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__label__wiki | 0.783078 | 0.783078 | Aemilia (gens)
Imperial-era consular fasti listing several Aemilii
The gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices of the state, from the early decades of the Republic to imperial times.[1] The Aemilii were almost certainly one of the gentes maiores, the most important of the patrician families. Their name was associated with two major roads (the Via Aemilia and the Via Aemilia Scauri), an administrative region of Italy, and the Basilica Aemilia at Rome.
Several stories were told of the foundation of the Aemilii, of which the most familiar was that their ancestor, Mamercus, was the son of Numa Pompilius. In the late Republic, several other gentes claimed descent from Numa, including the Pompilii, Pomponii, Calpurnii, and Pinarii. A variation of this account stated that Mamercus was the son of Pythagoras, who was sometimes said to have taught Numa. However, as Livy observed, this was not possible, as Pythagoras was not born until more than a century after Numa's death, and was still living in the early days of the Republic.[1][2]
This Mamercus is said to have received the name of Aemilius because of the persuasiveness of his language (δι᾽ αἱμυλίαν λόγου), although such a derivation is certainly false etymology.[1] A more likely derivation is from aemulus, "a rival".[3] According to a different legend, the Aemilii were descended from Aemylos, a son of Ascanius, four hundred years before the time of Numa Pompilius. Still another version relates that the gens was descended from Amulius, the wicked uncle of Romulus and Remus, who deposed his brother Numitor to become king of Alba Longa.[1]
In the late Republic, a number of minor families claimed descent from the figures of Rome's legendary past, including through otherwise unknown sons of Numa. Modern historians dismiss these as late inventions, but the claim of the Aemilii was much older, and there was no corresponding need to demonstrate the antiquity of a gens that was already prominent at the beginning of the Republic.[4] In any case, the Aemilii, like Numa, were almost certainly of Sabine origin. The praenomen Mamercus is derived from Mamers, a god worshipped by the Sabelli of central and southern Italy, and usually regarded as the Sabellic form of Mars. At Rome, this name, and its diminutive, Mamercinus, were known primarily as cognomina of the Aemilii and the Pinarii, although the Aemilii continued to use it as a praenomen.[1][5] A surname of the later Aemilii, Regillus, seems to be derived from the Sabine town of Regillum, better known as the ancestral home of the Claudian gens, and perhaps alludes to the Sabine origin of the Aemilii.
PraenominaEdit
The Aemilii regularly used the praenomina Lucius, Manius, Marcus, and Quintus, and occasionally Mamercus. The Aemilii Mamercini also used Tiberius and Gaius, while the Aemilii Lepidi, who had a particular fondness for old and unusual names, used Paullus, presumably with reference to the family of the Aemilii Paulli, which had died out nearly a century earlier. An obscure family of uncertain date seems to have used Caeso. The daughters of the Aemilii are known to have used the numerical praenomina Prima, Secunda, and Tertia, although these were frequently treated as cognomina, and placed at the end of the name.
Branches and cognominaEdit
The oldest stirps of the Aemilii bore the surname Mamercus, together with its diminutive, Mamercinus; these appear somewhat interchangeably in early generations. This family flourished from the earliest period to the time of the Samnite Wars. Several other important families, with the surnames Papus, Barbula, Paullus, and Lepidus, date from this period, and were probably descended from the Mamercini. The most illustrious of the family was undoubtedly Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus, three times dictator in the second half of the fifth century BC.
The Aemilii Papi occur in history for about a century and a half, from the time of the Samnite Wars down to the early second century BC.[6] Their surname, Papus, like Mamercus, appears to be of Oscan origin.[7] The name Aemilius Papus occurs again in the time of the emperor Hadrian, but properly speaking these appear to have belonged to the Messia gens, and probably claimed descent from the more illustrious Aemilii through a female line.[8]
Barbula, or "little beard", occurs as the surname of one branch of the Aemilii, which appears in history for about a century beginning in the time of the Samnite Wars, and accounting for several consulships.[9][10][11]
Paullus, occasionally found as Paulus, was an old praenomen, meaning "little".[12] As a praenomen, its masculine form had fallen into disuse at Rome, although the feminine form, Paulla, in various orthographies,[i] was very common.[13][14] As a surname, Paullus appeared in many families down to the latest period of the Empire, but none were more famous than the Aemilii Paulli. This family was descended from Marcus Aemilius Paullus, consul in 302 BC, and vanished with the death of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, the conqueror of Macedonia, in 160 BC. His sons, though grown, were adopted into the families of the Fabii Maximi and the Cornelii Scipiones. The Aemilii Lepidi revived the name toward the end of the Republic, when it was fashionable for younger branches of aristocratic families to revive the surnames of older, more illustrious stirpes.[15]
The cognomen Lepidus belongs to a class of surnames derived from the habits of the habits of the bearer, and evidently referred to someone with a pleasant demeanor.[16] The Aemilii Lepidi appear only a generation after the Aemilii Paulli, beginning with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, consul in 285 BC, and produced many illustrious statesmen down to the first century AD. In the final decades of the Republic, they revived a number of names originally belonging to older stirpes of the Aemilian gens, including Mamercus as a praenomen, Regillus as a cognomen, and Paullus as both. The last generations were related by marriage to the imperial family.[17]
The Aemilii Scauri flourished from the beginning of the second century BC to the beginning of the first century AD. Their surname, Scaurus, referred to the appearance of the feet or ankles; Chase suggests "swollen ankles".[18][10]
The cognomina Regillus and Buca apparently belonged to short-lived families. Regillus appears to be derived from the Sabine town of Regillum, perhaps alluding to the Sabine origin of the gens. The Aemilii Regilli flourished for about two generations, beginning at the time of the Second Punic War.[19][20] Buca, probably the same as Bucca, referred to someone with prominent cheeks, or perhaps someone known for shouting or wailing. The Aemilii Buci are known chiefly from coins, and seem to have flourished toward the end of the Republic.[21][10]
As with other prominent gentes of the Republic, there were some Aemilii whose relationship to the major families is unclear, as the only references to them contain no surname. Some of these may have been descended from freedmen, and been plebeians. Aemilii with a variety of surnames are found in imperial times.
MembersEdit
This list includes abbreviated praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.
Aemilii Mamerci et MamerciniEdit
Lucius Aemilius Mam. f. Mamercus, consul in 484, 478, and 473 BC.
Tiberius Aemilius L. f. Mam. n. Mamercus, consul in 470 and 467 BC.
Gaius Aemilius Mamercus, dictator in 463 BC, according to Lydus, but found in no other sources; perhaps an interrex.[22]
Mamercus Aemilius M. f. Mamercinus, dictator in 438, 433, and 426 BC.
Manius Aemilius Mam. f. M. n. Mamercinus, consul in 410 BC, and consular tribune in 405, 403, and 401.
Gaius Aemilius Ti. f. Ti. n. Mamercinus, consular tribune in 394 and 391 BC.
Lucius Aemilius Mam. f. M. n. Mamercinus, consular tribune in 391, 389, 387, 383, 382, 380, and 377 BC.
Lucius Aemilius L. f. Mam. n. Mamercinus, consul in 366 and 363 BC.
Lucius Aemilius L. f. L. n. Mamercinus, magister equitum in 352 BC.
Lucius Aemilius L. f. L. n. Mamercinus Privernas, consul in 341 and 329 BC, and dictator in 335 and 316 BC.
Tiberius Aemilius Ti. f. Ti. n. Mamercinus, praetor in 341 and consul in 339 BC.
Aemilii PapiEdit
Marcus Aemilius Papus, dictator in 321 BC.
Quintus Aemilius (Cn. f.) Papus, consul in 282 and 278 BC.
Lucius Aemilius Q. f. Cn. n. Papus, consul in 225 BC.
Marcus Aemilius Papus, curio maximus, died in 210 BC.
Lucius Aemilius Papus, praetor in 205 BC, received Sicily as his province.
Marcus Messius Rusticus Aemilius Papus, father of the consul of AD 135, and a comes of the Emperor Hadrian.[23]
Marcus Cutius Priscus Messius M. f. Rusticus Aemilius Papus Arrius Proculus Julius Celsus, consul in AD 135.[24]
Marcus Messius M. f. Rusticus Aemilius Afer Cutius, brother of the consul of AD 135.[23]
Aemilii BarbulaeEdit
Quintus Aemilius Q. f. L. n. Barbula, consul in 317 and 311 BC.
Marcus Aemilius Q. f. L. n. Barbula, dictator in an uncertain year between 292 and 284 BC.[25]
Lucius Aemilius Q. f. Q. n. Barbula, consul in 281 BC, and conqueror of Tarentum.
Marcus Aemilius L. f. Q. n. Barbula, consul in 230 BC.
Aemilii PaulliEdit
Marcus Aemilius L. f. L. n. Paullus, consul in 302 BC, defeated Cleonymus of Sparta. The following year he was appointed magister equitum by the dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus, who sent him against the Etruscans, but Aemilius was defeated.[26]
Marcus Aemilius M. f. L. n. Paullus, consul in 255 BC, during the First Punic War. He and his colleague, Servius Fulvius Paetinus Nobilior, led a Roman fleet to Africa, and won an important naval victory over the Carthaginians, but much of their fleet was wrecked in a storm on their return.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]
Lucius Aemilius M. f. M. n. Paullus, consul in 219, triumphed over the Illyrians. Consul for the second time in 216 BC, early in the Second Punic War, he opposed engaging Hannibal at the Cannae, but fought bravely and was slain in battle.[34][35][36][37][38][39]
Lucius Aemilius L. f. M. n. Paullus, afterward surnamed Macedonicus, consul in 182 and 168 BC. The most illustrious of his family, he triumphed over Perseus of Macedon in 167 BC; but his two elder sons were adopted into other gentes, and his younger sons died within days of his triumph, leaving no sons to carry on his name.[40][41][42][43][44][45][46]
Tertia Aemilia L. f. M. n. Paulla, the sister of Macedonicus, married Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the conqueror of Hannibal. Her daughter, Cornelia, was the mother of the Gracchi, and when she died, her property passed to her adoptive grandson, who was also her nephew, Scipio Africanus Minor.[47][48][49][50][51]
Lucius Aemilius L. f. L. n. Paullus, afterward Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Aemilianus, the eldest son of Macedonicus, he was adopted into the Fabian gens.
Aemilius L. f. L. n. Paullus, afterward Publius Cornelius P. f. P. n. Scipio Africanus Aemilianus, or "Africanus Minor", was the second son of Macedonicus, and was adopted by his cousin, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, whose father had defeated Hannibal. Aemilianus was consul in 147 and 134 BC.
Prima Aemilia L. f. L. n. Paulla, married Quintus Aelius Tubero, who served under her father, Macedonicus, in the war with Perseus.[52]
Secunda Aemilia L. f. L. n. Paulla, married Marcus Porcius Cato Licinianus, who also served under his father-in-law in the war with Perseus.
Tertia Aemilia L. f. L. n. Paulla, when a little girl, gave her father a favorable omen, when following his election as consul for 168 BC, in order to conduct the war with Perseus, he returned home to find Aemilia crying because her dog, also named Perseus, had died.[53][54]
Aemilius L. f. L. n. Paullus, the elder of two sons of Macedonicus by his second wife, died at the age of fourteen, three days after his father's triumph in November of 167 BC.
Aemilius L. f. L. n. Paullus, the youngest son of Macedonicus, died at the age of twelve, five days before his father's triumph.
Aemilii LepidiEdit
Obverse of a denarius of Aemilius Lepidus the triumvir
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, consul in 285 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul in 232 BC, and perhaps consul suffectus in 220.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, praetor in 218 BC.
Lucius Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, son of the consul of 232 BC.
Quintus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, son of the consul of 232 BC.
Manius Aemilius M'. f. Lepidus, praetor in 213 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul in 187 and 175 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M'. f. M' n. Lepidus, consul in 158 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, military tribune against Antiochus III in 190 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Porcina, consul in 137 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul in 126 BC.
Quintus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, probably son of the military tribune of 190 BC.
Marcus Aemilius Q. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul in 78 BC.
Mamercus Aemilius Mam. f. M. n. Livianus, consul in 77 BC.
Manius Aemilius Mam. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul in 66 BC.
Lucius Aemilius M. f. Q. n. Lepidus Paullus, consul in 50 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. Q. n. Lepidus, the triumvir, consul in 42 BC.
Aemilius (M. Lepidi f. Q. n.) Regillus, mentioned by Cicero.
Paullus Aemilius L. f. M. n. Lepidus, consul suffectus in 34 BC.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Lepidus, son of the triumvir; conspired to assassinate Octavianus in 30 BC.
Quintus Aemilius Lepidus, consul in 21 BC.
Lucius Aemilius Paulli f. L. n. Paullus, consul in AD 1; conspired against Augustus.
Marcus Aemilius Paulli f. L. n. Lepidus, consul in AD 6.
Aemilia Paulli f. L. n. Lepida (b. 22 BC)
Manius Aemilius Q. f. Lepidus, consul in AD 11.
Aemilia Q. f. Lepida, wife of Publius Sulpicius Quirinus, accused of various crimes and condemned in AD 20.
Marcus Aemilius L. f. Paulli n. Lepidus, put to death by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, AD 39.
Aemilia L. f. Paulli n. Lepida, the first wife of Tiberius Claudius Drusus.
Aemilia M. f. Paulli n. Lepida (d. AD 36), wife of Drusus Julius Caesar.
Aemilii RegilliEdit
Marcus Aemilius Regillus (d. 205 BC), Flamen Quirinalis and unsuccessful candidate for the consulship in 214 BC.
Lucius Aemilius (M. f.) Regillus, praetor in 190 BC, during the war against Antiochus III.
Marcus Aemilius (M. f.) Regillus (d. 190 BC), brother of Lucius Aemilius Regillus, died in the course of the war against Antiochus.
Aemilii ScauriEdit
Lucius Aemilius Scaurus, an officer in the Roman fleet during the war against Antiochus III in 190 BC.
Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, consul in 115 and 107 BC, censor in 109, and princeps senatus.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. Scaurus, praetor in 56 BC.
Aemilius Scaurus M. f. Scaurus (d. 101 BC), fought against the Cimbri under Quintus Lutatius Catulus.
Marcus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Scaurus, supporter of Marcus Antonius.
Mamercus Aemilius M. f. M. n. Scaurus, orator and poet, twice accused of majestas.
Aemilii BucaeEdit
Denarius issued by Aemilius Buca the moneyer, depicting the laureate head of Julius Caesar, and on the reverse Venus holding Victoria and sceptre
Lucius Aemilius Buca, quaestor in the time of Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
Lucius Aemilius L. f. Buca, triumvir of the mint in 54 BC.
Gravestone of freedmen (liberti) with the nomen Aemilius, from Emerita Augusta, Roman Spain[55]
Aemilia, one of the Vestal Virgins, who miraculously rekindled the sacred flame with a piece of her garment.[56][57]
Aemilia, a Vestal put to death on the charge of incest in 114 BC. Two others, Marcia and Licinia, were acquitted, on the grounds that Aemilia had instigated the crime, but they were condemned to death by Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla.[58][59][60][61]
Caeso Aemilius K. f. Varrius, a military engineer of uncertain date.[62][63]
Marcus Aemilius Avianus, a friend of Cicero, and the patron of Avianus Evander and Avianus Hammonius.[64]
Aemilius Macer, a poet who flourished during the early decades of the Empire, and wrote upon the subjects of birds, snakes, and medicinal plants.
Aemilius Macer of Verona, a poet who wrote upon Homeric subjects He flourished toward the end of the reign of Augustus.
Aemilius Rectus, governor of Egypt in AD 15, was rebuked by Tiberius for returning more money to the treasury than had been requested; Tiberius replied that he wanted the governors to shear his sheep, not shave them.[65][66]
Aemilius Sura, annalist, probably a contemporary of Marcus Velleius Paterculus.
Aemilius Rufus, prefect of the cavalry under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo in Armenia.
Aemilius Pacensis, tribune of the city cohorts at the death of Nero in AD 69; perished fighting against Aulus Vitellius.
Quintus Aemilius Laetus, Praetorian Prefect under Commodus.
Aemilius Asper (late 1st century), grammarian and commentator on Publius Terentius Afer and Publius Vergilius Maro.
Aemilius Asper Junior, a grammarian who flourished during the second century, and the author of Ars Grammatica.
Aemilius Papinianus, a jurist of the late second and early third century.
Aemilius Macer (3rd century), a jurist who lived in the time of Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander.
Marcus Aemilius Aemilianus, governor of Pannonia and Moesia, was proclaimed Emperor in 253, but slain by his soldiers.
Aemilius Magnus Arborius, a fourth-century poet, and a friend of the brothers of Constantinus.
Aemilius Parthenianus, a historian who gave an account of the various persons who aspired to the tyranny.
Aemilius Probus, grammarian of the late fourth century, to whom the Excellentium Imperatorum Vitae of Cornelius Nepos was erroneously attributed.
Blossius Aemilius Dracontius a fifth-century Christian poet.
FootnotesEdit
^ In addition to Paulla, the form Polla, was common in Latin, and either could be spelled with one 'l' or two. There were three distinct pronunciations of the vowel, which can be seen from Greek inscriptions, including Παυλλα, Πολλα, and Πωλα. The same variation was probably characteristic of the masculine Paullus, as with other Latin names, such as Claudius, which was frequently spelled Clodius, although this came to be regarded as a plebeian spelling.
List of Roman gentes
Aemilius (disambiguation)
Basilica Aemilia
^ a b c d e Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 30 ("Aemilia Gens").
^ Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, i. 18.
^ Chase, pp. 122, 123.
^ Cornell, The Beginnings of Rome, p. 10.
^ Chase, pp. 114, 140, 141.
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 120 ("Papus").
^ Birley, The Fasti of Roman Britain, pp. 242, 243.
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 461 ("Barbula").
^ a b c Chase, pp. 109, 110.
^ New College Latin & English Dictionary, s. v. barbula.
^ Kajava, Roman Female Praenomina.
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 153 ("Aemilius Paulus").
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. II, p. 762 ("Aemilius Lepidus").
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, pp. 735, 736 ("Scaurus", "Aemilius Scaurus").
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 642 ("Regillus").
^ Chase, p. 113, 114.
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 516 ("Buca").
^ Broughton, vol. I, p. 35.
^ a b Birley, The Fasti of Roman Britain, pp. 242-244.
^ Birley, p. 243.
^ Broughton, vol. I, p. 187.
^ Livy, x. 1-3.
^ Polybius, i. 36, 37.
^ Eutropius, ii. 22.
^ Orosius, iv. 9.
^ Diodorus Siculus, xxiii. 14.
^ Zonaras, viii. 14.
^ Niebuhr, History of Rome, vol. iii. p. 591.
^ Arnold, History of Rome, vol. ii. p. 593, note 67.
^ Polybius, iii. 16-19, iv. 37.
^ Appian, Bella Illyrica, 8.
^ Livy, xxii. 35, xxiii. 21.
^ Horace, Carmen Saeculare, i. 12.
^ Valerius Maximus, i. 3. § 3.
^ Plutarch, "The Life of Aemilius Paullus".
