View allAll Photos Tagged The trouble with Steve
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host Emilie Hagen were invited to cover the Little Rascals Save the Day Movie Premiere hosted by Eden Wood who plays Darla in the film at the Roosevelt Hotel. The event, sponsored by: Glitzy Girl Collection, Simba Production Company, and Ciccibella, included a red carpet and interview opportunities with the cast, a cupcake station, light hor'dourves and a screening of The Little Rascals Save the Day movie.
Get the Story from the Red Carpet Report Team, follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
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About The Little Rascals Save the Day
The Little Rascals are back in an all-new movie! Join the fun with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Petey the dog and the whole gang as they are up to their usual mischief! The Rascals try anything to raise the money needed to save their grandma's (Doris Roberts) bakery. The only trouble is - they can't seem to do anything right! From botched pet washes to terrible taxi service, they just can't raise a penny. Their only hope is to win prize money from the local talent show - but have you ever heard Alfalfa sing?
Get it on Tuesday April 1st on digital download from Amazon - more details here www.facebook.com/TheLittleRascalsMovie
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our Host, Emilie on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EmilieCHagen
On the way home from work last night I pulled over because my brakes were rubbing. My wheel seemed to be in straight but I noticed it was buckled, so I wound the brakes out enough to stop them rubbing and carried on. I figured I would just rebuild the wheel since it's not very tight anyway. I rode in to work on it again today and mentioned it to Steve who went to have nosey at lunch, and he promptly spotted I had a snapped spoke! I really don't seem to have much luck with wheels. The last three pairs of brand new wheels I've had have all loosened up and starting falling to pieces. After my first pair of shop built wheels wouldn't stay together I decided to learn how to build my own. I've not had any trouble my own (yes I am very pleased with myself :-) but I've been lucky enough to have bought 2 new bikes since then and they obviously came with wheels. Poor wheels. I don't know if this pair are machine built or by built by hand at the bike shop, but the spoke are too long so you can't properly tension them up. I'm not very impressed.
I made a temporary repair by fitting a longer spoke and a longer nipple. Not ideal but I've been able to tension the wheel and it should get me to work and round the Lakes with Pam this weekend.
This is my entry for the DOF theme, just on the deadline. This is my shallow depth of field shot taken in the front room as I tensioned my wheel. I used the shallow DOF to put the eye on my hand and the spoke key and locked the focus where my left thumb is. Popped a 10 second timer on and tweaked my nipple. Tada. Light was provided by the halogen spots above and some extra shiny fill comes from the silver reflector in the bottom right. White balance was set with the back of an envelope and the levels adjusted later in GIMP to correct the colour and that's it.
The Spanish steps
11/20/2004 When in Rome! Heather and Rich fly to Rome and have fun on their first day.
It is 11:30 pm local time, and oh but we've been footsore and on the way. It all started a couple of day ago, Thursday for us, when we left home about 6:40 pm with Maddy and Spencer. I officially finished the book by writing two chapter intros. I later got on line and learned that Schuyler planned to do intros for ch1 and ch6, and write the 'how gps works' section for ch5. This meant that I am, officially, at least until QC (quality control) comes back, done with the book.
Wow.
And we drove to Dad's and the kids were rambunctious until we opened up our new CD's for Harry Potter and the Prisonar of Azkaban...we listened to the first CD and that quieted them right down!
And we had a dinner at Dad and Judy's and then up to my Mom's, where we chatted a bit...then bed. And the 5:15 am alarm. It didn't feel all that bad, surprisingly.
The flight to NY went well. I watched the incredibly stupid, but still amusing, movie Anchor Man, heather geeked on our itinery. Then I did a bit, then geeked with my GPS.
Note to self...GPS is cool, and this whole idea of narrative of place is cool, but really, taking GPS tracks in Rome doesn't work that well. I think it is best supplemented with voice recordings of places and later geocoding to a map.
hmmm. I try and create meaning by automatically/quasi automatically parsing track logs of less meaningful trips or segments of trips-down I5 to go lobster diving, for example, but perhaps it is the meaning in the trip that is more important. The GPS is a tool for helping to look at that, but I think I can post process intermittent track points, coupled with memory and photos and voice recordings, to get a better sense of trip.
Anyway...the leg to NY went very quickly. Then we were stuck on the tarmac for a bit while our gate was cleared for us. Eeeks...I had to pee!
Then we actually were in a bit of a rush to make our connection...we got there before the 'we are closing the door on your ass' stage, but not much!
I felt a bit ick for a bit, but once I took an ibuprofen, got rid of my heart burn and had some dinner i was okay. We took sleeping pills when we took off. I took another one after dinner, and then forced myself to try to sleep.
It didn't feel as though it were working-almost as though the sleeping pill made weary but not asleep...odd feeling. But I guess I slepped. Heather woke me when they served breakfast. I did not wake easily, and I went back to sleep a couple of times. I was seeing double for part of the time.
Poor Heather says she only slept about 2 hours.
But we arrived, and waltzed through customs and onto the train. Amazing! About 10 euros apiece and we had a nice train ride with two Italian women and an italian man...we didn't really talk, but, oh well.
Into the train station, and a bit of trouble getting oriented to find our hotel. Now it is easy, but the first time was not so easy.
And then somehow it got later and we figured out the metro to go to the vatican. I was pissy about wanting to eat, and we had trouble with that-the place Heather wanted for us wasn't open until 12:30. We had okay ham and cheese sandwiches and excellent olives from a deli, ate in the plazza (?) by the gellatti milleneum.
Then we went up to the vatican. We had missed the vatican museum, sadly, but we perservered and toured Saint Peters. Heather and I were seperated at this point. I hooked up with a free tour guide and learned lots of great stuff.
Heather called when I was about to learn how to become a Swiss Guard. I accidentally hung up on her, and then couldn't figure out how to call her back, but I guessed she'd be in the front, and she was. She was pooped! But gamely lead me through the tombs of the popes. That is neat...it is so non-cave like...and yet, there is plenty of room for more of them :-)
Well we hiked back to the metro, metroe'd back to the train station and walked back to the hotel and took a 2ish hour nap...it was about 3:00 when we started this 'nap' thing.
Well we woke and did like the Romans, and then got ourselves out of the hotel. We took the 40 bus out and walked down to campo di fiori and did Rick Steve's 'Nighttime rome' walk...
We had dinner in the Piazza Navona at the 'Tre Scalini' cafe/Mokarabina coffee bar. We had drinks an appetizer and a primi-ie, we shared 1 appetizer and 1 primi, and a desert, shared, and it cost a bit. Later we saw what looked like better food for much less money. live and learn. I loved the pantheon (only the outside, as it was closed) and saw where kids had set up to camp at the pantheon, etc.
We got minorly scammed at the Trevi fountain over some flowers that were 'given' to us...and when I didnt' pay enough for them the guy took 2 of three back! ack. I was not too annoyed-I mean, I should know better, right?
And I took pictures and we made our way back to the hotel.
tags: italy heather rich rome
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Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host Emilie Hagen were invited to cover the Little Rascals Save the Day Movie Premiere hosted by Eden Wood who plays Darla in the film at the Roosevelt Hotel. The event, sponsored by: Glitzy Girl Collection, Simba Production Company, and Ciccibella, included a red carpet and interview opportunities with the cast, a cupcake station, light hor'dourves and a screening of The Little Rascals Save the Day movie.
Get the Story from the Red Carpet Report Team, follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReportTV
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About The Little Rascals Save the Day
The Little Rascals are back in an all-new movie! Join the fun with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Petey the dog and the whole gang as they are up to their usual mischief! The Rascals try anything to raise the money needed to save their grandma's (Doris Roberts) bakery. The only trouble is - they can't seem to do anything right! From botched pet washes to terrible taxi service, they just can't raise a penny. Their only hope is to win prize money from the local talent show - but have you ever heard Alfalfa sing?
Get it on Tuesday April 1st on digital download from Amazon - more details here www.facebook.com/TheLittleRascalsMovie
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our Host, Emilie on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EmilieCHagen
Schweiz / Berner Oberland - Eiger, Mönch und Jungfrau
seen on the way from Allmendhubel to Grütschalp
gesehen auf dem Weg vom Allmendhubel zur Grütschalp
The Eiger (German pronunciation: [ˈaɪ̯ɡɐ]) is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m (13,642 ft), constituting one of the most emblematic sights of the Swiss Alps. While the northern side of the mountain rises more than 3,000 m (10,000 ft) above the two valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the southern side faces the large glaciers of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, the most glaciated region in the Alps. The most notable feature of the Eiger is its nearly 1,800-metre-high (5,900 ft) north face of rock and ice, named Eiger-Nordwand, Eigerwand or just Nordwand, which is the biggest north face in the Alps.] This huge face towers over the resort of Kleine Scheidegg at its base, on the eponymous pass connecting the two valleys.
The first ascent of the Eiger was made by Swiss guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren and Irishman Charles Barrington, who climbed the west flank on August 11, 1858. The north face, the "last problem" of the Alps, considered amongst the most challenging and dangerous ascents, was first climbed in 1938 by an Austrian-German expedition.The Eiger has been highly publicized for the many tragedies involving climbing expeditions. Since 1935, at least 64 climbers have died attempting the north face, earning it the German nickname Mordwand, literally "murder(ous) wall"—a pun on its correct title of Nordwand (North Wall).
Although the summit of the Eiger can be reached by experienced climbers only, a railway tunnel runs inside the mountain, and two internal stations provide easy access to viewing-windows carved into the rock face. They are both part of the Jungfrau Railway line, running from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, at the highest railway station in Europe. The two stations within the Eiger are Eigerwand (behind the north face) and Eismeer (behind the south face), at around 3,000 metres. The Eigerwand station has not been regularly served since 2016.
Etymology
The first mention of Eiger, appearing as "mons Egere", was found in a property sale document of 1252, but there is no clear indication of how exactly the peak gained its name. The three mountains of the ridge are commonly referred to as the Virgin (German: Jungfrau – translates to "virgin" or "maiden"), the Monk (Mönch), and the Ogre (Eiger; the standard German word for ogre is Oger). The name has been linked to the Latin term acer, meaning "sharp" or "pointed".
Geographic setting and description
The Eiger is located above the Lauterbrunnen Valley to the west and Grindelwald to the north in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern. It forms a renowned mountain range of the Bernese Alps together with its two companions: the Jungfrau (4,158 m (13,642 ft)) about 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi) southwest of it and the Mönch (4,107 m (13,474 ft)) about in the middle of them. The nearest settlements are Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen (795 m (2,608 ft)) and Wengen (1,274 m (4,180 ft)). The Eiger has three faces: north (or more precisely NNW), east (or more precisely ESE), and west (or more precisely WSW). The northeastern ridge from the summit to the Ostegg (lit.: eastern corner, 2,709 m (8,888 ft)), called Mittellegi, is the longest on the Eiger. The north face overlooks the gently rising Alpine meadow between Grindelwald (943 m (3,094 ft)) and Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m (6,762 ft)), a mountain railways junction and a pass, which can be reached from both sides, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen/Wengen – by foot or train.
Politically, the Eiger (and its summit) belongs to the Bernese municipalities of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The Kleine Scheidegg (literally, the small parting corner) connects the Männlichen-Tschuggen range with the western ridge of the Eiger. The Eiger does not properly form part of the main chain of the Bernese Alps, which borders the canton of Valais and forms the watershed between the Rhine and the Rhône, but constitutes a huge limestone buttress, projecting from the crystalline basement of the Mönch across the Eigerjoch. Consequently, all sides of the Eiger feed finally the same river, namely the Lütschine.
Eiger's water is connected through the Weisse Lütschine (the white one) in the Lauterbrunnen Valley on the west side (southwestern face of the Eiger), and through the Schwarze Lütschine (the black one) running through Grindelwald (northwestern face), which meet each other in Zweilütschinen (lit.: the two Lütschinen) where they form the proper Lütschine. The east face is covered by the glacier called Ischmeer, (Bernese German for Ice Sea), which forms one upper part of the fast-retreating Lower Grindelwald Glacier. These glaciers' water forms a short creek, which is also confusingly called the Weisse Lütschine, but enters the black one already in Grindelwald together with the water from the Upper Grindelwald Glacier. Therefore, all the water running down the Eiger converges at the northern foot of the Männlichen (2,342 m (7,684 ft)) in Zweilütschinen (654 m (2,146 ft)), about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of the summit, where the Lütschine begins its northern course to Lake Brienz and the Aare (564 m (1,850 ft)).
Although the north face of the Eiger is almost free of ice, significant glaciers lie at the other sides of the mountain. The Eiger Glacier flows on the southwestern side of the Eiger, from the crest connecting it to the Mönch down to 2,400 m (7,900 ft), south of Eigergletscher railway station, and feeds the Weisse Lütschine through the Trümmelbach. On the east side, the Ischmeer–well visible from the windows of Eismeer railway station–flows eastwards from the same crest then turns to the north below the impressive wide Fiescherwand, the north face of the Fiescherhörner triple summit (4,049 m (13,284 ft)) down to about 1,600 m (5,200 ft) of the Lower Grindelwald Glacier system.
The massive composition of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau constitutes an emblematic sight of the Swiss Alps and is visible from many places on the Swiss Plateau and the Jura Mountains in the northwest. The higher Finsteraarhorn (4,270 m (14,010 ft)) and Aletschhorn (4,190 m (13,750 ft)), which are located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the south, are generally less visible and situated in the middle of glaciers in less accessible areas. As opposed to the north side, the south and east sides of the range consist of large valley glaciers extending for up to 22 kilometres (14 mi), the largest (beyond the Eiger drainage basin) being those of Grand Aletsch, Fiesch, and Aar Glaciers, and is thus uninhabited. The whole area, the Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area, comprising the highest summits and largest glaciers of the Bernese Alps, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
In July 2006, a piece of the Eiger, amounting to approximately 700,000 cubic metres of rock, fell from the east face. As it had been noticeably cleaving for several weeks and fell into an uninhabited area, there were no injuries and no buildings were hit.
Climbing history
While the summit was reached without much difficulty in 1858 by a complex route on the west flank, the battle to climb the north face has captivated the interest of climbers and non-climbers alike. Before it was successfully climbed, most of the attempts on the face ended tragically and the Bernese authorities even banned climbing it and threatened to fine any party that should attempt it again. But the enthusiasm which animated the young talented climbers from Austria and Germany finally vanquished its reputation of unclimbability when a party of four climbers successfully reached the summit in 1938 by what is known as the "1938" or "Heckmair" route.
The climbers that attempted the north face could be easily watched through the telescopes from the Kleine Scheidegg, a pass between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, connected by rail. The contrast between the comfort and civilization of the railway station and the agonies of the young men slowly dying a short yet uncrossable distance away led to intensive coverage by the international media.
After World War II, the north face was climbed twice in 1947, first by a party of two French guides, Louis Lachenal and Lionel Terray, then by a Swiss party consisting of H. Germann, with Hans and Karl Schlunegger.
First ascent
In 1857, a first recorded attempt was made by Christian Almer, Christian Kaufmann, Ulrich Kaufmann guiding the Austrian alpinist Sigismund Porges. They did manage the first ascent of neighboring Mönch instead. Porges, however, successfully made the second ascent of the Eiger in July 1861 with the guides Christian Michel, Hans and Peter Baumann.
The first ascent was made by the western flank on August 11, 1858 by Charles Barrington with guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren. On the previous afternoon, the party walked up to the Wengernalp hotel. From there they started the ascent of the Eiger at 3:30 a.m. Barrington describes the route much as it is followed today, staying close to the edge of the north face much of the way. They reached the summit at about noon, planted a flag, stayed for some 10 minutes and descended in about four hours. Barrington describes the reaching of the top, saying, "the two guides kindly gave me the place of first man up." After the descent, the party was escorted to the Kleine Scheidegg hotel, where their ascent was confirmed by observation of the flag left on the summit. The owner of the hotel then fired a cannon to celebrate the first ascent. According to Harrer's The White Spider, Barrington was originally planning to make the first ascent of the Matterhorn, but his finances did not allow him to travel there as he was already staying in the Eiger region.
Mittellegi ridge
Although the Mittellegi ridge had already been descended by climbers (since 1885) with the use of ropes in the difficult sections, it remained unclimbed until 1921. On the 10th of September of that year, Japanese climber Yuko Maki, along with Swiss guides Fritz Amatter, Samuel Brawand and Fritz Steuri made the first successful ascent of the ridge. The previous day, the party approached the ridge from the Eismeer railway station of the Jungfrau Railway and bivouacked for the night. They started the climb at about 6:00 a.m. and reached the summit of the Eiger at about 7:15 p.m., after an over 13 hours gruelling ascent. Shortly after, they descended the west flank. They finally reached Eigergletscher railway station at about 3:00 a.m. the next day.
Attempts on the north face
1935
In 1935, two young German climbers from Bavaria, Karl Mehringer and Max Sedlmeyer, arrived at Grindelwald to attempt the ascent of the north face. After waiting some time for the weather to improve, they set off, reaching the height of the Eigerwand station before stopping for their first bivouac. The following day, facing greater difficulties, they gained little height. On the third day, they made hardly any vertical gain. That night, the weather deteriorated, bringing snow and low cloud that shrouded the mountain from the observers below. Avalanches began to sweep the face. Two days later, the weather briefly cleared, and the two men were glimpsed a little higher and about to bivouac for the fifth night, before clouds descended again. A few days later, the weather finally cleared, revealing a completely white north face.: 225 Weeks later, the German World War I ace Ernst Udet went searching for the missing men with his aircraft, eventually spotting one of them frozen to death in what became known as the "Death Bivouac". Sedlmeyer's body was found at the foot of the face the following year by his brothers Heinrich and Martin Meier, who were part of a group looking for the victims of the 1936 climbing disaster. Mehringer's remains were found in 1962 by Swiss climbers below the "Flat Iron" (Bügeleisen) at the lefthand end of the second ice field.
1936
The next year ten young climbers from Austria and Germany came to Grindelwald and camped at the foot of the mountain. Before their attempts started one of them was killed during a training climb, and the weather was so bad during that summer that, after waiting for a change and seeing none on the way, several members of the party gave up. Of the four that remained, two were Bavarians, Andreas Hinterstoisser and Toni Kurz, and two were Austrians, Willy Angerer and Edi Rainer. When the weather improved they made a preliminary exploration of the lowest part of the face. Hinterstoisser fell 37 metres (121 ft) but was not injured. A few days later the four men finally began the ascent of the face. They climbed quickly, but on the next day, after their first bivouac, the weather changed; clouds came down and hid the group to the observers. They did not resume the climb until the following day, when, during a break, the party was seen descending, but the climbers could be seen only intermittently from the ground. The group had no choice but to retreat, since Angerer had suffered serious injuries from falling rock. The party became stuck on the face when they could not recross the difficult Hinterstoisser Traverse, from which they had taken the rope they had first used to climb it. The weather then deteriorated for two days. They were ultimately swept away by an avalanche, which only Kurz survived, hanging on a rope. Three guides started on an extremely perilous rescue attempt. They failed to reach him but came within shouting distance and learned what had happened. Kurz explained the fate of his companions: one had fallen down the face, another was frozen above him, and the third had fractured his skull in falling and was hanging dead on the rope.
In the morning the three guides came back, traversing the face from a hole near the Eigerwand station and risking their lives under incessant avalanches. Toni Kurz was still alive but almost helpless, with one hand and one arm completely frozen. Kurz hauled himself off the cliff after cutting loose the rope that bound him to his dead teammate below and climbed back onto the face. The guides were not able to pass an unclimbable overhang that separated them from Kurz. They managed to give him a rope long enough to reach them by tying two ropes together. While descending, Kurz could not get the knot to pass through his carabiner. He tried for hours to reach his rescuers who were only a few metres below him. Then he began to lose consciousness. One of the guides, climbing on another's shoulders, was able to touch the tip of Kurz's crampons with his ice-axe but could not reach higher. Kurz was unable to descend further and, completely exhausted, died slowly.
1937
An attempt was made in 1937 by Mathias Rebitsch and Ludwig Vörg. Although the attempt was unsuccessful, they were nonetheless the first climbers who returned alive from a serious attempt on the face. They started the climb on 11 August and reached a high point of a few rope lengths above Death Bivouac. A storm then broke and after three days on the wall they had to retreat. This was the first successful withdrawal from a significant height on the wall.
First ascent of the north face
The north face was first climbed on July 24, 1938 by Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Heinrich Harrer and Fritz Kasparek in a German–Austrian party. The party had originally consisted of two independent teams: Harrer (who did not have a pair of crampons on the climb) and Kasparek were joined on the face by Heckmair and Vörg, who had started their ascent a day later and had been helped by the fixed rope that the lead team had left across the Hinterstoisser Traverse. The two groups, led by the experienced Heckmair, decided to join their forces and roped together as a single group of four. Heckmair later wrote: "We, the sons of the older Reich, united with our companions from the Eastern Border to march together to victory."
The expedition was constantly threatened by snow avalanches and climbed as quickly as possible between the falls. On the third day a storm broke and the cold was intense. The four men were caught in an avalanche as they climbed "the Spider," the snow-filled cracks radiating from an ice-field on the upper face, but all possessed sufficient strength to resist being swept off the face. The members successfully reached the summit at four o'clock in the afternoon. They were so exhausted that they only just had the strength to descend by the normal route through a raging blizzard.
Other notable events
1864 (Jul 27): Fourth ascent, and first ascent by a woman, Lucy Walker, who was part of a group of six guides (including Christian Almer and Melchior Anderegg) and five clients, including her brother Horace Walker[
1871: First ascent by the southwest ridge, 14 July (Christian Almer, Christian Bohren, and Ulrich Almer guiding W. A. B. Coolidge and Meta Brevoort).
1890: First ascent in winter, Ulrich Kaufmann and Christian Jossi guiding C. W. Mead and G. F. Woodroffe.
1924: First ski ascent and descent via the Eiger glacier by Englishman Arnold Lunn and the Swiss Fritz Amacher, Walter Amstutz and Willy Richardet.
1932: First ascent of the northeast face ("Lauper route") by Hans Lauper, Alfred Zürcher, Alexander Graven and Josef Knubel
1970: First ski descent over the west flank, by Sylvain Saudan.
1986: Welshman Eric Jones becomes the first person to BASE jump from the Eiger.
1988: Original Route (ED2), north face, Eiger (3970m), Alps, Switzerland, first American solo (nine and a half hours) by Mark Wilford.
1991: First ascent, Metanoia Route, North Face, solo, winter, without bolts, Jeff Lowe.
1992 (18 July): Three BMG/UIAGM/IFMGA clients died in a fall down the West Flank: Willie Dunnachie; Douglas Gaines; and Phillip Davies. They had ascended the mountain via the Mittellegi Ridge.
2006 (14 June): François Bon and Antoine Montant make the first speedflying descent of the Eiger.
2006 (15 July): Approximately 700,000 cubic metres (20 million cubic feet) of rock from the east side collapses. No injuries or damage were reported.
2015 (23 July): A team of British Para-Climbers reached the summit via the West Flank Route. The team included John Churcher, the world's first blind climber to summit the Eiger, sight guided by the team leader Mark McGowan. Colin Gourlay enabled the ascent of other team members, including Al Taylor who has multiple sclerosis, and the young autistic climber Jamie Owen from North Wales. The ascent was filmed by the adventure filmmakers Euan Ryan & Willis Morris of Finalcrux Films.
Books and films
The 1959 book The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer describes the first successful ascent of the Eiger north face.
The Climb Up To Hell, 1962, by Jack Olson, an account of the ill-fated 1957 attempted climb of the north face by an Italian four-man team and the dramatic rescue of the sole survivor mounted by an international all-volunteer group of rescuers.
Eiger Direct, 1966, by Dougal Haston and Peter Gillman, London: Collins, also known as Direttissima; the Eiger Assault
The 1971 novel The Ice Mirror by Charles MacHardy describes the second attempted ascent of the Eiger north face by the main character.
The 1972 novel The Eiger Sanction is an action/thriller novel by Rodney William Whitaker (writing under the pseudonym Trevanian), based around the climbing of the Eiger. This was then made into the 1975 film The Eiger Sanction starring Clint Eastwood and George Kennedy. The Eiger Sanction film crew included very experienced mountaineers (e.g., Mike Hoover, Dougal Haston, and Hamish MacInnes, see Summit, 52, Spring 2010) as consultants, to ensure accuracy in the climbing footage, equipment and techniques.
The Eiger, 1974, by Dougal Haston, London: Cassell
The 1982 book Eiger, Wall of Death by Arthur Roth is an historical account of first ascents of the north face.
The 1982 book Traverse of The Gods by Bob Langley is a World War II spy thriller where a group escaping from Nazi Germany is trapped and the only possible exit route is via the Nordwand.
Eiger, 1983, a documentary film by Leo Dickinson of Eric Jones' 1981 solo ascent of the north face.
Eiger Dreams, 1990, a collection of essays by Jon Krakauer, begins with an account of Krakauer's own attempt to climb the north face.
Eiger: The Vertical Arena (German edition, 1998; English edition, 2000), edited by Daniel Anker, a comprehensive climbing history of the north face authored by 17 climbers, with numerous photographs and illustrations.
The IMAX film The Alps features John Harlin III's climb up the north face in September 2005. Harlin's father, John Harlin II, set out 40 years earlier to attempt a direct route (the direttissima) up the 6,000-foot (1,800 m) face, the so-called "John Harlin route". At 1300 m, his rope broke, and he fell to his death. Composer James Swearingen created a piece named Eiger: Journey to the Summit in his memory.
The 2007 docu/drama film The Beckoning Silence featuring mountaineer Joe Simpson, recounting—with filmed reconstructions—the ill-fated 1936 expedition up the north face of the Eiger and how Heinrich Harrer's book The White Spider inspired him to take up climbing. The film followed Simpson's eponymous 2003 book. Those playing the parts of the original climbing team were Swiss mountain guides Roger Schäli (Toni Kurz), Simon Anthamatten (Andreas Hinterstoisser), Dres Abegglen (Willy Angerer) and Cyrille Berthod (Edi Rainer). The documentary won an Emmy Award the subsequent year.
The 2008 German historical fiction film Nordwand is based on the 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger north face. The film is about the two German climbers, Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser, involved in a competition with an Austrian duo to be the first to scale the north face of Eiger.
The 2010 documentary Eiger: Wall of Death by Steve Robinson.
(Wikipedia)
The Mönch (German pronunciation: [ˈmœnç] German: "monk") at 4,110 metres (13,480 ft) is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau, it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains, visible from far away.
The Mönch lies on the border between the cantons of Valais and Bern, and forms part of a mountain ridge between the Jungfrau and Jungfraujoch to the west, and the Eiger to the east. It is west of Mönchsjoch, a pass at 3,650 metres (11,980 ft), Mönchsjoch Hut, and north of the Jungfraufirn and Ewigschneefäld, two affluents of the Great Aletsch Glacier. The north side of the Mönch forms a step wall above the Lauterbrunnen valley.
The Jungfrau railway tunnel runs right under the summit, at an elevation of approximately 3,300 metres (10,830 ft).
The summit was first climbed on record on 15 August 1857 by Christian Almer, Christian Kaufmann (1831-1861), Ulrich Kaufmann and Sigismund Porges.
(Wikipedia)
The Jungfrau (YOONG-frow, German pronunciation: [ˈjʊŋˌfʁaʊ̯], transl. "maiden, virgin"), at 4,158 meters (13,642 ft) is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall of mountains overlooking the Bernese Oberland and the Swiss Plateau, one of the most distinctive sights of the Swiss Alps.
The summit was first reached on August 3, 1811, by the Meyer brothers of Aarau and two chamois hunters from Valais. The ascent followed a long expedition over the glaciers and high passes of the Bernese Alps. It was not until 1865 that a more direct route on the northern side was opened.
The construction of the Jungfrau Railway in the early 20th century, which connects Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, the saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, made the area one of the most-visited places in the Alps. Along with the Aletsch Glacier to the south, the Jungfrau is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.
Etymology
The name Jungfrau ("maiden, virgin"), which refers to the highest of the three prominent mountains overlooking the Interlaken region, along with the Mönch ("monk") and the Eiger ("ogre"), is most likely derived from the name Jungfrauenberg given to Wengernalp, the alpine meadow directly facing the huge northern side of the Jungfrau, across the Trummelbach gorge. Wengernalp was so named for the nuns of Interlaken Monastery, its historical owner. Contrary to popular belief, the name did not originate from the appearance of the snow-covered mountain, the latter looking like a veiled woman.
The "virgin" peak was heavily romanticized as "goddess" or "priestess" in late 18th to 19th century Romanticism. Its summit, considered inaccessible, remained untouched until the 19th century. After the first ascent in 1811 by Swiss alpinist Johann Rudolf Meyer, the peak was jokingly referred to as "Mme Meyer" (Mrs. Meyer).
Geographic setting
Politically, the Jungfrau (and its massif) is split between the municipalities of Lauterbrunnen (Bern) and Fieschertal (Valais). It is the third-highest mountain of the Bernese Alps after the nearby Finsteraarhorn and Aletschhorn, respectively 12 and 8 km (7.5 and 5 mi) away. But from Lake Thun, and the greater part of the canton of Bern, it is the most conspicuous and the nearest of the Bernese Oberland peaks; with a height difference of 3,600 m (11,800 ft) between the summit and the town of Interlaken. This, and the extreme steepness of the north face, secured for it an early reputation for inaccessibility.
The Jungfrau is the westernmost and highest point of a gigantic 10 km (6.2 mi) wall dominating the valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. The wall is formed by the alignment of some of the biggest north faces in the Alps, with the Mönch (4,107 m or 13,474 ft) and Eiger (3,967 m or 13,015 ft) to the east of the Jungfrau, and overlooks the valleys to its north by a height of up to 3 km (1.9 mi). The Jungfrau is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) from the Eiger; with the summit of the Mönch between the two mountains, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from the Jungfrau. The Jungfraujoch is the saddle between the Jungfrau and the Mönch and the Eigerjoch is the saddle between the Mönch and the Eiger. The wall is extended to the east by the Fiescherwand and to the west by the Lauterbrunnen Wall, although it follows different directions from the Jungfrau and the Eiger.
The difference of altitude between the deep valley of Lauterbrunnen (800 m or 2,600 ft) and the summit is particularly visible from the area of Mürren. From the valley floor, west of the massif, the altitude gain is more than 3 km (1.9 mi) for a horizontal distance of 4 km (2.5 mi).
The landscapes around the Jungfrau are extremely contrasted. In contrast to the vertiginous precipices of its northwest, the mountain's southeastern side emerges from the upper snows of the Jungfraufirn, one of the main feeders of the Aletsch Glacier, at around 3,500 meters (11,500 ft). The 20-kilometer-long (12 mi) valley of Aletsch on the southeast is completely uninhabited, and is surrounded by neighboring valleys with similar landscapes. The area as a whole constitutes the largest glaciated area not just in the Alps, but in Europe as well.
Climbing history
In 1811, the brothers Johann Rudolf (1768–1825) and Hieronymus Meyer, sons of Johann Rudolf Meyer (1739–1813), the head of a rich merchant family of Aarau, along with several servants and a porter picked up at Guttannen, first reached the Valais by way of the Grimsel, and crossed the Beich Pass, a glacier pass over the Oberaletsch Glacier, to the head of the Lötschen valley. There, they added two local chamois hunters, Alois Volken and Joseph Bortis, to their party and traversed the Lötschenlücke before reaching the Aletschfirn (the west branch of the Aletsch Glacier), where they established the base camp, north of the Aletschhorn. After the Guttannen porter was sent back alone over the Lötschenlücke, the party finally reached the summit of the Jungfrau by the Rottalsattel on August 3. They then recrossed the two passes named to their point of departure in Valais, and went home again over the Grimsel.
The journey was a most extraordinary one for the time, and some persons threw doubts at its complete success. To settle these, another expedition was undertaken in 1812. In this the two sons, Rudolf (1791–1833) and Gottlieb (1793–1829), of Johann Rudolf Meyer, played the chief parts. After an unsuccessful attempt, defeated by bad weather, in the course of which the Oberaarjoch was crossed twice (this route being much more direct than the long detour through the Lötschental), Rudolf, with the two Valais hunters (Alois Volker and Joseph Bortis), a Guttannen porter named Arnold Abbühl, and a Hasle man, bivouacked on a depression on the southeast ridge of the Finsteraarhorn. Next day (August 16) the whole party attempted the ascent of the Finsteraarhorn from the Studer névé on the east by way of the southeast ridge, but Meyer, exhausted, remained behind. The following day the party crossed the Grünhornlücke to the Aletsch Glacier, but bad weather then put an end to further projects. At a bivouac, probably just opposite the present Konkordia Hut, the rest of the party, having come over the Oberaarjoch and the Grünhornlücke, joined the Finsteraarhorn party. Gottlieb, Rudolf's younger brother, had more patience than the rest and remained longer at the huts near the Märjelensee, where the adventurers had taken refuge. He could make the second ascent (September 3) of the Jungfrau, the Rottalsattel being reached from the east side as is now usual, and his companions being the two Valais hunters.
The third ascent dates from 1828, when several men from Grindelwald, headed by Peter Baumann, planted their flag upon the summit. Next came the ascent by Louis Agassiz, James David Forbes, Heath, Desor, and Duchatelier in 1841, recounted by Desor in his Excursions et Séjours dans les Glaciers. Gottlieb Samuel Studer published an account of the next ascent made by himself and Bürki in 1842.
In 1863, a party consisting of three young Oxford University graduates and three Swiss guides successfully reached the summit and returned to the base camp of the Faulberg (located near the present position of the Konkordia Hut) in less than 11 hours (see the section below, The 1863 Ascent). In the same year Mrs Stephen Winkworth became the first woman to climb the Jungfrau. She also slept overnight in the Faulberg cave prior to the ascent as there was no hut at that time.
Before the construction of the Jungfraujoch railway tunnel, the approach from the glaciers on the south side was very long. The first direct route from the valley of Lauterbrunnen was opened in 1865 by Geoffrey Winthrop Young, H. Brooke George with the guide Christian Almer. They had to carry ladders with them in order to cross the many crevasses on the north flank. Having spent the night on the rocks of the Schneehorn (3,402 m or 11,161 ft) they gained next morning the Silberlücke, the depression between the Jungfrau and Silberhorn, and thence in little more than three hours reached the summit. Descending to the Aletsch Glacier they crossed the Mönchsjoch, and passed a second night on the rocks, reaching Grindelwald next day. This route became a usual until the opening of the Jungfraujoch.
