Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway
Deborah W. Robin, Samer S. Hasan, Michael J. Lichtenstein, Richard G. Shiavi, Alastair J.J. Wood
Measurement of clinically relevant benzodiazepine drug effects at hypnotic and anxiolytic doses has been difficult because most measures are subjective, difficult to interpret, or relate to anesthetic doss. A potentially useful measure of drug effect is postural sway, which is a manifestation of the corrective mechanisms associated with the maintenance of upright posture. Postural sway was measured over 8 hours, with a biomechanics force platform, in six healthy male volunteers who received triazolam, 0.125, 0.250, or 0.375 mg, or placebo in a randomized double-blind study. Our results show a dose-dependent increase in pos tural sway measured as the elliptical area or the 95% confidence ellipse for the area covered by the subjects' sway. After triazolam, 0.250 and 0.375 mg, the area under the sway-time curve and peak effect increased significantly compared with placebo (p < 0.05). The number of losses of balance when subjects stood on one foot also showed a significant increase with increased dose (p < 0.05). The rate of loss of balance was positively correlated with the extent of postural sway (r = 0.802; p < 0.001). The extent of sway when the subjects were drug free predicted this increase in a subject's postural sway with triazolam. Thus at hypnotic or anxiolytic doses of triazolam, computer-assisted force platform measures of sway provide a clinically relevant measure of drug effect. Measurement of drug-induced postural sway may be useful in persons at risk for falls, such as the elderly.
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
https://doi.org/10.1038/clpt.1991.68
10.1038/clpt.1991.68
Dive into the research topics of 'Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Triazolam Medicine and Dentistry 100%
Placebo Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 80%
Measures Mathematics 80%
Drug Effect Medicine and Dentistry 60%
Measurement Medicine and Dentistry 40%
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Chemotherapeutic Agent Medicine and Dentistry 40%
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Robin, D. W., Hasan, S. S., Lichtenstein, M. J., Shiavi, R. G., & Wood, A. J. J. (1991). Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 49(5), 581-588. https://doi.org/10.1038/clpt.1991.68
Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway. / Robin, Deborah W.; Hasan, Samer S.; Lichtenstein, Michael J. et al.
In: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 49, No. 5, 05.1991, p. 581-588.
Robin, DW, Hasan, SS, Lichtenstein, MJ, Shiavi, RG & Wood, AJJ 1991, 'Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway', Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, vol. 49, no. 5, pp. 581-588. https://doi.org/10.1038/clpt.1991.68
Robin DW, Hasan SS, Lichtenstein MJ, Shiavi RG, Wood AJJ. Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 1991 May;49(5):581-588. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1991.68
Robin, Deborah W. ; Hasan, Samer S. ; Lichtenstein, Michael J. et al. / Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway. In: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 1991 ; Vol. 49, No. 5. pp. 581-588.
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title = "Dose-related effect of triazolam on postural sway",
abstract = "Measurement of clinically relevant benzodiazepine drug effects at hypnotic and anxiolytic doses has been difficult because most measures are subjective, difficult to interpret, or relate to anesthetic doss. A potentially useful measure of drug effect is postural sway, which is a manifestation of the corrective mechanisms associated with the maintenance of upright posture. Postural sway was measured over 8 hours, with a biomechanics force platform, in six healthy male volunteers who received triazolam, 0.125, 0.250, or 0.375 mg, or placebo in a randomized double-blind study. Our results show a dose-dependent increase in pos tural sway measured as the elliptical area or the 95% confidence ellipse for the area covered by the subjects' sway. After triazolam, 0.250 and 0.375 mg, the area under the sway-time curve and peak effect increased significantly compared with placebo (p < 0.05). The number of losses of balance when subjects stood on one foot also showed a significant increase with increased dose (p < 0.05). The rate of loss of balance was positively correlated with the extent of postural sway (r = 0.802; p < 0.001). The extent of sway when the subjects were drug free predicted this increase in a subject's postural sway with triazolam. Thus at hypnotic or anxiolytic doses of triazolam, computer-assisted force platform measures of sway provide a clinically relevant measure of drug effect. Measurement of drug-induced postural sway may be useful in persons at risk for falls, such as the elderly.",
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AU - Shiavi, Richard G.
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N2 - Measurement of clinically relevant benzodiazepine drug effects at hypnotic and anxiolytic doses has been difficult because most measures are subjective, difficult to interpret, or relate to anesthetic doss. A potentially useful measure of drug effect is postural sway, which is a manifestation of the corrective mechanisms associated with the maintenance of upright posture. Postural sway was measured over 8 hours, with a biomechanics force platform, in six healthy male volunteers who received triazolam, 0.125, 0.250, or 0.375 mg, or placebo in a randomized double-blind study. Our results show a dose-dependent increase in pos tural sway measured as the elliptical area or the 95% confidence ellipse for the area covered by the subjects' sway. After triazolam, 0.250 and 0.375 mg, the area under the sway-time curve and peak effect increased significantly compared with placebo (p < 0.05). The number of losses of balance when subjects stood on one foot also showed a significant increase with increased dose (p < 0.05). The rate of loss of balance was positively correlated with the extent of postural sway (r = 0.802; p < 0.001). The extent of sway when the subjects were drug free predicted this increase in a subject's postural sway with triazolam. Thus at hypnotic or anxiolytic doses of triazolam, computer-assisted force platform measures of sway provide a clinically relevant measure of drug effect. Measurement of drug-induced postural sway may be useful in persons at risk for falls, such as the elderly.
AB - Measurement of clinically relevant benzodiazepine drug effects at hypnotic and anxiolytic doses has been difficult because most measures are subjective, difficult to interpret, or relate to anesthetic doss. A potentially useful measure of drug effect is postural sway, which is a manifestation of the corrective mechanisms associated with the maintenance of upright posture. Postural sway was measured over 8 hours, with a biomechanics force platform, in six healthy male volunteers who received triazolam, 0.125, 0.250, or 0.375 mg, or placebo in a randomized double-blind study. Our results show a dose-dependent increase in pos tural sway measured as the elliptical area or the 95% confidence ellipse for the area covered by the subjects' sway. After triazolam, 0.250 and 0.375 mg, the area under the sway-time curve and peak effect increased significantly compared with placebo (p < 0.05). The number of losses of balance when subjects stood on one foot also showed a significant increase with increased dose (p < 0.05). The rate of loss of balance was positively correlated with the extent of postural sway (r = 0.802; p < 0.001). The extent of sway when the subjects were drug free predicted this increase in a subject's postural sway with triazolam. Thus at hypnotic or anxiolytic doses of triazolam, computer-assisted force platform measures of sway provide a clinically relevant measure of drug effect. Measurement of drug-induced postural sway may be useful in persons at risk for falls, such as the elderly.
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Category Archives: Fyi
DWR (8): A Dialectical Journey from Religion to Politics and Elsewhere
As readers know, I have had an ongoing dialogue with my very dear friend, Ryan Neugebauer, whom I have known for nearly five years. In those five years, we have developed a remarkable friendship, uplifted by spirited intellectual engagement, mutual inspiration, support, and love through good times and bad.
I'll have more to say about some of his future activities in the coming weeks, but today, I'm just pausing to say how proud I am of his newly published wonderful essay—his first ever posted on Medium—entitled "A Dialectical Journey: From Religion to Politics and Elsewhere". I'm not promoting the article simply because he describes himself as a dialectical left-libertarian, who places a high value on "the art of context-keeping", with an explicit nod to my "conception of what dialectics is."
What impresses me most is Ryan's intellectual honesty and vulnerability, his willingness to explore his intensely personal evolution that has shaped his attitudes toward religion and ritual, politics and culture, sexuality and social change. As he writes:
It would be easy for some people to wonder why they should trust my thinking after having admitted that I have changed and evolved so much. I'd first respond by saying that I'd be skeptical of the thinking of anyone who hasn't changed or evolved. No human has a synoptic or total view of everything, so we are all going to get plenty wrong and must engage in a life-long learning process. I also think that most people just go about their lives unreflectively and take whatever they think as "the truth", which takes little effort. So when they see someone who has changed a lot and expelled a lot of effort, they look down on it and pity the person. Well, much like Socrates, I think the unexamined life is not worth living.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, moving forward I hope to get better in touch with my principles and provide even greater evidence-based arguments in defense of them. I also hope to keep an open mind to conflicting information, which is why I watch content and engage with others that I don't agree with. It's unhealthy to stay in an echo chamber where you only hear arguments and commentary in favor of your positions. That's a sure way to grow callous toward those opposed to your views and to remain quite ignorant. That goes for strict Fox News watchers and MSNBC watchers alike, just as two examples.
A good framework for moving forward would be to get in touch with your own perspectives and arguments. Know why you hold them and what their strengths and weaknesses are. There are no risk-free or negative-free options, as pretty much everything comes with a tradeoff of some kind or another. Know what tradeoffs you're willing to put up with and why (as one example, do you think that high economic inequality is worth putting up with in the pursuit of some rigid free-market perspective? Why?). Be open to hearing arguments opposed to your position and seek to buttress your position by taking into account criticism/feedback. Be charitable to those who respectfully disagree with you and seek their best, most steel-manned argument to deal with rather than some weak strawman argument. Doing all of that is what I strive to do, even if I still fall short. I think it's the best way forward if we are to progress in any meaningful sense, personally and as a global community. So, let's get to it then!
I can't think of a more refreshing approach to ideas—and to life itself. Here's to many more articles and much future engagement!
