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« No cases of Zika, Public Health continues to monitor situation
Housing rights and responsibilities workshops in May »
Your County – Your Future
Published February 5, 2016 | By Administrator
County residents and other community stakeholders will play a key role in developing the first-of-its-kind Countywide Plan, which will be used by the Board of Supervisors to evaluate development projects, establish County priorities, and make budgetary decisions for years to come.
“This is a historic and pivotal moment for San Bernardino County,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman James Ramos. “Some counties and cities have made their general plans more comprehensive than before, but no one has set out to create anything like the Countywide Plan, which will address and improve all areas of life in all of our great and diverse communities.”
During the past six months, the County initiated work on the plan and conducted a pilot outreach effort in Bloomington. The majority of outreach will take place this year as the County conducts events and meetings throughout the county nearly every month. Additional outreach will take place during 2017 and 2018.
The Countywide Plan outreach program will build upon the previous five years of public engagement conducted through the Countywide Vision, Community Vital Signs Initiative, and Renewable Energy and Conservation Element. Thousands of residents, all 24 cities and towns, and hundreds of stakeholders from local, regional, state, and federal agencies and organizations participated in those engagement efforts.
Public input will be sought at both the community and countywide level through workshops, meetings, events, and through the project’s website, www.countywideplan.com, where a timeline of the outreach schedule will be maintained.
The new Countywide Plan website serves as a key component of the public participation and engagement process for updating the Countywide Plan and Community Plans.
The site serves as a 24-hour resource for the public to provide input and access background information, public meeting schedules, and copies of relevant documents, presentations and other meeting materials. Draft documents and other work products will be added to the website as they become available. Visitors to the site will be able to take surveys, and submit comments and photos for use in the Countywide Plan. The public can use the website to sign up for email or text notifications to stay up-to-date on project-related news.
Also, beginning next month, the County will publish the Countywide Connection, an electronic newsletter specific to the Countywide Plan project. The Countywide Connection will provide timely information about progress on the project, meeting announcements, how residents can be heard during the planning process, and links to the latest project surveys, documents, and resources.
The first issue of the Countywide Connection will focus on an overview of the Countywide Plan, provide an update of major project components, and highlight public outreach events for Community Plans. Three more newsletters are anticipated to be released over the duration of the project to provide updates to the community of key milestones and achievements of the process. Countywide Connection will be available at www.countywideplan.com, on CountyWire at http://wp.sbcounty.gov/cao/countywire/, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/countywideplan/. Residents will also be able to subscribe to Countywide Connection and have it emailed to them.
The Community Plans component of the Countywide Plan effort will generate customized action plans for recognized communities in unincorporated areas. Outreach to various community areas will begin in the spring and be conducted in multiple phases throughout this year and 2017.
Workshops for the first 11 communities are planned for February, March, and July at locations within each community. Specific workshop locations, dates, and times are available on the page of the Countywide Plan website dedicated to Community Plans: www.countywideplan.com/cp.
The workshops will focus on identifying and prioritizing what each community values, explore what each community wants for its future, and identify specific actions to implement community goals and objectives. Ultimately, the County is seeking to partner with the public to prioritize how County resources should be utilized for each community and how the community can participate in the creation of its own future.
Those who are unable to attend the workshops will be able to participate by exploring workshop materials online and taking online surveys on the website.
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Tagged: river
by Frans Blok · Published 18. October 2015 · Last modified 21. April 2017
Room for the River Deventer: Almost Finished!
I had not picked the best day to go to Deventer: when I came out of the station the drizzle had just begun to turn into more serious rainfall. But I have nevertheless made a little tour across the railway bridge, past De Worp and across Wilhelminabridge, to see how the Room for the River project was progressing. The project for which I made this animation and that by now is almost finished. Mirror pond From the railway bridge, there’s a great view of one of the new channels that will provide a better flow during high water levels. And...
by Frans Blok · Published 12. May 2015 · Last modified 15. October 2016
Work in Progress: Room for the River, Nijmegen
About five years ago, when employed at Royal HaskoningDHV, I worked on the Room for the River project near Nijmegen. Perhaps the most radical of all the projects in the national Room for the River program. Near the village/neighbourhood of Lent a new channel is created, cutting off the inside bend of the river Waal, resulting in a new island: Veur-Lent. Among other things, I made this animation. Suggested soundtrack: “This is your Lent” by Simple Minds on. Stills from the film were used to inform the public about the project like on these information cubes: Last Friday I was...
Design / Rotterdam
by Frans Blok · Published 17. June 2014 · Last modified 21. April 2017
A New Skyline for Rotterdam
Rotterdam Festivals uses a graphical representation of the famous skyline of the city as their logo. But such a logo is aging rapidly, especially in 2014, the year that three new landmarks were added: the Central Station, the Market Hall and De Rotterdam. So they organized a design competition for a new skyline logo with at least those three buildings in it. The prize was … nothing. Nothing? Indeed, it was only for the honor. Maybe, as a designer, you shouldn’t even want to participate, but hey, it’s for a good cause. And since I had a good idea…. Colors...
by Frans Blok · Published 25. April 2014 · Last modified 3. March 2017
Stentor was, in Greek mythology, a herald with a loud voice who served in the Greek army at Troy. De Stentor is also the regional newspaper of Deventer and surroundings. Island breakwaters On April 12th, de Stentor published this image, made by 3Develop, to illustrate an article about the island breakwaters that will be made in the IJssel river: Innovation The island breakwaters are an innovative way to ensure that the channel does not become bogged down while at the same time leaving sufficient width for passage of ships. The images that I, as 3Develop, made of the breakwaters at...
by Frans Blok · Published 2. March 2014 · Last modified 24. February 2017
View of Rotterdam, from De Rotterdam
A few weeks ago I was visiting friends who are living in De Rotterdam. In the late nineties, employed at OMA, I’ve been working on the design of that building. Now, fifteen years later, it’s finally finished and it draws the attention of the world. Manual focus The view was, even on the fourteenth floor, not even halfway to the top, allready pretty overwhelming. Of course I had brought my camera. I had just forgotten that my lens was still on manual focus. And then of course I should do some manual focussing. As a result the panoramic image I...
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From Banker to ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’
by Sarah Ryan
Sarah Ryan WG05
Wharton Alumni Affairs, Europe, Middle East and Africa
Femi Ayeni, WG’85, began his career on a fairly typical path as a banker in Philadelphia. However, after a few years in the U.S., he was ready to return to Nigeria and launch his own business. His first thought was to launch a financial services firm, but the government would not grant new banking licenses. Picking the next obvious adjacent business opportunity, he decided to open up a chain of VHS rental stores in the days when West Coast Video was the leading U.S. player. He returned to Nigeria with suitcases of tapes to open his first store but quickly realized that the business had limited profitable opportunities.
The 36 states of Nigeria
That’s how he entered the satellite industry. Back in the day when satellite dishes were quite large, the signal was weak and the reception could be impacted by bad weather, his company installed satellite dishes to homes, compounds and hotels.
Now he is firmly entrenched in the media industry. Femi began attending the Cannes television festivals in April and October of each year in the early 90s initially to buy a channel. He ended up buying the Nigerian rights to Who Wants to be a Millionaire with the aim of being the executive producer who would watch the show’s success from a relative distance. Little did he know that the success of such a program is in the minute-by-minute details. It required him to be a critical participant in every step of the show’s development. For example, with existing “Nollywood” studio space unsuitable to game-show production he had to build his own studio to house the set as well as the set of another show whose rights he acquired, Fame Academy. His Who Wants to be a Millionaire is now in its 10th year of production while Fame Academy has operated now for six seasons.
Femi’s next move will be a YouTube-based television channel that will inform and educate as well as entertain. The channel’s sitcoms and dramas will weave in critical lessons about malaria, AIDS and family planning. It will represent Femi’s latest move into education in Nigeria. Interestingly, Who Wants to be a Millionaire is viewed as an educational rather than an entertainment program in the West African nation. Taxi drivers have been known to write down the show’s questions and answers each Friday into notebooks, and fathers insist this is the one program their family must watch. A special “Who Wants to be an Achiever” episode airs several times per year and enables students to compete for scholarship money.
With the launch of his YouTube channel, alumni all over the world will be able to see Femi’s programming. I look forward to watching! Check out some of his programming now at www.ultimalimited.com, www.millionairenigeria.com, www.whowantstoberichghana.com and www.projectfamewestafrica.com.
Fame Academy, Femi Ayeni, Nollywood, Sarah Ryan, Ultima Limited, West Coast Video, Who Wants to be a Millionaire
Moneyball for Health Care Previous
From Implausible Analysis to Impossible Guesswork Next
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BT Infinity
BT Infinity was a broadband service in the United Kingdom provided by BT Consumer, the consumer sales arm of the BT Group. The underlying network is fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), which used optical fibre for all except the final few hundred metres to the consumer, and delivered claimed download speeds of "up to 76 Mbit/s" and upload speeds of "up to 19 Mbit/s" depending on package selected.[1] The fibre terminated in a new roadside cabinet containing a DSLAM, from where the final connection to the customer uses VDSL2 technology.
Ofcom data gathered in November 2014 indicated that only 1% of 76 Mbit/s and 15% of 38 Mbit/s customers received the advertised speed.[2]
1 Deployment
2 Wholesale competition
3 Demand
4 Criticism
5 National Security Threats & Personal Privacy
Following a technical trial involving 50 homes in Foxhall, Ipswich, in January 2009,[3] and operational pilots at the Muswell Hill, Whitchurch and Glasgow Halfway telephone exchanges, the service was launched commercially on 25 January 2010.[4] When it was announced, BT expected 4 million customers for the service by the end of the year. Infinity forms part of BT's £1.5bn plan to make superfast broadband available to 40% of the UK by the summer of 2012, using FTTC and FTTP services.[5] Previously, the only major provider of domestic super fast broadband in the UK was Virgin Media's hybrid fibre-coaxial service.[6] Neither Virgin Media nor BT's 'up-to 76MBit/s' Infinity actually use optical fibre to supply super fast broadband to the home, but rather still rely on copper, which can be sensitive to electromagnetic interference. BT Infinity does however have a 'fibre to the home' product available.[7]
Wholesale competition
The fibre infrastructure is installed and maintained by Openreach, and is available for use by non-BT ISPs either directly from Openreach,[8] or from BT Wholesale as part of the WBC product family.[9]
BT Retail ran a competition called "Race to Infinity"[10] in the autumn of 2010 to assess demand for the Infinity product in 2495 mostly-rural communities. The winners would be the 5 areas served by a telephone exchange that received the most percentage votes out of its "total connections" by 31 December 2010.
BT announced on 3 January 2011 that 6, not the originally planned 5, areas would receive Infinity by early 2012.[11] The six winning areas were: Whitchurch, Hampshire (104%); Caxton, Cambridgeshire (103%); Madingley, Cambridgeshire (102%); Innerleithen, Scottish Borders (101%); Blewbury, Oxfordshire (99.8%); Baschurch, Shropshire (95%).
Voting surpassed 100% in several areas because new places had been built and residents without landlines connected to the area's exchange could vote - and were encouraged to do so by very active locally-run volunteer campaigns.[12]
In addition to winning Infinity, each of the six winning areas are to receive £5,000 of computer equipment for a local community project.[13] BT originally planned on awarding the prize to just 1 of the top 5 winners.
As of February 2015, many properties in the small village of Baschurch were still waiting for BT to install BT Infinity.
An area's exchange had to get a minimum of 1,000 votes in order to enter the competition; any area whose exchange reached 75% would be actively engaged with by BT for an upgrade. Two exchanges outside the top 6 winners achieved over 75%: Marton, Warwickshire; and Capel, Surrey.
On 2 February 2011, BT announced that all 10 exchanges would be upgraded.[14]
In March 2012, BT announced that they would be upgrading all of their packages to take advantage of their newer and much faster 100Mbit/s fibre-optic technology. Areas are expected to be upgraded within the upcoming months.[citation needed]
On 25 September 2012, BT announced 163 new fibre exchanges. They are all expected to be activated sometime during 2013.[15] Among the list, is Blackpool, Lancashire, Desford, Leicestershire, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, Oakengates, Shropshire, Skegness, Torquay, Cowdenbeath, Fife, Christchurch, Dorset, Buckhaven, Fife and Dursley.
In December 2012, BT had begun the first real-world tests of newer XGPON technology, developed by BT and ZTE collectively, to allow superfast fibre-optic broadband up to 10Gbit/s (10,000Mbit/s). The testing is currently being held at Arcol UK in Cornwall and will operate in tandem with its current 330Mbit/s downlink package.[16]
On 13 February 2013, BT announced 99 new fibre exchanges. They are all expected to be activated by the end of 2014.[17] Among the list, is Beamish, Birtley, Tyne and Wear, Darlington, Coatbridge, Grimsby and Yapton.
BT have received objections to the siting of various road-side boxes that are being installed for BT Infinity. Objectors are not opposed to the new technology, but propose that better locations could be found for the boxes. The green BT Infinity boxes are similar to existing street side cabinets but are taller and wider than existing units, with some models being 1.6 metres (5.2 ft) tall.[18][19]
BT has also being widely criticised for upgrading telephone exchanges to support BT Infinity but then failing to upgrade all 'less profitable' cabinets. BT does not make cabinet upgrade plans public knowledge.[20][21]
National Security Threats & Personal Privacy
Between 2010 and 2012 the UK intelligence community initiated an investigation aimed at Huawei, the Chinese supplier of BT's new fibre infrastructure, of which BT Infinity is a part, with increasing urgency after the USA, Canada and Australia prevented the company from operating in their countries.[22] Although BT had notified the UK government in 2003 of Huawei's interest in their £10b network upgrade contract, what they did not do was raise the security implications as BT failed to explain that the Chinese company would have unfettered access to critical infrastructure.[23] On 16 December 2012 David Cameron was supplied with a in-depth report indicating that the intelligence services had very grave doubts regarding Huawei, in that the UK governmental, military, business community and private citizen's privacy may be under serious threat. Subsequently, BT's Infinity program and other projects are now under urgent review.[24]
On 7 June 2013, British lawmakers concluded that BT should never have allowed the Chinese company access to the UK's critical communications network without ministerial oversight, saying they were 'deeply shocked' that BT did not inform government that they were allowing Huawei and ZTE, both foreign entities with ties to the Chinese military unfettered access to critical national systems. Furthermore, ministers discovered that the agency with responsibility to ensure Chinese equipment and code, was 'threat-free' was entirely staffed by Huawei employees. Subsequently, parliamentarians confirmed that in case of an attack on the UK there was nothing at this point that could done to stop Chinese infiltration attacking critical national infrastructure.[25]
Another Chinese company ZTE supplying extensive network equipment and subscriber hardware to BT Infinity is also under scrutiny after the US, Canada, Australia and the European Union declared the company a security risk to its citizens.[26]
Next generation access
^ BT Infinity Product Page BT Retail, accessed 2012-04-21
^ Sebastian Anthony. "Only 1 percent of "up to 76Mbps" customers actually get 76Mbps from UK ISPs". arstechnica.co.uk. Ars Technica UK. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
^ Superfast Broadband Programme Update, BT, published June 2009, accessed 2010-10-27
^ BT launches new Infinity broadband service V3, published 2010-01-21, accessed 2010-10-27
^ BT launches BT Infinity superfast broadband at a competitive price Archived 17 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine BT, published 2010-01-21, accessed 2010-10-27
^ BT Infinity Fibre Optic Broadband Comparison, accessed 2010-10-27
^ http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/36968/~/how-is-bt-infinity-fibre-to-the-home-installed
^ Race to Infinity Archived 8 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 11 January 2011
^ "BT broadband race winners announced", BBC
^ "WE WON! Top in the UK for Rural Broadband!", Whitchurch.org.uk
^ "…and now we WIN £5000!", Whitchurch.org.uk
^ "BT Expands Free UK Superfast Broadband Upgrade from 6 to 10 Communities", ISPreview
^ "BT announces 163 new fibre exchanges" Archived 30 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Techbeast.net
^ Updated 20:23 23 Nov 2012 by Chris Smith (23 November 2012). "BT trialling 10-gigabit per second broadband in Cornwall". T3. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
^ "BT reveals latest phase of fibre roll-out". Btplc.com. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
^ conservationists battle bt over broadband cabinets, published 2 July 2010, accessed 11-11-2010
^ The BT broadband boxes that have muzzled the Muswell Hill fibre trial, published 1 September 2010, accessed 11-11-2010
^ BT Infinity ‘Blackspots’ & Why No Fibre Optic For Me! Accessed 18 July 2013.
^ Why doesn’t BT come clean over fibre cabinet notspots? Accessed 18 July 2013.
^ Charles Arthur (8 October 2012). "China's Huawei and ZTE pose national security threat, says US committee | Technology | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
^ http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/383125/government-admits-slip-ups-in-bt-huawei-deal
^ Cusick, James (16 December 2012). "China telecoms giant could be cyber-security risk to Britain". The Independent.
^ Sandle, Paul (7 June 2013). "Parliamentarians say Huawei-BT deal exposes flawed security controls | Reuters". Uk.reuters.com. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
^ Shead, Sam (13 December 2012). "Huawei and ZTE could pose security and business threat to Europe, says EU report". ZDNet. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
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Diamond Dogs Tour
Tour by David Bowie
Bowie performing at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina on 5 July 1974
Associated album
No. of shows
78 (80 scheduled)
David Bowie concert chronology
Ziggy Stardust Tour
Isolar – 1976 Tour
The Diamond Dogs Tour was a concert tour by David Bowie in North America in 1974 to promote the studio album Diamond Dogs (1974). The end of the tour was also called The Soul Tour, which included some songs from the forthcoming album Young Americans (1975).
1 Tour preparation and details
2 Set design
3 Live recordings
5 Tour dates
Tour preparation and details
Bowie during the Diamond Dogs Tour on 5 July 1974 at the Charlotte Coliseum
Two months of rehearsals were required to get the tour ready, in part due to the elaborate set & props required for the show (reported to cost $275,000 per set,[1] or about $1,400,000 today).[2] Originally the tour was planned to appear in a city for five nights before moving on to the next city, but that plan was abandoned early on. The tour started in June 1974 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as the "Diamond Dogs Tour" (although producer Tony DeFries demanded the tour be referred to as "The Year of the Diamond Dogs" when speaking with the press). Bowie recorded radio and television commercials for the tour, which played in advance of the tour's arrival in each city.[3] The tour took the month of August 1974 off, during which time Bowie began recording his follow-up studio album, Young Americans. On 10 October 1974, after the tour had resumed, Bowie abandoned the extravagant theatrical set and re-branded the tour "The Soul Tour", which would continue through the end of the North American leg in December.[1]
In 1987, Bowie recalled how difficult the tour was early on before changing it into the 'Soul Tour', saying "I was in a bad state of mind to have attempted that. It was pretty exciting, but I was so blocked [laughs], so stoned during the entire thing that I'm amazed I lasted with it even that one trip across America before I ditched it."[4]
The set for the theatrical Diamond Dogs tour was designed by Mark Ravitz, who would go on to design sets for artists such as KISS, Whitney Houston and the Backstreet Boys, as well as for Bowie's 1987 Glass Spider Tour.[5] The set was built to resemble a city (called "Hunger City"),[3] weighed 6 tons and was incorporated over 20,000 moving parts including a variety of props (such as streetlamps, chairs and catwalks). The props themselves weren't ready for use until a mere 6 days before the show opened, which led to a variety of technical problems during the tour: a movable catwalk collapsed once during the tour with Bowie on it.[3] The set was at least partially based on work by German artist George Grosz.[6] In 1990, while preparing for his Sound+Vision Tour, Bowie recalled the difficulties faced by the show, saying it "was good fun and dangerous, with the equipment breaking down and the bridges falling apart on stage. I kept getting stuck out over the audience's heads, on the hydraulic cherry picker, after the finish of 'Space Oddity.'"[7]
Other props worked as expected: for the song "Big Brother", Bowie sang from inside a multi-mirrored glass "asylum", emerging during the next song ("Time") sitting in the palm of a giant hand.[1]
The show in Tampa, Florida, was performed without any of the stage props because the truck driver driving those components ended up in a highway ditch after being stung by a bee.[1]
In 1987, while preparing for the Glass Spider Tour (which picked up theatrically where the Diamond Dogs tour left off and was also designed by Ravitz), Bowie recalled about the extraordinary nature of the set he used during this tour, saying "We had four skyscrapers on stage, with bridges that went backwards and forward and would go up and down. The whole thing was built on a city pretext. I had dancers working with me and it was choreographed and was a real fantastic musical event. I thoroughly enjoyed working like that.[8]
Main article: David Live
MainMan, Bowie's management team, planned to cull a live album from the July 1974 performances at the Tower Theater just outside Philadelphia. When the band learned of this, they demanded to be paid a standard recording fee of $5000 per musician in addition to their normal pay or they would refuse to perform. They were given checks hours before show time, and the concert recording went on as planned.[3][9]
A Portrait in Flesh, a bootleg of the September 5, 1974 show in Los Angeles was released in Australia.[10]
An official version of the 5 September 1974 show at Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheatre, mixed by Tony Visconti in 2016, was first released as Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74), a 3-LP set, for Record Store Day on 22 April 2017. The set was later released on CD and digital formats in June 2017.
June–July:
David Bowie – vocals
Michael Kamen – electric piano, Moog synthesizer, oboe, music director
Earl Slick – guitar
Mike Garson – piano, mellotron
David Sanborn – alto saxophone, flute
Richard Grando – baritone saxophone, flute
Herbie Flowers – bass
Tony Newman – drums
Pablo Rosario – percussion
Gui Andrisano – backing vocals
Warren Peace – backing vocals
Michael Kamen – electric piano, Moog synthesizer, oboe
Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar
Doug Rauch – bass
Greg Errico – drums
Ava Cherry – backing vocals
Robin Clark – backing vocals
Anthony Hinton – backing vocals
Diane Sumler – backing vocals
Luther Vandross – backing vocals
"The Soul/Philly Dogs Tour" – October–December:
Mike Garson – piano, mellotron, music director
Earl Slick – lead guitar
Willie Weeks – bass
Dennis Davis – drums
Two concerts were performed on 16 June in Toronto.
North America (First Leg)
14 June 1974 Montreal Canada Montreal Forum 18,500/18,500
15 June 1974 Ottawa Ottawa Civic Centre 10,000/10,000
16 June 1974 Toronto O'Keefe Centre 3,191/3,191
17 June 1974 Rochester United States Rochester Community War Memorial 12,000/12,000
18 June 1974 Cleveland Public Auditorium 20,000/20,000
20 June 1974 Toledo Toledo Sports Arena 6,500/6,500
22 June 1974 Detroit Cobo Hall 22,000/22,000
24 June 1974 Trotwood Hara Arena 5,500/5,500
25 June 1974 Cincinnati Cincinnati Gardens
26 June 1974 Pittsburgh Syria Mosque 7,400/7,400
28 June 1974 Charleston Charleston Civic Center 12,000/12,000
29 June 1974 Nashville Nashville Municipal Auditorium 10,000/10,000
30 June 1974 Memphis Mid-South Coliseum 9,875/10,085
1 July 1974 Atlanta Fox Theatre 4,665/4,665
2 July 1974 Tampa Curtis Hixon Hall 5,350/5,350
3 July 1974 Casselberry Seminole Turf Club 2,450/2,450
5 July 1974 Charlotte Park Center 3,500/3,500
6 July 1974 Greensboro Greensboro Coliseum 23,000/23,000
7 July 1974 Norfolk Norfolk Scope 13,800/13,800
8 July 1974 Upper Darby Tower Theater 18,384/18,384
14 July 1974 New Haven New Haven Coliseum 11,000/11,000
16 July 1974 Boston Music Hall 3,500/3,500
17 July 1974 Yarmouth Cape Cod Coliseum
19 July 1974 New York City Madison Square Garden 40,000/40,000
North America (Second Leg)
2 September 1974 Los Angeles United States Universal Amphitheatre 43,323
11 September 1974 San Diego San Diego Sports Arena 14,800/14,800
13 September 1974 Tucson Tucson Convention Center 2,200/2,200
14 September 1974 Phoenix Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 16,000/16,000
15 September 1974 Anaheim Anaheim Convention Center 15,000/15,000
North America (Third Leg)
5 October 1974 Saint Paul United States Saint Paul Civic Center 18,000/18,000
8 October 1974 Indianapolis Indiana Convention Center 20,000/22,000
10 October 1974 Madison Dane County Coliseum
11 October 1974 10,300/10,300
13 October 1974 Milwaukee MECCA Arena 12,700/12,700
15 October 1974 Detroit Michigan Palace Theater 20,250/20,250
21 October 1974 Chicago Arie Crown Theater
22 October 1974 8,500/8,500
28 October 1974 New York City Radio City Music Hall 41,720/41,720
6 November 1974 Cleveland Public Auditorium 10,000/10,000
8 November 1974 Buffalo War Memorial Stadium 37,500/37,500
11 November 1974 Landover Capital Centre 21,000/21,000
14 November 1974 Boston Music Hall 10,500/10,500
18 November 1974 Philadelphia The Spectrum 18,000/18,000
19 November 1974 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Civic Arena 18,240/18,240
24 November 1974 Philadelphia The Spectrum
25 November 1974 18,000/18,000
28 November 1974 Memphis Mid-South Coliseum 10,000/10,000
30 November 1974 Nashville Nashville Municipal Auditorium 9,700/9,700
1 December 1974 Atlanta Omni Coliseum 18,000/18,000
From David Bowie
"Space Oddity"
"Memory of a Free Festival"
From The Man Who Sold the World
"The Width of a Circle"
From Hunky Dory
"Changes"
From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
"Moonage Daydream"
"Suffragette City"
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"
From Aladdin Sane
"Watch That Man"
"Aladdin Sane (1913–1938-197?)"
"Drive-In Saturday"
"Panic in Detroit"
"Cracked Actor"
"Time"
"The Jean Genie"
From Pin Ups
"Sorrow" (originally by The McCoys in 1965 and made famous by The Merseys the following year; written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer)
From Diamond Dogs
"Future Legend"
"Diamond Dogs"
"Sweet Thing"
"Candidate"
"Sweet Thing (Reprise)"
"Rebel Rebel"
"Rock 'n' Roll With Me"
"Big Brother"
"Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family"
From Young Americans
"Young Americans"
"Win"
"Somebody Up There Likes Me"
"Can You Hear Me?"
"All the Young Dudes" (from All the Young Dudes (1972) by Mott the Hoople; written by Bowie)
"Footstompin'" (by Andre Collins, written by Collins and Ande Rand)
"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" (from Observations in Time (1969) by the Ohio Players, written by Leroy Bonner, Joe Harris, Marshall "Rock" Jones, Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks, Dutch Robinson, Clarence "Satch" Satchell and Gary Webster)
"It's Gonna Be Me" (outtake from Young Americans; released as a bonus track from the album's 1991 and 2007 reissues (the latter being an alternate version with strings))
"John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" (originally a non-album single first released in 1972/1973, an alternate version/outtake from "Young Americans" played during the tour; wouldn't see an official release until 1979)
"Knock on Wood" (originally from Knock on Wood (1966) by Eddie Floyd; written by Floyd and Steve Cropper; later released as a single from David Live (1974))
^ a b c d Kamp, Thomas (1985), David Bowie: The Wild-Eyed Boy 1964–1984 (1st ed.), O'Sullivan, Woodside & Co.
^ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
^ a b c d Edwards, Henry; Zanetta, Tony (1986), Stardust: The David Bowie Story, ISBN 0-07-072797-X
^ "David Bowie Opens Up – A Little" by Scott Isler, Musician Magazine, August 1987, pp 60-73
^ Albrecht, Leslie (24 August 2016). "Former David Bowie Set Designer Keeps Park Slope Building Dripping with Art". DNAInfo.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
^ Cascone, Sarah (12 January 2016). "Take a Peek at David Bowie's Idiosyncratic Art Collection". Artnet News. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
^ Clarke, Tina (1990), "David Bowie: Ornament – Oddity – Artist – Survivor", Elle, archived from the original on 16 July 2001
^ Morse, Steve (July – August 1987), "David Bowie (Cover Story)", In Fashion magazine, 3 (10): 151, 153
^ http://www.phillymag.com/ticket/2016/01/11/david-bowie-david-live-tower-theater/
^ "David Bowie 1974-09-05 Los Angeles, A Portrait In Flesh (remix) SQ -9 | www.DavidBowieWorld.nl". www.davidbowieworld.nl. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
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Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg
For the American university, see Wittenberg University.
Latin: Universitas hallensis
Zukunft mit Tradition
Motto in English
Future with Tradition
€ 182.9 million[1]
Christian Tietje [de]
www.uni-halle.de
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (German: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. MLU offers German and international (English) courses leading to academic degrees such as BA, BSc, MA, MSc, doctoral degrees and Habilitation.
The university was created in 1817 through the merger of the University of Wittenberg (founded in 1502) and the University of Halle (founded in 1691). The university is named after the Protestant reformer Martin Luther, who was a professor in Wittenberg. Today, the university itself is located in Halle, while the Leucorea Foundation in Wittenberg serves as MLU's convention centre (and hotel) for seminars as well as for academic and political conferences. Both Halle and Wittenberg are about one hour from Berlin via the Berlin–Halle railway, which offers Intercity-Express (ICE) trains.
1.1 Nazi period
2 Faculties
3 Points of interest
4 Cooperating research institutions
5 Collegium musicum
6 Partner universities
7 Notable scholars
8 Cultural references
Diploma 1833 (Source: State Archive in Poznań (Posen))
Wittenberg University, Collegianstrasse, Wittenberg
Quadrangle, Wittenberg University
The University of Wittenberg (Universität Wittenberg) was founded in 1502 by Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, as the Renaissance was becoming more and more popular.[3] The foundation of the university was heavily criticized, especially when the Ninety-five Theses reached Albert of Brandenburg, the Archbishop of Mainz. Ecclesiastically speaking, the Electorate of Saxony was subordinate to Albert. He criticized the elector for Luther's theses, viewing the recently founded university as a breeding ground for heretical ideas. Under the influence of Philipp Melanchthon, building on the works of Martin Luther, the university became a centre of the Protestant Reformation, even incorporating, at one point in time, Luther's house in Wittenberg, the Lutherhaus, as part of the campus. Notable alumni include George Müller, Georg Joachim Rheticus and – in fiction – William Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet and Horatio and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus.
The University of Halle (Universität Halle) was founded in 1694 by Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, who became Frederick I, King in Prussia, in 1701.
In the late 17th century and early 18th century, Halle became a centre for Pietism within Prussia.
University of Halle in 1836.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the universities were centers of the German Enlightenment. Christian Wolff was an important proponent of rationalism. He influenced many German scholars, such as Immanuel Kant. Christian Thomasius was at the same time the first philosopher in Germany to hold his lectures not in Latin, but German. He contributed to a rational programme in philosophy but also tried to establish a more common-sense point of view, which was aimed against the unquestioned superiority of aristocracy and theology.
The institutionalisation of the local language (German) as the language of instruction, the prioritisation of rationalism over religious orthodoxy, new modes of teaching, and the ceding of control over their work to the professors themselves, were among various innovations which characterised the University of Halle, and have led to its being referred to as the first "modern" university, whose liberalism was adopted by the University of Göttingen about a generation later, and subsequently by other German and then most North American universities.[3]
The University of Wittenberg was closed in 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars. The town of Wittenberg was granted to Prussia in the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and the university was then merged with the Prussian University of Halle in 1817. It took its present name on 10 November 1933.
Nazi period
Main article: University education in Nazi Germany
More than a dozen professors were expelled. Others were shifted to Halle-Wittenberg from universities regarded as "better" at the time, which led to the university being called an academic Vorkuta – after the largest center of the Gulag camps in European Russia).
Following the continental European academic tradition, MLU has 9 faculties, regrouping academic staff and students according to their field of studies (as opposed to the Anglo-Saxon collegiate university model):
Faculty of Law and Economics
Faculty of Philosophy I (Social and Cultural Studies, History)
Faculty of Philosophy II (Ancient and Modern Languages, Communication Studies, Music)
Faculty of Philosophy III (Paedagogy)
Faculty of Natural Sciences I (Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmacy)
Faculty of Natural Sciences II (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics)
Faculty of Natural Sciences III (Agriculture, Geology, Computer Science)
The Botanical Garden of Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, founded in 1698.
MLU's historical observatory, built in 1788 by Carl Gotthard Langhans.
Cooperating research institutions
MLU's Lions' Hall ("Löwengebäude"), decorated with neoclassical frescos.
Central lecture hall ("Auditorium Maximum", in the background) and entry of Lions' Hall (in the front).
Thomasianum (office of MLU’s president and chancellor).
MLU is enclosed by a variety of research institutions, which have either institutional or personal links with the university or cooperate occasionally in their respective fields of studies:
The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
The Halle Institute for Economic Research
The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials
The Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe
The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry
The Max Planck Research Unit for Enzymology of Protein Folding
The Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
The Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics
The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
Even though MLU is an academic, research oriented institution, not an academy of music or conservatory, the university has an academic orchestra, founded in 1779, and a rather prestigious[4] choir, founded in 1950, which together constitute the so-called Collegium musicum. Members are mostly gifted students of all faculties, but also academic staff and alumni. The university choir regularly performs at the international Handel Festival in George Frideric Handel’s birthplace, Halle.
MLU has many international partner universities, including:
Argentina: National University of La Plata
Armenia: Yerevan State University
Australia: University of Queensland
Austria: Johannes Kepler University Linz
Canada: University of Ottawa
Colombia: National University of Colombia and University of Atlántico
China: Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Czech Republic: Department of Musicology of Palacký University Faculty of Philosophy
France: Charles de Gaulle University - Lille III, Paris X University Nanterre
Hungary: University of Szeged
India: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Israel: Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bar-Ilan University
Italy: University of Palermo, University of Pisa, University of Naples Federico II
Japan: Senshu University, Sophia University, Waseda University, Keio University
Mauritius: University of Mauritius
Mongolia: National University of Mongolia
Peru: National University of San Marcos
Poland: University of Gdańsk, Silesian University of Technology, Jan Kochanowski University, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Romania: Babeş-Bolyai University
Russia: M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow City Pedagogical University, Smolensk Humanitarian University, Bashkir State University, Voronezh State University, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Dubna
Slovakia: Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
Spain: University of Alcalá
South Africa: University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch University
South Korea: Hanbat National University
Syria: University of Damascus, Arab International University
United States: University of South Carolina, University of Alabama, University of Florida, Illinois Institute of Technology.
Notable scholars
Main article: List of Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg people
University Hospital, Halle.
Melanchthoneanum (on the right) and faculty of law (on the left).
Given the history[5] and reputation[6] of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, numerous notable personalities attended the institution, such as Nobel laureates Emil Adolf von Behring, Gustav Ludwig Hertz, Hermann Staudinger and Karl Ziegler, as well as Anton Wilhelm Amo (the first black Sub-Saharan African known to have attended a European university), Dorothea Erxleben (the first female medical doctor in Germany), Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America, and his son, Frederick Muhlenberg (the first Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States), and Hans Dietrich Genscher (Germany’s longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor).
University of Wittenberg is the alma mater of Prince Hamlet (as well as his acquaintances Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus.
Germany portal
List of early modern universities in Europe
^ a b c "Berichterstattung 2015: Hochschulen des Landes im quantitativen Vergleich" (PDF) (in German). Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Digitalisierung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
^ "About the university". University of Halle-Wittenbarg. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
^ a b Britannica Online
^ In 2007, the "Johann Friedrich Reichardt University Choir", led by MLU’s musical director Jens Lorenz, was awarded the overall distinction "Gold – Excellent" in the "18th International Competition of Choral Music" in Verona, Italy for its performance with spiritual and secular a cappella works from the renaissance, baroque and romantic periods and the 20th century. In addition, the choir was awarded one of three special awards for the best interpretation of the compulsory piece "As Torrents in Summer" by Edward Elgar. Source: Martin Luther University (2008): MLU Yearbook 2007, p. 138
^ Speler, Ralf-Torsten (2003): 'Die Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg', Erfurt: Sutton, ISBN 978-3-89702-482-3
^ Due to rather homogeneous standards of teaching and research, German university rankings generally are far less significant than for many other countries. Nevertheless, for example, MLU’s faculty of economics outranks University of Heidelberg, the oldest (and often considered as the foremost) German university, in 13 of 19 tested categories, according to the 2007 survey of German Academic Exchange Service. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-02-09. Retrieved 2008-02-10. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th Edition. Chicago, 1988.
Official website ‹See Tfd›(in German)
Coordinates: 51°29′11″N 11°58′08″E / 51.48639°N 11.96889°E / 51.48639; 11.96889
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Visual J++
Visual J++ (pronounced "Jay Plus Plus") is Microsoft's discontinued implementation of Java. Syntax, keywords, and grammatical conventions were the same as Java's. Microsoft discontinued support of J++ in January 2004,[1] replacing it to a certain extent with J# and C#.
1 J++ compared to Sun's Java implementation
2 The WFC
3 Sun's litigation against Microsoft
4 Visual J++ - The IDE
5 Visual J#
J++ compared to Sun's Java implementation
While J++ conformed to the Java language specification, Microsoft did not implement certain features of the official Sun Java implementation in its Visual J++ product line. Remote Method Invocation (Java RMI) and Java Native Interface (JNI) are such examples.[2][3]
In addition, J++ implemented other extensions that were not part of Sun's Java implementation. The inclusion of callbacks and delegates for event handling further contributed to defining J++ as a completely different language merely based on an already existing design concept.
Furthermore, J++ applications did not conform to the standardized method of accessing the underlying operating system functions as any other Java application under Sun's Java SDK. In Microsoft's implementation, an underlying framework called J/Direct provided a base mechanism that allowed J++ applications to completely circumvent Java's class libraries and API media in accessing the underlying operating system. Due to this short-cut around the original Java framework, J++ applications were more efficient in taking advantage of Win32 API functions than Java applications.
J++ applications using these features could not be run on Sun's Java SDK, but the Kaffe project developed extensions which made it possible to run J++ applications with these features on their open sourced JVM. However, these extensions (implemented by TransVirtual under Microsoft funding) were not widely used, and J++ applications still needed to be compiled on Visual J++ before being able to be run by Kaffe.[4][5]
Visual J++ supported ActiveX.[6]
The WFC
The Windows Foundation Classes (WFC) encapsulated the Microsoft Win32 platform API and DHTML object models into a unified class library. WFC was primarily designed for creating graphical user interfaces for Java applications on Windows.
Sun's litigation against Microsoft
Sun Microsystems had originally licensed Java to Microsoft but later initiated litigation against Microsoft for trademark violation. Sun's trademark license for usage of the Java brand insists that all implementations be "compatible".
Some observers have remarked that this incompatibility appears to have been a deliberate aim of Microsoft's, in an attempt to at least slow the advance of Sun's Java technology.[7][8]
The failure of the MSJVM to pass Sun's compliance tests was a large factor in the initial lawsuit. On January 24, 2001, this and all other outstanding Sun-Microsoft lawsuits were settled as part of a wide-ranging agreement between Sun and Microsoft.[9] As provided in the settlement, Microsoft could not incorporate into J++ features that Sun introduced into Java in versions beyond the one J++ had (at that date) been mirrored from; it would be frozen at the feature set of Java version 1.1.4. This effectively killed J++, and ended further updates. Microsoft was also forced to agree to cease distribution of the MSJVM; it is no longer available for download.
The terms of the settlement did, however, permit Microsoft to provide security support, allowing further updates to the MSJVM to fix security holes and any other problems relating to security threats. Microsoft ceased such support for the MSJVM on December 31, 2007.[10]
The technology of J++ was eventually recycled, surviving for a while as part of the Microsoft .NET platform and the J# programming language.
Visual J++ - The IDE
Visual J++ was also the name of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for J++ and provided many tools and utilities to help J++ programmers fully leverage the Win32 API.
Visual J++ is no longer available for distribution, but it was part of the Microsoft Visual Studio product line. Visual Studio 6.0 was the last release to include J++.
Visual J#
Visual J# (pronounced "Jay Sharp") is a Microsoft language whose syntax is close to Java, part of the .NET Framework. Visual J# is part of the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET product suite and is designed to help developers and programmers migrate from J++ (or Java) to the .NET Framework.
Microsoft later developed the C# ("C Sharp") language as the primary language for the .NET platform, which was in many ways influenced by Java; subsequently the .NET Framework shares many ideas in common with Java. Much like Java, C# is compiled to a type of bytecode (called CIL), and runs on top of a virtual machine called the Common Language Runtime in .NET. Visual Studio 2005 was the last release to include J#.
^ http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=101152
^ "JFC; Microsoft declares war". xent.com. 1997-08-01. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
^ "Microsoft's J/Direct called death of Java". JavaWorld. 1997-07-01. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
^ "Transvirtual Adopts Microsoft Java Extensions". linuxjournal.com. 1999-01-10. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
^ "Java-Clone Announced". slashdot.org. 1999-06-14. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
^ "MS debuts Visual J++". CNet. October 1, 1996. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
^ Lohr, Steve (1998-05-25). "Still Another Adversary for Microsoft". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-15. A September 1997 E-mail message, sent by a Microsoft official identified as P. Sridharan, is quoted as saying: "Let's move on and steal the Java language. That said, have we ever taken a look at how long it would take Microsoft to build a cross-platform Java that did work? Naturally, we would never do it, but it would give us some idea of how much time we have to work with in killing Sun's Java."
^ "Microsoft A History of Anticompetitive Behavior and Consumer Harm" (PDF). European Committee for Interoperable Systems. 2009-03-31. Retrieved 2009-04-22. We should just quietly grow j++ share and assume that people will take more advantage of our classes without ever realizing they are building win32-only java apps.
^ "Sun settles with Microsoft, announces layoffs". www.news.com. 2004-04-02. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
^ "Microsoft Java Virtual Machine Support". Microsoft. 2007-03-02. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
Product Features in Visual J++ - By Edition
Microsoft Visual J#
Microsoft Java Web Site
Sun's Agreement with Microsoft
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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2019 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc.2019. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2019 and/or its affiliates.
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) leapt $1.99 to $29.57 on 107 million shares Tuesday. On Monday the chipmaker announced a deal to license its custom graphics intellectual property (IP) to Samsung for use in mobile devices. The stock has broken out of a 2-month sideways channel, and any move across the $29.75 range could get this into the mid-$30's.
If you want to learn more about how to invest in a stock, check out the directory of Investing for Beginners articles I've written, sorted by topic or head over to my blog for more esoteric and advanced topics that aren't particularly appropriate for beginners. Whatever happens, remember that stocks are just one of many types of assets that you can use to build wealth and become financially independent.
Wald says refiners are the best group within the energy sector, and Marathon Petroleum has significant long-term momentum following a breakout above $60 in late 2017. In addition to its positive momentum, Marathon recently raised its dividend by 15 percent and now yields about 2.1 percent. Even at its current payout, the stock’s relatively low 21 percent payout ratio suggests more hikes could be on the way in the near future. Marathon also recently diversified away from its Gulf-Coast-centric operations by acquiring Andeavor (ANDV) and its West Coast and Rocky Mountains assets for $23 billion.
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Country Club Hills, VA Real Estate
The community of Country Club Hills is located in North Arlington. It shares many of the same features as its neighbor to the north: glens and dales, lush herbage and mature trees. Country Club’s history also parallels that of the rest of the area. The Country Club community grew at the turn of the 19th century when the electric rail lines branched out of D.C. Despite the urban influences, the community maintained its rural roots.
Country Club grew in size in the years after World War II. Along with suburban development, Country Club also became home to Marymount University in 1950. Today, the spirit of the Country Club community is kept alive by active civic associations that are dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the neighborhoods.
Colonials, Victorians and frame houses comprise the real estate stock in the Country Club community. One can also find smaller bungalows and ramblers. The streets are wide and well shaded. Country Club includes the neighborhoods of Donaldson Run and Old Dominion. For those looking for more action, Donaldson Run Park is perfectly suited for explorers of all ages.
Like other suburban areas, the car is king. Biking is a popular mode of transportation to and from the Metro in Arlington’s central corridor. Military Road, Glebe Road and Lee Highway are easily accessible as is the G.W. Parkway.
View all Country Club Hills Listings
SEARCH FOR LISTINGS IN COUNTRY CLUB HILLS
2311 GLEBE ROAD N
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Logan Circle, DC Real Estate
During the Civil War, Logan Circle was the site of Camp Barker, whose barracks had been converted into a refugee camp for newly freed slaves from Maryland and Virginia. The streetcar arrived in the 1870s and urban developments ensued, which resulted in a neighborhood that followed the original Washington city plan.
For some time the area was referred to as Iowa Circle until Congress renamed it in 1930 after John A. Logan, commander of the army of Tennessee during the Civil War. 14th Street became the main shopping and commercial area in Logan Circle during the 20th Century and remains that way today.
Logan Circle has retained its 200 year old charm, as many of the original Victorian row houses remain along the streets of Logan Circle. It is a popular arts and retail destination with the renovated Studio Theater and plenty of local shops with unique finds. This continues through its close proximity to the U Street Corridor with more retail and dining options that are just a short walk away.
Although there is not a designated Logan Circle Metro station, most residents don’t even notice because it is so close to several Metro accessible neighborhoods including DuPont Circle, Shaw-Howard University, and U Street-Cardozo. Several Metrobus and Circulator bus options throughout Logan Circle and the surrounding neighborhoods. Major thoroughfares include Rhode Island Avenue, P Street and 13th Street.
Ronald Reagan National Airport: < 10 miles
View all Logan Circle Listings
SEARCH FOR LISTINGS IN LOGAN CIRCLE
1311 13TH STREET NW T05
$275,000 | 1 Full Baths
1239 VERMONT AVENUE NW #302
1444 CHURCH STREET NW #202
23 BATES STREET NW #2
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Ascetic practices, concentration and bodily postures described in the Vedas may have been precursors to yoga.[59][60] According to Geoffrey Samuel, "Our best evidence to date suggests that [yogic] practices developed in the same ascetic circles as the early sramana movements (Buddhists, Jainas and Ajivikas), probably in around the sixth and fifth centuries BCE."[9]
Malaysia's top Islamic body in 2008 passed a fatwa, prohibiting Muslims from practicing yoga, saying it had elements of Hinduism and that its practice was blasphemy, therefore haraam.[297] Some Muslims in Malaysia who had been practicing yoga for years, criticized the decision as "insulting."[298] Sisters in Islam, a women's rights group in Malaysia, also expressed disappointment and said yoga was just a form of exercise.[299] This fatwa is legally enforceable.[300] However, Malaysia's prime minister clarified that yoga as physical exercise is permissible, but the chanting of religious mantras is prohibited.[301]
During the period between the Mauryan and the Gupta eras (c. 200 BCE–500 CE) the Indic traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism were taking form and coherent systems of yoga began to emerge.[50] This period witnessed many new texts from these traditions discussing and systematically compiling yoga methods and practices. Some key works of this era include the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, the Yoga-Yājñavalkya, the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra and the Visuddhimagga.
^ James Mallinson, "Sāktism and Hathayoga," 28 June 2012. Archived 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine [accessed 19 September 2013] pgs. 2 "The earliest references to hathayoga are scattered mentions in Buddhist canonical works and their exegesis dating from the eighth century onwards, in which it is the soteriological method of last resort."
According to Pāṇini, the term yoga can be derived from either of two roots, yujir yoga (to yoke) or yuj samādhau ("to concentrate").[26] In the context of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the root yuj samādhau (to concentrate) is considered by traditional commentators as the correct etymology.[27] In accordance with Pāṇini, Vyasa who wrote the first commentary on the Yoga Sutras,[28] states that yoga means samādhi (concentration).[29]
Continuing weight loss may deteriorate into wasting, a vaguely defined condition called cachexia.[30] Cachexia differs from starvation in part because it involves a systemic inflammatory response.[30] It is associated with poorer outcomes.[25][30][31] In the advanced stages of progressive disease, metabolism can change so that they lose weight even when they are getting what is normally regarded as adequate nutrition and the body cannot compensate. This leads to a condition called anorexia cachexia syndrome (ACS) and additional nutrition or supplementation is unlikely to help.[27] Symptoms of weight loss from ACS include severe weight loss from muscle rather than body fat, loss of appetite and feeling full after eating small amounts, nausea, anemia, weakness and fatigue.[27]
The first Hindu teacher to actively advocate and disseminate aspects of yoga, not including asanas, to a western audience, Swami Vivekananda, toured Europe and the United States in the 1890s.[204] The reception which Swami Vivekananda received built on the active interest of intellectuals, in particular the New England Transcendentalists, among them Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), who drew on German Romanticism and philosophers and scholars like G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), the brothers August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767–1845) and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel (1772–1829), Max Mueller (1823–1900), Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), and others who had (to varying degrees) interests in things Indian.[205][206]
A yoga system that predated the Buddhist school is Jain yoga. But since Jain sources postdate Buddhist ones, it is difficult to distinguish between the nature of the early Jain school and elements derived from other schools.[89] Most of the other contemporary yoga systems alluded in the Upanishads and some Buddhist texts are lost to time.[90][91][note 12]
Photo Creidt: Copyright Jason Ellis AMER “THE HAMMER” KAMRA Pro Fitness Model : Transformation Coach : Fitness Author How did you get started with fitness modeling? Growing up, I’ve always had a passion for being physical and active, and therefore channelled my energy into ways which would benefit me. I started out playing competitive football and training on the field and for me it went hand in hand with lifting weights in the gym. Training in the gym has truly changed my life, and I always look to branch my skills and talents into new things I haven’t experienced before,...
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Do not take Qsymia if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or become pregnant during Qsymia treatment; have glaucoma; have thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism); are taking certain medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or have taken MAOIs in the past 14 days; are allergic to topiramate, sympathomimetic amines such as phentermine, or any of the ingredients in Qsymia. See the end of the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Qsymia.
The environment is often cited as an important factor influencing the health status of individuals. This includes characteristics of the natural environment, the built environment and the social environment. Factors such as clean water and air, adequate housing, and safe communities and roads all have been found to contribute to good health, especially to the health of infants and children.[18][29] Some studies have shown that a lack of neighborhood recreational spaces including natural environment leads to lower levels of personal satisfaction and higher levels of obesity, linked to lower overall health and well being.[30] This suggests that the positive health benefits of natural space in urban neighborhoods should be taken into account in public policy and land use.
Yoga and Vedanta are the two largest surviving schools of Hindu traditions. They share many thematic principles, concepts and belief in self/soul, but diverge in degree, style and some of their methods. Epistemologically, Yoga school accepts three means to reliable knowledge, while Advaita Vedanta accepts six ways.[159] Yoga disputes the monism of Advaita Vedanta.[160] Yoga school believes that in the state of moksha, each individual discovers the blissful, liberating sense of himself or herself as an independent identity; Advaita Vedanta, in contrast, believes that in the state of moksha, each individual discovers the blissful, liberating sense of himself or herself as part of Oneness with everything, everyone and the Universal Self. They both hold that the free conscience is aloof yet transcendent, liberated and self-aware. Further, Advaita Vedanta school enjoins the use of Patanjali's yoga practices and the reading of Upanishads for those seeking the supreme good, ultimate freedom and jivanmukti.[160]
a technique for entering into other bodies, generating multiple bodies, and the attainment of other supernatural accomplishments; these are, states White, described in Tantric literature of Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the Buddhist Sāmaññaphalasutta;[41] James Mallinson, however, disagrees and suggests that such fringe practices are far removed from the mainstream Yoga's goal as meditation-driven means to liberation in Indian religions.[42]
As the number of service sector jobs has risen in developed countries, more and more jobs have become sedentary, presenting a different array of health problems than those associated with manufacturing and the primary sector. Contemporary problems, such as the growing rate of obesity and issues relating to stress and overwork in many countries, have further complicated the interaction between work and health.
^ "Sidang Media – Fatwa Yoga". Islam.gov.my. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2010. Quote: The Fatwas of Religious Council in Islamic affairs on Yoga. After carefully studied various reports and factual data, the Council unanimously agreed that this ancient India religious teachings, which involves physical and mental exercises, are Hinduism in nature known as wahdat al-wujud philosophy (oneness of existence; the realization of identity between the Self in man, Atman; and the Divine, BRAHMAN: ‘Brahman is all, and Atman is Brahman'). It is prohibited (haram) for Muslims to practice it.
According to Tattvarthasutra, 2nd century CE Jain text, yoga is the sum of all the activities of mind, speech and body.[6] Umasvati calls yoga the cause of "asrava" or karmic influx[171] as well as one of the essentials—samyak caritra—in the path to liberation.[171] In his Niyamasara, Acarya Kundakunda, describes yoga bhakti—devotion to the path to liberation—as the highest form of devotion.[172] Acarya Haribhadra and Acarya Hemacandra mention the five major vows of ascetics and 12 minor vows of laity under yoga. This has led certain Indologists like Prof. Robert J. Zydenbos to call Jainism, essentially, a system of yogic thinking that grew into a full-fledged religion.[173] The five yamas or the constraints of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali bear a resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating a history of strong cross-fertilization between these traditions.[173][note 16] https://www.facebook.com/Buzzing-Offer-BusinessInvesting-650621182046830/
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Artestar is a global licensing agency and creative consultancy representing high-profile artists, photographers, designers and creatives. We connect brands with talent, facilitating access to pop culture icons and their followers – curating and managing some of the world's most recognizable creative collaborations.
Based in New York, Artestar has affiliate offices in Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Australia, South Korea and Japan.
Kenny Scharf came to prominence in New York City’s East Village art scene in the early 1980s and has been a pioneer in making art accessible by connecting to popular culture through commercial projects and brand collaborations. Known for his pop-surrealist paintings, he works in a wide variety of mediums including clothing design, sculpture, installations and street murals. Brand collaborations include Jeremy Scott, Schott NYC, Zara, adidas, and many others.
Introducing the Keith Haring & Jean-Michel Basquiat Case Study® chair by Modernica. The Fiberglass Shell Chairs were originally designed in 1948 as an entry in The Museum of Modern Art’s International Design Competition, and are easily one of the most important and recognizable designs of the twentieth century. Each fiberglass shell is created by hand, one-by-one, in Modernica’s Los Angeles factory. This chair features iconic artworks by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Jean-Michel Basquiat x STANCE
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Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts began his photographic career in the late 70s and gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography through high-profile portraits, editorial fashion shoots and advertising campaigns. In the late 80s he famously directed numerous influential and award winning music videos and commercials. His fine art photography has been the subject of popular exhibitions worldwide, with works residing in many significant public and private collections.
Haring x Nicholas Kirkwood
British shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood injects his Spring/Summer 2011 collection with the vibrant colors and bold shapes of legendary artist Keith Haring. Spanning across several styles of footwear, the capsule collection was a tribute to the late artist.
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Breeding & Genetic Diversity
AKC & the Gene Pool
The Downside of Inbreeding
Heresy Revisited
Is Outcrossing Dangerous?
The Price of Popularity
Why Incest Isn’t Best
The Decision Tree
Genetic Juggling
Impossible Dream
Playing COI
Using Inbreeding Coefficients
What Price Glory?
Not Who You Know But WHAT You Know
The Ostrich Syndrome
Removing the Stigma of Genetic Disease
Rosettes to Ruin
Making Genetics Work For You
Genetically Clean Lines
Setting Priorities
Bad Genes, Babies & Bathwater
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
How traits pass in dogs, lines and breeds
by C.A. Sharp
First published in Double Helix Network News Fall 2002, Rev. March 2013
Photo By: Heidi Mobley
What dog breeders do is not breeding dogs; normal, healthy dogs can do that without any assistance from us. Breeders manipulate genes, encouraging some to pass on from generation to generation while at the same time trying to prevent others from doing so. With somewhere around 25-30 thousand canine genes to work with and, for most of them, no way to know for sure exactly which versions, called alleles, a particular dog carries we are not doing much more than rolling dice unless we develop a thorough understanding of modes of inheritance: How genes flow from a dog to it’s offspring, as well as down through generations of a line or breed.
Single-gene modes of inheritance
Inheritance from parent to offspring is the most basic and easiest to understand form of gene transmission. Every dog has two copies of each autosomal gene. (Autosomal genes are those that are not on the sex chromosomes.) One of these copies came from its father and the other from its mother. What combination of alleles it has is its genotype. How the alleles interact with each other, other genes and the environment will determine what traits you will see in the dog, referred to as phenotype.
The most basic mode of inheritance is simple dominance. Black vs. liver color is a classic example. The allele for black is dominant; the allele for liver is recessive. If a dog has at least one copy of the dominant black allele, it will be black. For a dog to be liver, a color produced by the recessive allele, it must have two copies. A black dog might produce liver puppies if it carried a recessive allele, but a liver dog cannot produce black puppies unless bred to a black.
You cannot tell from appearance whether a dog exhibiting a dominant phenotype like black is also carrying a recessive allele. However, knowing the phenotypes of dogs in its pedigree can give you an indication of whether it might carry the recessive. If a black dog has a liver parent you know that black dog is heterozygous, meaning it has two different alleles. Such a dog will produce liver if bred to another dog with at least one copy of the liver allele. It has a 50/50 chance of giving a liver allele to each of its pups.
When looking at pedigrees and thinking about autosomal dominant or recessive traits, the breeder should follow the pedigree back step by step along each path of ancestry and note where he first encounters a dog he knows was either one or two copies of the recessive allele. In most cases 4 or 5 generations will be sufficient. The closer up an ancestor with the recessive is, the more likely it will have been inherited. Dogs which exhibit the trait have two copies of the recessive allele and will always pass the trait but a carrier which has only one may or may not. If you don’t know the genotype of the dominant phenotype individuals that lie between that ancestor and your dog, you can’t know for sure if the recessive was passed along or not. The farther back the carrier is, the less likely the gene will have passed on.
By knowing how many and how far back are the ancestors that you know carried a recessive trait, it is possible to precisely calculate the probability that a dog has inherited the recessive allele. Even the math phobic can have a good idea of what could happen just by studying the pedigree. However there is one factor those who don’t want to mess with math need to keep in mind. We tend to think of probability being halved with each generation: Half the genes come from each parent, a quarter from each grandparent, an eighth from each great-grandparent, and so on. This often leads people to the erroneous conclusion that the offspring of two carriers of a recessive trait all have a 50-50 chance of carrying the recessive allele. This is not the case.
Matings of carriers can produce four allele combinations: Homozygous (two copies) dominant, homozygous recessive, paternally inherited dominant heterozygote (one copy) and maternally inherited dominant heterozygote. Three quarters of these are phenotypically dominant. In our black/liver example, that would be three black puppies for every liver. Among the black puppies, two out of three will be carrying the liver allele. Therefore, the odds for carrying liver in any black pup out of such a cross are not 50/50 but 2 out of 3.
If a recessive trait is something you want, you can use this process to determine how likely you are to be able to produce it in a litter. You can increase the likelihood that it will happen through your mating choices. Conversely, if you do not want to produce the trait you can eliminate the risk of producing it by breeding known or possible carriers to dogs you know are homozygous dominant.
Some genes have an incomplete dominant mode of inheritance. In this case each genotype will have a distinct phenotype, with the heterozygote being intermediate to the dominant and recessive phenotypes. The merle color pattern is an excellent example of this. Dogs with two recessive alleles are not merle, heterozygotes will be merle patterned, and those with two dominant alleles not only have merle patterning but frequently have considerable amounts of white markings and almost always have serious eye defects and deafness. Since the phenotype always indicates the genotype, the breeder will know what alleles the dog has by looking at it.
If alleles are co-dominant, their traits will both be expressed in the heterozygote. The genes in the Major Histocompatibility Complex, which governs important aspects of the immune system, are co-dominant. Both maternal and paternal alleles will be active. In the case of MHC genes, it means the dog has a bigger arsenal to protect itself against disease than a dog whose MHC genes are mostly homozygous.
Some genes have more than two alleles. Dominance between them may be simple, co-dominant or incomplete. The gene that produces golden/yellow coat color and black masks has a clear dominance hierarchy among its alleles. The most dominant allele will not produce mask or yellow, so dogs that have one copy will have coat color determined by other genes. The most recessive allele, when homozygous, results in hair that is yellowish, as in Golden Retrievers and yellow Labradors. The middle allele in the series is for a mask. Any dog that has at least one copy of his allele and does not have a copy of the most dominant allele will have yellow hair with a darker mask on the face. The color of the mask will depend on what other color genes the dog has.
If the multiple alleles are incompletely dominant, heterozygotes will be intermediate in phenotype to the two alleles resulting in a continuum of phenotype expression with the phenotype of a specific individual dependent on which pair of alleles it had. (White markings were once thought to be due to this type of inheritance, but recent genomics research has found that there are at least two major and distinct white marking genes.)
Not all breeds will have all alleles possible for a particular gene. Knowing which ones your breed has can be important. For years Australian Shepherd breeders have been selecting against yellow, dilute, and sable because the colors are disqualifying though they did occur early in breed history. As a result sable is absent or nearly so because it is dominant to tan trim and most Aussies have tan trim. Both yellow and dilute (blue or Isabella) do occur but are rare.
There are two other proposed single-gene autosomal modes of inheritance: Dominant with incomplete penetrance and dominant with variable expressivity. With the former, a dog can have the genotype but sometimes will not. In the latter, when or how trait presents can vary considerably. As more and more is learned about how genes interact with each other and the environment, as well as how specific genes are structured and function, it is apparent that neither of these modes of inheritance actually arises solely from a single gene.
Inheritance of genes on the sex chromosomes differs from that of autosomal genes because the sex chromosomes come in two different forms: X and Y. Female mammals have two X chromosomes while males have an X and a Y. The Y chromosome contains only a very few genes, all of them are related to specifically male traits. The X chromosome contains a normal number of genes that produce a wide variety of traits not related to the sex of the individual. However, only one copy of the X can work in any given cell, so females are a “mosaic.” Which X operates in each cell is randomly determined during development. This can be most clearly seen in calico cats, in which black and orange are phenotypes produced by different alleles of the same X chromosome gene. Whether a calico cat has a black patch or an orange one at some particular spot on her body will depend on which of her X chromosomes was turned off in an embryologic ancestor cell. The exact pattern will have no bearing on what she might produce beyond being an indicator that she has the potential to pass on both black and orange alleles.
If a particular X allele produces a disease, like hemophilia, it will occur most frequently in male offspring who have only one X. Females’ mosaicism provides them with sufficient normal cells that they will be healthy. (In the unlikely case of a female homozygote for hemophilia, whose father would have to be a hemophiliac himself, she would in most cases die during development. If she did make it to birth she would hemorrhage to death no later then her first heat cycle. )
If a male has an X-linked disease, this is the only time (other than with traits that are clearly autosomal dominant) that a stud owner can truthfully and accurately insist that her stud was not responsible for the problem. These diseases are inherited from mother to son. Each daughter of such a mother has a 50/50 chance of herself being a carrier. The mother of a carrier is probably also a carrier and the health status of her sons should be examined. However, genes for hemophilia and some other X-linked diseases mutate with unusual frequency so one cannot assume that all the bitches on the direct female line were carriers.
Another form of inheritance in which sex plays a role is imprinting. With imprinted genes, the phenotype will be determined by which parent the gene was inherited from. This mode of inheritance is not common and all imprinted genes discovered thus far are involved with development or reproduction. There is also evidence that epigenetics, a form of gene regulation that can be influenced by environment, may play a role in these traits.
Multiple Genes
Unfortunately, most traits are not inherited in a simple, single-gene fashion. Many are polygenic, resulting from the action of multiple genes. Often environment can influence these traits to some degree. At the present time, there is no way to know the genotype of any particular dog for any polygenic trait. The best the breeder can do is make an educated guess. Phenotypes in polygenic traits represent a continuum, rather than a series of similar but more or less distinct types. Canine hip dysplasia (HD) is a prime example. Dogs can have hip joint conformation that ranges from superior to abysmal. Two sound dogs can produce dysplastic offspring and dysplastics can produce sound pups.
With polygenic traits the parental contribution can be unequal. A parent with just one or a few genes that produce the trait may have offspring that exhibit it if mated to a dog that has all the rest. Or the trait may show up after many generations of absence because the right combination of genes finally happened to fall together. With polygenic traits a breeder must consider the history of the trait in the family, rather than in the pedigree. Dogs that have a family history of the HD (affected siblings, cousins, aunts/uncles or nephews/nieces) are more likely to produce HD than dogs which do not. The more affected relatives there are, the greater the risk.
This kind of family analysis can be useful for producing desired traits as well as avoiding those not wanted. For example, if a dog has an excellent front and comes from a family of excellent fronts, it is less likely to produce incorrect fronts than a similar quality dog that has unusually good front conformation for its family.
Sometimes genes that do not interact with each other produce traits that are nearly always found together. Such genes are linked, occurring close together on the same chromosome. Chromosomal near-neighbors are unlikely to become separated as the genes are shuffled prior to formation of sperm and eggs. If a breeder observes that she cannot find a dog that has a trait she likes without it also having some other thing that she does not like, it may be that the traits are linked. She may have to live with the one if she wants to have the other.
The genetics of the immune system are both polygenic and linked in an extreme degree. The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a set of linked genes that inherited as a unit called a haplotype. The higher a dog’s level of inbreeding and the more recently that inbreeding has occurred, the greater the probability that the MHC haplotypes will be the same or very similar. This can result in an impaired immune system, autoimmune diseases, and reproductive problems. Risk of producing affected offspring is greatly reduced if the breeder makes an effort to produce heterozygous haplotypes by monitoring the degree of inbreeding through the use of coefficient of inbreeding (COI) calculations on proposed litters and opting for suitable mates that will produce lower COIs.
Environmental effects
Genes do not act in a vacuum. The environment a dog experiences in the womb and throughout its life impacts the action of its genes. Even things experienced by parents may have epigenetic effects on the offspring. Dogs are born with a certain genetic potential. Whether and how much that inheritance comes to fruition depends on where it and its parents live and what it experiences, both mentally and physically. The genetic contribution is often described as the “heritability” of a trait.
Heritability is a measure of how much phenotypic variation in a trait results from genes, rather than environmental effects. Heritability estimates for hip dysplasia vary by the type of exam used, ranging from 54-76% depending on the focus of the exam (PennHip’s distraction index was 61% and OFA’s extended hip joint radiograph was 76%)1 meaning most of what you see in your dogs’ hip joint conformation is the result of genes rather than diet or exercise, the two most important environmental factors. The higher the heritability, the more control the breeder has over the trait.
Some inherited traits, notably chronic autoimmune diseases, require an environmental trigger. The dog must have the genes before it will have the disease; however it is possible that a dog will never develop disease if it never encounters something that triggers the immune system to start attacking its own body. Such conditions are said to be genetically predisposed. As with traits of high heritability, the genes must be there in order to produce the trait, no matter what the environmental conditions.
Lines and Breeds
Understanding inheritance in individuals is only the first step a breeder needs to make. Each individual dog is part of a larger population from which its mates will be selected and of which its offspring will become a part. Not every breed will have every allele possible for each gene. MHC haplotypes are an example of this. The genes tend to have far more alleles than do other types of genes. Pure breeds have fewer haplotypes than do mongrels because the breeds are a closed subset of the species. How few haplotypes a breed has depends on its history and how much it has been subject to the effects of popular sires and prominent kennels.
Selection criteria need to be sufficiently broad, encompassing not just physical attributes, but health, behavior and temperament. Strong selection for or against a particular trait or a few traits can skew a gene pool and inadvertently result in the lowered frequency or elimination of some alleles while at the same time increasing or “fixing” others. (An allele is fixed in a population if it is the only one present; color gene alleles causing solid black body color are fixed in the Schipperke.) Fixed genes may be good or bad, depending on what those alleles happen to do.
Breeding according to the current fashion via selecting for this year’s winning “look,” or the excessive use of a popular sire or the output of a prominent kennel can likewise skew a breed gene pool and result in unintended consequences. The smaller the breed population, the greater the effect narrow selection criteria and breeding for fashion will have.
A line is an extended family of dogs. It is developed by some degree of inbreeding and thus will necessarily lead to a sub-set of the alleles present in the breed. The composition of this sub-set can be altered through the same things that will alter allele frequency in the breed. Since a line is necessarily a smaller population the effects can be more drastic. Desired traits can be made fairly uniform in a relatively few generations, particularly those that are easily observed and not much influenced by environment. However, unwanted traits may become intractable features: Epilepsy became just such a problem in show line and some working line Australian Shepherds in little over a decade.
New (or lost) alleles can be brought into a line by the simple expedient of outcrossing. On a breed-wide scale, however, this can be difficult in our current system of closed registries. For breeds with wide geographic distribution, imports may provide sources of fresh genetic material provided the exporting country’s registry is considered acceptable, the populations are not already substantially related, and the populations have not diverged in type to the point that breeders in each country consider the dogs in the other unsuitable. In a few cases the American Kennel Club has allowed significant additions of fresh stock at the request of member clubs, most notably the admission of a few African tribal Basenjis and the acceptance, via the Field Dog Studbook, of some Salukis of recent desert origin from a small US registry. But for some breeds, there is nowhere to go without cross-breeding with another breed of similar type. This was done with several European breeds after they were pushed to the brink of extinction by one or both World Wars.
The breeder’s task is to effectively utilize what is known about modes of inheritance for breed traits, both positive and negative, in order to produce quality dogs that not only meet his competitive or performance goals but which are also physically and mentally healthy. He must at all times remember that he does not act in isolation. Whatever he does will have an impact on breeders that follow. The greater his success, the greater his impact for good or for ill will be.
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1. Z. Zhang, L. Zhu, J. Sandler, et al, “Estimations of heritabilities, genetic correlations, and breeding values for four traits that collectively define hip dysplasia in dogs”, American Journal of Veterinary Radiology, Vol. 70, No. 4, April 2009, pp. 483-492
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Agents of Systemic and Subcutaneous Mucormycosis and Entomophthoromycosis
Authors: Dea Garcia-Hermoso, Eric Dannaoui, Olivier Lortholary, Françoise Dromer
Source: Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 10th Edition , pp 1880-1901
Mucormycosis and entomophthoromycosis are invasive fungal infections caused by environmental nonseptate filamentous fungi. Mucormycosis is caused by the ubiquitous Mucorales fungi and occurs mostly in immunocompromised patients or those with diabetes mellitus. Entomophthoromycosis is caused by the Entomophthorales fungi, found mostly in warm climates. According to the classification proposed by Hibbet et al. the subphylum Entomophthoromycotina contains the order Entomophthorales, which is subdivided into two families: the Ancylistaceae and Basidiobolaceae, containing the genera Conidiobolus and Basidiobolus, respectively. There are 27 species in the genus Conidiobolus, but only two (C. coronatus and C. incongruus) have been recovered from clinical specimens, while in the genus Basidiobolus, B. ranarum is the only species known to cause human disease. Several recent reports have suggested that the incidence of mucormycosis is increasing, based on single-center studies. Mucormycosis represents 2% of invasive fungal infections following solid organ transplantion (SOT), mostly after kidney transplantation. Mucormycosis can also develop in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients or intravenous drug abusers. Blood cultures have no diagnostic value, as they are almost always negative, despite the fact that mucormycosis is an angioinvasive disease. Demonstration of hyphae in clinical samples is important for the diagnosis of mucormycosis. In summary, new molecular tools have been developed for the diagnosis of mucormycosis and the identification of Mucorales fungi in tissues. Culture results should always be interpreted in light of the clinical presentation and along with the results of direct examination and histopathology.
Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton, and Agents of Superficial Mycoses *
Author: Richard C. Summerbell
The etiologic agents of dermatophytosis are classified, along with some nonpathogenic relatives, in the anamorphic genera Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. The recorded connections between the teleomorphic (sexual) and anamorphic (asexual) states of the dermatophytes as well as the dermatophytoids are discussed in this chapter. As part of the ongoing molecular revolution in biology, fungal taxonomy is ever more strongly influenced by one's greatly increased understanding of population genetics. The chapter retains a relatively cautious approach to the ongoing debates in this area and synonymizes traditionally recognized species primarily when there is unequivocal, multigene molecular evidence that they are not supported at the species level. Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi that are capable of invading the keratinous tissues of living animals. They are grouped into three categories based on host preference and natural habitat. Infections with geophilic dermatophytes involve transmission of soil-borne inoculum to humans or other mammals. At present, the great majority of dermatophytes are identified phenotypically. Identification is often based on (i) colony characteristics in pure culture on sabouraud glucose agar (SGA) and (ii) microscopic morphology. Dermatophytes can in principle be tested for susceptibility to antifungal drugs using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M38-A3 standard procedure for molds. In the superficial mycoses, the causative fungi colonize the cornified layers of the epidermis or the suprafollicular portion of the hair. There is little tissue damage, and lack in cellular response from the host.
Lacazia, Pythium, and Rhinosporidium
Authors: Leonel Mendoza, Raquel Vilela
In the past 100 years the microbial pathogens described in this chapter have been classified as fungal and/or parafungal protistan pathogens. Lacazia loboi, Pythium insidiosum and Rhinosporidium seeberi are the most prominent features of the pathogens covered in this chapter. Clinical samples from patients suspected of having lacaziosis submitted to the laboratory comprise deep-skin scrapings and tissue biopsy samples. The samples have to be processed and evaluated for the presence of uniform yeast like cells connected by small tubules forming short chains. In contrast with the other hydrophilic pathogens covered in the chapter, P. insidiosum can be cultured on various media. The first molecular approach for the diagnosis of P. insidiosum from clinical specimens was carried out with a patient with keratitis. The hyphal elements present in the specimen were identified by sequencing part of the 18S ribosomal DNA region using the NS1 and NS2 and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) universal primers. The identification of P. insidiosum using molecular methods are described in this chapter. The first two cases of rhinosporidiosis were reported in 1900 by Guillermo Rodolfo Seeber in his M.D. thesis in Argentina. Ashworth in 1923 stated that the genus Rhinosporidium proposed by Minchin and Fanthan should be adopted and that, based on the description of Seeber and the name Coccidioides seeberia reintroduced by Belou, the binomial R. seeberi has priority.
Antifungal Agents *
Author: David W. Warnock
This chapter reviews the four major families of antifungal drugs that are available for systemic administration: the allylamines, the azoles, the echinocandins, and the polyenes. It discusses the characteristics of other agents that can be used for the oral or parenteral treatment of superficial, subcutaneous, or systemic fungal infections. The allylamines are a group of synthetic antifungal compounds effective in the topical and oral treatment of dermatophytoses. The azoles constitute a large group of synthetic agents containing many compounds that are effective in the topical treatment of dermatophyte infections and superficial forms of candidiasis. The activity is essentially fungistatic, although some of the newer triazoles can exert fungicidal effects against some mold species at the concentrations achieved with recommended dosages. Three echinocandins have been approved for the treatment of serious fungal infections: anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin. Acquired resistance to echinocandins is rare at present, but resistant strains of several Candida spp. have been recovered from patients failing caspofungin treatment. The echinocandins do not interact with the human hepatic cytochrome P-450 system, and their use has been associated with very few significant drug interactions. The polyenes bind to sterols, principally ergosterol, in the membranes of susceptible fungal cells causing impairment of membrane barrier function, leakage of cell constituents, metabolic disruption, and cell death. As more compounds have become licensed, the number of novel antifungal drugs entering preclinical development appears to have diminished.
Susceptibility Test Methods: Yeasts and Filamentous Fungi
Authors: Elizabeth M. Johnson, Ana V. Espinel-Ingroff, Michael A. Pfaller
This chapter deals with systemic infections caused by Candida spp. other than C. albicans, Aspergillus spp., and other filamentous fungi (molds). The development of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) reference method M27-A3 has improved the reproducibility of in vitro antifungal susceptibility data and facilitated the establishment of interpretive breakpoints for the triazoles fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole and the echinocandins. Based on historical data and the pharmacokinetics of flucytosine, interpretive breakpoints for flucytosine and Candida spp. also have been established. Some correlation has been suggested between amphotericin B Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) results obtained by nonstandardized methods and clinical outcome. Unfortunately, most M27-A amphotericin B MICs for yeasts are within a very narrow range, precluding a clear discrimination between susceptible and potentially resistant isolates. The CLSI Subcommittee on Antifungal Susceptibility Testing has developed reference methods for broth macro- and microdilution susceptibility testing of yeasts and mold and more recently a disk diffusion method for yeasts and a proposed disk diffusion method for molds. The European Committee on Antifungal Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) has developed a modified broth microdilution method for yeast and has developed breakpoints for itraconazole and fluconazole to be applied to this method. Some commercial methods have been approved for the antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida spp. and there is a move towards consensus in the standardized methodology employed in the United States and Europe. This should help to improve surveillance of resistance patterns worldwide and help in the development of universal clinically relevant breakpoints.
Sequence-Based Fungal Identification and Classification
Authors: Jianli Dong, Michael J. Loeffelholz, Michael R. McGinnis
Source: Molecular Microbiology , pp 669-676
Identification and classification of fungi from clinical samples are important for antifungal susceptibility testing and epidemiological investigation. Sequence-based molecular techniques are increasingly used in the identification and taxonomy characterization of fungal infections. Phenotypic characteristics used for the recognition and classification of fungi are those that are either easily observed or measured, or a combination of both. An ultimate goal of fungal classification is to draw inferred phylogenetic relationships. In brief, it is sequencing by synthesis, and it is based on the synthesis of cDNA from PCR amplicons. DNA targets that have been used for fungal identification and classification include rDNA, cytochrome b, β-tubulin, calmodulin, enolase, chitin synthase, heat shock protein, and other housekeeping and functional genes. The increased use of gene sequences to recognize different clades within traditional medically important species emphasizes the importance of using sequence data in contrast to species-specific probes to identify particular fungal species. Clinical laboratories are under increasing pressure to provide rapid identification and classification of fungal infections due to the growing number of immunocompromised patients that are susceptible to fungal infection, and the availability of targeted antifungal agents. Sequencing and database comparison of PCR amplicons coupled with phylogenetic methods provide a robust strategy for species recognition, especially for uncommon and emerging pathogenic fungi.
Cryptococcosis in Asia
Authors: Jiangping Xu, Weerawat Manosuthi, Uma Banerjee, Li-Ping Zhu, Janghan Chen, Shigeru Kohno, Koichi Izumikawa, Yuchong Chen, Somnuek Sungkanuparph, Thomas S. Harrison, Matthew Fisher
Source: Cryptococcus , pp 287-297
This chapter includes sections on aspects of the clinical epidemiology and features of cryptococcal infection particular to Asia and management practices and experience from Asia, especially where this differs in some respect from other regions. In Thailand, prior to the AIDS epidemic, Cryptococcus gattii was the most common cause of cryptococcosis and accounted for over half of all isolates that were recovered from human patients. The duration from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis in immunocompetent patients was longer than their predisposed counterparts. In immunocompetent patients, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white cell count tended to be higher, and seizures, hydrocephalus, and shunt procedures were more frequent. Immunocompromised patients were more frequently found to have high fever and parenchymal lesions in cranial magnetic resonance imaging. A recent Cochrane review identified five randomized, controlled trials of antifungal therapy for primary prevention of cryptococcal disease in a total of 1,316 HIV-infected patients who mostly had CD4 cell counts less than 150 cells/μl. A study from Thailand showed that the use of temporary external lumbar drainage can be a reasonably safe and effective management strategy for intractable elevated CSF pressure not responding to serial lumbar puncture in HIV-infected patients with cryptococcal meningitis, even in relatively resource-limited settings.
Invasion of Cryptococcus into the Central Nervous System
Authors: Françoise Dromer, Stuart M. Levitz
This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge regarding how Cryptococcus neoformans invades into the central nervous system (CNS). An understanding of the unique characteristics of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential to comprehend the potential mechanisms by which blood-borne microbes, including C. neoformans, transverse it. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), which line the capillaries supplying blood to the brain, have unique tight junctions that contribute to the barrier function of the BBB. A major function of the BBB is maintenance of the neural microenvironment by regulating the passage of molecules into and out of the brain. The role of monocytes in CNS invasion by C. neoformans relies first on clinical observations. When occlusion occurs in blood vessels supplying the CNS, invasion into damaged tissue can occur. Additionally, at early time points, invasion of the CNS by C. neoformans did not occur from the surface of the brain via the invasion of the blood vessels supplying the leptomeninges (pia mater and arachnoid). The other cryptococcal virulence factor that has been linked to brain invasion is urease, which is produced by nearly all clinical isolates of C. neoformans. Urease expression contributes to the CNS invasion by enhancing yeast sequestration within cerebral microcapillary beds during hematogenous spread. Meningoencephalitis is the most common and serious clinical manifestation of cryptococcosis. Remarkable progress has been made toward elucidating the means by which C. neoformans gains access into the CNS.
Antifungal Trials: Progress, Approaches, New Targets, and Perspectives in Cryptococcosis
Author: Peter G. Pappas
This chapter briefly describes the history of treatment for CNS cryptococcosis and discusses novel approaches to therapy with traditional agents, the newer antifungal agents, experimental agents, and the potential role of immunotherapy. The availability of fluconazole, itraconazole, the lipid formulations of amphotericin B, and the expanded spectrum triazoles provided additional options in the antifungal armamentarium. There are several newer antifungal agents that could offer significant advantages over more traditional agents. Specifically, three new triazoles, voriconazole, posaconazole, and isavuconazole, demonstrate excellent in vitro activity against most strains of clinically relevant Cryptococcus species. Passive immunotherapy has been advocated as a potentially important adjunct to conventional antifungal therapy in the management of invasive mycoses. The hypothetical value of cryptococcal antigen removal from the infected host relates to its function as a virulence factor: cryptococcal antigen is known to inhibit leukocyte migration, promote cerebral edema, promote cytokine dysregulation, induce T-lymphocyte secretion of immunosuppressive molecules, and induce the shedding of L-selectin. There are good data supporting the role of adjuvant corticosteroids in the early management of bacterial meningitis, and this has become a standard approach to patients with proven or suspected disease. Tacrolimus demonstrates synergistic activity with several antifungals including bafilomycin A (an experimental agent), caspofungin, and fluconazole. In the developed world, cryptococcosis in transplantation represents a large and inadequately studied complication among transplant recipients.
Source: Cryptococcus
Overview of Fungal Pathogens
Authors: Axel A. Brakhage, Peter F. Zipfel
Source: The Immune Response to Infection , pp 165-172
This chapter on fungal pathogens focuses on the most prominent group of fungi that cause life-threatening diseases, the Candida species and Aspergillus species. The frequency of invasive mycoses due to opportunistic fungal pathogens has increased significantly over the past 2 decades. Infections with fungal pathogens have emerged as an increasing risk faced by patients under continuous immuno-suppression. Macrophages and neutrophilic granulocytes play a major role in killing fungal pathogens like C. albicans and Aspergillus conidia. Multiple host innate immune and pattern recognition receptors recognize fungal pathogens such as C. albicans, A. fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Galactin-3 is an important pattern recognition receptor that binds pathogen-specific oligosaccharides, delivers antimicrobial activity, and directs fungicidal activity to opportunistic fungal pathogens. Both SCARF1 and CD36 define an evolutionarily conserved pathway for the innate sensing of fungal pathogens. Human pathogenic fungi like C. albicans secrete proteases such as aspartyl proteases, which assist and direct immune evasion. The understanding of the multiple layers of host immune defense against fungal pathogens has substantially increased during the last years. T cells and antigen-mediated response are important for defense against fungal pathogens. A large number of host pattern recognition molecules have been identified which sense fungal pathogens and at the same time multiple fungal proteins that bind and block host immune attack. The new concept of a virulence repertoire versus single virulence determinants that is currently emerging indicates the complexity of the interaction and the multiple reactions occurring at the pathogen host interface.
Acquired Immunity: Fungal Infections
The most common of the human diseases caused by fungi are the opportunistic fungal infections that occur in patients with defective immunity. This chapter attempts to position the new findings on acquired immunity and fungi within the conceptual framework of a two-component antifungal response that includes resistance and tolerance. Resistance and tolerance are two types of host defense mechanisms that increase fitness in response to fungi. The enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan metabolites contribute to immune homeostasis by inducing Tregs and taming heightened inflammatory responses. The new entry, the Th17 pathway, playing an inflammatory role previously attributed to uncontrolled Th1 cell reactivity and Tregs and capable of fine-tuning protective antimicrobial immunity in order to minimize harmful immune pathology, have become an integral component of the immune response to fungi. In their capacity to induce Tregs and inhibit Th17, IDO and kynurenines pivotally contribute to cell lineage decision in experimental fungal infections and reveal an unexpected potential in the control of inflammation, allergy, and Th17-driven inflammation in these infections. Serological and skin reactivity surveys indicate the development of acquired cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to fungi. A number of clinical observations suggest an inverse relationship between interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-10 production in patients with fungal infections. The implication for IDO in immunoregulation in fungal infections has several important implications.
Source: Infectious Diseases of the Skin
Filamentous Fungi
Authors: Gary W. Procop, Randall T. Hayden, Glenn D. Roberts
Source: Diagnostic Microbiology of the Immunocompromised Host , pp 195-219
This chapter discusses the most common causes of invasive mold infections, and provides a brief mention of particular molds that are less frequent causes of infection. The hyaline septate molds are covered first, with emphasis on Aspergillus species, Fusarium species, and Pseudallescheria boydii. A section talks about two dimorphic fungal pathogens, Histoplasma capsulatum and Penicillium marneffei, and also about less commonly encountered hyaline septate molds. Next, it discusses the zygomycetes, and Rhizopus and Mucor species are included because they are the genera most frequently encountered. Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) document 38-A addresses the standard broth dilution methods for determining antifungal resistance in the filamentous fungi . Alternatively, some authors have shown the utility of other methods, such as the Etest, for determining antifungal resistance in the filamentous fungi. The presence of a single colony of a mold in a respiratory specimen may simply represent the presence of transient fungal flora or a plate contaminant; however, it could also be evidence of an invasive fungal infection in an immunocompromised host. Every mycology laboratory should be able to definitively identify certain filamentous fungi. Microscopic examination reveals the spore morphology, the conidiophore, and the method of conidiogenesis. These features, when studied with identification keys and atlases, should afford the identification of the most commonly encountered filamentous fungi.
Complications of Superficial Mycoses
Authors: Adam Reich, Robert A. Schwartz, Jacek C. Szepietowski
Source: Sequelae and Long-Term Consequences of Infectious Diseases , pp 407-413
Superficial fungal infections are common infections limited to the skin, mucous membranes, hair, and nails. Tinea pedis, usually interdigital type, and toenail onychomycosis are significant risk factors for bacterial cellulitis of the lower legs. It was also demonstrated that thorough examination of the patient’s feet and interdigital spaces will often reveal active tinea pedis. Treatment of this condition could significantly reduce the number of cellulitis episodes. Recently, it was reported that dermatophytoses could be complicated by preseptal cellulitis. Empiric therapy with oral antibacterial and antiviral medications failed to resolve the disease. Candida species and Malassezia species are the most important pathogens in the induction of fungal allergy and may be responsible for allergic rhinitis, allergic sinusitis, atopic asthma, urticaria, or allergic eczema. The importance of hypersensitivity to fungal allergens was underscored in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis, in whom fungal allergens could provoke severe exacerbations. Superficial fungal infections were also described to induce allergic diseases de novo. Remarkably, dermatophytes have also occasionally been reported to be responsible for widespread and invasive infections in immunosuppressed patients. Several studies demonstrated that chronic dermatomycoses, mainly onychomycosis, significantly reduced patients’ quality of life. The majority of patients believed that the nail condition would last for the rest of their lives and claimed that other people found it unpleasant to look at their nails.
Aspergillus Sinusitis and Cerebral Aspergillosis
Authors: Stefan Schwartz, Markus Ruhnke
Aspergillus species are the most frequently identified pathogens in patients with fungal sinusitis. Aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses virtually always represents an airborne disease, which is acquired by inhalation of conidia. The noninvasive forms of Aspergillus sinusitis are mostly categorized into allergic sinusitis and sinus fungus ball or mycetoma. For antifungal therapy, amphotericin B has been the standard treatment in the past and may continue to be an alternative under resource-limited conditions. Alternatively, itraconazole has been used successfully either alone or in combination therapy with amphotericin B in some studies. In patients with cerebral aspergillosis, symptoms tend to progress rapidly, leading to death within days if untreated. Brain abscess formation is the most frequent finding in patients with cerebral aspergillosis. An altered mental status, focal neurological deficits, and seizures are the most common symptoms reported in patients with cerebral aspergillosis. The blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier comprises mainly the choroidal and arachnoidal epithelium, which is fenestrated and faces the CSF. Although substances may enter more easily into the CSF, further penetration into brain tissue is limited by the ependyma, a single layer of epithelial cells which covers the ventricles. In an open-label clinical trial, treatment responses to oral posaconazole therapy were assessed in a subset of 39 patients with various types of central nervous system (CNS) fungal diseases. The majority of patients had cryptococcal meningitis, and four patients suffered from cerebral aspergillosis. Successful responses to voriconazole treatment with long-term survival were repeatedly reported in single patients with cerebral aspergillosis.
Chronic Aspergillosis
Author: David W. Denning
Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis was first described in humans, by Alexander Bennett in 1848, and numerous descriptive and diagnostic monikers have been used, including pulmonary aspergillosis with cavitation, symptomatic pulmonary aspergilloma, complex aspergilloma, and chronic granulomatous aspergillosis. The term chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis describes patients in whom there is formation and expansion of multiple cavities over time. There are three discrete clinical entities subsumed under the term chronic Aspergillus rhinosinusitis, namely, chronic invasive Aspergillus rhinosinusitis, fungus ball of the sinus, and chronic granulomatous Aspergillus rhinosinusitis or paranasal Aspergillus granuloma. Various cutaneous manifestations are caused by Aspergillus spp., including onychomycosis, external otitis, and primary cutaneous aspergillosis. A pulmonary aspergilloma and fungus ball of the sinus are rounded conglomerates of hyphae, mucus, and cellular debris. The author has seen a few cases of Aspergillus bronchitis in the context of other chronic respiratory disease, but little has been written about it in the literature. Many different species of Aspergillus have been reported to cause onychomycosis, including A. fumigatus, A. versicolor, A. niger, A. terreus, and some rare species. This chapter talks about antifungal and surgical treatment and management of complications. Itraconazole and voriconazole are the preferred oral agents for chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA), with posaconazole being substituted for failure, toxicity, or emergence of resistance. Much-improved surgical and medical results are now reported, with long periods of remission on azole therapy or after surgical resection. The prognosis of a fungal ball of the maxillary sinus is also excellent, with a very low recurrence rate.
Azoles
Authors: Raoul Herbrecht, Yasmine Nivoix
This chapter focuses on itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, ravuconazole, isavuconazole, albaconazole and their role in treating invasive aspergillosis. In a study it was found that patients receiving itraconazole more often had an increase in bilirubin, and this led to the approval of itraconazole for empiric therapy. Metabolism of voriconazole takes place in the liver via the hepatic CYP isoenzymes CYP3A4, CYP2C19, and CYP2C9. Three major and five minor metabolites have been identified which are eliminated within 48 h in the urine and feces. The major metabolite is voriconazole N-oxide, which represents approximately 72% of the metabolites in plasma. The major enzyme involved in the metabolism of voriconazole is CYP2C19, and this enzyme exhibits genetic polymorphism. Several case reports or short series have identified breakthrough fungal infections in patients receiving voriconazole. Posaconazole is an extended-spectrum triazole that is currently only available as an oral suspension. Importantly, the spectrum of activity is extended to Zygomycetes, and clinical trials have shown efficacy of posaconazole in invasive zygomycosis. The large variations in itraconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole serum levels may be associated with decreased efficacy, increased toxicity, or occurrence of breakthrough infections. Itraconazole serum levels should be monitored in all patients treated with itraconazole capsules for a prolonged period for invasive fungal infections such as aspergillosis or histoplasmosis. Early identification of patients having very low serum drug levels and with low response rates, allows the switch to another therapy to increase the probability of efficacy of the antifungal treatment.
Echinocandins in the Treatment of Aspergillosis
Authors: Johan Maertens, Vincent Maertens
In the presence of caspofungin, blunting and abnormal branching of the hyphae in actively growing areas of the cell are observed, primarily at the tips and branching points. These observations are consistent with the mechanism of action but do not fit the classical definitions of a fungicidal or fungistatic agent. Echinocandins are large molecules with a relative molecular weight of approximately 1,200. Due to their large molecule size and poor oral bioavailability (less than 10%), echinocandins are available for parenteral administration only. Recently, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer reported on their multicenter clinical trial that evaluated caspofungin as first-line treatment for proven and probable invasive aspergillosis in 61 evaluable patients with hematological cancer. Four compassionate use studies conducted prior to licensure in several different countries showed that caspofungin produced favorable responses in a variety of patients with invasive aspergillosis, most of whom demonstrated refractoriness to or intolerance of prior systemic antifungal therapy. Initial reports of combination therapy in invasive aspergillosis have focused on refractory disease. Echinocandins are generally very well tolerated both in the healthy subjects of the clinical pharmacology studies and in patients with a wide spectrum of diseases and receiving many concomitant medications who were included in the clinical trials. In clinical studies of patients with invasive aspergillosis, caspofungin and micafungin are well-tolerated for prolonged treatment durations (up to 162 days for caspofungin), and the favorable safety profile was maintained with extended therapy.
Antifungal Drug Interactions
Author: Russell E. Lewis
The risk of an adverse effect with a drug interaction is further increased in patients with advanced age, malnutrition, malabsorption, chronic illness, hepatic or renal dysfunction, polypharmacy, or concomitant use of drugs with a narrow therapeutic index or in patients whose care is provided by multiple specialists or prescribers. As many or all of these risk factors are present in the patient populations predisposed to invasive fungal infections, drug interactions should be anticipated in any patient receiving systemic antifungal therapy for invasive aspergillosis. This chapter focuses on mechanisms and clinical implications of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions in the patient with aspergillosis. The density of P-gp expression in the gastrointestinal tract exhibits wide intra- and interpatient variability that is affected by diet, underlying disease, drug therapy, and genetics. Some chemotherapy agents and immunosuppressants used in solid organ or hematopoetic stem cell transplantation are extensively cleared through CYP3A4 biotransformation. Management of these interactions focuses on preventative measures to limit the severity of the reaction and careful monitoring and supplementation of electrolyte deficiencies. Patients with invasive aspergillosis have multiple risk factors for potentially harmful drug interactions. Although some drug interactions may be trivial or have minor effects, interactions that enhance the metabolism of antifungals used to treat Aspergillus infection, interactions that affect drugs with a narrow therapeutic index (i.e., immunosuppressants, chemotherapy, antiretrovirals), and interactions that increase cardiac QT prolongation should always be considered important and managed in a proactive fashion.
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NBA Daily: In Battle With Westbrook, Dame Called Game
NBA Daily: Tony Bradley Shows Growth In Summer League
NBA Daily: Free Agency Watch
Jordan Hicks looks into how Damian Lillard dominated Russell Westbrook in their head-to-head playoff matchup and willed the Portland Trail Blazers to the second round.
Jordan Hicks
The first marquee playoff matchup wrapped up Wednesday night before it even felt like it had started. It featured two All-NBA point guards who, in their own rights, were having phenomenal seasons.
It was as even as you could hope for regarding a three seed versus a six seed – injuries to the former could even start an argument that the latter was better – but after all the smoke cleared, it was one 37-foot, cold-blooded game-winning shot that ended the series much sooner than anyone had expected.
There was plenty of time left for the Trail Blazers to get a much better look. Damian Lillard had almost 10 seconds to get a play set up. But he took matters into his own hands, squared up Paul George and iced the game on one of the longer three-point, game-sealing shots in recent NBA history.
Even with a healthy Jusuf Nurkic, most would have assumed this series would last an easy seven games. Both teams have plenty of talent in their starting five, coupled with solid depth off the bench. So why did it end so abruptly in five games?
The core of the argument can be boiled down to the starting point guards: Russell Westbrook vs. Damian Lillard. One is a freakishly athletic and a triple-double king. The other is a sneaky good ball-handler who can shoot quite well from deep. At the end of the day, the play from each player during the series effectively sealed the fate for their teams moving forward.
Let’s first take a look at Westbrook’s numbers. On one hand, he nearly averaged a triple-double, posting 22.8 points, 9 rebounds and 10.6 assists during the series. He did a great job – for the most part – at feeding the right players at the right time. He funneled plenty of offensive possessions toward Paul George, the better scorer, and Dennis Schroder when they shared the court.
The problem in his game came from primarily two sources – and those issues were so blaring that they ended up being major detractors from some of the other positive things he was doing -Westbrook’s defense and his inefficient shooting.
When on the court, Westbrook was a blaring negative 10.5 net rating (!) – stemming primarily from a horrid rating on the defensive end of 115.4. He shared the court with fellow All-Star Paul George quite a bit, and George was actually a slight positive in net rating. That shows just how poor Russell was on D.
During the season, Russell averaged 1.9 steals per game but averaged just one in the series against Portland. The combined handles of both Lillard and CJ McCollum are likely what led to Westbrook’s drastic decrease in takeaways. That, or the fact that he could never really find himself on defense.
Turning to the offensive end of the court, it actually looked even worse for Westbrook. While he averaged double-digit assists, he committed almost five turnovers per night. His shooting was another terrible story. He shot just 36 percent from the field and did so despite shooting a respectable (for Westbrook) 32.4 percent from three. What’s worse is he took 22.2 shots per game. That’s two shots more per game than George, who is the exponentially better shooter.
Moving on to Damian Lillard, it is very easy to see how his play dictated the pace of four out of the five games. He averaged 33 points on 46.2 percent from the field. He shot almost 11 threes per game and knocked them down at a staggering 48.1 percent. Add six assists and an incredible 2.4 steals per night and you have the recipe for a gentleman’s sweep.
Advanced stats favor Damian, as well. Outside of Raymond Felton who played significantly less, Lillard led the series for both teams in net rating at 11.4. His all-around play was on full display every game, and there wasn’t ever really a point in the series that you’d place him and Westbrook on the same pedestal.
Westbrook is a terrific player – don’t take this article out of context – but he was outplayed significantly during this series. He played really well in Game 3, but other than that outlier he was hypothetically wrestled into submission by Lillard. His issue with this series is he went back to what he knows. When Westbrook is against the ropes, he essentially turns into a chucker, and -apart from the hot nights that are becoming rarer – this is always a bad thing for the Thunder.
Five games is a large enough sample to showcase just how much better Lillard has become than Westbrook. He proved that the game is moving more towards efficient shooters, and he’s taking full advantage of it.
Lillard is definitely on a hot streak, and it would be awesome to see that carry the Trail Blazers through to the Western Conference Finals. They certainly have a shot, being on a more favorable side of the bracket that would have them match up against either the Spurs or the Nuggets.
Lillard’s Mona Lisa of a playoff series was capped off by one of the best game-winning shots in NBA Playoff history.
“It was a great feeling when it left my hands,” Lillard told reporters. “It felt good.”
After the game, Paul George had this to say regarding Lillard’s walk-off winner: “That’s a bad, bad shot. I don’t care what anybody says. That’s a bad shot. But hey, he made it. That story won’t be told that it was a bad shot. We live with that.”
The hot streak continued onto Twitter where Lillard responded to George’s quote with his own reply. It will be interesting to see what happens with Portland moving forward, but regardless of where they end up, one thing is certain.
Lillard is playing at an all-time playoff level, and he will continue to tear through the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.
Related Topics:Main PageOklahoma City ThunderPortland Trail Blazers
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Jordan Hicks is an NBA writer based out of Salt Lake City. He is a former college athlete and varsity sports official. Find him on Twitter @JordanHicksNBA.
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David Yapkowitz sits down with Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to discuss the injury-filled finish to last season, the moves the organization made this offseason and what lies ahead.
David Yapkowitz
After making a huge trade for Jimmy Butler one year ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves had just broken one of the NBA’s longest playoff droughts when they made the postseason.
Fast forward to the present – Butler was traded, Tom Thibodeau got let go and the Wolves failed to reach the postseason with a 36-46 record.
There is room for optimism, however. Minnesota is still led by Karl-Anthony Towns, one of the top rising stars in the league with the prime of his career ahead of him. He’s arguably the best big man in the NBA at the young age of 23 years old.
The Wolves locked Towns up for the foreseeable future after he signed a Supermax contract extension back in September. He believes his game will definitely expand and grow as head coach Ryan Saunders continues to work with him.
“I feel that I’m going to be able to do a little more,” Towns told Basketball Insiders in an exclusive interview. “I got more freedom, I got a head coach that’s going to use my talents a little better. It’s going to be good.”
The major changes to the Wolves organization didn’t stop with the roster or the coaching staff. Thibodeau had a dual role as head coach and president of basketball operations. To replace his front office duties, the team brought in longtime executive Gersson Rosas, who comes from the Houston Rockets with 16 years of executive duty experience.
After taking over head coaching duties back in January, Saunders will now have a full offseason and training camp with the team to implement his style of play. All of this combined is something that Towns believes will be helpful to the team.
“It’s going to be big,” Towns told Basketball Insiders. “I think not just only Ryan [Saunders] but having such a different culture, a different team. I think that’s going to be a big change for us. It’s going to be a very beneficial change.”
The Wolves are hoping part of that change is going to be a healthy roster. The team struggled with key injuries, especially late in the season when they were trying to mount a late playoff push. Robert Covington, who had emerged as a great compliment to Towns, missed a big part of the second half of the season. Jeff Teague was also in and out of the lineup all year.
Minnesota was firmly in the playoff picture for most of the season, even when they were hovering near the bottom, but the key injuries really took a toll as the year came winding down.
“We had a lot of change. That constitutes to that and our season. We didn’t make the playoffs because we just ran into the injury bug. Injuries really hit us and took our spark out of us,” Towns told Basketball Insiders. “We were in a great spot before the injuries, but it happens. That’s just how the league works. You got to find ways to win, we just came up a little short.”
Luckily, there are some added reinforcements on the way. The Wolves acquired highly touted prospect Jarrett Culver out of Texas Tech in a draft-night trade. Culver has the ability to play multiple positions, especially on the defensive end. Although he is being held out of summer league, there’s no denying his potential.
In the second round, the Wolves drafted Jaylen Nowell, a high-scoring guard who shot 44 percent from three-point range last season at Washington. He’s only 19 years old and has plenty of unlocked potential as well for a second-round player.
“I see him [Culver] bringing a lot of versatility. I see him bringing length, I see him bringing a hungriness to the team, he wants to prove himself. We’re going to have a very, very good rookie on our hands,” Towns told Basketball Insiders. “And let’s also not forget Jaylen Nowell. He’s a high IQ player and we’re very fortunate he fell to us.”
The draft isn’t the only area where the Wolves improved their roster. They made a couple of solid free agent moves as well, signing a trio of versatile forwards in Jordan Bell, Jake Layman and Noah Vonleh.
Bell has seen sporadic playing time the past few seasons with the Golden State Warriors, but he’s still young and has already shown an ability to switch defensively from guards to bigs. Layman had a solid year as one of Portland’s key contributors off the bench. Vonleh has bounced around the league a bit, but was one of the lone bright spots for the Knicks last season.
“They’re going to bring a lot of experience from great organizations,” Towns told Basketball Insiders. “They bring a lot of playoff experience as well, and they’re also going to bring us a lot of talent. They’re all very versatile and they bring a lot to the table.”
And as the 2019 NBA Summer League is now in full swing with free agency winding down, Towns is happy with the steps the Wolves have taken. He’s confident in this team and what lies ahead.
“We’ve already taken the next step, there is no next step, we’ve already taken the next step,” Towns told Basketball Insiders. “We’ve made the changes to our team that we needed to make and we’re ready to go.”
Drew Maresca assesses Ignas Brazdeikis’ resume thus far and his potential fit on the Knicks roster.
Drew Maresca
Most second-round picks are either projects, relatively unknowns or some combination of the two.
Ignas Brazdeikis doesn’t exactly fit any of the above categories.
The Knicks traded up eight picks in the 2019 NBA Draft to select Brazdeikis, who was projected by many as a late first-round pick. In return, the Knicks sent the Kings the 55th pick (used to select Kyle Guy) and cash considerations.
Brazdeikis is a 6-foot-7 forward who posted 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game with a 21.4 PER while at the University of Michigan.
The 20-year-old forward features a toughness and willingness to compete unlike most rookies, but the former Wolverine is also a natural scorer who was praised leading up to the draft for his ability to create his own shot. He led his college team in scoring and is averaging 14.6 points per game through three summer league games. His full skill set was on display in Sunday’s game, posting a strong and encouraging 30 points in 32 minutes.
“I really appreciated that (confidence in me),” Brazdeikis told Basketball Insiders. “With that kind of freedom, I felt like I had the ability to do what I did tonight.”
While second-rounders making headlines in summer league isn’t overly unusual, Knicks head coach David Fizdale is already encouraging Brazdeikis to continue doing what he does.
“Just be myself,“ Brazdeikis said of Fizdale’s advice. “Coach Fiz talked to me and said you just have to be yourself and no one else. Be aggressive, don’t be afraid to make your plays and do what you do.”
In addition to creating his own shot, Brazdeikis also shoots the long ball at an above-average clip. He shot 39.2 percent from three-point range in his lone collegiate season. And he demonstrated his hot hand on Sunday as well, when he made three of his six three-point attempts against the Suns – including a game-game tying triple in the closing seconds.
“I was like ‘Damn, there’s a lot more space than I’m usually used to,’” Brazdeikis said. “I came into this game thinking to trust your instincts and trust who you are. And that’s what I did.”
Brazdeikis was also praised for his ability to move without the ball leading up to the 2019 NBA Draft, and he should be able to continue leveraging that in the NBA, as well, given the increased spacing.
“The spacing is a lot different,” he said. “The three-second rule, too. In college basketball, it’s so compact and everyone is in the paint. It’s hard to get in there. Here it’s a lot different.”
But he did slip to the 47thpick for a reason. Brazdeikis is far from the prototypical, modern wing able to switch on most other players on the court and initiate pick-and-rolls – mostly due to a lack of perimeter quickness. His average speed and leaping ability, and his 6-foot-9 wingspan will make it more difficult for him to cover NBA forwards.
Additionally, Brazdeikis will have to continue developing his ball-handling and playmaking abilities – Brazdeikis averaged only 0.8 assists per game last season at Michigan while totaling 1.2 turnovers per game.
But what Iggy lacks in athleticism and natural ability, he makes up for in confidence and grit.
“I’m a guy who always believes in myself fully,” he said. “Every time I step on the court I feel I’m the best player. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
And while Brazdeikis might not be a key piece in the Knicks lineup immediately, there is ample time for patience and development. The Knicks locked Brazdeikis up on a three-year, $5.7 million deal with a third-year team option.
New York is a tough market for rookies to develop in. There will probably be moments of doubt, especially considering that Knicks fans are a knowledgeable and engaged bunch who still demand and appreciate effort and fearlessness. But they will boo feverishly if they feel it’s necessary.
Fortunately, Brazdeikis claims to have the requisite thick skin and desire – a mentality tailor-made for New York.
“I’ve always had this kind of mentality where I don’t care what people think about me and I just got to be myself,” he said. “And I just want to win.”
It has been six years since the Knicks made the NBA Playoffs, 20 years since they made the NBA Finals and 46 years since they won a championship.
If he is a part of a winner of any sort, Brazdeikis won’t have to worry about what Knicks fans think of him – because he will be universally loved by them across the globe.
Jordan Hicks writes about Utah Jazz second-round talent Jarrell Brantley, his play throughout the summer and what is yet to come for the athletic forward.
Jarrell Brantley was Utah Jazz’s first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. No, he wasn’t selected in the first round, as the team forfeited that pick to the Memphis Grizzlies via trade in exchange for the services of Mike Conley Jr. Brantley was selected 50th overall in the second round by the Indiana Pacers, but ended up with the Jazz thanks in part to another trade.
Historically, second-round picks don’t fare well in the NBA. For one, there are 30-59 players selected ahead of them – all of which are assumed to be better. Secondly, roster spots are already limited. Second-round picks are not only battling first-rounders, but they are also battling former draft picks – or undrafted players for that matter – for 15 slots (17 counting two-way contracts).
Despite the fact that second-rounders’ odds are considerably less than anyone drafted inside the first round to make it in the league, there have been plenty of players to carve out a nice role. Some players have even turned into All-NBA athletes and Hall of Famers. Dennis Rodman, Manu Ginobli – and more recently Paul Millsap and Draymond Green – are all solid players that come to mind.
Brantley looks to join the long list of talent that the second round has produced in the NBA, and recent moves made by the Jazz front office give him about as good a chance as possible. The Jazz sent three players to Memphis as part of the Conley deal and also had quite a few expiring contracts from last year’s roster. All-in-all, there are still quite a few roster spots available, even after the slew of free agency signings Utah had during the first few days of the free agency period.
It’s clear the Jazz saw something in Brantley. They traded up to draft him.
When asked about his diverse skillset, Jarrell stated, “I’m grateful that Utah was able to pick that out of me and still allow me to use that, especially in summer league, even if I’m not able to use it during the season because of the guys they have on the team. But I’m grateful that they see it in me and they are allowing me to use it.”
You see by size, Brantley is a traditional four. He stands 6-foot-7 but weighs a stout 250 pounds. He’s stocky, incredibly strong and quite agile for his size. Thanks in part to the modern NBA, Brantley can easily play the three. He does have decent ball-handling ability, and he’s able to guard multiple positions defensively, so Utah certainly picked him up thanks in part to his unique toolbox.
Brantley played all four years for the College of Charleston. He garnered CAA Rookie of the Year as a freshman and was First Team All-CAA as a senior where he averaged 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
It wasn’t just the numbers that impressed, it was Brantley’s high motor. Utah’s summer league coach Lamar Skeeter was asked about it recently and said, “He’s good, he competes. You can tell he’s got that competitive fire in him which is great.”
That motor got Brantley in trouble in his first-ever NBA game where he accumulated eight fouls. Luckily for him, summer league rules didn’t force him out after six.
To that, Skeeter said, “Really it’s just understanding how the game is called. This NBA game is different than college. He’s aggressive, he’s physical, he likes to use his hands. But understanding when those situations are that he can use his hands [or] when he’s got to show them [is important]. The more we play and the more everybody gets comfortable [he’ll] understand how to defend without fouling.”
Jarrell has had a pretty solid showing thus far in summer league. He had 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal and block in his first game – and 16 and 6 in his second. Both games were played in Salt Lake.
He hasn’t had quite the same success in Las Vegas, at least as far as numbers go, but his motor really is next level. His sheer presence on the court – thanks in part to his size and athleticism – are more than enough to get him significant minutes in a Jazz uniform this year.
Basketball Insiders asked Brantley what he’s trying to prove to the Jazz organization and he had quite a thoughtful response.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily anything I want to prove because I know that if I go out there and be who I am I think I’ll have a good shot,” Brantley told Basketball Insiders. “They’ll see I can be placed here somewhere. That’s not my place to say. I think I’ll be okay if I just continue to prove who I am and go out day by day and just be consistent and love what I do. That’s all I can control.”
Brantley’s closing sentence there was a great take. He alone can control his effort. If the Jazz end up not needing what he brings to the table, so be it. But he essentially controls the level of intensity he gives on a nightly basis.
“It’s amazing. As soon as I got out there I smiled because it could be overwhelming but at the same time, these are all the things I’ve prayed for over the years,” said Brantley when asked about the almost 11,000 in attendance at Salt Lake City Summer League, “People calling my name, we don’t got Donovan [Mitchell] out there, we don’t got Rudy [Gobert], so right now we get the opportunity to be the stars in a sense so it’s fun and I’m grateful for it like I keep saying.”
Whatever happens with Brantley, it’s clear he has the attitude to be successful. Whether it be a two-way player for the Jazz, stud in the G League, or even a full-time player on Utah’s roster, Jarrell will surely give all he’s got. He is the type of basketball player that can find success in today’s NBA. And if the Jazz truly did their homework, they may have gotten yet another steal via the draft.
Only time will tell what type of career Brantley will have. But whatever happens in the future, you can’t take away the fact that Brantley has already had the chance to play an NBA game.
“It was fun. It was a blessing to be out there and be on TV,” said Jarrell regarding his first official match.
As the summer league leads into camp which then leads into preseason, pay attention to Brantley.
If his motor is any indication of how his first NBA season will play out, there is a high chance he’ll find himself suiting up for the Utah Jazz.
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Fukushima Disaster: An End to the Nuclear Renaissance?
Eun Young Chough
The tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has sent a worldwide wake-up call. Countries throughout the world are now turning their eyes to alternative energy that can replace this carbon-free energy source.
The crisis is also raising anti-nuclear sentiment and leading nations are being called upon to reinforce and review their nuclear security measures and strategies. The Fukushima nuclear plant incident may also be threatening the “nuclear renaissance” of the 21st century, characterized by the advent of the revival of the nuclear energy source.
Since the United States Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear plant accident in 1978 and the Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster in 1986, the anti-nuclear movement had gained worldwide support through to the end of the 20th century. Yet continuous efforts in this field by advanced countries, including the United States, have enabled the nuclear industry to focus on ensuring the security of nuclear plants as well as competitiveness with other countries. As a result, society’s preference for nuclear energy has increased, leading to even greater interest in investing in such energy.
Indeed, in the first decade of the 21st century, concerns about climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and high fossil fuel prices have contributed to the preference for nuclear energy over other options. Nuclear energy releases less carbon dioxide— 10g/kWh—than renewable energy such as solar power and wind power. Currently, 442 nuclear power plants are providing approximately one-fifth of the world’s electricity, 62 are under construction, and 158 are in the planning stages.
Yet the Fukushima disaster has led governments around the world to reconsider the need for alternative energy. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered the shutdown of seven of the country’s 17 reactors that began operating before 1980 as well as the testing of all nuclear generators. Italy and Switzerland similarly put a halt to their new reactor plans. France has the highest dependency on nuclear energy in the world, getting approximately 80 percent of the nation’s electricity supply from this power generation source. The country is also pushing its new generation of the 1630MW European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), made by Areva. French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan on March 31 to underscore the need for common international safety standards for nuclear policy.
In the United States, during a March 30 speech at Georgetown University, President Barack Obama proposed reducing oil imports by one third by 2025. He also summarized new incentives to increase the production of biofuels, crude oil, and gas while calling for further development of alternative energy sources. The United States is home to 104 nuclear reactors—the most of any country in the world; 23 of these are the same design as the tsunami-stricken nuclear reactors in Fukushima.
Closer to Fukushima, South Korea, which depends on nuclear energy for approximately 40 percent of its energy, also responded to the incident. Korea annually produces 680 metric tons of spent fuel rods, and sources say that by 2016 South Korea will not have enough space to store used rods. As a temporary solution, the government announced it will establish waste storage facilities and select sites for construction.
