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Minority status and the use of computer mediated communication: a test of the Social Diversification Hypothesis
Les sociétés multiculturelles sont caractérisées par l'existence de différents groupes qui détiennent des positions différentes dans le système de stratification (autochtones, immigrants et minorités défavorisées). Comme l'accès à l'Internet en Israël devient universel, il est important de savoir comment les différents groupes de la population israélienne utilisent l'Internet et si les motivations pour l'utilisation des technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC) varient en fonction de leur position différentielle dans la société. Cette étude vise à étudier l'utilisation de l'Internet dans une société multiculturelle (Israël), avec une attention particulière portée aux similitudes et aux différences entre une minorité défavorisée (les Arabes), et la majorité autochtone. Les résultats fournissent une contribution partielle à la perspective de diversification sociale et indiquent que le manque d'accès au capital social motive les minorités à utiliser les plates-formes Internet en compensation.
Entrées d'index
Mots-clés :Israël, Internet, information, technologie, multiculuralisme
Keywords:Israel, Internet, information, technology, multiculturalism
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Texte intégral
- 1 . Hiromi Ono and Madeline Zavodny, "Immigrants, English Ability and the Digital Divide", Social Fo (...)
1Multicultural societies are characterized by the existence of different groups that hold different positions in the stratification system (natives, immigrants and disadvantaged minorities). As the use of the Internet is becoming universal it is important to know how these different groups are using the Internet and if the motivations for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) differ according to their differential position in society.1 This study was set out to investigate the use of the Internet in a multicultural society (Israel) with particular emphasis on similarities and differences in the use of a disadvantaged minority (Arabs), and the native majority. In doing this, I expand previous studies in which I suggested a comprehensive conceptual framework for the understanding of the association (namely the diversification hypothesis) between social standing and the motivations for using ICT and I will test the hypothesis of this framework with the actual use of a variety of social media platforms (Social Networking sites, chat rooms, weblogs and electronic mail).
Inequalities in Internet Access
- 2 . James E. Katz and Ronald E. Rice, Social Consequences of Internet Use: Access, Involvement and I (...)
- 3 . Eszter Hargittai, "Second-level digital divide: Differences in people's onlines kills", First Mo (...)
- 4 . Hiromi Ono and Madeline Zavodny, "Immigrants, English Ability…", art. cit.
2As Internet access has increased in Western countries, the literature on digital inequality has moved from a focus on the first-level to the second-level of digital divide. Early studies focused on the socio-economic determinants of physical access to information and communication technologies (ICT) mostly reporting differences in access according to income, education, gender and ethnicity.2 But as Internet access is reaching saturation in Western countries, there are more scholars that are calling for a shift to the study of the second level, i. e., from examining the extent and causes of differences in the Internet access to focusing on differences in intensity and types of use.3 This shift in research rests on the belief that differences in access are becoming less problematic as computer ownership has become widespread and as public access in libraries and community centers have made computers and Internet widely available.4 While inequalities of access are not completely over, this study is located on the second level of the digital divide tradition. The central research questions that this study attempts to answer are: What are the differences in the use of Internet social applications according to ethnic origin? And to the extent that they exist, is it possible to identify that the differential social position of groups in society is associated with different motivations of media choice?
Accounting for differences in use: Social Diversification Hypothesis
- 5 . Nan Lin, Social Capital. A Theory of Social Structure and Action, Cambridge, Cambridge Universit (...)
- 6 . Douglas S. Massey, Categorically Unequal. The American Stratification System, New York, Russell (...)
- 7 . Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin and James M. Cook, "Birds of a feather: Homophily in social n (...)
3In this study I rely on the Diversification hypothesis that deals specifically with the differential use of the Internet, according to social position in society. The diversification hypothesis relies on existing knowledge on the nature of associations in stratified and multicultural societies and the expanding literature on social capital. From the literature on social networks the assumption is that multi-cultural societies are segregated according to ethnic and social class lines.5 In societies that reward individuals differentially according to their income, prestige, and power, stratifications systems result in a differential ability of individuals to gain access to jobs and residential locations.6 As a result, individual social associations tend to be with others of similar social characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, and nationality.7
- 8 . Douglas S. Massey, Categorically Unequal…, op. cit.
- 9 . Gustavo S. Mesch, "Social Diversification: A Perspective for the Study of Social networks of Ado (...)
- 10 . Hiromi Ono and Hsin-Jen Tsai, "Race, parental socio-economic status…", art. cit.
4Minorities are disadvantaged in society among other reasons because the segregated nature of society is a barrier for relationship formation and membership in out-groups.8 According to the diversification hypothesis9 computer mediated communication provides a platform to overcome the existing social segregation in society. Residential and social segregation prevents members of minority groups from creating interactions across ethnicity and migration status and reduces their access to social networks that enhance the Internet use and networks that provides information on available education and job opportunities.10 Therefore this perspective proposes that disadvantaged groups (according to their migration status and ethnicity) will use the Internet to expand their social circle and overcome existing physical and social barriers to information and association. At the same time majority groups will use the Internet to keep the existing relationships and less to expand their social ties. The advantage of the majority group is in their access to educational and job resources, which they have much to gain in keeping their existing ties.
- 11 . Gustavo S. Mesch, "Social Diversification: A Perspective…", art. cit.
- 12 . Eszter Hargittai and Yu-li Patrick Hsieh, "Predictors and consequences of Differentiated practic (...)
5From this discussion it follows that another important assumption at the center of the diversification approach is a conceptualization of ICT's as a space of activity and social interaction.11 The Internet is not only about communication with existing ties. Although it is true that many individuals are using the Internet as another channel of communication with existing relationships, the innovative aspect of the Internet is to provide opportunities for activities that induce social interaction resulting in providing a space for meeting new individuals, lowering the barriers for accessing information and weak ties.12 Consequently, an important motivation for minorities and immigrant use of computer mediated communication is to diversify their social network and identify other individuals who share their interests, concerns, or problems but are not part of their face to face social circle.
- 13 . Marleen Huysman and Volker Wolf, Social Capital and Information Technology, Cambridge, MIT Press (...)
6Diversification is a concept that can be linked to social capital. Although there are several accepted definitions and operationalizations of this concept, it is agreed that social capital refers to network ties that provide mutual support, shared language, shared norms, social trust, and a sense of mutual obligation from which people can derive value.13 The definition emphasizes the central role of the size, structure, composition, and trust in social networks. Based on these qualities, networks provide differential access to resources that include opportunities, skills, information, social support, and sociability.
- 14 . Darius K. S. Chan and Grand L. Cheng, "A comparison of online and offline friendship qualities", (...)
7Recent studies of computer mediated communication also indicate that an alternative major use is for the maintenance of existing social ties.14 While the use for diversification can be explained as an attempt to increase bridging social capital, the use of the maintenance of family and friend ties can be assumed to be a motivation for maintaining and increasing bonding social capital. What is unique in the diversification perspective is to point to the possibility that the differential use, for the formation of "bonding" and "bridging" social capital might be directed by the social position of minorities and immigrants in the social structure vis a vis the majority. One is to maintain existing relationships, a function that is important as it allows the continuation of significant relations despite distance and rapid pace of life, the exchange of information on economic and employment opportunities, the exchange of social support. Another use of computer mediated communication has been for the expansion of existing ties, as the anonymity of the medium, the flattering of social hierarchies and the lowering of barriers of social interaction encourage the formation of social ties with unknown others that belong to a different social circle. Both uses, for expansion and for maintenance of social ties are linked to the formation of social capital.
Linking diversification and CMC (computer-mediated communications) channels
8In the last years, the online communication environment has become more and more complex, as individuals combined the use of electronic mail, chat rooms, weblogs and social networking sites. I argue that the use of different social applications partially defines the structure and content of social communication and association. The use of different applications varies, as communication partners differ according to the application being used. Different motivations probably led to the use of different communication channels.
- 15 . Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Stephanie Reich, Natalia Waechter and Guadalupe Espinoza, "Online and offli (...)
- 16 . Eszter Hargittai and Yu-li Patrick Hsieh, "Predictors and consequences of Differentiated…", art. (...)
9Open chat rooms and weblogs are spaces of interaction in which users maintain their anonymity by using nicknames and interact with others who might not be known, and may reside in a different city, state or country. Individuals join chat discussions or post blog comments according to the topic around which the platform is defined. The defining characteristics of the developing social interaction are the existence of common topics or interests. As the context of the interaction is based on mutual emotional or intellectual interests, much of the interaction occurs with unknown individuals who share concerns, hobbies, or other interests.15 Social networking sites differ from other online communication channels in a variety of characteristics. The adoption of the technology is social, as it results from a group of friends settling on a particular social networking system. A specific social networking site is adopted because of peer pressure that helps to create a critical mass of users in a social group. Using a SNS (social networking site) requires having an active list of "friends" and being on a friends' list by the authorization of peers. In that sense, the use of SNS is more common with known and offline friends than with strangers. While chat rooms and forums are technologies that link individuals around a shared topic of interest and concern, social networking sites are technologies that link individuals who have some knowledge of each other and belong to the same social circle or to the social circle of their friends.16 Given these features of channels of communication, it is reasonable to expect that the motivation for the use of chat rooms and weblogs is to expand social ties and the use of social networking sites to conserve existing ties.
The Israeli context
- 17 . Noah Lewin-Epstein and Moshe Semyonov, The Arab Minority in Israel's Economy: Patterns of Ethnic (...)
- 18 . Ytchak Haberfeld and Yinon Cohen, "Development of Gender, Ethnic, and National Earnings Gaps in (...)
- 19 . Nohad Ali, "The unpredictable status of Palestinian woman in Israel: Actual versus désirable", p (...)
10Israel is a multiethnic society. Approximately 79% of the population are Jewish, and the remainder is Arab. Jewish immigrants have come to Israel in a sequence of waves. As a result, the Jewish population consists in various groups from different backgrounds.17 The Arab minority is disadvantaged according to education and socio-economic status.18 In addition, most of the Arab population residence is in peripheral areas of the country and in small localities in which they are the vast majority of the population. The high residential concentration restricts the access of the Arab population to widespread networks and they tend to associate with residents of the same locality and neighbor localities in the periphery of the country.19
11Another important group in the Israeli population are immigrants from former countries of the Soviet Union. Immigration from these people to Israel took place in two waves. The first was during the years 1968-1979, when 150 000 Jews arrived in Israel. The second large wave of immigration started after 1989 shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since then, it is estimated that one million immigrants from the Former Soviet Union have arrived in Israel and they represent 15% of the total population and 20% of the Jewish population.
- 20 . Rebeca Raijman and Moshe Semyonov, "Best of times, worst of times, and occupational mobility: th (...)
12Studies report a number of differences and similarities between the first and second waves of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union. Whereas the immigrants of the 1970s were more evenly distributed across regions in Israel, those of the 90s were more concentrated in urban centers and peripheral towns. As a group they show a high level of participation in the workforce with 90% of males and 80% of females able to find jobs after four years in the country.20 Regarding social integration, studies indicate that Former Soviet Union immigrants largely confine their social encounters to other immigrants from their country of origin. Five years after immigration, about 60% of the 1990s immigrants as compared to 40% of the 1970s immigrants, reported meeting frequently with their former compatriots.
- 21 . Majid Al-Haj, Immigration and Ethnic Formation in a Deeply Divided Society. The Case of the 1990 (...)
13The spatial distribution of the immigrant population in the county is uneven and they have become the majority of the population in many towns in the periphery of the country. In large urban centers, one of the main features of the settlement of immigrants is their high residential concentration. Some sociologists have reached the conclusion that because of their high residential and social segregation and high level of language and culture conservation, the group of immigrants that arrived from the Former Soviet Union has become a new ethnic group.21
14Thus, the multiethnic nature of Israeli society, the high level of residential and social segregation of Arabs and immigrants, makes Israel a perfect setting for conducting this study on social position and the pattern of use of computer mediated communication.
The penetration of ICT in Israel
15In Israel, Internet use is rapidly expanding. In 1998, only 11% of Israeli households reported having access to the Internet; the figure had risen to 30% by 2002 and 71% in 2008 (CBS, 2008). As Israel is increasingly moving toward an information-based society, a central question for social scientists involves the extent to which individuals from different groups in the society are able to participate in the benefits of new information technologies.
- 22 . Asmaa Ganayem, Sheizaf Rafaeli and F. Aziza, "Digital divide: the use of the Internet in the ara (...)
- 23 . Gustavo S. Mesch and Ilan Talmud, Wired Youth…, op. cit.
16While Internet use is widespread, it is also differential according to ethnic lines. Overall 71% of the Jewish population report access to Internet but only 50% of the Arab population report so (CBS, 2008). The ethnic gap in Internet access is wider for low income individuals of both groups and narrower for the ones having more than high school education (CBS, 2008 ). Studies on the digital divide according to ethnic lines in the Israeli society have concluded that Arab Israelis have less access and use of the Internet.22 Studies that attempted to identify the sources for low access and use among the Arab population concluded that structural barriers, associated with their disadvantaged status in society, are the main source of access and use disparities. Specifically, the Arab population is concentrated in blue collar occupations and less exposed to Internet, social networks of support for its use. Lack of exposure contributes to the development to negative attitudes towards its use and the result is that they tend to refrain from access and use of ICT.23
17In summary, the central argument of the diversification hypothesis is that in multicultural and stratified societies immigrants and disadvantaged minorities face barriers of access to information and social networks. Accordingly, different motivations drive the differential use of Internet. The majority group has on average access to social capital and networks that provide access to information and relevant associations for being exposed to advanced educational, occupational and social opportunities. Following this argument it is expected in this study that members of the majority, (Israeli-born Jews) will be more likely to use the Internet for maintaining existing relationships with family and friends, while immigrants and Arab Israelis will be more likely to use the Internet for relationship expansion than Jewish Israelis.
Method: Design, Procedure, Sample
18Data for this study was gathered by means of a survey of a large sample of Internet users (n=1264) that responded to an online survey that included 45 items asking their motivations for the use of computer mediated communication and the channels of communication being used. Data collection was conducted during the month of September 2009. A well-known commercial company in Israel that conducts online surveys (Panels Ltd) with extensive experience with online surveys conducted the survey. The company conducts market research through the recruitment of a large panel of Internet users and each study is conducted with a selective sub-sample of this panel of Internet users. The company made a special effort to randomly select a subsample of Internet users from the large panel that resembles the population of Internet users in Israel. In particular, representing the different groups (native Israelis, Israeli Arabs and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union) according to their percentage in the population.
19The questionnaire included 51 items that inquired on extent and types of Internet use, extent and types of communication technologies used (e-mail, chat rooms, weblog and SNS) and specific questions on type and purposes of Internet use.
20Overall 1264 respondents that are Internet users and older than 18 years old answered the questionnaire. The full sample included 817 Israeli natives, 228 immigrants and 219 Arab-Israeli respondents.
21The average of the respondents was 29.16 years old (SD=6.77). A small majority were women (54%) and a small majority were single (56%). In terms of education it was found that 5.5 percent reported less than high school education, 50.6 percent completed high school and 43.8 college and graduate education. In terms of channels of computer mediated communication the most frequent channel was electronic mail (95%), followed by social networking sites (62%), chat rooms (28%) and weblogs (10%). On average, respondents spent about 4.94 hours a day using the Internet (SD=2.68). Regarding motivations for Internet use the average value of using the Internet for maintaining existing ties was found to be higher (M=6.56, SD=2.09) than the use for expanding social ties (M=5.86, SD=2.16).
Internet use for tie maintenance
22In order to measure this concept I used two items that were included in the survey. In order to measure Internet use for the support of strong social ties, individuals were asked to indicate the frequency that they use the Internet "to conserve existing relationships with their family" and the extent they use the Internet "to conserve and maintain their relationships with friends". Responses were in a 5-point Likert scale and higher values indicated higher frequency of use for this purpose. The scale proved internally consistent (M=6.56, SD=2.09 α=.70).
Internet for tie expansion
23In order to measure Internet use for the formation and expansion of social ties individuals were asked to indicate the frequency that they use the Internet for the following purposes: "to expand my professional and occupational ties" and "to meet new individuals". Responses were in a 5 point Likert scale with higher values indicating higher frequency of use for this purpose. The scale proved internally consistent (M=5.86, SD=2.16 α=.74). Each scale was used as a continuous dependent variable in the multivariate analysis.
Independent Variables
24Computer mediated communication channels
25Respondents were asked to indicate whether they participated in chat-room discussions, if they keep an online diary (weblog), if they regularly use an email account for sending and receiving emails and whether they have an active profile in a social networking site. The responses for the items were coded as a series of dummy variables when 1 indicate a yes response and 0 indicates a no response.
Ethnic Background
26In order to measure this variable two items of the survey were used. Respondents were asked the country in which they were born. For the ones that responded that they were born in Israel, a cross tabulation with an item that asked the respondent for his/her religion was conducted. From this cross tabulation two variables were created. The ones that responded being born in Israel and belonging to the Jewish religion were coded as a dummy variable that indicates "Israeli Jews origin". The ones that responded being born in Israel but belonging to the Moslem, Christian or Druze religion were coded by means of a dummy variable as "Arab origin". Immigrants were identified with the use of two variables. The first asked the respondent to indicate the country of origin. Individuals that migrated from countries of the former Soviet Union were identified. Then their year of migration was inspected and a dummy variable was created that indicated immigrants from the Soviet Union that migrated in or after 1989 was created. In the preliminary analysis it was found that a vast majority of the immigrants (93%) belonged to this category. As their number was very small, other immigrants were excluded from the analysis.
Social support
27This variable was measured using three items that asked the respondent to indicate in a 5 point scale the extent of agreement with the following items: "There are a number of people that I believe will help me solve my problems", "I have a friend that I can always approach him for some advice whenever I have to make an important decision in my life" and "I have friends that I can always share with them sad and happy moments". The three items were submitted to a factor analysis with varimax rotation and resulted in a single dimension. The items were combined into a single scale by summing the responses. Scale reliability was Alpha cronbach=.65.
28This variable was measured by subtracting the year of the survey from the year of birth. The resulting variable was introduced as a continuous variable in the statistical analysis.
29Respondents were asked to indicate the number of years of formal education that they have completed. The variable was introduced as a continuous variable in the statistical analysis.
Marital status
30Individuals were asked to indicate their current marital status. From their responses a dummy variable was created when married was coded as "1" and other as "0".
31Gender was measured using a dummy variable when 1 indicates male and 0 indicates women.
32A one-way between group analysis of variance was conducted to explore group differences in demographic background and motivations for Internet use.
33In terms of demographic characteristics, post hoc comparisons using Tukey HSD test indicated that the three groups differ in terms of age F=(2, 1261)= 31.60, p<.001. The mean score for Israeli Jews (M=30.25, SD=7.01) was significantly different from immigrants (M=27.46, SD=5.46) and Arabs (M=26.87, SD=6.77). In terms of social support, no statistically significant differences were found between the three groups, indicating that Israeli Jews, immigrants and Arab Israelis do not differ significantly in their perception of having others to rely on when life decisions need to be made. The three groups were found to differ in the extent of daily use of the Internet: F(2, 1261)= 6.96 p<.001. Post-Hoc comparisons using Tukey test indicated that Arab Israelis (M=4.32, SD=2.42) reported using the Internet less than both Israeli Jews (M=5.97, SD=2.72) and immigrants (M=5.07, SD=2.71).
34Closely related to the study hypothesis it was found that there are statistically significant differences in the motivation for use the Internet for the maintenance of social ties: F(2, 1261)=9.053 p<.001. Israeli Jews (M=6.61, SD=2.05) and immigrants (M=6.86, SD=2.11) reported on average a higher motivation to use the Internet for this purpose than Arab Israelis (M=6.05, SD=2.12). As the use of the Internet for the expansion of social ties, while there were differences indicating a higher average on the scale for Arabs, this difference was not found to be statistically significant.
35In the use of channels of computer mediated communication, some interesting differences were found. The proportion of respondents reporting using weblogs was the highest for the Arab Israelis, and did not differ between Israelis and immigrants. The proportion of respondents using electronic mail was very high and similar for the three groups. Regarding social networking sites, immigrants seemed to report the higher proportion, followed by Arab Israelis and then Israeli Jews. The finding that emerges from the comparison of the three groups is that there are group differences in the motivations for using the Internet and the preference for communication channels.
36As the Internet has become more and more accessible to the population in Western countries, research has moved from the first-level of the digital divide (understanding access or lack of it) to second-level studies directed to the understanding of differences in the types of use and skills of population groups. This study is part of new studies that investigate group differences in the motivations and use of various channels of computer mediated communication.
37Taking advantage of a multi-ethnic society divided according to ethnic and immigrant lines, a test of the diversification hypothesis was conducted with a large sample of Internet users that resemble the population of Internet users in Israel. According to the diversification hypothesis, in socially segregated societies disadvantaged groups have deficits in social capital, in particular bridging social capital. Their use of channels of online communication will be motivated by an attempt to compensate for their disadvantage and will direct the use of Internet to creating ties to expand their occupational and business ties. From this argument two hypothesis were derived. First, that minority and immigrants will be more likely to choose the use of Internet that are by design more suited for this task. The findings of the study mostly supports this hypothesis. When controlling socio-demographic and minority status, it was found that individuals who are motivated to use the Internet to expand business and professional contacts are more likely to use chat rooms and web logs. At the same time, individuals that are motivated to use the Internet to maintain ties with families and friends are more likely to use social networking sites. These finding indicates that each Internet application is perceived by users to be suited for a different task.
38Second, a more direct test of the diversification hypothesis was conducted. The findings here indicated that the main difference distinguishes Israeli natives and immigrants on the one side, and Arabs on the other. Immigrants and Israeli born people are more likely than Arabs to use Internet for maintaining family ties and to keep ties with existing friends. At the same time it was found that Arabs are more likely to use Internet to make new contacts and to expand their business contacts.
39Taking the results together the strongest support of the diversification hypothesis seems to be for the Arab population than for the immigrants. This might be explained in the existing differences between the two groups in society. As it has been shown in the descriptive analysis, the Arab population is more disadvantaged in terms of human capital than the immigrant population. In addition, the Arab population, perceived as part of the Arab world with whom Israel is in a persistent state of war, faces more discrimination than the new immigrants. This difference in social standing might be reflected in a more consistent pattern of motivations and use for the Arab population than for the immigrant groups.
1 . Hiromi Ono and Madeline Zavodny, "Immigrants, English Ability and the Digital Divide", Social Forces, vol. 86, n° 4, July 2008, p. 1455-1479; Hiromi Ono and Hsin-Jen Tsai, "Race, parental socio-economic status and computer time outside of school among young American children, 1997-2003", Journal of Family Issues, vol. 29, n° 12, June 2008, p. 1650-1672; Linda A. Jackson, Kelly S. Ervin, Philip D. Gardner and Neal Schmitt, "The Racial Digital Divide: Motivational, Affective and Cognitive Correlates of Internet Use", Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 31, n° 10, October 2001, p. 2019-2046.
2 . James E. Katz and Ronald E. Rice, Social Consequences of Internet Use: Access, Involvement and Interaction, Cambridge, MIT Press, 2002; Hiromi Ono and Madelin Zavodny, "Gender and the Internet", Social Science Quarterly, vol. 84, March 2003, p. 111-121; Paul DiMaggio, Eszter Hargittai, Steven Shafer and Coral Celeste, "From unequal access to differentiated use: a literature review and agenda for research on digital inequality", in Kathryn M. Neckerman (dir.), Social Inequality, New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 2003, p. 366-400; Sylvia E. Korupp and Marc Szydlik, "Causes and trends of the Digital Divide", European Sociological Review, vol. 21, n° 4, September 2005, p. 409-422.
3 . Eszter Hargittai, "Second-level digital divide: Differences in people's onlines kills", First Monday, vol. 7, n° 4, April 2002 (online); Karine Barziali-Nahon, "Gasp and bits: Conceptualizing measurements for digital divides", Information Society, vol. 22, n° 5, 2006, p. 269-278; Hiromi Ono and Hsin-Jen Tsai, "Race, parental socio-economic status…", art. cit.
4 . Hiromi Ono and Madeline Zavodny, "Immigrants, English Ability…", art. cit.
5 . Nan Lin, Social Capital. A Theory of Social Structure and Action, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001.
6 . Douglas S. Massey, Categorically Unequal. The American Stratification System, New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 2007.
7 . Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin and James M. Cook, "Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks", Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 27, August 2001, p. 415-444; Gustavo S. Mesch and Ilan Talmud, "The quality of online and offline relationships, the role of multiplexity and duration", The Information Society, vol. 22, n° 3, June 2006, p. 137-148; Gustavo S. Mesch and Ilan Talmud, Wired Youth. The Social World of Youth in the Information Age, Oxford, Routledge, 2010.
8 . Douglas S. Massey, Categorically Unequal…, op. cit.
9 . Gustavo S. Mesch, "Social Diversification: A Perspective for the Study of Social networks of Adolescents Offline and Online", in Nadia Kutscher and Hans Uwe Otto (dir.), Grenzenlose Cyberwelt?, Heidelberg, Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2007, p. 105-121; Gustavo S. Mesch and Ilan Talmud, Wired Youth…, op. cit.
10 . Hiromi Ono and Hsin-Jen Tsai, "Race, parental socio-economic status…", art. cit.
11 . Gustavo S. Mesch, "Social Diversification: A Perspective…", art. cit.
12 . Eszter Hargittai and Yu-li Patrick Hsieh, "Predictors and consequences of Differentiated practices on social network sites", Information, communication and society, vol. 12, n° 4, 2010, p. 515-536.
13 . Marleen Huysman and Volker Wolf, Social Capital and Information Technology, Cambridge, MIT Press, 2004.
14 . Darius K. S. Chan and Grand L. Cheng, "A comparison of online and offline friendship qualities", Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, vol. 21, n° 3, 2004, p. 305-320; Bo Xie, "The mutual shaping of online and offline social relationships", Information Research, vol. 13, n° 3, 2008 (URL: informationr.net/ir/13-3/paper350.html).
15 . Kaveri Subrahmanyam, Stephanie Reich, Natalia Waechter and Guadalupe Espinoza, "Online and offline social networks", Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, vol. 29, n° 6, 2008, p. 420-433.
16 . Eszter Hargittai and Yu-li Patrick Hsieh, "Predictors and consequences of Differentiated…", art. cit.
17 . Noah Lewin-Epstein and Moshe Semyonov, The Arab Minority in Israel's Economy: Patterns of Ethnic Inequality, Boulder, Westview Press, 1993.
18 . Ytchak Haberfeld and Yinon Cohen, "Development of Gender, Ethnic, and National Earnings Gaps in Israel: the Role of Rising Inequality", Social Science Research, vol. 36, 2007, p. 654-672; Noah Lewin-Epstein and Moshe Semyonov, The Arab Minority in Israel's Economy…, op. cit.
19 . Nohad Ali, "The unpredictable status of Palestinian woman in Israel: Actual versus désirable", paper presented at the meeting: "Religion, Gender and Politics: An International Dialogue", The Van Leer Institute, Jerusalem, 11 September 2006.
20 . Rebeca Raijman and Moshe Semyonov, "Best of times, worst of times, and occupational mobility: the case of Soviet immigrants in Israel", International Migration, vol. 36, n° 3, 1998, p. 290-303.
21 . Majid Al-Haj, Immigration and Ethnic Formation in a Deeply Divided Society. The Case of the 1990s Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel, Leiden, Brill, 2003.
22 . Asmaa Ganayem, Sheizaf Rafaeli and F. Aziza, "Digital divide: the use of the Internet in the arab society" (in Hebrew), Megamot, n° 1, 2009, p. 164-196; Gustavo S. Mesch and Ilan Talmud, Wired Youth…, op. cit.
23 . Gustavo S. Mesch and Ilan Talmud, Wired Youth…, op. cit.Haut de page
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Gustavo S. Mesch, « Minority status and the use of computer mediated communication: a test of the Social Diversification Hypothesis », Cahiers de la Méditerranée, 85 | 2012, 71-82.
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Gustavo S. Mesch, « Minority status and the use of computer mediated communication: a test of the Social Diversification Hypothesis », Cahiers de la Méditerranée [En ligne], 85 | 2012, mis en ligne le 14 juin 2013, consulté le 04 octobre 2022. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/cdlm/6670 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/cdlm.6670Haut de page
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Leasing Consultant - Stassney Woods
Becoming a part of MAA is exciting and rewarding for those who enjoy working with a dynamic team. Join us as we exceed our residents' expectations of a place to call home. Leasing Consultant Are you ready to build a career at a company that is committed to investing in your success? Are you a natural at making positive first impressions and exceeding customer service expectations? At MAA, you will be our differentiating factor – our competitive advantage. Our leasing teams are moment makers, relentlessly customer-focused, and help transform properties into communities and apartments into homes.
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- Moses Gunn
- Kevin Hooks
- Irene Cara
- Robert Hooks
- Ernestine Jackson
- Leon Pinkney
- Charles McGregor
- Wanda Velez
Aaron (Kevin Hooks, Sounder, A Hero Ain't Nothin But A Sandwich) is a gifted black ball-player in Harlem, N.Y., whose father (Moses Gunn, Shaft, Amazing Grace) expects Aaron to have the basketball career he never had. Angela (Irene Cara, Sparkle, Sister, Sister) is a Puerto Rican girl from Spanish Harlem who lives alone with her mother. When Aaron and Angela fall in love, they worry that their racial difference will cause friction between their family and friends, and decide to meet in secret. The plan works until they discover their love nest is also host to some major drug deals.


