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Saturday, September 3, 2011

La Pointe de Repos — Early Acadian Settlement Site along the Teche

For my own understanding as much as anything else, I post the following information regarding the location of La Pointe de Repos.  Situated along Bayou Teche, this place served as an early settlement site for Acadian exiles who arrived in the Spanish colony of Louisiana in 1765.

First, I display a ca. 1771 hand-drawn map by Attakapas District surveyor François Gonsoulin showing La Pointe de Repos (literally The Point of Rest) and the names of exiles who settled there.

La Pointe de Repos, from a ca. 1771 map by
surveyor François Gonsoulin. (Source: Library of Congress)
Note the map reads "Riviere Thex" (now called Bayou Teche) and "Quartier de La Pointe du Repos" (Area of La Pointe du Repos). Gonsoulin, however, did not place this stretch of the Teche in context — in other words, for all we know it could lie anywhere along the one-hundred-thirty-mile bayou.

The names of the settlers shown on Gonsoulin's map are (from left to right) Aman Thibodeau, Paul Thibodeau, François Guilbeau, Michel Bernard, Simon LeBlanc, Charles Guilbeau, Mary Guilbeau veuve (widow) Babineau, Sylvain Broussard, and the Widow Ducrest (née Wils [Wiltz]).

I now post a detail from Gertrude Taylor's 1979 reconstruction titled "Land Grants along the Teche" (issued by the Attakapas Historical Association in cooperation with the Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).

Detail of Gertrude Taylor's "Land Grants along the Teche"
(Lafayette, La.: Attakapas Historical Association/
Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1979).

Importantly, Taylor did not use Gonsoulin’s map as a source when compiling her reconstructed map, but relied on other documents.

Note that Taylor's reconstruction shows the same setters (with one exception) that appear on Gonsoulin’s map and that she places them near a bend in Bayou Teche just above present-day Parks, Louisiana. The settlers are, from north to south, Aman Thibodeau, Paul Thibodeaux, François Guilbeau, Michael (Michel) Bernard, Simon Leblanc, Francois Guilbeau, Charles Babineau, and Armand Ducrest.  Only Sylvain Broussard is missing.

Regardless, the evidence (that is, the corresponding names and matching contours on both maps) is sufficient to show that La Pointe de Repos sat on the Teche just above Parks.

In actuality, my research digs up nothing new. As Carl Brasseaux wrote in Founding of New Acadia (1987), "Ascending the Teche to the large westward bend above present-day Parks, these . . . [Acadian exiles] founded a settlement they christened La Pointe de Repos."

It's helpful for me, however, to see Brasseaux’s findings reflected in these two maps created about two-hundred years apart.

  1. Lake Martin, in 1930 map labeled as Lake LaPointe, just to the east of the Teche at Parks,

  2. My ancestor is listed on one of the land patent. Do you know where I could get a copy of the patent dated May 18, 1771. I also wanted to know if you had a higher res jpg from this blog. Thanks

  3. E-mail me per the contact link in the right margin. I might be able to help.

  4. See La Pointe de Bon Repos, La Pointe de Repos, Le Pointe au Repos, Quartier de La Pointe du Repos, l'ance du Bon repos, L'ance (anse) a (au) Michaud, La Prairie a Michaud and Prairie Michaud on my old-new page at

    for a genealogical report of the relationships among the settlers and an explanation for why Sylvain Brouusard wasn't listed.

  5. Thanks, Stanley -- I'll definitely check it out on your excellent page.

  6. Taylor's Map, LaPoint de Repos in Google Maps,,-91.846561&spn=0.073125,0.1054&sll=30.140748,-91.520319&sspn=0.036593,0.0527&t=h&z=13

    1. Thanks for putting this link: Taylor's map matches up nicely with the satellite photo of the region.

  7. Sorry, I'm late to your blog. See my comment on the Red Ford Galaxie at the Escondido Bowl. Anyway, thank you so much for posting this about La Pointe de Repos and Anonymous for the google map overlay. One of my ancestors (Joseph Hebert) is listed on the Taylor map. I knew he arrived with the Joseph Broussard party in 1765 and settled in the Attakapas region somewhere near Bayou Teche but I had no idea where. This is a real blessing to me and I hope to visit the site this summer. Looking much closer at the two maps I think you may actually have uncovered something of interest. The names on the two maps match very well when going left to right until you get to the middle of the big hump, then they no longer match. I wonder why. Is it possible that the settlement of the Acadians was made next to an existing settlement as the names in that area do not seem to be Acadian on the Gonsoulin map while the later Taylor map clearly shows Acadian settlers on the right side of the map. Perhaps the epidemic outbreak the settlers encountered wiped out some of the existing landowners opening the way for more settlement. As I do not have access to Taylor's book I am unable to verify the dates for the land grants. One more thing, the names of the Acadian settlers on the maps are clearly members of the Joseph Broussard party. I was able to correlate the names with the list at,%201765.htm#The%20BROUSSARD%20dit%20Beausoleil%20Party%20of%20the%20Atakapas,%201765

    I would also very much be interested in a higher resolution image of the Taylor map. My ancestry research is slowly turning into a historical novel but I am enjoying it very much.

    Looking forward to reading your posts about the trip down (up?) the Bayou Teche. I am thinking of making a trip in a power boat to retrace the path of the early settlers from New Orleans up the Mississippi River to Plaquemine then down the bayous to the Atchafalaya River and on into Bayou Teche. I believe this is the route they took. Do you happen to know for sure or have any references on this topic? It would be much appreciated. Keep up the good work.

  8. Thanks for your note, James: I'll ask my friend Stanley LeBlanc to respond, as he's look into this matter (the route of the Acadian exiles to the Teche). Sincerely, Shane

  9. James, here is Stanley's reply:

    Joseph Hebert, aka Joseph Pepin, did arrive with Beausoleil. He was a son of Benoni Hebert and Jeanne Savoie. On the April 25, 1766 census, he was at Quartel de la Punta [Fausse Pointe] and listed just below Jean Baptiste Broussard. On the late 1769/early 1770 census, he is listed in the household of Jean Baptiste Broussard. On April 25, 1771, he married Magdeleine Trahan. The marriage is recorded in the Pointe Coupee records because there wasn’t a priest at Attakapas. Magdeleine Trahan was the daughter of Jean Trahan and Marguerite Broussard who was a sister of Jean Baptiste Broussard – both were children of Alexandre Broussard. I have seven children for Joseph and Magdeleine.

    Joseph apparently moved to the Point de Repos area when some of the Acadians moved upwards and most likely about the same time or shortly after some of the Acadians moved from the Mississippi River into the Attakapas area. Some settled above Le Point de Repos in current-day Cecilia [La Grande Pointe] and some near Arnaudville – some also moved westward to the Vermilion.

    Re the route. The 1765 Acadians most likely cut across the lakes and entered Attakapas from behind current-day Loreauville rather than going down the Atchafalaya and coming up the Teche. This is indicated by the correspondence describing the route that Lt. Andry would take and also by the 1769 route taken by Lt. Nugent and Kelly. Bouligny entered the Teche from below current-day Charenton when he took the Malaquenos Settlers in Feb. 1779 because the original New Iberia Settlement was near current-day Charenton. The spring floods caused Bouligny to move upward to current-day New Iberia.

    James may be interested in keeping up with the New Acadia Project -

  10. Hi Shane, thank you and Stanley for the information. Yes, those are my ancestors and match the information I have. I did not know about the Fausse Pointe piece, this fills in a nice gap. It turns out Joseph (Pepin) Hebert arrived with a sister, Louise. Louise married a son of Joseph Broussard. In fact both married other people from the voyage. I guess they became very close as such things will do to people. I wonder how many of them this happened to? Possibly a good story. Turns out Joseph and Louise also had a brother, Charles, sometimes called Jean Charles, who appears to have arrived a bit later, not sure why. He went to Cabanocé at least initially. They were all orphans by this time. Anyway, all three names are listed under Jean Baptiste Hebert (a relative) on the Acadian Memorial wall in St Martinville. I have the rest of the line traced to Etienne Hebert (brother of Antoine) in Port Royal. I hope to visit all the sites one day. This genealogy stuff has really got me interested in the history of the Acadians. It's a fantastic story without parallel in North American History. By the way, your history of the Teche will prove to be interesting to me personally as the maternal line on my Mother's side was named Ditch. I have them traced from Morgan CIty to Franklin to Charenton to points in between all the way to Pecan Island. So I know they also moved, lived, and worked along the Teche I believe in the Sugar Cane industry. I hope to visit Cajun country again this summer. I will check out the website and Stanley's information on the route of the Acadians from New Orleans to the Attakaps. Much appreciated. I have yet to find it described in any detail in any of the books I have read except somewhere I remember reading the journey took 5-6 days. The one thing we know for sure is at some point they would have entered the Teche for the final leg of their long journey to the New Acadia. Take Care.

  11. Shane, I know this blog is mostly about La Pointe de Repos, however, can you provide any information about the location of La Manque which (on Brausseaux's 1987 map) seems to be north of La Pointe?

