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If you traveled to various corners of the world, played word association with its far-flung inhabitants and said, “Britpop,” the majority would respond “Oasis.” You might get some competition from Blur and others on the continent or in Japan, but Oasis is the Britpop representative best-known in the USA, and the USA has nuclear-level marketing reach.
Note that the word “nuclear” was carefully chosen and is intended to convey all its meanings.
I’ve already reviewed all their studio albums, but I couldn’t do a Britpop series justice without including Oasis. Luckily, I had their concert album in my back pocket, where they cover nearly all their hits from the Britpop era.
My review of Familiar to Millions is somewhat colored by my experience: I have seen Oasis live four times in my brief existence:
- June 19, 1997, Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California: I loathe outdoor stadium concerts and despised the Be Here Now album, but they were in town, I could get there on BART, I’d never seen them, so what the fuck. The sound wasn’t great and the thing I remember most was Liam wearing white tennis shoes that were terribly unsexy.
- August 6, 2000, Arlene Schnitzler Concert Hall, Portland, Oregon: A wealthy dermatologist I was dating took me for my nineteenth birthday. He really went all out—we flew first class, had Dom Perignon waiting for us at the Benson Hotel and sat in second-row seats for Oasis. I returned the favor with a couple of thank-you fucks, dated him for another couple of months but ended it before he could give me a Tiffany engagement ring for Christmas. Nice guy, good-looking, shallow as a rain puddle, entire identity wrapped around his wealth and status. As for Oasis, they put on a great performance despite the weak material from Standing on the Shoulder of Giants—the set list on this live album is pretty close to what I heard that night, minus the crowd size and energy of Wembley. At this stage in their career, Oasis was no longer considered a top-tier band in the States, and were generally booked for venues in the 3000 to 5000 seat range. I liked that.
- September 9, 2005, Everett Events Center, Everett, Washington: This was a flight on my own dime and worth every penny—this was the Don’t Believe the Truth concert and I consider that album to be their masterpiece. They were on fire from the get-go and never let up, with the presence of Zak Starkey on drums infinitely improving the band’s tightness and punch. The venue was hardly top-tier and I remember Noel asking the crowd, “We were told we’d be playing Seattle—where the fuck is this place?”
- August 26, 2008, WaMu Theatre, Seattle: This took place after I moved to Seattle. The venue sucked—it felt more like a school cafeteria than a theatre. Oasis management seriously fucked up on this one—the band prepared a setlist heavy on songs from Dig Out Your Soul and the geniuses who set up the tour scheduled several concerts before the album was released! Though I was hearing several of the songs for the first time, “Shock of the Lightning” left quite an impression.
I also saw Beady Eye at the Showbox in Seattle on November 30, 2011. I recall that a member of the audience almost lost his member after slapping me in the ass and that it took Liam about six songs to find the right key. Despite the presence of three Oasis alumni, Beady Eye did not play a single Oasis number, but their first album was energetic enough to make for a relatively satisfying experience.
Oasis has been called a working-class band, and they certainly lived up to that label in concert. Oasis concerts feature very little in the way of pyrotechnics and nothing in the way of choreography—they pretty much just fucking play. Liam’s singing stance rarely varies: he puts his hands behind his back, twists his torso a bit, leans forward into the mike and sings. Noel is usually stage left with his guitars at the ready. The only “additional entertainment” is found in the song introductions, which fall into three categories: perfunctory, unintelligible or insulting (the insults are directed at random people in the audience). They rarely invite crowd participation because they usually don’t need to—the crowd at an Oasis concert consider themselves one of the largest choruses ever assembled, and they join in from the get-go.
Familiar to Millions primarily consists from the performances at Wembley on June 21, 2000, with some vocal overdubs inserted from other concerts in spots where Liam fucked up the lyrics. He always fucked up the second verse of “Acquiesce,” insisting on the documentary DVD for Don’t Believe the Truth that he’d never heard that verse in his life, in defiance of recorded evidence to the contrary. I don’t think anyone has found the Rosetta Stone that holds the key to Liam’s brain; I’ve always thought of him as intuitive-emotional and rather “childlike,” with all the blessings and curses associated with that adjective. When he’s in the mood, though, he’s one of the best rock vocalists on record, and for most of Familiar to Millions, he’s in the mood.
His brother told The Daily Telegraph, “I like to think I keep it real. Liam keeps it surreal, and somewhere between the two we get on all right.” Noel’s feet are generally more firmly attached to terra firma, but he also has the tendency to say whatever is on his mind and you can go fuck yourself if you’ve got a problem with that, mate. He is eminently quotable, the master of the sound bite with bite, oscillating between self-deprecation and self-promotion. He has described his guitar-playing at “average at fucking best,” but sends modesty on holiday with observations like, “Look. I was a superhero in the ’90s. I said so at the time. McCartney, Weller, Townshend, Richards, my first album’s better than all their first albums. Even they’d admit that.” Putting aside his arrogance and aggressive defensiveness (adjectives that apply equally to both brothers), Noel Gallagher managed to write some of the greatest songs of the era and never wavered in his commitment to the sadly dying art of guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll.
People who don’t care for Oasis tell me it has more to do with the Gallagher Brothers being assholes than the music; some people won’t even listen to Oasis because of the assholity factor. Having struggled through a love-hate relationship with Oasis for twenty-odd years, I can appreciate those feelings, but what frustrates me is not so much their boorishness but their bipolar tendencies. That is not a clinical diagnosis, but an observation of a pattern of good boy/bad boy behavior present throughout their history—a pattern demonstrated on this particular album. The Wembley concert was part of the tour to promote the album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants—an album title that acknowledges the band’s debt to The Beatles and the other great British bands of the 60’s. Then again, who but Oasis would give their live album a title like Familiar to Millions? Even if it’s true, why the fuck do you want to go there?
Sigh. Enough psychologizing. All I know is this: whenever I’ve seen Oasis live, I forget all about that crap and sing along at the top of my lungs with everybody else.
Let’s get on with it! One last note: in addition to the album, you can get a DVD with the entire gig and various “special features.” The sound on the DVD isn’t as good as the CD or the vinyl (which Discogs currently priced at $397.33), but the review includes references to what’s happening on stage when I think it’s helpful.
A tape of “Fucking in the Bushes” would become the standard call to arms opening Oasis concerts, the pounding drums and ripping guitar a signal to those off taking a piss that they’ve got three minutes to get their asses back to where the action is. During the intro, the cameras pans the crowd, a rather scrawny looking bunch obviously thrilled to see their heroes. Displaying a complete lack of attention to the finer points of fashion, Liam struts on stage wearing hippie-style shades and a blue denim jacket over a hoodie while Noel appears in what looks like a thick brown shirt pulled from the back of his closet over a pinkish top. Liam warms up the crowd with typical ramblings, saying something about a “shithole” and “Hello, Manchester.” With everyone in place, Alan White dutifully plays the drum intro to “Go Let It Out,” the lead single from the album. Liam betrays his excitement through his off-kilter breathing rhythm, but the crowd of around 80,000 people don’t notice because they’re already singing at the tops of their lungs. When the bass is called on to join in, the audience goes nuts, as they should—Andy Bell is a hundred times the bass player Guigsy was. The highlight of the performance is when Liam sings the line, “Ordinary people that are like you and me,” pointing to self then audience to emphasize common roots. Second new band member Gem Archer joins in the fun by delivering the first guitar solo, handing it over to Noel on his Gibson Les Paul for the second passage. Although it’s far from my favorite Oasis song, “Go Let It Out” gets the job done, leaving the crowd in the early stages of ecstasy.
Noel switches to the Rickenbacker for the second track on the Standing album, the drone song, “Who Feels Love,” supported by non-member Zeben Jameson on synthesizer. I mentioned in my review of that album that the studio version is a pale imitation of the live version, and listening to this album confirms what I heard in Portland. Bass whore that I am, I thrill to the deep, filling sound of Andy Bell’s bass in the same way I thrill to the deep, filling feeling of a hard one stretching my vaginal walls. Oasis would become masters of the drone song as demonstrated on Dig Out Your Soul and their surprisingly strong cover of “Within You, Without You,” and in this context it serves to get the rhythm section in sync and ready to rock.
Our first trip down memory lane begins when Liam announces “Supersonic.” The crowd immediately begins to move their butts along with the opening drum beat, breaking out into an ecstatic cry of pleasure when Noel delivers the arpeggiated intro. EVERYONE is singing the quirky lyrics at the top of their lungs, as if they’ve been holding back the orgasm for just the right moment. The band immediately launches into “Shakermaker,” a song I’ve always loathed, but I have to admit they play it very well here, rocking hard enough to make me temporarily forget that the song is based on a fucking Coke commercial.
Right on cue, Liam fucks up the lyrics to “Acquiesce,” but fortunately his part is relegated to the verses while his brother sings the far more important chorus. You can hear the difference in the crowd vocals—the sing-along isn’t quite as strong as it was on the previous two songs, but when Noel steps up to the mike and delivers his lines in an exceptionally clear voice, the accompanying chorus rises to a new dynamic peak:
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
I know we’re gonna discover
What’s sleeping in our soul
Noel literally saves the day here, leaving the crowd in a state of post-orgasmic delight.
Liam heads off for a smoke and a piss while Noel takes the lead on the Stevie Wonder imitation song, “Step Out.” While I appreciate the way he and Gem kick ass on the guitar parts, I always get distracted in the chorus, which is a musical duplication of “Uptight.” Liam finds his way back to the stage for the third song from Standing, the meh piece “Gas Panic.” Unlike me, the crowd seems to enjoy itself, but this is the part of the concert where I follow Liam’s example and head to the wings for physiological relief. I return to the sound of Noel telling a guy in the audience, “If she starts getting out of line, slap her,” followed by an energetic rendition of “Roll With It.” Neither Noel’s sentiments nor the song bring a smile to my face, but I get over it when I see a woman with exposed DD-cup bubs displaying her assets while perched on the shoulders of strapping young lad. There had been some unintelligible stage banter about tits earlier in the program, perhaps inspiring the young lady to liberate her fabulous knockers from bondage and share them with the world—and for that, we can all be grateful.
“Stand By Me” gets the crowd back in focus, with the slowly spinning hypnotic lights serving to soften and sweeten the accompanying vocals. Liam gives one of his best performances of the night, and as the camera zooms in, you can see the sweat on his neck and lengthy mane. Noel slaps a capo on the second fret (funny, I always thought it was supposed to be the third fret) for “Wonderwall,” with the audience response meter hitting the red zone. I think the response here has to do with their love of the song itself and nothing to do with Liam’s rather sloppy delivery. The song is so iconic that it could stand the mangling, but really, Liam should have risen to the moment and treated this song with due respect.
Once again, Noel rescues his brother with a long low-string tease on the Les Paul that ends when he climbs atop the monitors and delivers the equally iconic opening riff to “Cigarettes and Alcohol.” Apparently panicked that his brother has taken him out of the limelight, Liam responds to the challenge with a strong and playful vocal accompanied by his energetic tambourine, earning himself full forgiveness. I respond enthusiastically to the editorial aside he inserts after “But all I found is cigarettes and alcohol,” where, with unusually precise diction he observes, “Which isn’t a bad thing!” “Fuck yeah!” I respond in unladylike fashion. The crowd sings with guilt-free delight to a great performance of one of the great rock songs of all time.
Noel introduces the next song by visually demonstrating the size of his johnson by holding his outstretched hands far beyond his shoulders, dedicating the piece to “everyone with a little dick.” That might seem like a rather crass way to introduce one of the most beautiful and enduring works of the Britpop era, but there you have it. Once Jameson enters with the instantly-recognized piano introduction to “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” the audience responds in a unified voice tempered with affection and get themselves ready for their greatest performance of the night.
While Noel is in exceptionally fine voice, your attention is immediately drawn to the responding intensity of the collective vocals from the audience. What’s truly stunning is that they’re not just singing at the top of their lungs but varying their dynamics with each line, lowering and raising their voices in all the right places. They start out strong on the opening lines, back off during the pre-chorus transition, then take deep, justifiable pleasure in belting out one of the great belt-out lines of all time—“You ain’t ever going to burn my heart out.” What happens next is absolutely magical—Noel, sensing that the crowd’s got this one, drops out of the picture entirely and lets the audience take the entire chorus. Stimulated by the sounds of their collective voices, they raise their volume even higher to indicate their acceptance of the challenge. It is a thrilling moment that never fails to bring tears to my eyes, as does the stop-time closing passage where the audience solos on the coda (“Don’t look back in anger/Don’t look back in anger/I heard you say”), then Noel repeats the coda to light guitar accompaniment. While the applause rolls across the stadium, he ends the song gently on that sweet line, “At least not today.” Even for the brash and often bombastic Noel Gallagher, that kind of validation for songwriter and song had to be a deeply satisfying experience.
Nothing can possibly top that collective performance, but Liam gives it a shot with “Live Forever,” one of Oasis’ contributions to the youth movement sub-theme of Britpop. The song is well-played and Liam is excellent voice, but I’m still feeling the after-effects of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and can’t process it. Liam has already initiated the bullshit ritual associated with encores by announcing “Live Forever” as “the last song,” but I think the ruse would have been more effective had the band walked off after “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and left the audience begging frantically and sincerely for more.
As it is, Oasis doesn’t take the audience to higher levels of excitement during the three-song encore, making it something of a disappointment. The cover of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My” was an odd choice that inspired only obligatory applause. Liam’s rendition of “Champagne Supernova” is excellent, but it’s a song designed to evoke nostalgic regret rather than raise one’s spirits. The concert ends with the first song on their first album, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” where Oasis leaves it all on the stage in one last solid rock ‘n’ roll thrust before strolling off the stage.
For reasons both unknown and incomprehensible, the album compilers added an 18th track from a concert that took place on the other side of the world (in Florida, of all places) two months before Wembley—their cover of “Helter Skelter.” What the fuck, people? Not only does this unattached appendage interfere with the experience of closure we all want to feel at the end of a concert, but the Oasis version of “Helter Skelter” certainly isn’t going to make anyone forget about Paul McCartney’s last foray into manic rock.
Familiar to Millions came out a few years after the Britpop obituaries started coming out, so one has to wonder if the enthusiastic reaction of the crowd to the old favorites was a manifestation of nostalgia, a word defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” While that may have been operating on some level for some people, I don’t think nostalgia had much to do with the audience response. I’ve noticed that songs that bring up memories of my wayward teens are clearly period pieces with no enduring value whatsoever, rather like the colorful iMacs and retro fashions of the mid-to-late 90’s. I ran this theory by my parents, and both agreed that listening to the Beatles, Kinks or Stones doesn’t trigger any longing for black lights, granny glasses or sit-ins, but hearing one-hit wonders like Barry McGuire and the Strawberry Alarm Clock does.
No, the people singing the hosannas you hear on Familiar to Millions aren’t indulging in sweet memories of exuberant youth, but expressing deep appreciation for great songs that inspire full-throated listener accompaniment. That’s as true for Oasis as it is for Pulp, Blur, Supergrass, Suede and other Britpop artists who rose above the era’s hype to create compelling music that will live forever.
