Previously Unseen Ancient Thracian Weapons Showcased in Special Exhibition in Bulgaria's Danube City of Ruse
July 9, 2019 · by Ivan Dikov · in Ancient Thrace, Antiquity, Exhibitions
Part of the official poster for the "Thracian Armanents from the 1st Millenium BC" exhibition at the Ruse Regional Museum of History. Photo: Ruse Regional Museum of History
Previously unseen Ancient Thracian weapons from the 1st millennium BC discovered in Thracian settlements and burial mounds in Northeast Bulgaria have been showcased for the first time in a special exhibition at the Regional Museum of History in the Danube city of Ruse.
The exhibition entitled "Thracian Armaments from the 1st Millennium BC" is a guest exhibition put together from experts from the Regional Museum of History in the city of Shumen, also in Northeast Bulgaria.
The Ancient Thracian tribes inhabited most of the Balkan Peninsula as of the Bronze Age, after the Proto-Thracians took over the local prehistoric population that gave birth to the Lower Danube Valley civilization, also known as Old Europe.
While probably the most powerful Ancient Thracian kingdom was the Odrysian Kingdom (5th century BC – 1st century AD), dominated by the Odrysae, which was centered in the Valley of Odrysian Thracian Kings in Central Bulgaria with its impressive Hellenistic Era capital Seuthopolis submerged by the Bulgarian communist regime in the 1950s, the Getae (Gets) which inhabited today's Northeast Bulgaria and Southeast Romania probably had the second most power Thracian kingdom.
They were either the same as, or closely related with the Dacians north of the Danube, in today's Romania, so much so that scholars often talk of Getae – Dacians.
One of the best-known maps of Ancient Thrace from a book co-authored by the founder of thracology, Prof. Alexander Fol. Photos: TV grabs from Kiss13 TV
All of Ancient Thrace south of the Danube, including the remnants of the Odrysian Kingdom, was conquered by the Roman Empire in 46 AD, in a conquest that took two centuries, after which the Thracian aristocracy became well integrated in the Roman imperial system.
The Dacians north of the Danube were conquered by the Romans only in the early 2nd century AD, and the Roman domination north of the Lower Danube proved short-lived as the province of Dacia was lost towards the end of the 3rd century AD.
The Thracian weapons collection of the Shumen Regional Museum of History consists of nearly 4,000 exhibits, and some of the most intriguing are presented in the newly opened exhibition in the Danube city of Ruse.
A total of 125 Ancient Thracian armaments have been put on display in the Ruse Museum of History in the exhibition opened on July 9, 2019, the Museum has announced.
The displayed Thracian arms include both offensive and defensive weapons but the bulk are from the offensive type.
Several types of Thracian battle axes are shown in the exhibition of the previously unseened Thracian weapons. Photo: Ruse Regional Museum of History
The various types of swords, spear tips, and arrow tips from the Ancient Thracians in Northeast Bulgaria. Photos: TV grabs from Kiss13 TV
Lead projectiles for slings that worked similarly to bullets. Photos: TV grabs from Kiss13 TV
The offensive Thracian armaments from the 1st millennium BC showcased in the exhibition include makhairai – a makhaira is curved single-edged sword; acinaci – an acinaces (akinakes) is a double-edged short sword or dagger; a rhomphaia, a Thracian curved short sword; battle axes; spear tips including of a sarissa; arrow tips; as well as lead sling projectiles some of which even have inscriptions on them.
"Artifacts that make an impression are the discovered molds for the casting of bronze arrow tips showing the intensive manufacturing of weapons by the local craftsmen," the Ruse Museum of History says.
"The offensive weapons in the exhibition include different types of spear [tip]s. One of those is a sarissa, a spear used primarily in the Ancient Macedonian phalanxes which reached up to 7 meters in length," explains archaeologist Nikola Rusev from the Ruse Regional Museum of History, as cited by local TV station Kiss13.
"Another part of the offensive weapons shown in the exhibition are the swords. We have long swords such as the rhomphaia and long swords from the [Celtic] La Tene culture, curved swords acinaci, a makhaira – short curved sword, as well as several types of battle axes," he adds.
"The lead sling projectiles are generally connected with the advances of the Macedon troops against the Thracians, and were an extremely dangerous weapons," the archaeologist emphasizes.
"Of course, slings from back then didn't resemble today's slings, or the ones that I know from my childhood, they had a different look. And their range was 200 meters, which almost as much as a bow's range. What is more, there were extremely quiet and could inflict severe damages. They were almost like today's bullets, plus they were also made of lead," Rusev elaborates.
Defense armaments from Ancient Thrace in the 1st millenium BC showcased for the first time in the exhibition. Photo: Ruse Regional Museum of History
Defensive weapons from the new Ancient Thracian exhibition. Photos: TV grabs from Kiss13 TV
The exhibition on "Thracian Armaments from the 1st Millennium BC" features a smaller number of "defensive" in the Ruse Museum features a smaller number of defensive items discovered in Thracian necropolises in Bulgaria's Shumen District.
These include bronze and iron helmets, chain armors, and breastplates found in the Thracian necropolises located near the towns of Branichevo, Kalnovo, and Kyolmen.
Most of the exhibits on display in the exhibition put together by the Shumen Museum of History include Thracian weapons discovered during archaeological excavations in the Shumen District, with many artifacts derived form a very rich archaeological site near the town of Dragoevo.
"The Thracian armaments [on display] are impressive with their huge diversity. The influence of neighboring people's is also observed as it was reconsidered by the local [Thracian] warriors and their weapon makers. The making of the weapons reveals the professional craftsmanship of the Thracians, especially in the defensive arms found in Kalnovo and the swords and spears from Dragoevo," the Ruse Museum of History notes.
The impressive Thracian weapons collection of the Shumen Regional Museum of History partly shown in the new exhibition in Bulgaria's Danube city of Ruse has been collected over the years with the tremendous contribution of late curator Georgi Atanasov, who was in charge of the Museum's Antiquity section for more than 30 years, from 1975 until 2006, and who authored a number of papers dedicated to Ancient Thracian armaments.
Ruse Museum Director Nikolay Nenov (left) and archaeologist Nikola Ruse (right) unveiling the Thracian weapons exhibiion. Photos: Ruse Regional Museum of History
The official poster for the "Thracian Armaments from the 1st Millenium BC" exhibition in Ruse. Photo: Ruse Museum of History
The main building of the history museum in Ruse. Photo: Ruse Museum of History
The main building of the Shumen Museum of History. Photo: Shumen Museum of History
The Ancient Thracian makhairai, acinaci, spears, arrows, axes and the other weapons in the exhibition of "Thracian Armaments from the 1st Millennium BC" of the Shumen Regional Museum of History can be seen in the Knyaz Alexander I Hall of the Ruse Regional Museum of History from July 9, 2019, until the end of October 2019.
A particularly impressive collection of prehistoric, ancient, and medieval weapons belongs to Plovdiv-based Bulgarian private collector Boyko Vatev, whose exhibition entitled "From Stone to Gun Powder" back in 2016 was hosted by the Plovdiv Museum of Archaeology, and generated enormous local and international interest. In particular, his collection of maces is said to be about as rich as that of the British Museum.
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Tags: acinaces (akinaka), akinakes, Ancient Macedonians, Ancient Thracians, archaeologist, arrow tip, ax, battle ax, bow and arrow, Boyko Vatev, Branichevo, breastplate, bronze, Bronze Age, burial mounds, chain armor, Dacians, dagger, Dragoevo, exhibition, Georgi Atanasov, Getae, Getae-Dacians, helmet, iron, Iron Age, Kalnovo, Kingdom of Macedon, Krobyzoi, Kyolmen, lead, lead projectile, Macedonian phalanx, makhaira (sword), mold, necropolis, Nikola Rusev, Northeast Bulgaria, Odrysae, Odrysian Kingdom, Odrysians, Philip of Macedon, proto-Thracians, rhomphaia (sword), Romania, Ruse, sarissa, Shumen, Shumen District, sling, slingshot, spear, spear tip, sword, Thracian tomb, Thracian weapons, Thracians, Thraco-Getae, tumuli, tumulus, war helmet, weapons collection
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Cancer Res. 2018 Sep 1;78(17):4957-4970. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-2268. Epub 2018 Jul 5.