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Culture, Dialectics, FYI, Periodicals, Politics (Theory, History, Now), Religion, Sexuality
JARS: Toward a 2023 Grand Finale
In the fall of 1999, The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies began publication as the only nonpartisan, interdisciplinary, double-blind, peer-reviewed, biannual periodical devoted to the study of Ayn Rand and her times. In 2013, JARS began a fruitful collaboration with Pennsylvania State University Press. Our reach has grown beyond anyone's wildest expectations. We are indexed, in whole or in part, by nearly two dozen abstracting services across the humanities and the social sciences and are reaching thousands of global readers due to our availability on a variety of e-platforms—from JSTOR and Project MUSE to the new Scholarly Publishing Collective. And all its issues will always be on the Portico dark archive.
Over these last 22 years, JARS has contributed to the expansion of Rand scholarship in a truly significant way. With the forthcoming December 2022 issue, we will have published 408 articles by 188 different authors. Thus, we have not merely reflected a growing interest in Rand's ideas; we have helped to spark a broader critical engagement with a thinker who was once viewed as outside the philosophical and literary mainstream. To this extent, we have accomplished one of our most important goals. Indeed, unlike the first year in which JARS appeared, articles about Rand are now being published regularly across the world in a wide variety of scholarly journals. And each year, more and more books are being published about her ideas and influence, and not even we can keep up with the demand for reviews of this expanding literature.
There comes a point at which one can look back at the achievements of a project and declare that it is time to move on. After more than two decades of what could only be termed 'a labor of love' by a group of editors, advisory board members, peer readers, and writers, this journal will be publishing its last volume as a double issue in 2023. We look forward to providing our readers with a truly grand finale. Our back issues will continue to be made available electronically and in print for as long as there are people seeking their contents.
This decision was made by the JARS Foundation Board of Trustees. This was not a publisher decision to liquidate JARS—which has been one of the most popular periodicals in the Penn State University Press Journals Program.
We know that there is still much work to be done in this field of study, but we are proud to have made a trailblazing contribution to its long-term vitality and success. Above all, we thank our readers for having made this journey possible.
Toward that end, I should note that we have a full slate of articles for our final July-December 2023 issue and will not be accepting any additional submissions beyond those already in production.
As a personal aside, I have been asked by friends and colleagues about my own future in a post-JARS era. All I can say is this: It is no coincidence that the last book I published as an author was in the year 2000. It was the conclusion of my "Dialectics and Liberty Trilogy": Total Freedom: Toward a Dialectical Libertarianism. Since then, I have worked very hard as a founding coeditor of JARS, publishing the equivalent of two anthologies per year for what will be nearly a quarter century. Aside from several reviews and historical-archival essays that I contributed to JARS, my only "side" project was as a coeditor of The Dialectics of Liberty: Exploring the Context of Human Freedom (2019). I fully intend to invest much more time and effort in expanding on this dialectical research project and its implications for human freedom and personal flourishing. But before I return to that project, I will be moving toward the completion of JARS. I'm proud of what this journal has accomplished and look forward to its graceful conclusion.
*This has been announced publicly on Facebook and a link to it can also be found on the JARS home page. It was also announced by Stephen Boydstun on Objectivism Online.
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Culture, Dialectics, FYI, Rand Studies
Notablog: 20 Years, 3500 Posts
On July 26, 2002, I posted my first Notablog entry. It was to announce the New York Daily News publication on that date of my essay, "From The Fountainhead: Howard Roark", part of the newspaper's series, "Big Town Classic Characters: New Yorkers of the American Imagination."
Today marks the twentieth anniversary of that first post. And this just so happens to be my 3,500th blog post in two decades. And if you believe this is a total coincidence, I got a nice bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you!
I started posting on Notablog when it was on the NYU server (archives of all those posts, July 26, 2002 to August 1, 2020 can be found here). On August 1, 2020, I migrated to my own Notablog.net.
Speaking of dates, it was back on May 14, 2022 that my long-time friend Roger Bissell said, tongue-in-cheek, "Chris himself has a long-running internet presence he styles in delightfully quasi-Hegelian fashion as 'Notablog'." Though I clearly have my quasi-Hegelian tendencies, I have indeed long been asked why I call what is obviously a blog, "Notablog". As I explained on February 15, 2005:
Some readers have wondered why I continue to call this site "Not a Blog," even though it seems to become more blog-like with each passing week. Well, it's going to stay "Not a Blog"—though from now on it will appear with closed spaces between the words: "Notablog." That phrase can just as easily be viewed as an acronym for "None Of The Above Blog" (as suggested here) or "Nota Blog" (as suggested here), recalling the Latin phrase "Nota Bene," featuring entries on topics of which one might take particular notice.
In any event, I'm happy that I've not let up in twenty years. I hope to continue blogging for a long time to come, and to continue sharing some of the blog's contents on Facebook as well!
Postscript: Discussion of this post can be found on Facebook. Also: Much thanks to Tom Knapp for his kind congrats!
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Culture, Dialectics, FYI
Wikipedia Adds New Profile Pic!
Yay! I'm very happy to report that The Mystery Photographer who took this pic of me with the Parachute Jump in Coney Island, Brooklyn as backdrop finally got clearance (since said photographer apparently held the copyright) to post this updated photo of me on my Wikipedia Profile Page, over which I have no control. I didn't even write it!
Anyway… thanks Mystery Photographer! Much appreciated!
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Culture, Frivolity, FYI, Politics (Theory, History, Now)
#GoFundSki
On behalf of my sister, I am sharing this publicly—and sending our appreciation to those who have continued to show their love and support. This is a GoFundMe for my sister. #GoFundSki to donate!
This is the kind of appeal that the family of Elizabeth Sciabarra (Ms. Ski to her students) never wanted to post. But we are facing some very difficult realities. My sister became seriously ill and nearly died in November 2020, which was followed by extensive spinal surgery in mid-March 2021. We nearly lost her again in mid-October 2021. Since that time, she has been receiving in-home hospice. As her devoted brother, I have been her primary caregiver—despite dealing with my own lifelong medical issues. As my own health has been compromised over these many months, we have been compelled to turn to health aides to assist with my sister's in-home care.
My sister brings in a pension from her many years of service as an educator in the New York City public school system. She also brings in a Social Security retirement check. Given the state of American healthcare, she is in the unenviable position of being in that great "middle" ground where so many others find themselves—not "wealthy" enough to cover all her medical expenses; too "wealthy" to qualify for Medicaid. As a woman who has worked for over fifty years, and paid millions of dollars in taxes to local, state, and federal governments, she qualifies for a single Medicare home health aide, 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, though she needs 24/7 care.
Having maxed-out some assistance from the Council of Supervisors and Administrators for both the 2021 and 2022 calendar years, she is spending, on average, approximately $15,000 a month on aides and other non-insured medical supplies—more than she earns with her pension and Social Security combined. She has sold her car, exhausted her savings, and cashed-in retirement accounts—paying taxes on that too. Complete financial collapse can be avoided if my sister is placed in a Medicare-insured inpatient hospice, which would constitute a dramatic change to her quality of life. She wanted to remain at home, but without the financial capacity to do so, she will be compelled to make a decision that will break all our hearts. And hers most of all. Out of personal embarrassment and a sense of pride, she never wanted to make an appeal such as this. But after being in-and-out of hospitals and medical facilities for 17 months, even she realizes that this situation is financially unsustainable, threatening her ability to pay for even the basic necessities of life … food, clothing, and shelter.
We appreciate anything anyone can offer; we have no hope of paying anyone back. We only hope that a woman who, as an educator, devoted her life to helping thousands upon thousands of children and young adults, can raise enough funds that would allow her a level of dignity moving forward—despite the serious health challenges she continues to face every hour of every day.
Chris Matthew Sciabarra (on behalf of my sister)
My dear sister, Elizabeth Sciabarra
Also see Facebook post here.
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Culture, Education, FYI, Pedagogy, Politics (Theory, History, Now)
Da Bomb Hits Brooklyn …
A "Bomb Cyclone" is hitting the Northeast. We're expecting continued high winds (50-60 mph gusts) and about a foot of snow here in Brooklyn, New York. A big snowfall typically covers the cars—but the winds are simultaneously wiping them clean! Should be a lot worse for my neighbors in New England and out on Eastern Long Island.
Well, this one doesn't come near the blizzards of 2006, 2016, and 1947, all in excess of 26 inches. Since they plow to the right, if you were parked on that side, you were lucky if you could move your car again by April!
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, FYI
Scholarly Publishing Collective Launches – JARS Free Till March 31st!
A Major Announcement Today:
The Scholarly Publishing Collective (the Collective) is pleased to announce that its online content platform is now live, with content from over 130 journals published by Michigan State University Press, Penn State University Press, SBL Press, and the University of Illinois Press.
Through the Collective, managed by Duke University Press, publishers have access to resources that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive, such as a best-in-class web platform, proven customer relations and library relations teams, and a network of global sales agents with insight into university press content. Journals are hosted on the Silverchair hosting platform, which is home to Duke University Press's publications as well as publications from the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Wolters Kluwer, and many other distinguished publishers.
Through the Collective's partnership with Silverchair, publishers benefit from fully responsive journal websites that adapt to any display size and have a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate interface. Features of the platform include support for advance-publication articles; the ability for non-subscribers to purchase access to full issues and articles; the ability to search and filter results across journal, publisher, or Collective content; robust usage statistics; and support for supplemental data files, including media.
