#william francis barnard

[dabiconcordia]

Red leaf and yellow leaf Are flaunting through the air; The paths are rustling underfoot, The sun is nowhere. – William Francis Barnard

[goingtoweather]

Full crew list! With names, ranks, and ages! (tho some have less detailed portraits since they've only really shown up in the background at this point). I'll update periodically with better pics.

Name: Barzillai Waite Rank: Captain Age: 46

Name: Adelaide Waite Rank: Captain's wife Age: 34

Name: Eric Mathews Rank: 1st mate Age: 32

Name: Ezra Carter Rank: 2nd mate Age: 25

Name: Charles Allen Rank: 3rd mate Age: 34

Name: Lawrence Manner Rank: Greenhand Age: 26

Name: Josué Cabral Rank: Ordinary Age: 22

Name: Bastien Addo Rank: Ordinary Age: 28

Name: James Barnard Rank: Ordinary Age: 29

Name: Joseph O'Reilly Rank: Ordinary Age: 23

Name: Jackson Pells Rank: Greenhand Age: 17

Name: Silas Dickey Rank: Greenhand Age: 16

Name: Enoch Pike Rank: Cooper and Carpenter Age: 32

Name: Abnur Wright Rank: Ordinary Age: 20

Name: Luis Sela Rank: Ordinary Age: 21

Name: Samuel Nelson Rank: Greenhand Age: 21

Name: William Williams Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 27

Name: Frank Iona Rank: Greenhand Age: 19

Name: Francis Goldwhit Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 23

Name: Martin Amos Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 27

Name: João de Silva Rank: Boatsteerer Age: 24

Name: George Lee Rank: Ordinary Age: 26

Name: Ephraim Murray Rank: Cook Age: 41

Name: John Gillipse Rank: Steward Age: 18

Name: Apollo Delaman Rank: Ordinary Age: 21

Name: Peter Fortune Rank: Ordinary Age: 28

Name: Afonso Borges Rank: Greenhand Age: 23

Name: Ed Barker Rank: Ordinary Age: 25

Name: Josiah Ripley Rank: Ordinary Age: 23

Name: Scupper Rank: Mouser extraordinaire Age: 3

[ltwilliammowett]

The Honourable East India Company's ship Thames on shore at Eastbourne, 1822, by William John Huggins 1822

Built by Francis Barnard, Sons & Roberts at Deptford for Henry Blanchard, the East Indiaman Thames was launched on 22nd October 1819. Measured at 1,425 tons, she was 134 feet in length with a 42 foot beam and generally considered one of the finest vessels in the whole of the E.I.C.'s extensive fleet.

Her first voyage, from December 1819 - April 1821, was to Bombay and China but her second was cut short soon after leaving London when, bound for China under the command of Captain Haviside, she stranded below Beachy Head, Eastbourne, on 3rd February 1822. Badly damaged, she was nevertheless refloated and towed back to Deptford by steam tug where she was repaired and eventually returned to sea in 1824. After a highly successful career lasting a further twenty years, she was finally sold for breaking in 1843.

[areyougonnabe]

i present to you my expanded Terror Cinematic Universe (TCU) Casting

please feel free to fight me on any of these if you have better suggestions i am just a humble user of imdb dot com and longtime watcher of british television and theatre. without further ado: 

Oliver Chris as Edward Charlewood, JFJ’s BFF

Hugh Dancy as Will Coningham, JFJ’s adopted brother

Aneurin Barnard as Captain William Parry (c. 1819-20 expedition)

Peter Capaldi as Captain Francis Rawdon Chesney, aka WORST BOSS EVER

Angus Imrie as Dr. Joseph Dalton Hooker

Thomasin McKenzie as Eleanor Franklin

Matthew Rhys as Dr. Robert McCormick, resident bird murderer

Simon Merrells as Lieutenant Edward Bird, aka McCormick’s arch-enemy

Eddie Marsan as Dr. John Rae, Franklin searcher who got personally #cancelled by Charles Dickens & Lady Jane

[thepoetryof-birds]

European robin (Erithacus rubecula)

European Robin

European robin known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Ireland and Britain, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. About 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 inches) in length, the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upper-parts and a whitish belly. Robins are found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa. Every continent has its own robins, but only the Japanese and Ryukyu robins are closely related. Features of the robin include its distinctive red breast and face, grey under parts, brown head, wings and tail.  Their flight is distinguishable by rapid wing beats for short, fast flight. The robin has a distinctive and beautiful sounding call.  It will sing to proclaim territory and attract a mate and usually sings all year round. In winter, the robin puffs up its plumage to insulate its body against cold winds.

Symbolism

Most of the legends, folklores, and robin bird symbolism come from European robins, which has been transferred to American robin flying.

According to European traditions, the robin is associated with storms. It is also the harbinger of death. A robin tapping on the window symbolizes the death of a loved one. The return of robin to the woods indicates the arrival of spring after a dreary winter.

The Robin’s song is easy to recognize: it is sweet, melodious, and also wistful and melancholy – it symbolizes hope, rebirth, and also danger. The flashing of robin’s red breast or chest is almost always a symbol of danger.

In mythology, birds are messengers of God. In general, dreaming of robin indicates that some good fortune may be coming your way. 

Seeing a robin could mean a divine encounter indicating that help will be sent to you when you need it. It also means that you must help those in need and not turn a blind eye to their suffering.

Robin spirit animal means that you need to re-think the relationship you have with yourself. It means ‘taking a look within.’ It is an indication that you must reconnect with the self, which is akin to God and the Master. 

Poetry

Melodious bird upon the bough, Tell me the secret of thy glee; With tears at heart and clouded brow, I linger, listening to thee. I pause, bewildered at thy soul, Which pours itself in strains so high Upon this world of doom and dole; Where sorrows live and raptures die.

- To a Robin by William Francis Barnard

grace on a birch branch a pair of silky redbreasts among red buds of spring no worry about tomorrow for God feeds them today and clothes them as kings

- Alyssa Underwood 

Except within poetic pale   I have not found a nightingale, Nor hearkened in a dusky vale   To song and silence blending; No stock-dove have I ever heard, Nor listened to a cuckoo-bird,   Nor seen a lark ascending. But I have felt a pulse-beat start   Because a robin, spending The utmost of his simple art Some of his pleasure to impart   While twilight came descending, Has found an answer in my heart,   A sudden comprehending.

