A Detailed Explication of T. S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

A Study Guide for T. S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

A Study Guide for T. S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

UPTET English for Class VI-VIII (Upper Primary Level) Teacher

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", commonly known as "Prufrock", is the first professionally published poem by American-born British poet T. S. Eliot (1888–1965). Eliot began writing "Prufrock" in February 1910, and it was first published in the June 1915 issue of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse at the instigation of Ezra Pound (1885–1972). It was later printed as part of a twelve-poem pamphlet (or chapbook) titled Prufrock and Other Observations in 1917. At the time of its publication, Prufrock was considered outlandish, but is now seen as heralding a paradigmatic cultural shift from late 19th-century Romantic verse and Georgian lyrics to Modernism. The poem's structure was heavily influenced by Eliot's extensive reading of Dante Alighieri and makes several references to the Bible and other literary works—including William Shakespeare's plays Henry IV Part II, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet, the poetry of seventeenth-century metaphysical poet Andrew Marvell, and the nineteenth-century French Symbolists. Eliot narrates the experience of Prufrock using the stream of consciousness technique developed by his fellow Modernist writers. The poem, described as a "drama of literary anguish", is a dramatic interior monologue of an urban man, stricken with feelings of isolation and an incapability for decisive action that is said "to epitomize frustration and impotence of the modern individual" and "represent thwarted desires and modern disillusionment". Prufrock laments his physical and intellectual inertia, the lost opportunities in his life and lack of spiritual progress, and he is haunted by reminders of unattained carnal love. With visceral feelings of weariness, regret, embarrassment, longing, emasculation, sexual frustration, a sense of decay, and an awareness of mortality, "Prufrock" has become one of the most recognised voices in modern literature. Among the most significant works by Eliot's: "Portrait of a Lady", "Preludes", "Whispers of Immortality", "Gerontion", "The Waste Land", "The Hollow Men", "Ash Wednesday", Ariel Poems", "Journey of the Magi", "A Song for Simeon", "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles", "Gus: The Theatre Cat", "Growltiger's Last Stand", "The Naming of Cats", "Burnt Norton", "East Coker", "The Dry Salvages", "Little Gidding", "Four Quartets".

The Waste Land and Other Poems

Long regarded as one of the fundamental texts of modernism, a treasury of many of T. S. Elliot's most important early poems, combines poetic elements from diverse sources with bits of popular culture and common speech to recreate the chaos of Europe in the aftermath of WWI. Original.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Other Works

This Squid Ink Classic includes the full text of the work plus MLA style citations for scholarly secondary sources, peer-reviewed journal articles and critical essays for when your teacher requires extra resources in MLA format for your research paper.

The Waste Land, Prufrock, and Other Poems

A superb collection of 25 works features the poet's masterpiece, "The Waste Land"; the complete Prufrock ("The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "Portrait of a Lady," "Rhapsody on a Windy Night," "Mr. Apollinax," "Morning at the Window," and others); and the complete Poems ("Gerontion," "The Hippopotamus," "Sweeney Among the Nightingales," and more). Includes a selection from the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

This superb collection of 26 works features the poet's masterpiece, "The Waste Land"; the complete Prufrock and Other Observations ("The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "Portrait of a Lady," "Preludes," "Rhapsody on a Windy Night," "Mr. Apollinax," "Morning at the Window," and others); "The Hollow Men"; and the collection Poems ("Gerontion," "The Hippopotamus," "Sweeney Among the Nightingales," and more).

A collection of poems composed by Nobel Prize-winning writer T.S. Eliot between 1909 and 1935.

Prufrock and Other Observations

Prufrock and Other Observations (1917) is a collection of poems by T.S. Eliot. Published following the successful appearance of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in the June 1915 issue of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, Prufrock and Other Observations established Eliot's reputation as a leading English poet and pioneering literary Modernist. Opening with "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the collection begins with an invocation of Dante, whom Eliot saw as an important innovator of a polyphonic, referential poetry capable of interrogating and dramatizing the construction and representation of the self. The poem is written from the perspective of a repressed, despairing middle-aged man who meditates on his relationships with women and the regrets he has accumulated with age. In "Preludes," a poem of urban malaise, Eliot "thinks of all the hands / That are raising dingy shades / In a thousand furnished rooms," and reaches for an understanding of the world as "some infinitely gentle / Infinitely suffering thing." Other poems include "Morning at the Window," another brief vision of city life, "The Boston Evening Transcript," a satirical reverie on time and community, and "Cousin Nancy," a humorous lyric celebrating Miss Nancy Ellicott, who unabashedly "smoked, / And danced all the modern dances. Both personal and universal, global in scope and intensely insular, Eliot's poetry changed the course of literary history, inspiring countless poets and establishing his reputation as one of the foremost artists of his generation. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of T.S. Eliot's Prufrock and Other Observations is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Do I dare disturb the universe? This is a question recognized by people around the world. If typed into the internet, hundreds of examples appear. Many know that it comes from one of the best-known poems of the previous century, T. S. Eliotâs The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. What many do not know is that Eliot dramatically shifted his views at the height of his fame for writing such dark poetry as this and The Waste Land, becoming a sincere, devoted Christian. While his poetry is famous because it expresses the loss of a spiritual center in European civilization, a careful reading of it reveals that he was struggling with his Christianity from the beginning, not rejecting it, but trying to make it fit into the contemporary world. If the reader works through Eliotâs love song for all of the esoteric meanings, as he demands, it quickly becomes evident that he intended it as a struggle between agape, amour and eros. Beginning it with a quote from Dante forces that into place. Though the protestant forms of Christianity have changed their views on these, the Roman Catholic holds fast. Eliot references Michelangelo in the poem, bringing in the great painter of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Most immediately recognize his name and work, but do not realize how he expressed a similar personal struggle between the desires of the flesh and the spirit. Both of them admired Danteâs Divine Comedy, and its inclusion of amour as a means to salvation. Danteâs work is generally seen as the greatest literature ever to come out of Italy. This book is an expanded revision of Seeking God in the Works of T. S. Eliot and Michelangelo. It explores how T.S Eliot struggled with the highest meanings of existence in his poetry and his own life, and perhaps managed to express what has become known as a modernist (and post-modernist) view of what Rudolph Otto designated the mysterium tremendum, the experience of a mystical awe, the experience of God.

Let Us Go Then, You and I

Let Us Go Then, You and I is a new edition of T. S. Eliot's selected poems, published to celebrate his nomination as the 'Nation's Favourite Poet' in a BBC poll for National Poetry Day 2009.

The Poems of T. S. Eliot: Volume I

The first volume of the first paperback edition of The Poems of T. S. Eliot This two-volume critical edition of T. S. Eliot’s poems establishes a new text of the Collected Poems 1909–1962, rectifying accidental omissions and errors that have crept in during the century since Eliot’s astonishing debut, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” In addition to the masterpieces, The Poems of T. S. Eliot contains the poems of Eliot’s youth, which were rediscovered only decades later; poems that circulated privately during his lifetime; and love poems from his final years, written for his wife, Valerie. Calling upon Eliot’s critical writings as well as his drafts, letters, and other original materials, Christopher Ricks and Jim McCue have provided a commentary that illuminates the imaginative life of each poem. This first volume respects Eliot’s decisions by opening with his Collected Poems 1909–1962 as he arranged and issued it shortly before his death. This is followed by poems uncollected but either written for or suitable for publication, and by a new reading text of the drafts of The Waste Land. The second volume opens with the two books of verse of other kinds that Eliot issued: Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and Anabasis, his translation of St.-John Perse’s Anabase. Each of these sections is accompanied by its own commentary. Finally, pertaining to the entire edition, there is a comprehensive textual history that contains not only variants from all known drafts and the many printings but also extended passages amounting to hundreds of lines of compelling verse.

The Genius Of T.S. Eliot Contributed Immensely In Ushering Modernism In Poetry, Play And Literary Criticism. Therefore, Our Knowledge Of Modernism Will Remain Incomplete Should We Fail To Understand Eliot. This Book May Serve As An Introduction To Eliot, The Man, The Poet, The Playwright And The Critic. For The Benefit Of Readers, It Quotes In Full, While Introducing And Explaining, The Poet S Master-Pieces, The Waste Land And Four Quartets, And Also Some Of His Other Great Poems. Further, It Discusses About All Of His Five Major Plays, And Nine Important Essays, At Some Length.


In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world. Upon returning to the Gantz room, scoring commences and Kurono’s earns 58 points. As Kurono tries to convince the last alien to stop fighting the humans, the alien commits suicide, and the entire alien ship is set to self-destruct. June 19, [21]. Season 3 DVD Borgen: However, Kurono is captured by two gangsters, who force him to enter a building that holds a multitude of Mr.

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Retrieved March 17, So as for the show itself, where to begin?

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Beer Pong Fan uncredited Steven Stadler Hiroto starts to use telekinesis to destroy the machines in sight, but is distracted by hallucinations of Kenzo and Tonkotsu. Takeshi is attacked by several of them but Daizemon is able to defeat them. Season 6 DVD Monk: Retrieved August 6, Our Favorites from the Week of Sept.