    1. Lisa, researcher Donald Arceneaux has recently proposed that La Manque is actually farther south on the Teche, on the Fausse Pointe oxbow near the center of which sits the town of Loreauville. Donald has convinced me that this is the likely location. See his detailed paper that addresses this issue at:


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die filer

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  • die filer

    I ran across a millwaukee die filer with about 10 files and stand that i am thinking of buying. any body out there have any opinions on this die filer. THANKS in advance, Russ.

  • #2
    Lathe Dog, Yup! I've got one, and like it! I've never tried sawing, but it sure handles filing well. It is a well made unit and has given no trouble. Old timers have told me that these things never wore out unless run with no lube in the scotch yoke case. Mine was $125, had the motor and one file, no over-arm support, I'll probably make one when it is needed. It looked like hell, (psych-ward green), but was mechanicaly in good shape. Gone through, ( cleaned up, new gaskets and belt) and repainted it looks brand-new. The nameplate had lost most of it's paint but an art student at our local high school repainted it and did a super job. The files can still be had from Oliver of Adrian or Federal file but are expensive. It is easiy to modify some types of regular files to work. Most of the time it is used for "filing to the line" type jobs on small models and engine parts. I sure don't use it every day but would hate to be without it. For me, It's changed the way I plan jobs and has made a lot of work much more fun. If the price is right, I think you will like it.
    Good luck

    • #3
      Thanks for the info! The die filer that i am looking at is in very good condition and i also build model gas engines and thought this machine would be a nice addition to my shop.

      • #4
        I have an old (maybe prewar) Craftsman 24" scroll saw. Cast iron, weighs about a ton, has a nice Scotch Yoke drive. Does anyone have any ideas about converting it into a light duty die filer? Think it might work, for small model parts? Just a thought

        • #5
          I have a milwaukee, and it is well built. I have the backup roller overarm also, and the saw attachment.

          Reccommended. Almost anything will fit in the nice two-jaw chuck they have.

          BTW, I have a problem with mine that I don't know quite how to fix.

          The plunger is scored badly and worn at the top. The bearing is not bad at all, as it is pretty tight if turned so unworn areas contact.
          It looks like a lot of filings got on top of the bearing and just chewed up the plunger.

          I found this after buying the machine (for a low price). The bearing has slots that will allow material to bypass the bearing and fall in the sump, but it must have been overloaded. How filings got up there I don't know, but the previous owner managed it somehow.

          Problem is that there is a shield attached to plunger and chuck that obscures the area. I cannot figure out how to get it off without damage (it is thin metal), nor how to get it back on if I did get it off the hard way.

          After I get it off, I may see about getting plunger built up and ground true again.

          • #6
            HELLO OSO,

            Thanks for the info. I did not know that millwaukee made a saw attachment for the die filer ,is it a usefull attachment?

            • #7
              I have no clue if it is useful, never used it.

              It is illustrated in the patent drawing. If yours has the patent number cast into the base, as mine does, look it up in "design patents" on the USPTO site for a pic.

              Apparently the guy that made the thing first designed it as a saw, and the filing business came later. At least that is what is suggested by the design patent drawing.

              • #8
                I never took the plunger out of mine so I can't help with that. Mine has a sheet metal box attached to the plunger under the table that collects filings. Every year or so, I just vacum it out. Bye the way, when I first got mine and was searching for files, I came across a co. called Oliver of Adrian.
                Oliver Instrument Co.
                831 Division St., 189
                Adrian,Michigan 49221 tel. 517-263-2132
                They still make filers, sell files and presumibly parts. Now it's hard to tell from a catalog, but it looks like their filer is the same as the Millwaukee except for the table which is round. Maybe you could get a new plunger or find out how to get yours out from them? Oh, in 1998, they charged $2,160 for their machine with a 1/4 hp. motor, overarm and a dozen files.

                • #9
                  Thanks for the lead.

                  A box? Attached to the plunger? Sounds almost like the shield, but upside down.

                  Does yours have the 2-jaw chuck with triangular groove in one side?

                  Mine has a thin bearing tube up from the cast housing of the "works", and the shield fits outside of that. How a bunch of filings got up there I don't know, but when I cleaned it up before using, there they were!

                  If I figure it out, I will post the info for reference.

                  • #10
                    Lathe Dog,
                    In looking at my filer,after removing the table, I think mine must be a defferent model than yours. The chuck is indeed two pieces, one with a v-groove the other is "checkered" like the jaw on a vice. But,the plunger is completely inclosed in a tube that travels with it and telescopes over the tube that comes up from the cast box that incloses the scotch yoke. The sheetmetal box clamps on to this larger, moving tube with a screw and nut like an old fashioned radiator clamp. The way it is made, it would be difficult if not impossible for filings to get to any moving parts, even without the sheetmetal box. The name plate says:Rice Millwaukee Die Filer, model FS, Type 204, Rice pump & machine Co.

                    • #11
                      HMS50....That is exactly how my Milwaukee is made. Chuck sounds the same too.

                      The tube that your collector box clamps to is the part I need to remove to fix the plunger. The filings were up top on the top of the bearing tube, and I could not see how the previous owner got them there either. Looked just as impossible to me. But there they were, with oil holding them.

                      It is a Milwaukee Die Filer, made by Milwaukee Chaplet and Manufacturing Co. I think yours is just a bit newer than mine.

                      • #12

                        Just brought the die filer home to the shop today. have not had time to play with it yet, but hope to this weekend some time.

                        THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION,
                        LATHE DOG

                        • #13
                          Has anyone made or adapted files to fit in a die filer? I have an Oliver Die Filer complete with Overarm Support. Just need to get roundtuit to clean it up and get use out of it but finding affordable files seems to be a problem.
                          Jack of All Trades, Master of None

                          • #14
                            Yes I have adapted ordinary files for use on a die filer. Plain flat files work best if they are not tapered. I made a holder to fit the machine that would hold a file once it was cut off to suitable length. One must of course use it with the cutting stroke down. With a properly made holder or holders one can use most any type of file in these machines. Used to work making aluminum templates and formers for diesinking machinery. Never had a problem use ordinary files and they are cheaper.

                            Paul G.
                            Paul G.

                            • #15
                              Metal Lathe Accessories lists a kit for a filing machine, and with it are instructions for making your own "type A" files from commercial files. Might give you some ideas.

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A difficult journey

This Christmas time many of us will have to take journeys.

Recently I preached at church about our journey with Jesus and about our Christian life being a journey. To help me with the preach I researched what it would have been like for Mary on her long journey to Bethlehem, which would have been Jesus’ first journey here on earth!

I thought I knew the story, but I didn’t, not all of it.

This information has been taken from an article written by James Strange, a New Testament and biblical archaeology professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

So it was foretold he would be born in Bethlehem

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

(Matthew 2:6; cf. Micah 5:2; John 7:42)

The census that Herod called was meant to happen years before, BUT GOD, he changed the circumstances for Mary and Joseph.

Mary’s journey was difficult, but it had purpose.

They had to travel 90 miles to the city of Joseph’s ancestors: south along the flatlands of the Jordan River, then west over the hills surrounding Jerusalem, and on into Bethlehem.

Strange, who annually leads an excavation team at the ancient city of Sepphoris, near Nazareth said “It was a fairly gruelling trip, in antiquity, the most we find people travelling is 20 miles a day. And this trip was very much uphill and downhill. It was not simple.”

It is estimated that Joseph and Mary likely would have travelled only 10 miles a day because of Mary’s impending delivery.

And the trip through the Judean desert would have taken place during the winter, when “it’s in the 30s during the day and rains like heck, It’s nasty, miserable. And at night it would be freezing.” To protect themselves during inclement weather, Mary and Joseph would likely have worn heavy woollen cloaks, constructed to shed rain and snow. Under their cloaks, the ancient residents wore long robes, belted at the waist. Tube-like socks and enclosed shoes protected the feet.

And the unpaved, hilly trails and harsh weather were not the only hazards Joseph and Mary would have faced on their journey south.

One of the most terrifying dangers in ancient Palestine was the heavily forested valley of the Jordan River. Lions and bears lived in the woods, and travellers had to fend off wild boars. Archaeologists have unearthed documents warning travellers of the forest’s dangers, and Mary and Joseph would have been right there in the thick of it.

And “bandits, pirates of the desert and robbers” were also common hazards along the major trade routes like the one Joseph and Mary would have travelled, according to the Rev. Peter Vasko, a Catholic priest and director of the Holy Land Foundation (an organization that works to retain a Christian presence in Israel and promotes the restoration of sacred Christian sites there.)

The threat of outlaws often forced solitary travellers to join trade caravans for protection. Mary and Joseph had to bring their own provisions. “In wineskins, they carried water,” said Vasko. “And they carried a lot of bread. Breakfast would be dried bread, lunch would be oil with bread, and herbs with oil and bread in the evening.”

The hardships did not end when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem.

Under normal circumstances, the pair would have expected to stay in the spare bedroom of a relative or another Jewish family. However, an overcrowded Bethlehem would have forced Joseph and Mary to seek lodging at a primitive inn.

It is widely agreed that Jesus was born in a cave used for housing animals. But how realistic are the Renaissance images of Joseph, Mary and the newborn Jesus surrounded by a menagerie of camels, oxen, cows, chickens, pheasants and peacocks?

