text:
...a blog by Richard Flowers

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Day 4377: DOCTOR WHO: The Snowmen

Christmas Day:

Hark the jolly Christmas Choir,
Jingle Bells roasting on an open fire,
Christmas comes but once ’tis true,
Along with Daddy’s Doctor Who review…

Steven Moffat’s “dark fairy tale” Doctor Who is best at Christmas, so it’s glad tidings that, after last year’s misstep, he’s back on sparkling Winterval form.

Call me a fanboy sucker if you will, but give me one juicy returning enemy and I’ll forgive you a “nobody dies (really)” and a “victory by the power of schmaltz” any day.

But let’s be honest, I was in love with this from the new and vastly improved opening title sequence.

For the fiftieth anniversary, they’ve created an homage to all the earlier titles, reminiscent of the McCoy flight through whirling CGI galaxies, but with exploding shapes that resemble the old howl-round patterns of the Hartnell and Troughton eras, finishing up in a whizzy time tunnel like the Tom Baker diamond-era one but done in Pertwee era colours. Even some hints of the pastel vortices of the Cushing movie titles. Toss in a nod to the DVD releases. And, of course, the Doctor’s face back in the titles at long last. Hooray, as Russell T Davies would put it, hooray.

(And as an added bonus… you would hope that they might have secured the sensational Mr Smith’s services for, say, another couple of years before forking out to fit his phizog to the starfield.)

Still not got the theme tune quite right, though.

The acting is pitch-perfect throughout and the look is beautiful too; steampunk era Victoriana can always be made to look good, but the Doctor’s magical cloud contrasting with his machine is very clever. The TARDIS hasn’t looked this mechanical since the return in 2005. Arguably since before McGann’s wood and brass affair, too. The new look, very reminiscent of the design that was being considered for Sylv’s fourth series (had it happened), is cold and steely to fit the Time Lord’s mood. I like the theory that I read that the TARDIS has been regenerating herself since the Time War – first we saw the bones, then the structure of the console room, and now the mechanism itself is growing back.

And on its own terms the story works.

To give Moffat his due, while he clearly has a fundamental failure to understand what Doctor Who is actually about – and we’ll come to that – he does appear willing to try and address his deficiencies as a writer.

Last year, I said he was on a mission to write drama without conflict. No danger of that here, with meaty confrontations to draw the Doctor back into defending the Universe.

The titular Snowmen themselves may have been more Muppet than menace, with a tendency to loom rather than threaten, and, perhaps wisely they opted not to show their instantaneous forming, perhaps lest it resemble something from the Chorlton and the Wheelies Christmas Special (on ice!). But an icy performance from Richard E Grant as baleful Dr Simeon, the child with the frozen heart, paired with the mellifluous tones of Sir Ian McKellen as the world’s most sinister snow globe meant there was no lack of threat.

And if “The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe” was Moffat trying to respect his female characters “as a woman”, this year appears to be an exercise in proving he is willing to kill people.

Of course, I mean the yard-full of workers devoured by the Snowmen at the start, under the disdainful eye of Dr Simeon (when weall knew where the “I promised to feed them” line was going.)

Because if they’re “important” people, Moffat brings them back to life again, which may be sign of missing the point somewhat.

When even a Sontaran clone – surely the least irreplaceable lifeform in the galaxy – gets a touch of the resurrection, then you’re left with a distinct feeling of “what’s the point?”.

(Not that Dan Starkey’s Strax isn’t a terrific addition to the ensemble; at the very least he makes a terrific straight-man. Bit troubled by the Doctor repeatedly mocking his height, intelligence and body-shape, though, as I don’t think the Time Lord should be encouraging bullying.)

There’s something a bit, well, class-ist here, when the obvious workers are disposable drones while the Sontaran (and “Commander” Strax is officer class after all) gets resurrected. And there’s also the question of whether Clara is posh-Clara pretending to be working class or Cockney-Clara pretending to be gentlefolk class. In fact this is the same with Strax: mockable as a manservant, he’s actually a displaced Commander, so “important” and gets to live.

Is this going somewhere though? The Doctor says that Strax gave his life for a friend… and then another friend brought him back. Who? And why? Will we find out?

There’s a sense that this is a point that ought to be followed up, but Moffat’s got form on this sort of dangling thread. Does anyone really understand why or how the Silence – and we must assume it was they – blew up the TARDIS in “The Pandorica Opens” or what made them feel that blowing up the Universe would further their alleged aim of, er, saving the universe? One suspects that this unsatisfying plot got lost with the Ponds’ leaving (it would be a little odd to refer back to it for an explanation now); on the other hand, the plot was unsatisfying precisely because it kept deferring its explanations. But then – to drag this back to relevance – here we see Moffat providing an “explanation” forty-five years after the original story. We can but hope he’s not leaving the “Silence arc” to be explained in the hundredth anniversary series.

But instead he’s found a shiny new plot arc to go chasing after, the mystery of new companion – or potential companion – Clara, who has already died twice. Appearing in multiple time zones, yet able to quote the words of her other selves… clearly she’s part- Jagaroth on her mother’s side.

More seriously, Alex was immediately struck by the patterns of speech and behaviour shared by Clara and the Doctor. It might just be Moffat’s inability to write in more than one “voice” (note: all other Moffat women are basically Sue Virtue with escalating levels of weaponry) but the ingenious theory is that these “Clara”s are constructs made out of the Doctor. Running with this idea, I suggest that all the ladies around the Doctor – Madam Vastra and Jennie Flint… and the TARDIS – all disapprove of his self-imposed hermitage, and want to encourage him back into the world. And the TARDIS is the one able to make a “perfect companion” out of his memories and his (tawdry) quirks. The Doctor himself says he doesn’t know why but he knows who.

The opening scene could in fact be very clever. It features a snowman, naturally, that appears out of nowhere. Just at the right moment, the Doctor happens to be walking past – as though he is the one who has appeared from nowhere. But there’s a third person in the scene, Clara, who’s just emerged from the Rose and Crown (the “Rose and Pond” would have been more on the money). Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that she’s there at just the perfect moment to bump into the lonely Doctor. And perhaps she’s the one to have appeared from nowhere.

“Oswin” means “god’s friend” and “Osgood” means “god’s gift” which are clearly pointing in the right direction (although “Clara” means “clear”, “bright” or “famous” or possibly “I can’t go having the Doctor shout “come on Oswin”). If you want more evidence, then a look at her gravestone tells us she was born on 23rd November and died aged 26. And is still alive. A metatextual in-joke, or a heavy hint that she’s made of the story of Doctor Who? Even her introduction “Clara Who? Doctor Who?” points this way.

The notion of a “perfect companion” made from the Doctor’s own biodata (“time DNA”) was first seen in the Faction Paradox stories of the early Eighth Doctor Adventures (notably “Alien Bodies” and “Unnatural Selection”). But who said Moffat had to be original? And why change the habit of a lifetime? Fortunately Jenna-Louise Coleman has more personality in one cheeky grin than Sam ever had in her entire time in the novels.

Moffat has – flattering himself – suggested that the Doctor “in retirement” is a plot that has been waiting to be done since Douglas Adams was told to write “Shada” instead. But Moffat’s self-absorbed, sulking Doctor – “the Universe doesn’t care” – couldn’t be further away from Adams’ conception of a Time Lord that the Universe just won’t let go. (Which is even more odd when remembering that Moffat himself was so much more on the money in his spoof Doctor Who “Curse of the Fatal Death”.)

The Doctor has suffered losses before. He lost his entire species. He lost his love when Rose fell into a parallel world. He lost his faith in himself when he destroyed Martha’s life. He lost his best friend when he wiped Donna’s memories. He lost his entire species again. But it’s the loss of his mother-in-law that drives him into seclusion?

Partly, this is Moffat flattering himself again – it’s his companions who are the “most important evah” ones. But partly it’s another example of the way that for all his cleverness in story and story arc writing, Moffat is very short-termist in his thinking, grasping an idea and using it as soon as he has it, rather than moulding the series to prepare for it. Recall the way that the Ponds were suddenly getting divorced and then it was totally forgotten all within one episode. Of course you remember that episode; it’s the one he kept asking you to remember during this one.

The least we needed was a scene – perhaps one with Madam Vastra – to say, “You’ve suffered losses before.” For him to reply: “Yes, and this is one too many. This camel’s back is broken”. What we really wanted was a crisis that was bigger, where victory cost him more than “The End of Time”. But Moffat’s not good at that, as “A Good Man Goes to War” showed. “You have never risen higher.” Er, he has, you know.

(Ironically, losing River would be crisis enough to justify this fugue, which from his point of view would have meant arriving at the start of her story… which happened in “A Good Man Goes to War”; had that and “The Wedding of River Song” been swapped round, and then followed by this, it might have worked. But to do that you’d need to be following the emotional logic of the tragedy, not trying to pull off flashy card tricks with the plot.)

This same sense that Moffat doesn’t understand the importance of scale, or emotional weight, if I can use such a term, shows itself in his treatment of the Great Intelligence.

The whole premise of this story is – spoilers – as a prequel to two classics of the Troughton era: “The Abominable Snowmen” and “The Web of Fear” where the second Doctor encounters a disembodied power that calls itself “the Great Intelligence”, a force from the astral plane that seeks physical domination of the Earth, the plots of which Moffat refers to disparagingly at the end (okay, it is using robot Yeti, but it was a less complicated age).

What those stories have, which means they do not deserve the Mister Moffster’s mockery, is heart. “The Abominable Snowmen” is one of several Buddhist parables in Doctor Who, where the Intelligence represents everything that Buddhism is about getting rid of: it is the ultimate sense of self, all ego and ambition. The “Web” in “The Web of Fear” is as much the tangle of greed, hubris, jealousy and paranoia that keep us bound to the wheel of life (or the Circle Line of destiny) as it is the sticky mess on the Underground.

