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cielrouge · 3 years

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YA SFF Books by Latinx Authors

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry: Spending the summer with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico, 17-year-old Lucas turns to a legendary cursed girl filled with poison when his girlfriend mysteriously disappears.

All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry: Working in the maguey fields of the Southwest, Sarah Jac and James are in love but forced to start over on a ranch that is possibly cursed where the delicate balance in their relationship begins to give way.

Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria: In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in power by virtue of the prophecies of the elder seers. In the present day, Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels, is determined to fight back against the high council. But by the time Cassa and her friends uncover the mystery of the final infallible prophecy, it may be too late to save the city — or themselves.

Blanca & Roja by Anne-Marie McLemore: The del Cisne girls, Blanca & Roja, have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals. Because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans’ spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them.

Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz: 17-year-old Lana Torres, who after rescuing a prized dragon, is awarded a spot on her native Puerto Rico’s Blazewrath World Cup team. But the return of the Sire, an ancient dragon, soon threatens to compromise this year’s tournament.

They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera: Set in a near-future New York City where a service alerts people on the day they will die, about two teens who meet using the Last Friend app and are faced with the challenge of living a lifetime on their End Day.

The Body Market (Wired #2) by Donna Freitas: When Skylar's sister betrays her and opens the Body Market, everyone in the App World is for sale and Skylar resolves to stop her sister and the malevolent market.

Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Cordova: Teenage bruja Lula Mortiz tries to save her boyfriend, Maks, by cheating Death; however, Lady de la Muerte is not so easily bested.

The Buried by Melissa Grey: After disaster strikes the remote town of Indigo Falls. A horrific event drove the residents underground, into shelters that keep them safe from the danger on the surface. Now, a handful of families inhabit this bunker together, guided by a charismatic leader named Dr. Imogen Moran.

Cazadora (Wolves of No World #2) by Romina Garber: In this follow-up to Lobizona, Manu and her friends as they continue to fight for a better future.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: Latinx trans teen Yadriel, hoping to release his cousin’s spirit and prove himself as a brujo, accidentally summons the wrong ghost and resident bad boy Julian Diaz, falling in love with him.

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore: Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family. Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil.

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera: 16-year-old Nalah leads the fiercest all-girl crew in Mega City, but when she sets her sights on giving this life up for a prestigious home in Mega Towers, she must decide if she’s willing to do the unspeakable to get what she wants.

Diamond City by Francesca Flores: Pulled from the streets at age twelve and trained to become one of the most powerful assassins in Sumerand, Aina Solis discovers a conspiracy that could rewrite the kingdom's history.

Dragonblood Ring (Blazewrath Games #2) by Amparo Ortiz: After the Sire’s capture, teen athletes Lana Torres and Victoria Peralta travel to Puerto Rico with their former Blazewrath team. While Lana discovers her roots, nothing fills the void Blazewrath’s cancelation has left in Victoria. But it’s up to their team and the Bureau to protect their dragons.

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro: Xochital is destined to wander the desert alone. Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit. One night, Xo’s wish is granted—in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town’s murderous mayor. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match… if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria: A contemporary fantasy about two sisters, Dani and Eden Rivera, who were raised to be fierce dragon slayers but end up on opposite sides of the impending war when one sister forms an unlikely, magical bond with a dragon.

The First 7 (The Last 8 #2) by Laura Pohl: After leaving Earth, now devastated by an alien attack, and exploring the galaxy, Clover Martinez and her fellow teen survivors return home to find crystal formations in the soil that are threatening to destroy the planet, and a colony of survivors who are not who they seem.

Five Midnights by Ann Davila Cardinal: If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends.

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante: To have her family’s asylum request accepted, 17-year-old Marisol participates in a risky experiment to become a grief keeper, taking another’s grief into her own body to save a life.

The Healer by Donna Freitas: Manifesting astonishing healing powers that cause some people to consider her a saint, Marlena Oliveria struggles with edicts that prevent her from attending school, having friends and falling in love when she meets a boy who makes her question what she is willing to sacrifice.

Hollywood Witch Hunter by Valerie Tejeda: When a coven bent on retaining their youth must sacrifice the beautiful, and rich women of Southern California, a society of witch hunters will try to protect humans from a great evil uprising.

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova: As Renata Convida grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the entire fate of the kingdom–and end a costly war.

Illusionary (Hollow Crown #2) by Zoraida Córdova: Reeling from betrayal, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she reluctantly joins forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy.

Infinity Son by Adam Silvera: In the Bronx, two brothers, Emil and Brighton, get caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2) by Adam Silvera: Emil and Brighton Rey defied the odds. When Brighton drank the Reaper’s Blood, he believed it would make him invincible, but instead the potion is killing him. In Emil’s race to find an antidote that will not only save his brother but also rid him of his own unwanted phoenix powers, he will have to dig deep into his past lives.

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria: In 1919 Boston, best friends Corinne and Ada perform illegally as illusionists in an infamous gangster's nightclub, using their "afflicted" blood to con Boston's elite, until the law closes in.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova: Alex is a bruja and the most powerful witch in her family. . When a curse she performs to rid herself of magic backfires and her family vanishes, she must travel to Los Lagos to get her family back.

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl: After an alien attack devastates the Earth, pilot and future astronaut Clover Martinez bands with seven other teens to survive.

Lobizona by Romina Garber: As Manuela Azul uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal… .it’s her entire existence.

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas: When children start to go missing in the local woods, eighteen-year-old Wendy Darling must face her fears and a past she cannot remember to rescue them in this novel based on Peter Pan.

The Mind Virus (Wired #3) by Donna Freitas: Skylar Cruz has managed to shut down the body market that her sister Jude opened, and to create a door to allow App World citizens reentry into the Real World. But as tensions between the newly mingling people escalate, she s not sure if it was the right decision after all. Still reeling from Kit’s betrayal, she s not sure of anything anymore.

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore: Two friends, Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla, one made of stardust and one fighting to save her family’s diner, take on their small town’s 50th annual pageant in the hopes that they can change their town’s destiny, and their own.

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore: Graciela Cristales meets Lock, a boy who was sexually assaulted at the same party as her, and they find their fates unexpectedly intertwined during a month of vanishing trees, enchanted pan dulce, and inherited magic.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera: After enduring his father's suicide, his own suicide attempt, broken friendships, and more in the Bronx projects, Aaron Soto, sixteen, is already considering the Leteo Institute's memory-alteration procedure when his new friendship with Thomas turns to unrequited love.

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera: An Afro-Latinx retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in the Bronx. Pheus is a bachata-singing dreamer who falls in love with Eury, a girl who lost everything in Hurricane Maria and is haunted by the trauma—and by an evil spirit.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne: In the Latinx-inspired kingdom of Castallan, face-changing thief Finn Voy and grief-stricken Prince Alfehr must race to vanquish a dark magic they have unleashed.

Oculta (A Forgery of Magic #2) by Maya Motayne: After joining forces to save Castallan from an ancient magical evil, Alfie and Finn reunite once again to preserve Castallan’s hopes for peace with Englass. But will they be able to stop sinister foes before a new war threatens their kingdom?

Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda: Tuck Durante, a shipraider, and Lana Gray, a curator, must work together to try to rescue a space capsule hijacked by nightmarish creatures who kill with a scream.

Rated by Melissa Grey: For the students at the prestigious Maplethorpe Academy, every single thing they do is reflected in their Ratings System. But when an act of vandalism sullies the front doors of the school, it sets off a chain reaction that will shake the lives of six special students – and the world beyond.

Sanctuary by Abby Sher & Paola Mendoza: In a near future dystopian America set 2030, 16-year-old Vail and her brother must escape a xenophobic government to find sanctuary in California.

The Savage Dawn (Girl at Midnight #3) by Melissa Grey: A darkness has entered the world and the Dragon Prince is wreaking havoc wherever she goes. With the war upon her, Echo must use every bit of her firebird powers or risk losing those she holds dear.

Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda & Valynne E. Maetani: A contemporary fantasy set in Japan, about Shinto temple priestess Kira Fujikawa, who must seek the aid of seven demons in order to protect her village and the world from an ancient evil.

Shadow City (The City of Diamond and Steel #2) by Francesa Flores: Aina Solís has fought her way to the top of criminal ranks in the city of Kosín by wresting control of an assassin empire owned by her old boss, Kohl. But Kohl will do anything to get his empire back.

The Shadow Hour (The Girl at Midnight #2) by Melissa Grey: With the firebird awakened, the war has become even more dangerous for Echo and her friends. There is a darkness spreading too and staying in hiding might not be enough to keep them alive.

Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older: When her summer plans are interrupted by supernatural phenomena, Puerto Rican teen Sierra Santiago finds herself in a battle with the killer targeting her family of shadowshapers who believes she is hiding their greatest secret.

Shadowhouse Fall (Shadowshaper #2) by Daniel Jose Older: While working on her shadowshaping skills, Sierra Santiago is beginning to think she may need all the skill she can summon because it seems that when she channeled hundreds of spirits through herself in order to defeat Wick, she woke up something very powerful and very unfriendly and put her family and friends at risk.

Shadowshaper Legacy (Shadowshaper #3) by Daniel Jose Older: Sierra Santiago and the shadowshapers have been split apart, but a war is brewing among the houses. As old fates tangle with new powers, Sierra will have to harness the Deck of Worlds and confront her family’s past if she has any hope of saving the future and everyone she loves.

Shutter by Courtney Alameda: When a routine assignment goes awry, 17-year-old ghost hunter Micheline Helsing is infected with a curse and on the run, pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, with only seven days to exorcise the entity or be destroyed body and soul.

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland: A Mexican American teenage girl discovers profound connections between immigration, folklore, and alien life, when a spacecraft crashes in front of her car…and it’s carrying her long-lost mom, who’s very much alive.

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry: Loosely inspired by the story of King Lear and his daughters, set in San Antonio, Texas, following the Torres sisters, struggling to escape their tyrannical father’s claustrophobic world while dealing with the loss of their eldest sister, whose troubling death continues to haunt—perhaps even literally—the loved ones left behind.

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson: While investigating the supposed suicides of her best friend, Riley, and mean girls June and Dayton, 16-year-old Wiccan Mila Flores accidentally brings them back to life.

Unplugged by Donna Freitas: When she moves from the Virtual World to the Real one, Skylar Cruz discovers that her body is both exquisite and valuable -- a dangerous combination in a place where bodies are sought after in sinister ways.

Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Brujas #3) by Zoraida Cordova: Rose Mortiz begins to discover the scope of her powers, the troubling truth about her father’s past, and the sacrifices he made to save her sisters. But if Rose wants to return home so she can repair her broken family, she must figure out how to heal the land of Adas, a fairy realm hidden in the Caribbean Sea, first.

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore: Although Lace Paloma knows all about the feud between the Palomas and the Corbeaus, she finds herself falling for Cluck Corbeau when he saves her life while both families are performing in the same town.

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia: When she is asked to spy for a resistance group working to bring equality to Medio, Daniela Vargas, a student at the Medio School for Girls, questions everything she's worked for.

We Unleash the Merciless Storm (We Set the Dark on Fire #2) by Tehlor Kay Mejia: La Voz operative Carmen Santos is forced to choose between the girl she loves, Dani, and the success of the rebellion she’s devoted her life to.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: As odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel's skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they're willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore: A novel of magical realism, the Nomeolvides women have tended the lust estate grounds of La Pradera which they’ve grown for generations, until the reemergence of a family curse starts to makes the men they love disappear, again.

#authors of color #latinx authors #booklr #book recs #book recommendations #yalit

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barkley-col-blog · 5 years

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Earthstar fanfic chap 1

I’ll post a possible start to Earthstar Book One, Passage, in a few pieces. I only know of books three and four, but this starts with Ariat before he starts traveling and shows up in Soucy’s Book One, segments. Hope you like it - let me know if you know the Earthstar series or remember other characters.

Ariat was hauling potatoes... again. Every day for the past several weeks, Ariat had risen before the false dawn to join the poorer half of the village in the roots and greens harvest. His father, Artas, told him it was, “Good for a lad to get some work under his belt.” Ariat suspected work was one of the only things his father couldn’t fit under his belt, which sat well up over the crest of his stomach. The real reason Ariat was hauling potatoes in a wheelbarrow from the fields to the underground storage was that his father was up for re-election in four months and needed someone, other than himself, to ingratiate him to the farmers. Ariat had tried not to reveal that he was Artas’ son and he worked hard; most of those he worked with had forgiven him for being the son of a politician. Farmers never got much attention from the town council but they paid the king’s taxes and they voted. It all meant very little to Ariat except that he was sweating and sore while his father slept through the false dawn of the Mezostar and then the true dawn of Earthstar that followed. Every morning too, it meant that the volunteer guards of the root storage got to hassle Ariat.

He approached on his first trip in the dark, guided only by habit, the ruts between the planting rows and the torches that burned on either side of the hill’s small entrance.

“Who goes there?” Orville called, half-kidding.

“Your wife and your mistress, and we are both pissed!” Ariat called back.

“Ah, it’s Ari,” he heard Kemp say as they took shape in the gloom.

“Why do you bother to ask, Orville? If I were a criminal I would sneak up or lie. What would you do if you called out ‘Who goes there’ and heard in response, ‘The Black Bear’ or, ‘Wretched Richard’?”

