text:
The Last Guardian, a long-awaited third game from Fumito Ueda, who has finally come to PS4. Especially those who enjoyed Ico (2001) and Shadow of the Colossus (2005), two of the best games in the catalog of PS2 now finally can meet The Last Guardian.
A great thing about The Last Guardian is that is exactly what the fans expected! An adventure with all the greatness from the earlier work of Fumito Ueda and his team. Given its long development cycle, Last Guardian feels like a game came out of a time capsule. An adventure of puzzles and platforms with a minimalist approach, both playable and narrative, makes you forgive its shortcomings.
The game starts with a boy who found himself locked in a cell, with this huge and beautiful animal chained next to him called Trico. These first few minutes serve to learn the basics of the controls along with it’s very simple game mechanics. Jump up and down, grab, push and throw objects are the basic actions that we must learn to solve a lot of situations until Trico and the boy begin to understand each other and work together, which later add more complexity to game-play.
The narrative in the last guardian compared to the earlier works of Fumito Ueda is not as enigmatic and cryptic as in previous games. Now there is a narrator, who appears rarely and telling his version of events. If you remember playing Ico, how game threw us into that mysterious castle without explanation, and we were the ones who had to build the story and try to find some explanation for what we saw on the screen.
In The Last Guardian, they wanted to tell the story in a different way and finally ends up working like clockwork. The Last Guardian’s game mechanics may feel like Ico, in the narrative style is quite different, and is more like a story or fable, having a very nice closed and perfectly understandable story, in which no room for theories or lose threads.
Simply, the story is summarized in that the child has to escape a huge and mysterious fortress, and it will need the help of Trico, a wounded animal that’s also imprisoned for unknown reasons. The relationship between human and animal is built slowly, and Trico will rely increasingly on us, and even accept certain commands, as you scroll to a particular site, jump or push or hit some objects .All with the goal of overcoming the numerous puzzles and platform areas that we are on our way, in a completely linear development, which does not leave much room for exploration.
The great success of the game, we almost dare to qualify miracle, it is how they recreated Trico’s animal behavior, as realistically and convincingly that even in the early hours of the game will leave you impressed. You stay entranced watching animations of Trico, that they constantly changed throughout the game, depending on the context.
And it is not just a technical virtue; it is surely the biggest culprit for such a long development and which is why the game could not be completed for PS3. Attention to detail is amazing, every detail gives us a cue to interpret the body language of Trico to see if it will take a leap or not, if its hesitant or afraid, with the sounds emitting, transmitting anger, sadness or doubt.
Trico is fantastic, definitely the best in the game, and it can almost be described as extravagant by Fumito Ueda the fact of putting such a large animal in a so narrow scenarios, with all the problems this could cause, like animations and physical. But it is perfectly resolved, and it is almost impossible to see an interaction problem with Trico and its surroundings, with a craft of animations that the artists must have been put a crazy amount of effort.
As mentioned, Trico is an animal with its personality and interests and does not always obey our orders. This may frustrate you at the time, but such decision seems to us a wise move and makes the animal more convincing. Also, there is an evolution in this regard, and gradually the protagonists are better understood, and in the final stretch often there is neither to guide the animal on the right track, as it has learned its lesson well.
Trico and its animations, behavior, the relationship is being established between him and the child, it seems impeccable, but unfortunately the game does have other problems such as the camera or character interaction between the boy and Trico, and these issues are far from outstanding, although overall the game has a fantastic taste, especially if you love the genre.
The camera follows the action is very problematic at times, and should not give so much trouble in such a leisurely game.It strives to be situated very close to the character we control, and to move in such small spaces, and surrounded by such a large animal; we must constantly be correcting and moving for good visibility.
Another failure comes a change in control has occurred in the last months of development, and that seems a mistake.Originally, as in Ico and especially in Shadow of the Colossus, you’d need to press the R1 button to grab Trico or other objects such as chains. This, as in the previous game of Fumito Ueda, creating a physical link between the player and what was happening on screen, and it worked well in the gameplay aspect.
Now our hero is automatically grabs Trico and other objects, like vines or chains, imagine in an attempt to make the most simple and accessible gameplay for all types of players. But this has brought its problems, because now loose or out of Trico is very complicated, because of the slightest contact with the animal ‘s body, you become automatically grab.
Putting a very concrete example, when we are about Trico in a hallway or room especially small size, we will throw a while to be back on the ground when the original control scheme is sufficient to release the R1. And of course, you can not change the controls in options as this decision has brought some changes in game design, and have not been able to offer both options. Nor do we like to be reminded constantly on – screen controls, because they are not so complex as to not assimilate after a few minutes, and it is a warning that we can not turn off.
Also moving to a particular location on Trico’s body is sometimes complicated. Sometimes the boy gets stuck when trying to move from the animal’s back on his head, when the problems mentioned above come together such as camera, automatic grip, wanting to go to a specific point on the body things can get frustrating.
And following the criticisms, there is some flaws very specific design, surprising in a game that takes many years cooking.Overall, if you’re a fan of the adventures of puzzles and platforms, the game is not complicated, although it is not a walk, and at times is challenging. The problem is that sometimes you have found the solution to a problem, you know how to continue, what is the right path, but the game becomes absurdly rigid in its rules, and requires you and Trico are positioned in the exact point for performing certain actions, what makes you doubt whether or not it was the right solution. This can ruin the fluidity and progress in the adventure sometime. In a puzzle game, the difficulty should be on finding solutions, not execute them, and sometimes The Last Guardian tests the patience of the player, out of sheer clumsiness. We love that Trico does not obey our commands all the time, instead does what it wants, but sometimes you spend more time “fighting” with running a successful action in trying to solve the puzzle.
Although these failures may sound pretty serious, and obviously we can not ignore the shortcomings, yet the whole experience is pleasing. These days it’s impossible to none to find productions like this, without any complexity to tell a nice story, entertain and fascinate with its beauty, and Trico becomes, one of the most beloved characters in the history of video games, it is impossible not get attached to it. Conveys more with the movement of your body and your grunts, the vast majority of characters from other games with hundreds of lines of dialogue. And we owe it to Fumito Ueda and his team, having been committed to making a success of such an ambitious concept.
The Last Guardian can be completed in about 10 or 12 hours, depending on how you get stuck in one of their situations, and you could say it takes about twice as Ico, game which is very similar in its approach. There is something like a collectible, allowing us to unlock a series of suits in the second game, but we believe it is special enough game to make you feel like back in the future to enjoy it, like the previous games of Team ICO.
Graphically, although evidence in many respects its origin in the previous generation of consoles, it seemed that the team applied updates to make it look like a game that’s made for PS4. The animations are amazing, both Trico as our protagonist, very organic (while sometimes generate some problems or strange situation), and the physics are very realistic, with some prominence in some puzzles. The textures are improved, and there are performance problems, with frame drops in complex scenes (only if you’re playing on a launch model PS4 and not the PRO), but the art direction is so good and so unique that is a game that leaves some prints of great strength and beauty.
Special mention should tell what they have done with Trico, both in modeling and animations, superb, and only with their movements conveys your mood or the next action to be performed. Because video games should be more than just textures of high quality, resolution, some polygons and graphic effects, and more often technology should be at the service of emotions, creating believable characters and charming, with which you connect, and you leave a lasting memory. In this, The Last Guardian meets much note and gives a lesson to other games.
Also the use of sound we liked. Each grunt or small cry of Trico has a meaning, silence and the sound of wind playing a leading role, and when to show music, he does it with elegance and emotion, emphasizing the emotions without retracing them in excess, and increasing the epic when it should.For though The Last Guardian is a leisurely and slow – paced game, also it has intense and dramatic moments, technically and artistically perfectly resolved.
Although as much as we love the whole package, we can’t simply give an outstanding score or turn a blind eye to its shortcomings, truth to be told that it is such a unique game, and so special that any lover of adventure and puzzle genre should play. It is hard to find a game with an almost forgotten formula such as this one, and it is a good way to offer something unique and valid today. The Last Guardian is a beautiful rare gem and many PS4 players will enjoy this beautiful, imperfect and charming adventure! We wish to see more games like this.
We conducted this review with a promotional copy that has provided us by Sony.


text:
Pittsburgh Dangdut Concert Videos
This first video emphasizes the dance group in front of the stage (sorry, the videographer was stage left and I was stage right). It doesn't get the entire song, but some of the saxophone does get highlighted. For the rest of the song (sung by our fearless leader), proceed to the second video:
The third video is from further back and center, and is more memorable for the music (guest artists Ening Rumbini and Rita Tila on vocals) than the visuals unless you really want to watch carefully for occasional glimpses of me dancing off to the left. And I really mean only occasional and identifiable to the initiated, because everyone is very small in this video.
But... it turns out there's a higher quality version of Video #3 for true fans or those absolutely determined to see me dancing off to the left. I think you have to go to Youtube itself to watch that, but underneath the video window you can click on "watch in high quality." The visuals were significantly sharper and if you have good speakers I suppose the sound is as well. On the other hand, the high-quality version was a little too much for my high-speed bandwidth and kept stopping and starting. I'm not sure how high a speed is required to watch it uninterrupted.
There do exist a couple of full-length videos of the concerts, but I don't think they'll be showing up on YouTube.

domain: entertainment


text:
A life-time’s passionate interest in organ design and history has gone hand in hand with Paul Hale’s development as a player. Over the last thirty or so years this interest has expanded into his appointment as Consultant to numerous significant projects and his work as Diocesan Organ Adviser for Southwell and Lincoln (South). In his twenties he also had ‘hands-on’ experience of organ building, for example at Kidlington Parish Church, Oxford. He has a particular interest in the planning and design of mutations, in mixture compositions, and in console layout.
Paul Hale is an accredited member of the Association of Independent Organ Advisers and has considerable experience of historic restorations, of rebuilding projects and of designing new organs in various styles, each appropriate to the circumstances. He takes special interest in knowing the particular abilities and strengths of leading firms of organ builders at any given time, which enables him to be able to suggest to a client the most appropriate companies for any project. His knowledge and experience extends to digital organs by many makers and to the work of major European and North American organ builders. He has the additional advantage of regularly giving recitals on examples of the work of the world’s most significant craftsmen.
Being based in the Midlands, and now free of the daily duties of a cathedral director of music, he can embrace projects throughout the UK and beyond. He charges by the hour / day and his rates are considered reasonable by his many and varied clients.
Details of some particularly significant and interesting projects that Paul has worked on.
Projects currently in hand.
Projects now completed.
Testimonials from clients.

