Many experts write there is much symbolism in that poem, and I myself believe that it brings to mind the time spent on waffle and avoiding the issue. Did anyone say Question Time? So we have to change tack and down the sails for a while and stop wasting time on issues, where there are no recipients for them, no matter how important.
With the current Parliamentary scenario in Canberra, it is in my view unlikely any shipping issue, or indeed any important policy launchings would see the light of day until February.
In the meantime, in response to the many issues raised on this page over the last seven months, we did receive a recent fairly complete Policy Statement on behalf of the Opposition from Bill Shorten, with himself encouraging my further contacts.
His office has further advised me they have scheduled several internal meetings on shipping between now and their national conference in July 2018.
It would seem logical to postpone any forum until later, when maybe also the government may finally have responded.
I still have nothing back after six months of one-way communication, and it is pointless to push further given the unique political situation. But I am containing my passion with my frustration, possibly as a result of old age, hopefully not senility.
It would be timely to again point out, that all of my writings have been strictly my own work and opinions, not those of Daily Cargo News.
I have not been an employee of DCN, instead writing on a voluntary basis, while at the same time benefiting from working for an enlightened publication that respects the right to free speech. Discussions have been held with many strong Australian patriots, sharing my beliefs.
I was invited by the offices of Messrs Shorten and Albanese to come forward with any ‘outstandings’, and I have a few:
Firstly, the matter of protecting our fuel imports, given the permanent risk for sabotage and the serious 50% reduction in our fuel reserves from 90 days to 45.
My concerns have been strengthened by the Defence White Paper 2016 analysis by Vice Air Marshal John Blackburn which points out Australia’s vulnerability, with reserve supplies at the time lasting only for three days for pharmacy deliveries and nine days for food, should there be a disruption.
It was promised they would be increased to meet our undertakings, but that just didn’t happen. I find this incredible.
He also states the assumption nothing bad will happen seems based on nothing having happened for the last 36 years. Peace in perpetuity. Despite the many terrorist alerts in recent years, and just wait until it happens before acting after the event, as seems to be the custom. Please read it.
Australia’s total annual fuel imports average around 34m tonnes, every tonne shipped without any Australian control of security and by foreign interests.
I propose Australia should look at participating in this trade by initially purchasing say, four Very Large Crude Carriers of about 300,000 DWT each, about five years old and with European standard accommodation for our Australian crews, with the promised union acceptances before anything is finalised.
These ships average about 15 years of unrestricted trade, so the five-year age would give us 10 years with the four ships alone.
Allowing one month for a round trip they would make 48 trips annually between them, carrying some 14 million tonnes of fuel, which is about 41% of the total. As a start.
They could each have a small numbers of RAN experts travelling with them on risky routes, as well as to be stationed at loading ports, all to protect against any terrorist attacks of the kind we have discussed.
A new VLCC would need 24 months to build at a Korean shipyard and cost about $US80 million. On the longevity side the new ships are winners, and the way to go may be to do both. Get cracking with five-year olds and then replace them as the newbuildings come on stream. The cost/benefit work is easy.
Other than security, this move would mean some restart of Australian flag shipping, saving the special Master Mariners’ tanker certificates due to expire and lose us this valuable asset, create jobs for about 300 people, reactivate the Maritime Colleges, save transport costs by doing it ourselves.
It also allows us to feel some pride by re-entering international shipping as the world’s largest island continent.
Yes, I know that some will say that Australia cannot do this, so we have to leave it to a multitude of other mother nations “to feed the Oz baby”? Shame.
To help progress, I am offering the complimentary brokerage research services of Brax Shipping, whose chief executive Sven-Olof Brax has been my close friend for sixty years.
We have joint experience working with the Australian Government in the case of the charters for the Beirut evacuation in 2006.
We could start searching for vessels without delay (not an easy job), and deliver free progress reports with no payment, just to produce a full global availability picture.
I wish to remind the government of the situation in the 1970s, when the Australian Shippers’ Council went to the Prices Justification Tribunal to seek action on the exorbitant cargo handling charges in Australian ports.
I was the only shipping line executive to volunteer assistance and gave sworn evidence to the tribunal.
As a result, container charges were reduced substantially with a prolonged effect in creating a new floor for future increase negotiations. As an example, 40ft containers were charged double the 20ft rate, despite the 40fts only requiring one lift and the 20 fts two or twinlift.
That habit disappeared forever. I received very warm thanks from the ASC as well as from the government at the time.
