text:
"And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?" — ST. PAUL
How popular and how influential is the practice [of personifying abstract words] may be shown by such a list of words as the following:—Virtue, Liberty, Democracy, Peace, Germany, Religion, Glory—all invaluable words, indispensable even, but able to confuse the clearest issues unless controlled." — OGDEN and RICHARDS
The Lure Of The Abstract Word
THE reason for preferring the concrete to the abstract is clear. Your purpose must be to make your meaning plain. Now if, as we have seen, even such concrete words as ship, gold and money have a penumbra of uncertainty round them, an incomparably larger one surrounds all abstract words. If you use an abstract word when you might use a concrete one you are handicapping yourself in your task, difficult enough in any case, of making yourself understood. (27)
Unfortunately the very vagueness of abstract words is one of the reasons for their popularity. To express one's thoughts accurately is hard work, and to be precise is sometimes dangerous. We are tempted to prefer the safer obscurity of the abstract. It is the greatest vice of present-day writing. Writers seem to find it more natural to say "Was this the realisation of an anticipated liability?" than "Did you expect to have to do this?"; to say "Communities where anonymity in personal relationships prevails" than "Communities where people do not know one another". To resist this temptation, and to resolve to make your meaning plain to your reader even at the cost of some trouble to yourself, is more important than any other single thing if you would convert a flabby style into a crisp one. As Mr. G. M. Young has said, an excessive reliance on the noun at the expense of the verb will, in the end, detach the mind of the writer from the realities of here and now from when and how and in what mood the thing was done and insensibly induce a habit of abstraction generalisation and vagueness. To what lengths this can go may be illustrated by these two examples:
The desirability of attaining unanimity so far as the general construction of the body is concerned is of considerable importance from the production aspect.
The actualisation of the motivation of the forces must to a great extent be a matter of personal angularity.
The first, which relates to the building of vehicles, means, I suppose, that in order to produce the vehicles quickly it is important to agree on a standard body. The meaning of the second is past conjecture. The perpetrator of it is an economist, not an official.
Here are some less extreme examples of the habit of using abstract words to say in a complicated way something that might be said simply and directly:
There has been persistent instability in numbers of staff. (Staff has constantly varied in numbers.)
The cessation of house-building operated over a period of five years. (No houses were built for five years. ) Note the infelicity of "a cessation operated". Operate is just what cessations cannot do.
A high degree of carelessness, pre-operative and post-operative, on the part of some of the hospital staff, took place. (Some of the hospital staff were very careless both before and after the operation. )
The cessation of the present restrictions cannot be made. (The present restrictions cannot be ended.)
Sometimes abstract words are actually invented, so powerful is the lure of saying things this way.
The reckonability of former temporary service for higher leave entitlement.
The following is not official writing, but as it appeared in a newspaper that never shrinks from showing up the faults of official writing, it deserves a place:
Initiation of a temporary organisation to determine European economic requirements in relation to proposals by Mr. Marshall, American Secretary of State, was announced in the House of Commons this evening.
This way of expressing oneself seems to be tainting official speech as well as writing. "We want you to deny indirect reception", said the goods clerk of my local railway station, telephoning to me about a missing case.
"What does that mean?" I asked. "Why," he said, "we want to make sure that the case has not reached you through some other station".
Exponents of the newer sciences are fond of expressing themselves in abstractions. Perhaps this is unavoidable, but I cannot help thinking that they sometimes make things unnecessarily difficult for their readers. I have given an example on the last page of an economist's wrapping up his meaning in an impenetrable mist of abstractions. Here is one from psychology:
Reserves that are occupied in continuous uni-directional adjustment of a disorder are no longer available for use in the ever-varying interplay of organism and environment in the spontaneity of mutual synthesis.
In official writing the words availability, lack and dearth contribute much to the same practice, though they do not produce the same obscurity. Perhaps the reason why those words are so popular is that we have suffered so much from what it is fashionable to call a lack of availability of so many useful things.
We would point out that availabilities of this particular material are extremely limited. (. . . that this material is extremely scarce.)
The actual date of the completion of the purchase should coincide with the availability of the new facilities. (The purchase should not be completed until the new facilities are available. )
The lack of attraction in the three services is so deep that it has been found quite impossible to man them on a voluntary basis. (The three services are so unattractive. )
Lack is a useful word to denote a deficiency of something, and occasionally, though less commonly, the complete absence of something. But this word is being pressed too much into service. For instance, "there is a complete lack of spare underground wire" is not the natural way of saying "we have no spare underground wire" or "There exists a considerable lack of knowledge about . ." for "We do not know much about . . .", or "A dearth of information exists" for "We have very little information".
Position And Situation
The words position and situation have a great fascination for those who are given to blurring the sharp outlines of what they have to say. A debate takes place in the House of Commons about an acute scarcity of coal during a hard winter. A speaker wants to say that he does not see how it would have been possible for the Government to make sure of there being enough coal. Does he say so? No; the miasma of abstract words envelops him and he says,
"In view of all the circumstances I do not see how this situation could have been in any way warded off".
Later the spokesman for the Government wants to strike a reassuring note, and express his confidence that we shall get through the winter without disaster. He too takes refuge in vague abstractions.
"We shall", he says, "ease through this position without any deleterious effect on the situation."
On an historic occasion it fell to a master of words to make an announcement at a time of even graver crisis. Sir Winston Churchill did not begin his broadcast on the 17th June, 1940:
"The position in regard to France is extremely serious". He began: "The news from France is very bad". He did not end it: "We have absolute confidence that eventually the situation will be restored". He ended:"We are sure that in the end all will come right".
Position and situation, besides replacing more precise words, have a way of intruding into sentences that can do better without them. These words should be regarded as danger-signals, and the writer who finds himself using one should think whether he cannot say what he has to say more directly.
It may be useful for Inspectors to be informed about the present situation on this matter. (to know how this matter now stands.)
Unless these wagons can be moved the position will soon be reached where there will be no more wagons to be filled. (there will soon be no more. ..)
Should the position arise where a hostel contains a preponderance of public assistance cases....(If a hostel gets too many public assistance cases...)
All three sentences run more easily if we get rid of the situation and the positions.
It is common form for an Insurance Company, when asking for a renewal premium, to say:
No-claim bonus is shown subject to the position in this respect remaining unprejudiced until expiry.
This wraps up in verbiage the simple statement that the insured has a right to a no-claim bonus only if no claim is made before the expiry of the policy.
Position in regard to is an ugly expression, not always easy to avoid, but used more often than it need be.
"The position in regard to the supply of labour and materials has deteriorated" seems to come more naturally to the pen than "labour and materials are more difficult to get". "No one has any doubt", writes the Manchester Guardian, "that deceased senior officials of the Civil Service have in regard to engraved on their hearts; and their successors to-day show no recovery from this kind of hereditary lockjaw".
But it is not fair to put all the blame on officials. Even The Times is capable of saying,
"The question of the British position in regard to the amount of authorisation" rather than "the question how much Britain is to get of the amount authorised".
The Abstract Appendage
This brings us to what has been called the abstract appendage, for position, situation and conditions find themselves in that role more commonly than any other words. I take the term from a letter in The Times from Mr. John Buxton:
Sir,—How long are we to suffer from "weather conditions"? There was a time when the Englishman's favourite topic of conversation was the weather... . Now it is no longer recognised as a substantial and elemental thing, but is reduced, by the addition of this abstract appendage, to the status of a symptom or an excuse, and no one knows what to do about it. Prime Minister, back bencher and Civil servant all irritate us with the phrase in print; it is left to the B.B.C. to go even further and, omitting the word "weather", to refer to "cold, wintry, snowy (etc.) conditions".
This is the weather the shepherd shuns
And so do I,
wrote Thomas Hardy, not
"The Present weather conditions are causing considerable inconvenience to the sheep-farmer".
We cannot shun (or like) "weather conditions", and the sooner the sloppy phrase is destroyed the sooner our rulers will realise its powers for good or ill.
This may be thought over-critical. What exactly is the writer s objection to weather conditions? It cannot be the objection of a grammarian to using the word weather adjectivally; it is a common and useful English idiom to make nouns serve this purpose, and few words can claim a better right to be so employed than that which has given us weather forecast, weather prophet, weather eye, weather quarter and weather tiles. The objection must then be to the use of two words where one would do, a sound objection if it can be sustained. But can it here? Weather conditions imports a larger idea than weather does, at least in time of snow and frost. It embraces the conditions created by yesterday's weather and the likelihood of to-morrow s weather changing them. But the attack, even if badly aimed, was directed against a real fault in official English. If the writer had waited until the next day and attacked, as he might have done, the announcement that blizzard conditions had returned to the Midlands, he could not have been met with any such plea. It was not blizzard conditions that had returned; it was a blizzard. Similarly it is both unnecessary and quaint to say that temperatures will return to normal values instead of merely that they will return to normal. Level has also been greatly in demand of late as an abstract appendage. A correspondent has kindly presented me with a collection of hundreds of specimens, ranging from pub-and-street-corner-level to summit-level and world-level through every conceivable intermediate level. This passion for picturing all our relations with one another as stratifications is an odd phenomenon at a time when we are supposed to be developing into a classless State.
The Headline Phrase
More serious is the harm that is being done to the language by excessive use of nouns as adjectives. In the past, as I have said, the language has been greatly enriched by this free-and-easy habit. We are surrounded by innumerable examples—War Department, Highway Code, Nursery School, Coronation Service, Trades Union Congress and so on. But something has gone wrong recently with this useful practice; its abuse is corrupting English prose. It has become natural to say "World population is increasing faster than world food production" instead of "The population of the world is increasing faster than the food it produces". "The fats position will then be relieved" instead of "More fats will then be available", "The eggs position exceeds all expectation" instead of "Eggs are more plentiful than was expected". It is old-fashioned to speak of the "state of the world"; it must be the "world situation". The fact is, as Lord Dunsany once remarked, that
"too many ofs have dropped out of the language, and the dark of the floor is littered with this useful word".
We meet daily, he adds, with things like "England side captain selection" instead of "Selection of captain of English eleven"; or even "England side captain selection difficulty". Nor would they stop nowadays at "England side captain selection difficulty rumour".
This sort of language is no doubt pardonable in headlines, where as many stimulating words as possible must be crowded into spaces so small that treaties have had to become pacts, ambassadors envoys, investigations probes and all forms of human enterprise bids. Headlines have become a language of their own, knowing no law and often quite incomprehensible until one has read the article that they profess to summarise. "INSANITY RULES CRITIC" and "W. H. SMITH OFFER SUCCESS" have quite different meanings from their apparent ones. Who could know what is meant by "HANGING PROBE NAMES SOON" until he has read on and discovered that what it means is "The names of the members of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment will shortly be announced"? Who could guess that the headline "UNOFFICIAL STRIKES CLAIM" introduces a report of a speech by a Member of Parliament who said that there was abundant evidence that unofficial strikes were organised and inspired by Communists as part of a general plan originating from abroad? I do not see how those three words by themselves can have any meaning at all; to me they convey a vague suggestion of the discovery of oil or gold by someone who ought not to have been looking for it. And if the announcement BULL GRANTS INCREASE is construed grammatically, it does not seem to deserve a headline at all: one would say that that was no more than was to be expected from any conscientious bull.
But what may be pardonable in headlines will not do in the text. Nursery School is a legitimate use of the noun-adjective, but nursery school provision is not at present regarded as a proper way of saying the provision of nursery schools. Electricity crisis restrictions and world supply situation may be all right as newspaper headlines but not in English prose. For instance:
An extra million tons of steel would buy our whole sugar import requirements. (all the sugar we need to import.)
Food consumption has been dominated by the world supply situation. (People have had to eat what they could get.)
Rationing of meat must continue because of the world supply situation. (because there is not enough meat in the world.)
An exceptionally choice example is:
The programme must be on the basis of the present head of labour ceiling allocation overall.