Meanwhile, governments of emerging countries such as India and China announced they will continue with their previous plans for nuclear plant construction. Five days after the Fukushima disaster, China announced that it will suspend all new approvals for nuclear plants; however, on March 30, the media reported that Xie Zhenhua—vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission—said that China’s plan for nuclear plant expansion will not be changed. China currently has 13 nuclear facilities in operation and more than 100 nuclear plants planned.
Whether the Fukushima disaster will signal the demise of the nuclear renaissance remains unclear, but countries will certainly continue to take measures to find ways to lessen their dependency on nuclear energy. PricewaterhouseCooper’s report “Renewable Deals” projected that, regardless of the exact outcome of worldwide developments, “the Fukushima events are likely to shift the energy policy balance towards renewables.” As the ramifications of the Fukushima event continue to unfold, a complete change in society’s approach to alternative energy seems unlikely, but it is certain that the world before and after the disaster will have markedly different views of nuclear energy-dependent countries.
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BMF and TTF strike membership deal
In a reciprocal membership promotion, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) is offering a 10% discount on its current subscription year membership to any member of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) that joins the BMF between 1 September 2013 and 31 March 2014.
The TTF will also offer a 10% discount to any BMF member joining the TTF during the six-month promotion.
John Newcomb, BMF managing director, said: “This is the first promotional partnership between our two industry associations, and reflects the mutual respect that each has for the other. Together the two organisations provide a wide range of complementary services for companies involved in the timber supply chain who will undoubtedly benefit from dual membership.”
TTF chief executive John White added: “We are delighted to join the BMF in this promotion. There is a great deal of synergy between the two organisations and a number of our members are also members of the BMF. We hope that this promotion will demonstrate the benefits of dual membership to many others who currently belong to just one of our organisations.”
The BMF and the TTF will be writing to all members with details of the reciprocal membership offer and the benefits to their business. For further information please contact jennie.sellar@bmf.org.uk or jrennie@ttf.co.uk.
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» Troyan Monastery "Assumption of Virgin Mary"
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» Gorni Voden Monastery "St. St. Kirik and Yulita"
» Klisura Monastery "St. St. Cyril and Metodi"
» Lopushanski Monastery "St. John the Precursor"
» Pravetz Monastery "St. Teodor Tiron"
» Patriarch Monastery "Holy Trinity"
» Zemen Monastery "St. Ioan Bogoslov"
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Bulgarian Monasteries website looks a little bit different. OK, it's a lot different. But what you can't see is even more significant than what you can... news archive »
Bachkovski Monastery
Bachkovski Monastery is located 29 km south of Plovdiv, 11 km south of Asenovgrad in Chaya river valley, in the foothills of the scenic Rhodope mountains.
The area around Asenovgrad is noted for the very large number of churches, chapels and monasteries in its immediate vicinity.
People sometimes refer to this monastery in error as "Bachkovo Monastery", but any serious student of the rules of Bulgarian grammar appreciates that -ski is a suffix showing belonging, and is used to form names from village/town names, professions, etc.
Bachkovski Monastery was founded in 1083 A.D. by brothers Grigorii and Abbassi Bakouriani, Georgians by nationality. It was destroyed by the Turks in the 15th century. The monastery was restored at the beginning of the 17th century
Altogether, this is one of the most special parts of Bulgaria's more recent history. You should read the page on Asenova Krepost and "The Church
at Batak" for more detail of this incredible portion of Bulgaria's colorful history.
The Church of the Archangels was built in the 12th century. The church of the Assumption of Our Lady was built in 1604 at the same time as the former refectory. The Cemetery Chapel (see photo below) is the only remaining building from the 11th century.
The paintings in the Church of St. Nicholai are by Zahari Zograph (1840). Other paintings by Zahari Zograph are those under the Church of the Archangels.
The Bachkovski Monastery library preserves many valuable manuscripts and church artifacts.
Bachkovski Monastery is Bulgaria's second most popular after Rila, drawing thousands of visitors, natives and tourists alike on almost any day. The busiest days are on weekends, especially Sunday.
You should park at the bottom near the large restaurants and stroll up the cobblestone street. You will have the opportunity to give close inspection to the huge variety of handcrafts on sale here by the local vendors. Items range from needlework to locally-grown fruits and vegetables, honey, preserved foods in jars, herbs and spices, handmade earthenware bowls, plates and baking dishes (gyuvetch), woven baskets, icons and paintings. Imported items are also seen; some cheap common trinkets and gadgets that often catch the children's eyes.
We strongly suggest that you do not miss the opportunity to enjoy some of the great coffee, kebapche, boiled corn in season and skara at the stands you will find here. The wonderful aroma of barbeque fills the fresh Rhodope mountain air and seems to whet the appetite. There are two large restaurants here; both offer an excellent menu of freshly-prepared food (including excellent fresh fish) and are staffed with the capability of hosting large dinners and receptions. A lunch or dinner at 'the waterfall' restaurant is a memorable experience.
The entrance to the monastery grounds is through this gate. Just inside on the left is the large metal-image history of the monastery which is shown near the top of this page. Fresh spring-water flows at the fountains at the entrance. Similar fountains will also be found inside the monastery walls. Be sure you bring an extra empty container to fill with water here and enjoy later.
Limited parking space is available at the monastery gate, but you miss the experience of the pazar on the street below.
The 160 Orthodox monasteries situated throughout Bulgaria in attractive, natural environments are of interest for the development of religious tourism. Twenty of these monasteries offer possibilities for tourist stays.
Hourly buses from Plovdiv to Bachkovo monastery leave from platform one at the Rodopi bus station, just behind the train station. A night in the monastery costs Lv10 (ВЈ3.30). Bathrooms are shared and there is no hot water. There is no need to book.
The Rila monastery, 119 km south of Sofia, is the most famous, being both a World Cultural Heritage object and a National tourist object.
Bachkovski Monastery ranks second only after the Rila Monastery both with regard to size, and to architectural, artistic and literary significance. During the Turkish occupancy, the monasteries were the strongholds in which the Bulgarian spirit was kept alive. In the words of Ivan Vasov, Bulgarian poet (1850-1921), "They are the lively and moving history of an epoch, so glorious and so dismal."
At Bachkovski, you will find a 16,000 volume library including 134 manuscripts from 15th to 19th century, exclusive mural paintings, wood carvings and icons, gold weave materials and embroidery, and a multitude of gold and silver church plates, collections of coins, weapons and jewelry.
This "Cemetery Chapel" is the only original building remaining at Bachkovski Monastery. It was built in the 11th century, 1083 year.
The chapel sits on a hill above the monastery, about 300 meters east from the Church of St. Nickolai.
Location: The second largest Bulgarian monastery, the Bachkovo cloister, lies in the valley of the Chepelare river (also known by the locals as Chaya), about 10km to the south of the town of Assenovgrad. On all sides, the monastery is surrounded by the hills of the Rhodopi mountain, which together with its size and ancient spirit make is one of the most visited monasteries in Bulgaria. The complex and its neighbourhood have grown into a developed tourist sight where dozens of small shops, stalls, and restaurants stand on both sides of the walkway to the gates and appeal with their variety to visitors. One can find here everything that grows or is being manufactured in the Rhodopi mountain – rare herbs, home-made jams of wild fruit, yogurt and white cheese made of sheep or buffalo’s milk, woolen carpets, etc.
History and general info: The monastery was founded in 1083 by the Byzantine military commander of Georgian origin, Grigorii Bakuriani and his brother Abazii. Yet only the two-storey bone-vault, which lies about 300m to the east of the present-day complex, is still kept from that time. The bone-vault is a must-see building there, for its unique wall-paintings, which rank among the most valuable works of Orthodox art of the 11th –12th c.
During the times of the Second Bulgarian State, the monastery was patronised by Tsar Ivan Alexander, a portrait of whom can be still seen in the arcs of the bone-vault’s narthex due to his renovation of this building. At the end of the 11th century, the monastery opens a religious school. A curious fact is that after the subjection of Bulgarian lands to the Ottoman empire at the end of the 14th century, the Bulgarian Patriarch, Evtimii, was sent on exile here in the monastery. Nevertheless, the exile did not dishearten the Patriarch and he, together with his scholars, developed active religious and cultural activity behind the walls of the monastery.
Even if the Bachkovo monastery survived the first coup of the Ottoman invasion, it was not spared later one and similarly to other cloister, was raided and ruined down. It was restored towards the end of the 15th century with the dining hall having been reconstructed in 1601, and the present-day church, Virgin Mary, – in 1604. The wall-paintings of the dining hall, finished in 1603 by an unknown master, are particularly impressive for their artistic value. The church, on the other hand, also boasts with beautiful frescoes, but what draws mostly on visitors is its icon of Virgin Mary, believed to be wonder-working. A long queue of pilgrims wishing to say their prayers to the miraculous image of the God’s Mother, often starts far outside the entrance of the church. Besides the main church, the complex also has two smaller shrines: one called St Archangels (13th - 14th c.) and standing in the northern part of the inner yard (next to the main church) and another one, named after St Nikola (1834-1837). The St Nikola church rises in the southern part of the yard and is worth visiting for the well-kept paintings of the famous artist Zahari Zograf (including a portrait of the very artist himself), finished in 1841. The monastery also has its own museum which holds rare religious items of different times.
© 2005-2019 Bulgarian-Monasteries.com | Vocabulary | Contact Us
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The African Music Hub is at the heart of the African Music world. In association with our partners we provide a portal for African Music with access to sites, information, news, discussion forum and mail list.
The African Music Group - The African Music Discussion forum & Mail list, now on
The African Music Web Ring - The web ring that connects all the African Music sites around the world now on
Winner "The Best African Music Site" 2008 Black Web Awards
A Big Thank you to all our members
Putumayo World Music - Established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of other cultures, Putumayo World Music is a specialist world music label who have produced some great African Music CD's and have helped promote African music artists.
We highly recommend this award winning program from the BBC World Service. The Story of Africa tells the history of the continent from an African perspective.
African Drum Beat - Educational and informative site dedicated to West African drumming rhythms and percussion music from Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea and particularly rhythms associated with Djembe, Sabar, and Kpanlogo drums.
We are looking for writers, photographers, reviewers who would like to help us build this site. For more information see our Contributors Corner.
We're often asked what books we recommend about African Music. Unfortunately, many books on African music go out of print but below are our recommendations:
West African Pop Roots
John Collins / Paperback / 350 pages / 1992
John Collins is Professor of Music at the University of Ghana, and lives just outside Accra. He has his own band and working as musician and recording engineer he has met or worked with virtually everybody who was anybody in West African popular music from early highlife bandleaders like E.T. Mensah to the late Fela Kuti. The book consists largely of short chapters about individual performers, grouped roughly according to chronology and geography. Much of the material is anecdotal, letting the performers speak for themselves. A great book and well worth reading!
World Music: Africa, Europe & the Middle East (Rough Guides Series)
There are two volumes in the new edition of the Rough Guide: this volume covers Africa, Europe and the Middle East, while Volume Two has the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. This volume is divided into three geographical sections: Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Within each section the entries are arranged alphabetically by country or by ethnic group. The discographies follow the arrangement of each article and when it makes things clearer by style (for example, Nigeria has sections for Traditional, Juju, Fuji, Highlife, and Afro-beat). Compilations are listed first and artists follow (listed A-Z), with a brief biography and reviews of their key discs.
Each section has one or two 'star discs' which are indicated by a CD symbol. These are the ones to buy first. All other selections are preceded by a CD, cassette or vinyl symbol: those specified as cassette or vinyl are not available on CD but worth checking out all the same.
Featured Listening
Soukous In Central Park - Kanda Bongo Man
With a move to Paris in 1979, Kanda moved Soukous into hi-energy dance floor music. Traditional Soukous follows a standard Zaiko song which has a long Rhumba section followed by a faster Seben. Kanda, eliminated the Rhumba using only the Seben, producing tracks that were suitable for the dance floors of London and Paris.
Click here to Order Soukoius In Central Park from Amazon.com
Learn to drum with Babatunde Olatunji. The acknowledged master of African drumming presents essential tech techniques, rhythmic patterns and concepts for drummers of all levels. The spiritual powers of 'the drum' and drumming are the focus of this video. Inspiring lessons and performances will expand anyone's playing on the Ashiko, Djembe and related drums.
Copyright � 2001- 2007 - All Rights Reserved - Africanmusichub.com
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Chilham Castle
Chilham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 8DB
Chilham Castle Courtesy Kent History and Library Centre, Maidstone
Entrance to Chilham Castle by Emily Wildman, Courtesy of Mr and Mrs S. Wheeler
Lancelot “Capability” Brown advised owner Thomas Heron on improving the grounds of Chilham Castle.
Chilham Castle is a 17th-century mansion and medieval keep overlooking the Stour Valley, south-west of Canterbury, Kent. Lawyer Thomas Heron bought the estate in 1774 and in 1777 consulted Brown about improving the park and gardens. Capability Brown’s main proposals were remodelling the sloping ground close to the castle and moving the outbuildings. He also drew up plans for a new kitchen garden and hothouse and designed the Gothic-style gateway. Overall, Brown thought that only limited work was needed to improve the landscaping around castle and its fine views.
Letters and maps
Heron paid a sum of £412 and 10 shillings (nearly £597,100 in 2015) into Brown’s account at Drummond’s Bank on 2 February 1781. This is a comparatively small amount and shows that Brown's work at Chilham was on quite a limited scale. From 1777, a series of letters from Thomas Heron to his brother, Sir Richard Heron, reveal the changes being made to the park and his discussions with Brown. It is not always clear whether Brown’s ideas were put into effect and at what date. However, maps and illustrations of the castle offer further clues.
Brown’s first visit
Brown appears to have been reluctant to visit Chilham but eventually did so on 28 July 1777, when he stayed for two days. His General Plan for the Alterations to the Place has not survived. Brown is said to have been impressed with the already mature landscape, feeling that not much needed to be done.
Though Brown did not suggest any new plantations at the estate, he did believe that the distant views of the castle could be improved. He thought there were too many outbuildings clustered around the main entrance from the village. Discussion about moving the stables and farmyard continued for the next three years. The plans have not survived, but it is thought that Brown wanted to move these to the north side of the castle. This was probably done after the deaths of Heron and Brown, as the change is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1872.
Kitchen garden and greenhouse
Another early suggestion by Brown was for the new kitchen garden to be built on the site of a nursery. Heron’s letters reveal that Brown changed his mind after a second visit to Chilham in August 1778. Instead the site was to be north-west of the castle, by Dane Street and near where the new stables were to be built. Eventually it was built close to the main entrance.
In March 1779, as the kitchen garden was being built, Heron wrote about another of Brown’s ideas: “Mr Brown has sent a drawing for a Green House which is very pretty & well designed.” This was probably the main feature of the kitchen garden, sited on the north-west wall, where there are still traces of a heating system. The kitchen garden is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1789.
Ha-ha and terraces
Brown’s style was to create a sweep of lawn up to the house, removing formal gardens and creating a seamless view into the wider landscape. This may have been impractical at Chilham where the ground in front of the house fell steeply away in a series of terraces. His ideas about remodelling the gardens at Chilham Castle changed between his first visit and his second, in 1778. Heron reported to his brother on 26 August 1778: “All the gardens below the House [should be] destroyed and made a pasture open to the Paddock or otherwise used as most agreeable, and left at liberty for an approach.”
The revised design involved simplifying the ground immediately surrounding the house. Brown proposed removing the upper of the 17th-century terraces but keeping the lower ones on the south-east side, as this would enhance the dramatic setting of the castle. He also extended the ha-ha (sunken wall) from the south-west corner of the Bowling Green, the lowest terrace, up to “the clump on the mount near the Castle”.
This work was carried out, with Heron reporting on 26 October 1778 that “The Levelling abt the House goes on very well, and I hope it will soon be done”.
Entrance and lodges
Before calling in Brown, Heron had already begun remodelling the north-east approach to the estate from Chilham village. He felled the avenue of limes on the short drive and made a new public road on the south-west side of the park, adding 17 hectares (42 acres) to his land in the process.
The Ordnance Survey map of 1789 shows Brown’s new, informal approach to the house as a large forecourt with a carriage drive encircling a small grassy area. Following discussions about new entrance gates and the positioning of the stables, he also produced a design for a new gateway to Chilham in January 1781. The lodge and gates were in the Gothic style, and are illustrated in a watercolour of the mid-19th century.
Chilham Castle today
There were further changes to the gardens at Chilham during the 19th century, including the rebuilding of some of the terraces round the castle and the construction of a lake. The estate remains in private ownership, with the house listed Grade I (Historic England) and the gardens Grade II* (Historic England).
Brown did not create a new landscape at Chilham but he did identify the small elements that could improve the castle’s already impressive setting. Though his lodge and gates were pulled down, the brick ha-ha is still in place, giving uninterrupted views south-west over the park.
Elizabeth Cairns and Cilla Freud, 'Chilham Castle: A fine landscape improved', Capability Brown in Kent, Kent Gardens Trust, 2016 www.kentgardenstrust.org.uk
Parks & Gardens UK: www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/site/79
NOTE: Please note that the modern equivalents of prices given on the Capability Brown website use the equivalant labour cost shown on www.measuringworth.com, rather than the real price (calculated on the increase in inflation), and therefore differ from the figures in the original research by Kent Gardens Trust. This is based on the research by Roderick Floud published in RHS Occasional Papers 14.
Book: Capability Brown in Kent
Linking Capability Brown’s five landscapes in Kent are his accounts; those in the Lindley Library and those with Drummond’s Bank. Kent Gardens Trust have pieced together a story for each of the sites.
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Elin’s Amerika (rev., 3rd ed.) Transformational Journeys: An Ethnologist’s Memoir: Transactions, APS (Vol. 106, Part 5)
Award-winning children’s author Marguerite de Angeli tells the story of Elin, a young girl who has come to live in the New Sweden Colony. She helps us envision how these many different peoples -- Swedes, Finns, Lenape, Minquas (Susquehannock), Dutch and British related to one another. Elin’s search for friendship, love of family, and anticipation of celebrations seem familiar. Her isolation from other children, lack of basic things, and the daily routine of chores may seem quite unfamiliar. New Sweden was established in 1638, under the guidance of Peter Minuit, when Swedish colonists were sent to the New World to claim lands in the area around the Delaware River in southeastern PA and south NJ. For ages 8-12. Illustrations. This is the professional memoir of an ethnologist, who studies the cultures and languages of ethnic groups, in the present and in the past. Victoria R. Bricker’s journeys -- from Hong Kong to Shanghai during World War II, to the U.S. after the war, to Germany, Harvard, southeastern Mexico, and eventually to New Orleans -- influenced her choice of ethnology as a career and shaped that career over 50 years. Ethnology served as the stepping stone for intellectual forays into other related fields, such as linguistics, ethnohistory, epigraphy, and astronomy, all focused on the Maya people of southern Mexico and Central America. Bricker, a Professor Emerita who holds several other positions, is the author, with her husband, Harvey M. Bricker (1940-2017), of “Astronomy in the Maya Codices.” Illus.
Dean and the Historian: Their Lives and Times through Letters The House of Barnes: The Man, The Collection, The Controversy (Memoir Vol. 266)
William S. Middleton, a graduate of the Univ. of PA School of Med., taught thousands of students during his 63 years at the Univ. of Wisconsin (UW) School of Med. One of his most important decisions was to establish a medical history dep’t. and appoint as its first chair, Erwin Ackerknecht, the pioneering medical historian. The correspondence between the dean and the historian began in 1947 and continued until 1974. Both men fought for causes they believed in: Middleton for improved veterans’ healthcare, better training of physicians, and the establishment of medical libraries; and Ackernecht for a social view of medicine and rejection of fascism in education. The letters show how these two outstanding men viewed the world and viewed themselves, as they discuss their daily lives and concerns, and above all, their friendship. Illus. The House of Barnes: The Man, The Collection, The Controversy is a beautifully written study of the extraordinary art collector and volatile personality Albert C. Barnes. The book places him in the context of his own era, shedding new light on the ideas and movements (about art collecting, education, and aesthetics) that shaped so much of his thinking.
The Barnes’ major holdings of largely post-impressionist art include more than 800 paintings, with a strong focus on Renoir (181 canvases), Cézanne (69), Matisse (59), and Picasso (46 paintings and drawings). In its entirety, it is the greatest single collection of such art that has remained intact.
The last chapters of the book address the controversial events surrounding the Barnes Foundation’s move to Philadelphia, including vehement opposition—as well as strong support. There is an analysis of the Foundation’s financial plight, a review of the major court cases over the decades, and a characterization of the fervent reactions following the court’s decision to allow the move to take place.
The monograph is recommended for a broad audience, including those interested in art and art collecting, the role of art in education, and the development of cultural institutions.
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Graham Harrell to USC as the OC now. Interesting. USC seems sort of like their HC is on life support.
Plan9Misfit
Appreciate The Hate
He has to be. The USC alumni and boosters hate him, season ticket holders are giving up their seats, and longtime donors have stopped donating. I think they’re just waiting for Urban Meyer to suddenly feel better in 2020 so they can bring him in.
No Pat McQuistan = No Super Bowl. It's that simple.
Seminole fans won't care. He flat out sucked anyway.
Which is why he was kicked off the team instead of receiving the standard slap on the wrist (sit out the first half of a game, 1 game suspension, etc.) that good players receive.
midswat
... soon
Tennessee added a lot of talent this recruiting class.
#11 ranked class after back to back 4-8 and 5-7 seasons?
Were on the rise....
Angrymesscan
Originally posted by midswat View Post
soon...
2018 Pickem Champion
Originally posted by Angrymesscan View Post
You’re goddamned right
Jerry loves your optimism.
Really excited about the recruiting class Tennessee put together, stealing Derrick Ansley from the raidahs (Alabama also tried to get him back when they lost their DC), Tee Martin coming back to the Hill, and the overall staff the Volunteers have assembled.
boozeman I unfriend you
How Texas Tech, Houston show the financial gap between haves, have-nots could be getting wider
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Brad Tollefson/AP
Texas Tech fans yell as Kansas' David McCormack shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Brad Tollefson)By Ben Baby, Staff Writer Contact Ben Babyon Twitter:@Ben_Baby
One of Texas Tech's most significant athletics accomplishments in January didn't happen on the court or on a field.
It happened on a spreadsheet. When Tech athletics submitted its annual financial filing to the NCAA, it reported a drop of $2.5 million in university funding it received. And in the process, the percentage of university dollars Tech used on athletics dwindled closer to zero.
That wasn't the case across the state. According to financial reports obtained through open records requests, the financial gap widened between in-state public athletic departments during the 2017-18 school year.
While the state's three public schools in "power five" conferences -- Tech, Texas and Texas A&M -- are mostly self-sufficient, more than half of the operating revenue for the five public "group of five" schools comes from university funding.
Of Tech's $89.3 million in reported revenue, only $3.3 million -- 3.74 percent -- came from student fees and institutional support. And the decreased subsidy wasn't by accident.
"We did make a concerted effort going into (2017-18) and we wanted to be able to state that exact fact, that we stand on our own two feet in that regard," said Jonathan Botros, Tech's athletic chief financial officer.
A&M and Texas each reported more than $210 million in operating revenue. Neither school receives university money for the athletic department. In 2016-17, they were two of the 14 schools in USA Today's NCAA financial survey that took no subsidy money.
According to Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, the reason Tech went from being 6.53 percent subsidized the previous year to what it reported in January largely stems from the success of its men's basketball program.
In Chris Beard's second season in Lubbock, the Red Raiders reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. In addition to Tech's baseball success, the athletic department has surpassed its budgeted ticket revenue, Hocutt said.
And the financial success comes during a period when the football program struggled to the point that coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired at the end of the 2018 season.
"With the same level of success in football that our other athletic programs are achieving, there's limitless opportunity for us to grow our revenue side in football as well," Hocutt said.
Houston is at the other end of the spectrum. After Tom Herman left his post as the Cougars' football coach to take the same job at Texas, the team lost 11 of its next 26 games.
That made a significant impact on the athletic department's finances.
In 2017-18, Houston reported a $5.8 million drop in football revenue, according to its NCAA filing. In contrast, the Cougars saw a $4.8 million increase in money the university gave to athletics through direct transfers, bringing the total to $22.4 million.
That money, combined with $8.8 million from student fees, makes up 56.5 percent of Houston's total revenue, which put it with the rest of the state's "group of five" schools that were mostly subsidized. Houston athletic director Chris Pezman declined to comment for this story.
The financial shifts at Houston and Tech underscored the gap between the state's public Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The "power five" schools receive less than four percent of their revenue from fees, while the "group of five" programs are subsidized between 56 and 71 percent.
Jordan Robert Bass, a professor and director of the sport management program at the University of Kansas, said athletic departments in that tier typically lack the revenue from donations, ticket sales and other key areas that "power five" universities enjoy. That places great importance on money from students, especially at a time when athletic spending is increasing across the country.
"For these 'group of five' schools, if they stopped relying on them, that would be a big, big loss for them," Bass said. "They don't really have a choice if they want to keep trying to compete."
Tech recently raised its student athletic fee up to $59.20, Botros said, the first increase in seven years. He said the money will go directly to improving the in-game experience.
It will also cover the admission cost to every Tech sporting event, which a recent survey showed can cost between $850 and $1,300. Tech received just over $13,500 in direct institutional support to pay salaries for a student work program.
More and more schools could be battling to find ways to be self-sufficient in the future. Bass said in the last decade, student bodies across the country are voting against increases in student fees in greater frequency, even though they wouldn't go into effect after many who voted graduated.
"I think you're seeing a bigger awareness from college students of the student fees that they're paying to athletics," Bass said.
Hocutt said one of his primary goals over the next few years is increasing revenue without relying on money outside of the athletic department. Tech recently broke ground on a $29.5 million basketball practice facility and a standalone sports nutrition center. Both projects will be fully funded by athletics.
But even though the Red Raiders are in an improved financial situation, they still have their share of unique challenges Hocutt embraces.
"We don't have the same the budget Texas and Texas A&M do," Hocutt said. "But at the same time, we have the expectations that we're going to line up across the line from them in competition and win. And there's a sense of pride that comes from that with Red Raiders across the country." Unequal funding
The financial gap between the state's three public "power five" schools and five "group of five" schools widened in 2017-18. A look at the funding levels:
Tl:dr
jsmith6919
2018 DCC Super Bowl Bingo Champion
National. Treasure.
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Death at Denver Zoo ruled homicide, but no charges to be filed
It is important to understand in medicolegal death investigation what 'homicide' is. From our book and course: "Death resulting from intentional harm (explicit or implicit) of one person by another, or by grossly reckless behavior." - In death investigation, homicide is the medical determination. Without making any judgment on this case, this demonstrates that it is important in both civil and criminal, and even probate cases, the value of understanding the autopsy, process, rulings and criteria.
It is also important to understand that the difference between a fatality and serious bodily injury is often only a series of events or fractions of an inch. Autopsy means "to see with one's own eyes", which a trained medicolegal death investigator and forensic pathologist can assist with in serious bodily injury cases.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19168983
Driver of van who died along with five kids in crash near Kit Carson had heart blockage
Autopsies are not conducted in every death, it is not possible due to limited forensic pathologists and funding, nor is it necessary. However, in all motor vehicle crashes an autopsy should be done. Why? Because it cannot be assumed that the person died due to the crash, but their death may have caused the crash. This story from Colorado demonstrates why. These are tragic events, something we do our best to help families work through. This was tragic - a small community and community leader killed, along with five children while driving them to school. Today the autopsy report has been released and indicates the driver had 80% heart blockage - a deadly medical condition (cholesterol). It was undetermined if this was directly contributory, but considering the other circumstances (i.e. did not slow down and impacted a semi-trailer at full speed) strongly support this possibility.
< Read the full story here >
Associates in Forensic Investigations LLC join National Defender Investigators Association (NDIA)
We are pleased to announce our membership with the National Defender Investigators Association. This is association focuses on criminal defense and is primarily made up of federal and state public defender investigators, as well as private sector investigators. More info at www.NDIA.net
LaPorte investigative team takes pride in helping victims
The local newspaper did this business profile on us - published Monday 10/10/2011. Although we did not choose the title, interestingly they chose to describe us as a 'team', our first emphasis, and 'pride', our second emphasis. PRIDE is an acronym we use for Professional Reliable Investigators Defining Excellence.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20111010/BUSINESS/110100313/-1/
Explain what you do.Answer: We are expert consultants and legal investigators of personal injury, negligence and death in civil, criminal and probate litigation and related matters.
Q: Private investigators have been glamorized on television, movies and plays as masters of disguise and intrigue. What is it like in reality?
A: Particularly in our specialties, there is not much glamour - but there is satisfaction in helping those victimized and affected by traumatic, often fatal, events.
Q: What kind of investigations make up the bulk of your business?
A: Expert consultations in injuries, injury causation and death have become increasingly in demand.
These may be in civil or criminal cases, as well as what is referred to as equivocal death investigation - when there is a question as to the cause and manner of death, at least in the view of the family or their legal representative.
Civil investigations, from motor vehicle collisions to negligence of another, is the bulk of the legal investigative, followed by criminal defense.
Q: You have branched out into forensic investigations. What is the difference between that and private investigations?
A: We began forensic investigations in 2000 and now concentrate primarily in that area as it relates to our specialized services. Private investigators play an important role in our society and legal system - for the individual, business, insurance, attorney and others. Private investigators may provide surveillance, backgrounds, process service and other services in workplace, domestic and also civil and criminal cases.
Legal investigators focus on civil plaintiff (representing a person who is alleging to have been wronged by the actions of another) or criminal defense. Forensic investigations focuses on the facts and evidence necessary for our judicial system, particularly the judge and jury, to make informed decisions. We like to say that forensics represents Facts or Reasonable Evidence Necessitating Systematic Investigative and Critical Solutions.
Q: Generally speaking, what's been your most exciting case?A: Any case in which we have helped a client, victim or family member begin to find solutions and closure to a traumatic event. It is not possible to be in their position, but we feel with our help on their legal team, we can make their position better.
One memorable case involved extensive work for the victim of a motor vehicle collision who could not recall what happened. We were able to prove, through witnesses and scene investigation, what happened and that the responsible party's statements were false and not possible to have happened as they reported.
Another also involved a motor vehicle collision and being able to prove for the decedent's family that the responsible party, although in possession of a narcotic legally, had used it illegally just before the collision, proving his negligence and not that of the decedent.
Q: How did you get into the investigation business?
A: Dean worked for a local family-owned grocery store and began deciding a career change was necessary. Having long had an interest in investigations, he attempted to work for other investigators but none was hiring during a troubling economic time. Instead, he decided to form his own agency and teach himself what needed to be done. In 1996, Karen began expanding her knowledge and working cases.
Q: Tell our readers one thing that would surprise them about your business.
A: Private investigations has always been one of the fastest-growing small businesses in the U.S. It also has one of the lowest rates of survival in under five years. A recent study found that, just as with 20 years ago, there are as many new investigators (under two years) as veteran (over 15 years). Dean and Karen are also one of three husband and wife Certified Criminal Defense Investigator teams in the U.S. and Dean is one of fewer than 80 certified legal investigators worldwide.
DEAN AND KAREN BEERS » Ages: Average age is 49
» Occupation: Legal investigators
» Business: Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
» Business address: home-based business in LaPorte
» Business hours: Consultations are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday but work is literally 24/7.
» Business contact information: Office - (970) 480-7793; General email - Associates@ Forensic-Investigators.com; website: www.forensic-investigators.com
October 2011 Newsletter sent out
Well, fall is officially here and summer is gone...but I hope everyone had a great summer! Look inside our newsletter to find out the joys of summer we had!
I'll bet you've noticed and heard about a few changes we have made with our agency - a new name, logo and contact information. Our services remain the same - expert consultations and legal investigations of personal injury, negligence and death in civil, criminal and probate litigation through the US. This better reflects our growing national footprint as Expert Consultants and Legal Investigators of Personal Injury, Negligence & Death in Civil, Criminal and Probate litigation. Our clients will remain attorneys and investigators representing families and victims of traumatic injuries and death. This change also reflects our affiliation with experts in forensic pathology, forensic toxicology and a neurosurgeon (retired).
We also have new contact phone numbers:
(970) 480-7793 for our main number, and x1 for Dean and x2 for Karen
(970) 480-7794 is our new fax number
We have also completely redesigned our agency website, with updates still being developed. As one of our specialties is death investigation and injury causation, visit www.DeathCaseReview.com for a look.
Each month our agency publishes an interactive and informative newsletter for clients and colleagues. However, some groups strip out the html code - so we have created the following links.
The current issue is at < AFI-LLC Newsletter - October 2011 >
(please note - in our hurry to get the newsletter out before leaving for vacation - I did not put up the right banner or change the contact information. This version is corrected).
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VOANews.com: Sudan's Military Council to Be Dissolved in Transition Deal
Sudanese people celebrate in the streets of Khartoum after ruling generals and protest leaders announced they have reached an agreement on the disputed issue of a new governing body on Friday, July 5, 2019.
KHARTOUM - Sudan's top general says the military council that assumed power after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April will be dissolved with the implementation of a power-sharing deal reached with protesters last week.
The military and a pro-democracy coalition agreed last week on a joint sovereign council that will rule for a little over three years while elections are organized. Both sides say a diplomatic push by the U.S. and its Arab allies was key to ending a weekslong standoff that raised fears of all-out civil war.
Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the military council, said in televised comments late Sunday that the army would return to its barracks after 21 months, when leadership of the council passes from a military representative to a civilian.
The council will include five civilians representing the protest movement and five military members. An 11th seat will go to a civilian chosen by both sides. The protesters will select a Cabinet of technocrats, and a legislative council is to be formed after three months.
Burhan also insisted that the military council did not order the violent dispersal of the main protest camp last month, which killed scores of people and led to the collapse of talks.
``We trust that military council members had nothing to do with what happened in the sit-in dispersal,'' he said.
As part of the power-sharing agreement, the two sides agreed on an independent Sudanese investigation into the deadly crackdown, but the details have yet to be worked out.
Sudanese security forces razed the sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum on June 3. The deadly clampdown killed at least 128 people, according to protest organizers. Authorities put the death toll at 61, including three security forces.
On June 30, the protesters returned to the streets by the tens of thousands to again demand a transition to civilian rule. The rallies were the largest since the uprising began in December.
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People from various walks of life have slammed the government’s move to classify a book (inset) from Haruki Murakami as indecent material, and called for retraction of the decision. Photos: HKEJ, Internet
Retract ‘indecent’ label on Murakami book, group tells govt
A literature promotion group, as well as some lawmakers, called on authorities to withdraw their “indecent” rating on a book from acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami and end the sales restrictions on the title.
The House of Hong Kong Literature, a group set up by local writers and academics to promote the development of literature in the city, slammed the government’s decision to classify a book written by Murakami as indecent material.
At a news conference on Tuesday, the group said the prudish regulatory action sets a very bad precedent and goes against the principle of freedom of publishing, speech and creation.
The group claimed that it has collected online more than 2,500 signatures from people from various circles, including politics, performing arts, and education, over the past 11 days on a petition calling for the government to retract the rating decision on the book “Killing Commendatore” by Murakami.
The comments came after The Obscene Articles Tribunal announced earlier this month that it has decided to slap a “Class II – indecent materials” classification on Murakami’s book, which means the book cannot be distributed to people under the age of 18, and it must be sealed with printed warnings on the front and back covers when it is on sale in bookstores.
Following the “indecent” rating, the book was removed from the Hong Kong Book Fair that was held between July 18 and 24.
The tribunal’s decision sparked strong criticism almost immediately. Some critics said the action made Hong Kong an international laughing stock.
At the press conference Tuesday, the House of Hong Kong Literature, together with representatives of some political and civic groups, said the rating showed once again how ignorant the tribunal is, after it previously ruled –in 1994 — that a photo of Michelangelo’s statue, David, is indecent.
Through its decisions, the tribunal is impairing the freedoms on publishing, speech and creation that should be enjoyed by writers, the group said.
Tang Siu-wa, co-founder and chief curator of the group, pointed out the book in question has more than 700 pages in total but the accused scenes of sex or violence only account for some 30 pages, which is a really small portion.
He also pointed out that some well-known world literature classics, such as the Chinese Dream of the Red Chamber and works of William Shakespeare all contain descriptions of sex scenes.
If Murakami’s “Killing Commendatore” (which is translated version of the original Japanese work “Kishidancho Gorosh”) has to be sealed before it can be sold, then most of books currently offered in the market should be, too, said Tang, adding that it is a matter of shame that Hong Kong has become a city that is easily offended by literary works.
Tang criticized the tribunal for not providing clear and convincing reasons as to why Murakami’s book was considered indecent, putting the local literature circles in a difficult position.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen from People Power also lashed out at the tribunal, accusing it of failing to distinguish between literary works and pornographic novels.
Currently an article is classified by two members selected from a panel of 500 potential adjudicators and appointed as a tribunal. While the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau had proposed to change both figures to four and 1,500, respectively, and also conducted two rounds of public consultation, such changes have not been made yet, the Hong Kong Economic journal noted.
Meanwhile, some major Japanese media outlets, including The Yomiuri Shimbun, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun and The Tokyo Shimbun, have suggested in their reports that Murakami’s open support for Hong Kong’s street protesters during the 2014 Occupy pro-democracy movement could be why his book received such treatment in the city.
Given the suspicion, Chan urged the tribunal and the government to explain in detail how the decision was made to avoid any speculation by international and local media, as well as make clarifications to the public if there is no political motive behind the action.
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Dr Kelvin Leung of HKBU said the UV filters were found to have caused abnormalities and deaths in the offspring of zebrafish by entering the food chain. Photo: HKBU
Sunscreen chemicals found in seafood pose health risks: study
Harmful chemicals used in sunscreen products have been found in local seawater and seafood samples, raising fears that they could end up in the human body and pose health risks such as infertility or even cancer, a research team from the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) said.
The chemicals include ultraviolet filters, which can absorb or block UV radiation and are extensively used in personal care products such as sunscreens, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.
Led by Dr. Kelvin Leung Sze-yin, associate professor of the HKBU Department of Chemistry, the team began in 2013 to collect seawater samples from 30 locations off the Hong Kong coast as well as fish, shrimp, mussels and other marine organisms from seven local aquaculture farms around Hong Kong.
The results showed that concentration of UV filters was higher in Sai Kung, Tuen Mun and Hong Kong Island South, where there are more beaches and sewage facilities, than elsewhere in the territory.
The chemicals were found to have caused abnormalities and deaths in the offspring of zebrafish. And since the genetic structure of zebrafish resembles that of humans, researchers concluded that these contaminants could pose a risk to humans as well.
The UV filters, which are absorbed by marine life, could enter the food chain and affect humans, the researchers said.
Leung said UV filters in sunscreens are discharged into the sea either directly by being washed off with seawater or indirectly through the discharge of wastewater, thereby posing a threat to marine organisms and the ecosystem.
He said UV filters are poisonous chemicals that can disturb the human endocrine system. They could affect fertility and even cause cancer, especially breast cancer, if they are absorbed by the body for a long period of time, he added.
Leung is worried that the harmful effects of UV filters may become more obvious among the next generation.
He called for tighter regulations to cover the use of chemicals in personal care products and recommended instead the use of natural, mineral-based sunscreens, such as those containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
TL/JC/CG
US$280,000 lab-grown burger set to be a lot more affordable
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Lee Cheuk-yan (L) and Frederick Fung (R) could split the support base of the pan-dems in the Kowloon West by-election, boosting the chances of their pro-establishment rival Chan Hoi-yan (center). Photos: HKEJ
Oct 19, 2018 5:08pm
Lee Cheuk-yan cleared to represent pan-dems in Nov by-election
Lee Cheuk-yan, a former lawmaker and former chairman of the Labour Party, has been allowed to run in the Legislative Council by-election scheduled for Nov. 25 for the Kowloon West geographical constituency.
On Thursday, three days after the 14-day nomination period ended, the returning officer in charge of the constituency told Lee, 61, that his nomination was valid, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.
The confirmation puts an end to speculation that Lee would be barred from the contest, meeting the same fate as ousted pro-democracy lawmaker Lau Siu-lai, after he was accused by the pro-establishment camp of not upholding the Basic Law and the “one country, two systems” principle.
Lee submitted his by-election application on Oct. 12, the second-last day of the nomination period, a few hours before Lau was notified that her candidacy was rejected.
Lau, who was the top choice of the pan-democratic camp for the race, had aimed to regain her seat in the constituency, but she was disqualified by the returning officer on the grounds that she had not given up on advocacy of self-determination for Hong Kong in relation’s to the city’s future.
Commenting on his candidacy, Lee, the camp’s “Plan B” candidate, said although he was given the green light, that does not mean Beijing will approve the stance he holds, which is for an end to one-party dictatorship. Central authorities can tighten their red-line grip any time they want, he said, while insisting that he will never change his position or views.
Slamming the government’s decision to disqualify Lau as being extremely unjust, the pro-democracy veteran pointed out that the returning officer did not confirm Lee’s own candidacy until the nomination period ended.
The approval delay shows how politics is going backward in Hong Kong, Lee said.
In other comments, Lee stressed that the pan-democratic camp has a chance to win the by-election as long as it can put up a united fight.
A senior person from the pro-establishment camp said Lee’s call for end to one-party rule, in Beijing’s eye, can be considered a political demand under the big principle of “one country”, and that it is different from the self-determination that has been advocated by Lau. That is the reason why Lee was allowed to join the race.
Among the other contenders, the returning officer has also cleared former Food and Health Bureau political assistant Chan Hoi-yan and former lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee to run in the by-election, but not the other two nominees — Ng Dick-hay from the information technology sector, and housewife Judy Tzeng Li-wen.
The Electoral Affairs Commission is scheduled to hold a briefing session for by-election candidates on Monday and determine by drawing lots the order of names of the candidates on ballots.
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Things I didn't expect when I was expecting
Cristy Clark
"Some parents spoke of their surprise at how much they enjoyed the company of their kids. But in contrast, others spoke about the isolation of new motherhood" ... Cristy Clark
After reading all she could about pregnancy and motherhood, nothing prepared Cristy Clark for the truth. She wishes she'd had a copy of a new book to shed light on what lay ahead ...
When my daughter was three days old, I remember sitting in our rocking chair while she slept on my shoulder. The sun was streaming in through the windows and I was overwhelmed with love for this gorgeous little bundle. Had I changed out of my grubby tracksuit pants and put some concealer under my eyes, we probably could have posed for one of those photos - you know, the ones where the new mother gazes blissfully at her baby, radiating pure joy and fulfilment?
To be honest, though, my emotions did not totally reflect this idyllic scene. Instead I felt utterly shell shocked and more than a little panicked. My body was sore, all over, from the trauma of labour. I was more sleep-deprived than I had imagined was possible. And it was slowly dawning on me that I was going to be responsible for this incredibly demanding person for the rest of my life. The relative freedom of my former life flashed before my eyes, and I was frightened I’d just made a terrible mistake.
Parents regret work, worries and not enough play
How cool is your baby?
Premature babies thrive if parents take it easy: study
Worst than all this, I felt guilty. None of these emotions resembled what I’d expected to feel when I finally held my much-desired baby in my arms. I was horrified that I was failing to be the blissful new mother, just as I had completely failed to glow in pregnancy. I’d read everything that I could get my hands on about pregnancy and motherhood, but nothing had prepared me for this. It wasn’t at all what I’d expected.
These unexpected experiences are the subject of Monica Dux’s new book, Things I Didn’t Expect (When I Was Expecting). With a light and humorous touch, she tackles what she describes as "the bizarre, weird, messy, creepy stuff that happens to you when you get pregnant, give birth and become a mother." Monica lays out some of the "ugly truths" about pregnancy and motherhood. She describes herself as scowling through her pregnancy; of being overwhelmed by nausea and vomit; and of being confronted with bloating and weight gain that left her feeling "like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole to a place where I was transformed, again and again, until I’d forgotten what shape and size I’d originally been".
In the wrong hands, a tour through the more unsavoury aspects of pregnancy, birth and motherhood could be fairly depressing reading, but Monica’s writing is funny, self-deprecating, and endearingly honest. While she touches on the issues that silence women from sharing these experiences, such as the societal insistence that pregnant women be perpetually blissed-out, Monica treats them in a largely personal manner. While at times I wanted the book to delve further into the political issues around pregnancy and motherhood, ultimately its strength lies in the fact that it doesn’t. Instead, the memoir format makes it the kind of book that almost anyone could relate to.
I particularly related to Monica’s experience of feeling pressured to be a "Happy Gestator". As she argues, the experience of pregnancy is "profoundly weird and disruptive", but sometimes it feels as though we don’t have permission to be honest about this fact. The problem with this is that we don’t get to reap the benefit of talking about the more confronting aspects of pregnancy (and I don’t just mean the physical ones). Pregnancy and motherhood can dramatically alter your identity; while there are incredibly rewarding aspects to this change, it can also be distressing.
Fortunately, it seems there has been a shift in attitudes towards these issues. The recent explosion of personal writing about motherhood has opened the space for women to be more honest about the experience of motherhood. Things I Didn’t Expect is a welcome addition to this new conversation, which, until now, has largely occurred online.
After reading the book, I asked people on Twitter to tell me what shocked them the most when they became pregnant or had kids. In response, people spoke about being confronted by the physical aspects: awful pregnancies; leaking, rock-hard breasts; the physical trauma of labour. But they also spoke about the identity shift that takes place through pregnancy - for example, one mum mentioned feeling utterly useless after losing her work/life identity, and being flippantly described as "decommissioned".
Of course, people also commented on the high notes of parenting, of feeling shocked by the intensity of love they felt for their children, and their surprise at how much they enjoyed the company of their kids. But in contrast, others spoke about the isolation of new motherhood, of having no idea of "how deep the hours in the late afternoon could be".
The issue of guilt came up too, as one mum reported her surprise at finding a lot of care and play to be quite tedious, and of feeling guilty that she didn’t find it fulfilling. Her comment was met with a chorus of similar sentiments, with many other parents remarking that they were so pleased to hear that other people felt the same way.
These are great conversations for us to be having, and I wish I’d had more of them before I became pregnant with my first child. At minimum, I wish I’d had a copy of this book.
What do you wish you’d known before you became pregnant? What was it that took you by surprise?
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Welcome to the 456th Edition of my series. Starting this Wednesday, I will be running karaoke on Wednesdays at the Silo in Downtown Muncie. As of now I will be doing this on a weekly basis so anyone in or near the Muncie area and have nothing more to do, please join me on my first night. Nothing else has changed so let me get to this week's selections.
Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's (1997): I start the week out with this documentary which takes a look at the Hollywood restaurant Chasen's. This was a restaurant that opened up in 1936 and closed its doors in 1995. This documentary was filmed in the last days and reflects on the history of the place. This was a popular place among actors, politicians, and many others. It also takes a look at a few of their long-time employees. It is always a sad time when our favorite restaurant, bar, or coffee shop closes and enjoyed seeing the history of the place and even how it looked very highly upon their employees. It also reflects on significant moments from actors like Liz Taylor making the chili there very popular and it getting named after her. I could really relate to this documentary looking back at a couple of my hangouts closing like the Blue Bottle Coffee Shop and the Folly Moon bar. This is an interesting look into the Hollywood world at a restaurant that maintained a long stint.
Seven Psychopaths (2012): Martin McDonagh wrote and directed this rather violent comedy. Colin Farrell stars as struggling screenwriter Marty who inadvertently becomes caught up in the criminal underworld when his friends Billy and Hans, played by Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell, kidnap a dog which belongs to a ruthless mobster named Charlie, played by Woody Harrelson. That's about the best I have to say about this film. It was a very well-written comedy with some really good characters and performances. Tom Waits, Gabourney Sidibe, Olga Kurylenko, Michael Pitt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Abbie Cornish all co-star in this film. It is a good film on a writer struggling to write a screenplay and kind of comes to life when he does write the screenplay.
Ocean Paradise (2010): This is my Asian film for the week which stars Jet Li. When I say that name, I am sure many thing some martial arts film or maybe an action film but that is far from the truth in this one. Jet stars as Wang who is a single father raising an adult son who has autism. He soon learns he is terminally ill and looks to teach his son certain life skills and look for a place for his son to stay after he passes away. Zhang Wen co-stars as his son Dafu and does a great and sincere job of playing someone who is autistic. This may very well be the first movie I have seen Jet Li where he does not beat someone up and does a great job in this drama and is a moving tribute towards the relationship between a father and his son. This is available on Instant Netflix and is one I really hope to get some exposure. It actually comes up as OCEAN HEAVEN on Netflix but imdb has Paradise instead.
Time Out for Trouble (1961): This is one of two short films for the week. This short has a really mean mantle clock which seems to really have a hatred of humans which she feels cause their own accidents because they let their feelings overwhelm their judgment, get bored easily and never watch for danger. The scenes are done with point-of-view shots and creepy organ music along with a talking clock. This is meant to be a safety video which was produced by the Oklahoma State Department of Health but is really bizarre instead. This would really be a good starter short for the Rifftrax guys if they have not viewed it yet.
The Phantom Light (1935): This is my British film for the week. Michael Powell directs this movie where a couple lighthouse keepers are murdered. Binnie Hale and Gordon Harker star as Alice and Sam who are investigating these murders before they possibly become next. This is referred to as a "quota quickie" and was an early one for director Powell who was known for movies like BLACK NARCISSUS and THE RED SHOES. This is a pretty fun movie from that era and can be best appreciated by fans of the classic British cinema.
Moontide (1942): Archie Mayo directs this film noir though really more of a drama in my opinion. French actor Jean Gabin stars as longshoreman Bobo who has a drinking binge and wakes up by a dead man and has no idea what happened. He rescues a lovely woman named Anna, played by Ida Lupino, from suicide and forms a relationship with her. Things seem great until Bobo's friend Tiny, played by Thomas Mitchell, who might hold the trump card of the unsolved murder in hopes to break up their relationship. Claude Rains also co-stars in this film. Gabin makes in American debut in this movie and does a really good job. Mitchell was also pretty good as Tiny. He is probably most known as Uncle Billy in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. This was a very compelling film in my opinion and was worth a look.
World of Art (2011): This is my modern day short film for the week which I pay tribute to my Facebook friend Alana who has a small but significant part in this movie and is my birthday gift to her which was last Friday. Mike Allore wrote and directed this homage into the world of art. Johnny Victor stars as Art who ironically enough is an artist. He is an artist who lacks inspiration and ends up in a strange jail that contains works of art like Mona Lisa herself as well as the farmer couple in the famous AMERICAN GOTHIC painting, among others. He escapes in a journey to learn about himself and find this inspiration, even getting to meet Vincent Van Gogh. This was very fun and enjoyable as well as a very clever homage to artists. I think this is one that any artist can relate to. I was able to find this 30 minute movie on youtube and here is the site https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-uUj9cBeL8 . This is an independent film that really deserves to have a look with really good acting, costumes, and even special effects for an independent film.
Damien: Omen II (1978): Don Taylor directs this sequel to the 1976 classic THE OMEN. It is a few years later where Damien, played by Jonathan Scott-Taylor is now a pre-teen and is becoming more and more aware of his destiny as the anti-Christ. William Holden and Lee Grant star as his wealthy surrogate parents who just cannot accept the fact that Damien might have something to do with some of the bad accidents going on around them. Lew Ayres, Sylvia Sidney, and Lance Henrikson co-star in this sequel. This does not top the first one but is still a decent sequel. Holden does a good job of picking up where Gregory Peck left off in the first one and I believe Holden is a rather underrated actor. Scott-Taylor is good as the older Damien and learning about himself. It still has a pretty creepy feel to it and would be a really good double feature to watch the original followed by this one.
The Wages of Fear (1953): Henri-Georges Clouzot directed this foreign film which takes place in a South American village. In this village, men are hired to transport nitroglycerin shipments but do not have the equipment to make it safer. Yves Montand, Falco Lulli, Peter Van Eyck, and Charles Vanel star as those who have been hired and in addition to the dangers of driving, there is also an intense rivalry forming. This is a rather dark look at humanity but still very compelling. It also has well written characters that people can get behind while quite flawed. This is also a good homage to the working man.
Kung Fu Killer (2008): I end the week with this guilty pleasure movie which stars David Carradine, and no this has nothing to do with this previous series KUNG FU or KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES. Carradine stars as Crane who is a Caucasion monk whose spiritual grandmother Grandmaster is killed and Crane infiltrates the underworld to avenge her murder with his martial arts skills. I don't really remember if there was some backstory on how he became a monk. He also looks to save a beautiful night club singer, played by Daryl Hannah, from the clutches of an evil gang. This can be a fun movie if you are not too serious and can suspend your disbelief for awhile. This is actually a Spike TV original.
Well, that is it for this week. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kirsten Dunst, Eric Idle, Hedy Lamarr, John Travolta, and many others.
Labels: Articles, Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations
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TEDx2013
The art of asking | Amanda Palmer
Don’t make people pay for music, says Amanda Palmer. Let them. In a passionate talk that begins in her days as a street performer (drop a dollar in the hat for the Eight-Foot Bride!), she examines the new relationship between artist and fan. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
Bono: The good news on poverty (Yes, there’s good news)
Human beings have been campaigning against inequality and poverty for 3,000 years. But this journey is accelerating. Bono “embraces his inner nerd” and shares inspiring data that shows the end of poverty is in sight … if we can harness the momentum. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD
Rose George: Let’s talk crap. Seriously.
It’s 2013, yet 2.5 billion people in the world have no access to a basic sanitary toilet. And when there’s no loo, where do you poo? In the street, probably near your water and food sources — causing untold death and disease from contamination. Get ready for a blunt, funny, powerful talk from journalist Rose George about a once-unmentionable problem. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!!
Does texting mean the death of good writing skills? John McWhorter posits that there’s much more to texting — linguistically, culturally — than it seems, and it’s all good news. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
The way we think about charity is dead wrong | Dan Pallotta
Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let’s change the way we think about changing the world. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
Freeman Hrabowski: 4 pillars of college success in science
At age 12, Freeman Hrabowski marched with Martin Luther King. Now he’s president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where he works to create an environment that helps under-represented students — specifically African-American, Latino and low-income learners — get degrees in math and science. He shares the four pillars of UMBC’s approach. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
On exploring the oceans – Robert Ballard
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/on-explorin… Ocean explorer Robert Ballard takes us on a mindbending trip to hidden worlds underwater, where he and other researchers are finding unexpected life, resources, and even new mountains. He makes a case for serious exploration and mapping. Google Ocean, anyone? Talk by Robert Ballard.
Jennifer Granholm: A clean energy proposal — race to the top!
Kicking off the TED2013 conference, Jennifer Granholm asks a very American question with worldwide implications: How do we make more jobs? Her big idea: Invest in new alternative energy sources. And her big challenge: Can it be done with or without our broken Congress? TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
Colin Powell: Kids need structure
How can you help kids get a good start? In this heartfelt and personal talk, Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State, asks parents, friends and relatives to support children from before they even get to primary school, through community and a strong sense of responsibility. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.) TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
The Neuroanatomical Transformation of the Teenage Brain: Jill Bolte Taylor at TEDxYouth@Indianapolis
Our brain is made up of cells and every ability we have is the product of those cells. What is going on during our teenage years that accounts for the way teenagers feel, think and behave? This presentation will focus on the neurological transformation of the brain that occurs during the teenage years. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Tales of passion – Isabel Allende
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/tales-of-pa… Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, the definition of feminism, and, of course, passion in this Talk. Talk by Isabel Allende.
Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model. | Cameron Russell
Cameron Russell admits she won “a genetic lottery”: she’s tall, pretty and an underwear model. But don’t judge her by her looks. In this fearless talk, she takes a wry look at the industry that had her looking highly seductive at barely 16-years-old. (Filmed at TEDxMidAtlantic.) Cameron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CameronCRussell Cameron on Instagram: https://instagram.com/cameron_r/ TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
How to Embed a Twitter Feed in a Website 2013
How to embed your Twitter feed in a website using the 2013 Twitter embed code. Produced by Anson Alexander from http://AnsonAlex.com
Google Moderator Overview
For more info on how you can use Google Moderator both in and out of the classroom:
CNET How To – Get started with Feedly
http://cnet.co/16OaNAS Switching over to Feedly after the news of Google Reader’s imminent demise? Be sure to check out this primer.
Mural.ly: Basics
Learn how to Drag & Drop elements to a mural
How to find Creative Commons videos on Youtube and images or music elsewhere!
http://adf.ly/Ke8gd Just click ‘skip ad’ on top right after you click the link then you’ll be redirected to the website where you can search for all kinds of Creative Commons license YouTube videos, images, music all kinds of other stuff that you can reuse without having to worry about copyright laws. ALTERNATIVELY: you can type [whatever you search]+[,creativecommons] but most people isn’t bothered – it’s easier if you use the website 😛 Please like the video if it helps:) tags- how to find creative commons content how to find create commons videos on youtube how to find creative commons images how to find creative commons music how to find creative commons materials, license how to find creative commons licensed images
Learnist: Share What You Know
Learnist makes sharing what you know and learning from others fast and easy by remixing anything on the web like videos, ebooks, maps, blogs, podcasts, surveys and more into a simple and elegant learning resource on any topic that you can share with anyone. Learnist is like a collaborative, multimedia and interactive ebook from the future.
Make Makey Makey using Arduino
You can make ‘Makey Makey’ using Arduino Leonardo in 10 mins… Here is the Arduino Source Code and the link to the library….. Arduino Code : (Now added the code for multiple keys as well) https://www.facebook.com/notes/alpesh… Link to download Moving Average Library: https://github.com/sebnil/Moving-Avar… If you have Arduino UNO you can refer to Bhavya Shukla’s work. (Thanks Bhavya) https://github.com/BhavyaShukla/Makey…
J.Views playing Teardrop with vegetables
• Follow J.Views: https://twitter.com/jviewz • https://www.facebook.com/j.viewsofficial • Video: Massive Attack cover played on Fruits & Veggies | Shot By Roy Rochlin
Makey Makey Music with Star Wars Bobble Heads
Ever wish you could take play to another level? Thanks to the inventors of Makey Makey, an ingeniously simplistic plug-and-play device that turns any object, animate or inanimate, into a playable “key,” this is now possible. Watch as Genuine Labs explore new methods of user interaction by turning our favorite Star Wars characters into a basic keyboard using this cool little gadget. Learn more about Genuine Labs and other experiential projects here – http://www.genuineinteractive.com/labs/ To see more of our videos, subscribe or check us out at www.genuineinteractive.com
Creating a Playlist on YouTube
The Reason Education Sucks
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, “They don’t pay me to like the kids.” Her response: “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.'” A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksD…
5 Stories About Make: Judy Lee at TEDxEastsidePrep
Judy is a Senior Project Leader and Principle Product Designer in the IDEO Palo Alto office. She is passionate about using human-centered methodologies to bring compelling new offerings into the world, from design strategy and conceptual development through implementation. Her work has spanned a variety of industries and organizations, ranging from consumer packaged goods to medical products and from government agencies to small communities in Kenya. Her background combined with her experience in rapid prototyping and creative design exploration makes her versatile in both design thinking and multidisciplinary projects across private, social, and public sectors. Outside of IDEO, Judy is a co-host of a kids PBS series called Design Squad Nation. The show teaches kids how engineering can be a part of your everyday life. The show aired January, 2011. She continues to integrate her interests in education with community outreach around IDEO. Before joining IDEO, she worked as a Mechanical Engineer for Underwriters Laboratories designing and building automation equipment. Judy studied at North Carolina State University, where she earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Industrial Design. Her graduate research studies focused on children’s flexible, unpredictable play patterns and created transformative toys to stretch the imagination of a child. As a grad student, one of her designs was accepted for 2006 production by IKEA. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Do Science to Learn Science: Paul Doherty at TEDxEastsidePrep
Paul Doherty is a Senior Staff Scientist and Co-Director of the Teacher Institute at the Exploratorium. He received his PhD in Solid State Physics from MIT in 1974,where he specialized in laser light scattering. He is an expert on atmospheric optics and the discoverer of the shape of the Martian carbon dioxide snowflake. At the Exploratorium he shows high-school science teachers how to make science class relevant and interesting. In 2003 Dr. Doherty received the Faraday award for excellence as a science communicator from the National Science Teachers Association. In 2012 he participated in a program to bring science to Buddhist monks at the request of his holiness the Dalai Lama. He has written several science books including the Explorabook which has sold over a million copies, and the book Color of Nature. His website features hundreds of science explorations. He is a mountaineer and was the navigator on the first ascent of the 20,000 foot high Sierra Nevada de Lagunas Bravas in the Andes. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Occupy EdTech: Khalid Smith at TEDxEastsidePrep
Khalid Smith is an entrepreneur and a designer of experiential events that teach educators to lead in the development of technology enhanced education products. Khalid and his wife co-founded LessonCast Learning in 2010 based on an innovative professional development process she used to turn around a restructured school as an assistant principal. As chief product officer, Khalid builds tools for teacher preparation programs to engage teaching candidates in assignments where they apply the same skills they are trying to build in 21st century learners, by creating and sharing artifacts that demonstrate real world teacher effectiveness. Khalid’s search for a community of education entrepreneurs in his native Baltimore led him to participate, organize and ultimately assume a founding role as education leader of the StartupWeekend Education sub-brand. From September 2011 to December 2012 Khalid helmed the global 501C3, facilitating dozens of events, igniting the passion of hundreds of educator entrepreneurs and producing start-ups with innovations currently being evaluated in thousands of classrooms. More importantly, Khalid learned of the need for an experiential education process that aims to bridge the chasm between the education reform and entrepreneurial/innovation movements. In addition to LessonCast, Khalid and Nicole are dedicated parents to their two children Elijah (6) and Nala (4), and tirelessly push for reform in the PreK through 2nd grade educational system and for better models of personalized instruction for all learners. Prior to his founding roles with LessonCast and StartupWeekend Education, Khalid had a 10-year career as an engineer and brand manager for Procter and Gamble. He also founded a non-profit management consultancy and worked as a community organizer during the Obama for American campaign of 2008. Very, very long ago, he earned degrees in chemical and bio-medical engineering that today gather a lot of dust but taught him a lot about grit. Shorter musings can be found on twitter @KhalidRudo and longer ones at KhalidRudo.com. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Creating the Next Generation of Technologists: Edward Jiang at TEDxEastsidePrep
Involved with technology since a young age, Edward now uses his passion to encourage other students to get involved in tech. Edward runs StudentRND, an organization that inspires students to work on tech projects in their spare time. At StudentRND, he works to change students’ mindsets from “I don’t know how to do something, so I won’t do it” to “I don’t know how to do something, but I can learn.” In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Dreams Unlimited: Tay Siang Hui & Val Tan Xin Hui at TEDxEastsidePrep
Award-winning film-makers and inspirational story-tellers from Singapore, Tay and Val, are living examples of dreamers who have cycled and traveled across the globe on project, “I Believe That Dreams Can Come True”. Having set off in March 2010, they aimed to cycle to as many countries as they can, walk into the lives of local people, and then document their personal stories about their dreams on videos. These videos are then posted on their website as short stories and shared with the world. With the intention of “One Dream Shared, One Dream Inspired”, their stories have inspired many to seek out their dreams and achieve them. For the last 3 years, they have created a chain of dreams inspiring dreams across 12 countries. They have conducted numerous sharing events in schools and to the public empowering people to do the things they truly want to do and be the person they want to be. They have collected at least 2600 dreams and inspired countless lives. Tay is a storyteller who has 12 years of experience working in the film and TV industry as a Director. She has won a World Gold Award for Best Direction at the New York Festivals for Documentary Feature “Little Big Dreams” which was distributed internationally and numerous other awards in South East Asia. Val is an actress and TV Producer/Director. She has 5 years of experience working in the digital media industry and 13 years of experience in film/TV industry. She won the iJudges award in Asia’s first multi-country online talent competition, iTalenstar; and has contributed to various marketing campaigns that have won the Webby Awards (Oscars for the internet). The duo is currently working on a series of multi-media books and a full-length documentary about their journey. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Do you *really* love your child?: Dale Stephens at TEDxEastsidePrep
At 20, Dale Stephens founded UnCollege.org because we’re paying too much for college and learning too little. It’s no secret that college doesn’t prepare students for the real world. Student loan debt recently eclipsed credit card debt for the first time in history and now tops 1 trillion dollars. And the throngs of unemployed graduates chasing the same jobs makes us wonder whether there’s a better way to “make it” in today’s marketplace. There is—and Dale Stephens is proof of that. In Hacking Your Education, Stephens speaks to a new culture of “hackademics” who think college diplomas are antiquated. Hackademics abandon society’s linear path to success and bend institutions to fit their own reality. Stephens shows how he and dozens of others have hacked their education, and how you can too. You don’t need to be a genius or especially motivated to succeed outside school. The real requirements are much simpler: curiosity, confidence, and grit. Stephens is a sought-after education expert appearing on major news networks including CNN, ABC, NPR, CBS, Fox, and TechCrunch. His work has been covered by the New York Times and New York Magazine to Fast Company and Forbes. He has spoken around the world at high-profile events, from debating Vivek Wadhwa onstage at TED 2012 to lecturing at the New York Times to speaking to C-level executives at NBC Universal. He works frequently with universities who realize their model of education must change to survive in the 21st century. In May 2011 Stephens was selected out of hundreds of individuals around the world as a Thiel Fellow, a program recognizing the top twenty-four entrepreneurs around the world under the age of twenty. In addition to leading UnCollege, Stephens advises education and technology companies. Rejected for being young or inexperienced, he has risen above skepticism to do what many said he couldn’t. Because he bridges the gap between teens and adults, he doesn’t just relate to both but shares their experiences, fears, and challenges. Stephens’ energetic, informative and down-to-earth presentations draw on his own experience to address generation-specific issues most relevant to people in their 10s, 20s, and 30s. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Collateral Damage – Your Kids or Mine?: Joanne McEachen at TEDxEastsidePrep
Originally from New Zealand, Joanne works with school systems to affect change. Large-scale change can overwhelm, but Joanne works to elevate the conversation above the politics and the trivial details. She has led national education change initiatives by focusing on the most important outcomes and the fundamental values driving the change, regardless of the obstacles. Articulate and persuasive, whatever project she has worked on ultimately equated to success for students. In addition to her national level work at the New Zealand Ministry of Education, Joanne has on the ground experience as a school principal and a superintendent. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Labster – Virtual Lab Simulations for STEM Students
Learn about Labster, the makers of the next-generation virtual laboratory for teaching life science, and see how you can use Labster in your teaching. www.labster.com
Network Trailblazer: A Conversation with Nicholas Negroponte, Founder, One Laptop per Child
Network Trailblazer: Nicolas Negroponte, shares his views on new education models, do they work and do they have a future? The contents or opinions in this video are independent and may not necessarily represent the views of Cisco. They are offered in an effort to encourage continuing conversations on a broad range of innovative technology subjects. We welcome your comments and engagement. We welcome the re-use, republication, and distribution of “The Network” content. Please credit us with the following information: Used with the permission of http://thenetwork.cisco.com/
ALFABETIZACIÓN DIGITAL | Bastard Education
Mashup con fines educativos realizado por alumnxs y profesorxs del Campus María Zambrano de Segovia (Universidad de Valladolid). El remix o collage audiovisual está compuesto por una entrevista al profesor de Introducción a las tecnologías de la comunicación Jon Dornaletetxe, la locución del estudiante Rafael Naveiro y la edición de Rafael Barquero Murillo y Haritz Alzola. Los vídeos utilizados han sido capturados con tecnología screencast en Youtube. Estos son sus títulos: – See how easily freaks can take over your life. – Amazing mind reader reveals his ‘gift’. – How it Feels [through Google Glass]. – We Are Legion. – Minority Report. – Reprap 3D Printers in Action HD. – [Tutorial] Arduino. Parte 1 [HD][ESPAÑOL]. – Typewriter landscape. – THE CYBER BULLYING VIRUS. – Que es el SPAM y como funciona. – Empire – Social networks, social revolution. – Social Media Revolution 2013. – Businesspeople on a busy street in London. – Wikileaks the best of 2012. – Future of Screen Technology. – Let’s Compare ( Classic Pac-Man ). – Creative Commons & Copyright Info. – Facebook Messenger App Review. – 2012 Told Through Twitter – Year in Review. – Dropbox Review_ Proof! I am a paying customer. – How to set up Social Network feeds on Samsung Galaxy S3 (S III) – Phones 4u. – Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Walkthrough. – Google Drive tutorial- What Is Google Drive – lynda.com. – Adobe Creative Cloud Overview. – iOS 7 Unveiled — Official iOS 7 Commercial _ Ad. – Time lapse HD movie in city life. – Crowd 24 07 2010. Vadim I. Filimonov. – University of Toronto – The Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship. – The MakerBot Replicator 2. – How It WorksSchool of Professional Communication, Ryerson University. – Por un internet más rápido, Google Chrome. – Technology in 2019 – What the future of tech looks like. – Ubuntu 12.10 brings the web to your desktop. – Presentación de Windows 8 (NO OFICIAL). – Cinder Creative Coding. – Codecademy vs Kahn Academy Computer Science- EdTech TV #3. – Introducing Video on Instagram. – iPad Mini Review. – Learn to Read with iSammy from Backatcha Books for iPad. – 16-month baby playing with Ipad. – Time lapse HD movie in city life. – Super Angry Birds – a Tangible Controller. – Overlay Scrollbars in Unity – implementation. – Illucia- a modular codebending instrument. – Cómo se fabrican memorias Flash. – Dancing with the Stars. – We steal Secrets: The history of Wikileaks. La banda sonora son ‘samples’ (muestras) de Logic Pro y la edición está hecha con Premiere y el color esta retocado con el plugin Looks.
Using Twitter effectively in education – with Alec Couros
The Arctic vs. the Antarctic – Camille Seaman
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-arctic-… How can you tell the two poles apart? Where are the penguins? What about the bears? The Arctic pole is located in the Northern Hemisphere within the deep Arctic Ocean, while the Antarctic pole is smack in the middle of the ice-covered Antarctica. Camille Seaman describes how enterprising people and organisms have found ways to reside around both poles despite the frigid temperatures. Lesson by Camille Seaman, animation by Provincia Studio.
Who won the space race? – Jeff Steers
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-was-th… On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik and, with it, an international space race. The United States and the Soviet Union rushed to declare dominance of space for 18 years, until the two countries agreed to a more collaborative model. The real winner? Science. Jeff Steers describes the history — and the benefits — of the space race. Lesson by Jeff Steers, animation by The Moving Company Animation Studio.
James McCormick on How to Get Better By Being Less Judgmental
In Chapter 15 of 21 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, legal search and consulting firm executive James McCormick answers “What Skills Are You Working on Right Now to Become Better at Your Job?” As a facilitator connecting job candidates to hiring managers, McCormick learns how to be less judgmental and keep his personal feelings out of the job search process. He realizes the hiring decision is up to his candidates and clients and that understanding the views of others from their perspective helps him serve his clients better. James McCormick is a Partner at Empire Search Partners in New York City. Previously, he practiced law as an employee benefits and executive compensation attorney for Proskauer Rose and Jones Day. He earned a JD at Tulane Law School and a BA in History at the University of Michigan. Capture Your Flag is a career documentary interview series that interviews 60 up and coming leaders annually to gather knowledge and share a Near Peer Learning experience its audience may use to better plan, pursue and achieve life and career aspirations. Discover more at http://www.captureyourflag.com/ Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/captureyourflag Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/captureyourflag
Code – The next literacy – What all schools should but do not teach
I joined Maker Studios & so can you! Click here to see if your channel qualifies for RPM Network/Maker Studios: http://awe.sm/fENIb Reach code.org on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Code.org or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/CodeOrg and remember to check out the other longer video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jAJQ…
[Event Clip] ISTE 2013, the world’s leading education technology conference
Samsung booth sketch at ISTE 2013 in San Antonio, US
What is Genius Hour? – Introduction to Genius Hour in the Classroom
www.geniushour.com for more information about Genius Hour in the classroom
An unexpected place of healing – Ramona Pierson
When Ramona Pierson was 22, she was hit by a drunk driver and spent 18 months in a coma. In this talk, she tells the remarkable story of her recovery — drawing on the collective skills and wisdom of a senior citizens’ home. (Filmed at TEDxDU.) Talk by Ramona Pierson.
What’s your story?: Suchita Salwan at TEDxITMU
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Invisible friends | Kei Kudo | TEDxMeieki
Japanese society is closely connected to work. Without a job, your cultural capital will be lost as well as income. Kei Kudo, who is challenging the unemployment problem of younger people, points out the importance of “Omoikiru” (go with no second thought). If society is to be made by the behavior of each individual, why not go and take a step together? In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
The Three Laws of Ed-Tech Robotics: Audrey Watters at TEDxNYED
Audrey Watters is a writer who’s worked in the education field for the past 15 years: as a graduate student, college instructor, and program manager for an ed-tech non-profit. Although two chapters into her Comparative Literature dissertation, Audrey decided to abandon academia, and she now happily fulfills the one job recommended by a junior high aptitude test: freelance writer. Her work has appeared in Edutopia, MindShift, Fast Company, Inside Higher Ed, The School Library Journal, O’Reilly Radar, ReadWriteWeb, Campus Technology, and The Huffington Post, in addition to her own blog Hack Education.
What Gabby Douglas teaches us about the meaning of excel: Angela Onwuachi-Willig at TEDxUIowa
Angela Onwuachi-Willig is the Charles and Marion Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa. She joined the Iowa Law faculty in 2006 after three years on the tenure track at the University of California, Davis School of Law. She graduated from Grinnell College, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.A. in American Studies, and received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was a Clarence Darrow Scholar and a Note Editor on the Michigan Law Review and an Associate Editor of the founding issue of the Michigan Journal of Race and Law. After law school, she clerked for Judge Solomon Oliver, now Chief U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, and Judge Karen Nelson Moore, U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit. Professor Onwuachi-Willig has received many accolades for her work. In 2006, Professor Onwuachi-Willig was honored by the Minority Groups Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) with the Derrick A. Bell Award, which is given to a junior faculty member who has made an extraordinary contribution to legal education, the legal system, or social justice. In December of 2010, Professor Onwuachi-Willig was elected to the American Law Institute, she was selected as a finalist for the Iowa Supreme Court. In 2011, she was named one of America’s top young legal professionals by the National Law Journal, which placed her on its “Minority 40 under 40” list. In 2012, she won the Marion Huit Award, a University award given to a tenured faculty member in recognition of outstanding teaching and assistance to students, exceptional research and writing, and dedicated service to the University and the surrounding community. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
We Know What To Do: Gary Stager at TEDxNYED
“Some people think outside of the box. Gary is unaware of the box’s existence.” – Futurist, Dr. David Thornburg Gary Stager is an internationally recognized educator, speaker, journalist, consultant, and founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute. Since 1982, Gary has helped learners of all ages on six continents embrace the power of computers as intellectual laboratories and vehicles for self-expression. He led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools (1990) and has taught students from preschool through doctoral programs. His new book (written with Sylvia Martinez), Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering and Engineering in the Classroom, will be available in Mid-May. When Jean Piaget wanted to better understand how children learn mathematics, he hired Seymour Papert. When Dr. Papert wanted to create a high-tech alternative learning environment for incarcerated at-risk teens, he hired Gary Stager. This work was the basis for Gary’s doctoral dissertation and documented Papert’s most-recent institutional research project. In 1999, Converge Magazine named Gary a “shaper of our future and inventor of our destiny.” The National School Boards Association recognized Dr. Stager with the distinction of “20 Leaders to Watch” in 2007. The June 2010 issue of Tech & Learning Magazine named Gary Stager as “one of today’s leaders who are changing the landscape of edtech through innovation and leadership.” CUE presented Gary with its 2012 Technology in Learning Leadership Award. A popular speaker, Dr. Stager has been a keynote speaker at major conferences around the world. Gary was the new media producer for The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project — Simpatíco, 2007 Grammy Award Winner for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year. Dr. Stager is also a contributor to The Huffington Post and a Senior S.T.E.M. and Education Consultant to leading school architecture firm, Fielding Nair International. Gary also works with teachers and students as S.T.E.M. Director at The Oaks School in Hollywood, California. Dr.Stager’s blog may be found at http://stager.tv/blog.
Wireless EdTech 2012 – Mobile Technology in the Classroom
Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President and President of Global Market Development, Qualcomm, Inc. Mobile discusses how mobile connectivity is transforming people’s lives, how innovation is needed in classrooms to prepare students for the jobs of the future, and the major obstacles that must be overcome to getting wireless technology into classrooms.
Les apports du numérique pour l’éducation en Afrique: François Bocquet at TEDxIsereRiver
A Science Education Professor and Research Engineer, François Bocquet is an expert in digital education. He is particularly interested in the use of technology in African elementary schools. François is in charge of the Sankoré project (http://sankore.org/) that encourages the development of free and open digital education for all. On stage, he presents this ecosystem open to all teachers for creating, editing and sharing open educational digital resources. Contact François: – through LinkedIn: fr.linkedin.com/in/fbocquet – via Sankoré: http://sankore.org/fr/ In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Agents of change: Nathan de Groot at TEDxVienna
Nathan de Groot is a Dutch urbanist/journalist/optimist. In 2013, he graduated from the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture & Design in Moscow. The collective research project ‘Foresight in Hindsight’ culminated in an interactive exhibition and publication presenting past views of the future. Under the name Assembled Ground, a new collective with three architects, he produced a successful entry for the Vision Competition of Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2013. Before, he contributed as a blogger to The Pop-up City and as an editor to Huisboomfeest, an urban art project by Wapke Feenstra. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
We are not imposters: Ramsey Musallam at TEDxBurnsvilleED
Ramsey Musallam, Learning and Instruction Ramsey Musallam is a high school chemistry teacher, science department chair, and director of inquiry and innovation at Sacred Heart Cathedral High School in San Francisco. His research and pedagogical interests focus on student inquiry, motivation and curiosity, occasionally using technology to fuel the process. In addition to the classroom, Musallam is the host of the Infinite Thinking Machine, an internet show dedicated to fostering creativity and innovation in the classroom. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
What a PLN Journey: Rehab Ragab at TEDxWinchesterTeachers
Rehab has been involved in professional development activities for teachers in the UAE through her work with TESOL Arabia Organisation for the past seven years. Currently she is the Vice-President/President-Elect of the Organization. She worked as an ESL teacher for twelve years before becoming a Technology Integration Senior Coordinator at The Institute of Applied Technology. She is passionate about sharing innovative teaching ideas and developing online learning communities. She is also an advocate of technology in the classroom and considers herself a lifelong learner. Rehab graduated with an MA in Educational Technology from Michigan State University in 2010. Website: www.tedxwinchesterschool.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/tedxwinch Twitter: @TEDxWinch, #TedxWinch In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Fragmented Identities in a Hypermedia Culture: Tim Burke at TEDxPoynterInstitute
Sustainability in Prisons: Dan Pacholke and Andrea Martin at TEDxTheEvergreenStateCollege
A long-time officer and administrator of the Washington State Department of Corrections, Dan Pacholke co-founded the Sustainability in Prisons Project with Dr. Nalini Nadkarni of The Evergreen State College. As the agency’s assistant secretary of corrections, Dan has formalized the Sustainability in Prisons Project through an unprecedented cooperative agreement with The Evergreen State College. Today he spearheads sustainable operations system-wide and advances resource conservation efforts along with rehabilitative educational programs such as K-9 Rescue in which inmates train troubled dogs for adoption. Andrea Martin leads Sustainability in Prisons’ Oregon spotted frog program at Cedar Creek Corrections Center. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
U TURN: Karthikeyan Vijayakumar at TEDxCEG
Karthikeyan Vijayakumar, an engineering graduate from BITS,Pilani is the Founder and CEO of Twenty19, an internship portal for engineers. Twenty19 has been enabling students all over India to explore their career options and to claim their dream internships. It has now grown to become India’s largest student internship portal in which over 2 lakh college students are registered and have access to internships in over 4500 companies. TiE Chennai awarded Mr. Karthikeyan the ‘Young Achiever of the Year 2012’ for the work done by Twenty19.com. He is also the co-founder of Deepam, an NGO that teaches less-privileged children in Chennai.It has taught over 1000 children so far and won the 2010 EdTech Award for Education Innovation. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Empowering the teacher technophobe: Kristin Daniels at TEDxBurnsvilleED
Kristin Daniels, Education Technology Consultant Kristin Daniels has worked as a classroom teacher, technology integration specialist and innovation coach, and she is currently an education technology consultant for Technology and Information Educational Services (TIES) in St. Paul, Minn. She is a co-designer and implementor of Flipped PD, a model of professional development that uses digital resources along with a job-embedded coaching model to create personalized professional development for teachers. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Inspiring Students in STEM: Dr. Kathy Marrs at TEDxIUPUI 2013
Dr. Kathleen A. Marrs is a member of the Biology Department at IUPUI. She has been recognized as a Women Creating Excellence at IUPUI, selected for the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and is a member of the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET). She is currently the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Science, and leads a number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education programs in the School of Science funded by the National Science Foundation. She is the Director of the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship program and NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program at IUPUI, two programs created to prepare the next generation of STEM teachers. TEDxIUPUI Talk Title: Inspiring Students in STEM How can we inspire students to view the STEM disciplines as interesting, relevant, and accessible to all? Can real life examples and interactions with scientists inspire students to pursue the many opportunities available to them in STEM fields? How can we recruit and prepare the best STEM teachers to guide the next generation? We’ll examine these questions in the context of raising the next generation of STEM thinkers and problem solvers.
About Assessment – Reshan Richards at TEDxNYED
This is a remix of the original video posted here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZ8sj… – Updated so that the timing of the slides and transitions matched more closely to how the actual talk was presented. Reshan Richards is an educator, researcher, and app designer. His 12+ years of experience in schools as math teacher and technology integrator intersected with his research on screencasting and formative assessment to inspire the creation of Explain Everything for iPad. His lifelong goal is to uncover how emerging technologies can be used to capture and mediate discourse that data-driven approaches are not capable of measuring. Reshan is the Director of Educational Technology at an independent PK-12 school in NJ and a doctoral researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is the founder of Constructivist Toolkit, LLC, a company that started as a blog but now is responsible for a variety of Ed Tech projects including Explain Everything. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a card-carrying member of Mensa. Reshan has his Ed.M from Harvard University in Learning and Teaching and his B.A. in Music from Columbia
Living in beta: Molly Schroeder at TEDxBurnsvilleED
Molly Schroeder, Tech Integration Specialist A Google Certified Instructor, Molly Schroeder has spent the last year keynoting and presenting at Google in Education summits all over the world. Most recently, she delivered the keynote address at the Hong Kong Google in Education Conference and was a guest speaker at the Google Developers forum at the ISTE conference. Her presentations often focus on how to integrate Google Apps and other emerging technologies into the classroom. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Saving the Silver Bullet: Jaime Casap at TEDxFargo
Education is the silver bullet that has the power to disrupt poverty. It has the potential to break the cycle of poverty in just one generation. At the core of the American spirit is the ability to look at any child, no matter their social status, and say to them, “If you get your education and work hard, you can have the American dream.” It feels like that’s getting harder and harder to say. We are in danger of losing the power and potential of the silver bullet and our very future depends on saving it. Jaime Casap is the Global Education Evangelist at Google, Inc. Jaime evangelizes the power and potential of the web, technology, and Google tools in education. He helps educational organizations across the world find ways to utilize these tools in support of new learning models. Born and raised as a first generation American to a single mother on welfare in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, Jaime understands the power of education in changing the destiny of a family in just one generation. You can follow Jaime on Google+ at +Jaime Casap and on Twitter @jcasap. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
About Assessment: Reshan Richards at TEDxNYED
Reshan Richards is an educator, researcher, and app designer. His 12+ years of experience in schools as math teacher and technology integrator intersected with his research on screencasting and formative assessment to inspire the creation of Explain Everything for iPad. His lifelong goal is to uncover how emerging technologies can be used to capture and mediate discourse that data-driven approaches are not capable of measuring. Reshan is the Director of Educational Technology at an independent PK-12 school in NJ and a doctoral researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is the founder of Constructivist Toolkit, LLC, a company that started as a blog but now is responsible for a variety of Ed Tech projects including Explain Everything. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a card-carrying member of Mensa. Reshan has his Ed.M from Harvard University in Learning and Teaching and his B.A. in Music from Columbia.
Press Play — Gaming, Simulation & Achievement in the Classroom: Jonathon Best at TEDxDenverTeachers
Achievement and investment go hand-in-hand in today’s 21st century classroom. By integrating design elements from modern video game frameworks and leveraging the impact of success in a technology-saturated and highly simulated world, teachers can better motivate and in turn, serve our digital citizens through their progression towards college and the professional world. By the end of this talk, educators will walk away with concrete steps to help them integrate the modern world of video games and simulation in their daily practices. Presented by Jonathon Best, Press Play – Teacher at KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
The Brave New World of Online Learning: Amy Collier at TEDxStanford
Amy Collier works with faculty, instructional designers and doctoral students to explore and design online learning experiences at Stanford. Amy Collier is the director for technology and teaching for the Office of the Vice Provost for Online Learning. She is an advocate for learners and teachers across a variety of educational institutions, from community-based service organizations to large public universities. Before coming to Stanford, Collier was the director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Texas Wesleyan University, where her team implemented nationally recognized faculty development programs for online learning. Through her graduate studies in social sciences and nearly 10 years in faculty development, she is a member of the American Educational Research Association, The Sloan Consortium, Educause Learning Initiative and the Professional and Organizational Development Network. Collier frequently presents at universities and conferences, on topics like open learning, online learning and faculty development.
Jailbreaking the degree: David Blake at TEDxFurmanU
At TEDxFurmanU, David Blake highlights the distinction between education and degrees, arguing that the future of learning involves abandoning the concept of a finite education. About David Blake David Blake is the founder of Degreed, a free online platform that scores and validates lifelong education from both accredited and non-accredited sources . A 2007 graduate of Brigham Young University, David was most recently a consultant for New Charter University, an accredited private online university founded in 2011 with headquarters in San Francisco, CA. In 2011, David was one of 25 select participants chosen to join the inaugural EdTech Entrepreneurs Lab at Stanford University. The Lab, a joint program of Teach For America and the venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund, was launched in collaboration with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. The goal of the EdTech Lab is to address the education achievement gap between students from low and high-income communities. From 2008 to 2011, David worked as a founding member of Zinch.com, an online social network that connects students with information and opportunities relating to colleges, scholarships, study abroad opportunities, and graduate schools. Through his work, David aims to promote universal access to education, create meaningful indicators of personal educational outcomes and success and enable a measured and meaningful system for lifelong learning. About TEDx In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
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You are at:Home»Full Transcripts»Brian Blake
Brian Blake
By sfkelly2 on September 29, 2016 Full Transcripts
Interview with Brian Blake. Interviewer Stephen Kelly.
Brian Blake joined Granada Television in 1966 and worked almost exclusively on World In Action, initially as a Researcher and later as a Producer.
Brian, let’s go through your Granada career chronologically. When did you join and how did you come to join the company?
Well I joined in 1966 and it’s a slightly strange story how I joined.
Basically I was an academic, which sounds a bit pompous. I’d done two degrees in history and I was working on a big project in London on the history of parliament. I’d done three years of that and was beginning to get a bit bored.
I suddenly saw an advertisement in the New Statesman which said, “wanted: northern graduate to join television company.”
I wasn’t a northern graduate, in fact I graduated from Bristol where I read history, but I came from a small mining village in Durham. So I thought well, maybe that’s alright.
So I wrote a letter saying ‘I’m not a northern graduate but I’m a graduate from the north of England’.
I was summoned down to London and on the board were two of the grandees, Dennis Foreman and Mike Wooler, typical Granada style; shirt sleeves rolled up, red braces showing, gin and tonic on the table.
So we went through all of this and I’d no experience of television, I’d hardly seen one, never had one at home.
The final question came after all of this, “how do you feel about living in Manchester (moving from London where I was working)?”
So I said, “coming from where I come from, Manchester to me is the north midlands.”
Whether that got me the job or not I don’t know.
But I got a job.
In a sense that was the typical Granada style, you had no experience of television, they just took a gamble on lots of people who they thought ‘he or she could be interesting we’ll go for it’.
That’s what they did, so I got the job.
So I joined in 1966.
For nine months I worked on the seventh floor and the idea was Granada was into publishing then. They decided to become a publishing company and they owned one or two paperbacks, grafton and panther.
The idea was, World in Action did a lot of research on programmes which never hit the screen so they though they’d publish these pamphlets, maybe one every three months, on a particular subject which had lots of research on.
It could be anything really, from Northern Ireland to whatever.
After nine months, typically, Granada lost interest in the whole project.
So they said just go down and join World in Action, just like that.
Again I had no experience in television, I didn’t know anything about it whatsoever and suddenly I was thrust into this job on World in Action.
My first job, they were doing a programme in Cheetham Hill of all places, not very Worldly.
They were a family of ten living on the dole.
The production team had been working with this family for three months.
They just said to me, here’s a microphone go in and interview the father, just like that.
I said ok, so I sat down and just had a chat with him really.
Finished the interview, came back, thought ‘I don’t know how good that is’.
Mike Murphy was the producer and he said “will you go along to the film editors room and strip out some sync.”
I hadn’t a clue what he meant, ‘strip out some sync’.
So I went along to the film editor and I said, “I’ve been told to strip out some sync, what does it mean?”
He said, “what you do is, you look at the interview, which had been printed out, and you pick out the bits you wanted, that you thought were the best bits.”
I said “right I’ve learnt something today how to strip out sync.”
I was totally ignorant.
So you spent nearly all your time on World in Action then.
Ever since.
Who would be editor of World in Action then?
When I joined it was David Plowright.
What was he like to work with?
He was probably the brightest of editors I ever worked with, in a television sense. He was a master of summing up a film; looking at a film purely coming in from the outside. He had a really terrific turn of phrase; what was wrong with it, what was right with it.
Punchy, very very good man to work with. An absolute bully having said that.
He took no prisoners and could be absolutely ruthless and hard. But in terms of the cutting room, he was probably the best editor I worked with.
I worked with maybe thirteen or fourteen over the years, he was very very good indeed.
So I was a researcher then for about four years.
Coming in from the outside the atmosphere was incredibly glamorous on World in Action, at the time. There were people jetting in from Vietnam, Laos.
Of course my first major job as a researcher was to interview four hundred families in Wolverhampton who had been rehoused. I had to trace them all and find out whether there was any racial discrimination being practiced against the black families in Wolverhampton.
So it meant actually knocking on four hundred doors and finding out the new addresses where they’d moved to.
That was not the most glamorous, everybody else seemed to be doing glamorous things, I was doing really bread and butter stuff.
We did a programme on aspirin, is it good for you or bad for you. I rang up two hundred doctors on that to find out their views on aspirin. The film actually took two years to make. The story was, when we started doing the vox pops with people in the street about aspirin by the time we finished the programme the skirts of the women had shortened by about twelve inches.
So some of it looked a bit dated!
There was a lot of hard graft in World in Action. There was a glamorous side, which the producers got at the beginning.
The team was always incredibly small, maybe sixteen, seventeen, eighteen of which eleven or twelve were producers, so about six researchers.
We tended to get all the bread and butter stuff, the hard graft of hitting the phone and knocking on doors. Very rarely did you get abroad, all that began to happen much later on.
So the top side was very glamorous, bottom side was hard work; typical journalist stuff in a sense.
The people on the team are worth talking about because they were an incredible melting pot of anybody you could imagine.
We had foreigners; Americans, Australians, South Africans, Czechoslovakians, we had all sorts of nationalities.
We had people from Oxbridge, red brick universities, people who came straight from local papers, national papers.
We had every sort of combination of people; one had been an airhostess and never worked in television before.
Gus Macdonald of course, who became editor, worked on the docks in Glasgow.
We had a military policemen.
Today you think people have got to do media training and come up through that way, there’s hardly any other way now to get into television.
Then people were just plucked from every walk of life.
The story is Mike Scott met this airhostess on the plane and thought she would make a very interesting presenter so she was hired.
There were gambles, there was no set way of joining World in Action; you could be anybody from any walk of life and if they took a fancy to you or thought you had some sort of potential then you were employed. That was the Granada ethic I suppose.
It would never happen now, obviously not.
Let’s go back to that programme on aspirin, it took two years to make. How many people would be working on that?
There was one producer who was Dennis Wolf, who actually still lives in Stockport I think.
The researcher tended to come and go, you weren’t on it for two years; you might be on it for three months doing one particular piece of research and then somebody else and somebody else.
So probably about three researchers altogether. You could actually spend two years before you got a programme out. Again I doubt whether that would happen very often these days.
It’s a huge commitment that.
Well it was, I suppose it went so far down the line that once you’ve committed to doing a programme it’s very very difficult for a company to stop it unless there’s some reason for it, like a legal reason or the research isn’t holding up.
Once you’ve started a programme you tend to go on with it and hope you get the right result in the end.
There were others, not as long as that I have to say. People would disappear for three months abroad and even longer before coming back. Some programmes took six months before transmission. Others were done in three days.
That was a huge financial commitment as well.
Especially when you’ve got a small team, and when someone’s only doing one programme in two years it puts a load on other people as well. But they bashed on with it.
Tell me about some of the other memorable World in Action’s you worked on.
Memorable, that’s always a difficult question.
I can tell you worst programme I ever worked on, or the hardest one.
Roland Coburn was the editor on it so he will probably give you another side of he story.
It was the first gay rights civil march in London, to Hyde Park on a Saturday.
We had two crews out, one followed a group of gay rights people from Liverpool and I went down to London and filmed the equivalent London group of people who were marching to Hyde Park.
So it was filmed on a Saturday and it was big rally in Hyde Park; bands, speeches.
It finished about eight o’clock so we got the last train back and got back to Manchester at midnight on Saturday.
Of course it was all on film in those days, you didn’t have the luxury of today of video editing and so on.
So the two producers, we got our heads together and the other producer agreed he would work through ‘til seven o’clock on Sunday night and would prepare a rough cut, assembly of material.
I would come in at seven or eight o’clock on Sunday night and work through the night until Monday to get the programme out on Monday.
So I came in on the Sunday night at half past seven and not a frame had been cut.
The producer told me “it’s impossible, it can’t be done.”
I said, “have you told Ray Fitzwalter the editor about this.”
He said, “Yes I said I would get a studio programme ready just in case.”
We didn’t actually have a standby programme; the idea was you always had a standby programme which was timeless. It could be anything; conversations with a trade unionist was one of our standard ones, conversations with an old aged pensioner. They were timeless, you could slip them in anywhere, but we didn’t have one.
Ray said, “What do you think?”
I said, “I’ll have a go and if we can’t make it you’ve just got to get somebody ready to come into the studio.”
So I worked through the night and it began to take shape.
You had to time it back from transmission in those days. Transmission was eight, and if dubbed the film, it probably took an hour which took it back to seven.
Then you had to neck cut it and match it up and get the film which took another three hours so you were back to four o’clock in the afternoon.
You had to be finished basically by four o’clock.
Ray came into the cutting room at three o’clock, he hadn’t seen a frame yet.
He said, “I must see this film.”
I said, “you can’t see it, at this stage now it will take forty minutes to show it to you which will take us up to twenty to four. So that leaves twenty minutes for your comments.”
He said “oh my god.”
So I pushed him out of the room and we worked on.
It came to a point, at five o’clock, we were losing the battle.
I said to Roland, “I think we’ve lost this one, we’re not going to get there.”
We had cut about twenty three minutes of the film which was meant to run at twenty eight with commercials.
It did actually go out, we did make it but what happened was we called it a draw at twenty three minutes.
What we did then, the Tom Robinson band was the main band on stage with their famous hit ‘We are family’ a big gay rights number.
So the last three and a half minutes of the programme was the band playing ‘We are family’.
So that was the worst programme I ever made in terms of tension, sweat and certainly not the best by a long way, but interesting.
World in Action wasn’t very good at doing studio items was it?
Well it was a last resort. The whole ethos of World in Action was not to use the studio. When it was set up it was in direct opposition to Panorama, which did films of course, but it relied a lot on studio, it relied a lot on presenters like Richard Dimbleby, it was a studio led programme.
The whole ethos of World in Action was to get on the road. With the advent of these new 16mm handheld cameras the cameraman could actually dive into the action. He could carry it on his shoulders which couldn’t be done in the fifties.
We did occasionally go into studio; we did one on the Hillsborough disaster, we did two or three on the Falklands War because we couldn’t get access to the Falklands.
ITV weren’t allowed to go to the Falklands during the War, but it was a last resort, a very last resort. Nobody wanted to do it, we all hated studio in a way or we didn’t like it very much.
Just on an aside, I worked on a couple to do with the Labour Party; the Labour Party election and the SDP which were studio items; a bit of a disaster to be honest.
Did you work on the 1968 Anti-Vietnam March demonstration?
No I didn’t. I was filming another programme in Wiltshire with Mike Beckham. I think the two of us were the only World in Action people who weren’t involved in that.
We came back to Euston station from Wiltshire and there was the crew climbing on to the same train. We all go on the same train back to Manchester.
Everybody was there, six crews I think.
So our claim to fame was we were the only two that didn’t work on the 1968 Grosvenor Square.
Any other memorable programmes?
So many really, I did do more than anybody else. I am the world record holder for World in Action in terms of numbers; I did do about 130.
It is hard to pick out individual ones and often for strange reasons.
I did one on Chernobyl, six years after the accident; that was a very very tough experience, and quite a hazardous one.
One of the last ones I did was the killing of James Bulger, which was memorable for a totally different reason.
It was great competition among the media for that programme because everybody was after, it was a really big story.
What we did, we were up against all this competition, everybody including the main ITV news.
We got the scoop and what we did was, myself and the researcher, we had a drunken night in Liverpool.
Very hard to find a decent pub in Liverpool as you know!
We managed to get, from what source I still can’t tell you, the tapes of the police interrogation of the two boys who were later found to have killed Bulger.
Nobody else was anywhere near it, nobody even knew they even existed.
We got back to Granada with these tapes and constructed a little set within Granada of the actual police interrogation room.
This ITV female producer was after me all the time. She hadn’t a clue what we were doing. All the interviews they had done we didn’t bother with, we didn’t view any because we had the goods.
She couldn’t work out what we were doing.
She kept coming to the Granada building trying to find out and she actually came up once and got very near the set. If she’d seen the set she would have guessed I think, she might have thought we were just doing a reconstruction.
Anyway we managed to push her off.
So our show went at half past eight and the opening of the programme is roughly along the lines of ‘these are the actually voices of the boys who have now been convicted (it was after the trial had ended)’.
The phone rang into the office and it was her on the phone.
She said, “you bastards, how did you get that?”
It was a scoop. It was an awful story, in the sense of the case, but the triumph of doing that is one of the great things about journalism, when you get something everybody is after; whether it is good luck, a good intuition or a good head for drinking in Liverpool.
Those were two of many but they were important stories.
The other one of course, the famous one that I look back with affection, which again is an English story is the village that quite smoking, Longnor.
My twins had just been born then, they were born in early December and I was sent up to Longnor on New Year’s Eve to start research on the project; knocking on four hundred doors to find out the smoking habits of the village.
Then my job, once we started getting ready for the film, was to persuade the whole village to give up smoking. That was a project.
I would sit in the pub seven nights a week playing darts and dominoes and persuading people to give up smoking. It sounded like a wonderful project until it came to my expenses, ‘how can I claim expenses for this?’
So I actually put down ‘entertaining the village of Longnor – £169’.
The accounts department looked at me with a knowing look, of course they couldn’t do anything about it and they actually paid it up.
It was the Granada ethos, pictures of Barnum the great American showman on the wall. The idea was you had to get showbiz somehow into current affairs, to make people watch and enjoy it, not just hard journalism.
The whole idea of the village giving up smoking, we had brass bands, hypnotists, we had Coronation Street people going up there to speak. It was a little showbiz enterprise and for a very worthy cause.
I think about 70-80% of people gave up smoking, what happened after of course is difficult to know but for the time being it was good fun and a worthy programme.
So for all different reasons these are some of them.
You talked about the Granada ethos, what kind of company was Granada, would you like to expand on that?
It’s difficult not to be clichéd about it. It had a genuine interest in all the people, in the early days certainly.
Some moved from London to Manchester, you’ve still got the same thing now with the BBC in Salford. There’s this problem of getting people to move to the North from the South.
We didn’t have that problem so much; it was only World in Action really that had that problem.
The management always lived in London of course, they came up on a Monday say and they had flats in Manchester and back on Friday.
The World in Action team was half London, half Manchester roughly speaking.
Everybody was going up and down.
They wanted people to move to Manchester, I remember one producer he said “I can’t afford to move to Manchester” and they paid his deposit.
That’s the sort of thing they did.
People who were drunk, there was a tremendous amount of drunkenness in those days; it was the old journalists tradition of hard drinking. People were sent to sanatoriums to dry out, a lot of that went on behind the scenes, it wasn’t broadcast.
So in that sense a very benevolent company.
As I said earlier they took gambles on people, like Brian Armstrong a fine documentary maker suddenly became head of comedy.
‘How did that happen?’ It couldn’t happen anywhere else.
They just looked at people individually, they had time to do that and they took flies.
I must say they were a very good company to work for, good fun. A few ups and downs, a few shouting matches but of course they encouraged that.
They used to invite people up to the seventh floor at Granada for a dinner party.
The whole idea was to get everybody drunk so that you would actually speak out what you thought of them or what you thought of Granada. A sort of bonding session.
There was one famous one, Denis Foreman.
We were all up there about ten World in Action producers, all sparky individuals, all thinking we’re pretty good.
He said “there’s only been two directors in the whole history of television and cinema who are great, who are famous, who are really good.”
We al said “Oh yeah, who’s that then?”
“Orson Welles and Ken Russell.”
And we all started throwing bread rolls at him. People were picking up bread rolls from the table and throwing them.
He loved that, that’s the sort of thing they did. They wanted controversy, they wanted people to let their hair down and speak their minds. And you could speak your mind, you could say what you liked.
So that was all good, no complaints there at all.
You’ve mentioned bullying and drunkenness. Bullying fairly rife?
Well bullying is perhaps putting it too hard. It was a rough and ready sort of crudity, in a way, like ‘I’m the boss and you do what I say’.
We thought we were better than that, you felt you had a right to be listened to, to explain your point, to get it over with.
There was just a certain few, as far as World in Action and current affairs would go, who thought they could run rampant and roughshod over you.
It’s something you forget about afterwards.
The Allan Seagal episode, I was in America doing a programme on Alexander Haig. He [Alexander Haig] went in front of the Senate committee, he was going to be appointed the equivalent of the foreign secretary. In America they go through this Senate committee who question him about his past and so on.
As usual we flew over on the Monday with it to go out the following Monday.
I got there and arrived in the court room to talk filming and Panorama were there with Peter Vile, who had been a Granada researcher, who is now a Panorama producer and Margaret Jay who was the presenter.
So Peter Vile came over to me at the break and said “Hello Brian, you’ve come to do Hague?”
I said “yeah, yeah.”
He said, “when did you arrive?”
“Oh we arrived yesterday”
“We’ve been here three months.”
I said “what?”
He said “yes, we’ve signed up everybody; Bernstein, we’ve got every person signed up for Panorama exclusively.”
So I thought ‘Oh my god’.
Paul Greengrass was the researcher, now as you know a brilliant feature film director.
I rang back to Manchester to say to Seagal, “listen we’re in big trouble here. We’ve just done a days filming, we tried to interview people can’t get anyone as they have all been signed up. Margaret J was having an affair at the time with Bernstein. It’s all signed up.”
He said, “Listen Blake, if you don’t get that fucking programme out on Monday you’re fucking fired.”
So I said “Bog off Alan, what are you talking about.”
We went out the same time as Panorama, I’ve still got the TV reviews, and we beat them hands. I’ll tell you why we beat them hands down.
First of all, Paul Greengrass as a researcher pulled off the great coup. This guy, Roger Morris, who was teaching at the University of New Mexico had written a biography of Haig in the early days, an expert.
Panorama had been nowhere near him because they had got all the stars, all the big names in Washington.
So Paul got him on, I said “get him up to Washington. Will you do it?”
He said “yes I’ll do it for you.”
He flew up from New Mexico to Washington. We filmed him, absolutely brilliant interview, he just knew everything.
So we finished the interview and the phone rings and it’s his wife ringing up from New Mexico. His wife says “I’ve just had Panorama on the phone, I’ve told them you’re in Washington, they want to interview you.”
Roger turned round to me, “Panorama want to interview me, what shall I do?”
I said, “I can’t stop you from being interviewed for Panorama but I’d be very grateful if you wouldn’t do it.”
He said “right I’ll do that” and he flew back to New Mexico.
So we scored on that, we had one interview, they had nine.
Secondly, in the courtroom Haig was facing the panel of this committee. What Panorama did was they were getting a feed from CBS, and what CBS did was as soon as Haig spoke they showed a close up of Haig, and as soon as somebody from the committee spoke they showed a close up of the committee man.
What George Jesse Turner did he started off like that, he filmed Haig, but when the committee started asking him a question he stayed on Haig.
So you could see Haig’s face crumbling as some dirty trick he’d done came up.
You could see the man crumbling.
The reviewer said ‘they scored on two things; brilliant interview and wonderful camerawork of George Jesse Turner’.
I said to Seagal, “you don’t know how lucky you are.”
We should have been absolutely slaughtered, we got away with murder, as you do sometimes.
Were you there for the great World in Action revolt?
Oh many of them, all of them I think!
The ousting of David Boulton, what were the other ones?
That was the major one.
There had been all sorts of little ones, Lightbolt? like I said had tried to get rid of most of the London office, in fact I think five left eventually and took redundancy.
But that was the major one.
It was quite funny because we had this election amongst the team as to who would be our representative to stand for editor. So there was three on the shortlist; Mike Ryan, Ray Fitzwalter and me, we were the three candidates for the job.
Granada tradition we went for an interview with all of them there of course; Foreman, the lot. The gin and tonic was still on the table.
The first question was “you don’t really want this job Brian, do you?”
I said “erm, what do you mean?”
“You’re not interested in being a boss, sitting behind a desk.”
I said “I prefer making films but the team have put me forward and I’d be quite happy to do that.”
Anyway, there’s me, Mike Ryan we’d probably done 120 films between us, Ray had never made one.
In Granada tradition they gave Ray the job and they brought in Brian Lapping as an executive over Ray, again who wasn’t a filmmaker, who had written for the Spectator.
In a wonderful swoop they scuppered us, got their own nominee in and put somebody else in as well.
We’d been through the democratic process and we were left absolutely… It wasn’t funny at the time, but funny now.
And then Ray went and became editor for the next twenty years or whatever it was.
There was a great bonding wasn’t there when teams worked together whether it was World in Action or any other programme teams seemed to bond and spend a great deal of time together.
You did, as I say it was a very small unit of people and often you tended to work with the same researchers quite regularly.
When you were away it was a very small unit of people, originally it was eight; five or six crew, but in the latter days it was four. You could travel away for weeks and weeks abroad all over the place.
So we were together all the time, every night of course, every morning for breakfast, all during the day.
You were like a family on holiday, not on holiday but working together all the time.
So a lot of long friendships came out as a result of all that.
Whenever you have a reunion now in London the faces are all there, some have died now of course.
You stuck together as well if there was criticism from whatever, you stuck together in the cutting room or against flack from anywhere.
As I say it was a very small unit, the rest of Granada often I think looked upon us with suspicion because they worked funny hours. Some people came in at five or six o’clock in the evening; their working day was starting when everybody else was going home.
You come in the morning and there would be pants in the washbasin. A lot of people did that sort of life, they were like newspaper people they did those sort of hours where the night shift was nothing, especially the single ones.
It was a close-knit team.
Would you say that it was not very family friendly working for Granada? In terms of you were working long unsocial hours, going off filming to here there and everywhere.
I don’t think it ever really bothered them, they just thought that’s the job. Maybe if you’d just had a baby or something they might be slightly more tolerant. I think it was just ‘you’ve got to get on with it’.
What about women who worked on the programme?
There weren’t many at all, especially the early days. Most of them were single, tough in that sense because they had to be, it was an incredibly male society.
It was funny it was different, they were very sensitive filmmakers, very good at emotional films which was not so easy for men I think.
But as I say, most of them in the early days certainly were very tough, very determined. None of early ones that I can remember were married at all, married later of course when they left.
So they were slightly different in that sense.
Maybe one or two at a time on a team of eighteen to twenty, sometimes only one. But later on of course it became much more prominent and quite rightly so.
Somebody said to me that Granada was an unashamedly left wing company. Would you agree with that?
I know somebody who did, that was Ken Clarke. Again we were doing an interview with Ken Clarke in London, I think he was Home Secretary. He said to me, “I don’t know why I’m bothering doing this interview, you’re all left wing Marxists.”
I said, “well some people might think that all Tories are rabid fascists, but I don’t.” So there was a deathly hush. That was the attitude.
It was a very left wing programme, the British Steel papers, all the clashes with the government over Northern Ireland, the IRA and so on. [Little unclear]
We were accused of giving terrorists air space, arguments that are still going on today and we’re talking about the sixties and seventies, some things never change.
I think Granada was sort of conscious of that in a way. So they did try to make the odd conservative one on World in Action.
Generally speaking because people were young, because it was that sort of area of documentary making you tend to be left wing.
The same accusations are made against the BBC today aren’t they? They were saying the same thing forty, fifty years ago so none of that changes.
They must be a Guardian reader because they’re doing these liberal things, it’s very difficult to escape from that criticism.
I suppose yes it’s true, broadly speaking I suspect 80% of us would have voted Labour in the times.
But then we’ve had the chairman of the young Conservatives, we’ve had Tory MPs working for us, we’ve talked to Ted Heath on programmes.
So there was no sort of attempt to be purely one sided, I think one did try to be a bit more liberal hopefully.
Then as you say, looking down the team for example there were two members of the team Margaret Beckett and Jack Straw who both became Labour cabinet ministers.
Lord Birt and Lord Macdonald… so there is a left wing tinge and was bound to be to that programme. Lord Bernstein was a Labour MP { Labour Peer} I think.
Hopefully we were pretty fair about it all, I don’t think we were fantastically left wing.
Let’s talk a little bit about the trade unions, at that time in commercial television, whether you thought there were certain rules which inhibited programme making or made life difficult. Whether they were they justified or not.
I think the one that irritated me was you had to have a card to become a director. That used to annoy a lot of us on World in Action because we were producers, but also directors.
Most of us didn’t have a card because a card was something you got mainly through directing drama and none of us were interested in drama. So that was a little niggle.
I remember when the people in London went on strike and they brought in two or three producers from Manchester working in other programmes to come onto World in Action.
One of them I particularly remember is Jim Walker.
Now Jim Walker was a producer on other programmes but he couldn’t direct on World in Action, they wouldn’t let him direct.
He would set up a film, and you would have to have somebody like me who was not working at that moment. I’d go out with him and sit and let him do it even though it was his programme.
There were silly things like that, he couldn’t actually produce a film on his own, he had to have a director standing there, probably having a drink at the bar while he was doing it.
So that was a silly thing.
Some of the undermining was a bit silly.
There was the famous one about Margaret Thatcher when she was being interviewed. She looked round the room, and I think there was ten people and she said “What are they all doing?”
This happened, really, in the early days for us. You would go abroad with eight people. Now that is a tremendous cumbersome lot of people to travel around with.
For a start you need two cars, maybe three if you had luggage.
There was two of everything; two cameramen, two soundmen, often two electricians, if you were doing some big lighting job, researcher and producer.
There was a feeling of that.
That was obviously resolved in the end and eventually you came down to four; cameraman, soundman, researcher and producer.
So that was halved and you could travel in one car so mobility was much improved.
That was a slim lining, which I think was a good thing.
For example one of the big series I did with A History of Television we travelled the world on that and we had to take two electricians and two PAs.
Now two electricians you don’t need, so one would light the room, the other would bitterly sit outside.
So there were things like that, which were annoying but gradually they were sorted out.
I remember a World in Action I worked on, where we did a studio programme from the Royal Commonwealth Society with various MPs and there was no vision mixer. It wasn’t until the programme had been finished at whatever time it was, four o’clock on the Monday that Alan Seagull, who was producing, realised there was no vision mixer.
So the programme was immediately blacked. I think Paul Greengrass was working on that. Mike Walsh did a piece to camera in it and because of that you had to have a vision mixer. We had to get a helicopter to take Gus McDonald and Mike Walsh up to Manchester and run it through the studio.
Having said that I must say the unions revolutionised my life and many others.
When I joined I think I was paid about £900 a year.
We had that eight-week strike in the late seventies and we all went off and did various jobs like window cleaning and god knows what. When we came back the salaries very quickly trebled and quadrupled and became a decent salary for the first time.
Nowadays the story is of presenters like Paxman and BBC people getting millions of pounds.
In those days it still wasn’t a huge salary, in fact it was no better certainly than a low paid teacher.
There was no huge expandary of money, it was only after the strike.
They were making huge profits then, ITV was a fantastically profitable industry.
Only then did they begin to realise something had to be done and the unions won that battle and transformed the lives of all the people who worked in the industry.
That was a tremendous plus.
So I’ve always been a very strong union man, I have to say.
What about some of the personalities who worked at Granada; Dennis Foreman.
Yes I mean the grandit as every body called him.
I didn’t realise, when I mentioned earlier about the interview in London and he was sitting there with his shirt sleeves, always wore red braces and a gin and tonic.
So I had the interview in London.
When I came to Manchester, I had never been to Manchester before apart from playing football in university days, but I had never been to Granada.
I went to the desk and asked “can I see Dennis Foreman?”
They looked at me, “is he expecting you?”
I said “yes he is.”
I didn’t realise he was here on the sixth floor; he had this huge office, two secretaries.
I just didn’t realise he was such a powerful important figure, which of course he was. He really was the front of Granada.
The miser about the Bernsteins and rightly so as being the founders but Foreman was the one you saw and had dealings with, not a lot because he had the whole empire to look after.
He was a very imposing figure, very cultured, loved music, loved film, a very imposing man indeed.
One of his many claims to fame, going back to History of Television, was when I was doing a summit on sex in television, the beginnings of the sexual revolution and all that.
His famous series which he set up and looked after, the jewel in the crowns, has a scene where one of the characters comes down the corridor and through the door you can hear two people having sex, grunting and groaning and so on.
The papers said the next day that it was the first time they had ever heard the sound of sexual intercourse on television.
So I interviewed Foreman for the History of Television.
I said, “Why did you do that?”
He just rolled his eyes and laughed and said “isn’t it about time we found out what was going on behind closed doors. Absolutely harmless!”
He was larger than life figure.
A History of Television ran into problems. It was a huge enterprise, it was six one hours filmed all around the world. They suddenly realised, I think, about half way through that they weren’t going to recover the costs unless they sold it to America. It had to be sold to America.
