Hong Gil Dong
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12 Episode 13 Episode 14 Episode 15 Episode 16 Episode 17 Episode 18 Episode 19 Episode 20 Episode 21 Episode 22 Episode 23 Episode 24 (Final)
76 January 4, 2008 January 24, 2016
Hong Gil Dong: Episode 1
Hong Gil Dong is (finally) here!
First off: Hong Gil Dong is what they call a fusion sageuk. It's a historical drama but not a pure sageuk like Jumong or Jewel in the Palace; rather, it's been updated with a modern twist. Ergo the "fusion."
A drama like Legend had some modernish elements to it (the language was simple and easy to understand for the contemporary viewer, unlike the stilted ancient Korean that sageuk characters typically speak), but it's not really a fusion sageuk. If anything, it's a fantasy series.
Hong Gil Dong has a completely modern vibe while remaining set in the Chosun era (1392-1910) — the language isn't merely contemporary, it's positively slangy. The drama frequently jumps out of its period setting to make anachronistic use of modernisms (Gil Dong sports dark sunglasses, the performers breakdance).
The first episode isn't as immediately hook-y as the writers' previous dramas (My Girl had me addicted within the hour; Delightful Girl Chun Hyang took a mere ten minutes), but it's still got the Hong sisters' trademark comedy flair and winsome characters.
Lucite Tokki – "토끼와 자라" (tortoise and the hare) [ zShare download ]
EPISODE 1 RECAP
We start out at some kind of festivity hosted by the town magistrate, where upper-class attendees eat and drink as they enjoy a dance and drum performance. Right away, you'll know this is a fusion sageuk from the breakdancing and hip-hop dance moves, as well as the camera work, swishing and panning like this is some kind of music video.
Sailing into the revelry is a woman attached to a hang glider; she lands onstage, then leads the dancers in more hip-hop moves as the magistrate enjoys the show.
She's HEO ENOK, and she's not so much a dancer as she is a bandit infiltrating the elite gathering. Two additional intruders sail over the walls and take out the guards, and then it's all-out attack as more bandits storm inside.
The bandits are outnumbered by the magistrates' guards, but they've got the superior fighting skills. The guards' arrows are neatly intercepted by a boomerang —
— thrown by the ever-so-cool HONG GIL DONG.
Yup, he looks pretty suave, but his accomplices know him well enough to mutter, "He just came late to make a flashy entrance."
Gil Dong swaggers into the mix; the battle continues; our group of bandits wins. They saunter out, chiding the corrupt magistrate for his abuses of power, and the commoners outside cheer their champion. Because, the historical figure of Hong Gil Dong, elevated to myth-like status by a fictionalized book written in the late Chosun era, was something of a Robin Hood, stealing from corrupt officials and giving back to the oppressed masses.
And then, we jump backward, to some time before……
…back when Gil Dong was just a lazy scoundrel, enjoying women and gambling and trouble. He's got a devil-may-care attitude, is quick to a fight, and harbors no real motivation to do anything useful with himself. Naturally, he's charming, but even his boyish appeal isn't enough to outweigh the trouble he causes everyone. Mothers invoke his name to scare their little girls into behaving ("If you don't behave, I'll marry you off to Gil Dong!" — which, by the way, would totally just be incentive for me to keep misbehaving, but I digress) and shopkeepers rush to close business when he's near, because he invariably fights and breaks everything. He's an unholy terror.
After a long, hard day's work of hell-raising, Gil Dong sneaks onto an upper-class estate where the servants react to his presence with a mix of dread and exasperation. This is his father's home, and the servants wince as he wanders among them and snatches food — specially prepared for the ancestral rites.
Gil Dong watches the rites performed by his dignified father (government official MINISTER HONG) and older half-brother (HONG IN HYUNG) from just outside. Gil Dong isn't as impervious to emotion as he seems; his cavalier façade crumbles just a little, and we see a hint of how such a capable man turned into such a ne'er-do-well. Because, you see, Gil Dong is illegitimate.
He flashes back to his youth, when he was a smart young boy full of eager dreams of being useful and worthy. But his father countered every hope with severity, telling Gil Dong that he couldn't achieve those dreams, so he'd better give them up. He's a nobleman's son but his illegitimate status makes him of the servant class, so he can't do those things. "You don't have to do anything with your life," his father always told him.
But Gil Dong doesn't let himself sink into too much self-pity, and we jump over to Enok's story, who's on a boat to Korea with her grandfather. They're on their way back from China, and starving. Or at least Enok is; her grandfather sneaks a sweet bun while her stomach grumbles. She finds that he's been hiding food from her, and they fight to claim the bun. Enok wins, and runs outside to enjoy it in peace — and spots a mysterious, elegant stranger: LEE CHANG WHE, who's lost in painful memories about his past.
She tries to get a closer look at him, but Chang Whe assumes she's going to attack and lashes out, asking why she was staring. She indignantly says she was merely looking at him because he was good-looking. Chang Whe tells her to scram; Enok sees that he's crushed her precious sweet bun under his foot, and yells: "Cancel what I said about good-looking!"
Not at all amused, Chang Whe tells her coldly not to play around with him — he'll kill her. He's obviously upper-class and important (the silence and entitlement are prime clues); he also travels with a bodyguard/right-hand man, CHISU.
Gil Dong runs into a Buddhist priest, who challenges him to a fight (as Buddhist priests are wont to do) — if Gil Dong loses, he has to do a chore for the priest. (Extortion! Buddha's new path to nirvana.) Thus Gil Dong is roped into digging shallow graves for the heads of beheaded thieves who've been executed by the court. Times are tough and thieves abound, all trying to survive. The people know the situation is their incompetent king's fault, but nobody dares talk about it for fear of being executed.
Gil Dong asks why the priest is always making him do this kind of work. The priest answers, "Because it's your job. The king busies himself with tyranny, the officials are corrupt, and the people's grievances reach toward heaven. …Gil Dong, when you look upon these wrongs, don't you feel anything?" Gil Dong: "Nope. Why should I feel anything like that for this country? I'm going to leave soon." He wants to leave his unfulfilling life here and head for China.
The priest curses him for his selfishness, then wonders, "Did I misjudge him?"
Enok's boat docks, and she (literally) runs into Chang Whe again on the pier. Although it's an accident, he remembers her and asks if she's following him before coldly dismissing her.
Enok and her grandfather have brought back what they think will be their ticket to wealth — some special Chinese medicine. But when they try to sell it to Mr. Wang, one of the merchants in the marketplace, he tells them they've been scammed and refuses to buy it.
To recoup their losses, they pull off a scam of their own — pretending to be Chinese, Grandpa announces that his demure granddaughter will give her hand in marriage to the man who can beat her in a fight. Because why court a girl until you know how well she'll take a beating? The eager men line up, only to be soundly defeated. Contrary to her looks, Enok's a skilled fighter (and her grandfather sneaks his help in when needed).
They reveal their "secret" to Enok's success — the medicine — and peddle it to their audience. Gil Dong hears that a girl from China is selling lots of medicine, and rushes over to ask Enok to teach him Chinese. She's busy selling medicine and turns him away, so Gil Dong gets her attention in another way: By taking her up on her challenge.
She's a good fighter, but he's better. Soon he's manhandling her easily in front of everybody, not merely outmaneuvering her but embarrassing her to boot. Grandpa tries to help, but that backfires, and the fight ends with Gil Dong the clear winner.
Which means… now she's gotta marry him, per the rules of her challenge.
Next thing we know, they're alone in his room and he rushes to take off his shirt, while Enok pleads to be released from the agreement. Gil Dong tells her with a leer, "Now that we're married, let's hurry and get to it! I'm in a rush!" He grabs her while she tries to deflect, and it's part hilarious, part creepy, until he sits her down at the table and clarifies — he wants to start his Chinese lessons immediately.
But it's not a complete misunderstanding on our part, because when she asks, "Are Chinese lessons really the only thing you want from me?" he tells her, "Well, if you're disappointed, I could give it a try—" while fumbling to take his pants off.
Enok stops him, and agrees to give him Chinese lessons if he'll do one thing for her — which he misinterprets, again fumbling eagerly for his pants. LOL. I love that Hong Gil Dong is horny. But no, Enok wants him to help sell the medicine, since it's his fault she lost her potential customers.
Meanwhile, we get another glimpse into Chang Whe's past, flashing back to a great fire in the palace where he was once a young prince and his mother the queen.
Knowing that someone was out to kill him, the queen sends off her son into hiding with Court Lady Noh. His mother sacrifices herself for his sake so he can escape (if it were known that he survived, the assassination attempts would continue). She gives him her hairpin and tells him he must survive, as he's the true heir to the throne.
As an adult, Chang Whe suspects that the one behind the attempted murder was his very own older brother — the current ruler, a hedonistic and debauched man. As an illegitimate son, his position wasn't possible when Chang Whe was alive, but now that he's believed to be dead, he's king by default.
Gil Dong manages to sell Enok's medicine, although he practically forces it upon the fearful villagers. Already the two have settled into a pattern of familiar bickering — she tries to hit him when he's being mocking, which causes her to bump into Chang Whe yet again. This time he's even more annoyed, and tells her that the next time he sees her, he'll assume she's stalking him and break her legs. He unknowingly drops his mother's royal hairpin, which Enok finds and wears.
Gil Dong drops by home, and comes upon his father. When his father asks what he's been doing, Gil Dong answers, "I've been doing nothing at all," just as his father has always insisted was his lot in life. He's not bitter, but the words are loaded.
His father asks Gil Dong to light his pipe for him, and we get the sense that this is not a usual occurrence. Even the smallest gesture of concern seems to affect Gil Dong, hinting at a lifetime of feeling unwanted and unloved. His father comments that Gil Dong is like him (which seems to affect Gil Dong profoundly), then gently dismisses him.