The first winter ascent was made on 23 January 1874, by Meta Brevoort and W. A. B. Coolidge with guides Christian and Ulrich Almer. They used a sled to reach the upper Aletsch Glacier, and were accompanied by Miss Brevoort's favorite dog, Tschingel.
The Jungfrau was climbed via the west side for the first time in 1885 by Fritz and Heinrich von Allmen, Ulrich Brunner, Fritz Graf, Karl Schlunegger and Johann Stäger—all from Wengen. They ascended the Rottal ridge (Innere Rottalgrat) and reached the summit on 21 September. The more difficult and dangerous northeast ridge that connects the summit from the Jungfraujoch was first climbed on 30 July 1911 by Albert Weber and Hans Schlunegger.
In July 2007, six Swiss Army recruits, part of the Mountain Specialists Division 1, died in an accident on the normal route. Although the causes of the deaths was not immediately clear, a report by the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research concluded that the avalanche risk was unusually high due to recent snowfall, and that there was "no other reasonable explanation" other than an avalanche for the incident.
The 1863 Ascent
The Führerbuch of the Alpine guide Peter Baumann records an ascent of the Jungfrau made by himself with three men from England in July 1863. The foreign climbers were long thought to have been John Tyndall, J.J. Hornby and T.H. Philpott, until in 1958 the records were checked by the Alpine Club and the following conclusion was reached:
On July 23, 1963, Phillpotts, with James Robertson and H.J. Chaytor, climbed the Jungfrau (the entry shown in A.J. 32. 227 was wrongly transcribed by Montagnier, who says ‘T.H. Philpott’ for J.S. Phillpotts). The entry in Peter Baumann’s Führerbuch (facsimile in A.C. archives) says that the trio crossed the Strahlegg Pass and the Oberaarjoch, and then climbed the Jungfrau from the Eggishorn.
Tyndall, Hornby and Philpott were well-known Alpinists, but there is no record of their having attempted the Jungfrau in 1863. Robertson, Chaytor and Phillpotts were novices; they had recently graduated from Oxford University where they had all been keen members of the Oxford University Boat Club.
William Robertson (1839–1892), the leader of the expedition (wrongly called ‘James’ in the Note quoted above), was an Australian by birth, and the first non-British national to take part in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. He later became a barrister and member of parliament in Australia. He and H.J. Chaytor (possibly the father of the medievalist Henry John Chaytor) were both members of the victorious Oxford team in the 1861 Boat Race. James Surtees Phillpotts (1839–1930) was the third member of the team; he would later become headmaster of Bedford School. The trio had three Swiss guides, Peter Baumann, Peter Kaufmann ("Grabipeter", father of Peter Kaufmann the younger) and Rubi.
A description of the ascent of the Jungfrau is contained in a letter dated Sunday 26 July which Phillpotts wrote to his friend Alexander Potts (later to become the first headmaster of Fettes College). The letter is now in the possession of the Alpine Club. The following extracts are from that letter.
The Virgin certainly did not smile on the poor "fools who rushed in" on her sacred heights, i.e. in plain British, we had the treadmill slog, the biting wind, the half frost-bitten feet and the flayed faces that generally attend an Alpine ascent.
We got to the Faulberg hole about dark, and enjoyed the coffee the longman (Kauffmann) made, as one would in a hole in a rock in a cold evening. The "Faulberg Nachtlager" consists of two holes and a vestibule to the upper hole. The Upper Hole in which we lodged just contained Chay[tor], the Guv [Robertson] and myself, stretched at full length on a little hay over a hard rock mattress, convex instead of concave at the point where one likes to rest one's weight. Chaytor was in the middle, and as we were very close was warm and slept. The Guv and I courted Nature's soft nurse in vain. At two we got up and methodically put our feet into the stocks, i.e. our boots, breakfasted and shivered, then started (unwashed of course, as the cold gave us malignant hydrophobia) a little after 3:30.
The hole was about 150 feet [46 m] up one of the loose stone cliffs one now knows so well. So we groped our way down it and over the moraine – the stars still lingering, as day was just dawning. We could not start at 1:30, the proper time, as there was no moon and we wanted light as we had to tramp the glacier at once. Rubi led, and off we went, roped and in Indian file, in the old treadmill way over the slippery plowed-field-like snow that lay on the upper glacier, for a pull without a check of one or two hours.
At last we came to the region of bergschrunds and crevasses. They seemed to form at first an impassable labyrinth, but gradually the guides wound in and out between the large rifts, which were exquisitely lovely with their overhanging banks of snow and glittering icicles, and then trod as on pins and needles over a snowbridge here and there, or had to take a jump over the more feasible ones – and we found ourselves at the foot of the mountain; trudged up on the snow which ought to have been crisp but was even then more or less fresh fallen and sloppy; had to creep over about three crevasses, and after a tiresome pull, dragging one leg after another out of ankle or knee deep snow, we got on a crest of snow at right angles to the slope we had just come up. That slope with its crevasses on one side, and on the other a shorter and much steeper one which led in a few steps to a precipice.
All along this crest went a snakelike long crevasse, for which we had continually to sound, and go first one side and then the other; then we got to the foot of the saddle. Some twenty or thirty steps, some cut, some uncut, soon took us up a kind of hollow, and we got on a little sloping plateau of some six feet [1.8 m] large, where we left the grub and the knapsack, keeping my small flask of cognac only. Then up a steep ice slope, very steep I should say, down which the bits of ice cut out of the steps hopped and jumped at full gallop and then bounded over to some bottomless place which we could not see down. Their pace gave one an unpleasant idea of the possible consequence of a slip.
Here we encountered a biting bitter wind. Peter Baumann cut magnificent steps, at least he and Rubi did between them, the one improving on the other's first rough blows. After Rubi came Chaytor with Kauffmann behind him, then the Guv, and then myself, the tail of the string. Each step was a long lift from the last one, and as the snow was shallow they had to be cut in the ice which was like rock on this last slope.
Suddenly there burst upon us, on lifting our heads over the ridge, the green and cheerful valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken, of Grindelwald and a distant view of others equally beautiful stretching on for ever in one vast panorama. On the other side in grim contrast there was a wild and even awful scene. One gazed about one and tried in vain to see to the bottom of dark yawning abysses and sheer cliffs of ice or rock.
Tourism
Named after the Jungfrau, the Jungfrau Region of the Bernese Oberland is a major tourist destination in the Alps and includes a large number of railways and other facilities. While the mountain peak was once difficult to access, the Jungfrau Railway, a rack railway, now goes to the Jungfraujoch railway station at 3,454 m (11,332 ft), therefore providing an easy access to the upper Aletsch Glacier and a relatively short access to the Jungfrau itself, the height difference between the station and the summit being only 704 metres and the horizontal distance being slightly less than 2 kilometres. As a result, in the popular mind, the Jungfrau has become a mountain associated with the Bernese Oberland and Interlaken, rather than with Upper Valais and Fiesch.
In 1893, Adolf Guyer-Zeller conceived of the idea of a railway tunnel to the Jungfraujoch to make the glaciated areas on its south side more accessible. The building of the tunnel took 16 years and the summit station was not opened before 1912. The goal was in fact to reach the summit of the Jungfrau with an elevator from the highest railway station, located inside the mountain. The complete project was not realized because of the outbreak of the World War I. Nevertheless, it was at the time one of the highest railways in the world and remains today the highest in Europe and the only (non-cable) railway on Earth going well past the perennial snow-line.
The Jungfrau Railway leaves from Kleine Scheidegg, which can be reached from both sides by trains from Grindelwald, and Lauterbrunnen via Wengen. The train enters the Jungfrau Tunnel running eastward through the Eiger just above Eigergletscher, which is, since 2020, also accessible by aerial tramway from Grindelwald. Before arriving at the Jungfraujoch, it stops for a few minutes at two other stations, Eigerwand (on the north face of the Eiger) and Eismeer (on the south side), where passengers can see through the holes excavated from the mountain. The journey from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch takes approximately 50 minutes including the stops; the downhill return journey taking only 35 minutes.
A large complex of tunnels and buildings has been constructed at the Jungfraujoch, referred to as the "Top of Europe". There are several restaurants and bars, shops, multimedia exhibitions, a post office, and a research station with dedicated accommodation facilities. An elevator enables access to the top of the Sphinx and its observatory, at 3,571 m (11,716 ft), the highest viewing platform of the area. Outside, at the level of the Jungfraujoch, there is a ski school, and the "Ice Palace", a collection of elaborate ice sculptures displayed inside the Aletsch Glacier. Another tunnel leads to the east side of the Sphinx, where one can walk on the glacier up to the Mönchsjoch Hut, the only hotel infrastructure in the area.
Apart from the Jungfraujoch, many facilities have been built in the Jungfrau Region, including numerous mountain railways. In 1908, the first public cable car in the world, the Wetterhorn Elevator, opened at the foot of the Wetterhorn, but was closed seven years later. The Schilthorn above Mürren, the Männlichen above Wengen, and the Schynige Platte above Wilderswil, offer good views of the Jungfrau and the Lauterbrunnen valley. On the south side, the Eggishorn above Fiesch also offers views of the Jungfrau, across the Aletsch Glacier.
Climbing routes
The normal route follows the traces of the first climbers, but the long approach on the Aletsch Glacier is no longer necessary. From the area of the Jungfraujoch the route to the summit takes only a few hours. Most climbers start from the Mönchsjoch Hut. After a traverse of the Jungfraufirn the route heads to the Rottalsattel (3,885 m or 12,746 ft), from where the southern ridge leads to the Jungfrau. It is not considered a very difficult climb but it can be dangerous on the upper section above the Rottalsattel, where most accidents happen. The use of the Jungfrau Railway instead of the much more gradual approach from Fiesch (or Fieschertal), via the Konkordia Hut, can cause some acclimatization troubles as the difference of altitude between the railway stations of Interlaken and Jungfraujoch is almost 3 km (1.9 mi).
(Wikipedia)
Der Eiger ist ein Berg in den Berner Alpen mit einer Höhe von 3967 m ü. M. Er ist dem Hauptkamm der Berner Alpen etwas nördlich vorgelagert und steht vollständig auf dem Territorium des Schweizer Kantons Bern. Zusammen mit Mönch und Jungfrau, deren Gipfel auf der Grenze zum Kanton Wallis liegen, dominiert der Eiger die Landschaft des zentralen Berner Oberlandes. Die etwa 3000 Meter über dem Tal aufragenden Nordflanken dieser Berge stellen die Schauseite einer der bekanntesten je als ein «Dreigestirn» bezeichneten Gipfel-Dreiergruppen in den Alpen dar.
Insbesondere die Nordwand des Eigers fasziniert sowohl Bergsteiger als auch Alpin-Laien. Durch dramatische Begehungsversuche und gelungene Begehungen dieser Wand wurde der Eiger weltweit bekannt und immer wieder ins Blickfeld der Öffentlichkeit gerückt – nicht zuletzt, da die gesamte Wand von Grindelwald und der Bahnstation Kleine Scheidegg aus einsehbar ist. Die Jungfraubahn mit ihrem Tunnel durch den Eigerfels ist seit ihrer Eröffnung im Jahr 1912 ein Touristenmagnet.
Namensherkunft
Die erste urkundliche Erwähnung des Eigers stammt aus dem Jahre 1252 – dies ist die zweitfrüheste urkundliche Erwähnung eines Schweizer Bergs nach dem Bietschhorn (1233). Am 24. Juli 1252 wurde in einer Verkaufsurkunde zwischen Ita von Wädiswyl und der Propstei Interlaken ein Grundstück mit den Worten «ad montem qui nominatur Egere» (dt.: Bis zum Berg, der Eiger genannt wird) abgegrenzt. Ein halbes Jahrhundert später wird der Eiger in einem Belehnungsbrief erstmals in deutscher Sprache erwähnt: «under Eigere».
Für die Herkunft des Namens gibt es drei gängige Erklärungen. Eine erste ist der althochdeutsche Name Agiger oder Aiger, wie der erste Siedler unterhalb des Eigers geheissen haben soll. Der Berg über dessen Weiden wurde deshalb Aigers Geissberg oder auch nur Geissberg genannt. Hieraus entwickelten sich dann im Laufe der Zeit die direkten Vorgänger der heutigen Bezeichnung. Die Herkunft des Namens könnte auch von dem lateinischen Wort acer kommen, woraus sich im Französischen aigu entwickelte. Beide Worte haben die Bedeutung scharf beziehungsweise spitz – in Anlehnung an die Form des Eigers. Die dritte Erklärung stammt von der früher gebräuchlichen Schreibweise Heiger, was sich aus dem Dialektausdruck «dr hej Ger» entwickelt haben könnte (hej bedeutet hoch, Ger war ein germanischer Wurfspiess). Wiederum wäre hier die Form des Eigers ausschlaggebend für seine Bezeichnung.
Im Zusammenhang mit dem Eiger wird auch des Öfteren die Namensähnlichkeit mit dem Oger, einem menschenähnlichen Unhold, genannt. In Anlehnung an das Dreigestirn «Eiger–Mönch–Jungfrau» gibt es die Erzählung, der Unhold Eiger wolle seine lüsternen Pranken auf die Jungfrau legen, woran er aber vom fröhlichen Mönch gehindert werde. Zu dieser Geschichte sind in Grindelwald alte Karikaturen und neuere Postkarten zu kaufen.
Lage und Umgebung
Der Eiger erhebt sich direkt südwestlich von Grindelwald (Amtsbezirk Interlaken). Die bekannte Nordwand ist genaugenommen eine Nordwestwand. Neben dieser existiert in der berühmten «Eiger-Nordansicht» auch noch die Nordostwand. Sie bildet die Basis für den scharfen Mittellegigrat, der vom Unteren Grindelwaldgletscher zum Gipfel zieht. Auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite begrenzt der Westgrat die Nordwand. Ihm folgt die Westflanke, in welcher sich der Eigergletscher und der Klein Eiger befinden. An diesen schliessen sich der Südwestgrat und noch ein Stück östlicher der Südgrat an, der wiederum die Südostwand begrenzt, welche bis zum Mittellegigrat reicht. Südöstlich des Eigers liegt der Grindelwald-Fieschergletscher.
In der Umgebung des Eigers befinden sich einige Viertausender des Aarmassivs. Im Osten ist er umgeben von Schreckhorn (4078 m ü. M.) und Lauteraarhorn (4042 m ü. M.), im Südosten vom Grossen Fiescherhorn (4049 m ü. M.), und im Südwesten ist der Mönch (4107 m ü. M.) durch das Nördliche und Südliche Eigerjoch vom Eiger getrennt. Zusammen mit dem Mönch und der Jungfrau (4158 m ü. M.) bildet der Eiger das «Dreigestirn», bei dem der Eiger den nordöstlichen und die Jungfrau den südwestlichen Endpunkt bildet. Entgegen der steil abfallenden Nordseite des Berges befindet sich im Süden des Eigers die Hochfläche und Gletscherwelt der Berner Alpen. Seit Ende 2001 gehört der Eiger zum Gebiet des UNESCO-Weltnaturerbes Schweizer Alpen Jungfrau-Aletsch.
Geologie
Der Eiger ist ein Teil des helvetischen Systems, das im Grossraum um den Thunersee die Decken des Alpennordrandes bildet. In einer späten Phase der alpidischen Gebirgsfaltung wurden die helvetischen Kalk-Sedimente von ihrer kristallinen Basis abgeschürft und in Form einer Abscherungsdecke nach Nordwesten verschoben. Während des Faltungsprozesses in der Alpenentstehung brachen die Kalkbänke auf und Kluft- sowie Faltensysteme entstanden, die später mit ausgefälltem Calcit geschlossen wurden. Wichtigste Bestandteile der Sedimente sind der Schrattenkalk der Kreidezeit und der Malmkalk. Als Füll- und Schmiermaterial dienten Mergel und Tonschiefer.
Die klar erkennbare Faltung des Helvetikums mit seinen gebänderten, plattigen Kalkschichten zeigt sich auch am Eiger. Das Massiv des Eigers besteht komplett aus Kalk der helvetischen Zone und schliesst die Flyschschichten und die Molasse des Grindelwaldbeckens steil nach Süden hin ab. Weil der Talkessel von Grindelwald so reich gegliedert ist, finden hier die verschiedensten Tiere einen Lebensraum.[6] Südlich des Eigers schliesst sich das Aarmassiv mit seinem Innertkirchner-Lauterbrunner-Kristallin an. Teilweise hat sich dieses über die Sedimente des Eiger geschoben. Im Bereich des Mönchs treffen die Sedimente auf Altkristallin. Die typischen Gesteine des helvetischen Systems im Bereich des Eigers entstanden während des Jura, dem mittleren Zeitabschnitts des Mesozoikums. Der vorherrschende Kalk ist dabei mit verschiedenen Gesteinen durchmischt. Es zeigen sich Mergel-Kalke und -Schiefer, Ton-Schiefer, Eisenoolith sowie kalkige Sandsteine.
Die Kalkschichten des Eigers lagern auf Gneis und sind um 60–70° nach Norden geneigt. Geprägt wurde die heutige Form des Eigers durch die Eiszeiten. Während der Riss-Kaltzeit reichte die Vergletscherung bis an den Fuss der Nordwand. In der Würm-Kaltzeit war die Mächtigkeit des Eises um 200 Meter geringer. Durch die Bewegung der Gletscher wurde die Erdoberfläche umgestaltet. Vom Eis überlagerte Landschaften wurden abgeschliffen, wohingegen unbedeckte Bereiche durch Verwitterung und andere Formen der Erosion verändert wurden. Mit dem Rückzug des Eises änderten sich auch die Druckverhältnisse im Gestein, was sich durch Entlastungsbewegungen formgebend auswirkte. Prägend für den Eiger und seine Form war die allseitige Umlagerung von Eismassen, welche für einen recht gleichmässigen und markanten Abrieb aller Wände sorgte. Darüber hinaus war die Nordwand durch ihre Exposition den Abtragungsprozessen wie Frostverwitterung mehr ausgesetzt.
Felssturz
2006 ereignete sich am Eiger ein grosser Bergsturz, der öffentliches Interesse auf sich zog. An der Ostseite des Berges, unterhalb des Mittellegigrates, war durch Felsbewegungen ein rund 250 Meter langer Spalt entstanden, der eine Breite von etwa 7 Metern erreichte.Danach senkten sich die äusseren Teile mehrere Zentimeter pro Tag ab. Eine Ursache dieser Felsabspaltung könnte sowohl das massive Eindringen von Schmelzwasser in den Felsen gewesen sein, als auch eine Instabilität des Gesteins durch den Rückgang des Gletschers unterhalb des Felsabbruchs infolge der globalen Erwärmung. Am 13. Juli 2006 um 19:24 Uhr stürzten rund 500'000 Kubikmeter Felsbrocken auf den Unteren Grindelwaldgletscher. Über der Gemeinde Grindelwald schwebte stundenlang eine Staubwolke. Bereits am Nachmittag desselben Tages war die sogenannte «Madonna vom Eiger» zu Tal gestürzt. Hierbei handelte es sich um einen ungefähr 30 Meter hohen schlanken Felsturm mit rund 600 Kubikmeter Volumen.
Seit diesen Ereignissen wird die Felsnase (Gesamtvolumen: ungefähr eine Million Kubikmeter Gestein), aus der die Gesteinsmasse abbrach, von der Universität Lausanne beobachtet. Die Beobachtungen ergaben, dass sich die Nase von Juli 2007 bis August 2008 auf einer nach Osten geneigten Gleitfläche um 15 Meter talwärts bewegte. Zusätzlich kippte die Gesteinsmasse um zwei Grad nach Nordosten. Die Kluft zwischen Berg und Felsbrocken betrug im August 2008 50 Meter. Immer wieder brechen Gesteinsteile ab und stürzen zu Tal. Gebremst und stabilisiert wird die Masse vom Gletschereis, in das die Felsnase gleitet. Dies verhindert, dass die Nase als kompakte Masse zu Tal stürzt. So gilt es als wahrscheinlicher, dass der Gesteinsblock in sich selbst zusammenfallen wird.
(Wikipedia)
Der Mönch ist ein 4107 m ü. M. hoher Berg der Berner Alpen in der Schweiz. Zusammen mit dem Eiger und der Jungfrau bildet er eine markante, von weit her sichtbare Dreiergruppe, ein sogenanntes „Dreigestirn“.
Seine Erstbesteigung fand am 15. August 1857 durch Christian Almer, Christian Kaufmann, Ulrich Kaufmann und Sigismund Porges statt.
Südöstlich des Mönch liegt die Mönchsjochhütte, eine 3657 m ü. M. hoch gelegene Berghütte wenig oberhalb des oberen Mönchsjochs, das den Mönch vom Trugberg trennt.
Höhenbestimmung
1935 wurde die Höhe des Mönchs mit 4099 m ü. M. bestimmt. Diese Zahl ist noch heute häufig in der Literatur zu finden. 1993 ergaben jedoch Messungen per Luftfotogrammetrie eine Höhe von 4107 m ü. M.. Daraufhin wurde der Wert auf der Landeskarte der Schweiz korrigiert. Mit einer Messung per GPS ermittelte man 1997 eine Höhe von 4109,4 m ü. M.; und bei einer erneuten luftfotogrammetrischen Messung von 1999 resultierte sogar eine Höhe von 4110 m ü. M.. Diese neuen Messwerte wurden jedoch nicht auf den amtlichen Karten berücksichtigt. Für diese abweichenden Werte sind nicht nur Messfehler verantwortlich, sondern auch die Tatsache, dass der Mönch eine Kuppe aus Firn besitzt, welche in den letzten Jahren gewachsen ist.
Name
Am Fusse des Mönchs befinden sich Alpweiden, auf welchen früher Wallache, sogenannte „Münche“, gesömmert wurden. So hat man den über den Münchenalpen gelegenen Berg Münchenberg genannt und schliesslich nur noch Münch oder Mönch.
Routen
Südarm des Ostgrates (Normalroute)
Schwierigkeit: ZS-, mit II. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei
Zeitaufwand: 2½–3½ Std. von der Mönchsjochhütte, 3–4 Std. vom Jungfraujoch
Ausgangspunkt: Mönchsjochhütte (3657 m ü. M.)
Talort: Grindelwald (1034 m ü. M.)
Südwestgrat
Schwierigkeit: ZS-, mit III-. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei
Zeitaufwand: 3–4 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Jungfraujoch (3454 m ü. M.)
Talort: Grindelwald (1034 m ü. M.)
Nordostarm des Ostgrates
Schwierigkeit: ZS, mit III+. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei
Zeitaufwand: 4–5 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Mönchsjochhütte (3657 m ü. M.)
Talort: Grindelwald (1034 m ü. M.)
Nordostgrat
Schwierigkeit: ZS
Zeitaufwand: 4–5 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Mönchsjochhütte (3657 m ü. M.)
Talort: Grindelwald (1034 m ü. M.)
Nordwestbollwerk (Nollen)
Schwierigkeit: S
Zeitaufwand: 6–10 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Guggihütte (2791 m ü. M.)
Talort: Kleine Scheidegg (2061 m ü. M.)
(Wikipedia)
Die Jungfrau ist ein Berg in der Schweiz. Sie ist mit 4158 m ü. M. der dritthöchste Berg der Berner Alpen und bildet zusammen mit Eiger und Mönch eine markante Dreiergruppe, ein sogenanntes «Dreigestirn».
Am 13. Dezember 2001 wurde die Jungfrau zusammen mit südlich angrenzenden Gebieten als Schweizer Alpen Jungfrau-Aletsch in die Liste als UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe aufgenommen.
Lage und Umgebung
Über den Jungfrau-Gipfel verläuft die Grenze zwischen den Kantonen Bern und Wallis. Der Berg ist ausserordentlich vielgestaltig. Im Norden und Nordwesten, auf ihrer „weiblichen“ Schauseite (vgl. Foto) sind ihr Wengen-Jungfrau, Schneehorn, das Silberhorn, das Chly Silberhoren und der „Schwarzmönch“ vorgelagert sowie die zerrissenen Kühlauenen- und Giessengletscher. Im Westen erhebt sie sich fast eisfrei volle 3250 Meter über dem hinteren Lauterbrunnental. Es ist dies (nach dem Mont Blanc) der zweithöchste direkte Abhang in den Alpen. Ihre Südwand erhebt sich über dem versteckten Rottalgletscher und ihre Ostwand über den Firnen am Jungfraujoch.
Die Pläne, auf die Jungfrau eine Bergbahn zu bauen, wurden aufgrund finanzieller Schwierigkeiten nicht realisiert. Die ursprünglich bis unter den Gipfel geplante Jungfraubahn wurde bis 1912 mit Endstation Jungfraujoch fertiggestellt.
Auf dem untersten Absatz des Nordostgrats haben die PTT einen Funk-Umsetzer auf 3777 m ü. M. installiert.
Geologie
Die Jungfrau liegt im nördlichen Randbereich des Aarmassivs, eines der sogenannten Zentralmassive der Schweizer Alpen. Ihre höheren Lagen (Silberhorn, Wengen-Jungfrau und Hauptgipfel) sowie ihre Westflanke bis hinunter zum oberen Ende des Lauterbrunnentals sind weit überwiegend aus kristallinem Grundgebirge (prä-triassische Gneise, Glimmerschiefer u. ä.) der Helvetischen Zone aufgebaut. Die Nordwestflanke hingegen, der ganze «Vorbau» (Schwarzmönch, Rotbrett und Schneehorn) besteht aus sedimentärem, überwiegend jurassischem und kretazischem Deckgebirge des Helvetikums. Eine Besonderheit der Jungfrau ist, dass dort zwischen dem prinzipiell autochthonen Gipfel-Kristallin und dessen Deckschichten ein Überschiebungs-kontakt besteht; somit ist das Grundgebirge geringfügig auf sein Deckgebirge überschoben worden.
Name
Der Name Jungfrau dürfte sich von der Wengernalp am Fusse des Berges ableiten, die – nach den Besitzerinnen, den Nonnen vom Kloster Interlaken – früher Jungfrauenberg genannt wurde. Einer anderen Quelle zufolge leitet sich der Name vom Aussehen des Nordhanges des Berges ab, der aus der Ferne dem Schleier eines Mädchens ähneln soll.
Nach dem Berg ist die Jungfrau-Region benannt, die Tourismusorganisation der Orte Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren und Lauterbrunnen, ausserdem die Jungfraubahn Holding AG, die neben der Jungfraubahn selbst auch die anderen Bergbahnen in der Region betreibt.
Besteigungsgeschichte
Bergsteiger auf dem Gipfel im Jahr 1878
Erstbesteiger waren Johann Rudolf Meyer und sein Bruder Hieronymus mit den Führern Joseph Bortis und Alois Volken, die am 3. August 1811 vom Lötschental her den Berg von Süden erklommen hatten. Sie folgten ungefähr der heutigen Normalroute. Der Volksmund taufte daraufhin die bis dahin unberührte Jungfrau «Madame Meyer».
1874 erfolgte die Winter-Erstbesteigung durch die Alpinistin Margaret Claudia Brevoort.
Die Jungfrau gilt, obwohl leicht erreichbar, als unfallträchtiger Berg. Bei einem der schwersten Unglücke stürzten am 12. Juli 2007 sechs Rekruten der Gebirgsspezialisten-Rekrutenschule Andermatt vom Rottalsattel 1000 Meter auf den darunterliegenden Rottalgletscher in den Tod, nachdem sie eine Lawine ausgelöst hatten. Das urteilende Militärgericht ging von einem falsch eingeschätzten, heimtückischen Lawinenrisiko aus und sprach in der Folge die verantwortlichen Bergführer frei.
Routen
Rottalsattel und Südostgrat (Normalroute)
Schwierigkeit: ZS-
Zeitaufwand: 4–5 Std. von der Mönchsjochhütte, 3½–4½ Std. vom Jungfraujoch
Ausgangspunkt: Mönchsjochhütte (3657 m)
Talort: Grindelwald (1034 m)
Innere Rottalgrat
Schwierigkeit: ZS
Zeitaufwand: 6–7 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Rottalhütte (2755 m)
Talort: Stechelberg (919 m)
Nordwestgrat oder „Rotbrettgrat“
Schwierigkeit: S
Zeitaufwand: 8–12 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Silberhornhütte (2663 m)
Talort: Stechelberg (919 m)
Nordostgrat
Schwierigkeit: S+, mit IV. UIAA-Grad Felskletterei
Zeitaufwand: 8–10 Stunden
Ausgangspunkt: Jungfraujoch (3454 m)
Talort: Grindelwald (1034 m)
Kunst
Erwähnt ist die Jungfrau unter anderem bei Friedrich Schiller, Wilhelm Tell, Vers 628 (1804). Lord Byrons Drama Manfred (1817) spielt am Fuss und auf dem Gipfel des Massivs. Ferdinand Hodler hat die Jungfrau mehrfach gemalt, darunter die perspektivisch verfremdete «Jungfrau über dem Nebelmeer». Alex Diggelmann gab 1958 eine Lithographienmappe unter dem Titel Die Jungfrau, mein Berg heraus. Stephan Bundi gestaltete 2005 eine Schweizer Gedenkmünze mit dem Bergmotiv.
Im Januar 2012 wurde zum 100-jährigen bestehen der Jungfraubahn eine übergrosse Schweizer Flagge vom Lichtkünstler Gerry Hofstetter an den Gipfel projiziert. Zeitweise waren neben dem Schweizer Kreuz auch ein Porträt des Zürcher Unternehmers Adolf Guyer-Zeller sowie ein Bild von einem der Züge zu sehen.
(Wikipedia)
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host Emilie Hagen were invited to cover the Little Rascals Save the Day Movie Premiere hosted by Eden Wood who plays Darla in the film at the Roosevelt Hotel. The event, sponsored by: Glitzy Girl Collection, Simba Production Company, and Ciccibella, included a red carpet and interview opportunities with the cast, a cupcake station, light hor'dourves and a screening of The Little Rascals Save the Day movie.
Get the Story from the Red Carpet Report Team, follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReportTV
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About The Little Rascals Save the Day
The Little Rascals are back in an all-new movie! Join the fun with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Petey the dog and the whole gang as they are up to their usual mischief! The Rascals try anything to raise the money needed to save their grandma's (Doris Roberts) bakery. The only trouble is - they can't seem to do anything right! From botched pet washes to terrible taxi service, they just can't raise a penny. Their only hope is to win prize money from the local talent show - but have you ever heard Alfalfa sing?
Get it on Tuesday April 1st on digital download from Amazon - more details here www.facebook.com/TheLittleRascalsMovie
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our Host, Emilie on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EmilieCHagen
Meat for sale!
11/20/2004 When in Rome! Heather and Rich fly to Rome and have fun on their first day.
It is 11:30 pm local time, and oh but we've been footsore and on the way. It all started a couple of day ago, Thursday for us, when we left home about 6:40 pm with Maddy and Spencer. I officially finished the book by writing two chapter intros. I later got on line and learned that Schuyler planned to do intros for ch1 and ch6, and write the 'how gps works' section for ch5. This meant that I am, officially, at least until QC (quality control) comes back, done with the book.
Wow.
And we drove to Dad's and the kids were rambunctious until we opened up our new CD's for Harry Potter and the Prisonar of Azkaban...we listened to the first CD and that quieted them right down!
And we had a dinner at Dad and Judy's and then up to my Mom's, where we chatted a bit...then bed. And the 5:15 am alarm. It didn't feel all that bad, surprisingly.
The flight to NY went well. I watched the incredibly stupid, but still amusing, movie Anchor Man, heather geeked on our itinery. Then I did a bit, then geeked with my GPS.
Note to self...GPS is cool, and this whole idea of narrative of place is cool, but really, taking GPS tracks in Rome doesn't work that well. I think it is best supplemented with voice recordings of places and later geocoding to a map.
hmmm. I try and create meaning by automatically/quasi automatically parsing track logs of less meaningful trips or segments of trips-down I5 to go lobster diving, for example, but perhaps it is the meaning in the trip that is more important. The GPS is a tool for helping to look at that, but I think I can post process intermittent track points, coupled with memory and photos and voice recordings, to get a better sense of trip.
Anyway...the leg to NY went very quickly. Then we were stuck on the tarmac for a bit while our gate was cleared for us. Eeeks...I had to pee!
Then we actually were in a bit of a rush to make our connection...we got there before the 'we are closing the door on your ass' stage, but not much!
I felt a bit ick for a bit, but once I took an ibuprofen, got rid of my heart burn and had some dinner i was okay. We took sleeping pills when we took off. I took another one after dinner, and then forced myself to try to sleep.
It didn't feel as though it were working-almost as though the sleeping pill made weary but not asleep...odd feeling. But I guess I slepped. Heather woke me when they served breakfast. I did not wake easily, and I went back to sleep a couple of times. I was seeing double for part of the time.
Poor Heather says she only slept about 2 hours.
But we arrived, and waltzed through customs and onto the train. Amazing! About 10 euros apiece and we had a nice train ride with two Italian women and an italian man...we didn't really talk, but, oh well.
Into the train station, and a bit of trouble getting oriented to find our hotel. Now it is easy, but the first time was not so easy.
And then somehow it got later and we figured out the metro to go to the vatican. I was pissy about wanting to eat, and we had trouble with that-the place Heather wanted for us wasn't open until 12:30. We had okay ham and cheese sandwiches and excellent olives from a deli, ate in the plazza (?) by the gellatti milleneum.
Then we went up to the vatican. We had missed the vatican museum, sadly, but we perservered and toured Saint Peters. Heather and I were seperated at this point. I hooked up with a free tour guide and learned lots of great stuff.
Heather called when I was about to learn how to become a Swiss Guard. I accidentally hung up on her, and then couldn't figure out how to call her back, but I guessed she'd be in the front, and she was. She was pooped! But gamely lead me through the tombs of the popes. That is neat...it is so non-cave like...and yet, there is plenty of room for more of them :-)
Well we hiked back to the metro, metroe'd back to the train station and walked back to the hotel and took a 2ish hour nap...it was about 3:00 when we started this 'nap' thing.
Well we woke and did like the Romans, and then got ourselves out of the hotel. We took the 40 bus out and walked down to campo di fiori and did Rick Steve's 'Nighttime rome' walk...
