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Thursday, 31 January 2008

Il Delitto del diavolo / Queens of Evil

A lonely road at night, somewhere by the sea. David (Ray Lovelock), an idealistic young hippie biker type, stops to assist an older man whose Rolls Royce has broken down. David might have wondered why he bothered when the man not only berates him for his unconventional lifestyle, lack of religion and respect for tradition, but also surreptitiously spikes one of his tyres.

The knight of the road on his quest for freedom; note the Laszlo Kovacs style lens flare

The man

Having repaired the flat, David goes off in pursuit of the man, his peace and love philosophy again evident insofar as he wants to know what motivated the older man. His quarry speeds up rather than slowing down, however, precipitating a crash.

Faced with this scene, David attempts to flag down a passing truck. The driver and co-driver only see another dirty hippy and decline to stop. Deciding that there is nothing he can do, David departs. Taking a back road, he finds a cabin in the woods and settles down for the night.

The next morning David is awoken by a beautiful young woman, Liv (Haydee Politoff). She wonders what he is doing there and indicates that he had best leave as soon as possible before anyone else notices his presence. Evidently having past experience of similar situations, David thinks that Liv means her parents, and is accordingly surprised when he is confronted with two slightly older, but equally beautiful women, Samantha (Silvia Monti) and Fabiana (Evelyn Stewart / Ida Galli) – who present themselves as Liv’s elder sisters.

Samantha and Fabiana

They invite him in for breakfast. Both hungry and intrigued, David takes up the offer, finding his curiosity even more piqued by the half-fairytale half-Habitat and Biba décor of the sister's house and their just happening to have baked four large cakes as if expecting a guest.

The sisters' house, dominated by their pictures. Are they to be looked at or looking?

Having gorged his fill – gluttony is evidently not one of the deadly sins on this occasion – the young man moves to leave but has a change of heart; significantly we view this scene with the sisters, who plainly expected to see him return.

Yes, David

An idyllic morning on the lake ensues culminating in an almost miraculous catch of fish. Is it just the spot where they always congregate at noon, as the sisters explain, or something more? Whatever the case, another extravagant repast follows along with another even more half-hearted attempt to leave.

The female gaze

As the days go on, David finds himself increasingly bewitched by the sisters's glamour, his former certainties and resolution dissolving, powerless to avoid the fate that awaits him even as Liv hesitantly once more tries to encourage him to leave before it is too late…

As the back cover review on this DVD indicates, Tonino Cervi's Queens of Evil is best viewed as an allegory, David less an Easy Rider or Wild One situated against a concrete historical and geographical background than a questing knight in a modern yet mythic landscape that could be anywhere in the west. His holy grail is freedom, the three sisters the belle dames sans merci put there to tempt him off his righteous path.

A coach approaches the castle as we move deeper into fairy-tale territory

Following from this allegorical nature, the usual rules of engagement with film do not apply. Rather, as with such other reference points as Riccardo Freda's Tragic Ceremony, Dario Argento's Inferno, Jean Brismee's The Devil's Nightmare, Aldo Lado's Short Night of the Glass Dolls and Giorgio Ferroni's Night of the Devils it is the kind of film where atmosphere and symbolism are more important than narrative logic and the creation of characters and situations we could believe exist in the real world.

Taken in its own terms, the film succeeds admirably.

Though Cervi's direction is sometimes obvious, this obviousness is as much part and parcel of the film's effectiveness as the obvious weight attached to each and every line of dialogue. We know that David knows his resolve is crumbling in the face of the three sisters, and more importantly that he increasingly does not care to resist.

Elsewhere the director's approach is more subtle, with some clever compositions and use of focus to highlight the shifting contours of the relationships between the four characters.

The film's subtexts are also fascinating, whether the play upon the biblical idea of being fishers of men when the sisters take David onto the lake, with the ironic equivalence between his position and that of his erswhile catch, or the entire way in which the film's regimes of looking and being looked at fail to accord with regulation issue male / female active / passive structures and strictures.

No doubt if we wanted to then read the film as ultimately a misogynistic, male paranoid work where active female sexuality is presented as the greatest threat to the ideals of counter-cultural revolution – and here we perhaps have to note the specific historical context of the film's production, coming at a point where gender politics were coming on the agenda more than they had been only a few years earlier – we could do so. The three women, are after all, ultimately obeying the law of their father. His real identity should be obvious even without a consideration of the Italian title, Il Delitto del diavolo: favola thrilling, with this in turn being a title that implies a different degree of agency to the sisters than the English language alternative, where they are The Queens of Evil.

The real point, however, is that things are never quite as simple as either / or theories would have it.

The film's theology is also interesting on this count: Whereas in Rosemary's Baby the Devil's greatest power stems from the fact that few besides his followers really believe in him anymore in the “Age of Aquarius,” here he requires us to have faith, even if only so that this same faith – in David's case in that hope of an alternative way of being – can in turn be broken.

In both films, however, the real absence is perhaps the same one: God's. And yet, again Cervi's film complicates matters. Is a priest who David later encounters at a gathering, and who urges him that the time has come to make a decision – a decision that the rest of the film has been building up to – but who pointedly remains apart from the others there in fact God, his representative or another of the Devil's agents? And, in line with the décor of the elegantly appointed castle at which this gathering takes place, with many of the portraits adorning the walls apparently of cardinals, is there any significant difference? Is, in the end, this a religious or anti-religious allegory? Are the laws of “God the father” and “your father, the Devil” one and the same in terms of subjecting oneself to the other's and society's will?

Whether any of this makes sense in traditional theological terms is, of course, debatable. But whatever the case Queens of Evil is a heady fantastique brew whose only hangover, pleasant rather than nasty, is the stimulus it provides to thought.

The difficulty, as ever, is that the kind of audiences who went go to see Eric Rohmer's “Moral Tale” La Collectioneuse and who might have noticed the presence of Haydee Politioff here and been pleasantly surprised by what they, would likely have pre-judged Cervi's the film as Euro-trash, beneath them, at least in the English-speaking world.

Though not really an actors' film, the four leads are perfectly adequate in their roles. Politoff has perhaps the most challenging role alongside Lovelock, having to play something of the innocent in contrast to the more mature Monti and Stewart whose primary role – which they understandably perform beautifully – is to to be seductive and alluring, although importantly in distinctive ways that suit their respective images, Monti more obviously passionate and Stewart more aloof and icy.

Lovelock displays an easy going naïve charm, and also intriguingly contributes a couple of non-diegetic songs to the soundtrack. They're somewhat sub-Dylan, but come across as genuine and thus add rather than detract from the whole. Francesco Lavagnino provides the rest of the music, an effective selection of empathetic pieces which enhance the mood of any given scene, be it playful or more sinister.

Though one of the supporting characters indicates that “Audio visual means are no longer effective,” the cumulative effect of this beguiling piece of fantastique is to prove otherwise.