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Those people who think that there aren’t any action scenes in it are blind, obviously. The Animated Series —


In the sparkling City of Brotherly Love, an outspoken coalition is successfully championing good design and planning. (Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Citypaper)

Austin is finally getting serious about urban planning. Last week at City Council, a fresh comprehensive planning process got the green light. For at least the next two years, we'll be engaged in a great civic conversation about the future of our built city. Yet no single community group in Austin is dedicated to advocating for good urban design. As we approach a rapid series of critical decisions, a number of the community's best and brightest urban-design and -planning minds have begun talking together about how they might better serve as watchdogs for the collective good. As trained professionals, they want better city planning and development decisions based as much as possible on objective design principles rather than political compromises.

Philadelphia's Design Advocacy Group offers an interesting model for Austin. Formed about seven years ago by a core group of six, including Chairman Alan Greenberger, DAG now claims nearly 1,000 members. By championing a "Reform Agenda for Planning and Design in Philadelphia" over several years – and having the good fortune to help elect new Mayor Michael Nutter, who has adopted its agenda as his own – DAG has become an amazingly effective community voice.

The all-volunteer group has no staff, no dues, and no formal organization. States the website (www.designadvocacy.org): "Our goal is be proactive as well as reactive; effective as well as thoughtful; critical as well as constructive. We want to create an unparalleled voice for design, a group whose opinion on the quality of our environment is sought after and whose contribution makes a difference. We are a group drawn from a broad spectrum of disciplines, comprised of motivated individuals who are routinely engaged in matters of design, development and planning and who are not afraid to speak out."

That last point is crucial. Austinites tend toward polite public education and vociferous grumbling in private. What we lack is courageous, informed voices insisting on the recognized principles of good design and planning. (Greenberger enjoys saying, "Advocacy is our middle name.") DAG positions have been taken seriously due to the professional expertise and stature of its 28-member steering committee. Many are notable practicing architects. Others are University of Pennsylvania faculty members, some with the School of Design's "clinical arm," PennPraxis, through which faculty and students work on community projects, such as the website PlanPhilly.com. (What a great idea for the Community and Regional Planning Program at the School of Architecture at the University of Texas!) Others are professional planners who serve on city and regional planning commissions. Lay members include lawyers, builders, developers, preservationists, economists, students, and PR and marketing types. All that's required to "join" is to provide an e-mail address.

At DAG's open monthly meetings, "a free and frank exchange of ideas is encouraged." Presentations on hot development projects and controversies draw a good crowd of 50 to 75 members. DAG's advocacy positions are honed after discussion at monthly meetings, a flurry of e-mails among the steering committee members to forge a consensus view, and a formal vote when necessary. To advance the cause, DAG hosts public forums such as "Pride of Place" on the design and planning issues relevant to a particular mayoral election. It has helped lead independent design charrettes for important projects such as Penn's Landing, a major waterfront development. DAG members provide expert testimony before government agencies, write letters to government agencies expressing positions, and publish white papers, op-eds, columns, and letters to the editor. Financial support has come from the William Penn Foundation.

How effective has the volunteer group's advocacy been? An early high-visibility fight was against the Jefferson Parking Garage, an ill-conceived, overscaled, neighborhood-blighting project for which Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital sought zoning variances. While DAG lost the battle for a complete redesign, the publicity put the group on the map. They also lost a battle – despite an emergency letter-writing campaign – to preserve historic buildings sneakily demolished by the state. But their major initiative – a Reform Agenda for Planning and Design in Philadelphia – has been a thrilling success. Within two weeks of taking office, Nutter named new professionals to the Planning Commission (including Greenberger as vice chair), the powerful Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the Zoning Code Commission – just as DAG had advocated. The reform agenda called for creating a new Civic Design Review Commission; the mayor is now pursuing it. After witnessing DAG's by-invitation design reviews of major projects, said Greenberger, "Now the mayor is calling for the Planning Commission to set up a design-review operation based on the DAG model."

Addressing the Philadelphia City Planning Commission last week, Nutter gave a stirring speech – from the mouth of DAG – that, if heard here, would make many Austinites weep with joy. Austin Planning Commissioner Tracy Atkins, who heard Nutter address the 2007 Congress for the New Urbanism conference in Philly, remembers: "He impressed me then. He is young and energetic." Said Nutter: "As a city government, we reject the 'let's make a deal' mentality that dominated the past. Monty Hall has left City Hall. ... Those days are over! ... Planning is not a luxury, nor is it a jargon-filled veneer obscuring a deal-making process that slices up a city's assets in a disorganized rush. ... It's not a passive system, simply responding to developers' proposals; it's proactive and sets high standards of design." (Download the full text here.)

Marveled Greenberger: "We've lost a lot of battles, but we're winning the war of reform. We can't believe it! None of us saw this coming."

"Developing Stories" visited Philadelphia during the June 5-7 Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Convention. To join a dialogue about starting a local group that advocates for good urban design and planning, e-mail planaustin@yahoo.com.


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Amidst a lot of shocking celebrity divorces and breakups, including the longtime marriages of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck and Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, one major celebrity couple is making sure their names don’t get dragged into the divorce trend.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have battled many rumors about their relationship over the years and, after recent divorces, it seems they were being pegged as the next ones to call it quits, that is until Will spoke out, slamming the rumors.

“Under normal circumstances, I don’t usually respond to foolishness. (Because it’s contagious) But, so many people have extended me their ‘deepest condolences’ that I figured- ‘What the hell… I can be foolish too!’ So, in the interest of redundant, repetitious, over & over-again-ness… Jada and I are… NOT GETTING A DIVORCE!!!!!!!!!!! I promise you all – if I ever decide to divorce my Queen- I SWEAR I’ll tell you myself! #Dumb People Should Have to Wear Scarlet D’s,” the actor wrote on Facebook.

Although we all thought some of the other recently divorced couples were going strong, it seems Will and Jada are still doing just fine after 18 years of marriage.


" Now, Armenians have two choices: Either they accept the situation or leave the country " - Rovshan Ibrahimov
Read: 349

In reaction to the publish of biased reports by some media, Iranian Embassy in Baku said that ill-wishers and enemies are trying to disrupt Tehran-Baku friendly and brotherly relations, Mehr News Agency reports.

"In recent days, despite the clear positions announced by high-ranking officials of Iran, the enemies and ill-wishers of Azerbaijan Republic and Iran have always sought to achieve their sinister goals in order to disrupt cordial relations between the two countries," Iranian Embassy wrote.

"The embassy hereby declares that the recent rumors about the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the conflict between Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia are sheer lies and are baseless,"it added.

"The ill-wishers of the two nations of Iran and Azerbaijan Republic are trying to deceive the public opinion and hide the facts by launching evil media campaign," the Embassy said, adding, "These propaganda and news, as the political aide to the President of Azerbaijan emphasized, is a betrayal of both countries."

"Iran and Azerbaijan Republic are friendly and brotherly nations and that friendship and brotherhood will exist forever and no one can disrupt it," it noted.

"The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly reject the false and baseless news and strongly condemns the spread of these heinous rumors," it stressed.


Mandela, Only Leader In The World –Prof Adair

Ailing former South African President, Nelson Mandela, is the only person that deserves to be addressed as a leader in the world today, Prof. John Adair, the world’s first professor of leadership, has said. Adair, the chair of the United [...]

How Five South African Policemen Brutally Beat A Nigerian To Faint, Wake Him Then Tortue Him Again To Death

Five Limpopo police officers beat a Nigerian man to death, the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday. “I put it to you that you beat him, he fainted and you resuscitated him. He woke up and… you beat him again,” [...]

Nigeria Pledges $2 Million For Conduct Of Elections In Mali

The Nigerian government on Wednesday pledged a donation of US$ 2 million (about N320m) in support of agricultural development and conduct of free and fair elections in Mali. Vice-President Namadi Sambo made the pledge in Brussels at the International Donors [...]

Desmond Tutu Vows Not to Vote for ANC Anymore

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu says he will not vote for the Africa National Congress (ANC) again in future elections in the country. Mr. Tutu who wrote an opinion page in the Mail-Guardian newspapers on Friday that he had in the [...]

The oil curse: Ghana struggles to survive – When Ghana struck oil in 2007, citizens expected the industry would bring them better lives and investors anticipated hefty profits from a rising African economic star. Six years later, all of them are [...]


COVID-19 Third Wave Experience in India, A Survey of 5971 Adults

The high breakthrough infection rate implies that vaccination as a standalone strategy will not be enough in the days to come. Multiple strategies of protection will likely be required long-term from a public health perspective.

What is this Study?

For ease of discussion, the term 3rd dose will henceforth be used instead of precautionary dose

Figure 2: The percentage of people in each age group who were affected by the 3rd wave

5. Profile of vaccine use

11. 3rd wave positive rates among those who got 3rd dose, versus those who did not take 3rd dose

Figure 7A: Third wave positivity according to whether 3rd dose was taken or not

Figure 7B: Comparison of confounding factors that could have affected the outcomes of 3rd dose

This indicates that infection was more common among those who had longer gap after 2nd dose. In other words, protection from infection appeared to be linked with how recent the last vaccine dose was.

Figure 8 A: 3rd wave positivity according to gap since receiving 2nd dose, among those who did not take 3rd dose

We looked at people who took the third dose after varying gaps from the second dose. They were categorized into three groups:

In these three groups, we assessed the impact of the 3rd dose, as measured by the difference in 3rd. wave positivity rates. We found that a 3rd dose given early or during intermediate period made no difference to the baseline infection rate. But when the gap was >6 months after the second dose, taking a 3rd dose generated a 19% lower incidence of COVID-19 in the 3rd wave.