"Being part of the Scholarly Collective will take Penn State University Press's commitment to journals publishing to a new level. We're excited about this exciting growth opportunity for our society partners, our library friends, our contributors, and the editors of our journals," said Patrick Alexander, Director of Penn State University Press.
The Collective platform currently hosts the journals content of four publishers migrating from the JSTOR Journal Hosting Program, which is ending after 2021. All content is temporarily free to access until March 31, 2022.
"Duke University Press has developed infrastructure for our own publishing program that we can share with our fellow UP journal publishers and society publishers to support them at a time when sustaining their journals program is critical to sustaining their overall mission. Through the Collective, the partners expand their ability to disseminate, promote, and increase the impact of scholarship. More than fifteen years of investment and experience and skill-building have gone into being able to do this, and we want to leverage our experience for our Collective partners," said Allison Belan, Director for Strategic Innovation and Services at Duke University Press.
What does this mean for The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies? Simple! Go here and check out our contents (going back to 2007; all contents going back to 1999 are still available on JSTOR)—free till March 31, 2022. (And speaking for myself and my coauthor, Pavel Solovyev, check out "The Rand Transcript Revealed" in all its full-color glory on the site!)
Posted in: Education, FYI, Periodicals, Politics (Theory, History, Now), Rand Studies
A New FB Profile Pic
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Frivolity, FYI
Honoring John Hospers
This Sunday, October 10, 2021, Jameson Books is publishing a wonderful collection in honor of philosopher John Hospers entitled Libertarianism: John Hospers, The Libertarian Party's 50th Anniversary, and Beyond, edited by C. Ronald Kimberling and Stan Oliver. As Tom Palmer writes in his Foreword to the book:
John Hospers was a memorable man, with an influence far greater than his current renown. It's thus an honor to advance this collection, as well as to contribute to it. His ideas, his encouragement of his students, his friendship, and his scholarship are explored by the numerous articles and essays in this volume, which also provides primary documents for those interested in the growth of the libertarian political movement in the United States. It's a valuable resource for historians of ideas, for political junkies, and for anyone interested in the revival of libertarian thought in the United States—a revival in which John Hospers played an important role. That preference for liberty, for escaping the cages of "left" and "right" that have so warped and degraded American political practice, is now a part of the American political scene.
The 400-page book includes more than 30 essays by a wide variety of writers, including yours truly. In my own essay, "John Hospers: A Remembrance," I reflect on my discovery of John's work and my friendship with this gentle man with a remarkable intellect and wonderful sense of life. As I state in the essay:
I had heard of John Hospers years earlier, when I was twelve years old. He was, after all, the first presidential candidate of the newly formed Libertarian Party. In 1972, he received, along with Tonie Nathan, his vice presidential running mate, one electoral vote, which was one less for Richard M. Nixon. Nathan became the first woman and the first Jewish candidate to receive an electoral vote in any US presidential election.
But it wasn't until years later, when I read "Libertarianism", that I came to appreciate the true significance of John Hospers, philosopher. This work revealed the remarkable breadth of the libertarian vision. Within it, I found a logically arranged, eminently readable introduction to all of the core issues with regard to economic and political liberty, both at home and abroad, the dangers of the interventionist state, and even a discussion of the debate between the advocates of minimal government and the anarcho-capitalists. Hospers's 1971 opus preceded Robert Nozick's seminal "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" by three years and introduced a young generation to a genuine "philosophy for tomorrow." It was, in fact, one of the founding "manifestos" of an
intellectual revolution in twentieth-century thought, deeply rooted in the ideals of classical liberalism adopted for a new age.
As the years passed, I made that new libertarian vision my guiding intellectual pursuit, and as I learned more, it seemed as if John Hospers was always a presence somewhere in that learning process. I discovered other works of his, and then, eventually, I had the courage to send him a copy of the working manuscript for my book, Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical, seeking his feedback. With grace, he accepted the task of a critical reading of the manuscript and provided me with meticulous, insightful, and thought-provoking comments; whenever critical, they were constructively so, whether they were conveyed on the phone or in correspondence. There is no doubt that his input immeasurably improved the final product, for which I remain eternally grateful. In the end, his support of my work on Rand led him to provide a generous blurb that appeared in the first printing of its first edition.
I finally met John at a Liberty conference in 1996, where I appeared on a panel with him and Barbara Branden to discuss the contributions of Ayn Rand. Three years later, he became one of the original founding advisory board members to The Journal of Ayn Rand Studies. When he passed away on June 12, 2011, the world lost a marvelous thinker; I lost a dear friend. This book includes essays coming from a variety of perspectives—including some with which I disagree. But it remains an inspiring memorial to John's humanity and legacy.
Celebrating John Hospers
Postscript – On Facebook, some folks, who disagreed with John Hospers on many issues, found it odd that anyone would contribute to a book that would deify him. I replied:
Let me make one thing clear: I contributed to this anthology not as a means of deifying the man, but as a means of recognizing his larger legacy, which has been underappreciated. I approach all learning the same way: I have drawn lessons from thinkers all over the intellectual map—from Aristotle to Hegel, from Ayn Rand to Karl Marx. I do not believe in the deification of any of these figures, but I give credit where credit is due, criticize that with which I disagree, and move on.
The Marxist scholar Bertell Ollman, my doctoral dissertation advisor and mentor, remains one of the most important influences on my intellectual development; I would contribute to any anthology recognizing his contributions in the same way I have done for John Hospers. Both men had an immense impact on my growth, in addition to being remarkably generous, kind souls.
By no means did I agree with John on issues like abortion or the Iraq war, but heck, I have had major disagreements with thinkers inside and outside of libertarianism my whole life on issues across the board. Still. I have learned from so many, and I think it is important to recognize this. We never stop learning—well, at least we never should stop learning—and it's a good thing to be able to acknowledge those who have taught us. And I'd like to think that I pass this legacy onto those who have learned from me.
Another exchange on Facebook raised the issue of whether John Hospers would have supported civil disobedience, given his focus on the "rule of law". I replied:
The problem you raise is one that all folks—who believe in any radical shift away from the status quo—must face. As Rand once said, it's the problem of how to live a 'rational' life in an 'irrational' society. It is the problem of trying to change a society given the conditions that exist. In Libertarianism, the book published 50 years ago (in 1971), Hospers suggests that armed revolution against unjust laws would most likely lead to enormous loss of life and property and would not change things fundamentally. He also argued that the refusal to obey unjust laws could have a monumental effect—but only if "very large numbers of dissenters" joined in the civil disobedience, say "fifty million people" refusing to pay their taxes or to be subject to military conscription.
Hospers cites Albert Jay Nock, who wrote: "Inaction is better than wrong action or premature right action and effective right action can only follow right thinking" (quoted by Hospers on p. 462 of Libertarianism). So for Hospers, the surest way to affect a change in laws was by a cultural shift in ideas through an educational process.
Given some of the conversations I had with him, I suspect he would have still left it to individuals to engage in resistance to unjust laws; respecting the rule of law is not the same thing as respecting the rule of laws that by their very nature coerce and oppress.
Posted in: Culture, Elections, FYI, Pedagogy, Politics (Theory, History, Now), Rand Studies, Remembrance
Taking out the Trash on Social Media
At one point, only a couple of months ago, I was nearing 5000 Facebook "friends", whom I was adding throughout the years without giving much thought to it. But the increasing toxicity over the last few years has been palpable. It led me to "trim" my FB "friend" list by over 4000 people.* I've even invited some folks to unfriend me if they didn't like what I had to say, and lo and behold, my wish was granted! THANK GOODNESS! I have had it with the toxicity and the nastiness in social media. I've seen it up close and personal for all too many years. Life is too short.
Taking out the trash …
* And for the record, I still have over 940 FB "friends". We don't all agree! But there is a difference between having a disagreement and being disagreeable. (Actually, it's now below 940… so clearly, the approach is working!)
But more importantly, it's not just about taking toxicity out of the airspace; at root, it's about self-care, indeed. Nobody should have to devote one moment of their time to something that is as corrosive as that kind of interaction. It erodes us and it diminishes us. All the more reason to take the intiative and do what's right for yourself.
Posted in: Blog / Personal Business, Culture, FYI, Politics (Theory, History, Now)


Liverpool Preseason
Klopp Talk: I Should Have Known Better
It's a Beatles reference. Deal with it.
By Zachary Marx@80couches Aug 26, 2020, 9:26am BST
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Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Although we are playing preseason matches in unusual times, the 2-2 draw against RB Salzburg was a pretty typical preseason friendly. There were some disappointing performances from tired, post-training starters. And there were some exciting performances from youth and fringe players. Perfectly normal.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits that he should have seen this performance coming.
"It obviously didn't look really good for big parts of the game, I have to admit that. I should or could have known because I know obviously what we did in training," Kloppo said to the club's official website.
"I should have known as well because being on the way home, having a game – I don't think it ever worked for me in my whole career as a manager! I wanted to have problems today, not exactly the problems we had, but I wanted to have problems that we fight against."
Of course, there were positives as well. In particular, young English striker Rhian Brewster sure knows where the goal is.
"Then when the kids came on, when Millie was on, we didn't think about the problems we had," Klopp continued. "We just had to find a few solutions.
"We scored the two goals, super goals from Rhian. The second one was brilliant from him, the first one was brilliant set-up from Taki and Millie. We made it too easy for the two goals they scored, they were of course very easy and gave the game a direction – they were now confident and defended deep and stuff like this."
Last year, the Reds lost to Dortmund and Sevilla, and then got trounced by Napoli 3-0. They also drew 2-2 to Sporting Lisbon. The season turned out pretty well, in case you don't recall.