This DVD has been put together by Johnny from Lovelock and Load and Marc from Mondo Erotico. It's a by-fans for-fans kind of release rather than a commercial product. You won't find it for sale in your local or online retailer of choice as it isn't for commercial sale. So, of course, how do you get a copy? Visit Johnny's website and find out...

The care and consideration that have gone into the package put many commercial releases of comparable product to shame. The picture is a considerable improvement on the old VHS dupes out there, while the choice of English and Italian audio is always welcome. The inclusion of the two Lovelock songs among the extras is a nice touch, as is the cover art modelled on the film's art deco styled poster.

The-Iron-Inspector said...

Great review. I'm a big Ray Lovelock fan. Almost Human, Autopsy and of course Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue are required viewing.

Great website. For all your Giallo needs.

Mr. Wildenbruck said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mr. Wildenbruck said...

I found this movie incredibly fascinating.
Love the locandina ;-)

Yaeko said...

I have been looking for this film for many, many years since I moved to the U.S. I watched in Japan in my teens and the memory of it never left my heart, in fact I have been humming fragments of the "I Love You Underground" whenever I thought of and missed this film for the last 2 decades.

I have recently found it by chance and purchased it. Many thanks to one who made the DVD...The power of its audio visual beauty left me petrified just as it did 38 years ago.


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Monday, July 18, 2011

More than enough

It's Monday...God is on His throne and He is oh-so-good! I thought maybe we could all just use a little extension of yesterday's service and continue our worship, what say you?! So let's just praise Him, glorify Him, bow down before Him and tell Him that yes, Jesus...You're more than enough for me!

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 NIV

becca said...

Dawn said...

I have just recently really discovered Hillsong - I love their sound. They've been Kev's favorite for a long time, and I didn't know what I was missing. We're singing their songs exclusively in choir right now.

Nice to "see" you again here in blogland, where it is very quiet of late!

katiegfromtennessee said...

Hey Gigi,
This reminds me of all those songs we sing in church of His sufficiency...:)

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Starbucks simply made an enormous Pumpkin Spice Latte announcement

It is August, which implies #fall is close to. That may solely imply one factor to those that embrace primary internationally.

It is pumpkin spice season.

Positive, positive, pumpkin spice has grow to be overwhelmingly widespread in the previous few years, like every meals or drink development. The autumn seasoning has been put in nearly every thing, however let’s be actual — the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) from Starbucks began this entire factor, and stays the king of fall.

The PSL is often launched someday in early to mid September, and the official launch date from the espresso large continues to be an enormous secret. Nevertheless, the corporate did announce in a press launch on Thursday some thrilling new PSL information.

Starbucks is rolling out a Pumpkin Spice Latte in a ready-to-drink container, which implies you do not have to attend just a few moments to your barista to whip up your drink. The drink will probably be accessible in grocery shops later this month.

In accordance with the discharge, the beverage consists of “high-quality arabica espresso with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove spices, and creamy milk.”

The drink will probably be iced, and is available in a 14-fluid-ounce bottle for $2.79.

Moreover, Starbucks is releasing Pumpkin Spice Flavored Floor Espresso, so you’ll be able to brew your personal at dwelling. The sunshine roast espresso options notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Starbucks suggests including a splash of cream and sugar so as to get the same style of the PSL. An 11-ounce bag will run you $9.99.

The PSL was launched in 2003, and the world has by no means been the identical. b4a6 00b2%2fthumb%2f00001

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Coloring Books for Adults

This is a cautionary tale about print on demand services and deadlines! Last weekend my daughter and I were at Green Fest Philly, having been approached to attend as Etsy store owners with eco-friendly products. As we planned for the event, we brainstormed ideas for new products that we thought might appeal. As the dust settled, I found myself designing some coloring books for adults…

As the concept has been around for several months, I wondered if the books would be greeted warmly or not. Too my surprise, even before the fair had opened a woman from a local arboretum stopped by and asked to buy any copies we hadn’t sold to sell in their gift shop! It was great to find that my coloring books for adults were so well received.

Before that small triumph, I had to get the designs created and the books made, so began by deciding how best to have the designs printed. I first went to CreateSpace to see what their time line looked like. I learned that if I uploaded my designs within the next 3 days I could have printed copies delivered in time for the fair, so with great excitement – and a firm deadline in place – I set to work. I had toyed with the idea a while back so had some designs that were ready to go, but needed to work on enough to create a book. After I had completed one book with flower images, my daughter suggested that she would like one with mandalas and allover designs in it, so I set to work and managed to create another set of new designs.

Having uploaded the designs, I created covers for both books and sat back to await the approval phase. Within seconds of setting the books into approval mode, I inevitably noticed there was a typo on the back cover. When the books got initial approval I quickly made that small change and sent them back, explaining I had changed nothing but one word on the back cover of each book, hoping for a faster review the second time. 24 hours passed, and then it got into the next day. I finally got the approval and ordered copies for the fair. It was only when the invoices popped through that I saw that the delivery date was no longer September 12th, but had leaped to September 19th. I replied to the email to see if I could expedite the process. Another 24 hours and I was told I could pay a lot extra – only then to be told they still couldn’t be delivered until September 14th or 15th – still too late for the fair on September 13th, so told them to forget the expedited mailing and just let them arrive when they did.

Having put in so much design energy to create these coloring books for adults for this fair, I quickly I sent a copy order to Staples and an Amazon Prime order for covers. Staples also had a print delay, but finally got all the copies and the covers, and spent an afternoon making up the new books so we’d be ready for the fair. You can imagine my frustration when 2 days later, the printed copies arrived by mail…

This chaos did mean we now had two full sets of coloring books – one that had pages that could be easily be removed so finished pictures could be framed, and the other easily transported – but had been a much more complicated task than it should have been!

So if you would like to see my handiwork, click here! If on the other hand you want to use print on demand services… plan well ahead!


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Thursday, August 21, 2014

Expansive Poetics 102 - (Robert Desnos)

Robert Desnos

AG: We also have, moving on fast to Robert Desnos, who died in a concentration camp during World War II - 1900 you'll find him.. [Allen is referring here to his listing in the classroom anthology] - "The Voice of Robert Desnos" - "So much like the flower and the current of air/like the waterway like the shadows passing everywhere/like the smile glimpsed this amazing evening at midnight/so much like everything happiness and sadness/it's yesterday's midnight lifting its naked torso above/belfries and poplars./ I'm calling those lost in the countryside/the old corpses the young oaks just cut down/the shreds of fabric rotting on the ground and linen drying/in farming regions./I'm calling tornadoes and hurricanes/tempests typhoons and cyclones/riptides/earthquakes/I'm calling the smoke of volcanos and cigarettes.." - [(By that time you're into it like a riff, like a continued riff, so that if you've got a quick mind and a good mind and a creative mind, the things that you call up in your list can be uncanny, can be very witty, can be like haiku)] - "I'm calling tornadoes and hurricanes/tempests typhoons and cyclones/riptides/  earthquakes/ I'm calling the smoke of volcanos and cigarettes.." [(which is haiku-esque in its juxtaposition of dissimilars with a common word - "smoke' - "the smoke rings of fancy cigars" - Now he's into it)] - "the smoke rings of fancy cigars" - "I'm calling loves and lovers" - [(Ah, corny!)] - "I'm calling the living and the dead/I'm calling the grave-diggers I'm calling the murderers" - [(You can hear Walt Whitman here)].