So they decided to Americanise the programme, in other words use more clips of American television, not so much of British television or particularly foreign television which we all thought we were meant to be doing.
So we had this meeting and we all complained that what we had been filming; television sets in Africa, Japan and Indonesia and people in peasant villages watching television.
Obviously this was going to be pushed aside so we all complained about it.
“That’s enough of complaints,” he said. “Two million pounds for the budget, I want American clips and off you go.” And that was it.
So the combination of what we were talking about earlier; bullying but power, the power just to say “two million pounds…” which was a lot of money then, you’re talking thirty years ago.
I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest series ever but we tried. It was the most difficult series I think I worked on, trying to balance these various things.
And there was an ability in those early days, was there not, to be able to come up with an idea one minute and by the afternoon be actually making the programme.
It was exactly the same as I was saying earlier about picking people on a flair, ideas were the same. There were no committees in those days, one person could actually make a decision. If you convinced one person, one boss… he might take it one step up but that would be it. Nowadays to make a programme you have got to go through various committees, various people coming to see a programme, have their own criticisms.
There you had an idea, you took it to your immediate boss. If he wasn’t interested he might suggest you take it to another department.
As you say, very quickly it would be taken up.
Same with people, if they met with somebody, they thought ‘this is interesting’ and away they went and employed them.
It was a small company in some ways, there were very few bosses. You would probably deal with about five or six people in a year, if that.
So there were instant decisions taken and instant protection of people as well if things were going badly.
It was a very small and very tightly run company, very financially solvent and very carefully run company.
Quite well controlled I think.
Did you have anything to do with Sidney Bernstein?
I did, not a lot I have to say.
I had just finished the History of Television and Steve Morrison rang me up and said “Sidney wants this film made.”
I said “oh yes”
In the Second World War Sidney was one of the first people to go into Belsen concentration camp. He was a major in the army and he decided when he came out of the army he wanted to make a film on Belsen.
It’s an interesting story in itself because he got people like Hitchcock involved and all sorts of things like that. So they collected all these newsreels but the film was never made, never transmitted. All the rolls of film were kept in the British War Museum in London. People had heard of them, knew of them, but they’d never been seen.
He wanted someone to do this film of Belsen using this Hitchcock inspired material.
So I did that.
I built up four interviewees, one of the first soldiers to go into Belsen and then three Jewish survivors in London who had been at Belsen.
We had a grand showing of this film in London. He sent me an invitation to this film, ‘Mr Lake he said’.
So that was it and then a week later I got a letter from him, again saying:
‘Dear Mr Lake, thank you for all your efforts on this film. I didn’t quite like all the interviews you put in but otherwise thank you very much.’
So that was my immediate experience of dealing with Bernstein, being called by the wrong name.
But he was a presence of course, he was always sweeping up and down corridors.
We interviewed him in the making of this Belsen film and I had done all the interviews up until then but of course no, he had to have Mike Scott to interview him.
He obviously trusted Mike Scott, he didn’t quite know who I was.
He was more of a presence, people just didn’t meet him like that, he might pop into somebody’s office in the evening and see what they’re up to type of thing.
Foreman as I say was the presence.
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Home » Magazine » Focus » Magazine » Magazine
Mario Monti Meets the Italian and Italian-American Community in New York
Francesca Giuliani (February 11, 2012)
Before returning to Italy, Prime Minister Monti met with representatives of the Italian and Italian-American community at the Consulate General of Italy in New York. “We are all part of the same enterprise,” he told the guests. A reportage of the ceremony STAY TUNED FOR OUR VIDEO-INTERVIEWS
<< ITALIAN TEXT
President Monti’s first visit to the United States ended yesterday night at Park Avenue, where he met with representatives of the Italian and Italian-American community at the Consulate General of Italy.
With him were Foreign Affairs Minister and former Ambassador of Italy to the US Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, and the newly appointed Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, at his first official meeting with the community.
The day before, Monti had addressed the Italians and Italian-Americans at the White House during a press conference held after the bilateral meeting with President of the United States Barack Obama.
On that occasion, Monti said in Italian to be aware of the primary role of the Italian and Italian-American community in the history of America, and he declared: “I hope that the progress we are making in Italy will make every Italian and Italian-American citizen more proud of his Italian heritage.”
The increased international credibility of Italy and the revamped pride of being Italian are the main reasons why the representatives of the Italian and Italian-American community are grateful to the President.
To greet him at the Consulate, together with the whole staff and the representatives of the institutions of "Sistema Italia", were prominent exponents of the Italian and Italian-American communities.
“For the first time a representative of the Italian government is seen as a testimonial of Europe as a whole,” said Claudio Angelini, President of the Dante Alighieri Society in New York and former RAI news correspondent. “Italy was considered the ailing body of Europe, but thanks to Monti this is not true anymore, to the point that America attributes to Italy today a representational role in the European Union.”
Anthony Julian Tamburri, Dean of John D. Calandra Italian/American Institute at CUNY, agrees: “Monti restored the image of Italy. The presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Giulio Terzi is also a sign that the role of Italians abroad will be more recognized too.”
“What was desperately needed was a new Italian Premier,” said former New York State’s governor Mario Cuomo.
“Monti is a very distinguished man, he speaks the language here but understands more than just the language. People in the United States have not yet come to understand how important Italy is to us. We’re so proud of the US that we think we don’t need anybody else, but we need all of Europe to be well in order to be great ourselves. Monti is going to be responsible in very large ways for Europe. We’re delighted to see him.”
Many other guests expressed similar opinions during short video-interviews with i-Italy that will be published shortly.
Monti was introduced by Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, who underlined the role of the Italian and Italian-American community as a “multiplier of influence for Italy in the United States” and as “the primary channel to project a different and up-to-date image of our national identity, combining the heritage of the past with the contemporary excellences.”
Beginning his speech, the Prime Minister defined the meeting as a “significant and intense moment.” He then joked about bringing Minister Terzi back to the United States, saying to have felt “a little guilty subtracting such a personality from the community.”
Monti remembered the year he spent studying in New Haven, Connecticut, and said that since then he still feels “a part of the Italian presence in the United States.”
“The great and affectionate participation of this community to the Italian destiny is something moving, gratifying and prideful,” he declared, adding that the achievements of the Italians living in America and of the Italian-Americans are a significant stimulus for Italy, which “with a very atypical government is facing very relevant challenges as far as financial stability, growth and social equality are concerned, but also with regards to an increased, serene but strong presence of Italy in the European and international affairs.”
Through the modernization of the country and the reestablishment of a more tranquil political dialogue, Italy will not only “have more room for, but a greater duty of giving its contribution to international affairs,” beginning with the European ones, “whose positive and negative repercussions affect it the most.”
According to Monti, it is pointless to blame Europe for not considering the needs of Italy or for imposing too harsh sacrifices on its population: “We are Europe,” he states, “We are a great component of it, as we are – you are – a great component of the United States.”
The President’s message to the Italian and Italian-American community is one of gratefulness and encouragement to keep pursuing their goals, valorizing Italian culture and image.
In the “city of the stock market”, as he describes New York, “we are all part of the same enterprise,” the activities of which “have a common effect,” the one of determining “the quotation of the adjective ‘Italian’ in the world.”
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Home Contribute Memories Read contributions Stories About Men Uncle Ponnu
Uncle Ponnu
Mysore tonga CPC Motor Service Krishna Talkies Mangalore Ganesha Beedis Udupi Krishna Bhawan Cut Passengers Tonga
T.S. Nagarajan (b.1932) is a noted photojournalist whose works have been exhibited and published widely in India and abroad. After a stint with the Government of India as Director of the Photo Division in the Ministry of Information, for well over a decade Nagarajan devoted his life to photographing interiors of century-old homes in India, a self-funded project. This foray into what constitutes the Indianness of homes is, perhaps, his major work as a photojournalist.
Editor's note: This story is reproduced, with permission, from Mr. Nagarajan's not-for-sale book of his memories, A Pearl of Water on a Lotus Leaf & Other Memories, 2010.
My mother's brother, Uncle Ponnu, was a man apart: apart from good looks, apart from erudition, apart from any social life outside of his addiction to alcohol and the automotive world of the C. Perumal Chetty (CPC) Motor Service, where he worked as a bus conductor.
Low in stature and ungainly, he was a bachelor not by choice but by lack of choices. His face, which hinted of a hundred thousand hangovers down the drain, was heavy, eyes reddish and fierce like his body, which suffered from a congenital deformity. His hands were clubbed, bowed inwards, and the forearms markedly short. All this made him look grave and unfriendly.
But, if you were able to strip this mask off his persona, one of God's kinder souls with a heart of gold, full of love and compassion, would emerge. He could never hurt a fly. He was affectionate, gracious and human. While drunkenness was the leading cause of his indiscretion, there were times when his one-track mind gave itself to fits of unparalleled humaneness and impulsive generosity. Sometimes I wondered, looking at him, why God should indulge himself in a trivial sport such as this and craft an exterior so inimical to the truth within.
He was my mom's youngest sibling. He had two brothers whom he hated. They were not in any case hugely accomplished. The eldest brother was Subramanyam ('Challa Mama' for us children; 'Mama' in Tamil means maternal uncle) and the next was Vaidyanathan ('Vaithu Mama'). I don't know why my grandparents named their first two sons with high-sounding names and chose to call the youngest as Ponnu Swamy, a very unusual name in a Brahmin Iyer family though "Ponnu" meant gold. We called him 'Ponnu Mama'. My mother addressed her brothers as "Chella", "Vaithu" and "Ponnu".
Chella's achievement in life was that he was able to end up as personal secretary to company big wigs. His addiction was chewing paans and tobacco. His brother, Vaithu, with his ability to make the most of his meagre talents, worked for a well-known business house in Madras that sold branded clocks and watches. He was tall and handsome, spoke English and invariably dressed himself immaculately in well-tailored suits. But this successful phase of his working career was prematurely cut short because of a serious indiscretion, which cost him his job. There were hushed words going round the family that he too had his own addictions- to women and a sophisticated appreciation of alcohol and the heights of its ecstasy. He had short stints with small jobs here and there and finally ended up as an uncrowned adviser to our family.
Ponnu's case was different. I don't think he went to school but he could sign his name stylishly in English as 'K.P. Swamy' with his left hand. If the secret of Samson's strength was in the locks of his hair, uncle Ponnu's was in his deformed hands. He had mastered the art of using his hands to do anything he wanted. He could lift huge weights, ride a bicycle, and while eating with his hand even transport rice and rasam from a banana leaf neatly to his mouth. He loved smoking beedis, only 'Managlore Ganesha Beedis'. He was a good cook too. On some days, when he didn't attend office, he would cut potatoes and onions briskly and fry bajjis in the afternoon for all the children. There was nothing he couldn't do except, of course, order his hands not to touch liquor.
The CPC Service had its office in downtown Mysore, next to a popular cinema house called "Krishna Talkies", a stone's throw from the city's Clock Tower. The company had a fleet of passenger buses with which it connected most of the important towns in the State with Mysore city. Ponnu Swamy had found the job of a conductor with the company after his father's death and his mother (my grandmother) had decided to leave Mysore to stay with her daughter (my mother) and her family elsewhere in the State.
My father, who was a doctor in the Mysore Medical Service, was often posted to hospitals in remote areas in the initial years of his career. During this time, Ponnu stayed in a hotel room not far from his office and ate his meals in Udupi Krishna Bhawan, a well-known eating jaunt near the clock tower. Perhaps, it was during these years, when he stayed away from the family, he took to the bottle. It was a routine thing do for most CPC drivers and conductors to help themselves to a drink or two after they returned from their tiresome bus trips and then go home.
During the years when the family was away from Mysore, Ponnu Mama, made it a point to visit us, wherever we were, especially in the festival season. Every Diwali he would arrive with bags full of crackers, fruits and vegetables and packets of sweets and titbits for us. We looked forward eagerly to his visits because of the goodies that came with him. But, things became easier when once my father was posted back to Mysore to serve in a city hospital. The family found a rented home. We got admission in schools and colleges. Ponnu Mama left his hotel room and came home to stay with us.
It was during this period, I was able to look at uncle Ponnu and his life closely. Since he was among the senior conductors, the company wanted him to go on bus trips to remote places, which required a night's stay at the destination and return the following day. Hence Ponnu Mama came home on alternate days and spent the night with us.
On the days his bus was expected back in Mysore in the evenings, my mother would assign one or two of us to meet him at the bus stand near the CPC office to receive all that he would bring for the home like vegetables, coconuts, rice and sometimes even bundles of firewood. He would buy them at low prices in the villages and small towns on the way. This gesture by the brother was well appreciated by my mother since it meant a big support in kind to run the large family that required more money than what father brought as his salary or pension. We, on our part, were very keen on taking on this assignment because it meant for us a grand treat at Krishna Bhawan in the evening.
My elder brother Jagga and I would reach the bus stand well ahead of time and wait sitting on the steps of Krishna Talkies for the bus to arrive. The moment the bus came in, uncle Ponnu, dressed in khaki trousers and half-arm shirt and sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses, would get off, run to the back of the bus and briskly climb up to the top. He would then throw down baskets and gunny bags containing all that he would have brought for home. The cleaner boy, his obedient assistant, would catch them deftly and group them in a corner. Uncle Ponnu would then get down, look at us grumpily and gesture towards us to wait. He would then walk into the office with his leather bag full of cash and ticket books to submit accounts and hand over the cash to the accountant.
Let me digress here a little to explain a stratagem. Every time, uncle Ponnu came home after a trip, his side pockets would jingle with cash. Where would the money come from? From what are called "cut passengers" (short distance travellers, mostly villagers) from whom the bus fare would be promptly collected but no tickets would be issued. This money, which would amount to a few hundred rupees on every trip, would remain unaccounted and go straight into the conductor's pocket. Uncle Ponnu was a master of this trickery. Invariably, he would never get caught by checking squads on the way organised secretly by the company. He had his own paid informers who would caution him in advance of any impending danger.
There were also some days, very rare, when a sober uncle Ponnu would return home in the evening with a grumpy face; no cash in his pockets and, of course, no goodies too. They were the unlucky days when he would have been caught by the checking squad and suspended from duty. He would then stay back home on 'leave' and invariably spend the evenings sitting on the steps of Krishna Talkies, hoping to be called in by the boss and pardoned. After a few days of waiting, he would be called in, reprimanded and reinstated considering his long service and loyalty to the company.
It would take roughly an hour for Uncle Ponnu to complete the job of submitting accounts. He would then come out smiling and take us straight to Udupi Krishna Bhawan and treat us to a generous tiffin consisting of Benne Masalas, Kesari Baths. And what have you. As we came out of the hotel, he would whistle to summon a tonga (Mysore's famous carriage drawn by a single horse), get the baggage loaded and see us off. It was understood that he would follow after 'finishing work'.
Not before nine or ten in the night, long after the family dinner, a tonga would stop in front of the wicket gate from which a slightly unsteady and stenchy uncle Ponnu would get down. If my father were sitting in his chair in the hall, he would walk in quietly, have a bath and change clothes. My mother would then escort him into the kitchen and give his dinner. While eating, he would conduct a slurred conversation with the sister giving her details of things he would have brought. This was considered as routine and a normal homecoming of uncle Ponnu. No one, including my father, would say anything. Next morning, by the time all of us woke up, my mother would have seen him off for work after his morning coffee. But there were also days on which uncle Ponnu's return home in the night would cause a lot of embarrassment to everyone, especially to my mother.
I remember a winter night when someone knocked on the door. My father got up and switched on the front light, opened the door and looked out. A tonga stood at the gate. Two men were struggling to help a nearly passed-out uncle Ponnu to get down from it. They managed to bring him in and laid him flat on the floor in a corner of the hall where all the children were sleeping. They told my father that they had found him lying on the road, not far from the tonga stand near the clock tower and left without saying anything more. They were tongawallas who knew uncle Ponnu and in whose tongas he would have returned home many a time.
Uncle Ponnu's whining and blabbering woke up almost everyone. "Your brother", told my father curtly turning towards my mother and left the scene after ordering all of us to go back to sleep. Tapping her forehead, my grandmother uttered a curse: "I would rather see him in the grave than in this state." Her son's inebriation frightened her. Whenever her brother was drunk and brought home in a hapless state by strangers, my mother's position in the family suffered. She had no words to defend herself against my father's fury.
When everyone had left the scene, my mother gestured to me and my brother for help to haul up her brother and shift him into a room. As we moved him, he kept talking to his sister; most of what he said made no sense. His speech was slurred and he kept coming up a little too close to me as though he was attempting to tell me a secret that he wanted to share with no one else. I found that very uncomfortable and continually backed-up. We managed to put him on a bed, switched off the light, closed the door and retired. For a long time thereafter, until I went to sleep, I could hear the hissing and huffing of uncle Ponnu's snore from the room.
Uncle Ponnu and his unique relationship with alcohol continued for the rest of his life. My Mother tried hard to get him to stop drinking, but that was a hopeless effort. In fact, all of us wanted to help him to get rid of alcohol but we couldn't because he wouldn't listen to any of us. Years passed and he lost his personality. The more he drank the sicker he got. It became impossible for him to continue with the job at the bus company. He had to remain at home totally depending on my mother for everything he needed. One day he suffered a stroke and became a cripple.
When I came home from Delhi on leave, I was appalled to find uncle Ponnu in a miserable condition. He couldn't stand up and walk, only crawl on the ground. He couldn't speak, only blabber. His hands had lost their power. He had to be spoon-fed. His body had shrunk beyond recognition. He looked like a wounded bird that had lost its wings. He looked at me; his eyes filled with tears and attempted to say something but failed. I held his hand and cried. I returned to Delhi with this image of uncle Ponnu uppermost in my mind. Barely a few weeks later, one day, I received the devastating news that uncle Ponnu had passed away.
© T.S. Nagarajan 2010
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Early Years in Mysore
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A Time of Wonder
Growing up in Princely Mysore
Growing up in Princely Mysore -2
Rami and the immersion of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes
Youthful days in Mysore city 1940s-1950s
How I Found Out About the Impact of Partition
Growing up in Mysore State
Once upon a time: Train journey from Bangalore to Mysore
Dasara in Mysuru: Then and Now
Punjab’s old days – relived through new friendships
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: A Teacher Who Cared About His Students
Mhow to Mt. Abu by Train (1943)
Women in the Partition
A non-vegetarian life in the pre-1947 Punjab
Surati Khus-Khus (poppy seed) ki Sabzi सूरती खस-खस की सब्ज़ी
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Ogata Korin : Nezu Museum of Art
Tags: Exhibition, Japan, Japanese Art, Japanese Artist, Japanese Screens, Nezu Museum, Ogata Korin
Irises and Eight Bridges:
Masterpieces by Kōrin from the Nezu Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Nezu Art Musuem Tokyo
April 21 – May 20 2012
After nearly a century apart, Ogata Korin’s (1658-1716) two master works of screen paintings based on the Eight Bridges of the Tales of Ise are exhibited together at the Nezu Museum in Tokyo.
Generally regarded as the father of the Rinpa (School of Korin), Korin is regarded as a master painter and designer of the 17th and 18th centuries, responsible for something of a revolution in Japanese art and design in its move away from classic Chinese prototypes to the purely decorative. Rinpa design went through a major revival in the early 19th century with the re-publication and revision of Korin’s sketch books by Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828), a revival that continued into the Meiji Period (1868-1912) in the works of Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) and into the 20th century with the works of Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942). Rinpa works have always been highly regarded in the West as unique manifestations of the Japanese aesthetic.
Re-opened in 2009 after a major redesign, the Nezu Museum is built in the grounds of the former private residence of its founder, Mr Nezu Kaichiro (1860-1940), housing his personal collection of over 7500 objects. A connoisseur of chado, the Nezu collection is renowned for its tea pieces, and the garden is home to a number of chashitsu for the contemporary practice of tea. Of the many museums visited, Nezu stands out as the best marriage of external and internal architecture, of public and gallery space, and of professional and engaging display.
What of Korin’s screens? Dare I write it, dare I even think it– a little disappointing. The worldwide love affair with these iconic images has perhaps reduced them to overly familiar symbols and despite the luminosity of their paints, the patination of the gold and the obvious mastery of design…there was a sense, for me, of expectations not met. Certainly to see the two works side by side and in conjunction with a number of other Korin paintings, was a valuable academic experience. My wonder was, however, reserved for the garden and the integration of the museum therein.
Eight-Planked Bridge (Yatsuhashi)
Pair of six fold screens, color on gold-foiled paper
Edo period, 18th century
150.9 x 33.8 cm (each panel)
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Delivering A Great Local School For Dandenong
Dandenong families will get the world-class local school their kids deserve, with a re-elected Andrews Labor Government to upgrade Dandenong High School.
The school will receive $8.4 million in funding for new STEM, canteen and food technology facilities. This builds on the $3 million already provided by the Andrews Labor Government for upgrades at the school.
Every child should have a good local school and the chance to succeed in life, and only a re-elected Labor Government will deliver that for kids in Dandenong.
The Liberals slashed $1 billion out of our education system and left schools to crumble and decay across the state.
The Labor Government has already invested $3 million to refurbish the school library, but there’s more work to do and only Labor will deliver the state of the art facilities students and staff at Dandenong High School need to achieve their best.
“The Liberals closed schools and cut funding to our education system and given the chance, they’ll do it again.”
“We’re already upgrading the school library but there’s more to do and only Labor will deliver it with $8.4 million for a new canteen and food technology space.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams
“No matter where you live in Victoria, every student deserves to have a great school – a re-elected Andrews Labor Government will make sure they do.”
“We’re building and upgrading more than 1,300 schools across the state and only Labor will keep delivering for Victorian families.”
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Watching Your Wallet: Company offering to help lower student debt under investigation
Consumers say they unknowingly add to debt while trying to get relief
By: Rachel DePompa
St. Louis, MISSOURI (InvestigateTV) – 40 million Americans now owe roughly $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. One in five of those borrowers is behind on payments. But instead of getting help, some troubled borrowers say they were tricked into taking out even more loans at sky-high interest rates.
Sara Carril sits at her dining room table in front stacks of papers. It’s her mountain of student loan debt. “Definitely frustrating!” she said with exasperation.
When she graduated from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville seven years ago, she owed around $63,000 in student loans. It’s now $81,000 and growing, despite paying on time for five years.
“So, basically I’m paying off interest, and I’m not making a dent,” Carril said. This St. Louis wife and mom is now working three jobs to make her payments: Gymnastics instructor, part-time bartender, and two-day-a-week art teacher. She said she’s more than frustrated: “Scared. Like I’m never going to get there.”
Sara Carril said she is more than frustrated after trying to lower her student debt through a company: “Scared. Like I’m never going to get there.”
When she got a phone call from a company called Student Advocates, telling her she may qualify for student loan debt relief, she jumped at the chance.
“They told me they wanted to see if I qualify for debt relief, and they asked me some questions. They said I didn’t qualify for their debt relief, but what they did tell me that they could do for me initially is to get me on an income-based repayment plan,” Carril said.
She told them she wasn’t interested because she already has a plan through her student loan lender.
“After I wasn’t interested in that they decided to tell me they would refinance my loan and pay off my current student loan. I would owe another company for the rest of the amount, and it would lower my payment per month also,” Carril said. “I thought I was getting my loan refinanced. And if that would have happened, that would have been a good deal and I would have happily paid for it. But nothing happened.”
She said she paid an extra $39 a month for nearly two years, thinking it was making a difference. It was not. “Nothing. they did nothing for me,”
She was actually adding to her debt, owing a third-party company called Equitable Acceptance Corporation $39.50 a month. “They don’t even realize that they’re working with Equitable Acceptance until it shows up on their credit report as this $1,300 line of credit,” said Brad Wolverton, who writes for NerdWallet’s investigative team and first reported this story.
“The consumer in this case doesn’t even realize it’s called income based repayment. They’re just told hey we can help you reduce your payments,” Wolverton said.
NerdWallet reporter Brad Wolverton talks to InvestigateTV reporter Rachel DePompa. Wolverton is on NerdWallet’s investigative team and previously worked at The Chronicle of Higher Education.
He exposed that Equitable Acceptance, a Minnesota-based company handling these third party loans, is currently under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.
“What’s off is that the consumer is actually paying not toward their student loans. They’re paying this third-party financier. So, none of the money that they think is going toward their student loans is actually going to that,” Wolverton said.
Three months after NerdWallet’s reporting, the New York Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against Equitable and 9 other companies alleging “deceptive”, “fraudulent” and “unlawful conduct.”
Equitable Acceptance denies the allegations. The company is also a defendant in a potential class action lawsuit in New York. The plaintiff’s attorney in that case alleges Equitable Acceptance and more than 40 other companies engaged in a “coordinated scheme targeting student borrowers to sell them fraudulent services that push the borrowers into even greater debt while diverting their money into their pockets.”
The problem here, said Wolverton, is the service often provided is actually free through the U.S. Department of Education. It’s called income-driven repayment. The programs can lower your monthly payment on federal student loans – but it is a free service. It is illegal in many states for debt relief companies to charge upfront fees.
In an email, Equitable Acceptance told InvestigateTV it cannot comment on pending litigation “other than to say we intend to defend vigorously against all such claims.”
Equitable Acceptance declined to discuss pending lawsuits. The attorney’s full statement is at the bottom of this story.
The company’s general counsel, Daniel Hill, went on to state in a lengthy email: “It is misleading to state the enrollment process is free, without also adding how difficult the process is.”
Complaints are still pouring in across the country. The Better Business Bureau’s flagged the company, giving it an F rating, noting 206 complaints in the last 3 years.
“The complaints have not subsided. People are really mad because this is sitting on their credit report, and it’s harming their credit,” Wolverton said.
InvestigateTV pulled complaints in Ohio and Virginia. In one complaint, a woman named Rebecca Sherman wrote, “this equitable assistance company is getting 50 bucks a month from me for what??”
Equitable Acceptance told InvestigateTV it knows of one Virginian who is paying roughly $200 per month less on his federal student loan debt because he hired a third party to help him enroll into a Department of Education program.
To see examples of some of the complaints against Equitable Acceptance, click on the points on the map below. You can read about the Ohio-based complaints, how much money is in dispute in each claim, and how much money, if any, was recovered.
“I had a loan for nothing. They did nothing for me and I was really frustrated, and that’s when I stopped paying,” Carril said.
As a result, her credit took a dive. She eventually got the loan with Equitable Acceptance removed from her credit report. But now the original company she signed up with, Student Advocates, is sending her messages.
“They’re threatening to send it to collections,” Carril said. She doesn’t want anyone else, already struggling with student loan payments, to go through this.
“Nothing is free. If someone’s calling you saying that they can help you, don’t believe them,” Carril said.
If you have an issue with any contract you’re in, you may want to consult an attorney. You can also file a complaint with your state’s attorney general, the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
InvestigateTV reached out to Students Advocates by email for comment about Carill’s situation and has not heard back.
You can read Equitable Acceptance Corporation’s entire statement below:
Thank you for reaching out to me. We appreciate the opportunity to be heard. Unfortunately, the reporting on this area has been anything so far but fair and accurate. We are thus understandably skeptical about further media contacts.
With respect to any pending litigation, we cannot comment other than to say we intend to defend vigorously against all such claims.
With respect more generally though to the federal student loan payment assistance programs offered through the US Department of Education, there is a great deal of misinformation being reported. By way of example:
1. The phrase debt relief is being bandied about incorrectly. Debt relief is a legal term of art that refers essentially to negotiating a settlement of someone’s debt. Applying for enrollment into a federal student loan payment assistance program is nothing like that. The DOE has payment assistance programs available to federal student loan debtors. Debtors either qualify for a program or not. There is no negotiation or settlement. The distinction is legally significant. Describing this process as involving debt relief – as you do below – is thus inaccurate.
2. Suggesting that loan forgiveness is not available to federal student loan debtors is simply incorrect. For example, there exists the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that was enacted in 2007. US Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas summarized the program as follows: “[P]ublic servants will receive complete loan forgiveness after 10 years of service. This will assist our driven young people who want to serve their country in the military, law enforcement, or as first-responders, fire fighters, nurses, public defenders, prosecutors, and early childhood educators. It ensures that dedicated Americans will not be precluded from serving their country because of a preponderance of debt.” There are also other similar programs available through the DOE that are income based, and can result in loan forgiveness after 20 years. Loan forgiveness is thus available. Anyone suggesting otherwise is just wrong.
3. It is true that consumers can try to apply for enrollment into the DOE programs for free, and without paying anyone a fee to help them. However, the National Consumer Law Center concluded in a 2013 study that the process of applying for enrollment presents consumers with an “impenetrable bureaucracy.” It is thus misleading to state the enrollment process is free, without also adding how difficult the process is. To access the rights and benefits available to them then, many consumers need help. There are a number of similar services available to consumers about which few, if any, complain. For instance, people can prepare and file their income tax returns on their own for free. That process can be difficult though so many (roughly 80 million Americans) choose instead to pay for someone to help them. The same can be said of financial advisors. People are free to invest their savings on their own. It is often though more efficient and effective to hire someone to help.
4. Paying for someone to help a student loan debtor get enrolled into a DOE program can also be beneficial. There are thousands of examples of student loan debtors who benefit from being enrolled into a DOE program. Many of those same people reside in Virginia, if you take time to ferret out their stories. One such Virginian I am aware of is paying roughly $200 per month less on his federal student loan debt because he hired a third party to help him enroll into a DOE program. That equates to a cash flow savings for that one Virginian of approximately $2400 per year. If that Virginian paid, for example, $1300 for someone to help him get enrolled into a DOE program, his monthly cash flow savings more than paid for that help in well under one year. In a Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, a debtor can also have his or her loans forgiven in 10 years – instead of paying for those loans over 30 years. In an income driven repayment program, the loans can be forgiven in 20 years – or 10 years less than if they were not enrolled.
Hopefully you will find some of this information helpful to you.
Daniel D. Hill
Equitable Acceptance Corporation
Copyright 2018 InvestigateTV. All rights reserved.
Other Consumer Stories
Degree of Debt: A Consumer Crisis
American College loans total around $1.3 trillion, which dwarfs credit card and auto loan debt.
Meet the Investigators
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About eight months ago, I picked up this book by Robert Kiyosaki called "Rich Dad Poor Dad". I highly suggest you read it. It's a business book, but it's not dry. He tells this really great story about how he had his father, who he calls Poor Dad. (And it sounds really insulting, but you'll know why in a minute.) and then his best friend's father, who he called his Rich Dad.
Now, his Poor Dad was not poor by any stretch of the imagination. He was a teacher, tenured at a University, and he made a decent living. They were probably a middle-class family in Hawaii…where things are expensive anyway! His father (Poor Dad) had a certain set of principles and beliefs: As a teacher, he believed that you should go to school and get a degree and a good job.
His best friend's father (Rich Dad) owned a very large, very profitable company in Hawaii with lots of employees. Rich Dad had his own certain principles: You don't necessarily need to go to school in order to do a good job. You should have employees, you should do X, Y and Z.
I’ve always had this really fun, artsy, creative brain. Obviously, I'm a performer, I’m an artist. I remember sitting in high school economics class and thinking, “Why the heck am I here?” I really felt like a fish out of water in most of my classes. They had nothing to do with what I loved and was good at. It wasn't until I went to college that I really started to get the classes that I felt were in line with the my talents and my desires.
It was maybe fourteen years ago when I bought Kiyosaki’s book and I thought, I should definitely read this. I was struggling at the time, I knew that I needed to learn something about business and money and how to make it all work. It tells a very interesting story about the difference between each Dad’s mindset and that the way they operated. That the mindset made all of the difference in how much money they made and the joy that they had in their day to day life. The joy that they derived from their work and the people that they were able to influence positively. When I read this book it showed me how many of the things that I thought about money, the things that I thought about schooling and education that were the problem. They were what was keeping me from attaining the level of success and the level of income that I knew that I deserved to have. That I, like you, have worked very hard for! Many of us are born with with these talents, and we're kind of good at it. But it's not until our parents or somebody says, “Hey, you know what? I think you’ve got it. We're gonna give this person a coach or give them lessons or give them something to help really deepen and train and develop these skills.”
So in reading this book and then in the second book, it really truly hit me that no matter how high I ascended I’m just an employee. Regardless of whether I was winning Tonys, doing a national commercial campaign, which I absolutely love and is a huge source of income for my family, the six Broadway shows that I have been in, the live red carpets that I do for the hosting gigs or the speaking engagements, I am just an employee. In some cases, not only am I the employee, but I am treated like the hired help. Have you ever been treated that way? I bet you have! Where the people who have the power and the money or are in charge, treat you and me like we are just cattle on the market to be bought and sold. They treat us like sometimes where the goo on the bottom of their shoe and if they don't like what we do, they just fire us or get rid of us and they find somebody else. One of any millions of people who are standing in line behind us who can do the same exact job to a greater or lesser degree.
How you ever felt that way? Now… I certainly have and it's not only just in performance, In life at your job or whatever you’re “survival job” is…I realized that I am just the hired help. What do I do? Even with the national commercial campaign when the company says, for whatever reason, we're not going to do any more of these commercials… I'm out of a job.
If the audiences don't come or the producers or whomever says, this Broadway show isn't really doing it anymore.. time to close it up. I'm of a job! I'm not in control. I'm just a hired gun and boy do we know what that feels like to be a hired gun. Especially as performers and artists in the theatrical space. I bet you've got hundreds of stories feeling like that. I know I do.
Well, the next book in the series of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich dad Poor dad was something called the Cash Flow Quadrant. Now that sounds boring, but it isn't. It really isn’t! Stick with me, the Cash Flow Quadrant. I was really good at Geometry. I was okay at Math but I was good at Geometry because I could see it. I could visualize it.
Being artists, whether you're a dancer, a singer, an actor, all three or some variant of the three, I think we all pretty much have good imaginations. So I'm gonna ask you to use your imagination. If it's been challenging for you, just stick with me, I'm going to help you out. If you're not driving (listening to the podcast versions of this) operating some sort of machinery or in a dangerous place take out a piece of paper and write this down. I want you to write down or imagine in your mind a plus sign. A simple one line down one line across Now instead of seeing that as a plus, I want you to see it as two lines that break up four squares. There's a square on the top left, there's a square on the top right, square on the bottom left, square on the bottom right. Sort of half of a Tic Tac toe game, right?
Now that you have it in your mind or have that on a piece of paper, you see those four squares. At the top left in your mind or on the paper, I want you to put the letter “E”. E stands for Employee. At the bottom left. I want you to put an “S”. S for self employed. At the top right, a “B” for Business owner and the bottom right “I” for Investor. It should read “E”,”S” from top left to bottom left, Top right to bottom right “B” “I”. Okay. You got it. So what that is is the cash flow quadrant? It's Robert Kiyosaki's way of showing the four different types of ways to earn money. The “E” at the top left is what most all of us have either been in or are still in. Most of the people you know are still and will forever be in the E..the employee quadrant. That is, I go to work, I work for a paycheck, I have a boss, that's it. I can ascend to a manager position, but there's still somebody over top of me. I work for another business or I work for your business owner and I work for a paycheck. That's the life most people in the world live in. Is there anything wrong with it? Absolutely not. We need employees, we need jobs, we need all those things. It's great. There's nothing wrong with any of this. But if you truly want to ascend to a place of power, because the employee alone rarely has any power you pipe up, Right? You do something, you try it, you rock the boat and they just throw you out of the boat and they put somebody else in your spot, right?
You're just an employee. You can be hired, you can be fired, you can go pound sand for all that the people in power care. Cause there's bajillion of you. They just have to pluck one, two or however many they need from the pool of people all saying, please get me a job! That's across any business, in musical theater, in fast food and any business.
So let's move down now to the bottom left, which is S for self employed. This is the next level up in terms of ascension of power and having more ability to control your destiny. Remember that an employee has a limited scope in terms of controlling their destiny. If you want to take it in a musical theater perspective, it's like, I'm going to get prepared for my audition performance and I'm going to go in and I'm going to give my best and if I get hired I get hired. It's just an interview like any other interview, right?
Okay, you get hired Boom! Now you have to work within the system of the show. You can, if you're an ensemble member, have an opportunity to understudy the lead and then over time ascend to the lead or a swing or something like that. Even as the lead, when the show's over..the show's over..you’re fired. When you close, you close and you're done. It doesn't matter if you're the lead, the employee, the stage manager or whomever, when the show is done, you're done.
Moving back down into the S for the self employed, now this is your mom and pop shop. This is your side hustle if you will. A lot of people will do network marketing things like Mary Kay, selling supplements or whatever. People who are self employed, like the mom and pop shop which is not a cooperate entity. If you live in a small town, have ever lived in a small town or are lucky enough to have a beautiful local shop of some sort that someone owns, then you will know that self employed people are usually just wonderful. They're also really stressed out because the business that they own usually owns them. Because without them running the shop, the business doesn't work. So let's take the mom and pop store. A little grocery store, a mom and pop sort of corner store, Bodega, whatever you want to call it. Especially in New York City. You go in and you see the same people working there. Usually it's the same family working there. You're a self employed business owner and so you have more responsibility. You have to deal with all of the employees, or just you're yourself, right? You have to deal with all the taxes, you have to make sure that the store opens and the store closes. If you're selling supplements or you're selling Mary Kay, you're responsible for going out and getting the people in. You're working, you're working, you're working, you're working, you're working, YOU ARE WORKING. In essence, in musical theater, we fall somewhere in between those two places. We do all the time.. we're employees but we're also kind of self employed. Some of us have taken the onus on ourselves and said, okay,'m gonna make sure that I'm going to school and I'm learning a trade or I'm doing something that is a fall back.
So the self employed has more power, has more ability to control their destiny than the employed person. With that, self employment comes with a tremendous amount of stress. It's all on you. You can't just go. like a mom and pop, on vacation for a year and then come back and have the business not only be functioning the way it was when they left, but have the business grow and be better than when they left. It's rare. it can happen, but it's rare. Think about the people in those shops and how you sometimes seen them harried. Because it's all on their shoulders. Everything is on their shoulders.
Now let's move over and wind it up here, cause I don't want to get too deep into this. You can read the book if you want to read it. The “B” the business owner. This is the place where your CEOs, your producers, your directors, your people in power live. The people we work for in our shows, our jobs in our restaurants our whatever they would be, they all live over in the B quadrant. The top right quadrant. Those are the people who have at some point been an employee and then move down to self-employment Let’s take a producer. A lot of producers will go work for another producer as an employee. Casting directors will be associate casting directors underneath a bigger casting director and then over time they will branch out into their own production entity, their own casting office, their own associate director into starting to direct their own shows. That is self employment right there. How many times have you been in those small casting director offices where it's literally two rooms, the waiting room and the place you audition.
Over time, given success and with the right skill and mindsets, they ascend to the top right quadrant, which is the business owner. The difference between being self employed and a business owners is that you have employees or one of the differences anyways is that you have employees.
You have managers and you are not doing every single thing. You are not responsible. Ultimately you are responsible but you are not responsible for the day to day. The minucha of things going on. So your director has an associate director that will do different tasks that the director doesn't need to focus on because the director is focused on the big picture. You know, it's kinda like Michael Scott and Jim in The Office. Remember that Michael Scott was dealing with the big picture and Jim was the day to day. Well it's sort of the same thing. A casting director, for example, has all these associate casting directors and they have secretarial workers and people who clean the casting office. My encouragement to you is, and the reason why I bring all this up is that I want to help you make the shift from employee to entrepreneur.
Now I've taken you through this whole concept of of Robert Kiyosaki's cash quadrants in the rich Dad, poor dad, for a reason. So that you see the real businessy side of it. You may not want to have a business with employees and payroll taxes and all the overhead that comes with that. I don't blame you. It is not for everyone. However, the reason why I brought that all up is because I want you to start making the shift in your mind from being just an actor, just a singer, just a dancer or just an artist to an actual business entity yourself. You are a business and like a business, you need to run in a way that is efficient, well thought out and well planned out. You need to create a system that serves you if you want to go from being the hired help to being one of the players that you look up to, one of the people who are successful, who are hitting it, who are the big fish.
Now mind you, you don't necessarily need to be the big fish. You know, there's only going to be so many Beyonces in this world. I mean there's only one Beyonce. Let's be for real. But you know that you cannot be Sutton Foster. You cannot be Ben Platt. You cannot be these people. They are them. They have their own specific paths. But, you can be you and you can operate at that level. Maybe not in New York City, but in your town you can be the big fish in the little pond. You do not need to be a super mega global star in order to be successful. It's statistically unlikely.
I'm not saying you can't have that if that's what you want. Do not allow me or anybody else to discourage you from that. The beginnings of that level of success and a much easier road to it is making a shift in your mindset and then in your skill sets from being an employee, someone who was begging for a job all the time, to an entrepreneur.
Now, what is an entrepreneur? How do you define that? An entrepreneur is defined as a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so. It's like the story of our lives, isn't it? I mean, how many people have parents who kind of went, okay, when you told them that you want to be an artist?
Yeah, not surprised. Happens to a lot of us.
So a person who organizes and operates a business, and if we are our own business, since the business is show business, that requires a shift in perspective and a shift in our mindset, mindsets and skill sets in order to truly harness the power that is within us. Everybody goes around thinking, okay, I gotta go get a job. I got to have a survival job Then I'm going to audition and hopefully somebody is going to hire me. And that works. That's great. There's nothing wrong with that. But I believe that you can achieve greater success in your business if you begin to run and operate yourself and think of yourself as a business from the financial perspective. From how you market yourself, from how you operate and your skill sets. What are your skillsets? Where are they weak? Where do you need to strengthen them? What are the day to day operations? What time do you need to go to bed? What time do you need to get up to? How much do you to exercise? Do you have a warmup? Are you flexible?
And believe me, I hated business. I really did. I really, really truly did. I've always had this artsy brain like I said in the beginning. Bringing it back around, I've always also had this really tech logic brain. When it comes to my birthday and Christmas, people always know to buy me techie gifts cause I love it. I'm so into it. My stepfather was an electrical engineer and a Physicist. He had two degrees, which is like, OMG. But it's true! Doing math with him for my homework was like being tortured because he's this math genius and I was so terrible at math. So, he gets so frustrated with me but that's neither here nor there. He also taught me how to take things apart, how to put things together, how to fix things, literally how things work.
And I'm fascinated by it. He taught me computer programming. He taught me all these cool things, but I've never ever had the opportunity or the thought like, oh, I'm going to put my arts brain and my logic brain together. I'd love that. They were two very separate things and I hated business. I was always like, you know what, I'm just going to be an artist and I'm going to do what I do and I'm going to leave all the businesses stuff to someone else. Either to my manager, my agent or my publicist. If you are lucky enough to have a manager, an agent, publicist or any combination of that, you'll know what I mean. We just want to show up as artists and do our thing and let the accountants, the bean pushers push the money around. I just want to make art. It's a beautiful, beautiful thought but it also is the thought that cages us and keeps us bound to the people who crap all over us at the drop of the hat. You know who I'm talking about now. They're not all bad, but many of them are and they just know that they can do what they do because they are in the position of power. We, like cattle, are just numerous and able to be bought and sold at will. However, if you want to be one of the players, if you want to be the big fish in the big pond, the days of leaving it to someone else are over.
It's done!
It does not work. Or if it does work, it works much less efficiently. Look at football players. The league minimum for the NFL is $300,000. Most of the people who are making that are on the practice squads, which are basically like, and I don't mean to be in this in a bad way, but they're like the dummies that the players, who are on the field actually starting, hit. Now, they're not dumb. You know what I'm saying? Here they are, the people, who are the live bodies that the starters get to work with and work around and those wonderful people who are the live bodies very often get to ascend to the starting squad or play on special teams. They are all valuable, don't get me wrong, but those people are making $300,000 a season or a year for 16 weeks worth of work plus training camp. The superstars are making millions, some tens of millions a season. Do you know there's some staggering statistic out there? I think it's 40% or it might even be over 50%.A staggering percentage that you would not believe of football players who have made hundreds of thousands of dollars over a series of years end up, when they are retired, when they're up forced out because of injury, they end up broke. You, me and everybody else would love to be making that kind of money doing something fun. But why did they end up being broke
Because they do not run themselves like a business would run themselves. Rather they leave it up to someone else or they think the money's just going to keep coming forever and they spend and they spend and they spend and they don't track.
What is it that we need to do in order to run ourselves like a business? I'll give you the clues. The clues are here. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, big one. Big Clue! Get the ebook. I have no financial stake in this. I really just want to see you be successful and I want you to understand and I want the wave of realization to crash over you like it crashed over me. We are just the hired help and we need develop our skill sets and our mindsets and start to treat ourselves like we are a business. Because that's exactly what we are. We are going to achieve the success that we deserve and that we've worked our fannies off to get. Worked our fannies off to have the shot at.
So I'm gonna wrap this up here and just start with one tenth of what it takes to start to shift your mindset from employee to entrepreneur. The mission statement. One of the first things that you do when you are creating a new business is that you define your mission statement. Let's define mission statement. Mission statement is a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization or individual. A mission statement is where you're going, your target, the values, what you believe in, what you hold dear of a company, organization or individual.
So my question to you is, what is your mission statement? Where are you going? Not just in general, but I want to know where you're going in the next six months? Between now and the next six months, where are you going to be? At that six month marker, where are you going to be at that year marker? Where are you going to be at that two year marker and where are you going to be at that three year marker? Why is this important? Clarity is power. Being clear, getting clear about where it is that you are going.
I just want to be rich and famous. That’s a common one. I think it was Jim Carey who said, I wish everybody could be rich and famous for a week or even a day because then they realize that they don't want to be rich and famous. Take it from me. I've been rich and famous. You do not want to be rich and famous. That is not what you are after. Many of the rich and famous people that you and I know are miserable, many of them ended up dead because of their richness in their famousness. Too much money, not enough sense is what I like to say.
So clarity is power. What is your mission statement? I would encourage you to write it out. Where are you going in the next six months, in the next year, the next two years, in the next three years. It can be as fantastic as you want it to be. There are no limits here. It's like if you were to say, I'm going to go on a mission to Mars in six months…okay. That's going to take year's worth of training. I mean, let's be reasonable. There is absolutely no reason why it is not possible that in a year you could be in New York City and be in a Broadway show or two years or three years from now, it's possible. It's not going to happen overnight. You have to work every single day, but it's like a business. You just build it brick by brick.
At the end of the day, as you build brick by brick, step by step, every single day you get closer and closer and closer and closer to your target, to your aim. When you are clear about your aims, what you believe in, your values, what you hold dear, and where you're going rather for your aims, it’s much easier to get there. Hold that vision in your mind and every day take one baby step towards it.
Some days you'll take a leap. Most days we will take a baby step. Some days you will even take three or four steps backwards. But if you hold onto that vision in your mind and you really start to train yourself to move forward, to grow and to expand every single day and to shift your mindset from being an employee to an entrepreneur, I guarantee, you will see amazing changes in your life.
If you can dig deep every single day and begin to see yourself like a business and I double dog dare you to look up what it takes to start a business, you can adjust those things to your artistic life. Obviously you're not going to go buy an office or a space with from which to sell yourself. But a funny thing happens when you start to shift your mindset to a more entrepreneurial mindset. When you start to see yourself as a business as opposed to an employee. Someone begging to work for someone else's business. You begin to see things come into your life that are opportunities for you to learn and to grow. When you pick up, if you pick up Rich Dad, Poor Dad and read it, then you pick up Cash Flow quadrant it pulls the wool off of our eyes. It shows us who's really been in charge and how they have been keeping us down using the things that we love to do it and how they, and we, have participated in this culture of being less than we are. Accepting less than we deserve. So I challenge you…Attempt to shift your mindset from employee to entrepreneur and see what happens.
The first step is to write your mission statement. What is it that you value? What is it that you believe and what are your targets? Not Goals but your targets that you are going to do everything you can to hit every single day and to march, foot by foot, inch by inch….towards six months, one year, two years, three years.
Take the clarity of purpose and turn that into power that gets you there day by day. Sometimes you might not get to ultimately where you're think you're supposed to be going, but along the way something will happen that will show you the other path to go to.
Shift your mindset…shift your skillsets…and see what happens!
Embrace the Humiliation
Justin Guarini March 6, 2019
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In blind test, soloists like new violins over old
Published : Apr 8, 2014 - 20:49
Updated : Apr 8, 2014 - 20:49
WASHINGTON (AP) ― Ten world-class soloists put costly Stradivarius violins and new, cheaper ones to a blind scientific test. The results may seem off-key to musicians and collectors, but the new instruments won handily.
When the lights were dimmed and the musicians donned dark glasses, the soloists’ top choice out of a dozen old and new violins tested was by far a new one. So was the second choice, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Of the six old violins tested, five were by made by the famous Stradivari family in the 17th and 18th centuries. The newer violins were about 100 times cheaper, said study co-author Joseph Curtin, a Michigan violin maker. But the Strads and other older Italian violins have long been considered superior, even almost magical.
The idea was to unlock “the secrets of Stradivari,” the study said.
A Lipinski Stradivarius ( MCT)
So the study tries to quantify something that is inherently subjective and personal, the quality of an instrument, said Curtin and lead author Claudia Fritz of Pierre and Marie Curie University in France. A few years earlier, the duo tested violins blind in an Indianapolis hotel room, but this one was more controlled and comprehensive, putting the instruments through their paces in a rehearsal room and concert hall just outside Paris. They even played with an orchestra, the results of which will be part of a future study.
“I was surprised that my top choice was new,” said American violinist Giora Schmidt. “Studying music and violin in particular, it’s almost ingrained in you thinking that the most successful violinists on the concert stage have always played old Italian instruments.”
French soloist Solenne Paidassi said “there’s a paranoia about new instruments,” compared to “a glamour about old instruments.”
Even Curtin who makes new violins for a living, said he was surprised, adding the study was designed to eliminate bias in favor of either group of violins.
“I remember trying the old violins and the new violins among ourselves just before the testing got going and saying, ‘You know maybe the old ones will win,’” Curtin said.
But when the lights were turned down, all that could be judged was the sound. Some violins were 300 years old. Some were days old.
And when the soloists were asked to guess whether the violins they were playing were old or new, the soloists got it wrong 33 times and right 31 times.
Canadian soloist Susanne Hou has been playing a rare $6 million 269-year-old Guarneri del Gesu violin and knows what she likes and what she doesn’t. During the testing, some of the violins she played for only a few and then held the instrument out at arm’s length in noticeable distaste. But, like others, she was drawn to a certain unidentified violin. It was new.
“Whatever this is I would like to buy it,” she said in video shot during the September 2012 experiment.
Schmidt, who normally plays a new violin with a little more down-to-Earth price tag of $30,000, liked a different new one, calling it extraordinary in a phone interview: “I said kiddingly to them I will write you a check for this fiddle right now.”
Curtin said the researchers won’t ever reveal which instruments were used to prevent conflict of interests or appear like a marketing campaign.
James Woodhouse, a professor of engineering and expert on musical instruments at the University of Cambridge in England, wasn’t part of the study, but praised it as solid “and very tricky to carry out.”
Classic violins “are still very good, but that when a level playing field is provided for making honest comparisons, the very best of the contemporary instruments stand up remarkably well in their company,” Woodhouse wrote in an email.
Hou, whose four-year loan of the classic Italian violin has expired, explained in an interview that finding the right instrument is so personal: “There are certain things you can’t explain when you fall in love.”
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It's almost impossible to imagine the practice of dentistry without x-ray technology. Radiographs (x-ray pictures) allow dentists to diagnose and treat problems not yet visible to the naked eye, including early tooth decay, gum disease, abscesses and abnormal growths. There is no question that since x-rays first became available a century ago, this diagnostic tool has prevented untold suffering and saved countless teeth. Now, state-of-the-art digital x-rays have made the technology even safer and more beneficial.
Digital x-ray technology uses a small electronic sensor placed in the mouth to capture an image, which can be called up instantly on a computer screen. When digital x-rays first became available about 20 years ago, they immediately offered a host of advantages over traditional x-ray films, which require chemical processing. Most importantly, they cut the amount of radiation exposure to the dental patient by as much as 90%. While faster x-ray films have been developed over the years that require less exposure, making that difference less dramatic, a digital x-ray still offers the lowest radiation dose possible.
Advantages of Digital X-Rays
Besides minimizing radiation exposure, digital x-rays offer numerous advantages to dentists and patients alike. These include:
No chemical processing & no waiting. Because there is no film to process with digital x-rays, there is no waiting for pictures to develop — and no toxic chemicals to dispose of. Your dentist can immediately show you the pictures on a computer screen for easy viewing.
A clearer picture. It's possible to get more information from digital x-rays because they are sharper and can be enhanced in a number of ways. The contrast can be increased or decreased, and areas of concern can be magnified. It's even possible to compare them on-screen to your previous x-rays, making even the minutest changes to your tooth structure easier to detect.
Easy sharing and storage. Digital x-rays provide a better visual aide for you, the patient, to understand your diagnosis and treatment options. They can be e-mailed to different locations; they are also far less likely to be misplaced.
X-Rays and Your Safety
While digital technology has minimized the health risks of x-rays, it has not entirely eliminated it. X-rays are a type of radiation used to penetrate the tissues of the body to create an image. In doing so, there is always a slight possibility of causing changes at the cellular level that might lead to future disease. Of course, there are sources of radiation present in the daily environment — the sun, for example — that can also cause disease. It's important to note that the chance of this happening is thought to be cumulative and not based on a single exposure. Still, x-rays are not considered risk-free regardless of how technology reduces your exposure. That's why dentists will only use them when the benefit of obtaining better diagnostic information outweighs the procedure's small risk. This is particularly true of computed tomography or CT scans, which can raise the level of exposure, yet yield a tremendous amount of information per scan. No matter which technology is being used, each case is considered individually, and your safety is always paramount. If you have questions about why an x-ray is being recommended for you, please feel free to ask.
X-Ray Safety For Children Nearly every diagnostic testing procedure carries some risk, so it's always important for you and your healthcare provider to weigh the benefits against the risks. This is particularly true when it comes to children, who are more sensitive to x-rays than adults... Read Article
Getting The Full Picture With Cone Beam Dental Scans Dental imaging took a major leap forward at the beginning of the new millennium with a three-dimensional technology known as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The name comes from the cone-shaped beam of x-rays the CBCT machine projects as it rotates around a person's head, taking multiple images that are compiled into a 3-D picture by a computer. Find out what CBCT can reveal and how it helps a doctor to make a highly informed diagnosis and choice of treatment... Read Article
We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about dentistry procedures such as porcelain veneers, dental implants, and tooth whitening at our office.
5 Professional Village Circle Beaufort, SC 29907
Friday: 3rd Friday of Every Month
Dentist - Lady's Island Dental, 5 Professional Village Circle, Beaufort, SC 29907 (843) 521-0808
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Home / General / Comparisons between Loving v. Virginia and the gay marriage cases aren’t apt
Comparisons between Loving v. Virginia and the gay marriage cases aren’t apt
By Paul Campos
I discuss the differences, which are more significant than the similarities.
Remarkably, a majority of Americans, and a huge majority of white Americans, continued to say they were opposed interracial marriage until the late 1990s, 30 years after Loving v. Virginia. (I suspect the number of people willing to say they’re opposed is actually a good deal smaller than the number who are actually opposed). The situation with gay marriage is quite different:
First, contrary to claims of cultural conservatives, the Supreme Court’s ruling today can’t be characterized as the imposition of elite political preferences on the nation as a whole. The solid majority of the nation as a whole supports gay marriage, and it seems likely that within a very few years, opposition to the institution will be as marginal a position as (at least open) opposition to interracial marriage is today.
Second, the history of opposition to interracial marriage indicates that a Supreme Court decision by itself will often do little or nothing to sway public opinion in regard to this sort of issue. In 1967, the Supreme Court of the day threw down a legal gauntlet to one of the most powerful – and, as it would develop – intractable symbols of institutionalized racism in America. That decision seems to have had almost no effect on public opinion, which changed very slowly, and largely if not wholly for other reasons.
By contrast, today the Supreme Court is merely putting its stamp of approval on a political movement that was already winning the battle in the court of public opinion. And that stamp will probably have little effect on the cultural processes that determine how quickly gay marriage receives something closer to universal public acceptance
On Obergefell
A Footnote I Can Agree With
Gregor Sansa
Yes, gay people are winning their human rights, and most Americans support them. Which is awesome. And when not a single Republican candidate can support this decision, they are not just on the wrong side of history, they’re on the losing side.
(Jeb Bush tried to split the baby, deploring the decision but not gay people; all the rest went str8 h8.)
In other words, the set of people who favor gay marriage but don’t think the Supreme Court should impose the policy on states, and the set of people who oppose gay marriage but do think there’s a constitutional right to it, are both empty
John F
I think with interracial marriage most people didn’t change their minds, those opposed simply grew old and died.
With gay marriage I think we’ve seen a great many individuals change their minds – why would that be so?
I think that people who were opposed to interracial marriage – did so because of the way they looked at race relations in general, blacks and whites are different races, one superior, one inferior, the races were meant to be separate, black-white couplings were very threatening to this worldview- the offspring who resulted from such couplings were very threatening to this worldview, interracial marriage was a thing they gave a great deal of thought to, “understood” and feared and hated it.
Gay marriage? Most people gave no thought to it, it was a concept that honestly didn’t occur to many- opposition may have been broad but it was very thin- those who are adamantly and passionately opposed are generally driven by religious belief- but for most people when they finally give gay marriage some thought, the thought is, “meh, has no effect on me or my life, but whatever rocks your boat, it’s a private matter”
The opponents are literally over the top in a fire and brimstone type of way, and if that’s what your opposition comes down, to, “God is gonna punish all of us for allowing this perversion” – that type of argument may appeal to the true believers, but it doesn’t gain any converts, and actively repells secularists
Max Planck claimed that this is the only way sience progresses.
To put this a bit differently, racism is more widespread and deep-rooted than homophobia.
Heterosexuality, as the historians remind us, is a relatively recent invention and not deeply sedimented, however loud the minority of reactionaries who are attached to it. (And even for that minority, I think it’s as much a symbol of ebbing religious hegemony as something they care about in itself) Whereas racists are directly invested in their own racial privilege, and racism regenerates whenever mediocre white people feel that privilege ebbing. No fragility there, no arbitrary symbols.
Heterosexuality, as the historians remind us, is a relatively recent invention
No it isn’t, it’s how our species has reproduced for many many millenia (And Homosexuality and bi-sexuality are not recent inventions either, they’re likely just as old as heterosexuality)
It is the one man one woman FORMAL marriage (with tax and inheritance benefits) that is a recent man made invention.
LeeEsq
I suppose this going to result in quibbling but some form of formal monogamy existed since Antiquity and that is not recent even though our species is a lot older.
The Dark Avenger
Indeed, the Tiwi of Australia have a marriage code that makes us look like hedonists by comparison:
The Tiwi believe that a female can become pregnant at any time no matter the age. This, along with their belief that no child should be born fatherless, creates a system in which all females have to be married at all times. Newborn girls are engaged to men of at least 60 years of age, although they do not start to live with their husbands until the age of 14. In addition, women whose husbands have died are remarried to someone else, no matter their own age. All marriage contracts are arranged by the “father” of the female (whether it is the first marriage or a remarriage). When a man dies, the woman’s new partner takes on the role of father for all of the woman’s children from all previous marriages.
A powerful and elderly man can have as many as 100 wives at the time of his death, yet many of these could still be under the age of 14, meaning they do not live with him.[1]
Anthropologist Jane C. Goodale conducted life history interviews with Tiwi women, publishing Tiwi Wives in 1971 in which she examined how social change was reflected in ritual.
As a concept, as a category meaningful to people.
See Jonathan Ned Katz’s book for the most succinct presentation of the argument. Chanucey’s _Gay New York_ is useful too.
matt w
Our species has reproduced for millenia by men having sex with women. This isn’t the same thing as heterosexuality.
In places where there are races to be racist against, anyway.
Maybe I should have said that I’m addressing the contemporary USA.
Opponents of mixed-raced marriages perceive them as breaking down social boundaries that they value. They create familial bonds with outsiders, and then produce children who must either be ostracized or serve to permanently weaken the distinction between the preferred group and the outsider. This is a mechanism that explains not only white opposition to black/white marriages but black opposition, orthodox religionists’ objection to marrying outside the faith, opposition to marrying outside one’s social class or educational background, etc.
When your son marries another man, you don’t suddenly get a whole family of gay in-laws, basically.
Racism comes into it as well, of course.
Great comment. Thanks.
Manny Kant
You don’t necessarily get a whole family of gay in-laws.
Do you mean the actual cases, public attitudes or the aftermath?
Yes, “a majority of Americans…opposed interracial marriage until the late 1990s” (though a majority of Af-Ams approved of them at least as far back as 1968). See here.
But a majority of Americans opposed laws against interracial marriage as far back as at least 1972. See here.
Paul may be right, but we have to compare equivalent metrics. Do the SSM numbers reflect opposition/support to SSM or to laws against SSM?
Recent polls indicate that nearly three in five Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage.
Ok, so it seems Paul is comparing favoring legalizing same-sex marriage to simply favoring interracial marriage.
But if we use the more relevant metirc, we have a majority opposing laws against interracial marriage (63-37) by 1972.
I can probably dig up some 1967 numbers.
Ok, from “Racial attitudes in America: trends and interpretations ” by Howard Schuman, Charlotte Steeh, Lawrence Bobo.
Whites only:
Favoring laws against interracial marriage:
1964: 60-40%
Page 106.
randy khan
All that may be true, but it appears that Justices Scalia and Thomas (I’d say this was ironic, but actually it’s not at this point in his career), probably Justice Alito and maybe even the Chief Justice think they were very similar, and that Loving v. Virginia was wrongly decided. (There’s really no way to read the Scalia and Thomas dissents without thinking they would have come to the same conclusion in Loving.)
Matt McIrvin
One of the dissents, I think it was Thomas’s, pointed out that Loving was different from Obergefell in that it was not about criminal charges; nobody was going to arrest Obergefell and put him in jail.
I think he was implying that he’d have regarded the simple refusal to license interracial marriages, without arresting people for miscegenation, as perhaps wrong but constitutional.
…However, he also dissented in Lawrence v. Texas arguing that the Texas anti-sodomy law was bad but constitutional, so maybe that’s a distinction without a difference.
All that may be true, but it appears that Justices Scalia and Thomas …think they were very similar, and that Loving v. Virginia was wrongly decided.
Thomas was what, 18 when Loving was decided? Which is amazing… I suspect that Thomas is the type of guy who really only gets these things if they affect him personally– Loving was long decided when he got married so…. if he can’t get it, the mind boggles.
Thomas is just really weird on so many levels, and I suspect his honest opinion is that while the laws Loving struck down were unfair and unjust, they were not unconstitutional. He’s the type of guy who wouldn’t have fought the law when he got married he and his wife would have moved to get married in a state that didn’t ban miscegenation. Another couple that didn’t have the inclination or economic means to do that? Too bad, tough titty.
As late as when I went to college, and on the liberal west coast, it was certainly considered notable, at the least, when a white student had a black boyfriend. My impression is that the younger generations don’t care one bit.
One of the things about social change is that once it happens, it begins to look like things were always this way, when it actually wasn’t so long ago that they weren’t.
solid majority of the nation as a whole supports gay marriage
Sixty percent. 48% in 2011. I doubt if a slew of court opinions that in effect made in legal didn’t affect these numbers. The numbers are smaller, I gather, in certain parts of the country.
That decision seems to have had almost no effect on public opinion, which changed very slowly, and largely if not wholly for other reasons.
I gather this is so or enough so to grant.
The case is usually cited (and Mildred Loving did this herself in 2007) as a matter of principle — there is a right to marry and illegitimate classifications are unconstitutional/wrong. Be it race or sex/sexual orientation.
Also, when the references began, the change in public opinion was much more in flux. Like in the early 2000s. Anyway, again, the comparison is quite often cited for principle. That remains “apt.”
King Goat
Er, there were far more states with laws forbidding same sex marriage today than there were states with anti-miscegenation laws in 67.
According to CNN, there are 13 states with laws forbidding same sex marriage today.
According to wiki (sorry, don’t have respectable source handy) there were 16 states with anti-miscegenation laws in 67.
The CNN list are just the states whose same sex marriage bans are still operative. 31 states, twice the 16 that had anti-miscegenation laws in 67, passed same sex marriage bans, it’s just that various courts have struck down many (to the chagrin of many of those states).
California and Nevada also had such laws, but CA struck down theirs in 1948, Nevada did so less than a decade later. My mother couldn’t get married to Dad in Reno in 1956 because she admitted to her Chinese ancestry, a mistake she didn’t repeat when they went on to Carson City and got married there.
A visual representation of this trend is instructive – Loving happened in 1967, and there’s nothing in the polling data to show it had any impact whatsoever on what was already a steady climb toward national approval.
Even if you split respondents by race, the trend is stable; while the consistently (much) higher approval of interracial marriage among African-Americans is notable, and the correspondingly low support among white Americans, what is equally notable is that both lines follow identical trajectories.
While Campos certainly is correct about conservatives being wrong about the SCOTUS majority trying to impose “elite opinion”* on everyday ‘Murkins, I am not sure that this means the cases themselves are formally all that different. Indeed, I suspect that part of the speed in which many folks have accepted gay marriage is due to a sort of collective guilt about their (parents’) lack of acceptance of interracial marriage and the clear similarity of the issues: “our society was too slow to accept interracial marriage and the arguments for/against gay marriage are pretty much the same — so let’s not be on the wrong side this time and accept gay marriage”.
Pingback: [NEWS] Some Pride links | A Bit More Detail()
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Scapegoating: Billy Mitchell
This article by the late Billy Mitchell first appeared in Lion and Lamb in 2002.
SCAPEGOATING – THE ANCIENT ART OF SHIFTING BLAME
In Old Testament times the itinerant Hebrew nation had a novel way of cleansing itself of any guilt arising from social sins. The religious leaders laid hands on a goat and ceremoniously transferred the guilt of the people to the goat, which was then driven outside the camp of Israel into the wilderness. From this ancient ritual we have developed the practice of scapegoating.
When something goes wrong in society and it is perceived that this is due to corporate wrongdoing we look for a scapegoat. We usually pick on the eccentric, the minorities and the unlovable. Someone has to bear the guilt for society.s ills so that the rest of us can rest easy in our own sense of self-righteous well being.
In Northern Ireland we have ready made scapegoats in the paramilitaries. Like every other part of the United Kingdom and Ireland we have a problem with drugs. But it is not our fault. The paramilitaries are to blame. We still have the most ancient trade in the world – prostitution – but it is not really society’s fault. It is all down to the paramilitaries. We are plagued by anti-social behaviour, petty crime and organised crime – just like many other cities. But in Belfast it is not our fault. If it wasn’t for those damned paramilitaries Northern Ireland would be a great wee place to live in. At least that appears to be the analysis of politicians, clergy and other civic leaders.
Let me make it quite clear. I am not an advocate for para- militarism, nor am I about to suggest that they are paragons of virtue. I used to be one myself and am not blind to what goes on within paramilitary circles. At the same time I refuse to make them the scapegoats for society’s ills.
Like many of my former comrades I have moved on. But I have not moved away from those who remained nor turned my back on the new generation that came after me. Because I know that there is a better, less violent and more democratic way in which to resolve Northern Ireland’s problems I have a duty to work with others of a like mind alongside my former organisation in the hope that we can be an influence for change. I believe that we are being successful.
One would have thought that the slow but steady move towards politics and the steady reduction in violence would have been welcomed by so-called constitutional politicians and church leaders. But not so. Raise the issue of drugs, rackets, prostitution and other forms of criminal activity and my former organisation is automatically blamed (along with others). No evidence is ever produced. No names are ever linked to specific criminal acts. Nothing tangible is ever presented. Yet the organisation as a whole is painted with broad black brush strokes. The ritual of scapegoating does not require evidence, it just requires a prejudiced mind and a willing press.
Scapegoating is as pernicious an evil as any of the sins that are ceremoniously heaped on the heads of our vicarious victim. It is first of all an exercise in self-righteousness. As a society we can cleanse ourselves of all guilt for our social ills. So long as we can point to the scapegoat we have no need to look at ourselves.
Secondly, it is an exercise in social exclusion and marginalisation. Just as the scapegoat was driven outside the camp into the wilderness so we attempt to drive our scapegoats outside the parameters of respectable society into the margins of a supposed mafia sub-culture. We demonise, vilify and marginalise others so that we can enjoy the smug satisfaction of our own self-righteousness. We fail to recognise that members of paramilitary organisations are members of our own communities – that they are husbands and sons, brothers and fathers. They are not animals like the Hebrew scapegoat, they are flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.
Scapegoating saves the media from having to investigate the true origins and nature of society’s ills. It is a lot easier to lay the blame on a ready-made scapegoat than having to look for real identifiable culprits. Blaming unincorporated organisations which have no legal remedy against slander and libel is a lot safer than naming individuals and having to face them in court.
Politicians use the paramilitaries as scapegoats to cover up their abject failure to establish a just, equitable and peaceful society in which all citizens can enjoy a life free from crime and deviant behaviour. The clergy use the paramilitaries as scapegoats to cover up their failure to build a bridge between a world of hurting humanity and the love and compassion of a healing Saviour. Locked away in their holy huddles and spiritual bunkers they have lost the significance of incarnational theology and forgotten the true meaning of kenosis.
In the wake of recent events within loyalism some of these clergy have emerged from their cloistered hide-aways to present themselves as potential mediators. How people can present themselves as credible and impartial mediators, while still engaging in the prejudicial art of scapegoating the very people between whom they wish to mediate, is beyond my understanding.
Whatever the faults of paramilitarism may be – and there are many – they ought not to be used as the scapegoats for society’s ills or as a cover for the failure of civil society to address its own problems.
Billy Mitchell was a member of the Progressive Unionist Party Executive and Programme Manager of LINC resource Centre, an inter-community development initiative based in North Belfast.
The Crisis Within: Eddie Kinner
The following piece was written in 2002 and first appeared in the Christian magazine Lion and Lamb.
The Crisis Within
AS A LOYALIST I would challenge the view that Loyalism is in crisis and argue that the crisis lies within Unionism because of lack of strategic leadership. Loyalists have always looked to Unionism for leadership and guidance: leadership and guidance that Loyalists have been conditioned to depend on but which has frequently failed them and their constituency.
Unionism could not provide security and defence of working class Loyalist communities through the security forces in 1969 when the conflict erupted into intercommunal violent confrontation. This led the Loyalist community to give birth to the current Loyalist paramilitaries who themselves supplied the security and
defended the community against Republican aggression. While the Unionist leadership publicly condemned Loyalist actions, they privately congratulated them and encouraged their activities.
In October 1969 the first police officer was killed on the
Shankill Road when Loyalists rioted with police and security forces over the disbandment of the B Specials and proposals to disarm the police. My father was arrested and charged with being a riot ringleader. He was found not guilty of the charge, and was subsequently released. However, during the period my father was held on remand, the family minister produced a massive food parcel, the like of which we had never seen, and likely wouldn’t ever have seen, had my father not been arrested. To me at that point in time, the signal from that action was not one of supporting a destitute family, but one of tacitly supporting
what my father was being held in prison for, and was privately encouraging the actions of Loyalism.
All sections of Unionism and Loyalism lack self-confidence. Because of historic circumstances, Unionism has depended on leadership from the British government, a government that they distrust immensely, and with just cause. It was that government who betrayed Carson and partitioned Ireland; that government who signed the Anglo-Irish agreement; that government that was having secret meetings with the IRA. The insecurity of Unionism and Loyalism has been vulnerable for exploitation by their enemies and by the government which they mistrust so much.
Loyalists have seen themselves prepared to take the IRA on in a military capacity, and prepared to accept the consequences: death, imprisonment and its impending hardships, while their Unionist leaders have sought protection from government, seeking others to take on the IRA.
Unionists have never shown the leadership to take on their enemy in the same way Carson did. They have attempted to emulate him but have never shown the willingness to endure the same sacrifices he displayed. Nor have they been prepared to take full control of their own destiny since Carson.
Loyalism received a level of empowerment during the negotiations to the Good Friday Agreement, when they were consulted and received communications about the negotiations. The Confidence-building Committee was the vehicle used for this purpose and it was successful in developing confidence and security during the negotiations leading to the Agreement. However, Unionism failed to take confidence and security from the principle of consent enshrined in the Agreement and by so doing failed to take control of their own destiny. The principle of consent should have given Unionism the confidence and security to embark on removing the inequalities and injustices of history and assisted to secure the Union. The established Unionist representatives failed to take this opportunity to
cement the Union and have allowed Unionist insecurity and lack of confidence to be exploited both by their enemies and anti-Agreement rejectionists.
Following the Agreement, the Civic Forum was stablished.
It was intended to be a vehicle for consultation and communication with all sections of the community in the same manner that the Confidence-building Committee had been during the negotiations. Instead, it has been highjacked by civil servants who control and dictate its role and functions. There is insufficient community representation on this forum, thereby dooming it to fail in
achieving its intended objectives.
Established Unionism, instead of embracing these two
elements, of the principle of consent and the establishment of a genuinely representative Civic Forum, and taking Sinn Fein on politically, embarked on seeking ways to avoid taking on traditional enemies and sought to have them removed from the Executive by running to London and Dublin, making demands of the two Premiers. This displayed a lack of leadership and a reluctance to take control of our destiny. Our traditional enemies exploited this insecurity by making their own demands and creating a circumstance where Republicans appear to be benefiting more from the Agreement than Unionists and denying any Unionist fault or responsibility in this process.
Those of us within Loyalism are frustrated with established
Unionism’s reluctance to take Sinn Féin on politically. It is all the more frustrating that they are preventing us from developing Loyalism to take on the task which Unionism is shying away from. They want the credibility of being elected representatives, but will not accept the accountability such a role demands. Established Unionism has been an obstacle to Loyalist development to take up this political role.
The formation of the Loyalist Commission is the most positive step that has taken place within Unionism for many years. It has the potential to develop Unionism constructively, but it is important that it does not become a version of the Combined Loyalist Military Command representing solely Loyalist paramilitaries. The Commission consists of political, religious and community
representatives in addition to representatives of the Loyalist paramilitaries.
For the first time in our existence a group has been established that can bring Unionism and Loyalism together. An opportunity now exists to learn from each other, to strategise for the benefit of the Loyalist and Unionist community and to secure the Union by putting the past inequalities and injustices behind us and persuading those from the Nationalist community that our objectives are to their benefit as well.
Eddie Kinner is a former UVF political prisoner and was an active member of the Progressive Unionist Party at the time of writing. He is no longer politically active.
The War Behind The Wire: A Book Review by Primo
‘The War behind the Wire’
John Lewis Stempel.
Phoenix 2014.
I have read many excellent accounts of the first World War and the role of the Ulster men (and Irish men ) in that conflict. I have walked the ground that the Ulster men fell on, and disappeared into, on that fateful 1st July morn 1916. I have walked past the many hundreds of uniform grey headstones in the Somme valley. One of them belongs to a family member. I had the pleasure and privilege to speak face to face with a veteran of the trenches. However it was only recently that I learned of a large group of men who did not have the banner and victory parade treatment unlike other wars and conflicts. They are not immortalised in song and popular culture. After 1919 these stories were not taken up by the press because there was a feeling of not upsetting the Germans and everything would be OK. It only took 20 years for that particular idea to be proved so terribly wrong. This book is about the British (and other nationalities) who were prisoners of war under the Germans in WW1.
This is an amazing book which must have taken years of research. The stories are rich and unbelievable. The book is a roller coaster of colliding feelings and emotions. From the virtual torture of captured prisoners including executions (war crimes) to the humane and lifesaving treatment of British, Irish, French and Russian prisoners by ordinary German soldiers. The book covers the class system that ran throughout both British and German society and armies, the ignoring of the rules regarding captured enemy soldiers during hostilities and making captured prisoners do manual work not related to the war effort.
The author tries to get away from the shallow and blasé notion of the second world war films around Colditz that it was a jolly good idea to have a go and escape. Getting home to the UK was a ‘home run’ and all that. The reality for many was terrible. Left to freeze without adequate food or medical assistance. Worked to death in mines. Locked in railway carriages without food or toilet. Reminiscent of what was awaiting the Jews (and others) in the Second World War. The Germans had a particular dislike for the captured Canadians. They thought them interfering and over paid. Despite the real risk of execution some prisoners made escape attempts, some successful, some quite bizarre and for some it was their death knell.
This book is not a novel nor is it easy reading. The pages are full of real people, ordinary people, in unreal circumstances. There is heroism and there is comradeship. There are things that are just wrong. Like Germans convicted after the war, of letting prisoners, caged and weak from malnutrition, die without help. These Germans would be tried in a German court and be given a soft 6 months in open prison conditions.
One story of a British POW stands out for its grossness. The Germans realised that the Irish prisoners had issues with the British at home. The Irish would be released if they left the British army. To their credit only 54 out of 2500 jumped ship to the Germans. One of the Irishman, Corporal R Dempsey , refused to jump ship. He was tied to a post in the snow as used as spitting practice as Germans walked past. (P.102) Imagine the humiliation, and then, when he returned home he would be regarded as a traitor.
And what of the Ulster men who endured these conditions? There is very little written about the returning soldiers. Remember that the Ulster Division (and many other divisions) were decimated and worse. It is now over 100 years (9th May) since the 36th Ulster Division, the pride of Ulster, marched past the City Hall to go and train in England before making their way to Thiepval and immortality. However the price of that sacrifice was huge. The depleted Ulster Division would be supplemented by the English, Scottish and Welsh. It is difficult to say who got home first, the volunteers or the released prisoners. Some prisoners died on their way home having tasted freedom but not deliverance. They left Ulster with pride but on arriving home in 1919 or 1920 they came home to political upheaval, changes in social attitudes, huge changes in Ireland, an uncertain future and now with the prospect of deep civil conflict at home. And what of the injured – both physical and mental? How where they treated? How do you live in a society with no social security? Who supported them?
Who were these unfortunates? Henry Atkin from the Shankill, wounded and taken prisoner; J Anderson rifleman from the East Belfast, H Bailie, a private from Frome street, who died while a prisoner of the Germans and S. Lyttle , a private with the Munster Fusiliers from the Donegall Pass. These four names of over 700 men listed as PoWs. But Ulstermen from all parts of Ulster would end up at the Kaisers ‘pleasure’. The book dispels the notion of the stigma of being captured, or even worse surrendering, in order to get away from the atrocious trench conditions. In one German camp there was a higher death rate among soldiers than at the front line of the Somme.
The names of the prison camps are strange, lost to history and certainly not in the public consciousness. Doberitz, Limberg, Zossen, Holzminden, and many more. (See http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/powcamps.html for a handy list) Some were hellish places were the worst aspects of the human nature were expressed. Lamsdorf was one of the largest camps with 90,000 men including British, Russian and Italian. Over 7000 men would perish there. So why are these names not remembered the same way as Colditz and Auschwitz ? At the end of World war 1 a British public, weakened by war and sickened by the grim reality of the eyeless and legless shells that masqueraded for men on their return, meant they had no appetite and no cause for jingoistic language afterwards. If you read this book you will learn of a hidden, forgotten world. But these men, all of them, deserve to be remembered every bit as much as the men who suffered in the trenches. This book is thought provoking, humbling and disturbing in places. It is a book I will be keeping on my shelf for a long time.
Remember them also.
Assembly on the Brink: Scheme could stop Meltdown: Dr. John Coulter
Assembly on the Brink
Get the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies along with the Dail to foot the welfare reform bill at Stormont – and save the Northern Assembly from meltdown tomorrow.
And in return, Brit Prime Minister Dandy Dave Cameron gives more tax-raising powers to Scotland and Wales, and increases the clout of the cross-border bodies in Ireland.
Ever since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the people of Ireland – and especially the North – have been subjected to constant brinkmanship from the Stormont parties.
The prophets of doom take us to the very edge of chaos and collapse, only for a last-minute magic solution.
None of the Stormont parties want to implement the austerity which approving welfare reform will unleash.
At the same time, refusal will spark a Stormont election, which neither the DUP or Shinners want, and possibly even the total shutting of the Assembly with all powers going back to London.
The Shinners don’t want another Northern poll this year as their primary focus is getting into power in Leinster House.
Robbo’s DUP equally don’t want a poll given the resurgence in the rival UUP under Mickey Nesbitt.
With all the sabre-rattling, no one seems to have picked up on a wee announcement by the new DUP health boss at Stormont, Simon Hamilton.
He quietly unveiled that his new health department has reached a deal in principle with the nationalist-run Scottish Parliament that payments to the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in the North will be administered through the Scottish ILF infrastructure it is setting up.
While this will only affect about 600 Northern citizens, Unionists sources are hinting this will be a dry run for the Scottish National Party to have a bigger say in helping Stormont pay its way.
Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP boss, the Welsh nationalists of Plaid Cymru and a few folks On The Hill may have been listening to my solution of a Celtic Alliance involving Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
There will also be a pay-off from the English royal heir, the new bonnie Prince Charlie and his missus, touring Ireland last week.
The historic handshake between Prince Charles and Shinner boss Gerry Adams could well have been the grip which sealed the deal on another era of Anglo-Irish relations.
It’s a trial run for bigger things to come. If the SNP can make a good job of running the North’s ILP, the nationalist reward for Scotland will be increased tax-raising powers.
If the Scots get these, so will the Welsh. It could also prove to be a tempting carrot for any future English regional assemblies.
The deal is simple – you help the Irish out of their cash crisis at Stormont, and you get more control over you own finances. This means Scottish and Welsh Home Rule as well as English regional devolution by the back door.
It also prevents a dangerous political vacuum emerging in Ireland which could be filled either by dissident republicans or militant loyalists.
So what does the Dail get out of this? Okay, Leinster House doesn’t have the dosh to pump into the Stormont welfare reform rescue plan.
But the Brits could squeeze a few million quid here and there to increase funding to the cross-border bodies.
Dave may even be able to screw some extra cash out of the European Union before the crunch 2017 In/Out referendum to boost the powers of the British Irish institutions.
If the ILF works, I wonder what other schemes the Tories have to keep Stormont in business? Watch this space!
The Ashers Verdict: Becoming “Generous Minorities”: Sophie Long
The Ashers Verdict: Becoming “Generous Minorities”
I am offering my comments on the recent Ashers legal case, and subsequent “guilty” verdict, because I believe that both have consequences for community relations here in Northern Ireland, and also because I have a broader interest in what a diverse, tolerant society might look like.
The events which preceded the court hearing, and yesterday’s decision, have already begun to polarize opinion, with some heaping blame upon those with an “aggressive gay rights agenda” and other, socially conservative Christians, framing themselves as victims of “political correctness gone mad”, and perpetuating the idea that modernity, secularism and liberalism are incompatible with religious tolerance.
Such perceptions, whether misplaced or otherwise, should give us little cause for celebration. If the aims of the LGBT ’community/communities’ are respect and equal rights, the Ashers verdict might appear to be an all-out victory, but in the broader scheme of building an inclusive society, I believe it might represent a long-term, strategic failure.
Of course, as is often the case in Northern Ireland, the loudest voices aren’t the only voices. Some others, who may describe themselves as fairly liberal, and who support equal marriage, are troubled by the verdict, and its implications for religious tolerance, and are quietly questioning the logical limits of the legal decision.
Whichever side you fall on, I believe that the 19th May 2015 may have been a short-term victory for equality, but one which simultaneously created a long-term obstacle to tolerance and understanding. The case has been dissected multiple times, and my own analysis adds little to what has already been said.
However, it is worth considering how an order for a cake has caused such deep, social and political tremors. Tremors which might become fault lines if they are not critically addressed.
From what I can gather from their official website, Asher’s market themselves as a bakery, with the only discernible evidence of any religious leanings being found in the ‘About Us’ section of the site. They state this:
“Why Ashers? Well, contrary to popular opinion we are not called Mr. & Mrs. Asher. Our name comes from the Bible. Asher was a tribe of Israel who had many skilled bakers and created bread fit for a king.”(Ashers online).
I see no issue with this; it is not uncommon for businesses to explain their branding and provide some insight into their heritage. It personalizes the company, providing a Unique Selling Point in a competitive marketplace. However, nowhere on the website do Ashers suggest that this short, Biblical reference has any implications for the products which they are willing to offer.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume, when visiting the website, that Ashers are a professional bakery, keen to solicit custom, as all for-profit organisations are, and who make only scant reference to the private values which might lie behind the branding. The same ‘About Us’ section ends with:
“It just so happens we love to bake. On any given morning, you’ll find our home kitchen filled with the aroma of freshly baked scones or cinnamon swirls as we try out new recipes or experiment with new flavour combinations.
So why not pop in for a visit, we’d love to see you.” (Ashers online).
Based on this information, placing an order for a cake, with the now infamous, pro-gay marriage “Bert and Ernie” decoration, from Ashers, should not necessarily have resulted in a legal battle. Ashers appear to specialize in hand-decorated cakes, and encourage would-be customers to get in touch:
“Looking for something more personal, why not order a custom-made cake in store with our friendly folk behind the counter or build your own at our online shop Build-a-cake.”
However, as has been outlined in various media discussions on the case, Ashers accepted the order, before contacting the customer to explain that they would be unable to fulfil the request. Following this, and, it appears, due to the connections and/or political persuasion of the customer, a lengthy dispute took place, with all of the associated claims around discrimination and tolerance which this sort of issue inevitably raises.
These are important, social and moral topics, and deserve our consideration. We are no longer a society with a clear majority, whose wishes could, under democratic, majoritarian voting systems, secure such wishes, and in doing so, perhaps oppress a range of minority groups.
Instead, Northern Ireland is a society of minorities. We all want different things, and have different, but equally firm, ideas about how best to organize society. Ashers was a small, tangible example of the new, Northern Irish pluralism, and all of the issues which that pluralism raises. I’d like to offer a suggestion for how all sides, the “victors”, “victims” and concerned onlookers might move forward.
The verdict was met first with glee from some areas (DUP and TUV), who quickly re-adjusted their response once they realized that the “not guilty” rumours were unsubstantiated. It was then met with triumphant statements from others (LGBT groups for the most part), who celebrated the “common sense” approach of Judge Brownlie in recognizing discrimination when she saw it. This series of divergent, but equally passionate reactions, are what caused me to reflect on what the Asher’s debate might mean for Northern Ireland.
Ashers are a for-profit, professional business, operating in the centre of a capital city. Unless you know the family personally, it is nearly impossible to glean their religiosity from the company website. It is therefore, as I have said above, not unreasonable to expect that they would fulfil an order for a product which contains a pro-equal marriage message.
However, and this is a contingent statement, there have been murmurings that the customer in question was keenly aware of the family’s religious beliefs, and deliberately chose Ashers as a bakery, in order to provoke a reaction. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, as they are, as I have outlined, operating in a public space, as business. Indeed, provocation can often be necessary for encouraging uncomfortable conversations.
Yet I can’t help but feel there are more respectful, and less overtly combative, ways to progress LGBT causes. We now have a legal decision which prevents businesses discriminating against customers, and this itself is a positive step. Yet we also have a substantial number of Christians, and others, who feel threatened by the ways in which this dispute was conducted.
These Christians, and those ‘others’ who are uncomfortable with the Ashers case, do not, of course, have the right to prescribe how others live their lives, and this extends to the debate over equal marriage. Yet they do have the right to feel part of our society, and it seems that we are rapidly alienating many of our fellow citizens.
It is not for me to advise LGBT groups on how to secure rights and protections, nor do I wish to belittle the very real and ongoing cases of discrimination which many LGBT citizens unjustly suffer, but there is a general piece of advice which we all might take on board, as we adjust to the new, increasingly secular Northern Ireland.
Yesterday’s ruling means that pro-gay rights groups can order similar products from Ashers, and reasonably expect the order be fulfilled, lest another fine be levied. However, and this is my argument: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Ashers, as far as I am aware, are not engaged in any actions which harm or threaten the rights of the LGBT community. They should obey the law, and obligated to comply with equality legislation. Yet the temptation to exploit yesterday’s ruling should be avoided. We would like to be respected as equal citizens in Northern Ireland. We should extend the same respect to others.
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” can be applied to a number of contentious areas of life in Northern Ireland. Just because you can parade up a road, doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can stop a parade, doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can vote to change a flag policy, doesn’t mean you should.
If we are to live together, in a genuine spirit of tolerance, we must transform the zero-sum attitude of “defeating” the other, in order to progress our own agendas. Justice matters, and the struggle should not end, but we should think in terms of twenty, fifty, one hundred years ahead, and build relationships, not future battles.
In short, to paraphrase a local Green politician, to move beyond such fraught, short-term battles, and create a tolerant, respectful society, we must all become “generous minorities” and consider the rights of all, not just the few, when we engage in these debates.
The Visit: Primo
The Visit.
I wake at 6am. My husband is sleeping sound. I hear the rain on the window. But I don’t need the blinds up to know its another rainy November day. I always wake up early – a left over from my days as a house maid. I have to be up early to get everything ready especially today. I’m seeing my son up in the Kesh. I go down stairs and get the porridge on. I set the fire for later. Some newspaper, sticks and coal. I put on the single bar electric fire. It does all right but its very hard on the electric. Hubby has the works van home and he will be in extra early to get his days load on and out. But he has an extra delivery today. Sometimes these early dark mornings remind me of that morning 10 years ago when the police came to the door and took my son, our son, away. My beautiful boy becoming a man in that god forsaken place. We didn’t even know he was ‘involved’.
I wake in the darkness bar the orange light shining through the wired glass. It is deadly quiet. The tin Nissen huts are freezing. It’s a Thursday in mid-November. In Long Kesh prison Camp. Compound 21. The doors will open at 7.00. Today is different. It’s a visit day. Instead of getting up and doing chores, then studying and some craftwork, I will train first ( a 5 mile run) and get ready for the half hour visit with my mother. My weeks allowance. Even though I’m in the 10th year of imprisonment these visits are still special. The only good thing about the 10 year mark is that I’m half way through my stipulated sentence. I’m on the home straight. I may be 27 but I’m still mothers youngest. I’m more proud of her each year that passes. I thought she would never get over my arrest and sentence. But each year she seems stronger, more confident. Assertive. She was never like that at home.
What Loyalism Means To Me: Pash Pashler
In brief, My Loyalism, is a love for my country, a love for my kin, my family and fellow loyalists..it’s a respect for other loyalists who dared to do what I didn’t or didn’t have the shoulders for, to carry the weight they carried or carry, so no apologies for the past will be forthcoming from me.
Why apologise to those who wish to end my Loyalism and push me off my country into the sea.
Loyalism is branded as a bad word now, a dirty word, Is it a dirty word ? associated with criminal behaviour as some would have you believe ie racism and terror as propagated by social media left wing assassins and indeed mainstream media with their own agenda of self loathing and hypocrisy. I even see other loyalists trying to mainstream the meaning of the word, trying to appear more acceptable to those who really don’t care about us. Stop ! are we not who we are or Have we become the stray dog under the table waiting for a crumb to fall, waiting for acceptance and a pat on the back…Loyalism is a strong masculine word, it’s your da or your uncle and your grandad, your brothers. It’s a history, a good history that kept the UK together when called upon. I could deliberate over every word here so as not to offend anyone but that is not my Loyalism, my Loyalism is a good, a force to end the bad, I’m proud of my Loyalism, if I’m the lion in the jungle why would I want to be the mouse, Loyalism is a strong chin, never backing down from what’s right. it’s a strong word, upstanding and steadfast.
Accept my Loyalism or don’t, I care not, it’s my country and I’m going nowhere, we are going nowhere.
Pash.
You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It: Jamie Bryson
You can’t have your cake and eat it- Critique of ruling in Gareth Lee v Ashers
Today’s ruling in the Gareth Lee V Ashers bakery case sets a dangerous precedent and it feeds those activists pursuing an aggressive gay agenda with more ammunition with which to persecute their war on freedom of conscience and also upon religious and moral principles and beliefs. The gay rights activists do not seek equality; they seek to pervert the true meaning of equality to use it as a weapon to enable their ‘rights’ to trump the rights of those who object to their practices or sexual preferences on religious or moral grounds. The ruling, in my mind, is a flawed one which is open to appeal on many levels. The Judge has allowed the rights of the “gay activists”, who purposefully and maliciously targeted a Christian run bakery, to trump the rights of those who hold deep religious and moral convictions. In delivering her judgement the judge made reference to a disputed ‘fact’- that she believed the bakery knew or had reason to suspect that the plaintiff was gay, this is a flawed and illogical assumption because the greater number of those who describe themselves as “LGBT activists” are not actually themselves gay. Therefore the judge has based a key issue, which she drew heavily upon as part of a balancing exercise between competing rights-which the judge herself acknowledged existed- upon a flawed and misinformed assumption that because a person is a gay rights supporter or activist that it would be ‘reasonable’ to believe that the person was gay. This reasoning stretches the boundaries of the law and goes far and beyond the protections that are offered, it effectively means that you can discriminate against not only a person but an idea or a belief- that is dangerous territory for any society to enter and it could quite realistically open the floodgates for not only an assault on Christianity but also upon a whole range of political, religious and moral beliefs and convictions. It creates a de facto right not to be offended by the back door. Ashers bakery did not refuse to bake a cake for the plaintiff because they suspected he was gay, they refused to bake the cake because they disagreed with the idea or belief the slogan on it espoused. As a matter of fact they disagreed, based on deep moral and religious convictions, with the gay rights propaganda message that the cake was to carry. It is also worth pointing out that gay marriage is unlawful in Northern Ireland, so it is also an issue that Ashers have been punished for refusing to produce propaganda supporting an illegal act. How bizarre that the Courts, at the behest of the publicly funded equality commission, would persecute a Christian family run business for refusing to provide propaganda promoting illegal activity. Some may say that is an unrealistic stretch of the law, well given the stretch in the law that Judge Brownlie made today I believe that the law is now open to be stretched in a whole manner of bizarre and illogical directions. Equality has no logical trajectory, boundaries or parameters. It provides for an anything goes society, as long as it makes anyone happy. It will corrode and destroy every moral fibre of society because society will be expected to accommodate every immoral act based upon the fatally flawed notion of equality.
What if a man decides he wants to have three wives? Should marriage be re-defined again to allow for three consenting women to be married to one man? If we following the trajectory of equality then most certainly a man should be allowed three wives so the question I then pose is where does ‘equality’ stop? What does ‘equality’ actually mean? It appears to me that equality is a weapon to be used to coerce and force people to promote or accept practices, causes or beliefs that they oppose for religious, moral or general conscientious reasons. Let’s look at just one example of the logic of todays ‘equality’ ruling in relation to businesses. Sean Kelly, the IRA Shankill bomber, could walk into a bakery on the Shankill Road and ask for a cake to be made commemorating fellow Shankill bomber Thomas Begley. Providing the message on the cake did not breach the prevention of terrorism act by encouraging future acts of terrorism and only ‘glorified’ terrorism in a historical/past tense then the bakery would be duty bound to make this cake or face being brought before the courts for discrimination on political grounds. Freedom from discrimination on political grounds is offered the same protections within the law as discrimination on sexual orientation. Now in my mind, and in the mind of any right thinking person, the Shankill bomb was not a political act but it was an act of pure terrorism but Sean Kelly was afforded, by the perverse Belfast Agreement, political status by being released as a ‘political prisoner’ on the basis of an internationally backed political agreement, therefore following the precedent set today a Republican could ask for a cake glorifying the Shankill bomb or any other act of republican terrorism and hide under the cloak of freedom from discrimination on political grounds to force the business into complying or face a discrimination case. That is the reality of the bizarre and outrageous possibilities opened up by this outrageous ruling. There is also an illogical and bizarre argument put forward, quite often by those who support the devolved Stormont institutions, that gay marriage should be allowed because it is allowed in the rest of the UK and therefore it would be anti-unionist to oppose it here in Northern Ireland. This nonsensical argument once again tries to ride two horses- firstly those who are devout supporters of Northern Irelands ‘special circumstances’ and devolved powers, which allows the assembly to make their own mind up on gay marriage and other issues, want to override the ‘special circumstances’ and slavishly follow the ‘mother parliament’ to force through gay marriage legislation. Secondly most Unionists would trace our heritage back to the signing of the Ulster Covenant and the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force, which later became the 36th Ulster Division fighting as part of the British Army, yet those who perpetuate the argument that we should follow the mother parliament wish to cling to the legacy of our forefathers that framed and signed the convent whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that the Ulster Volunteer Force/36th Ulster Division was formed to resist the mother parliament, by all means necessary, in relation to the Home Rule bill. What is clear is that those celebrating today’s ruling cannot ignore the possibilities for an opening of the floodgates for all sorts of bizarre cases and indeed whilst it is the right of freedom of conscience that has been trumped on this occasion, there is a flip side to that coin which means that gay businesses could quite reasonably be forced to produce merchandise, cakes etc. which condemn gay marriage and which may carry slogans that while being totally lawful, a gay person may find deeply offensive, such is the can of worms that has been opened. You can’t have your cake and eat it!
Ashers Cake Row: Charlie Freel
A GOOD DAY IN THE RECLAMATION OF BASIC HUMAN MORAL DECENCY IN NORTHERN IRELAND.
Today in the courts sadly mistaken Judge Isobel Brownlie, drew a line in the sand from which the fight back for Civil and Religious Freedom and the defence of basic human moral decency, here in Northern Ireland begins. It took this Judge weeks to arrive at her, self proven flawed judgement, proved flawed by her statement that, “Baking a cake is merely obeying the law and providing the plaintiff with a service.”
Ashers bakery were not refusing to bake a cake, they were refusing to write upon that cake, a slogan supporting something which was spiritually and morally offensive, to both them and their sincerely held Christian Faith, as well as not being a legal practice here in Northern Ireland.
Regardless of this silly Judge and her flawed judgement, Ashers bakery have overwhelmingly won their case in the courts of Public opinion and in the courts of basic Human Moral decency. Thereby ensuring that the ordinary decent people of Northern Ireland, will no longer be willing to sit idly by, as their rights of Civil and Religious Liberty are trampled over by noisy, in your face, intolerant, minority exponents of an anything goes, morally bankrupt society.
Charlie Freel.
Why Gerry and Al Have to copy SNP: Dr. John Coulter
Why Gerry and Al have to copy SNP: Scots show way forward
Irish republicans must follow their Scottish counterparts and form a single nationalist party if they want to snatch the coveted Stormont First Minister’s post from DUP boss Peter Robinson.
At the very least, republicans need to copy their Unionist counterparts and form a Pan Nationalist Front between the Shinners and Stoops.
Unionists have already proven in the recent Westminster election that a poll pact worked in Fermanagh South Tyrone and East Belfast.
And Tartan Nicola’s Scottish National Party romped to London with 56 of the country’s 59 MPs because nationalists fought under the banner of a single nationalist movement.
With the electoral rebirth of Mikey Nesbitt’s UUP in the Commons showdown, there’s already talk in Unionist branches of the need to reform the 1970s Unionist Coalition which represented at least four different Unionist parties.
But nationalists make take some comfort that while overall, its Westminster tally fell by one to seven MPs, Unionists are still split over the idea of electoral pacts.
Liberal Unionist Danny Kinahan’s victory in South Antrim was the result of a direct head to head between the DUP and UUP, while the UUP’s Tom Elliott and the DUP’s Gavin Robinson have the Unionist pact to thank for their seats.
Northern nationalism has to follow the SNP route – and that means Sinn Féin and the SDLP burying their rivalries and creating a single movement to represent all shades of mainstream nationalist thinking – The Nationalist Party.
Okay, for decades a party by that name was the lapdog to the Unionist majority government at Stormont.
But a merged SF/SDLP movement could mark the centenary of the Northern state in a few years’ time by becoming the largest party at Stormont, thereby laying claim to the First Minister’s post.
Maybe nationalists are a wee bit timid about suggesting a single nationalist party after what happened former SDLP MLA Declan O’Loan of North Antrim when he put forward that constructive idea in 2010.
The time has come for Shinners’ president Gerry Adams and the Stoops’ Big Al to initiate a Nationalist Forum with the long-term aim of a single party.
It’s only a matter of time before the Southern parties, especially Irish Labour and Fianna Fáil, begin contesting Northern elections.
With rumblings that the number of Westminster MPs and Stormont MLAs will be cut in elections to come, there is an urgent need for republicans to unite under the banner of a single party.
Such a single nationalist party could also have enough influence in the Catholic community to prevent radical republicans drifting to the political apologists for dissident republican terror groups.
The UUP’s Jim Molyneaux used to boast about it being a broad church. The new single nationalist party needs to be a broad chapel for all shades of republican thinking.
And it could spread into the Republic, swallowing up Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to provide a majority Nationalist Party government in Leinster House.
But the real secret to making a single Nationalist Party project work is compulsory voting.
This article appeared in the May 18, 2015 edition of the Irish Daily Star.
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Your growing list of favored characters serves as a reminder of the single trait you most associate with a metaphorical shove over the edge of some moral precipice and into an abyss from which there may or may not be a hope of recovery. The trait is commitment to some goal or philosophy.
One of your more recent additions to your list of favorites was Beth Harmon, the protagonist of Walter Tevis' engaging novel, The Queen's Gambit, wherein Beth is seen on page one being informed both her parents have perished in an automobile accident, placed in a Louisville, KY, orphanage because she has no other family, and, still on that opening page, is being given a pill by the head of the orphanage, a not unkind person, acting in a bureaucratic equivalent of concern.
As the title suggests and later events quickly demonstrate, Beth's commitment is to chess, a game in which she finds the identity most of us who read struggle to identify, then spend a lifetime articulating.
You know the moves of the various pieces, even some of the more arcane rules such as capturing an opponent's pawn en passant. You even know one or two of the more classic openings. The game is of mild interest to you, in spite of the fact that over the years you've known of the game, you have yet to win one time. The best you've been able to accomplish is an occasional draw, but never a win.
Your history would suggest you would not think so highly of The Queen's Gambit and Beth Harmon as you do. You've even asked yourself if Beth's growing reliance on pills is the primary cause for your appreciation. Again, no; it is her commitment to chess, her ability to visualize, to see each game as a tangible thing, a place where she in effect is able to enter through the portal of her ability, finding therein a world of polar opposition to the world Alice finds after her entry through the rabbit hole.
The entire concept of noticing and collecting favored characters, writing about them, trying to see aspects of them in yourself and, of course, you in them, began with your focus on that now iconic cartoon figure, Wile E. Coyote. He is nothing if not committed, even to the point where there is an absolute certainty he will never catch his intended target, The Roadrunner.
Before the coyote, as it is with another favored character, Sisyphus, is an eternity of chase, reversal, failure, and the growing humiliation of defeat. He remains your absolute favorite because, although a cartoon and of narrow dimension, he
Sisyphus has so captured your imagination as a character that he has caused you to see things about story you may have known in bits and pieces but had not put together into a complete picture. Thanks to him, you see story beyond a design, more of an orbital path the story takes as it carries characters toward a destiny of outcome.
Another of your favorites, whom you are now able to see in that orbital rather than linear trajectory is the master of the whaling ship Pequod, Captain Ahab, who taught you the vital message of dialectic. Without the white whale, there can be no story as we now know it. Of equal truth, without the interaction of Ahab for the whale, the story as we know it suffers for lack of a clear-cut fulcrum on which man and beast balance, each playing out his hard-wired nature as only a Transcendentalist mariner and a whale can orbit toward the destiny of outcome.
Yet another character, dear to you, has played out his essence in film rather than drama, a novel, or short tale. He is Captain Geoffrey Spaulding, the alter ego of the vaudevillian Julius "Groucho" Marx. For you, Captain Spaulding, his greasepaint mustache and eyebrows in place, has become the Trickster incarnate, a fraud, a sham, a confidence man with a cheap cigar as a magic wand and an unlimited repertoire of puns and sardonic observations as his weapons against politeness, civility, and the excesses of social entitlement.
You have accepted an assignment to write your vision of him, which will mean beginning with the observations of the him still resident in you these long years after your first exposure to him in a series of antic motion pictures which themselves were more picaresque and notional than plot-driven.
How will you bring this near mythic being to any kind of sense when the thing you most cherish about his film presence is the embodiment of those parts of you wanting to join him in his crusade against common sense and pretense, much in the way Tom Sawyer came to life for you in those moments when you saw him so irrevocably drawn to the presence that was Huckleberry Finn?
No list of this sort would be complete for you without the haunting presence of a character who was the creation of a noted Greek general turned playwright. This character was Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, the niece of the new king, Creon, who had, in fact recently put down an uprising in which two of Antigone's brothers fought on opposing sides for control of the state.
Both brothers died in the uprising, one supportive of King Creon, the other not. Creon had with great specificity decreed that one of the brothers should not be buried, his corpse left on the battlefield for dogs, vultures, and worms. To be left without burial and burial ritual in effect prevented the rebellious brother's entry into the Underworld, an important religious and social outcome.
Antigone, in spite of warnings to the contrary, attempted to bury her brother. Her uncle grew steadily more exasperated by her insistence, which ultimately drew Antigone's sister and Creon's own son, now betrothed to Antigone, into the conflict.
The hallways and caverns of history are alive with the evoked anguish of all parties involved in this conflict as Antigone's commitment to the burial of her brother lead with growing inevitable momentum toward Antigone's own death.
The implications of the family into which Antigone was born remind you on occasion of your own culture, to the point where there are times when you think of the encounters between the conflicted individuals being delivered with a Yiddish accent. This is so you, a you immersed in Yiddish theater and the ardent recognition that the cusp between comedy and tragedy is one all great comics and tragedians walk when they act or when they write.
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Sitting on the top of the bay
“I’m awfully sorry to trouble you,” an elderly English lady on holiday at the five-star Albergo della Regina Isabella says as she approaches me, “but one so rarely hears an English voice here that I wanted to say hello.” It’s something you might expect to hear in a remote part of Peru, perhaps, but not a short hydrofoil hop away from a mainstream European city served by EasyJet. This spot, so oddly devoid of Britons, is the island of Ischia, in the Bay of Naples, just 15 miles from the Italian mainland and the same distance from Capri, the Swarovski-studded playground for supermodels, Formula One drivers and the singer Mariah Carey, who owns a villa there.
Yet Ischia, Capri’s volcanic, lusciously green, larger yet far less flashy neighbour, has slipped beneath the radar for British holidaymakers and those in search of an island holiday home.“I can’t think of a single British property owner here,” says Salvatore Barba, director of Re/Max, an estate agency based in Lacco Ameno, on the northwest coast. “An English lord was looking last year, but he didn’t buy anything. We’re starting to see Russians, though.”
Lacco Ameno is where the Greeks settled in the 8th century BC. The Romans followed and visitors have come ever since to soak up the mineral springs and volcanic mud. Now it is home to the Le Terme della Regina Isabella medical spa, where mud is pumped from the ground into the treatment rooms.
While the Germans lap it up, British visitors are thin on the ground. “Until a few years ago, the German health service paid for people to come here for thermal spa treatments,” says Carlo Esindi, sales representative of the Mizar estate agency in Ischia Porto. “Now even the number of German visitors is dwindling. As for English clients, we’ve had just three in 20 years,” he adds. “We’re hoping the enormous decrease in German tourism will force tour operators to appeal to other markets, so Ischia will become well known again.”
The island is hardly lacking in charm, its colour-ful port and nearby beaches providing the idyllic setting for the fictitious Mongibello in the film The Talented Mr Ripley, starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law. The interior is dominated by verdant mountains, pine-forested on the northern side and home to vineyards in the warmer south. Everything is built – pretty densely, at that – around the coastline, with one main road skirting the island’s 20-mile circumference and four main towns, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Casamic-ciola and Ischia Porto, on the water’s edge. From a hilly vantage point, it looks more earthy Caribbean than wealth-flaunting Mediterranean, the houses simple and – regardless of their worth – rarely acquainted with a fresh coat of paint.
“Ischia and Capri are to Italy what Ibiza and Majorca are to Spain,” says Andrew Langton, a director of Aylesford estate agency, which works in conjunction with La Vecchia Toscana Properties. “Very few houses change hands. The larger villas with sea views are usually hidden in the hills and cost £5m-£6m.”
Ischia may luxuriate in its laid-back, low-profile charm, but it has seen its fair share of famous names in the past. The English composer William Walton and his wife, Susana, caused great consternation when they arrived from London in their Bentley in 1948 – the only Britons back then, and among the only car-owners on the island. Walton had been struck by Ischia’s beauty in the 1920s, when he was introduced to it by the eccentric Sitwell family, Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell, so he and Susana moved to a converted wine cellar in the northwest of the island, where Laurence Olivier was a regular visitor. The couple built La Mortella, on Monte Zaro, where Lady Walton – now 83 – still lives, and where Sir William (who died in 1983, aged 81) composed one of his best-known works, the opera Troilus and Cressida. The house is surrounded by subtropical botanical gardens, which they planted and nurtured over the years, and which are open to the public.
Ischia has never failed to inspire. Truman Capote, Henrik Ibsen and WH Auden all came here to write, but its heyday began in the late 1950s, when the film producer Angelo Rizzoli built the Albergo della Regina Isabella hotel. Then Hollywood came to town. “Eliza-beth Taylor threw Richard Burton’s clothes off their balcony here during a row, and local fishermen immediately gathered to retrieve them,” Giancarlo Carriero, the hotel’s owner, recalls. “Charlie Chap-lin, Clark Gable and Sophia Loren came here, too.”
The island’s cinematic tradition continues each June with an international film festival, partly funded by the hotel, with screenings on the cliffs. This year (June 21-29) will be its seventh. Vanessa Redgrave and Matt Dillon attended last year, able to wander around untroubled by photographers, and Gerard Butler sang to guests in the piano bar.
This annual week of glamour aside, the island needs a boost. Elderly Germans come in search of restorative mud baths out of season, and Italians pack out the beaches in summer, but Ischia has not entered property-buyers’ consciousness in the way the nearby Amalfi coast or Capri have.
“It was a fun place 25 years ago, when we used to rent out Lady Walton’s villas,” Langton says. “It’s quiet and safe, a welcome escape from Naples. Then the Balearics emerged as a destination, and people started to go there instead.”
Hoping to bring the jet set back to Ischia is the developer behind Villa Isabella, a huge 1950s clifftop villa above the Albergo, which is being converted into seven lavish flats. The two- or three-bedroom properties cost between £2.4m and £3.1m, and are due for completion next February.
The original villa, which belonged to an old friend of Rizzoli’s, was a vast 2,100 square metres – even divided, each single-storey flat feels like a villa, with large terraces and plunge pools overlooking the sea to Naples and Mount Vesuvius. The house has a large garden with a communal pool and orchards where owners can grow produce.
Built within the walls of the old villa, the homes retain original features including arched windows and high ceilings. With so much space to play with, and only so many bathrooms a flat can take, most of the properties also have a hammam. “These are the only waterfront properties for sale on the island,” says Carlo Cavandoli, sales manager for Villa Isabella. They even have their own private – if precipitous – steps down to the beach.
“Buyers get access to the hotel’s facilities, such as the swimming pools, spa and tennis courts, and 24-hour security. There will be a dining area on the rocks just for owners, as well as use of a motor yacht, and buyers will have the chance to access all areas of the film festival, which is usually available only to VIPs and press. We want to be the hip place on Ischia – few properties have this kind of space and location.” Rental potential in summer is good, which is why so few waterfront properties come on the sales market. “The Villa Isabella flats can be rented out through the hotel, so are likely to cost about £1,800 a night, with the revenue split 50/50 between the owner and the hotel,” Cavandoli says.
Even cheaper properties, such as a two-bedroom flat near the waterfront in Lacco Ameno, which Re/Max is selling for £335,000, will let for about £2,600 a month in summer, according to Barba.
It may not have the manicured perfection of Antibes or the kudos of Capri, where properties are twice as expensive, but property doesn’t come cheap on Ischia. Average prices run from £6,000 to £9,000 per square metre, with most potential purchases needing work. “We are selling four 90 sq metre flats in a converted villa overlooking the main square in Sant’Angelo, a pretty fishing town, for £710,000, but they need complete renovation,” Barba says. “The cheapest property you could expect to buy in a good location would be something like a one-bedroom flat in Lacco Ameno, without sea views, but only a three-minute walk from the beach, for £240,000.”
With no English estate agents based on the island, no new-build properties and local agents dealing with a small fraction of what’s available for sale – the rest can be heard of only by word of mouth – Ischia may not experience the sort of influx of British buyers that places such as Sorrento, on the Amalfi coast, have seen. “Perhaps the lack of British owners is part of Ischia’s charm,” Langton observes.
It may attract the odd Hollywood star from time to time, but nobody in Ischia drives a flash car or flaunts their wealth. They prefer to let the island’s natural attractions do the talking. “We think that to encourage tourism, you need culture, Carriero says. “People who buy here are the exact opposite of the sort of people who buy in Dubai. They come to Ischia for authentic experiences – the fishermen, the old barber’s shops. Here, you can see real life all around you on a Mediterranean island.” + Aylesford, 020 7351 2383, aylesfordresidential.com; Mizar, 00 39-081 984 253, ischiaimmobiliare.it; Villa Isabella, 081 333 0207, villaisabellaclub.com
Three properties on the market in Ischia
Ischia Porto £1.34m This villa has five bedrooms, two reception rooms, a kitchen, five bathrooms, balconies and terraces. Surrounded by a 1,000 sq metre garden, it is 1km from the centre of Ischia Porto. Ischia Immobiliare; 00 39 081 981897, ischiaimmobiliare.it
Forio £709,000 One of two flats in Villa Parco degli Ulivi, this 70 sq metre property, arranged across two floors, has two bedrooms and one reception room. It comes with a terrace with sea views, as well as a garden and parking. Re/Max; 00 39 081 507 2431, remax.it
Forio £444,000 This 80 sq metre flat is one of four in the converted Villa San Francesco, by the sea front in Forio. It hasa sitting room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Outside, there is a balcony and a terrace, as well as a garden with a swimming pool. Remax, as above
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News> Join an Early Years Steering Group
Join an Early Years Steering Group
Join a steering group to help deliver positive outcomes for young children and their families.
Thursday 7 March 2019
Representatives from local early years’ service providers, organisations and the community are invited to apply to join a new steering group that will focus on delivering outcomes of the recently developed Mount Alexander Early Years Plan 2018-2021.
The Mount Alexander Early Years Steering Group will play an important role in the strategic guidance and oversight of the plan to ensure it achieves its vision of creating an innovative and connected community that works together to support our children to reach their full potential.
“If you are passionate about having a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of babies, young children and their families then this is your chance to make a difference,” said Gaynor Atkin, Manager Community Partnerships, Mount Alexander Shire Council.
“The Steering Group is the first of its kind for our community and we are very excited about this opportunity to support a collaborative approach to early years and achieve some great things,” said Ms Atkin.