^ Livy, xxxiv. 45, xxxv. 10, 24, xxxvi. 2, xxxvii. 46, 57, xxxix. 56, xl. 25-28, 34, xliv. 17-xlv. 41, Epitome, 46.
^ Polybius, xxix.-xxxii.
^ Aurelius Victor, De Viris Illustribus, 56.
^ Valerius Maximus, v. 10. § 2.
^ Velleius Paterculus, i. 9, 10.
^ Orelli, Onomasticon Tullianum, vol. ii. p. 16.
^ Polybius, xxxii. 12.
^ Diodorus Siculus, excerpta, xxxi.
^ Valerius Maximus, vi. 7. § 1.
^ Plutarch, "The Life of Aemilius Paullus", 2.
^ Livy, xxxviii. 57.
^ Plutarch, "The Life of Aemilius Paullus", 28.
^ Cicero, De Divinatione, i. 46, ii. 40.
^ Année Epigraphique 2003.881.
^ Dionysius, ii. 68.
^ Plutarch, "Quaestiones Romanae", p. 284.
^ Livy, Epitome, 63.
^ Orosius, v. 15.
^ Asconius Pedianus, In Ciceronis Pro Milone, p. 46, ed. Orelli.
^ Karl Julius Sillig, Catalogus Artificium (1827), Appendix, s.v.
^ Desiré-Raoul Rochette, Lettre à M. Schorn, p. 422, 2nd ed.
^ Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares xiii. 2, 21, 27.
^ Cassius Dio, lvii. 10.
^ Orosius, vii. 4.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "article name needed" . Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
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Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Divinatione.
Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica (Library of History).
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace), Carmen Saeculare.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Romaike Archaiologia (Roman Antiquities).
Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome.
Marcus Velleius Paterculus, Compendium of Roman History.
Valerius Maximus, Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium (Memorable Facts and Sayings).
Quintus Asconius Pedianus, Commentarius in Oratio Ciceronis Pro Milone (Commentary on Cicero's Oration Pro Milone).
Plutarchus, Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans; Moralia, including "Quaestiones Romanae" (Roman Questions).
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Paulus Orosius, Historiarum Adversum Paganos (History Against the Pagans).
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__label__wiki | 0.810222 | 0.810222 | Diplomacy (game)
(Redirected from Diplomacy game)
Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954 and released commercially in 1959.[1] Its main distinctions from most board wargames are its negotiation phases (players spend much of their time forming and betraying alliances with other players and forming beneficial strategies)[2] and the absence of dice and other game elements that produce random effects. Set in Europe in the years leading to the Great War, Diplomacy is played by two to seven players,[3] each controlling the armed forces of a major European power (or, with fewer players, multiple powers). Each player aims to move his or her few starting units and defeat those of others to win possession of a majority of strategic cities and provinces marked as "supply centers" on the map; these supply centers allow players who control them to produce more units. Following each round of player negotiations, each player can issue attack orders and take control of a neighboring province when the number of provinces adjacent to the attacking province that are given orders (written down and declared in advance) to support the attacking province exceeds the number of provinces adjacent to the province under attack that are given orders to support the province under attack.
Allan B. Calhamer
Diplomacy was the first commercially published game to be played by mail (PBM); only chess, which is in the public domain, saw significant postal play earlier. Diplomacy was also the first commercially published game to generate an active hobby scene with amateur fanzines; only science-fiction, fantasy and comics fandom saw fanzines earlier. Competitive face-to-face Diplomacy tournaments have been held since the 1970s. Play of Diplomacy by e-mail (PBEM) has been widespread since the late 1980s.[4]
Diplomacy has been published in the United States by Games Research, Avalon Hill, and Hasbro; the name is currently a registered trademark of Hasbro's Avalon Hill division. Diplomacy has also been licensed to various companies for publication in other countries. Diplomacy is also played on the Internet, adjudicated by a computer or a human gamemaster.
In its catalogue, Avalon Hill advertised Diplomacy as John F. Kennedy[5] and Henry Kissinger's favourite game. Kissinger described it as his favourite in an interview published in a games magazine.[6] Authors Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury,[7] and American broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite were also reported to be fans of the game.[8] British journalist, broadcaster, and former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo is known to have played the game whilst studying at Harrow County School for Boys.[9]
The idea for Diplomacy arose from Allan B. Calhamer's study at Harvard of nineteenth-century European history under Sidney B. Fay inter alia, and from his study of political geography.[2] The rough form of Diplomacy was created in 1954, and its details were developed through playtesting until the 1958 map and rules revisions. Calhamer paid for a 500-game print run of that version in 1959 after rejection by major companies.[1] It has been published since then by Games Research (in 1961, then a 1971 edition with a revised rulebook), Avalon Hill (in 1976), by Hasbro's Avalon Hill division (in 1999), and now by Wizards of the Coast (in 2008) in the USA, and licensed to other boardgame publishers for versions sold in other countries. Among these are Parker Brothers, Waddingtons Games, Gibsons Games, Asmodée Editions.[10]
Basic setting and overviewEdit
The board is a map of 1914 Europe plus portions of Western Asia and North Africa. It is divided into fifty-six land regions and nineteen sea regions. Forty-two of the land regions are divided among the seven Great Powers of the game: Austria-Hungary, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey.[11] The remaining fourteen land regions are neutral at the start of the game.
Thirty-four of the land regions contain "supply centers", corresponding to major centers of government, industry or commerce (e.g., Vienna and Rome); twenty-two of these are located within the Great Powers and are referred to as "home" supply centers. The remaining twelve are located in provinces which are neutral at the start of the game. The number of supply centers a player controls determines the total number of armies and fleets a player may have on the board, and as players gain and lose control of different centers, they may build (raise) or must remove (disband) units accordingly.
A Diplomacy board, showing the different land and sea territories, starting borders and the location of supply centers
The land provinces within the Great Powers which contain supply centers are generally named after a major city in the province (e.g. London, Moscow) while the other land provinces within the Great Powers are generally named after a region (e.g. Bohemia, Apulia). Neutral land provinces are generally named after countries (e.g. Serbia, Belgium). Finland and Syria are both parts of Great Powers as Finland was part of the Russian Empire and Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire in 1914. Tunis is used rather than Tunisia on most boards and North Africa is a single province covering parts of Algeria and Morocco. Although for game purposes the game starts in 1901, the map generally reflects the political boundaries of Europe in 1914 just before the outbreak of the Great War, with Bosnia already annexed to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Balkans reflecting the results of the wars of 1912 and 1913 in the region (except that Montenegro is shown as part of Austria-Hungary). On the other hand, North Africa and Tunis start the game as neutral, despite these regions being part of the French colonial empire in 1914.
All players other than Britain and Russia begin the game with two armies and one fleet; Britain starts with two fleets and one army, and Russia starts with two armies and two fleets (making it the only player to start the game with more than three units). Only one unit at a time may occupy a given map region. Balancing units to supply center counts is done after each game-year (two seasons of play: Spring and Autumn). At the beginning of the game, the twelve neutral SCs are all typically captured within the first few moves. Further acquisition of supply centers becomes a zero sum dynamic with any gains in a player's resources coming at the expense of a rival.
Comparison with other war gamesEdit
Diplomacy differs from the majority of war games in several ways:
Players do not take turns sequentially; instead all players secretly write down their moves after a negotiation period, then all moves are revealed and put into effect simultaneously.
Social interaction and interpersonal skills make up an essential part of the game's play.
The rules that simulate combat are strategic, abstract, and simple - not tactical, realistic, or complex - as this is a diplomatic simulation game, not a military one.
Combat resolution contains no random elements - no dice are rolled, no cards are drawn.
Each military unit has the same strength.
It is especially well suited to postal play,[2] which led to an active hobby of amateur publishing.
Internet Diplomacy is one of the few early board games that is still played on the web.
GameplayEdit
Diplomacy proceeds by seasons, beginning in the year 1901, with each year divided into two main seasons: the "Spring" and "Autumn/Fall" moves. Each season is further divided into negotiation and movement phases, followed by 'retreat' or 'disband' adjustments and an end-of-the-year Winter phase of new builds or removals following the Autumn adjustments.
Negotiation phaseEdit
In the negotiation phase, players communicate with each other to discuss tactics and strategy, form alliances, and share intelligence or spread disinformation about mutual adversaries. Negotiations may be made public or kept private. Players are not bound to anything they say or promise during this period, and no agreements of any sort are enforceable.
Communication and trust are highly important for this strategy game. Players must forge alliances with others and observe their actions to evaluate their trustworthiness. At the same time, they must convince others of their own trustworthiness while making plans to turn against their allies when least expected. A well-timed betrayal can be just as profitable as an enduring, reliable alliance.
Cheating can be a large part of certain diplomacy games. Some hosts allow for players to submit false copies of sheets for other players, thus changing their moves. This only works if the person who has their moves replaced is not paying attention when the host is reading out the moves.
Movement phaseEdit
After the negotiation period, players write secret orders for each unit; these orders are revealed and executed simultaneously. A unit can move from its location to an adjacent space, support an adjacent unit to hold an area in the event of an attack, support another unit to attack a space into which it could move itself, or hold defensively. In addition, fleets may transport armies from one coast space to another when in a chain called a "convoy". Armies may only occupy land regions, and fleets occupy sea regions and the land regions that border named seas. Only one unit may occupy each region. If multiple units are ordered to move to the same region, only the unit with the most support moves there. If two or more units have the same highest support, a standoff occurs and no units ordered to that region move. A unit ordered to give support that is attacked has those orders canceled and is forced to hold, except in the case that support is being given to a unit invading the region from which the attack originated.
Certain countries on the board have two coasts and if this is the case a player must specify which one of the coasts he wants his fleet to occupy. A fleet of a specific coast can only move to coasts and oceans that border the coast that it is on. For example, a fleet occupying the southern coast of Bulgaria cannot move into Rumania or the Black Sea, but a fleet on the east coast could.
End-of-year and supply centersEdit
After each Autumn move, newly acquired supply centers become owned by the occupying player, and each power's supply center total is recalculated; players with fewer supply centers than units on the board must disband units, while players with more supply centers than units on the board are entitled to build units in their Home centers (supply centers controlled at the start of the game). Players controlling no supply centers are eliminated from the game, and if a player controls 18 or more (that is, more than half) of the 34 SCs, that person is declared the winner. Players may also agree to a draw; this also happens when (infrequent) stalemates occur.
VariantsEdit
Several boardgames based on Diplomacy have been commercially published. Additionally, many fans of the game have created hundreds of variants of their own, using altered rules on the standard map, standard rules on a different map, or both.
Rulebook provision for fewer than seven playersEdit
The rules allow for games with two to seven players, closing parts of the standard board, but these are used only in casual play, and are not considered standard Diplomacy in tournament, postal, or most forms of online play. For example, if there are six players, everyone plays one country and Italy is not used; for five players, Italy and Germany are not used. The original rules did not include additional guidelines, but the Avalon Hill set included suggestions, such as individual players using multiple countries, and additions.
Another approach to solving the problem of fewer than seven players is the use of the Escalation Variant Rules by Edi Birsan:
Players start with no pieces on the board
Players put one piece down on the board in any province one at a time (starting with the youngest player)
After reaching the maximum number of pieces the players start the game with ownership of their starting provinces.
At the end of Autumn 1901 with their adjustments players write down their three HOME centers for the rest of the game.
This is done without negotiations and may result in two players declaring the same province. However, in order to build there they still must own it and the province must be open. Players may choose any supply center as a HOME for example: EDI, DEN, ROM
It is suggested that for the number players the following starting pieces are used:
Two - 12 units
Three - 8 units
Four − 6 units
Five - 5 units
Six - 4 units
It is also suggested that for games with 2-4 players that the 'Gunboat' rule applies which means that there are no discussions.
For 4 or 5 players, it is suggested that the 'Wilson' or 'Public Press' rule applies which means that all discussions must take place in the open at the table with no whispers or secret signals.
For 5 or 6 players, it is suggested that regular negotiation rules apply.
The following are the current official suggestions:
Alternative way to playEdit
The following is an alternative way to play the game of Diplomacy when fewer than seven players are present.
Six Players: Eliminate Italy. Italian units hold in position and defend themselves, but don't support each other. Units belonging to any of the players can support them in their holding position. If Italian units are forced to retreat, they're disbanded.
Five Players: Eliminate Italy and Germany (as described for Italy above).
Four Players: One player plays Britain, and the other three play the following pairs: Austria/France, Germany/Turkey, and Italy/Russia.
Three Players: One player controls Britain/Germany/Austria; the second, Russia/Italy; and the third, France/Turkey. Or one player plays Britain/Austria; one plays France/Russia; one plays Germany/Turkey. In this version Italy is not played.
Three Players (alternative[12]): One person plays Russia while the other two control Britain/France/Germany and Austria/Italy/Turkey.
Two Players: This version can be played as a World War I simulation. One player controls Britain/France/Russia while the other plays Austria/Germany/Turkey. Italy is neutral and Italian territory can't be entered. The game begins in 1914. Before the Autumn 1914 adjustments, flip a coin. Italy joins the winner of the toss in Spring 1915. The first player to control 24 supply centers wins. This is also a way for two new players to learn the rules.
In games for 2, 3, or 4 players, supply-center ownership is computed for each individual country, even though the same person plays more than one country. As with the regular rules, adjustments must be made by each country in accordance with its supply-center holdings.
Commercially published Diplomacy variantsEdit
There have been six commercially released variants of Diplomacy - Machiavelli, Kamakura, Colonial Diplomacy, Hundred, Ard-Rí and Classical. Imperial is a boardgame with enough similarities to be described as a Diplomacy variant by some.
MachiavelliEdit
Main article: Machiavelli (board game)
Machiavelli was published by Battleline Publications, later taken over by Avalon Hill. Set in Renaissance Italy, the board is controlled by the Republic of Florence, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, the Papacy, Valois France, Habsburg Austria, and the Ottoman Turks. The game introduces many rules changes such as money, bribery, three seasons per year, garrisons, and random events such as plague and famine. It features scenarios tailored for as few as four and as many as eight players.
KamakuraEdit
Kamakura was published by West End Games in the early 1980s. Its setting is feudal Japan.
Colonial DiplomacyEdit
Published by Avalon Hill in 1994. It is set in Asia in the late 19th century, and much of the board is controlled by various colonial powers: the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire, the Empire of Japan, Holland, Ottoman Empire, China, and France. The game introduces three special features:
The Trans-Siberian railroad extends across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok. The railroad can be used by Russia to move armies anywhere along the railroad. The TSR may only be used by Russia. Russian armies are allowed to move through other Russian armies, but foreign armies can block the passage of armies on the TSR.
The Suez Canal is the only way to move between the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Use of the Suez Canal is controlled by whoever is in control of Egypt. The use of the Suez Canal increases in importance later in the game as expansion becomes both more important and more difficult.
The ownership of Hong Kong counts as a supply center for any country except China.
This map was used as the basis of the Imperial Asia expansion map.[13]
HundredEdit
Hundred is a map for three players by Andy D. Schwarz based on the Hundred Years' War created in 1996 and published by Stupendous Games in 2000.[14][15]
Ard-RíEdit
Ard-Rí is a map by Stuart John Bernard based on pre-Christian Ireland (though it anachronistically includes Vikings), created in 1998, and published by Stupendous Games in 2000.[16][15] Ard-Rí happens to also be the name of a hnefatafl variant played in Ancient Ireland.
ClassicalEdit
Classical is a map by Andy D. Schwarz and Vincent Mous based on the ancient world after the death of Alexander the Great, created in 1998, and published by Stupendous Games in 2000.[17][15]
Diplomacy of the Three KingdomsEdit
Based on the Three Kingdoms in Ancient China, it was created by Edi Birsan to introduce the basic ideas of the main game to a Chinese audience with a setting more close to their own historical experience. It was published by MJS Creations in 2008.
Diplomacy variants not commercially publishedEdit
A wide range of other variants of Diplomacy have been created and played without being commercially published.[18][19] These include settings such as the ancient and renaissance world. Some variants use new maps and rules, whilst others simply vary the original game, such as the Fleet Rome variant which replaces the starting Italian army in Rome with a fleet. One of the most notable non-commercially published is the Youngstown variant which is an extension of the normal map, including Asia and colonies there. For example, in addition to the usual home centers, France starts with a fleet in Saigon (in Cochinchina).[18] Three new Powers were added - India, China, and Japan - with powers without historical Asian colonies being given more home centres. The variant was named after the city of Youngstown, Ohio where the variant was invented.[18][20]
TournamentsEdit
Further information: International prize list of Diplomacy
Diplomacy is played at a number of formal tournaments in many nations. Most face-to-face Diplomacy tournaments longer than one day are associated with either a Diplomacy-centered convention (such as DipCon or Dixiecon) or a large multi-game convention (such as the Origins Game Fair or the World Boardgaming Championships). Some conventions are centered on the games and have a highly competitive atmosphere; others have more focus on meeting and socializing with other players from the postal or e-mail parts of the hobby.
Tournament playEdit
In some tournaments, each game ends after a specified number of game-years, to ensure that all players can play in all rounds without limiting the tournament structure to one round per day. At other events, a game continues until a winner is determined or a draw is voted. Tournaments in Europe are generally played with a specific end year whereas tournaments in North America more often are played until someone wins or a draw is agreed.
Major championship tournamentsEdit
The World Diplomacy Convention (WDC or World DipCon) is held annually in different places in the world. The winner of WDC is considered to be the World Champion of Diplomacy. WDC was first held in 1988 in Birmingham, England, and was held at two-year intervals before becoming an annual event. WDC's site moves among four regions: North America, Europe, Australasia, and the rest of the world, with a requirement that successive WDC's are always held in different regions.[21]
The North American Diplomacy Convention (DipCon) is held annually in different places in North America, to determine the North American Champion of Diplomacy. DipCon was first held in 1966 in Youngstown, Ohio.[22] DipCon's site rotates among West, Central, and East regions.[23]
The European Diplomacy Convention (Euro DipCon) is held annually in different places in Europe, to determine the European Champion of Diplomacy.
Over a dozen other countries hold face-to-face national championship tournaments.[24]
Other major face-to-face tournamentsEdit
Many of the larger multi-game conventions, such as the World Boardgaming Championships, Gen Con, Origins, ManorCon, TempleCon, and Dragonflight also host Diplomacy tournaments. On occasion, WDC or DipCon will be held in conjunction with one of these conventions.
In addition, many of the larger local and regional clubs host tournaments on an annual basis and always encourage visitors from the local area as well as any travelers from around the globe.
Major play-by-email tournamentsEdit
The play-by-email field is constantly changing. There are numerous tournaments generally associated with different websites. As of 2008 there were no official events sanctioned by the manufacturer (Wizards/Avalon Hill). There have been and continue to be events with various sizes and self designated titles such as:
World Masters - every two years in the Worldmasters E-mail Tournament composed of both team and individual events
Diplomacy World Cup - modeled after a Soccer World Cup (players are in teams competing by countries), there have been two world cups so far and a third is under way. The first took place 2007-9 and was won by France, the second 2010-12 and was won by Ireland, and the third version started in January 2013.