Actually, this all comes out of Whitman, because Whitman's catalogues and lists have the great combination of Surrealist imagination and absolute literality. Surrealist, because the jump from one line to another in, say,"Song for Occupations", or any of the long list sections in "Song of Myself", the jump from one list to another in its catalogues ("catalogue" is what he called  it, or what it's called in Whitman) the catalogue poem, or the catalogue parts. When you make a catalogue or a list, you have completely free play, and so you can jump from one thing to another fast, and, actually, the funniness, or humor, or genius, or interest, in following it is following how far you can…(shift)..from one thing to another. and where you go next. Because, once you know the rules of the game (that you're jumping, that you're letting your mind jump) then the further you jump and the more extravagent the jump (or the more homely the jump, the more ordinary the jump), the funnier it gets.

 Just like the children's games you play, when kids (go) into hysteria capping each other (laughter hysteria), saying, "If I had a million dollars, I'd buy Hawaii Moon" - and then somebody'll say, "If I had a million dollars, I'd build me a big house and put a chimney on top" - and then somebody else'll say, "If I had a million dollars, I'd buy the high school". And after a while, if you're under the covers in bed at midnight at the age of seven, it gets to be hilarious and you can't stop laughing. It's the same principle of composition and it's easy. All you've got to do is let yourself go and goof around. Very few people, when they grow up, are allowed to let themselves go like that. So Kenneth Koch's method of teaching kids poetry is (to) write down the biggest lie possible. Once you write down a lie that means your imagination is liberated to writet down anything you want, or write down a dream - "Wishes, Lies, and Dreams" - or write down a wish (with a wish your imagination is liberated) - But you can do that automatically if you're just doing an improvisation series of cadenzas like this.

There must be obviously similar things in Eastern European poetry [addresses Nina Zivancevic, one of two Eastern European students in the class] - Do you know? Who writes like this in Yugolavia [sic - 1981]

Student (NZ): Vasko Popa

AG: Vasko?

Student (NZ): Yes

AG: Does he write big long lists?  or little shorties?

Student (NZ): Short, but a lot of these…

AG: Jumps.

Student: …jumps

AG: Yeah, before we leave today, I want to take up the short jump poems - little shorties, Benjamin Péret, Philippe Soupault, who else does it? - I have a bunch of them in here (Allen is referring to the classroom anthology) - (Blaise) Cendrars has a few. Then, in that same line, you'd find (Gregory) Corso has a few little short jump poems - and Anselm Hollo has a lot that are very much like Phillippe Soupault's or (Blaise) Cendrars (Cendrars has a whole book of snapshots, actually, which are like William Carlos Williams' literalities, from travels but at the same time they're so weird and extravagant, like newspaper stories, that you can't believe it, they're so goofy. So he seems to combine (them). He has that combination of literality and Surrealistic jump that CC (Allen's student, Chuck Carroll) was pining (his) book called Kodak (and another book called Postcards), where it's totally literal and at the same time totally extravagant and mad

Student (CC): What about that calligramme that we just passed out (by Apollinaire) (that) has a little jump in it - the heart, like the upside-down flame..
AG: Well, that's more like a visual thing
Student (CC): But, you know, the heart expires more or less..
AG: Yeah
Student (CC): ...the same way a flame does…
AG: Yeah, Well, that's logical, sort of the old traditional metaphor - wit, logic, rather than complete nutty juxtaposition. In a haiku.. like your haiku have a lot of nutty juxtapositions, sort of.
Student (CC): I don't think so
AG: Okay. Your haiku do not have nutty juxtapositions.

[Allen resumes reading Robert Desnos  - "I'm calling the gravediggers I'm calling the murderers/I'm calling the executioners I'm calling the pilots/I'm calling the masons the architects/the murderers" - [(He liked that one)] - "I'm calling the flesh/I'm calling the one I love/I'm calling the one I love/I'm calling the one I love/ triumphant midnight unfolds its satin wings and lands on my/bed/belfries and poplars give in to my desires/those over there collapse and those fall back/those lost in the countryside find their bearings in finding/me/the old corpses come back to life at my voice/the young oaks just cut down wrap themselves in greenery.." - [(So he's destroyed all these things and now he's putting them back together in his imagination, like the goose in the bottle - (Editorial note - via - Randy Roark - "this (here) is a logic problem that Ginsberg had used in classes before. The problem is that you have a goose in a bottle. How do you get the goose out of the bottle without breaking the bottle or injuring the goose? - The solution is by saying, "It's out" - In other words, you created the problem by creating it in words and so you can just as easily solve it on the same level)]

- "..the shreds of fabric rotting in the ground and on the ground/flap at my voice like the flag of rebellion/the linen drying in farming regions clothes adorable women/that I don't adore/who come to me/obey my voice and adore me/the tornadoes spin around in my mouth…" - [(Well, for this poem, "the tornadoes spin around in my mouth"..

But the funny thing is, when you do the totally imaginative shot, you finally come around to an absolutely literal statement, because, quite literally, the tornadoes do spin around in his mouth, because the word "tornado" is spinning around in his mouth - the conception of "tornado", "murder" and all that - the murderers spin around in my mouth, the poplar trees spin around in my mouth.. There's a funny thing that you get in Whitman, where the subject of the poem - extravagance,  and the poem itself, and the action of the poet, are all identical, and the poem actually comes true (or the poem is a truthful statement, even though it starts with giant lies). Because, if you start a poem, "I'm going to tell you the most giant lie possible", then everything you say is true because you're supposed to be telling lies - or, if you start with the idea, "I'm going to say anything that comes into my mind", pretty soon the things that come into your mind will be actually (be) like -  he's just written a tornado, and therefore it's come out of his mouth, and therefore "tornadoes spin around in my mouth".

 I like that line "the tornadoes spin around in my mouth". Gregory (Corso) has a line like that referring to a very similar appreciation of poesis - "I wanted to drop fire-engines out of my mouth!" -  "I wanted to drop fire-engines out of my mouth!/But in ran the moonlight and grabbed the prunes." - That was his acme  poem of 1958, when he was pursuing this poetic method of discord and opposites -   "I wanted to drop fire-engines out of my mouth!" meaning " I wanted to make an image or a sound that was as wild and screamy and sudden and spontaneous and noisy and red as a fire-engine. And the way he did it was saying - "I wanted to drop fire-engines out of my mouth!" - meaning, "I wanted to write amazing poetry" - or startling poetry - and then the next line caps it - "But in ran the moonlight and grabbed the prunes". If you don't know that poem by Gregory I'd look it up, maybe it's in Gasoline or Happy Birthday Of Death [editorial note - The poem, "This Was My Meal" is in Gasoline]. It begins "In the peas.." (like the plate of peas) "..I saw Eyestares of Wine" - "Eyestares of Wine" [editorial note - the actual opening of the poem is - "In the peas I saw upsidedown letters of MONK/And beside it, the Eyestares of Wine"] - Well, where did he get that? - Then it's a whole series of yoking of opposites, juxtaposition of opposite words like, "I wanted to drop fire-engines out of my mouth!/... in ran the moonlight and grabbed the prunes." - didn't grab "the lovers", grabbed "the prunes". He put in "the prunes" because that was the most unlikely thing that the moonlight would come (and steal) - running, anyway. If the moonlight were ever to come in running, like a streaker, what would the moonlight grab? Well, you wouldn't think of the prunes, not grandma's prunes!