Membership of the Mount Alexander Early Years Steering Group will be for a one year term with meetings held every six weeks. The first meeting is scheduled at 4.30pm on Monday 8 April.
Expression of Interest Forms and the draft Terms of Reference are available on Council’s website at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Early_Years_Plan with copies also available at the Civic Centre, Castlemaine Library and Maldon Neighbourhood Centre.
Expressions of Interest are open until 5.00pm on Monday 25 March.
For more information about the steering group contact Gaynor Atkin, Manager Community Partnerships, on 5471 1821 or email g.atkin@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.
Image: Help deliver positive outcomes for young children and their families as part of the early years steering group.
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Mostly sunny early then increasing cloudiness this afternoon. High 93F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..
Mostly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
Payne sat for this daguerreotype, created by Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes, circa 1850.
Ross Rogers
LOCAL COLUMNIST|ROSS ROGERS
Act III: To the desert far
LOCAL COLUMNIST ROSS ROGERS
The years 1838-1841 found John Howard Payne in Washington, D.C., his pen busied with work for magazines such as the Democratic Review, which in that period published the works of William Cullen Bryant, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson, to name but a few.
Of special note during this period is Payne’s reporting on the trial of Archilla Smith in April 1841 in the New York Journal of Commerce. Smith was a signer of the 1835 Treaty of New Echota who left Georgia for Oklahoma Territory in 1837. Smith, accused of the murder of John MacIntosh, was tried in December 1840 at Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in the newly-established Cherokee court system. Payne’s account is reprinted in “Indian Justice: A Cherokee Murder Trial at Tahlequah in 1840,” available through the University of Oklahoma Press.
In 1840, the nation elected president “Old Tippecanoe,” William Henry Harrison, former first governor of Indiana Territory and hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe against the forces of the Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. Harrison is usually remembered as the shortest serving president, having died after only 31 days in office to be succeeded by Vice President John Tyler. This unusual circumstance launched Payne’s diplomatic career.
When Tyler ascended to the presidency in April 1841, Payne became acquainted with both the president and members of his cabinet. Payne’s charms as a frequent and welcome guest of the White House led to cabinet members lobbying the actor to apply to President Tyler for an appointment to a consulship. Payne submitted his application, seconded by Senators Daniel Webster and William L. Marcy, and on Aug. 23, 1842, President Tyler appointed the actor and writer as consul to Tunis, Tunisia, a north African country on the Mediterranean.
Payne left for Tunis in February 1843. Payne recounted his journey to the far desert land in detail in a letter to his sister Elizabeth, reprinted in full in Gabriel Harrison’s “John Howard Payne: Dramatist, Poet, Actor and Author of Home, Sweet Home!” Among the sights on Payne’s journey were the ruins of ancient Carthage and the island described in the Roman poet Virgil’s “Aeneid.”
Payne experienced what is now called culture shock as he was carried through the bustling streets of Tunis to the consular’s residence, and was aghast at the conditions of the residence itself. Iron bars covered the windows, the walls were drab and, after being given a bundle of papers and letters to go over by the interim consular, Payne discovered his bed was a hard, wool mattress placed on a wooden plank built two feet off the ground. He slept fitfully the first night, fretting about the possibility that a scorpion would find its way into his bed.
Tunisia was then ruled by the Bey of Tunis, “Bey” being a term of Ottoman Turkish origin meaning “chieftain,” under the Husainid dynasty. The Husainids were established in 1705 and would remain in power until 1957, when Tunisia won its independence from France and the Republic of Tunisia was established. On his second morning in Tunis, Payne was escorted to the Palace of the Bey, hauntingly described in his letter to Elizabeth: “We enter the gate-way. Sentries and guards salute. Grim throngs, some standing and some reclining, fill long dark passages, on either side of which are low rooms. ... Persons with anxious and busy faces pass to and fro, some in humble garb, some richly clad, and wearing diamond orders. One of the apartments forms the hall of justice, where a move of the Bey’s hand may be to his subjects either All the world can give or Death. ... We enter a long drawing-room, carpeted, a range of numerous windows on one side. ... At the corner of the left-hand extremity, fronting me as I entered, sat a person in a tall red cap. At his left stood, with similar caps, two others, ... All had long, double-breasted blue frock-coats, closed from the top, descending to the heels, the yellow buttons stamped with the crescent and the star ... We are at our destination ... it was the Bey who sat before us.” Payne exchanged greetings of peace with the Bey, and his role of United States Consul to Tunis was settled. During his time as consul, Payne would meet regularly with the Bey and engage in the cultural activities of his office, including making firsthand observations of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims partake in fasting and prayer. Payne provides a mesmerizing account of the Beiram, the great feast night following Ramadan.
Upon Payne’s arrival at Tunis, he found the operations of the consul office neglected and in shambles. He immediately set about getting the office functioning and renovating the dilapidated consul’s residence, a process that would continue throughout his first tenure as consul, which lasted less than three years. Payne had also taken it upon himself to prepare a history of Tunis. Frustratingly, when Payne had whipped the office into shape, he was recalled by President-elect James Knox Polk in favor of an associate of Polk’s. Payne quietly accepted this turn of fortune, and, instead of beating a retreat from adventure, spent upwards of a year traveling Europe, spending time in Italy, France and England, according to Brainard’s biography, before returning to New York.
In autumn 1849, Payne returned to Washington, D.C., to try his hand at regaining his appointment to Tunis. Former President John Tyler, however, told Payne and his advocates that it would be best to bide until President Polk left office. Payne would not regain his consulship until a woman unnamed by either Harrison or Brainard made a direct appeal to President Millard Fillmore. Payne returned to Tunis in May 1851 and set about finishing the work he’d started during his first tenure. He would suffer a long illness in his second year back, passing away on April 9, 1852.
Yet there is more to the story. Thirty years on, John Howard Payne would take center stage in one last adventure.
Ross Rogers is a newsroom assistant and staff writer at the Rome News-Tribune. He may be contacted at JRogers@RN-T.com.
Deputy terminated following June incident
Floyd County Jail arrest reports, Saturday, July 13, 8 p.m.
Police: Naked woman who said she was Jesus Christ damages vehicles
Site work underway for new shopping center off Turner McCall Blvd.
Second man accused in Rockmart Hwy. arson in jail
Report: man tries to repossess car at gun point
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson to GBI lab: Expedite toxicology in death investigation
Update: two juveniles charged with damage to Pepperell property
Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force Deputy Commander Railey: More meth arrests
King named interim executive director of Sexual Assault Center of NWGA
Rome News Tribune
Rome Life Magazine May 2019
Rome Life Magazine Feb. 2019
Rome Life Magazine Nov. 2018
Rome Life Magazine August 2018
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OECD Home FinanceOECD Insurance and Private Pensions Committee Elects New Chair
Monetary and financial issues
Funded and private pensions
Public debt management
Financial education and consumer protection
OECD Insurance and Private Pensions Committee Elects New Chair
07/03/2019 - The OECD Insurance and Private Pensions Committee (IPPC) has confirmed the appointment of Mr Yoshihiro Kawai, Advisor to the Commissioner, Japan Financial Services Agency, as its Chair. The appointment is effective immediately until the end of the calendar year, renewable.
Mr. Kawai is currently professor at the University of Tokyo and the University of Kyoto, and was the Secretary General of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) until November 2017. He led the IAIS for 14 years, and was the Deputy Secretary General before that.
The OECD's work on insurance and private pension markets seeks to promote efficient, open, stable and sound market-oriented insurance and private pension systems, based on high levels of transparency, confidence and integrity, to support sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Mr Kawai’s experience in the insurance field will contribute in the Committee's ability to achieve these objectives. Focus areas for the Committee under Mr Kawai's chairmanship will be the development of policy guidance in areas such as cyber insurance, regulatory structures, long-term care and health, fintech, including artificial intelligence and big data, and disaster risk financing.
Greg Medcraft, Director of Financial and Enterprise Affairs at the OECD, stated: “The appointment is a reflection of the high regard with which Yoshi is held by international policy makers, through his leadership roles at the IAIS. His depth of experience in insurance markets and policy will bring important perspective to the Committee, and we look forward to his leadership as the new Chair.”
For further information, journalists are invited to contact Pamela Duffin, OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, telephone +33 1 45 24 78 40.
For more information on OECD’s work on insurance and private pensions, please visit
www.oecd.org/finance/insurance.
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OECD Home NewsroomOECD Working Group on Bribery report on Greece launches Friday 20 March 2015
OECD Working Group on Bribery report on Greece launches Friday 20 March 2015
17/03/2015 - The OECD Working Group on Bribery will release a review of Greece’s efforts to fight foreign bribery on Friday 20 March 2015 at 11.00 CET.
Journalists can request a copy under embargo by emailing caroline.tourrier@oecd.org. Embargoed copies will be sent on Thursday 19 March 2015.
Investigation, enforcement and prosecution are the main focus of the Working Group on Bribery’s current review of signatory countries. The issues these have raised include increasing awareness in the private and public sectors, holding companies liable for the crime of foreign bribery; sharing information across borders in foreign bribery investigations via mutual legal assistance; and ensuring that, as per the Convention, sanctions are “effective, proportionate, and dissuasive” and that countries can seize and confiscate bribes and the proceeds of bribery.
More information on these reviews are contained in the 2014 Annual Report of the OECD Working Group on Bribery (page 23) - http://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/WGB-AB-AnnRep-2014-EN.pdf.
The last in-depth review of Greece was released in June 2012. More information on Greece and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention is available at http://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/greece-oecdanti-briberyconvention.htm
Information on the OECD’s work on anti-corruption can be found at: www.oecd.org/corruption.
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Welcome to NASH
About Silvermine
Silvermine’s History
Silvermine Arts Guild History from WWII
Silvermine in the Post-World War II Era
John Vassos and the Cartoonists of Silvermine
Music, Theater, Film and Other Arts in Silvermine
Writers in Silvermine
The Silvermine Guild of Artists
John Byard and Frank Hutchens
Silvermine as Arts Colony
The Beginnings of Silvermine Tavern
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Writers were particularly interested in Silvermine and its environs, both for its picturesque setting and its history. In some cases, autobiographical descriptions were included in novels; in others, Silvermine was used as a backdrop or stage set, but was integral to the story nonetheless. A detailed autobiographical sketch of Silvermine was written in 1948 by Adeline Hawkes, entitled The Broom Behind the Door. Hawkes was an orphan who had been adopted by the widow of the founder of Wellesley, Pauline Adeline Durant. Hawkes went to Silvermine as a young child with a nanny named Ada Porter; Porter herself had been adopted, by the Blanchard Fur Mill family in the 1870s. After living in the Blanchard homestead where the current Gutmann house presently stands, she later lived with the Buttery family at what became the Solon Borglum house on Borglum Road. Her last residence in Silvermine was the Sun House, built by John Ryder in 1841, on Comstock Hill Road where the Deering family was in residence in the first decade of the 20th century. The period when her memoir takes place is all the more pertinent by its description of the daily life of a declining mill village. The Sun House is the most documented building from an author’s perspective in Silvermine.
Besides Hawkes, William A. Boring, dean of the Columbia School of Architecture from 1919 to 1931, lived there, followed by Hamilton Hamilton and his daughter Helen Hamilton, both artists. Richardson Wright (1887-1961), the editor-in-chief of House and Garden for more than three decades and one of the most prolific writers on horticulture during the 20th century, lived in the house from 1918 to 1940. Wright was also President of the Silvermine Guild of Artists from 1933 to 1934. Two books written by Wright, Truly Rural (1922) and A Small House and Large Garden (1924) are testaments to the joys of country living and gardening; both books are sprinkled with references to Silvermine as well as to the Sun House itself. In A Small House and Large Garden, Wright describes the Sun House origins and his attempts to give credit to John Ryder in simple, if romanticized, prose. In 1950, a decade after Wright sold the house to Ernest Heyn, the house was purchased by James Scripps Booth, heir to the Scripps-Booth Car Company, acquired by General Motors in 1918. Booth, an artist and engineer, converted the barn into an artist’s studio. Booth sold the house in 1960 to John Harrison Yankee, Jr. and his wife Eileen Heckart (1919-2001). Heckart was an Academy Award-winning actress who starred on Broadway, film and television. Her son, Luke Yankee, published a book in 2006 entitled Just Outside The Spotlight: Growing Up With Eileen Heckart which chronicles not only her acting career but the family’s life living in Silvermine and growing up at the Sun House.
Other authors include Edward Eager, Faith Baldwin, Evan Hungter, and Vance Packark. Edward Eager (1911-1964) was a writer of children’s literature and a lyricist for a number of television productions from the late 1940s until 1963. Of the nine children’s books that he authored, three were located in Silvermine. His stories focused on life in Silvermine during the 1950s, particularly the artists, musicians and writers that lived there. Faith Baldwin (1893-1978) was a prolific author, writing over 100 books during her long career. A longtime resident of Silvermine, six of her novels were set in “Little Oxford,” a fictional version of Silvermine. These books span from The Station Wagon Set (1940), which was set in 1930s, to Any Village (1972). Fable Farm Road off of Silvermine Road is named after her “fables,” as she called her fictional accounts of the Silvermine area. Evan Hunter aka Ed McBain (1926-2005) lived at the Guthrie Mill for decades. Born Salvatore Lombino, he invented the modern police mystery novel, with 72 books written under his Ed McBain name. As Evan Hunter, he wrote an additional 22 books, including his debut, The Blackboard Jungle in 1954. Hunter referred several times to Silvermine in his novels. Finally, an important author who lived in Silvermine but did not write about it was Vance Packard (1914-1996). Packard, who was considered one of the main socialites of Silvermine during his residency there, lived in the Gutmann house for the duration of his stay in Silvermine. A journalist and social critic, Packard created the melding of academic research with popular culture with his groundbreaking book, The Hidden Persuaders (1957).
© Norwalk Association of Silvermine Homeowners 2019
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Thinking Out Loud: Ted Ginn and Urban’s Offense
By Brandon Castel
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s amazing what we forget, even when we think we remember.
I was reminded of that very fact on Wednesday, when a poster by the name of ‘UDBuck’ linked a highlight video of former Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. on our Ozone Forum message board.
Everyone remembers Ginn as one of the most electrifying players in the country when he was wearing No. 7 for the Buckeyes from 2004-06.
That is not the issue.
I can vividly remember Ginn striding down the sideline at Ohio Stadium past the horrified Michigan players on the sideline, all of whom were helpless to stop him from reaching the end zone during Ohio State’s 2004 upset in Columbus.
It’s not hard to recall his three-touchdown performance against Michigan State earlier that season, or his incredible performances against Oklahoma State and Notre Dame in Ohio State’s bowl games.
We remember Teddy Ginn as a great Ohio State football player. What we forget is just how unbelievably fast he really was once he got the ball in his hands. No seriously, forget what you think you remember. Just watch the video.
That video got me thinking out loud.
About Ted Ginn Jr…
1. A poster on our message board joked that the only reason there wasn’t an accurate 40 time for Ginn was because no one could ever catch him to put him at the starting blocks.
2. That is some clever hyperbole, but it’s hard to imagine there were many players in OSU history who could run faster than Ginn, on or off the football field.
3. Let us not forget that Ginn was a state and national champion hurdler at Glenville. He was originally being recruited by then-OSU track coach Russ Rogers, who believed the speedster could qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
4. Ginn put his track career on hold to focus on football at Ohio State, and it didn’t take him long to become one of the most dangerous return men in all of college football. He averaged 25.6 yards per return as a freshman, leading the nation and setting an Ohio State single-season record in that department.
5. The speedster burst on to the national scene at Michigan State, when he scored three touchdowns, tallying scores on a 17-yard reverse and a 58-yard reception in addition to his 60-yard punt return.
6. He eventually set a Big Ten record for most career punt return touchdowns with six, including four in one season. That mark set a school and Big Ten single-season record and at the time tied the NCAA record.
7. The last time we saw Ginn in an OSU uniform, he was racing down the sideline against Urban Meyer’s Gators for a 93-yard kick return. It turned out to be the last play he would ever make for the Buckeyes.
About Urban Meyer’s Offense…
1. Ginn finished his Ohio State career with over 4,000 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns, but it is scary to think what type of numbers he might have put up in Meyer’s offense.
2. The Buckeyes probably did a better job of using Ginn in different/creative ways than they did with any other player during the Jim Tressel era in Columbus.
3. It’s almost difficult to understand where that 2006 offense came from, based on some of the other offenses we saw during Tressel’s tenure at Ohio State.
4. The play they ran for Ginn against Notre Dame at the 6-minute mark of that video was something right out of the Urban Meyer playbook.
5. We have actually seen them run that exact play this spring, with Braxton Miller pitching the ball to Philly Brown on the reverse.
6. Philly is a good athlete, but no one else finishes that play the way Ginn did. At first, it looked like he was going to be tackled in the backfield.
7. He turned the corner got into the open field and ran past Doug Datish, who was hightailing down the left sideline. When he got to the 20-yard line, it looked like there was a wall of defenders between Ginn and the end zone. Instead, he stepped inside and then back outside, which rendered both defenders in his path useless.
8. It wasn’t just his incredible burst that made Ginn so dangerous. He had tremendous vision, uncanny change of direction, and that extra indefinable quality that made him one of the most elusive college players ever.
9. This sparked a Twitter conversation, which led someone to ask me how Ginn compared to former Florida star Percy Harvin. Both players obviously have elite, top-end speed and great vision.
10. They may have been two of the best ever when it comes to pulling away from defenders at the end of a long run or return. Ginn differed from Harvin with his ability to change direction and reverse field without slowing down enough to be tackled.
11. Most of Harvin’s long runs came from finding “seam” in the defense. He hit the hole about as hard as any player in the country, and one he got going, it was hard to bring him down.
12. Harvin was a more physical player, who could run through arm tackles and bounce off defensive backs. He was perfectly suited for Meyer’s offense. Ginn never much cared for contact, but it’s fun to think how deadly Ginn would have been in that system of misdirection.
13. He might have won the Heisman Trophy. No joke. For as good as he was at Ohio State, his statistics were never gaudy. He didn’t have exceptional hands, and was never a great route runner, but neither was Harvin. They simply found other ways to get him the ball.
12. Ginn’s best season was 2006, when he caught 59 passes for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 266 yards and another score on the ground for a total of 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns.
13. Harvin’s best season at Florida was 2008, when he caught 40 passes for 644 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 659 yards and 10 scores on the ground, for a total of 1,303 yards and 17 touchdowns.
14. The previous year, Harvin tallied 1,623 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 10 yards per carry for his career at Florida. Scary to think what Ginn might have been capable of in a similar role.
Posted by NC Sports on Monday, May 07, 2012
Labels: NC Sports Athletes in the News, ted ginn jr.
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The party begins...4
It doesn’t look good for either Prakash Karat or Mayawati in 2014.
By N.V. Subramanian (20 November 2013)
New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party: Although Kanshi Ram founded it as a national party for Dalits in North India commencing from Punjab but leaving its footprint everywhere, the Bahujan Samaj Party has become restricted to Uttar Pradesh, where it formed a government for the first time on its own led by Mayawati. Mayawati comes in the league of such strong-minded chief ministers as Jayalalithaa Jayaram and Mamata Bannerjee who are virtual dictators in their parties but, nevertheless, she has her own particularities -- and not a few peculiarities.
Mayawati is that rare Dalit politician who is totally assured of the votes of her community in Uttar Pradesh although she can be a spoiler in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh as well. Contemporary Dalit politicians such as Ram Vilas Paswan cannot share her assurance about the Dalit votebank and are struggling to remain relevant. What makes Mayawati special? It is an old theory of this writer that Mayawati on purpose has never directly worked under another upper caste politician. She has refused Union ministerships and in Uttar Pradesh, it is the chief ministership or nothing for her.
Jagjivan Ram who was the doughtiest Dalit Union minister to date and far down the line, Paswan, elected to be in cabinets led by forward caste prime ministers. Not Mayawati ever. This counts for a lot with Dalits. They are proud of her apparently absent political subjection. They are happy to bear her scorn and are delighted by her garish birthday celebrations, over-the-top personal jewellery and obsession about handbags. The stronger the allegations of financial irregularities against her, the greater their cause to rally to her defence.
But in the end, Mayawati is a rather disastrous package. She has no governing vision. It is doubtful if her government left any impact on Uttar Pradesh whose electorate, after all, dumped her for the equally or more disastrous father-and-son duo of Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav. She kept the peace in Uttar Pradesh to be sure. It did not have the rash of riots which have happened now. But this cannot be noted as an extraordinary achievement. What about growth and development, bringing the state out of generations of backwardness? Mayawati contributed nothing in that direction. But her personal riches have considerably grown in the five years she was Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister.
Ultimately, this is the great tragedy of Mayawati. If Kanshi Ram were alive, he would resent the direction of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Dalits doubtless feel more empowered today than at any time before. But they cannot, in all honesty, claim the political status of the so-called other backward classes, the Yadavs, Kurmis, Koeris, etc, represented by the likes of Mulayam Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Laloo Prasad Yadav, and so forth. Remove Mayawati from the picture and there is no Dalit politician of any consequence in national politics. The blame for this can no longer be solely directed against the forward castes. The “creamy layer” of Dalit politicians has denied growth opportunities to others in the community. This includes the Paswans of the world who are promoting their own dynasties and Mayawati is no exception to this trend.
Mayawati is still comparatively young but there is no suggestion that she is creating a structured leadership in the Bahujan Samaj Party. At least Kanshi Ram mentored her. On the other hand, Mayawati’s more trusted aides and subordinates largely are from the forward castes. After her, would the country see the bizarre situation of the Bahujan Samaj Party being led by a non-Dalit, much like a Dravidian party being headed by a Brahmin, Jayalalithaa? It is not unlikely. Below a mean, the party would not lose its strength in Uttar Pradesh and in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, on account of the Dalit votes, but it will not grow, and the decline would begin after Mayawati. Rating of the Bahujan Samaj Party: 2 out of 10.
Communist Party of India-Marxist: To run a successful political party in India, you need to be more than an ideologue, and the repeated electoral failures of the Communist Party of India-Marxist reflect rather poorly on its general secretary, Prakash Karat’s leadership qualities and instincts. The party has lost power in Kerala and West Bengal and holds on to Tripura strictly courtesy the magical electability of Manik Sarkar, who has been continuously chief minister for 15 years.
To be fair to Karat, he has also been elected to the top party post repeatedly, and his grip over the Marxist front organizations is more or less unassailable. But his traction with the electorate is nil. The last Marxist heavyweight who commanded the popular vote was Jyoti Basu, and his ambition to be prime minister in the mid-1990s was scuttled by Karat and the other young and rising communists. His argument, made to this writer on one of those days, was that it only made sense to have a Marxist prime minister of a Marxist government, and he would work in that direction. Basu’s point, although it was only generally and indirectly articulated, was that if a Marxist prime minister left a deep and abiding impression on the country, it would give a fillip to the Communist Party of India-Marxist in the future. It is debatable if history would have hewed to that course, but clearly Karat’s obduracy and puritanism have made the party stagnant and pushed it into decline.
Some weeks ago, Karat and other like-minded politicians tried to bring together a third front to be led by the likes of Nitish Kumar and Mulayam Yadav. Where has this group politics led Karat’s party? Nowhere. How on earth does it make sense for Karat to expend energies to make others the prime minister? Why not Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the former West Bengal chief minister? Or himself? Granted, the party is in no position to call the shots. But who brought it to this pass? The party was much stronger, the third in contention after the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, when Jyoti Basu wished to be prime minister. This writer believes he would have made a decent prime minister. But Karat churlishly denied him the final glory.
In a multi-party democracy, such hard line gets you immobilized. Karat does not have the flexibility of an elected politician. If he had been one, he would have been alerted to the danger of the authoritarian terror that the party had unleashed in rural West Bengal. He may not have been able to prevent the rise of Mamata Bannerjee, but there is nothing to suggest that he has since learnt the lessons from the debacles in the eastern state and in Kerala.
The bigger crisis of the party under Karat is that it has been unable to expand to new territories, while facing negative competition from the Maoists. The party has no programme for the young, no plan for the country’s economic revival aside from a stodgy opposition to reforms, and it does not have a political architecture for itself other than to seek non-existent spaces athwart the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. This is no way to do politics.
But the situation is unlikely to change. The Marxists may return to Kerala but no more in West Bengal, and it would continue to draw a blank in the rest of the country, and especially in the heartland states. This writer has great personal regard for Karat, one of the few decent and upstanding men in Indian politics, and his refusal to truck with the Indo-American nuclear deal was indeed principled. But at the same time, the Communist Party of India-Marxist has been marginalized in politics, and before long, it would be too late to revive the party. Karat must turn over the party to a younger, dynamic elected leadership. On current standing, the party will do poorly in the 2014 election. Rating: 2 out of 10.
Please also read “The party begins...1,” “The party begins...2” and “The party begins...3.”
N.V.Subramanian is the Editor of www.newsinsight.net.
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Home| Insurance News
BACK TO SCHOOL – All heavy-duty drivers to be retrained
31 March 2005, By New Straits Times
Some of the most reckless and dangerous drivers on Malaysian roads will be going back to school. By the end of the year, bus, lorry and other commercial vehicle drivers will have to attend a compulsory two-day programme designed to equip them with defensive driving skills and cut out bad habits nurtured over the years, sources told the New Straits Times. Every two years after that, they will have to attend two-day refresher courses. The move is part of the Government’s effort to reduce the number of fatal accidents and improve safety for other road users. More than 6,000 Malaysians are killed on the road every year. Last year, some 400 express buses were involved in accidents every month. Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Emran Kadir told the NST that those seeking new commercial and heavy vehicle licences would have to undergo a three-day course at purpose-built centres around the country. The first centre has been built in Kuala Langat. Here, drivers will be shown how to handle vehicles in difficult conditions such as wet and slippery roads and hilly terrain. There will also be instructions in highway traffic regulations. Other centres will be set up in Johor, Perak, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak. “Once it goes nationwide, we hope to see some changes in the driving skills of commercial and heavy vehicle drivers,” said Emran. The centres will be run by Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) and the curriculum will be drawn up by the Transport Ministry. ACE chief executive officer Scott Gibson said there were about 300 deaths from road accidents in Australia annually and 6,000 here. “The road conditions in Malaysia are so much better than those in Australia but the accident rate here is so much higher,” he said, blaming incompetent drivers for the death toll. “We have identified some of the causes and have drawn up curricula to improve driving skills. “Some drivers tailgate but do not know how to apply brakes, especially when carrying a heavy load.” Gibson said the programme would teach drivers how to react to danger. “Some drivers are not aware of fatigue symptoms. We will help them manage fatigue successfully.” Road Safety Department director-general Suret Singh noted that the present training for commercial vehicle drivers leaned heavily on theory. “We are hoping to achieve a balance between hands-on driving and in-class training. Drivers cannot learn much from just sitting in the classroom.” Defensive driving was introduced by the RTD in 1995 but has been confined to classroom teaching so far.
His finger for his car
There is a team of carjackers on the prowl in Subang Jaya and what they did to accountant K. Kumaran on Monday shows how ruthless they can be. They chopped off part of his left index finger when they realised that his S-Class Mercedes Benz had a security feature which would immobilise the car without his fingerprint. They also stripped him of all his valuables and left him naked along the Federal Highway. His ordeal started at 7pm on Monday. While walking to his second-hand RM300,000 car which was parked near his office in SS19, he was knocked down from behind by a Honda Civic. “I fell face first and four men armed with parangs came out of the car. They forced me to hand over my car keys and then asked for my car security card (a keyless alarm system needed to start some Mercedes cars). “I told them that my car did not have a security card but a system which requires my fingerprint. “They forced me to put my finger on the panel and then started the car. They bundled me into the back, between the seats and used my tie to blindfold me, ” he said from his hospital bed at the Damansara Specialist Centre. The 29-year-old explained that the security system accepts the prints of both index fingers and thumbs. Without a fingerprint, the car engine would cut off after a few minutes. Kumaran’s younger brother saw him being pushed into the car by the carjackers, and immediately lodged a report at the Subang Jaya police station. Kumaran, meanwhile, was driven to an unknown location. “I was blindfolded so I did not know where I was. I could tell that they stripped my car of its CD player and speakers. “At this point, two other men arrived and were asked whether they could bypass the immobiliser system. They said they could not.” Frustrated that they could not bypass the system, the four men again bundled Kumaran into the back seat of the car, and one of them hit him with the parang. After driving for awhile, they stopped and gang members took the victim’s two handphones, gold chain and wallet. “They asked me for my Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) for the automated teller machine cards that I had in my wallet. Fearing for my life, I gave the numbers to them,” he said. Kumaran was stripped naked and made to put his left hand on the ground. One of the thieves then used his parang to chop off the tip of his index finger. “I cried out in pain and they pushed me into a drain. When they had sped off, I took off my blindfold and found that I was by the side of the Federal Highway not far from the Batu Tiga toll plaza in Shah Alam.” The recently-engaged accountant walked a few hundred metres to the toll plaza to seek help. He was sent by police to Putrajaya Hospital for treatment. Later that night, he decided to check himself into the Damansara Specialist Centre. Kumaran said police investigators told him that the gang’s modus operandi was similar to several recent carjacking cases in Subang Jaya. Subang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Fuad Talib confirmed the incident.
New Buildings May Be Required To Be Quake Proof
30 March 2005, By BERNAMA
IPOH, March 30 — The Peninsular Malaysia Town and Country Planning Department is planning guidelines for building structures to take into consideration foundations that can withstand earthquakes. Its Director-General, Mohd Fadhil Mohd Khir said at the moment the department has 43 guidelines but none of them provide for earthquakes. “We are thinking of a guideline stressing anti-earthquake measures. There were none before this because Malaysia is not in the seismic activity zone,” he said at a town and country planning workshop for Perak, here Wednesday. The workshop was opened by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali. Mohd Fadhil said though the epicentre of the latest earthquake last Saturday was in the waters off West Sumatra, the use of new anti-earthquake building technologies was needed as tremors were felt in several areas in the peninsula. “This is a new phenomenon. Tremors were felt in Alor Setar, Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur,” he said. Several sinkholes appeared in Ipoh, and one house was badly damaged when part of the building collapsed into a sinkhole. No one was injured. The latest 8.5 magnitude earthquake has reportedly claimed more than 430 lives on Indonesia’s Nias Island, located off the west coast of Sumatera with the body count still mounting. Tremors were felt as far away as the east coast of Malaysia and Singapore. The quake comes in the wake of the one on Dec 26, which sent giant waves crashing into 12 countries fringing the Indian Ocean, killing over 273,000 people. However, this time the quake did not unleash deadly tsunamis. Mohd Fadhil said the new building guidelines would incorporate the use of rubber which would be good for the rubber industry. “Whether it will be made compulsory or not will depend on studies being carried out,” he said, adding that the guidelines would also provide for evacuation routes from buildings in times of emergencies. Tajol Rosli said he would ask municipal and district councils in Perak to require piling works to be done before projects for building of houses and high rises were undertaken. “The Kinta Valley is mostly ex-mining land. If we don’t do piling, there will be problems… housing estates normally do, but houses built in kampungs don’t,” he said. He said the Geoscience and Minerals Department could cooperate with the councils to study soil structure in areas to be developed. He was referring to a house in Kuala Dipang near here, which collapsed about 30 minutes after the 12.09 am quake in Sumatrea. “A one-metre sinkhole also appeared near my house after the last December quake, but the Geoscience and Minerals Department confirmed my house to be safe,” he added.
Tremors In Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya And Selangor
KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Minor tremors were reported here, in Putrajaya and several places in Selangor following the earthquake in West Sumatra slightly after midnight. The Fire and Rescue Department in Jalan Hang Tuah here recorded many calls of tremors around 2.30pm Tuesday from flat dwellers at the Menara Well, Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Pekeliling and the Danau Impian Apartment in Setapak. Residents in the coastal areas in Penang, Perak, Kedah, Perlis and Langkawi which were hard hit by tsunami on December 26, had been ordered to move to safer areas. The department also received calls from residents of Putrajaya of minor tremors at 2.15pm. The Meteorological Department said the tremor in West Sumatra at 2.16pm, Tuesday measured 5.5 on the Richter scale. The Fire and Rescue Department received a call at 2.46pm of a minor tremor in Rawang, Selangor. Similar reports were also received from residents of high-rise buildings in Shah Alam, Selangor. The state administration office, the 22-storey Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, where the Menteri Besar’s office is located, experienced a tremor at 2.20pm Tuesday, forcing many of the staff to scramble out to the open space, only to return 15 minutes later after it was declared safe. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo was at a function in Gombak at that time. Head of State Public Relations Department Mohd Razhali Abdul Rahman said the tremor could be felt in about three minutes, but the Fire and Rescue Department declared the building safe, without any traces of cracks. A tremor was also felt for about 30 seconds at the Worldwide commercial centre n Section 13, Shah Alam, and Taman Alam Megah here. The Shah Alam District Police Chief ACP Abdul Wahab Embong said they received at least 150 calls from Shah Alam and its surrounding areas since the earthquake erupted at slightly after midnight. “Our advice to the residents was that they should just go out to the open space until the buildings were declared safe,” he said. The Civil Defence Department (JPA3) received a call of a tremor at the 10th block of the Bandar Sultan Sulaiman in Port Klang and declared it safe about 45 minutes of checking. A tremor was also felt at the North Port, but it did not hamper the port’s operations.
Tremors Felt In Peninsular Malaysia
March 29, 2005 02:37 AM KUALA LUMPUR, — Tremors were felt in many parts of Peninsular Malaysia just after 12 am Tuesday, eye-witnesses said. Many people living in high rise buildings rushed down from their dwellings, they said. Those who ran down said they felt giddy after the tremors, reported to have lasted for more than 20 seconds. Guests at Nikko Hotel here also rushed down from their hotel rooms. Jagiee Kaur, a media consultant from Kuala Lumpur who was holidaying in Teluk Intan, said she and her family members ran out of her house when the tremors began. She immediately contacted the police station and police officers on duty told her that they had been receiving a lot of calls following the tremors. Police said they were putting their officers on the alert. An eye-witness said some phone lines in Penang were disconnected. “They can’t call out,” she said. Many people in Penang said the tremors were similar to the ones which were felt on Dec 26 when the tsunami killer waves hit many parts of the state. Those staying in Bayan Lepas near the Penang international airport and Teluk Air Tawar near the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base in Butterworth also felt the tremors. Fishermen in Penang had also gone to tie up their boats by the beach as they were afraid that they would lose their boats. Meanwhile, wire news reports said an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale was reported off the coast of Sumatra. Penang Chief Police Officer Datuk Christopher Wan said he had directed his officers to ask people staying near coastal areas to evacuate. An eye-witness said the people were more prepared this time around after the devastating Dec 26 tsunami had killed hundreds of thousands of people. “Many are scared and they are not taking any chances, especially those staying near the coast,” she added. The Pacific tsunami warning centre had said that the latest earthquake could generate a “widely destructive tsunami”. There were also reports that residents in the Klang Valley, especially in Puchong, Bandar Sunway and Kota Damansara, had felt the tremors. Meanwhile, Malaysian Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia) President Datuk Dr Jemilah Mahmood said that from information garnered from the society’s members serving in Aceh, the area badly affected by the earthquake was Sibolga, South Tapanuli, in Sumatra. The members in Aceh were safe, according to Dr Jemilah.
80% believe they won’t get caught
28 March 2005, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 80% of Malaysians drivers believe they will not be caught when they commit road offences. A recent survey by Universiti Putra Malaysia revealed that the “risk-taking behaviour” included beating red lights, speeding, driving too closely to the car in front, overtaking dangerously and cutting queues at emergency lanes. The survey indicated that only 17% to 25% of drivers were conscious of the possibility of getting caught for their wrongdoings. Road Safety Department director-general Suret Singh said the drivers’ perception that they would not be caught for their offences was a “risky behaviour.” “Drivers are not adhering to the law (which) can only result in more accidents and fatalities. “The department is working closely with the police and Road Transport Department (JPJ) to reduce this figure (percentage) through better education and enforcement,” said Suret Singh. He said that in developed countries, 95% of motorists believe they would be caught for violating traffic rules and Malaysia was working towards this target. Suret Singh was responding to an Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) message to its members in its Drive magazine that the results from the road safety campaigns had not been satisfactory. AAM chairman Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar Tunku Mustapha said that despite the many campaigns held annually, the end results were far from satisfactory. “Although enforcement by various agencies has been stepped up, the desired result to change the negative attitude of the vast majority of the motoring public has not been achieved. “Enforcement should not be given less priority at anytime. It should, in fact, be further strengthened to combat the ongoing problem related to ‘speed freaks,’ carelessness and inconsiderate driving,” he added. According to an Asian Development Bank study, road accidents cost RM9.12bil in economic losses to Malaysia, equivalent to 2.4% of gross domestic product last year. There were 6,223 fatalities and 46,420 injuries resulting from road crashes last year.
Almost 50 Motorcycles Stolen Every Day!
KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — The General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) announced a 59 percent jump in motorcycle thefts reported to insurers last year. In a statement here Thursday, PIAM said there were 17,762 reported cases of motorcycle thefts last year compared to 11,142 in 2003. This meant almost 50 motorcycles were stolen everyday last year! The three most popular targets were Honda motorcycles of various models (7,802), followed by Yamaha (6,294) and Modenas (2,039). Selangor recorded the highest number of motorcycle thefts (6,001), whilst Wilayah Persekutuan (3,069) and Pulau Pinang (1,673) came in second and third respectively. PIAM’s executive director Lim Chia Fook said the insurance industry incurred claims amounting to RM67 million for motorcycle theft losses last year. This was almost double the theft losses in 2003 which amounted to RM34 million. In view of the escalation in the number of motorcycle thefts, PIAM has advised motorcycle owners to adopt enhanced security measures. Among the measures to reduce the risk of motorcycle thefts, owners should apply extra locks such as dual-lock system, fork lock and wheel lock on their vehicles, it said. Parking should be always also in a well-lit area or with a group of other motorcycles. “Beware of persons offering to sell motorcycles or motorcycle spare parts and accessories at very much below prevailing market prices. You may be buying stolen property,” said Lim. PIAM is the national association, representing all 35 licensed general insurance companies in Malaysia.
Four charged with stealing and retaining seven cars
Penang: Four men were charged in two magistrate’s courts yesterday with stealing and retaining seven Proton cars worth between RM30,000 and RM72,000 each. Car workshop assistant Ng Tee Wan, 38, and Tan Sim Chai, 22, claimed trial to stealing a Proton Waja belonging to Teh Siew Hoon, 51, at Taman Seri Damai, Lebuhraya Batu Lanchang, between Jan 6 and Jan 7. Ng and Tan are also jointly charged with possessing two bags containing tools used for stealing vehicles. They were allowed bail of RM2,000 each pending sentencing on May 4. Ng and Neoh Teik Kok, 23, claimed trial to stealing a Waja belonging to Tan Seah Toe, 51, in Taman Bukit Jambul, between last June 8 and June 9. Neoh pleaded guilty to retaining Teh’s car in Jelutong on March 14. Ng claimed trial to separate charges of stealing two Wira Aerobacks and a Waja between Jan 23 and Feb 19. He also claimed trial to stealing a Perdana between Jan 12 and Jan 13. The fourth accused, Ng Hang Hua, 53, claimed trial to retaining a stolen Waja in Bukit Mertajam on March 17. All the accused were allowed bail ranging from RM4,000 to RM8,000 for each charge pending trial. =end=
Four Held and 40 stolen cars recovered in farming village
22 February 2005, By The Star
TELUK INTAN: With tracts of padi land and durian orchards, Kampung Gajah, about 50km north of here, has been a thriving farming village for years. However, the police reckon that it may as well be known as “Kampung Kancil” after they nabbed four men who allegedly sold dirt-cheap Perodua Kancil cars to gullible buyers in the “elephant village” and outlying areas. The suspects, aged 30 to 40, were found to have resold the cars at between RM4,000 and RM6,000 each to their customers, who included civil servants and self-employed villagers. The buyers reportedly paid in cash, and there were some who bought two or three cars. Of 40 cars recovered following the arrest of the four men over the past week, 29 were Perodua Kancil models. The others were three Proton Waja, three Proton Wira, two Proton Perdana and a Proton Iswara, Honda Accord and Mercedes Benz C200. So far, Perak police have ascertained that 26 of the seized Kancil were stolen and they are checking the status of the others with their counterparts in Bukit Aman and Johor, where most of the thefts were reported. The cars, with a market value of more than RM1mil, were recovered from buyers in Kampung Gajah, Pengkalan Pegoh in Ipoh and here. State deputy CID chief Supt Abdul Rahman Hashim said the cars all had false number plates and road tax discs and were without registration cards or insurance coverage. “However, their engine and chassis numbers were not tampered with,” he said at a press conference at the Kampung Gajah police station yesterday, adding that the scam had been going on since last month. Supt Abdul Rahman said police were alerted about the sale of the cars after the officer in-charge of the Kampung Gajah police station, Sub-Insp Hasan Nor, received a tip-off that a villager had bought a Perodua Kancil for only RM5,000. He alerted Perak Tengah district crime chief Asst Supt Mohd Sahar Abdul Aziz, who then led a police team to detain a 34-year-old security guard on Feb 15. They recovered RM90,000 believed to be from the sale of the stolen cars. Supt Abdul Rahman said the team recovered several cars from the man. After interrogating the guard, police traced three other men the following day and seized more cars. Several days later, some of the buyers voluntarily surrendered their cars at the police station after word about the racket spread. Supt Abdul Rahman said the buyers had been told that the cars were cheap because the vehicles were offered for tender by the Customs Department. “We are investigating whether there are more such cars out there and if more people are involved,” he said. Kampung Gajah state assemblyman Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, when contacted, said he was shocked that the small town had such racketeers as well as gullible buyers. “How can they buy? Greedy people … as long as they can buy at a cheap price they don’t care whether the documents are proper or not,” he said.
Guidelines To Regulate Tow Truck Operations on the Way
19 February 2005, By BERNAMA
RAWANG, Feb 19 (Bernama) — The Road Transport Department (RTD) will draw up rules to govern an old and sometimes disreputable trade — tow truck operation. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the business needs to regulated including requiring the operators to be registered and issued with permits. “We are looking into this and will come up with the guidelines on how to regulate tow truck activities. RTD has been asked to look into this. “I have not given them (RTD) any time frame. I will leave it to them to prepare the guidelines,” he told reporters at a Chinese New Year gathering at San Yoke Secondary School here Saturday. “But I want it (the guidelines) as soon as possible,” he added. Chan said the guidelines would include training modules for tow truck drivers, registration and categorisation of licences and permits. He was responding to numerous public complaints on the conduct of tow truck operators which included exorbitant towing charges and towing vehicles without their owners’ consent.
Abandoned and smuggled cars ending up in Thailand
KANGAR: The Thai Padang Bazaar Customs is holding a big auction for 270 Malaysian cars this weekend. The auction reflects the high number of Malaysian-registered vehicles being smuggled, stolen, or abandoned across the border. The Thai authorities seized these vehicles over the last three years and for this week’s auction, those interested can obtain more information at their website www.padangcustom.com/used-cars.htm. The vehicles range from compact Kancils to luxury BMWs. It has stumped the authorities how some of these vehicles could have passed through the border without the necessary documents. Some of the vehicles were believed to be stolen before being smuggled into Thailand and subsequently seized by the authorities there. Some were abandoned by owners who could not continue servicing their hire purchase loans while others were seized after the drivers were found to be involved in disreputable activities. A Malaysian liaison police spokesman said it was likely that syndicates were involved in some of the cases but to date, no successful method had been found to curtail their activities. “Our country does not export vehicles to Thailand but there is this large number of Malaysian-registered vehicles there. This is cause for concern,” the Songkhla-based spokesman said. He said the standard requirement for vehicles entering Thailand was for the driver to declare to the Thai customs by furnishing a copy of the vehicle’s grant or registration card issued by the Malaysian Road Transport Department. “Drivers must then purchase Thai insurance for the duration their vehicles would be in that country,” he said. A Malaysian consulate-general spokesman said stricter border management could help curb some of the problems. He also said there should be greater effort by both sides to prevent the smuggling or abandoning of Malaysian vehicles in Thailand.
Eight Per Cent Rise In Chinese New Year Road Accident Deaths
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) — A total of 188 people died on the road during the 15-day “Ops Sikap VIII” Chinese New Year traffic operation that ended Wednesday, an eight per cent increase compared to 174 deaths for the same period last year. National traffic chief Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancras said 11,462 accidents were reported from Feb 2-16. “Motorcyclists accounted for the highest number of deaths with 100 followed by 55 who travelled in cars,” he told Bernama Thursday. The total number of accidents, however, was 0.2 per cent lower than the figure recorded last year, he added. He said 844 accidents occurred on expressways, 2,843 on federal roads and 2,030 on state roads. Most of the accidents were caused by speeding and this fact was underscored by the 163,080 summonses issued by the police during the operation period of which half were for driving beyond the speed limit, he said. Wednesday, the final day of the operation, there were 632 accidents reported and they resulted in nine deaths.
MOTORCYCLE LICENCE: 18 to be a biker
17 February 2005, By New Straits Times
Motorcyclists must be at least 18 years old to have a licence, under a proposal to be submitted to the Transport Ministry next month. The present age limit is 16. The proposal, by the Road Safety Department and Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre, is aimed at reducing road fatalities. “We need to increase their age. This is the only way to reduce the number of deaths among those below 18,” the centre’s director, Professor Radin Umar, told the New Straits Times today. The Road Transport Department made a similar suggestion last month. Radin said their research showed that raising the age limit could help save the lives of 350 to 400 youths yearly. Last year, almost half the 6,223 road fatalities — 3,088 — were motorcyclists. Radin said another proposal to reduce the number of road deaths was to require local car manufacturers to install air bags in Malaysian-made cars. “Safety belts prevent chest injuries, but sometimes the head is crushed and there is nothing to protect the sudden head movement,” he explained. At present, most cars from the United States, Europe and Japan are fitted with air bags. Radin said another approach was to request the Government for tax exemption on any additional safety features installed in locally-manufactured cars. “If we really want to reduce injury, there is a need to increase safety features in local cars. “We are proposing that the Government provide incentives to car manufacturers so that more safety features will be installed and cars driven by Malaysians would be safer.” Radin has been involved in research on patterns and trends in road accidents in Malaysia for the past 20 years, and has come up with several proposals for the Government. Another important feature he hoped would be considered involves improving the planning of housing estates and road design. “There are too many accidents due to bad planning. Sometimes certain spots of the road are so dangerous and when an accident happens it is not the fault of the driver.” He added that such “blind spots” could have been avoided with proper planning.
Higher death toll puzzle
The police are at a loss. Why, they ask, has there been a significant increase in road crashes and deaths during this year’s Chinese New Year celebration? Yesterday, 21 road deaths were reported. The figure was the highest so far during this year’s operation and equalled the highest figure in a single day recorded last year. A total of 164 people have been killed in the 12 days of Ops Sikap VIII so far, a figure that surpasses that of the same period during Ops Sikap VI (during Chinese New Year 2004). In the first 12 days of Ops Sikap VI, 140 casualties were reported. The same period of Ops Sikap VI also saw 8,796 crashes, while this year’s operation has so far recorded 9,312 accidents. Federal traffic police chief Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancras said police were unable to explain the increase in accidents and deaths this year. He said a detailed study into the causes of the accidents would have to be undertaken. “If you look at the statistics, more than 50 per cent of the casualties were motorcyclists or pillion riders. That, in my opinion, is where the priority lies. “Most of the fatal accidents also occurred on Federal and state roads and not highways. I believe motorcyclists take big risks weaving in and out of traffic and since traffic on such roads is heavy, accidents will occur,” he said. Of the 164 killed so far, 87 were motorcyclists or pillion riders. Yesterday alone, 13 lost their lives. Of the 9,312 accidents, 3,989 have been on Federal and state roads. This number includes 94 of the 138 fatal accidents recorded so far. Gingkoi said emphasis had always been placed on Federal and state roads, but it appeared that even more traffic policemen needed to be deployed. “This year we had an additional 600 personnel from other departments dispersed among the states to help out in Ops Sikap, but we may need to have even more in the future.” He said the main cause of accidents was speeding. “This is especially so on Federal roads. Drivers and riders speed and lose control of their vehicles, either crashing by themselves or into other vehicles,” he said. Meanwhile, 658 motorists have paid the RM300 on-the- spot fines.
Overloading penalties for small vehicles
7 February 2005, By New Straits Times
Penalties for overloading, currently limited to commercial vehicles, will soon be extended to passenger cars below 1,000cc. The Transport Ministry is studying amendments to the Road Transport Act to ensure drivers do not pack their vehicles with people. This follows recent accidents involving small vehicles with as many as eight people in them where whole families have been wiped out. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said his officers were looking at the amendments and the need for new by-laws. “The public should not be upset with these changes as it is for their safety,” he said. He said the proposed amendments would hinge on the recommendations made in a study on road safety undertaken by both the Road Transport Department and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Road Safety Research Centre. Among others, the study looked at vehicle types, number of passengers and size of passengers. “The study will be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety for further discussion,” he said. He said the Government was concerned over this matter as overloading was a serious problem. Chan agreed that stricter regulations are needed for the smaller cars as more cars of 1,000cc and below are flooding the market. Besides Perodua’s Kancil, Kelisa and Kenari models, other small cars in the market are Chevrolet’s Spark, Hyundai’s Atos, Fiat’s Panda and Kia’s Picanto. National car-maker Proton Holdings Bhd planned to introduce its one-litre model, or TRM, to replace its Tiara, in the first quarter of this year. Small cars of 1,000cc and below are popular with new buyers as they cost little.
HK-linked luxury car theft syndicate active again
A Hong Kong-Malaysia luxury car smuggling ring which was exposed 16 years ago seems to have been reactivated. It is now trying to move stolen loot into China. This came to light after several stolen luxury cars, worth more than RM1.5 million, were recovered recently in Hong Kong. Several policemen from Hong Kong arrived here recently to exchange information with their local counterparts. Checks revealed the stolen vehicles recovered in Hong Kong were makes like BMW, Mercedes Benz, Toyota Unser and Toyota Camry. Over the past three months, at least five stolen vehicles were recovered but investigators believe this figure could increase as the probe widens. While forged importation and customs clearance documents showed the vehicles arrived from Singapore, investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the stolen vehicles originated from here. Engine and chassis numbers of the stolen vehicles were provided to local police to enable them to check their records. “Interpol is assisting Hong Kong police in their investigations to ascertain how widespread the activities of the car theft-cum-smuggling syndicate are,” a source disclosed. While investigations are still in the initial stages, police are working on the theory that syndicate members had planned for the stolen cars to be taken into China to cater to the rising affluent market in the southern region. In November 2003, police busted a car theft-cum- smuggling syndicate which “exported” more than 300 luxury cars via Port Klang in containers. Some of the containers were tracked to shipyards in Singapore, and police there managed to intercept the cargo before they reached Indonesia’s Batam island and several destinations including New Zealand and Australia. The police operation then led to the recovery of more than 15 stolen vehicles, and numerous arrests. However, the brains behind the syndicate managed to elude the police dragnet and still remains at large. The Hong Kong-Malaysia connection first came to light in 1989 when several Mercedes Benzs reported stolen in the former British colony were recovered here. Checks revealed a used car dealer had imported the vehicles using forged documents and sold them to unsuspecting buyers. Although the stolen vehicles bore different registration numbers when “imported”, the original registration numbers were traced through the cars’ engine and chassis numbers.
Most road accident victims are bikers
7 February 2005, By The Star
PETALING JAYA: About 60% of those killed in road accidents during the first five days of the balik kampung rush were motorcyclists and the authorities are worried that this trend will continue to rise. Federal traffic chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancras pointed out that on Saturday alone, 11 out of 17 killed in road accidents were those riding motorcycles. He feels that the riders are not paying attention to the authorities’ safety campaign targeted at them. “Motorcyclists must realise that they are vulnerable to accidents if they are not careful on the roads,” he said, adding that out of the 50 people killed during the five-day period, 30 were motorcyclists. “The next time you are on a motorcycle, please remember to fasten your helmet and also don’t weave in and out of traffic. “Although the overall number of deaths so far has shown a reduction compared with the same period under Ops Sikap VII previously, I want to remind motorists to remain alert and get enough sleep before they start their journey,” he said. So far there were 3,281 accidents nationwide and SAC Gingkoi said most of them occurred between 4pm and midnight. He added that during the same period, police had issued 42,346 summonses and notices to motorists for various traffic offences. SAC Gingkoi said at any one time there would be about 2,500 to 3,000 personnel deployed throughout the country. “We also have deployed 78 General Operations Force personnel to man the highways and additional staff to monitor the trunk and state roads.” He said police expected traffic on the major highways to be heavy over the next few days. Meanwhile, Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad told Bernama that only 15% of children riding pillion on motorcycles in Kuala Lumpur wore crash helmets. “That is the scary finding of a study by the Road Safety Research Centre of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).” Isa said only 85% of motorcyclists and 75% of pillion riders in the city wore helmets while on the roads. “The study also showed that in housing areas, only 60% of motorcyclists and less than 40% of pillion riders wear helmets,” he said when launching a crash helmet wearing campaign at Sri Perak public housing estate in the city yesterday.
Citigroup sale spells end of bank-insurer combination
NEW YORK: Nearly seven years after Citigroup Inc defied US law by merging bank, insurance and brokerage businesses under one red umbrella, the financial giant is conceding that the combination was not such a great idea after all. Citigroup agreed on Monday to sell most of Travelers Life & Annuity to MetLife Inc for US$11.5bil in cash and stock, ending its involvement in the underwriting of insurance policies. The reason, Citigroup officials and analysts said, was that insurance was less profitable and grew more slowly than other financial businesses. “Insurance in general is a lower (return-on-equity) business than banking. No matter how you slice it, it never musters the same power,” said Sandler O’Neill & Partners strategist Robert Albertson. In 1999, the US Congress overhauled Depression-era laws that built walls between banking, insurance and brokerage. The changes came a year after Sandy Weill’s Travelers Group Inc, which had insurance and brokerage and capital markets businesses, merged with global commercial banking giant Citicorp, essentially forcing lawmakers’ hands. The deal was expected to trigger a wave of bank-insurance combinations, creating more European-style “universal” banks with insurance, brokerage and banking under one roof. A number of small and regional banks bought insurance agencies, but no big US banks ever followed Citigroup’s lead in diving into the underwriting business. “Citi found that it was unnecessary. The business combination didn’t work out the way they expected,” said Dick Bove, banking analyst at Punk, Ziegel & Co. Citigroup spun off 90% of Travelers Property Casualty Corp two years ago. With the MetLife deal, about all that remains of Travelers at Citigroup is the red umbrella logo. Analysts said that Citigroup’s plan to offer “one-stop shopping” for financial services to its millions of banking customers, a core premise for the merger, did not pan out. Companies and consumers continued to buy insurance through agents or direct sales. “There were not as many cross-selling opportunities for banks as originally anticipated,” said Andrew Collins, a banking analyst with Piper Jaffrey. Citigroup has had to set aside billions of dollars to support its insurance activities, hurting overall returns. Without insurance, analysts said, the company would generate more earnings growth and higher profit margins and command a higher stock price.
White Collar Crimes Result In RM836.2 Million Losses
26 January 2005, By BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) — White collar crimes accounted for RM836.2 million in losses to individuals, companies and government agencies last year. Bukit Aman Director of the Commercial Crimes Department Datuk Hairuddin Mohamed said 9,899 cases were reported last year ranging from fraud, breach of trust, falsifying of documents and credit card fraud. “Although the number of white collar crimes dropped by 1,815 cases compared to the same period in 2003, the amount involved was substantially more,” he told Bernama here. He said that in 2003, the department received reports on 11,714 cases with losses amounting to RM579.8 million. “A total of 4,161 fraud cases involving individuals and companies were reported involving RM475,041,657 compared to 4,128 cases with total value of RM315,949,670 in 2003,” he said. Hairuddin said there were 1,931 breach of trust cases totalling RM342.8 million against 1,720 cases involving RM228 million in 2003. He said that among the states which registered the most number of white collar crimes last year was Selangor (2,036), followed by Johor (1,501), Kuala Lumpur (1,104), Sarawak (838), Sabah (743) and Perak (649).
Bank Negara launches Financial Mediation Bureau
21 January 2005, By Business Times
The Banking Mediation Bureau (BMB) and the Insurance Mediation Bureau (IMB) have been merged into a single entity called the Financial Mediation Bureau (FMB). The merger comes in the wake of the blurring of lines between services offered by banks, insurance companies and other financial intermediaries. Besides the areas previously covered by the two bureaus, the FMB has been given a wider scope to also cover Islamic banking, takaful, development finance institutions, selected payment system operators and non-bank issuers of credit and charge cards. Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who launched the FMB in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, said the limit in cases falling within the bureau’s jurisdiction has been increased to allow more people to have access to it for mediation. For banking and other financial institutions, the FMB handles complaints, disputes or claims not exceeding RM100,000 relating to personal and housing loans, automated teller machines (ATMs), cash deposit machines, credit and charge cards, hire purchase, savings accounts, fixed deposits, general, special and specific investment accounts, remittances, and electronic and Internet banking. For fraud cases involving payment instruments, credit cards, charge cards, ATM cards and cheques, the limit is RM25,000. For insurance and takaful, the FMB handles cases with claims not exceeding RM200,000 for motor and fire insurance, not exceeding RM5,000 for third party property damage, and not exceeding RM100,000 for others. Apart from the expanded coverage, Zeti said, the FMB plans to improve its nation-wide accessibility by progressively establishing five regional offices. Incorporated on August 30 last year, the FMB is governed by a board of directors comprising nine members, of whom five are independent directors, with the balance from the banking and insurance industries.
Mechanics must be certified, says Fong
10 January 2005, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Car mechanics should be certified by the National Vocational Training Council under the Human Resources Ministry before they are allowed to work on vehicles, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn. He said changes to the laws and regulations governing the motor industry would make it difficult for uncertified mechanics to service luxury cars or those using sophisticated technology. “A motor mechanic who learnt his trade through a mentor may no longer be allowed to handle cars like Mercedes and BMW. “Carmakers and the insurance industry may not recognise his work,” he told reporters yesterday after opening the Federal Territory and Selangor Automobile Repairers Association’s new three-storey building in Cheras here. The association, established 28 years ago, has more than 500 members. Most of its members are major operators with one-stop centres that provide services ranging from maintenance and bodywork to assistance with insurance claims. The association’s deputy chairman, Datuk Ho Yoon Ping, said there were some 2,000 car mechanics in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor who were not certified. “Most of them are mechanics who operate at workshops in shoplots or sometimes under a tree, and many of them only provide one type of service like maintenance of one car part,” he said. With the new building, he added, the association would now have ample space to run certified training courses together with the council.
9 more banks impose Puspakom ruling
7 January 2005, By Business Times
ANOTHER nine banks and finance companies have made it compulsory for used cars to be checked at the Puspakom computerised vehicle inspection centre to ensure their roadworthiness and legal status before loans for their purchases are approved. This brings to 15 the total number of financial institutions making such inspections mandatory. Puspakom parent company DRB-HICOM Bhd chairman Tan Sri Mohd Saleh Sulong said the inspection outfit is expected to handle 250,000 used cars a year from the tie-ups. “Puspakom inspected a total of 91,243 units of commercial and private vehicles in 2003. In 2004, the number increased threefold to 286,193 units,” Saleh said. Public Bank Bhd, RHB Delta Finance Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd and Bank Islam Malaysia were among those who signed for the scheme with Puspakom yesterday. Others were Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd, Amanah International Finance Bhd, Alliance Bank Bhd and Bank Simpanan Nasional. Puspakom in June last year sealed similar pacts with AmFinance Bhd, Mayban Finance Bhd, Bumiputra-Commerce Finance Bhd, Affin-ACF Finance Bhd, Southern Finance Bhd and EON Finance Bhd. The mandatory inspection now forms part of the sale and purchase agreement. Before this, only commercial vehicles needed the Puspakom stamp of approval before they can operate, while the inspection of private cars is voluntary. The inspection may help reduce sales of stolen and joint cars, Saleh said at the signing ceremony yesterday. It also helps used-car dealers improve sales figures as Puspakom’s certification will give credibility to their business. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said the number of stolen vehicles rose 19 per cent to 19,906 units in 2003. Puspakom inspected 178,707 vehicles from March 2004 to December 2004. Saleh said Puspakom found 1,284 vehicles with discrepancies of which 917 were half-cut cars, 162 with altered chassis numbers and 205 had engine numbers tampered with. The company is allocating an express lane for the finance companies’ appointed dealers to ensure that vehicle inspection for each car is completed within an hour, he added.
INSURANCE INDUSTRY OFFERS SUPPORT
31 December 2004, By PIAM
Kuala Lumpur, December 31 – In support of the victims of the tsunami tragedy, Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM) donated RM200,000 to the “Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund” on behalf of its member companies. Meanwhile, member companies of the Association are also making their own separate donations to this and other funds set up to aid the tsunami victims. PIAM had on Monday, expressed its sadness over the mounting death toll and devastation caused by the earthquake, which triggered the tsunami that hit vast areas of the Indian Ocean and our own shores. The Association offers its deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims, their families and friends of this tragedy and hopes for the safe return of those that have been listed as missing. ==end==
MOTORISTS TO BENEFIT FROM JPJ e-INSURANCE
Kuala Lumpur, December 27 – With effect from 1st January 2005, motorists will be the main beneficiary of the JPJ’s e-Insurance Project, an IT-based service that was launched on 5th October 2004 by the Minister of Transport with the full support of the JPJ, general insurers and takaful operators. The e-Insurance services enable insurance companies to key in their policyholders’ motor insurance details and transmit them electronically to JPJ’s computer database for processing. Since the launch in October, all motor insurers in Malaysia have been linked to the JPJ computer system via electronic gateways operated by three gateway providers. Over the last two months, insurers have been expanding their computer linkages to their agents in order to take full advantage of the e-Insurance service to expedite issuance of motor insurance cover at point of sale and the subsequent transmission of the insurance details to the JPJ. Under e-Insurance, once the motor insurance has been purchased and details transmitted, the insured can go to the JPJ to renew his road tax without any hassles as the insurance details are already captured on the JPJ computers. From 2005 onwards, the JPJ has decided that all insurance information must be transmitted to its computer system via the e-Insurance service only and physical motor cover notes will no longer be accepted by the JPJ.. With full implementation of e-Insurance, problems such as long queues at the JPJ counters will be minimized as keying in and verification of insurance details will be eliminated thereby shortening waiting times at the JPJ counters. Furthermore, reducing the need for repetitive capture of data will also ensure accuracy and consistency of data in JPJ’s database. Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia’s (PIAM) Executive Director Lim Chia Fook said that for insurance companies, the elimination of physical motor cover notes will help resolve the problems of forged cover notes as well as reduce document inventory. “E-Insurance has served as a strong impetus for insurers who have yet to take full advantage of information and communications technology (ICT) to fast-track their ICT development plans to remain competitive in the market as well as to provide efficient services to their customers,” said Lim. With the new year, the customary rush to purchase new cars or replace old ones will see an increase in demand for insurance cover for road tax renewals as well as the registration of new cars. PIAM’s advice to motorists to ensure a hassle-free insurance and road tax renewal process are: • RENEW your motor insurance early through your insurance agent, nearest insurance branch office or at selected Pos Malaysia offices; • ALWAYS request for a receipt as record of payment of premiums for the motor insurance; • To ensure that the data captured for the e-Insurance transmission is accurate and consistent with the JPJ’s records, motorists should provide a copy of their vehicle registration card to their insurance representatives to verify the details to be transmitted to JPJ; • Motorists should obtain confirmation from their insurance representatives that their motor insurance is one that is transacted under the e-Insurance scheme and that the insurance details have been transmitted electronically to JPJ. • From 1st January 2005, the JPJ has decided that all insurance information must be transmitted to them via the e-Insurance service only and physical motor cover notes will no longer be accepted by the JPJ thereafter. • Motorists in more remote or rural areas, who may face difficulties in purchasing motor insurance may wish to consider purchasing their motor insurance from selected Pos Malaysia offices that are also authorized to renew road tax for motorists on behalf of the JPJ.
Eleven Traffic Policemen Including An Officer Detained For Graft
17 November 2004, By BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR,– Eleven traffic policemen, including an Inspector, from the Bukit Aman Traffic division were detained for allegedly taking bribes from motorists who had committed traffic offences during a road block at the Karak Highway recently. The policemen were detained after investigations by the Bukit Aman disciplinary department following a public tip-off. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Noh Omar today confirmed the arrest after visiting traffic policemen Kpl Roslan Maazin, 38, who was injured in a road accident, at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia hospital (HUKM) Wednesday. He said all the policemen were suspended from their duty pending further action. He said the Home Ministry did not condone the actions of this small group of policemen who continued to tarnish the image of the force. “They (policemen) should realise that their action has serious repercussion as there are many police officers who are highly dedicated to their duty with some of them willing to sacrifice their lives to uphold the dignity of the force,” he added. Noh however declined to divulge further details on the 11 traffic policemen saying that the matter was being handled by the police headquarters. The deputy minister urged the public to contact the disciplinary department of the force or other senior officers at the state if traffic policemen demanded bribes. “We are serious in this matter and at the same time we also hope more policemen will detain errant motorists who attempt to offer money to stop officers from taking action against them,” he added. On another matter, Noh said since year 2000 nine traffic policemen were killed and 134 injured while on duty. Noh said latest case, involving Kpl Roslan on Monday at Karak Highway, was another example where a reckless driver almost killed a policeman when he was directing traffic following a minor accident.
Pak Lah orders crackdown on bad driving
10 November 2004, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ordered that tougher measures be taken to improve road safety and to reduce traffic accident fatalities. He outlined four steps which he said could do this. The measures which must be enforced all-year round are: ·POLICE setting up watchtowers at regular intervals along major roads and highways to enable them to make their presence felt and for surveillance; ·ISSUING summonses and implementing the Kejara demerit system strictly; ·REVOKING the permits of commercial vehicles whose drivers are involved in accidents and committing offences; and ·HAVING police patrol cars travel at the speed limit and summoning vehicles which overtake them. Concerned with the daily average of 866 road accidents and 17 deaths recorded from January to September this year, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told the police, Road Transport Department (JPJ) and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) to get errant drivers off the road to discipline them. “They (bad drivers) have no respect for traffic rules and regulations. Their attitude is very bad and the numerous road safety campaigns have not changed their attitude,” Abdullah told reporters after a briefing on the road traffic safety situation at Bukit Aman here yesterday. The Prime Minister was initially scheduled to attend a 25-minute road safety briefing at the federal police headquarters. He, however, was there for about three hours and later announced the tough measures and also ordered the police, JPJ, CVLB and Transport Ministry to take immediate steps to reduce road accidents and fatalities. Responding to the Prime Minister’s call, the JPJ, CVLB, federal traffic police and Transport Ministry officers held an emergency meeting in Putrajaya in the afternoon to prepare a Cabinet paper on ways to reduce road fatalities. The paper will be tabled by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy at the Cabinet meeting today. It is learnt that some of the proposals are so drastic, that if accepted, will change the behaviour of motorists on the road. The Prime Minister’s call for tougher measures contrasted with his approach last year when he advised road users to be careful when travelling back home during the festive season. However, the number of road accidents and fatalities still increased, with 216 deaths and 9,655 accidents recorded over a 10-day period before and after the Hari Raya celebrations. Abdullah also directed the CVLB to permanently cancel permits of public and commercial vehicles involved in accidents. “They cannot give any more excuses that their drivers are the culprits and that they should not be penalised,” he said, adding that permit holders had to ensure that their drivers were careful on the road.
Automatic suspension for drivers in accidents
8 November 2004, By New Straits Times
Drivers who get into accidents may have their licences automatically suspended for two weeks — even if they are not at fault. This proposal, the toughest yet, was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is clearly frustrated and tired of pleading with and advising people to drive more carefully. “Appeals to road users to drive carefully have fallen on deaf ears,” he said, explaining why tough measures were needed. “We can’t be kind and give gentle advice because it doesn’t work,” he added. The Prime Minister said if people did not behave themselves behind the wheels, they had to face the consequences. Under the proposal, which is being studied, those who report accidents will have their driving licences retained by the police. They can only claim their licences two weeks later and upon paying a fine. Speaking at the launch of the Deepavali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri road safety campaign at KL Sentral Station, here, today, Abdullah said the Government had to be tough on people who caused accidents. “If the accidents are fatal, harsher penalties await the guilty,” he added. He said the Cabinet had been briefed on the issue and ministers agreed with the proposal. He said they wanted it implemented as soon as possible. Abdullah said he had informed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar and the Attorney-General (Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail) on the proposal and had requested that all legal implications be looked into. In his speech, Abdullah said the licence should be seized and held for two weeks by the police in the district where the accident occurred. “If the accident occurred in Taiping, your licence will be held there. And if you are living in Johor, it is just too bad. “If you do not come to collect (the licence), you cannot drive without a licence as it is another offence,” he said, adding that these offenders would not be able to apply for a new licence. He said it was shameful that the country recorded such a high number of road accidents, caused mainly by careless and reckless drivers. “We are proud of our Petronas Twin Towers … we are proud of other achievements but this is one area Malaysia cannot be proud of. “We have a world-class road network which is wide and extensive, but we continue to drive in a shameful manner. “I am advising you, I am pleading with you to be careful. I hope you will not make me cry. I am not going overboard in giving advice to road users … the statistics are too high.” On a proposal by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye that drivers and riders who have undergone training courses on defensive driving be allowed to pay less insurance premium for their vehicles, he said it was a good idea as it was a form of incentive. “What is important is that these drivers, with their knowledge on defensive driving, must have a positive attitude on the road,” he added. Themed Usage of Public Transportation Reduces Accidents, the campaign encourages road users to take public transport to return to their hometowns for the festivities to reduce the risk of road accidents.
PM Proposes Seizing Licences Of Drivers Who Cause Accidents
7 November 2004, By BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR,– Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proposed that the licences of drivers who cause road accidents be seized and held for 14 days by the police in the district where the accidents happened. He said this measure was to provide a lesson to the drivers who would be compelled to return to that district to retrieve their licences as well as pay the required fines. “I have spoken about the proposal to the Cabinet and my colleagues also believe it is a good idea that should be implemented as soon as possible,” he told reporters after launching the Deepavali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri road safety campaign here Sunday. Abdullah said the proposal had been submitted to the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail for a detailed study. In his speech, Abdullah said the proposal to seize driving licences was among stronger measures that the government would consider if the number of road accidents continued to rise, especially those that caused death. “All this is so unnecessary but we have to be tough if people don’t want to behave. We are not going to go easy on them if they commit an offence on the road. “If the accidents cause death, harsher actions would be taken,” he said. He said the government and other authorities every year reminded and advised road users to drive with care, particularly during festive seasons, but the advice was obviously ineffective. “Gentle advice didn’t work, so we have to make it difficult for them,” he said. Abdullah said his proposal would include punishing drivers who delayed retrieving their seized licences from the police. “Don’t even think to drive without a licence,” he warned. He said he was ashamed of the country’s road accident statistics, espcially the number of fatalities, which ranked among the worst in the world. “We are proud of Petronas Twin Towers, which is the tallest in the world, and we are proud of other achievements but this (the accident rate) is one subject Malaysia cannot be proud of. “We have built a world class road network, wide and extensive, but we continue to drive in a shameful manner,” he said. Abdullah said accidents could be prevented if everyone at every level adopted a considerate attitude and not depend wholly on the government and the authorities to take action. “We must make it our commitment to significantly reduce road accidents. It’s a simple declaration to ourselves. Just say I want to be safe on the road. “I’m advising you, I’m pleading with you, be careful. I hope you would not make me cry,” he said.
Minimum Age For Motorcyclist Licence To Be Raised, Says Chan
KUALA LUMPUR,– The minimum age for a motorcyclist licence will soon be raised from the current 16 years old, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said. “Maybe it will be 17 or 18 years old before one can apply for a motorcyclist’s licence, but that will depend on a study by a group of experts on road accidents that will be submitted to the government very soon,” he said. Chan said that the change was being made as the government was of the view that as a 16-year-old motorcyclist, the teenager might not be mature and responsible enough to handle the machine. He was speaking to reporters after launching the Anti-Crime Campaign jointly organised by the MCA and Persekutuan Persatuan I-Kuan Tao Malaysia, a religious group, here Sunday. Chan said that out of the 6,200 deaths caused by road accidents last year, 57 per cent involved young motorcyclists. On whether the government would impose age limit for elderly drivers, Chan said that nothing would change as the government believed they were more mature drivers.
CID director: Return seized vehicles to owners
7 October 2004, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Police stations throughout the country will now no longer be dumping grounds for motor vehicles seized by the police as evidence in crime and left to rot there for months and even years. Datuk Musa Hassan, who has busted some big-time crime syndicates and cracked the whip against cops for inaction against criminal activities in certain areas since he took over as Criminal Investigation Department director in March, has issued a directive to police stations to return such vehicles to their rightful owners pending the disposal of cases involving the vehicles. Musa told Bernama in an interview at his office in Bukit Aman here yesterday that only vehicles used in serious crime like drug trafficking would, however, be retained by the police and disposed of after the court cases were completed. “For the other cases, the police need only to use pictures or visuals of the vehicles as evidence in court. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, these vehicles can be returned to the owners subject to certain conditions that they do not dispose of or modify the vehicles and that they produce them back in court when needed,” he said. Musa also said the police would dispose of the vehicles if the owners did not claim them after three months. “We just can’t leave them rotting like that where at most police stations we need a big area to store the vehicles and many that were seized as long as 10 years ago were still being kept,” he added. Musa said disposing of the unclaimed vehicles would also bring additional revenue for the Government while getting rid of an eyesore at police stations. The CID director said recovered goods that could become obsolete if kept for a long time like microchips could also be returned to their rightful owners after photographs and visuals of the items were taken. “This is because we have to show to the court later that proper identification had been done and I think this should not be a big problem,” he said. Musa said this could also be done in cases involving perishable goods.
New department to help reduce road deaths
PUTRAJAYA: A new department – the Road Safety Department (JKJR) – will be set up soon to tackle the high number of road accidents and fatalities. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said a director-general would be appointed and the department, to be based here, would have 23 staff with administration, engineering, research and road safety backgrounds. The JKJR, which will come under the Transport Ministry, will have three main functions: # TO reduce road accidents, injuries and deaths involving road users as well as damage to property to a minimum level on par with developed nations, # TO carry out research and development as an input to road safety programmes and activities, and # TO co-ordinate road safety actions by instilling awareness among road users on the need to be civil as well as co-ordinating repair works to infrastructure in areas where there are frequent accidents. Speaking to reporters after presenting excellent service awards to the ministry’s staff here, Chan said JKJR would also have offices at the state level. “Road safety programmes are currently fragmented. There is no department fully responsible for them and we don’t have full-time officers dealing entirely on road safety,” he said. Chan said the Road Safety Council would be absorbed into JKJR, whose scope of work would not overlap that of the Road Transport Department. He also said the Government wanted to reduce the number of road accidents and the fatality rate from the current 4.9 deaths per 10,000 vehicles. “The rates are still high. We used to have 8.5 deaths but after Government intervention in the mid 90s, the figure came down. It has to be below two, like in advanced countries,” he added. The move to set up JKJR has been lauded by various quarters. Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations president Prof Datuk Hamdan Adnan hoped the department would take more effective steps to reduce road accidents. “For example, rather than merely warning motorists of danger stretches by using signboards, the authorities must make the stretches safe,” he added. Malaysia Institute of Transport director Assoc Prof Mohamad Arshad Zainuddin said the department would have more resources to enhance road safety activities since it would be under the ministry. Safety Driving Centre managing director C.T. Balan said the setting-up of the department was long overdue.
New Department To Oversee Road Safety, Reduce Accidents
6 October 2004, By BERNAMA
PUTRAJAYA, Oct 6 (Bernama) — Horrendous accidents still occurring on Malaysian roads have prompted the government to set up a new department under the Transport Ministry soon to oversee road safety issues and reduce the number of accidents, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Wednesday. He said the government had given the green light for the creation of the Road Safety Department which would be headquartered here. He said the new department would be headed by a director-general and manned by 23 administrative, research and planning officers from the engineering, health and road safety fields. “It will be operational when we can fill up the posts with suitable people,” he told reporters after presenting excellence service awards to 22 ministry staff, here. Chan said the department was modelled after similar road safety bodies in advanced countries like Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Chan said the department would eventually have offices in all states. The department’s main functions as announced by the minister are: * Reduce accident rate, casualties and fatalities of road users and damage to properties due to accidents to minimum level and on par with advanced countries; * Carry out research and development as an input to road safety policies, programmes and activities; * Boost road users’ awareness level through educational campaigns on the importance of road safety and defensive driving culture; * Coordinate infrastructure repair work, particularly at accident-prone areas. Chan said even though the number of road accidents in the country had been reduced over the years, the government felt more could be done to bring the figure down further. He said Malaysia currently records 4.9 deaths per 10,000 motor vehicles, compared to between one and two deaths per 10,000 motor vehicles in advanced countries. “Our figure used to be between 8.5 and 8.7 but after the government intervened in the mid-90’s, it has gone down to 4.9, but we are still not happy,” he said. To a question, Chan said the duty of enforcing traffic rules and regulations would still be under the Road Transport Department and the police. Nevertheless, he said, the new department would work with the two agencies in ensuring safety on the nation’s roads.
E-insurance to wipe out cover note fraud
SEREMBAN: The long-standing problem of forged cover notes will be resolved now that the e-insurance application has come into operation, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said. In acknowledging that the problem is quite serious, Chan said the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and Bank Negara Malaysia had been receiving several complaints of insurance frauds every week. “The system, which will start today, will wipe out unlicensed agents who issue forged insurance cover notes to deceive the public,” he said after launching the application at the state JPJ headquarters here yesterday. He added that it was not necessary to produce a cover note to renew licences at JPJ counters as the information would be available online. JPJ director-general Datuk Emran Kadir, who was also present at the launching, said the department had been testing the application since July 2001 and some 300,000 transactions were conducted without any hitches. He said the department had decided to honour cover notes until the end of the year to prevent any unforeseen circumstances or in case of a system failure. He also urged the people to be wary of unlicensed agents offering them discounted insurance during the transitional period. Chan noted that the e-insurance application would also help to address the problem of long queues and that it would not burden the people with additional cost. Three firms – Reward-Link. Com Sdn Bhd, PDX.Com Sdn Bhd and Financial Link Sdn Bhd – have been appointed as the service provider to channel information from 40 insurance firms to JPJ.
JPJ eInsurans Facilitates Vehicle Registration And Licence Renewal
SEREMBAN — The launch of the “JPJ eInsurans” Tuesday will facilitate and speed up the registration of vehicles and renewal of Motor Vehicle Licences (LKM) without the need to produce insurance cover notes. Through the JPJ eInsurans, all information on insurance coverage would be channelled electronically by the insurance companies to the Road Transport Department (JPJ). “This system was developed to ensure integrity, accuracy and correctness of the information given, besides addressing the problems of forgery of insurance cover notes,” Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy told reporters after launching the JPJ eInsurans at the Negeri Sembilan JPJ office, here. For this purpose, he said, the government had appointed three companies namely Financial Link Sdn Bhd, PDX.com Sdn Bhd and Reward-Line.com Sdn Bhd, as the “gateway providers” between the JPJ and the insurance companies. He said the “JPJ eInsurans” would be implemented fully from Jan 1, 2005. As such, Chan said, the JPJ would continue to accept applications manually whereby the Insurance companies must issue insurance cover notes to their customers throughout the trial period until Dec 31. Earlier, Chan witnessed the agreement signing ceremony between the three gateway providers and the JPJ.
ROAD SAFETY: RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY MOTORIST
17 September 2004, By PIAM
KUALA LUMPUR, September 17 – The Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM) believes that the number of road accidents on our roads could be reduced if every motorist drives responsibly and places a high priority on road safety. More so now that the local car population has grown significantly, from 3.3 million private cars in 1997 to over 5.4 million private cars last year. In tandem with this, the numbers of road accidents had also increased, jumping from 215,632 cases in 1997 to 298,653 cases as of end of 2003. “Although motorization and urbanization are escalating in Malaysia, but road safety awareness among the road users is still lagging behind with many drivers still having poor driving attitudes.” said Anuar Mohd Hassan, Chairman of PIAM. He said this at the launch of PIAM’s car sticker giveaway event at the Sungai Besi tollgate today. Officiating the event was Dato’ Haji Emran bin Hj Kadir, JPJ’s Director General. “The time has come for motorists to change their prevailing mindsets, and recognise the need to take care on the road, in whatever capacity they use it.” Anuar added. The high incidents of fatalities on our Malaysian roads are also of concern. In the last three years, for instance, more than 15,000 people have been killed and another 20,811 people injured and maimed on Malaysian roads. The high number of deaths represents a very high rate of 5 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles compared to 2 deaths per 10,000 vehicles in countries like Finland, Germany, Japan and the United States. He added that the general insurance companies were paying out about RM6 million daily for injuries and property damage due to road accidents. Unfortunately, the sufferings of road accident victims and their loved ones were impossible to quantify. He also expressed concern over the disparity in the numbers of JPJ-registered vehicles and the number of motor insurance policies issued. In 2003, only 4.6 million private car insurance policies were issued compared to more than 5.4 million private cars registered with JPJ. He said the disparity for motorcycles was even higher with only about 2.7 million motorcycle policies issued last year compared with the estimated 6.2 million motor-cycles registered with JPJ. Anuar reminded motorists that insurance is meant to protect other road users as well as to protect oneself against claims from the injured parties. In response to the government ‘s call for the installation of air-bags and anti-lock braking systems as additional standard safety features in cars, Anuar said the general insurance industry certainly welcomes the move and supports the use of additional safety devices to protect motorists during an accident. “The new safety features should be incorporated as an integral part of the car safety standards as they have been proven to reduce the risk of death during an accident,” he added. As indicated by the recent statistics from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of United States, the use of air bags together with seat belts can reduce the risk of death by up to 83 per cent. Themed “Utamakan Keselamatan, Pandu Selamat”, PIAM’s road safety campaign was organized in support of the government’s efforts to build awareness on road safety and to commemorate National Insurance Day 2004. This car sticker giveaway event is the third-phase of the PIAM three-month road safety campaign that targets to promote safe driving among motorists. PIAM is the national association, representing all 42 licensed general insurance companies in Malaysia. For more information, please visit its website at www.piam.org.my.
DOUBLE TROUBLE COURTING MOTORCYCLISTS
26 August 2004, By PIAM
SUNGAI BESI, August 26, 2004 – Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM) has launched phase two of the Think Safety, Drive Safely campaign, focusing on motorcyclists in a move aimed at reducing the high number of motorcyclists killed and injured in road accidents. More lives are lost each year, including last year where 3,548 deaths were recorded. This was a 3.5 per cent increase over 2002. Last year was also the 10th consecutive year in which increase in the death toll among motorcyclists was reported. For the first six months of this year, the Federal Traffic Police reported 1,767 deaths among motorcyclists or over 60 per cent of the total 2,810 deaths due to road accidents. “It is indeed a worrying trend with the escalating number of fatal road accidents involving motorcyclists due largely to lack of road safety knowledge and skills, and plain recklessness in many cases,” said PIAM’s Motor Insurance Convenor, Mohd Yusof Idris at the launch of PIAM’s helmet sticker flag-off campaign at the PLUS Sungai Besi tollgate. He also expressed concern on the disparity of insured motorcycles and the total numbers of JPJ-registered motorcycles in Malaysia – only about 2.7 million motorcycle policies were issued last year compared with the estimated 6.2 million registered with the Road Transport Department. “We have reasons to believe a sizeable number of motorcyclists are not insured and the uninsured riders face the risk of financial hardships in the event of accidents and insurance claims against them. “Although we have taken into consideration that not all JPJ-registered motorcycles are on the roads, the disparity between the registered units and our records is too wide and is of concern to the insurance industry and the government,” added Encik Mohd Yusof. He reminded motorcyclists that third party insurance coverage was compulsory for all motorcycles, including those with engine capacities below 150cc which were exempted from paying road tax. “The onus is on every motorist to ensure they have valid and adequate insurance cover at all times. Insurance should not be purchased just for the purpose of obtaining road tax renewals. “Insurance serves to protect them against insurance claims from other road users who may be injured or killed in road accidents. The uninsured motorcyclists will be personally liable to compensate the third parties,” he added. Encik Mohd Yusof said the reluctance among motorcyclists to wear safety helmets even though this has been required by law since 1973 and wearing them correctly were the main contributing factors for the high rate of head injuries. He noted that the Ministry of Transport had estimated that as many as 1.2 million motorcyclists, mostly in the rural areas, might be riding without helmet protection. According to available statistics from the Transport Ministry, 58.5 per cent of the 3,548 motorcycle fatalities reported in 2003 were caused by head injuries. World Health Organisation had said proper use of helmets could help to reduce the severity of injury by between 20 per cent and 45 per cent. As part of the road safety campaign launched by Federal Traffic Police Chief, Dato’ Gingkoi Seman Pancras, PIAM, with the support of PLUS Expressways Bhd, will distribute reflective helmet stickers at the PLUS recreational and rest areas nationwide and through general insurance companies in Malaysia. The campaign was organised in support of the government’s efforts to build awareness on road safety and to commemorate the National Insurance Day 2004. PIAM is the national association, representing all 44 licensed general insurance companies in Malaysia. For more information, please visit its website at www.piam.org.my.
Think Safety, Drive Safely
27 July 2004, By PIAM
SUNGAI BULOH, July 27, 2004 – Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM) has dedicated today, Insurance Day 2004, to improving road safety by mounting a three-month campaign aimed at educating and instilling understanding among Malaysians on the importance of road safety. “Think Safety, Drive Safely” is the central theme for the road safety campaign, involving a collaborative effort with Plus Expressways Berhad (PLUS) vis-à-vis road safety posters along the North-South Expressway, Elite and Second Link highways and the distribution of stickers to motorists and motorcyclists. The campaign was launched by Transport Minister Dato’ Sri Chan Kong Choy. PIAM, which represents 44 licensed general insurance companies in Malaysia, will also carry out an educational campaign – tips on road safety – with Radio Hitz FM in mid-September. Its Chairman, Anuar Mohd Hassan said the campaign was aimed at serving a constant reminder to Malaysians on safety while on the road and to complement the government’s efforts to check the high rate of road accidents, causing fatalities and injuries in addition to economic losses. Responding to the government’s call for road safety campaigns to be carried out all year round, PIAM has chosen to mount a road safety campaign to celebrate this year’s Insurance Day. “We have decided to continue the worthy tradition (of the Insurance Day) by embarking on a road safety campaign in support of the government’s ongoing initiatives to curb the high incident of accidents on our roads. “The campaign aims to remind motorists to take the necessary preventive measures while on the road,” he added. Encik Anuar said posters of the PIAM Road Safety Campaign would be placed at all PLUS -managed highway recreational and rest areas. Motor vehicle and motorcycle helmet stickers will be also be distributed to motorists and motorcyclists plying the highway during the campaign. Road accidents, causing fatalities and injuries have been identified as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In Malaysia, more than 24,000 people were killed and over one million accidents were reported between 2000 and 2003. Malaysians general insurers, according to Encik Anuar, have paid out over RM2.4 billion or an average of RM6.6 million daily for injuries and property damage due to road accidents. PIAM is the national trade association of all the licensed general insurance companies in Malaysia. Currently, PIAM has 44 member companies. More information on PIAM can be obtained from its Web site: www.piam.org.my.
Spare parts racket exposed
28 September 2004, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have uncovered a car theft ring that not only steals cars but has its own workshop to take the vehicles apart before selling off the spare parts. Most of the time, the “chop shop” workers, operating from a shop lot in Cheras here, would fit the stolen parts into the vehicles of their regular clients, who are owners of luxury and vintage cars. The clients flock to the workshop as it had proven to be able to “source” for the necessary spare parts, especially for older vehicles. However, it is believed that the clients were not aware that the workshop obtained its supply of “rare” parts from other vehicles stolen around the Klang Valley. Police uncovered the racket with the arrest of at least four men and the recovery of eight cars worth at least RM350,000 in a series of raids over the past few days. All four men, between the ages of 20 and 40, are being detained to assist in investigations. Among the vehicles recovered were a Jaguar, BMW, Proton Satrias, Perodua Kancils and Proton Wajas. City deputy CID Chief Asst Comm Ramli Din confirmed the arrests and recovery of the vehicles. “Some of the cars recovered had already been cannibalised when a police team from the city police headquarters raided the workshop,” he said Police learnt about the racket when they arrested a man in his 40s in Cheras and recovered two stolen cars last week. Subsequently, police raided the workshop and arrested three others, including the workshop owner. Initial investigations showed that the ring, which has been operating for more than a year, operated on a “case-by-case basis” whereby they would first identify the vehicle needed for spare parts before stealing it at night and driving the car to the workshop. Most of the time, the vehicle was parked along the road curb near the workshop. The workers then take the car apart for their spare parts – mainly air-conditioning units, doors, tyres, radio sets, seats and engine parts. Once the vehicle is totally “stripped,” it will be disposed off. A check by The Star on the workshop on Sunday showed that it was closed but there were vehicles parked in front of the shop.
Uninsured drivers face crackdown
11 August 2004, By BBC News
Tough measures to tackle an estimated one million uninsured UK drivers have been unveiled by the government. Uninsured drivers should face having their cars crushed and larger fines, a government- commissioned report has recommended. It also calls on insurers, the police and government agencies to share more data to help catch uninsured motorists. Accidents involving uninsured drivers cost £500m a year, adding £30 to average motor premiums. The report recommends that the insurance industry should develop products to help drive down the costs of insurance for younger drivers, who pay the highest premiums by age group. Professor David Greenaway, of Nottingham University, was asked by the government in 2003 to look at uninsured driving in the UK. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has estimated that one in 20 UK motorists drive without insurance. In addition, recent research from the insurance industry body estimated that one in seven UK motorists have done so at some time in the past. The Greenaway report concludes that uninsured motorists are many times more likely to have been convicted of a drink-driving offence or driving an unsafe vehicle. It calls for harsher punishments, and measures to improve detection. The Department for Transport (DFT) announced prior to publication of the report that it would be giving police the power to seize and, where appropriate, crush vehicles that are being driven by uninsured drivers. Pilot schemes operating in Cumbria and Liverpool have seen police confiscating and crushing hundreds of vehicles owned by uninsured drivers. “We plan to give the police the power to seize and destroy vehicles that are being driven illegally and to increase police powers to use new technology to make detection and enforcement more effective,” said David Jamieson, road safety minister. “The message to the small hard core of anti-social motorists who drive without insurance is clear: uninsured driving is unacceptable.” In addition, the report recommends more severe penalties for non-compliance. According to the ABI, the average fine for driving without insurance is £150. A DFT spokesman told BBC News Online that larger fines and custodial sentences would act to deter those motorists who believe the present punishment regime represents a cheaper option than actually paying for insurance. We need to ensure that anyone who drives understands that they have the means of inflicting serious injury – and that insurance is there to protect other people as well as themselves Mary Francis, Association of British Insurers At present, uninsured drivers are usually detected only when they are physically stopped by the police. Professor Greenaway would like to see the greater use of technology to detect uninsured motorists. The report recommends that police should have access to the Motor Insurance Database (MID) which should be integrated with the national computer system used by the police. In addition, number plate recognition technology could be used to track down uninsured drivers. Motoring groups and insurers welcomed the findings of the Greenaway report. “They will benefit honest motorists and improve safety on our roads,” said Mary Francis, director general of the ABI. “We need to ensure that anyone who drives understands that they have the means of inflicting serious injury – and that insurance is there to protect other people as well as themselves.”
Road Accidents To Be The Third Highest Global Killer By 2020, Says Chan
27 July 2004, By BERNAMA
July 27, 2004 15:14 PM SUNGAI BULOH, July 27 (Bernama) — Road accidents have been projected to be the third highest global killer by 2020, after heart disease and depression, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Tuesday. He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported last year that road accidents were a major public health problem in Asia and the Pacific with some 10 million people severely injured or killed annually in Asia. “The WHO also estimates that if current trends continue, the problem (road accidents) will be the third highest global cause of disease or injury by 2020,” he said in his speech read out by his deputy, Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas, at the launch of General Insurance Association of Malaysia’s (PIAM) Road Safety Campaign at Restoran Jejantas here. Present were PIAM chairman Anuar Hassan, his deputy, Hashim Harun, PLUS Expressways Bhd (PLUS) chairman Tan Sri Mohamed Sheriff Mohamed Kasim and PLUS managing director Datuk Idrose Mohamed. “Last year, there were 6,282 fatalities due to road accidents in Malaysia with the highest percentage of deaths involving motorcyclists (50.4 per cent),” said Chan. He said that although last year’s death rate had declined from 8.2 per 10,000 registered vehicles in 1996 to 4.9 per 10,000, the figure was still high if seen from a comparative index of one to two fatalities per 10,000 registered vehicles achieved by developed countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. “Much more needs to be done if we are to reduce the rate to be at par with the developed countries,” he said, commending the efforts taken by PIAM in organising the campaign. Meanwhile, Anuar said the three-month campaign, themed “Think Safety, Drive Safely”, launched in conjunction with Insurance Day 2004 today, was aimed at educating Malaysians on the importance of road safety. He said posters of the road safety campaign would be placed at all PLUS-managed highway recreational and rest areas. “Further to this road safety poster campaign, we will also be distributing motor vehicle and motorbike helmet stickers to travellers plying the North-South Expressway in the weeks ahead,” he said. PIAM, which represents 44 licensed general insurance companies, will also work with local radio station, Hitz FM, to carry out educational campaigns on road safety tips targeting motorists as they commute to work or drive to their various destinations in September, he said.
Commercial crimes tripled in last 10 years
5 July 2004, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Commercial crime cases tripled in the last 10 years, with criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds forming the bulk of cases. Some RM570mil was involved in the 11,714 cases reported last year, compared to 4,229 cases (involving RM153.8mil) in 1994. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime director Datuk Hairuddin Mohamed said 1998 seemed to be the turning point when the number of cases rose sharply to 10,380 involving RM4.6bil. “The drastic increase in 1998 only goes to show the alarming state of commercial crime in the country. “That was the middle of the economic downturn and the figure reached an all-time high of RM4.6bil compared to RM153.84mil in 1994,” he said at a recent seminar on Fighting Commercial Crimes – International Shipping and Trading Frauds. However, while the number of cases increased each year, the amount of losses dropped to RM579.8mil last year compared to RM1.1bil in 2002, he said. “Commercial crimes manifest along specific patterns closely related to the social and economic conditions and over the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of offences being committed,” he said, adding that some committed fraud to keep up their affluent lifestyle or due to greed. “In efforts to combat commercial crime, we have embarked on a broad-based approach, including mutual assistance with regional enforcement agencies in exchange of intelligence and establishing data, networking and smart partnerships. “We are also creating public awareness programmes and adapting to new technologies and laws,” Hairuddin added.
57 stolen vehicles found in Batam
26 June 2004, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Indonesian resort island of Batam well known for its shopping and nightlife among Singaporeans has now become another paradise – for car thieves and its buyers. Their illegal activities were uncovered recently when Malaysian police and their Singaporean counterparts busted a syndicate and recovered 57 luxury vehicles worth an estimated RM20mil from a warehouse on the island. Criminal Investigations Department (CID) director Commissioner Datuk Musa Hassan led a team to Batam Island yesterday where they met their Indonesian counterparts to negotiate for the return of the stolen vehicles. The vehicles that were found in the warehouse were Toyota Harriers and Altis, Honda CRVs and Mitsubishi Storms. Comm Musa told The Star that so far 51 out of the 57 vehicles have been confirmed stolen from Malaysia. “Investigations are still in progress and our Singaporean counterparts are assisting us,” he said Comm Musa said he was confident that the cars would be returned to the Malaysian without any problems as the chassis and engine numbers are all intact and it corresponds with the vehicles reported stolen in Malaysia.
Trio jailed for shipping stolen cars
13 June 2004, By The Straits Times
THREE Singaporean men, who helped to ship stolen luxury cars from Port Klang in Malaysia, through Singapore and on to Batam, were packed off to jail. Brothers Jason Ong Yew Chuan, 32, and Ong Chee Cheong, 33, with cousin Brian Ong Chiu Haur, 25, admitted last month to attempting to receive and helping to dispose of stolen property. The models included Mercedes-Benz C200, Toyota Camry and Toyota Unser. On Friday, Jason was jailed for five years while the other two were jailed for four years each. The trio were directors of Transcargo Service, which dealt in the trucking of containers between ports in Singapore. Chee Cheong and Brian were partners of freight forwarding services company Sin Thong Lee (STL) Logistics. In June last year, the trio agreed to provide trucking and documentation services for the shipment of vehicles through Singapore for a man called Mr Ng Chong How, also known as Yudi. STL was to be used as the consignee of the vehicles. Transcargo was to provide the trucking services for the container, which carried the cars from PSA Port to Jurong Port, to ship to Batam. In August, Yudi told the trio that the vehicles they would be transporting were stolen cars. On Nov 11, Singapore police, after receiving information from their Malaysian counterparts, found the container and later arrested the trio.
Police warned against acting as touts for motor workshops
9 June 2004, By New Straits Times
Ipoh, Tues. – Traffic police have been warned to stop acting as touts or intermediaries for certain workshops catering to road accident cases. State deputy police chief Datuk Kamalul Azmi Darus, in issuing this stern warning today, said disciplinary action would be taken against those involved in such activities. “They (police) must be neutral. Let the victims decide which workshop they want their vehicles to be towed to,” he told reporters after attending a monthly gathering at the state police headquarters here today. The warning came amid complaints from vehicle owners involved in accidents and even some tow truck operators who feel they have been “shortchanged”. Numerous complaints have been received that traffic police, usually among the first to arrive at accident scenes, had been deciding which workshop damaged vehicles should be towed to. A few victims have even said that monetary rewards from workshop operators was the deciding factor in such cases. Kamalul Azmi, while admitting that cases of traffic police allegedly acting as touts for certain workshops were rampant, said the action of these irresponsible personnel had tarnished the image of the police force. “They have already been warned. Stern disciplinary action would be taken now,” he said. In another development, a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death has been ordered in the event of detainees dying in police custody. Kamalul Azmi said this directive would be beneficial to the police as it would be held in open court where all parties concerned may witness the proceedings. “We feel that it is not fair to point fingers at the police each time a detainee dies,” he added. At the function, kamalul Azmi also presented commendation letters for outstanding contributions to the force. ==end==
Consumers Told To Be Careful When Buying Used Cars
4 June 2004, By Bernama
SHAH ALAM, June 3 (Bernama) — Used car buyers have been told to be careful and have the cars they are buying inspected by professionals to avoid being cheated by rogue sellers. Inspections must be done before the car was bought to prevent any mishaps from occurring as a result of the car not having the specifications required by law, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamed Shafie Apdal. “We have noted that of late there are syndicates comprising mechanics and used car dealers who reassemble broken-apart cars to be sold as used cars for profit,” he said after witnessing an agreement signing between Computerised Vehicles Inspection Centre (Puspakom) and six finance companies, here Thursday. The six finance companies are Amfinance Bhd, Mayban Finance Bhd, Bumiputra-Commerce Finance Bhd, Southern Finance Bhd, Affin ACF-Finance Bhd and EON Finance Bhd. Following the agreement, a used car buyer intending to finance the purchase from the six finance companies must send the car to be inspected by Puspakom before the application for loan is approved. The inspection will prevent the buyer from buying a stolen vehicle, a reassembled broken-apart vehicle and a vehicle which has its chassis and engine numbers altered, as well as a vehicle that has had modifications not according to the Road Transport Act 1987. Mohamed Shafie said according to the Federal Territories’ Road Transport Department, 18 illegally reasembled cars were seized in operations between Jan to March 2004 Up to end of 2003, meanwhile, Puspakom had inspected 6,805 vehicles and 172 of them had problems including 79 reassembled broken-apart vehicles, 59 had their chassis number altered and 34 had their engine number changed.
JPJ director-general: ‘100,000 motorists have no licences’
24 May 2004, By The Star
MALACCA: Some 100,000 motorists in the rural areas and estates, most of them elderly, are riding motorcycles without licences and road tax. Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Emran Kadir said the long distance between their housing areas and JPJ branches might be the reason that deterred them from getting their licences and road tax done. Citing an example, he noted that the distance from Merlimau to the JPJ office here was 30km and to the Jasin JPJ office some 25km away. “The people are unaware that they will not get any compensation if they get into an accident as their vehicles are not insured and they do not have a licence or road tax,” Emran told reporters after meeting with the people at Merlimau, here on Saturday.
Insurance Claims Hit RM568 Mln Due To Car Thefts
13 May 2004, By Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Bernama) — Car thefts continue to be a major challenge for the general insurance industry which incurred almost RM568 million in motor insurance claims in 2003, up by 19 percent over the previous year, according to Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM), Thursday. A total of 19,906 cases, including 7,303 private cars were reported stolen to insurance companies last year. Claims for private cars alone amounted to RM489 million, an increase of 17.3 percent over 2002. Proton Wira was the most popular target for car thieves last year with 1,092 cases followed by Toyota Unser (802), Perodua Kancil (484), Proton Waja (478), Proton Iswara (318) while Proton Perdana and Toyota Harrier (271 each). The multi-purpose Toyota Unser was the surprise number one victim in the non-national vehicle segment last year, registering a 764 percent increase last year compared with only 105 units reported stolen in 2002. In a statement Thursday, PIAM executive director, Lim Chia Fook expressed concern over the continuing risk in vehicle thefts which was reflected in the motor insurance claims ratio which increased to 69.2 percent last year from 67.8 percent in 2002. He said PIAM had formulated a strategic motor vehicle anti-theft campaign this year to check the rising motor vehicle thefts and to educate car owners. The strategies will focus on reducing professional vehicle thefts, reducing opportunistic vehicle thefts and enhancing co-operation with relevant parties to ensure effective implementation of these theft reduction measures. “For example, we are encouraging vehicle manufacturers and assemblers to actively support the installation of effective anti-theft devices in new vehicles, including the installation of electronic immobilizers and tracking systems that meet international standards,” he said. “Car thieves are getting more sophisticated these days and our findings showed existing anti-theft devices may not be adequate to protect car owners and must be improved as and when required,” Lim said. Lim noted that a vehicle installed with anti-theft devices stood a much better chance against car thieves than a vehicle without one. Apart from car manufacturers and assemblers, Lim said PIAM continued to work closely with the Police to reduce vehicle thefts and enhance the recovery rate of stolen vehicles domestically and from overseas. “Our concerted efforts have shown some positive results with a number of major successes by the Police in smashing car theft syndicates,” he added. The number of motorcycle thefts reported to insurers declined from 12,201 units to 11,142 units. This reduction of almost nine percent is an encouraging sign to law enforcement agencies and the insurance industry that anti-theft measures are bearing positive results. However, the number of private car thefts increased by almost 17 percent from 6,226 in 2002 to 7,303 units. This represents an average of 20 private cars stolen every day. In the light of the increasing trends in private car thefts, vehicle owners should take extra precautions to protect themselves against vehicle theft. Simple precautionary measures that can be taken including parking vehicles in well-lit places at night, ensuring that the original certificates of motor insurance and registration documents are not left in the vehicles, leaving property in a locked boot, removing ignition keys and closing windows even when leaving the vehicle on a short time, locking all doors when on the move as well as using effective anti-theft devices such as electronic immobilisers. PIAM is the national trade association of all the licensed general insurance companies in Malaysia. Currently, PIAM has 44 member companies.
Forensic labs to help fire department solve cases
7 May 2004, By The Star
KUALA KUBU BARU: The Fire and Rescue Department will be commissioning nine forensic laboratories nationwide to solve the at least 40% of fires classified as “causes unknown” every year. Its director-general Datuk Jaafar Sidek Tambi said at least 10,000 cases were classified as punca tidak diketahui (source of fire unknown) every year as the department lacked the proper know-how to investigate such cases and sought the assistance of the Chemistry Department. “Our laboratories are ready and we will be commissioning them soon. However, we will start with handling simple cases to enable our officers to gain experience,” he said, adding that bigger cases would still be referred to the Chemistry Department. Jaafar said most of the officers who would be involved in laboratory work had a science background and specialised in Chemistry. “We have also sent our officers to England, Japan and America to be trained in fire investigations,” he told reporters at the passing-out parade of some 116 firemen for various fire stations in Sarawak at the department’s academy here yesterday. Jaafar added that the department was also signing a memorandum of understanding with a local university to train its officers in forensic science. He said the department did not face any problems recruiting firemen as they received overwhelming response from youths wanting to join the service every year. “Recently, we got about 25,000 applications to fill up vacancies for 180 officers,” he said. Earlier in his speech, Jaafar urged some 11,000 personnel in the department to take advantage of interest-free loans available to those who wanted to pursue their studies at local institutions of higher learning. “Our welfare fund gives out about RM10,000 to each applicant who wants pursue his studies,” he said, adding that the added qualification would come in handy when applying for promotions
Stolen cars surface in Singapore
2 May 2004, By New Sunday Times
Singapore appears to have once again become a transit point for stolen Malaysian vehicles, especially sports utility vehicles. Over the past few weeks, Malaysian and Singaporean police have recovered stolen cars, mostly SUVs, valued at more than RM3 million. Police had in November busted a syndicate which was believed to have “shipped” RM40 million worth of stolen cars to Singapore. Initial reports made available to insurers show that 19 stolen vehicles recovered recently were mostly SUVs, including Mitsubishi Storm and Toyota Harrier models. Insurance industry sources described the latest discovery as shocking following the success in November. That syndicate was believed to have moved more than 300 stolen SUVs and luxury cars to the island. “Police are trying to find out if those behind that syndicate are back in operation after lying low for several months,” a source said. City deputy Criminal Investigation Department chief (Operations) Assistant Commissioner Syed Ismail Syed Azizan and several others involved in last November’s operation returned from Singapore this week after meeting investigators there. “We have yet to complete the paperwork on the stolen vehicles recovered six months ago,” the source said. Apparently, they have yet to get some of the records of the stolen vehicles from the Road Transport Department here. While investigations continue into the recent recovery, efforts are under way to have the stolen vehicles recovered in Singapore last year returned. “It cannot be ruled out the same individuals are behind the car theftcum-export ring judging from the vehicle models,” said another insurance industry source said. The syndicate busted last November specialised in handling stolen cars much sought after on the international blackmarket, including SUVs and MPVs of various models, and BMWs and Mercedes Benz models. Using “doctored” Customs clearance and vehicle registration documents, the stolen vehicles were transported to Singapore en route to other destinations. Investigators believe the syndicate has contacts across the Causeway who ensure the stolen vehicles are well maintained before being “exported” to other countries, some as far away as southern Africa. Following the operation last November, stolen vehicle statistics for the year dropped by almost 20 per cent when compared with 2002. There were 3,131 motor vehicles reported stolen last year, compared with 3,500 in 2002. Investigators believe the syndicate busted in November was responsible for most thefts. Authorities came to know of Singapore being used as a transit point for stolen Malaysian vehicles in December 1999 when police recovered several vehicles. The following year, a joint Malaysian-Singapore operation led to the recovery of stolen vehicles in Singapore and New Zealand.
Cops find 14 stolen cars in warehouse
15 April 2004, By The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: A warehouse which stores repossessed vehicles belonging to several financial institutions is being investigated after police found 14 stolen cars worth over RM600,000 there on Tuesday. It is learnt that at least four financial institutions were sharing the warehouse, located off Jalan Kuching, to keep their repossessed vehicles. Sentul OCPD Asst Comm A. Thaiveegan confirmed the recovery of the stolen cars but declined to elaborate. Police sources said the warehouse had kept some 1,500 vehicles including luxury cars which were said to have been repossessed by the financial institutions over a period of one year. Acting on a tip-off from the public, a police team from Sentul district headquarters raided the warehouse and picked up three security guards. Among the cars recovered were a Mercedes E230, a BMW, a Volvo and a Honda. The warehouse owner has yet to be picked up by police for questioning.
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Tag Archives: kizomba history
MAGIC NIGHTS OF LISBON I: A LONTRA by Livia Jimenez Sedano
March 13, 2015 Modern Moves Leave a comment
The first time I heard about A Lontra disco was the night that Luísa Roubaud, one of the best experts in the dance scene in Lisbon and a great colleague and friend at INET-MD (Instituto de Etnomusicologia), talked to me about it. We were enjoying a night out with some of her friends who used to go to African music clubs since the eighties. Having witnessed all the transformations of the last decades, they were making a contrast between nowadays´ kizomba fashion night life and the golden times they remembered in the 70s and the 80s. As memories started popping up, their eyes shone when talking about A Lontra, a mythical dance club that opened in Lisbon after the outbreak of the independence wars of Portugal’s former African colonies. The owners were a married couple that came from Luanda and landed in Lisbon in 1975, running away from the war of independence in Angola, like other more than 500.000 people after-25th April 1974 (see Machado 1974). These frequent visitors of A Lontra remembered that the couple consisted of an incredibly beautiful Black African lady (Dinah) and her husband, a White Portuguese gentleman (Carlos Correia). Just like in fairy tales, the beauty of Dinah was well-known and admired in the kingdom of the African nights of Lisbon. They insisted that I should go and speak to her to know the whole story from her lips. Since that day, I had been looking forward to meeting her and making her an in-depth interview. I had seen the front door with the old metal sign representing an otter (that´s the meaning of “Lontra”) many times when passing by Rua de São Bento, and it was the night of Saturday 28th February that I decided to visit the place.
DOOR OF A LONTRA
METAL ICON OF A LONTRA
As I entered and approached the bar to ask about the politics of consumption, an ageless beautiful lady dressed in an elegant black suit came along walking slowly to attend. At that very moment, I said to myself: “no doubt, there she is”. Indeed, she was the legendary Dinah. I was lucky enough to get an appointment for an interview to know more about the history of the place and its secrets.
A Lontra was opened in 1977, right after Angola achieved its independence. This means that it was one of the first African discos of Lisbon. Like all the people who went to Portugal running away from the African wars of independence, they had to restart their lives from zero. Until they could find a way to make a living, they depended on public subventions aimed at “retornados” (“returned people”) and on the hospitality of their extended family. As they were experienced in managing discos in Luanda (such as the ones they owned, Cave Adão and Veleiro), they decided to start up a new business in the same branch. It was directed in principle to an audience of “retornados” that missed Africa and their lifestyle there. Gathering for listening to their beloved music became an urgent need, and A Lontra came to offer a home to alleviate homesickness through dancing together. The following images show some of the original spaces of A Lontra.
FIRST BAR, A LONTRA
SECOND BAR, A LONTRA
DANCE FLOOR, A LONTRA
A Lontra is situated in an emblematic place (Rua de São Bento 157), less than 5 minutes from the Assambleia da República, the most emblematic political institution of Portugal. It was not long time before some deputies, as well as intellectuals and artists heard of A Lontra and came to satisfy their curiosity. This nucleus of the political, artistic and intellectual elite of Lisbon became a faithful group of clients: these were the golden times of A Lontra, between the 80s and the 90s. In those days, DJing was combined with live music. Among other treasures, Dinah still keeps a large chest full of old vinyl discs of African music:
THE CHEST OF VINYLS
SOME OF THE OLD VINYLS (WE SEE IMAGES FAMILIAR FROM OUR RECENT VISIT TO COTONOU!)
Dinah also possesses a beautiful collection of art handcraft bought during travels to Angola, which are also displayed in the disco.
ELEPHANT WOODEN CHAIR
FEMALE FIGURE IN WOOD
MASK IN WOOD
Another jewel that she keeps carefully is a collection of pictures of those days. Some deputies used to gather in A Lontra for a drink after their sessions in Assambleia da República. Sometimes, they held meetings in a private room that Dinah gently opened for them. It means that important decisions for the future of Portugal were taken inside A Lontra´s walls.
A LONTRA, A NIGHT IN 1996
Through the 70s and 80s, more African houses opened up in Lisbon. Dinah and her husband Carlos opened a second house in 1980, “Cave Adão”, following the style and fame of the disco they had opened in Luanda, and in 1989 Dinah opened the disco “Rainha Njinga” (an epical Angolan queen known for her fierce resistance to the Portuguese colonizers). The clientele changed through time, and A Lontra started being visited by more and more people from Cape Verde. Vinyl music changed to CD, and later to digital files in the DJ´s computer, and the styles and ambience of the house changed too. With the recent boom of kizomba music and dance throughout the world, A Lontra adapted to the new times and DJs started introducing the most recent hits of kizomba. This is an excerpt of the fieldnotes I took that night:
“The night starts with loud afrohouse music, what indicates that the audience will probably be mainly people in their twenties. As expected, young boys and girls start coming since approximately two o´clock at night. The first beats of recent kizomba hits make some couples jump to the dancefloor. There is a pair of couples doing school-like steps, but the rest are dancing free style. Two boys leaning on the bar encourage themselves and finally leave their glasses on the counter to go and invite some of the girls that gather in groups by the edge of the dancefloor, but they refuse. Only when one of them insists and pulls a girl´s arm she accepts with a facial expression of resignation. Anyway, she abandons him in the middle of the song. It seems that it´s a hard job for boys. Then the DJ turns to Brazilian and international commercial music, such as Enrique Iglesias´ “Bailando” hit. Girls go crazy dancing in groups and having fun. The moment of funaná creates a new atmosphere: there are not many people dancing in couples, but mostly girls dancing among themselves and joking with and through the music. There is a girl dressed in a stripped blue and white tight dress who dances in an amazing and crazy way, moving her hips and feet in every possible way without ever losing the beat. Dinah is looking at her from the counter and smiling with pleasure. Then the DJ moves to batuque and people get even crazier, shaking hips and bumping navels on the dancefloor. Popular music from Cape Verde, mostly from Santiago, is played for a long time and intertwined with musical blocks of kizomba and afrohouse.” (Fieldwork diary, 28th February 2015) (To know more about batuque music and dance in Lisbon, see the work of Ana Flávia Miguel and Jorge Castro Ribeiro, INET-MD)
In conclusion, A Lontra can be proud of being one of the oldest African houses of Lisbon still open today and of having witnessed the recent history of Lisbon. It has resisted the changing times through adapting to the social and cultural transformations of the city. The dance steps of artists, politicians, intellectuals, curious visitors and people of all ages and from every corner of the PALOPS, have written on its dancefloor the history of relations between Portugal and Africa for at least the last 38 years. But, unlike an old museum, music has kept A Lontra young and alive. When asked about the secret for this, Dinah smiles and says: “this is something you do because you love it”.
