on the land. The remaining population scratched out an existence as crofters, while providing a ready source of cannon fodder for the British military machine and cheap labour for the new factories in the south.
The conquest England failed to achieve by force of arms was finally achieved by stealth and bribery. The Acts of Union – passed in London in 1706 and in Edinburgh in 1707 – created Great Britain. There were violent popular demonstrations against the union in Scotland. Even the government's own spies reported 80 to 90 per cent of the population was deeply opposed. Nevertheless Scotland's Parliament approved the measure. This was a Parliament elected by far less than 5000 eligible voters (this is an 1832 figure; it would have been much lower in 1707; property qualifications for the vote were high) in a population of approximately 1.3 million. Immediately upon passage, martial law was imposed by a fearful ruling class. Later evidence revealed huge cash bribes were paid to Members of Parliament to secure a majority. This betrayal became a recurring theme in popular song and verse up to the present day.
Clearly, both nations husband many historical grievances within their collective psyches. Independence remains an alluring dream for both.
Two Opposing Visions
There are other similarities between the two referenda. The Yes and No echo similar themes to win the population.
The Yes campaign is positive, upbeat. An independent Scotland will see significant economic growth, more jobs, higher per capita incomes. The national project will be unfettered by the heavy hand of the central government. For this first time since Union, Scottish interests will come first. An independent Scotland will reject the cuts to the National Health Service (NHS), social programs, and pensions. (The devolved Scottish parliament has already sheltered Scots from the worst of the NHS cuts to prescription drugs and eldercare.) There will be no nuclear weapons on Scottish soil. The UK Trident nuclear submarine base will therefore have to go. The Scottish military will be small (hence freeing revenues for other social purposes), and troops will only be deployed in UN sanctioned engagements. SNP First Minister Salmond asks Scots to ignore the "scaremongering and fear-baiting" of the No campaign and to embrace a positive vision of an independent Scotland's future. The Yes side's economic arguments perhaps carry more weight than similar arguments in Quebec. Ninety per cent of the UK's North Sea oil lies in what will be Scottish territorial waters.
The No side admits they studied the 1995 Quebec referendum, adopting the same play book, dubbed by the SNP as "Project Fear." Independence will be followed by a seven year depression, massive unemployment, and cuts to health and social programs. UK civil servants in Scotland will receive pink slips. Scottish goods will face boycotts in the remaining UK. The national debt will be unsustainable. There will be no currency union. North Sea oil faces rapid depletion and will not provide the expected revenues. The banking system will be in crisis. An independent Scotland might not be welcome in the European Union (EU) and NATO. As one comedian put it, the only thing not included is the claim that motorists will be forced to drive on the right side of the road. There are also a few positive gestures from the No. UK Prime Minister David Cameron begged, "we want you to stay… the UK will be deeply diminished without Scotland." Further, he promised, a No vote would be followed by further devolution of significant powers.
The biggest difference is the Scottish No's fear campaign does not echo the hand-wringing hysteria of the No side in Quebec and Canada. There are no claims that a Yes victory would not result in negotiations. The vote would not be recognized by Ottawa and the rest of Canada. A simple majority is too low a bar, and could never be accepted. Therefore a Yes victory in 1995 would have created a major political crisis. In the Scottish case, the UK government and the Scottish Parliament have reached a clear agreement. If the referendum gains a simple majority for the Yes, then negotiations to effect the separation would commence immediately. Scots will enjoy dual citizenship. Negotiations will be tough but reasonable, respecting international precedents and law for peaceful roads to independence.
Herein lies some lessons for the next referendum in Quebec (yes, there will be one, it is inevitable). Quebec sovereigntists should adopt a clear, simple question like the one accepted by Scottish nationalists. And Ottawa and the provinces should agree that a simple majority provides a democratic mandate and will be followed by negotiations to effect the separation of Quebec. •
J. F. Conway teaches sociology at the University of Regina and author of The Rise of the New West: The History of a Region in Confederation , published in 2014.
International Relations, Social Movements • January 15, 2020
France at a Crossroads
Richard Greeman
International Relations • January 9, 2020
India's Democracy Is Facing an Existential Threat
Canada, International Relations • January 2, 2020
Canada, Israel and the UN Security Council
International Relations • December 27, 2019
The People of India Are Taking It to the Streets


Today, the KeyBank Business Boost & Build program, powered by JumpStart, awarded $110,000 to the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) in collaboration with two other Capital Region nonprofits, the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region (CLFCR) and Excelsior Growth Fund (EGF).
