Autodidact and free spirit, Joy de Rohan Chabot once posed for the leading photographers of the 1960s, including Henry Clarke, David Bailey and Helmut Newton. Today, the artist says she's happier when tramping through the woods with her dogs than in Paris. Still, she says, she has found ways to make her urban life "as pleasant as possible."
Trained at the Paris Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Ms. Chabot's early interests in drawing developed into an exploration of design, from experimenting with trompe l'oeil murals to studying the techniques of lacquer in China and Japan.
Her upcoming show, "Féerie/Enchantment," which opens at the Galérie Matignon in Paris on Nov. 22, is a fairy-tale-inspired array of pieces in white, blue and silver, reviving a seldom-used technique with wax molds she made herself. "This the first time I've ever worked with cast aluminum," says Ms. Chabot. "It's as expensive as bronze, you work with it like bronze, but it gives the impression of an icy silver—something like frost stalactites."
My weekend really begins on Saturday morning, just because I'm a bit of a workaholic. On Friday night, I usually stay in my atelier until late and then go straight to bed. On Saturday morning, I always make a trip to an extraordinary place, the fish market La Criée du Phare, which is right near the Montparnasse train station on rue Castagnary in the 15th arrondissement. The fishermen from Brittany and Normandy arrive very early by train and sell directly to the people who come to shop at the market. It's enormous, and everywhere you look, there are mountains of fresh scallops and all kinds of shellfish. The atmosphere is very animated and noisy—all the fish sellers are crying out their prices at the top of their lungs. It's hard to believe you're in Paris.
My husband, Jean, and I have another ritual—every Saturday, we make a trip to Drouot, the famous auction house in the ninth arrondissement. He goes for the art and antique furniture, but what amuses me the most are the sales of vintage haute-couture dresses. You find all kinds of incredible clothes, handbags or leather pants of every color. My entire wardrobe is from Drouot....
When we leave Drouot, we always go to the same restaurant, La Cave Drouot, which is an old-fashioned bistro with marvelous cuisine. We usually order the fish of the day, like their skate served with cabbage. The atmosphere is very lively. All the Drouot auctioneers and buyers go there, and we usually run into lots of people we know.
I detest Sundays. All of a sudden, there's no more activity and it makes me anxious, since I'm pathologically hyperactive! But what I love to do—and it's also good exercise—is go for a walk in the Bois de Boulogne. Behind the restaurant Les Jardins de Bagatelle, you take a path lined with flowers and you arrive at a pretty house. It once belonged to the head gardener, and was built in around 1860. Just in front of that house is a marvelous kitchen garden with every type and variety of vegetables that you can grow. I'm actually trying to copy it at my home in Auvergne. Being there makes me feel at peace with the fact that I'm in Paris, since I feel like I'm in the country.
Sometimes we'll have lunch at a nice little rustic-style restaurant, La Calèche, on rue de Lille, across from the Musée d'Orsay. They have wonderful traditional cuisine, like veal with lemon and mushrooms or the types of dishes that you'd expect to find in Normandy.
2012年11月15日星期四
2012年11月12日星期一
From India, a ‘Lad Mag’ That’s the Opposite of Macho
This Diwali, while boys set off firecrackers and aunties light diyas and lanterns, Harish Sadani, looking rumpled as would any editor/publisher nearing a deadline, finally finds himself able to breathe. That’s because Mr. Sadani, who runs a nongovernmental organization in Mumbai known as MAVA (Men Against Violence & Abuse), has just printed off the final pages of Purush Spandana, an annual magazine, or ank, printed especially for Diwali.
The Maharashtrian tradition of giving anks at Diwali, a major gift-giving holiday, goes back just over a century. But of the estimated 400 anks printed each fall, only Purush Spandana, which translates roughly to “Male Vibrations,” speaks directly to men, although not through scantily clad cover models, a distinction that sets it apart from other anks in the shop.
The goal of the periodical, a collection of articles, short stories and poems penned in Marathi by Indian authors from around the state, is to get people to think.“We wanted to create a safe, nonthreatening space to address issues of masculinity in a contemporary context,” said Mr. Sadani. “Now readers can read a story about a man who has overcome patriarchy in his own life, and ask himself, ‘If he can question his outlook, why not me?’ ”
About 35 to 40 percent of Purush Spandana will be purchased by women, who hope that by casually leaving a copy around the house, their husbands, fathers-in-law or sons may give it a glance. (This year’s 192-page edition will be available for 90 rupees ($1.65) in Maharashtrian bookstores through December.)
Now in its 17th year, the magazine will explore in its latest edition the concept of family, as well as male-female relationships, a theme intended to encourage readers to “move past the stereotypical thing, beyond blood, kinship and wealth,” as Mr. Sadani puts it, and “to consider family in a new way.” Inside, an engineer writes of finding a brotherly connection with a fellow orphan and outcast, who later turns out to be a gigolo. Another man describes his role as one half of a DINK, or “Double Income No Kids” family, an increasingly common family unit in 21st century India.
An elderly woman, unwanted by her father, recalls being rescued as an infant by her grandfather; now with two grown sons living in the United States, she compares the relationships with all the different men in her life. In Mumbai’s red-light district, a journalist recalls a lonely child playing with a one-rupee coin while his mother entertains clients upstairs; a different writer reports on the ambiguity of familial relationships in India’s transgender community, outcasts typically dismissed from the accepted family system.
“Family is a relationship, but doesn’t have to take place in the traditional sense,” said Ravindra Rukmini Pandharinath, co-editor of Purush Spandana, explaining that this year’s theme was about finding ways to humanize the family system, making space for groups like sex workers and prostitutes that are usually excluded. “Everyone needs some sort of emotional support,” he said. “Can’t family from different castes come together? Can’t family go beyond property?”