Gil Dong's half-brother In Hyung comes by, and the brothers are not on great terms. In Hyung is a bit shallow and petty, whereas Gil Dong, while reckless on the outside, has hidden depths that his brother lacks. (The relationship reminds me of the one between Lee Seo Jin and Jung Chan in Lovers, with one son vying for the father's attention and always coming up short, as his father prefers the other.) The father recognizes the disparity, and to his own dismay, his legitimate son is limited in skill, while his son with great potential is restricted by the social system and reduced to wasting his talents.
At a club, we have our second modern-style dance sequence, this time a trance-y dance with flashing lights worthy of an Lee Jung Hyun "live" performance of techno gyrating. Chang Whe and his bodyguard Chisu observe, out to collect info relating to palace matters, while Enok arrives separately looking for her grandpa.
Enok sees Chang Whe, remembers his warning, and sneaks off to avoid him — but that causes her to run into a different table. The patron is the hotheaded In Hyung, and he drunkenly mocks Enok. She pushes him back into a table, which infuriates him so much he insists he'll have her killed.
Chang Whe sees the hairpin she's wearing and realizes he has to retrieve it before someone recognizes it as a royal artifact. However, he can't do so without attracting notice to himself, and starts to follow Enok out, who's shouting for someone to help her while being dragged away by In Hyung's men.
And then, someone jumps in to rescue her — Gil Dong.
Gil Dong grabs Enok, and the two run off while In Hyung and his sidekicks chase them outside.
Additional thoughts:
The verdict?
Episode 1 isn't the best first episode I've seen, but it's a solid start, and the series has definite potential to be a good one.
Sung Yuri is thankfully much better than I'd feared — the bold character works for her. I'm not so sure she'd do well being subtle and moving, but like Han Ye Seul in Fantasy Couple, this exaggerated role suits her. There was a lot of preemptory talk comparing Sung Yuri to Yoon Eun Hye in Coffee Prince, but I see her much more as channeling Ju Yoorin (Lee Da Hae) in My Girl. In fact, I'd say she's got a great chance at being completely adorable IF she trusts herself enough to move away from the Yoorin character, otherwise she'll be relegated to Yoorin 2.0 status.
I'm less impressed with Jang Geun Seok, who comes off kinda wooden. Although it's only the first ep, I wouldn't automatically assume his lack of emotion is a writing flaw — Kang Ji Hwan conveys much more pathos with one sad look than Jang Geun Seok does with full-on tears. But there's plenty of time for improvement.
Kang Ji Hwan is reliably wonderful. The fact that he makes me feel pangs of sympathy for his character's past with so little yet revealed is testament to his charisma as an actor. Plus, I'm a sucker for reluctant heroes. And "outwardly strong, inwardly vulnerable due to lack of love" types. And reformed scoundrels who start out damaged, but then suck it up and choose to live up to their inner greatness. And people with inner greatness. *sigh*
In terms of characters and background tableau, Hong Gil Dong has really fantastic story potential with nicely complex characters. Gil Dong's eventual transformation from wastrel into the legendary icon has so much room for great stuff there. There's a tendency in the first two episodes to dip into over-the-top comic-bookishness, which is a risky style choice because while it lends fun energy to the action, it has the potential to lead the drama astray into too much jokiness (which I thought was the main detractor to the enjoyable but sometimes farcical Fantasy Couple). I really, really hope Hong Gil Dong lives up to its potential.
Pictures speak louder than words
Hong Gil Dong staffers pray for success
Sneak peek: A different kind of Hong Gil Dong
Overseas love for Kang Ji Hwan, and not just from me
The sageuk bandwagon
Tags: first episodes, Hong Gil Dong, Jang Geun-seok, Kang Ji-hwan, Sung Yuri
76 All Comments Most Recent
1 all4movies
Thanks so much for the detailed recap. I'm really looking forward to checking this series out when it's available. Love your comparisons to other kdramas as it lends a lot of flavour and insight to your comments. Keep it up.
ps Boy did Kang Ji Hwan look hot in the beginning, it definitely made my heart beat faster.
2 ripgal
Finally, you've written, Beans!
Have been waiting for your verdict on the 1st ep..
Anywayz, I was pretty disappointed with Ep 1. Maybe I had expected too much..
The effects were just way too much for me.. I know we're talking about the Hong Sisters here, but again, maybe it's me.
I agree with you that KJH's really good. He's probably the only one who nailed his role perfectly..
About SYR, she's alright. She's quite adorable..but rather than seeing Yoo Rin in her, I thought about Lee Ji Ah as Sujini in Legend seeing SYR play Heo Yi Neok. hehehe..
I'm looking forward to this show, thank you for your wonderful website and analyses. I did watch episode 1 of "Robbers" with Lee Da Hae and Jang Hyuk, and it is well-written, thoughtful, and a mix of comedy and serious drama (sorry, I know that is off topic).
4 Jenny
i really want to see this, it seems exciting and funny.
And the screencaps are so great ^^
5 bamidele
Thanks for the wonderful summary, I have been checking everyday for you to post it up. I definitely want to check this drama out!!
6 haezi
thanks for the awesome recap. i did enjoy the first two episodes, although the opening fusion dance scene was a little awkward (i'll let it slide since it's not the focus of the show). hong gil dong's first appearance was too cool, however, and the whole gang reminds me of the japanese anime, dragon ball. i love the glasses!
sung yuri's transformation is surprisingly natural and a 180' from her snow queen days. it looks like the hong sisters have another great drama. on a side note, the other two dramas playing during the same time are also promising. new heart is interesting because of its slant on the highly stressful field of cardiothoracic surgery, although the supporting actors can be a little annoying. bandits is also surprisingly fun in the first episode and lee da hae is similar to her my girl character, although less over-the-top. so many dramas and so little time!
7 Cartman
hmm..I don't know...I'm having this kind of feeling: The wind is trying to pull me but I'm still resisting. I guess I'm gonna hold on to that thought. I'll stay for a while then see if it's really good. But so far it's fairly satisfactory. but just like javabeans said, they started with a solid ground. now, that's not so bad right? :)
8 invisibelle
Excellent, it looks promising to me. Thanks for the recap! :)
9 Lena S.
I was so nervous to read your 1º review about this episode LOL, I really shouldn't have such high expectations for Hong Gil Dong but i can help to cheer everytime Kang Ji Hwan shows up on screen :-)
thanks for the recap javabeans!
just curious, did you watch Robbers too?
10 MiscellaneousJo
Thanks for the summary! Looking forward to the series! 강지윈 오빠 너무 멌있다~~
11 canyayasis
Sung Yuri must have the best agent in Korea. This is not the performance I had hoped for.
12 La Plume
You know what? During the Coffee Prince fever, you used to post at 1am (French Hour) your recap... So since last Wednesday I've been refreshing and refreshing and refreshing... But finally it came THANK YOU!!!
As I am in my exam period I couldn't watch both episodes and just settled on some extracts and the first 20mn of the 1st episode. Personally I was thrilled by what I'd seen apart from Sung Yuri's acting though it is probably because I watched extracts and not the whole thing.
Anyway I was really anxious to see your reaction. Hong Gil Dong managed a good rate start with 15% for the first two when Robbers dropped of more than 3% between the first and second day. I know you don't care about rating but it's interesting to see it comparing soompiers' reactions because from what I've seen the Robbers thread is much more lively than the Hong Gil Dong one. Problem of Robbers probably is how they're gonna keep the "funny" and "entertaining" atmosphere they've managed to build in the first two episodes with that kind of story...
Anyway coming back to Hong Gil Dong and knowing your taste, I was really afraid that you would just become completely disappointed which seemed to be the reaction of most of the soompiers... Or maybe because of lack of time dunno...
Glad it seems you're gonna stick to it. I think people may have a hard time "getting into" this drama, as you've said seems risky to be as jokey from the very first episodes but it may also have raised Korean viewers curiosity... Looking forward to your next recap...
By the way Are you gonna make one for Robbers as well ?
PS: I also though KJH was perfect in the few scenes I've seen
13 Shen
The fusion element really reminds me of the anime Samurai Champloo.
Your recaps are great!
14 dadani
I wonder when it'll available on Widenet??? today or at least tomorrow~ it seems that Yoon Eun Hye gets high admiration from many fans around here. Frankly, i have no interest in her acting... it stays the same from drama to drama. I think Sung yuri is much better than 'cos her roles are a bit from each other~ well~
i like Kang Jae Hwan with Han Ji Min~ they're perfect couple (despite the big gap in their height^^) in Scandal in Gyeongseong (old seoul). He looks a bit weird in some caps~haha. this seems quite fun~a stunning drama of KBS for the early 2008.
A new couple made up by KJH and SYR~ I saw some extracts from KBS drama awards and was so curious about their affair in this drama.
Anyways, thanks for recaps^_^
15 Susie Q
Thank you javabeans for your recap and analysis. I've been a faithful reader for awhile now, and I always enjoy your commentary and screencaps. I have not seen any other dramas the two leads have been in, so I don't have any comparisons to make. Both of them are great, and Sung Yuri makes me laugh (I have not seen Legend or My Girl, so I don't know whether she's channeling the females from those dramas). I very much enjoyed the first two episodes - I like the fusion, the action, and its general freneticism (I can't stand sappy, weepy k-melodramas). Anyway, I hope that HGD only gets better as it progresses! I'm looking forward to your commentaries!
16 bethany
hello! haha, as already stated by the 20 people before me, ive been waiting to read this too. i couldnt find the honggildong ep1 at first, so caught robbers.... and i really, really liked it. esp after having just watched "my delightful girl choonhyang", i really enjoy lee da hee's performance! and jang hyuk. haha... we'll see if you recap that as well, but yes. then! i watched hong gil dong...
and i think i was a little biased because everyone and their mom at soompi was bad mouthing it (slight exaggeration) but then i watched it... and perhaps due to my poor korean i really didnt get a lot out of it. something just felt a litttttle off? the production? the effects? but i'm reluctant to quit on it, especially because you speak so highly of ... everyone. minus yuri. so i'll be reading/watching faithfully until proven otherwise, just wanted to drop by and say thank you!