So that way you also get humor when the poet is acquiescent and aware and has available to him common sense, and indicates his common sense by writing something that has uncommon sense, or opposite of common sense. It's (a) total sanity, that he's conscious of writing something that's the opposite of common sense, because actually it gives you the humor of actual common sense sanity. If you're really serious about the moonlight running in and grabbing the prunes, and have some long theory about it, you might not be able to write an interesting line. You'd just have this long explanation of moonlit prunes with all the attributes of Jesus Christ and other dimensions - Martian moonlit prunes!

[Allen continues reading Desnos] - "the hurricanes redden my lips if they can do it/the tempests snarl at my feet/the typhoons rumple my hair if they can do it/I accept the kisses of cyclone drunkenness" - [( of mind - "cyclone drunkenness of mind" - or of life itself - "I accept the kisses of cyclone drunkennness" - it's a very good description of life)] - "the riptides come to die at my feet/the earthquakes don't shake me but make everything totter/ at my command/the smoke of volcanoes attires me in ts vapors/and cigarette smoke perfumes me/and the smoke rings of fancy cigars crown me/the loved ones and the love pursued for so long find shelter in me/the lovers hear my voice.." - [(Well, lovers who attempt the impossible, which is to maintain their love, "hear my voice" - certainly - because he's maintained the impossible in this poem)] - "the living and the dead give in and wave to me/the former cooly the latter intimately/the gravediggers abandon partly-dug graves and announce that/ I am the only one who can direct their nighttime labors/the murderers greet me/ the executioners invoke the revolution/invoke my voice/invoke my name/the pilots use my eyes to navigate/the masons are seized with vertigo hearing me/the architects leave for the desert/the murderers bless me/the flesh quivers at my call / the one I love does not listen to me/the one I love does not hear me/the one I love does not answer me." -

 [(He reversed it. He made all the impossible possible, and he made the possible impossible, at the end (or, apparently, this is a grand extravagance to express his desires, which he then announced, at the very end, (that) he couldn't even get his girlfriend to listen to..  It's actually an interesting poem with an amazing structure of total freedom, total flight of (the) imagination, total improvisation, total exercise, go anywhere you want, take it as far out as you want - and then come - back - bam! - like a brick-wall - to reality. So quite (em)pathetic in a way, as a poem…]

Well, you know (Walt) Whitman had catalogues. So I'll just remind you that you get that strain (in Whitman). And a lot of these poets (the Surrealists) were influenced by Whitman.

(In more recent times…) - Anne Waldman's "Fast Speaking Woman" and "Skin Meat Bones" (if you know those poems - "Fast Speaking Woman" falls into this category of live improvisation) -  (My own) "Howl" is of the same nature, taking off from this old Surrealist method, very consciously (because the models for "Howl", aside from Christopher Smart, were not so much Whitman as (Andre) Breton's "L'Union Libre" (and) the Dadaist manifestoes (the absurdity of the Dadaist manifestoes, like "who plunged themselves under meat trucks looking for an egg" was just practically an ideological steal from Tristan Tzara (I didn't know Desnos at the time -  in fact, I hardly know him now, except I'm just reading a few things).  This translation I read is - the poem is 1926 -  is by Bill Zavatsky, who's been translating a great deal of Desnos. [to Student]  - You've got anything to add about Desnos?

Student: No, not really. I mean, this poem was written in a period where he was writing one poem a day for a year…
AG: Uh-huh
Student: That's all. And, you know, it was some (kind of) experiment and it was around, also, this time that, on leave from the military, he met both Breton and Tristan Tzara
AG: Before this poem?
Student: Yeah, yeah..
AG: So then this is..
Student: Yeah
AG: ..influenced directly...
Student: Yeah, absolutely
AG: …by his theories. This is a really successful poem of that nature. It's one of the few irresponsible poems that's totally responsible - it comes back at the end with this slam into the brick-wall of he can't get what he wants - no satisfaction. With all that power  ("tornadoes spin around in my mouth"), "the one I love doesn't answer me".

[Audio for the above can be heard herebeginning at approximately forty-three-and-a-half minutes in and continuing until approximately fifty-nine-and-a-quarter minutes in]

Addenda: The actual voice of Robert Desnos (reading "Relation d'un Reve" ("Description of a Dream") recorded for a radio broadcast in 1938)

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

At the waters edge.

Have often contemplated `How  to paint a water Lily' a poem by Ted Huges.  Far from a naive  description of nature, the poem describes a scene of a fight. Behind the quite delicate beauty of the Nymphaeaceae blooms, hidden a real vision of horror. The poem celebrates the beauty of nature, albeit in its violence.

All of which only became clear to me one morning spent at the edge of a pond trying to photograph  vivid, bright blooms as they had just begin to climb out of the murky womb of stagnant water.  Although there were no dragon flies I  think I saw a snake slither in the undergrowth. ( I think ..!)
 The squelchy, muddy bank and the slimy, still, slow water.  Fishes, fat toads-thawing in the early morning warmth, unlikely companions  to the magnificent flowers. The buds themselves having to  negotiate the dark pond waters to respond to  the beckoning of the early morning sun.

While, any Lily pond will always remind one of what the impressionist  genius Monet immortalised on canvas, there is another side  to the pond, that is far from a setting of aquatic peace.  A whirlpool of natural chaos, a body of water that reflects the heavens as much as the abyss.

This contrast, dual character  is inherent to most of nature, only looking at the surface, it is hard to completely imagine what lies beneath. Although the Lily, rich with symbolism is an oft repeated motif in art, poetry, architecture philosophy and religion, it is this contradictory aspect of regeneration amidst chaos, that is most captivating. I came across the work of  artist Arpita Singh recently,  One of here canvases a Lily pond is used as a reference to depict a war zone, a jigsaw of gun toting soldier, fallen bodies and tanks. Thus highly politicising established ideas of what  a Lily pond may or may not symbolise.. It is a way of widening our perspective, opening our eyes to see the complete picture, accepting and pushing the limits of imagination and truth.
To that end on need not stray afar from the waters edge..

pRiyA said...

