This program featuring naval intelligence stories is one that keeps on giving. I am convinced some viewers watch it for the facial expressions of Mark Harmon alone. The balance of humor and suspense is another factor. The addition of Maria Bello as special agent Jack is a third factor. The series is one special in ways beyond description. Try the first five episodes of the 15th season. They are entertaining.
Andre Cluytens
The Complete Concerto and Orchestral Recordings Erato. 65 CDs.
Andre Cluytens
The conductor Andre Cluytens (1905-1967) was one very gifted individual. I have been collecting his recordings for about 20 years. They are the gift that keeps on giving as far as I am concerned. Beethoven Concertos with Solomon and Oistrakh. Debussy, Ravel, Franck, Bizet, Gounod, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rossini, etc…
The best approach would be to sample the various YouTubes and decide if he is for you. There are videos as well.
Dark Eyes
Nikita Mikhalkov
Dark Eyes is the 1987 film of Nikita Mikhalkov. Francis Lai’s soundtrack is a mixture of Mozart, Strauss, Rossini, Lehar and Francis Lai himself, most famous as the composer of A Man and a Woman. It is a mix most suitable for pleasant ambiance at dinner parties and very listenable. The soundtrack is on the DRG label, a cassette with the catalog number SBLC 12592. The actor Marcello Mastroianni.
Liszt
Piano Concerto No. 2; Sonata in B minor.
Franz Liszt
The Concerto has Walter Susskind conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Angel lp is from the ‘50s – Angel 35031. Again this Polish pianist, Witold Malcuzynski, knew how to make the kind of music making that wore well, much like the conductor Andre Cluytens. His Liszt recordings had the combination of musicality and virtuosity that elevated my fondness for this composer, the 2nd Concerto and Sonata being cases in point.
YouTube is a good place to sample these selections mentioned above.
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Peter Cateshttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgPeter Cates2018-10-10 15:54:022018-10-10 15:58:31REVIEW POTPOURRI – TV: NCIS; Conductor: Andre Cluytens; Film: Dark Eyes; Music: Liszt
Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!
The following e-mail was sent by chairman of the board of selectmen Elaine Aloes: Leslie Giroux has resigned as Tax Collector/Clerk as of October 1, 2018. She has gotten a full time job in the private sector.
“We thank Leslie for her six years as tax collector/clerk. She did a great job serving our community. It was a hard decision for her to leave the town office and we, the selectmen, very reluctantly accepted her resignation . We wish her well at her new job.”
The selectmen have appointed our treasurer, Christine Jablon, as our tax collector/clerk effective October 1, 2018. Christine will continue as the town treasurer for the time being.
They are conducting interviews for a new treasurer and will, hopefully, make a decision on October 10, on a new treasurer.
They have decided to revise the town office hours from October 8 to the end of the year. They decided to have the town office also open on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to noonand 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This will give Christie more time to learn and adjust to her new job and to also train the new treasurer. Christie has only worked for the town since June of this year so she was still learning the treasurer’s job and had not yet done training for Leslie’s position. When Leslie informed she was leaving Christie started training for the tax collector/clerk position. Leslie will come in on Wednesday evenings for a while to help out.
They are planning on having a meeting with the budget committee on October 17 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss this and some other issues with them.
The office hours for the selectmen are Mon-Wed-Fri. 8 a.m. to noon and 1p.m. to 4 p.m., Wed 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
The next Embden Historical Society meeting is Monday, October 8, at 6:30 p.m., at the Embden Town House (751 Cross Town Road). The program “Sandy River Rangeley Lakes Railroad,” by Tom Moore, is scheduled for 7 p.m. All are welcome. Refreshments to follow.
The next Embden Community Center supper is scheduled for Saturday, October 13, at 5 p.m. Location is 797 Embden Pond Road (formerly Embden Elementary School). My continuing thanks to Carol Dolan for sharing the news with us.
Lief and I were in the large crowd that attended the bridge ceremony dedicated to Cpl. Eugene Cole, in Norridgewock, on Sunday. It was a very inspiring and well planned affair, and we were both glad we had attended it. The weather was cloudy and windy as we stood watching and listening to all the wonderful words spoken about this dedicated and special man. When the people started walking across the bridge, just dedicated, the sun came out in full force and it was beautiful!
