Truly driverless cars
by Tyler Cowen February 28, 2018 at 2:24 am in
California regulators have given the green light to truly driverless cars.
The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles said Monday that it was eliminating a requirement for autonomous vehicles to have a person in the driver’s seat to take over in the event of an emergency. The new rule goes into effect on April 2.
California has given 50 companies a license to test self-driving vehicles in the state. The new rules also require companies to be able to operate the vehicle remotely — a bit like a flying military drone — and communicate with law enforcement and other drivers when something goes wrong.
That is from Daisuke Wakabayashi at the NYT, via Michelle Dawson.
February 28, 2018 at 3:01 am Hide Replies 1
As a Tesla bear I enjoyed this: 0 (zero) miles of vehicle test on public roads in California in autonomous mode. They babble about billons of miles of driving data around the world, but data is not accessible. Thus, trust the "engineers".
Also, I love the passive-aggresive tone of this Tesla report.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/f965670d-6c03-46a9-9109-0c187adebbf2/Tesla.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
I don't think Tesla has any cars ready to go driverless yet. This is more likely to apply to mobs such as Google.
That Tesla does not have such vehicles was his point. When the rubber hits the road, Tesla's reputation appears to be just a tiny bit inflated - sort of like its stock price, hence his bear reference.
I'm also a Tesla bear, but I notice people hated Amazon.com about a decade ago, or more, and said they would fail, but they did not. Having said that, I'm long Walmart and I would bet that Amazon will not match Walmart, and further 'drone deliveries' are overrated due to the high cost of energy (flying is energy inefficient).
Good point. I was quite skeptical of Amazon, particular Bezos's lack of concern with turning a profit for years, but he has been vindicated.
I'm not sure drone delivery will be more than a gimmick, but I doubt it really is less efficient compared to a human driver operating a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds to deliver small packages.
As for Tesla, I'm still somewhat of a skeptic, but they have forced me to shift my position. I used to think that electric cars would not be a viable product at all, and I think their success so far disproves this. However, I continue to doubt whether they can transition to a moderately-priced mass market product.
February 28, 2018 at 12:46 pm Hide Replies 6
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Tesla not having a full autonomous car ready is the point. Google, Bosch and others have developed and tested full autonomous driving while collaborating with California's DMV. Performance statistics are public information.
This post from Mr. Tabarrok brings context. What if a company brings the technology to the market first while following burdensome regulations. http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2016/07/robot-car-safety-the-case-for-laissez-faire.html
How is the laissez-faire approach going?
Callan
("full autonomous car" ???)
What is that ?
How does it compare with a "Driverless Car", a "Truly Driverless Car", "self-driving vehicles", an "autonomous vehicle", etc ??
The terminology is so sloppy on this topic that very few people know what they are talking about.
The Federal government (NHTSA) has 5 official categories of automated road vehicles based upon the degree of automation. You are just bullshi__ing if you don't specify which automation category you are addressing in any discussion of 'driverless vehicles'.
"Level 5" is what most people have in mind with the concept/reality of 'driverless vehicles'.
Level 5 is what Google’s aiming for -- a car that can handle all driving tasks and go anywhere. No human, no steering wheel, no pedals. Climb in, tell it where you want to go.
Nobody yet has even marketed a Category 3 vehicle. Dream on.
It's really puzzling how any time driverless cars make a step forward, this army of gnomes comes out of the woodwork to announce that driverless cars are impossible and will never happen. I'm sure this will continue right up until driverless cars are ubiquitous, and perhaps beyond.
Mulp
So, the only thing required for a car or truck is a driver, and a driver is just a computer with hands?
Ie, drivers never open and close doors and assist passengers, or put in oor take out things of the vehicle, or diagnose and get flats fixed, or clean windows, refuel, ...
Not to mention dealing with confusing construction workers, or accident detour directions.
I don't understand the point of the driverless pizza delivery vehicle recently featured. I don't want to dress to go outside and drive 5 minutes to pick up a pizza, so i call for delivery and then need to dress to go outside to get my pizza, and if I wait 3 minutes to finish my game, the truck sits in the street and all the other pizzas get delayed 3 minutes? If I wait to leave to pick up the pizza, no one else is delayed in picking up their pizza. A driver will keep ringing the door bell or start pounding on the door, plus I can have the 6 year old open the door and give him the money if not already paid for, and take the pizza.
If UPS had set a standard for UPS package delivery boxes at curbside decades ago, maybe installed them like news delivery drivers installed tubes for new customers, I can see a vehicle that is designed to open, deposit, and close that standard delivery box, even pickup packages first. But when packages go inside lobbies or business or get placed on porches, inside garages, or stuck in the storm door or put in the grill or hidden behind the bush, the UPS truck will always have a human in it. He might not need to drive most of the time and be doing package handling between stops, saving a minute per stop.
carlospln
February 28, 2018 at 3:33 pm Hide Replies 8
Troll Me
It's possible to know what you're talking about at the same time as not using the same terminology or categorization as that used in the regulating federal agency.
However, knowing one or more approaches to categorization on a particular matter may be instructive ...
March 1, 2018 at 2:04 am Hide Replies 10
"Truly driverless cars" simply means cars that literally do not have a driver in them. This is blatantly obvious, given that the post is about a law change to no longer require drivers.
And yeah, who cares about the federal government's categorization? When I was a kid, I thought there were actually four food groups, as in this is a property of reality. Then I grew up and learned better.
February 28, 2018 at 3:25 am Hide Replies 14
'The new rules also require companies to be able to operate the vehicle remotely — a bit like a flying military drone — and communicate with law enforcement and other drivers when something goes wrong.'
Considering how famously secure so many data connections to commercial products are, this is not exactly encouraging. Swatting a car seems just like the sort of thing a certain demographic would jump on, for example.
'A feud between two Call of Duty players led to the death of a 28-year-old Kansas man, who was shot and killed by police after a fraudulent 911 call sent a SWAT team to the man’s private home. The news was first reported by local newspaper The Wichita Eagle, which cites numerous now-deleted tweets in which Call of Duty players take responsibility for participating in or observing the intended prank, which came after an argument about an online wagered match reportedly worth just $1.50. One player allegedly provided a fake address to someone with a history of calling in fake threats. That person, later identified and arrested by the LAPD, proceeded to embroil the innocent stranger in the feud, according to independent cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs.'
Notice that the procedure leading to that shooting death involved a third party making the actual threat - the buzzword at this website is MIE.
And taking over a vehicle means that one does not need to trust law enforcement to use their weapons to uphold law and order - 'In this case, Wichita local Andrew Finch, whose family members say did not play video games and was a father of two young boys, answered his door only to face down a SWAT team-level response. Allegedly, one officer immediately fired upon Finch, who later died at a hospital. It’s unclear why Finch, who is said not to have had a weapon on him, was fired upon. The Wichita Eagle reports that the police department is investigating the issue, which occurred late Thursday night.' https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/29/16830626/call-of-duty-swatting-prank-kansas-man-dead-police-shooting
February 28, 2018 at 4:48 pm Hide Replies 15
Lying to the police is far easier than hacking a car, even an insecure one. I assure you that random gamers don't have the technical chops or motivation needed to hack a company. The risk is a real hacker creating and distributing scripts that do it for others, but this is still harder than lying to the police - there's no well-known route to becoming a script kiddie.