“Well, I’d be sure glad I asked, Ari, so I could get myself good and locked behind this door and start my long dark potato feast.”

Ari had to laugh at that, even though it was probably true. There had always been two guards at the root storage for as long as anyone could remember. But no one could remember anyone stealing a potato crop. First of all, the argument went, it would take days to accomplish and then the thieves would have to spend the rest of the year at markets haggling with old women who complain about the dirt, or the sprouts, or the colors, or hardness or softness.

As Orville himself had pointed out, “You would have to be as dumb as a farmer to steal vegetables.” Orville was a farmer. Kemp was a miller who, like all the common men, did his duty a few times per year and stood post at the root storage. Unlike Orville, who viewed his time standing post as a sort or vacation, Kemp was agitated and easily distracted, wishing he could be back at the mill glowering over the catwalk at his three apprentices who, according to him, were not worth one bag of flour altogether.

Ari noticed Orvilles’s sword hilt jiggling as he turned to unlock the cellar for the day.

“Orville, is that even a sword?”

“I think he’s got a pot handle in his belt,” laughed Kemp.

“It’s a sword,” Orville said light-heartedly. “It was anyway.” He pulled on the hilt to reveal just that, a hilt with a short wooden peg to keep it in its rough leather sheath. He could see the embarrassment on Ariat’s face. Embarrassment for their whole backwater village actually named Backwater because it sat at the northernmost point of the Powder River flood plains. Backwater only received good spring soakings every three to five years, unlike the more fertile but volatile lands to the south and east. “Ha! Don’t look so defeated, Ari. I’m defending the crop with this here sword. Where do you think I got the copper to patch your little wheelbarrow there? I bet you didn’t even notice, just thought that tools fix themselves.”

“Well - ”

“Nothing to do with rust but snip it and patch it. As you can see, I’m fresh out of swords so don’t leave that thing on its wheels again overnight, you hear? Turn it over so it don’t collect rain.”

Now Ari was embarrassed at himself. Orville continued to harangue him as he walked behind with a torch down the slight slop into the hill. Ari didn’t need the light anymore, he could walk the hundred feet down, first left, through the empty dugouts, and duck through the second right to a cavern of nothing but potato heaps. The farmers of Backwater supplied root vegetables for a quarter of Coran. Throughout the year, different farmers were appointed to take to haul the community crop out to the north, south, east and west markets and return with fruits, meats and some small sum of money for the farmers’ work. At least once a year, a council would be called to argue that Tom Tem or Junior Widdings had cheated the village on the last trip. The councils never concluded anything. If someone were to take money, the only place to spend it would be at the alehouse, and that would be noticed. Most everyone worked fairly either from honesty, fear of reprisal, or not having use for the money other than ale and taxes. One year, Marcus Bohenus had purchased grapes for the whole village. Riding home on the cart he had eaten one after another until there was nothing left to do but eat them all and tell his fellow farmers there were none at market to be had. Half the town stood over him that night while he turned bright green, sweated through his clothes and vomited off of the cart. As soon as his diarrhea stopped, his punishment was to get back in the wagon and travel to all markets for a month.

Some farmers brought their children with them and these Ari would corner later to quiz about towns and cities. Had they seen knights? Had they seen proper ladies? What exotic beasts were for sale. The answers were uniformly disappointing.

“It’s not that kind of market, Ari,” they would say. “We buy food, sell vegetables. That’s it. The people are like us.”

“Just uglier,” the girls would add. At twelve, Ari was old enough to have their attention. He tried always to be proper and polite as his mother had taught him, but he wasn’t interested in anything that Backwater had to offer. He pestered his father to let him go to market but his father balked at the notion of him “riding in a turnip-cart! You’re a politician’s son, that’s below you.” Yet here he was, surrounded by potatoes, below the largest hill in Backwater dumping loads of vegetables. Apparently, before election season farm work became “Good for a boy your age. Put some meat on those bones” as Artas would unconsciously rub the sides of his stomach. Ariat’s mother, Riad, would continue looking out the East facing window as she nearly always did whether she was working the kitchen or garden, sewing or teaching Ariat to read in the den. It made sense to Ari, there wasn’t much to look at except for what was out the window. But it seemed strange in nights when they would be sitting with a fire and Ari would see her looking to the dark East-facing window with nothing to see there.

He continued his course out to the pickers and back again as the false dawn flowed softly to the horizon’s edge and ebbed away again, leaving the world dark for the brief period before the Earthstar began its daily traverse across the sky. It was more commonly referred to as “Our Star” to the commoners who had no use of astronomy other than knowing the cycles of the moon and that the sun came every day to help plants grow, even when rain didn’t.

Ari was tired and ready to go home. He knew though, that once he was in the village with his mother and father, he would still have that feeling of needing to go home. However, he never knew where on earth might feel like home.

#earthstar ariat bookone #eghall

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unfoldingpavilion2020 · 4 years

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Part II: The Island

by Unfolding Pavilion

In her testament, the Countess left all her possessions to the city of Venezia.

It took almost a decade for the slow paced Venetian bureaucrats to evaluate her bequest.

An uninhabitable viletta of 13 rooms on two floors, and four annex buildings, one of which illegally built without a permit, totallying 656 square meters. A library with 5.112 books. Few items of jewellery. No valuable furniture, antiquities or heritage objects. No records, documents or letters. An artificial island of just 7.176 square meters.

The State Property Office decided to put the island on the market at a reserve price of 1.2 million euros.

There was not much interest at the upcoming auction, except for some civic associations protesting in the local newspapers that the State is privatizing another piece of the lagoon, without a public project.

The only offer came by phone from a German real estate brokerage company and the hammer fell down at the asking price.

The German company, specialized in island sales and rental, island development and private island appraisals, re-sold the property in mid-1990s (at double the price) to an eccentric “collector” of such type of real estate (having bought from the same source two other islands - in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and in the Bahamas).

Except for repeated changes of ownership, not much has happened to the island.

A small fire was reported a few years ago, but it had already died down at the time the fire brigade came to intervene. Apparently, it burned the former tents in the deserted vegetable garden, probably because of some teenagers who landed the island to smoke mushrooms away from inquiring eyes.

Due to a very expensive divorce, the island collector put the property up for sale in 2007.

An Italian consortium of catholic businessmen, led by a powerful far-right politician, bought the island for 3.6 million euros.

They already had prepared an architectural project to develop the property into the hospitality sector. Only the main house, which is protected heritage, was to be restored, while all the annexes were set for demolition.

In 2012, the Council gave the go-ahead to the urbanistic variant that will allow the realization of a tourist facility with spa and restaurant (all within the confines of the restored villetta) to serve a glamping resort with 12 upper-class rental units scattered around the island.

In 2018 the consortium fell into bankruptcy as well - some whisper because of too many unpaid debts related to Marghera’s heroin market. Its estates were confiscated by the City Council and two years later the little island went into another bankruptcy auction, this time for half the price.

It is so that the island became property of a Sicilian developer already known for being the owner of a local soccer team. His construction company is set to develop the approved glamping concept.

One very famous American actress already reserved two “platinum” tents for the opening week of the next year’s Mostra del Cinema.

The demolishing works were set to begin in early 2020, but the recent health crises temporarily halted the construction works.

In the spring of 2020, Giovanni and Marialuisa, two architecture students from the IUAV, who fund their spare-time journalistic ambitions by conducting building measurements for a local demolishing company, were intrigued by the weird looking postmodernist annex they were sent to survey on the island.

It vaguely resembled an old speculative project they remembered to have stumbled upon on the web.

It took them countless hours and a lot of luck to find that post on the @canadiancentreforarchitecture Instagram account, but the effort was worthy: it was without a doubt that the building they just investigated was a project by John Hejduk no one in the whole world knew it was actually built!

While confined in their homes during the lock-down, they took the time to further research the recent history of that little island and of its unknown architectural jewel.

It wasn’t easy to assemble the bits.

Apparently, Hejduk reused the architectural concept that he originally created for the Contessa: he developed for it a new narrative and published it years later under the name “The House for the Inhabitant who Refused to Participate”.

Curiously, Hejduk’s paper project was even exhibited in Venezia for a symposium at the IUAV, around the time when the building based on his initial design was stealthily erected on Contessa’s island!

When contacted by the inquiring students, two scholars specialized in Hejduk’s oeuvre confirmed that there is no archival evidence to suggest that Hejduk had any idea that his lost design was actually built.

Some traces of the Countess’s annex can in fact be identified in Hejduk’s notebooks. Without any indication of name, date and location, they were prior believed to be just drawing exercises in the endless series of “wall houses” that the architect kept sketching throughout his career.

The two students posted their findings on a Facebook group for lovers of forgotten architectures and, despite their story being dismissed as a prank by some arrogant know-it-alls from the Italian academic circles, it sparked the interest of others, including us.

We got in touch with the current owners of the building, asking for permission to visit their property together with a professional photographer.

It could have made a killer publishing material!

The PR department of the construction company smelled the dangers and the opportunities associated with our request.

They denied our request for any kind of photo-video recordings shot on location and, more than that, they even sent a cease & desist letter to the two students, asking them to remove all the online traces of their research.

The construction company was obviously afraid that a buzz generated in the architectural circles could stir things up and, perhaps, even lead to the revocation of their demolition permit.

At the same time, they sensed the chance for some quality unrequested publicity - they granted us permission to land the island on a very narrow timeslot and even offered us funding for a one-week residency on the island for 12 international architects of our choice.

On two conditions: the contract unequivocally stated that, one, everything must be kept top secret prior to the effective demolition of the building, and, two, the outcomes of the residency must be exhibited during the next Venice Architecture Biennale.

The demolition of Hejduk’s wall house started on November 21st, 2020 and was completed by early-December.

On December 2020 the online exhibition www.ritualsofsolitude.com documented the artworks made by the twelve international architects during their one-week residency in Contessa's abandoned house. They were its first and last residents, and their works, created in complete solitude while locked inside the 12 rooms of the house, are the only proof left of the incredible and sad tale of the lonely Contessa and her destroyed wall house.

Now, on Saturday May 22nd 2021, the third Unfolding Pavilion opens up to the public, unveiling the 12 artworks inside the belly of the cargo boat that, perhaps for the last time?, will sail the tides of time and memory, traveling once again to the island where once stood the House for the Inhabitant who Refused to Participate.

Illustrations: 1. Giovanni Benedetti, “The House of Contessa Luisa Albertina di Tesserata”, digital print on photographic paper, framed, 45 x 45 cm. © Unfolding Pavilion >

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thestoryreadingape · 4 years

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‘Stay-At-Home’ Sale for ‘The Council Of Twelve’ Series Ebooks – Until May 31, 2020

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brettzjacksonblog · 5 years

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Here’s How XRP Could Derail Ripple’s IPO Plans

The crypto industry was surprised to hear reports that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is considering taking the fintech company public in the near future, with many analysts speculating as to how this couple impact XRP. The news regarding their intent to eventually conduct an Initial Public Offering (IPO) isn’t too shocking while considering their recent $200m Series-C funding round, but it is being viewed by investors as a bearish thing for XRP. It is important to note, however, that XRP’s close ties to the company may actually be the sole thing that stops Ripple from listing on the public markets, due to the lack of clarity on the token’s potential status as a security. Ripple Muses Possibility of an IPO as Investors Cry Foul During a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse told the Wall Street Journal that Ripple will be on the “leading side” of blockchain companies that go public. “In the next 12 months, you’ll see IPOs in the crypto/blockchain space. We’re not going to be the first and we’re not going to be the last, but I expect us to be on the leading side… it’s a natural evolution for our company,” he noted, as quoted by Asheesh Birla, Ripple’s SVP of Product. The problem with Ripple going public – in the eyes of XRP investors – is that the stream of funding and liquidity garnered through a public listing would no longer make it of critical importance that the company builds utility around the XRP ecosystem. This is because the company would no longer be semi-reliant on the stream of income they receive from their quarterly token sales. Will XRP Be the Sole Factor That Stops the Company from Going Public? Jake Chervinsky, General Council at Compound Finance and an ex-litigator, spoke about the possibility that the lack of clarity surrounding XRP’s status as a securities product will stop the company from actually moving forward with an IPO. “‘We might IPO in twelve months’ is something you might say to reassure your Series C investors, but not something you actually do when your book value derives largely from a digital asset that could be an unregistered security,” he explained in a recent tweet. "We might IPO in twelve months" is something you might say to reassure your Series C investors, but not something you actually do when your book value derives largely from a digital asset that could be an unregistered security. — Jake Chervinsky (@jchervinsky) January 25, 2020 Although there is no foreseeable timeline for when the regulatory situation surrounding XRP will grow clearer, it is highly probable that Ripple will need to continue deriving income from their quarterly sales in the near-term, thus making it imperative that they continue generating utility for XRP. Featured image from Shutterstock. The post appeared first on NewsBTC. from CryptoCracken SMFeed https://ift.tt/2TYFG5B via IFTTT

#IFTTT #CryptoCracken SMFeed

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joshuajacksonlyblog · 5 years

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Here’s How XRP Could Derail Ripple’s IPO Plans

#IFTTT #Cryptocracken Tumblr

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michaelbennettcrypto · 5 years

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Here’s How XRP Could Derail Ripple’s IPO Plans

#IFTTT #Cryptocracken WP

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septembersung · 7 years

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Being familiar with his Introduction to the Devout Life, I think of him more as a devotional writer than an apologist, but his Catholic Controversy is just fantastic. The book is a series of apologetical tracts which De Sales, as Bishop of Calvinist Geneva, wrote. Catholicism, at the time, was illegal, yet through Catholic Controversy and other methods, St. Francis De Sales managed to convert something like 72,000 Calvinists back to Catholicism. The tract I found most persuasive was called “The Protestant Violation of Holy Scripture,” and I find that it just turns the sola Scriptura critiques right around. St. Francis goes through three chapters showing first, that Scripture is a true rule of Faith; second, that we should guard Scripture jealously; and third, that Scripture includes the Deuterocanon, as defined by the ecumenical Councils of Trent and Florence, and which had previously been established at the Council of Carthage well over a thousand years before the Reformation. Having affirmed the very thing which Catholics are alleged to deny (that Scripture is a rule of Faith which should be jealously guarded in all of Her parts), St. Francis turns the tables onto the Reformers, asking in Chapter 4, “Such are the sacred and canonical books which the Church has unanimously received and acknowledged during twelve hundred years. And by what authority have these new reformers dared to wipe out at one stroke so many noble parts of the Bible? They have erased a part of Esther, and Baruch, Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Machabees. Who has told them that these books are not legitimate, and not to be received? Why do they thus dismember the sacred body of the Scriptures?” He spends chapter 4 answering back (easily) all of the usual oppositions to the Deuterocanon, showing that arguments like “these are Greek books, not Hebrew” aren’t even true of all of the books (since books like First Maccabees were written in Hebrew). By the end of the chapter, it’s clear that most of the anti-Deuterocanonical arguments are pretextual.

