text:
Armstrong and Miller: Interview

Add +
Posted: Tue Nov 17 2009

With a new show this month, a new tour next year and a new scandal in their wake, we grill Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller.

What can we expect in the new series?

Alexander Armstrong 'You have to start each series as a new thing. If it's just a reprise, you're giving out the message that we've only got at best three series in us. If anything comes back, it has to justify its place, so the WWII pilots are back, Brabbins and Fyffe are back… But by and large it has a freshness to it. This time we know our audience better.'

Do you watch each other's stuff?
AA 'I was a massive “Moving Wallpaper” fan. I'm afraid I haven't seen “Primeval”, sorry.'
Ben Miller 'I don't know how you do “Have I Got News for You”. I can't think of anything that would terrify me more.'
AA 'You have to perform to the audience in the room and make it a discussion between the five people. Just enjoy it for all it's worth, and know that anything shit will get cut out.'

There's been a lot of nonsense about the word 'gypsy' in the press, after you talked about the BBC asking you not to use it in a sketch.
BM 'Yeah, it's such a non-story. It was literally: Shall we say “gypsy”? Well, the BBC think it's not a good idea, so okay, we'll change it. I think it's still very funny with the word “itinerant”. It's a '70s public information film about how to dispose of your fridge. The target being that what we thought at the time was extremely politically correct is in retrospect quite racist.'
AA 'The problem is that some people won't understand that's the nuance of the gag.'
BM 'The whole thing is a normal part of what you do in comedy - is this the right word, is that a funnier word? What the story does show is how carefully we think about every single word in a sketch - this stuff is being broadcast to millions of people, so we always try to be precise about the target. The story a lot of the papers went for was to bash the BBC. What, so should the BBC be more racist? The angle was political correctness gone mad. It's not. It's comedy gone sensible.'
AA 'These are important arguments to have. In comedy, your responsibility is not to back away from having those arguments. Comedy still has to go into these dangerous areas.'

So you don't need to self-censor?
AA 'You can self-censor as much as you like, but you can't censor what people are going to find funny, or you're going to end up eviscerating a lot of comedy on TV and people will stop watching it.'
BM 'The moment comedy isn't living at the boundary between what's acceptable and not acceptable, what's tasteful and not tasteful, it's not doing its job. It's meant to be there so we can get off our high horses and laugh.'

Before Sachsgate, I think people agreed with what you're saying, but now it feels like there's a licence to complain about absolutely anything.
BM 'I like to think it's the pendulum swinging the other way. Before Sachsgate, you had people saying that we must curb what comedians are saying. Now, people are wondering, if we're nervous about using the word “gypsy”, are we going too far the other way?'
AA 'There's no recourse for people who don't mind. No one sets up a hotline for people to register their support about something.'
BM 'We're not making it for a certain section of the audience to laugh at another section of the audience. I'm hoping we can all laugh at ourselves.'
AA 'If you try and suppress a laugh, you're only going to make it worse. There's nothing like the forbidden laugh, and thank God for it.'
BM 'It's quite obvious from watching our show that there's nobody telling us what we can and can't put in. Hopefully we're judging where the line is, and sometimes you'll get it wrong. But as long as you can give an honest account of yourself that your intentions were good, that's okay. It would be terrible if you stopped making jokes about things in fear of people's reactions.'

It's unusual for a sketch show to go straight to BBC1. What did you think the audience was?
AA 'The BBC1 comedy audience likes a well-structured gag. We did four series on Channel 4 and we learnt a lot there. Most of it was filmed single camera, and you can get a bit carried away with that. When you're up and coming like that, it's all about potential. When you get to our age, it's time to stop showing fucking potential and get on with the job!'
BM 'I don't want to slag off our ex-girlfriend, though. I'm really proud of our C4 series. We could have got married, but even now we could still have the odd fling… At C4, we'd come from being a live act, so the novelty was exciting. Now, we crave the live thing again.'

So you're going on tour again.
AA 'Yeah - it's beginning to take shape. The crucial thing with a live show is to come up with some ingenious way of keeping the momentum up between sketches, so there's always something happening. I think we're on to something quite exciting, but that's all we're saying…'

Users say


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Truncated: length

WARC-Type: response

text:
© Ming Tang-Evans
Special offers
Book a table

Book now

Special Offers

3 courses: £29.50

From a set menu. Drinks not included.

Offer valid until May 31 2015

Wine glasses gleam, cutlery sparkles, and the chocolatey walls and leather banquettes cosset and charm. Service is professional, the menu short and seasonal and seldom is a polished dessert fork put wrong. Magdalen is low-key enough to feel like a well-kept secret, but it’s also a favourite with clued-up City diners who know their gribiche from their gravlax.

There’s something old-fashioned about it, but the menu is adventurous too; few places would venture to list both kid (saddle and heart) and calves’ brains on the same menu. The latter – cloud-light, fried just-so and served with a punchy gribiche sauce – featured on the excellent-value set lunch menu. Ingredients shine; a starter of parma ham (from the Ham & Cheese Co at nearby Spa Terminus) was sliced transparently thin and served with a dollop of indulgent ricotta. Firm, perfect morels at the height of their short season came with sourdough toast, wild garlic and a poached duck’s egg.

For afters, there are cheeses from Neal’s Yard and grown-up desserts such as marmalade and whisky ice-cream. France is the focus of the well-chosen, mostly European wine list. A few tasting notes wouldn’t go amiss, nor would more choice by the glass, but otherwise it’s hard to find fault.

Venue name: Magdalen
Address: 152 Tooley Street
Opening hours: Lunch served noon-2.30pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 6.30-10pm Mon-Sat
Transport: Tube: London Bridge tube/rail
Price: Main courses £13.50-£25. Set lunch £15.50 2 courses, £18.50 3 courses

Average User Rating

5 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:2
  • 4 star:0
  • 3 star:0
  • 2 star:0
  • 1 star:0
1 person listening
Tom O'Donnell

Amazing meal. Great produce and flavours. My wife and I read the reviews and had high expectations but we certainly got more than what we expected. Fantastic service and wonderful food. The menu is refined and not too long to ensure the best possible quality in each dish. Highly recommended!

Excellent food with attentive yet unobtrusive service. Surprisingly busy every time I visit - clearly the City suits have found out about this place. I've gone there for several lunches with both friends and colleagues, and everyone loves it. We once had a client lunch where we needed to be in and out in an hour, so I called in advance and expalined the situation. Once we arrived no further explanation was needed, and everything ran like clockwork. I really can't find fault with Magdalen: it might not be buzzy or trendy enough for everyone, but you don't come to Magdalen for cool, you come for good food.

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2015-22
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for May 2015
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Romance Mediterranean Restaurant

The content on this page is provided by a Time Out partner.

Tucked away between London’s Euston and St Pancras stations on Chalton Street, Romance Mediterranean Restaurant is a bustling bistro-style restaurant popular with commuters, local office workers and coffee-loving locals. With its brightly lit shop front and vibrant interior - which is decorated with wooden furniture, ceiling fans, chalkboard specials menus and pot plants - Romance is a great place for business breakfasts, casual lunches and animated evening meals with colleagues, family or friends. Just off Euston Road, the restaurant is close to the British Library and Romance’s menu includes everything from soups and salads to pasta.

Venue name: Romance Mediterranean Restaurant
Address: 3 - 9 Chalton Street
Price: £25 and under

Average User Rating

5 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:1
  • 4 star:0
  • 3 star:0
  • 2 star:0
  • 1 star:0
0 people listening
amir lass

Ate lunchwith a collegue last week. Very nice home made food, lovely service and excellent price. Good value for money. Highly recomended and definitly come again when in the area


text:
San Francisco parking spot app shuts down service

By TERRY COLLINS Associated Press Published:

SAN FRANCISCO -- An Italian company whose mobile app allows San Francisco drivers to get paid for the public parking spaces they exit has temporarily shut down the service following an order from the city attorney.

Despite saying last month that it wouldn't stop, MonkeyParking said in a blog Thursday that it "temporarily disabled" its bidding service in San Francisco, a day before City Attorney Dennis Herrera's deadline to cease operations or face a possible lawsuit.

"We are currently reviewing our service to clarify our value proposition and avoid any future misunderstandings," the website said.

MonkeyParking CEO Paolo Dobrowolny said in an email Friday that his company was working with lawyers and he hopes to meet with city leaders soon. "We want to operate in full collaboration with the city," Dobrowolny said.

Herrera said in a statement Friday that MonkeyParking and two similar smartphone apps that exchange money for parking spaces, Sweetch and ParkModo, said in writing that they will go on hiatus.

"I'm grateful that these parking apps have at least temporarily honored my request to halt business practices that clearly violate San Francisco's Police Code. At the same time, we're going to remain vigilant against those who would try to hold on-street public parking hostage for their own private profit," Herrera said. "I hope they can come up with some innovative and legal ways to serve their customers' transportation needs."

Herrera sent a letter to three parking apps on June 23 threatening a lawsuit if they didn't cease operations by July 11.

The Rome, Italy-based MonkeyParking allowed drivers who score a notoriously hard-to-get parking spot on San Francisco's streets to sell it for $5, $10, even $20 and then hang out there until the buyer arrives to take their place.

Herrera's letter was the latest as state and federal lawmakers grapple with new technologies that people can use to privately replace taxis, hotels and even restaurants. Firms in neighboring Silicon Valley often use San Francisco as a testing ground, pushing the boundaries of local authorities who don't want to quash the booming tech economy.

Herrera also cracked down on two similar smartphone apps that exchange money for parking spaces.

Two weeks ago, Dobrowolny said MonkeyParking doesn't sell parking spots, but rather convenience, citing freedom of speech. He said people have the right to tell others they're leaving a parking spot and get paid for it.

On Thursday, the company reiterated a similar sentiment in its blog.