It is a vital matter for these charges to be contained, in order to contain freight rates, and a systematic monitoring body publishing the results on a monthly basis wouldn’t take much manpower or cost, but it could save millions for our exporters as well as cutting consumer costs for imports.
I was on board a cruise ship as a guest and the captain (half my age) possibly regarded me as a ‘know-all’ old salt.
Why that term ‘guest’ is used for passengers I will never know because you still pay through your nose. I mention no names, and the story is basically as retold to me on board.
It came to a small crunch, when the captain grounded his ship on a sandbar, which could have been extra problematic if it had been high tide, since the tidal range was about 10 meters.
All the passengers were aware of what was happening, but not an intercom word was said in explanation, even though the activity planned for that time was cancelled.
Eventually, the skipper came on air saying there had been a “technical problem” but of no consequence. I was told he unhappily told others after he hit the bank that he had “dispatched a Zodiac to do soundings, but they were foreigners and not much good, were they”.
The “foreigners” were Aussie extra crew. Soundings are not much good after you are aground. I have heard some weak excuses on the seven seas, but that one took the cake.
Firstly, because in terms of history there may come an involuntary tendency to become repetitive. Secondly, the material should offer the chance for reflection and more selectivity, which in itself calls for a break.
There is some history in that my first attempts for publicity were in 1972 when we launched Orient Shipping and we had great support from DCN with multiple headlines each month.
Now, 45 years later, I find myself back with DCN, so we have gone a very, very long circle – like “back at home” to be corny.
It remains to thank a lot of people: the many readers who have given me much encouragement in the form of their appreciation, often people I never knew and which whom I now feel friendship.
Those people in public life who have helped me establish communication in Canberra like Jeff Singleton and Sam Trobe, and those who have kindly offered to but, like myself, failed.
Thanks to my editor David Sexton, who has been a master of tolerance and good humour. The production manager Grant Lopez, always helpful and a brilliant placer of illustrations in the column and DCN journalist Ian Ackerman, who has been very generous with his professional support all along.
My family, whose kids masterfully presented a united front of admiration, just short of giving me a writer’s cap, scarf and pipe, the eldest one probably thanked her lucky star that the memoirs didn’t become her baby to put together, as she had suggested.
But most of all my wonderful wife Julia, who has read every word, pointed at a few spellings and repeats here and there and always expressed her total support despite (don’t say or because of) me spending very many hours each week at the keyboard, endlessly re-editing, re-writing and dreaming about each forward issue.
So I am very happy to swap my attention from that keyboard for a while and give Julia all the focus that she can handle.
Editor’s note: The team at Daily Cargo News would like to thank Captain Harry for his tremendous contribution during the past six months. Harry has been both insightful and entertaining and has clearly struck a chord with many veterans of Australian commercial shipping. We intend to keep an eagle eye on the issues he has raised. As Harry mentions, this is not the end, but a new beginning and we look forward to working with Harry on a revamped column in 2018.
* Captain Harry Mansson AM is a Master Mariner, a retired ship’s Captain, with a subsequent varied background as an international consultant to the United Nations/World Bank to a shipping management entrepreneur. He has enjoyed a stellar career at sea and onshore.
Starting with the Swedish Merchant Navy, he also served as an officer in the Swedish Royal Navy sweeping active mines. In 1972 he established Orient Shipping Services Pty Ltd as the general agent for the entry of the Orient Overseas Line (now OOCL) into the Asia/ Australia trade. In 1993 he was deservedly awarded the Order of Australia for services to shipping and international trade.
Posted on November 16, 2017 November 15, 2017 Author Harry Mansson Categories: Australia, Containers & Container Shipping, Dry Bulk & Commodity Trades, Law & Regulation, Maritime History, Ports, Specialist Shipping, Wet Bulk Trades
I’ve been an avid blog reader for a long time before finally starting this blog. My favorite blogs have always been the personal blogs, as I tend to feel the most connection with those bloggers. In order to truly be “The Devoted Dietitian” I want to show you a little more about myself, so in addition to sharing nutrition tips, recipes, etc., I’ll occasionally post about my day to day life happenings. I want to show you that living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be exhausting, and in fact, can be enjoyable! If nothing else, hopefully my family and friends that are reading will find this a good way to stay in the loop. So if you’re still reading, let’s kick things off with some highlights from this past weekend.