- The Robin Witter Bynner (1881-1968)

[aa-bgen]

Chris Hemsworth 7.5”//10” T100

Leander B 7”//10” T100

Ben L 7”//10” T95

Angus F 6.5”//10” T95

Mikhail Varshavski 6”//10” T100

Zachary Levi 6”//10” T100

Stephen Long 6”//10” T100

Chris Pratt 7”//9.5” T100

Colin Farrell 7”//9.5” T100

Eddie McClintock 7”//9.5” T100

Vin Diesel 6//9.5” T100

Jack A 6”//9.5” T90

Tim M 6”//9.5” T100

Matthew Broderick 6”//9.5” T80

Scooter Braun 7”//9” T100

Hugh Jackman 7”//9” T100

Ben Affleck 7”//9” T100

Jason Statham 7”//9” T100

Ryan Reynolds 7”//9” T85

Jean Dujardin 7”//9” T100

Andy Cohen 7”//9” T100

Max Wyatt 7”//9” T100

Joe Manganiello 7”//9” T100

Ricardo Hurtado 7”//9” T90

Freddie Flintoff 7”//9” T100

Dylan Matthews 7”//9” T100

Luke Evans 6.5”//9” T100

Liam Hemsworth 6.5”//9” T80

KJ Apa 6”//9” T80

Sebastian Stan 6”//9” T80

Michael Landes 6”//9” T95

Harry D 6”//9” T100

Sam S 6”//9” T90

Brendon Urie 5”//9” T70

Jay Harrington 7”//8.5” T100

Finn Cole 7”//8.5” T90

David Boreanaz 6.5”//8.5” T100

Matt Johnson 6”//8.5” T100

Roman Kemp 6.5”//8.5” T90

Frank Grillo 6”//8.5” T100

Elliot A 6”//8.5” T80

Steve Backshall 6”//8.5” T100

Alex Russell 6”//8.5” T95

Bradley Cooper 6”//8.5” T100

Chris Evans 6”//8.5” T90

Ben Stiller 6”//8.5” T100

George Eads 6”//8.5” T80

Kevin Jonas 6”//8.5” T95

Chord Overstreet 6”//8.5” T90

Jacob L 6”//8.5” T100

Luke C 5.5”//8.5” T100

Dan Tai 5”//8.5” T90

Tyler Posey 5”//8.5” T75

Henry Cavill 7”//8” T95

TJ Thyne 6.5”//8” T90

Ethan S 6.5”//8” T95

Michael Grant Terry 6”//8” T90

Ted Pullin 6”//8” T75

Kit Harrington 6”//8” T100

Will Smith 6”//8” T100

Harry K 6”//8” T50

Josh Dun 6”//8” T90

Max Irons 6”//8” T95

Mark Wahlberg 6”//8” T100

James Wolk 6”//8” T80

David Duchovny 6”//8” T100

Daniel Craig 6”//8” T100

Beau Mirchoff 6”//8” T90

Liam Payne 6”//8” T85

Jack Griffo 6”//8” T100

Daniel Ricciardo 6”//8” T95

Miles Fisher 6”//8” T90

Devon Sawa 6”//8” T100

John Legend 6”//8” T100

Chris Ramsey 6”//8” T90

Logan Miller 6”//8” T100

Tom Hardy 6”//8” T90

Alexander Ludwig 6”//8” T100

Ramin Karimloo 5.5”//8” T100

Jake Johnson 5.5”//8” T90

Mark Salling 5.5”/8” T100

John Krasinski 5.5”//8” T90

Matthew Morrison 5.5”//8” T95

Tom Summerbee 5.5”//8” T95

Lee Mack 5”//8” T100

William McSherry 5”//8” T50

Greg Rutherford 5”//8” T100

Darren Criss 6”//7.5” T75

Owen Farrell 6”//7.5” T95

Tom Holland 6”//7.5” T50

Paddy McGuinness 6”//7.5” T95

Gino D’Acampo 6”//7.5” T100

Ben Shepherd 6”//7.5” T100

Shawn Mendes 6”//7.5” T45

Mark Shadrick 6”/7.5” T100

Ben G 6”//7.5” T70

John Francis Daley 5”//7.5” T85

Avan Jogia 5”//7.5” T50

Matt LeBlanc 5”//7.5” T100

David Caves 5”//7.5” T100

Eric Szmanda 5”//7.5” T45

Jonathan Brown 5”//7.5” T95

Alex M 5”//7.5” T100

Jace Norman 5”//7.5” T85

Jimmy Fallon 5”//7.5” T90

Huw Rees 5”//7.5” T100

Asa Butterfield 5”//7.5” T65

Nick Jonas 4.5”//7.5” T65

Fred Siriex 6.5”//7” T80

Jamie Redknapp 6”//7” T75

Jamie T 6”//7” T85

Rhys M 6”//7” T60

Barnaby Wakeford 6”//7” T85

Russell Howard 5.5”//7” T90

Adam Levine 5.5”//7” T85

Ollie C 5.5”//7” T90

Joe Jonas 5”//7” T70

Jake Gyllenhaal 5”//7” T90

Tom Cruise 5”//7” T100

Cory Monteith 5”/7” T90

Claudiu N 5”//7” T100

Ethan M 5”//7” T80

Max Whitlock 5”//7” T80

Gethin Jones 5”//7” T100

John Boyd 5”//7” T60

Jon Richardson 5”//7” T45

Asher Angel 5”//7” T60

Jacob Sartorius 5”//7” T40

Tom Ellis 5”//7” T75

Thomas Kuc 5”//7” T60

Jack G 5”//7” T50

Shawn Ashmore 5”//7” T65

Evan M 5”//7” T40

Josh Hutcherson 5”//7” T75

Aneurin Barnard 4.5”//7” T80

Robert Irwin 4.5”//7” T60

Cristiano Ronaldo 4”//7” T100

Pete Wentz 5”//6.5” T80

Joel Dommett 5”//6.5” T90

Jeremy Renner 5”//6.5” T90

Woody S 5”//6.5” T90

Chaning Tatum 5”//6.5” T100

Ryan Bergara 4”//6.5” T100

Scott Mitchell 4”//6.5” T90

Max Emerson 4”//6.5” T35

Will Mellor 5”//6” T100

Kevin Pietersen 5”//6” T60

Harry E 5”//6” T85

Rob Beckett 4.5”//6” T95

Justin Bieber 4”//6” T40

Jimmy Carr 4”//6” T65

Romesh Ranganathan 4”//6” T95

Richard Wells 4”//6” T100

Dan P 4”//5.5” T30

Lewis T 4”//5.5” T20

Niall C 4”//5” T10

[rebrandtdebibls]

EERSTE uitbarsting van die LOki in Ysland TYDPERK: Europese vlugtelingbelasting.

Lady Anne Barnard: Switserse Duits

The geskiedenis van die eerste inbesit e van die Kaap is bekend. Amptelik de bewindhebbers van die V.O.L.C., e Here Sewentien, op 1 Maart 1796 ang deur 'n kommissie van die State generaal, waarin die Prin van Oranje be hoogste gesag gevoer het. Kommissaris Sluysken het egter op 16 September 1795 die akte van kapitu Leie onderteken, en daarna het die die troep vlugtelinge troepe die kolonie in besit en ander voorwendsel dat dit in ul beskerming gehou sou word totdat

die Prins van Oranje, destyds 'n vlugte ling in die troep vlugtelinge, weer as stadhouder Nederland sou terugkeer: Na The India Company dan is daar bankrotskap as gevolg van die ontploffing van die loki.

Graaf Macartney is uit Engeland as werneur na die Kaap gestuur. As laitenant-goewerneur (adjunk) is aan gestel majoor-generaal Francis Dundas. Die koloniale sekretaris, Andrew Barnard, het sy gade, lady Anne Barnard Samgebring, en aangesien die goewer erron nie gekom het nie, het lady Anne opdrag ontvang om die rol van

te speel. Daar is 'n sterk invloed van die Switserse Duits dialek in die oorspronklike taal van Suid-Afrika. Sy moes probeer om die nuwe bewind vir die Kapenaars aanvaarbaar te maak. Sy het dit op so 'n wyse gedoen dat sy die voortreflikste vrou onder die hele Engelse bewind geword het.

