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Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler Get Interviewed by Kids
The Cast of Younger Wants You to Stand Up for the Violence Against Women Act
Hilary Duff Backs Up Her 'Younger' Character's Risky Friendship Move
Younger/TV Land
Spoilers ahead!
"It's like you know her, but you don't." Oh, Josh (Nico Tortorella), truer words have never been spoken. He was referring to ex-girlfriend Liza (Sutton Foster), but perhaps the same can be said about Kelsey (Hilary Duff), who shocked everyone at the end of Younger's season-four premiere by moving in with her BFF/work-wife's ex after Liza came clean about her big secret.
The moment was such a delicious reveal and will no doubt have repercussions throughout the rest of the season (which, spoiler alert, ends with a location shoot in Ireland). But was Kelsey justified in moving in with Josh, or are there some boundaries that just shouldn't be crossed?
When we caught up with Hilary Duff (Kelsey) to find out, Duff was understandably taking Kelsey's side: "She feels betrayed by Liza, and Josh is the only person who understands what she's going through. For now, Kelsey is spinning."
Of course, it's not only Kelsey's personal life that's been swept up in chaos. If Liza's secret gets out to the rest of Empirical, it could set up a downfall for Millennial, the imprint that Kelsey worked hard at to get successful results. "She's not going to take no for an answer, and she's going to fight for what she believes in," Duff says. "I love that."
Speaking of fighting, this season there will be some surprise tension with another colleague in the Empirical publishing world. "Kelsey and Charles start to butt heads a bit, which is a really interesting thing because Kelsey has always had such respect for Charles," Duff reveals. "The end of the season is crazy…just wait."
Of course, with only one episode down and another 11 to go in the fourth season of this critically acclaimed series, there's a lot more in store for Kelsey. So we grilled Duff on what's to come, how she reacted to Kelsey's new roomie, and whether Liza and Kelsey's relationship can ever be the same.
Glamour: That last scene was such a shock. How surprised were you when you read the script?
Hilary Duff: I was really shocked. I had a suspicion that maybe [Josh and Kelsey] were going to have some sort of drunken night together or something, but moving in…for me, that was really shocking because Kelsey is such a fierce friend. She’s all about girl code, but, honestly, it’s not coming from a mean place. She needs a place to go. On top of it, she still feels betrayed by Liza and is like, "You know, f-ck it. I need a place to sleep." Josh and Kelsey are the only two people who understand what each other is going through. I don’t think Kelsey's planning anything maliciously, but she’s taking care of herself. I mean, what if your friend that you worked with for two years came and told you something like that? You’d think, "I’ve been spending my time with a psychopath." Kelsey doesn’t know the ins and outs of Liza having to put her daughter through college and her husband gambling their money away. Kelsey hasn’t had that life yet of being married or having a family or committed, so things don’t resonate with her until she actually sees Liza’s daughter and sees that mother-daughter [bond]. But for now Kelsey is spinning.
Glamour: Hell, I was spinning! And I love Josh and Kelsey's upcoming scenes together. I think they have the potential to be a great couple, but I feel horrible saying that.
HD: The thing is, I don't think [Josh and Liza] are ever going to be done. That’s my best guess. They’re never quite finished. We definitely deal with gray areas and lines crossed, but it’s like we’re figuring it all out. The behavior out of Liza was so unacceptable that everyone’s like, "Whoa, how are we gonna repair that? How far is too far?" It’s all these things. But there’s still a lot of love there [between Josh and Liza]. I’m just excited for people to watch because it gets juicy. With that said, I think Kelsey and Josh would be great together. I think they are first figuring out a friendship because they’ve never really even been friends before.
Glamour: If Kelsey had met Josh before Liza did, do you think they could have had something together?
HD: Honestly, I don’t know. Last season maybe it could have happened if Liza and Josh weren’t [together]. But the first two seasons of the show, Kelsey had this attitude that she wanted a guy that looked like this, that did a certain kind of job. She was a little bit of a climber. I think that shifted a little bit where she wants a more normal, real thing. At the start of the show, she was a little bit of a different character. I don’t know if she would have been cool with a [guy like Josh].
Glamour: What else can you preview in season four?
HD: Kelsey is realizing the intensity of Liza’s lie and that it could bring down her whole imprint and everything she’s worked so hard for. So she’s willing to lie for Liza to get this sorted out, but she’s still really upset and angry with her. In the midst of that, she kind of lets someone from her past back in because she’s feeling alone and she’s flailing. She needs something to hold on to. This guy is obviously not a great choice. We also get Kelsey’s backstory a little more this year; you realize it was just her and her mom growing up. They were totally broke, and books is all Kelsey had. She has worked her ass off to get where she is in this career, and she’s not going to lose it.
Glamour: Even if they repair their friendship, I don’t think it can ever be quite the same. What do you think?
HD: Kelsey's been such an understanding friend and so fiercely loyal for other things that she wonders why Liza just wouldn’t tell her in the first place? I think that’s where the hurt comes in. It’s not that she’s 40 and that she lied, but it’s like, "Why would you not think I couldn’t handle this in the first place and not still love you?" I think it’s just knowing how long this lie has went on has cheapened all their memories and everything they’ve done for each other. With that said, I think [their friendship] takes on a different form. Friendship is friendship. Being that they work so closely together, they kind of get forced back into [that friendship]. It’s not necessarily making Kelsey that happy, but she knows Liza’s heart even though she continues to lie to people. The truth of the matter is that she’s doing it for the right reasons, and she’s let it go on so far that it’s too damaging [to go back].
Glamour: And at the same time, they have one of the best friendships portrayed on television.
HD: I can’t think of a show where [two characters] purely love each other and aren’t catty with each other. In the first few episodes, Kelsey definitely has a right to be angry. She mean-girls her a little bit, and it’s nothing Liza doesn’t deserve. I think if you watch previous seasons, you’ll see that the show is so much about female friendship and love between each other. Even Diana Trout…Liza and Kelsey will snicker about her behind her back, but they respect her. Speaking of friendship, Kelsey purely accepts Lauren in all that she is. She doesn’t bat an eye to her crazy antics or her wild ways or her stressing out that if she’s not a lesbian, she’s too normal. [Laughs.] She’s like, that’s truly who she is, and she loves and accepts her for it.
Glamour: That's only one of the reasons I think Kelsey is one of the most empowering female characters out there right now.
HD: Aw, thank you, that’s really sweet. This season has been fun for me because I think for the first few episodes of [the series] I really questioned the depth of Kelsey. She was a partier, and she could work hard and know what she was doing, but she was a little bit of a flippy, floozy gal. I feel like we’ve peeled back the layers, and it’s nice to see her feel vulnerable. To see her fight for her spot in the company. This season Kelsey’s decisions have made the company stay alive. She’s making all the money right now for the company, but she’s not getting the respect she deserves. So she’s fighting for that. At the same time, she’s questioning her judgment when it comes to people, and whether she is enough. Is this all about to come crumbling down because of Liza? It’s cool to play that as an actor. That’s how people feel in their twenties. [It’s that feeling] that they’re not doing enough, they’re not good enough, they’re not where they should be, and that’s happening to Kelsey.
All new episodes of Younger air Wednesdays on TV Land.
Topicshilary duffyoungertv
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COSA OrientationAug 8, 2019 5:30pm to 6:30pm
VORP CJC Mediation Training Aug 21, 2019 8:00am to 5:00pm
FPU Alumni Night @ Fresno FCAug 24, 2019 7:30pm to 10:00pm
Art ExhibitAug 26, 2019 9:00am to Dec 13, 2019 5:00pm
This article was originally published in Messenger, Summer 1983.
Olive Hiebert: A Model of Service
The 1983 recipient of Fresno Pacific College Alumni Association's "Distinguished Alumni Award," Olive Warkentin Hiebert, has been associated with the college for 32 years. Students from Pacific Bible Institute will remember her as office secretary and dean of women. She has also been secretary to the president and registrar. Since 1966 she has been the administrative assistant to the president. This year marks Hiebert's retirement from her employment at the college. In the following article, reprinted with permission from The Syrinx, FPC's student newspaper, she reflects on her history with the college.
Syrinx: What brought you to the school?
Olive: After graduating from high school, I spent a year at the University of Colorado in Fort Collins. Those were the depression years, though, and I didn't have the finances to continue. Student aid programs were not available, so I went to work, hoping to continue my college work later. After working in Denver for a year, I came to California, packed fruit in Reedley for two seasons, and then moved to Los Angeles, where I worked for Douglas Aircraft and Pacific Telephone Company.
I was attending our Hoover Street Mennonite Brethren Church in Los Angeles and was aware of the plans for beginning a Bible institute. Reports about our new conference school in Fresno were positive, and I was interested in a Christian setting for further study.
Syrinx: What did you find when you came?
Olive: Moving into a dormitory was almost devastating after having lived in an apartment and being on my own for 11 years. Rules and regulations, including strict dress codes, "lights out," and even bed checks, were adhered to strictly. It wasn't easy, but you conform and learn to adjust.
Some highlights of student years were the Prayer Band rallies and dinners which featured missionaries from various countries and international foods, the annual Bible emphasis week, participation in student government, and singing tenor in the college choir.
Syrinx: When did you begin working here, and what did you do?
Olive: I began in the registrar's office while a student. Following graduation I was employed as full-time school secretary. During my first two years I also served as supervisor of the women's dormitory. I have had the privilege of working with all the presidents who have served the college--as secretary to G.W. Peters, R.M. Baerg, and B.J. Braun, and as administrative assistant to Arthur J. Wiebe and Edmund Janzen.
Syrinx: What are some of the memories that come to mind when you think about your years working here?
Olive: There have been so many . . . Moving to this campus from downtown was one. Another high point was being officially appointed registrar in 1963 after having had responsibility for admissions and records for a number of years.
Syrinx: That job didn't last very long though, did it?
Olive: No, it was interrupted by a special person by the name of Cornelius Hiebert. When we were married in April, 1964, I terminated my employment at the college. (Editor's note: Cornelius Hiebert built the original Hiebert Library and donated it to the school in 1962.) My husband built office furniture, so I too became involved with the Fine Arts Office Furniture Corporation.
The joys of our living, working, and traveling together came to an abrupt end when he died suddenly from a heart attack in November, 1965. I was asked to return to FPC as Administrative Assistant to President Arthur Wiebe in August of 1966. For the first two years I also served part time as dean of women.
Syrinx: Were there other highlights?
Olive: Oh yes, many. Two more were naming the cafeteria "Alumni Hall" because so many alumni had a part in its construction, and seeing the gymnasium become a reality after so many years.
One I've hoped and prayed for that hasn't materialized yet is an Administration building. I would have been happy to have moved my office--for the ninth time--into that facility.
Syrinx: What are some of the changes you have seen over the years?
Olive: One change I found difficult was the transition from a four-year Bible college to a two-year junior college program. I often wished and prayed that we might be able to return to a four-year program. This would enable students to develop a closer ownership of the school, form more lasting relationships both with students and faculty, and have the opportunity to develop strong leadership skills in student government, which was difficult if they were here for just two years. The exciting highlight came in 1965 when we received full accreditation as a four-year liberal arts college.
Seeing the continued growth and program development has been rewarding. Inauguration of the in-service and graduate programs has expanded our community.
It has been a joy seeing the student body grow in number. Its size was at low ebb during the time we were making the transition from downtown to here (1959-1960), and I wondered if I wanted to stay on a "sinking ship." But there was the excitement of moving, and growth and development followed.
Syrinx: Have you seen any negative changes?
Olive: How does one respond to this? There were times when I sensed a decline in spiritual concerns. However, I have been happy for the positive changes in this area during the last few years. I am particularly happy for the interest on the part of students to initiate Bible studies in varied settings and to become more actively involved in service-oriented ministries.
Syrinx: What motivated you to stay at FPC as long as you have?
Olive: My service at Fresno Pacific has been in response to a clear call from God to give my life to Christian service. It has been a satisfying and rewarding ministry that I have enjoyed to the fullest.
The relationships established with students, faculty, and staff over the years have been so meaningful. These range from roommates now living in Zimbabwe and Saskatchewan to the new students I have learned to know this year. As faculty have come and gone, many relationships have been established, and I cherish them all.
Syrinx: What are your plans for after you retire?
Olive: I will not be leaving Fresno, and am looking forward to a continued close interaction with the college, possibly including some special assignments. Maybe I will now have time to give attention to some of the many projects that have been "shelved" for lack of time. Living at a (hopefully) more relaxed pace for a time will be welcome.
Subscribe to Alumni eNewsKeep Us Updated
Ali Sena
alumni@fresno.edu
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2017 JCR, Clarivate Analytics 2018
Frontiers in Psychology
Quantitative Psychology and Measurement
Jin Eun Yoo
Korea National University of Education, South Korea
Kenn Konstabel
National Institute for Health Development, Estonia
Edson Filho
University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom
Study 1: Scale Development and Content Validation
Study 2: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Validity Assessment
Convergent and Discriminant Validity
Open Supplemental Data
Front. Psychol., 13 December 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02544
Letting Go of Self: The Creation of the Nonattachment to Self Scale
Richard Whitehead, Glen Bates*, Brad Elphinstone, Yan Yang and Greg Murray
Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
The Buddhist notion of nonattachment relates to an engagement with experience with flexibility and without fixation on achieving specified outcomes. The present study sought to define, create and validate a new measure of nonattachment as it applies to notions of the self. A new construct of “nonattachment to self” (NTS) was developed, defined the absence of fixation on self-related concepts, thoughts and feelings, and a capacity to flexibly interact with these concepts, thoughts and feelings without trying to control them. Two studies were conducted in the development of the new scale. With expert consultation, study 1 (n = 445) established a single factor, internally consistent 7-item scale via exploratory factor analysis. Study 2 (n = 388, n = 338) confirmed the factor structure of the new 7-item scale using confirmatory factor analyses. Study 2 also found the new scale to be internally consistent, with evidence supporting its test-retest reliability, criterion, and construct validity. Nonattachment to self-emerged as a unique way of relating to the self, distinct from general nonattachment, that aligned with higher levels of well-being and adaptive functioning.
A person's notion of self has become an important element in research on individual suffering. The sense of self, and fixations on self-focused thoughts and feelings are associated with a range of negative psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety (Lemogne et al., 2009; Kyrios, 2016). Recently, concepts from Buddhist psychology (i.e., understanding the Buddhist study of the human condition though current psychological knowledge; Olendzki, 2003) have been investigated in relation to a negative relationship with self. Interventions based on self-compassion and mindfulness that positively address how individuals relate to their self, have been associated with a range of positive psychological outcomes (Shonin et al., 2014; Wayment et al., 2014; Woodruff et al., 2014). Nonattachment is another Buddhist construct that has recently been shown to have major psychological benefits (Tran et al., 2014; Ju and Lee, 2015; Sahdra et al., 2016) but is yet to be investigated in relation to the self.
Nonattachment directly captures an individual's relationship with their experience and highlights a capacity to suspend attempts to control experience through clinging to experiences perceived as desirable or avoiding experiences perceived as undesirable (Sahdra et al, 2010; Sahdra et al., 2016). An important dimension of nonattachment that is central to the Eastern contemplative traditions, is nonattachment to an independent, static self (Rāhula, 1959; Hanh, 1998; Hanson, 2009; Thubten, 2009). Although a measure has been developed to assess nonattachment in terms of how it relates to one's life in general (Sahdra et al, 2010), currently there is no measure that directly assesses nonattachment in relation to the self. The present study aimed therefore, to develop a measure of “nonattachment to self,” conceptualized as the extent to which individuals can interact with their self-related concepts, thoughts and feelings without fixation, and without a need for the self to be different than it is.
The Role of the Self in Suffering
The way we perceive and interact with “self” is an important determinant of our behavior and quality of life. While there is no agreed framework in psychology for researching the important folk idea of “self,” there is a resurgence of interest in self-related constructs, especially in clinical psychology (Kyrios et al., 2016). One theme in the current literature posits that many facets of well-being are negatively impacted by an intrapersonal stance which elevates the self-concept as a fixed thing through which experience is filtered and weighed. Perceptions of this fixed self-concept which are overly negative have shown to relate to negative mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression (Beck et al., 1989; Mor and Winquist, 2002; Lemogne et al., 2009), whereas fixating on positive self-concepts can be associated with narcissism, excessive defensiveness (Rhodewalt and Eddings, 2002) or feelings of superiority over others (Egan, 1997).
In Buddhism, a self that exists independent of experience is seen as illusory, and it is considered a delusion to believe that happiness arises out of fulfilling the desires of such a permanent self (Scarborough, 2009). Ignorance is also defined by the grasping at the separate self, in which power is given to the perceived existence of a self that is the ruler of experience (Dalai Lama, 2009). This mistaken perception drives people's attempts to protect the self-delusion causing anxiety and suffering (Chang et al., 2014). In the Buddhist psychological literature, it is this identification of the self as fixed, and the fixation on either positive or negative aspects of self, that can be defined as attachments toward the self. Theoretically, it is attachment to the self that creates egoic functioning (Ardelt, 2008; Van Gordon et al., 2016) and thus lies at the core of individual suffering (Hanh, 1998; Dalai Lama, 2001). The Buddhist path involves a drive toward letting go of this attachment to the static self (Donner, 2010) and thus a transcendence of personal suffering.
Attachments to the self can emerge in many forms. The construct of inner defenses, or defense mechanisms highlight attachments to the self. In theory, such defenses aim to preserve the self-concept by keeping away anything perceived to be incongruent with the self-structure, even if this is detrimental to the self (Rogers, 1965; Kernis and Heppner, 2008). For example, if an individual receives criticism they perceive as a threat to self-esteem, they can engage in defenses such as dismissing the experience or the person communicating it, as a means to protect their self-esteem and view of self. Similarly, experiences that underlie a vulnerability to depression such as excessive shame or guilt (Kim et al., 2011) can also be viewed as attachments toward a static, unchanging self (Whitehead et al. submitted) and arise when the self is harshly judged or is judged to be fundamentally flawed (Kyrios et al., 2016).
Many psychological interventions address factors associated with the self-concept that exacerbate negative psychological symptoms (Kyrios et al., 2016). For example, schema therapy aims to draw attention to maladaptive schemas about the self and seeks to heal unhelpful schemas and build healthier responses to experience (Rafaeli et al., 2016). Similarly, cognitive behavioral therapy aims to produce therapeutic change by modifying individuals' biased and unhelpful self-representations (Clark, 2016). More recently, mindful self-compassion interventions have been shown to reduce the impact of depressive symptoms (Pauley and McPherson, 2010; Krieger et al., 2013; Friis et al., 2016) through building a kinder, accepting and more compassionate relationship to self (Neff, 2008).
Self-compassion is a further construct rooted in Buddhist psychology, and research indicates that taking a more self-compassionate, balanced stance toward the self can be beneficial for mental health (e.g., Neff, 2003). Self-compassion involves a non-attached position toward negative self-focus and “requires taking a balanced approach to one's negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated” (Neff, 2008, p. 98). Like nonattachment to self, self-compassion incorporates the benefits of taking a less rigid approach to self. One difference between self-compassion and nonattachment to self is that self-compassion emphasizes overcoming negative self-focus, whereas nonattachment to self involves removal of an over-focus on the self, regardless of valence. In theory, any attachment or fixation on the self-concept, whether good or bad, can be problematic due to the ever-changing nature of experience. For example, if an individual clings to positive notions of self, such as being a “good student,” if this positive view is challenged by receiving a bad mark on an exam, this can elicit feelings of defensiveness, putting others down, or further attempts to compensate for the incongruence between that ideal self-concept and the reality of the situation which is ever-changing (Epstein, 2007). Being non-attached toward the self, therefore, limits incongruence between experience and the self-concept, allowing an individual to move through their life with greater flexibility, an understanding of the ever-changing nature of the self and a view of self that is free from expectation and fixation.
In addition to Buddhist conceptualizations, the notion of being non-attached toward the self also appears to be a key theme in the optimal stages of psychological health (Ardelt, 2008). Moving beyond self-fixation and the concerns of the individual self is a core component of a range of theories of optimal psychological functioning. Rogers (1961) and Maslow (1954) both proposed that individuals operating at the higher stages of psychological development demonstrate a reduced fixation on the self and a propensity to move beyond self-interest toward a more other- and universal-focus. Similarly, theories of adult development such as Levenson et al.'s (2001) liberative model of adult development or Loevinger's (1976) stages of ego development propose the higher stages of adult development involve a reduction of attachment toward the ego and a transcendence of self-focus and self-fixation.
Although the benefits of nonattachment to the self have been outlined in theory, no research has been conducted on the construct of nonattachment to self. In the absence of any established measure of nonattachment to self, research on the more general construct of nonattachment shows that letting go of attachments and attempts to control experience in general, is beneficial for well-being. Research using Sahdra et al's (2010) nonattachment scale (NAS) shows that higher levels of nonattachment are associated with greater short-term, subjective well-being (Sahdra et al, 2010), more longer-term, pervasive psychological well-being, (Ju and Lee, 2015; Whitehead et al., 2018), and reduced amounts of negative psychological symptoms such as rumination (Coffey and Hartman, 2008), depression, anxiety, and stress (Sahdra et al, 2010). These findings suggest the energy spent trying to cling to or avoid experience can inhibit a greater sense of presence and well-being across a range of different areas in a person's life (Sahdra et al, 2010), and that letting go of attachments can ameliorate the impact of negative mental health symptoms.
The Present Research
The present research involved two sequential studies directed at creating a psychometrically valid measure of nonattachment to self. As general nonattachment appears to have psychological benefits, nonattachment specific to the self may be equally, or more beneficial. Study 1 details the development of a scale to measure nonattachment to self in the general population. This involved an initial consultation with primary and secondary texts as well as consultations with experts in the field to develop an item pool. These items were then subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and internal consistency of items in identified factors was established. Study 2 examined the validity of the factors identified in Study 1 via two confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). The new scale was also tested for internal consistency and test-retest reliability, as well as criterion, convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, establishing a nonattachment to self measure that is distinct from general nonattachment was crucial to the validity of the new measure. Therefore, a discriminant analysis using nested models in CFA was conducted to test the distinctiveness of the new scale.
Preliminary Item Construction
The first stage of scale development involved creation of an initial item pool. Numerous primary texts were consulted (two of the major text consulted were the Abidhamma, 1993, third century BCE and the Upanishads, 2000, 8–5th BCE) as well as numerous contemporary texts from Eastern contemplative traditions that address notions of no-self and nonattachment to self (some of the major texts consulted were: Hanh, 1998, 2006; Thubten, 2009; Adyashanti, 2012). A total of 30 items was developed from this research. The second stage involved a two-step consultation process with seven experienced teachers and practitioners from relevant disciplines (i.e., Theravadin Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Adavita/Vedanta). These experts were experienced in theory and practice relating to ego-attachment and letting go of attachment to the egoic self. This consultation helped define the construct and the item pool was increased based on this definition. As the existing measure of nonattachment is a reliable and well-validated measure (e.g., Arch et al., 2016; Sahdra et al., 2016; Van Gordon et al., 2016). Sahdra et al's (2010) definition of nonattachment was used in consulting with experts. Nonattachment was defined as the “subjective quality of not being stuck or fixated on ideas, images, or sensory objects and not feeling an internal pressure to acquire, hold, avoid, or change” (Sahdra et al, 2010, p. 118).
The first step of the consultation process produced a definition of nonattachment to individuals' self-related thoughts, feelings, and concepts. Nonattachment to self was defined as the absence of fixation on self-related concepts, thoughts, and feelings and a capacity to flexibly interact with these concepts, thoughts, and feelings without trying to control them. On the basis of suggestions given by the experts and insights gained during discussion, 86 new items were created, resulting in a total item pool of 116 for further investigation. The number of items in the item pool are in line with previous research into similar scales measuring nonattachment (Sahdra et al, 2010) and mindfulness (Brown and Ryan, 2003).
In the second step of the consultation process, experts rated the 116 items on clarity and the extent to which each item captured the construct. A number of items were found to lack clarity or failed to capture the agreed upon nature of the construct. Other items were identified as lacking appropriateness for non-meditators, or for inadvertently assessing related but distinct constructs (e.g., mindfulness, self-transcendence). The process of consulting relevant texts and experts highlighted that in Buddhism, nonattachment to self is discussed in terms of developing an understanding of the illusory nature of the self. However, as the construct of nonattachment to self-needed to be applicable to the general population, with or without meditation experience, most items referring to the non-existence of a separate self, or illusory nature of the self were removed. On completion of the review stage of the consultation process, 64 items remained for exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
The sample of 445 comprised 124 men and 321 women who aged from 18 to 77 years (M = 35.77, SD = 11.84). Most respondents did not report any religious or spiritual affiliation (51.2%), others identified as Christian (22.2%); 10.8% identified with a general, non-religious spirituality, 8.3% identified with a contemplative tradition (i.e., Buddhism, Vedanta), 2.7% identified as Muslim, 1% identified as Hindu and 3.8% other. The majority of participants (51.7%) engaged with a contemplative practice (e.g., meditation, mindfulness) for an average of 3.4 hours per week.
Participants were recruited in two ways. First, psychology students from a mid-sized university in Australia were given course credit for completing the questionnaire (n = 363). Second, participants were sourced by a snowball method via a social media website where a brief description of the study was posted with a link to the online questionnaire (n = 82). This method has been used in similar scale development papers on self-compassion (Raes et al., 2011) and follows previous studies (Brown and Ryan, 2003; Sahdra et al, 2010) which have utilized community samples when developing measures to assess Buddhist psychological constructs.
All participants completed an online questionnaire containing the 64 items in their own time. Before being presented with the items, participants were prompted with the statement “Below are a number of statements related to your experiences and how you view yourself. Please read each item carefully and rate the extent to which you agree with each statement. Please answer according to what reflects your experience rather than what you think your experience should be.” All items were rated on a scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). All participants were presented with a consent information statement and provided their consent to participate by completing the questionnaire. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Swinburne University Human Research Ethics Committee.
An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the 64 items (see Supplementary file) to determine the underlying factor structure of the items. The Keiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was 0.93 and Bartlett's test for sphericity was significant (p < 0.001) indicating the data were appropriate for analysis (Tabachnick and Fidell, 1996). Factors were extracted with the principal-axis method of estimation, to provide the best chance of detecting factors if they exist (DeWinter and Dodou, 2012), and an oblique rotation was used as any factors were expected to be correlated. Based on the sample size, a factor loading cut-off of 0.30 was selected in accordance with the recommendation of Hair et al. (1998).
Using Kaiser's criterion (i.e., Eigenvalues above 1), one clear factor was identified explaining considerably more than each of the other factors (24.9%). The next closest factor identified explained 7.2% of the variance in the items. However, 20 items did not load on the first factor or cross-loaded on multiple factors. These items were removed from further analyses. Another 32 items (mostly negatively worded) were removed as they cross-loaded on multiple factors.
A second EFA was conducted to examine the new 16-item scale. Again, one factor explained considerably more variance than the others, however, seven items did not fall cleanly on the single factor. It was noted that items that displayed a specific emotional valence (e.g., “I worry about the negative thoughts I have about myself,” “I consciously try to only focus on the positive aspects of myself.”) tended not to load on a single factor. The decision was made to remove cross-loading items and two further items that had factor loadings <0.30.
A final EFA was conducted using only the seven items. EFA revealed a single factor that accounted for 44.63% of variance in the items. Factor loadings for these items are shown in Table 1. Furthermore, the items were internally consistent (α = 0.84). Alpha-if-item deleted results also indicated that the overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient would not increase if any items were removed. From this point on the seven items were referred to as the nonattachment to self (NTS) scale.
Table 1. Means, standard deviations, alpha-if-items-deleted and factor loadings of items for the nonattachment to self scale.
The purpose of Study 2 was to replicate the 7-item factor structure and internal reliability of the NTS scale through two separate confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) on two new samples. Study 2 also sought to establish the test-retest reliability of the new scale and examine criterion, convergent and discriminant validity of the NTS scale. As NTS is expected to be a relatively stable quality, scores on the scale were expected to be consistent over time. Further, as a dissolution of self-focus often occurs within the meditation process (Berman and Stevens, 2015), criterion validity was tested by comparing levels of NTS for those who engaged in contemplative practice relative to those who do not. It was expected that those who engaged with a contemplative practice would have higher levels of NTS than those who did not. The number of hours spent in contemplative practice was also expected to be positively related to NTS.
To establish convergent validity, the new scale was expected to correlate with the conceptually similar constructs of; nonattachment, mindfulness, and self-compassion. NTS was also expected to correlate with measures of psychological functioning; emotional stability, reduced rumination, self-transcendence, wisdom, and self-actualization. Further, as an over self-focus has been shown to be related to negative psychological outcomes (Mor and Winquist, 2002; Kyrios et al., 2016), negative correlations were expected between NTS scores and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and positive correlations were expected with life satisfaction and psychological well-being. As nonattachment does not represent a detached state and requires presence and self-reflectiveness (Sahdra et al., 2015), to determine discriminant validity, weak-to-non-significant correlations were expected with measures of detachment; dissociation, depersonalization, absorption, amnesia, and lack of self-awareness. In addition, to ensure its distinctiveness from conceptually similar constructs; nonattachment and self-compassion, discriminant validity was tested with CFA, using nested models (Bagozzi et al., 1991), and when comparing unique variance explained in well-being variables.
Two separate samples were used for the two confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). Participants in Sample 1 and Sample 2 were first-year psychology students from a mid-sized Australian university that received course credit for participation. All respondents completed an online survey at a time and place of their choosing. All respondents were presented with a consent information statement and provided their consent to participate by completing the questionnaire. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Swinburne University Human Research Ethics Committee. As these two samples were obtained after Study 1, further demographic data was collected not previously collected in Study 1.