Livia Jiménez Sedano is currently a member of INET-MD (Instituto de Etnomusicologia-Centro de Estudos em Música e Danca) and her work is being funded by FCT (Fundação para a Ciencia e Tecnologia) of Portugal. She is a collaborator in the Modern Moves Project and will become a full member of the team in September 2015.
Machado, Fernando Luís (1994) Luso-africanos em Portugal: nas margens da etnicidade. Sociologia: Problemas e Práticas 16: 111-134
Featured image: Archival photo of A Lontra, a night in 1996
African DiasporaAfrican discosAfro Diasporaafro-diasporic danceAngolaDiasporakizomba historyLisbonLivia Jimenez SedanoLuso-African rhythmpostcolonial Portugal
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Home › Research › A big part of the MS puzzle
Barancik Prize winner Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, is researching the role that fibrin in the brain plays in promoting MS. Photo courtesy of Katerina Akassoglou, PhD
A big part of the MS puzzle
Barancik Prize winner Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, studies links between the brain, immune system and blood-brain barrier.
by Vicky Uhland
Back in 1994, shortly after she began work on her doctorate at the University of Athens and Greece’s Pasteur Institute, Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, made an important discovery. She and her fellow researchers found that mice that had certain types of immune system-regulating molecules in their brain developed mobility symptoms similar to those experienced by people with multiple sclerosis.
Scientists at that time didn’t know much about how immune cells acted inside the brain, especially in people with MS. Most of the studies prior to Akassoglou’s work focused on the role of the immune system in the body. The brain’s immune system was a whole new frontier, with the potential for more treatment options and targets for MS therapies than previously thought.
“We were very surprised,” says Akassoglou, the winner of the 2018 Barancik Prize for Innovation in Research. “We realized that we might be missing a big part of the pathology of MS.”
The discovery was so groundbreaking that it set the course for Akassoglou’s career. She realized that to understand MS and other neurologic diseases well enough to develop a cure, she needed to research how the brain, the blood-brain barrier and the immune system interact throughout the disease course.
At the time, Akassoglou didn’t know anyone with MS, and she viewed the disease mainly from a laboratory standpoint. But after she began her postdoctoral work at Rockefeller University in New York City, MS became personal to her.
Barancik Prize
The Barancik Prize for Innovation in Research was created in 2013 by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and is administered by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Baranciks have been major supporters of MS research projects for more than 20 years. They developed the Barancik Prize to recognize exceptional scientists who have demonstrated outstanding innovation and originality in MS research. Barancik Prize winners receive $100,000 that can be used at their discretion.
“I had the opportunity to interact with MS patients at events organized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and it was truly transformational to meet them and see the belief and hope they had in our research,” she says. “I developed a sense of urgency when I met with patients. I had the revelation that our work could really make a difference, and we had to hurry.”
Stopping MS in its tracks
For the last two decades, Akassoglou has put that sense of urgency to good use, conducting a series of studies that are creating a new understanding of the origins of MS and pushing the boundaries of biomedical technology. She’s developing an antibody that has the potential to not only halt damage to brain cells in people with relapsing-remitting or progressive MS, but also may repair MS-related nervous system damage.
This experimental therapy has the potential to “stop MS in its tracks,” says Bruce Bebo, PhD, executive vice president of research for the Society. “Her relentless pursuit of a fundamental question in MS and the tenacity to translate this knowledge into potential therapies is why she is being recognized with the 2018 Barancik Prize.”
“Katerina richly deserves the Barancik Prize because her work is pathbreaking and important. It’s also a great example of the risk-taking science that the Baranciks and the MS Society are hoping to foster with this award,” says Daniel Reich, MD, PhD, winner of the 2016 Barancik Prize.
Reich, who nominated Akassoglou for the 2018 prize, believes she could be “the most creative scientist currently working in the MS field. I rarely leave a conversation with Katerina without wondering whether I should change my own research focus based on her novel findings.”
Is it in your blood?
After Akassoglou’s research revelation in 1994, she set out to study what turns on the brain’s own immune system in MS. She focused her studies on finding the link between the brain, the immune system and the blood-brain barrier. But she soon discovered that the technology she needed didn’t exist. So she developed several cutting-edge imaging techniques that allowed her to see in real time how MS disease develops in the brain.
An international researcher
Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, was born and raised in Greece, the only child of a mechanic and a seamstress. She was the first in her family to go to high school, where a biology teacher piqued her interest in science. She went on to study at the University of Athens, earning with first-class honors a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctorate in biological sciences, specializing in neuroimmunology.
A truly international researcher, Akassoglou has worked at the University of Vienna, Rockefeller University in New York City, New York University and the University of California, San Diego. She’s currently a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, and founder and director of the Center for In Vivo Imaging Research at the UCSF Gladstone Institute.
Akassoglou has written more than 85 peer-reviewed papers and has been awarded seven U.S. patents, with another nine pending. The Barancik Prize is the latest of numerous awards she’s won over the last two decades. Akassoglou is one of two women to receive the Barancik Prize. (Laura Balcer won as part of a trio of scientists in 2015.)
“I have always promoted diversity in my lab, including women and underrepresented minorities in science,” Akassoglou says. “I hope that winning the Barancik Prize underscores that the originality and impact of scientific discovery is not defined by gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Scientific innovation can come from all genders and all ethnic groups as long as inclusive environments are in place in academia for innovation to flourish.”
This helped her discover that a blood protein called fibrinogen is present in the brain very early in the disease. Fibrinogen, which helps blood clot, isn’t normally found in the brain. But Akassoglou’s research shows it can enter when there’s a leaky blood-brain barrier, making clots called fibrin that start early, but can also last for long periods of time and promote damage in the brain.
“We’ve known for decades that the blood-brain barrier is leaky in MS, but we didn’t understand what effect that had,” Akassoglou says. In essence, it was a chicken-and-egg question: Was there more fibrin in the brain because of MS, or did fibrin play a role in promoting MS?
Through research partially supported by Society grants, Akassoglou has found answers to that question. She’s discovered that fibrin can control communication between the brain, immune system and blood vessels. It can bind to receptors of the brain’s immune cells, which can kill neurons and cause the inflammation that contributes to MS. And it hinders repair of myelin, the protective nerve coating that MS attacks.
“While others dismissed the idea that blood factors could be involved in the nervous-system damage that causes MS, Akassoglou saw this as an important clue,” Bebo says. “Over the past several years, she doggedly pursued the hypothesis that the blood-clotting factor fibrin plays a critical role in MS.”
Expanding the MS toolbox
Akassoglou was thrilled when she made the fibrin discovery. “We were very excited that we identified a new pathway not addressed by any existing MS medications,” she says. “Strategies blocking the toxic effects of blood proteins could be very important tools in the toolbox of MS therapies.”
Akassoglou and her research team have developed a unique antibody that can keep fibrin from finding the brain’s immune cells and binding to them—without interfering with fibrin’s vital role in blood clotting. Tests show this antibody has a huge effect on the course of MS in mice, including significantly decreasing the severity of their MS symptoms and reducing damage to neurons, myelin and inflammation.
The next step is to see if the antibody has the same effect in humans. Akassoglou co-founded a biotech company called MedaRed to research this and develop a medication using the antibody. If she’s successful, there would then need to be years of safety and clinical trials before an actual drug could be available to people living with MS.
“If it pans out, the therapy could protect the nervous system from damage in both early and late phases of the disease, which could have profound impacts for stopping MS progression,” Bebo says
Vicky Uhland is a writer and editor in Lafayette, Colorado.
Stay up to date on the latest MS research.
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Understanding Electric & Magnetic Fields (EMF)
EMF Research
Research Findings on EMF Exposure
We, like other utilities, rely on the assessment of scientific and public health expert panels which conduct EMF research and monitor this issue to evaluate potential health risks. Over 30 years of extensive data have been evaluated by international and national organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (PDF) (IARC), the U.S. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (PDF) (NIEHS) and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Key findings are listed below and in-depth reports can be found on their respective Web sites.
“Based on a comprehensive evaluation of published studies relating to the effects of power-frequency electric and magnetic fields on cells, tissues, and organisms (including humans), the conclusion of the committee is that the current body of evidence does not show that exposure to these fields presents a human-health hazard. Specifically, no conclusive and consistent evidence shows that exposures to residential electric and magnetic fields produce cancer, adverse neurobehavioral effects, or reproductive and developmental effects.”
National Research Council Academy of Sciences
Committee on the Possible Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Biologic System
(Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic fields, 1997)
“The NIEHS believes that the probability that ELF-EMF exposure is truly a health hazard is currently small. The weak epidemiological associations and lack of any laboratory support for these associations provide only marginal, scientific support that exposure to this agent is causing any degree of harm.
The NIEHS concludes that ELF-EMF exposure cannot be recognized as entirely safe because of weak scientific evidence that exposure may pose a leukemia hazard. In our opinion, this finding is insufficient to warrant aggressive regulatory concern.
The National Toxicology Program routinely examines environmental exposures to determine the degree to which they constitute a human cancer risk and produces the “Report on Carcinogens” listing agents that are “known human carcinogens” or “reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.” It is our opinion that based on evidence to date, ELF-EMF exposure would not be listed in the “Report on Carcinogens” as an agent “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
NIEHS Report on Health Effects from Exposure to Power-Line Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields,
U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1999) NIH Publication No. 99-4493
"Scientific evidence suggesting that everyday, chronic low-intensity (above 0.3 - 0.4 μT) power-frequency magnetic field exposure poses a health risk is based on epidemiological studies demonstrating a consistent pattern of increased risk for childhood leukemia. Uncertainties in the hazard assessment include the role that control selection bias and exposure misclassification might have on the observed relationship between magnetic fields and childhood leukemia. In addition, virtually all of the laboratory evidence and the mechanistic evidence fail to support a relationship between low-level ELF magnetic fields and changes in biological function or disease status. Thus, on balance, the evidence is not strong enough to be considered causal, but sufficiently strong to remain a concern.
A number of other diseases have been investigated for possible association with ELF magnetic field exposure. These include cancers in children and adults, depression, suicide, reproductive dysfunction, developmental disorders, immunological modifications and neurological disease. The scientific evidence supporting a linkage between ELF magnetic fields and any of these diseases is much weaker than for childhood leukemia and in some cases (for example, for cardiovascular disease or breast cancer) the evidence is sufficient to give confidence that magnetic fields do not cause the disease.
...Furthermore, given both the weakness of the evidence for a link between exposure to ELF magnetic fields and childhood leukemia, and the limited impact on public health if there is a link, the benefits of exposure reduction on health are unclear. Thus the costs of precautionary measures should be very low."
Extremely Low Frequency Fields Environmental Health Criteria Monograph No.238, 2007
"This review indicates that there is no convincing evidence in the published literature to support the contention that exposures to extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMF) generated by sources such as household appliances, video display terminals, and local power lines are demonstrable health hazards."
Utah Radiation Control Board
Excerpt from executive summary by Panel from Oak Ridge Associated Universities for the Committee on Interagency Radiation Research and Policy Coordination
Beck Street
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South Jordan to Draper
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Standards for Electrical Transmission
EMF - What You Can Do
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Posted on July 8, 2019 | By NicholasSRoy
Auto Nation., the US’s largest new-vehicle retailer, is joining with other public dealership groups, and companies like TDot Performance, in order to advance its efforts in hiring service technicians.
Auto Nation Chief Market Officer Marc Cannon says that most Auto Nation markets suffer from a shortage of technicians at all levels of experience, and that’s in the way of their bottom line; to grow the service.
Auto Nation reports that it added 500 technicians late in June, for both their dealership service departments and their network of company-branded collision repair centers, though they did not divulge how many technicians it currently has, in total.
The Florida company operates 244 dealerships in the US, and, according to the latest Automative News ranking of the 150 largest US dealership groups, the company managed to sell 310,839.
Currently, the company is in the middle of a $500 million brand extension program that started in 2015, involving its 83 collision centers, stand-alone used-car stores, as well as its branded parts and accessories.
Adding body shops, and selling products like TDot Performance has increased demand for service techs, Cannon explains, and noted that the company has further plans to continue opening collision centers which, in turn, would create more demand for service techs.
Across the industry at large, auto retailers are reporting an increased demand for technicians, noting how new-vehicles sales have been bouncing back, alongside a major increase in recalls. A lot of dealerships are under pressure to up their profits from their operations, in order to compensate for flat or declining sales of new vehicles in recent years.
The high rate of attrition in the field only aggravates the technician shortage, as older, more experience techs retire, and a low number of entry-level techs become part of the work force to replace them.
The National Automobile Dealers Association report that US technical colleges and training programs graduate approximately 37,000 service technicians annually, which isn’t enough, as they also estimate that retailers need approximately 76,000 new technicians annually, in order to keep up with job creation and retirements and resignations.
Companies in the industry are taking initiative, running programs to entice new technicians and keep older ones working for them, like providing equipment, and/or insurance.
As for Auto Nation and other major chains, Cannon says that service technicians can change position and move within their dealership network, letting them choose their work. On top of that, Auto Nation service technicians to provide referrals for new technicians.
Landmark Decision On The Distinctiveness Of Vespa 3D Trademark
Whenever you find a sign that says Vespa for sale at a dealer, you will find a crowd of people …Read More »
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Region not fully prepared for disaster | COMMENTARY
Is the Puget Sound region – home to more than 4.5 million people – adequately prepared for a disaster?
by Mark Klaas
Friday, March 14, 2014 6:08pm
That’s a tough one to answer comprehensively, many emergency preparedness experts admit.
While the “big one” may be tricky to predict, experts know for certain that the region is prone to natural disasters.
And that for the Seattle area, fractured as it is with fault lines, earthquakes top the list.
Overlooking the valley, mighty Mount Rainier has been dormant since its last eruption around 1100 AD. But its activity – combined with its proximity to Seattle and Tacoma – makes any eruption there one of the most dangerous in the world, according to the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior’s Decade Volcano list.
Such potential events concern Dr. Stephen Flynn of Northeastern University, a professor and one of the world’s experts on disaster resilience. Dealing with disaster is sort of his business, a source of his intense study.
Flynn recently visited Seattle to talk with local leaders about the region’s readiness for a catastrophic event. Flynn, now leading a major study in the aftermath of SuperStorm Sandy that will be presented to Congress and the Obama administration, is soliciting responses to his study from leaders throughout the country.
Upon his review, Flynn says, Puget Sound area leaders are paying attention to the warning signs, but concludes the region and notably its residents are no more fully prepared to deal with a disaster than are other parts of the country. Outside of emergency management professionals, too few of us spend any time considering how prepared our communities are, Flynn noted.
“Your emergency management community is about as on top of it as anywhere in our country in terms of understanding the kinds of risk and working to prepare for those risk,” Flynn said. “(But) your area, like much of the country, is not where it needs to be.
“Increasingly, as citizens, we expect the professionals to take care of this. . . . When something goes wrong, we pay for emergency managers . . . fire and police . . . they’re supposed to fix this stuff,” Flynn said.
“The reality is . . . it certainly came through from the Katrina and Sandy experiences … that the first-responders are almost always your family, your neighbor or the stranger near you. There’s not enough professionals around,” Flynn said.
Flynn said he believes the lessons learned from SuperStorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina can help our region better prepare for such an event.
But it remains a challenge.
While cities, such as Renton, are equipped to mobilize in the event of a more isolated flood or mudslide, the region as a whole needs to better prepare for a widespread disaster.
Flynn hopes the country, region by region, broadens its commitment to become better prepared for these events, both in terms of negating the risks and recovering quickly from a crisis.
It’s not a matter of “if” disaster strikes but when, Flynn says.
“It will happen. We will have a major disaster in the Puget Sound area. It is almost certainly going to be a major earthquake,” he said. “I state that out front because to the larger extent . . . every part of our country has gone through a disaster.
“We wait until they happen, and we cope well when they happen. . . . But what we know is they are less frequent than we often presume them to be, and there’s a lot more we know about them now and what we can do about them in terms of reducing their impact.”
Regions need to better prepared for a disaster, considering the geographical dependency on infrastructure, the power grid, water, communication and extended transportation, Flynn cautioned.
The Seattle region is a global leader in technology and advanced manufacturing, as well as a major military hub that depends on the reliable operation of critical infrastructures in the energy, transportation, communications and IT sectors. A major disaster has the potential to endanger millions of lives and cause major disruptions to our communities and businesses, as well as undermine the capacity for the U.S. military to carry out its national security mission, Flynn noted.
“(For instance) Seattle and Tacoma are the umbilical cord to Alaska in terms of all its logistical needs,” he said. “If you get knocked down, then Alaska will feel it.”
But, in the aftermath of a disaster, we somehow recover.
“I can always find things that I wished we had done up front to basically reduce the mayhem that was caused. But I often always marvel at our capacity to work our way through these things and get back on our feet,” Flynn said. “My message is we just try to do both. We should spend equal measure and efforts to anticipate and prepare and reduce the cost of these events as well as pat ourselves on the back about how quickly we bounce back.”
Beyond the professional community, residents need to take more personal responsibility in emergency preparedness. Not everyone is risk literate, Flynn acknowledges, but it’s a civic duty for those who are physically able to become trained, ready and willing to help their neighbors in times of trouble.
“They will almost certainly happen,” Flynn said of disasters, man-made or natural. “We just hope they don’t happen tomorrow.”
Mark Klass is the editor of the Kent Reporter. He can be reached at mklaas@kentreporter.com
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2020 Census and the importance of being counted
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Letters to the editor for the week of July 12
Reader disagrees with The Reporter’s choice to publish Dear editor, I am… Continue reading
Don’t throw in the trowel, some suffering plants can be saved
Marianne Binetti will be speaking at the Auburn’s Farmers Market at noon… Continue reading
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Keep it simple! Dear editor, In regards to the 20 mph limit,… Continue reading
Standing up to sexual assault – A letter to our Renton community
Earlier this month, we all learned about a sexual assault that took… Continue reading
Separate the rotten from the ripe
Community pages can do better to spread information, and not libel
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Legislature: History, investigations and new laws
The 2019 session of the Legislature included controversy, compromise, surprise, new law and more.
Get the garden ready for longer, hotter days
The longer days mean plants are having a growth spurt, so be… Continue reading
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Come on reader, light my fire
Great conversations at coffee event inspire us to do better for readers
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Why isn’t the city asking for federal funding? Dear editor, I read… Continue reading
© 2019, Renton Reporter and Sound Publishing, Inc.
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Do I have to pay my spouse’s costs for our divorce?
We talk about court-ordered costs in our blog here: What are court ordered costs?
The usual rule in family cases is found in Supreme Court Family Rule 16-1 where it is presumed that the costs of a family law case must be awarded to the successful party unless the court otherwise orders. Some lawyers have taken the position that the usual rule does not apply where the only issues to be decided are those relating to children. Case law does not support that as a general rule. Instead, it was confirmed by the BC Court of Appeal in SJC v. S-JCA, 2010 BCCA 31 that the usual rule applies in all matrimonial proceedings subject to the trial judge’s discretion to refuse costs to a successful party in certain cases.
In SJC, the factors that the court could consider in deciding whether to refuse costs to a successful party were listed as being hardship, earning capacity, the purpose of the particular award, the conduct of the parties to the litigation and the importance of not upsetting the balance achieved by the court, although it was clarified that the list was not exhaustive. Where children are involved, the court will also consider the best interests of the child.
As Madam Justice Humphries states at paragraph 16 of Hansen v. Mantei-Hansen, 2013 BCSC 1854,
[16] The underlying reasoning in all the cases in which parents have been required to bear their own costs in a custody battle is based not on a party’s “genuine belief”, but on the court’s assessment, after observing the parents and their witnesses and hearing all of their evidence, that each parent was a worthy primary residence/custodial parent and the decision, often heart-breaking because of its difficulty and importance, could go either way. For the children’s sake, a decision has to be made, and the trial judge is given this important and difficult task of deciding what is in their best interests. Where such circumstances exist, trial judges have often declined to make orders for costs in custody cases, whether articulating it as a matter of principal (not the recommended approach, given the Court of Appeal’s views on the wide applicability of Gold), or a matter of discretion (the approach approved by the Court of Appeal in Gold and the cases that have followed it).
The short answer is that if you are unsuccessful on your claims, the presumption by the court is that you are responsible for paying the tariff costs of your spouse unless the court finds that there is a reason they should not be entitled to their costs considering the factors listed above or any other factor. If you are unsuccessful, and your spouse beat their offer, you may be required to pay double your spouse’s tariff costs.
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Think of financial independence
MIKE MEYER
Executive Editor, The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register
What we overlook so often in celebrating Independence Day is that the Founders’ anger with King George III’s government had as much to do with money as personal liberties. London was taking too much of our hard-earned cash. Dumping tea into Boston Harbor was all about taxation.
George III and Parliament would have loved the mindset of many modern Americans. All a candidate has to do is promise new freebies and he or she is guaranteed of millions of votes.
Trouble is, there is no free lunch. Someone has to pay for everything. Consider the costs of proposals by many candidates for president:
— Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, is the leading proponent of “Medicare for All.” Several of his competitors have jumped on the bandwagon. In addition to eliminating private insurance and, quite possibly, leading to health care rationing, “Medicare for All” would cost taxpayers between $2.7 trillion and $3.2 trillion a year.
The entire federal budget this year is about $4.7 trillion. Of that, by the way, only $3.6 trillion is covered by revenue. The remaining $1.1 trillion is borrowed money. More on that in a moment.
– Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, wants free college tuition and eliminating much of the student loan debt for those coping with it now. She pegs the cost of her idea at about $125 billion a year. Bear in mind no candidate in recorded history has ever been honest about the cost to taxpayers of a proposal.
– Some candidates, led by former technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang, think every American over 18 should receive a $1,000 check from the government every month. You don’t have to ask Yang about the cost. Just multiply the Census Bureau’s report that about 251 million Americans are 18 or over by $12,000. That’s $2.51 trillion a year. At least Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., is more restrained. She wants to mail out checks totaling $200 billion a year.
– Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, has a “baby bond” proposal. Children in poor families would receive $1,000 federal bonds, with the money to be invested until they reach 18. One estimate of the cost to taxpayers is $60 billion a year.
– Then there’s the “Green New Deal,” of which there have been various manifestations. At the very least, it would eliminate all use of fossil fuels in the United States. The only sources of energy would be “alternatives” such as wind and solar power.
As you might imagine, estimates of the GND’s cost vary wildly — but they start at about $5.1 trillion a year. They go up to $9.3 trillion.
– In efforts to stand out from the crowd — and, of course, attract votes from new sources — various liberals have come up with a variety of other ideas. They range from Kirsten Gillibrand’s universal paid parental leave to the “slavery reparations” proposals espoused by some. All would cost taxpayers money, of course.
So let’s try to come up with a total. Take just “Medicare for All,” free college, monthly checks for everyone and the “Green New Deal.” The minimum cost of implementing them all would be about $8.3 trillion a year. A more likely reality would be the maximum: $12.9 trillion annually.
Again, the entire federal budget now is $4.7 trillion. Only $3.6 trillion of that is covered by revenue.
So, the liberals’ plans would require a combination of between $9.4 trillion and $14 trillion a year in new taxes or higher deficit spending.
Just for perspective, consider that $9.4 trillion is roughly $28,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. That’s $84,000 for a family of three — in addition to what government is spending already.
By the way, the national debt already totals nearly $23 trillion. That’s about $181,000 for every taxpayer. Not everyone pays income taxes.
Again, King George III would have loved subjects who embraced government spending such as we have now.
Heck, had the Founders thought like modern candidates, we might still be British citizens.
Myer can be reached at: mmyer@theintelligencer.net.
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Modern League Park is a hit
Knox club member inducted into HOF
Jon Carl Morwood
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Wildlife @ Nugget Point – Sea Lions, Seals and Penguins
Roaring Sea Lion: Nugget Point
Sea Lions, New Zealand fur seals and yellow eyed penguins all call the 47 hectare Scenic Reserve at Nugget Point home.
The räpoka is one of the world's rarest sea lion species and can be found on the sandy beaches. They became a protected species in 1894 after being hunted to the edge of extinction.
Nugget Point & an Iconic Lighthouse: The Catlins
Nugget Point Lighthouse
A razor back ridge known as Nugget Point - Ka Tokata extends out into the Pacific Ocean, 8 kilometres south of Kaka Point. It is the Catlins most iconic location and it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in New Zealand. I had a ‘pinch me, I’m really here’ moment as the lighthouse came into view. I’ve grown up with that image, but never seen the reality.
The Lost Gypsy Gallery and the Automan of Papatowai: The Catlins
Papatowai, on the Catlins coast, acts as a magnetic force dragging in surfers from all over New Zealand. It has long been known on the national surfing circuit for its ‘killer waves’ and big wave completion’s. The sign that welcomes you to the settlement, permanent population 30, says it’s the place where the forest meets the sea, and the Kai Tahu have always valued the area for its abundant source of food. In Maori Papa means land and towai is the name of a native tree.
Lake Wilkie & The Traills Fordson A Tractor : Catlins.
The Lenz Reserve, just past Papatowai, is owned and managed by Forest & Bird NZ. Named after Trevor and Ivy Lenz it is set on the site of George Clark’s original Tautuku sawmill. A special feature amongst the rusty relics is the restored ‘Traills Tractor’- a Fordson A farm tractor that was modified to work on the bush tramway.
Natural Acoustics in the Cathedral Caves & Mclean Falls.
Waipati Beach is home to the Catlin’s version of the ‘Cathedral Caves’. The two caves are linked in a ‘V’ like formation and in places, their cavernous roof is thirty metres high. The rocky ceiling creates a natural acoustic resonance, with the sounds of the Pacific Ocean’s waves in the background you can hear why Dr T. M. Hocken named them ‘Cathedral Caves’ in 1896.
The caves can only be visited for an hour either side of the low tide. When you check the tide table make sure you factor in the twenty-minute bush walk and five-minute beach stroll to get there. There is a $5 fee charged to cross the private land to reach the caves, this goes to maintaining the access road and tracks to the beach which is not a cheap exercise.
Just south of the Cathedral Cave’s turn off, Newcastle Road has a sign that points to the start of the Mclean Falls track. The car park is at the confluence of Tautuku River and Duckaday Creek, and the twenty-minute walk takes you to the Tatuku Rivers most stunning falls.
At 22 metres high, these are the tallest falls in the Catlins, and on a hot day, the slippery scramble to the pool at the bottom of the main falls is worth the extra effort.
Cathedral Caves entrance.
Who scared the forest? And a Windy Lighthouse.
Who says New Zealand has no ‘old school’ history? At Curio Bay, you can a see a petrified forest that was ‘living’ over 170 million years ago. These trees are unique, unlike any growing today, although, they are distant relatives of the kauri and Norfolk pine. In fact, these Jurassic conifers are so old that birds hadn’t evolved while they were standing.
The Maori People called Curio Bay and its fossilised forest Tumu Toka, which roughly translates into ‘hardened wood’ or ‘stump wood’. Scientists believe a volcano erupted during torrential rain, and ash filled flood waters engulfed the forest. The scientific term for this fossilised phenomenon is ‘silification’ and the trees would have looked like they had been struck by Narnia’s Ice Queen only a few weeks after the eruption.
Geoff and I wandered along the rocky, stumpy, coastline investigating the forest remains; and were on the lookout for hectors dolphins and yellow eyed penguins. On this particularly windy day even the wildlife stayed well hidden.
At Waipapa Point, just along the coastline from Curio Bay, we were assaulted by gale-force winds and I sacrificed my umbrella trying to get moody shots of the wooden lighthouse. The Point marks the Eastern entrance to Foveaux Strait, and the treacherous Otara reef. The Maori people called the point Waipapapa, and highly valued this stretch of coastline with its abundant kai moana (sea food). However, they knew the submerged dangers hidden by the high tides and warned the whalers, sealers and other seafarers when they began to explore the area.
On April 29th 1881, the point was the site of New Zealand’s 2nd worst civilian maritime disaster on record. The S.S. Taraua was steaming from Port Chalmers to Melbourne via Bluff when she struck the reef and began to sink. The lifeboats overturned, 131 people drowned, and the twenty survivors along with the bodies were found littered along coastline.
The colonial government were quick to respond and materials for a lighthouse were ordered from Scotland in December 1882. The lantern room was made out of out of bronze, copper, cast iron and glass, and was built in three separate sections by James Milne and Sons. When completed the three sections were shipped to New Zealand. In 1883, the room was placed on top of the double skinned wooden tower. Made out of kauri and totara, the Waipara lighthouse stands at 13.4 metres tall, and it was one of the last wooden lighthouses to be built.
John Frederick Erecson manned the first watch on January 1st 1884 and diligently kept the paraffin lamp burning. The light was upgraded to kerosene in 1912 and electricity in 1943. Waipara was actually the first lighthouse to be lit by the national grid and was fully automated in 1976. The light even went ‘green’- that is environmentally friendly, in 1988 thanks to the installation of solar panels. Today, it flashed five times every twenty seconds, from dusk till dawn, every night of the year.
Although the views on a sunny day are spectacular, when we visited the point was a sombre place: barren, Baltic cold and assaulted by the wind. I’m a strong swimmer; however, I doubt I would have lasted a second in the relentless pounding of the freezing waves even in a wetsuit. I can only imagine what it would have been like to get into a ‘lifeboat’ in heavy Victorian clothes. Let’s hope the lighthouse keeps doing its job indefinitely, and there are no more wrecks like the SS Taurua.
Geoff beside the Waipapa Lighthouse
Moeraki Boulders – Memories of a Wrecked Canoe or Dinosaur Poo?
Along Koekohe Beach, between Moeraki and Hampden, there are a series of spherical boulders. Some of these are the size of pebbles, while others are three metres in diameter. Kelly and I went on a photographic expedition to capture these geological oddities as part of our Oamaru trip. As I climbed on and around these rocky giants, a host of childlike questions ran through my mind: Are they dinosaur eggs? Are they the fossilised dropping of a Tyrannosaurus Rex? Why do the innards look like gobstoppers?
Deep in the history of Te Rununga Nga Tahu there is a story of the wreck of Ara Te Uru. The Māori people believe that this giant canoe foundered and the hull became the reef off Shag Point. The boulders formed when the food baskets and water gourds from the wreck washed up on the beach.
According to scientists the boulders are ‘septarian concretions’, and they were definitely not the flotsam of a wrecked canoe, or shat out by dinosaurs. They were formed on the bottom of the seabed and encased in the mudstone some 60 million years ago. The chemical balance around small deposits of organic material transformed the mudstone as the earth’s tectonic plates shifted. To me, with my non-scientific mind, it seems similar to how a grain of sand becomes a pearl in an oyster.
Today, millions of years later, with the aid of the tectonic plates and their uplifting action, the boulders are encased in the brown cliffs that flank Koekohe Beach. Thanks to the wave action of the Pacific Ocean, and the wild weather that assaults the coastline the cliffs are slowly eroding and the boulders are being ‘hatched’ out onto the beach. Similar boulders can be found at the Hokiangia Harbour, in the North Island of New Zealand.
It takes about an hour to drive to Moeraki from Dunedin, and there is ample parking space, a café and toilets at the main car park. It pays to check the tides before going, for two hours either side of the high tide the beach is basically inaccessible and the boulders covered by the waves. Also, dress warmly as we found the wind can be biting.
Kelly and the boulders.
Spllit Boulder
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2005 Honda CBR1100XX - Added by webmaster.sportbikerider.us on 12-Jun-2019
Uploaded for: Phillip
More Information on the Honda CBR1100XX
The Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird was a Honda motorcycle, part of the CBR series made from 1996 to 2007. The bike was developed to challenge the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 as the world's fastest production motorcycle, and Honda succeeded with a top speed of 178.5 mph (287.3 km/h). Two years later the title passed to the Suzuki Hayabusa, which reached 194 mph (312 km/h). The Blackbird is named after the Lockheed SR-71, also a speed record holder.
It has the largest-displacement engine in Honda's CBR range of motorcycles.
In the mid 1990s, Honda was determined to produce the world's fastest production motorcycle and to take over the associated bragging rights and marketing impact, at the time held by Kawasaki's Ninja ZX11. This led to the creation of the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird. The Blackbird name is a nod to the Lockheed SR-71 aircraft, the world's fastest production aircraft.
In the February 1997 issue of Sport Rider magazine, the CBR1100XX was tested at a top speed of 178.5 mph (287.3 km/h), compared with 175 mph (281.6 km/h) for the ZX-11. Its supremacy over the ZX-11 was confirmed in April 2007 by Motorcycle Consumer News, although the speeds achieved were slightly lower and the margin was narrower.
In 1999, the Suzuki Hayabusa overtook the CBR1100XX. It was listed in the 2000 Millennium Edition of Guinness World Records as the world's fastest production bike with a top speed of 194 mph (312 km/h).
Production of the Blackbird began in 1996 and halted in 2007. Imports to North America ended in 2003 but sales continued in Europe until 2007. Major changes to the Blackbird were introduced in 1999, when Honda switched from carburetors to PGM fuel injection. The 2001 Blackbird received an LCD instrument cluster. Since then, mostly the color schemes have changed but the exhaust and fuelling systems have evolved to meet emission standards and maintain or improve fuel efficiency.
Specific variations to the initial model are:
Modification to the thermostat housing. The other changes are minor.
Major update.
PGM FI fuel injection system is introduced.
Ram-air system is introduced. It provides engine with more air at high speeds (above 200 km/h or 120 mph) using aerodynamic pressure, thus raising power output to a claimed 164 bhp (122 kW) at 9,500 rpm (at the crank).
Revised linked brakes with altered proportioning between front and rear.
Fuel tank capacity is increased from 22 to 24 liters.
The choke lever is removed from the left side switch assembly as it is no longer necessary.
To accommodate the ram air tubes, the oil cooler becomes lower and wider.
The inner and outer fork bushings are wider, changing the fork lowers and sliders.
The sidestand warning light on the instrument cluster becomes the FI warning light.
The wide part of the front axle (left side) becomes 10 mm longer, which makes the left-front axle space 10 mm shorter.
The two bulbs in the tail light are vertically aligned, in previous years they were side by side.
Front wheel hub is enlarged, the brake rotors are changed.
The ignition switch is changed, and the keys are longer.
The rotor carriers, stator cover and clutch cover are a light titanium color.
The number of clutch plates is reduced from nine to seven.
The rear inner fender changes shape to accommodate additional electronics.
Manufacturer's power and torque figures are 164 hp (122.3 kW) and 91.5 ft-lb (124 Nm)
No changes
New dashboard now has a digital speedometer and other indicators, except tachometer, which is now in center of dashboard.
New EFI mapping to comply with emission standards and eliminate abrupt throttle response at low speeds.
Manufacturer's power and torque figures reduced to 152 hp (113.3 kW) and 87.8 ft-lb (119 Nm)
Honda factory manual states fuel tank capacity is 23 liters.
List of fastest production motorcycles
http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=381
//www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_performance_numbers/honda.html
//www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_performance_numbers/kawasaki.html
http://www.siue.edu/~jvotsmi/votspicts/motorcycle_picts/super_blackbird.jpg
//www.worldcat.org/issn/0011-4286
https://books.google.com/books?id=DNOvQH8__CUC&pg=PA25
https://web.archive.org/web/20070822210454/http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=381
The photo 2005-Honda-CBR1100XX-86110.jpg (2005 Honda CBR1100XX - Uploaded for: Phillip) was uploaded by: webmaster@sportbikerider.us.
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St. Paul 261450221
St. Paul climber was following his dream of scaling Mount Rainier
Experienced climber Mark Mahaney was one of a group of six presumed dead.
By Jennifer Bjorhus Star Tribune
Video (00:58) : Officials at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State say it's too risky to search for six climbers who it is believed fell to their deaths on Wednesday. Park officials admit, the six may never be found.
Mark Mahaney understood the difficulty of the Mount Rainier climb that would take his life.
In a Facebook post in mid April, the Minnesota native and avid climber mapped the ascent up the mountain’s treacherous north side, predicting “nothing will be easy on this climb.”
Mahaney, 26, of St. Paul, was among a group of six people, including two guides, believed dead Sunday following a rockslide or avalanche on Mount Rainier in Washington. A helicopter search of the area Saturday picked up pings from avalanche beacons and found a debris field of climbing and camping gear spread out on Carbon Glacier at an elevation of about 9,500 feet — about 3,300 feet below the spot where the climbers were camping on Wednesday evening when they last checked in, said Fawn Bauer, spokeswoman for the National Park Service.
“The group had called into Alpine Ascents saying things were going good but that there was some weather coming in,” Bauer said.
“It’s incredibly steep terrain,” Bauer said. “It’s almost like free falling … 3,000 feet of rocks and ice.”
Search crews on the ground and in helicopters worked until about 4 p.m. Saturday, she said. Ultimately they determined it was too dangerous to try to recover the bodies, which are all believed to be on the Carbon Glacier.
Provided photo
Mark Mahaney of St. Paul
“Glaciers move, so it’s possible they could move down with that ice to a place that is less dangerous.” she said. “It’s always possible that after a snow meltout in fall as well, that we might be able to see more.”
The Park Service will have helicopters searching the area over the coming months, but can’t do a ground search due to the high risk.
Bauer estimated that there are probably over 100 bodies on Mount Rainier that have never been recovered.
Rob Mahaney, Mark Mahaney’s uncle, said Sunday that devastated family members who had headed to Washington are now returning home. He said Mark’s brother put it well: “Mark is with the mountain.”
Mahaney was following his dream, his uncle told the Star Tribune on Saturday, and had two great passions in his life: his girlfriend and climbing. He was an experienced climber who had scaled Mount McKinley in Alaska and had climbed Mount Rainier once before.
Longtime friend Josh Barke said Mahaney’s girlfriend is dealing with the tragedy as well as she can. She declined to talk Sunday.
Barke and Mahaney both graduated from Prior Lake High School. Mahaney was already into climbing then, Barke said, but became much more focused in the last few years. He played hockey in high school, Barke said, and “always wanted to push himself.”
Mahaney trained hard for the Mount Rainier climb, he said.
“He was biking 20-30 miles a day,” Barke said. “He put his heart and soul into getting ready for this.”
After graduating from Hennepin Technical College, Mahaney worked in software. On his LinkedIn profile, he listed his most recent job as a lead quality assurance analyst at GovDelivery Inc., a St. Paul-based company that provides digital channels for public sector organizations to communicate with the public.
Scott Burns, the company’s chief executive and co-founder, called Mahaney “an outstanding member of our team.”
“He was a talented and driven man,” Burns said. “He brought his positive attitude and strong work ethic to the office every day.”
Mount Rainier, visible from Seattle on clear days, stands about 14,410 feet and attracts climbers from all over the world. Last year, about 11,000 people attempted to reach the summit. Usually about half of those trying to reach the top make it, according to the Park Service. It’s about the 17th highest mountain peak in the United States.
Staff Writer Jim Anderson contributed to this report.
Jennifer Bjorhus is a reporter covering the environment for the Star Tribune. She was a business reporter for much of her career but in recent years focused on criminal justice issues, including police use of force and responses to sexual assault.
jennifer.bjorhus@startribune.com 612-673-4683 jbjorhus
Travel Details: Navigating MSP
Outdoors Mushing is a youth sport, with no offseason and furry teammates
Nation Hard-hit Rockport takes stock of losses
Details: Navigating MSP
Mushing is a youth sport, with no offseason and furry teammates
Hard-hit Rockport takes stock of losses
Allianz Field neighbors in St. Paul have mixed feelings about stadium • St. Paul
Amid turmoil, St. Paul College put on probation • St. Paul
Fire ravages beloved Coffee Cup restaurant in St. Paul • St. Paul
Make room, Socrates, for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé • St. Paul
Rising exodus of students puts more pressure on Minnesota schools • St. Paul
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American Rust Summary
Philipp Meyer
American Rust
SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. This one-page guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of American Rust by Philipp Meyer.
Written in the stream-of-consciousness style reminiscent of Faulkner and Virginia Woolf, Philipp Meyer’s 2009 novel American Rust made many “best books of the year” lists when it was published. Set in a crumbling and dilapidated Pennsylvania town where an absence of jobs means an absence of optimism, American Rust tells the story of what happens to a young man with a promising future when he grows up in an environment of defeat and when there are no resources to support his potential. Although the novel’s characters and setting could easily turn to cliché and another writer’s hands, Meyer is able to create immense psychological depth in his characters without ever condescending to them or presenting them to his reader as cautionary tales.
The novel is set in the fictional town of Buell, Pennsylvania, a town that has gone into steep decline after the collapse of the steel industry. Our protagonist is Isaac English, a 19-year-old high school graduate who has the intellectual capacity for pursuing a college degree and thus being able to leave his hometown for good. In his quick sketch, the town is a place where half the people are on welfare, teenagers with ambitions cook meth, and the only place to find a job is Walmart.
Isaac’s best friend is Billy Poe, a slightly older former high school football star. Billy is not nearly as academically inclined as Isaac, but his athletic prowess did at one point get him the possibility of a scholarship to Colgate University – a chance Billy turned down because he simply could not imagine himself being a college student.
As the novel opens, Isaac has been inspired by his reading of Jack Kerouac to escape to California. After stealing $4,000 from his disabled father, Henry, Isaac plans to hop a freight train to Berkeley, where he wants study physics. With Billy along for company, the two young men make it a few miles out of Buell when they are accosted by three homeless men squatting in an abandoned factory. The altercation quickly turns violent, as one of the men (Jesus) stabs Billy and then sexually assaults him. To intervene, Isaac throws a ball bearing at the head of another man (Otto), who is immediately killed by the blunt-force trauma. Jesus and the third man, Murray, run away in fear.
Isaac and Billy are terrified of what they have done and in their panic to escape the scene, both leave behind identifying items: Billy’s football letter jacket and Isaac’s pack. Convinced that to the police, Otto’s death will seem like murder rather than self-defense, the young men try desperately to figure out how they will evade arrest.
We now learn about the other people in Isaac and Billy’s lives.
Billy has spent his life dealing with the neglect and absence of his father Virgil. To cope with her miserable marriage to Virgil, Billy’s mother Grace has had a long-term affair with Bud Harris, the town’s police chief – the person who is tasked with solving what happened in the abandoned factory and figuring out who killed Otto. Bud has been enmeshed in the lives of the Poes for a long time, and because of his love for Grace has been willing to bend the rules for Billy quite a bit. Bud has already once helped Billy avoid criminal charges after Billy beat another boy almost to death when he was a teenager. Now, when Bud realizes that the football jacket at the scene belongs to Billy, he hides this evidence from the police investigation.
Meanwhile, Isaac is resentful of his older sister, Lee, who was able to escape her probable fate in the town by getting into Yale University. Although she felt socioeconomically insecure while going to school there, she was able to meet and marry the well-to-do Simon, and the couple now lives in Connecticut. Because Lee was able to leave, Isaac has had to care for Henry, who became disabled after a fire in the steel mill where he worked.
With his mind slowly unraveling, Isaac takes the stolen $4,000 and runs away westward. His journey is confusing, dangerous, and physically taxing – he faces hostile weather, other disaffected homeless people, and slowly begins to starve as he runs out of resources. While Isaac is gone, Lee comes back to Buell to take care of her father, and she ends up having an affair with Billy, who was her high school boyfriend.
On the strength of Murray’s testimony, Billy is charged with Otto’s murder. Billy is sent to prison to await trial, and there violence and danger stocks him at every turn. Billy gets on the wrong side of many prison groups: he beats up a black man, angering the African-American population; he doesn’t cooperate with the white supremacists; and he even gets into a fight with his cellmate. All of this gets Billy put into solitary confinement, which he experiences as harrowing psychological torment. Nevertheless, when he is threatened with a return to the general population where he will no doubt be stabbed to death, Billy still refuses to divulge Isaac’s role in Otto’s death. Released from solitary, Billy is stabbed nearly to death, and ends up paralyzed in the hospital.
Wanting to spare Grace the trauma of watching her son go through this, Bud kills Murray. Without a witness, Billy cannot be convicted, but it is clear that Bud himself will soon have to pay for his own actions.
At the same time, worried that he is a growing burden on his family, Henry commits suicide. When Isaac finally returns to Buell from his harrowing ordeal, he confesses his role in the murder to Bud. Bud tells him to be quiet about this, and to move away from town as soon as possible.
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Author: Prometheus
February 17, 2017 February 17, 2017 PrometheusLeave a comment
Greetings to you all. Welcome to the new Sorrowseed.com. We’ve been long, long overdue for a new site, so we hope you enjoy it. Over the course of time, you shall hear from us, collectively and individually, at this domain, in addition to the usual social media platforms that have become a necessary (if sometimes infuriating) element of modern music promotion. We aren’t completely finished with some areas of the site yet, but those imperfections shall be rectified in the coming weeks.
On the subject of imperfections, let us speak of the topic at hand for today; We are announcing that in 2017, we shall be releasing an updated, retooled version of our second full length album, Nemesis Engine. This is something we’ve had planned for many a moon, and requires just a drop of backstory so you have the full picture of why we’re doing this.
Long before the current day, the Nemesis Engine album was recorded and released throughout 2012 and 2013. To be perfectly honest, despite the absurd amount of time it took to make the record, we rushed quite a bit on and overlooked many of the finer details that make good albums truly great, in order to get it completed by the deadline we had chosen. Due to a combination of factors much too expansive and boring to list in sequence here, Nemesis Engine was released in a form that we almost immediately deemed unsatisfactory to our ears and sensibilities. We decided around this time in 2015 that we would begin production of a reworked, expanded version of the album concurrent to the production of our third full-length album (more on that down the road). The release of this new Nemesis Engine will be very much like the re-releases of the two individual discs of The Extinction Prophecies we released in December 2012; remixed, remastered, and partially re-recorded, only with the new Nemesis Engine we will be adding elements to songs we left out of the original release due to time and exhaustion. There will be one new song appended to the end of the track list as well; our first acoustic number since the olden days of the Reaping Willow and the Scarab Prophet. Vocal recording has begun at Stillwork Studios with our longtime producer Benjamin Jon, as evidenced below.
As for a release date for this near-total overhaul of our sophomore release, while we won’t promise anything as of yet, we anticipate completion in summer of this year, after which the newly retooled Engine shall be foist upon the world for your eager consumption at all the customary platforms. In the meantime, keep an eye out at this page and our Facebook for recording updates, show announcements (of which there will be a couple in the next few weeks), and more.
Tags: album, black metal, extreme metal, lilith astaroth, morte mcadaver, nemesis engine, sorrowseed, stillwork studios
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Locations: Jackson Library Branch | Alta Library Branch
Download & Research
Reserve Auditorium or Learning Lab
Reserve Auditoriums or Learning Lab
Click on a room type to make a reservation.
Ordway Auditorium (for up to 130 people)
Half Auditorium, Side A or B (for up to 65 people)
Auditoriums can be reserved up to 60 days in advance for events and meetings.
Full auditorium $150 per hour; Half auditorium $75 per hour.
Free for 501(c)(3) non-profits and government agencies.
Learning Lab (for up to 15 people)
Our computer lab has 9 student computers and 1 instructor computer that can project onto the big screen. Can be reserved up to 60 days in advance.
$75 per hour, free for 501(c)(3) non-profits and government agencies.
About Teton County Library
Reserve a Study Room or Meeting Room
Current Volunteer Log-In
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Teton County Library - Jackson Branch
125 Virginian Lane
Monday - Thursday - 9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Friday - 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday - 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sunday - 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Teton County Library - Alta Branch
50 Alta School Road
Alta, WY 83414
Sunday - Monday - Closed
Tuesday - Thursday - 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesday - 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday - Saturday - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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TV Smith's Forum
TV Smith's Forum »
TUTS »
World Chat (Moderators: Tj, Mrs Fleagle, Uli) »
Author Topic: Stranglers (Read 35410 times)
The Servant
Re: Stranglers
http://www.music-news.com/shownews.asp?H=The-Stranglers-release-Giants&nItemID=47818
TV SM!TH - for the beer and the company! (AND great songs too!)
Thanks for the link!
Just around the corner and miles away...
First review by John Robb - good as it is, I don't like the fact that he dismisses the 90s albums as a whole, because I'd really enjoyed their 1995 album "About Time".
http://louderthanwar.com/featured/the-stranglers-giants-album-review
Mainstream radio is lost these days, too concerned with everything apart from the music. The best bands operate on their own terms, let them come to you!
« Last Edit: January 24, 2012, 12:08:10 PM by Uli »
Rockula
Cast Of Thousands
Quote from: Uli on January 24, 2012, 12:04:30 PM
I've liked all the albums. There were a few weak songs with Paul singing but also some crackers and hidden jems. I just wish some of the folk over at The Stranglers Forums would get over the fact that Cornwell isn't in the band. It's been 22 years. He's done some excellent work himself in that time but some people don't think you can like both. I think the current line-up easily matches up to the best of the 70's and 80's stuff. Looking forward to hearing the studio versions of the new songs.
Good interview with JJ Burnel about the new album, tour etc.:
http://www.stranglers.net/Feature_17_JJ_Giants.html
J.J. Burnel is apparently going to be on the One Show on friday 3rd feb. BBC1 at 7pm.
Wot?
Even one member of The Stranglers on prime-time BBC 1?
It's the end of the world as we know it...
Apparently it is true:
Updated-We have just been advised that JJ is now appearing on the programme on Friday 3rd February 2012 at 7pm. Apologies for the late change...
Following his recent appearance on the Top Of The Pops 1977 documentary, JJ is back on the BBC again this week. He features on BBC1's The One Show this Thursday the 2nd Of February which starts at 7pm. We will post an iPlayer link once it is live...
http://www.stranglers.net/
Just having a second listen to their new single via that link on their website - naff pop song with JJ's bass covering a multitude of sins I reckon so far.
It may grow on me...
Haven't heard that yet. But the new album is said to be "varied", so I wouldn't worry about one weak song...
Oh, I'm not worried!
http://www.kerrangradio.co.uk/listen-again
Select Tuesday - song starts, after The Buzzcocks and "Boredom", about 1.06.17.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2012, 03:13:49 PM by Lord Pork Pie of Melton »
Quote from: Lord Pork Pie of Melton on February 02, 2012, 02:57:05 PM
Why not? That new song isn't their strongest indeed.
Thanks for the link, found it here as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWPr92fm6c0
Above mentioned JJ interview lets me look forward to the tour:
Your touring schedule kicks off in March. How many of the new songs would you like to include in your set?
I think not more than four or five because there are lots of older songs we'd like to revive for the hell of it, just for fun. to rediscover old friends. It's always difficult, and it gets more and more difficult with each new album, because we've got more and more material to choose from.
Now this is more like it! An instrumental version of one new track called Lowlands, sounds great to my ears!
http://soundcloud.com/chapple-davies/the-stranglers-lowlands
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bqn6y
The Story of "No More Heroes" starts about 41.30 - oh, and a couple of brief Adverts clips too!
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tv News Al Jazeera February 10, 2016 1:00pm-2:01pm EST
>> hello i'm lauren taylor live from london. as the battle for aleppo claims for victims turkey accuses the united states of creating a sea of blood in the middle east. and the first arab neighbors called predatory animals as they seek to justified stronger borders. >> people want real change. >> bernie sanders sweeps aside hillary clinton and donald trump emerges victorious for the republicans in the new hampshire
primaries. a million people in zimbabwe rely on food aid as a severe drought kills crops and live stock. >> we have big sports stories for you. including the center of another controversy we have details coming up. >> turkey's president has accused of supporting the kurdish relevance saying the u.s. has turned the situation into a sea of blood. the syrian opposition says there is weakness in washington, and they call on on president obama.
we have this report from the worsening humanitarian crisis. >> not far from the board with turkey fear amongst civilians is growing. the intensity of the military campaign is continuing. and now the bombs are falling in villages not far from a border townhome to tens of thousands of people including those recently displaced by the government across aleppo. >> many families have fled. the international silence is unacceptable considering what is happening in the city. >> already people have started to leave but turkey has closed it's border, so these people are
moving towards the opposition controlled province of idlib. >> where should we go? turkey has closed it's borders. we're starving. poverty is killing us. we sleep in tents. we need aid. >> the corridor is now the focus of the government campaign. russian airstrikes are intensifying in what they call a scorched earth policy. this city much of aleppo province has been reduced to rubble. they say the government's policy to take ground will not end the war. >> these are the houses of the civilians. these are the images of retaliation. these are the gains of the
russians. this is what they do for peaceful people. this is the strength of russia. look at innocent people beal killed. >> is a sense of defayance. rebels say they don't plan to withdraw in the face of airstrikes and will confront government troops who are a few kilometers away. the united states says they are trying to secure a peace fire in syria. it still believes that diplomatic progress is possible. they believe there is little hope for a breakthrough. they believe the u.s. is giving russia enough time for the government to win on the battlefield. >> the opposition is still fighting back, but the government defense has weakened them not just on the ground, but they say they won't negotiate while under fire. they believe the government and it's allies are more interested in the inclusion.
>> give us reaction to the kurtism to the strategy in syria. >> they keep stressing as they heard from secretary of state john kerry and today we have heard from the presidential envoy to the coalition to fight isil. all three men stressing that turkey is not just a member of nato. it is a close ally of the united states. while the u.s. hear turkey's concerns in particular about what the status of syrian kurds including those who belong to the pyd the u.s.' view is nat pyd and other syrian kurdish groups are doing a lot of good in the fight against isil. brett mcgirth was testifying earlier on wednesday.
and he was very diplomatic, lauren in how he responded to criticism by not just turkey, but from france and other countries that u.s. is doing enough to try to end the civil war inside syria. >> what about any practical help. as we know while the talking goes on or doesn't go on, if you like the people in syria are still suffering. air drops or practical measures might be used to improve the humanitarian situation at least. >> mcgirth was asked that question by one member of the panel they were very concerned pickerly in light of the reports reports. what has been happening in madaya aleppo and other parts of syria. mcgurt said that they're always trying to get the aid that people need. they have been committing resources. it's just a matter of executing
their good intentions. he did say that these things are constantly being looked at and constantly being debated. one thing that he did demurrer on was on the question of whether there was a no-fly zone along the war zone. in essence to try to reduce the amount of bloodshed of the syrian population. but they say that is still on the table. it's still being discussed. one critical factor in making the no-fly zone effective would be to have people on the ground to help enforce those borders. that is something that the obama administration has been loathe
to do. it is something that they want to do. >> the u.n. security council has been called with councils what have they been telling you on the way to that meeting? >> this meeting is on going. it's a close-door meeting we're not allowed inside. but it's being held by stephen o'brien, the top humanitarian official for the united nations. he's been briefing security members in syria. i can tell you just in the last five minutes or so that the u.n. ambassador for new zealand came out and gave an update on what was being talked about and what was being said. they said that stephen o'brien gave a graphic description of the humanitarian situation in syria, particularly in aleppo
where thousands of people are trying to flee the city and are amassing at the turkish border as we've been reporting. from the diplomatic standpoint this is an important briefing. nothing is expected to come out of it. there is not going to be any supreme court of agreement reached by the security council. that's not the point of this meeting. it's mostly to send a message to the international community and to the syrian government that the security council is watching very closely what is going on. both new zealand the united states u.k. and france have all come out today going into the meeting or said in the past that they believe the russian airstrikes in aleppo are complicating the situation greatly, and they're calling on russia to halt those. we've not heard from the russian ambassador here at the u.n. so far. let's listen to a little bit more of what the u.k. ambassador had to say right before the meeting got under way.
>> we hope there will be a proper response from russia to confirm they have an obligation to use their influence over the assad regime to get a cease-fire and to get proper humanitarian access. we've rightly criticized the reason why the geneva talks have been held. >> tell us how this meeting talks about the end with the process that has been on going. >> in this meeting what they're trying to do is layout the latest information so it's very clear on how bad the situation is there and it comes at an important time, lauren. because on thursday is when this meeting of the international syrian support group will be happening in munich, that's an organization of ten different
countries with a stake in syria including the e.u. and the u.n. will have an delegation there as well. trying to get the geneva peace talks back on track. they're hoping that the talks can happen again. big decisions with one group pointing the finger directly at russia really pressuring them to stop these airstrikes in alip poe. so aid can get in to the people that need it the most. and that political talks can go forward. but of course, russia has been saying they're targeting terrorists and they have given no signs that they will stop. we did hear that russia perhaps perhaps at the knew nick meeting on thursday talking for the first time there may an national cease-fire in syria. we have no details about what that proposal could be by the
russians. >> thank you. >> breaking news coming in to us from nigeria. more than 60 people are reported to have been killed by a twin suicide attack. they've been displaced by fighting by the boko haram group. that happened on tuesday. and a break down in telephone communication has limited the information but we'll bring more information as we get it. in jordan one fence is being built and eventually israel already completely surrounded. >> at the end of the day as i
see it there will be a fence like this one around israel in its entirety. is this what we want to do? the answer is yes. in the environment we live in we need to protect ourselves from predatory animals. >> we have this update from west jerusalem. >> the comments made by israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu at the construction site of the fence that will separate jordan from israel. certainly will raise eyebrows with israel's neighbors. particularly jordan which has close cooperation with security issues and has open diplomatic ties. but in the background of all of that mr. netanyahu, as he said in that statement he plans to forge forward with his plan to build fences right along israel's territory effectively surrounding israel with fences.
and while that is certainly something that i think most israelis would support he has received some criticism domestically fact, within his own coalition. coalition partners from the jewish home party the leader of that party, they have criticize mr. netanyahu from wanting to build fences saying that it was unnecessary. but his reasons are for more ideological reasons as opposed to security reasons according to mr. bennet. all the territory that is occupied even the areas that it borders belong to israel and therefore building fences in some way diminishes that argument. still, whatever the case mr. netanyahu is certainly going to go ahead with his fence building project regardless of the cost. which is now reaching billions of dollars. >> israeli shoulders have shot dead a palestinian in the west
bank. the israeli army said he was part of a group of palestinians who were throwing stones at military vehicles in the area. ahead, why south korea has joined a park with north korea. >> still ahead in sport germany left picking up the pieces. protests over the cost of ticket prices. >> the race to be the next u.s. president. they are now focusing on the next big contest in and a nevada and south south carolina.
kimberly halkett reports. >> democratic presidential candidate bernie sanders turned his trust over to a key demographic needed to win the white house. sanders' popularity among young people continued to rise over the last few months, but what happened here in new hampshire in terms of enthusiastic and arouse electorate people who came out in large numbers that is what will happen all over this country. >> if the anti-establishment message dictated, debated and left rival hillary clinton struggling to find footing. >> i know i have some work to do. particularly with young people,
but i will repeat again what i have said this week. even if they are not supporting me now, i will support them. >> like the democratic race, the establishment candidates fighting for second place in the crowded republican contests are facing similar obstacles. u.s. voters are looking for alternatives who do not represent the status quo. >> i would like to. >> there is such an anti- anti-establishment environment that people are looking for an escape. >> analyst blair brown said the right and left will translate to nor negative attacks by candidates on both sides vying for their party's nomination. >> because the candidates are so negative that the other
candidates will adapt adopt negativity negativity. >> kimberly halkett al jazeera, washington. >> let go on to alan fisher. the anti-establishment people did well. what about the ones, who are more establishment. what lessons will they learn from new hampshire? >> well of course, hillary clinton will have a 50-point lead over bernie sanders in iowa. that went to a razor-thin victory, and she lost here. the reason why she lost new hampshire is that bernie sanders is a senator from vermont across the border. his name recognition is high
here. she has to look again at her message and how she gets that message across, particularly as the whole campaign moves south. as for the republicans well, the establishment lane is jammed up. there is still jeb bush. there is still marco rubio and john kasich as well. we're expecting chris christie as part of that group to drop out within the next few hours if not within the next 48 hours. they have to decide there has to be a candidate who will stay on trump or stay in the race and make it easier for him to take on delegates and take a bigger step towards that nomination. >> thank you. >> one of the biggest surprises we should mention is the second place scored by republican john kasich. he began his political career in 1979 before he began to work as an investment banker when he reentered politics in 2010 he was elected as governor and that
position he was re-elected to in 2014. he's often touted for his bipartisan views and in 1994 he voted with the democrats to support a ban on assault weapons. >> thanks for being with us. this man, john kasich, could he build on this? is there any chance he could become the republican nominee? >> hi there. um i really think that we should not overstate this strong showing of john kasich. i mean, he has spent most of his time on the ground actually in new hampshire, most of the campaign funds went into new hampshire. so i think it was overly expected there would an strong showing. but when we look at the wider picture, new hampshire benefiting someone like john kasich. it's moderate, white and close
to the home state of john kasich of ohio. when you look at figures like national polling, john kasich is in the single digits, michigan, new york south carolina everyone john kasich was in the single detectives. and then campaign funding. john kasich has raised $23 million. ted cruz, marco rubio $95 million. jeb bush, $159 million. i don't see how there is from the polls nor from the campaign money that we have a national momentum here for john kasich. >> what about the trump affect as he defines all the political assumption so far. where do you see him going next? he has a run as it goes. >> trump hit a 20-point lead, 18-, 19-point lead in
new hampshire, and we have a strong polling for trump in south carolina and also south carolina predominantly very conservative votership. we might see trump and cruz might be the strong candidacy. who will be the establishment candidate for the republican party? will there be somebody emerging? it might be marco rubio. he had quite a terrible debate performance and came in fifth in new hampshire. the longer the fields stays so numerous, the better for trump. >> what about his relationship with the republican party itself. is that improving or only getting worse? >> it all depends on how it will be going forward. should it actually be we have an outcome trump versus cruz. i think the anti-establishment will side with trump. he's seen as a pragmatist someone one could make deals
with, cruz is almost hated by the establishment republicans. >> thank you very much, indeed, for your thoughts on the subject. >> thank you very much. >> nato is to form a new multi national force in eastern europe. the decision was made on day one in a two-day meeting in brussels. it comes amid increasing international concerns in russian actions actions in eastern union and the continuing conflict in ukraine. paul brennan is following the events. let's speak to him now. what are they proposing? >> the defense ministers are in a working dinner right now. they spent the day talking about many different things. oil prices, the common denominator through all of them, frankly, is russia and the concerns that nato has in russia's concertedness. we have grade on this day one of the two-day meeting of defense
ministers is in principle to have an enhanced forward presence. that means more military personnel. more military hardware. three positions in balkan states who are concerned about their close proximity to russian military forces. also there has been an agreement to share intelligence more productively in a more treatment lined way. the concerns that russia has showed a willingness to use military force to, change borders and intimidate its neighbors. >> we will have we have
increased our presence. we're faced with a more challenging and demanding security. we are using military force at borders and intimidate neighbors. >> russia has seen provocation. what is the reaction to this? >> well, they're not happy. they are concerned. much of the topic of the conversation has been dominated by syria which will not come up as an agenda item until tomorrow.
russia is concerned because it sees nato rather than being a defense organization, it's expanding its borders rather too close for russia's liking to its borders. and that is a problem. and i have to say that in previous news conference it was asked what is it that russia is supposed to do? if nato stopped putting forces at russia's borders would that help? and they actually didn't answer that question. it's a moot point here. obviously a lot of generals and people with vested interests here. and at the moment the idea of putting deterrent forces close to the russian border is winning the argument. >> paul brennan live in brussels, thank you very much. isil fighters are shelling the iraqi city of ramadi after they took control of it on tuesday. the group is a threat in western iraq. people who fled the fighting is stuck in camps. we have reports now from
baghdad. >> many iraqis are hoping that these people are the last to flee the fighting in ramadi. they've escaped the east of the city. they now say a ramadi is free of isil fighters. but the ordeal still continues. >> where is the governor? the ngos? we're living in misery. there aren't enough tents for all of us. >> they'll have to live in camps like these. the u.n. said it only has $10 million to rebuild basic facilities in ramadi and they need 25 million more. no one is expecting these people to be able to go home any time soon. some he is mates suggest it could be nine months before the first wave could return. >> what have we done to deserve this? we don't have money and we were surrounded by isil. we're constantly relocating from one place to another. and now we are here. >> but even as iraqi government forces take control of ramadi other concerns still remain.
they control fallujah and iraqi security forces have put fallujah under siege. for months now no food or water is coming in, leaving the government of anbar saying they're facing a famine situation. >> still ahead russia feels the effects of record low oil processes as the biggest exporters and say there is nor surface i'll oil than previously thought. how communities are still living in poverty and dying early. and in sport russia takes drastic steps in a doping ban ahead of the rio olympics.
>> turkey's president has
criticized the u.s. and has turn the region into a sea of blood. protecting the country from predatory animals surrounding israel with a fence to safeguard the people from infiltration from palestinians and surrounding arab states. no. the u.s. candidate bernie sanders and republican donald trump call big wins in new hampshire. >> turkey's president has described the movement as forced migration. and the turkish government has closed it's border and asked the international community for help. steviestephanie dekker is talking with a few who have come across illegally. >> the situation was horrific. there are three or four russian
planes. >> they push to take back the city of aleppo. >> seven-year-old rulia said that rockets are falling every day. she asked her mother to close her ears to drown out the sounds. people wait nearby hoping for that to change or they move to other towns north of aleppo, a town that is now at bursting point. >> turkey provides aid to those in this no man's land.
still technically in their own country, but nobody wants to belong here. tens of thousands of people move and they will let them in. the closed border means that people are stuck on the other side. this man tries to join his family in turkey every day. >> i just called him and he said its impossible. we can't get in. so now we're separated. each one in a different place and homeless. she said leaving syria is like leaving their soul behind. turkey does not want any more refugees and nobody wants to be
homeless go it seems that there is no choice. >> many leaving syria will find themselves in greece as they try to build themselves a better life in europe. e.u. sources say that greece has three months to tighten up border parolees. border paroleespatrols would be put in place. let's go to the founder of bridging europe. >> the crisis is an european crisis and it needs an european solution. they are doing their best to receive the refugees, and to provide first support at that
stage the group government has supported an enormous amount to time that from the e.u. member states is very week. meanwhile, we have to understand that the greek sea borders cannot be manageable. theit is impossible to handle such big inflows. >> on that point, the big numbers. they're saying that some of the conditions that they're putting in place or the recommendations they're improving the living conditions for asylum seekers and those who have been denied the right to appeal. how can that be done
realistically. >> it cannot be done quickly. it is both nationally and recently for the e.u. there is also the program that the e.u. has agreed to last november the relocation program for asylum seekers for which 160,000 places have been arrange arranged for relocation from greece and italy to the european union. and only around 400 cases have been dealt so far. they're very slow to implement the program and they will work to better coordinate the entire process. >> what if they can't sort things out they might be suspended from the schengen agreement so borders patrols can be brought back in. will that happen? >> in any case even if greece is
pushed to exit this won't be the problem. this won't be the solution to the problem. similarly goes for italy. i certainly believe that it's shortsighted and bias decision i'm sure that the e.u. needs to define better ways of accommodateing the massive inflows. to press turkey to control the networks of traffic. >> dmitri, thank you very much, indeed, for talking with us. >> thank you. >> we have breaking news from nigeria now. around 70 people reported killed in suicide attacks. let's bring in ahmed idris who
is online. tell us what you know. >> it was actually a suicide attack on refugee camp or rather internally displaced person's camp. remember after a lot of people gathered at government headquarters, especially in bigger towns for safety in numbers. that's one of the camps attacked by the suicide-bombers. initially the reports are saying that as many as 50 people died. but we spoke to local officials a short while ago and he said actually the number has risen more than 70 people have died. and 150 have been injured. some with serious injuries as a result of the attacks. >> there were two female
suicide-bombers. >> we've seen increasing boko haram preferring to use suicide-bomb attacks rather than taking on the military head on. over the last two weeks we've seen how they launched daring attacks on villages close to maidugari. it would an big victory to take over maidugari. but over the years the military has stopped them from taking over maidugari and they would chase them out of the areas they were holding prior to taking over of. prior to maybe three or four months ago. so most of them now have been pushed. some of them have move inward. we've seen attacks in cameroon
and other places. so now they're increasingly using suicide bombers. people in the north of the country that is how the suicide-bombers smuggle their devices and then attack populated areas. >> thank you very much for the update there ahmed. >> south korea has suspended operations that it's joint industrial park accused of using income for the park. >> the approved relations of the north and south in the early 2000s. it's value is more than symbolic worth $120 million a year in hard currency to pyongyang and produceing goods
for south korean companies. all that is coming to a grinding halt. >> now in order to prevent missiles development and protect our businesses from being sacrificed our government has decided to suspend all operations. >> they have for weeks been promising a tougher response for north korea's nuclear test carried out on january 6th. this weekend's rocket launch appears to have made up her mind pulling within the biggest lead within her grasp to punish pyongyang. it will effect 40,000 north korean employees and 200,000 people could be without work. it would not be the first time. in 2013 north korea pulled workers out of the plant. south korea negotiated to get the plant back up and running
five months later. now it's south korea that is pulling the plug, and it wants punitive actions from other nations especially in graying tougher sanctions so it has been pressuring china in particular to sign up. japan has announced it's own measures reimposing sanctions on money transfers travel and maritime links that it has relaxed in 2014. >> we see the most effective measure from north korea. it will pave a way to quick adoption of a resolution. >> north korea's leader has made the possession of nuclear weapons one of the guiding principles of his nation. intent on pressing on no matter the costs imposed from outside. harry fawcett al jazeera, seoul. >> australia is still failing it's aboriginal population according to a new report.
>> an 18-year-old aboriginal man is more likely to go to prison than go to university. the life expectancy of the aboriginal australian is 10 years lower than the rest of the population. only 60% of indigenous children finish high school compared to 85% on average. those are just some of the gaps that need closing according to an annual government report. the tourists the culture events make much of australia's aboriginal heritage. but the reality is those with aboriginal heritage find it difficult. the aim to end disadvantage within a generation. on wednesday australia's prime minister gave an update on the progress. his report shows that while the
results against the targets are mixed, there have been significant gains while it's important to celebrate the successes there is much work to be done to make the target. today i want to reaffirm my government's commitment to closing the gap. >> on track are infant mortality rates. they're down by more than half, and the aim by 2020 the gap between indigenous children who finish high school and the average looks achievable. this drop in sydney provides after school tutoring and computer use it's the sort of thing to keep them in school. but in other areas gaps are not closing. the life expectancy between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people is wide as ever. he goal to get 90% of
four-year-olds in preschool was missed. >> it brings across people's attention to what is an injustice. and it is also a risk that we think only a handful rather than the conflict challenges we face as a nation. >> that means adapting institutions to indigenous culture and building trust between indigenous communities and those in authority like health workers and the police. andrew thomas, al jazeera. sydney. >> still ahead on the program the japan snow sculptures carry on with their work despite the climate change. and robin will have more sport in the moment including the college athlete shaking up gymnastics with her unusual routine.
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>> suspensions. back in october they prepare to testify to iaaf ethics commission. he dens the allegation.
>> approved plans to allow british officials to take charge of drug testing in russia. russia was banned from athletics in november because of allegations of a state drugging program. the u.k. anti-doping agency has over seen drug testing and cover a variety of sports. >> supporters across europe are continue to go take a stance against the cost of attending matches. protests have been held in germany. supporters to boycott the first 20 minutes of the club's german cup quarterfinal against stuttgart. they would disrupt the gain and take it up to $18. the players turn for a short
time before going on to win this game 3-1. so just how much does football cost around the globe? the average price in germany is $33, less than half of the average price of tickets $78. in the united states the price tag is $46 u.s. dollars. and in australia a fan will pay average of $18 for general admission tickets. $14 in turkey. and the super league in south africa would cost $10 to see a match there. we go to lee wellings who say the fans against high tickets especially in england is an issue that won't be going away soon. >> there will be football supporters federation meeting it will happen soon. and they will look into ways they can put pressure on the premiere league to produce
ticket prices. this is going to be difficult because they don't want to have a mass walkout in a has been talked about. that's drastic action. they want the league to concede with the global deal from 2016 to 2019 for television rights surely ticket prices can be cut. surely it's not a big part of the revenue any more. when you compare it to television rights. that's what pays the inflateed player wages. what are the english fans going to do about it? remember football is being run as a business largely but it's not just that. these are things that started the community. these are things that existed for generations and some fans are definitely being priced out. >> gary neville and his team are em embarking the match against birlings loan in a in a little hour from now hoping to overturn
the seven-loss defeats. >> i'm desperate to turn these results around. i will turn these results around. and my belief is that these moments that we have going against football matches will turn and they'll starting to our way very soon. that is my promise to you. football is a cruel game sometimes. there are games that you play where you don't deserve anything. there are games you play and you are lucky and you're happy to get a draw today. in the last three-league games i felt that we deserved to win the match, not lose two and draw one in. >> former egypt player after 37 days in charge of the club. the 32-year-old was given his
marching orders. he's the third coach sacked by the club this season. the decisions made by the river as his referee it resulted in no goals and certainly not the case on tuesday. west ham close to antonio. they would cancel out and they have the return instead finishing the aforementioned disputed free kick. hitting the winner in the 121st minute. going in the playoffs against
blackburn. now they have a win in five games. tomorrow when we say--if we wanted liverpool all together, we can take really a lot of positive things out of this game. >> there is a brand new leader up to the third stage so the race only 11 kilometers. the area is being developed for the 2022 world cup where they host the game and the final. mark cavendish seventh now 26 seconds off place. and collegiate athlete in the
united states has made a name for herself with a pop inspired floor routine. she was competing for the ucla ncaa tournament with an unusual performance. the video has attracted 25 million views in facebook and 9.9 out of 10 as well. on that note let's send you back to lauren and the rest of the news out of london. >> now in japan the snow festival is an opportunity for artists to showcase their winter work. climate change is melting the ice sculpture sooner each year. >> i'm 62 years old. i remember the first sculpture i brought in 1972 for the self defense force.
since then i've worked on 38 sculpturing devoting 45 years of my life. this sculpture required 35 people every day and 150 trucks worth of snow. first you decide on the theme draw up the design and a 3d blueprint. then determine how many people and resources you need. in the beginning i just like building something. what i like more now is the team coming together in spite of the cold trying to achieve the same goal. it is satisfying and all the hard work is with regarded when we hear the visitors cheering. many people come here and it impresses me they come even though it is snowing so heavily. after building the white snow sculpture, you can use that stage for plays and operas or
light it up for projection mapping. i feel the climate is getting warmer every year. it is becoming more difficult to make intricate three dimensional sculptures. we're eventually going to demolish the sculpture. i'm often asked how that makes me feel? does it make me feel sad? well yes but to be honest, i want to say its finally over. it all went well. i'd be relieved and just want to go to bed. i have 100 ideas. i want to realize 10 or 20 of them before i retire. i want the next generation of teams to have a strong heart and i want to pass that on as my legacy. >> that's it from me, lauren taylor in this news hour. barbara serra is standing by for another full round up of the day's news. thanks for watching. bye for now.
>> the only live national news show at 11:00 eastern. >> we start with breaking news. >> let's take a closer look.
>> people loved him. teachers loved him. >> we were walking the river looking for him. i knew something was really really wrong. >> all hell broke lose. >> people were saying that we were terrorists. >> how are you providing a cover for your brother to do this? >> we saw the evil side of the social media take off. >> coming up tonight we'll have the latest... >> does the government give you refugee status? >> they've marched to the border. >> thousands have taken to the streets here in protest. >> this is where gangs bury their members. >> they're tracking climate change.
>> the red cross said an estimated 50,000 syrians are replaced by the surge in violence around aleppo. the president said that the u.s. has helped to turn the region into a sea of blood. >> i'm barbara serra. >> we're going to make america great again. >> two outsider right to victory. in a wave of disconsent
Al Jazeera February 10, 2016 1:00pm-2:01pm EST
Russia 17, Syria 12, John Kasich 10, Aleppo 8, New Hampshire 7, Israel 7, U.n. 5, Bernie Sanders 5, Nato 5, North Korea 5, Turkey 5, Greece 4, Australia 4, Europe 3, South Korea 3, Marco Rubio 3, Clinton 3, Mr. Netanyahu 3, Lauren 3, Stephen O'brien 2
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demanded.is as banks >> the german chancellor warns the u.k. should have no illusions about life outside of the eu. jonathan: for viewers worldwide, a warm welcome to "bloomberg ." with davidn ferro westin and alix steel. a couple rough days. david: everything is snapping back this morning after a really rough ride over the last two sessions. we have some great guests as we continue to cover the aftermath of brexit. is blackrock'ss
the i/o income, rick rider -- rick rieder. cuban in aup, mark bloomberg exclusive. it is an attribute you don't want to miss. three words are my favorite for today, dead cat bounce. jonathan: futures firmer up by one full percentage point if you looking at the s&p 500. in london, a firm session, up high 2.4%. stoxx 600 got pounded friday, monday, we are up by 2.7% at the moment. i will get to the other asset classes for you. the first post brexit day of gains for sterling .8% after the biggest two-day drop on record for the pound. looking at yields creeping higher, reflecting sentiment today.
up for basis points on a 10 year yields that is low, down 1.47% on the u.s. tenure. alix: never would have thought you would have seen that in march. let's go around the world and check in on the bloomberg team for in-depth coverage of the top stories. we have complete coverage on the latest brexit and market developments with live reports in london, brussels, berlin, and portugal. jonathan: let's bring in guy johnson in the city of london. some stability. should we call it that for now? guy: yes, we're coming back. if you look at the five-day chart, you can see these are very small bounces after very big selling. let's talk about sterling and the gilt market. ex-cats.ing about it is bouncing up a little bit, but only a little bit. the story is doing the rounds in the market, we have been taking this theory around.
the market may start to get comfortable with the idea that there is something more going on here than the u.k. leaving the eu. let's take a look at the gilt market as well, it is being sold up a little bit. i was looking at global advisories early on, the indication is there is so much priced in in terms of policy response, the market is going to get nervous. maybe we don't get such a good policy response story, and then you take a look at stocks on the move. the banks are being hammered. barclays credit back a little bit. unicredit down 22.2%, the miners are selling off a little bit, but gold is down. jonathan: the conversation we are going to have is whether bond vigilantes, they can no longer be because of central banks with a structural shift globally. his bank vigilante the new bond vigilante? is that will get the politicians together to get to some kind of conclusion? a point you can
squeeze, the eu relies so much on the bank channel. mario draghi has tried to fix it, and he hasn't. maybe this is where the market puts the pressure on some sort of resolution. jonathan: guy johnson in london. much more throughout the program. , want to bring in anna edwards you been camping down westminster, and the city right here in london, the focus, the uncertainty around the banks is striking. where are we? anna: we talk about politics in europe, and it often matters little to market action. now the politics matters. it's an amazing turn of events. the key concern for the banking sector in london -- the big focus it is on past boarding rights. rights.orting i caught up with the mayor of london and asked him about that, must take backou
control. he wants more control for london to set its own rules. camp, wantsremain to go along with the results of the referendum. he is very key for london to have a seat at the table. london does well, the country does well. that is why is it important for a seat around the negotiating table. london, to give upon -- the pun, to take back control. wanted toleave camp take back control. but it is early days. jonathan: thank you. david, so much uncertainty in the banks. don't think there is going to be a resolution for a long time. david: i am afraid that uncertainty may transfer right across the channel. todayders begin a summit following the brexit vote, ryan chilcote joins us live from brussels.
as is the first opportunity for mr. cameron to confront face-to-face his counterparts. they may be awkward, but realistically, what can expect to a cobbler and these two days? ryan: what they can expect to accomplish -- what can they expect to accomplish in these two days? ryan: they can expect to accomplish the airing of their views, but not much more. friday, in this divorce situation, they may the phone call to the european union saying we intend to move out and file for divorce. they have not done either. the eu says we're going to get together on tuesday anyways, let's sit down over dinner and discuss this. that is what's going to happen in brussels. david cameron across the table from the other 27 eu leaders, who were all going to want to know what is next. answer, heve that has already said he is not going to invoke article 50 and begin the official negotiations. he is not going to do it ever, it is going to be his successor.
from the other side of the table, the leader will be angela she made clear earlier today when speaking to the german parliament that she intends to play hardball. she will give the brits some time to make up their mind exactly how they want to move forward. she will wait with the rest of the eu for the next prime minister. one thing is clear, she told parliamentarians in germany today that britain should not delude itself, it is going to have to make some serious concessions if he wants to do business with the rest of the european union in the future. there won't be any official negotiations before the next prime minister shows up. david: that is ryan chilcote reporting live from brussels. alix: online merkel talking about -- angela merkel talking about the shock in brussels, that seems to be ahead of her meeting with david cameron. caroline hyde joins us. it's fascinating. she is talking tough.
for the first time, she has been the voice of calm and reasoned, but speaking to her own german parliamentarians, she is saying u.k., do not delude yourself about the necessary decisions you're going to have to make. article 50, it is up to the united kingdom to start the firing gun. if you want to start negotiating on the new relationship, if you want to breed calm into the vigilantes that john was just talking about, you will have to sit down at the negotiating table. to do that, you need to trigger article 50. nothing will be discussed informally, she said. when you get down to the negotiation, that isn't going to be easy. she talks of cherry picking, not being a principal they will abide by. whoever wants to leave this family, this family of europe, cannot expect to move away from the obligations that keep all the privileges. that is talking to the leave
campaigners. they can't keep the same trade perks, you cannot have business as usual if you then put up barriers to the eu citizens that are going to come within your country. clearly, talking tough. you cannot, britain, have your cake and eat it is the message coming from angela merkel. she is trying to rally the 27 other countries behind her, talking of the divergence that has been brewing. france and italy have been speed inhe need for these negotiations, worried about the domino other affect -- the domino effect. she wants to raise the unity. alix: thank you, caroline hyde, from berlin. david: we heard from central bank president mario draghi, speaking in portugal. elliott, he doesn't have his
counterparts from europe or the eu. what he had to say? elliott: what he said was less interesting than what he did say. he didn't want to mention -- what he didn't say. he didn't mention brexit even wants. everyone was expecting him to do so. all we know for mario draghi is that he was sad about the u.k. vote and that the european central bank stands ready to reduce liquidity if necessary. perhaps he was waiting for the ecb leaders meeting, sorry, the european union leaders meeting to take place in brussels, which is where he has left and is heading towards right now. the factd to focus on that from his perspective, he feels that policymakers should be working better together. draghi: we may not need formal coordination of policies, but we can benefit from alignment to policies. what i mean by alignment is a
shared diagnosis of the root causes of the challenges that affect us all. to a shared commitment founder domestic policies on that diagnosis. this printable challenges were low productivity and a high output gap. he is also seeing not so sad, because he won last night. david: certainly, jonathan is excited about that. elliott gotkine, reporting from portugal. jonathan: i was on air when the second goal went in. i had to stay calm. coming up, brexit aftershocks. $4 trillion from global equities, can we finally be finding a little stability? more "," is next. ♪
david: this is "bloomberg ," i'm david weston. we turned a julie hyman for a look at what's going on in the markets. want to talk about news that was just breaking in the last 15 minutes or so, job cuts at dow chemical. the company is cutting about 2500 jobs, and it sees high charges as a result. this is a result of its takeover of dow corning, which is a joint venture between it and corning. it announced in december it will be requiring that, just about 4% of the company's global workforce. dow is in the process of merging with dupont. both of these stocks were downgraded this morning at jpmorgan, both trading a little bit higher.
late breaking news this morning, lending club is now getting a permanent ceo, scott sanborn. he has been acting ceo since last month. and he has been there since about six years. lending club is also going to be cutting 179 employees to cope with the decline in loan volume it has been seeing following the departure. and vw, according to people ,amiliar with the situation said the cost to settle lawsuits tied to its reading of emissions test has jumped to more than $15 billion. the prior estimate with $10 billion. we'll be hearing from the epa and other federal officials at 9:30 a.m. they will be giving a press conference. jonathan: julie, thank you. great work on the markets. joining us is howard ward, great to have you with us on the program. we are going to begin with brexit. when i want to explore with you is what many people to consider
a bit of a paradigm shift after friday, where class get -- classic risk on/risk off symbols are not there. exclusion of saying the u.k. parliament would overrule the vote to leave, what would be the risk on signal that really turns this market around? mr. ward: i don't think parliament is going to go against the wishes of the people of the u.k. i think this is a done deal. secondly, i think we have had a lot of jumping to conclusions and can testify as an -- izing in the community. i don't think that is a good way to be investor. when one takes an analytical look at this, saying as the u.s. investor, the united states exports to the united kingdom represent a whopping 0.3% of gdp. the united states exports to the eurozone represent 1.4% of our
gdp, which is amazing, considering the economic unit of the eurozone is comparable to the united states in size. concerned,he u.s. is i hate to say it, but it is a sort of nonevent, economically. we are still at 2% growth gdp economy, perhaps next year with rising profits and a strong consumer, good balance sheets and probably continued rising stock prices. this would be an opportunity. we lost about half a multiple point, that's a reset, and uncertainty premium that the market has now demanded. so be it. there is a lot of uncertainty. that brings me to the next point, which is this is uncharted territory. if anybody tells you they know exactly how this is going to play out, they don't know what they don't know. we have been through this before. i do think when the dust settles, we're going to be just fine. i think the u.k. will have a rest -- a rough adjustment per iod, but it may be a good thing for the u.k.
i don't think that case has been made enough in the press, that this is not necessarily all gloom and doom for the u.k. look at the decline in the pound, that hurts the purchasing power of the u.k. right now. however, u.k. exports should be very strong. --should all be poking booking trips to london for vacation. jonathan: i hope that is what happens, a lot of people are skeptical of exports, given the decline in the pound and responsive exports before. we are in a political vacuum, there's a lot of uncertainty. where it's playing quite clearly is the fx market. they are having the best two days since 2011, that may not matter to the economic figures you describe it. to the s&p 500, that does matter. do you expect that to continue? good point, you have 30% to 40% of s&p earnings that are generated abroad. the foreign profits of u.s. multinationals could get clipped here.
the change in the dollar has not been all that dramatic in the last few days, relative to the 20% rise in the dollar that we had over the previous two years. we are still below the peak in the dollar of a few months ago. the dollar could strengthen a little further, but i would be hesitant to jump to that confute -- that conclusion right now. , as we bit of a headwind surface, that is the strong dollar. domestically oriented companies should be somewhat sheltered from that. i don't think the earnings that will appear will change dramatically, and i think we are still looking towards a 10% increase in operating profits for next year. it is critical for the market ends this year. to illustrate howard's point, take a look at the bloomberg. this is the u.s. corporate profit index. you can see the stronger dollar damage, right there, corporate profits continuing to fall.
david: that raises the broader point that it may not be a material part of the u.s. economy, the u.k. or even europe, but we are in a global economy that was growing at 3% or sub 3%, flirting with technical recession. we did not eat anything shifting at all, and something like this can affect u.s. exports and s&p. are you worried about what this does to overall growth? mr. ward: no, because we are going to have even more central-bank accommodation at. accommodationk than before. central banks are on hold, more inclined to tease it tighten. the fed is probably not going to tighten at all this year. lower ranks, more central-bank accommodation. i think the consumer is all-important, and i think the economy -- it has been a slow growth economy for a long time. in fact, shifting gears for just a minute, if you look at the report card of the european union and the growth in europe for the past 20 years -- is that
the best we can do? is that the optimal risk, sub 2%? david: coming up next, you will give us the top extra opportunities in the wake of brexit. more "," is coming up next. ♪
alix: this is "bloomberg ," i'm alix steel. it's time to balm fish -- bottom fish. howard ward is still with us. you brought three stock picks. swap got hit very hard over the past three days, -- charles schwab got hit very hard over the past three days. what is your case for buying? it's the best large-cap growth play and financial service, as the stock has been hammered in the last couple of days. it has to do with expectations for lower rates for a longer period of time. they are growing nonetheless,
comparisons are against the low rate environment. $30 vacuuming up about billion, $35 billion of assets every quarter. you have to by schwab when he gets hammered. it doesn't stay down. david: we just got to notice the whirlpool came out and said only 5% of business is tied up in the u.k.. why do you like whirlpool? mr. ward: like housing. , we continuing to recover benefit from even lower rates today. whirlpool is selling a less than 10 times earning. alix: whirlpool has had a big run since february, not counting the selloff they got sucked into. housing play has been out there for a while. mr. ward: it's come down quite a bit from the peak, is under 10 times forward earnings, nearly 20% growth. a good place to be. david: allergan, tell us what you like elegant health care? -- allergan health care? for botox,est known
became well-known after the treasury department scuttled their deal with pfizer. you're looking at 20% less growth, 2017, 2018. 14 times forward earnings for that, $34 billion in cash in the next month or so in their deal to sell their generic business to teva. they are buying some growth with that money, a goodbye. david: are you concerned with risk??ory mr. ward: it's an ongoing headwind for pharma, the political talk about drug pricing. alix: howard, thank you. dan coats chief investment officer. he mentioned allergan, this week bloomberg is present in what we call focused on pharma, going deep on the global business of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. they have a range of stories and analysis across everyone of
bloomberg's platforms. more on pharma as well as bloomberg.com/pharma. coming up, we have more "." we are talking energy and paying attention to the markets. jonathan: all attention on the markets, a little bit of stability and a rebound in market with the ftse 100 fire -- a little higher. points,futures up by 19 the ftse up by 2.4%, and the banks index of by two. the euro stoxx 600 bank index up by 2.64%. from london and new york, this is "bloomberg ." ♪ get ready for the rio olympic games
by switching to xfinity x1. show me gymnastics. x1 lets you search by sport, watch nbc's highlights and catch every live event on your tv with nbc sports live extra. i'm getting ready. are you? x1 will change the way you experience nbcuniversal's coverage of the rio olympic games. call or go online today to switch to x1. jonathan: this is "bloomberg ," george osborne is speaking to business leaders at the times of london ceo summit. let's take a listen in. given muchrne: i've
of my adult life to public service, this is the biggest political challenge the country has faced in my lifetime. it would not be right for me to just walk away. how i can serve the conservative party is for the next leader to decide. so. >> we've heard from array of business leaders this morning about uncertainty and political instability. you have a massive policy challenge and the leadership elections to decide the next prime minister. is apeople really want quantity count on the great big question at the heart of where we go next, which is a single market. could you provide clarity on what you thought our relationship with a single market needed to be? very particularly this -- could you support an arrangement with
a single market, which is access rather than membership, but doesn't see the european government overseeing a, but doesn't and free movement? -- does not end free movement? george osborne: i know the business does not like uncertainty, and we have clarity and the results. it was a clear result. i don't think anyone can say that there was a low turnout. a large number of people voted, more than a general election. we have clarity about the result. now we need to arrive at clarity about the relationship of want with the european union. half the country was saying we don't want to leave and the other half of the country, and the politicians articulating the leave case had a whole range of different ideas about what their relationship should be. they were not united in that respect, they were united in saying we should leave, not united in what the new
relationship with our allies should be. i will be strongly arguing that we should try and maintain the closest possible economic ties, in terms of our access to the goods andket for our crucially our services and looking around this year, our financial services. be in going to negotiation, we're not going to be the only people sitting at the table at that negotiation. i should be our objective. which is set our minds to it. i think that your benefits enormously from the strength of the british economy, the second-largest economy in the continent. from the strength of our financial services. i think it's an enormous advantage to europe that one of the world's global financial centers is here in this continent. i think you have to be realistic, you think on the continent it's also really going
to pop up again in some other european capital. the challenge we are going to face is competitive pressure from non-european financial sectors. i think we can make that argument to the british people, essentially, if you interpret the referendum as people were aware of the economic benefits of the membership, but they had concerns about other aspects -- i don't think therefore, we should throw away those he, benefits or try and retain as many as possible. how we do that is going to be a subject of negotiation. obviously, i personally wouldn't want to see us leave a single market. i wouldn't want us to give up the financial services passport. how we achieve that in with the nature of the negotiation is, is going to unfold over the next couple of years. let's be honest, we are a few days after the results. to smoke is only begining clear from the battlefield.
>> [inaudible] there are many about,that were argued in terms of the costs of you membership -- of eu membership. the issues they raise about sovereignty and the like. we have to come to a collective agreement on what it is that we don't like, and what it is that we do like. i'm not saying it's complete with straightforward, that conversation. i can tell you why are -- where i'm coming from. at the heart of everything you want to achieve is economic security. jobs, they need bright futures. i've worked very hard with the people in this room to achieve that over the last six years, i don't want to throw it away. obviously, a message from the
regions came out of the vote as well, and a message from young people in the northern powerhouses. what does that look like as a plan, going forward, for how we act and listen to those regions? george oborne: one clear message was there were parts of our country who felt left behind. the reasons, only two years ago, i stood on the stage like this in manchester and said we needed to build up the northern powerhouses was to make sure that the whole country shares in our economic prosperity. in the last couple of years, this is a pretty short time frame the scheme of things, have agreements to elected mayors in great northern cities. we have central plans for transport investment, and we have made major commitments to new science facilities in the north of england and new
cultural facilities, and the like. all of that is designed to create an environment in which you, the private sector, fuel you want to invest more and build up the north and midland of this country. that, i am passionately committed to. we have to make that work now. i would say of anything, the referendum result is even more of an instruction to deliver that powerhouse and make it a reality for people. jenny, and then brent. that youllor, you said wouldn't want to back a candidate today, but you will have to make up your mind by thursday morning who you are going to go for. what will drive your decision? we would be about who is likely to win, or who has the best policies for the country? george oborne: i don't have to make a decision by thursday morning, though i agree, the clock is ticking.
the ballot is likely to be next week. the truth is, i want to see with the people who emerge as the candidates -- my colleagues -- have to say, and their answers some of these questions that you have been asking as well. it's been the nature of the conservative party that in the first four years that i was a member of parliament's we had four different leaders. we didn't have another leadership conference for 11 years. in all those leadership conferences, i ran the last leadership contest for david cameron. i ran his campaign. i havevious campaigns, backed winning and losing candidates. my advice to any member of parliament in my party is pick who you think is the best person for the job. how it's all game going to play out. you can see in the last two or three days, it moves very quickly.
start is toace to pick the person you think is the best person to be the prime minister. and when i said today that i was going to run his leadership campaign, we had six supporters, and we were universally told that we had absolutely no chance . and dare i mention it, there was a leader that said the david cameron should withdraw from the contest with dignity, because he was going to be humiliated. [laughter] not under the current editor, i must stress. asked -- you urge to business to speak out, and business did speak out in the end, quite well. where do you think business failed, and could have done better? one of my hunches is on immigration debate, could business have helped you make the more sophisticated case for immigration? to be honest, the
postmortem of why the country voted the way it did, from the perspective of someone who was arguing for remaining in the eu -- i think that is only starting to happen. i'm not sure where entirely -- we are entirely clear as a country why we made that decision. there is evidence that immigration was very prominent in the campaign, but equally, there was evidence that emerge subsequently that people filled in some way disenfranchised or lacked in economic empowerment. i don't think we should jump to any conclusions. what we know is they didn't want to be in the european union. it was the result of the referendum. we have to address that economic disenfranchisement, we clearly have to address concerns about immigration. what i would say to everyone in this room who campaigned passionately -- i want to thank you for putting your heads above the parapet for a remain vote.
you can't turn around five days later and say the people got it wrong it, we need to elect some new people. you can't do that. that would be wrong in every respect. we are proud to be part of this democracy, and we have to listen to the people and the result have given us. jonathan: that was chancellor george osborne speaking at the time ceo summit. you have the conservative party leadership contest coming up, he still is not ready to back another candidate for that. i think the bigger headline is the u.k. should maintain the closest possible ties with the single market. that really speaks to the amount of uncertainty and risk right now. it was a lack of unity on the leave campaign over what the relationship with the eu would look like coming out on the other side, if the u.k. did vote to leave the european union. that is what we have now. there will be a scale of what
people will want, the relationship they want with the eu. chancellor george osborne would like the closest possible ties with a single market. the difference in the u.k. government is they need to be .esolved nevermind the negotiations that will eventually happen between the u.k. and the eu. i want to bring in alix steel and david weston. that line is fascinating, he still wants the closest possible ties with a single market. how does that resolve itself in the coming months, nevermind the coming years? david: bearing in mind, it takes in a negotiation. the u.k. does not get to decide it, there's someone on the other side of the table in the eu and what they want that relationship to look like, which makes it more complicated. i want to bring in tom keene from surveillance radio, he is here for the morning must-read. he decided what are morning must-read would be today. picking up on jonathan's point,
i think we may be saw the beginnings of the negotiation with the eu. he is saying the u.k. economy is really important, not just for the u.k., but for europe. at the u.k. financial services are important. it's better if we do our best not to throw out that relationship. -- ihe was understand understand he was in front of elite business auiences, i am pressed on how everyone is talking their book. that is what i saw from the chancellor. i think there's a distinction -- that americans are starting to learn about this idea of euro federalism. what really struck me in the osborne comments, the clarity of the result. he barely touched on the people of england. it is a financial audience. you would think that the dialogue would shift here. i'm waiting for that shift to occur. a little bit, he talked about economic disenfranchisement. the idea that you need to have
social globalization, meaning you need to have a global society, we are interconnected. need to bee prophets fed back to the people, and that is not what has happened. morehink you would hear talk about how to have that transition effect really work. david: there's a difficulty pointed to -- we're not sure what the british people think. side, thereleave was a variety of points of view, even within the campaigners for leave about what that meant. tom: there not sure what they mean. tom:-- they are not sure what they mean. saysolivier blanc chard there is a little bit too much hysteria going on right now. you still have to hear that from the chancellor, where we going to be in one month? -- where are we going to be in one month? alix: right here. tom: what is the rhetorical
ballet of the united kingdom going to change? david: and of anyone knows, which is why the markets are reacting so far. the first thing is they have to pick a prime minister. tom: i agree, he did touch upon that. alix: the rhetoric to that is who is going to want to take the mantle and be the one responsible for triggering article 50? who's going to want to go down in history as making that trigger? tom: we will see, it will keep us occupied the summer. david: tom keene, joining us from surveillance radio. tune in for bloomberg surveillance radio with tom keene and michael mckee everyday of the week. alix: the brexit aftermath sinking its teeth into commodities, oil prices down about 5% in the past wk. despite today's relief rally, you still a stronger dollar and global growth spheres potentially calving upside. barclays think rises could fall to $40 in the third quarter.
toning us is the man who has put money to work in oil, rob thummel. he has $15 billion in assets in energy stocks. we heard earlier the ceo of saudi aramco saying or supplies to europe are not affected. it's not the supplies we are worried about, it has to be the demand factor. mr. thummel: global demand is really important. we are still in the sweet spot for oil prices, and demand is really strong. it was really strong last year, well above average. still well above average forecast of for this year. next year, it is forecasted to be continued higher than average. alix: what helped as the stabilization of the dollar and oil prices. both of those things totally going out the window. how do you put money into energy stocks right now? mr. thummel: a great place to put money right now is high-yield energy stocks. we have a five star rated fund
that invests in nlp and other energy of a structure stocks. when you look at where the ten-year treasury is at about 1.5% -- investors really need current income, and a great way to get it is through healthy dividend yields, nlp's and they favor high percent, 6% -- they paid 5%, 6% yield. stocks, haveat outstanding current income, and offer growth in that current income, which is our great opportunity for investors that are looking for better returns than 1.5% in a 10 year treasury. david: they went through a very rough patch, and are coming back. why should we be confident they won't go back down? mr. thummel: they were not all created equal. there have been winners and losers. the winners are the ones who are left. they are consistent, steady cash flows, generating the profits from transporting product through the pipelines, charging a fee.
withe that had issues commodity prices for the most part are really behind us right now. that is in the rear beam your. alix: we are looking forward. alix:-- we're looking forward. washout,saw a total they really underperformed in the broader energy sector, because retail guys fled. make the case for that when you have this event risk over your head. mr. thummel: they've come back and outperform the market this year. like i said, we really need to that havehe mlp's sustainable dividends. the winners are sustainable dividends, the losers had to cut or eliminate dividends. investors like current yield, we know the demand for current yield over extended cycle is probably going to increase. the key is sustainable yield, and those are the mlp's that are most successful. david: the key is demand.
when she worried the aftermath of brexit will lead -- why aren't you worried that the aftermath of the brexit will lead to global production? mr. thummel: the u.k. demand is about-- europe demand is 15% of total global demand. the demand drivers are asia, china, and india. we don't see that changing. if prices stay low, it's actually a good thing that commodity prices are low, a good thing for the world, it helps gdp grow around the world and can offset some of the impacts that brexit my result in. alix: rob, good to get your perspective. david: coming up, politics with mark cuban. the dallas average owner tells us what he think about presidential hopefuls hillary clinton and donald trump, with choice words for the republican presumptive nominee. ♪
alix: this is "bloomberg ," i'm alix steel in the green room. coming up, blackrock cio of fixed income rick rieder will join us on "bloomberg ." david: welcome back to "bloomberg ." i am david weston. mark cuban, owner of the dallas mavericks, weighs in on the trump campaign of bloomberg story johnson in l.a. irrelevant. for my taxes, when it is tax time, there's a big living room table i have, and they're big stacks around the table. i look at the signature pages,
it takes me 45 minutes to sign all that stuff. i went and looked, in any previous years to this last one, i could not of told you how much i made or how much was on my taxes. it is certainly not a reflection of net worth. i don't think it's a reflection of how much anybody gives to charity or anything in any one given year, it may be up or down. i don't care if they release their taxes. >> why is not doing it? mr. cuban: my guess is that it may have been a down year for him. depending on what your sources of income are, you may say i have made a fortune in the markets but i'm not good to take my profits, and he might've had a negative income. that would match up to his brand, but it doesn't matter. comments that he is ashley gotten dumber as time goes on. mr. cuban: that's pretty straightforward. theent from maybe i will be nominee to ok, i am pretty much present of nominee, even before the others fell out of the race. presumptive nominee, even
before the others fell on the race. in a national campaign, there are certain things i have to do, certain skills that i will lead to make me smarter about running a national campaign. did he go out and hire people who can create a ground game? no. did you hire people who could help him on advisory basis, to help with the whole political machine that is required to get the vote out? he tried, all of those people keep on getting fired and turning over. rather than getting smarter and bringing in the help that is needed to run a campaign, he is doing the exact opposite. where we have gotten to his him pretty much being dependent on his kids. -- they are good kids, smart kids. i have met them, they are impressive in every which way. but i don't know that i would want them all of a sudden coming in to run a campaign. this isn't "shark tank," where you can help with this company. we are talking about running a campaign for the president of the united states. not beingupider means
able to hire the skills that's to make you smart, and think he has gotten worse, you are seeing it happen before our very eyes. >> i had dinner with some tech ceos, and we were talking about politics. and vice president choices for hillary. one of the ceos said you. seriously. mr. cuban: good. it's not going to happen. [laughter] but you never know until you take the first step and put it out there. anything is possible. illiteracy at the top for both candidates is a huge problem. we talked about how do you deal with immigration and radical islamic terrorists trying to come into the country from wherever. there is no way just physically you can interview everybody. you are going to need to use tech, whether it's facial recognition, or a variety of other options. tech is going to get us there. somebody has to at least start to understand those things. and how they apply to all the big issues. we talk about dealing with the
future, autonomous cars, robotics, ai, machine learning -- jobs are going to disappear. they're going to be jobs that are gone just like making records in terre haute, indiana were gone. making cameras for kodak in new york were gone. oal in western kentucky is gone. what are you going to do in anticipation that we may not have replacements? if you don't anticipate the issues, you can't come up with solutions. that is irrelevant problem. no one has the absolute answer, but i can help them start to understand that and come up with solutions. david: that was mark cuban, speaking with cory johnson in los angeles. that number one he said sooner or later, donald trump has to do with the traditional way and get his traditional staff. he has not done that, i would say he has no ground game. this man, so far, has defied every rule. i'm not sure in the general y
will be that different. alix: ira member pundits talking about this -- i remember pundits talking about this, about other candidates. and now look at where they are. david: mark cuban has a powerful point, about wt technology means for employment. that we as a country have come to terms with that. in terms taking away jobs in with a longer-term applicationsf that may be. comi up in the next hour of "bloomberg ," blackrock ci rick rieder will be here to talk about rates. looking at near record lows on the 10 year treasury yield. much more, coming up. this is "bloomberg ." ♪
david: markets snapped back. the pound studies, european stocks rebound, european -- u.s. futures are rising. jonathan: the bank of england governor shares a meeting of
financial stability officials as banks demand the liquidity surges. david: as eu leaders convened -- ,lix: as eu leaders convened merkel hardens her stance. ♪ david: welcome to the second hour of "bloomberg ." i'm david westin with alix steel in new york, and jonathan ferro is home in london. we are set up for another eventful day in the markets. jonathan: it's been quite a couple of days, european markets snapping back a little bit, along with sterling, coming off the biggest two-day drop ever. alix: i said before, dead cat bounce. rebound as well, remarkable moves across all classes. you have to keep the focus on the debt market.
coming up later this hour, we are joined by black rock's cio of fixed income, rick rieder. another big hour for "." another look at the big market movers we're seeing today. jonathan: the story in the markets concentrate in the fx market, but equities finding a firmer footing after two days in europe. i would look at the european banks index specifically, because that got hammered friday and monday, and now we are back by 3% or four percentage points. maybe a little bit of respite for people who have been beaten up the last couple of days. i said the focus was the fx market because the bloomberg dollar index but together the previous today part since 2011. softer dollar story today with the pound up to 133 46. gains earlier, up three basis points. we were behind in that earlier in the session. we trade on the 10 year at 1.47%, which historically is
history -- incredibly low. alix: let's go around the world and check in with the bloomberg team. we have complete coverage of the latest break the development and market reaction for you. live reports in london, brussels, and new york. i want to stay with new york, julie hyman checking out the movers. breaking news on volkswagen. julie: information of how much volkswagen will have to pay to settle the omission schedules, pointing four $7 billion, opposed to the $15 billion -- $14.7 billion. that is the claim settlement of the u.s.. that will be broken down a number of different chunks. the settlement that is paying to cover costs to buy back vehicles at pre-scandal values, and then compensate drivers were as much as $10,000 per car for their troubles. that is according to people familiar with the settlement.
we don't yet have all the details of the settlement between vw and united states. it looks like it is also going to have to pay some fines to the epa. the epa, along with other regulators, is going to be holding a press conference at 9:30 a.m. at that point, hopefully we will get new details. as i'm looking at the headlines, what we have is the overall number, $14.7 billion. jonathan: julie, thank you. in london, markets on a firmer footing. i want to bring in guy johnson, having a look at the markets and anna edwards looking at the politics. the markets, a firmer footing, little bit of stabilization. i imagine that is as far she can go. you cant is as far as go after the severe selling we have seen in the banking center and some of the insurance companies. you were always going to see the market stabilizing a little bit after a couple of days. the market never moves in a
straight direction for very long. as a magnitude, the drop was going to generate a little bit of a pause. we will see what happens next. it's the politics of pulling anything around at the moment and it understanding -- and understanding where the u.k. sits in the world. how on earth do you price big banks and the insurance sector when you don't understand the regulatory regime and you don't understand the passporting story. jonathan: that's what mervyn king was talking about on bloomberg surveillance. you have to find a new equilibrium, you'll get overshifts to the downside and overshoots of the upside until you find this lower footing that most people assume is an adjustment lower. we saw that friday, monday. the bank of england, banks demanding a whole lot more liquidity today from the bank of england. the financial stability officials convened on threat needle street. what is the role in the midst of all of this? guy: making sure the plumbing works. they are plumbers right now.
the financial system has to operate as it is meant to operate. we cannot go back to the time during the financial crisis when we had liquidity crunches. you can see very clearly in the ois libel spread. there is in distress there. the overnight lending rates have not become as elevated as they once were during the financial crisis. when you can see at this point in time is that the plumbing is functioning. the central banks job right now is to make sure that happened. it's a good thing that banks are demanding liquidity, they want to have insurance to make sure the system operates. jonathan: and then maybe down the road shortly, think about the stimulus. edwards, bring in anna the politics are fascinating. the politics of london are very much in focus after the days in scotland. anna: the pressure on the banking sector is about the future of the banks in london as well as other issues that surround them. structurally, are they going to radio -- to be able to have access to the central banks?
they are trying to work out what's important. london needs to have a seat at the negotiating table, and in terms of that conversation with is this, this is what he told me. >> i've been speaking to chief executives in the financial sector, and what they are telling me is important -- number one, we have access to the single market. and also, access to financial services. if we don't, the banks and insurance sector and others will be leaving london to go to berlin, or frankfurt, or paris, which means jobs leaving our cities. limitationsmight be to the attraction of those cities, but if you are a bank in the city of london, you know what the rules are. you are asking yourself where you want to put those people in the future, it may be too early to make that call. passporting for banks in london realistic? he said it is, it's something they're going to ask for. angela merkel says don't delude yourselves. jonathan: here's the headline of
the last 30 minutes. chancellor osborne, the u.k. should remain and maintain the closest possible ties with a single market. have the game's just begun in a big way inside the conservative party? guy: of course they have. everyone is playing for position. where are you is the question that everyone is asking themselves. he is talking about that, and making it very clear that that is where he feels the story should go. the comments about deluding yourself is very interesting as well. the game is afoot, this is game theory in action. we've heard from the eastern europeans in the last couple of hours as well. this is the side of europe that has also skin in this game. they don't want to see london decreasing, they don't want to see the money they get from the eu decreasing. out of those things could happen if we do see the brexit. they're saying you want access to the free market, the price is freedom of movement, and we are
back to the same conversation. into thinking that was that was set by the chancellor is we will not lose out to other cities in europe. we will lose out other global cities. europe will lose, not just london. jonathan: guy johnson and anna edwards. the politics is fascinating. as fascinating as it is, it is very uncertain. for that reason, the markets are unstable despite the snapback. david: it is uncertain across the channel. we go to brussels, where ryan chilcote joins us live. yesterday, mr. cameron, who is in brussels today, said out a process -- set out a team for negotiations. woulde hopes that we start a process on the eu side about how they negotiate a relationship with the u.k.? ryan: i don't think we have much hope of that. i think the most we can expect out today and tomorrow in terms
of this divorce between britain and the european union is really an airing of views. if you think about it, on friday, with the referendum is all -- result, the u.k. made a phone call to the european union saying we are moving out of the house and are going to file for divorce. the eu said let's talk about it at dinner. that is going to take place tonight. they were cameron on one side, the 27 eu leaders on the other side. -- david cameron on one side, the 27 eu leaders on the other side. many leaders are furious with david cameron for having this referendum in the first place, and they just want to get on with it. he has made it very clear that it won't be for him to actually begin the negotiations on how britain exits and what its future relationship is going to be. that is going to be the job of the next prime minister. i think they are going to have a little shout at one another. hopefully there will be some consolatory air in the room.
this is about where we go from here, relationship wise. david: that ryan chilcote, reporting from brussels. alix: breaking news at the top of the hour, volkswagen is paying $14.7 billion to settle claims with the u.s.. the u.s. emissions test they cheated. a volkswagen settlement will cover about 580,000 vehicles, and volkswagen must achieve 85% recall rates or pay more into a trust. the first potential bill we heard of for volkswagen was $10 billion, is 14 for -- $14.7 billion is more than expected, the epa and doj will atholding a press conference 9:30 a.m. eastern, and volkswagen stock is up in european trading. alix, thank you. coming up, the brexit political
moral -- political turmoil has sent u.s. stocks to fresh lows, plunging more than 5% in two days. features indicating a big bounce this morning. withhaefele the joins us his strategy for brexit volatility. ♪
david: this is "bloomberg ," i'm david westin. we asked about opportunities in this market after the brexit. >> is one of the situations where investors say i'm going to
be defensive and see how this pans out, see how it blows over, and eventually things get cheap enough in some other areas, i may go there. we're only in day two of this. i think it's far too early to be looking at markets at the moment. david: joining us now is mark haefele, global chief investment officer. ubs is responsible for over $2 trillion in investments. we have to pay attention to what he has to say. what do you think about what we just heard? is it too early to go back into the market? mr. haefele: it's hard to say if this is going to be to permit bottom to things. we are seeing some opportunities as we look globally. -- be the permanent bottom to things. we are seeing some opportunities as we look globally. the direct effects of on the united states of the u.k. brexit is probably low. we nobody yields are going to remain lower for longer, and i can help things like dividends,
strategies, and the continued drive for finding yields globally amongst investors. david: to what extent is the degree of uncertainty a challenge? we don't know how big it is, where he goes. doesn't it make it difficult to go back into this market? mr. haefele: i think directly in the u.k. prime minister could even be the last prime minister of the united kingdom, should some of these referendums come to fruition in the united kingdom. that is particularly a challenge. we have had political uncertainty before these events, and we will have the master. the main point for investors is into as we go further out these experimental central-bank policies and referendums, you have to be diversified across political economic regimes in the world. alix: something that is interesting in the u.k. -- the divergence between mid cap and large cap stocks. this shows the ftse 100, so
large cap stocks trading at the biggest pretty and -- biggest premiums ever versus the euro chart.0 you have the large-cap exposure, you have the weaker sterling, is this right? would you be betting on this? we said all along that should this happen, certainly it is the large caps in the ftse that will be better. that's because they are getting paid in other currencies, and potentially recording in the pound, that helps them. it should help exports. a high component of material commodity stocks in the ftse index. as commodities do better at oil comes off the bottom, that helps them as well. jonathan: i want to understand the conversations you have had with your clients since friday. what kind of activity have you seen from them? are they pulling back, zynga want to pull my money out of the ubs interested on cash for a while? mr. haefele: there has been a
high level of cash going into this, because these clients are very international, very diversified. the brexit risk is only one of the risks they have been looking at around the world. many of them located in the u.k. also wanted to leave. there is a real range of views. a few things are there, we are seeing the blue had loans in pounds maybe paying some of those back -- the people who had loans in pounds maybe paying some of those back. we are seeing clients investing in their own businesses, and we see the hunt for yielding assets globally. jonathan: what are you advising them other than cash? are using more people look for gold or reach out for storage capacity, vaults, etc.? have you seen the kind of activity pick up? mr. haefele: there is increased interest in gold, but we would steer them to bonds for gold producers.