CEG is the Capital Region's chief economic development organization, working to help businesses interested in growing in, or moving to, the region. CLFCR and EGF are both Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that provide small business loans and business advisory services. Using this funding, these three organizations will join forces to launch a new collaborative designed to provide technical assistance and loans for minority and women owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and disadvantaged small businesses in the Capital Region.
As part of this collaborative project, CEG will hold and sponsor events and workshops for MWBEs and other disadvantaged businesses, while also providing select technical assistance for targeted companies. CLFCR will provide educational opportunities for startups and new small businesses while also providing microloans under $50,000. Meanwhile, EGF will offer its programming—including its Financial Management Training Series—to more developed businesses and will be the primary lender for larger loans ranging from $50,000–$500,000.
Today's event is the final of four organized over the last two weeks in cities throughout Upstate New York (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany) to announce funding to local organizations from the KeyBank Business Boost & Build program.
Funded by a grant from the KeyBank Foundation to JumpStart Inc. in 2017, the KeyBank Business Boost & Build program is designed to stimulate economic growth in Ohio and Upstate New York by helping startups and small businesses grow and preparing the workforce for the needs of those companies.
KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $137.0 billion at March 31, 2018. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,200 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region (CLFCR) is a non-profit community development financial institution (CDFI) serving the Capital Region of New York State: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington Counties. Incorporated in 1985, its mission is to promote sustainable community development efforts for economically underserved people and communities. CLFCR provides access to capital by pooling investments and donations from socially-concerned individuals and organizations, and re-lending it to non-profit organizations for affordable housing and community services, to micro-enterprises for business development, and to individuals for home ownership and repair. CLFCR also offers training and technical assistance programs.


Naturopathic medicine is a primary health care profession that focuses on prevention and uses natural methods to promote healing. By combining old philosophies of medicine with new diagnostic tools, naturopathic medicine offers additional options to the modern health care system.
Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) are general practitioners of natural health care who embrace a wide array of non-invasive techniques and therapies to create a preventive, restorative and individualized approach to health care. Some of these approaches are as basic as nutritional counseling or stress reduction, while others are more firmly planted in alternative medicine, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Botanical Medicine, and Homeopathy.
Act in co-operation with the healing powers of nature.
Identify and address the root causes of disease.
Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world. The term acupuncture refers to a group of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. The strategic insertion of needles under the skin is a method of balancing the body's energy to prevent or cure diseases or disorders. For instance, acupuncture can be used to treat pain, fatigue, digestive disturbances, anxiety, as well as to stimulate overall health.
(TCM) is a complete system of healing that developed in China more than 3,000 years ago. It's based on the idea that your health, like the universe at large, is subject to constant battling between opposing forces which manifest themselves in your body as too much or too little activity in particular organs. Any imbalance can cause a blockage in the flow of your qi (chee) or vital energy traveling through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. TCM practitioners typically use treatments such as acupuncture meditation, herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, deep tissue massage and herbs to help unblock your qi and bring your body back into harmony and wellness.
The history of both ancient and modern medicine finds its roots in the development of drugs from plants. For instance, Aspirin™ is derived from willow bark and morphine from the opium poppy. Modern Western herbalism leverages the positive effects of herbs on individual body systems: they can be administered as anti-inflammatories, haemostatics, expectorants, antispasmodics, and immuno-stimulators.
While Western pharmaceutical companies continue their large scale screening of herbs to uncover their potential for healing and supporting the body, Chinese herbalists continue to promote traditional principles of botanical medicine. They ascribe qualities to the herbs-such as "cooling" (yin) or "stimulating" (yang)-and use them, often in combination, according to the deficiencies or excesses of these qualities in the patient.
Homeopathic remedies are derived from various plants, minerals and animals. The word "homeopathy" comes from the Greek words "homeo" (meaning "similar") and "pathy" (meaning "suffering" or "disease"). Just as vaccines are small doses of the impotent form of the virus they will fight, homeopathic remedies are based on the notion of letting "likes be cured by likes." The healing response is stimulated by giving sick people extremely diluted forms of natural substances that would cause the same symptoms if administered to healthy people in larger doses.
Though it is perhaps the most complicated of the holistic therapies, it is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. It is natural, safe, non-addictive and extremely effective. Since this therapy is built on the understanding that symptoms are expressions of the body's attempt to heal itself, homeopathic remedies are designed to respond to the immune system's need to be supported rather than suppressed.