St. Francis de Sales on Sola Scriptura

#st. francis de sales #st. francis de sales on sola scriptura #sola scriptura #catholic #protestant #calvinism #scripture #deuterocanon #apocrypha #joe heschmeyer

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authorajalexander · 1 year

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The Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale - ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT!

The 15th Annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter sale starts on July 1 and runs through July 31 Get your copy of your favorite ‘The Council Of Twelve’ series book between July 1 and 31 ON SALE! CLICK…

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#A. J. Alexander #A. J. Alexander books #Books #BOOKS ON SALE #July Summer/Winter Sale #ON SALE #reading #Smashwords #Smashwords Sale #The Council Of Twelve Series #The Council of Twelve Series ON SALE

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architectnews · 3 years

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Basil Spence Architect, Scotland

Basil Spence, Architect, Scotland, Photos, Designs, Architecture, Furniture, Car, Images

Basil Spence Architect

20th Century Buildings – Scottish Architecture Practice: Lancia Flavia + Furniture News

4 June 2021

Sir Basil Spence Housing in Edinburgh

Conservation and energy efficiency work on the Canongate

photo © Historic Environment Scotland (Sir Basil Spence archive)

Local Edinburgh residents living in the Canongate area of the Old Town will benefit from a range of conservation and energy efficiency improvements that are on track to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by over 50%. Led by Edinburgh World Heritage, in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, the recently finished work to a block of post-war tenements was funded by the SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund and the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland programme.

Whilst supporting Edinburgh’s goal to become a net zero emissions city by 2030, and contributing to the Scottish Government’s ambitious plans to meet climate change targets by 2045, this project will also improve living conditions within the 12 flats and 2 commercial units.

Canongate Housing Development

21 August 2017

Sir Basil Spence Car

Sir Basil Spence’s 1963 Lancia Flavia for auction at Salon Privé

• Celebrated architect Sir Basil Spence’s 1963 Lancia Flavia Vignale Convertible for auction. • One of just 40 right-hand drive, UK examples made and recently restored to its original appearance. • To be offered at auction at Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace on 2nd September 2017 with an estimate of £35,000 – £45,000.

photos courtesy of auctioneers

21st August 2017 – A 1963 Lancia Flavia Vignale Convertible first owned by celebrated architect Sir Basil Spence will be offered for sale by Silverstone Auctions at the prestigious Salon Privé Sale at Blenheim Palace on 2nd September.

One of Britain’s most distinguished modern architects of the post war era, and most notably associated with Coventry cathedral, Sir Basil Spence is also known to have been a car enthusiast and purchased the Lancia Flavia Vignale in April 1963.

As one of approximately 40 right-hand drive, UK examples, the car was priced at £2,350, which was a considerable sum at the time. It is believed he bought the car as an appropriate gesture whilst he was working on his design for the British Embassy in Rome.

Finished in Newmarket Grey, at the time the car wore Spence’s private number plate, BS 1066 (sadly not included in the sale), which was apparently the architect’s typically patriotic response to General De Gaulle’s block on allowing Britain into the EEC.

However, it is believed that difficulties with the Italian planning authorities caused Sir Basil to dispose of the Lancia ‘in protest’ and replace it with a Jaguar, although exactly when is not clear.

Now for sale with Warwickshire-based specialist auction house, Silverstone Auctions, the car has recently benefited from a full bare-metal respray carried out by Custom Motor Bodies of Birmingham, and returned its original hue of Newmarket Grey. It is expected to sell for £35,000 to £45,000 when it goes to auction in September.

“This little Flavia presents beautifully and must be one of the finest examples of these underrated sixties Lancias currently available,” explains Will Smith, sales manager, Silverstone Auctions. “Sir Basil Spence’s ownership adds to the car’s unique past and will appeal to admirers of his work as an extremely successful and world-recognised architect.”

British Embassy in Rome by Basil Spence photo © Adrian Welch

The Flavia comes with a restored and repainted factory hardtop, Biscuit leather interior with matching Wilton carpets, handsome wood rimmed steering wheel and original Motorola push button radio.

“It’s a refined and practical four seater with a large boot, thoroughbred road manners, traditional Lancia quality and an exotic presence which is normally associated with much more highly strung and expensive Italian sports cars. With prices of Aurelia and Flaminia models now so strong, it’s hard to see why the Flavia Convertible won’t be heading the same way in the near future,” concludes Will.

The car is accompanied by an extensive history file including the original Lancia Guarantee in Spence’s name (with his Canonbury Place, London N1 address) as well as more recent correspondence with the current Spence family. Also in the history file are a number of older MoT Certificates going back to the late seventies, which appear to support the recorded mileage of 51,604 miles.

To find out more about the 1963 Lancia Flavia Vignale Convertible and Silverstone Auctions’ Salon Privé Sale, please visit https://ift.tt/3piNME1.

Silverstone Auctions – https://ift.tt/1Ah7SOK ; Online Bidder Registration (Proxibid) – www.proxibid.com

31 Jul 2017 Coventry Cathedral Building One of Twelve Recipients of Getty Foundation’s Keeping It Modern Grants Coventry Cathedral, England, UK 1951-62 photo © David Jamieson Coventry Cathedral Building The Getty Foundation announced $1.66 million in architectural conservation grants dedicated to twelve significant 20th century buildings as part of its Keeping It Modern initiative.

22 + 21 April 2017 Sir Basil Spence Furniture News

National Museums Scotland Acquires Rare Example of Sir Basil Spence Furniture

National Museums Scotland has acquired a rare example of furniture designed by Sir Basil Spence – one of the leading British architects of the 20th century – and manufactured by Glasgow firm H. Morris and Company around 1949.

Senior Curator Stephen Jackson with the Allegro sideboard: photo © Stewart Attwood

The modernist Allegro dining suite comprises a table, sideboard and six chairs, and will go on display from today in the Design for Living gallery at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The acquisition has been made possible by generous funding from Art Fund. A landmark in post-war British furniture design, fewer than ten of the suites were made due to the substantial cost of the manufacturing process.

In 1949, the Allegro dining suite was exhibited at Glasgow Today and Tomorrow at Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall and was awarded a diploma by the Council of Industrial Design. An example of the armchair was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York for their collection.

The manufacture of the Allegro suite took inspiration from wartime innovation, specifically techniques of laminating and shaping wood to make strong and light helicopter blades. These blades were supplied by Morris of Glasgow which applied the same technology to furniture after the war. More than 100 layers of wood were bonded together before being shaped and carved.

Chair from an Allegro dining suite, designed by Basil Spence for H. Morris & Co, Glasgow, 1949: photo © National Museums Scotland

Stephen Jackson, Senior Curator, European Decorative Arts at National Museums Scotland said:

“The Allegro dining suite is an exceptionally rare and iconic set of furniture. Its significance lies in Spence’s wonderfully well-conceived design, which is something of a poem to plywood, striving to expose and express the material at every opportunity. The techniques used to manufacture it were ground-breaking at the time. I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to add it to our nationally significant furniture collection thanks to the generous support of Art Fund.”

Sir Basil Spence was one of Scotland’s most recognised architects, responsible for the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral, Hyde Park Cavalry Barracks, Glasgow Airport and the British Embassy in Rome. Spence co-ordinated several exhibitions including Enterprise Scotland at the then Royal Museum in Edinburgh in 1947 and made a major contribution to the Festival of Britain in 1951.

H. Morris and Company was established in 1914 and specialised in fitting out hotels, cinemas and Clyde-built ships. During the 1930s they became innovators in timber lamination technology and design.

National Museums Scotland acquires rare example of Sir Basil Spence furniture information received from NMS 20 April 2017

Basil Spence – Key Projects

Sir Basil (Urwin) Spence born 13.08.07 in Bombay, India; died 19.11.76 in Stowmarket, England

Basil Spence : British Embassy Rome, Italy photo © Adrian Welch

Touring Exhibition – Back to the Future 22 Feb – 8 Apr 2008 RIBA London

Basil Spence – Major Buildings

British Embassy, Rome, Italy 1971 Beehive, Wellington, New Zealand 1970-80 Queen Elizabeth Square Housing, Glasgow, Scotland 1960-65 University of Sussex, Student Accommodation, Brighton, England 1960 Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, England 1951-62 Ministry of Justice, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 1984 for Ministry of Public Works – as Sir Basil Spence Partnership Erasmus Building, Queens College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge 1959-60 Home Office, St James Park, London, 1976

Key Scottish building by Basil Spence : Queen Elizabeth Square Glasgow

Although born in India, Basil Spence was educated and spent much of his working life in Edinburgh (his father was Scottish).

Before sttting up his own practice Basil Spence worked for Sir William Kininmonth (1904-88) at the practice of Rowand Anderson & Paul.

Coventry Cathedral, England, is generally regarded as being Basil Spence’s most famous work.

EDINBURGH 79-121 Canongate 1966-68 Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson photo © Adrian Welch Basil Spence housing : Canongate Flats

Edinburgh University Library, University campus – George Square 1965-67 Sir Basil Spence + Glover & Ferguson photo © Adrian Welch Basil Spence library

Lismhor, No. 11 Easter Belmont Rd 1933/35 Kininmonth & Spence photo © Adrian Welch In a series of 1930’s modern houses on this private road Basil Spence house : Lismhor House

Scottish Widows Building, St Andrew Square photo © AW St Andrew Square building

St Andrew’s Church, Clermiston View 1959 (Sir) Basil Spence & Partners photo © AJW Landmark campanile adrift in suburbia.

Mortonhall Crematorium, Howdenhall Road 1967 Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson Assortment of white Corbusian buildings in rolling parkland setting: the crystalline chapel’s interior feels Scandinavian. Basil Spence : Mortonhall Crematorium

Southside Garage 3,000 sqft apartment conversion from the ‘B’ Listed Basil Spence building refurbished by Duffy & Batt 2002-03. Basil Spence : Southside Garage

Kings’ Buildings – Animal Breeding Research Headquarters: Kings Buildings

Basil Spence House, Cramond This 1950s Edinburgh house designed by Basil Spence was demolished in Aug 2004 just days before a Historic Scotland inspector was due to visit with a view to awarding listed building status.

Conservationists were keen to see the two-storey house protected because it was designed by celebrated Edinburgh-based architect Sir Basil Spence. The City of Edinburgh Council gave permission for demolition of the modern house – deeming it a minor neo-vernacular work of Spence with major alterations – to make way for two new homes, with a planning application already submitted. The inspector from Historic Scotland reportedly only discovered the house in Whitehouse Road, Cramond, had been bulldozed less than an hour before his visit.

City of Edinburgh Council chose not to impose a building preservation notice on the Cramond house, which would have given Historic Scotland six months to decide whether to list it. City of Edinburgh Council head of planning is set to meet Historic Scotland to discuss the case and the “under-listing” of modern buildings in Edinburgh.

Housing, Broughton Place –

Great Michael Rise, Newhaven 1959 Basil Spence housing

EAST LOTHIAN Fisherman’s Housing, Dunbar 1950-51

GLASGOW Queen Elizabeth Square : Housing – C Flats, Hutchesontown, Gorbals Basil Spence with Robert Matthew 1960 – 1965/66, demolished 1993 Including the Queen Elizabeth Square Shopping Centre. Queen Elizabeth Square Glasgow – now being redeveloped as Crown Street housing project

The Department of Natural Philosophy Extension Faculty of Arts, University of Glasgow Department of Natural Philosophy Glasgow

STIRLING Gribloch, Kippen, Stirling 1938-39 Modern Basil Spence house in Scottish countryside

COVENTRY Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, England 1951-62

LONDON Knightsbridge Barracks, London 1970

CAMBRIDGE Erasmus Building, Friars Court, Queens College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge 1959-60 Initial designs in 1958 were for a five-storey building. The Erasmus Building became three-storey but remains controversial to this day as Cambridge’s ‘Backs’ – verdant green spaces along both sides of the River Cam – are not only picturesque but integral to most images of Cambridge, such as Kings College Chapel.

