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Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What is Afro-Europe? Who are the Afro-Europeans or black Europeans?
Some who read this blog may think what the hell this is all about. Are we trying to imitate the USA and their 'racial' interpretation of society? Or we trying to pigeonhole the black people of Europe in a new category? What gives us the right to bring together topics related to black people in Europe in one blog? Isn't it racist to categorize black people in Europe as one group? Based on what? Skincolour? Culture?
The central question is what a Nigerian in Italy, an Angolan in Sweden, a Jamaican in the UK and a mixed race Congolese in France or Germany have in common. Europe is not even united so how would black people coming from different nations feel united within Europe? We don't even have a common language. Below I will give my opinion on this issue.
500 years
What we have in common is the western and European experience, and the way we are categorized within Europe as a certain kind of people. Whether you are in France, Germany, Italy or any other European country, the majority white people of Europe perceive people of African ancestry in quite the same way. This categorization isn't entrenched in the laws of European nations, but for centuries in the past it was. It isn't something we can easily describe nor can we demonstrate it through clear facts and figures. However, through a history of relations between Europe and the darker peoples of the planet, the 'black man' has received a certain place. Although racial slavery has been abolished, and racist laws eradicated from law books, the concepts and ideas inherited from more than 5 centuries of African-European relationships are still there. Whatever the colour of our skin, we are part of this history.
An anomaly
Black people in Europe, whether with brown or black skin, whether born there or not, whether having a white parent or not, whether adopted or not, whether they speak the national language or not, whether integrated or not, ...are all perceived as a certain kind of foreigners. They are not supposed to be there. But in reality most black people in Europe have built their homes in Europe, have adopted European cultures as their own and are perfectly integrated. If not the first generation, then certainly their children.
This experience; being perceived as foreigners from a common continent (whether being really a foreigner or not), is central in the creation of our identity. Identity is based on the relationship you have with others. I do think that most Europeans of African ancestry, i.e culturally integrated black people, would prefer just to be seen as part of the country where they are living, fully accepted as members of that society. In reality it is not so. Even when they have actually forgotten the cultures and languages of their ancestors and only know the Western world as their world, they will still be seen as an anomaly within the Western world, even after generations. (It is important to note here that Italians who migrated to France, Belgians who migrated to Sweden, etc. are assimilated after one or two generations). However, after centuries of African-European relationship Europe influenced Africa, but the other way around is certainly just as true. The presence of black people in Europe is a logic consequence of the African-European history. Europe seems not to accept this logic.
Europe's relationship with the other, (whether Africans or people from the 'Orient') and the way it has described the other, has been the vehicle in the creation of a European and Western identity. Unfortunately black people do not fit into that identity. We could fight for being acknowledged as part of the European identity. But this means a total reconsideration of what being European means. When we look at the social and political reality of today's Europe there is an urge to defend and protect an essentialist view of Europe as 'white and pure'. Therefore today, black people in Europe are creating a new concept of self within the Western world, i.e. Afro-Europe.
Besides that there is the influence of the American media in Europe. Europeans, whether black or white, consume a lot of American media and are influenced by it. Whether you're French, Swedish, Italian, … we all watch Hollywood movies, we all enjoy the same soaps and series. We all listen to Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock, Grunge, Metal, Soul, Reggae, House .... Our pop culture is impregnated with American pop culture (Predominantly from the USA but actually also from the Caribbean and Latin America). We are all, white and black, part of the Western world. This has a direct influence to how black people within Europe are creating an identity, and how they have been categorized within Europe.
Being 'black' is being Western
Black people in Europe do not really have common cultural roots, but second generations feel more related to Western black culture as it is expressed in the Americas than through the culture of their parents. Black people in the Western world have very different roots and backgrounds but have a common experience. Their black identity only makes sense within a Western world dominated by white European culture.
In fact it's because they have become part of white European culture that they are now 'black people' and not Yoruba, Bakongo or Banyarundi, to name just some of the many African peoples living in Africa. This is why, according to me, the European people of African ancestry are becoming black Europeans, Afro-Europeans (or Afropeans as some label us). This is why, according to me, today there is a blog called Afro-Europe, informing the world about the African presence within Europe's culture and society.
26 comments:
Very interesting post Sibo. It reminded me of a short conversation I had with another blogger about this subject.ReplyDelete
Excellent article! I have some comments, but can't fully articulate them right now (I'm at work). Will come back later with my thoughts.. but for the most part, your analysis is dead on from my point of view.ReplyDelete
Interesting post, indeed. Yes, as a young woman living in Europe for several years, although I'm African, I'm also European and I don't want this society to push me into a certain category. I love my past and I love my present and hope to love my future because I'm Afro-Continental. I don't a definite accent, my accent is unique and is part of who I'm, so saying we are Afro-European is quite right for our present situation.ReplyDelete
Thank you all for your comments.ReplyDelete
I know that not all may totally agree with me. However I am interested in sharing our thoughts on this issue.
- AnonymousSeptember 13, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Your argumentation is however flawed. I agree that from an American point of view, the term "Afro-European" as an analogy to "African-American" makes sense. However, this analogy breaks down in the European context. Problem is Europe is not USA. USA was built by immigrants from all corners of the world and as such has always been a multiracial society. Europe has always been "monoracial". As a result non-caucasians in Europe will always be viewed as "foreign" regardless of the degree to which they have integrated into the indigenous cultures of the countries they reside in. This is similar to the situation of caucasians in Africa. Even though these whites may have been born in Africa and never visited Europe, they are still considered "foreign" by black Africans. I therefore feel that the term "afro-european" is nonsensical and serves no purpose. Even the term "european" is controversial. With the developments in the EU there seems to be an increase in nationalism in the various european states with a shift towards tribalism. Examples of this phenomenon include the scottish drive for independence from Britain, terrorism by Basque separatists in Spain, and the fall of Yugoslavia. Europeans are thus asking themselves what it means to be "European". Like other diasporic groups in Europe such as the Jews, Chinese, Gypsies and so on we will always be seen as foreign and we will always be identified by the fact that we are of African decent. Personally, I choose to identify as human…….ReplyDelete
All you say is true, but doesn't deny that people of African ancestry in Europe do share a common experience (however not a culture!).ReplyDelete
Europeans may not know who they are anymore, I think that immigration and the presenece of many people of foreign origin within European nations, plays a big deal in that confusion. I live in Belgiun, speak all local languages fluently (French, Dutch and German) and I'm telling you, I know how Europe loses its reference points (right here in Brussels).
And talking about the whites in Africa. For all I know Afrikaners in South Africa are considered Africans also by blacks, maybe white Africans, maybe with a eurocentric culture, but def'ly African. They claim it themselves all the time and proudly call theri language Afrikaans (which looks like Dutch when written but is not intelligible for Dutch speakers when spoken).
And last but not least. it is sad that people who do not have the so called caucasian look could never be considered European. A few thousand of years ago people from the mediterrenean considered blue eyes and blond hair a sign of barbarian background ... time will change when having a dark skin will matter as much as having brown or blue eyes ...
Phenomenons like Black British Cultural Studies in the UK, the Conseil Representative des Associations Noires (CRAN) in France, Initiative Schwarze Deutschen (ISD) and Der Braune Mob in Germany, The Journal for AfroEuropean Studies in Spain, ... may be influenced by African American culture but are European grassroots organisation that show us that something new is growing within Europe (whether it is considered relevant or not by others)...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 23, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Just because people of Middle Eastern or African descent, live in France or in other nations in Europe, it does not make them French or English, or European in any sense. Most of them have parents who were born outside of Europe and have no European ancestry. So they can only be considered to be French, British, or Dutch in a legal sense and not culturally in anyway, especially, since their parents' cultures have non-European influences on the children. The nations of Europe are not immigrant nations and have never been like the U.S. Even so, all "Americans" are also just legally American. There is no just thing as an American ancestry.ReplyDelete
This is a very interesting post. You write that the majority of white people in Europe perceive peoples of African ancestry in the same way. I think that that is a very true statement, and as an American I can tell you that surely it extends beyond white people only in Europe. In America, the history of blacks is as old as the country itself, and there has been a long period of time in which black culture has grown and black people have formed communities across the country. This is much different in Europe. The communities in each country tend to be smaller and less connected. Thus, I think it's absolutely appropriate to try to unite black people across Europe. That sense of community is important, and it seems like it has been a difficult thing for black Europeans to achieve across borders.
I'd like to make a comment on the anonymous comment above, stating that Europe has never been an immigrant nation as the US has been. Therefore, according to this post, people with ancestry outside of Europe can not be considered European, as they have cultural influence from Africa, the Middle East, etc.ReplyDelete
This is a problematic statement. America has been an immigrant nation for the last 500 years, but people have migrated around the world as long as they have existed. Let me give an example: France.
France didn't exist 2000 years ago, several pagan Celtic tribes lived on the territory called France today. Then the Roman empire expanded and influenced the culture, habits and physical features of the people living in what was then called Gaul. Still there was no French culture, but several mixtures of Celtic and Latin cultures and people. During that period the pagan tribes who mixed with Latin culture became Christians, but still, Christianity was rather marginal. Then came the German tribes (pushed into the Roman empire by Asian tribes entering Europe from the east, as they were pushed by other expansions in Asia). The Franks settled in what is nowadays France and gave their name to the country and culture. They too influenced the language and culture, but not as strongly as the Roman empire, during that time traditional Germanic cultural elements mixed with the Christian culture, and this is the time of the great Christianizing of the people of France (between 500 and 1000 AD). It's only centuries later that the Kings of France have created the French nation with the imposition of one standardized French language, education, …
then came the revolution, then came Napoleon, then came colonization.
During colonization France had black and north African ministers and delegates in Paris. After colonization many peoples from the colonies migrated to France and became part of that country, adding their culture to the mainstream and contributing to the constant mixing of culture and reinvention of French identity on a territory known as Gaul 2000 years ago.
The same story could be told for any country in the world. Believing that Europe and its nations has always been like that and shouldn't ever change is a fallacy of historical truth. Culture, language, identity, … are in constant change and evolution. That's how it is and will always be.
Two last rhetorical questions to make my point: Are the Hungarians not real Europeans because their ancestors are the Huns (from Asia) who only arrived in Europe during the 9th century AD? How far back do we have to go to call people indigenous?
WOW! Thought provoking. The presence of the black community in Europe is something we cannot give a blind eye to. I do agree that there is confusion about how to tag us as our presence and experience here is different from the black Americans. Still, we are here and we cannot be ignored if there is a want for progress.ReplyDelete
I am a native African but my daughter is half Italian and Italy is the only home she has known. Italian was the first language she spoke, and even though she is biracial, to me she is Italian. I call her Italian, not because I want to deny my roots, but because that is what she really is. I can call myself Italian as well because I am an Italian citizen. But my sense of being Italian is very different from hers. My cultural upbringing and influence is not Italian, but that doesn't matter. Home is where I make it and I made mine here. However, as a parent, it is my responsibility to make sure my daughter feels home in where home is for her.
What does that really mean though to the rest of the world that would like to call her a coloured child or a decendant of an immigrant? Besides the fact that she has my smile and is slightly darker than some of her Italian friends, she is very much as Italian as they are. I have been out of Africa for so long that I have forgotten what it is to really be African, therefore my African influence on her will be based on nolstagic memories and nothing more. The real essence of her experience is here and she knows it...that is what we (the black immigrants) should teach our children, regardless of who wants to say what. It is already granted, being 'different' is going to set them up for trials (just like we are living it daily ourselves), and the last thing they need is a sense of not belonging, Home is where you make it, regardless of the colour of your neighbours skin (or yours for that matter).