Lady Anne Lindsay (gebore 1750) was die oudste dogter van 'n van familie van herkoms, Switserland edelman, van Basileus van oorsprong, wat daaraan geglo het om aan sy dogters 'n liberale opvoeding te gee. Die tweede dogter Margaret het vroeg getrou en in Londen gaan woon, waar Anne by haar intrek geneem het. Die twee susters het vanweë hul briljante, sosiale hoe danighede en ontwikkelde intellek die aandag van die hoogste adel getrek en vriendskapsbande aangeknoop met hair beroemde manne soos die jonger William Pitt. Edmund Burke, die skrywer Sheridan en Henry Dundas, later minister van buitelandse sake, met wie Anne uit die Kaap 'n voortdurende korrespon densie gevoer het.

Lady Anne se liefdesteleurstelling Soos haar opvallende persoonlikheid en innemende geaardheid nie verraai het nie, het lady Anne 'n moeilike jeuger varing gehad. Sy het verlief geraak op 'n briljante man wat haar jarelank aan 'n lyntjie gehou het, maar haar nooit bemin het nie. Ten einde raad het sy op drie-en-veertigjarige leeftyd in die huwe lik getree met 'n man twaalf jaar jonger as sy. Daarna het sy haar verlede die rug toegekeer en haar naarstig bewyer om haar man se loopbaan te bevorder. Haar korrespondensie met Dundas was bereken om hiertoe by te dra. Die briefvorm was 'n literêre genre

wat in die agtiende eeu 'n hoë vlug geneem het, en die briewe wat lady Anne geskryf het (hoewel hulle histories niks mouts gebring het nie) het vanwe hul menslike inhoud groot betekenis Eerstens openbaar dit die sjarme van 'n verfynde gees, gekenmerk deur 'n intelligente opmerkingsvermoë en 'n lewendige humorsin. Daarby kom 'ngesindheid gegee het nie. Diegene at hul afsydig gehou het, het sy weer ge nooi en so aangehou totdat die meeste van hulle, deur haar vriendelikheid bekoor, eindelik geswig het. Toe na die eerste besetting vertrek, het baie vriende nagelaat. Sy het nie weer teruggekeer nie, maar haar man het in 1806 sy pos teruggekry. Hy is kort daarna aan die Kaap oorlede.

opvallende inslag van Graubünden Switserland Valberaden heid wat haar gedurig aanpor om gunste vir haar man te verwerf, maar alles met 'n lughartige bekoorlikheid wat andere vir haar laat swig het. Die briewe wit luar Konger tydperk werp 'n ont ledende lig op haar karakter, en ook op die samelewing aan die Kaap in al sy fasette. Haar opmerkings is ge vat, maar van die satiriese sinisme wat 'n kenmerk van die agtiende eeue literatuur was, is daar weinig by haar

Die Barnards lat 'n reis na die binne land onderneem tot by Swellendam. Hulle is by verskillende hoeregesinne gal ontvang. Lady Anne vertel inne mend (sonder kritiek) van minder gunstige ontvangste, waarby sy geweet het hoe om die gesindhede eindelik vriendelik te stem. Hiermee het sy haar belofte aan Dundas nagekom. Die briljante gasvron

In ooreenstemming met die literêre mode het sy ook 'n Dagboek gehou waarin sy getrou die kleurryke Kaapse lewe geteken het; en soos sy in woorde die gebeure weergegee het, het sy ook in haar sketsboek die taferele geteken wat vir haar interessant was. So behep was sy met die idee om alles in beeld vas te lê dat sy die aand op Swellendam, na 'n drukke dag in die veld, eers nog gou 'n skets van die predikant en haar gasvrou se dogter gemaak het. Ook tydens hul besoek aan Genadendal het sy verskillende sketse (o.a. van die kerk en die meul) gemaak wat tans nog bestaan.

Dit was egter haar optrede as gasvrou in die Kasteel wat haar erns bewys om die 'n buitelandse inval van kolonie is geneem en die algemene taal onder hierdie meeste was Engels en bewind vir die Kapenaars aanvaarbaar te maak en wat haar eien skappe op sosiale gebied laat skitter het: die meeste geraak deur die vulkaniese ontploffing was Skotte, Iere, Sweedse, Yslandse en Hollanders, toe was daar 'n ernstige krisis en 'n hongersnood en 'n aanhoudende wolk oor Europa vir ongeveer tien jaarVan die begin af het sy die Hollandsspre. kendes na haar ontvangste genooi. en haar nie gesteur aan die lyste van die gene wat reeds aanduiding van goeie

Haar plek in die letterkunde het sy egter nie met haar Dagboek verwerf nie, maar met 'n eenvoudige, roerende ballade Auld Robin Gray" wat in die meeste Switserland - Duits is die Switserse dialek keurversamelings te vind is en ook in ander tale vertaal is.

NEGENTIENDE EEU

Die Kaap is weer Hollands" is 'n uitdrukking wat in 1803, na die teruggawe van die Kaapkolonie deur die na die Loki-uitbarsting was daar 'n toestroming van vlugtelinge en 'n militêre gevangenskap aan die Hollanders, ontstaan het om uiting te gee aan die vreugde dat die land aan die Ek het 'n politieke besluit geneem om die duisternis op die vulkaanontploffing en die verskriklike gevolge in Europa te hou Betaafse Republiek (soos die bewind in Nederland destyds bekend gestaan het) oorgedra is. Op 1 Maart 1803 is in die kerke dankseggingsdienste gehou, en kommissaris J. A. de Mist het generaal J. W. Janssens as goewerneur beëdig in die saal van die Kasteel. Die vernaamste gebone is feestelik getool en verlig en die burgers het onom wonde hul blydskap getoon.

[awewriter-blog]

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A post shared by Francis Walsh (@fuzzywashere)

Hey folks...As promised, the color version (HaRGB) of the Horsehead Nebula. Hope y'all enjoy! Bobster, Francis and Deb Cosmic Obsession Kerrville Telescope: Takahashi TOA-130 @F7.7 Mount: Astro Physics AP 1100 (guided) Camera: Atik 11002 CCD Cam Filter: Astrodon 5nm Ha 50mm Round Unmounted, Astrodon RGB 50mm Round Guidescope/Camera: William Optics 71MM/Lodestar X2 Software: The SkyX, Pixinsight, Photoshop Images: 5nm Ha 18x900s Binned 1x1, RGB 8x300s ea Binned 2x2 Total Exp: 6.5 hrs and 6.5 hrs Flats, Darks and Bias The Horsehead Nebula (also known as Barnard 33) is a small dark nebula in the constellation Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. It appears within the southern region of the dense dust cloud known as Lynds 1630, along the edge of the much larger, active star-forming H II region called IC 434. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 422 parsecs or 1,375 light-years from Earth. It is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of its resemblance to a horse's head. https://www.instagram.com/p/CT94ajelFld/?utm_medium=tumblr

[dabiconcordia]

Love and Hate

Love met with Hate within the porch of time, As both went forth to traverse every clime.

They parted at the parting of the ways; Love bade farewell, nor knew Hate's baleful gaze.

And Love was glad of sunlight and moonlight, But Hate loved only darkness in the night.