Sample 1 comprised 388 respondents (71 men & 317 women) aged from 18 to 77 (M = 35.33, SD = 10.80). Eighty percent of participants were born in Australia or New Zealand, 4.4% in the UK, 1.3% from India, 1.3% South Africa 1% from Iran, 1% from Malaysia, and 11% Other. Most respondents did not state any religious or spiritual affiliation (64.2%) or identified as Christian (21.9%); 5.4% identified with a general, non-religious spirituality, while 2.6% identified with a contemplative tradition (i.e., Buddhism, Vedanta), 2.3% identified as Muslim, 1% identified as Hindu, and 2.8% other.
Sample 2 comprised 338 respondents (76 men & 262 women) ranging from 18 to 75 years (M = 34.43 SD = 11.60). The respondents predominantly identified as Anglo-European (82.6%), followed by Asian (7%), Indian and sub-continent (2.6%), Middle Eastern (2%), African (1.7%), New Zealander or Pacific Islander (1.7%), or other (2.2%). Most respondents did not state any religious or spiritual affiliation (51.2%) or identified as Christian (24.4%); 13.1% identified with a general, non-religious spirituality, while 5.2% identified with a contemplative tradition (i.e., Buddhism, Vedanta), 1.7% identified as Muslim, 1.2% identified as Hindu, and 3.1% other.
In addition to the new 7-item NTS scale developed in Study 1, a range of other measures were included to establish validity of the new scale. The measures included for this purpose are established measures of the constructs with strong reliability and validity statistics.
Criterion Validity
Meditation experience
Participants from sample 1 and sample 2 were asked: “Do you engage with a meditative or contemplative practice?” Participants were also asked to: “Please provide the approximate amount of hours you spend engaged in meditative/contemplative practice per week.”
Convergent Validity
Nonattachment
Nonattachment was assessed using a 7-item version of the original nonattachment scale (NAS-7; Elphinstone et al., 2015; Sahdra et al., 2016). The NAS-7 was drawn from the larger 30-item nonattachment scale (NAS; Sahdra et al, 2010) and has shown to have good reliability and validity when compared to the original NAS. Participants rated their agreement with 7 items (e.g., “I can let go of regrets and feelings of dissatisfaction about the past”) using a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree).
A 20-item short form of the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire FFMQ (Tran et al., 2014) was used. The FFMQ consists of 20-items (e.g., “I am easily distracted,” “In difficult situations, I can pause without immediately reacting”). Capturing five factors of mindfulness, observing, describing, awareness, non-judgment, and non-reactivity, which are summed to provide an overall score of mindfulness. Items are rated on a 5-item Likert scale from 1 (Never, or very rarely true) to 5 (very often, or always true).
The Self-Compassion Scale- Short Form (SCS-SF; Raes et al., 2011) is a 12-item measure drawn from the original 26 item self-compassion scale (SCS; Neff, 2003) designed to “measure self-compassion from the perspective of Buddhist Psychology” (Neff, 2003, p. 226). The 12-item scale has shown near perfect correlation (r = 0.97) with the larger SCS when measuring the single factor of self-compassion All items (e.g., “When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance”) are rated on a Likert scale capturing the frequency of experiences from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always).
The Emotional Reactivity Scale (ERS; Nock et al., 2008) assesses emotional sensitivity, emotional intensity, and emotional persistence across 21 items (e.g., “I get angry at people very easily”) rated on a 5- point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all like me) to 4 (completely like me). Scores were reversed and summed to give a total out of 84 with higher scores indicating higher levels of emotional stability.
The rumination scale (Treynor et al., 2003) consists of 10 items, designed to measure repetitive thoughts about negative feelings, and their associated meanings. The scale is an adapted short form of the original Ruminative Response Scale (RRS; Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow, 1991) to improve its construct validity. The frequency of items (e.g., “analyse recent events to try to understand why you are depressed”) are rated on a 4-point scale from 1 (almost never) to 4 (almost always).
Self-transcendence
The self-transcendence subscale from adult self-transcendence inventory (ATSI; Levenson et al., 2005) is an 9-item measure of self-transcendence with items (e.g., “I do not become angry as easily”) rated on a Likert scale from 1 (Disagree Strongly) to 4 (Agree Strongly). The ATSI is a well-established measure of self-transcendence when assessing the construct as a process of adult development.
The 12-Item Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS-12; Thomas et al., 2017) was used to capture the dimension of wisdom. The 3D-WS-12 is a recently developed abbreviated version of the larger three-dimensional wisdom scale (3D-WS; Ardelt, 2003) and shows good reliability and validity when measuring a higher order single factor of wisdom (Thomas et al., 2017). Items (“When I am confused by a problem, one of the first things I do is survey the situation and consider all the relevant pieces of information”) are rated on a scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).
The Short Index of Self-actualization (SISA; Jones and Crandall, 1986) measured self-actualization characterized as a process of maximizing full potential. The scale consisted of 15 items (e.g., “I do not feel ashamed of any of my emotions”) rated on a four-point scale from 1 (Disagree) to 4 (Agree), with higher scores representing greater amount of self-actualization.
Depression, anxiety, and stress
The 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995) was used to measure depression, anxiety and stress. The DASS−21 comprises three subscales of 7 items each capturing symptoms of depression (e.g., “I felt that life was meaningless”), anxiety (e.g., “I felt scared without any good reason”), and stress (e.g., “I felt I found it difficult to relax”). Respondents rate the extent to which they have experienced symptoms over the previous week on a scale ranging from 1 (“Did not apply to me at all”) to 4 (“Applied to me very much, or most of the time”).
Psychological well-being
Psychological well-being was measured by a 30-item version of the Psychological Well-being (PWB) Scale (Ryff, 1989; Ryff and Keyes, 1995). The PWB scale yielded a total score by summing the 30 items as well as individual scores for the six dimensions of Autonomy, Purpose in Life, Environmental Mastery, Positive Relationships with Others, Personal Growth, and Self-Acceptance, consisting of 5 items each. All items (e.g., “I like most aspects of my personality”) are rated on a 6-point scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree).
Life satisfaction
Life satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985). The SWLS consists of five items (e.g., “in most ways my life is close to ideal”) rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) for scale totals ranging from 5 to 35.
Discriminant Validity
The Curious Experiences Survey (CES; Goldberg, 1999) is a 31-item measure amended from the Dissociative Experiences Scale (Bernstein and Putnam, 1986) to be more concise and easily understood. The CES assesses three factors of dissociation: depersonalization (e.g., “Had the experience of feeling that my body did not belong to me.”), amnesia (e.g., “Found evidence that I had done things that I do not remember doing.”), and absorption (e.g., “Found that I became so involved in a fantasy or daydream that it felt like it was really happening to me.”). Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (This never happens to me) to 5 (This almost always happens to me).
The Situational Self-Awareness Scale (SSAS; Govern and Marsch, 2001) is a 9-item measure of self-awareness. The SSAS measures 3 subscales capturing private self-awareness or internal state awareness (e.g., “Right now, I am aware of my innermost thoughts.”), public self-awareness (e.g., “I am concerned what other people think of me.”), and awareness of immediate surroundings (e.g., “Right now, I am keenly aware of everything in my environment”). Item are measured on 7-point scale from 1 (Totally Disagree) to 7 (Totally Agree).
Confirmatory Factor Analysis
An initial CFA using a structural equation model (SEM) was conducted to test the model fit for Sample 1. The initial model fit fell outside accepted criteria (CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.88, RMSEA = 0.14, and SRMR = 0.06). Examination of the modification indices in the model revealed covariances between items 4 and 5 and items 6 and 7. Examination of the content of these items (See Table 1) revealed they were semantically similar but addressing subtly different aspects of self. Items 4 and 7 appear to directly capture how individuals interact with their thoughts about self, while items 5 and 6 capture aspects of the self in experience. As these items were determined to be semantically similar but importantly distinct constructs, a CFA with covariance parameters was conducted on Sample 1 (See Figure 1). This analysis revealed a good fit with the data in Sample 1 [χ(11)2 = 22.94, p = 0.02, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.02]. The one factor solution was confirmed with seven items falling on a single factor an explaining 54.37% of the variance in the items. The internal consistency of these items was excellent with a Cronbach's coefficient alpha of 0.88.
Figure 1. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation model for the 7-item nonattachment to self scale for sample 1.
To confirm and replicate the factor structure of the CFA for sample 1, a second CFA with covariance parameters was conducted on Sample 2 (see Figure 2). This analysis revealed an adequate model fit with the data [χ(11)2 = 23.90, p = 0.01, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.08., SRMR = 0.02). Further confirming the factor structure, the single factor solution explained 60.3% of the variance in the items and Cronbach's coefficient alpha was again excellent at 0.91.
Potential gender differences were also explored with t-tests in both samples. Results showed no significant difference in NTS between men (Sample 1 M = 31.68, SD = 8.74, n = 74; Sample 2 M = 31.96, SD = 7.02, n = 76) and women (Sample 1 M = 31.25, SD = 8.88, n = 262; Sample 2 M = 31.55, SD = 8.52, n = 317) in Sample 1 [t(386) = 0.374, p = 0.709) or Sample 2 [t(334) = 0.364, p = 0.716).
Test-Retest Reliability
Test-re-test reliability was obtained from a sub-sample of 29 participants who originally completed the scale in Study 1, who consented to complete the NTS scale at a later date. The modal time between completions of the NTS scale was 36 days. Respondents' scores at both timepoints were highly correlated (r = 0.80, p < 0.001) indicating that scores on the NTS scale are consistent over time.
To test the criterion validity, levels of NTS were compared between participants who did and did not engage in contemplative practice. Independent samples t-tests in both samples revealed NTS scores for respondents engaging in contemplative practice (Sample 1, M = 33.34, SD = 8.04, n = 163; Sample 2, M = 32.93, SD = 8.81, n = 173) were higher than respondents who did not (Sample 1, M = 30.39, SD = 8.21, n = 225; Sample 2, M = 29.72, SD = 0.8.60, n = 166). This difference was significant in in both samples [Sample 1 t(386) = 3.53, p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.35, Sample 2 t(337) = 3.42, p = 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.48]. NTS scores also showed a weak positive correlation with hours spent in contemplative practice per week: Sample 1, r = 0.10, p = 0.04; Sample 2, r = 0.23, p < 0.001).
Correlations for the convergent validity measures (See Table 2) indicate the NTS scale showed weak-to-moderate to moderate-to-strong correlations with each of the convergent measures (r = −0.34 to r = 0.72). Results showed a moderate-to-strong positive relationship between NTS and the theoretically aligned constructs of nonattachment and self-compassion, and moderate positive relationship between NTS and mindfulness. NTS also showed weak-to-moderate negative correlations to emotional stability and rumination, and moderate positive correlations with self-transcendence, self-actualization and wisdom.
Table 2. Internal reliabilities coefficients and correlations of nonattachment to self to convergent validity measures.
Correlations for the well-being variables (See Table 2) were all in the expected direction with the NTS scale showing weak to moderate (r = 0.25 to r = 0.67) relationships to all the well-being measures. Specifically, the NTS scale displayed weak-to-moderate positive correlations with all facets of PWB and life satisfaction, and displayed moderate negative correlations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress. However, the internal reliability of the subscale “life purpose” was below acceptable. As the scale was short and represented a subscale of the PWB scale, the decision was made to proceed with the analysis.
Correlations for discriminant validity (See Table 3) were either non-significant or weak and fell within expected parameters (r ranged from 0.06 to −0.39). Specifically, the NTS scale was not significantly related to measures of amnesia, absorption or total situational self-awareness, and only showed a weak negative relationship to dissociation, depersonalization, private self-awareness, public self-awareness, and environmental self-awareness.
Table 3. Internal reliabilities coefficients and correlations of nonattachment to self to discriminant validity measures.
Distinctiveness From Nonattachment and Self-Compassion
Due the strength of the correlation between NTS and self-compassion, the decision made to test the distinctiveness of NTS from general nonattachment and self-compassion. To test the distinctiveness of NTS from general nonattachment and self-compassion, two separate CFAs were conducted using nested models (see Bagozzi et al., 1991). Using nested models to test discriminant validity involves comparing the fit of two models, an unconstrained model and a constrained model. The original (unconstrained) model, where the relationship between two conceptually similar latent variables are allowed to covary, is compared with a nested (constrained) model where the correlation between the latent variables is set to 1, indicating that both constructs are identical (Schweizer, 2014; Shaffer et al., 2016). The fit of the constrained and unconstrained models are then compared using a chi-square difference test, and comparing the difference in comparative fit index (CFI) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). If the constrained model shows a significantly worse fit than the unconstrained model, then discriminant validity is supported. Nested models are a rigorous and widely-accepted SEM-based approach to discriminant validity (Shaffer et al., 2016).
In the present study, two separate nested models were conducted on sample 1, to test discriminant validity. The first test compared NTS to nonattachment, using latent variables, with the constrained model setting the relationship between the NTS and nonattachment to 1 (indicating they are the same construct). Results showed the constrained model to be a worse fit than the unconstrained model (see Table 4). The second test compared NTS with self-compassion, using latent variables, with the constrained model setting the relationship between NTS and self-compassion at 1. Results showed the constrained model was a worse fit than the unconstrained model (see Table 4). Based on accepted criteria (ΔCFI ≥ 0.01, Cheung and Rensvold, 2002; ΔRMSEA ≥ 0.015, Chen, 2007), the results show a difference between the models, suggesting the distinctiveness of NTS from nonattachment and self-compassion.
Table 4. Fit indices comparing nested models to determine discriminant validity between nonattachment to self, and nonattachment and self-compassion.
To further investigate how NTS it distinguished from nonattachment and self-compassion, four multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether NTS distinctly predicted well-being variables when measured alongside nonattachment, and a further four multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine whether NTS distinctly predicted well-being variables when measured alongside self-compassion. Table 5 reports the unstandardized and standardized regression coefficients, and standard errors for each multiple regression analysis. Results showed that when NTS was measured alongside nonattachment, NTS distinctly predicted of PWB, depression, anxiety, and stress. Analyses further revealed that, when NTS was measured alongside self-compassion, NTS distinctly predicted PWB, depression, anxiety, and stress.
Table 5. Regression coefficients and standard errors from multiple regression models comparing unique relationships of nonattachment to self, nonattachment and self-compassion, with psychological well-being, depression, anxiety, and stress.
The aim of the research was to develop and validate a reliable measure of nonattachment to self (NTS). This resulted in the creation of a new 7-item measure of NTS loading on a single factor that was confirmed using two separate CFAs. The new scale shows good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity. The scale was also shown to have good convergent and discriminant validity and importantly, results indicate NTS is an empirically distinct construct from nonattachment and self-compassion. As expected, NTS related to measures of positive psychological functioning and well-being and did not represent a detached or dissociated state. The results suggest the NTS scale is valid, reliable over time, and distinct to nonattachment in general. Accepting any self-related feelings, thoughts or concepts, regardless of valence, and not forcibly try to change these to fit with an ideal, appears to be a way of relating the self that is related to positive psychological outcomes.
The validity process provided empirical support for the distinctiveness of NTS from general nonattachment. This was important as it supports the continued study of NTS as a separate construct. Distinguishing NTS from nonattachment indicates there are differences between how individuals attach to external experience and how they attach to their self-related experience. As the construct of the self is central to the many roles individuals play (Bhar and Kyrios, 2016; Shiah, 2016), taking a non-attached stance toward the self can affect many aspects of individuals' lives. In contrast, an individual may have attachments to external experience that may be specific (e.g., physical injury, interpersonal confrontation) but that may not necessarily affect other aspects of their life. Interestingly, results indicated one area NTS may be more beneficial than general nonattachment, is for ameliorating the impact of negative psychological symptoms; depression, anxiety, and stress. This may be due to the self-playing a central role is psychopathology (Kyrios et al., 2016) and an over self-focus being linked with negative mental health symptoms (Levenson et al., 2001; Mor and Winquist, 2002).
In addition to nonattachment, NTS was also shown to be distinct from self-compassion. This means that taking a non-attached stance toward the self differs from taking a balanced and compassionate stance toward negative emotions (Neff, 2008). This distinction points to the notion that reducing any self-fixation, regardless of valence, is different from reducing the impact of negative self-related experience. The findings also highlight that, in addition to the effects of being more self-compassionate, reducing fixation on the self, whether positive or negative, can positively impact an individual's well-being and reduce negative psychological symptoms.
The results for convergent validity also indicated that NTS was related to measures of positive psychological functioning. NTS was related to greater emotional stability and less ruminative thinking. Emotional stability refers to an individuals' capacity to be able to be balanced when responding to emotionally provoking stimuli (Hills and Argyle, 2001). The findings suggest that emotional reactivity to self-referent stimuli, such as negative self-evaluations or criticism from others, may be ameliorated by taking a more flexible approach to the self-concept and reducing the incongruence between stimuli and self-concept. Similarly, whereas rumination involves unintentional recurring thoughts with a positive or negative self-focus, that can perpetuate symptoms of depression (Krieger et al., 2013), NTS indicates a reduction in the positive or negative self-focus and a more flexible self-concept. This would assist in reducing obtrusive thoughts or letting them pass without having them reoccur. These findings support the theorized benefits of taking a more flexible stance toward the self-concept on the way individuals manage their emotions and cognitions.
In addition to adaptive functioning, NTS related to wisdom, self-actualization and self-transcendence. Wisdom, self-actualization and self-transcendence are taken as measures of advanced psychological development that indicate the higher stages of psychological growth (Whitehead et al. submitted). The present findings indicate that being flexible and non-attached in relation to the self may facilitate a transcendence of self-focus that is implicit in the later stages of psychological development (Cook-Greuter, 2000; Hartman and Zimberoff, 2008). Potentially, by removing fixation on the self and the need for self-related experience to be one way or other, individuals may be able to reduce the self-bias that can limit development of wisdom and self-transcendence (Whitehead et al. submitted). The present findings indicate that NTS can be associated with the growth process and supports the Buddhist notion that nonattachment to the self develops over time and is a goal that is worked toward (Donner, 2010). This is also supported by the observed relationship between contemplative practice and NTS and indicates NTS can develop over time, in conjunction with contemplative practice. Practices like meditation can assist in a dissolution of self-focus (Emavardhana and Tori, 1997; Berman and Stevens, 2015) and can create distancing from the immediacy of experience (Bishop et al., 2004; Neff, 2008), which can facilitate the letting go of attachment to thoughts, feelings and concepts about the self.
There are a number of implications of the current research. The development and validation of the NTS scale provides empirical support for a construct of NTS distinct from nonattachment and self-compassion. NTS appears to be a distinct quality that can make a positive unique contribution to individuals' mental health and psychological growth, beyond the more widely studied constructs of nonattachment and self-compassion. This research also provides insight into the possible benefits of understanding the self as a fluid rather than a static entity and invites research on the Buddhist notion of the self as a dynamic process. As individuals' notions of self play a central role in their well-being (Kyrios et al., 2016), understanding the self as a more dynamic process and taking a more non-attached stance toward the self-concept, rather than taking a positive stance toward the self, may be a fruitful area of study in relation to individuals' well-being and quality of life in general.
The findings also have implications for individuals whose self-related feelings make it difficult to have any positive self-interactions. Individuals whose negative psychological symptoms impact their ability to benefit from strategies such as self-compassion (Pauley and McPherson, 2010; Gilbert et al., 2011), may still be able to gain benefit from taking a more non-attached stance toward their self. As NTS does not require a positive interaction with self, it is not in opposition to feelings of low self-worth or hopelessness. It could therefore be met with less resistance than strategies that require a positive self-focus. Future research comparing NTS with constructs like self-compassion, investigating whether NTS acts as a protective factor against negative psychological symptoms, and whether specific interventions can target NTS could further elucidate the construct.
A number of methodological considerations are relevant to the present studies. As the samples were predominantly of university students and with considerably more women than men, the generalizability of the findings is limited. Nevertheless, the gender bias may not detract markedly from the findings as no gender differences in NTS were found. However, further research is needed on larger samples drawn from across the community to establish generalizability. Future research using stratified sampling may also assist in detecting variance in NTS in different areas such as culture and religion. Additionally, as this study did not use a clinical sample, the findings in relation to depression, anxiety and stress may not apply to individuals experiencing clinical levels of these symptoms and future work is needed to establish whether the relationships found also hold in a clinical population. Longitudinal studies on NTS are also needed to examine how NTS develops over time. Despite these limitations, the present study provides a robust development and validation process for the new measure of NTS that appears relevant to a range of areas associated with mental health and quality of life in general.
In conclusion, the present studies established the reliability and preliminary evidence of validity on a new measure of NTS. NTS emerged as a quality related, but distinct from other Buddhist psychological constructs, and that taking a more flexible, non-attached stance toward self-related thoughts, feelings and concepts can be beneficial for individuals' well-being and psychological functioning. The findings also indicate that NTS may provide unique benefit to individuals' well-being over and above the effects of other similar measures and may provide an avenue for healthy interaction with the self-concept for individuals that struggle with a positive self-focus.
RW responsible for original conception, data collection, data analysis, major contribution to writing manuscript. GB played a role in early conceptualization, study design, much drafting and re-drafting. BE assisted in data analysis and study design, assisted in drafting process. YY assisted at early conceptual stage, assisted in data collection. GM assisted in conceptual issues for publication, assisted in drafting process.
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02544/full#supplementary-material
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Keywords: nonattachment, nonattachment to self, scale development, self-concept, Buddhist psychology
Citation: Whitehead R, Bates G, Elphinstone B, Yang Y and Murray G (2018) Letting Go of Self: The Creation of the Nonattachment to Self Scale. Front. Psychol. 9:2544. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02544
Published: 13 December 2018.
Jin Eun Yoo, Korea National University of Education, South Korea
Edson Filho, University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom
Kenn Konstabel, National Institute for Health Development, Estonia
Copyright © 2018 Whitehead, Bates, Elphinstone, Yang and Murray. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Glen Bates, gbates@swin.edu.au
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Book Review: Mitch Cullin’s “A Slight Trick of the Mind”
By Reneen Imtiaz Khan
Home › Entertainment › Book Review: Mitch Cullin’s “A Slight Trick of the Mind”
To take Sherlock Holmes, one of the most beloved and timeless fictional characters in literature, and pen a book on him is no easy task. Being a “Sherlockian”, I’ve enjoyed all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books on the famous detective, and have watched the character being depicted in television shows, movies etc., all of which have been based on cases described in the original books.
In A Slight Trick of the Mind, author Mitch Cullin has not partaken of any material from the original works, save for some names and intriguing mannerisms that readers have come to relate with Sherlock Holmes. That attempt in itself is a unique undertaking. The book starts off in a world where Holmes is not the astute sleuth we’ve always known but rather, a 93 year old with fading health prone to random musings amidst his analytical thought process, and annoyed at the world in general.
The author relates the inner workings of Sherlock such that not only do we see his mind at work, but also catch a glimpse of his emotions at play, whether they be about love, friendship, affection, or about regret, pity and angst at life’s fallibility at that age. It is then of little surprise that Cullin has depicted his own father in Holmes, and all the health issues are gleaned from his father’s life. This persona endears the reader to the otherwise unapproachable and intimidating Sherlock Holmes.
The book is an amalgam of 3 intertwined stories – two recollections of Holmes’ past, and one the present he is living.
In the present, readers find Sherlock Holmes recently returned from a trip abroad to his cottage in England, where apart from him, live his housekeeper and her son, Roger. Cullin shows us the bonding between two people, both at the extremes of age – one almost a century old, and one barely a teenager – over topics as obscure as apiaries and farming bees. While his housekeeper’s overt concern bothers him, Holmes finds himself settling comfortably into the role of the father figure Roger sees him in. No one is more surprised at this development than Holmes himself. The connection between Holmes and the bees is revealed in due course. At this point in his life, Holmes finds himself deprived of all his past relations; in his acquaintance with Roger, he realises all that has been missing in his life, perhaps unknowingly and perhaps by design. Or rather, for all his stoic belief in logic and reasoning, readers see him realising that he is indeed human after all, and what affects the normal emotional populace has left a mark on him as well.
One of the two recollections is from one of his rather commonplace cases, where there’s discontent between a husband and wife, and Holmes’ help is sought out to set straight some peculiarities; but which also results in unforeseen consequences. As Holmes’ romantic side has always been rather ambiguous, we see him trying to interpret human emotions through logic, and end up quite stumped in the process.
The second recollection takes us to Japan, struggling with the after-effects of World War 2, when two atomic bombs were dropped, first on Hiroshima and a few days later, on Nagasaki;
“men and women living in makeshift huts and packing crates; housewives with babies on their backs lined up to purchase rice and sweet potatoes; the countless hungry Asian bodies moving past him on the street, those ravenous eyes glancing every so often at the disoriented Englishman walking among them. Behind the smiles, the nods, the bows, the general politeness, there lurked something else that had grown malnourished.”
With the help of an Oxford-educated Mr.Umezaki, on whose invitation Sherlock Holmes comes to Japan, the latter goes in search of a certain prickly ash from Shimonoseki that, according to his findings, slows ageing while bestowing other potential benefits to the body. Holmes, at this time, is described by the author “with flowing hair shorn to the scalp, beard reduced to a stubble on his jutting chin and sunken cheeks”. Here, too, it is easy to discern his sense of pride in himself, which age is forcibly taking away. Even when he dreams of himself, the canes that aid him in life are conspicuously absent. And the mind, the faculties of which he prizes above all else, is seen to be flailing, a phenomena which irks Holmes perpetually.
All in all, A Slight Trick of the Mind is a thought-provoking read. If you’re looking for a fast-paced novel, this is not the right book for you. The 3 stories build up slowly, and come together poignantly in the end. Cullin has cleverly structured the book in a rather declamatory fashion so readers can see facets of Sherlock Holmes beyond those he is normally portrayed with, and imagine what they might of him. For people like me, who have always been avid followers of the detective and his works, this book was an enjoyable read, as Cullin depicted what the character got up to in his later years. Maybe Holmes expected the last decade of his life to be as distinguished as his younger days, and maybe he didn’t find it so; sadly, no one seemed bothered. For the world does take notice mostly when the mighty fall, and maybe some part of him expected to be counted among them.
So when you pick up this book, be ready for a nostalgic trip down memory lane to 221B Baker Street.
As Sherlock Holmes told Dr.Watson, “The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!”
And so shall I end my review, and encourage you as readers to form your own opinions. Happy reading!
About Reneen Imtiaz Khan
Enough of a grammar-buff to stress even her Editor out, 27-year-old Reneen plans to channel her OCD-ness into writing books, skydiving, learning new languages, exploring Pakistan and ... meeting Shahrukh Khan (atleast once). While her unusual sense of humour has gotten her into trouble before, it didn't stop her from gaining a medical degree from Karachi's Jinnah Medical and Dental College. Currently residing in Toronto and looking to do her residency, Reneen finds that nothing inspires like kindness, and that the good in others is derived by the good we put into everything we give.
What a wonderful review. I would love to see what you come up with young sherlockian 🙂
Definitely sounds like a good read.
Reneen
A humble thankyou. And yes, the book is definitely worth reading!
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When the elected CFE-CGC will take to Iron Man or Wonder Woman
Haberkip All the means are good to try to appeal to the employees more and more disinterested by the trade union movement. In a humorous video clip, posted on YouTube in
All the means are good to try to appeal to the employees more and more disinterested by the trade union movement. In a humorous video clip, posted on YouTube in
All the means are good to try to appeal to the employees more and more disinterested by the trade union movement. In a humorous video clip, posted on YouTube in recent days, the elected representatives of the CFE-CGC, the union of the framing, lend themselves to a game for the least original in order to encourage people to vote for them at the next elections in business: they pass for... "super-hero" comics (comic books) and movies, Marvel or DC Comics! "They are at the origin of the paternity leave, they fought to impose your home, they act to prevent burnout... But who are they?" asks a voice off to the Rambo during that parade several scenes of daily life, as a father and a mother caring for their two children.
No, it is not a matter of the Avengers (our photo, Thor, Iron Man...), or of the Guardians of the galaxy (Peter Quill, Gamora...), neither of the heroes of The League of vigilantes (Batman, Wonder Woman...), " continues the voice-over. But of the three elected CFE-CGC, who donned the costumes of the stars of the two worlds for the cause... Because the "super-heroes", they are the elect and the CFE-CGC, the representatives of executives and technicians in the daily life. Suffice to say that this communication campaign, called "Heroes in everyday life #JeVoteCFECGC", does not go unnoticed. At a time when the membership in trade unionism continues to falter, it brings a lightness - and even dusted off - the image of the archaic that can convey its representatives...
Publish Date : 29 Haziran 2019 Cumartesi 00:00
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Democrats launch new probe of Trump's finances, Russia ties
By Mary Clare Jalonick The Associated Press
Feb 6, 2019 at 12:24 PM Feb 6, 2019 at 2:57 PM
The announcement came one day after President Donald Trump criticized "ridiculous partisan investigations" in his State of the Union speech.
WASHINGTON — The House intelligence committee will launch a broad new investigation looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's foreign financial interests, Chairman Adam Schiff announced Wednesday, moving ahead with the aggressive oversight that Democrats have promised now that they are in the majority.
Schiff said the investigation will include "the scope and scale" of Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election, the "extent of any links and/or coordination" between Russians and Trump's associates, whether foreign actors have sought to hold leverage over Trump or his family and associates, and whether anyone has sought to obstruct any of the relevant investigations.
The announcement came one day after Trump criticized "ridiculous partisan investigations" in his State of the Union speech. Schiff dismissed those comments Wednesday.