17 cathy
finallly!there's something to read in here lol!but like the other post too, its just that your writing shine the most by these kinds of review.thanks javabeans!
18 blue4u
Thanks for the recap! I enjoyed some of Kang Ji Hwan's drama...now i think i have to wait and see its next episode!
19 Stawr
So a couple of things, hahaha.
1) Thank you so much for the summary! I always love reading your reviews, opinions and comments. They're quite insightful.
2) I think majority of the soompiers who are watching this drama need to back down and lay off a bit. I think for most of us this whole "fusion" thing is really new and it needs some time getting used to and understanding the functionality of it all. I know I'm having some trouble trying to catch on what's going on and keeping up with all the weird camera angles, subtleties, etc.
3) I feel as if Sung Yuri's overplaying the obnoxious card. She did come out better than I expected though, bold really suits her, but if she doesn't want to be the next "Yoorin" or "Sujini", she's got a lot of work to do...
Finally, 4) There seems to be quite a few similarities between Hong Gil Dong and Sun Woo Wan (Capital Scandal). Both aren't really committed to anything, both have fathers whom they desire affection/approval from, both like to screw around, flirt, drink, have fun and get into all sorts of trouble. I was disappointed with the first episode because I was hoping for KJH to pull out something new... There were some moments when I just went, "What the hell?" and groaned. Nonetheless, halfway through, I warmed up to it and laughed at some of the scenes. I don't like dramas that overdo the "sappiness"/"jokiness"/"seriousness" so hopefully, this drama won't do anything too risky...
20 godzillaicecream
Hopefully the series will warm up. You can't beat the first episode of Delightful Girl.
21 kotatsulove
i'm a little nervous to see this since your response is sort of lukewarm, but the screencaps and summaries look promising. thanks for the summary!
22 JiHwanner
as always, great recap! thanks a lot!
my two cents, the camera loves JGS and SY. but KJH owns the show. he is one of those rare actors who can be convincing in both comedy and drama - a difficult skill. the scene where he is among the tree branches gazing down at the ancestral rite is my favorite and i feel a very important characterization scene. it captured who hong gil dong is. all bluster, all heart. and KJH acted it out beautifully.
23 Marzy
yey!! thanks sarahbeans!! waiting for ur verdict.. well in HGD thread.. there are those who liked it and those who werent impressed. many soompiers, were saying the special effect vs fusion saeguk thing. i dont dwell to much on the fusion thing, but it is new. for me though, its ok. it was a nice start. i didnt expect to much. those special effects were ok to me, im used to seeing them on stephen chow movies etc.
kang ji hwan was just the best id say... the acting.. he lights up the screen for me.. he makes me love HGD the character..
the story is interesting thus far.
yuri, was a surprise. i didnt expect it. but its better than what id thunk.
id think if they mold this in the way hyang dan was it would be awesome and unforgettable. this has good potential and i think it could be really good. maybe once the expectations were let down ppl would be able to enjoy more.
Oh btw, a group called KST released ep1 subs of HGD. Does that mean WITHS2 will not continue with theirS? im more comfortable and like WITHS2 subs as well. But this is a nice appreciated effort.
25 hjk
Thanks for the recap! I've missed them.
I really enjoyed the first episode. I couldn't stop laughing when the horny HGD was fumbling with his pants. The hand gyrations were because his pants were tied really tightly with a string, right? And what about the part where he sneaks the food and chooses the veggies but leaves the boochingae/pajun? because he has to lose weight? LOL! I think a lot people will just have to wait for the subs to understand all the witty dialogue. This show has a lot of potential, and watching the many expressions of KJH are well worth the wait.
26 marcel
ooo... i've never seen a fusion sageuk before... this looks like a fun one...
27 rach
I'm currently watching this episode right now and I'm at the part where Hong Gil Dong is watching the ceremony his father and brother are presiding over.
As I watching him stuff his face full of pancakes and whatnot a though came across my mind: "If Ju Ji Hoon stuck with this project, it would have been weird to watch him stuff his face full of food like a beggar (however it would have been highly adorable!)"
Oh well, Kang Ji Hwan is just as adorable (from what I've seen so far...)
28 teokong
Thank you for your wonderful summary. Looking forward to watch this fusion saeguk drama and reading the next episode summary. Love the character of KJH act.
29 frankly
does song yuri scamming the villagers under the pretense of offering her hand in marriage channel vicki zhao a la xiao yan zi in this really old chinese drama? see - http://mysticalaura.com/hzgg/gallery/xyz3.jpg at least to me it did, and i found it very amusing. the clothes, hair and the fact that pulling off such scams was something very xiao yan zi-ish.. ><
30 Rong
To state, i've not watched Bandit although i intend to. but i find HGD really cute after eps 1. i have to agree that his expression is really priceless. if it was JJH, i don't think i'll see much. haha... but SYR's expression is a bit too much for me even though i've not seen her in SnowQueen. i hope it's good and i'll enjoy it as time passes. but one thing to note, i'm sure the Hong sisters won't let us down. just when i thought FC was going to fail me, it picked up! hee, so let's just hope wait for the best part to show! =)
p.s. is bandit really tt nice? hello miss started out funny too, for 5 eps... :S heh...
AAWWww damn I really wanna see it NOOOOOWW...but *waits patiently for clubbox DL* ._.
32 estelle
Kang Ji Hwan is great! The first 2 eps r funny indeed... =)
33 ripgal
#30 Rong
The first ep of Bandit/Robber/Robbers was an impressive pilot episode, with a good plot, unique storyline, out of the ordinary characters, and most importantly, amazing music score. I've only seen Ep 1 and I already love it..
I'm a fan of both LDH and KJH, I really don't want to compare.. but Robbers is really, just more interesting for me. hehehe..
34 kate
i watched the Hong Gil Dong. i like it, the plot is intriguing and the characters are interesting. looking forward to the next episode. Javabean, do you know anything about "Cain and Abel" with So Ji Sup that is the drama I have been wanting to see!
ooo... finally uve posted! don't dare start a watching this new drama because i will be hooked and i've got some serious exams coming up! damn... i'll have to wait! but thanks for the recap! it sounds quite interesting.
36 maltesers
ooohh...i love your recap! thank so much!! i eagerly wait till the subs are complete!!
happy new year, javabeans...
awww...i'm so happy that you're doing the episode summaries for this series!! =D Thank you so much for this...like so many others...I can't wait to see where the story leads to next. Thanks a million again--watching it w/o subs is really hard but this helped clear some things for me.
Thanks for the recap!!! I've only watched a small segment of it, but I think Yuri looks gorgeous XD
39 marie_s
i really hope that it lives up to expectations. i love kang ji hwan, i think actingwise, he's far way better than joo ji hoon. but i don't know! joo ji hoon has got me completely hooked on him, perhaps the mystery, plus he's soooo handsome! i read that he rejected this project two weeks before shooting started because he wanted a salary as high as what yoon eun hye is getting from coffee prince per episode. if that's the reason, that's utterly ridiculous! this is a potentitally good drama that may follow princess hour's feat! (the devil was okay, but let's admit it, it didn't do well with the ratings! and the story is not for the liking of many.) it would have been such a pleasant sight to see joo ji hoon doing comedy upfront (although princess hours was a comedy, his character was a bit restrained)! why oh why! oh gosh! it's really an opportunity thrown in the trash! in as much as i like kang ji hwan, i really hoped joo ji hoon starred here!
yes indeed it's a fusion, much like abs-cbn's (philippine tv station) adaptation of princess sarah, the famous story of the girl sarah crewe! it was really funny i must say! i love fusion, mixing history with modernism!
41 vrosemarie
Thanks for the recap!
I really enjoyed the first episode!! KJH had me kicking my legs in the air!!! His touching scenes were well done too... I agree with Jihwanner about the tree part... That was a lovely scene... SYR's acting seems to be perfectly acceptable here... I quite like her bold and noisy! I read the recap before I watched it but I still laughed real hard... The costumes are really interesting looking and I laughed when he put on those funny yellow sunnies! I think I'll be watching more of this drama... :)
42 tealeaf
Even in this first episode, i thought that Kang Ji Hwan takes on his role quite well. I don't think that i've ever doubted that his performance will be subpar. Sung Yuri's performance is fine also. No doubt that KJH is charming, it's the series that lacks the charm factor for me (so far) - whereas DGCH's first episode was really awesome. Directing (obviously Hong sisters styled) and production didn't quite impress me. But like you've said, the storylines are promising and they can really go far with these characters. I hope that they'll tone down the exaggerated physical comedies and give us more meaty stuffs soon. Count me in as one of those who are hanging in there for now. Go KJH.
@ripgal, will check out Bandits next. You're a great saleswoman.
hgd is a good drama, i prefer hgd than robber. sincerely hope that people can accept sung yuri in hgd as i find her acting skill is very fine here. she is a talented actress as she has protrays very well in different dramas, such as one fine day, snow queen and hgd.
44 Kiongna
Just reading your summary I can tell KJW must be doing a marvelous job, sounds like just up his alley! Reminds me some of Capital City but this alla Saguek mode - luckily no matching hats/ribbon with suit LOL I can even feel him enjoying himself immensely in this role - bet all the NGs would have the whole crew laughing themselves silly and loads of camaraderie - how lovely....I'm looking forward to your following summaries! Thanks, Hugs E
45 JaneSc
I like the 2 episodes aired so far. Its refreshing and its different from the usual K-dramas due to its fusion theme. Its also not too heavy and i really enjoy it. You are right, the bold character suits Sung Yuri here.
46 thunderbolt
I watched Ep 1 today and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It's wild, wacky and very entertaining but not comic-bookish. KJH is perfect for the role; I can't imagine anyone else doing it. SYR's more than okay too. She's definitely improved after Thousand Years of Love where her acting was just a joke. I think she and KJH had good sparks in Ep 1 so things look very promising.
47 wandergirl
This isn't available on the D-Addicts torrent tracker yet, huh?