Figure 8 B: Difference in percentage of infection rates between 3 and 2 dose groups, classified on the basis of gap between 2nd and 3rd doses. The longer the gap, the greater the additional protection observed.

Among those who had a 3rd dose, 716 got infected during 3rd wave

Among those who were vaccinated, but did not receive 3rd dose, 1577 got infected during 3rd wave

Figure 9: 3 rd. wave symptom severity profile classified according to whether 3rd dose was taken or not

The severity profile of 3rd wave symptoms among vaccinated people who took 3rd dose and those who did not, were similar. The minor differences shown in the graph were not significant.

Figure 10: Age of those who suffered moderate severity of COVID-19 during 3rd wave, expressed as % of total respondents. Although the chance of testing positive has higher among

16. Public opinion: “Do you think a precautionary dose is helpful?”

Figure 12: Sample of questions sent to assess severity of COVID-19 among respondents

For question no.2, more than one of the six choices could be selected, depending on individual severity.

They were later classified as asymptomatic, mild, moderate and severe.

Less than 1% of those affected in the 3rd wave reported severe disease, defined as those who required supplemental oxygen during hospitalisation (6).

The chief reason that people mentioned for not taking the 3rd dose was that infections were being commonly reported after third dose.


How many municipal councillors or MPs have taken any personal involvement in foresight activities?
Writer
Elina Kiiski Kataja

How many municipal councillors or MPs have taken any personal involvement in foresight activities?

The National Foresight Network was convened as part of the Foresight Friday event at the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities on Friday 30 November, to ponder the subject of municipalities of the future and the factors vital to their success.

For a foresight specialist like me, the event was inspiring in two ways.

Engaging in foresight activities alongside those in power

The first source of inspiration lay in the way in which the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities implemented its major foresight process. The purpose of this process had been to examine the local authority of the future and the result was future images of municipalities (in Finnish). Instead of commissioning external consultants for the project, the association had engaged its own experts, leaders and councillors on a broad basis.

They began by collecting signals onto a group board on Pinterest. They then arranged trends into groups and processed them, before seeking future visions within each area. On the basis of their future visions and interpretations, they went on to build prototypes of the municipal services of the future.

When foresight activity is implemented in this way, the result is a process of collective learning among participants and stronger commitment to the final results. To those who make their living out of foresight work, there is nothing revolutionary about this. On the other hand, I view public organisations and decision-makers in particular as overly cautious about applying participatory foresight methods. I wonder how many municipal councillors or MPs have ever had any personal involvement in actual foresight work. And how many ministers? If you can think of any, please let me know in the comments section!

When faced with foresight data that you need to process into visions and concrete services, you usually also encounter an entirely new outlook about which you might otherwise have been oblivious. I believe that, right now, as Finland slogs through a quagmire of austerity and despair, we need future-oriented work more than ever as the basis of future visions and foresight – particularly among political leaders at various levels. Many thanks to the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities for taking bold steps forward with this!

The second aspect of my inspiration is associated with the previous one. At the event, we also heard of a municipality that is already turning its strong, future-oriented activity and faith into reality. That municipality is Pirkkala, which has given thought to its future vision as the political system changes and its municipal identity becomes based on something other than organising services. How to create an identity that places democracy and dynamism at the heart of municipal operations?

Pirkkala seems to have succeeded well in this. It is true that it had a good framework from the beginning: it is located next to the large city of Tampere, has good transport connections, a beautiful environment and a balanced municipal economy. Still, this is not enough if political leaders or civil servants lack the ability to reform and the willingness to attain a healthy governance culture. Pirkkala has had the will and ability to invest in both.

What do measures taken to secure future competencies look like in concrete terms? Pirkkala’s vision is centred around a contented community and municipality which provides a lively, happy environment in which people want to settle. In other words, the municipality dares to connect well-being to happiness, not just service provision and other traditional factors. Strong trust between politicians, civil servants and local residents is promoting the implementation of this vision. They have no intention of paying mere lip service to the “facilitating role of civil servants”, but want to genuinely think about what facilitation means and the skills it requires. They are adopting social media tools and understand that their use requires new skills and approaches, from both politicians and civil servants. They view dynamism as being about tearing down boundaries and are willing to co-operate with partner cities across national frontiers.

With social and healthcare reform just around the corner, now is a good time to re-examine regional and municipal identities. Many regions are already doing so. Last month, the Pirkanmaa Future Forum mapped the factors of future success and more major regional foresight events have been penned in for the spring. I will comment on these closer to the actual events. Before then, I hope that as many people as possible throw down the gauntlet to decision-makers, challenging them to join in their foresight activities.

Weekly notes is a series of blogs offering insights into the topical issues being discussed each week by Sitra’s research and strategy team. Our Weekly Notes are gathered together here.

Delving into future trends – is there cause for optimism?


Not quite enough frosted lipgloss in this one

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Four minute warning [or “last night the plans for a future war, was all I saw, on Channel Four” ]

I realise, as one of the markers of getting old, that a cultural touchstone of my life, the “four minute warning” might well mean nothing at all to younger people, so before I start, I’ll explain what it is.

Back in the days of the Cold War, where we were worried about Russians and nuclear war rather than Al Qaeda and suicide bombers, the Government had an early warning defence system. They would know, from monitoring at Jodrell Bank (a big telescope observatory station) if missiles had been launched, and then the Government would bring into play klaxons, sirens and alarms to let everyone know that we had four minutes before the missiles would strike.

Growing up in the 80s, particularly in a city that was within a five mile radius of several RAF bases, and with left leaning teachers who were all signed up to “Save the Whale” and “CND”,  I spent most of my formative years having these three facts drilled into me :-

(a)   You will need a degree to get a job, even a job stacking shelves, when you leave school, and there won’t be any jobs, thanks to “Mrs Thatch”

(b)   If you have sex with anyone ever, you will almost certainly catch Aids and die

(c)   You won’t know when nuclear war will come, and any day could bring that four minute warning, but it WILL come   [oh, and living where we do, you WILL be vapourised, no mutants and rebuilding society from the ashes for you, you will BE the ashes]

The school further emphasised point (c) by showing us the film “Threads” in which we saw a shopping centre not all that far from us get devastated by a fictitious nuclear war.  That certainly made going shopping at the weekend a much more haunting and terrifying experience. If there’s one thing worse than knowing you could be vapourised any moment, it is that you could spend your last moments alive trying on far too tight shoes in Clarks or looking in bad mirrors in Concept Man trying to work out if burgandy and mustard go together.

What a cheery adolescence that was, alleviated only by “Axel F”,  Gauntlet, Star Wars figures, Nike trainers, New Order,  the Um Bongo advert, Wilma Deering’s lipgloss on “Buck Rogers”  and Frank McAvennie’s blonde perm [these things not necessarily in order of preference].

So, it suddenly struck me the other day, that having lived under the shadow of nuclear war, and the four minute warning, an existential horror so incomprehensibly unfathomable in modern society that the only way I can explain it is to suggest that it made certain sections of the British public think that Sting of all people, was very wise, provocative and deep in his song “I hope the Russians love their children too”

that I hadn’t thought about the four minute warning for years. Does it still exist?

Would we get more time now, as with satellites and better computers we might know earlier that the nukes were being warmed up?  Or would we get less, because technology in rockets has advanced and they would fly quicker?

This, by the way, is the message that would have been read out on all radios and on the BBC.  It is, you will agree, a great comfort.

Here is the cheeky opening which comes right out with the important bad news, just in case you were watching “Telly Addicts” and cursing that it had been interrupted by a party political broadcast. Don’t touch the “hoofer doofer” pops, this is it!

This is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted, and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known. We shall bring you further information as soon as possible. Meanwhile, stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm and stay in your own homes.

Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. By leaving your homes you could be exposing yourselves to greater danger.

If you leave, you may find yourself without food, without water, without accommodation and without protection. Radioactive fall-out, which follows a nuclear explosion, is many times more dangerous if you are directly exposed to it in the open.

I have to say, I personally find the idea of this warning being more comforting if I imagine it being read out by Hugh Grant’s character from “Four Weddings and a Funeral”   – done with much more beating around the bush and nervous embarrassment at having to say it at all.

“Not quite sure how to say this, and I’m sure it comes as a bit of a shock to you all, it did to me, certainly, and I don’t really know why Mr Cameron asked me of all people to tell you, but the fact of the matter is… gosh, this is awkward. Hard to really know how to start. Is it best, all things being equal to break it gently, or just dive right on in there.

Imagine for me, if you will, the really absolutely worst thing I could be about to tell you. Imagine a bit harder. Are you thinking about mushroom clouds? If not, you’re not quite imagining the right thing… try again. In the words, perhaps of Michael Stipe, while he was still with REM in fact, it’s the end of the world as we know it. Erm, sorry.”

So, the news is, we no longer get a four minute warning. All of the klaxons and sirens have been dismantled (apart from, oddly, the one at Broadmoor). A combination of cost, difficulty of organisation, the realisation that the Electromagnetic Pulse that will accompany the nuclear missiles falling on nearer targets will probably wipe out electronic communication anyway, and oddly, the prevalence of double-glazing meaning that most people wouldn’t now hear the sirens, led to it being put to bed in the mid 1990s.