Naan, Why don't you call her African-Italian? Because that will both recognise her African roots but also allow the Italian side that belongs to her. African-Italian is the best way to describe the new generation of Africans and children born in Italy, and those of one parent African and one Italian. Don't let her African roots go missing by calling her just Italian, she has the right to claim both cultures. Please check out this blog: http://myafroitalianlife.blogspot.com.ReplyDelete
There's no such thing as Afro-European and any person that isn't of European descent can't be European. And any people except Europeans are indeed foreigners in Europe. It's vaguely amusing that people who immigrated here have a claim on a country or culture that they have no business with. Being born somewhere or being a citizen doesn't mean you're part of a nation(or that you're a national), no matter how politically incorrect this is.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 18, 2010 at 3:54 PM
We have a claim on the culture and the country because as long as we pay the taxes and contribute to the economy why can't we claim something back. We are Afro-Europeans like it or not RV we are Afro-Europeans because we are not going away from Europe. The society is becoming more cosmopolitan and being a part of a nation doesn't mean to be born or to have an ancestor there, in this era being part of a nation means feel the history and costume of the ever changing society. Plus many new borns have parents who never left Europe, so how do you call them RV?ReplyDelete
Anonymous, a nation means a group of people with the same perceived ancestry, race, religion, the same culture and language. Being Italian doesn't mean being born in Italy or having a passport from the Italian government, it means being ethnic Italian. So you are as Italian or European or British as I am Chinese or Asian. Actually, the whole hyphenation thing is ridiculous because you can't be both African and European or be part of two nations, you are part of only one.ReplyDelete
And give me a break with the paying of taxes. In most European countries immigrants take more in welfare than pay in taxes being a net burden on the government. Besides, you are making the stupid assumption that being part of a people means supporting their government. A state is just a sovereign political body, doing it wants doesn't make you part of anything(I could explain to you why the US are the United States and not the United State, but I'm not feeling in the mood for it because obviously you prefer to learn whatever makes you feel good and what is popular, regardless of the validity and veracity of those claims). I won't even go into the crime rate trends and so on brought by immigrants into Europe. So this doesn't really make your case about claiming a country or a culture, even if it would be a valid argument, even though it is not.
This wasn't even the point, the point is that a nation means what I said it means, not what people want it to mean. Just because you want to be part of something or wish something was true, doesn't mean it is. Obviously, I might want to start making people belive I'm a Chinese man, but that won't change who I am and that I will never be Chinese.
I don't have to do anything about the new borns who have parents here because I'm not responsible for them - their parents are. I, or society in general, don't have to cozy up to them. They won't be part of the nation of the country they're in though and no matter how much they'll wine about racism and exclusion, that won't change facts. Just like the fact that the whole concept of Afro-European is a vaguely amusing farce - if it wouldn't be, you wouldn't need to brainwash people to see you as one of their own or make the kind of logical fractures you are making to support your claim. And sure, you might not go away from Europe, but you still won't be European.
- AnonymousJanuary 18, 2010 at 8:48 PM
Let's agree to disagree. It is difficult to open up a closed mind. Cheers.ReplyDelete
Nice, that's what people always say when they're wrong(agree to disagree), combined with an ad hominem. Cheers.ReplyDelete
RV, you clearly didn't read my comment about the history of people and cultures. Cultures change over time, and we are going through a change. If you'd be born and raised in China, and most of your friends would be Chinese, … I guess you'd be confused and feel whatever culture you are part of is within yourself mixed up with Chinese cultural features. You'd be Chinese and so many more things.ReplyDelete
Apparently you didn't move or travel a lot in your life; I grew up in three different continents, I grew up with 3 different languages and I have white, black and brown people in my close family. More and more people in Europe share this experience with me. That's the consequence of colonization RV, and nowadays globalization… that's reality. If white people decided to conquer the world in the last 5 centuries, we shouldn't be surprised to see people of colour within the nations of Europe today … it's just a logical consequence of Western history.
And if I feel European, who are you to tell me my feelings are wrong? The real, white and authentic European? This is home for me too. So what am I, and my whole family supposed to be? Going back to Africa, or where I was born? Is not an option. People of my ethnic background are not welcome there, and the country is a total wreck. Besides my ancestry is not only from Africa. I have grandparents who had family members who were collaborating with the Nazi's during world war 2. That too is my ancestry. And honestly, besides Western Europe, the States, Canada and wherever in Latin America (the mixed up continent par excellence!) there is no other place on earth where I would be accepted as a citizen with the same rights and plights. So therefore, thank you Europe for accepting the consequences of your own history.
But anyway RV, if you want to believe in your homogeneous and eternal group of people with same culture and language and colour, go ahead! But please let us feel and experience our identities the way we feel most comfortable with. Your world is changing and we are the expression of it. I hope it doesn't bother you too much. And if so, well, there is not much to do about it, right?
I really like this comment Sibo Kano, you brought out the words I was looking for... "I grew up in three different continents, I grew up with 3 different languages and I have white, black and brown people in my close family. More and more people in Europe share this experience with me. That's the consequence of colonization RV, and nowadays globalization… that's reality. If white people decided to conquer the world in the last 5 centuries, we shouldn't be surprised to see people of colour within the nations of Europe today … it's just a logical consequence of Western history."ReplyDelete
Well written...
Peace Afro-European, I am very glad that you are here and I certainly understand and agree that you very well should be. I would like to have a contact email to connect you to other diaspora Afro's LOL. I am from Israel which is NorthEast Africa not the Middle East. Please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com
RV, reading your response gave me the impression of reading an ignorant person's opinion, so I won't even repond to that, but Sibo Kano covered the same thing you are so blindly defending. It just shows how very ignorant you are about people's rights to a sense of belonging and citizenship. No offense intended.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 15, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Hi there, Afro-European people.ReplyDelete
It has been a while since the last time I was here... And as I see, there are very intersting post, as could not be otherwise. I've been thinking about the topic of my upcoming article in the Foundation I work with, back here in Spain. This gave good points and enough material to think.
Beside this, very instructive post, Sibo. Though I also think there is a small difference with African American-for now-, you have made very good points. Its true that we do share things, experiences of being a minority in whites countries-wich is not really true anymore, but it's okay-, the feeling of being pointed at as the perennial foreigner even if you spent your whole life here... yes, but it's also true that you have several influences, do not even the same language to communicate (I try to use english, but I would prefer spanish, definitely), and so on.
Finally, just to state that, whatever we are, the only truth is that we need to get self-conciousness, to unite and manage to make a better place for other Balck people in future Europe or just in the world. It's not easy to dare to look beyong the mainstream culture sold at School since you are a child, an intended homogenous culture where you don't fit in... thanks Goodness we do have a sense of collective identity, and we do ha the Internet to have a glimpse on others experience. Peace.
I've just read this 2009 post & the comments and want to commend most of those who have written thus far, but particularly you, Sibo Kano. Your January 20, 2010 11:49 AM post was so on point. It should be required reading and processing for all those people trying to understand the transition Europe and other places in the world are going through with regard to race/ethnicity.
I'm African American and grew up in the 1950s when "White" and "European" were considered to be synonymous referents. Even in that decade there were Europeans who were People of Color (mixed White/non-White or otherwise). But now as you wrote, Sibo, as a "logical consequence of Western history" and as a natural result of globilization, there are even more People of Color in Europe, some born there and some immigrated there.
As an outsider looking in, I suppose that those persons who live in Europe (and elsewhere) who are biologically White/non-White could advocate for a change in the definition of who is "White". But even if that was the path that one wanted to take, it seems to me (again as an outsider), that given the realities of racism in the world, it would be pyschologically healthier and more realistic for those persons in Europe to consider themselves as Black or Brown and as part of the larger referent of "African Europeans" or "Afro-European", with the specific applicable referent such as "Afro-Belgium"; "Afro-Italian", "Afro-British" etc.
In my lifetime we African Americans went through a number of self-referents before "African Americans" became our largely accepted formal group & individual referent (with "Black American" still being used as an informal referent for the same population, and more people of African descent who live in the USA- not to mention more people of African descent who live in the Americas apart from the USA).
In the USA, over time, the hyphens are usually dropped in group names so African-American is almost always written as "African American".
In my lifetime (around the 1970s), the term "Afro-American" was used but was later rejected. I think that was in part because "afro" didn't reference any geographical place like "African" does, and in part because an "afro" was a hair style. That said, if "Afro-European" is the accepted general term for people of African descent in Europe - which it appears to have become - then that referent is the one I will use.
As was and is the case in the USA, people have "the right and the responsibility to name themselves and speak for themselves rather than to be named and spoken for by others". [That quote is from the "Kawaida" philosophy of Maulana Karenga, the founder of the Black holiday, Kwanzaa.]
Thanks for what you are doing to make the world a better place for Black people, for Brown people, and for all people.
"if "Afro-European" is the accepted general term for people of African descent in Europe - which it appears to have become - then that referent is the one I will use."Delete
In the US, 'Black' and 'African' might be synonymous; but that is not the general case in the Old Worlds, where the One-Drop Rule wasn't mandated. If I don't call myself Black, it is not because I want to distantiate myself from my "Dark-Skinned Black" ancestors, but quite the opposite; it is because I, like many "Afro-Europeans", still have a living connection with Africa and can appreciate the Africans' viewpoint just as much as that of the Europeans: I'm 'White' to my Burundian relatives, 'Brown' to my "multiracial" Belgian family and, only when I'm the darkest guy around, 'Black' to unrelated White Belgians. But let my Kirundi username serve you as evidence that I am "proud" about my "African" heritage, as a legitimate full-fledged Muhanza (clan ID) and Muhutu (ethnicity) - both valid according to the patrilineal inheritance thereof, set up by my Barundi ancestors and having nothing to do with Eurocentric classifications.
And it is because, despite the Whiteness replacing half the Blackness in being "a half-breed" (as truth2011 calls it), I want to maintain and proclaim my link to Africa, that I too support the term 'Afro-European' (even though I identify myself rather as a 'Hutu-Belgian') over any other:
it unites not only Black and Brown, but even my White Octoroon relatives, and so on, all the while claiming our European citizenship.
I hope this makes you understand me differently from last time, Azizi.
Hello, Bazompora.ReplyDelete
I'm sorry that I don't remember any previous comments that we may have exchanged.
Thanks for sharing information about the racial/ethnic terms that you use and that other people use for you. Your comment was very interesting reading and typifies why I'm glad to have found this Afro-Europe blog.
I'm aware that "Black" is defined differently throughout the word. Also, I'm aware that because of slavery, most African Americans can't identify their ancestral root to the extent that most Afro-Europeans can, and that is our lost.
What I was trying to share in my previous comment to to this post, is that currently in the USA, "Black people" can be the same population as "African Americans" and "Black people" can also refer to other people of [some] African descent who are in the USA but don't consider themselves to be "African Americans". It's complicated and different people define who is "African American" and who is "Black" differently.
For example, I don't agree with the position that the referent "African Americans" should only be used for people of some Black descent who have at least one ancestor who was enslaved in the USA. First of all, history documents that there were some African Americans who weren't enslaved.
Also, I believe that people of some African descent who live in the USA can choose to call themselves African Americans if their ancestors are from the Caribbean, or from South America, or Canada, or Europe or wherever.
Here's a link to a blog post that I wrote on this topic: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-we-call-ourselves-african-american.html
"Why We Call Ourselves African American"
Best wishes,
Because blacks (Moors) were the first inhabitants in Europe, ie they built the castles in Scotland, English Royals, etc - I thought the term "Afro-European" encompassed that part of history.ReplyDelete
"It is generally known that black people have been residing in European countries since the early colonial times. But even before the 15th century and during Roman times, a time when colour of skin still wasn't a racist stigma but just another physical feature, black people lived in Europe. Remains of a man with black African features were found in England recently, dating his life back to the 13th century."