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blackhole-factory in cooperation with Dr. Martina Leeker, Berlin, and Dr. José Millet, Santiago de Cuba/ Coro, Venezuela
Maitresse Erzulie, the Black Madonna of Vodú, the moon and mistress of dreams is dreaming by herself.
Erzulies Traum (Erzulie's Dream) is an installation/ performance reconstructing an encounter with the Vodú Community of Santiago de Cuba.
The basic raw material of the project is audio and video footage from situations of daily life, Vodú ceremonies and interviews with members of the community, recorded 2003 by blackhole-factory.
The installation/ performance combines the documentary material with thoughts on history and ethno-anthropology, personal reports and abstract trance experiments.
Erzulies Traum invites people to wander individually through the installation.
The footage was produced by blackhole-factory in cooperation with anthropologist Dr. José Millet and a Vodú community from Santiago de Cuba. The members of this community are the descendants of slaves that accompanied the owners of coffee plantations from Haití to Cuba during the 19th century slave uprisings. They brought their newly developed Vodú cult with them.
Even after many years of visiting Cuba, working with Cuban artists and scientists and studying afrocuban cults and other phenomena of traditional culture going back to the time of slavery, it was still a challenge to approach the Vodú cult on Cuba, to which so many clichés and prejudices are attached. While originating from Haití, it has developed its own characteristics on Cuba and must be viewed on the background of regional history. Therefore in "Erzulies Traum" we are not trying to answer global questions about Vodú, but to explore microhistorical interactions: by meeting individual persons, tracing systems of relationships and reflecting on means of dealing with crises in a city constantly living through so-called special periods, i.e. water and food shortages and other catastrophes.
There was a first showing at Kunstmuehle Braunschweig on Dec 17 2010. The whole installation/ performance was first presented from Feb 17 – 19 2011 also at Kunstmuehle Braunschweig.
The installation/ performance Erzulies Traum consists of a number of different parts:
Santiago Soundmap:
an interactive audio visual installation giving visitors the possibility to remix sounds from every day life in Santiago de Cuba. The soundmap is located at the entrance to give an impression of the city.
Click here to go to the radio aporee map. There you can listen to the field recordings we used.
San Lazaro/ Babalu Ayé
a small spot dedicated to the african spirit Babalu Ayé whose aniversary has been celebrated the first night we met the family of the mambó Silvia. With the entrance of the installation Erzulies Traum people get a flower which they can donate and ask for good health.
La Visita:
a double screen video installation shows the cycle of arrival, preparation, ceremonies, rituals and chill out.
short segments of the installation on archiv.org:
La Visita segment#1
La Visita segment#4
La Visita segment#5
La Visita segment#8
moments of trance in slow motion. The video is slowed down to 10 percent. The audio is a mix of slowed down and stretched sounds of the recordings. (total run time 63 min)
short segments of the installation on archiv.org:
Transformation segment#2
Transformation segment#5
Transformation segment#6
Binaural Ogunator
The Binaural Ogunator is a kinetic sound sculpture using silk, computer controlled motors and 2-channel sound system. Two triads of sinusoidal signals are slowly changing frequencies against each other (binaural beats) to create a permanent shift from deep drones to a fast 6/8 rhythm and back.
The sound is synchronized with 3 computer controlled motors moving flags of red and black silk. more….
The Oracle:
An ongoing performance by Elke Utermöhlen in a small room.
The idea is to give a short glance of personal reports about the experience of the vodú ceremonies.
Always one of the visitors is allowed to enter the Oracle space and can choose two picture cards of a pack, showing persons who were active during the rituals. A clock gives each one 5 minutes for the consultation. In an improvisation Elke is developing short stories about the pictures, the connection of the two situations and the connection to the visitor. True or not is not recognizable for the audience… While she is talking, Elke shows her visitor short videos fitting to the chosen cards. The clock rings and the visitor has to leave.
The Academy:
Performance by Martina Leeker
The "Academy" takes up the visitors' expectation to have the elements and processes of the installation explained to them. However, instead of explanatory notes the Academy offers a kind of scientific storytelling, where each story will trigger a series of associations around Vodú. To select a subject each visitor may choose among a collection of words printed on small cards. Martina will then deliver a short talk on the concept represented by this word, and scientific texts will be read.
The history of the slave trade is one of the topics dealt with, as are unfamiliar phenomena like trance and possession or the relationship between technical media and the spirit world in Africa and Europe.
None of these talks are meant to explain Vodú to the visitor, but rather to add material and round off the picture. After a few minutes the lecture will be over, and the visitor will leave and make room for the next guest of the Academy.
Texts are taken from these sources (among others):
Heike Behrend (African Studies):
Michael Zeuske (History of Latin America):
José Millet (Ethnographic studies, Cuba, Haití, Venezuela):
Wolfgang Hagen (Media History, Radio):
Iris Därmann (Cultural Science):
the Dinner:
At the end of the performance the visitors gathered round a table for an informal dinner and were served soup, cheese and vine.
Erzulies Traum is funded by Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur, Stiftung Niedersachsen, Stadt Braunschweig