[Only in England could Safestyle UK  “I say you buy one, you get one free” be the driving force behind ending the public’s right to know that nuclear annihilation was imminent]

Judging from the conversations that we always had in the 80s about what we would do if the four minute warning came, cancelling it did not so much stop people carefully stockpiling water and salt and tinned fruit, as prevent a wave of pimply teenaged boys trying to cop off with any female in sight and “driving a yellow Lamborghini Countach at 160 miles an hour”

I suspect that the reality of the situation would be that if we did get a four minute warning, there would just be utter panic, looting, a complete collapse of the internet and mobile signals as everyone tried to ring their loved ones/tweet something jaded and pithy about the war, and gridlock on the roads as everyone tried to either get home or get the hell out of the city.  [Or even more depressingly, people spending their last minutes watching that last episode of Broadchurch that they Skyplussed, on 16 x speed so they can die knowing who did it]

Just forty truck drivers blocking our supply of petrol for five days achieved much the same thing, so it doesn’t seem unfathomable that we’d get similar if not worse meltdown from a genuine actual crisis.

I suspect, that given that all that seems to be gained from a warning is panic and misery, that the Government wouldn’t actually get Hugh Grant on the television to tell you to stay indoors (using the protective power of your double glazing) and to save your tinned peaches for later.

Which means the only survivors of a nuclear attack on Britain would be pensioners (who are inside anyway, and have loads of tinned fruit), politicians (who get the secret warning and grabbed their expenses forms and headed to their bunker and drew up the Duck drawbridge), the inmates of Broadmoor, and people who were at home watching “Loose Women”.   What a glorious future we will have, when things are rebuilt.  Britain will be great again.

That was all a bit depressing. Who would have thought that nuclear war could be a bit of a downer, all in all?

Here’s a picture of a yellow Lamborghini Countach, to cheer you up.

And if you are still feeling a bit blue, here’s Wilma Deering out of Buck Rogers.  If that doesn’t cheer you up, I’m out of suggestions. Perhaps find a clip of loveable TV scamp (and falsely rumoured “he’s an adult with a kidney disorder” ) Gary Coleman asking Willis what he is talking about.

Law geek, local authority care hack, fascinated by words and quirky information; deeply committed to cheesecake and beer.
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werner brigitte great coastal drives big sur pixa

The 5 Most Spectacular Coastal Drives on Earth

Each of these 5 spectacular coastal drives should be on your bucket list. Add at least one to your future travel plans... you'll be so glad you did.

It was really hard to decide the ranking and, except for number one where all of us agreed, the positions were not by unanimous decision. Go visit, make up your own mind... and let us know.

The Amalfi Coast from the Santa Caterina Hotel - click for more info.

One of the scariest of drives with crazy Italian drivers doing crazy things.

If you don't want to drive yourself take a bus; the buses aren't for those of nervous disposition though - the ride consists of crazy lurches around sharp corners, while holding on tight to your seat and hoping the bus doesn't fly out over the sea.

So why did this coastal drive win?

It's far less "wild" than any of the other drives we feature but the combination of spectacular cliffs covered with olive and lemon trees, the bluest sea of all and around every turn a medieval village makes it unbeatable. More on this coast here.

This one is like a wilder version of the Amalfi Coast. The first bit, through the upmarket suburbs of Clifton and Camp's Bay, is very similar though - just that the oldest building here is maybe 200 years old compared to 900 on the Amalfi Coast.

Still, the beaches are better than those on the Amalfi Coast with beaches like Clifton being rated among the top ten in the world. Camp's Bay Beach too is spectacular, with the Twelve Apostles mountain peaks rising up like sentinels, rows of palm trees parading down the beach promenade and the beach itself looking all white and lovely.

The most famous part of the road trip is the section called Chapman's Peak Drive: here the Atlantic Ocean crashes against sheer cliffs that plunge vertically into the water, baboons scamper about the rocks above and whales can often be seen offshore. Driving this section was one of the most incredible experiences of my life - especially the bit where you come around a bend and far below you stretches the great expanse of Noordhoek Beach; where racehorses train and appear only as tiny black dots on a vast canvas of white sand.

The last part of the drive to Cape Point is through a nature reserve in which zebras, ostriches and antelopes roam while seals lounge on the beaches. The end of the road marks the end of mighty Africa.  As you look southwards towards the Antarctic, and watch the huge waves of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meeting in fury, you really do feel that you've reached the ends of the earth. The penguins, sunbathing in warm sunshine, on nearby Boulders Beach only confirms that feeling.

The best way to enjoy this drive is to start from Seapoint in Cape Town and head along the coast from there - here are the details of the entire trip.

Everything about Ireland is a lot of fun. The Irish always seem to look on the bright side of life and, even if it rains every day, they get out and live their lives with a carefree spirit. That's the best way to enjoy this rather long drive too; don't worry about the weather, come rain or shine(guaranteed it'll be rain) get out there and marvel at the greenery (that rain is good for something), the slate grey ocean and views.

The drive is the longest of all the ones featured; if you do the whole lot it's over 1500 miles. My advice is to focus on the 100 miles of the Ring of Kerry or the less touristed Beara Peninsula.

Funny how two of these spectacular coastal drives have rock formations called the Twelve Apostles - the other one is on the Cape Town drive.

The Twelve Apostles is the most famous of the sights along the Great Ocean Road even if there aren't Twelve Apostles anymore... only eight. The others have eroded away and collapsed into the sea. Don't worry though, the remaining ones are spectacular as they rise like huge sentinels from the sea. Best time to see them is in the light of early morning so make sure you leave really early. If you can't do early morning then sunset is second best.

It isn't only the Twelve Apostles though; the 150 miles of the Great Ocean Road has a bit of everything ranging from beaches to volcanic plains to forests to waterfalls.

Sadly, they have experienced a number of problems with landslides over the last few years and the road has been closed for long periods. It is currently open but check with the official website.

One of the last wild stretches of coastline left in California, a heady mix of fresh sea-air, endless vistas and hidden coves.  Head out north from Los Angeles on Highway 1 and 250 miles later you are in another world. The coast is at its most enchanting when the mists swirl in from the ocean as they often do; the way the spectacular landscapes vanish and then suddenly reappear in bright sunlight is unforgettable.

In a way the whales offshore and sea-lions on the beaches are similar to the Cape Town drive as is the scenery but if I had to choose one Cape Town is definitely the better of the two.

Map of Where These Spectacular Coastal Drives Are


The taxis outside Dongguan station were all home modified two-stroke mini-buses and none of the drivers knew fear or favour as Scoresby, newly arrived in the Middle Kingdom from the lassitude of a month’s layoff in the Hong Kong Yacht Club, felt a strong uncalm as the feral rushing hordes of free market commissionaires plucked at him for his ride.

A warm night in the oriental tropics is this night in this town with latitude similar to Mackay, and here these hot streets, barking frogs, and the vigorous blare of hundreds of car horns as China toiled away at the 24-hour restrictions of the 15th day of March 2006.

The black night air is dimmed up to grey with the misted poison of a million free-range cars and buses and trucks, and the air stings Scoresby’s tongue, and he turns his foolish head at every hornbleat.

Twenty-five 6 Star southern China Hotels are within a mile of the station, all nestled up nicely to the local nightclubs bars and brothels.

One and a half hours to the typhoon coast, where whispers thrilled of three-mile point waves and coastal cities beset with Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis. Dengue Fever, AIDS.

And there in a small place a collection of  gravel-mounded graves of some unbearded and unanmed English dead.

Scoresby exited the train, exited the station with its McDonalds advertisements of crayfish and mayonnaise burgers and entered New China

Entered a town of unlit and crowded streets, where shadows of lounging men flickered by in the lights of unending traffic.

Hunkered down young men who lurked innumerably in small nestings, on dark corners, seemingly watchful, silent, and lit only by the glow of a shared smoke.

The baggage men plucked at Scoresby and yelled loudly at each other, they tugged at him and offered weirdly sounds of comfort and destination and safety, and all the time they winked and shoved at each other as the white man reeled from one to one other.

Grab a taxi, get to the 罗炽泽  Karaoke Club by midnight, and I’ll introduce you to the company, read the email from young Eric Desjardins, the Frenchman boat builder from Mona Vale. Three years here now and twenty pounds heavier.

No worries was Scoresby thinking, just grab one of these mobile Chinaman and go get beers, then point him towards the noise and  find the party.

Shintao beer is what’s left of Carlsberg’s disappointing venture into the Chinese boozer market, and since then China has given the krauts the arse, grabbed the formulae, increased the flavour, increased the alcohol content, increased the bottle size, and decreased the price.

Some people you love at first sight, thought Scoresby – China – almost a brother nation already, and they like a bet.

So with an underarm slab of Shinto costing $8 aus, lovely Korean girls on all the stools, music by a revolving succession of Britney Spears lookalites, and over in the corner eleven dangerously slammed Australians and Frenchmen singing like stoned cats – our man walked through the door at 1.30 am knowing now that home sweet new home has many rooms.


Lava from the Kilauea volcano is threatening the Puna Geothermal Venture plant on Hawaii's Big Island.

In the weeks since the Kilauea volcano began belching lava into Hawaii's residential areas, the fiery flow has destroyed dozens of structures and covered scores of acres on the Big Island. But authorities fear its destructive reach could ravage at least two more cornerstones of the state: its power supply and, a little less tangibly, its all-important tourism industry.

On Monday evening local time, the Hawaii County Civil Defense agency announced that lava from nearby fissures had begun to encroach on the southern edge of one of the state's key sources of power, the Puna Geothermal Venture.

