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People's Thoughts on Stuff
By Simon Jimenez
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
-Margery Williams (The Velveteen Rabbit)
The pen made a warbled noise as I signed my name on his cast. It was a fine red ink smudge, with the first letters in my name in big curves, just so his eyes would go to mine first whenever he looked down.
The hospital room he resided reflected the colors of all the flowers he had gotten off its pasty white walls. Balloons bounced of the ceiling and circulated the room, all of them screaming GET WELL SOON in blue bubbly letters.
"Somebody's popular." I observed. "If I was in the hospital, all I'd get is a couple of matchboxes."
"Which are very useful," he insisted. "I could only be so lucky. No, instead I have to be liked by the thousands. I lead a cursed life."
We talked for hours. I never blinked once. Odd how even though I knew him for so long, I still felt the need to put myself down in order to make the mood less awkward. I hated myself when I did that, even more so when he laughed.
But it did put him at ease, which made our conversation lead to uncharted territories, starting with me.
"I hear you and Jackie broke up," I said.
He looked away. "Yeah..."
"It's funny... you guys were like, I dunno, Beavis and Butthead. What happened?"
He sighed, speaking in a voice that was uncharacteristically silent and withdrawn. "It turns out that Jackie wasn't looking for anything serious." He fiddled with his fingers. "And it also happens to turn out that I..."
"...was" I finished.
"Unrequited love sucks."
"Tell me about it." I blurted.
How do you mean?" He asked.
I didn't reply. I opted for a smooth subject change. "How did you hurt yourself? All people tell me is that you broke your shin."
He gave me a strange expression for an uncomfortable while, then shrugged. "Stress fracture."
"Running?" I looked at him lopsided. "That sucks. You love running."
"Is it true, that it was during your big race?"
Thinking about it, I'd never seen him run before. I heard stories about him, how fast he could go, but that was as far as my knowledge about him actually extended, which made him an enigma of sorts in my eye, and a hell of a lot more interesting.
I asked him anyway. "How do you run?"
He laughed. "What do you mean?"
"You know... how do you run?"
He grinned a fool's grin, and looked up at the ceiling, rubbing his hand roughly against his neck. I watched his smile search for an answer, then turn to answer me.
"I go quickly, until the sweat begins to bead down my temple, sometimes leading into my ears, or down my neck. I run until I can feel my shirt stick to my chest. With each step... it's like, I feel the adrenaline rising, my blood surging faster, like pistons on a train. I love the feeling of pushing myself, until it's like I'm flying, like I am no longer chained to the ground." He breathed. "The one time in my day where I can escape, is when I run."
I blinked. "Why do you want to escape?"
He patted his cast. "Because they never give me a chance." He gave out a defeated chuckle, rubbing his eyes with his palm. "...never give me a chance..."
That was all I could say. What more was there?
We talked for a little bit more, about random topics, revolving around school, college, shallow stuff. I felt as though a lasso had been yanked on the comfortable air, leaving me shivering in my skin. I had suddenly become very afraid of him.
What scared me the most was that I didn't know why.
"See you." I left quickly.
I'm willing to bet that I left him confused, and a little cold. He got over it quick, though. All he could think about as he looked out the window was getting back on that track and run, to feel the tar beneath his feet.
A breeze greeted me as I stepped outside of the hospital. I looked around, viewing the empty parking lot. I shook my head. I ground my shoes into the cement sidewalk, and ran. I ran all the way home. I smiled with a thought; that if I practiced enough, I could run fast enough to catch up with him, and see what it's like up there among the clouds.
Jonathan the Loser
The moon was radiant. I could feel the love waves pulsate through the neighborhood. Yep, there was no doubt about it. Love was in the air.
It was Valentine's Day night, if that makes any sense. Couples everywhere made sweet, hot, passionate love in their cars, their bedroom, the kitchen, the restaurant bathroom, in school, on rooftops, in all bodies of water, in an airplane, and yes, even during repeats of Seinfeld.
Yet, while everyone had their own person to be having wild dirty sex, I was left alone in my room, flipping through random magazines, looking at shots of models I wished I could go out with. I'd stop once in a while, and imagine what it'd be like to walk into school with one of those on my arm. Then I wouldn't feel so crappy during Valentine's Day, maybe...
But that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon, and I knew that better than anyone else. Even my dad knew it. Once in a while, he'd put down his newspaper and say, "Don't worry, Jonathan. There's a person out there for all of us. You'll find yours. Eventually." He sounded so…. condescending when he said it, so I'd respond with, "Oh, like how you found mom?" That shut him up with no fail. I didn't mind using divorce as an insult when I was angry.
It was just annoying, all this pressure to "be with" someone for Valentine's Day. All my friends ask who I'm interested in, who I want to ask out, who I want to fuck. Normally, I'd just block those conversations out, thinking about something completely different, like what I want to eat when I get home. At the same time, though, the peer pressures weighed down on me, and the urge to be with someone for Valentine's Day was stronger than ever.
It was too late, though.
Feeling crappy about just staying in home, flipping through what will never be, I got up and decided to go for a walk, thinking that would take my mind off things.
The air was surprisingly cold, causing goose bumps to run up my spine. I guess this was true February weather. The moon was a perfect white sphere. Perfect for all those lovers out there. I hated all those lovers.
I started my walk through the neighborhood. Glowing streetlights curved into open curves out toward the wet road. Every once in a while, I'd walk past a car shaking up and down, followed by a couple moans. Those just made me feel even crappier. I kicked one of the cars, making someone curse. I ran away.
I ran until I reached the neighborhood park. A wing set, a bench, jungle gym, slippy slide. No one in sight. Perfect. I found myself sitting upon the rubber bucket of a swing set.
When I was eight, I used to love riding on this old thing. Up down, up down. Nobody could beat my height. Legs in, out, momentum forward, then out again. Nobody could go further than me.
Now, though, nobody cared. Swings were big years ago. My momentum had run dry somewhere in between.
Yet, something about tonight made me wistful of "back then". I lifted my feet, and pushed forward, allowing the swing to creak back and forth, my body carried by the light starting momentum. I smiled as familiar memories of me racing my friends came rushing forth as sure as the wind came rushing through my hair, as soon enough, I became a plane once more, the swing my propeller.
Higher, higher, I got closer to the stars with each push of air my feet managed. Loud creaks echoed off the empty benches and hallowed playground. The dizzying heights brought forth more memories.
I thought of mom.
"You ready, Jonathan?"
Only seven years old, I sat on the same rubber bucket, holding onto my mothers' hands as she gripped the two parallel chains holding me off the ground. It was my first time, and I was scared shitless.
I shook my head. Of course I wasn't ready.
"Well, don't worry. I'll hold on as long as you need me." She rubbed my shoulder. "I'm right behind you." My dad used that line on me with my first bike a year ago. I broke my leg. "I promise."
I let go of her hands, allowing her strength to lead the swing measured distances. My eyes stayed on her the entire time, making sure that she would never leave. All she did was offer a smile, as she gave me this advice, "C'mon, Jonathan. You have to start moving your legs. You won't get anywhere, otherwise."
This course of action would force me to turn my head, which I really didn't want to do. But then again, my life at that time revolved around pleasing my mom. I moved my legs.
At first, I attempted simple kicks, or as much as my body would allow with my head constantly checking back on mom. Eventually though, I stopped looking back, and began to make calculated shifts in weight, feeling the momentum in my body. The kicks became leaps.
Soon, I forgot my mom was behind me, as I went higher and higher above the ground. I was leaving the world where people teased my weight, leaving the world of dad yelling over spilt milk, leaving the bad times and entering that brave new world.
"That's it, Johnny! You see? You only needed yourself!"
That scream of joy belonged to my mother, but it sounded so far away, an echo bouncing off canyon walls. I looked back, and she wasn't there. I stopped the swing with my seventeen-year-old feet, and looked around.
She was gone.
I sighed, getting up from my seat, and looking back at the moon. A cloud had begun to cover its edges, blurring the once white outline into oval fuzz. I rubbed my eyes, wiping the damp away with my sleeve.
Alone I stood in the park, next to the empty swings, blank benches and streetlights. The wind turned bitter, nipping at my ears like a swarm of wasps. I shivered, and turned back home, each step taken by me, and for me, all the way past the drunken lovers and lonely hearts.
The waves creased and folded over the white sands of Tyche beach. Seagulls fluttered and squawked on abandoned beach chairs, huts, and sun umbrellas. What the brochures claimed as a place worthy of God's dreams was in reality a lonely place, devoid of human contact, voice, or warmth. The typhoons made sure of that. Only a sole figure braved the odds, and stood at the edge of sand and water, peering far off into the distance; a horizon of clear water speckled with stars of light.
The figure –April- wasn't looking out into infinity for purposes of introspection -as most characters in movies do when baring their soul- but rather in curious inspection. A sharp glimmer of light, the unnatural glassy kind, floated out in the distance. With deliberate sweeping movements it made its way to her position.
A bottle.
Thoughts of romantic messages stuffed in cola bottles from mysterious sexy Europeans flooded her mind. When she was still a young girl, April dreamed of being whisked off her feet by utterly romantic circumstance, taken away from this dreary life she called home. But April laughed, knowing full well her mother would smack her upside the head for such pointless notions. Like she always said, "If you don't think smart, don't bother 'tall and take out the trash."
The glass oblong bottle hit the shore with a soft thud. April twisted the cap off, summoned its contents with a tap against her palm, and out fell a rolled up piece of paper, brown, ugly and old. She frowned. If it was a love letter, the sender had to be at least a hundred years old by now.
Her small fingers slowly unraveled the cryptic parchment, and small words of ink and old cursive revealed themselves.
I am the sea. Ask one question, and I shall answer.
How odd, she thought.
April brought the bottle home to her family. Her little brother, Jesse, wanted to ask if the sea knew he peed in it when he couldn't find a bathroom. Uncle Tim said that unless the sea could replace the broken radio which got destroyed by its damn high tide, he had nil interest in asking for favors. Father said that she should consider all possibilities before sending out a question, as this was a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity. After chuckling to himself, he added that she should ask which stocks he should invest in. Mother chased her out the kitchen with a ladle. It was time to take out the trash.
For days, April thought about the letter, and what she should ask the sea. Her friend, Davy Thompson, told her to ask who she'll be married to in the future- not before giving her a casual wink. April found it much harder to concentrate in class, since all her thoughts were enveloped around the dried parchment which sat on her bedroom bureau. She was given a gift, a gift of knowledge on whatever she decided- Knowledge from a being which has been around for far longer time than any of these teachers. What did the teachers know? This made April's decision all the harder. Her one question had to matter.
One windy Thursday, April found her question. A substitute teacher was taking over for Mr. Fitz's English class. Instead of giving April and her classmates the normal busy work, he decided to perform an 'experimental enrichment activity', or so he said with his unusual lisp. He asked everyone to answer one question on a sheet of paper, to which they groaned and complied.
"Who am I? That is the question each of you shall ask yourself. Write whatever you think is best."
April had no clue what to write. She looked at the papers around her. Some wrote their names, others their favorite sports teams. Davy Thompson wrote April Sommers' future husband, and even announced his big plans to the class, to which she rolled her eyes. She didn't want to write a throwaway answer; she had a strange desire to come up with the best response possible. But no matter how deep she dug within herself to find an answer, none were to be found.
"Well, April," the substitute suggested, "what do you see yourself as?"
Easy. "A person."
"Okay. But do you think that defines April Sommers?"
The substitute shrugged. "Then there's your answer."
But April wasn't satisfied. That couldn't be all there was to it. The definition of April couldn't be that prosaic, right? Late that same night, she sat under her desk lamp in front of a blank sheet of paper, pencil ready in hand. She had planned to write what she knew about... well, herself. But nothing came to mind, just like before with the substitute.
She thought about asking the sea for her answer, but decided against it, resolutely so. She wanted to come up with an answer herself.
Who is April Sommers, she thought. She is a girl. But what defines her? The red ponytail cascading down her back? The fair skinned face she recognized as 'herself'? Her perpetual annoyance toward Davy Thompson's come-ons? No. These weren't unique to her. Others had traits of her physical appearance- hell, people tell her all the time she's the spitting image of her mother. Her feelings toward the world weren't unique. She was sure others hated Davy just as much as she did. Did the answer lie in her name? No… the name was nothing but conditioning of the brain for her to react to those often yelled syllables: Ap-Ril. Then what was unique to her? Was she just so average that any other red haired girl could take her place in her family?