So Much For Subtlety
he new rules also require companies to be able to operate the vehicle remotely — a bit like a flying military drone — and communicate with law enforcement and other drivers when something goes wrong.
Skynet approves.
Who in their right mind would want such a thing? Presumably it is so you get your pizza in 20 minutes or less. But what else is it good for?
I can't access the article, but I assumed it was solely related to the vehicles used for testing. In that context, it seems logical. For example, it would enable moving a test vehicle so it isn't blocking traffic, if something goes wrong.
Such a requirement for production vehicles would raise lots of questions, I agree.
'it was solely related to the vehicles used for testing. In that context, it seems logical.'
Yes, because there is no way one operator could oversee several thousand vehicles. Even in this scenario, though, it is a bit of a fig leaf. A certain number of failures are going to occur inside of any possible reaction time from a remote operator. Still much better than nothing, of course. (If reporting is to be trusted, the first fatal Tesla Autopilot crash was in part due to the software incorrectly classifying the side of a trailer as a street sign - the only way a remote operator could have prevented that crash was by being actively engaged with how the vehicle was travelling - which in that particular case, the driver was not - https://www.recode.net/2017/9/12/16294510/fatal-tesla-crash-self-driving-elon-musk-autopilot )
'For example, it would enable moving a test vehicle so it isn’t blocking traffic, if something goes wrong.'
Or in a less benign scenario, opening a still travelling vehicle that is burning, so as to allow the occupants to escape. There will be a number of interesting trade-offs to be made in the future regarding such decision making, but a test vehicle is more likely to have a variety of problems than a production vehicle.
The feature would not be to prevent accidents (it's clearly infeasible to have a human operator take over quickly enough, as you note) but to enable the car to be moved if the software is unable to operate in a given scenario.
Prevent accidents is a broad concept. Obviously there are lots of variables, but there will likely be situations where the problem might be something like a panic button being pushed by an occupant. Assuming that the test vehicle allows for such user feedback, of course.
That first fatal Tesla crash is instructive in that regard. Autopilot was not designed to handle cross traffic apparently, and failed to properly identify that the vehicle was about to smash into a truck at over 70mph. If one were merely a passenger, without any chance to push a panic button in a situation that was comparable (for the sake of discussion, because the vehicle was unable to properly identify a hazard - say a fire after a tanker spill that an occupant would recognize instantly). And that does happen - I have driven by one such accident on the A5 (going the other direction and as fast as possible), and a friend actually (moronically) drove through a tanker accident on the Beltway in the late 80s.
It's plausible.....But the human still needs to recognise the incident, AND recognise that the autopilot HASN'T recognised the incident, and hit the button, and have the car react.
How many accident/incident timelines is this feasible in? Quite a few, certainly, but not many.
Agreed,
The notion that a human operator could successfully "take over" in the event of machine error in these driving modes is slight. The fall-back wetware is redundant.
Aylok
Unfortunately I have been reading articles about driverless cars for long enough that I no longer consider them impressive.
What is unfortunate about that?
I'm not sure if unrealistic expectations for autonomous cars is a good thing or a bad thing. It's a good thing if it accelerates the development and use of them, but a bad thing if unrealized expectations cause most to abandon or never use them. Realistically, autonomous cars will be a safe and efficient alternative if but only if we replace all non-autonomous cars or build a separate right of way for them (which is the same as replacing non-autonomous cars since there won't be any on the separate right of way). In any case, I'm surprised that economists would be so enthusiastic about autonomous cars because they are not an efficient way to move people from place to place as compared to the alternatives. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/27/opinion/automated-vehicles-cant-save-cities.html I suspect those economists are so impressed with "tech" and the billionaires "tech" has produced that they have convinced themselves that "tech" can perform miracles. I would remind them that not even all "tech" billionaires are happy with "tech" anymore, at least one having moved on in search of Galt's Gulch.
chuck martel
The obvious plan is to structure the use of autonomous vehicles in a configuration similar to cable television. Passenger/subscribers will pay a monthly fee for the service with an additional fee for each use to the owner of the vehicles. Passengers won't have any control over the vehicle except for its destination. A similar, and easier to operate, system could have been established years ago for air traffic in the far-less congested skies but no, there are still pilots. The only way autonomous vehicles will be common is if a national bureaucracy like the FAA takes over surface transportation, which is easy to imagine.
In other words, autonomous vehicles is a euphemism for "transit".
Are rental cars "transit"? This seems closer to that.
Butler T. Reynolds
Like the FAA? Jesus.
Cowen's irony never disappoints. This time he follows a post about nudge theory with a post about autonomous cars and California's "nudge" to make them truly autonomous. Other nudges for autonomous cars include exempting the participants (i.e., the makers of the autonomous cars and the software that makes them autonomous) from liability for the likely mayhem. I fear that this nudge will be a reverse nudge since photos of the casualties will discourage the use of autonomous cars.
Apparently any law or policy is now a "nudge"?
There's a difference between mandating one option instead of another, as opposed to allowing both options but making one of them the default option and/or cheaper.
In direct contradiction to the whole 'tacocopter' claim. Innovation doesn't come from removing regulations, innovation drives regulation. Regulation is accumulative because there's often no value in actually pruning regulations that innovation has made moot.
Innovation flourishes where regulatory constraints are relaxed.
Ahh, the Greek Chorus of MR sings!
February 28, 2018 at 12:44 pm Hide Replies 35
Except that's not the case here. No one relaxed laws about self-driving cars. There was no laws about them until recently and probably 20 years from now there will be a huge amount of self-driving car law. Innovation demands and drives the regulation.
sine causa
This has been done before. It was called a horseless carriage.
Yep. They didn't have the internet in 1900 but plenty of people wrote letters to their newspapers abut the menace of switching from horses to cars. Safety, practicality, cost. All the same arguments.
In 1900, they did not switch from horses to self-driving horses which are potentially remotely operated by their owners and/or the government and/or criminals.
For example, the reins of horses and the steering wheel of a horseless carriage are both firmly in the hands of the person who is taking themselves from one place to another.
If things go well, for practical purposes it won't matter. But in the meantime, history has long shown that there are those who would exploit basically any possibility toward exercising political and/or economic control that may be exploited, were they permitted to get away with directing things toward being set up in a manner that facilitated it.
For example, would you tolerate a regulation which allows an an autonomous car company to refuse to make a pit stop for "Starbucks coffee" out of preference for a stop 5 minutes later, due to some predicted efficiency? Without thinking about how the same technology could be hacked and/or repurposed for subtle-yet-in-fact-extreme draconian control over people's movement and activities?
Hopaulius
If an operating company or manufacturer can operate an "autonomous" vehicle remotely, so can a determined hacker. Presumably the processors used in AVs have the same Spectre and Meltdown flaws we have been told are in all processing chips heretofore manufactured, so they must be in these vehicles as well.
Dallas Weaver Ph.D.
Leave it to the Calif DMV to do something stupid and make testing of truly self-driving cars near impossible. It is like they want to appear not to be the blockers of new technology evolution while blocking it.
The requirement: "The new rules also require companies to be able to operate the vehicle remotely — a bit like a flying military drone " would require full data streams to a remote location or operator and that assumes that the vehicles data streams are valid and it didn't shut down because its software didn't detect an error or inconsistency.