The plant harvests hot liquid and steam from underground wells to drive turbine generators for electricity, which is then sold to the state's largest utility. The plant provides roughly a quarter of the Big Island's power, according to Reuters.

Another risk, besides the loss of power, rests in what might happen if the lava overcomes the state's protective measures: "There's a steam release, there's many chemicals, but primarily the critical factor would be hydrogen sulfide, a very deadly gas," Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency chief, Tom Travis, told reporters Monday night.

"County, state, and federal partners have been collaborating closely to monitor the situation and work with PGV to ensure the safety of the surrounding communities," the civil defense agency said in its alert. "Ten of the eleven wells have been quenched. Efforts are ongoing to make sure the site is secure and the community is kept safe."

It is the second step after simply shutting all the wells, which he says they already did when the event began. Crews were working overnight to quench the 11th and final well.

"Once that step is taken, we will be in a much more solid state for having lava overflow the site," Travis added late Monday. "It's not easy to predict where it's going to go and when it's going to get there. So it's important that we get what we can done now."

Lava spews out of fissures near the lower east rift zone. USGS

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, the longer the lava keeps flowing, the longer one of the state's premier tourist attractions remains closed to ensure visitors' safety. About two-thirds of Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park closed May 11, right around the start of the summer tourist season — and it remains closed, likely deterring a substantial chunk of the park's more than 2 million annual visitors.

A National Park Service report published last month estimated that those visitors spent $166 million in communities nearby last year — spending that "supported 2,020 jobs in the local area, and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $222,394,900."

The number of visitors to the park has "increased by 58 percent" since an eruption on Kilauea's summit a decade ago, according to the NPS.

Now that Kilauea's activity has dramatically escalated, however, local businesses have seen their income diminish in seemingly equal proportion.


Report claims West Ham will hand Michail Antonio another new deal but is it a wise move?

West Ham United seem to be making a habit of dishing out new contracts to underperforming and injury-prone players.

The Hammers raised eyebrows when they handed the hapless Arthur Masuaku a new deal until 2024 back in July (whufc.com).

Then injury-prone Aaron Cresswell got a new deal too, until 2023 (whufc.com).

Winston Reid was handed an inexplicable six-year deal back in 2017 (whufc.com). The defender has not played for nearly two years and that contract still has four years to run.

Who is dishing out the contracts at West Ham?

Marko Arnautovic was given a bumper new deal last January when he was agitating for a move to China (whufc.com).

His form went from bad to worse and six months later he was gone anyway.

Then there was Manuel Lanzini earlier this season. The injury prone Argentine, who had spent over a year out with a serious knee injury, was weighed in with a lucrative new deal until 2023 (whufc.com).

His form promptly dipped and guess what? He got injured again and has been out since.

Report claims much-loved but injury-prone Antonio is next

Now, according to Claret and Hugh – which is believed to have co-owner David Sullivan as a source of information inside the club – Michail Antonio is the next in line for an extension.

Antonio is a real fans’ favourite at West Ham. But supporters acknowledge he is injury-prone too.

Claret and Hugh claims West Ham want to keep the 29-year-old at the club for another four years, despite his persistent injury problems.

Ulterior motive for Sullivan and Gold?

It is the latest in a long line of questionable new deals dished out by David Sullivan and David Gold.

Cynical supporters believe the deals are evidence of the owners’ lack of intent to spend money in the transfer market.

And after a paltry £25million net spend in the last two windows that is simply unacceptable to the Hammers faithful.


Came across this article about an inspiring act of generosity by a group of Muslim calling themselves ‘Muslim Snow Patrol’, not to be mistaken for the badboys of East London calling themselves ‘Muslim Patrol’, who have been embarrassing the whole community by shouting abuse at Non-Muslim women, taking alcohol away from the hands of Non-Muslims (which is haram (not permissible) because it’s his possession and rules of alcohol consumption does not apply to them) and telling Non-Muslims to move away from the Mosque, which is against the teachings of true Islam as we’re encouraged to invite fellow Muslims and Non-Muslims to the Mosque.

Going back to the The Muslim Snow Patrol, organised by Islamic Diversity Centre (IDC) in Newcastle helping clear residential roads and drives in Newcastle’s West End. Newcastle City Council also provided the team with gloves, shovels and grit as well as directing the team to areas most in need.

“[Residents] have been really appreciative of the work that we’re doing.

“They’ve been a bit surprised at why loads of bearded men have come and tried to help them clear their drives. As Muslims we believe that it is our Islamic duty to look after our neighbours, especially in these very difficult conditions.

“We’re trying to remove some of those preconceptions people have about Islam and Muslims by showing that Muslims actually do good things and are trying to help our neighbours.”

“The residential streets are more of a problem for [the council] because we just don’t have the money to grit and clear them. This group is a tremendous example of what can be done and what can be achieved by everyone doing their bit. If every group just does a little bit then together we can do a huge amount.”

It’s not often we hear good, positive things about the Muslim community, so please brothers keep up the inspiring act of charity and dawah because there are Muslims out there who are out there to be on the likes of DailyMail or The Sun portrays the misunderstood version of Islam.


Muslims in Detainment: A Look Into China’s Camps

Recently, the world has learned of China’s new measures to counter Muslim terrorism. The Chinese Xinjiang government has been detaining the Uighur Muslim minority in “reeducation camps,” but documents and interviews are revealing that the situation isn’t as innocent as it seems.

According to these documents, the camps are meant to “cleanse” the Muslims. However, this cleansing has been said to be more like torture. It’s hard to know exactly what happens in these areas, but as some people escape, new knowledge comes to light. According to the China Digital Times firsthand accounts, severe punishments were delivered to people who were reluctant to learn Chinese culture. According to this take from CNN, the Muslims were given incredibly low rations, and those who continued to disobey were taken, injected, and returned dazed and confused. The people have a bucket as a toilet and rumors of sexual abuse to the women were common. The Intercept interviewed Nury Turkel, a Uighur-American human rights activist. He described the situation as “cultural genocide.” China has not denied any of these accusations.

In fact, China’s stance seems to be focusing on silencing these claims instead of proving them wrong. You may have seen Tik Toks about the camps go viral and promptly be deleted. One of the biggest and most effective videos was made by 17-year-old Feroza Aziz. Aziz’s account was blocked and suspended, although Tik Tok eventually apologized. Further, China also announced that they have no intention of closing down the camps.

While the situation is fading out of the media’s eye, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still going on. The camps are still up and running and aren’t likely to shut down very soon. It’s up to the public to keep the news relevant and to see what China’s next move will be.


A project which paired Holocaust survivors with celebrities to educate about the genocide has won  two prestigious awards.

The initiative, launched on Yom HaShoah in a bid to continue Holocaust education during the pandemic, featured a series of videos with Holocaust survivors giving their testimony to high-profile celebrities.

Cassie Matus, Chief Executive, March of the Living UK said: “When MOTL 2021 was cancelled we knew we needed something to fill its place. Working with our agency, Creative & Commercial, we came up with an amazing idea. If the survivors can’t go on the March then the March should come to the Survivors. Frank PR and Broadcast Revolution brought this to life with the help of our amazing celebrities and survivors. We are so thrilled that it won two UK Content Awards.”


Born and raised in Washington, DC, Malcolm took his first rafting steps in West Virginia with his dad before going on to complete a Source to Sea expedition on the Mississippi River in 2015. One year later, he began his guiding journey on Australia’s Tully River and he has since traveled around the globe, venturing as far afield as Papua New Guinea, Morocco, Chile, and New Zealand. One of Malcolm’s highlights has been trekking through the rainforest with local tribesmen in Borneo while learning to hunt and forage for food. When it comes to rafting back home, he particularly loves Idaho as it boasts some of the most “remote and wild spaces in the lower 48”. Aside from being a keen surfer, Malcolm holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and Marine Biology from Loyola University New Orleans.


After moving to Los Angeles, Susan Orlean become fascinated by a mysterious local crime that has gone unsolved since it was carried out on the morning of 29 April 1986: who set fire to the Los Angeles Public Library, ultimately destroying more than 400,000 books, and perhaps even more perplexing, why?

Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading with the fascinating history of libraries, Susan Orlean investigates the legendary fire to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives. She also reflects on her own childhood experiences in libraries; studies arson and the long history of library fires; attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and re-examines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the library over thirty years ago. Along the way, she reveals how these buildings provide much more than just books – and that they are needed now more than ever.

As a keen reader of books about books who also has an interest in non-violent and historical true crime, I was immediately interested in Susan Orlean’s The Library Book. It’s one of those multifaceted books that wears many hats – examining the devastating fire that decimated Los Angeles Central Library in 1986 and the personal history of the man accused of starting it, whilst at the same time providing an eclectic history of the Los Angeles library system and an examination of the role of the public library within our increasingly digital world.

Orlean’s narrative is extremely dense and the book covers a lot of ground in it’s 300 or so pages. But the clear and engaging prose, which blends personal reflection with immersive journalism and factual history, drew me into the narrative and gave the book a compulsion.

Orlean really captures the intensity of feeling that surrounds libraries and books. Her description of the library fire is devastating for a book lover to read – she really makes it easy to empathise with the librarians, who cried on the street as they watched over 400,000 items from their extensive collection go up in flames. In a fascinating chapter, Orlean burns a book herself; an act that she finds both terrifying and subversive. It’s a feeling that I completely understood and I found myself mourning the lost knowledge that was turned to ash on the morning of 29 April 1986.

