Lively…on Beyonce (?)

Much of the conversation in class after we finished viewing Lemonade this week centered on the expansive funding required to produce a professionally scripted and directed visual album that features elaborate costuming, choreography, and set designing. There is something to be said about the size of the platform Beyonce has by leading the production of this film, but that creates a slippery slope. These discussions can, for example, suggest that various hypothetical redistributions of the presumably hefty final costs of a project of this size might have directly benefited intended viewers and very people it features. That said, the film has spawned a large academic response in just three years, so it stands to reason that scholarship on it will only grow at a higher frequency in the coming years. Thus, our attention should be redirected toward the functionality and general value of the film.

Ashleigh Shackleford’s article discusses representation, and the tone of her essay mixes compliments with condemnation. The notion of representation is an intriguing one because, on the surface, it seems to be the most respectful way to display oneself artistically as conscientious of minorities and marginalized groups. However, meeting our collective idea of how we are differentiated (e.g. age, gender, sexuality, ableness, skin tone) would lean toward inclusion more than it would representation. Shackleford sees the film as a missed opportunity for Beyonce et al. to destroy stereotypes from within the Black community because the film does not include any “fat” Black women, especially since “fat” professional dancers exist, but none were brought into the fold of this film’s creation. If this criticism of the film were included as a paired text with Lemonade for undergraduates or high school students, the instructor has an obligation to chart the distinct differences between these two terms.

One of the arcs presented throughout the visual narrative is that of a jaded lover who vocalizes her inquiries as to the whereabouts of someone with whom she is intimate, and we  eventually see that she has correctly guessed at/uncovered his disloyalty. A particularly curious portion of the narrative that stands out early in the film is the baseball-bat wielding version of Beyonce whose anger is represented through various acts of glass-smashing, denting, and crushing while maintaining a presumably satisfied smirk. While these criminal acts may not just be a thinly veiled revenge trope, the sinister exuberance she appears to be experiencing while creating so much havoc is simultaneously progressive and regressive. Fearlessly acting out an immediate impulse to destroy can inspire (especially impressionable) viewers to react just as violently through similar vivid, lasting “statements” when they are victimized. However, it is equally regressive not to promote a less violent response. The Louisville Slugger-swinging character clearly represents a fed-up woman whose struggle while being on the receiving end of a (now former) lover’s emotional abuse are behind her. This angry, reactionary, and physically agile persona exemplifies the liberating ramifications of shedding the anvils of a toxic relationship by violently (and/or maniacally?) destroying objects of literal or sentimental value, but the character here is less directly reminding viewers that it is only the relationship–not the individual–that has died. Perhaps a second missed opportunity lay in the absent scenes of this liberated, untethered woman celebrating a personal or professional success instead of the imagery of instant gratification, which, at its core, perpetuates the adrenaline-enhanced–but relatively brief–antidote that a smashing ceremony does for one’s soul.

Walden and Known Failure

For many years, I assigned to my high school juniors whatever excerpts from Walden the literature textbook had supplied. This usually included the opening lines from “Economy” (though the editors may have fragmented some portions) and ended shortly after the heavily cited and depressing sentiment “All men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I believe that was followed by the meticulously detailed account of the building and planting materials from that same initial chapter. The opening of “Where I Lived…” appeared next and stretched until the line about living “deliberately” met my students’ eyes. Later, of all things, “Brute Neighbors” was portioned out in our textbook, but the section chosen by the editorial team centered on the aerial view of the large red and black ants, included because, we eventually discussed, that it was a relatively strong sample of Thoreau’s use of symbolism concerning, some students suggested, themes such as individualism, war, and community. As a career educator, I would eventually like to slip into future conversations concerning the American canon, and I continue to believe passages of Walden are essential to the shaping of literary thought in America. While each of the aforementioned excerpts represents either a general or specific thematic feature of the book, this week’s re-reading of Walden paired with the supplemental articles by Arsic and Walls identified for me other valuable portions that might pull back from Thoreau’s desire and ability to check out of society (more or less) for twenty-six months, and instead center on some revealing stylistic choices that make the book relatable to individuals born since 2000.

I was especially drawn to the thorough examination Laura Dassow Walls identifies in her analysis of the relationship between the Thoreau of Walden Pond and the “everyman” neighbor Mr. Field (later, Mr. Farmer) from the latter half of one of the shortest chapters in the text, “Baker Farm.” The theme of this scene directly echoes a key remark from  Emerson’s “Nature” essay (which, I would argue, should also remain accessible in standard anthologies) where he shrewdly observes how mankind takes ownership of land, but that “no one owns the landscape.” Walls cites how the first half of Walden establishes themes of industry and fortitude as the cornerstones of soulful satisfaction. By inserting John Field–a man who respects the sage words of the author/narrator, but who also elects not to heed his advice–into the narrative, however, Walls sees that Thoreau has set himself and the project of the book up for failure. Because the Fields (who Walls suggests may represent a hesitant-to-change Us) remain unaltered by his words, Thoreau is reduced to dwell on their irrationality. Walls, though, believes this short scene was structured “deliberately,” in order for it “to confront us unequivocally with the true sources of evil in our own well-meaning desire to improve ourselves by working hard, buying more stuff, and rising in the world, just as we have been told to do” (20).

This passage from Walls struck me because it runs parallel to so many themes found in the various essays and fiction from David Foster Wallace, one of the subjects I’m considering for my area of specialization. Wallace, like Thoreau–or, what Laura Walls suggests is the character named “Thoreau”–often discussed The American Dream of proudly and ceaselessly logging hours at work (and consequently away from one’s friends and family) in order to climb the corporate ladder, upgrade a car every so often, move into a larger living space and fill it with stuff no one needs in what ultimately will end, whether we want to believe it or not, in a fruitless quest to secure happiness. Walls believes Thoreau sought to appear defeated in this scene because Walden “will succeed only if [Thoreau] can pivot his audience from material failure to spiritual success” and that readers “must feel this failure” (21).

Branka Arsić’s essay uncovers a focal point from Walden that I had not considered earlier either. This approach toward Things was, for me, a much more abstract analysis, but I applaud her efforts in identifying and tracking the Things themselves and navigating through different classifications of those Things. The portion of the essay that resonated the most with me appeared toward the end of the middle section “Deathway of Things.” By labeling things from Thoreau’s perspective as either living or dead, she cites from the book the “two different responses to the phenomenon of dead things, that of the Mucclasse Indians and Mexicans, and that of the New Englanders” and notes that Thoreau “does not side with either” (165). Walls notes that the way the author seems to understand things aligns with the “non-dualistic understanding of the world” to which the Mucclasse Indians subscribe”[m]eaning must be embedded in the material” of the Thing (165).

The value of Arsić’s essay and Walden is that these two Things themselves have potential in formal and informal educational venues. The book itself allows students in classrooms or readers in book clubs multiple opportunities to identify what is or should be treasured, to discuss the evolution of our moral values, and to express the bond we have with material (or immaterial) Things. While culturally, we may clash about the value or usefulness of living or dead Things, the discussions themselves about these differing perspectives can lead to a greater appreciation for one another as human beings, which, it seems safe to say, is among Thoreau’s central objectives within Walden.

Question for Class Discussion

  • Walls discusses how past analyses have concluded that Thoreau’s alleged disdain for the Irish is short-sighted. Are there other instances in the book where he reveals his privilege and/or expresses any level of contempt or prejudice toward an individual or group?

Arsić, Branka. “Our Things: Thoreau on Objects, Relics, and Archives.” Qui Parle: Critical Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 23 no. 1, 2014, pp. 157-181. Project MUSE,

Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. (original 1845 publication).

Walls, Laura Dassow. “‘As You Are Brothers of Mine’: Thoreau and the Irish.” The New England Quarterly, vol. 88, no. 1, 2015, pp. 5–36.,

Critiquing Criticism – Week 2 -Part 1 (?)

“Plenty Daddies”: Parenting in Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones

In a novel where the looming devastation of Hurricane Katrina serves as only a backdrop to the story, Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones addresses a bevy of congealing themes while simultaneously targeting specific audiences.  Though the central teenage character’s pregnancy serves as the main arc of the entire plot, the most significant character in the novel has been dead for a number of years.  Salvage the Bones addresses the impact of the loss of a mother, which can be analyzed through two distinct situations: the fallout at the basketball tryout and Esch’s own resolution of what is best for her baby.  This void reemphasizes the cornerstone of Hortense Spillers’ conclusion in “Mama’s Baby; Papa’s Maybe”–that Black women are far more responsible for the trajectory of American civilization than that for which they are credited.

Randall, the eldest Batiste child, has developed his skills in basketball over the years and is on the brink of becoming eligible to attend a lucrative basketball camp.  This is symbolic of his potential to contribute to the family in the way a traditional parent might. Without a mother around to complement the care their father has provided, Randall, Skeetah, and Esch have each played a maternal role for Junior, the youngest, since his birth.  During one of the most chaotic scenes of the entire novel, however, Randall’s dreams are immediately shredded due to an outburst between Skeetah and a rival dog owner named Rico. These chief dog owners have clearly different opinions of who should retain any of the litter and when any pups can be dispersed.  While Skeetah appears to have a deeper understanding of the developmental phases of newborn puppies, he also fabricates information about the pups and omits the pup he wants the most when he’s itemizing the living ones for Rico.  Though this may appear to be a selfish act, Ward is characterizing Skeetah as the best possible parent for these pups.

Skeetah’s pride and immaturity–traits that perhaps a mother would have monitored and corrected throughout adolescence–led to the impromptu fistfight which, in turn, resulted in Randall’s dismissal from the tryout.  Ward indirectly suggests here that, had his mother been one of the parents who was in attendance that afternoon, perhaps this spout between Skeetah and Rico would have either been stifled. Though their mother’s existence is only mentioned through Esch’s memories, any reader can conclude that she would not have tolerated such behavior in general–and certainly not on a crucial day as this was.