It was the first Modernist building on the Backs. After Le Corbusier the Erasmus Building sits on stilts and includes a pergola on the roof, and includes the slit windows so popular in the 1960’s.

Basil Spence, Architect

Basil Spence was born in Bombay but was sent back to Scotland to study. He attended George Watson’s College in Edinburgh, then the architecture school at Heriot-Watt University, before completing his architectural studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. Basil Spence’s started his career as an architecture assistant in the London office of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Basil Spence worked on designs for the Viceroy’s House in New Delhi, India and was heavily influenced by Lutyens. Spence then joined the London office of Rowand Anderson & Paul, where he worked with Sir William Kininmonth; Basil returned to Edinburgh in 1930. Spence served in the British Army from 1939-1945, reaching the rank of major.

During the war, Coventry’s Anglican Cathedral had been almost completely destroyed during German bombing. In 1944, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott submitted a design proposal to rebuild the cathedral but this was rejected by the Royal Fine Arts Commission. In 1950, a competition was launched to find the most suitable design for the Coventry Cathedral rebuilding from a British Commonwealth architect. Basil Spence’s radical design was selected from over 200 entries.

Work began on Coventry Cathedral in 1956 and the structure was completed in 1962. Spence was knighted in 1960 for his work at Coventry. Basil Spence served as Royal Institute of British Architects President 1958-1960.

From 1961 to 1968, Basil Spence was Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy, London. Sometimes compared with Robert Adam for his attention to detail, particularly in incorporating bespoke furniture and other elements into interior spaces, Spence died in 1976 in Eye, Suffolk and was buried at Thornham Parva, Suffolk.

Other Basil Spence Buildings

Sea and Ships Pavilions for Festival of Britain, 1951 Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre originally ‘Swiss Cottage Swimming Baths’, London, 1960 Spence House, near Beaulieu, Hampshire, designed 1961, for Spence’s own use and listed Grade II Sussex University: Various buildings in the 1960s including Falmer House, 1962, now a Grade I listed building Nuffield Theatre, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Hampshire 1964 Durham University buildings Glasgow Airport, 1966 Glasgow Infirmary – Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson 1981

Another Modern Architect based in the UK with buildings in Scotland is Peter Womersley

Basil Spence – Workshop

2-4 Nov 2005: encouraging people of all ages to learn more about the life and work of Sir Basil Spence:

Workshops Plan To Build On Architect’s Legacy Sir Basil Spence’s archive to become available to the public for the first time

Public workshops encouraging people of all ages to learn more about the life and work of Sir Basil Spence, one of Scotland’s most celebrated architects.

The first community workshop will take place at the Spence-designed Scottish Widows HQ in Edinburgh. This and the programme of workshops are designed not only to educate primary and secondary schoolchildren and community groups about Sir Basil Spence’s significant contribution to the profession, but also to address wider contemporary architectural challenges. The workshops form part of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, organised by The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and its partners The National Galleries of Scotland and The Lighthouse. The archive, held by RCAHMS, features almost 38,000 drawings, photographs and other documents detailing Spence’s long and distinguished career. The events will take place throughout the UK at a variety of sites designed by Spence, centred on venue-specific themes such as Travel, Worship and Education.

Basil Spence is most famously associated with his radical designs for the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral following its destruction by bombing during World War II, a project for which he received a knighthood in 1960. Renowned for his attention to detail, Spence was involved in a varied range of high-profile architectural projects, from Glasgow Airport, through Knightsbridge Barracks and the extension of the New Zealand Parliament buildings, to controversial designs for high-rise flats in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

The project has attracted over £1m in funding – £975k from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and £200k from the Scottish Executive. Over the next three years, RCAHMS will make an illustrated catalogue available through its online database and website. In addition, a major exhibition of the archive at the Dean Gallery and travelling showcase that will visit seven locations throughout the UK are planned, to coincide with Spence’s centenary in 2007.

Rebecca Bailey, Head of Education and Outreach at RCAHMS said: “The workshops present a great opportunity to focus people’s attention on the buildings they inhabit and to encourage them to unleash their creativity with the help of professional designers and film-makers. We look forward to the creation of architectural models of office buildings, documentary films on housing, and innovative artworks, all inspired by the legacy of Sir Basil Spence.

The workshops and their themes are: 2-4 Nov – Office Life, Scottish Widows HQ, Edinburgh Feb 2006 – Travel, Glasgow Airport Apr 2006 – New Design In Historic Places, Canongate Housing, Edinburgh Jun 2006 – Urban Regeneration, Gorbals Tower Block, Glasgow Jul 2006 – Housing, Knightsbridge Barracks, London Sep 2006 – Worship, Coventry Cathedral Oct 2006 – Education, Duncanrig High School, East Kilbride; Thurso Academy, Caithness; Kilsyth Academy, North Lanarkshire

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Further Information

Basil Spence, Architect: 1907-76

Sir Basil Spence retired in Malta and constructed a house in the Modernist style.

Basil Spence : Glasgow Infirmary

Cambridge Architecture

Scottish Architects Practices : famous Architects from Scotland through the ages

Scottish Architecture : best scottish buildings of the last three decades

20th century British Architects – Selection Ahrends Burton Koralek Gillespie Kidd & Coia Edwin Lutyens

Rennie Mackintosh

Powell & Moya Architects

Basil Spence : Beehive building, Wellington

Architecture Studios

Buildings / photos for the Basil Spence Architect page welcome

Website: Architecture

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hermanwatts · 4 years

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Sensor Sweep: Antiheroes, Theodore Sturgeon, A. E. van Vogt, Dreadstar

Popular Culture (Adam Lane Smith): Much has been made about the oft-lamented shift from Hero to Antihero and the modern obsession with romanticizing evil. Most frequently, I’ve heard this complaint directed at modern western media’s fixation on selecting one unyielding human trash fire after another as every main character. There’s a reason modern book sales and movie sales are struggling. To understand the shift over the last hundred years of stories and main characters, one must understand the cultural environments and the mental aspects at play, particularly attachment formation and its impact on society.

Writing (Rawle Nyanzi): With every passing day, it seems that global pop culture disappoints us more. Classic franchises are vandalized into self-parodies to “modernize” them, creative talent increasingly treats fandoms as the enemy, and geek-oriented media champion the intimidation and silencing of creatives who don’t toe a very particular ideological line. The Pulp Mindset is not a book on how to make millions with one simple trick. It is not a book about gaming Amazon’s ever-changing algorithm. It is a book about having the right mentality for storytelling.

Hugo Awards (Dark Herald): This years Hugos went so far beneath my radar I didn’t know they had happened. I think we have finally reached the point where a Hugo Award is actually damaging to an author’s reputation. Certainly, no one who loves Science Fiction will want to buy a book with the words Hugo Award winner on the cover. As you may know by now. George R.R. Martin hosted the 2020 Hugo Awards and he was apparently too old to be Woke.

Fiction (DMR Books): Now I don’t have to wait six months to release my collection! Necromancy in Nilztiria will be available in next month, and the cover illustration (which you can see to the left) is based upon “A Twisted Branch of Yggdrasil.” In this tale, the Norseman Hrolfgar and the Atlantean Deltor have been drawn through the labyrinths of time and space to the world of Nilztiria by a sorceress, who commands them to slay her enemy, Xaarxool the Necromancer. But as you can see this is no easy task, for Xaarxool has giant skeletons to defend him.

Fiction (Marzaat): Like most critics, he regards Sturgeon’s supreme strength as characterization. Sturgeon was allegedly good at seeing the cruelty behind civilization and the ways “conventional morality” (supposedly Sturgeon distinguished that from “fundamental ethical systems”) created anxieties and phobias hence some of his horror stories like “Bianca’s Hands”). Stableford contends Sturgeon never was onboard with John W. Campbell’s enthusiasm for science and technology. He suggests that Sturgeon’s “Killdozer!”, with its bulldozer under the control of a hostile alien force, is a hostile metaphor for that enthusiasm.

Fiction (Wasteland & Sky): Much credit should go author and editor Richard Paolinelli for all the work he has done in the Planetary Anthology series. After Superversive Press shuttered it looked unlikely that the project would ever be completed and was destined to be a what-if, but not only has Tuscany Bay released more volumes than Superversive did (and next month will have re-released all of Superversive’s old volumes), it has also carried the project into a whole new medium. That would be into the burgeoning audio book world.

History (Jon Mollison): The pre-history of the Americas is a true dark age – a time of great uncertainty and filled with mysteries for which we may never have solutions. The most basic of these, who was the first to arrive, remains shrouded in conflicting narratives and contradictory evidence provided by scattered and controversial archaeology sites. The question assumes the Bering Straits Theory is the only one that holds water. A rather sizable assumption given the dearth of evidence. And the possible explanation lies in the stone-age sailing ship piloted by Thor Heyerdahl.

Dragon Awards (Dragoncon): In this three-part series, past Dragon Award recipients talk about their award-winning novels and their Dragon Awards experience. During this time, nothing provides a better escape from the world than diving into the pages of a Dragon Award winning novel. The Dragon Awards, launched in 2016 in tandem with Dragon Con’s 30th anniversary, allows readers, writers, publishers, and editors a way to recognize excellence in all things Science Fiction and Fantasy. These Awards are by the fans, for the fans, and are a chance to reward those who have made real contributions to SF, books, games, comics, and media.

Cinema (Other Master Cylinder): John Saxon was born Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, the first child of Antonio and Anna Orrico. His mother was born in Caserta, a small city near Naples in Italy. There’s some confusion about John’s age, partly due to his fiddling’ of the dates for his first contract. “I was born on August 5, 1936. Many have it wrong because I made myself a year older to get a Universal contract at the start. If I had been younger it wouldn’t have worked.”

Review (George Kelly): The 9th book in the Harry Dresden series features Dresden in a desperate quest to clear his vampire brother, Thomas, from a cunning plot by powerful Magical Interests. Harry Dresden, professional Wizard and Private Investigator for the City of Chicago, grew up an orphan. His upbringing included a lot of physical and mental abuse which explains his taciturn disposition.

Comic Books (Totally Epic): Finally! After 3400 pages of Epic Illustrated, we’ve (that is, I) have finally arrived at the first thing published by Epic Comics! Er, or, rather not, because first we’re doing Marvel Graphic Novel #3, Dreadstar. I mean, I kinda have to, because it bridges the story started in Epic Illustrated and The Price (over at Eclipse) and the Dreadstar series proper.

Fiction (Amatopia): I’m three-quarters through The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons–sequel to Hyperion and book 2 in the 4 book Hyperion Cantos series–and I can’t stop singing these books’ praises. I think so far I’ve convinced over ten people to give Hyperion a shot. It has been a long time since I’ve found a novel or series that has engrossed me to this degree, particularly a sci-fi novel.

Fiction & RPG (The Other Side): Over the last couple of years, I have been on a quest to find and read all the Raven books by “Richard Kirk” who was, in reality, the pen name of authors Angus Wells and Robert Holdstock. Both wrote Book 1 and then they alternated with Wells on Books 3 and 5 and Holdstock on Books 2 and 4. The story is one that is simple, but close to many FRP gamers. Raven wants to kill Karl Ir Donwayne. How is going to do that? Well, they need to Skull of Quez to appease this ruler to get to Donwayne.

Review (Rough Edges): The Digest Enthusiast, Book Twelve – Richard Krauss, ed. Interviews

Tony Gleeson (Fantastic, Amazing Science Fiction, Mike Shayne, Personal Crimes).

John Shirley (Weirdbook, Fantastic, The Crow, Constantine, Wetbones).

Games (25 Years Later): From the very beginning, you are made readily aware of not only the stakes but the epicness of the tale at the heart of Darksiders. The tale I speak of is at first set in modern-day Earth, and you take up the role of War, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who finds himself in our realm in the midst of a battle between Heaven and Hell. This is where Darksiders gives us a taste of War’s power before stripping it all away when he is killed during the battle. After War’s demise, he is brought in front of the Charred Council, where the blame of the apocalyptic events is placed squarely on his shoulders.

Pulp Fiction (DMR Books): The story starts in the “author as ghostwriter” conceit, as was the fashion of the time ever since its popularisation by Edgar Rice Burroughs in his Sword and Planet tales, and indeed utilised by Merritt himself in other stories such as The Moon Pool. So ubiquitous is this method of acclimatising the reader to tales of death-defying derring-do, it almost lulls the reader into a false sense of security – that this adventure will be just another ripping yarn, good for the mental exercise, but could safely be put down after reading.

RPG (Black Gate): Getting into Conan 2d20, for the casual gamer, or for the merely curious, demands a fair amount of cognitive load. This is because, I believe, the system is so innovative — and those innovations are precisely what makes this a Conan game. I have encountered many anecdotes of gamers and consumers gleefully obtaining this gorgeous hardcover tome (or PDF), riffling through it, saying, “Huh?” then setting it aside with a “Sorry, not for me, but the art is pretty, and this still makes a good resource.” adventures, the pandemic hit, and these two players weren’t interested in online play.