We had dinner in the Piazza Navona at the 'Tre Scalini' cafe/Mokarabina coffee bar. We had drinks an appetizer and a primi-ie, we shared 1 appetizer and 1 primi, and a desert, shared, and it cost a bit. Later we saw what looked like better food for much less money. live and learn. I loved the pantheon (only the outside, as it was closed) and saw where kids had set up to camp at the pantheon, etc.
We got minorly scammed at the Trevi fountain over some flowers that were 'given' to us...and when I didnt' pay enough for them the guy took 2 of three back! ack. I was not too annoyed-I mean, I should know better, right?
And I took pictures and we made our way back to the hotel.
tags: italy heather rich rome
The doors to the Pantheon
11/20/2004 When in Rome! Heather and Rich fly to Rome and have fun on their first day.
It is 11:30 pm local time, and oh but we've been footsore and on the way. It all started a couple of day ago, Thursday for us, when we left home about 6:40 pm with Maddy and Spencer. I officially finished the book by writing two chapter intros. I later got on line and learned that Schuyler planned to do intros for ch1 and ch6, and write the 'how gps works' section for ch5. This meant that I am, officially, at least until QC (quality control) comes back, done with the book.
Wow.
And we drove to Dad's and the kids were rambunctious until we opened up our new CD's for Harry Potter and the Prisonar of Azkaban...we listened to the first CD and that quieted them right down!
And we had a dinner at Dad and Judy's and then up to my Mom's, where we chatted a bit...then bed. And the 5:15 am alarm. It didn't feel all that bad, surprisingly.
The flight to NY went well. I watched the incredibly stupid, but still amusing, movie Anchor Man, heather geeked on our itinery. Then I did a bit, then geeked with my GPS.
Note to self...GPS is cool, and this whole idea of narrative of place is cool, but really, taking GPS tracks in Rome doesn't work that well. I think it is best supplemented with voice recordings of places and later geocoding to a map.
hmmm. I try and create meaning by automatically/quasi automatically parsing track logs of less meaningful trips or segments of trips-down I5 to go lobster diving, for example, but perhaps it is the meaning in the trip that is more important. The GPS is a tool for helping to look at that, but I think I can post process intermittent track points, coupled with memory and photos and voice recordings, to get a better sense of trip.
Anyway...the leg to NY went very quickly. Then we were stuck on the tarmac for a bit while our gate was cleared for us. Eeeks...I had to pee!
Then we actually were in a bit of a rush to make our connection...we got there before the 'we are closing the door on your ass' stage, but not much!
I felt a bit ick for a bit, but once I took an ibuprofen, got rid of my heart burn and had some dinner i was okay. We took sleeping pills when we took off. I took another one after dinner, and then forced myself to try to sleep.
It didn't feel as though it were working-almost as though the sleeping pill made weary but not asleep...odd feeling. But I guess I slepped. Heather woke me when they served breakfast. I did not wake easily, and I went back to sleep a couple of times. I was seeing double for part of the time.
Poor Heather says she only slept about 2 hours.
But we arrived, and waltzed through customs and onto the train. Amazing! About 10 euros apiece and we had a nice train ride with two Italian women and an italian man...we didn't really talk, but, oh well.
Into the train station, and a bit of trouble getting oriented to find our hotel. Now it is easy, but the first time was not so easy.
And then somehow it got later and we figured out the metro to go to the vatican. I was pissy about wanting to eat, and we had trouble with that-the place Heather wanted for us wasn't open until 12:30. We had okay ham and cheese sandwiches and excellent olives from a deli, ate in the plazza (?) by the gellatti milleneum.
Then we went up to the vatican. We had missed the vatican museum, sadly, but we perservered and toured Saint Peters. Heather and I were seperated at this point. I hooked up with a free tour guide and learned lots of great stuff.
Heather called when I was about to learn how to become a Swiss Guard. I accidentally hung up on her, and then couldn't figure out how to call her back, but I guessed she'd be in the front, and she was. She was pooped! But gamely lead me through the tombs of the popes. That is neat...it is so non-cave like...and yet, there is plenty of room for more of them :-)
Well we hiked back to the metro, metroe'd back to the train station and walked back to the hotel and took a 2ish hour nap...it was about 3:00 when we started this 'nap' thing.
Well we woke and did like the Romans, and then got ourselves out of the hotel. We took the 40 bus out and walked down to campo di fiori and did Rick Steve's 'Nighttime rome' walk...
We had dinner in the Piazza Navona at the 'Tre Scalini' cafe/Mokarabina coffee bar. We had drinks an appetizer and a primi-ie, we shared 1 appetizer and 1 primi, and a desert, shared, and it cost a bit. Later we saw what looked like better food for much less money. live and learn. I loved the pantheon (only the outside, as it was closed) and saw where kids had set up to camp at the pantheon, etc.
We got minorly scammed at the Trevi fountain over some flowers that were 'given' to us...and when I didnt' pay enough for them the guy took 2 of three back! ack. I was not too annoyed-I mean, I should know better, right?
And I took pictures and we made our way back to the hotel.
tags: italy heather rich rome
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host Emilie Hagen were invited to cover the Little Rascals Save the Day Movie Premiere hosted by Eden Wood who plays Darla in the film at the Roosevelt Hotel. The event, sponsored by: Glitzy Girl Collection, Simba Production Company, and Ciccibella, included a red carpet and interview opportunities with the cast, a cupcake station, light hor'dourves and a screening of The Little Rascals Save the Day movie.
Get the Story from the Red Carpet Report Team, follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReportTV
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About The Little Rascals Save the Day
The Little Rascals are back in an all-new movie! Join the fun with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Petey the dog and the whole gang as they are up to their usual mischief! The Rascals try anything to raise the money needed to save their grandma's (Doris Roberts) bakery. The only trouble is - they can't seem to do anything right! From botched pet washes to terrible taxi service, they just can't raise a penny. Their only hope is to win prize money from the local talent show - but have you ever heard Alfalfa sing?
Get it on Tuesday April 1st on digital download from Amazon - more details here www.facebook.com/TheLittleRascalsMovie
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our Host, Emilie on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EmilieCHagen
Mingle Media TV and Red Carpet Report host Emilie Hagen were invited to cover the Little Rascals Save the Day Movie Premiere hosted by Eden Wood who plays Darla in the film at the Roosevelt Hotel. The event, sponsored by: Glitzy Girl Collection, Simba Production Company, and Ciccibella, included a red carpet and interview opportunities with the cast, a cupcake station, light hor'dourves and a screening of The Little Rascals Save the Day movie.
Get the Story from the Red Carpet Report Team, follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReportTV
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About The Little Rascals Save the Day
The Little Rascals are back in an all-new movie! Join the fun with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Petey the dog and the whole gang as they are up to their usual mischief! The Rascals try anything to raise the money needed to save their grandma's (Doris Roberts) bakery. The only trouble is - they can't seem to do anything right! From botched pet washes to terrible taxi service, they just can't raise a penny. Their only hope is to win prize money from the local talent show - but have you ever heard Alfalfa sing?
Get it on Tuesday April 1st on digital download from Amazon - more details here www.facebook.com/TheLittleRascalsMovie
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our Host, Emilie on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EmilieCHagen
Shuhada' Sadaqat[8][a] (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; 8 December 1966 – July 2023), known professionally as Sinéad O'Connor,[9][b] was an Irish singer, songwriter and political activist. Her debut studio album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990), became her biggest success, selling over seven million copies worldwide.[11] Its lead single, "Nothing Compares 2 U", was named the number-one world single in 1990 by the Billboard Music Awards.[12]
O'Connor released ten studio albums. Am I Not Your Girl? (1992) and Universal Mother (1994) were certified gold in the UK,[13] Faith and Courage (2000) was certified gold in Australia,[14] and Throw Down Your Arms (2005) went gold in Ireland.[15] Her work included songs for films, collaborations with many other artists, and appearances at charity fundraising concerts. Her 2021 memoir Rememberings was a bestseller.[16]
In 1999, O'Connor was ordained as a priest by the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church, an Independent Catholic sect that is not recognised by the Roman Catholic Church.[17] She consistently spoke out on issues related to child abuse (including her 1992 Saturday Night Live protest against the continued cover-up of Catholic Church sexual abuse cases), human rights, racism, organised religion, and women's rights. Throughout her music career, she spoke about her spiritual journey, activism, socio-political views, as well as her trauma and mental health struggles. In 2017, O'Connor changed her name to Magda Davitt. After converting to Islam in 2018 she changed it to Shuhada' Sadaqat,[2][8][18] but continued to record and perform under her birth name.[
O'Connor was born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor[20] in the Cascia House Nursing Home at 13 Pembroke Road, Dublin, on 8 December 1966.[2] She was named Sinéad after Sinéad de Valera, the mother of the doctor presiding over the delivery, Éamon de Valera, Jnr., and Bernadette in honour of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.[21][22] She was the third of five children;[23] her siblings are novelist Joseph,[24] Eimear,[25] John,[26] and Eoin.[27]
Her parents are John Oliver "Seán" O'Connor, a structural engineer later turned barrister[23] and chairperson of the Divorce Action Group,[28] and Johanna Marie O'Grady (1939–1985), who married in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Drimnagh, Dublin, in 1960. She attended Dominican College Sion Hill school in Blackrock, County Dublin.[29]
In 1979, O'Connor left her mother and went to live with her father, who had married Viola Margaret Suiter (née Cook) in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, in 1976.[30] At the age of 15, her shoplifting and truancy led to her being placed for 18 months in a Magdalene asylum called the Grianán Training Centre in Drumcondra run by the Order of Our Lady of Charity.[31] In some ways, she thrived there, especially in the development of her writing and music, but she also chafed under the imposed conformity. Unruly students there were sometimes sent to sleep in the adjoining nursing home, an experience of which she later commented, "I have never—and probably will never—experience such panic and terror and agony over anything."[32] She later for a period attended the Quaker Newtown School, Waterford for 5th and 6th year but did not sit the Leaving Certificate in 1985.[33][34]
On 10 February 1985, when O'Connor was 18, her mother Marie died in a car accident, aged 45, after losing control of her car on an icy road in Ballybrack and crashing into a bus.[35][36]
In June 1993, O'Connor wrote a public letter in The Irish Times which asked people to "stop hurting" her: "If only I can fight off the voices of my parents / and gather a sense of self-esteem / Then I'll be able to REALLY sing ..." The letter repeated accusations of abuse by her parents as a child which O'Connor had made in interviews. Her brother Joseph defended their father to the newspaper but agreed regarding their mother's "extreme and violent abuse, both emotional and physical". O'Connor said that month, "Our family is very messed up. We can't communicate with each other. We are all in agony. I for one am in agony."[37]
Musical career 1980s
One of the volunteers at Grianán was the sister of Paul Byrne, drummer for the band In Tua Nua, who heard O'Connor singing "Evergreen" by Barbra Streisand. She recorded a song with them called "Take My Hand" but they felt that at 15, she was too young to join the band.[38] Through an ad she placed in Hot Press in mid-1984, she met Colm Farrelly. Together they recruited a few other members and formed a band called Ton Ton Macoute.[22] The band moved to Waterford briefly while O'Connor attended Newtown School, but she soon dropped out of school and followed them to Dublin, where their performances received positive reviews. Their sound was inspired by Farrelly's interest in world music, though most observers thought O'Connor's singing and stage presence were the band's strongest features.[22][39]
O'Connor's time as singer for Ton Ton Macoute brought her to the attention of the music industry, and she was eventually signed by Ensign Records. She also acquired an experienced manager, Fachtna Ó Ceallaigh, former head of U2's Mother Records. Soon after she was signed, she embarked on her first major assignment, providing the vocals for the song "Heroine", which she co-wrote with U2's guitarist the Edge for the soundtrack to the film Captive. Ó Ceallaigh, who had been fired by U2 for complaining about them in an interview, was outspoken with his views on music and politics, and O'Connor adopted the same habits; she defended the actions of the Provisional IRA and said U2's music was "bombastic".[2] She later retracted her IRA comments saying they were based on nonsense, and that she was "too young to understand the tense situation in Northern Ireland properly".[40]
Her first album The Lion and the Cobra was "a sensation" when it was released in 1987 on Chrysalis Records,[41] and it reached gold record status, earning a Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Grammy nomination. The single "Mandinka" was a big college radio hit in the United States, and "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" received both college and urban play in a remixed form that featured rapper MC Lyte. In her first U.S. network television appearance, O'Connor sang "Mandinka" on Late Night with David Letterman in 1988.[42] The song "Troy" was also released as a single in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, where it reached number 5 on the Dutch Top 40 chart.[43]
O'Connor named Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bob Marley, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the Pretenders as the artists who influenced her on her debut album.[44] In 1989 O'Connor joined The The frontman Matt Johnson as a guest vocalist on the band's album Mind Bomb, which spawned the duet "Kingdom of Rain".[45] That same year, she made her first foray into cinema, starring in and writing the music for the Northern Irish film Hush-a-Bye-Baby.[46]
1990s
O'Connor's second album – 1990's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got – gained considerable attention and mostly positive reviews:[47] it was rated "second best album of the year" by the NME.[48] She was praised for her voice and original songs, while being noted for her appearance: trademark shaved head, often angry expression, and sometimes shapeless or unusual clothing.[47] The album featured Marco Pirroni (of Adam and the Ants fame), Andy Rourke (from The Smiths) and John Reynolds, her first husband;[49] most notably, it contained her international breakthrough hit "Nothing Compares 2 U", a song written by Prince[50][51] and originally recorded and released by a side project of his, the Family.[51] Hank Shocklee, producer for Public Enemy, remixed the album's next single, "The Emperor's New Clothes",[49] for a 12-inch that was coupled with another song from the LP, "I Am Stretched on Your Grave". Pre-dating but included on I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, was "Jump in the River", which originally appeared on the Married to the Mob soundtrack; the 12-inch version of the single had included a remix featuring performance artist Karen Finley.[52][53]
In July 1990, she joined other guests for former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters' performance of The Wall in Berlin.[54] She contributed a cover of "You Do Something to Me" to the Cole Porter tribute/AIDS fundraising album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Hot Organization.[55] Red Hot + Blue was followed by the release of Am I Not Your Girl?, an album made of covers of jazz standards and torch songs she had listened to while growing up; the album received mixed-to-poor reviews, and was a commercial disappointment in light of the success of her previous work.[56] Her take on Elton John's "Sacrifice" was acclaimed as one of the best efforts on the tribute album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.[57]
Also in 1990, she was criticised after she stated that she would not perform if the United States national anthem was played before one of her concerts; Frank Sinatra threatened to "kick her in the ass".[58] After receiving four Grammy Award nominations, she withdrew her name from consideration.[2] Although nominated for the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist, which she won, she did not attend the awards ceremony, but did accept the Irish IRMA in February 1991.[59]
I don't do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I'm proud to be a troublemaker.
—O'Connor in NME, March 1991[60]
She spent the following months studying bel canto singing with teacher Frank Merriman at the Parnell School of Music. In an interview with The Guardian, published in May 1993, she reported that singing lessons with Merriman were the only therapy she was receiving, describing Merriman as "the most amazing teacher in the universe."[61]
In 1992, she contributed backing vocals on the track "Come Talk To Me", and shared vocals on the single "Blood of Eden" from the studio album Us by Peter Gabriel. Gabriel invited her to join his ongoing Secret World Tour in May 1993, to sing these songs and more in an elaborate stage setting. O'Connor travelled and performed as a guest artist.[62] She was seen at Gabriel's side at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards in September. While in Los Angeles, she took too many sleeping pills, inciting media conjecture about a suicide attempt. She said she "was in a bad way emotionally at the time, but it wasn't a suicide attempt."[63] She left the tour suddenly, causing Gabriel to scramble for a replacement singer.[62] Decades later, she wrote in her memoir Rememberings that she left Gabriel because he treated her casually, and would not make a commitment.[6]
The 1993 soundtrack to the film In the Name of the Father featured O'Connor's "You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart".[49] Her more conventional Universal Mother album (1994) spawned two music videos for the first and second singles, "Fire on Babylon" and "Famine", that were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.[64][65] She toured with Lollapalooza in 1995, but dropped out when she became pregnant with her second child.[66] In 1997, she released the Gospel Oak EP.[67]
In 1994, she appeared in A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who,[68] also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend. This was a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall produced by Roger Daltrey of the Who in celebration of his 50th birthday.[69] A CD and a VHS video of the concert were issued in 1994, followed by a DVD in 1998.[70][71]
In 1996, O'Connor guested on Broken China, a solo album by Pink Floyd's Richard Wright.[72]
O'Connor made her final feature film appearance in Neil Jordan's The Butcher Boy in 1997, playing the Virgin Mary.[73]
In 1998, she worked again with the Red Hot Organization to co-produce and perform on Red Hot + Rhapsody.[74]
2000s
O'Connor at the "Music in My Head" festival in The Hague, 13 June 2008
Faith and Courage was released in 2000, including the single "No Man's Woman", and featured contributions from Wyclef Jean of the Fugees and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics.[75]
Her 2002 album, Sean-Nós Nua, marked a departure in that O'Connor interpreted or, in her own words, "sexed up" traditional Irish folk songs, including several in the Irish language.[76] In Sean-Nós Nua, she covered a well-known Canadian folk song, "Peggy Gordon".[77]
In 2003, she contributed a track to the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman, a cover of Parton's "Dagger Through the Heart". That same year, she also featured on three songs of Massive Attack's album 100th Window before releasing her double album, She Who Dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High Shall Abide Under the Shadow of the Almighty. This compilation contained one disc of demos and previously unreleased tracks and one disc of a live concert recording. Directly after the album's release, O'Connor announced that she was retiring from music.[78] Collaborations, a compilation album of guest appearances, was released in 2005—featuring tracks recorded with Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Jah Wobble, Terry Hall, Moby, Bomb the Bass, the Edge, U2, and The The.[79]
Ultimately, after a brief period of inactivity and a bout with fibromyalgia, her retirement proved to be short-lived. O'Connor stated in an interview with Harp magazine that she had only intended to retire from making mainstream pop/rock music, and after dealing with her fibromyalgia she chose to move into other musical styles.[80] The reggae album Throw Down Your Arms appeared in late 2005.[81]
On 8 November 2006, O'Connor performed seven songs from her upcoming album Theology at The Sugar Club in Dublin. Thirty fans were given the opportunity to win pairs of tickets to attend along with music industry critics.[82] The performance was released in 2008 as Live at the Sugar Club deluxe CD/DVD package sold exclusively on her website.[83]
O'Connor released two songs from her album Theology to download for free from her official website: "If You Had a Vineyard" and "Jeremiah (Something Beautiful)". The album, a collection of covered and original Rastafari spiritual songs, was released in June 2007. The first single from the album, the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber classic "I Don't Know How to Love Him", was released on 30 April 2007.[84] To promote the album, O'Connor toured extensively in Europe and North America. She also appeared on two tracks of the new Ian Brown album The World Is Yours, including the anti-war single "Illegal Attacks".[85]
2010s
In January 2010, O'Connor performed a duet with R&B singer Mary J. Blige produced by former A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad of O'Connor's song "This Is To Mother You" (first recorded by O'Connor on her 1997 Gospel Oak EP). The proceeds of the song's sales were donated to the organisation GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services).[86] In 2012 the song "Lay Your Head Down", written by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for the soundtrack of the film Albert Nobbs and performed by O'Connor, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[87]
O'Connor performing in 2013
In 2011, O'Connor worked on recording a new album, titled Home, to be released in the beginning of 2012,[88] titled How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?,[89][90] with the first single being "The Wolf is Getting Married". She planned an extensive tour in support of the album but suffered a serious breakdown between December 2011 and March 2012,[91] resulting in the tour and all other musical activities for the rest of 2012 being cancelled. O'Connor resumed touring in 2013 with The Crazy Baldhead Tour. The second single "4th and Vine" was released on 18 February 2013.[92]
In February 2014, it was revealed that O'Connor had been recording a new album of original material, titled The Vishnu Room, consisting of romantic love songs.[93] In early June 2014, the new album was retitled I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss, with an 11 August release date. The title derives from the Ban Bossy campaign that took place earlier the same year. The album's first single is entitled "Take Me to Church".[94][95]
In November 2014, O'Connor's management was taken over by Simon Napier-Bell and Björn de Water.[96] On 15 November, O'Connor joined the charity supergroup Band Aid 30 along with other British and Irish pop acts, recording a new version of the track "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, to raise money for the West African Ebola virus epidemic.[97]
In September 2019, O'Connor performed live for the first time in five years, singing "Nothing Compares 2 U" with the Irish Chamber Orchestra on RTÉ's The Late Late Show.[98][99]
2020s
In October 2020, O'Connor released a cover of Mahalia Jackson's Trouble of the World, with proceeds from the single to benefit Black Lives Matter charities.[100]
On 4 June 2021, O'Connor announced her immediate retirement from the music industry. While her final studio album, No Veteran Dies Alone, was due to be released in 2022, O'Connor stated that she would not be touring or promoting it.[101] Announcing the news on Twitter, she said "This is to announce my retirement from touring and from working in the record business. I've gotten older and I'm tired. So it's time for me to hang up my nipple tassels, having truly given my all. NVDA in 2022 will be my last release. And there'll be no more touring or promo."[101][102] On 7 June she retracted her previous statement, describing the original announcement as "a knee-jerk reaction" to an insensitive interview, and announcing that she would go ahead with her already scheduled 2022 tour.[103]
On 1 June 2021, O'Connor's memoir Rememberings was released to positive critical reception. It was listed among the best books of the year on BBC Culture.[104]
On 7 January 2022, O'Connor's son, Shane, died by suicide at the age of 17.[42] She subsequently decided to cancel her 2022 tour and her album No Veteran Dies Alone was postponed indefinitely.[105]
In February 2023, she shared a new version of "The Skye Boat Song", a 19th century Scottish adaptation of a 1782 Gaelic song, which is also the theme for the fantasy drama series Outlander.[106] The following month, she was awarded the inaugural Choice Music Prize Classic Irish Album by Irish broadcaster RTÉ for her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.[107][108]
Name
In 2017, O'Connor changed her legal name to Magda Davitt, saying in an interview that she wished to be "free of the patriarchal slave names. Free of the parental curses."[113][114] On her conversion to Islam in October 2018, she adopted the name 'Shuhada', and before mid-2019 also changed her surname from Davitt to Sadaqat.[115]
Personal and public image
Her shaved head has been seen as a statement against traditional views of femininity.[116]
Marriages and children
O'Connor had four children and was married and divorced four times. She had her first son, Jake, in 1987 with her first husband, music producer John Reynolds,[117] who co-produced several of her albums, including Universal Mother. Reynolds and O'Connor later married in Westminster register office in March 1989.[118][119] The same year, O'Connor had an abortion after things did not work out with the father. She later wrote the song "My Special Child" about the experience.[120] O'Connor and Reynolds announced their plan to divorce in November 1991 after being separated for some time.[121]
Soon after the birth of her daughter Brigidine Roisin Waters on 10 March 1996, O'Connor and the girl's father, Irish journalist John Waters, began a long custody battle that ended with O'Connor agreeing to let Roisin live in Dublin with Waters.[122][119][117] In August 2001, O'Connor married British journalist Nick Sommerlad in Wales; the marriage ended in July 2002 after 11 months.[123][117] She had her third child, son Shane, in 2004 with musician Donal Lunny.[117][119] In 2006, she had her fourth child, Yeshua Francis Neil Bonadio, whose father is Frank Bonadio.[124][125]
O'Connor was married a third time on 22 July 2010, to longtime friend and collaborator Steve Cooney,[4][126] and in late March 2011, made the decision to separate.[127] Her fourth marriage was to Irish therapist Barry Herridge. They wed on 9 December 2011, in Las Vegas, but their marriage ended after having "lived together for 7 days only".[128] The following week, on 3 January 2012, O'Connor issued a further string of internet comments to the effect that the couple had re-united.[5]
On 18 July 2015, her first grandson was born to her son Jake Reynolds and his girlfriend Lia.[129]
On 7 January 2022, two days after her 17-year-old son Shane was reported missing from Newbridge, County Kildare, he was found dead by suicide. His body was found by Gardaí in the Bray/Shankill part of Dublin.[130][131][132] O'Connor stated that her son, custody of whom she lost in 2013, had been on "suicide watch" at Tallaght Hospital, and had "ended his earthly struggle". O'Connor criticised the Health Service Executive (HSE) with regard to their handling of her son's case.[133][134][135] She initially criticised Ireland's family services agency, Tusla, but retracted this a few days later.[136][137] In January 2022, a week after her son's suicide, she was hospitalised on her own volition following a series of tweets in which she indicated she was going to take her own life.[138]
Relationship with Prince
Speaking about her relationship with Prince in an interview with Norwegian station NRK in November 2014 she said, "I did meet him a couple of times. We didn't get on at all. In fact we had a punch-up." She continued: "He summoned me to his house after 'Nothing Compares'. I made it without him. I'd never met him. He summoned me to his house – and it's foolish to do this to an Irish woman – he said he didn't like me saying bad words in interviews. So I told him to f*** off....He got quite violent. I had to escape out of his house at 5 in the morning. He packed a bigger punch than mine."[139] In her 2021 memoir Rememberings, O'Connor described her meeting with Prince in detail, which ranged from having his butler serve soup repeatedly despite no desire for soup, to hitting her with a hard object placed in a pillowcase after wanting a pillow fight, and stalking her with his car after she left the mansion.[140]
Health
In the early 2000s, O'Connor revealed that she suffered from fibromyalgia. The pain and fatigue she experienced caused her to take a break from music from 2003 to 2005.[141]
On an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast on 4 October 2007, O'Connor disclosed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder four years earlier, and had attempted suicide on her 33rd birthday, 8 December 1999.[142] Then, on Oprah: Where Are They Now? of 9 February 2014, O'Connor said that she had received three "second opinions" and was told by all three that she was not bipolar.
O'Connor was also diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.[143]
In August 2015, she announced that she was to undergo a hysterectomy after suffering gynaecological problems for over three years.[144] O'Connor later blamed the hospital's refusal to administer hormonal replacement therapy after the operation as the main reason for her mental health issues in the subsequent years, stating "I was flung into surgical menopause. Hormones were everywhere. I became very suicidal. I was a basket case."[145]
Having smoked cannabis for 30 years, O'Connor went to a rehabilitation centre in 2016, to end her "addiction".[146] O'Connor was agoraphobic.[147]
In August 2017, O'Connor posted a 12-minute video on her Facebook page in which she stated that she had felt alone since losing custody of her 13-year-old son, Shane, and that for the prior two years she had wanted to kill herself, with only her doctor and psychiatrist "keeping her alive".[148] The month after her Facebook post, O'Connor appeared on the American television talk show Dr. Phil on the show's 16th season debut episode.[149] According to Dr. Phil, O'Connor wanted to do the interview because she wanted to "destigmatize mental illness", noting the prevalence of mental health issues among musicians.[150] Shane died in January 2022. A week later, following a series of tweets in which she indicated that she was going to kill herself, O'Connor was hospitalised.[151]
Sexuality
In a 2000 interview in Curve, O'Connor said that she was a lesbian.[152] She later retracted the statement, and in 2005 told Entertainment Weekly "I'm three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay".[153]
In 2013, O'Connor published an open letter on her own website to American singer and actress Miley Cyrus in which she warned Cyrus of the treatment of women in the music industry and stated that sexuality is a factor in this, which was in response to Cyrus's music video for her song "Wrecking Ball".[154] Cyrus responded by mocking O'Connor and alluding to her mental health problems.[155]
Politics
O'Connor was a vocal supporter of a united Ireland, and called on the left-wing republican Sinn Féin party to be "braver". In December 2014 it was reported O'Connor had joined Sinn Féin.[156] O'Connor called for the "demolition" of the Republic of Ireland and its replacement with a new, united country. She also called for key Sinn Féin politicians like Gerry Adams to step down because "they remind people of violence", referring to the Troubles.[157]
In a 2015 interview with the BBC, O'Connor said she wished that Ireland had remained under British rule (which ended after the Irish War of Independence, except for Northern Ireland), saying "the church took over and it was disastrous".[158] Following the Brexit referendum in 2016, O'Connor wrote on Facebook "Ireland is officially no longer owned by Britain".[159]
Religion
Sinéad O'Connor on After Dark on 21 January 1995
In January 1995, O'Connor made an unexpected appearance on the British late-night television programme After Dark during an episode about sexual abuse and the Catholic Church in Ireland.[160] The discussion included a Dominican friar and another representative of the Catholic Church, along with former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. Host Helena Kennedy described the event: "Sinéad came on and argued that abuse in families was coded in by the church because it refused to accept the accounts of women and children."[161]
In the late 1990s, Bishop Michael Cox of the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church (an Independent Catholic group not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church) ordained O'Connor as a priest.[17] The Catholic Church considers the ordination of women to be invalid and asserts that a person attempting the sacrament of ordination upon a woman incurs excommunication.[17] The bishop had contacted her to offer ordination following her appearance on RTÉ's The Late Late Show, during which she told the presenter, Gay Byrne, that had she not been a singer she would have wished to have been a Catholic priest. After her ordination, she indicated that she wished to be called Mother Bernadette Mary.[17]
In a July 2007 interview with Christianity Today, O'Connor stated that she considered herself a Christian and that she believed in core Christian concepts about the Trinity and Jesus Christ. She said, "I think God saves everybody whether they want to be saved or not. So when we die, we're all going home ... I don't think God judges anybody. He loves everybody equally."[162] In an October 2002 interview, she credited her Christian faith in giving her the strength to live through and overcome the effects of her childhood abuse.[112]
On 26 March 2010, O'Connor appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° to speak out about the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland.[163] On 28 March 2010, she had an opinion piece published in the Sunday edition of The Washington Post in which she wrote about the scandal and her time in a Magdalene laundry as a teenager.[31] Writing for the Sunday Independent she labelled the Vatican as "a nest of devils" and called for the establishment of an "alternative church", opining that "Christ is being murdered by liars" in the Vatican.[164] Shortly after the election of Pope Francis, she said:[165][166]
Well, you know, I guess I wish everyone the best, and I don't know anything about the man, so I'm not going to rush to judge him on one thing or another, but I would say he has a scientifically impossible task, because all religions, but certainly the Catholic Church, is really a house built on sand, and it's drowning in a sea of conditional love, and therefore it can't survive, and actually the office of Pope itself is an anti-Christian office, the idea that Christ needs a representative is laughable and blasphemous at the same time, therefore it is a house built on sand, and we need to rescue God from religion, all religions, they've become a smokescreen that distracts people from the fact that there is a holy spirit, and when you study the Gospels you see the Christ character came to tell us that we only need to talk directly to God, we never needed Religion ...
Asked whether from her point of view, it is therefore irrelevant who is elected to be pope, O'Connor replied:
Genuinely I don't mean disrespect to Catholic people because I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the Holy Spirit, all of those, but I also believe in all of them, I don't think it cares if you call it Fred or Daisy, you know? Religion is a smokescreen, it has everybody talking to the wall. There is a Holy Spirit who can't intervene on our behalf unless we ask it. Religion has us talking to the wall. The Christ character tells us himself: you must only talk directly to the Father; you don't need intermediaries. We all thought we did, and that's ok, we're not bad people, but let's wake up ... God was there before religion; it's there [today] despite religion; it'll be there when religion is gone.[167]
Tatiana Kavelka wrote about O'Connor's later Christian work, describing it as "theologically charged yet unorthodox, oriented toward interfaith dialogue and those on the margins".[168]
In August 2018, via an open letter, she asked Pope Francis to excommunicate her as she had also asked Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II.[113]
In October 2018, O'Connor converted to Islam, calling it "the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian's journey".[169] The ceremony was conducted in Ireland by Sunni Islamic theologian Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri. She also changed her name to Shuhada' Davitt. In a message on Twitter, she thanked fellow Muslims for their support and uploaded a video of herself reciting the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer. She also posted photos of herself wearing a hijab.[170]
After her conversion to Islam, O'Connor called those who were not Muslims "disgusting" and criticised Christian and Jewish theologians on Twitter in November 2018. She wrote: "What I'm about to say is something so racist I never thought my soul could ever feel it. But truly I never wanna spend time with white people again (if that's what non-muslims are called). Not for one moment, for any reason. They are disgusting."[171][172] Later that month, O'Connor stated that her remarks were made in an attempt to force Twitter to close down her account.[173] In September 2019, she apologised for the remarks, saying "They were not true at the time and they are not true now. I was triggered as a result of Islamophobia dumped on me. I apologize for hurt caused. That was one of many crazy tweets lord knows."[174]
Death
On 26 July 2023, O'Connor was found dead at her flat in Herne Hill, South London, at the age of 56 Her family issued a statement later the same day, without indicating the cause of her death.[108][177][178] The following day, the Metropolitan Police reported that O'Connor's death was not being treated as suspicious] On 28 July, the Coronor in London said that the date of death was still unknown.
Meet Mario. Media designer. Comic geek. And a very good friend of mine. He reintroduced me to the world of comic books a couple of years ago by giving me one of the greatest stories ever told. I've never seen or read anything like it since then and I'm deeply thankful for that experience. Of course I'm talking about "Preacher" by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride full of fear, anger, sadness and laughter. Simply put, a hell of a lot fun to read!
So we decided to do a little tribute to our favorite graphic novel. Had a little trouble lighting this because I desperately wanted to shoot it at f1.4. Besides, he's a non-smoker :-)
Enjoy!
Strobist info: One LP120 at 1/32 power from the right, with a full CTO gel shot through an umbrella. The flash was zoomed out to the max and as close as possible to the umbrella. Another LP120 at 1/32 from the top right at about 45° pointed at the lighter, snooted and gelled to death with a full CTO, a diffusion and two neutral grey filters. Both flashes were fired by Cactus V4 radio triggers.
1922 Lincoln Four Passenger Phaeton. This is one of many beautiful Full Classic automobiles on display in the Classic Car Club of America Museum on the campus of the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, which Ruth Ann and I visited in June with Flickr friend Steve Brown (sjb4photos).
At the start of 1922, Lincoln automobiles were made by Lincoln Motor Company, which had been established by Henry M. Leland in the previous decade to make Liberty aircraft engines. After World War I, Leland -- who was one of the founders of Cadillac in 1902 (which grew out of an early Henry Ford automobile company and initially used a body style also sold by Ford) -- embarked upon making Lincoln automobiles; the first Lincoln automobiles were the L-series. Soon, however, Leland's Lincoln Motor Company was in financial trouble, and the only bidder for the company was Henry Ford, whose successful bid secured him the business for a bargain price. According to Wikipedia (citing a 1952 publication on Lincoln by John Bentley), "The purchase of Lincoln was a personal triumph for Henry Ford, who had been forced out of his second company . . . by a group of investors led by Leland." The triumph was heightened when Lincoln, with changes made by Henry Ford and his son Edsel (who became president of Lincoln), sold much better than it had under Leland leadership.