It is a pleasure to read a well written blog post with my morning coffee Chandan. What an interesting perspective on the Lily Pond. I googled Arpita Singh's paintings and saw the one you've mentioned. Ted Hughes' poem is both chilling and wise. Gives me much food for thought.

vineeta said...

These images are SO SO beautiful and stunning. To be close enough to get these shots. To be able to hold in your camera & then share. To just be able to be near them, see them all around. This is the stuff of life. And these are the gifts for which we will never be able to thank our gods/the powers that be enough.

Pree Basu said...

Awesome! I always love your photographs.

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Monday, 15 July 2013

Killing Cupid by Louise Voss & Mark Edwards

Things have been a little quiet on the blog front lately as I've been super busy at work doing lots of on-call shifts and trying to get my end-of-year appraisal sorted. But now most of that's out of the way, the sun is shining and I have a week off to enjoy with some good books. And while I haven't been blogging, I've certainly been reading plenty, so I have a few reviews for you coming up this week. It's good to be back!

Let's start with a nice easy read that would be perfect to zip through in a few days sitting in the sunshine. It's a rare beast - a psychological thriller that actually manages to be quite fun to read, with a really good sense of humour.

Siobhan is having a bit of a difficult time of things. Her relationship has just come to an unhappy end and she has been struggling to write her 'difficult second novel' for what seems like ages. She hopes that taking a position as tutor of a creative writing class at the local college will give her something new to get enthused about, but even that turns out to be a bit of a damp squib when only six students turn up for the first session. Things go from bad to worse when one of the students, Alex, develops an unhealthy obsession with Siobhan and begins pursuing her and showering her with ill-chosen gifts. He's convinced that this stalking is the best way to display the true depth of his love for his teacher.

Then, about halfway through the book Alex meets someone new, a kind and pretty blonde who loves him back. He throws himself into a fresh, healthy relationship, and Siobhan gets rid of the stalker who has been tormenting her for weeks. Seems like a win-win situation, right? But Voss & Edwards cleverly turn the whole story on its head with a really great twist. It's difficult to say exactly how without spoilers and I am loath to ruin anybody's potential enjoyment by giving too much away. Suffice it to say, the plot takes an unexpected direction and both the main characters are shown in a completely different light.

Apart from the twisted plot, I found that this book's great strength was its humour. I think I've written on here before that as thrillers go, I find stalkers particularly chilling to read about. Something about them just leaves me with a cold heaviness in the bottom of my stomach. But Killing Cupid is done with a really light touch and there were several sinister moments that made me chuckle, despite the dark subject matter.

I believe this was the first book that Voss & Edwards wrote in partnership, and they have published a few more since. The plot of Killing Cupid lends itself particularly well to a writing duo (the chapters alternate between Alex and Siobhan's points of view). I can't imagine how they make this work elsewhere, but their other books seem to have been well-received so I'm definitely interested in reading more.

  1. I like the idea of a twist in the tale. Very intriguing. I could have a guess at what that is but then it would spoil the surprise!
    Lynn :D

    1. It's not something I would have guessed! The twist is not particularly realistic but makes for a gripping read.

  2. I have read one book by this author and quite liked it, this sounds really good, great review. glad your getting some time off

    Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net

    1. Which one have you read, Lainy? I'd like to read more by this duo.


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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Knorr's Ginataang Gulay Mix

I saw this at the grocery the other day and I knew I had to try it. New products like this that help make kitchen life a lot breezier for housewives are always welcome. It saves time and money!
It is made of fine powder that is very easy to use. Mess-free, definitely.

The instructions are likewise very easy to follow. Even kids can understand the steps on the label.

How's the taste? The natural gata is definitely better but this cooking mix definitely came up with a more than decent Ginataang Sitaw with Shrimps. The dish turned out really good, actually! When pressed for time, I wouldn't mind using this again... and again.

  1. hhmmm...bigla ko namiss din 'to! i should try cooking this one over the weekend...but i'll try from scratch. walang magluluto for me eh! :D

  2. syel, nothing beats the all natural na from scratch talaga.... pero pag walang time and hindi magaling mag piga ng nyog like me, good alternative na ang knorr. hehehe...
    ive tried ti from scratch, too. matrabaho nga lang. pero shempre, mas masarap. ;)

  3. nice post and thanks for sharing, not bad specially when pressed for time.

  4. Lumalapot din ba siya? Okay ito kasi di ko na mapiga ng todo ang niyog. Thanks to my arthritic fingers.

  5. wiggletoes, yup, lumalapot din sha pag nag boil na ng husto. mismo, hindi ako magaling mag piga, bukod sa arthritic fingers ko din, ang hina ng grip ko eh. lugi ako kasi i buy 2 nyogs pa. mahal din ha.

    i add a little sugar dito pampasarap. next time, siguro dagdagan ko ng sili and minced ginger din. ;)

  6. Kitten, exactly! plus, grated nyog is not that cheap na din anymore diba. we have to be wise spenders sometimes.

  7. I can't wait to see that in our Pinoy groceries here

  8. bertN, i hope Knorr exports it soon. :)


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Creating the best videos is a passion for many people. This is the reason that most of the people look for the software and applications that will help them to create the results that they desire. So to help all the young artists out we have Glitché from Google Play.

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Our #BannedBooksWeek Reading List: Part 5

Throughout Banned Books Week, September 24 – 30, we have been highlighting frequently banned and challenged books published by Penguin Random House imprints to help raise awareness of the importance of defending our right to express ourselves and read without censorship or interference. Keep reading for Banned Books reading list inspiration. This is the final installment.

  Click here to enter for your chance to win a personalized Banned Books Box filled with ten of your favorite books and a special banned books mug courtesy of Out of Print Clothing (No purchase necessary. US residents, 18+. Ends 9/30/17. See Official Rules.)    I AM JAZZ by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas Challenge Reasons: Inaccurate, Homosexuality, Sex Education, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited for Age Group The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for trans kids everywhere. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.   FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E L James Challenge Reasons: Nudity, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited for Age Group When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.   LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding Challenge Reasons: Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Excessive Violence LORD OF THE FLIES remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature. Also during Banned  Books Week, head over to Out of Print Clothing to find out how you can contribute to hurricane relief efforts through book donations from Penguin Random House. For each piece of Banned Books merchandise sold on the Out of Print website during Banned Books Week, September 24 – 30, Penguin Random House will donate one book in support of hurricane relief efforts through First Book up to 10,000 books. Click here to start browsing and give back.


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Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. It is mined and milled from rock and is thin and strong. Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Crocidolite (blue asbestos), are the most common types of asbestos used in manufacturing. Rarer forms are Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite. When viewed under a microscope, Chrysotile fibers are pliable and cylindrical and are often arranged in bundles, whereas Amosite and Chrocidolite fibers appear to look like tiny needles.

What is an Asbestos Containing Material (ACM)?

Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) means any material containing more than one percent asbestos. The typical ACM material found in a residential application is between 1% and 3%. Building materials with less than 1% asbestos are defined as “trace amounts” and are not considered a problem.