Step 1) require companies to be able to pilot "autonomous" vehicles remotely (by definition, then, not in fact being autonomous).
Step 2) mandate that faux-autonomous vehicles may only transport people with identity verified at the beginning, middle and end of every trip.
Step 3) enable to turn off or otherwise mess with the operations of any vehicle transporting a person with politically inconvenient views, ideally at the maximally troublesome time and/or location.
Step 4) equip vehicles with some means of verifying sufficient progress toward ideological reform before the problem may be rectified on the basis of some faux premise.


I go for a middle-of-the-road approach—I enable alerts for most of my installed apps, save for ones that are niche (mostly shopping apps that alert me to coupons) or ones I don't use regularly. All alerts make the Charge 3 vibrate and show the message on its screen, and all past alerts live in the notification drawer that you can access by swiping down from the top of the Charge 3's display.
Apple is back with the Apple Watch Series 4, the latest in the smartwatch game that's focused on helping wearers live a healthier lifestyle. Running on Apple’s S4 64-bit dual-core processor and the new WatchOS 5 operating system, it’s twice as fast as its predecessor. Available in two sizes — 40 mm and 44mm — it has a 30 percent larger display than the Series 3 and comes in six different aluminum and stainless steel finishes. New improvements include Walkie Talkie mode and a speaker that is 50% louder than in the Series 3. The microphone has been moved to the watch’s opposite side to reduce noise and create clearer phone calls. The bottom, now made from black ceramic and sapphire crystal for better radio wave transmission, is intended to help with cellular reception and call quality.


Group of Experts on Climate Change Impacts and
Adaptation for Transport Networks and Nodes
Sixteenth session (Geneva)
Registration form or online registration
ECE/TRANS/WP.5/GE.3/31 - Annotated provisional agenda for the sixteenth session (29-30 January 2019)
ECE/TRANS/WP.5/GE.3/32 - Report of the sixteenth session (29-30 January 2019)
Informal document (2019) No. 1 - Implications for Transport from climate variability and change (submitted by Prof. Adonis Velegrakis, University of Aegean)
Informal document (2019) No. 2 - Climate Change: Trends and Projections (submitted by Prof. Adonis Velegrakis, University of Aegean)
Informal document (2019) No. 4 - Main transport networks and nodes (Note by the secretariat)
Informal document (2019) No. 7 - Input into the National Policies and Good Practices Section of the UNECE Group of Experts Report (submitted by the Government of Canada)
Document shared at the session
Informal document (2019) No. 8 - Case study: Polish practice in carrying sensitivity and vulnerability analysis for the identification of hotspots on transport infrastructure due to climatic factors (submitted by the Government of Poland)
Informal document (2019) No. 9 - The French National Climate Change Adaption Plan (submitted by the Government of France)
Informal document (2019) No. 10 - Case study: A methodology to assess the risks due to climate change on transport networks – the case study “DIR Med” (submitted by the Government of France)
Informal document (2019) No. 11 - Case study: Winter Roads in Canada and the implications of climate change (submitted by the Government of Canada)
Informal document (2019) No. 12 - New Guidelines for Winter Maintenance of Roads in Finland (submitted by the Government of Finland)
Informal document (2019) No. 13 - Case study: Low flow extremes on the River Rhine – Causes, Impacts, Adaptation of the most important inland waterway in Europe (submitted by the Government of Germany)
Informal document (2019) No. 14 - Adapting the infrastructure network to a changing climate - a case-study of the Netherlands (submitted by the Government of the Netherlands)
Informal document (2019) No. 15 - Development of a Climate Adaptation Strategy for the InnovA58 highway in the Netherlands (submitted by the Government of the Netherlands)
Informal document (2019) No. 16 - Analysis of responses to the climate change adaptation questionnaire 2016 (submitted by Prof. Adonis Velegrakis, University of Aegean)
Informal document (2019) No. 17 - Case study: Influences of weather and climate extremes on traffic flows – stress test scenario Middle Rhine (submitted by the Government of Germany)
Informal document (2019) No. 18 - Case study: Impact on Kiel Canal (submitted by the Government of Germany)


Some Dreams Come True
Photo from Bangles website.
Hard Rock Cafes and Hotels around the globe will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Pinktober by holding concerts and parties throughout October. Their goal is to raise money for The Caron Keating Foundation, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and other breast cancer awareness organizations. You can also help the cause by purchasing selected items at www.hardrock.com/promo/pinktober09. The website provides an extensive rundown of the upcoming Pinktober events.
The Bangles got things off to an early start with a September 24th concert at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. Band members Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, and Debbi Peterson can also be seen online modeling comfy-looking Pinktober robes, which, along with a guitar-shaped Pinktober pin, are part of the extensive line of merchandise for sale.
Photo from Vedera MySpace page.
The Chicago Hard Rock Cafe will present Vedera, an indie rock quartet fronted by vocalist-guitarist Kristen May, on October 6th, and sell raffle tickets for a pink Vespa throughout the month. The raffle takes place on the 31st. Vedera (check www.myspace.com/vedera for details) also has Pinktober gigs scheduled at Hard Rock Cafes in Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Minneapolis.
Pinktober will have a regal finale in London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 1st with a Women Of Rock concert that includes Joss Stone, Melanie C, and Bananarama.
Index: Bangles, Hard Rock Cafe, Pinktober
I’ve Got My Foot On The Accelerator
Photos by Pam Minch (Click to see larger image.)
The 2nd Annual Zimmer Classic Cup Car Show, sponsored by Zimmer’s Hardware in honor of its 125 years of being in business, was held recently in Palatine. Since promoting special events is a lost art in this sleepy northwest suburb, residents could be forgiven for not knowing there had been a 1st Annual Zimmer Classic Cup Car Show. Nevertheless, the competition drew a good sized crowd to marvel at antique and muscle cars with their hoods open to display powerful, gleaming engines.
The DJ played 1960s music from The Byrds, The Beatles, The Monkees, The Hollies, Paul Revere & The Raiders, and Jimi Hendrix, but the most appropriate songs came from earlier acts like The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean. That was the era when rock songs were almost as likely to be about cruising in a Stingray, Jaguar, or GTO as finding the perfect romance. The fun and freedom that comes with driving would continue to be celebrated over the decades, via artists like Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, Commander Cody, and Tracy Chapman. Even the one-hit new wave band Pearl Harbour & The Explosions got in on the act, joyously singing, “I’ve got my foot on the accelerator” on “Drivin’.”
This year’s Zimmer Classic featured Mustangs, Camaros, Galaxie 500s, and Fairlanes sporting vibrant colors, which caused my wife Pam to lament the unimaginative palette used for today’s mainstream cars. (Our white Neon literally pales by comparison.) I was drawn to a 1968 VW Camper infused with flower power by owners Bill and Jenni Casale, and a 1971 VW Karmann Ghia that owner David Howard said once belonged to actor Ricky Schroeder. “I kind of manned it up a bit,” Howard explained, describing the new two-tone color scheme. He also plans to replace the headlights. But the really cool thing is the way he imaginatively decked out the car with rock and roll decals of Pink Floyd, The Who, and The Beatles, and other bands. And check out that Beach Boys license plate.
I might have voted for the Karmann Ghia as the best car in the Zimmer Classic Cup, but an official explained that only the car owners are eligible to cast a ballot. For me, David Howard has found a great way to commemorate the long-time, loving relationship between cars and rock and roll.