I’ve mentioned previously that Sunday mornings are my precious alone time when I reflect and rejuvenate to give me the strength I need to face the grunge of the workweek. The soundtrack for my Sunday morning ritual is designed to be soothing, consisting largely of classical guitar pieces by Segovia, Sharon Isbin and Christopher Parkening, and Celtic harp performed by a variety of artists but heavy on works composed by Turlough O’Carolan. When I lived in the States, the crossword in the New York Times Sunday Magazine was part of that ritual; when I moved to France, I switched to mots croisés and mots fléchés. The problem I faced with French crosswords is that I am relatively uneducated (and uninterested) in French history, making them more of a chore than a challenge. The solution to wasting Sunday mornings with Talleyrand, Léon Blum and obscure figures from the Second Republic was to reassign mots croisés to air travel and use that quiet time for French newspapers and the sounds of plucked, struck and strummed strings.
A couple of years ago, I integrated In the Heart of the Moon into the rotation, with wondrous results. About thirty seconds into the first song I lose all interest in the latest strikes, parliamentary debates or whatever else the French are bitching about, toss the paper on the floor, close my eyes and immerse myself in the magical music. In the Heart of the Moon is simply one of the most beautiful recordings I’ve ever heard.
Many Westerners know the late guitarist Ali Farka Touré from his marvelous blues-roots albums and the collaboration with Ry Cooder, Talking Timbuktu. Toumani Diabaté is somewhat less familiar, but is recognized as one of the greatest living players of the kora, an instrument that defies many Western paradigms related to string instruments.
I am fascinated by the ingenuity human beings have applied to the creation of musical instruments, but if you’re not, feel free to skip this section to get to the review.
From a distance, the kora resembles a sitar, but the kora’s twenty-one strings (usually nylon) are divided into two opposing sets (eleven on the left side and ten on the right) that gradually rise above the neck the further down they go, like delicate twin cable suspension bridges. The distance between string and neck is significant enough to make it impractical to change notes by pressing the strings onto the neck as you do with a guitar, and like the violin family, the neck is fretless. The notes, percussive sounds and chords result from the player using the thumb and index finger on both hands while the other three fingers on each hand rest on supporting posts. The kora does have tuning pegs, an innovation of the early 60’s that caused a great deal of controversy in the kora-playing universe. Even with the tuning pegs, the nature of the instrument is such that the player is restricted to four scales that come close to syncing with our major and minor scales as well as the Lydian scale that often pops up in modern jazz. That’s assuming you can tune the instrument—word has it that the tuning of a kora is as close to the Sisyphus myth as a musician can get, and many a wannabe kora player has responded to the effort by just saying, “Fuck it.” The base of the kora consists of a large calabash sliced in half and wrapped in cow skin, through which those resting posts travel to provide stable footing. There is a soundhole, but unlike a guitar, the soundhole is located on the side instead of the front. The sound is somewhere between a lute and a harp, but brighter. Modern kora players have access to electric versions of the instrument, which allows for the possibility of pedals and other gizmos to further shape the sound.
I don’t know why anyone would do that, because the kora is perfectly beautiful in its natural state. As I researched the kora for this piece, I watched videos of Diabaté a hundred times and couldn’t for the life of me figure out how he created such wonderful sounds. This is because playing the kora is a three-dimensional experience, and the standard front-and-center camera angle prevented me from seeing what his fingers were doing behind the scenes. Fortunately, I found an unusually engaging scholarly article on the kora authored by one William Ridenour who helped shed some light on kora technique:
There are two main ways to play pieces on the kora, and these are described as kumbengo and birimitingo. Kumbengo is best described as a basic pattern or an accompaniment pattern. Kumbengo is the foundation of a piece, and one cycle of kumbengo is repeated over and over, usually with variation. Sometimes a kumbengo is developed from the vocal melody of the piece (Knight).
“Accompaniment-type playing involves an ensemble relationship between the fingers or hands of one or more musicians in which African aesthetics of polyrhythm find full expression” (Charry 167). Kumbengo patterns are often disrupted by another way of playing, involving fast descending melodic flourishes which are often highly ornamented. This type of playing is called birimitingo, a word possibly of onomatopoeic origins. When pieces are performed, the player alternates between the two styles at his or her will, depending on the demands of the particular situation.
Occasionally the kumbengo is punctuated by a knock on the hand support by the right index finger in a technique called bulukondingo podi. Another type of knock, konkong (Charry calls it “konkondiro”), is more common; it is a timekeeping pattern tapped on the round side of the kora by an apprentice or a male singer (Knight).
Techniques and Roles of the Playing Fingers
Generally, the left thumb plays strings 1-8 on the left side, and the left index finger plays strings 6-11. On the right side, the thumb plays strings 1-5, and the right index finger plays strings 2-10. There is quite a bit of crossover between thumbs and fingers on the same side, especially with the technique of birimitingo. In addition, there are two predominant ways to pluck a string: open and muted. To create a kumbengo, the thumbs play a bass line, while the fingers play a treble melody; the instrument is intrinsically polyphonic. The pitches ascend in 3rds on both sides of the bridge, facilitating the playing of two- to four-note chords, rapid scalar passages (fingers or thumbs in alternation) and octave doubling (Knight and Charry 158).
Translation: If you want to become a great kora player, prepare to devote your entire life to practice. As it turns out, that’s pretty much how kora players have been developed for centuries due to the caste systems common in many locales on the African continent (the Mandé caste, in this instance). According to Wikipedia, Diabaté comes from a long line of “70 generations of musicians preceding him in a patrilineal line.” Even if you only credit a generation with thirty years of existence, that translates into 2100 years of male-only kora playing. The generational sexism was broken recently by one of his cousins, Sona Jobarteh, whose album Fasiya integrated the kora with pop sensibilities.
The twelve songs on In the Heart of the Moon are marked by incredibly simple chord patterns consisting of one, two or three common chords. Over half the songs are in the key of F major, a key frequently used in kora music; only one song is in a minor key, D minor, which happens to be the complement to F major. Touré generally provides the baseline accompaniment through a simple, repetitive arpeggio, graciously giving his younger friend plenty of room to maneuver (though he does insert some sweet licks from time to time). The variety in the music comes largely from the kora, especially during those birimitingo passages where the flurry of notes sound like the aural equivalent of shooting stars on a clear summer night.
The songs and playing styles come from a period in Malian musical history called Jamana Kura, or “New Age/Era.” Jamana Kura emerged in Mali’s pre-independence period, a style marked by “a lighter more popular feel than the old Mandé griot classics” (according to the liner notes). To my ears, the song structures are reminiscent of the folk music of Britain and France, simple but highly melodic compositions that support folk dance. Jamana Kura also introduced a new, highly-rhythmic finger-picking guitar style that arose from a merger of other stylistic traditions; Touré takes this a step further with his grounding in the blues, further intensifying the rhythmic patterns. The result is true world music, a style simpatico with Western and African sensibilities.
Translation: you won’t hear anything on In the Heart of the Moon that feels too “foreign” to you.
The album was recorded in a hotel conference room in Bamako without rehearsals in three days, and given the fact that these two giants of African music had only played together briefly prior to what Touré called “A very important meeting in the realm at the heart of the moon,” it’s only natural that the festivities begin with a warm-up song in the key of F major, “Debe.” The song’s origins are ancient, dating back to the 17th Century, and the music is almost childlike in its simplicity and ability to delight the listener. Touré begins the piece with a nimble run echoing the melodic structure before dropping into a simple arpeggio that forms the dominant theme. You hear Diabaté enter about twenty seconds into the song, and soon he teases us with a short sample of birimitingo that makes you tingle with delight.
Don’t worry, folks, the kid is just warming up.
About halfway through the song, Diabaté gives us a longer sample of the birimitingo technique, and what I find simply amazing is how tightly he controls the length of each note to ensure that it doesn’t get in the way of the next one—hundreds of notes, each clean, clear and absolutely beautiful. You hear Touré say something to Diabaté after this stunning rush, and though I’m not sure which of the seven Malian languages Touré had mastered is in play here, the liner notes tell us “Ali praised Toumani as the rightful heir to the Mandé tradition.” The genuine respect and affection shared by these two brilliant musicians is on full display in the live version of “Debe,” where you can also see the kora in action:
“Kala” opens up with another Touré blitz that sounds very reminiscent to the intro to “Debe” until he forces the rhythm into a detour and winds up playing a rather jaunty, joyful pattern based on an F-C major chord structure. Diabaté’s approach is more varied here, introducing bright, complementary chording in addition to the bursts of birimitingo. Towards the end of the song, Diabaté repeats a chord that is slightly out of scale but marvelously harmonic, adding a slight bit of tension to the mix. This is another song guaranteed to bring a smile to your face—a playful, hummable, childlike delight.
Ry Cooder joins the party on “Mamadou Boutiquier,” an ode to Mandé traders who helped spread the Mandé language and Islamic traditions across West Africa. Toure’s introduction here is somewhat clipped, leading to a more integrated duet. Cooder is listed as playing “Kawai piano,” but the sounds you hear are distant hints of breathy organ, indicating the presence of an electronic keyboard. Once again, the song is built around an F-C major combination with a bit more flair in the rhythm due to the 6/8 time signature. The waltz-like beat adds a certain formality to the music, reminding you more of Vienna than Timbuktu.
Next up is “Monsieur le Maire de Niafunké,” a song celebrating Ali Farka Touré’s ascension to Mayor of the town of Niafunké, a small village on the Niger where he lived during his infancy. Unlike a certain U. S. President who shall remain nameless, Touré did not use his brief time in power to enrich himself but to improve the roads, build a sewer system and install an electric generator—all on his own dime. Imagine that! Diabaté opens this song with a light, nimble arpeggio to set a celebratory mood; Touré steps in to fill the humble supporting role and free Diabaté to do his thing. This is Diabaté’s most diverse performance on the record, combining varied phrasing on the rhythmic pattern with joyful injections of melodic birimitingo and the occasional chord. The fade to the song can only be described as sweet, a gradual diminuendo that communicates tender respect before Diabaté graciously hands off the lead role to Touré for the short closing pattern.
We finally see a key change (to D-A major) with “Kaira” (peace), a song popularized in the 40’s and 50’s by Diabaté’s father (also a kora player, as dictated by tradition). Touré handles the rhythm, adding a syncopated kick to liven things up a bit, and although percussion was present on the two previous tracks, the shaker is much more noticeable here, giving the piece a touch of samba. The jaw-dropping moment comes at the halfway point when Diabaté goes on an extended birimitingo at breakneck speed, then returns a few seconds later as if nothing particularly remarkable had happened. One feature of In the Heart of the Moon I hope people appreciate is the utter humility of the musicians—this isn’t the “ego-based music” George Harrison identified as the major irritant in modern music (a view to which I fully subscribe), but two men putting their egos aside in the service of creation.
“Simbo” returns to the F-C pattern, enhanced with breaks where two and three-note chords are played in a varied, syncopated pattern. Another strong duet with amazing kora-guitar harmonies, Diabaté varies his solos with unexpected pauses, sequential triplets and even long periods of silence to allow Touré to reaffirm the beat. The note patterns have a slightly Mexican feel to my ears, but I’d have to compare scores to understand why—and kora music is notoriously difficult to score. For the most part, I’m quite content to let music theory go to hell for a while and just let this exquisite music course through my soul.
The greatest departure from the baseline comes with “Ai Ga Bani,’ (I Love You), the only vocal piece on the album. Here we shift to a three chord pattern in D minor that marks a surprising but welcome shift in the mood from inspirational to erotic. Touré opens with high-note runs similar to the first two songs on the album, then descends at the point where the minor key is established. He punctuates that change with a strong WHACK on the strings, communicating sexual tension near the boiling point. I’ll state the obvious and tell you this is by far the sexiest piece on the album, with the erotic feel intensified by the passionate sincerity Touré brings to his vocal. Ry Cooder again adds the breathy sounds while Diabaté and Touré provide contrasting fills—Diabaté’s full of mystery, Touré’s loaded with blues-inspired earthiness.
You may have figured out that the Jamana Kura had little to do with colonial resistance or the politics of the independence movement. Many of the songs from the period were devoted to expressions of love, and though the performances here are wordless, you can feel the tenderness and joy in the music. “Soumbo Ya Ya” is one such song, featuring a melodic line that rises and falls with the peaks and valleys of human emotion. Touré provides the dominant line while Diabaté dazzles us with intensely beautiful flurries that sound positively magical. It’s followed by the more reflective but sweetly passionate arrangement of “Naweye Toro,” a song that differentiates itself from the others with the brief appearance of a C7 chord in the middle of the F-C major pattern to add a spot of tension before arriving at the affirming resolution. I love Touré’s guitar on this piece—calming and earthy, reminiscent of gentle bluegrass music.
The last three songs are all traditional songs arranged by Touré, beginning with the sprightly “Kadi Kadi,” a cascade of intense, active runs that fill the soundscape like exploding blossoms. Diabaté is on fire here, responding to the quick tempo with confidence and remarkable dexterity. You definitely hear the country blues influence in Toure’s picking on “Gomni,” a song that feels more Texas than Mali. Touré’s playing is fluid, insistent and powerfully rhythmic, an open invitation to musicians and listeners to let the world go to hell and just fall in love with the music (the brief applause at the end of the song is pleasingly affirming). In the Heart of the Moon ends with “Hawa Dolo,” a meditation using an F-Bb-C pattern that employs the kind of slow arpeggios you hear on pop songs of the early 60’s like “Angel Baby” and “The End of the World.” Ry Cooder makes an appearance with a Ripley stereo guitar, producing sounds that form a deep background, making the acoustic guitar and kora sound even brighter. The feel of the song is rather sad, but tenderly so, expressing the ever-present regret of “all good things must end.”
The music on In the Heart of the Moon is intensely captivating, an alluring invitation to the listener to explore and learn more about Malian music and culture. Bamako is definitely on my list of future vacation itineraries, but right now the country is going through yet another period of instability and it simply isn’t safe for a white French woman to visit. Despite the capability of music to transcend cultural differences and build bridges between people, political considerations always seem to get in the way.
My urge to visit Mali coincides with a parallel wish—the wish that I had been there when they made In the Heart of the Moon. I’ll let producer Nick Gold explain why (from the liner notes):
. . . at two o’clock the next day Ali and Toumani were sitting opposite each other, close together, instruments were tuned, microphones were placed, sound levels were set and off they went.
Each of them would suggest or remind the other of a song by playing the first few notes of the melody and that was basically it. Beyond the basic song structures, it was completely improvised. If one of them wanted to take a solo, he’d nod to the other. At times it seemed like they were just sitting on a groove (albeit a wonderful groove). Then one of them would start damping a string, the other would follow suit, and you had this very detailed interaction that I didn’t fully appreciate until we got to the mixing stage. Every single note that both of them played was absolutely meant. For three days every afternoon they played for an hour or two. This sessions were very relaxed, but the concentration between the two of them was intense . . . There were no second takes. Nothing was edited . . . They hardly spoke during the sessions. They didn’t need to. Sometimes I had the thrilling experience of eavesdropping on a moment of very special and intimate communication. Listening to this record, you’d think they’d played together all their lives, yet they’d played for a total three hours before this—spread over fifteen years.
I’d be so completely absorbed by the music. We needed absolute quiet in the room while they were recording since the kora is such a very quiet instrument. A song would end and you’d realize you’d been holding your breath, hypnotized. It was terrible when those sessions ended. I wish I could have afternoons like that every day of my life, with the most sublime music just going on—forever.