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4–7)

We don’t get many more details then this about the birth of Jesus and so it is largely down to (educated) speculation as to what it would have actually been like.

So their Journey was not an easy one. It was hard physically, emotionally and they would have felt under threat and at times very afraid.

Are you finding your Journey difficult right now?

Are you wondering if you are on the wrong path because it’s difficult? Are you finding it hard to see the good in your situation? But just because it’s hard or painful, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong thing.

God wants to use your difficult situation to grow you. He wants you to develop and become more like Jesus and he uses all that is in your life to do this.

He knows your journey and he knows where you have been and where you are headed and if you let Him, he will lead you through.

Sometimes we seem to be heading in a pleasing and good direction, but something happens, and we ask, “What happened there then?”. We expect our lives to go right and so we are disappointed when it doesn’t- like it is our right to an easy and comfortable life!

We pray prayers for God to be in control and order our steps, but sometimes we have to do a u turn, admit we made a wrong choice. Sometimes its maybe a bend in the road and we just need to fix our eyes on God again and get ourselves back on his track.

God knew that Mary and Joseph’s journey would be difficult and I cant imagine how they would have felt a long the way, but they stayed faithful and of course the outcome was wonderful. Jesus, light of the world and hope to the hopeless, was born.

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Welcome to Bedford Borough Council

Home > Community Histories > Kensworth > The Sugar Loaf Public House Kensworth

The Sugar Loaf Public House Kensworth

The Sugar Loaf about 1900 [Z883/26]
The Sugar Loaf about 1900 [Z883/26]

The Sugar Loaf Public House: 59 Common Road, Kensworth.

Kensworth was in Hertfordshire until 1897 when it was transferred into Bedfordshire. The countywide licensing register of 1903 stated that the owned of the Sugar Loaf was Fuller & Company of Chiswick [Middlesex]. The public house was in good repair, clean and with satisfactory sanitation. It was 275 yards from the nearest licensed premises and had a front door and one from the yard at the side (however see below).

The Sugar Loaf closed in 1908 and the Luton News of 27th February that year described the closure of three Kensworth licensed premises, the other two being the Half Moon Beerhouse and the Red Lion Beerhouse: “Superintendent Panter stated that the owners of this house were Messrs. Fuller, Smith and Turner of Chiswick, and the leaseholders were Messrs. Locke and Smith of Berkhamstead. The present tenant, Edward Henderson, went into the house in October last year. There had been six changes in the last ten years. The annual rent was £10 and the rateable value £12. There was lodging for four or five persons, and stabling for four or five horses. The public-house consisted of two cottages, so there were two entrances both at the front and at the back. At the 1901census there were 516 inhabitants in the parish and as there were eight licenses, that was one of 64 persons. Since then the population had decreased. The nearest licensed house was the Old Red Lion, 264 yards away, and in the opposite direction the Farmer’s Boy, 600 yards away. In his opinion there were too many licensed houses in Kensworth. It had been stated to him by two license-holders that there was insufficient trade. He did not think this house was required”.

“In answer to a question by Mr. Sworder, who appeared for Messrs. Locke and Smith, witness said the Old Red Lion was only a beerhouse. The nearest alehouse on that side of the Sugar Loaf was three-quarters of a mile away”.

“P. C. Stanbridge stated that fifteen houses were very near the Sugar Loaf. There was a fair trade in spirits, but not much in beer, he thought”.

“Mr. Blow gave evidence as to the measurements, etc. and it appeared that in his view there was not much to choose between the Farmer’s Boy and the Sugar Loaf, although the former was more modern and more comfortable. The tenant of the Sugar Loaf depended upon rain water for his water supply”.

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Kensworth, like most of the county, was largely valued in 1927. The valuer visiting the former public house, now a private house found it owned and occupied by W. J. Tomlin. His accommodation comprised a reception room, a living room, a kitchen and a washhouse downstairs with four bedrooms above. The valuer commented: “The Old Sugar Loaf”.

The property also comprised a number of farm buildings. These were: a weather-boarded and corrugated iron shed; a brick and slate two-stall stable; a brick and slate store shed; a brick and slate barn; a brick and corrugated iron cart shed; three weather-boarded and corrugated iron sheds used for storing straw and a brick and slate earth closet.

59 Common Road February 2013
59 Common Road February 2013

  • PSL6/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Luton Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1901;
  • Z883/26-27: photographs: c.1910;
  • Z883/47: photographs: c.1960s.

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1897-1902: James Jenkins;
1902-1903: John Leach;
1903-1904: Henry Birch;
1904-1905: Walter Thomas Boden;
1905: Edward Holt;
1905-1907: James Neill;
1907-1908: Edward Henderson.
Public House closed 1908.


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Home World U.S. News City of Houston Wants to Keep Critical Safety Information about Coronavirus Pandemic...

City of Houston Wants to Keep Critical Safety Information about Coronavirus Pandemic a Secret

Press release

The City of Houston wants to keep critical safety information about the coronavirus pandemic a secret. Wait till you find out one of the reasons why.

Dolcefino Consulting asked for records on any events or locations where contract tracers found community spread.  It was part of our investigation into any real evidence Houston bars had been linked to coronavirus outbreaks. We didn’t ask for patient information, just locations, like the huge protest rallies downtown and other large gatherings.

The City of Houston Legal Department and the City Attorney are now refusing to tell you where coronavirus outbreaks have happened. Why? One reason, according to the City, is Homeland Security.

“The release of this information could alert a criminal or terrorist to potential vulnerabilities in the Cities emergency response plan to COVID-19,” said City Attorney Rebekah Wendt. Wendt went on to claim that the release of certain information could “allow a criminal or terrorist to have intimate details concerning the City’s evolving plans to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and allow them to exacerbate COVID-19 and future disasters.”

Coronavirus: Protest Rally in Pasadena to Demand the Reopening of Texas Bars

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is also keeping the contact tracing results a secret, even though the taxpayers are the people footing the bill. In the span of just two hours, the County Health Department claimed they had no records of congregate settings related to the coronavirus. An hour and a half later, the County Health Department did admit that they had records but claimed that they were too busy with the spread of the coronavirus to tell us where the coronavirus was spreading.

“On one hand we have a statewide order and a local order telling us that we have to wear masks to wear masks to control the spread of the coronavirus and we are spending millions of dollars to try to keep people safe but meanwhile our local government won’t tell us which places we need to avoid,” says Wayne Dolcefino, President of Dolcefino Consulting.

“The public has every right to evaluate how the government is handling this pandemic and the City of Houston and Harris County Health Department should be ashamed of themselves.”

Nancy is a young, full of life lady who joined the team shortly after the BelleNews site started to run. She is focused on bringing up to light all the latest news from the technology industry. In her opinion the hi-tech expresses the humanity intellectual level. Nancy is an active person; she enjoys sports and delights herself in doing gardening in her spare time, as well as reading, always searching for new topics for her articles.


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The Daily Comic Book Coffee, Part Ten

Welcome to the tenth Comic Book Coffee collection. I’ve been posting these daily in the Comic Book Historians group on Facebook. The challenge was to see how many different pencilers I could find artwork by featuring coffee. I’m hoping to do 100 of these entries on FB, which means we’re halfway there.

46) Frank Miller & Klaus Janson

Here’s a coffee-drinking cover, courtesy of penciler Frank Miller and inker Klaus Janson.  This is for Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15, written by Denny O’Neil, lettered by Jim Novak, and colored by Bob Sharon, published by Marvel Comics in September 1981.

I know sometimes covers are designed by people other than the credited penciler, although I cannot find any info to that effect for this one.  Regardless, whether it was Frank Miller himself or someone else, this is an incredibly striking image.  The reader is seeing through the eyes of Doctor Octopus as he drinks his morning coffee and reads the Daily Bugle’s account of the latest battle between Spider-Man and the Punisher.

In the last couple of decades, what with the proliferation of ninjas, prostitutes, racism and Goddamn Batmen in his stories, it is easy to forget what made Miller such a well-regarded creator in the first place.  Looking through this Annual recently, I was reminded what an absolutely incredible storyteller he can be.  Miller’s layouts for this story are astonishing.  He does a hell of a job showing Doctor Octopus making full, creative, deadly use of his mechanical tentacles.

The inks / finishes by Klaus Janson in this Annual are very effective.  Janson’s inking has always been wonderfully well-suited to creating moody atmospheres.  His artistic collaborations with Miller, here and on the ongoing Daredevil series, are certainly well-regarded.

47) Michele Witchipoo

Here’s a page from the Psycho Bunny story “Summer of COVID19” written & drawn by Michele Witchipoo, which is currently on Webtoon.

Psycho Bunny is a misanthropic, foul-mouthed, alcoholic rabbit who lives in Queens, NYC.  He been featured in a series of self-published comic books created by Witchipoo over the past 15 years.  This latest story sees Psycho Bunny dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic, and the accompanying insanity, in his own rage-filled way.

On this page Psycho Bunny is at his job at Any Company Inc, stuck listening to his annoying co-worker Bill the Badger, who thinks COVID-19 is a hoax.  Glancing around to make sure the coast is clear, Psycho Bunny slips out an airplane bottle…

“The manager isn’t around. Gonna sneak some booze into this shitty coffee.”