Index: David Howard, Karmann Ghia, Zimmer Classic Cup Car Show
CD Review: Tomorrow The Moon - He Saw Red
Photo from Tomorrow The Moon’s MySpace page.
When Bad Examples guitarist Steve Gerlach decided to embark on a side project, he chose a rocket ship as his mode of transportation. He Saw Red, the five song debut from Tomorrow The Moon, offers a futuristic sound forged from Gerlach’s ringing guitar and Jim Dinou’s adventurous synthesizers. Bassist Ryan Nelson and drummer John Carpender add to the fun. The band was impressive in a live performance at this year’s International Pop Overthrow in Chicago.
At times, the music on He Saw Red has a 1980s feel that sounds like an updated, slightly rougher version of The Cars. Gerlach, who mainly sings harmonies behind Ralph Covert in the Bad Examples, proves he can be a strong lead vocalist, whether it’s on the dramatic “French Goodbye” or on the lighter, melodic pop of “Paperweight.” The catchy “Accounts Deceivable” has the feel of classic rock, and the driving beat of the title track twists through rapid tempo changes as Tomorrow The Moon tosses in voice samples and assorted sci fi effects. The epic “Sane?” gets He Saw Red off to a low key start, but its spacey atmosphere sets the stage for the songs that follow.
Tomorrow The Moon will perform an entire set of music by the Psychedelic Furs as part of an intriguing Halloween weekend at the end of October. Several local acts will impersonate famous rock bands at The Abbey Pub on Chicago’s northwest side. Stay tuned for details. Check out Tomorrow The Moon’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/tomorrowthemoon
Index: Psychedelic Furs, Steve Gerlach, Tomorrow The Moon
It's A Long, Long Road ...
Hollies illustration by Pam Minch
Finally! The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has taken the first step toward honoring The Hollies. The British Invasion group was among 12 nominees recently announced for induction in 2010. It’s not a done deal; only five of the dozen acts will actually make the cut, and The Hollies will have to overcome the misconception that they were strictly a Top 40 singles band.
A lot of solid material could be found on The Hollies’ albums throughout their career, including tracks like the exotic “Tell Me To My Face,” the delicately beautiful “Butterfly,” the ambitious mini rock opera “Confessions Of A Mind,” the melodic pop of “To Do With Love,” and the harder-edged “Won’t You Feel Good That Morning.” The band’s three-part harmonies and infectious melodies continue to set the standard for power pop bands to this day. The Hollies were second only to The Beatles in terms of hit songs in the U.K.
The Hollies gave us one third of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, who have already taken their place in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. When I interviewed Graham Nash for the Illinois Entertainer last January, he agreed The Hollies should be there as well. “It infuriates me when I think of the lack of respect for The Hollies,” he said. “They were very influential in the ‘60s and part of the British Invasion. It would be great to induct them.”
If The Hollies are inducted, there may be a logistics problem in terms of getting all the past and current members on stage. Of course, Graham Nash should be there, as well as former lead vocalist Allan Clarke, and Terry Sylvester, who replaced Nash back in 1969. Mikael Rikfors, who filled in for Clarke for a few years in the early 1970s, should also be considered. Some mention should be made of the late Carl Wayne, who replaced Clarke in 2000. Wayne, who got his start with The Move, was a kind-hearted performer who strived to bring The Hollies closer to their fans. (And I have an autographed program to prove it.) But should they reach all the way back to the earliest days for bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone? The Hollies continue to record and tour to this day, although guitarist Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott are the only original members. Still, some of the current band members have been in The Hollies for a longer period than Nash. Who knows? Let’s just hope that come next year, there’ll be a huge Hollies reunion going on at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Index: Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Terry Sylvester, The Hollies
CD Review: The Valley Downs - Behemoth E.P.
Photo from The Valley Downs website.
Aside from their annual performance each April when International Pop Overthrow touches down in the Windy City, we just don’t see or hear enough from The Valley Downs. Led by vocalist/guitarist Marianne Shimkus and her husband vocalist/bassist Mike Galassini, the Chicago-based quartet’s catchy power pop is certainly worthy of wider exposure. It’s been a while since The Valley Downs’ debut, the Behemoth E.P. was released, but it’s worth revisiting while we wait for a follow-up.
“Better” is an optimistic mid-tempo number that sounds remarkably like The Bangles as Shimkus sings of the power of love and support. She uses a tougher vocal approach for the social satire of “Drama Queen,” declaring, “I’m gonna rule the world just for you” and “Everything I do, you’re gonna do too.” The more energetic “Sorry” deals with leaving a relationship, and Shimkus channels Deborah Harry on the hard-edged and sexy “Twister.” Galassini, who got his start with the power pop trio 92 Degrees and still performs with them on occasion, brings his bass playing to the forefront throughout the E.P., and joins Shimkus on harmonies.
Hopefully, the band will release a full-length effort in the near future. Their MySpace page, at www.myspace.com/thevalleydowns, offers a professional video of a new song, “Play For You” as well as live performance videos, and a photo montage of the The Valley Downs’ visit to Liverpool (for an IPO performance) set to their version of The Beatles’ “For No One.”
Index: Marianne Shimkus, Mike Galassini, The Valley Downs
When WXRT morning disk jockey Lin Brehmer announced that Little Steven Van Zandt, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and host of the syndicated Underground Garage radio show, would be dropping by the station Monday morning, most listeners probably expected a five minute interview. Surprisingly, Van Zandt and Brehmer chatted, joked, and played classic garage rock songs, including ones by Paul Revere and The Raiders and Tinted Windows, for an hour. If Van Zandt was tired from being onstage for a three hour, high energy performance at the United Center the night before, he showed no signs. He talked about watching Dick Clark’s Where The Action Is TV show as a kid, as well as the troubled state of current rock’n’roll.
Van Zandt, whose Underground Garage show airs on WXRT each Sunday night, recalled the days when rock music was meant to make people dance and bands honed their skills by performing cover songs before moving on to original material. Even The Beatles worked that way, he insisted. On their current tour, which showcases Born To Run in its entirety, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band go back to their bar band roots by taking audience requests to perform other groups’ material. Van Zandt confessed it can be a challenge to whip up those songs on the spot.
A self-proclaimed keeper of the flame, Van Zandt feels too many bands today lack the necessary fire. Still, he’s no crabby elder statesman lost in the past. Through his radio show, he promotes new acts like The Urges and The Cocktail Slippers alongside classic artists like The Rolling Stones and The Ronnettes. He champions female bands from any era. He’s also launched the ambitious interactive website Fuzztopia where fans as well as bands can promote and present music. Van Zandt explained the site is still a work in progress.
His philosophy meshes well with WXRT’s "Past, Present, Future" ad campaign. Years ago, the station took a huge risk by including punk and new wave songs on its playlist, along with the progressive rock favorites listeners had grown to love. That gamble has made WXRT stronger. Today, Van Zandt and Brehmer came across as kindred souls who love rock music and are determined to keep its fire burning.
Index: Lin Brehmer, Little Steven Van Zandt, Underground Garage, WXRT
Photos from the Doctor Who website
The cover of a recent issue of the U.K. publication Doctor Who Magazine proclaimed exciting news for Anglophiles and sci-fi fans: Tom Baker will once again play the time and space traveling, universe-saving alien known as the Doctor. Alas, his performance won’t be one we’ll see on TV or in a movie. Baker is reprising his most famous role for a BBC Audio Series called The Hornets’ Nest.