On the one hand, Moffat has the Intelligence as an idea that – like the Angels – has escaped from the person that is thinking it, which is great. A child’s imaginary friend that has made itself real… no wait that was the Doctor. (Nice moment when the Doctor modulates the Intelligence’s voice back to child Walter’s – borrowed from “The Face of Evil” of course, but nice nonetheless.) But on the other hand, he expresses this as basically, a computer virus (operating on an operating system of programmable snow) with ideas above its station. As an idea it is expressly described as “a child’s fear crossed with Victorian Values”, something essentially “Earthly” in origin.

The Great Intelligence of Season Five is “Lovecraftian” not in the mundane sense that it is literally Yog-Sothoth trading under a pseudonym, as the New Adventures (specifically “The Adventure of the All-Consuming Fire”) might have it, but because it is something totally alien even to our sense of reality, an intrusion into our existence that causes the Universe to fray at the edges (or bubble up with the BBC foam machine, subject to budget).

And, because he thinks he’s so clever, Moffat never checks his facts. Although “The Abominable Snowmen” takes place in 1935, Padmasambhava has been kept live by the Intelligence for hundreds of years before hand (so not just since 1892). And “The Web of Fear” was broadcast in 1968, not ’67, and is set in the future. (Probably at least 1975, given a line of dialogue that says it is more than 40 years after the events of “The Abominable Snowmen”. Only Larry and Tat date “Web” to before it was broadcast, so good luck with that date.) In fairness, the date of a tube map is not what determines when the Intelligence chooses to attack London via the Tube (it takes its chance as soon as Professor Travers reactivates one of the Yeti control spheres – though there’s the possibility he’s acting under astral influence, who knows).

Moffat’s undeniable cleverness with plot – compared with the feel of the series under Terrance Dicks or Robert Holmes or Andrew Cartmel – reminds me of the difference between Classical and Romantic music. For all the genius shown in the twiddles of a Back or Mozart, it doesn’t move you in the way Beethoven or Tchaikovsky or even (heaven – Valhalla? – help us) Wagner can.

So this is all constructed with utter ingenuity. The Doctor is living on a cloud – water vapour – while the Intelligence is inhabiting snow – water solid, establishing them as elemental opposites. Clara’s tears are, of course, water. The sit-com business with Strax, and the memory worm, while hilariously establishing that the Doctor is really bad at the Torchwood sort of stuff is, obviously, a Chekov’s gun for the Doctor’s ultimate attack on Dr Simeon. A lot of the dialogue is enormously clever wordplay (“The snow will fall and so will mankind”), particularly the “single word responses” to Madam Vastra’s questioning (“Do you understand what I am saying to you?” “Words.”) although perhaps too much use of “Pond” as the magic word.

(And, incidentally, it is not “a first” when Clara describes the TARDIS as “smaller on the outside” as Donna did so in “The Runaway Bride” having, uniquely, seen the interior first.)

All of which makes it more ironic that "emotion" is increasingly used as the universal plot device. Yes, you can look at the conclusion as an Avengers-esque "killed by his own weapon" as the Intelligence's attack on Darkover House is what leads directly to all the mirroring snow being there and nowhere else, and hence getting reprogrammed by grief, as though only one family could be grieving on Christmas Eve. Heavens, to really give the Snowmen what for he should have had them hang around another hour for EastEnders.

But then using emotion as a plot device is still a device, another shiny cog in Moffat's machine. Instead of people reacting to events, it's just another of the events.

In many ways, the right time emotionally for this story was straight after “The End of Time”, but instead we had “The Eleventh Hour”, where the Doctor essentially forgot all the trauma and went back to saving the world as normal.

People have suggested that this has the feel of a “mini reboot” to it. In a way that may be true: a reboot not of the series, but of the Moffat era.

It’s possible that his first series, the “carry on as normal” series, came about through a lack of courage on the new team’s part, falling back into following the RTD model that worked but was… safe. Moffat’s second series struck out in much more… bold directions. But the story arc spiralled out of control and betrayed the characters along the way. What was most noticeable about the five stories we had in September was their disconnectedness from anything Silence-related. Even River Song, when she appeared, was treated as a recurring character, not part of a developing story. Like the television adaptation of John Christopher’s “The Tripods” this feels very much like a trilogy without its closing chapter.

So instead we’re trying again.

Matt is a great Doctor, and has sparkling chemistry with Jenna-Louise. They deserve to have a really good series written for them, something with joy, humour, drama and a touch of fatal death. Well, three out of four ain’t bad. A decent (re) start.

Next Time… You’re once, twice, three times exactly the same lady, apparently. Where will the Doctor find Clara next? Where will he run? And what will he remember? Fifty years on and Doctor Who returns once more in April with “The Bells of St John”. Now is that St John as in "Ambulance" (like the badge on his TARDIS) or as in "the Beheaded" (like the Library in "All-Consuming Fire")?
As we were writing this, we heard the sad news that Gerry Anderson, creator of almost all Britain’s not-Who television sci-fi, has died. Always a generous rival, he can be seen speaking about Doctor Who on the “More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS” documentary released next month as part of the “Legacy” collection.

Responsible for such classic series as “Captain Scarlet”, “Stingray”, the highly underrated “UFO” (not least for Wanda “now remembered as mum of Sherlock/Smaug” Ventham), ill-omened but fondly-remembered “Space 1999” and of course “Thunderbirds”, he also created the CGI return of Captain Scarlet that gave us Phil Ford, who has gone on to be a stalwart of “Sarah-Jane” and now “Wizards v Aliens”.

More recently and bravely Gerry was an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s society, speaking about his condition as recently as June this year. Arguably a mercy if the disease was starting to bite, nevertheless his passing is a tragic loss.

lizw said...

And, incidentally, it is not “a first” when Clara describes the TARDIS as “smaller on the outside” as Donna did so in “The Runaway Bride”

That might be deliberate, though. "Remembering" is clearly an important theme in this story arc, and there are other hints that there's something up with the Doctor's memory - note that the Great Intelligence only "rings a bell" (although one of the people I pointed this out to last night suggested it could be a deliberate reference to the missing episodes).

Alex Wilcock said...

For me, too, it was much more entertaining than the last two Christmas specials (though I’m lonely in much preferring last year’s silliness to the woman in the fridge). And great observations about the different states of water and wordplay – as well as, less positively, the ‘my trauma is the worst’ attempt on the Doctor. It made Matt rather less enjoyable than usual, though at least gave him something different to do. I wonder if he had any input on the ideas? For all that it’s spun as Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen or whatever other attempt at sprinkling Douglas Adams dust, it’s much more influenced by Troughton, as you imply. As he’s Matt’s favourite, perhaps he said ‘Could I have something a bit Mighty Trout…?’ Even if the end result was that, rather than Matt bringing to mind Pat or Sylv of all his predecessors, he became the ‘moody git after loss’ of Eccleston or, er, Richard E Grant.

Though when you add burly oddjob with a past Strax as a dead ringer for Brian Glover’s Magersfontein Lugg to old Doctor in young body as old-fashioned detective, maybe they were trying to do Campion?

Alex Wilcock said...

Ooh, forgot!

Was the Punch and Judy Doctor a reference to Troughton in The Box of Delights, if they were going all-out for Trout?

Millennium Dome said...

Oh, clever point about "remembering"!

Makes me wonder about the Doctor's lapse of memory regarding the Great Intelligence too. In fairness it's been at least 600 years, but... he's erased all memory of himself from every database in the Universe... does that include his own?

Millennium Dome said...

Thank you Daddy A,

Love the idea that the travelling Punch and Judy man was reference to Mr Dr Pat and the glorious Box of Delights!


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Soldiers Build Friendships Over FishingA local group wants to give soldiers a chance to build friendships. And what better way than a day on the lake.
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New fish cleaning station at Devils Lake

February 9, 2013
By KIM FUNDINGSLAND - Staff Writer ( , Minot Daily News

DEVILS LAKE - It is one of a kind, at least in North Dakota. The City of Devils Lake, along with several other agencies, recently opened a fish cleaning station south of the city.

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starBase v2.0: decoding miRNA-ncRNA, miRNA-ceRNA and protein-RNA interaction maps from large-scale CLIP-Seq data

September 23, 2013

starBase v2.0 update available starBase is a database that can be used for decoding miRNA-mRNA, miRNA-ceRNA, miRNA-lncRNA, miRNA-circRNA, miRNA-pseudogene and protein-RNA interaction networks from CLIP-Seq (HITS-CLIP, PAR-CLIP, iCLIP, CLASH) data. starBase v2.0 now also provides visualization, analysis, discovery and downloading of above-mentioned large-scale functional genomics data. Currently, starBase v.20 includes (1)108 CLIP-Seq datasets, (2)~500,000 miRNA-mRNA […]

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EpimiRNA Consortium Receives €11.5 Million Funding by EU to Uncover the Effects of microRNA in Epilepsy

September 18, 2013

September 18, 2013 / B3C newswire / – Major new funding for research into epilepsy is announced today. The EpimiRNA Consortium, involving 16 partners from 8 European countries, the USA and Brazil has received €11.5 million funding from the European Union’s Framework Programme 7 to investigate molecular mechanisms, diagnostics and treatments for epilepsy. Over 50 million people […]

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Rosetta Genomics Reports Financial Results for the First Six Months of 2013

September 10, 2013

Demonstrating Increased Demand for the Rosetta Cancer Origin Test PRINCETON, NJ and REHOVOT, ISRAEL–(Marketwired – Sep 10, 2013) – Rosetta Genomics, Ltd. (NASDAQ: ROSG), a leading developer of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics, today reports financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2013. Commercial highlights for the first half of 2013 and recent weeks include: Enhanced […]