text:
CHARLES KRUG WINERY
Founded in 1861 by Charles Krug (1825-1892), this is the oldest operating winery in Napa Valley. The pioneer winemaker of this world-famous region, Krug made the first commercial wine in Napa County at Napa in 1858.
Registration Date: 12/31/1956
City: St. Helena
Krug Ranch, 2800 Main St, St. Helena
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domain: history


Long before the current economic crisis, the suburban planning model had already attracted criticism from a wide array of contemporary planners, sociologists, and notable commentators such as James Kunstler. Although I tend suspect a more common objection on purely aesthetic grounds, most of the criticism has addressed the issues of land use and infrastructure inefficiencies, social alienation, traffic congestion, and, more generally, the contagion known as “urban sprawl“.
And, as it happens, Greater Suburbia is now in a spot of trouble. Has this trouble come about for any of the reasons cited above? Perhaps one offered by James Kunstler in his seminal 1993 book, “The Geography of Nowhere“?
“A land full of places that are not worth caring about will soon be a nation and a way of life that is not worth defending.”
Well, some might find that to be a rather appealing explanation, but, I think the answer – at this point – is still “No”. Actually, I’m inclined to believe that suburbia is most likely suffering from it’s success, a theme that will be explored in this article and those to follow.
Sprawl for All
Yeah, I know, for many – me included – this proposition may be somewhat hard to believe. Frankly, these days I go to visit either the city or ‘burbs as little as possible. It’s become something of a (good) habit over the past decade or so to simply avoid it. Let me put it this way: it’s NOT my “happy place”. Occasionally, however, work or a family obligation will force me into the madness, the circus, the impersonal, chaotic hive that has become modern America, a place that, according to the US Census, is now roughly 80% urbanized (see more below).
Yeah, if you’re like me, that comes as a bit of a shock. From my personal perspective – one that is shared, I suspect, by almost any rural reader of this article, “they’re all crazy over there“. Is this merely a rural bias? Perhaps, since by the numbers at least, we ruralites are in a distinct and shrinking minority. But, it does help to explain the growing cultural and political divide in the country, notably the growing collectivist mindset so suited to both modern Americans and “the Borg”.
So, even if it’s true that “they’re all crazy”, the numbers still compel us to recognize the overwhelming popularity of urban/suburban living. The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) tells us, for instance, that, as of 2007, 50% of the world’s population is now living in an urban environment and heading to 60% by 2030. In the developed countries, such as the US, urban populations are now 71% of the whole and heading to 81%. The 2000 Census estimated that 79% of the US population lived in “urban” places. While the Census’ definition of urban happens to include places that might “look” somewhat rural when compared to downtown Chicago, this is still a pretty remarkable figure…and one that will surely be surpassed in the 2010 Census.
Despite the nuance of density, I’m generally inclined to simply lump all of these places together. To me, it’s sort of like arguing about how much heroin might be bad for you. From my vantage point, even the fringes of the urban area are part and parcel of one big, fat, writhing mess of humanity. And, for the purpose of this article at least, I don’t believe that there is any real material difference between, say, Manhattan and Scottsdale. In the end, even relatively low density suburban communities are part and parcel of the urban phenomena. No city, no ‘burbs. Given enough time and proper nutrition, even the most benign Mayberry-esque “town” will develop into one or the other and, in all probability, a combination of both.
So, the question remains: Is the urban form, with or without it’s suburban appendage, a good thing or a bad thing? Most contemporary commentators, such as Kunstler, like to pretend that cities are good, even if suburbs are bad. More significant, they – along with most modern planners – seem to believe you can have the one without the other. Furthermore, given a presumed scarcity of development lands and other critical resources, we “must” compress urban/suburban densities to an even greater extent, preventing at all cost, the further expansion of suburban sprawl.
Many critics of suburbia decry the wasted resource of so-called “open space”, something most urbanites know very little about as it happens. Of course, this is an appeal to aesthetic sensibilities, not to science or economics, which should be a useful guide to the politics of the subject.
In economics, of course, the concept of Highest and Best Use of property is generally determined by the price a buyer is willing to pay for a bit of land. As it happens, people do congregate, usually according to specialized economic activity, around a “central place”. These patterns are functionally efficient, largely in order to minimize transportation costs. Naturally, if one “central place” becomes too expensive or unwieldy, others crop up to take their places. Still, all of our major cities have such specialized economics at their core.
In accordance with highest and best use (economic) principles, the most expensive land is that which is sought for the highest order of activity. That’s not usually housing, but is, rather, usually directly linked to the raison d’être for the entire city. We’re talking jobs here, followed by a whole host of secondary purposes, of which housing is only one.
As it follows, the hinterlands – including what is now suburbia – were (and still are) less valuable. Space, open or otherwise, commands less of a premium the further you travel from the core. Makes a certain kind of sense, doesn’t it? And, while there are exceptions to this rule, it is pretty much the whole story as far as land use goes.
Housing for the rich have – traditionally – tended to be more central than for the poor as a function of these pricing gradients. Only social engineering efforts – as manifested in our public planning policies – have tended to distort these natural distribution patterns. (More on that in the next installment.)
Aesthetics aside, the one of the newest planning juggernaut is the rationale that land use should be dictated on the basis of “best practices”, a concept in which the social engineers utterly ignore the economic process that function, naturally, in accordance with “best practices”. The planners contend that “valuable farm land” is being plowed up and paved over, that water resources are being consumed too rapidly in the wrong places, that we’ve run out of room to pile or bury the garbage, that society can no longer afford the leapfrogging consumption of space that might be better utilized as, well “open space” yet again.
Well, here’s one bit of perspective on our “scarce” land resources: According to Wikipedia, the US enjoys a relatively low population density of 83 people per square mile. This is well below the world average of 130 persons per square mile and affords a ranking of of 178 of 239 countries listed. This density is also, well below the 142 of Mexico, the 164 of Ireland, the 177 of Kenya, the 235 of Spain, the 433 of Nigeria, the 1,162 of Puerto Rico, the 1,260 of South Korea, and the 2,917 of Bangladesh. And lest we forget, the density of the US is so far below that of various city-states like Gibraltar (11,807), Singapore (18,189), or Macau (48,003) that the comparisons fail to be meaningful.
Yes, there are less dense places…..even relatively habitable ones, such as New Zealand at 41 per square mile. But most of these, frankly, are less hospitable, being comprised largely of desert, tundra, or mountainous terrain. Even allowing for “arable lands”, the United States population density is still particularly blessed with only 179 persons per arable square mile, again well below the world average of 325 and, accordingly, an even lower rank of 205 of 239 countries.
So, we’re not running out of land or even farm land. We’ll address other “critical” resources such as water at a future date. For now, however, it remains rather dubious that calls for higher density lifestyles is likely to save us from starvation or otherwise dire consequence.
(Not So) Smart Growth
Note: You might be a Planner if you see a perfectly good design and still have to change it.
Say what you might about the either the aesthetic or functional inadequacies of suburban land use, but first ask yourself whether this much-maligned landscape is more the result of market forces – notably, those so-called “greedy, short-sighted developers” – or of careful land-use planning?
Well, naturally enough, both market and regulatory factors have played a role. But, let’s face it, in most places, developer’s simply can’t build without planning approval. Similarly, they work very hard to ensure that, within those planning limits, they build something the market wants. Being so constrained, I really have a hard time believing that what we see across our landscape is simply a reflection of so-called “developer greed“.
Let’s face it, the general concept of concentrating residential development on largish tracts with limited access along major arterials and highways choked with funneled traffic and strip-retail uses was, first and foremost, a planning concept. Significantly, it was a divergence from the more traditional town planning of the past.
We might recall that, historically, most cities and towns simply overlayed their domain with a city grid pattern, replete with interconnected streets with multiple avenues of ingress and egress, around a core commercial district and outlying industrial and agricultural uses. This pattern, it might be noted, tended to reflect the natural distribution of land-use intensity that results from a “central place” generated market valuation process. Two fortunate outcome of such practices include: a) the natural “clustering” or, rather, a compaction of intensity of use in direct accordance with market’s valuation of land around a central place, and b) a widely distributed traffic pattern.
Significantly, these more traditional planning efforts were patently “pro-growth”, generally coinciding front-loaded infrastructure development. These were planners that understood that a stable, long-term tax base was far more important to the viability of the community than the haphazard collection of “impact fees”, as if growth were a curse that had to be punished.
But, even these development patterns ultimately depended on an actual “core”, a central place, if you will, from which these natural market functions would flow. The notion that a simulated town might be developed around nothing more than a highway interchange merely compounds the other design flaws noted above. And, truthfully, we ought to understand by now that the long-term viability (shall be say “sustainability”) of an employment base that only serves consumption is going to be problematic at any scale.
In other words, the notion that we can isolate ourselves from the “dirty” (even undignified) processes of manufacturing (or farming for that matter) has become something like an unfortunate eating disorder or toilet phobia. Not coincidentally, we might note that, culturally, we’re almost as uncomfortable with where our food comes from as we are with where it goes when we’re done using it. We rather like limiting our exposure to the process to that isolated bit of consumption in the middle where our (and only our) wishes are granted.
And, it is here, where we are reminded that all planning efforts will be trumped, in the long run, by market forces. The more we ignore that fact, the more severe the “trumping” is likely to manifest itself in the form of we see as “unintended consequences”. And, surely, the “problem” of urban (really suburban) sprawl is simply one of those.
In the next installment, we’ll look more closely at the demographic and economic forces that brought the suburb into being and what changes we might expect as those forces respond to economic and other challenges.