Still, the interview (the first he’s granted the mag in 12 years) is funny and informative, and should delight anyone who loved the actor’s charismatic work on the cult series back in the 1970s. Baker’s was the fourth, and for many, the best incarnation of the Doctor; a character a friend of mine once described as “the coolest guy in the universe.” Flashing a toothy grin in the faces of terrifying villains, the Doctor used his wits to thwart their diabolical plots. Doctor Who could be a violent show, but its hero always sought peaceful solutions. Describing his take on the Doctor, Baker tells Doctor Who Magazine, “I prefer a kind of benevolent lunacy . . . because I’m an alien.”
Now 75, Baker seems to dismiss the specter of old age with the same irreverence he used on Daleks and Cybermen. He gets a kick out of fans who approach him with photos they took with him when they were children. “Well, it amuses me no end, when I’m looking at a bald, middle-aged man who’s worn out with domesticity, then there he is in the picture, sitting on my knee. But it’s all about the happy memories, isn’t it?”
Baker is well aware of the current buzz surrounding actor David Tennant ‘s work as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor. Tennant seems to be having a blast, and his winning mix of strength, compassion, and youthful looks have placed him in several publications’ most popular or sexiest male entertainer polls. (To me, he looks like a cross between John Lennon and Elvis Costello, but that might be because I always thought Lennon would have been a great choice to play the Doctor.) In a 2006 Doctor Who Magazine reader survey, Tennant replaced the usually unbeatable Baker in the Best Doctor category. But Baker is not about to be mastered by the green monster of envy. “We all owe David Tennant a great debt,” he says in the recent DWM, “because, with his style and brio, he has revitalised the whole thing!”
There are similarities in the way Baker and Tennant handle the role, but one major difference is that Tennant’s Doctor had a romantic connection with his female companion, Rose Tyler while Baker worked in a more innocent era. “We didn’t think of that,” Baker recalls, looking back on companions like Leela and Sarah Jane Smith. “So, for my part, I played the Doctor without any sexuality at all.”
Just as Tom Baker eventually left Doctor Who, Tennant will wrap up his tenure this year. Each actor will always be remembered as the coolest guy in the universe.
Index: David Tennant, Doctor Who, Tom Baker
Celtic Fest Chicago
Photo from Navan Website
Even if you don’t have tickets to see U2 at Soldier Field, you can still experience a blast of great Irish music on the weekend of September 12-13 by checking out Celtic Fest Chicago, which will be celebrating its13th anniversary in Grant Park. This year’s event offers big names like Gaelic Storm and Leahy at the Petrillo Music Shell; lesser known but entertaining acts from around the world on the smaller stages; roaming bagpipe bands; and a variety of dance troupes. Visitors will also find plenty of food and beverage options, as well as vendors selling art, jewelry, and clothing.
The best thing about Celtic Fest Chicago for any music fan is the opportunity to discover a new favorite band, and the Next Generation Tent is a great place to do that. It’s an inspirational showcase of talented young musicians, many of whom are students from the Shine School, Irish Music School, Murphy Roche Music School, or Academy of Irish Music. Baal Tinne, a mixed group of younger and older musicians, can always be counted on for a lively, and sometimes majestic performance. Baal Tinne, as well as many of the younger musicians, have CDs for sale.
Navan, a Wisconsin based a cappella group comprised of three women and one man, is another prime example of what Celtic Fest has to offer. Acting as a sort of coed, Gaelic Crosby Stills, Nash, and Young, the quartet uses beautiful harmonies to spin ancient tales from Scotland, Ireland, and England. Even though singer Paul Gorman once joked that it’s probably better that Navan’s songs aren’t sung in modern English because some of the lyrics are pretty gruesome, the band’s music is always entertaining.
Last year, much of Celtic Fest Chicago was canceled due to heavy rainfall, so the perfect weather forecast for this weekend should bring out an especially appreciative crowd.
Index: Celtic Fest Chicago
CD Review: Cheap Trick - The Latest
The first time I saw Cheap Trick was at Harlow’s rock club (or was it Haywires or Pip’s at that point?) on Chicago’s southwest side. Rick Nielsen used his guitar to poke out the ceiling tiles above the stage, and Robin Zander so effectively conveyed the raw emotions of “Oh, Candy” I could've sworn he was crying. That was prior to the release of Cheap Trick’s self-titled debut, and decades later, it’s inspiring to see the band releasing solid albums at a fast enough pace to make a long-time fan’s headphones spin. The Latest followed on the heels of Rockford, and preceded Sgt. Pepper Live.
Primarily written by the band, The Latest finds Cheap Trick concentrating on what it does best; creating irresistibly catchy power pop. Several references to The Beatles foreshadow the decision to take on the entire Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for performances in Las Vegas. “Miracle” sounds like it could have been one of the better ballads from John Lennon’s solo days. The enticing “Miss Tomorrow” sets guitar-driven rock amidst symphonic swirls while the lyrics mash The Beatles with The Rolling Stones: “Love, you said that love is all you need./Cold, you taught The Beatles “Let It Bleed.” The high-speed “California Girl” sounds like a gender reversal of The Beatles’ early cover of Larry Williams’s “Bad Boy,” and describes the title character as a Sexy Sadie.
A rousing take on Slade’s “When The Lights Are Out” kicks off with Bun E. Carlos’s signature drumming, and Cheap Trick also roars through “Everyday You Make Me Crazy,” “Sick Man Of Europe,” and “Alive.” Even the romantic ballads “These Days” and “Times Of Our Lives” sport a full-bodied sound, while the lush psychedelia of “ Closer, The Ballad Of Burt And Linda” once again taps into those Beatles influences. Luckily, this was the latest from Cheap Trick, and not the last.
Index: Cheap Trick, The Beatles
Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Bash
(photo from David Bash Facebook page)
Since September 2nd is David Bash’s birthday, now would be the perfect time to pay tribute to him. As the founder of International Pop Overthrow, David brings the gift of power pop music to boys and girls around the globe. He doesn’t do it all in one night, and wears a cowboy hat instead of a red cap, but for many of us, he works magic.
Named after a song by the Chicago band, Material Issue, International Pop Overthrow made its debut in L.A. back in 1998. The festival has since become a world-wide affair, making stops in numerous cities, including Liverpool, Vancouver, Boston, and San Francisco.
Chicago power pop fans eagerly anticipate David’s annual arrival around the middle of April, with visions of settling into a club like the Abbey Pub where they can catch an eight-band showcase for a mere $10. IPO Chicago usually offers a mix of local bands like The Valley Downs, The Bad Examples, and The Handcuffs; visitors from neighboring cities, like Milwaukee’s The Lackloves; as well as an overseas act like Anison, who are based in England.
A tireless supporter of the power pop genre, Bash enthusiastically introduces all the acts with a brief bio and explanation of why he chose them for the fest. Musicians interested in being part of International Pop Overthrow can contact David via SonicBids. See http://www.internationalpopoverthrow.com for details.
So let’s raise a glass and wish David a Happy Birthday!