domain: artistic


text:
Jackson / Alpine, Wyoming
Tofte ski-bummed his way around the West before opening Thai Me Up restaurant and bar in Jackson in 2000. "It's a kung fu sports bar," he explains. "All we play is kung fu movies."
It's also the birthplace of Melvin Brewing, a nano-brewery set to scale up in a big way.
Armed with $3 million in funding from the state's Wyoming Business Council, Tofte is opening a shiny new brewery in Alpine, 38 miles west of Jackson, with a target finish date in Dec. 2015.
"We have 15 years to pay back just over $2 million of the $3 million they gave to the town of Alpine for our project," explains Tofte, noting that Lincoln County has the highest unemployment rate of any county in Wyoming. For this reason, the loan is interest-free if Melvin creates 24 jobs by 2020.
On day one, the new brewery will have an annual production capacity of 15,000 barrels, and the plan calls for five year-round cans and 22-ounce bottles by springtime.
That's a 7,500 percent step up from the 2015 projection of 200 barrels brewed in Jackson.
"We can make more beer in one day in Alpine than we can in one year in Jackson," says Tofte. Can he hit 15,000 right off the bat? "We can if people like the beer," he answers.
And so far, people have liked it. Melvin took home the "Small Brewpub of the Year" and "Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year" at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.
It's come a long way from the early days. Melvin graduated from a 20-gallon to a three-barrel system at Thai Me Up. The facility in Alpine will feature a 30-barrel, four-vessel system.
The brewery currently rotates distribution between Denver, Portland, and Seattle. "Once a month, someone's getting 28 kegs," says Tofte. That number is set to go way up soon.
The long-term strategy includes brewpubs in Melvin's markets, as well as Bellingham, Washington (Tofte's hometown), and San Diego. Bellingham is first, targeted for opening in mid-2016. As for San Diego, he says, "A brewpub down there is our ultimate goal, so we can go surfing."
The plan is to use the brewpubs as marketing and branding tools. "It doesn't have to be a 5,000- or 6,000-square-foot space, just like a 1,000-square-foot space," he says. "The goal is to break even."
Tofte plans to spend six months of 2016 in Denver developing sales with Melvin rep Travis Cook, formerly of Crooked Stave, and scouting for a mile-high brewpub location.
Melvin's graphic designer, Kelly Halpin, comes up with a character for each variety, from Hey, Zeus! Mexican Lager (the Greek god honcho in a mariachi outfit) to Killer Bee's Honey Ale, with a hive-headed hero.
"Everything she does I love," says Tofte. "It's dark and mysterious, which don't belong in the beer industry."
And each one has a superpower. Take the 2X4 Double IPA's 2X4 Man. "He has the ability to saw crappy cans of beer in half," laughs Tofte.
Favorite beers: "Melvin IPA is my fave Melvin beer for sure," says Tofte. "It's full frontal of hop smell, and then the flavor of the tropics and dried apricots brings it all home."
Beyond Melvin, he's a huge fan Barley Brown's in Baker City, Oregon. "I make it there a couple times per year and everything they do is so spot on," he says. "They are masters of many styles."
Challenges: "Housing is one of the big ones," he says of brewing in both Jackson Hole and Alpine. "There's no housing left up here. All of the second and third homeowners are tearing down the single-family homes."
He says he has people moving to the area to open the new Alpine facility, but hasn't been able to find them a permanent place, plus he's looking to make about four more hires by spring 2016.
Opportunities: Exponential growth from 200 barrels to 15,000 barrels a year. Tofte says he needs the support of his distributors -- Crooked Stave in Colorado and Great Artisan Beverage Network in the Pacific Northwest -- to fulfill his expansion plans.
Needs: "We just need Bud and Miller to stop buying our friends and pushing us off the shelves," says Tofte.

domain: news


A new AP/Ipsos poll taken 5/7-9/07 is out today with approval at 35% and disapproval at 61%. With this addition my approval trend estimate stands at 34.8%.
There is not much to discuss here. The approval trend estimate has remained in the 33-35% range since January, and is still there. Once or twice we've bumped into those limits, only to promptly return to the range. At the moment we see a slight upward trend, but earlier this week saw a slight DOWNward trend. So I'd say the evidence so far gives no reason to think approval is doing anything other than remaining flat, with poll to poll variation bumping the trend up or down briefly.
Everything looks pretty normal in the diagnostics below, so I'll not add any more commentary. See the earlier posts on approval this week for more analysis, all of which holds true in light of today's AP poll.


text:
Criminal Attack on Shivashri Ukil by Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan
— Satyasri Ukil
March 5, 2013
On Tuesday, February 19, 2013 about 30 to 40 goons employed at the Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India, physically assaulted our Trustee Mr. Shivashri Ukil at the entrance of “Chitralekha” house in Santiniketan, where Mukul Dey Archives is located. The incident happened around 15:00 hours when Shivashri Ukil was going to his bank to operate his account. The Visva-Bharati goons snatched away the file from victim’s hand wherein his bank passbook, PAN card and other documents were kept.
This attack on our Trustee’s life and property was physically led by Supriyo Ganguli, the Security Officer of Visva-Bharati University. While the attack was on, our staff Sheikh Ikbal kept on photo-documenting the attack in his camera. Some of those photographs are posted on this web page.
As the victim was being assaulted, our other two staffs, Sm. Minu Bibi and Sm. Rani Bibi, came in Shivashri ukil’s rescue—they too were molested and kicked by the Visva-Bharati University employees. When these goons spotted Sheikh Ikbal photo recording the act of crime, they chased him into “Chitralekha” house with iron rods and other weapons demanding the surrender of his camera to them.
Sheikh Ikbal ran for his life, and to save the camera as well. It was Ikbal who telephoned Satyasri Ukil in Delhi at about 15:15 hours and narrated this incident of criminal bloodletting. Satyasri Ukil immediately informed the Bolpur Police Station, as well as Santiniketan Police Station asking for police help. Police came after a lapse of about 40 minutes when the culprits safely escaped committing the crime.
On February 19, 2013 a written complaint was lodged by the victim at Bolpur Police Station—and on the basis of this complaint by the victim a criminal case was registered against Visva-Bharati University under sections 447 (Trespass), 323 (Causing hurt), 325 (Causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (Mischief), 354 (Assault or use of criminal force to women with criminal intent for outraging her modesty), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 379 (Theft), 34 (Common Intention) of Indian Penal Code.
This criminal case is registered as No. 73/13 of February 20, 2013.
The victim, in his written complaint to the police, named individual employees of Visva-Bharati University who assaulted him.
On February 23, 2013 Satyasri Ukil reported the matter on behalf of the victim to the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi for their intervention. National Human Rights Commission diary number is: 139533.
The police have visited the place of occurrence on March 4, 2013 but neither recorded the eye-witness accounts, nor collected evidence/s from the victim and our staffs.
Till date the police have arrested none of the alleged criminals and who are roaming free.
The victim suffered this attack on his life as the result of a civil Title Suit (No. 120 of 2008) between Satyasri Ukil and Shivashri Ukil versus Vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University & others, which was settled in Ukils’ favour by the learned Upper Division Court of Bolpur, Birbhum on June 30, 2012.
March 7, 2013
Police yet to collect evidence/s related to Case No. 73/13 (dated February 20, 2013) and eye-witness statements.
March 7, 2013 / 14:55 hours
Birbhum District Judge’s Court rejected Visva-Bharati University Security Officer Supriyo Ganguli’s bail application in Shivashri Ukil assault case.
March 7, 2013 / 20:12 hours IST
Received info that Supriyo Ganguli of Visva-Bharati University got anticipatory bail in Shivashri Ukil assault case. This nullifies last update.
March 11, 2013 / 01:55 IST
No arrests made so far. No evidences were collected either from Shivashri Ukil, or our staffs Sm. Minu Bibi, Sm. Rani Bibi and Sheikh Ikbal. Neither eye-witness statements were recorded for criminal case No. 73/13, dated February 20, 2013 so far.
March 28, 2013
Till today the police didn’t record the statements of the victim and Minu Bibi, Rani Bibi and Sheikh Ikbal. Nor seized the evidences in victim’s possesion. We suspect that this unusual delay is going to affect the process of investigation and justice for the victims of physical assault and molestation.
We condemn this act of bloodletting and hooliganism by employees of Visva-Bharati University founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
April 4, 2013
Police took no action till date. The goons employed at Visva-Bharati University are roaming free. In the meanwhile a friend writes to Satyasri Ukil:
“I’m very sorry to hear that Satyasri, I was hoping for some better result for you but it seems that the police are not going to be helpful for you. I wish you all the best, please keep me updated.”
Fifty-one days passed after the murderous attack on Shivashri Ukil by Visva-Bharati University goons. West Bengal police filed criminal cases against these men, but failed to arrest anyone till date. Sources say, that police is afraid to arrest the employees of Rabindranath Tagore’s university!
[As if Rabindranath Tagore licensed them to bloodletting.]
May 3, 2013
Till date the Investigating Officer of the criminal case No. 73/13, dated February 20, 2013, between State vs. Visva-Bharati University did not record the statement of eye-witnesses, nor collected the crucial evidences from the victim and his staffs. In the meantime, all the accused persons, such as the Vice-chancellor Prof. Sushanta Dattagupta, Registrar Mani Mukut Mitra, Estate Officer Ashok Mahato, Security Officer Supriya Gangopadhyay and their gang of goons employed by this Central University are roaming free! The police have taken no action against them so far!
“Till date no I.O.[Investigating Officer] has visited us either to collect the evidences (my blood-soaked and torn shirt, Rani Bibi’s torn ‘orna’ and upper-garment etc.), or recorded the statement of the eye-witnesses. Also, till date, the accused men are roaming freely in the locality. None of the accused was arrested by police so far in spite of submitting to police a number of photographs of Visva-Bharati employees beating me.”
On March 22, 2013, the victim prayed to the Hon’ble Bolpur Sub-divisional Court for the report be called for from the police. On April 8, 2013 the Hon’ble Judge ordered the petition to be kept on record.
We firmly believe that these blood-letting goons employed at the Visva-Bharati University of Santiniketan will be punished for their crimes.