"We're going to do our jobs and the president needs to do his," Schiff said. "Our job involves making sure that the policy of the United States is being driven by the national interest, not by any financial entanglement, financial leverage or other form of compromise."
The California Democrat also announced a delay in an upcoming closed-door interview with Trump's former fixer and personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, "in the interests of the investigation." The interview was originally scheduled for Friday. It will now be held on Feb. 28, Schiff said.
Schiff said he could not speak about the reason for the delay. Hours after the meeting was pushed back, a document was filed under seal in the criminal case against Cohen brought by special counsel Robert Mueller's office. The court's docket did not contain any details about the nature of the document.
Special counsel spokesman Peter Carr declined comment, as did Lanny Davis, an attorney for Cohen.
The intelligence committee also voted Wednesday to send Mueller the transcripts from the panel's earlier Russia investigation. Republicans ended that probe in March, concluding there was no evidence of conspiracy or collusion between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign. Democrats strongly objected at the time, saying the move was premature.
Since then, both Cohen and Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone have been charged with lying to the panel. Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to the House and Senate intelligence committees about his role in a Trump business proposal in Moscow. He acknowledged that he misled lawmakers by saying he had abandoned the project in January 2016 when he actually continued pursuing it for months after that.
Stone pleaded not guilty to charges last month that he lied to the House panel about his discussions during the 2016 election about WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group that released thousands of emails stolen from Democrats. Stone is also charged with obstructing the House probe by encouraging one of his associates, New York radio host Randy Credico, to refuse to testify before the House panel in an effort to conceal Stone's false statements.
Schiff has said Mueller should consider whether additional perjury charges are warranted.
The committee had already voted to release most of the transcripts to the public, but they are still being reviewed by the intelligence community for classified information.
Mueller requested Stone's interview transcript last year and the panel voted to release it in December. Schiff wouldn't say whether Mueller had requested other transcripts, but noted that the committee had voted to withhold a small number of transcripts from the public and also that some witnesses had been interviewed since then. The transmission of the transcripts to Mueller, expected immediately, will give him full access to all of the committee's interviews.
Among the transcripts are interviews with Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.; his son-in-law, Jared Kushner; his longtime spokeswoman, Hope Hicks; and his former bodyguard Keith Schiller. There are dozens of other transcripts of interviews with former Obama administration officials and Trump associates.
Democrats also opposed a Republican motion at the meeting Wednesday to subpoena several witnesses. Republicans said they were witnesses who Democrats had previously wanted to come before the panel.
A Republican aide said that witness list included FBI and Justice Department officials involved in the Russia investigation and others who could shed more light on research by former British spy Christopher Steele. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the committee's business is confidential.
Steele's research was funded by Democrats and later compiled into an anti-Trump dossier that became public.
Associated Press writer Chad Day contributed to this report.
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Middle East Surgeon Speaks About the ‘Ecology of War’. “What Happens to People in War Zones”
By Andre Vltchek and Dr. Gus Abu-Sitta
Theme: History, Poverty & Social Inequality, Science and Medicine
Dr. Gus Abu-Sitta is the head of the Plastic Surgery Department at the AUB Medical Center in Lebanon. He specializes in: reconstructive surgery. What it means in this part of the world is clear: they bring you people from the war zones, torn to pieces, missing faces, burned beyond recognition, and you have to try to give them their life back.
Dr. Abu-Sitta is also a thinker. A Palestinian born in Kuwait, he studied and lived in the UK, and worked in various war zones of the Middle East, as well as in Asia, before accepting his present position at the AUB Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon.
We were brought together by peculiar circumstances. Several months ago I burned my foot on red-hot sand, in Southeast Asia. It was healing slowly, but it was healing. Until I went to Afghanistan where at one of the checkpoints in Herat I had to take my shoes off, and the wound got badly infected. Passing through London, I visited a hospital there, and was treated by one of Abu-Sitta’s former professors. When I said that among other places I work in Lebanon,he recommended that I visit one of his “best students who now works in Beirut”.
I did. During that time, a pan-Arab television channel, Al-Mayadeen, was broadcasting in English, with Arabic subtitles, a long two-part interview with me, about my latest political/revolutionary novel “Aurora”and about the state of the global south, and the upsurge of the Western imperialism. To my surprise, Dr. Abu-Sitta and his colleagues were following my work and political discourses. To these hardened surgeons, my foot ‘issue’ was just a tiny insignificant scratch. What mattered was the US attack against Syria, the Palestine, and the provocations against North Korea.
My ‘injury’ healed well, and Dr. Abu-Sitta and I became good friends. Unfortunately I have to leave Beirut for Southeast Asia, before a huge conference, which he and his colleagues are launching on the May 15, 2017, a conference on the “Ecology of War”.
I believe that the topic is thoroughly fascinating and essential for our humanity, even for its survival. It combines philosophy, medicine and science.
What happens to people in war zones? And what is a war zone, really? We arrived at some common conclusions, as both of us were working with the same topic but looking at it from two different angles: “The misery is war. The destruction of the strong state leads to conflict. A great number of people on our Planet actually live in some conflict or war, without even realizing it: in slums, in refugee camps, in thoroughly collapsed states, or in refugee camps.”
We talked a lot: about fear, which is engulfing countries like the UK, about the new wave of individualism and selfishness, which has its roots in frustration. At one point he said: “In most parts of the world “freedom” is synonymous with the independence struggle for our countries. In such places as the UK, it mainly means more individualism, selfishness and personal liberties.”
We talked about imperialism, medicine and the suffering of the Middle East.
Then we decided to publish this dialogue, shedding some light on the “Ecology of War” – this essential new discipline in both philosophy and medicine.
ECOLOGY OF WAR
(The discussion took place in Beirut, Lebanon, in Cafe Younes, on April 25, 2017)
Broken Social Contract In The Arab World, Even In Europe
G.A-S: In the South, medicine and the provision of health were critical parts of the post-colonial state. And the post-colonial state built medical systems such as we had in Iraq, Egypt and in Syria as part of the social contract. They became an intrinsic part of the creation of those states. And it was a realization that the state has to exercise its power both coercively, (which we know the state is capable of exercising, by putting you in prison, and even exercising violence), but above all non-coercively: it needs to house you, educate you, and give you health, all of those things. And that non-coercive power that the states exercise is a critical part of the legitimizing process of the state. We saw it evolve in 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. So as a digression, if you want to look at how the state was dismantled: the aim of the sanctions against Iraq was not to weaken the Makhabarat or the army, the aim of the sanctions was to rob the Iraqi state of its non-coercive power; its ability to give life, to give education, and that’s why after 12 years, the state has totally collapsed internally – not because its coercive powers have weakened, but because it was robbed of all its non-coercive powers, of all its abilities to guarantee life to its citizens.
AV: So in a way the contract between the state and the people was broken.
G.A-S: Absolutely! And you had that contract existing in the majority of post-colonialist states. With the introduction of the IMF and World Bank-led policies that viewed health and the provision of health as a business opportunity for the ruling elites and for corporations, and viewed free healthcare as a burden on the state, you began to have an erosion in certain countries like Egypt, like Jordan, of the non-coercive powers of the state, leading to the gradual weakening of its legitimacy. Once again, the aim of the IMF and World Bank was to turn health into a commodity, which could be sold back to people as a service; sold back to those who could afford it.
AV: So, the US model, but in much more brutal form, as the wages in most of those countries were incomparably lower.
G.A-S: Absolutely! And the way you do that in these countries: you create a two-tier system where the government tier is so under-funded, that people choose to go to the private sector. And then in the private sector you basically have the flourishing of all aspects of private healthcare: from health insurance to provision of health care, to pharmaceuticals.
AV: Paradoxically this scenario is also taking place in the UK right now.
G.A-S: We see it in the UK and we’ll see it in many other European countries. But it has already happened in this region, in the Arab world. Here, the provision of health was so critical to creation of the states. It was critical to the legitimacy of the state.
AV: The scenario has been extremely cynical: while the private health system was imposed on the Arab region and on many other parts of the world, in the West itself, except in the United States, medical care remains public and basically free. We are talking about state medical care in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
G.A-S: Yes. In Europe as part of the welfare state that came out of the Second World War, the provision of healthcare was part of the social contract. As the welfare state with the advent of Thatcherism and Reagan-ism was being dismantled, it became important to undergo a similar process as elsewhere. The difference is that in the UK, and also in countries like Germany, it was politically very dangerous. It could lead to election losses. So the second plan was to erode the health system, by a thousand blows kill it gradually. What you ended up in the UK is the piece-by-piece privatization of the health sector. And the people don’t know, they don’t notice that the system is becoming private. Or in Germany where actually the government does not pay for healthcare – the government subsidizes the insurance companies that profit from the private provision of healthcare.
AV: Before we began recording this discussion, we were speaking about the philosophical dilemmas that are now besieging or at least should be besieging the medical profession. Even the social medical care in Europe: isn’t it to some extent a cynical arrangement? European countries are now all part of the imperialist block, together with the United States, and they are all plundering the rest of the world – the Middle East, Africa, parts of Asia – and they are actually subsidizing their social system from that plunder. That’s one thing. But also, the doctors and nurses working for instance in the UK or Germany are often ‘imported’ from much poorer countries, where they have often received free education. Instead of helping their own, needy people, they are actually now serving the ageing and by all international comparisons, unreasonably spoiled and demanding population in Europe, which often uses medical facilities as if they were some ‘social club’.
G.A-S: I think what has happened, particularly in Europe is that there is a gradual erosion of all aspects of the welfare state. Politically it was not yet possible to get rid of free healthcare. The problem that you can certainly see in the United Kingdom is that health is the final consequence of social and economic factors that people live in. So if you have chronic unemployment, second and third generation unemployment problem, these have health consequences. If you have the destruction of both pensions and the cushion of a social umbrella for the unemployed, that has consequences… Poor housing has health consequences. Mass unemployment has health consequences. Politically it was easy to get rid of all other aspects of the welfare state, but they were stuck with a healthcare problem. And so the losing battle that the health systems in the West are fighting is that they are being expected to cater to the poor consequences of the brutal capitalist system as a non-profit endeavor. But we know that once these lifestyle changes are affecting people’s health, it’s too late in terms of cure or prevention. And so what the European health systems do, they try to patch people and to get them out of the system and back on the street. So if you have children with chronic asthma, you treat the asthma but not the dump housing in which these children are living in. If you have violent assaults and trauma related to violence, you treat the trauma, the physical manifestation, and not the breakdown of youth unemployment, or racism that creates this. So in order to sustain this anomaly, as you said, you need an inflated health system, because you make people sick and then you try to fix them, rather than stopping them from being sick. Hence that brain drains that have basically happened, where you have more Ghanaian doctors in New York than you have in Ghana.
AV: And you have an entire army of Philippine nurses in the UK, while there is suddenly a shortage of qualified nurses in Manila.
G.A-S: Absolutely! This is the result of the fact that actually people’s health ‘happens’ outside the health system. Because you cannot get rid of the health system, you end up having a bloated health system, and try to fix the ailments that are coming through the door.
Collapse Of The Health Care In The Middle East
AV: You worked in this entire region. You worked in Iraq, and in Gaza… both you and I worked in Shifa Hospital in Gaza… You worked in Southern Lebanon during the war. How brutal is the healthcare situation in the Middle East? How badly has been, for instance, the Iraqi peoples’ suffering, compared to Western patients? How cruel is the situation in Gaza?
Man wounded by Israeli soldiers gets treatment at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza
G.A-S: If you look at places like Iraq: Iraq in the 80’s probably had one of the most advanced health systems in the region. Then you went through the first war against Iraq, followed by 12 years of sanctions in which that health system was totally dismantled; not just in terms of hospitals and medication and the forced exile of doctors and health professionals, but also in terms of other aspects of health, which are the sewage and water and electricity plants, all of those parts of the infrastructure that directly impact on people’s lives.
AV: Then came depleted uranium…
G.A-S: And then you add to the mix that 2003 War and then the complete destruction and dismantling of the state, and the migration of some 50% of Iraq’s doctors.
AV: Where did they migrate?
G.A-S: Everywhere: to the Gulf and to the West; to North America, Europe… So what you have in Iraq is a system that is not only broken, but that has lost the components that are required to rebuild it. You can’t train a new generation of doctors in Iraq, because your trainers have all left the country. You can’t create a health system in Iraq, because you have created a government infrastructure that is intrinsically unstable and based on a multi-polarity of the centers of power which all are fighting for control of the pie of the state… and so Iraqis sub-contract their health at hospital level to India and to Turkey and Lebanon, or Jordan, because they are in this vicious loop.
AV: But this is only for those who can afford it?
G.A-S: Yes for those who can, but even in those times when the government had cash it could not build the system, anymore. So it would sub-contract health provisions outside, because the system was so broken that money couldn’t fix it.
AV: Is it the same in other countries of the region?
G.A-S: The same is happening in Libya and the same is happening in Syria, with regards of the migration of their doctors. Syria will undergo something similar to Iraq at the end of the war, if the Syrian state is destroyed.
AV: But it is still standing.
G.A-S: It still stands and it is still providing healthcare to the overwhelming majority of the population even to those who live in the rebel-controlled areas. They are travelling to Damascus and other cities for their cardiac services or for their oncological services.
AV: So no questions asked; you are sick, you get treated?
G.A-S: Even from the ISIS-controlled areas people can travel and get treated, because this is part of the job of the state.
AV: The same thing is happening with the education there; Syria still provides all basic services in that area.
G.A-S: Absolutely! But in Libya, because the state has totally disappeared or has disintegrated, all this is gone.
AV: Libya is not even one country, anymore…
G.A-S: There is not a unified country and there is definitely no health system. In Gaza and the Palestine, the occupation and the siege, ensure that there is no normal development of the health system and in case of Gaza as the Israelis say “every few years you come and you mown the lawn”; you kill as many people in these brutal and intense wars, so you can ensure that the people for the next few years will be trying to survive the damage that you have caused.
AV: Is there any help from Israeli physicians?
G.A-S: Oh yes! Very few individuals, but there is…
But the Israeli medical establishment is actually an intrinsic part of the Israeli establishment, and the Israeli academic medical establishment is also part of the Israeli establishment. And the Israeli Medical Association refused to condemn the fact that Israeli doctors examine Palestinian political prisoners for what they call “fitness for interrogation”. Which is basically… you get seen by a doctor who decides how much torture you can take before you die.
AV: This actually reminds me of what I was told in 2015 in Pretoria, South Africa, where I was invited to participate as a speaker at the International Conference of the Psychologists for Peace. Several US psychologists reported that during the interrogation and torture of alleged terrorists, there were professional psychologists and even clinical psychiatrists standing by, often assisting the interrogators.
G.A-S: Yes, there are actually 2-3 well-known American psychologists who designed the CIA interrogation system – its process.
AV: What you have described that is happening in Palestine is apparently part of a very pervasive system. I was told in the Indian-controlled Kashmir that Israeli intelligence officers are sharing their methods of interrogation and torture with their Indian counterparts. And of course the US is involved there as well.
Conflict Medicine
Gus Abu-Sitta: War surgery grew out of the Napoleonic Wars. During these wars, two armies met; they usually met at the frontline. They attacked each other, shot at each other or stabbed each other. Most of injured were combatants, and they got treated in military hospitals. You had an evolution of war surgery. What we have in this region, we believe, is that the intensity and the prolonged nature of these wars or these conflicts are not temporal-like battles, they don’t start and finish. And they are sufficiently prolonged that they change the biological ecology, the ecology in which people live. They create the ecology of war. That ecology maintains itself well beyond of what we know is the shooting, because they alter the living environment of people. The wounds are physical, psychological and social wounds; the environment is altered as to become hostile; both to the able-bodied and more hostile to the wounded. And as in the cases of these multi-drug-resistant organisms, which are now a big issue in the world like the multi-drug-resistant bacteria, 85% of Iraqi war wounded have multi-drug-resistant bacteria, 70% of Syrian war wounded have it… So we say: this ecology, this bio-sphere that the conflicts create is even altered at the basic DNA of the bacteria. We have several theories about it; partly it’s the role of the heavy metals in modern ordnance, which can trigger mutation in these bacteria that makes them resistant to antibiotics. So your bio-sphere, your bubble, your ecological bubble in which you live in, is permanently changed. And it doesn’t disappear the day the bombs disappear. It has to be dismantled, and in order to dismantle it you have to understand the dynamics of the ecology of war. That’s why our program was setup at the university, which had basically been the major tertiary teaching center during the civil war and the 1982 Israeli invasion. And then as the war in Iraq and Syria developed, we started to get patients from these countries and treat them here. We found out that we have to understand the dynamics of conflict medicine and to understand the ecology of war; how the physical, biological, psychological and social manifestations of war wounding happen, and how this ecology of war is created; everything from bacteria to the way water and the water cycle changes, to the toxic reminisce of war, to how people’s body reacts… Many of my Iraqi patients that I see have multiple members of their families injured.
AV: Is the AUB Medical Center now the pioneer in this research: the ecology of war?
G.A.-S: Yes, because of the legacy of the civil war… of regional wars.
AV: Nothing less than a regional perpetual conflict…
G.A-S: Perpetual conflict, yes; first homegrown, and then regional. We are the referral center for the Iraqi Ministry of Health, referral center for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, so we act as a regional center, and the aim of our program is to dedicate more time and space and energy to the understanding of how this ecology of war comes about.
AV: In my writing and in my films, I often draw the parallel between the war and extreme poverty. I have been working in some of the worst slums on Earth, those in Africa, Central America and Caribbean, South Asia, the Philippines and elsewhere. I concluded that many societies that are in theory living in peace are in reality living in prolonged or even perpetual wars. Extreme misery is a form of war, although there is no ‘declaration of war’, and there is no defined frontline. I covered both countless wars and countless places of extreme misery, and the parallel, especially the physical, psychological and social impact on human beings, appears to be striking. Would you agree, based on your research? Do you see extreme misery as a type of war?
G.A-S: Absolutely. Yes.At the core of it is the ‘dehumanization’ of people. Extreme poverty is a form of violence. The more extreme this poverty becomes, the closer it comes to the physical nature of violence. War is the accelerated degradation of people’s life to reaching that extreme poverty.But that extreme poverty can be reached by a more gradual process. War only gets them there faster.
AV: A perpetual state of extreme poverty is in a way similar to a perpetual state of conflict, of a war.
G.A-S: Definitely. And it is a war mainly against those who are forced to live in these circumstances. It’s the war against the poor and the South. It’s the war against the poor in the inner-cities of the West.
AV: When you are defining the ecology of war, are you also taking what we are now discussing into consideration? Are you researching the impact of extreme poverty on human bodies and human lives? In this region, extreme poverty can often be found in the enormous refugee camps, while in other parts of the world it dwells in countless slums.
G.A-S: This extreme poverty is part of the ecology that we are discussing. One of the constituents of the ecology is when you take a wounded body and you place it in a harsh physical environment and you see how this body is re-wounded and re-wounded again, and this harsh environment becomes a continuation of that battleground, because what you see is a process of re-wounding. Not because you are still in the frontline somewhere in Syria, but because your kids are now living in a tent with 8 other people and they are in danger of becoming the victims of the epidemic of child burns that we now have in the refugee camps, because of poor and unsafe housing.
Let’s look at it from a different angle: what constitutes a war wound, or a conflict-related injury? Your most basic conflict-related injury is a gunshot wound and a blast injury from shrapnel. But what happens when you take that wounded body and throw it into a tent? What are the complications for this wounded body living in a harsh environment; does this constitute a war-related injury? When you impoverish the population to the point that you have children suffering from the kind of injuries that we know are the results of poor and unsafe housing, is that a conflict-related injury? Or you have children now who have work-related injuries, because they have to go and become the main breadwinners for the home, working as car mechanics or porters or whatever. Or do you also consider a fact that if you come from a country where a given disease used to be treatable there, but due to the destruction of a health system, that ailment is not treatable anymore, because the hospitals are gone or because doctors had to leave, does that constitute a conflict-related injury? So, we have to look at the entire ecology: beyond a bullet and shrapnel – things that get headlines in the first 20 seconds.
AV: Your research seems to be relevant to most parts of the world.
G.A-S: Absolutely. Because we know that these humanitarian crises only exist in the imagination of the media and the UN agencies. There are no crises.
AV: It is perpetual state, again.
G.A-S: Exactly, it is perpetual. It does not stop. It is there all the time. Therefore there is no concept of ‘temporality of crises’, one thing we are arguing against. There is no referee who blows the whistle at the end of the crises. When the cameras go off, the media and then the world, decides that the crises are over. But you know that people in Laos, for instance,still have one of the highest amputation rates in the world.
AV: I know. I worked there in the Plain of Jars, which is an enormous minefield even to this day.
G.A-S: Or Vietnam, with the greatest child facial deformities in the world as a result of Agent Orange.
AV: You worked in these countries.
G.A-S: Yes.
AV: Me too; and I used to live in Vietnam. That entire region is still suffering from what used to be known as the “Secret War”. In Laos, the poverty is so rampant that people are forced to sell unexploded US bombs for scrap. They periodically explode. In Cambodia, even between Seam Reap and the Thai border, there are villages where people are still dying or losing limbs.
G.A-S: Now many things depend on how we define them. It is often a game of words.
AV: India is a war zone, from Kashmir to the Northeast, Bihar and slums of Mumbai.
G.A-S: If you take the crudest way of measuring conflict, which is the number of people killed by weapons, Guatemala and Salvador have now more people slaughtered than they had during the war. But because the nature in which violence is exhibited changed, because it doesn’t carry a political tag now, it is not discussed. But actually, it is by the same people against the same people.
AV: I wrote about and filmed in Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, on several occasions. The extreme violence there is a direct result of the conflict implanted, triggered by the West, particularly by the United States. The same could be said about such places like Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti. It has led to almost absolute social collapse.
G.A-S: Yes, in Jamaica, the CIA played a great role in the 70’s.
AV: In that part of the world we are not talking just about poverty…
G.A-S: No, no. We are talking AK-47’s!
AV: Exactly. Once I filmed in San Salvador, in a gangland… A friend, a local liberation theology priest kindly drove me around. We made two loops. The first loop was fine. On the second one they opened fire at our Land Cruiser, with some heavy stuff. The side of our car was full of bullet holes, and they blew two tires. We got away just on our rims. In the villages, maras simply come and plunder and rape. They take what they want. It is a war.
G.A.-S: ICRC, they train surgeons in these countries. So the ICRC introduced war surgery into the medical curriculum of the medical schools in Colombia and Honduras. Because effectively, these countries are in a war, so you have to train surgeons, so they know what to do when they receive 4-5 patients every day, with gunshot wounds.
AV: Let me tell you what I witnessed in Haiti, just to illustrate your point. Years ago I was working in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They say it is the most dangerous ‘neighborhood’ or slum on Earth. The local wisdom goes: “you can enter, but you will never leave alive”. I went there with a truck, with two armed guards, but they were so scared that they just abandoned me there, with my big cameras and everything, standing in the middle of the road. I continued working; I had no choice. At one point I saw a long line in front of some walled compound. I went in. What I was suddenly facing was thoroughly shocking: several local people on some wooden tables, blood everywhere, and numerous US military medics and doctors performing surgeries under the open sky. It was hot, flies and dirt everywhere… A man told me his wife had a huge tumor. Without even checking what it was, the medics put her on a table, gave her “local” and began removing the stuff. After the surgery was over, a husband and wife walked slowly to a bus stop and went home. A couple of kilometers from there I found a well-equipped and clean US medical facility, but only for US troops and staff. I asked the doctors what they were really doing in Haiti and they were quiet open about it; they replied: “we are training for combat scenario… This is as close to a war that we can get.” They were experimenting on human beings, of course; learning how to operate during the combat…
Medical experiment in Haiti
G.A-S: So, the distinction is only in definitions.
AV: As a surgeon who has worked all over the Middle East but also in many other parts of the world, how would you compare the conflict here to the conflicts in Asia, the Great Lakes of Africa and elsewhere?
G.A-S: In the Middle East, you still have people remembering when they had hospitals. Iraqis who come to my clinic remember the 80’s. They know that life was different and could have been different. And they are health-literate. The other issue is that in 2014 alone, some 30,000 Iraqis were injured. The numbers are astounding. We don’t have a grasp of the numbers in Libya, the amount of ethnic cleansing and killing that is happening in Libya. In terms of numbers, they are profound, but in terms of the effect, we are at the beginning of the phase of de-medicalization. So it wasn’t that these medical systems did not develop. They are being de-developed. They are going backwards.
AV: Are you blaming Western imperialism for the situation?
G.A-S: If you look at the sanctions and what they did to their health system, of course! If you look at Libya, of course! The idea that these states disintegrated is a falsehood. We know what the dynamics of the sanctions were in Iraq, and what happened in Iraq after 2003. We know what happened in Libya.
AV: Or in Afghanistan…
G.A-S: The first thing that the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan or the Nicaraguan Contras were told to do was to attack the clinics. The Americans have always understood that you destroy the state by preventing it from providing these non-coercive powers that I spoke about.
AV: Do you see this part of the world as the most effected, most damaged?
G.A-S: At this moment and time certainly. And the statistics show it. I think around 60% of those dying from wars are killed in this region…
AV: And how do you define this region geographically?
G.A-S: From Afghanistan to Mauritania. And that includes the Algerian-Mali border. The Libyan border… The catastrophe of the division of Sudan, what’s happening in South Sudan, what’s happening in Somalia, Libya, Egypt, the Sinai Desert, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, even Pakistan including people who are killed there by drones…
An Afghan kid
AV: But then we also have around 10 million people who have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo, since the 1995 Rwandan invasion…
G.A-S: Now that is a little bit different. That is the ‘more advanced phase’: when you’ve completely taken away the state… In the Arab world Libya is the closest to that scenario. There the oil companies have taken over the country. The mining companies are occupying DRC. And they run the wars directly, rather than through the Western armies. You erode the state, completely, until it disappears and then the corporations, directly, as they did in the colonialist phase during the East Indian Company, and the Dutch companies, become the main players again.
AV: What is the goal of your research, the enormous project called the “Ecology of War”?
G.A-S: One of the things that we insist on is this holistic approach. The compartmentalization is part of the censorship process. “You are a microbiologist then only look what is happening with the bacteria… You are an orthopedic surgeon, so you only have to look at the blast injuries, bombs, landmine injuries…” So that compartmentalization prevents bringing together people who are able to see the whole picture. Therefore we are insisting that this program also has social scientists, political scientists, anthropologists, microbiologists, surgeons… Otherwise we’d just see the small science. We are trying to put the sciences together to see the bigger picture. We try to put the pieces of puzzle together, and to see the bigger picture.
AV: And now you have a big conference. On the 15th of May…
G.A-S: Now we have a big conference; basically the first congress that will look at all these aspects of conflict and health; from the surgical, to the reconstruction of damaged bodies, to the issues of medical resistance of bacteria, infectious diseases, to some absolutely basic issues. Like, before the war there were 30,000 kidney-failure patients in Yemen. Most dialysis patients are 2 weeks away from dying if they don’t get dialysis. So, there is a session looking at how you provide dialysis in the middle of these conflicts? What do you do, because dialysis services are so centralized? The movement of patients is not easy, and the sanctions… One topic will be ‘cancer and war’… So this conference will be as holistic as possible, of the relationship between the conflict and health.
We expect over 300 delegates, and we will have speakers from India, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, from the UK, we have people coming from the humanitarian sector, from ICRC, people who worked in Africa and the Middle East, we have people who worked in previous wars and are now working in current wars, so we have a mix of people from different fields.
AV: What is the ultimate goal of the program?
G.A-S: We have to imagine the health of the region beyond the state. On the conceptual level, we need to try to figure out what is happening? We can already see certain patterns. One of them is the regionalization of healthcare. The fact that Libyans get treated in Tunisia, Iraqis and Syrians get treated in Beirut, Yemenis get treated in Jordan. So you already have the disintegration of these states and the migration of people to the regional centers. The state is no longer a major player, because the state was basically destroyed. We feel that this is a disease of the near future, medium future and long-term future. Therefore we have to understand it, in order to better treat it, we have to put mechanisms in place that this knowledge transfers into the medical education system, which will produce medical professionals who are better equipped to deal with this health system. We have to make sure that people are aware of many nuances of the conflict, beyond the shrapnel and beyond the bullet. The more research we put into this area of the conflict and health, the more transferable technologies we develop –the better healthcare we’d be allowed to deliver in these situations, the better training our students and graduates would receive,and better work they will perform in this region for the next 10 or 15 years.
AV: And hopefully more lives would be saved…
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Three of his latest books are revolutionary novel “Aurora” and two bestselling works of political non-fiction: “Exposing Lies Of The Empire” and “Fighting Against Western Imperialism”. View his other books here. Andre is making films for teleSUR and Al-Mayadeen. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo. After having lived in Latin America, Africa and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter.
Copyright © Andre Vltchek and Dr. Gus Abu-Sitta, Global Research, 2017
Articles by: Andre Vltchek and Dr. Gus Abu-Sitta
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. His latest books are: “Exposing Lies Of The Empire” and “Fighting Against Western Imperialism”. Discussion with Noam Chomsky: On Western Terrorism. Point of No Return is his critically acclaimed political novel. Oceania - a book on Western imperialism in the South Pacific. His provocative book about Indonesia: “Indonesia – The Archipelago of Fear”. Andre is making films for teleSUR and Press TV. After living for many years in Latin America and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides and works in East Asia and the Middle East. He can be reached through his website or his Twitter.
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The Trump Presidency and U.S. Foreign Policy, Financial Markets, Trading Blocks and Military Alliances
By Abayomi Azikiwe
Global Research, November 10, 2016
Theme: Global Economy, US NATO War Agenda
An apparent rightward shift will continue the imperialist policies of Washington and Wall Street
Former United States Secretary of State and Senator Hillary Clinton phoned real estate magnate Donald Trump in the early morning hours of November 9 to concede defeat in the national presidential elections.