We made Iowa Girl Eats Make-Ahead Breakfast Bowls for dinner and both the boyfriend and I practically licked our bowls clean. This meal provides a mix of protein, non-starchy vegetable, carbohydrate, and healthy fats, making it a great option to enjoy for any meal of the day. Potatoes often get a bad rap, but potatoes (with skin on) are high in potassium and fiber, as well as vitamin C and vitamin B6. We definitely plan on making these bowls again. Next time I’ll probably throw in another bell pepper or add chopped tomatoes to boost the non-starchy veggie content.
After dinner, we plopped ourselves on the couch for the rest of the evening and watched our newest DVD from Netflix — 22 Jump Street (yes we are those people who still use the DVD subscription service). It was funnier than I expected and a good mindless movie for a Friday night.
Saturday started off bright and early with a trip to take care of my car’s state emissions inspection. Luckily, despite the 25 minute drive to the inspection station, the entire process was fast and painless, and I was in and out in less than 20 minutes!
After getting back home, it was time to hit the gym for a run. Both the boyfriend and I are currently training for the Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler race in a few weeks. The mileage this weekend was a little lower, so we only had to get in a four mile run.
To make the tuna salad I mixed 3 Tbsp of guacamole with a 5 oz can of tuna. I also added a few chopped up Trader Joe’s hot and sweet jalapenos for a little kick.
I wanted a serving of fruit and vegetables to enjoy with lunch, but the fridge was pretty bare. Instead, I blended up a smoothie using this new Dole fruit and veggie mix I found on sale last week. I wish there had been a little more spinach in the bag, but overall this combo provided great flavor. The nutrition facts were not too shabby either, since the blend contains just fruit/vegetables and no added sugars. I added a combo of almond milk and water rather than juice as suggested on the package.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and meal planning for the coming week before hitting the grocery store to pick up a few things for the veggie side and dessert we were making to bring to our friends’ house for dinner Saturday night.
Before starting on the meal prepping for dinner, I enjoyed a yogurt bowl made with Fage 2% plain greek yogurt topped with strawberries, Kashi sweet potato cereal, and a dollop of peanut butter. This yogurt bowl successfully curbed my afternoon hunger and held me over until dinner.
After finishing our yogurt bowls, we headed to the kitchen to start prepping. The boyfriend made a batch of homemade brownies, and I roasted a mixture of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, red onion, and garlic and finished it off with a little parmesan. After that it was time to head out to our friends’ house.
I didn’t snap any pictures Saturday night, but we snacked on appetizers of cheese, french bread, carrots, and dip while we sipped on some wine. Dinner was local rockfish, rice pilaf, and my veggie side dish.
For dessert we enjoyed brownies topped with vanilla Halo Top. These brownies were the real deal–made with chocolate, butter, and sugar. Yes, real brownies can in fact be occasionally enjoyed as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. After all a healthy lifestyle is all about balance not deprivation or guilt, and these brownies were well worth the indulgence. Anyway, more on my healthy lifestyle thoughts to come at a later point on the blog.
All in all, it was a wonderful night catching up with friends we haven’t seen in awhile. We didn’t get home until almost midnight from our friends’ house but it was totally worth it for all the catch up time, despite losing an hour with the time change.
We let ourselves sleep in a little bit on Sunday, since we were extra tired from losing an hour thanks to DST. Once we finally dragged ourselves out of bed, it was time to hit the gym for a 6 mile run.
After the gym, I heated up a few Kodiak Cakes I had thrown in the freezer last weekend. So glad I prepped an extra batch, as they were great for post-run refueling.
After quick showers, we headed out to the grocery store to pick up food for the week. We spent the rest of the afternoon meal prepping and relaxing.
We enjoyed these Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowls from Hummusapien for dinner. As I mentioned in Friday’s post, the peanut sauce that goes on top of the bowl is AMAZING. Know what makes this veggie bowl even better? Extra leftover veggies! We added some of the remaining roasted vegetables from Saturday night into the mix which added more color.
We capped off the weekend by enjoying a bowl of Enlightened’s new Brownies and Cookie Dough flavor while watching a few episodes of The Crown on Netflix which we are loving right now (don’t worry, no spoilers here). Then we called it an early night to get ready for another busy week.
*The foods discussed in my post are only a snapshot of my weekend eats and don’t necessarily cover everything I ate for the entire weekend. This is not meant to be a reference for how much you should or should not be eating on a day to day basis.*
I hope everyone had a great weekend and that your week has gotten off to a good start. For those of you expecting snow, stay warm!