Manufacture of large steel components with overhead crane 40 t. Manufacture of towers and masts for shipyards as well as steel construction for general mechanical engineering, including mechanical processing.
EN 1090-1:2009 and A1:2001 (Extensive Proof of Suitability)
DIN EN ISO 3834-2:2006
Welding licence of Germanischer Lloyd
Approval for welding of rail vehicles and vehicle parts according to DIN EN 15085-2
111 – Arc welding (E)
135 – Metal Active Gas Welding (MAG)
136 – Metal active gas welding with cored wire electrode
141 – Tungsten inert gas welding (WIG)
S235 (St 37), S275 (St 52) acc. to DIN EN 10 025 as well as stainless steels acc. to General Building Inspection Approval No. Z-30.3-6 of the DIBt.


text:
Crystal Serenity, awarded World's Best cruise ship, enchants with an unrivaled posh elegance inviting guests to discover a ship of exacting perfection and easy luxury.
Inspired by the casual-yet-cultured vibe of southern California, Crystal Serenity's boasts a chic and contemporary style featuring several cruise industry-firsts, such as a chef's herb garden as part of vibrant "vertical walls" of greenery.
Nowhere else does the grandeur and serenity of the world come into view more clearly than it does from the sublime comfort and quiet privacy of your well-appointed verandah stateroom or suite. All guests enjoy comfortable kimonos, Frette robes and slippers and indulgent bath amenities. Penthouse guests are attended to by a personal butler, anticipating your every need.
Renowned for award-winning cuisine, Waterside sets the stage for exceptional culinary experiences. Specialty restaurants, including Umi Uma, Silk Kitchen, and Prego offer all-inclusive dining, serving fine wines and cuisine.
To top it off, Crystal Cruises offers the finest shipboard service afloat and it is the goal of the attentive staff to anticipate your every need and to make your vacation truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
More cruises featuring Crystal Serenity
|Oct 23||Wed||1||Athens, Greece||6:00PM|
|Oct 24||Thu||2||Santorini, Greece||7:00AM||9:00PM|
|Oct 25||Fri||3||Cruising the Ionian Sea|
|Oct 26||Sat||4||Sicily/Catania, IT||8:00AM||4:00PM|
|Oct 27||Sun||5||Sorrento, Italy||7:00AM||7:00PM|
|Oct 28||Mon||6||Rome, Italy||7:30AM||10:00PM|
|Oct 29||Tue||7||Piombino, IT||8:00AM||11:00PM|
|Oct 30||Wed||8||Florence, Italy||port: Livorno||8:00AM||(overnight)|
|Oct 31||Thu||9||Florence, Italy||port: Livorno||7:00PM|
|Nov 1||Fri||10||Monte-Carlo, Monaco||8:00AM||(overnight)|
|Nov 2||Sat||11||Monte-Carlo, Monaco||6:00PM|
|Nov 3||Sun||12||Marseille, France||8:00AM||6:00PM|
|Nov 4||Mon||13||Barcelona, Spain||8:00AM||(overnight)|
|Nov 5||Tue||14||Barcelona, Spain|
|Departure Date||Special Offers||Price From|
Virtuoso Exclusive Voyages Offer
Book this itinerary through us, your Virtuoso Travel Specialist, and receive exclusive benefits at no additional cost, including:
Plus one of the Following Options based on Availability:
Please note: Credit amounts vary based on category of stateroom and may not be available in all stateroom categories.
|October 23, 2019||$4,365|
Click or call and mention offer C-3216
Click a button above or call (877) 394-8130 to get additional
information from our Crystal Cruise Specialists.
indicates reduced pricing
that may be time sensitive with limited availability.
Sold Out - This category is no longer available on this date and no further reservations are being taken for this category.
Wait List - This category is no longer available on this date. However you may join a waitlist where you'll be offered this category/price as previous confirmed reservations are cancelled or changed. To guarantee travel on this date, you must reserve an available category AND waitlist your preferred category.
Guarantee - The cruise line will assign the specific stateroom, sometimes as late as the day of sailing. You are not able to select a specific stateroom or location. You are guaranteed a stateroom in the selected category and if all staterooms in the selected category sell out, you will be upgraded to a higher category.
Virtuoso Voyages Sailing
Travel with Virtuoso and you'll see the world in an entirely new light
NOTE: You may choose this exclusive shore event, personalized experience credit toward any Virtuoso product, or onboard spending credit. Ask us for complete option details. Credit amount may vary based on stateroom category booked. Credit may not be offered in all categories.
Exclusive Shore Event: Monte Carlo | More to Monaco
A sovereign nation nestled along the Mediterranean, most of us know Monaco for its 700-year-strong Grimaldi dynasty, the swanky resort capital of Monte Carlo, and its general reputation for high-rolling revelry. But the principality is both greener and more scientifically relevant than you might think.
We'll begin our day at the Exotic Garden of Monaco, first opened to the public in 1933. It is the world's largest collection of succulents and cacti, thriving on a rocky slope overlooking the sea. Often bypassed by visitors, this beautiful spot offers great views, and, sometimes, dazzling bright blooms. We'll then transfer to the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, founded by Prince Albert I in 1901. Through the collections, most of which are from local excavations, we'll get a look at life on the Côte d'Azur some one million years ago.
We'll continue to lunch at A'Trego, a stunning and modern restaurant right on the water, to enjoy local specialties and an amazing view. We'll finish our day at Villa Paloma, one of Monaco's finest patrician residences. The Villa and its gardens (originally plotted by famed garden designer Octave Godard) are now part of the National Museum. We'll explore the immaculately restored property, its exhibits, and the grounds before returning to ship.
Approximate Length: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Suggested Attire: Casual attire with comfortable walking shoes.
As a Virtuoso Voyages Member, choose this exclusive shore event, onboard credit(s), hotel packages including special amenities or private excursions. Consult your Virtuoso Travel Professional for options available on this particular sailing.
PLEASE NOTE: All Virtuoso events ashore are capacity controlled and require a minimum number of participants to operate. Events are subject to change without notice. These events are individually tailored for each date and arrival. Your event could be different than what's noted here; but it will be designed to be memorable and to bring you a traveler's view that you will treasure, and would otherwise miss entirely. Final details will be outlined in program letters provided by your Virtuoso host aboard ship.

domain: travel


text:
The Rock Creek Fall Fair is coming back for one day this September, according to general manager Lisa Sims.
There will be carnival fare, live music, a 4-H show and lawnmower races and Can-Can dances after ticket gates open Saturday, Sept. 18, Sims said. The 50/50 cash prize cracked $12,000 Thursday, July 14, she added. Kids and parents can meanwhile look forward to performances by “fair staple” Chris the Clown.
There will be no rides or midway games because the COVID-19 pandemic had earlier forced providers to cancel their 2021 festival season, she said. Sims in April said she was hoping the fair would return in full swing, though hybrid and fully virtual alternatives were then in the works.
B.C. now permits outdoor festivals of less than 5,000 people, according to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s latest public health order, announced July 7. Sims said the fair will satisfy the order to the letter, with “high touch surfaces” frequently washed and with hand-sanitizing stations dotted throughout the fairgrounds.
“It’s going to be as close to normal as possible,” she told The Times, adding that time and funds are tight.
“What we’d normally do in eight to 10 months, we’re trying to do in a month and a half,” she said, noting that crews are already preparing the site.
This year’s music concert will be headlined by “up-and-coming country sensation,” Ben Klick. Featured performers will include the four-piece bluegrass band, Kentucky Eileen as well as the folk duo, Tiger Moon.
The fair is meanwhile looking for volunteers to help with a host of important jobs, including and especially setting up and taking down the fair. Free fair passes will go to anyone who puts in two hours on the day of, or four hours when tents go up the previous weekend. All volunteers will get a free lunch at the fair’s “Work Bee” orientation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11.
Online ticket sales open on the fair’s website at rockcreekfallfair.ca on Friday, July 23, with in-person sales available at the fair office between 8 a.m and noon weekdays, starting Aug. 3.
Volunteers over 16 are asked to contact Sims by phone at 250-446-2465 or by email at email@example.com.


India wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has come a long way after making his international debut in 2017. In 65 ODIs, he has claimed 107 wickets at an impressive average of 28.34 while his T20I record reads – 41 scalps from 23 games at an economy rate of 7.15.
Kuldeep has also proved his worth in a brief Test career. In 7 Tests, he has picked up 26 wickets at an average of 23.84 with two five-wicket hauls.
The 26-year-old may have fallen out of favour in recent times but he recently gave the glimpse of his old self on the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka, taking four games in as many games.
Only India bowler to claim two hat-tricks in international cricket, Kuldeep Yadav plays for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has represented KKR in 45 games so far, claiming 40 wickets with the best bowling figures of 4/20 to his name.
Kuldeep will now be seen in action in the second phase of IPL 2021, slated to be held in UAE from September 19 to October 15. KKR, occupying seventh place on the points table, will resume their campaign against RCB on September 20 in Abu Dhabi.
Ahead of the cash-rich tournament, the chinaman bowler interacted with Saurabh Malhotra, Content Head at Circle of Cricket, and opened up about his training, experience of playing under Eoin Morgan, among other things.
Here’s the excerpt of the interview:
Q. So now here we are, almost four months later in a different country for the second phase of IPL 2021. How has your training been despite the challenging weather in the UAE and the dreaded quarantine?
A: The second phase is resuming after four months and the training has been going fairly well. Everyone is coming really good together and I hope things will now fall in place this season. On the personal front, I am keeping well fitness wise and I believe everything is going really good.
Q. You have been with the KKR franchise since a very long time. Tell us how your experience has been with the franchise and some of your most cherished memories as a Knight Rider?
A: I joined the team when I was a kid, nobody knew me and the way KKR handled me, it was a really good experience. Throughout in eight years, I got to learn a lot from the senior players. It seems like a family, the bonding and understanding is really good. I always enjoy my time at KKR and want to continue my association with them going ahead in my career.
They support a lot whether it is Shah Rukh bhai, Juhi Mam, Jay bhai, Venky Sir. The team atmosphere is also very healthy, everyone backs each other. Irrespective of the result, the team atmosphere remains positive and they play a big role in the match. The mood in the dressing room is so chilled and I feel like we will play impressive cricket in the near future. The support has been good and it feels like a family to me after playing for many years and knowing each other really well. So, I enjoy a lot here.
There are so many good moments with KKR. When I joined the team for the first time and we became champions and then I got the chance to play in the Champions League. The performance of the team was impressive in 2018 and we reached the play-offs in 2019. So, there have been memorable moments throughout and my experience has also been good with everyone whether it is Brendon McCullum, Wasim Akram, Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir), Jacques Kallis, DK bhai (Dinesh Karthik). Each one of them has backed me and supported me.
Q. Coming back to IPL 2021, it wasn't an easy part one of the season for the group, does the team still believe about a possible turnaround and even a playoff spot in UAE?
A: Of course, the first phase didn’t go the way we had expected. Although we played good cricket, we ended up losing games by small margins. I believe we will do well in the second leg. The vibe within the team is really good, everyone is backing each other and I feel we could play exciting cricket. It’s not a big task. If we manage to win the first two games, things will become easy and beating any strong side will definitely boost our confidence. As a team, the experience has been very good and management, support staff, coaches, captain – everyone is coming really good together. So, I hope we will play good cricket in the times to come.
Q. Brendon McCullum as coach, Eoin Morgan as captain, you have one of the most respected leadership groups at KKR. How do they help you and other members of the team behind the scenes?
A: Captain and coach play a big role and the way Baz has handled the situation, it’s been very good. Although we lost matches in the first half, the mood in the camp was pleasant. As you know, captain Morgan is very cool and handles every situation calmly. So, there have been good vibes and will do certainly do well in the second leg.
The captain and coach plan well before the match and understand each other. They provide space to the youngsters, and at the same time give opportunities to the seniors to put forward their views. So, I believe both of them are playing a key role at KKR and they are doing great. The results might not have come in our favour, but their method is excellent and I feel we will perform well in the second leg.


text:
The natural tooth color is determined by an inherent component associated with the enamel and dentin light absorption and diffusion optical properties and is influenced by the presence of surface or internal colour differences. Tooth bleaching is a highly conservative aesthetic treatment, with a favourable cost-advantage ratio, allowing the removal of all the organic components responsible of the pigmentations staining the teeth. It needs a preliminary clinical intraoral examination and a correct diagnosis and supervision by the dentist. Fundamental elements for the successful outcome of the treatment, patient related (personal needs, age, expectations, means) and operator related (product availability, knowledge of materials science), concur to the planning of a well suited therapeutic plan. Visible tooth pigmentations are not only an aesthetic problem but can also become a physical handicap and go further on and generate a self-image distortion with subsequent lack of confidence. Because of these reasons tooth bleaching has widely spread, becoming one of the most popular and successful aesthetic treatments. The growing public interest for smile beauty has been supported by a development and distribution of specialized and differentiated commercial products along with new application methodologies and dental bleaching procedure in the dentists’ clinical practice.
Intrinsic factors: they include irreversible dischromia depending on chromogenic molecule absorption by enamel and dentin, in the course of dental development or after tooth eruption. They depend on pulp chamber lesions (intrapulpal bleeding, necrosis, calcification with tertiary dentin deposit), endodontic therapy, congenital diseases (phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis, congenital hyperbilirubinemia, amelogenesis and dentinogenesis imperfecta), medical drug use (tetracycline, fluorine).
Extrinsic factors: they include yellow-brown surface pigmentations affecting exclusively the enamel. They are connected to eating, drinking, smoking, poor dental hygiene, ageing (enamel thinning and dentin increase).
Active ingredient: Hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide (organic molecule that releases hydrogen peroxide and urea; 10% is equivalent to 3.5% hydrogen peroxide), sodium perborate (monohydrate, trihydrate and tetrahydrate mixed with hydrogen peroxide) and calcium oxide.
Mechanism of action: oxidation of the double bonds of the chromophores conjugated chains (chemically stable long chain organic molecules) absorbed by the dental hard tissues (enamel and dentin) with subsequent brightness increase and chrome reduction. More specifically, hydrogen peroxide releases HO2— (peroxide anion) and free radicals, responsible for the chromogenic molecules destruction; carbamide peroxide in aqueous solution releases hydrogen peroxide and urea, able to denaturise dental tissues’ organic matrix proteins.
1. Temporary low/moderate increase in dental sensitivity found during and after the treatment in 2/3 of the patients who underwent vital teeth bleaching, due to a reversible pulpitis caused by the whitening agent and amplified by dental dehydration. It can be treated using topical fluoride prophylaxis (dentinal tubules occlusion and dentinal fluid reduction) or applying potassium nitrate that has an analgesic effect on the transmission of the nervous impulses.
2. Enamel microhardness reduction: the enamel exposed to the whitening agents presents a clinically non relevant reduction of its microhardness which spontaneously recovers after contact with saliva (saliva electrolytes). Studies on 10% carbamide peroxide have demonstrated that applying whitening agents on the enamel surface causes local microstructural modifications similar to those present in the initial stages of caries and that the amount of calcium ions lost by the enamel is around 1mcg/ mm2 – a neglectable amount from the clinical point of view.
3. Soft tissues irritation: concentration greater than or equal to 10% hydrogen peroxide can cause cellular damage, gingival ulceration and mucosa and skin burning. It is clinically possible to observe an initial reddish area leaving the place to a light coloured lesion that tends to heal rapidly without leaving any permanent harm. Soft tissues protection is thus mandatory.
4. Taste alteration. The patient may report the presence of a metallic taste after the whitening for several hours.
5. Intrapulpal temperature increase. A significant variation of the temperature, associated with a photothermal effect and possible pulp damage, is observed in the course of the bleaching treatment using hydrogen peroxide when activation sources (halogen lights, LED, laser) are used to speed up the process. Light sources increase hydrogen peroxide decomposition and thus the release of free radicals able to oxidise the dark pigments. Heat-producing activation sources may determine expansion of dentinal tubules fluid, causing pulp hyperemia and post-whitening hypersensitivity. Heat induces a more pronounced teeth dehydration and, subsequently, an increased post-whitening hypersensitivity. The free radicals chemical action, moreover, can make the pulp tissues damage worse.
6. Alteration of the composite fillings superficial texture and of the enamel-composite interface: a study on dental elements affected by Black class V carious lesions restored with composite and subsequently treated with 35% hydrogen peroxide (seven 30 min. treatments) proved that whitening determines alterations in the teeth surface topography with prevalence of depression areas that facilitate plaque build-up and increase the risk of caries and periodontal disease. The enamel-composite interface, analysed with the help of profilometric analysis and SEM, on the contrary, shows no alteration after the whitening treatment.
The whitening power of fluoride fortified products does not seem to be compromised in respect to traditional products, nor post-whitening fluoride prophylaxis is able to negate the treatment itself. Remineralisation of the enamel treated with whitening agents happens more rapidly and the loss of hard substance is inferior; therefore the teeth exposed to fluoride-based whitening show more resistance to acid dissolution (caries) than non-whitened teeth. The topic preliminary application of fluoride-based varnishes can, by itself, reduce dentin dehydration during the whitening process and the subsequent hypersensitivity.
The safety parameters of bleaching agents are defined according to the effects observed on the dental hard tissues, the pulpodentinal organ, oral soft tissues and in the case of swallowing the product in the course of a vital tooth extracoronal whitening. As far as soft tissues, the attention is mostly directed to the possible toxic effects of the free radicals released by the peroxides and able to react with proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, causing cellular damage. Hydrogen peroxide is thus a molecule that, at 10% concentration or more, may result cytotoxic ad be potentially harmful for the mucosa and the skin, causing a burning sensation. The risks connected with these lesions are mostly observable in the case of chairside professional treatment, usually performed with products releasing hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 25% or more, when an adequate protection of the gingival tissues is not set up. On the other hand, no risk for oral and systemic health comes from professional home bleaching performed using ADA approved products made up of 10% carbamide peroxide (equivalent to 3.5% hydrogen peroxide). In the case of hard tissues, the risks include a temporary increase in dentinal sensitivity observable in the first phases of the bleaching, whose entity varies depending on peroxide concentration and duration of contact. It is worth remembering, that peroxide easily crosses both enamel and dentin after the first 5-15 minutes of application. Nonetheless, there is no evidence of long-term damage to the pulpodentinal organ (enzymatic inactivation) when the technique is performed correctly. The occurrences and the severity of the sensitivity seem to depend on product quality, chosen technique and on the individual response to the bleaching.
The length of the treatment and the expectations on the outcome depend on the aetiology of the stains (genetic defects or development problems, age-related changes, extrinsic pigmentations, intrinsic aspects) and on the diagnosis, as well as on the chosen product and how it is applied. In general, dark pigmentations respond well to whitening, while white spots are not affected, although they result less evident since there is less contrast with the adjacent teeth. Using the trays technique (individual trays), the teeth normally whiten up within 3 days to 6 weeks. Nicotine stains can take 1-3 months to disappear while tetracycline stains 2-6 months or even more of night use. The kind of stain and the initial tooth colour are to be taken in consideration; pigmentations localized on the neck of a tooth, dark grey or blue and important tetracycline-induced discromies are hard to treat.
-Preliminary investigations: an intraoral clinical examination along with all the necessary X-rays is the tool that lets us make a correct diagnosis and use whitening products in perfect safety: therefore, it must always come before the bleaching treatment. Collecting useful information (past or present dentinal hypersensitivity, presence of reconstructions, temporomandibular disorders, latex, silicone and whitening substances allergy) can help us choose the best methodology for each patient.
-Product choice: the ideal whitening agent should be designed with a neutral pH. Carbamide peroxide has proven more effective at night-time since urea induces the pH increase to the desired levels. Hydrogen peroxide has a low pH and is short-acting. For these reasons whitening formulations containing hydrogen peroxide require shorter contact but more applications while those containing carbamide peroxide take few days but require longer contact. Product choice, then, has to be compared to the patient’s habits and lifestyle, not to mention the possible dentinal hypersensitivity, the type of stains and the presence of carious lesions.
-Subsequent treatment: the need of a second treatment can greatly vary, ranging from 1-3 years to more than 10 years after the initial bleaching.
Vital teeth bleaching
External bleaching (extracoronal) is performed applying the active ingredient to the surface of the tooth to be treated, so that it can diffuse into the hard tissues without causing any enzymatic damage to the pulpodental organ. After a careful isolation of the soft tissues, the whitening agent can be fitted to the surface to be treated.
In the following pictures you can see a case of a maxillary-arch-only home whitening using 15% carbamide peroxide for 3 nights in order to highlight the chromatic improvement; afterwards the patients, happy with the achieved results, decided to have the same treatment performed on the mandibular arch.