Winter Blitz - The 4th Annual Winter Blitzis became open to join in 2011.
Other ways to playEdit
Despite the length of face-to-face Diplomacy games, there are people who organize ad-hoc games, and there are also various clubs that have annual tournaments and monthly club games.
To overcome the difficulty of assembling enough players for a sufficiently large block of time together, a play-by-mail game community has developed, either via Postal or Internet Diplomacy, using either humans to adjudicate the turns or automatic adjudicators.
Postal play and postal hobbyEdit
Since the 1960s, Diplomacy has been played by mail through fanzines. The play-by-mail hobby was created in 1963 in carbon-copied typed flyers by John Boardman in New York, recruiting players through his science fiction fanzine Knowable. His flyers became an ongoing publication under the Graustark title, and led directly to the formation of other zines. By May 1965 there were eight Diplomacy zines.[25] By the end of 1967 there were dozens of zines in the USA, and by 1970 their editors were holding gatherings. In 1969, Don Turnbull started the first UK-based Diplomacy zine, Albion.[26] By 1972, both the USA and UK hobbies were forming organizations. In the 1980s, there were over sixty zines in the main list of the North American Zine Poll, peaking at 72 zines in 1989;[27] and there were nearly as many in the major Zine Poll of the British part of the hobby. In the 1990s and 2000s, the number of postal Diplomacy zines has reduced as new players instead joined the part of the hobby that plays over the internet via e-mail or on websites. In April 2010, Graustark itself ceased publication. As of 2011, there are only a few active postal zines published in the USA, one each in Canada and Australia, and several in the UK and elsewhere. In order to reduce postage and printing costs, as well as for environmental reasons, several zines (e.g. 'Western Front', 'Maniacs Paradise' ) are distributed to subscribers via emailed links to the zine's web page when a new issue appears, or are emailed out as pdf files, for subscribers to read on screen, or print out as they choose. Some zines maintain a dual existence as paper and digital publications.
OnlineEdit
Main article: Internet Diplomacy
Diplomacy has been played through e-mail on the Internet since the 1983 debut of The Armchair Diplomat on Compuserve.[25] From 1986-1990, Peter Szymonik started and moderated dozens of simultaneously running Online Diplomacy games on the GEnie Network with hundreds of players worldwide. This later included the first online Colonia variant games and later branched into and gave birth to Jim Dunnigan's related Hundred Years War Online multiplayer wargame. Adjudication by computer started in 1988. A multitude of play-by-email (PBEM) communities and online tournaments were developed over the coming years, and recent online Diplomacy sites such as webDiplomacy and PlayDiplomacy also allow entirely web-based games of Diplomacy.[28]
In addition to e-mail and web-adjudicated games, numerous variations - ranging from player numbers and slight differences (such as placing an extra Italian fleet in Rome) to entirely fictitious maps set in worlds from pop-culture exist, played with either messaging servers or forums, often hosted by the Diplomacy sites themselves.[29]
There are also apps available for mobile devices, such as Conspiracy, which is designed to play just like Diplomacy. It is developed by badfrog team.[citation needed] Another app named Subterfuge is a more modern adaptation of Diplomacy.
Diplomacy computer gamesEdit
Screenshot from the Paradox computer game
Avalon Hill released a computer game version of Diplomacy in 1984 for the IBM PC. Computer Gaming World in 1994 described it as "a flop".[30]
Hasbro Interactive released a computer game version of Diplomacy in 1999 under the MicroProse label, and developed by Meyer/Glass Interactive. A major fault, like with the Avalon Hill version, was that the computer AI was considered poor, one reviewer remarking "Gamers of any skill level will have no trouble whatsoever whaling on the computer at even the highest difficulty setting."[31]
Paradox Interactive released a new computer version in 2005, which was given negative reviews, partly due to the odd grunts the game used to express the reactions of the AI players during the Movement phase.[32][33][34] None of the computer games supported either text or voice chat, which limited the possibilities for complicated alliances.
Larry Harris commented: "I am convinced that Allan Calhamer's masterpiece should be part of every high school curriculum. Don't tell the kids, but it teaches history, geography, the art of political negotiation, and something else - some healthy critical skepticism. By the time you get into high school, you have a pretty good idea that not everyone always tells the truth. But a good game of Diplomacy helps you to understand how skillful some people can be at fooling you!"[35]
Diplomacy was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Adventure Hall of Fame in 1994.[36]
Diplomacy World
Internet Diplomacy
Lepanto opening
Slobbovia
^ a b Calhamer, Allan (January 1974). "The Invention of Diplomacy". Games & Puzzles (21). Archived from the original on 2009-09-10.
^ a b c Parlett, David. The Oxford History of Board Games. Oxford University Press, UK, 1999. ISBN 0-19-212998-8. pp. 361-362.
^ "Diplomacy Rules 4th Edition (2000)" (PDF). Avalon Hill. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
^ Miller, Millis. "What is njudge?". diplomatic-pouch.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
^ McClelland, Edward (April 20, 2009). "All in the Game". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
^ Games & Puzzles magazine, May 1973.
^ "DP F2012R: Diplomacy Strategy and Tactics, Secrets of My Old Age". diplomatic-pouch.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-08. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
^ McClellan, Joseph. "Lying and Cheating by the Rules," Washington Post, June 2, 1986.
^ Gilligan, Andrew; Sweeney, John (November 27, 1994). "The making of Pretty Polly". The Guardian. Retrieved October 27, 2017. David Mitchell, British comedian, actor, writer and television presenter commented on an episode of Would I Lie to You, that he played Diplomacy with an imaginary friend Stephen Tatlock, (a painted face on a bucket, which was a stand-in for his real friend, Stephen Tatlock), and that sometimes imaginary Stephen Tatlock would win. However, the story was in fact, a lie.
^ "Diplomacy". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved January 25, 2008.
^ Gordon, David. "Diplomacy, Part 1". Retrieved 30 April 2012.
^ Rules for Diplomacy, 2nd Edition/Feb. 1982, p. 9
^ "Imperial - Asia Expansion Map and Rules - Imperial - BoardGameGeek". .
^ "Diplomacy: Hundred Variant - Board Game - BoardGameGeek". .
^ a b c Szykman, Simon. "Three Variants Reviewed". diplomatic-pouch.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-02.
^ "Diplomacy: Ard-Ri Variant - Board Game - BoardGameGeek". .
^ "Diplomacy: Classical Variant - Board Game - BoardGameGeek". .
^ a b c Sharp.R (1978) 'The Game of Diplomacy Chapter 13 (available online).
^
^ "Youngstown". 2008-01-06. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
^ Peery, Larry. "A History of World DipCon". Diplomatic Corps.
^ At John Koning's home, August 31st 1966
^ Birsan, Edi; et al. "The DipCon Story". Diplomatic Corps.
^ "World Diplomacy Database". North American Diplomacy Association. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
^ a b Meinel, Jim. Encyclopedia of Postal Diplomacy Zines. Great White North Productions, Alaska, USA, 1992.
^ Sharp, Richard. The Game of Diplomacy. Arthur Barker, UK, 1978. ISBN 0-213-16676-3.
^ "1989 Runestone Poll Results", Diplomacy World, Issue 56 (Fall 1989), pp. 69-71.
^ Online Diplomacy is also available on the social networking site Facebook
^ "Online diplomacy screenshot". .
^ Coleman, Terry Lee (July 1994). "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Sovereign". Computer Gaming World. pp. 110-111.
^ "Diplomacy (1999) Review". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
^ Kosak, Dave (November 10, 2005). "GameSpy: Diplomacy". GameSpy. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
^ "GameSpot review". Archived from the original on 2005-10-24.
^ Clare, Oliver (November 28, 2005). "Diplomacy • Eurogamer.net". Eurogamer. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
^ Harris, Larry (2007). "Diplomacy". In Lowder, James (ed.). Hobby Games: The 100 Best. Green Ronin Publishing. pp. 81-85. ISBN 978-1-932442-96-0.
^ "Origins Award Winners (1993)". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design. Archived from the original on 2008-01-05. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
Calhamer, Allan. "Diplomacy" chapter of The Games & Puzzles Book of Modern Board Games. Games & Puzzles Publications, London, UK, 1975. ISBN 0-86002-059-2. pp. 26-44.
Sharp, Richard (1979). The Game of Diplomacy. London: Arthur Barker. p. 192. ISBN 0-213-16676-3. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
Kostick, Conor. The Art of Correspondence in the Game of Diplomacy. Curses & Magic, Dublin, Ireland, 2015. ISBN 978-0993415104.
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Diplomacy
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Diplomacy (game)
Diplomacy at BoardGameGeek
"World Domination: the Game" - article in the Washington Post, November 14, 2004
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__label__cc | 0.536231 | 0.463769 | Fox squirrel
The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel,[2] is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, they are sometimes mistaken for American red squirrels or eastern gray squirrels in areas where the species co-exist.[3]
Fox squirrel [1]
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Sciurus
Subgenus: Sciurus
S. niger
Sciurus niger
Linnaeus, 1758
S. n. niger - southern fox squirrel
S. n. avicinnia - mangrove fox squirrel
S. n. bachmani - upland fox Squirrel
S. n. cinereus - Delmarva fox squirrel
S. n. limitis - Texas fox squirrel
S. n. ludovicianus - pineywoods fox squirrel
S. n. rufiventer- western fox squirrel
S. n. shermani - Sherman's fox squirrel
S. n. subauratus - delta fox squirrel
S. n. vulpinus - eastern fox squirrel
Fox squirrel's range (excludes introduced populations)
The squirrel's total body length measures 45 to 70 cm (17.7 to 27.6 in), tail length is 20 to 33 cm (7.9 to 13.0 in), and they range in weight from 500 to 1,000 grams (1.1 to 2.2 lb).[4] There is no sexual dimorphism in size or appearance. Individuals tend to be smaller in the west. There are three distinct geographical phases in coloration: In most areas the animals upper body is brown-grey to brown-yellow with a typically brownish-orange underside, while in eastern regions such as the Appalachians there are more strikingly-patterned dark brown and black squirrels with white bands on the face and tail. In the south can be found isolated communities with uniform black coats. To help with climbing, they have sharp claws, developed extensors of digits and flexors of forearms, and abdominal musculature.[5] Fox squirrels have excellent vision and well-developed senses of hearing and smell. They use scent marking to communicate with other fox squirrels.[5] "Fox squirrels also have several sets of vibrissae, hairs or whiskers that are used as touch receptors to sense the environment. These are found above and below their eyes, on their chin and nose, and on each forearm."[5] The dental formula of S. niger is 1.0.1.31.0.1.3 × 2 = 20[6]
Fox squirrel foraging in the grass in Indianapolis, Indiana.
DistributionEdit
The fox squirrel's natural range extends throughout the eastern United States, north into the southern prairie provinces of Canada, and west to the Dakotas, Colorado, and Texas. They are absent (except for vagrants) in New England, New Jersey, most of New York, as well as northern and eastern Pennsylvania. They have been introduced to both northern and southern California,[7] Oregon,[8] Idaho,[9] Montana,[9] Washington,[9] and New Mexico.[9] While very versatile in their habitat choices, fox squirrels are most often found in forest patches of 40 hectares or less with an open understory, or in urban neighborhoods with trees. They thrive best among oak, hickory, walnut, and pines, storing their nuts for winter. Western range extensions in Great Plains regions such as Kansas are associated with riverine corridors of cottonwood. A subspecies native to several eastern US states is the Delmarva fox squirrel (S. n. cinereus).[4]
Fox squirrels are most abundant in open forest stands with little understory vegetation; they are not found in stands with dense undergrowth. Ideal habitat is small stands of large trees interspersed with agricultural land.[10] The size and spacing of pines and oaks are among the important features of fox squirrel habitat. The actual species of pines and oaks themselves may not always be a major consideration in defining fox squirrel habitat.[4] Fox squirrels are often observed foraging on the ground several hundred meters from the nearest woodlot. Fox squirrels also commonly occupy forest edge habitat.[11]
Fox squirrels have two types of shelters: leaf nests (dreys) and tree dens. They may have two tree cavity homes or a tree cavity and a leaf nest. Tree dens are preferred over leaf nests during the winter and for raising young. When den trees are scarce, leaf nests are used year-round.[12][13] Leaf nests are built during the summer months in forks of deciduous trees about 30 feet (9 m) above the ground. Fox squirrels use natural cavities and crotches (forked branches of a tree) as tree dens.[12] Den trees in Ohio had an average diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) of 21 inches (53 cm) and were an average of 58.6 yards (53.6 m) from the nearest woodland border. About 88% of den trees in eastern Texas had an average d.b.h. of 12 inches (30 cm) or more.[10] Dens are usually 6 inches (15 cm) wide and 14-16 inches (36-41 cm) inches deep. Den openings are generally circular and about 2.9 to 3.7 inches (7.4 to 9.4 cm). Fox squirrels may make their own den in a hollow tree by cutting through the interior; however, they generally use natural cavities or cavities created by northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) or red-headed woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). Crow nests have also been used by fox squirrels.[13]
Fox squirrels use leaf nests or tree cavities for shelter and litter rearing.[10] Forest stands dominated by mature to over mature trees provide cavities and a sufficient number of sites for leaf nests to meet the cover requirements. Overstory trees with an average d.b.h. of 15 inches (38 cm) or more generally provide adequate cover and reproductive habitat. Optimum tree canopy closure for fox squirrels is from 20% to 60%. Optimum conditions understory closure occur when the shrub-crown closure is 30% or less.[10]
Fox squirrels are tolerant of human proximity, and even thrive in crowded urban and suburban environments. They exploit human habitations for sources of food and nesting sites, being as happy nesting in an attic as they are in a hollow tree.[14]
DietEdit
Backyard fox squirrel searching for a location to bury its acorn, in Berkeley, California
Manipulation of food items by paws and head
Eating a Santa Rosa plum in Fullerton, California
Food habits of fox squirrels depend largely on geographic location.[15] In general, fox squirrel foods include mast, tree buds, insects, tubers, bulbs, roots, bird eggs, seeds of pines and spring-fruiting trees, and fungi. Agricultural crops such as corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, and fruit are also eaten.[4][10][13][15] Mast eaten by fox squirrels commonly includes turkey oak (Quercus laevis), southern red oak (Quercus falcata), blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), bluejack oak (Quercus incana), post oak (Quercus stellata), and live oak (Quercus virginiana).[4]
In Illinois, fox squirrels rely heavily on hickories from late August through September. Pecans, black walnuts (Juglans nigra), osage orange (Maclura pomifera) fruits, and corn are also important fall foods. In early spring, elm buds and seeds are the most important food. In May and June, mulberries (Morus spp.) are heavily used. By early summer, corn in the milk stage becomes a primary food.[15]
During the winter in Kansas, osage orange is a staple item supplemented with seeds of the Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) and honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), corn, wheat, eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides var. deltoides) bark, ash seeds, and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) berries. In the spring, fox squirrels feed primarily on buds of elm, maple, and oaks but also on newly sprouting leaves and insect larvae.[15]
Fox squirrels in Ohio prefer hickory nuts, acorns, corn, and black walnuts. The squirrels are absent where two or more of these mast trees are missing. Fox squirrels also eat buckeyes, seeds and buds of maple and elm, hazelnuts (Corylus spp.), blackberries (Rubus spp.), and tree bark. In March, they feed mainly on buds and seeds of elm, maple, and willow. In Ohio, eastern fox squirrels have the following order of food preference: white oak (Quercus alba) acorns, black oak (Quercus velutina) acorns, red oak (Quercus rubra) acorns, walnuts, and corn.[15]
In eastern Texas, fox squirrels prefer the acorns of bluejack oak, pecans, southern red oak (Q. falcata), and overcup oak (Q. lyrata). The least preferred foods are acorns of swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii) and overcup oak. In California, fox squirrels feed on English walnuts (J. regia), oranges, avocados, strawberries, and tomatoes. In midwinter, they feed on eucalyptus seeds.[15]
In Michigan, fox squirrels feed on a variety of foods throughout the year. Spring foods are mainly tree buds and flowers, insects, bird eggs, and seeds of red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), and elms. Summer foods include a variety of berries, plum and cherry pits, fruits of basswood (Tilia americana), fruits of box elder (Acer negundo), black oak acorns, hickory nuts, seeds of sugar (Acer saccharum) and black maple (Acer nigrum), grains, insects, and unripe corn. Fall foods consist mainly of acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, walnuts, butternuts (Juglans cinerea), and hazelnuts. Caches of acorns and hickory nuts are heavily used in winter.[15]
BehaviorEdit
Fox squirrels are strictly diurnal, non-territorial, and spend more of their time on the ground than most other tree squirrels. They are still, however, agile climbers. They construct two types of homes called "dreys", depending on the season. Summer dreys are often little more than platforms of sticks high in the branches of trees, while winter dens are usually hollowed out of tree trunks by a succession of occupants over as many as 30 years. Cohabitation of these dens is not uncommon, particularly among breeding pairs.
Fox squirrels will form caches by burying food items for later consumption.[16] They like to store foods that are shelled and high in fat, such as acorns and nuts. Shelled foods are favored because they are less likely to spoil than non-shelled foods, and fatty foods are valued for their high energy density.[17][18]
They are not particularly gregarious or playful, in fact they have been described as solitary and asocial creatures, coming together only in breeding season.[19] They have a large vocabulary, consisting most notably of an assortment of clucking and chucking sounds, not unlike some "game" birds, and they warn of approaching threats with distress screams. In the spring and fall, groups of fox squirrels clucking and chucking together can make a small ruckus. They also make high-pitched whines during mating. When threatening another fox squirrel, they will stand upright with their tail over their back and flick it.[5]
They are impressive jumpers, easily spanning fifteen feet in horizontal leaps and free-falling twenty feet or more to a soft landing on a limb or trunk.
Female fox squirrels come into estrus in mid-December or early January then again in June. They normally produce two litters a year, however, yearling females may only produce one.[15] Females become sexually mature at 10 to 11 months of age and usually produce their first litter when they are a year old.[15]
Gestation occurs over a period of 44 to 45 days. Earliest litters appear in late January; most births occur in mid-March and July. The average litter size is three, but can vary according to season and food conditions.[15]
Tree cavities, usually those formed by woodpeckers, are remodeled to winter dens and often serve as nurseries for late winter litters. If existing trees lack cavities, leaf nests known as dreys are built by cutting twigs with leaves and weaving them into warm, waterproof shelters. Similar leafy platforms are built for summer litters and are often referred to as "cooling beds."[20]
Tree squirrels develop slowly compared to other rodents. At birth, the young are blind, without fur and helpless. Eyes open at 4 to 5 weeks of age and ears open at 6 weeks. Eastern fox squirrels are weaned between 12 and 14 weeks but may not be self-supporting until 16 weeks.[13][15] Juveniles usually disperse in September or October, but may den either together or with their mother during their first winter.[12]
MortalityEdit
Fox squirrel pausing from building its nest in an attic in Berkeley, California.