IL-6 Mediates Cross-Talk between Tumor Cells and Activated Fibroblasts in the Tumor Microenvironment.
Karakasheva TA1,2, Lin EW1,2, Tang Q1,2, Qiao E1,2, Waldron TJ1,2, Soni M1,2, Klein-Szanto AJ3, Sahu V2,4, Basu D2,4,5, Ohashi S6, Baba K6, Giaccone ZT7, Walker SR7, Frank DA7, Wileyto EP8, Long Q8, Dunagin MC9, Raj A9, Diehl JA10, Wong KK7, Bass AJ7, Rustgi AK11,2.
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Surgery Service, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Department of Therapeutic Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. anil2@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of multiple cancer types, including upper-gastrointestinal (GI) cancers that currently lack effective therapeutic options. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are an essential component of the TME, contributing to tumorigenesis by secreting growth factors, modifying the extracellular matrix, supporting angiogenesis, and suppressing antitumor immune responses. Through an unbiased approach, we have established that IL-6 mediates cross-talk between tumor cells and CAF not only by supporting tumor cell growth, but also by promoting fibroblast activation. As a result, IL-6 receptor (IL6Rα) and downstream effectors offer opportunities for targeted therapy in upper-GI cancers. IL-6 loss suppressed tumorigenesis in physiologically relevant three-dimensional (3D) organotypic and 3D tumoroid models and murine models of esophageal cancer. Tocilizumab, an anti-IL6Rα antibody, suppressed tumor growth in vivo in part via inhibition of STAT3 and MEK/ERK signaling. Analysis of a pan-cancer TCGA dataset revealed an inverse correlation between IL-6 and IL6Rα overexpression and patient survival. Therefore, we expanded evaluation of tocilizumab to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patient-derived xenografts and gastric adenocarcinoma xenografts, demonstrating suppression of tumor growth and altered STAT3 and ERK1/2 gene signatures. We used small-molecule inhibitors of STAT3 and MEK1/2 signaling to suppress tumorigenesis in the 3D organotypic model of esophageal cancer. We demonstrate that IL6 is a major contributor to the dynamic cross-talk between tumor cells and CAF in the TME. Our findings provide a translational rationale for inhibition of IL6Rα and downstream signaling pathways as a novel targeted therapy in oral-upper-GI cancers.Significance: These findings demonstrate the interaction of esophageal cancer and cancer-associated fibroblasts through IL-6 signaling, providing rationale for a novel therapeutic approach to target these cancers. Cancer Res; 78(17); 4957-70. ©2018 AACR.
[Available on 2019-09-01]
10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-2268
R21 DE024396/DE/NIDCR NIH HHS/United States
P30 ES013508/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States


Art for Lent (23): 'Christ in the Desert'
(1872), by Ivan Kramskoi
'Christ in the Desert' (1872) by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
As the crisis over Crimea continues, with tensions escalating between the West and Russia, it is worth reminding ourselves that today marks the 160th anniversary of Britain's declaration of war on Russia on 27 March 1854, marking the beginning of the Crimean War.
With this in mind, I have chosen as my work of Art for Lent this morning [27 March 2014] 'Christ in the Desert,' also known as 'Christ in the Wilderness' (Russian: Христос в пустыне) by the Russian artist Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi (1837-1887).
Kramskoi completed this painting in 1872. It is in oil on canvas, measures 180 cm × 210 cm, and is in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Kramskoi was a painter and art critic, and an intellectual leader of the Russian democratic art movement from 1860-1880. He was born on 8 June (Old Style 27 May) 1837 in Ostrogozhsk into a poor petit-bourgeois family.
He studied at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts from 1857 to 1863. There he reacted against academic art and was an initiator of the "revolt of fourteen" which ended with the expulsion a group of its graduates from the academy. They then organised the Artel of Artists.
Kramskoi was strongly influenced by the ideas of the Russian revolutionary democrats and was one of the main founders and ideologists of the Company of Itinerant Art Exhibitions.
From 1863 to 1868, he taught drawing and created a gallery of portraits of important Russian writers, scientists, artists and public figures, including Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, Ivan Shishkin, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin and Sergei Botkin.
Kramskoi's democratic ideals found their brightest expression in his portraits of peasants, with a wealth of character details in representatives of the common people. His paintings show complex and sincere emotions and personalities.
Kramskoi died on 24 March 1887 in Saint Petersburg.
His best-known painting is probably this morning's work, 'Christ in the Desert.' His other paintings with Gospel subjects depicting Christ are 'Rejoice,' 'King of the Jews' and 'Herodias.'
In this morning's painting, Kramskoi continues Alexander Ivanov's humanistic tradition by treating a religious subject in moral–philosophical terms. His image of Christ is imbued with dramatic experiences in a deeply psychological and vital interpretation, evoking the idea of his heroic self-sacrifice.
This painting led to Kramskoi being offered a professorship by the Russian Academy of Arts Council in 1873, despite his earlier expulsion. However, he rejected honour, choosing instead to keep his "youthful commitment to independence from the Academy."
Later, this became one of the favourite paintings of Pavel Tretyakov, who bought it for his gallery for 6,000 Roubles. He wrote: "I liked Kramskoi's Saviour very much ... that's why I was harrying up to purchase him, but many people did not appreciate him much and the others did not at all. In my opinion this is the best painting in our school recently; maybe I am mistaken."
The theme of Christ's temptation alredy attracted Kramskoi in the early 1860s, when he first sketched his composition. The first version of 'Christ in the Desert' is dated 1867, but it was unsuccessful. Kramskoi realised that the choice of vertical format was inappropriate, and so in this later work he opted for the horizontal format and introduced the pallid rocky desert in the background.
The horizon divides the canvas plane almost in half, so that the figure of Christ dominates the space and harmonises with the stern wilderness at the same time.
Kramskoy uses primarily cold colours to reflect the chill dawn in the background. The thoughtful figure of Christ, wearing a dark blue cloak and a red tunic, is shifted slightly to the right of centre.
These robes are the traditional colours used for Christ's robes in Russian Orthodox icons, representing his divinity and his humanity. The painting emphasizes Christ's human constituent of hypostatic union and portrays his mental anguish rather than his physical suffering.
Christ sits in agonising doubt, his hands tightly clenched together. As one critic said, the future of the world and of all living beings is concealed in that miserable, small being, in pauper appearance, under the rags, in humble simplicity, inseparable with true majesty and force.
As the painter himself wrote: "There comes a moment in every man's life when he meditates on whether to turn to the right or to the left, whether to sell God for thirty pieces of silver, or to resist the temptation of evil."
Tomorrow: 'The Temptation of Saint Anthony' (1946), by Salvador Dalí (1946), by Salvador Dalí.
Labels: Art, Lent 2014, Russia, Theology and Culture, Ukraine, War and peace
A photograph from Lichfield on BBC Midlands this w...
Art for Lent (23): 'Christ in the Desert' (1872), ...


19-year-old Designs A Bra Named 'Eva' That Detects Breast Cancer at Early Stages After His Mom Dies of This Disease
Priya Verma
These days where teenagers are busy in drinking and partying all night, this 18- year old teenager who is the CEO and co-founder of Higia Technologies, Julián Ríos Cantú has done something which is truly very inspiring for all the women out there, especially those who are surviving with the deadly disease like cancer. He developed Eva, which is an auto-exploration bra that helps women detect breast cancer at an early stage. He told that after losing his mother due to breast cancer, he got the motivation to design something like this bra to save the life of other women who fight against such disease. So, his dedication and his hard work pay him off as he has successfully created Eva for all the women.
