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What of the Corporation?

The corporation as a concept can easily be summed up by Rothbard, describing it simply as pooled capital among entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. However, the distinction then must be made with this libertarian conception, and the modern reality of corporations as subsidised leviathans that require massive subsidisation through transport subsidies, intellectual property monopolies and limited liability and corporate personhood through state granted charters. All of these limit the market from destroying the modern corporate form, which has huge diseconomies of scale and internal calculational chaos.

Without such subsidy, the corporate form would probably take a divergent position relative to time-space. Some would resemble the Mondragon cooperative system of worker-voters with a strong management, but with its capacities curtailed if need be by workers and firms. It is highly democratic and takes a stakeholder view of the corporate constituents. Similarly, it may take the form of a Kropotkinian confederation, with large companies at the centre and smaller stakeholders hedged throughout. This can be democratic for workers and entrepreneurs, but would be guided by the interests of that larger firm at the centre. Finally, we could see a system of contractual relations centred around one particular entrepreneur or firm. Such can be seen in the idea of a private city, with firms and ownership moulded into intentional communities by the larger area of land ownership or upward contractual relations.

Each of these represents something of an ideological ideal, so obviously none is a totalising alternative. Instead, each of these forms will take on each other’s characteristics, mixing into different economic and governmental systems. Some may look like a Moldbuggian corporate city, with power coming from the centre. Yet within this, there is the requirement of mutual contract, which inevitably opens the way to protest against and legal change within such contracts. The power of the crowd can temper the will of the lord. Equally, the knowledge problem of large, centralised systems means that corporations with power invested in the centre can only last if such power is diffuse enough to allow for individual creativity and decision-making, otherwise the needs for authoritarian control alienates workers and stakeholders, and leads to different economic avenues, leaving said corporation to be outcompeted.

An aristocracy of leaders and entrepreneurs may develop, yet even this is open to high levels of competition and the power of the commons in creating alternative narratives that unsettle settled power. Social hierarchies are inevitable, yet that does not mean a world ruled by corporations, but rather a series of different mutual situations that lead to different outcomes. High levels of worker ownership and autonomy in some areas, master-led guilds in other areas, and private cities lead by entrepreneurs and landowners in others. A lord only lasts as long as the commons accepts his/her position.

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Norwegian Heroin Addicts Build Toilets

Get Inspired

Former Heroin Addicts From Norway Build Toilets For Women In Mumbai, Clean School Classrooms

The Logical Indian Crew

March 17th, 2017

Image Source: Back in the Ring

When roughly 60% of the country’s 1.2 billion people still defecate in the open and the consequences for women are huge, a group of 15 people mostly heroin addicts, ex-prisoners from Norway built public toilets for the women near Mumbai Central. They also cleaned old school classrooms, decorated temple in the Bhaginkatta village, Uttara Kannada District.

‘Back in the Ring’:

They formed a group called “Back in the Ring” based in Norway led by a yoga trainer R Alexander Medin, a project to empower people struggling with drug addiction and get their life back by the mean yoga and voluntary work.

The group features 15 people who are struggling with heroin addiction, many of their members never completed school; some have a great difficulty in finishing something properly once they have started. They are trying transforming their lives by Karma Yoga projects, building a community by active participation and working together as they journey to India. Group has visited the Indian states like Karnataka, Maharashtra.

Group member Alexander Medin spoke to The Logical Indian and said their last day at work was March 15 and then they are leaving back to Norway.

Building Ladies Toilet in Mumbai:

While visiting India the group came across various issues such as sanitation – worst of all for women and girls in public places, apathy towards old school. The group has shown a lot of concern toward sanitation issue for the women. Hence they have decided to build ladies toilets near Mumbai central and show some respect towards women.

Group posted on Facebook:

“To all the great women out there,
Every day you deserve the equal right to men,
Everyday you should be treated with respect,
Everyday you should be honored for what you are,
Every day you please forgive stupid men who lack your strength”

While advocating equal rights of sanitation for the women, the group further states “The right to sanitation is equal for all, but unfortunately among all the public toilets here, most are for men. It is a disgrace for all the women who travel forth and back to work, the poor who don’t have any toilets and all the other women who feel unsafe going to the normal public toilets.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the sanitation issue a top political priority, and launched Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission that aims to ensure a toilet for every household by 2019 and to educate people about the long-term health and economic benefits of using a proper sanitation system,

According to the study released on the occasion of World Toilet Day, India has 60.4 per cent of its people without access to safe and private toilets.

“Since 1990, access has improved by 22.8 percentage points, putting India at seventh out of eight countries for improvement in South Asia. In South Asia, Nepal has seen the most improvement, followed by Pakistan and Bhutan,” the report stated.

Group founder Alexander Medin says “May our little contribution show the way out of the sanitation problems for women”

While the project was little tiring and tested its member, but group thanks to the women of Mumbai, “that we are helping to change just a little and yes we are tired, but what a great privilege it is to leave a landmark where women can feel safe, wash themselves and take care of their private hygiene. So thank you great women of Mumbai. You thoroughly deserve this and so much more!”

His friend Jenson said “This project has got so much attention which has led to the possibility for four other train stations for woman toilets, which now does not exist. In the near future it will, all thanks to my yoga teacher and friend R. Alexander Medin and his massive heart. He has helped many and given them hope. Thank you for everything you have thought me and letting me apart of this wonderful KARMA YOGA project”.

According to the Times Of India, Ladies toilet project in Mumbai is jointly funded by the Oslo-based charity BITR along with the corporate house JSW Group and the corporate house will take up maintenance of the toilet on completion.

Refurbishing School and decorating temple:

While showing frustration over the apathy of the government toward primary school in Baginakatta, BITR group constructed a part of government school, cleaned and painted it which was actively supported by SAMHITHA Trust.

According to the group, “We have constructed a small arena for Government LP school, Baginakatta. Also, we have cleaned and painted the School. For the week that we were there, we helped in painting the school, building a new stage and cleaning old classrooms. It is a primary school from 1-5 grade. It has two teachers, two small buildings and ten students, all together.

When members were not working or doing yoga, they normally hang out and drink tea with the locals, sit around share stories and in the afternoon normally take a dip in the river to cool down or walk to the waterfall for a refreshing shower. One of their members actually cried in the bus home, because he has never felt such a welcoming heartfelt experience before.

Group members also worked in the maintenance of the local temple which is now fully operational and has become the price jewel of the village.

Group’s take away:

According to the group voluntary work was not just a stress buster but they also learned a lesson of a life in India.

“However, we carry a great antidote to all the stress, challenges, obstacles and many difficulties that waits in the horizon of life. We have a new meaningful mantra that carries hope; give warmth, a feeling of love, appreciation, support and strength. It is like an unflickering flame in the dark, showing the way and reminding us of the steady concentration from within free of worry”.

“Oh Bhaginakatta, thank you for teaching us the greatest lessons in life: Love, endurance, stability, togetherness and the art of completion”.

The Logical Indian community appreciates BITR group’s efforts in building sanitation and basic infrastructure in rural areas.

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Posts Tagged ‘White Hart Lane’

Harry Redknapp and Spurs; an unravelling season

April 24, 2012

As I type this, Tottenham Hotspur are fifth in the Premier League. With four games to go before the end of the season, there is a good chance that they will finish outside of the Champions League places. Indeed, it’s not impossible that Spurs will finish sixth, behind Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea. For a team that has spent most of this season in third place, and that was close to topping the table at times, this would a very disappointing end to the campaign. Whether Spurs finish third or sixth; whether the season is a triumph or a failure, only one man is really responsible: Harry Redknapp.

I’ve always liked Harry. Before he came to Spurs, I always admired the way his teams played football and the way he handled players, getting the most out of them. I wasn’t always fond of his wheeler-dealer schtick, but I liked his enthusiasm and irreverence. Since he’s been Spurs manager I’ve managed to take a closer look at him, and some of the shine has worn off. I still think he’s a good manager, although the last few games of this season will determine just how good.

Before I go any further, I’d like to clarify how I see the role of a football manager. It’s different overseas, where there is more of a director of football/coach set-up, but in England, as far as I am concerned, the manager is God. The whole identity of a club is determined by the manager. Obviously, a manager is limited by the finances at his disposal, but beyond that, he has complete control. The manager should be in charge of selecting which players to buy and sell, training the team (alongside coaches), selecting the tactics for each game, developing the players – both mentally and physically, man-managing each player so that they are used to their full potential, picking the team on the match-day and making tactical changes and substitutions when necessary. The manager should have a plan for the long-term, understanding their objectives for the season and how they will use their squad to realise those objectives. If that sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. The manager has to take control. When Roberto Mancini was criticized for his handling of the Carlos Tevez affair, he found an unlikely ally in Sir Alex Ferguson, who backed the Italian and reiterated his belief that the manager remains the most important figure at a football club. Sir Alex Ferguson is a good example of how a football team is moulded in the identity of a manager. Players (and owners) come and go but every Manchester United team remains defiantly Ferguson. Even when the players aren’t great, the team still reflects Ferguson’s identity and embodies his desire for victory. Mediocre Man Utd teams regularly beat the best Spurs teams.

