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A month later, no wonder I can’t recall what I did all afternoon on my third day in Austin. But at some point, in the cavernous confines of the Austin Convention Center, I ran into my old friend Peter Jesperson. In 1975-1977, we worked together at Oar Folkjokeopus Records (Minneapolis MN) when he managed the store for owner Vern Sanden; today, Peter is senior VP of A&R for the estimable New West label, where he’s worked with John Hiatt, Drive-By Truckers, and Kris Kristofferson to name a few.
We hopped in my rental car and drove across the river to the Congress Avenue parking lot of a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store that — like every other available space in town, it seemed — had been converted into a music venue for the week. In so doing, we enjoyed that rarest of SXSW commodities, “quality time” — precious minutes of relative peace and quiet in which to carry on an actual audible conversation, catch up on each other’s lives, etc. Peter was another old friend of Alex Chilton who was coping with the shock and pain of his death amid the overwhelming hub-bub of Austin; I think it helped, a little, for him to tell a hilarious Chilton anecdote dating from the re-formed Big Star’s first gig, in 1993 in Columbia, Missouri. Anyway, we soon arrived at our destination to see the L.A.-based country rock band Leslie and the Badgers.
Peter’s enthusiasm for this group is boundless — I remember him carrying on in much the same way over David Bowie’s Station To Station in 1976 — but in this case did not prove wholly contagious. Leslie Stevens is a good singer, reminiscent of Emmylou Harris or Nicolette Larsen, but not an exceptional one; likewise, her band played well but not with any special fire or left-field surprises. My favorite song of the set was the Patsy Cline-inspired “My Tears Are Wasted On You,” a country weeper with a touch of jazz in the chords and melody. Leslie & the Badgers play the Mercury Lounge in NYC on Tuesday, 5/17/2010 — you can listen for yourself on MySpace.
My next stop — and last for the day, as I ended spending a good three hours there — was St. David’s Episcopal Church for a night of new-school UK folk music under the heading “Looking For A New England.” This show was made possible by funding from Arts Council England, i.e. the UK government’s cultural wing. I mention this fact because (a) the gig was truly great, the best multi-act showcase I attended at SXSW, and (b) it could never have happened without that government support. (Did you know that a US visa for a UK touring artist now costs upwards of $4,500.00?)
In any case, it was with a genuine sense of relief that I took my seat alongside a few dozen other listeners in the church sanctuary, an oasis of calm and tranquility just two blocks from the alcohol-fueled din of the Sixth Street club corridor.
It was now 9:00 p.m. so I’d already missed Gadarene and Olivia Chaney, but vocalist/violinist Jackie Oates (who’s from Dorset) had me from her first number, flawlessly accompanied by Mike Cosgrave on piano and acoustic guitar and James Budden on acoustic bass. I was especially taken with Jackie’s take on the traditional English ballad “Young Leonard” and a very moving lost-love song called “Past Caring,” but the whole set was excellent and later compelled me to purchase Jackie’s latest recording, Hyperboreans, which did not disappoint.
JACKIE OATES – “HYPERBOREANS” with James Dumbleton (acoustic guitar) and Mike Cosgrave (accordion)
Next up was Jim Moray (vocals, electric guitar), who offered a more rock-and-funk infused version of the folk music of the British Isles. Although he didn’t mention it, Jim is Jackie’s brother and he produced her aforementioned Hyperboreans CD, possibly at his own studio in Bristol (there’s no facility credited on the disc). His band included drums, violin, programmed bits from a laptop DJ, and another chap who doubled on violin and hurdy-gurdy. Jim seemed a bit nervous and talked a little too much between his numbers, of which my favorite was a twin-fiddles rendition of “The Wild Boar.” For a Child ballad (the title of which eluded me), Jim brought up rapper named Bubz. This combination almost worked as intended but not quite, and the same could be said of set closer “All You Pretty Girls,” a game attempt at an audience sing-along on this centuries-old sea shanty.
Trembling Bells, from Glasgow, may have sounded great. But at this point, exhaustion caught up with me and I confess to having nodded off for much of their set. Through the fog of half-sleep, I was stirred occasionally by the combination of Lavinia Blackwall’s pure soprano voice and the buzzing psych-rock flair of Mike Hastings’ lead guitar. Simon Shaw plays bass and the TBs’ excellent drummer Alex Neilson writes the songs. Fans of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, and the like should give a listen to Trembling Bells on MySpace.
It was Geoff Travis of Rough Trade who, earlier in the day, had urged me to see The Unthanks: “If you ask me who you should see, Andy, I’ll always name one of my bands because of course I think they’re the best!” I must thank Geoff publicly and profusely for this particular recommendation, because I loved the Unthanks. Initially I thought their name was some kind of punk-rock gesture, like calling your band No Thanks or Thanks For Nothing. In fact, it is the surname of the lead singers Rachel and Becky Unthank, as I would’ve discovered had I ever listened to an earlier version of the group known as Rachel Unthank & Winterset whose 2008 CD The Bairns was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in the UK.
The Unthanks were at full strength for their SXSW shows with pianist Adrian McNally; Chris Prince on guitar, bass, and ukelele; Dean Ravera shifting with equal skill from drums to acoustic bass; cellist Jo Silverstone, and the radiant violinist and harmony singer Niopha Keegan. They opened with “Twenty Long Weeks,” from Winterset’s 2006 album Cruel Sister, but much of the set was drawn from the Unthanks’ new Rough Trade CD Here’s The Tender Coming. Becky Unthank even did some lively clog dancing on “Betsy Bell,” the hidden bonus track that closes the album.
Of course, I hadn’t heard any of these songs before and perhaps it was due to this surprise factor — combined with a certain emotional susceptibility brought on by lack of sleep — that “The Testimony of Patience Crenshaw” brought tears to my eyes. The story told by the lyrics (in which a young woman coal miner describes her hellish working conditions), the beautifully performed music, Rachel’s heart-piercing lead vocal and even her distinctive Newcastle accent — on that night, in that room, the combination was just devastating. Here’s an earlier (undated) live performance of the song:
THE UNTHANKS – “THE TESTIMONY OF PATIENCE CRENSHAW”
Rachel Unthank later explained to me that this song is not of 19th century vintage but was composed in 1969 by the obscure English folk musician Frank Higgins — who based the lyrics on the written records of the Children’s Employment Commission of 1842, the official inquiry to which the real Patience Crenshaw gave her real testimony. For further insight into the nightmare world of female and child miners during this period of British history, just read this Wiki entry for “hurrying.”
On the road in Europe at this writing (4.23.2010), the Unthanks have a North American tour set to begin in late June including an appearance at Joe’s Pub in New York. I’ll see you there.
Andy Schwartz at South X Southwest 2010 (earlier posts)
A lunchtime BBQ road trip to Kreuz Market in Lockhart TX has been a SXSW tradition for some years now. In the past, this excursion was supplemented by other out-of-town drives, such as to City Market in Luling (more great BBQ) and even a (now-defunct?) catfish farm; but SXSW itself has grown so large and all-consuming that most attendees are loathe to leave Austin for even a few hours. I myself was glad for the chance to escape, especially with meat as exceptionally delicious as Kreuz’s waiting at the end of the 45-minute drive to Lockhart.
At some point either today — or was it yesterday? — I stopped in at Yard Dog, Austin’s premier folk art gallery, on the hip strip of South Congress Avenue. I ended up purchasing an enchanting small-scale collage entitled “The Gardener of Good Intentions” by the artist Bill Miller, and Yard Dog head honcho Randy Franklin threw in an official YD t-shirt with its evocative skeleton-buckaroo-on-bronco image created by Jon Langford.
From the Yard Dog web site: “Discarded linoleum and vinyl flooring is reclaimed as a medium for the artwork of Bill Miller. Creating an effect that lies somewhere between collage and stained glass, Miller’s innovative use of the linoleum’s pattern and
color is his signature style. Miller’s work has been recognized for rendering narrative moods and a sense of common memory. His unexpected use of patterns taps into the medium’s nostalgic familiarity striving to impart a sense of history and story within each piece.”
Nearly every SXSW I’ve ever attended has been marked (or marred) by one day out of four or five when I just couldn’t seem to get it together: to make intelligent choices among the vast array of performances, to successfully navigate the crowds and the traffic, or to keep up my dwindling reserves of physical energy. Today turned out be that day. I wasted some afternoon time in East Austin, looking for an art gallery event actually scheduled for the next day; tried without success to take a nap (impossible with this much adrenalin flowing through my veins), and stood around in the bright sunlight for about an hour at the New West Records party at Belmont, jabbering away like everyone else while some band or other “rocked” dully in the background (I didn’t even stick around for John Hiatt’s appearance).
Nothing seemed to be going right until night fell and I ventured into Prague, a black box of a basement bar that felt like a firetrap and smelled faintly of untreated sewage. In a perverse way, it was just the sort of place where you’d want to experience a multi-band bill of the Batusis, with ex-Dead-Boy-turned-memoirist Cheetah Chrome and founding New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain; the Jim Jones Revue again; and the chronically underrated and hugely entertaining Kid Congo Powers leading his latest combo, the Pink Monkey Birds.
In the event, I was so on edge and uncomfortable in the venue that I took a 45-minute walk and missed the Batusis entirely (although this time-out afforded me the chance for an enjoyable accidental run-in with ASCAP’s Sue Drew). I returned to Prague and a now-packed house that included Maxwell’s owner Todd Abramson and Dr. Ira Padnos a/k/a “Dr. Ike,” presiding eminence of the Ponderosa Stomp.
If the Jim Jones Revue were really good the night before at Belmont, tonight at Prague they unleashed a veritable jukebox firestorm of unholy proportions — the same songs, probably in the same order, just wound up tighter and cranked up higher. It was unbelievable.
Kid Congo did not try to match the JJR’s artillery power but merrily rolled through his set with a Farfisa organ-tinged garage sound and delightful new tunes like “Black Santa” and “Rare As The Yeti” from Dracula Boots — the group’s latest release on InTheRed Records, and one I fully intend to purchase in support of this punk-rock veteran (Gun Club, Cramps, Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds). The Kid’s not just dragging his tired ass around Clubland USA — he’s performing with real rock & roll flair and unpretentious musicianship combined with a distinctive up-front gay sensibilty. Catch him if you can!
Andy Schwartz at South X Southwest 2010 (earlier posts)
My memories of events from 22 years ago can be fuzzy, but I think my attendance at the South X Southwest music conference in Austin TX began in March 1988 with SXSW #2. I came back for 18 consecutive years until 2007, at which point I took two years off from this annual rite of spring before returning on March 15, 2010. I arrived in Austin shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday 3/17, picked up my rental car, and drove downtown to the Austin Convention Center to pick up the laminated, holographic, computer-coded badge that would admit me to the official showcases, the panel discussions, and all the rest. After checking into my room at the Embassy Suites hotel on South Congress Avenue, I walked with a couple of friends and fellow attendees over to Threadgill’s restaurant for dinner. Two hours later, Holly George-Warren and I were traveling in a hotel van across the Congress Bridge en route to Wanda Jackson‘s set at Beauty Bar when another passenger announced — after receiving a call, email, or Tweet — that Alex Chilton had died suddenly at age 59, just four days before he was scheduled to perform at SXSW with Big Star. Holly nearly screamed out loud before bursting into tears: She and her husband Robert Warren had been Alex’s friends for at least 25 years, and Holly had spoken with Alex just a few weeks earlier. I didn’t know what to say or how to comfort my friend and colleague on this shocking loss: Nothing like this had ever happened in all my years at SXSW, and it was a strange and painful way to begin this one.
(Alex Chilton and I met only once, under strained circumstances in Memphis in 1979, and my memories of the occasion are not especially warm or pleasant. In no way did this encounter diminish my deep appreciation of Alex’s singular talent and especially the three original studio albums he created with Big Star. He lived according to his own code and if you didn’t dig it, that was entirely your problem.)
Not really knowing what else to do, Holly and I continued on to Beauty Bar (a venue with all the warmth and charm of a large storage shed) where Wanda Jackson gamely gave her all while backed by the worst band I’d ever heard her play with. At first I attributed their fumblings to a lack of rehearsal, but as the hour wore on I began to think this was about the best these guys could do — a few days’ rehearsal would have made little dent in their innate lack of feeling for the songs, arrangements, etc. Holly, at least, seemed temporarily lifted just to be in the warm glow of Wanda’s presence, and at one point remarked to me that she held out the faint hope that Alex Chilton had faked his own death “just to get out of playing SXSW with Big Star!”
VINTAGE WANDA JACKSON – “SPARKLIN’ BROWN EYES” (“JUBILEE USA,” 1959?)
When the set ended, Wanda and her husband/manager Wendell retreated backstage — “backstage,” in this case, being a cramped, darkened hallway, piled up with other bands’ equipment and without even a chair for the 73-year-old singer to sit down on. This, I guess, was the best that the staff of SXSW and/or the proprietors of Beauty Bar could do for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee whose recording career began in 1954. For shame!
I’m not sure what made me so determined to see The Jim Jones Revue from England: I didn’t own their first album, didn’t know that front man Jim Jones had been in the overlooked Thee Hypnotics (1988-1995), and wasn’t aware that the current band had been in the studio recently with an old NYC acquaintance of mine, Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds. At midnight, a decent-sized crowd gathered on the patio of a bar called Belmont and waited patiently while drums were set up, sound levels checked, etc.