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Faire Square
Faire Square is one of the boards in Mario Party 6. It is named after the phrase "fair and square". Faire Square is a lit town with many buildings and Halloween decorations. A Whomp blocks a path in the middle of the board, and charges ten coins for any characters who wish to pass.
There are only four ? Spaces on this board. Landing on the one on the top-left building makes a broom fly out of the window and takes the player somewhere on the center of the board. The two ? Spaces on the top-right building will make players go inside, and they are somehow taken back to start. The ? Space at the top of the board will start a game of chance that involves all players. During the day, players give up ten coins each. Then, one by one, they choose the chimney which they think will produce the tallest plant. When all are picked, the plants reveal themselves, and the tallest plant gives the player that picked it all the coins that were put in the pot. At night, the game is the same, but players give up one Star each. The winner ends up with all the Stars given.
Other events happen depending on the time of day, too. When players go by the big chest at the left side of the board, they are given the choice of paying coins to play the slot game. The price is 5 coins during the day, with small coin prizes, and ten at night, with higher coin prizes. Players that line up three treasure chests will get all the coins that were saved up from players' past payments (this is similar to the Koopa Bank from previous Mario Party games). On the right side of the board is a hat shell game called the Star Shuffle. Players pay one Star to play. The Star is placed in one of the hats, and they will shuffle around for a while. During the day, there are three hats to choose from that shuffle slowly, and guessing correctly rewards the player with two Stars. At night, there are 6 hats that shuffle quickly, and if the player guesses right, they will get three Stars. If the player makes a wrong choice in either day or night versions, they lose that Star. The main feature concerning the day/night system is at the center of the board, for this is where players can get Stars. During the day, Stars are personally given away by Brighton himself, and he will charge players twenty coins per Star. At night, Twila gives out Stars for a random price that she decides by hitting a Dice Block. The prices are either five, ten, thirty, or forty coins. Also, players are given the option to purchase up to five Stars at once, provided that they have enough coins.
Names in other languages[edit]