Here Head of labour means number of building operatives. Ceiling means maximum. Overall, as usual, means nothing. The whole sentence means "The programme must be on the assumption that we get the maximum number of building operatives at present allotted to us".
Everything is being done to expedite plant installation within the limiting factors of steel availability and the preparation of sites.
The only thing that can be said for the writer of this is that his conscience pulled him up before the end, and he did not write "sites preparation". The sentence should have run, "So far as steel is available and sites can be prepared, everything is being done to expedite the installation of plant".
The use of a noun as an adjective should be avoided where the same word is already an adjective with a different meaning. Do not, for instance, say "material allocation" when you mean "allocation of material", but reserve that expression against the time when you may want to make clear that the allocation you are considering is not a spiritual one. For the same reason this phrase is not felicitous:
In view of the restrictions recently imposed on our capital economic situation....
By way of emphasising that the official is by no means the only offender, I will add three examples from elsewhere. The first is from a circular issued by a commercial firm:
This compulsion is much regretted, but a large vehicle fleet operator restriction in mileage has now been made imperative in meeting the demand for petrol economy.
This translated into English presumably means:
We much regret having to do this, but we have been obliged to restrict greatly the operation of our fleet of vehicles [or to restrict the operation of our fleet of large vehicles?] to meet the demand for economy in petrol.
The second is from an American sociological book:
Examination of specific instances indicated that in most cases where retirement dissatisfaction existed advance activity programming by individuals had been insignificant or even lacking.
Here again I translate with diffidence, but the meaning seems to be:
Examination of specific instances indicated that most of those who had not wanted to retire had given little or no thought to planning their future.
The third from an article by a politician:
Avoiding technicalities . . . it might mean either mandatory (though flexible) minimum liquidity ratios, or a once-for-all sterilising of excess ban liquidity....
Here translation baffles me.
Abstract Adjectival Phrases
By this I mean using a phrase consisting of an abstract noun (e.g. character, nature, basis, description, disposition), with an adjective, where a simple adjective would do as well. This too offends against the rule that you should say what you have to say as simply and directly as possible in order that you may be readily understood.
These claims are of a very far-reaching character. (These claims are very far-reaching. )
The weather will be of a showery character. (It will be showery.)
The wages will be low owing to the unremunerative nature of the work.
The translation of the last example will present no difficulty to a student of Mr. Micawber who once said of the occupation of selling corn on commission:
"It is not an avocation of a remunerative description — in other words, it does not pay".
Proposition is another abstract word used in the same way.
Decentralisation on a regional basis is now a generally practical proposition. (is now generally feasible. )
Accommodation in a separate building is not usually a practical proposition. (is not usually feasible.)
The high cost of land in clearance areas makes it a completely uneconomic proposition to build cottages in those areas. (makes it completely uneconomic to build cottages there.)
Proposition is becoming a blunderbuss word (see Chapter 3), constantly used for purposes for which plan or project would be better.
Basis is specially likely to lead writers to express themselves in roundabout ways. When you find you have written "on a. . . basis" always examine it critically before letting it stand.
Such officer shall remain on his existing salary on a mark-time basis. (shall mark time on his existing salary.)
The organisation of such services might be warranted in particular localities and on a strictly limited basis. (scale.)
The machines would need to be available both day and night on a 24-hour basis. (at any time of the day or night.)
Please state whether this is to be a permanent installation or on a temporary line basis. (or a temporary line.)
A legitimate use of basis is:
The manufacturers are distributing their products as fairly as possible on the basis of past trading.
In the course of this book I have called numerous expressions cliches. A cliché may be defined as a phrase whose aptness in a particular context when it was first invented has won it such popularity that it has become hackneyed, and is used without thought in contexts where it is no longer apt. Clichds are notorious enemies of the precise word. To quote from the introduction to Eric Partridge's Dictionary of Cliché s:
They range from fly-blown phrases (explore every avenue) through sobriquets that have lost all point and freshness (the Iron Duke) to quotations that have become debased currency (cups that cheer but not inebriate), metaphors that are now pointless, and formulas that have become mere counters (far be it from me to ... ).
A cliché then is by definition a bad thing, not to be employed by self-respecting writers. Judged by this test, some expressions are unquestionably and in all circumstances clichés. This is true in particular of verbose and facetious ways of saying simple things (conspicuous by its absence, tender mercies, durance vile) and of phrases so threadbare that they cannot escape the suspicion of being used automatically (leave no stone unturned, acid test, psychological moment, leave severely alone). But a vast number of other expressions may or may not be clichés. It depends on whether they are used unthinkingly as reach-me-downs or deliberately chosen as the best means of saying what the writer wants to say. Eric Partridge's Dictionary contains some thousands of entries. But, as he says in his preface, what is a cliché is partly a matter of opinion. It is also a matter of occasion. Many of those in his dictionary may or may not be clichés; it depends on how they are used. Writers would be needlessly handicapped if they were never permitted such phrases as cross the Rubicon, sui generis, swing of the pendulum, thin end of the wedge and white elephant. These may be the fittest way of expressing a writer's meaning. If you choose one of them for that reason you need not be afraid of being called a cliché-monger. The trouble is that writers often use a cliché because they think it fine, or because it is the first thing that comes into their heads. It is always a danger-signal when one word suggests another and Siamese twins are born—part and parcel, intents and purposes and the like. There is no good reason why inconvenience should always be said to be experienced by the person who suffers it and occasioned by the person who causes it. Single words too may become clichés; they are used so often that their edges are blunted while more exact words are neglected. I have already said something in Chapter 7 about those whose popularity comes from the allure of novelty or sparkle; here I will give some examples of a few more that have no such claim to preference; some indeed seem to attract by their very drabness.
"Accommodated", said Justice Shallow; "it comes of accommodo: very good, a good phrase. Good phrases are surely, and ever were, very commendable."
Whitehall feels the same about the noun. They had a reverse not long ago when the phrase accommodation unit was most unkindly received by Sir Winston Churchill and finished off by Sir Hartley Shawcross, who said that it had lost the Labour Party (then in power) 50,000 votes, or if it had not it ought to have done. And so while we stay in the same place we can still call our house our house, or our flat our flat, or our lodgings our lodgings. But if Authority arranges to move us, it will not be to another house, or a different flat, or new lodgings. It will always be to alternative accommodation, and it is as likely as not that we shall be described as being evacuated there. This curious cliché, originally coined by the legislature 20 years ago, has run wild, and its versatility is astonishing. Sometimes it means no more than houses:
The real cause of bad relations between landlord and tenant is the shortage of alternative accommodation.
Or it may mean something less than houses:
Experience has shown that many applications have been received for exemption certificates [sc. from the obligation to provide sanitary conveniences] on the ground that alternative accommodation is available.... Public sanitary conveniences should not be considered satisfactory alternative accommodation.
This word has won an undeserved popularity because it is colourless—a word of broad meaning that saves a writer the trouble of thought. It is a useful word in its place, but not when used from laziness. It may be easier to say "The progress of the building has been affected by the weather", but it is better to use a more precise word — hindered, perhaps, or delayed or stopped. I used to think during the war, when I heard that gas-mains had been affected by a raid, that it would have been more sensible to say that they had been broken.
The use of alternative for such words as other, new, revised or fresh is rife. Perhaps this is due to infection spread by the cliché alternative accommodation. For instance, the Ministry of Health announced one spring that owing to the severe winter the house-building programme for the year had been abandoned, and added that no "alternative programme" would be issued. They might have said other, new, fresh or revised, but alternative must be wrong. There is nothing for it to be an alternative to; the old programme is torn up.
Innumerable examples could be given of this misuse. Here are two:
The Ministry of Transport are arranging alternative transport for the passengers of the Empire Windrush [which was at the bottom of the Mediterranean].
The Minister regrets that he will not be able to hold the Conference arranged for the 15th March. Members will be informed as soon as alternative arrangements have been made.
Alternative must imply a choice between two or more things, as in the following example:
Authorities may order their requirements from one or more of the firms in Appendix II. An order addressed to Firm A may specify Firms B and C as second and third choices. Where no alternative firm is given the order will, if necessary, be re-allocated.
Even in that popular phrase alternative accommodation, the adjective is generally incorrect, for the person to whom the accommodation is offered has usually no alternative to taking it.
Billeting Authorities are requested to report any such cases as they are unable to rebillet, in order that alternative arrangements may be made.
Other is the right word here.
It is generally regarded as pedantry to say that, because of its derivation, alternative must not be used where the choices are more than two.
The ordinary meaning of appreciate, as a transitive verb, is to form an estimate of the worth of anything, to set a value on it, and hence to acknowledge with gratitude. It is useful to polite officials corresponding with members of the public who want more than they can get, as most of us do today. Refusals are softened by such phrases as "I appreciate how hard it is on you not to have it", and "you will appreciate the reasons why I cannot let you have it". However meritorious the purpose, there can be no doubt that appreciate is being used by the writers of official letters and circulars with a freedom that passes reason. An effective way of curbing it might be to resolve never to use the word with a that clause ("I appreciate that there has been delay"), but always give it a noun to govern ("I appreciate your difficulty").
Sometimes the word is used merely by way of polite padding (see chapter 6), or where it would be more suitable to say understand, realise, recognise, be grateful, be obliged.
"It would be appreciated if" can usually be translated into "I shall be glad (or grateful, or obliged, or even pleased) if.. . ". "You will appreciate" can often be better expressed by "you will realise" or even "of course".
This is an irreproachable word. But so also are right, suitable, fitting and proper, and I do not see why appropriate should have it all its own way. In particular, the Whitehall cliché in appropriate cases might be confined more closely than it is now to cases in which it is appropriate. It would be wise too to avoid a word that calls for an explanation of this sort:
"Appropriate weekly rate" means, in relation to any benefit, the weekly rate of personal benefit of that description which is appropriate in the case of the person in relation to whom the provision containing that expression is to be applied.
The proper meaning of to claim is to demand recognition of a right. But the fight to prevent it from usurping the place of assert has been lost in America and seems likely to be lost here also, especially as the B.B.C. have surrendered without a struggle. Here are some recent examples from this country:
The police took statements from about forty people who claimed that they had seen the gunmen in different parts of the city.
The State Department claims that discrimination is being shown against the American film industry.
There are those who claim that the Atlantic Treaty has an aggressive purpose.
I have a friend who claims to keep in his office a filing tray labelled "Too Difficult".
The enlargement of claim ought to be deplored by all those who like to treat words as tools of precision, and to keep their edges sharp. Why should claim, which has its own useful job to do, claim a job that is already being efficiently done by others? Perhaps the idea underlying this usage is that the writer claims credence for an improbable or unverified assertion.
To decimate is to reduce by one-tenth, not to one-tenth. It meant originally to punish mutinous troops by executing one man in ten, chosen by lot. Hence by extension it means to destroy a large proportion; the suggestion it now conveys is usually of a loss much greater than 10 per cent. Because of the flavour of exactness that still hangs about it, an adverb or adverbial phrase should not be used with it. We may say "The attacking troops were decimated", meaning that they suffered heavy losses, but we must not say "The attacking troops were badly decimated", and still less "decimated to the extent of 50 per cent or more.
The following truly remarkable instance of the misuse of decimate was given in the course of correspondence in The Times about the misuse of literally.
I submit the following, long and lovingly remembered from my "penny dreadful" days:
"Dick, hotly pursued by the scalp-hunter, turned in his saddle, fired and literally decimated his opponent."
The proper use of this word is to convey the idea of a gradual unfolding or building up. Do not use it as a synonym for arise, occur, happen, take place, come. A typical example of its misuse is "rising prices might develop" (for "prices might rise").
The Emergency Powers Act had to have a generic title because it was for use in all sorts of emergencies, whether due to war or civil commotion. But once the word got a footing it provided a splendid cloak for every kind of thing, from war downwards, that it was not quite nice to mention specifically. Look at these three extracts from a single memorandum about arrangements for evacuation in 1939:
In the preceding paragraphs the action which would require to be taken in the event of an emergency has been sketched, because a picture of this action naturally follows on a discussion of the transport arrangements and will provide an indication of the manner in which the survey of accommodation now completed by the authority would be used in order to enable the plan to be put into operation at very short notice.