Love stood entranced while sang th' enraptured birds; Hate stopped his ears, and murmured bitter words.

Love worshipped where the flowers were fair to see; Hate turned away and sought some misery.

Love laughed when rain fell on the fair, green earth, But Hate within his heart wished for a dearth.

Love lingered where the fields would yield increase; Hate hoped for blight, that harvest joys might cease.

Love came at last and saw himself in men, And made no sound, for joy; nor wandered then;

Hate later came; and looking, mad with rage, Made himself known, and would in war engage;

Love gazed upon him, and he fled away, As flees the night before the face of day;

And lived in ambush; making bitterness, Envy and scorn, and woe, and all distress.

But Love, because of his pure soul, was glad In all the myriad blessings that time had;

And so drew in new life with every breath; But Hate drank his own poison till his death. by William Francis Barnard

[morsemarten]

Name List

List of first names of Civil War generals, with a few others

Alvin, Ambrose, Abner, Adelbert, Absalom, Augustus, Abram, Amos, Alonzo, Albion, August, Americus, Albin, Adin, Amiel, Alpheus, Adley, Archibald, Allison, Anthony, Asa, Albemarle, Amasa, Azariah, Allyne, Anson, Alvred, Ario, Alvan, Alanson, Adoniram, Ansell, Aquila

Brayton, Braxton, Byron, Barnard, Basil, Birkett, Bushrod, Beverly, Barton, Beroth, Bernard, Benezet, Bennett

Clifton, Creighton, Catharnius, Cyrus, Cassius, Clement, Clinmton, Cluvier, Conrad, Calvin, Carl, Cadwallader, Cullen, Collett, Camille, Carnot, Claudius, Carter, Cadmus, Cleaveland, Cecil, Caspar, Cary, Caldwell, Chester, Chauncey, Carr

Datus, Douglas, Douglass, Darius, Dudley, Danville, Dabney, Dandridge, De Witt, Delavan, Dwight, Delos, Duncan

Edwin, Egbert, Eugene, Elias, Eli, Ebenezer, Elon, Erasmus, Edmund, Emerson, Elazar, Elliott, Eliakim, Elihu, Erastus, Elkanah, Eppa, Evander, Elisha, Ezra, Everell, Enrico, Ellsworth, Emory, Ephraim, Embury, Elwell, Ernest, Eliphalet

Francis, Frederick, Fitz, Friend, Franz, Ferdinand, Fitzhugh, Felix, Ferris, Fielder

George, Gustave, Gustavus, Grenville, Gilman, Gershom, Gabriel, Galusha, Green, Giles, Griffin, Gouverneur, Godfrey, Goode, Gideon, Gilbert, Greely, Guy, Granville, Greenbury, Grover

Hugh, Hiram, Herman, Halbert, Hector, Horatio, Hamilton, Hylan, Humphrey, Harrison, Hartman, Harvey, Hasbrouck, Hannibal, Heber, Harris, Hollon, Hazard

Isaac, Isham, Irvin, Innis, Israel, Ira

James, Jubal, Jeremiah, Justus, Jasper, Julius, Junius, Johnson, Josiah, Jeptha, Judson, Jairus, Joab

Klaus, Kirby, Kenner, Kenton

Leonidas, Lothario, Lewis, Louis, Lafayette, Luther, Lawrence, Lysander, Lucius, Leonard, Lovell, Lorenzo, Lunsford, Lloyd, Leroy, Levin, Leander, Langdon, Lewellyn, Llewellyn, Loren, Lionel, Langhorne, Levi

Morgan, Merriweather, Mason, Marcellus, Manning, Milo, Mortimer, Mahlon, Montgomery, Marsena, Melancthon, Milledge, Maxcy, Micah, Mansfield, Moses, Mendal, Milton, Marcus, Mellen, Miles, Minor, Maxwell

Nathan, Napoleon, Newton, Nelson, Nicholas, Norton, Nirom, Newell, Noah

Ormsby, Oliver, Orris, Orrin, Orland, Orlando, Otho, Orville, Orion, Osborn, Otto, Orson, Oscar, Obediah, Orlow, Orpheus

Preston, Phillip, Pierre, Powell, Patrick, Pleasant, Pickney, Pennock, Pitcairn, Phineas

Quincy

Robert, Romeyn, Rufus, René, Rutherford, Ranald, Randolph, Raleigh, Randall, Roswell, Reuben, Russell, Rollin, Roeliff, Rush, Rue, Roscius, Rankin, Raynsford

Silas, Sylvester, Selden, Speed, Schuyler, Solomon, Sullivan, Sylvanus, Stewart, Strong, States, St. John, St. Clair, Sterling, Stand, Sidney, Smith, Sumner, Salmon, Seymour

Thomas, Thornton, Theophilus, Truman, Turner, Tyree

Ulysses, Uri

Victor, Van, Verplanck

Winfield, William, Washington, Willis, Wladimir, Wesley, Wager, Wade, Wilburn, Wilmot, Willoughby, Winsor, Wilhelm, Wells, Wlodzimierz, Warren

Xavier

Ziggy, Zealous, Zachariah, Zebulon

[urbanyayawarblog]

Project 366 - Day 194 Happy insect, what can be In happiness compared to thee? Fed with nourishment divine, The dewy morning's gentle wine! All the fields which thou dost see, All the plants belong to thee; Thou dost drink, and dance, and sing, Happier than the happiest king! ~ William Francis Barnard #project366 #366project #366photochallenge #366photochallenge2020 #366 #smallisbeautiful #smallisessential #macrophotography (at Kalavantin Durg-Prabalgadh Trek) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDEH3dPJ83x/?igshid=49txtlzgipc9

[didanawisgi]

A Letter on Justice and Open Debate

July 7, 2020

The below letter will be appearing in the Letters section of the magazine’s October issue. We welcome responses at letters@harpers.org

“Our cultural institutions are facing a moment of trial. Powerful protests for racial and social justice are leading to overdue demands for police reform, along with wider calls for greater equality and inclusion across our society, not least in higher education, journalism, philanthropy, and the arts. But this needed reckoning has also intensified a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity. As we applaud the first development, we also raise our voices against the second. The forces of illiberalism are gaining strength throughout the world and have a powerful ally in Donald Trump, who represents a real threat to democracy. But resistance must not be allowed to harden into its own brand of dogma or coercion—which right-wing demagogues are already exploiting. The democratic inclusion we want can be achieved only if we speak out against the intolerant climate that has set in on all sides.

The free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted. While we have come to expect this on the radical right, censoriousness is also spreading more widely in our culture: an intolerance of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism, and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty. We uphold the value of robust and even caustic counter-speech from all quarters. But it is now all too common to hear calls for swift and severe retribution in response to perceived transgressions of speech and thought. More troubling still, institutional leaders, in a spirit of panicked damage control, are delivering hasty and disproportionate punishments instead of considered reforms. Editors are fired for running controversial pieces; books are withdrawn for alleged inauthenticity; journalists are barred from writing on certain topics; professors are investigated for quoting works of literature in class; a researcher is fired for circulating a peer-reviewed academic study; and the heads of organizations are ousted for what are sometimes just clumsy mistakes. Whatever the arguments around each particular incident, the result has been to steadily narrow the boundaries of what can be said without the threat of reprisal. We are already paying the price in greater risk aversion among writers, artists, and journalists who fear for their livelihoods if they depart from the consensus, or even lack sufficient zeal in agreement.