In captivity, fox squirrels have been known to live 18 years, but in the wild most fox squirrels die before they become adults.[5] Their maximum life expectancy is typically 12.6 years for females and 8.6 years for males. Because of overhunting and the destruction of mature forests, many subspecies of fox squirrel (the Delmarva fox squirrel for example) are endangered.[5] Another major cause of fox squirrel population decline is mange mite (Cnemidoptes sp.) along with severe winter weather.[15]
Relatively few natural predators can regularly capture adult fox squirrels. Of these predators, most only take fox squirrels opportunistically.[4] Fox squirrel predators include: bobcats (Felis rufus), foxes (Vulpes spp. and Urocyon spp.), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus), great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), barred owls (Strix varia), and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris).[4][12][15] Nestlings and young fox squirrels are particularly vulnerable to climbing predators such as raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossums (Didelphis virginiana), rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta), and pine snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus). In those states where fox squirrels are not protected, they are considered a game animal.[4] Fox squirrels were an important source of meat for European settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are still hunted over most of their range. [4] Overhunting has been reported from small woodlots and public shooting areas in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.[15]
Mammals portal
Eastern gray squirrel
Western gray squirrel
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Agriculture document "Sciurus niger".
^ Thorington, R.W., Jr.; Hoffmann, R.S. (2005). "Sciurus (Sciurus) niger". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed.). The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754-818. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 26158608.
^ a b Linzey, A. V.; Timm, R.; Emmons, L. & Reid, F. (2008). "Sciurus niger". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
^ Graham, Donna. "Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)". Northern State University. South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
^ a b c d e f g h i Van Gelden, Richard George. (1982). Mammals of the National Parks. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press
^ a b c d e f "Sciurus niger page". University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
^ Koprowski, John L. (1994-12-02). "Sciurus niger". Mammalian Species (479): 1-9. . ISSN 0076-3519. JSTOR 3504263. .
^ "Southern California Fox Squirrel Page". . Retrieved 2008-04-25.
^ "Mammal Species of Oregon - Squirrels". Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
^ a b c d "TREE SQUIRRELS AS INVASIVE SPECIES: CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS" (PDF). . Retrieved 2014-10-08.
^ a b c d e Allen, A. W. 1982. Habitat suitability index models: fox squirrel. FWS/OBS-82/10.18. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
^ Dueser, Raymond D.; Dooley, James L., Jr.; Taylor, Gary J. (1988). Habitat structure, forest composition and landscape dimensions as components of habitat suitability for the Delmarva fox squirrel. In: Management of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals in North America: Proceedings of the symposium; 1988 July 19-21; Flagstaff, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-166. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 414-421
^ a b c d Banfield, A. W. F. (1974). The mammals of Canada. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
^ a b c d MacClintock, Dorcas. (1970). Squirrels of North America. New York: Litton Educational Publishing, Inc.
^ "Wild Care: Meet the Fox Squirrels".
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Chapman, Joseph A.; Feldhamer, George A., eds. 1982. Wild mammals of North America. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press
^ Koprowski, John L. (1994-12-02). "Sciurus niger". Mammalian Species (479): 1-9. . ISSN 0076-3519. JSTOR 3504263.
^ Preston, Stephanie D.; Jacobs, Lucia F. (2009). "Mechanisms of Cache Decision Making in Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger)". Journal of Mammalogy. 90 (4): 787-795. JSTOR 27755064.
^ Kotler, Burt P.; Brown, Joel S.; Hickey, Michael (1999). "Food Storability and the Foraging Behavior of Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger)". The American Midland Naturalist. 142 (1): 77-86. JSTOR 2426894.
^ Carraway, Mike. "Fox Squirrel, North Carolina Wildlife Profiles" (PDF). The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. n.p. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
^ "DNR: Fox Squirrel". . Retrieved 2015-09-29.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sciurus niger.
Wikispecies has information related to Sciurus niger
"Sciurus niger". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2006-03-26.
Enature treatment: Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
American Society of Mammalogists: Mammalian species account of Sciurus niger
Smithsonian: Eastern Fox Squirrel article
Digimorph: 3D visualization of a Fox Squirrel skull
The Squirrel Project - UIC study of territorial interleavings of Grey and Fox Squirrels, in urban Chicago
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__label__wiki | 0.795821 | 0.795821 | Harding County, New Mexico
Harding County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 695,[1] making it the least populous county in the state, and the 14th-smallest county by population in the United States. Its county seat is Mosquero.[2] The county is named for United States President Warren G. Harding, and was created (from parts of Union and Mora Counties) on the day of his inauguration as president on March 4, 1921.
Mosquero post office
Location within the U.S. state of New Mexico
New Mexico's location within the U.S.
Mosquero
Largest village
2,126 sq mi (5,506 km2)
0.4 sq mi (1 km2), 0.02%
Population (est.)
• (2016)
0.3/sq mi (0.1/km2)
Mountain: UTC−7/−6
The only incorporated cities in Harding County are Roy and Mosquero.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,126 square miles (5,510 km2), of which 2,125 square miles (5,500 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (0.02%) is water.[3] It is divided between a high, nearly treeless prairie to the northwest (the southern limit of the High Plains), and a lower semi-desert rangeland to the southeast, by the eastern portion of the steep Canadian Escarpment. The Canadian River, in a deep and narrow canyon, forms the western border with Mora County; the southwest border runs along the edge of the Bell Ranch land in San Miguel County. The eastern part of Harding County is underlain in part by the Bravo Dome carbon dioxide gas field, which is commercially extracted.
Union County - northeast
Quay County - southeast
San Miguel County - south
Mora County - west
Colfax County - northwest
Kiowa National Grassland (part)
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
2000 censusEdit
As of the 2000 census,[9] there were 810 people, 371 households, and 231 families residing in the county. The population density was 0.38 people per square mile (0.15/km²). There were 545 housing units at an average density of 0.26 per square mile (0.1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.32% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 1.36% Native American, 10.62% from other races, and 3.33% from two or more races. 44.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 371 households out of which 22.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.60% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.50% were non-families. 35.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the county, the population was spread out with 20.20% under the age of 18, 4.60% from 18 to 24, 18.80% from 25 to 44, 28.10% from 45 to 64, and 28.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 102.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,111, and the median income for a family was $36,667. Males had a median income of $22,750 versus $15,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,240. About 12.90% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.30% of those under age 18 and 11.30% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2010 census, there were 695 people, 349 households, and 213 families residing in the county.[10] The population density was 0.3 inhabitants per square mile (0.12/km2). There were 526 housing units at an average density of 0.2 per square mile (0.077/km2).[11] The racial makeup of the county was 86.9% white, 1.2% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 10.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 43.0% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 11.0% were German, and 2.2% were American.[12]
Of the 349 households, 15.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.0% were non-families, and 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.49. The median age was 55.9 years.[10]
The median income for a household in the county was $33,750 and the median income for a family was $56,563. Males had a median income of $36,167 versus $29,111 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,684. About 9.1% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 24.7% of those age 65 or over.[13]
CommunitiesEdit
Mosquero (county seat)
Presidential elections results
2016 59.0% 311 29.6% 156 11.4% 60
1924 42.1% 721 41.7% 714 16.1% 276
National Register of Historic Places listings in Harding County, New Mexico
^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES - 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS - 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
Coordinates: 35°52′N 103°49′W / 35.86°N 103.82°W / 35.86; -103.82
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__label__cc | 0.605379 | 0.394621 | The Musical Times
(Redirected from Musical Times)
The Musical Times is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in that country. It was originally published as The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular from 1844 until 1903.[1][2] Its title was shortened to its present name from January 1904.[3] The journal originally appeared monthly but is now a quarterly publication. It is also available online at JSTOR and RILM Abstracts of Music Literature Full Text.
Former name(s)
The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular
Musical Times Publications (United Kingdom)
ISO 4 (alt) · Bluebook (alt1 · alt2)
NLM (alt) · MathSciNet (alt )
Music. Times
MIAR
Past editors include F. G. Edwards (1897-1909),[4] Harvey Grace, Stanley Sadie (1967-1987) and Eric Wen.
^ Publisher Information: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
^ "Front Matter". The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular. 44 (730): 769-776. 1903. JSTOR 904250.
^ "Volume Information". The Musical Times. 45 (731): i-viii. 1904. JSTOR 903288.
^ "Frederick George Edwards. Born, October 11, 1853. Died, November 28, 1909" . The Musical Times. 51 (803): 9-11. January 1910. JSTOR 907487 - via Wikisource.
The Musical Times on Blogger;
The Musical Times from 1845 to 1854 at the Emeroteca Digitale Italiana.
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
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This journalism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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__label__wiki | 0.672366 | 0.672366 | Romani people in Greece
(Redirected from Roma in Greece)
The Romani people of Greece or Romá (Greek: Ρομάνι/Ρομά) are called Arlije/Erlides (Greek: Ερλίδες), Tsiganoi (Greek: Τσιγγάνοι), Athiganoi (Αθίγγανοι), or the more derogatory term Gyftoi (Greek: Γύφτοι) (Gypsies). The number of Roma in Greece has been estimated to be up to 300,000 people.[1] On 8 April 2019 the Greek government stated that the number of Roma people in Greece is around 110,000.[2]
The Romani people originate from the Northern India,[3][4][5][6][7][8] presumably from the northwestern Indian states Rajasthan[7][8] and Punjab.[7] Linguistic evidence has shown that roots of Romani language lie in India: the language has grammatical characteristics of Indian languages and shares with them a big part of the basic lexicon, for example, body parts or daily routines.[9]
Arrival into the BalkansEdit
The history of Roma in Greece goes back to the 15th century. The name Gypsy(Gyftos=Γύφτος) sometimes used for the Romani people was first given to them by the Greeks, who supposed them to be Egyptian in origin.[10][11] Due to their nomadic nature, they are not concentrated in a specific geographical area, but are dispersed all over the country. The majority of the Greek Roma are Orthodox Christians who speak the Romani language in addition to Greek. Most of the Roma who live in Western Thrace are Muslims and speak a dialect of the same language.[12]
SettlementsEdit
The Roma in Greece live scattered on the whole territory of the country, mainly in the suburbs. Notable centres of Romani life in Greece are Agia Varvara which has a very successful Romani community and Ano Liosia where conditions are poorer. Roma largely maintain their own customs and traditions. Although a large number of Roma has adopted a sedentary and urban way of living, there are still settlements in some areas. The nomads at the settlements often differentiate themselves from the rest of the population. They number 200,000 according to the Greek government. According to the National Commission for Human Rights that number is closer to 250,000 and according to the Greek Helsinki Watch group to 300,000.[12]
As a result of neglect by the state, among other factors, the Romani communities in Greece face several problems including high rates of child labour and abuse, low school attendance, police discrimination and drug trafficking. The most serious issue is the housing problem since many Roma in Greece still live in tents, on properties they do not own, making them subject to eviction. In the past decade these issues have received wider attention and some state funding.[12]
On two occasions, the European Committee of Social Rights found Greece in violation of the European Social Charter by its policy towards Roma in the field of housing.[13][14] Furthermore, between 1998-2002, 502 Albanian Roma children disappeared from the Greek Foundation for children Agia Varvara.[15] These cases were not investigated by the Greek authorities until the European Union forced an investigation, which only led to the recovery of 4 children. The children who were sold were presumably sold to human traffickers for sexual slavery or organ harvesting, according to a report submitted by the Greek government to the European Commission.[16][17]
ReligionEdit
The majority of the Greek Roma are Orthodox Christian and have taken a Greek identity (language, names) while a small part of them, the Muslim Roma concentrated in Thrace have adopted Turkish identities.
Music and danceEdit
Roma in Greece are known for the zurna and davul duos (analogous to the shawm and drum partnership common in Romani music) and Izmir-influenced koumpaneia music. Koumpaneia has long been popular among Greek Roma and Jews (the latter being some of the most popular performers before World War II).
Notable Roma from GreeceEdit
Kostas Hatzis
Manolis Angelopoulos, singer
Paola Foka, singer
Kostas Hatzis, singer and musician
Irini Merkouri, singer
Christos Patsatzoglou, Greek international football player
Vassilis Saleas, clarinetist
Eleni Vitali, singer and composer
Sotis Volanis, singer
Giorgos Giakoumakis, footballer
Minorities in Greece
^ "Greece NGO". Greek Helsinki Monitor. LV: Minelres.
^ "Premier Tsipras Hosts Roma Delegation for International Romani Day". greekreporter. LV: Nick Kampouris.
^ Hancock 2002, p. xx: 'While a nine century removal from India has diluted Indian biological connection to the extent that for some Romanian groups, it may be hardly representative today, Sarren (1976:72) concluded that we still remain together, genetically, Asian rather than European'
^ Mendizabal, Isabel (6 December 2012). "Reconstructing the Population History of European Romani from Genome-wide Data". Current Biology. 22 (24): 2342-2349. . PMID 23219723. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
^ Sindya N. Bhanoo (11 December 2012). "Genomic Study Traces Roma to Northern India". The New York Times.
^ Current Biology.
^ a b c K. Meira Goldberg; Ninotchka Devorah Bennahum; Michelle Heffner Hayes (28 September 2015). Flamenco on the Global Stage: Historical, Critical and Theoretical Perspectives. p. 50. ISBN 9780786494705. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ a b Simon Broughton; Mark Ellingham; Richard Trillo (1999). World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East. p. 147. ISBN 9781858286358. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Šebková, Hana; Žlnayová, Edita (1998), Nástin mluvnice slovenské romštiny (pro pedagogické účely) (PDF), Ústí nad Labem: Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem, p. 4, ISBN 978-80-7044-205-0, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016
^ "Roma in Greece: Tough Life, Segregation and... Crimes - GreekReporter.com". greece.greekreporter.com.
^ "Αθίγγανοι, Ρομ, τσιγγάνοι ή γύφτοι και από πού κρατούν οι ρίζες τους - ". .
^ a b c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 September 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ "La Charte sociale européenne" (PDF). Coe.int. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ Mariam, Nicky (29 August 2013). "Agia Varvara Children Still Missing | GreekReporter.com". Greece.greekreporter.com. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ "Hopiema" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
^ "Children, Racism and the Greek State |". 2ndcouncilhouse.co.uk. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
Roma in Greece, 1999
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__label__wiki | 0.924478 | 0.924478 | This article is about the artist. For his self-titled album, see Sean Kingston (album).
KiSean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990)[2], known professionally as Sean Kingston, is a Jamaican-American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer whose first album, Sean Kingston, was released in 2007.
Kingston performing at the 2009 Shout Awards at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kisean Paul Anderson
(1990-02-03) February 3, 1990 (age 29)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Kingston, Jamaica
Reggae fusion
R&B[1]
Beluga Heights
Iyaz
J.R. Rotem
R. City
Born Kisean Anderson in Miami, Florida, Kingston was the first of three children born to Janice Turner.[3] Kingston's family moved to Kingston, Jamaica, when he was six.[4] Kingston attended Ocho Rios High School in Ocho Rios for three years before migrating back to the United States.[5][6] His grandfather was the noted Jamaican reggae producer Lawrence Lindo,[7] who worked under the stage name Jack Ruby.[8][4][9]
2007-08: Sean KingstonEdit
Kingston was discovered on Myspace by Matt Tobin at Beluga Heights, and signed to the label in a partnership deal with Sony.[10] In an interview with HitQuarters label head and producer J.R. Rotem described this process with regards to Kingston:
Sean Kingston was a rapper when we found him and it was a development process to get him more melodic. At Beluga we essentially refine the talent so that it's more of a marketable product.[10]
In a venture between Epic Records and Koch Records, Kingston recorded and released the single "Beautiful Girls" in May 2007.[11] The song peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. "Beautiful Girls" was a success internationally, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, the song spent four weeks at the summit of the UK Singles Chart.[12] In 2007, Kingston was the opening act for Gwen Stefani's The Sweet Escape Tour and for select dates on Beyoncé's The Beyoncé Experience Tour. In 2008, he was one of the opening acts for the Australian leg of Kelly Clarkson's My December Tour.[13] Since Sean was a Jamaican singer, he got his stage name from the capital of Jamaica called Kingston.
2009-10: TomorrowEdit
Kingston performing in 2009.
The album Tomorrow was released on September 22, 2009. Producers involved in the album included former Fugee Wyclef Jean; RedOne (of recent Lady Gaga fame); plus Sean's original mentor, J. R. Rotem.[14] "Fire Burning" and "Face Drop" were released as singles. Additionally, five promotional digital singles were released leading up to the album. Kingston co-wrote Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say". He also found the R&B-reggae singer Iyaz on MySpace and signed him to J.R. Rotem's record label.[15] He also recorded the track "Miss Everything" for the UK girl-group Sugababes studio album Sweet 7 which was released March 15, 2010, in the UK. Kingston and DJ Khaled are being featured on Bow Wow's new single "For My Hood", from the movie, The Lottery Ticket.[16] He had a performance in the O2 Arena where he was supported by Mumzy Stranger.[17]
2010-2013: Back 2 Life, King Of Kingz "Lee Strike" and other projectsEdit
The album features T-Pain, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Flo Rida, Soulja Boy, Wyclef Jean, Cher Lloyd, Akon and Dr. Dre.[18][19] The first single from the album is "Eenie Meenie" featuring Justin Bieber, released on March 23, 2010,[20] which is also included on Bieber's My World 2.0 album. The second single from the album is "Letting Go (Dutty Love)", which features a verse from Nicki Minaj. It was released on iTunes August 3, while the third is "Dumb Love" and was released on iTunes September 8. Sean Kingston's new song "She Moves" samples Irena Cara's "What a Feeling" from the film Flashdance. This has not been release as a single. A fourth single "Party All Night (Sleep All Day)" was released on December 21, 2010.
Kingston represented the continents of North and South America to sing the Official Theme Song of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, "Everyone". He collaborated with four other artists representing their continent, South African Jody Williams representing Africa, Singaporean Tabitha Nauser (Asia), Briton Steve Appleton (Europe) and Australian Jessica Mauboy representing Oceania.[21] However, Kingston was unable to attend the Singapore Youth Olympics 2010 opening ceremony due to passport mix-ups.[22] Sean was invited to be featured with Cash Money Records/former So So Def member Bow Wow on his single "For My Hood". He performed it with him and DJ Khaled on BET's television program 106 & Park the day after release.