"Street parking is currently not a first-come-first-served process, but still a random-served one: you can go in circles for hours while a lucky driver can find a spot in a minute, right in front of you," the blog said. "It is an old and painful problem and we believe that drivers deserve a better solution."

Want to leave your comments?

Sign in or Register to comment.


text:
Officials warn of scam

Irv Oslin Published:

Area law enforcement agencies are warning residents to beware of a scam in which callers identifying themselves as Social Security Administration employees attempt to obtain victims bank account numbers. The callers tell their intended victims they are preparing for changes in direct deposit procedures and request account numbers. Residents are advised never to give bank account information over the phone, especially if they are not absolutely sure who they are talking with or if they did not initiate the call.

Want to leave your comments?

Sign in or Register to comment.


text:
Leaders make fresh appeal to voters

First published in National News © by

Leaders on both sides of the independence debate made a fresh appeal to voters as the long campaign over Scotland's future entered its final 100 days.

Both Yes Scotland chief executive Blair Jenkins and Better Together leader Alistair Darling both issued rallying cries as the campaign reached its "sharp end".

On September 18 voters in Scotland will go to the polls to decide if the country should remain part of the United Kingdom, or if should become independent.

Mr Darling vowed he would use the next 1 00 days " to bring together most of us in this nation around a common vision of Scotland leading the United Kingdom after September 18, not Scotland leaving the United Kingdom."

He added that pro-Union campaigners were offering what the "overwhelming majority" of Scots want, as Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have all now put forward proposals to devolve more power to Holyrood in the event of a No vote.

Meanwhile Mr Jenkins said: " Over the next 100 days I appeal to every single person who believes in Yes to make it their business to talk with and persuade those who remain undecided to come our way.''

Mr Jenkins was in Edinburgh with Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to launch Yes Scotland's pledge card, setting out " five very clear guarantees" he said independence would bring.

The Yes campaign has so far g athered 789,191 declarations from people who say they will back independence in the referendum, Mr Jenkins said.

That is just over 200,000 short of the one million target the campaign set when it was first launched.

Yes Scotland also unveiled research showing for every 10 people who have moved from undecided since the autumn, seven have become Yes voters while three have shifted to No.

Mr Jenkins said: " 'I think as people focus in on the vote they are going to have to make in September, more and more they are looking for the clear message of 'what will change?' and 'why will my life be better?' and that's very much what we are trying to get across to people.''

He added: ''I think that the final part of the campaign is going to be about who gets the tone and the mood of the campaign right.

''I think a lot of this will come down to who people trust. Why would people trust David Cameron and George Osborne going forward any more than they have up until now?

''I think the issue of trust will be a big one as we move closer to the vote.''

He dismissed claims that the unionist parties' claims of more powers would boost the No Campaign.

''What people have to be realistic about is what will the appetite be at Westminster seriously to push through further constitutional changes for Scotland after this referendum, and when you've got a very full agenda," the Yes Scotland chief executive said.

But Mr Darling insisted Holyrood would get "s ubstantially enhanced powers" if Scots rejected independence.

The Labour MP argued that the terms of debate had changed as a result of the proposals from the pro-Union parties to devolve more powers.

"It is now clear that a No vote will bring more powers to Scotland within the UK," he said.

"All three of the Scottish parties backing a No vote have put forward broadly similar proposals for further powers."

While he said there is "much that divides us on other issues", he argued that when it came to the constitution, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are "all now pretty much on the same page".

He stressed the "quiet but resolute majority" had a "crucial role" to play in determining Scotland's future as he called on people to say ''no thanks'' to independence.

Mr Darling said: "I want to use these 100 days not to see Scotland divided further but to bring together most of us in this nation around a common vision of Scotland leading the United Kingdom after September 18, not Scotland leaving the United Kingdom.

''I want to use these 100 days to plan for Scotland's positive, possibility-rich future as part of the United Kingdom and with the substantially enhanced powers for the Scottish Parliament which all three parties have committed to."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "I t's imperative in these final weeks of campaigning to offer voters a positive vision of how our nation can progress and have a bigger say within the UK.

"A No vote in September is the patriotic choice to deliver the best of both worlds in Scotland. A No vote ensures more powers for the Scottish Parliament, but still guarantees we can keep the pound."

She pledged: " I will be spending every day of the next 14 weeks arguing passionately for Scotland's place in the UK - it's a future which ensures greater power and responsibility at home, along with greater opportunity and security in the world at large."

But Green MSP Alison Johnstone said: " The Scottish Greens will be using the final 100 days to reach out to everyone concerned about a fairer and greener future, making the case that Scotland can achieve far more with a Yes vote."

She added: "We know though that not all of our supporters are convinced about independence yet, and many are rightly just as critical of the SNP as they are of the parties campaigning for a No vote. This isn't a choice between utopia and disaster, it's simply a chance to take responsibility for ourselves. We believe it's an opportunity we can't afford to miss."

Send us your news, pictures and videos

Most read stories

Local Info

Enter your postcode, town or place name

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree


text:
Orion repowering project delayed by economic woes

Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Facebook

Get our stories in your inbox, free.

Like TimesLedger on Facebook.

Plans to modernize an Astoria power plant supported by environmental activists will be tabled for a year or more until the project’s financing can be secured at more favorable rates.

Orion Power last year announced its plans to replace the old boilers at its Astoria Generating Facility on the northwestern tip of the borough with new cleaner, high-efficiency, combined-cycle units — a “repowering” project that would increase electric output while decreasing emissions.

But Orion Power was purchased in February by Reliant Energy of Houston, whose executives revealed earlier this month that the Astoria project would be delayed.

“It might be as long as 18 months from now until they go out and begin the real serious capital investment,” said Liam Baker, the on-site manager for the project. “They’re not going to go out and try to borrow the money right now. They’re going to try to wait until the markets turn around and they can borrow the money they need at more favorable rates.”

Baker said the bankruptcy filing by energy giant Enron Corp. has made banks “much less eager to loan money to developers to build power plants.”

Originally expected to open by 2005, the repowered plant may not begin operating until 2007, Baker said.

“Repowering” projects replace the aging technology of existing facilities with cleaner, more efficient forms of energy production, which can boost generating capacity by up to 90 percent.

The facility, which currently has a generating capacity of 1,253 megawatts, would increase its output by to 1,840 megawatts and decrease the pollutants by as much as 75 percent.

The repowered plant would run with natural gas, which is cleaner than oil fuel, and draws in 98 percent less water from the East River, killing fewer fish in the process.

The community, which has long complained that the neighborhood is oversaturated with power plants, has given the project enormous support because it will convert an existing facility into one that is cleaner and more efficient.

Although disappointed by the delay, community activists were still enthusiastic about the benefits of the repowering once it is carried out.

“That much more time it takes to repower is that much more pollution that’s going to be around,” said Tony Gigantiello, the president of CHOKE, an environmental group based in Long Island City that lobbies in favor of repowering projects.

But he said the group will still be “pretty happy” so long as the project is ultimately carried out.

State Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) shared Gigantiello’s concerns.

“The longer it is delayed, the longer it’s going to take us to shut down those dirty plants and begin the process of improving our environment locally,” Gianaris said Monday.

Gianaris, who has made the fight against power plant pollution a cornerstone of his tenure, introduced a bill last year that cuts in half the state approval time for proposals to repower old facilities rather than building anew.

Gianaris’ law is expected to speed up the approval of Orion’s application to the New York State Siting Board on Electric Generation. Submitted in December, the proposal should receive a green light by June, Baker said.

The only opposition to the project has come from Con Edison and the New York Power Authority, which share property adjacent to the Orion site. A cooling tower to be built as part of the repowering would release salt particulate from the river water into the air, which both Con Ed and NYPA fear will leave deposits on their substations and other equipment, according to Baker.

“We’re trying to work through that with them,” Baker said.

Once begun, construction will be carried out in two phases — the first is expected take between 18 months and two years, while the second should be completed one year after that.

Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at or call 229-0300, Ext. 154.

Today’s news:
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Facebook

Get our stories in your inbox, free.

Like TimesLedger on Facebook.

Reader Feedback

Enter your comment below

By submitting this comment, you agree to the following terms:

You agree that you, and not or its affiliates, are fully responsible for the content that you post. You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening or sexually-oriented material or any material that may violate applicable law; doing so may lead to the removal of your post and to your being permanently banned from posting to the site. You grant to the royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual and fully sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such content in whole or in part world-wide and to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.

This week’s featured advertisers

CNG: Community Newspaper Group


text:
Our opinion: Ever a Scout

March 18, 2013

If there is one man who represents everything that is good and honorable about Boy Scouting, it is Dan Wolboldt. And, this community is fortunate to know him and call him a neighbor....

« Back to Article

sort: oldest | newest

No comments posted for this article.

Post a Comment

You must first login before you can comment.

*Your email address:
Remember my email address.