Double team brunch! This buttermilk pancakes with warm peach topping brunch is a great example of Patrick and myself working together in the kitchen. Sometimes we split up different parts of a recipe and combine things together, sometimes one of us is "in charge" and tells the other how to chip in, or sometimes, as in this case, there are two different components to the meal and we can work independently as we both prepare our portion. While Patrick made the pancakes I worked on the peach topping!
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. In a separate bowl whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined with only a few lumps remaining - do not over mix.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot (about 3-5 minutes). Add 1 tsp oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook until large bubbles begin to appear (1 1/2 to 2 minutes). Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown (will need slightly less time than the first side). Serve immediately with peach topping.
While the pancakes are cooking, prepare the peach topping. In a medium skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add peaches, maple syrup, lemon juice, and pumpkin pie spice. Toss to coat evenly and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. The peaches will soften and a sauce will come together.
“From a 1944 book It’s Time You Knew – a sort of Ripley’s ‘Believe it or Not’ book produced by Bulova and, it seems, given to customers in American watch shops.”
“Way back when, major corporations had customer relations departments where they offered free informational materials to consumers. Many public school students, upon writing to Public Relations departments were treated to a variety of well-produced material. Such was the case of the Bulova Watch Company and its publication of “It’s Time You Knew.” This volume presented a multitude of facts and oddities, along with accompanying beautiful illustrations, much in the style of “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” Published during WWII there are many features related to the U.S. war effort. There are also an abundant amount of articles and portraits of some of the contemporary show business stars, like Jimmy Durante, Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, and many more. Sprinkled about are interesting facts about, of course, Bulova watches. For further amusement each article contains a related quiz with all answers located at the rear pages. For a delightful delve into the 1940s this book can’t be beat!”
And of course we know that the fantasy of that time had Errol born in Ireland along with many other myths.
Christian is not an ancestor but midshipman Young was and sailed on the bounty in mutiny. The olympics is another fantasy…..
FREEPORT—The Capers sailed past Freeport on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 3, zooming ahead to the 3-0 final on a quick pair of goals by Matt Concannon and John O’Connor early in the second half. That score is a bit deceptive, though, as both teams played hard, frequently thwarted one another and in general appeared quite evenly matched.
“We played pretty well,” said Cape head coach Ben Raymond. “Freeport’s a very good team. They do a good a job, and they make things difficult. They’re well organized, they have a good sense of what they’re trying to accomplish. They play hard the entire game; there’s no quit in them at all.”
“I’m pleased with how we played; if we keep playing like that, a lot of good things will happen,” said Freeport head coach Joe Heathco. “I’m psyched in terms of how we played; I’m not psyched about the result, obviously.”
The action seesawed up and down the field throughout the uphill half, with both teams generating chances. Cape capitalized first – Archie McEvoy beat Freeport keeper Atticus Patrick on a Ben Carroll feed from beyond the top of the penalty area – but not until late.
The Falcons turned in a trio of solid opportunities before the buzzer, but couldn’t covert. Still, the game was hardly out of Freeport’s reach; 1-0 between well-matched opponents is almost as tight as it gets.
“In the very beginning, we were really amped up, going forward a hundred miles an hour,” Raymond said. “We didn’t possess an awful lot. Then we did possess, kind of lost the ball a little bit in the midfield, created some opportunities for [Freeport]. They’re dangerous players up top.”
“I thought we were dominant in the first half,” Heathco said. “Things maybe evened out a little bit in the second, but the score is just really kind of bizarre. They way we played. But it’s soccer – scoring is what it’s about; it’s not about possession and opportunities. Because we must’ve outshot them four- or five-to-one. So I just told the boys, I’m really pleased with we played; The energy we brought, what we were doing, the execution. You know, besides not scoring.”
Early in the latter half, the Falcons dropped their guard just a hair – a mistake Cape took advantage of not once, but twice. Matt Concannon and John O’Connor tallied points in close succession to ratchet the scoreboard forward all the way to 3-0.
3-0 between well-matched opponents is a much different story than 1-0, of course, and the Capers did just what they needed to do – i.e., they never relaxed – to secure the victory.
“I think maybe a little bit of a let-down,” Heathco said, referring to his boys’ intensity level. “Some things went against us there in the second half. We came out, first 10 minutes, we were playing really well; a little let-down. It was very strange. We had numbers back, too, so it’s not question of us being caught out of position or anything. Maybe we can work on pressure cover a little bit, having that cover guy step.”