Producing beer isn't in the cards any longer, but serving it will be, given some of the new uses in the works for the former Falstaff Brewery property in Galveston, Texas. The century-old structure and its later additions are being re-purposed, piece by piece, in a revitalizing once-industrial corridor of The Oleander City.
Cruise ship terminal parking, climate controlled storage, a rooftop events venue with bay views, and a boutique hotel with outdoor entertainment plaza are among the uses either in place, soon to open or in the chute, reports the project's determined developer, attorney Jerome M. Karam of JMK5 Holdings.
The native of Louisiana (and long-time Texan) says he likes the challenge of mega-scale projects. Another example is his purchase and repackaging of the massive Mall of the Mainland, located 20 miles north of the brewery in Texas City.
Galveston’s multi-building, multi-level brewery property is a whopper as well. It weighed in at around 330,000-square-feet when Karam purchased it in the spring of 2015, for an undisclosed amount.
“I thought it could be re-purposed,” Karam explains of his decision. “Everyone said it couldn't be done.”
Completed in 2016, Phase One of Karam’s master plan for the looming plant was to quickly spruce up – and sell off – a low-slung, streamlined structure of 100,000 square feet. It now operates as indoor/outdoor parking for the nearby cruise ship terminal. Sale proceeds helped fund some of the subsequent work, he says.
Phase Two, for example, slated to open in October, caps six stories of windowless, climate-controlled storage with a posh events venue featuring water views on three sides and able to accommodate 400 people.
The unusual pairing of purposes was a practical one for the structure. In its brewery heyday, the windowless building had housed towering refrigerated vats and was topped by the sky-high “tasting room” (more of a rooftop patio, actually), local historians note.
Karam estimated the value of Phase Two's reboot at between $4 million and $5 million, helped in part by qualifying for tax credits from the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program of the Department of Interior’s National Park Services, which oversees rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings, and from The City of Galveston.
Seeking the tax credits, however, meant maintaining and restoring the building's historic integrity, as in not punching windows into it for the condos initially planned for the structure. Meanwhile, his team's research had also determined there was a need for flood-proof storage. The building is able to withstand Category 5 storms, he says, knowingly, because it has.
Phase Three plans call for converting the complex's 10-story tower and a couple smaller, adjacent buildings into a swank new boutique hotel of about 100 rooms, with 20-foot ceilings and a design vibe that draws upon the site’s industrial environment. A setting for outdoor entertainment is also in the mix. Karam estimates the cost of the hotel project improvements at $10 million to $15 million.
He expects to soon announce which brand hotel will team up on the tower transformation and manage it when complete, likely in 2020.
Among those observing the project’s progress is Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) Executive Director Dwayne Jones. He says Karam “has produced things that no one else will do. He works through the challenges and fixes them.”
And at the Galveston Economic Development Partnership (GEDP), its president, Jeffrey G. Sjostrom, says the brewery project is likely “a marathon” but he believes Karam has the “sincere interest and capacity” to see his plan through.
The project is also an example of strategic redevelopment the city has been supporting, particularly in the area referred to as North Broadway Corridor, a slice of city by the working waterfront between 25th Street and 61st Street. The former picks up at the edge of The Strand, which is the city’s historic business core and a revitalized Victorian Age district of restaurants, shops and pier-based entertainment. The latter is anchored by the re-purposed former Galvez Mall, the first big property to be updated.
In the past decade, the area “between the bookends” has experienced public investment in terms of infrastructure, city services and affordable housing, he says.
Private sector interest and public-private partnerships have followed, Sjostrom says. “We are riding the wave of momentum and raising the tide for all boats.” He estimates about $2 billion in combined investment city-wide in the past decade.
Operations, Expansions, Vacancy
GHF accounts and anecdotes of the brewery indicate it was built in the 1890s as Galveston Brewing Co. – touted as "The Home of High Grade, The Beer That's Liquid Food," according to a pre-1918 postcard. Post-Prohibition, Galveston-Houston Breweries Inc. operated there. In 1956, the facility sold to Falstaff Brewing Corp. of St. Louis, which further expanded the complex. By 1981, however, the plant was unoccupied.
But not forgotten, Sjostrom says. Many former workers remain in Galveston.
Jones says GHF is also interested in the revitalizing corridor. Last fall, it purchased a property adjacent to the old brewery, the 1904 Galveston, Henderson & Houston depot, where goods made the switch from rail cars to drayage. Rail tracks connected to the brewery and there’s a painted Falstaff logo still visible one of the depot walls.
Plans for the GHF building call for a mixed-use “Galveston History Project,” an interactive museum experience - similar to the National WWII Museum’s Louisiana Memorial Pavilion’s troop train journey - in which guests follow the narrative of real individuals during some of the city’s dramatic history. These include “The Great Storm of 1900” that killed 6,000 Galveston residents as well as decimated the prosperous port city’s Victorian-era status as “Wall Street of the South,” and “The Great Raising,” when Galveston built its seawall after the storm devastation and raised the land on 500 city blocks behind it.
Jones says the brewery and museum projects, as well as engineering improvements to city infrastructure and housing following Hurricane Ike are “creating energy that part of town has not experienced in a long time.”