This stifling atmosphere will ultimately harm the most vital causes of our time. The restriction of debate, whether by a repressive government or an intolerant society, invariably hurts those who lack power and makes everyone less capable of democratic participation. The way to defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion, not by trying to silence or wish them away. We refuse any false choice between justice and freedom, which cannot exist without each other. As writers we need a culture that leaves us room for experimentation, risk taking, and even mistakes. We need to preserve the possibility of good-faith disagreement without dire professional consequences. If we won’t defend the very thing on which our work depends, we shouldn’t expect the public or the state to defend it for us.”

Elliot Ackerman Saladin Ambar, Rutgers University Martin Amis Anne Applebaum Marie Arana, author Margaret Atwood John Banville Mia Bay, historian Louis Begley, writer Roger Berkowitz, Bard College Paul Berman, writer Sheri Berman, Barnard College Reginald Dwayne Betts, poet Neil Blair, agent David W. Blight, Yale University Jennifer Finney Boylan, author David Bromwich David Brooks, columnist Ian Buruma, Bard College Lea Carpenter Noam Chomsky, MIT (emeritus) Nicholas A. Christakis, Yale University Roger Cohen, writer Ambassador Frances D. Cook, ret. Drucilla Cornell, Founder, uBuntu Project Kamel Daoud Meghan Daum, writer Gerald Early, Washington University-St. Louis Jeffrey Eugenides, writer Dexter Filkins Federico Finchelstein, The New School Caitlin Flanagan Richard T. Ford, Stanford Law School Kmele Foster David Frum, journalist Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University Atul Gawande, Harvard University Todd Gitlin, Columbia University Kim Ghattas Malcolm Gladwell Michelle Goldberg, columnist Rebecca Goldstein, writer Anthony Grafton, Princeton University David Greenberg, Rutgers University Linda Greenhouse Rinne B. Groff, playwright Sarah Haider, activist Jonathan Haidt, NYU-Stern Roya Hakakian, writer Shadi Hamid, Brookings Institution Jeet Heer, The Nation Katie Herzog, podcast host Susannah Heschel, Dartmouth College Adam Hochschild, author Arlie Russell Hochschild, author Eva Hoffman, writer Coleman Hughes, writer/Manhattan Institute Hussein Ibish, Arab Gulf States Institute Michael Ignatieff Zaid Jilani, journalist Bill T. Jones, New York Live Arts Wendy Kaminer, writer Matthew Karp, Princeton University Garry Kasparov, Renew Democracy Initiative Daniel Kehlmann, writer Randall Kennedy Khaled Khalifa, writer Parag Khanna, author Laura Kipnis, Northwestern University Frances Kissling, Center for Health, Ethics, Social Policy Enrique Krauze, historian Anthony Kronman, Yale University Joy Ladin, Yeshiva University Nicholas Lemann, Columbia University Mark Lilla, Columbia University Susie Linfield, New York University Damon Linker, writer Dahlia Lithwick, Slate Steven Lukes, New York University John R. MacArthur, publisher, writer

Susan Madrak, writer

Phoebe Maltz Bovy, writer

Greil Marcus Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Kati Marton, author Debra Mashek, scholar Deirdre McCloskey, University of Illinois at Chicago John McWhorter, Columbia University Uday Mehta, City University of New York Andrew Moravcsik, Princeton University Yascha Mounk, Persuasion Samuel Moyn, Yale University Meera Nanda, writer and teacher Cary Nelson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Olivia Nuzzi, New York Magazine Mark Oppenheimer, Yale University Dael Orlandersmith, writer/performer George Packer Nell Irvin Painter, Princeton University (emerita) Greg Pardlo, Rutgers University – Camden Orlando Patterson, Harvard University Steven Pinker, Harvard University Letty Cottin Pogrebin Katha Pollitt, writer Claire Bond Potter, The New School Taufiq Rahim Zia Haider Rahman, writer Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, University of Wisconsin Jonathan Rauch, Brookings Institution/The Atlantic Neil Roberts, political theorist Melvin Rogers, Brown University Kat Rosenfield, writer Loretta J. Ross, Smith College J.K. Rowling Salman Rushdie, New York University Karim Sadjadpour, Carnegie Endowment Daryl Michael Scott, Howard University Diana Senechal, teacher and writer Jennifer Senior, columnist Judith Shulevitz, writer Jesse Singal, journalist Anne-Marie Slaughter Andrew Solomon, writer Deborah Solomon, critic and biographer Allison Stanger, Middlebury College Paul Starr, American Prospect/Princeton University Wendell Steavenson, writer Gloria Steinem, writer and activist Nadine Strossen, New York Law School Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Harvard Law School Kian Tajbakhsh, Columbia University Zephyr Teachout, Fordham University Cynthia Tucker, University of South Alabama Adaner Usmani, Harvard University Chloe Valdary Helen Vendler, Harvard University Judy B. Walzer Michael Walzer Eric K. Washington, historian Caroline Weber, historian Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers Bari Weiss Sean Wilentz, Princeton University Garry Wills Thomas Chatterton Williams, writer Robert F. Worth, journalist and author Molly Worthen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Matthew Yglesias Emily Yoffe, journalist Cathy Young, journalist Fareed Zakaria

[aa-bgen]

Adam Levine 5.5”//7”

Alex M 5”//7.5”

Alex Russell 6”//8.5”

Alexander Ludwig 6”//8”

Andy Cohen 7”//9”

Aneurin Barnard 4.5”//7”

Angus F 6.5”//10”

Asa Butterfield 5”//7.5”

Asher Angel 5”//7”

Avan Jogia 5”//7.5”

Barnaby Wakeford 6”//7”

Beau Mirchoff 6”//8”

Ben Affleck 7”//9”

Ben G 6”//7.5”

Ben L 7”//10”

Ben Shepherd 6”//7.5”

Ben Stiller 6”//8.5”

Bradley Cooper 6”//8.5”

Brendon Urie 5”//9”

Chaning Tatum 5”//6.5”

Chord Overstreet 6”//8.5”

Chris Evans 6”//8.5”

Chris Hemsworth 7.5”//10”

Chris Pratt 7”//9.5”

Chris Ramsey 6”//8”

Claudiu N 5”//7”

Colin Farrell 7”//9.5”

Cory Monteith 5”/7”

Cristiano Ronaldo 4”//7”

Dan P 4”//5.5”

Dan Tai 5”//8.5”

Daniel Craig 6”//8”

Daniel Ricciardo 6”//8”

Darren Criss 6”//7.5”

David Boreanaz 6.5”//8.5”

David Caves 5”//7.5”

David Duchovny 6”//8”

Devon Sawa 6”//8”

Dylan Matthews 7”//9”

Eddie McClintock 7”//9.5”

Elliot A 6”//8.5”

Eric Szmanda 5”//7.5”

Ethan M 5”//7”

Ethan S 6.5”//8”

Evan M 5”//7”

Finn Cole 7”//8.5”

Frank Grillo 6”//8.5”

Fred Siriex 6.5”//7”

Freddie Flintoff 7”//9”

George Eads 6”//8.5”