“We changed formation a little bit,” Raymond said, asked what adjustments the Capers made at halftime. “We moved a couple more guys into the midfield – we weren’t having a lot of success in the midfield in the first half. We possessed a little bit better in the second half, created some more opportunities there.”
“I think everybody played well,” Raymond said. “Alec Riggle in the midfield; Nick Aceto in the midfield as well, did a nice job; David Hare did an outstanding job in the back; and then Ben Carroll, Sam Dresser and Charlie Dall in the back as well – they all did a great job.”
Heathco similarly praised his team as a whole. “If you look all around – I think our backs did a nice job keeping their shape; that’s something we haven’t always been able to do. We’ve done it for stretches, but I thought we did it for the whole game today. Our center-mids did a nice job; we had a nice gameplan today, and I thought it was really effective. It really centered around our three center-mids holding, and two attacking – playing position strong. So I’m really pleased; we rotated four guys through there. All four of them did really well.”
Freeport slipped to 5-5 with the loss. The Falcons, currently ranked sixth in B South, travel to No. 10 Wells (4-4-1) on Thursday, Oct. 5. They host a trio of home games after that: No. 8 Greely (4-4-1) on the 12th, No. 16 Poland (0-10) on the 14th and No. 13 Fryeburg (3-7) on the 16th. Greely, of course, will be worth the most Heal Points; Freeport will be eager to win that bout, as doing so will help the Falcons retain their place in the standings as the postseason approaches. After all, No. 7 Leavitt (5-3-3) is nipping, numerically, at Freeport’s heels, and the Hornets have at least one big-points bout left on their own schedule, a matchup with No. 4 Lincoln Academy (7-2-2).
Cape Elizabeth, meanwhile, improved to 5-3-1. The fifth-place Capers have five games remaining, including a road contest at Greely on Thursday the 5th and one at Waynflete (sixth in C South at 7-1-1) on Tuesday the 10th, as well as a home tussle vs. Yarmouth (No. 1 at 10-0) the following Saturday. Whether the team can pick up enough extra Heal Points to overtake Lincoln in the standings remains to be seen.
During my last hectic week at home I had a lovely dinner date with one of my favorite gals, Chelsea Wells. Not only is she an extremely talented photographer (she snapped all of these photos), but she is a total foodie as well.
It took us a little while to decide where to go, but I'm really glad we picked Blackfin Bistro. Open since October 2009, Blackfin has a wide-array of adventurous tapas well worth their prices. The restaurant, located at 918 Duval St., has both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for a cozy table with bench seating near the outside bar. The ambiance of the place was extremely relaxing and accentuated by lit tiki torches and large palm fronds.
Chelsea had eaten here before and knew exactly what to order. We opted for a lot of the day's specials because they were made with the freshest ingredients and catch of the day. We went right before closing time so they were out of Lobster Spring Rolls. Apparently they are to die for.
Instead we ordered the Calamari tossed in walnut, parsley, garlic and butter. So fresh and light, the calamari wasn't fishy at all. The texture was just chewy enough without being too rubbery. I never would have thought to put walnuts with it, but I liked the hint of flavor it added.
The next dish to arrive was one of the day's specials, Five Chinese Spice Tuna Medallions with a wasabi cream sauce and sweet potato chips. Every ingredient was great by itself, but when you made a mini tuna sandwich dipped in the glaze with a sweet potato bun, the flavors were out of this world. The varying textures of the dish made it fun to eat.
My favorite dish of the night had to be the Goat Cheese Balls. I am a sucker for any kind of cheese and anything fried, so basically this meal is perfect for me. The sweetness of the caramelized onions went well with the saltiness of the chip and breading. I felt like a super fatty afterward, but it was so dang delicious.
I thought there was no way I was going to have room for dessert, but when the Creme Brulee came out my mouth started watering. The dish was so creamy and rich. I felt more and more luxurious with each spoonful.
the Silesian Duke Henry V the Fat spent some of his youth at the court of Ottokar II of Bohemia in Prague?
Ottokar II (Czech: Přemysl Otakar II.; c. 1233 – 26 August 1278), called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278. He was the Duke of Austria (1251-1276), Styria (1260-1276), Carinthia (1269-1276) and Carniola (1269-1276) also.