A well-balanced diet forms the basis of good health and provides your body with the nutrients it needs to heal. For this reason, nutritional counseling may be a keystone of your personalized treatment plan. Adopting a healthy diet is a natural first step towards correcting and preventing health problems. Your ND will work with you to create an individual plan with specific dietary recommendations to treat your condition. You may also be prescribed nutritional supplements to address deficiencies, assist the body in eliminating toxins, stimulate healing or address specific health concerns. These interventions result in fewer complications and side effects than some pharmaceutical treatments and are often more beneficial.
Lifestyle Counseling grows out of the notion that the prevention and/or treatment of chronic disease and poor health conditions should include lifestyle interventions, such as diet, exercise and stress management. This approach addresses the link between health concerns, lifestyle, event, thoughts and emotions, and provides recommendations, such as breathing and relaxation techniques and coping strategies.
Hydrotherapy is the use of water in the treatment of disease, by exploiting the body's reaction to sensations such as hot and cold stimuli, the protracted application of heat, and the pressure exerted by water. Therapies include hot baths, saunas, wraps and packs. Such treatments are fundamental to traditional medical practices in China, Japan, Rome and Native North America.
Generally, hot water treatments quiet the body by slowing down the activity of internal organs, while cold water treatments invigorate the body by increasing internal activity. Nerves carry hydrotherapy impulses from the skin deep into the body, where they stimulate the immune system, slow the production of stress hormones, invigorate the circulation and digestion, encourage blood flow, and reduce pain sensitivity.
Physical medicine is the use of physical measures in the treatment of disease or injury. These include therapeutic exercise, soft tissue massage, and joint mobilization and immobilization techniques. Incorporating light and laser therapy, lymphatic drainage techniques and assisted stretching, this system of body work is based on the concept of allowing the body to heal itself by treating structural problems like muscle spasm, curvature of the spine and bad posture.
The Ottawa Integrative Health Centre that we require 48 hours notice for the cancellation or re-scheduling of appointments. Failure to do so will result in a charge of 50% for the missed appointment. We thank you for your compliance with our clinic policies.
For more information about fees related to services, packages, laboratory tests, or intravenous therapies please contact the OIHC by phone or email.


Molly was born October 2002. She joined our family the day before Thanksgiving of that year. Molly is an AKC Champion and of course was fully health tested before ever being bred. Molly is an exceptional example of the breed in every way. Molly is the only Dam in the breed to have produced multiple Best In Show winners! Her outstanding accomplishments in the whelping box have been the foundation of our success here at Bellatak Havanese.
Molly is now retired and living a life of luxury in our home. She trained us well!!!
Sadly Molly passed away suddenly in her sleep without any sign of illness or issues on December 5, 2015.
We miss her greatly, she will forever be our Diva!


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Legal – Below you will find the legal information and reports pertaining to Stichting The Grey Space in the Middle.
Jaarrekening 2020 (in Dutch)
Bestuursverslag 2020 (in Dutch)
Statuary Information
Stichting The Grey Space in the Middle
Paviljoensgracht 20
2512 BP, The Hague, The Netherlands
CoC (KvK): 68089767
The Grey Space endorses the Code Diversity & Inclusion, an "instrument of self-regulation that serves to ensure that the Dutch cultural and creative sector represents the broad diversity of Dutch society. A basic requirement is that the sector is equally accessible to everyone: from creators and producers to workers and audience members. The sector will only be owned by everyone when everyone can contribute in their own way, when everyone is valued, respected, and heard, and when everyone feels at home in the sector."
The Grey Space endorses the Fair Practice Code. The Grey Space has its own salary house for permanent and freelance employees and ais to follow the guidelines of the Fair Practice Code and De Zaak Nu. The Grey Space strives to pay all presented artists and makers (equally if possible) and we ask our collaborators for the guest program to also follow this principle. The Grey Space strives to offer ideal working conditions for makers, in which The Grey Space is a project facilitator, co-producer and artistic collaborator. We support artists' development to the best of our abilities and means available. Where applicable we follow the guideline for artists' fees by BKNL.
The Grey Space endorses the Cultural Governance Code. The supervisory board of The Grey Space does not receive any compensation.
The Grey Space processes personal data to provide its services. The privacy policy describes how we gather, process and use this information. The privacy policy will soon be published here.
Here you can find the general conditions which apply when you use the space as a third party.
General Conditions (in Dutch)