What the paragraph means as a whole is obscure, but it seems pretty clear that here emergency means bombing. The circular goes on to give this advice about expectant mothers:
It will be necessary for each small group to be supervised and accompanied by at least one person qualified to guide them and to deal with any emergencies which may arise — preferably a midwife.
Here the word emergencies seems to be used in a quite different sense.
Finally, we have the following:
An alternative method would be to ask every woman as a routine at booking (i.e. making arrangements for confinement) whether she would wish to be evacuated in an emergency.
Here we are left guessing which sort of an emergency is meant, and even wondering whether evacuated is used in the same sense as before.
I wrote this during the war, but the fascination of the word apparently persists. A correspondent in charge of the preparation of certain measures to be taken in the event of another war writes:
I have given instructions that the use of this word is to be avoided as far as possible. It is used in four different senses:
(a)international tension such as may lead to war;
(c)a state of affairs during war when things get bad (e.g. May-September 1940);
(d)a state of affairs in which supplies of some vital commodity run short, or a situation of some kind gets out of hand.
There is a pernicious habit of inserting the phrase in an emergency without making clear which of the four meanings, if any, it has. Sometimes it should be replaced by "when war threatens", sometimes by "in war", sometimes by "when things become serious", sometimes by "in case of need" or "if the worst comes to the worst". Usually, however, it can be omitted altogether.
This word is given too much work to do. Often some other word such as need, cause, impose, necessitate, involve, might be more appropriate, or at least make a refreshing change. Sometimes entail intrudes where no verb is needed, a common habit of involve.
... a statement in writing that you are willing to bear the cost entailed of opening the case, withdrawing this amount and resealing.
If entailed must be used, the preposition should be in.
The meaning of this popular word has been diluted to a point of extreme insipidity. Originally it meant wrap up in something, enfold. Then it acquired the figurative meaning entangle a person in difficulties or embarrassment, and especially implicate in crime, or a charge. Then it began to lose colour, and to be used as though it meant nothing more than include, contain or imply. It has thus developed a vagueness that makes it the delight of those who dislike the effort of searching for the right word. It is consequently much used, generally where some more specific word would be better and sometimes where it is merely superfluous.
This is no new phenomenon. Early in the twentieth century Sir Clifford Allbutt, writing about the English style of medical students at Cambridge, said:
To involve, with its ugly and upstart noun involvement, has to do duty for to attack, to invade, to injure, to affect, to pervert, to encroach upon, to influence, to enclose, to implicate, to permeate, to pervade, to penetrate, to dislocate, to contaminate and so forth.
Here are a few recent examples from official writing:
The additional rent involved will be £1. (Omit involved.)
There are certain amounts of the material available without permit, but the quantities involved are getting less. (Omit involved.)
It has been agreed that the capital cost involved in the installation of the works shall be included. (. . . that the capital cost of installing...)
It has been inaccurately reported that anything from eight sheep to eight oxen were roasted at the affair. The facts are that six sheep only were involved. (Involved here seers to be an "elegant variation" for roasted.)
Much labour has been involved in advertising. (Much labour has been expended on advertising.)
The following four examples all occur in one paragraph of a memorandum, covering less than half a page, and strikingly illustrate the fascination this word exercises over undiscriminating writers:
The Ministry have indicated that they would not favour any proposal which would involve an increase in establishment at the present time. (Involve here is harmless, but in order to practise shaking off its yoke, let us substitute mean or lead to.)
The Company would oppose this application unless compensation involving a substantial sum were paid. (This one cannot get off so lightly. The writer should have said " unless a substantial sum were paid in compensation ".)
We have been informed that the procedure involved would necessitate lengthy negotiation. . . . (Here involved is doing no work at all and should be omitted.)
Such are some of the sadly flabby uses to which this word of character is put. Reserve it for more virile purposes and especially for use where there is a suggestion of entanglement or complication, as we use involved when we say "this is a most involved subject". Here are two examples of its reasonable use:
This experience has thrown into high relief the complications and delays involved in the existing machinery for obtaining approval.
Mr. Menzies protested against the Australian Government's acceptance of the invitation to the conference at Delhi on the Indonesian dispute, holding that Australia ought not to be involved.
Issue (noun)
This word has a very wide range of proper meanings as a noun, and should not be made to do any more work— the work, for instance, of subject, topic, consideration and dispute.
Issue (verb)
To issue an article of equipment to a soldier is a well-established military phrase and an unexceptionable use of issue: the article is issued from store. But the practice has grown up of treating issue as though it meant provide, supply or grant, and this has spread into civilian life.
You were issued with coupons to bring your wardrobe to the standard level.
About this usage Fowler remarked gently, "This is not to be recommended". Fifteen years later Sir Alan Herbert said more firmly "This is black". But little notice seems to have been taken of them. Indeed the sentence "he was issued with a licence" is taken by Mr. Hugh Sykes Davies in his Grammar Without Tears as the text of a spirited defence of such constructions against the charge of being "bad grammar". But the true offence is not a matter of grammar: it is that there is no need for issue with to usurp the place of grant, and to allow it to do so is to contribute to the debasement of language by blurring the significance of words.
This word is a great favourite, especially in business letters. It is made to mean almost anything. It is safe to say that any sentence in which this omnibus use occurs will be improved either by omitting the word or by substituting a word of more definite meaning. The following is a typical instance; it refers to the condition of a set of batteries:
The accessory items, stands and other parts, are satisfactory, but the sediment approximates to 1-in, in depth and. . . this item can be removed conveniently when the renewals are effected.
Accessory items should be changed to accessories and this item can be removed to this can be removed.
The next example is from a notice of a meeting:
*I shall be able to attend the meeting.
*I shall not be able to attend the meeting.
*Please delete item not required.
Here, what meant sediment in the first example appears to mean words.
This is a harmless word, unexceptionable in such company as major road, major war, major railway accident. But it is so much used that it is supplanting other more serviceable ones. Do not let major make you forget such words as main, important, chief, principal. For instance, important or significant might have been better than major in:
We do not expect to see any major change in the near future.
The favour that this word has won during the past few years is astonishing. It is an egregious example of the process I described as boring out a weapon of precision into a blunderbuss. Indeed the word seems to have a quality that impels people to use it in settings in which it has no meaning at all.
Examples of its meaningless use are:
The independence of the Teaching Hospitals and their freedom from the overall control of the Regional Boards.
The overall growth of London should be restrained.
Radical changes will be necessary in the general scheme of Exchequer grants in aid of local authorities, therefore, to secure that overall the policy of the Government in concentrating those grants as far as possible where the need is greatest is further developed. (Here, it will be observed, overall is an adverb.)
When an individual leaves an establishment, and his departure results in a net reduction of one in the overall strength.
It looks as if the yield for the first fortnight of 1949 will be fewer than forty fresh orders, representing an overall annual output of no more than a thousand.
The Controller should assume a general overall responsibility for the efficient planning of all measures.
When overall is not meaningless, it is commonly used as a synonym for some more familiar word, especially average, total and aggregate.
For aggregate:—Compared with the same week a year ago, overall production of coal showed an increase of more than 100,000 tons. [i.e. deep-mined plus opencast.]
For in all or altogether:—Overall the broadcasting of "Faust" will cover eight hours.
For total:—I have made a note of the overall demand of this company for the next year.
For average:—The houses here are built to an overall density of three to the acre.
For supreme:—Vice-Admiral Duncan, of the United States Navy, was in overall command.
For on the whole:—The Secretary of State for the Colonies stated that the overall position in Malaya had greatly improved, although in some places it was still difficult.
For generally:—Small vital schemes of repair and adaptation which continually arise and must be dealt with irrespective of any attempt to improve overall hospital standards.
For overriding:—They came forward as witnesses because of the overall fear of being involved in a capital charge.
For comprehensive:—An overall plan for North Atlantic Defence measures was approved yesterday by the Defence Minister at the Hague.
For whole:—Mr. C. said he could quite understand that the Conservative Party were unwilling to look at the overall picture.
For bird's-eye:—Our observer will be in the control tower, where he will have an overall view of the aerodrome.
For complete:—One volume was published, but the overall plan was never finished.
For absolute:—The Conservatives will have an overall majority in the new Parliament.
For on balance:—The purpose of the plan is to enable a larger initial payment to be made and correspondingly lower payments subsequently, entailing an overall saving to the customer.
Overall, according to the dictionaries, means "including everything between the extreme points", as one speaks of the overall length of a ship. For this purpose it is useful, but it is high time that its excursions into the fields of other words were checked. So pervasive has the word become that it is a pleasant surprise to come across an old-fashioned general in such sentences as:
These reports may be used for obtaining a general picture of the efficiency of a given industry.
Although Europe's general deficit with the outside world fell by over $2 billion during 1949, its deficit with the United States fell hardly at all.
Most writers today would say "overall picture" and "overall deficit" almost automatically.
Percentage, Proportion, Fraction
Do not use the expression a percentage or a proportion when what you mean is some, as in:
This drug has proved of much value in a percentage of cases. The London Branch of the National Association of Fire Officers, which includes a proportion of station officers...
Here percentage and proportion pretend to mean something more than some, but do not really do so. They do not give the reader any idea of the number or proportion of the successful cases or station officers. One per cent is just as much " a percentage " as 99 per cent. So, for that matter, is 200 per cent.
Do not forget the simple words many, few and some; and use percentage or proportion only if you want to express not an absolute number but the relation of one number to another, and can give at least an approximate degree of exactitude; so that, though you may not be able to put an actual figure on the percentage or proportion, you can at any rate say "a high percentage", "a large proportion", "a low percentage", "a small proportion".
But fraction is different. It has become so common to use "only a fraction" in the sense of "only a small fraction" that it would be pedantry to object that 999/1000 is as much a fraction as 1/1000 just as it would certainly be pedantry to point out to anyone who says "He has got a temperature" that 98 degrees is just as much "a temperature" as 104.
Reaction has had a meteoric career, almost rivalling that of overall and target. It now seems to come naturally to an official writer, answering an enquiry where certain equipment can be bought, to end his letter:
Would you therefore communicate with the XY Co. Ltd., and let me have your reaction
Reaction may be properly used as a technical term of chemistry (the response of a substance to a reagent), of biology (the response of an organ of the body to an external stimulus), or of mechanics ("to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"). One would think that was as much work as a word could reasonably be asked to do. Its present vogue means that a word which connotes essentially an automatic rather than an intellectual response is being used habitually to replace such words as opinion, views or impression. Never say "What is you reaction to this proposal?" instead of "what do you think of this proposal?" unless you wish to imply that the person you are questioning must answer instantly without reflection. Reaction's extension of its meaning was harmless at first, and even useful. One cannot quarrel with:
I suggest that Mr. X communicates with some of the firms named with a view to testing market reactions to his products.
But the further encroachments of the word should be discouraged because they blunt exactitude of meaning.
The preposition after reaction must be to, not on. It is permissible to say "His reaction to your letter was unfavourable". But it is not permissible to say "Your letter had an unfavourable reaction on him". To say that is to imply a belief that one of the meanings of reaction is effect.
This word is becoming dangerously popular, perhaps because it has a question-begging flavour. What is realistic is what the writer thinks sensible. A leading article in a certain journal recently said of a certain minister:
He made great play, as he has done before, with the word "realistic", which he is in danger of associating with anything he thinks.
Realistic is ousting words like sensible, practical, feasible, workmanlike. Everything nowadays seems to be either academic or realistic. The following examples are from a single issue of The Times:
(From the evidence of a witness before the Bank Rate Tribunal. ) The Corporation was morally bound to take up underwriting so long as the terms were realistic at the time of issue. (reasonable ).
(From a letter.) Lord Woolton made a most realistic observation when he suggested that the House of Lords should meet later. (sensible ).
(From a leading article.) It would be unrealistic not to recognise the special difficulties which the T.U.C. may have in giving evidence. (unimaginative ).
Only in the last example could the writer maintain that the word he used was as suitable as the one suggested in brackets.