I think by now, many of you must know that I grew up in Flagstaff. And I do have many fond memories of living there. The other day as I was going through old papers, I came across a very important looking certificate that stated: The United States Secret Service Treasury Department certifies that Marilyn Houston, a student at Flagstaff High School, has completed the Know your money – know your endorser course of study on this 7th day of February 1946, is now a member of the Secret Service Crime Prevention Club. It was signed by my teacher and the Chief U. S. Secret Service person at that time. I knew that Flagstaff gave me a good education, but I hadn’t realized it was way ahead of the times. I am sure that I am not still a member of the Secret Service!
And now for Percy’s memoir for this week: “Be Happy” Life’s a treasure cherish it, Enjoy everyone special you share it with. Be thankful for all you have and know. Be happy now before this minute goes. Time waits for no one, neither should you. Make the most out of life and all that you do. (found this saying on a small piece of paper, don’t know who wrote it…but it sounds like a good idea. Hope it makes your day!)
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Marilyn Rogers-Bullhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgMarilyn Rogers-Bull2018-10-10 15:09:452018-10-10 15:12:25SOLON & BEYOND: Tax collector resigns to work in private sector
I have been a contributor of The Town Line news for a number of years now. I am a 100 percent service connect American veteran and have been aiding veterans in the development of difficult cases by all service organizations standards. I have seen VA refusals many times because of cases that couldn’t/ wouldn’t be developed, too time consuming or very difficult to prove. Most things can be proven if not frivolous. Your records were lost in a fire was the popular excuse. Some were in fact destroyed by fire but many were preserved and protected. Anyway, I am writing this to give my opinion based mostly on hearsay. However, when there is a lot of hum there is usually a hive. Lately the Veterans Administration has undergone a lot of trauma. I would like to share a little of that in hopes for feedback.
Veterans’ need media to vent their feeling and concerns. I can assure you this veteran will search for the answers for you. Whether you agree or not you will receive an answer. For those of you who aren’t aware, the Togus Pharmacy will be partially down from October 22, 2018, for approximately nine days because of a flood. Also another of my pet peeves is the fact that orthopedics is hurting for doctors and they have nowhere enough service rooms for the vets in need. The executive director Ryan Lilly could have prioritized the expansion of the medical side but elected to do almost nothing. Now there is a new director who has started off on the wrong foot; so I don’t see longevity there.
However, the VA, in its infinite wisdom, elected to promote Mr. Lilly to the head of the region and demote Kurt Johnson, the assistant director, to a paper pusher. He use to be the head of pharmacy but his friendship with Mr. Lilly somehow got him promoted to assistant director. It is fairly well known they are/were close friends.
There is a federal case involving prejudice involving Mr. Lilly and Mr. Johnson. The power-that-be overlooked the situation or have no knowledge of it; which means they didn’t do their homework. It was sad for me to see Senator Susan Collins and Rep. Chellie Pingree joining forces at the new homeless housing complex developed on federal land. I am a veteran and support veterans with unfortunate circumstances but I don’t believe housing should be built on the 500 acres at Togus. It should be done but, in my opinion, is in the wrong place. That is a medical facility which could develop into the greatest in our country. I have said that many times. Lilly made the statement and believes that he had more land there but wasn’t sure what he would do with it. Some of that land is wetland and the habitat for various many wildlife and fish.
Last but not least, the director that replaces the promoted Lilly has just closed down the Veterans Record Retrieval window placing a state of mayhem there with a considerable workload shift on those employees. New people to the records who do other things will try to pick up the slack. The more they squeeze to make themselves look good to Washington, the more they eat on veteran services. They spend their money on bad who knows what; but it isn’t something you can see. They are building a small new building directly across from emergency to further congest and demean the beauty of the Togus facility. With 500 acres you can do better than that.
Many of us are getting “farmed out” now because they don’t have time for us or they don’t have the proper room, tools, ability and doctors. Thanking a vet is not enough. You need to learn respect, responsibility and remember why you don’t speak Korean, Japanese, German or Russian. We are the land of the free, home of the brave and no matter how bad we hurt we were there for you. The oversight of VA and how it evolves for the vet is the first priority. There is much more but this is enough for now. You can call me at 458-2832 and I will try to assist in anyway I can. We can keep our affairs alive through media.