Kingston planned to release a mixtape with pop star Justin Bieber, called Our World. It featured about 12-14 songs and included their versions of songs like "Pretty Boy Swag", Eagles hit single, "Lyin Eyes" and "Billionaire". The mixtape was completed and Kingston showed his fans a preview on uStream on August 19, 2010, .[citation needed] However, the album was never released. Kingston also went on to perform on the first leg of Bieber's tour. Kingston released his first mixtape, King of Kingz, on February 3, 2011, as a free download only. The mixtape includes guest appearances by Akon, Flo Rida, Soulja Boy, Justin Bieber, B.o.B and Tory Lanez. Kingston has announced that his new album will be called Back 2 Life.[23] He also said in an interview with MTV that he would be completely re-doing the album and that the previous singles will not be on it. Kingston linked up with T.I. on the set of the video for "Back 2 Life", the street single off his upcoming album of the same name. The two shot the video in Los Angeles with comedian Mike Epps. In November 2012, Kingston performed in the Dubai Caribbean Carnival at Downtown Dubai with Jason Derülo and Bow Wow. On April 13, 2013 iTunes put up the preorder of Back 2 Life, its cover art and track listing as well as a release date of September 10, 2013.[24]
2013-present: Upcoming fourth studio albumEdit
In March 2013, Kingston announced plans for his upcoming fourth studio album while stating that he will be recording with Disney and pop star Zendaya. At the same time, he said that they're both recording a song titled "Heart on Empty", which Kingston described as "a soulful ballad that you all will be sure to remember." In November, Kingston also guest-starred, along with Chance the Rapper, Debra Wilson, Erykah Badu, Mel B, Rochelle Jordan, David Alan Grier and Christopher "Kid" Reid, in the Bob Marley episode of Black Dynamite on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. In March 2015, Kingston posted on Instagram a picture with Swedish record producer RedOne, confirming that they were working on the album.[25] In May 2015, Sean Kingston posted a snippet of the then-upcoming lead single from his fourth studio album.[26][27] On September 14, 2015, Kingston premiered his first single in two years titled "Wait Up", the lead single off his upcoming fourth studio album.[28] Music videos were released for "One Away" and "All I Got" in January and March 2016, respectively. In March 2017 he announced the release of the "Made in Jamaica" mixtape, preceded by the single "Chance" that featured Vybz Kartel.[29]
In 2018 he participated with Italian singer Giusy Ferreri on the vocal part of the single "Amore e capoeira", by Italian record producers Takagi & Ketra.[30]
ActivismEdit
Kingston filmed a public service announcement with Do Something to encourage teens to become active in their communities by forming a Do Something club.[31] In 2010, he appeared with one of his dogs in an ad for PETA, encouraging people not to chain their dogs outside.[32]
Jet-Skiing accidentEdit
In June 2010 Kingston was involved in a near-fatal jet-skiing accident off Miami, Florida. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. Kingston was cited by Miami police for "careless operation", and required to pay a 180-dollar fine.[33] By 2018, he had begun to ride jet skis again.[34]
CriminalEdit
In 2010, Kingston and his bodyguard were accused of gang rape, with a 19-year-old victim. The case was settled outside of court in 2013.[35]
Main article: Sean Kingston discography
Sean Kingston (2007)
Tomorrow (2009)
King of Kingz (mixtape) (2011)
Back 2 Life (2013)
Awards and nominationsEdit
Image Awards
2008, Outstanding New Artist (Nominated)
MOBO Awards
2007: Best Reggae Ever Acts (Win)
MTV Video Music Awards Japan
2013: Best Reggae Video "Back 2 Life (Live It Up)" (Nominated)
2007: Choice R&B Track "Beautiful Girls" (Win)
2007: Choice Summer Track "Beautiful Girls" (Nominated)
2009: Choice Summer Song "Fire Burning" (Nominated)
^ "Sean Kingston in stable condition following jet ski crash in Miami". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^
^ Richie, Nik (8 February 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Sean Kingston - The Kingston Family Tradition, Momma Kingston Janice Turner Loves To Chargeback". The Dirty.
^ a b Jeffries, David. "Sean Kingston > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
^ "Jamaica Observer Limited". Jamaica Observer.
^ Lewis, Pete (February 14, 2008), "A Beauuutiful Interview with Sean Kingston", Blues and Soul (1003), retrieved June 15, 2010
^ Unterberger, Richie. "Jack "L. Lindo" Ruby > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
^ Lewis, Pete (August 17, 2009), "Sean Kingston: Fired Up", Blues & Soul (1023)
^ Lucci, Amanda (August 3, 2010). "Sean Kingston talks about touring, third album". Star-News. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
^ a b "Interview With JR Rotem". HitQuarters. April 4, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
^ Garrity, Brian (August 12, 2007). "No Rap Turf War Here". New York, New Zealand, Southern Hemisphere, Earth, Milky Way Post. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
^ "UK Singles Chart". January 9, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
^ "Sean Kingston At Rod Laver Melbourne". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
^ Stephen Clark - Design. "Sean Kingston: Fired up!". bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "Iyaz: 'Replay'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "Interview: Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson and Naturi Naughton of "Lottery Ticket"". ARTISTdirect. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "Mumzy to support Sean Kingston". DesiHits. 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
^ Koroma, Salima (July 20, 2010). "Dr. Dre Makes Beats For Justin Bieber | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
^ "Two New Lil Wayne Songs To Be Looking Out For + Rebirth Album Pushed Back?". Lil Wayne Fansite - Weezy Blog. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ Bartolomeo, Joey (March 4, 2010). "LISTEN: Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston's New Jam". People. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
^ Singapore Youth Olympics 2010 Archived 2011-03-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
^ No Kingston at YOG due to passport mix up. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
^ "New Album Title..." Facebook. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
^ "iTunes - Music - Back 2 Life by Sean Kingston". iTunes. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "Ultimate Music - Sean Kingston's fourth studio album - Working with RedOne". Ultimate Music. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Sean Kingston "Speaking Tongues" [New Music] - BeatCog". beatcog.com. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
^ "Sean Kingston Celebrates Jamaican Roots in Video for 'Chance,' Feat. Vybz Kartel: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
^ "Takagi & Ketra: E' uscito "Amore e capoeira", nuovo singolo feat. Giusy Ferreri & Sean Kingston - radioufita.it".
^ "Start a Do Something Club - Sean Kingston". Youtube.
^ "Sean Kingston: Chill With Your Dogs," ABS-CBNnews.com, 15 September 2010.
^ "SEAN KINGSTON Jet Ski Accident Caused By Inattention, Inexperience". TMZ. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
^ "SEAN KINGSTON JET SKIING AGAIN After Near-Fatal Accident". TMZ. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
^
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sean Kingston.
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__label__wiki | 0.876594 | 0.876594 | Speculator, New York
Speculator is a village in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 324 at the 2010 census.[6] 2,966-foot (904 m) Speculator Mountain rises just south of the village.
Location in Hamilton County and the state of New York
Munro Collie Smith[2]
47.2 sq mi (122.3 km2)
1,739 ft (530 m)
7.26/sq mi (2.80/km2)
UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
12164, 12812[5]
Speculator is the only incorporated village within Hamilton County and is within the town of Lake Pleasant.[1] The village includes the northeastern end of a lake, also called Lake Pleasant.[5] The local inhabitants sometimes refer to the village as the "Four Corners", referring to the intersection of NYS Route 8 and NYS Route 30 in the middle of the business district.[citation needed]
Speculator is within the Adirondack Park.[1]
Native AmericansEdit
Archeological evidence of Native Americans has been found in arrowheads and spearheads near the shores of Lake Pleasant. Many historians believe Speculator was the hunting and fishing grounds of both Mohawk and Algonquin tribes. These Native Americans would only travel to the Adirondack Mountains to hunt during the warm months, while their villages were located in the Mohawk and Hudson Valley regions. There was a Mohawk, who named himself Captain Gill, who lived in a wigwam at the outlet of Lake Pleasant, during the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. He had a wife named Molly, who had a daughter named Molly Jr., although Capt. Gill didn't claim the daughter as his own. Old Capt. Gill was a trail guide for the first settlers. He would show them places to hunt and fish. Capt. Gill was most famous for his storytelling of the Iroquois Nation, such as the Flying Head.[7][8][9]
Newton's CornersEdit
The small settlement at the outlet of Lake Pleasant was part of the town of Lake Pleasant. In 1864 Joel Newton built a small store and hotel in the center of town and secured a post office with the name "Newton's Corners". At that time Page Hill and Page Street were included in Newton's Corners. Joel Newton's structure burned in 1870, and in 1872 the Newton's Corners post office was reopened in Satterlee's store. Henry Dunning built a hotel in 1882 where Newton's hotel had been and the post office had moved there, and in 1896 the community received a new name, "Speculator", after the mountain seen across the lake.
Becoming SpeculatorEdit
In 1892, a few ambitious and industrious business leaders felt they needed to update and modernize their facilities. Speculator was a "booming Mecca" for tourists. With the support of the voters in 1925, the village of Speculator was incorporated with a mayor and two trustees, which later changed to four trustees. The village of Speculator purchased a small water system of Dexter Slack and expanded it. The village had a generating plant and waterwheel installed at Christine Falls, and by 1926 they had electricity.
Age of tourismEdit
Growth escalated in the Victorian era between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s. Entire families spent their summers enjoying the mountain hospitality and fresh air. Several more hotels were built to accommodate them, and eventually more stores, homes and several cottages were built. Around the 1850s, city sportsmen began to come to the Adirondack Mountains to hunt, fish, and enjoy expeditions into the deep woods. They hired local men to be guides, who provided food and crude lean-tos for shelter. Hunting shanties were later widely used. With these sportsmen came their whole families to use the many hotels and boardinghouses in Lake Pleasant and Speculator. Private summer camps and cottages were built and along came the established family and children camps. Camps such as Camp-of-the-Woods, Camp Setag for girls, Kamp Kun-ju-muk for boys, the YMCA Camp Agaming, and Deerfoot Lodge for boys were established around the shores of local lakes. After World War I, famous athletes came to practice in the isolated communities, such as Gene Tunney, Max Schmeling, and Max Baer who arrived to train for their heavyweight championship fights at various times. [10]
Age of lumberingEdit
In the beginning, small sawmills provided lumber for local use. After the Civil War, large lumber companies formed and mills were built near the Glens Falls area. At first logging was prevalent along the upper Hudson River which was used to float the logs to the mills. Later, logging operations moved into Lake Pleasant, and the Sacandaga River, the outlet of Lake Pleasant, was used to float logs to Glens Falls as the state of New York designated rivers as public highways for moving logs to the larger companies. Many local farmers found winter employment as lumberjacks, and also supplied the companies with potatoes, meat, animal feed and dairy products. The lumber companies bought large parcels of land for their timber. Some of this land was later abandoned and became state land. This was the beginning of the Adirondack Park as designated in 1892.
Speculator is located at 43°31′37″N 74°21′47″W / 43.52694°N 74.36306°W / 43.52694; -74.36306 (43.526920, -74.363185).[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 47.2 square miles (122 km2), of which 44.7 square miles (116 km2) are land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2), or 5.46%, are water.
Speculator Mountain, with an altitude of 2,966 feet (904 m), is south of the village.
Lake Pleasant and Sacandaga Lake are west of the village.[5] The Sacandaga River assumes its riverine nature from the outflow of Lake Pleasant at Speculator, although much of the water flows from Sacandaga Lake through the Sacandaga Lake Outlet into Lake Pleasant underneath NY-8 southwest of the village.[citation needed]
NY 8 and NY 30 intersect and combine in the village.
The entire village is located within the Lake Pleasant Central School District.[5]
As of the census of 2000, there were 348 people, 163 households, and 94 families residing in the village. The population density was 7.8 people per square mile (3.0/km²). There were 484 housing units at an average density of 10.8 per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.26% White, 1.72% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 1.15% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.[3]
There were 163 households out of which 17.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.61.[3]
In the village, the population was spread out with 14.7% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.6 males.[3]
The median income for a household in the village was $33,393, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $20,417 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,089. About 4.3% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[3]
Additional informationEdit
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Speculator calls itself the "All Season Vacationland". A public beach is located in the village on the north lake shore. Free parking is available across the street from the beach. There is a baseball field, basketball court and large pavilion next to the parking lot. There is also a nature walk behind the pavilion.
Speculator Mountain, for which the village was named, lies just south of the village on Gilmantown Road, and is visible from most of the village. Oak Mountain is the location of the Oak Mountain Ski Center, located just north of the four corners.
The Grace Methodist Church Complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.[13]
ChoppedEdit
Two chefs from Speculator,[citation needed] Steven Tempel and Lance Nitahara, were featured on the Food Network show Chopped in the episode "Crunch Time", which aired on July 6, 2010.[14] Tempel was eliminated after the appetizer, but Nitahara held on until the dessert, at which he was eliminated.[citation needed] Nitahara later returned to the show in a special Chopped Redemption episode and subsequently won.
^ a b c "Welcome". Hamilton County, NY. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
^ "Government". Town of Lake Pleasant. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
^ a b c d e "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
^ a b c d Hamilton County Online Mapping System (Map). variable. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Speculator village, New York". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
^ Weaver, Anne A., and Beverly Hoffman. "Introduction." Lake Pleasant and Speculator in the Adirondacks. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2010. 7-8. Print.
^ Aber, Ted, and Stella King. Tales from an Adirondack County. Prospect, NY: Prospect, 1981. Print.
^ Aber, Ted, and Stella Brooks King. The History of Hamilton County. Lake Pleasant, NY: Great Wilderness, 1965. Print
^ "Welcome!". Town of Lake Pleasant. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
^ "National Register of Historic Places". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/09/15 through 2/13/15. National Park Service. 2015-02-20.
^ ""Chopped" Crunch Time (TV episode 2010)". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Lake Pleasant and Speculator in the Adirondacks by Anne Weaver and Beverly Hoffman. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
Speculator Chamber of Commerce
Speculator information
Gene Tunney at Speculator
Brief history of area
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__label__wiki | 0.77281 | 0.77281 | World News in Brief: January 10
Thursday, 2019-01-10 10:35:31
Cambodia dispatched the eighth batch of 184 peacekeepers to Lebanon on January 9 to replace the seventh group, whose one-year United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has come to an end.
* Myanmar will launch Mekong-Lancang Cultural Exchange Youth Camp with the use of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Fund, aiming at enhancing cooperation between cultural groups and youth artists from six Mekong-Lancang countries, Myanmar News Agency reported on January 10.
* The Republic of Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed the offer by Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to resume inter-Korean cooperation projects during his New Year press conference on January 10.
* The DPRK leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping had in-depth discussions on how to "jointly study and steer" the situation on the Korean peninsula and denuclearisation talks, DPRK's state media KCNA said on January 10.
* Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel replaced his transport and finance ministers this week in his first cabinet reshuffle since forming his own government in July and amid a cash crunch and growing discontent with the island's transport sector.
* Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond said it would be against British people's interests to leave the European Union without an exit deal, but declined to say how the government would respond if parliament refused to back its Brexit plans.
* Mexican authorities will meet with Central American officials to prepare for the arrival of a planned new caravan of migrants headed to the United States next week.
* Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a state-owned Israeli technology company, announced on January 9 that it has sold the US military "Trophy" protection systems for vehicles in a deal worth US$200 million.
* Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on January 9 called on the public to be patient and cooperative as the government's strategy to combat fuel theft disrupted supplies to gas stations, leading to long lines of vexed motorists.
* German officials are racing to bolster cyber security after a far-reaching data breach carried out by a 20-year-old student laid bare the vulnerability of Europe's largest economy ahead of a critical European Parliament election in May.
* Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission on January 10 declared opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi the winner of the Dec. 30 presidential election.
* The US-led coalition fired 15 missiles on the last two towns controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group in the eastern Euphrates River region in eastern Syria on January 9, a war monitor reported.
* The UN humanitarian chief on January 9 called for progress on the humanitarian front in Yemen following the implementation of a ceasefire that largely restored Hodeidah to calm.
* Morocco produced 35 percent of its electrical power in 2018 from renewable energy sources, said here on January 9 Moroccan Minister of Energy, Mining and Sustainable Development Aziz Rabbah.
Xinhua, Reuters
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__label__wiki | 0.729 | 0.729 | Music Notes: September 2012
September 30, 2012 at 8:01 pm (Uncategorized)
The fall edition...
1. The XX - Coexist
I confess, I can never remember which XX song I'm listening to whenever the album is playing. They all have a dreamy vibe to them. The second album is no different, except it does seem more confident in its setting. Somehow more roomy. Perfect for Saturday night or Sunday morning.
2. All Tomorrow's Parties
Named for the Velvets song, this film and the music festival for which it was named, is certainly worth checking out. The basic principle is that each year a group is named to "curate" the festival, which makes for a pretty interesting selection of artists every year. The film takes the form of a series of interviews and snippets of live performances. Not really much direction, but some very fine bands. And to think it usually takes place at British Holiday camps.
3. The Smiths - s/t
Never owned a copy of this until a few weeks back. A local used CD shop was having a sale, and I picked this up. Really a terrific record - a great balance of Johnny Marr's guitar nad Morrissey's miserableness. "Suffer Little Children" (the song about the Moors Murderers still sends chills up my spine)
4. Townes Van Zandt - Live at the Old Quarter, Houston Texas
A live 2 CD set containing highlights from Townes' 1973 shows. Simply a marvellous, fucked-up songwriter and story-teller. I saw Townes in Toronto a few years before his death, along with what seemed like most of Toronto's country-folk establishment in the audience (inc the Cowboy Junkies and Blue Rodeo). That was a great show too. This set features a younger, more vital Townes. Go find it.
5. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols
Ah, it's the 35th anniversary of this one, so expect all sorts of nostalgia along with the re-issue package. It's easy to forget in all of the time that has passed and in all the subsequent reunions accompanying cynicism, just how dangerous this record was. No, not really dangerous, but there was such hatred for this band. I was a little young to fully appreciate this until the moment had passed, but still a stunning record. Whatever followed, this was the real thing.
6. The Pogues - Poguetry in Motion
I'm working my way through The Wire and am halfway through season three. At the ed of an episode, there's a wake for a fellow officer. "The Body of an American" is the song they sing along to. The rest of this EP is quite wonderful as well. Whatever mood you're in, the Pogues make you feel better.
7. One Direction - "Live While We're Young "
No I haven't gone soft, but I do have a 12 year-old daughter. For the past, oh I don't know, forever, One D have been a staple in my house. And as much as I detest boy bands, I'll admit that the lads aren't the worst - "What Makes you Beautiful" is a well-crafted pop song. However, boy bands tend to have an expiry date, and with their new album a matter of weeks away, talk turns to whether or not they still have "it." This new single, in my opinion, doesn't. It's not terrible. It just sounds like one of those songs that end up as outtakes on the deluxe edition of the album. Countless One D-ers may disagree, so we'll see. Just sounds a bit samey to my ears.
8. Non-"Intro/Total War"
Dating back to 1992, this song appears on the free CD given away with the September issue of Mojo magazine. The theme of the CD is electricity and is selected by Mute's Daniel Miller. Hard to really describe except to say it has a suffocating intensity. Miller writes on the liner notes: I ended this compilation with [it] because it's a track that can't be followed." Uh huh.
9. Le Tigre - "Deceptacon"
No, not the autobots sworn enemies. Hadn't listened to this in ages, but the track is featured in last week's episode of the mediocre "The Mindy Project." Interesting. (Actually prefer the DFA remix though).
10. Sam Sniderman
The passing of Sam the Record Man founder Sam Sniderman marks an end of some kind of era. Sam's was the first record store I went into in Canada (probably the one in Niagara Square - think I bought Lou Reed's Rock n Roll Animal). The big Sam's on Yonge Street was one of the first mega-stores in Toronto, and you could easily while away hours there. Never the coolest record chain (can a chain ever be cool?), its disappearance a few years back in the digital age made me reminiscent about the days when you lined up outside the store to buy the new record from your favourite band. Downloading just doesn't have the same thrill. Goodbye Sam.