Orlean’s sensitive treatment of Harry Peak, the charismatic young actor suspected of setting the library fire, manages to convey both the fiercely-held belief that investigators had in Harry’s guilt whilst acknowledging the fallibility of fire investigation techniques and the circumstantial nature of the evidence available at the time.

That said, Harry’s narrative was, for me, the weakest part of the book – although that is the fault of history rather than of Orlean. Harry, a man who constantly re-wrote his own narrative, flits elusively through the pages and you definitely get the sense that Orlean, like many of the other people around him, struggles to pin him down. The Library Book is impeccably researched but, as Orlean admits, the truth about the library fire – and whether Harry had any involvement in it – will probably never be known. This does give the ending a slightly subdued quality – the pace drops off noticeably in the last third as it becomes apparent that this isn’t a mystery that will have a resolution. To Orlean’s credit, she instead turns the book into a love letter to libraries and a reflection on their importance in the world today.

The Library Book may disappoint readers looking for a true crime narrative. There are definitely similarities in pacing and style with David Grann’s excellent Killers of the Flower Moon and Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, but this is a very different kind of book in tone. The Library Book isn’t about finding the answer to a mystery – it’s an ode to books, a love-letter to reading and a homage to libraries and their place in the world. It’s a book that’s perfect for anyone who has whiled away hours browsing the stacks or has childhood memories of magical trips to neighbourhood branches. In short, it’s for anyone who appreciates the power of libraries to fascinate, to educate, to entertain and to unite – a rich, warm and heartening book that kept me spellbound throughout.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean is published by Atlantic Books and is available now from all good bookshops and online retailers including Hive, Waterstones and Amazon. My thanks go to the publisher for providing me with a copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.


Looking to save some coin on your energy bills? Then stop wasting food. According to a new report published this month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, “Wasted Food, Wasted Energy: The Embedded Energy in Food Waste in the United States,” consumers could immediately save the energy equivalent of around 350 million barrels of oil a year though the curbing of food waste. Why? In part because the study estimated that it takes the equivalent of about 1.4 billion barrels of oil to produce, package, prepare, preserve, and distribute a year’s worth of food in the U.S.

Authors Michael Webber and Amanda Cuéllar note that food contains energy and requires energy to produce, process and transport. As a matter of fact, rising energy costs are the largest contributor to rising food costs. The authors’ estimates indicate that between 8 and 16 percent of energy consumption in the United States went toward food production in 2007. However, it appears that consumers don’t take energy costs into account when eating as the USDA estimates that people in the U.S. waste nearly 27 percent of their food.

The report also estimated that when accounting for wasted food and the energy needed to ready it for consumption, U.S. consumers wasted about 2030 trillion BTU of energy in 2007, or the equivalent of about 350 million barrels of oil. That represents about 2 percent of annual energy consumption in the U.S. “Consequently, the energy embedded in wasted food represents a substantial target for decreasing energy consumption in the U.S.,” the article states. But the authors note the problem is probably worse because the numbers used were incomplete, outdated and conservative.

The authors concluded that the energy discarded in wasted food is greater than the energy available from many popular efficiency and energy procurement strategies, such as the annual production of ethanol from grains and annual petroleum available from drilling in the outer continental shelf. “A decrease in food waste must be accompanied with a retooling of the food supply chain to ensure that the energy consumed during food production does in fact decrease with a decrease in food waste.”


Microplastic is everywhere and many carry concerns about it. These tiny pieces of plastic can be damaging to one’s health as well as the environment. How would you be able to minimize your use and intake of microplastics and prevent them from spreading? There’s still a lot of uncertainty in regard to the damaging effects of microplastics. One of the places where their negative effects can clearly be seen is in nature. Microplastics are especially damaging to aquatic organisms.

Microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters in size. These pieces can thus easily end up in the environment where they accumulate together. They aren’t degradable, but do fall apart into even smaller pieces, which makes them impossible to clean up. Microplastic - and even smaller, nanoplastic - can be found in various bodies of water, the air, the ground, and even in our food. Research has revealed that microplastic has been found in:

In addition to this, microplastics are often also found in the following products:

There will definitely be microplastics in a product if the label states one or more of the following:

(National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) has made a factsheet as commissioned by the Department of Waterways and Public Works, of the most recent developments in regard to the microplastic issue. In said report, the RIVM used international data on the matter as a basis for the situation in the Netherlands to be applied to.

The effect of microplastics on people as well as the environment isn’t entirely clear yet. Research on this matter is often quite complex due to microplastics being a group of variating particles of which their properties could change even more due to weathering, the forming of biofilm, and/or the binding of hydrophobic chemicals in the environment. The scientific literature that describes the effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms is more extensive than that on their effects on humans.

Due to their physical properties, microplastics can have a negative impact on specific aquatic organisms and affect functions such as breathing, movement, or the intake of food. Microplastics can also cause toxic effects due to the additives in them (e.g. flame retardants, dyes, biocides, softeners, etc.) or due to the hydrophobic chemicals that are absorbed into microplastics in an aquatic environment. A few chemicals are known to have had effects on the health of both humans and animals due to being identified as CMR (Carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic), PBT ( Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic), vPvB (very Persistent and very Bioaccumulative), or ED (Endocrine-Disrupting).

The WWF website contains many tips and tricks on how you can reduce your plastic consumption. Take a look to see which alternatives you can use.

Try us out for free.

Please fill out your name


BMW M Procar Speedhunters by Paddy McGrath

The considered an all-electric Mazda Miata may peeve purists, however there’ll certainly come a day when it is a actuality. Whereas it is nonetheless too quickly to say when the primary MX-5 EV will arrive, Mazda immediately revealed a three-phase technique that prioritizes electrification main as much as 2030. Together with its up to date plans, the corporate teased the “Imaginative and prescient Examine Mannequin,” a surprising coupe idea that we hope previews the long run design of the enduring two-seater sports activities automotive.

Final yr, Mazda confirmed to Automobile and Driver that the next-generation Miata shall be electrified not directly. We count on that to imply some type of hybrid setup, which corresponds with a part of the corporate’s second part. Nonetheless, we would not be stunned to see a completely electrical Miata by the top of the last decade. We additionally would not be shocked to see an EV model that appears much like the idea proven in press pictures in addition to in clips of the video on Mazda’s official YouTube channel (the idea first seems on the 34:55 mark).

Within the minutes main as much as the idea’s first look, we see quite a few photographs of individuals fortunately driving totally different Miata generations, which additional fuels our hypothesis that there is a connection between previous MX-5s and the Imaginative and prescient Examine Mannequin.

Our first have a look at the idea is seen via an iPhone display, with its uncovered chassis that includes what seems to be a T-shaped battery pack. The automotive’s physique then drops on high and we see its passenger-side butterfly door open up.

Whereas the loopy doorways are one of many idea’s defining options, we do not count on them to be a part of a manufacturing mannequin. We do count on future Miatas to take care of a convertible physique model, though a fixed-roof variant just like the idea would not be a primary, as Mazda did provide the uncommon JDM-only NB-generation coupe.

The remainder of the imaginary sports activities automotive appears to be like doable, albeit ultra-dramatic. Its large hips, peaked entrance fenders, and low cowl are all exaggerated traits of the present ND Miata. The illuminated Mazda brand mounted low on the idea’s nostril and the slim, protruding entrance lighting parts are different neat touches.

After all, we notice Mazda’s Imaginative and prescient Examine Mannequin may not preview a future Miata EV in any respect. We’ve flashbacks of the visually arresting four-door Imaginative and prescient Coupe idea the corporate revealed again in 2017 that has not come to fruition. Nonetheless, its aspirational styling did go on to affect the model’s design language, so maybe the Miata-esque idea will do the identical. A minimum of we are able to dare to dream.


Ball State center studied the states’ economic progress

Montana gets manufacturing F but tax fairness A

Montana gets manufacturing F but tax fairness A

The report gave Montana a “F” for its manufacturing and an “A” for tax climate, plus other grades in between. The study particularly looked at the state’s percentage of advanced manufacturing; a factory that uses a large percentage of robots, plus white-collar workers such as computer people, would be an example

Where factories once provided good-paying jobs for people without a lot of education in this country, those blue-collar jobs are drying up.

“These data underscore the importance of talent development efforts with a focus on educational attainment,” said Michael Hicks, director of Ball State’s Center for Business and Economic Research. “In the long run, a well-educated and ready workforce matters more than any other single factor in the health of advanced manufacturing firms.” Two related Ball State reports are available online at http://conexus.cberdata.org/.

To see Montana’s grades in a number of categories, take a look at a graphic display of Montana’s report card elsewhere on this page.

That’s how much less money Montana’s general fund will receive for the biennium as of July 1, according to state estimates. Revenue is down from the oil and gas sector, coal, mining and corporates taxes.

“The big (financial) cushion we’ve been having for a while could be gone,” state Sen. Fred Thomas said about projections that state general fund revenue will come up short this year.

Name of the Week

We like the name for the June 24 tribute to late Republican stalwarts Tim Babcock, who served as Montana governor, and Conrad Burns, who represented Montana in the U.S. Senate. It’s called the “Golden Tusks Legacy Dinner” and will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula. It won’t take gold to get in, but it will require a ticket for $75 per person.