subset: commoncrawl


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The mainstream media should reevaluate where it gets its source material on hate crimes, and soon.
In my article, "Right-Wing Extremism Explored," I wrote that the oft-criticized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report was "influenced by the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)." David E. Smith, Executive Director of the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), asked this correspondent what role the SPLC played in such profiling, since his own organization was listed as a "hate group" by the SPLC for being "anti-gay."
While the SPLC may be embraced by mainstream media outlets such as CNN and the New York Times, its research is of questionable scholarship. In 2003, Chip Berlet wrote for the SPLC's Intelligence Report that "an array of right-wing foundations and think tanks support efforts to make bigoted and discredited ideas respected." He categorized the American Enterprise Institute, the free-market Ludwig von Mises Institute and the Free Congress Foundation, among others, as bigoted because of their policy stances.
(The late Paul Weyrich headed the Free Congress Foundation at the time of Berlet's writing).
The left-wing SPLC's "hate groups map" lists conservative organizations such as IFI, the DC-based Traditional Values Coalition and Catholic Family Ministries, Inc. as hate groups alongside Ku Klux Klan chapters and the New Black Panther Party. The only differentiation between them is their particular "hate" category, and labels on this can range from "Christian Identity" to "Black Separatist," "Ku Klux Klan," "Radical Traditionalist Catholic," "Antigay," and "General Hate," among others.
Recently SPLC's founder Morris Dees praised the aforementioned DHS report, saying the results "sync up pretty much."
"The death of the three police officers in Pittsburgh about two weeks ago was committed by a guy…who was adherent to the hate websites and their belief that the United States government is evil, [it's] gonna take away our rights, gonna take away our guns, and also we have to look at the returning veterans coming back from Iraq, the war that probably was ill-conceived," asserted Dees on The Early Show on CBS (emphasis added).
CNN used SPLC's director Mark Potok as a source both when profiling Pittsburgh cop-killer Richard Poplawski and when covering the DHS report. Both times the SPLC was identified as merely an organization which "tracks" extremist or hate groups.
"Mark Potok, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, agreed that Obama's election may have boosted membership in such groups, but called any link to the economy 'more questionable,'" reported CNN for the April article (emphasis added). "[Potok] said his group has documented 'a steady, not dramatic,' growth of extremist groups-from 602 in 2000 to 926 in 2008, an increase of more than 50 percent."
Except that the Christian organizations listed above are listed as hate groups by the SPLC, and therefore part of the statistic simply regurgitated by CNN. "All hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics," states the SPLC website, later continuing, "Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing."
When speaking on The Early Show, Dees waxed apprehensive about possible violence from returning Iraqi veterans. "Well, it's no question because they have the training in military explosives like McVeigh did and actually we at the Poverty Law Center have reported to the Department of Defense that there are active-duty extremist members in the military and some of these people have been removed by the Department of Defense," he said. "It's a serious issue, especially with a lot of these guys coming back with post-traumatic stress syndrome, coming back to a failing economy, inability to buy a home, get a job, and get credit."
On July 7, 2006, the SPLC released a report which asserted that "Ten years after Pentagon leaders toughened policies on extremist activities by active duty personnel…large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists continue to infiltrate the ranks of the world's best-trained, best-equipped fighting force. Military recruiters and base commanders, under intense pressure from the war in Iraq to fill the ranks, often look the other way."
New York Times writer John Kifner broke the story the same day. "A decade after the Pentagon declared a zero-tolerance policy for racist hate groups, recruiting shortfalls caused by the war in Iraq have allowed 'large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists' to infiltrate the military, according to a watchdog organization," wrote Kifner. "The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks racist and right-wing militia groups, estimated that the numbers could run into the thousands, citing interviews with Defense Department investigators and reports and postings on racist Web sites and magazines" (emphasis added).
The SPLC also influenced this February's Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) strategic report, released in conjunction with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The MIAC report on the "Modern Militia Movement," states that "The SPLC reports that between the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 and 2005 that roughly 60-rightwing [sic] extremist plots were uncovered" and notes that in "11/09/95: Oklahoma Constitutional Militia members are arrested as they plan to bomb the [SPLC], gay bars, and abortion clinics."
Under political paraphernalia, the report states that "Militia members most commonly associate with 3rd part political groups….These members are usually supporters of former Presidential Candidate[s]: Ron Paul, Chuck Balwin, and Bob Barr." Such militia members also "commonly display" material which "depict the FRS, IRS, FBI, ATF, CIA, UN, Law Enforcement, and "The New World Order" in a derogatory manner. Additionally, Racial [sic], anti-immigration, and anti-abortion, [sic] material may be displayed by militia members."
Á la ACORN's funding eligibility under the stimulus bill, so it seems that the hate-crimes legislation which has passed the House might just drive more patronage to the non-profit SPLC and other groups like it. The grant program set up by H.R. 1913 allots a single jurisdiction up to $100,000 each year for a "State, local or Tribal law enforcement agency." Two provisions thus remain troubling:
1. To be eligible for a grant, these agencies must "demonstrate that, in developing a plan to implement the grant, the [enforcement agency] has consulted and coordinated with non-profit, nongovernmental violence recovery service programs that have experience in providing services to victims of hate crimes" (emphasis added).
2. In addition, "The office of Justice Programs of the Department of justice may award grants" for state, local and tribal "programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles, including programs to train local law enforcement officers in identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and preventing hate crimes" (emphasis added).
It is worth noting that one of the SPLC's major programs is training law enforcement officials about hate crimes, with a "focus on the history, background, leaders and activities of far-right extremists in the U.S."
"Intelligence Project staff have been involved in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's hate and bias crime 'train-the-trainer' program since its inception in 1992," states their website. "FLETC trains personnel for more than 75 federal law enforcement agencies and provides services for local, state and international agencies."
The bill authorizes up to $10 million for the grant program over the next two fiscal years.


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National Lake Trout Derby on Seneca Lake
Event created by National Lake Trout Derby
Big Prize - $10,000!!! Biggest fish takes takes home 10 grand. Last year the biggest fish was an 11lb Lake Trout caught the second day of the derby. Anyone is eligible to enter the derby with a New York State fishing license. Listed below are all the prize breakdowns - over $30,000 in cash prizes given.
Registration Locations located all around Seneca Lake, Find the registration Location nearest you on our website at www.laketroutderby.com. Registration for the derby can also be found online.
Major Awards:
Lake Trout
1st - 3,000
2nd - $1,500
3rd - $1,000
4th - $500
5th - $250
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Landlocked Salmon
1rst - $2,000
2nd - $1,000
3rd - $750
4th - $250
5th - $100
Minor awards given to 5 places in EACH characteristic.
Men, Women, Seniors, Teen, Juvenile.
1st - $200
2nd - $150
3rd - $100
4th - $50
5th - $25
$250 early bird drawing. Open to all who register before May 1st
Six $50 cash drawings (three per weigh station). Open to all who register fish at any of the three weigh stations.