domain: medical


text:
Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Soil Health Effects and Stakeholder Perceptions of Manure and Woody Biomass Application to Cropland in Nebraska
Organic products that have historically been viewed as waste products may improve soil health by adding carbon (C) and nutrients to soil. Two such products are woodchips, generated from forest or rangeland management activities, and livestock manure. In Nebraska, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is a native but invasive tree species inhibiting rangeland productivity. Livestock manure that is underutilized while inorganic fertilizers are imported for crop production presents a water quality risk by contributing to local- and regional-scale nutrient imbalances. Increasing the responsible use of livestock manure in crop fertility programs to improve sustainability of both livestock and crop farms necessitates equipping farmers and their advisors to recognize fields with the greatest potential for economic and natural resource benefits from manure. This dissertation included evaluating the body of research reporting effects of manure and municipal biosolids on soil health properties. Further, the effects of eastern redcedar woodchips applied as a soil amendment alone or co-mingled with swine manure, cattle manure, or inorganic nitrogen (N) on soil health properties, water quality indicators, and greenhouse gas emissions were assessed. Manure application increases soil microbial abundance, improves nutrient cycling and enhances soil structure. Results from field and laboratory studies indicated that surface application of woodchips, with or without other amendments, did not affect soil nor leachate nitrate-N concentrations. Woodchip amendments increased soil organic matter concentration and decreased soil bulk density in less than three years. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from soil were unaffected by woodchip application, but carbon dioxide emissions increased. Because the field plots were irrigated, no differences in soil moisture were observed by treatment, but soil temperature fluctuations under the woodchips were diminished. Overall, manure and woodchips are viable amendments for improving soil health. A survey of stakeholders revealed that improving soil health is important to them, and they recognize the risks of eastern redcedar to sustainability. Thus, adoption of this novel conservation practice is likely with continued stakeholder engagement.
Agriculture|Plant sciences|Soil sciences|Agricultural engineering
Schott, Linda R, "Soil Health Effects and Stakeholder Perceptions of Manure and Woody Biomass Application to Cropland in Nebraska" (2018). ETD collection for University of Nebraska - Lincoln. AAI13419429.

domain: agronomy


text:
A quick CAS creation for the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge and
the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge. I found this American Crafts 12x12 paper in my stash with reversible colors - the light, silvery gray on one side and this bold floral pattern in 2 shades of gray on the opposite side. The daisy was die cut on vellum and accented with a Rich Razzleberry button.
This is a first in awhile and can't believe it...but...I'm not adding any sequins - lol! It's past my bedtime, so have to call it a day! More snow is coming tomorrow, they say, but I have the day off and will look forward to lots of stamping time if I'm stuck at home!

domain: design


text:
Midget Excels strike gold
The Brampton Midget 1 Excelsiors celebrate their gold medal win at the Ontario Summer Games. Members of the team include, front row, from left, goaltenders Austin Cairns, Tyler Smyth and captain Luke VanSchepen. Second row is Travis Burton, Tyrus Rehanek, Christopher Nolan, Darren O’Gorman, Samuel Postma, Adam Wiedemann, Kenya Small and Patrick Fitzhenry. Back row includes Jeffrey Teat, Matt Smith, Steven Kis, Justin Huggins, Zachary Bullied, Ben French, Connor McClelland, Joshua Gagne and Spencer Wood. Not pictured are staff members Dan Teat, Tony Carvalho, Edwin Van Schepen, Mike Wiedemann and Trudy Smith.
The Brampton Midget 1 Excelsiors box lacrosse team was perfect at the Ontario Summer Games on the weekend in Toronto— and they’ve got the gold medals to prove it.
The Excelsiors downed the rival Orangeville Northmen 4-3 on Sunday afternoon to wrap up a perfect 6-0 run to claim the Ontario Summer Games Championship.
On their way to the championship the Excelsiors disposed of Newmarket 4-0, Centre Wellington 5-4, Clarington 6-3, Halton Hills 5-2 and Orangeville 5-3.
That all set up a rematch with Orangeville in the event final and the Excelsiors were not about to let it slip away.
Luke Van Schepen scored three times to pace Brampton to the 4-3 win in the gold medal game. Zachary Bullied netted the other in the victory. Ben French, Tyrus Rehanek, Joshua Gagne and Jeffrey Teat all picked up assists in the gold medal win.
In the first meeting with Orangeville, Gagne found the net twice with Teat and Justin Huggins chipping in singles. Rehanek picked up three assists while Van Schepen set up a pair. Huggins and French added single helpers.
Five different players found their scoring touch in the 5-2 win over Halton Hills. Huggins, Van Schepen, Christopher Nolan, Samuel Postma and Adam Wiedemann each scored once while Rehanek chipped in with a pair of assists. Single helpers went to Matt Smith, Huggins and Teat.
Teat scored twice and set up another in the 6-3 win over Clarington. Huggins added a goal and two helpers while Wiedemann and Postma each had a goal and an assist.
Kenya Small netted the other Brampton goal in the win over Clarington while Smith picked up an assist.
The Excelsiors spread the scoring around in the 5-4 win over Centre Wellington as Smith, Connor McClelland, Rehanek, Wiedemann and Teat found the range. Rehanek added a pair of assists for a three-point game while Huggins, French, Nolan, Gagne, Wiedemann and Teat chipped in with singles.
The Excelsiors shut out Newmarket 4-0 in their other Ontario Summer Games contest. Wiedemann, Huggins, Patrick Fitzhenry and Darren O’Gorman did the damage offensively while Teat, Van Schepen, Rehanek and Nolan added single assists.
Huggins was named to the provincial allstar team while goaltender Tyler Smyth was MVP of the Final Six.
“The Brampton Minor Lacrosse Association is very proud of the Midget Excelsiors, who have won the 2012 Ontario Summer Games gold medal,” said BMLA president Albert Rehanek. “The respect, finesse and the desire they have for the game is inspiring for all Brampton lacrosse. They truly played for the honour of the game.”


text:
Strawberry Custard Tart
- SHORTBREAD CRUST:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- CUSTARD FILLING:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 to 5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 11-inch round tart pan with baking spray with flour.
- For crust: In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour and confectioners’ sugar. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of prepared pan.
- Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
- For custard filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Add vanilla bean and reserved seeds and salt; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until custard simmers and thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean. Pour filling into prepared crust. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
- For topping: Place a row of strawberry slices down center of tart with tips slightly overlapping. Repeat procedure with next row of strawberry slices facing opposite direction. Repeat rows until entire tart is covered.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt preserves. Brush over strawberry slices.

domain: food


Performance deficits and the high costs associated with purchasing and maintaining servers were the catalysts for Munich Airport’s transition from UNIX to Linux® systems.
Filhet-Allard, a large insurance broker in France, was facing issues of agility, integration, and connectivity which made it difficult to deliver new applications to customers.
Dutch non-profit healthcare insurance company ONVZ needed to replace its home-grown infrastructure with a virtualization platform that worked in both Linux® and Microsoft environments, offering more flexibility, great performance, and easy
A world-renowned luxury hotel commissioned an e-commerce platform to expand and improve sales of its popular, seasonal pastry. Working with Red Hat® Advanced Business Partner Cxrus Solutions, the hotel implemented the e-commerce platform running on Red Hat
Saddled with an inflexible legacy IT infrastructure, Lafayette College needed a more efficient and scalable way to keep pace with its growing demand for IT services.
For the world's largest and most diverse derivatives marketplace, millions of transactions per day placed a heavy burden on IT. CME Group chose to migrate to Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® for both flexibility and a balance in price and performance.
As a Red Hat Premier Partner, Quru made the strategic decision to consolidate its entire IT infrastructure on Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® and Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization to better manage its technology landscape and achieve flexibility and scalability.
Krungsri is a leading commercial bank in Thailand with a wide network of branches and service outlets throughout the country. Krungsri adopted Red Hat® JBoss EAP as one of its technology vendors. Download the case study to learn more.
Mexico’s Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL) needed to improve the largely community project-based infrastructure of its Oportunidades program in order to meet its growing demands and user base.