Yes, Michele is my girlfriend.  I may be biased, but I think she is a very talented artist.  She has self-published a number of comic books, and her work has been included in several small press anthologies.  Michele’s illustrations were first published in 2010 by MTV Press.

“Psycho Bunny: Summer of COVID19” can be viewed at the link below.  Stay tuned for future installments.

48) Al Milgrom & Joe Sinnott

Avengers #246, penciled by Al Milgrom, inked by Joe Sinnott, written by Roger Stern, lettered by Jim Novak, and colored by Christie Scheele, published by Marvel Comics with an August 1984 cover date.

Al Milgrom shows off his strong storytelling chops on this page featuring the Vision and the Scarlet Witch.  Inking is by Joe Sinnott, his third appearance in this Comic Book Coffee series.  For many years Sinnott was a much in-demand embellisher at Marvel.  I enjoyed the work Milgrom and Sinnott did together.  They were a solid art team.

During a meeting at the White House, the Vision attempts to convince the President that the Avengers should report directly to the Oval Office.  This is all part of the Vision’s plan for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to gain more power & responsibility, with the final secret goal of the Vision himself assuming control of the world.

The Vision now seeks to establish himself as a “man of the people” with whom the public is comfortable.  In order to make his profile more public, he and the Scarlet Witch are returning to New York not by Avengers Quinjet but by commercial airliner.

To the Scarlet Witch’s surprise, the Vision orders drinks from the stewardess.  “My wife will have tea with lemon, and I’ll take coffee… cream, no sugar!”  This prompts another passenger to remark, “’Ey, how about that? The Vizh takes his coffee the same way I do!”  A satisfied Vision thinks to himself “Perfect! Just the reaction I wanted!”  Yep, the Vision certainly understands him human psychology!

All of this leaves the Scarlet Witch bewildered. “He never drinks coffee! What is going on?”  I don’t know if Roger Stern intended this to be a deliberate reference, but this scene always reminds me of the 1980 disaster parody movie Airplane!

49) Frank Turner & Bill Black

Femforce #44, penciled & inked by Frank Turner, written by Bill Black, and lettered by Tim Twonky, published by AC Comics in December 1991.

Let’s take another look at Femforce.  Having been exposed to a flawed version of the chemical compound that originally gave Ms. Victory her powers, the Femforce team leader was transformed into the anti-social bad girl Rad.  Breaking away from Femforce, Rad led a wild, hedonistic lifestyle.

Rad recently lost a bundle in Atlantic City, and so reluctantly agrees to create a youth formula for a wealthy woman who promises to pay her a fortune.  What Rad does not realize is that the elderly lady and her assistant are actually Lady Luger and Fritz Von Voltzman, who she fought as Ms. Victory back during World War II.  The Nazi war criminals are plotting to duplicate the chemical, and they slip Rad a drugged cup of coffee to incapacitate her.

Frank Turner got his start in the mid 1980s working for black & white independent companies Graphik Publikations, Eternity and Malibu.  In the early 1990s he drew a number of stories for AC Comics, as well as a few jobs for Millenium Publications, doing some very nice work at both companies.  I certainly liked the art he did for Femforce.  Turner then worked for Marvel between 1992 and 1994 as an inker on several different titles.

Following the mid-1990s implosion in comic books Turner reportedly worked for Sony Animation in California for a period of times, after which he moved back to his native Birmingham, AL.  Unfortunately he passed away in 2008 at the much too young age of 47.

50) Khary Randolph & Rich Perotta

New Mutants volume 2 #13 penciled by Khary Randolph, inked by Rich Perotta, written by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir, lettered by Dave Sharpe, and colored by Ian Hannin & Rob Ro, published by Marvel Comics with a June 2004 cover date.

The second New Mutants series saw the original team becoming teachers and Xavier’s School, instructing a new generation of young mutants in the use of their powers & abilities.  This final issue of volume two served as a bookend to the debut of the New Mutants in Marvel Graphic Novel #4 two decades earlier.

Donald Pierce, the cyborg terrorist who was the original team’s very first adversary way back when, has returned.  Pierce and his new team of mutant-hating Reavers arrive in Salem Center NY planning to eliminate Josh Foley, a teenager who worked with them before he learned he was a mutant, along with any other students at Xavier’s School that they can set their sights on.

Encountering Cannonball, Mirage, Karma, Wolfbane and Sunspot, the original line-up, a bloodthirsty Pierce gloats that the last time they met he nearly killed them.  However, this time the former students handily defeat Pierce and the Reavers, showing just how much they’ve grown in the years since.

DeFilippis & Weir do a good job with the downtime scenes that were a hallmark of the original series.  Prior to Pierce’s attack, the reunited original class head to The Grind Stone coffee shop to touch base and catch up.  Sunspot, the incurable ladies man Roberto DaCosta, just cannot help flirting with Luna, an attractive barista at The Grind Stone, leading Karma to playfully slap him upside the head.  Randolph & Perotta do a wonderful job illustrating the fun, comedic moments of this scene.

Comic books I’m reading, part two: trade paperbacks

After I wrote my post about what I was reading from Marvel and DC, I realized that I had left out something crucial: trade paperbacks.

Trade paperbacks have the advantage of containing a complete story or, in the case of the black & white Marvel Essential and DC Showcase Presents volumes, several hundred pages of reprints for twenty dollars or less.  TPBs often give you a lot more value for your money than a single issue “pamphlet” which only contains 22 pages, and they are much more durable.  I find it easier to take a TPB on the train or bus to read, because if it gets knocked around a bit, it won’t end up being destroyed.

I recently picked up a pair of trades published by DC which both featured the artwork of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.  The first one, JLA: The Hypothetical Woman, was written by Gail Simone.  It has to be one of the best Justice League stories that I have read in years.  Simone absolutely understands  how to write the JLA’s team dynamics, highlighting the particular strengths of each member while still showing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  And she gives the team a truly worthy adversary in General Tuzik, a ruthless Machiavellian dictator who seems to spend the majority of the story one step ahead of the League.  You really are left wondering how the JLA is going to get through this one.

JLA: The Hypothetical Woman
JLA: The Hypothetical Woman

The artwork is stunning.  This is some of the finest penciling by Garcia-Lopez in his entire career.  He draws a story on a truly epic scale, with both superhuman spectacles and intimate personal moments.  And his Wonder Woman… she is absolutely breathtaking, especially in the story’s second half, when we see her on the field of battle, a commanding portrait of beauty & strength.  Garcia-Lopez is very ably complemented by inkers Klaus Janson and Sean Phillips on this book.

I believe that JLA: The Hypothetical Woman is out of print, but a number of copies are still available on  I definitely recommend picking it up.

The other TPB with Garcia-Lopez’s pencils is Batman: King Tut’s Tomb, which reprints “A New Dawn” from Batman Confidential #s 26-28.  Yes, the comic books actually use the television bad guy King Tut, but he is completely revamped into a credible, dangerous criminal by writers Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir.  Batman is forced to team up with his long-time foe the Riddler to track down Tut.  DeFilippis & Weir do a great job with that character, making him a very mischievous, devil-may-care rogue.  In a way, you have to admire their version of the Riddler.  Unlike most of Batman’s foes, he isn’t a homicidal maniac.  Instead, the Riddler’s goal is to commit clever crimes and outwit Batman, proving his the superior intellect.

Again, Garcia-Lopez’s artwork is of a high quality.  He is inked by Kevin Nolan, who has an extremely slick, polished style.  I think Nolan can often overwhelm other artists with his inks, but he works very well with Garcia-Lopez.  The finished artwork is a pleasant blending of their styles.  Additionally, I liked the vibrant coloring by David Baron.

Batman: King Tut’s Tomb also contains a trio of Batman stories Garcia-Lopez drew in the early 1980s.  I don’t have any of those issues, so they were a nice bonus.

I purchased Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier back in December of last year.  I read the book when I had to stay in the hospital for a few days.  I’m re-reading it now, and thoroughly enjoying it once again.  It contains the character’s appearances from Star Spangled War Stories #s 151 to 188, which were originally printed in the 1970s.

Who is the Unknown Soldier?  He is an unnamed American soldier who, in the early days of World War II, was horribly disfigured in combat during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.  Trained as an expert at infiltration and a master of disguise, he is dispatched on missions behind enemy lines to sabotage the Axis war effort.  When not wearing one of his lifelike masks, the Soldier is typically clad in trench coat & fedora, his face completely covered in bandages.

Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier
Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier

When I first read this collection of Unknown Soldier stories, it occurred to me that the concept was very similar to the Sam Raimi movie Darkman… except that film came out a good twenty years later.  Coincidence or influence?  I don’t know.  I recall that when I saw Darkman in the theater in 1990, I thought to myself that it would make a great ongoing comic book series, and I was right.  What I did not know then was that such a series already existed in the adventures of the Unknown Soldier.

This Showcase Presents volume contains work by a number of talented writers & artists.  The Unknown Soldier was created by the legendary Joe Kubert, and he collaborated with writers Bob Haney and Robert Kanigher on the first several stories.  After the first dozen or so stories, Kubert slips into the role of cover artist, also providing many of the very striking opening splash pages which combine his artwork with photo montages.  Jack Sparling takes over art chores for a time, before Filipino illustrator Gerry Talaoc becomes the regular artist for the remainder of the Unknown Soldier’s adventures.  Other writers who worked on the book are Archie Goodwin, Frank Robbins and David Michelinie.