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The startup, the lawyer, the Quora question, and the $1.2M seed round
For Australian textbooks startup Zookal, the journey to a $1.2 million seed round started with a question on Quora. The young company's founders had exhausted their fundraising options in Australia, and they were preparing for a trip to Silicon Valley. Having reached out to a network of Aussie entrepreneurs in the Valley, they still found themselves with a grand total of zero introductions. By that point, in October, they'd already burned through the initial $200,000 in seed money they'd raised, and their prospects were looking dire. They were pretty much out of ideas -- except for one.
Zookal co-founder and COO Jon Tse posted a question to Quora. "What's the best way for a young startup with traction in an overseas market such as Australia to get in touch with Silicon Valley Angels to raise money?"
The sole response came from Inna Efimchik, a lawyer at a prominent Silicon Valley law firm. Her advice was simple. "Fly to Silicon Valley and start meeting people!" she wrote. "And don't be shy!"
Taking up that advice, Tse and his co-founder Ahmed Haider, the CEO, got in touch with Efimchik right away to see if she would be willing to meet. By the time Haider and Tse touched down in the US, it was the only appointment on their calendar.
In the meeting on their first day in the US, Haider and Tse gave Efimchik their one-page company summary and wheeled out their slide deck, which explained the startup's mission. Zookal lets its members trade and sell used textbooks, notes, and other course materials, while also providing job-placement and internship services, especially for international students. The two-year-old startup is much like Chegg, whose co-founder has invested in Zookal and sits on its board. Haider, a soft-spoken 27-year-old who found his fervor for entrepreneurship while at university -- from which he promptly dropped out -- says the textbook market in Australia is worth $466 million, while the economy around international students is as big as $15 billion. Zookal is starting off by focusing on Australia, but it plans to expand to Asia next. It already has revenues in six figures but is not yet profitable.
Efimchik agreed to distribute Zookal's pitch documents among her network, which led to a bite from one well-placed venture capitalist from Filter Capital -- a guy who happens to occupy a spot on the list of the 25 richest people in the world. (Haider didn't want to disclose his name, because the investor prefers discretion.) The investor was willing to meet the guys, but only if they would fly to see him in Los Angeles.
At this point, Zookal's -- travel budget was down to its last few hundred dollars. Haider and Tse weren't sure if blowing it on a flight to LA for an out-of-the-blue meeting was a wise investment. But they called home anyway and got the go-ahead from their co-founders. The next morning, they found themselves in LA. They would spend a total of eight hours in the city, seven of which were with the VC.
For the first five hours, the three drove around Beverly Hills, Sunset Boulevard, and other major LA landmarks, talking about nothing in particular. Having hauled ass all the way from Sydney and then got up early to catch an unexpected early morning flight, Haider and Tse were beat. They wondered when the guy was going to cut to the chase. At one point, Tse fell asleep in the back seat, unaware that the investor was asking him a question. They stopped in at Umami Burger for lunch, and later headed to the bar at Hotel SLS for coffee.
Finally, the investor turned to business questions. It didn't take him long to make up his mind. Eventually, he said, "You probably have a flight to catch." Before sending the founders on their way, he agreed to put up $1.2 million for the seed round. And that was that. Haider and Tse returned to the Valley slightly bamboozled, but exhilarated.
They went on to have another 40 meetings in their two weeks in the US, and entertained other funding opportunities. Ultimately, however, they decided to stick to the original promise from their unlikely first date in Hollywood. It wasn't until they got back home that they knew for sure the deal was going to happen.
"We came back to Australia and had a term sheet," Haider recalls. "We were like, "Wow, this is real."
Zookal, like its fellow Sydney startup Canva, had found that it's not impossible for an unknown Australia-based startup to bring in serious money from Silicon Valley, a part of the world and the tech industry that from Australia can seem almost mythical in its imagined impenetrability.
Sometimes, it's just a matter of meeting the right person -- or, perhaps, asking the right question on Quora.
[Image courtesy somethingtoreadforthetrain]


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Wednesday in New Hampshire, John McCain endorsed Willard at a town hall event. After the love fest, they opened it up to questions -- which was a big mistake.
The fist question was by an Occupier, and he really let Willard have it.
"It seems that the U.S. is a great place to be a corporation,'' the man said, "but increasingly a desperate place to live and work.''
"Where do you think corporations' profits go?'' Romney asked.
"It goes to the 1 percent of Americans who own the 90 percent of stocks,'' the man responded and continued to press him.
That's how it's done, ladies and gentlemen. Willard then pathetically replied,
"You've had your turn,'' Romney said. "Now it's my turn. . . . Corporations are made up of people and the money goes to people either to hire people or to pay shareholders. They're made up of people. So somehow thinking that there's something else out there that we could grab money from and get taxes from and everything would be better . . . why, they're still people.''
Here's hoping Willard keeps up this "corporations are people" stuff all throughout 2012. Winning message.
Later, a woman tells Willard that she doesn't think much of Reaganomics.
"After 20 years of Reagan economics, trickle down theory, it didn't help me,'' she said. "My tin can is still empty.''
"Let me ask you a question: Can you tell me where it's better to live, where the income per person is better than in America?'' Romney responded.
In other words, "Suck it up, lady -- or go back to China." Super classy.
I think Willard laid out a couple good campaign bumper stickers there. "Romney 2012: Corporations Are People" or "Romney 2012: Be Grateful You're Not Living in a Third World Country."
Add yours in comments.


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Food & Beverage
To provide healthy and high nutritional products to consumers worldwide.
Founded in 1939 by Christos' grandfather as currants' producer and exporter, Papadimitriou is today one of the largest food processing companies in the south of Greece. With products based on the nutritional concepts of the Mediterranean diet, it has earned the confidence of
consumers in both domestic and 35 international markets. The company now focuses on 100% natural preservative- and sulfite-free Balsamic Vinegar produced by exclusive Greek currants and has also introduced a new range of innovative Mediterranean products based on balsamic vinegar.
Christos is the third generation of the family and had experienced firsthand all the changes in currants' market as well as the shift made by his father to balsamic vinegar production in 1998. After completing his studies in business and marketing at University of Piraeus, Christos joined the company in 2004. At the time, production was still focused on currants with only two balsamic vinegar SKUs in Greek supermarkets. Christos rebranded the products with fresh, modern labels and began to build the product portfolio with new balsamic flavors and a mustard line. Since Christos joined Papadimitriou, it has increased its share of the Greek balsamic market from 10% to 40%, and expanded its exports business from 14 to 28 countries.


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Key Features of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Snap Pack
The MS Dynamics CRM Snap Pack consists of six Snaps which, along with the set of SnapLogic resources, provides access to all business entities exposed through MS Dynamics web-services. The data available through SnapLogic includes common entities such as Contact, Accounts, Leads, and Opportunities as well as support for custom MS Dynamics CRM entities. The MS Dynamics CRM Snap does not require any additional setup or configuration within MS Dynamics. After installation, data from MS Dynamics CRM can be accessed in SnapLogic without any additional programming. The actions that can be performed through SnapLogic include "Create," "Read," "Update," "Delete," "Upsert," and "Search." The data in MS Dynamics CRM can be accessed from both on-premises installations (via HDFS Kerberos authentication) and online 365 version (via office 365 credentials). Both of these are integrated inside MS Dynamics CRM Snaps, and user credential information is needed.
For connectivity between SnapLogic and MS Dynamics CRM, this Snap Pack uses the MS Dynamics CRM SOAP interface, eliminating the need for any subsequent configuration within MS Dynamics CRM.
The Snap Pack:
- Provides read and write access to MS Dynamics CRM
- Provides access to the available objects in MS Dynamics CRM including custom Entities
- Utilizes the MS Dynamics CRM SOAP interface
- Includes a wizard to automatically detect custom objects and fields that have been defined in MS Dynamics CRM
- Supports both on-premises installations of Dynamic CRM and cloud instance
- Supports the following operations on MS Dynamics CRM Objects:
- Create a record
- Read a single record of all records from the specified category
- Update an existing record
- Delete a record
- Search through the existing records
- Upsert new and existing records
Build your integrations faster by leveraging patterns in the SnapLogic community for the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Snap Pack here.
Learn more about how Snaps work with the SnapLogic Intelligent Integration Platform here.