text:
It’s spiderweb season in Stonington, and our decks–with their posts, and fencing, and many corners, and other nooks and crannies–are prime web-building grounds for our spidery friends. On damp mornings, like yesterday, the water molecules cling to the webs and create some outdoor art that has a delicate beauty and also the impressive tensile strength to bear many times its weight in water.
My attitude about spiderwebs has changed since my childhood. I used to take sticks and pull them down whenever I encountered one. Reading Charlotte’s Web helped to change that attitude, and I also realized that it didn’t make much sense for someone who, from time to time over the years, has been called “Webbie” by some friends. I’ve come to understand that spiders and their webs perform a valuable service for us, in ridding our neck of the world of the annoying, buzzing housefly. And you can’t help but admire the industriousness of spiders as they build and repair their elaborate webs and then wait patiently for their prey.
On misty mornings I’ll make the rounds, taking a look to see what the spiders have been up to and admire their handiwork, like the effort above on our upper deck. Care must be taken, however, to avoid inadvertently getting a face full of webbing.
Lately I’ve been taking a break from my Shakespeare Project–I’ve been on the road, and my Yale Collected Works of Shakespeare volume is massive and not exactly travel-friendly–so I’ve been reading other things. Most recently I picked up an old paperback edition of Frank Herbert’s Dune that was on one of our shelves and have read it for the first time since my college years.
I enjoy rereading favorite books, and Dune is a good example of why. When I read it as a youth, I was pulled in by the story and read it as fast as possible, wanting to find out what happened to Paul Atreides (aka Muad’Dib) and his mother Jessica and the evil, repulsive Baron Harkonnen. Reading it again, knowing how the story ends, allows for a much more leisurely journey, appreciating the really good writing and–especially–the monumental task of creating such a fully realized world, as Herbert did with the desert planet Arrakis, its melange, its sandworms, and its Fremen.
It’s an amazing accomplishment that, perhaps, isn’t as obvious to a young reader as it becomes to someone who has read a lot over the decades. There simply aren’t that many books out there that have captured an entire previously unknown civilization–its culture, its people, its ecology, its economy, its religion, its institutions, and its politics–so completely. Most fiction builds on the foundation of our existing world and its history and doesn’t have to create a civilization from the sand up, as Herbert did. George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones books are another example of that kind of accomplishment that show just how rare such books are, and how difficult they are to create.
And writing Dune clearly took a lot of work. The back story of Herbert’s creation of Dune should encourage unappreciated writers to keep at it. According to the Dune Novels website, it took Herbert six years to research and write Dune, and the book was rejected by 23 publishers before being accepted for publication. You can imagine how dispiriting it must have been to get those rejection letters are so much time and effort. Yet, according to one ranking, at least, Dune went on to become the best-selling science fiction book of all time and continues to hold that spot, nearly 60 years after it was published. Herbert’s years of labor produced a sci-fi classic that people will be enjoying for decades to come. I wonder how the publishers who casually rejected it feel about their decisions now?
Reading is one of the most basic capabilities that humans can learn. It forms the foundation for virtually all forms of higher learning, provides a gateway into a range of knowledge as diverse as the thoughts of great minds of the past, modern technology, sports scores, and cooking recipes, and touches just about every facet of our lives. And yet, how much do we remember about how we learned this crucial skill? Learning the alphabet, associating letter combinations with different sounds until something clicked and the basic words became ingrained in brain synapses to the point where reading because easy–for me, at least, it all is lost in the mists of time that occurred before we got to the books about Dick, Jane, and their dog Spot, which I do dimly remember reading. (“See Spot run! ‘Run, Spot, run!’)
Those of us who are beyond the kids in school phase of our lives might be interested in learning that the educational community is struggling with the issue of teaching kids to read. Time magazine has an interesting article about the ongoing effort, which is precipitated by some truly dismal statistics. Even before the pandemic, in 2019, only 35 percent of fourth-graders met reading proficiency standards, and the numbers were even worse for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students. Of course, the pandemic didn’t help matters.
The current dispute is about whether reading should be taught with a focus on phonics–that is, by drilling kids on how to sound out words, with all of the weirdnesses and exceptions you find in the English language (like way/weigh)–or whether kids who are introduced to reading will eventually figure out those rules on their own. The latter school of thought considers phonics to be boring. If I could remember this phase in learning to read, I’d probably agree that it was boring–but it worked for me, and for generations of kids.
Now the troubling test scores are causing educators, and politicians, to again urge the old school, phonics approach to learning to read. It might be boring for both teacher and student, they concede, but it evidently works–and that should be the acid test. And educators really shouldn’t be worrying about whether the methods they are using are boring, in my view. Much of learning math, science, and history involves rote memorization and repetition. It’s not thrilling, but it becomes assimilated in the brain, and when you are talking about the basics, that is what you are aiming for.
It will be interesting to see how the reading debate progresses–but if our schools aren’t taking the best, most likely to succeed approach to teaching kids how to read, we are failing to achieve the most basic goal of education, and leaving those kids unprepared to succeed in the modern world. That is just not fair, or right.
After an enjoyable, travel-related respite, I am back at work on the Shakespeare Project. In part one of the Project, where I’m reading the history plays, I’ve reached Henry VI, Part I in the chronological sequence It’s a play that squarely raises one of the questions that scholars have quarreled about for centuries: which parts, if any, of that play (and, for that matter, which parts of Henry VI, Parts II and III) did Shakespeare write?
It’s weird to think that there is a dispute about what the greatest writer in the history of the English language actually wrote, but the sketchy, incomplete nature of the historical record during Elizabethan times leaves lots of room for argument. My copy of The Yale Shakespeare, which provides an introduction and scholarly notes for each play, carefully lays out the competing views. They range from the theory that Shakespeare had nothing to do with the play, to Shakespeare revising an existing play, to Shakespeare working with collaborators to come up with the play, to Shakespeare writing the entire play. That’s a ridiculously broad spectrum that covers just about every possible reality.
The authors of The Yale Shakespeare come down in favor of the theory that there was an existing play called Henry the Sixth that Shakespeare revised. Why do they reach that conclusion? They, and other Shakespearean scholars that hold a similar opinion, point to parts of the play that they deem to be “master-strokes . . . which incontestably betray the workmanship of Shakespeare” while there are other parts of the play that are of a more pedestrian style. The scholars identify several scenes that feature “bold use of transferred adjectives” and “fanciful metaphors and similes” that are considered to be a kind of Shakespearean trademark, and emphasize that such brilliant flourishes are notably absent in other scenes in the play.
In short, Shakespeare is very much given the benefit of the doubt here. The scholars can’t accept the possibility that Shakespeare may have had days where he was just doing some basic playwriting, untouched by genius, to meet a deadline, so he gets credit for the great scenes while the less compelling, unremarkable parts get attributed to some anonymous hack (and the scholars dispute who that might have been, too).
I guess if you are the greatest writer in the history of the English language, you’re entitled to some deference. I’ll be sensitive to the authorship issue as I wade into Henry VI, Part I.
Who was the greatest motivational speaker of all time? With all due respect to Knute Rockne and Matt Foley, it has to be Shakespeare’s Henry V in the play of the same name. For Henry V gives not one, but two, of the most rousing speeches in the history of the English language as he urges his men forward against the French. And Henry also shows that his eloquence can be employed in furtherance of less martial goals, too.
There is not much of a trace of the rascally, irresponsible, reckless Prince Hal of Henry IV, Parts i and II in the new king we see in Henry V. From the very first scenes, where he quizzes legal experts on Salic law and its impact on his claim to the French throne, Henry V is presented as a smart, careful, sober leader, capable of ferreting out traitors and calmly dealing with ambassadors and envoys, with nary a cup of sack about him. Indeed, his quiet and determined response to the goading and dismissive gift of tennis balls from the French Dauphin shows that he is embarrassed by his former antics and resolved to overcome them. Shakespeare further emphasizes the change in character by having Sir John Falstaff, the rogue who influenced Prince Hal when we first met him, die offstage.
Henry V is a martial play, with lots of action–more than could easily be shown on an Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare solves that dilemma by making liberal use of a narrator, who repeatedly urges the audience members to use their imaginations as the actors portray scenes in the faraway fields of France:
But his speech at the gates of Harfleur is only a hint of Harry’s full motivational gifts, shown as the English prepare for the battle of Agincourt. The English forces have taken Harfleur but are ravaged by illness and lack of food, and we see that the French forces, led by the hopelessly arrogant Dauphin, expect to inflict a crushing defeat. During the pre-dawn hours Henry disguises himself and goes among his men, to learn what his soldiers are thinking, and when they wonder at what the king might be doing, Henry responds: ““I think the king is but a man, as I am: the violet smells to him as it doth to me.” As he moves on, Henry again reflects on the weight of kingship, as his father did before him.
But when the battle nears, and his men wish they had more soldiers, Henry’s blood is up, and he rises to the occasion to deliver his greatest speech of all, which is worth reprinting in full:
Inspired by Henry’s speech, the English go on to inflict a crushing defeat on the French. The French sue for peace, and Henry must discard his martial aspect and woo the French princess, Katharine, who speaks only a little English while Henry speaks only a little French. She is suspicious–remarking that “the tongues of pen are full of deceits”–but a humble, self-deprecating, awkward Henry wins her over, steals a kiss that seals the courtship, and remarks:
As Henry and Kate prepare for marriage, he stands as the ultimate victor, knowing that their child will inherit the throne of both England and France. But when the chorus enters again, it is to let us know that the moment of triumph is fleeting indeed. When we turn next to Henry VI, hard times lay ahead for the English.
The U.S. Senate and Ohio gubernatorial races got most of the attention in Tuesday’s Ohio primary election. But the election also featured a series of levies, bond issues, and other decisions to be made by Ohio voters. And when you drill down into the results, you find something striking: libraries kicked butt.
In fact, library issues went a perfect 6-0 in the election, and all of them passed resoundingly — garnering, on average, approval votes from 71 percent of voters. In contrast, many school levies and bond issues went down to defeat.