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It's one thing to create bio-based resins from food crop feedstocks. It's another to produce them using sugar cane trash and other plant waste to avoid competing with human food and animal feed crops. But what if you could just grow your biomaterials and plastic replacements, avoiding all the time- and resource-consuming steps in the polymer creation cycle? Ecovative has figured out how to do this by growing mushroom roots on plant trash, and it is expanding its operations by partnering with Sealed Air, the inventor of Bubble Wrap.
The two companies will work together to "accelerate the production, sales, and distribution of Ecovative's EcoCradle Mushroom Packaging," the companies said in a brief joint press release.
Ecovative's plastics are based on mycelium, or mushroom roots. The company bills them as alternatives to petrochemical-based materials, such as the extruded polystyrene foam, or Styrofoam, used for packaging heavy items during shipping.
The EcoCradle Mushroom Packaging material is grown in a process in which a fungal network of threadlike cells digests agricultural wastes, such as plant stalks and seed husks. The process binds the cells into a structural material like a self-assembling glue. No water, light, or fertilizer is required for growth, and the used material can be composted aerobically or anaerobically in consumers' backyards.
A blend of agricultural byproducts is cleaned and inoculated, or planted, with mycelium. This process does not involve spores. An automated process fills grow tray forms with the mixture. When the material has reached the desired shape and size, its growth is stopped through dehydration and heat treatment.