Blog of the Week

“I am certainly not a journalist and I have never claimed to be. I don’t even play one on TV, and I’ve never even stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. I am just professional blogger living in a bunker, eating Twinkies, drinking Folgers coffee, while waiting for Obama to come and take my guns.”

— Mike Brown, who blogs at thewesternword.com

Turnout in Montana was better than average for the June 7 primary election. We hope the trend keeps up for the Nov. 8 general election.

No doubt one reason for the improved public response is the increase in people asking for permanent absentee ballots they can fill out by mail, rather than trudge over to their polling place on Election Day.

There’s no doubt voting by mail is easy. People accustomed to voting in person can opt to vote by mail instead by calling the county elections office. The number in Great Falls is 406-454-6803.


Last.fm Reached the 60 Billion Scrobble Landmark with Lady Gaga

Last.fm has reached the landmark of 60 billion scrobbles last week, less than ten years after its launch, the company announced today. In other words, Last.fm’s users have now listened to 60 billion music tracks on the platform.

According to Last.fm, the 60 billionth song to be scrobbled on the music discovery website was Lady Gaga’s ‘Judas’. She’s the latest artist to take a place in Last.fm’s hall of fame, joining Bob Dylan whose 1963 song ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ marked Last.fm’s 50 billionth scrobble (see our previous story Last.fm: 50 billion scrobbles and the return of the mix tape.)

Looking at this data also gives a good indication of the site’s accelerated growth over the last years; it took much less time for the site to host its latest 10 billion scrobbles than for its first single billion.

According to Last.fm’s VP of Product and Marketing Matthew Hawn, “reaching this figure is testament to the passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by [Last.fm’s] users.” May it also be the confirmation that paywalls aren’t always a bullet in the foot?

What’s your favorite destination to discover music? Let us know in the comments.

Read next: The Principles of Experience Design and 10 sites doing it right


The Buffalo Sabres played three games in a row against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum this weekend. All three games ended the same way: with a 5-2 Islanders victory.

Buffalo fell to 0-6-0 against the Islanders this season with Sunday’s loss. The Sabres are 0-4-0 on their current five-game road trip, 0-6-1 over the last seven games and 2-10-1 since returning from a COVID-related two-week pause.

On Sunday, it was Anders Lee – who has six goals in six games against Buffalo this year – and Brock Nelson who scored for the Islanders in a span of 1:02 in the second period. Casey Cizikas scored later on in the second and Cal Clutterbuck added a fourth midway through the third. Nelson added his second goal when he dumped the puck into an empty net late in the third.

Jonas Johansson made 25 saves for Buffalo.

Jeff Skinner scored his first goal of the season, roofing a backhand shot on a wraparound to make it 3-1 in the third period. Colin Miller added another for his third of the season to put Buffalo within one before Clutterbuck iced the game.

Buffalo is 0-13-1 this season when trailing after two periods.


El Tonto sees Day playing “a mute simpleton who gets off a bus in Los Angeles and by happenstance suddenly rises through the Hollywood scene to become a celebrity, only to then lose it all.”


Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, and Fascism: What Is the Difference?

All nations have an official type of government as designated in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. However, a nation’s own description of its form of government can often be less than objective. For example, while the former Soviet Union declared itself a democracy, its elections were not “free and fair”, as only one party with state-approved candidates was represented. The USSR is more correctly classified as a socialist republic.

In addition, the boundaries between various forms of government can be fluid or poorly defined, often with overlapping characteristics. Such is the case with totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism.

Totalitarianism is a form of government in which the state’s power is unlimited and controls virtually all aspects of public and private life. This control extends to all political and financial matters as well as the attitudes, morals, and beliefs of the people.

One distinctive feature of totalitarian governments is the existence of an explicit or implied national ideology—a set of beliefs intended to give meaning and direction to the entire society.

According to Russian history expert and author Richard Pipes, Fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini once summarized the basis of totalitarianism as, “Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.”

Examples of characteristics that might be present in a totalitarian state include:

Typically, the characteristics of a totalitarian state tend to cause people to fear their government. Rather than trying to allay that fear, totalitarian rulers encourage it and use it to ensure the people’s cooperation.

An authoritarian state is characterized by a strong central government that allows people a limited degree of political freedom. However, the political process, as well as all individual freedom, is controlled by the government without any constitutional accountability

In 1964, Juan José Linz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Political Science at Yale University, described the four most recognizable characteristics of authoritarian states as:

Modern dictatorships such as Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Cuba under Fidel Castro typify authoritarian governments.

While the People’s Republic of China under Chairman Mao Zedong was considered a totalitarian state, modern-day China is more accurately described as an authoritarian state because its citizens are now allowed some limited personal freedoms.

In a totalitarian state, the government’s range of control over the people is virtually unlimited. The government controls nearly all aspects of the economy, politics, culture, and society. Education, religion, the arts and sciences, and even morality and reproductive rights are controlled by totalitarian governments.

While all power in an authoritarian government is held by a single dictator or group, the people are allowed a limited degree of political freedom.

Rarely employed since the end of World War II in 1945, fascism is a form of government combining the most extreme aspects of both totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Even when compared to extreme nationalistic ideologies like Marxism and anarchism, fascism is typically considered to be at the far-right end of the political spectrum.

Fascism is characterized by the imposition of dictatorial power, government control of industry and commerce, and the forcible suppression of opposition, often at the hands of the military or a secret police force. Fascism was first seen in Italy during World War I, later spreading to Germany and other European countries during World War II.

The Foundations of Fascism

The foundation of fascism is a combination of ultranationalism—an extreme devotion to one’s nation over all others—along with a widely held belief among the people that the nation must and will be somehow saved or “reborn.” Rather than working for concrete solutions to economic, political, and social problems, fascist rulers divert the peoples’ focus, while winning public support, by elevating the idea of a need for a national rebirth into a virtual religion. To this end, fascists encourage the growth of cults of national unity and racial purity.

Historically, the primary function of fascist regimes has been to maintain the nation in a constant state of readiness for war. Fascists observed how rapid, mass military mobilizations during World War I blurred the lines between the roles of civilians and combatants. Drawing on those experiences, fascist rulers strive to create a rabidly nationalistic culture of “military citizenship” in which all citizens are willing and prepared to take on some military duties during times of war, including actual combat.

In addition, fascists view democracy and the electoral process as an obsolete and unnecessary obstacle to maintaining constant military readiness. They also consider a totalitarian, one-party state as the key to preparing the nation for war and its resulting economic and social hardships.

Today, few governments publicly describe themselves as fascist. Instead, the label is more often used pejoratively by those critical of particular governments or leaders. The term “neo-fascist,” for example, describes governments or individuals espousing radical, far-right political ideologies similar to those of the World War II fascist states.


Former member of the Defence Forces Lisa Smith has been arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences.

The 38-year-old arrived at Dublin Airport this morning after being deported from Turkey.

She is being questioned at Kevin Street Garda Station in Dublin.

Ms Smith travelled to Syria in 2015 to live in the so-called Islamic State.

Turkish Airlines flight 1975 landed in Dublin Airport just after 10am with Ms Smith and her daughter on board.

They were accompanied by four escort personnel from the Army Ranger Wing and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Ms Smith and her child were covered with a pink blanket and declined to comment when approached on the flight by RTÉ News, simply responding "No".

The Dundalk woman, who left Ireland four years ago, was deported from Turkey and met by gardaí from the Counter Terrorism Section at Dublin Airport.

The Garda's Security and Intelligence Section and the Special Detective Unit have been investigating her activities since 2012 and have gathered substantial information and intelligence from Europe, Africa, the Middle East as well as Ireland.

Ms Smith and her daughter were taken to a van and driven to Kevin Street Garda Station arriving just before 11am.

The 38-year-old was arrested and her child is now being cared for by her family.

She has been granted access to all medical and legal requirements and is being interviewed about suspected terrorist offences.

Irish Citizens Lisa Smith and her child (2yrs) were today successfully repatriated to Ireland. The expert evidence and the UN were expressly clear - the previous conditions were unsuitable and incompatible with international human rights standards. @PhoenixLawHR acts.

She is being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be questioned for up to three days.

In a statement, Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan said: "On her arrival in Dublin, Lisa Smith was met by An Garda Síochána. In the case of Ms Smith's child, established procedures for her care will be followed.

"An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions are responsible for criminal investigations based on facts and evidence in all cases and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on those matters.

"This is a sensitive case and I want to reassure people that all relevant State agencies are closely involved.

"A multi-agency network is in place here comprising agency personnel who engage on an ongoing basis with international colleagues regarding emerging practice in relation to the complex issue of radicalisation.

"This network will coordinate engagement on a case by case basis as and when appropriate."

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said they "had been working with various different partners to try and ensure that we could respond to this case as a consular case, although it's a very, very complex one, to ensure primarily the safety of a two-year-old little girl who was in a warzone, and for much of that time in a camp that we know from UNICEF reports was extremely dangerous for children".

Mr Coveney said: "For people who are rightly concerned and asking questions about a two-year-old little girl who wasn't born in Ireland but who is an Irish citizen - Tusla have been working with An Garda Síochána and with Lisa Smith's wider family to ensure that her welfare is looked after."

He added: "It's up to the DPP to determine on the back of a report from An Garda Síochána as to whether they can take a case successfully against Lisa Smith.