Additionally, the fact that the narrator’s mother passed after giving birth to Junior is an obvious parallel to Esch’s own insecurities about the fate of the baby she learns she will be having early in the book. As the only remaining female on ‘The Pit’, Esch has taken on more responsibilities, notably of feeding and caring for the only younger brother she has. Interestingly, Ward does not portray her promiscuity in an overtly critical manner, a choice that progressively diminishes the long-standing stigma of young women engaging in sexual activity prior to being betrothed.  Throughout the novel, Esch is weighing the potential outcomes of revealing her pregnancy to her family and the baby’s father. While Ward portrays Manny as someone who has sex appeal, she also uses him to exemplify the predatory sex-driven male whose selfish desires will always outweigh the needs of others. When juxtaposed beside much more honorary men in her life like Big Henry, Esch does not settle, predicting that including Manny in her child’s life will only limit that child’s development. Specifically, the culminating moment occurs when Big Henry asks Esch for the father’s identity but is told “[i]t don’t have a daddy” (254). Big Henry lives up to his moniker by expressing to the frightened young mother-to-be “This baby got plenty of daddies” (255).  Ward shows here that a love is what raises children, not necessarily humans. This progressive notion of a woman and her child being better off without a biological parent as a parental figure has roots in all feminism–especially Black feminism.

These two scenes–Randall’s failed attempt to earn a basketball camp scholarship and Esch’s final decision to keep the baby and not include Manny as the part of the baby’s life–parallel the constant theme of the role a parent that echo the tenets of recent Black literary movements and positions.

Imagery and Repetition in Audre Lorde’s “Power”

On an early Saturday morning in the spring of 1973, on-duty New York City Police Department undercover officer Thomas Shea shot ten-year-old Clifford Glover, who was walking with his father toward his father’s place of employment. Three years later, the jury–eleven white men and one African-American woman named Ederica Campbell–acquitted the then thirteen-year law enforcement veteran after a lengthy trial.  Black feminist Audre Lorde commemorates this moment in American history with her poem “Power,” and through the use of evocative imagery and repetition, she cements young Clifford Glover’s memory in the minds of every reader.

The opening four lines invite the reader to elevate his or her understanding of what power is and how poetry holds the opportunity to endure.  “The difference,” the poem begins, “between poetry and rhetoric / is being ready to kill / yourself / instead of your children” (642). This bold, uncomfortable imagery introduces the gut-wrenching saga Lorde suggests Glover’s mother had over the course of the three years that passed between the day of her son’s death and the acquittal of his killer.  Lorde, who had emerged as a highly vocal figure in the Black Arts movement, aggrandized her platform as an activist-poet by re-telling the narrative through terrifying, vivid images such as “blood from his punctured cheeks” and how, upon finding him, the mother was “thirsting for the wetness of his blood” (642). These visual portrayals reinforce the opening statement from the poem because they express how Lorde is, in a way, risking her own reputation (and, perhaps, her own life) by protesting the outcome of the case and deliberately detailing the child’s unwarranted death instead of justifying the jury’s verdict.

Thematically, Lorde’s speakers throughout the poem are exasperated with the failed legal system and widespread racism throughout America.  Through the use of gory imagery, the reader is placed beside Glover’s bleeding body and can feel the mother’s kisses on her son’s head (642). This use of pathos is intentionally shocking because, it stands to reason, Lorde believes her readers will only genuinely care about the victims in crimes such as this if they too can experience what Clifford Glover’s mother experienced.

Interestingly, the title word appears at three significant passages within the poem.  First, from the perspective of Glover’s mother, Lorde writes that she (the boy’s mother) is “lost / without imagery or magic / trying to make power / out of hatred and destruction” (642).  Lorde is vicariously demonstrating how any mother whose young child was stripped away from her would be inclined to use the emotional reaction in the most positive way possible to honor the victim’s legacy.  Secondly, the poem’s speaker–arguably Lorde herself since so much attention is paid to the potential influence of poetry–creates a tragic image of the diminutive black woman in the deliberation room being bullied by the other eleven jury members.  By being literally outnumbered and out-manned, Ederica Campbell succumbed to the presumed relentless emotional- and physical abuse though, for a short while in that room, she had with her a level of power. In the final stanza, the speaker returns to the vital necessity to be able to differentiate between poetry and rhetoric.  If she fails in this, her power “will run corrupt as poisonous mold / or lie limp and useless as an unconnected wire” (643). This serves as a call to action to all poets–especially black feminist poets–to remind them that their powerful words truly can change the trajectory of the racial divide that has existed in this alleged “land of the free” if they are brave enough to produce and share them.

Hurston’s Janie: Changing the Narrative of Black Female Protagonists

In a novel replete with striking imagery, revealing dialect, and weighty themes, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God features an unprecedented protagonist whose integrity and will eventually carried her through three marriages and various instances of verbal- and mental abuse.  Though each husband has a distinct function in her life and in the novel, the manner in which each marriage concludes exhibits a slightly different facet of the main character, which escalates how female lead characters continue to abandon the long-standing gender roles and social expectations of black women, especially those in the American South.

By characterizing a woman whose insistence of being respected by her husband leads her to shake free of her first marriage, Hurston introduces a character whose self-respect outweighs the apparent social norms of her time.  Logan Killicks was far from romantic. Their marriage was nothing short of an arrangement where Janie served far more as an employee than as an equal or a lover. Thus, as Janie is offering this stage of her life to Phoeby, the scant details focus solely on Killicks’ comparison of Janie’s apparent laziness to his “fust wife” who “never bothered [him] ‘bout choppin no wood nohow” as well as how Janie “done been spoilt rotten” (26).   In rapid-fire narrative style, Janie meets Joe Starks and shares their flirtatious tryst with Phoeby. During Killicks’ final scene, Killicks is described as overly tired–something many men in this book have in common–but Janie pushes forward with the notion of leaving him for someone else. He downplays her idea as a waste of time because “‘[t]’ain’t too many mens would trust yuh, knowin’ yo’ folks lak dey do” (30). Arguably, at that precise moment in her first marriage, Janie could envision her future with Killicks and more than likely resolved to leave him at the earliest opportunity and accept Joe Sparks’ offer.  This clearly demonstrates how Hurston intentionally clashed Janie’s self-respect with the complacency of black characters presented before her. T

Janie’s relationship with Sparks displays a new set of roles and opportunities for her.  As the wife of someone whose initiative and ability to build a black community is unparalleled by any other resident, Janie’s social status escalates, even though Joe never affords her the opportunity to speak publicly.  However, to say Sparks simply duped her into this marriage to legitimize his social status in a town full of strangers might overstep the truth. Both men so far had previously cooed rhymes to her, a gesture that Janie values and clearly wished had continued.  Like Killicks, any romantic feelings Joe held toward Janie are quickly suffocated by his selfish desire for power and raising the town’s level of respect for him.

Throughout the twenty years they were together, Janie rarely challenged Joe and settled into her slim pocket of the store and home while her husband enjoyed a career of being touted as a great leader.  When she did publicly confront his misogyny and attack his manhood, he shunned her by sleeping in a different room. Hurston describes this short phase of their relationship as the “sleep of swords” and directly challenges the hypocrisy of Joe’s insults: “Why must Joe be so mad with her for making him look so small when he did it to her all the time?” (81).  Here, Hurston launches from her predecessors’ descriptions of this imbalance and bullhorns to the reader that this uneven trajectory simply cannot continue as women struggle to achieve equality.

What is vital to the closing of this chapter of her life was how Janie maintained respect for the man who used her throughout her early adulthood.  Her loyalty toward Joe up to the bitter end of his life exhibits how Hurston sees women as respectful and selfless. Upon meeting Tea Cake, however, Janie is challenged by the townspeople because starting a new relationship after the passing of a husband is, to them, a clear sign of disrespect.  Janie refuses to fall into that social trap, however. By exhibiting a believable, multi-faceted woman in this novel, Hurston dispels the limited roles for black women and clearly instructs them to abandon these social norms and live the life they want.

Tea Cake’s selflessness is apparent by putting himself between the dog and Janie.  Later, she demonstrates reserve and respect toward her dying husband and even regrets how his illness is affecting her ability to tend to him (182).  In the horrifying moment of their final battle, Janie’s self-defense leads her to shoot her husband, which reinforces Hurston’s desire for women to balance altruistic loyalty and self-preservation.  The faceless, nameless jury excuses her from punishment, which also suggests that all of Janie’s actions–from escaping a slave-like marriage to Killicks to killing a diseased Tea Cake–have become universally accepted.  The fact that Janie has outlasted three men, two of whom succumbed to death, further emphasizes that women who strive for self-improvement while shifting out of the pre-established social norms can and will live much longer, fruitful lives.

Gwendolyn Brooks and the Unknown

Upon winning the Midwestern Writers’ Conference poetry award in 1943, Gwendolyn Brooks pieced together what became her first book of poems, A Street in Bronzeville (325). In it, her gritty view of the south-Chicago neighborhood offers an unfiltered look into the lives of the area’s inhabitants and focuses on the domestic clashes between generations, social classes, siblings, and lovers.  On the heels of The Harlem Renaissance and World War II, Brooks deposited a unabashed reality of an American community whose stagnant state was the direct result of a government who provided virtually no assistance to returning black soldiers or their families.  A sense of identity and the unknown world is prevalent throughout a majority of this early published work. Two of the poems from A Street in Bronzeville carry with them a recurring curiosity and appeal toward the unknown.  A third poem, also published in 1945, continues her philosophical attention toward the unknown through the actions of a suave young man.

This attention to the unknown appears in “kitchenette building”, a poem that juxtaposes personal ambition and personal obligation.  “Dream”, Brooks writes, “makes a giddy sound” which indicates how exciting aspirations can be. Immediately thereafter, however, she contrasts that with “strong” terms such as “rent” or “satisfying a man” (326).  This suggests that one’s dreams must come secondary to the daily obligations, especially for those in neighborhoods such as Bronzeville who are limited to living within tight quarters and represent a socio-economic reality for post-World War II readers.  The ambitions and advancements of the Harlem Renaissance artists should not be dismissed, but Brooks’ image of a family struggling to retain housing and the bare necessities such as food strike down the lofty goals of equality and immersion in white culture.  This speaker, the poem suggests, will be satisfied if there is enough “lukewarm water” remaining after the last child has bathed (326).