as gold prices rise, we think there are some attractive yields on the gold producers aside. david: i wonder if this is different from the other situations we have seen. this is not a financial or markets driven uncertainty, it is a geopolitical uncertainty. it is an own goal, as it were. , when you advise clients you're figuring out who are going to run the u.k., with the negotiating is going to be, how you advise clients? of haefele: in this period high political noise, you have to focus on the things that matter at the end of the day, which is earnings growth, just central-bank policy, and then global gdp growth. we try and take a medium-term strategy and look through to those forces. david: mark a full, ubs global chief investment officer, will be staying with us. alix: u.s. financials just up from the biggest two-day drop in five years. they are staying -- showing some
signs of life ahead of the open this morning. this is "bloomberg ." ♪
jonathan: this is "bloomberg ," i'm jonathan ferro. bank stocks have been hammered before today. the european stoxx 600 bank index dropped over 20% in just the past two days. 43.65%.x is down with us.ele is still looking at a dramatic forward in financials. the question i would ask of you is typically you have the bond vigilantes. when they saw political risk, they went after bonds, whether it emerging markets or on the periphery in europe. that has been insulated by the ecb. do you think financials to be
proxies for political distress in the eurozone, and will that affect you? mr. haefele: financials are bearing the brunt of it because there is uncertainties around the politics, and in part because there is uncertainties about how this bleeds through to their earnings. and in part because they were the epicenter in the last crisis. how the financials trade over the shorter term is really up to getting some kind of rules of the road in place for what happens next. alix: we've seen stress in cocoa bonds, contingent convertible bonds that can be converted into equities during certain times of stress. the blue line is barclays and the white light is hsbc. lower, the price moving we are not at the february stress lows, but nonetheless that is a sign of where we can go look for some contagion. when you look at something like reflectes that
financial instability and contagion, or is that somewhere in between? mr. haefele: i think we're looking absolutely at things like the spreads for these different bonds that are out there. we don't think they have reached contagion levels yet. one of the reasons the market ends up now is because there is expected to be more of a central bank action sooner, rather than later. and if they don't act relatively soon, we could take another leg down. david: to what extent is their diversions across the atlantic, u.s. banks versus european and specifically english banks on how they have been capitalized since the 2008 crisis? it's been thought the capital situation with you guys is pretty strong. what is it like in england? they had a meeting to talk about liquidity going to the banks. mr. haefele: i think the fact that these talks are going on is important. we have seen a lot of liquidity taken from the bank of england as a precaution.
i think he goes back to a point we discussed right at the beginning, which is the u.s. is going into something like this much stronger. the u.s. did recapitalize its banks very early after the financial crisis. it has been a beneficiary of not ever since. you are much more overweight on the u.s. than anything else. mr. haefele: that's right. one of the reasons for that is relative isolation or insulation of the u.s. economy. and the fact that europe had these questions, has some existential questions and needs s ofork through, regardles how that specific brexit vote played out. jonathan: what we have seen over the last couple of years is that central banks have really struggled to stimulate asset prices. we've seen that in the eurozone from the ecb. wethe last couple of days, have seen a push towards stability rather than stimulus. do think they're going to push the stimulus button, and what choice do they have left? mr. haefele: this is the thing.
certainly, diminishing returns from the stimulus are in the headlines. we do see things like the ecb buying in that corporate bond space, and buying at the hairy edge of it as well. it is in there. when we had a few months of stability from political risk, in part because of the stimulus and in part because u.s. and european growth is positive, we did see things like the s&p coming back again. i think there is still a tension in these markets, as gdp growth still exists. it is one of the things you do still have to be careful with those very high-grade bonds, since they are at these very historic lows. alix: you like some parts of the u.s., you like gold stock bonds, which i love. i hated to end with something rudimentary, but what is on your shopping list?
would you want to pull the trigger on? we like being long the u.s. dollar versus the australian dollar. that is a hedge in the portfolio, should asia come back as a center of risk. alix: great stuff, market, great to see you. mark haefele, ubs wealth management global chief investment officer. up, we dig deeper into u.s. financials, feeling the heat from a brexit. looking strong ahead of today's open. have we found a brexit bottom, or is this the dead cat bounce? more when- "bloomberg ," returns. ♪
ojn: we are one hour away from the new york city open. up by one full
percentage point. in london, a decent rally but an ugly couple of days. efx market had its biggest today pop since 2011. it's a weaker dollar story today. this is the third read of the first quarter gdp coming in -- one point12% 12%. you had better construction spending and core shipments and better trade and better manufacturing inventories helping gdp. consumption turned around this quarter at about 2%,
slightly lighter than estimates. a stronger read of gdp. this is null and void to what will happen in the afternoon -- in the aftermath of brexit. jon: in london, the comparisons between markets getting it right and wrong -- north korea tensions were a tipping point and the market correctly predicted there would be no war. there was talk of another exit from greece but that did not happen and the markets did not buy it at how did the market get the brexit results so wrong this time? how did the market get it so wrong? >> when you have a consensus from just about every expert on to planet from economists
business leaders and presidents and prime ministers to everybody devoted to knowing something say this would be a disaster for the u.k., a disaster for citizens of the u.k. to vote on, that's how the market got it wrong. when the market got it wrong, it then issued its verdict and said this is a disaster. i don't mean to smile about it that the market did respond violently in its reaction. jon: the story of that night will be reflected on for things to come. the pound continued to climb because there was an utter conviction that it was done. that's seem to exacerbate the move to the downside. >> that's correct, that day, there was a poll that said the result would be exactly the opposite of what it turned out to be.
you had people through a combination of complacency and wishful thinking believing this would be a disaster. there was an enormous relief initially in the thinking that it outcome would be what hopes to be and when it wasn't, the reaction was so violent that we have a disaster to look at from this point on. price discovery is fascinating and we are trying to find that equilibrium and we all have the same information but some are better at using it than others. was the market being rational with what it did know? >> the market expects people with a certain amount of information to behave in their best interest which is another way of saying it expects people to behave rationally. it even expects leaders who commit rash acts to behave
rationally. places like north korea and greece. in this instance, you had too many voters behaving irrationally and the market could not compute. they could not anticipate that. what about the predictive capacity of markets? do you think we have entered a new world where the market cannot compute this? storms occur and black swans occur and that goes into that category. what we are looking at is something that is an isolated event and not something that will be replicated. today, theat exists longer it goes on for the british people, the more others looking at it will say this is not where we want to be.
we had an election in spain which could have gone either way. the outcome surprised a lot of theentators because it was status quo which was supposedly not working. when people in spain took a look across the pond, they could see this is not where they wanted to be. jon: fascinating story. find that on bloomberg view. great to have you with us. david: the $13 trillion u.s. government want market is having its best year since 1995. -- some heavyweights saves just the beginning. welcome back to the program. so much has happened since last
thursday night. let's start with u.s. treasuries and look at the yield curve in treasuries. now ifould you invest you invested in u.s. treasuries? where would you go in the yield curve? >> the front and of the u.s. yield curve has no value. have priced in a high probability that the fed will cut rates but i don't think that in any consideration in the near future unless there is a real crisis. along the yield curve, it still reasonably attractive. the demand that comes in from overseas and the demand for the long end of the curve. markets are attractive for the rest of the world. year bonde the 10 it could go as low
as 1.25 by years end. where would you think we might be at the end of the year? >> we talk about 10 years in a range. you want to say we will move to some extreme number. i think we were in a range 1.60 four around range and i think you have to take 25 points off of that now. the brexit will be a drag. take that down another 25 aces points so you have brought that 1.65 and bringbe it down to 1.30. steamk it will take each -- extreme pressure.
push tothink there is a move interest rates higher. david: so you are saying that is the range. the markets love round numbers. 1.50 ist a place where a place where treasuries want to be. i think the demand will keep it at that place and i can certainly move lower if you get weaker economic data. i like long and treasuries. -- long and treasuries. how much flatter can the yield curve go? >> if you had weaker growth six or sevenlf -- months ago, the u.s. economy had seen the best and we were starting to trend lower. dynamic where you
can continue to trend down a bit them here and the curve could get 15-20 flatter from where it is. i don't think there is a lot of inflation pressure. on: let's talk about the downward forces on yield in general. what we saw in japan overnight is a continuation of something that has been happening several years. the entire curve is 0.1%. is this where the global market is going? >> i think there are a couple of major secular forces at play at different levels of intensity around the world. technologys and change meaning how the economy operates. andn has been a tough place
is now as far as demographics. you go to the u.s. new think about growth in the u.s. i don't see the u.s. is moving into a japan like economic paradigm. wasu.k. pre-brexit sinceing with 2% growth 2013 growth. it's where you are in the world. be moderateh will for the next couple of years but i don't believe in eight global japanification. ,avid: besides demographics experts are warning between the disparity between the rich and the poor. also the leverage of the sovereigns themselves because they can no longer come in and simulate -- and stimulate. will they keep the yield down? >> yes, we need a couple of
hours to talk about that. there was a presentation on business cycles and credit cycles and business and technology. monetarywhat excessive the income is expand and where the benefit gets to in the economy. i would argue the vote in the u.k. was an expression of that discontent. i think that will continue to play through. interest rates will probably have a cap on them for a while. we had 10 year yields in the u.k. at 1%. we are staying there. i want to put you on the spot. foreign holdings of guilt are on the rise. would you be paring back your gilt holdings given the
direction of sterling? with relative certainty, i think u.s. treasuries has a yield level that makes sense. gilt.is volatility in toould argue the flight quality becomes ambiguous at these levels. a remain vote, would you have been where gilt wood would be strong? i think so but i don't think gilt holds the same a lore after this vote. thank you very much, much more coming up. futures, the on
dow futures are up 218 points. this is "bloomberg ." ♪
david: this is "bloomberg ." pharmaup, our focus on continues in the next hour. alix: rick rieder is with us. he is responsible for one $.6 trillion in investments. we talked about the global bond market so let's dig into the u.s. corporate bond markets.
this is u.s. investment grade monthly on the buying. issuance really fell off in february and was down in april but really picked up again in june. what is your expectation for the rest of the year? >> i think you are in an environment where there are three ways companies can return on equity, topline revenue, margins come oral brevet -- or leverage. --erage and margins are equity and revenue are difficult. debt to revenue is growing but that too services not growing. one of the metrics is your interest coverage. it's your cash flow relative to your interest expense because of where policy is an rates are. companies are pulling that putting up more debt but their
debt servicing costs are not going up. i think that supply will keep coming to the market place. alix: a company can borrow money from the market with very little restrictions. where is that trend? >> there is a demand for yield. that means there are times in the markets where the issuer has the upper hand in times when the investor has the upper hand. the issuer has the upper hand today. name and itright fits where people are looking to a non-cyclical entity, they can issue with light covenants and terms that fit them. the world needs yield and carry but issuers will have a good go of it. the debt services going
down because the interest rates are going down but eventually you have to pay back the money. will companies have to come up with the cash in the out years to pay off that debt? >> that's another to our question. hourat's another 2 question. monetary policy exit strategy is the leverage is fine as long as rates don't move up 200 races points. what happens of rates move up 200 basis points? like japan, that economy would be under duress. will have a long tail in the u.s. and that's why the fed will be very deliberate over the next couple of years and other parts will be more leveraged. you cannot let those interest burdens increase too quickly.
so there was a four day freeze on the markets and it's being opened up today. >> that happens. but who was the first issue where this is a noncyclical company. to be a fairly consistent cash flow so the markets will watch. after that, they will go deeper into risk. markets tend to open with the safest industries and assets. david: let's push out the geographic curve. looking at emerging markets, where are you on emerging market debt? have added someone and we would hope markets would push that debt a little cheaper to buy some. we do like adding some of the emerging markets. we think we will be in a slow
growth world for a while. think the global economy is moderating but we don't think it is a crisis. and indonesia, we have added even argentina and brazil and you are creating some structural reform in those places and policy has to be easier. real rates in the developed world where europe and japan is are not very attractive. emerging markets have attractive real rates when you think about getting real interest rates in my portfolio. emerging markets are reasonable. vote was abrexit vote against globalization. how can you make a case for buying the credit? >> we are talking about debt versus equity and you are right, global growth will be moderate. if you think about the perfect environment to be a debt
investor, it's moderate growth, not overheating, not word debt keeps going on to propel the growth further. that growth sense is coming off in global trade will shut down, emerging markets, you want to be careful. the places we look to buy emerging markets are places where we think they are fundamentally stable. mexico.ike debt is not performing terribly well but it's a 3% economy and that's pretty's table. we look to places we think are not ultrasensitive to that cycle. alix: great to have rick here. thank you very much. as investors flock to inereign debt, we show you
battle of the charts coming up next. ♪
david: time for battle of the charts with a rematch of julie hyman against alix steel. alix: this is something fascinating that is happening in u.k.tse and gilt in the this is the ftse dividend yield in u.k. stocks and the blue line is the yield on u.k. gilt. look at the divergence. they are yielding about 4.5% where gilts are under 1%. the divergence is pretty much unheard of them he saw a spike in 2009. historically, the chart goes back to 1997, we have always seen higher yields on gilts than stocks and it shows the risk aversion and the rush into
safety. the yield keeps rising. david: that's a big spread. julie: that's happening in the u.s. as well. you saw it similar because of zero interest rate policy. i have another look at the extent of the carnage in the u.k. in the stock market. the white line is the u.k. see that innd you the white line and the purple line is france and germany combined on the aqua line is japan. the market cap in japan is larger than the u.k. and france and germany. now france and germany combined, the market cap is larger than the u.k.. there is the shrinking of the market cap in the u.k. compared to france and germany combined and japan and the u.s. is way up there. this will go down in
history for this. it's a lesson that dividend yield fluctuate. highividend yields are so because many investors think they will be cut. the stock adjusts for the dividend price cut and in the dividend yield goes up. we have to break the tie. i have to go with julie. but alex wins the battle of the chart. in our next hour, our focus on pharma continues. ♪
stabilizel markets and u.s. equities rebound after two days. david: the bank of england
governor shares a meeting of financial stability alix:. merkel hardens her stance as she says the u.k. should have no illusions of life outside the eu. david: we are just under 30 minutes away from the opening bell. coming up, we have several big interviews. in a few minutes carolyn mccall will be joining us. our special coverage will focus on pharma. we will speak with heather brasch. on: a little bit of
stability in the markets. futures are much firmer, up by 1.25%. today is the first post brexit rally in the market following a two-day drop. the banks are performing well. the story of risk on is reflected in the currency market are there is a cable. rate of 134 and the euro north of $1.10 after the biggest today drop of sterling ever. ourd: let's check in with stock reporters.
julie: this is similar to what we are seeing in europe. helping leads are this in today's session and they were among the worst performers over the last couple of days. the banks are coming back this morning and so is tech knowledge he. -- technology. apple and amazon and facebook are trading higher. i am looking at the year to date returns and the various groups within the s&p 500 and financials are the worst performing group down by 10% and technology is the number two loser. you have under performance over the last couple of sessions but also year to date and a little bit of a rotation back into those stocks.
ail: we have a number of big internet names trading higher in the premarket at the nasdaq which includes netflix come alphabets, priceline, and expedia. these for internet companies are selloff.the brexit fires underestimate the growth potential these companies offer. there is a 60% upside potential for the shares of net likes. -- netflix. aere is a company that has blood potassium drug in treating like pressure. shares are up nicely in the premarket for relypsa. after a two-day selloff in
the stoxx 600, we have a rebound today. we are gaining 3.3% which is the biggest -- second-biggest gain of this year. one trillion euros have been knocked off of the market in the last two days. yesterday down by 2.9%. today, we are rebounding by 1.2%. 10%three-day move is almost with money moving away from safe haven assets into riskier assets which is moving the yield up. the 30 year yield and the 10 year yield are at record lows. 14.7 million dollar
emissions settlement between the u.s. and volkswagen but their shares are rising. they had fallen in the last two days by 17%. jon: thank you very much. in a couple of hours in the u.k., a question for the aviation industry. have onact will brexit the tourism business? us is carolyn maccoll. have you seen demand fall off in the last couple of days? no, i don't think we have seen demand fall off because of brexit but there has been fall of of demand from atc strikes and we have another one today. i'm in brussels to talk about air-traffic control action with the other airline ceo's.
had an effect on demand yet. jon: yet is the big question. will it have an impact on volume or average selling price. >> i'm not sure it will have an effect. i don't think we have a problem with demand. we are seeing a lot of capacity in the market and some uncertainty but a lot of disruption. it's the disruption that has been difficult. i don't really think brexit will be about the demand environment. i think a lot of people might come to the u.k. because of the pound. families may be thinking their holidays may be more expensive
owing to europe. our fares will not go up, it's the exchange rate that will affect that but it will not be demand. it will be that airlines have reduced their pricing already and stimulated the demand. british consumers, this is a fantastic time to go on holiday. : the market is taking a different position with the stock down friday. what is the message you want to give to the investment taste today? i think our investors understand what is going on. blip on a seismic friday and i think financial markets reacted. that is a view that it was a real overreaction. our fundamentals of not changed. we are an incredibly strong airline with good dividends and a strong that one sheet and a fantastic strategy.
it's a unique network that is customer friendly. the fundamentals of our business of not changed. i'm sure the market will see that. we are going through short term turbulence. from an aviation point of view, the deregulation was an enormous and if it it we will be able to continue to get those benefits either through a single eu market. if not that, we will find our a legaluse we will get entity and that will allow us to keep flying and that's what we do brilliantly. are you preparing to set up a non-u.k. subsidiary? for an we will look airline operated certificate. run one in
another country so we will look at that. jon: you brought up the dividend, can you guarantee the dividend to investors? >> i wouldn't want to do that on radio but i don't see any reason we would not be committed to our dividend. you say you're working on the non-u.k. subsidiary. it will take several years to clean up the local mass. how quickly can you set up that subsidiary and would you do it before we have established what relationship the u.k. has with the eu? >> we will have to wait and see. we have had informal discussions with the jurisdictions in the eu. we will now formalize those discussions to become more structured. we will do it early and rigorously as you would expect us to do. we will just have to wait and
see what we do next. our strategy will not change, we have a strong strategy and the fundamentals are strong and we will continue to be successful and we are a structural winner long-term. nothing changes because of the vote. fundamentals don't change. we will certainly find a way. as you say, the political situation in great britain is not clear. i cannot give you an idea of timing. what has changed is the value of your company over the last couple of days. your company just got a whole lot cheaper. if someone made an approach to buy, would you talk to potential buyers? >> i will not comment on that.
most of the companies in the footsie lost a lot of value on friday and monday. you know what financial markets are more than most other people and you know they will recover and stabilize. the majority of companies in the ftse are in the same position we are in terms of valuation. jon: so you are not a seller. >> i would not answer that ever on a program like this. jon: i gave it a try, thank you very much. great interview. tokswagen is one step closer putting its omission scandal behind of settling with the u.s. for nearly 15 billion dollars. later, our special coverage focus on pharma continues.
we are just about 20 minutes from the opening bell and we have the dow jones futures up up asints and the snp well and it's a risk on rally today. ♪
alix: european leaders meet in brussels today to consider first steps after the u.k. voted to leave the union. cameron just spoke upon arrival at the two-day summit expressing his hope that the british exit will be constructive as possible. for anive to brussels update. what was the big standout? we learned that this is a guy who did not want the u.k. to
learn -- to leave the european union and he struck that town - tone. he campaigned in his own country for the u.k. to remain in the european union and yet, in a couple of hours time, he will sit down for dinner with 27 other eu leaders and tell them we are going but i did not want us to go. i'm not the one who can tell you what that will look like and when it will begin. it's a very conciliatory david cameron. there are many jabs between the two sides. but david cameron is clearly coming here saying let's just work through this. andaid i does not want this you did not want this but this is where we are. alix: thank you so much. volkswagen will have to pay 14.7 million dollars to settle claims it jaded on -- it cheated on u.s. emissions tests.
joining us now from london is matt miller. take us through this settlement. the are they paying for and -- and does this take care of everything? matt: it does not take care of all of it buta large part of the uncertainty is taken out of the picture. volkswagen has agreed to buy precrisis levels for customers who want to ge rid of them and ve them as much as $10,00for their trouble or recall the cars and fix them so the customers can drive them legally in the state. that will cost about $10 billion. that's about how much they figure it will cost. -- 2.7 billion dollars will go to the epa in the california air resources board. about $2 billion they pledged to invest in clean energy technology.
something they would have done to begin with but now that is mandated. there are other settlements with u.s. states including new york that total up to $400 million. there are many things they have to achieve. ratehave to get a recall of 85% of the cars affected or more by 2019. if they don't, they have to pay $85 million because they missed the goal. david: it does not cover criminal issues or anything internationally because there are other legal proceedings pending. how much did they reserved for that? a good point, they have put aside about $17.8 billion to deal with this. this settlement will take about 15 billion dollars and it only covers the u.s. there are a number of other
jurisdictions that are still to be dealt with. in europe, they have achieved or fix witho a tax - european regulators to get the cars to be less polluted and continue to drive around. that may be all they have to do here. other lawsuitso in the u.k. and the u.s. and open to other lawsuits from clients and customers, class-action suits and they have criminal issues to deal with. david: thank you so much. with two trading sessions that were up behind us, where are the opportunities? we will explore that next. ♪
alix: global stocks are getting
for the first time since the brexit vote was announced. is this a fundamental shift? we have the invested manager at hearing asset management. thathetoric seems to be the only reason for a risk rally is the hope that a brexit followthrough does not happen. what do you think? >> brexit has been discussed quite a bit and it's clear that this is a political crisis, not necessarily an economic or market crisis. this is another leg down in terms of growth expectations. growth has been hard to find out there. in terms of what's happening here, this is a typical reaction in terms of the market selling down. we are trying to find equilibrium this morning. alix: what is your strategy when
you see a bounce like this? >> there are opportunities that pop up all the time. if you're looking for assets that are money good with growth, it's a great time to buy. you have to have an idea of what some the macro economic indicators are. the ranks inon to the u.k. to determine whether there is a significant leg down. it's unlikely we will see a contagion to the states. consumption has been the global driver in terms of the developed markets in the u.k. and europe. any leg down in terms of consumption growth or consumer growth will have a knock on effect to global growth to david. how will you know if
there is a problem? be therbank lending will most important thing to keep an eye on. we will look at how banks will start to put across loan-loss reserves. of banksclear in terms exposed to the u.k. market. they will have exposure in many different places. this has obvious knock on effect to the rest of the world but there are areas to look at. why are you interested in consumer staples? been steering away from the stables but we are focused on consumer confidence. david: you think they are fully valued? >> and they have been for quite some time.
there is room for growth in discretionary's. automatable -- automobile growth has been high. we are looking at the housing market within china which continues to grow. there are parallels within the european market but the consumer story for us tends to steer toward the u.s. alix: one of our favorite charts of the day was the premium that investors are willing to pay for large-cap stocks in the u.k. ftse 100 is at its highest level ever. it's a reaction of the weakness on the sterling. i don't fully buy into it just yet. the exporters from the u.k. market of high labor and there is not a lot of
low-end that comes out of the u.k. so it's questionable how much of a bump you will see from the weakness in the pound. questionable, what about a high dollar? could that hurt u.s. companies? both instances will have an impact in the near term. i don't know how sustainable those are. this has to do with the fact that there will be a loss in terms of export market share. alix: everyone is starting to think that the trough and first quarter warnings -- earnings were it. but then the oil went down. >> the fed is watching that closely as well. bulls structural dollar at this point. as we see the dollar start to
strengthen ahead of that, there will be some concerns. there is not a lot left support the earnings growth. good to have you with us today. jon: the market open is coming up about four minutes away. futures are firmer in the u.s. ahead of the open. in london, the rally is a snap back. there was a two day loss of 5.6%. today weaker dollar story with the pound at $1.33. ♪
are moments away from the open in new york city. positive, it's a
global risk on rally. , after two days of losses, we have come back 2.9%. a little bit of stability after two days of that news. -- a bad news. it's a weaker dollar story on this session with the cable rate $.33 -- at $1.33. treasuries are paring the early losses. let's get over to julie hyman for your market open. julie: we've got the rebound in the u.s. so all major averages are higher. the s&p 500 had pulled back 5.3% over the last two sessions. the rebound is coming on the back of that, the biggest a
klein going back to last august. the s&p to date is up above 2000 and the now up about the same and the nasdaq is leading to the upside right 1.1%. in the last 15 minutes, carnival, the cruise company has been a big victim of the selloff. over concerns about travel. 40% of its revenue from europe overall and shares are up 4% after earnings came in $.10 above what analysts anticipated and the announced a $1 billion buyback authorization. the third-quarter forecast missed estimates and it narrowed its full-year forecast bringing down the top end of that. estimates because third-quarter costs are higher because of advertising and it's doing a remastering of the queen mary ii in dry dock. oil has been rebounding today.
we have the weekly supply data coming out at 10:30 a.m. so oil and gas companies are rebounding along with it. we are watching the industrials coming that. they were hits over the last couple of days and we had that latest gdp revision. for the last quarter. i wanted to look at the stocks that have performed the worst since the u.k. vote. coming act in today's session. even though we are seeing a rebound today in many of these groups, we are definitely not recouping the losses we have seen over the last several days. jon: that is your market open. no certainty
whatsoever. london withd in more on that side of the story. dramatically has great britain changed since friday? >> we think we will have a weaker pound and inflation push above the 2% target and we will have a hit to growth over the next two years. jon: people have come onto this program and tell me that what we marketing is a real sterling trading on structural issues. 7% of gdp is where the current account deficit is.
dramatic. been this how significant is that chart? >> that's the big risk with multiple sources of uncertainty about the future of trade relationship with europe. situation where the annual current account deficit is about 5%. historically, it's the widest of any major economy. are nonresidents going to be willing to hold their u.k. and by $100ssets billion per year which is what you need to support sterling at the current levels. if they take flight or take a break, you can see a dramatic adjustment in the pound. if we stay at current levels of the just meant or maybe lower, that will support the improved trade account and improved
income account. you will have an orderly adjustment back toward a more sustainable and lower account deficit area sometimes adjustments are not orderly and that's the tail risk in this situation. if that happens, you have to expect it will be more dramatic impact on the domestic economy. we expect investments to go negative with firms sitting back and saying we will wait this out. but what happens to the consumer? pre-referendum, they kept spending. if we have some kind of disruptive market movement, that can interrupt that consumer psychology and take it into a full-blown referendum/recession. look at these comments coming out of brussels. the president of france regrets the eu vote.
he will respect the vote. it's that uncertainty that tells me it's something difficult to do, to model these forecasts. is the tail risk that you could face a southern stop of capital? could it be that disorderly? >> i think that's too extreme. the u.k. has well-established stability. we've got a process now for choosing a new prime minister by september 2. we should know who that is. then we will get some clarity on what the lead government's objectives are in their negotiations with europe. will they go for a norwegian styled deal in order to maintain access to single markets?
or are they going to insist on having an immigration pont system in which case, we would likely have more restricted access to the single market. we don't know because they have not been clear. until we get that piece of clarity, it's hard to have a clear view and a way forward. alix: stephen lender had a note out saying how the pound was in emerging market asset. do you agree with that kind of comparison? we've got huge savings and sterling which you don't tend to have an emerging market currencies and we don't have much efx denominated liabilities. i think it is still a developed market that has its own savings.
does not have liabilities in foreign currency but it does have that wide account deficit and that creates a vulnerability to more dramatic moves in the foreign exchange market than most other emerging markets -- most other developed markets. i wonder about a secondary effect of reduced immigration and travel across borders. we tend to focus on trade in goods but one of the issues in the leave/remain debate was immigration. could there be a knock on effect as people close their borders more and even in the united states where we hear about this, what could that due to economies? >> that's a political risk that continues. that's part of the fuel that sparks a lot of the leave campaign is the pressure from
the immigration issue. the u.k. leaves itself vulnerable for pressure points from the rest of europe. there are many issues from the immigration standpoint. as far as affecting individuals, that's a broader long-term question. there has been an overreaction in terms of professionals leaving the u.k. and setting up shop in france. i think that is a little over alone. as far as tourism, it's probably a good time to go to the u.k. on: i won't tell you about my shopping habits over the last week or so. over the last week or so, we
face a significant amount of uncertainty. it's not clear. the housing market comes up again and again. talk to me about how that plays out from here. >> we think the housing market is overvalued i about 20%. it's vulnerable to correction if there is some kind of catalyst. when rates started to rise, we thought that would trigger a mild direction and house prices. -- in house prices. in this world, the bias will be toward easier policies. if the shock is not too bad and we avoid a recession, it will stay on hold. if we have a full-blown referendum recession, that will cut rates 10 basis points. we will probably see easier fiscal policy as well. in that environment, you have a cushion of lower rates that will
mitigate that negative impact on the housing market. it will get at the bad impact from brexit. you need to have something that shocks the consumer. the consumer is quite resilient generally. this looks like an idiosyncratic risk about -- rather than a systemic risk. at the moment, we are fairly cautious about calling for some dramatic correction in the housing market. one or twoing at digit fall in house prices. jon: great to have you with us on the program. so much to get through. it's very complex. this is fundamentally apolitical issue that's having broad-based effect around the world. what will brexit mean for u.s. companies doing business in the u.k. next. ♪
david: coming up later, we will have pearson ceo john fallon. you are looking at stocks ,umping right at the open halting a two-day losing streak. level wehere near the were before the brexit referendum. julie: we've got stocks extending their gains in the past few minutes since they opened. best one since last thursday where we saw a surge on
optimism that it would be a remain vote in the referendum. the major averages are seeing a pretty sizable ounce back at the moment. we are looking at lending club. it's getting a more permanent ceo who was the same man who was the act and ceo. scott sanborn has been at the company for six years. lending club will dismiss 179 employees because they see a decline in loan volume. we are looking at dow chemical jobs as it acquires dow corning. it will close a couple of
silicone plants in north carolina and japan. because the company is in the process of merging and they hope to close that deal by the end of the year. both of the stocks were downgraded at j.p. morgan this morning. we are looking at and from and cigna with reports of they may -- we're looking at and thumb -- may terminatena their merger agreement but there is a report they are not in these talks. they are talking with the department of justice with the combination of the two companies. and us trillion company agreed to buy generic drugs from these two pharma companies.
a lot of deals in various stages this morning. alix: thank you so much. on tech stocks with abigail doolittle at the nasdaq. gail: after the worst two-day slum for the nasdaq since august of last year, we are looking at a big rally of 1.5% which is out pacing the dow and the s&p 500. amazon, and apple which is higher because of cautious commentary and we have a nice rally in internet names. netflix anddefended others saying they should be bought on the brexit selloff of the nasdaq is still down about seven percent per date. over brexit hit
everywhere including pharma. haveirma companies the most exposure to brexit. elin is exposed the most at 32% and joining me now is there ceo. thank you for joining us. you to brexit? >> when you look at our exposure to the u.k., it's immaterial. everyone is taking a different slice of how far-reaching the brexit is affecting the entire euro market. when you think about myalin being a global company and we diversified across 150 countries and thousands of products, that puts us in a sustainable position that we are not that exposed to any one country. david: how important would it be
to you and the company whether they remained part of a single market as opposed to separate? when you've got something as complicated and intertwined as how the euro has evolved over the last several decades, everything from the regulatory system to drug approval. when you think about the pharmaceutical industry, there is an impact perhaps on product and licensing. i think it will affect everyone equally whether they stay part of it and do a euro agreement and be able to leverage the regulatory or if they break away completely. in any event, it certainly would not impact the product or the portfolio we have in the u.k.. is a part of a focus on pharmasset let's take a step back and talk about generics. alin is a major player in generics. what role do generics play in
the overall health business and the health of people? play a very, they significant part of our health care system around the globe. starting in the united states, generics have become the back home of the health care system. we represent 88% of all drugs dispensed in the united states. globally, different parts of the world have different utilization rights. health care system is looking for cost containment and health care solutions. we work very hard to break down the barriers to provide access literally to the world's 7 billion people to provide affordable health care. there has never been a more important time whether you are talking about developing countries, emerging markets, or throughout europe. we continue to fight and increased generic utilization to have a more sustainable health care system in these countries. as you say, affordable
health care is important and that takes us to drug pricing. how concerned are you about possible regulation of drug prices going forward under a new administration? what we have said repeatedly is we are going to look at the system but let's look at the whole system. if we are going to talk about fixing up piece of it, you typically end up not getting to the root of the problem. i would argue that in the united states, we've gotten it ready right. -waxman established that balance between innovation and competition. that's not to say that there are abusive actresses that could affect that but overall, we have been able to represent 88 percent in drug utilization and saved $1.6 trillion for the united states health care system over the last decade. the balance of innovation and competition we think is
important. letting the open market supply and demand decide -- we have been competitive in the markets have corrected pretty quickly when something has gone awry or there are abuses in the system. we believe the system works. we believe we've got to constantly be challenging ourselves and our government and the regulatory regimes to maintain and keep pace with the globalization of the industry on every front. i believe foundation laid that our system is the right one and it has definitely provided the most innovation the world and provided the best of care and we just need to make sure we can continue to provide access so that everybody is afford the luxury of actually getting the health care. it should be a right, not a privilege. david: you talk about competition but in america, you hear these stories about health care price increases.
people get upset. a report about one reflects drug where the price went up over 400%. can you explain why that happens? i empathize with the person who goes into the pharmacy and the drug cost more than it did the last time. you've got to understand the complexity of the entire system. you have cost shifting going from employers to employees with obamacare and the high deductible plans and payers who have continued to play a huge role in formularies and the drugs you can take depending on what plan you are on. there has been shifting of costs that is felt that the pharmacy level more than any other point of our health care whether it's
in hospitals. you're never sure what you are paying for or what your bill is but you know when you are asked to pay a higher co-pay or hired to dockable around her from a cynical. it -- or higher the duck double around -- generic run except come down over 70% over the last seven years. demandy is a supply and and there are times when prices go up. if you look at absolute dollars, people are throwing out percentages. one dollar-two dollars can be 100%. of look at the billions doses we put into the market place and you look at our revenues in the united states, we make pennies on the dose. one -- i have
argued that some of our products were too low. you're talking about a highly regulated injectable that should cause -- should cost more than a cup of coffee. david: there has been a lot of mergers and acquisitions in health care. are you interested specifically in any of the valeant assets? >> we are always looking for products and things that would complement our portfolio. we think we have amassed the right global scale commercially and operationally but we are always looking for, metairie assets that we can leverage across the globe. we would be looking at anything that would be a good product that would complement our existing infrastructure. david: thank you so much for being with us. this week, bloomberg is presenting focus on pharma, going deep on the global business of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology with a range of stories and analysis across our
platforms. find more at pharma as well as on bloomberg.com/pharma. jon: let's get up to speed on the markets -- stocks are climbing higher and the s&p 500 is up as much as it was on her's day of the vote in the u.k. it's a bounceback for u.s. equities. the dow is up by over 200 points. euro dollar is north of $1.10. it's a weaker dollar story and a stronger pound. coverage continues. ♪
?c+sv
>> it is 10:00 a.m. in new york, 3:00 p.m. in london. i'm vonnie quinn. mark: i am mark barton. this is bloomberg markets of bloomberg television.
♪ vonnie: we are going to take you from new york to london to brussels. here is what we are watching. , pounds,cks commodities gaining for the first time since britain's vote to leave the european union. of threend coming off .6 billion dollars with wipes off of global equities. tensions in brussels as european leaders meet with british prime minister david cameron for the first time since the brexit vote, discussing the next step in the u.k.'s breakup with the eu. vonnie: a permanent ceo. one hundred 79 jobs are cut. ue founder and ceo
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Bloomberg June 28, 2016 7:00am-10:01am EDT
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tv The Lead With Jake Tapper CNN May 16, 2016 1:00pm-2:01pm PDT
now versus the 45-year-old what about who donald trump may appoint. >> that's right. thank you for watching. i'm brooke baldwin on this monday afternoon. keep it right here. "the lead" with jake tapper starts now. thanks, brooke. i'm jake tapper and this is "the lead." what donald's ex-model girlfriend has to say. a new report accusing of donald trump with borderline creepy behavior and some on his payroll and one woman says she was misquoted and she's voting for him. a charity for veterans accused of raising millions and barely giving any of it to the veterans who need it. we wanted to ask the president of the charity about this but he drove away. in his rolls royce. a lead investigation. plus -- >> i urge you to enact president
kennedy's civil rights bill into wall. >> the great bryan cranston will be in the studio to talk about channelling our 36th president for a brand-new hbo film. good afternoon, everyone. what a show we have for you today. welcome to "the lead." our politics lead. throughout his long tenure in the public eye, donald trump has had many insulting things to say about women. you can listen to the howard sterns tape if you want more on that. hillary clinton is planning to use all of these moments as silver bullets in the general election and now a new york times story is providing more ammunition, calling his behavior basing. the woman cited as exhibit a in this story says "the times" took
her out of context. sara murray is joining me. trump says this is a hit piece and a fraud. that doesn't necessarily mean that it is. >> i've spoken to a number of women who have worked for donald trump in the past and they said they were willing to overlook some of the off-color comments he made in exchange for big opportunities. at least some of these women feel like donald trump went a little bit too far. donald trump is going to war with the media yet again. this time, taking aim at "the new york times" for a page one story highlighting tales of trump appearing to objectify women and make unwanted advances. one woman says she was misrepresented. >> i made it very clear many times that i had a very pleasant relationship with donald and i never felt like i was being, you
know, depicted as, you know, a piece of meat or anything like that. i was never offended by anything he said. >> reporter: prompting trump to call the story a hit piece on twitter, adding "we have exposed the article as a fraud." it talks about trump giving a pageant contestant with a kiss on the lips even as he made off-hand comments that some viewed as demeaning and divisive. the reporters are standing by their piece. >> there's no single to mention to donald trump and the women. it makes it clear through the voices that were heard. >> reporter: it means more media scrutiny for trump. last week, it was a story on the billionaire posing as a spokesman. >> is the campaign claiming that
isn't mr. trump. >> donald trump says that's not him. i believe it's not him. >> in 1990 under oath, he testified that he used the name john baron and he told the "people" magazine that he used the name john miller. >> i just know that he said it's not him. >> reporter: the story is providing even more fodder for "saturday night live" skits like this one. >> mr. trump is the real inspiration for ironman. who am i? this is what classy people sound like, okay? >> reporter: gop leaders, including mitt romney and weekly standard editor bill crystal are still trying to recruit a third-party candidate to take on trump, an effort denounced as a suicide mission. >> they can try to hijack another party and get on the ballot but it's a suicide mission for our country because
what it means is that you're throwing down not just eight years of the white house you about potentially 100 years on the supreme court and wrecking this country for many generations. >> now, one of the things we're getting a better sense of is how donald trump is going to respond to the deep dives into his past and he's getting more scrutiny as a republican nominee and it's clear what he's going to do is deny all of these allegations and slam the media. jake, i think a lot more of this is still to come. >> allegations that he's admitted before. sara murray, thank you so much. joining me now, marsha blackburn. she's endorsed donald trump's campaign. thank you for joining us. good to see you again. >> yes. absolutely. >> regardless of the "new york times" story, according to polls, mr. trump does have a problem with women voters leading into november. how can he fix it? >> i think he fixes it by putting the focus on issues they want to talk about. national security, jobs and economic security, retirement security, getting rid of some of the regulation that is just
crippling businesses and causes a lot of wage stagnation. that's how he fixes it and that's what people want to talk about. >> but do you think that this "times" story and others out there like it, plus other interviews he's done on the record with howard sterns, et cetera, is that going to hurt donald trump with women in places like philadelphia and ohio? >> i think what is so interesting about this, women know that they are going to be men that they have passed along the way in their career that have said things that they don't like. donald trump has said things i don't like. let me tell you this. they never let that control what they see as the outcome they want. and in this case of this election, jake, what people want is to beef up national security and to get rid of the terror cells here in this country, to make sure that the southern border is secured from illegal
entry. trafficking and drugs and they want jobs and they want to see some elevation in wages and this is what they are looking to get done and i think that they see donald trump as somebody who is going to come in here, shake up washington, d.c., and hold the federal government accountable to the people and they are saying, all right, you get that done, i'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. >> i want you to listen to something said this weekend at a commencement speech. a lot of people think that he was talking about donald trump. >> let me be as clear as i can be. in politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue. it's not cool to not know what you're talking about. that's how keeping it real or telling it like it is. that's not challenging political correctness. that's just not knowing what you're talking about.
>> your response? >> i know the president thinks that he was being quite humor rouse with that but talking about things you don't know anything about is something that this president -- look at what has happened to the labor force participation rate. barack obama has shown he does not understand a lot about what he has talked about and agendas that he has pushed. maybe he's the master of that. >> congressman marsha blackburn, thank you. >> good to be with you. >> how could this "new york times" article impact trump on the trail against the first would-be woman president? our panel will dive into that, next. ♪ if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis isn't it time to let the real you shine through?
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welcome back to "the lead." hillary clinton wants her husband in charge of the economy should she become president, she says. before she can focus on the white house, she will need to wrap up the democratic primaries and try to avoid another embarrassing loss when kentucky democrats vote tomorrow night. jeff zeleny joins me live from
los angeles. jeff, set the stage for us for tomorrow's voting. >> jake, there are 116 delegates tomorrow in both kentucky and oregon. mathematically speaking, hillary clinton does not need to win those contests because democrats divide these proportionally. but politically speaking, she would love to win at least one. that's why she spent all day in kentucky trying to rally some voters and she did so with bill clinton in mind. >> i'm not going to give up on kentucky in november. >> reporter: but before november, hillary clinton had a more urgent task in mind today. her battle with bernie sanders. >> pledged delegates. >> reporter: she's hoping to interrupt sanders recent winning streak on the eve of tuesday's primary. >> i want to help bring back the kind of economy that worked for everybody in the 1990s. >> reporter: and revealing more about bill clinton and his role in her white house.
>> i've already told my husband that if i'm so fortunate enough to be president and he will be the first gentleman -- [cheers and applause ] -- i expect him to go to work. >> reporter: it's another way to fire up democrats. offering two clintons for the price of one. >> he has to come out of retirement. >> yes, he does. >> reporter: she wants nothing more than to focus exclusively on donald trump. >> here's the question. so what is your plan to create jobs? >> reporter: even envisioning what a debate with him would sound like. >> his answer would be, i'm going to create them, they are going to be great. i know how to do it. but i'm not telling you what it is i'm going to do. >> reporter: but sanders isn't going quietly. campaigning today in puerto rico and trying to speak spanish. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: clinton is only 140 delegates away from reaching the party's nomination. she needs to win only 16% of the
remaining delegates. sanders needs 102%, an unreachable goal unless a flood of superdelegates suddenly came his way. no matter the size of her lead, some sanders supporters will not accept it. raw tensions on display at the democratic convention over the weekend. booing, shouting. the fight growing so intense over delegates, authorities shutting down the meeting early. but this democratic family feud may seem polite compared to what is awaiting clinton in her fight with trump. he's the one person democratic leaders believe can unify their party. >> i've been called nearly everything but i've never been called a quitter and i will not quit on you. >> reporter: her secretary put out a statement clarifying that. he said it's far too premature to do any kind of a formalizing of anyone in her administration. they know they have to go
through this campaign first. clearly hillary clinton mentioning bill clinton over and over and over. tomorrow night, she's unlikely to clinch the nomination mathematically speaking. but by the time she reaches the california primary in three weeks, that's when mathematically she'll cross the line of 2383. >> jeff zeleny, thank you so much. let's bring in mary katherine hand and paul begala, democratic strategist. mary katherine, let's talk about this new york times story. they interviewed at least four dozen women. exhibit a says she was taken out of context. >> this may seem like i'm giving him praise and i am. i was sort of surprised that the accusations were not more serious until you get to the
ivana trump accusations which she says was not true. they end up lending to trump and to his narrative because the main woman, they call it debasing behavior. she says i didn't find it debasing at all. certainly the behavior speaks to many women and that's the problem for trump. >> paul, the pro clinton super pac plans to run anti-trump ads. attacks against trump haven't seemed to have work yet. how will your attacks be affected? >> that's the key in the republican primary. first of all, i have to say, i've watched the republican primaries and i thought trump's opponents were late and weak in going after him. in the end, they were ridiculous. marco rubio mocking him. we're not going to do that sort of thing. there's a group of voters who
are going to decide this election. trump is right. he's bulletproof when he says this, i hate it but he says, i can shoot on fifth avenue and not lose any of my voters and he's right. they are older, angrier, whiter, male. there's a whole country out there that has not been exposed to some of the things that mr. trump has said and done. we're going to raise his name i.d. $6 million. >> on the other hand, mary katherine, polls have donald trump either leading in ohio or even and certainly we've heard plenty of nasty things about him, refusing to release his taxes, these pr agents, john baro baron. >> perhaps his public treatment
of women is the same as the private treatment of women. >> so it's no surprise? >> right. as much as i hate to agree with paul, i believe he's right that the attacks are late and a little weak and i think you can make a difference in a general election but you see these close numbers and you say, this is a fight between two people who a lot of people don't like and i look at the race and say the gop managed to find one person that the gop trusts less than hillary clinton. >> paul, i want you to hear hillary clinton when she talked about how closely bill clinton would work with her if she's elected. >> you said bill clinton would head up -- would he be on your cabinet? >> no, he wouldn't be in the cabinet but she said he would be basically in charge of the economy, so to speak. this is the same president clinton, we should point, who signed into law all of the trade deals that bernie sanders and
donald trump had been hammering her. >> his economic policy created 23 million jobs, balanced the budget. he would say not only do we have great boom but shared prosperity. the reagan boom was impressive but only raised 77,000 people out of poverty and the clinton boom raised 7 million out of poverty. you couldn't have a better record. >> she wants to have it both ways and have the modern economic policy standing there but also to woo the bernie sanders folks and on the other hand she's not going to get that clean as he's the nominee.
>> indeed. mary katherine, paul begala, thank you so much. isis launching a deadly attack in baghdad as the iraqi army prepares to fight back on another front. then, the head of a veterans charity driving around in a rolls royce when just a fraction of the charity's money actually made it to veterans. and this story gets even worse. stay with us.
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welcome back to "the lead". i'm jake tapper. several suicide bombers stormed a gas plant outside of baghdad yesterday killing at least ten
people. sunday's violence just the latest in a series of escalating attacks carried out by the terrorist group in and around iraqi capital. let's go to arwa damon who is live in istanbul, turkey. arwa, how exactly was this attack carried out? >> reporter: well, it clearly was very well planned and then executed. isis initially launching a suicide car bomber at one of the main entrances of that gas plant and then launching in that wave of suicide bombers. now, the iraqi security forces did manage to repel the attack and maintain control of the gas tank itself but the fighting did cause major damage. we've seen this upped effort on the key infrastructure to go after soft targets, civilian population and mostly shia areas, perhaps someone argued as an attempt to draw the iraqi
security forces away from the other front lines where they have been battling isis because they are aware of the fact that it needs to secure the population in baghdad, the capital, and to up its efforts to try to protect these key infrastructures. >> arwa, the iraqi military launched an operation on monday to retake the western town, ann bar province, from isis. how significant would that be if that happened? >> reporter: it would definitely sever the route. it's located close to the jordanian border and they are concentrating on trying to clear anbar province of isis. they have managed to regain solid chunks of territory but
also the city of fallujah, the border crossing, those still stay in isis control or are in isis control at this stage. one really needs to be a bit cautious when it comes to terminology like winning or losing and defeated isis because looking at isis' history, it's an entity that constantly reorganizes itself and morphs. it's a charity meant to bring in millions of dollars but when cnn asked why only 2% went to veterans, well, he drove away in a rolls royce. stay with us.
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in our buried lead, shocking revelations about a charity set up to help those who deserve so much, an exclusive lead investigation by cnn's drew griffin into a group called the national vietnam veterans foundation. the foundation has raised more than $27 million over the past four years but cnn has learned that only a fraction of that money has gone to help our veterans. in fact, in one year, only 2% went to veterans and their families. also shocking and outrageous, the person leading this questionable group is a lawyer for the department of veterans affairs. i want to bring in senior investigative correspondent drew griffin. drew, i mean, what? >> where do you start, jake? along with paying professional fund-raisers, almost every dime sent to the national vietnam
veterans foundation went to something other than charity. it went to paying for travel, salaries, tens of thousands of dollars in miscellaneous items undisclosed and even thousands of dollar as year for parking. parking for what, you may ask? well, perhaps the rolls royce the charity president parks in his driveway. on it is website, the national vietnam veterans foundation looks like a true blue all american charity dedicated, as it says, to aiding, supporting and benefiting american's veterans and their families. but take a look at its irs filings and you will wonder like we did. just exactly which veterans are getting all the benefit. thomas is listed as the president. he is a veteran. so is his vice president, a man named david kaufman. they ran the charity in 2014 that took in $8.6 million in
donations. they each got paid $65,000 a year in salary. they spent $133,000 in travel expenses. they spent $16,000 for telephones, 21,000 for unnamed awards, 70,000 in categories described as other expenses. they have even expensed nearly $10,000 for parking, perhaps for this rolls royce which we'll tell you more about in a moment. almost all of the rest of the money, $7,736,000 was paid to professional fund-raisers. how much money was actually given to anything related to charitable works for vietnam veterans? 122,000 in small grants. that's out of nearly $9 million taken in. do the math, it's less than 2%. >> i can't go lower than that.
>> reporter: michael champer, the ceo says the national veterans foundation is truly one of the worst. >> if one really carried about vietnam veterans, this is an effective way of making a difference for these people, i don't think so. and i can't justify it. >> reporter: to get an explanation, we came to the suburban washington home of the charity's president where he was parking a rolls royce with a license plate my rolls. >> mr. birch? >> reporter: it turns out running his charity is a sideline. he's a federal worker, working for none other than the department of veterans affairs. yes, you heard right. the man who runs one of the worst charities for veterans works at the agency dedicated to veterans.
according to the va, it's not a conflict of interest for a va employee to also serve as a charity officer. but after cnn asked more about mr. birch's charity and his six-income job here at the va, the department is now reviewing this particular case. as for birch himself, he never returned our calls. we, instead, got a statement from the vice president david kaufman who sent us a description of what he said were the charity's good works, feeding homeless veterans and their families by donating to food banks, sending personal care kits to hospitalized vets, handing out donated blankets, hats and gloves and, yes, handing out the tiny fraction of the $8.6 billion in actual cash which, believe it or not, even included giving $11,000 in emergency funds to the brother of the man in that rolls royce.
>> mr. birch? mr. birch? jake, there is an indication from the department of veterans affairs they will give more than a cursory look at all of this. the review of his position in the v and the charity is being conducted by the inspector general's office. meanwhile, we have an open invitation to mr. birch, we are happy to sit down and listen. >> unbelievable. drew griffin, great work. thank you so much. appreciate it. the supreme court decides not to decide on the latest challenge to the obamacare. why the higher court sent it back to the lower courts. and from drug kingpin to the latest role playing president
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i'm getting ready. are you? x1 will change the way you experience nbcuniversal's coverage of the rio olympic games. call or go online today to switch to x1. welcome back to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. the supreme court today opted not to issue a ruling on a challenge to the contraception mandate under obamacare. the eight justices sent it down to lower courts to reach a compromise. nonprofit religious groups such as the little sisters of the poor argue that the accommodation to the birther control requirement still violates their faith which teaches that life begins at the moment of conception. joining me now is senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin. thank you for joining us. the white house several years ago said that they were going to
come up with a compromise but the religious group said it wasn't good enough and that led us to this high court challenge? >> and it led us to the supreme court saying please, please, please try again to compromise, which is not why we have a supreme court to make a decision but with eight justices, they clearly don't want to split 4-4 so they just kick the can down the road and this will probably be back in their laps in a year or 18 months. >> and beyond that, the dynamics of the court, what can we read into the decision? >> i think we can read in that this was very likely heading toward a 4-4 split and the chief justice in particular wants the court to be seen as doing its job and so by letting the parties try to work it out, maybe they will avoid having to make a decision in this case. that's certainly the hope.
if you look at how this litigation has been for so long, i think the odds of a compromise are pretty remote, which means this thing will work its way back through the courts. more importantly, it means that obamacare as inactive remains on the books and the women who are getting contraception from these employers, who are also religious entities, will continue to get it in the meantime. >> this is a very speculative question but humor me. if scalia were still on the court, what do you think would have happened? >> i think the obama administration would have lost. i think this would have been struck down as a violation of the religious rights of these religious institutions like the little sisters of the poor and this is yet another example of why justice scalia's departure has been an earthquake on the supreme court because he was one of the five conservatives and now there are only four. >> and is the court avoiding
ruling on controversial cases beyond this case? >> well, we'll see. we haven't seen too much of it yet but we're still fairly early in the term. the controversial cases usually wind up in june and we'll see how many of those get dealt with in this manner. there haven't been that many high-profile rulings in this session yet and justice scalia only died in february. but i think we are going to see either 4-4 rulings, which do not resolve anything for the whole country or rulings like this which are unanimous but they are only unanimous in not deciding, which is effectively another example of what having only eight justices means. >> jeffrey toobin, thank you so much. appreciate it. >> all right. he has played a high school teacher turned drug dealer but now actor bryan cranston is playing a man who rose to the most powerful position in the
world and faced a nation in turmoil. we'll talk to him, next. my belly pain and constipation? they keep telling me "drink more water." "exercise more." i know that. "try laxatives..." i know. believe me. it's like i've. tried. everything! my chronic constipation keeps coming back. i know that. tell me something i don't know. (vo) linzess works differently from laxatives. linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation, or chronic constipation. it can help relieve your belly pain, and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements that are easier to pass. do not give linzess to children under 6 and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe.
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our pop culture lead now. >> i urge you to enact president kennedy's civil rights bill into law. so that we can eliminate for this nation every trace of discrimination that is based upon race or color. >> lyndon johnson was an accidental president after the assassination of john f. kennedy, perhaps largely because of his role in the vietnam war, not to mention his own crude
style, appreciation of the 36th president has perhaps never matched his achievements. he passed, of course, sweeping civil rights and voting rights legislation that changed the nation. to say nothing of medicare and medicaid and other programs in so-called great society. tony and bryan cranston plays lbj in "all the way," a fascinating new film on the movie that premiers this saturday night on hbo, a fellow family of the time warner family. cranston, of course, starred in a little show you may have heard called "breaking bad." bryan cranston is joining me now. thanks for being here. >> good to be here. >> you actually have some fleeting memories of the jim crow south which lbj in this film worked so hard to end. >> the innocence of a young boy, i was 6 years old when my family took a car trick from texas to california. when we got into texas, my mother leaned over the seat and to my brother and i in the back
seat and said, boys, i need to tell you that in texas, if you see a drinking fountain that says color, don't drink out of it. and that's really all she said. now, i was only 6. perhaps she shouldn't have said more. but i was looking everywhere and the innocence of a boy, i thought, color? what color is if going to be? is it grape? does it have a flavor? does it have a rainbow? and that really did -- that's what i remember from that trip. obviously, decades later, i realized the import of that, what it meant to me during my lifetime these jim crow laws were in effect. this is what was the norm in our country. and so it was really very sd-- was honored to play lyndon johnson and pushing forward to the act of 1964 and what that meant. >> i wanted to play a clip when
lbj reveals how personally and emotionally invested he is in passing the civil rights bill because of the time he spent in rural texas as a teacher educating young mexican-american immigrants. >> yeah. >> come a day for each and every one of them when i would see the light in their eyes die. because they had discovered that the world hated them just because of the color of their skin now, some folks tell me just to go slow. they say the political risk is too high. and to that i say, well, if a president can't do what he knows is right, then what's the presidency for? >> it's a powerful moment and one of the reasons why i think
it is is because until then you really don't know if he personally cares about this. this is a crude man, a man who sees the world in terms of politics and this group will vote for me and this group won't vote for me but he really cares. >> he does. his political ak cue men was very acute and had a personal experience when he was 23 and that stayed with him on through the house of representatives and through the senate and on to the white house. and he felt it. he felt it deeply. and, yes, the man had hi high highs. he was bold and yet he was also cripplingly insecure and troubled and amazing shakespearean president. >> deeply flawed. the film goes into that.
to prepare for this role, you spent some time at the lbj library in texas and one thing that you said helped you find this center was this letter that you stumbled on to, one that jackie kennedy wrote to lbj the day after john f. kennedy's funeral. she writes in part, thank you for walking behind jack during his funeral. you did not have to do that and i'm sure many people forbid you to take such a risk but you did anyway. thank you for your letters to my children. you can imagine the touching thing is, they have always loved you so much. they were most moved to have a letter from you. how did that letter -- and you're actually tearing up a little bit right now. >> it was so emotional. when an actor goes and does research, we don't know exactly what we are looking for. people are helpful and say, can you guide us? i just don't know. i want to see everything and when it hits me, i'll know then. the first time i was at the johnson library in austin, i missed it. and it's a beautiful library. very informative and
entertaining. and then i wanted to catch things that i didn't get. so i was there, i saw this letter and it left an impact on me. here is a man who ascended to the office of the presidency of the united states with all the implications that that carries under tragic circumstances. and yet he took the time to write to two small children about the love and respect that he had for their fallen father. and it just attacked my emotions. and i went, this is who lbj was. emotionally. this is the kercore of the man. i was able to take that and pull it in and from there build out the rest of the sensability of the person. >> this movie doesn't whitewash who he is. you show him racked with insecurity and crude. >> the beginning of the first mistakes in vietnam. >> it's willingness to go with
perhaps a lie about what happened at the gulf is there. i want to play for you a campaign ad that lbj ad used in his presidential race against barry goldwater in 1964 and then get your reaction to it. >> this man scares me. you know, maybe i'm wrong. a friend of mine said to me, listen, just because a man sounds a little irresponsible during a campaign doesn't mean he's going to act irresponsibly, you know that theory that the white house makes them mad. i don't buy that. >> the ad purports to be a republican talking about why he wouldn't vote for barry goldwater. some republicans, although clearly not enough, had a visceral reaction to donald trump. >> yes. i saw this and it is eerily familiar to the climate that we're experiencing with the presumptive republican nominee
for president, that he, too, was bolstered by the kkk in a sense they recommended him and supported him and he does say one thing and then switch it and say another thing and switch it. i find it -- i find it remarkable and troubling that he's not responsible for what he's saying and i think your words do have consequences and they should be accountable. lbj might have looked at the climate at this time and he would just shake his head and he wouldn't understand what the hell's going on in that town, i tell you what. it's a lot different from when i left it. >> well, the movie is "all the way" premiers on hbo saturday night and, boy, it's fantastic. thanks so much for being here. >> thanks, jake.
>> tweet the show @thelead. i'm jake tapper. i turn you over now to one mr. wolf blitzer who is right next door in a place i like to call "the situation room." thanks for watching. happening now, fighting back. donald trump has been dishing it out for the entire presidential campaign but for the past week he's been taking it. put on the defensive by allegations about his behavior, especially around women, now he's hitting back, unleashing a barrage of tweets and even calling the cnn control room. no way, in a cnn exclusive, the first interview since dropping out of the race, the former gop candidate john kasich says he's not interested in a third party run. economic bill. hillary clinton says if she's elected president, she'll put her husband in charge of revitalizing the economy which he
The Lead With Jake Tapper
CNN May 16, 2016 1:00pm-2:01pm PDT
The day's top stories from around the world, from politics to money, to sports and pop culture.
Donald Trump 16, Clinton 8, Royce 7, Isis 6, Otezla 5, Mary Katherine 4, Mr. Birch 4, Jake Tapper 4, Bryan Cranston 4, New York 4, Vietnam 4, Kentucky 4, Texas 4, Baghdad 3, Linzess 3, Liberty Mutual 3, Bernie Sanders 3, Bill Clinton 3, Griffin 3, Lyndon Johnson 3
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Showing posts with label reference. Show all posts
20 Incredibly Great References in Fallout 3
There are about 120 cultural references in Fallout 3. Since we can't cover all of them, we're bringing you the incredibly great ones, like references to great post-apocalyptic movie titles like Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog. This article is two pages long, with 10 references on each.
1. A Boy And His Dog
To me, A Boy and His Dog inspired Fallout on many levels, including Fallout 3. Dogmeat, the vaults, the blending of 1950s America with futuristic horror, and the glowing ones. They are all allude to Harlan Ellison's book A Boy and His Dog which got the film adaptation later on, A Boy and His Dog (1975 film). Also, In Oasis, the man encased in a tree calls the tree "Herbert" because he thinks it's funny and it annoys the tree. In A Boy and His Dog the dog Blood, often calls his boy, Vic,"Albert". Blood finds this funny, while Vic is annoyed by it.
2. Mad Max
The Mad Max movies, starring Mel Gibson as a post-apocalyptic warrior, are also a pervasive influence on the Fallout series. The design of the leather armor in all four Fallout games is based on Mel Gibson's armor in the Mad Max series, particularly the single-sleeved armor in The Road Warrior. A picture of the main character walking beside Dogmeat that is featured on the back of the packaging and in every ending is an homage to the image of Max walking beside his dog from The Road Warrior. Fallout 3's Dogmeat is a Blue Heeler, the same breed as Max's dog in The Road Warrior.
One of the Little Lamplight children uses the word humongous incorrectly, saying "humungus." Though it appears incorrect, it is actually a reference to Lord Humungus, the leader of the antagonizing gang in The Road Warrior. Upon meeting Harkness one of his replies might be "Oh yeah? And I'm a fairy princess." this is a reference to an utterance made by Mad Max when he talks to MasterBlaster in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The raiders' style of dressing is similar to that of the various raider and biker gangs in the Mad Max films. Medical braces are similar to those that Max wears on his left leg in the films. The arena in The Pitt resembles the Thunderdome.
The raider blastmaster helmet resembles the helmet worn by Blaster, the "muscle" of Bartertown in Beyond Thunderdome. The scoped .44 magnum/Blackhawk resembles the gun used by the Lord Humungus in The Road Warrior, which was a scoped Smith & Wesson Model 29. The outfit worn by Mayor Macready of Little Lamplight is identical to the costume worn by Jedediah the pilot's son in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - a pith helmet, goggles, and a jacket one size too big. The image for the perk Pitt Fighter depicts Vault Boy wearing armor identical to Blaster's armor in the film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
There is a random encounter with a character named Mel, who wears a leather jacket and sports a sawed-off shotgun. High Perception grants the information that the shotgun is unloaded. In The Road Warrior, Max threatens the Gyrocaptain with his shotgun, even though it wasn't loaded. The outfits worn by slaves in The Pitt resemble those worn by the slaves in Beyond Thunderdome.
3. The Road
A 2006 novel by Cormac McCarthy. This post-apocalyptic story also influenced Bethesda Softworks (as mentioned by Todd Howard in interview) in their work on Fallout 3. The most overt references to the book are the hunters who peddle "strange meat" (human flesh) and the cannibals in the town of Andale.
4. Dracula
Just above the entrance, you can see a damaged traffic sign that should read "CAREFUL," but on which the 'C' and 'L' have faded away to display "AREFU". Arefu is a "real life" small village in Romania, most well known for its proximity to the former castle of Vlad III, the prince of Wallachia, who is also known as "Dracula" and "Vlad the Impaler." And the quest "Blood Ties" only confirms that reference. Lucy West, the woman who kicks off the Blood Ties quest, is a reference to Lucy Westenra, Mina Murray's friend in Bram Stoker's Dracula. They both have connections to vampires, and they were the first victims of a chain of unfortunate events that affect their loved ones.
5. Interplay
The monument is located in Chevy Chase, just outside the Tenleytown / Friendship station. There's a small square with a monument that is a reference to Interplay. The bronze Earth with a circling rocket appeared prominently when launching Fallout 1 and 2. Chevy Chase is also a real-life neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
6. Black Isle Studios
Inside the Museum of Technology, a plaque describes the fate of the USS Ebon Atoll, a missile destroyer that was torpedoed by a US submarine, USS Interference, off the coast of Alaska. "Ebon" is short for "Ebony", a word for black, and "atoll" is another word for island, or isle. The fate of the boat is also similar to Black Isle's, having been "torpedoed" by their parent company, Interplay. Also, in the Point Lookout add-on, the loading screens and several terminals mention Isla Negra Holdings, the company that built the Pilgrim's Landing boardwalk. "Isla Negra" is Spanish for Black Isle.
7. The Bible
The Lone Wanderer's birth date, 7/13/2258, is a Biblical reference to Micah 7:13, which reads: "And the earth will become desolate because of her inhabitants, on account of the fruit of their deeds." This aptly describes the whole Fallout series.
8. American Civil War
Hannibal Hamlin was the name of Abraham Lincolns's first vice president, a staunch abolitionist. Leroy Walker is named after LeRoy Pope Walker, the first Confederate States Secretary of War who issued the orders for the firing on Fort Sumter, which began the American Civil War. Bill Seward is named after William H. Seward, Lincoln's Secretary of State from 1861-69. Caleb Smith is named after Caleb B. Smith, Lincoln's Secretary of Interior from 1861-62. Simone Cameron is named after Simon Cameron, Lincoln's Secretary of War from 1861-62.
9. Beneath the Planet of the Apes
In Megaton, the undetonated atomic bomb and the Children of Atom are a reference to the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes (a 1970 American science fiction film directed by Ted Post and written by Paul Dehn), in which a cult worships an intact nuclear ICBM (An intercontinental ballistic missile).
10. Star Trek (original)
During the first fade-to-white in the opening character creation, The Overseer says, "Dammit! We need a doctor, not a scientist", a reference to lines in the original Star Trek in which Leonard McCoy says to Captain Kirk, "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a [profession that isn't medical]". Dr. Preston in Rivet City will say "I'm a doctor, not a dealer!" when asked about purchasing chems.
The Adventures of Captain Cosmos takes its inspiration from Star Trek. Captain Cosmos is known to have aired at 8:00 P.M. on Thursdays (the timeslot that Star Trek filled during its first two seasons in the real world). In the Mothership Zeta add-on, the Lone Wanderer and Sally (who is a fan of Captain Cosmos) take a diverse crew into ship-to-ship combat against another alien mothership.
Tags: Fallout, Fallout 3, game, Games, great, Incredible, reference, references
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PSYCHOLIES: To Release Debut Album "Inner Labyrinth" in November via Trisol Music Group!
"On this Album we have the special featuring by VICTOR LOVE from DOPE STARS INC. who played and arranged all the electronic parts in the songs. Waiting for the album release we recorded with ARKETYPOS Visual Factory, the first official video clip out on November 2016. Enjoy it and Stay tuned!"
PSYCHOLIES – formed in 2014 – are a four-piece industrial dark glam metal band from Bari (Italy), coming from previous musical experiences, with a huge number of live sets on their shoulders. The band’s sound is a mixture of Industrial Metal, Soft-core, Dark and Glam merged into a unique and unmistakable style. The Debut Album will be released in October 2016, for a big German Label. In these two years of work on the album, the band has played at festivals such as the Total Metal Festival 2014 (Bari), Trash Fest VII (Helsinki), Gothic Castle (Germany), furthermore PSYCHOLIES has toured Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Austria.
Tags: Psycholies, industrial, glam, Inner Labyrinth
Red Barron October 17, 2016
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SSIC - Junior
SSIC - Open
Schedules >
Tobago Schedule
South Schedule
Junior Championship Schedule
Open Championship Schedule
Performance Regulations
List of Classes
APPLICABLE TO ALL COMPETITORS
1. One Professional Musician only is allowed to take part in the following:
(a) Open Class Chamber Music Ensembles (Classes OP-E3 and OP-E4)
(b) In Open Class Choirs as Singers;
(c) As Conductors;
(d) As Accompanists; and
(e) In the Family Ensemble Class (Class OP-B10).
2. Age Limits
(a) In all Junior Classes, where age limits are specified, the Date of Birth must be entered on the Entry Form, except in the case of Ensembles and Choirs, where the person who has signed the Entry Form is deemed to have certified as true that all members are of the designated age.
(b) All ages are to be calculated as on the first OFFICIAL day of the Festival.
(c) All junior competitors who qualify for the Championships of their Class must produce Birth Certificates, if requested, in order to compete further.
3. In Classes JR-C1 to JR-C4 and JR-C6 to JR-C8, ALL members of the choir must be students of the SAME school.
4. Competitors in all sessions must perform in the order published in the Official Programme, unless, in the judgement of the Festival Coordinator/Manager, a legitimate reason exists to require changes.
5. In the Duet, Trio and Quartet Classes, substitution of performers may be made up to the first adjudication, after which NO CHANGE IS PERMITTED.
6. Competitors may not enter more than once in the same class in Duets, Trios, Quartets and Ensembles. However, in the case of a genuine emergency, ONE individual who has already performed may substitute in another performance at the Festival Coordinator’s/Manager’s discretion.
7. Competitors may enter in more than one class, provided that the entry fee for each class is paid. Competitors in Open Vocal Solo classes may only enter EITHER the Upper and Middle Voice categories (i.e. Soprano/Mezzo Soprano or Tenor/Baritone) OR the Middle and Lower Voice categories (i.e. Mezzo Soprano/Contralto or Baritone/Bass). A competitor will not be permitted to enter all three Voice categories. 12
8. Time Limits are specified in “Own Choice” classes and the Adjudicator’s Secretary/Steward is responsible for timing the performances bringing any infractions to the attention of the Adjudicators. In the event that the performance falls outside of the specified time limit, the performance will be adjudicated but no mark will be awarded.
9. Competitors may provide their own accompanist in works requiring accompaniment. Official accompanists will be available for competitors who desire this service; the request for this service should be made on the Entry Form. However, a request for the services of the official accompanist will be entertained if submitted to the relevant Festival Office by February 9th, 2018.
10. Where the service of the Official Accompanist is required, the Accompanist on duty at the time must be used.
11. Competitors in the Parang, Calypso Chorale, Folk and similar classes must provide their own accompaniment and accompanists.
12. Only SECULAR Folk songs are to be used in the Folk Song Classes.
13. In the Instrumental Sight Reading Classes (JR-F1 to JR-F3 and OP-F1), competitors are required to specify their instrument (e.g. Violin, Clarinet, Trumpet, etc.) on their Registration Form. Competitors are allowed to enter on more than one instrument, but must pay a separate fee for each entry.
14. In Classes with OWN CHOICE music, please note the following:
a) Competitors must submit TWO COPIES of the written score of music to be played, along with any additional information required (as for Operatic, Musical Theatre and Folk Song Classes) NO LATER THAN JANUARY 19TH, 2018. If a Competitor fails to submit the copies by the deadline, they will be allowed to perform, but no mark will be awarded. Registration is not confirmed until Own Choice music is provided and approved.
b) Competitors in the Operatic and Musical Theatre Classes must submit the Title of their Selection, the name of the Opera or Show from which the selection is taken, and a brief description of the story (no more than 100 words). Performers will be required to submit the name of the character that they are playing and a description of what is taking place in the story at the time that the song is taking place. All comments must be typed and submitted to the Festival Office in advance of the performance (see 16a above).
c) Please note the following Copyright Issues for the performance of Musical Theatre songs:
1. Competitors must not make any changes to either music or lyrics and must use only the published or authorized musical arrangement of the song; and
2. No use can be made of any form of scenery, costume, choreography, staging, character representation or special lighting which gives a visual impression or other portrayal of the writer’s original conception of the work from which the excerpt is taken.
(cf. Performance Regulations – The Guide to Musical Theatre www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com)
The Association will not be liable for any breach of copyright arising out of a Competitor’s performance.
d) With the exception of Folk and Calypso Choirs, competitors in Own Choice Classes are not allowed to use “Human Props” as part of their performance presentation.
e) Competitors are not permitted to repeat their “Own Choice selections within three consecutive Festivals.
f) The same “Own Choice” pieces may not be used by choirs from the same school/group entering: Primary and Secondary School Folk Song choirs (JR-C7 to JR-C12 and Open Contemporary Religious Choirs (OP-C9 and C10), Folk Song Choirs (OP-C11 and C12) and Calypso Chorale (OP-C13 and C14).
15. In the COMPOSITION CLASS, two copies of an original composition for solo or concerted instruments or voices, must be submitted no later than December 7th, 2017. One of the copies will be retained by the Committee. Entrants must present documentation from an institution (signed by an authorized representative) or trainer certifying that the work is entirely their own unaided and original composition.
16. Unless otherwise indicated, where a Test Piece gives the option of more than one language, English should be used.
17. Unless otherwise indicated, where Test Pieces have repeats, they are to be played or performed without the use of repeats.
18. All Test Pieces must be performed in the published key. 14
19. No extra marks will be given for performing from memory.
20. In the LIEDER Class both the Singer and the Pianist must be amateurs: they are to be adjudicated separately and their marks totalled to determine the winners. See Glossary re Lieder.
21. In the Family Ensemble Class, the following members of the family will be allowed to participate: Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, Children, Uncles, Aunts and Cousins.
22. In the Church Choir Class (OP-C15) all performers must be members of the church choir competing. A statement to this effect, with the name of the Church and the signature of the Minister/Pastor//Religious Leader must be presented to the Festival Office with the completed Registration Form.
23. a) No more than six accompanists will be permitted for each choir in the Contemporary Religious Music or Folk Song Classes. If the accompanists also participate as singers, they will be counted as members of the choir.
b) In the Open Parang Class, the accompanists are considered part of the ensemble. In the Junior Parang Class, student accompanists who also sing are considered part of the ensemble, Adults are not.
24. Competitors (including conductors) must be in the competitor’s area 30 minutes before the time specified on the Entry Card. Failure to do so may lead to disqualification.
25. Teachers/Conductors must take personal responsibility for their competitor’s behaviour and supervision. 26. Competitors may not communicate with the Light or Sound Technicians at any of the Festival Venues, in any attempt to obtain special lighting or sound effects for their performance.
27. Stage settings are not be shifted without the permission of the Stage Manager. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in immediate disqualification.
28. Only officials of the Festival or their appointed agents may speak to the Adjudicators during any competition session. Competitors may not, at any time, communicate with the Adjudicators. Complaints or problems are to be presented to the Regional Coordinator/Manager or, in the case of the Championships, to the Festival Manager. 15
29. Competitors who have qualified for the National Championships and find that they are unable to participate MUST inform the Regional Coordinator as early as possible so that the second-placed competitor may be allowed to substitute (provided that they had achieved the minimum of 85 marks). The Regional Coordinator will be responsible for conveying this information to the second-placed competitor as well as to the Festival Manager.
30. Queries on any matters arising out of, or not especially provided for in these regulations, must be brought to the attention of the Regional Coordinator/Festival Manager before the end of the Session concerned, or at least within Fifteen Minutes of the end of the Session.
31. In all matters arising out of, or not especially provide for in these Regulations, the decision of the Festival Committee/Management is Final.
2018_syllabus_r2.pdf
Copyright © The Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival Association H.B.M., 2015 - 2018
Website by Trinvistro
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Pure architecture. Not much more than a shed for the agricultural machinery of the winegrowers in this area. Planned within a very tight financial corset – the hall could not cost more than a “ready-made“ product – and therefore carried with positively Spartanic means.
An inexpensive steel and concrete construction, the concrete piers remain visible; walls were erected in front of them and above are the curving waves of a roof that terminates the space; the floor is still provisionally covered with gravel (for cost reasons). The hall measures about 30 by 60 metres and snuggles into the hilly landscape of the vineyards in the Moselle valley. Even when viewed from above the wavy roof with its external planting makes the impression that it has grown naturally, as it were.
The hall is taller at the front, lower at the rear. There is where the rooms for local associations are located. All necessary provisions were made for possible changes of function, the walls were built to such a standard that the building can be heated, at some time in the future.
In a certain sense this shed embodies the essential primitive hut of the Moselle Valley. It is not made of wood, as in this region there has always been a shortage of timber, functional buildings of this kind were built of stone. And its walls are rendered externally in a very rough and crude technique, which has a long tradition here.
As was said, a primitive hut. A simple shed, basic – if you like: rural – architecture. An example of anonymous building that, however, does have an author; an author who understands language and games played with expression. Traditional architecture – remodelled with a pinch of zeitgeist.
Bauherr | Client: Administration communale de Schengen
Werner Feltes
photo © Eloi Fromangé-Gonin
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Booker T. Washington was born in Franklin County, Virginia in a slave cabin. He believed that education was the most important way to achieve success and happiness in life. While he was a boy, he worked in salt mines in West Virginia. When he was 15, he left his home and went to Hampton Institute where he cleaned buildings and classrooms to pay for his college tuition. In 1881, Washington had been picked to be a leader to a brand new school for blacks called Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. After that, he became a leader. He was the leader for black Americans who fought for integration and equality. Booker T. Washington was a great man that soon turned out to be one of the most powerful African-Americans of his time.
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The O'Reilly Factor
On the Record With Greta Van Susteren
FOXNEWSW (FOX News)
Executive Branch Archive
RidonVince Favorites
2016 Horserace: Who Won the Week : FOXNEWSW : September 20, 2015 6:00pm-7:01pm PDT
, which i think is something that a lot of people resonated with. >> we need a washington, someone to say it is put up our shut up time. we sent you there, it is time to lead the country going forward. >> the difference between me and the other candidates is i am going to do what i told you i would do. >> we are really killing it. we are killing it. >> welcome to the special edition of "hannity" 2016." who won the week. it was a big week with candidates busy on the campaign trail also squaring off in the second gop debate. here are some of the most talked about moments from wednesday's secondary p second republican show down. >> mr. trump said he hears mr. bush clearly. i think women all over the country rather clearly what mr. trump said. >> president obama is violating federal law by not handing over the side deal and we ought to see the united states congress stand up together and say handover this treaty. >> i hear your wife is a lovely woman. i don't know her. >> she is. she is right here and why don't you apologize to her. for the 55-year-old construction worker out in the audience
, which i think is something that a lot of people resonated with. >> we need a washington, someone to say it is put up our shut up time. we sent you there, it is time to lead the country going forward. >> the difference between me and the other candidates is i am going to do what i told you i would do. >> we are really killing it. we are killing it. >> welcome to the special edition of "hannity" 2016." who won the week. it was a big week with candidates...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 12, 2015 10:00am-12:01pm PDT
" in washington. pulling away from the gop presidential pack, donald trump is sitting at number one in national polls and in the latest poll in the state of iowa right now where the billionaire businessman is campaigning. he's set to speak to supporters at any minute. mike emanuel joins us now from boone, iowa. hi, mike. >> reporter: elizabeth, good afternoon. donald trump is on his way here to boone, iowa, where, at this point in the race, it is shaping up to be a two-man race in iowa. the latest quinnipiac survey has trump way out front with dr. ben carson second at 21%, ted cruz third, jeb bush, marco rubio, carly fiorina, john kasich, mike huckabee, rand paul and scott walker rounding out the top ten. the shocker is governor walker from wisconsin, the very early iowa front-runner, has dropped to tenth place. marco rubio is also here in the hawkeye state for the weekend. we caught up with him checking out a little iowa high school football action and greeting possible supporters. i asked rubio about trump's lead in iowa and the florida senator took this swipe. >> the presidency i
" in washington. pulling away from the gop presidential pack, donald trump is sitting at number one in national polls and in the latest poll in the state of iowa right now where the billionaire businessman is campaigning. he's set to speak to supporters at any minute. mike emanuel joins us now from boone, iowa. hi, mike. >> reporter: elizabeth, good afternoon. donald trump is on his way here to boone, iowa, where, at this point in the race, it is shaping up to be a two-man race in...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 12, 2015 10:37am-11:07am PDT
. they go to washington. they tell you they're going to do all these things and they never get done. these are my people. these are great. this guy or this woman is going to be fantastic. they go to washington and they change. they see the beautiful ceiling, the vault ed ceiling, and something happens. i say they become impotent. is that a correct word to you? they become impotent. something happens to them. when they're back in iowa and when they're back in new hampshire and south carolina, we're winning in all of these states. we're winning everywhere. we just got a poll georgia, florida. how about in florida, you have a governor in florida and you have a senator who is actually a sitting senator and i'm leading in florida by a lot. i mean, can you believe it? because people -- and i'm leading the pack, i will tell you. people are tired of incompetence, of people who don't get it done. and you look at our budget. it's massive. massive. somebody like jeb bush is in favor of common core, meaning your children are educated in washington, d.c. who could want this? when you listen to t
. they go to washington. they tell you they're going to do all these things and they never get done. these are my people. these are great. this guy or this woman is going to be fantastic. they go to washington and they change. they see the beautiful ceiling, the vault ed ceiling, and something happens. i say they become impotent. is that a correct word to you? they become impotent. something happens to them. when they're back in iowa and when they're back in new hampshire and south carolina,...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 12, 2015 12:00pm-1:01pm PDT
all for "american headquarters in washington." >> see you next weekend. >>> hello, i'm uma pemmaraju live in new york. the spotlight on iowa, new hampshire and north carolina as a number of republican hopefuls hit the campaign trail in key states this weekend just days ahead of the next presidential debate. donald trump still holding on as number one in the crowded field, but his rivals like governor bobby jindal are taking aim in a big way. >> conservatives have a once in a lifetime opportunity to get our country back, to implement conservative principles. we have to ask ourselves, are we going to turn the prudent conservative principles or turn to a man who believes in nothing more than himself? >> i'll have much more on my interview with the louisiana governor just minutes away. >>> plus, residents on edge at this hour. 11 shootings along a major interstate in arizona. are cops getting any closer to finding out who is responsible for the reckless crime? we're live in phoenix. >>> plus, new questions erupting over concerns about whether intelligence reports about al qaeda or isis m
all for "american headquarters in washington." >> see you next weekend. >>> hello, i'm uma pemmaraju live in new york. the spotlight on iowa, new hampshire and north carolina as a number of republican hopefuls hit the campaign trail in key states this weekend just days ahead of the next presidential debate. donald trump still holding on as number one in the crowded field, but his rivals like governor bobby jindal are taking aim in a big way. >> conservatives have...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 12, 2015 1:00pm-2:01pm PDT
rally in ames earlier today. he was talking immigration, blasting leaders in washington, d.c. bernie sanders hit the trail in south carolina today. hillary clinton spent the morning addressing a gathering in d.c. we've got live fox team coverage for you today. we're live in washington, but first we go with senior political correspondent mike emanuel live in boon iowa. >> donald trump rallied an enthusiastic crowd here as he leads the polls in the hawk eye state. his biggest applause line came when he made this new promise on the issue of illegal immigration. >> the gangs you've been reading about in different places like chicago, and a lot of the places, not to mention names. a lot of the places they're illegals and they're tough dudes. they're out of here. but i get the wall started they're gone the first day. they're gone. >> trump unveiled a new making america great again hat. a camouflage version here today. trump drew a sizable enthusiastic crowd before the focus of many switched to the iowa versus iowa state football game. i caught up with other candidates campaigning in iowa a
rally in ames earlier today. he was talking immigration, blasting leaders in washington, d.c. bernie sanders hit the trail in south carolina today. hillary clinton spent the morning addressing a gathering in d.c. we've got live fox team coverage for you today. we're live in washington, but first we go with senior political correspondent mike emanuel live in boon iowa. >> donald trump rallied an enthusiastic crowd here as he leads the polls in the hawk eye state. his biggest applause line...
live in washington with what this means for the race. hi, molly. >> reporter: hi. senator bernie sanders just finished his first of two events in south carolina today. the independent socialist candidate told supporters in florence, south carolina, that they could be part of something bigger than a presidential campaign. >> what this campaign is about is not just asking your support to elect bernie sanders as president, but more importantly, i am asking you to become part of a political revolution. when we stand together like the tens of millions, there is nothing, nothing, nothing that we can not accomplish. >> reporter: sanders and hillary clinton now are separated by one point in iowa. that's within the margin of error, so essentially it's a dead heat. g shows senator sanders has closed a nearly 20-point gap in iowa. clinton led 52-33 over sanders in july. clinton, who has been hired in controversy over the private e-mail server that she used as secretary of state, also is trailing sanders by nine points in new hampshire. according to a poll earlier this week. indicating sande
live in washington with what this means for the race. hi, molly. >> reporter: hi. senator bernie sanders just finished his first of two events in south carolina today. the independent socialist candidate told supporters in florence, south carolina, that they could be part of something bigger than a presidential campaign. >> what this campaign is about is not just asking your support to elect bernie sanders as president, but more importantly, i am asking you to become part of a...
washington. >> the former secretary of state continues to be dogged by the cloud of controversy in regards to her e-mail server. she spoke at the foundry united methodist church never addressing the scandal but did say her spiritual adviser says she needs to be kinder to the press. >> we'll see if she takes that advice. >> we will. i'm sure ed henry would like it if she did. >>> still ahead on the program, front-runner donald trump has been taking jabs at his rivals including fellow political outsiders, so what could this mean for his campaign? our fair and balanced political panel is here to break it down coming up. >>> we also want to hear from you. why do you think we are seeing the rise in the outsiders, dr. carson, donald trump, carly fiorina in this presidential race. you can tweet u us @lelandvittert, @shannonbream . we may read your answers later in the show. >>> now to that migrant crisis in europe where germany in particular is feeling the strain after encouraging so many people to try to reach its borders to find sanctuary. germany has reintroduced border checks on its austrian
washington. >> the former secretary of state continues to be dogged by the cloud of controversy in regards to her e-mail server. she spoke at the foundry united methodist church never addressing the scandal but did say her spiritual adviser says she needs to be kinder to the press. >> we'll see if she takes that advice. >> we will. i'm sure ed henry would like it if she did. >>> still ahead on the program, front-runner donald trump has been taking jabs at his rivals...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 13, 2015 9:00am-9:31am PDT
live in washington with more on these new revelations. kristen? >> reporter: well, this is northern because it's the strongest indication so far that dlinton's deleted e-mails could be recovered. "washington post" is reporting the denver-based technology company that managed clinton's private server is saying it has no knowledge of the server ever being wiped clean, but even if it was wiped clean it appears who did it did not do a very good job, according to an intelligence source familiar with the ongoing investigation who has the fbi investigators remaining confident they will be able to recover the deleted e-mails. you have to keep in mind there's a big difference between deleting e-mails and wiping a server. clinton said repeatedly she did delete the e-mails but so far refused to say whether or not she wiped the server clean. it was a point pressed by our own ed henry at a campaign event last month. >> you were the official in charge. did you wipe the server? >> like with a cloth or showering. you know how it works digitally >> i don't know how it works digitally at all. >> a gr
live in washington with more on these new revelations. kristen? >> reporter: well, this is northern because it's the strongest indication so far that dlinton's deleted e-mails could be recovered. "washington post" is reporting the denver-based technology company that managed clinton's private server is saying it has no knowledge of the server ever being wiped clean, but even if it was wiped clean it appears who did it did not do a very good job, according to an intelligence...
travels from havana to washington, d.c. on tuesday. >>> karl anderson with the knights of columbus has sat down where the pope several times. he probably knew what he wanted to say when he sat down with him a few time. and now he sits down with liz best to ta liz beth to talk about the pay pal visit, that's later in the show. >>> politicians these days are spending a lot of time in iowa. of course where we find a number of gop candidates attending the 15th annual faith and freedom coalition. eight presidential hopefuls are attempting to rally a highly influential faith based group of voters. the challenge for candidate, how to stand out from the rest of the pack. another guy who spends a lot of time in iowa these days, carl camer cameron. so take us through how donald trump, who you would not think is sort of an evangelical die hard christian, is playing with that such important base. >> reporter: he's been reluctant to talk about his faith publicly and been accused of not throwing too much about the babl even though he says it's his favorite book. bobby jindal suggested because he
travels from havana to washington, d.c. on tuesday. >>> karl anderson with the knights of columbus has sat down where the pope several times. he probably knew what he wanted to say when he sat down with him a few time. and now he sits down with liz best to ta liz beth to talk about the pay pal visit, that's later in the show. >>> politicians these days are spending a lot of time in iowa. of course where we find a number of gop candidates attending the 15th annual faith and...
presidential hopeful hillary clinton will be side by side in washington. but there is growing buzz that the two may soon be political rivals for the democratic nomination. the two joining the president and the first lady at the premiere event for black lawmakers. meanwhile, both currently in the thick of the race, pending a great deal of the saturday at the new hampshire democratic convention. hillary clinton trying to shore up support in that early primary state. >> i'm running for my first term. >> i will proudly carry forward this democratic achievement. >> today, hillary clinton had absolutely no problem going after donald trump. she had comments on immigrants, women, even his campaign slogan. but she faced the most heated rhetoric to correct the man who called president obama a muslim. >> don't be distracted by their flamboyant front-runner. trying to bully and buy his way into the presidency. his latest outrage, the way he handled the question about president obama was shocking. but not surprising. he's been trafficking and prejudice and paranoia throughout this campaign. >> clinton s
presidential hopeful hillary clinton will be side by side in washington. but there is growing buzz that the two may soon be political rivals for the democratic nomination. the two joining the president and the first lady at the premiere event for black lawmakers. meanwhile, both currently in the thick of the race, pending a great deal of the saturday at the new hampshire democratic convention. hillary clinton trying to shore up support in that early primary state. >> i'm running for my...
embassies being established in washington and havana this summer. he is likely to push for more freedom for catholics on the ground in cuba. they want to get on the radio. they want to open up schools. perhaps in washington he might make a push for cuba, for ending that u.s. embargo against cuba. kelly, back to you. >> steve, what kind of atmosphere would you describe amongst the people there? there are throngs of people waiting to see the pope. many of them of course will be wanting to try to reach out and touch him and talk to him. what will this do for the people of cuba? >> reporter: this pope already sent a message to the people that he is coming to speak to them directly. he wants to make a personal connection as the first pope from latin america. he is of course from argentina. he wants to revitalize the church on this island. 60% of cubans categorize themselves catholics but the actual attendance in mass is 10%. there is a real sense that one of their own is coming back as far as the native spanish language. there's tremendous excited about open air mass tomorrow and open air ma
embassies being established in washington and havana this summer. he is likely to push for more freedom for catholics on the ground in cuba. they want to get on the radio. they want to open up schools. perhaps in washington he might make a push for cuba, for ending that u.s. embargo against cuba. kelly, back to you. >> steve, what kind of atmosphere would you describe amongst the people there? there are throngs of people waiting to see the pope. many of them of course will be wanting to...
. kristen fisher live in washington picking up the story from there. hi, kristen. >> reporter: hello. so while joe biden spent the morning at the congressional black caucus prayer breakfast, the rest of the candidates already in the race spent the day in new hampshire for the state's annual democratic convention. one of the most headlined grabbing moments didn't involve the candidates. it involved the chair of the democratic national committee, debbie wasserman schultz. while she was speaking on stage, she was interrupted by several democrats in the crowd holding signs and chanting, we want more debates. there is only six democratic debates compared to 11 republican debates. the thinking is lesser known candidates like bernie sanders would benefit the most from more debates. but today the dnc chairwoman wouldn't budge. >> my friends, what's more important? drawing a contrast with republicans or arguing about debates? let's focus on our mission and the task at hand. enough is enough! >> reporter: shortly after hillary clinton took the stage and she had no problem drawing a sharp contr
. kristen fisher live in washington picking up the story from there. hi, kristen. >> reporter: hello. so while joe biden spent the morning at the congressional black caucus prayer breakfast, the rest of the candidates already in the race spent the day in new hampshire for the state's annual democratic convention. one of the most headlined grabbing moments didn't involve the candidates. it involved the chair of the democratic national committee, debbie wasserman schultz. while she was...
he heads here to the united states, new york, philadelphia and first to washington. >> and we want to hear from you. what do you hope to hear from the pope in the first address to the u.s. congress? you can send your tweets. we will read thoughts later on in the show. we have washington examiner senior political columnist here to dive into why the pontiff is causing so much controversy in capitol hill coming up later in the show. >>> the man arrested for carrying out a series of drive by shootings in arizona maintains he is the wrong guy. he was arraigned saturday on more than 20 felony charges relating to shootings along busy interstate 10. he told the judge there is no way he could have done it. >> i'm the wrong guy. i tried telling the detective that. my gun has been in the pawnshop for two months. i haven't had access to a weapon. >> investigators say they have evidence that he had not pawned the gun at the time of the shooting. he is being held on a $1 million cash bail. >>> and the devastation in california continues. we are learning that a new wildfire killed one person. thi
he heads here to the united states, new york, philadelphia and first to washington. >> and we want to hear from you. what do you hope to hear from the pope in the first address to the u.s. congress? you can send your tweets. we will read thoughts later on in the show. we have washington examiner senior political columnist here to dive into why the pontiff is causing so much controversy in capitol hill coming up later in the show. >>> the man arrested for carrying out a series of...
still though the top three performers are all political outsiders. kristen fisher is live in washington with more. >> reporter: well, carly fiorina jumping 12 point in two weeks is a big deal but it's not that surprising given her strong showing at the debate. what's surprising is what's happened to scott walker. a few weeks ago he was a top tier candidate wow now he's got less than .5%. ben carson is down five points, slipping to third behind carly fiorina. she's trying to make the most of her momentum with several stops in michigan before heading to south carolina on tuesday. >> we're going to stay out here working hard every single day so that people who maybe or introduced to me for the first time at that debate now get to know a little more about me. >> and one of the other big headlines from the sunday shows was ben carson's response when asked if he would be okay with a muslim as president of the united states. >> i would not advocate that we put a muslim in charge of this nation. i absolutely would not agree with that. >> congress is a different story but it depends on who that
still though the top three performers are all political outsiders. kristen fisher is live in washington with more. >> reporter: well, carly fiorina jumping 12 point in two weeks is a big deal but it's not that surprising given her strong showing at the debate. what's surprising is what's happened to scott walker. a few weeks ago he was a top tier candidate wow now he's got less than .5%. ben carson is down five points, slipping to third behind carly fiorina. she's trying to make the most...
from washington. gary tinny with more on hillary's tv appearance. we'll start with kristen fisher, more with the latest polling numbers. >> almost everyone agreed that carly fiorina won the debate. now we're seeing that really translate to the polls. a new cnn poll out just this morning has donald trump still on top with 24% of the vote. but that's an eight-point drop from the same cnn poll taken bright before the debate. fiorina is up 12 points, by far the biggest increase by any candidate. she shot into second place while carson slipped to third. marco rubio is polling strong, up eight points jumping to fourth place. carly fiorina really trying to make the most of her momentum after the debate. yesterday she had several stops in michigan and today she stopped by fox news sunday. >> it's obviously a very important moment because now more people know who i am and we know based on what's happened before this debate that, as people come to know me and they understand who i am and what i've done and most importantly what i will do, they tend to support me. >> one of the other big tal
from washington. gary tinny with more on hillary's tv appearance. we'll start with kristen fisher, more with the latest polling numbers. >> almost everyone agreed that carly fiorina won the debate. now we're seeing that really translate to the polls. a new cnn poll out just this morning has donald trump still on top with 24% of the vote. but that's an eight-point drop from the same cnn poll taken bright before the debate. fiorina is up 12 points, by far the biggest increase by any...
. but they're winding things down as he arrives in philadelphia today. we go live to washington now. we'll see you at 4:00 this afternoon live here in philly. >> the day after speaker john boehner stuns washington with his resignation, the race is on to replace him. we'll talk to the co-founder of the tea party to find out who he's backing. >>> the pope in philadelphia. the star-studded festival just hours away. we'll go live to the city of brotherly love. ♪ all the comrades that err they have ♪ >> and a touching and emotional good-bye to the retiring joint chiefs chairman general martin dempsey. >>> nice to be with you this saturday. nice to be with you as well. i'm leland vittert. i'm molly line. welcome to america's news headquarters from washington. yesterday, john boehner dropped a bombshell on capitol hill. the house speaker stunned colleagues when he announced he's retiring from congress at the end of october. a decision after a career high point, overseeing the pope's address to congress, and a low point, pressure to leave from within his own party. garrett is here with
. but they're winding things down as he arrives in philadelphia today. we go live to washington now. we'll see you at 4:00 this afternoon live here in philly. >> the day after speaker john boehner stuns washington with his resignation, the race is on to replace him. we'll talk to the co-founder of the tea party to find out who he's backing. >>> the pope in philadelphia. the star-studded festival just hours away. we'll go live to the city of brotherly love. ♪ all the comrades...
grab it. and people in washington, dc and new york city certainly felt it. now it is philadelphia's turn. the city of brotherly love. over 1.5 million people who will experience that energy firsthand over the course of these two days. i want to step out and let you see what is happening here behind me. this is where all the action will be tonight. an expected 500,000 here and along the benjamin franklin parkway tonight for the festival of families. that's the celebration and concert that will feature aretha franklin, sister sledge, the phil harmonic orchestra, the fray, just a few on the list. the pope is taking a break. he's had a hectic schedule. he's taking a breather before much anticipated speech. an independent small tonight, actually, i should say in the next hour, he'll be talking about immigration, religious liberty. we have that live shot to show you. all of this intertwined with the world meeting of families. over 100 countries represented here for the first ever meeting in the united states. the hundreds of thousands of visitors expressing absolute joy, enthusiasm, and l
grab it. and people in washington, dc and new york city certainly felt it. now it is philadelphia's turn. the city of brotherly love. over 1.5 million people who will experience that energy firsthand over the course of these two days. i want to step out and let you see what is happening here behind me. this is where all the action will be tonight. an expected 500,000 here and along the benjamin franklin parkway tonight for the festival of families. that's the celebration and concert that will...
washington are now out and it looks like cruz comes out on top with 35% of the vote. ben carson follows with 18%. frontrunner donald trump finishing in fifth place with only 5%. joining us now is molly henneberg standing by in our dc news room with more. molly? >> reporter: hi. this is the third year in a row that senator cruz has won the values voter summit straw poll. that's a gathering of social and religious conservatives. meanwhile, a busy day in iowa and new hampshire for democratic and republican presidential candidates today. senator cruz for one opened his first campaign office in issue bandale, iowa this morning. cruz, who has made no secret that he's running a, quote, frugal campaign, waited to open an office in the state until after labor day. today he urged supporters to start thinking and planning for next year's caucus day. >> every one of you is a political entrepreneur. you have a circle of friends, you have a circle of family. you have a circle of colleagues. we're going to try to give you all the tools you can to empower you, energize you, to help make it easy
washington are now out and it looks like cruz comes out on top with 35% of the vote. ben carson follows with 18%. frontrunner donald trump finishing in fifth place with only 5%. joining us now is molly henneberg standing by in our dc news room with more. molly? >> reporter: hi. this is the third year in a row that senator cruz has won the values voter summit straw poll. that's a gathering of social and religious conservatives. meanwhile, a busy day in iowa and new hampshire for...
venus. that does it for us. the news continues in washington. >>> with just a month left before he steps down, john boehner speaks out on his decision to resign. the partisanship in washington. even within his own party. and his belief there will be no government shutdown. the speaker of the house in his own words coming up. >>> plus, carly fiorina unplugged. we'll show you the serging gop candidate go head to head with an abortion rights activist over the grew some planned parenthood videos and women's health. >>> and pope francis wraps up his trip to america today with a giant map in philadelphia. we have a preview of the big event. >>> welcome to "america's news headquarters" from washington. >> good sunday to you. good sunday to you. the fallout continues from house speaker john boehner, surprise resignation. boehner will give up his leadership position and house seat at the end of october. the scramble is on for his replacement as a lot of legislative battles including a possible government shutdown loom on capitol hill. >> absolutely unrealistic. that's how john boehner descr
venus. that does it for us. the news continues in washington. >>> with just a month left before he steps down, john boehner speaks out on his decision to resign. the partisanship in washington. even within his own party. and his belief there will be no government shutdown. the speaker of the house in his own words coming up. >>> plus, carly fiorina unplugged. we'll show you the serging gop candidate go head to head with an abortion rights activist over the grew some planned...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 5, 2015 10:00am-12:01pm PDT
great labor day weekend. >> i'm leland vittert. >> welcome to news headquarters from washington. we begin this hour with the fox news alert. thousands of migrants fleeing the violence in syria, iraq and afghanistan. they're reaching the end of their journey to escape war and poverty. the refugees are arriving in austria, and germany today after being bussed out of budapest when the hungarian government gave up trying to stop them from traveling west. but officials say the one-time response isn't a permanent solution to the wave of high rants trying to reach europe. kristen fisher is following this story. >> this is one of the stories where the images just speak so much louder than works. today, at a port in greece there was pushing, shoving, tensions erupting between port authorities and hundreds of refugees who are fleeing war and extreme poverty in their homeland. further north, a hungarian woman holds up a sign saying we apologize to the refugees after her government refused to transport any more of them to safety. and who can forget this image captured earlier this week of a lit
great labor day weekend. >> i'm leland vittert. >> welcome to news headquarters from washington. we begin this hour with the fox news alert. thousands of migrants fleeing the violence in syria, iraq and afghanistan. they're reaching the end of their journey to escape war and poverty. the refugees are arriving in austria, and germany today after being bussed out of budapest when the hungarian government gave up trying to stop them from traveling west. but officials say the one-time...
America's News HQ : FOXNEWSW : September 5, 2015 1:00pm-2:01pm PDT
the u.s. seeking help from washington for christians in northern iraq. many christian families escaping the conflict zone anyway they can. lauren green is live in our new york city city newsroom with this story. >> reporter: you know persecuted christians in iraq has an advocate who has a tough job. trying to look out after refugees and asking countries to stop playing politics. tens of thousands of iraqi christians have been driveen hair homeland. those that survive talk about suffering, rape and murder. the archbishop says it's plain and simple radical islamists are targeting christians forex termination. >> it's a genocide situation. we need to take action, committed actions to be responsible for what's happening for the indigenous people of iraq. >> reporter: the christians are the indigenous people living in the ancient biblical lands of iraq. those who make it to refugee camps live in 3 x 6 pre-fabricated homes. no work, no income and no place to call home. he's criticizing the u.s. for not offering asylum even turning down visas. >> we do care about the persecuted people
the u.s. seeking help from washington for christians in northern iraq. many christian families escaping the conflict zone anyway they can. lauren green is live in our new york city city newsroom with this story. >> reporter: you know persecuted christians in iraq has an advocate who has a tough job. trying to look out after refugees and asking countries to stop playing politics. tens of thousands of iraqi christians have been driveen hair homeland. those that survive talk about...
henneberg is live in washington with more. molly? >> reporter: hi. hillary clinton was asked today about an i.t. specialist who helped her in her 2008 campaign and then at the state department. congressional investigators want to know if he, who set up her controversial private e-mail server, may have some knowledge about what happened to 30,000 e-mails that clinton deleted from the server. when asked about his lawyer telling lawmakers that his client would plead the fifth to avoid self-incrimination instead of testifying, clinton said today that, quote, we encouraged everyone to cooperate. she was also asked why he was paid personally by the clintons separately from his state department salary to maintain their private e-mail server. here is what she said. >> with respect to personal services that he provided to me and my family, we o obviously paid for those services and did so because during a period we continued to need his technical assistance and i think that's in the public record. >> reporter: clinton said in an msnbc interview yesterday she wishes she had, quote, made a different c
henneberg is live in washington with more. molly? >> reporter: hi. hillary clinton was asked today about an i.t. specialist who helped her in her 2008 campaign and then at the state department. congressional investigators want to know if he, who set up her controversial private e-mail server, may have some knowledge about what happened to 30,000 e-mails that clinton deleted from the server. when asked about his lawyer telling lawmakers that his client would plead the fifth to avoid...
fisher is live in washington with more. >> today hillary clinton starts a two-day swing through iowa. yesterday in new hampshire. in both of the states her campaign is looking less and less invisible. a new poll out today showing bernie sanders is in striking distance. clinton's lead has dropped 24 points since july. and now in new hampshire bernie sanders is beating her by 9 points. when you start out on top, there's in where to go but down and it's really early. but this highlight a troubling time for hillary clinton. >> with respect to personal services that he provided to me and my family, we obviously paid for those services. and did so because during a period of time we continued to need his technical assistance and i think that's in the public record. >> well d-day for clinton and her private e-mail server will come in october when she has to testify before the benghazi committee one week after the first democratic debate. but by there will have been two republican debates. now that cnn changed the debate rules, it's looking more likely like carly fiorina will make the cut. >>
fisher is live in washington with more. >> today hillary clinton starts a two-day swing through iowa. yesterday in new hampshire. in both of the states her campaign is looking less and less invisible. a new poll out today showing bernie sanders is in striking distance. clinton's lead has dropped 24 points since july. and now in new hampshire bernie sanders is beating her by 9 points. when you start out on top, there's in where to go but down and it's really early. but this highlight a...
America's Newsroom With Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum : FOXNEWSW : September 10, 2015 6:00am-8:01am PDT
cruz weighing in on all that yesterday from washington. >> any commander-in-chief worthy of defending this nation should be prepared to stand up on january 20th, 2017, and rip to shreds this catastrophic deal. bill: chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel picks up the story from there. mike, it did not take long from the house leaders to shift from the original plan on the house ish -- iran issue. where are they now? >> reporter: bill, good morning. after returning from seven weeks, house rank-and-file rejected leadership plan. they will vote on three separate measures. saying number one, president obama didn't turn over necessary paperwork so the congressional review period hasn't been triggered. a bill to approve the iran deal would fail but put every house member on the record in measure to prohibit president obama lifts sanctions. here are the two key lawmakers behind this new approach. >> we got to the right place. i think the president has broken the law. that is, he hasn't complied with his obligations under corker-cardin. very clear that the definition include
cruz weighing in on all that yesterday from washington. >> any commander-in-chief worthy of defending this nation should be prepared to stand up on january 20th, 2017, and rip to shreds this catastrophic deal. bill: chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel picks up the story from there. mike, it did not take long from the house leaders to shift from the original plan on the house ish -- iran issue. where are they now? >> reporter: bill, good morning. after returning from...
got a phone call, and it was your time to respond. if you flew to washington, d.c. and you have been an east code kid since. >> i worked at the justice department right after 9/11. for me it changed my life forever. soon after i net george w. bush and became his press secretary and it was an honor to do something. one thing about president bush no matter what he was talking about, you could see it in the back of his mind, you could see it in his eyes, are we doing everything we can to protect our country from another attack. bill: five minutes away, a moment of silence. stand by at the pentagon. martha: let's bring in our nexte pentagon. general jack keane. he what else a retired four-star general and is visor on the on -- and an advisor on the ongoing war on terror. good morning to you. reading through your notes that day, i would like to you take us back. there are so many incredible stories of heroism. what do you remember about that morning, general? >> the pentagon is very deceiving. it's five floors you have and five floors down. 25,000 people on a normal workday. that was a no
got a phone call, and it was your time to respond. if you flew to washington, d.c. and you have been an east code kid since. >> i worked at the justice department right after 9/11. for me it changed my life forever. soon after i net george w. bush and became his press secretary and it was an honor to do something. one thing about president bush no matter what he was talking about, you could see it in the back of his mind, you could see it in his eyes, are we doing everything we can to...
taking more shots at ben carson. the two washington outsiders are at 1 and 2 in the poll. jeb bush, 8% on this poll. donald trump tops the field at 33% with a double digit lead over ben carson. what do you make of those number ofs? >> trump had a good summer and ben carson had an even better summer. trump is up 9 and carson is up 13 or 14. had a good summer. but we had 4 1/2 to 5 months before they begin voting in iowa. at this point in 2011, rick perry was 29.9%. the first guy to drop out in 2015 was ahead 8 years ago and rudy giuliani and hillary clinton had big leads in the primaries. martha: you think about rick perry and one of the catalysts for his decline are the answers he gave in the debate. so we'll see how these guys handle that test. let's look at dr. ben carson. he responded to the fact he's a surgeon, not a deal maker, and here is what he said. >> you have to recognize my life is multi faceted it's ridiculous to think the only thing i can do is neurosurgery. martha: i want to pull up one more poll. i found this number to be stunning. do you think most people in politics
taking more shots at ben carson. the two washington outsiders are at 1 and 2 in the poll. jeb bush, 8% on this poll. donald trump tops the field at 33% with a double digit lead over ben carson. what do you make of those number ofs? >> trump had a good summer and ben carson had an even better summer. trump is up 9 and carson is up 13 or 14. had a good summer. but we had 4 1/2 to 5 months before they begin voting in iowa. at this point in 2011, rick perry was 29.9%. the first guy to drop...
office. republican voters are not just look for somebody out of washington. they are look for somebody out of government all together. that's why jeb bush and scott walker who have been in government are not doing as well. they are looking for people completely outside government. bill: the new poll among hispanics. 70% see donald trump as somewhat or very negative. you just remarked on his immigration comments last night. >> the first comment you played "we have to stop illegal immigration" got the biggest standing ovation of the night. it's consistent with other polls we have seen with significant hispanic disapproval. that's almost exactly the number percentage of hispanic voters who voted for mitt romney. bill: "bloomberg" has four points on how you go after trump. trump can't be trusted because he's an egomaniac with bad character. he's not fit to be a serious candidate or commander-in-chief. he's a politician, not a businessman/outsider. >> these arguments are circulating among other interests in what you might call the republican establishment. having an event this big with this
office. republican voters are not just look for somebody out of washington. they are look for somebody out of government all together. that's why jeb bush and scott walker who have been in government are not doing as well. they are looking for people completely outside government. bill: the new poll among hispanics. 70% see donald trump as somewhat or very negative. you just remarked on his immigration comments last night. >> the first comment you played "we have to stop illegal...
. whether he's qualified to be president. it comes from the abc news "washington post" poll. 56% of all the people asked said he's not qualified to be president. we look at the independents. it's over 60%. so you have to prove to those who are doubting that he's not only saying what people want to hear, but he's actually qualified. >> brad is right. this should be all about policy. if he takes broad sides at other candidates. they should bring it back to policy. they will be talking to each opter in this debate. press him on details. you want to support 11 million people? how you going to do it? ignore the personal stuff and force him to respond. he's been thin on anything to do with policy. whenever he gives these speeches it's all about himself. but his feet have to be held to the fire. >> the thing that's going grab people's attention the most is if there is a moment when we look back at it and say that moment where so and so really asked donald trump what he understood about this or that, that's what need to happen for jeb bush in particular. for scott walker, chris christie, ca
. whether he's qualified to be president. it comes from the abc news "washington post" poll. 56% of all the people asked said he's not qualified to be president. we look at the independents. it's over 60%. so you have to prove to those who are doubting that he's not only saying what people want to hear, but he's actually qualified. >> brad is right. this should be all about policy. if he takes broad sides at other candidates. they should bring it back to policy. they will be...
. bill: there is a whole lot to go on right there. chris stirewalt standing by in washington. steven hayes, "the washington standard" and fox news contributor. in that category, who won? >> i thought it was a very good night for three people, carly fiorina, marco rubio and chris christy. carly fiorina had several different points, crisp, decisive answers that were deliver of aauthoritatively and had some good spontaneous response to donald trump and policy. rubio did the same thing. he showed he knows his stuff very clearly. chris christy emerged today. somebody who has not been coming as well in the national polls but had several good moments where he scolded the candidates about not being serious about the magnitude of the challenges the country faces. who needed to do better. did you see a losing perform answer last night? >> i don't think ben carson did very well and i don't think donald trump did very well. carson, these are difficult formats for him because he's not as ferocious as other candidates. he did well in the fox news debate because he came back at the end with what se
. bill: there is a whole lot to go on right there. chris stirewalt standing by in washington. steven hayes, "the washington standard" and fox news contributor. in that category, who won? >> i thought it was a very good night for three people, carly fiorina, marco rubio and chris christy. carly fiorina had several different points, crisp, decisive answers that were deliver of aauthoritatively and had some good spontaneous response to donald trump and policy. rubio did the same...
washington." and we learned what a filibuster is. in the senate you have to have 60 votes, not a majority. that's not in if the constitution. the senate has got to work. and the senate cannot allow a simple minority to hold up and let iran have a nuclear weapon. but that's the case happening today. so in the house it is not. the latest metric shows this is the second most productive congress of any republican in the majority. but what's stopping us is the senate. martha: big issue. thank you, sir. bill: three american heroes hon yeared for stopping a terror attack on a train in france. >> they represent the best of american character, and, you know, it's these kind of young people who make me extraordinarily optimistic and hopeful about our future. i want to thank each and every one of them. >> when some took cover and ran, when others were unsure what to do, these three friend said, "let's go!" bill: alek skarlatos, spencer stone with the purple heart in recognition of the injuries he suffered on board that train. 36 seconds left. chiefs leading in the by a touchdown. peyton manning to s
washington." and we learned what a filibuster is. in the senate you have to have 60 votes, not a majority. that's not in if the constitution. the senate has got to work. and the senate cannot allow a simple minority to hold up and let iran have a nuclear weapon. but that's the case happening today. so in the house it is not. the latest metric shows this is the second most productive congress of any republican in the majority. but what's stopping us is the senate. martha: big issue. thank...