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California is a pretty big market for gun companies, but the state of California is making it harder for their citizens to own firearms. New laws have passed recently targeting AR-15 and AK-47 variants which will require Californians to either register their rifles as "assault rifles" or force them to change out the scary assault rifle features, one of them being the pistol grip. Thank Odin there are companies stepping up to help those in California, one of them is AK H.A.M.M.R. who just released their Battle Fin for AK rifles. AK H.A.M.M.R. also makes a handy bullet button tool for AKs.
The Battle Fin is a universal fit for all AK platform rifles that's easy to install between the rifle receiver and pistol grip. It makes your AK CA compliant by restricting the shooter's thumb from wrapping around the pistol grip. It's a dumb law I know. The Battle Fin is coming soon and will retail for just $18.99. Check them out at AKHAmmr.com.
The BATTLE FIN™ was designed as a visually attractive, competitively priced fin for featureless AK rifle builds. Use this product to simulate shooting with no thumbs. It's a little known fact that pistol grips, while comfortable, have never been proven to improve weapon system control and actually contribute to poor marksmanship fundamentals. Shoot with no thumbs like real man. The BATTLE FIN™ also prevents your obnoxious pistol grip from getting caught up in your other tactical gear. The BATTLE FIN™ improves underwater flow dynamics during deep water operations. When your California approved 10 round mag runs dry, use the BATTLE FIN™ as a shield during melee attacks. Installation of the BATTLE FIN™ is extremely simple and quick — simply loosen your grip bolt, slide the BATTLE FIN™ in between your receiver and super evil/dangerous pistol grip and re-tighten bolt.
Some grips with a more swept back grip angle, such as Magpul MOE grips, will require the forward facing section of the fin to be snapped off along the molded in "break line."
Molded from durable and rigid glass filled nylon
Featureless rifle component
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Proudly designed and manufactured in the USA
A few other CA compliant products available for those poor souls in Commiefornia can be found below:
The Das-Mag Side Loaded AK Fixed Mag
Juggernaut Tactical CA Compliant Stock