He further says, "When I was 13 years old, my mother was diagnosed for the second time with breast cancer," The tumour went from having the dimensions of a grain of rice to that of a golf ball in less than six months. The diagnosis came too late and my mother lost both of her breasts and, almost, her life.
Do you know his device has also won the top prize at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards finals competition in which 56 student entrepreneurs from 56 countries competed against each other?
via: BBC
Cantu's innovative technology equipped Eva also made him earned Mexico's Presidential Medal for Science and Technology in the year 2018. In 2018, he also received a $120,000 investment from Y Combinator to fund his project for further growth. Higia Technologies has also won first place in SXSW's International Pitch Competition and was named one of "30 Most Promising Businesses of 2018" by Forbes Magazine Mexico. What a proud moment for the self-made entrepreneur.
How does Eva work?
Eva works on its tactile sensors that map the breast surface, and monitor its texture, colour, and temperature. All the users who are using this device to diagnose cancer can see their condition via a mobile or desktop app. He also ensures that whatever data they take is safely stored with them.
However, the invention is just a prototype; it will soon be launched in the market for using it. Creators estimate that it will be certified for use in two years.
Cantu says Eva is safe and sound for all women
via: Gizmocrazed
Cantu has told that Eva can be used by women of all age types. The technology used in the bra Eva does not emit any kind of harmful radiation; women of all ages can easily use it without doubt about it. They can even use it regularly to monitor or detect their breast health at their own convenience.
Sadly, Cantu lost his mother due to cancer and he took so much time to come up with this innovative idea to save the women all around the world who die because of this deadly disease. Now, it will become easy for the women to pre-diagnose breast cancer at early stages so that they can save their life. Hats off to you boy. We are proud of you.
Related Topics:Auto-exploration braBreast cancerEva BraForbes Magazine MexicoHigia TechnologiesJulián Ríos Cantú
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Priya is a passionate writer, she loves to write about different niches belonging to travel, lifestyle, health, fitness, finance etc. She is looking for new challenges when it comes to writing articles. She has written plenty by now and eager to write more because this is what she enjoys doing, which is why it turns out to be so fascinating! Apart from writing, she also loves cooking and reading different genre novel.


Print & mail recognized
This article, originally published in @theu on August 9, 2019, was written by Corinne Smart,
University Print & Mail Services.
In an industry based on using paper, sustainable practices are an ongoing challenge for organizations like University Print & Mail Services. But taking that challenge on has proved successful for the department, which has just been awarded bronze certification in the Sustainability Office's Green Office Program.
Conscious of the resources that it uses daily, Print & Mail felt compelled to follow best practices for sustainability and help support the university's mission and goals. This commitment started the department down the path toward achieving the Green Office Certification and completing the requirements was the next step.
The Sustainability Office observes how campus work environments negatively impact our natural environment. To instigate change, they created the Green Office Certification, a program to teach campus ways to integrate sustainability practices into the workplace through sustainable choices. The Green Office Program has three tiers of certification: bronze, silver and gold. Once departments register, they receive a Green Office Checklist as a guide for success. To celebrate certifications, the Sustainability Office advertises the newly certified department's achievements on their social media outlets.
Over the course of many months, the Print & Mail team worked to identify areas of improvement and correspondingly, began to check off boxes from the sustainability certification list. Some items were as simple as posting stickers to remind colleagues to turn off office lights at the end of the day; others took more effort, requiring continuous dedication from the entire Print & Mail team to carry the effort forward.
The Green Office Program has done more than just help Print & Mail conserve energy and reduce waste, it has influenced Print & Mail's team to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Team members have been seen bringing in office plants, making special trips to the recycle bin, using multi-use water bottles instead of disposables and taking public transit to work instead of driving.
For those considering joining the certification program, Print & Mail's Green Office Educator Wendy Covert has some advice: "Come up with a Green Team. It is much easier to get buy-in from the department as a whole if other people are invested."
At Print & Mail, every team member had a part to play in being more sustainable, from the department purchaser being willing to buy green supplies to printing staff remembering to put scraps in recycling bins. The support and willingness of Print & Mail's entire team were vital to the department's success in acquiring bronze certification.
Despite its roots in printing, Print & Mail has shown that even in the paper business, being sustainable is more attainable than you think. Beyond their commitment to helping the planet, the team is dedicated to helping the campus community by serving as an excellent resource for eco-friendly paper. Print & Mail prints university business cards on 100% PCW recycled paper and can order recycled paper for your department. Visit Print & Mail online or call 801-581-6171.


Diamond Playgirls
Daaimah S. Poole and Others
New to the big city, new to each other, and ready for new beginnings, four young, hip, beautiful women in a Harlem brownstone discover they have more in common than their address. . .
Dior's got a taste for the finer things in life. So far she's got the job and the apartment. Now she needs the man, and she hopes she's met him on the Internet. She'll find out on Valentine's Day. . .. Party promoter Tamara is opening a hot new club--and hoping to break her family's tradition of failed marriages. But is dating three different men the best strategy?. . . Chloe is a BAP on the career track. But just as she's up for a big promotion her boyfriend gives her an ultimatum. . .. Casting director Mona-Lisa avoids relationships. But when a tragedy changes her attitude, she's compelled to spend a special day with a man from her past. Yet she's overlooked some crucial details. . .
As these women come together at a local club on Valentine's Day, secrets are revealed that will forever change their lives. . .
Miasha, also a Philadelphia native, worked as a fashion model before graduating from Temple University with a degree in communications.
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Bentlyprincess , 07/07/2013
Diamond play girls
IamCynthia , 02/26/2014
Ended Poorly
I enjoyed looking into the lives of all the different women but it ended very poorly! I couldn't believe I was at the end of the book with some many cliffhangers. It's worth reading.
Auri Bear , 06/04/2011
Nice Fun Read
Very enjoyable!
More Books by Daaimah S. Poole, Miasha, Deja King & T. Styles
A Rich Man's Baby
We Take This Man
His Last Name
Pretty Girls in the VIP
Somebody Else's Man


Making Dundee City Centre safe and playful, while supporting the NHS
Dundee City Council is promoting a fun and safe 'Safari' story trail to encourage families to return to the city centre this Summer and help raise funds for the NHS.
Launching on Wednesday (July 22) families and households in Dundee will be invited to search city centre streets for 10 cute and colourful MonsterHeroes.
Using only smartphones, the Safari allows you to learn each of the MonsterHero's names, stories, and superpowers. Once all 10 MonsterHeroes are found, a free e-book, that tells the story of their first team-up, will be unlocked.
The Safari works by using contactless NFC technology and QR codes, without the need for players to download or sign up to anything - they simply need to tap or scan to play.
Councillor Alan Ross, Convener of City Development, said: "As Dundee emerges from lockdown, we are keen to help local businesses and attract families to our city centre.
"The safari is designed to get people involved with local outlets who have reopened. We can't have a large event because of obvious safety restrictions, but this trail will allow families to enjoy a fun time out.
"I would encourage families to take part and rediscover our city centre as a great place to be."
Separately, the city council is working on a number of other initiatives that are designed to attract families and shoppers back to the centre.
These include a poster take over, artworks brightening up vacant shop windows, street painting and shop window trails. More details will be released soon on these projects.
And only last week, Union Street was closed to traffic part of a council drive to help improve business for outlets as well as safety for shoppers as lockdown eases.
The temporary move, which is being funded through the Scottish Government's Spaces for People fund, is being put into place as shops reopen and restrictions on pubs and cafes are loosened.
The city's UNESCO City of Design team will also be helping to co-ordinate the decoration of street furniture in Union Street to try and create a fresh feel for the newly pedestrianised area.
And in another bid to boost business, a council hospitality task force has been established to help restaurants and pubs who want to expand outside seating.