The next test comes against Arsenal in the Community Shield, and then we're back in action on September 12th.


August Is Like The Sunday Of Summer
Igniting the business by a bootcamp
How Pink Floyd constructed their music
Today I found an interesting article How Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" Was Born From an Argument Between Roger Waters & David Gilmour at the Open Culture website, describing how members of the Pink Floyd band worked together, when literally 'constructing' one of their most famous songs. It is really an impressive reading, even more a listening to explanations and musical results, which are all included in the article.
These are memories of events from almost forty years ago! A lot has changed in the world of music since that time. A lot of music nowadays is being produced by teams, so that "construction" process is nothing unique anymore. I wrote about in my previous posts about the Fourth Industrial Revolution in music and also about the ubiquity of music. But I see and hear a clear difference between then and now. And the Pink Floyd's process documents this nicely.
It is not my intention here to disparage the creative process of current musicians and music producers. I have been just amazed by differences in the approach and especially in the outcomes of producing successful music recordings then and now.
A lot of current 'popular' music that now streams from all possible sources including the radio, Spotify, YouTube and many others, is literally manufactured by specialized teams of producers, technicians, DJs … and sometimes even — musicians(!). As most of the popular music has become a commodity, it is treated like that from the very first moment of its birth. The current business model is to mass-produce recordings in the fastest speed, to be monetized as much as possible. Music industry clearly wants to make profit, not art.
What a difference from the process Roger Waters and David Gilmour described! Each one had his own opinion and was willing to fight for it so much, that their differences made any further cooperation impossible. But their fights were also a fertile soil of the supreme artistic creativity, which resulted in such timeless music.
If the current music industry constructs something, metaphorically, those are the bricks to pave a road to profit. Everyone listens/walks on them without giving them too much thought and with each step further, the previous ones get almost immediately forgotten. The most important is to be constantly in the people's eyes and possibly minds — and valets.
On the other hand what the band Pink Floyd built, was a piece of grand musical architecture, based on the solid foundation of musical artistry and creativity.
To some this may sound like an exaggeration. Especially to those who don't like the progressive rock music, or to the younger audience raised on hip hop, rap or other more drums/rhythm-heavy genres. But if you belong to those groups, can you imagine yourself in forty years, listening with pleasure to the music you consume now? (Maybe you could, because it would be a part of your adulthood nostalgia, if there would still be a space for something like that in the future world.)
If you have time, or if you are curious to learn a bit more about the creative process and the Pink Floyd's way in particular, read the article and click on videos included in the text.
First, Roger Waters explains the arguments about the Comfortably Numb song. The main point of contention was how the rhythm track sounded. The big disagreement ended up in a compromise, when a part of the song has one rhythm track and other part has the different one. And as Waters acknowledged, today they would have a hard time to find out which is which.
The next video brings the original demo recording of the song, that David Gilmour made, inspired by the sound of his own invention of the "high strung guitar". If you know the final version of the song, you may be amazed to listen to its proto-version. The beauty and the energy is already there, only in a very rough form. As there is no lyrics yet, Gilmour sings only doo-doo. Many songwriters work in a similar manner, when they use only simple syllables, or their own made-up "language".
In the following video, it is David Gilmour who explains the song's genesis. He talks about how he changed strings on his guitar, not being clear about what the actual high strung guitar was about. Then he grabs a guitar and plays a few notes from the song's famous solo, explaining how they arrived at the final sound of the instrument.
Afterwards, while listening to "the work in progress" variation of the song called The Doctor, you can appreciate the work done after the recording sessions. This work has been performed mainly by the co-producer Bob Ezrin and the orchestra arranger Michael Kamen, but included many other participating musicians and technicians.
The final version comes at the end and you can enjoy, again, the real masterpiece. It shows how a collaboration of two (often) opposing minds can give life to such a great music. The article will walk you from a rough demo on a strange sounding guitar, to one of the greatest song of the rock music history.
You may be asking, why am I writing about such a highly produced song here on the blog dedicated to the mindful music making. It is because, in my opinion, these are two opposing points on the music-making spectrum. And it is always great to learn and understand the whole 'thing'. Pink Floyd took many months to prepare, write, record and produce their recordings. Their creative process is unique, as are the outcomes.
But this is the extreme! There is just one Pink Floyd. You can enjoy listening to their music. You can also learn from them, or to copy their way of playing (watch out for a potential copyright issues! …)
On the other hand, you can also decide to do your own music 'thing'. You can accept inspiration from every possible source and then translate it into your own music. And you can learn to do it without comparing yourself with others. Do it non-judgementally. Enjoying the moment. Being present. And thus you will be making music mindfully.
If you are interested, below is a video of Comfortably Numb, when original members of Pink Floyd reunited after 24 years and played it one last time together, for the Live 8 concert on July 2nd, 2005 in London's Hyde Park.
photo: concert screenshot
Palo Beka


Portland 3, Idaho 0; Top 25 scores
By Cindy Luis on September 8, 2018 | Rainbow Wahine volleyball, Volleyshots
Portland (8-0) vs. Idaho (5-3), 3 p.m. HST
Gametracker click here
Cindy Luis September 8, 2018 3:28 pm
Pilots win Set 1 25-18. Was tied 17-17. finished it on an 8-1 run.
Pilots win Set 2 25-19. Started off with a 6-1 lead.
No. 3 BYU (A) def. No. 25 Marquette, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-14
No. 5 Penn State (N) def. No. 18 Oregon, 25-23, 25-23, 25-19
No. 8 Florida (N) def. Southern Illinois, 17-25, 25-12, 25-10, 25-16
No. 10 USC (N) def. Syracuse, 22-25, 25-27, 25-14, 25-14, 15-13
No. 11 Illinois (N) def. UC Irvine, 25-14, 25-13, 25-23
No. 13 Pitt (H) def. No. 12 Washington, 25-18, 25-13, 25-17
No. 12 Washington def. Kennesaw State, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19, 25-20
UT Rio Grande Valley (A) def. No. 15 Baylor, 25-14, 26-24, 16-25, 20-25, 15-10
No. 15 Baylor (H) def. Rice, 25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 25-21
No. 16 Kentucky (A) def. Texas State, 22-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-21
Tennessee at No. 16 San Diego
No. 19 Purdue (H) vs. Louisville
No. 20 Michigan (H) def. Colorado State, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18
No. 21 Utah (N) def. Temple, 23-25, 27-25, 25-27, 25-20, 15-8
No. 21 Utah (N) def. High Point, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-23
No. 23 Washington State (H) def. Stony Brook, 25-18, 25-13, 25-16
No. 24 Colorado (H) def. North Carolina, 25-14, 25-18, 25-20
Other Big West
Fordham (N) def. CSU Fullerton, 25-22, 25-20, 25-22
CSUN (A) def. Northern Arizona, 25-19, 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 26-14
Sacramento State (H) def. UC Riverside, 17-25, 25-12, 25-19, 25-20
Nevada (N) def. UC Riverside, 25-17, 20-25, 25-19, 21-25, 15-9
UC Santa Barbara (H) def. Sacred Heart, 25-13, 25-13, 23-25, 25-18
UC Davis at Santa Clara
Seton Hall at UC Santa Barbara
Portland (9-0) wins tournament title, 25-18, 25-19, 25-15
darkfire35 September 8, 2018 7:48 pm
Good job Portland, deservedly so. Their quick attack was very successful against Wahine. Our high bump sets telegraphed our moves too much. It also seems like Akiu was encroaching a little more than what would be her immediate area of responsibility by getting in the way of the front line. JMHO. Would love to see the Wahine incorporate more of a quick set based our lack of size in the front. I still have a lot of faith that everyone will pull things back in order like when they played Coastal Carolina & Idaho.
GO BOWS!
Casual Observer September 8, 2018 10:23 pm
Wahine coaches got to step it up with better coaching. What is telling is the Wahines haven't beaten any ranked teams last year and probably won't this year. Obviously this isn't typical of Wahine VB expectations but its also a testament to Dave Shoji's legacy and the extremely big shoes Ah Mow has to fill. Nevertheless, Wahine results are related to coaching and Ah Mow has to find the keys raising the level of play back to the elite level.
ballerz September 9, 2018 8:00 am
thanks for the update cindy. hoping for the sweep vs san diego st. #5 from portland should be on the all-tournament team. would also include iosia and granato.
Warriorfan September 9, 2018 9:00 am
No maafala in the front row today please
In all losses she played front row and outside hitters ate her up she just doesn't jump well enough on the block.
Hope they get a win today and get confidence for Oregon.
Ron September 9, 2018 11:35 am
I thought the match against Portland U. showed the Wahine to be very unorganized and without a plan or direction. They were wandering around the floor like they were meeting each other for the first time . It was a little embarrassing.
IgnacioSaid September 9, 2018 12:32 pm
agree strongly with 5,6,8 and 9. My feeling is RAMS going with a smaller team utilizing what she has. I cannot reason , why she does not try to utilize recruits (to develop cohesion and give them game experience). I may ruffle feathers , but there are players being used, that (I think) , brings down morale . Hey man , serving into da net—come on! Norene and Faith on the floor can work (defense), but do not think it expands anything for offense. Looks like acing Big West might be only way to get in NCAA's–Hoping for better!!
http://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=46753
new thread up for Sunday
some comments.
The coaches prepared the team for Portland, they ran Portland's offense several times during practices. If the players don't follow the game plan, then what are you going to do.
Agree with Ma'afala being a front-row liability.