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My Two Centsss - In Bret Hart's Words, That RAW Was A 4/10
By Super Chrisss
Apr 30, 2013 - 10:52:49 AM
(Credit: Tom Jenner @ImageBlownOut)
Another week, another unimpressive Monday Night RAW. Don't get me wrong; I'm not going to spend the next 1000 words or so complaining about how shitty the show was. Because there were some positives, and most of those highlights came from what people tune into RAW to see - actual wrestling matches. But I think WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart's now infamous "4/10" rating is the perfect grade for last night's show, because the negatives easily outweighed the positives. Let me explain.
When you sit down in your living room to watch RAW every Monday night at 8pm (or 8:15 like us Canadians are forced to do - Scumbag ScoreTV), what do you expect to see? Wrestling, right? Obviously, it won't be three hours of non-stop wrestling with a backstage segment or two because RAW isn't a Pay-Per-View WWE are expecting you to pay good money to see. It's free television, that is supposed to make you want to order the upcoming PPV event. There will be plenty of promos and backstage segments, but these non-physical confrontations should be used to build rivalries and establish a storyline between the feuding competitors.
Would anyone be so kind as to tell me what the **** tug of wars, dance offs, and repeatedly having the commentators show the viewers how to order Dominos Pizza online has to do with pro wrestling? I've seen people argue that the tug of war between Mark Henry and Tons of Funk/Sheamus was a change of pace from the contract signing or arm wrestling contest they occasionally do, but that doesn't change the fact it was a complete waste of time. Why couldn't we have had a verbal exchange between Henry and Sheamus instead, letting us know why they've been attacking each other backstage? I guarantee it would have more effectively added heat to their feud - and been less painful to watch - than a scripted tug of war.
Going back to the dance off, does anyone know what it aimed to accomplish? The last time I checked, Fandango was feuding with Chris Jericho, not The Great Khali. As much as I hate the idea of a dance off to begin with, it would have made sense had it been between Fandango and Jericho considering that's essentially how their feud began - over who was their better dancer. Did Fandango attacking Khali get him some heat? Sure, but the same would have been accomplished without the freaking dance off. Just have Khali appear in the ring, starting rambling, and Fandango come down to cut the big man off and beat him up. It would have saved some time, and maybe Fandango might have actually gotten over (Writer's Note: When the crowd cheers more for Khali than for you, then you're probably not over - just your music is).
The main problem with these tug of wars and dance offs? They have absolutely nothing to do with pro wrestling. The first round of the NHL playoffs kick off this week. Could you imagine a hockey fan tuning into a Boston Bruins/Toronto Maple Leafs game and after the first period, the players come back on the ice and start playing musical chairs? Of course not, because that would never happen. Hockey fans watch hockey for the game (and the violence). Football fans watch football for the game (and the violence). Wrestling fans watch wrestling for the matches, not tug of wars or dance offs. As a wrestling fan, I'm extremely embarrassed by what I saw last night.
You know what I did enjoy watching last night? Wrestling. With the exception of the opening triple threat 'match' and Naomi/Brie Bella, we got a bunch of solid wrestling last night, and that's the only thing that stopped me from poking my eyes out from boredom. As soon as Cody Rhodes was spotted at ringside as Randy Orton's opponent, I assumed things wouldn't end well for Cody and his mustache. I was pleasantly surprised when not only did the match go into commercial, but we got a lengthy, competitive match between the two. Say what you will about either man, but last night, they brought their A game. Easily the match of the night with Rhodes' RKO counter into Cross Rhodes and a terribly close near-fall my highlight of the night. Orton won, surprise surprise, but Cody looked strong in defeat. I hope we're on the verge of another Cody Rhodes singles push in the near future. If built up correctly, Rhodes vs. John Cena could be an excellent match (unlike that two minute squash a little while back).
Another strong match was World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. United States Champion Kofi Kingston. My main issues with this match weren't the interference or the over-booking, but the way it was announced and how many times we've see it before. Remember the days when a champion vs. champion match was such a big deal, that WWE would actually promote the encounter days - if not weeks - in advance? The company sure doesn't, as we got two men who are supposed to be a couple of the 'top dogs' going at it in an unhyped match at a random time slot. Moreover, did you know last night was the 25th time - yes, 25TH - Ziggler and Kofi wrestled one-on-one on WWE television (credit to LOP's own zzzorf for the stat, by the way)? That's insane. Like I said, the two put on a good match, but there's only so many ways they can wrestle a different match, and much like Orton vs. Rhodes, the outcome was never really in doubt.
I know a lot of people consider Jack Swagger vs. Zack Ryder a squash match - especially since Ryder didn't even attempt his Broski Boot or signature moves - but I thought Ryder got in a lot of offense against a challenger for the world title at next month's Extreme Rules. Heck, even the commentators were impressed, thinking it could be Ryder's night, with his new look and modified offense. Alas, it was not to be, as The Real American got the win, and the post-match beatdown on Ryder got him some much needed heat. That is how you get heat on a wrestler, by the way, not having him win a tug of war or lose in a dance off.
Cesaro vs. Del Rio and the main-event of Cena/Kane/Bryan vs. The Shield were both decent matches, but it just felt like something was missing from both matches. With Cesaro/Del Rio, you had one guy who's on the biggest de-push of 2013 taking on a challenger for the world title at the next PPV, so we had yet another good match with a predictable outcome. As for the main-event, they told a very good story by the face team refusing to tag in Cena due to his injury, and Roman Reigns' pinfall victory over Cena was amazing to see (so he isn't Superman, after all!). But the ending with Ryback coming out and doing absolutely nothing fell flat to me, especially after their epic confrontations from the past two weeks. RAW is supposed to conclude with the viewer thinking, "Oh shit, I wonder what's going to happen next week?!". Instead, I was left saying, "Okay then. Whatever."
And finally, WWE can just **** off with their Brock Lesnar/Triple H feud. If their match at Extreme Rules is going to be one of the top-billed matches at the PPV, then put some effort into building it up. Recapping their feud since Wrestlemania is just annoying, and uninteresting. Now I remember why the thought of their match at Wrestlemania played a huge factor in making me boycott this year's Road to Wrestlemania. There's just no effort from the wrestlers or the creative team, and it's not like their match will be phenomenal or ground-breaking. As a fan, I simply can't find a reason to care about their match, and recapping their feud isn't going to make things better.
In conclusion, a decent episode of RAW that was brought down tremendously by the filler and repetitiveness. It seems like I preach the same things every other week, but WWE really needs to:
-Bring back the brand split
-Put RAW back to two hours
-Give the creative team a kick in the ass or kick out the door
-Build up their midcard (and their champions) seriously
Until that happens, it's really hard to enjoy today's product. Cena's injury - work or not - has done nothing to change the product, neither has the absence of top stars like CM Punk and Chris Jericho. There is a way to make three hours of RAW work, but WWE still hasn't figured it out yet.
Thanks to all of you who wished me good luck on my exam yesterday. Only time will tell if I passed and can accept my Bachelor's Degree this fall or if I'll be stuck taking a summer class (shudder). That being said, it's nice to have some free time on my hands - who knows, maybe I'll even bring back the dailies one day!
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
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Join the fun - add me/talk to me/join my XBL party!
-XboX Live: Gamertag (add me!), Good Guy Chris
-Pokemon Black 2: Friend Code, 3998 4391 1960
Thanks for reading!