Community Commentary is a forum The Town Line makes available for citizens to express their opinions on subjects of interest to our readers. The Town Line welcomes, and encourages, differing opinions, counterpoints or opposing views. Keep the rebuttals positive and informative. Submissions containing personal attacks will be rejected.
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Website Editorhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgWebsite Editor2018-10-10 14:29:502018-10-10 14:29:50COMMUNITY COMMENTARY: If you have VA questions, I will find the answers
(NAPSI)—There are about 74 million children in America today and if you’re a parent, here’s something you should know: involved fathers—whether they live with their kids or not—can help their children lead happier, healthier and more successful lives. Children who feel close to their fathers are two times more likely to go to college or find a job after high school, 80 percent less likely to end up in jail and 50 percent less likely to experience depression.1 The small moments kids enjoy spending with their fathers can make a big difference in their lives. If you’re like most fathers, you’re already doing what you can to be a great dad. Here’s a look at five easy ways to keep it up.
What You Can Do
Spend time with your children; Be a positive role model; Send a text to stay connected when far away; Read to your children; and remember #DadJokesRule!
There has been a massive growth in fatherhood involvement over decades—fathers now spend nearly triple the amount of time with their children than fathers did in the 1960s.
What Dads are Already Doing
Recent research suggests fathers are already very involved:
90 percent consider their role as a dad to be rewarding day in and day out.
78 percent have talked to their child’s teacher about progress in school.
61 percent have attended a PTA or other school meeting.
Over half have helped with a class trip, special project or activity.
Over a third of fathers have helped with coaching their children’s sports teams.
Even though fathers are largely more involved than in previous generations, dads today still want to be more engaged. Nearly half say they don’t spend enough time with their kids and want to do a better job at parenting.
To help more fathers understand the importance of their role in their children’s lives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (@fatherhoodgov), and the Ad Council (@adcouncil) have partnered on a national Responsible Fatherhood Campaign.
“All dads should be supported and celebrated for their efforts on Fathers Day and year-round because we know how the story ends for the kids whose fathers show up for them consistently—these children and families thrive,” says Kenneth Braswell (@braswellkenneth), Director, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and Fathers Incorporated.
The campaign drives to Fatherhood.gov a free resource that offers information, tools and more. Dads can visit the website for ideas to get involved and stay involved in their children’s lives. Other resources include activity suggestions, homework help, online games and a long list of dad jokes! No matter how busy you may be, make time for your children. It only takes a moment to make a moment.
Learn More
For helpful tips, tools, information, jokes and resources, visit www.fatherhood.gov.
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Website Editorhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgWebsite Editor2018-10-03 17:28:442018-10-03 18:18:31FOR YOUR HEALTH: Small Moments Make a Big Difference
It’s always a sad time of the year when we have to close up camp. That is a ritual my wife and I do every year on the last weekend of September. While taking a break during last Saturday’s “just gorgeous” day, we started to rehash the last six months.
It has been a strange summer, with many of the observations we discussed while sitting on the deck. It actually all started back in March and early April. It is said that a 40-year-old maple tree should produce approximately 10 gallons of sap to make maple syrup. I have two trees that I tap in my backyard. This year, those two trees produced 48 gallons of sap. Do the math, it doesn’t add up. They produced more than double what they should have produced.
Then, on to May. We didn’t realize it at the time, but later we would conclude that the black flies this year were not all that bad. And that was followed by a summer when mosquito numbers were down.
Another strange occurrence, we only saw three June bugs in late May and early June. This is compared to some years when, in one particular season, we counted 53 June bugs in one night.
We moved on from there, and noticed that the cicadaes, the insect that “sings” (buzzes) during the hot summer days of July. I, personally, did not hear one until July 26. Remember the old farmers folklore? From the day you first hear a cicadae, we will get the first killing frost 90 days from that time. However, that is not the problem. I probably heard cicadaes less than a half dozen times during the hot days of summer. Unusual. You normally hear them almost every sunny day.