Over 100 towns and cities across the UK are taking part in the MonsterHero Safari project, which has been sponsored by Wild in Art, with the aim of raising over £100k for NHS Charities Together.
Coordinating the national project is Martin Blackwell, former CEO of ATCM (Association of Town and City Management) and the Charity Retail Association who said: "When I heard about the concept it just resonated with me and I knew I had to support it. I loved the idea of heroes; the idea of a "safari on the high street"! I just thought, if something fun like this can help make families feel good about going back out onto the high street and raise money for such a worthy cause then let's go for it."
To learn more about the story-trail please go to www.monsterherosafari.com


PAGANI. Supercars inspired by the dreams of a young boy with Italian origins who grew up in the Pampas in Argentina.
In just a few moments, his observant glance takes in everything that surrounds him, revealing a man animated by a vibrant curiosity. His carefully chosen words, few in number but loaded with passion, are those of a man driven by his emotions but also, at the same time, by a strong sense of dignity. We meet Horacio Pagani in the futuristic factory-museum of San Cesario su Panaro, created with his own team of designers, to take him back down memory lane and find out how he managed to create the most exclusive tailor's shop for supercars in the world.
How did Pagani begin? Can you describe the passions, intuitions and vision that led you to breathe life into this company and this brand which is undoubtedly a household name today when it comes to supercars, in fact one of the most admired and coveted in the world?
First of all, let me say that I have been very lucky. Lucky because, since I was a boy, I have always kindled a passion for art, one for scientific subjects and another one for mechanics, all at the same time. This is an eclecticism that has brought me closer to the automotive world since my childhood, because I realised that all these passions could be used at once. I lived in a very small village in the Pampas in Argentina, Casilda, in the province of Santa Fe. A village strongly influenced by Italian culture, because 70% of the population were families with Italian origins. My grandfather was one of those who came here from Italy, from the Como area, at the end of the 1800s, and he opened a bakery, which is still there today, one hundred and thirty years on. Every so often, a magazine would arrive from Italy and it was when I read these that I learned about an Italian city, Modena, that happened to be home to many companies, such as Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, renowned for producing the most beautiful cars in the world. This was how my great passion for supercars was sparked, and it encouraged me, between the ages of 10 and 12 years old, to create my very first designs, and make them into models of balsa wood or whatever other materials I was able to lay my hands on. Of course, it was all just a game back then, but for me it soon turned into something more, a commitment that I took very seriously.
Then, as the years passed, you developed a passion for Leonardo Da Vinci. How did that influence what you were doing?
I believe that studying Leonardo marked a crucial turning point both in my personal life and for my career. Simply because the idea that art and science can go hand-in-hand was his. In this message, I discovered an extremely powerful source of inspiration that has always guided me throughout the years. I realised that I didn't have to choose between my passion for art and my passion for science, but that instead I could combine them, study them both, and even take an interest in other subjects too, such as philosophy. When I was still very young, as well as studying, I was also lucky enough to find a job in a workshop, where I could apply my passion for mechanics to any type of vehicle. This was how I managed to save some money, which I would then use to build my very first car, a racing car. It was my first test bench ever and, more than anything else, it gave me the chance to meet a number of people, including the great Fangio, who helped me get to Modena.
The story goes that, when you were only 13 years old, you told your mother that one day you would have come here to Modena to build supercars. Is this true?
Yes, it's absolutely true. Although I lived thousands of kilometres away from here, this land has always drawn me inextricably towards it. The legends of Enzo Ferrari, Ferruccio Lamborghini, the Maserati family and Sergio Scaglietti were truly the candles that would light up my imagination. It is only thanks to them that today the Motor Valley is seen as the ultimate in excellence, renowned, admired and praised all over the world. And so I managed to come here, to Modena, arriving on 15 June exactly 35 years ago, with 2 suitcases and a presentation letter given to me by none other than Fangio, a great man even before he was a Master. After fifteen days, my wife joined me in Italy and the adventure really took off: I worked in a plant nursery, then as a steel welder on building sites until in September 1983 I was lucky enough to land a job as an unskilled worker in the Lamborghini plant. There I started from scratch, succeeding over the years in working my way up and participating in some important projects: first I worked in the bodywork department, then I passed to the composite materials area, before later creating the first supercar chassis in carbon fibre, as well as working on the designs for the Diablo, the P140 and the first Lamborghini SUV. I spent nine years there: nine wonderful, rewarding years of my life in an environment that taught me so much.
But your idea, almost an obsession, was to build your very own car.
Yes, that's right! In fact, when I left Lamborghini, I started working on the Zonda design. I had no funding of any kind, and this was in a period of terrible economic crisis, after the First Gulf War. But, even though I was only putting my faith in subjective reasons, I believed in my instinct. I believed that the project would come to life. I was intent on carrying my dreams forward!
When working on the design of the first Zonda, what were the unique, distinctive elements you focused on?
I have always believed that the designer, or any creative person in general, shouldn't work for themselves but for their customer and aim to meet the customer's functional or emotional needs. However, the first Zonda was inspired by my images of racing cars, especially the ones that took part in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, of which I was a great fan. The chassis simply had to be completely made of carbon fibre, a technology that hardly anyone used back then. Moreover, the uniqueness of the car would lie in its exclusive, completely original design. I wanted it to look nothing like the other supercars on the market. I wanted it to generate brand new emotions. We know all too well that anyone who buys a car like this one is driven, above all, by irrational, emotional motivations. So any kind of object used in the car had to be an object of design. Indeed, it had to be stunning all over, inside and out. Of course, it goes without saying that absolute excellence was our goal in every environment, part and detail, even those that are not visible. We have always dedicated a great deal of hard work to the scientific research needed to achieve and maintain this level of perfection: each year we spend 20% of our revenue on research and development, on average 10% more than the amount spent by other companies.
So would we be correct in saying that, like a Cesare Attolini jacket or suit, every Pagani is tailor-made to meet the requests and needs of each individual customer?
Here, the attention we pay to pleasing the customer is everything. Our mission is to make our customers happy, as they are our real employers. Each of our cars is unique: it is built according to a personalised design which is defined by listening to our customers. All of our cars are different from one another. Each Pagani is the result of a true psychological study, geared to understanding the mechanisms that make each customer tick.
Can you tell us about the future projects you are working on?
We are working on a new Roadster, which will be even sportier than before and should come out next year. Whereas in 2021, we will present a new coupé, which will then be introduced in 2023 in a new fully electric version. At the moment our team of designers is very focused on the automotive product, but it was just as focused when we designed our production facility and showrooms too, so in future we may well consider working in new fields.
Fragments. Inspirations.
A HISTORY OF TIMEless ELEGANCE.
SGF SCULTURA
THE TIMELESS ELEGANCE OF CESARE ATTOLINI COMES TO MILAN
ANTICA CORTE PALLAVICINA. A charming relais, in the Piantador farm of the master Giuseppe Verdi.


Howard Street Rebuild Enters New Phase With Bike Lanes, Streetscape, New Lights And More On The Way
Work will include rebuilding Howard Street's sidewalks and streetscape, adding new lighting, safer crosswalks and improved bike lanes and bus stops.
8:00 PM CDT on Apr 7, 2021
Work to completely rebuild Howard Street will run through Fall 2021.
Shamus Toomey/Block Club Chicago
ROGERS PARK — Crews are beginning work on a complete redesign of Howard Street in an effort to improve the street's usefulness to all types of commuters.
The second phase of the Howard Street rebuilding project will begin this month, when crews will begin rebuilding the street starting in Rogers Park, officials from Chicago and Evanston announced in a community meeting for the joint-city project. The project spans Howard Street from Winchester Avenue west to Sacramento Avenue. Howard Street is the dividing line between Chicago and Evanston.