America's Newsroom With Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum : FOXNEWSW : September 2, 2015 6:00am-8:01am PDT
mr. trump -- he rightfully calls out washington, d.c. for being corrupt and greedy and we are a crony capitalism flush i shalls, that's appropriate. but when he talks about immigration, he's deflecting off of the issue that's really important. and that is i know how to secure the border. building a 1,933-mile fence. that's like from key west to main. that's rhetoric. you have the aviation assets in place. martha: he's going to keep answering i can do it and mexico is going to pay for it. martha: you lost your iowa campaign chair. you lost your new hampshire director who went or to john kasich. what are you telling your supporters. i'm sure you are on the phone with hem about how you hang in there. what's the short-term strategy for holding it together. >> i got back to south carolina. an extraordinary event. 10,000 people on the steps of the south carolina capitol we spoke to. a stand with god rally. that's a pretty good crowd. we'll keep going and showing our pitch. i know how to keep a small footprint in terms of cost. i dealt with these issues before. i think that's what americans
mr. trump -- he rightfully calls out washington, d.c. for being corrupt and greedy and we are a crony capitalism flush i shalls, that's appropriate. but when he talks about immigration, he's deflecting off of the issue that's really important. and that is i know how to secure the border. building a 1,933-mile fence. that's like from key west to main. that's rhetoric. you have the aviation assets in place. martha: he's going to keep answering i can do it and mexico is going to pay for it....
grab on the pope mobile, but he was detained by plainclothessed security. he heads to washington tomorrow afternoon. he's going give two huge open-air masses. his message has been one of humility in what may be a veiled criticism of the communist regime. he told the cuban people not to follow any ideology but to serve other people. martha: a massive security operation is underway as a a result of the pope's visit to the united states. jeh johnson touring the location where the pope will be visiting. >> the people want to see the pope and i think we accommodated that. martha: officials are calling the pope's visit the largest security operation in nypd history. let's get more on what we can expect in terms of the path here, bill. bill: it will be a huge challenge security-wise. major american cities that start wednesday. wednesday is a significant day in washington, d.c. that's where the pope will wake up and 48 hours from now we'll get the welcoming ceremony at the white house on behalf of the president and the first delayedy. later the canonization ceremony in northeast washingt
grab on the pope mobile, but he was detained by plainclothessed security. he heads to washington tomorrow afternoon. he's going give two huge open-air masses. his message has been one of humility in what may be a veiled criticism of the communist regime. he told the cuban people not to follow any ideology but to serve other people. martha: a massive security operation is underway as a a result of the pope's visit to the united states. jeh johnson touring the location where the pope will be...
ben carson, to carly fiorina. bill: thank you. byron york leading our coverage in washington. martha: ben carson dealing with his own firestorm on his remarks that muslims shouldn't be president. he says he wasn't talking about all muslims, just radical jihadists who follow sharia law. >> if someone has a muslim background and they are willing to reject those tenets and will swear to place our constitution above their religion, they will be considered infidels and heretics, but then i would be quite willing to support them. bill: donald trump weighing in saying religion should not be an issue. >> if properly vetted going through an election, i think that anybody that is able to win an election will be absolutely fine. they have to go through the long, hard process. it's a long, tough road, gretta, i can tell you. i would have no problem with it, no. martha: we'll sit down with presidential candidate lindsey graham. we'll get his reaction to it. carson's statement on muslims has become a big issue in this campaign. bill: the tenor of the campaign changes every day, sometimes it change
ben carson, to carly fiorina. bill: thank you. byron york leading our coverage in washington. martha: ben carson dealing with his own firestorm on his remarks that muslims shouldn't be president. he says he wasn't talking about all muslims, just radical jihadists who follow sharia law. >> if someone has a muslim background and they are willing to reject those tenets and will swear to place our constitution above their religion, they will be considered infidels and heretics, but then i...
follow that meeting and trail towards relations in cuba before coming here to washington, d.c. to meet with the president, and the president for the first time went to andrews, was at the airport on the air base to greet the first foreign visitor of his 6 1/2 year time at the white house for pope francis, he reserved that meeting exclusively. martha: let's bring shepard smith back in to talk about what we can expect from here. the president and the hope will make comment this morning from the white house. nobody knows exactly what they will say. what are some of the things people will be listening for and looking for. shep: i think it will be a combination of that conversation we had. he wanted to come through mexico which would have been even more symbolic. the pope's thoughts on a wall will most likely come at some point. his front men who are telling us what's about to happen have been giving us a heads up. but i love hearing this stuff. listen. [marine corps band playing] shep: i believe "hail to the chief" is next. bill: oftentimes the pope is called comfort to the afflicted and a
follow that meeting and trail towards relations in cuba before coming here to washington, d.c. to meet with the president, and the president for the first time went to andrews, was at the airport on the air base to greet the first foreign visitor of his 6 1/2 year time at the white house for pope francis, he reserved that meeting exclusively. martha: let's bring shepard smith back in to talk about what we can expect from here. the president and the hope will make comment this morning from the...
garden. >> it has been our great privilege to bring you these historic images live from washington. now we go -- bill: pope francis making history on capitol hill. and we'll watch it together. we have a second straight day of phenomenal weather. welcome to america's newsroom. martha: i'm martha maccallum live on capitol hill where the pontiff is expected to arrive at any moment. he will first speak with the house speaker john boehner. they will meet in the ceremonial office. he will be the first pope to address a joint session of congress. he will enter through what is known as the horse carriage entrance. he will go to the speaker's office and he will go through the statuary hall. there are five statues of prominent catholic figures and father serra is one of the statues represented there. john boehner says he doesn't know quite what he's going to say when the pope arrives. he says he usually asks his visitors, how is the economy where you are from? at 9:46 the speaker will call the house to order. the supreme court will file in, members of the cabinet. at 10:01, you will hear wor
garden. >> it has been our great privilege to bring you these historic images live from washington. now we go -- bill: pope francis making history on capitol hill. and we'll watch it together. we have a second straight day of phenomenal weather. welcome to america's newsroom. martha: i'm martha maccallum live on capitol hill where the pontiff is expected to arrive at any moment. he will first speak with the house speaker john boehner. they will meet in the ceremonial office. he will be...
and supporters are getting nervous about these numbers. byron york in washington, d.c. >> new fallout after john boehner announced he will resign as speaker of the house at the end of october. boehner blasting his conservative quit i can saying their strategy is cooped to fail. >> the bible says beware of false photograph gets. there are people spreading noise about how much can get done. this idea we are going to shut down the government to get rid of obamacare in 2013, this plan never had a chance. >> the lesson for conservative house republicans could be be careful what you wish for because your wish may be granted. there is a deep division within the party. >> the reason people are so frustrated out of their mind with washington is as conservatives we keep wing elects and the people we elect don't do what they said they would do. i hope this serves as a wake-up call to house leadership. >> this is a guy for 25 years had a distinguished record in the house. i'm talking about boehner. i would stack his accomplish thes up against the people criticizing him. it's easy to defend john b
and supporters are getting nervous about these numbers. byron york in washington, d.c. >> new fallout after john boehner announced he will resign as speaker of the house at the end of october. boehner blasting his conservative quit i can saying their strategy is cooped to fail. >> the bible says beware of false photograph gets. there are people spreading noise about how much can get done. this idea we are going to shut down the government to get rid of obamacare in 2013, this plan...
parenthood. peter doocy is live in washington. how are republicans planning to go at cecile richards. >> reporter: by reminding her those videos seem to show planned parenthood officials bargaining for body parts. >> the discretionary part of the funding is $60 million. the last reporting period plan the parenthood collected $100 million more than they actually spent. why should taxpayers have to subsidize their political activities? >> reporter: they are putting together a select committee to probe their activity. bill: what are they saying? >> reporter: they will have counter protesters out in full force making the point that planned parenthood does more than abortions. the videos that appear to show them breaking the law were deceptively edited to make them look bad. but a forensic analyst was hired. colefire's indicates the video recordings are authentic and show no manipulation or editing. we are hoping to get reaction from cecile richards in an hour. heather: new funding shows americans feel about funding planned parenthood. 55% believe they should receive federal money. but yo
parenthood. peter doocy is live in washington. how are republicans planning to go at cecile richards. >> reporter: by reminding her those videos seem to show planned parenthood officials bargaining for body parts. >> the discretionary part of the funding is $60 million. the last reporting period plan the parenthood collected $100 million more than they actually spent. why should taxpayers have to subsidize their political activities? >> reporter: they are putting together a...
the washington times yesterday. has the clinton counterattack against president obama begun? this on a day where cheryl mills is answering questions on behalf of lawyers on the benghazi committee behind closed doors. this as we learn the man who set up the home brewed server will take the fifth and won't incriminate himself. all thisn with the backdrop where you claim counterattacks against clinton have begun. >> i have been arguing the entire f.b.i. investigation against mrs. clinton has been organized by the white house to take her out of contention for democratic nomination because mr. obama need a successor who will continue his revolution, somebody he can control and somebody who won't investigate the last 8 years of his administration. the logical one is joe biden. the clintons have never taken a political hit lying down. they have been passively absorbing this attack but now they have started to counterattack. what i have written in the column is that they are going do set up a fall guy. there are only three people who had access to these classified documents along with mrs. cli
the washington times yesterday. has the clinton counterattack against president obama begun? this on a day where cheryl mills is answering questions on behalf of lawyers on the benghazi committee behind closed doors. this as we learn the man who set up the home brewed server will take the fifth and won't incriminate himself. all thisn with the backdrop where you claim counterattacks against clinton have begun. >> i have been arguing the entire f.b.i. investigation against mrs. clinton...
and he told her to stay strong. she says the private meeting took place in washington at the vatican embassy. after spending six days in jail, she allows marriage licenses for same-sex couples but only with her name removed. pope francis said con chengs objection is a right. bill: a disturbing warning from the homeland security chairman in the house. a new report find the u.s. is doing little to stop the flow of foreign fighters. >> in my judgment the threat to the home landlord has never been greater. the threat is getting worse, not better. we are losing in the struggle to keep americans from the battlefield because many are still going to the region and coming back. i think most importantly that we lack a national strategy to deal with this problem. bill: does this surprise you? >> chairman mcauliffe knows his stuff. this doesn't surprise me. when you have a group like isis gaining territory, that's having success and the best thing you can say about the fight against isis is we are at a stalemate, they will be able to recruit. what you have and what's drawing people in, it's not
and he told her to stay strong. she says the private meeting took place in washington at the vatican embassy. after spending six days in jail, she allows marriage licenses for same-sex couples but only with her name removed. pope francis said con chengs objection is a right. bill: a disturbing warning from the homeland security chairman in the house. a new report find the u.s. is doing little to stop the flow of foreign fighters. >> in my judgment the threat to the home landlord has...
someone who is a fighter and can shake up washington, d.c. but as a track record sticking to the principles these candidates say they are for, but then they get into the office. i have got a good track record of standing for it and winning elections here in washington. >> you mentioned washington and you spent a lot of time there. there is the poll, you are at the bottom 1.3%. you just completed the full visit to 99 iowa counties. with that much familiarity you would think, would you not, that you would be better than 1%. >> the des moines register found 88% of iowans hadn't made up their minds yet. if you look at the candidates on the list in iowa, we are at the top. you are right, people do like us and they know us answer we are on their lit. they are looking at a lot of candidates. there are a lot of new cars in the showroom. they will test drive a few. in the end when they are looking at someone who has the experience to walk in as commander-in-chief, it's not an entry-level position. when you look at the field, i have been out there for a dozen years fighting against a nucle
someone who is a fighter and can shake up washington, d.c. but as a track record sticking to the principles these candidates say they are for, but then they get into the office. i have got a good track record of standing for it and winning elections here in washington. >> you mentioned washington and you spent a lot of time there. there is the poll, you are at the bottom 1.3%. you just completed the full visit to 99 iowa counties. with that much familiarity you would think, would you...
in washington and in fact a bush support per and donor of the super pac it this way. he obviously disgusts a lot of people because it's been vile but he's also been able to bring out what people feel about their government. is he right? >> donald trump tabs into a bona fide stream of thinking in america politics. going back to his positions that might strike some republicans as to liberal. that feeds if the narrative that he doesn't fit easily into any given category. that's bolsters his support because it's outside the norm. that makes the party operation very nervous. they don't know how to handle that. the fact he signed the pledge saying i'll support hofort nominee is cuts to both ways it also means republicans will support him if he becomes the mom knee. this is unknown territory. >> strum' seems to be getting his highest level of support from people least likely to actually vote. that's a problem. >> that is a real problem. if they are not going show up to the polls to vote for him then he's not going to win. looking at people supporting donald trump is important and look fo
in washington and in fact a bush support per and donor of the super pac it this way. he obviously disgusts a lot of people because it's been vile but he's also been able to bring out what people feel about their government. is he right? >> donald trump tabs into a bona fide stream of thinking in america politics. going back to his positions that might strike some republicans as to liberal. that feeds if the narrative that he doesn't fit easily into any given category. that's bolsters his...
reboot campaign. byron york, "washington examiner." good morning, byron. >> good morning bill. bill: she is doing more interviews but no apology on the email matter. go. >> there is no good news for hillary clinton. she is behind bernie sanders in the last three polls in new hampshire and he is gaining on her in iowa, where her support has been deteriorating over the past several months and her campaign has been reduced to leaking plans she always viewed south carolina and the southern primaries where large numbers of african-american democrats will vote. she views that as her firewall. never really a good idea when a frontrunner has to explain why she might lose the first two contests of the primary campaign. now there is talk about some sort of a reset in her campaign in which her advisors want her to present herself as warmer, more human, more likeable. and somehow appeal to voters who believe so far she has been wooden and aloof and most importantly not very transparent about that whole email. bill: here comes joe. joe biden was in pittsburgh on labor day and this is part of what he
reboot campaign. byron york, "washington examiner." good morning, byron. >> good morning bill. bill: she is doing more interviews but no apology on the email matter. go. >> there is no good news for hillary clinton. she is behind bernie sanders in the last three polls in new hampshire and he is gaining on her in iowa, where her support has been deteriorating over the past several months and her campaign has been reduced to leaking plans she always viewed south carolina...
to her release in washington. >> you saw mike huckabee and ted cruz fully supporting her. many of their rivals save she is an elected official and must follow the law. >> every elected official in this country is subject to the rule of law. that's a founding principle of our democracy. it's one that has to be followed across the country. >> reporter: if she does try to tints fear with marriage -- if she does try to interfere with handing out marriage licenses she could go back to jail. bill: her case a political lightning rod. we are hearing views on different sides of the issue from the same party. >> i'm a big believer in christianity and religion. but i would say this was not the right job for her. we had a ruling from the supreme court and we are a country of laws, whether you like the decision or not, and it was a 5-4 decision, you have to go along with the supreme courts. bill: dr. ben carson saying the government has a responsibility to accommodate her religious beliefs. >> when the supreme court made its decision anyone should have known this kind of thing was going to occ
to her release in washington. >> you saw mike huckabee and ted cruz fully supporting her. many of their rivals save she is an elected official and must follow the law. >> every elected official in this country is subject to the rule of law. that's a founding principle of our democracy. it's one that has to be followed across the country. >> reporter: if she does try to tints fear with marriage -- if she does try to interfere with handing out marriage licenses she could go...
Cashin' In : FOXNEWSW : September 19, 2015 8:30am-9:01am PDT
maybe it's time to cut jobs in washington. >> the ceo isn't santa claus. they can't pass out wealth because it's christmas. they have to make real hard choices. not the hillary clinton hard choices about what e-mails to:30 but choices about allocating billions of assets. while at hewlett-packard carly not only doubled revenue but exemplified the leadership, knowledge and the success not only at hp but on the debate stage. >> she doubled revenue by merging with compaq. >> two million federal workers, too much. >> yes. no question there is a trend in washington. should we vote someone into the highest office in the land because they laid off 30,000 people? i don't think so. we should talk about her other policies. she doesn't want to raise minimum wage. her stance on planned parenthood is destructive on women's health. >> are you supporting her? >> running to a carly rally now. >> we need someone to cut unnecessary jobs. bureaucratic positions. i'm not sure carly is the perfect person for that. i don't think she made a great ceo. the stock plummeted under her watch. i'm not sure it's
maybe it's time to cut jobs in washington. >> the ceo isn't santa claus. they can't pass out wealth because it's christmas. they have to make real hard choices. not the hillary clinton hard choices about what e-mails to:30 but choices about allocating billions of assets. while at hewlett-packard carly not only doubled revenue but exemplified the leadership, knowledge and the success not only at hp but on the debate stage. >> she doubled revenue by merging with compaq. >> two...
Cavuto on Business : FOXNEWSW : September 19, 2015 7:30am-8:01am PDT
the mound last night in washington. he threw out the first pitch u.s. air force day, an incredible month for the man who helped stop a terror attack on a paris-bound train. now back to more bulls and bears. >>> who am i to second guess the federal reserve, but i built a career on second guessing institutions. there is confusion as to why the nerve didn't raise interest rates and thousand all of a sudden concerns with the markets. maybe a slowdown is coming, make worse, a recession is coming. not only bad news for savers, but maybe for some politicians, particularly those in the party that controls the white house, right shall. >> no doubt about it, this was a questionable decision for sure. and i go back to the february congressional hearing where republicans brought up the point that this federal reserve does look like a federal reserve that bows to political pressure. janet yellen meets with democrats far more than republican. >> you and i know that is always a charge. >> it is. >> any decision they make, it's skewed because it must be political. >> when you get decisions as ques
the mound last night in washington. he threw out the first pitch u.s. air force day, an incredible month for the man who helped stop a terror attack on a paris-bound train. now back to more bulls and bears. >>> who am i to second guess the federal reserve, but i built a career on second guessing institutions. there is confusion as to why the nerve didn't raise interest rates and thousand all of a sudden concerns with the markets. maybe a slowdown is coming, make worse, a recession is...
Cavuto on Business : FOXNEWSW : September 5, 2015 7:30am-8:01am PDT
group think and power hungryness of washington, d.c. is -- what ted cruz is talking about, it was all about the, you know, antiestablishment. it wasn't about a particular party, but the fact that washington, d.c. continuing to let us down and will not listen. the overwhelming majority of americans think this is an awful deal, and it's too dangerous of an awful deal not to do louder voices. and that's why you have the ben carson, donald trump and carly fiorinas all lead. >> the irony is the -- even though this will be overwhelmably rejected in the house and senate, it won't be by the margin that would override a presidential veto. so it's not defeat enough. >> i think that's the kind of stuff that probably rattles americans, right? >> rattles americans, and inks a deal that is a bad deal for not only us, but israel and the rest of the world that is essentially a multibillion handout to iran. and that makes the world and a less safe place, and politicians acting in their own interests. i want this, i want this for my legacy, i'm going to get it done, acting in the interests of the p
group think and power hungryness of washington, d.c. is -- what ted cruz is talking about, it was all about the, you know, antiestablishment. it wasn't about a particular party, but the fact that washington, d.c. continuing to let us down and will not listen. the overwhelming majority of americans think this is an awful deal, and it's too dangerous of an awful deal not to do louder voices. and that's why you have the ben carson, donald trump and carly fiorinas all lead. >> the irony is...
FOX & Friends : FOXNEWSW : September 1, 2015 3:00am-6:01am PDT
africa. he's a junior at george washington university. he went swimming with friends when he was reportedly pulled away by a rip current, the friends ran for help, bullt upton's father said it took five hours to get help and he is believed to have drowned. >>> and governor chris christie going on the tonight sho jimmy fallon and talking about donald trump. >> is this a surprise to you about donald trump being ahead? >> of course, didn't you? >> later on christie getting a little more serious telling jimmy fallon that the election is a long way off. and jimmy fallon uses him as a punching bag a lot. >> they gave him two blocks. i watch it in the morning. and chris christie is going give me the sunday show. if he goes down, he's going to go down with a fight. >>> and coming up, irt's a sickening chance for a men and women in blue. watch this. >> so, protests like this one fuelling the attacks on cops. colonel allen west is up next. >>> and meet the father who is out to get revenge. cinnamon toast crunch. crunch! crave those crazy squares. cinna-milk! when a moment spontaneously tur
africa. he's a junior at george washington university. he went swimming with friends when he was reportedly pulled away by a rip current, the friends ran for help, bullt upton's father said it took five hours to get help and he is believed to have drowned. >>> and governor chris christie going on the tonight sho jimmy fallon and talking about donald trump. >> is this a surprise to you about donald trump being ahead? >> of course, didn't you? >> later on christie...
FOX & Friends : FOXNEWSW : September 10, 2015 3:00am-6:01am PDT
story in a woman went into a men's barbershop in washington, pennsylvania. she walked into this shopc< her barbery. she asked for a hair cut. the guy says i'm not equipped to cut women's hair. never done it. let me give you a list of barbershops you'll want to go to. she is furious, complains.!guÑ gets slapped with a fine of $750. listen what he said. >> i didn't consider it discrimination so much as it's a barbershop. i'm not opposed to women's hair, just not in this shop. i want to open a shop to cater them. they'll have the champagne and drinks on the house. >> he refused to offer services to opposite sex. this woman who wouldn't take his free offer down the street complained to the state. a fine. asked you what you thought. crystal said on facebook. this is out of hand. a barbershop cuts men's hair. that doesn't mean they are waging a war on women. >> a licensed barber is trained the cut all styles and kinds of hair. >> maybe he can cut women's hair. >> paul says would you ask a carpenter to repair the brakes on your car? this is a barber with no experience on women's hair. shoul
story in a woman went into a men's barbershop in washington, pennsylvania. she walked into this shopc< her barbery. she asked for a hair cut. the guy says i'm not equipped to cut women's hair. never done it. let me give you a list of barbershops you'll want to go to. she is furious, complains.!guÑ gets slapped with a fine of $750. listen what he said. >> i didn't consider it discrimination so much as it's a barbershop. i'm not opposed to women's hair, just not in this shop. i want to...
. his account has been suspended. can you believe that? wow. >>> faith under fire in washington state. a high school football coach and 20-year veteran of the u.s. marine corps is under investigation for praying with his players. joe kennedy has been praying on the 50 yard line after games for nearly a decade now. but he never asked the kids to join him. they do so voluntarily. he was warned he could potentially lose his job for doing that. and those are your headlines. i'll see you back here in a little bit. quite some stories today, huh? >> no kidding. let's head to the streets of new york city. >> look out, brian. >>> later today, a brand new bentley suv will be unveiled at the frankfort auto show. we've got it first. >> one of us is going to get it today. >> a new car. >> look at that. >> yeah. this suv is just absolutely gorgeous. has to be the nicest suv i've been in, in my life. more on that in a second. first i want to look at the maps. we have a lot of weather going on across the eastern u.s. it still feels like fall. in the 60s. take a look at that. atlanta, and raleigh in t
. his account has been suspended. can you believe that? wow. >>> faith under fire in washington state. a high school football coach and 20-year veteran of the u.s. marine corps is under investigation for praying with his players. joe kennedy has been praying on the 50 yard line after games for nearly a decade now. but he never asked the kids to join him. they do so voluntarily. he was warned he could potentially lose his job for doing that. and those are your headlines. i'll see you...
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Silay City Charter Day Celebration: Hugyaw Kansilay!
Silay City became a city on June 12, 1957 by virtue of Republic Act 1621. The city then has 2 main fiestas, the Charter Day Celebration every June 12 of the year, and the Feast of San Diego de Alcala, it's patron saint, every November 13. But frankly, I don't remember any merrymaking or commemoration of the Charter Day when I was growing up. To me and for most Silaynons of my generation, the parish church's fiesta was always the one that the people celebrate.
However in the last 20 years or so, the Silay Charter Day Celebration has gradually taken over the parish fiesta as the primary festival of the city in terms of scope and grandeur. For the June festivities, the city government has week-long events that focus on the rich culture and history of Silay, while the November fiesta has activities that highlight the religious aspect of the celebration. For the last 4 years, Hugyaw Silay, Inc., an NGO whose objective is the promotion of tourism, culture and arts of the city, has been managing the charter celebrations of the city. The main features are the Lin-ay Sang Silay and the Hugyaw Kansilay Streetdancing Competition.
I am more interested in the street-dancing competition because the first and last time I saw it was when it was first introduced in the 90's. This event disappeared for a while until it was again revived in 2008 by the current city administration. The present-day competition is bigger and more dramatic depicting the ‘Legend of Silay’ through dancing, using a lively original musical composition of "Hugyaw Silay" and colorful costumes. The costumes must be made of indigenous materials. Each group is led by a maiden who represents Kansilay, a main character in the legend of how Silay got its name. Other characters of the folklore like the fairy, Diwata and the warrior, Lawaan are also represented.
The video above was taken during the opening of Panaad Sa Negros 2012 last April. Source: YouTube of Silay City Public Information Office.
‘Hugyaw Kansilay Festival’ of Silay City was chosen by the Department of Tourism as the official entry of Negros Occidental in the Kasadyahan Regional Cultural Competition in Iloilo City last January 2, 2012.
by merlmd 2 comments
Labels: Hugyaw Silay, Silay City, Silay City Charter Day Celebration, THe Legend of Kansilay
Silay City Charter Day Celebration: Hugyaw Kansila...
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The intent of the game
Guts is one of the team events in the flying disc sports. It is played by two teams of five players each. The official disc of the game is the Pro model Frisbee disc. For informal play, a lightweight, blunt-rim disc such as the 100 G DDC is sometimes used. The playing field consists of two parallel goal-lines 15 m in length and 14 m apart. The teams stand in line opposite each other. Each team defends a goal- line. The disc is thrown back and forth between the teams. The object is to throw the disc through the line of defending players.
The throwing team scores a point when the other team does not catch a correctly thrown disc. The receiving team scores a point when the disc is not thrown correctly. When a correctly thrown disc is caught by the other team, no points are scored. The team that first reaches 21 points, wins the game.
Tip: if you want you can play with fewer players on a team.
Tip: at first you can make the game somewhat easier by suspending the rule that the disc must be caught with one hand.
Guts Video
The most important rules
No referee
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Author says meetings are bane of corporate culture
Former platoon leader believes that few, if any, meetings are worthwhile
By jamie dougher
CHRIS KELLY Scott Snair of Old Bridge has published a book about the lack of productivity accomplished through workplace meetings.
As a cannon platoon leader in Operation Desert Storm, Old Bridge resident Scott Snair led 70 soldiers 100 miles into Iraq without having met with that group of soldiers more than once.
He had earlier observed Capt. Karl Stebbins run an entire unit in the desert without holding more than one meeting. Stebbins’ method was to talk to soldiers individually, and Snair said he tried to follow suit from the beginning of his career in the military and in his forthcoming occupations.
Snair’s experiences in the Army and in the business world spurred him to write a book, Stop the Meeting, I Want to Get Off!, about the effectiveness of using one-on-one communication rather than holding conferences and meetings.
"I learned really quickly about the meeting culture in America," he said. "I formed some opinions early on about the general worthlessness of meetings."
Snair, a former West Point class president who has lived on Sixth Street for the past five years, has worked for a paper manufacturer and a telephone company and said his managers and experiences there influenced his leadership style.
"Both in the Army and at [the phone company], what I saw was hard-working people getting pulled ‘out of the field,’ away from productive work in order to have meetings that had nothing to do with that productivity," he said. "I’ve tried to emulate managers that did good things without meeting in a conference room."
He is now the director of the online MBA program at Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business, South Orange.
The book — in which Snair incorporates advice from leaders at several internationally known corporations across various fields — was published by McGraw-Hill Cos. in the United States and Canada and has been translated into seven languages by foreign-language publishers.
"So many people worldwide groan when they get called into a meeting," Snair said.
Stop the Meeting hit U.S. bookshelves in early April, and McGraw-Hill is at the critical juncture at which it will consider a second printing after the first of 6,000. At one time, the book registered a 440 out of 700,000 books on the www.barnesandnoble.com bestseller list. McGraw-Hill will weigh the decision to publish Snair’s next project, a book about the globalization of the job market, after ascertaining the success of Stop the Meeting.
Snair said he is unaware of any business venue for which a management system devoid of meetings would not work.
"I’ve worked in many different jobs — the military, sales, manufacturing and logistics, and now academics. It’s certainly the same thing everywhere you go," he said.
To operate a successful business without holding meetings, Snair said managers have to approach their workplace and their employees differently.
"If you’re choosing to be the meetingless manager, you have to have one-on-one communication and a good sense of delegation to replace that meeting with effective leadership and an effective hands-on style," he said.
Snair said one-on-one communication allows employees to form an opinion without feeling hampered by the opinions of others.
"It’s a more complete communication process because you’re talking one-on-one to people," he said.
In his book, Snair cites as an example one occasion in which a boss of his announced that all staff members would receive a catered lunch to congratulate them on reducing quality-rejected production more than 1 percent over the previous year. During that lunch, Snair’s boss approached him and asked whether he thought the employees knew why they were being fed. They then wandered the plant, asking meeting attendees if they knew why they were eating a free lunch, and out of the dozen people surveyed, none could recall.
"My boss, realizing how few people had been paying attention that morning, looked like an abandoned puppy," Snair wrote.
He surmises that more people would have known why they were being rewarded had his boss walked around congratulating staff members individually.
The average manager spends from 25 to 75 percent of the workday in meetings, according to what Snair said is a commonly accepted statistic.
"Common sense would dictate that getting everyone together in a meeting makes sense," he said. "You’re all getting the same information. If you need feedback everyone is there that you can ask for information. But what really happens in conferences is counter-intuitive. The worst ideas get bought into in a group [for] the sake of conformity."
Snair said that in a "group think" setting, personal conflicts and aggressive personalities that can dominate a room discourage some from vocalizing their ideas.
To avoid being called into the conference room for meetings, Snair said it is important to keep one’s job description updated.
"You make sure everyone understands your job description so they don’t consider you available for every meeting that comes along."
A loose meeting agenda is a formula for failure, he said, but a tight agenda is still a flawed vehicle.
"You’re still pulling a large number of people away from their work station who are hearing but not listening," he said. "My argument is the best meeting is the one not held."
Snair said there are many people in the corporate world who share similar views and want to reform their schedules, and he believes some are beginning to take note of how operating an office entirely without meetings can increase productivity.
"There’s a much more intense debate on how to run a better meeting," he said. "But because of human nature, meetings are inherently flawed and you’re fixing something that was never working to begin with."
CategoriesSentinel-NBS Business
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OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF AUTHOR WIL MARA
Jason Hammond Novels
We live in a world of ever-increasing complexity, where the lines between right and wrong are often blurred beyond perception, good and evil are traded like cheap commodities, and the very foundations of common sense seem on the verge of ruin.
Enter Jason Hammond—a resolute and steadfast hero, driven by unimaginable grief, guided by unbending moral fortitude, and hampered by a damaged faith that haunts him at every turn. With virtually unlimited resources at his command and a fearless, sometimes self-destructive tenacity, he is determined to untangle the greatest mysteries of our time, expose those who have eluded justice, and hold them accountable for their sins against the laws of decency, of humanity, and of God.
But the greatest mystery of all may lay in just one question—will he ever find a way to save himself?
The time had come, she decided, to rid herself of this burden, to take the steps necessary to put the matter to rest once and for all. And the first, she knew—against every instinct and desire—was to watch that film….
FACT— Only a handful of people who were standing in Dealey Plaza on the day JFK was assassinated remain unidentified.
FACT— One of them, a woman wearing a head scarf who has since become known as the ‘Babushka Lady,’ was no more than thirty feet from the presdient’s limousine when he was struck.
FACT— Many assassination experts believe she not only had a camera, but a video camera, and thus probably shot the clearest and most detailed moving images of the horror that unfolded. However, her film has never seen the light of day.
WHAT IF— This film surfaced now…and showed something that no one except the elusive ‘Babushka Lady’ has ever seen…something that radically altered everything we thought we knew about the assassination…and became a dire threat to a few very powerful people…people who would stop at nothing to keep the truth concealed….
During the reading of her mother’s will, Sheila Baker discovers that she has inherited everything her parents ever possessed, including their secrets. A mysterious safe-deposit box key leads her to the answer to one of history’s greatest questions—Who killed John F. Kennedy? Not only does she have the missing film that exposes her late mother as the infamous ‘Babushka Lady,’—she has incontrovertible proof that there was more than one shooter.
On the run from people who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried, Sheila turns to billionaire sleuth Jason Hammond for help. Having lost his own family in a tragic plane crash, Jason knows a thing or two about running from the past. With a target on their backs and time running out, can Jason finally uncover the truth behind the crime that shook a generation—or will he and Sheila become its final victims?
Ten years in the making, Frame 232 is the new suspense novel from critically acclaimed, award-winning author Wil Mara, and the first in a new series featuring pivotal character Jason Hammond. It was released on July 1st from Tyndale House in eBook, hardcover, paperback, and large-print editions.
The Prologue to Frame 232 is now available for free by clicking here. (Note: This requires Adobe Acrobat. Chances are your machine already has this program. If not, you can get it here.)
To answer some of the more commonly asked questions about Frame 232, Wil has been recording some short (about one minute each) podcasts. Click on each question below, and the file (.mp3) should begin playing automatically in your Web browser. If you wish to download any, simply right-click on the question and choose ‘Save Link Target As…’, etc.
FRAME 232 PODCAST # 1—Was the ‘Babushka Lady’ a real person? / For the YouTube version, click here.
FRAME 232 PODCAST # 2—Who is Jason Hammond? / For the YouTube version, click here.
FRAME 232 PODCAST # 3—Is it true it took ten years to write Frame 232? / For the YouTube version, click here.
Click on the images below to play the promotional videos for Frame 232.
Video # 1—
“Frame 232 is a fascinating and well-written story that asks intriguing ‘what if’ questions. Moving from the halls of government to the streets of Cuba, this is an action-packed story. Mara paces the story well; the first part of the book sets up the story and then the action picks up from there. His writing is very well-done. Unlike with some thrillers, the characters are not simply there to move the plot forward. Instead they are fully fleshed individuals with complex desires and realistic faults. There are no real negatives with Frame 232. If you like action-packed stories, this one has more depth than many and I would highly recommend it. The Jason Hammond series will be interesting to follow.”
—The Christian Manifesto
“This fast paced, historical fiction story grabs you from the beginning and twists a tale of intrigue and suspense. Using events in history, the author uses a deft hand to spin an alternate explanation to the theory surrounding President Kennedy’s assassination.”
—Bubblews
“Wil Mara sends his reader into a mysterious adventure that results in white-knuckle-grip tension. The fast paced action is most prominent in the middle section of the book. A strength of the book is the evident research that was part of the book’s creation. Mara artfully weaves essential pieces of history into the novel that provide information the reader must understand; yet, that history appears in such a way that does not result in fragmented transitions. Another strong point of the novel is the apparent Christian faith that runs throughout the storyline and into the character’s lives. Readers who enjoy Mara’s mystery that delves into the unsolved queries of the past will look forward to the next novel in the Jason Hammond series that will be available in the summer of 2014.”
—SavUrBks
“My first inclination when I was reading the book was whether or not this was a Christian book, then remembered it came from a Christian publishing house. Despite that, the book was not heavily involved with religion. There was just enough to be able to label it as a Christian fiction. But it was the story itself that drew me in. It captured me from the first page all the way to the end, making it harder to put down, wanting to find out what was going to happen. For me, there was enough suspense, drama and intrigue. Plus enough reality to make it a truly enjoyable read. I enjoyed the historical aspects and the plot, kept me intrigued.”
—TennTwo Musings
“This is a page turner that catapults the conspiracy that could have been corroborated if one uncovered the whereabouts of the actual true-to-life unknown Babushka Lady and her coveted film. Mara does an excellent job methodically tying the knots between historical facts and suspenseful fiction as the plot to uncover the second shooter escalates while, at the same time, the two protagonists try to understand God’s meaning in both their lives and our history’s past.”
—BookPleasures
“After seeing the cover and reading the description, I was all ready for an exciting thriller mystery with plenty of action and secrecy. And I was not disappointed in the least. There was really no point where nothing was happening, and the constant perspective changes from character to character really kept me on my toes and waiting for the next triumph, or, in some cases, blow. Jason Hammond is struggling to move forward after his parents’ untimely death in a plane crash, and Sheila is still coping with her mother’s death and her big secret. I feel satisfied with the conclusion they reached, and I do not think Wil Mara left any questions unanswered. I also loved that he kept the suspenseful feeling throughout the book without using bad language. It was a clean, Christian book.”
“This is a book that will keep you reading until you are finished. I couldn’t believe how captivating it really was. I’m not usually interested in history, but Wil made it very interesting and enticing. What a GREAT premise for a novel! This fast paced, historical fiction story will grab the reader from the beginning and twists a tale of intrigue and suspense. Using events in history, the author spins an alternate explanation to the theory surrounding President Kennedy’s assassination. I loved the book from beginning to end, and I expect most readers to be spell bound by the book as well.”
—Roth’s Book Reviews
“I know a book is good when I have to keep reminding myself that this didn’t really happen, this is fiction. Mara weaves together a wonderful cast of characters you will love and others you will love to hate. Some of the characters are so twisted you just want to scream at them. There is a beautiful redemption story in this book as well from an unlikely character, but it shows that you have never fallen to far to be redeemed by our Heavenly Father. I would love to see this book turned into a movie, I could see it playing out so clearly in my mind.”
“In view of the many conspiracy theories that have developed over the years about the assassination, Mara’s novel is almost believable. In any case, his novel offers several interesting and exciting hours of reading to be sure. The narrative moves at a steady pace and the reader is always aware of the importance of each scene. Plenty of action keeps things moving right along and the dialogue is natural. The violence that is necessary to the plot is not overly graphic and only a couple of brief scenes even allude to anything of a sexual nature. The fictional characters are very well developed and each one plays an important role in the story. Lost faith in God and the path to finding it again is an integral thread throughout the book but is genuine and not overbearing. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read Frame 232. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next Jason Hammond novel. I am personally hoping that Sheila will play a prominent role in it also.”
—Daysong Reflections
“I really enjoyed this read. It was exciting and dynamic from the very beginning. The characters were interesting and compelling. The story was believable. The quick pace of the adventure definitely made this one a page turner.”
—Leah’s Good Reads
“Wil Mara took the controversy surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy and the age-old question of whether there was really a second shooter and used it to create a thrilling story about the “other “ film taken the day of the shooting. I was appreciative of the careful research and description done by Mara as his tale was spun. Suspense abounds as Sheila and Jason tried to escape and investigate their new information. Some violence occurs, but it is not overly graphic. Part of the story revolves around Jason’s separation from his faith which occurred after the accidental death of his parents and sister. I’m hoping for a Jason-Sheila romance in the future, Mr. Mara!”
—At the River Bend
“Having been born two years after the assassination of Kennedy, I only know what I have read or heard about, including all of the conspiracy theories. I didn’t know much about the Babushka Lady, so I found this book to be very interesting, even though it was only a fictional ‘what-if’ thriller. Mara keeps his readers on the edge of their seats as the bad guys do everything they can to keep the incriminating film from going public. The characters are well developed and he makes you care what happens to them, a quality of a well told story. I had a great time reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone simply wanting to read a thriller novel, but especially anyone interested in the Kennedy assassination.”
—The Biggerness
“I just finished reading Frame 232 by Wil Mara for the Tyndale Summer Reading Program and I loved it!!! I could scarcely put it down it was so good. First off, I am one of those nerds who reads the author bios and did you know that Wil Mara ghost wrote some of the ‘Boxcar Children Mysteries.’ I mean you know he has to be a good writer then. But seriously this book is amazing. This is the first of the Jason Hammond novels and I am looking forward to more. There are so many twists and turns, and Mara writes with such grace. It’s just amazing. I loved every minute and I didn’t have all the pieces figured out until the very end. One thing would be revealed and I’d be like oh ok and then I’d realize wait there’s more. It’s a great mystery, thriller type book and I highly, highly recommend it!”
—The Crafty Home
“Frame 232 has waded into the waters of the conspiracy with a different perspective on it. If you are one that likes to puzzle over different answers and what is real, faked, or hidden, the JFK assassination makes for a wonderful read.”
“I am generally a person that doesn’t enjoy diving into history that much. I think I stayed interested through most of this story because I am becoming more interested in seeing mysteries solved about situations where bad things happen to people, which this story does a great job of making happen.”
—Book Review Travels
“I love historical fiction, so Frame 232 by Wil Mara was a blast to read. Taking a fresh, completely plausible approach to John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Mara weaves together a colliding cast of characters who have personal motivations for either unearthing or keeping hidden the events of that day. Although the plot line is based solely on Mara’s imagination, it has such a feel of plausibility that it compelled me to turn many more pages than I usually would at the end of a long day. The action is fast and furious in places, and the events hold together tightly. This is a great read for anyone with even a passing knowledge of the events surrounding November 22, 1963.
“The best part of this book? It is only the first in a series of forthcoming Jason Hammond novels.”
—Just Want Jesus
“This was a really interesting work of fiction; it kept me interested all the way through. There were some really good conspiracy theories at work and the people in the stories, I really enjoyed. This is probably one of the few stories like this I have read, but I am glad that I did. it looks like more stories about Jason Hammond and his adventures are being written, I’m looking forward to it.”
—A Blessed Day
“This page turner catapults you into the middle of a conspiracy that could have been corroborated if one were able to uncover the whereabouts of the actual true-to-life unknown Babushka Lady and her coveted film. Mara does an excellent job methodically tying the knots between historical facts and suspenseful fiction as the plot to uncover the second shooter escalates.”
—Book-alcious Mama
“In Frame 232, Wil Mara delves into the Kennedy assassination with gusto and thrills his readers with a wild ride of “could have been.” Taking creative license with this historical event Mara showcases his brilliant mind. My heart was pounding! I’d never heard of the Babushka Lady before but she’ll forever stay with me. I truly enjoyed Wil’s characters—even the villains. Jason Hammond is the wealthy, modest hero—a combination of Robin Hood/Jason Bourne. We’ll be hearing more from him. : ) Edward Birk is model handsome but lacks a conscience. The villain you love to hate. Frame 232 would appeal to both men and women. Action, history, thrilling danger and money are all in this book. A great summer read!”
—Morning Glories and Moonflowers
“Frame 232 is an epic conspiracy novel…and a story of healing.
“Jason Hammond is such a good character. He is the essence of calm, cool and collected, with a mind honed to razor sharpness and the physical training of an athlete. His life is dedicated to discovering the true stories behind unsolved mysteries, and he uses his great wealth to fund his truth seeking explorations. Jason Hammond is an adventurer, and he is exactly who Sheila needs to help her—and to keep her alive along the way. The only thing that strikes him to the heart is the trauma of losing someone he loves. Jason Hammond, the man who thinks nothing of battling a trained assassin with a garden shovel, is defined by a tragic loss and haunted by his nightmares. As he chases the pieces to this puzzle, will he maybe find a place where he can begin to be restored?
“The only thing I wish was different about this book was…well, that may just happen in the next book. Because, you see, this is Book One in the Jason Hammond Series. And so there is more to look forward to.”
—Found a Christian by His Grace
“I wasn’t alive when Kennedy was president, but have heard a lot and read a lot about his assassination and heard the conspiracy theories. I’ve never paid much attention, but the book sounded so good, I decided to give it a shot. I was not disappointed. This book is action-packed with a lot of suspense, bad guys, drama, and a lot of historical stuff. When I am reading a book such as this and names and events are discussed that could be factual, I often Google things, and I did with this book and found out a lot of things to do with the assassination that I didn’t know, such as the Babushka Lady and deaths of different people I had never heard of. I really liked the main characters, one of whom is going to be in future books, and though I didn’t know a lot about the assassination conspiracy theories, I learned a lot about it while reading a great suspense novel. Ironically, the author believes there was only one gunman, but after reading the book, I have to admit I am in the camp of those who believe otherwise. Regardless of which view you hold, this is an awesome suspense novel that deals with the Kennedy assassination with one possibility of what happened.”
—Thoughts of a Sojourner
“A well told and riveting adventure. I love how the author showed what I like to call ‘snapshots’ of each of the characters and their backrounds, I felt like I got to know some of the characters more in one chapter than I’ve ever known others in the course of a whole book! The story was well written and complex with many things going on in different parts of the world. The author did a great job of bringing the idea of a exposed conspiracy changing everything, I was swept away into the world of intrigue and plotting with Sheila and Jason. Overall a very good book, and I found myself very entertained even though this is a far cry from the usual books I read. A great book with everything from conspiracies to emotional depth.”
—Labor Not in Vain
“This is a great mystery based on the Kennedy assassination. The characters are well developed and easy to understand. This book takes you on twists and turns that you won’t believe. At some points the author introduces characters that seem to have nothing to do with the plot, but then they are worked in and you understand why. Overall, it was action packed, fast paced, and well written. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to go into theory on the Kennedy assassination and likes American history.”
—Tyesha’s Reviews
“Frame 232 by Wil Mara is surprisingly impressive. Mara begins the book by explaining the origin point of her fictional tale—one based in reality. After having perused the book, I have to admit that it is engaging and entrancing. Reading this book has caused me to be interested in the subject matter and era, for sure. Mara’s writing style is welcoming and easy to follow, helping me understand the inner thoughts of the characters, as if I were actually there and participating. Mara accurately captures the human essence of self-reflection and actions, and does an excellent job at keeping the audience engaged with the storyline. The book is definitely worth the read.”
—Scripted Genius
Frame 232 is available through numerous retail sites. To order from any of those listed below, simply click on the icon. You will be taken directly to the Frame 232 sales page.
READ THE OPENING CHAPTERS
Click on any cover below to read the opening chapters.
The ‘Twisted’ Series
Disaster Novels
Nonfiction for School Libraries
WIL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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Title: Denzel Washington
Subject: Flight (2012 film), List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees, Did you know nominations/The Racketeer (novel), Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson
Collection: 1954 Births, 20Th-Century American Male Actors, 21St-Century American Male Actors, African-American Basketball Players, African-American Christians, African-American Film Directors, African-American Male Actors, American Christians, American Film Directors, American Male Film Actors, American Male Shakespearean Actors, American Male Stage Actors, American Male Television Actors, American Pentecostals, Basketball Players from New York, Best Actor Academy Award Winners, Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (Film) Winners, Best Supporting Actor Academy Award Winners, Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (Film) Winners, Church of God in Christ, English-Language Film Directors, Fordham Rams Men's Basketball Players, Living People, Mainland High School Alumni, Male Actors from New York, Members of the Church of God in Christ, Obie Award Recipients, People from Mount Vernon, New York, Point Guards, Silver Bear for Best Actor Winners, Tony Award Winners
Washington in 2000
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.
Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Actor, filmmaker
Pauletta Pearson (m. 1983)
Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received two Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award,[1] and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical drama-war film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day (2001).[2]
Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). He has been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of directors Spike Lee and the late Tony Scott.
Early life and education 1
Early work 2.1
1990s 2.2
Return to theater 2.4
Personal life 3
Filmography 4
Awards and nominations 5
Washington was born in Harlem.[3][4][5][6]
Washington attended Pennington-Grimes Elementary School in Mount Vernon until 1968. When he was 14, his parents broke up, and his mother sent him to a private preparatory school, Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. "That decision changed my life," Washington later said, "because I wouldn't have survived in the direction I was going. The guys I was hanging out with at the time, my running buddies, have now done maybe 40 years combined in the penitentiary. They were nice guys, but the streets got them."[7] After Oakland, Washington next attended Mainland High School, a public high school in Daytona Beach, Florida, from 1970 to 1971.[3] He was interested in attending Texas Tech University: "I grew up in the Boys Club in Mount Vernon, and we were the Red Raiders. So when I was in high school, I wanted to go to Texas Tech in Lubbock just because they were called the Red Raiders and their uniforms looked like ours."[8] Washington earned a B.A. in Drama and Journalism from Fordham University in 1977.[9] At Fordham, he played collegiate basketball as a guard[10] under coach P.J. Carlesimo.[11] After a period of indecision on which major to study and dropping out of school for a semester, Washington worked as creative arts director at an overnight summer camp, Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut. He participated in a staff talent show for the campers and a colleague suggested he try acting.[12]
Returning to Fordham that fall with a renewed purpose, Washington enrolled at the Lincoln Center campus to study acting, and where he was given the title roles in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones and Shakespeare's Othello. He then attended graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where he stayed for one year before returning to New York to begin a professional acting career.[13]
Early work
Washington at the 62nd Academy Awards, at which he won Best Supporting Actor for the film Glory.
Washington spent the summer of 1976 in St. Mary's City, Maryland, in summer stock theater performing Wings of the Morning,[14][15] the Maryland State play, which was written for him by incorporating an African-American character/narrator based loosely on the historical figure from early colonial Maryland, Mathias Da Sousa.[14] He also filmed a series of commercials in the Fruit of the Loom ensemble, as Grapes. Shortly after graduating from Fordham, Washington made his screen acting debut in the 1977 made-for-television film Wilma, and his first Hollywood appearance in the 1981 film Carbon Copy. He shared a 1982 Distinguished Ensemble Performance Obie Award for playing Private First Class Melvin Peterson in the Off-Broadway Negro Ensemble Company production A Soldier's Play which premiered November 20, 1981.[16]
A major career break came when he starred as Dr. Phillip Chandler in Hard Lessons (1986) and Power (1986). In 1987, he starred as South African anti-apartheid political activist Steven Biko in Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom, for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1989, Washington won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a defiant, self-possessed ex-slave soldier in the film Glory. That same year, he appeared in the film The Mighty Quinn; and in For Queen and Country, where he played the conflicted and disillusioned Reuben James, a British soldier who, despite a distinguished military career, returns to a civilian life where racism and inner city life lead to vigilantism and violence.
Washington's signature in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre
In 1990, Washington starred as Bleek Gilliam in the Spike Lee film Mo' Better Blues. In 1992, he starred as Demetrius Williams in the romantic drama Mississippi Masala. Washington was reunited with Lee to play one of his most critically acclaimed roles, the title character of 1992's Malcolm X. His performance as the black nationalist leader earned him another nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The next year he played the lawyer of a gay man with AIDS in the 1993 film Philadelphia. During the early and mid-1990s, Washington starred in several successful thrillers, including The Pelican Brief and Crimson Tide, as well as in the movie of the Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing. In 1996, he played a U.S. Army officer who, despondent about a deadly mistake he made, investigates a female chopper commander's worthiness for the Medal of Honor in Courage Under Fire with Meg Ryan. In 1996, he appeared with Whitney Houston in the romantic drama The Preacher's Wife.[17]
In 1998, Washington starred in Spike Lee's film He Got Game. Washington played a father serving a six-year prison term when the prison warden offers him a temporary parole to convince his top-ranked high-school basketball player son (Ray Allen) to sign with the governor's alma mater, Big State. The film was Washington's third collaboration with Lee.[18]
In 1999, Washington starred in The Hurricane, a film about boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, whose conviction for triple murder was overturned after he spent almost 20 years in prison. A former reporter, who was angry that the film portrayed Carter as innocent despite the overturned conviction, began a campaign to pressure Academy Award voters not to vote for the film.[19] Washington did receive a Golden Globe Award in 2000 and a Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for the role.
In 2000, Washington appeared in the Disney film Remember the Titans which grossed over $100 million in the U.S.[20]
Washington won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Movie for his work in The Hurricane in 2000. He was the first black actor to win the award since Sidney Poitier in 1963.[21][22]
Washington won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 2001 cop thriller Training Day, where he played Detective Alonzo Harris, a corrupt Los Angeles cop with questionable law-enforcement tactics. He was the second African-American performer to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. The first was Sidney Poitier, who was presented with an Honorary Academy Award the same night. Washington currently holds the records for most Oscar nominations (six) and the most wins (two) by an actor of African descent.
After appearing in 2002's box office success, the healthcare-themed John Q., Washington directed his first film, a well-reviewed drama called Antwone Fisher, in which he also co-starred.
Between 2003 and 2004, Washington appeared in a series of thrillers that performed generally well at the box office, including Out of Time, Man on Fire, and The Manchurian Candidate.[23] In 2006, he starred in Inside Man, a Spike Lee-directed bank heist thriller co-starring Jodie Foster and Clive Owen, released in March, and Déjà Vu.
In 2006, Washington worked alongside multitalented Irish off-rock band The Script on a project combining music and Hollywood. The hybrid of genres was critically acclaimed, but didn't receive much mainstream attention because of legal conflicts between The Script's record label and Denzel's studio commitments.
In 2007, Washington co-starred with Russell Crowe, for the second time after 1995's Virtuosity, in American Gangster. He also directed and starred in the drama The Great Debaters with Forest Whitaker. He next appeared in Tony Scott's 2009 film The Taking of Pelham 123 (a remake of the 1974 thriller of the same name), where he played New York City subway security chief Walter Garber opposite John Travolta's villain.[24]
Return to theater
Washington after a performance of Julius Caesar in May 2005.
In the summer of 1990, Washington appeared in the title role of the Public Theater's production of Shakespeare's Richard III. In 2005, he appeared onstage again as Marcus Brutus in a Broadway production of Julius Caesar. Despite mixed reviews, the production's limited run was a consistent sell-out.[25] In the spring of 2010, Washington played Troy Maxson, opposite Viola Davis, in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences, for which he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play on June 13, 2010.[26][27]
From April to June 2014, Washington played the leading role in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Kenny Leon.[28] The show received positive reviews and won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.[29]
In 2010, Washington starred in The Book of Eli, a post-Apocalyptic drama set in the near future. Also in 2010, he starred as a veteran railroad engineer in the action film Unstoppable, about an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying dangerous cargo. The film was his fifth and final collaboration with director Tony Scott, following Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Déjà Vu (2006) and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009).
In 2012, Washington starred in Flight, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in Safe House, where he prepared for his role by subjecting himself to a torture session that included waterboarding.[30]
In 2013, Washington started in 2 Guns, along side Mark Walberg.
In 2014, Washington starred in The Equalizer, an action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk, based on the television series of same name starring Edward Woodward.[31]
On June 25, 1983, Washington married Pauletta Pearson, whom he met on the set of his first screen work, the television film Wilma. The couple have four children: John David (b. July 28, 1984), a former football player with the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lions (and before that, college football at Morehouse);[32] Katia (b. November 27, 1986) who graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2010; and twins Olivia and Malcolm (b. April 10, 1991). Malcolm graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in film studies, and Olivia played a role in Lee Daniels's film The Butler. In 1995, Denzel and Pauletta renewed their wedding vows in South Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu officiating.[33]
Washington is a devout Christian,[34] and has considered becoming a preacher. He stated in 1999, "A part of me still says, 'Maybe, Denzel, you're supposed to preach. Maybe you're still compromising.' I've had an opportunity to play great men and, through their words, to preach. I take what talent I've been given seriously, and I want to use it for good."[35] In 1995, he donated $2.5 million to help build the new West Angeles Church of God in Christ facility in Los Angeles.[36][37] Washington says he reads the Bible daily.[38]
Washington has served as the national spokesperson for
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20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
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African-American male actors
American Christians
American film directors
American male film actors
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American male stage actors
American male television actors
American Pentecostals
Basketball players from New York
Best Actor Academy Award winners
Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
Church of God in Christ
English-language film directors
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Mainland High School alumni
Male actors from New York
Members of the Church of God in Christ
Obie Award recipients
People from Mount Vernon, New York
Point guards
Silver Bear for Best Actor winners
Tony Award winners
Awards for Denzel Washington
Academy Award for Best Actor
Emil Jannings (1928)
Warner Baxter (1929)
George Arliss (1930)
Lionel Barrymore (1931)
Fredric March / Wallace Beery (1932)
Charles Laughton (1933)
Clark Gable (1934)
Victor McLaglen (1935)
Paul Muni (1936)
Spencer Tracy (1937)
Robert Donat (1939)
James Stewart (1940)
Gary Cooper (1941)
James Cagney (1942)
Paul Lukas (1943)
Bing Crosby (1944)
Ray Milland (1945)
Fredric March (1946)
Ronald Colman (1947)
Laurence Olivier (1948)
Broderick Crawford (1949)
José Ferrer (1950)
Humphrey Bogart (1951)
William Holden (1953)
Marlon Brando (1954)
Ernest Borgnine (1955)
Yul Brynner (1956)
Alec Guinness (1957)
David Niven (1958)
Charlton Heston (1959)
Burt Lancaster (1960)
Maximilian Schell (1961)
Gregory Peck (1962)
Sidney Poitier (1963)
Rex Harrison (1964)
Lee Marvin (1965)
Paul Scofield (1966)
Rod Steiger (1967)
Cliff Robertson (1968)
John Wayne (1969)
George C. Scott (1970)
Gene Hackman (1971)
Jack Lemmon (1973)
Art Carney (1974)
Jack Nicholson (1975)
Peter Finch (1976)
Richard Dreyfuss (1977)
Jon Voight (1978)
Dustin Hoffman (1979)
Robert De Niro (1980)
Henry Fonda (1981)
Ben Kingsley (1982)
Robert Duvall (1983)
F. Murray Abraham (1984)
William Hurt (1985)
Paul Newman (1986)
Michael Douglas (1987)
Daniel Day-Lewis (1989)
Jeremy Irons (1990)
Anthony Hopkins (1991)
Al Pacino (1992)
Tom Hanks (1993)
Nicolas Cage (1995)
Geoffrey Rush (1996)
Roberto Benigni (1998)
Kevin Spacey (1999)
Russell Crowe (2000)
Denzel Washington (2001)
Adrien Brody (2002)
Sean Penn (2003)
Jamie Foxx (2004)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (2005)
Forest Whitaker (2006)
Jeff Bridges (2009)
Colin Firth (2010)
Jean Dujardin (2011)
Matthew McConaughey (2013)
Eddie Redmayne (2014)
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Walter Brennan (1936)
Joseph Schildkraut (1937)
Thomas Mitchell (1939)
Donald Crisp (1941)
Van Heflin (1942)
Charles Coburn (1943)
Barry Fitzgerald (1944)
James Dunn (1945)
Harold Russell (1946)
Edmund Gwenn (1947)
Walter Huston (1948)
Dean Jagger (1949)
George Sanders (1950)
Karl Malden (1951)
Anthony Quinn (1952)
Frank Sinatra (1953)
Edmond O'Brien (1954)
Red Buttons (1957)
Burl Ives (1958)
Hugh Griffith (1959)
Peter Ustinov (1960)
George Chakiris (1961)
Ed Begley (1962)
Melvyn Douglas (1963)
Martin Balsam (1965)
Walter Matthau (1966)
George Kennedy (1967)
Jack Albertson (1968)
Gig Young (1969)
John Mills (1970)
Ben Johnson (1971)
Joel Grey (1972)
John Houseman (1973)
George Burns (1975)
Jason Robards (1976)
Christopher Walken (1978)
Timothy Hutton (1980)
John Gielgud (1981)
Louis Gossett, Jr. (1982)
Haing S. Ngor (1984)
Don Ameche (1985)
Michael Caine (1986)
Sean Connery (1987)
Kevin Kline (1988)
Joe Pesci (1990)
Jack Palance (1991)
Tommy Lee Jones (1993)
Martin Landau (1994)
Cuba Gooding, Jr. (1996)
Robin Williams (1997)
James Coburn (1998)
Benicio del Toro (2000)
Jim Broadbent (2001)
Chris Cooper (2002)
Tim Robbins (2003)
Morgan Freeman (2004)
George Clooney (2005)
Alan Arkin (2006)
Javier Bardem (2007)
Heath Ledger (2008)
Christoph Waltz (2009)
Christian Bale (2010)
Christopher Plummer (2011)
J. K. Simmons (2014)
BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards
Excellence in Film
Albert R. Broccoli (1989)
Martin Scorsese (1993)
Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein (1996)
John Travolta (1998)
Stanley Kubrick (1999)
Steven Spielberg (2000)
George Lucas (2002)
Hugh Grant (2003)
Tom Cruise (2005)
Clint Eastwood (2006)
Warren Beatty (2011)
Robert Downey, Jr. (2014)
Meryl Streep (2015)
Excellence in Directing
Peter Weir (2003)
Jim Sheridan (2004)
Mike Newell (2005)
Anthony Minghella (2006)
Martin Campbell (2007)
Stephen Frears (2008)
Danny Boyle (2009)
Christopher Nolan (2010)
David Yates (2011)
Quentin Tarantino (2012)
Kathryn Bigelow (2013)
Mike Leigh (2014)
Sam Mendes (2015)
Worldwide Contribution to
Howard Stringer (2003)
Kirk Douglas (2009)
Ridley Scott & Tony Scott (2010)
John Lasseter (2011)
Will Wright (2012)
Sir Ben Kingsley (2013)
Harrison Ford (2015)
British Artist of the Year
Tilda Swinton (2008)
Emily Blunt (2009)
Michael Sheen (2010)
Daniel Craig (2012)
Benedict Cumberbatch (2013)
Emma Watson (2014)
James Corden (2015)
Excellence in Comedy
Betty White (2010)
Ben Stiller (2011)
Trey Parker and Matt Stone (2012)
Sacha Baron Cohen (2013)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2014)
Amy Schumer (2015)
Humanitarian Award
Richard Curtis (2007)
Don Cheadle (2008)
Idris Elba (2013)
Mark Ruffalo (2014)
Orlando Bloom (2015)
Retired Awards
Aaron Spelling (1999)
Tarsem Singh (1999)
HBO Original Programming (2002)
Angela Lansbury (2003)
Elizabeth Taylor (2005)
Ronald Neame (2005)
Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne (2007)
Silver Bear for Best Actor
Pedro Infante (1957)
Jean Gabin (1959)
Jean-Pierre Léaud (1966)
Michel Simon (1967)
Jean-Louis Trintignant (1968)
Alberto Sordi (1972)
Vlastimil Brodský (1975)
Gerhard Olschewski (1976)
Fernando Fernán Gómez (1977)
Craig Russell (1978)
Michele Placido (1979)
Andrzej Seweryn (1980)
Anatoly Solonitsyn / Jack Lemmon (1981)
Stellan Skarsgård / Michel Piccoli (1982)
Bruce Dern (1983)
Albert Finney (1984)
Tuncel Kurtiz (1986)
Gian Maria Volonté (1987)
Jörg Pose / Manfred Möck (1988)
Iain Glen (1990)
Maynard Eziashi (1991)
Armin Mueller-Stahl (1992)
Leonardo DiCaprio (1997)
Samuel L. Jackson (1998)
Michael Gwisdek (1999)
Jacques Gamblin (2002)
Sam Rockwell (2003)
Daniel Hendler (2004)
Lou Taylor Pucci (2005)
Moritz Bleibtreu (2006)
Julio Chávez (2007)
Reza Naji (2008)
Sotigui Kouyaté (2009)
Grigoriy Dobrygin / Sergei Puskepalis (2010)
Peyman Moaadi / Shahab Hosseini / Ali-Asghar Shahbazi / Babak Karimi (2011)
Mikkel Følsgaard (2012)
Nazif Mujić (2013)
Liao Fan (2014)
Tom Courtenay (2015)
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Eric Roberts (1983)
Bob Hoskins (1986)
Albert Brooks (1987)
Nick Nolte (1991)
Brendan Gleeson (1998)
Jim Carrey (1999)
Brian Cox / Denzel Washington (2001)
Bill Murray (2003)
Frank Langella (2007)
Sean Penn / Mickey Rourke (2008)
Jeremy Renner (2009)
Jesse Eisenberg (2010)
Brad Pitt (2011)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (2013)
Michael Keaton (2014)
Alexander Knox (1944)
Anthony Franciosa (1959)
Peter O'Toole (1964)
Omar Sharif (1965)
Richard Burton (1977)
Robert Duvall / Tom Courtenay (1983)
Peter Fonda (1997)
Mickey Rourke (2008)
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Akim Tamiroff (1943)
J. Carrol Naish (1945)
Clifton Webb (1946)
James Whitmore (1949)
Millard Mitchell (1952)
Arthur Kennedy (1955)
Earl Holliman (1956)
Stephen Boyd (1959)
Sal Mineo (1960)
John Huston (1963)
Oskar Werner (1965)
Richard Attenborough (1966)
Daniel Massey (1968)
Fred Astaire (1974)
Richard Benjamin (1975)
Peter Firth (1977)
John Hurt (1978)
Melvyn Douglas/Robert Duvall (1979)
Klaus Maria Brandauer (1985)
Tom Berenger (1986)
Bruce Davison (1990)
Edward Norton (1996)
Burt Reynolds (1997)
Ed Harris (1998)
Clive Owen (2004)
Eddie Murphy (2006)
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
F. Murray Abraham / Albert Finney (1984)
Jack Nicholson / Steve Martin (1987)
Ian McKellen (1998)
Daniel Day-Lewis / Jack Nicholson (2002)
Liam Neeson (2004)
Sacha Baron Cohen / Forest Whitaker (2006)
Michael Fassbender (2011)
Joaquin Phoenix (2012)
Tom Hardy (2014)
MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
Arnold Schwarzenegger & Linda Hamilton (1992)
Denzel Washington & Sharon Stone (1993)
Tom Hanks & Janet Jackson (1994)
Brad Pitt & Sandra Bullock (1995)
Jim Carrey & Alicia Silverstone (1996)
Tom Cruise & Claire Danes (1997)
Leonardo DiCaprio & Neve Campbell (1998)
Jim Carrey & Cameron Diaz (1999)
Keanu Reeves & Sarah Michelle Gellar (2000)
Tom Cruise & Julia Roberts (2001)
Will Smith & Nicole Kidman (2002)
Eminem & Kirsten Dunst (2003)
Johnny Depp & Uma Thurman (2004)
Leonardo DiCaprio & Lindsay Lohan (2005)
Jake Gyllenhaal (2006)
Will Smith & Ellen Page (2008)
Zac Efron & Kristen Stewart (2009)
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart (2010)
Josh Hutcherson & Jennifer Lawrence (2012)
Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence (2013)
Bradley Cooper & Shailene Woodley (2015)
MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Rebecca De Mornay (1992)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (1993)
Alicia Silverstone (1994)
Dennis Hopper (1995)
Mike Myers (1998)
Matt Dillon / Stephen Dorff (1999)
Daveigh Chase (2003)
Lucy Liu (2004)
Hayden Christensen (2006)
Tom Felton (2010)
Jennifer Aniston (2012)
Tom Hiddleston (2013)
Mila Kunis (2014)
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Charlie Chaplin (1940)
William Powell (1947)
Ralph Richardson (1952)
No Award (1962)
Steve Martin (1984)
David Thewlis (1993)
Richard Farnsworth (1999)
Tom Wilkinson (2001)
Paul Giamatti (2004)
Robert Redford (2013)
Timothy Spall (2014)
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
José Ferrer / Fredric March (1947)
Henry Fonda / Paul Kelly / Basil Rathbone (1948)
Sidney Blackmer (1950)
Claude Rains (1951)
Tom Ewell (1953)
David Wayne (1954)
Alfred Lunt (1955)
Ralph Bellamy (1958)
Jason Robards, Jr. (1959)
Zero Mostel (1961)
Arthur Hill (1963)
Hal Holbrook (1966)
Paul Rogers (1967)
James Earl Jones (1969)
Fritz Weaver (1970)
Brian Bedford (1971)
Cliff Gorman (1972)
Alan Bates (1973)
Michael Moriarty (1974)
John Kani and Winston Ntshona (1975)
John Wood (1976)
Barnard Hughes (1978)
Tom Conti (1979)
John Rubinstein (1980)
Roger Rees (1982)
Harvey Fierstein (1983)
Derek Jacobi (1985)
Judd Hirsch (1986)
Ron Silver (1988)
Philip Bosco (1989)
Robert Morse (1990)
Nigel Hawthorne (1991)
Ron Leibman (1993)
Stephen Spinella (1994)
Ralph Fiennes (1995)
George Grizzard (1996)
Anthony LaPaglia (1998)
Brian Dennehy (1999)
Stephen Dillane (2000)
Richard Easton (2001)
Jefferson Mays (2004)
Bill Irwin (2005)
Richard Griffiths (2006)
Mark Rylance (2008)
Tracy Letts (2013)
Bryan Cranston (2014)
Alex Sharp (2015)
Films by Denzel Washington
The Great Debaters (2007)
Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream (1995, executive producer)
Safe House (2012, executive producer)
Denzel Washington at AllMovie
Denzel Washington at the Internet Movie Database
Denzel Washington at the TCM Movie Database
Denzel Washington at the Internet Broadway Database
Denzel Washington at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
Denzel Washington at People.com
Denzel Washington at Moviefone
Denzel Washington at TVGuide.com
^ "Five Ways Denzel Can Achieve His EGOT Dream". Newsfeed.time.com. June 14, 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ (April 4, 2002). "Halle Berry, Denzel Washington get historic wins at Oscars. Jet. Digital version retrieved March 17, 2008. Archived November 8, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
^ a b
^ "Denzel Washington Biography (1954–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ Ingram, E. Renée (2005). Buckingham County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 55.
^ http://familyhistoryinsider.com/denzel-washingtons-ancestor-registered-to-vote-in-georgia-in-1867/
^ Rader, Dodson (December 12, 1999). "I Try To Send A Good Message". Parade Magazine. Archived from the original on April 11, 2006. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
^ "Leach OK with star power".
^ "Denzel Washington Returns to Acting Roots". Fordham.edu. October 28, 2003. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ Frank Isola, "Spurs Coach Sticks Neck Out for Carlesimo", New York Daily News, June 5, 2003.
^ Wise, Mike (March 22, 1998). "Pro Basketball" Notebook; Chicago's Jordan-Jackson-Pippen Triangle, page 2". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ Paisner, Daniel A Hand to Guide Me (Meredith Books, 2006), p. 17. ISBN 978-0-696-23049-3
^ Denzel Washington Biography, AllMovie.com. accessdate=February 13, 2008
^ a b "Matthias da Sousa: Colonial Maryland's Black, Jewish Assemblyman", Susan Rosenfeld Falb, MARYLAND HISTORICAL MAGAZINE, VOL. 73, No. 4, DECEMBER 1978 http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc5800/sc5881/000001/000000/000293/pdf/msa_sc_5881_1_293.pdf
^ "St. Mary's: A When-Did Timeline", p. 30, By Janet Butler Haugaard, Executive Editor and Writer, St. Mary's College of Maryland with Susan G. Wilkinson, Director of Marketing and Communications, Historic St. Mary's City Commission and Julia A. King, Associate Professor of Anthropology, St. Mary's College of Maryland. St. Mary's Archives.
^ A Soldier's Play, Lortel Archives
^ Goldstein, Patrick (11 December 1996). "Praying for Crossover Appeal".
^ "Going Fourth Denzel Washington And Spike Lee On Their Quartet Of Movies". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ Reisinger, Sue. "Ex-Reporter Rains on Denzel's Parade", Miami Herald, April 3, 2000, via GraphicWitness.com
^ "Remember the Titans (2000)". Box Office Mojo. January 28, 2001. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ From the archive (March 23, 2000). "All ready for a storm". Herald Scotland. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
^ "Denzel Washington and Halle Berry Win Golden Globe Awards". Jet. February 7, 2000. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
^ "Denzel Washington Movie Box Office Results".
^ The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) - IMDb
^ "A Big-Name Brutus in a Cauldron of Chaos", by Ben Brantley, The New York Times, April 4, 2005.
^ Farley, Christopher John (May 4, 2010). "2010 Tony Award Nominations: Denzel Washington, Scarlett Johansson Earn Nods".
^ "BWW TV: 2010 Tony Winners- Washington & Davis", by BroadwayWorld, BroadwayWorld.com, June 14, 2010.
^ "'"Denzel Washington Heads Back To Broadway In 'A Raisin In The Sun. deadline.com. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
^ Plays Final Performance Tonight"A Raisin in the Sun"Tony-Winning Revival of . playbill.com. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
^ Denzel Washington waterboarded while filming. Content.usatoday.com (2012-02-09). Retrieved on 2013-07-13.
^ Schaefer, Sandy (October 25, 2012). "Denzel Washington's 'Equalizer' Secures Start Date; Lining Up Directors". Screen Rant.
^ "Denzel Washington and Wife Celebrate 27th Wedding Anniversary in Italy", LoveTripper.com, June 28, 2009
^ Ojumu, Akin (March 24, 2002). "The Observer Profile: Denzel Washington". The Observer (London). Retrieved February 11, 2008.
^ "'"Denzel Washington: 'I Try to Send A Good Message. Parade Magazine. December 12, 1999.
^ "Magic gives $5 mil., Denzel gives $2.5 mil. to build new West Angeles COGIC facility in Los Angeles". Jet. November 6, 1995 (link to headline only)
^ a b Mikkelson, Barbara and David (December 27, 2012). "Denzel Washington". Snopes.com. December 28, 2012.
^ "The GQ&A: Denzel Washington".
^ "Board". Bgca.org. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ "BE GREAT Alumni". Bgca.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
^ "Denzel Washington". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
^ Ragland, James (2012-01-26). "Wiley College vs. USC: A debate rematch 77 years in the making | The Dallas Morning News". Dallasnews.com. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
^ "'"Denzel Washington: Clint Eastwood Still 'My Hero. Huffington Post. September 21, 2012.
^ "Colombian rebels ask Denzel Washington to help broker hostage exchange".
^ "COMMENCEMENTS: Fordham Graduates Urged to Defend the Poor". New York Times. May 19, 1991.
^ "Morehouse Celebrates an 'End of an Era' with a Special Commencement Message from Dr. Walter E. Massey", Morehouse College press release, May 15, 2007,
^ "Award-Winning Actor Denzel Washington Delivers Penn's 255th Commencement Address" press release
^ Eichner, Itamar (2008-02-06). "Denzel Washington to visit Israel". ynetNews.com. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
^ http://www.queerty.com/photos-james-franco-idina-menzel-and-fran-drescher-get-into-the-easter-bonnet-competition-20140428
In April 2014, Washington presented at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition with Bryan Cranston, Idina Menzel and Fran Drescher, after raising donations at his Broadway show Raisin in the Sun.[49]
In 2008, Washington visited Israel with a delegation of African-American artists in honor of the state's 60th birthday.[48]
On May 18, 1991, Washington was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Fordham University, for having "impressively succeeded in exploring the edge of his multifaceted talent".[45] In 2011, he donated $2 million to Fordham for an endowed chair of the theater department, as well as $250,000 to establish a theater-specific scholarship at the school. He also received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Morehouse College on May 20, 2007.[46] and an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania on May 16, 2011.[47]
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia named Washington as one of three people (the others being directors Oliver Stone and Michael Moore) with whom they were willing to negotiate for the release of three defense contractors the group had held captive from 2003 to 2008.[44]
Washington is an Independent voter. He supported Barack Obama in 2008.[43]
In mid-2004, Washington visited Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston, where he participated in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers recovering from wounds they received while stationed in Iraq. He also visited the fort's Fisher House facilities, and after learning that it had exceeded its capacity, made a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation. Washington's other charitable contributions include $1 million to the Children's Fund of South Africa[37] and $1 million to Wiley College to resuscitate the college's debate team.[42]
[41] In addition, he has served as a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1995.[40]
Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, Forest Whitaker
Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier
Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurence Olivier, Dustin Hoffman, Daniel Day-Lewis
Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hope
Flight (2012 film)
Denzel Washington, Robert Zemeckis, John Gatins, Rotten Tomatoes, Kelly Reilly
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Warrant Wednesday: July 10, 2019 - WSIL-TV 3 Southern Illinois
Dylan Edmison
Collin Sechrest
Scotty Robertson
Hayden Manis
Chelsie Schaefer
Samuel Scott
Edgar Rodriguez
Lawon Conner
Vicki Billings
Slideshow: Warrant Wednesday: July 10, 2019
Warrant Wednesday: July 10, 2019
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 9:29 AM EDT
By David Davis
ddavis@wsiltv.com
CARTERVILLE (WSIL) -- Two sheriff's departments are asking for the public's help finding people with outstanding warrants.
Dylan Edmison, 24, is wanted for being an armed habitual criminal. He is described as 6'2" tall, 150 pounds with red hair and blue eyes. Edmison is last known to be in the Opdyke area.
Collin Sechrest, 19, is wanted for failing to show up to serve jail time. He is described as 5'7" tall, 120 pounds with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Sechrest is last known to be in the Mt. Vernon area.
Scotty E. Robertson, 44, is wanted for failing to appear for a theft charge. He is described as 6'1" tall, 210 pounds and last known to be in the Christopher area. Robertson's bond is set at $10,000.
Hayden M. Manis, 22, is wanted for failing to appear for the charge receiving/possessing/selling a stolen vehicle. He is described as 5'5" tall, 150 pounds and last known to be in the Benton area. Manis' bond is set at $5,000.
Chelsie D. Schaefer,26, is wanted for failing to appear for possession of meth. She is described as 5'4" tall, 180 pounds and last known to be in the West Frankfort area. Schaefer's bond is set at $5,000.
Samuel G. Scott 52, is wanted for failing to appear for writing a bad check. He is last known to be in the Chicago area and his bond is set at $5,000.
Edgar Junior Rodriguez, 26, is wanted for failing to appear for identity theft. He is last known to be in the Homestead, FL area and his bond is set at $5,000.
Lawon C. Conner, 21, is wanted for failing to appear manufacturing/delivering cannabis. He is last known to be in the Little Rock, AR area and his bond is set at $5,000.
Vicki L. Billings, 31, is wanted on a petition to revoke her probation stemming from an original retail theft charge. She is last known to be in the Macomb, MO area and her bond is set at $10,000.
If you see any of these people do not approach or try to apprehend them. Just make note of as many details as you can, then contact your local law enforcement agency.
Jefferson County Sheriff's Department - 800-242-TIPS (8477)
Franklin County Sheriff's Department - Tip Line: 618-439-9252.
Everyone featured here is innocent until proven guilty.
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Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY
Former Governor Chris Christie Opens Law Firm In New Jersey
TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS/AP) -- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has opened a law firm.
The Record reports The Christie Law Firm was registered with the state Office of Attorney Ethics in April. The firm's address is registered to Christie's home in Mendham.
State records also show the Republican has an attorney identification number and his law license is in good standing.
Christie received his law degree from Seton Hall University and worked on securities and election law as a partner with a Cranford-based law firm before starting his political career. He was the U.S. attorney for New Jersey from 2002-2008 before winning the governor's seat in 2009. He was re-elected four years later.
After leaving office in January, Christie has been a political analyst and legal contributor with ABC news.
Christie law firm
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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Chairman Mao’ tag.
#77 China’s Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges ed. by Minky Worden
September 5, 2010 in Book, History, Political, Review, Sport | Tags: Adolf Hitler, Afghanistan, animal rights, Apartheid, Avery Brundage, Beijing Olympics 2008, Berlin Games, Bird's Nest National Stadium, capitalism, Chairman Mao, China, China's Great Leap, Communism, Darfur, Dave Zirin, Genocide Olympics, hutong, International Olympics Committee, internet censorship, Khartoum, Mia Farrow, Minky Worden, Morrissey, politics, Seoul Games, Simon Armitage, Sino-Japanese war, South Korea, Sudan, The Great Leap Forward, The Guardian, The Olympic Games, The Smiths, The Soviet Union, Thomas Pynchon, Tianamen Square massacre | 2 comments
As the Olympics descend upon China, the critiques have begun. Already we are hearing stories of more than 1.5 million “displacements” to clear space for Olympic facilities, reports of human rights abuses, sweatshop labor, and Olympics-related graft. The spotlight will naturally be on China, but China is only part of the story. The modern Olympic Movement itself has been highly controversial – and far from the ‘above politics’ Olympian level that some would have us believe.
If you follow the British press, you may have caught mope-rock singer Morrissey’s latest controversial outburst against the treatment of animals in China. Simon Armitage’s interview can be found here and further comment on the accusation of the Chinese being a ‘subspecies’, here. While Morrissey’s statement is reprehensible, racism at its most dismissive and insidious, it also brings to mind the inherent problems in criticising China itself. The former singer of The Smiths probably knows the only way he can draw attention to his cause – animal welfare – is to be deliberately provocative, because the international community is quite aware of the many civil liberties abuses that occur within China, from forced detention of political subversives, to internet censorship and widespread poverty.
None of that matters though, because China is the future world superpower on the rise. Its story of a massive economic recovery following military incursions by Japan and the disastrous Maoist experiment with industrialisation in the twentieth century would be no less remarkable had the eventual result not been China becoming a major world player. Their position within the international community is consequently very important to the Chinese government and so hosting the Olympic Games represented a major opportunity to woo popular opinion in their favour. In short, the potential profits earned by investment in China outweigh any moral outrage that may be occasioned by foreign criticism.
This book contains a series of essays on different aspects relating to China’s bid to host the Olympics in 2008. The writers include foreign journalists, from sports, economics and political writing, as well as former Chinese political detainees. There is even a photo-essay displaying the hardship faced by construction workers who live and work in Beijing, often having travelled away from far-off provinces to provide for their families.
The quote above is taken from an illuminating essay by Dave Zirin on the dubious history of the Olympic Games. One of the complaints of Chinese government officials in the face of calls for a boycott of the Games (similar to the efforts made to hobble the Soviet Union’s hosting following their invasion of Afghanistan) was that critics were unfairly mixing politics with sports. Zirin shows how political manoeuvring is an essential element of hosting the Games, as the display of competitive prowess is not only inevitably bound up with nationalism, but also provides a platform for host nations. International Olympics Committee president Avery Brundage for example, who supported Adolf Hitler, which he never apologised for, and turned a blind eye to the sins of participating Apartheid nations. He also fervently objected to female athletes entering the games.
The financial cost of hosting the Games is repeatedly stressed. Host cities Montreal and Athens are cited as examples of how crippling debt can often result, with the attendant civil disruption adding salt to the wounds. The welfare of inadequately protected construction workers was also put at risk in the building of Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium, as well as other Olympic structures erected just for the purposes of capturing the lens of foreign cameras. Homes were demolished to make way for much of this development, such as the aging hutong residences, whose owners were turfed out with little compensation.
For China the Games represented an opportunity to erase the spectre of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Arguments in favour of their bid included citations of the positive social changes that followed the Seoul Games in South Korea. However, this conciliatory move on the part of the international community only served to give China exactly what it wanted. Mia Farrow’s ‘Genocide Olympics’, op-ed piece caused a domino effect that increased pressure on China to review its policy of investment in Darfur, but a broader social change was always unlikely.
There are two Chinas, the one we are allowed to see and the one the Chinese live with. This is a fascinating and very readable collection of essays on that schism.
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Location: Norwalk Connecticut
Descendants of Leonard Crocker Couch of Taunton MA
COUCH (Taunton family). The family bearing this name at Taunton whose representative head is now Leonard Crocker Couch, Esq., who since boyhood has been a resident of the city, occupied in mechanical and business lines, and for years one of the substantial men and useful citizens of the community, is one of long and honorable standing in the neighboring State of Connecticut and of distinction in our country. And through its Taunton alliance of a generation ago – that of Maj. Gen. Darius Nash Couch, of Civil war fame, the father of the present Leonard Crocker Couch just alluded to
Biographical Sketch of Judge Peter Betts
Judge Peter Betts came in as early as 1803 and settled at Bettsburgh, to which place he gave his name. He was a large land-holder, and opened there in 1805 the first store in the town, which he kept till his removal to Bainbridge, about 1820-’25, where he was also engaged in mercantile business. He represented this county in the Assembly in 1804-‘5, again in 1808, and again in 1811. He was born in Norwalk, Conn., January 17, 1772, and died in Bainbridge, June 19, 1849. Eliza, his wife, died February 9, 1819, aged 40. His children were: Peter, Sally,
Biographical Sketch of Ernest M. Post
Post, Ernest M.; insurance; born, Avoca, Louisiana, Sept. 1, 1862; son of Ralph B. and Ellen Deming Post; educated, Norwalk, Conn., and Hanover, Va.: married, Milwaukee, Wis., March 27, 1894, Alice C. Paine; 1882 to 1892, connected with the firm of R. B. Post & Son, wholesale grocers, New Orleans; in 1892, entered the employ of The Mutual Life Insurance Co. of New York, in New Orleans; was transferred to Milwaukee, Wis., in 1893; in 1903, was made mgr. of the company for the territory of Northern Michigan and Northern Wisconsin; the following year, was put in charge of the
Ostrander, John – Obituary
John J. Ostrander who for the past thirty years has made his home in this vicinity passed away Monday from infirmities caused by old age. He was 77 years of age. Mr. Ostrander was born at Norwalk, Connecticut and had traveled considerable before arriving in this country to make his home. He followed the profession of painter and paper hanger for many years. He has made his home for some time past at the Sheets hotel in this city up until his death. Funeral services were held Wednesday with Rev. S.E. Smutz in charge of the services and the remains
Darius Webb Todd of Norfolk VA
Darius Webb Todd7, (Elnathan6, John5, John4, John3, John2, Christopher1) born April 11, 1806, died Sept. 29, 1879, at Norfolk, Virginia, married July 14, 1829, at Norwalk, Connecticut, Margaret Comstock, who died Nov. 8, 1840. Children: 1124. Sarah E. Todd, b. Jan. 19, 1830. 1125. Hanford Comstock Todd, born Feb. 17, 1832. 1126. John W. Todd, b. April 5, 1834. 1127. Darius Webb Todd, b. May 24, 1836. 1128. Theodore Todd, b. March 22, 1838. 1129. Margaret C. Todd, born Aug. 1, 1840, died May 21, 1899, married Oct. 2, 1867, William Paddock Coffin, who was born Sept. 10, 1832. Children:
Harvey Todd of Adrian MI
Harvey Todd7, (John6, John5, John4, John3, John2, Christopher1) born March 13, 1801, at Stamford, Connecticut, died Oct. 16, 1866, at Adrian, Mich., married in Norwalk, Connecticut, July 6, 1825, Maria Nash, who was born April 21, 1803, in Norwalk, Connecticut, died Sept. 21, 1870, at Adrian, Michigan. Children: 1106. Hannah Maria Todd, b. at Stamford, Conn., d. Oct. 28, 1865, at Adrian, Mich. Unmarried. 1107. Barbara Ann Todd, born Feb. 11, 1831, died April 5, 1870, married March 13, 1849, Edward Seldon Townsend, at Adrian, Michigan. Children: I. James Edward Townsend, b. March 10, 1850, d. Oct., 1900, m. Etta
Arthur Stanley Todd of Greenwich CT
Arthur Stanley Todd8, (William S.7, David6, Titus5, Titus4, Benjamin3, Michael2, Christopher1) born July 15, 1881, in Ridgefield, Conn., married in Sept., 1910, Nellie H., daughter of James H. Hopkins, of Oxford, N. Y. He entered the public schools at Ridgefield, Conn., in 1889; in 1895, he entered the High School at Norwalk, Conn. In 1897, he secured a position as clerk of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company at New Haven, Conn. One year later he entered the employ of Bronson & Townsend Company, who were hardware dealers in New Haven, Conn. Thence he went to Greenwich,
Biographical Sketch of John Rowlee Fausey
JOHN ROWLEE FAUSEY – To the general advancement of the interests of the public schools of Massachusetts, and particularly of Springfield and West Springfield, Mr. Fausey has devoted the larger part of his career as a teacher and superintendent, and with results that are recorded as having enlarged the bounds and increased the value of the educational institutions in those communities where he has taught and held official position. John Rowlee Fausey, son of James Seldon and Caroline Helen (Blauvelt) Fausey, was born March 19, 1870, in Elmira, New York, where he attended the public school, and he afterwards graduated
Biography of Dwight Morris Billings
DWIGHT MORRIS BILLINGS, of Amherst, Massachusetts, treasurer of The Hills Manufacturing Company, producers of hats, was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, February 17, 1866. (I) His ancestry in America probably goes back to Richard Billings, who received a grant of six acres of land in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1640. In 1659 he signed a contract with Governor Webster and others to remove to and settle at Hadley. The removal was made in 1661, and he lived in that part of the town which became Hatfield. He died March 3, 1679. He married Margery, surname unknown, who died December 5, 1679. (II)
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Who’s the Con: Trump or . . . Ann Coulter?
By Jack Kerwick| 2017-09-27T09:15:57-07:00 September 27th, 2017|
As long ago as April 2011, I argued Donald Trump would stand a good chance of winning if he decided to make a serious run for the White House. My “excitement over the prospects of a Trump presidency” was “mounting” back then. Yet from that time and throughout Trump’s 2016 campaign, I have been at pains to remind readers that they could expect only so much from a President Trump. We all know—because we heard it ad nauseam during the Republican presidential primaries— the man had never been a traditional conservative or libertarian. He was never going to make “all of your wildest dreams come true.”
It isn’t just that Trump had spent most of his adult life contributing the bulk of his political donations to Democrats.
It isn’t just that he had never lifted a finger to decelerate the culture’s movement to the Left, much less to advance any recognizably conservative cause.
It isn’t just that he derided such principled men of the Right as Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan.
Another reason I specified for qualifying conservative support for Trump is his background as a businessman, and a Big Businessman at that. Republicans have long held—mistakenly—that success in business can translate to success in politics. In reality, the more successful the businessman in today’s highly regulated, crony-capitalist economy, the more likely he is a political failure—or, at least failure as judged by the liberty-lover’s benchmarks of success.
None of this is to suggest that conservatives didn’t have good reasons for supporting Trump. But legitimate, realistic reasons for supporting him shouldn’t be confused with reasons that were and remain illegitimate and unrealistic.
While Trump’s rhetoric on some key questions was music to the ears of millions of conservatives, anyone who pays close attention to American politics knows talk is cheap.
And as NeverTrumpers were only too happy to point out, Trump had no record that would suggest that he had any intention of doing all that he claimed he wanted to do. Besides, those who are even remotely familiar with federalism, the Constitution, and gridlock know all too well that the president is neither king nor God. As powerful as the president has become, his powers are not unlimited.
So Trump’s pledge to deport illegal immigrants and build a wall was never, in itself, reason enough to back him. Nor was the fact that Trump was preferable to Hillary Clinton. Similarly, the likelihood that he would appoint “conservative” Supreme Court Justices was also a gamble and not, by itself, a reason to move any fence sitter.
Trump, as I argued more than once, deserved support not because of what he promised to do in the future, but because of the single most important thing he had already achieved as a candidate and seemed likely to continue achieving as president (whether he planned on doing so or not):
The Donald blew the lid off of the whole government-academia-media-entertainment (GAME) complex. He assumed the role of a human bomb that detonated right in the heart of the regime, a party making space for itself within a party.
Trump, in short, revealed the underground ocean of corruption in which The Big GAME is saturated. As a result, American politics will never be quite the same.
Trump was a “disruptive force” in the 2016 election and many of us voted, not necessarily for the man himself so much as for “the Trump Process,” as the paleo-libertarian author Ilana Mercer characterizes it.
Evidently, Ann Coulter was not among our number. The woman who as recently as last summer published In Trump We Trust now says that she voted for “a loser” and, along with some of her hard-Left counterparts, has even gone so far as to call for Trump’s impeachment.
Such a dramatic turn of events provokes one to wonder: How could a seasoned and presumably savvy political analyst like Coulter be genuinely disappointed or surprised by Trump’s performance, given he is only eight months into his presidency?
More to the point: How could any experienced pundit have gotten as enthusiastic as Coulter did over Trump?
Unlike those of us who supported a “process,” Coulter apparently thought that she had found a messiah. To hear her tell it now, she pinned her hopes for national salvation on a Big Business, Big Government, liberal-Democrat from New York.
What else should the impartial observer make of Ann’s metamorphosis from enraptured Trump cheerleader to betrayed, vengeful Trump critic?
While basking in the attention that the leftist press has showered on Ann since she expressed outrage over Trump’s DACA-centered meeting with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Coulter insisted to The Daily Beast that she had not been conned by her man. But if she hadn’t—if she always recognized Trump for who and what he is—then one would think that she wouldn’t be so surprised or outraged now.
And maybe she isn’t really shocked at all.
Coulter’s about-face on Trump does not reflect well on her. If she is genuinely surprised that Trump has eight months into his presidency failed to make good on his promises, then she is incorrigibly naïve and incompetent in her field. Twitter memes notwithstanding, the vast majority of American patriots voted for a mere mortal politician, not a political savior or “God Emperor.”
If on the other hand, Coulter is only now feigning shock and outrage, then she is showing herself to be a fake, a cynical opportunist.
Those who followed Ann’s advice and placed their trust in Trump may need to recalibrate when it comes to their president.
They may also need to rethink things if they’ve ever placed their trust in Ann Coulter.
About the Author: Jack Kerwick
Jack Kerwick earned his doctorate degree in philosophy from Temple University. His areas of specialization are ethics and political philosophy, with a particular interest in classical conservatism. His work has appeared in both scholarly journals and popular publications, and he recently authored, The American Offensive: Dispatches from the Front. Kerwick has been teaching philosophy for nearly 17 years at a variety of institutions, from Baylor to Temple, Penn State University, the College of New Jersey and elsewhere. His next book, Misguided Guardians: The Conservative Case Against Neoconservatism is pending publication. He is currently an instructor of philosophy at Rowan College at Burlington County.
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Posts from the ‘astronomy’ Category
ikenbot:
How to Build a Planet: Heavy Metals Are Key Ingredients
Image: An artist conception of a newly formed star surrounded by a swirling protoplanetary disk of dust and gas, where debris coalesces to create rocky ‘planetesimals’ that collide and grow to eventually form planets. A new study suggests small rocky planet may actually be widespread in our Milky Way galaxy. Credit: University of Copenhagen, Lars A. Buchhave
Planets may not be able to form without a heaping helping of heavy elements such as silicon, titanium and magnesium, a new study suggests.
Stars that host planets have higher concentrations of such “metals” — astronomer-speak for elements heavier than hydrogen and helium — compared to iron than do planetless stars, the study found.
“To form planets, one needs heavy elements,” said lead author Vardan Adibekyan, of the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto in Portugal.
Connected at birth
Planets coalesce from the disk of dust and gas left over after the birth of their parent star. According to the leading theory of planet formation, the core accretion model, small particles clump together, growing larger and larger until they produce protoplanets.
Scientists have long suspected that stars with higher metallicities are more likely to have planets orbiting them. Iron has long been a primary indicator.
“Usually, in stellar physics, people use the iron content as a proxy of overall metallicity,”
August 25, 2012 apkays Leave a comment
Categories: astronomy, astrophysics, Education, elements, History, News, physics, planetary, planets, science, Space, Uncategorized, universe Tags: physics, science
Categories: astronomy, Eagle Nebula, Edit, Elephant Trunk Nebula, Nebula, Rosette Nebula, science, Space, Stars, Uncategorized Tags: science
Supermassive Black Hole at Work
Image Credit: NASA, S. Gezari (The Johns Hopkins University), and J. Guillochon (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Back in 2010, astronomers witnessed an explosion of light from a star that was obliterated by a supermassive black hole. This is an accurate computer simulation of the event that took place.
Well this looks awesome.
Categories: astronomy, black hole, gif warning, NASA, queue, science, supermassive black hole, Uncategorized Tags: science
sagansense:
Stunning Starry Nights of Lincoln Harrison
Victoria, Australia-based photographer Lincoln Harrison has been taking pictures for just two years. Harrison says his images are created by taking one shot during twilight and then up to 500 shots in complete darkness throughout the night. Harrison says most of his pictures are of star trails and landscapes usually around Lake Eppalock in Victoria, Australia.
“Locations are chosen in pretty much the same way as I would choose landscape locations,” says Harrison. “I just drive or walk around until I see something that looks good.”
After Harrison returns from his night shoot, he processes the image in Adobe Photoshop, stacking the images using the lighten and blend modes, to create his spectacular images. He then adds the twilight image, sometimes shot using HDR (High Dynamic Range) and a combination of layer masks.
His favorite? At the moment Wormhole. You can see more of his incredible images at his website or at 500px.com
We’d like to see your star trails. Send us your photos or post it on our Flickr page.
I apologize for not posting a lot the last couple days, I’ve been catching up on schoolwork and doing real-life things. Rest assured, normal posting will continue shortly!
Categories: art, astronomy, lincoln harrison, science, Uncategorized Tags: science
Human space flight, and how much the rockets could carry.
Categories: astronomy, NASA, rockets, science, Space, Uncategorized Tags: science
canisfamiliaris:
Ten things you may not know about stars
10) Every star you see in the night sky is bigger and brighter than our Sun
Of the 5,000 or so stars brighter than magnitude 6, only a handful of very faint stars are approximately the same size and brightness of our Sun and the rest are all bigger and brighter. Of the 500 or so that are brighter than 4th magnitude (which includes essentially every star visible to the unaided eye from a urban location), all are intrinsically bigger and brighter than our Sun, many by a large percentage. Of the brightest 50 stars visible to the human eye from Earth, the least intrinsically bright is Alpha Centauri, which is still more than 1.5 times more luminous than our Sun, and cannot be easily seen from most of the Northern Hemisphere.
9) You can’t see millions of stars on a dark night
Despite what you may hear in TV commercials, poems and songs, you cannot see a million stars … anywhere. There simply are not enough close enough and bright enough. On a really exceptional night, with no Moon and far from any source of lights, a person with very good eyesight may be able to see 2000-2500 stars at any one time. (Counting even this small number still would be difficult.). So the next time you hear someone claim to have seen a million stars in the sky, just appreciate it as artistic license or exuberant exaggeration – because it isn’t true!
8) Red hot and cool ice blue – NOT!
We are accustomed to referring to things that are red as hot and those that are blue as cool. This is not entirely unreasonable, since a red, glowing fireplace poker is hot and ice, especially in glaciers and polar regions, can have a bluish cast. But we say that only because our everyday experience is limited. In fact, heated objects change color as their temperature changes, and red represents the lowest temperature at which a heated object can glow in visible light. As it gets hotter, the color changes to white and ultimately to blue. So the red stars you see in the sky are the “coolest” (least hot), and the blue stars are the hottest!
7) Stars are black bodies
A black body is an object that absorbs 100 percent of all electromagnetic radiation (that is, light, radio waves and so on) that falls on it. A common image here is that of a brick oven with the interior painted black and the only opening a small window. All light that shines through the window is absorbed by the interior of the oven and none is reflected outside the oven. It is a perfect absorber. As it turns out, this definition of being perfect absorbers suits stars very well! However, this just says that a blackbody absorbs all the radiant energy that hits it, but does not forbid it from re-emitting the energy. In the case of a star, it absorbs all radiation that falls on it, but it also radiates back into space much more than it absorbs. Thus a star is a black body that glows with great brilliance! (An even more perfect black body is a black hole, but of course, it appears truly black, and radiates no light.)
6) There are no green stars
Although there are scattered claims for stars that appear green, including Beta Librae (Zuben Eschamali), most observers do not see green in any stars except as an optical effect from their telescopes, or else an idiosyncratic quirk of personal vision and contrast. Stars emit a spectrum (“rainbow”) of colors, including green, but the human eye-brain connection mixes the colors together in a manner that rarely if ever comes out green. One color can dominate the radiation, but within the range of wavelengths and intensities found in stars, greens get mixed with other colors, and the star appears white. For stars, the general colors are, from lower to higher temperatures, red, orange, yellow, white and blue. So as far as the human eye can tell, there are no green stars.
5) The Sun is a green star
That being said, the Sun is a “green” star, or more specifically, a green-blue star, whose peak wavelength lies clearly in the transition area on the spectrum between blue and green. This is not just an idle fact, but is important because the temperature of a star is related to the color of its most predominate wavelength of emission. (Whew!) In the Sun’s case, the surface temperature is about 5,800 K, or 500 nanometers, a green-blue. However, as indicated above, when the human eye factors in the other colors around it, the Sun’s apparent color comes out a white or even a yellowish white.
4) The Sun is a “dwarf” star
We are accustomed to think of the Sun as a “normal” star, and in many respects, it is. But did you know that it is a “dwarf” star? You may have heard of a “white dwarf,” but that is not a regular star at all, but the corpse of a dead star. Technically, as far as “normal” stars go (that is, astronomical objects that produce their own energy through sustained and stable hydrogen fusion), there are only “dwarfs,” “giants” and “supergiants.” The giants and supergiants represent the terminal (old age) stages of stars, but the vast majority of stars, those in the long, mature stage of evolution (Main Sequence) are all called “dwarfs.” There is quite a bit of range in size here, but they are all much smaller than the giants and supergiants. So technically, the Sun is a dwarf star, sometimes called “Yellow Dwarf” in contradiction to the entry above!
3) Stars don’t twinkle
Stars appear to twinkle (“scintillate”), especially when they are near the horizon. One star, Sirius, twinkles, sparkles and flashes so much some times that people actually report it as a UFO. But in fact, the twinkling is not a property of the stars, but of Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. As the light from a star passes through the atmosphere, especially when the star appears near the horizon, it must pass through many layers of often rapidly differing density. This has the effect of deflecting the light slightly as it were a ball in a pinball machine. The light eventually gets to your eyes, but every deflection causes it to change slightly in color and intensity. The result is “twinkling.” Above the Earth’s atmosphere, stars do not twinkle.
2) You can see 20 quadrillion miles, at least
On a good night, you can see about 19,000,000,000,000,000 miles, easily. That’s 19 quadrillion miles, the approximate distance to the bright star Deneb in Cygnus. which is prominent in the evening skies of Fall and Winter. Deneb is bright enough to be seen virtually anywhere in the Northern hemisphere, and in fact from almost anywhere in the inhabited world. There is another star, Eta Carina, that is a little more than twice as far away, or about 44 quadrillion miles. But Eta Carina is faint, and not well placed for observers in most of the Northern hemisphere. Those are stars, but both the Andromeda Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy are also visible under certain conditions, and are roughly 15 and 18 quintillion miles away! (One quintillion is 10^18!)
1) Black holes don’t “suck”
Many writers frequently describe black holes as “sucking” in everything around them. And it is a common worry among the ill-informed that the so-far hypothetical “mini” black holes that may be produced by the Large Hadron Collider would suck in everything around them in an ever increasing vortex that would consume the Earth! “Say it ain’t so, Joe!” Well, I am not Shoeless Joe Jackson, but it ain’t so. In the case of the LHC, it isn’t true for a number of reasons, but black holes in general do not “suck.”
This not just a semantic distinction, but one of process and consequence as well. The word “suck” via suction, as in the way vacuum cleaners work, is not how black holes attract matter. In a vacuum cleaner, the fan produces a partial vacuum (really, just a slightly lower pressure) at the floor end of the vacuum, and regular air pressure outside, being greater, pushes the air into it, carrying along loose dirt and dust.
In the case of black holes, there is no suction involved. Instead, matter is pulled into the black hole by a very strong gravitational attraction. In one way of visualizing it, it really is a bit like falling into a hole, but not like being hoovered into it. Gravity is a fundamental force of Nature, and all matter has it. When something is pulled into a black hole, the process is more like being pulled into like a fish being reeled in by an angler, rather than being pushed along like a rafter inexorably being dragged over a waterfall.
The difference may seem trivial, but from a physical standpoint it is fundamental.
So black holes don’t suck, but they are very cool. Actually, they are cold. Very, very cold. But that’s a story for another time.
(via expose-the-light)
(Source: http://earthsky.org/space/ten-things-you-may-not-know-about-stars)
Categories: astronomy, facts, science, Space, Stars, Uncategorized Tags: science
via Neil deGrasse Tyson
So sweet of them!
July 8, 2012 apkays Leave a comment
Categories: art, Asteroids, astronomy, illustration, science, Space, Uncategorized Tags: science
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Tech —
iPhone line in downtown Chicago dampened by foul weather
The queue outside the North Michigan Avenue Apple Store for the iPhone 3G …
Chris Foresman - Jul 11, 2008 11:06 am UTC
with 0 posters participating
When I arrived to one of Apple's flagship stores on the Magnificent Mile at 7 PM Thursday night, rain had been falling for about two hours. Having waited in line at this very location a few years ago while folks where lined around the block eagerly anticipating the release of Tiger, I was somewhat disappointed to find just six people in line for the iPhone 3G. C'mon, Chicago fanboys, where ya at?
The lucky first spot was filled by Andy Pichotta, a 19-year-old UW Madison student from Janesville, Wisconsin. Pichotta dragged his friend Austin Scieszinski with him to wait in line for the updated mobile device. The two teens are in town visiting a friend in the Chicagoland area.
Pichotta nabbed fourth place in line to buy his original iPhone on its release date last June at the Bayshore Apple Store in Wisconsin, which happened to coincide with that store's grand opening. Pichotta didn't expect to be the first in line when he and his friend arrived at the Apple Store at 3 PM this afternoon. He attributed the short line to the inclement weather, with predictions of thunderstorms and hail throughout the night. "Several people came by, and said they expected to come back in the morning around 3 or 4 AM," he said.
18-year-old Leland Brewster claimed the number three spot in line. "Hey, we're young college students. We've got nothing better to do." Ain't that right. Jason Schmidt, number four in line, had a slightly different perspective. "I'm a college grad, I have a job. But I've also got my priorities," he said. "I just think the experience will be fun," says Pichotta. "The Apple Store workers go out of their way to make it an 'experience.' AT&T is OK, but I'm not really a fan of their customer service."
Ten people had lined up just before thunderstorms poured down over Chicago at 8 PM Thursday.
As we chatted, a few other enthusiastic iPhone owners queued up for the long wait for 8 AM. In all, there were 10 in line before I left to take cover from the threatening clouds coming in from the west. The group fielded repeated questions from the mass of shoppers and tourists that passed by. "What are you in line for?" they would ask. "iPhone 3G!" was the enthusiastic response. "Oh? What's that?"
With the leak of the iPhone 2.0 firmware and the iPhone having been on sale all day in other parts of the world, it seems that the enthusiasm isn't quite as high as it was just over one year ago. But, that won't stop this small group from waiting all night, as it continues to rain in the Windy City.
Chris Foresman Chris is an Associate Writer at Ars Technica, where he has spent the last five years writing about Apple, smartphones, digital photography, and patent litigation, among other topics.
Email chris.foresman@arstechnica.com // Twitter @foresmac
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Cape Town – Host City partner
In the heart of South Africa, boasting award-winning beaches and World Heritage Sites such as Table Mountain and Robben Island, Cape Town forms the ideal destination for tourists and is the Official Host City partner for World Travel Market Africa.
Cape Town is a premier urban tourism destination with much to offer local and international visitors. Always busy and constantly on the cutting edge, this diverse city offers something for everyone.
One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, it is an eternal presence. It also offers some of the most majestic views of Cape Town and her surrounds.
Located at the south-western tip of Africa, this truly feels like lands-end as open oceans and mountainous coastline meet.
Robben Island
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the infamous former prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars.
Kirstenbosch Gardens
One of the great botanical gardens of the world, Kirstenbosch is home to more than 22 000 indigenous plants and is an exceptional place to walk, picnic and relax in.
Boulders
Boulders Beach forms part of the Table Mountain National Park and is home to a breeding colony of more than 2000 endangered African Penguins.
Groot Constantia
The first wine farm in South Africa, Groot Constantia is now a National Monument but it is still a working wine farm just half an hours journey from the city centre.
Situated in the heart of a Cape Town’s working harbour, the V&A Waterfront showcases some of the city’s best restaurants, entertainment and shopping options, with regular live entertainment and people watching.
City Sightseeing Bus Tours
One of the best ways to explore Cape Town at your own pace is by hopping on and off one of City Sightseeing’s red busses.
Beluga of Cape Town
The people of Beluga love what they do! For them, Beluga is so much more than just a restaurant; it’s a lifestyle. Their only goal is to do better than the previous day, as they search for perfection and strive to exceed every expectation. Whether it is sushi, dim sum or their a la carte offerings, washed down with wine or cocktails from the bar, Beluga has it all.
Maps and guides
Think water
Cape Town's Top 10
Cape Town offers a tremendous range of experiences from arts and culture to mountains and sea.
Click here to explore the Top Ten and plan to make the most of your visit to Cape Town!
Top Facts
Cape Town is twinned with London, Buenos Aires, Nice, San Francisco and several other international cities.
Table Mountain was formed about 600 million years ago under the sea, and the movement of glaciers produced the flat tabletop.
South Africa has 11 official languages, though most people can speak English. Afrikaans and Xhosa are also widely spoken in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
About 3.5-million people live in Cape Town, South Africa's second most-populated city.
Cape Town was officially founded in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company based in The Netherlands arrived to set up a halfway point for ships travelling to the East.
The world’s first heart transplant was performed by Dr Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town in 1967.
Cape Town is sometimes called the “Tavern of the seas". The Port of Cape Town is deemed to be one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world.
Cape Town was originally named by Bartolomeu Dias as the Cape of Storms.
The Table Mountain National Park alone has more plant species within its 22 000 hectares than the whole British Isles or New Zealand.
Three of the five fastest land animals live in South Africa - the cheetah reaching speeds of 113 km/hr (70 mph) and can accelerate from 0 - 60 mph in only 3 seconds, the Springbok reaching 90 km/hr (56 mph), these extremely agile animals can leap 4 m into the air and jump up to 15 m in length, and the Blue Wildebeest reaching speeds of 80 km/hr (50 mph). In order to defend themselves from predators, they run in large herds.
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Debt & Collections
DWI & DUI
Taxes & Estate Planning
Real Estate Case Law GOLDFARB ET UX. v. VIRGINIA STATE BAR et al. – Supreme Court of United States
GOLDFARB ET UX.
VIRGINIA STATE BAR ET AL.
No. 74-70.
Supreme Court of United States.
Argued March 25, 1975.
Decided June 16, 1975.
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT.
Alan B. Morrison argued the cause and filed briefs for petitioners.
Andrew P. Miller, Attorney General of Virginia, argued the cause for respondent Virginia State Bar. With him on the brief were Anthony F. Troy, Deputy Attorney General, and Stuart H. Dunn, Assistant Attorney General. Lewis T. Booker argued the cause for respondent Fairfax County Bar Assn. With him on the brief was John H. Shenefield.
Solicitor General Bork argued the cause for the United States as amicus curiae urging reversal. With him on the brief were Assistant Attorney General Kauper, Gerald P. Norton, and Howard E. Shapiro.[*]
MR. CHIEF JUSTICE BURGER delivered the opinion of the Court.
We granted certiorari to decide whether a minimum-fee schedule for lawyers published by the Fairfax County Bar Association and enforced by the Virginia State Bar violates § 1 of the Sherman Act, 26 Stat. 209, as amended, 15 U. S. C. § 1. The Court of Appeals held that, although the fee schedule and enforcement mechanism substantially restrained competition among lawyers, publication of the schedule by the County Bar was outside the scope of the Act because the practice of law is not “trade or commerce,” and enforcement of the schedule by the State Bar was exempt from the Sherman Act as state action as defined in Parker v. Brown, 317 U. S. 341 (1943).
In 1971 petitioners, husband and wife, contracted to buy a home in Fairfax County, Va. The financing agency required them to secure title insurance; this required a title examination, and only a member of the Virginia State Bar could legally perform that service.[1] Petitioners therefore contacted a lawyer who quoted them the precise fee suggested in a minimum-fee schedule published by respondent Fairfax County Bar Association; the lawyer told them that it was his policy to keep his charges in line with the minimum-fee schedule which provided for a fee of 1% of the value of the property involved. Petitioners then tried to find a lawyer who would examine the title for less than the fee fixed by the schedule. They sent letters to 36 other Fairfax County lawyers requesting their fees. Nineteen replied, and none indicated that he would charge less than the rate fixed by the schedule; several stated that they knew of no attorney who would do so.
The fee schedule the lawyers referred to is a list of recommended minimum prices for common legal services. Respondent Fairfax County Bar Association published the fee schedule although, as a purely voluntary association of attorneys, the County Bar has no formal power to enforce it. Enforcement has been provided by respondent Virginia State Bar which is the administrative agency[2] through which the Virginia Supreme Court regulates the practice of law in that State; membership in the State Bar is required in order to practice in Virginia.[3] Although the State Bar has never taken formal disciplinary action to compel adherence to any fee schedule, it has published reports[4] condoning fee schedules, and has issued two ethical opinions[5] indicating that fee schedules cannot be ignored. The most recent opinion states that “evidence that an attorney habitually charges less than the suggested minimum fee schedule adopted by his local bar Association, raises a presumption that such lawyer is guilty of misconduct . . . .”[6]
Because petitioners could not find a lawyer willing to charge a fee lower than the schedule dictated, they had their title examined by the lawyer they had first contacted. They then brought this class action against the State Bar and the County Bar[7] alleging that the operation of the minimum-fee schedule, as applied to fees for legal services relating to residential real estate transactions, constitutes price fixing in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Act. Petitioners sought both injunctive relief and damages.
After a trial solely on the issue of liability the District Court held that the minimum-fee schedule violated the Sherman Act.[8] 355 F. Supp. 491 (ED Va. 1973). The court viewed the fee-schedule system as a significant reason for petitioners’ failure to obtain legal services for less than the minimum fee, and it rejected the County Bar’s contention that as a “learned profession” the practice of law is exempt from the Sherman Act.
Both respondents argued that their actions were also exempt from the Sherman Act as state action. Parker v. Brown, supra. The District Court agreed that the Virginia State Bar was exempt under that doctrine because it is an administrative agency of the Virginia Supreme Court, and more important, because its “minor role in this matter . . . derived from the judicial and `legislative command of the State and was not intended to operate or become effective without that command.’ ” The County Bar, on the other hand, is a private organization and was under no compulsion to adopt the fee schedule recommended by the State Bar. Since the County Bar chose its own course of conduct the District Court held that the antitrust laws “remain in full force and effect as to it.” The court enjoined the fee schedule, 15 U. S. C. § 26, and set the case down for trial to ascertain damages. 15 U. S. C. § 15.
The Court of Appeals reversed as to liability. 497 F. 2d 1 (CA4 1974). Despite its conclusion that it “is abundantly clear from the record before us that the fee schedule and the enforcement mechanism supporting it act as a substantial restraint upon competition among attorneys practicing in Fairfax County,” id., at 13, the Court of Appeals held the State Bar immune under Parker v. Brown, supra, and held the County Bar immune because the practice of law is not “trade or commerce” under the Sherman Act. There has long been judicial recognition of a limited exclusion of “learned professions” from the scope of the antitrust laws, the court said; that exclusion is based upon the special form of regulation imposed upon the professions by the States, and the incompatibility of certain competitive practices with such professional regulation. It concluded that the promulgation of a minimum-fee schedule is one of “those matters with respect to which an accord must be reached between the necessities of professional regulation and the dictates of the antitrust laws.” The accord reached by that court was to hold the practice of law exempt from the antitrust laws.
Alternatively, the Court of Appeals held that respondents’ activities did not have sufficient effect on interstate commerce to support Sherman Act jurisdiction. Petitioners had argued that the fee schedule restrained the business of financing and insuring home mortgages by inflating a component part of the total cost of housing, but the court concluded that a title examination is generally a local service, and even where it is part of a transaction which crosses state lines its effect on commerce is only “incidental,” and does not justify federal regulation.
We granted certiorari, 419 U. S. 963 (1974), and are thus confronted for the first time with the question of whether the Sherman Act applies to services performed by attorneys in examining titles in connection with financing the purchase of real estate.
Our inquiry can be divided into four steps: did respondents engage in price fixing? If so, are their activities in interstate commerce or do they affect interstate commerce? If so, are the activities exempt from the Sherman Act because they involve a “learned profession?” If not, are the activities “state action” within the meaning of Parker v. Brown, 317 U. S. 341 (1943), and therefore exempt from the Sherman Act?
The County Bar argues that because the fee schedule is merely advisory, the schedule and its enforcement mechanism do not constitute price fixing. Its purpose, the argument continues, is only to provide legitimate information to aid member lawyers in complying with Virginia professional regulations. Moreover, the County Bar contends that in practice the schedule has not had the effect of producing fixed fees. The facts found by the trier belie these contentions, and nothing in the record suggests these findings lack support.
A purely advisory fee schedule issued to provide guidelines, or an exchange of price information without a showing of an actual restraint on trade, would present us with a different question, e. g., American Column Co. v. United States, 257 U. S. 377 (1921); Maple Flooring Assn. v. United States, 268 U. S. 563, 580 (1925). But see United States v. National Assn. of Real Estate Boards, 339 U. S. 485, 488-489, 495 (1950). The record here, however, reveals a situation quite different from what would occur under a purely advisory fee schedule. Here a fixed, rigid price floor arose from respondents’ activities: every lawyer who responded to petitioners’ inquiries adhered to the fee schedule, and no lawyer asked for additional information in order to set an individualized fee. The price information disseminated did not concern past standards, cf. Cement Mfrs. Protective Assn. v. United States, 268 U. S. 588 (1925), but rather minimum fees to be charged in future transactions, and those minimum rates were increased over time. The fee schedule was enforced through the prospect of professional discipline from the State Bar, and the desire of attorneys to comply with announced professional norms, see generally American Column Co., supra, at 411; the motivation to conform was reinforced by the assurance that other lawyers would not compete by underbidding. This is not merely a case of an agreement that may be inferred from an exchange of price information, United States v. Container Corp., 393 U. S. 333, 337 (1969), for here a naked agreement was clearly shown, and the effect on prices is plain.[9] Id., at 339 (Fortas, J., concurring).
Moreover, in terms of restraining competition and harming consumers like petitioners the price-fixing activities found here are unusually damaging. A title examination is indispensable in the process of financing a real estate purchase, and since only an attorney licensed to practice in Virginia may legally examine a title, see n. 1, supra, consumers could not turn to alternative sources for the necessary service. All attorneys, of course, were practicing under the constraint of the fee schedule. See generally United States v. Container Corp., supra, at 337. The County Bar makes much of the fact that it is a voluntary organization; however, the ethical opinions issued by the State Bar provide that any lawyer, whether or not a member of his county bar association, may be disciplined for “habitually charg[ing] less than the suggested minimum fee schedule adopted by his local bar Association . . . .” See supra, at 777-778, and n. 4. These factors coalesced to create a pricing system that consumers could not realistically escape. On this record respondents’ activities constitute a classic illustration of price fixing.