I guess I've to dl from Clubbox this time.
Thanks for the episode summary. I can't wait to watch it.
I read two paragraphs of your summary and went to watch the episode for myself. I have to agree- the moment I Saw Sung Yuri on that boat with her grandfather I thought - why is she acting so much like Lee Da Hae in My Girl? The resemblance was uncanny at first but then I do realize that it's SO much better than her wooden, depressing girl roles (which always made me think she couldn't act - i couldn't finish watching snow queen..or thousand years of love).
Believe or not, this is my first Kang Ji Hwan drama/mpvie that I've seen...ever. I think I've heard of him before ~~ I think he's doing a great job as Hong Gil Dong - he pays the funny and sad parts well ~ Jang Geun Suk on the other hand - he's sure charismatic! I think maybe it's just his character that's all stuffy...anyways can't wait to watch the next one!
Thanks for the summary!
49 jinkzzmec
thanks for the recap javabeans...i really like this drama so far .
50 jinhee
Thank you for your summary! It cleared a lot up for me. I thought Episode 1 was great! I just hope it keeps getting better, instead of shooting downward like many other reent dramas have.


November 26, 2018 issue
How do I find God in a newsroom massacre?
Gary Gately October 29, 2018
Steve Schuh, county executive of Anne Arundel County, Md., holds a copy of the Capital Gazette June 29, the day after a gunman killed five people and injured several others at the Annapolis, Md., newspaper. (CNS photo/Joshua Roberts, Reuters)
On a brilliant Thursday in late June, a deeply disturbed 38-year-old man armed with a pump-action shotgun opened fire in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md.
Frantically seeking a witness while reporting on the shooting as a stringer for The New York Times, I send a Facebook message to John McNamara, an award-winning sportswriter and news editor at the paper.
Surely, Mac—a friend, mentor and editor to the skinny kid who used to be me in spring 1982, when I started as a cub reporter at the University of Maryland's student paper, The Diamondback—would describe whatever happened in vivid detail on deadline and employ his Irish gift for putting words around it just so.
I obsessively check my cell phone for news, any news.
At 3:45 p.m., I gasp when I see the tweet from Phil Davis, the Capital Gazette police reporter: "A single shooter shot multiple people at my office, some of whom are dead."
My throat tightens. I knew the world changed in 1999 at Columbine High; so many have fallen in mass shootings since then, as "never again" keeps happening again with heartbreaking frequency. But a newsroom? This is the "Crapital," the "Crab Wrapper," the paper everybody kvetches about but everybody reads, every day.
So many have fallen in mass shootings, as "never again" keeps happening again with heartbreaking frequency.
Baltimore's WBAL News Radio interrupts afternoon talk with a bulletin: Five are dead after a gunman shot his way into the newsroom of the Capital Gazette newspaper.
The phone rings. Let it be Mac.
It is not he but a fellow Diamondback alum providing, on background, the names of the dead: Mac, along with two others connected with the University of Maryland, the editorial writer Gerald Fischman and Rob Hiaasen, an editor and columnist. The Gazette's longtime and beloved community columnist Wendi Winters and the young ad sales assistant Rebecca Smith also died in the rampage.
I am suddenly nauseous. It would be a natural human response to pause and weep for Mac and his fellow fallen newspaper staffers, to rage against whatever sociopath would gun down people putting out a newspaper.
But there is news to report, so I do as I have done for more than three decades: say a quick prayer and keep moving. Give in to emotions on a big, breaking story, however horrific, and you become the journalistic equivalent of the surgeon with shaky hands.
Give in to emotions on a big, breaking story, however horrific, and you become the journalistic equivalent of the surgeon with shaky hands.
For much of two days and well into the nights, I keep moving. But in the hurry-up-and-wait lulls between police updates, a court hearing for the suspect, seeking eyewitnesses and comments from friends and loved ones of the victims, my mind meanders through the decades to when I first met Mac at the daily Diamondback in May 1982. I had been assigned to cover a daylong energy conference at the university's adult education center. Exasperated and trying to make sense of the event, I recorded the whole thing. I filed my lead: "U.S. Energy Secretary James Edwards, utility officials and other energy experts gathered Saturday at the conference center at University College to discuss the complexities of America's energy crisis."
Mac, the paper's managing editor, told me, with his baby-faced leprechaun smile: "This is called a label lead. That means you could have written it before the event even happened. Focus instead on what happened, what's new, what's news."
Then Mac patted me on the back and said: "Don't worry about it, kid. Every cub makes this mistake. Now you won't anymore."
That is how John McNamara taught—with compassion and grace, at a student newspaper that put a premium on comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable, where the editor in chief who mentored Mac, David Simon (of "The Wire" fame), would write, "The journalist is the kid who stood at the edge of the playground, plotting his revenge."
John McNamara taught with compassion and grace at a student newspaper that put a premium oncomforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable.
Neither Mac nor Fischman nor legions of other Diamondbackers in that newsroom crucible could imagine a higher calling in life than journalism.
Nor could any of us have conceived then of an America where the president regularly condemns the Fourth Estate as the "enemy of the people," where alt-right commentators and extremist groups call for the assassination of journalists, where a Capital Gazette column exposing a deranged man's criminal harassment and stalking of a former high school classmate would prompt him to shoot up a newsroom.
At last, exhausted late Friday night, I send The Times my final feed, but I cannot turn off the adrenaline or stop reading about the rampage or watching the videos—until I recall the words I found on Mac's Facebook page the previous day, when I still thought I was preparing to interview him: "Are we not all precious in God's eyes?"
With that, I break down, and the image of myself as the hardbitten newspaperman that I have maintained over the past two days crumbles. I weep—for Mac, for his wife and college sweetheart, Andrea Chamblee, for his colleagues, for all of us. For they are us, and we are them but for grace and circumstance.
How do I find God in the violent death of my long-ago friend and mentor and four of his colleagues in a newsroom?
I have covered hundreds of murders and other untimely deaths. But this one's personal: I had never before known a victim I was reporting on, and as a journalist, I know you have to move on, for another story, another deadline looms always. Yet I can't shake this one easily.
I think of the words of a hero, the writer Joan Didion: "We tell ourselves stories in order to live.... We look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five."
The social or moral lesson in the murder of five? It sounds absurd in the context of the newsroom massacre, save perhaps for the lesson that the United States does a pitiful job keeping guns out of the hands of mentally ill mass murderers.
The Capital Gazette massacre is not only about incalculable loss but also all the gifts the departed gave us and leave us.
But I keep mulling over that Didion quote and keep asking: If we must strive to find God in all things, how do I find God in this, the violent death of my long-ago friend and mentor and four of his colleagues in a newsroom?
I pose the question to my priest-confessor, spiritual director, counselor and friend, the 84-year-old Jesuit Bill Watters. He patiently tells me, yes, we must see God as the crucified Christ in the lives stolen from us by a man filled with hatred. The tall, thin, Irish priest also does what he does so well, gently nudging me toward the light and helping me see anew that sometimes the light can shine brightly, even at the precipice of darkness.
Can we use public health models to cure the disease of gun violence?
Eileen Markey
Catholic community among mourners for newspaper shooting victims
George P. Matysek, Jr. - Catholic News Service
Remembering Mac and his kindness and what he taught me in that college newsroom half a lifetime ago sends me on a journey to beginnings—to what made me switch my major from pre-law and never look back—and doing so somehow rekindles my passion for journalism more than anything has in years.
In the aftermath of Mac's death and those of his colleagues, we the press—unaccustomed to getting much love in this age or any other if we are doing our jobs right—suddenly found ourselves embraced in an outpouring of support. Across the country, 350 newspapers published editorials affirming the work of a free press as essential to a democracy in these febrile times and rebuking the president for labeling journalists "enemies of the people" and purveyors of "fake news."
And the loss of Mac and his colleagues brought forth an abundance of admiration for those who have recognized the value and the power and the dignity of seeking out the stories of others, sharing them with the world and enriching us all.
As with so many untimely deaths I have covered, the story of the Capital Gazette massacre is not only about incalculable loss but also all the gifts the departed gave us and leave us. And there we find God and his light, even amid the darkness.
[Explore America's in-depth coverage of gun violence.]
Christopher Lochner
I am truly sorry for your loss...but....To use this event as a podium for championing the press is just plain wrong if not intellectually dishonest and certainly lacking in Christian spirit. The murders were NOT an attack on the press. This was the act of a deranged man who had a severe disagreement with and anger towards the local newspaper. A tragedy, yes, but no less than the tragic murders which occur around the country, in varying numbers, and by many different methods on a daily basis. Seriously, are five murders at once worse than one per day over five day? And if so, then why? Then it becomes a "numbers game". To act as if the murder of someone in MY group is of greater importance and should therefore lead to greater sympathy for MY group (again) does indeed diminish the sense of grief and, of itself, rejects the search for Christ. Is Christ in the numbers or the profession? Perhaps He is in the income level or the status. One wonders if He would query, "How was it, the grief of others shielded from you until you were impacted?" And, of couse, He would be addressing all of us, especially now and in this world. How is it, in this narcisstic society in which we attempt to survive, can even horrific events like this become so political and/or self serving? It is horrifying when tragedy is used as a method to maintain and promote group dynamics but is not terribly surprising, unfortunately, as this is done by many groups. To be blunt, it appears there is no "we" but only "me" or "us" and even in death. One wonders if anyone has stated, "You know the only reason I grieve is as a rebuke to Trump!" So pitiful.
Dionys Murphy
"All lives matter" is garbage for a reason. This event is political because Trump has consistently targeted the Press and whipped his useful idiots up into a frenzy attacking the press knowing full well they also tend to be gun-toting nutters.
Kate Gile
Beautiful and touchingly poignant. My favorite line I shall commit to memory:
"For they are us, and we are them but for grace and circumstance."