Program Empty! Another bug in a display system.
11/20/2004 When in Rome! Heather and Rich fly to Rome and have fun on their first day.
It is 11:30 pm local time, and oh but we've been footsore and on the way. It all started a couple of day ago, Thursday for us, when we left home about 6:40 pm with Maddy and Spencer. I officially finished the book by writing two chapter intros. I later got on line and learned that Schuyler planned to do intros for ch1 and ch6, and write the 'how gps works' section for ch5. This meant that I am, officially, at least until QC (quality control) comes back, done with the book.
Wow.
And we drove to Dad's and the kids were rambunctious until we opened up our new CD's for Harry Potter and the Prisonar of Azkaban...we listened to the first CD and that quieted them right down!
And we had a dinner at Dad and Judy's and then up to my Mom's, where we chatted a bit...then bed. And the 5:15 am alarm. It didn't feel all that bad, surprisingly.
The flight to NY went well. I watched the incredibly stupid, but still amusing, movie Anchor Man, heather geeked on our itinery. Then I did a bit, then geeked with my GPS.
Note to self...GPS is cool, and this whole idea of narrative of place is cool, but really, taking GPS tracks in Rome doesn't work that well. I think it is best supplemented with voice recordings of places and later geocoding to a map.
hmmm. I try and create meaning by automatically/quasi automatically parsing track logs of less meaningful trips or segments of trips-down I5 to go lobster diving, for example, but perhaps it is the meaning in the trip that is more important. The GPS is a tool for helping to look at that, but I think I can post process intermittent track points, coupled with memory and photos and voice recordings, to get a better sense of trip.
Anyway...the leg to NY went very quickly. Then we were stuck on the tarmac for a bit while our gate was cleared for us. Eeeks...I had to pee!
Then we actually were in a bit of a rush to make our connection...we got there before the 'we are closing the door on your ass' stage, but not much!
I felt a bit ick for a bit, but once I took an ibuprofen, got rid of my heart burn and had some dinner i was okay. We took sleeping pills when we took off. I took another one after dinner, and then forced myself to try to sleep.
It didn't feel as though it were working-almost as though the sleeping pill made weary but not asleep...odd feeling. But I guess I slepped. Heather woke me when they served breakfast. I did not wake easily, and I went back to sleep a couple of times. I was seeing double for part of the time.
Poor Heather says she only slept about 2 hours.
But we arrived, and waltzed through customs and onto the train. Amazing! About 10 euros apiece and we had a nice train ride with two Italian women and an italian man...we didn't really talk, but, oh well.
Into the train station, and a bit of trouble getting oriented to find our hotel. Now it is easy, but the first time was not so easy.
And then somehow it got later and we figured out the metro to go to the vatican. I was pissy about wanting to eat, and we had trouble with that-the place Heather wanted for us wasn't open until 12:30. We had okay ham and cheese sandwiches and excellent olives from a deli, ate in the plazza (?) by the gellatti milleneum.
Then we went up to the vatican. We had missed the vatican museum, sadly, but we perservered and toured Saint Peters. Heather and I were seperated at this point. I hooked up with a free tour guide and learned lots of great stuff.
Heather called when I was about to learn how to become a Swiss Guard. I accidentally hung up on her, and then couldn't figure out how to call her back, but I guessed she'd be in the front, and she was. She was pooped! But gamely lead me through the tombs of the popes. That is neat...it is so non-cave like...and yet, there is plenty of room for more of them :-)
Well we hiked back to the metro, metroe'd back to the train station and walked back to the hotel and took a 2ish hour nap...it was about 3:00 when we started this 'nap' thing.
Well we woke and did like the Romans, and then got ourselves out of the hotel. We took the 40 bus out and walked down to campo di fiori and did Rick Steve's 'Nighttime rome' walk...
We had dinner in the Piazza Navona at the 'Tre Scalini' cafe/Mokarabina coffee bar. We had drinks an appetizer and a primi-ie, we shared 1 appetizer and 1 primi, and a desert, shared, and it cost a bit. Later we saw what looked like better food for much less money. live and learn. I loved the pantheon (only the outside, as it was closed) and saw where kids had set up to camp at the pantheon, etc.
We got minorly scammed at the Trevi fountain over some flowers that were 'given' to us...and when I didnt' pay enough for them the guy took 2 of three back! ack. I was not too annoyed-I mean, I should know better, right?
And I took pictures and we made our way back to the hotel.
tags: italy heather rich rome
British postcard by Heroes Publishing Ltd, London, no. SPC 2753.
Charismatic Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer Antonio Banderas (1960) began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar. He became an internationally known Latin heartthrob with high-profile Hollywood films including Philadelphia (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Desperado (1995), Evita (1996), The Mask of Zorro (1998), and the Shrek sequels.
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas was born in Málaga, Spain, in 1960. He was the son of Ana Banderas, a school teacher, and José Domínguez, a police officer in the Guardia Civil. He has one younger brother, Francisco. He took his mother's surname as his stage name. He initially wanted to be a soccer player, but his dream ended when he broke his foot at age 14. At that time he developed a passion for theatre after seeing the stage production of Hair. Banderas began his acting studies at the School of Dramatic Art in Málaga, and made his acting debut at a small theatre in Málaga. He was arrested by the Spanish police for his performance in a play by Bertolt Brecht, because of the political censorship under the rule of General Francisco Franco. Banderas spent a whole night at the police station. He had three or four of such arrests while he was working with a small theatre troupe that toured all over Spain and was giving performances in small town theatres and on the street. In 1981, at the age of 19, he moved to Madrid in pursuit of an acting career. There he joined the troupe at the National Theatre of Spain, becoming the youngest member of the company. Banderas's stage performances caught the attention of film director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast the young actor in Pestañas postizas (1982, Enrique Belloch), produced by Almodóvar. Then he played a gay Islamic terrorist in Laberinto de pasiones/Labyrinth of Passion (1982, Pedro Almodóvar). Banderas and Almodovar joined forces in making innovative and sexually provocative movies during the 1980’s. In Matador (1986, Pedro Almodóvar) he played a troubled young man who is confused about his sexuality. Banderas made headlines in Spain with his performance as a psychotic gay stalker, making his first male-to-male on-screen kiss in Almodovar's La ley del deseo/Law of Desire (1987, Pedro Almodóvar) with Carmen Maura. Banderas's long and fruitful collaboration with Almodóvar eventually prepared him for international recognition that came with his work in the Academy Award-nominated film Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios/Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988, Pedro Almodóvar). He had his breakthrough with the controversial ¡Átame!/Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989, Pedro Almodóvar) as mental patient Ricky who kidnaps a porn star (Victoria Abril) and keeps her tied up until she returns his love. Other Spanish films in which he appeared were El señor Galíndez (1984, Rodolfo Kuhn) starring Héctor Alterio, Los zancos/The Stilts (1984, Carlos Saura) with Laura del Sol and Fernando Fernán Gómez, Si te dicen que caí/If They Tell You I Fell (1989, Vicente Aranda) with Victoria Abril, and Terra Nova (1991, Calogero Salvo). In 1991 he got also international attention as an unwitting object of Madonna's affection in the documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991, Alek Keshishian, Mark Aldo Miceli).
Antonio Banderas began appearing in American films. In 1992 he made his Hollywood debut with The Mambo Kings (1992, Arne Glimcher) as a soulful Cuban trumpeter opposite Armand Assante. Because he did not speak English at that time, his dialogue for the film was taught to him phonetically. At AllMovie, Rebecca Flint Marx writes: “Banderas still managed to turn in a critically praised performance as a struggling musician.”. He then shot to international fame with his sensitive performance as the lover of Tom Hanks' AIDS-infected lawyer in Philadelphia (1993, Jonathan Demme). During the following years he appeared in several major Hollywood releases, including a substantial role as a sexy Old World vampire opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the film adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994, Neil Jordan), and a starring role as the shimmering gunslinger in Desperado (1995, Roberto Rodriguez). He starred as ubiquitous narrator Che alongside Madonna (as Eva Peron) in Evita (1996, Alan Parker), an adaptation of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. He also had success with his role as the legendary masked swordsman Zorro in The Mask of Zorro (1998, Martin Campbell), opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherina Zeta-Jones. (he was the first Latino to play the Mexican swashbuckler). Banderas' debut as a director was the interesting black comedy Crazy in Alabama (1999), starring his wife Melanie Griffith. In 2000, Ridley Scott offered Banderas a part as a peasant in his film, Gladiator (2000, Ridley Scott) and he reluctantly accepted, but demanded exactly $50,000 for the role, which is currently the world record for the highest salary of an extra. In 2001, he collaborated again with Robert Rodriguez who cast him in the Spy Kids films. He also starred in the poor Original Sin (2001, Michael Cristofer) with Angelina Jolie. In 2002, he starred in the equally poor Femme Fatale (2002, Brian De Palma) opposite Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and in Frida (2002, Julie Taymor) with Salma Hayek. Then he reprised his role as El Maiachi in the last instalment of the Mexico trilogy Once Upon A Time In Mexico (2003, Roberto Rodriguez) with Johnny Depp and Salma Hayek.
In 2003, Antonio Banderas returned to the musical genre, appearing to great acclaim in the Broadway revival of Maury Yeston's musical Nine, based on the film 8½, playing the prime role originated by the late Raúl Juliá. Banderas won both the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards, and was nominated for the Tony Award for best actor in a musical. Tweaking his image as a sexy, macho swashbuckler, Banderas next provided the pitch-perfect voice of the rapier-wielding Puss-in-Boots for Shrek 2 (2004, Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon), Shrek the Third (2007, Chris Miller, Raman Hui) and the last film in the Shrek franchise, Shrek Forever After (2010, Mike Mitchell ). The character became popular on the family film circuit. In 2005, he reprised his role as Zorro in The Legend of Zorro (2005, Martin Campbell), though this was not as successful as the original. In 2006, he starred in Take the Lead (2006, Liz Friedlander), a high school-set movie in which he played a ballroom dancing teacher. Recently he could be seen in the new Woody Allen comedy You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010, Woody Allen). He is set to be the protagonist of the Shrek spin-off film: Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer (2011, Mike Mitchell). Also announced is Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011, Robert Rodriguez). Antonio Banderas divorced his first wife, actress Ana Leza in 1996, and married Melanie Griffith that same year. They had met a year earlier while shooting Two Much. They have a daughter, Stella Banderas (1996). He has invested his movie earnings in Andalusian products, which he promotes in Spain and the USA. He owns 50% of a winery in Northern Spain called Anta Banderas which makes red and rose wines. He shares time between his two residencies, one is in the United States, and one in the South of Spain.
Sources: Rebecca Flint Marx (AllMovie), Steve Shelokhonov (IMDb), TCM, Wikipedia, and IMDb.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 13. Sylva Koscina and Dorian Gray in Le sorprese dell'amore / Surprise of Love (Luigi Comencini, 1959).
Italian actress Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) may be best remembered as Iole, the bride of Steve Reeves in the original version of Hercules (1958). She also starred in several Italian and Hollywood comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.
Sylva Koscina was born Sylva Koskinon in Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Croatia), in 1933. She moved to Italy as a teenager during the Second World War. She was a physics student at Naples University. She was chosen as Miss Di Tappa at the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy bicycle race) in 1954. A picture of her exchanging a kiss with the winner was published in newspapers all over Europe and led to her being offered a job as a model. She worked as a fashion model and was soon discovered for the cinema. She made a fleeting appearance in the part of an aspiring actress in the Toto comedy Siamo uomini o caporali?/Are We Men or Corporals? (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1955) before she had her breakthrough as the daughter of the train engineer in Il ferroviere/The Railroad Man (Pietro Germi, 1956). Pretty and even too elegant for the part, Sylva Koscina immediately confirmed her talent in Guendalina (Alberto Lattuada, 1957) as a young mother of Jacqueline Sassard. She played leading roles in popular comedies like Nonna Sabella/Grandmother Sabella (Dino Risi, 1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei/He a Thief She a Thief (Luigi Zampa, 1958), and Poveri millionari/Poor Millionaires (Dino Risi, 1958). Koscina alternated cleverly between roles as a vamp and as an ingenue. She represented women in the search for upward social mobility, the image of Italy that had left its worst problems behind.
Sylva Koscina was an actress noted for her carriage. She had an entirely feminine way of walking on the screen. She even lectured Giorgia Moll on how to walk like a lady in the sophisticated comedy Mogli pericolose/Dangerous Wives (Luigi Comencini, 1958). In many of her roles, she gives the impression of modelling at a fashion show, head high, mouth very slightly open, eyes lost in the distance. She is the elegant actress of the sixties with an aristocratic manner bordering on snobbery. However, she also seemed at ease in a peplum (sword and sandal epic): she was a marvellous fiancée for Hercules (Steve Reeves) in Le fatiche di Ercole/Hercules (Pietro Francisci, 1958), a prototype of this film genre. In Il vigile/The Policeman (Luigi Zampa, 1960), she played herself opposite Alberto Sordi as a traffic officer. Charmed by her, he lets Sylva go without a ticket, but when the film star thanks him on TV, he gets into a lot of trouble. Koscina married Raimondo Castelli, a small producer connected with Minerva Films. She kept afloat with anything but negligible roles, such as a dramatic part in Il sicario/Blood Feud (Damiano Damiani, 1961) with Belinda Lee. In La lepre e la tartaruga/The Hare and the Tortoise, an episode in Le quattro verità/The Three Fables of Love (Alessandro Blasetti, Hervé Bromberger, René Clair, Luis García Berlanga, 1963), director Blasetti constructs a deliciously sophisticated duel between her and Monica Vitti. In 1965, Sylva took part in Giulietta degli spiriti/Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) as one of Giulietta Masina's sisters. But she also became a television personality who is often the special guest on variety shows.
After passing thirty, Sylva Koscina tried playing the American card. She starred in the comedy caper Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967) with David McCallum and Deadlier Than the Male (Ralph Thomas, 1966), in which she and Elke Sommer portrayed sophisticated professional killers duelling with Bulldog Drummond (Richard Johnson). She partnered with Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (Jack Smight, 1968) and Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (David Lowell Rich, 1968). She appeared as a German doctor, Bianca, in Hornet's Nest (Phil Karlson, Franco Cirino, 1970) with Rock Hudson, but without luck. Her fame became a bit tarnished, but it was given a boost with her appearance in the Italian edition of Playboy magazine in 1967. The photography by Angelo Frontoni was exquisite, but the fact of a film star photographed bare-breasted in a magazine provoked a scandal. Thus, the image of Sylva, based on an elegant and slightly snobbish femininity, was enriched with an erotic touch. In that same period, L'assolute naturale/He and She (Mauro Bolognini, 1969) was released, complete with a full nude shot. This was a sign of the radical change Italian cinema and society underwent. Some of her lovemaking scenes with Gabriele Tinti in the fantasy film Lisa and the Devil (Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone, 1974) had to be cut because they were considered pornographic.
Since the early 1960s, Sylva Koscina invested most of her star salaries in a luxurious villa in the well-to-do district of Marino, Rome, complete with 16th-century furniture and an artist's paintings. This lasted until her spending overcame her dwindling income, and in 1976, when she had to face a tax evasion inquest, she was forced to sell her house. She lived with Raimondo Castelli since 1960, but they could not marry because his wife refused to divorce. In 1967, they married in Mexico, but this marriage was not officially recognised in Italy, and they separated in 1971. Sylva depended more and more on erotic appearances. In June 75, she was on the cover and featured again in the Italian Playboy. She appeared in sex comedies like Some Like It Cool (Franz Antel, 1977) with Tony Curtis, and in a segment of Sunday Lovers (Dino Risi, 1980) with Ugo Tognazzi. In the 1980s, Sylva had a long-running live theatre performance in Rome. By then, a mature but still beautiful Koscina performed every night in the nude. She only incidentally appeared in films, including Cenerentola 80/Cinderella ´80 (Roberto Malenotti, 1984) with Adolfo Celi, and Rimini Rimini (Sergio Corbucci, 1987) with Laura Antonelli. Koscina returned before the cameras in the year just before her death: her last appearance was in the tantalizingly titled C'è Kim Novak al telefono/Kim Novak is on the Phone (Riki Roseo, 1994). Sylva Koscina died in Rome in 1994, aged 61, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Sources: Hal Erickson (All Movie), Simon Benattar-Bourgeay (CinéArtistes - French), Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Miley (Miley Cyrus) has become overwhelmed with her alter-ego's Hannah Montana's popularity. After having a catfight over a pair of shoes with Tyra Banks,missing saying goodbye to her brother because she was shopping, and coming late to Lily's sweet sixteen as Hannah, her father, Robby (Billy Ray Cyrus) tricks Miley into going back to her hometown, Crowley Corners, Tennessee, to reflect on the things that really matter in her life. When the dismayed Miley asks if her career as Hannah Montana is over, Robby says to ask again in two weeks' time.
While in Cowley Corners, Miley spends time with her best friends Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso), but has a rough time adjusting to farm life. At Lilly's birthday party, Miley is forced to attend as her alter-ego Hannah Montana, and performs the song "Let's Get Crazy", accompanied by Steve Rushton on the guitar. This goes badly because people direct their attention at Hannah instead of Lilly.
In her hometown, Miley develops a deep connection with Travis Brody (Lucas Till), a childhood friend. Robby also has a love interest, played by Melora Hardin Lorelei. But troubles arise when Mr. Granger, a local citizen of the town who knows about her secret identity, plans on exposing her for his own means. Miley then realizes that she loves her life in Tennessee as much as she likes being Hannah Montana and questions whether she really will choose one life over the other.
Release date: April 10, 2009 (US)
Sitting down for dinner when my Grandson shouts hawk hawk its after the blue tits. I managed to capture some shots though the kitchen window as this sparrowhawk landed on our fence after the blue tits in there box that I made. I don't think it got one
sadly that cctv camera near to the box would not have captured the action The blue tits are ok so far trouble but the hawk knows that there now
Thank you for looking & any kind comments you might leave me
Regards
Steve
Long-liners Conference Issue.
edited by Frank Davey & Ann Munton.
Toronto, summer/fall 1985.
5-3/4 x 8-3/4, 168 sheets ivory zephyr antique laid perfectbound in yellow mayfair card wrappers, all except inside covers & p.8 printed offset, black interiors in purple covers, with 5-11/16 x 3-5/8 white mayfair card postcard printed black offset & laid in.
cover graphic by James Reaney.
43 contributors ID'd:
David Arnason, Pamela Banting, Donna Bennett, David M.R.Bentley, Charles Bernstein, Angela Bowering, George Bowering, Russell Brown, Colin Browne, Pauline Butling, Christina Cole, Suzanne Collins, Dennis Cooley, Frank Davey, Louis Dudek, Wynne Francis, Gary Geddes, Barbara Godard, Robert Grenier, Gladys Hindmarch, Karl Jirgens, Smaro Kamboureli, Robert Kroetsch, M.Travis Lane, Dennis Lee, Dorothy Kivesay, ----? MacEwan, Ken MacLean, Eli Mandel, Steve McCaffery, David McFadden, Juliet McLaren, Roy Miki, Ann Munton, bpNichol, Michael Ondaatje, Andy Payne, Ezra Pound, James Reaney, Magdalene Redekop, Stephen Scobie, Rosemary Sullivan, Fred Wah.
Nichol contributes:
i) NOTE BOOK a composition on composition (prose in 28 parts shuffled & inserted randomly throughout, with an editorial note by Frank Davey:
--1. "one of the things the Concrete Poetry movement taught us as writers was to" (p.13; also quoted in full in (xxv-5) below))
--2. "what i started to do was write own everything i had thought about the issue" (p.2o)
--3. "The assumption seems to be that 'if' you're writing a long poem you're making" (p.25)
--4. "the 'reader' that we posit is many different kinds of people. thus the desire to" (p.39)
--5. "For me the fact of my writing always precedes my theorizing about it i.e. when" (p.49)
--6. "what i have done here is to mix in a few blank pages from which i can read" (p.62)
--7. "reading is not just one kind of experience. we use it in different ways to fulfill" (p.69)
--8. "the hardest thing about using autobiographical detail in the long poem is to get" (p.73)
--9. "what i do is i just keep shuffling ideas around" (p.8o)
--1o. "to alter is native to some of us, the desire to create the alter native tongue. but" (p.87;also quoted in full in (xxv-5) below)
--11. "what i noticed, as i was getting ready to read this piece to the conference, was" (p.95)
--12. "if the composition is still in progress then the form is still in progress & i can't" (p.1o2)
--13. "What tends to happen in criticism is that the critic establishes a continuous criti-" (p.1o8)
--14. "every kind of writing has its own texture, its own overtones, its 'sound.' if i" (p.118)
--15. "its a good idea, at least from time to time, to let the language speak." (p.132)
--16. "With the shuffle text readers are freer to insert their own formulations into the" (p.141)
--17. "the trouble with conclusions is that they conclude. ideas have side-effects too." (p.148)
--18. "Things I don't really understand about myself:" (p.153)
--19. "The reason I'm aware of for starting The Martyrology are entirely subjec-" (p.153)
--2o. "'He pun a tale.' Me, I prefer to pun the tales. Donkey tricks. That notion" (p.153)
--[o] "Other parts of this text occur throughout the proceedings and may be read, by Frank Davey (p.153)
--21. "as the writer of the composition i need the readers who will perform the piece," (p.156)
--22. "this is one alternative to the intentionality of narrative structure tho, of course," (p.228)
--23. "the word has tended to operate as the given in poetry, & poetic activity has" (p.258)
--24. "we should not be bullied by the cultural preferences for 'the book' as a certifying" (p.277)
--25. "the sum of 'my' knowledge" (p.292)
--26. "i find myself continually writing about the writing. but then, of course, the" (p.292)
--27. "by now e all realize you can't really get away from narrative. you can make it" (p.3o8)
--28. "i want to alternate with narrative i.e. switch places with the story." (p.323))
ii) "i've looked across the stars to find your eyes" (p.81; poem, quoted in full (mislineated) in (xvi-6) below)
iii) Discussion, with D.M.R.Bentley, Angela Bowering, George Bowering, Russell Brown, Pauline Butling, Dennis Cooley, Louis Dudek, Wynne Francis, Gary Geddes, M.Travis Lane, Dorothy Livesay, Eli Mandel, David McFadden, Roy Miki, Michael Ondaatje, Andy Payne, Magdalene Redekop, Stephen Scobie (pp.153-164; George Bowering quotes the 1st line of Nichol's Historical Implications of Turnips)
iv) Discussion, with David Arnason, D.M.R.Bentley, Charles Bernstein, George Bowering, Russell Brown, Dennis Cooley, Louis Dudek, Gary Geddes, Robert Kroetsch, Dennis Lee, Dorothy Livesay, Steve McCaffery, David McFadden, Andy Payne, James Reaney, Stephen Scobie, Fred Wah (pp.222-23o)
v) Discussion, with David Arnason, Pamela Banting, Donna Bennett, D.M.R.Bentley, Angela Bowering, George Bowering, Russell Brown, Colin Browne, Pauline Butling, Dennis Cooley, Frank Davey, Wynne Francis, Gary Geddes, Gladys Hindmarch, Smaro Kamboureli, Robert Kroetsch, Eli Mandel, Juliet McLaren, Ann Munton, Magdalene Redekop, Stephen Scobie, Fred Wah, & one unidentified speaker (pp.278-298; includes a quote from Nichol's "this is the death of the poem as i have faithfully recorded it")
also includes:
vi) First Panel, 11am - 1pm. 'Documentary & the Long Poem, May 30, 1984, by James Reaney (front cover; graphic, group portrait includes Roy Miki at extreme right muttering about Nichol's "St And"; printed in negative)
vii) Introduction, by Frank Davey (prose; pp.5-7; in 3 parts, Nichol referenced in parts
--1. Origins
--2. Presence)
viii) The Death of the Long Poem, by Eli Mandel (pp.11-23; prose in 3 numbered parts with introduction, passing reference to Nichol in part 2, "I hold that a long poem does not exist. I maintain that the phrase "a long")
ix) Discussion, by David Arnason, D.M.R.Bentley, George Bowering, Christina Cole, Suzanne Collins, Dennis Cooley, Robert Kroetsch, Dorothy Livesay, Eli Mandel, Andy Payne, James Reaney, Rosemary Sullivan (pp.24-3o; passing reference to Nichol's the martyrology p.24)
x) [untitled photograph], by [Karl Jirgens?] (p.27; group portrait of audience members with Nichol in 3rd row at left with Brian Dedora)
xi) [untitled photograph], by [Karl Jirgens?] (p.31; group portrait with Nichol standing back to camera with Victor Coleman)
xii) First Panel, 11am - 1pm. 'Documentary & the Long Poem, My 30, 1984, by James Reaney (p.32; as (vi) above but printed in positive)
xiii) Countertextuality in the Long Poem, by Frank Davey (pp.33-41; prose essay in 7 parts; Nichol referenced in 5 parts:
--1. "AN INQUIRY INTO THE DOCUMENTARY NATURE OF THE LONG POEM IS PART OF" (pp.33-36; quotes the opening sentences of Nichol's "this is the true eventual story...")
--3. "Behind all conceptions of 'documentary' (ie not only different concepts of" (pp.37-38; passing reference to Nichol/The True Eventual Story Of Billy The Kid)
--4. "Yet writers usually want the possibility of meaning, the possibility of that" (pp.38-39; with a quote from Nichol's MONDAY)
--5. "Even some of what Livesay termed documentary may perhaps more pre-" (pp.39-4o; passing reference to Nichol)
--6. "I doubt that there are any purely 'documentary' poems. Regardless of the" (pp.4o-41; passing reference to Nichol))
xiv) I AND I Phyllis Webb's 'I Daniel', by Stephen Scobie (pp.61-68; prose essay; passing reference to Nichol/The True Eventual Story Of Billy The Kid p.61)
xv) Discussion, by D.M.R.Bentley, George Bowering, Pauline Butling, Gary Geddes, Eli Mandel, James Reaney, Magdalene Redekop, Stephen Scobie (pp.69-7o; Bowering references Nichol/The True Eventual Story Of Billy The Kid)
xvi) The Lang Poem: The Cosmology of the Long Poem in Contemporary Canadian Poetry, by Roy Miki (pp.71-84; in 7 parts with an epigraph by Nichol (lines 746-747 of the martyrology book 4 (itself quoting Nichol's "this is the death of the poem as i have faithfully reported it")), with Nichol references in 3 parts:
--1. "THESE CHALLENGING LINES FROM BP NICHOL'S The Martyrology, A STUNNING" (pp.71-72)
--6. "At this point, the discussion could reach outward, not only to a reading of" (pp.8o-83); with quotes by Nichol from:
----a. "the city gleams in afternoon suns. the aluminum walls" (p.81; misquotes of parts of lines 5 & 4)
----b. (p.81; see (ii) above)
----c. "we have moved beyond belief" (p.81; part of line 1, lines 7-12)
----d. "it is another world vaguely seen" (p.82; part of line 1))
--7. "Daphne Marlatt in What Matters, thinking about the poetics of writing" (p.83; with a quote from Nichol's STATEMENT))
xvii) Discussion, by David Arnason, George Bowering, Colin Browne, Dennis Cooley, Frank Davey, Gary Geddes, Dorothy Livesay, Roy Miki, Andy Payne, James Reaney, Magdalene Redekop, Stephen Scobie (pp.85-9o; Nichol references via Bowering (p.86), Browne (p.87, the martyrology), Scobie (p.88, the martyrology))
xviii) The Long Poem as Poetic Diary, by Ann Munton (pp.93-1o6; prose essay with many Nichol quotes from:
--1. the martyrology book 5 chain 1 (part of line 3o3-3o4 (p.95); part of line 6o (p.1o1), line 234 (p.1o1) lines 718-72o (p.1o2))
--2. some words on the martyrology (pp.97, 1oo, 1o1 (twice))
--3. A Note on Reading the Martyrology Book V (p.1oo)
--4. some thots on the martyrology (p.1o1)
--5. the martyrology book 4 (lines 9-12, p.1o1)
--6. "blue" (in full but unlineated, p.1o1)
--7. the martyrology book 5 chain 3 (lines 337-338 (p.1o1); lines 558-563 (p.1o1); part of line 427 (p.1o4)))
xix) Discussion, by George Bowering, Louis Dudek, Gary Geddes, Eli Mandel, Roy Miki, James Reaney, Magdalene Redekop, Rosemary Sullivan, Fred Wah (pp.12o-124; reference to Nichol/the martyrology by Miki, p.121)
xx) Alternatives to Narrative, by [Karl Jirgens?] (p.125; photograph, group portrait of George Bowering, Dorothy Livesay, Sarah Sheard, David McFadden, bpNichol)
xxi) Third Panel, Thurs. May 31 9.30-11.3oam."alternatives to Narrative", by James Reaney (p.126; graphic, group portrait of Dorothy Livesay, M.Travis Lane, David McFadden, bpNichol & 4 anonymous audience members)
xxii) bpNichol, by [Karl Jirgens?] (p.135; photograph)
xxiii) Alternatives to Narrative: the Structuring Concept, by M.Travis Lane (pp.145-151; prose essay; passing reference to Nichol p.15o)
xxiv) Whole to Part: the Ends of the Ideologies of the Long Poem, by Charles Bernstein (pp.177-19o; prose essay; references Nichol & Steve McCaffery collaboration p.178 & quotes Nichol from (i-16) above p.179)
xxv) Making Strange Poetics, by Fred Wah (pp.213-221; prose essay in 6 parts plus notes, referencing Nichol in 4 parts:
--1. "IN BOOK V OF bpNICHOL'S LONG POEM The Martyrology THE READER IS GIVEN" (p.213; with quotes by & related to Nichol from:
----a. A Note On Reading the Martyrology Book V
----b. dear bp, by Matt Cohen)
--3. The Long Poem (pp.214-215; quotes Nichol's (i-17) above in full in text)
--5. Intensivity (pp.216-218; quotes Nichol from:
----a. the martyrology book 5 chain 4 (lines 74-83, p.217)
----b. the martyrology book 5 chain 6 (lines 1-3, pp.217-218))
--6. Cadence, and some other notes (pp.218-22o; quotes Nichol's (i-1) & (i-1o) above in full in text))
xxvi) Epi(pro)logue: In Pursuit of the Long Poem, by Barbara Godard (pp.3o1-335; prose essay in 5 parts plus notes; Nichol referenced in all but part 5:
--1. "'THE TROUBLE WITH CONCLUSIONS IS THAT THEY CONCLUDE,' WRITES" (pp.3o1-3o3; with 2 quotes from Nichol's (i-17) above)
--2. "A shuffling side step brings us to the metacritical window in our house of" (pp.3o3-3o7; quotes Nichol from (i-18) above, p.3o6)
--3. "Ideology: the word is out! You will have guessed the direction that it will" (pp.3o7-318; passing reference to Nichol & Four Horsemen p.317)
--4. FRAGMENTS (pp.318-33o; in 4 parts with introduction, Nichol quoted from (i-16) above in part 3, Order, pp.321-322))
“Everyone has left me. My brothers spit on the ground when they see me…. I will try my best to prevent anyone from ever going abroad for domestic work. I can work to stop it. I will do whatever it takes.”
Indra left her country to work as a housemaid to pay medical and education bills, after her husband abandoned her and their three children. She never went to school and cannot read or write. She was hired to look after 13 children, but her employers’ family also ran a brothel in their building. The employers, both the husband and wife, beat her to make her work there too. She fought back. Finding her too much trouble, they tried to sell her to a family in Saudia Arabia but couldn’t agree on a price. They tried again to force her into the brothel but she broke through a glass wall. She eventually escaped by climbing down an elevator cable. She returned to Nepal on a stretcher because of her injuries. Her family has rejected her, and her injuries make it hard to earn a living.
This photo was taken as part of the domestic workers’ rights advocacy project “No one should have to work this way”. Copyright of all photos in this project remains with the photographer, Steve McCurry, not the ILO . The ILO is free to use the images worldwide, without further charge or licence, for its work related to campaigning and advocacy on issues of domestic workers or fundamental labour standards. However, please contact RCOMM/ROAP before you use any photos in this series. High resolution in TIF and thumbnail (small size/resolution versions) are also available on request.
Photos must be credited using the following style: Photo: ©Steve McCurry/ILO
French postcard by Editions P.I., licency holder in France for Ufa, no. FK 4506. Photo: Ufa.
Charming and beautiful Jacqueline Sassard (1940) had a short but successful career in the European cinema of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Jacqueline Sassard was born in Nice, France in 1940. She started her career as a teenager in the French thriller Je plaide non coupable/Guilty? (Edmond Gréville, 1956). The following year, she played the title role of the Italian comedy Guendalina (Alberto Lattuada, 1957), with Sylva Koscina and Raf Vallone as her parents. The film was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Carlo Ponti, and the latter offered her another lead role in the comedy Nata di marzo/Born in March (Antonio Pietrangeli, 1958) opposite Gabriele Ferzetti. For her role she won the Zuleta Prize at the San Sebastián International Film Festival 1958. In Italy she also appeared as a young woman with family and economical troubles in Il magistrato/The Magistrate (Luigi Zampa, 1959), a co-production with Spain and France. The Spaniard José Suárez stars in the film, and other roles were played by François Périer and a 21-year-old Claudia Cardinale. In the award-winning drama Estate violenta/Violent Summer (Valerio Zurlini, 1959), her character is left by Jean Louis Trintignant for Eleonora Rossi Drago. She also played one of the three sisters who take revenge on playboy Alain Delon in the comedy Faibles femmes/Three Murderesses (Michel Boisrond, 1959), co-starring Mylène Démongeot and Pascale Petit.