The County Bar argues, as the Court of Appeals held, that any effect on interstate commerce caused by the fee schedule’s restraint on legal services was incidental and remote. In its view the legal services, which are performed wholly intrastate, are essentially local in nature and therefore a restraint with respect to them can never substantially affect interstate commerce. Further, the County Bar maintains, there was no showing here that the fee schedule and its enforcement mechanism increased fees, and that even if they did there was no showing that such an increase deterred any prospective homeowner from buying in Fairfax County.
These arguments misconceive the nature of the transactions actions at issue and the place legal services play in those transactions. As the District Court found,[10] “a significant portion of funds furnished for the purchasing of homes in Fairfax County comes from without the State of Virginia,” and “significant amounts of loans on Fairfax County real estate are guaranteed by the United States Veterans Administration and Department of Housing and Urban Development, both headquartered in the District of Columbia.” Thus in this class action the transactions which create the need for the particular legal services in question frequently are interstate transactions. The necessary connection between the interstate transactions and the restraint of trade provided by the minimum-fee schedule is present because, in a practical sense,[11] title examinations are necessary in real estate transactions to assure a lien on a valid title of the borrower. In financing realty purchases lenders require, “as a condition of making the loan, that the title to the property involved be examined . . . .”[12] Thus a title examination is an integral part of an interstate transaction[13] and this Court has long held that
“there is an obvious distinction to be drawn between a course of conduct wholly within a state and conduct which is an inseparable element of a larger program dependent for its success upon activity which affects commerce between the states.” United States v. Frankfort Distilleries, 324 U. S. 293, 297 (1945).
See United States v. Yellow Cab Co., 332 U. S. 218, 228-229 (1947).
Given the substantial volume of commerce involved,[14] and the inseparability of this particular legal service from the interstate aspects of real estate transactions, we conclude that interstate commerce has been sufficiently affected. See Montague & Co. v. Lowry, 193 U. S. 38, 45-46 (1904); United States v. Women’s Sportswear Assn., 336 U. S. 460, 464-465 (1949).
The fact that there was no showing that home buyers were discouraged by the challenged activities does not mean that interstate commerce was not affected. Otherwise, the magnitude of the effect would control, and our cases have shown that, once an effect is shown, no specific magnitude need be proved. E. g., United States v. McKesson & Robbins, Inc., 351 U. S. 305, 310 (1956). Nor was it necessary for petitioners to prove that the fee schedule raised fees. Petitioners clearly proved that the fee schedule fixed fees and thus “deprive[d] purchasers or consumers of the advantages which they derive from free competition.” Apex Hosiery Co. v. Leader, 310 U. S. 469, 501 (1940). See United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., 310 U. S. 150 (1940).
Where, as a matter of law or practical necessity, legal services are an integral part of an interstate transaction, a restraint on those services may substantially affect commerce for Sherman Act purposes. Of course, there may be legal services that involve interstate commerce in other fashions, just as there may be legal services that have no nexus with interstate commerce and thus are beyond the reach of the Sherman Act.
The County Bar argues that Congress never intended to include the learned professions within the terms “trade or commerce” in § 1 of the Sherman Act,[15] and therefore the sale of professional services is exempt from the Act. No explicit exemption or legislative history is provided to support this contention; rather, the existence of state regulation seems to be its primary basis. Also, the County Bar maintains that competition is inconsistent with the practice of a profession because enhancing profit is not the goal of professional activities; the goal is to provide services necessary to the community.[16] That, indeed, is the classic basis traditionally advanced to distinguish professions from trades, businesses, and other occupations, but it loses some of its force when used to support the fee control activities involved here.
In arguing that learned professions are not “trade or commerce” the County Bar seeks a total exclusion from antitrust regulation. Whether state regulation is active or dormant, real or theoretical, lawyers would be able to adopt anticompetitive practices with impunity. We cannot find support for the proposition that Congress intended any such sweeping exclusion. The nature of an occupation, standing alone, does not provide sanctuary from the Sherman Act, Associated Press v. United States, 326 U. S. 1, 7 (1945), nor is the public-service aspect of professional practice controlling in determining whether § 1 includes professions. United States v. National Assn. of Real Estate Boards, 339 U. S., at 489. Congress intended to strike as broadly as it could in § 1 of the Sherman Act, and to read into it so wide an exemption as that urged on us would be at odds with that purpose.
The language of § 1 of the Sherman Act, of course, contains no exception. “Language more comprehensive is difficult to conceive.” United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Assn., 322 U. S. 533, 553 (1944). And our cases have repeatedly established that there is a heavy presumption against implicit exemptions, United States v. Philadelphia National Bank, 374 U. S. 321, 350-351 (1963); California v. FPC, 369 U. S. 482, 485 (1962). Indeed, our cases have specifically included the sale of services within § 1. E. g., American Medical Assn. v. United States, 317 U. S. 519 (1943); Radovich v. National Football League, 352 U. S. 445 (1957). Whatever else it may be, the examination of a land title is a service; the exchange of such a service for money is “commerce” in the most common usage of that word. It is no disparagement of the practice of law as a profession to acknowledge that it has this business aspect,[17] and § 1 of the Sherman Act
“[o]n its face . . . shows a carefully studied attempt to bring within the Act every person engaged in business whose activities might restrain or monopolize commercial intercourse among the states.” United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Assn., supra, at 553.
In the modern world it cannot be denied that the activities of lawyers play an important part in commercial intercourse, and that anticompetitive activities by lawyers may exert a restraint on commerce.
In Parker v. Brown, 317 U. S. 341 (1943), the Court held that an anticompetitive marketing program which “derived its authority and its efficacy from the legislative command of the state” was not a violation of the Sherman Act because the Act was intended to regulate private practices and not to prohibit a State from imposing a restraint as an act of government. Id., at 350-352; Olsen v. Smith, 195 U. S. 332, 344-345 (1904). Respondent State Bar and respondent County Bar both seek to avail themselves of this so-called state-action exemption.
Through its legislature Virginia has authorized its highest court to regulate the practice of law.[18] That court has adopted ethical codes which deal in part with fees, and far from exercising state power to authorize binding price fixing, explicitly directed lawyers not “to be controlled” by fee schedules.[19] The State Bar, a state agency by law,[20] argues that in issuing fee schedule reports and ethical opinions dealing with fee schedules it was merely implementing the fee provisions of the ethical codes. The County Bar, although it is a voluntary association and not a state agency, claims that the ethical codes and the activities of the State Bar “prompted” it to issue fee schedules and thus its actions, too, are state action for Sherman Act purposes.
The threshold inquiry in determining if an anticompetitive activity is state action of the type the Sherman Act was not meant to proscribe is whether the activity is required by the State acting as sovereign. Parker v. Brown, 317 U. S., at 350-352; Continental Co. v. Union Carbide, 370 U. S. 690, 706-707 (1962). Here we need not inquire further into the state-action question because it cannot fairly be said that the State of Virginia through its Supreme Court Rules required the anticompetitive activities of either respondent. Respondents have pointed to no Virginia statute requiring their activities; state law simply does not refer to fees leaving regulation of the profession to the Virginia Supreme Court; although the Supreme Court’s ethical codes mention advisory fee schedules they do not direct either respondent to supply them, or require the type of price floor which arose from respondents’ activities. Although the State Bar apparently has been granted the power to issue ethical opinions, there is no indication in this record that the Virginia Supreme Court approves the opinions. Respondents’ arguments, at most, constitute the contention that their activities complemented the objective of the ethical codes. In our view that is not state action for Sherman Act purposes. It is not enough that, as the County Bar puts it, anticompetitive conduct is “prompted” by state action; rather, anticompetitive activities must be compelled by direction of the State acting as a sovereign.
The fact that the State Bar is a state agency for some limited purposes does not create an antitrust shield that allows it to foster anticompetitive practices for the benefit of its members.[21] Cf. Gibson v. Berryhill, 411 U. S. 564, 578-579 (1973). The State Bar, by providing that deviation from County Bar minimum fees may lead to disciplinary action, has voluntarily joined in what is essentially a private anticompetitive activity, and in that posture cannot claim it is beyond the reach of the Sherman Act.[22] Parker v. Brown, supra, at 351-352. Its activities resulted in a rigid price floor from which petitioners, as consumers, could not escape if they wished to borrow money to buy a home.
We recognize that the States have a compelling interest in the practice of professions within their boundaries, and that as part of their power to protect the public health, safety, and other valid interests they have broad power to establish standards for licensing practitioners and regulating the practice of professions. We also recognize that in some instances the State may decide that “forms of competition usual in the business world may be demoralizing to the ethical standards of a profession.” United States v. Oregon State Medical Society, 343 U. S. 326, 336 (1952). See also Semler v. Oregon State Board of Dental Examiners, 294 U. S. 608, 611-613 (1935). The interest of the States in regulating lawyers is especially great since lawyers are essential to the primary governmental function of administering justice, and have historically been “officers of the courts.” See Sperry v. Florida ex rel. Florida Bar, 373 U. S. 379, 383 (1963); Cohen v. Hurley, 366 U. S. 117, 123-124 (1961); Law Students Research Council v. Wadmond, 401 U. S. 154, 157 (1971). In holding that certain anticompetitive conduct by lawyers is within the reach of the Sherman Act we intend no diminution of the authority of the State to regulate its professions.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed and the case is remanded to that court with orders to remand to the District Court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.
MR. JUSTICE POWELL took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
[*] Eleanor M. Fox filed a brief for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York as amicus curiae urging reversal.
Briefs of amici curiae urging affirmance were filed by James D. Fellers and H. Blair White for the American Bar Assn.; by Richard C. McFarlain for the National Organization of Bar Counsel; by Leroy Jeffers for the State Bar of Texas; by Warren H. Resh for the State Bar of Wisconsin; by E. Robert Wallach and Walter J. Robinson for the Bar Association of San Francisco; and by Owen Rall and Peter M. Sfikas for the American Dental Assn.
[1] Unauthorized Practice of Law, Opinion No. 17, Aug. 5, 1942, Virginia State Bar—Opinions 239 (1965).
[2] Virginia Code Ann. § 54-49 (1972) provides:
“The Supreme Court of Appeals may, from time to time, prescribe, adopt, promulgate and amend rules and regulations organizing and governing the association known as the Virginia State Bar, composed of the attorneys at law of this State, to act as an administrative agency of the Court for the purpose of investigating and reporting the violation of such rules and regulations as are adopted by the Court under this article to a court of competent jurisdiction for such proceedings as may be necessary, and requiring all persons practicing law in this State to be members thereof in good standing.”
[4] In 1962 the State Bar published a minimum-fee-schedule report that listed a series of fees and stated that they “represent the considered judgment of the Committee [on Economics of Law Practice] as to [a] fair minimum fee in each instance.” The report stated, however, that the fees were not mandatory, and it recommended only that the State Bar consider adopting such a schedule. Nevertheless, shortly thereafter the County Bar adopted its own minimum-fee schedule that purported to be “a conscientious effort to show lawyers in their true perspective of dignity, training and integrity.” The suggested fees for title examination were virtually identical to those in the State Bar report. In accord with Opinion 98 of the State Bar Committee on Legal Ethics the schedule stated that, although there is an ethical duty to charge a lower fee in a deserving case, if a lawyer
” `purely for his own advancement, intentionally and regularly bills less than the customary charges of the bar for similar services . . . [in order to] increase his business with resulting personal gain, it becomes a form of solicitation contrary to Canon 27 and also a violation of Canon 7, which forbids the efforts of one lawyer to encroach upon the employment of another.’ ” App. 30.
In 1969 the State Bar published a second fee-schedule report that, as it candidly stated, “reflect[ed] a general scaling up of fees for legal services.” The report again stated that no local bar association was bound by its recommendations; however, respondent County Bar again quickly moved to publish an updated minimum-fee schedule, and generally to raise fees. The new schedule stated that the fees were not mandatory, but tempered that by referring again to Opinion 98. This time the schedule also stated that lawyers should feel free to charge more than the recommended fees; and to avoid condemnation of higher fees charged by some lawyers, it cautioned County Bar members that “to . . . publicly criticize lawyers who charge more than the suggested fees herein might in itself be evidence of solicitation . . . .”
[5] Virginia State Bar Committee on Legal Ethics, Opinion No. 98, June 1, 1960; Virginia State Bar Committee on Legal Ethics, Opinion No. 170, May 28, 1971.
[6] Ibid. The parties stipulated that these opinions are a substantial influencing factor in lawyers’ adherence to the fee schedules. One reason for this may be because the State Bar is required by statute to “investigat[e] and report . . . the violation of . . . rules and regulations as are adopted by the [Virginia Supreme Court] to a court of competent jurisdiction for such proceedings as may be necessary . . . .” Va. Code Ann. § 54-49 (1972). Therefore any lawyer who contemplated ignoring the fee schedule must have been aware that professional sanctions were possible, and that an enforcement mechanism existed to administer them.
[7] Two additional county bar associations were originally named as defendants but they agreed to a consent judgment under which they were directed to cancel their existing fee schedules, and were enjoined from adopting, publishing, or distributing any future schedules of minimum or suggested fees. Damage claims against these associations were then dismissed with prejudice.
[8] The court was satisfied that interstate commerce was sufficiently affected to sustain jurisdiction under the Sherman Act because a significant portion of the funds and insurance involved in the purchase of homes in Fairfax County comes from outside the State of Virginia. 355 F. Supp 491, 497 (ED Va. 1973).
[9] The Court of Appeals accurately depicted the situation:
“[I]t is clear from the record that all or nearly all of the [County Bar] members charged fees equal to or exceeding the fees set forth in the schedule for title examinations and other services involving real estate.” 497 F. 2d 1, 12 (CA4 1974).
” `A significant reason for the inability of [petitioners] to obtain legal services . . . for less than the fee set forth in the Minimum Fee Schedule . . . was the operation of the minimum fee schedule system.’ ” Id., at 4.
“It is abundantly clear from the record before us that the fee schedule and the enforcement mechanism supporting it act as a substantial restraint upon competition among attorneys practicing in Fairfax County.” Id., at 13.
[10] The Court of Appeals did not disturb the District Court’s findings of fact. It simply disagreed on the conclusions of law drawn therefrom.
[11] It is in a practical sense that we must view an effect on interstate commerce, Swift & Co. v. United States, 196 U. S. 375, 398 (1905); Mandeville Island Farms, Inc. v. American Crystal Sugar Co., 334 U. S. 219, 233 (1948).
[12] 355 F. Supp., at 494.
[13] The County Bar relies on United States v. Yellow Cab Co., 332 U. S. 218 (1947), to support its argument that the “essentially local” legal services at issue here are beyond the Sherman Act. There we held, inter alia, that intrastate taxi trips that occurred at the start and finish of interstate rail travel were “too unrelated to interstate commerce to constitute a part thereof within the meaning of the Sherman Act.” Id., at 230. The ride to the railway station, we said, “[f]rom the standpoints of time and continuity. . . may be quite distinct and separate from the interstate journey.” Id., at 232. Here, on the contrary, the legal services are coincidental with interstate real estate transactions in terms of time, and, more important, in terms of continuity they are essential. Indeed, it would be more apt to compare the legal services here with a taxi trip between stations to change trains in the midst of an interstate journey. In Yellow Cab we held that such a trip was a part of the stream of commerce. Id., at 228-229.
[15] The County Bar cites phrases in several cases that implied the practice of a learned profession is not “trade or commerce” under the antitrust laws. E. g., Federal Club v. National League, 259 U. S. 200, 209 (1922) (“a firm of lawyers sending out a member to argue a case . . . does not engage in . . . commerce because the lawyer . . . goes to another State”); FTC v. Raladam Co., 283 U. S. 643, 653 (1931) (“medical practitioners . . . follow a profession and not a trade . . .”); Atlantic Cleaners & Dyers v. United States, 286 U. S. 427, 436 (1932); United States v. National Assn. of Real Estate Boards, 339 U. S. 485, 490 (1950). These citations are to passing references in cases concerned with other issues; and, more important, until the present case it is clear that we have not attempted to decide whether the practice of a learned profession falls within § 1 of the Sherman Act. In National Assn. of Real Estate Boards, we specifically stated that the question was still open, 339 U. S., at 492, as we had done earlier in American Medical Assn. v. United States, 317 U. S. 519, 528 (1943).
[16] The reason for adopting the fee schedule does not appear to have been wholly altruistic. The first sentence in respondent State Bar’s 1962 Minimum Fee Schedule Report states:
” `The lawyers have slowly, but surely, been committing economic suicide as a profession.’ ” Virginia State Bar, Minimum Fee Schedule Report 1962, p. 3, App. 20.
[17] The fact that a restraint operates upon a profession as distinguished from a business is, of course, relevant in determining whether that particular restraint violates the Sherman Act. It would be unrealistic to view the practice of professions as interchangeable with other business activities, and automatically to apply to the professions antitrust concepts which originated in other areas. The public service aspect, and other features of the professions, may require that a particular practice, which could properly be viewed as a violation of the Sherman Act in another context, be treated differently. We intimate no view on any other situation than the one with which we are confronted today.
[18] Virginia Code Ann. § 54-48 (1972) provides:
“Rules and regulations defining practice of law and prescribing codes of ethics and disciplinary procedure.—The Supreme Court of Appeals may, from time to time, prescribe, adopt, promulgate and amend rules and regulations:
“(a) Defining the practice of law.
“(b) Prescribing a code of ethics governing the professional conduct of attorneys at law and a code of judicial ethics.
“(c) Prescribing procedure for disciplining, suspending, and disbarring attorneys at law.”
In addition, the Supreme Court of Virginia, has inherent power to regulate the practice of law in that State. Button v. Day, 204 Va. 547, 132 S. E. 2d 292 (1963). See Lathrop v. Donohue, 367 U. S. 820 (1961).
[19] In 1938 the Supreme Court of Virginia adopted Rules for the Integration of the Virginia State Bar, and Rule II, § 12, dealt with the procedure for setting fees. Among six factors that court directed to be considered in setting a fee were “the customary charges of the Bar for similar services.” The court also directed that
“[i]n determining the customary charges of the Bar for similar services, it is proper for a lawyer to consider a schedule of minimum fees adopted by a Bar Association, but no lawyer should permit himself to be controlled thereby or to follow it as his sole guide in determining the amount of his fee.” Rules for Integration of the Virginia State Bar, 171 Va. xvii, xxiii. (Emphasis supplied.) In 1970 the Virginia Supreme Court amended the 1938 rules in part, and adopted the Code of Professional Responsibility, effective January 1, 1971. 211 Va. 295 (1970). Certain of its provisions also dealt with the fee-setting procedure. In EC 2-18 lawyers were told again that fees vary according to many factors, but that “[s]uggested fee schedules and economic reports of state and local bar associations provide some guidance on the subject of reasonable fees.” 211 Va., at 302. In DR 2-106 (B), which detailed eight factors that should be considered in avoiding an excessive fee, one of the factors was “[t]he fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services.” DR 2-106 (B) (3). 211 Va., at 313.
[20] See supra, at 776 n. 2.
[21] The District Court stated that the State Bar acted in only a “minor role” as far as the price fixing was concerned, 355 F. Supp., at 496, and one member of the Court of Appeals panel was prepared to exonerate the State Bar because its participation was so minimal as to be insufficient to impose Sherman Act liability. 497 F. 2d, at 21 (Craven, J., concurring and dissenting). Of course, an alleged participant in a restraint of trade may have so insubstantial a connection with the restraint that liability under the Sherman Act would not be found, see United States v. National Assn. of Real Estate Boards, 339 U. S., at 495; however, that is not the case here. The State Bar’s fee schedule reports provided the impetus for the County Bar, on two occasions, to adopt minimum-fee schedules. More important, the State Bar’s ethical opinions provided substantial reason for lawyers to comply with the minimum-fee schedules. Those opinions threatened professional discipline for habitual disregard of fee schedules, and thus attorneys knew their livelihood was in jeopardy if they did so. Even without that threat the opinions would have constituted substantial reason to adhere to the schedules because attorneys could be expected to comply in order to assure that they did not discredit themselves by departing from professional norms, and perhaps betraying their professional oaths.
[22] The State Bar also contends that it is protected by the Eleventh Amendment. See Edelman v. Jordan, 415 U. S. 651 (1974). Petitioners dispute this contention, and the District Court had no occasion to reach it in view of its holding. Given the record before us we intimate no view on the issue, leaving it for the District Court on remand.
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All posts tagged Frank de Luccia
The Last Three Minutes by Paul Davies (1994)
The telescope is also a timescope. (p.127)
Davies (b.1946) is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster. He’s written some 25 books, and hosted radio and TV series popularising science, especially in the areas of cosmology and particle physics, with a particular interest in the links between modern scientific theory and religion – hence his books God and the New Physics and The Mind of God.
The Last Three Minutes was his sixteenth book and part of the Science Masters series, short, clear primers written by experts across all areas of science. The advantage of The Last Three Minutes is that it is a clear explication of all the theories in this area; the drawback is that it is now precisely 25 years out of date, a long time in a fast-moving field like cosmology.
On the plus side, although the book might not capture the very latest discoveries and thinking, many of its basic facts remain unchanged, and many of those facts are enough to make the layman gawp in wonder before Davies even begins describing the wild and diverse cosmological theories.
1. Doomsday
The nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.24 light years – twenty-four trillion years – away. Our galaxy is named the Milky Way. Until the 1920s astronomers thought all the stars in the universe were in the Milky Way. The observations of Edwin Hubble proved that the Milky Way is only one among billions of galaxies in the universe. The Milky Way is estimated to be somewhere around 200 light-years across. It might contain anything between 100 and 400 billion stars.
Our solar system is located about 26,000 light-years from the Galactic Centre on the inner edge of the Orion Arm, one of the spiral-shaped concentrations of gas and dust. The Milky Way is rotating. The sun and its retinue of planets take about 200 million years to rotate around the Galactic Centre.
The Earth could be destroyed by impact with any of the following:
asteroids, which are usually confined to a belt between Mars and Jupiter, but can be toppled out by passage of Jupiter’s mass
comets, believed to originate in an invisible cloud about a light year from the sun
giant clouds of gas won’t affect us directly but might affect the heat flow from the sun, with disastrous consequences
the Death Star some astronomers believe our sun may be part of a double-star system, with a remote twin star which may never be visible from Earth, but perturb elements in the system, such as our own orbit, or asteroids or comets
2. The Dying Universe
In 1856 the German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz proposed that the universe is dying because the heat in it will eventually become so evenly distributed that no heat passes from one area to another, no chemical reactions are possible, the universe reaches ‘thermodynamic equilibrium’ and is dead. In English this became known as the ‘heat death’ theory. In 1865 physicist Rudolf Clausius coined the term ‘entropy’ meaning ‘the unavailability of a system’s thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system’. The heat death idea became widely accepted.
Davies points out that it’s odd that so many brainy people didn’t draw the obvious conclusion from the heat death idea, for if a) the universe is winding down towards a heat death and b) it has existed forever, then c) it would have died already. The fact that the universe is still full of wildly uneven distributions of energy and heat shows that it must have had a beginning.
Moreover, calculation of the mass of the universe should have indicated that a static universe would collapse in upon itself, clumps of matter slowly attracting each other, becoming larger and heavier, until all the matter in the universe is in one enormous ball.
The fact that the universe still has huge variations in heat indicates that it has not been around forever, i.e. it had a beginning. And the fact that it hasn’t collapsed suggests that a force equal or greater to gravity is working to drive the matter apart.
He explains Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle according to which ‘quantum particles do not possess sharply defined values for all their attributes’, and one of the odder consequences of this, which is the existence of ‘quantum vacuums’ which are in fact full of incredibly short-lived ‘virtual’ particles popping in and out of existence.
3. The First Three Minutes
Davies recapitulates the familiar story that Edwin Hubble in the 1920s detected the red-shift in light which indicated that distant galaxies are moving away from us, and the further way they are, the faster they’re moving – overthrowing millenia of dogma by showing that the universe is moving, dynamic, changing.
Presumably, if it is moving outwards and expanding, it once had an origin. In 1965 astronomers detected the uniform background radiation which clinched the theory that there had, at some point in the distant past, been an explosion of inconceivable violence and intensity. The so-called cosmic microwave background (MCB) radiation is the remnant.
Further observation showed that it is uniform in every direction – isotropic – as theory predicts. But how did the universe get so lumpy? Astrophysicists speculated this must be because in initial conditions the explosion was not in fact uniform, but contained minute differentials.
This speculation was confirmed in 1992 when the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite detected ripples or unevenness in the MCB.
Complicated calculations predicted the likely ratios of key elements in the universe and these, also have been proved to be correct.
Taken together the expansion of the universe, the cosmic background radiation, and the relative abundance of the chemical elements strongly support the theory of a big bang.
Davies then explains modern theories of ‘inflation’ i.e. that the bang didn’t lead to a steady (if fast) rate of expansion of the early universe but, within milliseconds, experienced a short inconceivable process of ‘inflation’, in which anti-gravity pushed the exploding singularity into hyper-expansion.
The theory of inflation is called for because it solves problems about the existence and relative abundance of certain sub-atomic particles (magnetic monopoles), and also helps explain the unevenness of the resultant universe.
4. Stardoom
In February 1987 Canadian scientists based at an observatory in Chile noticed a supernova. This chapter explains how stars work (the fusion of hydrogen into helium releasing enormous amounts of energy) but that this outwards radiation of energy is always fighting off the force of gravity created by its dense core and that, sooner or later, all stars die, becoming supernovas, red dwarfs, red giants, white dwarfs, and so on, with colourful descriptions of each process.
Our sun is about half way through its expected life of 10 billion years. No need to panic yet.
He explains gravitational-wave emission.
5. Nightfall
Beginning with the commonplace observation that, eventually, every star in every galaxy will die, this chapter then goes on to describe some abstruse aspects of black holes, how they’re made, and unexpected and freakish aspects of their condition as stars which have collapsed under the weight of their own gravity.
John Wheeler coined the term ‘black hole’.
6. Weighing the Universe
If we all accept that the universe began in a cataclysmic Big Bang, the question is: Will it carry on expanding forever? Or will the gravity exerted by its mass eventually counteract the explosive force, slow the expansion to a halt, and then cause the universe to slowly but surely contract, retreating back towards a Big Crunch
Davies tells us more about neutrinos (one hundred billion billion of which are penetrating your body every second), as well as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs.
The basic problem is that all the suns and other objects in the observable universe get nowhere near the mass required to explain the relatively slow expansion of the universe. There must be a huge amount of matter which we can’t see: either because it is sub-atomic, or hidden in black holes, or for some other reason.
Hence the talk over the last thirty years of more of the search for ‘dark matter’ which astrophysicists estimate must outweigh the visible matter in the universe by anything from ten to one to a hundred to one. Anyway,
Given our present state of knowledge, we cannot say whether the universe will expand forever or not. (p.79)
7. Forever Is A Long Time
Consideration of the nature of infinity turns into a description of the Hawking effect, Stephen Hawking’s theory that black holes might not trap everything, but might in fact emit a low level of radiation due to the presence of virtual vacuums in which quantum particles pop into existence in pairs on the event horizon of the hole, one particle getting sucked inside and producing a little flash of energy, the other escaping, and using that burst of energy to convert from being a temporary virtual particle into a real, lasting one.
This is one aspect of the likely fate of black holes which is to collapse evermore on themselves until they expire in a burst of radiation. Maybe.
He moves on to consider the periodicity of proton decay, the experiment set up in a tank of water deep underground in Cleveland Ohio which failed to measure a single proton decay. Why?
If protons do decay after an immense duration, the consequences for the far future of the universe are profound. All matter would be unstable, and would eventually disappear. (p.96)
He paints a picture of the universe in an inconceivably distant future, vast beyond imagining and full of ‘an inconceivably dilute soup of photons, neutrinos, and a dwindling number of electrons and positrons, all slowly moving farther and farther apart’ (p.98).
8. Life In the Slow Lane
Davies undermines his credibility by speculating on the chances of humanity’s survival in a universe winding down. Maybe we can colonise the galaxy one star system at a time. If we can build spaceships which travel at only 1% the speed of light, it would only take a few centuries to travel to the nearest star. The ships could be self-contained mini-worlds. Or people could be put into hibernation. Better still a few engineers would take along hundreds of thousands of fertilised embryos to be grown on arrival. Or we could genetically engineer ourselves to survive different atmospheres and gravities. Or we could create entities which are half organic matter, half silicon-based intelligence.
He writes as if his book needs to address what he takes to be a widespread fear or anxiety that mankind will eventually – eventually – go extinct. Doesn’t bother me.
Davies describes the work done by some physicists (Don Page and Randall McKee) to calculate the rate at which the black holes which are predicted to become steadily more common – this is tens of billions of years in the future – a) decay and b) coalesce. It is predicted that black holes might fall into each other. Since they give off a certain amount of Hawking radiation, the bigger the black hole, the cooler at the surface and the more Hawking radiation it will give off and, Davies assures us, some technologically advanced descendant of humanity may, tens of billions of years in the future, just may be able to tap this radiation as an energy source to keep on surviving and thinking.
Apparently John Barrow and Frank Tipler have speculated on how we could send nuclear warheads to perturbate the orbits of asteroids, sending them to detonate in the sun, which would fractionally alter its course. Given enough it could be steered towards other stars. In time new constellations of stars – maybe entire galaxies – could be manipulated in order to suit our purposes, to create new effects of gravity or heat which we could use.
Meanwhile, back in reality, we can’t even leave the EU let alone the solar system.
9. Life In the Fast Lane
The preceding discussions have been based on the notion of infinite expansion of a universe which degenerates to complete heat death. But what if it reaches an utmost expansion and… starts to contract. In, say, a hundred billion years’ time.
There follows a vivid science fiction-ish account of the at-first slowly contracting universe, which then shrinks faster and faster as the temperature of the background radiation relentlessly rises until it is hundreds of degrees Kelvin, stripping away planetary atmospheres, cooking all life forms, galaxies crushing into each other, black holes coalescing, the sky turning red, then yellow, then fierce white. Smaller and hotter till is it millions of degrees Kelvin and the nuclei of atoms fry and explode into a plasma of sub-atomic particles.
Davies speculates that an advanced superbeing may have created communications networks the breadth of the universe which allow for an extraordinary amount of information processing. If it is true that the subjective experience of time is related to the amount of information we process, then a superbeing which process an almost infinite amount of information, would slow down subjective time. In fact it might cheat death altogether by processing so much information / thought, that it slows time down almost to a standstill, and lives on in the creation of vast virtual universes.
10. Sudden Death – and rebirth
If the preceding chapter seems full of absurdly fanciful speculation, recall that Davies is being paid to work through all possible versions of the Last Three Minutes. The book is sub-titled conjectures about the ultimate fate of the universe.
So far he has described:
eternal expansion and the cooling of the universe into a soup of sub-atomic particles: in which case there is no last three minutes
the preceding chapter discusses what a Big Crunch would be like, the physical processes which would degrade the universe and he has clearly taken as part of his brief trying to speculate about how any sentient life forms would cope
In this chapter he discusses a genuinely unnerving scenario proposed by physicists Sidney Coleman and Frank de Luccia in 1980. Davies has already explained what a virtual vacuum is, a vacuum seething with quantum particles popping in and out of existence. We know therefore that there are different levels of ‘vacuum’, and we know that all thermodynamic systems seek the lowest sustainable level of energy.
What if our entire universe is in an artificially raised, false vacuum? What if a lower, truer form of genuinely empty vacuum spontaneously erupts somewhere and then spreads like a plague at the speed of light across the universe? It would create a bow wave in which matter would be stripped down to sub-atomic particles i.e. everything would be destroyed, and a new value of gravity which would crunch everything together instantaneously. The Big Crunch would come instantaneously with no warning.
Astronomer Royal Martin Rees spooked the cosmology community by pointing out that the experiments in sub-atomic particles currently being carried out by physicists might trigger just such a cataclysm.
Conversely, Japanese physicists in 1981 floated the possibility of creating a new universe by creating a small bubble of false vacuum. The prediction was that the bubble of false vacuum would expand very quickly but – here’s the bit that’s hard to visualise – without affecting our universe. Alan Guth, the man who developed the inflation theory of the early universe, worked on it with colleagues and predicted that, although an entirely new universe might appear and hugely expand in milliseconds, it would do so into a new space, creating a new universe, and have little or no impact on our one.
Maybe that’s how our universe began, as a baby budding off from an existing universe. Maybe there is an endless proliferation of universes going on all the time, everywhere. Maybe they can be created. Maybe our universe was created by intelligent beings in its parent universe, and deliberately endowed with the laws of chemistry and physics which encourage the development of intelligent life. Or maybe there is a Darwinian process at work, and each baby universe carries the best traits of its parents onwards and upwards.
For me, the flaw of all this type of thinking is that it all starts from the axiom that human intelligence is somehow paramount, exceptional, correct, privileged and of immense transcendent importance.
In my opinion it isn’t. Human beings and human intelligence are obviously an accident which came into being to deal with certain conditions and will pass away when conditions change. Humanity is a transient accident, made up of billions of transient entities.
11. Worlds Without End?
A trot through alternative versions of The End. As early as the 1930s, Richard Tolman speculated that after each big crunch the universe is born again in another big bang, creating a sequence or rebirths. Unfortunately, a number of factors militate against complete regularity; the contraction period would create unique problems to do with the conversion of mass into radiation which would mean the starting point of the next singularity would be different – more degraded, less energy – than the one before.
In 1983 the Russian physicist Andre Linde speculated that the quantum state of the early universe might have varied from region to region, and so different regions might have experienced Alan Guth’s hyper-inflationary growth at different rates.
There might be millions of bubble universes all expanding at different rates, maybe with different fundamental qualities. A kind of bubble bath of multiple universes. We find ourselves in one of them but way off, beyond the limit of our vision, there may be an infinity of alternatives.
There is no end to the manufacture of these baby universe, and maybe no beginning.
Lastly, Davies re-examines the ‘steady state’ version of the universe propounded by Hermann Bondi and and Thomas Gold in the 1950s. They conceded the universe is expanding but said it always has. They invented ‘the creation field’ which produced a steady stream of new matter to ensure the expanding universe was always filled with the same amount of matter, and therefore gravity, to keep it stable. Their theory is another way of dispensing of an ‘end’ of the universe, as of a ‘beginning’, but it suffers from logical problems and, for most cosmologists, was disproved by the discovery of the microwave background radiation in 1965.
The Last Three Minutes: Conjectures about the Ultimate Fate of the Universe on Amazon
The Science Masters series
Reviews of other science books
The Perfect Theory by Pedro G. Ferreira (2014)
The Book of Universes by John D. Barrow
The Origin Of The Universe: To the Edge of Space and Time by John D. Barrow (1994)
The Last Three Minutes: Conjectures about the Ultimate Fate of the Universe by Paul Davies (1994)
The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle (1957)
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014)
The Sixth Extinction by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin (1995)
The Origin of Our Species by Chris Stringer (2011)
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond (1997)
Genetics and life
What Is Life? How Chemistry Becomes Biology by Addy Pross (2012)
The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson (1992)
The Double Helix by James Watson (1968)
Alex’s Adventures in Numberland by Alex Bellos (2010)
Nature’s Numbers: Discovering Order and Pattern in the Universe by Ian Stewart (1995)
Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences by John Allen Paulos (1988)
A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper: Making Sense of the Numbers in the Headlines by John Allen Paulos (1995)
Atomic by Jim Baggott (2009)
Tips For Trying To Think Less Irrationally
Irrationality: The Enemy Within by Stuart Sutherland (1992)
Judgement Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman (1974)
Posted in Books, cosmology, Science
Tagged Alan Guth, Andre Linde, asteroids, astrophysics, Big Bang, Big Crunch, black hole, comets, Cosmic Background Explorer, cosmic microwave background, dark matter, Death Star, Don Page, Edwin Hubble, entropy, Frank de Luccia, Frank Tipler, Galaxy, gas clouds, God and the New Physics, Heat death, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, Hermann Bondi, Hermann von Helmholtz, humanity, inflation, isotropy, John Barrow, Jupiter, magnetic monopoles, mankind, Mars, Martin Rees, proton decay, Proxima Centauri, Randall McKee, red dwarf, red giant, red-shift, Richard Tolman, Rudolf Clausius, Science Masters, Sidney Coleman, solar system, steady state, Stephen Hawking, sub-atomic particles, supernova, the Dying Universe, the First Three Minutes, The Last Three Minutes, the Milky Way, The Mind of God, the Orion Arm, Thomas Gold, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, white dwarf, WIMPs
https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2019/04/09/the-last-three-minutes-paul-davies/
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Facebook plugins (Like & Share buttons)
Our website includes plugins for the social network Facebook, Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. The Facebook plugins can be recognized by the Facebook logo or the Like button on our site. For an overview of Facebook plugins, see https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.
When you visit our site, a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server is established via the plugin. This enables Facebook to receive information that you have visited our site from your IP address. If you click on the Facebook «Like button» while you are logged into your Facebook account, you can link the content of our site to your Facebook profile. This allows Facebook to associate visits to our site with your user account. Please note that, as the operator of this site, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted to Facebook or of how Facebook uses these data. For more information, please see Facebook's privacy policy at https://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php.
If you do not want Facebook to associate your visit to our site with your Facebook account, please log out of your Facebook account.
Functions of the Twitter service have been integrated into our website and app. These features are offered by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. When you use Twitter and the «Retweet» function, the websites you visit are connected to your Twitter account and made known to other users. In doing so, data will also be transferred to Twitter. We would like to point out that, as the provider of these pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted or how it will be used by Twitter. For more information on Twitter's privacy policy, please go to https://twitter.com/privacy.
Your privacy preferences with Twitter can be modified in your account settings at https://twitter.com/account/settings.
Our pages use Google+ functions. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Collection and disclosure of information: Using the Google +1 button allows you to publish information worldwide. By means of the Google+ button, you and other users can receive custom content from Google and our partners. Google stores both the fact that you have +1'd a piece of content and information about the page you were viewing when you clicked +1. Your +1 can be displayed together with your profile name and photo in Google services, for example in search results or in your Google profile, or in other places on websites and advertisements on the Internet.
Google records information about your +1 activities to improve Google services for you and others. To use the Google + button, you need a globally visible, public Google profile that must contain at least the name chosen for the profile. This name is used by all Google services. In some cases, this name may also replace a different name that you have used to share content via your Google account. The identity of your Google profile can be shown to users who know your email address or other information that can identify you.
Use of collected data: In addition to the uses mentioned above, the information you provide is used in accordance with the applicable Google data protection policies. Google may publish summary statistics about users' +1 activity or share it with users and partners, such as publishers, advertisers, or affiliate websites.
Our website contains functions of the Instagram service. These functions are offered by Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
If you are logged into your Instagram account, you can click the Instagram button to link the content of our pages with your Instagram profile. This means that Instagram can associate visits to our pages with your user account. As the provider of this website, we expressly point out that we receive no information on the content of the transmitted data or its use by Instagram.
For more information, see the Instagram Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/.
Our site uses functions from the LinkedIn network. The service is provided by LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Each time one of our pages containing LinkedIn features is accessed, your browser establishes a direct connection to the LinkedIn servers. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our web pages from your IP address. If you use the LinkedIn «Recommend» button and are logged into your LinkedIn account, it is possible for LinkedIn to associate your visit to our website to your user account. We would like to point out that, as the provider of these pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted or how it will be used by LinkedIn.
More information can be found in the LinkedIn privacy policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
Our website uses features provided by the XING network. The provider is XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany.
Each time one of our pages containing XING features is accessed, your browser establishes a direct connection to the XING servers. To the best of our knowledge, no personal data is stored in the process. In particular, no IP addresses are stored nor is usage behavior evaluated.
For more information about data protection and the XING Share button, please see the XING privacy policy at https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection.
Our website contains functions of the Pinterest social network, operated by Pinterest Inc., 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA.
When you visit a page containing the Pinterest social plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the Pinterest servers. The plugin transmits this log data to Pinterest servers in the United States. This log data may include your IP address, the address of the websites visited, which also includes Pinterest features, browser type and settings, the date and time of the request, how you use Pinterest, and cookies.
More information about the purpose, scope and further processing and use of data by Pinterest, as well as your rights and options to protect your privacy, can be found in the privacy notices of Pinterest: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.
6. Analytics and advertising
Google Analytics uses so-called «cookies». These are text files that are stored on your computer and that allow an analysis of the use of the website by you. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
We have activated the IP anonymization feature on this website. Your IP address will be shortened by Google within the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area prior to transmission to the United States. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address sent to a Google server in the US and shortened there. Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services regarding website activity and Internet usage for the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with any other data held by Google.
Outsourced data processing
We have entered into an agreement with Google for the outsourcing of our data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the Swiss data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.
Demographic data collection by Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics' demographic features. This allows reports to be generated containing statements about the age, gender, and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising from Google and third-party visitor data. This collected data cannot be attributed to any specific individual person. You can disable this feature at any time by adjusting the ads settings in your Google account or you can forbid the collection of your data by Google Analytics as described in the section «Refusal of data collection».
Our website uses the etracker analytics service. The service is provided by etracker GmbH, Erste Brunnenstraße 1, 20459 Hamburg, Germany. This data can be used to create pseudonymous usage profiles. Cookies may be used for this purpose. Cookies are small text files stored in your local browser cache. These cookies enable the recognition of your browser. The data collected by the etracker technologies are not used to determine the personal identity of website visitors and are not compiled together with personal data related to the person referred to by the pseudonym unless expressly agreed to by the person concerned.
etracker cookies remain on your device until you delete them.
The storage of etracker cookies is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.
You can object to the collection and storage of your data at any time with future effect. To refuse the collection and storage of your visitor data for the future, you can use the etracker opt-out cookie at the following link. This means that in the future no visitor information will be collected and stored by etracker in your browser: https://www.etracker.de/privacy?et=V23Jbb.
Using this will set an opt-out-cookie called «cntcookie» from etracker. Please do not delete this cookie if you wish your refusal to consent to remain valid. For more information, see the etracker privacy policy: https://www.etracker.com/de/datenschutz.html.
Completion of an outsourced data processing contract
We have entered into an agreement with etracker for the outsourcing of our data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using etracker.
This website uses Google AdSense, a service for including advertisements from Google Inc. («Google»). It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google AdSense uses so-called «cookies», which are text files stored in your computer that enable an analysis of the way you use the website. Google AdSense also uses so-called web beacons (invisible graphics). Through these web beacons, information such as the visitor traffic on these pages can be evaluated.
The information generated by cookies and web beacons relating to your use of this website (including your IP address), and delivery of advertising formats, is transmitted to a Google server in the US and stored there. This information can be passed on from Google to contracting parties of Google. However, Google will not merge your IP address with other data you have stored.
AdSense cookies are stored based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.
You can prevent the installation of cookies by setting your browser software accordingly. Please be aware that in this case, you may not be able to make full use of all the features of this website. By using this website, you agree to the processing of data relating to you and collected by Google as described and for the purposes set out above.
Our websites use the features of Google Analytics Remarketing combined with the cross-device capabilities of Google AdWords and DoubleClick. This service is provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
This feature makes it possible to link target audiences for promotional marketing created with Google Analytics Remarketing to the cross-device capabilities of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. This allows advertising to be displayed based on your personal interests, identified based on your previous usage and surfing behavior on one device (e.g. your mobile phone), on other devices (such as a tablet or computer).
Once you have given your consent, Google will associate your web and app browsing history with your Google Account for this purpose. That way, any device that signs in to your Google Account can use the same personalized promotional messaging.
To support this feature, Google Analytics collects Google-authenticated IDs of users that are temporarily linked to our Google Analytics data to define and create audiences for cross-device ad promotion.
You can permanently opt out of cross-device remarketing/targeting by turning off personalized advertising in your Google Account; follow this link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.
The aggregation of the data collected in your Google Account data is based solely on your consent, which you may give or withdraw from Google per Art. 6 (1) (a) DSGVO. For data collection operations not merged into your Google Account (for example, because you do not have a Google Account or have objected to the merge), the collection of data is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing anonymous user behavior for promotional purposes.
For more information and the Google Privacy Policy, go to: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/.
Google AdWords and Google Conversion Tracking
This website uses Google AdWords. AdWords is an online advertising program from Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States («Google»).
As part of Google AdWords, we use so-called conversion tracking. When you click on an ad served by Google, a conversion tracking cookie is set. Cookies are small text files that your internet browser stores on your computer. These cookies expire after 30 days and are not used for personal identification of the user. Should the user visit certain pages of the website and the cookie has not yet expired, Google and the website can tell that the user clicked on the ad and proceeded to that page.
Each Google AdWords advertiser has a different cookie. Thus, cookies cannot be tracked using the website of an AdWords advertiser. The information obtained using the conversion cookie is used to create conversion statistics for the AdWords advertisers who have opted for conversion tracking. Customers are told the total number of users who clicked on their ad and were redirected to a conversion tracking tag page. However, advertisers do not obtain any information that can be used to personally identify users. If you do not want to participate in tracking, you can opt-out of this by easily disabling the Google Conversion Tracking cookie by changing your browser settings. In doing so, you will not be included in the conversion tracking statistics.
Conversion cookies are stored based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior to optimize both its website and its advertising.
For more information about Google AdWords and Google Conversion Tracking, see the Google Privacy Policy: https://www.google.de/policies/privacy/.
We use «Google reCAPTCHA» (hereinafter «reCAPTCHA») on our websites. This service is provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA («Google»).
reCAPTCHA is used to check whether the data entered on our website (such as on a contact form) has been entered by a human or by an automated program. To do this, reCAPTCHA analyzes the behavior of the website visitor based on various characteristics. This analysis starts automatically as soon as the website visitor enters the website. For the analysis, reCAPTCHA evaluates various information (e.g. IP address, how long the visitor has been on the website, or mouse movements made by the user). The data collected during the analysis will be forwarded to Google.
The reCAPTCHA analyses take place completely in the background. Website visitors are not advised that such an analysis is taking place.
Data processing is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its site from abusive automated crawling and spam.
For more information about Google reCAPTCHA and Google's privacy policy, please visit the following links: https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/ and https://www.google.com/recaptcha/intro/android.html.
Our website measures conversions using visitor action pixels from Facebook, Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA («Facebook»).
These allow the behavior of site visitors to be tracked after they click on a Facebook ad to reach the provider's website. This allows an analysis of the effectiveness of Facebook advertisements for statistical and market research purposes and their future optimization.
The data collected is anonymous to us as operators of this website and we cannot use it to draw any conclusions about our users' identities. However, the data are stored and processed by Facebook, which may make a connection to your Facebook profile and which may use the data for its own advertising purposes, as stipulated in the Facebook privacy policy. This will allow Facebook to display ads both on Facebook and on third-party sites. We have no control over how this data is used.
Check out Facebook's privacy policy to learn more about protecting your privacy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.
You can also deactivate the custom audiences remarketing feature in the Ads Settings section at https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen. You will first need to log into Facebook.
If you do not have a Facebook account, you can opt out of usage-based advertising from Facebook on the website of the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/.
If you would like to receive our newsletter, we require a valid email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the specified email address and that you agree to receive this newsletter. No additional data is collected or is only collected on a voluntary basis. We only use this data to send the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.
We will, therefore, process any data you enter onto the contact form only with your consent per Art. 6 (1) (a) DSGVO. You can revoke consent to the storage of your data and email address as well as their use for sending the newsletter at any time, e.g. through the «unsubscribe» link in the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.
The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members area) remain unaffected.
This website uses the services of MailChimp to send newsletters. This service is provided by Rocket Science Group LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA.
MailChimp is a service which organizes and analyzes the distribution of newsletters. If you provide data (e.g. your email address) to subscribe to our newsletter, it will be stored on MailChimp servers in the USA.
MailChimp is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield. The Privacy Shield is an agreement between the European Union (EU) and the US to ensure compliance with European privacy standards in the United States.
We use MailChimp to analyze our newsletter campaigns. When you open an email sent by MailChimp, a file included in the email (called a web beacon) connects to MailChimp's servers in the United States. This allows us to determine if a newsletter message has been opened and which links you click on. In addition, technical information is collected (e.g. time of retrieval, IP address, browser type, and operating system). This information cannot be assigned to a specific recipient. It is used exclusively for the statistical analysis of our newsletter campaigns. The results of these analyses can be used to better tailor future newsletters to your interests.
If you do not want your usage of the newsletter to be analyzed by MailChimp, you will have to unsubscribe from the newsletter. For this purpose, we provide a link in every newsletter we send. You can also unsubscribe from the newsletter directly on the website.
Data processing is based on Art. 6 (1) (a) DSGVO. You may revoke your consent at any time by unsubscribing to the newsletter. The data processed before we receive your request may still be legally processed.
The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted from our servers and those of MailChimp. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members area) remains unaffected.
For details, see the MailChimp privacy policy at https://mailchimp.com/legal/terms/.
Completion of a data processing agreement
We have entered into a data processing agreement with MailChimp, in which we require MailChimp to protect the data of our customers and not to disclose said data to third parties. This agreement may be viewed at the following link: https://mailchimp.com/legal/forms/data-processing-agreement/sample-agreement/.
This website uses CleverReach to send newsletters. The supplier is CleverReach GmbH & Co. KG, Mühlenstr. 43, 26180 Rastede. CleverReach is a service which organizes and analyzes the distribution of newsletters. The data you provide (e.g. your email address) to subscribe to our newsletter will be stored on CleverReach servers in Germany.
Sending our newsletters with CleverReach enables us to analyze the behavior of newsletter recipients. Among other things, we can find out how many recipients have opened the email containing the newsletter and how often various links contained therein are clicked. With the help of conversion tracking, we can also analyze whether a predefined action (such as the purchase of a product on our website) takes place after clicking on the link in the newsletter. For more information on how data is analyzed by CleverReach, please visit https://www.cleverreach.com/de/funktionen/reporting-und-tracking/.
If you do not want your usage of the newsletter to be analyzed by CleverReach, you will have to unsubscribe from the newsletter. For this purpose, we provide a link in every newsletter we send. You can also unsubscribe from the newsletter directly on the website.
The data provided when registering for the newsletter will be used to distribute the newsletter until you cancel your subscription when said data will be deleted from our servers and those of CleverReach. Data we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members area) remains unaffected.
For more information, see the privacy policy of CleverReach at https://www.cleverreach.com/de/datenschutz/.
We have entered into an agreement with CleverReach for the outsourcing of our data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using CleverReach.
8. Plugins and tools
Our website uses plugins from YouTube, which is operated by Google. The operator of the pages is YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA.
If you visit one of our pages featuring a YouTube plugin, a connection to the YouTube servers is established. Here the YouTube server is informed about which of our pages you have visited.
If you're logged in to your YouTube account, YouTube allows you to associate your browsing behavior directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.
YouTube is used to help make our website appealing. This constitutes a justified interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO.
Further information about handling user data, can be found in the data protection declaration of YouTube under https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy.
Our website uses features provided by the Vimeo video portal. This service is provided by Vimeo Inc., 555 West 18th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA.
If you visit one of our pages featuring a Vimeo plugin, a connection to the Vimeo servers is established. Here the Vimeo server is informed about which of our pages you have visited. In addition, Vimeo will receive your IP address. This also applies if you are not logged in to Vimeo when you visit our website or do not have a Vimeo account. The information is transmitted to a Vimeo server in the US, where it is stored.
If you are logged in to your Vimeo account, Vimeo allows you to associate your browsing behavior directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your Vimeo account.
For more information on how to handle user data, please refer to the Vimeo Privacy Policy at https://vimeo.com/privacy.
For uniform representation of fonts, this page possibly uses web fonts provided by Google. When you open a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into your browser cache to display texts and fonts correctly.
For this purpose your browser has to establish a direct connection to Google servers. Google thus becomes aware that our web page was accessed via your IP address. The use of Google Web fonts is done in the interest of a uniform and attractive presentation of our website. This constitutes a justified interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO.
If your browser does not support web fonts, a standard font is used by your computer.
Further information about handling user data, can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google's privacy policy at https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
This site uses the Google Maps map service via an API. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
To use Google Maps, it is necessary to save your IP address. This information is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The provider of this site has no influence on this data transfer.
The use of Google Maps is in the interest of making our website appealing and to facilitate the location of places specified by us on the website. This constitutes a justified interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) DSGVO.
Further information about handling user data, can be found in the data protection declaration of Google at https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/.
Our website accepts payments via PayPal. The provider of this service is PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l & Cie, S.C.A. (22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg.
If you select payment via PayPal, the payment data you provide will be supplied to PayPal based on Art. 6 (1) (a) (Consent) and Art. 6 (1) (b) DSGVO (Processing for contract purposes). You have the option to revoke your consent at any time with future effect. It does not affect the processing of data previously collected.
Our website accepts payments via Sofortüberweisung. The provider of this service is Sofort GmbH, Theresienhöhe 12, 80339 Munich, Germany.
Sofortüberweisung provides us with real-time payment confirmations, allowing us to begin fulfilling our end of our contract right away.
If you opt to pay using Sofortüberweisung, you will be submitting a PIN and a valid TAN to Sofort GmbH so that it can access your online banking account. Sofort GmbH will automatically check your account balance and perform the transfer to our account using the TAN you supply. It then sends an immediate transaction confirmation. After logging in, your income, the overdraft protection, and the availability of other accounts and their balances will be checked.
In addition to the PIN and TAN, the payment details you provide as well as personal information will be sent to Sofort GmbH. This personal information includes your name, address, telephone numbers, email address, IP address, and any other data required to process your payment. This data must be transferred to identify you securely and to prevent fraud.
Data is transmitted to Sofort GmbH based on Art. 6 (1) (a) (Consent) and Art. 6 (1) (b) DSGVO (Processing for contract purposes). You have the option to revoke your consent at any time with future effect. It does not affect the processing of data previously collected.
Please refer to the payment with Sofortüberweisung links below: https://www.sofort.de/datenschutz.html and https://www.klarna.com/sofort/.
Paydirect
Our website accepts payments via Paydirekt. The provider of this service is Paydirekt GmbH, Hamburger Allee 26-28, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (hereafter referred to as «Paydirekt»).
When you make payments through Paydirekt, Paydirekt collects various pieces of transaction data and forwards it to the bank you have indicated to Paydirekt. In addition to the data required for the payment, Paydirekt will also collect such data as your shipping address or the items in your shopping cart.
Paydirekt then authenticates the transaction by using the authentication method your bank has set up. The payment is then transferred from your account to ours. Neither we nor third parties have access to your account information.
For more information, see the terms and conditions and privacy policy of Paydirekt at https://www.paydirekt.de/agb/index.html.
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Steven Cohen's 365 Days of Reviews
Writing a review every day, when I feel like it.
← 030 – Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
042 – Hail, Caesar! (2016) →
031 – The Finest Hours (2016)
Posted by Steven Cohen
Think back to your favorite movie about the military. Unless that flick is 2006’s The Guardian (and it’s probably not because I don’t think The Guardian is anyone’s favorite anything) I’ll bet it has nothing to do with the United States Coast Guard. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines – they all feature prominently in heroic tales of action and suspense, but the Coast Guard has had no such luck. Until now. Disney and director Craig Gillespie bring the public the movie they’ve been clamoring for in the form of The Finest Hours – and the good news for me is that it’s actually pretty well done.
It’s the winter of 1952 and timid Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), a somewhat disgraced crewman at a Coast Guard outpost in Chatham, Massachusetts, falls in love with a strong, outspoken local girl named Miriam (Holliday Grainger). Before their relationship can really take off though, a nor’easter hits the region and Bernie’s commander (Eric Bana) orders him out to rescue the remaining crew of a tanker (led by Casey Affleck’s Ray Sybert) which has broken in half off the coast. After failing to be effective in a similar situation the year before, Bernie takes a small crew (Ben Foster, Kyle Gallner, Ben Magaro) and resolves to do anything and everything possible to save those men, even if it kills him.
For the majority of its runtime The Finest Hours splits Bernie and Sybert into pretty disparate storylines. Bernie’s is a contemplative study of a man struggling to do what he believes is right, while Sybert and the crew on the S. S. Pendleton participate in a survival picture stressing the importance of human ingenuity. Both aspects thrive under the tenacity of their main characters, and these segments only work because of their lead actors. Casey Affleck has subtly revealed himself to be a capable presence in most of his film work of late – his turns in movies like Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and Gone Baby Gone have shown there’s more to him as an actor than the bickering brother role from Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s movies might have indicated. Slightly more surprising is though is Pine’s performance; since breaking out in Star Trek, Pine has excelled in loud, cocky roles, which is the opposite of what he does here. Bernie is quiet and thoughtful and despite his cinematic reputation and his handsome features, you believe Pine as the meek and modest seaman.
Both performances are very understated (to the extent that I could understand an argument declaring them sleepy, though I wouldn’t agree with it), which is true even of the supporting cast, particularly Grainger, Foster, and Magaro – the latter of whom is slowly making a name for himself as a solid supporting player in excellent pictures such as Carol and The Big Short. Even the smaller roles ably portrayed by lesser-known character actors evoke a proud New England stoicism. The only thing really holding these actors back are the accents that they’re saddled with; The Finest Hours is full of northeastern accents of all sorts – some that work and some that don’t. It’s a testament to the acting itself that most of the roles feel lived in and legitimate despite this hurdle, but unfortunately this can’t be said for Bana, whose accent is unplaceable and inconsistent. It is clear that Bana’s Daniel Cluff is not from Chatham (the real-life officer was actually from Virginia) but Bana sometimes slips into it anyway, perhaps as a result of being confused by all of the voice work going on around him. Luckily Gillespie and editor Tatiana S. Riegel keep him out of the majority of the film so he doesn’t become too much of a distraction.
Bana’s performance really is the picture’s biggest flaw. The special effects are a little shoddy at parts, but they are greatly aided by the fact that most of the movie is dark, and Carter Burwell’s score is a little hammering and on-the-nose at a few points (though it works really well as an isolated soundtrack). The only other aspect of the movie some viewers might have difficulty reckoning with is its faith-based morality. Affleck’s half of the movie places a ton of value on hard work and self-worth, but Pine’s really engages with the idea of belief – both in yourself but also in a design of some sort. Sybert spends a good chunk of the movie denying the concept of luck, but it ultimately provides for salvation. Those who fall more in line with science over religion may roll their eyes at the an almost literal deus ex machina, but the screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson doesn’t seem to be out to discredit either, as the rescue can’t be pulled off without both. In an era when cheaply-made and poorly-conceived movies about faith keep getting pumped out, it’s nice to see a picture that can acknowledge such concepts without shoving a high-horsed lesson down your throat.
It’s possible The Finest Hours looks good in comparison to all of the other crap I’ve seen in theaters so far this year, but I’m not going to think too hard about it. I view the movie as a rare diamond in this very rough January. If I ever encounter it again it may beg for reappraisal, but for now The Finest Hours receives a surprising (I’m surprised that I’m about to type this) four out of five confused Australians:
Tagged ben foster, ben magaro, carter burwell, casey affleck, chris pine, craig gillespie, eric bana, eric johnson, holliday grainger, kyle gallner, paul tamasy, scott silver, tatiana s. riegel, the finest hours
059 – A Hamilton Sing-Along
052 – The New Four-Way Stop at the Corner of Lexington and Seward
042 – Hail, Caesar! (2016)
030 – Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
059 – A Hamilt… on 032 – The 3 Clubs Cockta…
Steven Cohen on 052 – The New Four-Way S…
peggyatthemovies on 052 – The New Four-Way S…
peggyatthemovies on 042 – Hail, Caesar!…
denisavn on 042 – Hail, Caesar!…
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2005 Lower Section National Finals - Test Piece Reviews
4BR has a look at the four test pieces and the four composers whose works will be on show this weekend.
Pageantry � Herbert Howells
There is no doubt that Herbert Howell's suite �Pageantry' is one of the true masterpieces of the brass band movement.
Written for the 1934 British Open Championships (although the second movement was omitted for the contest), it was a revelation at the time � a work of true English modality, but with rich echoes of almost medieval flourishes allied to exotic flair and immensely detailed technical demands. It remains to this day a most severe test of musicianship for players and conductors alike, and as a result has been resurrected on innumerable occasions to test bands � most notably of late at the All England Master Championships in 2001.
However, since 1995 Howells's great work has undergone a little musical restoration and is no longer a work untouched.
In 1995 the piece was subjected to what it must be said was a very sympathetic and neutral bit of cosmetic surgery in the form of additional percussion writing by Philip Wilby. This was done through the request of the publishers, the then Novello and Chester Brass Band Series whose General Editor was Bram Gay.
It caused a huge furore in the banding press. Letters were sent to the British Bandsman in particular (for those of you with back copies, look around the time of issues 4813 onwards) and Mr Gay replied twice to explain the reasons why he believed the rescoring was necessary. He felt that �Sadly, this wonderful score includes only the simple and rather ineffectual writing for �drums' though it makes occasional reference to timpani. This was acceptable in the days when contests had no percussion. Today it represents a handicap to the music."
Whatever your feelings on the matter � and in all honesty it was rather like putting in double glazing in Westminster Abbey � it may improve the insulation but it would do nothing for the architectural integrity of the place; it still seems a rather pointless request.
�Pageantry' was a truly great work before it's nip and tuck treatment, and although as fine a job as Philip Wilby has done, it still takes something away from what is near enough the perfect musical vehicle of a contesting piece.
The work is in three movements: �King's Herald' an immensely detailed and virtoistic opener, the somber funereal �Cortege' and the joyous almost playful call to arms in �Jousts'.
In 1937 Howell's recast �King's Herald' as a fanfare prelude for the coronation of George VI (which was forgotten amid to acidity of the letter writing, and was rather spuriously used as final justification for the changes) but it is in its original form as a pure brass band test piece that it remained in its most acceptable guise.
Strangely for such a significant work, there is no �story' or inspiration given by the composer about his work. It is dedicated to John Henry Iles and was composed in the Spring of 1934. Again for its use at the 1937 Nationals the second movement was omitted due to time constraints.
After the performances heard by the composer in 1937 he wrote "For a composer may count with certainty on only a few superlative performances of a work in a lifetime. On Saturday (the contest took place at Alexandra Palace) I heard half a dozen in one afternoon."
He went on further to say: "Pageantry, with all its difficulties, and quips and cranks and unexpectedness has already become a new normal standard for our greater brass bands. That is a highly significant fact."
That was indeed true in 1937 as it is today � with or without the extra percussion writing. The opening will test both the nerves, tuning and technique of the ensemble and individual whilst the beauty of the second movement should give the best bands the chance to show off their eloquence and warmth as well as the conductors ability to bring emotion and pathos to the performance. �Jousts' should showcase the cornet players or course but it will also give the whole ensemble the chance to shine.
�Pageantry' remains a fascinating work to this day � even in its slightly amened form and as happened all those years ago, only the very best bands will master it here.
Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Herbert Howells taught composition at the Royal College of Music which has a distinguished tradition of composer-teachers going back to Parry and Stanford, both of whom joined the institution when it opened in 1883. Howells was also associated with the University of London. He was appointed King Edward VII Professor, a somewhat anomalous position, since the University did not have a music faculty. When his successor Thurston Dart set one up at King's College in 1964, he met with considerable opposition from the music colleges, who had little awareness of and sympathy for current concepts of musicology.
In an interview with Christopher Palmer, Howells states that one of the two revelatory musical experiences of his youth was hearing the premiere of the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis in Gloucester Cathedral in 1910, the excitement of the performance being magnified by the coincidence that, after leaving the rostrum, Vaughan Williams happened to sit next to Howells and the two of them followed the same score through the subsequent performance of The Dream of Gerontius. (How rarely do people follow scores in performances now!). Both were Gloucestershire men, though from opposite sides of the county. Howells came from Lydney on the Welsh side of the Severn, Vaughan Williams from Down Ampney (between Cirencester and Swindon).
Their musical tastes were very similar; the English folk idiom is less overt in Howells, but both were influenced by music of the sixteenth century, which in Howells' case led to a contrapuntal approach to music. Howells contrasted the blocks of sound typical of the music of Delius, whom he admired for his mastery of flow and continuity, with his own manner; 'I think polyphonically, in lines'.
Howells was never a pupil of Vaughan Williams, and in fact both were colleagues at the Royal College of Music; Vaughan Williams taught composition there from 1919 and Howells joined him the following year. Howells seems to have lacked the self-promotional skills necessary for success as a composer, and few of his works were widely performed. But a handful of his works have become classics. For those familiar with the church repertoire, he is one of the major English composers of the century. The marvellously flowing A Spotless Rose is sung in many a carol service, the poignant anthem Like as the hart reminds one of Summertime as much as the English cathedral style, and there is a whole series of services.
One of the outstanding songs of the pre-Britten period is his King David (with words by Howells' favourite poet. Walter de la Mare). He also wrote the only substantial and successful body of music this century for the clavichord with the collections Lambert's Clavichord and Howells' Clavichord. There is some fine music for organ, the instrument which was his primary study. However, GMCD 7119 contains most of Howells' published piano music.
The Belmont Variations � Arthur Bliss
Arthur Bliss (he wasn't knighted until 1950) spent the latter part of 1935 undertaking a musical preamble around England for a series of articles he was to write for The Listener magazine. On his trips he encountered a number of amateur brass bands and as a result was enthused enough to write his �Kenilworth Suite' which was used at the National Finals in 1936.
For someone however who showed such enthusiasm for the movement at the time, it is rather surprising that he didn't then write another major work for the medium for another 27 years, when �The Belmont Variations' was used at the 1963 Nationals.
There may be many reasons for this. Bliss may have been initially enthused about what he heard, but he was not totally bowled over (he was of the belief that brass bands, like young children were better to suited to the outdoors) and although �Kenilworth' was well received it was not a work of any great individuality or musical substance in comparison to �Pageantry' which had only just preceded it and from which it unsuccessfully mimics much of its subject matter.
By 1963, Bliss returned to give us �The Belmont Variations', inspired by the birthplace in assachusetts of his wife, (and not the erotic work of the writer Robert Klein Engler for sure) and which comprises of a theme and six variations plus a finale.
It is not a great work for brass band. Arranged from the original material by Frank Wright, it is a functional example of compositional craft. The simple theme is explored in academic style through each variation in rather prosaic examples of each musical mode, and although there is the famous three way cadenza, even that is more of a means to an end rather than an exploration of new territory. This is sub standard Bliss � a rather tame and uninteresting work, and one that although elegant and restrained seems a composition out of its time � even in 1963. Frank Wright's arranging skills were being utilized by the movement to the full at the time, but like many of his other arrangements this too is based too conservatively on pitch and not on colour.
However, Frank Wright himself wrote the following programme note for the work when it was used in 1963 at the National Finals, where the CWS (Manchester) Band conducted by Alex Mortimer won the day:
The Belmont Variations was a happy inspiration. Named after the birthplace, Masachusetts, USA of the composer's wife, it comprises a theme, a set of free style variations and a Finale. A searching enough test for the players � although mere ingenuity is here quite properly subordinate to high artistic ideals � it also provides scope for imaginative treatment from the conductor's angle. Of unusual interest are a trombone trio, a mixed quartet and a triple cadenza. That the work richly enhances the brass band repertoire needs hardly to be stated.
After a short ascending passage on cornets and trombones the theme, lyrical in style but not without a hint of the dramatic, is ushered in by flugel and solo horns. With its clear texture, its changing colours and agreeable harmonies it is at once an admirable subject for variation treatment.
In Variation 1 a gently flowing six eight version of the theme, first in the flugel and later taken over by the euphonium, is in comfortable conflict with a contrapuntal, staccato bass in simple duple time � six notes against four.
Only the alert may be expected to catch the fleeting snatches of the theme in the constant stream of soft, chattering semiquavers in this Second Variation!
A mood of melancholy prevails in Variation III. After a short introductory passage in which the flugel, over a chromatic bass, foreshadows a beguiling obligato, the euphonium enters with a sad, suave version of the theme, supported intermittently by trombone. The variation ends in serene rest.
In Variation IV the cornet sings joyfully in waltz time. An operatic flavour is heightened when towards the close of the �aria' the prima donna (cornet) is joined by two rival tenors (euphonium and trombone) in a three way cadenza!
A right merry affair is Variation V! In stentorian unison trombones, soon to combine with basses, proclaim the theme, a vigorously rhythmic and close knit accompaniment adding strong support.
A breath of woodland countryside pervades Variation VI. In an expressive, leisurely six-eight a trombone trio sets the scene, followed in the same vein by a mixed quartet. Finally the woodland call is taken up by the full band. Smoothly integrating sections for three such diverse combinations � the theme, incidentally, is never far distant � this variation is surely unique.
A spirit of dignified revelry characterizes the Finale. We meet again the introduction to the theme, transformed by a powerful Polonaise rhythm which dominates the whole. Snippets of the theme slip easily into place and titanic climaxes contrast strongly with sudden drops to piano. But for all its differing dynamic levels this �Seventh Variation' has about it a certain pomp and grandeur � altogether a fitting culmination to the entire work.
Sir Arthur Bliss (1871 � 1975)
Sir Arthur Bliss studied music at Cambridge under Charles Wood and at the Royal College of Music in the company of other brilliant students including Herbert Howells, Ivor Gurney and Eugene Goosens. His musical studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War in which he gave distinguished service but was also wounded in the Battle of the Somme and gassed at Cambrai.
The tragic death in battle of his brother, Kennard, together with his own war experiences had a profound and lasting impact on his life and in his music, and found expression most particularly in his choral symphony, Morning Heroes (1930).
After the war Bliss established himself as a composer on the London scene before moving to the USA in the early 1920s to accompany his American father who had retired there. In California he met Gertude Hoffmann, whom he married and brought back to London in 1925. They had two daughters, Barbara and Karen.
In the meantime Bliss the composer continued to flourish, being commissioned to write the cinema's first great film score with the music for Alexander Korda's film of H.G. Wells' Things to come (1935).
In 1941 he became director of music at the BBC, where he established programmes such as "This Week's Composer", still enjoyed today in a similar form. Following his knighthood in 1950 he was appointed Master of the Queen's Musick. In this capacity he composed numerous works and fanfares for royal occasions including the Investiture of the Prince of Wales (1969). He continued composing up until his death at the age of 83.
Arthur Bliss was a prolific and versatile composer and he wrote over 140 works for every combination of voice and instrument, including large scale orchestral and choral works, music for brass bands, chamber instrumental music, songs, operas, ballets and film music. He even found time to indulge his passion for literature and wrote many articles on musical issues which are now collected together in Bliss on Music.
Bliss's autobiography �As I remember', provides a rich insight into his character, his life and his work.
A Gallimaufry Suite � Philip Harper
Philip Harper is an exceptionally talented musician, and it seems, a man with an inexhaustibly rich vein of musical ideas that he expertly brings to life in a whole plethora of compositions and arrangements.
During his tenure with the Flowers (now Polysteel) Band he has brought to the concert and contest stage any number of vibrant and exciting pieces as well as a considered selection of quite beautifully realised slower more reflective compositions.
He has also composed a number of longer contest works, primarily used at present for the lower sections, but all have been characterized by their exuberant use of colour and timbre, sparkling rhythms and liberal use of percussion. They are lyrical and very musical and both performers and audiences have enjoyed them to the full.
He has done it once more with this, his �A Gallimaufry Suite', written in four movements and which takes its inspiration in an almost Shakespearian interpretation of the word � �a hodgepodge, hash, inconsistent or absurd medley of persons' � (according to the Chambers Dictionary). It is not as someone we know at 4BR thought it was � is the title of the birthplace of Doctor Who.
Even though the title may suggest a rather haphazard work of little consequence, noting could be farther from the truth, as this is a skillfully developed, neat and precise work with an intuitive understanding of its needs and requirements as a set work for bands in Section 3.
There is plenty to test the bands technically and the conductors as well, but there is also a clear and open style of writing that makes the work accessible for the performers. Nothing is over egged for the sake of crass effect and there is plenty of variety in mood, tempi, dynamic and lyricism to keep the performers on their toes and the audiences on the edge of their seats.
The opening �Fanfare and Theme' is broadly set out with �brilliant' fanfares and a stately theme which will require balance and clarity to feel at ease and under control. The dynamic levels range from pianissimo to fortissimo, with a delicate ending that will test the nerves of any side drum players who are wearing boxing gloves on their hands.
The second movement is a Harper �oeuvre' all right. A rhythmic scherzo �Song' � dislocated by its time signature of 10/8 (played 3+3+2+2), which the composer describes as a children's song � quirky and cute, a reflection of many a five to seven year old before they have had their heads turned by soppy pop bands, designer labels and too many blue smarties and turkey twizzlers. It is vibrant and fun and asks a lot of every section of the band. You can bet many a conductor felt he must have had a whole classroom of little five year old darlings ion front of them at rehearsal on this!!
This leads into a quite lovely �Hymn' which has a almost �Welsh' feel to it. What we mean is that it is pitch just like the famous opening hymn in the red books � �Aberystwyth' � a little mournful and somber, but with a real feel as if it should be sung. The most obvious example of this occurs in the fourth bar � the solo cornet line flows through the bar whilst the three other instruments have a natural break � so which one is correct?
The movement never rises above mp also, so it will also be a real test on the ability of bands to play with control at the lower end of the dynamic scale.
The final �Toccata and Finale' is a real enjoyable romp with the chance for bands and their leading players to show off their technical expertise. The solo cornet takes the intial lead with some facile playing, and the euph players will earn their beer money a little later on with some devilishly difficult leaps. Everyone has more than a part to play throughout, and so does the MD who will have to measure a very long Stringendo to perfection just before the end. Too much and it will come to a premature halt, too little and the effect will be lost. All this and the percussion section keeps plugging away to underpin everything.
This is a fine work by Philip Harper � fresh and vibrant and it deserves to be enjoyed by everyone.
Phillip Harper
Philip Harper was born in Oxfordshire in 1973. He grew up in Essex where he played principal tenor horn with Castle Point and Aveley Bands as well as the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. He became the Southend Young Musician of the Year in 1990 and appeared on BBC TV's Young Musician of the Year.
Having been blown away by a performance by the Sun Life Band in 1987, Philip chose the University of Bristol for his musical studies, and between 1993 and 1996 he achieved his ambition of playing for the famous Bristol outfit at all of the major competitions. In 1995 he became the first-ever winner of the 'Best New Arrangement' prize at the Brass in Concert Championships, a prize he won again in 2003.
Philip met his wife, Anri, in 1992 and with a keenly-developed interest in all-things Japanese, he headed to the Land of the Rising Sun in 1996, working for two years as an English teacher. He appeared as guest soloist with most of Japan's brass bands whilst developing a penchant for Karaoke, (watching) Sumo, and Chawanmushi.
Returning to the UK in 1998, Philip became Composer in Residence of the Flowers Band, leading to the commissioning of, amongst other pieces, the flugel horn solo 'Beneath the Willows'. Philip's test-piece 'Sword, Jewel and Mirror', was selected for the Second Section of the Boosey and Hawkes National Brass Band Championships in 2000, and the concert piece 'Elan' was commissioned for the Gala Concert of the European Brass Band Championships 2000, premiered by the NYBB at Symphony Hall Birmingham in April 2000, conducted by Roy Newsome.
Between 1998 and 2000, Philip was the Musical Director of the Thornbury Band and gained recognition for presenting colourful and ambitious concert programmes. As well as this, under Philip's leadership the band became Gloucester Champions in 1998 and 1999 and West of England First Section Champions in 2000 and 2001, as well as achieving 4th place at the 1st Section National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall. In this period also Philip finally married Anri on the hottest day of 1999 in Bristol.
Philip was appointed the Musical Director of the Flowers Band in 2001, and has taken them to their highest ranking position ever (7th nationally, BBW July 2002). The band, under Philip's baton, were the Wychavon Festival Champions in 2001 and 2002, the Welsh Miner's Contest Champions in 2002 and the Yeovil Entertainment Champions in 2003 and 2004. Nationally the band have achieved top 6 places at the All England Masters in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and 9th place at the Championship Section National Finals in the Royal Albert Hall (the band's highest).
Philip has written and arranged many concert-pieces for the Flowers Band, most notably 'The Lion King' (with African chanting and a rolling-pin on the bass drum), 'The Gloucestershire Wassail' (with players 'gathering' from all around), 'Salsa Pa'Gozar' (with shouts, grunts, razzing trumpets and 9 percussion parts) and 'The Muppet Show' (includes the kitchen-sink and guaranteed a standing ovation!)
A Mendip Celebration � Darrol Barry
Darrol Barry's �A Mendip Celebration' was commissioned by the Old Wells Band and this four movement suite has already been successfully used (and thoroughly well received) in 2004 at the Norwegian National Championships before being selected for the 2005 Fourth Section National Finals in Harrogate.
Barry is a very clever and talented composer for brass, a musician who can combine all aspects of colour, timbre, technique and mood to suit all levels of performers from the very top Championship Section bands right through to the unique demands of the youth banding and lower section ensembles.
He is a real craftsman at what he does � his scores are beautifully laid out in a coherent and transparent fashion, leaving room for the conductor to see both what is required and what is needed to be worked on. He also untilises all the performers around the stand, so that even the humblest third cornet player, or the much neglected second baritone has both enough to test and stretch them as well. His percussion writing is excellent and forms an integral part of any of his compositions.
'A Mendip Celebration' is a fine example of his craft. The four movements vary in colour and style, in dynamic and technique and will require a quality band to deliver it in top class fashion. There is plenty of delicacy, more than enough to get your teeth into for those who like a good blow and enough musical rope for errant MDs to hang themselves with if they feel that they want to try something a bit different. The composer allows plenty of latitude for intelligent interpretation (especially in the third movement), but if any MD thinks he or she knows better than the man who wrote the piece, then beware � they will soon come a cropper.
The inspiration for the work comes from the lovely Mendip area � a part of the country that still retains enough charm and beauty even though it has now been very nearly overrun by second home buyers, caravaners and American tourists.
The opening 'Somerset Levels' sets the scene � opening with the flugel horn (three of the four movements open quietly � real bum clenchers!) and is a broad and flowing with a lively step up in tempo leading to a brilliant fanfare section and a romp for home and a real thumping end. Get this one out of the way and a bands confidence could be soaring.
This leads to a lovely expressive second section entitled, �Wells Cathedral', which if you have ever visited it, is a superb example of medieval architecture (the present building was started in 1180) and which Barry authentically captures the splendour as well as the reflective spirit of the structure. Again it starts quietly with a dislocated baritone foundation on which the flugel leads. It again builds in regal authority, as if you look skyward to take in the immense building itself in your eye line before once more the reflective characteristics of prayer and solitude return with a plaintive solo cornet and euphonium line lead to a dying end.
'The Witch of Wookey Hole' takes its inspiration form the legend that during the Dark Ages an old woman who kept a dog and some goats lived alone in the caves. Everything that went wrong in the village was blamed on her.
A monk called Bernard (yep, that's right) was called upon to get rid of the old girl and although he was frightened out of his cassocks, he managed to do the job by pouring the contents of her cauldron over, blessing some holy water her resulting in her turning to stone.
The composer captures this malign influence brilliantly in a mysterious 5/4 time signatures and super use of slightly obscure and dissonant effects. It is as Shakepseare put it - �For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell broth boil and bubble' or the players and MDs to capture right to the quiet ending as the sense of relief of getting rid of the old witch is felt by one and all.
That leads onto the exciting �Priddy Sheep Fair' � real live wire movement full of live and rhythm with the bands really needing to be in command of dynamics and tempi if it is not to sound overblown and stodgy.
It is a fine end to a very fine test piece � all that bands love and all that audiences can sit back enjoy and appreciate.
Darrol Barry
Born in Salford at a very early age, Darrol joined the school band on Eb bass when he was fourteen (he wanted a cornet!)and he soon moved onto the euphonium and started to arrange music for the band.
When he left school he became an apprentice joiner but decided to study music at Salford under Roy Newsome, Goff Richards, David Loukes and Geoff Whitham. After leaving Salford he studied composition at the Royal College of Music, London with Joseph Horowitz.
He became a feelance composer and arranger working for several publishing houses including Studio Music, Wright and Round, Bernaerts Music and Obrasso. Darrol also taught as a part time lecturer on the degree courses at Salford University, Barnsley and Accrington and Rossendale.
In March 2002 Darrol took up his position as Composer and Arranger in residence to the Royal Guard of Oman and provides music for the bands, big band, pipe and drums and the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra. He is very happy in Oman with his wife Rachael and their 3 cats and continues to compose and arrange lots of music in his spare time and is always available for commissions from any band or ensemble.
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Iron Rose Season Two
Search Results for: iron rose season two
Two Blue Stripes 2019
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Two 1965
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Take Two 2018
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The Two Ronnies 1971
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An aspiring actor and his sister Brooke, a former professional dancer, try to find their place in the world while wrestling with their feelings about their 13-year-old brother Chase's sudden rise to internet fame.
Two Fathers and Two Sons 2013
Pavel, Victor and Vlad are grandfather, father and son who are forced to live together...
Two Cops 2017
Cha Dong-Tak is a detective in pursuit of justice. A swindler's spirit takes possession of his body. The detective and swindler's spirit cooperate to solve cases. The detective falls in love with a reporter.
Comedy | Mystery
Screen Two 1985
Screen Two was a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1985 to 1994. Following the demise of the BBC's Play for Today which ran from 1970 to 1984, producer Kenneth Trodd was asked to formulate a new series of one-off television dramas. However, while Play For Today's style had been a largely studio based form of theatre on television, the new series was shot entirely on film. This was an attempt by the BBC to repeat the success of Channel Four's television films, many of which had been released in cinemas. From 1989 to 1993 a companion series, Screen One, was broadcast on the more mainstream BBC1. After almost a decade Screen Two came to an end as the BBC moved it’s attentions away from expensive single dramas and concentrated production on series and serials instead.
Two Car 2017
Miyata Yuri and Meguro Megumi are two girls who enter the world of competitive motorcycle sidecar racing on Miyake Island. While they are the complete opposites of each other, and often butt heads, they complement each other well during races. The team will fight other motorcycle sidecar teams from all over Japan, each with their own opposing traits, such as honor student and working student, sadist and masochist, and a funny man and straight man.
It Takes Two is an American sitcom, created by Susan Harris, that aired on ABC from October 14, 1982 to April 28, 1983. The series starred Richard Crenna as Dr. Sam Quinn and Patty Duke Astin as his devoted wife Molly.
Two Doors Down 2016
Comedy centred around a couple and their insufferable neighbours.
Jimmy Two-Shoes 2009
Jimmy Two-Shoes is a Canadian animated television series that aired on Disney XD in the United Kingdom and in the USA, and Teletoon in Canada. The series were centered around the exploits of the happy-go-lucky titular character Jimmy, who lives in Miseryville, a miserable town filled with monsters and demon-like creatures. The series were created by Edward Kay and Sean Scott. The series is rated G in Canada and TV-Y7 in the United States. The show premiered on February 21, 2009, ending its run in the U.S. on July 15, 2011, spanning 2 seasons.
Two of a Kind 1998
Two of a Kind is an American sitcom that aired on ABC as part of the network's TGIF line-up, starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The show aired from September 25, 1998 to July 9, 1999. The series was produced by Griffard/Adler Productions, Dualstar Productions, and Miller-Boyett-Warren Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television. It was the last series to be produced by Miller-Boyett Productions in any of its identities.
A case for two 1981
Ein Fall für zwei is a German television series, which premiered on September 11, 1981 on ZDF. The series, located in Frankfurt am Main, features two main characters who solve crimes: a defense attorney and a private investigator. Josef Matula, a former German police officer, has gone into private business. His method of investigation is very effective and direct, and he sometimes even resorts to dirty tricks. Claus Theo Gärtner has portrayed the role since the start of the series. In contrast, the attorney character has changed several times. The first attorney was Dr. Dieter Renz. Dr. Renz retired in episode #60 and was replaced by Dr. Rainer Franck. In episode #149, Dr. Franck took a job as a law school teacher, and was replaced by Dr. Johannes Voss. In episode #182, Dr. Voss was shot dead by an escaping criminal, and was in turn replaced by Dr. Markus Lessing. Most of the episodes follow a simple pattern. Someone is murdered, and the police arrest the most likely suspect. The suspect, claiming to be innocent, hires the attorney in the series as his lawyer. The attorney does all the paperwork, talks with the police and attends court. Meanwhile, Matula does all the actual research and detective work - "gets his hands dirty", so to speak. Matula often gets into fights, and even though he is in his early sixties, he often knocks out the bad guys. In the end, the original suspect usually turns out to be innocent after all, and the real culprit is found.
Drama | Crime
Circle 2017
After Aliens arrive, the story takes place in two time streams: 2017 and 2037. In twenty years, and by 2037, the world has been divided into a “Smart Earth” where artificial intelligence has created a utopian environment in which no diseases or crimes exist, and an “Ordinary Earth” where people still suffer from rampant plague and lawlessness.
Mystery | Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Two Spirits Love 2015
The title speaks of Mario’s character who’s a businessman and has a condition, he loses his memory and becomes someone who is the complete opposite of his former self and only remembers Mint or someone who looks like Mint, and we’ll get to see how he plays two different personalities while trying to figure out his real self, and come to term with this new revelation. Thus the ‘two spirits’ love.’
Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Transporter The Movie Game Of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 Escape At Dann Ad Kingdom And Tempore Seizoen 2 Chesapeake Shores J C La Bible Continue Alli Abajo Grey S Anatomy Dirili Ertu Rul 13 Reason Why Season 2 Nasce Uma Estrela Macgyver Season 2 Episode 13 Ncis La 10 Brave Bubblebeebumbblebee Lucy Medici Senores De Florencia Ad Aquaman A D Kingdom Empire Season 2 Creed Marvel S Runaway Season 1 Withes Of The East End Season 3 A Discovery Of Witches Reina Del Sur Ad Kingdom And Emotie Seizoen 2 Legacies Ad Kingdom Dallas Cowboy Scorpion Season 5 Star Trek Ad The Bible Continues Season 2 Derry Girls Jurassic Park 2018 Visavis Familiar Wife The Resident Season 2 Episode 2 Fructul Oprit Jean El Joven Sheldon Marco Polo 3 Ad Kingdom And Empire Season 2 Grownish Season 2 Anowfall Bible Ad Season 2 Suits Cbs Bull Law And Order The Good Doctor He Flashlights Snatch Bull Ncis La 2019 Reyna De Sur Messengers2 Are You The One Season 7 Thirteen Reasons Why Iron Rose Gomorrah Season 3 A D Empire And Kingdom The House Of Flowers American Gods Aqua Man Padre Brown Ncis La Season 10 Episode 22 La Casa De Papel The Ted Heartland Season11 Episode 8 Dirilis Ertugrul Season 5 Vis A Vis Mass Constantine Season 2 Shetland Season 4 Episode 4 I Medici The Good Doctor Season 1 Ep 2 Roma Murdock Mysteries Titans British Bake Off Love Is Episode 2 Qeen Of South American Horror History White Gold Gotham Season 5 Episode 2 The Resident A D Kingdom And Empire Bible Continue La Reina Del Young Sheldon Season 2 The Outlander Season 2 A D Season 4 Outlander Ertugrul Season 5 Episode 20 Escape Grownish Season 2 Episode 7 Young Sheldon Season 1 Episode 2 True Detective Outlandet La Dona Season 2 The Client List Season 3
Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2
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Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/15605caac2ac4963bc4d36d388067b14
Populists take power in Italy, with euro-skeptic agenda
By FRANCES D'EMILIOJune 1, 2018
Leader of the League party, Matteo Salvini, right, and Luigi Di Maio, leader of the Five-Star movement, during the swearing-in ceremony for Italy's new government at Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Friday, June 1, 2018. (Alessandro Di Meo/ANSA via AP)
ROME (AP) — Populists took power in Italy for the first time Friday with the swearing-in of a new government fusing in a coalition a political movement that delights in pillorying the establishment and a party whose anti-migrant, euro-skeptic politics have seen it soar in popularity.
At an oath-taking ceremony in the presidential palace atop Quirinal Hill, the new premier, political novice Giuseppe Conte, and his 18 Cabinet ministers pledged their loyalty to the Italian republic and to the nation’s post-war constitution in front of President Sergio Mattarella.
Only five days earlier, the leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, was inciting followers to press for Mattarella’s impeachment. The president had invoked his constitutional powers to reject the populists’ initial choice for economy minister because he is an advocate of a backup plan to exit from euro-currency membership.
Mattarella’s act scuttled Conte’s first try to assemble a coalition uniting the forces of Di Maio’s 5-Stars and his populist rival Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League, which is based in the affluent north.
The president approved Conte and a rejiggered Cabinet list Thursday after Paolo Savona was moved from the economy slot to that of the ministry of European affairs. On Friday, a beaming Di Maio stood before Mattarella and recited the loyalty oath — he’ll serve as minister of labor and economic development.
The initial failure of Conte to form a government had alarmed financial markets, which feared a quick return to the polls that risked being tantamount to a plebiscite on Italy’s keeping the euro currency.
But the markets were reassured by the formation of a new government, which came three months after elections resulted in a political stalemate with no single party or alliance winning control of Parliament.
On Friday, the 5-Stars’ clinched their quest for national power, after five years in Parliament as the largest opposition party. Co-founded by comic Beppe Grillo, who rails against an entrenched political “caste,” the Movement bills itself as a web-based democratic force, not a traditional political party.
Grillo tweeted euphorically: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Conte was a professor of law at the University of Florence, who had offered ahead of the March election to serve as a 5-Star minister. He became a compromise choice for premier when rivals Di Maio and Salvini refused to let the other hold the top post.
Emphasizing their “anti-establishment” claim, 5-Star ministers, who hold seven of the Cabinet posts, took a single taxi van to the Quirinal Palace.
In a Facebook post, Di Maio gushed: “There are a lot of us, and we’re ready to launch a government of change to improve the quality of life for all Italians.”
Next week the government faces mandatory confidence votes in each chamber of Parliament, where the coalition members hold narrow, but viable majorities.
Salvini said he would set straight to work on a campaign pledge to expel many of several hundred thousand asylum-seekers who were rescued at sea from human traffickers over the last few years but are ineligible for asylum.
Public resentment over what was perceived as fellow EU nations’ failure to help ease the financial and logistical burden on Italy in caring for the flood of migrants helped boost the League’s popularity.
“The immigration question is still burning,” Salvini said.
The last-minute compromise appointment of Giovanni Tria as economy minister was aimed at calming EU leaders’ jitters. He is close to the center-right forces loyal to Silvio Berlusconi, the former premier and billionaire media mogul.
Another Cabinet pick seen as reassuring to those concerned the populists could set Italy drifting from its strong ties with the EU is Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi. A former minister, he teaches European Union law at LUISS, a Rome university championed by a powerful Italian industrialists lobby.
Conte himself acknowledged that the populists are a whole new breed that is leaving some wondering what they will be like.
“We’re not Martians, and we’ll prove it,” said the premier, who in a play on his law professor profession promises to be the “defense lawyer” of the Italian people in an “Italians first” government.
Still, the “rest of Europe is looking at Italy with apprehension,” wrote Massimo Franco, a political commentator for the newspaper Corriere della Sera. “It fears that it is a laboratory for what can happen in other countries” and hopes that Italy’s populist “experiment doesn’t turn out to be a disaster.”
If the populists make reality of central campaign promises that could swell Italy’s already staggering high debt, the EU and financial markets might grow uneasy again.
Salvini wants to undo or at least drastically revamp pension reform that raised retirement ages. Di Maio wants to give the jobless and low-income citizens a minimum monthly income of 780 euros (about $930), an electoral pledge that helped secure the Movement’s triumph in the unemployment-plagued south.
Some promises have already been broken. Di Maio had vowed never to join in a governing coalition, a form of “establishment” politics that the 5-Star Movement abhors.
And Salvini and Di Maio have railed for years about the recent succession of premiers who didn’t run for election in Parliament. Their pick for premier, Conte, is now the latest.
The new government delighted leaders of an increasingly bolder far-right in European politics.
French leader Marine Le Pen hailed the new government as “a victory of democracy over intimidation and threats from the European Union.” Nigel Farage, a British force behind the successful Brexit movement, advised Italy’s populists to “stay strong or the bully boys will be after you.” He was referring to EU officials who recently evoked dire scenarios for Italians if the populists gained power.
Salvini has branded as “racist” advice from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for Italians to work harder and be less corrupt instead of blaming their woes on the EU.
For decades, the League’s forerunner, the Northern League, had branded Italian southerners as lazy, uncouth citizens draining too much development aid from the central government, whose coffers depended on taxpayers in the productive north.
Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this report.
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Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/f4be8c2a5365498c8c3cdebc2381b8a2
Seal opens dialogue with listeners on ‘Standards’ album
By RYAN PEARSONNovember 16, 2017
In this Oct 18, 2017 photo, Grammy Award-winning singer Seal poses for a portrait to promote his new album "Standards" at the London Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif. His tenth studio album was recorded with a band that included musicians who performed alongside Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. (Photo by Rebecca Cabage/Invision/AP)
BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) — Seal is in crisis mode. The Grammy-winning singer says he’s deeply concerned about anti-social social media and the emotionless conversations enabled by technology.
He stepped back recently to observe how he and his children used social media and messaging apps — and didn’t like what he saw.
“I’ve been going through my own sort of crisis if you like, of late — trying to make sense of it all,” he said. “There’s a lot of contact, a lot of traffic, but very little dialogue. So people are texting each other, but actually having zero dialogue at all, or very little. They’re not saying anything. Because they’re not real conversations. ... Because there is no emotion, or very little. And if there is emotion, it’s contrived emotion.”
Among his responses: He doesn’t shake hands — only hugs. He texts as little as possible, preferring FaceTime or other video apps when holding a phone conversation.
And he immersed himself in the “dialogue” of classic pop and jazz songs like “Autumn Leaves” and “Smile” for a new “Standards” album released this month.
“I feel that because so much emphasis is on storytelling and the ability of the great singers of these standards — the Sinatras, the Fitzgeralds, the Nat King Coles — and the ability of these great singers, these great voices, to carry this narrative, to tell the story — everything is focused on that. ... If that is not intact, everything else falls to pieces,” Seal said. “It has to be dialogue. ... That kind of seems to be the theme with me at the moment -- both kind of personally and professionally.”
His 10th studio album was recorded at Capitol Records in Los Angeles, with a band that included musicians who performed alongside Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. The 54-year-old British crooner has been more focused on storytelling in his own songwriting since delving into the classics songbook.
“It taught me relaxation, slowing down, and having to be more reflective and focused again on this thing of the narrative. Because that’s really what resonates with people,” he said.
Online: https://store.universalmusic.com/seal
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Jon B
Jon B is a consummate artist, an accomplished musician and noted songwriter and producer with several gold and platinum records under his belt. His is a richly textured body of music, a testament to one man’s love for all things soul.
Jon’s long-awaited new album Entitled “Comfortable Swagg,” features Jon’s signature style known to his fans around the world with the first single "Only One" . This album features DJ Quik on the sophisticated funky sounding track "Fill Your CUP". Its definitely a return to old familiar sounds as well as discovery of new ones...
His beginning were seasoned with early influences of Duran Duran, Inxs, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Babyface, Prince and Sade, he spent his senior yr of high school writing, producing and recording 40 incredible songs and began making his rounds to all major record labels. Within a few months, he’d met Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and his wife, Tracy Edmonds, who were interested in signing Jon to their label imprint, Edmonds Record Group (formerly Yab Yum).
The relationship between Jon and Edmonds Record Group immediately bore fruit. His debut album “Bonafide” went platinum and he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for the single, “Someone to Love.” His sophomore effort “Cool Relax” also went platinum and earned him multiple Billboard Music Award nominations including Top R&B Artist, Top Hot R&B Single for “They Don’t Know/Are U Still Down,” Top Hot R&B Singles Artist and a Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Male Single. "Are U Still Down" featuring the legendary Tupac Shakur collaborating with Jon in the studio, before his death in Sept of 1996. Jon also solidified his production sound with a collaboration with Jay Z and Coko (from SWV) featured on the "Hav Plenty sound track"
Continuing to produce his third album "Pleasures U like" featuring some of R&B and Hip Hop's heavy weights, Faith Evan's, Nas, Az, and Cuban Link, as well as the successful single "Don't Talk" produced and written by Jon. His appreciation for the music and the culture aloud him to have innovative idea's and express his influence in many genre's of musical styles, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Reggae/Dance Hall, and Jazz... following the versatile styling's of his previous album's. " I am not an artist who can be pinned down to one sound or style". "You can't put me in a box that I can't break myself out of, by just making the style of track that I'm vibing to and writing a great song to it, no limitations..."
Jon later went on to write and produce records for Luther Vandross ( "Grown Thangs"), Toni Braxton ( "In the late of night" ), also songs for Gina Thompson, Color Me Badd, Az Yet, as well as remixing Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone".
"Stronger Everyday" Jon's forth release was another gem of an album full of amazing track's and collaboration's with Hip Hop legend's like Scarface , Old Dirty Bastard, and Bennie Man. Jon scored a top ten video on the U.K. MTV/ TRL Top Ten with the song "Everytime (remix featuring Beenie Man) Jon co produced with Just Blaze. In 2008 he released "Helpless Romantic" Keeping the tradition alive of the classic R&B sound that captivates. This album was more self contained with few collaborations but atmospheric, romantic songwriting. Helpless Romantic was Jon getting back to the basic's of writing, producing, and singing with the single "Oo so sexy" featuring Paul Wall reaching #11 on the R&R charts .
Now settled with his family, and own label "Vibezelect Inc."Jon B has finely obtained the creative freedom that he always wanted... Now in the pilots seat in every aspect of his career, the hunger to deliver a fresh sounding thorough album is without question his main focus.This album sounds innovative in the way that Jon presses the creative envelope with track's like "GOIN DOWN" produced and co-written by ADONIS (best known for his hit's with Usher). This album has true diversity with dance tracks for the club and easy chill tracks for the bedroom. He is so excited to be back! Not only to come back to the people who wondered, where has he been? But to satisfy that inner calling, to express whats going on in his life. Who is Jon B today? This album is a great way to get to know where this creative gentlemen is at mentally, romantically, and musically...
"Comfortable Swagg" the newest release from Jon B. enjoy
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<a href="http://archive.today/BCRzr"> <img style="width:300px;height:200px;background-color:white" src="https://archive.is/BCRzr/9992d5cce9efa25350a7ddff5e38cdce72951b88/scr.png"><br> The View from Hell: Procreation and Responsibility<br> archived 21 Aug 2014 16:54:12 UTC </a>
{{cite web | title = The View from Hell: Procreation and Responsibility | url = http://theviewfromhell.blogspot.de/2008/09/procreation-and-responsibility.html | date = 2014-08-21 | archiveurl = http://archive.today/BCRzr | archivedate = 2014-08-21 }}
The sticking point in most discussions of antinatalism that I've witnessed has been whether it is always a harm to bring a child into existence. Most people admit that it is sometimes a harm to bring a child into existence, at least once they are educated past the identity problem. Not so for so-called "religious conservatives," who generally refuse to engage in public reason at all, and use their supernatural beliefs as a shield against moral responsibility for their actions.
Americans are currently preparing for a presidential election. Revelations about the reproductive life of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin have provoked discussion about procreation and hypocrisy (unfortunately, often at the expense of serious discussion of the real campaign issues).
One of the most morally blameworthy aspects of Palin's situation (though, of course, it is impolite to mention it) is her choice to have unprotected sex at the age of 45, resulting in a pregnancy which, at its outset, carried a 1/30 risk of Down Syndrome (trisomy 21). Palin has consistently been lauded for her "courage" in carrying a child she knew had Down Syndrome to term, rather than aborting; there is little, if any, discussion of her blind selfishness and refusal of responsibility in conceiving that child in the first place, knowing that she would not abort, much less about whether she committed a wrong against her son by not aborting. People of Palin's alleged religious beliefs generally frame children as "gifts from God" - in other words, they assert that people need take no responsibility toward conception or procreation.
I think this is appalling, and I am not alone - the California Court of Appeals agreed with me that a parent should be responsible in tort to a child born with a foreseeable defect (though the California legislature later changed the law to prevent such lawsuits):
One of the fears expressed in the decisional law is that, once it is determined that such infants have rights cognizable at law, nothing would prevent such a plaintiff from bringing suit against its own parents for allowing plaintiff to be born. . . . If a case arose where, despite due care by the medical profession in transmitting the necessary warnings, parents made a conscious choice to proceed with a pregnancy, with full knowledge that a seriously impaired infant would be born, that conscious choice would provide an intervening act of proximate cause to preclude liability insofar as defendants other than the parents were concerned. Under such circumstances, we see no sound public policy which should protect those parents from being answerable for the pain, suffering and misery which they have wrought upon their offspring. Curlender v. Bio-Science Labs, 106 Cal. App. 3d 811, 829 (1980). [Emphasis mine. Citations omitted.]
It is nauseating when religion is used as an excuse to avoid responsibility for processes that are well understood to be under human control.
Labels: antinatalism, procreation, Sarah Palin, wrongful life
Chip September 4, 2008 at 10:06 AM
I agree with you in principle about pre-reproductive responsibility (even extrapolating to all births), but I'm not sure that it is clear that a child with Down Syndrome is likely to lead a more unhappy life than someone with a "normal" chromosomal constitution. I realize that DS tracks with other medical conditions (and shorter lifespans), but is there evidence that DS's subjective well-being is deficient in comparison with what might otherwise have been? Perhaps it is an unjustified stereotype, but the DS people with whom I have had contact certainly seem to have a relatively cheery disposition.
This question seems particularly relevant since it goes to the problem of procreation and selfishness. Barring textbook ethical exceptions, I think having children is always indecently selfish. However, many pronatalists argue that NOT having children is selfish, often on the ostensible merit that voluntary childlessness must deny something to would-be children. But if it turns out that DS children lead cheerier and happier lives, those therapeutic abortion stats need some careful explaining.
Curator September 4, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I was hoping to talk about this - my experience also accords with the view that people with trisomy 12 are warm, loving, and seemingly happy (though my law school roommate's mother worked with institutionalized people with trisomy 12 and other forms of DD and had different ideas).
Anyway, I don't think subjective feelings of happiness are the only measure of well-being. I certainly would not actively pursue brain damage that would make me happy but with the intellectual capacity of a 5 year old, and I doubt many others would, either. Clearly other things are valuable besides subjective happiness or unhappiness. However, as I've written before, I'm fairly uncomfortable with judgments about people with various disabilities living somehow less valuable lives than people with "normal" human capacities (I also think even "normal" human capacities often lead to pretty miserable lives).
Though most people's reasons for reproduction are selfish, I think most people's reasons for aborting a trisomy 12 fetus are probably unselfish (concern for the child having a reasonably meaningful life in various dimensions), rather than just concern with the extra work and dashed parental hopes of Harvard. The problem is that not enough people make the same judgment for non-trisomy 12 babies, and, of course, it's just as valid in all cases.
Chip September 5, 2008 at 1:17 AM
"I certainly would not actively pursue brain damage that would make me happy but with the intellectual capacity of a 5 year old."
I don't see myself actively pursuing such an option, but if I could make a clean trade, I don't think the downside is so obvious. If I know nothing different and am happy, how am I deprived?
"Though most people's reasons for reproduction are selfish, I think most people's reasons for aborting a trisomy 12 fetus are probably unselfish (concern for the child having a reasonably meaningful life in various dimensions), rather than just concern with the extra work and dashed parental hopes of Harvard. The problem is that not enough people make the same judgment for non-trisomy 12 babies, and, of course, it's just as valid in all cases."
I agree with your closing sentence, but I am intuitively skeptical of your claim regarding people's typically unselfish reasons for aborting a DS fetus. For one thing, I suspect that the concern for a "reasonably meaningful life in various dimensions" is the product of a peculiar intellectual bias, which might specifically be characterized as an "eudomaniacal bias" assigning greater meaning to multidimensional inner lives. I fear this is just the sort of out that might be expected of inner-life-laden folks like us, which is all the more reason to tread carefully.
I see no clear reason to ascribe lesser value to the (arguably greater) subjective joy experienced by people who cannot play conceptual games or set long term goals or wallow in deeper shades of "meaning." However, I see plenty of tellingly selfish reasons why the potential parents of such a child might be predisposed to rationalize their decision to abort, and in terms that focus on the child's ostensibly limited life options. For the parents, there is not only the burden of foreseeable hardship; there is also the lack of grandchildren; there is morally tinged embarrassment, and conflicted disappointment.
It would be interesting if there were a way to prenatally predict whether an otherwise normal person were likely to experience chronic depression. Something tells me that parents of those marked with such an affliction would be less inclined to make the "selfless" choice -- for the usual selfish reasons.
Perhaps I am giving in to deeper cynicism than is justified, but I think parental agency is fraught with problems that this example helps to explain. If people with profound cognitive limits are happy, who are we to judge, on our own biased terms, the deeper quality and meaning of their happiness?
Curator September 8, 2008 at 4:23 PM
A related moral question is whether it is morally right for a pregnant woman to consume a fifth of Rebel Yell every day during her pregnancy.
The main difference between getting blotto every night knowing you are pregnant, and having unprotected sex knowing you're 45 and are carrying mostly damaged eggs, is the so-called identity problem: the FAS baby "could have been born" with normal capacities, and his mother is knowingly taking his capacities away, whereas the baby at age 45 could not have been born other than with a high risk of genetic damage.
Most people would agree that it is wrong to take away people's capacities. And people generally do not want to give up their capacities. Chip comments that if the trade-off of capacities for happiness were more straightforward, we might see more of it, but I think it would be rare. An example would be the side effects of certain prescription drugs - SSRI antidepressants, for instance, notoriously drop sex drive, while apparently (for some people) increasing happiness. But many, many people who experience the loss of sex drive find the effect intolerable and stop their meds. Some even stop over the loss of other capacities, such as the capacity for feeling (even negative feeling) and complex thought. There are studies on people valuing existing choices to irrational extremes - making choices that will preserve options, even if it will not benefit the person. (See this paper from Management Science in 2004; while it deals with discrete options, not capacities, I think the analogy holds.)
But is it wrong to bring someone into existence with less-than-normal capacities, as distinct from removing the capacities of an existing person?
Most people feel that it is morally acceptable to bring people into existence who will have normal capacities. I do not. So, of course, I find it perhaps extra-unacceptable to bring people into existence with less-than-normal capacities. Although I do think the person's likelihood of subjective suffering is an important part of the calculus, I don't think it's everything, and I certainly don't think it's true that people with developmental disability lead the kind of happy, pain-free lives that we should all aspire to.
But let's say you're one of the people who thinks it's acceptable to bring normal people into existence. Are there any people it's immoral to bring into existence? (Is the Austrian basement rapist extra wrong for conceiving seven children with his daughter and forcing her to bear them, rather than merely raping her for decades?)
I suppose ever non-antinatalist has to draw the line somewhere. It's interesting - when I discussed the issue with my non-antinatalist boyfriend, he thought it was fine to bring a baby into existence in an affluent household in the United States, but maybe not to bring a baby into a slum in Africa. Hmm.
I would like to hear where more non-antinatalists draw the line on which babies it's acceptable to bring into existence.
Tracy W September 9, 2008 at 1:25 AM
and I certainly don't think it's true that people with developmental disability lead the kind of happy, pain-free lives that we should all aspire to.
May I ask which people on the planet, disabled or not, lead pain-free lives?
And should we aspire to pain-free lives? I don't, after all it's a goal I've already thoroughly missed.
Curator,
I don't think your example of antidepressant usage provides clear support for your argument that capacity/happiness trade-offs would in fact be rare. Just look at the current numbers of people who use such drugs. It's staggering, especially when you consider the stigma and moral apprehension that was so strongly associated with the use of Prozac type drugs less than two decades ago. Sure, some people eventually decide that the sexual and curiosity-numbing side-effects aren't worth the trade, but MILLIONS of people stay with the program and claim to benefit. This is hardly rare. And I predict it will be even less so as better drugs are developed.
This may be recursive, but the example of the pregnant binger makes me wonder about a counter-scenario in which a pregnant mother ingests a mutagenic drug cocktail known to improve, rather than damage, her brood's postnatal cognitive development. Is her child's chance at having "normal" capacities thereby deprived, even when the maternal intervention produces what most people would view as an enhancement rather than a deficit? Let's further assume that the prenatally tweaked cognitive enhancement said to benefit this child brings with it a higher probability that the child will lead a less subjectively peaceful life - that the child will be more likely than his FAS counterpart to experience lifelong emotional pain and depression. Granting for the moment pronatalist assumptions on the underlying issue, which mother acts more irresponsibly? To me, the answer is far from clear. Though of course I think they are both wrong.
I don't want to get carried away with such hypotheticals. My point is simply that it seems very suspicious to devalue relative happiness (which I will provisionally define as a proportionately lower incidence of subjective suffering) for something more nebulous and rarefied that seems likely to me to be the product of a cognitive bias for...cognitive bias. If I could hop in the "tard transformer" and set the controls with every assurance that my future happy-dumb life would in no way impose on others or cause them to suffer, I would do it in a second. I'd have no compunction about signing on for Nozick's simulator, either -- especially if such a choice meant that I would never again experience paralyzing anxiety, or depression, or sexual jealousy, or inconsolable regret. The presumptive value of meaningful inner lives seems all the more questionable when you consider that objective meaning is in all likelihood a chimera.
Your boyfriend's point about the value of starting comparatively impoverished versus affluent lives seems to come up against relativistic problems that I can never dismiss. Assuming that a comfortable and predictably contented life is worth starting, it would seem to follow that such a life is worth sustaining for as long as possible. But the question of what is possible, in this sense, is bound by our current (or sub specie humanitas) expectations. If it suddenly became technologically possible for people to live healthy and affluent lives for hundreds or thousands of years, people would quickly come to look upon the prospect of creating a mere centennarian with the same sense of pity that they now reserve for third world births. Is it better for a Progerian to be born in the modernized West?
I'll leave your closing question for the non-antinatalists to consider. It's a good one.
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Jazz Agree to Terms with Ed Davis
The Utah Jazz have agreed to terms with free agent forward Ed Davis, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Jazz were looking to upgrade their frontcourt following the departure of Derrick Favors in trade.
Davis averaged 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game for the Brooklyn Nets last season.
Related Topics:Ed Davis
Nets Agree to Terms with DeAndre Jordan
Suns Land Ricky Rubio Via Three-Year Deal
Nets’ Jarrett Allen Credits Ed Davis with Improvement
The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons have agreed to a five-year, $170 million contract, according to Simmons’ agent Rick Paul, via The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Sixers had extended a max contract offer to Simmons at the start of free agency, so the deal had been on the horizon for a while.
Simmons, 22, has been a franchise cornerstone for the Sixers, and averaged 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game for Philadelphia last season.
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers are two teams that are in strong pursuit of Memphis Grizzlies veteran forward Andre Iguodala, according to Stadium’s Shams Charania.
According to the report, the Grizzlies have tried to find a suitable trade partner to ship out Iguodala in the hopes of getting some value back, and have engaged in talks with the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets at different points.
In regards to the Rockets, they are still not comfortable with the idea of going deep in the luxury tax just to land Iguodala.
The Clippers appear to be resistant in giving up newly acquired forward Mo Harkless in landing Iguodala.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to waive guard J.R. Smith after failing to find a suitable trade, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Cavs plan to stretch his contract over the next three years.
Smith played in only 11 games during the 2018-19 season as the Cavs veered towards a youth movement.
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Carbona Products Company, Carbona
The Carbona Products Company was founded sometime around the turn of the century but the actual start date is not clear. The company’s initial product was a first of it’s kind non-flammable stain remover called Carbona, the trade name for carbon tetrachloride. Up to that point clothing and fabric stains were treated with gasoline which resulted in a significant number of household fires and explosions.
Ernest C Klipstein, the company’s first president began importing carbon tetrachloride from Germany as a dry cleaning and spot removal solvent as early as 1898 (some documents say 1888) and I’ve seen Carbona listed in a Riker’s Drug Store advertisement as early as 1904. However,the first mention of the company that I could find is in a 1907 issue of the Druggist and Pharmaceutical record where the address was given as 80 William Street, New York.
Benzin is altogether too dangerous to be carried in stock, as it’s history has abundantly shown. A good substitute for it is Carbona, which is absolutely unburnable. This product is manufactured by the Carbona Product Company, of 80 William Street, New York.
Shortly thereafter, the company moved to Newark New Jersey where they incorporated in 1907 with capital of $700,000 and Klipstein as president. The business was listed in the Newark Directories from 1908 to 1911 at 5 Burnet Street. During this time I can’t find a New York listing for them.
Then, in 1912, they returned to New York and it appears that they operated a significant portion of the business there over the next several decades. That year they were listed at 148 West 23rd Street and then between 1915 and 1925 their address was listed in the directories at 302 W 26th Street. At times during this period they also used 5 East 43rd Street as an address.
Sometime in the 1920’s they moved their operation to Queens. An article in the February 5, 1921 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle announced that they were establishing a factory in Long Island City.
Announcement has just been made that the factory of the Carbona Company, a non-explosive cleaning preparation, is to be established on Van Alst Avenue in Long Island City. The office of the Company is now located at 5 East 43rd Street, Manhattan. The management plans to come to Long Island City in order to get more room and larger accommodations to meet the increasing demand for their product.
Then another article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, this one on April 17, 1947 announced:
The Carbona Products Co. of New York has acquired for occupancy the railroad siding property including building, located on the block front of Greenpoint Avenue and Review Avenue in Long Island City, for the processing and distribution of its products.
The brand name was acquired in 1994 by Delta Pronatura and still exists today. According to their web site, Delta Pronatura is the leading manufacturer of stain removal and household cleaning products throughout Europe.
In addition to stressing it’s non-flammable properties, early Carbona advertisements called the product a cleaning fluid that removed grease spots without injury to fabric or color. Carbon Tetrachloride was the first chlorinated solvent used in dry cleaning operations and was commonly used in dry cleaning by the 1930’s, so there’s a lot of truth in their advertising.
The company made a number of other non-flammable products as well. A 1908 item in the American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record listed Carbona as well as Carbona Liquid Soap, Carbona Cream, Carbona White Satin, a polish for silver and Carbona Black Satin, a polish for stoves.
By the 1930’s, it appears that cleaning people’s leather shoes was not enough and they started manufacturing shoe polish as well.
On a side note, in the 1960’s and 1970’s sniffing Carbona was one way to get a cheap high. A 1970 issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine stated:
Carbona sniffing seems to be increasingly popular among adolescents, and its use in a group that has abused other drugs complicates an already difficult situation.
80 William Street and 302 West 26th Street in Manhattan, as well as 5 Burnet Street in Newark, all no longer exist.
The bottle I found is a twelve ribbed machine made bottle with “Carbona” embossed on the base. It’s probably from the late teens or 1920’s.
Author baybottlPosted on February 9, 2017 March 11, 2018 Categories Household ItemsTags ABM, antique bottle, carbon tetrachloride, Delta Pronatura, dry cleaning, Ernest Klipstein
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