RPG (Silver Key): Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s all about execution. The title of the post should speak for itself, but a little context. Heard on the intranets recently… “Gary Gygax ripped off Dave Arneson! Dave is D&D’s true creator!” My response: Horse shit. Ideas are like a@#$holes. We’ve all got one, and most stink. I can sit here in the calm quiet of my living room and fire off a dozen. “Weight loss app.” “Online mentoring program for pediatricians.” “Telehealth scheduling interface.” “Dying Earth role-playing game.”

Comic Books (Bleeding Cool): Sylvian Runberg writes: “When I was offered to do an adaptation of Conan, I was immediately thrilled, and for several reasons. The first is that this character was a part of my childhood, especially with the comics drawn by John Buscema and obviously the film with Arnold Scharwzenegger. But the second, and maybe the most important reason, is Patrice Louinet, one of the worldwide best specialist of Robert E. Howard, who could advise us during the making of this adaptation, offered me the possibility to discover an another Conan from the one I had in mind from this childhood, a more complex character living in a more complex world, even if we’re still talking about fantasy, magic spells, epic adventures and monsters.

T.V. (Dark Worlds Quarterly): In 1982, Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian was brought to the big screen in a film featuring Arnold Schwartzenegger. The success of Conan the Barbarian spawned a plethora of bad Sword & Sorcery films (including Conan sequels). I will make no comment on those films here but state none was better than average and most were far below the worst of the Ray Harryhausen’s classics. Until 1999’s The Thirteenth Warrior I can’t think of a post-Conan film of a heroic fantasy of any real interest. Since the release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Fantasy films have been experienceing another renaissance.

Tolkien (The Wert Zone): The Hugo Awards are the premier awards for science fiction and fantasy literature, first given out in 1953 and every year since 1955. One of the more interesting mysteries of the award is that J.R.R. Tolkien, widely regarded as the most prominent fantasy author of the 20th Century, was never given one despite being eligible on multiple occasions.

Science Fiction (Fantasy Literature): This collection of nine short stories, novelettes and novellas originally appeared in hardcover form in 1952, from the publisher Pelligrini & Cudahy, and sold for $3.50. By the time my edition came out, the Berkley Medallion paperback from 1963, with another wonderfully abstract/Surrealist cover by the great Richard Powers, the cover price had dropped to 50 cents but the number of stories in the collection had been reduced to seven. Missing were the novelettes “Vault of the Beast,” from the Aug. ’40 ASF, and “Heir Unapparent,” from that same magazine’s June ’45 issue.

RPG (Grognardia): I bought Mörk Borg solely because of its physical characteristics. A local friend of mine raved about it months ago and then, while perusing Free League’s website recently, I caught a glimpse of it in all its lurid glory. I was so intrigued by its bright yellow cover and black, white, and red artwork that I ordered a copy and anxiously awaited its arrival. I was not disappointed when it appeared at last: the 96-page A5 book is sturdy and well-made, like so many European RPG books these days. Most of the paper in the book has a satin finish, but its last section, presenting an introductory adventure, has a rough, natural feel to it.

Fiction (Adventures Fantastic): Today, July 24, is the birthday of John D. MacDonald (1916-1986). MacDonald wrote for the pulps and transitioned to paperbacks when the pulps died. (I wish someone would collect all his science fiction.) For today’s birthday post, I want to look at One Monday We Killed Them All. Dwight McAran beat a girl to death and went to prison for it. He’s about to get out. Dwight is Fenn Hillyer’s brother-in-law. Fenn is a cop. They don’t get along.

Sensor Sweep: Antiheroes, Theodore Sturgeon, A. E. van Vogt, Dreadstar published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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listiqueblog · 6 years

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Everything You Need to Know About Achieving PCI Compliance [Checklist Included]

If you’ve been contacted by your bank or financial institution lately only to discover that your credit card information has been compromised, then you’ve felt the growing frustration many consumers face today.

Indeed, the situation with respect to credit card fraud is only getting worse.

Card data stolen from 5 million Saks and Lord & Taylor’s customers in 2018

56 million card numbers from Home Depot in 2014

40 million card numbers from Target in 2013

Dealing with a compromise is a time-consuming hassle from a consumer’s perspective.

This is particularly because many of us maintain large numbers of (supposedly secure) personal online profiles that afford us a convenient way to deal with recurring monthly or annual payments.

How can we be sure that these online service providers, who so readily accept and retain our credit card information, are taking the appropriate measures to secure it?

This is the purpose of PCI DSS –– and every retailer is required to comply.

Depending on the ecommerce technology and backend a retailer uses, PCI compliance can be an easy check on a long list of things retailers need to do to ensure their customers are transacting securely.

Or it can be a big pain –– costing ample time, resources and money.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

What PCI DSS is.

How to achieve it for your business.

How your ecommerce backend plays a large role in your required effort.

Want more insights like this?

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What is the PCI DSS?

PCI DSS are standards all businesses that transact via credit card must abide by.

Originally created by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express in 2004, the PCI DSS has evolved over the years to ensure that online sellers have the systems and processes in place to prevent a data breach.

The most recent version is PCI DSS 3.2. Version 3.2 was introduced in April 2016 and officially replaced version 3.1 on February 1, 2018 as the standard all companies must follow.

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) defines a series of specific Data Security Standards (DSS) that are relevant to all merchants, regardless of revenue and credit card transaction volumes.

Achieving and maintaining PCI compliance is the ongoing process an organization undertakes to ensure that they are adhering to the security standards defined by the PCI SSC.

The SSC defines and manages the standards, while compliance to them is enforced by the credit card companies themselves.

Again, these standards apply to all organizations that deal with cardholder data.

Cardholder data refers specifically to the credit card number, along with cardholder name, expiration date and security code (CSC).

In total, PCI DSS outlines 12 requirements for compliance.

Twelve requirements may not sound like much. In fact, a quick scan for PCI compliance documentation online will lead you to believe that PCI compliance is easy.

In reality, maintaining PCI compliance is extremely complex — especially for large enterprises.

It actually means you need to comply with a total of 251 sub-requirements across the 12 requirements outlined in PCI DSS 3.2 to fully address the growing threats to customer payment information.

Level 1 PCI Compliant Hosting

Level 1 PCI Compliance is just the beginning. With 99.99% uptime, site-wide HTTPS and more, BigCommerce handles security table stakes.

See how security is built in.

Why Credit Card Security is Often a Neglected Subject

Jasper Studios provides ecommerce development services to omnichannel retailers both large and small.

As such, we have seen every kind of credit card storage transgression imaginable.

We’ve witnessed cardholder data stored in plain text files without any encryption or basic obfuscation residing under the CFO’s desk in a dusty PC dating back to the late 1990’s –– all freshly captured from an insecure payment gateway in a homegrown ecommerce platform.

Could my credit card number have been stored in that dusty old PC?

Was yours?

This sort of practice is plain negligence.

Fortunately, however, this isn’t a practice undertaken by most organizations, and when done so, it’s typically caused by unintentional ignorance on the subject.

But, these sorts of horror stories still persist today.

No wonder so many of our credit cards have been or eventually become compromised.

It’s not just smaller organizations that can have deplorable standards for data security.

Most Notable Retail Data Breaches:

In 2005, Wal-Mart had a serious security breach targeting their point-of-sale systems.

An earlier internal audit revealed thousands of customer card numbers and other personal data had been found on their servers in unencrypted form.

This data may have been compromised during the breach, although that has not been officially confirmed.

More recently, in 2013, U.S. retail giant Target Corporation was hacked –– a staggering 40 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen from their network.

In 2014, Home Depot saw a similar breach –– with 56 million credit card numbers stolen.

And in 2018, Saks and Lord & Taylor are the latest victim of breach –– this time coming from a hack in their POS solution in-store.

If this can happen to some of the world’s largest retailers, it can certainly happen to smaller ones, too.

Do I need to ensure PCI Compliance for my organization?

If you operate your own on-premise or self-hosted cloud commerce solution, then the short answer is, yes.

Ecommerce PCI compliance is important whether you run a single brick-and-mortar retail location or you are a large organization selling goods across multiple stores and ecommerce sites, anywhere that your credit card merchant account has been connected and integrated requires attention.

All credit card transaction volumes your organization processes are aggregated across multiple channels (i.e. in store retail point-of-sale terminals and online payment gateways) and summed up to determine an appropriate PCI compliance level.

This means a large international retail chain handling 6 million transactions per year will still be considered a Level 1 merchant (the strictest level) and will be held to the highest of PCI compliance standards, even if their related ecommerce store processes less than 500 sales orders per month.

Fortunately, if you operate a SaaS-based ecommerce store and do not have any access to any credit cardholder data (which is the case for most modern SaaS commerce platforms), your need for PCI compliance is greatly mitigated.

The heavy lifting has vested expertly and wonderfully in the hands of the technology experts working for the SaaS companies, which in our professional opinion is exactly where it belongs.

How SaaS compares for PCI Compliance:

SaaS solutions like BigCommerce takes care of the vast majority of the steps toward ecommerce PCI compliance for any customer on the platform.

With an ecommerce software like Magento, a business will have to pay someone to set up servers and networking and take the steps to secure that infrastructure to get them PCI compliant for your online store.

Magento is not PCI compliant out of the box. In fact, thousands of Magento stores continuously experience breach as a result.

Ecommerce PCI Compliance Requirements

If you host and manage your own ecommerce platform (i.e. a custom solution), you will need to ensure PCI compliance for your organization.

The first step is to determine the required compliance level.

All merchants fall into one of four levels based upon credit or debit card transaction volume over a 12-month period.

Level 1 is the most strict in terms of DSS requirements, where Level 4 is the least strict:

Almost all small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) classify as the lower Level 3 or Level 4 merchant, however, this does not preclude the necessity to maintain compliance with the same diligence as larger organizations.

In fact, it’s a costly misconception encountered amongst SMBs who believe they do not need to worry about compliance at all because they don’t do a significant enough volume of online or in-store sales.

Non-compliance is equally as costly as a breach, in which you are required to assess to the Level 1 standard for the next year, including an on-site audit.

BigCommerce’s PCI Compliance:

BigCommerce’s Cardholder Data Environment is PCI DSS Level 1 certified as both a Merchant and a Service Provider.

This protects against credit card data breaches and eliminates the massive cost and hassle of compliance.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

PCI is not, in itself, a law.

It’s a standard that was created by the major card brands including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AMEX and JCB.

The credit card companies typically do not directly handle payment processing functions themselves, but rely on third party processors (such as Chase Paymentech or Moneris Solutions) to handle the transactional services.

Merchants that do not comply with PCI DSS and are involved in a credit card breach may be subject to fines, card replacement costs or incur costly forensic audits.

The credit card companies, at their discretion, are the ones who administer fines to the merchant’s bank (or similar financial institution, known as the acquirer) and can range between $5,000 – $100,000 per month for PCI compliance violations or breaches.

The bank/acquirer in turn passes the fines downstream until it eventually hits the merchant.

On top of fines that originate from the credit card companies, merchants may be subject to additional penalties from their bank as well.

Banks and payment processors may terminate their relationship with the merchant altogether, or simply increase per-transaction processing fees and require the merchant to pay for the replacement of the credit cards that have been compromised in the originating beach.

What’s arguably even worse is that the bank or processor may require the merchant to move up a level in compliance if they are breached, making the adherence requirements all the more onerous on the merchant moving forward.

Penalties are not openly discussed nor widely publicized, but they can be catastrophic to a business.

It is important to be familiar with your credit card merchant account agreement(s), which should fully outline your exposure.

What the PCI Data Security Standards Involve

The full PCI DSS (data security standard) is an extremely dry read, akin to watching paint peel agonizingly off your wall on a hot summer afternoon.

It’s a pretty technical subject to cover as well, which is summarized in the next chapter.

Most of the topics found in the PCI DSS deal with maintaining a professional data storage solution.

It includes information on securing an internal hosting network, adequately protecting cardholder data, implementing strong user access control measures, managing data security policies, executing a vulnerability management program and performing an external security audit.

It also provides detailed instructions on how to complete your own PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

In all, if you’re a pure play (i.e. online-only) merchant that does not have a physical retail store but you accept, retain or transmit credit card data through your own self-hosted ecommerce store (via open source platforms such as: OpenCart, ZenCart, Magento, etc.) you should positively familiarize yourself with the PCI Security DSS and understand your required compliance level.

Consider hiring a qualified external party who is well versed in PCI subject matter and can provide an objective opinion on how to specifically achieve compliance for your organization.

PCI compliance is its own entire universe of complexity and many organizations don’t have the internal resources qualified enough to delve into its bowels.

We also recommend obtaining an independent adoption consultant along with a Qualified Security Assessor (or QSA). PSC is one such QSA partner who can provide detailed guidance as to how to obtain compliance and also act as an independent auditor to test your internal security.

Ecommerce PCI Compliance on Open Source Platforms

The topic of PCI compliance is immensely important to any online retailer that transmits or stores cardholder data (i.e. credit card or debit card information) in their own, physical on-site servers or remote data farms.