PS Saw First Aid Kit last week. Review coming soon.
Michael Cho: Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes
September 29, 2012 at 5:56 pm (Uncategorized) (arts, illustration, michael cho)
On Thursday, I went down to Gallery 129 on Ossington Avenue to see a small exhibition of Michael Cho's work from his book Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes.
The book is a collection of Cho's paintings of, well, back alleys and urban landscapes in Toronto. Cho has an arresting style which to me calls to mind those phrases about the lonely city. It's striking the almost total absence of people in these paintings. Haunting.
Unfortunately, the exhibition ends today, but have a look at his stuff at his blog
The book is published by Drawn and Quarterly.
Exchanges on South Africa
South Africa has become a news fixture again since the recent massacre of miners.
There's a good exchange of Internationalist Perspective's blog on recent events and the character of South Africa. It's a bit long to re-post, but head on over to IP's blog.
Back to the Grind
Following an all to brief liberation, I've had to return to wage slavery, which accounts for the lack of posts this month. Sorry. Will try to rectify that.
Still, on a Sunday, I'm reminded of the lyric from the Smiths' "Still Ill" :
"and if you must go to work tomorrow
well, if I were you I wouldn't bother
for there are brighter sides to life
and I should know because I've seem them
but not very often..."
Which is all very nice if you can afford to be off work. For most people, work is a deeply unpleasant, alienating activity, the only alternative to which is quite often even more unpleasant.
New Aufheben (2012)
September 13, 2012 at 9:35 pm (Uncategorized) (politics)
The UK communist journal has changed its publishing schedule. Up to now, the collective has always published its annual issue in late October in time for the London Anarchist bookfair. Now it's earlier. This is a bit of a problem if you rely on me to get your copy at the Toronto, Hamilton or Montreal anarchist bookfairs. The issue arrives after they've taken place.
This issue contains four articles: An editorial on workfare, green capitalism, the Euro crisis and a piece on the Arab Spring written by the German group Friends of the Classless Society.
The issue is a bit thicker than usual and a bit more expensive - $8. Get in touch with me if you're interested in touch.
Language is a Virus (again)
I was dropping my kid off for the school bus the other morning when a curious scene unfolded in front of me.
A group of other children were waiting for the bus too, but entertaining themselves with an inpromptu game of long jump. "Get a choc rock" said one of them. Initially I thought I had misheard. Maybe shakra? OK, that's a bit unlikely for 9 year olds. Chocolate rock , a new type of candy? I listened further.
Turns out it was chalk rock (to mark where they landed). I don't think I've ever heard "chalk" and rock rhymed before. I grew up in England, and while my accent is considerably more Canadian than it was when I was a child, it still bears the scars of an English upbringing: Chalk for me is always has that "or" sound it in not an OH sound (sorry, couldn't find IPA symbols). Does it matter?
In the UK, accent was and is always a matter of judgement. Does it matterin the US? Have a read through this piece from last Sunday's Times. Interesting. Especially since Obama is criticized for being too black and not black enough elsewhere - also because a goodly number of white kids effect "black" speak.
Obama and the Racial Politics of America.
TWO aspects of President Obama's acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night were of linguistic interest. The first was "signifying" - the use of indirect humor as critique, and a much discussed feature of black speech. "My opponent and his running mate are ... new ... to foreign policy," he said, adding the two pauses for great comedic effect. The second, and more familiar, was the soaring crescendo, beginning with "in the words of Scripture, ours is a future filled with hope," in which Mr. Obama demonstrated his strongest mode of linguistic performance - the black preacher style - to end his remarks ("knowing that providence is with us and that we are surely blessed").
"Artful," the Republican strategist Steve Schmidt called it. "Literary," said the liberal commentator Rachel Maddow.
Language played a notable role in the last election cycle, when President George W. Bush and Joseph R. Biden Jr., now the vice president, called Mr. Obama "articulate," and the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, observed that Mr. Obama spoke "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."
Language is playing a role in this electoral season, too, but in ways most observers have overlooked. Because language is a primary factor in shaping whether a politician is seen as "likable" or "relatable," the stark differences in speaking styles between Mr. Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, are probably contributing to the persistently higher marks for "personality" that Mr. Obama has gotten in numerous polls.
Mr. Romney's manner of speaking is essentially the verbal equivalent of his public persona: flat, one-dimensional, unable to connect. It is striking that he sounds almost the same in every speech, regardless of the audience. Observers have chronicled the wooden, monotonous nature of his delivery, the lack of tonal variation, the multiple hedges, the forced laughter, the "Leave It to Beaver"-era "gosh"-ness of his speaking. A painfully awkward example: his attempt to interact with black youngsters, at a parade in Jacksonville, Fla., for Martin Luther King's Birthday in 2008, where he dully barked: "Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof." During the primary campaign this year, he was mocked as inauthentic for throwing in some "y'alls" while stumping in the South.
This linguistic judgment is not based on race or party. Our last three presidents have all been able to shift their speaking styles - an ability that is distinct from eloquence or empathy. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were known for speaking in a "folksy" manner: Mr. Clinton with black and Southern audiences, and Mr. Bush with Southern and Latino audiences (he would even switch into Spanish in his speeches). Before them, Lyndon B. Johnson was perhaps the president most notable for variation in speaking style. More recently, the blunt (and occasionally profane) style of Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, and the strategic sprinklings of Spanish by Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, have contributed to their rising profiles in the Republican Party.
In 2008, Mr. Obama took the linguistic flexibility of his predecessors to new heights. Take, for example, his style-shifting during a visit to Ben's Chili Bowl, a well-known Washington eatery, days before his inauguration in 2009. In a scene captured on YouTube, Mr. Obama declined to accept the change from a black cashier with the statement "Nah, we straight." These three short, seemingly simple, words exhibited distinct linguistic features associated with African-American ways of speaking.
First was the rendering of "no" as "nah." The vowel sound in "no" is like the one in "note," while the vowel sound in "nah" is like the one in "not" (not to be confused with the way some whites say "nah" as in "gnat," or the way some Southerners say "naw" like the vowel sound in "gnaw").
Second was Mr. Obama's use of "straight" in the sense of "O.K.," "fine," "all right." Observers have noted Mr. Obama's use of black slang in relation to hip-hop culture, his use of words like "flow" (the mapping of rhymes onto a beat) or "tight" (cool, hip). In his memoir "Dreams From My Father," Mr. Obama also used words and phrases that are not as widely known outside the black community, like "trifling" (lazy and inadequate) and "high-yella" (a reference to light-skinned blacks).
Third was Mr. Obama's omission of the word "are." The removal of forms of "to be" - what linguists call copula absence - is one of the most important and frequently studied features of black English.
MR. OBAMA'S embrace of the black preacher tradition is also reflected in his use of call-and-response. A quintessential example was his speech to a predominantly black crowd in South Carolina in 2008. He fired up the audience by slowly walking around the stage and then called them with words associated with Malcolm X:
Obama: They're tryna bamboozle you.
Audience response: Yes!
Obama: It's the same old okey-doke.
Audience: That's right!
Mr. Obama's ability to bring together "white syntax" with "black style" played a critical role in establishing his identity as both an American and a Christian.
It also has a multilingual dimension. In his 2011 visit to Puerto Rico, for example, he got cheers for using "boricua" to describe residents of the commonwealth. In "Dreams From My Father," he described learning enough Spanish in Harlem to "exchange pleasantries" with his Puerto Rican neighbors; noted that his Kenyan father spoke with a British accent; explained that he learned some Hawaiian Creole from his maternal grandfather; and claimed that it took him "less than six months to learn Indonesia's language, its customs, and its legends." Later in life, Mr. Obama wrote about greeting some of his Kenyan relatives in Luo. In March, The Washington Post even reported on his sign-language interactions with a deaf community college student.
While Mr. Obama's linguistic flexibility is a political asset, his style-shifting is not without its critics. There are some who read his "chameleon-like" speaking skills as not quite authentic, or as slightly patronizing - a sort of linguistic pandering. Some African-American critics have strongly objected to Mr. Obama's use in the public sphere of phrases deemed to be part of black private discourses. In June 2008, when Mr. Obama criticized absent black fathers, his style-shifting was read as a coded message to white voters that he could be tough on his own people, and prompted the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson to grumble that Mr. Obama was "talking down to black people."
For their part, right-wing critics have observed Mr. Obama's linguistic fluidity with a mix of admiration and outrage. "Obama can turn on that black dialect when he wants to, and turn it off," Rush Limbaugh once fumed.
Regardless of who wins in November, Mr. Obama's linguistic legacy will have implications for both education and politics. It's still true, as Mr. Obama wrote in his book "The Audacity of Hope," that "members of every minority group continue to be measured largely by the degree of our assimilation." But while racial and ethnic minorities (and working-class whites) must continue to learn "standard" American English - the country's dominant language - all children surely need to learn to understand and appreciate the nuances of America's diverse ways of speaking.
In a multiethnic, multicultural America where Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority and Asians are the fastest-growing minority, national politicians also will have to be fluent in multiple ways of speaking. For too long, sounding presidential meant sounding like a white, middle- or upper-class straight man (with modest leeway for regional accents). In 2012 and beyond, it's going to take a lot more than that to win over the hearts and minds - and ears - of the American people.
H. Samy Alim, the director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Language at Stanford University, and Geneva Smitherman, a professor of English at Michigan State University, are the authors of "Articulate While Black: Barack Obama, Language, and Race in the U.S."
VMA Blues
September 11, 2012 at 1:38 am (Uncategorized) (celebrities, entertainment, Music, video music awards)
Wanna feel old? Watch MTV's Video Music Awards with your (pre) teenage daughter.
Last week's VMAs confirmed for me how much I dislike much of what is popular among "the kids." That's OK, my kids hate most of what I listen to as well. I do like music, and like to think myself being informed about music. I still attend concerts and buy new music- while the music of my formative years (late 70s punk/post-punk) will probably always be dearest to my heart, I like to think I 'm not one of those geezers for whom music ended when the Beatles broke up. I guess I just don't like pop music (come to think of it, a lot of music in the charts in those halcyon days of 1977 was rubbish too). I am looking forward to 2:54 in November (and OK, the Rezillos too)
Still the interesting thing about watching awards shows is trying to guess who will still have a career five years from now. My daughter thinks that One Direction may be the best thing since sliced bread (maybe even better than sliced bread), but the chances are, 1D's best before date is fast approaching. The lads have new album, Take Me Home, out on November 12, but it seems unlikely to inspire the same near-hysteria as the first.
Rihanna, probably. Taylor Swift, yup. A$AP Rocky, somewhat less likely.
The fickleness of fame? But more than that, the music industry needs fresh product. A continual need to re-invent, then to package and sell. This year's crop of winners should enjoy the moment. In five years time, most of them won't have a career.
Labour Daze
September 3, 2012 at 2:26 pm (Uncategorized) (education unions)
Probably the last Labour Day event I went to in Toronto was 2001. Maybe.
I had been to an IWW General Assembly in Boston a few weeks earlier, and was handing out some or other piece of IWW literature. I joined the IWW at the urging of my friend Ed of The Bad Days Will End. A week or so later came the World Trade Center bombings, Ed disappeared and I lost interest in the Toronto branch (actually so did the other members - there is a new branch, but I don't have any contact with it)
But I used to go every year when I was a Trotskyist. In fact all of the Trotskyist left, (IS, TL, BT, Usec, NSG, etc) made a big deal of selling there. Not sure we ever sold too many copies, and there were always plenty of copies of the leftist littering University Avenue as the march left to make its way to the final day of the Canadian National Exhibition (free entry if you were on the march!)
The march represented that layer of politicized union members who were probably also the NDP foot soldiers in any campaign. An average size march was between 10 and 25,000 depending on what was happening in the outside world. The years when Mike Harris was premier obviously pushed the numbers up, but after the Conservatives replacement with the "labour friendly" Liberals numbers began to drop again.
This year should be up.
In advance of a couple of by-elections this month, the Liberals have decided to re-invent themselves as financial conservatives. They are in the process of passing a wage freeze (and strike ban) on teachers for two years (with possibility of extension), and eying other public servants for the same treatment.
It's mildly comical though to watch the unions in their role, but also trying to mouth words of class struggle. At a rally last Tuesday in Toronto, education unions gathered at the front of Queen's Park to protest government legislation. The tough talk would have been more plausible if the secondary teachers unions OSSTF hadn't already agreed to the wage freeze and called off its strike votes. But then, the unions aren't really about class struggle, are they?
Labour Day has been celebrated in Canada since the 1880s, and actually predates the US adoption. However, it's more closely associated as the last weekend of summer. A time to close up the cottage, have a final picnic, fireworks and get the kids ready for the start of school the following day.
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__label__wiki | 0.644207 | 0.644207 | News Room Archive " Radio Commentary " The successes and failures of fashion retailers
The successes and failures of fashion retailers
Listen to interview "
Larry Williams:
Alright, retail tonight - fashion retail. Tell us about David Jones taking over Kirkcaldies - what do you think?
Carmel Fisher:
Indeed! Yeah look, the news came out last week and I was interested because I have always had a soft spot for Kirkcaldies in Wellington. While it hasn't been a very profitable store - in fact it hasn't been profitable the last seven years - it is New Zealand's oldest department store and arguably they've done well to survive, given our changing shopping habits and the growth of online retailing.
For David Jones to come into New Zealand and choose Wellington for their first store I just thought was quite a surprise, rather than choosing Auckland. Secondly, they said that in taking over Kirks they are going to be stocking and positioning the store differently than their Australian stores - so it makes it something of an experiment for them.
In terms of Wellington versus Auckland, you could argue that they chose Wellington because the opportunity arose and Kirks already had a presence there as a major department store, but it is still something of a punt and it's quite contrary to what we've seen elsewhere. In Auckland, we've seen other big retail brands such as Topshop and the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci, they've chosen to focus on Auckland first before establishing themselves elsewhere in New Zealand. As the chief of Topshop said when opening their Queen St store earlier this year; "Location is absolutely crucial - having the right space in the right retail area."
I think it's going to be interesting to see whether Lambton Quay proves the right retail area for David Jones. It would be more obvious to position themselves in Queen St, where you've got all the big designer brands - whereas Lambton Quay in Wellington, it's literally on its own. So good luck to them!
With the likes of David Jones and I guess Myers across the Tasman, it's not exactly glory days at the moment is it?
No, not at all! They're having to work really hard just to establish themselves, because it used to be that every major city had a department store and it was a real sort-of destination shop, but people just don't shop that way now.
The other challenge I think for David Jones coming to New Zealand is the variety of merchandise - that's really why you go to a department store, rather than a single store. David Jones stocks 1700 brands and typically have large stores with the biggest being 55,000 sqm, whereas the Kirkcaldies store is only 6000 sqm, so they are going to have to pick and choose which brands they stock.
The David Jones CEO was quoted as saying; "It's not a huge store so if anything we'll err to the premium end". Now I think that is a really interesting position to take, because the premium end of the New Zealand retail scene is pretty skinny and I would argue it's a tough nut to crack. So good luck to them, look I hope it works - but interesting.
Now what about Pumpkin Patch finding no takers - what are your thoughts on that?
I'm really sad about that actually - I've owned Pumpkin Patch shares for a long time and it was sad that after courting a number of interested parties, Pumpkin Patch just couldn't find anyone to buy or recapitalize the business. So instead, they said they're going to focus on "performance improvement initiatives" to try and deliver value to shareholders.
It doesn't surprise me that the share price fell 20% on this news because the price had rallied on the thought that a new owner could come in and reverse the trend of this downward path that Pumpkin Patch has been on for several years, but I think that pursuing performance improvement initiatives in an environment in which the company says it remains challenging, it sounds like hard work and there has been nothing in recent times to give us confidence that the company will be able to get some traction.
I think it's a really disappointing outcome for a company that was once lauded as an international fashion success story. It went from making a full year profit of $30m in 2007 to losing $30m in six months in 2012. I remember when we sold out of our shares in November 2008, seasoned retailers Rod Duke and Jan Cameron (from Kathmandu) could both see the potential of Pumpkin Patch and Rod Duke said at the time that he thought Pumpkin Patch was a "world class company with the smell of success about it. They just do their category very, very well." Well yes they did, which is why I found it particularly disappointing that the company has found itself in the position it is in today.
What about the Zara juggernaut? They have stores everywhere around the globe.
They do indeed - and I thought we've got to finish on a good story about fashion retail! The founder of Zara has just overtaken Warren Buffett to become the world's second-richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Amancio Ortega is the Spanish magnate who founded Inditex, which is the world's largest clothing retailer, with brands including Zara, operating out of 6,600 stores around the world. His net worth has increased 17% this year to $71 billion, overtaking Warren Buffett whose fortune is just $70 billion.
It's hard to imagine, for me anyway, that a clothing retailer might make such a fortune when we all know how fickle the fashion industry is and we also know that while brands might become established and well-known, they don't always translate into sales, profits and wealth for the owners. In the case of Ortega, he decided to differentiate his Zara business, not by the clothing it produces but in the way the business is run.
He set up what is now known as "fast-fashion retail", with the idea being to deliver what customers want, as quickly as possible. Zara stores receive new stock twice a week and the whole supply chain is many times faster than other fashion competitors. While in most fashion stores, customers look forward to seeing next season's range, Zara customers look forward to seeing next week's range or next month's range.
What do they do with the stuff they can't sell in that time?
That's the wonderful thing, Zara's store managers are empowered to respond to their customer's needs. If they have items that aren't selling, they just get rid of them and replenish them with popular items. So stores are always changing their stock over. As a result, customers visit a Zara store 17 times per year on average (compared to 3 times per year for most fashion retail stores), because you've got to buy today, as the stock won't be there tomorrow. It's an incredible story.
Orders are delivered within 48 hours - this enables Zara as a bricks and mortar company to compete head-on with online fashion websites. Arguably Zara is at the opposite end of the retail spectrum to David Jones and Kirkcaldies, because they sell affordable items quickly and in volume. So far, Zara seems to have found the magic formula to succeed as a mass market fashion retailer. They have no plans to stop, with 8-10% expansion in store numbers planned for the next three to five years.
I enjoyed learning of this success story in what is otherwise an incredibly challenging and competitive industry.
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__label__wiki | 0.557903 | 0.557903 | Martin Luther King Jr: The Quest for Justice and Peace
Fifty years ago today, the world lost a prophet of justice. Known as a champion of civil rights, during his final years, Martin Luther King Jr. focused much of his attention on the plight of the poor. His final book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, focused on fighting poverty. This was also a major theme of his Nobel Peace Prize address.
At Oslo, Dr. King shared that in addition to racial injustice, "a second evil which plagues the modern world is that of poverty. Like a monstrous octopus, it projects it's nagging, prehensile tentacles in lands and villages all over the world. Almost two thirds of the peoples of the world go to bed hungry at night. . .Most of these poverty-stricken children of God have never seen a physician or a dentist. . .Poverty is one of the most urgent items on the agenda of modern life."
Here is an excerpt from his lecture at Oslo on December 11th, 1964.