Not a pleasant thought.
As the school year progressed, the parchment from the sea became hidden behind piles of worksheets and textbooks. April found school to be getting the upper hand in the battle for her sanity, especially with the Biology project recently assigned. Normally, April would take all this work in stride, as she was good with handling multiple assignments at once, but this time was different. This time, she had a partner, and that partner happened to be the one and only Ryan Kaplan, the boy whose face could elicit drools from a church wife, or so they say. Suffice to say, he was popular, and April was supposed to meet him at his house on Friday night to work on the big project.
The fact that Friday night was the unofficial date night of Evans High did not slip by April unnoticed.
Her mother and father were high school sweethearts. Apparently on their first date, they simply knew it was meant to be. Whether it was the greased up popcorn and old cola messing with their bowels, or the broken air conditioner in the theater, they felt something close enough to nausea to be called 'true love'. April realized she wanted this. The connection.
April was unfamiliar with the world of make-up. She messed up the lipstick a couple times, and applied the blush hard enough to be considered blotchy, but with an hour of practice and many rinses, she got the hang of it. Her reflection did not reflect the mousy little girl in family pictures; the one with untrained hair and who bore into you with casual eyes. Someone else stared back at her, a stranger unwelcome in her home.
Her fingers touched her mirror-self. "Who am I?"
She rang Ryan Kaplan's bell twice –twitch finger- and waited, nervously sidestepping every few seconds. The door opened, and there he was, windswept bangs, muscular jaw and all. She started to drool until he asked her, "Where are your books?"
Silently, she cursed everything in the world. "I can't believe I forgot them…"
Ryan wore a bemused smile. She started shifting uncomfortably. "Well, I suppose we could pick them up," he said. "Gotta drive Kristen home, anyway."
April soon discovered that not only was Kristen gorgeous, tenfold more than her, but that she was also Ryan's girlfriend- which was made painfully obvious as they arrived in front of beautiful Kristen's beautiful home, her beautiful lips on Ryan's in loving goodbye. April felt nauseous- not the true love kind- so she looked out the window until Kristen left, almost not noticing that Ryan's girlfriend was saying goodbye to her until Ryan himself brought it to her attention.
"Bye." April replied as if chewing on something sour.
The door closed. Ryan watched his girl walk all the way into her house before he said, "Sorry about that. Completely forgot we were supposed to meet."
He didn't sound sorry. "Oh," was all April said.
"Where do you live?"
"Southside, couple blocks down from Roland Park."
"Do you want to sit up here?"
Ryan shrugged and started the car. One thing April noticed during her starved depression was that Ryan drove really fast, never using his turn light to signal changing lanes. Through the rear view mirror, she saw his eyes, focused and controlled, looking at whatever necessary for him to look at, almost as if trying to block out her hostility. April sighed. Tonight wasn't a date by any stretch of the imagination. She was acting stupid.
Ryan's first reaction to April climbing into the front seat as he was moving full speed down the highway was to honk his horn, which started a chain of honking down the road. "Careful," he said. She plopped in her seat, snapped on a seat belt, and looked right at Ryan Kaplan's silhouette as it faded in and out against the neon lights of the city. They sat there in silence until April gathered enough remains of courage to talk.
"Who are you?"
A chuckle. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." She sighed. "Who are you?"
"Can't really say." Ryan glanced at her, and smiled. "What gives me the honor of being stumped by your question?"
Now that was something she wanted to ask the substitute teacher. "Don't know. I've just been thinking about it for a while, and I can't find an answer, which bugs the crap out of me. 'Who am I?'" She scoffed. "Do you ever think about this kind of stuff?"
The car took a left turn, swiftly evading a pedestrian. "Sure. But, to tell you truthful, I don't think your question makes much sense, no offense."
"None taken. Why do you say that?"
Ryan squinted and scratched his head, thinking of the proper way to put together his words in a way someone other than he would understand. "Remember in Biology a couple days ago, when Mr. Moore told us that human DNA and monkey DNA are 98% identical? Well, all humans have the same DNA, so really, we're all just the same copies, but different variations, labels."
"You make it sound like we're processed in a factory."
"Well, it is kind of like that, with school, TV, advertisements, all that shit. But my point is," The car made an abrupt break at a red light. He faced her. "If we're all practically the same, the only thing that separates me from you or anybody else is the experiences we live through. Nobody can say that they almost drowned in Apollo Lake at the exact same spot, time and feeling of it all. That experience is mine alone."
The red light flickered green, and April burst out laughing. Ryan was confused, and asked her what was up. "Nothing… it's just, I never figured you for the whole philosophical type. It's nice to know that you got some brains wrapped under that sexy face."
"You think I'm sexy?"
"Everyone thinks that, Ryan. You know that."
He probably did, the way he was smiling. But that smile slowly faded, and he glanced at April. "By the way you're put together, I'd say you were expecting more than just Biology tonight." April blushed. "Don't be embarrassed. Most girls do this whenever we're paired for a project. Hell, it's how I met Kristen." April rolled her eyes. "But none of the other girls sure as hell were smart as you. You get first place for that."
"Yay." said April, as if she were a drunken cheerleader.
They said nothing more. April stared out the window, at the passing city bridge billboards, which floated in the sky like monoliths from God. Larger than life people smiled back, beckoning her to try their new toothpaste. Who were these people? Nothing more than actors and models trying to make a living. They could be the most miserable people on Earth, for all she knew. But in that flash second the photographer counted to 'three', they were the happiest people she knew, or at least seemed happy, which to her was as good as it gets.
She looked back at Ryan, whose eyes were trained on the road ahead. He wasn't smiling, but for some reason, she knew he was happy.
The car rolled up to April's driveway. Ryan turned off the engine and unlocked the doors. "Here we are."
"Listen," April started. "Do you think we could-"
"Reschedule?" He shrugged and smiled. "Sure."
The car left. April made a hot bath and soaked for the next hour. Ryan's words tumbled through her brain. Nothing but our experiences defines us? That seemed wrong, and it probably was, but she liked the sound of it. Made her happy for some strange, inexplicable reason. She fell asleep in the tub, only to be awoken by sharp knocks on the door.
"Time to take out the trash."
Mother said.
Tyche beach was as empty as it was before. The seagulls still called the beach chairs and huts home. The sun shimmered against the water with the same spectral glow. The only thing different from April's previous visit was the direction in which the bottle traversed, further and further toward the infinite sun. Her question was now out there, but if no answer came, she wouldn't be surprised.
"Who are you?" The black cursive ink asked the sea as it made its way to the center of oblivion.
The Robot
Jem had no heart.
Beneath the wires and metal slabs that composed his ramshackle robot body, all that would beat was the pulse of a finely tuned computer, keeping him not alive, but operating.
Often, Jem would look out the wide master bedroom window and down at the kids in the playground who were around the age he was built to resemble, and he would feel something close to sadness, but not quite. Even he knew that the electronic signals from a CPU was nothing compared to a real, beating heart.
Not surprisingly, his favorite movie was The Wizard of Oz, with Pinocchio in close second. He would feel something close to hope when the tin man was told he had a heart all along, and when Pinocchio became a real boy. Jem was not real, and he knew blue fairies did not exist, not matter how many times he may pray alone at night under the sole comfort of a dim flashlight.
To occupy his days, Jem wandered the halls of the now abandoned mansion, only occasionally glancing at the giant portraits of his many former masters. Most were cruel, some indifferent, only one close to kind. But not quite. It was an unusual type of kind, one that Jem did not like, so he did his best to forget.
In the dusty mirrors, Jem stared at himself, the tin boy missing an eye and ear, whose bolts were coming undone by the year. He used to feel something close to fear when he first noticed he was breaking down…but not anymore. Now, he was just lonely, rusting, and waiting for his power cell to run dry.
The rules were he could never leave, and he never did. For five hundred years, he waited, watching the sun go up, and down, and up again, feeling the dust slowly overtake his body like a death veil rising on the breeze.
His sight was the first to go, the ocular charger in his skull burnt out.
His hearing was second, the aural lining in his head faded and old.
On the five hundredth year, Jem lay back against the bed, and remembered what the almost kind master whispered into his almost real ear the last night he was there.
"You're real and I love you," said the man. "I love you so much." His hand then did things Jem did not like, so Jem did his best to forget...but this time he could not, and as the computer in his body began to dial down, and as the world began to blur in a most unusual way, Jem cried for the first time. What came out of his eyes was oil, not tears, but he wept all the same.
"As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart." Said the broken down television in the next room. "You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."
Jem sobbed.
The wizard smiled. "A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."
Jem realized he did have a heart all along, and now it was broken. He prayed to the blue fairy to come and take it away, but she never did, because there was no such thing as blue fairies or magical wizards. There was nothing at all, for Jem's existence was ending, and all he could remember was how much the man loved him, and how much that love could never be returned, for robot boys do not love.
My mom finally died. I don't mean for it to sound like I'm happy about it. I'm just numb. I was right there when that beeper thing stopped... beeping. Her chest stopped rising, instead sinking further down into her ribbed body. She looked peaceful when it happened. I guess that's the most anyone could ask for when someone close dies. I didn't cry. I couldn't. I could see it all happening, I knew she was circling the drain, so I can't really blame it on shock.
Edith Moore was a good woman. A good widow, a good mother, a good Christian. She prayed many times a day once she found out her expected expiration date, as if she thought she could save her soul from paying for her life of indulgences by acting all pious. I didn't buy it, but hey, whatever made her happy.
If there's one thing I'll remember about Edith, mom, it'll be her eyes. Big blue oceans stuck in two wide white marbles, an oasis among the wrinkles of her sandy features. Many thought she was beautiful, but I didn't see it. I only saw her eyes, always mournful, mysterious, with a look that stings, no matter the occasion... I got my dad's brown eyes. Boring expressionless brown.
Dad. Where is he now? Would he care about mom's 'fate'? I'd like to think he would. Even among the numerous bad memories, there are speckles of good thoughts of their past together. Like when they gardened together, all their problems were forgotten, every Sunday. I'd help them ready the earth for new seeds to be planted. I had no idea what I was doing, and still don't, but mom and dad did.
It's unfortunate that gardening was all that they had going for them.
Sometimes I wonder if there was anything I could've done to stop Him from walking away. All he said was "see ya" before he walked out with his big black suitcase. My mom didn't cry, not after she heard the news of his absence, not when she heard that he remarried. At least, I never saw any tears.
I talked to Gabby a week before the death. I wonder sometimes where I'd be without her. I only knew her for a month, but she's helped me stay solid through this whole thing. I think I'm going to ask her out. The conversation we last had has been playing and replaying in my mind for days.
I asked her what her mom was like.
"Like a big teddy bear."
I smiled.
"What was the first present you remember your mom giving you?" She asked.
A bag of seeds, I told her. Lilac seeds.
"I'm guessing you were expecting more?"
No, I never did. She was always into nature stuff. But those lilac seeds... we planted them together, in our front yard. It was November. They never grew, even though we worked so hard, watering, checking up on them every morning. She kept telling me 'Don't worry, someday they'll grow.' By then, though, I stopped listening to her.... I just turned up the volume on my iPod until I was out of high school.
Gabby stared at me for a good solid minute until she spoke again.
"Lilacs grow in the spring, Toby."
Maybe the reason I'm not as sad as people say I should be is that her death put a lot of thoughts in perspective for me. For instance, when I was leaving the hospital, I saw a painter out in the fields, with a completely blank canvas. He had so many colors on his palette, so many subjects to paint, but he didn't have a clue where to begin.
I feel like her death is like yet another blank canvas in my heart now, the frame of reference always there, but left for someone else to fill with their own colors.
People come and go in life, changing us forever. My mom made me who I am today. My Dad helped. She'll always be the frame to my heart, where others will paint their own influences from their moms, until we create one unified painting, one of hearts joined together, in mourning and remembrance of spring lilacs and wonderful love.
Here's to life and the seeds we tend.