Guess what? These guys killed. The Jim Jones Revue lift all their song structures straight from Fifties R&B, bolt on some witty and/or bitter lyrics, then drive the whole thing through a howling wind tunnel of overdriven guitars, pounding Jerry Lee/Jim Dickinson piano, and an unstoppable rhythm section. It’s kinda like Richard Hell & the Voidoids playing the music of Fats Domino, and it had me rockin’. (Come to think of it, the Voidoids did play Fats Domino a few times — a live cover of “I Lived My Life” — and while Jim Jones and Rupert Orton may not be the sophisticated jazz-influenced guitarists that Robert Quine and Ivan Julian were, they’ve still got that go-for-the-throat intensity.)
THE JIM JONES REVUE – “ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PSYCHOSIS”
It was after 1:0o a.m. and tomorrow would be another day at South X Southwest. This one, for me, was now over.
On Monday, March 15, I attended the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. This was hailed as “the 25th anniversary” although in fact the first induction dinner was held in early 1986. I did not attend that inaugural event but have attended the majority of inductions since 1987 including events held in Los Angeles (1993) and Cleveland (2009). I’ve never paid for a ticket — a tablemate told me the price was three grand apiece this year — but rather have earned admittance either through the largesse of my former record company employer or (more often) as an editorial contributor to the program book distributed to all attendees. Holly George-Warren has served for several years as the managing editor of this handsome volume, accompanied by a sampler CD assembled by A&R veteran Gregg Geller.
I know there are quite a few Hall of Fame haters out there — some of whom I count as friends — but I’m not going to take the time and space here to address their assorted beefs ranging from “Why isn’t Link Wray in the Hall of Fame?” to “Why isn’t Yes in the Hall of Fame?” I take pride in my past work on the program book and have had a blast at the induction dinners, even if a lot of the event’s spontaneity was sacrificed years ago to the strictures and rituals of a televised awards show. Here are my thoughts on the 2010 ceremonies, in chronological order by inductee:
GENESIS: Sorry, prog people, but I never did and never will “get” this group in any of its stylistic phases and personnel lineups. It was therefore entirely appropriate that guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish should have inducted the venerable British band, since I never “got” Phish either, even after attending one of their endless concerts (April 1998, Nassau Coliseum). I could relate to Trey’s fervent fan-boy appreciation: He spoke with the detail and devotion of a true believer and referred to Selling England By The Pound (1973) as “my all-time favorite album.” Certainly, this was preferable to Bobby Brown saying of Wilson Pickett, back in 1991, that he’d never really heard of Wilson Pickett until being asked to induct him a few weeks earlier.
[Perhaps it was just as well that Pickett was not even present for his own induction. I remember Seymour Stein portentously announcing from the stage that “Wilson Pickett is fogged in.” Since at the time Pickett was living in Englewood, New Jersey — roughly 90 minutes by car from Manhattan — I took this explanation to mean that maybe the defroster on his car had conked out.]
Phish then performed two long, meandering Genesis, er… compositions is what I’d have to call them, since they sure didn’t sound like “songs” as I define the term. After this mildly excruciating interlude, the honorees (minus former lead singer Peter Gabriel) took the stage, genteel expressions of gratitude were aired, and…oh fuck it, let’s get to
THE STOOGES: Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day began his induction speech in a curious but effective way. Having been born one year before the release of the Stooges’ Raw Power in 1973, Billie Joe had no personal memories of the original band performing in its own era. Therefore he chose to begin by quoting at length from Dictators guitarist Scott “Top Ten” Kempner’s account of the Stooges live at Ungano’s in NYC in 1970, as told to Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain for their 1997 book Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. (Anybody still with me?)
Probably this is as close as Kempner, the Dictators, McCain and/or McNeil will ever come to actually being in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — which, for some observers, will sum up all that’s heinously wrong with the thing. Indeed, following a few heartfelt remarks of his own, Billie Joe proceeded to reel off a long list of his favorite bands not yet inducted into the Hall, ranging from the Germs and Social Distortion to DEVO and the obscure UK group Penetration (with Pauline Murray).
The Stooges’ acceptances were very moving. Drummer Scott Asheton and guitarist James Williamson were thoughtful and touching but Iggy Pop was positively gripping. He began his speech by saluting the audience with both middle fingers upraised and ended by nearly breaking into tears.
Maybe Pop was thinking of all the dead Stooges: bassists Dave Alexander and Thomas “Zeke” Zettner (neither one made 35), road manager-turned-guitarist Bill Cheatham, and especially founding guitarist Ron Asheton. Asheton died of an apparent heart attack on 1/6/2009, still aggrieved and mystified that his band had yet to be inducted into the Rock Hall after 15 years of eligibility and at least one prior appearance on the ballot.
“Here we are, in the belly of the beast,” intoned Iggy. And: “A lotta money and power in this room…But music is life, and life is not a business.” And: “Ron Asheton was cool.” And: “Danny was cool” — a nod to the thankfully-still-living Danny Fields, who signed the Stooges and the MC5 to Elektra Records over the same weekend. And: “The poor people who started rock and roll, they were cool.” Joined by bassist Mike Watt (on board since 2003) and veteran Stooge sidemen Scott Thurston (piano) and Steve Mackay (saxophone), the Stooges tore it up with their two-song set of “Search and Destroy” and “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” They succeeded at least partially in breaking through the audience’s well-fed placidity and offered a thrilling taste of the tour that will follow on Sony Legacy’s deluxe reissue of Raw Power.
DAVID GEFFEN: With Hall of Fame honors already bestowed upon music biz moguls like Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, Clive Davis, Chris Blackwell, and Mo Ostin, I suppose this was inevitable. Jackson Browne spoke with what seemed like genuine fondness for the man, invoking Geffen’s boundless enthusiasm for his artists and relentless efforts on their behalf. He managed to slip in the names of David Blue and Judee Sill, two Geffen signings that flopped in the marketplace (the latter’s fate was especially tragic) but whose work is more appreciated today. Of all that Eighties corporate rock crap that Geffen served up, like Whitesnake and Asia — the less said, the better. The honoree himself was at his most charming and disarming, cheerfully admitting that “I have no talent.” Geffen noted that his introduction to the music business occurred “when my brother was dating the sister of Phil Spector’s first wife” and thus provided David with entree to some of Spector’s legendary hit-making sessions at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.
Safely stashed somewhere far from the Waldorf Grand Ballroom were the countless tales of insatiable greed and lust for power, of Machiavellian plots and whisper campaigns unleashed to destroy enemies, ex-partners, and even longtime friends. Details may be found in Wall Street Journal reporter Tom King’s 2000 biography The Operator: David Geffen Builds, Buys, and Sells The New Hollywood, which Geffen initially authorized (and co-operated with) before turning on King and doing his best to suppress the book.
Little Steven Van Zandt inducted the Hollies with what can only be described as an unfolding oration on the past, present, and future of rock & roll. Part William Jennings Bryan and part Silvio Dante, it was really something to hear in this forum, although as Steve rolled along I wondered if he was about to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Like a 747 approaching Newark, Van Zandt circled over the subject of the Hollies for
about ten minutes before he finally came in for a landing with astute praise of their compositional, instrumental and especially vocal prowess. In the last-named category, Steven ranked the Hollies second only to the Beatles, a judgment with which I concur.(Got time on your hands? Read the complete text of Little Steven’s speech here.)
With blandly competent vocal support from Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and Pat Monahan of Train, original Hollies Allan Clarke and Graham Nash sang strongly on “Bus Stop” and an exhilarating “Carrie-Anne.” I was particularly impressed by Clarke, who retired from music in 1999 and may not have sung on stage since then; he and Nash have been close friends for sixty-three years. Things got a bit weird with “Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” when another of the Hollies, Terry Sylvester, tried to grab Pat Monahan’s microphone away from him during this uncharacteristic Creedence-style rocker that — although intended for an Allan Clarke solo project (his is the only voice on the record) — became one of the group’s all-time biggest hits in 1972. Two other founding members, singer/guitarist Tony Hicks and the dynamic drummer Bobby Elliott, were MIA — reportedly fulfilling tour commitments in the UK with the version of the Hollies they’ve co-led for nearly two decades.
As is customary at these events, time was set aside for a still-photo montage of performers and music industry personalities who died in the year since the last induction ceremony. Among those depicted were the brilliant “American primitive” guitarist Jack Rose; fearless six-string adventurer James Gurley of Big Brother & the Holding Company); Memphis roots godfather Jim Dickinson; ex-Wilco member Jay Bennett; Richard “Squirrel” Lester of the Chi-Lites; rampant Fifties rocker Dale Hawkins, and folk music legends Kate McGarrigle and Mike Seeger. They’re all dead, and we’re left with…Adam Levine.
JIMMY CLIFF: He looked terrific and sounded great on “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” and “The Harder They Come” — all from the soundtrack of The Harder They Come, released in 1972. It’s anyone’s guess as to why this stirring singer and charismatic performer was never been able to match this early and groundbreaking success, despite extended major-label stays at both Warner Bros. and Columbia preceded in 1969 by a fine album for A&M, Wonderful World, Beautiful People. (The title track became one of Cliff’s only two US Top 30 Pop hits, followed in 1993 by a predictable cover of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.”)
Jimmy Cliff was inducted by Wyclef Jean, who I find a little tiresome in his seeming ubiquity but who at least has a personal relationship to the artist. Years before Wyclef reached multi-platinum stardom with the Fugees, he recalled, his boyhood idol Jimmy Cliff accepted an invitation to crash at Clef’s modest New Jersey apartment after the two musicians worked a session at The Hit Factory.
ABBA: I collected a lot of their singles and occasionally still play their first two Atlantic LPs, Waterloo (1974) and ABBA (1975). These immaculately arranged and produced records are descended directly from Phil Spector’s greatest “Wall of Sound” hits, with added elements of Swedish folk music, French chanson, and Italian aria. Of the four members of ABBA, only Benny Andersson and Anni-Fryd (Frida) Lyngstad showed up at the Waldorf, and only Benny had something historically meaningful to say.
“We had no blues, not what you in America would call blues,” he said, but in Swedish folk songs Benny heard what he called “the sound of ‘The Melancholy Belt’ — sometimes mistakenly known as ‘The Vodka Belt’ — this region that stretches from Siberia to Finland to Sweden…If the sun disappears for two entire months, you can hear it in the songs, you can even see it in the eyes of Greta Garbo.” Swedish radio in the Fifties, he noted, consisted of one station that played very little music of any kind and no American pop or r&b. Record shops thus became the sole purveyors of the new sounds, and after Benny bought a copy of Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” in 1957, “there was no turning back.”
As for the importance of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Andersson noted that at present there are about 250 inductees in all categories: “Imagine what our world would be like if none of those people had ever existed, or ever created…I think it would be pretty dull.” The surviving Bee Gees, Barry and Robin Gibb, inducted ABBA in rather jovial fashion, reading awkwardly by turns from a teleprompter. With Benny Andersson on piano, Nashville star Faith Hill sang ABBA’s massive 1980 hit “The Winner Takes All” with what the late Lester Bangs (referring to another artist in another time) once described as “all the soul and passion of a doorknob.” Hill’s performance was not enhanced by the extravagant arm-waving and finger-pointing of the other keyboard player to her right, whoever he was.
The hour was growing late as a radiant-looking Carole King spoke, soulfully and unpretentiously, about the historic contributions of her fellow songwriters and now Hall of Fame inductees Jesse Stone (1901-1999), Otis Blackwell (1932-2002), Mort Shuman (1936-1991), Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich (1940-2009). By this time I had stopped taking notes, being more concerned with my table’s dangerously low stock of red wine. But I paid enough attention to know that Cynthia Weil’s acceptance speech went on far too long, given the number of other award recipients (or their family members) lined up behind her and awaiting their turn to speak. Weil didn’t clear the room, but she certainly depleted it.
Jeff Barry had lobbied as long and hard for his own induction into the Hall of Fame as any potential candidate since the hapless Chubby Checker. But when this magic moment finally arrived, Barry was unable to attend the ceremony due to flight delays from Los Angeles and instead Little Steven read Jeff’s acceptance speech from his Blackberry. Students of the Brill Building may wonder why Mort Shuman was not inducted back in 1992 alongside his former songwriting partner Doc Pomus; and why Jesse Stone — a crucial creative force in the early years of Atlantic Records — couldn’t have been inducted sometime between, say, 1988 and 1995 since he lived to the age of 98.
The musical tribute to these inductees featured a rough-sounding Ronnie Spector on Barry & Greenwich’s “I Can Hear Music” and “Be My Baby,” the two songs she sang at my wedding in 1995; Rob Thomas (ex-Matchbox 20) singing Pomus & Shuman’s Drifters classic “Save The Last Dance For Me” (bleh); and FeFe Dobson (who?) giving a good account of herself on “River Deep, Mountain High” (by Barry/Greenwich/Spector). This segment and the evening closed with an all-hands-on-deck version of Jesse Stone’s immortal “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” led by Peter Wolf of the periodically re-formed J. Geils Band — another real rock & roll group that has made the ballot in past years but has yet to be voted in, despite selling millions of records for Atlantic (1972-77) and later scoring a Number One album with Freeze-Frame (EMI) in ’82.