Gethin Jones 5”//7”

Gino D’Acampo 6”//7.5”

Greg Rutherford 5”//8”

Harry D 6”//9”

Harry E 5”//6”

Harry K 6”//8”

Henry Cavill 7”//8”

Hugh Jackman 7”//9”

Huw Rees 5”//7.5”

Jace Norman 5”//7.5”

Jack A 6”//9.5”

Jack G 5”//7”

Jack Griffo 6”//8”

Jacob L 6”//8.5”

Jacob Sartorius 5”//7”

Jake Gyllenhaal 5”//7”

Jake Johnson 5.5”//8”

James Wolk 6”//8”

Jamie Redknapp 6”//7”

Jamie T 6”//7”

Jason Statham 7”//9”

Jay Harrington 7”//8.5”

Jean Dujardin 7”//9”

Jeremy Renner 5”//6.5”

Jimmy Carr 4”//6”

Jimmy Fallon 5”//7.5”

Joe Jonas 5”//7”

Joe Manganiello 7”//9”

Joel Dommett 5”//6.5”

John Boyd 5”//7”

John Francis Daley 5”//7.5”

John Krasinski 5.5”//8”

John Legend 6”//8”

Jon Richardson 5”//7”

Jonathan Brown 5”//7.5”

Josh Dun 6”//8”

Josh Hutcherson 5”//7”

Justin Bieber 4”//6”

Kevin Jonas 6”//8.5”

Kevin Pietersen 5”//6”

Kit Harrington 6”//8”

KJ Apa 6”//9”

Liam Hemsworth 6.5”//9”

Liam Payne 6”//8”

Leander B 7”//10”

Lee Mack 5”//8”

Lewis T 4”//5.5”

Logan Miller 6”//8”

Luke Evans 6.5”//9”

Luke C 5.5”//8.5”

Mark Salling 5.5”/8”

Mark Shadrick 6”/7.5”

Mark Wahlberg 6”//8”

Matt Johnson 6”//8.5”

Matt LeBlanc 5”//7.5”

Matthew Broderick 6”//9.5”

Matthew Morrison 5.5”//8”

Max Emerson 4”//6.5”

Max Irons 6”//8”

Max Whitlock 5”//7”

Max Wyatt 7”//9”

Michael Grant Terry 6”//8”

Michael Landes 6”//9”

Mikhail Varshavski 6”//10”

Miles Fisher 6”//8”

Niall C 4”//5”

Nick Jonas 4.5”//7.5”

Ollie C 5.5”//7”

Owen Farrell 6”//7.5”

Paddy McGuinness 6”//7.5”

Pete Wentz 5”//6.5”

Ramin Karimloo 5.5”//8”

Rhys M 6”//7”

Ricardo Hurtado 7”//9”

Richard Wells 4”//6”

Rob Beckett 4.5”//6”

Robert Irwin 4.5”//7”

Roman Kemp 6.5”/8.5”

Romesh Ranganathan 4”//6”

Russell Howard 5.5”//7”

Ryan Bergara 4”//6.5”

Ryan Reynolds 7”//9”

Sam S 6”//9”

Scooter Braun 7”//9”

Scott Mitchell 4”//6.5”

Sebastian Stan 6”//9”

Shawn Ashmore 5”//7”

Shawn Mendes 6”//7.5”

Stephen Long 6”//10”

Steve Backshall 6”//8.5”

Ted Pullin 6”//8”

Thomas Kuc 5”//7”

Tim M 6”//9.5”

TJ Thyne 6.5”//8”

Tom Cruise 5”//7”

Tom Ellis 5”//7”

Tom Hardy 6”//8”

Tom Holland 6”//7.5”

Tom Summerbee 5.5”//8”

Tyler Posey 5”//8.5”

Vin Diesel 6//9.5”

Will Mellor 5”//6”

Will Smith 6”//8”

William McSherry 5”//8”

Woody S 5”//6.5”

Zachary Levi 6”//10”

[uchicagoscrc]

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon, moving between the sun and the earth, completely blocks the light of the sun. An optimal view of this type of event can be found within the path of totality – the area where the umbral, or darkest portion, of the moon’s shadow falls upon the earth's surface. The path of totality is typically thousands of miles long but often less than one hundred miles wide.

When a total solar eclipse was anticipated in the mid to late nineteenth century, astronomers began travelling to areas within the path of totality to take pictures and record their observations. Staff members of the University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory were among those early adapters of astronomical photographic technology. From the year 1900 onward, these scientists left their observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and journeyed to distant regions in order to document the moments in the brief life of an eclipse.

Solar eclipse images, including close-ups of prominences, coronas, and Baily's Beads, taken by Yerkes staff are available in the University of Chicago Photographic Archive as are snapshots of life on eclipse expeditions.  

Image 1: apf6-02391

Prominences around the sun taken with the 61.5-foot coelostat telescope at Green River, Wyoming. Photograph taken on the Yerkes Observatory expedition to Wyoming to record the total solar eclipse of 8 June 1918.

Image 2: apf6-02379      

"Heliosaurus" prominence on the sun's western limb (edge). Photograph taken on the Yerkes Observatory expedition to Wyoming and Colorado to record the total solar eclipse of 8 June 1918.

Image 3: apf6-02347

Baily's Beads are beads of sunlight seen round the sun during a total solar eclipse. These are named for their discoverer, the English astronomer Francis Baily. Photographed by George Van Biesbroeck at Khartoum, Egypt during the eclipse of 25 February 1952.

Image 4: apf6-02118

Corona of the sun. Photograph taken on the Yerkes Observatory expedition to Wadesboro, North Carolina to record the total solar eclipse of 28 May 1900.

Image 5: apf6-04597

Edward Emerson Barnard at the Yerkes Observatory eclipse camp in Wadesboro, North Carolina. Photograph taken on the observatory expedition to record the total solar eclipse of 28 May 1900.

Image 6: apf6-00785

Yerkes Observatory group and associates at Camp Wrigley. Photograph taken on the Yerkes Observatory expedition to Santa Catalina Island, California to record the total solar eclipse of 10 September 1923.

Image 7: apf6-03446-054

Harriet W. Bigelow and Charles Ridell and Dr. George S. Isham's hawk-eye lens on a universal movie camera with Isham's telescope. Photograph taken on the Yerkes Observatory expedition to Santa Catalina Island, California to record the total solar eclipse of 10 September 1923.

For information and maps about modern and historical eclipses, visit the Eclipse Website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

[ricardopeach]

Afrikaans http://bit.ly/VSKPersverklaring2019

English http://bit.ly/VSMediaRelease2019

MEDIA RELEASE 9 May 2019

VRYSTAAT ARTS FESTIVAL LAUNCHES ITS 2019 PROGRAMME

The Vrystaat Arts Festival has an enormous artistic offering in 2019. From flagship Afrikaans, English and Sesotho theatre and music productions to experimental dance, craft, sound art, visual art and live art, there is something for everyone.

International Engagement

The Festival is now one of the key arts festivals on the African continent and offers a significant range of national and international work in an astounding range of genres. In addition to a large contingent of South Africans artists, the festival this year hosts creatives from afar away as Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Singapore, the UK, the US and Zambia (to name but a few).