domain: entertainment


text:
|GENSPERA, INC. Patent applications|
|Patent application number||Title||Published|
|20160030589||Methods of Producing Cancer Compounds - Provided is a method for making the compound of Formula 1:||02-04-2016|
|20150265572||INJECTABLE CANCER COMPOSITIONS - Provided herein are therapeutic prodrug compositions which may be delivered to a patient via an injectable emulsion, comprising a therapeutic drug linked to a peptide that is efficiently and specifically cleaved by a selected protease associated with a cell proliferative disorder, including cancer cells, for example, prostate, liver or breast cancer cells, in a patient. Also provided herein are methods of treating cell proliferative disorders, including cancers, with the therapeutic prodrug compositions.||09-24-2015|
|20150238460||Methods and Compositions For Treating Hepatocellular Carcinoma - Provided herein are methods of treating subjects having tumors. For example, the invention relates to a method for treating subjects having hepatocellular carcinoma by administering an effective amount of a therapeutic prodrug.||08-27-2015|
|20090163426||TISSUE SPECIFIC PRODRUGS - The invention provides novel peptide prodrugs which contain cleavage sites specifically cleaved by prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA). These prodrugs are useful for substantially inhibiting the non-specific toxicity of a variety of therapeutic drugs. PSMA is secreted by prostatic glandular cells. Upon cleavage of the prodrug by PSMA, the therapeutic drugs are activated and exert their toxicity. Sesquiterpene-γ-lactones form part of the prodrugs, and are designed to be linked to carrier moieties such as the peptides of the invention. Methods for treating cell proliferative disorders are also featured in the invention.||06-25-2009|
|20080247950||Activation of peptide prodrugs by hK2 - The invention provides novel peptide prodrugs that contain cleavage sites specifically cleaved by human kallikrein 2 (hK2). These prodrugs are useful for substantially inhibiting the non-specific toxicity of a variety of therapeutic drugs. Upon cleavage of the prodrug by hK2, the therapeutic drugs are activated and exert their toxicity. Methods for treating cell proliferative disorders are also featured in the invention.||10-09-2008|
Patent applications by GENSPERA, INC.

domain: chemistry


text:
Australia Indonesia Partnership for Health Systems Strengthening
Tetra Tech helped improve access to and quality of health services in Indonesia through health system strengthening.
Roughly one-third of Indonesia’s population lives in poverty, surviving on incomes that are equivalent to less than USD$22.63 per month. Indonesia’s poor and near-poor are covered by the state-funded health coverage program, Jamkesmas; however, more than 160 million people do not have accessible health care.
The Government of Australia supported the Government of Indonesia through the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Health System Strengthening (AIPHSS), implemented by Tetra Tech. AIPHSS aimed to provide Indonesia with a stronger, more accessible health care system. The program focused on strengthening the health system through:
- Effective national health insurance policy, rules, and regulations implementation
- Minimum service standards adherence at all levels of health service delivery
- Local health service center accreditation
- Equitable health resources allocation at all levels of government
- Good governance and supervision practice implementation at all levels of government
Our team provided program management and technical support to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health to strengthen human resources, health financing, and health care delivery systems while supporting legislative change. The program worked across the health system, providing an opportunity for the Indonesian and Australian governments to work in partnership and address policy and implementation issues at national and subnational levels. AIPHSS also operated in two provinces and eight districts, testing national policies, regulations, guidelines, and tools at a local level and providing insight into the relationships between national policy changes, policy implementation, and the quality and responsiveness of health services at the primary care level.
AIPHSS contributed significantly to a stronger Indonesian health system. The program supported legislative and regulatory reform at the national, provincial, and district levels of government; developed 41 pieces of health system policies and regulations; and supported the implementation of effective national health insurance policy, rules, and regulations. The team also conducted a comprehensive health sector review and assisted in updating and legislative adoption of Minimum Service Standards, including accreditation of and subsequent improvement in primary health care centers. AIPHSS also improved qualifications via distance learning offered to nurses and midwives in remote areas. The distance learning initiative helped to improve district-based health services, advance health workers’ qualifications, and ensure continual care in remote and rural locations.

domain: medical


text:
Kiev will maintain its ban on Russian social media, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Nikita Poturayev told Radio Svoboda.
"There are some hostile media outlets and social media whose activities we cannot approve because they are an enemy weapon. We just need to protect our media field and refrain from doing stupid things," TASS quoted him as saying.
Several weeks ago, the Ukrainian media reported that a number of Ukrainian internet providers had restored users’ access to Russian social networks. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council later stated that the ban on Russian social media remained in effect.
On May 15, 2017, the then Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko endorsed a decision of the National Security and Defense Council on expanding the Russian sanctions list of 1,228 Russian individuals and 468 legal entities. Sanctions covered several TV channels and companies, including 1C, ABBYY and their Ukrainian subsidiaries as well as Russia’s VKontakte and Odnoklassniki social networks, Mail.ru and Yandex.

domain: politics


Ko falls one short at Arkansas Championship
The low round of the tournament wasn't quite enough to help Lydia Ko win another LPGA Tour event.
The 17-year-old Kiwi this morning fired a six-under 65 at the US$2.3m Arkansas Championship, including picking up shots on three of her last four holes, to get to 11-under in the 54-hole tournament.
At the completion of her round, Ko held the lead by one from world No 1 Stacy Lewis.
Lewis, however, finished just as strongly as Ko and also shot 65, to get to 12-under. Like Ko, Lewis birdied the 15th, 17th and 18th holes.
Ko finished in a tie for second with American Cristie Kerr who missed a chance at forcing a playoff with Lewis by only making a par on the last.
This morning's 65 was Ko's best round of the event, but the 17-year-old world No 3 has been a model of consistency all week, making just one bogey.
Ko's tie for second is expected to lift her from sixth in the LPGA Tour points race, into third.