(It is a bit of a pity that Robbins does not also provide any artwork.  He is one of those artists who when I was much younger I could not stand his work, considering it weird and rubbery.  But over time I’ve grown to greatly appreciate his immense talents.  Nowadays, when I come across a story he has illustrated, it is a real treat.)

I am not generally a fan of war comics, but I instantly became a fan of the Unknown Soldier.  I think a major reason for this is the fact that, at his core, the Unknown Soldier is really an anti-war figure.  His origin is the personification of the horror of war.  There is nothing glamorous about what he does.  Really, the Soldier’s whole reason for being is to bring an end to the conflict that destroyed his life.

I hope that one of these days DC releases a second Showcase Presents collection of the Unknown Soldier’s adventures.  The final half-dozen tales in the first volume are written by Michelinie, who really ramped up the dark moral ambiguity.  His first story, “8,000 to One,” very much drives home just what a grim, horrific role the Soldier has had to take on to carry out his mission.  And the superb artwork by Talaoc is a perfect fit for the tone of Michelinie’s writing.  I definitely want to read the rest of their work on the character.

Before I close out this blog, I would be remiss if I did not mention a magazine that I regularly follow, Back Issue from TwoMorrows Publishing.  Superbly edited by Michael Eury, Back Issue has featured a diverse selection of articles on the comic books of the 1970s and 80s, and occasionally beyond.  The current issue spotlights the Avengers (just in time for the movie) and has some fascinating, informative interviews & commentary from Roger Stern, Steve Englehart, George Perez, Al Milgrom, Brett Breeding, and Mike Carlin, among many others.

Back Issue #56
Back Issue #56

The reason why I had to bring up Back Issue is that many of the articles that have appeared in it have led me to pick up trade paperbacks or, in the absence of collected editions, actual back issues themselves.  I’ve learned about a number of characters, series, and creators of whom I previously only had a passing knowledge.  The Unknown Soldier is one of those.  There was a pair of articles authored by Michael Aushenker in Back Issue #s 37 and 52, the first on the character of the Soldier, the second on artist Gerry Talaoc.  Thanks to these, I was sufficiently intrigued to pick up the Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier collection.  So, the magazine has definitely broadened my interests & horizons as a comic book reader.

BI #52, incidentally, covered DC Comics’ horror titles from the 1970s, and also got me to buy one of the Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery volumes. Going back to BI #25, Aushenker conducted an interview with Deathlok creator Rich Buckler which helped motivate me to purchase the Marvel Masterworks collection of that series.  Really, I think both DC and Marvel ought to be paying Eury and Aushenker a small commission for helping to drum up their sales!

Back Issue is definitely worth picking up.  It’s an entertaining, informative read, and you never know what else it might lead you to discover.

Anyway, next time I do one of these “comic books I’m reading” posts, I will definitely be talking about independent (i.e. non-DC and Marvel) titles.  I just need to really collect my thoughts together on what is going to be a very diverse selection of material.


text:
Eric Mummery (CA)

GHA/ Translation GHA

Eric Mummery is a Canadian artist. The presented woodcuts are part of an ongoing series that explore the visual capabilities of strong black and white in graphic language.

The prints often represent mirror-like compositions using geometric elements, combined with rhythmic background patterns intensified by contrast. Mummery also keeps his prints close to his heritage by choosing to use local, natural raw materials.

He says about his work: “His current art practice is focused on a series of wood engravings exploring intuitive image creation as a means to better understand mental health issues”. Transfixing the viewer with the use of dynamic lines, he portrays imaginary creatures, represented in surrealist and somehow cartoonish settings.

Eric Mummery

When looking at the scenery of his “Face To Face With” wood engravings series, the observer is able to enter an existential space. By questioning our way of communicating Mummery challenges the viewer to reflect on his place in the world and on our way to interact. Through the implemented balloons, often seen in comics, the viewer is invited to take part in the ongoing conversation.

This particular scenario appears to address the reflection on the complexity of our brain. Eric Mummery uses his artistic language to approach the audience directly though  hypnotising dynamic lines.

See more works in our webshop >>

                    FACE TO FACE WITH. EIGHT.                                     FACE TO FACE WITH. NINE.


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Lola Fae Last Sexual Desires With Her Slave

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text:
Origins Characters and Peculiarities of Mythological Narrative

Project 1: Origins, Characters, and Peculiarities of the Mythological Narrative

Submitting a text entry box or a file upload

File Types doc, docx, ppt, pdf, jpeg, and png

Available Feb 2 at 12am – Feb 21 at 11:59pm 20 days

This assignment was locked Feb 21 at 11:59pm.

Objective: This assignment is aligned with the following learning outcomes:

Interpret and evaluate cultural artifacts and/or their contexts for significance

by analyzing the role of classical mythology in Western Art, from Antiquity to

Demonstrate proficiency in critical thinking, information literacy and

Demonstrate understanding of global socio-cultural responsibility by

identifying the ways in which the myths reflect society’s views of gender, race,

class, or sexual identities.

Understand cultural expressions and recognize the relationships between

these cultural expressions and their contexts.

2/22/22, 2:47 PM Page 1 of 5

Step 1. ANALYZE: Read, summarize and analyze the following resources from

Module 2.1 and the assigned readings in Module 3:

Mecano’s Still Life. See lyrics and translation in case study in Module 2 (song

– if you want to listen to it, go here (

v=7lSp8iSmdLY) )

Who was King Minos, really? See article in Module 3 (Articles and videos)

The myth of the Minotaur. See resources in Module 3 (Articles and videos)

Step 2. DISCUSS: Discuss the main themes, and what category of myth or

storytelling is portrayed in each of these case studies. Explain why you identify it

as such. See our Module 2 Glossary, and the summary on Approaches to

storytelling for these categories.

Step 3. ILLUSTRATE: Find images that illustrate or evoke each of these case

study/myths. You must present 2 or 3 images per case study. All images must

comply with the following:

They must be identified with the title of the artwork, name of the artist, and

year of completion.

Images must be of good resolution and size (at least 3″x3″)

All sources for the images must be included in the bibliography

For Mecano’s Still Life:

do not use the images that appear in the YouTube versions of the

do not use images of still lives or vanitas, as they belong to a particular

2/22/22, 2:47 PM Page 2 of 5

do not use images of still lives or vanitas, as they belong to a particular

genre in art history completely unrelated to the story in the song.

Please identify your work with a header that includes your full name, the

course number (HUM 2020), and the term (Spring, 2022)

This is a written assignment with images, to be submitted online.

Please use academically acceptable fonts (e.g. Arial or Times New

Roman), size 12, double-spaced.

All submission must be done in .doc or ppt files.

The project should not exceed 6 pages (including list of sources).

If the student completed his/her work hand-written they must scan or

photograph their project in order to send it online as a JPEG or PDF

This is an individual work. Any unacceptable similarities between

classmates’ assignments will be dubbed suspicious and will be awarded 0.

All assignments are subjects to norms of academic integrity. Plagiarism

must be avoided. All citations must be done in MLA or Chicago style.

Sources: All sources used for this paper, including those used for images,

must be included in a separate page. Bibliographical information must also

be presented in in MLA or Chicago style.

Grace period: A 3-day grace period is granted, but bear in mind that a

penalty of 2 points per day will be applied to the assignment score of late

2/22/22, 2:47 PM Page 3 of 5

Points: 50

Please remember to add page with all your sources, including those web pages

you retrieved your images from.

  2:47 PM Page 4 of 5

Total Points: 50

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text:
Film Review: Army of One

Nicolas Cage is the heart and soul of Larry Charles' latest comedy

Directed by

  • Larry Charles

  • Nicolas Cage
  • Russell Brand
  • Rainn Wilson

Release Year

  • 2016

  • R

Pardon the broken caps lock, but there’s something to this line. Gary Faulkner, a homeless, couch-riding handyman, just talks like this. Fast, confident, amiably, awkwardly. He’s a little inarticulate, but you know where he stands, and get the sense that he means really well. This is a line Faulkner delivers to a young girl with cerebral palsy while discussing spirit animals. The girl’s amused. It’s sweet. Strange. But sweet nonetheless.

But most important to the enjoyment of Larry Charles’ new movie Army of One is the truth that you can’t keep a good Cage down. Nicolas Cage, the fading star given to pay-for-home viewing play, is really something here. He sees your claims of laziness, and laughs. As Faulkner, he’s a dazzling screwball creation, slightly sillier than the real thing, sporting a samurai sword and a Jimmy Stewart demeanor. This nasal nut is actually a pretty decent fellow. And Cage, through sloppy charisma, moxie, and the crazed Cage-iness for which the actor’s always been known, makes Faulkner.

That’s the minor bombshell of Army of One, a potentially lowbrow, one-note joke made fun by its warmhearted tone, and a hollering lead performance from Cage. It’s a hoot, with heart. Funny, saying that, given the bugshit premise.