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Frost & Sullivan: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential of microRNAs Stimulate Need for More Research Tools

September 4, 2013

Product innovation and the development of high-qualitative assays are the need of the hour LONDON, Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Rapid growth in microRNA (miRNA) research over the past two years, owing to its diagnostic and therapeutic potential, has fueled development in the global miRNA tools and services market. Of the various miRNA technologies, which include quantitative […]

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Call for Papers

April 16, 2013

Call for papers for an open special issue on small/microRNAs: Small RNAs: Revolutionizing the Genomics Landscape The editors invite researchers to contribute original research articles as well as review articles focused on the use, development, or the application of genomics tools for investigating the role of small RNAs at the whole-genome level. The editors will […]

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Exosome Presents Late-Breaking Study Demonstrating Ability to Profile RNA from Archived Clinical Trial Blood Samples at 2013 AACR Anual Meeting

April 8, 2013

NEW YORK, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Exosome Diagnostics, a leading developer of biofluid-based molecular diagnostics for use in personalized medicine, today announced that the company is presenting a late-breaking abstract at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, in Washington D.C.  The abstract is titled “Exosome profiling of mRNAs and miRNAs in serum samples from GBM (glioblastoma […]

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Antiviral Drug Miravirsen: Final Phase 2a results show dose-dependent, prolonged antiviral activity in Hepatitis C patients

March 27, 2013

Research Published in the New England Journal of Medicine Demonstrates Marked and Long-Lasting Antiviral Activity Against HCV for Santaris Pharma A/S’ Miravirsen, the First MicroRNA-Targeted Drug to Enter Clinical Trials HOERSHOLM, Denmark and SAN DIEGO, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted […]

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Rosetta Genomics Receives 25th U.S. Patent Allowance

March 18, 2013

Award Strengthens Growing Portfolio of microRNAs in Viral Infection PHILADELPHIA and REHOVOT, Israel, March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Rosetta Genomics Ltd. (NASDAQ: ROSG), a leading developer and provider of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics, announces receipt of a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent Office related to U.S. Patent Application No. 12/517,760 entitled “Nucleic Acids Involved in […]

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Signature MicroRNA Expression Patterns Identified in Humans with 22q11.2 Deletion/DiGeorge Syndrome

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Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Baylor Institute for Immunology Research have identified a novel expression signature in patients with DiGeorge Syndrome. DiGeorge Syndrome occurs because of a chromosomal deletion in 22q11.2, resulting in the hemizygous deletion of > 60 genes and 4 microRNAs. Peripheral blood taken from 31 DiGeorge Syndrome […]

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New Release: The UEA Small RNA Workbench Version 3.0 (Alpha)

February 15, 2013

The UEA sRNA Workbench is a collection of software tools specifically designed to identify and analyze features in small RNA data. Yesterday, the Alpha release of The UEA Small RNA Workbench Version 3.0 was announced.  This release includes a brand new tool for general small RNA locus detection called CoLIde. For more information and  some […]

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text:
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

"Uncle Jack"

That is how I knew Jack Dunn. I missed his funeral because I was deployed for Katrina relief. A man that was a winner of the DSC and DFC - and he made sure he wrote me supportive letters and cards when I was deployed to Bosnia and Afghanistan. My whole extended family is full of people like this, and they sure give you plenty examples to follow. So many men and women of my family have come from the plains of Iowa to be soldiers (or sailors, right Dad?) scholars, teachers, doctors...I have a B.A., M.A. and a J.D., I have served abroad peacekeeping in Bosnia, and in wartime in Afghanistan - and I have only just earned a seat at the table. So long Uncle Jack, we won't forget you or what you did.

Blogger Mighty Quinn said...

I'm sorry to hear of the loss, Major John. You have a lot to be proud of and I'm sure he was VERY proud of you.

8:18 AM
Blogger Simon Peter said...

He sounds like a fine man indeed. My sympathies for your loss, Major.

8:42 AM
Blogger Amiga 3000 said...

I had the honor of meeting Jack at Major John's wedding years back. Knowing my strong interest in aviation, Major John told me that I just had to meet "Uncle Jack." Expecting (and I must admit excited) to hear stories of his experiences in the B-26, I was completely floored when he simply shook my hand and said: "Yes, I lost a lot of friends over there..." I just stood there with nothing to say. What could I say?

After that I remember my interest in aviation shifted (or expanded) from the just the aircraft to the people. "Uncle Jack" certainly changed my perspective and everytime I see a photo/video of the B-26 Marauder I still think of him.

9:51 AM
Blogger Simon Peter said...

I know what you mean. I remember listening to my grandfather, back when he was alive. He served in the trenches in France during the Great War.

I thought he'd tell us exciting tales, but I remember one story he told of a mustard gas attack, where he lost his best friend who was standing right next to him and his wonderment at how he was spared.

It gives war a whole different perspective. It doesn't matter how much fancy technology you have, at the end of the day it's real human beings out there doing the dying.

11:50 AM
Blogger Inner Prop said...

One thing I realized in Afghanistan is that death is FINAL. Any wargames, movies and such have lost a lot of flavor since then.

Yesterday my youngest said something about killing someone (she's 4 and parrots lots of stuff without thinking yet) and I told her very simply that that isn't something we play with. I think she got the hint with no more said.

3:18 PM
Blogger Inner Prop said...

Also my condolences as well.

3:28 PM
Blogger Pixie said...

So sorry for your loss Major John.

2:19 AM

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text:
Freitag, 28. September 2007

Hot and Cold

Here is a little something I did for the drawing jam over at the drawingboard

My first sketchy attempt:

the final piece:

I just totally love what you can do with illustrator: pattern brushes, opacity masks, blend modes, its just an amazing programm.
I started with this sketch:

I decided instead of whining about it I'd rather embrace the cold weather:

Dienstag, 18. September 2007

Finally something new!

These are some random sketches of the last moths.

This is a beautifull scuplture in berlin near to were I live

I did these nude studies all with references from:
here are the links to the actuall work:
These are some random doodles, (no references used ecpet for the one under which it says jason wu, this is from a photo I found of his show at new york fashion week):

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06/14/2010 4:05 PM ET
Texas Rangers teammates Josh Hamilton, Colby Lewis named the Bank of America Presents the American League Co-players of the Week
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Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton and right-handed pitcher Colby Lewis have been named Bank of America Presents the American League Co-Players of the Week for the period ending June 13th. Bank of America, the Official Bank of Major League Baseball, is the presenting sponsor of the American League and National League Player of the Week Awards, which reflect Bank of America's long-standing tradition of promoting and recognizing higher standards of accomplishment. It is the first time that a player and a pitcher from the same A.L. team have shared the award since Boston Red Sox teammates Trot Nixon and Pedro Martinez did so on July 7, 2002. The last time any Major League team accomplished the feat was August 20, 2006, when Chris Duncan and Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals shared the honors.

In seven games last week, Josh hit .370 (10-27) with two doubles, four home runs, seven runs scored and a Major League-best 13 RBI. He also posted an .889 slugging percentage and a .433 on-base percentage while leading the A.L. West-leading Rangers to a 5-2 record last week. The two-time A.L. All-Star collected two homers and nine RBI in a four-game series against the division rival Seattle Mariners at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The first overall selection of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft currently holds a 10-game hitting streak and has homered in four of his last five contests. This is Josh's first career weekly award.

Last week, Lewis posted a perfect 2-0 record and recorded 15 strikeouts in his 15.0 innings of work. In his two starts, Colby notched a 1.80 ERA and held opposing batters to a .132 batting average, while issuing just four free passes. On Sunday, the right-hander posted his fourth 10-strikeout game of the season, becoming the first Texas pitcher since Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, the current club President of the Rangers, in 1991 to meet that mark. In that same outing, he delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning to carry the Rangers to a 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park during the Rangers' second Interleague series of the season. The 30-year-old became the first pitcher in Rangers history with multiple hits and RBI in a game with his offensive performance on Sunday. This marks the first career weekly honor for Colby, in addition to making him the first Rangers hurler to receive the award since Kenny Rogers won following his perfect game in 1994.

Other noteworthy performances included Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Peña, who led the Majors with six home runs and paced the A.L. with a 1.083 slugging percentage, and teammate Sean Rodriguez, who posted a .478 batting average.

The Bank of America Presents the American League Co-Players of the Week, Josh Hamilton and Colby Lewis, are each awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at

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© 2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.

02/20/08 10:00 AM ET

Draft Report: Preparation for 2008 begins

Urban Youth Academy showcase kicks off Draft season

Leading up to the 2008 First-Year Player Draft on June 5, the Draft Report will take a weekly in-depth look at some of the most promising high school and collegiate talent that could comprise this year's Draft class.

Ask any scout and they'll be quick to tell you: Preparation for the next Draft begins the day after the previous one comes to an end.

The Draft Report isn't quite that ambitious, but we are back for our second season of providing you the buzz surrounding the Draft class of 2008. Between now and June, we'll bring you what the scouting industry is saying about those vying to enter the pro ranks this coming summer. The Draft Report promises to scour the country -- and Canada -- for high school, junior college and college talent who could go early in this year's draft.

In the last two years, the high school showcase at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., has become the unofficial kickoff event to the Draft season. With the college season (junior colleges being the exception) not getting under way until this weekend, the southern California event on Feb. 10 was a hot ticket, with more than 150 scouts in attendance. The Draft Report was there in person as well and was able to gather information on eight prepsters who could hear their name called in June.