Harry Redknapp has been in charge of Tottenham Hotspur since October 2008. He has been in control of the team for nearly four years and has done a lot for the club. As he is fond of telling the press, when he joined Spurs they had 2 points after 8 games and were propping up the table. He has done well with the players at his disposal and has been backed in the transfer market when needed. The current Spurs squad is very much a Harry squad, composed of players he has brought into the club (Friedel, Parker, Defoe, Gallas, Adebayor, Saha) and players who were already at Spurs, but who who he has moulded into his style of play (Bale, Lennon, King, Assou-Ekotto). There remain a handful of players who Redknapp clearly doesn’t rate but who he can’t get rid of (Dos Santos, Bentley). But it is very much Harry’s team. When the team plays well, as it has done regularly over the last few years, it is due to good management by Harry, and when the team plays badly, it is because of bad management by Harry. That is how football works. Win, lose or draw, it is because of Harry.

When a team is playing badly and losing games, one of the mantras repeated by football fans and pundits is that the players have to take responsibility – that the manager can’t go out there on the pitch and play the game for them. This is a fundamentally flawed statement. Of course the players have some responsibility, but the ultimate responsibility always lies with the manager. It is his responsibility to pick the right team over the course of the season to ensure that players remain fresh, to ensure all the players understand their roles on the pitch, to motivate players and protect them from pressure, to inspire and lead them. If the players are nervous or tired or flat, this is a failure on behalf of the management.

Which brings us back to Harry Redknapp. One of the reasons I like Harry less now than when he first took over at Spurs is because I understand what motivates him. What motivates him is doing the best thing for Harry Redknapp. In many ways that is understandable, but it is an unedifying sight. I’ve watched countless post-match interviews with Harry and have come to marvel at how he deflects attention away from his own failings. When Spurs play against Man City or Chelsea Harry is quick to highlight how much money these clubs have and how Spurs can’t compete. When Spurs lose to Stoke or Norwich, Harry isn’t quite so keen to dwell on the financial disparity. When a player he brought to Spurs has done well, he will highlight how he had to persuade the chairman Daniel Levy to buy him (see Scott Parker). He ensures that when things are going well, credit goes to Harry and when things are going badly he manages to shift responsibility onto players or other figures at the club – he throws up his hands and claims that he is helpless. He has given almost no credit to Daniel Levy for ensuring that Luka Modric remained at Tottenham after the Croatian attempted to jump ship to Chelsea. In the recent slump Harry has often talked about the failings in the squad, whether it is tiredness or lack or height, as though he’s not directly responsible for those failings. He is the manager. He has been the manager for 4 years. If the players are tired or playing badly it is because he hasn’t managed them properly. If the squad is lacking depth in certain positions, it’s no one’s fault but Harry’s.

In some ways I don’t entirely blame Harry for the way he deals with the press – you don’t survive that long in football management by giving the media and fans enough rope to hang you with.

And despite Harry’s attitude irritating me, it hasn’t really upset me too much because over the last four years, what has been good for Harry Redknapp has nearly always coincided with what was good for Spurs. That all changed in February 2012. A day after Harry was cleared of two counts of cheating the public revenue, England manager Fabio Capello quit his post. Harry was instantly installed as favourite to replace him and a media campaign to appoint Redknapp as England manager sprung into action.

Of course, Harry himself refused to commit himself either way, because being Harry he wants to keep him options open. He could have issued a “come-and-get-me” plea and stated that he wanted the England position. He could have stated that he wanted to stay with Spurs. He did neither. He left as many doors open as possible. And almost immediately, Tottenham’s season turned to shit. Of course, according to Harry, the dip in Tottenham’s form has nothing to do him being linked to the England job. Because, according to Harry, none of his decisions ever have any negative impact on the team. Over and over he has stated that the players aren’t affected by the uncertainty hanging over the club, as though not knowing who the manager will be next season or whether your manager will even last until the end of the season won’t get into a player’s head. A lot of football is mental. The difference between a great player (Fernando Torres for Liverpool) and a poor player (Fernando Torres for Chelsea) is rarely physical. It’s an accumulation of doubts, fears, lack of self-belief and self-confidence. Players are affected by what goes on around them. Of course they are.

I’m not suggesting that Spurs’ recent slump is entirely down to Harry flirting with the FA. There are plenty more issues. But what unites all these issues is that as manager, Harry is responsible for all of them. As I’ve said before: this is Harry’s team.

Earlier in the season, when Spurs were 3rd and making an almost-credible push for the Premier League title, Harry Redknapp repeatedly stated that it was possible for Spurs to win the league – that the club had the players and resources to do it. I suspect, because I’ve heard it so many times before, that if Spurs do finish fifth or sixth, that Harry will swiftly rewrite history and claim that “we can’t compete with the Arsenals and Chelseas of the world” and that finishing sixth is a wonderful achievement. Because that’s what Harry does: he always paints a picture in which he is blameless.

I was thinking recently that Spurs need a leader: not a leader on the pitch, but a leader in the dug-out. Because no matter how good a manager Harry is, he isn’t a leader. Being a leader involves a certain degree of self-sacrifice. It means standing tall and taking responsibility for your actions. It’s not about being liked by the press or players. It’s not about jumping ship when an opportunity arises. It’s about committing to a cause and leading by example.

This article isn’t an attack on Harry. I still like him. I think he’s a good manager. Over the last couple of years Spurs have played some extraordinarily good football. He has done a lot for Tottenham Hotspur. But Tottenham Hotspur has also done a lot for him. Despite a potentially damaging court case hanging over him, in 2008 Daniel Levy gave him the manager’s job and the budget and support to succeed. It was this support that put Harry in the frame to be England manager. As much as Spurs owe a debt of gratitude to Harry, so he owes something to Spurs.

I hope that Spurs qualify for the Champions League. I hope that Harry Redknapp has the skill and experience to pick the right team for the remaining games, and the passion and craft to motivate and inspire the players to victory. I really do. And if he fails, I don’t want to hear his excuses.


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Watercolor WordPress

Watercolor WordPress

Watercolor is a gorgeous and friendly WordPress 3.0 ready theme with 4 different seasonal skins, more than 6 layouts with a powerful admin panel.

  • Powerful admin panel
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What buyers are saying:

“Just want to say that this theme is incredible. I’ve purchased two licenses and I’m sure will be coming back for more. Everything’s well documented. Easy to customize. All pro all the way. I’ve worked with close to a dozen different Wordpress themes on Themeforest and Luis stands out as an exceptional talent that conscientiously stands behind his work. 5 STARS !”
- rosenzweig70

4 different Skin

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6 different Layouts

Home Page Gallery Blog Single Contact

Custom admin panel

Admin panel

Version 3.9 Jul, 25 2012
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Version 3.8.6b Jun, 04 2011
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Version 3.8.2 Mar, 29 2011
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Version 3.8.1 Feb, 25 2011
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Version 3.8 Feb, 21 2011
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  Set a link for the map in the contact section

Version 3.7 Dec, 10 2010
  Fixed Cufon fonts for Opera browser

Version 3.6 Dec, 04 2010
  Added more styles (info boxes, drop caps, etc..)
  Added shortcodes for the new styles
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Version 3.5 Oct, 22 2010
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Version 3.4 Sep, 30 2010
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Version 3.3 Sep, 24 2010
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Version 3.1 Sep, 10 2010
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Version 3.1 Sep, 09 2010
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Version 3.0 Aug, 13 2010
    Added Drop Down menu support. Now you can change the type of post and the number for the front page


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Best (and cheap) hosting options

+1 Ryan Black · May 22, 2015
I'm a hobbyist and I have multiple registered domains(one hosted on a slow desktop in an office, all the others on a tumblr with modified api) and was looking to host all of them under a single account for around $10 or less.  I know hostgator offers this, but I'm interested to see anyone else's recommendations.  I am not opposed to using a terminal, in fact I desire to learn, I just need a resource to learn it quickly.  I'm currently looking at DigitalOcean, but I'm not sure if they support multiple domains or have the same bandwidth offer hostgator advertises.

Post a Reply

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I already own a few .com domains
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Monthly Archives: November 2016

Bloody Quilt!

img_3920 img_3916

Monday morning was bitterly cold and I wished I had fingerless gloves because my hands were so cold I could not feel them. After a hot, strong cup of coffee, I plucked up the courage to stitch words written in Viking runes onto Shield Maiden. Runes are just an alphabet system, not an actual language, so I just had to write out the words that I wanted on the quilt into their runic form. They are quite hidden and you really have to look for them!