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|Communications power supply voltage
|11 to 25 VDC (supplied from the communications connector)
|Internal power supply voltage
|20.4 to 26.4 VDC (24 VDC +10%/-15%)
|I/O power supply voltage
|Current consumption
|Communications: 30 mA max.
Internal circuit: 0.6 A at 24 VDC (with max. I/O load)
|Dielectric strength
|Noise immunity
|Conforms to IEC61000-4-4, 2 kV (Power line)
|Vibration resistance
|10 to 150 Hz, 1.0-mm double amplitude or 70 m/s2
|Shock resistance
|200 m/s2
|Mounting strength
|No damage when 100 N pull load was applied in all directions (10 N min. in the DIN track direction)
|Terminal strength
|No damage when 100 N pull load was applied
|Screw tightening torque
|0.3 to 0.5 Nm
Phoenix connector: 0.25 to 0.3 Nm
|Ambient operating temperature
|-10°C to 55°C (with no icing or condensation)
|Ambient operating humidity
|25% to 85%
|Ambient storage temperature
|-25°C to 65°C (with no icing or condensation)
|End connector (one)


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During the past week, I've spent the holidays in my hometown of Seattle where Hunter rain boots, plaid, slouchy pants and yes, even Birkenstocks still reign supreme. There was a time during the 1990s when Seattle inspired the runways in New York. The Emerald City is back as a fashion force but this time its grunge luxe.
In just a few months, "pretty grunge" fashion from Proenza Schouler, Richard Chai and Dries Van Noten will hit stores. We even saw furry Birkenstocks on the Celine runway in Paris!
Celine (check out those shoes)
Dries Van Noten
"It's grunge but an evolved version of it. It's not as dirty or saturated as it was before, which should make it more palatable to people who weren't fans of the look in its heyday," Maren Hartman, a trend expert with fashion trend forecasting firm WGSN told the Wall Street Journal.
April Francis, from the Haute Closet styling service, told the Journal that "women considering wearing the new grunge to work try a low-slung pant cropped at the ankle with an oversize jacket and a longer untucked shirt. Finish with a chunky, stacked heel, rather than the grunge-era's combat boot."
Will you embrace luxe grunge or do you think plaid shirts and knit caps should stay in the 90s?