Ottokar was the second son of King Wenceslaus I of the Přemyslid dynasty, and through his mother, Kunigunde of Hohenstaufen, was related to the Hohenstaufen family, being a grandson of the German king, Philip of Swabia.
Ottokar was originally educated for the role of an ecclesiastical administrator. However, after the death in 1247 of Vladislaus, Margrave of Moravia, Ottokar's older brother and the heir of Bohemia, Ottokar became the heir. According to popular oral tradition, Ottokar was profoundly shocked by his brother's death and did not involve himself in politics, becoming focused on hunting and drinking. In 1248 he was enticed by discontented nobles to lead a rebellion against his father, King Wenceslaus. During this rebellion he received the nickname "the younger King" (mladší král).
Wenceslaus managed to defeat the rebels and imprisoned his son.[1] Ottokar II held the title of King of Bohemia from 31 July 1248 to November, 1249.[2]
Father and son were eventually reconciled to assist the King's aim of acquiring the neighbouring Duchy of Austria. The Duchy had been without a ruler since the death of Duke Frederick II in 1246. Wenceslaus initially attempted to acquire the duchy by marrying his heir, Vladislav, to the last Duke's niece Gertrude. That match had been cut short by Vladislav's death and Gertrude's re-marriage to the Margrave of Baden. The latter was rejected by the Austrian estates and could not establish his rule in Austria. Wenceslaus used this as pretext to invade Austria in 1250 – according to some sources, the estates called upon him in to restore order.
Wenceslaus released Ottokar very soon and in 1251 made him Margrave of Moravia and installed him, with the approval of the Austrian nobles, as governor of Austria. Ottokar entered Austria, where the estates acclaimed him as Duke. To legitimize his position, Ottokar married the late Duke's (Frederick II) daughter Margaret, who was his senior by thirty years and was the widow of Henry of Hohenstaufen (who, ironically, had been engaged to Ottokar's aunt Saint Agnes of Bohemia prior to marrying Margaret). Their marriage took place on 11 February 1252.[2][3]
In 1253, King Wenceslaus died and Ottokar succeeded his father as King of Bohemia. After the death of the German King Konrad IV in 1254, Ottokar also hoped to obtain the Imperial dignity for himself, but his election bid was unsuccessful and instead Richard of Cornwall was elected.
Feeling threatened by Ottokar's growing regional power, Béla IV of Hungary, King of Hungary challenged the young King. Bela formed a loose alliance with the Duke of Bavaria and claimed the Duchy of Styria, which had been a component of Austria since 1192. The conflict was quelled through the Pope's mediation. It was agreed that Ottokar was to yield large parts of Styria to Bela in exchange for recognition of his right to the remainder of Austria. However, after a few years the conflict resumed and Ottokar defeated the Hungarians in July 1260 at the Battle of Kressenbrunn.
Bela now ceded Styria back to Ottokar, and his claim to those territories was formally recognized by Richard, Earl of Cornwall who was King of the Romans, the nominal liege lord of all German lands. This peace agreement was also sealed by a royal marriage. Ottokar ended his marriage to Margaret and married Bela's young granddaughter Kunigunda of Slavonia. Kunigunde became the mother of his children, the youngest of them became his only legitimate son Wenceslaus.
Ottokar II also led two expeditions against the pagan Old Prussians and founded Königsberg, which was named in his honour and later became the capital of Prussia.
In 1269 he inherited Carinthia and part of Carniola. His claim was once again contested by the Hungarians on the field of battle. After another victory he became the most powerful prince within the Empire.
A new election for the Imperial German throne took place in 1273. But Ottokar was again not the successful candidate. He refused to recognize his victorious rival, Rudolph of Habsburg, and urged the Pope to adopt a similar policy. At a convention of the Reichstag at Frankfurt in 1274, Rudolph decreed that all imperial lands that had changed hands since the death of Emperor Frederick II must be returned to the crown. This would have deprived Ottokar of Styria, Austria, and Carinthia.
In 1276 Rudolph placed Ottokar under the ban of the empire and besieged Vienna. This compelled Otakar in November 1276 to sign a new treaty by which he gave up all claims to Austria and the neighbouring duchies, retaining for himself only Bohemia and Moravia. Ottokar's son Wenceslaus was also betrothed to Rudolph's daughter Judith. It was an uneasy peace. Two years later, the Bohemian king tried to recover his lost lands by force. Ottokar found allies and collected a large army, but he was defeated by Hungarian assistance and killed at the Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen on the March on 26 August 1278.