All the election news you need
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, not to be confused with the TV psychic John Edward, has decided to quit the race for president. Despite having just really, really great hair, Edwards could not convince enough Democrats to take his candidacy seriously.
In other news, Illinois Senator Barack Obama called Senator Clinton “divisive” because she sides with the Republicans too much.
“It is time for new leadership that understands the way to win a debate with John McCain or any Republican who is nominated is not by nominating someone who agreed with him on voting for the war in Iraq or who agreed with him in voting to give George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran, who agrees with him in embracing the Bush-Cheney policy of not talking to leaders we don’t like, who actually differed with him by arguing for exceptions for torture before changing positions when the politics of the moment changed,” Obama said.
“We need to offer the American people a clear contrast on national security, and when I am the nominee of the Democratic Party, that is exactly what I will do,” he said.
Because that’s not divisive, that’s bipartisan.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is trying to retool a campaign on the fly:
The Romney campaign, humbled by recent defeats, now hopes to rebrand his insider strategy as an outsider one. As the candidate soldiers on to the 21 states that will vote on February 5, the campaign holds out hope that the old coalition can be reborn anew. “We feel as though the conservatives are beginning to rally around Mitt,” said Ann Romney, after her husband delivered an upbeat concession speech Tuesday night, in a downtown St. Petersburg theater.
A few minutes earlier, and a couple dozen feet away, Jay Sekulow, a senior advisor to the campaign, put it this way. “Conservatives have a choice now, and it’s a clear choice,” he said. “You have got a conservative and you have got John McCain, who does not take conservative positions on a lot of issues.”
Downstairs, in the theater’s press filing room, Al Cardenas, a Washington lobbyist who chaired Romney’s Florida campaign, continued in the same frame of reference. “We think that the conservative movement activists are now beginning to panic about losing their grip on the Republican Party,” Cardenas said. “They better start working hard, and they have told us they are going to have to start working hard.”
The new Romney strategy has two clear components. First, the campaign is determined to marginalize Huckabee, who continues to poll well in many southern states, bleeding off votes from the vital socially conservative leg of the Romney’s stool. “Huckabee has proven he can’t win in the south,” said Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney’s spokesman. “People are going to realize that this is a two person race right now,” said Sekulow.
Second, Romney will spend much of the next week trying to drum up old conservative distrust of McCain, who leaves Florida with considerable momentum and already-high poll numbers in many of the states that vote on February 5. Though McCain has been hammered by some conservative voices, such as the radio host Rush Limbaugh, he has so far escaped the full ideological revolt that greeted him in 2000, when he lost the nomination to George W. Bush.
The Associated Press has a breakdown of next week’s delegate contests on the Republican side:
A Vietnam veteran and four-term senator, McCain has history on his side: The GOP typically nominates the next guy in line. A loser in 2000, the Arizona senator fits that bill. He also attracts voters from across the ideological spectrum. His age, 71, and his independent streak could be hurdles.
Romney’s personal wealth gives him an advantage; the former Massachusetts governor has dumped $40 million into his campaign. He’s also a fresh face pushing an outsider’s message of fixing Washington. But he’s fighting criticism that he changes position on issues. He would be the country’s first Mormon president.
Meanwhile in Wisconsin State Senator Ted Kanavas did endorse Romney for President:
“It is an honor to join Governor Romney and his campaign for our nation’s highest office. Governor Romney has the perfect balance of private sector success, experience in government,conservative values and a demonstrated ability to lead our country,” said Senator Kanavas. “I look forward to helping his campaign here in Wisconsin and supporting Governor Romney’s vision for a strong economy, lower taxes and reduced spending after he is elected our next President. Governor Romney’s proven record of sound judgment and conservative leadership is what we need to change Washington,” Senator Kanavas concluded.
In response to Senator Kanavas’ support, Governor Romney said, “Senator Kanavas has been a leader in driving a strong economic agenda in the Wisconsin legislature and I am proud he has joined our campaign to strengthen our economy, create high paying jobs and ensure a bright future for our families.”


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One of my all time favorite pasta dishes is Cheesecake Factory’s Louisiana Chicken Pasta. The taste is out of this world. The spicy flavor and perfectly cooked pasta brings home the meaning o…
Parmesan crusted chicken served over bow tie pasta with mushrooms, green onions, bell peppers and tomatoes in a spicy New Orleans sauce
Hearty and flavorful one pot copycat recipe of The Cheesecake Factory's Louisiana Chicken Pasta.
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Pasta in a creamy New Orleans Sauce - Cheesecake's Factory copycat recipe.
Here are the 9 most god-awful, terrible-for-you chain restaurant meals on the market
From another poster: Cheesecake Factory's Louisiana Chicken Pasta.this dish is delicious and taste exactly like the dish served at The Cheesecake Factory.
Recipe for Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta
Cheesecake Factory's Louisiana Chicken Pasta - easy 30 mins chicken dinner, my husband declared it to be just like the one at Cheesecake factory.It was so much cheaper to make at home! 🌻 For more great pins go to
Dinner-Bring restaurant food straight to your table at a fraction of the price with this Louisiana Chicken Pasta recipe!
Louisiana Chicken Pasta - Parmesan Crusted Chicken in a Spicy New Orleans Sauce - Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe. = MAYBE, TAKES TIME TO FIX & COOK, BUT SOUNDS GOOD. =
Cajun Louisiana Chicken Pasta is made with sauteed onions, peppers, chicken, in a cajun cream cheese all tossed with pasta and parmesan cheese.

domain: food


text:
Sometimes, knowing what activities to do or which items to use for your specific skin type, can be actually complicated. Doing some research can really make a distinction and will assist to keep you from buying things that will only wind up annoying you face. Here is a list of ideas we have actually gathered for you to help you learn a little bit more about skin types.To preserve appropriate skin care for yourself, be sure to keep your skin tidy. This is very important to prevent your pores from becoming obstructed. Blocked pores will lead to awful acts due to infections. Be sure to not utilize harsh soaps so regarding not dry out the skin, usage moderate temperature water, and make certain to not over clean.Make sure to consume lots and great deals of water. While we all know this is great for health and nutrition, numerous who have terrific skin likewise swear it as their secret to an excellent complexion. Keeping your skin hydrated is one of the lots of things that skin doctors will inform you remain in the 10 rules of skin care.Exfoliating your face is a very essential typically missed out on the action, in skin care. Exfoliating scrubs work by eliminating the dead, leading layer of skin, which make your complexion dull. Exfoliate your skin by utilizing a gentle scrub that has small grains, big grains will hurt your skin. Exfoliating your skin once a week will keep your skin glowing.When you’re hydrating
your face, smear some on your neck! Lines form there comparable to the ones on foreheads, and a perfectly taken-care-of face accompanied by a creek, lined neck still shows age! If you’re prone to body acne, use your facial lotion on your chest and upper back too. It’s lighter and most are listed as non-comedogenic so it will not clog your pores.Skin Care
Choose natural skin care items. These contain natural components that were grown using a more sustainable type of farming than the typical old pesticide and chemical fertilizer methods of farming. Organic ingredients are much better for your skin, better for your body, and better for the environment as a whole.When thinking of skin-care routines, numerous people appear to forget a fundamental part of their skin, their lips. Chapped and fracture lips can be a discomfort. In order to fight chapped and cracked lips, utilize a moisturizer on them. Lip balms and chap sticks can be applied daily and avoid damage to the lip tissue.If you struggle with dandruff, consider utilizing apple cider vinegar as a natural skin care remedy. When used as an after-wash rinse, apple cider vinegar can assist stabilize your scalp’s pH levels. You can also add a few drops of tea tree oil to your favorite hair shampoo to really tackle your dandruff problem.Hopefully, this article has actually helped to point you in the right instructions for the ideal steps you can consider the type of skin that you have. Everybody’s skin is various, so this is a great step in ensuring that you give yourself the very best items, so that your skin will continue to look as lovely as it can.