In the early 1960’s. Jacqueline Sassard mainly worked in Italy in less prestigious films than before. It was the period of the Peplum spectacles and she was seen as Antiope in Arrivano i titani/The Titans (Duccio Tessari, 1962) with Pedro Armendáriz and Giuliano Gemma. Hal Erickson at AllMovie: “My Son the Hero started out in 1961 as a straightforward Italian sword and sandal affair titled Arrivano i Titani, all about the quest for a magic helmet in ancient Thebes. Well cast (Pedro Armendariz is the star) and extremely well photographed, the original film was still not sufficient different from all the other Italian strongman films glutting the American market in 1963. Thus the American distributors hit upon the notion of transforming the film into a satire, by redubbing all the actors and hoking up the sound effects. What resulted was a heady mixture of Yiddish accents, Borscht-belt one-liners and rippling pecs.” Sassard also appeared in a small part opposite Steve Reeves in the adventure film Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem/Sandokan the Great (Umberto Lenzi, 1963). In between, she played opposite Freddy Quinn in the German Schlagerfilm Freddy und das Lied der Südsee/Freddy and the Song of the South Seas (Werner Jacobs, 1962). She had a supporting part in the Italian-French sex comedy Le voci bianche/Counter Tenors (Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa, 1964) with Sandra Milo and Anouk Aimée.
One of Jacqueline Sassard’s best films is the Italian drama Le stagioni del nostro amore/Seasons of Our Love (Florestano Vancini, 1966) with Enrico Maria Salerno and Anouk Aimée. Sassard then played an Austrian princess in the prestigious British film Accident (Joseph Losey, 1967), based on a script by Harold Pinter and starring Dirk Bogarde. At the 1967 Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury. Gavin Jones at IMDb: “One of the best films ever made, this movie oozes atmosphere. The cinematography is impeccable, the script disturbingly brilliant.” Her last credited screen appearance was opposite Stéphane Audran and Jean-Louis Trintignant in the sensual and sexy thriller Les Biches/The Does/Girlfriends (1968), directed by Claude Chabrol. It was one of the first films subtly dealing with bisexuality. James Travers at Films de France: “All the time, we, the audience, are seduced by the beautiful cinematography, the captivating, sensual performances, most notably from the Sphinx-like Stéphane Audran, and Chabrol's masterful direction. This is a deliciously seductive work, but one which is also profoundly disturbing.” Then Jacqueline Sassard retired and disappeared from public view. In Brazil, she had met Gianni Lancia, the Italian former automobile engineer, industrialist and racing enthusiast. They married and have one son, Lorenzo. Today, Jacqueline Sassard lives in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie), James Travers (Films de France), Gavin Jones (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.
www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-troubles-nevada-microcosm-na...
Democrats' Troubles in Nevada Are a Microcosm of Nationwide Headwinds
LAS VEGAS — The Culinary Workers Union members who are knocking on doors to get out the vote are on the cursed-at front lines of the Democratic Party’s midterm battle.
Most voters do not open their doors. And when some do answer, the canvassers might wish they hadn’t.
“You think I am going to vote for those Democrats after all they’ve done to ruin the economy?” a voter shouted one evening last week from her entryway in a working-class neighborhood of East Las Vegas.
Miguel Gonzalez, a 55-year-old chef who described himself as a conservative Christian who has voted for Republicans for most of his life, was more polite but no more convinced. “I don’t agree with anything Democrats are doing at all,” he said after taking a fistful of flyers from the union canvassers.
Those who know Nevada best have always viewed its blue-state status as something befitting a desert: a kind of mirage. Democrats are actually a minority among registered voters, and most of the party’s victories in the last decade were narrowly decided. But the state has long been a symbolic linchpin for the party — vital to its national coalition and its hold on the blue West.
Now, Democrats in Nevada are facing potential losses up and down the ballot in November and bracing for a seismic shift that could help Republicans win control of both houses of Congress. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto remains one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the country. Gov. Steve Sisolak is fighting his most formidable challenger yet. And the state’s three House Democrats could all lose their seats.
The Democratic juggernaut built by former Sen. Harry Reid is on its heels, staring down the most significant spate of losses in more than a decade.
The party had in recent years relied on the state’s changing demographics, capitalizing on the workers who flocked there in search of an attainable path to middle-class dreams. But Nevada Democrats are learning that demographics alone are not destiny. The state’s transient population has made building a reliable base of voters difficult, with would-be voters leaving in search of work elsewhere, as more children of immigrants in the state reach voting age. And with Reid’s death last year, Democrats are missing the veteran leader who never hesitated to twist arms to get donors and activists on board.
The vulnerabilities in Nevada reflect Democrats’ challenges nationwide, most acutely in the West. Worries over inflation and the economy overshadow nearly every other concern, particularly for the working-class and Latino voters the party has long counted on. And Republicans believe that voters blame the Democrats in power for the dour economic outlook.
“It’s the purest example of a referendum election you have more than anywhere else in the country,” said John Ashbrook, a consultant who is working with the campaign for Adam Laxalt, the Republican Senate candidate. Frustrations over inflation, he added, “created an electorate that simply wants change.”
While the economy might be the most challenging hurdle for Democrats this year, it is not the only one: Republicans and nonpartisan voters make up nearly 60% of the Nevada electorate, which historically has lower turnout in midterm elections.
The Republican challengers were narrowly leading Sisolak and Cortez Masto in a new poll from the Nevada Independent and OH Predictive Insights, though the leads were within the margin of error. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally for the Republican candidates in the northern part of the state this week.
Even the most fervent Democratic backers acknowledge the steep challenges at a time when many people are still struggling to pay for basic needs, such as rent, gas and groceries. Both parties are trying to attract the state’s working-class voters, who are less affluent and less likely to hold college degrees than in many other swing states.
Nevada remains firmly reliant on tourism to fuel hospitality and service jobs, which were temporarily wiped out by the pandemic. And while the resorts on the Las Vegas Strip are bustling once again, international travel and conferences have yet to rebound, and thousands of people are still out of work. The state’s minimum wage has risen to $10.50 an hour, but rents have increased far more steeply.
“There is a significant amount of nervousness and fear about the economy and especially about the cost of housing. Your gas costs more; your rent costs more,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Workers Union, which represents thousands of housekeepers, bartenders and cooks and has played a key role in electing Democrats in Nevada. “Working families are hurting.”
While Republicans believe that the sour economic views have given them a chance to mount an aggressive offense, Democrats do not believe they have to be entirely defensive either. Instead, the party’s candidates are trying to deliver a carefully crafted message, acknowledging voters’ worries while suggesting that the economy is already improving and will get even better soon, as the pandemic fades.
For months now, Republicans have blamed Democrats for the sputtering slog to return to economic normalcy. During an event targeting small-business owners, Joseph Lombardo, the sheriff of the Las Vegas area who is running for governor, shared the stage with Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador. She recalled the initial pandemic shutdowns in 2020 and argued that Republican mayors had more effectively balanced the need to keep people safe with the need to keep them employed.
“We suffered the most here because we have all our eggs in one basket,” Lombardo said, echoing the frequent refrain of the need to diversify the state’s economy. He called for more programs to create a steady pipeline of electricians, plumbers and truck drivers. “We need workforce development because those are quality jobs.”
Republicans are especially confident such messages will help the party peel off support from Latino voters, who make up roughly 20% of the electorate. Polls show the majority of Latino voters still favor Democrats, but if more than 30% of those voters cast their ballots for Republicans, the GOP could gain the edge to win.
“The path to victory all runs through the Hispanic community,” said Xochitl Hinojosa, a Democratic consultant who has worked in the state. “Democrats are finally realizing, we’ve invested in Black voters significantly over decades, and we’ve been successful, but we’ve assumed Hispanics will turn out for us, and that’s not been the case.”
Democrats also believe they can make inroads with independent and moderate voters who favor abortion rights. They have attacked Lombardo for repeatedly shifting his views on abortion and portray Laxalt as a reliable supporter of a federal abortion ban.
Rep. Susie Lee pointed to a libertarian streak in voters that was activated by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Nevada voters don’t want government messing with their personal choices, which I think is a big issue and one that’s going to play out in this election,” she said.
Nevada has four House districts, with three occupied by Democrats — Lee and Reps. Steven Horsford and Dina Titus. All are considered deeply at risk. David Wasserman, the House analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said Democrats in the state Legislature took a high-risk, high-reward strategy when redrawing the state’s House seats, draining Democratic voters from Titus’ central Las Vegas district to shore up the outlying districts. Now, the state map has three districts that lean slightly Democratic.
Horsford’s new district lines are slightly more Democratic than the others, and his Republican opponent, Sam Peters, a conspiracy-minded conservative who has repeatedly called the 2020 election stolen, is the easiest to paint as an extremist. Wasserman said he expected this week to adjust his forecast in Horsford’s favor, from a pure tossup to a race that leans Democratic.
Titus, an experienced political hand who taught political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, before winning a House seat in 2008, has not faced a real race in more than a decade. Her opponent, Mark Robertson, has a military record, a mild persona and strong ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a powerful force in Nevada.
Lee might have the toughest Republican opponent, April Becker, whose soft-focused positive advertising has insulated her from Democratic attacks, many of them from Lee’s well-funded campaign.
“Susie’s ad is about April, and April’s ad is about April,” said Jeremy Hughes, a campaign aide for Becker. “She missed an opportunity to reintroduce herself to people.”
Now the Las Vegas media market, one of the most expensive in the country, is cluttered with advertising from the House races as well as three statewide races, including the battle for secretary of state. Breaking through the din in the final weeks could be next to impossible for individual House candidates trying to reach voters who might not know whose district they live in.
“It’s a difficult market,” said Ben Ray, communications director for Emily’s List, which works to elect women who support abortion rights. “You’ve got a lot of voters that you need to talk to at odd hours. They’re not going to catch the 6 o’clock news because that’s when their shift starts.”
As they have in the final weeks during other election cycles, national Democratic groups are preparing a rescue mission. The House Majority PAC, which is affiliated with Democratic leadership, has reserved more than $11 million in advertising slots in the Las Vegas market for a final blitz.
The group has just released an online ad in English and Spanish, hitting Robertson on abortion, and began sending bilingual mailers attacking Becker for the “extremists” who support her campaign. Another direct mail effort from the PAC is going after Peters for his 2020 election denial and accusing him of wanting to “defund public education.”
The advantage of incumbency allows Lee to talk up provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that address Las Vegas’ chronic water shortages. But because Nevada has such a transient population, incumbency matters less.
“I always run in a district that’s a tough district, so I never go into an election with confidence,” she said. “I go in fighting to make my case in front of my voters. This is no different, for sure.”
Top Motivational Movies Every Entrepreneur MUST Watch For A Dose Of Inspiration 1. Nightcrawler (2014) NightCrawlers I just finished watching this movie, and the first thing I did after watching it was start writing this post. Nightcrawler is a movie for people with great vision. This movie is little brutal, but Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting will keep you engaged. It’s about a struggling guy who is looking for a job but can’t find one. Instead, he finds a window of opportunity after witnessing a crime and decides to become a crime journalist. This movie will teach you that with a little persuasion and drive, anyone can become anything. It will teach you how focusing on, and improving, your positive attributes will make you limitless. Go watch this movie, and then come back and tell me you aren’t inspired. It’s not possible. And without giving away any spoilers, here’s the last line of the movie: “I will never ask you to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself.” 2. The Social Network (2010) The Social Network was a Hollywood blockbuster. It was based on the fairy-tale rise of Mark Zuckerberg and his startup – Facebook. The Social Network remains a top choice for inspiration because of its deft storytelling and brilliant background score. This is a good movie on learning how to take your dreams and turn them into reality. The movie also teaches us a lot on how to scale a company from a dorm room to the most successful social media platform the world has ever seen! Although the accuracy of this movie has been questioned, it doesn’t matter, it is a great source of inspiration for all entrepreneurs. Here is one of the best lines from the movie: “The internet’s not written in pencil, Mark, it’s written in ink.” 3. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) Pirates of Silicon Valley is another well-crafted movie covering the successes of Bill Gates’s Microsoft and Steve Jobs’s Apple. Both were no doubt “great pirates” and this movie does a great job of detailing that. The movie is a take on the rivalry between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates from the very early days. Noah Wyle did a great job of portraying young Steve Jobs in this made-for-television movie. And Anthony Michale Hall does a great Bill Gates. Here’s one of his quotes: “Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” 4. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Yes, it’s spelled like that. This is one of my favorite motivational movies, and one of the best movies ever on never giving up. Will Smith’s amazing portrayal of Chris Gardner will give you goosebumps. This is a movie based on Chris’s memoirs. It was a best-selling book and then became a blockbuster movie. It adds in a gripping sense of reality that you don’t find in a lot of cheesy Hollywood movies. The movie features a powerful, yet simple message: Never give up. Here’s a great line: “The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to find the pearls." 5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) How could we leave out this one!? It’s one of IMDB’s all-time top 10 movies. Here’s the story: Two imprisoned men bond over a period of many years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. The protagonist Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) manages to make the best out of a very bad situation (being imprisoned for a false murder). Through perseverance, he manages to achieve more than he ever thought possible. Morgan Freeman plays the other main character, and their chemistry is unmatchable. During one of their earliest conversations, Andy says: “I guess it comes down a simple choice: Get busy living, or get busy dying." 6. Forrest Gump (1994) This is a beautiful story about a simple man with good intentions, who accidentally becomes a phenomenal success just by living his the life he feels is right. He wins medals, becomes a professional ping-pong player, takes up running, owns a huge shrimping company, and inspires people all across the country. The story revolves around the simple nature of Forrest (Tom Hanks) and how he proves that you don’t have to be a genius to achieve something. All you have to do is try. My favorite quote from the movie: “I’m not a smart man. But I *know* what love is." 7. Moneyball (2011) This movie is about the Oakland Athletics and its general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt). The team is an underdog and is losing a lot of money. All of their star players have been picked up by bigger teams. Now, Billy needs to look at how to create a winning team without the kind of talent that money can buy. This movie shows how entrepreneurs can take an innovative approach to an existing way of doing business, and beat out the competition with little to no money. Here’s a great line: “When your enemy’s making mistakes, don’t interrupt him.” 8. The Godfather (1972) The Godfather is another one of IMDB’s all-time top 10 movies, and it’s also one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time. This is a story about the growth of a small family business and the fighting off of the opposition. The business changes through time until it finally becomes the largest organized crime syndicate in New York City. The father and son who run the operation show what it takes to get to the top and stay there. It’s a great watch for those who want to learn how to stay on the top. Note: Don’t do anything illegal, just find some inspiration in these shrewd business operators. And I know you won’t be able to resist from tweeting this line: “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” 9. Wall Street (1987) This a movie about business and greed. The story is about an ambitious young stockbroker, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen). He has and does everything in his power to succeed, even if that means a little insider trading. Insider trading is a highly reprehensible and punishable crime, and yet, he has no fear. He meets with Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) and starts doing business with the motto “greed is good”. You don’t have to succumb to greed to draw inspiration from this movie. Here’s a great line: “The most valuable commodity I know of is information." 10. Rocky (1976) This is the classic underdog story. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is given the chance to fight the heavyweight champ. He has an opportunity to make a better life for himself by going head to head with the challenge. This movie teaches a lot about the competitive spirit, and will inspire you to get up and beat your competition (hopefully not literally!). Always remember this truth: “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” 11. Jerry McGuire (1996) This is a classic movie (based on a true story) that shows just what it takes to stay at the top. The protagonist (Tom Cruise) is faced with rejection and people keep turning their backs on him while he takes big leaps of faith. Slowly, he identifies the best road for him to follow, and ultimately ends up being successful in both business and life. Here’s a little-known quote from this movie (written on a sign in a locker room): “Success consists of simply getting up one more time than you fall.” 12. Startup.com (2001) Startup.com is an excellent documentary about the internet gold rush of the late 1990’s. This documentary has all the necessary ingredients to learn a few great lessons about the internet bubble. A rise in competition, lifelong friendships on the line, and do-or-die ambitions all combine to form a deadly cocktail for an internet startup. Here’s a warning sign that things aren’t going great: “It’s about the money. Don’t BS me. It’s obviously about the money." 13. Something Ventured (2011) If you happen to be an entrepreneur looking forward to exploring the VC avenue, this documentary has some great insight. Something Ventured is a documentary based on the perspective of the first venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. It’s a really great way of looking at how things get funded, and what’s on the line for big time investors. It’s also a great look at how to be brave and push through innovative ideas in a market that always likes to be complacent. For any entrepreneur or investor: “The risks were just enormous." 14. Boiler Room (2000) Although this movie is most likely inspired by the original Wall Street, there are few great salesman tips to inspire you here! Let this movie guide you to find that inner business spirit. It’s a total must-watch to get you motivated. Also, it’ll help you stay true to your spirit and not become morally corrupt. One great line to remember: “I had a very strong work ethic. The problem was my ethics in work.” Click To Tweet 15. Office Space (1999) Raise your hand if you hate work! If you’ve ever hated an office job, Office Space is definitely a movie for you. This movie will help inspire you to get out of that awful 9 to 5 lifestyle. This is such a motivating movie… It’s about a guy who just can’t stand going to work anymore. Instead of being fired, he gets promoted, but his bitterness about his job comes back to cause him trouble. Seriously amazing movie. Here’s a great line: “The thing is, Bob, it’s not that I’m lazy, it’s that I just don’t care." Bonus : Ctrl+Alt+Compete (2011) Ctrl+Alt+Compete is a documentary movie with some of the most up-to-date insights into the modern startup industry. Here you can take a look into the highs, the lows, and the harsh realities of the startup world. This movie is a reality check on the illusions of the startup industry in general. Here’s a line about investing: “This is really just legitimized gambling.” Movies for Motivation : Apart from these movies, any of the TED videos are highly recommended, and will give you much that needed push to start and finish up anything. Another movie that I highly recommend you check out is “The Secret”. This movie will not only help you build a positive outlook, it will change your perspective and will help you live a meaningful and happy life. This is my list of inspirational movies, and I’m sure there are many more movies which have motivated you. Share those movies with me in the comments. What do you watch when you need that extra inspirational kick? Like this post? Share it with your friends!,https://www.facebook.com/thefreestudy/photos/a.219887535101731.1073741828.183195608770924/407141199709696/?type=3
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the first level of the English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season. Since the formation of the club in 1892, when Newcastle East End absorbed the assets of Newcastle West End to become Newcastle United, the club has played its home matches at St James' Park. Located in the centre of Newcastle, it currently has a capacity of 52,305.
The club has been a member of the Premier League for all but three years of the competition's history, spending 91 seasons in the top flight as of May 2023, and has never dropped below English football's second tier since joining the Football League in 1893. Newcastle have won four League titles, six FA Cups and an FA Charity Shield, as well as the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the ninth-highest total of trophies won by an English club. The club's most successful period was between 1904 and 1910, when they won an FA Cup and three of their League titles. Their last major domestic trophy was in 1955. More recently the club have been League or FA Cup runners-up on four occasions in the 1990s. Newcastle were relegated in 2009, and again in 2016. The club won promotion at the first time of asking each time, returning to the Premier League, as Championship winners, in 2010 and 2017. In October 2021, a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, became majority owners of Newcastle United.
The team's traditional kit colours are black-and-white striped shirts, black shorts and black or white socks. Their crest has elements of the city coat of arms, which features two grey hippocamps. Before each home game, the team enters the field to "Going Home", with "Blaydon Races" also being sung during games. The 2005 film Goal! featured Newcastle United, and many signings mentioned the influence the film had on them.
The history of Newcastle United Football Club, an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, covers the club's entire history from its formation to the present day. Formed by a merger between Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End to become 'United' in 1892, the club was elected to the Football League, which they entered in 1893.
Newcastle are England's 9th most successful club of all time. They have been English champions four times (in 1905, 1907, 1909, 1927) and FA Cup winners six times (in 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952, 1955). The club have also won the 1909 Charity Shield, the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and the 2006 Intertoto Cup. Newcastle have reached the League Cup final twice, finishing runners-up in both years ( 1976 and 2023). They have played in England's top league from 1898–1934, 1948–61, 1965–78, 1984–89, 1993–2009, 2010–2016, and 2017–present, playing in the second tier at all other times.
The first record of football being played on Tyneside dates from 3 March 1877 at Elswick Rugby Club. Later that year, Newcastle's first association football club, Tyne Association, was formed. The origins of Newcastle United Football Club itself can be traced back to the formation of a football club by the Stanley Cricket Club of Byker in November 1881. They won their first match 5–0 against Elswick Leather Works 2nd XI. The team was renamed Newcastle East End F.C. in October 1882, to avoid confusion with the cricket club in Stanley, County Durham.
Shortly after this, another Byker side, Rosewood FC, merged with East End to form an even stronger side. Meanwhile, across the city, West End Cricket Club began to take an interest in football and in August 1882, they formed Newcastle West End F.C. West End played their early football on their cricket pitch, but in May 1886, the club moved into St James' Park. The two clubs became rivals in the Northern League. In 1889, Newcastle East End became a professional team, before becoming a limited company the following March.
West End soon became the city's premier club. East End were anxious not to be left behind and lured Tom Watson into becoming the club secretary/manager in the close season of 1888 and from that point, never looked back; Watson made several good signings, especially from Scotland, and the Heaton club went from strength to strength, while West End's fortunes slipped dramatically.
The region's first league competition was formed in 1889 and the FA Cup began to cause interest. Ambitious East End turned professional in 1889, a huge step for a local club, and in March 1890, they made an even more adventurous move by becoming a limited company with capital of 1,000 pounds in ten shilling notes. During the spring of 1892, in a season during which their results were at an all-time low, and in which they had lost to their bitter rivals, East End, five times, West End found themselves in serious trouble. They approached East End with a view to a take over, the directors having decided that the club could no longer continue.
What actually happened was that West End wound up, while some of its players and most of its backroom staff joined East End. East End also took over the lease on St. James' Park in May 1892.
With only one senior club in the city for fans to support, development of the club was much more rapid. Despite being refused entry to the Football League's First Division at the start of the 1892–93 season, they were invited to play in their new Second Division. However, with no big names playing in the Second Division, they turned down the offer and remained in the Northern League, stating "gates would not meet the heavy expenses incurred for travelling". In a bid to start drawing larger crowds, Newcastle East End decided to adopt a new name in recognition of the merger. Suggested names included Newcastle F.C., Newcastle Rangers, Newcastle City and City of Newcastle, but Newcastle United was decided upon on 9 December 1892, to signify the unification of the two teams. The name change was accepted by the Football Association on 22 December, but the club was not legally constituted as Newcastle United Football Club Co. Ltd. until 6 September 1895. At the start of the 1893–94 season, Newcastle United were once again refused entry to the First Division and so joined the Second Division, along with Liverpool and Woolwich Arsenal. They played their first competitive match in the division that September against Woolwich Arsenal, with a score of 2–2.
Turnstile numbers were still low, and the incensed club published a statement claiming "The Newcastle public do not deserve to be catered for as far as professional football is concerned". However, eventually figures picked up by 1895–96, when 14,000 fans watched the team play Bury. That season Frank Watt became secretary of the club, and he was instrumental in promotion to the First Division for the 1898–99 season. However, they lost their first game 4–2 at home to Wolves and finished their first season in thirteenth place.
In 1903–04, the club built up a promising squad of players, and went on to dominate English football for almost a decade, the team known for their "artistic play, combining team-work and quick, short passing". Newcastle started to purchase talented players, especially from Scotland, and soon had a squad to rival all of England. With players like Colin Veitch, Jackie Rutherford, Jimmy Lawrence and Albert Shepherd, Newcastle had a team of international talent. Bill McCracken, Jimmy Howie, Peter McWilliam and Andy Aitken were also household names in their day. Long after his retirement, defender Peter McWilliam said "The Newcastle team of the 1900s would give any modern side a two goal start and beat them, and further more, beat them at a trot".
Newcastle United went on to win the League on three occasions during the 1900s: in 1904–05, 1906–07 and 1908–09. Newcastle reached five FA Cup finals in the years leading up to World War I. In 1904–05, they nearly did the double, losing to Aston Villa in the 1905 FA Cup Final. They were beaten again the following year by Everton in the 1906 FA Cup Final. They reached the final again in 1908 where they lost to Wolves. In 1908 the team suffered a record 9–1 home defeat to local rivals Sunderland in the league but still won that season's league title. They finally won the FA Cup in 1910 when they beat Barnsley in the final. They lost again the following year in the final against Bradford City.
The team returned to the FA Cup final in 1924, in the second final held at the then new Wembley Stadium. They defeated Aston Villa, winning the club's second FA Cup.Three years later they won the First Division championship a fourth time in 1926–27. Record signing & Scottish international centre-forward Hughie Gallacher, one of the most prolific goal scorers in the club's history, captained the championship-winning team. Other key players in this period were Neil Harris, Stan Seymour and Frank Hudspeth. Seymour was to become an influential figure for the next 40 years as player, manager and director.
In 1930, Newcastle United came close to relegation, and at the end of the season Gallacher left the club for Chelsea, and at the same time Andy Cunningham became the club's first team manager. In 1931–32, the club won the FA Cup a third time in the infamous 'Over the Line' final. United won the game 2–1 after scoring a goal following a cross from Jimmy Richardson which appeared to be hit from out of play - over the line. There were no action replays then and the referee allowed the goal, a controversial talking point in FA Cup history.
Newcastle boasted master players like Sam Weaver and Jack Allen, as well as the first player-manager in the top division in Scottish international Andy Cunningham. But at the end of the 1933–34 season, the team were relegated to the Second Division after 32 seasons in the First. Cunningham left as manager and Tom Mather took over. Amazingly in the same season as they fell into the Second Division, United defeated Liverpool 9–2 and Everton 7–3 within the space of a week.
The club found it difficult to adjust to the Second Division and were nearly further relegated in the 1937–38 season, when they were spared on goal averages.
When World War II broke in 1939, Newcastle had a chance to regroup, and in the War period, they brought in Jackie Milburn, Tommy Walker and Bobby Cowell.
Newcastle United won no Wartime League trophies, but Jackie Milburn made his debut in 1943 in a "Stripes vs Blues" match. Milburn's side was losing at half-time 3–0, but following a switch from midfielder to centre forward, he scored 6 goals to help them win the match 9–3. Jackie went on to score 38 goals in the next 3 years of the league's life.
By the time peace was restored in 1945, Seymour was at the forefront of Newcastle's affairs, manager in all but name. He ensured that the Magpies possessed an entertaining eleven full of stars, a mix of home-grown talent like Jackie Milburn, Bobby Cowell and Ernie Taylor, as well as big signings in the shape of George Robledo, Bobby Mitchell, Joe Harvey, Len Shackleton and Frank Brennan.
Newcastle spent the first couple of years post-war in the Second Division. Crowds were extremely high after the return to football, and in 1946 Newcastle recorded the joint-highest victory in English League Football history, defeating Newport County 13–0. Len Shackleton, playing his debut in that match, scored 6 goals in the match, another record for Newcastle United.
Newcastle returned to the First Division in double of the time. Promotion was achieved in 1948 in front of vast crowds. An average of almost 57,000 at every home game saw United's fixtures that year, a national record for years to come. That was just the start of another period of success.
During the Fifties decade United lifted the FA Cup trophy on three occasions within a five-year period. In 1951 they defeated Blackpool 2–0, a year later Arsenal were beaten 1–0 and in 1955 United crushed Manchester City 3–1. The Magpies were known in every corner of the country, and so were their players; 'Wor Jackie' Milburn and Bobby 'Dazzler' Mitchell the pick of a side that was renowned the nation over. Other players of this time were Frank Brennan (like Mitchell a Scot), Ivor Broadis, Len White and Welshman Ivor Allchurch.
Despite having quality players throughout the era, stars like Allchurch, White and George Eastham during the latter years of the decade, United slipped from the First Division in 1961 under the controversial management of ex-Manchester United star, Charlie Mitten. It was a huge blow to the club.
An old war-horse returned to revitalise the Magpies in the shape of Joe Harvey, who had skippered the club to much of their post-war success. He teamed up with Stan Seymour to rebuild United and the Black'n'Whites returned to the elite as Second Division Champions in 1965. United then became very much an unpredictable side, always capable of defeating the best, but never quite realising their huge potential until very recently.
Joe Harvey's side qualified for Europe for the first time in 1968 and stunned everyone the following year by lifting the Inter Cities Fairs Cup; the forerunner of the UEFA Cup. United possessed a solid eleven and Newcastle's tradition of fielding a famous Number 9 at centre-forward since earliest years continued as big Welshman Wyn Davies was prominent along with the likes of Pop Robson, Bobby Moncur and Frank Clark.
In the years that followed European success, manager Harvey brought in a string of talented entertainers who thrilled the Gallowgate crowd. Pleasers like Jimmy Smith, Tony Green and Terry Hibbitt. And especially a new centre-forward by the name of Malcolm Macdonald.
Nicknamed 'Supermac', Macdonald was one of United's greatest hero figures. Brash, arrogant and devastating in front of goal, he led United's attack to Wembley in 1974, against Liverpool in the FA Cup. But the Magpies failed to bring the trophy back to Tyneside, and a complete lack of success in any of the competitions the next season resulted in Joe Harvey being sacked in mid-1975.
Blackburn manager Gordon Lee was appointed to replace Harvey, and despite a mediocre league campaign in 1975–76, led the club to its first League Cup final, which ended in defeat by Manchester City. Despite Macdonald controversially being sold to Arsenal for a cut price deal, the following season saw United's best League campaign for years, and by Christmas the club looked to have an outside chance of winning the title. However, Lee walked out on the club to take over at Everton at the start of 1977, and inexperienced coach Richard Dinnis was put in charge of the team after the players demanded that he be given the job. United's form initially remained quite consistent under Dinnis, and they secured 5th place and a UEFA Cup spot at the end of the season. However, the team totally fell apart the following season, and Dinnis was sacked after a run of ten straight League defeats and a thumping UEFA Cup exit at the hands of French team SC Bastia. Bill McGarry took over as manager, but was powerless to prevent United from being relegated in statistically their worst season ever. The only mercy they had was Leicester City's terrible goal difference preventing United from finishing bottom of the table.
McGarry remained in charge of the club, but only managed two midtable finishes before being sacked in the wake of an uninspiring start to the 1980–81 season, and it was his successor Arthur Cox who steered United back again to the First Division with ex England captain Kevin Keegan leading the attack, having joined the Magpies in a sensational deal in 1982.
The football inspired by Keegan captivated Tyneside and United stormed into the top division in a style only bettered by Kevin's own brand of football when he returned to the club as manager a decade later. Cox had also signed young winger Chris Waddle out of non-league football, as well as young striker Peter Beardsley, Liverpool midfielder Terry McDermott and former Manchester United midfielder David McCreery. The club was rocked however when Cox resigned after the board refused to offer him an improved contract in the aftermath of promotion, and, surprisingly, accepted an offer to take charge of Derby County - who had been relegated from the Second Division.
One of English footballs greatest talents, Paul Gascoigne or 'Gazza', emerged as an exciting 18-year-old midfielder in 1985-86, under Newcastle's next manager Jack Charlton, who left after only one season despite Newcastle achieving a secure mid-table finish on their return to the First Division. His successor was former player Willie McFaul. Newcastle consolidated their place in Division One but then a period of selling their best players (Beardsley to Liverpool, and Waddle and eventually Gascoigne both to Tottenham), rocked the club and led to supporter unrest, as did a share-war for control of the boardroom. The effect of this on the pitch soon proved evident, as McFaul was sacked after a dismal start to the 1988–89 season, and new boss Jim Smith was unable to turn Newcastle around, resulting in them finishing at the foot of the First Division in 1989 and dropping back into the Second Division.
Smith then signed Portsmouth striker Mick Quinn and Newcastle began the 1989–90 season on a high note, beating promotion favourites Leeds United 5–2 on the opening day with Quinn scoring four goals, and Newcastle appeared to be on the path to a revival. However, they missed out on automatic promotion by one place, before enduring a humiliating play-off exit at the hands of local rivals Sunderland. The intensifying boardroom battle soon took its toll on the club, and Smith resigned early in the following season with the side stuck in mid-table. Ossie Ardiles became the club's new manager, and despite being initially being the club's most popular manager since Joe Harvey, Newcastle dropped to the bottom of the Second Division in October 1991. Results failed to improve, despite the acquisition of a new striker in David Kelly and the efforts of promising young players including Steve Howey, Steve Watson and Gavin Peacock, and in February 1992 Ardiles was sacked. Despite being the best-supported side in the division and frequently still managing to pull in crowds of more than 20,000, Newcastle were also millions of pounds in debt and faced with the real prospect of third-tier football for the first time ever. A saviour was needed, and in came new chairman John Hall, who offered the manager's job to Kevin Keegan. Despite having vowed never to enter management following his retirement as a player, Keegan accepted the offer to manage Newcastle. His first task was to deliver Second Division survival.
Kevin Keegan returned as manager in the 1991–92 season, and survived relegation from the Second Division. The club's finances were transformed, with Hall aiming to put Newcastle among Europe's biggest clubs, and signings like Rob Lee and Andy Cole helped Newcastle to promotion the following season, 1992–93, as champions of the new First Division. The finish also secured qualification for the 1993–94 UEFA Cup upon return to the top flight in the 1993–94 Premier League season.
St James' Park was redeveloped during this time into an all-seated stadium with a capacity of 36,000. This increased to 52,000 in the late 1990s, after the rejection of Hall's proposal to build a larger stadium at Castle Leazes.
Keegan stunned fans and critics alike in 1995 when prolific striker Andy Cole was sold to Manchester United in exchange for £6 million and midfielder Keith Gillespie, leaving many to blame the sale to have affected Newcastle's title chances for the 1994–95 season, in which they finished sixth. The club, however, continued to build up a reputation for playing attacking football under Keegan. In the 1995–96 season, high-profile foreign stars David Ginola and Faustino Asprilla, in addition to British players Peter Beardsley and striker Les Ferdinand, guided the team to a second-place finish. During the 1996–97 season, Keegan made one signing, securing the services of England striker Alan Shearer for a then-world record transfer fee of £15 million to produce a shrewd partnership with Les Ferdinand, and claim a 5–0 victory over title rivals Manchester United. whilst remaining in contention to win the league.
With the team having failed to win any trophies under his reign, Keegan resigned as manager on 8 January 1997, saying, "I feel that I have taken the club as far as I can."
Kenny Dalglish replaced Keegan as manager, and maintained the club's good form through to the end of the season, finishing second. In the 1997–98 season, Les Ferdinand and David Ginola both left the club, whilst Alan Shearer broke his ankle in a pre-season friendly, keeping him out for the first half of the season. Dalglish signed Ian Rush, John Barnes, Duncan Ferguson and Stuart Pearce to bolster the squad, and achieved a 3–2 victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League through a Faustino Asprilla hat-trick, but Dalglish's cautious brand of football, as opposed to the attacking style played under Keegan, did not prove successful—the club failed to progress beyond the Champions League group stage, finished 13th in the Premier League, and lost the FA Cup final to Arsenal. Dalglish began the 1998–99 season signing Nolberto Solano and Dietmar Hamann, but was soon dismissed following the club's declining form.