Index: David Bash, International Pop Overthrow, The Bad Examples, The Handcuffs, The Valley Downs


Apollo 11 Podcasts: How the Apollo 11 mission still inspires
Tom Steyer launches 2020 campaign after saying he wouldn’t
by: JUANA SUMMERS, Associated Press
Posted: Jul 9, 2019 / 06:02 AM PDT / Updated: Jul 9, 2019 / 09:28 PM PDT
FILE – In this Jan. 9, 2019 file photo, billionaire investor and Democratic activist Tom Steyer speaks during a news conference where he announced his decision not to seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. Steyer is now joining the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, reversing course after deciding earlier this year that he would forgo a run. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Steyer, the billionaire investor and activist, said Tuesday he’s joining the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, reversing course after deciding earlier this year that he would forgo a run.
Steyer, 62, is one of the most visible and deep-pocketed liberals advocating for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. He surprised many Democrats in January when he traveled to Iowa, home to the nation’s first presidential caucus, to declare that he would focus entirely on the impeachment effort instead of seeking the White House.
Since then, Steyer, of California, has said he’s grown frustrated at the pace at which the Democratic-controlled House is approaching Trump. Roughly half of the Democratic presidential contenders, seeking to appeal to the party’s progressive base, have called on House Democrats to start an impeachment inquiry. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi has resisted, warning that Democrats need to collect the facts and that a rush to impeachment could ultimately help Trump politically.
Despite becoming a national voice on the impeachment issue, Steyer made no mention of it in his campaign announcement. Instead, he said his campaign will focus on reducing the influence of corporations in politics. He also plans to target climate change, which is the focus of the Steyer-backed advocacy group NextGen America.
“The other Democratic candidates for President have many great ideas that will absolutely move our country forward, but we won’t be able to get any of those done until we end the hostile corporate takeover of our democracy,” Steyer said in a statement.
Steyer confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that he would spend at least $100 million on his campaign, a figure that was first reported by The New York Times.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who are competing for the support of liberal voters in the Democratic presidential primary, decried the influence of billionaires in the 2020 race.
Warren, who didn’t mention Steyer by name, tweeted after his announcement: “The Democratic primary should not be decided by billionaires, whether they’re funding Super PACs or funding themselves. The strongest Democratic nominee in the general will have a coalition that’s powered by a grassroots movement.”
Sanders said that while he may “like Tom personally,” he is “a bit tired of seeing billionaires trying to buy political power.”
Asked about Warren’s and Sanders’ criticism of his plan to invest so heavily in his own campaign, Steyer said the common goal among all candidates is to present a vision that connects with voters.
“That’s what Americans are waiting for, that’s what’s missing, and that’s something that every single candidate, including Sen. Warren and Sen. Sanders, have to address,” he said. “And so, if I can’t do that, all the money in the world isn’t going to help me.”
As he seeks the presidency, Steyer is resigning his leadership positions in both NextGen America and Need to Impeach. He says he has committed more than $50 million through 2020 to the two organizations.
Steyer joins the race three weeks before the next presidential debates , and he could struggle to get a spot on the stage. He told the AP that he does not expect to qualify for the second Democratic presidential debates, which will be held July 30-31 in Detroit.
“We’re serious about making the debates in September and October, but I think we’re too late to make the July one,” he said.
There are 20 spots at the debate for a field that includes two dozen candidates . If more than 20 people qualify, the Democratic National Committee will hold a tiebreaker to determine who gets on stage.
Steyer also could potentially face challenges hiring staff. Several of his former NextGen America staffers have joined Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign. A former Steyer spokeswoman, Aleigha Cavalier, recently joined Beto O’Rourke’s 2020 campaign.
The sprawling Democratic field is in flux as Steyer becomes the newest contender. Some lower-tier candidates are facing increasingly dire prospects if they don’t secure spots on the debate stage this fall.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell exited the race on Monday , and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s campaign has undergone a shake-up after his debate performance last month, with some staffers encouraging him to consider a Senate campaign instead.
This is not the first time Steyer has considered running for office. He eyed bids for governor of California in 2018 and the Senate in 2016. His net worth, according to Forbes, is estimated at $1.6 billion.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The chairman of the Oregon Republican Party has filed paperwork to launch a recall against Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, citing some of the laws passed in the 2019 legislative session.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Chairman Bill Currier in the Monday filing also pointed to Brown's announcement the day after lawmakers went home last month that if necessary, she would use executive powers to implement climate change policies similar to the plan defeated at the Capitol this year.
Oregon / 1 hour ago


Daily Archives: April 15th, 2014
Which franchise has had the best trio of running backs in NFL history?
By Jerry Tapp on April 15, 2014 | 2 Comments
Think back to your childhood. Do you remember…
* My dad can beat up your dad
* Hank Aaron is better than Willie Mays
* Superman could beat up Batman
Arguments or debates as a child were always fun. So, let’s turn back the clock a little. It’s the offseason for the NFL. There’s a few weeks until the NFL draft. We’ve got some time to debate this issue…
Which NFL franchise has had the best trio of running backs in NFL history?
To get the ball rolling, here’s my top 10. I looked at a few stats, looked up a few numbers, and tried to recall the careers of some of these running backs. I’m not willing to go to war with these picks, but it should be a good start for some debate. What’s your choice?
Best running back trios in NFL history
1. Dallas Cowboys (Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Don Perkins). Smith and Dorsett are both in the Hall of Fame and are one of only three pairs of running backs to have over 10,000 yards rushing for one team. Perkins had 6217 yards in his Cowboys career. Smith is the league’s all-time leading rusher and led the league twice for most yards in a season. Smith had 11 1,000-yard seasons, Dorsett had eight. Smith was a league and Super Bowl MVP.
2. Cleveland Browns (Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, Marion Motley). Each of these RBs is in the Hall of Fame, although Brown is the only one of the group to gain over 10,000 yards with the team. Kelly had 7274 yards, while Motley had 4712. Brown led the league in rushing a record eight times.
3. Buffalo Bills (Thurman Thomas, O.J. Simpson, Fred Jackson). Thomas and Simpson both gained over 10,000 yards with the Bills. Jackson had 5121. Simpson led the league in rushing on four seasons. Both Thomas and Simpson are in the Hall of Fame.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, John Henry Johnson). Another pair of 10,000-yard rushers in Harris and Bettis. Harris and Johnson are in the Hall, and Bettis will likely make it three. Johnson had only 4381 yards rushing in his Pittsburgh career. Harris had a Super Bowl MVP Award on his resume.
5. St. Louis Rams/L.A Rams (Steven Jackson, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk). Dickerson and Faulk are Hall of Famers, although neither gained over 8,000 yards in their career with the Rams. Jackson had 10135 yards in his St. Louis career with eight 1,000-yard seasons. Faulk was a league MVP recipient.
6. Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers (Eddie George, Earl Campbell, Chris Johnson). One of only two teams to have three runners with more than 7500 career rushing yards. Campbell is in the Hall of Fame and was a league MVP in 1980 with the Oilers.
7. Chicago Bears (Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Matt Forte). Payton is second on the all-time career list for yards and had 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Sayers and Payton are both in the Hall of Fame, although Sayers had under 5000 yards rushing in his career. Forte has 6666 rushing yards in his career with the Bears.