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LEGAL GUIDANCE THE WAY YOU WANT IT
4 reasons mothers should consider child custody mediation
You and your children’s father are going through a divorce. Part of this involves deciding all aspects of child custody. When you are going through child custody issues, you must decide if you are willing to use mediation as the resolution method. Child custody mediation has some considerable benefits that you might appreciate. Of course, you must do what you think is best for your situation, even if this means going to court.
You don’t have to work directly with your ex
Some exes can work together on issues that come up, but you don’t have to work directly with your ex if you aren’t comfortable doing so. A third-party mediator works as a go-between for you and your ex. This specially trained professional works to keep the focus on the issues at hand if things start to deviate from those issues.
You can use your knowledge of your children
Going to trial over child custody issues puts a person who doesn’t know your children in charge of making decisions for them. When you use mediation to come to an agreement, you can use your knowledge of your children to determine how each option might affect them. You should go into the process with the understanding that their father will also have opinions about what is right for the children. This where the negotiations come into the picture.
You can choose how to handle specific points
As you negotiate the points at hand, you may have to give a little on some points. Before you start the first session, decide on which points you are willing to negotiate and on which ones you need to remain steadfast. Once you have these points in place, you can decide how to approach each issue that comes up. Be sure to leave a little wiggle room on all your positions so that you have room for negotiations.
You might not feel as stressed
Since you are in at least partial control of what happens, you may not feel as stressed as you go through the divorce. Since your reaction to being stressed out can impact your children, they might not feel as anxious about the upheaval of you and their father splitting up.
Additionally, you wouldn’t be as likely to make decisions based only on a stress response if you are going into the child custody mediation well prepared. Since mediation is usually faster than a trial, you will have a resolution to the issues sooner. This enables you and your children to adjust to a new normal way of life.