The next adventure was to use a test piece of linen to see if the “blood” spattered effect would work. I used watered down fabric paint in a spray bottle, toothbrush and pastry brush to apply my Jackson Pollock style artistry. Because it was raining heavily outside, I had to fling the paint onto the quilt while it was on my workshop table. Afterwards it looked like I had been butchering something – there was red-brown paint on my sewing machine, carpet and table which took some time to scrub off. It just shows how difficult it must be to get away with murder;)

I co-opted Tania into helping me block the probably finished quilt then hang it outside for photos. I had a choice of full sun or very dark shade because I don’t have any blank walls where I can take uncluttered photos inside. I have been warned by my friends to step away from the quilt now and not be tempted to add any further embellishment, not even pieces of antler…

As usual, after an intense project, I was a bit lost so I decided to finish piecing my tumbler quilt which I may give to myself for Christmas.

img_3930 img_3929

I did not do any significant Black Friday shopping apart from a vintage wool tartan dressing gown from Ebay. I have visions of me wearing it to quilt with my wellies and thick socks in the depths of winter!

I Can’t Seem To Do Subtle

Now that it is on Freya’s bed in Uni Halls, I can post photos of her “away” Christmas quilt. It is a Betty Quilt pattern that I downloaded from Erica Jackman on Craftsy. It was quick and easy to piece and I used a computer panto called “ Let it Snow” by Natalia Majors at The fabrics have a fun Scandi look but I will have to warn her to use a load of colour catchers if she ever washes it since red dye was obviously coming out while I ironed the binding!

fraz7 fraz1  fraz4 15129995_1349780398397158_1160057184_n

I have got Shield Maiden to a point where it could be hung (on a sturdy batten as it is so heavy!) Hand sewing linen is seriously heavy duty, especially when the edges have been overlocked to stop them unravelling. The deadline for Quilt Con is in 10 days so it at least needs to be finished looking for photos. I can add some stitched runes if I think they will work. I want to paint the trickles gold then experiment on a piece of sacrificial linen to see if a radical idea might work… The quilt is subtle but in my opinion it currently lacks “Oomph”.

img_3914 img_3913 img_3911

Purdah was rejected from the SAQA Layered Voices exhibition with a very professional let-down informing me that only 23 out of 535 made the cut. Those were high odds but I had hoped that Purdah was relevant to that sort of exhibition. I don’t know where Purdah can be exhibited. It clearly is more of a statement than a competition piece, like so many other things I have made. I wonder whether some quilters win consistently in competitions because they aim to perfect a particular style of quilt. I am obviously still busy experimenting, trying to find “my” style;)

Failed Rescue Attempt with Tennis Balls

I gave Shield Maiden my full attention for 2 whole days and completed the basic quilting. I have decided that I will face its edges and add the hanging sleeve then decide whether to add more quilting or embroidered runes IF there is still time to meet the QuiltCon competition deadline.

crinkly  crinkly2

I had hoped that the felt-pen guidelines that I drew on with a so-called washable marker would just wipe off but they did not! Next I tried rubbing them quite vigorously with a bar of soap and wet sponge to no avail. Feeling slightly panicky, I purchased an armoury of stain removers. Shield Maiden is already a heavy quilt as it has a layer of cotton and a layer of wool wadding, a wool scarf and front and back of coarse linen. By the time it got plunged into a bath of cold water with a splash of Fairy liquid and vinegar, it weighed a ton! I transported it back to my workshop in a large bucket for a spin in the washing machine.

The pen marks had all gone but the quilt looked worrying “antiqued”. This can be a good look for a quilt but I had rather liked the smooth finish on the coarse linen before washing. I laid it out to dry on the table, hoping that would recover.

48 hours later it was still damp and still looked decidedly crinkly so I threw it into the tumble dryer with tennis balls for a rumble, not daring to give it any heat. When it emerged it was dry but not flat and still wrinkled…

The next remedy was to block it by dampening it and pinning it out. At least it is now flat enough to add the few lines of stitching that I want to highlight around the motif. After that I may coerce Tania into helping me to give it a bit of a stretch since two people pulling might help. The stitching has held up remarkably well considering its harsh treatment.

The photos don’t actually look too bad and I am probably over-reacting but I am already drafting a blurb that includes the words “weather-beaten” when describing Shield Maiden. Meanwhile I have wondered how to incorporate a subtle length of leather thong somewhere and have decided to buy lookalike Dremel drill-bits to bore holes into antler pieces. I should probably just take up LARPing as a hobby – it would be a good excuse to create quilted costumes out of fur and other unusual found objects.

(Over the weekend I finished off a project for Freya but I will not post any spoiler pics until she has seen it;))

Bragging About Bamber Sewing Machine Centre!

My 1951 100th anniversary Singer Featherweight arrived back from its holiday at Bamber Sewing Machine Centre, Manchester

I tried to flag down the courier’s van as it drove off without checking that I was in my workshop so it had to be re-delivered the next day.

It came in a box packed out with polystyrene blocks and the machine itself had lots of wadding around it inside its wee case so it had an extra smooth journey. I was amazed at the technician’s checklist which actually had 46 points that should be investigated. The machine was certainly very clean and shiny and I am quite sure the knobs and levers did not look as pristine as that before.

shinyknobs servicelist

The great thing with Bambers is that they are such a long established family business that they are bound to have lots of long-forgotten spare parts in their archives. Alan Bamber writes great posts on Facebook about the many interesting characters he has met, including some formidable Home Economics teachers. AND he drives a Landy;)

Bamber Sewing Machine Centre supplies and services school sewing machines and they give honest advice to their prospective clients. I was really impressed that they sent away a lady who had received a small legacy for a sewing machine away until she had time to have a good think about what she really wanted from a machine before making a snap purchase. I am sure she will go back to them when she has done her research on the brands and models.

The shop is in a busy part of Eccles, Greater Manchester. When I visited earlier this year there was a constant stream of visitors looking at new machines, picking up machines that had been serviced, people buying fabric or machine accessories, and also attending classes.  The Bambers team have phenomenal knowledge and experience of everything to do with sewing machines – my latest purchase, the tiny 1970’s Elna Lotus will be next in line to be sent down for a spa treatment – in fact, I bet they could even fix the seized antique hand cranks!

The Start of Something

I finally made a start on quilting Shield Maiden! As it is saggy, crumpled mess of linen when not stretched out tight, I decided that it would be impossible to pre-mark any lines so I blithely relied on using a quilting ruler with registration lines. It worked reasonably well but there was a bit of unpicking as a couple of lines in the middle seemed to be wandering off course. I used a Friction pen and a Crayola felt-tip to mark the rest of the lines. Obviously, I did not bother to test whether these would be easily removable so I will need to soak it later and hope for the best.

The diagonal lines at each side are too long to do in one pass on the Q24 longarm so each line stops then restarts after the quilt is rolled on. It is entirely possible that I may quilt it all again using metallic thread on the domestic machine if I can see where those joins are. My fingers and wrist ached after negotiating all of the small curves with a 2.5” circle template and I still have not decided what will happen around the triskeles but various crossings-out in my notebook may be considered.

I hope to complete the basic long arming this week then try to reign myself in from adding too much more to what is currently a minimalist project…

I expect that I broke health and safety guidelines when I made Bonfire Night toffee apples at school but they were absolutely perfect – so perfect that I had to take the pan home to give it a really good, hot soak to get rid of the “hard crack” toffee that set instantly.

I made two trips to Stirling over the weekend to deliver and collect Fenella from a Girl Guiding event that focuses on community projects, leading to an international trip. She had a great time with Guides from all over Scotland whom she had never met before. She enjoyed watching Guy Fawkes fireworks over the city from her room at the Youth Hostel near the castle. The drive home on Sunday was glorious as there are still gorgeous autumn colours and now fresh snow on the hills.

blurry on the move pic that is meant to show a cloud snowing on top of a hill!


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REVIEW – Lush ‘Dashing Santa’ Bath Bomb.

As a recent convert to Lush products, on my first visit to their Preston store I went a little crazy! If you check out my Instagram  (link in the sidebar) you can see a little video of what I purchased. One of the bath bombs I had to have was the adorable ‘Dashing Santa’.

Lush describe it as having a cheerful and uplifting scent of satsumas and their product description says that it contains mandarin oil, bergamot oil and orange flower absolute. Of course it is also vegan. There are bits of glitter on his boots but they aren’t noticeable in the bath or on your skin when you get out.