But don't be surprised if they go to a 5-1 with Ma'afala setting.
Hawaii football QB Cole McDonald on Maxwell Award watch list July 15, 2019


Debt Ratings Agencies: Their Role in the Global Debt Capital Markets – Past, Present and Future. Part I
VIDEO February 29, 2012
February 29th Conference held at the Federal Bank of Philadelphia. Part One includes the Welcome by GIC Chair, Bill Dunkelberg, and the first panel on The Ratings Agencies Today, consisting of Jim Allen, Head of Capital Markets Policy for the CFA Institute, John Carbone, Principal at Vanguard, Natalie Cohen, Senior Analyst at Wells Fargo, and Pater Demirali, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Cumberland Advisors.
Speaker / Author
Bill Dunkelberg, Ph.D.
Chief Economist, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
William Dunkelberg is professor emeritus of economics in the College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, where he served as dean of the School of Business and Management from 1987 through 1994 and as director of the Center for the Advancement and Study of Entrepreneurship. He served as the Global Interdependence Center's Chairman for 20 years. He currently serves as chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business (300,000 member firms; since 1971). His prior appointments were at the Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University, the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University and the Survey Research Center at the ... Read More
Head of Capital Markets Policy at the CFA Institute
James Allen is head of capital markets policy for CFA Institute, where he manages the Capital Markets Policy Group. This group develops and promotes capital markets positions, policies and standards for CFA Institute. Mr. Allen also coordinates and supports related educational and public awareness activities. Mr. Allen has worked as staff liaison to the CFA Institute Capital Markets Policy Council since its founding in 2005. The Council helps CFA Institute develop global perspectives on market-related issues. From 2002 to 2004 he worked with the former European Advocacy Committee, responding to policy initiatives of the European Commission and regulatory proposals of financial ... Read More
John M. Carbone
Principal, Portfolio Manager, The Vanguard Group
Mr. Carbone is a principal and portfolio manager with the Vanguard Group which is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. John is a 25 year municipal industry veteran. His current management responsibilities include Vanguard's California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Tax-Exempt Money Market Portfolios. The collective assets of these three portfolios exceed $8.5 billion. During his 15 year tenure at Vanguard, Mr. Carbone has managed many of the state-specific, tax-exempt, long-term, intermediate-term and money market portfolios. Prior to joining Vanguard in 1996, John was employed by Fidelity Investments for nine years. Mr. Carbone received his MBA from Southern Methodist University, and his Bachelor ... Read More
Natalie Cohen
Managing Director and Head of Municipal Research, Wells Fargo
Natalie Cohen is managing director and head of municipal research, a coverage area that launched in late 2010 as part of the Global Economics and Research group, at Wells Fargo Securities. She was previously president of National Municipal Research, Inc., an independent consulting company focused on state and local fiscal condition. Prior to National Municipal Research, she was managing director at Financial Security Assurance, a bond insurance company. She has also held positions in high yield municipal bond insurance at Enhance Financial Service Group, now Radian, and American Capital Access. In addition to bond insurance, Natalie was a vice president ... Read More
Peter Demirali
Managing Director, Cumberland Advisors
Peter Demirali joined Cumberland Advisors in 2002 as portfolio manager for the Taxable Bond style, and became a managing director in 2011. Mr. Demirali was a senior portfolio manager at6 Smith Barney Asset Management from 1990 to 1999. In that position, he initiated a corporate bond component for taxable fixed-income portfolios. From 1999 to 2002 he was a partner in Anval, Inc., a commercial real estate brokerage company, where he successfully developed new territories and clients for his firm. He traded zero-coupon bonds at Yamaichi International, a Japanese securities dealer, from 1987 to 1989. Mr. Demirali began his career at Chemical ... Read More


Photoshoot goes wrong after men go overboard, boat strikes dock
By Storyful
Men fall overboard and boat smashes into dock during photoshoot
Video by the Martin County Sheriff's Office via Storyful.
An unmanned boat struck a concrete dock on October 9th after its three occupants, who were reportedly doing a photoshoot, "somehow fell overboard," leaving the 24-foot vessel spinning out of control, Florida officials said.
The Martin County Sheriff's Office released footage of the boat going airborne and smashing into the pier and dock in the St. Lucie River, just south of the Stuart Causeway in Stuart.
The three male occupants of the boat told the Sheriff's Office that they were "forced to dive underwater numerous times because the boat continued to circle around nearly running them over."
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The men were able to swim to a nearby sailboat and one suffered minor injuries, the Sheriff's Office said.
An investigation into the cause of the incident was turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which investigates boating accidents.
Storyful contributed to this report.


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USA Triathlon News Blogs Ordinary Mortals® My First "One More T...
My First "One More Tri" Duathlon
By Dr. Steve Jonas | Aug. 31, 2021, 11:06 p.m. (ET)
Talking Tri-/Duathlon for Ordinary Mortals®: A Series, (No. 71, 2021/00)
Of course, all the races that I have written about in this series were special for me. But this race (the first of the two that I did in this series) was extra-special, partly because of where it is held. First of all, the "One More Tri" triathlon/duathlon series is run in Asbury Park, New Jersey (although this year all the races will be relays and they will all be done virtually). Why is Asbury Park special for me? Well, if an event that took place in 1907 hadn't taken place, I wouldn't be writing this column. For it was sometime that summer, in the lounge of a hotel in Asbury Park (which hotel is likely long gone) that my paternal grandfather-to-be, Henry Jonas, and my paternal grandmother-to-be, Rena Bonheim, first met. The story goes that Grandma Rena was playing a piano that was set in the lounge, that Grandpa Henry came over to tell her how much he admired her playing (and surely, he also admired her looks, because from her photos, she was quite a beauty. And, as it happened, Grandpa Henry was a handsome young man). The rest, as they say, is history.
My next connection to Asbury Park is part of a much grander history that took place during the summer of 1942. The U.S. had of course entered World War II on December 8, 1941 --- the famous "Day that Shall Live in Infamy" of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's elegant prose. But as of that date the War was having little effect on the mainland of the United States. My father, Prof. Harold J. Jonas, son of Henry and Rena, at that time an older (34) married man with a child, would not be eligible for the draft to go into the Service until February, 1944. How different were the conditions of wartime for the U.S. and the nations of Europe and the Far East.
As it happened, for that summer, to get away from the heat of New York City where we lived, my parents rented a unit at the Deal Apartments, just north of Asbury Park. It sat on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. And it was from the bluff that, at the age of 5, I saw one or more U.S. merchant vessels being sunk by Nazi U-boats just about ten miles off the Jersey shore. That is how bad our coastal defenses were in those early days of the War.
At any rate, as I was looking for nearby races for the summer of 2016, the "One More Tri" triathlon/duathlon set, to be held in Asbury Park (!), caught my eye. It was run by Special Olympics of New Jersey and featured fully-able athletes competing in the same events as special ones. The would be scored separately, but they would be on the same courses, both for the tri and for the du, at the same time. As you can imagine, there is quite a staff put together for these events, but the inspiring genius who brings everything together, and then holds it all together in one piece, is Ms. Jeanene Leppert, the Director of Special Events for SONJ. What a special person, for all of the special athletes, as well as for the rest of us. By the way, SONJ is so special that they have special athletes doing the swim, into the ocean waves, for the triathlon.
But by that time, the time had long past when I was doing triathlons with ocean swims. I had actually gotten sea-sick in the swim at a race off Jones Beach, N.Y. in 1998, and that was that(!) And so on Sept. 25, 2016, I did the du with two flat runs on the boardwalk and around the small lakes in a nearby park, and a virtually flat bike, north on a protected avenue, as it happened into Deal. I was first in my 80-84 age-group (of course because I was the only one in it[!].
But there was one more special element of this race for me. It happened that I had spoken with Ms. Leppert before the race, and had mentioned a couple of things: A) that it would by coincidence be my 250th race overall; B) taht I did have the special connection to both Asbury Park and Deal mentioned above; and C) in the context that many of the special athletes competing in the races of the day were beginners, that I had written Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals (1986) which, to my knowledge then and to this day was the first how-to-do triathlon book written specifically for beginners. Jeanene expressed a particular interest in the book and said that she would order a copy from you-know-where. So of course, I sent her one.
I did not give any of the above details further thought until, just after a crossed the finish line, Jeanene presented me with a special personalized plaque that had obviously been made up for me before the race. It celebrates my 250th race, and my book. Oh, what a feeling! And let me tell you, that plaque hangs in a place of honor on the wall of my office, just behind my desk.
As it turned out, I would also be doing what turned out to most likely have been my last multi-sport race, my 256th, at the "One More Tri" meet in 2018. That will be the subject of my next column in this series.
This series of thoughts and recommendations about multi-sport racing by Dr. Steve Jonas is, over time, drawn in part from his book, 101 Ideas and Insights for Triathletes and Duathletes (Monterey, CA: Healthy Learning/Coaches Choice, 2011), from which text is used with permission. The book can be purchased here and is available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
Steve's most recent multisport book is Duathlon Training and Racing for Ordinary Mortals®: Getting Started and Staying with It (Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press/FalconGuides, 2012), available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
His first book on multi-sport racing, Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals®, 2nd Ed. (New York: WW Norton, 2006) also can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Steve has been racing tri's and du's since 1983. At the end of his 36th season in the sport, 2018, he had done a total of 256 races. He did not race in 2019 due to his own illness (from which he fully recovered), nor in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For obvious reasons, 2021 is a maybe.