Past issues have explored the intricacies of friendship and caste; last year’s ank examined sexuality, with the image of a half-male, half-female deity dancing on the cover – “like a yin and yang, since everyone shares masculine and feminine traits,” explained Mr. Sadani.
That same year, female writers were invited to contribute for the first time. “Sexuality being a core topic that touches everyone, it was important to see what women think,” Mr. Sadani recalled, noting that the female authors, who come from a diversity of professional fields and backgrounds, as do the male contributors, have added a valuable perspective over the past two years.
Next year’s theme is up in the air, but Mr. Sadani said he hoped to explore religion and governance in future issues, specifically the restrictions they impose on women.
This year’s issue has achieved another critical checkpoint, as it is the first year Mr. Sadani has been able to cover production costs and pay all the writers without dipping into his own pockets, thanks to the support of high-profile advertisers like GSK, the Aditya Birla Group, HDFC, Tata, IDBI and Bank of Baroda. Mr. Sadani spends six months every year on the magazine, editing, pitching advertisers and printing around 1,500 copies for distribution. From 1996-2006, the magazine was co-produced in partnership with Purush Uvach, or “Men Speak,” a Pune-based men’s group that helped shoulder the brunt of production.
The Maharashtrian tradition of giving anks at Diwali, a major gift-giving holiday, goes back just over a century. But of the estimated 400 anks printed each fall, only Purush Spandana, which translates roughly to “Male Vibrations,” speaks directly to men, although not through scantily clad cover models, a distinction that sets it apart from other anks in the shop.
The goal of the periodical, a collection of articles, short stories and poems penned in Marathi by Indian authors from around the state, is to get people to think.“We wanted to create a safe, nonthreatening space to address issues of masculinity in a contemporary context,” said Mr. Sadani. “Now readers can read a story about a man who has overcome patriarchy in his own life, and ask himself, ‘If he can question his outlook, why not me?’ ”
About 35 to 40 percent of Purush Spandana will be purchased by women, who hope that by casually leaving a copy around the house, their husbands, fathers-in-law or sons may give it a glance. (This year’s 192-page edition will be available for 90 rupees ($1.65) in Maharashtrian bookstores through December.)
Now in its 17th year, the magazine will explore in its latest edition the concept of family, as well as male-female relationships, a theme intended to encourage readers to “move past the stereotypical thing, beyond blood, kinship and wealth,” as Mr. Sadani puts it, and “to consider family in a new way.” Inside, an engineer writes of finding a brotherly connection with a fellow orphan and outcast, who later turns out to be a gigolo. Another man describes his role as one half of a DINK, or “Double Income No Kids” family, an increasingly common family unit in 21st century India.
An elderly woman, unwanted by her father, recalls being rescued as an infant by her grandfather; now with two grown sons living in the United States, she compares the relationships with all the different men in her life. In Mumbai’s red-light district, a journalist recalls a lonely child playing with a one-rupee coin while his mother entertains clients upstairs; a different writer reports on the ambiguity of familial relationships in India’s transgender community, outcasts typically dismissed from the accepted family system.
“Family is a relationship, but doesn’t have to take place in the traditional sense,” said Ravindra Rukmini Pandharinath, co-editor of Purush Spandana, explaining that this year’s theme was about finding ways to humanize the family system, making space for groups like sex workers and prostitutes that are usually excluded. “Everyone needs some sort of emotional support,” he said. “Can’t family from different castes come together? Can’t family go beyond property?”
Past issues have explored the intricacies of friendship and caste; last year’s ank examined sexuality, with the image of a half-male, half-female deity dancing on the cover – “like a yin and yang, since everyone shares masculine and feminine traits,” explained Mr. Sadani.
That same year, female writers were invited to contribute for the first time. “Sexuality being a core topic that touches everyone, it was important to see what women think,” Mr. Sadani recalled, noting that the female authors, who come from a diversity of professional fields and backgrounds, as do the male contributors, have added a valuable perspective over the past two years.
Next year’s theme is up in the air, but Mr. Sadani said he hoped to explore religion and governance in future issues, specifically the restrictions they impose on women.
This year’s issue has achieved another critical checkpoint, as it is the first year Mr. Sadani has been able to cover production costs and pay all the writers without dipping into his own pockets, thanks to the support of high-profile advertisers like GSK, the Aditya Birla Group, HDFC, Tata, IDBI and Bank of Baroda. Mr. Sadani spends six months every year on the magazine, editing, pitching advertisers and printing around 1,500 copies for distribution. From 1996-2006, the magazine was co-produced in partnership with Purush Uvach, or “Men Speak,” a Pune-based men’s group that helped shoulder the brunt of production.
2012年11月7日星期三
Salvation Army benefits Knoxville
In response to the story titled "Possible homeless shelter concerns arise," I was shocked to read that Joyce Shoudy, director of Family Promise, would say, "We are not those people on Broadway," and "We are a benefit to the community."
"Those people" are precious children of God. They may be down, but they are not out. To infer that the Salvation Army is not a benefit to the community is fallacious.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination. We have served suffering humanity in Knoxville since 1899 and touch approximately 30,000 souls in a given year through various emergency social services, feeding and homeless transitional housing programs.
The Salvation Army operates four residential programs at its North Broadway campus that equip, empower and educate clients. The Joy Baker Center is our domestic violence shelter. It provides a safe haven for battered women with children and provides counseling, a school liaison, court advocacy, referrals, meals, clothing, job placement, linens and laundry facilities.
The Bootstrap program is offered to homeless men and women who want to better themselves. Transitional Housing Program residents must commit to six months but can stay up to two years. In each of our programs, clients must maintain full-time employment and save money for permanent housing. The program includes meals, housing, counseling, life-skills classes and Bible studies. Intensive case management molds residents into motivated, self-sufficient, contributing members of our community.