Cardholder data that is processed through an online store and retail point-of-sale system combine to form a single transaction volume used to determine an organization’s merchant compliance level.

SaaS is PCI Compliant Out of the Box:

Keep in mind that if you are using a SaaS or cloud-based ecommerce technology solution like BigCommerce, your PCI compliance is greatly mitigated through your provider.

For those not utilizing a SaaS or cloud-based ecommerce technology, the following information outlines the steps you must take in order to ensure that your online business is PCI compliant.

Your compliance level determines the amount of work you need to do, and the levels are as such:

Levels 1 and 2 are for merchants processing 1,000,000 transactions or more per year

Level 3 applies to an organization that processes greater than 20,000 credit or debit card transactions per year

Level 4 applies to an organization that processes less than 20,000 transactions per year

In the interest of brevity, as this subject is vastly complex, we’ll concentrate on a Level 3 or Level 4 organization.

Self Assessment for PCI Merchant Levels 3 and 4

If you are a Level 3 or Level 4 merchant, the PCI DSS provides you the option of doing an internal assessment, whereby a qualified staff member or corporate officer from your organization can perform his or her own audit and sign-off to produce a formal PCI DSS Attestation of Compliance package indicating such.

The first steps are to determine your required compliance level and then download and review the appropriate Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) found on the PCI SSC Website.

There are different SAQs for each merchant level and also different related DSS Attestation of Compliance forms for each level as well.

Before you venture down this path and attempt to download your SAQ and get started, you’ll need to first digest a six page document just to figure out which SAQ form to use in the first place.

And, if you aren’t thoroughly bored and confused after doing that, you almost certainly will be after referring to the lengthy PCI glossary of acronyms and technical jargon related to the subject.

In my humble opinion (and also according to the PCI SSC themselves), the best and easiest thing to do here is to contact your merchant bank and have them help you identify which specific documents you need to use.

This is an essential step, as they will often point out deviances in the standard PCI DSS they feel may apply in your case.

Level 3 merchants require quarterly external vulnerability scans by an ASV (Approved Scan Vendor).

A list of ASV’s can be found here and include such companies as Cisco Systems Inc, Alert Logic, Inc and Backbone Security, Inc to name a few.

Completing a self-assessment questionnaire for Level 3 and Level 4 merchants is based upon the honor system, much like completing your income tax return.

It’s tempting for organizations to guesstimate their way through some answers or outright fabricate them to avoid the human and physical resource expenditures required to correct vulnerabilities.

Many frankly don’t understand some of the items on the SAQ to be begin with.

That said, don’t be dishonest or misrepresent information on the SAQ. If you have a data security breach and your documents come under scrutiny, you can be fined heavily and, in the worst case, your merchant account(s) can be dropped by your bank/financial institution.

Achieving PCI Compliance: Getting Started

The PCI DSS contains what are actually common-sense general data security best practices for any system administration team that is used to hosting sensitive corporate information in a modern network environment.

The trouble in reaching compliance begins when an organization does not have experienced enough internal IT/IS departments and can unfortunately discover that their internal hosting environment is wildly insecure and susceptible to both internal snooping by their own staff or they are wide open to outside intrusion.

Every organization aiming to achieve PCI compliance begins in the same place.

There are three steps in the journey to adhering to the PCI DSS and becoming compliant:

First, Assess –– Perform your own audit to identify the cardholder data you are responsible for, take an inventory of your IT assets and business processes for payment card processing and analyze them for vulnerabilities that could expose sensitive cardholder data.

Next, Remediate –– Fix the vulnerabilities you discover in priority sequence. Ideally move away from storing cardholder data at all unless you absolutely need to. Many organizations store cardholder data within their own homegrown ecommerce platforms after taking a one-off guest checkout order with no intention of using the information again. In this case, why hold onto it at all? Only a merchant looking to set up recurring billing may actually need to retain cardholder data themselves and we’ve often found that B2C ecommerce merchants typically don’t need to support recurring billing profiles.

Wherever and whenever cardholder data can be stored by an external qualified body instead of your own organization is ideal, because nothing will help reach immediate PCI compliance more quickly than not storing or transmitting cardholder data at all.

Finally, Report –– Compile and submit required remediation validation records (if applicable), and submit compliance reports to the acquiring bank and card brands (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.) with which you do business.

Completing the Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).

The SAQ is a relatively short document (i.e. five or six pages long) and can itself be completed in a number of hours by someone qualified within your organization.

The work getting to that point, though, comes into play when attempting to answer the SAQ questions truthfully and thoroughly, and in a manner that will actually result in achieving compliance.

In so doing, an organization will doubtlessly encounter some significant technical challenges.

Below is a quick outline of what you can expect based on my own experience is seeking compliance for clients.

1. Technical Challenges to Satisfying the SAQ.

Even if credit card data passes through your self-hosted (i.e. non-SaaS) ecommerce platform, you are still on the hook for ensuring that any related servers you control (be it your database server, PoS system, credit card processing terminal, utility server or internet application server) are sufficiently secure and compliant.

Each server that cardholder data is stored inside or transmitted through is termed a CDE (cardholder data environment) and requires:

Tripwire software with a notification escalation profile to alert administrators that someone may have gained unauthorized access to the server and/or tampered with the files/permissions on the server. A tripwire is software that detects the presence of a code change or file structure profile change on a server. A notification escalation profile is a series of automated email or SMS messages. dispatched to key systems personnel in the event that intrusion is detected or an unexpected change to the file structure profile has occurred.

Virus scanning software installed and running daily.

Its operating system to be kept up-to-date with the latest security patches.

The containing room or server rack (i.e. the physical environment containing the computer systems running commerce related servers) be kept under lock-and-key with limited authorized administrative access only.

Entrance to/from the room by administrative personnel (including date/time and purpose of access) needs to be logged. These logs need to be archived and migrated off of the primary servers and housed securely elsewhere so that auditors can readily access them if required by the bank or credit card company.

All cardholder data that is retained for local storage be done so using what the PCI DSS refers to as strong encryption (see the PCI SSC Glossary of Terms for more info). Encryption protects the data from easily being read and utilized by attackers if stolen during a breach event.

The underlying strong encryption architecture must be fully documented and kept up to date.

Personnel with remote access (or non-console administrative access) to the server environment must connect via multi-factor authentication only.

External penetration testing be performed every six months to ensure the environment is secure.

2. Ongoing Maintenance: Mitigating Common Data Security Exploits.

Physical servers need to be continually patched against newly discovered security vulnerabilities.

Consider various security exploits that have arisen recently such as HEARTBLEED, POODLE and Logjam.

Pro Tip

TLS (transport layer security) – sometimes referred to as SSL – is the underlying encryption protocol for secure data transmission over the Internet. It is the “S” in HTTPS.

Your web application or ecommerce platform that is processing credit or debit cards also needs to be secured against client side (i.e. web browser) code exploits such as XSS and SQL Injection Attacks, to name a few.

PCI Breakdown: Time and Costs to Reach Compliance

On average, our experienced systems administration team will spend three to four business days securing a single server and preparing the appropriate documentation for a Level 3 or Level 4 merchant.

The costs for doing so when factoring our time and the merchant’s staffing resources averages out to about $14,650 USD.

Merchants attempting to reach PCI compliance themselves however, without support from an outside partner, and who are already themselves adept at dealing with data security subject matter, can expect to spend upward of 3-4 weeks of time performing the following tasks:

Researching the PCI Data Security Standards (DSS)

Determining which level of compliance and which PCI SAQ is required

Securing their physical servers (often the largest and most costly aspect of the project)

Examining any third party plugins or software components on the servers that cardholder data passes through and ensuring they, too, are PCI compliant and can produce external documentation that proves such

Completing the PCI SAQ and Attestation of Compliance (ROC)

For complex undertakings involving more than one onsite data center and where a merchant is both capturing and retaining cardholder data, budget at least six weeks in your project plan and estimate related costs to be between $48,625 – $64,900 USD to reach compliance.

The above estimate factors some time for multiple staff within your organization that usually involves a multidisciplinary group of:

Business analysts.

System administrators.

Ecommerce platform developers.

Project managers.

Legal teams.

Resource protection staff.

It also takes into account some budget for outside consultant/auditor fees, and provision to hire a third party Qualified Security Assessor.

Note that our estimate does not factor in any additional costs related to purchasing new server racks, upgrading computer systems, adding new software licenses and installing access control systems (such as staff ID card systems) or any other physical expenses that may be required to achieve compliance.

How Your Ecommerce Platform Affects Your PCI Compliance

You can acquire ecommerce software in different ways:

Buying commercial software to run on your on-premise hardware

Using open source software on your on-premise hardware (the Do-It-Yourself approach)

Signing up for hosted software delivered as a service (SaaS)

Each approach strikes a different balance between your costs, benefits and ecommerce PCI risks and workload. The table sums up the highlights, and the following sections discuss each option in more detail.

#1: Commercial Software: The Costly Option

This requires you to buy and maintain your own hardware, plus shell out for a commercial software license and annual support.

The ecommerce software might be PCI-compliant out of the box, or you could have lots of work getting there. But any extra support you require from the vendor for PCI will likely cost extra.

This option could work for you, if your company chooses to:

Buy and maintain on-premise hardware

Pay for an on-premise software license and support

Maintain in-house expertise to install, customize and maintain an ecommerce platform

Keep someone on call 24/7 to troubleshoot any problem and get the platform back up fast if it ever goes down

Clearly, the drawbacks here are the high costs of hardware, software, and support –– plus the unknown burden of handling some of your own PCI compliance.

If that doesn’t sound appealing, skip this approach and read on.

#2: On-Premise, Open Source Software: Lower Cost, Higher Risk

This option is a lot like writing your own code.

You still pay for your hardware, but you avoid paying any software license fee. Sounds like a bargain, right? Not so fast.

You have to assemble, compile, install and tweak your own software. And, as for PCI, this can turn into a money-pit. Open source is a black box where no one really knows what’s going on.

“The problem with open source is that you’re not buying from any vendor,” says Beckett. “So there’s no one to fall back on for help. You might not get any support, or no phone number you can call. Or maybe the PCI auditor might not like something about the platform.”

In that case, you’re stuck.

You may have to document every step of your process in painful detail. That means holding meetings, analyzing code, sketching flowcharts, writing reports… spending weeks of effort that can easily outweigh any savings you gained from open source.

The DIY option could work, if your company can afford to:

Buy and maintain on-premise hardware

Maintain in-house expertise to link, tweak and maintain ecommerce software

Take staff time to hold many meetings and create PCI-related documents

Using open source software means you are responsible for 100% of your PCI compliance –– not to mention your store’s uptime.

If you don’t want to take on those burdens, skip this approach and read on.

#3: Hosted Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Low Cost, Low Risk

Software running as a service is accessed through the web, running on hardware maintained in a secure data center by your service provider.

If you want to save money, and can’t spare a lot of staff to develop PCI policies and write reports, consider using a hosted ecommerce service such as BigCommerce.

This way, you can forget about fiddling with ecommerce hardware and software, pay one monthly fee to cover your ecommerce platform, and remain PCI-compliant with a minimum of time and expense.

An important consideration when selecting this option, however, is that you will still be required to complete an SAQ (self-assessment questionnaire) as a Level 2-4 merchant and an ROC (i.e. report on compliance, also synonymous with Attestation of Compliance) if you are a Level 1 merchant.

Therefore, the work in documenting and reporting on a quality SaaS ecommerce platform regardless of your compliance level is much less involved in terms of cost and risk than the other two options presented.

The SaaS option will work for you if your company:

Wants to save money on hardware, software licenses and support

Doesn’t have people to fiddle with hardware and software

Prefers to pay one monthly fee to cover your ecommerce platform

Wants to remain PCI-compliant with a minimum of effort

With lower costs, less risk, and fewer PCI hassles, this option is the chosen path for many online stores.

Here is how a few popular ecommerce platforms breakdown:

PCI Compliance Checklist

Again, this is only applicable to your IT team if you choose not to go with a SaaS solution.

If you use a open source or custom built ecommerce platform, your IT team will need to go through the following checklist annually.

We’ve broken the checklist down below based on the PCI requirement.

Remember, there are 12 PCI compliance requirements.

12 High-Level Requirements Mandated by the PCI DSS:

Safeguard cardholder data by implementing and maintaining a firewall.

Create custom passwords and other unique security measures rather than using the default setting from your vendor-supplied systems.

Safeguard stored cardholder data.

Encrypt cardholder data that is transmitted across open, public networks.

Anti-virus software needs to implemented and actively updated.

Create and sustain secure systems and applications.

Keep cardholder access limited by need-to-know.

Users with digital access to cardholder data need unique identifiers.

Physical access to cardholder data needs to be restricted.

Network resources and cardholder data access needs to be logged and reported.

Run frequent security systems and processes tests.

Address information security throughout your business by creating a policy.

1. Safeguard cardholder data by implementing and maintaining a firewall.

Maintaining requirement for 1:

Positioning firewalls to only allow necessary traffic to enter your CDE

Having a “deny all” rule for all other inbound and outbound traffic

Dynamic packet filtering

Creating a secure zone for any card data storage

Ensuring all outbound connections from your CDE are explicitly authorized

Installing a firewall between wireless networks and your CDE

Documenting all firewall policies and procedures, including business justification for each port or protocol allowed through firewalls

2. Create custom passwords and other unique security measures rather than using the default setting from your vendor-supplied systems.