This bath bomb is not my favourite. It’s a slow fizzer (mine took almost 15 minutes to fully dissolve) and the scent, while pleasing, is not very strong. It did leave my skin feeling soft but I did not notice the scent after I had dried off. However, what disappointed me the most was the fact that it didn’t have any fun colours layered through it. It is red all the way through and though you do get a little of the gold colour off of his boots, your water just turns red. I like the fun aspect of bath bombs such as ‘Golden Wonder’, where after the outside has dissolved, you are treated to a rainbow of colours.

Overall, I would recommend this bath bomb as it has a very nice scent and leaves your skin soft and smooth. I would probably say not to buy this if you a looking for a show like you get with ‘Northern Lights’ for example. If you just want a nice smelling soak in the bath but don’t want the scent to linger afterwards because you use a scented body butter or something similar then this is definitely the bath bomb for you. Personally, I don’t think I shall buy this again though, as I do enjoy watching them dissolve and put on a fun colour show.

If you want to watch a demo of this bath bomb then check out my YouTube channel. You’ll find the link at the top of the side bar.

What is your favourite Lush product?

Jackie x


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February 7, 2017

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You wake up, reach for your phone or computer, open your browser and begin scrolling…
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Word of Mouth in the Digital Age: The Power of Social Media Influencers

Today you scroll through your Instagram feed, scanning through pictures of friends, food, and that…
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How Digital Marketing affects FinTech in Latin America

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For People Looking to Actually Talk Politics on Social Media

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Hotels and Social Media: How Hoteliers are helping you achieve your #VacationGoals

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Photo Post!

I’m doing some late Spring cleaning which means two things here at (T)he Adventure

1: Some side improvements coming sooner than later (and branching out from reviews!)

2: I purged an old memory card, which means a bonus photo post for all of you!

Commuter Rail platform at Malden Center.

Dudley Square, forlornly waiting for a train that’ll never come.

Bus 0440 lays over at Saugus Center on the 430.

1975 vintage sign on the unused side of Sullivan Square’s outbound platform.

One day I took the 99…

The 76 waits at Alewife to start its run out to Hanscom. Oddly this is on the list of routes I’d love to ride.

2 thoughts on “Photo Post!

  1. A little late here, but if you ever do take the 76, take the joined route on Saturday, the 62/76, you get the best of both routes. It’s a real fun trip.

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A Tiki Speakeasy: Curio at Gilt Bar in Chicago

Thanks in part to topnotch new(ish) tiki bars like Smuggler’s Cove and Painki…I mean PKNY, tiki drinks seem to have overtaken Prohibitian-era cocktails as the darling of current liquid culture. “Tiki nights” have popped up all over the country and bars with barely any thatch or bamboo are encouraging their patrons to put down the vodka-soda and rediscover rum.

The summer menu at The Terrace at Trump is one of the most recent examples in Chicago, and when we were there back in November we checked out another tiki cocktail program at Curio, which is hidden away under Gilt Bar by the Merchandise Mart. (Again I have to credit Tasting Table for bringing Curio to my attention in their Fifteen Best Cocktails in Chicago feature from last year.)

After entering the restaurant, you head down the stairs next to the bar. Keep going down the hallway and you’ll find Curio on the right, behind black velvet curtains.

As I’ve mentioned before, I adore the 1920s era so the speakeasy style will never get old for me. The room was very dimly lit, with candles on the tables and a chandelier above the bar at the opposite end of the space. There were leather banquettes for larger groups, but since it was just the two of us we shared an antique loveseat.

A different cocktail menu is offered down here. In addition to a special section featuring Chartreuse, there were five “Tiki Inspired” drinks each priced at $13. Prospective patrons should take note that Curio is cash only (I suppose that really brings the old-fashioned—or illicit—theme home).

Pago Pago (Matusalem rum, creme de cacao, green Chartreuse, lime and pineapple juice) took the top prize from Tasting Table, but I preferred The Mariposa Fizz (made with Flor de Cana rum, creme de cacao, egg whites and lemon). It was so light and delicious, sort of like a spiked egg cream. I’ve been meaning to try and reverse engineer it in my home bar.

UPDATE: Curio has been replaced by The Library, a new cocktail bar from Brendan Sodikoff that opened in March 2013.

Gilt Bar on Urbanspoon


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LENT: Meeting Christ In The Liturgy, by Fr. Cusick

Meeting Christ In The Liturg Fr. Cusick

From the website: The Word on the Web

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Laetare Jerusalem: et conventum facite, omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae. Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus.

Though we engage in the prayer, penance, and almsgiving of Lent, and join ourselves to our divine Lord in his trial in the desert, we never forget that the Lord has risen from the dead. Every Sunday of the year is a “little Resurrection” where we put aside penance and rejoice in the Lord’s Resurrection by which we begin now to share in his unending life. This Fourth Sunday of Lent, in particular, is named for this joy as “Laetare Sunday.” The priest and deacons wear rose vestments, flowers may be used to decorate the altar, and the organ accompanies the hymns of the liturgy.

Rejoice, Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her; rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow; that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. I rejoiced when they said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord.

We share in the Lord’s Resurrection in a preeminent way, and so can “rejoice with joy,” in our reception of the Holy Eucharist.

The three synoptic Gospels and Saint Paul have handed on to us the account of the institution of the Eucharist; St. John, for his part, reports the words of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum that prepare for the institution of the Eucharist: Christ calls himself the “bread of life, come down from Heaven.”

In an ancient prayer the church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: “O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us.” If the Eucharist is the memorial of the Passover of the Lord Jesus, if by our communion at the altar we are filled “with every Heavenly blessing and grace,” then the Eucharist is also an anticipation of the Heavenly glory.

Rejoice with joy, true and lasting joy, for the Risen Christ is truly offered, truly present, and truly received in the Sacrament of the Altar. We know that we shall rise again with him if we preserve his grace within us by rejection of sin, conversion of life, and faithfulness to the Holy Sacrifice.

A Note on the Liturgy for the Sunday

Today is Laetare Sunday: the joy at one stage of our Lenten journey accomplished and a foretaste of the joy of Easter, which springs from the cross of Christ. Every Mass, every Sunday, even in Lent, is an experience of the joys and splendor of the new Jerusalem, the church on Earth and the Heavenly city. We celebrate that today, Laetare Sunday, with the rose colored vestments, the playing of the organ and the flowers on the altar, all signs of the church’s joy, alive with the Resurrection, which cannot be contained even in Lent, though we still refrain from Alleluias and the singing of the Gloria until the magnificence of the Easter Vigil. Our entrance antiphon sets the tone: Laetare Jerusalem; Rejoice Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her; rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow; that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.

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Coverleaf Eyelet Cable

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino
Needles: 4.5 mm US size 7
Gauge: 22 stitches= 4 inches
Pattern: Cloverleaf Eyelet Cable
Stitch Count Repeat:  7 stitches
Book: A Treasury of Knitting Patterns
Page: 170

Comments: Swatch was inverted for the photos.  I’ll replace them with right side up pictures as soon as I can.

Knit by: yarnchef

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Progressive politics, ideas & culture

September-October 2015

Tories in review: disabilities

We examine Stephen Harper and friends' track record on disability rights. Hint: It's not great

This Magazine Staff

2015Sept_features_disabilitiesIN 2007, the federal government signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ratified in the House of Commons several years later in 2010, the convention recognizes the rights, dignity, and worth of those with disabilities, while providing a framework for a high-quality, equitable life. This is all great stuff—and yet, the government has not signed the “Optional Protocol,” as it’s been dubbed, which would allow Canadians to file complaints under the convention. Essentially, this move gives the government all the benefits of feel-good optics, without having to commit to actually improving the lives of those with disabilities. Sneaky, sneaky.

Also problematic: In 2010, when the Conservatives cut the long-form census, they also nixed the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, better known by its acronym, PALS—those who received the survey were the same people who, on their census form, said they had a disability. PALS was used to track the needs of Canadians with disabilities, and looked at everything from rates of poverty, violence and abuse, to quality of housing, education and employment, and participation in community and civic activities. From there, government, but also more importantly advocacy groups, could use the data to better determine needed supports. The government has since introduced the Canadian Survey on Disability, but acknowledges that its data sets can’t be compared to PALS because of different questions and, notably, a different definition of the actual term “disability”—stunting a body of research. The new survey also received fewer responses, which advocates feared.

Perhaps that data could have been used to help the government figure out how to spend the near $40-million budget for the Opportunities Fund, a fund designed to help those prepare for, maintain or find employment. Unfortunately, in 2013-2014, the government failed to allocate one-quarter of its funding—undermining yet another promising initiative for those with disabilities.

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2013-03-28 / Front Page

Fire destroys Hicks Chevron

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Watch the New Oh Pep! Video “Crazy Feels”

Oh Pep
Image Courtesy of Oh Pep!