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subset: commoncrawl


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In this silliest of political silly seasons, take a gander at what the media thinks we care about (or maybe we really do care about them). (from Glenn Greenwald at Salon via the excellent Crooks and Liars):
In the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential lawbreaking. It was revealed that the Bush administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S. The U.S. Attorney General appears to have fabricated a key event leading to the 9/11 attacks and made patently false statements about surveillance laws and related lawsuits. Barack Obama went bowling in Pennsylvania and had a low score.
Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:
"Yoo and torture" – 102
"Mukasey and 9/11″ — 73
"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" — 16
"Obama and bowling" — 1,043
"Obama and Wright" — More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)
"Obama and patriotism" – 1,607
"Clinton and Lewinsky" — 1,079


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Jim M. may think so and for him it was The End long time ago. But I'm not closing The Doors yet. What happens after I'm back in NL? Well, the story and blog continues. I might not be experiencing new African adventures. But for sure I still have a lot of unshared stories, adventures, observations and encounters to share. Not to forget tons of photos and even YouTube videos.
So do come back and keep on reading. I also do requests ;-)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Day 72: This is the End?
Posted by Schaapmans at 8:44 AM
Labels: Africa, City:Arusha, Day72, InternetAndTechnology, Tanzania
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text:
A module of the Integrated Virtual Operation (IVO) Systems
It's critical to stay up to date on equipment hour meters and maintenance. Your mechanics need to be able to access work orders and PMs, whether they're in the shop or out in the field.
MaintainVO keeps you informed of upcoming maintenance your team needs to complete.
You can review and update equipment hour meters from anywhere in MaintainVO and other modules. In addition, machine-specific information is easily reviewable with detailed reports and records.
Mechanics can easily create and complete PM's and work orders. You can set priorities for your work orders to fit your operations. This keeps all your maintenance information in one accessible spot for easy review and updates.
MaintainVO allows you to also manage parts lists, specifications, and more. Your team will have access to all the accurate information for that specific machine with just a few clicks.
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Find out if MaintainVO is right for you on a 20 minute demo using the button below.
Other IVO Systems Modules-
- MaintainVO
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In Madhya Pradesh, the government has launched an outstanding power bill waiver scheme and subsidised power scheme 'Sambal' for labourers and poor families. Under the scheme, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a cost of 200 rupees per month.
As per information received, the objective of this scheme to make sure that all the households have power facility in the state.
One crore 83 lakh workers registered under Sambal Yojana in the state till now. Under this scheme, outstanding electricity bill worth five thousand 179 crores rupees is to be waived off. Under the subsidised power segment of this scheme, registered labourers of the unorganised sector and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a cost of 200 rupees per month while Power connection would be provided free of cost to the beneficiaries. Official release said that in case the bill is lower than 200 rupees, the beneficiary will have to pay the actual bill amount and if the bill amount crossing 200 rupees , then the difference amount would be subsidised by the state government.