In “Sadie and Maud” Brooks exposes how two sisters’ different paths into adulthood sharply contrast the implied wisdom and direction of their parents or predecessors.  Sadie did not further her education and ended up with two children and no husband, which led to her sister and parents being ashamed of her (328). The final stanza, however, suggests that Maud’s conservative, academic route might have fulfilled her (and, presumably, her parents’) goals, but doing so also left her without a family of her own.  Maud, possibly on the advice of the previous generation, is falling in line with the politics of respectability in that furthering her education is the sole opportunity to enjoy a more fruitful existence. Yet, the implication with the final image of being “all alone/In this old house” is that Maud’s decision was the poorer of the two because she is left in an isolated state (328).  Presumably, Maud is the first of her lineage to qualify and attend college, which becomes the unknown presence in this poem. With no other details to apply, we are left connecting Maud’s academic aspirations with her lack of a family with whom she can enjoy the fruits of her scholarly labor. Brooks, thus, suggests a cautionary tale to her modernist readers because they may not wish to make the same sacrifices as Maud does in the spirit of gaining social acceptance in the educated world.

Thirdly, the dense poem “The Sundays of Satin-Legs Smith” offers a different spin on the unknown.  The entire poem details the minute-to-minute actions of a local ladies’ man whose entire existence is based in mystery and materialism.  Throughout the verse, the man’s previously unknown actions are delivered by an omniscient speaker. The previously unknown doings of Satin-Legs are suddenly now paired with this much broader announcement about humanity: “People are so in need, in need of help/People want so much that they do not know” (330).  Brooks is commenting on the ever-present magnetism toward instant gratification in the modern world by suggesting “they do not know” about the voids in their lives. Sexual satisfaction–unlike a healthy, more conventional intimate relationship–simply cannot endure. Brooks vocalizes this warning to her readers that abandoning traditional values and replacing them with satisfying selfish desires will ultimately doom the moral code of society.

Though Gwendolyn Brooks was clearly inspired by the art and writings of Harlem Renaissance giants, she establishes a less abrasive morality in her poems by orchestrating recognizable individuals and painting cautionary images of black community members who have inched closer to forgetting or abandoning a traditional moral compass.

Mercer’s Crucial Role as “Lifesaver” in Dave Eggers’ The Circle

Though the central theme of Dave Eggers’ 2013 technology-driven dystopian novel The Circle jars readers and indirectly instructs them to disconnect electronically from a world where a single American company has far more control than any fascist dictatorship in real life, the author includes a tragic character named Mercer, whose morals are in line with what many readers believe theirs to be.  In just four years since its publication as of this writing, the novel has garnered more and more attention from those who identify the trajectory of American culture to be poisoned by an ever-increasing addiction to social media presence.  As the number of unique–and presumably human–users create accounts on enormously popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, the real-life “Circle” discussed in the novel is arguably coming closer and closer to completion and reality.  Paradoxically, and perhaps unintentionally, many of these human users submit public and semi-public posts pining for simpler times.  Parents and grandparents are prone to post commentaries about how young children spend too much time staring at various screens for far too long.  Conversely,  public- and private school students in early elementary school are assigned electronic tablets with built-in smart technology to use in the event of a weather cancellation or professional development day for the faculty.

There is a very real, very effective change in world culture due in large part to the sharing of information.  “We have seen a shift between someone’s right to know and someone’s right to privacy,” the author said during a free talk at Indiana University in October of 2015 (Church).  The addiction to read and share has rapidly altered our existance, and Eggers, through the vehicle of Mercer’s character, is showing us that it is not too late to turn back and enjoy the simple act of face-to-face interaction.

The novel’s central character is twenty-four-year old Mae Holland, whose expensive private college education has launched her into the unengaging world of her city’s utility company.  The novel begins with Mae being granted an opportunity to work at The Circle, a vastly growing technology company whose IPO has already surpassed an astounding $3 Billion in earnings (Eggers 20).  The company rolls out earth-changing ideas on a regular basis and has even more in the works that are occassionally announced during their monthy Dream Friday meetings, led by one of the “Three Wise Men” founders, Eamon Bailey.  Mae’s initiation into the company is utterly overwhelming, both to her and the reader.  Everything from the idyllic landscape to the countless on-campus learning/gathering opportunities impresses upon Mae and the world that The Circle embodies the future of the biz-tech world. It is where Mae, beginning with her first steps on the grounds, finally feels a sense of worth that, it must be noted, she clearly lacked at the utility company and has never experienced on a personal level, especially when she was Mercer’s girlfriend years earlier.

Mae’s father has obtained Multiple Sclerosis, resulting in her parents having to devote a large portion of their income toward medication and doctor visits.  It is during a visit home that the true impact of the disease makes its unfortunate presence known to Mae. Shortly into her tenure at The Circle, that same sense of worth extends to her parents being granted top-shelf medical coverage–coverage that is far from customary in mainstream America.  Yet, this unforeseen perk does not come off as bribery or anything sinister.  If anything, the gesture of parental coverage further proves to Mae that this company is purposefully unlike any other American company in history.  They genuinely care about the well-being of their employees, their employees’ families, and the citizens of the world.

 Furthermore, in the first major scene where Mercer and Mae are present, the reader is sated with an exposure to their tumultuous relationship.  Eggers establishes the central character’s new-found positivity through a conversation she has with her parents shortly after beginning her new career.  Her salary has escalated to a respectable “sixty-two” [thousand] and, in her mother’s view, that Mae works for “the hottest company…and has full dental” (Eggers 73). Her father, who has exhibited little more than constant exhaustion and aggravation, chirps up when he learns that she has stock options (Eggers 74).  They express their adoration for their daughter and her friend Annie, who helped secure the position.

Mercer is first mentioned a breath later.  Readers learn that he is a craftsman who “makes chandeliers out of antlers”, which, presumably Mae is mocking as unimportant or insignificant, especially when compared to the massive, global changes The Circle is making (Eggers 75).  Her father lassos his daughter’s tone by suggesting that owning and operating one’s own business is far from easy work, but Mae quickly shifts the discussion of one of her ex-boyfriend’s career to her own early success at The Circle.  This snippet of information about Mercer clearly establishes him as the “anti-Mae”, and the reader cannot help but become curious if he will unfold as a foil, a rekindled love interest, or a bold antagonist–should the plot continue to display Mae’s (and The Circle’s) positive impact on the world.

Before returning to her new life and job, Mae realizes she has some extra time before needing to be back and spontaneously elects to go kayaking.  We learn that Mercer is responsible for teaching Mae the ins and outs about the water activity, which creates the sport as an obvious symbol for two major themes of the book: Independence and The Past.  By assigning an activity for one person to be able to enjoy alone, Eggers cleverly shows how Mae still clings to the solace of being on her own without any responsibilities beyond staying alive.  Furthermore, the choice fits Mae very well because she has already been established as one who is drawn to challenges and has an apparent undying drive to prove herself to the world.  The note that Mercer is the one who turned her on to the sport also suggests that Mae is not willing to completely abandon any and all connections with Mercer.  Though it is reasonable to believe that Mercer was not at the forefront of her brain every time she stepped into a kayak, he remains a constant in her subconscious.  Similarly, many people today–in this social media culture of recording and publishing for limited and widespread audiences–might feel an obligation simply to enjoy the experience without the incessant postings to prove they are enjoying the experience.  Yet, the number of social media users continues to grow.

A short time later, after Mae has adjusted to her new role with The Circle and has adapted to the social structure of after-hours parties and gathering with her new co-workers, she receives the same short repeated message from her mother: “Come home” (Eggers 126).  Her ailing father had suffered a seizure, and rather naturally, Mae rushes home to see him.  Upon arrival, she learns that “Mercer was a lifesaver” (Eggers 128).  Though Mae downplays the potential hyperbole in the comment, it becomes evident that she is more upset with the fact that she dropped everything at work, frantically rushed back to her hometown, and found her father sitting casually on the couch viewing a baseball game than she is with the fact that this disease is adversely affecting her father in the way it is.

This is a major turning point in the novel and in the relationship between Mae and Mercer.  Eggers is examining the two main viewpoints of the usefulness of techonology through the vehicles of the central character and her former lover.  Mercer is the only one of her four long-term former boyfriends who is still even in her life in some capacity.  His continued friendship with her parents allows him to remain tethered to her, regardless of how much she wishes he was completely out of her life.  Eggers, thus, is dangling the possibility that Mercer represents her subconscious moral perspective, but her life has become clouded and overwhelmed with the incessent need to share everything and like everyone and smile at all good causes.  It’s the sharing that becomes central to the sub-plot of how she and Mercer develop as civil adults who once dated.

During a meal at her parents where Mercer is the lone guest, Mae notices that one of his antler chandeliers is now hanging in the home in which she grew up.  Without his permission or knowledge, Mae secretly takes a picture and adds some complimentary notes.  It is fair to assume she had the best of intentions by doing this.  Mercer, she must have concluded, was not able to live a very extravagent life as a craftsman of woodsy home decor.  Before the evening has concluded–and well after Mae is slightly ostracized by her parents for being unable to simply enjoy the company and meal–she reveals that the picture has been sent out and is receiving very positive feeback.

Almost childishly, Mae has, by this point, been swept up into this Otherworld while still in her parents’ house talking with her ex-boyfriend.  She’s out to impress them all with the connections she has and potential impact she can have on the future of his sales.  The problem, of course, is that Mercer does not want anything remotely close to this.  She excitedly reports to him that he has earned “122 smiles”, which is “an incredible amount to get so quickly” (Eggers 258).  Furthermore, she tells him that he’s “in the top fifty for today” on a site named DesignMind that apparently ranks the popularity of designs (Eggers 258-9).  Then, in a selfish turn of events, Mae realizes that this amount of late-evening online activity will boost her “PartiRank into the 1800s” (Eggers 259).

Eggers here is clearly displaying how quickly the addiction of online presence and popularity so quickly replaces the thirst for human interaction.  Mercer stands with Mae–notably without a phone in his hand–and, at first, is calmly asking her to stop, but Mae is already talking faster than she’s thinking.  The device in her hand was designed for communication, but she cannot even put it down long enough to appease her guest in her parents’ house.  Discouragement toward her device comes from Mercer and her mother, but Mae is oblivious to Mercer’s departure from the dinner.  When she goes out to catch him, he reluctantly puts the car in park.