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Chick & Biscuit
Chick & Biscuit - Comfort Cuisine celebrates one of the South's superstar staples, the made-from-scratch biscuit, paired with traditional favorites such as fried chicken, Nashville Hot Chicken, pulled pork and brisket. Dedicated to using the freshest ingredients, Chick & Biscuit honors a timeless tradition with a modern and seasonal approach. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Chick & Biscuit is the newest sibling of Grapevine's very own Mason & Dixie, a famous Southern-style eatery from owner and chef, Beth Newman.


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Earth SciencesFind a programme
|Run by
|Faculty of Science
|Awards available
|PhD, MSc by research
|Programme length
PhD: Three years full-time or equivalent part-time (minimum period of study);
MScR: One year full-time or equivalent part-time (minimum period of study)
|Location of programme
|Clifton campus
|Part-time study available
|Start date
|Not fixed
Programme overview
Join a University ranked #2 in the UK for 'Earth systems and environmental sciences' research (THE analysis of REF 2021) with an excellent reputation for teaching and learning.
The School of Earth Sciences has strong international links and the presence of researchers from all over the world makes for an exciting and stimulating environment. Research involves the full breadth of the earth sciences and has benefited from major investment in new laboratories and equipment in the past few years. Important initiatives include experimental and theoretical studies of physical, chemical and biological processes of the Earth.
Please note: If you are applying for this programme, you need to select Geology PhD as the programme choice when completing your online application form.
Fees for 2022/23
We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2022/23 are as follows:
- UK: full-time
- £4,565
- UK : part-time
- £2,283
- Overseas: full-time
- £24,600
Bench fees: For postgraduate research students who are not funded by UK Research Councils or (specific) UK charities, it is usual to charge a bench fee. A bench fee covers the costs of laboratory consumables, specialist equipment and other relevant costs (eg training) for the duration of the programme. The bench fee charged can vary considerably depending on the nature of the programme being undertaken. Details of specific bench fee charges can be provided on request and will made clear in the offer letter sent to applicants.
Following the recent changes to fee assessment regulation, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students will no longer be charged a separate tuition fee. From the 2021/22 academic year they will be charged the same fees as Home students.
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to a five per cent increase in fees each year. Find out more about tuition fees.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding for 2022/23
If you wish to be considered for NERC GW4+ DTP funding for this programme you need to apply for Geology PhD. Please also refer to the NERC GW4+ DTP prospectus page for guidance in making a PhD application.
Typically, around 20 new PhD students start their studies in the school each year. A group of these are funded by the NERC GW4+ DTP, but there are many other possible sources of funding such as BBSRC, EPSRC, STFC or industry funding, China Scholarship Council studentships, and other country-specific schemes.
Applications from self-funded students are welcomed. In the first instance, applicants should look for current opportunities on the school website or contact potential supervisors to discuss projects and funding.
Further information on funding for prospective UK, EU and international postgraduate students.
Entry requirements
An upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in a discipline related to the PhD project for which you are applying, such as geology, biological sciences, environmental sciences, chemistry or mathematics.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you need to meet this profile level:
Profile E
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Admissions statement
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
Research groups
The research programme at Bristol is characterised by an expanding range of exciting subject areas. Research in the School of Earth Sciences encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between its six research groups, which in turn nurtures revolutionary research.
The Geochemistry group uses fundamental chemical techniques to understand natural processes on a range of temporal and spatial scales. This can be from single atoms on mineral surfaces and the environmental geochemistry of the modern Earth to the large-scale chemical structure of planets and the birth of the solar system. The group has considerable expertise in isotopic measurements, spectroscopy and first-principles calculations.
Geophysics uses physical properties of the solid Earth to measure structure and processes on scales from the single crystal to the entire planet. Members of the Bristol Geophysics group use gravity, seismic and satellite data to image the Earth in a variety of different contexts. These include the Earth's core, mantle and tectonic processes, volcanoes, oil and gas reservoirs and mines.
The MATES (Marine and Terrestrial Environments) research group uses a wide range of techniques and facilities across the school to understand processes of relevance to any and all environments (surface, subsurface, marine) or that take place in an environmental context. MATES is highly interdisciplinary in both membership and the research that is undertaken, and spans the fields of Earth surface processes, environmental geochemistry and mineralogy, marine geosciences, fluid-rock interaction and geomicrobiology.
The Palaeobiology group uses the fossil record to study the history of life. Research focuses on major diversifications, mass extinctions, dating the tree of life, phylogenomics and molecular palaeobiology, morphological innovation, biomechanics, and links between evolution and development; the organisms of interest range from foraminifera to dinosaurs.
The Petrology group uses a combination of high-pressure and high-temperature experiments, petrology, geochemistry and mineral physics to attack a wide range of problems in the solid Earth - from the core to the surface.
The Volcanology group at Bristol aims to understand the physical processes underlying volcanic phenomena and develop methods of hazard and risk assessment that can be applied to volcanoes worldwide.
Recent case studies and collaborators include the Met Office, Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland and INGEOMINAS in Columbia.
Research centres
The School of Earth Sciences is involved in a number of collaborative research groups on an international level. Inter-faculty research centres such as the Biogeochemistry Research Centre and the Cabot Institute involve collaboration across several departments and faculties.
Centre for Environmental and Geophysical Flows
This interdisciplinary research centre brings together expertise from the Schools of Earth Sciences, Geographical Sciences, Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. This creates diverse research activities and interests, from traffic flow to explosive volcanic flows, meteorology to oceanography.
Biogeochemistry Research Centre
The Biogeochemistry Research Centre involves staff from the Schools of Earth Sciences, Geographical Sciences and Chemistry. The research aims to develop our understanding of the biogeochemistry of modern-day and ancient environments and the way that it is affected by natural processes and the actions of mankind.
Bristol Isotope Group
The Bristol Isotope Group is a world-class research facility for isotope measurements directed at understanding natural processes, from the formation of the solar system and the origin of Earth - its deep structure and atmosphere - through to the evolution of that atmosphere and contemporary climate change.
Interface Analysis Centre
The Interface Analysis Centre specialises in the application of a wide range of analytical techniques and is used by the Schools of Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics.
The Cabot Institute
The Cabot Institute carries out fundamental and responsive research on risks and uncertainty in a changing environment. Interests include climate change, natural hazards, food and energy security, resilience and governance, and human impacts on the environment.
Coral Reef Research at Bristol (CRAB)
The research group reflects the interdisciplinary nature of coral reef science and strives to understand these beautiful, complex and highly important ecosystems, combining perspectives from biology, chemistry, geology and geography. Members of the group span the Faculties of Science and Life Sciences, coming from the Schools of Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences and Geographical Sciences.
Bristol Oceans Past and Present (BOPP)
BOPP's main focus is to further understand the chemical and physical conditions of the oceans, both past and present. Our study of the oceans is made possible through the use of a diverse range geochemical techniques applied to geological, biological and oceanographic samples.
A large proportion of our graduating PhD students continue to post-doctoral research and an academic career. Previous students have taken up post-doctoral positions in national and international laboratories, for example in New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, the US and China. A number of recent alumni now have permanent lectureship positions in institutions including the University of St Andrews, University of Liverpool and Harvard University.
Some of our students embark on industrial careers in an area that relates to their PhD studies. Other careers include teaching, publishing and management consultancy.
Staff profiles
Professor Michael Benton, (Professor of Vertebrate Paleontology), Systematics, cladistics and large-scale phylogeny reconstruction; vertebrate palaeontology, macroevolution, mass extinctions, biotic replacements.
Professor Juliet Biggs, (Professor of Earth Sciences), Arc volcanism; continental rift formation; earthquake cycle; measuring and modelling active tectonic processes using geodetic techniques.
Dr Casey Bryce, (Lecturer), Biogeochemical cycling in peatlands and permafrost; Geomicrobiology and microbe-mineral interactions; Microbial controls on water quality and greenhouse gas emissions
Dr Heather Buss, (Associate Professor in Biogeochemical Weathering), Biogeochemistry of soils; mineral nutrient cycling; rates and mechanisms of chemical and physical weathering.
Dr James Byrne, (Senior Lecturer), Environmental mineralogy and magnetism; Metal remediation and recovery ; Microbe-mineral interactions
Professor Katharine Cashman, (Professor of Volcanolog), Crystallisation and vesiculation kinetics; geologic hazards; igneous petrology; lava flow emplacement; volcanology.
Dr Christopher Coath, (Senior Research Fellow), Inorganic mass spectrometry technique and instrument development; ion optics.
Dr Frances Cooper, (Senior Lecturer), Geochronology; isotope geochemistry; large-scale continental deformation and the evolution of orogenic systems; paleomagnetism; petrology; satellite remote sensing; structural geology; thermal modelling.; thermochronology.
Professor Philip Donoghue, (Professor of Palaeobiology), Establishment of animal bodyplans; evolution and development; molecular clocks; origin and radiation of vertebrates.
Professor Tim Elliott, ('Professor of Isotope Geology), Applications of geochemical ' tools' from major elements to radiogenic isotopes; chemical structure of the Earth and its evolution.
Professor Joachim Gottsman, (Professor of Volcanology), Volcano geophysics.
Dr Kate Hendry, (Royal Society Research Fellow, Reader in Geochemistry), Investigation of modern biogeochemical cycling and past ocean processes, focusing on biogenic opal and silicon cycling in seawater.
Dr Erica Hendy, (Senior Lecturer in Biogeochemical Cycles), High-resolution palaeoclimate records in corals and speleothems.
Dr Jessica Irving, (Senior Lecturer), Seismic techniques to understand the structure and properties of the deep Earth and other planetary bodies using seismic signals to investigate long- and short-scale structures within the mantle and core how seismology can provide insights into our environment and human behaviour.
Dr Stuart Kearns, (Senior Lecturer), Electron beam interactions with geological materials.
Professor Simon Kohn, (Professor of Mineral Sciences), Experimental mineralogy; silicate melts; volatile components in the Earth' s mantle.
Professor Heidy Mader, (Professor of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics), Geophysical fluid dynamics with particular emphasis on volcanic and glaciological flows and multiphase phenomena.
Professor Rich Pancost, (Professor of Biogeochemistry, Head of School of Earth Sciences), Geomicrobiology; Preservation of Organic Matter; Proxies for Paleoclimate Reconstruction
Dr Ian Parkinson, (Reader), Climate change and the evolution of oxygen in the atmosphere; evolution of seawater chemistry; geochemistry; isotopes; mantle geochemistry; petrology.
Dr Jeremy Phillips, (Reader in Physical Volcanology), Dynamics of geophysical two-phase flows and granular flow; experimental volcanology; theoretical modelling of volcanic processes.
Professor Davide Pisani, (Professor of Phylogenomics), Molecular methods for resolving the Tree of Life; molecular palaeobiology; phylogenomics.
Professor Emily Rayfield, (Professor of Palaeobiology), Biomechanics and evolution of fossil vertebrates; finite element analysis, CT scanning and 3D reconstruction of fossils.
Professor Laura Robinson, (Professor of Geochemistry), Chemical oceanography and palaeoclimate; low-temperature geochemistry to earth surface processes.
Professor Alison Rust, (Professor of Physical Volcanology), Physical volcanology and fluid dynamics.
Professor Daniela Schmidt, (Professor in Palaeobiology), Biological influences on climate; effects of climate change on plankton ecology and evolution; micropalaeontology.
Dr Nicholas Teanby, (Reader in Planetary Science), Geophysical and planetary processes.
Dr Jakob Vinther, (Senior Lecturer), Cambrian explosion; evolution; invertebrates; macroevolution; melanin; melanosomes; molecular clocks; taphonomy; Tree of Life.
Professor Matthew Watson, (Professor of Volcanoes and Climate), Satellite and ground-based detection of volcanic gases and aerosols.
Dr Maximilian Werner, (Associate Professor of Geophysics and Natural Hazards), Earthquakes; evolution of the crust; geophysics; natural hazards; risk.
Professor Fiona Whitaker, (Professor of Earth Sciences), Hydrogeological, diagenetic, sedimentary evolution of carbonate rocks; numerical modelling; process-based field and experimental studies of modern carbonates.
Professor James Wookey, (Professor of Geophysics), Linking mineral physics to seismic observations; seismic observations and modelling of the deep Earth.
Application deadline
Self-funded applicants: no fixed deadline.
Please check the school website for details of funding application deadlines.
Open days and visits
Watch on-demand recordings from November's virtual open week.
Get in touch
Postgraduate Administrator Phone: +44 (0) 117 954 5400 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Postgraduate Admissions
School of Earth Sciences
University of Bristol
Wills Memorial Building
Queens Road
Bristol BS8 1RJ
School website: School of Earth Sciences
International students
Find out more about becoming a student at Bristol, applying for a visa and the support we offer to international students.
Bristol Doctoral College
The Bristol Doctoral College facilitates and supports doctoral training and researcher development across the University.
REF 2021 results
The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education), with 94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Full REF 2021 results for the University of Bristol.
Important disclaimer information about our programmes.