Jim Lein
It's not just overseas in countries with dictatorial leaders who attack the press regularly in speeches that the press is actually attacked--it's here at home. Increasingly the president calls the press an enemy. And some Trump loyalists take him literally. He is appealing to that base, stirring them up. He bears some responsibility. But of course he admits no such responsibility. He has never admitted to doing anything wrong. He regrets nothing he has done. He has never sinned. He has no religion, yet he has many religious followers. Of course so did Hitler, Catholics and Protestants.
Somehow this was shown twice. I'm trying to delete this the second one.
This article also appeared in print, under the headline "Remembering Mac," in the November 26, 2018, issue.
More: Journalism / Spirituality / Guns
Gary Gately
Gary Gately, a Baltimore-based journalist, has won 15 national, regional and local awards for investigative, public service, feature, business and travel stories. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe and elsewhere.
@GaryGately01


Breathing new life into spent Tesla EV batteries, Cactos raises €2.5 million to meet growing customer demand
Providing an end-of-life use for EV batteries, reducing the need for manufacturing of new batteries, and helping to stabilise the grid, Finnish startup Cactos is helping to secure a net zero future
Dan Taylor 29 November 2022
Finnish maker of smart energy storage units, Cactos has raised €2.5 million in a combination of equity and debt funding. With its current production operating at maximum capacity, the capital is slated to help the company more than double its factory size in early 2023, allowing for nearly a 10-fold increase in unit production.
Sourcing its primary material from spent Tesla EV batteries, Cactos uses proprietary technology to restore these power cells to a fully operational and safe condition. Given a new lease on life, these batteries are then converted into 100kWh energy storage units at Cactos' factory in Muhos, Finland.
While a battery is just a battery, the "other" side of Cactos' business involves a cloud computing service layered atop the energy storage unit that controls and optimises a growing fleet of power savers.
In addition to providing clients with a dashboard that can track the system status, consumption, and production data alongside other key metrics, the startups' cloud-based management service, dubbed Cactos Spine, uses AI to provide a consistent energy supply through usage peaks or blackouts, as well as automatically taking advantage of any lower electricity prices.
Conversely, Cactos units can also feed and provide stability to a power grid by balancing supply and demand. When there is a shortage of electricity, the units can automatically discharge energy into the grid, and if there is excess production, the units absorb energy.
Cactos One
Coming full circle, one use case for Cactos' offer would be that of EV charging stations and the electricity distribution networks that support them. Fast charging causes significant energy consumption peaks, and the charging stations may need to limit charging power due to limited connection size. The Cactos One unit helps shave the peaks and enables temporary loads larger than the connection size would otherwise allow.
"On the ground, companies are concerned about electricity supply and market volatility. The coming winter will clearly be a very difficult one, but the longer-term outlook with energy transition and temporal imbalance in supply and demand means there is a huge need for demand response and different ways to store energy. To service the market at large, our target was to create an energy storage solution that is carefree for the user and easily accessible. I believe we have succeeded in doing that; the Cactos One requires no upfront investment and operates independently," explained CEO and founder Oskari Jaakkola.
Cactos' €2.5 million funding round was led by Superhero Capital and saw the participation of Cactos' founders as well.
Cactos
HR tech startup Popwork raises €1.5 million
The Parisian HR software startup Popwork has banked €1.5 million in seed funds. The round is…


Plant Names:
A Guide to Botanical Nomenclature
By Roger Spencer, Rob Cross
Roger Spencer
By Roger Spencer and Rob Cross
Plant Names is an invaluable guide to the use of scientific, commercial and common names for plants and the conventions for writing them. Written by horticultural botanists at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, this book covers the naming of wild plants, plants modified by humans, why plant names change, their pronunciation and hints to help remember them, along with updated sections on trademarks and plant breeder's rights. The final section provides a detailed guide to resources useful to people using plant names.
This fourth edition is based on the recently updated International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. It makes this technical information readily understandable to a range of readers, including botanists, publishers, professional horticulturists, nursery workers, hobby gardeners and anyone interested in plant names.
Page ii
Page xiii
Codes of plant nomenclature
Part . 1 – Wild plants
Latin names, the binomial system and plant classification
The International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (ICN)
The botanical hierarchy
Part . 2 – Cultivated plants and cultigens
The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
Marketing names (trade designations)
Part . 3 – Using plant names
Writing plant names
Remembering names
Recommended format for nursery plant labels
Part . 4 – Plant name resources
Books and websites to help with plant names
Glossary and abbreviations
Kosciuszko Alpine Flora: Field Edition
Flora of the Otway Plain and Ranges 2


American Acropolis, American Ruins
Since 1979, photographer and sociologist Camilo José Vergara has taken repeat photographs of American cities in decline, focusing on evolving landscapes of postindustrial decay. Vergara's images subscribe to an aesthetic of ruin while providing a record of America's crumbling ghettos rooted in social documentary concerns. Vergara's work diverges from the ahistorical tendencies of contemporary ruin porn photography: by challenging the photograph's temporal stasis Vergara bears witness to the ongoing reality of disenfranchisement, assembling an archive that takes up the Benjaminian task of doing history in images. Vergara's photographs challenge standard photojournalistic portrayals of violence, particularly the ways in which `violent' African American and Hispanic inner city populations have been erroneously cast as the cause of their own economic misfortune. The Invincible Cities website assists Vergara in drawing attention to forgotten places but also complicates his mandate to engage outside viewers by distancing them from the real-world environments his photographs portray. Author Keywords: Camilo José Vergara, imagistic history, postindustrial decline, repeat photography, ruin porn, Walter Benjamin
Alien Imaginaries
This dissertation offers a cultural analysis of UFOs and extraterrestrials in the United States. In it I look at what I call real aliens — extraterrestrials believed to be real and interacting with humans on Earth. Beliefs in real aliens are often denigrated and dismissed in official discourse, yet they continue to not only persist, but thrive, in American society. Hence, this dissertation asks: Why do so many people believe that extraterrestrials are visiting our planet? Part One begins by tracing the invasion of real aliens in the United States using Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds" as a starting point. Here, I look at how and why the broadcast registered with listeners' anxieties and created a fantastic and uncanny effect that made it possible for some to conceive of aliens invading the United States. In Part Two, I trace the rise of ufology, which involves the study of extraterrestrials currently interacting with humans on Earth, and I consider how the social and political climate of the Cold War, as well as the cultural environment of postmodernity, provided the necessary conditions for stories about aliens to be made believable. Part Three explores the case study of the Roswell Incident, a conspiracy theory about the origins of an alleged flying saucer crash and government cover-up. I look at the reasons for why many individuals have come to believe in this conspiracy theory and I reflect on the tensions between "official" and "unofficial" discourses surrounding this case. I also consider how and why Roswell has become such an important site for ufology, and I examine the performances given by ufologists at the annual Roswell International UFO Festival to appreciate how ufologists offers seductive explanations of why things are the way they are; for many, their stories offer a better version of events than the purely rational and positivist explanations offered by official sources, especially since they tap into the disillusionment and mistrust that many Americans feel about contemporary politics. Author Keywords: aliens/extraterrestrials, America, conspiracy, official and unofficial, storytelling, ufology
Phantoms of Mars
My analysis of twentieth century Mars science and fiction outlines how the ongoing dialogic between Mars science and fiction publics influences the American frontier dialectic and how Mars serves as the arena where this debate comes to life. It examines connections between myth, science, and fiction by tracing the evolution of historical and literary representations of the American frontier and understandings of Mars spanning the twentieth century. To illustrate these findings, I investigate the fictional visions of the planet in the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury, and Kim Stanley Robinson. Ultimately, Mars is revealed as a fictional frontier where a better way of living may be achievable by transforming the planet and ourselves. Finally, the planet's physical site holds a haunting potential value that inspires further research and new narratives, which informs the future use of Mars in American culture. Author Keywords: Bradbury, Burroughs, Frontier, Mars, Myth, Robinson
(-) ≠ Bowman
(-) = American studies
Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection (3) + -
Grummitt, Julia (1) + -
McIntosh, Elizabeth (1) + -
Thursby, Laura (1) + -
Master of Arts (2) + -
Doctor of Philosophy (1) + -
Cultural Studies (1) + -
English (Public Texts) (1) + -
Cultural anthropology (1) + -
English literature (1) + -
Fine arts (1) + -


Thursday July 14, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
@ Brookside Gardens
Saturday July 16, 2022 9:30am to 10:30am Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Wednesday July 20, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Wednesday August 3, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Thursday August 4, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday August 6, 2022 9:30am to 10:30am Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Wednesday August 10, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Thursday August 11, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday August 13, 2022 9:30am to 10:30am Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Thursday September 8, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday September 10, 2022 9:30am to 10:30am Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Sunday September 11, 2022 6:45am to 10:15am Parks Half Marathon
@ Rock Creek Regional Park
Wednesday September 14, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Thursday September 15, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday October 1, 2022 9:30am to 10:30am Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Wednesday October 5, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Thursday October 6, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Wednesday October 12, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Thursday October 13, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday October 15, 2022 9:30am to 10:30am Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday October 29, 2022 9:30am to 11:30am Shinrin-yoku: The Art of Forest Bathing
Wednesday November 2, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens
Thursday November 3, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Saturday November 5, 2022 9:30am to 11:30am Shinrin-yoku: The Art of Forest Bathing
Thursday November 10, 2022 10:00am to 11:00am Gentle Yoga at Brookside Gardens
Wednesday November 16, 2022 9:00am to 10:15am Tai Chi at Brookside Gardens


Media Silent! Over 200 Million Christians Worldwide Facing Severe Persecution
Why is there no outrage from the media?
WASHINGTON, DC — North Korea stands at the top of a list of 50 countries where at least 215 million Christians faced the most severe persecution in 2017, resulting in 3,066 deaths and 1,020 rapes mainly targeting women, revealed Open Doors, an organization that monitors ill-treated Christians worldwide.