Common examples of ACM in a home include but are not limited to: pipe and boiler insulation, sprayed on fireproofing, troweled on acoustical plaster, floor tile and mastic, floor linoleum, transite shingles, roofing materials, plaster, ceiling tiles.

Critical Dates for Residential Construction

Asbestos was widely used in residential construction beginning in the late 19th century through 1978. In homes built prior to 1978, asbestos is most commonly found as thermal insulation on boilers and pipes. Unfortunately, it can also be found in many other household materials, which include:

  • Blown-in attic insulation
  • Vinyl floor tiles - usually 9" X 9" tiles contain asbestos, but all tile should be tested to be sure
  • Glue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood (also called "mastic")
  • Roofing materials
  • HVAC duct insulation (usually found in corrugated or flat paper form)
  • Siding material
  • Plaster
  • Fiber cement siding (usually 1/8” thick and 8’ X 4’, brittle)

In 1989, EPA published the “Asbestos: Manufacture, Importation, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce Prohibitions; Final Rule” (40 CFR Part 763, Subpart I). The rule would have eventually banned about 94 percent of the asbestos used in the US (based on 1985 estimates). However, in 1991, the US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, vacated and remanded the majority of the rule. Currently, the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution of most asbestos-containing products are still legal.

Ceiling Materials and ACMs

ACMs on ceilings could be applied in various ways. Because this material could be sprayed, or painted on it was a cost effective and quick application that quickly gained favor in the building industry. This application became known as Popcorn Ceilings and is often misunderstood as the only application that was considered an ACM. In actuality textured coatings (paints) were quite popular in residential construction beginning in the 1920s through the 1980s. Generally, the purpose was to create a surface with more visual interest than a plain, bare surface. Appearance was only a part of the benefit of textured ceilings as the use of ACMs provided some soundproofing and, more importantly, fire resistance capability.

The pictures below are two examples of ceilings with ACMs.

The first picture is a textured application

The second picture is a popcorn application

The greatest danger posed by this material is in its original application by the construction workers. Little was known about the adverse effects of ACMs and workers were not equipped with any form of protective clothing or breathing devices. Being continually exposed to ACMs on a daily basis led to health complications that didn’t fully develop until many years later in the form of Mesothelioma.

In researching this topic the EPA, The Center for Disease Control, OSHA and state health departments universally agree that textured or popcorn ceilings in good condition do not pose a health concern. Left alone and managed in place is considered the best practice with the associated health risks being negligible.

If the ACMs are damaged, or in a friable state, it would be necessary to take remedial action. Remediation may be either the removal of the ACMs or encapsulation. An example of encapsulation would be applying another layer of drywall over all of the ACMs. This is both a difficult and costly process with an estimated cost of $1.75 to $4.00 per square foot for the average home. Removal of the ACMs may take two forms, the first of which is the complete removal of the ceiling materials and replacing it with traditional drywall. The other option is to physically remove/scrape the ACM off the surface of the material. Regardless of the option chosen this remediation should only be conducted by licensed professionals.

Our role and Obligations

ERC speaks directly to the subject of asbestos in the reporting guidelines that are found on page two of the ERC Property Assessment Report. Under the heading Unsafe and Hazardous Conditions we are to report suspected visible friable asbestos. This reporting requirement presents a number of challenges for our firm. The first challenge is that home inspectors often will state that the reporting of asbestos is outside the scope of their inspection. When the question of asbestos was posed to the American Society of Home Inspectors they issued the following response-

“An inspector is not required to report the presence of any (emphasis added) possible asbestos containing material. The condition and the location of the material are not relevant. Identification of environmental hazards is a separate discipline beyond the scope of a home inspection. Home inspectors typically are not trained, equipped, or licensed to perform environmental inspections and testing. Also, note that many materials found in a home may contain asbestos. It's unreasonable to expect a home inspector to identify and test all materials that might contain asbestos.”

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors and the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) have a similar opinion on asbestos and states that the inspector is not required to report the existence of environmental hazards, including lead paint, asbestos or toxic drywall.

To further complicate matters there are a few clients who want to know if there are any ACMs in the home, regardless of the location or condition. To address that concern we have added a question to the Property Assessment Report about suspected asbestos in the home. As an extra measure we also scrutinize pictures of the home during the review process looking for ceiling finishes that may be suspected asbestos. If we determine that a ceiling finish may be an ACM we have the obligation and responsibility to include that information in the final report. We will be discussing that observation and decision with the home inspector before the report is finalized.

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Asia > Eastern Asia > China > China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Cooperation Fund presented in Macau

China: China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Cooperation Fund presented in Macau

A presentation session of the China-Portuguese Speaking Nations Cooperation and Development Fund and the investment framework for investment in Portuguese-speaking nations is due to take place on 25 January in Macau, organised by the Macau Institute for Trade and Investment Promotion (IPIM).

This session is co-organised by the Macau Economic Service, the Finance Services Bureau and the Macau Monetary Authority and support is provided by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Nations.

The objective of establishing the Cooperation Fund, worth US$1 billion, is to support cooperation in investment between Chinese companies (inclunding those from Macau) and those from Portuguese-speaking nations, providing guidance to Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Timor-Leste (East Timor), for multilateral direct investment , increasing the in general strength of the investing companies and promoting the economic development of member nations.

The fund, which is currently headquartered in Beijing, will support companies from mainland China and Macau in expanding business abroad and opening new markets in Portuguese-speaking nations.

Last October, during the Fifth Ministerial Conference of Forum Macau, China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang, announced the transfer of the headquarters of that Cooperation Fund to Macau, under a set of measures outlined by the central government to support the development of Macau.

In the statement that announced the presentation session, IPIM said the Macau government was coordinating the process of transferring the headquarters of the Cooperation Fund from Beijing to Macau.

The China-Portuguese Speaking Nations Cooperation and Development Fund was announced in Macau in November 2010 by the again Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the 3rd Ministerial Conference of Forum Macau.

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What's Wrong with My Back?

Back Pain, Chiropractic Care, and Exercise

Most people now know the importance of exercise in daily life. The benefits of exercise range from improved strength, balance, and agility to deeper, more restful sleep, improved outlook on life, and heightened levels of creativity. Of course, there's also an additional direct benefit for persons with back pain.

Most cases of back pain are biomechanical in nature. In these circumstances, spinal joints have lost some mobility and spinal muscles have become tight. The long-term result is back pain, which may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the biomechanical dysfunction. Chiropractic care is the specific treatment for problems involving the spinal joints and muscles. Exercise is an important addition to chiropractic care. When you perform challenging activities throughout a full range of motion, as you do when you exercise, you're retraining the joints and muscles of your back. By engaging in such activities on a regular basis, you're helping to restore spinal strength and mobility, enhancing the benefits you're receiving from chiropractic care.

Your chiropractor is an expert in rehabilitative exercise and will be glad to design an exercise program that will work for you.