Reality check. In 2010, Gary Faulkner managed to make his way into Pakistan and was arrested at the Afghan border. His mission: personally take down Osama Bin Laden. He made many trips. The guy was laughed off by authorities until they found a gun on him, along with a 40-inch sword, a dagger, and handcuffs. And a nice pile of hash. And Christian writings. Was this guy a kook? Trying to score drugs? Or really on a mission from God? Either way, he made the papers. Was a punchy Letterman guest. Was too rare a bird to not make a movie out of him.

Army of One recounts Faulkner, through Quixotan whimsy and geo-political smart aleck humor, which amounts to a quick screwball comedy about a loveable fuckup. Cage doesn’t Rage, but instead cowers and squeals his way through Faulkner’s tale. We meet the man in his underwear, sleeping in a construction site, awakened by his phone. “Pickles!” he screams to a buddy over the phone. The guy’s unflappable.

Gary’s on regular dialysis because of kidney disease, but he doesn’t let it slow him down. He runs his mouth off about foreign products at the Home Depot, not out of spite for other countries, but out of his pride in the American can-do spirit. What a guy. And when he bitches about the armed forces doing a so-so job of ending Bin Laden at a bar, the resulting confrontation with Marines results in good-natured ribbing. And an accidental stabbing at a dart board. But it’s a funny stabbing, promise!

Shockingly, the movie treats Gary with more kindness than you might think. The sporadic narration elaborates that Gary “does not suffer from paranoia, psychosis,” or any of the old familiars. His American flag parasail and American flag goggles, while absurd, are also rooted in a man’s pure love of country. It’s the film’s best quality. He hopes to impress the girl, make some money, and do right for a U.S. still haunted by 9/11. And Army of One’s biggest success is his comedy of failures.

Cage is just a guy who can’t get his stuff right no matter how hard he tries. Sailing and parasailing into Pakistan seems dumb, but Faulkner went for it. And he doesn’t go in for the sake of anger and jingoism. He loves the food, the people, the weed. You have to admire a person who’s both determined and open to possibility. Cage commits to this persona, and this representation of Faulkner as the best of American naiveté. And the film loves him for it. He’s awkward, but always welcomed by everyone.

When the film lapses into psychosis – he has visions of God telling him to apprehend Bin Laden, and God is played by Russell Brand – it’s lazily edgy. This is needless, and constitutes roughly a third of the film. Occasionally amusing, maybe. But Osama Bin Laden appearing in a dream for his episode of Cribs is a neat sketch in search of a sitcom elsewhere. And Faulkner sparring off with surreal thugs at a hotel doesn’t work. There are meta jokes on the casting, little bits of referential humor about James Bond. The more sensational the movie gets, the weaker it is. But Cage holds down the fort, long and strong.

Army of One is at its best focusing on Gary Faulkner, a guy who prefers going into combat with honor and nothing more but his wits and a sword. And Cage comes out not like an ass, but an unsung comic hero.

The film opens in theaters this weekend, but is now available to buy on Apple and Vudu. It will be on Blu-ray by the end of the month. But most importantly, the Cage video of silly moments from the film will likely be on YouTube by the new year. Watching Cage slice melons with a sword sporting a ponytail will be worth it.


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Vida Residences Aljada ... construction set to commence in Q2 of 2022.

Emaar Hospitality, a unit of Dubai developer Emaar Properties, has joined hands with Emirati developer Arada to launch the first branded serviced apartments building – Vida Residences 3 – within the Aljada master community in Sharjah.

Aljada is the transformational destination spread over a 24-million-sq-ft area in New Sharjah.

Owned and developed by Arada, and operated by Vida Hotels and Resorts, Vida Residences Aljada contains one-, two-, three-bedroom branded serviced apartments and a major penthouse, which will add to Vida’s already impressive portfolio, including Vida Emirates Hills, Vida Downtown, Manzil Downtown, and the recently opened beach resort, Vida Umm Al Quwain.

According to Arada, the Vida Residences 3 Aljada consists of 149 high-end smart homes, all of which are fully furnished and decorated by Vida, a brand renowned for its sleek, contemporary aesthetics, minimalist luxury and immaculate finishes.

Buyers get to choose to live in or rent out their properties themselves, or lease back the apartment to the hotel rental pool and gain an enhanced return on their investment, states the developer.

The building is located next to the Vida Aljada hotel, and is part of Naseej District, a new creative neighbourhood for Sharjah that also contains a world-class museum and makers’ district.

Construction on Vida Residences Aljada and the adjacent Vida Aljada hotel will commence in the second quarter of 2022 for completion by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, at Cityscape Global held last month in Dubai, Arada launched the sales for three new upscale projects  – The Gate, Boulevard 3 and Sokoon 4 – at  Aljada, where it also showcased its forested Masaar community, which contains eight gated districts.

The Gate community, a two-building complex situated at the main entrance of Aljada. Off-plan sales for 120 apartments within The Gate buildings have been launched with premium one- to bedroom and three-bedroom apartments offered.

All residences at The Gate include smart home technology as standard, while many homes also feature a ‘winter garden’, a design feature that extends the apartment’s living space onto the balcon.

Residents also have easy access to generous green spaces, which include an adventure playground, swimming pool and outdoor gym, as well as jogging and cycling tracks, says Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Arada’s CEO.

Construction on The Gate will begin in the first quarter of 2022, with the first homes being handed over by the end of 2023, he adds.

On the Boulevard 3, he says it was the third and final building in The Boulevard, a new downtown living experience centrally located within the Aljada masterplan. The nine-storey block containing 171 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments is based on Aljada’s main avenue.

Construction on The Boulevard 3 has already begun and all units are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022.

Also launched was Sokoon 4, the fourth Sokoon building, which is located in Naseej District. The premium apartment block contains 118 smart homes, all of which have easy access to lush green parks.

Construction on Sokoon 4 will begin in the first quarter of 2022, with scheduled completion by the end of 2023, it adds.


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Present at the ceremony to commemorate the milestone were Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of the Volvo Group, Tomas Carlsson, President and CEO of NCC, John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Annika Strandhäll, Swedish Minister for Climate, Jernberg and Lindqvist.

In its latest move towards carbon neutrality, Sweden-based Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) says it has become the world’s first manufacturer to deliver a construction machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer.

The A30G articulated hauler, built using fossil-free steel, was handed over by Volvo CE President of Melker Jernberg to long-standing customer NCC last month at a ceremony hosted by LeadIt – the Leadership Group for Industry Transition – in conjunction with the United Nations environmental meeting Stockholm +50.

The move comes just nine months after the company unveiled the world’s first vehicle concept using fossil-free steel, as part of the testing of implementation in an ordinary production set-up.

“While commercial introduction is expected to be gradual with selected customers, this speedy first handover is an important milestone in the group’s ambition to drive industry transformation towards global climate goals. The A30G is produced at Volvo CE’s facility in Sweden, using the existing manufacturing process, with fossil-free steel from Swedish steel company SSAB,” says a spokesman for Volvo CE.

Jernberg says: “We are sure that to succeed in decarbonising the construction industry, players in the value chain will need to collaborate and act. Thanks to our strong partnerships with other forward-thinking companies, we are now able to lead the change towards fossil-free construction and be the first to deliver a machine built using fossil-free steel to a customer. Turning commitments into actions is key to building the world we want to live in.”

As part of its Science-Based Targets commitment, Volvo CE says it is set to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Alongside the electrification of its machines, the company recognises the importance of reducing its carbon footprint across its entire value chain. This includes the raw materials used in its products, of which steel is a major component. The production using fossil-free steel in Volvo CE’s machines and components will be gradual and depend on aspects such as steel availability.

SSAB Oxelösund produced the world’s first fossil-free steel and delivered it to Volvo Group in July last year.  This steel was produced using Hybrit (Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology) technology.

“The first fossil-free steel in the world is not only a breakthrough for SSAB, it represents proof that it’s possible to make the transition and significantly reduce the global carbon footprint of the steel industry. We hope that this will inspire others to also want to speed up the green transition,” says Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO of SSAB.

“Industry, and especially the steel industry, creates large emissions but is also an important part of the solution. The work done by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall within the framework of Hybrit drives the development of the entire industry and is an international model,” says Sweden’s Minister of Trade and Industry of Sweden Ibrahim Baylan.

In 2016, SSAB, LKAB, Europe’s largest iron ore producer, and Vattenfall, one of Europe’s largest energy companies, joined forces to create Hybrit. Using this technology, SSAB aims to replace coking coal, traditionally needed for ore-based steelmaking, with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The result will be the world’s first fossil-free steelmaking technology, with virtually no carbon footprint. In June 2021, the three companies were able to showcase the world’s first hydrogen-reduced sponge iron produced at Hybrit’s pilot plant in Luleå, which has since been used to produce the first steel made with this breakthrough technology.

The goal is to deliver fossil-free steel to the market and demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale as early as 2026.


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How enterprises are prioritizing digital resiliency

Today’s enterprises have faced a higher pace of change over the last few years, as existing digital transformation strategies were catalyzed by the disruption of a global pandemic that restricted in-person working. The pressures on enterprises to fast-track IT strategies whilst reckoning with increased cyber risk and the competitive need to match other enterprises’ digital transformation has created many challenges for enterprises in maintaining an IT infrastructure that is both resilient and secure.