How about the hickory tussock caterpillar? The fuzzy white one with the long black “feelers” that usually show up in abundance in August. If you just make incidental contact with them they can leave you with a rash. I have not seen one yet.
Wooly Bear caterpillar photographed on Sept. 7 at camp. (Photo by Roland Hallee)
Another caterpillar is the wooly bear, which usually predicts the severity of a winter depending on the length of the rust-colored bar on its body, and usually makes its appearance around early to mid September. So far, I have seen one, on the steps to our deck, and its rust-colored stripe was about equal to the black portions of its body. You usually see them crossing the road everywhere. Nothing, so far, this year, but that one.
Over the last couple of weeks, however, we have heard and seen an unusually large number of Canada geese settling on Webber Pond for their break before continuing south.
During August and September, we have gone through an unusually long, hot, dry spell. A time when we are pestered by yellow jackets who are in search of moisture. So far, nothing. I have seen a few small bumble bees going after the flowers’ nectar. But no yellow jackets. I haven’t even seen a nest.
For those of you who have taken vacation time to go leaf peeping, it’s not happening at the same time this year. Have you noticed that, here in early October, the trees have barely started to change colors. Most of the color you see is brown, which means the leaves are dead and will merely fall off the trees without changing to those spectacular colors. Also, if you own pine trees, which I have three, the needles have been falling in mass quantities all year. It’s impossible to keep up with them.
One other thing that remained constant were the hummingbirds arriving and departing on time, and being overrun by the harvestmen (daddy long legs).
Things, overall, just don’t seem right in 2018. But, following some research of my journal, I found we had a very similar summer in 2015. Maybe not as hot and humid, but very similar with respect to natural activities.
You can probably blame it on climate change; el Nino, el Nina or polar vortex, but it’s just not normal. However, two almost identical summers within a four-year span could spell the beginning of a pattern. I’ve heard many predictions on our upcoming winter. I don’t believe any of them. I will continue to get ready for a “Maine winter.” The oil tank is full, snowblower tuned up, and shovels ready to go. Are you?
Roland’s trivia question of the week:
Which Red Sox pitcher gave up the most career home runs?
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Roland D. Halleehttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgRoland D. Hallee2018-10-03 17:13:152018-10-03 17:15:14SCORES & OUTDOORS: It’s been a strange year weatherwise: but is a pattern developing?
by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979
Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!
The Solon Pine Tree Club met on September 15 for the final meeting of the year. After the meeting everyone enjoyed a trip to pick apples at North Star Orchard.
On Sunday, September 23, 18 members, parents and leaders enjoyed a rafting trip from Solon to North Anson, Moxie Outdoors supplied the rafts and Kate Stevens was one of the guides.
Eleven members exhibited at four fairs this year and did a very good job at each fair. At Skowhegan State Fair the members got first on their educational exhibit on “How Does Your Garden Grow.”
The members are displaying some of their projects at the Coolidge Library in observance of National 4-H Club Week which is the first week of October.
On Saturday, October 13, the club will be reorganizing for next year at 9:30 a.m., at the Solon Fire Station.
The Solon Congregational Church will be having a Harvest Supper on Saturday, October 20, from 5 to 6 p.m., at the Solon Masonic Hall.
Leslie Giroux has accepted a new job, so she has given up the position as Solon Municipal Clerk and Tax Collector; her last day was October 1. Selectmen have appointed Christy Jablon, of Embden, to replace her and she will run for the position at town meeting in March. The selectmen have been accepting applications and conducting interviews for a new treasurer.
The next Embden Historical Society meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 8, at the Embden Town house (751 Cross Town Road). There will be a brief business meeting at 6:30 p.m. and the program will be at 7 p.m. Tom Moore will be talking about the Sandy River Rangeley Lakes Railroad. Refreshments will follow. All are welcome.
Solon Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary spaghetti dinner. Saturday, October 6, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Solon Elementary School. Get served by our firefighters! Free door prize!
This is from Solon Elementary School entitled: Attendance Matters! As the new year begins, we hope to see all our students set a goal to have a good rate of attendance. Unless students are ill or there is a family emergency, need to be in school. We ask that parents try to schedule routine doctor or dentist appointments after school hours and family vacations during school vacation weeks as often as possible.