"It's really going to grow their business. At a time when a lot companies are really scared, it's neat to see one of our local companies willing to take the risk and reinvest in their business," said incoming Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.
Lake Orion resident and MPD employee Joel Hadden was proud to have the Governor visit his shop, and is also optimistic about the direction MPD is headed.
Hadden sees MPD's fortune as a forecast for national pocketbooks. "I feel like the economy is definitely boosting back, and I feel that companies like MPD are a big part of it," Hadden said.
MPD management has treated him "like family," and he loves coming to work, Hadden said. With an expansion and new hiring planned for the near future, Hadden has good reason to be optimistic.
Barnett thanked the Governor for visiting Orion Township.
"I think it's incredible that he took some time out of his schedule to come here to one of our awesome local manufacturing companies," Barnett said. "Anytime we can get our little community some attention and one of our great businesses here some attention—that's a good thing."
Bondar's conversations with the visiting chief executive were also positive. "Reading about him is one thing, but meeting him face-to-face and talking to him, I'm really impressed with him," Bondar said.
"Those people" are precious children of God. They may be down, but they are not out. To infer that the Salvation Army is not a benefit to the community is fallacious.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination. We have served suffering humanity in Knoxville since 1899 and touch approximately 30,000 souls in a given year through various emergency social services, feeding and homeless transitional housing programs.
The Salvation Army operates four residential programs at its North Broadway campus that equip, empower and educate clients. The Joy Baker Center is our domestic violence shelter. It provides a safe haven for battered women with children and provides counseling, a school liaison, court advocacy, referrals, meals, clothing, job placement, linens and laundry facilities.
The Bootstrap program is offered to homeless men and women who want to better themselves. Transitional Housing Program residents must commit to six months but can stay up to two years. In each of our programs, clients must maintain full-time employment and save money for permanent housing. The program includes meals, housing, counseling, life-skills classes and Bible studies. Intensive case management molds residents into motivated, self-sufficient, contributing members of our community.
"It's really going to grow their business. At a time when a lot companies are really scared, it's neat to see one of our local companies willing to take the risk and reinvest in their business," said incoming Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.
Lake Orion resident and MPD employee Joel Hadden was proud to have the Governor visit his shop, and is also optimistic about the direction MPD is headed.
Hadden sees MPD's fortune as a forecast for national pocketbooks. "I feel like the economy is definitely boosting back, and I feel that companies like MPD are a big part of it," Hadden said.
MPD management has treated him "like family," and he loves coming to work, Hadden said. With an expansion and new hiring planned for the near future, Hadden has good reason to be optimistic.
Barnett thanked the Governor for visiting Orion Township.
"I think it's incredible that he took some time out of his schedule to come here to one of our awesome local manufacturing companies," Barnett said. "Anytime we can get our little community some attention and one of our great businesses here some attention—that's a good thing."
Bondar's conversations with the visiting chief executive were also positive. "Reading about him is one thing, but meeting him face-to-face and talking to him, I'm really impressed with him," Bondar said.
2012年11月5日星期一
Always Rides On Williams Sisters to Inspire Nigerian Girls
In a bid to excite the female segment of the Nigerian market, handlers of Always, from the stable of Procter & Gamble, recently joined forces with international tennis stars, Serena and Venus Williams, to empower and inspire girls at the Government College, Ikoyi, Lagos.
To many, Serena and Venus are perfectly placed to boost the morale of the girls. Their life story showcases passion, determination, hard work and self-belief that has triumphed over obstacles and circumstances to become world champions on and off the tennis court.
Commenting on the Williams sisters' visit, Temitope Iluyemi from Always said, "The Williams sisters being here today has empowered more girls to break the moulds that have stood between them and their potential; they surely now dream bigger and strive harder as a result. Their support of our puberty education programme is another way to help give these girls the confidence to enjoy womanhood without limits."
"The programme is designed to empower girls to live life to their fullest. 800,000 Nigerian girls take part every year and 8 million have benefited so far since inception 12 years ago", Iluyemi added.
The Williams sisters were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by the girls as they entered the class. Serena shared her stories on their setbacks and how she had overcome them to return to the peak of her game.
"Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come". Meanwhile Venus talked about the importance of self-belief: "Some people say I have an attitude, maybe I do, but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That makes you a winner right there."
Commenting on the importance of sisterhood in facing challenges, Serena mentioned how supportive her sister had been through the years helping her cope with a variety of challenges both on the field and in life. Venus then said: "I always like to win. But I'm the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don't have anything. It's hard. I love her too much. That's what counts."
The girls from Government College, Ikoyi went on to perform the Always Song 'Little Big Steps' with the Williams sisters even joining in singing and dancing. There was also a session where the sisters responded to questions from the girls. These gave the girls the rare opportunity of interacting with the William sisters.
The brand has always been advocating for and empowering women and girls the world over to live life to their fullest potential and has been doing so for more than 30 years. Always is said to serve 1.3 billion girls and women around the world by providing them with the best protection built on superior product quality and constant innovations.
Every day Always connects with about 25 million girls globally via the brand's social media pages. "With every Always page, girls can benefit from a greater sisterhood; a support network with girls helping each other out on topics that are relevant to them or jointly getting behind a good cause such as this to empower other girls" Iluyemi stated.
To many, Serena and Venus are perfectly placed to boost the morale of the girls. Their life story showcases passion, determination, hard work and self-belief that has triumphed over obstacles and circumstances to become world champions on and off the tennis court.
Commenting on the Williams sisters' visit, Temitope Iluyemi from Always said, "The Williams sisters being here today has empowered more girls to break the moulds that have stood between them and their potential; they surely now dream bigger and strive harder as a result. Their support of our puberty education programme is another way to help give these girls the confidence to enjoy womanhood without limits."