At the National Press Club on Wednesday, David Curry, the president and CEO of Open Doors, unveiled the 2018 World Wide List (WWL) of the top 50 "most dangerous" countries to worship Jesus. Referring to North Korea, he declared:
Imagine in your mind a leader that thinks he's god but acts like an animal — devouring his own people with his teeth where people are forced to worship at the statute of Kim Jung Un and bow down and lay flowers at his feet as if he was a god.
Yet, [Kim] sets up controls mechanisms, neighborhood watches that surround communities rewarding citizens for spying on each other giving them more food if they find somebody who has a Bible and who purports to a be a Christian and that makes Christians the number one enemy of the state in North Korea and that's why it is the number one on the world's watchlist.
Open Doors pointed out that thousands of Christians are facing death worldwide for practicing their faith, particularly in North Korea.
According to the monitor group's 2018 World Watch List (WWL), "215 million Christians experience high levels of persecution in the [50] countries on the World Watch List," with the majority of them in North Korea, considered "the worst place for Christians" for 16 consecutive years since 2002.
Open Doors reported:
The primary driver of persecution in North Korea is the state. For three generations, everything in the country focused on idolizing the leading [Kim Jung Un] family. Christians are seen as hostile elements in society that have to be eradicated.
Due to the constant indoctrination permeating the whole country, neighbors and even family members are highly watchful and report any suspicious religious activity to the authorities…The situation for Christians is vulnerable and precarious. They face persecution from state authorities and their non-Christian family, friends and neighbors. Pray for their protection.
There are many Christians languishing, starving, and enduring hard labor in North Korea prisons for merely owning a Bible and having faith in Jesus Christ.
Since the U.S.-led war that started in Afghanistan soon after September 11, 2001, the United States has spent at least $877 billion on the war-devastated country, including on the promotion of religious freedoms.
Nevertheless, Afghanistan came in second place in the list of the top 50 worst countries in terms of persecution — where the cost of being a Christian can quickly turn into a nightmare and the last breath one ever takes.
During the 2017 reporting period covered by the latest World Watch List, persecutors killed 3,066 Christians, kidnapped 1,252, raped 1,020, and attacked 793 churches, noted Open Doors.
Of the top ten countries, eight are tormented by "Islamic Oppression," which mainly refers to hostility against Christians. Eritrea and North Korea are the exceptions.
Meanwhile, persecution against Christians at the hands of "Hindu extremists" in India is on the rise, resulting in deaths and rape of Christian women.
"A shocking trend in the world watchlist I want to highlight for you today is the increase in persecution of Christian women," stated Curry. "The data seems to prove that Christian women are the most vulnerable population today with sexual harassment and rape and forced marriage being prime tactics from extremists against the world against Christians."
Pakistan, India's regional enemy, has accused Hindu extremists of persecuting Christians and Muslims and forcing them to convert to their religion.
Hindu nationalist groups are reportedly affiliated with Indian President Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Pro-Hindu nationalism "President Modi only wants one religion," proclaimed Curry.
Every day, Christian women reportedly face sexual harassment, rape, and forced marriage, all common in India, which is ranked 11 on the persecution list.
The justice for Christians in India is "poor," determined Curry, noting that 635 Jesus followers were held and detained in the nation without trial last year alone, often called one of the largest democracies in the world.
Of the 50 nations on the Open Doors World Watch list, at least two Western Hemisphere countries made the cut joining the very few predominantly Christian nations on the list — Latin America's Mexico (39th place) and Colombia (49th) where persecution is reportedly driven by "organized crime and corruption."
The monitor group identifies North Korea's communist and post-communist oppression as the primary source of persecution against Christians, which make up a little over 1 percent (300,000) of the 25.4 million population.
The assessment deems more than 60 percent of the persecution tactics employed by Kim as violent.
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/01/11/study-200-million-christians-worldwide-facing-severe-persecution/
Filed Under: #No Social Transformation Without Representation, Anti-God, Child Abuse, Children, Christians, Christians attacked by Muslims, Christians Under Attack, Corruption, Devil Worship, foreign policy, Freedom, Government Corruption, Hate Crimes, Hypocrisy, Hypocrites, Persecuted Christians Tagged With: Anti-God, Christians attacked by Muslims, Christians Under Attack, Government Corruption, Hate Crimes, Hypocrites, North Korea, persecuted christians
Gay Mafia Judge Says Trump Must Allow Transgender Recruits In The Military
Dude You Are A Freaking DUDE.
Center for Security Policy President Frank Gaffney joined SiriusXM host Rebecca Mansour on a special Friday night edition of Breitbart News Tonight to discuss a recent court ruling that the military must accept transgender recruits and what President Trump's administration should do about it.
"The issue that really is at the heart of this matter as far as I'm concerned is, does the president have the unquestioned authority under the Constitution of the United States Article II, which vests exclusively in him, the role of Commander-in-Chief of the United States' armed forces, or does that authority now get subjected to the whim of any federal judge in the United States judiciary?"
Gaffney said the issue is of immediate significance for the administration as it does not appear that the Department of Justice is going to ask the Supreme Court to stay the judge's order to compel the Department of Defense to begin enlisting more transgender individuals at the beginning of the new year.
This is what the military has become. Yes he was a man and still is damit!
Gaffney said he believes that makes this "nothing short of a constitutional crisis" and opens the door for a federal judge to intercede in military decisions going forward, perhaps even to the extent of countermanding a presidential order to go to war.
"That could be fatal to our republic," said Gaffney, adding, "I think the predicate, the precedent for it is being set as we speak."
Gaffney urged the administration "to fight this effort by the judiciary to essentially intrude upon and eviscerate his authority as commander-in-chief."
He said the first order of business for the White House should be to order the Justice Department to seek an emergency stay by the Supreme Court, allowing for the decision to be properly adjudicated.
Added Gaffney, "I would hope that the president would try to establish through another order to the Defense Department – and by the way the Homeland Security Department because it's responsible for the Coast Guard – that anybody who is brought in under these existing court rulings if they are not stayed – is done on a conditional basis. It seems to me that's the bare minimum that can be done here."
Gaffney indicated that then, if the Supreme Court does overturn current rulings, transgender individuals admitted into the military under the rulings would not be allowed to remain in the armed services.
"I believe that's a safety valve on this and it seems to me to be a sensible one," Gaffney said.
http://www.breitbart.com/radio/2017/12/30/gaffney-court-ruling-transgender-military-recruits-presents-constitutional-crisis-trump-must-act-now/
Filed Under: #No Social Transformation Without Representation, Anti-God, Anti-Trump Crowd, Bullshit, Christians, Christians Under Attack, Crazy Liberals, Donald Trump, Feminism News and Issues, Gay Mafia, Government Control, Government Corruption, homosexuality Tagged With: #No Social Transformation Without Representation, Anti-God, Bullshit, Christians Under Attack, Donald Trump, Fags In The Military, Gay Mafia, homosexuality
Gay Mafia At It Again: Swarthmore College offers a course in 'queering God'
Why Don't The Homosexuals Ever Go After Allah and The Muslims?
Swarthmore College, founded by Quakers, is offering courses in "queering the Bible" and "queering God." The courses were first reported by Campus Reform.
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"Queering the Bible" is a one-credit class that surveys "queer and trans readings of biblical texts."
"By reading the Bible with the methods of queer and trans theoretical approaches, this class destabilizes long held assumptions about what the Bible – and religion – says about gender and sexuality," the course description reads.
The school's religion department is also teaching a class that questions the sexuality of the Almighty called, "Queering God: Feminist and Queer Theology."
"The God of the Bible and later Jewish and Christian literature is distinctively masculine, definitely male. Or is He?" the course description reads. "If we can point out places in traditional writings where God is nurturing, forgiving, and loving, does that mean that God is feminine, or female?"
Key themes of that particular class include exploring the "tensions between feminist and queer theology" and examines "feminist and queer writings about God."
Critics blasted the college's religion courses and suggested they were meant to undermine Christianity.
"This is about sanitizing and neutralizing the prohibitions on homosexual acts that Scripture unequivocally condemns," one observer noted online.
The president of Truett-McConnell University, a conservative Christian school in Georgia, accused Swarthmore of prostituting the Bible.
"If there were a list entitled, "Best Snowflake Colleges in America," I am quite certain that Swarthmore College would be near the top of the list," Dr. Emir Caner told the Todd Starnes Radio Show. "Keep in mind, this is an institution of higher learning that has produced such 'accomplished' politicians as failed presidential candidate Michael Dukakis."
"While I am not surprised that lost people would so prostitute Scripture, perhaps there is a rainbow at the end of the storm when the student comes across John 3:16 and recognizes God's unconditional love for them through Jesus Christ," Caner said. "Perhaps such an open-minded student will recognize the conviction of the Holy Spirit over the noise of liberal indoctrination, bow their knee to the One True Living God and be transformed."
Dr. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas and a spiritual advisor to President Trump, warned about the spiritual dangers of twisting God's word.
"In suggesting that God is 'queer' Swarthmore College is guilty of nothing short of modern day idolatry," Jeffress told the Todd Starnes Radio Show.
"When you read the Bible you will discover that God reserved His harshest condemnation for individuals and nations that practiced idolatry – creating an imaginary god who conformed to a culture's immorality," Jeffress said.
Swarthmore College did not return my calls seeking comment. Nor did they respond to a question about whether they had read the Book of Revelation, Chapter 22, Verse 19.
I also inquired about whether the religion department will be offering courses on "Queering Mohammed" or "Queering the Koran."
Something tells me they won't be respond to that query either.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/12/26/swarthmore-college-offers-course-in-queering-god.html
Filed Under: Christians, Christians Under Attack, Common Sense Nation, Crazy Liberals, Crazy Stories, Gay Life Style, Gay Mafia, The Doctor Of Common Sense, Whatever Happened To Common Sense Tagged With: Christians Under Attack, Common Sense Nation, Crazy Liberals, Gay Mafia, The Doctor Of Common Sense, Whatever Happened To Common Sense
WTF? Trump Re-Nominates Obama's LGBT Sexual Identity Goon For EEOC
This Goon Thinks Transgender Grown Ass Men Should Be Called Women
President Donald Trump has re-nominated radical sexual identity activist Chai Feldblum, the architect of former President Barack Obama's LGBT agenda, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Feldblum is a nightmare of a nominee for those who value religious freedom, private property rights, and the science-based standard that there are two sexes – male and female. As Obama's most liberal gender ideology activist, Feldblum has said that whenever LGBT issues conflict with religious liberty and private property rights, religious liberty and private rights should lose.