USAT National Championships Calendar


Home » Julie Plec » Page 2
TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 5 – "500 Years of Solitude"
By SUE SCHNEIDER 03/18/2014
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, Michael Trevino
Writers: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Caroline Dries, series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on characters created in L.J. Smith's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES novels
Director: Chris Grismer Network: The CW, Thursdays @ 8 PM
Original Airdate: January 23, 2014 "500 Years of Solitude" is THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 100th episode…so congrats CW and the stars of the show. At the end of the "Fifty Shades of Grayson" (Episode 10, which aired December 12, 2013), before the show took a winter break […]Read On »
TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 5 – "Monster's Ball"
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, Michael Trevino
Writers: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Sonny Postiglione, series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on characters created in L.J. Smith's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES novels
Director: Kellie Cyrus
Network: The CW, Thursdays @ 8 PM
Original Airdate: October 31, 2013 (Season 5 – Episode 5) What a perfect night for THE VAMPIRE DIARIES to be on…Halloween and to show an episode called "Monster's Ball," where they get to dress up as someone from history and attend a society ball. The episode […]Read On »
TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 5 – "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, Michael Trevino
Writers: Brett Matthews & Elisabeth R. Finch Director: Michael A. Allowitz
Network: The CW, Thursdays @ 8 PM
Original Airdate: October 24, 2013 THE VAMPIRE DIARIES episode "For Whom The Bell Tolls" was so sad this week that it actually brought tears to my eyes. Okay I am a very sensitive person, but it was sad at the end! Plus, since I've watched the show since the beginning I am totally involved with the characters. Every year in Mystic Falls they have […]Read On »
TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 5 – "True Lies"
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, Michael Trevino
Writers: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Brian Young, series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on characters created in L.J. Smith's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES novels
Director: Joshua Butler
Network: The CW, Thursdays @ 8 PM Original Airdate: October 10, 2013 (Season 5 Episode 2) Life is changing for Elena and Caroline, or so they think on the latest episode of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – "True Lies." Their roommate Megan who was killed in the premiere was listed as cause of death […]Read On »
TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 5 – "Original Sin"
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, Michael Trevino Writers: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Rebecca Sonnenshine, series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on characters created in L.J. Smith's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES novels Director: Jesse Warn Network: The CW, Thursdays @ 8 PM Original Airdate: October 17, 2013 (Season 5 – Episode 3) "Original Sin" was a spectacular episode in my opinion as it answered a lot of questions, finally! Who is Silas and how did the Doppelgangers come to light? It was great that they […]Read On »
Exclusive Interview: THE ORIGINALS star Charles Michael Davis talks about Marcel
In the new vampire show THE ORIGINALS, a spin-off from THE VAMPIRE DIAIRES, Charles Michael Davis stars as Marcel, a vampire sired by Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan), one of the original vampires, hence the name In the first episode, "Always and Forever", it opens where Klaus returns to New Orleans, a city that was built by Klaus and his family, but Marcel is now the King of the Quarter after the Mikaelson's had to leave the city so their father wouldn't find them. Sitting down with Charles at the CBS/CW/Showtime TCA Party in August to talk about his character and […]Read On »
TV Review: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE – Season 1 – "Pilot" – Series Premiere
By RACHEL REITSLEFF 10/11/2013
Stars: Robbie Amell, Peyton List, Luke Mitchell, Aaron Yoo, Madeleine Mantock, Mark Pellegrino Writer: Phil Klemmer, series created by Greg Berlanti & Phil Klemmer & Julie Plec, based on the British series created by Roger Damon Price Director: Danny Cannon Network: The CW, Wednesdays @ 9 PM Original Airdate: October 9, 2013 THE TOMORROW PEOPLE was originally a British TV series, created by Roger Damon Price, that ran for sixty-eight episodes over eight seasons, 1973-1979, back in the days when the title didn't seem quite so silly. It was revived in 1992, and now writers/producers Phil Klemmer & Greg Berlanti […]Read On »
TV Review: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 5 – "I Know What You Did Last Summer" – Season Premiere
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Candice Accola, Michael Trevino Writers: Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, Caroline Dries, series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on characters created in L.J. Smith's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES novels Director: Lance Anderson Network: The CW, Thursdays @ 8 PM Original Airdate: October 3, 2013 (Season 5 premiere) The summer has ended and Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes are off to college, finally. Elena has broken the sire bond, and picked Damon as the love of her life. Stefan upset and hurting has disappeared, but as […]Read On »
TV Review: THE ORIGINALS – Season 1 – "Always and Forever" – Series Premiere
Stars: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Charles Michael Davis, Phoebe Tonkin, Daniella Pineda Writers: Julie Plec & Michael Narducci, series created by Julie Plec, based on characters created in L.J. Smith's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES novels Director: Chris Grismer Network: The CW, Tuesdays @ 8 PM Original Airdate: Thursday, October 3 at 9 PM (special premiere timeslot) The good news for fans of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES who will watch the premiere of its spin-off, THE ORIGINALS – the opening episode, "Always and Forever," is almost all new material, rather than simply a reworking of the DIARIES episode "The Originals," which […]Read On »
Exclusive Interview: Julie Plec vamps on THE ORIGINALS and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Julie Plec has her hands full executive-producing series for the CW. She's still on THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, the series she and Kevin Williamson developed from L.J. Smith's novels, now entering its fifth season Thursdays at 8 PM. Plec is also one of the executive producers on THE TOMORROW PEOPLE, a thorough going revamp of a British series about teenagers with some powers that may indicate a change in human evolution, which premieres next Wednesday at 9 PM. Last but not least, Plec is both creator and executive producer on THE ORIGINALS, the VAMPIRE DIARIES spin-off that premieres Thursday October 3 […]Read On »


Arts & Culture » Bad Sport
SPARE THE ROD
by Drew Garabo
One day when I was shooting some hoop, this sports dad a few feet away was berating his son for a severe lack of defensive prowess. Hearing a so-called man who had no problem loudly denigrating his own spawn was almost as depressing as seeing the shame and disappointment on the kid's fat face.
As a father, of course I would love for my son to choose a sport and try to excel in it. I'll never be the über-dad, pushing and prodding my boy to heights I was too unmotivated to even consider trying myself. A father should stand by his son, but what should he do when the kid commits an act that is unimaginably stupid and selfish?
Take the case of the Kellen Winslows Jr. and Sr. Dad had a prolific and revered career with the San Diego Chargers (still remarkably part of the NFL), son came from the University of Miami (Thug U.) and missed all but one entire game during his rookie pro season with the Cleveland Browns after breaking a bone.
Imagine how you'd feel if you had held out of your rookie camp until you got more money than any tight end in the pro game, and then had to face your teammates. You scramble through the preseason, and in your second game you break something. Highest-paid tight end now gets paid to sit the bench. You'd probably feel like you owed the team something, so you'd rehab like crazy and get ready for the upcoming season. I know if I were Kellen Winslow Jr. I would want to show the world how I could back up my claims to be "the chosen one."
On a May day, Junior had more exhilarating things on his mind than preparing for the upcoming NFL season. He and his posse rolled up on a motorcycle shop to hang out and watch some dudes race. As a new bike enthusiast, Kellen probably felt the same way a lot of kids feel after watching their sports heroes. Remember when you couldn't wait to get home from a game so you could throw the ball yourself, just like Nolan Ryan did? Well, Junior had an Evel (or at least Robbie) Knievel-like moment, decided to pop a wheelie and, 100 feet later, hit the curb that may have ended his football career.
Had young Kellen simply kept up on his sports news, he would have heard about Duke University stud Jay Williams, who had his pro contract with the Bulls waived after he shattered his share of bones in a motorcycle accident just a few years back. Athletes and performers in the public eye constantly have to make choices that could bring their gravy train to a screeching halt if not considered thoroughly. If Junior had gotten himself in amazing shape for the upcoming NFL season, he could have gotten to work at proving himself to be worthy of the millions he demanded. The "chosen one" made a bad choice of his own when deciding to speed on a motorcycle with a helmet loosely strapped on his chin.
Kellen Winslow Jr. was lucky to not break a single bone, but his luck ran out when it got to his anterior cruciate ligament, and that's going to put an end to his chances of playing professional football this season. Two seasons of pro football, one and a half games played, no touchdowns. Obviously, the Browns are exploring their options regarding what they'll have to pay the stupid kid, but he'll still get a few million nevertheless.
His dad didn't exactly take him out to the woodshed for a good old-fashioned ass-beating. Instead, Pops lashed out at the media for the way they chose to portray his namesake. "I'm disappointed in the way you guys have handled it. Twenty-one-year-old people make mistakes," he whined. "He made a mistake. You made it a circus. Remember when you were 21? A human being at 21 makes mistakes. He's not a piece of property."
Um, you're kind of a little bit wrong, sir. He – or at least his ability to play – is technically the Browns' property, after a few million dollars in payments for services they're unlikely to receive. Common mistakes of the 21-year-old include (but are not limited to) snorting up the rent money, alienating family and friends, driving drunk and blowing off work for no reason. Winslow's mistake was a decidedly uncommon one. If someone demands to be paid better than anyone else at his position, they have an obligation to make good choices and commit themselves to excellence. Kellen Winslow Sr. had a great teachable moment here, but decided a feeble and desperate attempt to shift the blame from his bad seed was the right course of action.