Last year, crews replaced water mains along Howard between Target Access Drive to California and Western Avenue to Ridge Boulevard. With that work complete, the rebuilding of the street can now begin, said Sat Nagar, senior project manager with the city of Evanston.
Work will include reconstructing the sidewalks and streetscape, adding new lighting, safer crosswalks and improved bike lanes and bus stops, Nagar said.
New traffic lights will be installed at Howard and California, and at Howard and Damen Avenue. Six curb "bump outs" will be constructed at key Howard Street intersections, giving pedestrians more sidewalk space while crossing the street. The existing bike lanes on Howard east of Western will be turned from shared lanes with cars to protected lanes with a buffer between the two modes of transportation, according to project documents.
The rebuilding project will be conducted in three stages, starting with the Rogers Park leg.
From April to May, the section between Winchester Avenue and Ridge Boulevard will be rebuilt. From June to July, work will move to between Ridge and Western Avenue. From August to September, crews will work on the stretch between Western and the Target store access drive near Sacramento Avenue, Nagar said.
After the streetscape is rebuilt, crews will resurface the street and construct the curb bump outs from September to October, when the two-year project is scheduled to wrap up.
One portion of Howard Street will remain open in both directions during this leg of work, officials said. Parking on Howard will be restricted, but access to Howard Street businesses will be maintained during the project.
"It's really exciting to see this next phase coming along," Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) said at a community meeting on the project Tuesday. "Especially the phase that includes so many of the improvements that will have a direct benefit to neighbors."
Debra Silverstein
Maria Hadden


Princes Park Health Centre – the story
Nerve November 4, 2020 0
Fundraiser for a book about the 40-year rise, fall and rise of Princes Park Health Centre in Liverpool.
We are Katy Gardner and Susanna Graham-Jones, former GPs at Princes Park Health Centre in Toxteth, Liverpool 8. We have written a book about the Health Centre, from its creation in 1977 to 2017, and we need your support. We felt this story needed to be told as there is so much to celebrate and to learn. During these 40 years other radical general practices have come and gone, but none have documented their experience in this way. As Dr Michael Ejuoneatse, our former colleague, put it, "I think the NHS is increasingly revisiting the values that were once prioritised at Princes Park Health Centre." The book will be published online and in print in spring 2021, by Writing on the Wall (www.writingonthewall.org.uk), a Liverpool-based organisation.
The book draws on memories from patients, staff, community members and Liverpool health professionals. It is set in the political context of the time and reflects the turbulent history of the National Health Service over the last 40 years. Princes Park Health Centre was founded by Dr Cyril Taylor, a radical and progressive GP and Labour councillor. Cyril's approach to the role of GP was strongly influenced by his sense of social justice. The Princes Park Health Centre team put this into practice, pioneering numerous innovations in holistic primary care and health promotion. Dedicated, imaginative staff not only provided exceptional care to the patient population but worked with local organisations and communities to improve the health of people in Liverpool 8. The practice struggled bravely against Thatcherism, maintaining its focus on social justice throughout the 80s and 90s, but this took its toll on those who worked there. The principled decision to become a salaried practice in 1997 was followed by gruelling times, with loss of autonomy and chaotic NHS reorganisations, when many services were privatised. The later sections of the book chart the rebirth of Princes Park Health Centre, acknowledging the vital role played by patients and the local community.
The book will be sold online and in local bookshops, including News from Nowhere, Liverpool's best radical bookshop. We have put our own money into the project, but we need to raise £3000 to pay Writing on the Wall for printing and layout. We hope you can support us in this exciting adventure.
We hope you can support us in this exciting adventure.
We have set up a GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/princes-park-health-centre-the-story
Katy Gardner and Susanna Graham-Jones, former GPs at Princes Park Health Centre, Liverpool.
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Opinion Factsheet
Multimodal Travel Planning and Information Services
Rapporteur: OSVALD Petr
to underline the importance of multimodal travel planning and information and integrated ticketing for increasing public transport and contributing towards a better use of the existing infrastructure and a more sustainable transport system, therewith offering significant potential societal, environmental and economic benefits;
to welcome the fact that the European Commission pays attention to the issue of multimodal passenger transport information and ticketing services and issued an working document which will stimulate the further debate on the issue;
to feed the concerns of local and regional authorities into the discussion on specific elements, such as access to data, interoperability of data formats, and liability issues.
The European Parliament adopted on 7 July 2015 its resolution on "Delivering multimodal integrated ticketing in Europe". The rapporteur for this dossier was Mr Dieter-Lebrecht Koch (DE/EPP).
The EP resolution takes on board a number of policy recommendations that have been outlined in the CoR opinion on the matter:
The EP resolution highlights the active role and the responsibility of local and regional authorities with regard to the 'first and last mile' of journeys and considers it essential that LRA be involved in implementing individual measures, in supervising their operation and in ensuring that the system as a whole functions effectively, which was one of the key messages of the CoR opinion;
It calls on Member States to set up, by 2020, a national updated timetable and fare information systems on the basis of open interfaces linking the travel data for regional and local urban public transport operated by both private and publicly owned companies, and to continue updating such systems on a regular basis. Such national systems were also requested by the CoR opinion as a first step towards a EU wide system, however without a specific deadline;
The EP resolution highlights the vital role of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and, in particular, the Galileo European navigation satellite system for dynamic data collection that would provide travellers with real time traffic information and possible alternatives, e.g. in case of travel disruption, which was also an important key message of the CoR opinion;
In line with the CoR opinion, the EP resolution notes that multimodal transport information systems should be as user-friendly as possible and hence complemented by updated map and geographical data;
The CoR request to provide travellers with access to broadband networks in public transport vehicles and at all transport interchanges in order to provide them with dynamic information on the traffic situation in real time, was also taken on board by the EP resolution, which calls on the Commission to prioritise facilitating, encouraging and supporting the wide availability of free or low-cost highspeed digital infrastructures, on all transport modes and at all transport interchanges, via the Connecting Europe Facility, Horizon 2020, EFSI and other relevant funding sources;
The CoR call for legislation establishing a European passenger rights scheme for multi-modal transport was reflected in the EP resolution, which urges the European Commission to bring forward a proposal for a Charter of Passengers' Rights, including a separate section on multimodal journeys with clear and transparent protection of passengers' rights in the multimodal context.
The EP resolution also considers fair, open and equal access to transport and travel data for all service providers as a prerequisite for an EU wide multimodal travel information system, and calls in this regard on the Commission to circulate a proposal requiring all providers to make available the information needed on fair and equal terms. With this proposal it however does not go as far as the CoR, which called on the relevant operators and authorities to cooperate and make their data available on an open source basis;
The EP resolution highlighted the potential of digital 'smartcard' technologies that can be used across the different transport modes, and also for cross-border travel. However, in contrast to the CoR opinion, which explicitly for a new European smart ticketing system to be designed for public transport that would work in all the Member States and for journeys across borders, the EP resolution emphasises that technical solutions should be left to the market and not be imposed at European level.