"When push comes to shove, when religious liberty and sexual liberty conflict, she admits, 'I'm having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win,'" Maggie Gallagher reported at the Weekly Standard in 2006, after interviewing Feldblum when the news broke that Catholic Charities in Boston would need to place adoptive children with same-sex couples in order to remain a licensed adoption agency.
Paul Mirengoff at Powerline first wrote of Trump's re-nomination of Feldblum who, if confirmed, will serve until 2023. He explains:
The Trump administration hoped to smuggle Feldblum's nomination through the Senate with minimal fuss. As we reported, and Newsweek confirmed, there was talk on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee of getting her nomination through committee without a hearing, during "executive session."
Mirengoff further observes, "It's astonishing that a radical LGBT activist and Obama nominee who faced fierce resistance the first two times she was before the Senate was (is?) on the verge of being confirmed with virtually no fuss now that the White House and Senate are controlled by Republicans."
Christian Adams at PJ Media notes the mysterious nature of Trump's re-nomination of someone who would appear to be at odds with much of the president's agenda:
Feldblum is the ideological architect of all of the most radical LGBTWHATEVER agenda items of the Obama presidency: transvestites in girls locker rooms, lawless expansion of federal employment oversight, you name it.
So why would Feldblum be renominated?
There is backstory on Feldblum that hasn't been fully reported. All of the normal clearance and vetting procedures usually used for Senate-confirmed nominees were short-circuited. Her nomination was rushed through the Senate HELP Committee. Feldblum even bragged to some that her goal was to trick Republicans before they knew what was happening.
Currently, Democrats have a majority on the EEOC, and Republicans were reportedlyhoping to trade a confirmation of Feldblum for a confirmation of two Republicans to give the GOP the majority.
"It seems obvious that getting a GOP majority on the EEOC a couple of months early is not worth five more years of Chai Feldblum, plus the likelihood that she will become Chair of the Commission if Democrats win the presidency in 2020," Mirengoff explains. " It's not even close."
In an update, Mirengoff says he has confirmed that the Feldblum nomination has been "hotlined," a situation in which "Senators are informed that unanimous consent will be sought to confirm a nominee … If no one objects, the nominee is confirmed."
"In this case, I'm told, there are Republican Senators who intend not to consent, at least as things stand now," he added.
The EEOC is one of those "independent" – read rogue – federal agencies created by Congress that exercises considerable power with no accountability to American citizens. The commission is not part of one of the three branches of government, yet still does its share of legislative, judicial, and executive decision-making. Actually operating as part of a "fourth branch of government," the EEOC – in the parlance of Trump himself – is smack in the middle of "the swamp."
Daniel Horowitz at Conservative Review observes Trump's re-nomination of Feldblum "comes at a particularly dangerous time, as the EEOC is bringing a number of lawsuits encouraging the courts to enshrine the sexual identity agenda into Title IX of the Education Amendments and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act."
"She is the lead architect of Obama's transgender agenda, mandating that schools and states bring one gender into private dressing rooms of the opposite gender," Horowitz notes. "Under her tenure, the EEOC has codified the entire sexual alphabet soup agenda, including 'sex stereotyping,' into the Civil Rights Act without approval from Congress. An 'independent' agency, indeed!"
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/21/nightmare-christmas-trump-re-nominates-architect-obamas-lgbt-agenda-chai-feldblum-eeoc/
Filed Under: #No Social Transformation Without Representation, Big Government, Christians, Christians Under Attack, Civil Rights, Common Sense, Common Sense Nation, Corruption, Crazy Liberals, Crazy Stories, Devil Worship, Donald Trump, Drain The Swamp!, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Gay Mafia, Gestapo tactics, Government Control, homosexuality, Hypocrisy, Insane, LGBTQ, Liberal Bias Tagged With: #No Social Transformation Without Representation, Chai Feldblum, Christians Under Attack, civil rights, Common Sense Nation, Devil Worship, Donald Trump, Drain The Swamp!, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Gay Mafia, lgbt
Supreme Court Hears Gay Wedding Cake Case
No one can change the Word of God.
Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court will take up one of the most momentous cases of the term on Tuesday as it considers arguments from a Colorado baker who refused to make a cake to celebrate a same-sex couple's marriage because he believes that God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman.
The case pits the religious liberty claims of Jack Phillips, who owns Masterpiece Cakeshop, against the couple, David Mullins and Charlie Craig, who say Phillips' actions amount to discrimination.
Some spectators and place holders began waiting in line last Friday to secure one of the rare seats open to the public in the majestic court room.
LGBT rights advocates fear that if the Supreme Court ultimately sides with Phillips, it will diminish its landmark opinion from two years ago that cleared the way for same-sex marriage nationwide. Both sides agree that a ruling in favor of Phillips would also open the door to claims from others who engage in professional services — florists, for example — to claim that their religious liberty exempts them from public accommodation laws applicable to other businesses.
It was back in 1993 that Phillips opened the bakery, knowing at the outset that there would be certain cakes he would decline to make in order to abide by his religious beliefs. "I didn't want to use my artistic talents to create something that went against my Christian faith," he said in an interview, noting that he has also declined to make cakes to celebrate Halloween.
Flash forward to 2012, when same-sex marriage was not yet legal in Colorado, but two men walked into the bakery.
"The conversation was fairly short," Philips remembered. "I went over and greeted them. We sat down at the desk where I had my wedding books open."
The men told Phillips they wanted a cake to celebrate their planned wedding, which would be performed in another state. Phillips said he knew right away that he couldn't create the product they were looking for without violating his faith.
"The Bible says, 'In the beginning there was male and female,'" Phillips said. He offered to make any other baked goods for the men.
"At which point they both stormed out and left," he said.
The couple filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which ruled in their favor, citing a state anti-discrimination law. Phillips took his case to the Colorado Court of Appeals, arguing that requiring him to provide a wedding cake for the couple violated his constitutional right to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion. The court held that the state anti-discrimination law was neutral and generally applicable and did not compel Masterpiece to "support or endorse any particular religious view." It simply prohibited Phillips from discriminating against potential customers on account of their sexual orientation.
Phillips then took his case to the Supreme Court and the justices agreed to take it up after mulling it for several weeks.
In court papers, Kristen K. Waggoner, a lawyer from the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom who is representing Phillips, argued that the First Amendment guarantees him the right to decline to make wedding cakes that celebrate marriages that are in conflict with his religious beliefs. She said that Phillips is protected by two parts of the First Amendment: its protections of religious exercise and free speech. While she argued that the free exercise clause forbids the commission from targeting Phillips "and like-minded believers for punishment," she reserved the bulk of her brief for the free speech clause, perhaps targeting potential swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has at times shown an expansive view of free speech.
Waggoner argued that a person viewing one of Phillips' custom wedding cakes — his "artistic expression" — would "understand that it celebrates and expresses support for the couple's marriage." She said the Supreme Court's compelled speech doctrine "forbids the commission from demanding that artists design custom expression that conveys ideas they deem objectionable."
In the interview, Phillips said, "I feel I'm being compelled to create artwork for an event — an inherently religious event — that goes against my faith, and I'm being compelled to do so under penalty of jail time and fines."
Not surprisingly, Mullins and Craig see the case through an entirely different lens: discrimination.
"This case is about more than us, and it's not about cakes," Mullins said in an interview. "It's about the right of gay people to receive equal service."
"This isn't about artistic expression," said Craig. "I don't feel like we asked for a piece of art, or for him to make a statement, we simply asked him for a cake, and he denied that to us simply because of who we are."
The couple is being represented in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.
"In essence, the bakery seeks a constitutional right to hang a sign in its shop window proclaiming, 'Wedding Cakes for Heterosexuals Only,'" the ACLU's David D. Cole wrote in court briefs.
Cole said that whether a cake is an artistic expression is not at issue. "The question, rather, is whether the Constitution grants businesses open to the public the right to violate laws against discrimination in the commercial marketplace if the business happens to sell an artistic product." The answer, Cole contends, is "no."
Twenty other states and the District of Columbia likewise expressly prohibit places of public accommodation from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Trump administration sides with Phillips in the case, arguing that it falls "within the small set of applications of content-neutral laws that merit heightened scrutiny" from the courts. "A custom wedding cake is not an ordinary baked good; its function is more communicative and artistic than utilitarian," Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued. "Accordingly, the government may not enact content-based laws commanding a speaker to engage in protected expression: An artist cannot be forced to paint, a musician cannot be forced to play, and a poet cannot be forced to write."
But the government lawyers did draw a line when it comes to race, arguing that laws targeting race-based discrimination may survive heightened First Amendment scrutiny in part because racial bias "is a familiar and recurring evil that poses unique historical, constitutional and institutional concerns."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/05/politics/supreme-court-masterpiece-cakeshop/index.html
Filed Under: Breaking News, Christians, Christians Under Attack, Civil Rights, Free Speech, Gay Mafia, homosexuality, Lawsuits, Legal Issues, LGBTQ, Supreme Court Tagged With: ACLU, Alliance Defending Freedom, Charlie Craig, Christian faith, Colorado, Colorado Civil Rights Commission, David D. Cole, David Mullins, first amendment, Free Exercise Clause, gay marriage, Jack Phillips, Kristen K. Waggoner, LGBTQ, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Same Sex Marriage, Supreme Court, Supreme Court Hears Gay Wedding Cake Case, Supreme Court hears same-sex marriage cake case
Red Cross Demands That All Crosses Be Removed
No Crosses at the Red Cross
Red Cross Demands Branches Remove Crucifixes to Be More Secular
Volunteers have criticised the Red Cross charity after receiving a communication telling them to remove crucifixes from the walls of their branches as the organisation looks to become more secular.