On 11 February 1252, Ottokar married Margaret, Duchess of Austria. Margaret was sick and left the marriage childless when she was repudiated in 1261.[3] On 25 October 1261, Ottokar married his second wife Kunigunda of Slavonia. They probably had four children[4]:
Ottokar had two natural sons and some daughters, the most important of this issue was Nicholas I, Duke of Troppau (Mikołaj I Opawski). His first born child was never accepted as the crown prince to the Bohemian crown by the sitting pope, and was therefore given the Dutchy of Troppau instead. King Ottokar II of Bohemia created the Duchy of Troppau before 1269 to provide for his son, prince Nicholas I of Bohemia. Today it is part of Czechia. The Principality or Duchy of Troppau (German: Herzogtum Troppau, Czech: Opavské vévodství Polish: Opawski) was based for centuries in the city of Opava (Troppau) in Silesia. The dynasty of Troppau was ruled under a fielfdom with the Bohemian Kingdom, the motherland, and was dissolved together with the Austro - Hungarian Empire following military defeat in the First World War.
Nicholas I, Duke of Troppau (1255-1318) (Mikuláš I. Opavský) was king [Ottokar II of Bohemia] first born son and also an ancestor of the Přemyslid dynasty. The Přemyslids reigned in Bohemia from the 9th century to 1306 and in Poland (1300–1306).
Nicolas II (Mikuláš II. Opavský), Duke of Troppau from 1318). Prince Nicholas II was Nicholas I oldest son. He inherited the Duchy of Troppau after the death of his father. In 1336 Duke Nicholas II also inherited the Duchy of Ratibor, which he ruled in personal union until his death in 1365. His sons struggled for the heirdom then.
Ottokar is considered the greatest King of Bohemia, together with Charles IV. He was a founder of many new towns (about 30—not only in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, but also in Austria and Styria) and incorporated many existing settlements through civic charters. He was a strong proponent of trade, law and order. Furthermore, he instituted open immigration policies through which skilled German-speaking immigrants settled in major cities throughout his domains. The great eastern German city of Königsberg was named in his honour as a tribute for his support of the Teutonic Knights in their war with the pagan Sambians.
He is a famous figure both in history and in folkloric legend. In the Divine Comedy by Dante, Ottokar is seen outside the gates of Purgatory, in amiable companionship with his imperial rival Rudolph. He is also the protagonist of a tragedy by the 19th-century Austrian playwright Franz Grillparzer.
Categories: Roman Catholic monarchs | Bohemian monarchs | Dukes of Austria | Dukes of Carinthia | Dukes of Styria | Přemyslids | Burials at Saint Vitus Cathedral, Prague | Bohemian princes | Monarchs killed in action | 1230 births | 1278 deaths
Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (10/12/16):
Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/14/15):
FOX (8.591 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.0, #1) was of course the network to beat on Wednesday with new episodes of "Rosewood" (5.013 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.4, #10) and "Empire" (12.168 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.6, #1).
The silver then went to ABC (6.016 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2) and its lineup of "The Middle" (7.060 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.9, #5), "The Goldbergs" (6.377 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4), "Modern Family" (7.815 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2), "Black-ish" (5.713 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6) and "Nashville" (4.566 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11).
Next up was CBS (8.299 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) and fresh installments of "Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance" (9.061 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3), "Criminal Minds" (8.919 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #7) and "Code Black" (6.917 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11).
And finally, week two of "Arrow" (2.467 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #14) and "Supernatural" (1.881 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #15) on The CW (2.174 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) closed out the evening.
· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.9/8; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.2/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.9/5.
· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.6/6 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show" (1.0/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).
Today, Samsung announced a new line up of wireless headphones from its AKG brand. There are three different pairs of headphones in this new line, covering the entire range of over-ear, on-ear, and in-ear designs. As Samsung’s flagship phones are some of the few to still offer a headphone jack, you may not necessarily need the wireless capabilities of these headphones, but they could be worth a look nonetheless thanks to some of the features they bring to the table.
The N700NC is quite clearly the star of today’s announcement. These over-the-ear headphones use adaptive noise canceling, which allows users to determine how much sound ultimately bleeds through their music. If you’re listening in a place where you still need to be aware of your surroundings, then, you can simply turn noise cancelling down so you can continue to hear the outside world.