domain: law


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Saturday 25 Feb - from 1pm
Part of WTF! Women’s Theatre Festival! Proudly presented by Circa Theatre and The Conch Sat 25 Feb From 1pm Nina Nawalowalo, Artistic Director of The Conch, calls you to the Conchus Summit – bringing together the voices of current leaders amongst the Pacific Women’s... Book Now!
Free entry for 1-5pm Conversations & $15 for 6.30pm Showcase

domain: artistic


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There will soon be a tunnel going under US-41 near Menards in Marquette Township.
It will help snowmobilers, hikers and others safely get from one side to the other.
The Marquette Township Board met tonight and officially decided to call the tunnel Pete’s Pass.
It’s named after Peter O’Dovero. He’s a man who helped make the tunnel a reality.
Randy Girard is the Marquette Township Manager. He says, “There came a point in the tunnel project where it was questionable as to whether we were going to be able to come up with enough non- township funds to do it. Mr. O’Dovero stepped with a considerable contribution to make that happen.”
Construction is expected to start some time in April. It could be done as early as August.
The project is being paid for with funds from grants and donations.

domain: geography


text:
March is Women’s History Month! Did you know that Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981? Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. You can read more about Women’s History Month here.
To celebrate, I’m sharing some great graphic novels that highlight women authors, illustrators, women’s stories, and more! Take a look below to see my ten picks for graphic novels you should read this month to celebrate Women’s History Month.
Click here jump to our online catalog! All titles are available in our print collection or digitally in Hoopla.

domain: history


text:
Kevin Ceccon crossed the finishing line in first position in WTCR’s Race 3 at Suzuka, but he was dropped to third by a five-second time penalty; this handed victory to Gabriele Tarquini who staked a serious claim on the title. In fact the Italian has stretched his leading margin in the standings to 39 points ahead of Yvan Muller, when 85 are still at stake in the Macau finale.
At the start, Ceccon was slow in moving from the pole position and dropped to fourth, as Tarquini took the lead from Yann Ehrlacher and Aurélien Comte.
During the first lap Muller and Pepe Oriola made contact, while Ceccon overtook Comte for third. The Italian moved up to second as he passed Ehlacher on lap 2, however he was handed a five-second time penalty for being in the wrong position on the grid.
Ceccon took the virtual lead from Tarquini on lap 7; behind the leaders Ehrlacher lost his third place as he stopped on the track. The fight for the sixth place became a fierce battle between Oriola, Esteban Guerrieri, Rob Huff, Muller, Norbert Michelisz and Frédéric Vervisch who were clashing, swapping paints and cutting chicanes. Eventually, Oriola was given a drive-through for repeatedly infringing the track limits and dropped out of the points.
Ceccon pushed hard to make up of the penalty, but in the end it was Tarquini who scored his fifth race win of the season from Comte and Ceccon; Bennani overtook Panis for fourth during the final lap, while Huff, Vervisch, Thed Björk, Michelisz and Jean-Karl Vernay rounded off the top-ten.
In the standings, Tarquini leads with 291 points, Muller is second with 252, Thed Björk third with 238 and Oriola fourth with 227.
The WTCR’s inaugural season will finish at Macau on November 15/18.
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World Sporting Consulting LTD 22 Eastcheap, 2nd Floor London EC3M 1EU - United Kingdom

domain: news


T2 Cylinder User Guide C87-T2 Series Performance is everything. Contents 1 Contents 1 Machine Overview 2 General Safety Information 3 Getting Started 4 Maintenance 5 Looking After Your Machine — Filters 6 Looking After Your Machine — Removing Blockages 7 FAQs 8 Other Information 9 Guarantee 10 v Machine Overview 1 Hose connector 2 Dirt container 3 Cyclone separator and shroud 4 Dirt container lid 5 Carry handle 6 On/off button 7 Variable power dial 8 Cord rewind button 9 Wheel 10 Pre-motor filter (some models only) 11 Post motor filter HEPA H12 12 Dusting brush 13 Crevice tool 14 Upholstery tool 15 Hose and handle 16 TurboTool (some models only) 17 Extension tube and tool caddy 18 Stretch hose (some models only) 19 Combination floor head (some models only) 20 Turbobrush (some models only) 21 Hard floor tool (some models only) 2 3 9 1 5 4 8 6 7 11 10 16 19 11 12 17 15 13 20 14 21 18 NOTE: Some parts may vary according to model. Please check inside flap of box for more details. vax.co.uk 2 General Safety Information This vacuum cleaner is intended for household use only and NOT for commercial or industrial use. Please keep instructions for further use. When using the vacuum cleaner basic safety precautions should always be observed, including the following: 1. Do not leave the vacuum cleaner unattended when plugged in. Unplug the appliance from the socket when not in use. 2. Only use the vacuum cleaner indoors on dry surfaces. 3. Turn off the on/off switch on the vacuum cleaner controls before disconnecting or connecting from the mains supply. 4. Always unplug the vacuum cleaner before connecting or disconnecting the vacuum hose and accessories. 5. Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the appliance. 6. This appliance is not intended for use by children under eight years of age and persons with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance in a safe way and understands the hazards involved. 7. Cleaning and maintenance shall not be made by children without supervision. 8. The appliance should only be used as described in the quick start guide or in the full online user guide. 9. Only Vax recommended attachments should be used with this appliance. 10. Do not use this vacuum cleaner if it has been dropped, damaged, left outdoors or dropped into water. Do not use this vacuum cleaner with a damaged cord or plug. If the supply cord is damaged return the vacuum cleaner to a Vax authorised Service Agent or a suitably qualified person for examination, repair or adjustment. 11. Do not pull or carry this appliance by the cord. Do not use the cord as a handle, close a door on the cord or pull the cord around sharp edges or corners. Do not run the vacuum cleaner over the cord. Keep the cord away from heated surfaces. 12. Do not handle the plug or the vacuum cleaner with wet hands. 13. Keep hair, loose clothing, fingers and all parts of the body away from openings and moving parts. 14. Do not pick up any hot coals, cigarette butts, matches or any hot, smoking or burning objects. 15. Do not vacuum up hard or sharp objects such as glass, nails, screws, coins, etc. without ALL of the filters in place. 16. Do not vacuum up harmful or toxic material (chlorine, bleach, ammonia, drain cleaner etc.) 17. Do not vacuum up hard or sharp objects such as glass, nails, screws, coins etc. 18. Store the vacuum cleaner in a cool, dry area. 19. Use only CE approved 13 amp extension cords. Non-approved cords may overheat. Care should be taken to arrange the cord so that the cord cannot be tripped over. 20. Do not put any objects into openings. Do not use with any openings blocked and do not restrict airflow. Keep all openings free of dust, lint, hair or anything that might reduce airflow. 21. Do not use without all of the filters in place. 22. Take extra care when vacuuming on the stairs. 23. Please ensure that the brushbar is turned off when you are vacuuming on the stairs. 24. Keep vacuuming area well lit. 3 v Getting Started IMPORTANT: The condition of the filters affects the performance of your machine. For best cleaning results filters require cleaning at least every 3 months. For full cleaning instructions, see pages 5 and 6. NOTE: Do not use the vacuum cleaner without all of the filters in place. Assembling your vacuum cleaner NOTE: The Turbobrush, hard floor tool, crevice tool, upholstery tool and dusting brush can all be attached directly to the telescopic tube or hose handle. The TurboTool should first be attached to the supplied connector before fitting onto the hose handle. Operating the appliance and accessories 1 2 NOTE: Fully unwind the power cord. A yellow mark on the cord indicates the recommended cord length. Do not exceed the cord length beyond the yellow mark. vax.co.uk 4 Maintenance Packing away and storage NOTE: For convenience there is a parking slot located at the rear of the vacuum cleaner where the floor head and tubes can be attached for storage and carrying. Emptying and cleaning the dirt container Cleaning the pre-motor filter 40 C max o 24hr tap Wash filters with warm water (40ºC MAX) at least every 3 months for best cleaning results. Do not use the vacuum cleaner without all of the filters in place. 5 v Looking after your machine – Filters Cleaning the shroud tap 24hr NOTE: The shroud is accessed by removing the dirt container lid and is located underneath the pre-motor filter. Cleaning the post-motor filter p ta vax.co.uk 6 Looking after your machine – Removing Blockages WARNING: To reduce the risk of electric shock, the power cord must be disconnected before performing maintenance/troubleshooting checks. Turn the vacuum cleaner off and unplug from the electrical socket. IMPORTANT: If the air inlet, hose or telescopic tube is blocked, switch off the vacuum cleaner and remove the blockage(s) before re-starting the vacuum cleaner. Clearing blockages Hose blockages Accessory blockages The flexible hose may be disconnected from the vacuum cleaner. Carefully remove any blockages found and reconnect the hose securely. Remove accessory from the hose/telescopic tube. Carefully remove the blockage and return to the cleaner. Removing blockages from the TurboTool (Some models only) 2 1 3 Tabs Locking ring Turn the TurboTool over and slide off the locking ring. To re-assemble the TurboTool, ensure that the tabs are engaged and pivot the lower housing closed. Slip the locking ring over the neck of the TurboTool and into the groove to finish. Detach lower housing and remove blockage. Removing blockages from the Turbobrush (some models only) Lay the Turbobrush on a flat surface and turn over to expose the brushbar. Using a pair of scissors, cut through any threads or hairs caught by the brushbar that have wrapped around the guides. 7 v FAQs WARNING: To reduce the risk of personal injury, unplug the vacuum cleaner before performing maintenance /troubleshooting checks. Is there an accessory missing? • Check the ‘Parts Overview’ page in this guide to make sure the part is definitely included in your unit. • If it is missing, we’re here to help. Simply call us on 0844 412 8455 Why won’t the vacuum cleaner pick up? • The dirt container may be incorrectly installed; remove the dirt container from the unit by pressing the dirt container release catch and then re-attaching it to the unit, ensuring it is locked firmly back into place. • The filter may be clogged; refer to ‘Maintenance: Looking after your machine – filters’ on pages 5 and 6. • The dirt container may be blocked; refer to ‘Maintenance: Emptying and cleaning the dirt container’ on page 5. • There may be a blockage in the hose/tube; disconnect from the vacuum cleaner. Carefully remove any blockages found and reconnect securely. Why is dust escaping from the vacuum? • The filter may be clogged; refer to ‘Maintenance: Cleaning the filters’ on pages 5 and 6. • The dirt container may be blocked; refer to ‘Maintenance: Emptying and cleaning the dirt container’ on page 5. • The dirt container may be incorrectly installed; remove the dirt container from the unit by pressing the dirt container release catch and then re-attaching it to the unit, ensuring it is locked firmly back into place. What do I do if the unit/an accessory becomes damaged or broken? • We’re here to help. Simply call 0844 412 8455 or visit vax.co.uk Why won’t the accessories pick up properly? • Hose blockages: remove the hose from the unit. Carefully remove any blockages found and reconnect hose securely. • Accessory blockages: remove accessory from handle/tube. Carefully remove blockage and re-attach to the vacuum cleaner. • The accessory may be faulty. Simply call us on 0844 412 8455 for assistance. Why will the vacuum cleaner not run? • It may not be plugged into the electrical outlet correctly; ensure that the plug is pushed in securely. • The electrical outlet may not be working properly; check the fuse or breaker, or consult an electrician. • The motor thermostat may have tripped; switch off and unplug the vacuum cleaner, and leave for one hour before switching the cleaner back on. vax.co.uk 8 Other Information Machine Overview UK Service & Help Any queries or concerns about using your Vax, simply visit; vax.co.uk/support – vaxireland.ie or call the Vax Careline. Calls are charged at the UK local rate. Please make a note of the serial number and model number of the vacuum cleaner before calling. Vax Careline: (UK) 0844 412 8455 (ROI) 1-800 928 308 Monday-Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm Consumables To purchase spares and accessories, please visit vax.co.uk Filter Kit (Type 69) 1-1-132539-00 TurboTool (Type 1) 1-1-126261-00 Dusting Brush (Type 6) 1-1-13-01-001 Crevice Tool (Type 15) 1-9-132488-00 Upholstery Tool (Type 5) 1-9-132489-00 Combination Floor Tool (Type 2) 1-1-124961-00 Turbo Brush (Type 1) 1-1-126067-00 Hardfloor Tool (Type 1) 1-1-125784-00 Guarantee will only be valid with the use of genuine Vax spares and accessories. Technical Specification Voltage: 220-240V ~50Hz Wattage: 2000 - 2200W(depending on model) Capacity: 3L Filters: Pre-motor filter HEPA H12 post-motor filter/HEPA H12 antibacterial post-motor filter (depending on model) Cord length: 7m (approx) Weight: 5.4kg (approx) Subject to technical change without notice. EEC Statement of Compliance Manufacturer/EEC importer: Vax Limited, hereby on our own responsibility, declare that the C87-T2 series is manufactured in compliance with the following Directives: Safety: 2006/95/EC Low Voltage Directive EMC: 2004/108/EC Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive Waste electrical products should not be disposed of with household waste. Please recycle where facilities exist. Check with your Local Authority or retailer for recycling advice. 9 v Guarantee Guarantee It’s quick and easy to register for your FREE 2 year guarantee online at: vax.co.uk/guarantees Please retain your original receipt for proof of purchase. UK based customer care centre — Open 6 days a week Monday-Friday 8:30am-18:30pm Saturday 9:00am-17:00pm we’re here if you need us Instead of taking me back to the shop, simply visit: vax.co.uk/support or call (UK) 0844 412 8455 (ROI) 1-800 928 308 Let us know what you think @VaxUK 2 vax.co.uk 10 COMMERCIAL Vax Ltd., Kingswood Road, Hampton Lovett, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 0QH, UK email: firstname.lastname@example.org website: vax.co.uk vax.co.uk Performance is everything.