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Thoughts Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, Anchor Books DOUBLEDAY 1996, 465 pages ***** 35th book of my 2013
This is just another proof of Atwood's talent to plumb the human psyche and her masterful skill at writing a story.
Given a true crime story from a century ago, Ms. Atwood extensively researches and then creatively conjures up what might have happened. A young girl is caught with a man in an American hotel and they are both dragged back to Canada try for the murder of their employers. Did she do it? Was she the mastermind or a pawn?
Her attorney manages to commute her sentence to life in prison, narrowly escaping being hung like her 'boyfriend'. Thirty some years later and she is released and disappears into a marriage south: one more escape into the US and this one succeeds. Her trail ends, no more records of her life exist.
This story imagines a psychiatrist visitation while still in prison. Hired by sympathetic folk to her innocence, the doctor hopes to investigate her amnesia for the guilt of the crime – she just can't remember. Atwood does a great job slyly suggesting a split personality but never really giving her opinions of Grace nor her motivations.
"And then she began to cry, and when I asked her why she was doing that, she said it was because I was to have a happy ending, And it was just like a book; and I wondered what books she had been reading." -p.446
Thoroughly enjoyable piece of historical fiction.
Five slices of pie.
With Up the Down Staircase: "SAUVE QUI PEUT"! p.376
With The Good House: fortune telling


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Good job! – You've made the first step to stay safe during and after an emergency.
The Wellington Region is an awesome place to live, but it's a little wild. We often experience earthquakes, storms, flooding and landslides. We're also at risk from tsunamis. Read more about our hazards (wremo.nz).
When disaster strikes, your life can become up-ended very quickly:
- Your safety is an issue as well as the comforts you take for granted every day.
- It would be hard to travel, communicate with loved ones and get access to the essential supplies, such as food and water.
For example, if there is no functioning wastewater system, you could find yourself sharing a portaloo with 37 of your neighbours each morning! Taking some simple steps to prepare now will put you in a position where you might not have to do that.
Looking for our Earthquake Planning Guide? View and download PDFs of our Earthquake Planning Guide (available in 17 different languages)
START HERE - follow these steps to get your household better prepared for an emergency
We've outlined the things you can do to prepare to get through an emergency as safely and as comfortably as possible.
Step 1. Get emergency information and alerts
Find out where to go for information in an emergency and about alerts to your mobile phone.
If you feel your life is in danger, don't wait for an official warning. Take immediate action.
Step 2. Stay safe in an earthquake
Most injuries during earthquakes are caused by furniture and building fittings around you rather than collapsing buildings.
You reduce your chance of injury if you DROP, COVER and HOLD during an earthquake.
Practise your DROP, COVER and HOLD earthquake drill.
Step 3. Stay safe from a tsunami
Find out if the places you live, work, or play, are in a tsunami evacuation zone and work out the best routes to get far enough inland, uphill or (if you don't have time to evacuate) to the fifth floor or higher.
Step 4. Create an emergency plan for your household
In an emergency, such as an earthquake, you might not be able to use your phone to call or access the internet. Make an emergency plan for what to do and where to go if you can't communicate.
Step 5. Have an emergency grab bag
A grab bag (or getaway kit) is a small backpack of essential items to grab if you have to quickly evacuate your home or workplace with little or no warning. It's especially important if you will have to walk a long way to get home during an emergency.
Step 6. Make your home safer
There are ways to make your property more resilient to earthquakes. If you are unable to do this yourself, get someone to help you.
Read our checklist as a starter to make your home safer in an earthquake
Step 7. Store emergency water
What would you do if drinking water stopped coming out of the tap?
We recommend storing enough emergency water for everyone in your household for at least seven days.
You may need to store more if you have unwell people or small children in your family. Don't forget your pets.
Step 8. Make an emergency toilet
After a large earthquake - don't flush! After a disaster, you may not be able to use your normal toilet if waste pipes are broken or damaged.
It's easy to make an emergency toilet.
9. Meet your neighbours
Research shows that communities that recovery best from disasters are those that have good social networks. Introduce yourself to your neighbours and swap contact details in case of emergency.
Read about connecting with your neighbours before an emergency
Your house is already full of emergency items disguised as everyday things! By making sure you and your household are able to look after yourself for the first 7 days, you'll be helping emergency services focus their limited resources on the people who need it most.
As we saw in the Canterbury earthquakes, communities rallied together to help one another out. After you have checked on your household and neighbours, you and your family can go to your local Community Emergency Hub to help out or find out information.
Hazards in the Wellington Region
Read more about earthquakes, tsunamis and other potential hazards in the Wellington Region (wremo.nz)
Earthquake Planning Guide (view and download PDFs)
Translated Resources
WREMO partnered with New Zealand Red Cross to translate our 'Earthquake Planning Guide into 15 languages.
View and download the translations of the Earthquake Planning Guide
Further translated resources are available from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Download translated facts sheets on what to do in an earthquake and tsunami (civildefence.govt.nz)
Audio Guide
For the visually impaired, the Earthquake Planning Guide is also available as an audio file:
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Find out more at a Household Earthquake Planning session
Attend a free one-hour session to get tips on how you, your household and whānau can stay safe and get through.
The session covers:
- What could happen your area in an earthquake
- How to stay safe
- Key points for your emergency plan
- Essential emergency supplies
- How neighbours can help each other
Go to Step 1: Get emergency information and alerts
The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) will only send alerts when there is a threat to life or significant disruption that could affect all or part of the Wellington Region.
Go to Step 1 to find out where to get information and mobile alerts in an emergency


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Monday 4 January 2016 16:41, UK
Dermot Gallagher believes referee Jonathan Moss made the right call in not awarding Swansea a penalty at Manchester United.
In his refereeing review of the weekend on Sky Sports Now, former Premier League referee Gallagher also claimed Bournemouth were unlucky to have Simon Francis sent off in the 0-0 draw at Leicester.
Gallagher also gave his view on a bizarre incident at League Two Northampton, where Barnet's Andy Yiadom ran out of the defensive wall to kick the ball away despite a free-kick not being taken.
INCIDENT 1: Simon Francis (Bournemouth) sent off for last-ditch tackle on Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
SCENARIO: Francis, the last man, tackles Vardy from behind but looks to take some of the ball. Referee Andre Marriner's view is from behind the incident.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Incorrect decision
GALLAGHER SAYS: It's a tough call, in my opinion it's not a foul, but a lot of people think it is a foul. When you see the referee's view, he thinks he's gone through the back of him and taken Vardy out. But he clearly wins the ball. Andre, unfortunately, because of the angle he is at, can't see. He sees that Francis flies in, he sees the ball move away and presumes that Vardy has touched it. That tells you that different angles show different things. It is a really, really tough decision, though. You can understand why the referee has given the red card.
INCIDENT 2: Vardy's penalty appeal waved away after collision with Dan Gosling (Bournemouth)
SCENARIO: With the score at 0-0, Leicester striker Vardy comes across Gosling inside the area and goes down, but referee Marriner allows play to continue.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision
GALLAGHER SAYS: I really praise the referee here. I was watching the game and thought it was a penalty. But as you see it again it isn't a penalty. It's actually Vardy who makes the contact and Gosling does nothing wrong. Vardy connects with him twice, it's a coming together and a clashing of legs. Absolutely right, not a penalty.
INCIDENT 3: Geoff Cameron (Stoke) sent off for violent conduct on Claudio Yacob (West Brom)
SCENARIO: Stoke midfielder Cameron catches Yacob with a flailing arm after the two collide in midfield with the score at 1-1 at the time of the dismissal. West Brom go on to win 2-1.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision, and ban will not be overturned
GALLAGHER SAYS: It is a red card. If you take that action you run the risk. He's made the decision that it is violent conduct. Yacob has done Cameron no favours whatsoever [with the reaction]. That's the unfortunate part of the incident, but the referee has dealt with the offence that has occurred. I can understand why they may appeal, as it looks soft, but the player will still be banned in my opinion.
INCIDENT 4: Ball hits Morgan Schneiderlin's (Manchester United) hand in the penalty area against Swansea.
SCENARIO: Stretching to clear the ball, Schneiderlin unintentionally kicks the ball onto his own hand. Referee Jonathan Moss allows play to continue.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision
GALLAGHER SAYS: The ball hits Schneiderlin, the law says Schneiderlin must hit the ball. I'm saying this one isn't a penalty. But this is the vagueness of the law. In my mind, the ball goes towards Schneiderlin.
INCIDENT 5: Chelsea allowed advantage by referee Kevin Friend after Oscar is fouled against Crystal Palace; Willian scores from advantage. Chelsea win 3-0.
GALLAGHER SAYS: It is excellent. He straight away realises Willian has the chance, and it's in the net. It's a dream decision for a referee, it's everything you want. There's nothing better for the referee. The worst thing is if it goes 20 yards over the bar!
INCIDENT 6: Yiadom (Barnet) believes Northampton's Gavin Hoyte has touched the ball from a free-kick, therefore runs out of the wall and kicks the ball away.
SCENARIO: In an incident similar to one at the World Cup in 1974, where Zaire's Mwepu Ilung kicked away a Brazil free-kick, Yiadom sees Hoyte's foot come off the ball, and runs up to kick it away. Both sets of players clash, referee Ross Joyce gives Yiadom a yellow card, and Northampton won the game 3-0.
GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision
GALLAGHER SAYS: I honestly think he believes the free-kick has been taken because the player has his foot on the ball. He thinks he has moved the ball, but it hasn't, he has just taken his foot off. It's remarkable, because I think that's the first time this season I have seen anybody cross the white line. It's the frenzy after, everybody piles in, but the poor old referee has to yellow card him for it.