I am looking for:
News, Blogs & Events Web


text:
Times Reporter
  • High school track and field report for April 27

    • email print
  • New Philadelphia boys win Gundy Invitational
    New Philadelphia scored 145 points to win the boys title at the New Philadelphia Rotary Gundy Invitational on Saturday at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium.
    River View finished second with 132 points and Garaway was third.
    Harrison Central finished fourth and Tuscarawas Central Catholic fifth in the six-team field.
    The Quakers got individual wins from Greg Cunningham in the long jump and Mark Castillo in the shot.
    New Philadelphia’s 400-meter relay team also took a first on the day.
    River View’s Brandon Adams won both the 100 and 200, while Brice Finton won the high jump and Clay Holsclaw the discus.
    The Black Bears also won the 800 relay.
    Garaway’s Logan Kettlewell was a double winner, taking both the 800 and 1.600, while teammate Samuel Wentworth won the 3.200.
    Jon Stingel won the pole vault for the Pirates.
    Harrison Central got wins from James Thompson in the 110 hurdles and Jeremy Spoonemore in the 300 hurdles.
    Central Catholic had one first on the day, winning the 3,200 relay.
    Revere won the girls title, scoring 111 points.
    New Philadelphia finished second, Garaway third, River View fourth and Harrison Central fifth.
    Ashley Nelson won the 100 for the Quakers and Jessica Swiney won the long jump. New Philadelphia also won the 400 relay.
    Rachel Wentworth won the 1,600 for Garaway and Kenzie Widder won the 3,200.
    Garaway’s Karissa Swihart was the only local double champion, taking the shot and discus.
    River View’s Kristen Douglass won the 100 hurdles.
    Stark County meet
    Allyson Simmons of Fairless set a bunch of records with one jump at the Stark County championships.
    Simmons cleared 12-4 in the meet to set a personal, school, stadium, meet and Stark County record in the pole vault.
    Canton South won the girls Division II/III
    title with 96 points and Fairless (41 points) finished eighth and Sandy Valley (31) ninth.
    Rebecca Fortner won the high jump for the Falcons at 5-3 and finished tied for first in the 300 hurdles at 49.41.
    In the boys meet, Northwest won the
    Division II/III title with 106 points. Fairless (97) was third and Sandy Valley (81.33) fifth.
    Tyler Neff (23.34) won the 200 for the Falcons and Seb Tressel (2:06.72) won the 800.
    Neff and Tressel ran with Carter Casperd and Chad Bucher to win the 1600 relay at 3:30.94.
    Sandy Valley got individual wins from Luke Sommer (6-0) in the high jump and Andre Griffin (11-0) in the pole vault.
    Walker Grossman, John Mahaffey, Brandon Wallace and Ben Lehotay won the 3200 relay at 8:35.83.
    Triway Invitational
    Carly Woodruff won the 100 hurdles and ran on two winning relay teams for West Holmes in the Triway Invitational.
    Page 2 of 2 - Woodruff won the 100 hurdles in 14.80 and ran with Ciera Rose, Haley Judson and Elise Neville to win the 400 relay in 52.10.
    Woodruff, Hannah Clark, Kendra Martin and Neville teamed up to win the 800 relay in 1:48.10.
    Grant Hay won the pole vault at 13-8 to lead West Holmes in the boys event.
    North Royalton won the boys title and Triway won the girls crown.
    West Holmes boys finished seventh and the girls were fourth.


text:
Newly rated Rose breaks free from the leaders

September 27, 2013
By TYLER STRAND - T-R Sports Writer ( , Times-Republican

GRUNDY CENTER - The lead pack of four separated itself from the field fairly quickly Thursday, yet South Hardin's Tim Rose patiently bided his time before finding the separation he needed for the win.

I am looking for:


text:
(skip this header)

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Times Union
timesunion.com Businesses

« Back to Article

Make gun control part of a pro-life stance

THOMAS P. MELAD, Times Union
Published 9:18 pm, Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Larger | Smaller
Email This
Page 1 of 1

Politicians usually talk about being pro-life when it comes to opposing abortion. As a Catholic who served as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican under President George H.W. Bush, I share a deep commitment to protecting the sanctity of life in the womb. But what about our children, teachers and neighbors lost to the epidemic of gun violence?

These innocent victims can no longer speak. Those of us proud to call ourselves pro-life must raise our voices on their behalf and demand that powerful lobbying groups stop standing in the way of sensible gun control measures that can save lives.

I'm a native of Connecticut. The Newtown tragedy hit close to home for me. I have family members whose children attended Sandy Hook Elementary in the years before the horrific shootings two months ago. The image of tiny caskets carried into churches broke our hearts. It must also motivate us to act.

Along with another retired U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Miguel Diaz, I recently joined more than 60 prominent Catholic theologians, priests and sisters who are challenging pro-life elected officials to show more political courage when it comes to confronting gun violence. In particular, we urged our fellow Catholics in Congress who earn top ratings from the National Rifle Association to put the common good before powerful special interests.

The religious community is mobilized to make an impact on this debate. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, recently said that the church's advocacy on behalf of gun control is "a pro-life position." The Vatican's chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, complimented U.S. religious leaders and the Obama administration for advancing sensible gun restrictions. Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence — a campaign that includes Christians, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs — has brought together religious leaders from across the country to meet with Vice President Joe Biden at the White House.

Let's drop the false choices. We can honor the Second Amendment and also take reasonable steps to make our communities safer. No hunter or responsible gun owner needs an assault weapon designed to inflict maximum carnage on the battlefield.

The bipartisan task force on gun violence in the General Assembly should recommend a comprehensive package that includes universal background checks, an expanded ban on military-style semiautomatic rifles and better mental health services. The task force would be wise to pay attention to new research that demonstrates the effectiveness of universal background check legislation.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research has studied the consequences of Missouri repealing a 2007 "permit-to-purchase" law. The law required a background check as well as a brief sheriff's review before all gun sales and closed loopholes of private sales. Repeal of the law meant guns could be sold privately in the state without a background check. The Hopkins researchers found that overturning the law resulted in a 25 percent jump in Missouri's homicide rate at a time when gun violence was declining nationally and regionally.

Although a single law or set of regulations can't prevent every tragedy, there is no excuse for not taking action. The moral case is clear. The question is can our elected officials summon the political courage to defy the gun lobby and protect our communities?

Thomas P. Melady is a retired U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Uganda and Burundi. He wrote this for The Hartford Courant.

Featured videos


text:
History of Multicultural Education

Timeline created by RedGroup in History
Event Date: Event Title: Event Description:
Timeline Mendez VS Westminster "The equal protection of the laws' pertaining to the public school system in California is not provided by furnishing in separate schools the same technical facilities, text books and courses of instruction to children of Mexican ancestry that are available to the other public school children regardless of their ancestry. A paramount requisite in the American system of public education is social equality. It must be open to all children by unified school association regardless of lineage," (n.d.
Timeline Brown v. Board of Education "Now acknowledged as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century, unanimously held that the racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, (PBS, 2006)
Ruby Ruby Bridges Hall Ruby Bridges Hall became the first African American Student to desegrate into a white school. She was the only student in her class, as the white parents would not allow their children to attend class with an African American. Although she was only six years old, she was escorted to school everyday by marshalls due to the angry mobs which gathered outside of the school,(Bridges, n.d.)
Timeline 1964 Civil Rights Act For the first time since the Supreme Court ruled on segregation in public schools in 1954, the federal government had a means of enforcing desegregation; Title VI of the act barred the use of federal funds for segregated programs and schools,(Clayborne, 1991).
Watts riots  back cover black c The Watts Riots These riots went on for six days and rhey were the result of Africian Americians feel that they were not being treated equal.They felt that there housing and schools were below standard.Retreived May 20,2013 from http://crdl.usg.edu/events/watts_riots/?Welcome.Image retreived May 20th,2013 from http://www.last.fm/music/Danny+Watts/Watts+Riots.
Imagescan9ding Bilingual Education Act The Bilingual Education Act was the first federal bill signed into law addressing the needs of students who had trouble speaking english.This was the begining of more bills that would give minorities an equal education,(Stewner-Manzanares, 1998)
Mlk Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated " Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He is in town to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers. The night before his death, he delivers his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech",(NPS, 2013)
Imagescaeypae3 Title IX of the Education Amendments This amendment prohits sexual discrimination in school programs, activities, education in any institution that receives federal funding (U.S.Department of Education,2012),
Keyes Keyes v. School District No. 1, Denver, Colorado The Supreme Court ruled that Latinos could attend desegrated schools in the Park Hill area of Denver, (Cornell University Law School, n.d.).
Lau Lau v. Nichols According to PBS,(2004) this was a lawsuit that was filed by non english speaking students.who claimed they were not being treated equally when it came to their receiving an education.After lower courts failed to take action The United States Supreme Court basing their decision the 1964 Civil Rights Act took action and demanded help be given to these non english speaking students.
Imagescachd69b Convention on the Rights of the Child This convention states the rights of children.over the course of 54 articales.It sets gives standards for the health wellbeing education legal social and cival lives of children. Retreived on May20,2013 from http://www.unicef.org/crc/ .Image retreived on May 20,2013 from http://www.yapi.org/curricula.htm.
911twintowers Terrorist Attacks The events that took place on Septemeber 11th 2011 had hudge impacts that had a major effect on politics religion and education.In regards to education the events that took place on what has become known as 911 threatned to derail efforts to increase multiculural education do to the enormous leval of patriotism that followed the attacks.The Terrposit attacks made it hard for multiculural educators to develop a curriclium of tolerence toward diverse groups (Young&Sharifzadeh, 2003).
Timespan Dates: Timespan Title: Timespan Description:

The History of Multicultural Education


text:
Songs for when you fall in love with someone you met just a little too late in your life

Requested By: TwoWaffles

  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Adds typographic refinements.

More information about formatting options

Here's the deal: Send us a thought, phrase, question, quotation, or whatever else, and if one of our mix tape robots fancies your suggestion, the crazy set of circuits might just make a mix tape out of it — well, at least a tracklisting for a mix tape out of it. Request a mix here, and help us compile mixes here.


text:
Once in a life time

By: Bill D
Posted: November 16, 2012

Very windy day trying to make my Clubs Delay Memorial day tournament cut. Pin was tucked over a ridge on the left edge.. Hit a low boring draw into the wind caught the ridge and bounced twice.. right into the hole.. hole in one didnt help and I missed the cut.. still fun time buying drinks for the whole tournament crowd.. why wouldn't they buy my drink.. I got the hole in one??

Please login to post a comment

Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet? Click here to create your account.


text:
Shaft prices

Started by : IF |

Jump To Last Reply

I was thinking of picking up a new shaft for my 910 D3 and was wondering how much an Oban Kiyoshi or Graphite Design DI with Titleist adapter would cost me? Thanks.

Kris A

I bought my GD ADDI for $375 from a local Authorized Dealer.