Australian indie-folk duo Oh Pep! continue to take the world by storm with the release of their new single and vieo “Crazy Feels”.

The video is the latest from Oh Pep!’s excellent album Stadium Cake – check it out below:

Review: 5 things we learned at Bluesfest

Kale plays at Bluesfest 2016Kaleo playing Bluesfest
Photos by Stuart Bucknell

Year after year, Bluesfest manages to bring the big names and the impressive acts to Byron Bay for the annual Easter pilgrimage. Heading to Bluesfest this year, we really didn’t know many of the acts listed on the bill and wondered just what was in store for us, Timber and Steel wise. So here’s 5 things we learned at this year’s wildly successful, ultimate music sampler opportunity that is, Bluesfest.

#1 – Peter Noble knows how to program…

One thing is for sure, Peter Noble knows how to curate an inclusive, diverse and engaging festival. The big names drew enormous crowds to all their sets. City and Colour had the crowd from the first note and Dallas Green was on form all night.  The Decemberists gave their usual charming set delving in to a fabulous back catalogue of favourites. Not to go without a bit of political comment, they also played a song they thought to offer Donald Trump as his new campaign tune, ‘The Calamity Song’. The Cat Empire delivered a solid hour and a half set jam packed with both new tracks and past hits and favourites to wow the crowd. The biggest coup was probably The Original Blues Brothers Band closing out the weekend with a stellar set of their signature blues.

The festival was dappled with big names throughout the program. Archie Roach was in fine form, weaving his musical spell over the crowd and telling the tales of the land with strength and beauty, and a focus on songs from Charcoal Lane, the title track being a particular stand out moment of the set. Jason Isbell had his one an only set up against The Original Blues Brothers Band, so splitting our time between the two was challenging but rewarding as Isbell’s enigmatic style caught watchers in it’s thrall delivering a contemporary counterpoint to the old school blues on the other stage.

Kim Churchill plays BluesfestBut one of the most notable names for me, still playing midday sets, was Kim Churchill. Getting his big break on the Bluesfest Buskers stage all those years ago, Churchill has been a staple name on the line up ever since. His absence in 2015 was noted and the crowds that gathered for this sets this year spoke strongly of his popularity for the Bluesfest crowd. Watching him command the stage, with the occasional accompaniment of a fiddle player or percussionists, was a joy to witness and testament to the following he has. It felt like he had come home, and in the process had evolved from a keen boy with a guitar to a passionate man with a solid musical career stretching before him.

#2 – It’s never just about the Blues. Folk, Country, and Americana all strongly represented in 2016

Strolling from stage to stage, the peeling licks and plucky chords of the more folky persuasion were both notable and popular with punters, letting us stumble across all kinds of gems.  LA based Lord Huron made quite the entrance with a tension building soundscape and crescendo, an upbeat strummy and infectious style, inventive percussion beneath the acoustic lead and an ability to morph between styles, from the old school feel reminiscent of the 50s and 60s summer soundtracks, through alt country and indie folk rock vibes. A particular highlight from the four-piece was ‘Hurricane’, billed as a song about “getting in trouble”, turns out it was aptly named.

Described as an Icelandic Indie pop/rock/folk band, Kaleo was a light and lyrical delight. Building from their delicate opening style to gutsy, rhythm driven choruses, through alt-country sensibilities to deep southern style blues, and a soulful cover of Bang Bang, Kaleo didn’t hesitate to transcend styles and genres to sign off with a blues rock riff and howling vocals when warranted.

The Bros Landreth, hailing from Canada, brought their alt-country and folk laden cover of Wings’ ‘Let ‘Em In’ to break the ice and then let the Americana tinged goodness flow forth. A family affair, big brother David couldn’t attend so father Wally came in his place and whipped the crowd in to a cheering craze.

The Mastersons were touring with Steve Earle & The Dukes, and made appearances both on Earle’s sets and one of their own solo shows for Bluesfest. Their lyrical country styling, featuring voices working together in diverse melodic harmony gave their day opening set a contemplative mood, transporting the crowd to simpler days. Earle’s set was one great big treat of blues soaked tunes with toe-tapping jivey bluegrass edge, all with the sweet country counterpoint of The Mastersons.

Hound mouth playing Bluesfest 2016

It seemed to be a fatherly affair this Bluesfest, with Hussy Hicks welcoming Julz’s dad Greg to their set to deliver some blistering harmonica to their upbeat tempo and at times Joplin-esque wails and passion. Indiana’s Houndmouth however had no dad’s on their line up but did have plenty of twangy blues and American drawl to open their show and unravel your soul where you stood.

#3 – Word of Mouth is King

You know when you look at a line up and you’re not really sure what acts to check out? Well Bluesfest was that way inclined for many but within the first 8 hours, gossip was abuzz with recommendations and wild tales of phenomenal shows and must see acts to catch. So here’s what we checked out based purely on word of mouth.

Steve Smyth plays at Bluesfest 2016

OK, so Steve Smyth isn’t exactly news to us, but the stir on site had his name on the tips of peoples tongues and boy did he live up to the hype. Sheer genius stood on that stage in the form of master lyricist and vibrant stage presence. Smyth’s beautiful voice and stunning vibrato was just powerful solo as with the support backing instrumentalists. His performance of ‘Southland’ blew socks off across the festival.

Shooglenifty, also known as ‘that band I can’t pronounce’, was not what you expect when you read “Celtic” on the program, but a glorious blend of traditional highland derived tunes that were heavy on the fiddle and a mandolin at the ready, intricately twined with modern rhythms, a few electric guitars and a toe tapping beat, drew punters in before they could saunter too far past the heaving tent.

Blind Boy Paxton plays at Bluesfest 2016

The was no way to walk through the site without hearing the name, Blind Boy Paxton. Listening to his set was like a walk through time, from a fiddle calling a country dance and bransles, to a lightning speed banjo frenzy, a soothing guitar tune and even a lone harmonica telling you it’s tale. All this from one man on stage – simply astonishing.

#4 – The Ladies are out in force! And you should catch all of them live

There was a lot of talk about various acts, and word of mouth certainly got us to see some great performers, but thanks to emphatic and multiple recommendations from all kinds of punters, we discovered some of the most phenomenal women who stamped their mark and left as some of the powerhouses of Bluesfest.

We caught Sahara Beck for her last set and were immediately struck by her stage presence, the smooth set up with band and back up singers added the pizazz to her swag and gave her sultry vibe a ‘pop’ on stage.

Elle King had tongues wagging as word spread that after her first, expletive laden set, her set list had to be ‘revised’. However her husky, growling vocal licks were well and truly flowing when we caught her set in a heaving tent overflowing in to the customary Bluesfest rain. Sass and attitude would be the plainest way of describing King, her vibrancy comes from her musical versatility and ability to weave country vibes and bluegrassy panache throughout her ballsy bluesy set. A chameleon of style, King bowled over crowds with big notes, fiery wit and feisty repartee.

Elle King plays at Bluesfest 2016

Hailing from Ireland, via Canada, Irish Mythen is a modern troubadour equipped with a powerhouse voice and emphatic lyrics. Mythen might have been the grittiest, most real musician seen at Bluesfest this year, armed only with her guitar and her stories, she held hundreds of people spellbound, hanging on her every word any time she took to the stage. We caught her multiple times, and laughed, cried, cheered and sung along to songs we had only heard the first time days before. She regularly had the crowd in stitches with her sense of humour and story telling capers, and woe betide any punter brave enough to heckle her! Four stand out moments stayed with me, even though I saw them all more than once. Her performance of ‘Tullamore Blues’ almost defies description, except that the crowd was with her, in that space, singing every word and feeling every sentiment. Jesus is an experience to behold, hilarious in it’s explanation and empowering in it’s performance, I sincerely hope every person gets to experience it live. Her a Capella rendition of ‘The Auld Triangle’ gives me chills and is simply astounding.  And finally ’55 Years’ had me (and most in the crowd) in tears for the beauty it captures in it’s tale. A truly moving experience. Irish Mythen is awe inspiring and we’re excited she’ll be visiting Australia again soon.