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Wait. Can you hear it? For the first time in what seems like years, there's not a Marvel or DC Comics movie coming out this month. Pour one out for superheroes (unless you're like us and realize that Winnie the Pooh is a superhero—in your heart). But that's not to say that there aren't any interesting films coming out this August. Just on this list alone? A sci-fi Mandy Moore movie, Spike Lee's best-received movie in years, and a comedy about the murder of several puppets. Yikes, sorry that's autoc—oh? That's not a typo. Puppet murder.
Christopher Robin (August 3)
As the second best bear of 2018 (Power to Paddington), Disney's summer offering is a live action edition of its Winnie the Pooh series. But now Christopher Robin lives in London as an adult and has to team back up with the old gang because adulthood sucks the fun out of you and sometimes you have to call on friends from the past to bring you back, ya know?
The Darkest Minds (August 3)
This movie has a lot going on: Amandla Stenberg as a teen who runs away from summer camp after gaining superpowers and being targeted by the government. Also Mandy Moore is her fully-human ally named Cate. Think Stranger Things, but with ghost stories and s'mores and government meddling.
The Spy Who Dumped Me (August 3)
Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon star as best friends who have to deal with a bit of a hiccup: An ex (Justin Theroux) shows up at their apartment with assassins on his tail. Casual Friday night. With McKinnon and Kunis at the helm, it's bound to be a solid bet if you're looking for a summer comedy.
Slenderman (August 10)
You know what you shouldn't screw with? The supernatural. But in this offering, four high school girls summon Slendermam in hopes of proving the folklore behind his existence to be untrue. But when one of them goes missing, they start to wonder just what they got themselves into. Yes, this film came into existence through an Internet meme, but maybe if we call on it enough, he'll become real.
The Meg (August 10)
Sharks have been out here trying to tell us the same thing for years: leave us alone. First, a shark bit that girl trying to get the perfect Instagram. Now? We have Jason Statham's new film The Meg, which is all about a 70-foot, 40-ton prehistoric kin to the great white shark. Someone's going to get eaten, and you know whose fault it is? Ours.
BlacKkKlansman (August 10)
In 1970s Colorado Springs, Ron Stallworth was the first black officer to join the local police force, and his first goal is a big one: infiltrate the KKK and expose it from within. That's quite a story, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Spike Lee. The film stars John David Washington, and already took home a big prize at Cannes.
Crazy Rich Asians (August 15)
Yeah, it's a romantic comedy, but stick with us. Crazy Rich Asians was a wildly successful book before it ever made its way to the big screen. Now the story is larger than ever, and it boasts an all-Asian cast—a rarity in the rom-com world. Fronting it all is Constance Wu, who has been tearing up Fresh Off the Boat since it premiered.
Mile 22 (August 17)
In a real grab bag of month when it comes to movies, Mile 22 is a doozie. Directed by Peter Berg and starring Ronda Rousey (of UFC fame), Lauren Cohan (of The Walking Dead), and Mark Wahlberg, the film follows a CIA agent working alongside an Indonesian police officer as they tackle political corruption. Could be a hit. Could be a bust. Either way, good for Ronda Rousey.
Billionaire Boys Club (August 17)
Starring Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton, Billionaire Boys Club follows two high schoolers at the Harvard School for Boys in Los Angeles as they start an investment club. But when the club runs out of funds and members, they resort to kidnapping and murder to make ends meet. The big lesson? Just join a volunteer service group.
The Happytime Murders (August 24)
Starring Melissa McCarthy, The Happytime Murders follows a string of puppet murders. Yep. Puppets… getting murdered. Along with a human detective (McCarthy), a puppet detective must figure out what's going on. The whole thing is crazy raunchy, but with Elizabeth Banks and Maya Rudolph in tow, this will be the absurd summer comedy you'll want to see.
Justin Kirkland is a Brooklyn-based writer focusing on television, pop culture, food, and the South; he is from East Tennessee.


text: Since the day it was announced, Kites has been surrounded by controversy, rumor, and hype. Directed by Bollywood outsider Anurag Basu working on his first big budget film, Kites was a gamble for producer Rakesh Roshan. Even starring the notoriously dedicated Hrithik Roshan, success was not guaranteed – the lack of proper song picturizations, the unknown heroine, and the foreign setting were all gambles. Not to mention that the cast and crew have been taking every opportunity to remind viewers that Kites is not meant to be a Bollywood film, a strategy that (at best) seems disrespectful to the Bollywood loving crowds who the makers of Kites hope turn up at their screenings. But after seeing the film, none of that matters because Anurag Basu has given us an amazing film which combines the gritty style he perfected in Gangster: A Love Story with a big dose of Rakesh Roshan crowd pleasing


text:
Offer excludes samples. Buy three items and get the cheapest free.
My wellness map
Feel-good goals
Wish lists
Body & mind check-in
Gratitude check-in
Goal check-in
Accented with raised, metallic details, bring a little glow to your daily routine with our foiled hardback wellness journal. There are 12-weeks of pages inside for reflecting on your self-care habits, meals, water intake, hours of sleep and more. Set mindful intentions, feel-good goals and take note of the things you're grateful for.
6" x 8.5"
96 leaves (192 sides) of lovely paper
Inner leaves: 85gsm
Hardback cover: 3mm thick with a 150gsm silk-paper finish
A wellness map
3 pages for intentions, feel-good goals and wishlists
12 weeks worth of daily overview pages (two-page spread for each day), with space for logging intentions, sleep, water intake, self-care ideas, meals, thoughts & feelings and things you're thankful for.
Body & mind, gratitude and goal check-ins
Reflection & 'Words to Remember' page
9 dotted pages for extra notes
Pages are undated. Fill out the dates yourself and start using your planner any time of the year
Printed with gold ink to create raised, metallic touches that shimmer in the light
Everything we do comes prettily packaged, with the option to add a gift note at checkout


text:
The Ham's Pass By Jean-Michel Lengrand
Regular price
• Artist: Jean-Michel Lengrand
• Title: The Ham's Pass
• Medium: Original Oil on Panel Board
• Dimensions: Approx. 20W x 15.5H (Inches)
• Notes: This is an original item (Original Oil On Panel Board) and has been certified authentic. A one of a kind! Custom framing available.
Before this painting, I had previously made a large-format commissioned painting on the concept of gastronomy.
The subject which evokes gluttony, made me imagine this painting; a boat docked on a beach composed of the best dishes that a shipwrecked castaway can dream.
In past lore, travelers in the desert were afraid to meet the deadly sirens, women with the bodies of birds coming to tempt the caravanners into death.
In Egypt, traveling mânes * returned every night in their cosmic journey.
Sirens appeared under the calamity of Homer, leaving deserts for the oceans, forgetting the desert oasis they settled on the rocky and deadly ocean reefs, singing to attract the ships.
The theme of temptation is present in the first centuries of our era, such as the Temptation of St. Anthony, who lived as a religious recluse in an ancient Roman fortress in Syria.
This is how this picture came about. Here the temptation is on the seas and the sailor has left his boat for hams, sausages and other tasty confits.
*In Roman mythology, the deified souls of dead ancestors.


text:
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PURPOSE AND METHOD OF PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA (13.1 c)
Purposes of processing of Personal Data are:
1) fulfillment of legal obligations related to the contractual relationship;
2) organizational management of the contractual relationship;
The legal basis of the processing is the execution of pre-contractual measures (Art. 6.1 b and the fulfillment of the legal obligations to which the Data Controller is subject (Art. 6.1 c).
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EVENTUAL RECIPIENTS OF PERSONAL DATA (13.1 e, f)
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- Credit institutions for accounting-administrative purposes, which act with the task of data processors (the complete and updated list can be requested from the Data Controller);
- All those subjects, bodies or authorities that are obliged to communicate Personal Data in accordance with the provisions of law or the orders of the authorities.
The Data Controller also informs that it does not intend to transfer data to a non-EU third country or to an international non-EU organization.
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At the end of the provision of the service or products, Personal Data will be stored exclusively for historical or statistical purposes, in accordance with the law, regulations, community legislation and codes of conduct and ethics signed in accordance with Article 40 of the GDPR, for a period as per current legislation (usually 10 years), or, in case they are not subject to laws, for a period not exceeding five years. Beyond this period, Personal Data will be stored anonymously or destroyed.
DATA SUBJECTS' RIGHTS (13.2 b)
As related to the mentioned processing, the Subject has the right to request access to Personal Data and to rectify or delete them, to limit the processing that concerns them or to oppose to the processing, as well as having the right to data portability, in a structured format of common use and readable by an automatic device.
RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT (13.2 c)
When a processing is based on consent, the Data Controller informs the Data Subject that he has the right to cancel it at any time, without prejudice to the lawfulness of the processing based on the consent given before the revocation.
RIGHT TO LODGE A COMPLAINT (13.2 d)
The Data Controller informs the Data Subject of his right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if he considers that the processing of his data is contrary to the aforementioned law. In this case, the Subject must request information from the Data Controller about the procedure to be used, using one of the above systems to contact him.
PROVISION OF MANDATORY OR OPTIONAL DATA (13.2 e)
The provision of data and the related processing are mandatory in fulfillment purposes of a fiscal nature; therefore, refusal to provide data for such purposes may determine the impossibility of the Data Controller to give effect to the professional relationships and to the legal obligations. The provision of data and its processing is to be considered optional in other cases, without any consequence.
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The Data Controller emphasizes that this information was drafted in a format compatible with the provisions of Art. 12.1 of the GDPR, namely:
"The controller shall take appropriate measures to provide any information referred to in Articles 13 and 14...in a concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language...".
The Data Controller informs the Subject, in order to fully understand any specific terms of the Privacy information (such as "processing", "purpose", "profiling"), to go to the official website:
The company is not in a state of liquidation.
The company is not a single member.
Art.2497-BIS C.C .: The company is not subject to coordination by other bodies or companies.