text:
Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven
This 1800-watt convection toaster oven includes nine preset function, such as toast, bake, broil, pizza and cookies. The oven has five quartz heating elements and an auto-eject wire rack. It measures 18-1/2 by 16-1/4 by 11-1/4 inches on the outside and includes a 12-inch-square enamel baking pan and broil rack, along with a 13-inch nonstick pizza pan.
Oster Convection Toaster Oven
You can cook a whole chicken in an Oster convection toaster oven. The large size of the oven accommodates a 9-by-13-inch pan if the pan is without handles. The exterior size of an Oster Convection Toaster Oven is 20 inches by 16 inches by 14 inches. Cooking functions include bake, broil, defrost, warm, toast and pizza. The oven has an interior light, a removable crumb tray, a 90-minute timer and two rack positions. A baking pan is included.
Oster Large Digital Countertop Oven
This convection oven features stainless steel finish and digital controls; it can fit casserole pans and 9-by-13-inch sheet pans, as well as hams, roasts and whole chickens. The Oster Large Digital Countertop Oven has the capacity to bake a large frozen pizza. The oven has a temperature range of 150 degrees to 450 degrees. It includes a removable enamel baking pan and broiling rack.
Hamilton Beach Countertop Oven With Convection and Rotisserie (31100)
This oven's large capacity and two racks can fit two 9-by-13-inch casseroles, two 12-inch pizzas or two round cake pans. It includes a revolving rotisserie that bastes meat as it turns. In addition to the two racks, the oven includes two baking pans, a broiler rack and rotisserie accessories. Its exterior dimensions are 20-3/4 inches by 12-1/2 inches by 17 inches.

domain: food


text:
4 alternate lodging experiences in Oregon
Oregon is much more than just home to the hip and green city of Portland. The state is one of the most geographically diverse ones in the USA, marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands. The impressive nature makes the state a perfect place to explore nature sights – and even stay right in the middle of them.
Checking in to a hotel is almost always a nice experience, but most hotel rooms look the same, which makes them a place for sleeping and not for living. In Oregon, you can find a variety of overnight options that will make your lodging an experience in itself.
Whether you want to sit around a lit fire sipping hot cocoa, ride horses in the sunset or simply just retreat from city life, these 4 getaways listed below will make your stay truly special and bring you closer to the spectacular nature that the state has to offer .


The Cloth Pads are extremely lightweight, soft and durable and provide comfort, whilst offering ultra absorbency.
Our range has been designed to suit all needs and manage various levels of absorbency, including Light, Medium, Heavy and Ultra Heavy Flows. Available while stocks last in a range of gorgeous designs that will give you that will brighten your day and freshen you up. Discreet enough to fold up and carry with you in your handbag for any time you need.
Light Flow Pad (2x Layers of Absorbency) is designed short like a panty-liner, and is super lightweight and suitable for light leaks and daily wear and light post-partum incontinence. Length 20cm.
Medium Flow Pad (2x Layers of Absorbency) is suitable for Medium flow and daily use, being longer than panty-liner in length. Length 26cm.
Heavy Flow Pad (3x Layers of Absorbency) is suitable for daily use with heavy periods. Length 29cm.
Ultra Heavy Flow Pad (3x Layers of Absorbency) are specifically shaped to accommodate for overnight and super heavy bleeding and post-partum bleeding. Length 33cm.
Our Cloth Pads consist of a water-resistant anti-leak base layer of PUL with wings designed to snap fasten around the base of underwear for security. The inner absorbent layers are made with varying numbers of thirsty layers, and then are topped with 100% Organic Cotton fleece- GOTS certified.
© 2021 Nest 2 Me.


text:
The Australian U20’s will have their final hit out before next month’s World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy when they clash with the Australian Barbarians tomorrow night in Sydney.
Melbourne Rebels flier Jonah Placid will make his return from injury at fullback for the match, which kicks off at 7.30pm at Chatswood Oval.
Having re-gathered at the Sydney Academy of Sport at Narrabeen this week, the squad has been looking for structural improvements following its loss to New Zealand in the Oceania Rugby Junior Championship final.
The match will be the final opportunity for players to impress Head Coach Adrian Thompson before the team departs for the World Championship.
Australia been drawn alongside Samoa, host nation Italy and 2014 runners up South Africa in Pool B, with the tournament to kick off on Tuesday, June 2.
Thompson has been impressed with his side’s preparation throughout their Sydney camp:
“With our Super Rugby players Jonah Placid and Campbell Magnay having joined our camp it will give those guys an opportunity to have more game time with their Australian U20’s teammates and build our combinations.
“We are constantly looking to improve and the game against the Australian Barbarians will give us some more solid match preparation ahead of the World Championship”.
Australian U20’s side to play Australian Barbarians:
11.Andrew Kellaway (c)

domain: sports


text:
Drugs Firm AstraZeneca To Cut 700 UK Jobs
AstraZeneca is to cut 700 jobs in the UK as part of a restructuring, partly aimed at saving costs.
The pharmaceuticals firm, which employs 6,700 people in the UK, says it wants to implement the changes over the next three years.
While it plans to open a new research and development (R&D) centre in Cambridge through an investment of £330m, its largest R&D facility at Alderley Park in Cheshire will close.
A majority of the 1,600 people who work there will be relocated to Cambridge, to the fury of unions who say it will mean mean that the North West will lose high-quality jobs.
Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer, said: "The changes we are proposing represent an exciting and important opportunity to put science at the heart of everything we do because our long-term success depends on improving R&D productivity and achieving scientific leadership.
"This is a major investment in the future of this company that will enable us to accelerate innovation by improving collaboration, reducing complexity and speeding up decision-making.
"The strategic centres will also allow us to tap into important bioscience hotspots, providing more of our people with easy access to leading-edge academic and industry networks, scientific talent and valuable partnering opportunities."
AstraZeneca estimates that the proposals will lead to just under £1bn in one-off restructuring charges but annual benefits of the overhaul are expected to reach approximately £125m by 2016.
Some 1,600 jobs will go in total worldwide, Mr Soriot confirmed.
He added: "I recognise that our plans will have a significant impact on many of our people and our stakeholders at the affected sites.
"We are fully committed to treating all our employees with respect and fairness as we navigate this important period of change."
The announcement has come two months after AstraZeneca revealed that its annual net profits had slumped on the back of patent expiries, and has also warned that sales will dive further this year.