Ruud Gullit replaced him, however the club again finished the league in 13th place and again lost in the FA Cup final, this time to Manchester United F.C. Gullit resigned early in the 1999–2000 season, having fallen out with several senior players, including Alan Shearer and captain Rob Lee. Keith Gillespie later blamed Gullit's arrogance for his failure as manager of the club.
Ex-England manager Bobby Robson was brought in to replace Gullit in September 1999. He ensured Newcastle's survival in the Premiership, but the club remained in the bottom half of the table, finishing 11th in 1999–2000 and 2000–01. Robson, however, built up an exciting young squad, and an unlikely top four challenge emerged in 2001–02 season—Newcastle finished in fourth place.
Playing in the Champions League in 2002–03, Newcastle progressed to the second group stage in unlikely circumstances, beating Italian squad Juventus 1–0 along the way. United finished the 2002–03 season third in the Premier League, but lost their Champions League qualifier and played in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup instead, reaching the semi-final. In 2003–04, Newcastle finished fifth in the Premiership, lower than in previous seasons, and outside of Champions League contention.
Robson was then sacked following a poor start to the 2004–05 season and alleged discontent in the dressing room. In his autobiography, Robson was critical of Shepherd, claiming that while manager he was denied information regarding the players' contracts and transfer negotiations. He had previously publicly criticised the club's highly financed offer for Wayne Rooney, which the club later claimed they could not afford, stating young players were making excessive demands without first proving themselves on the pitch. He also criticised Shepherd and the club's deputy chairman Douglas Hall for their focus on the first team and St James' Park, causing them to neglect less glamorous issues, such as the training ground, youth development and talent scouts.
Graeme Souness replaced Robson and finished the season 14th in the league. Souness' arrival, however, was met with mixed reactions, with many expecting Robson being a hard task to improve upon, despite insisting he was aware of Sir Bobby's admiration and was ready for the role. In the January transfer window, Souness caused controversy in securing an £8 million bid for France international Jean-Alain Boumsong, who had joined Rangers for free just months before, prior to which Sir Bobby had travelled to France to review Boumsong but declined to sign him. The Stevens inquiry in 2007 documented that in this purchase Souness was accused of lack of consistency and was reviewed over the large media speculation the transfer received, but was eventually exonerated from any illegal participations. Going into 2005–06 season, despite signing several new players, including the return of Nolberto Solano from Aston Villa as well as Albert Luque from Deportivo de La Coruña for £10 million, Souness struggled with the opening games. He later blamed the state of the club's training ground for injuries suffered to players. The signing of Michael Owen (for a club record £17 million from Real Madrid) and his strike partnership with Alan Shearer produced goals at the end of 2005, but an injury caused Owen to miss the rest of the season and following a poor start to the new year, Souness was sacked in February 2006. Robbie Elliiot and Shay Given announced regret over his exit in the club's Season Review DVD but acknowledged his seeming favouritism of players and the amounting pressure on him damaged morale, whilst Alan Shearer blamed the injury crisis to first-team players.
Caretaker manager Glenn Roeder was issued the role of temporary first-team manager, seeing his first game against Portsmouth secure Alan Shearer's 201st goal for Newcastle United, becoming the club's all-time highest-scoring player. Roeder guided Newcastle from 15th to seventh place securing 32 league points from a possible 45 by the end of 2005–06, as well as securing a place in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and was given a two-year contract by chairman Freddy Shepherd. His appointment caused controversy, as at the time he did not hold the necessary UEFA Pro Licence to manage in the UEFA leagues and cup tournaments His role, however, was approved by UEFA who acknowledged that Roeder's diagnosis with a brain tumour in 2003 prevented him from developing his career, whilst Chairman Freddy Shepherd also fulfilled UEFA's request that he gain backing from all 19 other Premier League clubs to appoint him as manager. Alan Shearer retired at the end of the 2005–06 season scoring a record 206 goals.
Roeder encountered a difficult 2006–07 season, losing many players to injury, in particular Michael Owen, who had severely damaged his ligaments during the 2006 FIFA World Cup seeing him only play the final two games of the season. Newcastle won the 2006 Intertoto Cup, but a 5–1 exit to Birmingham City in the FA Cup, a round of 16 exit in the UEFA Cup and poor league results seeing a 13th-place finish led Roeder to resign in May 2007.
As the 2007 season drew to a close, St James Holdings Limited, the bid vehicle of billionaire businessman Mike Ashley, was reported to be in the process of buying the club. Ashley successfully acquired Sir John Hall's majority stake in the club in May 2007, leaving many to believe chairman Freddie Shepherd was set to depart after stepping down as chairman, should Ashley acquire more than 50 percent, which would see Shepherd no longer in control of the club and Ashley able to replace the board. Shepherd dismissed all speculation and proceeded to appoint ex-Bolton Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce as Newcastle manager, but eventually met with Mike Ashley and the board on 29 May. On 7 June 2007, Shepherd ended his 11 years with the club after Mike Ashley accepted his bid to buy his shares and in his role as chairman of the board, also having Shepherd advise the remaining shareholders to sell to Ashley. Ashley then announced he would be delisting the club from the London Stock Exchange upon completion of the takeover. The club officially ceased trading on the Stock Exchange as of 8 am on 18 July 2007 at 5p a share. Ashley brought in lawyer Chris Mort as the new club "deputy chairman".
Despite signing and building a seemingly strong squad, Sam Allardyce soon became widely unpopular with fans and players alike, and was surprisingly sacked by Ashley halfway through his first season after underwhelming results and pressure from the fans. Ashley, however, defended his decision to sack Allardyce, stating he made a mistake in not appointing his own choice of manager before the season started.
Kevin Keegan then made a sensational surprise return as manager. His return had an instant impact on club ticket sales as he sat with the fans, Mike Ashley and Chris Mort for the FA Cup replay 4–1 win against Stoke City. Following his return, Keegan had a disappointing first ten games back, with the club not winning a single game until his decision to include strikers Obafemi Martins, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka into a 4–3–3 formation, which saw the club back on goal-scoring and winning form and eventually finishing 12th in 2007–08. In May Keegan met with Mike Ashley and Director of Football Dennis Wise after he had suggested Champions League qualification was out of Newcastle United's reach and expressed dissatisfaction with the board's financial backing. Ashley was battling reports that he had lost hundreds of millions of pounds in a disastrous attempt to rescue bank HBOS. The morning following, after the club's 3–0 defeat to Arsenal, rumours were circulating that Keegan had either been sacked or resigned as Newcastle boss, citing board interference and his lack of control over transfers. Keegan confirmed the reports the same week, and reportedly held unsuccessful resolution talks with Mike Ashley the following week, leading to fan fury and protests around St James' Park, and marring the club's home defeat to Hull City, with fans accusing Ashley and club executives Dennis Wise, Tony Jimenez and Derek Llambias of forcing Keegan out.
Following mass media coverage of Keegan's departure, the club struggled to find a replacement, with the majority of managers showing no interest in the role. Ashley released a statement to the club's fans that in fear of his and his families reputation and safety, he was placing the club for sale. It was then announced that former Nottingham Forest manager Joe Kinnear was appointed temporary manager His appointment, however, saw a backlash from fans, prompting a verbal tirade from Kinnear at the media, who questioned his decision to take the job at such a time. By the end of the year, Ashley took the club off the market claiming he was unable to find a suitable buyer.
In the remainder of 2008–09, Kinnear won four out of 18 matches before stepping down due to reported heart problems. Chris Hughton then took temporary charge before Alan Shearer returned to Newcastle United as manager in April with Iain Dowie as his assistant. After winning only one out of eight games, the club was relegated to the Championship for the first time since 1992. Mike Ashley then re-issued his desire to sell the club once again and issued a £100 million sale price tag.
Prior to the start of the 2009–10 season, Keegan's dispute with the club was resolved after a Premier League Arbitration Panel ruled that he had been misled to believe he had the final word on the club's transfer policy when in fact Director of Football Dennis Wise had been handed such control. The signings of Xisco and Nacho González were ruled to have been made without the manager's approval; with González, Dennis Wise signed him only after viewing him off of YouTube. Wise and Derek Llambias were ruled to have deliberately misled the media to believe Keegan had the final say, which amounted to constructive dismissal. Keegan was awarded £2 million in compensation and re-offered his job as Newcastle United manager under fresh new terms, though in response to the offer, he stated the fans had "had enough" for the time being and declined. He stated in 2013 he would consider a return should Mike Ashley leave the club.
Chris Hughton was appointed full-time manager early in the 2009–10 season. The club dominated the Championship, winning 30 games, drawing 12 and losing only four, scoring a total of 90 goals and finishing top of the league with 102 points, thus re-gaining Premier League status at the first attempt.
Beginning 2010–11, Hughton remained on course to secure survival from relegation with the club's first win at the Emirates over Arsenal, and a memorable 5–1 defeat over Sunderland. However, fury once again was caused by the board, as the club controversially sacked Chris Hughton after a 3–1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion on 6 December 2010. Critics players and fans alike were shocked by Hughton's dismissal, leading to protests prior to the club's game against Liverpool in a bid to thank him for his work and support. Alan Pardew was then announced as being appointed manager on a five-and-a-half-year contract, with the club announcing they wanted a manager with more experience. Pardew stated he had nothing but respect for Chris Hughton and acknowledged the fact that other managers questioned his appointment. He secured his first win on his debut as manager with a 3–1 win over Liverpool On 31 January 2011, Newcastle sold striker Andy Carroll to Liverpool for a club record of £35 million. The sale of a young player at a high value proved controversial for Liverpool, with Alan Shearer ridiculing the price Liverpool paid as well as expressing sorrow at Newcastle for losing Carroll. Carroll himself stated that he did not want to leave the club but was forced out by the club's directors after Liverpool's final offer of £35 million; the board responded that Carroll had previously handed in a transfer request. Pardew said he was disappointed to lose Carroll, but pledged to invest in the club's summer transfer window. The remainder of the season saw Leon Best score a hat-trick on his debut in a 5–0 defeat of West Ham United, a memorable 4–4 comeback against Arsenal, and a 4–1 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers, eventually finishing 12th in the league.
Entering 2011–12, Pardew was reportedly denied the £35 million from the sale of Andy Carroll for transfers and told to sell players to raise funds, having claimed he had been assured the finances upon Carroll's departure. Kevin Keegan had previously stated Alan Pardew should not have expected the money following his issues with the board in 2008. The club signed many French-speaking players in the transfer window, including Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Debuchy, Sylvain Marveaux and Demba Ba. and with impressive results throughout the season, Newcastle finished fifth.
In the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Newcastle reached the quarter-finals, and in the January transfer window, the French revolution continued into the new year, with Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran joining the squad. The team, however, had a poor 2012–13 Premier League and finished 16th in the Premier League.
Beginning the 2013–14 season, in a surprise move Joe Kinnear returned to the club as Director of Football, instantly causing fan fury following his outburst that he was "more intelligent" than the fans and critics, as well as mispronouncing various players names during a radio interview. However, he resigned after just eight months on the job following further critique for managing to sign only two players on loan—Loïc Rémy and Luuk de Jong—throughout the season's summer and January transfer windows, as well selling Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint-Germain for £20 million, considered to be one of the most influential players at the time. Following the lack of transfer activity, Mike Ashley once again faced a fan revolt, with protests being launched at him to sell the club, and entered a dispute with several media titles whom the club banned from Newcastle United media facilities, press conferences and player interviews, declaring stories reported were intensely exaggerated and aimed only to damage Ashley's image further. Throughout the season, the club remained on course to ensure a top half finish, notably defeating Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since 1972. Nonetheless, the team struggled for goals following the sale of Cabaye. Further dismay upon the season was caused when Pardew was banned for seven matches and fined £100,000 for an assault on Hull City midfielder David Meyler. The club then encountered a poor run of form, losing eight out of ten games and finishing the season tenth in the league, though the club confirmed Alan Pardew would stay on.
The opening eight games of the 2014–15 season proved disappointing, with the club failing to secure a win. After the dip in form, however, the club had an emphatic resurgence, seeing a five-game unbeaten run whilst also surprising League Cup holders Manchester City with a 2–0 win and progressing to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Pardew, however, resigned from the club on 30 December 2014 following immense pressure from fans calling for his departure, with many posters at games designed with the Sports Direct logo advertising a website demanding his resignation. Pardew admitted in the months leading up to his departure that protests from the fans were affecting his family and was subsequently feeling unhappy at the club. He was replaced by his assistant manager John Carver, though the team subsequently earned just 13 points out of a possible 50, surviving relegation on the final day of the season with a victory over West Ham, Carver was dismissed before the club's pre-season for 2016 began. The club paid tribute to player Jonás Gutiérrez following his successful recovery from testicular cancer to resume his playing career.
Beginning the 2015–16 season, former England F.C. Manager Steve McClaren was appointed manager, signing Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba, Florian Thauvin, Henri Saivet, Jonjo Shelvey, Andros Townsend and Ivan Toney. McClaren however struggled to produce results winning 6 and drawing 6 out of 28 games, whilst exiting both the FA Cup and League Cup in the Third Round. McClaren was subsequently sacked on 11 March 2016 with critics and former players voicing their favour of the decision. Rafael Benítez was announced as McClaren's successor the same day, signing a three-year deal. Benítez recorded his first victory in 3–0 defeat of Swansea City in the Premier League on 17 April 2016 after 5 games in charge, and maintained an emphatic 5-game unbeaten streak to the end of the season. Newcastle were however relegated from the Premier League along with Aston Villa and Norwich finishing 18th place, 2 points below safety. Betting websites confirmed after the final game that the club's 5–1 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur matched the initial odds of Leicester City's 5000/1 win of the 2015–16 Premier League season.
Starting the 2016-17 season, Rafa Benítez signed 12 new players full-time and also acquired 5 players on loan, whilst 8 players left the club and another 12 on loan. New signings Dwight Gayle and Matt Ritchie proved popular scoring a combined total of 39 goals, finishing among the top goalscorers that season. Despite failing to improve on their dominant success in the 2009/10 championship season, the club remained in contention for the trophy throughout; threatened only by Brighton & Hove Albion Newcastle enjoyed a 3-game winning streak to the final day of the season and lifted the Football League Championship trophy on 8 May 2017 following a 3–0 win over Barnsley. Rafa Benítez denied speculation that he would leave the club following promotion to the Premier League and confirmed his commitment to the club for the foreseeable future. Shortly prior to the season's finish, the club was subject to raids by HMRC following suspicions of tax evasion. Managing Director Lee Charnley was arrested during the raid, but was later released without charge.
Ending the 2017-18 season, the club finished 10th in the Premier League defeating the current champions Chelsea on the final day of the season, the highest finish achieved within 4 years. Beginning the 2018–19 season, Mike Ashley again came under scrutiny following lack of major signings in the summer transfer window, with many fans accusing him of lacking interest in the club following his purchase of troubled retail chain House of Fraser for £90m. Despite the January signing of Miguel Almirón from Atlanta United FC for £21 million surpassing the club's transfer record fee of £16.8 million for Michael Owen in 2005, the club struggled throughout the season with 12 wins, 9 draws and 17 losses seeing a 13th place league table finish, whilst exiting the League Cup at the 2nd round in a 3–1 defeat of Nottingham Forest F.C and a 4th round exit of the FA Cup in a 2–0 defeat to Watford F.C. The season also saw heavy speculation regarding Rafa Benítez remaining at the club following reports he was still in negotiations following the end of the season.
Following fresh reports of Ashley's intention to sell the club, Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Founder and Chairman of The Bin Zayed Group of Companies, a member of the Al Nahyan royal family of Abu Dhabi, confirmed he had agreed terms to purchase the club for £350 million. On 5 June 2019 a company named Monochrome Acquisitions Limited was registered in Nahyan's name, whilst managing director Lee Charnley applied to have four companies linked to Ashley's company St James Holdings Ltd struck off, leaving many to believe the club was on course to be sold. Talks of a takeover however stalled throughout the summer transfer window, whilst Ashley confirmed he had not received an official bid from any prospective buyer.
Benítez rejected a new contract offer and departed the club on 30 June 2019, accepting a move to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang in a £12 million deal. Ashley criticised Benítez stating unfair demands were made making it impossible for him to remain as manager. Notable player departures saw Salomón Rondón join Benitez at Dalian Yifang after returning to West Bromwich Albion F.C. from loan, whilst Ayoze Perez joined Leicester City for £30 million and Mohamed Diamé was released by Newcastle upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2018–19 season.
BBC Sport reported in July 2019 that Steve Bruce had resigned from his managerial position at Sheffield Wednesday after he earlier admitted that he had held talks with Newcastle United over their managerial vacancy. His appointment was confirmed on 17 July. Sheffield Wednesday however stated there were still outstanding legal issues with Bruce having resigned just 48 hours before, leading a report being filed to the Premier League alleging misconduct in his appointment. Newcastle United denied any wrongdoing and stated they were confident no case could be escalated. Reaction from the fans was mixed, with some feeling Bruce would not achieve the standard set by Benítez, whilst his recent lack of Premier League football and management of rival club Sunderland proved controversial. Bruce later acknowledged Benítez's popularity and stated he hoped the fans would not rush to judgement and give him time to prove himself and manager of Newcastle. Due to visa problems in China, Bruce watched his first match as manager from the stands which saw Newcastle achieve a third-place finish in the pre-season 2019 Premier League Asia Trophy following a 1–0 victory over West Ham United F.C. Bruce quickly made his first transfer, signing Joelinton from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for £40 million, breaking the club's transfer fee record previously held by Miguel Almirón at £21 million just 6 months before, before signing French international winger Allan Saint-Maximin from OGC Nice on a permanent deal for £16.5 million, Sweden international defender Emil Krafth for £5 million, central midfielder Kyle Scott on a free signing following his departure from Chelsea, and Netherlands international defender Jetro Willems on loan from Frankfurt F.C until the end of the 2019–20 season. Bruce made his final transfer of the pre-season on deadline day by re-signing striker Andy Carroll, who had left the club over 7 years earlier. On 4 February 2020, Steve Bruce's side ended a 14-year drought by reaching the 5th round of the FA Cup they beat League One side Oxford United 2–3 in a replay thanks to a late winner from Allan Saint-Maximin in extra time.
From March 2020, the season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 13 March, following an emergency meeting between the Premier League, The Football Association (FA), the English Football League and the FA Women's Super League, it was unanimously decided to suspend professional football in England. On 19 March, the suspension was extended indefinitely, with a restart date of 17 June announced in late May with all remaining games to be played without crowd attendance.
Newcastle finished the season in 13th place. Defender Danny Rose was an outspoken critic of the decision to continue the season, citing the virus was still in major circulation and accused the FA of having no concern for footballers' health. Karl Darlow has since urged players at the club to get vaccinated following his hospitalisation from complications of Covid, whilst manager Steve Bruce admitted some players had voluntarily declined the vaccination.
The 2020-21 season saw all matches played without crowd attendance until May 2021, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Newcastle failed to improve on the previous season, finishing 12th in the premier league and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round added time to Arsenal and exited the EFL Cup in the quarter-finals losing 1–0 to Brentford.
In April 2020, it was widely reported that a consortium consisting of Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben Brothers, was finalising an offer to acquire Newcastle United. The proposed sale prompted concerns and criticism, such as arguments considering it sportwashing of the country's human rights record, as well as ongoing large-scale piracy of sports broadcasts in the region. However the consortium announced its withdrawal from the Newcastle deal on July 30, 2020, after multiple media reports highlighted realm as the staunch violator of human rights, and the WTO ruled that it was behind the piracy campaign using pirate-pay-service beoutQ. "With a deep appreciation for the Newcastle community and the significance of its football club, we have come to the decision to withdraw our interest in acquiring Newcastle United Football Club," the group said in its statement upon withdrawal. The group also stated that the "prolonged process" was a major factor in them pulling out. The collapse of the takeover was met with widespread criticism from Newcastle fans, with Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah accusing the Premier League of treating fans of the club with "contempt" and subsequently wrote to Masters for an explanation. Despite the consortium's withdrawal, disputes over the takeover continued. On 9 September 2020, Newcastle United released a statement claiming that the Premier League had officially rejected the takeover by the consortium and accused Masters and the Premier League board of " acting appropriately in relation to [the takeover]", while stating that the club would be considering any relevant legal action. The Premier League strongly denied this in a statement released the next day, expressing "surprise" and "disappointment" at Newcastle's statement.
On October 7, 2021, the Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media confirmed that they had officially completed the acquisition of Newcastle United. Governor of the investment fund Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan was appointed non-executive chairman, whilst Amanda Staveley and Jamie Reuben were both appointed as directors and each held a 10% shareholding in the club.
The takeover led to widespread speculation that manager Steve Bruce was expected to leave the club. Although not denying the speculation that the club was keen to appoint a new manager, Staveley stated Bruce was to remain for the new owners first game against Tottenham Hotspur; his 1000th match as a football manager. However following Newcastle losing the game 3-2 and alleged discontent among the players, Bruce left the club by mutual consent. Bruce stated his sadness at leaving the club and felt Newcastle fans launched unnecessary verbal abuse at him during his time there. Interim manager Graeme Jones as well as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta supported Bruce's claims stating the abuse he received was off putting for other managers to take the role.
Eddie Howe was appointed as manager on 8 November 2021. The announcement was made following reports that the club had discussed the role with him the previous week and confirmed following his attendance at the away draw to Brighton & Hove Albion. On 19 November 2021, Newcastle announced that Howe had tested positive for COVID-19 and would miss his first game in charge, which instead forced him to watch his first game as manager from a hotel room as Newcastle drew 3–3 with Brentford on 20 November.
Lee Charnley, who acted as Managing Director under Ashley's ownership, left the club on 19 November 2021 following a six-week handover period. His departure was the final of Mike Ashley's hierarchy, with Staveley stating the club was undergoing a "formal process" to appoint a new figure to replace the role.
Eddie Howe had to wait until 4 December 2021 for his first win as Newcastle manager in a 1–0 win against Burnley, which was also the first win since the takeover happened. Howe then made five signings in the first January transfer window under the new ownership which included a marquee singing in Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães from Olympique Lyonnais. The transfer window and the players that were already there that Howe improved helped Newcastle to go on a 9-game unbeaten run in the Premier League to get them 10 points clear from the relegation zone and increasing the chance of guaranteeing survival. After Newcastle's 1–0 win against Crystal Palace, this was the first time the club had managed to win 6 home games in a row since 2004 when Sir Bobby Robson was in charge. Newcastle finished in 11th place after a run of 12 wins in their final 18 games, and became the first team in Premier League history to avoid relegation after not winning any of the first 14 games they played.
On 30 May 2022, the club announced they had reached an agreement of a compensation fee with Brighton & Hove Albion to appoint Dan Ashworth as the new Sporting Director, the appointment was confirmed on 6 June 2022. On 15 July 2022, the club brought in Darren Eales, from MLS side Atlanta United, as the club's new Chief Executive Officer - acting as a "key member of the club's leadership structure".
Newcastle United was set up as a private company limited by shares on 6 September 1895. However, by the 1930s, ownership of the company was dominated by a small number of individuals: Alderman William McKeag, George and Robert Rutherford, and William Westwood, 1st Baron Westwood. George Stanley Seymour was allocated some shares when he joined the board in 1938.
By the second half of the 20th century, these shareholdings had passed to the next generation: Gordon McKeag, Robert James Rutherford, Stan Seymour Jr. and William Westwood, 2nd Baron Westwood. The Magpie Group led by Sir John Hall built up a large shareholding in the club and then took control in 1992. In 2007, St James Holdings Limited, the bid vehicle of billionaire businessman Mike Ashley, secured control of the club and in 2021, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media confirmed that they had acquired ownership of the club.
Great Man theory, originally associated with the philosopher Thomas Carlyle, holds that the whole of human history has been determined by a handful of people. In cricketing terms, it has always been hard to dispute, especially when you're sitting at Don Bradman's home ground.
For four days and 43 minutes of this Test match, there was plenty of time to think about such matters, and also whether it might be more amusing to spend the final afternoon hiring a pedalo on the River Torrens instead of watching this turgid contest dribble away to its inevitable draw. Then came the Great Man.
Shane Warne conjured up perhaps the most astounding victory of even his career. Here was a pitch that, all along, had offered the possibility to a batsman with sufficient stamina and perseverance of staying at the crease until the 2010-11 Ashes. Suddenly the placid earth began to crack and crumble and boil and bubble, as if the San Andreas Fault had opened directly underneath. But the fault was all England's. In the first innings, they had convinced themselves the Wizard of Oz was no great magician but just a cunning illusionist. Now they thought he could make the earth move. And so he did.
He was given a shove by the first bad umpiring decision of the match: Steve Bucknor gifted Warne the wicket of Strauss, caught off his pad. From that moment, every demon that has haunted English cricket started to play inside the batsmen's heads. And the greatest of those demons was bowling at them.
From 69 for one, England withered to 129 all out. Australia's task - 168 in 36 overs - was no certainty. But the force was with them, and they won with 19 balls to spare. You could replay the final day a hundred times, and the game might be drawn every time. But it won't be replayed. Such a day could never happen quite like this again. To understand the drama of the turnaround, it is necessary to loll awhile amid the languor that came before. There was a shock at the start: both teams were unchanged, which meant England were defying public and pundits alike by again omitting Panesar and keeping both Anderson and Giles. There was a second shock too, in the sense that English fatalists presumed such an important toss was bound to be won by Australia. In fact, Flintoff correctly called heads, and he did not attempt a third shock by fielding.
There have been better batting pitches - some England players said it was the slowest they had seen all year - but few more disheartening for bowlers. Warne did get some first-day turn, which was remarkable. But it was soon clear this was unlikely to be one of McGrath's Tests and, when the second new ball came, it was handed to the wholehearted Clark. The only good news for Australia was that the Adelaide weather was unusually cool and breezy.
It took a while for England to establish any kind of command. Though Bell and Collingwood dug in, Bell wrecked his good work by mishooking on 60. That brought in Pietersen, but even he could not assert himself. Collingwood reached his hundred off the eighth ball of the second day; Pietersen followed him before lunch. And though the stand easily surpassed the 153 they had put on in adversity at Brisbane, England still had trouble upping the rate. This was due partly to the pitch, partly to the batsmen's caution, and partly to Warne opting for negative round-the-wicket bowling, which Pietersen could only kick away. He later claimed this showed he had Warne beaten.
Relentlessly, though, both men kept climbing. Collingwood's determination had never been in doubt; but he also soared above his presumed limitations as a primarily legside player, cutting and cover-driving, and then dancing down the track to straightdrive Warne to reach 150. Shortly before tea, he became the first England player to score a Test double-century in Australia since Wally Hammond 70 years earlier. Not Hutton, not May, not Boycott, not Gooch, not Atherton... Collingwood. Moments later, he wearily fell for 206, after 515 minutes, 392 balls and 16 fours. The stand was worth 310, England's fourth-wicket record against Australia. Pietersen, however, failed to reach the strange landmark he craved: 159. He was out for 158 for the third time in his 20 Tests. Since he was run out, going for a twitchy single trying to get off his own personal version of 99 or Nelson, we may assume this was no coincidence.
The runs kept coming afterwards, not as fast as England wanted, but quickly enough for Flintoff to declare once the total had hit the 550 mark. Some thought at the time he should have batted on longer; Australia lost here with 556 only three years earlier. As it was, England soon found out what Australia had learned the hard way: it was no fun bowling on this. But they did make inroads with the new ball, and worried an unusually scratchy Ponting, who flirted with the exit several times. The most notable was on 35: he hooked Hoggard to the deep square boundary where Giles, in from the rope, misjudged the trajectory, and (some said) dropped the Ashes.
Ponting left scratchiness far behind but settled for a mere 142, his tenth hundred in the last 13 Tests, and a stand with Hussey of 192. Hussey hustled most impressively but narrowly missed his hundred; Clarke, only playing because Shane Watson was injured, asserted squatter's rights and made his. Gilchrist returned to form, and there was 43 from Warne - important in lots of ways, not least in helping England coach Duncan Fletcher justify his insistence on retaining Giles as a decent No. 8.
Hoggard finished with his third seven-for in Test cricket, a remarkable performance, bearing in mind that Warne (the 13th wicket of the match on the stroke of fourth-day tea) was arguably the first batsman who had not been dismissed by either the new ball or his own impetuosity.
Australia were just 38 behind, and only the TV commentators - paid to make the cricket sound interesting - and the English gloompot Geoff Boycott even tried to pretend there was any prospect of anything happening on the final day. Still, 20,000 turned up, but the weather was warmer now, and the Adelaide Oval an agreeably summery place to sit. They got their money's worth.
From the start, England's cricket seemed suddenly tentative. After Bucknor gave out Strauss (even the appeal sounded only three-quarter-hearted), the doubts turned into blind panic. Warne was turning the ball, but mainly out of the footmarks. And Lee was getting reverse swing. A few good hits, though, would have made England safe. They hit three fours in four hours.
Bell dithered disastrously over a single; Pietersen swept Warne and was bowled round his legs (the ball hit the outside of off stump). Mastery, eh? Then Flintoff swished aimlessly. Collingwood stood firm but was completely constricted and, though the tail did better than the body, England were gone by 3.42.
The gates were thrown open, and spectators began to arrive as they used to do when they heard Bradman was batting. Instead, it was his successors, Ponting and Hussey. There was a wobble when Ponting and Martyn went in quick succession; and Flintoff, leading the charge on his damaged ankle, nearly bowled what would have been the first maiden of the innings. But a wild Pietersen throw turned a last-ball three into a seven, and then for England there was only deflation.
Afterwards, the ageing Australian players galloped and danced with delight round the field before retreating into the evening shadows. Summed up the series, really.
In Oahu Hawaii, on a 97 foot sail boat , this is a sophisticated therapeutic program for young boys 13 to 18. 28 days+ where the young people get a jump start therapeutically to resolve their problems or become more prepared and diagnosed to move on to a longer term school setting to meet their academy and behavioral needs.
Maximum of 20 boys, full time licensed therapists, two captains. These kids learn how to navigate and sail through life’s issues while visiting many islands in Hawaii. Good food and great intervention for the troubled teen.
Steve Bozak’s visit
My 3 months old Apple MacBook 1.83GHz (built in week 26/2006) after most of its restarts...
Its power fails after coming back from standby or off state within 0 seconds to 5 minutes.
It has nothing to do with overheating - at least in my case!
Usually it is enough after such a "power failure" to hold down the power switch until it makes a beep sound. The the power manager has been reset...
Sometimes, when I got the upper screen output after a restart, I also have to erase the PRAM by pressing and holding the Apple-, Alt-, P- and R-Key after a restart.
(BTW: Spare Part is ordered...)
Thank you Steve for such a reliable tool!!!
UPDATE Friday 13th, Oct 2006
The heatpipe has been replaced... it seems to work fine again for now...
UPDATE Tuesday 24th, Oct 2006
Today my topcase, or just call it keyboard, has been exchanged... Discoloration of the white color should now be history too :-)
UPDATE Wednesday 3rd, Jan 2007
MacBook still runs fine...
UPDATE Thursday 31st, Jan 2008
MacBook still runs fine, with 250GB HD and 2GB RAM now
there's a black mirror in my living room
it is the bride and I am the groom
it comes like a broom to sweep away my troubles
it burns off my worries and leaves only stubble
out of the ashes comes a fad that never catches
a face in the sorrowful shape of a screen
the envy is grey, it is never green
it is the late, great in-between
the endless intermission from the ever-staring scene
I lean into the cracked rib rungs
I breathe deep the talkative tongues
high-strung and hung, my bad back is aching
breaking from a trend I couldn't buck
while some are still running
I'm walking amok
to the great grey hole
I step into the suck
and shatter the static
for seven years of good luck...
© Steve Skafte
tumblr | etsy | blurb | facebook 1 - 2
Rich aglow in the glow of lumos...you know, all the gods and stuff.
11/20/2004 When in Rome! Heather and Rich fly to Rome and have fun on their first day.
It is 11:30 pm local time, and oh but we've been footsore and on the way. It all started a couple of day ago, Thursday for us, when we left home about 6:40 pm with Maddy and Spencer. I officially finished the book by writing two chapter intros. I later got on line and learned that Schuyler planned to do intros for ch1 and ch6, and write the 'how gps works' section for ch5. This meant that I am, officially, at least until QC (quality control) comes back, done with the book.
Wow.
And we drove to Dad's and the kids were rambunctious until we opened up our new CD's for Harry Potter and the Prisonar of Azkaban...we listened to the first CD and that quieted them right down!
And we had a dinner at Dad and Judy's and then up to my Mom's, where we chatted a bit...then bed. And the 5:15 am alarm. It didn't feel all that bad, surprisingly.
The flight to NY went well. I watched the incredibly stupid, but still amusing, movie Anchor Man, heather geeked on our itinery. Then I did a bit, then geeked with my GPS.
Note to self...GPS is cool, and this whole idea of narrative of place is cool, but really, taking GPS tracks in Rome doesn't work that well. I think it is best supplemented with voice recordings of places and later geocoding to a map.
hmmm. I try and create meaning by automatically/quasi automatically parsing track logs of less meaningful trips or segments of trips-down I5 to go lobster diving, for example, but perhaps it is the meaning in the trip that is more important. The GPS is a tool for helping to look at that, but I think I can post process intermittent track points, coupled with memory and photos and voice recordings, to get a better sense of trip.
Anyway...the leg to NY went very quickly. Then we were stuck on the tarmac for a bit while our gate was cleared for us. Eeeks...I had to pee!
Then we actually were in a bit of a rush to make our connection...we got there before the 'we are closing the door on your ass' stage, but not much!
I felt a bit ick for a bit, but once I took an ibuprofen, got rid of my heart burn and had some dinner i was okay. We took sleeping pills when we took off. I took another one after dinner, and then forced myself to try to sleep.
It didn't feel as though it were working-almost as though the sleeping pill made weary but not asleep...odd feeling. But I guess I slepped. Heather woke me when they served breakfast. I did not wake easily, and I went back to sleep a couple of times. I was seeing double for part of the time.
Poor Heather says she only slept about 2 hours.
But we arrived, and waltzed through customs and onto the train. Amazing! About 10 euros apiece and we had a nice train ride with two Italian women and an italian man...we didn't really talk, but, oh well.