T.O. UPDATE
Bad Sport has an unquenchable thirst for news regarding possibly the worst sport ever, Terrell Owens, whose latest stunt is threatening to sit out next season rather than honor his current contract with the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. Owens is claiming that he was coerced into the deal when he wanted out of last season's trade to Baltimore. He was forced to sign a measly seven-year, $49 million deal. Most reports say the Eagles are willing to play hardball and hold Terrell to the terms of his current contract. T.O., who earned an instant entry into the Quote Hall of Fame when he exclaimed "I love me some me," responded by proclaiming that he doesn't have to play for the Eagles this year. He also took a page out of Kobe Bryant's book, How To Make Your Teammates Hate You, when he dogged out his own quarterback for not coming through in the clutch in last year's Super Bowl.
Owens, along with recently hired super-agent/scum of the earth Drew Rosenhaus, is going to put forth an effort to portray a 31-year-old egomaniac with a dinged-up ankle as worth drastically more than $50 million over the next six years. When and if Philadelphia management calls Team Owens' bluff, Rosenhaus and Owens will set forth on their journey through the rest of the NFL. Owens' former employers – the San Francisco 49ers (where T.O. homophobed that QB Jeff Garcia was light in the loafers), the Baltimore Ravens (where Owens didn't even let the ink dry on the deal before declaring it null and void) and the Eagles (see above) – won't exactly give him glowing references.


Ari & Mia: Unruly Heart
(independent release As broadcast on WVIA-FM 2/23/2011)
Perhaps it's a reaction to the artifice of most contemporary commercial pop music, with its in-your-face, relentless sound, and highly processed totally phony-sounding electronically pitch-altered vocals, but there seems to be a significant revival of acoustic music with a traditional sound among younger performers -- musicians even whose parents are probably a bit young for the 1960s folk scene. While a number of these players are taking an interest in traditional songs, or the acoustic singer-songwriter-troubadour mode, there are quite a few others who are starting with traditional instrumentation and going in unconventional directions, using instruments like the cello. This week, we have another delightful recording that inhabits the eclectic acoustic mode and makes a distinctive hybrid that sounds like traditional music but has a lot of contemporary facets. It's the debut CD by the sister duo of Ariel and Mia Friedman, who appear as Ari & Mia. Their CD is called Unruly Heart.
The Friedman sisters are from the Boston area, and both have formal classical musical training. Ari mainly plays cello and wrote most of the original material. Mia plays a variety of instruments, banjo in clawhammer style, guitar, and fiddle. Instrumentally, they can resemble another Boston area group with the cello-banjo combination , Crooked Still, but even on first release, Ari & Mia have forged a distinctive sound with their very appealing vocals and sisterly harmonies. Most of the material is original, but like that of Crooked Still, Ari & Mia's new songs can sound like music from the 19th century or earlier, and indeed on a couple of pieces, they create new music for old poetry.
Also like the members of Crooked Still, the Friedman sisters comes from an academic background musically. Ariel is classically trained on cello, and both sisters are attending the New England Conservatory of Music in their Contemporary Improvisation program. And one can hear that facet of their background at times in their music, along with hints of jazz, old Gospel music, and their most prominent influence, old-time Appalachian folk. They are joined on the CD by a number of additional players, perhaps the best known of whom is Sarah Jarosz, whose own eclectic acoustic CD we reviewed in 2009. Frequently featured is Owen Marshall, who plays the guitar plus other instruments like bouzouki and harmonium. Also heard on guitar is Rebecca Wudarski, and a third Friedman sister, Shoshona does backing vocals.
The generous, nearly hour-long CD opens with a piece by Mia Friedman called Open Field that sums up the sound of Unruly Heart. It's an original song with a decidedly traditional texture, and contemporary-sounding lyrics. <<>>
The following piece is by Ariel Friedman. Hundreds of Ways is some ways a pop song in its structure, but with the group's traditional-sounding instrumentation. <<>>
The Friedman sisters do a couple of instrumental pieces on the CD. One is a pair of traditional tunes, Pig's Foot and Grub Springs. With just Ari on the cello, Mia on the fiddle and Owen Marshall on guitar, they create a very danceable sound. <<>>
Another facet of the sisters comes out on the title track, Unruly Heart, inspired by an e.e. cummings poem. They give it a vaguely jazzy, swingy sound. Ari and Mia's other sister Shoshona Friedman is heard on harmony vocal. <<>>
One of the most interesting tracks is an original piece by Mia Friedman called Across the Water. It's a kind of love song with an atmospheric sound, with the cello providing an Eastern-sounding drone at times. The piece can be quite striking in its distinctive sound and yet its simplicity. Shoshona Friedman again appears on the backing vocals. <<>>
Mia wrote a two-part piece called Montville and Rise Up. The first part is a cappella with the three Friedman sisters. <<>> Then it becomes an instrumental with a sound that conjures Eastern European or Nordic folk music. <<>>
A bit more conventionally folky is North written by Ariel. It's a celebration of a favorite vacation spot. <<>>
Ari and Mia apply their own original music to some traditional lyrics. But there is one old song that they perform, words and music, the Elizabeth Cotton folk standard Freight Train. They do very nice job. Mia's pure-sounding vocals can remind one of a jazz chanteuse. <<>> There's aslo a section in which the Friedman sisters conjure Western Swing. <<>>
Ari and Mia's new debut CD Unruly Heart is a thoroughly enjoyable recording that marks another young group venturing off into eclectic acoustic material, about 180 degrees from the contemporary commercial pop one associates with Friedman sisters' generation. Like their slightly older contemporaries, Crooked Still, Ari and Mia mix cello with Appalachian-folk-influenced music with clawhammer banjo, sometimes Gospel-like textures, and throw in jazz and even classical influence. Sometimes, their music can remind me of classical composer Aaron Copeland's approach to traditional American folk music. The result is eminently listenable and quite appealing.
Our grade for sound quality is close to an "A." The acoustic instruments and the Friedman sisters' vocals are very well recorded, clean, open and often intimate. By contemporary standards, the recording is not overly compressed, making for a decent dynamic range.
While it's hardly a dominant trend, it's nice to see growing numbers of younger generation performers venturing into eclectic acoustic music, groups like Crooked Still, Hey Mavis, The Punch Brothers, and Sarah Jarosz. Ari and Mia's new CD is another great example, with its fine musicianship, feeling for the traditional with a sense of adventurousness.


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Hesse – a region of contrasts
Frankfurt: skyline ©DZT (Francesco Carovillano)
Hesse lies at the heart of Germany and offers tourists a broad range of holiday options. Whether holidaymakers are looking for nature, culture, hiking, cycling, a spa break, a family holiday or a city break, there is something for everyone in Hesse. And it's quick and easy to get to, given that Frankfurt Airport is right in the middle of the region.
The most popular tourist destinations in Hesse are nice and varied, with the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region being the main port of call for visitors from all around the world. Culture vultures and night owls will be in their element here.
Adventures in the great outdoors are never far away, with the Taunus, Vogelsberg, Spessart and Odenwald hills just a stone's throw away from Frankfurt city centre. Top Taunus attractions include the vast Hessenpark Open-Air Museum and the Saalburg, which is the only reconstructed Roman fort in the world, not far from the Roman Limes UNESCO World Heritage Site. The foothills of the Vogelsberg hills extend far into the surrounding area and the region is also home to little spa resorts, such as Bad Salzhausen, Bad Salzschlirf and Herbstein, and two of Hesse's flagship cycle paths – the Volcano Cycle Path and the Hesse Railway Cycle Route. The Kinzigtal Valley marks the point at which the Vogelsberg and Spessart overlap. Emperor Babarossa's Imperial Palace in Gelnhausen and Hanau and the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm await visitors in the Spessart hills. The area to the west of Frankfurt merges into the Rheingau, which is part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site that just so happens to be one of the finest wine-growing regions Germany has to offer. Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, also falls within the Rheingau. Here, visitors are treated to a striking historic cityscape.
To the south of the region lie the legendary Odenwald hills, the Hessische Bergstrasse wine-growing region around Heppenheim and Bensheim, and Darmstadt, a city of science and one of Germany's Art Nouveau centres.
The north of the Hesse region in particular boasts largely unspoiled natural scenery and is known as the home of the Brothers Grimm. The Kellerwald-Edersee National Park is a major highlight in the area, with its foothills joining up with Lake Edersee, one of Germany's largest reservoirs, to form a paradise for water sports fans. Mount Hohe Meissner, the home of Old Mother Frost from the Brothers Grimm fairytale, and the primeval Sababurg woods in the Reinhardswald forest are top spots for hikers. Kassel, the major city in northern Hesse and home to the documenta exhibition, has made a name for itself amongst art buffs in particular. Moving further south-west, the idyllic Lahn Valley is a hit with tourists. Historical towns like Marburg, Wetzlar, Weilburg and Limburg an der Lahn are popular destinations in the region and excellent spots for canoeing and cycling. The Rhön Mountains and the Wasserkuppe, the tallest peak in Hesse at 950 metres, stand proudly in the far east of the region. From the plateaus where there is barely a tree in sight, a magnificent view extends over the peaks and valleys, revealing Rhön as the "land of endless horizons". This really is a region of contrasts!
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'Wild-flowering' at World Museum
It was early Spring when I last saw our City Wildflower Meadow, which grows in front of Liverpool's World Museum. Primroses, cowslips and native daffodils were in full flower and new plant shoots were emerging daily. Plug plants, lovingly grown at home, had been introduced and a lot of time had been devoted to digging-out invasive plants from the meadow borders. It promised to be a 'wild-flowering' year to remember.