This scene, in the literal center of the book, is agonizingly crucial to Eggers’ central theme.  In what becomes a heated discussion about the trajectory of each of their lives, we witness what might be years of suppressed angst toward one another rise to the surface and toward one another.  This relationship, arguably, is a microcosm of this crossroads Eggers identified early in the smart technology age–especially among young people whose homes have had internet access their entire lives.

Among the most cutting lines toward Mae is that Mercer reveals that he has “never felt more that there is some cult taking over the world” (Eggers 260).  He continues to describe receiving a sales pitch of a product called “Homie” that, in essence, is an application that informs stores and distributors that a consumer is low on a product, thus removing the need to shop–online or in person–for a replacement item.  Predictably, Mae comes to the defense of her company and dismisses that it is not on the agenda of The Circle or any other company to seek “world dominiation” (Eggers 261).  Though Mercer provides multiple examples of this enclosing circle being masked as a “utopian vision,” his claims fall on Mae’s deaf ears (Eggers 261).  She calls him “paranoid” and “ignorant,” and she compares these ultra-fast tools such as Homie to primative, recognizable images of milkmen and butchers (Eggers 261).  What is overwhelmingly present during this staunch argument emerges as the central theme of the book: As convenient and as progressive as the claims of The Circle (or other companies and possibly governments) are, is it morally appropriate to allow it to continue solely on the notion that “They” have no ulterior, devious motive to do so?

Mercer serves as an literary anomoly in this novel.  His is a secondary role overall, but he is by far the most developed human in these 500+ pages.  He’s not a true antagonist either because he represents the moral compass.  It has been argued that Eggers’ style and development of these characters falls far short of what he had produced in previous novels such as Zeitoun and What is the What, but it is painfully obvious that Eggers, in The Circle, has yet another trick up his over-forty sleeve.  By relying on our conditioned expectation that Mercer will eventually pull Mae out of this twisted screen-obsessed, privacy-limiting world, he simultaneously leads the reader through a series of traditional complications that are eventually upended and unsettling.

Mercer’s role is downplayed by other critics, however.  Fernanda Moore notes the growing disparity between the former lovers, but views the chandelier artist as a “tendentious drip” (62).  What Moore might fail to realize is that Eggers uses Mercer–rather mercifully–in order for his young audience to comprehend the mentality.  In short, of course he’s a bit of a “drip” but this information-obsessed generation has, through no fault of their own, been conditioned to receive information as quickly and as succinctly as possible.  In order for The Circle to work and affect those born with a silver modem in their bedroom, Eggers realized he must not and cannot make Mercer a cryptic character.

The brilliant underlying method behind all of this is the rather simplistic nature of their thoughts, actions, and statements.  As Mae becomes more and more flustered by Mercer’s case after the ruined dinner gathering, all she can muster in response to the Mercer’s meticulous aresenal of diminuitive statements about her job and her unexciting existance toward her is “Fuck you, Mercer” and “You’re such a fucker, Mercer” (Eggers 262).  These sharply tongued responses are not from someone who has been deprived of an education.  They are, however, snippets of how a world of limited response time and space online is transferring to a generational regression of substance in face-to-face communication.  Mercer, whose use of the Internet is limited to an email account and a website, formulates articulate, evidence-laden statements and Mae is limited to the childish, defense mechanism of downplaying his claims and resorting to vulgarity.

Mercer falls back into the depths of Mae’s past for some time before he surfaces in Book II.  By this point, the two former lovers have not had any contact whatsoever.  Mae has shot through the ranks at The Circle and has all but become the fresh face of the newest innovation from the company: Transparency.  This willingness–notably through the charming and cunning acts of Eamon Bailey and Tom Stenton, two of the original Three Wise Men who founded The Circle–leads to an evaporation of anything Mae might have at one point in her life deemed private, boring, or insignificant.  By wearing a device that enables viewers to see (and virtually “do”) whatever she sees, Mae rallies for followers and smiles under the direction of her superiors.  At no point does Mae consider Bailey or Stenton to be devious puppeteers parading her around as a human laboratory experiment, which, it seems, is so very obviously what they are doing.

Coincidentally, during a visit to Mae’s parents’ house, Mercer caught one of his former girlfriend’s Circle video feeds, and it spawned from him a letter that he later placed in her vehicle while she was inside the home.  In it, Mercer-slash-Eggers seems to be desparate in his plea to Mae (who by now clearly represents a generation of untalented-but-famous twenty-somethings).  The letter includes far fewer cutting commentary and serves more as a request for her to look at herself and her company in a philosophical manner.  Among his questions to her are the following: “Did you ever think that perhaps our minds are delicately calibrated between the known and the unknown? That our souls need the mysteries of night and the clarity of day?” (Eggers 434).   Interestingly, the letter is interrupted because Mae’s audience can read it with her and have begun chiming in with negative commentary about being bored and comparing Mercer to Sasquatch. Moore dismisses this exchange as an example of how Eggers has “so much contempt” for this “lost generation” and that the author has basically evolved from a “literary wunderkind” to a seedy “curmudgeon” (62).  However, the scene serves well as Eggers’ continuing commentary on the shortening of attention spans and unwillingness to simply experience–in this case, read–something without feeling the need to offer a snarky line or any comment whatsoever.

Mercer letter continues, and in it he expresses his plans to leave his hometown and is “moving north” (Eggers 435).  There exists a somber, failing tone as he goes on.  It seems as if he already knows his fate, but he continues on, as if he has not quite come to terms with what the world around him is becoming.   He tells Mae that “[she] and [The Circle] have won,” that “[i]t’s pretty much over,” but that he has “held out some hope that the madness was limited to” The Circle (Eggers 435).  What the author is doing here is showing us the bed our society is on track to make for itself.  The reader yearns for Mercer.  The reader wants Mae to rip off her Transparency device, throw her car in Drive, and go find this one man who still appreciates the wonders of this world far from any screen.  Mercer is admirable.  Mercer is honest.  Mercer is what humans always claim they want to be.

Yet, even though he plans to “be off the grid” and live “underground, and in the desert, in the woods…like refugees, or hermits”, two things become frighteningly clear: his quest/escape will not last long and, quite miserably, Mae will have no change of heart based on any of his thoughts or warnings.  With this inaction, her last real attempt to get him back in her life, Mae is fully formed as a one-dimensional being who is far more satisifed with a rocket-fire increase in online fandom than accepting her friend’s words as poignant and shedding this obsession with virtual popularity.  Here, she has lost all credibility and any remaining hope for moral goodness.  Eggers masterfully uses Mercer to provide multiple opportunities for Mae to become deep, honrorable, and sound.  However, because none of those attributes ever come to fruition, Mercer’s character is highlighted as one of the few remaining sane members in a rapidly evolving insane world.

Weirdly, his death is almost comforting to a reader.  No longer will Mercer fight a daily battle with a society that is closing in on completing The Circle but who lack general sense and traditional manners. Gone for him is this ever-increasing pressure to “get connected” or “be active online”.  Never again will Mercer have to click several links on a web page in order to have a customer-service representative assist him with a bill or a warranty.

Reviewer Alexander Nazaryan has another intriguing take on Eggers’ attempt to offer a visual aid to what he deems to be the trajectory of the world.  “This is a novel about the silence in your head,” he writes, and notes the drone-led search for the escaping character as “worthy of Orwell” (Nazaryan).

A character like Mercer actually must die in a dystopian novel such as The Circle for the reader to grasp any real hope for the future.  What emerges as the most disconcerting conversation in the novel.  Typically, the wiser, older character who has watched over a traditional protagonist proffers sage advice and perspective after the sudden loss of a friend or family member.  Here, however, Eamon Bailey coldy–though it is not recognized as such by his single-member audience–tells Mae that “[g]rief doesn’t arrive on schedule, as much as we’d like it to” (Eggers 466).  He doesn’t want her to blame herself for Mercer’s death, but suggests that she should instead remember that she was “trying to help a very disturbed, antisocial young man” who turned away from “the embrace of humanity” (Eggers 466). Bailey later reflects aloud on his own frustration about similar situations and finds himself telling her that Mercer would still be alive if he’d been in a self-driving vehicle.  This cold, distanced commentary is a preview of what Mae will be bound to experience throughout the remainder of her life.  Sympathy and empathy appear to be absent from those who are within The Circle.  Mourning an avoidable death is, essentially, an infringement on their time and might affect onine activity or presence.  The fact that moments later Bailey and Mae are discussing the financial cost of rebuilding the bridge where Mercer died is chilling.  What is even more offensive is that Mae continues to nod and agree and accept these discussions as normal.

Ultimately, Mae “meets” the third Wise Man, Ty Gospidinov.  During their tense exchange, he reveals that he has had a change of heart and is working to keep The Circle from completing.  Mae is astounded to learn this and ends up regurgitating much of what Bailey had just discussed with her, defending The Circle to no end, all the while suppressing the death of her former boyfriend and the withered condition of her former roommate.  Here, Eggers shows the utterly shocking lack of personal growth that Mae has experienced.

Ty eventually asks her directly, “[w]ho wants to be watched all the time?” (Eggers 490). Her response is succinct, just like her personality: “I do.  I want to be seen.  I want proof I existed.”  She needs validation, not experience.  She prefers online followers to a cozy sunset.  Mercer was once her lover and had become her anti-self.  Through her undeniable obsession with being acknowledged, liked, followed, or smiled upon by millions of strangers across the world, she has set herself up for a life that is not worth living.

Mercer, like so many people today, grasped what Mae never could: our lives are so precious that we are on track to miss out on life’s most amazing treasures because we cannot stop ourselves from sharing pictures and comments online about life’s most amazing treasures.

Works Cited

Church, Haley.  “Dave Eggers Discusses Pitfalls of Living Life Online.”  Indiana University Bloomington.  8 Oct. 2015. Accessed 16 Oct. 2017.

Eggers, Dave.  The Circle.  Vintage,  2013.

Moore, Fernanda.  “These Rotten Kids Today.”  Commentary.  Vol. 137, no. 1.  Jan. 2014, pp. 61-62.