Rhiannon Giddens plays at Bluesfest 2016

And finally, probably the all-singing, all-dancing highlight of the ladies was Rhiannon Giddens. Establishing herself originally as a part of Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens’ solo work is a sight to behold and a treat to hear. Her stunning vocals are soulful yet soar high in beautiful arcs and trills of an almost Celtic style. The skill of her band melds electric with acoustic in wonderful instrumental breaks, bouncing off one another jamming to a crescendo and returning the spotlight to her lead when the time was right. Her banjo crept through tunes to pounce on you unawares, yet could alternate and become the hero of the song. Old Bob Dylan lyrics never previously turned in to songs until Giddens got her hands on them offered a treasure trove to discover. Doing a Dolly Parton cover can be tough, but Giddens’ rendition of ‘Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind’ saw her own the song completely, from every element of style through to her emotive connection with both lyrics and sentiment. From start to finish and for each and every set, she wowed the crowd with fiddle, banjo, modern takes on traditional style, soul stirring lyrics and even a step back in time to the 1920s. Her fancy footwork went down a treat and her ability to connect with the audience and tether them to her tale as the most exquisite experience to behold. She could chat to the crowd but make you feel like she spoke to you and you alone, and yet at all times Rhiannon Giddens continued to exist as her own ineffable self.

#5 – Soul is in, along with BIG bands

Now strictly speaking, Timber and Steel doesn’t really cover Soul, but the prevalence of the big band style soul injections at Bluesfest is worthy of admiration and appreciation, so it gets a gong here.

Emma Donovan & The Putbacks were a sight to behold as Donovan put her own stamp on soul, with earthy tones and a voice that rolled over the crowd, calling to them, beckoning them to hear her story. The combination of her stories and passionate, soulful delivery made for a tight set and profound performance.

I wrote down 4 words when seeing The Word, and two of them were expletives… “holy f***ing sh*t wow.” The couple of songs we caught were incredible, full of funky groves and some sweet slide guitar, all topped off with an electric organ. Very smooth and cool indeed.

Ash Grunwald plays at Bluesfest 2016Ash Grunwald hasn’t moved in to soul, but his Bluesfet setup did resemble the big backing bands of the soul acts and boy did it compliment his wailing blues. Never conforming to just one genre, Grunwald drew on bluegrass vibes, some indie rock to his blues and of course his signature commentary on Australian life. Playing River from his new album, Grunwald spoke about the anti-CSG message prevalent throughout his most recent recordings and confirmed he was among friends int he Bluesfest crowd. His set was punctuated with old favourites as highlights, crowds rollicking in his passionate performance and joining in to sing along on choruses, and the utter delight when Kasey Chambers joined him on stage for a brand new song was palpable.

Another of the tongue wagging recommendations was for Vintage Trouble, and my first impression was that lead singer Ty Taylor was sex on legs, with enough swagger stuffed in to a cravat and suit to fell an army. And when the full band kicked in, it blew the show off the Richter scale. A set full of southern blues, call and response, screaming and wailing blues breaks and enough on stage antics to warrant a lie down after watching. This was my kind of place, 1950s style jazzy blues, complete with energy and onstage charisma!

Vintage Trouble plays Bluesfest 2016

Now, if you haven’t yet heard of the phenomenal popularity and praise for Bluesfest debutants St. Paul and The Broken Bones, then you haven’t been doing the internet properly. Of all the word of mouth recommendations, St Paul and The Broken Bones was THE most talked about act at Bluesfest, and not without good reason. A big band blues-laden soul outfit, oozing funk, with a big personality for a front man in Paul Janeway. Opening with an almighty wail and sliding in to a crooning style track, the crowd knew exactly where they stood and were rooted to the spot to witness the explosive show by one of the most engaging acts we’ve seen in years. Janeway, on behalf of the entire band, exclaimed that Bluesfest was the best experience they had ever had and they would definitely be coming back to Australia, to which the crowd erupted with delight. A set filled with rumbling soul, emotive ballads and big, ballsy blues, St Paul and The Broken Bones is sure to be a high rotation favourite on many punters playlists for some time to come.

St Paul and The Broken Bones plays Bluesfest 2016

Without a doubt, Bluesfest’s skillfully curated 2016 lineup was a smash hit success, sure to be spoken of for years to come. Can’t wait to see what Peter Noble comes up with for 2017!

Watch the New Little May Video “Remind Me” Plus National Tour Dates

Little May
Image By Stuart Bucknell

Little May have already had a killer year and that’s set to continue with the announcement of a national tour. The trio have been kicking a bunch of goals since the release of their debut For the Company in October last year and this year you’ll get to see them supporting City and Colour in March and April before a headline national tour in May.

The full list of dates, plus the video for their rocking new single “Remind Me”, are below:

City and Colour Support Dates:
Saturday 26th March – The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Monday 28th March – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Wednesday 30th March – Red Hill Auditorium, Perth, WA
Saturday 2nd April – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, VIC
Monday 4th April – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Tuesday 5th April – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Friday 8th April – Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul, NSW

Headline Tour Dates:
Thursday 5th May – Wollongong Uni Bar, Wollongong, NSW
Friday 6th May – Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 7th May – Small Ballroom, Newcastle, NSW
Thursday 12th May – ANU Bar, Canberra, ACT
Friday 13th May – Max Watts, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 14th May – Waratah Hotel, Hobart, TAS
Friday 20th May – Adelaide Uni Bar, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 21st May – Amplifier Bar, Perth, WA
Friday 27th May – Solbar, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Saturday 28th May – The Zoo, Brisbane, QLD
Sunday 29th May – Studio 56 @ Miami Marketta, Gold Coast, QLD

Radical Face Announces Final Album in The Family Tree Trilogy Leaves

Radical Face
Image Courtesy of Radical Face

Celebrated American indie-folk artist Radical Face is finally bringing his decade long album trilogy project with the announcement of The Family Tree: Leaves.

The Family Tree: Leaves is the third and final installment in Radical Face’s The Family Tree album trilogy (which has also sprouted several b-sides releases under The Bastards title) and is due for release on the 25th March.

The first single from The Family Tree: Leaves is “The Road To Nowhere” – check it out below:

Falls Festival Review: Falls Festival Finds

Goodnight from Falls general_20160101-19Festival: Falls Music and Arts Festival
Location: Byron Bay – North Byron Parklands
Date(s): Thursday 31st Dec 2015 – Saturday 2nd Jan 2016
Featured Artists: The Imprints, Merry Jeann, The Scrimshaw Four, Vardos, Soak and Oh Wonder.
Photos by Stuart Bucknell

At festivals like Falls, there’s always big name acts, there’s always Timber and Steel style acts we’re anticipating, and then there’s always a raft of acts we’ve not come across or had an opportunity to see before. It’s one of our utter pleasures to go out of our way to check out the quirky and unknown acts on festival line ups and see what’s new to discover. As I mentioned in my Overview, Lola’s Bar in the Festival Village was a gold mine for the kinds of acts we love here at Timber and Steel.

imprints_20160101-1The Imprints, a two-piece hailing from Melbourne, played Lola’s Bar on New Year’s Day with their quirky strings and drums combo to a quiet crowd recovering from their midnight revelry. Their clever use of looping pedals made for intricate fiddle tracks that melded together in beautiful harmonies. Their set featured opportunities for them to build up multi tracks of fiddle plucking, playing, strumming and harmonizing, along with a retinue of drum beats, and then strip the sound right back to a simple beat and chord. Watching them, it was clear they had a strong link, feeding off each other throughout their live performances, no doubt developed from their time playing pure improvisation. Part way through the set, Violinist Willow asked for people to come forward, even just to lay down on the dance floor and chill, because it was always weird to play to people sitting so far away. Without dropping a beat, there was a mass movement of people, and their chairs, forward. The Imprints had made a good impression.

merrynjean_20160101-2Merryn Jeann played a 10am set in Lola’s Bar on the last day of the festival, the perfect start to a day clouded in sleepiness and people just coming terms with the day. Merryn was the epitome of a folk musician, clad in an embroidered blouse, long skirt, bare feet and jaunty flat cap. Freshly arrived home from performing at the Woodford Folk Festival, Merryn started the last day of Falls with a cover of Bombay Bicycle Club’s Dust on the Ground. Her lulling, husky voice wrapped the gathering crowd in the comfort of lyrics and time, at times haunting, at times humming around you like a bumble bee. Her set included tracks like Death at Lincoln Park, usually sung with her folk band, but with a different blues style lament when performed as a solo. Having recently returned from a 6-month stint living in Berlin, Merryn took advantage of the opportunity to perform in her home town by bringing along a friend or two to join her on stage. Maeve and her violin joined the set with haunting violin chords that supplied liquid undertones to Merryn’s finger plucking.