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- School of Library and Information Science
Donia Conn has been teaching for SLIS since 2010 and has worked in the field of preservation and conservation for over 20 years. She teaches and consults on the full spectrum of collections care topics for cultural heritage institutions.
Throughout her career, she has also been active in the profession chairing committees for the American Library Association, acting as a delegate for the United States on the International Standards Organization Working Group on ISO 11799, reviewing grants for the NHPRC Literacy and Engagement with Historical Records grant and the IMLS Museums for America grant programs, acting as subject specialist reviewer for professional journals, on the steering committee for the Capital New York Alliance for Response, the National Heritage Responders Working Group, and is on the Board of Trustees for Great Camp Sagamore.
Donia earned her BA in Mathematics from St. Olaf College and her MLIS with Advanced Certificate in Conservation from the University of Texas-Austin. Past employers include the Northeast Document Conservation Center, Northwestern University, Syracuse University, The Folger Shakespeare Library, and the University of Kentucky. Donia is also a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and member of AIC’s National Heritage Responders. As an independent consultant, Donia has worked for such institutions as the Saratoga County Historical Society, Lake Placid Olympic Museum, Skidmore College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the Greater Hudson Heritage Network, University of Rochester, the State of Alaska, Henry Whitfield State Museum, Vanderbilt University, The Knights of Columbus Museum, Washington University, and many small and mid-sized institutions of all types.

domain: library


Zala Aero unveils Zala 421-16 UAS upgrade
Zala Aero has launched the latest version of its Zala 421-16 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a focus on civil sector aerial photography customers. The newest version of the system includes a dual frequency GPS/Glonass receiver TRE-G3T with frequencies L1 and L2 supporting RTK increasing the accuracy of the aerial photography coordinates to centimetres.
The company is aiming the upgraded 421-16, originally launched in 2009, at the energy and land management sector as a ‘cost-effective solution’ for large scale aerial photography, with coverage of over 1000 km in a single flight.
The system has also been equipped with two high-resolution professional cameras that make it possible to obtain 3D images with accurate coordinates embedded, to increase the data output available.
The 421-16 interchangeable power plants have not been modified, the company said, as the two-stroke and four-stroke engines offer a selection to customers depending on different mission characteristics.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
Aeronautics inks agreement for producing Orbiter 4 UAVs in Thailand
Aeronautics has expanded its Asia-Pacific operations, signing a collaboration agreement with RV Connex to produce the Orbiter 4 UAV in Thailand.
Royal Navy selects Animal Dynamics parafoil UAV for second phase of Heavy Lift challenge
With a payload capacity of 135kg, the Stork STM can fly up to 400km using a parafoil wing to generate lift.
IDEX 2023: Autel Robotics showcases DJI challenger drone
Autel Robotics presented its Dragonfish series and EVO Max 4T at IDEX 2023, hoping to challenge DJI's market dominance with the latter.
BAE and Innovaero debut Strix, Australia’s first domestic armed VTOL UAS
At the Avalon Airshow, BAE Systems Australia debuted Australia’s first domestically designed, built and armed VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) uncrewed air system (UAS), the Strix.
Enhanced autopilots pave way to autonomy for US multi-engine jets
The USAF has commissioned a year-long autonomy study by Reliable Robotics for large jet aircraft.
IDEX 2023: Black Eagle UAV gets miniature airborne radar
Integrating the radar into the Steadicopter UAS allows the rotorcraft to spot potential maritime threats.