Tyler Chatwood, RHP
Redlands East Valley HS, Yucaipa, Calif.
Very impressive on the mound with a good fastball and even better curve, Chatwood also gets some attention as a super-utility player offensively. This time around, we look at his attributes on the hill. Complete Report
Video: Tyler Chatwood

Cutter Dykstra, SS/2B
Westlake HS, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Lenny's son has some of the same grit and can swing the stick a bit. He got things off to a good start by homering on the first pitch he swung at in batting practice. Complete Report
Video: Dykstra on the showcase
Video: Cutter Dykstra

Anthony Gose, OF
Bellflower HS, Bellflower, Calif.
The toolsy outfielder can also hit the mid-90s from the mound, but he didn't pitch at this event. Instead, he showed a solid swing and his usual array of intriguing, yet raw, skills. Complete Report
Video: Gose on showcase, getting drafted
Video: Anthony Gose

Aaron Hicks, OF
Woodrow Wilson HS, Long Beach, Calif.
Like Gose, Hicks is another exciting and athletic outfielder with tools to spare. He, too, shows plus arm strength from the mound, but only showed it from the outfield in this event. Complete Report
Video: Hicks on the Urban Youth Academy
Video: Aaron Hicks

John Lamb, LHP
Laguna Hills HS, Laguna Hills, Calif.
While the pitching at the event didn't provide too much "wow factor," Lamb may have put himself more firmly on the map with a strong performance. The two-way player showed improvement from last summer, most noticeably with his breaking ball and command. Complete Report
Video: John Lamb

Ryan O'Sullivan, RHP
Valhalla HS, El Cajon, Calif.
He'd love to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Sean, who was a third-round pick of the Angels back in the day of draft-and-follows. This O'Sullivan also has a pretty good idea of how to pitch, especially for a high schooler. Complete Report
Video: Ryan O'Sullivan

Kyle Skipworth, C
Patriot HS, Riverside, Calif.
Left-handed hitting catchers are always a hot commodity and Skipworth was the cream of the crop at the showcase, showing off terrific power at the plate and plus arm strength behind it. Complete Report
Video: Skipworth on the Urban Youth Academy
Video: Kyle Skipworth

Michael Tonkin, RHP
Palmdale HS, Palmdale, Calif.
In the past, he's been watched because of his size and arm strength. In Compton, though, he looked like a more confident, polished pitcher than he has in the past. Complete Report
Video: Michael Tonkin

Looking ahead: With the college schedule set to begin this weekend full-tilt, scouts will certainly be revving it up into high gear. One of the top stops might be the DeMarini Invitation at Arizona State's campus in Tempe, Ariz. You'll be able to see top draft prospect Pedro Alvarez from Vanderbilt along with several of his Commodores teammates (RHP Brett Jacobson, for one). They kick things off against highly-ranked Oregon State. Host ASU has several highly thought of prospects, like OF Ike Davis, 1B Brett Wallace and C Petey Paramore. ... If you're more interested in top-rated Friday pitchers, there are plenty of options. San Diego LHP Brian Matusz will take the hill at San Diego State. Missouri and RHP Aaron Crow faced Connecticut in the Stetson Tournament in DeLand, Fla. Arizona's Ryan Perry (at Georgia) and Pepperdine's Brett Hunter (vs. Wake Forest) both can crank it up into the upper 90s.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Welcome to MMS

MMS represent the current state-of-the-art in white metal casting. Four expanding ranges feature the vehicles, guns and troops of World War Two, all in constant 1:76 (20mm) scale.

The ‘CLASSIC’ vehicles and ‘GUNpak’ towed gun kits contain full instructions; including general tips, if you’ve never worked with white metal before. Robust and easy to assemble, they are ideally suited to the Wargamer and yet, have the accuracy and a wealth of detail that gives satisfaction to the serious collector.

The ‘RESTRICTED ISSUE’ range is produced to full ‘CLASSIC’ standards and provides modellers with an opportunity to build conversions of some of the more popular subjects.

The new 'CIVVY St.' range of pre and post-war transport models adds an extra dimension.

Most of the ‘Accessory Pak’ figure sets feature separate arms and weapons, giving a true ‘multi-pose’ capability. Other sets provide useful detail and stowage items - all at affordable prices.

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Posted on: May 16th, 2016

Just added - the British 10cwt Airborne Trailer in comms. configuration.   Includes seated Para operator.

Posted on: Feb 29th, 2016

Three new products were added to the range for the ON TRACK modelling show and are now available to order on line.

099 US M2A1 Half-track Car, £14.95

200 Crossley 4x4 Tractor Unit, £14.95

A81 WAAF On Parade, £2.95.

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Posted on: Oct 28th, 2015

I try and turn all orders around within that timeframe.   However, I am the proverbial "one-man-band" and it is not always possible.

I acknowledge all orders, so you know that I've received yours.  If you are becoming concerned about where your order is, please e-mail and ask me - before opening a dispute on PayPal.   Having to deal with a "dispute" takes time and slows down the process for all orders.

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News Home

What we have learned from the 2010 election

Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott (AAP: Alan Porritt) 340

Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott (AAP: Alan Porritt) 340

Whether it's Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott's smiling face we wake up to on Sunday morning, one thing seems clear about this election: Australia remains a conservative nation.

On a wide variety of hot-button issues - border protection, economic management, social policy - the political gravity is well to the right of where many Labor partisans and small-l liberal intellectuals might think.

So much so that a former socialist who now leads the ALP is browner and more anti-immigrant than John Howard.

As for her opponent, critics have long derided Abbott as a "Mad Monk" and "right-wing ideologue", although how they explain his support for paid paternity leave is unclear. In any case, Abbott has proved to be a highly successful Opposition Leader.

Win or lose this weekend, Abbott will be credited for making the Coalition more competitive than anyone seriously had the right to expect during those dark days for the Opposition under Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull. In just a few months as party leader, he not only destroyed the Government's legislative centrepiece (the emissions trading scheme); he also scared Labor's factional warlords into replacing a first-term prime minister for someone who has either embraced Abbott's positions or substantially modified Labor policies to make them less threatening to Middle Australia.

Consider Gillard's lurch to the right in recent weeks: She's ditched Kevin Rudd's economically crushing mining super tax. She's changed Labor's tune on asylum seekers and backed refugee offshore processing. She's repudiated a big spending fiscal policy and even praised John Howard's economic legacy.

She's not only dumped the ETS; she has, at least until the 11th hour when she's desperately sought Green preferences, hardly even mentioned "the great moral challenge of our generation." She's been hawkish about the war on terror in Afghanistan. She's thrown up the white flag in the culture wars, vacating the battlefield to Abbott on gay marriage, the republic and the bill of rights. Add to this her opposition to teacher unions over league tables and schools curriculum, and it is difficult to detect any red roots.

The marginal seat polling tells the story: the key groups that help turn federal elections are not the so-called left-wing elites from metropolitan Melbourne and Sydney who care passionately about refugees, multiculturalism and man-made global warming. No, the key voters are sections of the culturally conservative working and lower-middle classes, many of whom are mortgaged to the hilt and deeply concerned about population pressures and illegal immigrants. They are located mainly in the outer suburbs of Sydney and Brisbane and especially the sun-belt seats of Queensland. It was these people to whom both Gillard and Abbott have been primarily appealing in recent weeks.

They may not read Edmund Burke but they are a temperamentally conservative lot, wary of change, believing that efforts to transform anything radically will have, as the Irish conservative philosopher warned, "pleasing commencements" but "lamentable conclusions".

Far from marketing herself as a social democrat bent on progressive reform, Gillard is running as a don't-rock-the-boat conservative. Whether Middle Australia believes her is highly doubtful.

Tom Switzer is a former senior Liberal adviser and editor of the Spectator Australia.

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Australia Network News

The Maldives votes in delayed presidential run-off

Maldivian presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed

Maldivian former President and Presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed smiles as he casts his vote at a local polling station in Male on September 7, 2013

AFP: Roberto Schmidt

Polls have opened in a presidential run-off in the Maldives after a previous vote was delayed by the Supreme Court.

Opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed is the frontrunner 21 months after he resigned under pressure from demonstrations and mutinous police officers.

The man who replaced him as president, Mohamed Waheed, left the country on Thursday to travel to Hong Kong for a medical appointment for his wife.

"He is constantly in touch. There's no reason for concern," his spokesman Masood Imad told AFP, adding that parliament would be responsible for inaugurating a new leader on Sunday.

Mr Waheed's term expired last weekend.

He had remained in office despite demands from Mr Nasheed's party for him to step down and growing pressure from Western nations and India.

Mr Waheed has announced his intention to step down after elections.

Mr Nasheed faces a run-off vote against Abdulla Yameen, the half-brother of former autocrat Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the archipelago for 30 years.

The former political prisoner won a first vote on September 7 with 45 percent, but the result was scrapped by the Supreme Court which upheld a complaint about voter list irregularities.

After another attempt to hold the poll was blocked, a re-run of the first round took place on November 9.

Mr Nasheed won by a larger margin - nearly 47 percent - but still not enough for an outright victory.

A run-off election announced for the day after by the independent Election Commission was again cancelled by the Supreme Court, which is dominated by judges named during Gayoom's three-decade rule.

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Day of Rejoicing

Commemorated on May 6

On Tuesday of St Thomas week we remember those Orthodox Christians from all ages who have died in faith, and in the hope of resurrection.

There are indications of this commemoration in the sermons of the Fathers of the Church. St John Chrysostom, for example, mentions it in his homily "On the Cemetery and the Cross."

In pre-Revolutionary Russia bars remained closed and alcoholic beverages were not sold until this Day of Rejoicing so that the joy people felt would be because of the Resurrection, and not an artificial joy brought on by alcohol.

Today the Church remembers its faithful members at Liturgy, and kollyva is offered in remembrance of those who have fallen asleep. Priests visit cemeteries to bless the graves of Orthodox Christians, and to share the paschal joy with the departed. It is also customary to give alms to the poor on this day.