subset: commoncrawl


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One of a Kind Show and Sale Preview Event at the A & D building
By alexandra
Last night we headed over to the Clive Christian showroom in the A & D building and joined MMPI to celebrate the launch of the One of Kind Show and Sale NY, an extraordinary holiday shopping event, which will run from December 10 -13 at Pier 94 in Manhattan.
Brand new to NYC, the show will feature the best in fine art and fine craft from hundreds of unique artists. Each item for sale at the show will be made by hand, one piece at a time. Complementing the one-of-a-kind shopping, we hear visitors will also be treated to live music, fashion shows, expert presentations, gourmet cafes, bars and special events.
While we learned about the upcoming show, we also met several of the talented artists who will be exhibiting and selling their creations. Also in attendance was NCIS: Los Angeles star Barrett Foa (he plays Eric Beal on the CBS TV show)!
Visit www.oneofakindshowny.com for more information and updates on the show.
(Photo courtesy of Rudy Rimanich)
(Photo courtesy of Rudy Rimanich)
(Photo courtesy of Rudy Rimanich)
(Photo courtesy of Rudy Rimanich)


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I'm ecstatic to announce I've been named an Akron Soul Train fellow. It is a privilege and an honor to be a part of the fellowship program. Thank you for the opportunity to share my art and support my work.
"Akron Soul Train (AST) is thrilled to support 13 new local and regional artists from September 2018 through August 2019. The AST Fellowship Selection Committee reviewed 70 applications and selected a wide variety of excellent visual and performing artists, ranging from emerging to more established. Each artist will lead a community program during their fellowship as well as present a final exhibition or performance in Akron to share the artwork they created." – Akron Soul Train


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One thing is certain. *Somebody* at Trader Joe's pays attention to mangoes. They are a small format store, and I truly appreciate just how many mango products they offer.
Take a look at this awesome sample:
And these yummies are just a start. Now. I don't work for Trader Joe's or accept bribes or anything else from them. Regardless, let me be a blogging fool and Trader Joe's tool and tell all of you fellow mango fiends out there that they sell Apricot Mango Greek Yogurt (my favorite flavored yogurt of all time), Papaya Mango Fresh Salsa (soooo good with pork tenderloin), Mango Black Tea, and even Honey Mango Shaving Cream (yes, it smells as good as it sounds) – all under its own brand. This is a *very impressive* mango effort. I've probably missed some products too, but I think you get the idea: Trader Joe's is a mango-friendly kind of place. If you have a Trader Joe's store near your home, check them out. Their mango products deserve your business!
On the fresh mango front, the results are admittedly mixed. I've seen the dreaded Tommy Atkins mangoes (see my blog on THAT topic) but I've also seen delicious Kents. Like always, I encourage you to speak to the produce folks. Tell them you want buttery, smooth-fleshed fresh mangoes, not the stringy kind with bland flavor!