Not all back problems are created equal. One person may have been working on a home improvement project and injured her back while simultaneously bending and twisting. Another person may have developed back pain as a result of a vehicular collision. Another person may be experiencing back pain as a result of osteoporosis. Yet another person may have a serious illness which causes back pain as a related problem.

Back pain is a problem common to many types of injuries and illnesses. How can you tell the difference - in other words, how can you tell when back pain requires you to take action, such as seeing your chiropractor? A reasonable approach is to use a 48-hour guideline. Your body usually has a powerful ability to heal itself. If your back pain hasn't gone away on its own within 48 hours, then seeking professional assistance is a very good plan.

However, some situations require immediate attention. For example, if you've had an accident, seeing your chiropractor right away is probably the right thing to do. In another scenario, if you begin to experience severe pain without an obvious cause, then seeing your chiropractor right away makes a great deal of sense. Like many things in life, having physical pain requires us to use good judgment. The 48-hour rule-of-thumb applies to most situations, but if you've had an accident or are having an unusual problem, see your chiropractor as soon as possible, today if necessary.

When a person has back pain, it's very important to make sure there are no related problems. Most of the time there aren't, but no one wants to be the exception and it's always better to be safe than sorry. Making your own diagnosis is never a good idea. "Oh, that's been bothering me for months," some people will say. "It's just back pain." Of course, such an approach to one's health violates the 48-hour rule. If the problem really wasn't anything much, it would have gone away within a few days. Something else is going on, and usually the longer a physical problem is left untreated the more difficult it is to deal with. The old expression, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is as true today as it was 100 years ago.

Your chiropractor is an expert in back pain. They know that physical pain happens for a reason.1,2 Their job is to discover that reason, using the tools of history taking, physical examination, biomechanical analysis, and special tests, if necessary, such as x-rays and other imaging methods. Most of the time, the underlying problem is mechanical in nature, involving the spinal joints and associated soft tissues, including the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Such mechanical problems cause the vast majority of cases of back pain, and are directly addressed by chiropractic care.3 In unusual circumstances, your chiropractor will refer you to another specialist. The important approach in all situations is to seek appropriate care. Your chiropractor's office is the right place to start.

1Bakker EW, et al: Spinal mechanical load as a risk factor for low back pain: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies. Spine 34(8):E281-E293, 2009
2Shambrook J, et al: Clinical presentation of low back pain and association with risk factors according to findings on magnetic resonance imaging. Pain 157(7):1659-1665, 2011
3Wilder DG, et al: Effect of spinal manipulation on sensorimotor functions in back pain patients: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 12:161, 2011
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Applying champion life lessons learned from the game of sports.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Dependent or Independent...What is the "culture" of your team?

Well, the break from the end of spring to the start of the fall sports season is over.  With the College and Pro Football seasons at hand and the baseball playoffs just around the corner, I wanted to talk about two different types of cultures that exist on athletic teams and the effects they have.  The success of a team is directly driven by the culture on or of the team.  Specifically, is it a team that is dependent [on one another] or independent [of each other]?

Dependent is defined as: relying on someone or something else for aid and support; A person who needs or relies on someone else for support.  Having reliance, trust and confidence on another.

Conversely, Independent is defined as: not relying an another for support; acting by or on ones own self, irrespective of others.  Not affiliated to a unit, no sense of belonging.

More and more, when the camera zooms in on an athlete after a big play, like a big run or catch for a touchdown, a goal scored in an intense soccer match or the winning shot in the NBA playoffs, you see an athlete celebrating "self"; that is, his/her own big play.  Increasingly, I've seen athletes run away from or push  teammates away who run to them desiring to celebrate what "they" have accomplished "together" as a team so that they can call for the applause and praise of the fans and make sure the spotlight is squarely on them and them alone.  They will extend their arms in greatness, while continuing to make the effort to remain separated from teammates, to ensure they are the sole focus.  I saw this in highlights from a college game where a touchdown was scored and a teammate came running up to celebrate.  The running back who scored the touchdown held the ball out in his right hand and extended his left arm to push his teammate away.  He proceeded to run the width of the end zone, pushing teammate after teammate away, celebrating himself.  Soon, he found himself alone in the corner of the end zone once he was done facing the fans and calling for their praise of "his" accomplishment.  His teammates got tired of trying to celebrate with him what they had accomplished together, so they celebrated away from him and headed off the field; without a "me focused" event.

What do you think happens to the culture on the teams where this occurs?  What happens to the unity, a vital component of success to a team?  When an athlete pushes teammates away or moves away from them in order to celebrate "self" and infer to his/her teammates, "no thanks, this is my moment to highlight 'me' and what I've done", it erodes unity and creates a culture of Independence; a culture of Individualism.  This type of culture spells disaster for a team; a culture of Individualism (Independence) will destroy a team.

When individualism (a culture of Independence) prevails, it reduces loyalty and mutual trust within a team.  Tom Osborne, one of the most successful coaches in college football history states, "to have a great team, there must be a great deal of loyalty, mutual trust and genuine caring and love [by teammates] for other teammates".  He adds that it was loyalty that served as the foundation for the winning teams he was known for at Nebraska.  When a team member is only interested in celebrating him/her self and ensuring they are the focus of attention, it causes teammates to question and doubt him or her.  They have given of their blood, sweat and effort so they could all be successful and celebrate what they have done, together.  It causes them to ask, "are you as committed (dependent) on or to me as I am on or to you?"  "Do you have the best interest of me and our teammates in mind or are you only out here for your personal accomplishments and glory?"  It brings about the opposite of loyalty which is brings about the opposite of a dependent culture on the team, which is an independent one.  Disloyalty is a synonym of Independence.

Above I referenced that a culture of Independence will destroy a team.  With disloyalty (an Independent culture), there is no trust among teammates.  An Independent culture causes players to speak poorly about each other, disrespect a coaches authority and team rules and players to plot against one another in order to elevate themselves and achieve their own personal goals and agenda.  They lose site of "team" and team goals that were set early on in training camps.  Players lash out, quickly challenge a teammate or appoint blame to a teammate during an interview or press conference.  A well managed team doesn't tolerate this.  The source of the Independence on the team is most often either suspended, cut from the team or traded.  A well managed team does what is necessary for the culture on that team to be a culture of Dependence.  One where teammates care for and are committed to others, where there is love for teammates and celebrations are team oriented and not individually focused.

It is easy for a culture of Independence to take over a team.  Conversely, it takes a great deal of effort and purpose to have a culture of Dependence on a team.  Someone has to model the dependence within a team.  Someone has to model dependence on teammates and to teammates.  Someone has to show he/she is willing to be dependent on others so that teammates can be dependent on them.  This process then replicates itself and the desired culture of Dependence is established.