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Our product range includes; sheepskin slippers, moccasins, sheepskin boots, sheepskin seat covers, baby rugs and a large range of children's slippers including baby baby crochet bootees, for those precious new feet. We pride ourselves on quality and that's why we do the whole process ourselves. From tanning through to manufacturing it's all done onsite, in our factory run by local employees.We also offer our very own designed Snuggle Feet, which you will only find made by us. This indoor slipper style is instantly adored by all who are lucky enough to wear them! Sheepskin is nurturing and cosy so that's why we developed our Infant Care Rugs. These specially treated rugs have the sanitised trade mark, ensuring they are safe for all ages. These make the perfect gift for new parents and are always highly appreciated. If you would like something rather unique our custom made rug service is ideal. We can make sheepskin rugs in any shape or size. Our biggest rug so far included over 80 sheepskins. So, have a look around and find something unique, knowing it's of the highest quality and carries the New Zealand made sticker. Any questions drop us a line or give us a call, we are always willing to help. You can read more about us here or learn about our source here.
Relax and unwind sinking into the soft natural fibres of sheepskin. Naturally hypoallergenic and a great insulator for both sound and warmth, sheepskins are not only cosy and luxurious but also offer great features to consider when furnishing any home. Resistant to flame and static electricity large area rugs such as the natural shaped Octo or Rectangle Rug make perfect feature pieces in any home.
Experience the difference that sheepskin makes being the first thing you touch in the morning as you climb out of bed. Add warmth to wooden or carpet floors and take joy in starting your day on natural New Zealand sheepskin. Double Rugs are perfect running down the side of the bed or even draped over the base on cooler nights. Sheepskin fibres bounce back brilliantly so make great play rugs for kid's bedrooms or cosy reading spots thrown over chairs in a sunny spot.
Bring the feeling of Hygge to the dinner table with relaxed sheepskin draped over dinning chairs providing comfort and protection. The fine woollen fibres of sheepskin distribute weight evenly preventing pressure points allowing you to sit more comfortably for longer enjoying good company and good wine. Stool Covers and Cushions are a fun easy way to add your own unique style to the kitchen and keeps the mood flowing throughout.


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The Ghost Sonata
Play Description
Ghosts drift through Strindberg's haunted and haunting dreamscape where a student idealizes the inhabitants of a stylish Stockholm apartment building, only to discover that their lives, perhaps even life itself, may be a kind of hell from which salvation can only be achieved through suffering.
Production InfoCast: 14 total (7 female, 7 male, bit parts)
Full Length Drama (about 90 minutes)
Single Set
Period Costumes
- Reviews
- About the Author(s)
- About the Book
- Special Notes
Press Quotes
"A fairy-tale or fantasy-tale in the present with modern houses." —August Strindberg
"For all the heterodoxy of style and the fantasy of the action, the play is simple in structure and straightforward in its symbolism. The three compact scenes constitute a statement, a counter-statement, and a conclusion." —Eric Bentley
"A momentary glimpse of the world through the eyes of madness." —Maurice Valency
"House of life, death, torment, and desire; the house of troubled shades, a place familiar in great myths as the underworld, the perils of what a hero must face and overcome. All these associations and more envelop the house in THE GHOST SONATA." —Harry G Carlson
Book Information
|Publication Date
Special Notes
If original stage producers credits appear in bold below, all licensees are required to include them in the following form on the title page in all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play and in all advertising in which the full cast appears in size of type not less than ten percent (10%) of the size of the title of the Play:
In addition, the following must appear within all programs distributed in connection with performances of the Play:
by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC


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Bishop Ricken to host Prayer Service for Healing Apr. 10 and Apr. 11
GREEN BAY, Wis. (Mar. 28, 2019) – Bishop David Ricken will preside at two "Prayer Services for Healing" for all those in need of healing from the Church, especially people affected by sexual abuse. They will take place Wednesday, April 10, at St. Anthony Parish in Tigerton and Thursday, April 11, at St. Matthew Parish in Green Bay. Both services begin at 6:30 p.m.
"This is a way for us to say to the Lord and to you that we acknowledge the hurt that has been caused," said Bishop David L. Ricken. "We know this kind of trauma causes deep emotional wounds, and when sexual abuse happens within the Church, it also causes spiritual wounds that some people struggle with every day, especially people who were harmed as children. My hope is that this prayer service leads to deeper and deeper healing for you."
Held during April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month, these healing prayer services are intended for all those in need of healing from the Church and for others to come together as members of the Church to pray for those in need of healing. All are invited, including survivors of sexual abuse, friends and family members of survivors, and other caring persons.
"The prayer service is meant to recognize the reality of the hurt and harm that has been caused by some in the Church and to pray for healing for those harmed and for healing for the Church," said Deacon Dan Wagnitz, safe environment coordinator for the Diocese of Green Bay. "Past healing services have empowered some people to come forward and share their painful experiences and to take steps in the journey of healing. We hope that people are able to continue to do so." For additional information, please visit
Who We Are
As friends and followers of Jesus, the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay is devoted to fostering households and communities of discipleship through the mission and ministry of the Catholic Church. We are missionary disciples striving to lead all people to the Kingdom of God. Established in 1868, the diocese is composed of 324,000 Catholics in 16 counties: Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.
Justine Lodl
Director of Communications
Phone: (920) 272-8213
Sarah Bradford
Communications Coordinator
Phone: (920) 272-8209