Moore, Fernanda. “These Rotten Kids Today: Dave Eggers Hates Them.” Commentary, no. 1, 2014, p. 61. EBSCOhost,

Nazaryan, Alexander.  “Digital Dystopia: On Dave Eggers’ ‘The Circle’.”  Newsweek Global.  Vol. 161 Issue 38, 25 Oct. 2013


Cheadle Airport

CFQ4 · Alberta, Canada

This METAR is from August 16, 2022 17:00. Most recent
Wind direction of Wind direction 210° Cheadle Airport 7/25
Wind: 4 kt, 2 beaufort

3 kt

3 kt
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000
METAR CPST 162300Z AUTO 21004KT 29/07 RMK AO1 T02920071

METAR Cheadle Airport - CFQ4/TIL

Cheadle Airport is a small airport in Cheadle, Canada. The airport has one runway: 7/25. The ICAO designator of this field is CFQ4 and it's IATA code is TIL.

This report was made for August 16, 2022 17:00, local time on Strathmore Agdm.

Airport observations

The wind is from direction 210° with a speed of 4 kt.

The temperature and wind chill are 29 °C. The dew point is 7 °C, the relative humidity is 25%.

Daylight period

Today the sun rises at 07:43 and sets at 19:01. This applies to Cheadle Airport, the universal daylight period may be different. The difference between the local time and UTC is -6 hour. Daylight saving time is currently in progress.

We don't have information about companies on this airport.

Go to to find flying lessons, skydives and other flying experiences. Browse the page for all available activities near Cheadle Airport. You can also use the search function to find specific flying lessons, skydives or other flying experiences near your place.

Id Heading Crosswind Headwind Crosswind %
7/25 070°-250° 3 kt 3 kt 64 %

Temperature & Weather

Temperature 29.2 °C
Dewpoint 7.1 °C
Rel. humidity 25%
Kp-index 3 (0-9)

AO1Automatic weather station that cannot determine the type of precipitation
T02920071Temperature is 29.2 °C (84.6 °F), dew point is 7.1 °C (44.8 °F)

Daylight period

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Procedure for working with “purchase” and “sell” contracts is approved

According to the report by the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the US Department of Commerce dated June 28, 2022, Uzbekistan is included in the list of transshipment points used for exporting sanctioned goods. In order to avoid negative consequences for the Bank and its clients as a result of foreign trade operations using bank accounts,

The Management Board of the Bank made the following decision:

1. Suspend the provision of services under “purchase” (contract type in the YEISVO “18”) and "Sell" (contract type “19”) contracts in the direction of countries, included in the sanctions programs.

2. Approve the procedure for the rest of the “purchase” (type “18”) and “sell” contracts (type “19”), according to which each contract will be studied on the basis of complex analysis, using the criteria and features set in the internal rules of the Bank. If required, the Bank shall request client additional information on contracts, including information on contract participants.

3. In case if the signs of participation of Uzbekistan as transshipment point for exporting sanctioned goods and any bypassing of sanctions revealed in the contract, the Bank shall make a decision to suspend the operation, with subsequent submission of relevant information to the special authorized state organization.

If necessary, we ask you to contact with your Relationship Manager for any consultation until the conclusion of the above mentioned foreign trade contracts with foreign partners.


Senators: Move to Punish Ecuador, Russia Over Snowden

Schumer Urges Sanctions on Ecuador

As has been the case, the NSA surveillance scandal was mostly glossed over on the Sunday news circuit today, with Senators Chuck Schumer (D – NY) and John McCain (R – AZ) instead focusing on starting new diplomatic crises to spite nations involved with Snowden’s escape.

McCain termed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to immediately capture Snowden and give him to the US a “direct slap in the face,” and insisted that Russia must “pay the price” for its defiance.

Schumer also blasted Russia, but saved his focus for Ecuador, the nation that might conceivably grant Snowden asylum in the face of political persecution by US leadership. Schumer said the US ought to immediately impose sanctions on Ecuador to “dissuade” them from granting Snowden asylum, and also cancelling the existing free trade agreement.

Which apparently Schumer wasn’t keeping a close eye on. Ecuador actually preemptively cancelled the trade pact on Thursday in the face of US threats, saying the deal made it too easy for the US to dictate terms to them every time a disagreement arose.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is senior editor of


Rondonia Bushbird, Brazil - June 2022

Total Pageviews

Saturday, 2 April 2005

Splash Point - 2/4/2005

A crazy seawatch that provided the largest passage of Garganey ever recorded past Splash Point. The largest flock being a flock of 15 birds, whilst all flocks were observed moving close inshore, and I seem to remember a couple of flocks circling just offshore and continuing on their way.

Only highlights listed:

Whimbrel - 4
Avocet - 7
Velvet Scoter - 1
Garganey - 31
Eider - 6
Little Gull - 1

Obviously the Garganey passage was noted elsewhere, with Dungeness recording over 50 birds.


Days Recap: [Spoiler] Is Implicated in an Attempted Murder Case

Friday, December 11, 2020: On Days of our Lives today, Joey’s world is rocked, Xander demands the dirt on Philip, and Ava can’t help but disrespect Kayla in front of Tripp.

Steve and Kayla visit Joey in prison. They tell him Ava’s alive. Joey’s stunned. How is that possible? They explain that Dr. Rolf brought her back to life. It means Joey may be released from prison. Joey is upset to learn they made a deal. His release for Ava going free. He wishes they’d have talked to him about this first.

At Ava’s apartment, Tripp hopes his mama isn’t going after his dad and step-mother again. Ava vows she’s not going to cause trouble. She hopes they haven’t poisoned his mind against her. She assumes her son knows about all the nasty things she’s done over the years. Tripp recalls Steve telling him about the kidnapping and Ava raping Steve, and admits the things he heard kept him up at night. Ava’s sorry. This second chance at life has changed her. She promises she won’t mess it up. Tripp admits he gave the mob money she left him to charity. He asks how she’s paying for this place and threatens that if she’s still taking money from her family, he’s out of there. Ava admits she called her cousin Angelo. She’s taking money from the legit side of the business and offers proof. Tripp says no, he’s sorry for acting high and mighty. He’s done some things he’s not proud of. He confesses he held a scalpel to Kayla’s neck once. Ava’s touched he did that for her. Tripp says that’s all in the past and says Kayla was a rape survivor. That, combined with the other evidence such as the paternity test, makes it look bad for him. But Tripp knows he never slept with Allie. Ava wonders if the paternity test was switched by Kayla as payback for Joe. Tripp disagrees so Ava decides she needs to hear the whole story so they can fight this. He talks about helping her back to her place when she was drunk. He got her into bed and wrote her a note with his information and took off. She claims not to have found the note. Ava’s shocked to hear this happened in London. When Tripp goes, Ava leaves an angry message for someone to call her.

Charlie finds Xander waiting impatiently at the park. He wants to know what Philip’s been up to. Charlie tells him about Philip’s breakfast. Xander barks that he wants to know about the shady deals he’s making. Charlie has no information. Xander knows he’s hiding something and demands to know what it is. Charlie admits Philip caught him red-handed. He threatened him with firing. Xander gets it. But he’ll win against Philip. If Charlie wants to be successful at Titan, “Put your money on me.” He asks Charlie to become a triple agent.

At the mansion, Sarah and Philip discuss Christmas. Philip keeps waiting for Xander to storm in and start yelling. He asks if she took Xander’s things to Salem Inn herself. He saw her there late, last night. Sarah claims she took Xandy his things so he wouldn’t have to return there. She says they fought about Philip. Sarah lies that she finally saw him for who he is. “I hate him.” She offers to help get him fired from Titan. Philip’s surprised since she’s given Xander many chances. Sarah says Xander’s jealousy showed her how their life would be if she stayed with him. Philip leans in to kiss Sarah and Sarah jumps up. He read the situation wrong and apologizes for overstepping. He suggests they make Xander crazy by letting him think they’re having an affair. Sarah doesn’t want to make things more complicated and has to go to work. They agree to meet later to discuss the benefit. Once Sarah’s in the foyer, she calls Xandy to meet at his hotel room. Charlie arrives unannounced and explains that Xander bought everything, but he complains he’s not cut out for this.

Kate welcomes Rafe back to SPD. She wrote a glowing press release and is glad he didn’t skip town, like Gabi. Kate learns she’s been implicated in the commission of a felony. Rafe hands over the gun that Allie stole from her with the intention of killing Tripp Dalton. Kate’s shocked. She remembers Sami doing something as drastic to Alan after he raped her in high school. Rafe says Allie’s remorseful but Kate wishes “the bastard got what he deserved.” They argue about whether Allie should be prosecuted.

Allie visits Kate at the mansion. Kate reveals Rafe summoned her to SPD. She takes out her gun. “Oh God,” Allie says. She’s sorry. Kate asks why she didn’t ask for help. Allie wasn’t thinking. Kate says that means she’s now in trouble with the law. Kate says Trask thinks Tripp’s a hero since he married her daughter so she could stay in the country. Allie has a meltdown until she learns that Trask has let her off the hook. “Don’t blow it,” Kate warns, as Allie relaxes. Kate explains that she was once in an abusive relationship with her husband Curtis. She promises Tripp will pay. She has a plan. They’ll go for a civil case.

Rafe arrives at the prison, surprising Kayla, Steve, and Joey with the news that he’s free to go. Kayla cries and they have a family embrace.

Sarah arrives at the Inn and Xander lets her know Ava Vitali’s alive and back in Salem. Sarah says, “That’s Angela Vandecamp.” The woman he saw with Philip. “Bloody hell!” Xander exclaims.


user interface

Effective User Interface Improvements to Skyrocket Website Conversions

One of the most significant barriers for websites to get conversions is the website itself, specifically due to the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Today, there are many ways to build a unique website without spending too much time or resources. These easy tweaks will help boost user experience and boost the website’s conversion rates.

Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for improving UI. As we move into an increasingly connected world that has seen the biggest shift to online since WWW was introduced to us, it is now even more crowded and competitive.

Source: Broadband Search

Getting in front of consumers ahead of your competitors has never been easy, and now, thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Pinterest, social and online presence has become one of the most vital parts of a business today.

What is UI?

The user interface is the website’s design that supports the user experience (UX) when browsing. Therefore, almost all website elements, including buttons, search bars, CTAs, icons and text layout can all be considered UI design elements.