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Green Living: 3 Ways to Make Your Household Green

lifestylegreen living

It’s easy to look around the world today and realize that changes to the way we live need to be made to benefit Earth. It’s just as easy, though, to get completely overwhelmed by the number of changes you could make. Sometimes, the huge number of possibilities can paralyze us. If I can’t go 100%, all the way green, why should I even bother? It’s hard, it’s time consuming, it’s radical, and expensive!

It is hard to know where to begin, but I have some good news! It does not have to be hard, radical, or expensive, and every little bit helps! An even cooler fact—it can actually save you money!

Rather than focusing on completely changing your family’s lifestyle, break it down into a few easy habit changes. Once you get used to those, add in a few more. Before you know it, you will be one lean, green, money and Earth saving machine! Here are a few ideas to get your toes wet!

make your household green

3 Inexpensive Ways to Make Your Household Green

Here are 3 ways you can make your household greener today.

Wash Your Laundry With Cold Water

A lot of people think that clothes need to be washed in hot water, and in some cases, that’s totally correct. But most of the time, you are totally fine to wash in cold water. Doing so is actually a great idea for many reasons—less shrinking, less stain setting, less energy used (the vast majority of energy used to wash clothes goes into heating the water), and more money in your pocket at the end of the month! I call that a win-win-win-win! And, just in case you were wondering, the hot water cycle doesn’t get hot enough to “disinfect” your clothes.

Use Old T-shirts Instead of Paper Towels

I’m sure this seems completely radical to a bunch of people, but bear with me. We all have about a million old t-shirts we never wear. You may even be like me and have a big stash of shirts you’ve been planning on using to make a quilt. Why not cut them into big squares and use them instead of paper towels? Imagine how much waste you produce just in paper towels each month. Instead, you could keep a couple dozen “home made” towels on hand, toss them in the laundry a couple times a week (on cold!) and voila! You save money on towels and cut back on your waste. Plus, you’ve used old tees hanging around that you probably weren’t going to use anyway. (If you’re still attached to the t-shirt quilt idea, just use the backs as towels and hang on to the fronts. That way you use the whole shirt instead of wasting the backs!)

Replace Meat With Beans

I will spare you the vegetarian lecture, but if you’re truly interested in going greener and/or saving money, you really should consider consuming less meat. There is a ton of information and research out there about how bad raising meat is for the environment. (Heck, there are entire books about it!) I’ll spare you the shocking statistics, but you should know that many feel that meat consumption is bad news for the environment (a simple Google search will give you a ton of information). Meat is also really expensive these days. To help your grocery budget and the planet, you can focus on a meal or two a week—replacing your chicken or beef with some sort of bean will save you a bunch of money and reduce your carbon footprint in no time!

What are some of your favorite cheap ways for your family to be greener?

Me222 Meri Daugherty is a happily married expecting mom and recent college graduate. She has two furbabies and is a huge animal lover and advocate. She is a firm believer in empowering people to make healthy choices and believes many changes start with food. She cooks gluten-free/vegan food and shares her life at sweetgreenhouse.

Feature image by Feelart.

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2 responses to “Green Living: 3 Ways to Make Your Household Green”

  1. I like #3 because ever sdince I switched to a plant based diet, I’m feeling a lot lot better and my conscience is too.

    #2 Is a bit hard to do because I don’t want to destroy the old clothes I used to wear. It hurts to deliberately get them dirty!

    And I’ll add #4 to the list: Air dry your laundry instead of putting it in the dryer! Easy peasy but it’s green green green!

  2. Meri @ SGH says:

    Don’t you love the PBD? It’s amazing how much it changes! 🙂

    And I definitely agree with #4, though I think that a lot of people (myself included) have a hard time with the simply because of a lack of space!

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We're officially 14 days past due, and I've finally started having contractions the last couple of days. They're getting pretty intense, but since I can still speak through them, they aren't strong enough to send me to the hospital. (We went in with a false alarm Monday morning.)

I didn't have the time or money to take any labor classes during the pregnancy (was working two jobs for the first two trimesters), so I don't have too many pain management tools in my toolbox right now. I've sort of depended on my mother for advice there. So far, I've gotten some training on using deep, cleansing breaths.

On my own, I've discovered that I can get some relief by creating a sort of current between two inanimate objects. For example, if I'm soaking in the tub, I press my feet firmly into one wall and my shoulders and head into the opposite wall. When standing, I get about a foot or two away from the wall, raise my arms, and push firmly into the wall while solidly planting my feet. I have no idea why this helps, but it does. Unfortunately, my method does not working while I'm lying in bed at night which is when most of my contractions seem to come.

Does anyone have a tip or trick to share to alleviate labor pain either before or after going to the hospital?

asked 30 Dec '09, 07:03

Artemis's gravatar image

accept rate: 11%

ironically enough, we left for the hospital before anyone had a chance to post an answer. Layla was born at 1:44 PM CST on December 30th! My mom coached me through proper breathing, and I got an epidural. The breathing was important because the epidural only worked on the left side at first, so I continued to have painful contractions on the right. Once they fixed that, things went very smoothly, and I only had to push for about 10 minutes! Thanks for all the great answers, everyone!

(01 Jan '10, 01:05) Artemis

(01 Jan '10, 03:12) Scottie T

Congrats!!! Also surprised you have enough energy to post on moms4mom so soon. :)

(01 Jan '10, 13:56) Scott ♦♦

Thank you! Our little one loved the carseat and didn't wake up for over an hour after we got home. Also, we had some friends over for New Year's Eve, so there were plenty of arms to hold her. :)

(01 Jan '10, 16:50) Artemis

Congratulations Artemis!

(01 Jan '10, 19:57) Tammy ♦♦

My wife and I took a birthing class on the Bradley method. The goal of the Bradley method is to allow birth to be a natural process, avoiding medical interventions to "speed up" something that naturally takes a day or so to complete, and to manage the pain of labor instead of eliminating it with narcotics. In the class, we learned about many techniques to manage pain.

  • Relax. Relax your muscles. Let your shoulders droop. Let your arms feel heavy. Have your partner guide you in relaxing all the muscles of your body. If your muscles are tense, the painful sensations increase, causing you to tense your muscles, and on and on in a feedback loop.
  • Breath. Focus on breathing slowly, deeply, and naturally. Oxygen in your blood helps you to stay relaxed. Holding your breath does the opposite. Breathing and relaxing can help you to find your rhythm.
  • If making noise feels good, make all the noise you want. But your throat may hurt later.
  • Stay hydrated. During the later stages of labor, have sips of water or ice chips between contractions. Giving birth is an athletic event. If you get dehydrated, you'll run out of energy, your blood pressure will rise, and so will your stress level.
  • Change positions. Don't just lie on your back in bed. Walk around. Sit on the toilet. Get on your hands and knees. Squat.
  • If it feels good, have your partner give you a good firm massage. Counter pressure to your contraction pains can be very helpful. There were times when my wife didn't want anyone touching her during contractions, but there were other contractions when she wanted pressure applied to her back. We put two tennis balls in a sock to use for applying back pressure, but I never used it.
  • Make the environment conducive to relaxing. Turn the lights down. Play calming music or background noise. We downloaded this album and brought an iPod and small clock radio with an iPod dock to the hospital.
  • Have your partner ask others in the room to remain quiet and calm. If you're at the hospital and the nurse or doctor want to come in the room during a contraction, have your partner or other assistant politely ask them to wait a minute while you get through this contraction.
  • If available, take a hot bath or shower.
  • Have your partner guide you in meditation or tell you stories of fun, happy, relaxing memories. Have your partner describe places that are important to you and make you feel safe and secure, or places where you can relax. They don't have to be actual places, just places where you feel calm and safe. Have your partner stay positive, but calm.

My wife did a outstanding job and she was able to give birth without the use of drugs. If the pain is too intense, you won't be a failure for having an epidural. But many mothers are able to give birth without getting the shot, and I'm sure you are able as well, so I would encourage you to avoid it. Good luck! You'll do great.

answered 30 Dec '09, 14:55

Scottie%20T's gravatar image

Scottie T
accept rate: 15%

edited 30 Dec '09, 16:44

The counter pressure was really helpful for me. We actually had my husband and doula pressing on either side of my hips which was really great.

(30 Dec '09, 16:49) Kiesa ♦

Oh, and my husband couldn't believe how hard I wanted him to press.

(30 Dec '09, 16:50) Kiesa ♦

Great summary, Scott, and thanks for the compliments :) I really enjoyed birth, thanks to being able to relax through it. Good luck, Artemis. I hope you had the birth of your dreams. If you'd like to read my birth story, it's posted on our blog: www.infinitesimalchange.blogspot.com

(01 Jan '10, 18:54) Fun2Dream

Stuff they recommended (can't speak to what worked exactly, except these seemed to help):

  • Have your partner use a tennis ball to put pressure on your lower back just above the tail bone
  • Sitting on those big round "birthing balls"
  • Hot shower, and using hand sprayer on the same spot as the tennis ball

This all kept Tammy going for several hours at the hospital, but due to "back labor" they eventually suggested an epidural. After the epidural, Tammy said, "I haven't had a contraction in a long time", and I looked at the monitor and said, "you're having one right now."

Best wishes! Remember, the first days are emotionally and physically exhausting, for everyone. You're not alone. Hang in there. It gets better!

answered 30 Dec '09, 11:36

Scott's gravatar image

Scott ♦♦
accept rate: 10%

All of the things Scott mentioned did help along with deep breathing and focus. I didn't use a focal point but I would take deep breaths and concentrate on relaxing my muscles as I was bouncing on the birthing ball, in the shower, or using counterpressure with the tennis ball.

(30 Dec '09, 16:12) Tammy ♦♦

That's how my epidural was with my first child. It was so strong, I had to be told when I was having a contraction so I could push.