Merryn has an unassuming, raw and honest style, playing direct from the heart. She had people transfixed, woke them to the day, and lulled them through the morning, and drew people in to sit and chill, taking in her tunes.

scrimshawfour_20160101-2The Scrimshaw Four had the lunchtime shift at Lola’s Bar on the last day of the festival. We turned up to count 5 performers on stage and figured it was a happy bonus. Or maybe they can’t count. With a line up of guitar, fiddle, bass drum, double bass, banjo and Hawaiian Lei, we knew it was going to be a vibrant show from the Melbourne lads. They kicked off the set with the country-esque fiddle and boppy vocal harmonies of Stealin’. Once the audience was properly warmed up, it was time to get down to the real business of party tunes! When a song is introduced as being about a ‘romantic day’ on the beach and starts off with the line “I don’t want to give you a diamond ring”, you know it’s going to be a fun story-telling style set. I Just Wanna Give You My Heart turned out to be just that, with a bluegrass jam, upbeat tempo and a Mic Conway like frivolity. To follow that up with an hilarious cover of The Little Mermaid’s Under the Sea but at a fast, almost manic pace, was exactly the right formula for a happy crowd.

The Scrim deftly swung through country, folk, gypsy jazz, and everthing else on the old and gutsy jazz spectrum, to ragtime beats and high energy dance tracks. They reminded me of The WooHoo Revue but with their own brand of quirk. They have stellar stories that create their songs and make for great anticipation-laced intros, like the one about the girl who misheard his invitation to show him her moves, instead as show him her boobs! The Scrimshaw Four are a solid festival band sure to get you dancing, whether it’s to a polka, some Roma gypsy jazz, some hillbilly and bluegrass, or just some country and folk, you won’t be able to stop your toes from tapping.

vardos_20160101-6We came across the witty, character filled trio Vardos at Lola’s bar early in the afternoon of New Years Day. All kinds of gypsy music, from Transylvanian Romanian to “Modern” flowed from the lively crew with fiddle, accordion and double bass ablaze. From the outset it was clear they genuinely have fun on stage, moving and dancing round each other with some fun choreographed moments of teasing and taunting. All three took turns singing songs and the fake accents that tended to slip in and out were all a fun part of the ruse. They sing about love, beauty, life, ups and downs, all the while maintaining a vibrant and direct connection with audience, picking out people to play to in each song. The three are playful on stage and fun to watch, like witnessing a battle of wills between the violin and bass and an accordion playing the referee.

But, finding something new wasn’t just restricted to the small stages of the festival, both the Forest and Valley Stages also offered a little something to discover.

soak_20160101-5Irish songstress Bridie Monds-Watson, aka Soak, had the unenviable task of opening the main stage for the final day of Falls. But once the Valley was open to punters for the day, a steady stream of eager listeners made their way to a grassy spot to soak up her sounds. “Soak” comes from a phonetic mash-up of ‘Soul’ and ‘Folk’ but her style is still more genre defying than such a straight forward combination. Her set traversed her musical explorations, through floaty chill-out moments, ethereal soundscapes, indie infused sounds and haunting vocal melodies. Sea Creatures and Blud, her most signature tunes to date, washed over the crowds and set the tone of the day.

As Soak, Bridie has a strong sense of her vocal diversity, engaging a delightful head voice when it fits, and smashing out those power driven notes when the point needs to be hammered home. She reminded me of both Lisa Mitchell and Emma Louise (in her Jungle days) in ways, her vocal stylings in particular. I think ultimately the physical enormity of the Valley Stage meant she could not engage authentically with the audience, she could have benefitted from a more intimate setting, like the Forest Stage, to really allow the audience in to her realm. She does have potential to grow and emerge as a staple festival act, so keep your eyes on Soak!

ohwonder_20160101-1I think my favourite find for the whole of Festival has to be Oh Wonder, a London-based duo who were performing in Australia for the first time thanks to the Falls Festival. You’ve got to love a band who brings their own stage backdrop, a 2-metre-tall set of light up initials for their band name… which read ‘OW’, It’s probably an appropriate sentiment for the level of hangovers, hair of the dog’s and sunburns that were evident post NYE celebrations.

Oh Wonder created instant atmosphere with a smoke machine and tension filled hanging notes as they entered the stage to launch their set. The assembled crowd  gave huge cheers for each of the duo as they took to the stage. Described as electric folk, their style encapsulated the nuances achievable with looping tones and beats, while layering piano and electric guitar over the top. Their vocal unison was compelling, more so when they slipped seamlessly in to close harmonies and back out to unison again. Their voices compliment each other tonally, Josephine is the lead vocalist but Anthony’s smooth, silky voice wraps her delicate breathy beauty and grounds it in the electro beats they employ. Both are multi skilled, multi instrumentalists that lend their talents to each others musical moments, creating thick, rich tones to lose yourself in. Highlights of their set were the heavy bass and rolling piano melodies of Livewire, and the at times reggae-like bass and sparkling impact of Dazzle. The one descriptor that keeps coming to mind for Oh Wonder, is “gorgeous”. Check them out and cross your fingers for another visit down under from them soon.

So, that wraps up our 2015 Falls Festival Byron Bay experience. A wealth of acts to see and one of the best festival experiences we’ve ever had. Byron Bay is a definite contender for anyone looking for a great way to spend New Years Eve, no matter the line up.

Read our other Falls Music & Arts Festival reviews:

Overview of Falls Festival Byron Bay 2015

Timber and Steel Highlights

Unmissable Acts

Falls Festival Review: Timber and Steel Highlights

The Valley Stage at Falls Festival Byron BayFestival: Falls Music and Arts Festival
Location: Byron Bay – North Byron Parklands
Date(s): Thursday 31st Dec 2015 – Saturday 2nd Jan 2016
Feature Artists: Courtney Barnett, Little May, The Button Collective, Gary Clark Jr.
Photos by Stuart Bucknell

The line up was a great collection of many talented musicians from a vast array of genres. In terms of Timber and Steel acts, there were four main highlight acts to catch at Falls.

Courtney BarnettIt’s been a big year for Courtney Barnett, 2015 has seen her juggernaut debut grow in to dominance of the charts and the hearts of Australians of almost all musical persuasions. Clad in desert boots, jeans and a hat that only lasted a song and a half, Barnett didn’t hesitate to launch with full energy in to her huge set on the Valley Stage for the first day of the new year. The audience sprawled across the lawns, from the raptured fans at the front, to the chilled punters on the grassy slopes at the back, all completely fixated on the multi award winning yet demure figure. Highlights from her set include that rare quiet moment as the entire Valley hushed for the opening notes of Depreston only to then have every voice heard singing along in unison, and her huge hit Pedestrian at best close her set in full rock-goddess energy while the crowd reached the peak of their high spirited, dancing frenzy.

Little May on the Forest Stage at Falls Festival Byron Little May is an act I’ve seen popping up time and time again on my social media feeds and have been keen to catch. The trio took to the Forest Stage on the last day of the festival, with their backing band at the ready and strong audience numbers eagerly anticipating their set. And the ladies did not disappoint. With honey golden vocals trickling through the all encompassing tones of the full band’s live act festival sound, Little May treated the crowd to a full course of sweet temptations. With highlights including a beautiful rendition of the ballad, Seven Hours, to the new track Cease, the trio gave a consistent, high quality musical spectrum for the crowd to relax too, from the folk tinged to the indie pop and alternative sounds. Their repertoire allowed them range from their silky, harmonised ballads to bold, anthemic tones of Dust, through the tale telling of Hide and finishing off the performance with a stellar performance of their Great Southern Land Like a Version cover. I can only hope that Paul Kelly himself caught even a glimpse of this up tempo take on his classic track with  their clever use of vocal layering as it’s the last time they will be playing it for a while.

Button collectiveOver in Lola’s Bar, on New Years Eve, we stumbled upon a likely scene of rag-tag musicians and a tent full of eager punters. It was 2pm but the Button Collective soon had the dance floor packed with joyful revelry. Appearing as a 6-piece line up each day of the Byron stint, the sheer energy and cheer emanating from the stage was infectious. With everything from the traditional folk, to country-tinged tracks that invoke foot stomping, the Collective had a winning combination on their set list. With Barn-dance like hoedowns springing up on the dance floor, and multiple Irish tunes mashed-up to treat the crowd, Lola’s Bar was the scene of frivolity for their entire set. The Button Collective brought sea shanties, bluegrass, folk and an array of short, punchy, fast paced tracks and still bowed to the whim of the crowd, playing more dance tracks whenever the crowd demanded. So spirited was the audience, that a conga-line formed and snaked its way around the dance floor until every punter was a part of the line, and then spontaneously erupted in to a mass hoedown. To say The Button Collective put on a good show would be an understatement… I’m sure the word ‘rollicking’ should be used.

garyclarkjr_20160101-3Finally, on the last night of the festival, I had the pleasure of witnessing the sheer ‘cool’ of Gary Clark Jr. His live sound reminds me of Ash Grunwald sans distortion, they both clearly dig a similar edgy blues style. Clark Jr. weaves effortlessly between styles, from a Lenny Kravitz swagger, to an occasional Hendrix vibe and all while navigating through blues soaked solos. The crowd grew steadily as his wavering wails swept the Valley. Dipping now and then in to old school rock, and then rolling through the blues to keep the audience on edge, it was like watching a master at work. Clark Jr. saturated the audience with electric riffs and transcended into another world onstage, so steeped in the moment and the music. He seamlessly melds his music on stage, from cool blues to upbeat jump around funk blues. Gary Clark Jr. is worth every moment you can fit on your festival planner.