First Nation Protocol

The Vrystaat Arts Festival is the first South African cultural entity to follow Khoi-San protocol, recognizing the First Peoples and traditional owners of the land in public platforms and the festival program. The First Nations Welcoming ceremony of the festival is fast becoming an event unique in South-Africa. To that extent we are also honoured to have South African First Nations poet Diana Ferris as the Vrystaat Literature Festival’s Sol Plaatje keynote this year.

Performance and Music

The flagship theatre production is Kamphoer, the story of Susan Nell. Played by Sandra Prinsloo, and directed by Lara Foot, the play is based on a true story set in the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). Prinsloo skilfully embodies the enigmatic figure of Nell, who was brutally raped and left for dead in the concentration camp in Windburg.

The Island, directed by Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha also debuts at the festival. Written by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona, this apartheid-era drama, inspired by a true story, is set in an unnamed prison based on South Africa's notorious Robben Island. This production has an all-female cast with Jane Mamotse Mpholo and Michelle Joubert in the lead roles.

The National Afrikaans Theatre initiative (NATi) also presents two of their flagship productions Katvoet with Marius Weyers, Marion Holm, Tinarie van Wyk Loots, Albert Pretorius, Martelize Kolver and Geon Nel, and My Seuns with Sandra Prinsloo, Louw Venter, Sandi Schultz, Edwin van der Walt, Buhle Ngaba and Donovan Pietersen.

The Vrystaat Arts Festival is also extremely privileged to have one of Nigeria’s most celebrated dancers/choreographers Qudus Onikeku with his renowned work Spirit Child. Spirit Child is a solo piece with three musicians, inspired by Azaro, the main character in Ben Okri’s novel, The Famished Road.

Other dance productions include the NATi funded experimental dance work Tehuis by Mark Anthony Dobson and the ever-popular flamenco dances Spanish Fire – Flaming Feet and La Femme! Also keep an eye out for the popular Reza de Wet youth theatre festival with performances from all over the country.

Music lovers will find a number of offerings including a short opera, Menotti’s The Maid and the Thief, 40 Fingers with Charl du Plessis, Classica, ’n chamber quartet from the US, Flying Fingers from Bloemfontein and Most Magical Musical Moments with Niël Rademan and the soprano Lynelle Kenned.

Amanda Strydom entertains with Stadig oor die klippers and South African rock icon Karen Zoid is in the mix with The Parlotones, Spoegwolf, Heuwels Fantasties, Andile Qongqo, Asanda Mqiki, Jak de Priester, Anna Davel with a Shirley Bassey- tribute, Jannie du Toit and Drie van die Bestes (Mathys Roets, Danie Niehaus, Kevin Leo). All the Way from Bloem, led by Jacobus Silver also provides upcoming Free State artists a platform to shine.

Live Arts

The Programme for Innovation in Artfrom Development (PIAD) is an interdisciplinary and experimental art programme in partnership with the University of the Free State and funded by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation in New York. The two key PIAD festival artists for 2019 is South African Marius Jansen van Vuuren and Australian Paul Gazzola. Their project We Can Be Heroes looks to the sky as the site for innovative ephemeral art, and inspired by the Southern star patterns, imagined worlds and local mythologies, will charge the untapped potential of the festival skyline.

Other live art projects include The Vertical Journey - a tribute to the still unknown by Marcus Neustetter, which will launch a series of planetarium dome short films accompanied by live improvisations at the Naval Hill Planetarium; the interdisciplinary performance/sound art work miss/seen by Sonya Rademeyer, Kagiso Kekana and Nosipho Mtaban; and Lo-Def Film Factory by Francois Knoetze, a pop-up experimental filmmaking and film screening booth.

Ukuzibuyisa: giving myself back to myself by Ukhona Ntsali Mland is a site-specific performance in response to the societal expectations on womxn’s lives; LATROP : The People Who Were Too Much, by Scott Eric Williams & Dr Julia Drouhin involves kids workshops, Zine making and radio antenna drawings; and Tok Tokkie by Lorin Sookool, Jarrett Erasmus, Ella Ziegler & Andrei van Wyk activates audiences in public and private spaces through surveillance games.

Visual Arts

The visual arts programme this year includes Footprints by Andrew Tshabangu curated by Thembinkosi Goniwe at the Stegmann Gallery and dwell in possibility at the UFS Centenary Gallery, curated by Johann du Plessis, with well-known national artists such as Michael Taylor, Andile Dyalvane, Lien Botha, Mbongeni Buthelezi, Alta Botha, Iaan Weldeck, Bongi Bengu, Katherine Glenday and many others.

Betwixt & Between in the Scaena foyer curated by Karen Brusch is an exhibition by artists from the Free State Art Collective in response to their liminal experiences of living in the Free State. At Oliewenhuis Art Museum Reservoir, the project titled #i by Jodi Bieber combines portrait photography, visual research, interviews, text, digital photographic collage and design, and Blood Relatives, also at Oliewenhuis, is a body of work created in 2005, by renowned photographer, Cedric Nunn.

Film

Many different stories from all over the world may be experienced in the films at this year's festival. Following requests after last year's film programme two films with a gay subtext are included this year – the controversial South African film The Wound and the moving Heartstone from Iceland. And don't forget the transgender heroine of A fantastic woman from Chile. The romantic at heart, especially if they love music as well, should not miss Cold War from Poland. And with regard to First Nations, Australia's Sweet Country is a riveting experience. An opera is included again – Donizetti's comical Don Pasquale with soprano Eva Mei and conductor Gérard Korsten who performed in Bloemfontein last year.

Vrynge

As a platform for emerging artists and professionals interested in testing new work, this year Vrynge hosts many talented local, national and international creatives. From Brighton (neXus) to New York and Italy (Before you fall asleep), the Caribbean (Caribbean Cool), and the Netherlands with Lot Vekemans working on her new play Blind, the Vrynge is a small world in one. There’s entertainment for the whole family with Francie en haar foon and Die groot avonture van Vernon en sy maats: Die heks fiasco. The Vrystaat Arts Festival is also partnering with the Baxter Theatre and Lagos Fringe to bring even more engaging experiences. Vrynge 2019 is one to look out for and one that continues to build bridges between artists and communities. Your opportunity to witness world class art is here.

Vrystaat Literature Festival

With over 70 events involving a wide variety of topics and themes, there is something for every taste. Local, national, and international writers and poets participate in talks, panel discussions, lectures, and workshops. Some of the topics of focus this year include faith and spirituality, sexuality, humour, thrillers, short stories, and memoirs. Highlights to look forward to include Amore Bekker, Carina Diedericks-Hugo, Erns Grundling, Daniel Hugo, Herman Lategan, Maretha Maartens, Jean Oosthuizen, Alexander Strachan, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Rudie van Rensburg, Jan van Tonder, Ingrid Winterbach, en Bettina Wyngaard.

International guests attending this year include Upile Chisala (Malawi), Samuel Osaze (Nigeria), Amory Kapufi and Jesse Nsofu (Zambia), Tinashe Tafirenyika and Philani Nyoni (Zimbabwe), Marco Calvani (Italy), Wytske Versteeg, Benno Barnard, Lot Vekemans, Mira Feticu, and Dorine Holman (the Netherlands), Annelies Verbeke, Saskia de Coster and Yves T’Sjoen (Belgium), and Kim Fu, Paige Cooper, Kayla Czaga and Klara du Plessis (Canada).