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One of the things I've come to realize in recent years is that institutions exist that constitute a kind of world government.
I always thought that for a world government to exist, it would have to have its own army. But the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the investor-state dispute settlement judges in international trade agreements don't need armies to enforce their—unless you consider the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to be their army.
I just finished reading THE POORER NATIONS: A Possible History of the Global South (2012) by Vijay Prashad, which is about how international institutions came into being to fight nationalistic governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America—the Third World.
These international institutions are greatly from the world government envisioned by the idealists who created the United Nations.
I'm worried about how the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement and other proposed trade agreements would create rules to protect international corporations and investors against national laws to protect labor, public health and the environment. But for Third World nations, as Prashad showed, this is nothing new.
The first section of Prashad's book is about what he called the demise of North Atlantic liberalism.
Robert McNamara, as president of the World Bank, genuinely wished to improve the lives of peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America. He sponsored the Brandt Report, a comprehensive plan to help them rise out of underdevelopment.
At the same time the Non-Alligned Movement, representing Third World countries, submitted a plan to the United Nations General Assembly called the New International Economic Order "with the basic objective of securing better conditions of social justice."
Western leaders such as Henry Kissinger saw this as a threat, and led a counter-attack, which proved successful. In 1975, he called the first meeting of the leaders of the G-7 (USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) to plan a common economic strategy.
Kissinger feared the emergence of OPEC-like cartels for other commodities, and averted this by driving a wedge between the oil producers and the Third World nations without oil resources.
The G-7 gained control of international financial institutions and specialized United Nations agencies, creating a kind of OPEC of money and credit
They called for poor nations to prioritize economic growth and debt repayment over investment in education, public health and human development, with economic growth being defined in terms of exports of commodities.
The second section is about the step-by-step retreat of the Third World in the face of this new force. The poorer nations depended on banks and international financial agencies for credit and their leaders felt they had no choice but to submit. The result was lower wages, higher prices and a general decline in living standards through the 1980s and 1990s.
Much of the material for this section comes from the newly-tapped archives of the South Commission, an international organization tasked with producing alternatives to the so-called Washington Consensus. As Prashad showed, the South Commission's powerlessness caused it to generate a series of plans, each of which conceded more to the G-7 than the one before.
Economists at the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other institutions claimed low wages, low taxes, minimum government and high concentrations of wealth were necessary for the accumulation of capital necessary for economic development.
But in fact, the only nation to develop economically in this way was Great Britain, which, as the first industrial nation, had no competitors.
All the others, including the USA, Germany and Japan (except maybe Hong Kong, if it a nation). found it necessary to aid and protect their infant industries until they were ready to compete on world markets.
One important part of G-7 agenda was intellectual property laws that effectively blocked technology transfer. The older patent law, for example, covered industrial processes, but not products, which allowed for a certain amount of reverse engineering.
Under the stricter new intellectual property regime, the products themselves were patented, and minor improvements were patented, too.
Japan and China achieved strong economic growth partly because they resisted this. Instead they insisted on sharing of technological and manufacturing know-how as a condition for allowing foreign companies into their markets.
The third section described the economic rise of the "locomotives of the South"—Third world economies strong enough to complete with the North Atlantic bloc.
First came Japan and the so-called Asian tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, then a "South-South" economic alliance among Brazil, South Africa and India and more recently the formation of the BRICS bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Leaders of these nations felt they were not represented in international organizations in proportion to their economic weight, and so sought to develop alternative organizations of their own.
As Prashad noted, the economic systems of these nations were not greatly different from the USA, UK, France or Germany, so they were not a force for social change. In fact the middle and upper classes of many poor nations took Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore as an inspiration and role model.
But the "locomotives of the South" did break up the monopoly of power by the great North Atlantic nations, and they have started to create parallel economic institutions to serve their own business needs..
The last section of the book is about populist reform movements and their challenge to the global economic order.
Prashad described the Bolivarist movement in Venezuela and other Latin American countries, and the self-organization of slum dwellers in many cities to defend their communities.
There is a World Economic Forum, an organization of the world's economic elite and their followers, which meets every year in Davos, Switzerland. Left-wingers have organized a World Social Forum, which meets in various cities.
The problem with the World Social Forum, as Prashad saw it, is that its members have little unity in comparison with the World Economic Forum. The billionaires and their supporters who meet in Davos, Switzerland, are united by a common language (English), a common economic philosophy and a common economic class interest. None of these things are true of the Third World's varied poor people, ranging from indigenous people in the Amazon rain forest to squatters in Mumbai.
All this was not, strictly speaking, a conflict among nations. Rather it was a conflict between some nations and an international economic elite without loyalty to any particular nation. The elite that presided over debt bondage of Third World Nations also presided over the hollowing out of American manufacturing industry.
I liked this book a lot and learned a lot from from it. Its main defect is a left-wing bias. Prasad explains away the failures of China under Mao as bad luck and understandable mistakes, but treats the shortcomings of China as intrinsic to a bad system. I don't regard this bias as fatal, because I don't see state socialism as a live possibility.
Prashad concluded the book on a hopeful rather than optimistic note—an affirmation that the world cannot go on this way indefinitely and therefore it must change.
The South also rises: the Poorer Nations by Pepe Escobar for Asia Times (via Global Research).
Lessons From the Global South by Luis Nieves for Counterpunch.
Review of The Poorer Nations by Stefan Andreasson for the Times of London.
Return of the South: A Review of The Poorer Nations by Sameer Dossani for actionaid.
Review of Vijay Prashad's "The Poorer Nations" by Alf Gunvald Nilsen for Shadows of Tender Fury.
Tags: International Monetary Fund, The Poorer Nations, The Third World, United Nations, Vijay Prashad, World Bank, world government


text:
"Get All The Support And Guidance You Need To Be A Success At Facebook Apps Secrets!"
This Book Is One Of The Most Valuable Resources In The World When It Comes To The Ultimate Guide Of Creating Killer Facebook Applications!
Keep reading to get the help you need…
Dear Friend,
Is the fact that you would like to start a Facebook apps business but just don't know how making your life difficult… maybe even miserable?
Does it seem like you've tried everything in your power to figure it out, and yet, despite your best intentions, you're still plagued with:
• Not knowing how to even get started
• Not understanding even where to start with API concepts
• Not knowing how to work with Javascript
If this describes you, then you are in luck today…
First, you are NOT alone! It may seem like it sometimes, but not knowing how to get started with a Facebook apps business idea is far more common than you'd think.
I ought to know, because I've been in the same spot before…
"Why Understanding All The Ins And Outs Of This Facebook Business Is Crucial!"
This is one area you must pay attention to…
Integration of apps into Facebook can be very beneficial for developers. You will be able to integrate your app into the News Feed and also the notifications. The core technologies on Facebook are platforms such as Social Plugins, Graph API and Platform Dialogs.
Let me explain…
To begin with an API, you have to have an API key. To get this key, you have to create an application, select an application name and agree to the terms of use on the developer's application page. Once you have done this you will be assigned an API key and a secret key.
And the worst part? The more you don't know the less you will succeed!
Make no mistake about it…
"The Costs of NOT Getting All The Info You Need Are Just Too High!"
Your lack of knowledge in this area may not be your fault, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't — or can't — do anything to find out everything you need to know to finally be a success!
The costs of continuing to repeat this pattern are just too steep…
I mean, think about all of the money you're wasting because of how continuing to try things that don't work costs you money… the time you're losing due to going around in circles is also time-consuming…
… and that's not to mention the toll it's taking on your personal life, like the way the failed attempts over and over can impact personal life/relationships.
So today — in the next FEW MINUTES, in fact — we're going to help you GET ON TRACK, and learn how you can quickly and easily get your Facebook apps business under control… for GOOD!
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As a person just like you who has struggled with getting a business underway, I have searched high and low to find the best strategies to fix this problem and I am fully qualified and equipped to help you put an end to your frustration with trying to wade through all the info you need to know to run a Facebook Apps business!
FBML also known as Facebook Markup Language is Facebook's version of the HTML language used on the internet. There are some exceptions of the tags used in FBML and they are HTML, HEAD, BODY and Javascript.
And all of this up till now is just the beginning!
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A Guide on Creating the Best Products Online
This powerful tool will provide you with everything you need to know to be a success and achieve your goal of getting your Facebook Apps business to a successful place.
With this product, and it's great information on coding it will walk you, step by step, through the exact process we developed to help people get all the info they need to be a success.
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In This Book, You Will Learn:
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text:
(on Wikipedia)
I think that if and when I go through another round of distribution, this ought to be high on my todo list.
2015-05-07 - Bootloader installation wasn't automagical.
- Raspberry Pi support.
CubieBoard2 support.
- But what about CubieBoard3?
2015-05-07 - 4.0.1_1 x86_64 ∞
dd works as expected:
\sudo \ \dd \ if=filename.iso \ of=/dev/sdx \ bs=4M
- Booting up gave the proper textmode size and font.
It doesn't boot into a GUI.
- I guess I needed one of their flavours.
- Before logging in, there are instructions which include things like the usernames and passwords to use to log in and test/install.
cfdisk is nicer than what I'm used to from Lubuntu.
- There's a pseudo-tree collecting partitions.
- it has colour
- The default shell isn't Bash.
bash isn't nice -- colour, nicer prompt, etc
- I guess this is an upstream problem, and the void crew doesn't care to provide a nicer liveUSB because of the difficulty of maintaining it.
- Slackware-esque text installer.
- I had to
sudo void-installerto actually get an install to work. I don't think the initial pre-login instructions included that.
Only needed to do a few steps
- Partitioning -- Minimum 600MB root.
- Mount points
- Install
- I could not get networking set up. I've no clue why and didn't bother to investigate. If that shit isn't automagical then it's a serious penalty in my review.
- Btrfs is available on the liveUSB. Yay!
eCryptfs is not available on the liveUSB. Boo.
- I don't know if it would be installable in some easy way, but since I could not get networking going I didn't investigate.
Of course I had nonsensical issues..
Failed to install GRUB to /dev/sdc Check /dev/tty8 for errors
/dev/tty8 is
The root cannot be Btrfs? I tried ext4.
- This is unsurprising. I don't think GRUB can handle btrfs yet.
GRUB-multiple partition labels - not supported
error: filesystem 'btrfs' doesn't support blocklists.
I'm supposed to know what a blocklist is?
I tried with everything as ext4 and it still didn't work:
/usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.
I suppose I needed to follow these instructions:
github.com/voidlinux/documentation/wiki/Installer-Partitioning [ 1 ] probably now https://docs.voidlinux.org/installation/live-images/partitions.html
Second try ∞
- I did a regular boot, not from RAM
- This time, networking worked!
- There's no textmode browser?
- This time, selecting partitioning from the installer gave me cfdisk.
There's no
partedon the iso. So isn't the documentation wrong? If the partitioning thingy give me cfdisk, shouldn't that work?
- github.com/voidlinux/documentation/wiki/Installer-Partitioning
What are "multiple partition tables" ? Gods, GRUB blows. Fuck this distribution if it can't work out of the box..