Le Comité des régions,
- fait observer qu'un système d'information à jour et opérationnel dans toute l'Europe qui recoupe tous les modes de transport, constitue un instrument clef pour exercer l'une des libertés fondamentales proclamées par l'UE, à savoir la libre circulation des personnes. La réalisation de cette dernière ne consiste pas seulement à éviter qu'il y soit fait obstacle, mais aussi à faire en sorte de la faciliter autant que possible aux citoyens. C'est pourquoi il devrait être obligatoire de publier les données relatives aux horaires et d'autres informations sur les déplacements et de les rendre pleinement accessibles à tous les citoyens de l'UE, sous une forme permettant à chacun d'eux de les utiliser de la manière la plus simple et efficace;
- fait valoir que l'étape la plus compliquée du point de vue des informations sur les déplacements et l'enregistrement est «le premier et le dernier kilomètre», qui correspond à la partie du trajet où le transport relève en règle générale de la compétence des autorités locales et régionales. Dès lors, il est tout à fait essentiel d'associer ces autorités locales et régionales à la mise en œuvre et au suivi pour assurer un fonctionnement efficace de l'ensemble du système;
- estime qu'il conviendrait, lors de l'établissement des connexions entre les différents systèmes d'information, de s'appuyer non seulement sur les informations statiques que fournissent les horaires fixes, mais aussi sur les vastes possibilités qu'offrent les informations qu'il sera possible d'obtenir grâce aux systèmes du GNSS, y compris Galileo;
- considère qu'il est essentiel que des moyens soient alloués, dans le cadre des FSIE, principalement dans les programmes opérationnels individuels correspondants, à la mise en œuvre concrète des systèmes et pas seulement à la recherche et au développement ou autres mesures y afférents;
- signale qu'il est nécessaire de résoudre les questions suivantes pour que les collectivités locales et régionales, et les organismes qui en émanent, puissent participer activement et devenir un moteur du progrès de l'ensemble du processus:
a) les aides publiques, éventuellement au moyen d'une exemption catégorielle pour ce domaine;
b) le droit de fournir au secteur privé des informations à utiliser, le droit de demander à d'autres entités publiques et privées de fournir des informations et le droit de collecter, de traiter et d'utiliser ces informations;
c) les modalités de financement de l'ensemble du processus et de chacune des activités de manière à ce que l'effort déployé dans le cadre de la création et de la gestion n'obère pas davantage encore la situation budgétaire déjà tendue des collectivités locales et régionales, mais qu'il suscite au contraire des économies et des recettes pour ces budgets.
The European Parliament adopted the resolution on "Delivering multimodal integrated ticketing in Europe" in Plenary
Vote on the draft own-initiative report on "Delivering multimodal integrated ticketing in Europe" in TRAN commitee
CoR Commission activity
COTER external meeting on "Integrated solutions for mobility and urban development in functional urban areas" in Riga. The rapporteur chaired the thematic session on "Innovative solutions for public transport in functional urban areas".
Presentation of the draft own-initiative report on "Delivering multimodal integrated ticketing in Europe" in TRAN commitee
CoR Plenary Session
The COR Plenary Session adopted the opinion
COTER-V-051
The EP TRAN Committee appointed Mr Dieter-Lebrecht KOCH (DE/EPP) as rapporteur for its own-initiative report on "Delivering multimodal integrated ticketing in Europe"
The EP Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) decided to draw up an own-initiative report on ticketing systems for transport.
The COTER commission unanimously adopted its opinion on "Multimodal Travel Information, Planning and Ticketing Services"
Rapporteur's activities
First exchange of views of the rapporteur with the European Commission
The COTER Commission nominated Mr Petr Osvald as rapporteur for the opinion.
Rapporteur's profile
Publication of the Staff Working Document on "Towards a roadmap for delivering EU-wide multimodal travel information, planning and ticketing services"
SWD(2014) 194


VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER Returns to Comics This Fall (Exclusive)
Posted by Blair Marnell on August 25, 2017
Earlier this month, the extremely shortened third season of Voltron: Legendary Defender premiered on Netflix, along with word that the fourth season is coming on October 13th. But that's not the only good news for fans of the revived series. We here at Nerdist are thrilled to exclusively announce that Lion Forge Press has a new Voltron: Legendary Defender comic book series launching this fall from two of the series' writers.
Tim Hedrick and Mitch Iverson will co-write the new Voltron: Legendary Defender comic, which will be drawn by Jung Gwan Yoo and Rubine. It's not currently clear when the comic will take place within the timeline of the show, but the new series will be released bi-weekly to comic stores. And that means the opening two-part tale, "The Pilgrimage," will have both installments out in the month of October.
Lion Forge has also passed along a brief description of the first issue, which throws the spotlight on Hunk:
"Voltron responds to a distress call, and discovers a group of alien settlers on a mining planet under attack by Galra. While Voltron escorts the convoy of rescued settlers to their new home, Hunk finds himself the center of attention and our team encounters the first challenge: a horrifying monster that requires an unusual solution."
Additionally, we are exclusively debuting several covers from the first five issues of the series, which you can see in our gallery below.
Are you excited about the new Voltron: Legendary Defender comic? Form the head in the comment section below and let us know what you're thinking!
Need More Voltron in Your Life?
We've got a clip that explains its origins and history.
Here's a look at Prince Lotor.
And finally, the 6 things to look forward to in season 3.
Images: Lion Forge Comics
comics, Lion Forge, voltron, voltron comic, Voltron: Legendary Defender
The Origin of VOLTRON Explained
6 Things in VOLTRON Season 3
VOLTRON's Full Season 3 Trailer


BAE engineers swop shipyard for hospital wards
Volunteers from BAE Systems were quick to step in when hospitals needed help assembling privacy screens.
Covid-19 precautions mean wards need fixed screens that are easy to wash down and disinfect.
Approximately 200 have now been delivered to hospitals in Barrow, Kendal and Lancaster. Constructed of aluminium and steel, they came through the NHS supply chain but required professional assembly and installation.
BAE Systems Senior Resilience Engineer Paul Birkby said: "We have been involved in several projects for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust. The team assembling the screens involved 20 people in all, including engineers and drivers.
"We were happy to help. It's nice being able to do something positive during the crisis."
Aaron Cummins, Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said: "On behalf of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, I would like to thank BAE Systems for the phenomenal support they have given us throughout these unprecedented circumstances and in response to COVID-19.
"The quick response by their engineers to help assemble privacy screens has been very much appreciated and by working together the results have been extremely positive. The response I have seen from the local community has been truly fantastic and BAE Systems should be extremely proud of what they have achieved to support our local hospitals."


Kate Braid's Elemental
Reviewed by Amy Mitchell
Caitlin Press, 2018
Kate Braid's new collection, Elemental (Caitlin Press), is artistically and conceptually very tight—an impressive feat considering the poems were written over several decades and therefore likely not, originally, composed with this present collection in mind. And yet they work so well together: while the parts are accomplished, the whole is even stronger. Braid groups the poems in thematic units based on the four traditional elements—earth, air, fire and water—and takes the liberty of substituting the Chinese element wood for the Western, mystical ether. The result is a collection of quietly shifting moods that all emphasize the weirdness and the transcendence hiding in plain sight all around us, if we would simply pay attention long enough to see it.
"Water," which is in many ways representative of the approach in all the sections, is the first one in Elemental, and it veers between the calm, the whimsical and the deeply threatening. There is the quotidian in the wry "Vancouver Spring," which recognizes the joke of celebrating a very wet, grey season on the West Coast:
Soggy under a glaze of wine,
the surreal grace of grass and moss
and another wet Vancouver sky.
It's spring, we say,
ubersweet, as we suffer
one more grey day.
There is meditative calm in the quiet "Listen," which closes the section:
It is night. Outside
a light across the blind
and the wet rubber sound
of a car passing.
"Swimming in Time" imagines us continuous with dolphins and whales:
… With the next long stroke
I forget about breathing
while my sides sizzle
with sapphire green bubbles.
The joy in the conceit is mirrored in the delightful consonance of "sides sizzle" and in the rhyming final lines:
… I twist in a lazy curl
And dive for pearls.
But water also brings death, as "Tattoo" acknowledges; the speaker "Once … dove off a boat and almost couldn't get back," and the glare of the water, even on that boat, is painful and disorienting:
… But I'm not making headway
Try as I might, unanchored, my eyes shut tight,
Blind from too much aluminum, too much light.
...
"Water" would not work nearly as well as a whole without these hints of more sinister aspects, which remind us that the world is a lot bigger, stranger and more significant than we are. This transcendent reality that we only sometimes recognize is the focus of a quiet search for knowledge that permeates the whole collection: a knowledge that is humbling, partial, and spiritual without being religious. Elemental asserts that we can find some contentment in the fact that we fit into this process in a small, messy way, as "Lava" in the "Fire" section observes:
and remember
we are all transforming
more or less slowly,
more or less within the lines.