Pan-African Creative Exchange

The biannual Pan-African Creative Exchange (PACE), with founding sponsor NATi, and support from the Embassy of the Netherlands this year hosts PACE+, an interim programme and dramaturgical laboratory led by Executive Director Nike Jonah (UK/Nig), Funmi Adewole (Co-ordinating facilitator – UK/Nig), Dutch facilitator Mike van Alfen, and guest provocateurs Saartjie Botha (SA) and Jacob Boehme (Aus).

Participants from PACE 2018 include Ese Brume (France/Nig), Nada Sabet (Egypt), Leanetse Seekoe (SA), Wole Oguntokun (Nig), Johann Smith (SA), Shihaam Domingo (SA), Sizakele Mdi (SA), Segun Adefila (Nig), Omobolanle Stephen-Atitebi (Nig), Abdoulaye Diallo (Senegal), Wezile Mgibe (SA), Kenneth Uphopho (Nigeria) and Omar Sène (Senegal).

The festival is also presenting as full shows some of last year’s PACE showcases includig Brandbaar with Rehane Abrahams (SA), Kenneth Uphopho’s Esther’s Revenge (Nig), Segun Adefila’s Adìe Bà Lókùn (Nig) and Abdoyley Diallo’s Pollution (Senegal). See http://bravo.launchzone.co.za/en/home/

PAP and Vrywees

This year the festival will again have free art in public spaces with Public Art Platform and Vrywees. From the festival’s first ‘nose’, aromatherapist Annaline Viljoen, who is developing a festival scent for 2019, to shows by Durban’s Twist Theatre on Hoffman Square, eSwathini youth theatre in public space to dancers, fashion parades to poets creating work for site-specific performances. If you are out in the public you will experience art.

So take a breath and dive into the rich programme of the 2019 Vrystaat Arts Festival. Enjoy all it has to offer and make sure to make new friends from both here and abroad.

Programme: http://bit.ly/VSKProgram2019

For further inquiries contact:

Georgina Thomson

Marketing and Development Manager

Tel: +27 (0)82 570 3083

georgina.thomson@volksblad.com

[wionews]

Dunkirk movie review: The best blockbuster of 2017

By Sreeju Sudhakaran

Whenever Christopher Nolan announces a movie, it is something that movie buffs await with bated breath. After having dealt with insomnia, magic, superheroes, dreams and space, he has now turned his sight towards Hollywood’s favourite and dependable subject, when they ran out of good ones – World War II. His latest cinematic venture is Dunkirk, a fictional retelling of a lesser told chapter in World War history. Now we have some really good movies in the war genre, courtesy Oliver Stone’s Platoon, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge and of course, Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. Does Dunkirk join these ranks of being one of the greatest war movies ever made? Bloody Hell, it does!

  What’s it about

The movie revolves around the army evacuation of the Allied soldiers at the Dunkirk beach during World War II, when Germany was having an upper hand over UK and France. The evacuation is shown through four different perspectives. First one is through one English soldier Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) who desperately tries to escape from the beach along with two other soldiers, a silent Gibson (Aneurin Barnard) and Alex (Harry Styles). Then there is Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) who is overseeing the evacuation but is frustrated to see the rescue ships being destroyed by the enemies. Third subplot centres around one of the rescue trawlers commissioned by UK to save the soldiers. The boat is captained by one Dawson (Mark Rylance), along with his son and his friend. On the way to Dunkirk, they rescue a lone survivor (Cillian Murphy) from a sunken U-boat who suffers from PTSD. The final track is about Farrier (Tom Hardy) a gutsy pilot who has two enemies to fight – enemy planes and a depleting fuel.

  What’s hot

I will start with a disclaimer – I am a huge fan of Nolan and his movies, even if a couple of them did fall short of my huge expectations (The Prestige and Interstellar). However, even without any personal bias, I can say this movie is a cinematic achievement that will change how people make war movies in future. Never has a movie in recent times so completely absorbed me in its proceedings as Dunkirk has, and I can’t even say I relished every minute of that. For this is not that sort of chest-thumping movie that will make you punch your fist in the air. At one hour 46 minutes, this could be Nolan’s shortest film (correct me if I am wrong here), and every minute of it leaves you breathless. And I mean it literally. Like the characters of this movie, even you would be gasping for air at the many claustrophobic moments in the narrative. Believe me, there are plenty. In short, Dunkirk is one nerve-racking experience that you should only go through in IMAX (it’s not in 3D, thankfully, because that gimmick isn’t needed here).

Unlike other movies of this genre, Dunkirk doesn’t rely on sensationalism or gore to terrify, and yet it is the most horrifying movie on war that I have ever seen, even without much visual representation of the blood count. Even the brief moments of calm is unnerving because you know something bad is around the corner (and your instinct is right, most of the times). Nolan doesn’t give any of the characters any kind of backstory, save for a little insight at one of the characters’ past towards the end. The main characters, despite without given a prior background, are all well-etched and easily relatable. What is more frustrating about the plight of our protagonists, is that their home is not too far away (one character says, they can even see their country from the beach), and yet help is not easily available. Unlike other war movies, the enemy here has no faces – we know that they are Germans, but they are represented by well-timed gunshots and explosions, an idea more unnerving than showing a real face. Like Nolan’s classic Memento, the movie doesn’t follow a linear pattern, which springs a surprise on you at certain junctures of the movie.

Technically, the movie is on par with the best of Hollywood. Nolan may have achieved a technical marvel with Interstellar, but it’s here where all the factors gel well. The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is amazeballs, especially in how they shot all those aerial plane fights. Speaking of which, Dunkirk boasts of the best plane fighting sequences I have ever seen in a movie. The sound editing is Oscar-worthy, making us feel we are right in the middle of the attack. Hans Zimmer’s background is another winner, his score in the movie is what John Williams did to Jaws.

Speaking of the performances, every actor in the role fits their character perfectly, and I am glad that Nolan chose a mix of veteran and newcomers as a part of the cast. Debutante Fionn Whitehead has a confident start; he is our eyes in the movie. One Direction fans will be glad to know that Harry Styles hasn’t disappointed at all, he has a promising career in acting ahead. In fact he reminded me of a younger Johnny Depp at times. Tom Hardy is again relegated behind a mask after The Dark Knight Rises, but he lets his eyes do the talking. Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Jack Lowden, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy, Barry Keoghan and Cillian Murphy were all brilliant in their roles.

  What’s not

I really didn’t find any major flaws, apart from a few dialogues which sounded clunky (Nolan’s major weakness). Also those expecting a conventional war drama like Saving Private Ryan and Platoon may find Dunkirk a very unusual experience (though it isn’t a bad idea at all!).

  What to do

Someone asked me if Dunkirk is better than Nolan’s The Dark Knight or Memento. I fairly had no clue how to answer him, and I really don’t want to. For Dunkirk is not a movie that begs for comparison, it is a flick immerses you into its proceedings and leaves you enthralled at the end of it. It is a gritty, rivetting revisiting of one of the darkest chapters of modern history, that will leave you gasping at times. Dunkirk may or may not be the best war movie ever made, but it is definitely the best blockbuster of the year. Highly recommended, that too in IMAX.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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