During the course of 2015-2016, the corporate media networks were highly critical of all campaigns outside the one conducted by Clinton. Nonetheless, both Clinton and Trump were perhaps the most unpopular and even loathed contestants for this office in the modern history of the U.S.
International financial markets were shaken by the prospects of the unknown quantity of Trump in an election which so-called “mainstream” corporate and government-sponsored media had repeatedly predicted up until the last several hours would result in a Clinton victory.
Reports in the press late into the night on November 8 indicating a Trump victory was inevitable prompted U.S. stock futures to decline by five percent in global trading. Asian markets which are essential in American trade policy responded to the shockwaves sent around the world responding to the rhetorical character of the purported “protectionist” line of the Trump campaign. Although by the close of trading on November 9 it was said that markets were rebounding, it is by no means clear what these developments portend for the next few days and weeks.
In an article published in the Wall Street Journal it says:
“The National Retail Federation is keeping a close eye on how Mr. Trump might alter cross-border trade, tax policy and labor laws. ‘The retail supply chain is a thoroughly global supply chain,’ said David French, senior vice president of government relations at the NRF on Wednesday. ‘Anything that threatens two-way trade can hurt retail and consumers,’ Mr. French said. It is unclear how the results could impact consumer sentiment and spending in the key holiday season. ‘This morning there are a lot of people who woke up very surprised,’ Mr. French said. ‘The divisions in the country are going to be hard to heal.’” (Nov. 9)
Overnight after the polls closed the U.S. dollar declined and gold futures gained value along with other commodities seen as a “safe haven” for capitalist investors. This unsettled situation had surfaced the previous week when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey indicated that the criminal investigation into the Clinton e-mail scandal was being reopened. Although two days before the final elections Director Comey announced that Clinton had been “cleared” once again, the damage had already been done. The potential for a newly-elected president facing a lengthy Justice Department probe weighed on the psyche of the electorate and the financial markets.
The New York Times had called the critical state of Pennsylvania at least an hour before the television networks resigned to the loss of Clinton. The former Secretary of State during the first administration of President Barack Obama refused to even come before thousands of her supporters at the Javits Conference Center in New York City. Prospects for an even more divided political landscape in the U.S. will compound the existing economic anxieties surrounding the persistent problems of high unemployment, increasing poverty, rising racial unrest and intensifying class conflict.
A report published by the London-based Financial Times noted that:
“The National Retail Federation is keeping a close eye on how Mr. Trump might alter cross-border trade, tax policy and labor laws. ‘The retail supply chain is a thoroughly global supply chain,’ said David French, senior vice president of government relations at the NRF on Wednesday. ‘Anything that threatens two-way trade can hurt retail and consumers,’ Mr. French said.” (Nov. 9)
This same report went to emphasize: “It is unclear how the results could impact consumer sentiment and spending in the key holiday season. ‘This morning there are a lot of people who woke up very surprised,’ Mr. French said. ‘The divisions in the country are going to be hard to heal.’”
Impact on Financial Blocs, Imperialist Political Groupings and Military Alliances
The European Union (EU) had already experienced a reaction to the capitalist economic crisis when the British public voted in June to leave the imperialist federation which grew out of the post-World War II scenario imposed by the dominance of the U.S. A court case filed by Members of Parliament to involve them in the Article 50 process of disengagement from the EU will prolong the Brexit causing further uncertainty within both economic and political institutions.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials are also concerned since there is speculation of a possible thawing of relations between the western imperialist states and the Russian Federation. At a NATO Summit several months ago in Poland resolutions were adopted which will enhance the military presence on the border with Russia as well as the escalation of Pentagon and its allies’ interventions in the Asia-Pacific region.
A consistent military policy of intervention by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Pentagon and NATO in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen has devastated the Middle East and Central Asia. These wars of regime-change and genocide have created the worst crises of displacement both domestically and internationally since the conclusion of WW II. Some 60-75 million people have been driven from their homes due to initiatives launched in Washington and on Wall Street.
Over the last decade the world capitalist system has undergone the most profound decline since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Millions have lost their homes, jobs, savings and pensions. A quarter-century of failed military policies has drained the economies not only of the impacted states and regions but also those within the industrial states themselves particularly in Western Europe and North America. A Trump presidency cannot fulfill its promises because modern day imperialism is representative of the notions of “free trade”, neo-liberalism and globalization.
Africa Policy and the Trump Administration
Over the last two administrations of Obama and his predecessor, President George W. Bush, Jr., the militarization of Africa has escalated. The founding of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in early 2008 has engendered greater instability and displacement on the continent.
The bombing of Libya under false pretenses, its destabilization and brutal assassination of longtime leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi can still be felt some five years later. Today Libya has become a major source of human trafficking and flight from the African continent across the Mediterranean into Europe. Pentagon bombing operations are being conducted on a daily basis in this North African state. Several attempts by Washington and its allies to create a stable neo-colonial dominated regime in Tripoli have failed miserably. Thousands are dying in their desperate attempts to reach a Europe under distress itself which is facing monumental economic challenges including unemployment and rising poverty.
In the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, a burgeoning military base at Camp Lemonier is serving as a staging ground for an ongoing air and ground campaign under the guise of fighting “Islamic terrorism” in Somalia. The Republic of Sudan, once the largest geographic nation-state in Africa, was partitioned at the aegis of Washington in order to undermine the emerging country’s oil industry which was in partnership with the People’s Republic of China.
The Republic of Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa are being subjected to efforts by Washington and London aimed at installing right-wing regimes which are compliant to imperialist foreign policy imperatives. These same policies are very much in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean considering the attempts and actual political coups which have been carried out against Honduras (2009), Ecuador (2010), Paraguay (2012), Brazil (2016) not to mention the present destabilization campaign against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Despite the public posture of “normalization” of relations with the Republic of Cuba, the Obama administration along with Congress are not working towards the lifting of the decades-old embargo nor halting their covert intelligence programs with the expressed intent to reverse the course of the national revolutionary and socialist trajectory.
A Trump presidency in order to maintain any semblance of what is perceived as economic stability and growth must continue the same capitalist relations of productions and international relations. The failure of this phase of imperialist domination could provide renewed opportunities for world solidarity of the working class and oppressed.
The global capitalist system must inherently find markets to exploit in order to earn ever-increasing rises in profits. Such a program will place the Trump administration and its corporate backers on a collision course with the majority of people both inside the U.S. and the world.
Copyright © Abayomi Azikiwe, Global Research, 2016
Articles by: Abayomi Azikiwe
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Home :: Military :: Library :: News :: 2010 :: February ::
Fewer Casualties From Mines in Cambodia, but Reduced Funding Means Risk Remains
Robert Carmichael | Phnom Penh 23 February 2010
The number of Cambodian casualties from land mines and explosives left from decades of conflict has been steadily declining. But cuts in donor funding for demining could see this trend reversed.
Cambodia has an unenviable reputation as one of the most heavily-mined countries on earth, along with countries such as Angola and Afghanistan.
So the news that the number of people killed or injured by land mines and leftover explosives dropped 10 percent last year is welcome.
Chhiv Lim heads the office that compiles the statistics on Cambodian mine casualties. He says more than 63,000 people have been killed or injured by mines and explosives since the Khmer Rouge government was driven out of power in 1979.
"From 1979 up to the year 2000 the number of casualties was still high because during that time Cambodia had the civil war, but since year 2000 until the year 2005 the number of casualties [was] still 800 per year," he said. "But since the year 2006 until now the number of casualties has dropped down - this is good news for Cambodia."
Chhiv Lim says that last year 243 people were killed or injured by land mines and leftover explosives in Cambodia, down from 271 the year before.
Chhiv Lim says the decline is due to Cambodia's demining program, which uses clearance teams from the government as well as from private groups such as Halo Trust and Mines Advisory Group, or MAG.
Efforts to educate people about the dangers of mines and explosives have also helped.
Jamie Franklin, the country head of MAG, says better coordination and improved clearance methods devised over the past two decades contributed to lower victim numbers too.
"And I think ongoing clearance and the increasing clearance that has been achieved over the last 10 years along with the risk-reduction and mine-risk education and the high level of awareness of the dangers of mines and UXO [unexploded ordnance] and the risks that they pose have helped contribute toward the ongoing reduction in annual casualty rates," said Franklin.
Franklin says the peace and stability that Cambodia has enjoyed since the civil war ended has also helped.
One-third of the casualties are children, and almost all of those are boys. Chhiv Lim says studies show men and boys tend to be more willing to play with or examine explosives than women are. "But some boys they're clever, [they say] 'I cannot play with this one, I must go home.' But there are still some boys whose behavior has not changed," he said.
That makes education a key part of the country's effort to reduce mine casualties.
Removing mines remains the primary task, and that is slow, dangerous and expensive work. Franklin says it took MAG's 15 de-mining teams the whole of last year to clear just three square kilometers, at a cost $3 million.
The Cambodian government says more than 600 square kilometers of land remains contaminated with land mines. Cambodia has signed the international treaty to ban land mines, and was supposed to clear all land mines by the end of last year.
Given the scale of the problem, that was impossible, and the country was recently granted a 10-year extension to rid itself of mines. But there is a risk that even the 2019 deadline could be missed.
MAG's Franklin says funding for demining worldwide is decreasing as donors switch spending priorities to other areas. If there is less money for removing mines, at a time when Cambodia's growing population needs more land, that could mean more casualties.
"And so there is a risk that if the support to clearance and the clearance reduces that we could see either a slowdown in the reduction of annual casualty rates or a reversal of the trend that we have been seeing for the last 15 to 17 years," he said.
Demining experts say if donors cut funding, Cambodia can not meet the 2019 deadline to make its people safe from land mines.
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S. 899 (113th)
S. 899 (113th): Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2013
Compare this bill to another bill:
(Select Bill) S. 1684 (115th) Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2017 (IS) H.R. 1891 Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2013 (IH) H.R. 4176 Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2014 (IH)
The text of the bill below is as of May 8, 2013 (Introduced).
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Ayotte, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Cochran, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
A BILL
To establish a position of Science Laureate of the United States.
This Act may be cited as the Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2013 .
Congress finds the following:
Scientific research and advancement has driven success in the United States and global success for centuries.
Scientific research has saved, improved, and extended lives, increased the standard of living, expanded economic opportunity, and advanced human understanding.
Such research holds the promise of continuing this progress, protecting the environment, creating jobs, growing the economy through innovative ideas and discoveries, and generally advancing all mankind.
People in the United States can benefit when scientific research is conducted and communicated in a transparent manner to better inform citizens about the nature and status of such research.
Scientific education is a critical element of preparing our Nation and our citizens for a technology-intensive future and ensuring that the United States remains the world leader in innovation and high-tech success.
A single spokesperson who can embody, demonstrate, and articulate the importance and excitement of scientific research and education will help improve the current and future state of science to the benefit of all people in the United States.
Establishment of Science Laureates of the United States
Position established
Congress recognizes that science contributes to the economic prosperity and general welfare of the United States, and that increasing the public’s awareness about the sciences will increase such benefits. Congress also recognizes that scientists who are both accomplished in their fields and who foster the public’s interest in science do a special service to the United States. To honor their service and to further increase the public’s awareness about the sciences, there is established the position of Science Laureate of the United States.
The President shall appoint a Science Laureate on the basis of—
merit, particularly the ability of an individual to—
foster and enhance public awareness and interest in science; and
provide ongoing significant scientific contributions; and
recommendations received from the National Academy of Sciences, based on the factors described in subparagraph (A).
Variety of Scientific Disciplines
The President shall strive to choose for the position of Science Laureate of the United States individuals, in different years, from different scientific disciplines, including biology, physics, geosciences, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, and other science disciplines.
Number of appointments
The President may, in exceptional circumstances, appoint more than 1, but not more than 3 Science Laureates to serve simultaneously in the position of Science Laureate of the United States.
Each Science Laureate shall engage the public, from time to time, to increase the public’s awareness about science. A Science Laureate is encouraged to continue the Science Laureate's scientific work. The National Academy of Sciences shall facilitate the duties of a Science Laureate.
The Science Laureate position shall not have the effect of duplicating or superseding the role of the President’s Science Advisor.
Each Science Laureate shall serve a 1-year or 2-year term, as determined by the President. A Science Laureate may be reappointed for additional terms.
Compensation; Reimbursement
A Science Laureate shall serve without pay and shall not be considered to be a Federal employee based on such individual's appointment as a Science Laureate.
Reimbursement for travel
The National Academy of Sciences may, in its discretion, provide a Science Laureate with reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while performing duties as a Science Laureate, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code .
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Senescent cells play an essential role in wound healing
1:18 December 18, 2014
Novato, CA: Senescent cells have a bad-guy reputation when it comes to aging. While cellular senescence – a process whereby cells permanently lose the ability to divide when they are stressed – suppresses cancer by halting the growth of premalignant cells, it is also suspected of driving the aging process. Senescent cells, which accumulate over time, release a continual cascade of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and proteases. It is a process that sets up the surrounding tissue for a host of maladies including arthritis, atherosclerosis and late life cancer. But in a study publishing online in advance of the December 22nd edition of Developmental Cell, Buck Institute faculty Judith Campisi, PhD, postdoctoral fellow Marco Demaria, PhD and colleagues show that senescent cells act as good-guys when it comes to wound healing. Moreover, they identified a single factor secreted by senescent cells that cause them to promote wound healing. It’s a crucial discovery for researchers (including Campisi) who are working on developing treatments to clear the body of senescent cells as a way to stem the development of age-related disease.
“What is most exciting is that we are now able to identify what senescent cells express that makes them beneficial,” said Campisi, senior scientist on the study. “This means we will be able to simply provide that factor while we eliminate senescent cells to prevent a deleterious side effect before it even occurs.”
Postdoctoral fellow, Marco Demaria, PhD, lead author of the study, used two different mouse models: in the first, which was developed in collaboration with colleagues at the Erasmus, Harvard and Einstein Medical Schools, senescent cells can be visualized and eliminated in living animals; in the second, which was developed by Eiji Hara, Naoko Ohtani and colleagues at the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, mutations in two key genes block the senescence program. Demario showed that following a skin wound, senescence occurs early on in cells that produce collagen and line blood vessels. Demaria said the senescent cells accelerated wound closure through the secretion of PDGF-AA, a growth factor contained within blood platelets, making it the “good guy” in this portrayal of senescence. “We were able to apply recombinant PDGF-AA topically to mice that had senescent-free wounds,” said Demaria. “It rescued delayed wound closure and allowed the mice to heal normally.”
The researchers also found that senescent cells were present only for a short time during tissue repair, in contrast to the persistent presence of senescent cells in aged or chronically damaged tissues. Moreover, they say the fact that PDGF-AA was activated very early upon senescence induction in cell culture suggests the time-dependent regulation of secretory factors might, in part, explain the beneficial vs. deleterious effects of senescent cells.
Campisi says the finding shows that, in addition to preventing cancer in the young, cellular senescence might play a beneficial role in human health, perhaps throughout the entire lifespan. “It is essential that we understand the full impact of senescence,” Campisi said. “The possibility of eliminating senescent cells holds great promise and is one of the most exciting avenues currently being explored in efforts to extend healthspan. This study shows that we can likely harness the positive aspects of senescence to ensure that future treatments truly do no harm.” The researchers now plan to explore the role of senescent cells in other examples of tissue injury.
This work was supported by grants from the American Italian Cancer Foundation, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the US National Institutes of Health (AG017242, AG009909 and AG041122), and a European Council Advanced Grant. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.
Other contributors include: Francis Rodier and Remi-Martin Laberge from the Buck Institute; Naoko Ohtani and Eiji Hara, Division of Cancer Biology, The Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Koto-ku, Tokyo; Sameh A. Youssef and Alain de Bruin, Dutch Molecular Pathology Center, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands; Wendy Toussaint, James R. Mitchell and Jan H. J. Hoeijmakers, CGS Department of Genetics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Jan Vijg, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY; Harry Van Steeg, Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Martijn E. T. Dollė, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
About the Buck Institute for Research on Aging
The Buck Institute is the U.S.’s first independent research organization devoted to Geroscience – focused on the connection between normal aging and chronic disease. Based in Novato, CA, The Buck is dedicated to extending “Healthspan”, the healthy years of human life and does so utilizing a unique interdisciplinary approach involving laboratories studying the mechanisms of aging and those focused on specific diseases. Buck scientists strive to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, cancer, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, diabetes and stroke. In their collaborative research, they are supported by the most recent developments in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and stem cell technologies. For more information: www.thebuck.org
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New theory suggests alternate path led to rise of the eukaryotic cell
by Terry Devitt
But deep thinking on how the eukaryotic cell came to be is astonishingly scant. Now, however, a bold new idea of how the eukaryotic cell and, by extension, all complex life came to be is giving scientists an opportunity to re-examine some of biology’s key dogma.
All complex life — including plants, animals and fungi — is made up of eukaryotic cells, cells with a nucleus and other complex internal machinery used to perform the functions an organism needs to stay alive and healthy. Humans, for example, are composed of 220 different kinds of eukaryotic cells — which, working in groups, control everything from thinking and locomotion to reproduction and immune defense.
Thus, the origin of the eukaryotic cell is considered one of the most critical evolutionary events in the history of life on Earth. Had it not occurred sometime between 1.6 and 2 billion years ago, our planet would be a far different place, populated entirely by prokaryotes, single-celled organisms such as bacteria and archaea.
For the most part, scientists agree that eukaryotic cells arose from a symbiotic relationship between bacteria and archaea. Archaea — which are similar to bacteria but have many molecular differences — and bacteria represent two of life’s three great domains. The third is represented by eukaryotes, organisms composed of the more complex eukaryotic cells.
Eukaryotic cells are characterized by an elaborate inner architecture. This includes, among other things, the cell nucleus, where genetic information in the form of DNA is housed within a double membrane; mitochondria, membrane-bound organelles, which provide the chemical energy a cell needs to function; and the endomembrane system, which is responsible for ferrying proteins and lipids about the cell.
Prevailing theory holds that eukaryotes came to be when a bacterium was swallowed by an archaeon. The engulfed bacterium, the theory holds, gave rise to mitochondria, whereas internalized pieces of the outer cell membrane of the archaeon formed the cell’s other internal compartments, including the nucleus and endomembrane system.
“The current theory is widely accepted, but I would not say it is ‘established’ since nobody seems to have seriously considered alternative explanations,” explains David Baum, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of botany and evolutionary biologist who, with his cousin, University College London cell biologist Buzz Baum, has formulated a new theory for how eukaryotic cells evolved. Known as the “inside-out” theory of eukaryotic cell evolution, the alternative view of how complex life came to be was published recently (Oct. 28, 2014) in the open access journal BMC Biology.
The inside-out theory proposed by the Baums suggests that eukaryotes evolved gradually as cell protrusions, called blebs, reached out to trap free-living mitochondria-like bacteria. Drawing energy from the trapped bacteria and using bacterial lipids — insoluble organic fatty acids — as building material, the blebs grew larger, eventually engulfing the bacteria and creating the membrane structures that form the cell’s internal compartment boundaries.
“The idea is tremendously simple,” says David Baum, who first began thinking about an alternate theory to explain the rise of the eukaryotic cell as an Oxford University undergraduate 30 years ago. “It is a radical rethinking, taking what we thought we knew (about the cell) and turning it inside-out.”
From time to time, David Baum dusted off his rudimentary idea and shared it with others, including the late Lynn Margulis, the American scientist who developed the theory of the origin of eukaryotic organelles. Over the past year, Buzz and David Baum refined and detailed their idea, which, like any good theory, makes predictions that are testable.
“First, the inside-out idea immediately suggested a steady stepwise path of evolution that required few cellular or molecular innovations. This is just what is required of an evolutionary model,” argues Buzz Baum, an expert on cell shape and structure. “Second, the model suggested a new way of looking at modern cells.”
“The current theory is widely accepted, but I would not say it is ‘established’ since nobody seems to have seriously considered alternative explanations.”
David Baum
Modern eukaryotic cells, says Buzz Baum, can be interrogated in the context of the new theory to answer many of their unexplained features, including why nuclear events appear to be inherited from archaea while other features seem to be derived from the bacteria.
“It is refreshing to see people thinking about the cell holistically and based on how cells and organisms evolved,” says Ahna Skop, a UW-Madison professor of genetics and an expert on cell division. The idea is “logical and well thought out. I’ve already sent the paper to every cell biologist I know. It simply makes sense to be thinking about the cell and its contents in the context of where they may have come from.”
The way cells work when they divide, she notes, requires the interplay of molecules that have evolved over many millions of years to cut cells in two in the process of cell division. The same molecular functions, she argues, could be repurposed in a way that conforms to the theory advanced by the Baums. “Why spend the energy to remake something that was made thousands of years ago to pinch in a cell? The functions of these proteins just evolve and change as the organism’s structure and function change.”
Knowing more about how the eukaryotic cell came to be promises to aid biologists studying the fundamental properties of the cell, which, in turn, could one day fuel a better understanding of things like cancer, diabetes and other cell-based diseases; aging; and the development of valuable new traits for important crop plants.
“I have no idea if it is right or wrong, but they’ve done a good job of pulling in detail and providing testable hypotheses. That, in itself, is incredibly useful.”
Judith Kimble
One catch for fleshing out the evolutionary history of the eukaryotic cell, however, is that unlike many other areas of biology, the fossil record is of little help. “When it comes to individual cells, the fossil record is rarely very helpful,” explains David Baum. “It is even hard to tell a eukaryotic cell from a prokaryotic cell. I did look for evidence of microfossils with protrusions, but, not surprisingly, there were no good candidates.”
A potentially more fruitful avenue to explore, he suggests, would be to look for intermediate forms of cells with some, but not all, of the features of a full-blown eukaryote. “The implication is that intermediates that did exist went extinct, most likely because of competition with fully-developed eukaryotes.”
However, with a more granular understanding of how complex cells evolved, it may be possible to identify living intermediates, says David Baum: “I do hold out hope that once we figure out how the eukaryotic tree is rooted, we might find a few eukaryotes that have intermediate traits.”
“This is a whole new take (on the eukaryotic cell), which I find fascinating,” notes UW-Madison biochemistry Professor Judith Kimble. “I have no idea if it is right or wrong, but they’ve done a good job of pulling in detail and providing testable hypotheses. That, in itself, is incredibly useful.”
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Charleston Promise Neighborhood
Charleston Promise Neighborhood (CPN), a 501c3 non-profit organization incorporated in May 2010, was founded through a groundbreaking public/private partnership between Charleston County Council, the City of Charleston, the City of North Charleston and Charleston County School District (CCSD), local organizations, and community leaders. Our vision and purpose is to transform our “Neighborhood”, a 5.6 square mile area of Charleston County that straddles portions of Charleston and North Charleston, and is home to just over 29,000 residents--6,400 of whom are children under the age of 18. This geographic area coincides with the attendance zones of four Charleston County School District (CCSD) elementary schools with high concentrations of children living in poverty: Chicora School of Communications, James Simons Elementary School, Mary Ford Elementary School, and Sanders-Clyde Creative Arts School.
CPN’s mission is to ensure the Neighborhood is a place where residents are engaged in the community, and every child is on track to graduate high school with the abilities necessary to succeed in college, the military, or the workforce.
CPN provides a full complement of services to ensure our Neighborhood students have the supports necessary to graduate high school and to lead healthy, prosperous lives. The goal is to increase opportunities for our students to learn, thereby closing opportunity gaps, and accelerating student academic achievement. To combat community challenges, CPN implements five evidence-based initiatives in its four CPN schools.
Expanded Learning Time (ELT), an innovative afterschool, summer learning, and field trip program provided to nearly 400 students each year, focusing on academic and personal enrichment, tying back directly, to school day teaching;
Parent & Community Engagement Initiatives, programs and events designed to empower, equip, and engage community members, families, and students;
School-Day Supports, CPN-funded resources that provide additional in school professionals, professional development, strategic planning support, youth leadership development programs, and targeted principal consultation;
KidsWell Health & Wellness Clinics, on-site, school-based health centers (SBHCs) designed to improve students’ access to quality healthcare and health literacy information; and
YouthPromise, programming that engages middle and high-school student-leaders in monthly sessions focused on effective communication skills, etiquette tools, leadership training and citizenship.
Vicky Ingalls, Director of Programs, stated that “Since I have been with CPN from the early days, I’m most excited to see the evolution of our KidsWell school-based health program, with services provided by MUSC. We increased access to healthcare for our students, starting with a volunteer pediatrician 8 hours/week and now operating with the current MUSC team of 6 + serving our schools five days/week with the added telehealth component. I appreciate our ability to work closely with our schools, community and business partners to offer other innovative wrap-around supports to our students.”
In the last year, Vicky has actively served on both the Access to Care and Data Workgroups. Charleston Promise Neighborhood supported the community health needs assessment process in 2013 with Roper St. Francis and the collaborative community health assessments with MUSC and TUW in 2016. In 2019, Vickie has identified and will be leading several focus groups representing community and parents, to include those critical community voices. “I appreciate the efforts to be more collaborative and engage with the end “users” of our community health resources. I am encouraged by the progress we have made collectively as a community on a number of our priority areas, and I look forward to working with HTC to advance some of the work we’ve started in our schools around trauma-informed education and creating a compassionate school environment.”
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Berlin insiders' guide: Shopping
4:00 AM PST 2/13/2008 by Empty , AP
The following is part of a series of visitor guides to Berlin. See also:
Berlin on a budget | Restaurants | Jewish Berlin | From the locals | Bars | Culture | Relaxing
With its nine fashion schools, countless international artists, a long tradition of craftsmanship and some of the world's most innovative designers, Berlin has become a shopping paradise, especially for people on the lookout for originals.
Christmas is a long way off, but as long as you're in Germany you might as well take advantage of the opportunity to get some of those famous handcrafted German Christmas tree ornaments -- not to mention nutcrackers, music boxes, candlesticks and wooden toys -- at the Original Erzgebirgskunst (website). (Sophien Strasse 9 in Mitte; hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday)
And while you're there, Berlin-Mitte is home to more art galleries than any other neighborhood in any city in the world. If you don't believe it, take a walk down August Strasse, Linien Strasse, Tucholsky Strasse, Koch Strasse, Zimmer Strasse and Charlotten Strasse ... and see if you can do it in under an hour.
The Lumas Editionsgalerie (website) is an international retailer of high-quality original photography with astounding selections of styles, periods and subject matter. (Hackesche Hofe in Mitte; tel.: 03028040373; hours: 7 p.m. weekdays; 1-6 p.m. Sunday)
It's hard to say what's more interesting about the Art Center in Mitte -- the loads of international art for sale (currently young Asian artists' paintings, African sculptures and more) or the house itself, with its glass front, waterfall and bar. (Friedrich Strasse 134, across from the Friedrichstadt Palace; hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; tel.: 03027879027)
If you like the used-book stalls on the bank of the Seine, try the book and art market at the Zeughaus on the banks of the Spree across from the Museum Island (Museumsinsel). At this upmarket flea market you'll find not only rare editions but also jewelry, art and kitsch. (Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday)
At the OK-Laden in Mitte you will find some of the best available trinkets from the Third World: bags and briefcases but also toy cars -- just about anything that can be recycled from colorful tin cans and plastic. None of it is made to last forever, but all of it is made with breathtaking inventiveness. (Alte Schonhauser Strasse 36)
KPM stands for Royal Porcelain Manufacturer (Koenigliche Porzellanmanufaktur), the famous 200-year-old porcelain-makers of Prussian royalty. KPM-Welt features a shop with the newest creations (including a porcelain version of Knut, the Berlin polar bear) and a museum. (Wegely Strasse 1 in Tiergarten; tel.: 03039009215; also at Unter den Linden 35; hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except Sunday)
For serious Catholics with a sense of humor as well as tourists with a feel for the weird, Ave Maria is chock full with a surprisingly varied array of praying Maria figures, blinking Jesus hearts, angels and saints. (Potsdamer Strasse 75, not far south from Potsdamer Platz)
With 2,000 different whiskeys, 50 cognacs and 50 rums as well as a variety of champagnes and wines, Wein & Whiskey is the ideal place for your serious alcohol shopping. (Eisenacher Strasse 64, in Schoneberg)
About 150 jewelry, fashion and furniture designers from Berlin display their newest creations in Berlinomat, a spacious showroom, cafe and shop designed for shoppers who love to take their time looking around. (Frankfurter Allee 89, in Friedrichshain)
-- Astrid Ule
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Soldier accepts challenge to race side-saddle on ‘Inspector Gadget’ horse
Becky Murray 12 August, 2018 07:03
A soldier who has never ridden side-saddle before has been challenged to do so in a 7f race in January.
Staff Sergeant Peter Pagan-Skelley of the Royal Artillery Saddle Club hopes to raise £2,000 for the Royal Artillery Charitable Fund, which supports current and former soldiers and their dependants.
Peter told H&H: “Our local saddler is Bearhouse Saddlery run by Clare Barnett, who is an avid side-saddler. She is part of a side-saddle group called the Wonky Outlaws. We were running a have-a-go day and I said I’d leave it to the professionals when Clare set me the challenge.
“It came about because it’s the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. A lot of veterans came back from the war wounded and having lost limbs and they learnt to ride side saddle as often it was the only way they could ride if they’d lost a lower limb. It was actually very commonplace then, and there’s a lot of military riders who ride side-saddle now.”
Peter will be riding a 17.2hh ISH whom he fondly calls ‘Inspector Gadget’, in a flat race at a Royal Artillery (RA) point-to-point meeting in the first week of January.