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Rating: 15 Release Date: 2008 Director: Robert Weide Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Jeff Bridges Sex: Mild references, with nudity Violence: No
Language: Several, sometimes strong
'How To Lose Friends and Alienate People' is the story of a young British writer who lands a dream job for one of America's leading fashion magazines; a dream come true for someone who fantasises about rubbing shoulders with the glamorous A-listers. But it isn't long before he realises that the American "celeb scene" isn't actually as great as he'd first thought.
The film had a great deal to live up to; surely it couldn't match the flop that was Toby Young's career, or the highly successful book based on Young's real experiences. And you're right it couldn't match either; it was far, far worse.
My first problem with this shambles of a film was the casting of Simon Pegg. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved Pegg in Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but I couldn't help thing that he just did not fit this character as all. Pegg made Young look more like a moronic idiot than the slightly naively and star struck Young portrayed in the book. His accent was so over-the-top and unnatural, that you'd really be forgiven if you honestly believed he wasn't English (this wasn't unique to Pegg of course; Kirsten Dunst's American accent seemed just as hammy). In fact, Pegg just made Young too big of a British idiotic, ponce of a stereotype.
All of the books best jokes appeared to have been completely missed out, and the only good jokes that appeared had already been given away in the film's trailer! And you really felt like Pegg seriously needed a male character (as in the book) to bounce his humour off, rather than Dunst's character, with whom Pegg had absolutely no screen chemistry with.
Jeff Bridges' character on the other hand, is exactly as I'd expected him to be; pretentious and full of his own self-importance.
The film was just full of cliché and "silliness"; how Hollywood of the film to have the girl Pegg argues with in the bar is one of his work colleagues – only in Hollywood would this ever happen! And Megan Fox's drip of a character was just attention-seekingly silly in a way that was trying (and failing) to resemble a 1950's Marilyn Monroe film. You kind of wanted those hard-arsed balls that we know and love in Fox, from the Transformers films. Fox most certainly plays tough cookie better than an airhead.
How To Lose Friends and Alienate People!? Make them watch this film; that's how!
Rating: 3 out of 10
Whilst I don't really recommend the film, I do recommend the book by Toby Young (which was apparently based on his own "conquering" of America!)


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Marco Island, Naples make 'safest cities in Florida' list — again
Hey, Marco Island and Naples residents. You've got something to boast about.
Based on FBI crime data for 129 cities, Marco Island and Naples rank third and sixth, respectively, according to the National Council for Home Safety and Security and its website, alarms.org.
The crime rate in Marco Island — population 18,122 — is 5.74 per 1,000 people, with 0.33 violent crimes and 5.41 property crimes, according to alarms.org. In 2018, the town ranked No. 1 on the council's list. Last year, it ranked third on the list, with Naples ranking fourth.
Here's what the council wrote about Marco Island: "Marco Island has a lot in common with (No. 2) Key Biscayne: both are tourist-frequented island communities where crime is scarce. Marco Island's violent and property crime rates are even lower than those of (Key Biscayne), yet the city falls slightly due its lower law enforcement-to-residents ratio."
Safe community: In 2018, Marco Island was named safest city in Florida
Sold! Priciest home ever to sell on Marco Island fetches $10.5 million
Thanks, JLB! 5 low-key Naples restaurants to try on a beach day
In Naples — population 22,308 — the crime rate is 14.75 per 1,000 people, with 0.40 violent crimes and 14.34 property crimes, the council's website states.
The National Council for Home Safety and Security is a national trade association comprised of companies in the security sector, including licensed alarm installers, contractors and other relevant trade groups.
To identify the safest cities, the National Council for Home Safety and Security reviewed data from the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting tool, which relays cities' violent and nonviolent crime data. It was combined with internal population research.
Cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and cities with populations less than 10,000 were removed from the analysis.
For more information, visit alarms.org/safest-cities-in-florida.
Maureen Kenyon is a trends reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida, keeping Treasure Coast residents updated on hot topics and happenings. Do you have a story to tell? Send an email to email@example.com, call 772-221-4249 or follow her on Twitter @_MaureenKenyon_.
Like what you're reading? Please support local journalism and become a subscriber.


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Hello my friend~
Good day I come from China a tourist city – Kunming.Because I really like the design-related things, so do a lot about graphic design, 3D design, Digital Sculpture and 2.5D game scene work. I think these things make me very happy. If you have anything you want to communicate with me, you can write me Email. Enjoy the game! (PS: My English is not very good, but enough to allow me to make new friends.)


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Micropapillary-predominant adenocarcinoma of the lung
Citation, DOI & article data
Micropapillary-predominant adenocarcinoma of the lung is a histological subtype of invasive non-mucinous invasive adenocarcinoma of the lung.
In 2011, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), American Thoracic Society (ATS), and European Respiratory Society (ERS) 1 introduced a new classification and terminology for adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is now divided into 'preinvasive', 'minimally invasive', and 'invasive'.
The term bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) has been retired, and it is recommended that all invasive adenocarcinomas be classified in terms of the "predominant" comprising histology 1. Both mucinous and non-mucinous adenocarcinomas typically consist of a mixture of histologic patterns, but reporting of the predominant subtype (lepidic, acinar, papillary, micropapillary, or solid growth) is specifically recommended for non-mucinous lesions, with all mucinous tumors placed in a separate category.
- 1. Travis WD, Brambilla E, Noguchi M et-al. International association for the study of lung cancer/american thoracic society/european respiratory society international multidisciplinary classification of lung adenocarcinoma. J Thorac Oncol. 2011;6 (2): 244-85. doi:10.1097/JTO.0b013e318206a221 - Pubmed citation


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Friday, August 24, 2007
Downside to the iPod
So I'm hoping my readers will help to rescue me from old-fartdom. In the comments, tell me what I'm (probably) missing: the best new artists and songs of the last two or three years. I'm not biased against music just because it's popular – in fact, I think obscure artists are often obscure for good reason – so feel free to suggest mainstream artists as well as your peculiar favorites. Genre is open, though I should warn you that I dislike most modern R&B (R. Kelly does nothing for me). Rap and hip-hop are fine.
14 comments:
- Ran said...
Might I recommend <http://www.billboard.com/>? I'm sorry to report that it doesn't distinguish R&B from hip-hop, but it most certainly does distinguish mainstream from obscure.
- August 24, 2007 4:26 PM
- Ran said...
Sorry, I guess Blogger doesn't auto-linkify URIs. So:
- August 24, 2007 4:27 PM
Well, off the top of my head...
Regina Spektor
Lily Allen
Carpark North
Of course people's tastes vary.
- August 24, 2007 5:42 PM
They've been around longer than the last 2-3 years, but if they're ever gonna break out they're gonna do it with their album released last month: Spoon, and they're excellent.
- August 24, 2007 6:21 PM
Best two albums of the last two years:
Edan -
Beauty And The Beat
J Dilla - Donuts
Both are hip-hop, but not like hip-hop ever sounded before.
- August 24, 2007 6:24 PM
Well, I would suggest Amy Winehouse, Ingrid Lucia, Stephen Malkmus, The Zutons, Spoon, etc...
Pandora is indeed a great tool to find new music.
- August 24, 2007 6:47 PM
Various suggestions for finding good recent music.
My Favorite Recent Hip-Hop Albums
CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
Blue Scholars - Bayani
The Roots - Game Theory
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
The Wisdom of Crowds
Last FM users' most-listened-to songs & artists
Art of the Mix songs & artists most often included on user-submitted mixtapes
Fairly Respectable mp3 Blogs
Spine Magazine (hip-hop)
Soul Sides (soul/funk/jazz/hip-hop)
- August 25, 2007 9:48 AM
I post links to streaming music you might like every weekday. But a short list off the top my head: The Go! Team, Spoon, Art Brut, The Hold Steady, New Pornographers (and Neko Case solo), Okkervil River, The Decemberists, Jens Lekman, John Vanderslice, Richard Thompson, The Pipettes, Wilco and Yo La Tengo.
I would guess most all of these have MySpace pages
- August 25, 2007 4:49 PM
- Walt! said...
Here are a bunch of great bands coming from the south and a couple from other places.
-The Avett Brothers (their new album "Emotionalism" is great!)
-The Modern Skirts
-The Whigs
-Kings of Leon
-TV on the Radio
-Dr. Dog
-The Kooks
-M. Ward
-UGK ft Outkast has a new song called "International Players Anthem." Also Common's new song "The People" is really good.
- August 26, 2007 10:40 AM
- Ran said...
Akon is a good hip-hop musician. (I make no comment on his other qualities.)
- August 26, 2007 7:00 PM
If you like Fischerspooner you might also like...
LCD Soundsystem
The Juan McLean
TV on the Radio
Soulwax / 2 Many DJs
The DFA label generally.
- August 27, 2007 1:48 PM
- Erin said...
I like several of those you've mentioned, so I'll give a few of my personal favorites:
Travis (they have a relatively new album out, but they've been around for a while)
The Postal Service (also not new)
Death Cab for Cutie (same singer as TPS)
The White Stripes
- August 29, 2007 3:37 PM
Let me echo the recommendations for The Roots and Regina Spektor.
I think you should also check out Maroon 5.
- August 30, 2007 12:45 PM
- Unknown said...
- September 20, 2007 11:04 AM