(30 Dec '09, 23:18) mkcoehoorn

The upside to drugs during labor is that, depending on the dosage, it takes the edge off the pain or eliminates it completely allowing you to rest prior to pushing. I had epidurals with both of my kids with both effects. The second time around when I had the lower dosage and therefore more pain, I did find it very helpful to make a sound while breathing out. This can be done with out screaming your throat raw. It is very like a martial artist shouting when kicking or punching (I studied karate in 7th - 9th grades) or a vocal performer phonating to warm up the voice (I also sing barbershop).

While waiting for my epidurals I had to use other pain management methods. I found the breathing methods taught in my birth classes were more likely to cause me to hyperventilate. So instead I breathed in for a count of 4, held my breath for a count of 4, then breathed out for a count of 4.

answered 30 Dec '09, 23:15

mkcoehoorn's gravatar image

accept rate: 8%

Consciously relaxing helped me a lot. My yoga teacher had told me that it is very hard to tense up whilst breathing out, so I found concentrating on the out-breaths really helpful. You breathe in as a reflex, but it is easy to tense up and hold your breath, so remembering to breathe out is important.

I personally found that as labour got more intense I wanted to be left alone, I wanted my husband to hold my hand, so I could squeeze it, but apart from that I didn't want anyone to touch me, so I could concentrate and focus inwards.

I visualised contractions as waves, as they get intense you breathe out and they reach a peak then you can breathe in again as they subside. This is until you get to transition when you might get double-peaks as the contractions opening your cervix give way to those pushing the baby out.

Especially in the final pushing stage I found it helped to keep gravity on my side - babies come out easier down hill. Your tail bone makes a small up hill at the base of your spine if you're lying on your back. This is why active birthing methods talk about staying upright. When I was tired, I would lean forward over a bean bag or the edge of a bed or settee, or as a last resort lie down on my side.

answered 31 Dec '09, 20:10

Meg%20Stephenson's gravatar image

Meg Stephenson
accept rate: 7%

Many childbirth experts (Dr Sarah Buckley, Ina May Gaskin, Sheila Kitzinger etc.) emphasize the emotional and instinctive aspects of childbirth a lot when writing about pain management and relaxation during birth. So it is not so much about techniques and knowing exactly what and how to do, but trusting your body and letting go in a relaxed, warm and cozy atmosphere.

This excellent article by Dr Sarah Buckley explores the physiology of childbirth, showing that it is a process triggered by the love hormones oxitocin and beta-endorphin - same hormones that are present when making love. Therefore, she emphasizes e.g. the importance of a stress-free, cozy environment, where the mother can feel safe and protected. In this kind of an environment she is able to relax and focus on working with her body in labour. Here is another good article by Dr Buckley.

There are many practical tips how to create this kind of an atmosphere - even in a hospital setting. Ina May Gaskin writes a lot about the meaning of love and touch. In "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" she mentions e.g. kissing with your spouse, which helps in relaxation. In my 2nd labour, we tried and tested this with my dh and yes, I would strongly recommend it. :) You can also use your favourite music, candles, etc. in order to create a familiar and relaxing atmosphere. Metaphors such as putting a flower in a vase and thinking "my cervix is opening like that flower" during contractions might help.

As the "must-read" book in preparing for childbirth mentally, in addition to Ina May Gaskin's book, I would recommend Birthin From Within by Pam England. They also organize workshops in US.

answered 06 Jan '10, 13:31

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Asked: 30 Dec '09, 07:03

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Israel’s new political face on Palestinian refugees: ‘we have been waiting… for more and more of them to die’

Israel/PalestineUS Politics
on 45 Comments
An announcement for Adi Koll’s J Street event in Philadelphia. (Image: J Street)

On Tuesday, June 25th Israeli Knesset member Adi Koll spoke at the Jewish Community Services Building at an event hosted by the Philadelphia chapter of J Street. Koll is a member of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party and perhaps best known for a recent Facebook post where she wrote, “There is nothing normal about life in Ramallah, and there is nothing normal about us letting this happen,” following a trip to the occupied territories.

Logic and prior experience could have suggested that there is very little new or unexpected to be gained from going to such an event. But finally having the luxury of time in the summer, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to hear from the MK who stirred up controversy over Facebook, and I’m glad I didn’t.

The newly-elected MK Koll started by telling us to lean in closer because the members of her party Yesh Atid “have a spark in the eye.” She proceeded to give the audience a short history of her new party and imparted some juicy gossip about the founder, Yair Lapid, and his daily beauty regimen. She talked about her involvement in the social “justice” movements sweeping Israel, concerned with everything from education to the cost of apartments in Tel Aviv, but strangely never their neighbors, the Palestinian people, living under Israel’s system of apartheid. She did reiterate that Israelis now just “ignore the Palestinian issue,” even as she claimed that 80% of them support the two-state solution.

As she finally moved to what we had all had come to hear her talk about, I could not help but begin to wonder what exactly that “spark” she mentioned actually was. As she described her recent trip to Ramallah, she told us that the Palestinians she saw in refugee camps around Ramallah do not want to go back to their homes. They would just be happy with a new apartment, she claimed, an escape from the desolation that she was so struck by.

In regards to the right of return– which she apparently thinks her Ph.D. in law from Columbia University gives her a right to adjudicate on behalf of the Palestinians to whom it is owed– she had this to say about the fact that Palestinian refugees in Ramallah now have children and grandchildren: “This is what we have been waiting for, for more and more of them to die.” My jaw almost hit the ground as I furiously recorded this statement in my notebook. I know that Israelis do not now even make an attempt to hide this kind of thinking, revealing Israel’s real intention to rid Palestine/Israel of Palestinians. I was not, however, expecting to hear something like this from someone who claims to be on the Left, even as distorted and farcical of a label we know that is in Israel. Looking around, it appeared that no one else was even perturbed by this statement.

In response to my question/comment (as an increasingly frequent moderator of Q & A sessions myself, I will admit that I skirted that edge) of how exactly this whole negotiation thing is supposed to work, given the fact that the Palestinian Authority is Israel’s puppet and Palestinians view it as an institution of their oppression, she didn’t have much to say.

I brought up the Nelson Mandela quote that you can probably find in many places along Israel’s Apartheid Wall: “Only free men can negotiate.” To that she responded with a rhetorical question of whether any of us are really free. She asked why the Palestinians don’t have something like Yesh Atid, why they aren’t doing anything to change their system. And this is where I had to detach myself.

For me, the event was yet another confirmation that a just peace will not come from inside Israel. The small minority of Jewish Israelis who stand in true solidarity with the Palestinian people will be crucial allies in helping this change come about, to be sure. But it will not come from inside Israel, no matter how many testimonies Breaking the Silence can collect. Koll is supposedly touring the U.S. as a representative of a new generation of Israeli leaders focused on the two-state solution, but Koll’s own comments make clear that there is no room in the Israeli political class for acknowledging and honoring Palestinian human rights. In addition, listening to Koll talk it is clear that Israel will continue to have zero accountability for anything that they do to Palestinians, even from the majority of the Israeli left. That’s the reality. That’s why Palestinian society is calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions of Israel. That’s why we need to stand in solidarity with Palestinians on BDS.

Before I went to Palestine/Israel with 33 other Americans with Interfaith Peace-Builders a few weeks ago, I would have been intimidated in that audience and probably would have lost my nerve to ask my question in the first place and call her out, rather than to raise my hand and keep it raised as soon as she finished her talk. I would have assumed that this would be a hostile audience and that I wouldn’t be prepared or able to back myself up. I would have left somehow feeling– however irrationally– single-handedly responsible for my fellow audience members leaving with their opinions and views on this unchanged. But that night, I left feeling pretty secure in knowing that the world is awakening to the fact that Palestinians are doing what they need to be doing by living, by existing and by asking the world to join them in solidarity in boycotting, divesting and sanctioning Israel.

Palestinians have been doing this for a pretty long time, too. And the world is finally beginning to listen. After the Israeli consulate official whisked MK Koll away, I stayed to give a young man working with a program that takes college students to the South to learn about Jewish solidarity with the Civil Rights movement info on how he could look up what the Dorothy Cotton Institute is doing.  He asked about black solidarity with Palestinians.

In the middle of that, a J Streeter came up to me to ask for my email address to meet up when I’m in Ramallah in the fall and he on a visit to Israel. He said he didn’t want to take a J Street tour of the South Hebron Hills but rather to meet and hear from Palestinians (He certainly shouldn’t have to visit me to do this, but it’s better than not meeting any Palestinians at all, I suppose.). If this was my experience at a random J Street event, allies in the struggle for justice and peace for Palestinians might be in the making all around us, in pretty unexpected places.

About Clarissa O'Conor

Clarissa O'Conor grew up in Lititz, Pennsylvania. She is now an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where she focuses on Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and Modern Middle East Studies and recently started working as a birth and abortion doula. She will be traveling in Palestine/Israel in the fall, where she hopes to continue working in solidarity with Palestinians.

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Stocks head for jobs bounce

@CNNMoneyInvest March 9, 2012: 8:46 AM ET

Click chart for more premarkets data.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- A slightly better-than-expected jobs report and positive news out of Greece will likely give stocks a lift Friday.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were slightly higher ahead of the opening bell. Stock futures indicate the possible direction of the markets when they open at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The jobs report showed that the U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate remain unchanged at 8.3%. That's down from January, when employers added 243,000 jobs.

A CNNMoney survey of 19 economists had predicted that the economy added 210,000 jobs in February, with an 8.3% unemployment rate.

In Greece, creditors agreed to a plan to restructure Greek bonds, government officials said Friday. More than 85% of private bondholders agreed to the deal, Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos said in a statement.