Team Titleist Club ConciergeTPI Certified

Cathi, Titleist Club Concierge

We allow each shop to set their own pricing as we don't have an MSRP for shaft upcharges.  The "shaft alone" order will also come with a surefit weight (if requested), so if you do want to try a different swingweight, please make that request for the weight when you are placing your order.  We recommend checking with several shops as pricing may vary.


text:
100 8 of 8

Fitted White Open Neck Shirt

, , original
  • , , original
  • , , original
  • , , original
100 8 of 8
Availability: in stock 60 item(s) in stock Select leg finish and length
add subtract
Special promotions
Single price
Multibuy price $35.00

Product added to your bag!

Go to shopping bag
  • Details
  • About
  • Deliveries
  • Returns
Our fitted shirt is designed to complement the contours of the female silhouette and the longer length body means it's unlikely to come untucked. Each button has been lock stitched, which makes it extra secure; and carefully spaced so there's no gaping.
  • Open Neck Fitted Shirt
  • Button Cuff
  • Contoured Side Panels and Seams
  • 100% Cotton
  • Machine Washable at 40°
  • Catalogue Number - 38171

A flattering range of hand finished tailored shirts for women.

Delivery Information

US Standard - $10.00

If you choose to have your items altered, please allow an extra 5 working days for delivery

US Returns

We hope that you’ll be pleased with your choice of TM Lewin products but if you’re not then if you live in the USA, you can return any product back to us completely free of charge using the free returns label. We recommend you get a Proof of Delivery from the Post Office.

Please note that we cannot accept returns or exchanges of altered items that are not faulty.


text:
Our TV Shows

Got a Tip?

Call TMZ at (888) 847-9869 or Click Here

Tiger Woods: 'I've Done Some Pretty Bad Things'

3/21/2010 9:06 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
The fastest five minutes in sports just ended (Tiger Woods' interview with ESPN) and while he did duck some personal stuff, he did a pretty good job of answering the tough questions.

Tiger Woods

At least he actually answered questions this time.

UPDATE: Here are some highlights of Tiger on the Golf Channel. A lot of the same stuff, but a few different parts.

For more sports stories, check out tmzsports.com!

Around The Web


text:
Our TV Shows

Got a Tip?

Call TMZ at (888) 847-9869 or Click Here

Tiger Woods Pulls Out of TPC

5/9/2010 12:28 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
Tiger Woods withdrew from The Players Championship in the middle of his round today, citing a neck injury.

Woods was on the seventh hole when he hit a tee shot well to the right. He called over an official and proceeded to hit his next shot -- but grimaced in pain.

He shook hands with his playing partner, Jason Bohn, before leaving on a golf cart (above).

Woods said he fears he might have a bulging disk in his upper back.

For more sports stories, check out tmzsports.com!

Around The Web


text:
Our TV Shows

Got a Tip?

Call TMZ at (888) 847-9869 or Click Here

Limp Bizkit's Drummer

Snared by Pneumonia

9/27/2010 3:00 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
Fred Durst can't buy a break -- Limp Bizkit's reunion tour just got put on ice in Norway after pneumonia took down the band's drummer ... TMZ has learned.

The band's manager tells TMZ they were forced to pull the plug on tonight's show after drummer John Otto was hospitalized in Oslo. According to the manger he was diagnosed with pneumonia and is undergoing tests to determine how serious it is.

Reps for Sentrum Scene, where Bizkit was supposed to play tonight, say tickets for the show will be refunded.

The LB tour was canceled earlier this year over booking issues, according to Durst.

Around The Web


text:
Our TV Shows

Got a Tip?

Call TMZ at (888) 847-9869 or Click Here

LeBron & Dwyane -- Bullets Fly at Training Camp

10/7/2010 2:30 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade watched helplessly as several gunmen opened fire at Miami Heat training camp recently -- but thankfully, it was all part of an awesome (and safe) gun demonstration.

The Heat squeezed in some practice time at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida last week -- and for some reason, the team spent a portion of their free time watching military personnel flaunt their firepower.

And if that's not enough -- LeBron even demonstrates proper bullet-dodging technique. Check it out.

For the record -- Gilbert Arenas was not present.

For more sports stories, check out tmzsports.com!

Around The Web


text: The Tamaqua Community Arts Center, 125 Pine Street Tamaqua, will hold its first annual Fall Arts & Music Festival in coordination with the 28th Annual Tamaqua Heritage Festival on Sunday. The center will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will host an Art Exhibit, live music and dance performances. There will also be clay/pottery and jewelry wire-making demonstrations. The festival will include special guest dancers Amanda Carson of Bare Toes Yoga & the PA Performing Arts. Registrations for workshops and a variety of instrument and stage performance lessons will be available. For more information on the day's events, contact the Tamaqua Arts Center at (570) 668-1192 or visit [1]


text:
Carbon County's elected officials will see a pay increase in 2016 and 2017.

During a special county commissioners' meeting on Tuesday evening, the board voted 2-1 to increase the county's elected officials salaries by 1 percent in 2016 and 2 percent in 2017. Commissioner William O'Gurek cast the sole "no" vote.

His explanation for voting against the raises was two-fold.

The first reason, he said, was because "I think in these difficult economic times I'm not in favor of the row office people getting an increase."

The second reason, which led to a discussion, was that he was under the impression the elected officials were given proposals that stated row office positions would be getting 3 percent raises each year and then right before the meeting, O'Gurek was given a different agenda that reflected the new raise percentages.

Commissioner Wayne Nothstein, chairman, explained to O'Gurek that the 3 percent raise proposal was not sent out to elected officials for comment but was an in-house document for informational purposes.

County administrator Eloise Ahner confirmed Nothstein's comment, stating that the first proposal was never disseminated to others outside the commissioners' office.

Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard added that the change from the original proposal came about after Nothstein asked him if he would be happy with a 1 and 2 percent raise for the elected officials instead of a 3 percent raise.

He noted that he said he would be happy with those percentages.

The action last night now means that the county commissioners will receive a 1 percent increase to $65,200 in 2016 and a 2 percent increase to $66,504 in 2017. They will not receive salary increases in 2014 and 2015, which was previously set in 2010. In 2014 and 2015, the commissioners will each receive $64,554, which is the current 2013 salary rate.

The county treasurer, controller, recorder of deeds, sheriff, prothonotary and clerk of courts will also receive a 1 percent increase for an annual salary of $58,342 in 2016 and a 2 percent increase or a total of $59,509 in 2017. Like the commissioners, these officials will receive no increase in 2014 and 2015. They are currently earning $57,764.

Additionally, the register of wills/clerk of orphans court, which is a dual office, will receive $59,526 for register of wills with an additional $2,000 for clerk of orphans court in 2016 and $60,757 with an additional $2,000 for clerk of courts in 2017; the coroner will receive $27,589 in 2016 and $28,141 in 2017.

Nothstein said that it's hard to predict what the future will hold for the county in 2016 and 2017.

He then reminded the board that he and Gerhard plan to return their 2013 pay raises, which was a 2 percent increase over 2012's salary that was determined in 2009.

"We just need to figure out what the best way is to do it," he said.

Gerhard said that there was talk about writing a check back to the county monthly, which will then be deposited into the general fund.

"I think with us raising taxes, we are doing what we can do on our part," he said. "We didn't feel it would be fair to take a raise when our employees did not receive a raise. I hope that the other elected officials would do the same."

Gerhard then asked O'Gurek if he plans to give back his 2 percent raise.

O'Gurek said that would be willing to but his intention is to wait and see what happens with the current contract negotiations between the county and two of its unions before he figures out what to do.

The board voted on the salaries for 2016 and 2017 because article three of the state constitution "Board of Commissioners (must) fix the salaries of elected county positions before persons actually run for and get elected to those offices" and "prohibits increases in the salary of any public officer during his or her term of office."

The treasurer, register of wills, and clerk of courts seats are all up for grabs in this year's election.

The commissioners must also set the commissioners' salaries in advance because they are not allowed to vote on their own salaries during their term in office.

All three commissioner seats will be up for election in 2015, meaning that the board could be made up of new individuals when these increases take place.


text:
Why Dalmatians are Associated with Fire Fighters

dalmatianToday I found out why Dalmatians are commonly firehouse dogs.

Dalmatians as firehouse dogs have become so common in books and movies that it’s practically a stereotype. It turns out that Dalmatians actually really do have a strong history in the firehouse, and they used to have some purpose, too.

Before fire trucks, there were horse-drawn carriages. One of the most effective fire-fighting tools in the middle of the 18th century was the steam pumper- a machine that consisted of a boiler which was able to use steam to force water out of hoses and onto a fire. The fire brigade’s horse-drawn carriages would be loaded up with the machine, the horses would be hitched up, and the vehicle would tear off down the road.

When fire fighters were racing off to fight the flames, they didn’t have time for the horses to spook nor to slow down for all the pedestrians using the road, which is where the Dalmatians came in.

Besides being known for forming strong bonds with horses, in the early 1700s, it was observed that Dalmatians were perfectly suited for travelling long distances.  As stated by the Dalmatian Club of America, the English felt that Dalmatians had the “strength, vitality, fortitude and size to keep running along under the carriage for hundreds of miles.”

When the travellers rested for the night, the dogs were also useful for standing guard over the horses and the people’s belongings. English aristocrats soon picked up on the practice of having Dalmatians follow their carriages and the dogs even became something of a symbol of social status- the more Dalmatians that ran alongside your carriage, the wealthier you must be.

Back to Dalmatians and the horse-drawn fire carriages- because of the dogs’ strong work ethic and stamina, they typically didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the carriages even when they were flying down the roads at high speeds. The Dalmatian would scare away anything that might spook the horses, and also just as importantly served as the first “siren.” Its bark would alert pedestrians on the road that the fire brigade was on its way, and to move off the street.