Maintaining requirement for 2:

Maintaining an inventory of all hardware and software used in the CDE

Assigning a system administrator to be responsible for configuring system components

Implementing a system configuration and hardening guide that covers all components of the CDE

Disabling or uninstalling any unnecessary services, programs, accounts, drivers, scripts, features, systems, and web servers, and documenting which ones are allowed

Changing vendor-supplied default usernames and passwords

Documenting security policies and operation procedures for managing vendor defaults and other security settings

Using technologies such as VPN for web-based management and ensuring all traffic is encrypted following current standards

Enabling only one primary function per server

3. Safeguard stored cardholder data.

Maintaining requirement for 3:

Documenting a data retention policy

Having employees acknowledge their training and understanding of the policy

Eliminating storage of sensitive authentication data after card authorization

Masking the primary account number on customer receipts

Understanding guidelines for handling and storing cardholder data

Making sure primary account number storage is accessible by as few employees as possible, including limiting access to cryptographic keys, removable media, or hardcopies of data

4. Encrypt cardholder data that is transmitted across open, public networks.

Maintaining requirement for 4:

Reviewing all locations, systems, and devices where cardholder data is transmitted to ensure you’re using appropriate encryption to safeguard data over open, public networks

Verifying that encryption keys/certificates are valid and trusted

Continually checking the latest encryption vulnerabilities and updating as needed

Having a policy to ensure you don’t send unprotected cardholder data via end-user messaging technologies

Checking with vendors to ensure supplied POS devices are appropriately encrypting data

Reviewing and implementing best practices, policies, and procedures for sending and receiving payment card data

Ensuring TLS is enabled whenever cardholder data is transmitted or received through web- based services

Prohibiting the use of WEP, an unsecure wireless encryption standard

5. Anti-virus software needs to implemented and actively updated.

Maintaining requirement for 5:

Deploying anti-virus programs on commonly affected systems

Setting anti-virus to scan automatically to detect and remove malicious software

Maintaining audit logs for review

Ensuring the anti-virus system is updated automatically

Setting up administrative access to ensure anti-virus can’t be disabled or altered by users

Documenting malware procedures and reviewing with necessary staff

Examining system configurations and periodically evaluating malware threats to your system

6. Create and sustain secure systems and applications.

Maintaining requirement for 6:

Having a change management process

Having an update server

Having a process in place to keep up-to-date with the latest identified security vulnerabilities and their threat level

Installing vendor-supplied security patches on all system components

Ensuring all security updates are installed within one month of release

Setting up a manual or automatic schedule to install the latest security patches for all system Components

7. Keep cardholder access limited by need-to-know.

Maintaining requirement for 7:

Implementing access controls on any systems where cardholder data is stored and handled

Having a written policy that details access to cardholder data based on defined job roles and privilege levels

Training employees on their specific access level

Configuring access controls to only allow authorized parties and denying all others without prior approval or access

8. Users with digital access to cardholder data need unique identifiers.

Maintaining requirement for 8:

Monitoring all remote access accounts used by vendors, business partners, IT support personnel, etc. when the account is in use

Disabling all remote access accounts when not in use

Enabling accounts used for remote access only when they are needed

Implementing a multi-factor authentication solution for all remote access sessions

9. Physical access to cardholder data needs to be restricted.

Maintaining requirement for 9:

Restricting access to any publicly accessible network jacks in the business

Keeping physical media secure and maintaining strict control over any media being moved within the building and outside of it

Keeping media in a secure area with limited access and requiring management approval before the media is moved from its secure location

Using a secure courier when sending media through the mail so the location of the media can be tracked

Destroying media in a way that it cannot be reconstructed

Maintaining a list of all devices used for processing and training all employees to inspect devices for evidence of tampering

Having training processes for verifying the identity of outside vendors wanting access to devices and processes for reporting suspicious behavior around devices

10. Network resources and cardholder data access needs to be logged and reported.

Maintaining requirement for 10:

Having audit logs that track every action taken by someone with administrative privileges, failed log in attempts, and changes to accounts

The ability to identify a user, the date and time of the event, the type of event, whether the event was a success or failure, where the event originated from, and the name of the impacted data or system component

Having processes and procedures to review logs and security events daily, as well as review system components defined by your risk management strategy

Having a process to respond to anomalies or exceptions in logs

Keeping all audit log records for at least one year and keeping logs for the most recent three months readily available for analysis

11. Run frequent security systems and processes tests.

Maintaining requirement for 11:

Running quarterly internal vulnerability scans using a qualified internal resource or external third-party

Running quarterly external vulnerability scans using a PCI-approved scanning vendor (ASV)

Using a qualified resource to run internal and external scans after any major change to your network

Configuring the change-detection tools to alert you to unauthorized modification of critical content files, system files, or configuration files, and to configure the tools to perform critical file comparisons at least once a week

Having a process to respond to alerts generated by the change-detection tool

Running a quarterly scan on wireless access points, and developing a plan to respond to the detection of unauthorized wireless access points

Performing penetration tests to confirm segmentation is operational and isolates systems in the CDE from all other systems

12. Address information security throughout your business by creating a policy.

Maintaining requirement for 12:

Developing written compliance and security policies

Ensuring every employee working in the CDE completes annual security awareness training

Creating a company policy documenting all critical devices and services within the CDE, including laptops, tablets, remote access, wireless access, and email/Internet usage

Developing a comprehensive description of each employee’s role in the CDE, and documenting acceptable uses and storage of all technologies

Creating an incident response plan in the event cardholder data is compromised

Creating and updating a current list of third-party service providers

Annually documenting a policy for engaging with third-party providers, obtaining a written agreement acknowledging responsibility for the cardholder data they possess, and having a process for engaging new providers

We’ve Successfully Achieved PCI Compliance: What’s Next?

As if achieving PCI compliance wasn’t complex enough on its own, maintaining compliance year-over-year and keeping up with ever-evolving nuances to PCS data security standards (DSS) has proven itself a perpetual expense and burden to any organization.

The latest PCI DSS standard (version 3.2) released in April of 2016, for example, defines a number of changes to previously accepted rules and regulations on a variety of PCI subjects, touching upon both documentation requirements and technical adjustments to the physical hosting environment (CDE) itself.

This means as a self-hosted merchant you’ll need to concern yourself not only with getting all these requirements perfected the first time around, but you’ll also be expected to manage lists of future change requests and down-the-road migration plans that will keep your technical teams very busy ad infinitum (i.e. forever).

Let’s face it, they often have more than enough to do as it is.

In short, maintaining compliance is an ongoing process, involving all of the above as well as quarterly vulnerability scans and completing a new SAQ and Attestation of Compliance each year.

If your organization is presently at PCI compliance Level 3 and your credit card transaction volume is trending upwards at a rate of 20% or more annually, consider hiring a QSA and having a formal external security audit done every year, even if your bank doesn’t require it.

In this manner, your team won’t be flanked by a last minute crunch to get it done which will result in overstatements, omissions and increased third party auditing costs.

You’ll also proactively position your organization for an easy transition upward to a higher compliance level at a later time.

Want more insights like this?

Everything You Need to Know About Achieving PCI Compliance [Checklist Included] published first on https://goshopmalaysia.tumblr.com

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foodsniffr · 6 years

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https://store.foodsniffr.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Diebenkorn-Beginnings-2019-Wall-Calendar.jpg On Sale Now: Diebenkorn Beginnings 2019 Wall Calendar-Calendars.com-Books & Gifts – $14.99 Richard Diebenkorn’s twelve Abstract Expressionist paintings on canvas, paper, and board selected for this calendar precede his shift to figuration in this calendar From the collection of the Richard Diebenkorn Foundation High quality, FSC certified paper. Full-color pages throughout Includes all major public and culturally significant holidays. Twelve months of Abstract Expressionist paintings on canvas, paper, and board Artwork by Abstract Expressionist Richard Diebenkorn Perfect gift for any occasion Stay organized all year with your favorite Wall Calendars, Mini-Wall Calendars and Planners. Great for moms planning for a family, students of all ages, and professionals in any field. Perfect for use anywhere! About Pomegranate All of Pomegranate’s calendars are printed with soy-based inks on FSC® certified paper, which means the paper has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council™ and manufactured by an FSC certified printer. FSC certification promotes responsible forest management by ensuring that forestry practices are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable. Why Calendars? Does your room need some color but you can’t decide on a piece of art? Do you want to redecorate but are on a budget and don’t want to break the bank? Wall calendars are the world’s most popular calendars with style and unique themes for every interest from art to animals, religion to meditations, family organizers and children’s themes. Fill your walls with life and keep them fresh all year with a beautiful and affordable calendar. The wall calendar format gives you enough space to keep yourself organized and provide breathtakingly beautiful decor for any room, or surface, in your home. A calendar is easy to glance at and see what responsibilities you have coming up this month, so make sure you stay organized through the year! You can personalize your calendar, too, with different colors for appointments and trips, add stickers or stickie notes for a quick reference, or create your own system of symbols and abbreviations. Track appointments, anniversaries, birthdays and more! Or, cut out and frame your favorite images for year-round art. Wall calendars make great gifts for any and every occasion! The most common wall calendar size is 12″ x 12″ but sizes do tend to vary from large poster sizes to small mini-calendars or desk calendar. Check out each calendar’s specifications for an exact size. Shop our vast selection of high quality wall calendars. More Info Audiences today generally know Richard Diebenkorn’s career in terms of three major evolutions: the Sausalito, Albuquerque, Urbana, and “early Berkeley” periods of Abstract Expressionism (1947–1955); the Berkeley figurative/representational period (1955–1966); and the Ocean Park (1967–1988) and Healdsburg (1988–1992) series of abstractions. Yet Diebenkorn’s earliest paintings and drawings remain little known. The twelve Abstract Expressionist paintings on canvas, paper, and board selected for this calendar precede his shift to figuration. Many of these pieces will be unfamiliar to the public, yet they offer a fuller picture of Diebenkorn’s precocious achievements and set the stage for what was yet to come. All of these works are from the collection of the Richard Diebenkorn Foundation and are reproduced in the book Richard Diebenkorn: Beginnings, 1942–1955 (Pomegranate, 2017). This catalogue, compiled to accompany a traveling exhibition of the same name, focuses on Diebenkorn’s evolution to maturity. https://is.gd/Yjply6 #ModernPopArt

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tsgmobilebayalabama · 6 years

Text

Scouted Calendar

Did you blink? It’s true, the last gasp of summer is upon us. Get the most out of these waning carefree days by filling them with music, golf, art and so much more. We sussed out some of the best happenings across the bay so you can get out there and live it up.

SALES

SOMETHING NEW Closing Sale

All Inventory 50% -75% Off

EAST BAY CLOTHIERS Summer Sale

40-50% off men’s and women’s spring and summer clothes.

MB GREENE BAGS be clear Sale

35% off all of the be clear collection

HALEY DERMATOLOGY August Specials

15% off all spa treatments 15% off all products

GIGI & JAY’S Birthday Month Sale

50% off all swim 30% off all summer shoes buy 1 sale item get 1 free

SADIE’S Summer Sale

30-80% off select merchandise Buy 1 get 1 free on sale items

MCCOY OUTDOOR COMPANY Summer Sale

1 item 20% off 2 item 30% off 3 items 40% off

COLLECTIVE Back to School Sale

20% off Swell Bottles Friday August 3 and Saturday August 4th 20% off Backpacks and Lunch boxes the first week of August

EVENTS

Fairhope’s First Friday Art Walk

August 3rd | 6pm-8pm | Downtown Fairhope

Live music by the SongBirds. Free admission. Donations welcomed. EXHIBIT: “A Joyful Brush” Paintings by Jean-Marie McDonnell. “Fins & Fables” Paintings by Ben Kaiser. Mixed media by Jason Braly.

Pelican Paddle

August 4th | 7:30am-12pm | Weeks Bay Foundation

Pelican Paddle is a fun, family-oriented, 3.5-mile canoe, kayak and paddle board race that’s open to all ages and skill levels. Plus, there’s a seven-mile pro option for the serious paddlers, and a non-competitive, guided Eco-Tour of Weeks Bay. It is a spectacular setting on beautiful Weeks Bay, for spectators and racers alike. Learn More

154th Commemorative of the Battle of Mobile Bay

August 4th | 9am-5pm | Fort Gaines Historic Site

The well-preserved ramparts of Fort Gaines have guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay for more than 150 years. Now a fascinating historic site, the Fort stands at the eastern tip of Dauphin Island where it commands panoramic views of the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The event highlights Fort Gaines integral role in the Battle of Mobile Bay. The cannon will be fired every forty-five minutes in honor of the soldiers that fought in this pivotal battle. Go and experience a living history day for the whole family. Blacksmith demonstrations will be on hand all day in the Fort’s Blacksmith Shop.

Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival

August 4th | 5:30pm | Mobile Convention Center

Internationally acclaimed saxophonist, Donald Harrison Jr., will headline the 20th Annual Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival’s JAZZ ON THE RIVER. The main stage concert opens 5:30 pm with The E. B. Coleman Orchestra, featuring vocalist Karmilla Ali, and “Everybody’s Here!” Learn More

Grayson Capps Live

August 4th | 7pm-10pm | Fairhope Brewing Company

Grayson Capps is currently touring the world in support of his new album, The Lost Cause Minstrels, on the Brooklyn record label Royal Potato Family. Hear him live at FBC, a LOCAL manufacturing brewery with a tasting room where patrons are welcome to purchase and drink beer.