"The programme is designed to empower girls to live life to their fullest. 800,000 Nigerian girls take part every year and 8 million have benefited so far since inception 12 years ago", Iluyemi added.
The Williams sisters were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by the girls as they entered the class. Serena shared her stories on their setbacks and how she had overcome them to return to the peak of her game.
"Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come". Meanwhile Venus talked about the importance of self-belief: "Some people say I have an attitude, maybe I do, but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That makes you a winner right there."
Commenting on the importance of sisterhood in facing challenges, Serena mentioned how supportive her sister had been through the years helping her cope with a variety of challenges both on the field and in life. Venus then said: "I always like to win. But I'm the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don't have anything. It's hard. I love her too much. That's what counts."
The girls from Government College, Ikoyi went on to perform the Always Song 'Little Big Steps' with the Williams sisters even joining in singing and dancing. There was also a session where the sisters responded to questions from the girls. These gave the girls the rare opportunity of interacting with the William sisters.
The brand has always been advocating for and empowering women and girls the world over to live life to their fullest potential and has been doing so for more than 30 years. Always is said to serve 1.3 billion girls and women around the world by providing them with the best protection built on superior product quality and constant innovations.
Every day Always connects with about 25 million girls globally via the brand's social media pages. "With every Always page, girls can benefit from a greater sisterhood; a support network with girls helping each other out on topics that are relevant to them or jointly getting behind a good cause such as this to empower other girls" Iluyemi stated.
2012年10月31日星期三
Venus and Serena Williams champion women's rights
Venus Williams used her signature long reach to stretch for the ball, her racket just grazing it as it thundered past her. The crowd cheered wildly as her defiant opponent battled back, forcing a 12-shot rally in the blistering heat.
Eventually the seven-time Grand Slam winner clinched the game. Her challenger, nine-year-old Lola Holmes, was nevertheless thrilled.
"Venus is my favourite player. I was just thinking, wow, how am I even doing this when I was hitting the ball back. It was amazing," Holmes said breathlessly afterwards, clutching her racket and grinning from ear to ear.
She was one of several dozen young children in Nigeria being coached for an afternoon on Wednesday by two of modern tennis' biggest stars. Venus and Serena Williams kicked off an "Africa tour" in promotion of women's rights that will take in Nigeria before moving on to South Africa.
Hundreds packed the upmarket club in Lagos for the tennis clinic, braving the relentless heat as they squeezed into all available spaces. As the sisters, wearing bright pink and orange tops, tossed balls on the neat centre court, office workers hung out the windows of overlooking tower blocks and cheered the budding tennis stars.
"We're here to empower young girls and let them know that if you dare to dream, you can achieve any goal you want to," Serena said at an earlier press conference held by the Breaking The Mould initiative they are representing.
The initiative is aimed at encouraging "more women to break moulds that have stood between them and their potential," the organisation said in a statement. There are 80 million women in Nigeria, but gender disparity is an acute problem. Africa's most populous country ranks 118 out of 134 countries on the Gender Equality Index, according to a British Council study.
"We were able to break the mould when tennis was very dominated by white people. To have a face of colour come in and dominate showed it doesn't matter what your background is and where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that's all that matters," Serena said.
Looking visibly tired two days after beating Maria Sharapova to win the women's world tennis championships, she said the trip was special in other ways too.
Lagos was the first African city she and her sisters had seen during a plane stopover in 1998, she recalled. "We looked out the window and we were like, we finally made it to Africa. We definitely would love to see more athletes come out of Africa," she added.
But she politely brushed off attempts to claim her as an African superstar, with one particularly enthusiastic journalist suggesting the specific Nigerian town where their ancestors may have been from. "I'd love to say I'm from Africa, but we're from the United States and we're proud to be from there as well," Serena said.
Venus said a planned exhibition match on Friday – their first match in Africa – would be a highlight. "After all the finals everywhere … this will be our final in Nigeria," she said to cheers. "I don't know who's going to win but Serena just won the championship so I know she's ready. I'll have to play my best tennis."
At the lively press conference, the two sisters, who between them hold 22 major singles titles, also faced eager questions from a ten-year-old girl, Zuriah Oluwale, who quizzed Serena on whether she planned to fund any schools in Nigeria as she had done in Kenya in 2008. "I think it would be a good plan for the future," Serena said
"My next two questions are for Venus," Oluwale said, to which Venus jokingly quipped: "I'm ready."
The question – how Venus felt winning her first Wimbledon Grand Slam in 2000, two years before her questioner was born – threw into spotlight how far the sisters' have changed the game of tennis.
"Nigerians love tennis but there has been a lack of Nigerian role models since the early 1990s. It's possible some mothers saw the Williams playing, saw two black women being successful on the court, and maybe that made it easier for us as mothers to think our girls can play tennis seriously too," said Lagos resident Ebifegha Netimah, whose two teenage daughters "want to be Venus and Serena".
While the theme of the tour was empowering girls, the Williams sisters appeal to young players of both genders.
Seventeen-year-old Andrew learnt to play tennis after taking up work as a ballboy in an upmarket club. "I used to go very early or late at night before anybody else was there and hit the ball with the other ball boys. We didn't have money so we used rackets from the sports shop, and then put them back before anybody caught us."
"I really like the Williams sisters. This week I was so excited they were coming, I forgot the tiredness, I just wanted to see them because I know it will encourage me to keep playing," said Andrew.
Eventually the seven-time Grand Slam winner clinched the game. Her challenger, nine-year-old Lola Holmes, was nevertheless thrilled.
"Venus is my favourite player. I was just thinking, wow, how am I even doing this when I was hitting the ball back. It was amazing," Holmes said breathlessly afterwards, clutching her racket and grinning from ear to ear.