While these four were some of the main focuses of us Timber and Steelers, there was a wealth of talent throughout the Falls line up to whet the appetite.

Read our Overview of the entire Falls Festival Byron Bay event.

Unmissable Falls Acts

Falls Festival Finds

Review: Mumford & Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road, Sydney

All Photos By Sarah Turier

The first time I saw Marcus Mumford perform songs from his band Mumford & Sons was at the Factory Theatre in 2008. He was supporting Laura Marling on her first Australian tour (as well as playing as part of her band) and his set was just him with a guitar, kick drum and kick tambourine.

Fast forward seven years and I’m standing in the muddy Domain in Sydney, rain streaming down my glasses and my jacket soaking through, as 23,000 people sing along to “Little Lion Man”. How far they’ve come.

Gentlemen of the Road is a concept that Mumford & Sons have been kicking around for a number of years now. The basic idea is that Mumford & Sons curate a mini-festival in a location that wouldn’t normally see international touring bands (the last one in Australia was held in the NSW town of Dungog), fill that festival with overseas and local acts and generally put on one hell of a show. Planting this year’s Gentlemen of the Road event right in the heart of Sydney does seem at odds with this concept, but I’m pretty glad they made that decision as it turned out to be one of my festival highlights of the year.

Stepping into the Domain decked out in all its Gentlemen of the Road finery reminded me Homebakes of old. For once the incessant rain had not kept the Sydney crowds away and the parkland was teaming with punters eager to see their favourite bands.

Jake Bugg

I’m not sure if the lineup of Gentlemen of the Road was meant to be a reflection of Mumford & Sons’ move away from their folk influences or whether it was just a coincidence (despite prominent appearances from the likes of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show at other GOTR events Mumford & Sons have never touted the event as a folk festival) but this time around there was a definite rock and indie vibe perpetuated by appearances from The Jungle Giants, Future Islands, Meg Mac, Art of Sleeping and The Vaccines.

Only Jake Bugg bucked the trend fronting the huge crowd armed only with an acoustic guitar and his Dylan-esque songwriting style. I was pretty chuffed to Bugg on the lineup given his comments that Mumford & Sons “look like posh farmers with banjos to me” that the media sensationalised and tried to turn into a feud between the two artists. Jake Bugg’s set was engaging, intense and ultimately satisfying as he had the audience singing along with almost every song.

Mumford & Sons took the stage following a blistering set from Future Islands. The rain had been falling steadily for the afternoon (Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring was soaked to the bone by the end of their set) and The Domain had been reduced to a muddy mess. But that was all forgotten as the first chords of an electric guitar rang out across Sydney and the crowd pressed forward for almost two hours of Mumford & Sons goodness.

The boys did not disappoint with a blistering set covering all three of their albums. With the departure from acoustic instrumentation on Wilder Mind I half assumed that the tracks from Sigh No More and Babel would be reworked live to include the two-guitars-bass-keys-and-a-drum-kit set up, but for the older tracks the banjos and double bass were out in full force.

Classic Mumford & Sons tracks like “Little Lion Man”, “Roll Away Your Stone” and “I Will Wait” had crowd in fine voice but I was doubly impressed with just how much the newer songs were resonating with the fans. Looking around during the songs like “Ditmas” and “The Wolf” I saw Sydney singing with gusto.

The absolute highlight for me was the rendition of “Cold Arms”. This saw Marcus, Ben, Winston and Ted crowd around a single mic bluegrass-style with just an acoustic guitar for accompaniment. The hush that fell over The Domain was just magic with the harmonies from the boys washing over us.

In typical Gentlemen of the Road style Mumford & Sons finished the set by getting every artist back on stage for an all-in singalong. The song they chose this time around was “With a Little Help From My Friends” borrowing heavily from the version made famous by Joe Cocker. It was great to see the stage filled with a group of artists with an obvious respect for each other and who were humbled by the massive crowd who had braved the weather to see them.

Gentlemen of the Road reminded me what I love about these massive festivals where thousands of people come together to experience the music they love. Possibly my favourite Mumford & Sons show to date. Can’t wait for the next tour!

For all of the photos from Gentlemen of the Road check out the gallery on our Facebook page here.

Watch the New Video From The Paper Kites “Revelator Eyes”

The Paper Kites
Image Courtesy of The Paper Kites

Have you listened to the new album from The Paper Kites twelvefour yet? It’s been on constant rotation here at the Timber and Steel bullpen and we’re loving the indie-folk vibes.

The band’s new single is “Revelator Eyes” which also has a video which is part two of a trilogy (part one was “Electric Indigo” here). Check it out here:

The Paper Kites will be touring twelvefour through October and November. The full list of dates are below:

Thursday 15th October – The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Friday 16th October – Amplifier, Perth, WA
Saturday 17th October – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, WA
Thursday 22nd October – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
Friday 23rd October – 170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 24th October – The Workers Club, Geelong, VIC
Thursday 29th October – Solbar, Maroochydore, QLD
Friday 30th October – The Soundlounge, Gold Coast, QLD
Saturday 31st October – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday 5th November – Lizottes, Newcastle, NSW
Friday 6th November – The Metro, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 7th November – ANU Bar, Canberra, ACT
Sunday 8th November – Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul, NSW

Timber and Steel Premiere: The New Live EP From Forest Falls

Forest Falls
Image Courtesy of Forest Falls

Melbourne six-piece indie-folk band Forest Falls released their excellent EP Hounds in the first half of this year and have been on the road since. After a successful tour supporting Husky the band headed out on their very own headline tour, during which they recorded a live version of the Hounds EP.

Timber and Steel are very proud to be the first to present the live EP for stream – check it out below:

The next single from Hounds is the very catchy “Thieves” which Forest Falls are launching with a couple of Victoria shows in the coming weeks, including a home town show this weekend. The full dates plus the studio version of “Thieves” is below:

Friday 18th September – The Retreat Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Friday 2nd October – Cafe Go, Geelong, VIC

Listen to the New Jinja Safari Single “Accident”

Jinja Safari
Image Courtesy of Jinja Safari

Another taste of Jinja Safari’s upcoming and as yet unannounced new album has emerged and it’s very cool. “Accident” is the new single and it has a real Postal Service feel to it. It’s not folk but we reckon you’re gonna like it.

Take a listen to “Accident” below:

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San Andreas (2015) Mini Review

Genuinely liked this more than I’d thought I would. Lot of action, great visuals and Dwayne was on point leading this film, come a long way since Scorpion King. The film had endless clichés but it didn’t enrage me as much as it normally does, my reasoning will be explained later. It has been a while since I’ve seen a good disaster film and this was good. I’ll go into more detail below but give it a try, got trailers and images below. Check it all out and give me a like and a comment at the end.

“That’s not the first time I landed on second base.” – HAHAHAHAHAHA!

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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Mini Review

Balls to the wall high octane edge of your seat relentless action death racing in a post-apocalyptic waste land. Well done George Miller. Not sure how you achieved this glorious level of action at 70 years of age or after directing three cheesy kids films. Glad you did though because this might be my favourite action film for at least 5 years. If it was done in this film it was done with perfection. I’ll go into more detail below but give it a try, got trailers and images below. Check it all out and give me a like and a comment at the end.

“As the world fell, each of us in our own way was broken. It was hard to know who was more crazy. Me… or everyone else.”

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Superhero Casting Calls: Batman V Superman

This post will mostly follow the same path as the last post I did on the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman (here) but will feature all the new castings and what I think of them from a comic book point of view and a big film nerd. First I’d like to look at both sides of the coin…and then go ballistic at the end. First we’ll see who’s been officially cast and why they may be good in the role, I’ll include arguments from around the web and plenty of MEME’S. Then lastly I will discuss the problems I see and other angry nerds have voiced around the world. Fun times ahead.

If you like the post then I may do more casting reactions or something similar again. Please enjoy and I look forward to some interesting comments.

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Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) Review

It’s not bad, it’s good but nothing more and if that’s okay with you then yeah it’s a fun movie to watch and the kids will love it. The story is alright as well as the cast and dialogue, some moments even made me laugh on purpose. The visuals are good and I had fun with it. My only problems come with Bryan Singer and his relentless path to making good films but nothing more and am not sure if it’s because he isn’t a great director or he’s just unlucky but not one of his films has ever blew me away, there just alright. Oh crap he’s going to do the same to days of futures past.

“I may not be the hero of this story, but at least I get to see the end of it!”

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