The horses were also a bit leery of being so close to burning buildings when it came time to stop. (Can you blame them?) While the firemen unloaded their equipment and rushed off to put the fire out, their trusty Dalmatians would stay with the cart, keeping the horses calm and guarding the firemen’s belongings. Not only that, but once they were back at the fire house, the Dalmatian were often trained to sniff out and kill rats and other vermin—kind of like having a barking cat that was far less lazy than a meowing mouse-catcher.

When the much more efficient motorized fire trucks were created, there were no longer horses for Dalmatians to keep company and no need for them to run ahead of the trucks to alert people that the fire brigade was coming—there were sirens for that now. Their usefulness spent, Dalmatians might have vanished from fire stations altogether. Instead, they turned into fire station mascots, particularly popular when firefighters go around teaching kids about fire safety.  Of course, at this point any dog could be used, and sometimes that’s the case, but given the long standing tradition of using Dalmatians, it seems likely they will remain the dog of choice at many fire stations for the foreseeable future.

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:

Bonus Facts:

  • A common myth is that Dalmatians are kept in fire houses because unlike other breeds, the loud sound of the siren won’t hurt their ears. While it is true that Dalmatians are predisposed to deafness (only about 70% have normal hearing), they were originally around to primarily function as a siren, as stated, so their hearing wasn’t really a factor.
  • Blue-eyed Dalmatians have a higher risk of being deaf than brown-eyed Dalmatians. Studies to find out why have been inconclusive to date. Partially or fully deaf Dalmatians still make excellent pets as long as they have the appropriate training.
  • The Dalmatian Heritage project started in 2005 and aims to “breed out” the various health defects that plague Dalmatians by only breeding dogs with normal hearing, normal urinary metabolism, and dogs who are friendly and confident.
  • In Britain, Dalmatians are sometimes called “English coach dogs” or “plum pudding dogs”.
  • Careers other than “fire dog” that Dalmatians are somewhat well suited for include search and rescue, running partner, and guardian.
  • The exact origin of the Dalmatian is unknown, though it’s likely that the breed originated in the Croatian region “Dalmatia” for which it is named. It’s estimated that they’ve been around for 600 years or more, but the name Dalmatian wasn’t used in the 1780s. Dalmatians gained great popularity in Britain before they spread once again to Europe and, eventually, the Americas.
  • As you can probably imagine, the popularity of the breed exploded with the release of The Hundred and One Dalmatians book by Dodie Smith in 1956 and the Disney animated film in 1961. This wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Kind of like buying kids a rabbit or baby chick at Easter, parents rushed out to get Dalmatian puppies for their children without researching the breed first to find out if they were right for their family. Aside from needing extra training if the dog has some deafness, Dalmatians are a high-energy breed who prefer running along after fire carriages than sitting with a child as it watches TV. Many of the dogs were dumped at pounds when they were found to be incompatible with certain families’ lifestyles, and as a result Dalmatian rescues were quickly set up to try to find them new homes.
Expand for References
Share the Knowledge! facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinteresttumblrmailfacebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinteresttumblrmail
Print Friendly
Enjoy this article? If so, get our FREE wildly popular Daily Knowledge and Weekly Wrap newsletters:

Subscribe Me To:  |

  • Great info! The Dalmatian spots could be seen from a great distance. When folks in town saw a Dalmatian running, they knew to get out of the way that a fire carriage was coming.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


text:
Japan has more than one royal family. The Sho kings ruled present day Okinawa for more than four centuries, but not many people realize they were/are a thing. Their reign ended in 1879 but the family’s descendants live on among the common folk today. Their lives are anything but lavish. So what happened to this other, lesser known ruling family and how are they keeping their royal traditions alive?

The Okinawan Kings

Ryukyu_KingdomThe Sho kings ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom (archipelago between Taiwan and Kyushu) from the early 15th century through 1879. What really set them apart was the fact that they had no standing army and survived by trade and diplomacy alone. The region they’re located in was very turbulent but they still managed to establish strong trade routes stretching from Siberia to Siam.

Ryukyuan ships, often provided by China, traded at ports such as Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Java, Malacca, Pattani, Palembang, Siam, Sumatra, China, and many others. They traded Japanese materials (silver, swords, fans, lacquer ware, folding screens), Chinese materials (medicinal herbs, minted coins, glazed ceramics, brocades, textiles), Southeast Asian materials (sappanwood, rhino horn, tin, sugar, iron, ambergris), Indian ivory, and Arabian frankincense.

Container aus China

While other nations were plotting invasions and developing schemes, the Ryukyu Kingdom earned a reputation as an honest broker. They were known to China as the “country of courtesy”. The Ryukyu Kingdom was filled with peace, trade, and a lively local culture.

The kingdom also managed to avoid any invasions thanks to the integral role it played in international trade as well as the support it received from Chinese emperors. It’s important to keep in mind that Okinawa was not actually part of Japan at this point. The Ryukyu Kingdom was truly its own kingdom.

The Invasion

japan-invasionWhich brings us to the next point – when the Ryukyu Kingdom finally was invaded. By Japan. Around 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked the Ryukyu Kingdom to help him conquer Korea. If successful, Hideyoshi planned to take on China next. Since the Ryukyu Kingdom was a tributary state of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, they refused the request.

This ticked off Japan, so in 1609 the feudal lord of Satsuma invaded the Ryukyu Islands and put an end to the kingdom’s prosperity. The king was kidnapped, and the Ryukyu Kingdom was forced to swear allegiance to Satsuma. The Satsuma clan also took over all their trade as well.

Even though the kingdom’s independence was gone, the Sho family continued to reign for 270 more years. During this time, the kingdom walked a fine line between the Chinese and Japanese emperors. The Ryukyu Kingdom was still paying tribute to China, and during Japan’s 250 years of isolation, the kingdom was Japan’s main avenue of international trade.

Commodore Matthew Perry even paid a visit to the kingdom. In 1853 he demanded an audience with the king and was received warmly (albeit a little perplexed) by the Ryukyu court. Perry thought the place was “as pleasant as any in the world”. This sounds like a pretty neutral way to refer to a place, but since he took home a number of gifts, he probably enjoyed the time he spent there.

Sneaky Trade Ensues

Shady-DealingChina was more or less kept in the dark concerning the Japanese influence on the Ryukyu Kingdom. Though it was technically under the control of Satsuma, Ryukyu was given a great degree of autonomy. The reason for this was trade with China.

Ryukyu was a tributary state of China, and since Japan had no formal diplomatic relations with China, it was essential that Beijing not realize that Ryukyu was actually controlled by Japan. So even though Satsuma and Japan were now in control of Ryukyu, they had to leave them alone for the most part. Otherwise China would know something was going on.

Because of this, Japan was unable to visibly occupy Ryukyu or directly control the policies and laws there. The Ryukyu royal government, the Satsuma daimyo, and the shogunate itself all benefited from this strange arrangement.

They made Ryukyu seem like as much of a distinctive and foreign country as they possibly could. Japanese people were prohibited from visiting Ryukyu without explicit permission and the Ryukyu people were forbidden from taking Japanese names, wearing Japanese clothes, or adopting Japanese customs.

The Ryukuans were even forbidden from expressing any knowledge of the Japanese language during their trips to Edo. As the only clan to have a king and an entire kingdom as vassals, Satsuma gained a significant amount of respect from Ryukyu’s exoticism, further reinforcing that it was an entirely separate kingdom.

Eventually, Japan began to harass China for total control over the Ryukyu Kingdom. Japan ordered them to stop paying tribute to China in 1875 and China’s relationship with the islands was abolished in 1879. The kingdom itself was then abolished, and the islands annexed as Okinawa Prefecture. However, the Ryukyuans were not truly considered a part of Japan and the Ryukyu people were not considered to be Japanese.

The Sho Family Today

Shuri Castle today

Prince Tsuguru Sho does not live the life of a prince. He owns a bar in Tokyo and hardly anyone realizes he is of royal blood. Tsuguru is too busy running the bar and serving food to care. Sho’s Zen restaurant is just down the street from Japan’s Imperial Palace too.

As for myself and my relatives, we take great pride in the name Sho. But the Ryukyu Kingdom has become Okinawa Prefecture, and we go about our business as normal citizens.
– Tsuguru Sho

The Ryukyu court is gone and their treasures and artifacts now rest in museums inside and out of Japan. The family keeps their traditions alive through use of their own court dialect, much like Japan’s imperial family. They speak it with each other, most often at family gatherings.

They have these family gatherings because these days the family is pretty spread out. In Okinawa, family members run prep schools, nurseries, and parking garages. When the family’s reign officially ended, Japan gave them numerous privileges and signs of respect. They were given seats in the House of Peers, and some of them even married into the imperial family.

Unfortunately, these privileges ended with the battle of Okinawa during World War II. More than 90% of Okinawans were homeless near the end of the war in 1945, including the Sho family. Shuri Castle was reduced to rubble (it’s since been restored) and the House of Peers was disbanded. Okinawa was now under the control of the United States and remained that way for 27 years until it was finally returned to Japan in 1972.

So the Sho family basically lives like any other Japanese family these days. Some family members are worried that the younger generations might not keep with tradition and carry on things like the family’s court dialect, but overall things are pretty decent for the Sho family today. Regardless of how well known they are today, their legacy will always live on in the history books.

Sources Referenced:
Okinawa Prefecture Wikipedia
Ryukyu Kingdom Wikipedia
Baltimore Sun

  • Maruku

    Lol @ Age of Empires picture.

  • Aya’s Father

    When I started reading this, I thought the bearded bard (aka John) would finally reveal the royal blood in Koichi’s veins.
    Koichi, the Destroyer of the Japanese Language Industry…and Koichi, the Prince.

  • John

    Shh! We’re not yet ready to go public with that information.

  • altgrave

    fascinating, if sad.

  • KinokoHime

    …Gackt. Wasn’t his mother part of that family? I dunno. Feel like I read that somewhere.

  • John

    He’s from a Ryukyuan family, but as far as I know they aren’t related to the Sho family. Correct me if I’m wrong though!