8. Green Bay Packers (Ahman Green, Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung). Hornung and Taylor both have Hall of Fame and league MVPs on their resumes. Hornung had only 3711 yards rushing in his career. Green holds the team career rushing record with 8322 yards gained.
9. San Francisco 49ers (Frank Gore, Joe Perry, Roger Craig). This trio each had over 7000 yards rushing with the 49ers. Perry is a Hall of Famer, while Craig made his mark as not only a runner, but as a receiver out of the backfield.
10. New York Jets (Curtis Martin, Freeman McNeil, Emerson Boozer). Martin is in the Hall after gaining 10302 yards for the Jets in his career. McNeil gained over 8000, while Boozer had 5135. Martin also had 10 1000-yard seasons, including seven with the Jets.
So which team is your choice for the best trio of running backs? Let the debate begin.


Concert ReportsUncategorizedFebruary 11, 2017
Live Report: Code Orange & Youth Code in Los Angeles
January 28, 2017 | Los Angeles, CA | UNION
Written & photographed by Ben Manzella (More Than Flashing Lights & Sound)
I think it’s fair to say that chaos or misunderstanding has been in the air as of late; while I was looking forward to the Code Orange show at Union this last week, I didn’t plan to have the anxiety attack that ended up making the night a challenging but interesting experience. While I don’t know if it was sold out: there was already a decent-sized crowd when the music started around 8pm with the local hardcore act, Momentum.
Having been a musician for most of my life, I immediately have respect for anyone who will put the work and time into playing live for what can sometimes be a crowd of ungrateful people. Luckily for Momentum, it seems like their following is growing while they’ve seemingly been active for only a few months. Unfortunately, on both accounts, my camera was having technical difficulties and I can’t say their music was anything I hadn’t heard from countless other bands before them. While working on my camera, Disgrace officially kicked off the night for me. Led on vocals by Taylor Young (known for playing drums in Nails among other acts), Disgrace are a group I would associate with Arizona’s Gatecreeper as band with clear death metal roots which also fits very well in a hardcore/crossover metal setting, enabling them to fit alongside a band like Code Orange just as easily as they could have played with Entombed.
Youth Code | Credit: Ben Manzella
With my camera finally working properly, Youth Code was next and I was very much excited to see them again. 2016 was a year where my interest in the vast world that comes under the umbrella term of “industrial” grew exponentially, through exploring artists/groups both old and new, and Youth Code was a discovery that I was very grateful to make. Having seen them this past August, I had an idea of what to expect but because they were the more ‘unique’ band on the bill, it made me curious as to what the crowd reaction was going to be. One of Youth Code’s greatest strengths is their chameleon-like nature in that they seem like they can adapt to nearly any crowd, and they certainly took control of the room at Union without any struggle.
It may have been a challenging or unfamiliar sound for some that night, but I have a feeling that Youth Code caught the attention of plenty of people that night just as much as their fans welcomed them for this hometown stop on their current tour. The incensed energy of both Sara and Ryan makes for an explosive performance from beginning to end; I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a focused yet unhinged approach to manipulating sounds and samples while doing vocals as what I’ve seen twice now from Ryan George. Being that he was vocalist in the hardcore band, Carry On, I’m sure this influences his way of interacting with music; and while Sara hasn’t been in a band previous to Youth Code, she has certainly come into her own and made a home at whichever venue is next on the itinerary. Reminded of the “Industrial Music is Protest Music” shirt designed by ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX (made with the proceeds being donated to Earthjustice), Sara touched on the travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump; while I won’t act as though I remember everything that was said, it was a poignant moment of unity and encouragement to seek to understand in the face of fear mongering and to avoid the very obvious fact that we as individuals are not all-knowing. While we all have the ability to see things change, the closing lyrics of Youth Code’s “Anagnorisis” seem very fitting at this time; “This is a trigger. This is despair. These eyes are poison, a sad state of affairs. (Nothing ends well with a start like this.)”
With the almost capacity room clearly anxious, a very ominous sample began playing. Launching into the title track of their latest release, Forever, Code Orange made the room erupt into a frenzy. For an effectively audio equivalent to a “1-2” punch combination, “Kill the Creator” was immediately started with no break between songs as would be a consistent rhythm for the remainder of night; but the crowd wasn’t worried, if anything they were clearly grateful and didn’t hesitate in releasing every bit of energy on the floor and stage as there were many stage dives. With textured keyboards and synths included in their sound even more on Forever than they were on 2014’s I Am King, Code Orange could very well have a future touring with industrial acts with a heavier sound just as easily they’re sure to continue their presence in the hardcore music scene. I really believe this is just the beginning for Code Orange; with this already being their third full-length release in nine years, they’re firmly establishing themselves as a band to watch for in the current heavy music scene.
Code Orange | Credit: Ben Manzella
Ben Manzella Code Orange Disgrace More Than Flashing Lights and Sound Youth Code


Mission Society of Boronyavo
Links/Acknowledgements
Welcome to Mission Society of Boronyavo
The Mission Society of Our Lady of Boronyavo
The Mission Society works to provide support for the Byzantine Catholic Church in Slovakia and the Transcarpathia Oblast in western Ukraine. We are all volunteers who belong to the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh.
What We Do/Where We Work
First of all, we PRAY to God for healing of the division of the Churches, for the spiritual growth of the American Byzantine Catholic Chruch; for the renewal of the Greek Catholic Church in Trans-Carpathia and Slovakia; for the canonization of Bishop-Martyr Theodore Romzha of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church; and for the building up of the Kingdom of God in justice and charity among all people.
We assist the (Ruthenian) Greek Catholic Church in the Trans-Carpathian Oblast of the Republic of Ukraine, which is the territory of the ancient Eparchy of Mukachevo; the Exarchate of Kosice in southeastern Slovakia; the Eparchy of Presov and Blessed Paul Gojdich Seminary in eastern Slovakia; priests in those dioceses and the Eparchy of Hajdudorogh, Hungary, with Liturgy intentions.
Our Office in America
The Mission Society Office is in the Blanchette House at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our chaplain is Father Christopher L. Zugger, former pastor of the parish (1985-2008). Our office workers and board members are all volunteers who give of their time freely. You can Email us at admin@missionboronyavo.org . At this time we can only take donations by postal mail.
The Shrine of Boronyavo
Boronyavo is a small town in the eastern part of Trans-Carpathia, not far from the junction of the Hungarian and Romanian borders with Ukraine. It is in a mountainous area known as the Hutsul Region or Hutsylchyna, a district of rugged mountaineers with a distinct culture and dialect. The small church was surrounded by fields in a valley of these mountains, and was defended against Communist destruction by devout Greek Catholic faithful of the area.
The church and monastery date back for centuries, and a small community of monks has lived here since the 1400s at least. After the Union of Uzhorod in 1646, whereby the local Orthodox Church entered into union with the Roman Catholic Church, the monks came under the Rule of Saint Basil. The Austrian Emperor Joseph II saw no need for small, contemplative communities in his empire, and the monks of Boronyavo were forcibly dispersed by imperial decree in 1771. However they kept their vows, and were able to reestablish their monastery.
The icon is based on a vision of Our Lady that one of the monks had. It was enshrined in the chapel. During the closure, the shrine was protected through the intervention of townspeople who loved the monks. Immediately God began to work miracles in the church, including the dramatic conversion of an atheist and many healings. Huge pilgrimages began to the shrine, particularly on the feast of the Annunciation (March 25), Saint Elias (July 20), and the Dormition/ Assumption of the Virgin (August 15), which is the largest of all the pilgrimages.