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Academic Collaboration
Information for potential visitors for academic collaboration
The main routes for academic visits to the Ethox Centre are through the Andrew Markus and Caroline Miles scholarships. Applications from students and academics can also be accepted for visits for collaboration with Ethox researchers or students*.
Visits are usually for a period of one month / four weeks, longer visits may be possible exceptionally. You would be based here in our offices at the Big Data Institute. We would also encourage you to give a talk at our weekly Ethox seminar series, and write a short blog for our website during your visit.
*Please note that the application process for entry to the University for students can take up to three months, therefore we recommend that when thinking about visiting Ethox, you plan your application at least 3 months ahead of when you might like to visit.
How to apply
To apply to be a visitor here at the Ethox Centre please complete and return this form, complete with:
• A copy of your CV
• Your research proposal (1 page A4)
All forms to be emailed to us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Applications will then be reviewed quarterly by our Academic Visitor application panel at Ethox.


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CUPERTINO — Plans to turn the old Vallco Shopping Mall into a massive housing, office and retail complex can proceed full-steam ahead after the developer won a decisive victory in court Wednesday.
Concluding a lengthy battle over the project — which would bring 2,402 apartments, 400,000 square feet of retail and 1.8 million square feet of office space to Cupertino — a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled city officials did not err when they green-lighted the development and gave it fast-track status. The ruling is a major win for YIMBY and pro-development activists, and a heavy blow to some other community members who have been fighting tooth-and-nail against various iterations of this project for years.
"This is a gigantic win for housing advocates specifically, and a huge win for proponents of development in general," said J.R. Fruen, co-founder of the housing advocacy group Cupertino 4 All, which was not a party in the litigation.
Bern Steves, the attorney for Friends of Better Cupertino — the community group fighting the project — could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately known whether the group would appeal the ruling.
Cupertino green-lighted the Vallco project in 2018 under Senate Bill 35, which requires cities to approve and expedite certain residential and mixed-use developments. Friends of Better Cupertino sued the city, claiming officials had failed to do their duty by approving a project that didn't meet the standards of SB 35.
But in a 62-page ruling, Judge Helen Williams made clear the project did qualify for the special status, and that the claims of Friends of Better Cupertino — which she said multiple times misinterpreted the law and made convoluted arguments — didn't hold water.
During a hearing in December, Friends of Better Cupertino had argued the Vallco project had several flaws that made it ineligible for SB 35 status. The group claimed the project was disqualified because it is located on a hazardous waste site, exceeds the city's height limits, does not have sufficient space designated to residential development and lacks a park.
But Williams dismantled those claims one by one.
A project must be two-thirds residential to qualify for special status under SB 35, and Friends of Better Cupertino argued the Vallco project didn't meet that standard — in part because developer Sand Hill Property Company improperly included residential parking space in its calculation. But Williams disagreed.
"By cherry-picking data points to dispute and advancing different calculations without a clear and legally-sound methodology, they do not show that the residential-use ratio falls below the required two-thirds," she wrote.
She was similarly blunt in refuting Friends of Better Cupertino's argument that a rooftop park proposed by Sand Hill didn't qualify as a "park" as required by the city's planning rules.
"Petitioners also use emphatic typography to make a circular argument that Developer's proposed public spaces are not parkland because they are not parkland," she wrote.
But even if the Vallco project did conflict with SB 35 standards or run afoul of Cupertino's own planning rules, it wouldn't have mattered. That's because Williams also rejected Friends of Better Cupertino's argument that a city has a duty to deny a faulty SB 35 project application. That means community groups like Friends of Better Cupertino have no grounds to block SB 35 projects in court, Fruen said. While Williams' trial court decision does not set legally binding precedent, it likely will influence other judges, he said.
Demolition of the old Vallco Shopping Mall to make way for the new mixed-use project already has begun, but Williams could have stopped the project in its tracks if she ruled against the developer.
Reed Moulds, managing director at Sand Hill Property Company, expressed his gratitude to the judge for finding in his project's favor, after the ruling was delayed more than a month due to coronavirus court closures.
"We can now put our full focus on moving the project forward for the future of the City of Cupertino, including how best to do so considering the complex challenges that COVID-19 has brought on all of us," he wrote in an emailed statement. "It is time to set aside our past disagreements and come together in cooperation of building a better and more sustainable future for Cupertino."
The Vallco ruling comes a week after Williams ruled in favor of another SB 35 project in Los Altos, finding the city had no grounds to reject that development.
The city of Cupertino did not take an official position in the Vallco litigation, but officials had made it clear they weren't enthusiastic about the project. The city submitted a filing to the court that claimed the project may exacerbate the jobs-housing imbalance by adding too much office space.
"The City continues to process and issue permits to prepare the Vallco site for development," City Attorney Heather Minner wrote in an emailed statement responding to Wednesday's ruling. "My office is continuing to review the Court's 62-page order that we received late this afternoon."
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Hello Everyone!
Hope: Mabel I have a question for you.
Mabel: No problem! What's up?
Hope: Do you ever feel like your brain is like a sieve?
Mabel: Are you kidding me? No way! I can remember what I ate for breakfast when I was ten years old.
Hope: What a hypermnesia memory you have?
Mabel: That morning I woke up, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, then went to the kitchen and my mom was cooking – etc, etc, etc.
Hope: Okay Mabel. I got the idea.
Have a great day! Hope
Hypermnesia word & definition from Dictionary.com
Clip Art from Bing.com