Why do Ohioans vote overwhelmingly for libraries? A representative of the Ohio Library Council says its because Ohioans like the services they offer, and she speculates that the free COVID test kits offered at Ohio libraries during the pandemic might have played a role. I don’t know about the test kits, but I do think that the pandemic helped to drive home how important it is to have a place where you can find books to read, videos to watch, and CDs to listen to while you are social distancing. More generally, I think people like the community element of libraries. In many parts of Ohio, libraries are a source of local pride, and also one of the connections that hold communities together and allow neighbors to see each other. And library issues typically aren’t breaking the bank in terms of what they are asking.
I’m a big library supporter, and we are big-time library users. I think libraries are an important part of the fabric of this country, and I’m glad to see that my fellow Ohioans agree with that sentiment.
Many passages from Shakespeare have passed into everyday speech, often without people who use them knowing their provenance. Henry IV, Part II has one such saying that became familiar to the Webner kids when we were growing up: if we brought our neighborhood friends home for Popsicles, Twinkies, Kool-Aid, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, after Mom distributed the goodies she would look at the throng and say, with a happy look on her face, that we were “eating her out of house and home.”
I wonder if Mom knew that she was quoting Hostess Quickly’s statement in Act II, Scene one of Henry IV, Part II (about her deadbeat tavern guest Sir John Falstaff, of course!): “He hath eaten me out of house and home.”
Henry IV, Part II is full of such good lines, embedded in a sequel’s plot that is a bit schizophrenic. Because it’s a sequel, we’ll need to find out what happens with those three significant plot threads that were left unresolved at the end of Henry IV, Part I. One thread concerns the rebellion that was a significant focus of Henry IV, Part I, another follows the antics of Falstaff, and a third explores the long-delayed maturation of Prince Hal and his complex relationship with his father, the king, and with the irresistible Falstaff. Shakespeare masterfully pulls them all together for a conclusive and somewhat bittersweet ending.
The rebellion is really a minor element of the play and is resolved in short order. Lord Northumberland decides not to participate in the fight, leaving the other rebels high and dry and causing one of them to ruefully remark: “Thus do the hopes we have in him touch ground and dash themselves to pieces.” Without Northumberland’s resources, the rebels decide to parlay with King Henry’s representative, Prince John of Lancaster, who promises to redress their grievances–only to then arrest them as traitors and send them to their deaths. After being accused of breaking his word, Prince John explains his position with a nimble and almost lawyerly bit of hair-splitting:
With the rebellion quashed neatly and without bloody battle, the play is free to concentrate on Falstaff, the King, and the struggle for Hal. Shakespeare recognized that his audience would care most about that human story, not the high-level struggles of mighty lords. As in Henry IV, Part I, Falstaff is the subject of considerable attention. When we first see him, he is being insulted by a page who dutifully reports that Falstaff’s doctor believes “he might have moe diseases than he knew for.” Falstaff’s response is vintage Falstaff:
Falstaff remains the shrewd, unethical, self-centered rogue who delights in low company. But we see still more of Sir John’s dark side as he attempts to dodge the grip of British justice in the form of the Lord Chief Justice, cheats and then charms the widowed Hostess Quickly, dallies with Doll Tearsheet, and accepts bribes from recruits who have no wish to fight the rebel forces. He also takes advantage of the aptly named Justice Shallow, a contemporary of Falstaff’s whose recollection of his role in their ne’er-do-well past has been colored and inflated by the passage of time. After Falstaff grudgingly concedes that he and Shallow “have heard the chimes at midnight,” Falstaff later remarks:
Prince Hal, after having killed Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I, seems to have backslid into his old habits, and remains deeply intrigued by Falstaff, his lifestyle, and his companions, especially Doll Tearsheet. The Prince observes that “This Doll Tearsheet should be some road” and his companion Poins responds: “I warrant you, as common as the way between Saint Albans and London.” Unable to resist the lure of Falstaff, Hal and Poins devise another ruse to trick Falstaff–as they did in Part I–this time by posing as servants while Falstaff romances Doll Tearsheet. When the unknowing Falstaff insults the Prince and Poins and the Prince and Poins reveal themselves and object to the abuse, Falstaff’s quick wit is shown again:
The King, meanwhile, has become increasingly ill, and is unable to sleep. He reflects on his condition (and not incidentally shows a lack of appreciation for the harsh and difficult lives of the English commoners), in a famous soliloquy:
The King’s condition worsens, and even the news of the capture of the rebels and the end of the rebellion cannot fully revive him. When Hal finally visits the King on his deathbed and see the crown sitting on the pillow, next to the King’s head, the Prince similarly reflects on the burdens of leadership:
Thinking that the King is dead, Hal removes the crown, places it on his head, and moves to another room to mourn. When the King awakens to find the crown is gone he thinks Hal has taken the throne before the time has come, and upbraids him:
But the misunderstanding is resolved, and the King and Hal are reconciled before the King dies. When the news that Prince Hal is to be crowned becomes known, Falstaff and Justice Shallow head to London, expecting Falstaff’s relationship to bring them a rich reward from the new monarch. But Hal has finally grown up and accepted that the duties of the King do no permit his relationship with Falstaff to continue. When Falstaff speaks to his old friend after the coronation, the new King finally and conclusively terminates their connection, but with a trace of the humor and affection that has always marked their relationship:
We’re sad to see the new King rebuke his drinking comrade but, with everything we have seen of Falstaff over two plays, we accept that he really had no choice. Falstaff was not going to change, and due regard for the role of monarch would not allow him a significant role in government. And with the entanglements with Falstaff stripped away, and his youthful indiscretions behind him, the new King–Henry V–sets his eyes upon France. The stage is therefore set for one of Shakespeare’s greatest history plays: Henry V.
The new season of Better Call Saul is out. We watched the first two episodes of the new season and realized that we had lost track of many of the plot threads in the two years since the last episode of season five of the show was aired. We’d completely forgotten, for example, that Mike put himself in harm’s way with neighborhood thugs, got beat up, and then was sent to Mexico to recuperate (and, being Mike, fix a window), and we hadn’t recalled all of the nuances of the Mesa Verde/Tucumcari call center plot line, either.
Obviously, we needed to brush up on the BCS characters, so we are going back and rewatching the fifth season to be primed with all of the information needed to enjoy the sixth (and apparently last) season. We briefly toyed with the decision of whether we needed to go back two seasons, or even longer, to fully appreciate what the heck is going on, but decided one season should be sufficient.
This is not a new phenomenon. Whether it is TV shows or books, rewatching or rereading a series has become an increasingly common requirement. It didn’t use to be that way, of course; you could watch a new season of Mission Impossible, or Seinfeld, without remembering all of the different episodes from the season before. But with the complex, continuing plotlines that we see in current TV drama and books, rewatching and rereading has become essential, and you wonder if the creators and authors plan it that way. And of course, the very act of rewatching or rereading, knowing what is coming later, gives a different perspective on the characters and their activities. (Rewatching Better Call Saul, for example, makes me continuously shake my head in wonderment at how the savvy, hyper-cautious Gus and Mike ever got taken in by “Heisenberg” in the first place–or, more accurately, in the post-Better Call Saul world to come.)
The Mother of all rereadings will come if George R.R. Martin ever finishes the final two books in the Game of Thrones series. If that happens, I’ll probably have to go back to the first book and reread the whole series, just to make sure I’m fully up to speed on everything that is happening in Dorne or the Iron Islands or with the reanimated Lady Stoneheart. But I’m guessing I will enjoy every minute.
I’m pretty sure that Henry IV, Part I is the first Shakespeare play I read from cover to cover. Mr. Will, the enthusiastic teacher who presided over our Shakespeare Seminar class at Upper Arlington High School, wisely picked it to be the first play we read in that course. I suspect he knew that the insult humor and abusive banter between Prince Hal and Sir John Falstaff would appeal to the simple minds of teenaged boys—and it did.
For a time the lads of Shakespeare Seminar reveled in calling each other “whoreson knaves” and “vile standing tucks” and “fat kidneyed rascals.” We loved Falstaff and Hal just as patrons of the Globe Theater did in Shakespeare’s time, and as did English audiences for years thereafter–which is why Falstaff is generally regarded as the single most popular character ever to emerge from the Bard of Avon’s prolific pen. Thus introduced to the humor and “bawdy” side of Shakespeare, we high schoolers were willing to put up with romance, and tragedy, and Hamlet’s angst as we went on to read other plays.
Of course, age brings a different perspective. As I read Henry IV, Part I now, I still enjoy the sallies between Hal and Falstaff at Eastcheap taverns (although I realize, given the changed eddies and currents of slang that have occurred in the centuries since, that I will never understand or appreciate the humor as an Elizabethan audience did)–but I see a lot more in Falstaff than I did nearly 50 years ago.
Shakespeare’s construction of the play may be a sly exercise in misdirection. He explicitly raises the contrast between the wastrel Prince Hal and the rebellious Harry Hotspur in the very first scene, as Henry IV laments how his ne’er-do-well, tavern-haunting son measures up against the victorious warrior Hotspur:
But this contrast proves to be a bit of a false lead. To be sure, we see the irresponsible Hal at the outset, but ultimately Hal is not so different from Hotspur. Hal rallies to his father’s side, fights to defeat the rebellion, and ultimately kills Hotspur in the climactic battle that brings the play to a close. No, the real contrast is between Hotspur and Falstaff–and not simply because Hotspur is a hothead and Falstaff is perfectly content in playing the clown. Hotspur is unable to curb his own vanity and sense of honor, and it ends up costing him dearly, both in causing him to rebuff the King and bring on the conflict and in needlessly insulting Owen Glendower and losing a much-needed ally. Hotspur’s pride and self-regard prevent him from looking out for his own best interests. Falstaff, on the other hand, is able to swallow jibes and ridicule in the service of his ultimate goal of wine, women, and survival–which means maintaining his relationship with Prince Hal at all costs.
Falstaff’s character leaves a lot of room for interpretation by a skilled actor. He could be played as a buffoon, to be sure, but there is a certain genius in him, and a conniving nature, with ugliness and deviousness lurking just below the surface. He’s not harmless. For all of his surface jolliness, Falstaff is not above robbing innocent travelers, or trying to cheat an honest hostess out of what he owes–but he does it with a roguish charm and shrewdness. A classic example of Falstaff’s quick wit comes when he learns that Prince Hal and Poins set him up to take the money Falstaff had stolen from travelers and are well aware that he has been lying about facing an ever-growing number of brigands. Falstaff abruptly pivots to a different approach, claiming that he was well aware that it was Hal who pilfered the booty:
Falstaff and Prince Hal then act out a scene where Hal returns to talk to his father the king, with Falstaff initially playing Henry IV before he and the prince switch roles, so that Falstaff plays Hal and Hal the king. After Hal, as the king, describes Falstaff as the devil who has led Hal astray, Falstaff, as Hal, rises to his own defense:
Prince Hal’s chilling response–“I do, I will”–presages the coming pivot in their relationship.
What did Shakespeare think of Falstaff? For all of the Bard’s ability to portray the heights of British pride and patriotism, his treatment of Falstaff shows he well understood the underside of war and the cost of valor. Falstaff recruits a ragged band of soldiers, most of whom don’t survive the final battle. After presenting Hotspur as relentlessly driven by pursuit of “honor,” Shakespeare has Falstaff, in the king’s camp before the battle, give his jaded view of the concept of “honor”:
Is cowardice defensible? Of course, Shakespeare doesn’t say so–but Hotspur dies while Falstaff lives, and indeed goes on to claim that it was he, and not Prince Hal, who finally killed Hotspur, in hopes of gaining a rich reward. But while Falstaff lives on, his special relationship with Hal has not survived. The prince has become a prince and, as the play ends, he looks forward to a further, final battle that will help to quash the rebellion.
Today Kish and I celebrate our 40th anniversary. On April 3, 1982, amidst a brisk wind and snow flurries on a wintry spring day in Vermilion, Ohio, we were married, and we have enjoyed 40 happy and wonderful years together since then.
40 is an interesting number. It’s one of digits mentioned most frequently in the Bible–more than 100 times, in fact, and often in connection with highly significant events and Biblical figures. Moses lived in the desert for 40 years, and was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The great flood that floated Noah’s ark occurred because it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. In all of these Biblical references, 40 seems to be a handy number to capture the concept of a long period of time to deal with a trial or test. I’m happy to report that our 40 years together haven’t had that evident Biblical connotation.
40 is noteworthy for other reasons. “Forty” is said to be the only number in the English language whose letters are in alphabetical order. The standard human pregnancy is 40 weeks long, and the standard nap supposedly gives you “40 winks.” There are 40 spaces on a Monopoly board. And U.S. 40, a highway that runs through Columbus, is right up there with Route 66 as a legendary American roadway and is known as “America’s Main Street.”
All in all, you’d have to conclude that 40 is a pretty good number as numbers go, and one well worth celebrating as our journey continues to number 41 and beyond.
I’ve finished Richard II, the first step in my Shakespeare Project, in which I aim to read all of the Bard of Avon’s plays, sonnets, and poems. The Tragedy of King Richard the Second was the fifth of Shakespeare’s history plays and was written in or before 1597, as he was rising to prominence in the London theater scene. The play also is the first of a series of historical plays, written by Shakespeare at different times, that tell the turbulent story of British kings and can be read in historical chronological order from Richard II, through Henry IV, V, and VI, to Richard III. That’s why I’ve chosen Richard II as my starting point.
I had not read Richard II or seen it performed before. It’s an interesting and emotionally compelling play that shows why Shakespeare was becoming the master of the British stage, both in terms of its dramatic structure and its otherworldly writing. The play begins with scenes showing a haughty and greedy King Richard acting with absolute authority as he banishes Henry Bullingbroke in the wake of his dispute with another British nobleman. But Richard was feared to be running England into bankruptcy and ruin, and when the king rashly decides to go to Ireland at a time when Bullingbroke’s father dies and Bullingbroke returns to England to claim his inheritance, the British gentry rally to Bullingbroke’s cause. When Richard returns from his Irish adventure–one which left him seasick as well as devoid of significant support back in England–he learns that he has effectively lost the monarchy and is forced to abdicate, imprisoned, and eventually murdered.
During the course of these events, Richard starts as a money-grubbing and ungrateful tyrant, but ends as a sympathetic (and indeed, pathetic) character. As Richard laments his unhappy fate, we learn that there is more to his character–including the fact that he loves his queen, and she loves him–than we initially understood. Eventually Richard seems to discover the graciousness of spirit and understanding that would have helped him to be a better king when he wielded absolute power . . . but of course it is too late.
And Richard is not the only character of interest in the play. Henry Bullingbroke, who eventually is crowned Henry IV, is presented ambiguously, leaving the actor playing the great latitude to interpret the character. Bullingbroke could be presented as a schemer with designs on the crown from the outset, as a loyal subject who is wronged by the banishment and returns upon his father’s death to be buffeted by events beyond his control to the throne, or as something in between. While Richard’s character stands center state and is sketched in great detail, Bullingbroke is kept in the shadows, and shaded. One of Bullingbroke’s few human moments comes when he seeks to advise his son of events and instructs his aides to look in London taverns for the young man–presaging the plot of Henry IV, Part I, the next play in the chronology that is dominated by the antics of Prince Hal and his foil, Falstaff.
There are lots of passages in the play that attest to Shakespeare’s genius. One favorite for me is this familiar passage about England:
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
What’s interesting is that this beautiful, ringing language is not spoken by a proud and boastful man, but instead by the sad, dying John of Gaunt (Bullingbroke’s father) who laments that, thanks to Richard’s unwise and profligate spending, Gaunt’s “dear, dear land” is “now leas’d out–I die pronouncing it–like to a tenement or a pelting farm.” The plot could have been served by a much simpler statement by Gaunt, but part of Shakespeare’s unique brilliance is his ability to convert a passage conveying a basic plot development and turn it into the stuff of art and legend, forever to be known as some of the greatest words ever written about England. How long, I wonder, did it take Shakespeare to write that passage, and did he labor to construct it, or did the words simply flow from his pen?
The same effort to reach for poetic heights rather than settling for easier wording is shown throughout the play, and even in the more explanatory, context-setting, and transitional scenes. A good example comes at the end of a scene where two of the King’s few remaining supporters are discussing the Duke of York, who is charging with maintaining the order in the face of popular unrest while the king is in Ireland. One of the characters says: “Alas, poor duke! The task as he undertakes is numb’ring sands and drinking oceans dry. Where one on his side fights, thousands will fly.”
Another favorite scene occurs when the despondent Queen learns that Richard has been deposed by overhearing a gardener talk to a servant. In Shakespeare’s hands, the garden becomes a metaphor for England itself, and the gardener ruefully recognizes that Richard has missed his chance:
Years ago I bought the Yale Shakespeare from Barnes & Noble, back in the days when people actually went to bookstores. Published in 1993, the book is a colossal, oversized, 1517-page, agate-typed tome that features every play, poem, and sonnet penned by the Bard (in whole or in part, with acknowledgement of disputed provenance), along with historical notes, footnotes, and short biography.
For years, I’ve been intending to read the book from beginning to end, but I’ve never quite gotten around to doing it. Now, armed with new glasses to help with the tiny typeface, equipped with a bright, well-lighted spot that is well-suited to careful reading, and bringing to bear the experience of additional years and some post-pandemic perspective, I’m ready to launch my own personal Shakespeare Project.
The Yale Shakespeare organizes the Bard’s awesome output into sections on “The Comedies,” “The Histories,” and “The Tragedies and the Poems.” Being a history buff, I’m going to start with “The Histories,” and read them in their historical sequence, rather than in the order in which Shakespearean scholars think they were written. I’ll start with Richard II and follow the story of British monarchs through to Henry VI, Part III, and then tackle King John and Henry VIII, which are basically standalone pieces, at the end. When I’m done with the histories I’ll decide whether to turn next to the comedies or the tragedies and the poems.
I’ll report on my progress and reactions as I go. Some of the plays will be familiar, from reading them in classes or seeing them performed, but most will be new to me. And I know very little about the sonnets and poems, so reading them will be a voyage of discovery, too.
2022 is not only our fresh new year, it’s also the year in which the 1973 sci-fi thriller Soylent Green was set. Soylent Green envisioned a truly awful 2022: the world was grossly overpopulated, mass starvation provoked regular food riots until the masses received their “soylent” food rations, the environment had been ruined by pollution, and people were at the mercy of a cold-blooded authoritarian police state. The movie allowed Charlton Heston to exercise some of his legendary scenery-chewing acting instincts, including the classic final scene where Heston shouts to the world: “Soylent green is people! It’s people!”
In short, Soylent Green sets a very low bar for our 2022. This year might not be great, but at least it’s unlikely that we’ll be eating each other.
We’re living through a lot of the years in which bleak sci-fi movies and stories were set–Blade Runner, for example, was set in 2019–and the future hasn’t turned out to be as grim as the writers envisioned. There’s always been a pretty strong tradition of horrific futures in science fiction, as writers took whatever seemed to be the problems of the day, multiplied them, and extrapolated them forward into terrible future worlds that were dark, overcrowded, starving, wrecked, merciless, and governed by fascists. (If that tradition holds true, current sci fi writers may well be envisioning distant futures where epidemics rage.)
Of course, most of those visions turned our to be wrong. We haven’t experienced a nuclear holocaust, been terrorized by killer artificial intelligence or intelligent apes, seen our oceans turned to sewage, or experienced planet-wide starvation and horrific plagues. Sci-fi writers of the ’60s and ’70s would no doubt be stunned to learn that one of the biggest health problems in our real world of 2022 isn’t starvation–it’s obesity!
One of the best things about our German Village neighborhood is our nearby bookstore, the Book Loft of German Village. It’s just about the perfect bookstore: a multi-floor maze of 32 rooms of books, jigsaw puzzles, calendars, book bags, posters, book-themed refrigerator magnets, and pretty much anything else you would hope to find in a bookstore. It’s got a wide selection of books and the kind of rambling organization that makes a bookstore comfortable, and great. With an odd chair here and there, you can plop down and give a potential purchase some careful study before you commit.
It’s a tradition for me to hit the Loft for some Christmas shopping every holiday season. It’s always a fun visit that yields some impulse purchases, too.
Last night I watched the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol. It has become a holiday tradition of sorts for me: every Christmas season I try to watch at least one of the film versions of Charles Dickens’ classic story of a mean, miserly skinflint who is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on Christmas Eve. All of the films present creditable versions of the story, but I particularly like the George C. Scott version because he is so believable as the initially heartless, but ultimately redeemed, Ebenezer Scrooge and because it adopts, verbatim, many of the lines penned by Dickens .

domain: library