She was one of several dozen young children in Nigeria being coached for an afternoon on Wednesday by two of modern tennis' biggest stars. Venus and Serena Williams kicked off an "Africa tour" in promotion of women's rights that will take in Nigeria before moving on to South Africa.
Hundreds packed the upmarket club in Lagos for the tennis clinic, braving the relentless heat as they squeezed into all available spaces. As the sisters, wearing bright pink and orange tops, tossed balls on the neat centre court, office workers hung out the windows of overlooking tower blocks and cheered the budding tennis stars.
"We're here to empower young girls and let them know that if you dare to dream, you can achieve any goal you want to," Serena said at an earlier press conference held by the Breaking The Mould initiative they are representing.
The initiative is aimed at encouraging "more women to break moulds that have stood between them and their potential," the organisation said in a statement. There are 80 million women in Nigeria, but gender disparity is an acute problem. Africa's most populous country ranks 118 out of 134 countries on the Gender Equality Index, according to a British Council study.
"We were able to break the mould when tennis was very dominated by white people. To have a face of colour come in and dominate showed it doesn't matter what your background is and where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that's all that matters," Serena said.
Looking visibly tired two days after beating Maria Sharapova to win the women's world tennis championships, she said the trip was special in other ways too.
Lagos was the first African city she and her sisters had seen during a plane stopover in 1998, she recalled. "We looked out the window and we were like, we finally made it to Africa. We definitely would love to see more athletes come out of Africa," she added.
But she politely brushed off attempts to claim her as an African superstar, with one particularly enthusiastic journalist suggesting the specific Nigerian town where their ancestors may have been from. "I'd love to say I'm from Africa, but we're from the United States and we're proud to be from there as well," Serena said.
Venus said a planned exhibition match on Friday – their first match in Africa – would be a highlight. "After all the finals everywhere … this will be our final in Nigeria," she said to cheers. "I don't know who's going to win but Serena just won the championship so I know she's ready. I'll have to play my best tennis."
At the lively press conference, the two sisters, who between them hold 22 major singles titles, also faced eager questions from a ten-year-old girl, Zuriah Oluwale, who quizzed Serena on whether she planned to fund any schools in Nigeria as she had done in Kenya in 2008. "I think it would be a good plan for the future," Serena said
"My next two questions are for Venus," Oluwale said, to which Venus jokingly quipped: "I'm ready."
The question – how Venus felt winning her first Wimbledon Grand Slam in 2000, two years before her questioner was born – threw into spotlight how far the sisters' have changed the game of tennis.
"Nigerians love tennis but there has been a lack of Nigerian role models since the early 1990s. It's possible some mothers saw the Williams playing, saw two black women being successful on the court, and maybe that made it easier for us as mothers to think our girls can play tennis seriously too," said Lagos resident Ebifegha Netimah, whose two teenage daughters "want to be Venus and Serena".
While the theme of the tour was empowering girls, the Williams sisters appeal to young players of both genders.
Seventeen-year-old Andrew learnt to play tennis after taking up work as a ballboy in an upmarket club. "I used to go very early or late at night before anybody else was there and hit the ball with the other ball boys. We didn't have money so we used rackets from the sports shop, and then put them back before anybody caught us."
"I really like the Williams sisters. This week I was so excited they were coming, I forgot the tiredness, I just wanted to see them because I know it will encourage me to keep playing," said Andrew.
2012年10月25日星期四
Combo inoculants hold promise for best of both worlds
How can a homofermentative inoculant improve milk production by 2 to 3 pounds per cow per day? Can farmers expect that from all homofermentative inoculants? And what are expectations for L. buchneri and the combo inoculants? Those are some of the questions addressed by U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center research engineer Richard Muck during World Dairy Expo in Madison earlier this month.
Muck admits he thought inoculants were improving dry matter digestibility, but two trials with alfalfa silage – and homofermentative inoculants as well as the heterofermenter, L. buchneri – didn’t show that. Muck admits that was “disappointing to us.” However, gas production was lower with some inoculants than predicted.
Muck points out that the main products of rumen fermentation are: Rumen microbes, volatile fatty acids and gases. With inoculants they’ve measured more rumen microbes and less of the gases. Rumen microbes are one of the main sources of protein for the cow. It appears what may be causing the difference in animal performance with inoculated silage is that cow is getting more protein, which supports more milk production. He reports that “inoculated silages from 3 of the 4 inoculants (researched in the lab) produced 8 percent more rumen microbes than untreated silage. That could support up to four pounds more milk per cow per day, he adds.
Muck went on to share results of a lactating cow trial with alfalfa silage (treated with L. plantarum). There was a “nice response” in pH, he mentions of 4.93 untreated silage and 4.56 inoculant-treated. The alfalfa silage was fed at 50 percent of the ration, along with corn silage, high moisture corn and soy hulls. The additional two pounds more milk with the inoculant wasn’t statistically significant. The MUN (milk urea nitrogen) level is noteworthy. Muck says the 10 percent reduction in milk urea N indicates better N utilization by the cows on the inoculated silage, suggesting more rumen microbe production. (That’s also a potentially positive environmental impact with less ammonia loss.)
What more does Muck need to know? He says they have to confirm that more rumen microbes were actually produced in the trial, but he’s fairly confident that’ll show up. He also needs to figure out “why” certain inoculants are causing silages to produce more rumen microbes, and confirm that the in vitro test really does screen for inoculants that can produce a significant animal response.
The bottom line? Muck says there’s “sound evidence that some inoculants can increase rumen microbe production in vitro,” and that “these increases can explain the milk production increases observed with some inoculants.” He adds that the inoculant they tested in their production trial increased milk and reduced MUN like they’d expected. MUN is a good indicator of better nitrogen utilization by the cow.