Free Class | Summer Sun Yoga

August 4th | 10am-11am | Blue Sky Collective and Soul Shine Yoga

Join Soul Shine Yoga for a free Vinyasa Yoga class. They are still doing renovations at their new space on Young Street, but if you'll ignore the mess they will treat you to a sneak peek of their new area! Learn More

Fat Lincoln Live

August 4th | 6pm-10pm | Bluegill Restaurant

Fat Lincoln is a Mobile based local rock band that brings the energy to every show. They play the covers that everyone loves plus have several originals. Learn More

Prenatal Yoga + 4 Week Series

August 5th | 4pm- 5:15pm | Soul Shine Yoga

Prenatal yoga gives a woman energy to enjoy her pregnancy, serenity to build a deeper intimacy with her own body and baby, and the presence of mind to expect the unexpected and be present. Learn More

Fly By Radio Live

August 5th | 6pm-10pm | Bluegill Restaurant

Fly By Radio will be rockin the stage the at the BLUEGILL, this amazing band has something for everyone covering everything from the 50s to today. Come early, stay late, have dinner and most of all have fun it's SUNDAY FUNDAY at the BLUEGILL. Learn More

$5 Yoga on Tap

August 7th | 6pm- 8pm | Fairhope Brewing Company

Soul Shine Yoga”s Hoppy Hour meets at the Fairhope Brewing Company. It's a fun 60 minute Vinyasa Flow class for all levels. Come for the yoga, stay for the outstanding local beer! Bring a mat and a friend. (All levels, unheated) Learn More

Water Education Festival

August 4th | 10am-1pm | Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center

Mobile Baykeeper hosts this Summer combo including IMAX/ Water's Extreme Journey exhibit, and permanent exhibits for non-members. The goal of this family oriented day is to spark a conversation about the importance of water management and conservation in our community. This is a great opportunity to learn about and get involved with local organizations in a fun interactive setting. Learn More

History Museum of Mobile Open House

August 4th | 1:30pm-3:30pm | History Museum of Mobile

Explore 300 years of Mobile's History, while learning about the Museum's different departments, membership program and benefits! Light refreshments will be served and admission is FREE. Our story starts here at the History Museum of Mobile!! Learn More

Saenger Theatre Summer Movie Series

Pulp Fiction

August 5th | 3pm-5:30pm | Saenger Theatre

The Saenger has partnered with McKemie Place for their upcoming Summer Classic Movie Series. McKemie Place is the only overnight shelter for single, homeless women in all of Mobile, Washington and Baldwin Counties. The shelter currently has a 69-bed capacity and provides a place for women to temporarily stay overnight. Through the gracious assistance of dedicated volunteers who prepare, bring, and serve meals, McKemie Place is also able to serve dinner each evening to their guests. Learn More

Grayson Capps

August 5th | 7pm-10pm | Callaghan's Irish Social Club

Grayson Capps is currently touring the world in support of his new album, The Lost Cause Minstrels, on the Brooklyn record label Royal Potato Family. Hear him live at Callaghan’s. Learn More

Mobile TIKI WEEK

August 6th -11th | 5pm | Downtown Mobile

Mobile Tiki Week is Downtown Mobile's annual celebration of tropical cocktails and South-Seas vibes, hosted by some of the city's best bars and restaurants. Expect delicious rum libations, served with all the garnishment and fanfare that drinks of this ilk demand, as well as tiki-themed foods (at the venues with kitchens) all week long. Each venue will donate a portion of their profits to Mobile Baykeeper New for 2018 is the addition of Southern National, and “Tiki Ducks!” Gulf Coast Ducks will transform their duck boats into floating tiki lounges for twilight tours/cruises. Venues are: The Haberdasher, OK Bike Shop, The Merry Widow, The Sidecar Lounge at Noble South, Southern National, and Gulf Coast Ducks. Learn More

Art Talk: Darius Hill

August 9th | 6pm-7pm | Mobile Museum of Art

Darius Hill, will speak about his work and others in Our People, Our Places, Our Collection, an exhibition for the State Bicentennial Celebration that features Alabama artists in the MMofA collection. A Birmingham resident, Darius Hill has served as Chair of the Visual Arts Department at the Alabama School of Fine Arts for more than twelve years. He is an exhibiting artist, participating in shows throughout the southeast including New Vision Gallery in Atlanta and the Crossroads Initiative in New Orleans. Learn More

200 Hour Yoga Teacher training

August 10th | 8am-11am | Soul Shine Yoga

Are you ready to empower your life and your yoga practice? Soul Shine Yoga School creates the space for you to discover what it truly means to LIVE WITH INTENTION + SHINE FROM WITHIN! Learn More

3rd Annual Dauphin Island Reggae Weekend

August 10th-12th | 3pm- 8pm | Dauphin Island

Expect cool vibes and laid back feelings all weekend as Dauphin Island puts on a little Jamaican Jammin' with the 3rd Annual Reggae Weekend. Select restaurants and bars will be celebrating the food and music of "dat" other island Jamaica. Mark the date. Live music all weekend at Waves Bar along with food and drink specials. Hosted by Alabama Coasting . Learn More

Mobile Arts’ Council / Cultural Connection

August 10th | 5:30pm-9pm | Fry Building

James T. Strickland Youth Center and the Mobile Arts Council will present their most recent collaboration, “Cultural Connection,” during August's LODA Artwalk. This project features murals and a documentary produced by young leaders of Mobile County under the leadership of Devin Ford Photography and artist Soynika Edwards-Bush. Meet the participants and see this project unveiled at the Fry Building, 412 Dauphin St. Learn More

Free Class | Summer Sun Yoga

August 11th | 10am-11am| Blue Sky Collective and Soul Shine Yoga

Join Soul Shine Yoga for a free Vinyasa Yoga class. They are still doing renovations at otheir new space on Young Street, but if you'll ignore the mess they will treat you to a sneak peek of their new area! Learn More

Saenger Theatre Summer Movie Series

Mary Poppins

August 12th | 3pm- 5:30pm| Saenger Theatre

Fortag Live

August 12th | 6pm-10pm | Bluegill Restaurant

Fortag based out of Pensacola, Florida has been entertaining packed houses along the Gulf Coast and all over the U.S. for several years. Covering anything from Rock, Pop, Dance, R&B and Modern Country. All your party favorites served up with a high energy show guarantees to always keep the crowd on their feet. Learn More

Green Drinks Fairhope

August 14th | 5pm-7pm | Fairhope Brewing Company

Join Mobile Bay Green Drinks at Fairhope Brewing Company for their monthly networking event for environmentally minded folks. Learn about a topic that affects our area, visit many local vendors, and enjoy great food from the Sunflower Cafe during Happy Hour. Learn More

Yoga for Beginners | 3 Week Series

August 14th | 5:30pm-6:30pm| Soul Shine Yoga

This series takes place one evening a week for three weeks and is designed for beginners. In this series learn and explore the principles of alignment for the most common poses in Vinyasa & Hatha Yoga classes, as well as basic breathing and meditation. If you're brand new to yoga or if you need a refresher for your current practice, then this series is also for you! Classes are unheated and will meet on 3 consecutive weeks. Learn More

Rum Beverage Academy

August 17th | 5:30pm-6:30 pm | Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa

A rum tasting class, participants will explore the history of rum and create a couple of classic, rum-based cocktails: daiquiris and mojitos. Learn More

Food Truck Friday

August 17th | 4pm-9pm| Fairhope Brewing Company

FBC’s August Food Truck Friday will feature The Good Guys Mobile Food Unit and Ben's Burga Kaboose and they will be releasing the 2018 version of their imperial porter The Long Handshake as well as a barrel-aged version of that same recipe that they have named The Awkward Hug. They will have music courtesy of their favorite Grateful Dead-themed band East LA Fadeaway! Learn More

Bowl for Kids’ Sake with

Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Alabama

August 17th | 5:30pm-7:30 pm | Eastern Shore Lanes

Bowl for Kids' Sake 2018 is an opportunity for the community to come together in support of the most important mentoring organization in south Alabama! The Bowl for Kids' Sake 2018 theme is "Back to the 80's". We want to see your team dressed in your best 80's themed outfits/costumes. *The Best Dressed Team will be awarded the night of the event* Costumes not your thing? Have no fear. We'll still embrace you with open arms. Learn More

Living History Crew Drill

August 18th | 8am-3 pm | USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park

Come see history come to life as the living history crews of the USS ALABAMA and USS DRUM drill. These historical reenactors demonstrate what life was like during WWII. They tell the stories of our original crewmen and help keep their legacy alive. Be sure to be aboard the main deck of the USS ALABAMA for the "Call to Battle Stations" and air attack at 1:00 p.m., weather pending. Learn More

Breakfast & Brunch, Culinary Academy

August 18th | 10am-11:30am | Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa

A breakfast and brunch culinary class, participants will learn how to make sumptuous breakfast and brunch dishes: pancakes, syrup, sausage, and specialized egg dishes. Learn More

Dirty Dozen Draw Down

August 18th | 11am-2pm | Serda Brewing Co.

Draw Down/ Cornhole Tournament from Draw down winner will receive $3,000!! Food and beer will come with the purchase of a $100 ticket. If you would like to participate in the corn hole tournament it will be an additional $20 and spots are limited. Cornhole champion could receive up to $640! You do not have to be present to win the draw down!! Learn More

Mardi’s 5k Fun Run/Walk

August 18th | 7am-11am | The Grounds

The Gulf Coast Challenge Committee and GCB Entertainment, Inc. presents Mardi’s 5K Fun Walk/Run and BBQ Cook off. Mardi’s Race will benefit the Nonprofit efforts of GCB Entertainment to combat childhood obesity and literacy. By participating in Mardi’s 5K Fun Run, your contributions will go towards programs designed to sponsor children to be a part of the “Making Good Choices” programs of the Port City Secondliners where they will partner with fitness instructions and educators to teach children about making better choices in their everyday lives that will help them live a healthier lifestyle and become productive citizens. Learn More

Saenger Theatre Summer Movie Series

Wizard of Oz

August 19th | 3pm- 5:30pm| Saenger Theatre

Spanish Cheese and Wine Event

August 19th | 10am-12pm| The Cheese Cottage, LLC

A Spanish delight - specifically paired cheese with some decadent Spanish Wines. What grows together, goes together, so experience this for yourselves. This educational event will feature 8 authentic Spanish cheeses and 8 wines from the same region. Listen to the experts describe the ins and outs of perfect pairing while you try various combinations you had not experienced before. Learn More

Johnny Hayes and the Love Seats Live

August 19th | 6pm-10pm | Bluegill Restaurant

You have seen him on The Voice and now you can see him in person at the BLUEGILL.... it's the incredibly talented Johnny Hayes. Johnny is a native Mobilian and covers a variety of artists including Otis Redding, James Brown mixed with his own rock, soul and country. Learn More

Veuve Clicquot Dinner

August 23rd | 6:30pm-9:30pm| Ruth's Chris Steak House

POP. SIZZLE. CELEBRATE. Ruth’s Chris is popping and pairing bubbly exclusively from Veuve Clicquot, one of France’s most iconic champagne houses, with five delicious courses. You’ll start off the evening with a champagne cocktail before they fill your flute with their fêted Yellow Label Brut. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Veuve Clicquot Rosé, and they will be pairing the fruit-forward champagne with their third course, followed by the Veuve Clicquot Vintage alongside our sizzling entrée. And to top off your night: their Demi-sec with dessert. Learn More

Dauphin Street Beer Festival

August 25th | 6pm | Downtown Mobile

The Dauphin Street Beer Festival is an annual event held every August in downtown Mobile, Alabama. Thirty taverns and restaurants welcome participants to sample over 80 different craft brews and imports from all over the world! Tickets available now at any of the participating venues. Learn More

Rubber Ducky Regatta

August 25th | 10am-12pm | Cooper Riverside Park

Mobile’s annual Rubber Ducky Regatta will make a splash on August 25, 2018, by dropping 10,000 rubber duckies into the Mobile River at Cooper Riverside Park. The “adopted” duckies will race to the finish line and the lucky ducky’s adopter will receive the grand prize. All proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile, AL, which houses families with seriously ill and injured children being treated at area hospitals. By adopting a rubber ducky not only will you have a chance to win prizes, but you will be providing funds for a safe haven to all the families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House while their child is receiving treatment. Learn More

Spanish Cheese and Wine Event

August 26th | 10am-12pm | The Cheese Cottage, LLC

20th Annual Alabama Chef Challenge

August 30th | 6pm- 9pm | Fort Whiting

Experience a night of culinary magic as some of the area's most celebrated chefs come together to fight hunger in their community along with a little friendly competition. Guests will also get to enjoy live music by Roman Street, silent auction, and complimentary beer and wine. All proceeds from Chef Challenge are used to help those in need within our 24-county service area along the Central Gulf Coast through Feeding the Gulf Coast. Learn More

Click here for our National Scouted Calendar for the month of August.

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

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