  • Beetle BANE

    You mean to say that Koichi was formerly known as Prince??
    Woah. Mind blown!

  • Beetle BANE

    Dude this was really interesting! I told so many people about this neat little information after reading it.
    On the bright side though, even if they aren’t exactly at their former par, at least it is somewhat of a happy ending in that they are taking it in good spirits and live pretty nicely. :-)

  • John

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • Nick Nakao

    I have read a little on the Ryukyu Islands and how they became a part of Japan. But, I never heard about the family’s role in modern times. Very interesting! I am half Japanese, but no very little about my Japanese side of the family. Pretty much, all I know is, my grandfather came from Okinawa. I originally looked up Okinawa (Ryukyu Islands) because he would, sometimes, say he was Okinawan and not Japanese. He said there was a difference. I’m hoping to be able to visit Japan and Okinawa someday and learn more about my family.

  • マイケル

    Nice article!
    But wait, where is Tsuguru Sho’s restaurant? I’m living near Shimbashi right now, maybe I could visit. Y’know buy a few drinks, get his autograph, the usual hanging out with royal family things =P

    Or maybe it’s a secret???

  • John

    It’s on the same street as the imperial palace I think. Other than that, I’m not too sure as to the exact location haha.

  • Colin

    I’ve read pretty much everything on here and I have to say that this article has been one of the most interesting of them all. It helps me understand why Okinawans have such a distinct identity in Japanese culture. The statement from Sho Tsuguru is very interesting in what it reveals about Okinawans (Ryukuns); the hallmark of their kingdom was diplomacy and it’s clear from their attitude toward their absorption into Japan that it’s something that truly runs in their blood.

    Again, great article.

    Wow. This is cool. Dat Palace.

  • John

    Thanks, that really means a lot!

  • KinokoHime

    Well, I thought I’d read it in that weirdo autobiography of his years ago. I’m pretty sure he was a rich kid, though, so… perhaps not. Unless, his mom just married well due to her royal blood! :D lol Anyway, nice article. I like stuff like this. Localized history. You should do more? :)

  • John

    If I dig up more stories worth writing about, I most certainly will!

  • InsideJapan James

    Nice little bit of history in a nutshell. Thanks!

  • Kasma88

    I’ve got to say, your posts are always the most interesting on Tofugu. You clearly take a lot of time researching your topic and it’s alway original, concise and well written! Keep up the good work, you’re the main reason I keep coming bacl to this blog!

  • Jonathan Harston

    A bit like a cross between Scotland and the Venetian Republic.

  • DenjinJ

    It’s hard to tell with Gackt… He’s said some bizarre things about his background. :p

  • KinokoHime

    exactly. Can’t tell if I made up or he made up. ;p

  • Jessha

    Whenever I see “Dynasty” and “Ryukyu” I just think of how some people believe that the original dynasty in 1187 was actually the defeated Heike fleeing after the battle of Dannoura.

  • hoihoi

    Kishaba choken

    he was a a close adviser of Sho. he wrote a process of Disposition of Ryukyu、a book 『琉球見聞録]
    there is a truth in his book..

    according to his book p.21, it was a kind of emancipation of slaves

  • hoihoi

    emancipation of slaves by meiji government

  • SamuraiAvenger

    My Okinawan friend says,
    Yui Aragaki doesn’t look like a typical Okinawan.

  • Tokyo_Ben

    This is a great article! I spent 2 years and met my wife in Okinawa. They truly have a unique culture and history. It is unfortunate the discrimination many Okinawans have faced over the years. In Japan, its hard to be different from everyone else. If you want to be really shocked, look up the history of the WWII battle of Okinawa and how they were treated by imperial troops. That would make a good (though morose) article.

  • Terry Maccarrone

    Ansei Ueshiro was from Kin, Okinawa in the northern part. b 1933 d 2002
    he was nephew to Ankichi Aragaki..related to the Sho family.
    and uncle also lived in Hawaii
    serverely injured he came to America to teach karate.

  • Terry Maccarrone

    Okinawa Association of America
    Martial Arts Committee 2014
    American Sport Karate…..
    Traditional Okinawan roots karate-do


text:
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Current Weather
Loading Current Weather....
Published: Tuesday, 9/24/2013 - Updated: 1 year ago

Mayoral candidates square off in mayoral forum.

Mayor Bell, Councilman Collins met at Sanger Branch Library

Mayoral candidates Mike Bell and D. Michael Collins squared off today at Sanger Branch Library in a mayoral forum.

The event was co-sponsored by the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, the Maumee Valley Civitan, and the Toledo/Lucas County Commission on Disabilities.

Mayor Bell told the group the city has spent $1.3 million on ramps and has added ramps at each of the city’s pools.

In response to a question about the lack of public activity in the downtown, Mr. Bell said the city’s revenues, at about $161 million from the income tax, still lag behind the $167 million in revenue in 2007 before the recession.

He said the city started work Tuesday on phase 2 of its renovation of Promenade Park.

Mr. Bell cited a planned Home Depot warehouse in Troy Township in Wood County, where the city has a joint economic development zone, and said 30 businesses have been created this year in Toledo.

“It is a city in transition,” Mr. Bell said. “This city has been undermarketed for years. We want to re-energize our [industrial] corridor between Toledo and Detroit, same as between Forth Worth and Dallas.”

Mr. Collins said he and the mayor have a lot in common, but differences as well. He blasted the Bell administration’s acquisition of two luxury SUVs and told him the deficit was well below the $48 million often claimed by the mayor.

He said the city is still laboring under stagnant thinking and said there’s not enough opportunity to give young people the choice to stay if they want to.

“How many of us can say we have children who left Toledo because of a lack of opportunity? I know I can - three daughters. Would they be here today if there was more opportunity? I would hope so. It should be a choice to move because they want to rather than because they have to,” Mr. Collins said.

The two differed over the stalled Southwyck project in South Toledo. Mr. Bell said the city would like to get control of the property. Mr. Collins blasted the administration for its recent suit against the out-of-state owners of the former shopping center property.

"You really and truly haven’t treated people who have invested in this city in a very professional way," Mr. Collins said.

"They are angry and they have every right to be. You sued them and you never had the decency to pick up the phone and call them."

Mr. Bell said later that, “they knew we were coming” and said the suit was necessary because the site owners were not mowing the grass.

About 70 people packed the meeting room at the Central Avenue library for the forum, that included candidates in other races and levy issues.

Recommended for You

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.

Related stories


text:
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Current Weather
Loading Current Weather....
Published: Wednesday, 8/17/2011 - Updated: 3 years ago

Rancifer moves up to key role in UT defense

Senior expected to replace dismissed Ballard

Charles Rancifer Charles Rancifer

Memories of Isaiah Ballard still persist within the University of Toledo football program, even after he was kicked off the team for an off-campus attack on another UT student in May that resulted in him being charged with felonious assault.

Video of Ballard making a tackle against Central Michigan is shown during UT's television commercial advertising the "ultimate fan plan" season ticket package, and Ballard's former teammates and coaches admit his absence is a significant loss.

The Rogers graduate was expected to retain his starting role on defense at the "star" position -- a linebacker/safety hybrid in coach Tim Beckman's 4-2-5 scheme -- while maintaining his strong presence in all four phases of special teams: kick return, punt return, kick coverage, and punt coverage.

Although it's taken a host of players to fill Ballard's shoes on special teams, senior Charles Rancifer has stepped into the starting spot at the star after serving as Ballard's understudy last season.

"Isaiah and I were real close. We had a good relationship on and off the field," Rancifer said. "Isaiah did a lot of good things for this team. He played a lot on special teams and a lot of ball on defense. I mean, he brought a lot to the table. We really miss that, but some guys have to step up and fill in for what he did."

Rancifer joined the Rockets last season after playing two seasons at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss., just 10 miles from where he grew up in Brookhaven, Miss.

As a quarterback in high school, Rancifer threw for 1,466 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior and ran for another 833 yards and four touchdowns. But if he wanted to keep playing football, Rancifer would have to do so on the other side of the ball -- a foreign place he had no experience with.

When he was moved to safety at Copiah-Lincoln, it was the first time Rancifer had ever played a snap on defense.

"Being at quarterback, you see the whole field and understand what's going on, and the transition to safety was basically the same thing but you're on defense," Rancifer said. "I think that helped me see things a lot better because I was a quarterback all those previous years."

As a freshman at Copiah-Lincoln, Rancifer finished third on the team with 100 tackles in nine games. The following year he began playing the star position and was fourth on the team with 52 tackles in eight games, along with three forced fumbles, one sack and one interception, despite missing part of the season due to a broken ankle.

"We recruited him as a star a couple years ago knowing that we were going to lose [Barry] Church to the NFL," Beckman said. "I think he's come in and learned quite a bit."

That learning curve for Rancifer gets shorter and shorter every year, and he seems to be fully acclimated to doling out big hits now instead of avoiding them during his days as a quarterback.

Rancifer was named one of the Rockets' two defensive MVPs from last Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage at the Glass Bowl after registering the "big hit" of the day against reserve tight end Grant Pleasant, who suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury on the play.

Rancifer, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 217 pounds, has shown a penchant for laying the lumber during his time in a UT uniform, and if there's one clear advantage to having him at the star now, it's his size.

"He's a little bit bigger than Isaiah and has a little bit more girth on him," Beckman said of Rancifer. "He's just not quite as fast as Isaiah."

Even though his role has changed, Rancifer said he's trying to remain humble and keep his same approach to the game.

"I'm just trying to bring relentless effort every day," said Rancifer, an individualized studies major. "I don't want to let my team down and I'm going to give 100 percent every play."

Contact Zach Silka at: zsilka@theblade.com or 419-724-6084.

Recommended for You

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.