After the Soviet conquest of 1944-1945, and Czechoslovakia’s forced cession of the entire province to the USSR, the native Greek Catholic Church was bitterly persecuted by the Soviets. The monastery was closed, the monks arrested, and plans set to destroy the entire site. But the icon of Our Lady was taken away to the city of Khust and hidden in an apartment there, and the local peasants regularly defended the buildings against destruction, even when bulldozers were brought in. Many people were arrested, but the church was never given over to Orthodox use, and it survived Soviet rule. Barbed wire was wrapped around the site of the shrine, and people would tie rags as a sign of their prayers onto the wire in defiance of the guards.
In 1991, after three years work of restoration, the church was re-dedicated. Bishop Ivan Semedi of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo stepped aside at the altar to allow the former superior, arrested in 1946 and sent to the Arctic prisons, to come forward and offer the first public Divine Liturgy. The icon was enthroned above the Royal Doors of the iconostas in 1992, back where it belonged at last.
Basilian monks from Galicia were brought in by Bishop Semedi, and they ultimately replaced the humble church with a Ukrainian Baroque church that now serves as the shrine. The icon travels around Transcarpathia to visit parishes so that people have the chance to honor the Mother of God and ask her Divine Son's blessings through her prayers.
About Father Chris Zugger
Father Chris Zugger is an ordained priest of the Byzantine Catholic Church (1981). He hears confessions, assists at Divine Liturgies, services and classes in the parish, under the direction of the pastor. He provides spiritual direction for laity and clergy.
Father Chris’ health problems give him a good perspective on the redemptive value of suffering, and his research over the years provides information for talks on topics as diverse as Contemplative Prayer in the East; Carmelite Saints; Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust; Scottish Catholics; Irish Catholics in Penal Times; Catholic resistance to the Nazis and Communists; the Church in China; Eastern Church Fathers; Syriac Spirituality; Liturgical Life of Eastern Churches.
Father helps where he can in the Eparchy of the Holy Protection of Mary of Phoenix and in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. He is very thankful to God for the opportunity to continue to serve Him in new ways, and for the fact that Bishop Gerald Dino created this arrangement whereby he can continue to live where he has spent most of his priesthood.
Finding a Hidden Church
His new book is the result of eight years of interviews and research covering the history of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic church in the USSR and independent Ukraine. Here you will find not only background history of the Church before 1945, but the heroic witness of Blessed Theodore Romzha (killed in 1947), Bishop Petro Oros (executed 1953), Bishop Alexander Khira who died in Kazakhstan, and scores of priests, their wives, their children, and other people who fought to keep their beloved Church alive in a hostile society.
Read about the anti-religious attitudes of the Soviet Union, the imposition of harsh legislation, and the rupture of a 1,000 year old culture and Church. Also discover the determination of people to keep their faith in Jesus Christ and Catholicism alive by worshipping secretly at night, in forests, in barns, and how the Church survived with not one legal building and constant harrassment by the feared secret police. Discover the new ways Bishop Khira and underground priests came up with training new priests, establishing forbidden parishes, and nurturing the faith in an incredibly hostile atmosphere.
Included are short histories of what happened to the other Byzantine Catholic Churches in the Soviet bloc, five maps, over 70 photographs including some from the dreaded Gulag camps. Be inspired to renew your own faith in God and your own dedication to His Church and to realize that the impossible can be achieved, but only when relying on God's grace.
The book available through the Our Lady of Perpetual Help website, or through Eastern Christian Publications, or through Amazon.
Father Chris' Blog
Visit Father Chris' Blog
This work traces the history of Soviet Catholicism from its rich life in 1914 through its tentative fate in the first sixty years of the USSR. It tells of the faithful men and women shackled by dictatorship, doomed to deportation, and abandoned by their own church in the west.
The book is available through the Our Lady of Perpetual Help website, through Eastern Christian Publications, or through Amazon.
Your Donations Make it Possible
Please mail your tax-deductible donations to: The Mission Society
1838 Palomas Drive NE
Albuquerque NM 87110
Email: admin@missionboronyavo.org AT THIS TIME PLEASE SEND CHECKS TO THE POSTAL ADDRESS. WE ARE WORKING WITH PAY PAL TO ACTIVATE ACCOUNT. THANK YOU!
1838 Palomas Drive NE :: Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 :: Fax: (505) 256-1278
Copyright © 2018 Mission Society of Boronyavo -ARR


War With Iran Depends on a Battle Between John Bolton and Tucker Carlson
by David Atkins
This moment in history would read as an absurd farce if the consequences weren’t deadly serious.
As we speak, the United States teeters on an armed conflict with Iran. The consequences of yet another forever war in the Middle East—this time with one of the proudest and most powerful nations in the region—would be ruinous in ways that dwarf even the monumental catastrophes of Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet only 10 minutes separated the president of the United States from calling off an airstrike that would have reportedly killed roughly 150 Iranians. President Trump was egged on to launch the strike by most of his foreign policy advisers, including and especially National Security Advisor John Bolton, a warmonger so obscene that even the Bush-Cheney administration was forced to jettison him.
Why did he stop it? Apparently, because he saw Tucker Carlson argue against it on his Fox News show. During the broadcast, Carlson called Bolton a “bureaucratic tapeworm.”
So here we are: the fate of the world depends on a battle for the whimsical favor of an incurious commander-in-chief–waged between Fox News’s favorite racist, protectionist buffoon and the neoconservative Republican old guard’s favorite blood-soaked imperialist hawk.
How did we get here? The story almost defies belief. A bigoted real estate tycoon with a reality TV show and a flailing brand who needed a visibility boost successfully tapped into a surging torrent of white male resentment. A revanchist swell of prejudiced anger against pluralistic modernity swept through certain parts of the country alongside a generic anti-establishment backlash, accentuated at a time of middle-class economic decline. That created the conditions for Trump to actually become president, even against all his own expectations. And since ascending the White House, he’s proved that he hates America’s first African-American president so much, that he’ll do just about anything, no matter how irrational, to undo all of Obama’s accomplishments and destroy everything he had built.
One of those things was a hard-fought nuclear deal with Iran, which he scuttled for no other reason than that his predecessor had achieved it.
Trump always acts first, worries about the consequences later or not at all, and wrongly believes that every act of aggression on his part leads inevitably to capitulation by his opponents. (Apparently, no one in the New York social or real estate scene ever had the guts or means to put him in his place over the course of his decades of malfeasance, a fact that says much more about the well-heeled New York social scene and the world of real estate investors generally than it does about Trump’s supposed talents.)
So not once did it apparently occur to Trump that Iran might escalate his provocations to the point of armed conflict. It surely occurred to his neoconservative advisers, however, who were only too happy to steer the Mad King into a war he never saw coming. He apparently would have initiated that confrontation, until the intervention of one of his favorite TV hosts.
It’s a farce, all right. But a deadly and depressing one in which we are not the audience but unwilling background actors looking on as the lead actors set fire to the stage.
David Atkins
David Atkins is a writer, activist and research professional living in Santa Barbara. He is a contributor to the Washington Monthly's Political Animal and president of The Pollux Group, a qualitative research firm.