Into the train station, and a bit of trouble getting oriented to find our hotel. Now it is easy, but the first time was not so easy.
And then somehow it got later and we figured out the metro to go to the vatican. I was pissy about wanting to eat, and we had trouble with that-the place Heather wanted for us wasn't open until 12:30. We had okay ham and cheese sandwiches and excellent olives from a deli, ate in the plazza (?) by the gellatti milleneum.
Then we went up to the vatican. We had missed the vatican museum, sadly, but we perservered and toured Saint Peters. Heather and I were seperated at this point. I hooked up with a free tour guide and learned lots of great stuff.
Heather called when I was about to learn how to become a Swiss Guard. I accidentally hung up on her, and then couldn't figure out how to call her back, but I guessed she'd be in the front, and she was. She was pooped! But gamely lead me through the tombs of the popes. That is neat...it is so non-cave like...and yet, there is plenty of room for more of them :-)
Well we hiked back to the metro, metroe'd back to the train station and walked back to the hotel and took a 2ish hour nap...it was about 3:00 when we started this 'nap' thing.
Well we woke and did like the Romans, and then got ourselves out of the hotel. We took the 40 bus out and walked down to campo di fiori and did Rick Steve's 'Nighttime rome' walk...
We had dinner in the Piazza Navona at the 'Tre Scalini' cafe/Mokarabina coffee bar. We had drinks an appetizer and a primi-ie, we shared 1 appetizer and 1 primi, and a desert, shared, and it cost a bit. Later we saw what looked like better food for much less money. live and learn. I loved the pantheon (only the outside, as it was closed) and saw where kids had set up to camp at the pantheon, etc.
We got minorly scammed at the Trevi fountain over some flowers that were 'given' to us...and when I didnt' pay enough for them the guy took 2 of three back! ack. I was not too annoyed-I mean, I should know better, right?
And I took pictures and we made our way back to the hotel.
tags: italy heather rich rome
news.yahoo.com/how-strong-is-your-immunity-against-omicro...
How strong is your immunity against Omicron?
For months, scientists, public health officials, politicians and the general public have debated whether prior SARS-CoV-2 infection — touted as “natural immunity” — offers protection against COVID-19 that is comparable to vaccines.
The answer to that debate is complicated, but studies show the best way to protect yourself against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is to get vaccinated and then boosted. An infection on top of that, while not desirable, offers even more protection.
Recent evidence suggests that “natural” COVID-19 protection depends on many factors, including when the infection happened, the variant involved, whether someone has been boosted or not, and the overall strength of their immune system.
“The question about natural versus vaccination immunity is an important one,” Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told Yahoo News. “The CDC showed that up to the Delta surge, no doubt, natural immunity is likely as protective or more protective even than your two-dose vaccines,” she added.
Gandhi was referring to a study published two weeks ago in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It is the same study that GOP lawmakers pointed to this week when introducing the “Natural Immunity Transparency Act,” arguing that the CDC data “demonstrated natural immunity was 3-4 times as effective in preventing COVID-19 compared with vaccination.”
But this claim needs more context. The CDC study analyzed COVID-19 cases in California and New York in 2021, which together only account for about 18 percent of the U.S. population. The data was collected from May 30 to Nov. 20, 2021, a period before and during the Delta wave. The study showed that prior to Delta, which became predominant in late June and July 2021, case rates were lowest for people who were vaccinated and not previously infected with COVID-19. But by early October, when Delta was dominant, the picture changed. Case rates then were substantially lower among both unvaccinated and vaccinated people with previous infections, suggesting that natural immunity during this period was superior to vaccines.
However, it is important to note that the CDC research was conducted during a time when vaccine-induced immunity was waning for many people and before the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Additionally, most U.S. adults were not yet eligible to receive booster shots, which are seen as offering the best protection against Omicron.
In general, studies conducted pre-Omicron do support the concept that infection-induced immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are pretty similar in terms of protection. However, Gandhi said there are many reasons vaccines are preferred. Notably, vaccines are free, safe and quick, while getting COVID-19 carries substantial risks, including long COVID, hospitalization and death. “It’s just safer,” Gandhi said.
She also said natural immunity can vary substantially from person to person, depending on many factors like age, the overall strength of the person’s immune system, how severe the COVID case was and the variant that infected them.
“What happens with natural infection is that if you have a mild infection, you may not mount the strong cellular immune response that you need to fight it in the future,” Gandhi said. On the other hand, vaccines were subject to rigorous trials and found to elicit a high immune response. Most experts agree that a vaccine is a more quantifiable, predictable and reliable way to protect the population.
Another downside to relying on natural immunity is that Omicron has replaced Delta as the dominant variant, and Omicron is both more transmissible and more capable of evading immune protection triggered by both vaccines and previous infections.
Shane Crotty, a virologist and professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, told Yahoo News that the Omicron variant changed everything. “Omicron is looking so different from the other variants that just infection alone might not be giving you great antibodies against the other variants because it looks so different,” he said. It is still unclear how much immunity one can expect to come out of an Omicron infection, including how long that protection lasts and whether it will apply to future variants.
Based on the epidemiological data available, Crotty said, those who are likely to be the most protected against both infection and hospitalization at the moment are people who have had a breakthrough infection. This means, individuals who have had an infection and then a vaccine, or vice versa.
“Data by tons of labs shows that those people make really broad neutralizing antibodies,” the professor said. “Their antibodies recognize every possible variant and even distant viral species, but they also make really high levels of those antibodies,” he added.
People in this category — both infection and vaccination — have what has become to be known as “hybrid immunity” or “super immunity.” According to a CDC study, those who get fully vaccinated after recovering from COVID-19 have twice the protection of those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery.
Experts warn, however, this doesn’t mean people should purposefully try to infect themselves with the coronavirus to achieve greater protection against COVID-19, since there are serious health risks involved.
People who are boosted also have an especially high level of protection against Omicron. “It’s pretty amazing three doses of the same vaccine, which is just against the ancestral strain. Your immune system is so clever. It’s seeing that old version of the spike protein basically, and the first two times it sees it, it makes neutralizing antibodies against the ancestral strain and a couple of variants, but not Omicron, but just seeing that same vaccine the third time, and now you make neutralizing antibodies against Omicron,” Crotty explained.
Underscoring the value of a third dose, recent studies by the CDC have shown a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine significantly reduces a person’s chance of hospitalization from the Omicron variant. One of the CDC reports, which looked at 259 hospitals and 383 emergency departments from late August through early January, found that a third dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine was 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalization and 82 percent effective at preventing emergency department and urgent care visits.
However, despite the evidence supporting the efficacy of a third dose, many Americans have been hesitant to receive their booster shots. Gandhi says this is unfortunate because boosters could be the ticket back to normal, and those who are unboosted or unvaccinated are more vulnerable to Omicron and future variants that could emerge. “What we need to get through this time is immunity ... so even if you’ve been actually infected, I really would recommend at least one dose of a vaccine,” Gandhi said.
www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19/22841229/covid-19-us-canc...
Covid-19 created America’s next health care crisis: The cancers we didn’t catch early
The pandemic dramatically disrupted cancer screenings, and thousands of lives are now at stake.
Steve Serrao, chief of gastroenterology at a hospital in Moreno Valley, California, just lived through the fourth wave of Covid-19 with the omicron variant sweeping across the country. Patients in respiratory distress once again filled the hospital’s beds.
But it is another wave, one that’s starting to trickle in but is still a long way from cresting, that Serrao worries about most. He fears that the delayed diagnoses of various cancers and other chronic, life-threatening illnesses — the result of Covid-19’s disruption to routine checkups and screenings — will be the next crisis that overwhelms the US health system.
“Our next surge will be advanced chronic disease,” Serrao told me over the phone. “That’s going to be the next surge of patients who overwhelm our system. I don’t think our systems are ready.”
The Covid-19 pandemic dealt a crushing blow to the preventive services that can catch potential health problems before they become life-threatening. Screenings for several major cancers fell significantly during 2020, according to a study published in December 2021 in the journal Cancer. Colonoscopies dropped by nearly half compared to 2019, prostate biopsies by more than 25 percent. New diagnoses declined by 13 percent to 23 percent, depending on the cancer — not because there was less cancer in the world, but because less of it was being detected. The screening backlog was still growing by the end of 2020, according to this recent study, albeit at a slower rate.
“I think we are absolutely in uncharted territory,” Brian Englum, a University of Maryland surgeon who co-authored the new Cancer study, told me. “There are no examples I know of where we have seen numbers change this dramatically.”
The fear among doctors is that the pandemic’s disruption to cancer screenings and other preventive measures won’t just be a blip, although a blip would be bad enough on its own: When cancer gets diagnosed late, it’s less likely a patient’s doctors can successfully intervene, and the patient is more likely to die. Even a four-week delay in diagnosis is associated with a 6 to 13 percent higher risk of death.
But they also fear that the missed screenings will lead to a more permanent disconnect between patients and the health system. Research has found that when patients lose their primary care doctor, they tend to end up in the hospital more, with more serious health problems. People who have skipped appointments or didn’t get screenings or care may be less likely to seek it in the future, and the problems could compound.
It may take years for the consequences to become clear. Before the pandemic, some physicians questioned if the US might be conducting too many screenings. But the country is now being forced to undergo an unintended natural experiment in less screening, one with thousands of lives at stake. The collateral damage of a pandemic that has killed more than 900,000 Americans could grow even more.
“We could be years into this before we know there’s a problem,” Englum said, “and we’ve already lost a lot of people.”
“How many of these cases are out there? Nobody knows.”
Serrao described one of his patients as a Hispanic man in his 40s. When he first noticed bleeding in early 2020, the patient talked to his primary care doctor, who told him it might be hemorrhoids, Serrao said. The primary care doctor acknowledged that getting a cancer screening would be impossible on short notice because the local hospitals were so strained with Covid-19. And the patient feared he might get sick if he went to a hospital.
Ultimately, it was 18 months before the patient sought a colonoscopy. He was diagnosed with what was, by then, advanced rectal cancer, Serrao said.
If the man had come in right away, Serrao said, he might have been cancer-free after a simple polyp removal. Instead, the doctor and his team are now battling cancer that has moved into other parts of the patient’s body. His outlook is much worse than it would have been if the cancer had been caught sooner.
“How many of these cases are out there? Nobody knows,” Serrao said.
Serrao’s patient had the misfortune to notice symptoms amid the biggest disruption of medical care in US history — one that hit cancer screenings particularly hard. In April 2020, as many hospitals canceled services in order to prepare for the expected surge of Covid-19 patients, the number of colonoscopies plummeted 93 percent. Then, after a brief rebound, the late 2020 winter wave stretched hospitals and forced them to limit services. By the end of the year, there had been 133,231 fewer colonoscopies performed in 2020 compared to the 2019 baseline, 62,793 fewer chest CT scans, and 49,334 fewer fecal blood tests.
“The drop-off in screenings has made me born again on the importance of screening,” John Marshall, chief of oncology at Georgetown University Hospital, told me. “We’re seeing more advanced diagnoses, and people presenting at a stage where they no longer can be cured.”
It will take months for the backlog to be cleared. Carrie Saia, the CEO of a community hospital in Holton, Kansas, told me that one of her facility’s gastroenterologists had been recruited by a larger Kansas City hospital to “scope from 7 in the morning to whenever at night, doing nothing but scopes.”
“They’re 1,000 people behind and backlogged right now,” Saia said. “A certain percentage out of those patients are going to have cancer growing.”
And working to clear that backlog begets a new backlog. Patients who are just now seeking a screening are finding it harder to get appointments. Marshall said he knew of patients who first experienced symptoms in September, were recommended for a screening by their doctor, but still couldn’t get an appointment as of December because there are so many patients in need of colonoscopies, MRIs, and other screening procedures.
Covid-19 led to direct rationing in overwhelmed hospitals last summer; they were unable to take patients with acute medical emergencies and couldn’t find another facility to take them. But this more subtle kind of rationing — delaying necessary services for months because the backlog has grown so large — also takes its toll, forcing doctors to make hard choices about which patients to prioritize.
“Everything is harder,” Marshall said. “We’ve had to make trade-off and priority decisions about who’s getting the treatment before the other person, decisions we would never have had to make.”
Covid-19’s disruption of US health care is likely going to deepen disparities
Serrao practices at the Riverside University Health System in San Bernardino County, about an hour and a half drive from downtown Los Angeles. Roughly two-thirds of his patients are Black, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander. Almost all of them have government insurance, either Medicare or Medicaid.
Black Americans already experience a higher incidence of and a higher mortality from colorectal cancers than white Americans. Black and Hispanic patients also tend to be diagnosed with more advanced lung cancers than their white peers, they have higher mortality from breast cancer, and they receive fewer prostate exams. At each stage, from preventive screenings to death rates, disparities already existed.
“They already have health disparities on a good day,” Serrao told me. “These last couple of years have put them back multiple years. The setback is quite profound.”
Over the course of the pandemic, Serrao’s practice struggled to make a dent in the backlog. Just as they would gain some momentum, another surge of Covid-19 would interrupt their progress.
Last January, the GI unit at his hospital was converted to a recovery area for patients receiving radiation therapy and other cancer treatments because overflow Covid-19 patients were in the space usually reserved for oncology recovery patients. As a result, he and his team couldn’t perform any screenings.
It was a necessary step — the top priority was maintaining treatment for patients already diagnosed with cancer — but it required the postponement of screenings to identify new cancer cases. The backlog got bigger.
“I’m almost certain that there are population pockets out there that have high disparities with cancer that will show up in the next year, two years, three years with more advanced cancers,” Serrao said, “and that’s because of the disruption in health care.”
The US will be living with the fallout of delayed cancer screenings for years
That problem may only be getting worse over time. Englum told me that one of the more troubling implications of their findings is that cancer screenings did not return to their pre-pandemic normal by the end of 2020.
It wasn’t a two- or three-month blip during the worst of the outbreak. By the end of the year, the drop in screenings looked more and more like a permanent setback. It’s the same problem we’re seeing with routine vaccinations: people who missed their shots and aren’t catching up even as we enter a new post-Covid normal.
“What our study shows is not only did we not make up for the blip, we didn’t even get back to baseline by the end of 2020,” Englum said. “We kept losing ground.”
The US health system struggled before the pandemic with managing people’s care in a timely fashion. It requires having an established relationship with a primary care doctor — which fewer and fewer Americans do — and then staying on schedule with recommended preventive screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms. As of 2018, according to a federal study, only 8 percent of Americans were receiving all the preventive services that are recommended for them.
Americans have now lived through two years when their primary care practice might have been closed, permanently or temporarily. The hospitals where they would have gotten a colonoscopy were postponing those non-emergent procedures. Some of them may have been afraid to go to the doctor or hospital, knowing that a highly transmissible virus was on the loose.
That only makes the challenge of getting people to stay on top of their health care harder. Doctors worry that people’s habits may be permanently changed by the pandemic — and not for the better.
“I am fearful that once people got out of that habit, they didn’t see an immediate problem,” Englum told me. “Then they say, ‘Well, I haven’t seen my doctor for six months or a year and nothing happened. I feel fine.’ They’re just out of the habit. They lost the routine.”
That means the health system is flying blind. Unless people get back in the habit of getting their recommended screenings, doctors will lose ground every year in identifying patients with serious conditions or at risk of developing them. That would limit their ability to get ahead of emerging health problems before they become chronic or even life-threatening.
In theory, Englum pointed out, this also could be an opportunity to learn whether the current screening guidelines are actually appropriate. If 10 years were to pass and there were no appreciable increase in cancer mortality, for example, maybe we could revise our recommendations for colonoscopies from every 10 years to every 12. The pandemic would have provided evidence such a delay doesn’t present a big risk at the population level.
That kind of reevaluation is happening across the health system. Health insurers are monitoring the outcomes for patients who delayed kidney treatment because of Covid-19. They are watching for any negative effects, but also for countervailing evidence that might indicate the missed care was actually unnecessary.
At every level, the pandemic has forced a natural experiment in what a disruption to the usual treatment plan means for patient outcomes. We are going to learn a lot, like it or not. The risk is that those lessons will come at the cost of thousands of lives.
Because the flip side of the optimistic scenario is that in 10 years’ time, we will see cancer mortality increasing as a result of delayed screenings.
“By then,” Englum said, “you’ve lost the opportunity to treat however many thousands of people.”
Pendle Borough Council would like to thank the Constables Branch Board ( CBB ) of the Lancashire Police Federation. The CBB agreed to pay for the restoration of Joseph Halstead's memorial to mark an officer who was prepared to make a sacrifice in upholding the Queen's peace and saving life and limb protecting the public of our society.
We would also like to thank PC2516 Steve Rothwell for arranging the funding and the memorial day.
The formation of the Lancashire Constabulary was met with resistance from some of the residents of Colne. In April 1840 it was reported that "the detachment of the constabulary force into that town and neighbourhood met with very great resistance from the lawless population of the district" and they had been subjected to "every species of annoyance and insult". Stones and mud were also thrown at the superintendent and sixteen policemen stationed here and a serious disturbance in the town occurred resulting in Superintendent MacLeod being struck from behind with a large stone and his arm broken as well as other constables being assaulted. The military was dispatched from Burnley and remained in the town for a short while.
By August 1840, civil unrest had flared up again resulting in windows being smashed and a large angry mob armed with bludgeons and staves clashing with the police again. The crowd was dispersed when police reinforcements and the military from Burnley arrived on the scene. An unnatural peace settled on the town over the weekend but trouble was in the air by Monday special constables were sworn in by magistrate from the town. As night fell, a large crowd grew armed with weapons including railings from the newly built Christ Church, Laneshawbridge. The mob and police clashed in Clayton Street and, during the fierce fighting, one of the special constables, Joseph Halstead, was bludgeoned to death with a metal railing.
Although it was very dark on the night, Richard Boothman was arrested for murder and two others James Wilkinson and Thomas Riley for accessory to murder. Richard was found guilty of the murder; although he continued to protest his innocence. He was sentenced to death, later commuted to transportation to Van Dieman's Island (Tazmania). Although he became a successful businessman, he never returned to the town.
Joseph Halstead was originally buried in the graveyard of St John's Church, Albert Road, Colne but his and other graves had to be removed when Albert Road was widened at the end of the 19th Century. His tombstone was then erected as a headstone in Colne Cemetery where it remains today.
7:10pm - I'm sitting in the Osan bus terminal, waiting for Andrew. I've spent the last two hours on a futile search for a McDonald's that doesn't exist in Osan, South Korea. Regardless, at least I had a chance to walk around and talk to the Korean people; I've realized that most people, outside of the airport, don't speak English; however, I have learned, and am currently using, with alarming frequency, two Korean words, "An Nyung Ha Se Yo" and "Gam Sa Hap Mi D." I anticipate eventually being able to speak several words.
The bus ride to Osan, from the airpot, was long, boring, and tiring. Upon disembarking, I spoke with some people who pointed me in the possible direction of McDonald's. Along the way, I stopped at a Dunkin Donuts for a Green Tea Coolatta and a Green Tea Bavarian Donut; wow, Korean cuisine is awesome! I love the fusion of the Korean and American palette. This fusion could be successfully exported to HK too. Anyway, it was fun to communicate with the shop keeper. I kept trying to get her to teach me to say the number, "one", in Korean, but she was having none of it. Undaunted, I finished my snack and marched onward.
I ended up walking through a great deal of Osan, since everyone I asked kept pointing me in a different direction, or some people just didn't know of McDonald's. I even asked the police, and they pointed me in my original direction.
After walking past a carrier factory, I met this guy named Steve who turned me around and walked with me back to Osan, only to find out that he was mistaken about the location of McDonald's. However, it was terrific to talk to him: I found out that Carrier is an American (of course!) air-conditioner company that is number three in Korea (behind Samsung and LG) and China (behind Haier and some other brand.) Steve also gave me his name card, and he taught me how to use the pay phone, which I later successfully used to make contact with Andrew.
Now I am back at the bus terminal, doing some reading, looking at cute Korean girls, and wondering why everyone thinks I'm Japanese.
April 18, 2006 - I slept in a hotel last night; it was comfortable, and an excellent value at 40,000WON per night. Andrew and I, unfortunately, weren't able to meet because I truly suspect that we are in different Osans, or at least in different sections of the city! He made two trips to find me yesterday evening, and during our conversations, it was obvious that we were using two completely different sets of descriptors to identify our locations.
Last night, Andrew told me to look for a restaurant called "Happy Teriyaki," so I wrote the name down in my journal and began asking people if they knew of such a place; like McDonald's, this place doesn't exist. I walked quite a bit though, and I saw that this place has many venues that appear to be bars/karaoke joints/brothels. There are also nice fashion/sport shops.
Today I'm going to find the Air Force Base (AFB) but first, I'm going to do a little more scouting. The new morning has made me more determined to find my way here.
12:30pm - I'm sitting in a hotel, in Songtan. After breakfast - which consisted of Pork Dumplings, soup, and a pickled, yellow vegetable - I scouted out the train station, and copied the stations on a subway line into my journal. I realized that Songtan, which is a place that a guy at the hotel mentioned to me, is close by. Afterwards, I walked over to City Hall to verify the existence of a McDonald's. Well, McDonald's doesn't exist in Osan! I did stop by another Dunkin Donuts to try another kind of Green Tea donut. The donut was delicious and the two girls who I met there were very helpful and friendly. One girl is learning putonghua in university! We communicated a bit using spoken and written Chinese - who would have thought that Chinese would come in handy here! The girls suggested that I try Songtan, if I wanted to find Andrew. To cement our friendship, they offered me a free cup of milk. I took their photo an promised to send them a photo. Korean people are quite helpful.
On the way back to the train station, I met a South African who is working in Osan as an English teacher. She confirmed that the AFB is closer to Songtan than Osan. At least one white person lives in Osan, and she is a very valuable English-speaking asset to this community! Oh, I dropped by the police station, again, and the police reaffirmed that I had a date with Songtan. The police were friendly, and taught me the name of the AFB, "K55."
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 1728. Photo: Cineriz. Sylva Koscina in Il vigile/The Traffic Policeman (Luigi Zampa, 1960). Koscina had a small part in the film as herself.
Italian actress Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) may be best remembered as Iole, the bride of Steve Reeves in the original version of Hercules (1958). She also starred in several Italian and Hollywood comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.
Sylva Koscina was born Sylva Koskinon in Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Croatia), in 1933. She moved to Italy as a teenager, during the Second World War. She was a physics student at Naples University. She was chosen as Miss Di Tappa at the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy bicycle race) in 1954. A picture of her exchanging a kiss with the winner was published in newspapers all over Europe and led to her being offered a job as a model. She worked as a fashion model and was soon discovered for the cinema. She made a fleeting appearance in the part of an aspiring actress in the Toto comedy Siamo uomini o caporali?/Are We Men or Corporals? (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1955) before she had her breakthrough as the daughter of the train engineer in Il ferroviere/The Railroad Man (Pietro Germi, 1956). Pretty, and even too elegant for the part, Sylva Koscina immediately confirmed her talent in Guendalina (Alberto Lattuada, 1957) as a young mother of Jacqueline Sassard. She played leading roles in popular comedies like Nonna Sabella/Grandmother Sabella (Dino Risi, 1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei/He a Thief She a Thief (Luigi Zampa, 1958), and Poveri millionari/Poor Millionaires (Dino Risi, 1958), Koscina alternated cleverly between roles as a vamp and as an ingenue. She represented women in the search for upward social mobility, the image of Italy that had left its worst problems behind.
Sylva Koscina was an actress noted for her carriage. She had an entirely feminine way of walking on the screen and she even lectured Giorgia Moll on how to walk like a lady in the sophisticated comedy Mogli pericolose/Dangerous Wives (Luigi Comencini, 1958). In many of her roles she gives the impression of modelling at a fashion show, head high, mouth very slightly open, eyes lost in the distance. She is the elegant actress of the sixties with an aristocratic manner bordering on snobbery. However she also seemed at ease in a peplum (sword and sandal epic): she was a marvellous fiancee for Hercules (Steve Reeves) in Le fatiche di Ercole/Hercules (Pietro Francisci, 1958), a prototype of this film genre. In Il vigile/The Policeman (Luigi Zampa, 1960), she played herself opposite Alberto Sordi as a traffic officer. Charmed by her he lets Sylva go without a ticket, but when the film star thanks him on TV he gets into a lot of trouble. Koscina married Raimondo Castelli, a small producer connected with Minerva Films. She kept well afloat with anything but negligible roles, such as a dramatic part in Il sicario/Blood Feud (Damiano Damiani, 1961) with Belinda Lee. In La lepre e la tartaruga/The Hare and the Tortoise, an episode in Le quattro verità/The Three Fables of Love (Alessandro Blasetti, Hervé Bromberger, René Clair, Luis García Berlanga, 1963), director Blasetti constructs a deliciously sophisticated duel between her and Monica Vitti. In 1965 Sylva took part in Giulietta degli spiriti/Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) as one of Giulietta Masina's sisters. But she also became a television personality who is often the special guest on variety shows.
After passing thirty, Sylva Koscina tried playing the American card. She starred in the comedy caper Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967) with David McCallum and Deadlier Than the Male (Ralph Thomas, 1966), in which she and Elke Sommer portrayed sophisticated professional killers duelling with Bulldog Drummond (Richard Johnson). She partnered with Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (Jack Smight, 1968) and Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (David Lowell Rich, 1968). She appeared as a German doctor, Bianca, in Hornet's Nest (Phil Karlson, Franco Cirino, 1970) with Rock Hudson, but without luck. Her fame became a bit tarnished, but it was given a boost with her appearance in the Italian edition of Playboy magazine in 1967. The photography by Angelo Frontoni was exquisite, but the fact of a film star photographed bare-breasted in a magazine provoked a scandal. Thus the image of Sylva, based on an elegant and slightly snobbish femininity was enriched with an erotic touch. In that same period, L'assolute naturale/He and She (Mauro Bolognini, 1969) was released complete with a full nude shot. This was a sign of the radical change Italian cinema and society underwent. Some of her lovemaking scenes with Gabriele Tinti in the fantasy film Lisa and the Devil (Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone, 1974) had to be cut because they were considered pornographic.
Since the early 1960s, Sylva Koscina invested most of her star salaries in a luxurious villa, in the well-to-do district of Marino, Rome, complete with 16th centuries of furniture and artist's paintings. This lasted until her spending overcame her dwindling income, and in 1976, when she had to face a tax evasion inquest, she was forced to sell her house. She lived with Raimondo Castelli since 1960, but they could not marry because his wife refused to divorce. In 1967 they married in Mexico, but this marriage was not officially recognized in Italy, and they separated in 1971. Sylva depended more and more on erotic appearances. In June 75 she was on the cover and featured again in the Italian Playboy. She appeared in sex comedies like Some Like It Cool (Franz Antel, 1977) with Tony Curtis, and in a segment of Sunday Lovers (Dino Risi, 1980) with Ugo Tognazzi. In the 1980s, Sylva had a long-running live theatre performance in Rome. By then a mature but still beautiful Koscina, performed every night in the nude. She only incidentally appeared in films, including Cenerentola '80/Cinderella ´80 (Roberto Malenotti, 1984) with Adolfo Celi, and Rimini Rimini (Sergio Corbucci, 1987) with Laura Antonelli. Koscina returned before the cameras in the year just before her death: her last appearance was in the tantalizingly titled C'è Kim Novak al telefono/Kim Novak is on the Phone (Riki Roseo, 1994). Sylva Koscina died in Rome in 1994, aged 61, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Sources: Hal Erickson (All Movie), Simon Benattar-Bourgeay (CinéArtistes - French), Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
East German Starfoto by Progress Film-Verleih, Berlin, no. 31/76.
Italian actress Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) may be best remembered as Iole, the bride of Steve Reeves in the original version of Hercules (1958). She also starred in several Italian and Hollywood comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.
Sylva Koscina was born Sylva Koskinon in Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Croatia), in 1933. She moved to Italy as a teenager, during the Second World War. She was a physics student at Naples University. She was chosen as Miss Di Tappa at the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy bicycle race) in 1954. A picture of her exchanging a kiss with the winner was published in newspapers all over Europe and led to her being offered a job as a model. She worked as a fashion model and was soon discovered for the cinema. She made a fleeting appearance in the part of an aspiring actress in the Toto comedy Siamo uomini o caporali?/Are We Men or Corporals? (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1955) before she had her breakthrough as the daughter of the train engineer in Il ferroviere/The Railroad Man (Pietro Germi, 1956). Pretty, and even too elegant for the part, Sylva Koscina immediately confirmed her talent in Guendalina (Alberto Lattuada, 1957) as a young mother of Jacqueline Sassard. She played leading roles in popular comedies like Nonna Sabella/Grandmother Sabella (Dino Risi, 1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei/He a Thief She a Thief (Luigi Zampa, 1958), and Poveri millionari/Poor Millionaires (Dino Risi, 1958), Koscina alternated cleverly between roles as a vamp and as an ingenue. She represented women in the search for upward social mobility, the image of Italy that had left its worst problems behind.
Sylva Koscina was an actress noted for her carriage. She had an entirely feminine way of walking on the screen and she even lectured Giorgia Moll on how to walk like a lady in the sophisticated comedy Mogli pericolose/Dangerous Wives (Luigi Comencini, 1958). In many of her roles she gives the impression of modelling at a fashion show, head high, mouth very slightly open, eyes lost in the distance. She is the elegant actress of the sixties with an aristocratic manner bordering on snobbery. However she also seemed at ease in a peplum (sword and sandal epic): she was a marvellous fiancee for Hercules (Steve Reeves) in Le fatiche di Ercole/Hercules (Pietro Francisci, 1958), a prototype of this film genre. In Il vigile/The Policeman (Luigi Zampa, 1960), she played herself opposite Alberto Sordi as a traffic officer. Charmed by her he lets Sylva go without a ticket, but when the film star thanks him on TV he gets into a lot of trouble. Koscina married Raimondo Castelli, a small producer connected with Minerva Films. She kept well afloat with anything but negligible roles, such as a dramatic part in Il sicario/Blood Feud (Damiano Damiani, 1961) with Belinda Lee. In La lepre e la tartaruga/The Hare and the Tortoise, an episode in Le quattro verità/The Three Fables of Love (Alessandro Blasetti, Hervé Bromberger, René Clair, Luis García Berlanga, 1963), director Blasetti constructs a deliciously sophisticated duel between her and Monica Vitti. In 1965 Sylva took part in Giulietta degli spiriti/Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) as one of Giulietta Masina's sisters. But she also became a television personality who is often the special guest on variety shows.
After passing thirty, Sylva Koscina tried playing the American card. She starred in the comedy caper Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967) with David McCallum and Deadlier Than the Male (Ralph Thomas, 1966), in which she and Elke Sommer portrayed sophisticated professional killers duelling with Bulldog Drummond (Richard Johnson). She partnered with Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (Jack Smight, 1968) and Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (David Lowell Rich, 1968). She appeared as a German doctor, Bianca, in Hornet's Nest (Phil Karlson, Franco Cirino, 1970) with Rock Hudson, but without luck. Her fame became a bit tarnished, but it was given a boost with her appearance in the Italian edition of Playboy magazine in 1967. The photography by Angelo Frontoni was exquisite, but the fact of a film star photographed bare-breasted in a magazine provoked a scandal. Thus the image of Sylva, based on an elegant and slightly snobbish femininity was enriched with an erotic touch. In that same period, L'assolute naturale/He and She (Mauro Bolognini, 1969) was released complete with a full nude shot. This was a sign of the radical change Italian cinema and society underwent. Some of her lovemaking scenes with Gabriele Tinti in the fantasy film Lisa and the Devil (Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone, 1974) had to be cut because they were considered pornographic.
Since the early 1960s, Sylva Koscina invested most of her star salaries in a luxurious villa, in the well-to-do district of Marino, Rome, complete with 16th centuries of furniture and artist's paintings. This lasted until her spending overcame her dwindling income, and in 1976, when she had to face a tax evasion inquest, she was forced to sell her house. She lived with Raimondo Castelli since 1960, but they could not marry because his wife refused to divorce. In 1967 they married in Mexico, but this marriage was not officially recognized in Italy, and they separated in 1971. Sylva depended more and more on erotic appearances. In June 75 she was on the cover and featured again in the Italian Playboy. She appeared in sex comedies like Some Like It Cool (Franz Antel, 1977) with Tony Curtis, and in a segment of Sunday Lovers (Dino Risi, 1980) with Ugo Tognazzi. In the 1980s, Sylva had a long-running live theatre performance in Rome. By then a mature but still beautiful Koscina, performed every night in the nude. She only incidentally appeared in films, including Cenerentola '80/Cinderella ´80 (Roberto Malenotti, 1984) with Adolfo Celi, and Rimini Rimini (Sergio Corbucci, 1987) with Laura Antonelli. Koscina returned before the cameras in the year just before her death: her last appearance was in the tantalizingly titled C'è Kim Novak al telefono/Kim Novak is on the Phone (Riki Roseo, 1994). Sylva Koscina died in Rome in 1994, aged 61, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Sources: Hal Erickson (All Movie), Simon Benattar-Bourgeay (CinéArtistes - French), Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
It is pretty miserable again here in Wales today. The high winds have abated but dark clouds are making their way across the sky again and the rain is never far off.
While I was moaning my lot, I came across this photo which I had taken of some flowers in our garden during the summer. Steve planted them last year, mid-springtime in one of our beds – I’m ashamed to say that neither of us have a clue as to their name.
When I uploaded the photo onto flickr I thought “I wonder how many flowers there are in this picture” but in no time I lost count.
Hope is in Salt Lake City covering
Harvard in the NCAA basketball tournament.
Underdogs Harvard beat New Mexico 68 62
here is a story that she filed earlier this week:
Trio of Bigs will be Key Against New Mexico
By Hope Schwartz, CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Opening the 2012-2013 basketball season, Harvard’s success depended almost entirely on wing Wes Saunders and point guard Siyani Chambers. The sophomore-freshman duo came out hot, with Chambers’s vision and distribution complimenting Saunders’s speed off the dribble and ability to finish in the paint.
For a team with no clear identity after the loss of co-captains Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry, the Saunders-Chambers combo seemed like the Crimson’s best shot to do offensive damage at the beginning of the season.
However, early non-conference losses highlighted Harvard’s weakness in the paint, and strong interior players like Connecticut forward DeAndre Daniels exploited the Crimson’s relative lack of size and strength. With no established power forward—let alone center—and a tough non-conference schedule ahead, the young team struggled to find its rhythm and spell Saunders, who was limited on offense when he was tasked with defending the opponent’s strongest scoring threat.