text:
SAN RAMON, Calif., Jan. 06, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galena Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:GALE), a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of targeted oncology therapeutics that address major medical needs, today announced it intends to offer shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase its common stock in an underwritten public offering. The shares of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock are being offered as units. The shares of common stock and warrants will be immediately separable and issued separately. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. will act as sole book-running manager for the offering.
The company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund its ongoing Phase 3 PRESENT study and other clinical trials of its product candidates, and to augment its working capital and for general corporate purposes.
The securities described above are being offered by the company pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S‑3, as amended, previously filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering has been filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement may be obtained from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida, or by telephone at (800) 248-8863, or e-mail at email@example.com, or by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Galena Biopharma, Inc.
Galena Biopharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of targeted oncology therapeutics that address major unmet medical needs. Galena's development portfolio is focused primarily on addressing the rapidly growing patient populations of cancer survivors by harnessing the power of the immune system to prevent cancer recurrence. The company's pipeline consists of multiple mid-to-late-stage clinical assets, including novel cancer immunotherapy programs led by NeuVax™ (nelipepimut-S) and GALE-301. NeuVax is currently in a pivotal, Phase 3 clinical trial in breast cancer with several concurrent Phase 2 trials ongoing both as a single agent and in combination with other therapies. GALE-301 is in a Phase 2a clinical trial in ovarian and endometrial cancers and in a Phase 1b given sequentially with GALE-302. For more information, visit www.galenabiopharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the proposed public offering and the intended use of proceeds from the offering. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering will be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. These forward-looking statements also are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the future expectations, plans and prospects for the development and commercialization of the company's product candidates, including patient enrollment in our clinical trials, present or future licensing, collaborative or financing arrangements, expected outcomes with regulatory agencies, and projected market opportunities for product candidates, including those detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the SEC, and represent the company's views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any subsequent date. The company's actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. The company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release.
NeuVax is a trademark of Galena Biopharma, Inc.


text:
One of the oldest consistent symbols of a nation or kingdom in the world is the Three Lions of England. First officially adopted in 1198 by King Richard I, or Richard the Lionheart, the Royal Arms of England has been modified countless times of the past 800 years to reflect claims to other thrones, new families of monarchs, and the expansion of the Kingdom of England. Now featured in an exciting collection of gold and silver bullion from the Royal Mint of England, the British Silver Royal Arms depicts the modern version of the Royal Arms of England and is available to you from JM Bullion.
On the obverse face, the 2019 British Silver Royal Arms coins feature the right-profile bust of Queen Elizabeth II. This design is the fifth-generation effigy used on British denominations during Her Majesty's reign as Queen of England. Created in July 2015, this artwork comes from Jody Clark who was just 33 years old when he designed this new portrait. That makes him the youngest Royal Mint designer ever to create a monarch portrait for British coins. The Queen is shown at the age of 89 with the George IV State Diadem Crown. The crown in question has alternating designs of a cross and the combination of roses, thistles, and shamrocks, the flowers of England, Scotland, and Ireland. This crown was commissioned by King George IV in the early months of his reign in 1820. Created by the Crown jewelers at Rundle and Bridge, it features 1,333 diamonds weighing more than 320 karats. The background field on this side of the coin has a guilloche design element.
In the reverse design element of the 2019 British Silver Royal Arms coins, you will find a distinctive, modern image of the current Royal Arms of England. This complex design includes the modern shield at the center of the arms, a crown above, and the two most important heraldic beasts in English heraldry.
First up is the quartered shield. This shield reflects the current state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom consists of four independent nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Wales is, however, not reflected in the Royal Arms of England because it was absorbed into England. Therefore, the quadrants of this shield consist of the Harp of Ireland in the lower left, the Lion of Scotland in the upper right, and the Three Lions of England in the upper left and lower right.
The shield is crowned by the St. Edward's Crown. The crown depicted above the shield is the second version of the St. Edward's Crown, which was named for Edward the Confessor who was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. The original version of this crown was used in the 9th and 10th centuries, but sold by Oliver Cromwell. The crown featured here is the second and was restored in 1661. It is worn by the monarch only once for the official coronation ceremony of a new king or queen. The modern design was modified in 1911 and includes 345 aquamarine stones, 12 rubies, 7 amethysts, and 6 sapphires.
In the final element of the design, the two main heraldic beasts of English history support the shield. The Lion of England crowned by the St. Edward's Crown is on the left, while the Unicorn of Scotland supports the shield on the right.
For several centuries prior to the 9th century, Danish Vikings ruled most of England and used lions in their heraldic shields as leaders in England. The later Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings would also use lions in heraldic symbolism, but it was the Plantagenets that brought the eventual Three Lions design that was first accepted as an official Royal Arms of England.
The second Plantagenet king was King Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart. His reign was brief and much of it consisted of him spending time outside of England fighting to defend his lands in France and supporting Western Christian kingdoms in their fight in the Third Crusades in the Middle East. He had previously used banners and seals of one or two lions in a rampant pose, but in 1198 he adopted an official seal with three lions in a passant guardant pose. Richard I's Royal Arms with three golden lions on a field of red is one of the longest-used versions of the arms without changes being made. It was used from 1198 to 1340.
The first changes came with the reign of King Edward III in 1340 who added quadrants to the shield and adopted the French fleur de lis in two quadrants with Richard I's Three Lions in the other quadrants. Several variations of this design would persist through 1630 with no fewer than six modifications made. King James I realigned the quadrants to house the entire Royal Arms with French and English symbols in two quadrants, adding the Lion of Scotland and Harp of Ireland in the other quadrants. The fleur de lis of France was finally dropped in 1801 and the modern coat of arms adopted in 1837 with the ascension of Queen Victoria to the throne and the elimination of the final non-English symbol, the arms of the House of Hanover.
The 2019 British Silver Royal Arms bullion coins are available from the Royal Mint of England with 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver. Each coin is in Brilliant Uncirculated condition and comes with individual or multiple packaging options. Single coins ship with a protective plastic flip, while multiples are available in mint tubes of 25 or Monster Boxes of 500 coins. The face value of the coins is set at 2 Pound sterling (GBP).
The British Royal Arms Series of bullion coins from the Royal Mint includes a 1 oz gold coin, these 1 oz silver coins, and new additions to come in 2020. Those additions include a 1/10 oz gold coin and a new 1 oz platinum coin.
For those interested in owning this brilliant coin, JM Bullion customer service can help answer any questions. We are available on the phone at 800-276-6508, online using our live web chat, and via our email address.


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HBO's summer of cyber-woes continues: Episode six of "Game of Thrones" season seven has been leaked to internet piracy sites, four days ahead of Sunday's premiere.
This time, it wasn't hackers or rogue employees at a production facility: The "Game of Thrones" episode evidently leaked out after it was inadvertently published by HBO Nordic and HBO España services. According to HBO, the leak appears to have stemmed from a mistake by a third-party vendor in those territories.
"We have learned that the upcoming episode of 'Game of Thrones' was accidentally posted for a brief time on the HBO Nordic and HBO España platforms," Tom Krogsgaard Nielsen, VP of public relations for HBO Europe, said in a statement. He added, "This is not connected to the recent cyber-incident at HBO in the U.S."
Links to the leaked "GOT" episode were posted to Reddit, with the copy shared via YouTube, Twitch and other streaming services. The Reddit posts were swiftly taken down. However, the segment has already been snatched and shared via torrent networks, according to U.K. newspaper the Independent, which reported that it verified the authenticity of what it said was an HD copy.
In a separate incident two weeks ago, the fourth episode of the current season of "Game of Thrones" leaked out. That came from a data-management vendor enlisted by 21st Century Fox-owned Sky India. Police in Mumbai have arrested four people, who are current or former employees of Prime Focus Technologies, in connection with the crime.
That came after HBO experienced a massive hack of its systems in late July. In that case, still-unidentified hackers stole upwards of 1.5 terabytes of data and have engaged in cyber-extortion, threatening to release more stolen material unless HBO paid several million dollars in Bitcoin. The hackers made good on their threats again this past Sunday, leaking three episodes of the return of Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and other series.
What's unclear is how much the cyberattack and episode leaks have hurt HBO's business — if at all. "Game of Thrones" has been one of the most-pirated TV shows for years, and it hasn't crimped ratings or subscriber numbers. In fact, "Game of Thrones" scored the series' best-ever ratings for the Aug. 6 airing (which had leaked via Star India). Four years ago, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes even joshed that piracy was "better than an Emmy" for its promo value.
As it relates to the latest leak of HBO's highest-profile series, the premium cabler's international partners have goofed like this before: During last year's season six run, an episode leaked ahead of its premiere date after it was accidentally made available on HBO Nordic.
Meanwhile, in 2015 the first four episodes of season five landed on piracy networks, after being copied from review screeners, nearly a full day before the season premiere. That led HBO to discontinue distributing review screeners on DVD.
Elsa Keslassy contributed to this report.