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Our Travels
Follow our travels around Australia and the World
Suzanne and Simon head to the central west around Mudgee to ride the 370 KM Central West Cycling Trail.
We go through Gulgong, Dunedoo, Mendoran, Ballimore, Dubbo and Wellington.
We travel to Nepal for 20 days of treking. We walk the Tamang Heritage Trail, The Langtang Valley, The Gosainkund Trek and the Helambu Trek.
More than 3,000 people joined us in 2019 to ride from Robe to Torquay along the iconic Great Ocean Road.
650 Kms over 10 days with a rest day in Port Fairy.
A 20 day, 550 km, cycle tour around Northern Thailand up near the Laos and Myanmar boarders.
From Bangkok we take the overnight train to Chiang Mai. We then cycle up to Tha Ton, across to Chiang Saen and Chiang Knong. Then we head down to Chiang Rai via the heights of Doi Pha Tang and Phu Chi Fa.
Cycling completed we fly back to Bangkok from Chian Rai
11th Jan to 30th Jan, 2018
A 20 day, 820 km, cycle tour with tents down the east coast of Tasmania from Launceston to Hobart.
From Launceston we head north to Low Head then across to St Helens on the East Coast.
From St Helens we travel down the East Coast as Far as historic Port Arthur.
Finally we head North West to Hobart.
19th Sept to 9th Oct, 2017
A three week, 800 km, cycle around the top right hand quarter of South Korea.
From Seoul we head down the centre of South Korea to Andong.
From Andong we take a train to Donghae on the east coast.
Cycling up the east coast from Donghae to Sokcho, with a side trip to the DMZ.
From Sokcho we head back to Seoul over the mountains via Chuncheon.
25th June to 2nd July, 2017
Riding and bush walking around the NSW / Queensland border
19th April to 24th April, 2017
Our first bike touring trip with tents.
A 292 km bike tour starting from Waterfall station and following the coast down to Hyams Beach.
9th January to 25th January, 2016
Riding the Clutha Gold, Roxburgh Gorge and Otago Central Rail Trail
28th December, 2015 to 23rd January, 2015
A trip to Vietnam and Cambodia
Visiting Ben Tre, Can Tho, Kampot, Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap, Hoi An, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City


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Cooperation on Maritime Awareness Mission: Cabinet approves Implementing Arrangement between India and France
The Union Cabinet has approved Implementing Arrangement (IA) between India and France for pre-formulation studies of Maritime Domain Awareness Mission signed in March 2018. The proposed joint mission will be devoted to maritime domain awareness, with objective to provide relevant data and services to both nations.
Key Facts
The objective of the mission is to monitor the maritime traffic and identify non-compliant ships at maximum possible revisit frequency. The monitoring system will provide end to end solution for detection, identification, monitoring of vessels in the regions of interest for India and France.
As per the IA, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and France's Centre Nationale Dètudes Spatiales (CNES), will jointly undertake various activities during these pre-formulation studies. They will present pre-formulation concept study results to respective senior management for review within one year of its signing.
Month: Current Affairs - June, 2018
Topics: Cabinet Decisions • CNES • India-France • ISRO • Maritime Awareness Mission • National
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The BBC One documentary Drowning in Plastic aired last night (1st October) and it was incredibly powerful and emotional to watch.
Presenter and wildlife biologist Liz Bonnin visited multiple locations all over the world to assist scientists in their struggles against the devastating effects of plastic in our oceans. The aim of the programme was to continue the conversation and public reaction to plastic reduction first ignited by David Attenborough's Blue Planet II.
The entire programme was eye-opening, but perhaps the most shocking part of the documentary came early on, when Liz joined a group of marine biologists on Lord Howe Island off the coast of Australia. The team are helping maintain the largest colony flesh-footed shearwater sea birds on the planet.
Liz joined the scientists on a nightly trip to the shearwater chick's nests to help remove plastic fragments from their stomachs. The biologists gently made the chicks vomit to remove the plastic.
This is the consequence of the chick's mothers inevitably ingesting plastic when they go hunting in the sea. The fragments are then passed on to their young, which can stunt their growth, cause internal blockages and weigh them down too much to fly.
The show explained how these birds are digesting more plastic, relative to their body size, than any other animal.
Presenter Liz was understandably upset and so were a lot of the viewers, who took to Twitter to air their shock…
Elsewhere in the documentary, we saw a plastic raft in the Citarum River in Indonesia which had grown to over a mile long after heavy rainfall. The fish population in the river has reduced by 60% in recent years.
Liz also visited small groups of experts in America whose job it is to free North Atlantic right whales when they become entangled in the vertical ropes used in lobster fishing. This is a huge problem as the whales migrate through popular fishing areas every year.
Entanglements such as this kill an estimated 300,000 marine mammals and over 400,000 sea birds every year, Liz stated.
Another emotional moment took Liz to New England in America where she sadly saw a seal lose its battle with severe injuries caused by plastic wire caught around its neck.
You can watch BBC One's Drowning in Plastic on iPlayer here.


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LaGrande, Oregon
Jean Louise Stevens, 54, formerly of La Grande, died July 11. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Haven Cove Ward LDS Chapel in Meridian, Idaho. Viewing will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the Relyea Funeral Chapel, and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the church on Saturday before the service. Burial will follow at the Cloverdale Cemetery.
Mrs. Stevens was born Sept. 9, 1951, to LaRue and Beverly Budge Bevington in Fairbanks, Alaska. She graduated from Capital High School in Boise in 1969, and later earned an associate degree in business administration from Boise State.
On June 3, 1975, she married Larry Stevens.The family moved to McCall in 1985. The couple divorced in 1990.
In August 1996 she moved to La Grande, where she lived until moving back to Idaho in May of last year. She always did her best to help anyone she could. She had a deep appreciation for nature, and enjoyed crafts.
Survivors include a son, Larry Stevens of Boise; a daughter, Jennifer Hammond of Nampa, Idaho; four granddaughters; her father and stepmother, H. LaRue and Bernice Bevington of Meridian; two sisters, Judith Coggburn of Snohomish, Wash. and Janet Bevington of Boise; a younger brother, Gerald Bevington of McCall; and other relatives. Her mother, Beverly Budge Franklin; her stepfather, Bob Franklin; and a brother, Jim Bevington, all died earlier.
The Observer Online, Obituaries for the week ending July 15, 2006, Published: July 13, 2006


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The nice folks over at Amazing Taste contacted me asking if I'd be willing to review their seasoning packets. Honestly, I totally forgot about them until I came home from my business trip to discover a box of spices on my stoop.
Being away for the last week they couldn't have come at a better time. I was hankering for a home cooked meal but I wanted to make something brainless that didn't require much thought. Cue Amazing Taste Chili Seasoning!
The seasoning packet, of course has a recipe for chili that I couldn't follow. And anyway, I had a boat load of fresh veggies on hand that I really wanted to get creative with.
So I defrosted a ½ pound of lean ground turkey and started chopping! What I ended up with was a delicious veggie filled light chili that was really seasoned perfectly! Unfortunately, the husband isn't a chili fan so you only get my opinion. And the toddler wouldn't try it for some reason, he's really smack dab in the middle of the picky three year old stage. :~)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ pound (8oz) lean ground turkey raw
- 1 medium eggplant diced (leave skin on)
- 1 medium-large green pepper chopped
- 1 small-medium zucchini chopped
- 5 medium-large garden fresh tomatoes diced
- 1 chili seasoning packet
- 1 15oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- non-stick cooking spray
Place a large pot over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until just turning transparent. Then add the ground turkey and diced egg plant. Cook for a few minutes while breaking up the ground meat with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes you'll notice some liquid coming out of the egg plant, the bottom o the pot will get moist.
Add the green peppers, zucchini and tomatoes as you chop them all while stirring and coking over medium heat. When adding the tomatoes, keep as much liquid as possible, we are using all the water in the vegetable to create the chili.
Once all the veggies are in the pot and they've been cooking over medium heat for a few minutes, you'll notice more and more liquid. Now stir in the seasoning packet.
Add the kidney beans last and simmer over low heat until ready to serve.
I served it almost immediately over some instant brown rice and topped with a bit of shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. Honesty, it was delicious! The seasoning was dead on and tasted very similar to how I would have seasoned it on my own. It you are a season packet type of cook (I normally don't use only because I like to experiment), I'd recommend trying the Amazing Taste packets, they're only 99 cents and are easy to use in a pinch!
|Amt per Serving
|⅙ of the Chili - About 1 Cup
|old: 3
|new: 4
|Sat Fat