The Belgian branches of the international aid organisation received an email from the Provincial Committee of the Red Cross in Liège to remove all crucifixes. André Rouffart, president of the Red Cross in Verviers, said: "We were asked to respect the principles of the Red Cross", and not to distinguish between race or religious belief 7sur7 reports.
Mr. Rouffart said there had been pushback from volunteers and other members on the issue but downplayed the issue, saying: "I think it's a storm in a teacup."
Several volunteers spoke to Belgian broadcaster RTL and expressed hostility to the move, with one saying: "Let things remain as they are. We used to say 'Christmas holidays', now it's 'winter holidays'. The Christmas market in Brussels has become the 'Winter Pleasures'."
"For a certain part of the population — because of the Muslims — the crosses were removed in the Red Cross houses and, more particularly, in that of Verviers," the volunteer added.
The order follows the proposed removal of a cross in France which was located above a statue of Saint John Paul II in Ploërmel, Brittany. The move sparked outrage among many and led to the Polish and Hungarian government offering to take the cross.
"Such measures must be regarded as attempts to do away with the continent's civilisation and culture," commented Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó.
In Ireland, Catholic priest Father Desmond O'Donnell has called on Christians to abandon the word 'Christmas' entirely, saying that the commercialisation of the holiday had replaced the original Christian meaning.
While old Christmas traditions being replaced, others have emerged — including anti-terror barriers wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper and bright red bows in the city of Bochum, Germany, to prevent radical Islamic terror attacks like the Berlin Christmas market massacre of December 2016.
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/12/04/belgian-red-cross-demands-branches-remove-crucifixes/
Filed Under: Anti-God, Christians, Christians Under Attack, Civil Rights Tagged With: Crucifixes, Liege, Red Cross, Red Cross Demands Branches Remove Crucifixes to Be More Secular, Verviers


Driver's fine for using banned road in Tunbridge Wells overturned because signs 'weren't good enough'
Andrew Gaved says the ruling of the adjudicator for the Traffic Penalty Tribunal calls into question the ticketing by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Mary Harris
Andrew Gaved fought his penalty charge for going through the Mount Pleasant 'bus gateway' in Tunbridge Wells - and received some interesting points from the adjudicator (Image: Andrew Gaved)
A driver has won his appeal against a penalty notice from the 'bus gateway' in Tunbridge Wells after the adjudicator ruled the signs were not good enough.
Andrew Gaved of Pennington Road in Southborough was slapped with the charge by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council after he was caught on camera travelling through Mount Pleasant crossroads on October 27.
The 9am to 6pm daily traffic ban on Mount Pleasant, except buses and exemptions, is part of a £1.3million pedestrian-friendly council upgrade.
But the restrictions have been condemned by drivers who say clearer signage is needed to warn of the restrictions.
And an adjudicator for the Traffic Penalty Tribunal agrees with them, as she ruled in favour of trade magazine editor Mr Gaved, 54, who had turned left from Church Road.
Annie Hockaday said the signs were not sufficiently visible and were hard to understand from a moving vehicle in time.
Mr Gaved told KentLive: "I have just had my penalty notice quashed by the appeals adjudicator on the basis that the signs are too difficult to read – coming from Church Road at least – which bears out what many drivers have been saying.
"The adjudicator also criticised the positioning of the sign at the entrance to the zone for being too late to be any use," he said.
He said the council "appear to be banking on the fact that people will think it too much effort to appeal – or that drivers will accept the discounted penalty instead".
"So my advice is 'if you didn't know about the changes, or you didn't see or couldn't read the signs, keep appealing'.
Motorists driving into the restricted area on Mount Pleasant in Tunbridge Wells town centre (Image: Sally Loram)
He said "if the council don't change (the signs), they are open to the charge of trying to catch residents out."
The council issued more than 1,000 warning notices to drivers who had used the bus lane before going live with fines. Between September 26 and November 4, some 3,407 penalty charge notices were issued for that gateway.
Mr Gaved said: "Perhaps more interestingly, (the adjudicator) referenced previous successful appeals with a similar angle – so it appears the council would rather dish out the notices and reject the appeals than actually adjust the signs."
Key points from the adjudicator's decision
Signs are not "sufficiently visible and legible" for a driver in a moving vehicle to make a decision at cross roads.
Church Road signs at entry point not sufficiently visible because they are "side on". Once a driver had committed to turning, it will be "too late".
The mobile camera fails to show the entry point of vehicle - so the council must prove the "adequacy of the signage for all three options" unless the driver states which road they were driving in from.
The camera log for Mr Gaved shows "seven other triggers in the 56 seconds leading up to his trigger". She has seen other similarly "busy logs" in appeals for this area.
Council advised to consider sending a warning letter instead of a penalty charge notice the first time a vehicle is detected in a bus lane.
Motorists driving into the restricted area in Tunbridge Wells town centre called the Mount Pleasant 'bus gateway' (Image: Sally Loram)
Mr Gaved added: "I am pleased to have made the effort to go beyond the appeal stage and to go to the adjudicator because the final decision shows in black and white what people have been saying – the signs aren't easy to read, so need to be changed.
"I would like to know if the council is going to act on the adjudicator's advice and to alter the signage, or whether they will just keep issuing penalties in the hope that people don't appeal."
A council spokesman said: "Each case that is heard by the adjudicator will be determined upon its own merits, depending upon the individual circumstances of the driver and events.
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"The scheme includes a legally introduced restriction on vehicle movements to help achieve these aims.
"As with any new scheme, there will be a period of review post implementation and the comments made by the adjudicators will be included in the analysis of the overall effectiveness of the scheme.
"At this stage, it is too early in the process to determine what conclusions might be reached.
"The new scheme used funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund to improve the public realm in the centre of town as a space for people, particularly those walking, cycling or using buses."
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
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NFL: Packers beat Bears, 35-21 (slideshow)
By Daily Freeman | news@freemanonline.com and Daily Freeman |
PUBLISHED: December 26, 2011 at 10:14 p.m. | UPDATED: July 22, 2021 at 3:27 a.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Now that the Green Bay Packers have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Mike McCarthy is free to rest some of his starters in the regular-season finale. And while McCarthy's natural inclination might be playing to win — especially with the NFC North rival Detroit Lions coming to Lambeau Field on New Year's Day — the coach acknowledged after the Packers' 35-21 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night that his team's injury situation might dictate his strategy. "We'll look at all of our options," McCarthy said. "But I'm not going to stand here and tell you we want to give away opportunities to win the game. We're going to play to win the game next week. I'm not real excited about a division opponent coming in here and think we're not going to do everything we can to get to 15-1. But health is an issue for us. I think that's stating the obvious." Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdown passes in a game for the first time in his NFL career, breaking a close game wide open by leading three quick scoring drives in the second half. The Packers (14-1) nailed down the No. 1 seed in the NFC and claimed another round of bragging rights in the storied rivalry by eliminating the Bears (7-8) from the playoff chase. Chicago's loss also put the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs. Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson, another two to James Jones, and found tight end Jermichael Finley for a score. Rodgers was 21 of 29 for 283 yards and no interceptions when backup Matt Flynn took over with 7:54 left in the game. Rodgers has 45 touchdown passes this season — only shy of Tom Brady's single-season record set in 2007. But when asked about the possibility of breaking Brady's record, Rodgers made it sound as if he didn't expect to see much of the field next Sunday. "I think that's probably safe," Rodgers said. Rodgers said he expected McCarthy to weigh the pros and cons of playing to win. "There's something to be said about finishing the season well," Rodgers said. "The Bears tried to keep us out of the playoffs last year in the last game of the year and it would be nice to finish out the season the way we started it, with a strong showing in a home game. That being said, I think you have to take into account the health of your football team. We have some guys banged up. We'll see what Mike says this week. But until we hear differently, we'll prepare as if we're going to play." Rodgers might not get a shot at Brady's touchdown record, but he did break a franchise record Sunday. With 4,643 yards passing, he surpassed Lynn Dickey's single-season total of 4,458 set in 1983. "It's obviously an award that's bigger than an individual award," Rodgers said. "It takes obviously the offensive line pass-blocking for you and your guys getting open and delivering a catchable ball and then making plays. We've got a great group of guys to work with. This is a record we all share." Rodgers' offensive feats came behind a patchwork offensive line, as the Packers were without three of their top four tackles. Chad Clifton returned to practice this week after sitting out since October because of hamstring and back injuries, but isn't ready to play. Bryan Bulaga was inactive Sunday because of a left knee sprain, and backup Derek Sherrod is out for the season with a broken right leg. But the line played well, and Rodgers wasn't sacked. "We felt that was going to be a huge challenge for us up front, dealing with their defensive line," McCarthy said. "I can't say enough about our offensive line." Green Bay also was missing wide receiver Greg Jennings, because of a sprained left knee, and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett because of a concussion. With so many players banged up, will the Packers be cautious with starters in the finale? "I enjoy playing this game, but at the same time, we have to be smart," Clay Matthews said. "We like winning around here. It'll be interesting to see where we go. Like I said, we have to be smart." Missing the playoffs is a disappointing end to what was once a promising season for Chicago. The Bears have lost five straight games since losing quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken right thumb in a Nov. 20 victory over San Diego. And they had a chance Sunday, trailing by only four early in the third quarter before Rodgers found his rhythm. Third-string running back Kahlil Bell rushed for 121 yards with Marion Barber and Matt Forte sidelined by injuries. "When you play the Super Bowl champions, you have to be on top of your game," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "Offensively, we did enough things to keep us in the game and have a chance to win the game at the end. But defensively we just didn't have it." The Bears started Josh McCown on Sunday after backup Caleb Hanie struggled to fill in for Cutler. McCown's most recent start came with the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and he was out of the NFL last season. "It's a tough assignment, but you've got to find a way to pull it off," McCown said.