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Not just on social media though, celebrities are also proving that it's chic to repeat with the likes of Michelle Obama, Tiffany Haddish, Keira Knightley and Lady Gaga all recently rewearing outfits in public. (At the 2019 Oscars, Gaga wore a Tiffany diamond necklace that had previously been worn by none other than Audrey Hepburn.)
But, of course, the Queen of no-buy has got to be Meghan Markle. Currently the third most influential celebrity in fashion, Markle is well-known for giving favourite pieces several public outings, from her khaki J.Crew jacket to her velvet Tabitha Simmons Kiki boots and her black skinny-leg Outland jeans.
It's the beginning of spring, we're fresh out of fashion month so naturally, we need to talk about trends. What's hot? What's fresh? What will everyone be wearing that we need to buy, like yesterday? Lilac? Trouser suits? Teeny-tiny bags? Whilst the start of a fashion season usually signals a deluge of newness, 2019 has other plans.
This spring's hottest trend isn't what's new, but rather what's old; dresses, tops, coats and shoes – whatever you already own that can be dusted-off, re-styled and worn in place of buying something new. Welcome to the season of the 'no-buy' wardrobe.
Chic to repeat
Once considered a fashion faux-pas, wearing the same outfit twice (even three, four or five times) has been embraced by those in the fashion-know. Recent months have seen pro no-buy hashtags pepper our favourite OOTDs as influencers champion their old clothes rather than box-fresh hauls. "A lot of what I wear isn't brand spanking new…it felt right to spend the last month talking about the pieces that had stood the test of time." explains journalist and influencer Katherine Ormerod, who started the #thisoldthing hashtag at the end of 2018.
Shopping exclusively from her own wardrobe, Ormerod spent four weeks reinventing old clothes by styling them in different ways and posting them to her Instagram account. Similarly hashtags #notnewyear and #secondhandfirst are being used by the likes of influencers Ella Grace Denton, Kristabel Plummer and Lissie Waite, as well as by journalist Daisy Buchanan and Danish fashion blogger, Signe Hansen, to promote a no-buy approach to getting dressed.
The fast-fashion churn
Put simply, wearing your old clothes has never been so fashionable, but why? As a nation, we are at peak wardrobe-bulge. According to recent statistics, the UK buys more clothes per person than any other European country, with the average consumer buying 26.7kg of fashion items per year. (No wonder we're all in desperate need of Kondo'ing our closets!) With the boom of lightening-fast-fashion and brands making 'add to basket' quicker and easier than ever (boohoo.com almost doubled its sales last year), our fashion consumption has skyrocketed and it's no secret that this is having a detrimental effect on our planet.
"One hundred billion items of clothing are produced globally each year," says Orsola de Castro, founder of sustainable fashion activism organisation Fashion Revolution. De Castro explains that a whooping 78% of this ends up being thrown away, "that's one truck of clothing going to landfill every second". With landfill sites creating harmful methane emissions, cutting these down is imperative. And yet a report released by the Environmental Audit Committee last month stated that, less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing. "We have really lost any kind of common sense" says de Castro.
Not only this but the manufacturing of our clothes uses up precious raw materials such as water and fossil fuels and it produces carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. Some components of the process, such as chemical dyes and coatings can be toxic, whilst the plastic microfibers in synthetic fabrics contribute to ocean pollution.
Of course, there is also the exploitation of those producing fast-fashion, with many garment workers being unfairly paid and treated. Only last month an Oxfam report found that women in Bangladesh and Vietnam are being paid as little as 51 cents (less than 30p) per day. And it's not just overseas workers, the Environmental Audit Committee reports that some garment factories in the UK are not paying the minimum wage.
"We need to create a whole new culture around clothing" says de Castro. Climate change, pollution, exploitative supply chains, it's not hard to see that breaking the churn isn't so much of a choice as a necessity. How would the planet look without fast-fashion? "It would look better dressed for sure" says de Castro.
Breaking out of the cycle
When, once upon a time, reading this might have been news to most of us, high-profile initiatives and even prime-time TV (such as the BBC's Fashion's Dirty Secret with Stacey Dooley) has made sure that in 2019, we are more aware than ever about the impact of our shopping habits. (In fact, global fashion search platform Lyst has seen a 47% increase in searches for sustainable-related keywords.) So what does this mean for us and our fashion stash? We know our wear-once-throw-away culture can't continue but never buying clothes ever again hardly sounds realistic or, well, particularly fun. Hurray then for the no-buy wardrobe – the sustainably stylish alternative.
"I tried on every piece that I owned which made me totally re-evaluate what I has" says Ormerod explaining her approach to no-buy. "I Marie Kondo'ed my wardrobe and really whittled down the pieces that sparked joy." These pieces included Stradivarius white lace-up boots, a pair of well-loved Louboutin high heels, Levi's Wedgie jeans and the "ultimate" cream chunky knit – a sacrifice on style? I think not.
"Who cares if it isn't on trend? If you really love a certain print or dress, then you should carry on wearing it regardless of what anyone says. There's ways to update it and keep it fresh." explains Kristabel Plummer of I Want You To Know, who also endorses the 'no-buy' wardrobe approach. As for top tips on restyling old pieces, Ormerod says it's all about accessories, "footwear can totally change the attitude of things you've been wearing one way forever. I'm also a big fan of belts – you can layer a chunky sweater or blouse over a dress and cinch it with a great belt."
Restyle, rewear, recycle
As well as plundering our own wardrobes, rooting through the stylish stash of others is part of the no-buy ethos too. "It's about redefining what 'new' means to you. New into your life, rather than new and bought from a fast fashion store" says Jemma Finch of conscious fashion platform Stories Behind Things. Along with co-founder Ella Grace Dent, Finch set up The Big Clothes Switch, a series of pop-up events where you take along pieces that you no longer want and swap them for something you do. As they say, one woman's trash is another woman's treasure.
On that note, the boom of resale platforms means that if we do need to buy something new, we can do it with a conscience by buying someone else's old. Launched last summer, The Resolution Store sells a curated edit of second-hand pieces from the most stylish of influencers including Pandora Sykes, Lucy Williams and Camille Charriere. With over 13 million users globally, Depop not only sells the pre-loved pieces of influencers but celebrities too, such as FKA Twigs and Glamour cover star, Maisie Williams, who both donate sales to charitable causes.
So, does the rise of the no-buy wardrobe signal the end of high street shopping altogether? Ormerod says it's all about being more aware of what we already have and introducing considered pieces now and again, "It has to be about the mix of old and new and investing in long lasting, multi-use fashion which will sit in our wardrobes for a lifetime. Plummer agrees "I've gone from buying constantly, to taking weeks or even months to consider whether I really need something." But ultimately the no-buy wardrobe is a lesson in breaking out of that fast-fashion cycle and appreciating our clothes. As de Castro says, "the truth is we need to fall in love with the clothes we already own and make sure they last. When it comes to what we can do for the planet this is the most important thing."
10 easy steps to curating your no-buy wardrobe
Sort it
Unless you are Marie Kondo herself, the chances are your wardrobe is more stuffed than a Christmas turkey. If you can't see the clothes you have then you won't know to wear them so tip everything onto the bed then re hang it all using space-saving hangers.
2. Organise it
"Make your wardrobe as easy to navigate as possible" says Plummer who recommends organising your wardrobe by colour or into full looks. This will give you an idea of what goes with what and the range of outfits that you already have.
3. Re-style it
As Ormerod says, accessories can give an old outfit a whole new lease of life so play around with shoes, belts, bags and jewellery. This season is all about hair accessories so try updating a look with an alice band, scrunchy or slide.
4. Reinvent it
If you're bored to tears of your old denim jacket and those skinnies are leaving you decidedly 'meh' then try reinventing them with some personalisation or turning them into something different all together. "Up-cycling can re-inject love into an old piece" says Finch. Check out Stories Behind Things upcycling workshops.
5. Mend it
If a broken strap/missing button/unravelled hem is stopping you wear something then get it fixed. Most dry cleaners will do basic repairs and it's worth tracking down your local cobbler for replacing walked-out heels. The Restory is a brilliant online recovery-service for luxury pieces.
6. Swap it
If you've really fallen out of love with something or have a hankering for a new addition to your wardrobe then try a swap shop. You can find the details of The Big Clothes Switch here, or why not organise a swapping event with a group of friends or work colleagues.
7. Sell it
Don't throw old clothes in the bin. If you're finished with an item then clean it up and list it on a resale site. Depop and eBay are great for high street items whilst Vestiaire Collective is the place to resell luxury pieces. These sites are also brilliant for finding second-hand treasures – try the The Resolution Store for 'it' brands such as Ganni and Rixo. It's also worth paying a visit to your local vintage store and charity shop for pre-loved bargains.
8. Really think about it
It's unrealistic to think that we'll never buy anything new again and no one wants to feel guilty about shopping – it's a joy after all. But we can all be more conscious of what we're buying by taking a few moments to ask ourselves whether we really want it/need it before hitting click to buy.
9. Learn about it
FashionRevolution.org is a great source of information and advice on what we can all do to help. Follow the #LovedClothesLast hashtag for practical tips and sustainable outfit inspiration or follow #haulternative on Youtube to find out how you can enjoy fashion without buying something new.
10. Wear it
Whether it's something you already owned, bought second-hand or on the high street, time and energy has gone into making our clothes so wear them, love them and enjoy them. "It's good for the soul to cherish things that hold meaningful memories – that red dress that makes you feel great, that denim jacket that just seems to fit so damn well, that jumper which is just the right shade of pink.", says Finch. "Celebrate that!".