Those two final lines in "Lava" have stayed with me long after finishing each read-through of the collection as a whole.
The search for ultimate knowledge—even if only partial and transitory—is most evident in "Earth," the final section of Elemental. In "Wood Buffalo National Park," the speaker's face-to-face encounter with a buffalo that has left its herd to approach her points toward something larger in significance:
Three steps away, he stops.
You can't smell him, only
fix on the side of his massive head
where one luminous black eye holds you,
a lake, alive with everything
you ever wanted to know here.
Maybe if you wait he will bless you.
But no. He moves off, too soon, too
graceful for such a huge creature and you
are left, abject, awkward, stick-thin
and still not knowing
but closer.
Braid is so good at what she does: the line "one luminous black eye holds you" slows the reader right down and fixes their attention on that singular eye, just like the speaker's experience.
A suddenly-changed perspective on stone provokes a similar and even more complete realization in "The Door to Rock," in which "you" initially take large rocks for granted and then realize what they actually represent:
These three massive rocks, moss-covered,
that you so carelessly sat upon
for lunch (hadn't even asked them to be
your chair, your table, sandwiches spread)
suddenly vibrate, alive.
you turn with the others—foolish human--
and walk as directed into the hall
where you will sit
shimmering, your hands open
because now you know.
This knowledge, whose precise content is elusive but stunning, causes silence and negates the busyness of modern life, both the literal and metaphorical noise that "Airplane Whine" in the "Air" section captures so hilariously:
Now it's one cramped seat in front of the other, jostling knees and full combat over who gets to jam all three pieces of their matching luggage plus the precious (monster) vase for Aunt Maud that CAN NOT BE CRUSHED into the tiny overhead bin, first. You pack your carry-on around your feet. Think plaster cast.
Instead, the "Earth" section offers the shocking and silencing experience of floating down a river in a cave in "Cueva del Indio, Vinales, Cuba," only to emerge unable to readjust quickly to the usual:
She can't shake this feeling of something familiar. Then a turn and light breaks open her eyes—a long bright slit, leaf-like, framed by darkness. The river floats toward it and the boat on the river and she inside. She cannot change it (her hand on the side of the boat, forgotten). She cannot change anything now as the boat passes through then suddenly it is day and hot here and a man extends one hand to help her from the boat and with his other extends the basket for tips and this time she drops in silver and paper but she still feels oddly lost and a little sad until someone slaps her gently on the bum and says, You can breathe now. You're born again. It's a joke. She laughs. But all the rest of that bright day she feels a little new, a little old, like a cup, fallen, almost shattered but found again, now whole and filled and beautiful.
The collection as a whole essentially recreates this interior experience for the reader, and does so very effectively.
Inevitably, Elemental also functions as a kind of personality test: which section/element speaks to you the most? What does that choice say about you? My personal favorite is "Wood," with its focus on the continuities between the mysticism of the forests, the care of the carpenter, and the taken-for-granted nature of the wood that surrounds us in our daily lives. This section marvels at the science of trees, as in "For Jude, the Cabinetmaker, In His Shop":
The forester says
if disease strikes a tree at one side of the forest, the rest
simultaneously make antibodies. Like a cathedral,
one pillar relying on every other to create a sacred space
each element in touch, alive—moulds to roots to leaves to creatures
visible and invisible, trees and mosses, insects and birds.
Is this what we call holy, this connection of the whole,
each to every other?
"Masters of the Earth" (an ironic nod to the position we think we occupy, but don't) observes that
Seismologists can't test during storms
because the movement of tree roots
distorts sound.
"Wood" also contains the two glosas in the collection, "Fairy Tale" and "Tree Song." A glosa inserts the poet's new work between the lines of existing poetry, creating a kind of poetic hybrid that reverberates back and forth between the two interwoven works. "Tree Song" is particularly effective at deploying this form. It begins with the following from John Terpstra's "Naked Trees":
Naked trees extend their complicated praise
branches sway, in
a sort of unison
not agreed upon
each their own way
Braid teases apart these lines to insert between them her speaker's own musings on eternity, the human, and the non-human. The first stanza, for example, is the following:
May I be forgiven, may I forgive
myself this endless search for someone, some
thing to explain, give me the reason we're here
and what lies after and if there's a plan
(or even better) Planner—if I could only
know for sure (just once? a deal? I'll stay
right here, you whisper in my ear, The Answer …)
while all around me animals carry on
regardless. Plants and insects don't bother counting days
and naked trees extend their complicated praise.
The trees' "complicated praise," originating in Terpstra's poem, anchors Braid's speaker's existential questions and points towards a kind of answer—not one easily encompassed or explained, but one that is emotionally fulfilling nonetheless, and one that is in keeping with the partial answers suggested in the rest of the collection.
Braid's two glosas are also examples of her interest in using predetermined poetic forms. The "Acknowledgements" section at the end of the collection identifies a variety of these forms for her readers, including palindromes and found poetry. Her formal decisions largely work very well for her. The only slight weaknesses are the two ekphrastic poems based on Japanese art; while they are strong examples of their type, that type is rooted in the modernist fascination with Eastern aesthetics that has been reproduced very extensively, and Braid is at her best when her chosen forms more clearly emphasize her own unique voice and perspective. Her decision more broadly to engage with formal poetry is an interesting one, however, and one that I think fits well with the emotional/spiritual content of Elemental. The ineffable cannot be said, but it can perhaps be briefly and partially contained—just as the cave, the trees, the rocks and the water are forms that open up brief glimpses of transcendent knowledge, even if the content of that knowledge is ultimately unknowable, so the poetic forms give shape to not-easily-articulated psychological states and insights. The shape pins them down briefly for us to examine and enjoy.
It is fitting that the final poem in the collection is both humorous and thoughtful, and expands on the awed silences that the elements inspired in previous poems. The title alone is wonderful: "You Are a Traveller Standing in Front of a Mountain and Were Just Going To Say Something Important." The poem picks right up where the title left off:
but it comes out of your mouth
a gravelly sound
and when you look--
mere stone
part of the larger community of rock
known for the silence of its speeches
the weight of its utterance,
long pauses.
You of the human shape
can't imagine the patience it takes.
"You of the human shape" should consequently be quiet, look around you, and pay attention to the larger and greater things that allow your own shape to briefly hold the meaning it's searching for.
Amy Mitchell is The /tƐmz/ Review's social media editor (as well as a writing editor) and a college professor. She holds a PhD in English Literature from Western University. Her reading tendencies have been described as "promiscuous"; she is interested in a wide range of fiction and poetry, and particularly enjoys finding new and interesting works in translation.


You are here: Home / Latest News / How Myanmar's Foreign Policy Is Likely to Evolve in the NLD's Second Term
How Myanmar's Foreign Policy Is Likely to Evolve in the NLD's Second Term
November 26, 2020 by Thiha

Before the November election, Myanmar received three high-level visits from China, Japan and India. In October, a US trade delegation also visited, meeting State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and senior ministers. The US delegation said it hoped to boost post-coronavirus investment in the country and increase reengagement with Myanmar, given its strategic location.
The good news is that Myanmar is no longer an isolated nation, and its foreign policy should be more pro-active under the NLD government during its second term. In its 2015 manifesto, the NLD pledged to pursue "an active and independent foreign policy, and to establish friendly and close political relations" with other nations.
Indeed, the instability in Rakhine State and the government's uneasy and volatile working relationship with the military have posed impediments to and limitations on Myanmar's foreign policy. But one must remain cautiously optimistic that Myanmar will see increasing stability in the coming years.
Relations with some Western countries soured under the NLD government's first term, due to the Rohingya issue. As expected, China came to the rescue of Myanmar, providing much needed diplomatic coverage and backing Myanmar on the UN Security Council (UNSC). Myanmar, after all, was the first non-communist country to recognize the communist-led People's Republic of China after its foundation in 1949 and supported China's membership in the UN.