There’s “good strong evidence” that makes these products look even more attractive now, notes Muck.
“We now have increased confidence that some inoculants can truly increase milk production 2 to 4 pounds per cow per day,” he states, admitting more research is needed to understand why this is happening. He says they also may have a “tool for looking for better inoculants in the future.”
Muck characterizes the homofermenters as the best choice to improve DM recovery and animal performance. They’re a good fit for hay-crop silage, but less likely to be successful on corn silage. However, in vitro tests with corn silage (BMR and regular) indicate production of more rumen microbes (i.e. an effect on the cow). He admits he’s starting to change his tune a tad.
Aside from their preferred use on alfalfa silage, positive outcomes with homofermenters are more likely to occur with corn silage when it’s harvested on the dry side or immediately after a killing frost.
The heterofermentative inoculants like L. buchneri, he says, consistently increase bunk life/aerobic stability (an issue in warm weather with corn and small grain silages). Studies show L. buchneri raises acetic acid and results in higher-pH silage. Because acetic acid inhibits yeasts and molds, L. buchneri-treated silage is more aerobically stable. Heterofermentative inoculants work more consistently across a wide range of conditions, while success with homofermenters are best in hay crop silage with a wilt time of a day.
In terms of DM loss, L. buchneri is intermediate between untreated silage and homofermentative inoculants. That’s not surprising because carbon dioxide gas is made and lost while producing acetic acid. Typically there’s a 1 to 2 percent improvement in DM recovery over untreated silage. In lactation trials with L. buchneri, acetic acid also increased. However, there’s been no effect on DM intake by cows and generally little or no effect on milk production (except in keeping silage cool).
But when combining the two types of inoculants – homofermenters and L. buchneri – it seems there is indeed potential to “get the best of both worlds,” notes Muck of the DM recovery and animal performance of a standard inoculant and the bunk life/aerobic stability of L. buchneri. The potential for more milk appears to be happening on more than one crop, he notes, admitting that more animal trials are needed though.
This ag engineer reminds producers that the bacteria in the inoculant has to be alive when it goes on the crop to work. Keep the inoculant tank cool the best you can in the heat of summer. He also prefers to add the inoculant on the forage harvester as there are multiple opportunities for the inoculant to be mixed with the crop; good distribution is important.
Muck admits he thought inoculants were improving dry matter digestibility, but two trials with alfalfa silage – and homofermentative inoculants as well as the heterofermenter, L. buchneri – didn’t show that. Muck admits that was “disappointing to us.” However, gas production was lower with some inoculants than predicted.
Muck points out that the main products of rumen fermentation are: Rumen microbes, volatile fatty acids and gases. With inoculants they’ve measured more rumen microbes and less of the gases. Rumen microbes are one of the main sources of protein for the cow. It appears what may be causing the difference in animal performance with inoculated silage is that cow is getting more protein, which supports more milk production. He reports that “inoculated silages from 3 of the 4 inoculants (researched in the lab) produced 8 percent more rumen microbes than untreated silage. That could support up to four pounds more milk per cow per day, he adds.
Muck went on to share results of a lactating cow trial with alfalfa silage (treated with L. plantarum). There was a “nice response” in pH, he mentions of 4.93 untreated silage and 4.56 inoculant-treated. The alfalfa silage was fed at 50 percent of the ration, along with corn silage, high moisture corn and soy hulls. The additional two pounds more milk with the inoculant wasn’t statistically significant. The MUN (milk urea nitrogen) level is noteworthy. Muck says the 10 percent reduction in milk urea N indicates better N utilization by the cows on the inoculated silage, suggesting more rumen microbe production. (That’s also a potentially positive environmental impact with less ammonia loss.)
What more does Muck need to know? He says they have to confirm that more rumen microbes were actually produced in the trial, but he’s fairly confident that’ll show up. He also needs to figure out “why” certain inoculants are causing silages to produce more rumen microbes, and confirm that the in vitro test really does screen for inoculants that can produce a significant animal response.
The bottom line? Muck says there’s “sound evidence that some inoculants can increase rumen microbe production in vitro,” and that “these increases can explain the milk production increases observed with some inoculants.” He adds that the inoculant they tested in their production trial increased milk and reduced MUN like they’d expected. MUN is a good indicator of better nitrogen utilization by the cow.
There’s “good strong evidence” that makes these products look even more attractive now, notes Muck.
“We now have increased confidence that some inoculants can truly increase milk production 2 to 4 pounds per cow per day,” he states, admitting more research is needed to understand why this is happening. He says they also may have a “tool for looking for better inoculants in the future.”
Muck characterizes the homofermenters as the best choice to improve DM recovery and animal performance. They’re a good fit for hay-crop silage, but less likely to be successful on corn silage. However, in vitro tests with corn silage (BMR and regular) indicate production of more rumen microbes (i.e. an effect on the cow). He admits he’s starting to change his tune a tad.
Aside from their preferred use on alfalfa silage, positive outcomes with homofermenters are more likely to occur with corn silage when it’s harvested on the dry side or immediately after a killing frost.
The heterofermentative inoculants like L. buchneri, he says, consistently increase bunk life/aerobic stability (an issue in warm weather with corn and small grain silages). Studies show L. buchneri raises acetic acid and results in higher-pH silage. Because acetic acid inhibits yeasts and molds, L. buchneri-treated silage is more aerobically stable. Heterofermentative inoculants work more consistently across a wide range of conditions, while success with homofermenters are best in hay crop silage with a wilt time of a day.
In terms of DM loss, L. buchneri is intermediate between untreated silage and homofermentative inoculants. That’s not surprising because carbon dioxide gas is made and lost while producing acetic acid. Typically there’s a 1 to 2 percent improvement in DM recovery over untreated silage. In lactation trials with L. buchneri, acetic acid also increased. However, there’s been no effect on DM intake by cows and generally little or no effect on milk production (except in keeping silage cool).