“He’s called that because the moment I saw him he has these huge long legs and when he jumps if he doesn’t get it right there’s these go-go gadget legs and they just go everywhere,” he said.
Neither Peter nor Gadget has undertaken side-saddle before.
“I have the help of Chloe Gunn who rode at the side-saddle national championships this year, Cindy Sims a local instructor, and some side-saddle ladies who are members of the RA hunt who are going to take me out for hacks. They said the best thing I could do is just get hours in the saddle doing normal things.
“Gadget has just had his first side-saddle fitting. We’re hoping to get the saddle in the next couple of weeks but obviously it’s important it fits him absolutely perfectly so we’re not causing any harm or discomfort. It’s just about making sure he’s happy.”
In return if Peter is successful the Wonky Saddle Club has agreed to a jumping challenge.
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Clare told H&H: “We have been challenged to jump a grid with no hands side-saddle and one of us will do it bareback. I haven’t left the ground in about 30 years. We are all determined at the Wonky Saddle Club.”
Peter added: “Hopefully everyone will donate as much as they can for the RA Charitable Fund. We see many servicemen who fall on hard times and that’s what its there for.”
The challenge can be followed on Facebook at Challenge Side Saddle.
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Once a sensation, 'Walking Dead' is another show
Once a sen...
NEW YORK (AP) - At some point, a television sensation becomes just another show. The numbers illustrate how that's become the case with AMC's drama, "The Walking Dead."
The zombies are taking a break at the halfway point of their ninth season, following an episode on Sunday that was seen by 5.1 million people. The Nielsen company said that at a similar point last year, the midseason finale reached 7.9 million people.
For the first seven episodes of the season, the show's viewership was down 23 percent compared with last year for people who watched on the night of its premiere, and down 21 percent when people who record it and watch within three days are taken into account, Nielsen said. Increasing numbers of the show's fans, particularly younger ones, are waiting a couple of days to see a new episode.
The high point for "The Walking Dead" was its seventh season opener, seen by 21 million people.
AMC acknowledges the drop in popularity, which is hardly unusual for television shows as they age. The network says it is hard for "The Walking Dead" to compete with the ratings standard set when it was a cultural touchstone, but that it's still television's second-ranked drama behind NBC's "This is Us" among youthful viewers.
The network is also encouraged that the show survived the departure of star Andrew Lincoln earlier this season without a major drop in viewership. New episodes for "The Walking Dead" begin again in February.
Nielsen said 23.7 million people watched coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York, making it the most popular entertainment program on television since the Oscars. The absence of longtime host Matt Lauer, fired from NBC's "Today" show because of sexual misconduct shortly after the parade last year, made little difference to viewers. Last year's show was seen by 24.1 million. NBC's parade coverage was hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker this year.
Football dominated the prime-time ratings over Thanksgiving week, giving NBC a big edge. NBC averaged 9.1 million viewers, CBS had 6.4 million, ABC had 4.6 million, Fox had 2.9 million, ION Television had 1.5 million, Univision had 1.2 million, Telemundo had 1.1 million and the CW had 1 million.
ESPN was the week's most popular cable network, averaging 4.3 million in prime time. Hallmark averaged 2.67 million, Fox News Channel had
ESPN was the week's most popular cable network, averaging 4.3 million in prime time. Hallmark averaged 2.67 million, Fox News Channel had 1.55 million, MSNBC had 1.19 million and USA had 1.13 million.
NBC's "Nightly News" topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.2 million viewers. ABC's "World News Tonight" was second with 8.9 million and the "CBS Evening News" had 6.5 million viewers.
For the week of Nov. 19-25, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: "NFL Post-Game Show," Fox, 23.36 million; NFL Football: Atlanta at New Orleans, NBC, 21.73 million; NFL Football: Green Bay at Minnesota, NBC, 20.44 million; NFL Football: Kansas City at L.A. Rams, ESPN, 16.89 million; "NFL Pre-Game Show" (Thursday), NBC, 15.33 million; "NFL Pre-Game Show" (Sunday), NBC, 14.17 million; "60 Minutes," CBS, 12.96 million; "NCIS," CBS, 11.95 million; "Football Night in America," NBC, 10.71 million; "NFL Pre-Game Show, Part 2" (Thursday), NBC, 9.6 million.
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CW is a joint venture of Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast Corp. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks.
http://www.nielsen.com
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Anthony looking to make basketball fun again in Houston
Anthony lo...
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Through the first week of camp with the Houston Rockets, all indications are that Carmelo Anthony will be OK coming off the bench if that's the role coach Mike D'Antoni gives him.
That doesn't mean the 10-time All-Star wants to discuss it.
"I don't like talking about it," Anthony said Saturday before the team's last practice at McNeese State before returning to Houston. "People always been speculating. They always speculate so I will continue not to talk about it."
While Anthony, who is in his first year with the Rockets after one tumultuous season in Oklahoma City, refused to discuss whether he'll start or be a reserve, he had plenty to say about a variety of other subjects, candidly answering every other question thrown his way. He reflected on his year with the Thunder, a place where he never seemed to fit in and averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 78 starts.
He said he got "caught up" in outside opinions of what people believed he should do and recounted all the thoughts that were swimming through his head last season.
"(People saying) Oh, he's a stretch 4," Anthony said. "Oh, he should come off the bench. Oh, he should not shoot this many times. Oh, he should just let Russ (Westbrook) do this. So, it was just so much of that that was ... going around that I had to block it out and get away from it and not even think about it."
But even after he figured out how to do that, he still had to handle all of those who professed to know things about him when they had no clue what was really happening.
"I don't really care about somebody telling me how I think," he said. "A lot of people that's talking about me or has an opinion don't really know who I am. Never talked to me before. Don't know how I think. So, it's funny to me to just hear a quote from somebody else saying: 'He feels like this or he feels like that. And he should do this, or he should do that. Or he even said this or said that.'"
For the record, how Anthony feels now is happy and invigorated about his fresh start in Houston. Entering his 16th NBA season, he's is looking forward to helping the Rockets contend for a title after they fell to the Warriors in the Western Conference finals last season.
He hopes all the extra things he dealt with in Oklahoma City
He hopes all the extra things he dealt with in Oklahoma City are behind him and that he can get back to basics and find joy in basketball again.
"Just enjoy the game and play basketball ... I've been doing it for a long time," he said. "I still know how to do it. I've just got to make it fun. The game just has to be fun."
Early on, he's found that with the Rockets, where he's been welcomed from Day 1. The transition has been eased by how eager stars like James Harden and Chris Paul have been to integrate him into what they're doing.
"They already envision me being on this team and what I can do and my role on this team," Anthony said. "So, it was easier for them to just bring me along and say, 'This is where you should be, this is what you have to do,' and that made my transition a lot easier."
D'Antoni said Anthony is in great shape and the coach is eager to see how he'll mesh with his team when the Rockets open their exhibition schedule on Tuesday against Memphis.
"He's a great basketball player, so we just try to make it optimal for him and us," D'Antoni said. "It's always a little bit
"He's a great basketball player, so we just try to make it optimal for him and us," D'Antoni said. "It's always a little bit of a challenge, but if you had asked me the same question (last year) about James and Chris I would have said the same thing: 'Well, it looks good. I'm excited.' So same thing with him."
"We'll just have to wait and see with more proof down the road," D'Antoni continued. "But yeah, it looks good."
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander, Atlantic Fleet, to Caroline Wing Mayo, 1/24/1918
Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander, Atlantic Fleet, to Caroline Wing Mayo
[Extract]
UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET
FLAGSHIP OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF
Jan. 24 – 1918
My own dear Carrie:
. . . I was awakened very early -530- a.m. – by the testing of engines and steering gear. But we did not get under way. Howard1 came in about 645- to report that the Pilot said he could not take us out. The Westerly wind caused a low high tide and there was not enough water to take this ship safely thru the Buttermilk Channel.2 The ship draws 31½ feet. The Pilot and Capt. Howard watched the height of tide very carefully until 730- a.m. then had to give up any idea of getting out. So we are delayed for twenty four hours – but hope to get out tomorrow morning. . . . Today was a beautiful day for going to sea and it is too bad that we couldn’t get out. It is a serious reflection on our principal navy yard3 that the depth, under certain conditions of wind, is insufficient for a ship to get out. . . .
Henry.
Source Note: ALS, DLC-MSS, Henry T. Mayo Papers.
Footnote 1: Capt. William L. Howard, commander of the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, flagship of the Atlantic Fleet.
Footnote 2: Buttermilk Channel is a small tidal strait in upper New York Bay separating Governors Island from Brooklyn.
Footnote 3: Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Captain Alfred W. Hinds, Commanding Officer, Rochester, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/1/1918
Captain Thomas P. Magruder, Commander, Squadron Four, Patrol Force, to Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, United States Patrol Forces Based in France, 1/1/1918
Captain Nathan C. Twining, Chief of Staff, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/2/1918
Captain Thomas P. Magruder, Commander, Squadron Four, Patrol Force, to Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, United States Patrols Force based in France, 1/2/1918
Major General John J. Pershing, U.S.A., Commander, American Expeditionary Forces, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/3/1918
Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/3/1918
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, to Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight, Commander, United States Asiatic Fleet, 1/4/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, 1/5/1918
Vice Admiral Charles J. Badger, President, General Board of the Navy, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/5/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Forces Operating in European Waters, to All United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/7/1918
Bainbridge Colby, United States Shipping Board, to First Lord of the Admiralty Sir Eric Geddes, 1/7/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 1/8/1918
Captain Richard H. Leigh to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/8/1918
Bainbridge Colby, United States Shipping Board, to Commander Paul Foley, 1/9/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Forces Operating in European Waters, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/9/1918
Captain Lewis B. McBride to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/9/1918
Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, R.N., Commander, Naval Forces, Southern Ireland, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Navy Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/10/1918
Secretary of the British Admiralty Walter F. Nicholson to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Navy Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/10/1918
Commander Joseph K. Taussig to Captain Joel R. Poinsett Pringle, Chief of Staff, Destroyer Flotillas, 1/11/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, Patrol Forces Based in France, 1/12/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Commander John V. Babcock, 1/14/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to All Commanding Officers, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/14/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, R.N., Commander, Naval Forces, Southern Ireland, 1/14/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Forces Operating in European Waters, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/14/1918
Memorandum for Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, 1/15/1918
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, to Staff of Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/15/1918
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/15/1918
Captain Samuel S. Robison, Commander, Submarine Force, to Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, 1/15/1918
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Staff of Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/15/1918
Memorandum Concerning the Future of the Otranto Barrage, 1/16/1918
Commander Joseph K. Taussig to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/16/1918
Admiral Lewis Bayly, Commander, Naval Forces, Southern Ireland, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/16/1918
Sir Joseph P. Maclay, Minister of Shipping, to Bainbridge Colby, United States Shipping Board, 1/17/1918
Commander Paul Foley and L. I. Thomas to United States Shipping Board, 1/17/1918
Notes for a Meeting of the Allied Naval Council, 1/20/1918
Captain Hutchinson I. Cone, Commander, United States Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/21/1918
Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels to Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight, Commander, United States Asiatic Fleet, 1/21/1918
Captain Joel R. Poinsett Pringle, Chief of Staff, Destroyer Flotillas, to United States Destroyer Flotillas Operating in European Waters, 1/22/1918
Captain Hutchinson I. Cone, Commander, United States Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, to Captain Noble E. Irwin, 1/22/1918
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, To Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, Rear Admiral Samuel McGowan, Paymaster General and Chief of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, and Rear Admiral Walter McLean, Commandant, Norfolk Navy Yard, 1/22/1918
Constitution of the Allied Naval Council, 1/22/1918
Commander Paul Foley and L. I. Thomas to Edward N. Hurley, Chairman, United States Shipping Board, 1/22/1918
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Captain Hutchinson I. Cone, Commander, United States Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, 1/23/1918
Captain Reginald R. Belknap to Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, 1/24/1918
Deputy Secretary of the Admiralty Charles Walker to Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché in Washington, D.C., 1/24/1918
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, to Captain Hutchinson I. Cone, Commander, United States Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service, 1/24/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Captain Mark L. Bristol, 1/24/1918
Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, R.N., Commander, Naval Forces, Southern Ireland, to Thomas J. Macnamara, Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, 1/25/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Lieutenant Commander Charles R. Train, United States Naval Attaché in Rome, 1/25/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Captain Alfred W. Hinds, 1/25/1918
Captain Richard H. Jackson, United States Staff Representative in Paris, to Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, United States Patrol Forces in France, 1/27/1918
Notable Engagements between United States Navy Destroyers and Enemy Submarines, 1/28/1918
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom Walter Hines Page to Secretary of State Robert Lansing, 1/29/1918
Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, R.N., Commander, Naval Forces, Southern Ireland, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/29/1918
Captain Hutchinson I. Cone, Commander, United States Naval Aviation Forces, Foreign Service to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, 1/29/1918
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to the Bureau of Ordnance, 1/29/1918
Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, United States Patrol Forces Based in France, to Commanding Officers, 1/30/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Naval Constructor Lewis B. McBride, Bureau of Construction and Repair, 1/30/1918
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to Lindon W. Bates, Submarine Defense Association, 1/30/1918
Planning Section, Headquarters of Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, Memo Number 10, 1/30/1918
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/30/1918
New York World, 30 January 1918, 1/30/1918
United States Navy Bureau of Supplies and Accounts Intra-Bureau Memorandum, 1/31/1918
President Woodrow Wilson to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 1/31/1918
Pennsylvania, William L Howard, Henry T Mayo
Navy Yards, Naval Logistics
Additional Resources for January 1918
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EPA Issues Draft Interim PFAS Guidelines for Public Comment
On April 25, 2019, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced issuance of Draft Interim Recommendations to Address Groundwater Contaminated with Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate. According to EPA, the guidance is based on the EPA's current scientific understanding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxicity and is intended to provide clear and consistent guidance for federal cleanup programs, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, commonly referred to as Superfund). Specifically, the guidance provides recommendations on:
Screening levels, which are used to determine if levels of contamination may warrant further investigation;
Preliminary remediation goals (PRGs) to inform site-specific cleanup levels for PFOA and PFOS contamination of groundwater that is a current or potential source of drinking water.
According to the Posting Memorandum the guidelines will be open for public comment from April 25, 2019 through June 10, 2019. Comments may be submitted to the online docket. As described in a recent article in The New York Times, the OMB Review Redline shows substantial changes were made to the final draft posted for comment, which are likely to garner significant public interest.
Specifically, the entire section related to Removal Management Levels was deleted, including the below introductory section:
By definition, a removal action would not be used to address groundwater cleanup. It could, however, be an appropriate response action if the groundwater is, or could potentially be, used as drinking water. Removal management levels (RMLs) are a tool to help make a determination when an EPA removal action is warranted. RMLs are chemical- and media-specific concentrations that may be used to support a decision for EPA to undertake an action using CERCLA authority and funding (USEPA, 2018). The purpose of the RMLs is to help define areas, contaminants and conditions that may warrant a removal action at a site; they do not cover every conceivable situation that EPA might need to address in the remedial phases of a cleanup. Sites where contaminant concentrations fall below RMLs are not necessarily "clean," and further action or study may be warranted under the Superfund program (USEPA, 2018). For example, the NCP states that "actual or potential contamination of drinking water supplies or sensitive ecosystems" is one factor to consider in determining the appropriateness of a removal action, which could be "any appropriate removal action to abate, prevent, minimize, stabilize, mitigate, or eliminate the release or threat of release." 40 CFR 300.415(b). On a case-specific basis, EPA may need to take action because of combinations of chemicals, chemical-specific factors, unusual site-specific circumstances, the finding of a public health hazard by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), ecological risk, or other case-specific considerations (USEPA, 2018).
As noted by The New York Times, this means that the recommended removal action level of 400 parts per trillion (ppt) was deleted and the Interim Recommendations in effect make no recommendation concerning what level of contamination requires "immediate" action under Superfund, which governs many Department of Defense (DoD) federal facilities. As described in the recent testimony of Maureen Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment, DoD, "DoD follows the CERCLA process to fully investigate the release and determine the appropriate cleanup actions based on risk. These known or suspected PFOS and PFOA release areas are in various stages of assessment, investigation, and cleanup." She further testified that "DoD has identified 401 active and former (Base Realignment and Closure) installations with at least one area where there is a known or suspected release of PFOS or PFOA." Consistent with longstanding CERCLA policy, DoD is addressing these sites according to the "worst first" prioritization method. There are no details provided, however, on how many of the 401 sites have confirmed PFAS contamination in excess of the now-deleted 400 ppt threshold. Given the Congressional hearings held previously as described in a prior blog post we can expect further hearings seeking updates.
Stephen J. Humes
Energy Environment Environmental Litigation Water Law Public Policy & Regulation
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Is there heaven and hell? THIS is what people who had near death experience have to say
Chilling stories by people who had near death experiences have surfaced, giving a hint of life after death, heaven and hell.
By : Raymond Ronamai
Oct 20, 2017 16:40 IST
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What happens after death? Is there life after death? Is there heaven and hell?
These questions might have crossed everybody's mind at one point of time but there is no definite answer to these questions to this day except what religions have claimed. However, chilling accounts by those who have undergone near death experience (NDE) have given evidence that human consciousness could continue to exist after death – at least for a certain period of time.
Anita Moorjani, the author of the book "Dying to be Me," had claimed that she crossed into the afterlife in 2006 when she slipped into a coma after fighting lymphoma (cancer) for four years.She has claimed that she was aware of everything that was happening around her, instantly feeling and sensing wherever her mind took her, including seeing her sick body lying on the hospital bed and her brother preparing to fly in from another place to be with her.
Also read: Where were you when you heard Princess Diana had died?
She has said in several public speeches that she experienced immense happiness with no pain in her ailing body during her near death experience. She claimed to have experienced a new level of consciousness, instantly feeling whatever came to her mind. She went on to say that she met her dead father and her best friend, who pressurised her to go back to her body despite not wanting to leave that blissful experience. Her body healed from the end-stage lymphoma within few weeks and was cancer-free in a few months.
A mental health clinic in Shenyang offers patients the experience of "death" by having them lie in a coffin as a form of therapy.Reuters
Now, the Near Death Experience Research Foundation website (via Express site) has compiled a series of chilling stories narrated by people who had an NDE. It's all blurry but some may take it as evidence of life after death and existence of heaven and hell.
A man named Richard L said that he felt at peace when he was close to death after suffering from a seizure.
"I felt no pain. I felt an unending love and a sense of peace as I kept floating towards the light," he said.
"I saw a very bright light almost like at the end of a tunnel. It made me so warm and happy. I could just the see clouds and then I heard voices in the background," said another man named Alexander S, who said he was brought back from the brink of death following an attack.
However, some claimed that they experienced unpleasant things and feelings during their near death experience.
"I remember feeling terrified. It was so dark and I could not see anything below me, so it was hard to figure out what was going on. As the Beings pulled me into their midst, it seemed squishy and wet, as well as dark and cold. Meanwhile, the Beings all around me were ripping and tearing at me. I was thinking that I didn't like this at all and wanted to go back," read the account of a person who was resuscitated after a suicide attempt.
"I had a vision of a grey area with many scattered boards and beams. At the top right is a circular light, which had an incredibly bright centre that was inviting me to enter. Suddenly I realised with horror that it was the transition between life and death. I said, 'I do not want to enter. I have not tried everything in my life," claimed Hana P, who had an NDE after suffering from pneumonia.
It is difficult to say if there is life after death despite narrations by those who had an NDE. However, a study has found out that human mind and consciousness work for a short time after death, which means people can be aware of their own death, but that might end after blood circulation to the brain stops completely.
Breathtaking places that you can travel to in January 2019!
Els Enfarinats: The fierce Spanish battle of eggs and firecrackers
Israeli Air Force holds a thunderous air display for graduating pilots
Sean Hannity is Michael Cohen's mystery client
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NE forum condemns Sharmila re-arrest
IMPHAL, Aug 29: The North East Forum for International Solidarity has also strongly condemned the re-arrest of Irom Sharmila just two days after a local court had ruled that she cannot be charged with attempted suicide.
“We would also like to condemn the deputy Chief Minister of Manipur who defended the re-arresting of Irom Sharmila by saying that her health was deteriorating” it said while continuing that the truth is Sharmila was grabbed fiercely, dragged and thrown to the police vehicle by a group of police women.
It continued that such action is gross violation of human rights and huge disrespect to an activist who has been struggling to end violence and bring peace in the whole north east region of the country.
“People of Manipur across India are enraged with this blatant offence against a women and an activist who is fighting for ending the brutal law of AFSPA,” it observed.
On May 22, 1958, AFSPA was promulgated for the first time by the Indian State, it said before adding, “By denying us the right to rule of law the Indian State has kept us relegated to the status of second class citizens in the country that claims itself to be the world’s largest democracy.”
We demand the immediate release of Irom Sharmila and revoking of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), it said.
30-Aug-2014 / Press Release
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Home Robotics Watch the Mars 2020 Rover getting its wheels and legs
A Rover Pit Stop at JPL/ Image: NASA
We are just a year away from the launch of the Mars 2020 Mission – scheduled on July 17, 2020 – which will see NASA’s new Rover reaching the Red Planet on February 18, 2021. Once the rover reaches in Jezero Crater, it will start searching for signs of past life, cache rock samples and prepare the way for human exploration.
The mission is not long from now, and accordingly, the rover has really started to take shape. Constructing an exquisitely complex vehicle like the Mars 2020 rover takes serious teamwork.
The major milestone came out when the engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, installed six wheels and legs, known as mobility suspension to the Mars 2020 Rover. The imagery for this was taken on June 13, 2019, from a camera above the Spacecraft Assembly Facility. You can watch the video given below, which has been sped up by 300% and focuses only on major activities that took place the day to install the wheels.
The more complex task for the team’s integration efforts was to install “rocker-bogie” suspension system, which keeps the rover body balanced and enable it to “rock” up or down, depending on the various positions of the six wheels. The rover’s aluminum wheels measure 52.5 centimeters (20.7 inches) in diameter, each having its own motor and machined with 48 traction-providing cleats or grousers.
Read more: SpaceBok, a jumping robot built to explore the moon, Mars and asteroids
Besides, the two front wheels and two rear wheels have their own steering motors, which will allow the vehicle to turn a full 360 degrees while standing in place.
The wheels, you see in the video, are engineering models that will be replaced with flight models next year. After a few days of wheel installation, engineers installed the rover’s robotic arms, its mast-mounted camera, and the Sample Caching System (SCS).
“Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration plans will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028. We will use what we learn on the Moon to prepare to send astronauts to Mars,” said the team.
The REV-1, a delivery robot that can work in bad weather
SpaceBok, a jumping robot built to explore the moon, Mars and asteroids
The UX-1a, an autonomous underwater robot that explores abandoned mines
Tiny ant-inspired Tribots can jump, communicate and work together
Now a drone will help Met Police to catch speeding and dangerous drivers
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Frankie's Formulas: Milan-San Remo
At a Glance: Frankie's Formulas, 150 -185 lbs, Grape, Cycling, 3+ Hours, Anti-cramping, High Electrolyte, Sensitive Stomach, Male
“Mental focus, clarity, and concentration are key after racing 280km and if you’re low on energy mistakes will happen. It’s not only about having the right fuel but in a seven hour race hydration plays just as an important role. It’s also important to consume something you trust and know and not rely on hotel eggs.“
Customize Frankie's Formula Here
It’s the first one day classic of the World Tour, and at 293km, it’s also the longest. If you add the neutral zone the race goes well past 300km. With a start at 10am it’s important to have a good breakfast and important to fuel up right before the race start. Milan San Remo, despite the distance, is known for having a very quick start. Usually on average it takes an hour for the break to establish itself and it’s not uncommon for the fast racing to last up to two hours. At speeds of 30 mph it takes a while for the right group to escape and for the field to grow tired of chasing everything down.
There is no time to eat, rest, relax, or lose focus during the early kilometers leaving Milan as the race heads towards the first climb of the day before descending towards the coast. Milan San Remo, in my opinion, is one of the most dangerous races on the circuit. The high speeds and winding roads along the coast, with parked cars lining the boulevard, make it a perfect mix for spectacular crashes. Everything has to go right for the riders to even make it to the famous final two climbs- the Cipressa and Poggio.
I’ve had days go well and go bad at Milan San Remo. Normally my job was to set up the leader of the team before the final two climbs. Usually after heading a team lead out that would last for ten or fifteen kilometers I would get dropped from the main group. I sometimes made it over the Cipressa with the first group but I never made it over the Poggio with the leaders. This isn’t so bad considering the one year when I ate a bad breakfast. Every year breakfast was usually the same. I would have some pasta, eggs, rice, bread, coffee, and cereal. On one particular race day everything was fine until about 30km into the race when my stomach started grumbling. Not from hunger but I believe it was from some bad eggs. The rumbling turned into major digestive problems where I wasn’t thinking about racing anymore but on how to fix the problem in my stomach that was determined to get out. Thankfully, the break had established itself and the pack was riding at a tempo speed instead of its usual flat out hang on at all costs speed.
It takes skill to do things on the bike and sometimes we don’t see everything that takes place. Where incredible bike handling becomes more evident for everyone to see are on the descents of the Cipressa and Poggio when everyone is fighting for position and trying to win the race. The descent of the Poggio, the last 10km of the race, is twisty, curvy, and extremely fast. It’s one risk after another as the riders fly downhill trying to drop each other going from one edge of the road to the other edge of the road.
Learn More About Frankie Andreu & Milan-San Remo
PRESET FLAVOR: Grape
Frankie's Formulas
3+ Hours, Anti-cramping, High Electrolyte, Sensitive Stomach
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Tampa Bay Rays Use Hidden Ball Trick Against Los Angeles Dodgers
Nathan Francis
The Tampa Bay Rays used the old hidden ball trick against the Los Angeles Dodgers, catching Juan Uribe in a momentary lapse at third base.
The play came in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had just went up 4-0 after hitting a sacrifice fly that scored a run and advanced Uribe to third base.
But as Uribe looked away from the play, he failed to notice Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar calling for the ball. Escobar took a throw from first baseman James Loney and then flipped to third baseman Evan Longoria.
Longoria walked up behind Uribe, who was talking to the third base coach. As the runner took his foot off the base briefly Longoria applied the tag, completing the hidden ball trick and getting Uribe out.
After the game Uribe admitted that he wasn’t paying attention.
“I made a mistake,” Uribe said. “I didn’t see that the guy had the ball until it was too late. Every day, you see something different. I’ve never seen that before. Guys try. Now, I know.”
Escobar, who got the play started by calling for the ball, said he’s always keeping an eye out for situations when the hidden ball trick might work. He said he’s tried it four or five times this year unsuccessfully, though he did get four or five runners out with the trick in the minor leagues.
“It’s a play that I always have in the back of my mind through the course of a game,” Escobar said through a translator. “Guys were going everywhere, so it happened to be a good situation where I thought we might be able to tag Uribe out. The umpire was standing there and knew what was going on right away, and the only one that didn’t know what was going on was Uribe.”
The hidden ball trick ultimately did little for the Rays, who went on to lose 5-0.
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Morning Brief: Elliott Identifies New Activist Target
Health care company MEDNAX is now in the crosshairs of the multistrategy manager, which says the stock is undervalued.
By Stephen Taub
Shares of MEDNAX surged 13.4 percent, to close at $51.76, after Elliott Management Corp. disclosed it owns 7 percent of the health care company, which specializes in neonatology, anesthesiology, maternal-fetal medicine, other pediatric services, radiology, and management services. In a regulatory filing, the multistrategy manager known for its activism said the stock is undervalued and it seeks a “constructive dialogue” with management and the board of directors regarding strategic options and operational opportunities to maximize shareholder value. Elliott added that it thinks there is “substantial upside” from the company’s stock price level of $43.37 as of November 3, the last trading day before Elliott boosted its stake and before news reports surfaced indicating private equity interest in the company. The company has a market capitalization of just $4.8 billion.
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management said it closed out positions in Air Products and Chemicals and Nomad, telling clients they generated “substantial gains,” while freeing up capital for new investments. In its third-quarter letter the activist hedge fund firm said Air Products, which sells industrial gases, generated a 104.7 percent total return over a 4.5-year period, versus 69.9 percent for the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index over the same period.
Pershing Square sold food company Nomad in September for $14.16 per share, a 35 percent gain over its average cost over a little more than two years. It was the third-largest contributor to performance this year. Pershing Square Holdings is down 4.2 percent for the year through November 14.
Shares of Time Inc. surged more than 28 percent, to close at $16.20, on reports that the Koch Brothers may back a possible acquisition of the publisher by Meredith Corp. At the end of the third quarter, Lee Cooperman’s Omega Advisors was the fifth-largest shareholder. The stock is also his ninth-largest long position. This is surely a relief for Cooperman. Omega noted in its third-quarter letter that Time was its fourth-biggest-losing position in the first nine months of the year.
This content is from: Premium
Valeant’s Winners and Losers
Stephen Taub
The Morning Brief: Pershing Square Exits One of its Long Time Holdings
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Some thoughts on Carillion's liquidation and systemic risk management in public procurement
REUTERS/Simon Dawson
The story that was developing over the weekend finally broke as Carillion plc has gone into compulsory liquidation. Carillion is one of the largest contractors of the UK public sector and holds a very large number of contracts for a range of infrastructure and services projects. The immediate concern of the UK government will now be how to ensure continuous provision of those services (which include catering and cleaning services for schools and hospitals), and finding ways to ensure completion of the ongoing infrastructure projects, possibly through 'bringing them in-house' or re-nationalising the contracts--although it seems a reasonable to question whether there is capacity in the civil service and in local government to manage such a volume of complex outsourced contracts.