Samsung left some certain specifications out of today’s announcement, but it did say that the N700NC will be able to stream music over Bluetooth for up to 20 hours on a single charge. These headphones also use that adaptive noise cancelling to make ensure that voice calls are “crystal clear,” but beyond that, we don’t have many specifics.
The other two sets of headphones launching today aren’t quite as serious as the N700NC. The Y500 is a pair of on-ear wireless headphones that boasts 33-hour battery life and can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. The Y500 can also automatically pause playback when the headphones are removed and resume it when they’re put back on. The Y100, on the other hand, are AKG’s newest pair of wireless earbuds, with a battery life that should last around 8 hours.
The N700NC are the most expensive headphones of the bunch, clocking in at $349.95. The Y500, meanwhile, will cost $149.95 and the Y100 round out the low-end at $99.95 – both are available today at Amazon and from other retailers. We don’t have a solid launch date for the N700NC yet, but Samsung says it’ll be launching later this year.
Now that Fallout 76 is live and for many, it's an unexpected journey into online play, we thought we might be able...
The Hotel Marqués de Riscal nestles in one of the oldest and most exclusive wineries in Rioja. It is part of an ambitious project called The City of Wine: a complex dedicated to the development, care and study of wine, which offers the possibility to experience the culture and essence of wine.
Located in the heart of Elciego village and designed by the architect Frank O. Gehry, creator of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the hotel has spectacular views of vineyards.
Raymond Eugene McCabe of Fairless Hills passed away Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, at the St. Mary Medical Center surrounded by his family. He was 71.
He was born on Aug. 5, 1942, in Bismark, N.D. and came to the East Coast to proudly serve in the U. S. Navy.
He was a member of the American Legion #960 and he enjoyed fishing, hunting, reading, and most of all, his family.
Raymond was the loving husband to Kathleen (Sims). Also left to cherish his memory are his mother, Elsie Baughman of Washington; his daughters, Shari Hammond of Doylestown, Kerri Millar (Brian) of Pipersville and Kristin Early (Scott) of Kentucky; his step-sons, Chris Schmidt (Kathleen) and Joel Schmidt (Holly), both of Florida; and his siblings, Jerry McCabe and Janice, Tom and Ken Baughman. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held 11:30 a.m., Monday, at the James O. Bradley Funeral Home, Inc., 260 Bellevue Ave., Penndel, PA 19047. Family and friends will be received from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Monday.
Contributions in Raymond's name may be made to the American Lung Association, 527 Plymouth Rd. Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. James O. Bradley Funeral Home, Inc.,
Reach out to a loved one this weekend with a plate of delicious and Slutty Brownies (Recipe Version 1) (Recipe Version 2). Seriously who doesn't love getting a tray of goodies and who doesn't enjoy making something yummy (that you might be able to enjoy a sampling of while cooking hehe) for a loved one? And this recipe is super easy and a huge hit with any chocolate lovers.
I have written about Shelley a few times within this blog, but have since come upon more info related to her and the back stories behind the creation of Frankenstein, such as one featured in The New Republic.
It is way too early for me to be thinking about Halloween, other than to say that safety measures re outdoor decorations for this holiday should be considered for certain decor relating to the festivities, as they can be harmful to birds.
Cam, the cardinal who tells the stories in both volume one and volume two (as well as in volume three which will be released this fall) hopes that her characters will have a long legacy, as was the case with Shelley's Frankenstein.
This weekend I'll be going on a mini road-trip with the boyfriend for a day or two of adventures in eastern Iowa. And as I'm planning my two outfits for the fun-packed, beer-packed trip... I find that I'm quite smitten with polka dots this week.
It all started with the black and white polka dotted scarf I scored for just $6. I've been looking for something similar for a long time. I'm wanting to wear it with my red leather jacket, but I'm not sure on the rest of the pieces. Above, I styled the scarf and jacket simple but sassy with a plain white tee, black skinny jeans, and black riding boots. There's a bit of a retro, rockabilly vibe going on there.
On the other day of the trip, I'm working around a beige and black polka dotted top sorta like the one pictured above. (Although mine is less frilly, more flowy, and has black lace details.) I also scored a soft, grass green scarf for only $6. I love the look of bold green and rich teal together, so I'd like to pair it with my dark turquoise corduroy blazer. Above, I kept the rest of the outfit neutral with khaki skinnies and greige combat-style boots.
What do you think? Any other ideas for the B&W Polka Dot Scarf + Red Leather Jacket pairing or Green Scarf + Teal Blazer pairing? As always, I love your lovely suggestions. :)