Jesus modeled this behavior and culture of dependence for us many times throughout his life.  The Bible says in John 5:19, "the Son can do nothing by himself, he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the son also does".  He showed us what it means to be committed to the good of others (the team) and to live for the benefit of others (the team) and to see to it that personal agendas or goals are set aside for the good of others (the team), in Mark 10:45, "for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

So what is the culture on your respective team?  It doesn't matter what level you compete at; little league, high school, college or professional, in order for there to be success and accomplishment of goals established by your team, there must be a culture of dependence.  If it already exists, then ensure you're doing your part to ensure it continues on (replicates) from day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to month and year-to year.  If your team is lacking a culture of Dependence...good news:  it is never to late to change the culture!  I encourage you to be the one who steps up, takes the lead and models it to your teammates.  Establish the dependent culture, live by it and others will be drawn to it.  Then, great things will be accomplished by the team and great celebrations will be had as a team.

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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cute Spelled with a "V"

My sister got extremely ambitious for her hubby's Christmas present this year. About a week and a half ago, she decided to do an Anne Geddes inspired calendar with the cutest little model. I thought it was a great idea, but I also thought she was nuts for undertaking such a huge project with such a short period of time to get it done.

Well, she totally surprised me and the end result is adorable.

Kathie Truitt said...

Oh my goodness!! This just melted my heart. This was definitely worth all the trouble and how surprised Dad will be on Christmas Eve.

I am sorry I haven't been over here to 'see' you in a while. Life is slowing down and I look forward to dropping in on you more often.

greygillfish said...

OMG! This is ADORABLE! She is absolutely precious!

mistymadisonjo said...

What a great idea. Love it!

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Monday, May 15, 2006

Reduce The Friction...

Eric B & Rakim - Let The Rhythm Hit Em (Omega One Remix).mp3

From DJ Ayres' The Rub: It's The Motherfucking Remix Vol. 2, a creepy as hell Omega One mix, well-suited for late-night strolling back from whatever party. Thank god summer's here, huh? The forward-pushing triumvirate of The Rub (DJ Ayres, Cosmo Baker and DJ Eleven) will be here in Montreal on June 4th at Club 1234, a sure-sign that it really is summer here.

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Sunday, September 30, 2012

Mobile Express: Features and Limitations

Mobile Express for CRM 2011 offers a simplified mobile client that is integrated into the product, however, it has some key limitations. This post seeks to explain with pictures which are the pros/cons, main features and limitations of Mobile Express.

This is the default “landing page” when opening CRM via mobile client

All views on the selected entities will be available in Mobile Express:

Forms: Read
You can select which fields are available in the form. You will also be able to navigate to the related (child) entities

Forms: Edit
The fields which are available to edit via ME will appear in the form “edit” mode. Note that Field Level Security works in ME the same way as in the web client.
Nota that this is not a complete list of limitations but represent those that in my experience have been the most significant limitations of Mobile Express.
1. Lookup fields have no “browse” or “auto-complete”. This is one of the most significant limitations to end users when working with ME. Imagine for example that you need to escalate a case immediately and you need to select the team to which you need to escalate. If you are in the web client, you can easily browse the team and there is also auto-complete feature:
However, in Mobile Express you will need to type the exact team name and hope you did not make any spelling mistakes because if it does not match exactly with an existing record, the save operation will fail. This limitation applies to all lookup fields. As a work-around you might consider using OptionSet fields in ME instead of lookups (and you might need to build a plugin or some logic to map between optionset values and lookup values on save, but this topic alone can be an entire blog post).
2. No Ribbon = Few buttons. Because there is not ribbon in Mobile Express, the buttons available are very limited and you can certainly not implement custom buttons. Mobile Express supports the following buttons to act on a specific record:
- New (Create new record)
- Edit
- Save
- Delete
So for example, assigning a record to another user/team is challenging from Mobile Express because there is no “Assign” button and you can also not edit the “Owner” fields. A workaround would be to create a custom Lookup field to a user/team and expose this field in the mobile form (call it “Owner”) and then have a plugin that will do the actual assignment whenever this field changes. However, this workaround will also suffer from limitation (1) above.
Custom actions (such as “Escalate”) would have to be implemented as fields instead of as custom buttons (following the plugin pattern described above).
3. No sorting / filtering. Sorting and filtering which can be easily achieved in the web client as shown in the screenshot below are not possible in ME:
4. No “select multiple”. When you have a view in ME you cannot select multiple records at once so you cannot bulk-edit, bulk-assign, etc.
5. Maximum 2 fields per view. Mobile Express views will only display the first 2 fields of the view.
6. No visualizations. ME does not support charts, dashboards or running reports.
7. On-demand processes. While automatic workflows will trigger from Mobile Express, you cannot start dialogs or workflows on-demand.
8. Form limitations. You cannot have custom JavaScript or web resources embedded in the mobile form.
9. Not available offline.

Again, this is not a complete list of pros and cons, so feel free to contribute if I left out something significant.

No additional license required. Limited functionality (see above)
Native application within CRM/xRM. Not optimized for specific device (same interface for all phones and tablets).
Same support channel as the rest of the CRM/xRM application (Microsoft directly, no third-party vendors).
No additional IT infrastructure required.
Simple to implement, manage and maintain.
Access via web (no need to install applications in mobile devices).
Lowest cost.


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Monday, September 19, 2016

CRM Advanced Find with N:N Relationships

An old CRM problem is that sometimes when you define N:N relationships between 2 entities, you find this relationship not available for search in Advanced Find. Don’t worry about it this article will give you the work-around you need.

Consider a scenario in which I have accounts and I have industry entities. An account can be in multiple industries and an industry can have multiple accounts; therefore I have defined an N:N Relationship between Account and Industry entity:

Now as part of the requirements I want to enable users to be able to build Advanced Find queries based on this relationship. For example:

  • ·         Find all accounts in the “Banking” industry
  • ·         List the accounts with industry code FIN002

So you might think this is was easy to do with Advanced find, however, you might not be able to find this relationship when looking for the related records under account in Advanced Find:

So I went back to the N:N relationship definition to see if I did something wrong. I found that there is a checkbox called “Searchable” and was already set to “Yes”:

So why I cannot search based on this relationship? The answer is tricky. The relationship actually appears in advanced find whenever you set the “Display Option” to “Use Plural Name” or “Custom Label” on the side of the relationship with you want to show under the “related” section in advanced find. In my example, I would need to set the “Display Option” to “Plural Name” on the Industry side of the relationship so that I can perform the queries such as retrieving all accounts in a given industry:

After I do this and publish all customizations, the “Industry” entity magically appears in advanced find allowing me to perform my query:

And voila. Now the only question I still have is: What the heck is that “Searchable” checkbox on the relationship for? Feel free to comment if you know the answer J

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Friday, September 11, 2009

sweet treats

last weekend, we finished off a lovely afternoon hang out with my sister and her husband with cupcakes! rebecca made these delicious homemade cupcakes via a recipe by donna hay, who as far as i can tell is basically the australian version of martha stewart. they were almost brownie-like in consistency, and sooooo good. it helped that the frosting to cake ratio was almost neck and neck. what can i say? i contend cupcakes exist only to be a vehicle for good frosting. yum.
little m tasted some and decided the cupcakes met her approval.
so she begged for more
that's my girl!

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