Audio from the Nobel Prize Organization and Norsk Rikskringkasting. Photos from the Public Domain. Music by Kevin McLeod. Past the Edge. Creative Commons 3.0. By attribution
Tagged: Martin Luther King, Justice, Peace
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Older PostThe Parable of the Talents: A Visual Journey | cc/2019-30/en_head_0000.json.gz/line709 | 10,925,897,995,088,310,000 | {
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__label__cc | 0.544768 | 0.455232 | What In The Hell Happened in Alaska?
Nov. 6, 2008 , at 2:04 AM
Although Ted Stevens holds a small lead in Alaska and is the favorite to retain his seat, the outcome is not as inevitable as it might appear to be. Stevens currently holds a lead of 3,353 votes, or about 1.5 percent of the votes tallied so far. But, there are quite a large number of ballots yet to count. According to Roll Call, these include "at least 40,000 absentee ballot, 9,000 early voting ballots, and an undetermined number of questionable ballots".
Indeed, it seems possible that the number of "questionable" ballots could be quite high. So far, about 220 thousand votes have been processed in Alaska. This compares with 313 thousand votes cast in 2004. After adding back in the roughly 50,000 absentee and early ballots that Roll Call accounts for, that would get us to 270 thousand ballots, or about a 14 percent drop from 2004. It seems unlikely that turnout would drop by 14 percent in Alaska given the presence of both a high-profile senate race and Sarah Palin at the top of the ticket.
But even if Begich were to make up ground and win a narrow victory, this would seem to represent a catastrophic failure of polling, as three polls conducted following the guilty verdict in Stevens' corruption trial had Begich leading by margins of 7, 8 and 22 points, respectively.
The emerging conventional wisdom is that there was some sort of a Bradley Effect in this contest - voters told pollsters that they weren't about to vote for that rascal Ted Stevens, when in fact they were perfectly happy to. Convicted felons are the new black, it would seem.
The problem with this theory is that the polling failures in Alaska weren't unique to Stevens. They also applied to the presidential race, as well as Alaska's at-large House seat. In each case, the Republican outperformed his pre-election polling by margins ranging from 12 to 14 points:
Contest Projection Result Delta
AL-ALL Berkowitz +6.4 (i) Young +7.7 GOP +14.1
AL-Sen Begich +12.9 (ii) Stevens +1.5 GOP +14.4
AL-Pres McCain +13.9 (iii) McCain +25.3 GOP +12.4
(i) Pollster.com Trend Estimate
(ii) FiveThirtyEight Polling Average
(iii) FiveThirtyEight Trend-Adjusted Estimate
There are three plausible explanations I can think of to explain this discrepancy. The first and most likely is that the Democratic vote became complacent and did not bother to turn out. The outcome of the presidential contest was not going to be close in Alaska, and Barack Obama's victory in the Electoral College was apparent as of about 4 PM local time. Begich supporters, moreover, may have looked at the polls and concluded that their candidate was far enough ahead that they didn't have to bother to vote. Meanwhile, the Republican base was going to turn out no matter what because of their enthusiasm for Sarah Palin. There seems to be a sort of danger zone at about 10 points wherein a candidate is far enough ahead that many of his supporters assume the race is in the bag, but not so far ahead that he is immune to poor turnout (a similar dynamic affected then-Governor Jim Blanchard of Michigan in his 1990 race against John Engler).
The second possibility is that a substantial percentage of the Democratic vote is tied up in the early and absentee ballots that have yet to be counted. We know that Barack Obama overperformed among early voters in many states, and Alaska may be no exception. (Although, I would guess that the absentee vote is predominately rural, whereas Begich's base is in Anchorage).
The third possibility is that a lot of those "questionable" ballots are Democratic ones, and that there have been irregularities in the voting tally. Although this is the least likely possibility, Alaska is a provincial state with some history of corruption, and Democrats ought to be making sure that too many of their ballots haven't been disqualified.
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__label__wiki | 0.767779 | 0.767779 | JCRC
Humanity In Harmony
RiegleCSAE
Jewish Community Services
Hebrew Free Loan
J Care
Israel at 70! Concert
The concert was a musical revue of the history, culture, and achievements of Israel and which featured Hadar Orshalimy on vocals and keyboard accompanied by Sheldon Low and Gregg Monteith. Prior to the concert, a Middle Eastern dinner was catered by Annabel Cohen, caterer and food columnist for the Detroit Jewish News which included wines from Israel.
Hadar Orshalimy is one of the most highly sought after cantorial soloists and children's music educator in New York, regularly leading Shabbat and holiday services at Temple Israel of the City of New York, Temple Emanu-El of New York City, and at communities all across the New York Metro area.
Hailing from Tel Aviv, Hadar's early singing career included numerous appearances on national Israeli broadcasts including being featured on the Children's Channel, commercials and radio, televised basketball games, and the first season of Israeli Idol. In 2004, Hadar moved to the US to attend the Berklee College of Music where she graduated with honors.
After Berklee, Hadar has become involved in Jewish music, performing with Jewish rockers Josh Nelson and her life-partner, Sheldon Low, and has co-written and performed on 5 of Low's albums. Hadar served as the music specialist and musician in residence at both Larchmont Temple and Park Avenue Synagogue and most recently, Hadar and Low have created a new secular music band called "We Are The Northern Lights". The band is beginning to achieve national acclaim, thanks to their singles "I'm Still Here" and "Sunshine", both being featured on the TV series, Startup, starring Adam Brody and Martin Freeman. In January Hadar performed at Temple Emanu-El Manhattan at a reception for Barack Obama.
Sheldon Low continues to establish himself as a prominent voice in contemporary Jewish music. He has released 5 full-length albums and received placements on three Ruach compilations to date. A self-proclaimed road warrior, Low performs over 100 concerts, services, and workshops around North America each year. In addition to becoming a mainstay of congregational life, Low's music has become the soundtrack of the lives of hundreds of thousands of children around the globe, thanks in part to PJ Library distributing two of his children's albums and appearances on countless other compilation albums. Beyond his acclaim as a Jewish musician, Low is a highly regarded Jewish educator and published author. Low is currently the artist-in-residence at Temple Israel of the City of New York and lives in Harlem with his wife and musical partner, Hadar Orshalimy. Together they are known as the pop-folk duo "We Are The Northern Lights. Look for Sheldon's podcast jewishsongwriter.com.
Gregg Monteith has performed throughout the world as a drummer/percussionist for numerous Broadway productions. Most recently, he performed at Madison Square Garden with the hit musical Elf. Gregg is also a filmmaker working with brands like Sharpie, Lowe's and Breathe For Change. Love to Karen.
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__label__wiki | 0.807664 | 0.807664 | Pegaso Z102 - "The Spanish Ferrari"
Ted Marcus
Probably, this is the best Spanish car that you never heard about. It's Pegaso Z102 that in 1950 was titled the fastest vehicle in the world.
Beating Jaguar, Ferrari and other industry giants is a never-ending quest for many. Pegaso, which was a government-controlled company, had the same ambition. Between 1951 and 1958, it made only 84 cars, and that's why today they are a little-known rarity.
The company's manager was an experienced engineer Wilfredo Ricart, who also worked for Alfa Romeo before WW2. Back then, he created some memorable racing cars for Italians like Alfa Romeo Tipo 512. He was also a fierce competitor to Enzo Ferrari. These two tempers didn't go well together, so eventually, Ricart went back to his homeland Italy.
1958 Pegaso Z-102 SSP Spyder Serra
© Wikimedia Commons
Pegaso Z-102 Serra Spider
After that, he decided to avail of a local truck company Enasa, which also acquired a manufacturer Hispano-Suiza in 1946. The company was later known as Pegaso. Wilfred was keen to challenge Enzo Ferrari once again. Even the chosen name brand suggests: if Ferrari's horses would prance, then the Spanish horses would fly.
Wilfred Ricard created Pegaso Z102, incredibly innovative and thrilling car that surpassed all the standards at the time. The alloy bodies were supplied by such coachbuilders as Serra, Carrozzeria Touring or Saoutchik. The car chassis and other parts (except the bodywork) were built in-house at the Pegaso factory in Barcelona.
Pegaso Z102 Coupé
1955 Pegaso Z102B Berlineta Touring
The vehicle had a V8 engine that could be of different power. There were two choices of engines - 2.8-liter or 3.2-liter options that could reach from 175hp to 360hp respectively. The engine power of a five-speed gearbox drove the rear wheels. At the time, Pegaso Z102 was one of the fastest cars in the world. It could reach up to 243 km/h (or 151 mph) speed.
Pegaso Z-102 "Berlineta Saoutchik" Serie 2
Pegaso Z-102 Cabriolet Saoutchik Series 2
Buyers could choose between coupe and cabriolet models. However, Z102 was incredibly expensive. It would cost two times more than competitor's cars from Ferrari and four times more than Jaguar XK120. The Spanish government eventually cancelled the project when they realized how expensive it is to build such a vehicle.
1954 Pegaso Z102 Coupe Saoutchik
Pegaso Z-102 cockpit
Today, Pegaso cars are collectibles that cost a lot of money. For example, the 1954 Pegaso Z-102 Berlinetta Series II was sold for USD 880,000 in 2016 RM Sotheby's Monterey auction. The same year's Pegaso Z-102 3.2 Berlinetta by Touring was sold for USD 742,500 in 2015 in New York.
Pegaso Z-102
Pierre Bardinon - A Collector Admired by Enzo Ferrari Himself
What Do Enzo Ferrari and the Peugeot 404 Have in Common?
Ferrari and Three Red Letters - GTO
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__label__wiki | 0.513223 | 0.513223 | Some thoughts on China
Edmond Chan · Mar 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As mentioned, I went into China with some preconceptions, many with a degree of negativity and probably arising from years of exposure to Western media and also from the Hong Kong part of my heritage.
In the West, China is usually painted as slightly sinister, repressive, and unaligned with collective Western interests, particularly as seen by its long-held tacit and not-so-tacit alignment with the more reprehensible regimes in the world such as Mugabe's Zimbabwe.
Every Chinese action is heavily scrutinised; from its handling of domestic issues such as Tibet, the 2008 Olympic Games and the recent upheaval in Xinjiang to Chinese foreign policy (such as their handling of North Korean nuclear disarmament) and even to her handling of her currency and her alleged deliberate devaluation of the Renminbi (RMB) (as if other countries don"t do the same).
It's not just the West; Hong Kong people are also generally uneasy about their future with China. Prior to the handover to the Chinese in 1997, Hong Kong had been under British control for around 150 years and the island saw phenomenal growth under colonial rule.
Despite China's assurance that Hong Kong"s status and institutions would remain stable for at least 50 years post-handover, Hong Kong fears China"s perceived gradual neglect of its interests in favour of its economic rival, Shanghai. Further, on a less self-interested note and on a more prejudicial note (as we have seen), Hong Kong people have many negative perceptions of people from the mainland; principally that mainlanders lack sophistication, both in manners and in taste.
Needless to say, prior to my visit, all of the above had permeated my consciousness to some extent. However, thankfully, all of the above negativity was challenged, re-evaluated and overturned during my time there; I"ll try my best to explain why.
Let's have a closer look at some of the charges made against China. China has many critics worldwide, particularly from many parts of the Western media; nearly every human rights organisation; and most Western governments, to a greater or lesser extent. She comes under criticism and scrutiny for, amongst other things, her human rights record, her handling of domestic unrest (witness Tibet 2008, Beijing 1989, Xinjiang 2009), and her financial affairs (alleged devaluation of her currency to maintain her export driven economic model).
Recently, heavy scrutiny of China came during the Beijing Olympics 2008. The media chose to focus on the alleged "forcing" of child athletes into extreme training programmes for years in order to ensure the biggest medal tally; on the wider treatment of Tibetans and foreign journalists covering the contemporaneous unrest in Tibet, and on whether the fantastic pyrotechnics of the opening ceremony would be possible under a multi-party state etc.
Underpinning all this negative press and scrutiny is, I think, the fact that China is a one-party state and (to exacerbate this in the eyes of the West) there's the fact that she is not a natural ally (China holds a veto on the UN Security Council and the US, the UK and France are generally not able to "count" on China's vote. (They can't count on Russia's either but Russia may be held to a lesser standard of scrutiny as today Russia is, to a greater extent than China at least, democratic and perhaps viewed as more of an ally to the West). Worse, in the West's eyes, China often aligns itself instead with unsavoury regimes such as Zimbabwe). Now I'm not passing judgement on China"s human rights track record or any of the above, but I think it's only right that, in the absence of any forthcoming defence, the debate be given some proper context.
It probably winds the West up more when it appears that China just doesn't really seem to care what the West thinks. China never looks to defend or explain herself and her recent history goes some way to explaining its refusal to listen to the West. Since the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty in the 1600s, China had been in relative decline to emerging world powers, (the newly industrialised powers of Europe and the US and also (later) in the modernised, militarised and resurgent Japan).
China's military weakness and insularity was exploited by the British who forced the opium trade upon the Chinese (effectively creating markets in China), with the resultant epidemic drug dependence further weakening the nation. The Chinese desire to rid itself of the drug trade led to conflict with Britain and to the First Opium War. China's defeat and the resulting settlement meant that Britain had exclusive rights to continue the opium trade and also to receive sovereign rights over Hong Kong. Shanghai eventually became controlled by the British, the Americans and the French.
Imagine the national sense of humiliation of losing a war that was forced upon you and then having major parts of your country controlled by foreign nations. In 1895, China lost further face when she lost the Sino-Japan War (further evidence of relative decline). Further humiliation came with the Versailles Treaty in 1919 when Germany"s territorial interests in China were not returned to China but instead were given to Japan. Before and during the Second World War, Japan invaded, occupied and committed countless atrocities against the Chinese population. In light of all this conflict and deeply felt humiliation heaped upon her by foreign powers, it is little wonder that China, to this day, might distrust outside influences, and view unsolicited criticism as unreasonable interference. This history goes a long way to explaining China's current diplomacy and foreign policy for, psychologically, how does one overcome a sense of humiliation? Through self-analysis and confident self-assertion without the aid of others, particularly when those "others" played a big part in that perceived humiliation. This is the prism through which much Chinese action and policy should be viewed.
I was just leaving China as the Xinjiang (a province in western China) riots in the summer of 2009 were blowing up. Tensions between the minority (in China as a whole) Uyghurs and the majority (in China as a whole) Han Chinese exploded resulting in at least 200 dead. Much of the world's media reported this as an inevitable result of Chinese policy towards its minority groups, such as that of the recent mass migration of Han Chinese to Xinjiang. This policy on its own may not have led to tension but the perception amongst Uyghurs is that there is bias towards the Han from policymakers and that the economic mushrooming which has benefited vast swathes of the country has passed them by. Comparisons with the situation in Tibet were inevitable in the outside press and world opinion. There"s no easy solution to this issue but again I think it's useful to consider the history and the particular circumstances of China as a nation before judging the policy. China has always been made up of disparate and diverse peoples and cultures and she was only unified in around 221 BC after great struggle.
Keeping it together and maintaining racial and cultural harmony has been a struggle ever since, with a return to the Warring States from around 300 AD to the 12th Century. Just think about it: China has a huge population; with easily 1.3 billion people. That"s more than 20 times the population of the UK. To exacerbate the obvious difficulties of governing this massive country and the vast lands within her borders, China is comprised of around 56 ethnic groups. Many speak their own dialects, the problems of which are obvious even to the extent that Mandarin had to be standardised during the 20th Century. This is the context that global calls for Tibetan autonomy and the growing calls for Han withdrawal from Xinjiang have to be addressed in light of. The concept of "One China" has been around for millennia. The current policy towards the minorities is driven by an ancient history of keeping all the elements of China under one umbrella; it is not driven by persecution but by a deep-rooted desire for harmony and union. Indeed, it's often overlooked that there are actually various positive discrimination initiatives to help minorities such as exemptions from the "one-child, one-family" policy that holds in most other parts of China.
All of which raises the old debates surrounding self-determination. Should Tibet be granted independence if it wants it? Should Xinjiang be treated in the same way? Oddly, the West is strangely silent when it comes to the same issues at play within the borders of its allies. How else to explain the global silence regarding the Catalan issue in Spain? Nobody calls for the Spanish Government to grant the Catalan province independence. To do so would be considered unreasonable interference in internal affairs. The same goes for the internal rifts in Belgium between the Flemish and the Walloons, the not insignificant movement for independence from nationalist elements in Scotland, the French Canadians in Quebec, the Chechens in Chechnya etc.; outsiders don"t interfere with these states.
It seems though that China is considered fair game. Why? I think it"s because it"s a one party state etc. something that"s seen as a bit morally suspect, with the consequence that its policies are seen to have less legitimacy. Now I"m not advocating the one-party state over the multi-party system (!) but whilst I was in China, I didn"t see an oppressed, unhappy people. I saw people who were going about their daily lives trying to make their way in the more open economy of recent decades. People don"t live in fear of the thought police either; witness the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, where many have been openly critical of the Government particularly in respect of allegedly poorly constructed buildings that collapsed in the massive tremors. When people say that there"s no free press in China; well that"s true probably in terms of criticising the government but otherwise the same preoccupations concern the press in China as they do in other countries, with pages devoted to sport, movies, music, celebrities etc. topics about which reportage is unfettered.
One thing that did concern me, however, was the state surveillance of the internet. I was there during the spat that China had with Google in around June 2009 (an issue which has since exploded again in January 2010), to the extent that Google was disabled in China for a few days. Foreign media websites are clearly vetted before the page opens (as there"s a lengthy time lag with sites such as the BBC and The Times) and some story pages don"t open, citing server issues. Whilst some censorship may be necessary in all societies (such as in the interests of national security), this type of information censorship is clearly not a good thing. However, it's not such a stretch to imagine that multi-party democratic states also monitor the internet, and if they do, then maybe the state in question is just far more judicious as to the sites that are vetted and disabled. Regardless, the extent to which the internet in China can actually be controlled by the state will inevitably decrease as vast numbers of its huge population are online with so many of the users being active bloggers, social networkers, instant messengers, etc. who'll all become harder to monitor and control, just as the real-time reporting and information that pinged around the world during the 2009 Xinjiang rioting demonstrated. China is on the way to becoming a fully open society; it will just take some time.
In terms of any snide prejudices about the people themselves, particularly from the Hong Kong perspective as described above, from my first contact in China, through Nanning and then on the train from Hong Kong to Beijing, I found any hitherto held opinions to be completely unfounded. Chinese people are incredibly friendly and kind. From train staff to food sellers to fellow hostel guests to other shoppers, the people were just lovely. Encounters I remember particularly fondly were the staff at Nanning train station who kindly waited with me through the night, the great hot-pot stall lady in the next hutong down from the one we stayed in Beijing, animated taxi-drivers, and friendly fellow customers in restaurants and street stalls who implored (read dared) us to take on more and more chilli or eat sheep's testicles! Like anywhere in the world, people outside the cities may lack a certain worldliness but the charges of a lack of sophistication definitely cannot be levelled at the people in Beijing and Shanghai who are, for the most part, cultured, confident and achingly urbane. I absolutely love it in China; I love the culture, I love the food and I love the people; I'm definitely going back.
This is what my perfect restaurant experience would...