domain: health


text:
AT&T Labs, AustinJoin us September 24 for our second Wearable Wednesday Austin ! How Wearable Tech Saved (or is Saving) My Life The emergence of the Wearable Technology industry has come fast and far in a short p...
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Antonelli's Cheese Shop, AustinFor the grand finale in our delectable cheese education series, Antonelli’s has crafted a spectacular night out just for Academy participants, showcasing the most exotic and sumptuous delights in t...
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Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV) has been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the twenty-three brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $88.20.
APTV has been the subject of several research reports. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Aptiv in a report on Sunday, September 17th. BidaskClub raised Aptiv from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 22nd. Cowen initiated coverage on Aptiv in a report on Monday, September 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Piper Jaffray Companies reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $112.00 price target on shares of Aptiv in a report on Monday, September 25th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on Aptiv from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 26th.
Aptiv (NYSE:APTV) traded up $6.74 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $91.57. 2,271,147 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,870,000. Aptiv has a twelve month low of $73.00 and a twelve month high of $91.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The company has a market capitalization of $24,340.00, a PE ratio of 17.85, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.38.
The company also recently announced a Not Available dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 2nd. Aptiv’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.04%.
In other news, Director Frank J. Dellaquila bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of $83.88 per share, with a total value of $83,880.00. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Kevin P. Clark bought 22,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $87.88 per share, with a total value of $1,977,300.00. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Aptiv PLC (APTV) Receives $88.04 Consensus Price Target from Analysts” was first published by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this news story on another site, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of international trademark & copyright legislation. The correct version of this news story can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3127727/aptiv-plc-aptv-receives-88-04-consensus-price-target-from-analysts.html.
Aptiv PLC, formerly Delphi Automotive PLC, is a global technology company serving the automotive sector. The Company designs and manufactures vehicle components, and provides electrical and electronic and active safety technology solutions to the global automotive and commercial vehicle markets. The Company’s segments include Electrical/Electronic Architecture, and Electronics & Safety.
Receive News & Ratings for Aptiv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aptiv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

domain: economics


- pcmanfm: dual pane view
- pcmanfm: create symlinks
- lxappearance: fix creating themes
- lxappearance: compression use xz format
- gpicview: show / hide toolbar
- gpicview: fix "fit image", scrolling, zoom
All this will be upgraded via GIT and Lubuntu will take benefit of this effort. Congratulations, PCMan, for your great work!
Via LXDE Blog


The United States formally left the Manta military base in Ecuador on Friday at 9.00 a.m. local time, at a ceremony in which Ecuadorian authorities took full control of the Pacific Coast facilities.
The Ecuador government formally resumed control of Manta, a military base on its Pacific coast, 10 years after was leased, rent-free, to the US military for anti-drug operations.
During the handover ceremony, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Fander Falconi said that the exit of US soldiers was a triumph for national sovereignty.
He also said that the lease agreement, signed in 1999, had not been properly legalized because it had only been approved by then Foreign Minister Heinz Muller and the legislature's Foreign Affairs committee, “and not by the full legislative nor all Ecuadorians”.
He also made a call for nations to avoid relations based on subordination and foreign military bases.
Ecuador's current president, Rafael Correa had announced the lease would not be renewed in July 2008. It is important to recognize that the transition process has been completely correct, peaceful and positive. This is very satisfying for us, he said.
The 1999 agreement was slammed by Ecuadorian social and political organizations, who also claimed US personnel at the base “were involved in the violation of Ecuadorians’ human rights”.
The exit of US forces from Ecuador is believed to have triggered the current controversy over foreign forcers in South American military bases. Colombia this year signed and implemented an agreement with the United States for the deployment of US forces in seven military bases which has been fiercely criticized by Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador among others.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez claims the bases with US forces have the purpose of toppling his government and taking over the country’s vast hydrocarbons resources.


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How to Make a Hardcover Book - Case Binding
"One of the most overlooked aspects I see from amateur bookbinders is their choice of adhesives or glue; many of whom rely on PVA as a 'one-glue-fits-all'..."
making a simple binding jig that will allow you to press your book pages together and glue the binding
Basic japanese binding tutorial (Tutorial básico de encardeção japonesa) More
Stitched Pocket Book with Club Scrap's Cherry Blossoms kit
Tutoría fácil para encuadernar cuadernos - Easy Notebook DIY Tutorial Book…
Think this would work to cover some older books or cook book etc. Will try it and post after I've finished!
caderno pautado, encadernação belga, no Canteiro de Alfaces
capa dura dobravel, encadernação tecida e trico no Canteiro de Alfaces

domain: artistic


text:
The quantity of Serious athletics in Las Vegas, such as skydiving has exploded in recent years. Though they offer each of the standard Serious athletics, skateboarding, BMX biking, and things such as skydiving, they also have an opportunity to offer you great athletics like rock climbing, also, as a result of character of the region.
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Another way to practical experience extreme sports activities http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&contentCollection®ion=TopBar&WT.nav=searchWidget&module=SearchSubmit&pgtype=Homepage#/스포츠중계 in Las Vegas is cycling inside their canyons. Quite a few firms give you a Pink Rock Canyon bicycle tour that will take cyclists via One of the more attractive destinations in The usa. Nearly all of the businesses contain each of the products essential for the trip just like the bike, basic safety equipment, and drinking water. While the trails are quite, incredibly rough, the ride is exhilarating.
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If climbing in the warmth of your desert is not for you, you might also attempt the extreme sport of indoor rock climbing. There are many places in the city that offer rock walls. It’s a terrific way to consider rock climbing before you decide to reach tougher things similar to the canyons outdoors the town.
Yet another Model of maximum sports activities in Las Vegas is skydiving. There are plenty of corporations in town which offer really serious classes and one day offers like tandem leaping. This gives people today in any way concentrations an opportunity to expertise this Extraordinary sport even though in metropolis of lights. You may as well experience indoor skydiving with the assistance of one of various wind tunnels in the city. Nevada is a superb place for a amount of different routines. Las Vegas skydiving has started to become among the preferred between other Severe athletics.

domain: hobby


A few months ago, the auditor’s office in Louisiana issued a report about inspections of dental offices. The state requires inspectors to check out dental facilities once every three years. This is important stuff. If dental instruments aren’t properly cleaned, for example, the first patient of the day can easily spread a flu bug to the second patient and then on to the third, fourth and so on. “These inspections are an important way to protect the public’s safety,” says Chris Magee, a senior performance auditor for Louisiana.
Between 2012 and 2014, violations were found in some 40 percent of inspections, the most common of which was “undocumented or lack of sterilization and disinfection techniques.” Another important finding was that more than a third of all dental offices weren’t inspected at all. What’s more, about a quarter of the time the state didn’t even let dentists know about violations uncovered.
Welcome to the generally unnoticed world of safety inspections in the states. Though there has been very little coverage of the topic in studies or articles, performance auditors in state after state regularly discover significant backlogs of inspections. This shortcoming can be found in inspections of restaurants for food safety, elevators, buildings for fire codes and assisted living facilities.
While most of the time inspections may only pick up minor infractions such as the lack of properly posted licenses, the dangers of insufficient coverage are very real. An outbreak of hepatitis in Oklahoma, for instance, emanated from an uninspected dental office. In December, some 36 lives were lost in the deadliest fire in the history of Oakland, Calif. Though cause and effect isn’t entirely clear, the California Grand Jurors’ Association reported that “two years before the ... fire, the Alameda County civil grand jury sounded the alarm about deficiencies in the Oakland Fire Department’s inspection bureau -- saying the city wasn’t even trying to check a third of the 12,000 commercial properties that were supposed to be examined every year.”
Most of the time, inspections are conducted too infrequently because of budgetary shortages that lead to insufficient staff. A November report from the audit division of the Oregon Secretary of State’s office found that “the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Program is struggling with a backlog of establishments needing inspection.” Nearly a quarter of food businesses in the state, ranging from groceries to dairies, were overdue for their inspections, the auditor found.
Why has this sad state of affairs come to pass? According to the report, the backlog was caused by “an increase in the number of licensed businesses and complexity of business practices and an inspection staff busy with other duties.”
One interesting wrinkle: According to Kyle Rossi, lead on the Oregon audit, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a great abundance of training for food inspectors, including schooling in tasks in which specialized inspectors don’t engage. Rossi hastens to add that training is critical. But he points out that “just about everyone is doing all the FDA training [for everything],” which takes many hours away from the time they could use searching for bacteria in the prepared foods department.
In many states, lagging inspections are not a new problem. As Marc Owen, performance audit manager in Arizona’s Office of the Auditor General, points out, the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency has been unable to meet its inspection time frames for more than three decades. As of June 2015, nearly half of all X-ray facilities were overdue for an inspection. That’s a problem because X-ray machines that aren’t appropriately calibrated to deliver the proper amount of radiation -- not just to the patients, but to the people operating the machines -- are a serious hazard. Of course, this is a problem that can easily escape scrutiny, as improper doses of radiation may not result in health problems right away. “It’s hard to identify the immediate concerns,” says Owen.
Getting more money into inspection programs isn’t easy. State budgets are tight, and raising fees on facilities to cover the cost is a tough road to take. Food businesses, for example, aren’t necessarily thrilled with required inspections in the first place. Asking them to pay for the pleasure can raise the hackles of members of a multibillion-dollar industry.
In fairness, there may well be instances in which state boards are requiring more inspections than are genuinely helpful, and one solution could be safely cutting back on requirements. Ken Levine, the director of Texas’ Sunset Advisory Commission, says that “if the inspections aren’t uncovering very much, they can start focusing on the outliers.” He recommends that if a particular entity is inspected every two or three years, and no violations are found over a 20-year period, it may well be reasonable to cut down on the required frequency. “We recommend a risk-based inspection process that takes into account previous problems,” says Levine.
*This column was updated to correct the misspelling of Kyle Rossi's name.