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As I sit here at 4:40am PST on a Sunday morning, enjoying the quiet and just thinking about life, I find myself realizing how much I've changed. How different I am. How I'm evolving as a person.
A year ago I wasn't the person I am today. I wasn't strong. I wasn't confident. I didn't follow my instincts I felt I needed backing or validation to make a decision. But not anymore. I act on impulse (sometimes for the better), I don't really have anyone to confer with, so most of my decisions HAVE TO be made on my own and I'm glad. I shouldn't be relying on anyone else.
I'm confident in my relationships. Who I can trust and who I can't. Who's lost my trust and who's gained my trust. Who I want in my life and who I don't. Who I hope to share my future with and who I don't care if they know my future.
After making some new friends, and being burned by a few, I've decided that I"m happier on my own. I'm happier with the people who I KNOW I can trust and that REALLY care and REALLY have my back.
I've learned that I'm not someone who wants superficial relationships. Which may be contradictory since I live in the most superficial city in America. But, I'd rather spend the weekend all alone then spend the weekend or any more of my time-wasting it on people who don't care about me the way I care about them. The way that I am there for them but it's never reciprocated.
I know and accept that a HUGE part of my internal conflict is that I don't really fit into any one "group". Being almost 38 and unmarried without children makes me an outcast amongst many. What I have may be contagious, you know, the kidless, unmarried thing.
I'm proud of me.
I'm proud of me for being okay with being me. Not needing those people in my life who don't need me in theirs. I've written before about how hard it is to say goodbye to people I have fond memories with or have enjoyed amazing times with but don't any more. I don't feel that way anymore.
Maybe going through what I did last month made it clearer to me in ways that I ever thought possible.
Maybe realizing who was really there for me when I found out I lost out on that adoption, is what I needed to realize what really was important. ME.
What I wanted.
How I felt.
What I need.
And I decided I won't settle for less.
I've gone through a complete internal and external metamorphosis.
I'm spending more time on ME. I'm being selfish. I'm being protective of my heart and I'm moving forward in my life in ways I could never have dreamed I would be doing.
I have been with an amazing man for the past 7+ months. For his privacy, I try to keep him and our story off of the blog (for now), but, HE has made me the happiest person I've ever been in my life.
He's taught me more patience than Leah ever could (I'm not sure he's thrilled about THIS title!).
And I've learned so much about me. About love. About caring. About hurting. And about how love may not conquer all, but love WILL see you through anything and love and honesty are the two most important qualities. To me at least.
Since I'm awake early this Sunday morning and I think I'm going to bundle up, yeah, it's probably under 60 here in LA right now, you know, frigid temps, and take a run. Do some more thinking.
You see, not only have I made an internal metamorphosis, but, physically I'm a different person I was a year ago. I'm 42+lbs lighter. I went from being a tight size 12 to a comfy size 4. I don't recognize the woman I see in the mirror. I've lightened my hair. I'm wearing styles I've never been confident to wear before. I don't recognize her because for the first time in 37+ years, I like that woman looking back. I like how I look and it's an amazing feeling. Every single day I get dressed and I'm happy.
I'm healing. Little by little I'm healing. Some days, I don't even think about the baby that won't be. Some days I look around my newly redecorated room and think how lucky I am to have the life I DO have, the freedoms, the lack of "balls & chains" the ability to do whatever I want, when I want with the exception of work.
And even my job. It's EXHAUSTING. I've never in my life been so tired. I don't know what is wrong with me, honestly, but at least I'm happy. I have this amazing baby Brady that IS what's healed me. He's healed me from so much. From so much loss I've suffered. From so much I want, but he helps me live in the now. The here and now. Because if I look forward, he grows up, so I'd rather him be 7+ months old and enjoy every freaking minute of it, rather than think about what I'm missing out on. It's a tall order and a lot of pressure to put on a baby, but it's not like that. I don't NEED that from him, it's just how it works. And more-over, he gives me someone to shower all of the love and affection on that I feel like the love is spilling over out of me when I'm with him. For him, for Calen and for Leah. ❤
They aren't my children, but, I couldn't love them more. The kids and their family have become my family. The family I have chosen. The family, that I hope one day will be part of my family the way I am part of theirs. My love and my child being close with those kids and their parents.
But for now, I have an amazing man who I wake up everyday smiling inside and out, knowing he's doing the same. That there's a man out there that loves me and cherishes me and while things are so complicated now, someday, it won't be. They say the longer we wait for something the sweeter it is when it's ours, I cannot wait for that day. Truly. But I try to look at these days as days we'll look back and say, "remember when……we survived that".
I wait for the day that we live together and are not so far away from each other. But in the meantime, love is love. And focusing on what I DO have and how lucky I am, is what I'm trying to do these days.<3
To be grateful.
To be appreciative.
And to find the joy in the things that I DO have and the things that I DO find happiness in. Because there's no rule book and no one can know what I'm thinking or feeling or living through but me. And for now, I'm proud of me for all that I've overcome just in the past 43 days.
Take control back of your life.
Love on your terms.
Live on your terms.
And be as happy as you can be in the now when you can. ❤


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i started RPing here and am now a junky. the up side is that my horendis spelling is actualy impoving for the first time in my life
I'm Milo. Below are the RPs I'm in:
- Solar Empires (Terron-4)
- WotE (Milo Jones)
- Wizard Mercenaries (Milo)
- and more...
Prince of OTD.
Founder of the Off-Topic and the SEUA.
Earth Archmage of the Wizard Mercenaries.
I'm Heraclius, and I am mainly an RPer, although I do have a story going (Transcendence, don't worry guys more IS coming). I am a huge fan of Civ RPs, and Science Fiction, so when Zenrax started Solar Empires about 6 months ago, I jumped on the opportunity and joined it as soon as I saw it. I am currently the longest running player, with the oldest race (soon to change though) in that RP, as well as the head GM started after Zenrax was banned.
I attempted to start the Dawn of the 20th Century, which went pretty well for a few days, then died. The second attempt did not go well either, and my Stargate RP never got off the ground either.
I'm not involved in many RPs, just Solar Empires, but those I do get involved in I REALLY get involved in.
As I think I mentioned already I am a massive Science Fiction fan, but I like Fantasy and Historical fiction as well.
Well that is all I can think of at this moment, so greetings to those I haven't met, and good luck in the Stories/RPs section. We may be a tough crowd at times, but if you push through you will come out far better than when you entered... well mostly.
Hi. I'm Elsworth.
I used to RP on a Pendragon forum site. But then I almost got banned and deleted my account. Then I came here and basically started up RPs. One person did one before me, but it's been such a long time(Back in the 5/10s) I don't remember.
Stories I write:
King Walatrak's Sword
RPs I'm In:
War of the Elementalist(Lead GM)
Wizard Mercs(Player)
You forgot to mention that you're the creator of the most unsuccessful RPs ever.
Prince of OTD.
Founder of the Off-Topic and the SEUA.
Earth Archmage of the Wizard Mercenaries.
Wait, what? You admitted it?
*some random person's head explodes*
Prince of OTD.
Founder of the Off-Topic and the SEUA.
Earth Archmage of the Wizard Mercenaries.
I declare that every failed thread is now to be called an Elsworth. Any failed RP that is dead, one may say it Elsworth'd.