Researching and refining the way your users interact with your site is a great place to start if you’re looking to boost conversions and generate more leads. User experience ensures users find services and products of value on your site as quickly and efficiently as possible.

For all businesses, one of the main aims is to generate more sales, leading to steady growth and better financial outcome. UI, along with UX, plays a vital role. There are some fundamental components of UI which, when placed together, make for a more effective website.

The site’s usability, along with its visual design and interaction design, all affect the user’s interpretations and use of a site. Therefore, the site’s information architecture is vital as it ensures users can access the information they need.

Wireframing is an important part of UI. It is a visual guide representing the site’s design framework, outlining how buttons, tabs and menus will respond to the user’s actions. It helps to ensure users can easily navigate the website.

To build a substantial brand value and reputation, businesses must emphasize a high level of user satisfaction across all areas, including the website. As e-commerce continues to grow, online shoppers have higher expectations when it comes to the online experience. Therefore, online stores should be pushed to satisfy the needs of their customers.

A representation of the steady growth of e-commerce from 2000 to 2020 with a large increase toward the end thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Source: Statista

The need for a brand to get its online presence and site right has never been more critical than now. In addition, well researched and thorough UI can effectively grab consumer attention and enhance user experience, improving ROI.

UI design elements

UI elements of a website consist of parts and elements that designers use to improve the development of apps and websites.

An online study found that improving a site’s navigation may help increase the conversion rate by as much as 18.5%. Therefore, it’s absolutely crucial for all websites to pay attention to the UI and UX. Here is a look at four effective ways to improve UI:

1. Improve conversion with persuasive CTA.

A highly effective call-to-action (CTA) button does what it says and helps to deliver a direct yet straightforward statement for the user. In addition, it gives clear directions to the user concerning what to do next and provides them with an idea of where they will be taken once having clicked on the button.

With great design and UI that is simple yet catchy, CTAs are crucial as they guide consumers into the sales funnel where conversions happen.

With a focus on mobile users, presenting a large area that is responsive to a tap or a click on a call-to-action button is essential to getting the user to the right destination. Unfortunately, many buttons on a website are purely graphical and embed small link texts, which work well for viewing sites on a desktop but are not very mobile-friendly.

Designs like this can frustrate users and deter them from using a website altogether.

A standard color for each type of call-to-action button is advised. If your website visitors get used to a particular color for a specific button, they will subconsciously be more attached to it.

When designing a template, make sure to pick the right colors for each type of CTA button. If a call-to-action button is too small and not clickable, chances are there will be fewer clicks, and conversion rates can drop significantly. Make sure that all-important links are made into buttons or links that can be easily identified.

Tip: Do not play around with button colors too much. If your “Get Started” button is set to blue, try keeping everything consistent (i.e. avoid using a different color for the same button on a different page) so as not to confuse the user.

2. Use white spaces effectively.

The first step in improving conversion rates is to pay your attention to the psychology of color

Remove all excess clutter and noise from a page and replace the white space with the things that matter most. Adding a background image to one page is possible, but it is essential it doesn’t distract users from the aspects you want them to focus on.

White spaces allow users to scan through the website with ease without being too distracted by clutter or unnecessary elements on the page, which has proven to increase click-through rates. For this reason, keeping an adequate amount of white space on a page can lead to more leads and a higher conversion rate.

Furthermore, white spacing makes information on the page look more clear and defined.

The use of white space on Apple’s website. Source:

However, with this in mind, using color in the right way can be a tactical leverage for any business. Colors can be used to effectively focus the user’s attention to specific parts of the page and work well for actionable elements such as CTAs.

Tip: Using warmer tones like orange and yellow attract the eyes the same way red does, and they expand against darker, colder tone colors such as blue and green. Highlighting these crucial elements of the page ensures they do not get lost.

3. Link padding

Anchors and links present on the site by default are usually the same size, keeping in line with the rest of the elements on the page. Unfortunately, this means they can only span that specific area to remain clickable, such as the height and width of the text. However, the clickable area can be expanded for greater usability of the link. This is done by adding extra padding to the text and can also be done by converting the link itself into a block element, making it appear more extensive and more inviting.

You can use the following simple code to increase the padding of the link:

a {

    display: block;

    padding: 6px;

A larger area will, for obvious reasons, be more clickable and easier to use. This also makes these links more mobile-friendly, giving users less of a chance of missing the link. Converting links into blocks also helps make the text area span the entire width of the box, making the theme ideal for sidebars.

Adding a healthy amount of padding to the link is essential as it ensures the link itself is visible enough to be clicked.

Tip: Do not overuse padding on text links (i.e. links that are not buttons). These may confuse and frustrate mobile users as when scrolling down, users can accidentally click the link without intending to do so.

4. Design based on users.

Sometimes it is easy to get carried away with designing your new website. However, it’s increasingly important to be able to offer your user what they want compared to what your business thinks they might want. Thinking about the consumer and what they need and the types of things they would look for will help construct a better, well-thought-out website tailored to the users’ needs

A time line indicating progress on the site is one of the best UI elements to include on a site. This helps users understand where they are in the sales funnel and essentially helps them in and out sooner.

Use tools like Google Analytics and Finteza to determine the pages your users stay on, how they go from page to page and where they drop off.

Unfortunately, design elements are of much concern to users. Yes, they help make sites look attractive. Still, the baseline is that consumers want to get things done in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of hassle and frustration. A good design will have all these elements integrated. In addition, the easier the sales process can be, the more inviting it is for users, giving them a positive shopping experience and making them more likely to come back.

Tip: Use heat maps to determine the areas of the website where your users seem to be focusing most on. Once the areas have been determined, use them to display the most important CTAs.

One of the main points to consider when creating and having a website is that it needs to constantly be updated to work as best as it can for those interacting with it. This includes running tests and audits, helping you keep on top of the competition.

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Iron Chef Brazil Season 1: Where Are They Now?

‘Iron Chef: Brazil’ is an interesting competitive cooking show that takes the best and brightest from Brazil’s culinary industry and pits them against rising stars who have just started to make a name for themselves. While the stalwarts are grouped as the Iron Chefs, they are faced by the challengers in several themed battles throughout the season. Ultimately, the challenger who defeats his Iron Chef with the most amount of points gets to compete against five of them for the trophy in the season finale.

Season 1 of ‘Iron Chef: Brazil’ provided us with quite a few thrilling moments as we witnessed Iron Chefs impressing us with their mastery or challengers besting the stalwarts through sheer determination and technique. Nevertheless, with cameras now turned around, fans are curious to know where the cast members are at present. Well, let’s find out, shall we?

Where Is Chef Bel Coelho Now?

Bel Coelho found her passion for cooking from a young age and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America before working with some top chefs at popular restaurants. Additionally, she even decided to gather knowledge from local sources and traveled to several Brazilian cities to learn more about regional cuisine. Currently, she seems to be based in São Paulo, where she owns and operates her restaurants Cuia and Clandestino Restaurante. Additionally, Bel hosts the show ‘Receita de Viagem’ on TLC Discovery.

Where Is Chef Carole Crema Now?

An expert at baking and sweet dishes, Carole Crema, surprised all with her incredible dishes on ‘Iron Chef: Brazil.’ A graduate of Thames Valley University, she further studied at The Mosimann Academy in London and Instituto La Cultura Alimentari in Milan. Moreover, she has authored the book ‘O Mundo dos Cupcakes’ and appears as a judge on the TV series ‘Que Seja Doce.’ Carole seems to be currently based out of São Paulo, where she runs her restaurant and offers cooking classes for people who want to work on their baking skills.

Where is Chef Felipe Schaedler Now?

A master of fish and seafood, Felipe received the Order of Cultural Merit in 2012 and was featured in Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2014. He seems to divide his time between São Paulo and Manaus and has several popular restaurants. Felipe’s flagship restaurant, Banzeiro, has two branches in São Paulo and Manaus, while the Iron Chef also runs the Manaus-based Moquém do Banzeiro, which offers a fine-dining experience in a casual setting. On the other hand, he is quite happy in his relationships as he has built a life surrounded by family and friends and can often be spotted sharing the memories he makes on social media.

Where Is Chef Giovanna Grossi Now?

One of Brazil’s most celebrated chefs, Giovanna Grossi, got the chance to represent Latin America in 2016’s Bocuse d’Or when she was just 23 years of age. Over the years, she perfected her craft and earned the prestigious position of a Bocuse d’Or judge. Currently, Giovanna likely resides in São Paulo, where she runs her flagship restaurant, Animus Restaurante. Additionally, she appeared in the Forbes 30 under 30 list and currently holds the position of president of Bocuse d’Or Brasil.

Where Is Chef Rodrigo Oliveira Now?

One of the most popular chefs in Brazil, Rodrigo Oliveira, is in a happy relationship with his partner, Adriana Salay. Besides, the chef resides in São Paulo, where he owns and operates the celebrated and award-winning restaurants, Mocotó and Balaio IMS. Additionally, in 2021, Rodrigo expanded his culinary empire and opened the Brazilian-themed restaurant Caboco in Los Angeles, through which he hopes to introduce Brazilian soul food to the United States.

Where Is Chef Thiago Castanho Now?

Thiago Castanho is a brilliant chef known best for combining traditional Brazilian cooking techniques with a modern style. Interestingly, he and his brother Felipe discovered their love for cooking when their father established the seafood restaurant, Remanso do Peixe in Belem, Brazil. Thiago seems to be living in Belem, where he still has a hand running his father’s restaurant. Apart from this, the chef has studied the Amazonian region’s cuisine for 15 years and recently even participated in a live cooking show in the Brazil Pavilion at Dubai’s Expo 2020.

Where Are Chefs Lisiane Arouca and Fabrício Lemos Now?

Husband and wife duo Lisiane and Fabrício share a beautiful dynamic inside and outside the kitchen. While their chemistry makes it easier for them to work together, the couple also enjoys a wonderful personal life surrounded by family and friends. At present, Lisiane and Fabrício reside in the city of Salvador in Bahia, where they run Grupo Origem, wherein they own and operate several popular restaurants, including ORI, Origem, Gem Bar, and Omí.

Where Is Chef Adriano De Laurentiis Now?