But when combining the two types of inoculants – homofermenters and L. buchneri – it seems there is indeed potential to “get the best of both worlds,” notes Muck of the DM recovery and animal performance of a standard inoculant and the bunk life/aerobic stability of L. buchneri. The potential for more milk appears to be happening on more than one crop, he notes, admitting that more animal trials are needed though.
This ag engineer reminds producers that the bacteria in the inoculant has to be alive when it goes on the crop to work. Keep the inoculant tank cool the best you can in the heat of summer. He also prefers to add the inoculant on the forage harvester as there are multiple opportunities for the inoculant to be mixed with the crop; good distribution is important.
2012年10月23日星期二
Joy and Pride Behind the Sorrow
The epic odyssey of the boy Avedis, from the sandstorms of the Iraqi desert, to the golden throne of St James in Jerusalem, wound down to its inevitable close this week, as the coffin slowly descended into the grave, clods of earth raining down upon the lid, a final farewell: earth to earth.
The heavens themselves seemed to blaze forth the death of the prince, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, 96th in line of succession from Abraham, the first leader of the Armenian Church in the Holy Land.
In a hauntingly solemn ceremony, his fellow princes had led Manoogian to his final resting place in the Armenian cemetery of St Saviors, a stone's throw from the bullet-riddled Zion Gate, one of seven that punctuate the 500-years old Walls of the Old City.
Thousands of people, some of whom had flown in expressly for the occasion, watched the funeral or accompanied the cortege, the narrow streets of the Old City and the confined space within the cemetery making it impossible to accommodate more than a fraction of their number.
For the first time within living memory, the whole city seemed to have risen as one to pay tribute to the man who gave pungent definition to the terms “glasnost” and “perestroika,” and who helped usher a new era of stability and prosperity for his diminishing and dispirited fold.
Putting aside their differences for a brief spell, leaders or representatives of practically every house of God in Jerusalem, whether Christians, or the ones who call Him Yahweh, or those who call Him Allah, and of every political affiliation in the country, marched in the mournful funeral procession, from the Convent of St James, seat of the Armenian Patriarchate, to the Armenian cemetery.
The presence of the foreign host gave tangible, vociferous recognition of the ineradicable place Armenians continue to occupy in Jerusalem: despite the relentless attrition wars and catastrophes have precipitated in their numbers over the years, Armenians still prefer Jerusalem over their chief joy.
Ask any Armenian, if he or she could remold his destiny "to the heart’s desire," (in Omar Khayyam’s words), where would they like their home to be, and the reply will be unequivocally divided between Yerevan, capital of the Armenian homeland, and Yerusaghem (the Armenian name for Jerusalem).
Pulitzer prize winning novelist William Saroyan said it best: when any two Armenians meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia.
The unmistakable attendance of a special envoy from the Lebanon-based Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, historic rivals of the mother church in Armenia with which Jerusalem is aligned, gave vivid proof of this unshakable bond of fraternity and solidarity.
And to demonstrate his affinity with the Armenian church (as well as his own personal regard for Manoogian), former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah emerged out of self-imposed retirement, to join the funeral procession.
During the past 50 years or so, the Armenians of Jerusalem have had to bury two patriarchs: Guregh Israelian, in 1949, just after the first Arab-Israel war and Israel's proclamation of independence, and Yeghishe Derderian, in 1990.
Derderian had been elected locum tenens ("caretaker") following Israelian's death, and had adhered to that position tenuously for decades before finally succumbing to demands for an election that traditionally should take place after the expiration of a 40-day mourning period.
Church sources doubt this will happen again: within days of the death of Manoogian, the brotherhood of Armenian priests in Jerusalem met in general assembly to elect a new locum tenens, giving the nod to Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, director of the Patriarchate's ecumenical and foreign relations.
It will be his job, among his other caretaker responsibilities, to pave the way for the election of Jerusalem's 97th Armenian patriarch.
In one of the highlights of Manoogian's funeral mass, celebrated in the ornate Cathedral of St James, Shirvanian bent to bless Manoogian's body, dipping his finger in a receptacle holding the holy chrism, and anointing the late patriarch's forehead and right hand.
The gesture is a tacit affirmation of the link of patriarchal succession and points to the symbolic importance of the right hand of an Armenian priest (this is the hand he uses to bless the congregation and offer communion) as evidenced by the fact that relics of Armenian saints are usually housed in golden moulds or replicas of the right hand.
Before coming to Jerusalem, Manoogian had held, reportedly to popular acclaim, the highly prestigious position of Primate of the Eastern Diocese of America, a mandate that gave him spiritual jurisdiction over tens of thousands of Armenians living on America's east coast. But he gave all that up to go and act as shepherd to a mere handful, in the city of Christ.
And Jerusalem turned out to be one mammoth challenge, a fact acknowledged by the Armenian church, as conceded by the late Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazken I, who said of Manoogian: “We see that his task is difficult: a heavy responsibility weighs upon his shoulders. “
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Manoogian’s successor as Primate, echoed the same sentiments in a eulogy: “He was one of the very few churchmen of his generation to carry the weight of our church on his shoulders. He stood out . . . and seemed to combine all the grace and dignity of the Armenian past, with all our fondest hopes and aspirations for the future. “
Like Manoogian, Barsamian is a member of the priestly Brotherhood of St James, and his name has cropped up as a potential candidate to replace succeed, a prospect he shares with half a dozen others, each no less impressive in his credentials.
Among the front-runners of the eligible candidates among the Brotherhood, two stand out: Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, the locum tenens, and Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, the Patriarchal Vicar. The former primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, who died recently, had also been among the undeclared runners.