The biggest obstacle I can see that might block mass... | cc/2019-30/en_head_0000.json.gz/line716 | 17,228,174,422,667,534,000 | {
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__label__cc | 0.564658 | 0.435342 | What Would The World Be Like If Video Games Didn't Exist? Boring!
Have you ever wondered what would the world be like if video games didn't exist? For some, a scary thought, for others a matter of indifference. I know it's a bit silly to wonder about it when video games do exist and we should not dwell on what ifs but I thought that it'd be fun to look into it in one of my posts.
In short, there's no way of knowing. But if video games didn't exist, there would be other media to consume. However, the world would lose a great art form and many long-lasting friendships would not exist. Let's look into how video games have changed the world and what it would be like without them.
Whether you are a fan of video games or not, you have to admit that video games created a whole new culture on top of already established entertainment such as TV, movies and theatre. That brings me straight to point one.
Entertainment substitutes
If video games didn't exist, people would still stick with what they know: TV, board games, movies, theatre, music, fashion and with the vastness of the internet, social media and entertainment portals like Youtube.
Some people would pick out a new hobby (sports, musical instruments, crafts, writing, drawing), some would pick up more books as a result. Some people believe that children would be playing outside a lot more but I think that's debatable. With social media and TV, they could still sit for hours on end, substituting video games for TV shows and youtube videos.
Video games as an art
Those who say that video games aren't a form of art may have never touched a video game. Like books, movies, comics or TV, video games tell an engaging story with beautiful visuals. Not only that but they make the player a part of the story, allowing them to make decisions that can change the course of the game. Video games can provoke joy, sadness, grief, anger and everything in between, much like other media do. They make you think of your actions and their consequences, make you ask questions and maybe even see the world in a new light.
Not only that, but video games have inspired many artists to draw or write about their favorite characters, creating derivative works and expanding on the franchise. Just look at the stunning illustration of Ellie from The Last of Us!
A lot of hardware manufacturers would not be spending billions of dollars on making their products better and better. Graphic cards, while for everyone, are specifically marketed to gamers for great performance and best graphics. This is not limited only to graphic cards but also processors, headphones, gaming keyboards and mice. Technology advancement in this field develops very quickly.
Playing video games no longer carry (or should not carry!) the stigma of making people asocial. Nowadays video games can be an activity for the whole family or a group of friends. Not only that, thanks to online multiplayer games, we meet new people, socialize and bond over common interests, creating new friendships.
Many of these friendships are formed over long distances and in a world where video games wouldn't exist, we most likely would never meet the same people. The fact that these friendships have been forged online makes them no less valuable or less "real". I'm very thankful for video games; because of them I've met some of my closest friends and also my best friend. In fact, my friend wanted to make a post about his experience meeting friends online, which you can find here.
Of course there are people who prefer their own company to other people on most days and that's okay. Being introverted isn't necessarily a bad thing. And chances are if you're introverted and love to play video games, you'd be introverted even if they didn't exist.
Some people may find the thought that video games can help people ridiculous. There are many ways in which they can:
Career choices - some people may find inspiration for their career paths in their favorite fictional characters or even become a video game developer or writer. Sure, such characters also exist in movies, TV and books.
Questionable choices - Video games can often help people from making poor life choices (turning to alcohol, drugs to escape)
Ambition - Video games provide a lot of rewards and achievements, which can motivate people in their careers to strive higher.
Interest in various subjects - many video games have dealt with history and mythology and as such they made more people interested in these topics better than a school would.
Battling mental illness - Agoraphobia and anxiety disorder can be very limiting to a person to the point of isolation. With the mobile game Pokémon: GO, people with these disorders report that for the first time in a long time, they look forward to going out among others. Such idea before this may have seemed unfathomable.
Escape from real life - If a person is going through a tough time, battling depression or even abuse, playing video games can provide an escape, forgetting their problems for a while. I've read this touching (and horrifying) story of Scott, whose life was saved by video games by escaping abuse.
Move more/work out - When you picture a gamer, you just imagine a person sitting down for hours on end. While that may be true for some people, there are also games that promote working out, using motion controllers or Kinect sensors to interact. Such games can be dancing games (Zumba, Dance Dance Revolution) to fitness games on Nintendo Wii.
Charity - A number of gamers who support various charities are on the rise. Large influencers use their reach to raise money for charity. Youtubers like Markiplier, Pewdiepie, Jacksepticeye, and others have raised millions of dollars for various charities and continue to do so to this day just by live streaming themselves playing a video game. There are charities helping people play video games or making custom controllers for people with limited mobility (for example AbleGamers, Child's Play). My friend Ian has done 5 or six 24-hour charity live streams, raising a lot of money in the process.
Video games made into broader entertainment
As I mentioned above, video games are an art form of their own. Video games have been taken and adapted for big screens, into novels and comics.
Notable examples of movies based on video games:
Some may argue that these movies were really bad. While that may be true, at least there was a lesson learned from them.
Video games are important
Whatever your stance on video games or gamers in general, the truth is that video games have become a large and integral part of our modern culture. So what would the world be like if video games didn't exist?
I dare to say it'd be very different. Characters and stories that we love and play time and time again would not exist and some people would have never met in real life and become friends or even significant others.
What do you think would happen if video games didn't exist? I'd love to hear your opinion, so make sure to comment down below!
Controller photo © by Mack Male @ Flickr
Unboxing Action Figures and Memorabilia...or Not?
shannon fowler
I know my fiancé uses them to destress. He is a plaintive care doctor, and his work is emotionally demanding. Without them he doesn't bounce back after a really hard day as easy
Yes, that is very true, they're very good at destressing. Until you can't move past a certain point in a game and you get stressed even more. 😀 But even then I wouldn't change it for the world. Thank you for your comment, Shannon! 🙂
Heather way
Before video games, I was obsessed with Monopoly board game and wanted to be the world champ
Emily Conway
I have such fun and fond memories with my brother playing video games (particularly Rock Band and the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion) in Elder Scrolls, we would be cracking up as we chased a deer in the woods and punched it to death. If that didn't exist, I am not sure we would have too much common ground. TV is fine, but it is not interactive and you aren't working together. There is an element missing from it.
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__label__cc | 0.685498 | 0.314502 | How to file a complaint about an att store...
asteele
I want to complain about an authorized dealer att store in Carmel, IN. They are dishonest and scam your customers. I have a phone that died - the battery wouldn't take a charge any more. I went in and they basically lied to me. **Back story - Two years ago the same thing happened to me; when I went to a different AT&T store, they told me with my protection plan, all I had to do was file the claim, which they did in the store, and I could get a new phone. They will give you the same model you have (new) or if they no longer carry it, they give you the next level. All you pay is the deductible of $100. I ended up getting a new phone that was upgraded from the Active 4 to the 6. **
Yesterday, I went to the AT&T store on Michigan road with the same issue. I expected the same easy process. I went in, and the guy lied and told me the insurance company never give new phones but a pre-owned refurbished phone that is the same exact phone. He said, "you can't just keep filing claims and upgrade your phone." I told him of my experience two years ago, and he said the policy had changed, and I really need to keep up-to-date on changes. He said I needed to buy a new phone if I wanted something nice instead of a crappy refurbished phone. I asked what the point of the insurance was then because if your phone breaks, and you pay the monthly fee, they should replace it with a new phone. He said you could file a claim, but they wouldn't provide me with the "latest model" or a brand new phone. He tried to sell me a $700 phone. I told him I wasn't interested, and he said "I'm just here to sell you a phone." I told him last time they filed the claim in the store and gave me a phone, and he said he wouldn't sit there and fill out paperwork for me. After being berated by him, I decided to leave and call AT&T myself.
I went home and logged in on-line, went to the claims page. It took me less than 2 minutes to fill it out, I got upgraded from a Samsung Active 6 to an 8 - brand new phone; the 9 is the newest but who cares. I pay the $112 deductible, and it arrives today. I even called the insurance department and asked them what constitutes an insurance claim, and she said even if your battery life is just slow, the phone does not have to be totally broken, you can file a claim and they replace it. Of course, you only get 2 claims a year, but I have only filed 2 claims in 2 years. Totally worth it.
I then called the store to tell them they were wrong, and a different guy who answered still argued with me that they hardly ever see that happen, and I must have been lucky. Well I must have been lucky twice because this is the second time in 2 years this has happened to me. Plus, he said, "It isn't the latest phone." My response - who cares; it didn't cost $700. They need to be investigated for fraud.
sarebear705
Re: Re: How to file a complaint about an att store...
I would like to file a complaint against the Paseo Nuevo AT&T store in Santa Barbara, CA. Today was a stressful day in our community due to flooding closing the 101 freeway in both directions. I live in Carp (south of SB) and ended up stuck in SB for hours. In that time, my cell phone was almost dead. I visited this store to purchase a cable for my car charger, and asked the representative, Joey, if i could charge my phone for a bit in the meantime because I didn't have anywhere else to go. He stated this was fine, was very courteous and professional, and plugged my phone in for me. There was one other person in the store who was doing the same thing for the same reason. NO other customers came in or out of the store for the approximate 15 minutes I was in there. Joey's manager, Emilio, emerged from the backroom after the 10-15 minutes and without so much as a greeting immediately told me and the other person charging his phone that we had to leave. I explained that I had made a purchase but it was for my car and I needed to charge my phone for a bit because I was stranded in SB and unable to go and didn't want to be without a phone (the phone was at 8%). He stated he couldn't have me "loitering in his store." Emilio clearly lacks the intelligence to understand the meaning of the word, as I had made a purchase and was a customer, but worse, he lacks the decency to understand his customer was in a tight spot and wasn't willing to help like his more professional coworker. Emilio barely looked at me while he was talking and when i asked if I could speak to a manger he stated "well, no because I am the manager." AT&T, you clearly missed the mark when promoting this person to an authoritative role as he lacks any semblance of understanding customer service, and instead presents as rude and arrogant. There wasn't a single person in the store that needed helping! I was not a distraction or keeping them from doing their jobs. Perhaps he wanted me to leave so he could finish the rated R movie, Baby Driver, that was playing on the TV behind the register. This movie had a lot of foul language and violence, so it's probably best there weren't any customers present, particularly ones with children. Emilio doesn't seemed concerned about his customers or presenting himself in a professional manner, so I wanted to make you aware of it so in the future you can be more selective with your management candidates. The day was stressful enough not being able to use the freeway, backroads, or train to go home, but now the added stress of having a phone on a low percentage when I didn't know how long I would be stranded (6 hours total). I've been debating switching to Verizon for some time now, and this incident might be the push I needed to move in that direction.
archer120964
im going though the same kind of service i got talked into buying a new 1000 dollar note 9 with the promise i would get a new note 9 free well the manager didt put the order in so now i dont get my phone even thouth ATT said i was elgeble but their sorry their manager didt do her job [Per Guidelines: Keep it Relevant and Appropriate].
cmaitski
I was at the AT&T store at 7727 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando last Monday. My son's phone had gone dead and I wanted them to look at it. We were greeted by a young lady and told to have a seat, and someone would be with us shortly. She was taking care of another customer about four feet away from us, and I could hear the conversation between them. So we waited. I have been to AT&T stores before, and had never seen a transaction take so long. There was another family that had been there before us, and they were waiting as well. There were no less than five AT&T employees in the store, but no one was coming to us to offer to help us; or even to ask what we were there for. About 45 mins into our wait, someone with an Ipad came over and took our name, and we were put into a cue, but again he did not ask why we were there. About an hour in, four young men in hoodies walked in, two of them ripped phones and Ipads out of the display counter and ran away. We had now been witnesses to a robbery. The police came, and for the next 45 minutes they were walking in and out and talking to the employees, but no one was talking to us. The family who had been there before us, got up and left in exasperation. Finally, after sitting there for close to two hours, someone finally came over and attempted to help us. After hearing our story, he talked about paying off the phone, to which I said its insured. He then got a pamphlet and told us we could make a claim online or over the phone. Had someone asked us why we had come in, we could have received that information and been on our way in two minutes. Instead, we were made to wait for two hours without anyone from AT&T trying to help us, and were involved in a robbery which could have potentially threatened our lives. It was the absolute WORST customer service experience I have ever had. While we were waiting, we searched reviews of that store, and there were several very bad reviews. I can honestly say that this store definitely lived up to its extremely bad reputation.
MicCheck
ACE - Master
@cmaitski wrote:
You could have found out how to file an insurance claim online, but you said you wanted someone to "look at it," which meant you had to wait in line, and nothing would have been different had you told them that immediately. Surely you can't fault the store for a robbery occurring while you were there. I get why you're frustrated, but given the circumstances, I think being understanding is the least you can do.
Patriot1951
I have a complaint about your Valdosta, GA store. We pay our AT&T bill by check on time every month. Frequently when I go in to make the payment, the kiosk is down. This time when we went to the Norman Drive store to pay by check as usual, the girl (sorry, I did not get her name) told me that the kiosk was down again, she would not take my payment and I would have to "come back tomorrow". She told me I could pay by credit card or cash. The problem is the payment was due today, 5/28/2019, and if I paid tomorrow, May 29, there would be fees and penalties.
In utter frustration, I tossed the check and bill over my shoulder and said "This is ridiculous". I did not curse or threaten the employee. The manager, Mike, stepped in while I was getting out the cash to pay the bill and he told me they would not take the money, I had no right to talk to the employee "that way" and to leave the store. They did not offer any apology for the kiosk being down again, nor did they offer me any payment alternatives.
My wife then went in and talked to Mike, and he told her "You shouldn't have waited so late pay your bill". I have never been treated so shabbily by any company employee! We do not have any choice but to use AT&T for our wireless and Data, but you can bet if we have any other payment options by check, we will never darken the doors of this AT&T store again.
@Patriot1951 wrote:
If you insist on using a check, you can pay by check online. You can also use a credit or debit card online or mail in the check (allowing plenty of time for delivery).
If you know the payment kiosk has frequent issues, why did you wait so long to pay?
ATTCares
Hi, we would like to look into this. Please send us a private message with more details, such as the time and date of your visit, your full name and contact information. Thank you.
Ask a question to get help from the AT&T Community or support from AT&T specialists. If this reply helped you please use Accept solution to mark it as an Accepted Solution.
How to file a complaint with the Corporate Office
How to file an official complaint about ATT servic...
How to File a Complaint About an ATT Store?
I will be filing a Complaint!!! | cc/2019-30/en_head_0000.json.gz/line738 | 4,134,265,825,893,747,000 | {
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__label__cc | 0.587772 | 0.412228 | Edmonton city council
Edmonton decides to keep property tax increase at 2.6%
By Scott Johnston Reporter 630CHED
A photo taken at an Edmonton City Council meeting on Jan. 22, 2019.
The final number is in at Edmonton City Hall for your property tax increase.
It'll stay at 2.6 per cent, the number city council landed on during budget deliberations in December.
READ MORE: Council settles on 2.6% Edmonton property tax increase for next 4 years
Watch below: Edmonton city councillors have approved a property tax increase of 2.6 per cent each year over the next four years. Vinesh Pratap has the details.
A report heading to next Tuesday's city council meeting says council has nearly $3.8 million to work with. That's because of a mix of increased housing starts and permits that increases the total tax base. The city also has a bump of $700,000 in revenue because of the annexed area.
Councillor Andrew Knack isn't surprised there is an increase between then and now, although he had his doubts that the tax rate would change.
"They're often conservative in their estimates, so usually, you're talking about something that might impact the tax increase by 0.1 or 0.2 of a per cent," he said.
"Usually there's additional permits and residences coming aboard that they had originally planned for, recognizing that growth while we still have been experiencing that, it's been quite small, so I'm sure they estimated a fairly low growth total."
Cannabis plays a factor. The report said the budget is taking an adjustment of half-a-million dollars.
"[The Edmonton Police Service] requires an adjustment of $0.5 million for cannabis costs that were originally approved on a one-time basis but are ongoing in nature," the report says. "EPS also requires an increase of $0.2 million to address additional expenditures for police-based victim services offices. This increase is offset by an additional $0.2 million in revenue from the Government of Alberta."
The report also contains 22 pages of things council had the option of spending more money on when the budget was debated in December. It's not clear heading into Tuesday's meeting if they'll look at adding to the spending.
The report also indicates that the province has not sent a requisition for the education portion of the property tax, so the city will have to take a guess if the figure will significantly increase over the $480 million it has been set at. If the city doesn't pay enough to the province, the difference can be made up later. Four payments of $120 million are paid every three months.
No one in the city administration can remember the province not sending a bill in the last 40 years.
City of Edmonton
Edmonton property taxes
Alberta wildfires
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End of preview. Expand
in Dataset Viewer.
RedPajama -- CommonCrawl-2021-04 (refined by Data-Juicer)
A refined version of CommonCrawl-2021-04 dataset in RedPajama by Data-Juicer. Removing some "bad" samples from the original dataset to make it higher-quality.
This dataset is usually used to pretrain a Large Language Model.
Notice: Here is a small subset for previewing. The whole dataset is available here (About 284GB).
Dataset Information
- Number of samples: 44,724,752 (Keep ~45.23% from the original dataset)
Refining Recipe
# global parameters
project_name: 'Data-Juicer-recipes-cc-2021-04'
dataset_path: '/path/to/your/dataset' # path to your dataset directory or file
export_path: '/path/to/your/dataset.jsonl'
np: 50 # number of subprocess to process your dataset
open_tracer: true
# process schedule
# a list of several process operators with their arguments
process:
- document_simhash_deduplicator:
tokenization: space
window_size: 6
lowercase: true
ignore_pattern: '\p{P}'
num_blocks: 6
hamming_distance: 4
- clean_email_mapper:
- clean_links_mapper:
- fix_unicode_mapper:
- punctuation_normalization_mapper:
- whitespace_normalization_mapper:
- alphanumeric_filter:
tokenization: false
min_ratio: 0.7494 # 3sigma
max_ratio: 0.8595 # 3sigma -- 1001790
- average_line_length_filter: # for code
max_len: 1500 # < 3sigma (2817) -- 541131
- character_repetition_filter:
rep_len: 10
max_ratio: 0.3 # > 3sigma (0.1463) -- 159152
- flagged_words_filter:
lang: en
tokenization: true
max_ratio: 0.0019 # 3sigma -- 184714
- language_id_score_filter: # remove language filter
min_score: 0.786 # 3sigma -- 1995115
- maximum_line_length_filter: # for code
max_len: 5000 # < 3sigma -- 1076085
- perplexity_filter:
lang: en
max_ppl: 5000 # < 3sigma -- 906649
- special_characters_filter:
min_ratio: 0.15 # > 3sigma
max_ratio: 0.35 # > 3sigma -- 1046590
- text_length_filter:
max_len: 61592 # 3sigma -- 1114727
- words_num_filter:
lang: en
tokenization: true
min_num: 20 # > 3sigma
max_num: 12241 # 3sigma -- 1120334
- word_repetition_filter:
lang: en
tokenization: true
rep_len: 10
max_ratio: 0.3105 # 3sigma -- 2234933
- Downloads last month
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Size of downloaded dataset files:
872 kB
Size of the auto-converted Parquet files:
522 kB
Number of rows:
100