If your child is ill or needs to miss school for an appointment or family emergency please contact Mrs. Weese so that we can log that day as an excused absences. If we don’t hear from you, we have to log the day as an unexcused absence. After seven unexcused absences, the state considers your child as truant. So please help us to document your child’s absences correctly.
After 18 absences ( 10 percent of the school days in a year) whether excused or unexcused, your child is considered chronically absent, in addition to MEA test scores, the percentage of chronically absent students in our school is a factor in whether the state decides that our school is making academic progress. Of course, sometimes students are out for extended illnesses, chronic health conditions or family emergencies, and those can’t be helped. So we are working to reduce the absences of our students for other reasons.
Punctuality is also a key to a successful school year. Our buses arrive between 7:20 and 7:40 in the morning. If you bring your child to school, please be sure that he or she arrives by 7:45 a.m. in order to be ready when teachers start their classes at 7:50 a.m. A student who arrives late misses important learning time. So let’s work together to make sure your child gets the maximum benefit from his/her school experience this year. Attendance matters! Thank-you for your cooperation.
And now for Percy’s memoir taken from a little book entitled, Good Advice for a Happy Life, and it says, “Rule Number 1 is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule Number 2 is, it’s all small stuff. And if you can’t fight and you can’t flee, flow.
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Marilyn Rogers-Bullhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgMarilyn Rogers-Bull2018-10-03 16:53:342018-10-03 16:53:34SOLON & BEYOND: Pine Tree Club, historical society news
Have you ever wondered how long different things might last? Well, I found a few listed in an HGTV magazine awhile back. I thought maybe it might hold some interest for you. It’s an odd assortment of subjects listed in an ABC index. Here we go:
Aloe Vera gel – 12 months once it’s been opened. It’s suggested to store it in the fridge.
Bulbs – 10-15 years These bulbs are of the plant variety, not electrical.
Cast Iron pans – Generations (finally something that lasts). Suggested to use warm water and a non-scratch scrub brush.
Deli-meat – Up to 5 days. (Told you it is an odd assortment). Best if kept in meat drawer.
Exterior Paint Job – Up to 10 years preparation, the quality of paint and color play into it.
Fertilizer (dry or liquid) – Forever. If it clumps or crystals break with a trowel.
Hot Water Heater (tank) – up to 12 years, (tankless) up to 15 years. Maintenance is big issue – should be flushed out when heat system gets checkup.
Ice Pops – Up to 18 months. Home made only about three weeks. Store in back of freezer.
Skipped J, K on to L
Laptop – three to five years. That one is funny! I know kids who can kill them off fast. Then you have me who has been using my adult granddaughter’s cast off for over six years!
Mattress – Up to 10 years. If it’s not a pillow top it ought to be rotated two times a year. We’re waking up achy, may be time for a new one. The achy can’t be because of US growing old.
Nut Butter – Up to 6 months. Store opened jars in fridge. Oil separation is normal, if it smells like oil paint, it’s bad.
Skipped O & P
Quinoa – three years. Keep it in cabinet away from heat source. It’s not a grain and any moisture may make it sprout.
Razor Blades – up to six weeks If you shave more than 2 times a week, anything over six weeks you’ll get razor burns and nicks.
Shower Curtain Liner – one year.
Skipped T,U & V
Wood Cutting Board – A lifetime, maybe even a passer-oner.
Skipped X,Y & Z
Okay, on to something else. Have you ever heard of Spoonerism? I hadn’t but I like it! It is an error in speech or a deliberate play on words where letters are switched between two words in a phrase. Examples follow:
Heard at a wedding: “It is kisstomary to cuss the bride.”
Heard a nervous college student on an official visit: “Is the bean dizzy?”
Heard from many a mother: “Now you go upstairs and shake a tower!”
Heard from aggravated fan: “I can’t believe they scored a Dutch town!”
I’m just curious how many times I have done the word swap! Thanks for reading! Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. Don’t forget this winter when you can’t get out to get a paper, we are online!
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Debbie Walkerhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgDebbie Walker2018-10-03 16:17:162018-10-03 16:18:30I’M JUST CURIOUS: Have you ever wondered…
The late Laura Nyro was one very gifted singer, songwriter and pianist. A number of songs, Stoney End, Stoned Soul Picnic, Wedding Bell Blues, etc. have been covered by such artists as Barbra Streisand and the Fifth Dimension.