The Armenians of Jerusalem know that it is not going to be easy to replace Manoogian, the reformer.
"Manoogian was a visionary, an idealist, and despite his foibles, he was able to inspire and consolidate the local Armenian community which had been wrung out to dry during the previous administration," as an observer remarked.
"Under his tutelage, division lines blurred, and people began to feel once more a strong sense of unity, of belonging," he added. "Repercussions of the unhappy, traumatic age of Manoogian's predecessor lost their poignancy. Here was a man who could deliver, who cared for his flock, and showed it."
The heavens themselves seemed to blaze forth the death of the prince, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, 96th in line of succession from Abraham, the first leader of the Armenian Church in the Holy Land.
In a hauntingly solemn ceremony, his fellow princes had led Manoogian to his final resting place in the Armenian cemetery of St Saviors, a stone's throw from the bullet-riddled Zion Gate, one of seven that punctuate the 500-years old Walls of the Old City.
Thousands of people, some of whom had flown in expressly for the occasion, watched the funeral or accompanied the cortege, the narrow streets of the Old City and the confined space within the cemetery making it impossible to accommodate more than a fraction of their number.
For the first time within living memory, the whole city seemed to have risen as one to pay tribute to the man who gave pungent definition to the terms “glasnost” and “perestroika,” and who helped usher a new era of stability and prosperity for his diminishing and dispirited fold.
Putting aside their differences for a brief spell, leaders or representatives of practically every house of God in Jerusalem, whether Christians, or the ones who call Him Yahweh, or those who call Him Allah, and of every political affiliation in the country, marched in the mournful funeral procession, from the Convent of St James, seat of the Armenian Patriarchate, to the Armenian cemetery.
The presence of the foreign host gave tangible, vociferous recognition of the ineradicable place Armenians continue to occupy in Jerusalem: despite the relentless attrition wars and catastrophes have precipitated in their numbers over the years, Armenians still prefer Jerusalem over their chief joy.
Ask any Armenian, if he or she could remold his destiny "to the heart’s desire," (in Omar Khayyam’s words), where would they like their home to be, and the reply will be unequivocally divided between Yerevan, capital of the Armenian homeland, and Yerusaghem (the Armenian name for Jerusalem).
Pulitzer prize winning novelist William Saroyan said it best: when any two Armenians meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia.
The unmistakable attendance of a special envoy from the Lebanon-based Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, historic rivals of the mother church in Armenia with which Jerusalem is aligned, gave vivid proof of this unshakable bond of fraternity and solidarity.
And to demonstrate his affinity with the Armenian church (as well as his own personal regard for Manoogian), former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah emerged out of self-imposed retirement, to join the funeral procession.
During the past 50 years or so, the Armenians of Jerusalem have had to bury two patriarchs: Guregh Israelian, in 1949, just after the first Arab-Israel war and Israel's proclamation of independence, and Yeghishe Derderian, in 1990.
Derderian had been elected locum tenens ("caretaker") following Israelian's death, and had adhered to that position tenuously for decades before finally succumbing to demands for an election that traditionally should take place after the expiration of a 40-day mourning period.
Church sources doubt this will happen again: within days of the death of Manoogian, the brotherhood of Armenian priests in Jerusalem met in general assembly to elect a new locum tenens, giving the nod to Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, director of the Patriarchate's ecumenical and foreign relations.
It will be his job, among his other caretaker responsibilities, to pave the way for the election of Jerusalem's 97th Armenian patriarch.
In one of the highlights of Manoogian's funeral mass, celebrated in the ornate Cathedral of St James, Shirvanian bent to bless Manoogian's body, dipping his finger in a receptacle holding the holy chrism, and anointing the late patriarch's forehead and right hand.
The gesture is a tacit affirmation of the link of patriarchal succession and points to the symbolic importance of the right hand of an Armenian priest (this is the hand he uses to bless the congregation and offer communion) as evidenced by the fact that relics of Armenian saints are usually housed in golden moulds or replicas of the right hand.
Before coming to Jerusalem, Manoogian had held, reportedly to popular acclaim, the highly prestigious position of Primate of the Eastern Diocese of America, a mandate that gave him spiritual jurisdiction over tens of thousands of Armenians living on America's east coast. But he gave all that up to go and act as shepherd to a mere handful, in the city of Christ.
And Jerusalem turned out to be one mammoth challenge, a fact acknowledged by the Armenian church, as conceded by the late Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazken I, who said of Manoogian: “We see that his task is difficult: a heavy responsibility weighs upon his shoulders. “
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Manoogian’s successor as Primate, echoed the same sentiments in a eulogy: “He was one of the very few churchmen of his generation to carry the weight of our church on his shoulders. He stood out . . . and seemed to combine all the grace and dignity of the Armenian past, with all our fondest hopes and aspirations for the future. “
Like Manoogian, Barsamian is a member of the priestly Brotherhood of St James, and his name has cropped up as a potential candidate to replace succeed, a prospect he shares with half a dozen others, each no less impressive in his credentials.
Among the front-runners of the eligible candidates among the Brotherhood, two stand out: Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, the locum tenens, and Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, the Patriarchal Vicar. The former primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, who died recently, had also been among the undeclared runners.
The Armenians of Jerusalem know that it is not going to be easy to replace Manoogian, the reformer.
"Manoogian was a visionary, an idealist, and despite his foibles, he was able to inspire and consolidate the local Armenian community which had been wrung out to dry during the previous administration," as an observer remarked.
"Under his tutelage, division lines blurred, and people began to feel once more a strong sense of unity, of belonging," he added. "Repercussions of the unhappy, traumatic age of Manoogian's predecessor lost their poignancy. Here was a man who could deliver, who cared for his flock, and showed it."
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