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Taking the first step in anything can be difficult at the best of times, just once it would be nice if the shoe was on the other foot.
Being hurt so many times over can cut us to the very core of our being and make us want to walk away, never to experience that kind of pain again. But when that continuous hurt comes from someone who is meant to love you unconditionally, the pain never leaves, it never fades, even when you think you have walked away for the last time, the pain reoccurs when you least expect it.
For years now I have carried a lot of anger toward someone in my life. Someone that should have been there to protect me, someone I should be able to trust with my whole being, someone who's approval I have tried to over and over gain. I am convinced that the person who chooses to hurt me, does so to gain praise from someone else in their life. I believe they think no matter how many times I am pushed to my limits, I will forgive and move on.
But I cant, I hold a deep harrowing grudge that has clasped itself around my heart, I'm so deeply hurt that I don't know how to move on anymore, or if I will be able to ever find a peaceful solution before it is too late.....
But how do you learn to forgive when it seems so impossible ?
How do you try and move on from all the hurt so that you can lead a life without regret ?
I really don't know.
Usually forgiveness comes easily as time passes, and you can let bygones be bygones, but this time it has gone way past this point. I struggle daily with the knowledge that I may never have a peaceful relationship with this person ever again.
I feel guilty even though I know I have done all that I can to mend this relationship.
I'm done with being the one that continuously reaches out, done with the feeling of not being good enough. And if that makes me sound callous and mean, so be it.
How this person treats me is wrong, it's hurtful and to be honest I don't know how much more I can take.
I have reached out for the last time. I don't need the pain and negativity in my life any longer. My family deserves ALL of me and my attention and of course my love. What this person has done to me over and over again I could never do to my children. They are my whole life, my heart aches with so much love for them that at times I think it could burst, and that is exactly the way it should be.
They say a little girls hero is her Daddy, but he will never be mine......
Linking up with the gorgeous Jess of Essentially Jess for this weeks IBOT


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Twenty Mile at Nocatee Real Estate in Nocatee, FL
The Twenty Mile area of Nocatee offers something for everyone with homes for sale starting in the $300,000 in areas like The Crossing, The Outlook, and a new area called The Settlement. The Pointe, The Ranch, and The Island have homes starting in the $500,000 to $600,000 range with larger lots. And The Vista and The Hammock are two new developments catering to the luxury, custom home buyer.
The Parc Group, the developers of Nocatee, have created a beautiful development in Twenty Mile with ample green space and charm, and they did a nice job of framing the entrance of the community with beautiful, mature oak trees. The community name has some history behind it. In the 1700s there was a military outpost in the area known as Twenty Mile, which was a halfway point between St Augustine and Fort Caroline.
The fencing and signage of the community play off that theme in a very tasteful way.
There are a variety of homes for sale in Twenty Mile from resales to new builds. We are happy to give you a lay of the land. It can get confusing out there as new roads open and new subdivisions take root.


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Note- there is a correction in this story
At 27, January Vernon and Scott Ginsberg have grown up in the ad business together. They started collaborating as students at the University of Colorado because, as Ginsberg says, "the ad classes were really small," which is what led the pair to team up to enter the One Show's college competition and become interns at TDA Advertising in Boulder. Five years and two agencies later, they have hauled in their share of awards, and, as Vernon notes, they "know each other better than most couples."
When Vernon (art) and Ginsberg (copy) arrived in New York in 2004, it was to join DDB, where they worked on the bawdy "Shave Everywhere" online campaign for Philips' manscaping appliance, the Bodygroom. The racy campaign?featuring a man in a robe spouting euphemisms for his privates?created lots of buzz and won plenty of awards, including a Gold Cyber Lion in Cannes and pencils at The One Show and D&AD. Since migrating to Droga5 in 2006, they've created an amusing campaign for New Zealand beer Steinlager, which?via a series of online films?offered viewers a chance to take over the life of brewery employee Nick, who (the story went) was being shipped off to the States to oversee the launch of the Kiwi brew in the U.S. Since then, they have been working on the Rhapsody account and on some offbeat TV spots for The Tap Project, an annual fundraiser for UNICEF that asks diners to pay one dollar for tap water, with all the proceeds going to help supply clean drinking water around the world. The latter, directed by The Perlorian Brothers, shows how even losers can be morally vindicated?even one particularly disturbing boyfriend named Donnie?just by drinking tap water.
Asked why their partnership works, Vernon says, "Being both from Colorado, we have a similar outlook. And since we've gone through each step of the process together, I think it bonds us a little bit, and it helps us keep each other in check." Ginsberg agrees. "We don't really take advertising as seriously as a lot of people seem to, which is good," he says. "And we call each other on bullshit. We work really hard, and we know when it could have been better."
Correction: it was first reported that Vernon and Ginsberg worked at Tribal DDB, rather than DDB. The duo worked on the Bodygroom effort together with Tribal creatives. The campaign was a joint effort between the sibling shops.
Note- there is a correction in this story


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bisgaard pax e neon green
A sporty sneaker with a light and flexible sole. Handmade in Portugal from soft, natural leather and textile, free from harmful chemicals. Designed with a stretchy laced detail and adjustable Velcro, they provide a natural fit and an easy closure for children of all ages.
- Natural, breathable leather and textile
- Soft and breathable textile lining
- Free from harmful chemicals
- Light and flexible sole
- Danish design
- Handmade in Portugal
Recommended allowance for growth: 1.5 cm
Size Guide Click here to see the inner measurements of the shoe
size 24:   15,8 cm
size 25:   16,45 cm
size 26:   17,1 cm
size 27:   17,8 cm
size 28:   18,15 cm
size 29:   18,8 cm
size 30:   19,5 cm
size 31:   20,1 cm
size 32:   20,75 cm
size 33:   21,55 cm
size 34:   22,1 cm
size 35:   22,7 cm
size 36:   23,4 cm
size 37:   24 cm
size 38:   24,6 cm
How we're different
Unlike most brands, we provide specific measurements of an individual shoe instead of a general size guide encompassing all shoes in a range. We avoid the label of all types of shoes having the same size. For example - the measurements of a size 30 boot will vary compared to a size 30 sandal. All our shoes are of standard European sizing, we do however include if a fit runs small, standard or wide.