The 1975 Smile is a sterling example of the searing beauty and power of her on-going themes – life in the Bronx. Sexy Mama, Children of the Junks, Money, I am the Blues, Stormy Love, The Cat-song, Midnite Blues, and the title song mirror the drug addictions, needs to survive, and the moments of joy and love that preoccupy and sustain us. An album highly recommended.
Yannick Nezet-Seguin
Yannick Nezet-Seguin
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra Collection Deutsche Grammophon 4835345, 6 CDs, live concerts 2008-2018.
Presently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and other orchestras, Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic in works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner etc. The performances are good, especially the Bruckner 8th Symphony, and would fit the needs of anyone wanting a set of choice basic repertoire.
Winslow area families put their lives and fortunes on the line connecting to the Underground Railroad
Maine’s connection to the famous Underground Railroad that helped free runaway slaves in the mid-1800s does not begin and end with Harriet Beecher Stowe. Indeed, people from Kittery to Ft. Fairfield, including Waterville-Winslow, Augusta, China and Vassalboro, conspired to break the law — the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 — forming a network of “safe houses,” hiding slaves from slave hunters and scurrying them to Canada. If caught, these Underground Railroad “conductors” faced fines and jail.
At the Winslow Public Library at 6 p.m. on Oct. 18, author Mark Alan Leslie will weave the tale of the brave families who housed and fed slaves in hidden rooms, attics and elsewhere en route to the next secret “way station” on the “railroad.”
Former Morning Sentinel reporter Mark Allen Leslie
“Some called slavery ‘the absolute power of one person over another — the vilest human behavior and institution,’” said Leslie. “Others called it ‘essential to our economy and prosperity’ and even ‘a humane institution which provided food, shelter and family’ to the African race.”
“Slavery was the one issue that has been able to tear America apart, and that included Mainers,” he added.
And slavery remains in the news. The Treasury Department plans to add Harriet Tubman, a heroine of the Underground Railroad, to the $20 bill. Also, the Brunswick home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, a National Historic Landmark since 1962, was placed on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The former parlor room, where it is believed she wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is open to the public as “Harriet’s Writing Room.”
Publisher’s Weekly hailed Leslie’s novel, True North: Tice’s Story, about a slave’s escape over the Underground Railroad through Maine, naming it a Featured Book for 2016. The Midwest Book Review cited Leslie’s “genuine flair for compelling, entertaining, and deftly crafted storytelling.”
And AFA Journal called Leslie “a seasoned wordsmith” whose contemporary novels are “in the class with John Grisham.”
A longtime journalist whose career started as a reporter for the then-Waterville Sentinel, Leslie first burst on the literary scene in 2008 with his novel Midnight Rider for the Morning Star, based on the life of Francis Asbury, America’s first circuit-riding preacher.
Since then, in addition to True North he has written The Crossing about the Ku Klux Klan in Maine in the 1920s and three contemporary thrillers: Chasing the Music about the hunt for King David’s music of the Psalms, The Three Sixes about Islamic terror cells in America, and the just-released The Last Aliyah about the Jewish escape from America when the United Nations bans Jewish emigration to Israel.
A book signing will follow Leslie’s presentation.
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Website Editorhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgWebsite Editor2018-10-03 15:43:582018-10-03 15:56:08Author Mark Allen Leslie to speak about new book at Winslow Library
Fake news. Fake videos. Fake photos. The way things are heading, the 21st century is likely to be known as the Fake Century, and it’s only going to get worse from here.
About a year ago, I came across a short BBC News report. It talked about an initiative by researchers at the University of Washington to create a hyper-realistic video of President Obama saying things he never said. On Youtube, they posted a clip of the real Obama alongside the fake Obama the researchers had created. I couldn’t tell the difference.
Welcome to the deepfake future.
“Deepfake” is probably not a term you’ve heard a lot about up ‘til now, but expect that to change over the next few years. The term is derived from the technology driving it, deep learning, a branch of artificial intelligence emphasizing machine learning through the use of neural networks and other advanced techniques. When Facebook tags you in a photo uploaded by a friend, that’s an example of deep learning in action. It’s an effort to replicate human-like information processing in a computer.