A brilliant chef in his own right, Adriano De Laurentiis’s passion for cooking is made quite apparent through the mouthwatering creations he shares on social media. The young chef is quite private about his personal life, but from the look of it, he presently resides in São Paulo, Brazil, where he heads his flagship restaurant, Cais. As of February 2020, Adriano was in a relationship with Juliana Alves.

Where Is Chef Bianca Barbosa Now?

Hailing from a close-knit family, Bianca has maintained a solid bond with her parents and holds them responsible for the success she has achieved to date. Furthermore, she appears to enjoy a wonderful personal life and is a loving mother to an adorable 5-year-old. Besides, Bianca describes herself as a chef and bar owner and currently resides in Rio de Janeiro, where she owns and operates her establishment, Bar Kalango.

Where Is Chef Ieda De Matos Now?

Interestingly, it took Ieda some time to discover her passion for cooking, and she completed her course in Gastronomy when she was 42 years old. However, she never let her age stop her from living her dreams and was determined to reach the very top. Currently, Ieda is happily married, a mother of one, and lives with her family in São Paulo, where she runs her popular restaurant, Casa de Ieda.

Where Is Chef Michele Crispim Now?

Michele Crispim stepped into the limelight when she competed and won ‘Masterchef: Brazil’ season 4. Although she was a commercial manager before embarking on a cooking career, she soon embraced her passion for gastronomy and began passing one milestone after the other on the way to success. At present, Michele seems to be residing in Brazil and is involved with the Rede TV show ‘Cake Boss’ as well as ‘Esse Doce Tem História’ on GNT. Moreover, she has been gathering quite a fan following as a chef and food influencer on social media.

Where Is Chef Paolo Rocha Now?

A resident of São Paulo, Brazil, Paolo now works as the pastry chef at several top-end restaurants, including President, Çá-Vá, Lvtetia, and Buteco. Besides, he loves sharing his creations on social media and is involved with the show ‘Esse Doce Tem História’ on GNT. Not just that, fans would be delighted to know that in August 2022, Chef Paolo announced that he and his partner, Stella Kiss, were about to welcome their first child into this world.

Where Is Chef Rafael Gomes Now?

Although Rafael began his culinary journey in the United States, he currently shuttles between Paris and Brazil as his cooking empire is spread over two continents. The incredible chef owns and operates two branches of his restaurant, Itacoa, in Paris and Rio, along with the Rio-based pork specialty restaurant, Porquinho. Besides, the chef announced that he would soon be opening his fourth restaurant, Tiara, which would provide a fine-dining experience. Additionally, viewers would be delighted to know that Chef Rafael is currently in a relationship with his partner, Fernanda Rubatino, and is focused on taking his career to new heights.

Where Are Walkyria Fagundes and Ygor Lopes Now?

Although Walkyria and Ygor started their respective culinary journeys independently, they met in São Paulo and soon commenced a fulfilling relationship. Currently, the couple has made the city their home and put their skills together to serve incredible food. Walkyria and Ygor now own and operate their restaurant, AE! Cozinha, which has been growing in popularity since its inception in 2019.

Read More: Where Is Iron Chef: Brazil Filmed?


EXPLAINED: Why Axar Patel Was Sent Ahead Of Dinesh Karthik vs Australia In Mohali

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Many eyebrows were raised when India sent Axar Patel ahead of Dinesh Karthik in the first T20I in Mohali.

India started off the home series against Australia with a bang as the batters walloped the visiting bowling attack for 208 runs in the first T20I on Tuesday in Mohali.

After KL Rahul’s 55 and Suryakumar Yadav’s 46, India’s innings was given a late boost by Hardik Pandya’s blistering knock of 71 runs off only 30 balls, propelling the team total to over 200.

Amid this, there was an interesting decision made by the Indian management - of sending Axar Patel at number 6 ahead of Dinesh Karthik, who came in to bat at number 7.

So, why was Axar Patel promoted over Dinesh Karthik?

No description available.

The main reason for Dinesh Karthik batting behind Axar Patel was that Karthik is best suited to playing only in the death overs, while at the same time India also needed to break the chain of right-handers so they sent in Axar Patel.

We have been seeing this right from the IPL 2022 that Dinesh Karthik has made a name for himself as a death-over specialist; a specialised finisher - the role in which he’s made a comeback into the Indian team.

During the IPL 2022, for RCB, Dinesh Karthik smashed at a strike rate of 220 in the death overs. Upon his return to the Indian team, Karthik has played a few crucial knocks in the death overs, against the likes of South Africa and West Indies, to make it into the T20 World Cup squad.

This has happened in a few matches previously as well - in the Cuttack T20I vs South Africa in June, Axar was sent above Karthik; against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Ravindra Jadeja had too batted over Karthik. So, the management clearly thinks that Karthik’s best entry point is around the death overs, which is around the 16th over.

In Mohali, India lost their 4th wicket, Suryakumar Yadav, in the 14th over, and hence Dinesh Karthik was held back and Axar Patel was sent - and that wasn’t too surprising given now we have understood how the management feels regarding the entry point of Dinesh Karthik.

No description available.

The move didn't work today, but should be tested in a long run

Patel got out for 6 runs on 15.5 overs and so presented Karthik with his favourable entry point. However, DK couldn’t do much today and departed for only 6 runs.


A Criminal Misuse of Statistics?

One of my favorite topics is the very human tendency to misuse and misunderstand the information that is provided by business intelligence systems.

Here’s a link to a TED Talk by Peter Donnelly, an Oxford statistician, pointing out some of the common errors that people make, and the serious consequences that can result.

Here’s a taste of the material:

(1) Imagine you’re sequentially tossing a coin. On average, which of these sequences will take longer to achieve?:

  • Head-Tail-Tail
  • Head-Tail-Head

They have to be the same, right? (hint: wrong)

(2) Imagine you take a medical test for a disease that has a 99% success rate, and you have a positive result. How likely is it that you have the disease? (hint: no, it’s not 99%)

Peter goes on to talk about a case where a pediatrician gave statistically-invalid expert testimony at a trial that resulted in a UK mother being convicted of murdering her children (later thankfully overturned on appeal).

We should all take account of these kinds of frightening tales when implementing business intelligence:

  1. Just providing information doesn’t mean that it will be used effectively, and IT organizations should take responsibility for the end result of BI — better corporate performance — not just think of themselves as tools providers.
  2. Analytic expertise and data expertise is as important as technology expertise, and should be an explicit part of any business intelligence competency center.
  3. Sharing information widely and providing collaboration will make it more likely for mistakes to be spotted and corrected.

Does anybody else have any good stories and examples of data misuse?


Parameters affecting photobleaching. Aggregation state, pH, ionic strength and oxygen concentration

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Photobleaching mechanisms

During photodynamic treatment, in addition to the reaction with biological substrate, self-photosensitization occurs and reactive oxygen intermediates interact with the photosensitiser, leading to its transformation and/or destruction. This phenomenon is called photobleaching. The first relevant observation of photobleaching in the photodynamic therapy field was made in 1986 by Moan (Moan, 1986).
The main reactions leading to photobleaching are presented in fig. 4.1. The photosensitiser undergoes Type I and/or Type II mechanisms upon light irradiation, leading to the production of oxygen radical species. These oxygen radical species react with the neighbouring molecules, including the photosensitisers, leading to their destruction. Thus photobleaching can occurs via two pathways, the Type I way involving reactive oxygen species and Type II way involving singlet oxygen. Photobleaching quantum yield of different photosensitisers varies significantly and can be attributed to oxidation potential, lipophilicity, presence of a metallic ion, kind of reactions involved (Type I or II).
Kinetic parameters of photobleaching are mainly derived from spectroscopic measurements assessed by UV-Vis or fluorescence spectroscopy. Several important mechanistic issues of photobleaching were obtained from the detailed analysis of spectroscopic modifications. In the earlier studies on photobleaching of photosensizer molecules, the kinetic decay of photosensitiser was considered as a mechanism depending only on the light dose delivered to the tissue, materialized by the mono-exponential decay e-αD, where α stands for the photobleaching constant and D stands for the fluence of irradiation (J/cm-2). It became clear later on that the photobleaching is a complex phenomenon, which cannot be described by a single exponential decrease (Moan et al., 2000; Sørensen et al., 1998). For some photosensitisers the decay rates have been shown to be practically independent of the concentration of the dye during illumination (Mang et al., 1987; Moan, 1986; Sørensen et al., 1998) and thus exhibit a first order decay. However, for the majority of dyes, the photobleaching decay is highly dependent on the initial photosensitiser concentration (Moan et al., 1988), meaning that the photoproducts from the chromophore can cause the decay of a neighbouring chromophore (Moan et al., 1997).