Greece: Historic restructuring

The agreement on private-sector involvement, as it is known, is the final hurdle Greece must clear to meet all the conditions of its second €130 billion bailout program from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

European finance officials could approve the final portion of Greece's bailout as early as Friday -- staving off, for now, the prospect of a disorderly default.

Zahid Siddique, Portfolio Manager at Gabelli Equity Trust, said markets were not reacting to the Greek debt deal because of an expectation, established over the past few days, that a deal would be reached.

"There are other concerns now," Siddique said. "What is next? Are we done? Will other countries need assistance? We're not totally out of the woods."

U.S. stocks closed higher Thursday on hopes for a finalized deal in Greece.

World markets: European stocks were mixed in morning trading. Britain's FTSE 100 (UKX) slipped by 0.1%, while the DAX (DAX) in Germany edged higher by 0.2% and France's CAC 40 (CAC40) increased by 0.1%

Inflation in China slowed dramatically in February, as temporary price hikes related to Lunar New Year faded.

Consumer prices rose 3.2% from a year ago, China's National Bureau of Statistics reported Friday -- a steep slowdown from a 4.5% inflation rate in January.

Asian markets ended higher. The Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) added 0.8%, the Hang Seng (HSI) in Hong Kong rose 0.9% and Japan's Nikkei (N225) increased 1.7%.

On Friday, the Nikkei briefly crossed 10,000 for the first time since August, before closing at 9,929.

Economy: Aside from the highly anticipated jobs report, data is also due on the trade balance and wholesale inventories.

The U.S. trade deficit for January is expected to total $48.2 billion, according to a survey of analysts by Briefing.com -- down from $48.8 billion in December.

Wholesale inventories for January are expected to have increased by 0.6%, after increasing 1% the month prior.

Companies: Firms including Ann Taylor (ANN) and cruise company Carnival (CCL) will release their quarterly results on Friday.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected Ann Taylor to post quarterly earnings of nine cents a share on $567 million in revenue. The company missed on earnings, reporting 4 cents per share, but hit on revenue.

Carnival is expected to report a loss of 8 cents a share and $3.6 billion in revenue.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) shares dropped 14% in premarket trading, after Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) announced that it will begin selling a single-service coffee machine of its own.

Green Mountain currently dominates the single-serve market with its popular Keurig, or K-Cup, machines.

Currency wars: Brazil says 'it's on'

Currencies and commodities: The dollar strengthened against the euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen.

Oil for April delivery rose 34 cents to $106.92 a barrel.

Gold futures for April delivery rose $1.30 to $1,700 an ounce.

Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury slipped, pushing the yield up to 2.02% from 2.01% late Thursday.  To top of page

Index Last Change % Change
Dow 18,395.40 -53.01 -0.29%
Nasdaq 5,218.92 6.71 0.13%
S&P 500 2,169.04 -3.43 -0.16%
Treasuries 1.64 0.06 3.68%
Data as of 6:38am ET
Company Price Change % Change
Bank of America Corp... 15.79 0.26 1.67%
Chesapeake Energy Co... 6.40 0.07 1.11%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc... 10.89 -0.20 -1.80%
Apple Inc 106.94 -0.63 -0.59%
Micron Technology In... 16.51 0.31 1.91%
Data as of Aug 26
Overnight Avg Rate Latest Change Last Week
30 yr fixed3.41%3.40%
15 yr fixed2.69%2.68%
5/1 ARM2.83%2.86%
30 yr refi3.42%3.43%
15 yr refi2.70%2.71%
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Apple says law enforcement missed chance to back up shooter's phone

Breaking down Apple's fight with the FBI

Did law enforcement make a big error in its handling of the iPhone after the San Bernardino shooting?

That's what Apple is claiming. According to senior Apple executives, there was a lost opportunity to get into the shooter's iCloud account, which had been backed up six weeks prior to the shooting.

They said the iCloud password was changed hours after the shooting, preventing a potential iCloud backup that may have revealed further information about the suspect.

The phone was actually issued to the shooter, Syed Farook, by his employer and belonged to San Bernardino county.

According to senior Apple executives, in an attempt to access the device soon after the attack, someone at the county changed the iCloud ID password, preventing a potential iCloud backup.

On Friday, San Bernardino county tweeted that it had reset the iCloud password at the FBI's request.

Related: U.S. tries to force Apple to unlock San Bernardino shooter's iPhone

Apple engineers would have tried to find a known Wi-Fi network that the suspect had utilized. That's because the phone would've backed up to iCloud when it was on a trusted network and plugged in -- assuming the password hadn't been changed and the suspect had his Wi-Fi turned on.

Speaking generally about the way the iPhone interfaces with iCloud, an Apple spokesperson said there's no way to tell from Cloud reports if backup was turned on or off. According to the spokesperson, there's also no way to tell whether or not Wi-Fi was turned on.

Regardless, the investigative option to find out was ruled out when the password was reset.

The Department of Justice acknowledged that the password had been changed.

But, the Justice Department, in a footnote to its filing on Friday, said that any backup would have been "insufficient" because it didn't have the same amount of information as what was on the phone itself.

Furthermore, investigators believe the shooter had turned off auto-backup, saying the phone had been auto-updating weekly until the last backup six weeks before the shooting.

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Microsoft and other PC stocks crash

Shares of Microsoft, Intel, and HP tumble after reports that PC sales plunged nearly 14% in the first quarter.

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CNNMoney assistant managing editor Paul LaMonica highlights the latest news from Wall Street and what's moving the markets in his daily investing commentary.


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GM's new CEO faces crucial test

GM's new CEO Mary Barra faces her first crucial test, as investigations into GM's ignition switch recall rev into high gear.

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This video series features interviews with big thinkers—including economists, strategists, financial advisors and portfolio managers—on the economy, markets and investor-related topics.


text:
Why Investing in Stocks This Year Was Not a Financial Mistake

by David Ning · 28 comments

In a matter of weeks, I saw my portfolio erode at a rate that I thought was only possible in months/years instead days/weeks. The other day, I was looking at the disastrous performance of my stock investments through financial statements and asked myself one question: “Did I make a financial mistake by investing in stocks this year?”

These “after-the-fact” type questions usually does nothing but make me feel worst but I felt the need to give an honest attempt at answering because being invested this year was by far the most detrimental to my wealth.

As my thoughts race through my brain, the answer became increasing clear to me that starting to invest in stocks was not a financial mistake. The decline was definitely something I wish I avoided, but to call it a financial mistake was just not correct.

To carry on the discussion further, let me share with you some of the notes I took in my imaginary wall:

We Decide Based on Possible Outcome, Not Results.
When I chose to pour my savings into the stock market, it was based on the rational decision that:

  1. Stocks outperformed other asset classes in any 20-year period
  2. I was young enough to have many years of income to cover any potential losses
  3. My time horizon was long

Due to the fact that we can’t predict the future and there’s no “undo/retry” in life, we decide the path to take based on all the facts present.  My investing approach was based on past history and my circumstances. My wealth took a disastrous dive but short term performance was simply not part of my consideration. I’m looking for long term gain, and these types of short term decline was what I was willing to tolerate and should be expected.

I Actually Made the Choice
Indecision is always the worst mistake that one can make.  If I did not decide to begin investing during the good times, there would be no way that I would start now when everything looks dark and gloomy.  As a result, I may never start investing.  It would preserve my capital this year, but earning 3% a year (and being taxed every single year) is definitely not advisable over the long run.

What I Do Consider a Financial Mistake
Let’s face it, many of us lost more money this year than any other. However, financial mistakes should be left for those decisions that we make when the facts points to the likelihood of financial disaster (Taking payday loans, splurging on credit cards without the funds to pay them off immediately, buying a new car just to keep up with your neighbors etc come to mind).

Deciding to start investing in stocks will never be a financial mistake. Ever.

Editor's Note: I've begun tracking my assets through Personal Capital. I'm only using the free service so far and I no longer have to log into all the different accounts just to pull the numbers. And with a single screen showing all my assets, it's much easier to figure out when I need to rebalance or where I stand on the path to financial independence.

They developed this pretty nifty 401K Fee Analyzer that will show you whether you are paying too much in fees, as well as an Investment Checkup tool to help determine whether your asset allocation fits your risk profile. The platform literally takes a few minutes to sign up and it's free to use by following this link here. For those trying to build wealth, Personal Capital is worth a look.

Money Saving Tip: An incredibly effective way to save more is to reduce your monthly Internet and TV costs. Click here for the current AT&T DSL and U-VERSE promotion codes and promos and see if you can save more money every month from now on.

{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }

Miranda December 2, 2008 at 9:08 am

I, too, am not sorry I have been investing in stocks. In fact, I’ve increased my retirement contributions to take advantage of the low, low prices. I’ll be much happier for it down the road.

Jonha @ iJustDid.org December 30, 2010 at 8:23 pm

Hi Miranda,

Thanks for this post, in short term, the market maybe a little scary but in the long run, you will reap the rewards of such an intelligent decision and smart move. Happy investing.

Chris May 11, 2013 at 5:34 pm

Hi, 2012 hindsight here. You did well by investing more when stocks were a bargain, today you see why.

MoneyNing December 2, 2008 at 12:04 pm

Miranda: Good for you :) Increasing your contribution is the way to go in this market.

Calvin December 2, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Nicely put. My wealth has diminished drastically this year and while I’m seriously in need of something good happening, I agree that investing is actually one of the better decisions I made through the years.

Mike December 2, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Agreed precisely. Given how long you still have until you’ll need your retirement money, this current downturn (as large as it is) doesn’t hurt you at all.

Same thing goes for myself and millions of other investors. Now if we could just get the media to stop selling fear… :)

Mark December 2, 2008 at 5:01 pm

Good post. I agree that investing was not a mistake. It is impossible to time this market. 5, 10 or 20 years from now the results should be better.