Artificial intelligence is not just getting good at recognizing human faces; it’s becoming good at creating them, too. By feeding an A.I. thousands of images or video of someone, for example a public figure, the computer can then use that information to create a new image or video of the person that is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
No, Einstein never went bicycling near a nuclear test. This photo is fake.
Of course, this sort of fakery has been around for a long time in photography. Do an unfiltered Google image search for any attractive female celebrity, and you’re likely to find a few pictures with the celebrity’s head photoshopped onto the body of a porn actress in a compromising position. Search for images of UFOs or the Lock Ness Monster, and you’ll find dozens of fake photos, many of which successfully fooled the experts for years.
But what we’re talking about here is on a completely different level. Last year I wrote about a new advancement in artificial intelligence allowing a computer to mimic the voice of a real person. Feed the computer 60 seconds of someone speaking and that computer can re-create their voice saying absolutely anything you like.
Deepfake is the culmination of these two technologies, and when audio and video can be faked convincingly using a computer algorithm, what hope is there for truth in the wild world of the web?
If the past couple years have taught us anything, it’s that there are deep partisan divides in this country and each side has a different version of the truth. It’s not so much a battle of political parties as it is combat between contrasting narratives. It’s a war for belief.
Conspiracy theories have flourished in this environment, as each side of the debate is all too willing to believe the worst of the other side — whether it’s true or not. I have written several times about the methods Russia and others have used to influence the U.S. electorate, but it’s this willingness to believe the worst about our fellow Americans that is most often exploited by our adversaries.
Communist dictator Joseph Stalin was infamous for destroying records and altering images to remove people from history after they had fallen out of favor with him.
Likewise, when the Roman sect of Christianity gained ascendancy in the early 4th century CE, they set about destroying the gospels held sacred by other groups. This was done in order to paint the picture of a consistently unified church without divisions (“catholic” is Latin for “universal”).
In both these cases, narratives were shaped by eliminating any information that contradicted the approved version of events. However, with the advent of the Internet and a mostly literate population, that method of controlling the narrative just isn’t possible anymore. Instead, the technique has been adjusted to one which floods the public space with so much false and misleading information that even intelligent, well-meaning people have trouble telling the difference between fact and fiction.
If, as Thomas Jefferson once wrote, a well-informed electorate is a prerequisite to a successful democracy, these three elements – our willingness to believe the worst of our political opponents, the recent trend of controlling the narrative by flooding the public consciousness with misinformation to obscure the truth, and the advancements of technology allowing this fakery to flourish and spread – are combining to create a challenge to our republic like nothing we’ve experienced before.
What can you do about the coming deepfake flood? Let me give you some advice I take myself: Make sure you rely on a range of diverse and credible sources. Regularly read sources with a bias different from your own, and stay away from those on the extreme edges of the political divide. Consult websites like AllSides.com or MediaBiasFactCheck.com to see where your favorite news source falls on the political spectrum.
We have entered the era of post-truth politics, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose our way in the Internet’s labyrinth of lies. It means we need to develop a new set of skills to navigate the environment in which we now find ourselves.
The truth hasn’t gone away. It’s just lost in a where’s Waldo world of obfuscation. Search hard enough, and you’ll see it’s still there.
Eric W. Austin writes about technology and community issues. He can be reached by email at ericwaustin@gmail.com.
https://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpg00Eric W. Austinhttps://townline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TownLineBanner.jpgEric W. Austin2018-10-03 15:27:502019-01-31 11:05:30ERIC’S TECH TALK – Deepfake: When you can’t believe your eyes
by Peter Cates
(NAPSI)—There are about 74 million children in America today and if you’re a parent, here’s something you should know: involved fathers—whether they live with their kids or not—can help their children lead happier, healthier and more successful lives. Children who feel close to their fathers are two times more likely to go to college or find a job after high school, 80 percent less likely to end up in jail and 50 percent less likely to experience depression.1 The small moments kids enjoy spending with their fathers can make a big difference in their lives. If you’re like most fathers, you’re already doing what you can to be a great dad. Here’s a look at five easy ways to keep it up.