Then came the bigs.
The evolution of sophomore forwards Jonah Travis, Kenyatta Smith and Steve Mondou-Missi—who all averaged fewer than 14 minutes per game as freshmen—has been key to the Crimson’s late-season success. Though the three have developed distinct roles and identities, their playing time has been inexorably linked to each other’s success in a lineup that tends to employ four perimeter players, leaving space for one inside presence.
Heating up at different times and in key situations throughout the season, the trio has combined to hand the Crimson some of its most important wins—and will be even more crucial when Harvard takes on New Mexico in the NCAA tournament.
“[The Lobos] are big and that’s the thing,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said, after learning about the matchup on Selection Sunday. “They are a big, strong and powerful team. Their guards have size, and you are looing at six-seven on the perimeter.”
The Lobos favored starting lineup includes seven-foot center Alex Kirk and a backcourt that ranges from 6’3” to 6’7”.
Throughout the season, the Crimson has struggled to contain tall teams like New Mexico, but if there’s hope for Harvard, it lies with the bigs and their development through Amaker’s season long search for a consistent post presence.
Moundou-Missi came into the season with the most experience of the three—averaging five points in 14 minutes per game as a freshman—and was thrust into a starting role at the beginning of the year, starting the first five games. But, foul trouble plagued the forward and limited his effectiveness as it forced him to play conservatively.
Moundou-Missi fouled out after only 11 minutes in the Crimson’s win over Manhattan and racked up four personals in two of his other four starts. After failing to make the impact Amaker was looking for, Moundou-Missi went to the bench, where he was able to make a bigger impact, scoring in double digits in half of Harvard’s conference contests—including a 17-point night at Yale.
However, as chants of “Steeeeeeve” began to fill Lavietes, Moundou-Missi had one more hurdle to overcome—his free throw shooting.
During Harvard’s first Ivy home stand, the forward went eight for 18 at the stripe, missing key opportunities down the stretch in close wins over Brown and Yale. But Moundou-Missi adapted, and never shot below 75 percent from the line for the rest of the season.
Like Moundou-Missi, Smith started the first fives games but quickly took a secondary role after struggling to finish in the paint. Smith waited in the wings for the majority of the season, averaging 14 minutes per game, until Amaker put him back in the lineup for the Penn-Princeton homestand.
Smith’s breakout weekend could not have come at a better time for the Crimson. Having dropped a road contest to Columbia, the matchups against the Killer P’s were must wins at home if Harvard were to remain in contention for the title.
Smith put up a career-high 20 points against Penn on Friday and was one rebound away from a triple-double, adding 10 blocks. On Saturday, the forward followed it up with 14 points on 100 percent shooting from both the field and the line, while notching six blocks to boot. At 6’8”—the tallest of the three—Smith leads the Crimson with 2.2 blocked shots per game, and his performances against Penn and Princeton earned him the start for the remainder of the regular season.
When Smith and Moundou-Missi went to the bench after the first five games of the season, Amaker turned to Travis, who started in 14 straight games in a hot mid-season stretch. The forward came out firing in the season opener against MIT—putting up 14 points in 21 minutes—and a 16 point performance against Fordham earned him his first career start in the Crimson’s next contest at Boston College.
However, Travis’ season has been marked by inconsistency. His season-high 19 points against Saint Mary’s came late in non-conference play, and since a 16-point performance in the Crimson’s Ivy home opener Travis has not scored in double digits again. As conference play has progressed and Smith and Moundou-Missi have heated up, Travis has seen progressively less playing time, sitting out the final game of the season.
Going into Thursday’s matchup, it remains to be seen which lineup Amaker chooses. Taking a page from the start of the season, he could choose to tap Smith and Moundou-Missi in an attempt to get as much size on the court as possible. However, its more likely he will go with the four-guard combination of Chambers, Saunders, and co-captains Christian Webster and Laurent Rivard that has become the Crimson’s offensive identity this season, using his trio of bigs in rotation.
Regardless of the lineup Amaker chooses on Thursday, Travis, Smith, and Moundou-Missi face a tall task ahead.
—Staff writer Hope Schwartz can be contacted at hschwartz@college.harvard.edu Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSchwartz16.
Italian postcard by Rotalfoto, Milano, no. 888.
Italian actress Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) may be best remembered as Iole, the bride of Steve Reeves in the original version of Hercules (1958). She also starred in several Italian and Hollywood comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.
Sylva Koscina was born Sylva Koskinon in Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Croatia), in 1933. She moved to Italy as a teenager, during the Second World War. She was a physics student at Naples University. She was chosen as Miss Di Tappa at the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy bicycle race) in 1954. A picture of her exchanging a kiss with the winner was published in newspapers all over Europe and led to her being offered a job as a model. She worked as a fashion model and was soon discovered for the cinema. She made a fleeting appearance in the part of an aspiring actress in the Toto comedy Siamo uomini o caporali?/Are We Men or Corporals? (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1955) before she had her breakthrough as the daughter of the train engineer in Il ferroviere/The Railroad Man (Pietro Germi, 1956). Pretty, and even too elegant for the part, Sylva Koscina immediately confirmed her talent in Guendalina (Alberto Lattuada, 1957) as a young mother of Jacqueline Sassard. She played leading roles in popular comedies like Nonna Sabella/Grandmother Sabella (Dino Risi, 1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei/He a Thief She a Thief (Luigi Zampa, 1958), and Poveri millionari/Poor Millionaires (Dino Risi, 1958), Koscina alternated cleverly between roles as a vamp and as an ingenue. She represented women in the search for upward social mobility, the image of Italy that had left its worst problems behind.
Sylva Koscina was an actress noted for her carriage. She had an entirely feminine way of walking on the screen and she even lectured Giorgia Moll on how to walk like a lady in the sophisticated comedy Mogli pericolose/Dangerous Wives (Luigi Comencini, 1958). In many of her roles she gives the impression of modelling at a fashion show, head high, mouth very slightly open, eyes lost in the distance. She is the elegant actress of the sixties with an aristocratic manner bordering on snobbery. However she also seemed at ease in a peplum (sword and sandal epic): she was a marvellous fiancee for Hercules (Steve Reeves) in Le fatiche di Ercole/Hercules (Pietro Francisci, 1958), a prototype of this film genre. In Il vigile/The Policeman (Luigi Zampa, 1960), she played herself opposite Alberto Sordi as a traffic officer. Charmed by her he lets Sylva go without a ticket, but when the film star thanks him on TV he gets into a lot of trouble. Koscina married Raimondo Castelli, a small producer connected with Minerva Films. She kept well afloat with anything but negligible roles, such as a dramatic part in Il sicario/Blood Feud (Damiano Damiani, 1961) with Belinda Lee. In La lepre e la tartaruga/The Hare and the Tortoise, an episode in Le quattro verità/The Three Fables of Love (Alessandro Blasetti, Hervé Bromberger, René Clair, Luis García Berlanga, 1963), director Blasetti constructs a deliciously sophisticated duel between her and Monica Vitti. In 1965 Sylva took part in Giulietta degli spiriti/Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) as one of Giulietta Masina's sisters. But she also became a television personality who is often the special guest on variety shows.
After passing thirty, Sylva Koscina tried playing the American card. She starred in the comedy caper Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967) with David McCallum and Deadlier Than the Male (Ralph Thomas, 1966), in which she and Elke Sommer portrayed sophisticated professional killers duelling with Bulldog Drummond (Richard Johnson). She partnered with Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (Jack Smight, 1968) and Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (David Lowell Rich, 1968). She appeared as a German doctor, Bianca, in Hornet's Nest (Phil Karlson, Franco Cirino, 1970) with Rock Hudson, but without luck. Her fame became a bit tarnished, but it was given a boost with her appearance in the Italian edition of Playboy magazine in 1967. The photography by Angelo Frontoni was exquisite, but the fact of a film star photographed bare-breasted in a magazine provoked a scandal. Thus the image of Sylva, based on an elegant and slightly snobbish femininity was enriched with an erotic touch. In that same period, L'assolute naturale/He and She (Mauro Bolognini, 1969) was released complete with a full nude shot. This was a sign of the radical change Italian cinema and society underwent. Some of her lovemaking scenes with Gabriele Tinti in the fantasy film Lisa and the Devil (Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone, 1974) had to be cut because they were considered pornographic.
Since the early 1960s, Sylva Koscina invested most of her star salaries in a luxurious villa, in the well-to-do district of Marino, Rome, complete with 16th centuries of furniture and artist's paintings. This lasted until her spending overcame her dwindling income, and in 1976, when she had to face a tax evasion inquest, she was forced to sell her house. She lived with Raimondo Castelli since 1960, but they could not marry because his wife refused to divorce. In 1967 they married in Mexico, but this marriage was not officially recognized in Italy, and they separated in 1971. Sylva depended more and more on erotic appearances. In June 75 she was on the cover and featured again in the Italian Playboy. She appeared in sex comedies like Some Like It Cool (Franz Antel, 1977) with Tony Curtis, and in a segment of Sunday Lovers (Dino Risi, 1980) with Ugo Tognazzi. In the 1980s, Sylva had a long-running live theatre performance in Rome. By then a mature but still beautiful Koscina, performed every night in the nude. She only incidentally appeared in films, including Cenerentola '80/Cinderella ´80 (Roberto Malenotti, 1984) with Adolfo Celi, and Rimini Rimini (Sergio Corbucci, 1987) with Laura Antonelli. Koscina returned before the cameras in the year just before her death: her last appearance was in the tantalizingly titled C'è Kim Novak al telefono/Kim Novak is on the Phone (Riki Roseo, 1994). Sylva Koscina died in Rome in 1994, aged 61, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Sources: Hal Erickson (All Movie), Simon Benattar-Bourgeay (CinéArtistes - French), Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
West German postcard by Ufa/Film-Foto, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. FK 4194. Photo: Georg Michalke / Ufa.
Italian actress Sylva Koscina (1933-1994) may be best remembered as Iole, the bride of Steve Reeves in the original version of Hercules (1958). She also starred in several Italian and Hollywood comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.
Sylva Koscina was born Sylva Koskinon in Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Croatia), in 1933. She moved to Italy as a teenager, during the Second World War. She was a physics student at Naples University. She was chosen as Miss Di Tappa at the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy bicycle race) in 1954. A picture of her exchanging a kiss with the winner was published in newspapers all over Europe and led to her being offered a job as a model. She worked as a fashion model and was soon discovered for the cinema. She made a fleeting appearance in the part of an aspiring actress in the Toto comedy Siamo uomini o caporali?/Are We Men or Corporals? (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1955) before she had her breakthrough as the daughter of the train engineer in Il ferroviere/The Railroad Man (Pietro Germi, 1956). Pretty, and even too elegant for the part, Sylva Koscina immediately confirmed her talent in Guendalina (Alberto Lattuada, 1957) as a young mother of Jacqueline Sassard. She played leading roles in popular comedies like Nonna Sabella/Grandmother Sabella (Dino Risi, 1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei/He a Thief She a Thief (Luigi Zampa, 1958), and Poveri millionari/Poor Millionaires (Dino Risi, 1958), Koscina alternated cleverly between roles as a vamp and as an ingenue. She represented women in the search for social upward mobility, the image of an Italy that had left its worst problems behind.
Sylva Koscina was an actress noted for her carriage. She had an entirely feminine way of walking on the screen and she even lectured Giorgia Moll on how to walk like a lady in the sophisticated comedy Mogli pericolose/Dangerous Wives (Luigi Comencini, 1958). In many of her roles she gives the impression of modelling at a fashion show, head high, mouth very slightly open, eyes lost in the distance. She is the elegant actress of the sixties with an aristocratic manner bordering on snobbery. However she also seemed at ease in a peplum (sword and sandal epic): she was a marvellous fiancee for Hercules (Steve Reeves) in Le fatiche di Ercole/Hercules (Pietro Francisci, 1958), a prototype of this film genre. In Il vigile/The Policeman (Luigi Zampa, 1960), she played herself opposite Alberto Sordi as a traffic officer. Charmed by her he lets Sylva go without a ticket, but when the film star thanks him on TV he gets into a lot of trouble. Koscina married Raimondo Castelli, a small producer connected with Minerva Films. She managed to keep well afloat with anything but negligible roles, such as a dramatic part in Il sicario/Blood Feud (Damiano Damiani, 1961) with Belinda Lee. In La lepre e la tartaruga/The Hare and the Tortoise, an episode in Le quattro verità/The Three Fables of Love (Alessandro Blasetti, Hervé Bromberger, René Clair, Luis García Berlanga, 1963), director Blasetti constructs a deliciously sophisticated duel between her and Monica Vitti. In 1965 Sylva took part in Giulietta degli spiriti/Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) as one of Giulietta Masina's sisters. But she also became a television personality who is often the special guest on variety shows.
After passing thirty, Sylva Koscina tried playing the American card. She starred in the comedy caper Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967) with David McCallum and Deadlier Than the Male (Ralph Thomas, 1966), in which she and Elke Sommer portrayed sophisticated professional killers duelling with Bulldog Drummond (Richard Johnson). She partnered with Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (Jack Smight, 1968) and with Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (David Lowell Rich, 1968). She appeared as a German doctor, Bianca, in Hornet's Nest (Phil Karlson, Franco Cirino, 1970) with Rock Hudson, but without luck. Her fame became a bit tarnished, but it was given a boost with her appearance in the Italian edition of Playboy magazine in 1967. The photography by Angelo Frontoni was exquisite, but the fact of a film star photographed bare-breasted in a magazine provoked a scandal. Thus the image of Sylva, based on an elegant and slightly snobbish femininity was enriched with an erotic touch. In that same period, L'assolute naturale/He and She (Mauro Bolognini, 1969) was released complete with a full nude shot. This was a sign of the radical change Italian cinema and society underwent. Some of her lovemaking scenes with Gabriele Tinti in the fantasy film Lisa and the Devil (Mario Bava, Alfredo Leone, 1974) had to be cut because they were considered pornographic.
Since the early 1960s, Sylva Koscina invested most of her star salaries in a luxurious villa, in the well-to-do district of Marino, Rome, complete with 16th centuries of furniture and artist's paintings. This lasted until her spending overcame her dwindling income, and in 1976, when she had to face a tax evasion inquest, she was forced to sell her house. She lived with Raimondo Castelli since 1960, but they could not marry because his wife refused to divorce. In 1967 they married in Mexico, but this marriage was not officially recognized in Italy, and they separated in 1971. Sylva depended more and more on erotic appearances. In June 75 she was on the cover and featured again in the Italian Playboy. She appeared in sex comedies like Some Like It Cool (Franz Antel, 1977) with Tony Curtis, and in a segment of Sunday Lovers (Dino Risi, 1980) with Ugo Tognazzi. In the 1980s, Sylva had a long-running live theatre performance in Rome. By then a mature but still beautiful Koscina, performed every night in the nude. She only incidentally appeared in films, including Cenerentola '80/Cinderella ´80 (Roberto Malenotti, 1984) with Adolfo Celi, and Rimini Rimini (Sergio Corbucci, 1987) with Laura Antonelli. Koscina returned before the cameras in the year just before her death: her last appearance was in the tantalizingly titled C'è Kim Novak al telefono/Kim Novak is on the Phone (Riki Roseo, 1994). Sylva Koscina died in Rome in 1994, aged 61, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Sources: Hal Erickson (All Movie), Simon Benattar-Bourgeay (CinéArtistes - French), Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen, Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Mingle Media TV and our Red Carpet Report team with host Kaori Takee were invited to come out to cover the LA Premiere of Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans in North Hollywood. This documentary includes newly discovered footage about McQueen and his passion and pursuit of his dream.
For video interviews and other Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit www.redcarpetreporttv.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/RedCarpetReportTV
www.youtube.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
About STEVE MCQUEEN: THE MAN and LE MANS
By 1970, Steve McQueen ruled Hollywood. He was the King of Cool and the world’s most notorious ladies’ man. Hot off the back of classics like “The Thomas Crown Affair” and “Bullitt,” the racing fanatic began production of his passion project, “Le Mans,” centered on the 24-hour car race in France. But the infamously troubled production was plagued with financial troubles, on-set rivalries and the star’s own personal issues. This documentary film interweaves stunning, newly discovered footage and McQueen’s private recordings with original interviews to reveal the true story of how this cinema legend would risk everything in pursuit of his dream.
STEVE MCQUEEN: THE MAN and LE MANS is the story of obsession, betrayal and ultimate vindication. It is the story of how one of the most volatile, charismatic stars of his generation, who seemingly lost so much he held dear in the pursuit of his dream, nevertheless followed it to the end.
For more of Mingle Media TV’s Red Carpet Report coverage, please visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook here:
www.facebook.com/minglemediatvnetwork
www.flickr.com/MingleMediaTVNetwork
Follow our host, Kaori Takee on Twitter at twitter.com/kaorious
How powerful are the record companies?
♬ People tell us that we play to loud
But they don't know what our music's about
We never listen to the record company man
They try to change us and ruin our band. ♬
A couple of days ago I hacked up a quick story, Why Apple and iTunes is a "piece of crap": How I couldn't buy a piece of music for US.99c. I wanted the track, I had the money but because I live in a country that's !US I'm simply locked out.
Apple the problem?
I pitched the title at Apple and iTunes because this is what I tried first. My main contention was that Apple in a position of influence in the distribution chain is partly responsible for these restrictions. Thanks to Pat for being skeptical enough to respond and John Ahrends for questioning why Apple is responsible. So, "is Apple the only culprit?" I hadn't looked at other services like Amazon, Lala, rhapsody and play. What I found is the exact same block on purchasing a .99c single. I can't purchase the track I want because I'm of the release date for the Album is different for each country.
Emperical thinking
I like to think I'm empirical in my thinking. I change the way I see things if there is enough evidence. So was I hasty calling Apple and iTunes to blame? Maybe. I still think Apple have some sort of responsibility simply because iTunes are the are the record stores and iPods are the stereo systems of today. So who is the real problem? If so many eTail distributors do the same thing who is the common factor? I found this letter from Steve Jobs about the negotiations with record companies to remove DRM from iTunes. It makes for an interesting read.
Where now?
♬ When were jammin' in our old garage
The girls come over and it sure gets hot
We don't wanna be watered down
Takin' orders from record company clowns. ♬
So where do I stand trying to enter a competition? I don't know so I emailed the contest email address:
--------- START ---------
Q on Johnny magic contest: Are there any restrictions for foreign entries? (area restricted sale of Johnny Magic single)
Hi I've got a question for the competition at
neilyoung.com/forkintheroad/johnnymagic-contest.html
Q. Are there any restrictions for foreign entries?
I ask this because iTunes for Australia has not released "Johnny Magic"
the single. The US site is restricted to US customers for purchasing as
with the UK sites.[0] This includes Amazon and numerous other mp3
distributors. This effectively restricts contestants from Aus *legally*
entering as the competition states [1] by going to iTunes to get the
single.
Regs PR
[0] Purchase trouble
www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3413400182/in/set-72157615...
[1] Comp entry
www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3413646313/in/set-72157615...
--------- END ---------
and they replied...
--------- START ---------
Re: Q on Johnny magic contest: Are there any restrictions for foreign entries? (area restricted sale of Johnny Magic single)
We did not plan to limit entries to the US. The cd becomes available
tomorrow in the US and hopefully soon in Australia. We will change the
instructions.
Thanks.
--------- END ---------
Not exactly helpful, but better than nothing. So it's off to my sisters to get the Mac again. Looks like I can purchase the CD, rip the mp3 and use that legally. Sales of the record in Australia are for 2008APR28 in time for the competition. Sale of the US version of the CD is tomorrow.
♬ That's why we don't wanna be good
That's why we don't wanna be good
We're prisoners of rock and roll. ♬
Make up your own mind who is a "piece of crap"?
next >>>
The Village Angels.
A hearse, police car, ambulance and taxi lined up along Piccadilly Gardens to remind revellers of the consequences of their decisions.
The vehicles took their place at the busy city centre location on ‘Mad Friday’ to encourage those going out on the busiest night of the year to make responsible choices whilst enjoying the festivities.
Three hundred thousand people are expected to visit the city centre this weekend, and extra officers will be out on patrol throughout to ensure the night is fun and safe for all. Officers will also be patrolling the roads looking for drink drivers.
Chief Superintendent John O’Hare from Greater Manchester Police’s Specialist Operations, said: “Our officers will be on duty throughout the holiday period to ensure people have a safe and peaceful Christmas. However, I urge everyone to consider how they plan to spend their festive period – nobody wants to end up in a police car, ambulance or – in the worst instance – a hearse.
“We want people to come out and enjoy themselves but ask that they take personal responsibility. Alcohol can have devastating consequences and one thoughtless act after too much alcohol can end violently and tragically. Often people don’t realise what they are doing when they have had a drink and it is those split-second actions that result in devastating life-long consequences.
“No police officer wants to have to deliver the message that a loved one has died in an alcohol-fuelled fight or been killed or seriously injured at the hands of a drink or drug driver. Or where they have been the driver deliver the news of their tragic death.
“If you’re out tonight then please look after yourself and your friends. Know your limits, control your temper, walk away from trouble and make sure the only vehicle taking you home tonight is a taxi.”
Steve Hynes, Greater Manchester Head of Service, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “We are currently receiving an unprecedented amount of 999 calls. The festive season is always an extremely busy time for the emergency services and is set to place even more demand on our resources this year.
“We want to encourage the public to consider the seriousness associated with this time of year, especially in the week before Christmas. Our staff see first-hand the devastating affect alcohol-related incidents can cause - in some instances, it can result in death.
“Ultimately, we want people to have a safe, enjoyable festive season but it can all change quickly, so please consider your actions as the implications may be life-changing.”
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the new national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Images used:
Kristine
www.flickr.com/photos/53035820@N02/8228519627/in/faves-14...
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
eyes
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
cord
Klick Link For Read Online Or Download Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Disneyland® Resort's Best Kept Secrets Book : bit.ly/2hyuvKO
Synopsis
Steve Barrett updates his popular guide to the Disneyland Resort's hidden Mickeys―images of Mickey Mouse concealed all around the parks and resort hotels by Disney's Imagineers and designers. Once again "Hidden Mickey Guy" Barrett, as he's known to his legion of fans, tracks down the elusive Mouse―finding him in nearly 500 hiding places old and new. He shares his findings in three scavenger hunts, complete with clues, hints, points to be scored, and places to tally them. Read the cryptic Clues, then compete with family and friends to spot Mickey. Having trouble finding him? Turn to the Hints for a complete description. Or simply search for him wherever you find yourself in the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks, Downtown Disney® District, or the resort hotels by consulting the "Index to Mickey
Where are you now, O Steve?
Steve was a very quiet bloke who grew up in a village near York. He liked a pint, and a joke, and a laugh and he liked his heavy rock.
He and I used to hang out quite a bit. We had a couple of stupid comedy sketch ideas that we kicked back and forth.
One of them was a Spanish gangster type, whose greeting was "b'stard, my friend". This was a few years before The New Statesman and the character Alan B'Stard appeared. We reckon we were overheard doing the 'b'stard' thing...It just goes to show, you need to get these things sent off to the powers that be instead of kicking them around for years.
Steve and I got into trouble at Wearmouth Hall in Sunderland, supposedly for theft and damage. I copped to the damage - I broke open a linen closet when I was very very drunk - but neither of us stole anything.
Steve was really upset about the whole thing. The worst of it was that we knew the guy who grassed us up was Steve's next door resident, a bloke by the name of Jilke. So every time Steve saw Jilke, they had to go through this pantomime of avoiding eye contact.
Steve was studying mech. eng. or civil eng. or something quite difficult, whereas I was an arts student, so college was a bit of a doss, frankly. we got to play with video cameras and talk a lot of theory and opinion, but we weren't really learning anything useful. In fact I doubt that my current job even relates to anything I did at college.
I haven't seen Steve since college, back in 1984. I haven't seen his name on friendsreunited.co.uk
It would be great to get back in touch. maybe I'll see you on flickr.com some time, Steve?
The Bremont Horsemen performing in three P-51 Mustangs (Steve Hinton (lead) in "Fragile but Agile", Ed Shipley (left wing) in "Double Trouble two" and Dan Friedkin (right wing) in "February") during the 2014 San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show.
Pop star Amy Macdonald and new fiancé, footballer, Steve Lovell look happy as they watch the pre-season draw between Steve's former clubs Dundee and Aberdeen at Dens Park, Dundee.
Steve proposed to Amy during a holiday in Grenada last month and the couple announced their engagement at the T in the Park festival last weekend, where Amy dedicated a new song 'Troubled Soul' to him during her set.
One of Amy's previous songs "Footballer's Wife" derides women who think they are stars because they are married to a footballer.
November 1991 and two West Midland Police Drug Squad Officers were contemplating their next trip to Romania with an Aid convoy. Up to this time they had been content to drive the smaller lorries but now one of the officers, Steve Davis, had obtained his L.G.V. licence and the second, Dave Nix, had his course booked.
The thoughts were now let’s see if we can borrow an articulated vehicle and take a large amount of Aid to Romania.
Steve had learnt to drive on a Scania and had been told by the Police Driving School instructors that Scania were undoubtedly the best vehicles so it was not a hard choice. ‘Keltruck are right on our doorstep. Let’s try them’. Steve and Dave then went to Keltruck and asked to see ‘The Boss’, Chris Kelly. ‘The Boss’ however was not available - he was away doing an Aid trip of his own to Albania. The Keltruck staff meanwhile gave the boys hope that a lorry might be forthcoming.
When Chris returned from his trip he was visited by Steve and Dave and asked about the possibility of using a Keltruck vehicle. Immediately the answer was yes and also that a trailer would also be made available as and when needed and that it would be loaded at Keltruck’s premises and kept secure there. If there were any problems then Chris was to be spoken to as soon as they became apparent.
Over the next three months the loads were obtained for the lorries that were to depart on the 4th April 1992.
The final weeks were hectic but amid much encouragement from all the Keltruck personnel the trailers were loaded with forty-five tonnes of much needed Aid.
The vehicle that the two ‘drivers’ were to use was unveiled. A brand new Scania 113M Centurion with all the extras. Steve and Dave couldn’t believe that they were to be entrusted with such a vehicle. The two had a test drive in the lorry and hearts were in mouths as they drove it for the first time. To quote a member of Keltruck staff, “It’s better than driving a car.”
The great day of Saturday April 4th dawned and the lorries and trailers were finished off with their loads and after a great send off by Keltruck and Kevin Lloyd (Tosh Lines from The Bill), his family and a number of others, the convoy led by the Keltruck Scania left Birmingham for Bucharest, Romania.
Four days of driving later the lorries pulled into the Dinamo Bucharest Stadium. It had been the most trouble free run into Romania that Steve and Dave had experienced. They only had to fight off other drivers in the convoy who wanted to have a drive of the ‘Centurion’. The only problem they had encountered was on the road from Arad to Deva in Romania. The roads had deteriorated that much over the winter that the bumping and jolting was causing the Compact Disc player to jump. (Weren’t they hard done by!) Over the next two days the Aid was delivered to the establishments it was destined for and then the long haul was due to start.
The lorries were parked nightly in the stadium car park under armed guard but it was still amazing how many people wanted to look inside the 'Centurion' and at it.
The journey back started and once again after four days hard driving the convoy arrived back in Birmingham. It was with great reluctance that the lorry had to be returned to Keltruck but Steve and Dave did not have anywhere to hide it and besides Chris Kelly would probably have missed it!
It has been a great pleasure for both Steve Davis and Dave Nix to have been associated with Keltruck, Scania, Keltruck personnel and Chris Kelly. It would not have been possible for the convoy aims to have been accomplished without the help of them all. It is estimated that during the April 1992 convoy Aid with a value in excess of a quarter of a million pounds was delivered to hospitals and orphanages in Romania.
From a personal point of view it was also a great thrill to be entrusted with such a magnificent vehicle as Steve and Dave were. There is not a lot that can be said to Keltruck and Chris and everyone at Keltruck except a great big thank you. Without you all it would have been impossible.
David Nix & Steve Davis
German collectors card by J & M Serienbilder Produktion Saar, no. 22. Photo: Gloria Film. Publicity still for Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west / Buffalo Bill, Hero of the Far West (Mario Costa, 1965) with Gordon Scott. Caption: 'Buffalo Bill wanted to achieve peace through negotiations. The devious attack by the Sioux forces him, as so often in his perilous life, to fight with the lion's courage of the most famous man of the Wild West.'
Good-looking and muscular American actor Gordon Scott (1926–2007) is best known as the eleventh Tarzan. He portrayed Tarzan in five films from 1955 to 1960. Then Scott moved to Italy, where he became a popular star of the Peplum film genre, the sword-and-sandal epics. As the Peplum faded, Scott starred in Spaghetti Westerns and Eurospy films.
Gordon Scott was born Gordon Merrill Werschkul in Portland, Oregon, in 1926. He was one of nine children of advertising man Stanley Werschkul and his wife Alice. Scott was raised in Oregon and studied Physical Education at the University of Oregon for one semester. Upon leaving school, he joined the U.S. Army in 1944. He served as a drill sergeant and military policeman and specialised in close-order drill, judo and hand-to-hand combat. After his honourable discharge in 1947, he took on a variety of jobs, including fireman, cowboy, and farm machinery salesman. In 1953 he was working as a lifeguard at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas when he was spotted by Hollywood agents, Ed and Walter Mayers. They were impressed by his handsome features, muscular physique, and imposing height. Scott then beat out 200 contestants to replace Lex Barker as Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan. Film producer Sol Lesser offered him a 7-year contract, a loincloth and a new last name. Reportedly, ‘Werschkul’ sounded too much like ‘Weissmuller’. So as Gordon Scott, he debuted in the low-budget Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (Harold D. Schuster, 1955). It led to a romance with co-star Vera Miles, who became his wife in 1956. They divorced in 1959. Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle was followed by Tarzan and the Lost Safari (H. Bruce Humberstone, 1957), the first Tarzan film in colour. It was filmed in Nairobi, British East Africa. In his early Tarzan films, Scott played the character as unworldly and inarticulate, in the mould of Johnny Weissmuller. In 1958, Sol Lesser sold Scott's contract to Sy Weintraub. The new producer took his star to Paramount Pictures and, fuelled by bigger production budgets, made two of the most successful Tarzan films, Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (John Guillermin, 1959) with Anthony Quayle and Sean Connery, and Tarzan the Magnificent (Robert Day, 1960) with Jock Mahoney. In these later films, Scott played a Tarzan who was educated and spoke perfect English, as in the original Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. Gordon Scott was the only actor to play Tarzan in both styles.
Fearing he would become typecast as Tarzan, Gordon Scott moved to Italy. There he became a popular star of the Peplum genre, the sword-and-sandal epics featuring handsome bodybuilders as various characters from Greek and Roman myth. Scott was an old training buddy of Hercules star Steve Reeves. Reeves had agreed to star in the Sergio Leone-penned saga Romolo e Remo/Duel of the Titans (Sergio Corbucci, 1961) about the two brothers of Roman Mythology, who founded Rome. The producer wanted Reeves to play both Romulus and Remus, but Reeves objected that the film would be more effective with another actor in the role of Remus. He recommended Gordon Scott and the film co-starred Virna Lisi, Laura Solari, Massimo Girotti and Jacques Sernas. Scott was given the highest salary he had earned thus far for taking the role. Next followed Maciste alla corte del Gran Khan/Maciste at the Court of the Great Khan (Riccardo Freda, 1961), which reused the sets, extras and Yoko Tani as a princess from Marco Polo (Piero Pierotti, Hugo Fregonese, 1961) and Freda's I mongoli/The Mongols (André De Toth, Leopoldo Savona, Riccardo Freda, 1961). He played Julius Caesar opposite Pascale Petit as Cleopatra in the historical drama Una regina per Cesare/A Queen for Caesar (Piero Pierotti, Victor Tourjansky, 1962) set in Egypt in 48 BC. Unlike other films about Caesar and Cleopatra, this film focuses entirely on the dynastic struggle within Egypt leading up to the arrival of Caesar, and in fact, we only see him in the closing scene of the film when he arrives at The Ptolemaic Palace in Alexandria. 20th Century Fox bought the rights for the film to keep it out of release lest it compete with their own Cleopatra, featuring Elizabeth Taylor. Scott also played Hercules in a couple of international co-productions during the mid-1960s.
As the Peplum genre faded, Gordon Scott starred in other genre films. His first Spaghetti Western was Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west/Buffalo Bill, Hero of the Far West (Mario Costa, 1964) with Jan Hendriks. He also starred in the Eurospy film Il Raggio infernale/Danger!! Death Ray (Gianfranco Baldanello, 1967), was released at a time when the James Bond films, and spy films in general, were very popular internationally. His early military combat and martial arts training made it possible for him to do many of his stunts. His final film appearance was in the Spaghetti Western Gli uomini dal passo pesante/The Tramplers (Albert Band, Mario Sequi, 1966-1968) with Joseph Cotten and Franco Nero. He left Italy and never made another film. He was trailed by a reputation as a ladies' man who seldom paid his bills, according to a 1987 article in the Toronto Star. For the last two decades of his life, Scott was a popular guest at film conventions and autograph shows and sold knives. In 2007, Gordon Scott died, aged 80, in Baltimore, Maryland, of lingering complications from multiple heart surgeries earlier in the year. Adam Bernstein in his obituary in The Washington Post: “He lived with a series of obliging friends and ‘Tarzan’ fans, most recently in Baltimore. He had a troubled marriage to Miles, who was under the impression that she was his first wife. She was his second or third, by varying accounts. He was seldom in contact with his surviving family, which included a brother and two sisters. He had a son with Miles, and it's unclear how many other children he might have had. He was estranged from nearly everyone.” Scott was married three times. His first marriage was with Janice Mae Wynkoop, of Oakland, California. They met when he was a lifeguard at Lake Temescal, located in Oakland, California. The couple married in Reno, Nevada, in 1948, and had one child, Karen Judith Werschkul (1948), before divorcing in 1949. His second marriage was to a woman he met while they were both working at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. Gordon as a lifeguard and his wife as a PBX operator. They soon married and had a son, Eric, but the marriage ended once Gordon's acting career took off. With Vera Miles, he had one son, Michael (1957).
Sources: Adam Bernstein (The Washington Post), Brian J. Walker (Brian’s Drive-In Theater), Bill Hillman (ERBzine), Mark Cerulli (Tarzan.cc), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
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