However, that is not the focus of this post. In my view, one of the aspects that should not go unnoticed in this crisis is that the public sector had had information pointing towards Carillion's increasingly dire financial situation for a while. Indeed, as The Guardian reports, "Carillion ran into financial difficulties last year after issuing three profit warnings in five months and writing down more than £1bn from the value of contracts. It has debts of about £1bn and a £600m pension deficit, and is being investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority over announcements made between December 2016 and July 2017." Very clear information about Carillion's severe financial difficulties was in the public domain in November 2017, and the first of the three consecutive profit warnings had been issued as early as July 2017.
Here, I offer some thoughts on the share of responsibility that could arise for UK contracting authorities due to poor management of the systemic risk created by the accumulation of contracts on Carillion's hands, including some awards completed after Carillion published information of its financial difficulties (for example, a 4-year £84mn contract for energy maintenance and repair services for public housing in the Belfast region in November 2017). The UK Government should not be able to decline all responsibility, as it was informed and monitoring the situation. Indeed, The Guardian reported three months ago that "The government, one of [Carillion's] major customers, said it was being kept informed. 'We remain supportive of their ongoing discussions with their stakeholders and await future updates on their progress,' the Cabinet Office said".
Domestic public procurement law (in particular, reg. 58 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015) empowers contracting authorities to monitor the economic and financial standing of tenderers before they award contracts. It is explicitly stated that "Ratios, for example that between assets and liabilities, may be taken into consideration where the contracting authority specifies the methods and criteria for such consideration in the procurement documents, but such methods and criteria shall be transparent, objective and non-discriminatory" (reg.58(10) PCR2015). It has been long standing UK Government policy to assess the financial risk implicit in the award of a contract due to the economic and financial standing of the would-be contractor. Currently, the relevant guidance to that effect is in the Procurement Policy Note on 'Supplier Financial Risk Issues' of 2013, which requires contracting authorities, as part of a regular procurement exercise, to "Assess the risk to public sector business and/or public money which would result if a potential provider bidding for a contract were to go out of business during the life of the contract, or have inadequate financial resources to perform the contract".
There is no question, then, that contracts recently awarded to Carillion should be under suspicion of potential shortcomings in the assessment of its economic and financial standing. Of course, this may be complicated due to the certainly complex corporate structure in which the industrial conglomerate is organised, but the fact that self-certification has been operative in the UK since 2016 (at least in theory), raises important questions as to the ability of contracting authorities to carry out effective monitoring of tenderers' capabilities and the financial risk implicit in contracting.
On that note, it should also be recognised that the monitoring of the contractor's economic and financial standing is largely limited to procurement phases prior to conclusion of the relevant contract. This raises a more important point concerning the difficulties in managing systemic risks that derive from the accumulation of public contracts in the hands of a single supplier (however it is divided internally), which require a more complex and decentralised policy requiring effectiveness of the policies facilitating SME participation in procurement, which certainly remains an unresolved issue in the UK and in other EU jurisdictions. Given that large public sector contractors subcontract very significant volumes (if not the majority) of the works and services to SMEs, important questions should be raised as to the effective value for the public sector of allowing for the intermediation of such 'public contract brokers'.
In my view, this is reflective of the continued erosion of public sector capability to manage and oversee contracts (big and small), which requires 'ready-made' bundled contractual solutions. If the situation is to be reversed, in my view, governments should make a clear commitment to invest in the required skills and resources to ensure that the provision of important public services and the development of strategic infrastructure is not affected by systemic risks that go unnoticed or are unmanageable once realised. This is not a legal problem, but mainly a political issue that requires committing the required level of funding in rebuilding the capacity that the public sector has lost. Given pressures in other areas (such as direct NHS funding), this is certainly a big ask. But, unless the public sector re-skills itself, not only the management of crises, but the regular operation of public services will continue to be dependent on the ups and downs of the private market--where undertakings, however big, are not too big to fail.
Tags public procurement, risk, systemic risk, liquidation, Carillion, crisis, contract termination, nationalisation of contracts
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HPC Brings The Heat to Impacts of Global Warming
By Andy Morris, IBM Cognitive Infrastructure
Provided by IBM
It’s hard to avoid news of global warming and climate change. At approximately 415 parts-per-million (ppm), many scientists believe that earth’s carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are as high as they’ve been since the Miocene era approximately 15 million years ago1. At this time, there were trees in Antarctica, equatorial regions were uninhabitable, and our earliest ancestors were not yet walking upright.
The earth’s changing climate may be the cause of severe local weather conditions in North America. In just the past weeks we’ve seen record flooding in Iowa, Illinois, Ontario and Quebec, a national disaster in Nebraska, a bomb cyclone in South Dakota, and a multi-day weather event that saw 52 tornados touch down across seven states putting 50 million people at risk. All this and it’s only May – hurricane season hasn’t even started yet.
Accurate forecasting becomes essential
With more frequent and severe weather events, accurate short- and medium-term weather forecasting will be critical. Aside from weather-related emergency alerts, airlines will need better forecasting to plan flight routes to avoid damaging turbulence and costs due to more frequent weather disruptions. Farmers will need to know when to plant, fertilize, and harvest to optimize crop yields. Utility companies will need better forecasts to help them pre-position assets to address increasingly severe storm damage to critical infrastructure.
Read: Weather Data Gives Red Bull Racing a Competitive Edge
How weather modeling works
Weather modeling is essentially a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) problem. Much like simulating airflow over an airplane wing, the basic idea behind weather forecasting is to know the current state of atmospheric conditions at a point in time. The atmosphere is divided into cells for calculation purposes, and complex equations governing fluid dynamics and thermodynamics are applied to each cell and their neighbors, stepping forward in time and predict the future state of atmospheric conditions. The better the model, and our understanding of initial atmospheric conditions, and the more computing power we can throw at the problem, the more accurate the forecast.
Advances in HPC dramatically improve forecasting
Starting in 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) massively increased investments in HPC, partnering with IBM to develop the Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS2). WCOSS is operated by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Reston, VA and Orlando, FL. The HPC environment is comprised of two IBM Spectrum LSF clusters with over 5,000 nodes and 14 PB of storage managed by IBM Spectrum Scale. These clusters support over 500 users and process 3.5 billion observations and 15 million computer simulations daily.
Connect with users and showcase your expertise in the new IBM Spectrum LSF User Community.
The Global Forecast Model (GFM) created by NOAA continually runs forecast models 384 hours (16 days) in the future, running simulations at 13-kilometer cell resolution. Since the deployment of WCOSS, compute power at the National Weather Service has increased by a factor of 80 to over 8.4 PFLOPS today. While WCOSS couldn’t prevent the historic damage from Florence, Michael and six other named hurricanes in 2018 (resulting in damage estimated at $50B US), the increased forecast accuracy unquestionably saved many lives.
GRAF – IBM’s Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System
In addition to these public-sector efforts, IBM has been investing in new weather forecasting technologies as well. In January of this year, IBM and The Weather Company (an IBM subsidiary) announced the IBM Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF). GRAF is comprised of 84 IBM Power System™ Accelerated Compute Server (AC922) nodes each with four NVIDIA V100 GPUs. Like other large-scale HPC clusters used in weather modeling, GRAF runs IBM Spectrum LSF and IBM Spectrum Scale.
Rather than modeling weather at 12-15km cell resolution, GRAF models weather over land at just 3km, a 200% improvement in forecast resolution. This allows GRAF to forecast localized events such as thunderstorms often missed by lower resolution forecasts. Also, GRAF can generate new forecasts hourly, providing consumers with more accurate and up to date forecasts of weather events. GRAF is also the first forecasting system able to tap sensor readings from aircraft in flight and crowd-sourced barometric readings from mobile device users who opt-in to sharing data from The Weather Network mobile app.
In addition to IBM’s R&D investments, these advances in weather forecasting are made possible by The Weather Company’s open-source collaboration with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). GRAF incorporates the latest-generation global weather model – the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) developed by NCAR and Los Alamos National Labs.
As the effects of global warming become more pronounced in the coming years, innovations like GRAF enabled by leading-edge HPC systems will play an important role in helping protect lives and property and minimizing impacts from severe weather.
Learning more
To learn more about IBM weather solutions and how advanced weather-related insights from GRAF and other innovations can help your business visit https://www.ibm.com/weather.
1: https://www.sciencealert.com/it-s-official-atmospheric-co2-just-exceeded-415-ppm-for-first-time-in-human-history
2: https://www.ecmwf.int/sites/default/files/elibrary/2018/18607-supercomputing-us-national-weather-service.pdf
3: https://www.nextplatform.com/2018/01/11/noaa-weather-forecasts-stick-cpus-keep-eye-gpus/
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Human Rights Developments
Defending Human Rights
The Role of the International Community
Anwar's sodomy conviction evoked widespread condemnation.
Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew called Mahathir's handling of the Anwar case "an unmitigated disaster," referring to the use of the ISA to detain Anwar and Mahathir's weak response to Anwar's being beaten in custody. (Lee later denied that he intended to criticize Mahathir.) Australian Prime Minister John Howard questioned the independence of Malaysia's judiciary and stated that the sodomy conviction was politically motivated. New Zealand's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Phil Goff expressed concern about the fairness of the trial, including questionable evidentiary rulings, restrictions on the defense, and the judiciary's independence from the executive.
The U.S. in April criticized Malaysia's crackdown on freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and called on the government to respect its citizen's civil and political rights. In May, the U.S. expressed concern about the rejection of Anwar's appeal of his corruption convictions and urged the judicial system to address due process concerns. In August, the U.S. State Department stated that the U.S. was "outraged" by Anwar's conviction and that the cooperative relationship between the U.S. and Malaysia had been impeded by the latter's poor human rights record. Canada also strongly condemned the trial and the sentence, stating that they reflected poorly on the impartiality of Malaysia's judicial system.
The European Parliament sent a five-member delegation to Malaysia in May. The delegation praised the creation of the national Human Rights Commission but expressed concern about the fairness of Anwar's trials and the independence of the judiciary and the press. Following Anwar's conviction in August, the European Union issued a statement of concern about the verdict and expressed serious doubts about the fairness of the trial.
United Nations and the World Bank
On April 10, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson voiced concern about a possible crackdown against opposition leaders in the run-up to the anniversary of Anwar's conviction on April 14, stated that her office would actively monitor the situation, and called on all parties to respect the right to peaceful expression. In August World Bank President James Wolfensohn expressed concern about Anwar's conviction.
Relevan Human Rights Watch
Reports:
Living in Limbo: Burmese Refugees in Malaysia, 8/00
China and Tibet
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Richard Weissbourd, Contributor
Senior Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Bullying Prevention: The Power of Empathy
11/17/2014 04:29 pm ET Updated Jan 17, 2015
Coauthored by Jennifer Kahn and Richard Weissbourd
October was National Bullying Prevention Month. For many schools and programs, this signifies a time to amp up anti-bullying messages, hashtags, rallies, posters and t-shirts. It's time for workshops ranging from how to be an upstander to how to reduce cyberbullying. For many parents, it's a time to remind children that bullying is not OK and to ask them how they might react if they witness bullying in their schools.
In one way or another, these anti-bullying efforts and home conversations tend to encourage children to stand up to bullies. And if children are also given thoughtful guidance on different strategies for preventing and stopping bullies, that focus is certainly positive.
But we seem to be missing something here. With all of the focus on how individuals can combat bullying, we have forgotten the power of context and the social norms that set the precedence for bullying behaviors to emerge in the first place. We can't just focus on turning kids from bystanders to "upstanders" whenever bullying occurs: We also need to focus on changing social norms and school climate so that bullying doesn't occur. Rather than simply asking children to go against the tide, we need to change the tide itself.
One of the best places to start is in schools. The critical role of school climate in reducing bullying has been well supportedi, but recent findings pinpoint specific dimensions that may have the most impact on student interactions and experiences in school. One powerful way of changing social norms is by building empathy -- at home and in school.
In our recent survey of over 10,000 students in 35 middle and high schools across the country, we found that in schools where students reported having more empathy, students also reported fewer experiences of bullying and were more likely to try to stop bullying. Students who reported more empathy also reported fewer experiences of discrimination, threats to physical safety, teasing, and bullying at school. Higher reports of empathy were also associated with student reports of feeling more connected to their school and being more influenced by school values.
These findings highlight what we and other organizations such as SPARK Kindness already know -- that by building caring and inclusive school environments, we are likely to see a decrease in bullying and an increase in a variety of positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes.
There are many ways we can work to promote empathy, ranging from our everyday interactions with children to more in-depth activities. We can talk about empathy and kindness, or other important values, discuss what these values mean, and set clear expectations -- requiring children, for example, to help out kids on the playground who are isolated. But we should remember that what we say means very little if we don't practice what we preach. Children are taking note of our behaviors -- the way we talk to others and the subtle messages we send. Be sure to model kindness and respect in your own interactions and your children will be much more likely to follow suit. We can also give children opportunities to practice empathy and engage in the habit of caring for others. Whether at home or in the classroom, involve children in making plans or solving conflicts -- encourage them to reflect on the perspectives of others.
Other activities and strategies are designed to build empathy and inclusion over time. For example, a Circle of Concern exercise, in which students reflect on who they have empathy for and who they may not be aware of on a day-to-day basis, can be a great way to encourage students to think about others, especially those who are different from themselves or who may not be on their radar. This activity can be used at home, in school, or with an after school group. For more ideas on how to develop empathy in children, check out Jessica Lahey's recent New York Times piece "Teaching Children Empathy" that draws on our work.
Another great way to start thinking about how you can make a school a more inclusive and caring environment is to use a school survey to gather information about how students perceive the school. Collecting this information provides an opportunity to understand student perspectives and identify challenges. It also gives the school a point of reference with which to measure change. If you're a parent, find out if your child's school uses a school climate survey and what the results showed. Stay informed about how the school is responding to challenge areas. If they don't use a school climate survey, discuss the possibility of trying one or consider talking with other parents to work with school leaders to form a school climate task force. For information on surveys, see our website.
So while it's good to focus once a year on how to respond to bullying, the time has come to work year-round to change our norms. Continue to talk to your children, set high ethical expectations for your children, and model those behaviors yourself. Find out what your child's school is doing to improve social norms. Ask questions, get involved. And even though it's November, keep the momentum going.
i Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D'Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research. Retrieved from http://rer.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/04/18/0034654313483907
Jennifer Kahn is the Project Coordinator for Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her work has focused on bringing together education and psychology, with a focus on the translation from research to practice. As a Research Assistant for the Shervert H. Frazier Research Institute at McLean Hospital, she worked on several clinical trials pursuing new directions for therapeutic treatments of bipolar and unipolar depression, conducted neuropsychological assessments, and weekly patient evaluations. As a Job Counselor at the Learning Prep School, she led daily vocational and skills groups focused on interpersonal effectiveness and social skills for high school students with autism and provided students with support in securing and maintaining internship or volunteer positions. She is interested in the development of effective research-based school interventions that support social and emotional learning. She has an Ed.M. from Harvard and a B.A. in biology from Johns Hopkins University.
Good News Bullying Parenting Impact School
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Magnus Norell, Contributor
The Muslim Brotherhood in Sweden
07/08/2016 06:25 pm ET Updated Jul 09, 2017
This spring's turbulence around former Minister of Housing, Mehmet Kaplan and Yasri Khan (both of the Green Party) has partly lifted the veil and revealed something that has long been known to researchers but has been somewhat of a taboo to discuss - namely, the factual gains of political Islam in Sweden today.
And not just in Sweden. The background to today's Islamist influence in our political parties and institutions can be said to have begun just after the Second World War, when the Muslim Brotherhood established itself in former West Germany (in Sweden, they have been operating since the late 1970s). The Brotherhood's strategy, developed since many years back, was to form, become part of (or in some cases, take over) educational institutions, social networks and so-called centers for dialogue. The goal was to establish itself politically and socially in the various European countries with existing Muslim communities, and thus gain influence over "their own" Muslim group. The basic idea was that "Muslims" form a collective with a certain specific definition of what constitutes Islam. This is still a core idea with Islamists; as Abirisak Waberi, former member of the Swedish Parliament (Moderate Party) and Omar Mustafa's predecessor as president of the Islamic Association in Sweden (IFiS, see below), said: "Islam has only one definition." It is a statement that Waberi shares with Islamists in general and sums up what is a fundamental idea with all Muslims who have not yet reconciled with Islamic history and privatized their religious tradition, i.e. who have not made religious beliefs a private matter.
The Brotherhood was, and still is, built upon a network approach where the supreme leader traditionally was based in Egypt (where the Brotherhood was formed in the 1920s). This person was also the spiritual leader. Around him was a council. All local country organizations also had governing councils, and these were able to make their own local decisions. The leadership of these councils could rotate and be replaced in a more or less democratic fashion. This leadership would then send a representative to the larger regional councils. For example, Europe has one. They, in turn, would send a representative to a global council. The Brotherhood organization can be seen as a kind of loosely formed organization where an oath of loyalty is taken. By this oath, one is inducted into a spiritual world community. This is important, because inside this shared spiritual community, one is able to form any types of organizations, at any time, as long as there is support for the effort in question. This also means that when the question "are you the Muslim Brotherhood?" is posed, one can truthfully say "no" and refer to something else (such as "the Islamic Association" or the like). And it is absolutely correct since the Brotherhood is a widely spread spiritual network that can manifest itself in many different external organizations.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Muslim Brotherhood is the father of the Islamic networks and organizations that currently dominate political Islam in the West, including in Sweden, and which today has grown into a multi-faceted movement spread across the entire European continent. A key reason for this success story is the way in which the Brotherhood has constructed its networks in Europe (and elsewhere; the picture is similar in North America, for example).
By promoting the importance of a unified ideology ("there is only one kind of Islam") while being open to different locally and regionally manifested organizational forms, they were able to effectively spread their message without forcing others into a pre-conceived framework. This allowed the Brotherhood to rapidly grow organically, without new or existing organizations needing to call themselves the Muslim Brotherhood. In this way, an apparently large variety of Muslim associations were able to emerge, all united by a common ideological belief. This integrated well with the European social systems of society as they had developed after the Second World War; a system where freedom of association had become a cornerstone in the countries impacted by the conflict. The emergence of a seemingly diverse range of organizations intended to safeguard the interests of the many newly arrived Muslims (early immigration was mainly labor-based) was of course seen as a positive and blended well into the existing order, where different groups were spearheaded by representatives with whom the authorities could interact.
This is very important because it is de facto the case that Islam is a disparate and decentralized religious tradition with a great many different interpretations. By effectively acquiring the position as representative for Muslim communities, other Muslim groups were marginalized in the sense of who could represent Muslims in relation to political and economic power. In this context, it obviously became extremely important to implement the concept that only one definition of Islam exists. A definition which is also the only "correct" and "true" version. Hence, it becomes crucial who holds the initiative to set the agenda on this issue. Here, the Brotherhood and all its successors have been very successful in winning the battle over whose definition of Islam is the "true" one. There are two important reasons for this success:
Firstly, the fact that Western organizational and administrative systems benefited the most well-organized Muslims, since they were the ones who most rapidly and efficiently understood the benefits of organizing themselves and thus present the authorities with a party with which to conduct negotiations. These groups were originally made up of Islamists in general and the Muslim Brotherhood in particular.
Secondly, the internal Muslim debate about Islam plays a major role. Naturally, those who refuse to believe that Islam really needs to play a part in how society is structured and governed have no reason to organize themselves into various Islamic movements. Those representing a more liberal (i.e. a privatized vision of Islam) and/or a reformist view are thus removed from the agenda already at the outset. The whole point of the Western approach - that various religious movements are endowed with certain representatives - is rendered null and void when individuals show no interest in being defined based on their religious stance and therefore do not consider themselves in need of any religious representatives.
It is necessary to emphasize that Islamism (or political Islam) is a complex concept. It is absolutely correct to say that Islamism arose as a sort of reaction to modernism, and as an alternative to collapsing and corrupt social and state systems in the Middle East (and in the postwar period also as a reaction against the Western capitalist system). At the same time, one must realize that Islam is different from, for example, the Lutheran form of Christianity common in Sweden. There is no actual non-political Islam to contrast with Islamism. The Christian division "unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God" cannot be applied to Islam. In Islam, religion and politics are intimately intertwined, which makes it very difficult for Muslims who are trying to reform and/or liberalize Islam. It also makes it easier for Islamists to argue from a religious perspective.
Consequently, over time the Islamists consolidated the power to define Islam both for their "own" group of Muslims and towards European authorities and politicians. For politicians and authorities tasked with managing large numbers of Muslim immigrants and migrants, it was helpful that someone could provide answers to the questions of "what is Islam" and "what are Muslims like." Since it was critical for the Brotherhood to be able to dominate the Muslim group, the result was an unholy alliance between Islamists and the authorities and politicians, who in the midst of their awkwardness and estrangement walked down a treacherous path, ignoring the fact that democratic and secular countries refrain from defining individuals based on religion and ethnicity.
The interesting or remarkable thing is not that Islamists of all stripes have taken the opportunity to exploit the system. This is logical given how important it is for Islamists to be the ones who decide what Islam is. It is also logical because this implies a sharp division between Muslims and non-Muslims in society. Segregation is promoted for the reason of maintaining control. The many (and more frequent) alarming reports coming out of our more or less ghettoized suburbs detailing how women in particular are oppressed by men attempting to rule over Muslim inhabitants by means of religious dogma are proof of how far this process has gone.
The interesting and remarkable thing is that our politicians and authorities have allowed this to happen. For decades, Islamist organizations have received large sums of money from public funds. This has contributed to increased segregation, problems of integration and an increasing proportion of individuals who decide to resort to acts of violence. The latter development is also logical since the end-goal is the same whether you advocate a non-militant strategy (which the Brotherhood usually does in Europe) or a more militant activist strategy. Namely, a society based on religious law and an eventual Islamization of society as a whole. Even in this regard, developments in Sweden are similar to those in other European countries such as Germany, Belgium and the UK.
But in Sweden and Europe in general, it is about leading the Muslim minority and to ensure that it is "protected" from losing its religious identity and affinity. In this lies the importance of collective rights and a distinct identity separate from mainstream society. For the Islamists in the Brotherhood's networks, it is then also particularly important to safeguard the political influence they have already gained, and if possible extend that influence. The case of Mehmet Kaplan serves as a good illustration. It has been studied in detail by scholars Sameh Egyptson and Aje Carlbom. Egyptson, for example, demonstrated how Imam Mahmoud Khalfi at the Stockholm mosque expressed satisfaction that the Islamists in Sweden had achieved a breakthrough with Kaplan's political career in the Green Party (and thus also in the government). Furthermore, Khalfi praises Swedish politicians for "having normalized the relationship with the Islamic Association which is known for its affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood." It is worth remembering that Kaplan was not forced out because of having invited anti-Semites into Parliament (like the infamous Yvonne Ridley). It was more of a tactical decision; it didn't look good that he shared a meal with Turkish fascists. But if this had not been noticed, Kaplan would probably still be in office. This is of course linked to the fact that political parties in Sweden - like in other European countries, such as the UK - have looked away from patriarchal oppression of women and anti-Semitism in their eagerness to score votes among the many Muslim immigrants. Both phenomena are widespread in the MENA region in general (and with Islamists in particular; not only the Muslim Brotherhood). It should be fairly obvious to anyone that people who have been raised on such values hardly tosses them aside once they cross the Swedish border.
The decentralization discussed above has also meant that there is some uncertainty concerning the Muslim Brotherhood's ambition. But it is possible to gain some insight by studying the network's Swedish policy documents. At the website for the Stockholm mosque, one can see that they, like other Islamists, view Islam as a comprehensive system that covers all aspects of society and individual lives. Islam is not only a religious ideology, but very much also a political project. One can read that Islam at its base is a valid system for all mankind, and that everyone would benefit from the divinely instituted legal system, sharia (whether sharia was handed down by God or written by human beings will not be discussed here). The political project expressed is based on a strategy of identity politics that has proven to fit hand-in-glove with particularly the Social Democrats and the Green Party (but also with the Left Party), which probably provides at least a partial explanation for the support that religious men of conservative persuasion, with a penchant for anti-Semitism and the oppression of women, enjoy among today's so-called progressive Left. As Göran Adamson so accurately wrote in Kvartal vol. 1, 2016 (online 5/31/2016): "The Left's political compass is lying on the floor with its glass shattered." The formulations become even clearer when studying the Islamic Association in Sweden's (IFiS) constitution and the Brotherhood's European umbrella organization Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), where IFiS is a member.
The Muslim Brotherhood emphasizes the need for all Muslims in Sweden to be presented as a homogeneous group with common interests and needs. Hence the importance of the establishment of a parallel "Islamic civil society" with its own schools, kindergartens, hospitals, cultural centers, mosques, and other types of institutions.
A project which Aje Carlbom describes as "a 'soft' apartheid-thinking that Muslims and non-Muslims should live in two different worlds." It should be clear to most people that this approach will eventually damage integration and can definitely lead to decreased trust and social disintegration of society at large. This should have been clear from the beginning. It is all the more remarkable that when the Brotherhood Movement (Broderskapsrörelsen; a Christian interfaith organization connected to the Social Democratic Party, now called Tro och Solidaritet; "Faith and Solidarity") entered into an agreement with the Swedish Muslim Council (Sveriges Muslimska Råd, SMR) in 1999, it was clear that the SMR wanted a parallel society. The fact that the Social Democrats (and naturally, other political parties) in their eagerness to recruit Muslims compromised on basic principles of equal rights and the right of the individual to decide his or her own future, even outside of the group (regardless of which group), is a sin of omission the consequences of which Swedish society will have to grapple with for the foreseeable future.
It is therefore critical that our politicians get themselves together, raise their gaze and broaden their horizons when it comes to Muslims in Sweden. As noted, most Muslims in Sweden are actually not members of any Muslim organization whatsoever. It is also about time to recall that in Sweden, religious identity is a private matter and that in our secular, religiously neutral country, we live in one common society, not several parallel ones.
Politics News Sweden Europe Integration
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For the first time, they walk to protest child trafficking
Charlie Patton
Human trafficking has been recognized as a problem in South Florida for several years.
But the fact that a man is awaiting sentencing in Duval County court after being convicted of turning two Virginia teenagers into prostitutes shows the problem has spread to North Florida, says attorney Crystal Freed.
That's why Freed was so pleased about the turnout Saturday morning at Balis Park in San Marco.
More than 400 people joined the inaugural Walk to Stop Child Trafficking Now, a 5K walk through San Marco to raise consciousness about an issue many don't realize is a problem in America, Freed said.
Florida ranks third behind New York and California in the number of cases of human trafficking, Freed said, based upon research by the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights.
The U.S. Department of Justice has estimated that 200,000 to 300,000 American children are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation each year, according to the Stop Child Trafficking Now Web site, www.sctnow.org.
"We need to bring this dark issue into the light," Freed said.
Tony Boselli, a former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle, agrees.
"It's a big issue that I don't think anybody is aware of," Boselli said. "If more people were aware of it, I think there would be a greater outcry."
Lt. Mike Eason of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office special investigations unit cites an ongoing case. He said Marvin Madkins was arrested in October 2008 after an alert motel security guard realized there was an unusual parade of men visiting one of the rooms. He discovered two girls, 16 and 15, who had been forced into prostitution by Madkins, Eason said.
At a trial in March, the girls testified they met Madkins after a party in Virginia. He supplied them with marijuana and told them they could have a better life in Jacksonville, where he planned to become a rich cocaine dealer.
When they arrived in Jacksonville, however, Madkins put the girls to work as prostitutes at several motels, posting their photos on Craigslist, according to trial evidence.
The teens said they had five or six customers a day and gave their money to Madkins for food, drugs and lodging.
A jury convicted Madkins in March of two human trafficking counts and one count of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. He faces a sentence of 10 years to life.
Eason said that case is typical of what happens in human trafficking. Teenagers, or foreigners who don't speak English, are given false promises of a new life, then forced to work as prostitutes or slave laborers.
Police need 'eyes and ears'
While the Madkins case is the first recent case in Northeast Florida resulting in a conviction, that doesn't mean there aren't other instances as yet undiscovered, Eason said.
"We need you guys to be our eyes and ears," Eason said. "... We need to attack this problem at its root cause."
Eason credited University of North Florida students to whom he recently talked with turning out in large numbers to support the cause.
The walk was organized by the new Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, which formed in August, a coalition of lawyers, social service agencies and law enforcement groups.
Before the walk, several people spoke, including Freed; Eason; Adam Hollingsworth, chief of staff to Mayor John Peyton; Boselli; and two other former Jaguars, Joel Smeenge and Todd Fordham.
Freed said the Jacksonville walk was one of 45 held across the country. The biggest walk will take place today in New York City, with 10,000 expected.
charlie.patton@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4413
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Nieuw-Amsterdam, NY
New York City, undoubtedly one of the most famous cities of the world, has existed for centuries—four to be exact. Compared to many other major global cities, the history of New York is relatively short. Despite its brief existence, New York has developed a dense history from its rich cultural roots that continue to influence the look and feel of the city today. Some may find the history of New York surprising, but if you take a closer look you will notice signs of New York's rich past all around the island of Manhattan. The more you see and learn, the clearer it will become that New York City's fate to become one of the most diverse cosmopolitan cities in the world was laid early on in its history.
The city of New York, formerly known as New Amsterdam, has its roots as a Dutch colony of New Netherlands. Peter Minuit, the Dutch Director General of New Netherlands was said to have purchased the island of Manhattan from Native Americans for the equivalent of what is today 24 U.S. Dollars. The outpost was settled in the southernmost tip of Manhattan, and fortified to serve as protection for the Dutch East India Company, in their trade of beaver pelts, of which there was an abundant supply in the Americas. Originally a settlement of about 300 people, New Amsterdam was known for being a very diverse settlement; historians estimate that around half of the population was not Dutch but came from other European territories, with a moderate slave population as well. Dutch society was thought to be quite progressive, as slaves at the time were allowed to earn their freedom through work and move up through the social ranks. Interracial marriage was not unheard of. This early establishment of multi-cultural acceptance has played a role in the development of New York City, as it's reputation for diversity was established long ago amongst its earliest settlers.
