Shakespeare and Heliodorus

The object of this study is to examine the relationship between Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and the Aithiopika of Heliodorus, a complex romance composed in late Antiquity which was widely admired in Shakespeare's age. It argues that, while an indirect Heliodoran influence was exerted upon The Winter's Tale through Greene's novels, the direct influence of the Aithiopika also shows itself, most notably in the substitution of the tragic conclusion of the play's chief source, Greene's Pandosto, with a joyous outcome heralded by the appearance of a work of art (albeit a fictional one). The important role played by the Perseid in the Aithiopika is considered and it is argued that ancient and Renaissance treatments, in literature and art, of Danae’s impregnation by the 'shower of gold' provide a key to understanding how the Renaissance would have interpreted Heliodorus’ novel. The phenomenon of maternal impression employed by Heliodorus and by Tasso in Gerusalemme liberata is discussed as is the presence of the motif of imaginative interference in reproduction in other examples drawn from the genre of Accused Queen tales. This study concludes that both the Aithiopika and The Winter's Tale explore the same idea, that the creation of a new life in a mother's body is analogous to the mind receiving a powerful visual 'impression'. The plot, and subplots, of the Aithiopika elaborate this central idea, and the instances of seeing and pregnancy which dominate The Winter's Tale can also be seen to be aspects of a single theme of conception

Elizabeth "Liz" Tana interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds

In this interview, originally recorded in person, Elizabeth "Liz" Taytayon  Tana  speaks with Meleia Simon-Reynolds, a member of the Watsonville is in the Heart team. Liz shares memories of visiting the Philippines with her family, the various homes and neighborhoods in the Pajaro Valley that she and her family lived in, gatherings with her families' extended kinship network which included the Tejada, Taytayon, and Cawaling families, and Filipino dances organized by the Filipino Women's Club of Watsonville and the Caballeros de Dimas-Alang. She talks about the relationship between father, Clemente Vargas Tana, her mother, Estelita "Lita" Taytayon Tabios, and her step father, Dioscoro Tabios. She also explains their work as strawberry farmers in Watsonville and Lita's job in the canneries. Throughout the interview, she discusses the ways in which her family, most notably her mother, cared for the manong and integrated them into their family as "uncles.

Estelita Tabios interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds

In this interview, originally recorded in-person, Estelita  Tabios  speaks with Joanne de los Reyes-Hilario, a close family friend, and Meleia Simon-Reynolds, a Watsonville is in the Heart team member. Estelita shares memories of her childhood growing up in Makato, Aklan, Philippines; the story of how she met and married her first husband, Clemente Tana; and details of her month-long journey to the United States via steamship in 1956. She discusses settling in Watsonville with Clemente and developing a network of relatives and close friends— including the Cawaling, Taytayon, and Tejada families. Estelita describes her and her family members' labor in agricultural fields; her work on the assembly line at Green Giant from 1962-1966; her job in the laundry department at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, CA; and finally her career as a caregiver for the elderly. She also speaks about her involvement in the Filipino Women's Club of Watsonville, the Filipino Catholic Association, and the Aklanon Association. Notably, Estelita provides first-person accounts of Filipino Women's Club members' various responsibilities and their efforts to build the local Filipino community. Throughout the interview, Estelita emphasizes her dedication to supporting the manong that she came to know in Watsonville as well as her family members in the United States and the Philippines

Fred Tejada interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds

In this interview, originally recorded in person, Fred Tejada speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member Meleia Simon-Reynolds. Fred talks about his father, Godofredo "Godo" Tana Tejada, who immigrated from the Philippines to the United States. He discusses how his father worked various jobs in Seattle and California, and he details his father's work as a foreman for the Bracero Program. Fred goes on to explain how his father met his mother, Meady Dalisay Solomeo in the Philippines, and how his parents moved to Watsonville together shortly after marrying. Fred talks about his father's work harvesting strawberry, lettuce, and brussel sprouts, and he discusses his mom's work in the fields during the day and at the pajama factory at night. Fred remembers helping his father in the fields throughout his adolescence, as well as he recalls his family housing many manong while they lived in Watsonville

Anastacio Asunción interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds

In this interview, originally recorded in-person, Anastacio "Stosh" Asunción speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member Meleia Simon-Reynolds. Stosh starts by telling the story of his father, Anastacio Polistico Asunción's life in the Philippines, his migration to the United States through Hawai'i, and his involvement in both World Wars before eventually settling in Watsonville, California where he worked as a sharecropper for Reiter Berry Company. He discusses his father's hobbies of gardening and fishing and remembers his mother, Paula Montelongo Asunción's cooking. Stosh reflects on how growing up within a multiethnic community at a labor camp located on San Andreas Road impacted his early views on his parents' interracial marriage. He describes how he explored his mixed-race identity in college at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He discusses reading Carlos Bulosan's America is in the Heart and his experience writing an undergraduate research paper titled, "Watsonville's Filipino Bachelor Community" in 1970. Stosh talks about his experience working in the strawberry fields as a child, and reflects on the long term effects agricultural pesticides had on his father and other workers. He also provides vivid details about cockfights that were held in the Pajaro Valley. Stosh ends the interview by reflecting on fond memories of spending time with his parents, including going fishing with his father and having picnics with his mother