Overall, this has been a successful endeavor, and many enterprises transformation strategies are well underway.

Massive global macro-economic shifts have fundamentally changed the way companies operate, from the rise of remotely working employees to the adjustments of customer engagement strategies. Remote work was fairly common before the pandemic and already had an impact on IT strategy and the shift to cloud, including hybrid cloud. This trend has only accelerated due to the ease of remote deployment and accessibility for software, SaaS, and cloud options.

With all these changes, the specter of security breaches is high. This explains the rise and popularity of Zero Trust as a framework for securing networks in these new realities, and as an effective tool to drive cybersecurity initiatives within the entire enterprise.

All this means that, in a post-pandemic era, digital resilience is a top priority for enterprises across all sectors, especially as cyber threats continue to accelerate. As a result, enterprise organizations have a broad spectrum of concerns as they look to shore up their defenses.

Reflecting on and analyzing the events of the last two years, 2022 is an ideal time to explore enterprise perceptions about the future. To gain these insights, A10 Networks surveyed 2,425 senior application and network professionals from across ten regions around the globe. Not surprisingly, we found high levels of concern around all aspects of digital transformation solutions and resilience, with a strong focus on business continuity. The key features of the Enterprise IT landscape that we uncovered included:

Private Clouds are the Preferred Enterprise IT Environment

Even though the industry witnessed a rapid pivot to cloud in the last couple of years, plenty of on-premises environments remain. Twenty-three percent of respondents have retained an on-premises environment, and this is unlikely to change in the future. Private clouds were the preferred environment for 30 percent of respondents, while just under one quarter said their environment was in a public cloud with a similar percent in SaaS environments.

New Working Patterns and Digitalization Prompt Strategy Reassessment

Resilience is certainly a board-level discussion in 2022, as senior leaders look to ensure that the business can cope with any future disruption. Our enterprise respondents said that digital transformation solutions, business continuity (both technically and organizationally), and stronger security requirements have all become paramount. This puts tremendous pressure on IT professionals to rethink their architectures and IT strategies to meet the challenge.

Asked to rate their concern about 11 different aspects of business resilience, nine out of 10 respondents expressed some level of concern about every issue. The top concerns were around the challenge of optimizing security tools to ensure competitive advantage, utilizing IT resources in the cloud, and enabling remote access and hybrid working while ensuring that staff feel supported in whatever work style they wish to adopt.

Top Cyber Threat Concerns for Enterprise IT

Without a doubt, the escalating threat landscape is causing a broad array of concerns from respondents. Chief among them is the loss of sensitive assets and data, followed by the disruptive impact of downtime or network lockdown. In response, there was an evident shift to a Zero Trust security approach. One-third (30 percent) of enterprise organizations surveyed said that they had already adopted a Zero Trust model.

Looking to the future, the adoption of cybersecurity initiatives is likely to remain high and continue to grow. The increasingly porous networks developed under COVID-19 will require a more pervasive adoption of the Zero Trust model within enterprises as all employees become more aware of the benefits of such a strategy and approach.

Although the urgent demands of the pandemic have lessened, it is clear that there is unlikely to be any relief from the pressures for enterprises and their IT practitioners, whether in infrastructure or security domains. Enterprises will be dealing with the impact of these pandemic-related changes for years to come, alongside the continued integration of newer technologies, strategies, and evolving standards.

Therefore, organizations must meet their multifaceted digital resiliency needs by continuing to invest in modern technologies that will support ongoing digital transformation initiatives while striking the balance between strong Zero Trust defense and operational agility.

Image creditOlivier26/

Adrian Taylor is Regional VP at A10 Networks.

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Federal Employees

More than 76,000 federal employees call Virginia's 8th Congressional District home, a greater number than most states. They play critical roles in national security, transportation, commerce, food safety, and many other sectors.

I have worked to improve the treatment of our public servants by stopping government shutdowns, giving them earned pay raises to keep up with inflation, and treating them with greater respect than our nation has in its recent history, which I believe is essential if we are to attract the ablest or the most creative minds to lead our nation forward.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of legislation to grant paid parental leave to federal employees for the birth or fostering of a child, and the FAIR Act, which would give significant pay raises to federal workers.

I will fight efforts to undermine the civil service and will continue to support and promote solutions and improvements for federal employees.


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Hands #25-29: More For Mercier and Wright

Josh_Cahlik • Ниво 20: 6,000-12,000, 3,000 ante

Hand #25: Jason Mercier raised to 24,000 and found a call from Paul Volpe. Volpe picked up one new card and Mercier opted for two. Both players checked and Volpe fanned a winning {j-}{10-}{8-}{5-}{4-}.

Hand #26: Mercier raised to 24,000 from the hijack and Brian Rast called from the button. Volpe called out of the small blind and Larry Wright out of the big. For the draw, Volpe took one card, Wright stood pat, and both Mercier and Rast took one card.

All four players checked post-draw and Volpe showed a pair of deuces. Wright tabled {J-}{10-}{6-}{5-}{3-} but was ultimately bested by Mercier's {J-}{9-}{8-}{3-}{2-}. Rast mucked and the two-time WSOP bracelet winner was pushed the pot.

Hand #27: Daniel Negreanu raised to 35,000 from the hijack and took down the antes and blinds. He showed {Q-}{6-}{5-}{4-}{3-}.

Hand #28: Wright had the button and raised to 34,000. The blinds folded and Wright was pushed the pot.

Hand #29: Wright made it 30,000 to go from the cutoff and Negreanu called out of the small blind. Negreanu picked up one new card while Wright announced that he was pat. Negreanu checked and Wright instantly moved out 105,000. Negreanu mucked and Wright was pushed the pot. He showed {5-}{4-}{3-}{2-}.

Тагове: Brian RastDaniel NegreanuJason MercierLarry WrightPaul Volpe


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Learn More

The transfusion medicine field is complex - there is confusing terminology, intricate genetics, and over 100 years of scientific research underpinning it.

Education is a core part of the consortiums mission so we have included below a few snippets of basic information about blood groups and genotyping to help you understand our work.

The term ’blood group’ refers to an individual’s combination of Red Blood Cell (RBC) surface antigens.

Antigens are different proteins, glycoproteins or glycolipids that form parts of the RBC membrane which the immune system can interact with. These proteins have numerous functions such as: membrane transporters (Diego, Kidd), receptor and adhesion molecules (Duffy, Lutheran), complement regulatory glycoproteins (Cromer, Knops), enzymes (Yt, Kell, Dombrock), structural components (Diego, Gerbich) or components of the glycocalyx (MNS).

A cartoon red blood cell with various antigens on its surface.

Antigens must be defined by antibodies which occur either ‘naturally’, due to encountering antigens ubiquitous in the environment, or are formed as a result of the immune system producing antibodies against "non-self" blood group antigens following exposure to blood from another individual, for example during a transfusion.

The most important fact to remember is that it is the presence and absence due to inherited variation of these red cell surface antigens that defines your blood group.

Almost everybody knows of at least two blood groups: ABO and Rh (which is often mistakenly called Rhesus).

In the transfusion medicine world we officially call these Blood Group Systems, and systems contain different Antigens.

"A" and "B" are the main antigens in the ABO system and define your ABO blood group. People with group AB have both the A and B antigen, and group O people have neither.

The positive (+) or negative (-) types which accompany most peoples ABO group information actually refers to the D antigen of the Rh system.

The ABO and Rh antigens highlighted on a red blood cell.

The International Society of Blood Transfusion's (ISBT) Working Party on Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group Terminology is the official body responsible for documenting the blood group systems and the antigens they contain.

They currently recognise 43 blood group systems, containing 343 unique antigens - click to show a systems table.

No. System name System symbol Genes Number of antigens
4 Rh RH RHD, RHCE 55
5 Lutheran LU BCAM 27
6 Kell KEL KEL 36
7 Lewis LE FUT3 6
8 Duffy FY ACKR1 5
9 Kidd JK SLC14A1 3
10 Diego DI SLC4A1 22
11 Yt YT ACHE 5
12 Xg XG XG, MIC2 2
13 Scianna SC ERMAP 9
14 Dombrock DO ART4 10
15 Colton CO AQP1 4
16 Landsteiner-Wiener LW ICAM4 3
17 Chido/Rodgers CH/RG C4A, C4B 9
18 H H FUT1 1
19 Kx XK XK 1
20 Gerbich GE GYPC 13
21 Cromer CROM CD55 20
22 Knops KN CR1 12
23 Indian IN CD44 6
24 Ok OK BSG 3
25 Raph RAPH CD151 1
26 John Milton Hagen JMH SEMA7A 8
27 I I GCNT2 1
28 Globoside GLOB B3GALNT1 2
29 Gill GIL AQP3 1
30 Rh-associated glycoprotein RHAG RHAG 4
32 JR JR ABCG2 1
34 Vel VEL SMIM1 1
35 CD59 CD59 CD59 1
36 Augustine AUG SLC29A1 4
37 Kanno KANNO PRNP 1
39 CTL2 CTL2 SLC44A2 2

For more information on blood group systems and antigens you can visit ISBT's official working party website.