That was ten weeks ago, and little did I realise then, just what lay ahead for us all. I don't think any of us did. The Covid 19 pandemic has been a time of unimaginable crisis and tragedy, turning all of our lives upside down. Suddenly growing wildflower plants at home and developing a meadow at work seemed irrelevant. And, so I stopped. Lock-down made visits impossible anyway and, for a long time, I hardly thought about our meadow – it was left entirely to its own devices.
Like many of us over the last few months, even as a natural science curator, I have felt myself re-connecting with nature in new and different ways, especially on my daily walk and with time to spare and to look closely. I've re-discovered my childhood curiosity and found myself taking photographs of flowers on my mobile phone and making mental notes whenever I see a new butterfly. The living world is therapeutic and reassuringly calming in such tense and troubling times.
So, how has our meadow changed since I saw it last? How has it been coping left to its own natural 'wild-flowering' ways? Because the truth is, creating and managing a 'natural meadow', is much more time consuming and problematic than most conventional gardening. There is a fine balance to be struck between the colourful 'natural look' which is desirable, and the undesirable abandoned 'wasteland look', which isn't! Very quickly one can become the other.
Every year a new plant makes a bid for meadow supremacy. First it was white clover, then it was ox-eye daisy, followed by yellow-vetch and more recently it has been alexanders – a statuesque plant, with a head of delicate yellow-white florets that belie its extreme 'thug like' invasive tendencies. Sometimes these plants naturally decline and sometimes they have to be removed.
First impressions, when I arrived last week were mixed. The grass paths had disappeared but were quickly mown and the smell of cut grass and herbs was pleasingly reminiscent of hay-making. These mown paths are important because they help people to get up close to individual plants and, because they visually 'tell' passers by, that the 'wildness' is deliberate. There were also a lot of thoughtlessly discarded tin cans and wind-blown plastic bags, which were easily tidied up.
Some plants had been and gone without me even seeing them. Or, at least I hope they had had, their flowering moment in splendid isolation. Most notable amongst these is meadow saxifrage, one of my all time favourite wildflowers. It has a simple white flower that suddenly appears on a long stem and can be seen gently swaying in the breeze. It's hard to believe that such a delicate plant can survive amidst taller and more robust plants and grasses. But it does, and it thrives, forming clumps of rosette leaves at its base.
At the end of last year, we had sown some more yellow rattle seed, digging it into bare soil with the heel of our shoes. It had germinated well and there was an extensive carpet of this very special annual plant before me. The attractive yellow flowers were fading and the papery seedpods, which rattle when the seed is ripe, were everywhere. Yellow rattle is semi-parasitic, taking water and nutrients from surrounding plants, especially grasses. This makes it an excellent 'natural tool' in meadow management, helping to stop the growth of dominant grasses and allowing space for smaller wildflowers to grow.
Gardener's talk about the June 'flowering gap' and this appears to have come early this year. No doubt enhanced by the extended period of hot and dry weather that we have been experiencing. Many wildflowers, such as the wild strawberry in our meadow, were clearly struggling from a lack of rain and the fruits were shrivelled and un-appetising. Many grasses were also turning the colour of dry straw. But other plants, especially the knapweed, were clearly flourishing and providing a valuable pollen and nectar source for bees and other insects.
I made a decision to water the struggling plants and spent a happy couple of hours, in the sunshine, with a hosepipe, spraying and noting the number of plant species in flower. Despite repeated attempts, I was unable to photograph the mini rainbows that this created.
The look of the meadow was subtle with few stand-out highlight colours visible from the road. In a couple of weeks' time, blousy cornfield annuals should help to rectify this and the meadow geranium and field scabious should soon cloak it in shades of blue and mauve. I counted while I watered, and saw over 70 different species of wildflower and grass in flower. But many, such as sainfoin, had to be looked for carefully.
Without doubt, the most impressive wildflowers were the large specimens of hoary mullein, spectacularly framed by the mellow sandstone walls of the museum. The four different types of wild rose were lovely to see, and the primary colours of hound's tongue and hawkweed very striking. But where were the buttercups that had been growing so well last year? Every year is different as the meadow changes and evolves.
During lockdown, the meadow has provided a colourful home for wildlife in the middle of Liverpool's city centre. I hope that it has also brightened up the lives of people who live and work there, as they walk by.


The Love/Hate Relationship Artists Have with Tattoo Conventions
By Charlie ConnellTattoo Artists
At the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention, we spoke with tattooists about how stressful the experience is, and why they keep coming back.
From the very second that you walk through the doors of the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention, you are overwhelmed by the sound of thousands of humming tattoo machines blending with the stereo systems of just as many tattooers. Looking around, hundreds of prints and flash sheets compete for your attention. When you add in the crush (and smell) of scores of eager people fighting to secure a tattoo with their favorite artist, it really makes you wonder why this was an event that you had been anticipating for months. By their very nature tattoo conventions are a blitz on the senses. Now imagine having to do your job in the dead center of all of that action.
"A really good quote that my friend Adam Hays told me, 'Conventions are where great tattooers will give you a good tattoo.' I feel like that's real," Jonathan Penchoff says. "This isn't where you come to get an awesome, phenomenal tattoo. Nobody wants to do that here. The lighting is shitty, there are so many distractions. It's just hard."
Over the course of the weekend, we talked with a bunch of tattooers about the pros and cons of convention life. If it's so difficult to work in that environment, why do it at all? We wanted to know every little thing that drove them insane, and every reason they pack their gear up to hit the road and do it all over again.
Hedwig and Hogwarts tattooed by Jonathan Penchoff at the Philadelphia Arts Tattoo Convention. (Via IG - earthgrapser) #harrypotter #illustrative #JonathanPenchoff
The Work Space
Almost universally, the tattooers we chatted with complained about the space in which they had to tattoo. Whether it was the lack of room to maneuver, the horrific lighting from fluorescent bulbs 70 feet above, or uncomfortable chairs, there are a ton of things that a tattooer has to adapt to in order to get the job done at a convention.
"See, my table is such a mess," Penchoff laughs while pointing to a tiny table covered with ink caps, ink containers, machines, and a Gandalf action figure. "It's so fucking cluttered. Imagine if I had to split this with someone, it would be a nightmare." Audie Fulfer Jr., who was attending the Philly convention for the 8th year in a row, expressed a similar worry while tattooing a client's neck. "It's definitely more challenging," he explains. "Being cramped up in a corner, I've traveled for so many years that I can tattoo in a 1x1, 2x2 area and be content."
"Nothing is where it's supposed to be like when you are home, and you have these tiny little chairs and your knees start to kill you," Chad Lenjer says. "The lighting isn't terrible here, at least. It's a little more stressful and it takes some getting used to. The first day is always like a learning curve. Then you have to figure out a flow, and you're good."
Clockwise from the top — Kate Collins, Shanghai Kate, Ivan Antonyshev and Chad Lenjer tattooing at the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention.
The Crowds
It should go without saying, but the obvious difference between working in the shop and a convention is the audience of thousands milling around and gawking for three straight days. "It's massive, it's crazy," Ivan Antonyshev says. "There were just so many people here, I was tattooing all day, and every time I'd look up, I'd see somebody. Not somebody, but many people, and it would just multiply."
Working under a microscope can be really difficult and tattooers look to find ways to limit distractions, more often than not turning to a product hawked by Dr. Dre. "I have to have headphones and my own music," Jamie Schene states. "I have to have [his wife and creative collaborator] Laura with me, I need these things to be able to work."
Lady head tattooed by Ivan Antonyshev at the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention. (Via IG - ivanantonyshevtattoos) #IvanAntonyshev #traditional #ladyhead
Even though most artists were willing to list a myriad of reasons why tattooing at a convention can be a clusterfuck of stress, there had to be a reason for them to show up in the first place.
"It's stressful, but I like it," Antonyshev says. "I can draw energy from it. Today I'll do some cool tattoos and then just chill for a little bit, take it easy."
"It's a reason to go somewhere new and make cool tattoos on different people," Lenjer explains. "Mostly that and you get to go see friends that you don't normally get to see. Other than the fact that it's super difficult to tattoo and there is usually pretty bad lighting, it's a total blast."
Considering that people come from all over the world, the allure of reconnecting with friends is clearly a huge driving force for artists. "It's cool to be part of something so large on this side of the country, and I get to hang out with more than a few friends while tattooing my clients," Fulfer says. "That's my main reason, that and cheesesteaks. I like Jim's, extra whiz, the wetter the better."
Kate Collins, who tattoos out of Philadelphia's Seven Swords Tattoo, only had to trek a little over four miles to get to the convention. But she was still drawn to make an appearance. "Everyone from all over the world is here, you have to be here to represent your town!" Collins laughs. "I always say, this is MY CONVENTION! Every time I'm here I get such a great showing of past clients, future clients, it's just a great way to connect. It's a nice way to mingle, put out feelers, see new faces."
The one-and-only Shanghai Kate.
Insight from a Legend
When you care so much about your craft, when tattooing is far more than just a job, conventions are something that you can't help but be drawn to. It's not the best way to do your work, but the energy and adulation from the crowd more than make up for that. The legendary Shanghai Kate has been in the business for close to a half century, and despite the exhaustion, she hits shows like Philly whenever she can.
"This is what I've done for 46 years, this is who I am," she says while tattooing her name on an adoring fan born long after she had become Shanghai Kate. "I don't think I'm going to stop until my body actually prevents me from doing it. This work is so demanding, and so engrossing, that when we're doing it you don't think about time passing, we don't think about aches or pains or illnesses or depression… this saves me."