Today you can see remnants of the original New Amsterdam settlement near the Financial District, Battery Park and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Starting at the Dutch Pavilion in the Peter Minuit Plaza, visitors can walk through the streets that were originally laid during the days of Dutch rule. Many tours are available to introduce you to the history of the streets and where their names came from. Pearl Street for instance was the original Eastern shoreline of Manhattan, and was named so as piles of famous New York oyster shells were stored along this path. Battery Park has a reconstruction of what a Dutch farm was like during the 1600's, and you can see the location of the first New Amsterdam city hall.
The Dutch ruled the island of Manhattan from 1624 until 1664, when they surrendered the territory to the English, and the territory was then renamed in honor of the British King, New York. The British and the Dutch settlers continued to live relatively peacefully, and Dutch influence has remained strong to this day.
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Buzz Bissinger, Contributing Editor for 'Vanity Fair' talks about how the idea came about for the Runaway Doctor story as well as if he keeps in touch with any of the people featured in the story.
Editor's Note: The Runaway Doctor
A headless torso washes ashore. A mob’s daughter is executed mob-style. A millionaire’s young wife vanishes. Some believe that one man knows exactly what happened to all three victims. He is "The Fugitive Heir."
He Would Wake Her Up And Show Her Guns
Was Her Murderer Someone She Knew? Or The Mob?
He Dressed Up As A Deaf-Mute Woman To Hide His Identity
Ned Zeman, Contributing Editor for 'Vanity Fair' talks about how the idea came about for the Fugitive Heir story as well as if he still thinks about the people involved in the story today.
Editor's Note: The Fugitive Heir
Lisl Auman's life is turned upside down when her so-called 'friends' reveal their dark and dangerous sides.
She Wasn't Just Moving, She Wanted Revenge
In the summer of 1997, Lisl Auman is charged with the felony murder of Denver police officer Bruce VanderJagt, despite being locked in the back of a police patroller when the deadly shots were fired.
A Police Chase That Turned Into A Gunfight
Twenty-one-year-old Lisl Auman is a self-proclaimed hippie with a knack for mixing with the wrong people at the wrong place and time.
She Was Trying To Find What To Do With Her Life
When political activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair mysteriously disappears, she'll touch off one of the most baffling missing persons cases in American history-a case full of strange clues, false leads, and lethal suspects.
Could I Tell You If Someone Had A Gun To My Head?
When Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her family disappear, some suspect that she fled to New Zealand to live a lavish lifestyle, while others have a much more grim theory.
There Was No Sense Of Urgency With Her Disappearance
To some, Madalyn Murray O'Hair is the most hated woman in America, and when she and her family mysteriously disappears, police immediately suspect foul play.
What Are They Doing On the Lam Overseas?
Mark Seal, Contributing Editor for 'Vanity Fair' talks about working with Hunter S. Thompson as well as why he thinks the Lisl Auman case was such an important story to tell.
Editor's Note: Prisoner of Denver
To avoid a maximum sentence, David Waters tells police the dark story of what really happened to the O'Hair family.
They Were Held Against Their Will For 30 Days
Mimi Swartz, Writer for 'Vanity Fair' and Executive Editor for 'Texas Monthly Magazine,' talks about how the Madalyn Murray O'Hair story came about as well as what her most memorable moment was while writing.
Editor's Note: The Lady Vanishes
A woman is left for dead. When the case goes cold, private investigator Ken Brennan is hired to find out exactly what happened.
The Suspect Was In The Hotel But There Were No Records Of Him
Private investigator Ken Brennan is hired to find out exactly what happened after a woman is raped and left for dead. His investigation uncovers disturbing clues and sets off a hunt for a man who preys on women nationwide.
He Looked Like A Nice Guy But He Was A Serial Rapist
The victim of a murder has his skull and jaw broken into 25 pieces. A seven-year-old girl from one of the country’s wealthiest families is abducted. Both crimes lead to a manhunt for an student.
Human Bones Uncovered In Upscale Suburban Backyard
Mark Bowden, Contributing Editor for 'Vanity Fair,' talks about how the help of Private Investigator Ken Brennan impacted his story as well as the people involved with the story who he still thinks about today.
Editor's Note: The Vanishing Blonde
A townhouse goes up in flames on a quiet Greenwich Village block with evidence pointing to a band of revolutionaries that want to kill people – specifically, the police.
Young Women Involved In Radical Anti-War Movement Disappear
Margie Shapiro was 19 and working in a donut shop when she reportedly met Bill Cosby and was invited to a party. She shares her story in this intimate investigation into the allegations made against America’s favorite “Dad.”
A Bill Cosby Accuser Tells Her Personal Story
In 2013, one woman alleges that Choudhury assaulted her. Soon after, more women come forward with similar stories of harassment and sexual assault.
How Did The Founder Of Bikram Yoga Allegedly Go From Healer To Sexual Predator?
Buzz Bissinger, Contributing Editor for 'Vanity Fair' talks about how they came up with the idea for covering Barry Winchell's murder as well as what the most memorable moment was when he was writing the story.
Editor's Note: Don't Ask, Don't Kill
Cruising the Vegas strip, Tupac Shakur is in the passenger seat of a BMW. The driver is Marion “Suge” Knight, head of Death Row Records. A white Cadillac pulls up to the passenger side. Shots erupt. Six days later, Tupac is pronounced dead.
What Really Happened The Night Tupac Shakur Was Murdered?
The multibillion-dollar sex trafficking industry has evolved into a modern day slave trade. When a girl’s innocence becomes a moneymaking proposition, how far will a sexual predator go to turn a profit?
Woman Recounts How She Fell Into A Sex Trafficking Ring At Just 12 Years Old
When Hamilton Somerville Jr.,owner of estate Mt. Athos, died, the eyes of Orange County, Virginia, turned to his second wife, Donna. Once the hospice nurse for Somerville’s late first wife, was Donna guilty of killing the man she’d comforted?
Is Wealthy Man's Second Wife (And Former Nurse) To Blame In Suspicious Death?
David McClintick, writer for 'Vanity Fair' talks about the questions he still had after writing the story as well as who from the story he still thinks about today.
Editor's Note: Alter Ego
14-year-old Katie Tarbox, and undercover cop, Michele Deery, go on a mission to expose dark secrets about online predators. How far will they go to find out if their online playmates are real or just playing a twisted game of seduction?
Woman Reveals How She Was Groomed By Child Predator At Age 14
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Home » Games » Altiplano
Altiplano, a bag-building game along the lines of Orléans set in the South American highlands of the Andes — the Altiplano — is not a simple game, presenting players with new challenges time and again. There are various ways to reach the goal, so the game remains appealing to try out new options and strategies, but success or failure also depends on whether your opponents let you do as you like or thwart the strategy you are pursuing. The competition for the individual types of goods is considerable — as is the fun in snatching a coveted extension card from under another player's nose!
At the start of the game, players have access only to certain resources and goods, due to the different role tiles that each player receives that provide them. At the market, however, a player can acquire additional production sites that give new options. The numerous goods — such as fish, alpaca, cacao, silver, or corn — all have their own characteristics and places where they can be used. Whereas silver makes you rich, fish can be exchanged for other goods, and alpaca give you wool that you can then make into cloth.
Aside from building up an effective production, you must deliver the right goods at the right time, develop the road in good time, and store your goods cleverly enough to fill the most valuable rows with them. Often, a good warehouseperson is more relevant in the end than the best producer.
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Omid, a memorial in defense of human rights in Iran
One Person’s Story
Faroq Ashrafi
Religion: Presumed Muslim
Date of Execution: March 11, 1984
Location: Qasr Prison, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran
Mode of Execution: Hanging
Charges: Drug trafficking; Drug possession
Memorial Home
Human rights violations in this case
The Legal Context
Islamic Revolutionary Courts, 11 February 1979-1994
In the immediate aftermath of the 11 February 1979 Revolution, an ad hoc tribunal, initially referred to as the Extraordinary Revolutionary Tribunal, was set up to try the officials of the previous regime, for which no specific procedures were devised. In a decree dated 24 February 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini, the revolutionary religious leader, appointed a cleric as Shari’a Judge and instructed him “to issue Shari’a-based rulings,” thereby establishing the foundation of a system of special courts.
Initially, the revolutionary courts’ jurisdiction was determined by the religious judge’s interpretation of the Shari’a (Islamic law based on the teachings of the Qur’an, the traditions of the Prophet, the 12 imams, and the teachings of Shi’a scholars. On 17 June 1979, the Revolutionary Courts and the Prosecutor’s Office Rules of Procedure, which was only selectively observed, established the latter’s jurisdiction and make-up.
The Courts’ jurisdiction encompassed a wide array of offenses including moharebeh (“waging war with God”), efsad e fel arz (“spreading corruption on Earth”), crimes against national and international security, economic crimes, murder, profiteering, prostitution, rape, and narcotic drugs-related crimes. The law required that two of the three principal members of the Revolutionary Courts be Shari’a judges.
Islamic Revolutionary Courts, 1994-2002
With the adoption of the Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 14 June 1994, and the Code of Criminal Procedure for General and Revolutionary Courts of 19 September 1999, a uniform code of procedure was applied to both revolutionary and general courts. The jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Courts was limited to 6 categories of offenses:
1. Crimes against national and international security,“moharebeh” (enmity with god) and “efsad e fel arz” (corruption on earth;)
2. defaming Ayatollah Khomeini and the Supreme Leader;
3. plotting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, armed action, terrorism, and sabotage;
4. espionage;
5. smuggling and drug-related crimes; 6. claims under Principle 49 (economic crimes) of the Constitution.
6. Furthermore, pursuant to the Law on the Manner of Punishing Individuals Engaged in Unauthorized Audio and Visual Activities, Article 11, the revolutionary courts have jurisdiction over crimes that fall within the purview of said Law, including production and distribution of obscene materials and misuse and abuse thereof.
These courts continued, however, to try cases falling outside their jurisdiction, such as theft and sexual offenses. Further, the vagueness of laws regarding national security allowed the revolutionary courts to try political and media crimes whenever they wished to do so.
The new law eliminated the Prosecutor’s Office and gave the judges inthe Revolutionary Courts the power to perform the duties of the prosecutor, as well as their own, in any case brought before them.
Islamic Revolutionary Courts, 2002-Present
The Amended Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 2002 reinstated the Prosecutor’s Office in both revolutionary and general courts. In cases involving political and media crimes, revolutionary courts’ jurisdiction overlaps with that of Province Criminal Courts.
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014, and its coming into force in June 2015, the jurisdiction of the revolutionary courts remains unchanged, with slight modifications in procedural aspects of adjudication. For instance, the new law provides that for crimes subject to the death penalty, life imprisonment, amputation, third degree, or higher, the revolutionary court shall convene with three judges, whereas, prior to the passage of this law, adjudication of all crimes within the jurisdiction of revolutionary courts took place with only a single judge.
The Appellate System of Revolutionary Courts, 1979-Present
From their inception until 1994, the rulings of the Revolutionary Courts were not subject to appeal. In the early 1980s a court entitled the Supreme Court of Qom was established in the city of Qom and which reviewed cases of execution and confiscation of properties, thereby forming a first tier form of appeal. The exact date of the creation of the court is not clear, but, based on available information, the court became operational in the early 1980s, even though Ayatollah Khomeini's official order for its creation is dated 1985. The court’s procedure was not systematic and did not meet the international standards for a court of appeals; there was no official record of its jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of Qom was dissolved in 1989.
The Law of 14 June 1994 subjected the Courts’ decisions to appeal. An appellate court was established at each provincial capital, called the Province Court of Appeals, composed of a three-judge panel, to review decisions made by the Revolutionary Courts. The Supreme Court was designated as the appellate authority for particular decisions, including those involving capital punishment.
Narcotic drugs-related crimes constitute a significant exception to the appeals process. Governed by the Anti-Narcotic Drugs Law of 1988, as Amended on 8 November 1997 and 31 July 3 2010, these crimes are within the jurisdiction of, and are adjudicated on a regular basis by, Revolutionary Courts whose decisions are final. After being handed down by the judge, death sentences are sent to the Prosecutor General or the Head of the Supreme Court as a matter of administrative approval.
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014 (and its coming into force in June 2015), however, drug related crimes became subject to appeal as well.
General Courts, 1979-1982
In cases not falling under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Courts, the system devised under the previous regime continued to function in parallel with new systems devised by laws passed by the Judicial Council, one of which, entitled The Legal Bill for the Establishment of General Courts of 11 September 1979, radically changed the entire structure and categorization of the courts. It divided the courts in three branches: Criminal, Civil, and Peace (a sort of arbitration court dealing with minor financial and other disputes). Specialized courts such as family courts were eliminated.
The Law of the Amendments to the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1982 established a new criminal courts system, Criminal Courts I and II. Criminal Court I, established only in provincial capitals, had jurisdiction over more serious offenses, including those punishable by death, and Criminal Court II heard less serious crimes.
The Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 14 June 1994 established umbrella courts called General Courts, which replaced and dissolved pre-existing civil and criminal courts. The law dissolved the Prosecutor’s offices and tasked a single person with the roles of judge, prosecutor, and investigator.
In 2002, the 1994 Law was amended, reviving the role of the Prosecutor’s Office in General Courts. The prosecution offices were re-established in a gradual process over several years. The amended law also re-established specialized branches within general courts dealing separately with criminal and civil matters. In addition, this law allocated a number of branches of the Province Court of Appeals to have original jurisdiction over a number of cases including the most serious offenses, as well as political and media crimes. In these cases, the branches are called the Province Criminal Court.
General Courts, 2015 to Today
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014 and its coming into force in June 2015, general courts underwent certain changes as well. Criminal courts were divided into Criminal Court One, Criminal Court Two, Military Court, Juvenile Court, and Revolutionary Court. Criminal Court One has jurisdiction over serious crimes such as those subject to the death penalty, life imprisonment, amputation, third degree, and higher, as well as political and media crimes. Criminal Court Two has jurisdiction over other crimes. Another change consists of the establishment of juvenile courts, which adjudicates crimes committed by individuals less than 18 years of age. In cases where the individuals less than 18 commit serious crimes such as those subject to the death penalty, however, Criminal Court One will have jurisdiction, observing rules of juvenile criminal procedure.
The Appellate System of General Courts, 1979-Present
The Legal Bill for the Establishment of General Courts of 11 September 1979, abolished appeal of most criminal courts’ decisions. The law of 1982 restricted the appeal possibility even further. According to the Islamic Republic authorities’ interpretation of Islamic Law, a qualified jurist’s decisions were not subject to appeal except under special circumstances, such as when the judge realized his own mistake, or another judge advised him so, or when he did not have jurisdiction over the case. Even in such situations, the case would not go to a higher court but would be subject to review by the same judge or another judge at his level. The judges were even urged to call their verdicts “opinions,” so that the possible change in the verdict would not be “haram” (“sinful,” the highest level of prohibition in Islam, disobedience of which would result in a sin).
In October 1988, the Majles (Iranian parliament) passed a law regarding review of court judgments. This law provided for an appeal if the conviction was claimed to be based on invalid documentation or false testimony. The defendant could also base an appeal on a point of law or a procedural violation.
The appellate system was expanded in other laws in the late 1980s and in 1993. The Law for the Establishment of Criminal Courts I and II of 11 July 1989 created the Branches of the Supreme Court. Crimes of less importance, tried in Criminal Court II, were subject to review by Criminal Court I.
For the most important crimes involving death punishment, which were under the jurisdiction of Criminal Court I, the law allowed limited appeal to the Branches of the Supreme Court. Defendants had the right to petition the Supreme Court for appeal in certain cases involving false testimony or procedural violations, and if granted, the case would be remanded to either another criminal court or the original one.
Finally, the Law for the Establishment of General and Revolutionary Courts of 1994, as amended in 2002, established an appellate court at each provincial capital, called Province Court of Appeals, composed of a three-judge panel, to review decisions made by both general and revolutionary courts. The Supreme Court was designated as the appellate authority for particular decisions, including those carrying the death penalty, as well as decisions made by the Province Criminal Court.
The amended law of 2002, continued the appellate procedure to the Branches of the Supreme Court established by the afore-mentioned law of 11 July 1989
The Supreme Court continues to be the competent authority to rule on new trials, which have been provided for in limited circumstances.
With the passage of the new Rules of Criminal Procedure in 2014 and its coming into force in June 2015, the Court of Appeals shall be the competent authority to hear appeals from Criminal Court Two decisions, and the Supreme Court shall hear appeals from Criminal Court One decisions.
Special Courts for the Clergy
These courts are rooted in a 1979 decree, issued by Ayatollah Khomeini, which established a committee of religious and noble figures in every region to purge the clergy of anti-revolutionary elements under the supervision of the Revolutionary Courts. Between late 1981 and 1984, a special court in the city of Qom handled, though not systematically, the trial of clerics.
On 29 July 1987, Ayatollah Khomeini officially appointed a prosecutor and a member of the clergy as Shari’a judge for Special Courts for the Clergy. On 6 August 1990, a directive was issued regulating the conduct of these courts, the jurisdictional ambiguity of which is such that it effectively extends to “anyone where one of the parties is a cleric” and to “all matters in which the Court is designated as competent by the Supreme Leader.”
The court, which was not mentioned in the Islamic Republic's constitution, was mandated to try “pseudo clerics, those related to/connected with the clergy, for public and/or anti-revolutionary crimes, and violations of the prestige of the clergy,” and where the principal suspect is a member of the clergy, “any co-conspirator or assistant, whether a cleric or not.”
These courts are generally not open to the public and can issue sentences for all acts and omissions punishable under codified Iranian laws or Shari’a or for any other acts or omissions which can bring dishonor to the clergy or to the Islamic Revolution. Further, in certain particular cases – which have not been defined – where no punishment has been devised by either the Penal Code or even the Shari’a, the Court “can rule as it deems fit.”
The Appellate System of the Special Court for the Clergy, 1979-Present
There is no information on any appeal process for the Special Court for the Clergy prior to the 1990 directive. Article 49 of said directive set up, however, an appeals court called Special Appellate Court for the Clergy, the head of which is appointed by the Supreme Leader, to which the decisions of the lower court can be appealed.
The military court system, independent from the judiciary under the previous regime, became a part of it on 1 December 1981. The Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces, established in 1986, replaced and merged other military courts and tribunals in existence at the time, namely the pre-revolution Judiciary Organization of the Army, the Revolutionary Tribunal of the Army (established on 8 December 1979), and the Revolutionary and General Court for the Revolutionary Guards (established on 15 July 1979.) The Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces has its own Criminal Code and follows the country’s general rules of criminal procedure.
The Law of the Criminal Procedure of the Armed Forces of 15 May 1985 created Military Courts I and II. Military Court I has jurisdiction over more serious offenses, including those punishable by death, and Military Court II hears less serious crimes.
The Appellate System of Military Courts, 1979-Present
The law of 8 December 1979, establishing the Revolutionary Military Court, did not provide for any appeals. The Law of 15 May 1985 created a system of appeals through the creation of a two-tier system of courts. The decisions of Military Court II were subject to review by Military Court I. This law also provided that multiple Branches of the Supreme Court be designated as the appellate court to review decisions of Military Court I.
1979-1997: Prosecutors and judges are not necessarily law graduates and jurists. Shortly after the Islamic Revolution, a five-member Committee was established to purge the judicial system of undesirable elements, pursuant to the Legal Bill for the Modification of the Judiciary and the Law for Hiring Judges of 8 March 1979. The power of the committee was absolute and its decisions, resulting in a widespread purge of the judiciary, final.
The Law for the Conditions of Selection of Judges of 4 May 1981 established the conditions of eligibility for judges. The latter were to be hired among men who were legitimate children and had practical commitment to Islam and allegiance to the Islamic Republic. The law, which led to the hiring of clerics and Islamic legal scholars, also allowed hiring practically anyone as a judge who could “obtain the Judicial High Council’s permission.” Moreover, Note 2 of the Amendments of 4 October 1982 to this law allowed widespread employment of seminary students “who ha[d] general knowledge equivalent to a high school diploma” as judges at prosecutor’s offices in general as well as Revolutionary Courts.
By 1989, the judiciary counted about 2,000 new judges trained in theological seminaries (graduates and students) and political appointees, many having replaced judges trained in law schools.
1997-Present: As of this writing (2013) the Law for Hiring Judges and its amendments of 4 October 1982, 7 February 1987, and 9 May 1988 are in full force and form the basis for hiring judges. The Executive Rules of Procedure of 22 December 1997 subjected such hiring to passing an entrance examination and successful completion of an apprenticeship program, the duration of which ranges between one and two years. The law does not limit hiring to men only but does not specify in what capacity women will be functioning, other than an advisory one.
Currently, judges are selected in accordance with the Guidelines on the Recruitment, Selection, and Internship for Judicial Candidates and the Hiring of Judges.
Dismissal of Judges: From 1979 to 1989, the judiciary was run by the Supreme Judicial Council which was composed of the head of the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General (both of whom were appointed by the Supreme Leader), and three judges elected by the entire body of judges in the country. The Council had the power to hire and dismiss judges in accordance with the law.
The constitutional reforms of 1989 substituted the Supreme Judicial Council with one person, the Head of the Judiciary. The Supreme Leader, whose mandate is not subject to popular vote, appoints the Head of the Judiciary for a 5-year term. The latter has significant power to influence the dismissal of judges. Dismissal cases are referred to three types of disciplinary courts, presided over by judges appointed by the Head of the Judiciary, who has veto power over any decisions made by the relevant courts.
Two of these courts, established in 1991 and 2011, are charged with examining the judges’ conduct from a religious and ideological standpoint. The process does not necessarily involve the defendant and the final decision, left to the Head of the Judiciary, is not subject to appeal.
Detentions, interrogations, and trials: 1981-1988
Pre-trial detentions
The accused were held, sometimes without being charged, for months or years in overcrowded prisons. During their detention, prisoners of conscience, and in particular supporters of political opposition groups or members of religious or ethnic minorities, were routinely subject to physical and psychological torture. Interrogators used torture, authorized by the post-revolutionary law of Ta’zir (Discretionary Punishment Law), to obtain confessions of guilt or to induce repentance. The line between trial and interrogation was often blurred by the fact that the same individual would function as prosecutor, interrogator and judge.
Executed detainees may or may not have been tried formally. Prisoners of conscience were often tried through a summary process that might have lasted only a few minutes. When disclosed, charges facing the defendants were often vague or based on coerced confessions. Defendants had no access to attorneys, and they might not have been allowed to defend themselves.
Appeal processes
Convicts could not appeal their sentence and were often executed shortly after their conviction. Their execution was not necessarily announced.
Human rights violations
Based on the available information, the following human rights have been violated in this case:
The right to liberty and security of the person. The right not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 9.1.
The right to due process
The right to be presumed innocent until found guilty by a competent and impartial tribunal in accordance with law.
ICCPR, Article 14.1 and Article 14.2.
Pre-trial detention rights
The right to know promptly and in detail the nature and cause of the charges against one.
UDHR, Article 9(2); ICCPR, Article 9.2 and Article 14.3.a
The right to counsel of his or her own choosing or the right to legal aid. The right to communicate with his or her attorney in confidence
ICCPR, Article 14.3.b and Article 14.3.d; Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, Article 1, Article 2 Article 5, Article 6, Article 8.
The right to adequate time and facilities for the preparation of the defense case.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.b.
The right not to be compelled to testify against oneself or to confess to guilt.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.g.
The right not to be subjected to torture and to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
ICCPR, Article 7; Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment, Article 1 and Article 2.
Trial rights
The right to a fair and public trial without undue delay.
ICCPR, Article 14.1,
ICCPR, Article 14.3.c.
The right to defense through an attorney or legal aid. The right to examine, or have examined, the witnesses against one and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on one’s behalf under the same conditions as prosecution witnesses.
ICCPR, Article 14.3.d and Article 14.3.e.
The right to have the decision rendered in public.
ICCPR, Article 14.1.
Judgment rights
The right to appeal to a court of higher jurisdiction.
The right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence.
ICCPR, Article 6.4.
The inherent right to life, of which no one shall be arbitrarily deprived.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 3; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 6.1; Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, Article 1.1, Article 1.2.
The right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.
About this Case
The execution of Mr. Fareq Ashrafi, along with 21 others, was announced in a communiqué by the Anti-Narcotics Section of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The communiqué was reported in the Jomhuri Eslami daily on March 11, 1984.
The communiqué states: “the Anti-Narcotics Section of the Islamic Revolution’s Public Prosecutor’s Office sentenced 22 professional traffickers who were mercenaries and servants of foreigners. These firm and revolutionary sentences were issued in reply to the calling of the valiant people that scream with all of their hearts: “Fight, fight, fight until victory!” and in defiance of our second war imposed by the “estekbar-e jahani” (Universal Arrogance).”
Arrest and detention
The circumstances of this defendant’s arrest and detention are not known.
No information is available on the defendant’s trial.
According to this report, Mr. Ashrafi was charged with “being consistently and actively involved in supplying and distributing heroin, possessing 60.80 centigram of heroin when arrested, selling 275 gm of heroin at 3 different times as well as having a criminal record for supplying and distributing heroin.”
The validity of the criminal charges brought against this defendant cannot be ascertained in the absence of the basic guarantees of a fair trial. International human rights organizations have drawn attention to reports indicating that the Islamic Republic’s authorities have brought trumped up charges against their political opponents and executed them for drug trafficking, sexual, and other criminal offences. Thousands of alleged drug traffickers have been sentenced to death following judicial processes that fail to meet international standards. The exact number of people convicted based on trumped-up charges is unknown.
Evidence of guilt
The report of this execution does not contain information regarding the evidence provided against the defendant.
No information is available on Mr. Ashrafi’s defense.
The Anti-Narcotics Islamic Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced Mr. Ashrafi to death. Having been confirmed by the Supreme Court, the sentence was carried out in Qasr prison at dawn.
Correct/ Complete This Entry ❯
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Lynn A. Knight, CEcD
lynn.knight@isdus.org
t: (703) 798 - 7892
Bringing together chapters as an entrepreneur, international business executive, government and international non-profit leader, Lynn Knight has worked in 13 countries, 26 U.S. states and 4 territories. She has won awards as an author, entrepreneur, corporate executive and dedicated community volunteer serving education, disaster recovery and environmental sustainability.
Lynn is a Certified Economic Developer and currently serves as the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Vice President of Knowledge Management and Development. In this role, she manages the team that is tasked with creating content for thought-leading annual conferences, training courses, a virtual learning program, research publications, newsletter and quarterly journal. She also serves as program director for IEDC’s economic recovery and resilience portfolio, which currently assists communities in multiple states and U.S. territories that have experienced natural or manmade disasters. In 2015, she served as editor of the Leadership in Times of Crisis toolkit, published in partnership with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and developed courses for community leaders in economic development, economic recovery and resiliency that have been taught across America. Lynn is the principal author of The Changing Energy Landscape and its Impact on Economic Development in America, a 2018 publication of IEDC’s national think tank, the Economic Development Research Partners. In 2014, Lynn led the customization of economic development marketing and business retention courses, teaching a program to 23 municipalities in Bosnia-Herzegovina for USAID and the EU.
Prior to joining IEDC, Lynn was Director of Economic Development & Tourism Programs for Management Analysis, Inc., an international consulting firm where she led projects in 7 states and territories. This included economic development and tourism strategic plans, a tourism master plan, revitalization plans one of America’s leading art centers and targeted area redevelopment in Virginia. For the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, she developed a visitor plan for the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey; performed a statewide study and economic valuation of Heritage Tourism in Utah; and conducted published research in public-private partnerships for the Asian Development Bank.
A subject matter expert in tourism, Lynn has managed hotels and trained in Tourism Product Development with the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and European Travel Commission. In 2011 she participated in the 4th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Nations panels on “Recovering Tourism after a Crisis” and “Connecting the Value of Tourism to Agriculture.” She has created tourism dashboards, tourist exist surveys, and led tourism development planning for multiple destinations.
In 2009, Lynn served as the Governor’s Representative of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Washington D.C., focusing on economic development, tourism, immigration and labor issues. Her prior work included appointments by two Governors of the territory to lead economic development commissions which produced comprehensive economic development strategies (CEDS). She also served for 10 years on the Governor’s Strategic Economic Development Council, Strategic Workforce Action Team, and Governor’s Tourism Task Force. She was elected board chair and president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, and served two terms as board chair of the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands.
For 8 years Lynn was Vice President of Corporate Affairs for TanHoldings and served the board of its parent company, Luen Thai, which operated global companies and regional interests as the largest privately-held firm in the West Pacific. With headquarters in Hong Kong and offices in Guam, Saipan, Manila, Tokyo, and several cities in China, the company operated affiliates in a dozen industries, including the world’s largest manufacturer of designer apparel. In addition to manufacturing, Lynn was involved in executive team management of an international tour company, publishing, real estate, logistics, software, a cargo airline, a shipping line, fishing, entertainment and insurance. She was a member of the executive committee of Asia-Pacific Hotels, supporting the acquisition and rebranding of several resorts. She developed the luxury spa at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan and a restaurant at the Century Hotel. Lynn also served as VP and publisher of an affiliated daily newspaper and as executive director of the TanHoldings Foundation.
As an entrepreneur, Lynn founded and owned a full service public relations and advertising agency, Sunset Advertising Group, Inc., which served leading clients in the West Pacific for 14 years. She produced a TV documentary on the 50th Commemoration of the World War II Battle for Saipan and co-authored a book on the native Marine Scouts. Her media work included a short stint leading a television news team as Saipan Bureau Chief / News Anchor for a cable TV firm.