"I think it's important to leave that process take its course."


Charlie Waller, founder and leader of the Country Gentlemen, died Wednesday (Aug. 18) of an apparent heart attack in the garden of his home in Gordonsville, Va. He was 69.

Although Waller had been ailing the past several years, he and his group have maintained a busy concert schedule and were preparing to go on the road again when he died. Waller had scheduled two concerts — Friday (Aug. 20) in Nashville and Sept. 8 in Falls Church, Va. — to raise medical-expense funds for banjo player Eddie Adcock, an early member of the band.

Organized in Arlington, Va., the Country Gentlemen played their first concert on July 4, 1957. Although the group has had more than 100 members during its 47-year history — including Ricky Skaggs, Bill Emerson, Doyle Lawson and Jerry Douglas — the classic Country Gentlemen ensemble was made up of Waller, as lead vocalist and guitarist, Adcock on banjo, Tom Gray on bass and the late John Duffey on mandolin. It was this combination that, in 1996, was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Honor.

Despite his solid bluegrass licks and credentials, Waller was a country music enthusiast to the core. His vocal models included Gene Autry, Hank Snow and Eddy Arnold. He seldom did a show without singing Autry’s mellow standard, “Ages and Ages Ago.” The Gentlemen entered Billboard’s country singles chart only once — in 1965 with the ghost ballad, “Bringing Mary Home.”

“Although they were respectful of tradition,” music scholar Bill Malone writes in The Encyclopedia of Country Music, “the Country Gentlemen were also one of the most important early innovative bands in bluegrass, taking the genre into new arenas of repertoire and stylistic performance while steadfastly using acoustic instruments.” That repertoire embraced pop, folk and country music and yielded such memorable cuts as “Theme From Exodus,” “Matterhorn,” “Two Little Boys,” “Legend of the Rebel Soldier” and “New Freedom Bell.”

A new Country Gentlemen album — Songs of the American Spirit — is due out in September from Pinecastle Records and will contain songs written by Merle Haggard, Tom T. and Dixie Hall, the late Randall Hylton and others.

Waller is survived by his wife, Sachiko; a son, Randy, who is a member of the current band; and a daughter, Mena, now a student at Nashville’s Belmont University. Funeral arrangements are pending.


A Hand Full of Anticipation for the CaribbeanTales 2011 Film Festival

The Gala is the main highlight of a week of cultural explosion, that will take place between 14-20th March as filmmakers and film enthusiasts from around the region and the world come together to celebrate Caribbean film at CT2011.

Producer of the film, Lisa Harewood expressed her pride that the production will be featured at the Opening Night Gala. “We feel incredibly honoured to have been given the opportunity to open CaribbeanTales Film Festival 2011. The festival is becoming a very important link between filmmakers from the Caribbean and the wider Diaspora, so we’re looking forward to meeting and talking to our colleagues. More than anything though, we’re excited to screen the film for the cast, crew, friends, family and supporters who are based in Barbados.”

The movie has already attracted some major attention, copping a nomination for Best First Feature Narrative Director, at the hugely respected Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. This recognition being well deserved as Russell Watson and his team battled for several years against the tremendous obstacles that are commonly faced by Caribbean film makers in order to complete the film. With a minimalist budget, and a lot of determination the movie is an example that against all odds, with creativity and a will, there is a way.

Shot in various locations in Barbados and Chicago, the film tells the topical family story of 3 generations , and one plantation. The men of the Redman family – father, grandfather and son – try desperately to break with the past to pursue their dreams on their own terms. Soon though, it is made painfully clear that their lives are inextricably linked and that the past exerts an inescapable grip on the future. A Hand Full of Dirt features such local and regional luminaries as Dominica’s Alwin Bully and Barbados’ own Cynthia Wilson, Luther Bourne and Marcia Burrow.

The Opening Gala starts at 6:00 pm at the Frank Collymore Hall in Bridgetown Barbados and admission is $35 a ticket at the door. Early bird seats are available for $25.00, by emailing registration@sharons26.sg-host.com. Pre-registration is advised for this hugely popular event.

CaribbeanTales 2011 @ Island Inn runs from March 14- 20, 2011. Not just a film festival the event will include screenings, talk back sessions, workshops, incubators, networking events, and a pitch marketplace, as well as a special Directing Masterclass by celebrated Hollywood Director Neema Barnette, known for her work on the Cosby Show. Audiences will also get to Preview the new film The Skin, the fourth feature film by Antigua’s prolific husband and wife filmmaking team, Howard and Mitzi Allen.


What do Deacons Do?

Churchology: The Who and What We Are

Have you ever had a bad experience with a waiter/waitress?

I remember a specific time in high school when that happened. In a restaurant, a waiter/waitress plays an essential part in the experience at the restaurant. In Acts 6, the Apostles describe the importance of having men who are servants.

The church in Jerusalem had grown from just a handful to around 20,000. What happens when things grow fast? It happened right here in Acts, administrative problems begin. There's been a couple of attacks in the early church: persecution and hypocrisy (Ananias and his wife). But now Satan tries something else, division as there was a part of the church that wasn't being cared for properly. The Apostles saw and acknowledge the need and problem. But they faced a problem themselves.

Verse 2 says, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables." The apostles know they can't stop doing the very thing that Jesus had given them. Still, they also see people in their care who needed to be physically cared for. This isn't a derogatory comment, "waiting tables" was a necessary and honourable task, but one better suited for others. The apostles had been called to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

In our last post, we looked at the importance of Elders and what they do. Elders shepherd the flock and exercise oversight through the teaching of God's Word and prayer. This is the mechanism that is used to grow the church, not just numerically, but spiritually. To neglect these things would be the same as knocking the legs from underneath you and would be disobedience to what Jesus told the Apostles and all other elders. God uses the hearing of his Word to call, justify, and sanctify his people and to neglect that would be the worst thing you can do to a church seeking to be healthy.

But when we look at the problem that is being faced here, we see that caring for others is an essential part of being a disciple of Jesus because it reflects the heart of Jesus for others. And the widows of a specific group in the young church wasn't being taken care of. So what is to be done? They looked for men who were an example of godliness to take on the church's mercy project to allow the Apostles to continue on in the preaching of the Bible and pray for the church.

These men were "full of the Spirit," and I can't emphasize how important this character is in men who want to be deacons. To be full of the Spirit means to be controlled by God's Spirit rather than their own flesh or sinful nature. The apostles didn't take a chance on people of unproven character.  Why does it matter? The church and the gospel receive no advantage from our appointing those not full of the Spirit. Deacons are to be men know to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. These are also wise men, meaning they are men who live by God's precepts and apply them to life's situation. Stephen, in verse 5, was seen as this. He was a man "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (vs. 5) and "full of God's grace and power" (vs. 8). All of these things can only be done through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

There's an emphasis on making sure that those in this position are actually those who are growing in Christ. I can't overestimate the importance of the type of person shown here being in Deacon's office. We need to learn how to identify and pray for such people to be strengthened as a church. Deacons are people who are established believers, and in 1 Timothy, there must be a time of testing to make sure "blameless" (v. 10). We aren't talking about perfect, but they are not open to misconduct charges. These are people who must be in "good standing," which is talking about those people's spiritual standing in the kingdom of God rather than a step up some kind of ecclesial corporate ladder (v. 13). Finally, "confidence in the faith" means that deacons can serve boldly with the assurance that what they do is right when done in accord with the gospel (v. 13).

Here's a question for you: What caused the church to grow to this size? This is a church that had withstood persecution, a scandal, and now is facing division. Was it a program? No. It was the preaching of God's Word in verse 7, and this was able to happen as these seven men faithful served the church, freeing the Apostles to preach and pray.

A few years ago, I was walking with some men who the elders saw as potential elders. They were seen as doing the work of the elder before they held the office of elder. And one of the men said to me, "I don't know if I am ready to be an Elder, can I just start off with being a deacon?" My response was that deacons are not a lower stage of becoming an Elder. They are two different offices and with two different roles. It doesn't mean that an Elder won't help bring food over to someone's house just as it means that a deacon won't teach a class, but it does means that they have different roles with different emphasis.

Elders and Deacons are needed in the church for health to happen; Church health happens when biblically qualified elders' are dedicated to overseeing the church and who are dedicated to praying and teaching her. That can only happen when Deacons are joyfully serving the church freeing up the Elders to teach God's Word and pray. Deacons don't lead or oversee the church. This is God's role he has given to the elders (see Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:1–2). Instead, they humbly serve the congregation by ensuring practical matters are met. In so doing, they free the pastors from doing these tasks to devote themselves to teaching, praying, and leading. We would do well to appreciate those who hold the office of Deacon, which is often unnoticed and unappreciated. One isn't a stepping stone to another; people's same character is supposed to be in both.

For example, a deacon may handle benevolence requests so that a pastor can prepare a sermon. A deacon may take care of the church's leaky roof so that the elders can focus on equipping and counselling others. Of course, some overlap may occur, but by and large, deacons handle physical and logistical needs, and elders tend to spiritual matters.

We might be tempted to think that being a deacon isn't that important. Being an elder or a missionary or a conference speaker or a Christian author is where it's at. But Scripture disagrees. Competent, qualified deacons are essential to the health of a local church. When deacons serve the congregation and support the elders, they protect the church's unity—something Jesus views as precious (see John 17). One reason those first deacons were so important is that they prevented the Jerusalem church from fracturing.