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MATCH REPORT: Port FC 3 – 1 Sukhothai
Port ran out 3-1 winners against Sukhothai in Thursday's friendly at PAT Stadium. Port went 1-0 down early on, but equalized before half time and put in an excellent second half performance to secure a comfortable win.
Port started with Weera (1) in goal, Rochela (22) and Dolah (40) in central defence and Meechok (20) and Panpanpong (19) as full backs. Siwakorn (16) and Piyachat (28) operated in central midfield, with Suarez (4) tucking in behind striker Asdrubal(24). Both Genki (18) and Nitipong (34) were surprise selections on the wing, although Jadet is of course still experimenting with his team.
Sukhothai looked lively going forward in the early stages, but new signing Elias Dolah showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with this season with with some strong, fearless challenges in the air and on the ground. It was surprising, then, when Sukothai took the lead from a corner. Dolah was beaten – for the only time in the half – to a near post header, and the ball flashed past Weera into the Port goal.
Port responded with a sustained assault on the Sukothai goal. Genki, who is rumoured to be leaving the club when a suitable replacement can be found, missed three chances that he would have expected to do better with. If we was trying to convince Jadet to keep hold of him in 2017, he wasn't going about it the right way.
Asdrubal, making his first appearance for Port, looked strong on the ball despite his diminutive stature. He turned a hopeful punt up the right wing in to an attack by out-muscling the opposing defenders and playing a smart pass inside when it looked like he had nowhere to go. He didn't make the most of a good shooting chance from the edge of the area, but we'll let him off as the playing surface was problematic for everyone.
Port looked a little lop-sided at times, with most of the good play coming through the middle of the park or the right hand side. Meechok got forward well from right back and made some dangerous overlapping runs past Nitipong, but on the left hand side Panpanpong and Genki showed little in the way of attacking intent.
Port's equalizer came just before half time from a set-piece. Piyachat whipped a dangerous ball in, and Dolah stuck out a long leg to divert the ball goalwards. The 'keeper managed to block the shot,but Dolah was on hand to bundle the ball in to the net and draw Port level.
As we're used to seeing in friendlies, there were several changes made at half time, from both Port and Sukhothai. Worawut (36) came on for Weera in goal, and in defence Todsapol (6) and Piyachart (23) replaced Dolah and Panpanpong. New young signing Tatchanon (27) replaced Piyachat in the centre of midfield, while Pakorn (9) and Ekkapoom (8) took over from Nitipong and Genki on the wings. Maranhao (29), no longer a Port player but still training with the club, came on for Asdrubal in attack. Rochela, Meechok, Siwakorn and Suarez stayed out for the second period, but were all substituted later in the half.
Port's left hand side looked much improved in the second period. Piyachart offered much more going forward than the more defensively-minded Panpanpong, and Ekkapoom played in his usual energetic and direct style.
It was to be Maranhao and Pakorn who would really turn the game in Port's favour, though. Pakorn, looking slightly more slender than last season, was a constant menace down the right. He curled in a couple of fantastic shots which missed by just a few inches, and provided a trademark cross which Maranhao narrowly failed to connect with.
On the hour mark, though, Maranhao put Port in to the lead. He made a clever run in behind the defence, collected a through ball from midfield and side-footed a composed finish in to the bottom corner. Maranhao saluted the fans behind the goal,who were pleased to see him rediscover his early-2016 form. He may not be playing for us next season, but we wish him all the best wherever he goes.
Maranhao turned provider for Pakorn in the 78th minute. He twisted, turned and beat his defender on the left before showing excellent awareness to find Pakorn, who was in space on the right hand side. Pakorn powered his shot past the Sukhothai 'keeper in to the bottom left corner, getting the goal that his second half performance deserved.
The pace dropped in the final 10 minutes, but Port comfortably held on for a well-deserved 3-1 win. Sukhothai finished 8th in the TPL last season and knocked Port out of the FA Cup with a convincing 4-0 win. Although this was only a friendly, a comfortable win represents a step in the right direction for a Port side aiming for a top half finish this season.
1st half
Weera, Meechok, Rochela, Dolah, Pinkong, Siwakorn, Piyachat, Suarez, Genki, Nitipong, Asdrubal
2nd half
Worawut, Meechok (Pakasit, 76), Todsapol, Rochela (Anisong, 81), Piyachart, Tatchanon, Siwakorn (Siwapong, 72), Suarez (Wuttichai, 67), Ekkapoom, Pakorn, Maranhao


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copyright (c) Iron Radio.org and NEW Associates, LLC; email requests for use are welcomed.
What's this "Contributor Commentary" thing about? It's a way for fitness and nutrition students, professionals and journalists to get (possibly their first) editorially-reviewed content on the Internet, in a legitimate, intellectually-sound forum. Simply author a 200-500 word editorial and read / record the audio for email submission to the Iron Radio editors. Quoting respected scientists, authors and/ or citing academic journals improve chances of acceptance. We are looking for smart, commercially unbiased readings such as one might hear on NPR (check out that radio web site for non-athletic example readings).


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Tagged seals shed light on Antarctic deep
Australian scientists have used tagged seals to explore the deep ocean around Antarctica.
The new research has revealed that the sea around the frozen continent is becoming less salty, and scientists say this could play a major role in changing ocean currents and the climate.
This unique tracking program is part of a major international research program shedding new light on how the world's oceans are changing.
Loafing about on the Antarctic ice, the Weddell seal is a placid and sedentary animal, the most southerly ranging mammal to permanently inhabit the frozen continent.
Dr Mark Hindell and researcher Virginia Andrews-Goff from the Antarctic Wildlife Research Unit of the University of Tasmania (UTAS) spent February at the French Antarctic Base, Dumont Durville, about 2,000 kilometres from the South Pole.
They are working as part of a unique international program monitoring deep diving mammals in the North and South Poles.
UTAS zoologist Virginia Andrews-Goff says when the seals are approached on the ice, they are incredibly laid back and relaxed.
"You don't get a real sense of the kind of predator they might be under the water until you see underwater footage of them and they're just so agile and quite obviously, king of their little domain," she said.
Scouting seals
This summer at Dumont Durville seven female Weddells have been enlisted to scout for previously unobtainable data about marine life, oceans and climate patterns.
"Things are changing, and certainly in some parts of the Antarctic and certainly in the Arctic and that's certainly, certainly time we started learning about these really fundamental links in their ecology," Dr Hindell said.
After weighing and measuring the seals on surrounding ice islands, the scientists put them to work.
State-of-the-art satellite transmitters were stuck onto their freshly moulted foreheads with road worker glue.
Previous research on human interaction prove the seals are not troubled with the interference.
"It's nice to work with an animal that doesn't get stressed when you're working with it - it makes life easier for everybody," Dr Hindell said.
The transmitters relay valuable data to a scientific satellite daily.
"Every time the seal comes towards the surface the antenna has the best opportunity to communicate with the satellite system," Ms Andrews-Goff said.
"It basically sends back information on where the seal's been going."
Frustrating mystery
The high-tech headwear will fall off when the seals moult in spring, after providing biologists extraordinary insight into what conditions the seal and other species are facing under the winter ice.
Until now, it has been a frustrating scientific mystery.
"It's effectively the machine that drives the whole food chain in the Antarctic," Dr Hindell said.
"We know key species like krill rely on the sea ice for their over winter survival.
"If there's no sea ice, there's less fish up the food chain."
Ms Andrews-Goff has been monitoring trials of satellite tagged Weddell seal around Antarctica for the past few years.
The data is sent via satellite to the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrew's University in Scotland, before being sent back to Tasmania for analysis.
"There's a map that shows me where the seals have been and dive profiles to show how deep the seals are driving and behavioural data such as how long they're spending outside and cruising," Ms Andrews-Goff said.
The technology has enabled scientists to discover that seals lurk beneath dense pack ice during the winter months, only surfacing to breathe through tiny cracks in the ice.
"They're pretty remarkable," Dr Hindell said.
"One of the other things we've learned is most of the diving is to bottom so they're feeding on bottom fish.
"In some places we're working that's 400, 500 metres away, up to 900 metres."
He says he thinks the seal can hold their breath for about 90 minutes.
"[That] is the record so far - that's a big breath hold," Dr Hindell said.
Ocean data
These satellite tags are broadcasting a lot more than simply how a Weddell seal spends its winter.
"They're recording a lot of information on the water column, so the temperature of the water, the salinity and that's all information which is nice for us as biologists but it's important to oceanographers, as well," Dr Hindell said.
CSIRO oceanographer Dr Steven Rintoul has led an expedition of 40 scientists across the Southern Ocean.
The most exciting part of the discovery was finding out the deep ocean around Antarctica is changing and in particular, becoming less salty and dense, most likely from melting ice.
"It could be there's a change in sea ice and the seals help us measure just how much the ice is forming, because they affect the salinity," Dr Rintoul said.
"Or it could be that the glacial ice, the glaciers that come down off the Antarctic and reach the ocean are melting more rapidly than the past."
Scientists plan several more winters of satellite seal research as they continue to unlock secrets about the species survival and what forces are behind global current patterns and climate change.
"They're really giving us a window into the Southern Ocean in winter in a way that we haven't been able to see before," Dr Rintoul said.


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The first country concert of the season is back on May 10. Tim McGraw is kicking off the summer country concert series that some high school students look forward to.
This Saturday, students will board CalTrain or get driven to Shoreline amphitheater where McGraw will be performing. With McGraw being one of the most famous and popular country artists, his presence is bringing lots of excitement.
"I actually like Tim McGraw," said junior Cody Campbell, "He's one of the most popular country artists and a lot of people know who he is."
With McGraw having won multiple American Music Awards, Country Music Awards, and even a few Grammys, his popularity is hard to dispute.
"The opening line up is really good too," said Campbell about starting performers Bradley Gilbert and Love and Theft.
Gilbert has released two albums and won a Country Music Award for his songs "Country Must Be Country Wide," "You Don't Know Her Like I Do," and "Dirt Road Anthem."
Love and Theft has released two albums and won a Country Music Television award for their hit song "Runnin' Out of Air."
The popularity of McGraw and opening performers are helping to add to the excitement of the first country concert of the season.
However the music is not the only aspect students look forward too when attending the concert. With pictures flooding social media the day after; there is a very social aspect to the concerts as well.
"Country concerts are a good way to get to see friends from other schools and to meet people," said junior Raine Kharen
Since the country concerts at Shoreline are so popular among students, people come from schools all over the Bay Area, some even as far away as Santa Cruz, just to attend. This social aspect of the country concert series are what help keep increasing the popularity of the concerts, drawing in different people every time.
"I'm definitely planning to attend other country concerts this summer, they're so much fun." said junior Gigi Vlahos.
All summer long Shoreline will be hosting a variety of country performers including Toby Keith, Keith Urban, and Jason Aldean.
With McGraw kicking off the first of many country concerts to come, there is a lot for country fans to look forward to in the upcoming months.