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Gøran Hansen just tagged me and asks what I have added to a plain Visual Studio installation. Lars Wilhelmsen started by presenting his favorites, and I'm happy to share my setup also.
Visual Studio Team System isn't really an addon, but it adds a lot of great functionality to Visual Studio Professional. The most important features I use is source control, the testing framework, build system and code analysis, and the main benefit is that everything is integrated in Team Foundation Server. I haven't spent much time with Team System 2008, but I'm attending Brian Randell's pre-conference at PDC08 tomorrow and I expect I'll have a deeper understanding of the product tomorrow. I also hope to see more of Team System 2010 at PDC in the coming days, but until then Channel 9 has a lot of great videos of some of the new features.
- JetBrains ReSharper
- JetBrains dotTrace Profiler
- Consolas True Type font
- Innovasys DocumentX!: WYSIWYG editor of code documentation inside Visual Studio, and a help file compiler.
- Guidance Automation Extensions and various software factories from Microsoft Patterns and Practices
- Web Services Enhancements 3.0 for creating secure web services in VS2005. WSE doesn't support VS2008, but Jason Young has a solution that I want to try out soon.
- Axialis IconWorkshop Lite: I haven't used this much, but it is a great free addin when you're working with icons inside Visual Studio.
- StyleCop. Like Code Analysis/FxCop, but checks the formatting of your code.
Keyboard shortcuts (with Visual Studio keyboard mappings in ReSharper)
- Alt+Enter: Drop down ReSharper's smart tag
- Ctrl+.: Drop down Visual Studio's smart tag
- Ctrl+Alt+Space: ReSharper's smart completion
- Ctrl+Shirt+Enter: ReSharper's complete statement function
- Ctrl+Shift+F: Find in Files
Other tools
- .NET Reflector and ildasm: Tools for inspecting assemblies.
- WiX: Powerful framework for generating setup files.
- fuslogvw: Great tool for debugging assembly load errors.
- Visual Studio Theme Generator. I ended up with just a slight modification of the standard Visual Studio Theme, but this tool allows you to quickly generate color schemes that matches your preferred primary colors.
- Sandcastle: An alternative to DocumentX! that I use when generating help files whit long file paths due to long and nested namespaces.
I probably have forgotten a thing or two, because I've recently reinstalled my laptop and from my hotel room in Los Angeles I don't have access to my file server where I keep a copy of every thing I add on to Visual Studio.


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Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of this Version
Publication Source
Encyclopedia of Aesthetics (2 ed.)
Start Page
Last Page
People who write about movies have traditionally referred to the conventions of cinematic representation—such things as low-angle shots, fade-outs, or flashbacks—as the "language" of film. Does the ability to understand this language require previous experience? Or, to put this question differently, would a "naive" viewer, someone who had never seen a movie before, be able to make any sense of his or her first encounter with this medium? The term visual literacy, popular among media scholars, reflects the widely held belief that the comprehension of cinematic conventions is indeed an acquired skill, comparable to fluency in reading or writing. In contemporary film scholarship, this belief is based largely on an extrapolation from the work of such writers as E. H. Gombrich regarding the cross-cultural variability of pictorial conventions. This body of literature is commonly assumed to have shown that any perceived similarity between pictures and the things they represent is simply the result of viewers' unwitting assimilation of the representational standards of a particular culture or historical period. Consequently, it is argued, the ability to connect a picture to its intended referent must depend on prior familiarity with the conventions employed in that picture. As far as film is concerned, this argument has occasionally been supported by stories about misinterpretations reportedly experienced by early-twentieth-century filmgoers or other inexperienced viewers.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Reproduced with permission from Oxford University Press [http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199747108.001.0001].
Recommended Citation
Messaris, Paul. (2014). "Film: Visual Literacy." In Kelly, Michael (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. 2nd Ed. (189-191). New York: Oxford University Press.
Included in
Date Posted: 21 October 2016


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When good computers go bad
Personal computers are complex devices. We use them every day to do so many things and quite frankly, I don't know how I got along without one back in the olden days (that's the '70s in case you were wondering). Their complexity makes all the things they do possible but it's also that same complexity that can be the source of a great deal of frustration. Everything on a computer must work and work well together. If something malfunctions, you're going to know it pretty much right away.
When something does go wrong on a computer, you would think that the problem would be fairly obvious and in many cases it is. If the hard drive crashes, if a key on the keyboard gets stuck or behaves erratically, if your screen becomes pixilated or erratic, you can pretty much respectively assume it's the hard drive, your keyboard or the graphics card that needs attention.
But then there's the type of malfunction that's the stuff of nightmares and its name shall be known as the "intermittent problem." Intermittent problems are the hardest to diagnose simply because it's really hard to fix something that isn't broken. This harkens back to those days where you would call the TV repairman to come fix your TV set only to find that when he showed up, the TV would be working just fine. He'd check it out and find nothing wrong with it, making you feel like an idiot. After he'd leave, of course the TV would malfunction again. The only thing you could do at that point was to let him take the set to his workshop where he would let it run for days until it acted up or finally give up the ghost. At that point, it could be fixed. Unfortunately, computers have inherited that intermittent legacy but on an even worse scale. But the answer remains pretty much the same. Sometimes you just have to let it run until the problem can be observed by a professional.
Failing memory can be the source of intermittent grief. The symptoms can be really hard to nail down and too often a computer virus or similar type of malware is usually the first suspect. After the malware option is discounted, a memory test is the next step. Running a simple RAM test may not show that something is wrong as an intermittent memory problem might fool the testing software. Typically a good RAM test requires running for several hours, even overnight. So when an intermittent hiccup does occur, the problem will be reported so the identified memory can be replaced. But there's one other component inside your computer that can make even the worst intermittent memory problem look like a CD rainbow.
Imagine how you would feel when any of your working programs start failing and each time the malfunction differs. And it's not just your software. Different hardware components in your system begin to fail, then work again. Connected USB devices begin acting unpredictably, video cards act erratically, your Wi-Fi connections misbehave, the list can go on and on. As you experience these intermittent erratic behaviors, you might think your computer has been possessed by some abhorrent technology spirit and the only recourses left to you are an exorcism or buying a new PC. But there is one component inside your PC that can cause virtually any and all of these intermittent problems and in fact, if any of these things do begin happening, you will now be prepared to deal with it. It's your power supply that's going bad.
A failing power supply can cause the required power levels of memory or any other component to drop just enough and cause them to malfunction. But the insidious part is that a failing power supply may monetarily recover and everything will work perfectly once again. That's the really bad part to this whole scenario. It would be a lot more merciful if the darned thing just died. But a slowly dying power supply can mimic so many computer ailments that it can fool even some of the best of us out there. So don't feel too bad if it happens to you. Just be sure to add a failing power supply to your list of diagnostic considerations.
Power supplies come in all shapes, sizes and power ratings. Replacing a power supply isn't for the faint of heart and should be done by someone who has some qualified experience. If you do need to have yours replaced, it might be a good idea to replace it with one that has a higher power rating than the one that came with your computer. Newer add-on cards and devices typically have larger power requirements so adding in a beefier power supply will insure your computer will run longer and be able to handle your growing demands. Also make sure the power supply comes from a reputable manufacturer that can back it up with a good warranty. Now you have the power.
(Craig Crossman is a national newspaper columnist writing about computers and technology.)
(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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