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Your username and password for these discussion forums are unique to the forums. Your forum login information is separate from your My Adventure Cycling login information. Also, please note that your login information for the forums is not connected to your Adventure Cycling membership number. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
We have blocked registrations from several countries because of the large quantities of spam that originate there. If the forum denies your legitimate registration, please ask our administrator for an exception. Send an email to email@example.com and we will follow up with you.
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Thanks for your link. I was wondering is there any map on North Star? I have'nt got any. I have done Trans Ame during 2012 and been to ACA HQ and featured in last years Calendar
Any help?
Tim, many thanks for your contribution to the discourse here on Adventure Cycling. You said "back home to Boise" so I assume Idaho is not new territory for you.
Traveling the backroads of a sparsely populated, fiercely independent and weirdly diverse geographical region is fraught with risk from the first pedal stroke: weather, animals, ignorant motorists, mechanicals, and you may not see another human on some of those primitive roads for several days. But you and your bike may also be intruding. Folks have been exploiting and extracting Idaho for a l-o-n-g time. Hunting, logging and mining are well-established industries and they enjoy protection and favor. The shepherds have been moving their flocks through the Stanley Basin for 100 years. No one blades the old mining and logging roads. Springs vanish in the summer. Severe thunderstorms kick up out of nowhere and, while they rarely last more than a few hours in the mountains, they can really mess stuff up, testing you and your gear. Roads wash out. Trees fall down and landslides can change the courses of streams.
Self-contained mountain bike touring is easily researched and there are a few books available. A few backpacking weekends in the mountains you plan to ride over will prepare you for your bike journey and give you practical experience with your camping equipment. Idaho has many thousands of miles of single track and jeep trails you can ride.
Thanks again, Tim, nice work.


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Subscribe to our popular newsletter for managers and team leads. If you're interested in strategies and tactics for bringing calm and focus to your team, this is the newsletter for you.
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Alter Bridge Moving Further Away From "Commercial Rock"
Mark Tremonti from Alter Bridge spoke with The Aquarian in a Q&A, where he was asked how he felt about the band being labeled "commercial rock".
I think the first record (2004's 'One Day Remains') might have fit that better than we do now. I think this record ('AB III') — we really didn't try to conform at all to any kind of commercial sound. We just wanted this to be an artistic expression, we weren't thinking about radio singles. It's funny, the first time we don't think about radio singles, we have our best chance at getting a number one rock single out of 'Isolation'.
So, I think that's where we came from. Creed was a commercial band, but I think Alter Bridge is getting further and further away from that commercial sound.


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Glow In The Dark Bike Lanes Invented For Cyclists Traveling At Night
The tech guys in Poland have come up with a brilliant invention to aid cyclists traveling at night. They have invented special bike lanes that iluminate when the sun goes down.
Image Source – Ripleys
This genius bike lane is currently being tested in the North of Poland and if successful we could be seeing these glow in the dark bike lanes popping up all over the world.
The luminous blue track absorbs the sun`s light during the day and then uses that energy to glow during the night. A daily charge can give these cycle lanes aprox 10 hours of illumination when the sun goes down.
Image Source – Design Boom
The cycle lane is built using special particles called luminophores which can be adjusted to create different colors. Blue was chosen for this area as it was thought to combine more with the surrounding area.
Tests are still continuing to see the new cycle lane`s effectiveness and durability.
Image Source – Design Boom
With the constant threat of global warming more and more people are thinking of abandoning their gas guzzling cars for more environmental friendly bicycles. With amazing cycle lanes like this being produced it could convince other people to make the change to pedal power too.
What would it take for you to trade in your car for a bike?
Image Source – Design Boom
Bonus Cycling Facts You May Find Interesting
Did you know the longest tandem bike ever built had 35 seats?
The first ever bicycles had the crank and pedals on the front wheel. To generate more speed the front wheel was enlarged. But went it rained they became a nightmare with dirty water from the road spraying the rider.
An American called John Howard holds the record for traveling the fastest on a bike. He managed to achieve a speed of around 250 kilometers per hour. And yes he survived to tell the tale.


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When you call or arrive at Focus Physical Therapy, you'll be treated warmly and courteously by our top-notch customer service team. We're here to assist you with everything from scheduling to insurance questions, helping to ensure your time with us is productive and enjoyable. Please contact us at any time.
Carolyn Roemheld
Billing Specialist
Carolyn has been with Focus since May of 2008. Carolyn provides outstanding customer service to our patients, supports billing and therapy staff and regularly contributes to Company marketing efforts via her unique and creative graphic design skills.
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Haden Voss
Patient Services Representative, Patient Accounts Specialist
Haden joined the team in October of 2009 as a Patient Services Representative, growing with the company to provide support to the billing team. Haden comes to us from Alexander City, Alabama where she was the Office Manager for a pulmonary and sleep specialist clinic. Haden provides outstanding customer service to our patients and support to the entire staff.
E-Mail: email@example.com
Tanya Quartucy
Patient Services Representative
Tanya joined us in 2019 with a well-rounded background in administrative support and refined talents in office management. She brings her talents in leadership, teamwork, determination, and prioritization. She supports the entire clinic staff.
E-Mail: email@example.com
Adelina Swanson
Patient Services Representative
Lina came to Focus in April of 2019 with a background as a Paralegal. Looking to expand her horizons into the medical world, Lina brings her vast knowledge of HIPAA Law, teamwork, and long-standing dedication to the Patient Services team. In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her son, playing the cello, and experiencing all that Central Oregon has to offer.
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Amy Royce
Co-Owner, Administration
Amy oversees the business behind the scenes for Focus PT with husband Burke. As a fine artist with a knack for business, she manages the bookkeeping and billing, while providing support to the administrative team as needed. Her unique encaustic paintings are displayed at www.amyroyce.com, at the clinic as well as monthly local and regional exhibits.
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
5 Star Review
No improvements necessary…
I liked it the way it is. The waiting area was most comforting, quiet and calm. The receptionist always acknowledged you immediately, which was nice.


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StreetARToronto (StART) comprises a suite of innovative programs specifically designed for streets and public spaces. StART programs encourage active transportation (walking and cycling), make our streets more inviting and safe, reduce overall infrastructure maintenance costs, showcase local artists, mentor emerging talent, and create opportunities for positive engagement among residents, business owners and operators, artists, and arts organizations. Individually and collectively StART murals are designed to celebrate the City of Toronto motto "Diversity Our Strength" and foster a greater sense of belonging among all. StART welcomes and actively seeks out partners for initiatives that support program objectives and works closely with partnership staff in other City divisions and agencies and supports City partnership activities.
When preparing your application, please consider that StreetARToronto is seeking a wide geographic distribution of projects that are led by a variety of artists and organizations. Please note that artists and organizations may not receive funding for multiple projects in a given year.
The StART Support Program helps provide materials for the creation of graffiti art and art murals on properties with a history of repeated graffiti vandalism on walls exposed to city streets.
City of Toronto property owners who have received a Notice of Violation for Graffiti from Municipal Licensing & Standards or can otherwise prove they are experiencing issues with graffiti vandalism (i.e. photos or a Google Streetview image) are eligible to receive up to $2,000 of direct material purchases, which can include:
- Artistic quality spray paint, available in a variety of colours;
- Assorted spray paint caps producing various effects;
- Exterior paint in a full colour spectrum; and
- A limited supply of application materials, including paint rollers, brushes and paint trays.
Materials required for the project will be purchased by City of Toronto staff through consultation with the artist(s) selected to complete the work and will be based on factors including the conceptual sketch for the design and the size of the mural proposed. Designs and artwork are subject to final approval by the City of Toronto.
The City has the sole discretion to approve or reject an application and to determine what materials will be provided if an application is approved.
Property owners must hire an artist of their choosing independently, and pay them directly for services rendered or equipment rentals as required. You may wish to visit the StreetARToronto Artist Directory online.
Property owners will be responsible for maintaining the artwork on their building in good repair, for a period of 1 year from the completion date of the project.
Project must be completed by November 30, 2022.
Any questions relating to the application process can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or to email@example.com
Your application is saved automatically as you fill it out. Press "Apply" at the end of this form to submit your application. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once your application has been successfully submitted.
Note: Data loss may result from multiple users logging into a single account and editing simultaneously.