Related stories


text:
Archive for Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Our View: Skate park proposal worth embracing

December 5, 2007

It's been nearly seven years since a group of youths approached the Tonganoxie City Council to ask the city to construct a skate park. Now, those seeds sown in 2001 are producing fruit.

The council last week directed City Administrator Mike Yanez to draft a letter to the Tonganoxie School District to ask if the city could have a tract of land in the south of the high school fieldhouse on which to build a skate park. The city, as compensation to the district, would asphalt part of the area for overflow parking for the high school.

We hope the Tonganoxie School Board accepts the offer and the city follows through and builds the skate park.

The land in question is in the floodplain and there are no plans to build on it. It also meets many of the city's requirements for a park, including being in a centrally located, high-visibility area, adjacent to a roadway and with restrooms and parking nearby. As Mayor Mike Vestal said, "It's a wonderful idea. We get what we want and the school gets what they need."

There's another group in the equation, too. With the school board's approval, finally, the skaters be able to realize their dream.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Commenting has been disabled for this item.


text:
Meet someone to party with!

What is Tonight App? Tonight is a free mobile application, that lets find people around you to hang out with. It's fast and easy. No registration is required.

Download Tonight!

Download Tonight!

How does it work? Check-in at your current location by taking your current photo.

Create your identity for one night in seconds

Stay online and be prepared to see what happens

Download Tonight!

Invite or wait to be invited! The whole game is live. Stay active, invite someone you like for a date tonight.

Make a decision in 60 seconds!

Download Tonight!

Meet offline! Buy a drink to start a chat like in real life, make a good first impression! Choose a drink that she (or he) deserves.

We clear all data from the app at dawn to make every night a unique experience

Download Tonight!

Want Tonight in your city? Vote now!

Top cities preparing to launch:

  • 101%

    London, United Kingdom (available)

  • 78%

    New York, United States (available)

  • 72%

    Warsaw, Poland (available)

  • 65%

    Miami, United States (available)

  • 61%

    Riga, Latvia (available)

  • 58%

    San Francisco, United States (available)

  • 46%

    Cracow, Poland (available)

  • 44%

    Moscow, Russian Federation (available)

  • 41%

    Barcelona, Spain (available)

  • 38%

    Boston, United States (available)

Get in touch

Labz Inc.
425 2nd Street
Suite 100
San Francisco, Ca. 94107
SF: +1 415.230.0095
London: +44 2081 333185


text:
ForumsQuestionsChecklist for setting up Outlook Tasks Synch with iPhone4

Checklist for setting up Outlook Tasks Synch with iPhone4
Author Message

Posted: Sep 19, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
I just purchased my first smart phone, an iPhone4. Very exciting, lots of fun, but I am overwhelmed with all I need to do. Synching with Outlook tasks is important to me.

I started installing toodledo and got as far as my initial synch. In the process I got an alert from my virus software that an app was trying to access my address book. Is that something that should be occurring when I am only synching tasks?

More broadly, is there a checklist for this end-to-end process? I know that the task synch software is from another developer.

Toodledo Admin
Posted: Sep 20, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
The Outlook Sync tool was made by a third-party developer. Please contact them for support with their product. They can be reached at :

Hope that helps.
You cannot reply yet

U Back to topic home

R Post a reply

To participate in these forums, you must be signed in.


text:
New Merchandise

All Releases

Secret Weapon (Special Edition) Track List

  1. Secret Weapon
  2. Shut It Down
  3. Here's To The Life
  4. Top Of The Charts
  5. Punk Rock Celelbrity
  6. Contention
  7. Angels
  8. Drowning
  9. Chop Shop
  10. You're On Fire
  11. Bass So Low
  12. Sad Sad Song
  13. Never Better Than Now
  14. Biting The Bullet (Is Bad For Business)
  15. Not Nothing
  16. Tightly Wound
  17. The Hoo-Ha Jangle
  18. Madcap Scheme
  19. Throw Your Body In The Air

Quick Bio

MxPx know a thing or a two about longevity and consistency. They’ve been a band for nearly two decades and have released seven full-length albums, a covers collection, four EPs, three compilations and one live album. What’s even more impressive than their prolific nature - or that they were given the key to their home city of Bremerton in 2006 - is the fact that they’ve maintained the same three members for almost the entire course of their pop punk existence. In 2009, the Washington state trio – bassist/lead vocalist Mike Herrera, guitarist Tom Wisniewski and drummer Yuri Ruley – have elected to create another covers album, the 1980s-centric On The Cover II, which comes nearly fifteen years after On The Cover. On The Cover II will be released via Tooth & Nail Records.

Read the full Biography

Mike Herrera - Vocals, Bass
Tom Wisniewski - Guitar, Background Vocals
Yuri Ruley - Drums, Background Vocals


text:
Blog Posts on lego imagine campaign

LEGO Imagine Campaign by Nowhereian Notes on Mar 28, 2012I saw this little mind bending ad on my cartography professor's fb wall. I got intrigued, clicked on the photo not because of the score he posted along with it but simply because it was a Lego ad. And so it began. I was supposed to tuck in early l...


text:
The latest from TV, Radio, and Newspapers

Add a news source

Are we missing a Jacksonville news source? Let us know!

Jacksonville Newswire (Page 8)

Jacksonville Newswire (Page 8)

Comprehensive Real-Time News Feed for Jacksonville, AL. (Page 8)

No results were found for your search. Check your spelling, or try a different search term.

Jacksonville Job Listings
View or post Jacksonville job listings on Topix.
Jacksonville Real Estate
News, listings, and foreclosures in Jacksonville from Topix.
Jacksonville Mortgages
Find mortgage rates in Jacksonville on Topix.


text:
Alabaster woman arrested for fundrais...

Alabaster woman arrested for fundraising scam

There are 3 comments on the Fox News Shelby story from Mar 5, 2012, titled Alabaster woman arrested for fundraising scam. In it, Fox News Shelby reports that:

Alabaster police have arrested 41-year-old Roseanna Paulin Borelli for theft by deception.

Join the discussion below, or Read more at Fox News Shelby.

Birmingham, AL

#1 Mar 9, 2012
Add this to the fact she was having an affair with one of the people who helped her raise this money.... an Alabaster Fireman that was always in her "fundraising" news videos.
Everyone knew it.. Roseanna Borelli is just terrible
Alabaster citizen

United States

#2 May 29, 2012
EXACTLY right... & the Fireman was TOLD to stay away from her. He was reprimanded for nasty text messages. Where's the Fire Chief & Mayor been on this? Who wants people in charge that "look the other way"?? All I can say is, thank you Curtis Rigney for FINALLY checking into this lady!! Better late than never!

United States

#3 Jun 13, 2012
Just so you know.. That paticular fireman was fired. Big part for refusing to stop meeting Ms. Borelli. There were other things involved. It is rumored that this Fireman was caught while on the clock at Borelli's house. It is a fact that the Firechief want to clean up his dept. The question now is.. How can Ms. Borelli continue to care for her child w/ all she has done? She has shown no remorse what so ever. Most people are hoping her day is coming.

Tell me when this thread is updated:

Subscribe Now Add to my Tracker

Add your comments below

Characters left: 4000

Please note by submitting this form you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator. Send us your feedback.

Montevallo Discussions

Title Updated Last By Comments
News African Americans Challenge Supreme Court Over ... Mar '15 Oh No You Di-nt 1
for your valuable attention my ebook UNDERGROUN... Feb '15 giovanni tommasini 1
News Here's what Alabaster leaders say about the pro... (Nov '14) Nov '14 heartattachkid 1
Drug sections (Aug '14) Aug '14 Tony 1
Local Politics Do you approve of Cam Ward as State Senator? (Apr '14) Apr '14 cathi oakes tinney 1
Local Politics Do you approve of Larry Dillard as Commissioner? (Apr '14) Apr '14 cathi oakes tinney 1
Local Politics Do you approve of Greg Moore as Commissioner? (Apr '14) Apr '14 cathi oakes tinney 1
More from around the web

Montevallo People Search

Addresses and phone numbers for FREE

Personal Finance

Mortgages [ See current mortgage rates ]


text:
Marijuana Debate - Fremont, NE

Discuss the national Marijuana debate in Fremont, NE.

Do you support the legalization of Marijuana?

Fremont supports

Vote now in Fremont:

jose r. rivera

Fremont, NE

#1 Sep 21, 2010
get real, we can tax it.

Sidney, NE

#2 Sep 24, 2010
This is a perfect example of the death of common sense. Freedom has to have limits, otherwise a society allowed to run amok will destroy itself.

United States

#3 Mar 3, 2011
cuz marijuana has many good things about it. it is a natural plant made by god that helps pain, mental issues and much more.
Adrian Parra

Fremont, NE

#4 Jul 28, 2011
medicinal purpose

Ravenna, NE

#5 Aug 29, 2012
No worse than cigs and booz. Can b taxed for fed and state profit.

Germantown, TN

#6 Sep 5, 2012
At least it isn't crack.

Edinburg, TX

#7 Mar 20, 2013
light it don't hide it

Tell me when this thread is updated:

Subscribe Now Add to my Tracker

Add your comments below

Characters left: 4000

Please note by submitting this form you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator. Send us your feedback.

Fremont Discussions

Title Updated Last By Comments
Election Who do you support for U.S. House in Nebraska (... (Oct '10) Apr '15 voter 44
News Fremont Health Offers Seminar on Female Orthopa... Apr '15 jordennancy23 1
News Fremont immigration ordinance gets re-vote (Jan '14) Dec '14 john 2
News Election 2014: Sasse vs. Domina for open Senate... (Nov '14) Nov '14 Ace McMillan 2
News Review: Book looks at costs of pork production (Oct '14) Oct '14 Dee Dee Dee 2
News Seth McGinn's Patent-Pending Multi-Fuel Portabl... (Jul '14) Jul '14 Farmer bob 1
News Immigration ordinance sparks protest in Fremont (Jun '10) May '14 Citizen 13
Mortgages [ See current mortgage rates ]


text:
Microsoft might soon be available on Apple, Android tablets

Microsoft might soon be available on Apple, Android tabletsSoftware giant, Microsoft might soon launch its Office software suite for devices running on Google's Android platform as well as Apple devices, according to reports.