Bezdetnaya et al. (Bezdetnaya et al., 1996) demonstrated that for HpD and PpIX, quantum yield of photobleaching obtained by matching fluorescence were higher than those obtained by matching absorbance (10 and 11 times for HpD and PpIX respectively). The authors concluded that this difference reflected the preferential photobleaching of photolabile monomeric forms compared to aggregates. Another study confirmed the preferential photobleaching of monomeric species of m-THPC (Belitchenko et al., 1998).
Several studies of Rotomskis and co-workers demonstrated that photobleaching efficiency of haematoporphyrin-like sensitisers seemed to be consistent with their aggregation state and the presence of covalently linked structures. Both dimethoxyhaematoporphyrin (DMHp) and Hp are present in an equilibrium of monomeric and aggregated forms in aqueous solutions (Streckyte and Rotomskis, 1993). Their absorption bleaching rate constants are two to four times higher than that of HpD, a sensitiser containing mostly linear structures of porphyrins linked by ether, ester and/or carbon-carbon bonds (Dougherty et al., 1984). It is also 10 to 20 times higher than that of Photofrin® (PF), which contains covalently linked ” sandwich” type structure (Streckyte and Rotomskis, 1993b). In HpD, some of the side chains are involved in ether and ester linkages and therefore this compound is more photostable than DMHp and Hp. In PF and Photosan-3 (PS) (highly aggregated “sandwich” type structure (Strec kyte and Rotomskis, 1993)), almost all side chains are involved in covalently linked structures, probably accounting for the high photostability of these sensitisers. The presence of a certain amount of protoporphyrin in PS is probably responsible for its lower photostability compared to PF.
Lowering the pH value of a photosensitiser solution results in a shift of both the absorption and the fluorescence spectra as well as in a decrease of the fluorescence intensity, indicating an aggregation at low pH values (pH < 5) (Cunderlikova et al., 1999). Reddi et al. (Reddi and Jori, 1988) also demonstrated an aggregation of hematoporphyrin and Photofrin® when decreasing the pH from 7.4 to 5.0 and they also demonstrated the decrease of the photobleaching quantum yield to 70 % for hematoporphyrin and 30 % for Photofrin® , thus suggesting a resistance toward photobleaching of aggregated species.
Changing the ionic strength by varying the buffer concentration can affect the aggregation state of a sensitiser. An increase of the buffer concentration of a TPPS4 solution increases the aggregation of the sensitiser and reduces the photobleaching quantum yield by 50 % (Davila and Harriman, 1990). Thus, it follows from all these studies that the quantum yield of photobleaching is inversely proportional to the aggregation state of the photosensitisers.
Streckyte et al. (Streckyte and Rotomskis, 1993) showed that in micellar media (Triton X-100), which leads to the monomerisation of the photosensitisers, several dyes such as DMHp and HP had a different photostability and different photoproducts formation compared to aqueous media. Spikes (Spikes, 1992) reported that adding CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) to PBS solution increases the quantum yield of PF photobleaching by 90%. The photobleaching of uroporphyrin I and hematoporphyrin in the same conditions was unchanged and the bleaching of TPPS4 decreased by 25%. Spectroscopic studies demonstrated that there was significant monomerisation of hematoporphyrin, TPPS4 and PF in CTAB, however the reasons for this opposite effect between TPPS4 and PF were not clear. The authors proposed that TPPS4 penetrates into the CTAB micelles (Reddi and Jori, 1988) and that it localizes in a low dielectric constant region and that under these conditions photobleaching would probably be slower.
Spikes (Spikes, 1992) investigated the quantum yield of photobleaching of several porphyrins in phosphate buffer solution, and found that the bleaching was reduced by nitrogen bubbling. Also, Streckyte and co-workers demonstrated that the photobleaching process of ALA-induced PpIX in cells was slowed down by bubbling nitrogen through the sample (Streckyte et al., 1994). König et al. also made the same observation for endogenously formed porphyrins in bacteria during argon flushing (König et al., 1993). An observation of the involvement of oxygen in vivo has been realised by Robinson and co-workers (Robinson et al., 1998). During a photobleaching experiment with ALA-induced PpIX, the mice died and they observed a slowdown of the photobleaching. They correlated this bleaching decrease to the oxygen decline in the skin, due to the death of the animal.
Several studies from the laboratory of TH. Foster documented oxygen depletion during PDT. Oxygen consumption model was refined by Georgakoudi and co-workers (Georgakoudi and Foster, 1998; Georgakoudi et al., 1997) by taking into account the parameter of photobleaching of Photofrin in EMT6 spheroids. This improvement considerably changed the kinetic profile of the oxygen aspects of Photofrin-PDT. The authors observed a rapid decrease in oxygen concentration during irradiation followed by a progressive return to the values measured before the irradiation. The first phase is due to the photochemical oxygen consumption which is faster than the diffusion of the oxygen through the spheroid. The second phase, corresponding to the comeback of oxygen to the initial value, is due to a slowdown of the photochemical consumption of the oxygen explained by a decrease in photosensitiser concentration (photobleaching), together with the diffusion of oxygen. This was in total agreement with the data from the mathematical model that they had developed, assuming that the photobleaching was based on a reaction between singlet oxygen and photosensitiser at the ground state. The validity of the developed model was confirmed by applying it to the experimental results on photobleaching in NHIK 3025 cells loaded with Photofrin from the study of Moan (Moan, 1986).
In their further studies Foster and co-workers investigated the impact of irradiance on photobleaching (Finlay et al., 2001; Finlay et al., 2002). In a study reporting the photobleaching of ALA-induced Protoporphyrin IX (Pp IX) in normal rat skin (Finlay et al., 2001) it was demonstrated that the photobleaching kinetics were different with different irradiances. High irradiance led to rapid oxygen consumption and a slow down of the photobleaching. In addition, the photoproducts of PpIX also exhibited an irradiance dependant photobleaching. In a second study, Finlay et al. (Finlay et al., 2002) showed that photobleaching kinetics of m-THPC on normal rat skin exhibited two distinct phases. The first phase was shown to be irradiance independent, whereas the second phase revealed an irradiance dependency consistent with an oxygen-dependant reaction process.

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Photoproducts formation

Presently, two mechanisms of photobleaching are acknowledged (Bonnett and Martínez, 2001). The first one, true photobleaching, corresponds to the photodegradation of the porphyrin macrocycle with the formation of photoproducts, which do not absorb in the visible light region. The second mechanism is called photomodification, where the chromophore is retained in a modified form with the formation of new visible spectral bands. For the majority of photosensitisers the photoproducts arise from both photodegradation pathways.
Photomodification is featured by the loss of absorbance or fluorescence at some wavelength and the appearance of new spectral bands, this being in agreement with the photoformation of new compounds. For macrocyclic compounds, photomodification appears when the rupture of the macrocycle doesn’t occur. While true photobleaching leads to the destruction of the tetrapyrrolic cycle and results in the formation of small products that do not absorb visible light. It appears that, where photomodification occurs, true photobleaching often occurs concomitantly and one also should notice that photomodification can be mistaken for photorelocalisation.
The photobleaching of tetraphenylchlorin series sensitisers have been extensively studied because of the large clinical potential of the m-THPC and also because of their important absorption in the red region of the visible spectrum. Bonnett et al. have made a comparative study of the photobleaching of this sensitiser series by absorption measurements (Bonnett et al., 1999). The authors demonstrated that in methanol-water solution m-THPC and m-THPBC underwent only true photobleaching and photomodification mainly occurs for m-THPP. The products formed after the irradiation of m-THPP methanol-water were hydroxylated m-THPP (mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-hydroxylated m-THPP) (Bonnett and Martinez, 2002) with mono-hydroxylated m-THPP being the major photoproduct (25%). While in pure methanol small photoproducts appeared such as maleimide and methyl-3-hydroxybenzoate, the mono-hydroxylated m-THPP was still photoproduced. A recent study (Lourette et al., 2005) regarding the photobleaching of m-THPP in ethanol-water (1/99, v/v) solution revealed that using a pulsed laser as light source, m-THPP undergoes phototransformation to a hydroxylated product and several covalent oligomeric structures as dimer, trimer, tetramer and pentamer of m-THPP.
Several studies on m-THPC photobleaching demonstrated a rapid true photobleaching of m-THPC, accompanied by a photoproduct formation at λabs = 320 nm when the photosensitiser was in a PBS solution supplemented with 2% fetal calf serum (FCS) (Angotti et al., 1999, 2001; Belitchenko et al., 1998). This result was confirmed by Hadjur et al. (Hadjur et al., 1998) who showed a large formation of a 320 nm absorbing product in a 10% FCS solution. In methanol or methanol-water solution it appears that m-THPC undergoes true photobleaching (Bonnett et al., 1999), since no photoproduct at 320 nm was detected. These three observations let us propose that the photoproduct formation correlates with the FCS concentration in the incubation solutions. Mass spectrometry studies were carried out to identify the spectroscopically invisible photoproducts (Angotti et al., 1999, 2001; Jones et al., 1996; Kasselouri et al., 1999). The photobleaching was performed on m-THPC methanol solution or water-methanol solution and the products obtained are presented in the fig. 4.2 and 4.3.
The major photoproducts observed were hydroxy- and di-hydroxy-m-THPC, hydroxy-m-THPP, still the position of the hydroxyl(s) group(s) is(are) not determined, these penta or hexahydroxylated chlorin have almost the same absorption peak than m-THPC (Jones et al., 1996; Kasselouri et al., 1999). Bonnett (Bonnett and Martinez, 2002) identified several products like a chlorin and four minor products coming from true photobleaching. They are dipyrrin derivative, succinimide, and the two afore mentioned products maleimide and methyl-3-hydroxybenzoate, which were also photoproducts from m-THPP.
Liposomes are spherical self-closed structures, composed of curved lipid bilayers, which enclose part of the surrounding solvent into their interior. The size of a liposome ranges from some 20 nm up to several micrometers and they may be composed of one or several concentric membranes, each with a thickness of about 4 nm. Liposomes possess unique properties owing to the amphiphilic character of the lipids, which make them suitable for drug delivery.

Amphiphilic lipids

Amphiphilic lipids, used for liposome preparation, consist of hydrophilic polar headgroup and hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains. This means that a polar environment, such as water solutions, promote the spontaneous aggregation of such molecules and the formation of a variety of microstructures (Tanford, 1991).

Table of contents :

III.1 Pathways of molecular excitation and deactivation
III.2 Mechanism of photosensitized reactions
III.3 Type I photosensitization processes
III.4 Type II photosensitization processes
III.5 Photosensitisers
III.5 5,10,15,20-meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin
IV.1 Photobleaching mechanisms
IV.2 Parameters affecting photobleaching. Aggregation state, pH, ionic strength and oxygen concentration
IV.3 Photoproducts formation
V.1 Amphiphilic lipids
V.2 Lipid bilayers
V.3 Steric stabilization
VI.1 Liposomes for drug delivery
VI.2 Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of liposomes and liposomal drugs
VI.3 Accumulation of liposomal drugs in tumors
VI.4 Stability in plasma and storage
VI.5 Bioavailability of encapsulated drug
VI.6 Partitioning of lipophilic and amphiphatic drugs into liposomes
VII.1 Liposomal photosensitizing agents
VII.2 Photophysical properties of liposomal photosensitizing agents
VII.3 Pharmacokinetic of liposomal photosensitizing agents
VII.4 Liposomal formulations of meta(tetrahydroxyphenyl)chlorin
IX.1 Unusual photoinduced response of mTHPC liposomal formulation (Foslip)
IX.2 Study of meso-tetra(hydroxyphenil)chlorin (mTHPC) redistribution from lipid vesicles to biological substrates
IX.3 Photodynamic therapy with intratumoral administration of lipid-based mTHPC in a model of breast cancer recurrence

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