|Publication number||US3980940 A|
|Application number||US 05/458,875|
|Publication date||Sep 14, 1976|
|Filing date||Apr 8, 1974|
|Priority date||Apr 10, 1973|
|Also published as||DE2416897A1, DE2416897B2|
|Publication number||05458875, 458875, US 3980940 A, US 3980940A, US-A-3980940, US3980940 A, US3980940A|
|Inventors||Kenichi Mabuchi, Kogiro Komatsu|
|Original Assignee||Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (15), Classifications (7)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to battery equalizing systems for chargeable batteries and, more particularly, it relates to battery equalizing systems adapted to be used with chargeable batteries of the type which can be charged rapidly and can afford a big discharge current when in use, including a system which equalizes the charging of each component cell of the battery during charging, as well as a system which, prior to charging, permits each cell to discharge so as to have the same residual charge left at the start of charging.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently there have been developed nickel-cadmium type cells and among them a nickel-cadmium cell with a relief valve for releasing internal gas in the event of overcharging. Such a cell has so low an internal resistance as to afford big discharge current (several amperes or more) and can be charged very rapidly (in a few or more minutes) when exhausted. For this reason, such cells are now being used as electric power sources for electrically driven toys such as electrically driven model airplanes as well as other various electric appliances.
In case of a battery assembly, however, which is composed of a plurality of such cells, and particularly in case the battery is used with repeated rapid charging and big-current discharging for a short period of time, it often happens that inverse charging may occur in some of the cells of the battery due to the slight difference in capacity or other characteristics among the individual cells and this often leads to a considerable shortening of the life of the battery as a whole.
The present invention is proposed to solve this problem and has for its object the equalization of the charging voltage across each component cell during charging as well as the avoidance of over charging of it. The charging equalizer circuit given in accordance with the invention may either be connected to the battery only at the time of charging or may normally be connected thereto in parallel in order to prevent any overcharging by mistake.
In one embodiment of the invention, a charge equalizing circuit is connected in parallel to each of the cells connected in series constituting the battery to equalize the amount of charging of each cell, while in another embodiment, a discharge equalizing circuit is connected in parallel to each of the cells connected in series so that, prior to charging, each cell may be discharged to a zero residual charge whereby to equalize the amount of the subsequent charging of each cell.
It is an object of the invention to provide a battery equalizing system for equally charging each of the chargeable cells connected in series.
It is another object of the invention to provide a battery equalizing system with discharge circuits connected normally to the cells.
It is another object of the invention to provide a battery equalizing system having discharge circuits to be connected only at the time of charging.
It is another object of the invention to provide a battery equalizing system using silicon diodes or the like as the elements of the discharge circuits to be connected to the chargeable cells.
It is another object of the invention to provide a battery equalizing system for chargeable batteries in which discharge circuits are connected in parallel to the chargeable cells to let them discharge an equal residual charge before the charging is started.
It is another object of the invention to provide a battery equalizing system for chargeable batteries using pilot lamps to indicate the residual charge.
It is another object of the invention to provide a discharger in which a fan used as a discharge load is also used as a heat remover.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a discharger having a cassette which holds a set of cells to be used in series connection.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a discharger which has a separate cassette holding the cells and a separate discharger housing containing the discharge circuits.
FIGS. 1 (A) to (D) are diagrams for explaining the inverse charging phenomenon,
FIG. 2 shows a circuit, when charging, embodying the battery equalizing system in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 3 shows the forward voltage-current characteristics of a semi-conductor diode,
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show further circuits embodying the invention,
FIGS. 6 to 9 show a discharge equalizer embodying the battery equalizing system, wherein FIG. 6 shows its electrical connections, FIG. 7 shows an example of the cassette case holding the battery cells, FIG. 8 is a cross-section of an embodiment of the discharge equalizer, and FIG. 9 shows the battery cassette case as mounted on the discharge equalizer.
In a chargeable battery device consisting of two or more cells connected in series, if there are some differences in quality or characteristics among the individual cells, the performance of the battery as a whole will be limited by the cell that has the poorest performance of all the cells constituting the battery. Therefore, cells having equal performance or characteristics should be chosen and assembled to compose a chargeable battery. With recently developed nickel-cadmium cells, especially equipped with a relief valve for discharging internal gases in case of overcharging, it is possible to repeat complete discharging (to zero terminal voltage) and rapid charging (in a few or more minutes) over hundreds or thousands of times. As a result of such repeated charging and discharging, even a slight difference in performance or characteristics among the individual component cells may be compounded to such an extent as to cause overcharging or inverse charging phenomena in some of the cells. Consequently, the overall performance of the battery as a whole will be less than the expected sum of the performances of the component cells and the life of the battery may often be shortened. Such phenomenon becomes more probable when the charge or discharge current is big compared with the capacity of the cells and when the number of component cells is increased.
FIG. 1 is presented to explain the inverse charging phenomenon mentioned above. Referring to FIG. 1 (A), let it be assumed that the cells 1W to 1Z have been charged to 1.2V each and are now to discharge through a load RL. If the four cells have just the same characteristics and have retained just the same amount of charge, each of the cells will equally discharge with time until all the charge is dissipated leaving the terminal voltage across each cell zero. However, if one cell 1Y, for example, has a different characteristic from the other, only that cell will come to present a voltage of opposite polarity to the ordinary voltage, as shown in FIG. 1 (C). This phenomenon is called inverse charging, which would rapidly deteriorate the quality of that particular cell and spoil its performance as a cell in a short time.
With reference to such inverse charging, each component cell in itself may be regarded as equivalent to an electromotive force e with a parallel resistance Rp and a series Rs, as shown in FIG. 1 (D). The cell 1Y may be regarded as having a smaller value of Rp and hence a larger self-discharge therethrough leaving a smaller quantity of charge retained in that cell. Thus, it is considered that, during the use of the cells as a battery, the cell 1Y will be discharged (i.e., its electromotive force e becomes zero) earlier than the other cells, so that a voltage of opposite polarity will appear across the resistances Rp, Rs in the cell 1Y as a voltage drop due to the discharge current therethrough flowing from the other sound cells.
In the case of FIG. 1(B), where discharge has been stopped at the state shown without going to the inverse charging as above and now charging is to start to provide for the next use, supply of a given charging current will cause the sound cells 1W, 1X and 1Z to be fully charged before the completion of charging of the cell 1Y. If the next discharge starts with that condition, the cell 1Y will complete its discharge earlier than the other cells and, if discharging keeps on further, the cell 1Y will come to have the opposite polarity and receive what is called inverse charging. On the other hand, if the charging is continued till the cell 1Y becomes fully charged, the other component cells 1W, 1X and 1Z will be overcharged and generate heat with the result of deterioration in their characteristics. Such unbalance among the cells, however slight it may be at first, will compound as the charge and discharge cycle is repeated, until at least inverse charging or over-charging will take place.
In FIG. 2, which shows an embodiment of the invention, each component cell has connected in parallel thereto a discharge circuit which turns conductive when the voltage across each cell exceeds a predetermined value. Thus, the component cells 1X to 1Z are provided with discharge circuits 2DW to 2DZ connected in parallel thereto, respectively, each consisting of three silicon diodes, for example, connected in series in order to use their forward voltage-current characteristics.
As shown in FIG. 3, the semiconductor element such as a germanium diode or a silicon diode has the characteristics in the forward direction that hardly any current flows within a voltage range below a certain low value VH, but when a voltage exceeding that value VH is applied a big forward current flows. A test was conducted with four Nickel-Cadmium cells, for example, type 1/3 AA, nominal capacity 100 mAH, connected in series, used as the cells 1X to 1Z. A constant-current charging operation at 0.2 A was started with an initial terminal voltage of 1.25 V across each cell. The terminal voltage became 1.35V after about 3 minutes, further increased with time, and reached 1.45V in about 22 minutes. Thereafter the terminal voltage increased rapidly, becoming 1.5V after 26 minutes, 1.58 V after 27 minutes, and finally a peak voltage of 1.65 V was reached after 30 minutes, when overcharge took place. From this it is understood that a satisfactory fully charged condition may be obtained if charging is stopped at a point where the terminal voltage is 1.55 V.
Thus, the preferred discharge circuits 2DW to 2DZ using such a diode forward characteristics as shown in FIG. 3, are made of three silicon diodes with the VH voltage of about 0.51V and are connected in parallel to cells 1W to 1Z each. With such arrangement, charging the battery from terminals 3 and 4 makes the voltage across each component cell increase gradually and, when it reaches 1.53V (i.e. 3 × 0.51V), each discharge circuits 2DW to 2DZ starts discharging. In other words, the voltage across each cell is limited to 1.53V and never causes overcharging. Consequently, even if e.g. the cell 1Y had a very low terminal voltage before charging starts, the voltage across each of the other cells 1W, 1X and 1Z is kept from increasing further after it has reached 1.53V, so that the cell 1Y, not yet fully charged, may be given sufficient voltage to complete its charging. In the conventional charging operation without the discharge circuits, those cells which had reached the fully charged condition earlier, would be overcharged and the voltage across them would become unnecessarily high, while the voltage across the cells which had not yet been fully charged would tend to become accordingly lower. Thus the prior art has the disadvantage that waiting for the cell 1Y to become fully charged causes overcharing of the other cells. In contrast with this, the present invention makes it possible to bring all the cells into fully charged condition while preventing overcharging, for the accumulation of any unbalance among the cells in the course of repeated charge and discharge operations can be eliminated, according to the invention, by equalizing the quantity of charge in every cell during charging and therefore hardly any inverse charging as explained in reference to FIG. 1 can take place.
Though, in the above-mentioned embodiment, silicon diodes are used for the discharge circuits, it is needless to say that other semi-conductor diodes such as germanium diodes or other non-linear resistance elements or combinations thereof may also be used. The number of the diodes may be chosen to meet the full-charge voltage as desired.
While the discharge circuits in FIG. 2 have been described as being normally connected in parallel with the cells, a charger equipped with such discharge circuits may be connected to the cells only at the time of charging.
In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, resistors or other discharge circuits are connected, prior to charging, with the series-connected cells, whereby each of the cells may discharge to the same level of voltage even though there has been some difference in residual charge among them. The equalization of the voltage across each cell to the same level prior to charging permits the cells to be equally charged in the subsequent charging so that they will have equal amount of charge without causing overcharging. It also serves to prevent an extreme unbalance from occurring in the subsequent discharge as shown in FIG. 1 (B). Of course, deterioration of the cells may be prevented by making such discharge equalizing operation as shown in FIG. 4 at every discharge or every few discharges, though in the latter case some unbalance may follow because of possible slight difference in their characteristics.
FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the discharge equalization is carried out by means of resistors 2W to 2Z, whereas FIG. 5 shows another embodiment in which the discharge equalization is carried out using the forward characteristics of silicon diodes 2DW to 2DZ, for example.
The forward characteristics of the silicon diode or germanium diode is such that almost no current flows and the discharge is substantially disabled when the forward voltage is less than 0.5 - 0.7V, for silicon, and 0.3V, for germanium.
With such a silicon diode of equal quality connected in parallel to each cell, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5, each cell will discharge through its diode, but after its voltage has come down to a level of about 0.5 - 0.7 V, it will not discharge any longer. Thus, every cell is equalized through discharge to a certain level of from 0.5 to 0.7 V. This voltage to which the discharge equalization is to be made may be suitably chosen by changing the kind or the number of the diodes to be used.
Although even in the case of a nickel-cadmium cell, as in the case of a usual storage cell, it would be desirable to charge it, if possible, before it has discharged to a very low terminal voltage, yet it is practically tolerable for such a cell even if its terminal voltage should have dropped to zero, and it is this point that is used in the circuit shown in FIG. 4.
FIGS. 6 to 9 show an embodiment of the battery equalizing apparatus in accordance with the invention. As stated before, rapidly chargeable cells 1 are held in series in a battery cassette case 7 of plastic material, as shown in FIG. 7. The cassette case as a whole with the cells therein may be mounted on various electric devices, for use as electric power supply. The battery cassette case 7 is provided with a plus terminal hole 8 and a minus terminal hole 9, which are to receive the corresponding connection terminals of the electric devices (not shown) on which the battery cassette case is to be mounted. In the embodiment, the cassette is adapted to be placed on a discharge equalizer in order to make the residual charge in each cell zero prior to charging the battery after use, as shown in FIG. 6. The numeral 1 in FIG. 6 shows the cells held in the battery cassette case 7 shown in FIG. 7. When the battery cassette case 7 is mounted on the discharge equalizer shown in FIG. 8, each cell 1 is connected with a resistor 2 between its plus and minus terminals so that each cell 1 may discharge completely. Preferably, pilot lamps 5 may be connected in parallel to the respective resistors 2 to indicate the completion of discharge of each cell. A cooling fan motor 6 is provided to remove heat generated from resistors 2 and is driven by the voltage across the whole battery whereby, conveniently, the motor will automatically stop upon completion of discharge of the battery. The numerals 11 and 12 will be referred to later in reference to FIG. 8.
FIG. 8 shows the details of the discharge equalizer, with the resistors the exponent 2, pilot lamps 5, a cooling fan motor 6, and housing 10. The housing 10 is provided with a cassette case seat or recess, in which to mount the whole battery cassette case 7 as shown in FIG. 7. The cassette case seat is provided with engagement terminals 12 and 13, at least one of which is movable, adapted to fit into the holes 8 and 9 of the battery cassette case 7. In the Figure, the engagement terminal 12 to fit in the hole 8 is movable. By tilting a lever 14 to the right, the engagement terminal 12 is retracted and the engagement terminal 13 is brought into engagement with the hole 13. The lever 14 is then released to have the engagement terminal 12 in electrical contact with the battery's plus terminal through hole 8.
Each of the contact terminals 11, provided on the housing 10 is in electrical contact with the outer surface of each cell 1 (serving also as the minus terminal of the cell), as is clearly seen in FIG. 9. The electrical connection obtained at this time is as shown in FIG. 6, with the resistors 2 and pilot lamps 5 connected each between adjacent terminals 11 and between the contact terminal 11 and said engagement terminal 12 or 13 at either end. The cooling fan motor 6 is connected between the plus and the minus terminals of the whole battery cassette case to cool the resistors 2 until all the cells have been discharged. In order to make the cooling efficient, there are ventilation holes 17, in the housing 10 to allow for circulation of air.
With the battery cassette case placed on the discharge equalizer as above, each cell of the battery is made to completely discharge through its respective resistor 2 until its voltage becomes zero, at time each pilot lamp goes out and motor 6 stops. It is at this time that each cell 1 has lost all its residual charge. By mounting this cassette case 7 on a charger, not shown, each cell 1 may be charged equally. It is therefore possible to solve the problem encountered with the prior art where some cells having greater residual charge would be overcharged while others having less residual charge would be undercharged. It may also be expected for each cell to discharge equally while in use even if the discharge current is very big, since the charged voltage in the beginning of the discharge is equal. Moreover, even if an unbalance condition may occur temporarily, it will be corrected every time the discharge equalizer is used. Therefore no accumulation of unbalance due to repeated charging and discharging will appear as in the case of the prior art.
Although, in the embodiment described above, the seat for the cassette case 7 is shown in the form of a recess, other forms may be used for it, and although the contact terminals 11 have been described as of the type to contact the surfaces of the respective cells, it is apparent that they may be designed to contact the plus terminals of the cells. It is also possible to add a charger to the discharger in the embodiment so that the discharger and the charger may be selectively used by simply switching between them.
It is needless to say that although the foregoing embodiment has been described with reference to nickel-cadmium cells, the invention is not limited thereto but may be applicable to e.g. lead storage batteries.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US2624033 *||Sep 10, 1951||Dec 30, 1952||Accumulateurs Fixes & De Tract||Series connected cells with individual rectifier shunts|
|US2904739 *||Jun 28, 1957||Sep 15, 1959||Reed Jr Herbert B||System for charging and discharging a battery pack|
|US3148322 *||Mar 13, 1961||Sep 8, 1964||Mallory & Co Inc P R||Rechargeable battery with means to prevent overcharging|
|US3202900 *||Jun 7, 1962||Aug 24, 1965||Electric Storage Battery Co||Storage battery operating circuit|
|US3343058 *||Aug 6, 1965||Sep 19, 1967||Accumulateurs Fixes||Storage batteries and cells|
|US3418450 *||Jun 20, 1966||Dec 24, 1968||Rotor Electric Co Ltd||Combination car heater and battery charger|
|US3454859 *||May 23, 1967||Jul 8, 1969||Us Navy||Nickel-cadmium battery reconditioner|
|US3496703 *||Oct 9, 1967||Feb 24, 1970||Rite Hardware Mfg Co||Backpack air-conditioning apparatus|
|US3534354 *||Jul 1, 1966||Oct 13, 1970||Gen Electric||Discharge indicator for rechargeable batteries|
|US3644873 *||Oct 22, 1970||Feb 22, 1972||Gen Electric||Electrical connector for a radio receptacle|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US4672292 *||May 14, 1986||Jun 9, 1987||Black & Decker Inc.||System for charging sets of rechargeable batteries|
|US4847513 *||Feb 26, 1988||Jul 11, 1989||Black & Decker Inc.||Power-operated device with a cooling facility|
|US5119009 *||Apr 20, 1989||Jun 2, 1992||Motorola, Inc.||Lithium battery deactivator|
|US5648713 *||Jun 1, 1995||Jul 15, 1997||Saft||Modular regulator circuit, for a modular electrical storage cell battery, having a number of modules dependent on the number of modules of the battery|
|US5764027 *||Jun 21, 1996||Jun 9, 1998||Ford Global Technologies, Inc.||Method and apparatus for battery charge balancing|
|US6064178 *||May 7, 1998||May 16, 2000||Ford Motor Company||Battery charge balancing system having parallel switched energy storage elements|
|US6337555||Aug 10, 2000||Jan 8, 2002||Se Kwang Oh||Manage system of rechargeable battery and a method for managing thereof|
|US6351097||Feb 14, 2000||Feb 26, 2002||Se Kwang Oh||Manage system of rechargeable battery and a method for managing thereof|
|US20090243540 *||Apr 1, 2008||Oct 1, 2009||Analog Express Inc.||Methods and apparatus for battery charging management|
|CN102315673A *||Sep 5, 2011||Jan 11, 2012||上海市电力公司||Device for ensuring stable charging and discharging of sodium-sulfur battery pack|
|EP0203847A1 *||May 14, 1986||Dec 3, 1986||Black & Decker Inc.||A system for charging sets of rechargeable batteries|
|EP0297421A2 *||Jun 23, 1988||Jan 4, 1989||Asea Brown Boveri Aktiengesellschaft||By-pass element for protection of battery cells|
|EP0691725A1 *||Jun 28, 1995||Jan 10, 1996||Saft||Controlling device for an electric storage battery|
|EP2075893B1 *||Oct 14, 2008||Mar 9, 2016||Black & Decker, Inc.||Bottom based balancing in a lithium ion battery system|
|EP2704287A1 *||Aug 27, 2012||Mar 5, 2014||Magna E-Car Systems GmbH & Co OG||Charge compensation circuit which can be activated|
|U.S. Classification||320/107, 320/DIG.18, 320/127|
|Cooperative Classification||Y10S320/18, H02J7/0016|