Albert "Bert" Thomas Nabor interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds

In this interview, originally recorded in-person at University of California, Santa Cruz, Albert "Bert" Thomas Nabor speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member Meleia Simon-Reynolds. Bert discusses his father, Alberto Nabor's background in La Union, Philippines; his migration to Hawai'i where he worked in the sugarcane fields and the pineapple plantations; and his migrant farm work throughout California and Arizona. Bert also speaks about vivid childhood memories of his whole family accompanying Alberto on the migrant trail. Additionally, Bert discusses Alberto's and his own participation in a late 1970s strike at Carl Dobler and Sons in the Pajaro Valley as well as Alberto's experiences as a member of the First Filipino Regiment during World War II. Throughout the interview, Bert reflects on his father's work ethnic and the values he passed on especially in regard to struggles with racism and discrimination. Bert goes on to discuss his father, Alberto Nabor's involvement with Caballeros de Dimas-Alang and the Filipino Catholic Association. He remembers going to dances and community events with his family as a young child. Bert also discusses his father's marriage to Erlinda Aragon, a Mexican American woman from Colorado. Bert reflects on his father's life and the values that he instilled. Finally, he discusses his experience attending UC Santa Cruz in the 1980s and how the school has changed over the year

Daniel "Dan" Kerubin Fallorina interviewed by Meleia Simon-Reynolds

In this interview, originally recorded in-person, Daniel "Dan" Kerubin Fallorina and his wife Anna Kammer Fallorina speak with Watsonville is in the Heart team member Meleia Simon-Reynolds. Dan discusses his father, Mariano Doctor Fallorina Sr.'s early experiences in the Philippines, his migration to the United States in 1927, and his early farm work in Gonzales, Soledad, and other areas in California. He also details Mariano Sr.'s military service in the First Filipino Regiment as well as his mother, Angelina Nicolas Fallorina's experiences of World War II as a teenager in the Philippines. Dan tells the story of how his parents met while Mariano was on leave during the war and how they both migrated back to the US in 1952. Dan also provides vivid memories of his family's life, labor, and leisure while sharecropping for Reiter Berries and living in labor camps off San Andreas Road in Watsonville. He also discusses moving into town, his parents' jobs—Mariano's continued work for local agricultural companies including Jensen Apples and C&V Farms and Angelina's night shifts at United Foods and Watsonville Canning. Dan shares memories of fun with friends while growing up in Watsonville and the many jobs he had as a teen, including working in strawberry fields. Finally, Dan discusses his career in the tech industry, how he met Anna, and how he learned about the Watsonville race riots late in life

The first-mover advantage in scientific publication

Mathematical models of the scientific citation process predict a strong "first-mover" effect under which the first papers in a field will, essentially regardless of content, receive citations at a rate enormously higher than papers published later. Moreover papers are expected to retain this advantage in perpetuity -- they should receive more citations indefinitely, no matter how many other papers are published after them. We test this conjecture against data from a selection of fields and in several cases find a first-mover effect of a magnitude similar to that predicted by the theory. Were we wearing our cynical hat today, we might say that the scientist who wants to become famous is better off -- by a wide margin -- writing a modest paper in next year's hottest field than an outstanding paper in this year's. On the other hand, there are some papers, albeit only a small fraction, that buck the trend and attract significantly more citations than theory predicts despite having relatively late publication dates. We suggest that papers of this kind, though they often receive comparatively few citations overall, are probably worthy of our attention.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

ECOSENSUS: developing collaborative learning systems for stakeholding development in environmental planning

ECOSENSUS *(Electronic/Ecological Collaborative Sensemaking Support System) investigates the socio-technological issues around developing collaboration tools for participatory environmental decision making amongst (a) marginalised natural resource users, (b) professional 'experts' from different countries, and (c) key decision makers associated with managing ecosystems. An integral activity is the production of open content learning resources to support stakeholders in facilitating distributed environmental decision making. This involves the integrated use of three open source software tools: Moodle (online course management), Compendium (dialogue mapping) and uDig (user friendly desktop/internet GIS). In the first ECOSENSUS-1 phase, the pilot collaborative effort has been focused on supporting stakeholders in developing adaptive management plans for the Rupununi Wetlands in southern Guyana, a region rich in flora and fauna but also under intense pressure to expand the exploitation of its natural resources, including timber, gold, and commercially viable fish species. Results of the ECOSENSUS-1 are briefly described along with some preliminary notes on the current ECOSENUS-2 phase of associated research in Guyana supported by an additional grant from DEFRA. The paper prompts questions on how ECOSENSUS can feed into wider open source course development using the LabSpace on the OpenLearn project