Complex relationship
Chinese President Xi Jinping paid an official visit to Myanmar in January to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between two countries.
Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the ruling NLD on its landslide victory in the Nov. 8 election and urged State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to boost practical cooperation on his ambitious grand infrastructure scheme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in the country.
Despite several efforts by China to begin implementation of backbone projects such as the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), the China-Myanmar Border Economic Cooperation Zone, and a special economic zone (SEZ) in Rakhine State, none of the CMEC projects has actually gotten off the ground so far under the current NLD administration. The government continues to take a cautious approach to the projects, saying it has been carefully reviewing them to ensure they are commercially viable and in line with country's development plan.
Additionally, the question of China's relations with ethnic insurgents along the country's shared border remains a sensitive one.
Despite these issues, however, Myanmar remains heavily dependent upon China.
Under the NLD, the goal of Myanmar's foreign policy has been to forge friendly relations with neighboring countries, as well as those further afield. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi once said that "ties between neighbors are always more delicate than those between countries far apart."
Under the NLD, Myanmar as a member of ASEAN has developed stable and positive relations with Japan, South Korea, India and China.
New Delhi's Act East policy is important to Myanmar, with its aim of strengthening relations with Southeast Asia and the greater Asia-Pacific region. Over the past decade, the government and military have made progress on cultivating closer ties with New Delhi. Myanmar leaders do appreciate New Delhi's understanding and pragmatism in Myanmar. The two countries' armed forces have stepped up cooperation on border security and counterinsurgency operations.
Notably, Myanmar also enjoys stable relations with Thailand; in the past, rebels and the exile community established bases along the border, and long-running border skirmishes destabilized the bilateral relationship.
This year, Thai security authorities have informed ethnic insurgent leaders they will not tolerate activities opposed to the Myanmar government on Thai soil. However, Thailand continues to host peace meetings between Myanmar authorities and ethnic insurgents in its northern city of Chiang Mai, and hundreds of thousands of Karen, Karenni and Shan refugees live in camps in Thailand.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife visited Myanmar in September to promote Seoul's New Southern Policy to engage ASEAN members. South Korea and Myanmar pledged to cooperate in several areas including the health sector, education and human resources development, culture, trade and investment and ICT-driven future industries.
Myanmar's pivot toward ASEAN could be strengthened. Recently, the country joined China, Japan and 12 other nations in forming the world's largest free trade zone—accounting for about 30 percent of global GDP—hoping the deal will boost trade by drawing investment to the region, expand local SMEs' access to global manufacturing networks and support the country's post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10 members of ASEAN signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The accord aims to liberalize trade and investment across the Asia-Pacific region by removing and reducing tariffs, especially on industrial and agricultural products, and setting out new rules on government procurement, competition policy, e-commerce, trade, data transmission and intellectual property.
Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who witnessed the virtual signing ceremony for the RCEP, said, "The landmark trade pact will serve as a strong signal to the world that we are committed to maintaining the credibility of regional cooperation architecture, retaining the trust of the business community and contributing to the regional economic recovery."
Myanmar will continue to face criticism on the Rohingya issue, which will likely continue to hijack relations with some Western governments including the incoming Biden administration in the US.
However, it was a Democratic administration, under President Barack Obama, that embraced Myanmar's political opening and reform process; Obama visited Myanmar twice. Unfolding on its doorstep, this rapid fostering of relations between Myanmar and the US surprised and upset China. We saw the rise of Western influence, while China's declined. But Myanmar's strategic realignment has its ups and downs.
We began to see China-backed ethnic insurgents become active again along the border, with serious fighting breaking out with the Myanmar military.
Ethnic armed groups in the north along the Chinese border are deeply in the pocket of China. These ethnic rebels are China's bargaining chip against Myanmar. If Beijing is upset with Naypyitaw, it can unleash an armed insurgency and create instability inside Myanmar.
But then, as relations between Myanmar and some Western governments soured over the Rohingya issue, we saw China steadily step in and expand its power and influence over Myanmar. Beijing continues to increase its sway among ethnic armed groups in the north and support rebels in Rakhine and along the India-Myanmar border.
Myanmar is a weak state, and since the 1950s a neutral and independent foreign policy has been maintained; no government has made a drastic turn away from the policy, even under Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Thus, China's shadow looms over Myanmar's foreign policy challenges and its realignment of relations with old and new friends. The question is how to handle China, which shares a border of over 2,000 km with Myanmar.
Indeed, Myanmar government and military officials alike should expect troubled ties with China and another neighbor, Bangladesh. Rohingya refugees live in camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, and insurgents and terrorists are believed to have established bases inside Bangladesh.
At the UN General Assembly in September, U Kyaw Tint Swe, Myanmar's minister for the office of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, hit out at Bangladesh, blaming the stalled repatriation of Rohingya Muslims on Dhaka's failure to crack down on a militant group and its supporters, who are actively trying to sabotage the process.
Importantly, we should not forget Japan's role in supporting the peace process in Myanmar.
Japan has had an increasingly positive influence in Myanmar. In a recent interview with The Irrawaddy, Ambassador Ichiro Maruyama explained the Japanese special envoy's mediation role between Myanmar authorities and the Arakan Army (AA).
China similarly promised to broker peace between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar government and military, but lately Beijing has been absent from this role.
Unlike his Western counterparts, Ambassador Maruyama was eager to inject some constructive comment into the discussion of the Rakhine issue, saying, "The Japanese government has always understood that there is a historical issue in Rakhine State. It is a very complex situation, so no one can solve it immediately."
Myanmar people, including some stakeholders in the peace process, generally regard Japan with less wariness than they do China.
On the subject of Myanmar's relations with China and Japan, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi once said, "We see China as a friend, as we see Japan as a friend. And I think it is not right to make people choose between friends."
Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that both the government and military have been openly critical of China's growing influence in the country and its arming of ethnic rebels along the border.
If the West pushes Myanmar on the Rohingya issue, Myanmar will inevitably seek China's protection, and be pushed into its orbit.
Therefore, Myanmar and Western governments will have to find common ground and a pragmatic approach to resolve sensitive issues in Myanmar, including those involving the Rohingya. It is important that the West listens to many voices from Myanmar and appreciates the nuances in the country, and not just listen to the handful of groups looking to profit from the Rohingya's plight and those from the human rights industry. No one should condone human rights violations or maltreatment under any armed group.
Under the Biden administration, Myanmar should seek opportunities to engage with the US.
In discussions of the Indo-Pacific, Biden has introduced a subtle shift in language: instead of using the phrase "free and open" to describe Washington's intentions for the region, Biden has employed the formulation "secure and prosperous".
Under President Donald Trump, some pundits have criticized the US as an unreliable partner with an anti-globalist viewpoint, but under his successor we will see a return to multilateralism, the liberal order and a promotion of "American values". If it is to be in effect a "third term" of the Obama presidency, we should expect a return to normalcy. Under Trump, we didn't hear about democracy and human rights in Myanmar, or statements expressing "concern", but it is important to keep reminding the military and armed groups to be sensitive and to respect human rights and democratic principles. We can expect to hear from the Biden administration on this front.
Ironically, we may well come to miss the Trump era, at least when it comes to his administration's treatment of China. In the region, some countries including Myanmar have enjoyed or benefited from Trump's anti-China policy.
As a small and weak neighbor of China, we should wait to see how Beijing tests Biden's policy in the early days of his administration. Countries in the region will feel the effects immediately, and Myanmar should be ready for all possible scenarios.
Looking ahead, Myanmar will need to be more pro-active in engaging and expanding its relations with ASEAN, other Asian countries and the West, continuing to demonstrate its independence as a sovereign state while broadening economic and diplomatic cooperation.
Source : The Irrawaddy
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