The company has not confirmed the reports about the launch of the suit for tablets. However, the company could gain from the move as more companies are allowing workers to work from their own devices and the availability of Microsoft Office suit could help millions of office workers around the world.

Microsoft, Apple and Google have not commented on the reports indicating a launch of the device on the new platforms. Office for the iPad and Android platforms will allow Microsoft to gain from the new emerging market of tablets and helo boost its software revenue, which is its core business.

Apple and Google tablets are the most popular tablets among the workers for official work and most of the workers are on enterprise network, many of which are based on windows. Windows on tablets could provide continuity in the workplace to the workers using Microsoft tool. Office apps such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint are required by office users from around the world.

Check out More news from Telecom Sector :: Pharmaceutical Sector :: Auto Sector :: Infrastructure :: Real Estate


text:
Top Shelf Productions

World War 3 Illustrated #41

World War 3 Illustrated #41

ISBN 978-1-60309-082-7

$7.00 (US)

Add to Cart

Edited by Sandy Jimenez, Rebecca Migdal, Ethan Heitner, Edwin Vazquez, Ame Gilbert, and Susan Simensky Bietila.

WW3’s latest issue invites readers to consider THE FOOD CHAIN -- our place in it and our relationship and experiences with/within it, both literally and metaphorically. Big fish eat little fish; rich men eat organic; poor men eat McDonald's. Monoculture crops and industrial fertilizer eat the soil and $#!t out profits. Everybody eats … but how do we stop from being eaten? This latest batch of new comics unearths some of the answers and asks the big questions about THE FOOD CHAIN. Featuring work by Peter Kuper, Seth Tobocman, Sabrina Jones, Jennifer Camper, Rebecca Migdal, Mac McGill, Sandy Jimenez, and many others. -- A 128-Page Softcover, Perfect-Bound Anthology, 7” x 9” published by WW3 and distributed by Top Shelf.


text:
This site ships to the United Kingdom

Baxter Skinny Jeans

Jeans which can handle 24/7 wear? Our comfy Baxter jeans have it nailed. Cut with a generous slim leg, expect a relaxed fit which flatters. Perfect for off-duty days wear yours with trainers.

Refine by:

Clear AllClear All

Showing items 1 - 9 of 9

Sort your search results

Showing items 1 - 9 of 9


text:
Frances Hardinge Answers Five Questions about A Face Like Glass

Frances Hardinge is the author of A Face Like Glass which has just been published in paperback—and was shortlisted for the Kitschies Red Tentacle Award (Best Novel category). We caught up with Frances to find out more about her fifth novel, set in the underground city of Caverna, where expressions have to be learned from the famous Facesmiths. You can also click on the link to get a free extract from A Face Like Glass.

A Face Like Glass is your fifth book and the third world that you have created. Your worlds have been described as “richly evocative,” how do you go about creating them?

I am always inspired by a nugget of the real, or more often several nuggets, piled together in ways that amuse me. The “Fractured Realm,” in which Fly by Night and Twilight Robbery are set, is heavily based upon England in the 18th century, but with an added dollop of Romania, which made a powerful impression on me when I visited it years ago. Gullstruck Island was inspired by a range of different countries that I passed through during a year-long trip round the world. Caverna, the underground city of A Face Like Glass owes something to treacherously luxuriant Courts like those in the historic Versaille, but also a good deal to the many caves, buried streets, tunnels and catacombs that have fascinated me over the years.

When I design a world, I always need to know “how it works,” even if the way it works is freakish, macabre or whimsical.

Frances Hardinge Answers Five Questions about A Face Like GlassMy setting notes always contain copious details that never appear in the books themselves. Once I have established my (often slightly crazy) central premises, then I can extrapolate outwards from them to flesh out the world. I only properly understand my characters once I get to grips with the environment that has created them.

My settings aren’t real to me unless they have a history, and preferably one too large and complex for my heroes to resolve by the end of the book. These worlds aren’t “stable,” not even before the book begins or after the epilogue. Their natural state is one of change, either gradual or sudden. Progress is a matter of the world breaking and mending itself, over and over again, in vast and tiny ways.

In Caverna the world’s most skilled craftsmen create delicacies beyond compare; if you were going to learn a craft there which one would you take up?

If I were to learn one of the crafts, I would be tempted by cheesemaking, purely because of my life-long love of cheese. However, if I was placed in charge of some of Caverna’s perilous vision-cheeses, I would probably die or go mad within days due to gobbling too many of my own wares.

Where did the idea of people having to learn expressions from Facesmiths come from?

The idea of a society where all expressions have to be learnt, one by one, has been with me for years, and I can no longer remember what first gave me the idea. However, I’ve always been fascinated by the way people express themselves, whether through words, tone of voice, art or body language. I’m also amazed by our subtle, almost magical ability to come to some understanding of each other through these odd, imperfect message systems. As a result, I’m always concerned by situations where self-expression breaks down or is suppressed.

Which character from your novels would you most closely relate to?

Mosca Mye from Fly by Night and Twilight Robbery is still probably the character I identify with the most. She channels a lot of my anger, and is the snarky little voice in my head muttering the things I don’t say out loud. She also shares my passion for books, and my fascination with words.

Hathin, the heroine of Gullstruck Island, also contains a good deal of me. She has a talent for escaping notice, and as a child I was also very good at making myself “invisible.” I sympathise with her self-doubt, her sense of responsibility and the fact that she’s a bit of a worrier.

I hear you have almost finished your next book (provisionally titled Cuckoo Song), can you give us a sneak preview of what it is going to be about?

Unlike many of my other books, my next novel isn’t set in an imaginary world. Instead the story takes place in 1920s Britain, just a few years after the Great War.

Eleven-year-old Triss is recovering from a near-drowning and a serious illness, tended by her doting parents. As she tries to return to her ordinary life, however, she soon becomes aware that something is terribly wrong. Her memories are tattered and incomplete, her appetite is running rampant, and sinister, impossible things keep happening around her. And for some reason her younger sister Pen is treating her with hostility and hatred… or possibly fear….

Sally Oliphant is Publicity Manager at Macmillan Children’s Books in the UK. She has been an avid reader from an early age and never grown out of reading children’s and YA books, although now mixes it up with some adult books too. Keen recipe tester and wine drinker. On twitter as: @Sally_PR

Subscribe to this thread


text:
Tuesday, May 12, 2015

2015 Shindig!

It's our 10th year so we thought we need to celebrate it in a big way. Here's what we have planned for after the screening:

After the screening, The Comedy Bar has agreed to host a Buffet Dinner at 5:00 pm, followed by a Firefly-themed Improv show at 7:00 pm. The cost for the evening is $40.

It's going to be a blast!

The fine print is that in order for this to go ahead, we need at least 75 people to come. So please be sure to buy your ticket! They will only be on sale until May 31st.

Tickets can be bought here!

The details:
The Comedy Bar
945 Bloor Street W.
Toronto, ON M6H 1L5
Buffet Dinner: 5:00-6:30 pm
Beef & Veg sliders
Mac & Cheese
Tacos: 1 chicken, 1 tofu (both Gluten Free)
Salmon with dill and lemon
Caesar - 1 with bacon, 1 without
Hummus Salad - parsley, tomato, cucumber, onion, lemon, hummus, vinaigrette
SIDES (both Gluten Free):
Potato Salad
Veggies & Dip
A selection of desserts.
At 7:00 pm the Firefly Improv Show will begin and run for about 45 minutes.

Monday, May 04, 2015

Hotel Block Reserved

Because it's the 10th anniversary of CSTS, we are making it bigger, more fun and the event that can’t be missed!
Shindig information will be posted soon, as we are in final discussions, but we think you will enjoy it! And it might be worth hanging around for!
So, for anyone who is coming from out of town or simply wants to be closer to theatre/Shindig place and just take a quick taxi ride, we have got a great rate for everyone at a nearby hotel!
Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor-Yorkville
280 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V8
The rate is effective from Thursday June 11, 2015 to Sunday June 14, 2015. Meaning you can book any one of those nights or all of the nights.
Standard, 1 Queen bed: $149.99-single/double or $154.99-triple
Standard, 2 Double beds: $154.99-single/double or $159.99-triple/quad
Reservations Can be Booked at:
Online: www.hitorontoblooryorkville.ca
Enter the Arrival and departure date then click “View Rates”. Click on Group Code, Enter Code CSS.
Or by Phone at:
Central Reservations: 1-877-859-5897Hotel Direct: Phone: 416-968-0010
Rooms are limited so if you are interested please book right away. Also in order to get the discounted rate you have to book BEFORE Monday May 11th at 5:00pm.
The reservations can be canceled up to 6pm on the day of Arrival.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

It's Official! Our 10th Screening!

It's time for our official announcement of the Toronto Browncoats 10th Anniversary screening of Serenity for CSTS!

The date of this year's screening is... [Drumroll please]

June 13th!

We'll be at The Royal again this year as we have the last 2 years.

Tickets will be available to purchase at our table at Toronto Comicon next weekend.

Please note that tickets for this year's screening will be $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

We can't believe we've been doing this for 10 years. We hope you can all come out this year to celebrate with us!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Request for Photos - Let's celebrate Year 10!

To Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Can't Stop the Serenity we're asking for photos to be sent in to our committee. We're looking for photos of Toronto Browncoats with signs celebrating the 10th anniversary and/or the fact that globally we've raised over 1 million dollars!

We have done the impossible and that makes us mighty!

Please email your photos to serenityscreeningtoronto@gmail.com. We'll be sending a collage of photos into the Global CSTS committee as they've requested photos celebrating these events. Photos should be received by February 28, 2015.

Stay Shiny Browncoats!