George December 3, 2008 at 4:42 am

I think the other side of this too is that NOW is especially an important time to begin or continue investing for the long term. I’ve been watching many people STOP their 401(k)/IRA contributions in the past couple weeks or months and feel the urge to say, “the loss already happened…don’t stop buying now that prices are LOW.” stay the course people, stay the course…

vilkri December 3, 2008 at 7:52 am

I agree with you. When you lose money with an investment, it does not mean that you made a mistake. As a matter of fact, you may even make a mistake when you make money. Just think about these folks, some of whom I know personally, who invested heavily in real estate ignoring all rules of proper asset allocation. They were on top of the world making money two years ago. It is all too apparent that this money making scheme was a big mistake even if you got out early enough and ended up making money overall. It is better to stick with sound strategies than to chase the next “big thing”.

Andrea December 3, 2008 at 8:37 am

Shoot, any time you’re saving is a good time. I tripled my retirement contribution and doubled my husband’s. I’m fine if we hover at this level for a couple of years, really.

Caleb December 3, 2008 at 3:54 pm

The biggest profits are usually made by the wealthiest ppl during “economic down times”.

the moneygardener December 6, 2008 at 8:30 am

Well put. In fact I have made a concerted effort to invest more than I have ever invested during October, November, and this month. These levels are great for long term investing in dividend growing stocks. I’ve even employed a moderate amount of leverage in order to do so.

Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck December 8, 2008 at 6:45 am

Indeed, investing this year was no more a poor decision than investing in 1999 was a great decision. In both cases, if you are far from needing the money (as you are), it’s the right call. So easy for others to say they have a long-term time horizon and aggressive risk tolerance while things are going up. Glad you’ve hung on and will benefit from this dip, no matter how severe or protacted.

The Happy Rock December 19, 2008 at 8:04 pm

MN I love seeing your thought processes on paper and I think you nailed it, although I don’t think I would be gutsy enough to say that the US stock market will forever be a good investment.

hisham June 19, 2009 at 7:41 am

i bought stocks that pays good dividend. its very good to receive checks once in every several months. also, stocks that pays good dividend do not fluctuate much..

printable fake money July 1, 2009 at 9:11 am

buy stock of good companies when it is in its low, like this time. this is what warren buffet does, he is the richest now.

Forex Coach March 9, 2010 at 3:21 am

Hope you’re slowly recovering your losses now that the market is somehow back on its feet.

Tiffany June 1, 2010 at 5:40 pm

Well it seems like you took quite a risk, but learned a lot in the process. Thanks for posting.

Dan Klaus June 17, 2010 at 2:08 pm

We invested for the long-term based on fundamental trends. Our strategy is three things: dividend paying stocks, individual chinese companies, and gold. While I get the ‘oh no’ twinge looking at short term performance, I remind myself that I’m in this for 10 years minimum. Nice reminder.

Ryan DeLeon January 23, 2011 at 9:32 am

Lets not forget when it comes to the stock market, you dont actually lose money unless you sell and realize the loss. Your portfolio is simply valued less, but it if you left your money in the stock market you know it came back, not all the way yet but almost. If you know the history of the stock market then you know this happens all the time and that overall the stock market makes money, you just have to think long term.

The Marketeer March 14, 2011 at 12:54 pm

Buying stocks is buying into a highly liquid asset *usually*. Not only is it a prudent way of investing your hard earned income, it also carries with it many benefits. Having a lot of assets in a portfolio can make it easier to get loans at good rates, give you a lot of investing options, and until you actually realize gains, a good way to manage taxes.

Stocks are good, very good, that’s why we blog about them at The Weekly Marketeer.

Cheers. The Marketeer.

GoodTrader January 29, 2012 at 7:20 am

Investing has become a necessity in these times. Save and invest, learn from mistakes and reinvest profits for growth.

DayDreamz April 29, 2012 at 9:11 am

Investing in stocks is about making the right decision. Nobody can determine how is the stocks up/down. However, during market crisis- Its the best time to invest. Patience is the key to determine- why a lot people lose money:
When the stocks up by 10 cents, they sell.
When the stocks up by $2, they sell.

They can hold till stocks down $2, but only can hold till stock up 10cent.
No Patience= Not suitable to invest in stocks.
All great stock investor are all able to hold stocks for years and years.. Till the time is right.

Gavin June 1, 2012 at 7:51 am

David, I would encourage you to learn the basics of options trading. Buying some put options is very easy and helps protect you from the massive drawdowns that the market can be prone to from time to time.

Kevin Ashwe July 20, 2012 at 8:40 am

If you ask me I will say stocks are still one of the best places to put our money to grow, though its more technical investing in the stock market today than ever.

Jonathan Craig February 2, 2015 at 6:34 pm

I’m a big fan of putting my money to work, especially in the hands of those with more expertise in fields I’m interested in!

SAM February 24, 2015 at 11:41 pm

It is important to keep in mind that while investing in stock, one is actually investing in a business and no business can do wonders in few days or even few months. Longer duration is better to even out market fluctuations and better returns.

Satish Mruthyunjaya July 2, 2015 at 4:30 am

Yeah, it looked foolish that time, but you when you look back, everyone recovered the investment. But the biggest loss it opportunity loss when we had the option to invest at rock bottom prices

Leave a Comment


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Montgomery’s Inn Event Calendar 2016

Recurring Events & Activities

Market Days at Montgomery’s Inn

The market runs every Wednesday, 2 to 6 p.m.
We’re outdoors until late October. Buy direct from local farmers and food artisans. Organic fruit and vegetables, cheese, bread and prepared foods as well as ethically raised meat, honey and more! Have a tour of the museum on us and see what our youth group is up to; it’s free on Wednesdays during market hours. Visit our Market page for news and updates.

Teatime at the Inn

Every Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
Your choice of a sweet  or savoury plate with a pot of tea or glass of cider.
Admission: $7+HST per person.

Montgomery’s Inn Art Exhibition Series

Current and Upcoming Shows:

Summer 2016

  • Community Room: Intrinsic Toronto by Andrew Bonnycastle (To August 3): Paintings by national award-winning Toronto artist Andrew Bonnycastle. This exhibit focuses on how the old and historic buildings of Toronto are an intrinsic part of our city and how our present communities have formed around them. This is an exhibition where art and history go hand in hand to explore the relationship between present day Torontonians and the remaining structural remnants of Toronto’s past.
  • Briarly Room: Hooked Rugs – Not to be Stepped On, the work of Carole St Amand (To August 24): An exhibit that shows a centuries-old craft adapted to create modern and vibrant works of art, no longer for covering floors, but to be displayed on walls like any fine painting. Carole St-Amand designs and makes each piece by hand, using a hook as a paintbrush, wool as her paint and linen as the canvas. Imagination… the only limitation.

The galleries are open during regular office hours. For viewing information, call 416-394-8113.
Admission: Free

Thirsty Thursdays

Thursday, August 25, 2016, 7 to 10 p.m. (repeats September 29, October 27 & November 24)
In partnership with the INNovators, the last Thursday of every month is Thirsty Thursday tavern night at the Inn. Enjoy  live traditional music with a glass of beer, wine, or a Thomas Montgomery speciality by firelight in our restored 1847 barroom. Visit the event page for further details.
Admission: Pay What You Can, cash bar, $5 for a bowl of stew with fresh-baked bread.

Fret Not Ukulele Night

Thursday, September 1, 6 to 9 p.m. (Repeats October 6, November 3 & December 8)
Come and sing, laugh and make music at our monthly ukulele gathering with Doctor of Music instructor Chris Wilson. Beginners welcome! Bring your uke—but if you’re just testing the waters and don’t have one, let us know and we’ll loan you one for the night.
Admission: 7 to 9 p.m.: $15. (6 p.m. chord workshop: Free).

Upcoming Special Events & Activities

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Thursday to Saturday, July 29 to 31, 7 p.m.
Shakespeare’s rowdy and hilarious comedy of love, marriage and trickery performed outdoors by Humber River Shakespeare Co. Bring your own chairs. 416-231-3504
Admission: Pay What You Can ($20 suggested donation)

Sunday, August 7, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Aloha! A ukelele festival with workshops, a Hawaiian-themed lunch and museum tours.
Admission: $25 + HST. Preregistration required. 416-394-8113

Irish Culture Camp

Monday to Friday, August 22 to 26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This camp for ages 5 to 14 is an introduction to the whole Irish culture that includes language, singing, dancing, crafts, sports, music (including the tin whistle and fiddle). Children are grouped according to their ages. At the end of the week there will a concert so parents and friends can see what the children have learned.
Admission: $130. Pre-registration is required. To register, or for more information, contact moleary2001@rogers.com or call 416-446-6993.

Corn Roast, Market and Heritage Fair

Thursday, September 8, 5 to 8 p.m.
Nothing better than a late afternoon in the park with a cob of fresh corn! Join us for a grand bake sale, local produce, live music and displays from west-end heritage organizations. Bring your lawn chairs.
Admission: Free; various prices for items for sale.

Kaeja d’Dance presents: ReGeneration

Saturday, September 24, 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. and Sunday, September 25, 1 & 3 p.m.
ReGeneration is a community dance performance that reimagines the history of Montgomery’s Inn through dance, music and art. Everyday residents of Etobicoke are paired with professional choreographers to create new dance works to be performed in various rooms throughout the Inn. Featuring Kaeja d’Dance company dancers, students of Etobicoke School of the Arts and The Music Studio, and artists from Creative Village, ReGeneration is presented in community partnership with Montgomery’s Inn, Arts Etobicoke, Lakeshore Arts, The Music Studio, Creative Village, and Village of Islington BIA. Part of Animating Historic Sites: a partnership between Toronto Arts Council and City of Toronto Museums & Heritage Services.
Admission: Free (space is limited).