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My BL reading so far this year:
The Unremembered Empire - 7/10. Decent. Felt that the gratuitous Primarch slapfights were wholly unnecessary, and that Curze was forced to be depicted so powerful that he made all the loyalists look bumbling and helpless. More juicy Perpetual details, but quite a bit of squandered potential: Alpha Legion plots, Word Bearers teleporting in for bloody rampages, Perpetuals working behind the scenes... these could have made for a compelling convergence of schemes, but the Primarchs had to steal the show and leave each sub-plot a few scenes to resolve themselves. Some good characters and gets into the heads of Guilliman and such well, but could have been markedly better.
Ahriman: Exile - 8.5/10. An intimate portrayal of a ragged Ahriman on the run that in no way lessens how awesome and potent of a character that this, one of the most seductively cool special characters in the game, can be seen. Almost a Dresden Files book set in the 40k universe.
Atlas Infernal - 8/10. Ah, Czevak, you poor, damned fool. This is a book where the author took all the coolest things about 40k and shook them up in a big jar of Eye of Terror and spilled the result out on the table. The first two chapters have Death Korps of Krieg, an immortal cannibal death-cult assassin Living Saint, Deathwatch, inquisitorial intrigue, Harlequins, a Relictors Techmarine, a daemonhost, a sultry Rogue Trader, the Eye of Terror, Salvar Chem Dogs... and more.
Angel Exterminatus - 6.5. An excellent insight into the very sympathetic Perturabo. Except, uh, when he's in killing rages. The whole "copy/paste cast from Storm of Iron to make the 40k univers seem tiny" thing is depressing and distressing, as is the fact that both Iron Warriors and Emperor's Children are indistinguishable from their modern 40k counterparts. Also "hyper-competent loyalist stragglers make evil Primarchs look like fools" is also getting a bit tiresome. Lots of little things about it irritate me, but to the book's credit, its core is strong enough to bear through and act as a serviceable addition to the series.
What sphinx of plascrete and adamantium bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination? Imperator! Imperator!
Last edited by Mossy Toes; 05-15-14 at 12:27 AM.


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Making my first Commercial: A Filmmaker's Diary
By Rusanna Danielian | 18-Jun-2014
How do you go about making a professional commercial within a 5-day timeframe? As a film student (I study at Met Film School in Berlin) I am used to making short films within a limited time and with a small crew, each of us undertaking 2-3 key practical roles to get the production underway. However, when the opportunity came up to create a commercial within a 5-day timeframe for a filmmaking competition, my skills were put to the test. Thankfully, with a lot of help and support, we finally did it! And here's how:
Day One: The Concept
Devlrex, a global pharmaceutical company, were looking to launch a new line of cold-sore creams and their creative brief for the commercial came under the title "Most Kissable Lips." They launched a competition to find a filmmaker who could deliver something unique and creative, whilst corresponding with the brief and the brand. Obviously the first thing that came to my head was a bunch of close ups of different kind of lips- and if that came to my mind, I knew that everyone else was thinking the same. So how to be different?
I kept my concept simple- since I have a habit of leaving my own lip prints on postcards, I thought that this would be visually nice and representative for the product.
Day Two: The Casting
As soon as I had an idea for the film, I started an online casting to bring my vision into life. A lot of actors and actresses were interested, so I had a good choice and picked actors who had an on-screen chemistry. I worked on casting the extras separately, and luckily some of the original actors I had to turn down for the main roles agreed to work as extras, which was great!
Day Three: Starting the Shoot
The first shooting day was the hardest, because we had so many different scenes on several locations. I had to coordinate everything at the same time and keep in touch with all the actresses, to tell them at which time and place they should be there. Thankfully my lovely sister (who plays the flower girl) came all the way from Cologne especially to assist me and I had two of my wonderfully talented classmates helping out with camera and sound. It's all about teamwork!
Day Four: The Shoot Continues
The second day of shooting was complicated because I had to do the camerawork myself whilst finding a new sound technician at the last minute! But with the help of my faithful friends from school I managed to get some shooting done before the natural light went. Everyone in the team found that they had to multitask at all times, but it was a passion project and everyone rallied!
Day Five: The Editing
I had a LOT of material, and it was a painful process to begin to break it down. The first rough cut was (to my surprise) about eight minutes long. I had to kill too many darlings, but I was lucky to get support from two of our great directing and editing tutors. At the end my film was still too long, but I made the decision to leave it the way it was, since my story would lose its charm and meaning if I cut out more. I decided to go all in or nothing.
Luckily the jury loved the ad and the film was chosen to advertise their products! Winning the competition has given me so much confidence for my future career in filmmaking and, indeed, commercial projects!
Rusanna Danielian, a BA (Hons) Practical Filmmaking student at Met Film School Berlin, won the "Most Kissable Lips" competition held by global pharmaceutical company Devlrex, following the production of her short film "Lipstick." This film will now be used to advertise their products, as well as a prize of 2000!
If you'd any information on Met Film School Berlin, and the courses that they offer, visit their website to request a free prospectus.
You should see if you can break the process down further for a lot of the less experienced. Great read. Thanks so much.