To recap there are 43 blood group systems, containing 343 unique antigens – you may ask the question how is the possible? The secrets lie in our DNA, which is passed on to us from our mothers or fathers.

Blood group antigens are encoded by ‘packages of DNA information’ we have inherited - these packages are called genes. For example, if the ABO gene you inherited from your mother encoded group A and the one from your father group B. The result would be that your ABO group is AB. The differences at DNA code level between the A and B variants of the gene are very small, generally, only 7 DNA code changes are required to switch from A to B.

Through decades of pain staking research, a lot of which was performed by members of the consortium, we now understand the relationship between the DNA code and the 343 unique blood group antigens currently known.

Using this knowledge, the members of the consortium have developed and affordable DNA based test which can be used to define nearly all known blood groups antigens. In addition to Red Blood Cell antigen typing it can also type other important types of antigens, such as those on Platelets or Leukocytes, and even provide information relating to blood donors health.

A genotyping array is a small SNP-CHIP device, the size of a thumbnail to test a sample of DNA from a single individual for positions of variation, at up to a million different positions in our DNA code.

Our DNA code is made up of building blocks, called nucleotides which come in four different flavours of A, C, T and G. A stands for adenine, C for cytosine, G for guanine and T for thymine. In the double helix A and T, and C and G function as the ‘rungs of the ladder’. Our genome is made up of two sets of 3.2 billion (3,200,000) building blocks or nucleotides. The order or so called sequence of the building block differ between individuals, with the only exception being the DNA sequence of monozygous twins, which is identical.

If we decipher all the 3.2 billion building blocks of our genome than we observe 4-5 million positions where the type of building block differs from the reference genome. On average for each set of 600-800 building blocks, a different nucleotide may be observed at one particular position than the one present in the reference genome. We name these positions where different nucleotides may be observed between individuals, a single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP. Most of the blood group antigens are caused by a single SNP in one of the 37 genes underlying the blood group systems.

We at the BGC have developed and validated the first-ever SNP-CHIP or genotyping array to test the DNA samples from donors and patients for all the different blood group antigens, the groups on platelets (named HPA groups) and on white blood cells (named HLA). The Consortium members will test this new SNP-CHIP with DNA samples from thousands of blood donors and patients with the main aim to obtain regulatory approval for the use of the SNP-CHIP test by blood services world-wide.


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Coverage by Bhat Dittakavi of on “International Symposium of Biomedical Imaging (ISBI)” conducted from 28-31 March 2022 at ITC Royal Bengal in Kolkata.

ISBI is truly international. It is a symposium on the ground. It is a symposium on the cloud. Last week, international authors, delegates and students from biomedical imaging interacted seamlessly where the ground met the cloud to exchange their groundbreaking research ideas.

All physical global conference under one roof after COVID? Not yet. All virtual conference on zoom? Dime a dozen. A hybrid conference? Very very challenging. ISBI conference pulled off the unthinkable at Kolkata. Kolkata is an Indian city rich with heritage, music and literature. Kolkata’s first Nobel Laureate won Nobel prize in Medicine back in 1902. As a fitting tribute, 120 years later, Kolkata hosted India’s first IEEE global conference on Medical Imaging. Host Hotel ITC Royal Bengal is iconic, truly Indian and responsibly luxurious. Organizers are professors of imaging research from different reputed universities of India. Kudos to them. After 104 meetings over two years, they checked many firsts for ISBI, including India, CMT platform, double blinded peer reviews and a hybrid conference.

ISBI in the royal hallways of ITC

It was my first ISBI conference. Unlike technology conferences that go all over the place, ISBI is very focused on one thing called imaging and it excelled in it. It was amazing to learn how deep learning continues to influence medical imaging analysis and decision making. Right from Ultrasound to Photoacoustic and CT to MRI scanning of imaging and beyond, right from supervised to semi-supervised to self-supervised learning of machine learning, right from compounds to pre-clinical trials to clinical trials of drug discovery and development, right from bench to bedside, bedside to patient, and patient to practice of translational medicine and beyond, right from infections to diabetes to tumors to strokes of life-altering diseases, right from outpatient treatment to the operation theatres, right from engineers to radiologists to doctors to device makers, right from abstracts to posters to oral presentations of state-of-the works in imaging, the conference mixes and matches them all in its pursuit of symbiotic research in imaging for holistic healthcare.

ISBI venue decorated with local artworks

The conference is a host to the hundreds of research engineers who transformed themselves into biomedical researchers, engineering professors who shifted their research areas to disease diagnostics for making their works impactful, and physical science experts who turned their attention to solving human healthcare challenges and beyond.

The ISBI Indian Crew

Here are the excerpts from my conversations with few of the brains behind ISBI in India.

Prof. Jayanthi Sivaswamy of IIIT Hyderabad (ISBI General Chair)

Tanveer Syeda-Mahmood, from IBM Research, USA (ISBI Program Chair)

Prof. Debdoot Sheet of IIT Kharagpur (ISBI Local Organizing Chair)

Prof. K.V.S. Hari of IISc Bangalore

Bhat: Share about your journey with ISBI and how ISBI came to India?

Hari: ISBI is a joint effort between Signal Processing and EMB societies. ISBI in India is a 4 years of effort. Bids are submitted to a Committee that assess the viability on membership base, technical ecosystem, location and more. The idea is to grow the local community. We ensure that good technical content is in place. Committee looks at going to new regions and bringing in diversity of profession, geography, affordability and more. Researchers in India may not even attend ISBI if it is in a far away country as international travel and stay can get really expensive. Membership base is growing in India and IEEE shall cater to the needs of the members. Topics of ISBI are essential to healthy living. We want this community to expand.

Jayanthi: My student had a paper in ISBI’s very first edition around 2003. ISBI is a launching pad for young researchers aspiring to get into the top tier conferences. I have been regular at ISBI. Only 3 out of 18 ISBI conferences happened in the east. If it is one person who made ISBI happen in India, it is Debdoot who initiated it. You need someone young and full of energy to make it happen.

Debdoot: In 2018 and 2019 or so, I ended up advocating ISBI in India. The conference in Venice is where the lot of planning for Indian proposal happened. We quickly brought in the key personnel from IEEE India to brainstorm at that time. We bid to the steering committee of EBS and BISP.

Tanveer: I go for the best name I could get in general. I go after the likes of Nobel laureates who pull the buy-in from the people of next level. MICCAI is not as adventurous as ISBI esp. in terms of the imaging. SBIE medical reviews is on one end of the spectrum and then we have MICCAI. We wanted ISBI to be the second best choice, very close to the top tier. This year we introduced many firsts at ISBI.

Jayanthi: ISBI needed to have double blinded review and we made it happen. CMT is the next one that brought TPMS matching system to ISBI. Hopefully ISBI put in a student league and it is still work in progress.

Bhat: How could you pull off a first hybrid conference for ISBI?

Tanveer: This is the first IEEE conference with not just one but four parallel sessions. We tried out many platforms. We used the dumbness test to select the conference partners. We looked at 3 important UI features: 1) Search 2) Calendar based browse 3) Network. We also made sure this is truly global and causes no inconvenience for the global speakers.

Debdoot: A 25 member team worked behind the scenes to make this seamless hybrid happen. The anchoring technical partner we picked after lot of screening. Conference Catalyst for the online conference and Cygnus for the physical conference. Hybrid makes it expensive but is worth it.

Jayanthi: Hybrid here to stay COVID or not. Virtual is always expensive.

Bhat: How did Krishna Ella happen?

Tanveer said the biggest draw comes from plenary. We wanted to bring who is who of the Indian pharma industry as the conference is happening in India.

Bhat: What is unique about ISBI?

Jayanthi: New technologies, New methodologies and one page abstracts generate curiosity and conversations. This is unique for ISBI. Single track sessions are all plenary. We don’t need workshops as we do have parallel tracks. ISBI is the foot in the door for early researchers. Goal is to grow the community.

Rapid Fire with Jayanthi

ISBI: Home for medical imaging research.

Research: Essential for progress.

Imaging: Access to what the eye can’t see.

Review: Quality Feedback

India: Huge opportunity

Guide: Lodestone for discovery

Happiness: Making headway

Professor: Best recipe to stay young at mind.

Student: Your guide too

Human body: Ultimate quest

Device: Exploration. Device is a living thing then Battery and internet are oxygen.

Industry: Converts ideas to consumables

Rapid Fire with Debdoot

ISBI: Red carpet

Imaging: understanding of the world within Heisenberg’s principle

Research: Jungle gym

Rejection: One more attempt

Scanner: Toy

Kolkata: Cultural capital of India

Industry: A chef

Rapid Fire with Hari

Imaging: Essential

Deep Learning: Exciting

Medical Devices: Important

Radiologist: Critical

Invasive or non-invasive: Non-invasive

Startup or NGO: both

Signal vs Pulse: signal

Clinical-trials: Critical

Academia: Pillar

Industry: Pillar

Government: Pillar

Where there is a will, there is a way. Scanners are the lanterns that let the willful travellers explore the human body cave. It’s mysterious and magical. It’s scientific and authentic. Come let us join hands in impacting human lives by being part of the solutions to their health challenges.

Selfless Volunteers
They made ISBI India happen
With some authors from around the world

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