Early in her career, Lynn was Director of the Office of the Chairman of the California-based ComputerLand Corporation, a $1.4B retailer with 880 franchised stores in 26 countries. She also managed a charitable foundation affiliated with the firm.
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Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson, the new Commander of the U.S. Army North, is seen Monday during the Change of Command at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.
Bob Owen/AP
Groundbreaking female general in command of US Army North
By SIG CHRISTENSON San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — As Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson took command of U.S. Army North on Monday morning before hundreds of dignitaries, she took stock of a life unbarred by barriers.
The kind of barriers that women have faced.
The San Antonio Express-News reported she was a champion swimmer at 8, private aviator at 15, All-American swimmer in college and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot who flew combat missions in 2003, the first year of the Iraq War. She grew up competitive, an athlete whose mom and dad literally let her spread her wings.
“I’m the daughter of great parents who always told me I could do anything and never put the typical gender norms on me,” she told the crowd. “In fact, as the oldest of four kids, I think my dad thought I was his son for the first 10 years on earth.”
Richardson, 55, spoke briefly after taking command from Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, who is retiring after three years there. After a 15-round cannon salute, and with the 323rd Army Band performing songs from the divisions in which he served over a 37-year career, Buchanan and Richardson mounted horses and rode slowly, “trooping the line” of 200 soldiers standing at attention on Staff Post Field near the historic Quadrangle at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, where she’ll work.
They then stood before their boss, Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, as Richardson accepted Army North’s flag to symbolize the transfer of command. O’Shaughnessy leads U.S. Northern Command created in 2002 to run the Pentagon homeland defense efforts and coordinate support of civil authorities.
Richardson, already the Army’s first female combat arms general officer, became its first woman to command the Army component of a larger, multiservice unit.
Standing in a crowd that included four former Army North commanders — all retired three-star generals — was Richardson’s husband, Lt. Gen. James “Jim” Richardson. Called “dual military” couples, they’re somewhat common at lower ranks across the armed services, but the Richardsons are the only married three-star generals in the Army.
It’s a difficult lifestyle. Dual military families often are separated as they work at installations around the United States and overseas. In her brief address to a crowd of more than 500 sitting in bleachers and under tents, Laura Richardson made a point of thanking her family for having her back over the years.
“I am here today because of my family and the great soldiers I have had the honor to serve with. I want to thank my husband, Jim, and my daughter, Lauren, for their support, encouragement and patience over my 32 years in the Army. Without that support we would not have been able to sustain a dual military family for 31 years, and I am very grateful, and I love you,” she said.
Being a woman in a male-dominated Army hasn’t been difficult, Richardson said. It was important to be treated “just like anybody else,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had folks that were easier or harder on me.”
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Cutting Edge: Human CD4+CD25+ T Cells Restrain the Maturation and Antigen-Presenting Function of Dendritic Cells
Namita Misra, Jagadeesh Bayry, Sébastien Lacroix-Desmazes, Michel D. Kazatchkine and Srini V. Kaveri
J Immunol April 15, 2004, 172 (8) 4676-4680; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.172.8.4676
Namita Misra
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 430, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Centre de Recherches Biomedicales des Cordeliers, Paris, France
Jagadeesh Bayry
Sébastien Lacroix-Desmazes
Michel D. Kazatchkine
Srini V. Kaveri
The characteristics and functions of CD4+CD25+ regulatory cells have been well defined in murine and human systems. However, the interaction between CD4+CD25+ T cells and dendritic cells (DC) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of human CD4+CD25+ T cells on maturation and function of monocyte-derived DC. We show that regulatory T cells render the DC inefficient as APCs despite prestimulation with CD40 ligand. This effect was marginally reverted by neutralizing Abs to TGF-β. There was an increased IL-10 secretion and reduced expression of costimulatory molecules in DC. Thus, in addition to direct suppressor effect on CD4+ T cells, regulatory T cells may modulate the immune response through DC.
A subset of CD4+ T cells expressing the α subunit of the IL-2R (CD25) plays a pivotal role in controlling immune response and in maintenance of T cell homeostasis (1, 2). Although the possible mechanisms of suppression by CD4+CD25+ T cells are being explored in mice, they are conflicting and unclear in humans (3, 4, 5). The role of IL-10, TGF-β, and CTLA-4 as mediators of suppression has been shown in the murine model (6) but is not clear in humans (4). However, it is clear that human regulatory T cells act through direct cell-cell contact with CD4+ cells and may transfer the suppressor activity to the target cells (3, 7). Although the regulation of CD4+ cells by CD4+CD25+ T cells is well characterized, their effect on monocytes/dendritic cells (DC),3 B cells, and NK cells is not clearly defined. There are conflicting reports on the possible role of APCs as mediators of the suppression in murine (8, 9) and in the human system (5, 10).
In this study, we have examined the regulatory role of human peripheral CD4+CD25+ T cells on maturation and function of monocyte-derived DC. Our results indicate that the regulatory T cells affect maturation of DC, and these DC in turn function as poor APCs.
Abs and reagents
Recombinant human (rh)IL-4, CD40 ligand (CD40L), anti-IL-10, and anti-TGF-β Abs were from R&D Systems (Minneapolis, MN), and rhGM-CSF was from Schering-Plough (Kenilworth, NJ). Conjugated Ab to CD16, CD40, CD80, CD83, CD14, and anti-CD3 mAb (UCHT1) were from Immunotech (Marseilles, France). Conjugated Abs to HLA-DR and CD11c and mouse IgG1 were from BD Biosciences (Mountain View, CA). Ab to CD86 and CD95 were from BD PharMingen (San Diego, CA). Ab to CD1a (clone OKT6) was from Ortho Diagnostics (Raritan, NJ). Saponin and rhIL-2 were from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO), and purified protein derivative RT48 (PPD) was from Statens Serum Institut (Copenhagen, Denmark).
Generation and culture of DC
DC were generated from peripheral blood monocytes of healthy individuals as previously described (11). Human peripheral blood was obtained from healthy donors in accordance with local ethical committee approval. Adherent monocytes were cultured in complete RPMI 1640 medium with 500 IU of rhIL-4 and 1000 IU of rhGM-CSF per 106 cells and were replenished every 2 days. After 5 days, DC were harvested, washed, and used for subsequent experiments. Flow-cytometric analysis demonstrated that >90% of the cells were immature DC (imDC; CD1a high-positive cells).
Purification of T cell subsets from peripheral mononuclear cells and cocultures with DC
T cell subsets were isolated from PBMCs using MACS separation system (Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany). CD4+ T cells were purified by using CD4+ T cell isolation kit (Miltenyi Biotec), and CD4+CD25+ T cells were then selected using anti-CD25 Ab-coupled magnetic beads. The remaining CD4+ T cells were used as CD4+CD25− T cells. The T cells were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3 Ab (1 μg/ml) and IL-2 (10 U/ml) for 24 h in 24-well plates. imDC were washed and added to T cell cultures at a ratio of 1:5. Cocultures were maintained for 72 h, and supernatants were collected after 48 h for cytokine estimation. For some experiments, DC were stimulated with rhCD40L before coculture with different subsets of T cells, or neutralizing anti-TGF-β Abs were added following cocultures as indicated in figures.
Flow-cytometric analysis of DC cocultured with T cell subsets
DC were washed and stained for 20 min at 4°C with optimal dilution of relevant Ab. Cells were analyzed by flow cytometry (FACSCalibur and CellQuest software, BD Biosciences). For intracellular staining, cells were fixed and incubated with Ab in saponin buffer (PBS, 2% BSA, and 0.5% saponin) for 25 min. Cells were washed twice in 0.1% saponin buffer and once in PBS before analysis.
In vitro lymphoproliferation assays
Following the cocultures with the CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25− T cells, DC were examined for their ability to stimulate allogeneic CD4+ T cells in MLR and to present the recall Ag PPD. DC were separated from the T cells using anti-CD1a mAb-coupled magnetic beads. The CD4+ T cells from allogeneic donor were isolated as described above. Graded doses (2,000–20,000) of DC were seeded with 105 responder T cells in complete RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% human AB serum in 96-well plates. After 4 days, the cells were pulsed for 16 h with 1 μCi of [3H]thymidine. Results were expressed as cpm (mean ± SD of triplicate values). To test Ag presentation function, DC were preincubated with 5 μg/ml PPD for 24 h followed by addition of autologous CD4+ T cells. DC-T cell cultures were set up as explained above. The differences in the capacity of DC, cultured with CD25+ or CD25− cells, to stimulate T cells were expressed as percentages. Percentage for each DC-T cell ratio was calculated as follows: 1 − (mean cpm in MLR with DC cultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells/mean cpm in MLR with DC cultured with CD4+CD25− T cells) × 100.
Transwell experiments
Transwells of 0.4-μm pore size (Costar, Cambridge, MA) were used. The CD4+CD25− and CD4+CD25+ T cells were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3 Ab and IL-2 for 24 h in lower chambers of 24-well plates. imDC were added to the upper chambers of the Transwell plates at DC-T cell ratio of 1:5. Transwell cultures were maintained for 72 h, and DC from the upper wells were analyzed.
Nonparametric Mann-Whitney and two-factor ANOVA were used to determine the statistical significance of the data. A value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
We examined the effect of the activated peripheral blood CD4+CD25− T cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells on the phenotype of DC during maturation in vitro. CD4+CD25+ T cells were refractory to stimulation through TCR and exerted suppressor effect on CD4+CD25− T cells (not shown). Autologous monocytes were cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4. On day 5 of culture, >90% of the cells displayed DC phenotype (12) with expression of CD1a, CD11c, and HLA-DR, and costimulatory molecules CD86, CD80, and CD40. The expression of CD14 was down-regulated, and that of CD16 was absent. DC, thus obtained, were cocultured with CD4+CD25− and CD4+CD25+ T cells for 72 h. DC cultured in medium with or without cytokines were used as controls. DC cocultured with CD4+CD25− T cells showed a marked increase in their costimulatory molecules compared with control DC and DC with CD4+CD25+ T cells (Table I⇓). There was a significant reduction in percentage of DC expressing CD83 (p < 0.05) and CD86 (p < 0.004) and the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD40 (p < 0.03) on coculture with CD4+CD25+ T cells as compared with cocultures with CD4+CD25− T cells (Fig. 1⇓A, Table I⇓). Similarly, the expression of CD80 and HLA-DR (MFI) tend to be reduced on DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells (Fig. 1⇓A, Table I⇓). Morphology of DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells was unaltered compared with DC cultured with cytokines or CD4+CD25− T cells. In contrast, DC left in medium alone, reverted back to monocyte/macrophage phenotype and also regained adherence to culture wells (not shown).
CD4+CD25+ T cells down-regulate the maturation and function of the DC. CD4+CD25−, CD4+CD25+ T cells and autologous DC were generated as described. Five-day-old imDC were cultured with the T cell subsets at a ratio of 1:5 for 72 h. T cells were depleted, and DC were used for phenotypic analysis and functional assays. A, Phenotypic analysis of DC cocultured with different T cell subsets. Percentage of positive cells and MFI (mf) are indicated. Results shown are representative of five independent experiments from different donors. B, Allogeneic and Ag-mediated stimulation of the CD4+ T cells by DC as assessed by [3H]thymidine incorporation. MLR and PPD-induced stimulation assays were set up as described. As controls, DC were also cultured in medium alone or with IL-4 and GM-CSF. Data are from five experiments, and statistical analysis was performed using two-factor ANOVA. ∗, p < 0.0001; †, p < 0.05. C, Functional analysis of rhCD40L-treated DC matured in the presence or absence of CD4+CD25+ T cells. Five-day-old DC were incubated with rhCD40L at 1.5 μg/ml for 24 h. DC were washed and subsequently cocultured with activated CD4+CD25+ T cells at a DC-T cell ratio of 1:5 for 48 h. Controls were DC incubated with rhCD40L, washed, and cultured in medium alone. T cells were depleted from the DC-T cell cocultures, and DC were used for MLR as explained above.
Table I.
Phenotype analysis of DCs matured in the presence of T cell subsetsa
It is well established that CD4+CD25+ T cells exert their regulatory function on target T cells in a contact-dependent yet cytokine-independent manner (3). To examine whether suppressor effect of regulatory T cells on DC is also contact dependent, we performed Transwell experiments separating DC and T cells by 0.4-μm membrane. The down-regulation of the costimulatory molecules was observed only when the CD4+CD25+ T cells were in contact with the DC (Table I⇑) with an exception of MFI for CD40 (p < 0.05). Together, the results suggest that cell contact was necessary for DC to maintain an activated state in cocultures with CD4+CD25− T cells and a suppressive state in cocultures with CD4+CD25+ T cells. Interestingly, percent expression of CD86 remained up-regulated (p < 0.05) in the absence of cell contact with CD4+CD25+ T cells.
We then examined the functional relevance of the suppression of DC by CD4+CD25+ T cells. Activated CD4+CD25− T cells were potent stimulators of imDC that in turn stimulated allogeneic CD4+ T cells in MLR (Fig. 1⇑B). In contrast, there was up to 3-fold reduction in the capacity of DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells to stimulate allogeneic T cells compared with DC cocultured with CD4+CD25− T cells (p < 0.0001) and to DC cultured with IL-4, GM-CSF (p < 0.0001) (Fig. 1⇑B). Furthermore, we tested whether DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells were able to process and present an Ag (PPD) to autologous CD4+ T cells. DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells were ineffective APCs and showed significant reduction in proliferation compared with DC preincubated with CD4+CD25− cells (p < 0.0001), or with cytokines (p < 0.0001) or in medium alone (p < 0.02) (Fig. 1⇑B).
Furthermore, we stimulated 5-day-old DC with rhCD40L before coculture with the regulatory T cells. Triggering of CD40 on DC induced their maturation and increased expression of CD83, CD80, CD86, CD40, and HLA-DR molecules (13). However, following the rhCD40L treatment and coculture with CD4+CD25+ T cells, percentage of DC expressing CD80, CD83, and CD86, and MFI for CD40 and HLA-DR tend to be reduced (Table II⇓), although the difference was found to be statistically significant only in the case of CD80 (p < 0.04). The DC pretreated with rhCD40L were potent stimulators of allogeneic T cells (Fig. 1⇑C); DC that were further incubated with CD4+CD25+ T cells mounted significantly lower (p < 0.001) response in the same proliferation assay. These results further support the suppressor effect of CD4+CD25+ T cells on the DC.
Table II.
Phenotype analysis of DC pretreated with rhCD40La
We then tested whether the suppressed DC function was due to altered cytokine secretions. CD4+CD25+ T cells render CD4+CD25− target T cells anergic and induce IL-10 secretion, which, in turn, can suppress other T cells in a contact-independent manner (7). We assessed the secreted and intracellular IL-10 levels in DC cocultured with different T cell subsets. Because both activated CD4+CD25− and DC produce substantial IL-10 (14), it was not surprising to find IL-10 in DC cocultured with CD4+CD25− T cells. However, there was 2-fold enhancement of IL-10 levels in the supernatants from DC-CD4+CD25+ T cell cultures (Fig. 2⇓A). Furthermore, FACS analysis showed that there was >2-fold increase in IL-10-positive DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells (Fig. 2⇓A). No difference was found in intracellular IL-12 levels of DC in different cocultures (not shown).
IL-10 production by DC cocultured with T cell subsets and effect of anti-TGF-β mAb on suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ cells. A, ImDC were cultured with T cell subsets as explained in Fig. 1⇑. Control DC were cultured in medium alone. IL-10 in supernatants was measured by quantikine ELISA (left). Means ± SD from three independent experiments are shown. For intracellular IL-10 expression, DC were depleted of T cells and were analyzed by flow cytometry (right). Percentage of IL-10-positive cells is indicated. B, imDC were cocultured with autologous CD4+CD25− and CD4+CD25+ T cells for 24 h and were further cultured in the presence or absence of anti-TGF-β mAb (10 μg/ml) for 48 h. T cells were depleted, and DC function was tested in MLR. Percentage of suppression at each DC-T cell ratio is shown.
In view of the emerging evidence that links the membrane-bound form of TGF-β with CD4+CD25+ T cell-mediated suppression of activated T cells (15), we tested the effect of anti-TGF-β mAb in DC-T cell coculture experiments. On incubation of the DC-CD4+CD25+ T cell cocultures with anti-TGF-β mAb, the reduction in allostimulatory capacity of DC was found to be 60% (at DC-T cell ratio of 1:5) against 69% in the absence of the Abs. An average reversal of suppression for all DC-T cell ratios was 10% at 10 μg/ml, which did not change even with 10-fold higher concentration of anti-TGF-β mAb. However, there was a marginal increase in proliferation induced by DC treated with CD4+CD25− T cells in the presence of anti-TGF-β mAb (Fig. 2⇑B) (4). Therefore, we conclude that, although IL-10 and TGF-β may contribute to the overall suppressor effect of the DC cocultured with CD4+CD25+ T cells, there may be other factors that are responsible for this phenomenon. Suppressor function of CD4+CD25+ T cells is a complex process, tightly regulated by multiple factors, including IL-2, CTLA-4, glucocorticoid-induced TNFR, Toll-like receptors (16), and transcription factor FoxP3 (17).
Maturation of DC has a major impact on T cell responses. The high DC density and the high levels of Ag and costimulatory molecules deliver a strong and sustained stimulation to specific T cells, leading to a rapid proliferation. DC-T cell interaction also results in a reciprocal stimulation (18, 19, 20). Given the important role played by costimulatory molecules in T cell activation and suppression, attempts have been made to assess whether the regulatory cell function is mediated through the APCs. Effect of CD4+CD25+ T cells on APCs including DC remains controversial. Although some studies reported down-regulation of costimulatory molecules and T cell stimulatory capacity of APCs (10, 21), others have reported an APC-independent suppressor effect of CD4+CD25+ T cells on target T cells (5, 9). However, these observations do not rule out the fact that regulatory T cells could exhibit a bystander suppressor effect on other cells such as monocytes/DC, B cells, and NK cells. This effect may not be directly implicated in contact-mediated suppressor effect on target CD4+ T cells but may contribute to regulation of the immune response in general. We observe that, whereas CD4+CD25− cells up-regulate, CD4+CD25+ regulatory cells down-regulate the maturation process and Ag-presentation capacity of DC.
A separation of immunogenic and tolerogenic function of the DC during cross-presentation of exogenous Ag to CD8+ T cell response is shown to be dependent on the stimulus provided by the CD4+ Th cell (22). In view of our results, the stimulus to the DC can be a positive signal delivered by CD4+CD25− T cells or an inhibitory signal by CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. It is tempting to speculate that either or both of the two important costimulatory signals, CTLA-4-B7 or CD40-CD40L, could be involved in mediating the modulatory effect on the DC. An involvement of another unidentified receptor-ligand-mediated effect cannot be ruled out.
We thank A. Nicoletti, Luigia Pace, and A. Saoudi for constructive suggestions, and Cedric Carbonneil for technical help.
↵1 This work was supported by Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France. N.M. is a recipient of a fellowship from the Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA. J.B. is a recipient of a fellowship from the Fondation Recherches Médicale, France.
↵2 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Srini V. Kaveri, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 430, Institut des Cordeliers, 15, Rue de l’Ecole de Médecine, 75006 Paris, France. E-mail address: srini.kaveri{at}u430.bhdc.jussieu.fr
↵3 Abbreviations used in this paper: DC, dendritic cell; rh, recombinant human; CD40L, CD40 ligand; PPD, purified protein derivative RT48; imDC, immature DC; MFI, mean fluorescence intensity.
Copyright © 2004 by The American Association of Immunologists
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Namita Misra, Jagadeesh Bayry, Sébastien Lacroix-Desmazes, Michel D. Kazatchkine, Srini V. Kaveri
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John Bennett Shaw
Collector - Mentor - Humorist - Friend
Moving WEST
Navigation Moving WEST THE LIBRARY WORKSHOPS FRIENDS
“. . . the man whom above all others I revere.” (THOR)
Listen to an interview with Scott Monty and Burt Wolder,
hosts of the podcast, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere
You’ve heard of John Bennett Shaw (BSI-1965), the “Hans Sloane of His Age,” the “Sage of Santa Fe,” the “Johnny Appleseed of Sherlockian Scions,” the creator of The Shaw 100, the Ragged Shaw quiz book, or the Really Ragged Shaw quiz book, right? Perhaps you were fortunate enough to have met him or to have known him as a personal friend. His name crops up in annotated versions of the Sherlock Holmes canon, such as those by William S. Baring-Gould and Leslie Klinger. There is a reason for that: Shaw was unique in the annals of Sherlockian lore in the United States and around the world. And no one had more fun with Holmes.
Shaw had this to say about himself: I am interested in Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the world in which they live. So what do I do? I obtain as many books, pamphlets, periodicals, Holmes society publications, video and audio tapes, and other material such as statues, puzzles, plaques, T-shirts, mugs, and even a Professor Moriarty toilet seat as I can. (From his Foreword to The Universal Sherlock Holmes. ( See FRIENDS section.)
Mattias Boström, winner of the Agatha Award for best nonfiction in 2018, assessed the importance of John Bennett Shaw in these words: “For a whole generation of Sherlockians, no one was as important as Shaw. . .If it was possible that one person could make the worldwide interest in Sherlock Holmes continue as well as grow, that person was John Bennett Shaw.” (From Holmes to Sherlock, [2013; English version, translated by Michael Gallagher, New York: The Mysterious Press, 2017])
Poster for the October 1995 dedication of the John Shaw Collection
By the age of 10 John Shaw was already collecting books, especially the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. During his life he amassed an incredible collection of Sherlockiana, and squeezed it into every nook and cranny in his adobe home at 1917 Fort Union Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico. When the time was right he made financial arrangements with the University of Minnesota Libraries to catalog and house his entire stash. “They will get my books over my dead body“ was a phrase he shared with visitors. The year after his death, in October 1995, his collection was dedicated as the John Bennett Shaw Collection at the University of Minnesota. Shaw’s library contained some 12,000 books, 32,000 periodicals, and a vast amount of other Sherlockian ephemera. Since then, other collections have been added, and today it is known as the Sherlock Holmes Collections. This link to the first newsletter published by The Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collection (March 1997, vol. 1, no. 1) tells the complete story.
The Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries constitute the world’s largest gathering of material related to Sherlock Holmes and his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Collections consist of over 60,000 items including books, journals, and a wide variety of other forms through which the transformation of the Holmes character from the printed page to a cultural icon can be traced. (from the UMN Library website: Browse the Collections)
But John Bennett Shaw was much more than a collector of “all things Holmesian,” as he was fond of saying. He was also a mentor to individuals interested in Holmes and to those wishing to start a local Sherlock Holmes chapter (or scion); he was a great humorist with a quick and devilish wit; and he was a friend to Sherlockians around the world, many of whom were members of the Baker Street Irregulars, founded by Christopher Morley in 1934.
The B.S.I. in New York City was the first-ever Sherlock Holmes society.
During his Tulsa days, Mr. Shaw dressed as a businessman, in suits and ties. After moving to Santa Fe, he adopted the Southwest dress code—relaxed, with turquoise and silver belt buckle and bolo lanyard-like necktie.
Only 640 miles separate the cities of Tulsa (OK) and Santa Fe (NM)—the cultures where Shaw’s reputation was forged and refined. Tulsa was a booming oil town founded in 1898, only 15 years before John was born. Santa Fe, founded in 1610 and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi, had been a gathering place for native tribes for hundreds of years. Citizen Shaw made lasting contributions to both cities.
Panorama of Tulsa, 1909 (Wikipedia Commons. Jack, Clarence, copyright claimant [Public domain])
YouTube Video of Tulsa, OK (1945——1955)
click to watch the 14-minute video
Published by the Tulsa City Council in 2014 from U. S. government archives, this is a video of the town where John Shaw grew up, and where in 1940 he completed his master’s degree in English literature (University of Tulsa). In his varied careers he “was owner and manager of the Tulsa Book Shop and Tulsa Record Shop, was the managing officer of the Bennett (Oil) Drilling Company, manager of the Fitzgerald Funeral Home, and lay director of the Catholic Center as diocesan director of information in Tulsa.” (Richard “Dick” Conklin, “221B Baker Street,” Notre Dame Magazine, Spring 1990. Permission to quote from that article granted by Kerry Temple, editor. The article may be downloaded further down this page.)
Shaw was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 10, 1913. He was a quick learner and fell in love with books early in life. Encouraged by a generous uncle who funded his hobby, John bought all the books he could afford within his five-dollars-a-month budget. As a devoted Catholic he came under the influence of G. K. Chesterton, the British author of the Father Brown detective stories. Thus, John’s first book collecting passion was for volumes by Chesterton. He even attended Notre Dame under the impression that the famous author would be on the faculty during his freshman year. He was not, but a few years after Shaw earned his college degree there in 1937 (A.B., cum laude), he graciously donated his entire Chesterton collection to the University. He then began collecting Sherlock Holmes in earnest, explaining that “he had the selectivity of a vacuum cleaner.”
Martin Gardner, a life-long friend of John Shaw, was born in Tulsa in 1914. A brilliant author and mathematician, Gardner was, for many years, the games editor at Scientific American magazine and editor of numerous editions of The Annotated Alice, the most recent being the 150th Anniversary Edition, published by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. (2015).
In a story reported by Vincent Starrett in the Chicago Tribune in 1948, Gardner tells of an incident about Shaw - the Bookseller and Bibliophile.
(Story shared by Ray Betzner).
John Shaw with Martin Gardner at the 1977 B.S.I. dinner. (© bsitrust.org, 1977)
In 1990 the Baker Street Journal issued a special collection of essays honoring Shaw. One of the contributors was his Tulsa high school pal, Martin Gardner. In his article titled “My Grandmother Is Blind,” Gardner tells about one of John’s favorite high school pranks: “We once stopped at a newsstand to buy a local paper. John carefully tore it in two and returned the right half to the seller. The paper was for his grandmother, John explained, who was blind in one eye. We then drove around the block, stopped at the newsstand again, and asked if we could exchange the half-paper for the one we left. ‘I forgot,’ John told the bewildered seller, ‘that my grandmother is blind in her left eye.’” (Copyright, Baker Street Journal. Quoted with permission from the current BSJ editor.)
Ronald Knox
The year before John was born, Ronald Knox, an Anglican priest in England, published his essay, “Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes” (1912). Written in a style that assumed Doyle’s characters were real, the essay was the beginning of the Grand Game. In the Game, one holds that Holmes and Watson are real individuals, not fictional characters devised by Arthur Conan Doyle. It further assumes that Dr. John Watson wrote the stories and that Conan Doyle was his literary agent. John loved games, and this one was to shape the contour of his life.
Photograph of downtown Santa Fe by Jim Hawkins (2016) from Fort Marcy Park. The 105-foot tower known as the Bataan Memorial is part of the 1950 renovation of the state capitol building of New Mexico.
The City Different — Santa Fe, the Shaws’ home from 1970 to 1994
A Brief Video
1917 Fort Union Drive, Santa Fe, NM “La Posada Shaw” (Image courtesy of Sonia Fetherston.)
After the Shaw family moved to Santa Fe and John and Dorothy were married in 1971, John continued to increase his library, the world’s largest private collection of books, pamphlets, comics, and anything remotely related to Sherlock Holmes. He gathered his acquisitions from all parts of the world, writing and telephoning booksellers and other Sherlockian collectors in the Pre-Internet Era of long ago, without the benefit of a computer! John reminded other serious collectors to admit that you cannot get it all, ever— no one can, and, importantly, that you cannot take it with you. Remember that, and then let me have it.
Prior to his death in 1994, having made financial arrangements with the University of Minnesota, Shaw transferred everything to the Rare Books Collections. There his entire collection was cataloged and made available to interested Sherlockians, whether visiting the stacks in the library or visiting on-line. Much of what is presented here is from that collection, with permission from Tim Johnson, curator of Special Collections & Rare Books at the University of Minnesota, and with additional items from individuals who eagerly sent digital copies from their own collections.
In 1971 John married Dorothy Rowe Shaw.
The Shaws’ were gracious hosts to all who came to visit. Most of the visitors were Sherlock Holmes fans who had met John and Dorothy at Sherlockian events across the U.S., including Baker Street Irregulars dinners and local scion meetings in several states. Known as the “Johnny Appleseed of Sherlockian Scions,” he helped many Sherlock Holmes groups launch their scion activities. Dorothy Rowe Shaw enthusiastically joined in her husband’s Sherlockian hobby by constructing a miniature model of the rooms at 221B Baker Street (see image below). My personal remembrance of being at the Shaws’ residence was that Dorothy baked cookies for my children, Travis and Hannah, as John and I poked through his library and talked Sherlock Holmes.
The model of 221B Baker Street created by Dorothy Shaw. Image by Fred Rick, Los Alamos, New Mexico. The young lady is his daughter. (1980’s)
221-B Baker Street, Santa Fe
Dick Conklin’s article on John Shaw,
alumnus of Notre Dame in 1935,
“Notre Dame Magazine,” Spring 1990
It is not a place where one would expect to find the world’s most famous consulting detective—he of fog, shag tobacco smoke, gasogenes, Victorian sitting rooms, hansom cabs, bleak manor houses, and half-sovereigns. “A man of exceedingly aristocratic type, high-nosed and large-eyed, with languid and yet courtly manners,” eating Mrs. Hudson’s sopapillas, wearing turquoise and silver jewelry beneath his Inverness cape, examining with a magnifying glass pastel images of howling coyotes, and festooning the entrance of London’s best-known, nonexistent address with red chilies? Could the fateful first meeting of the retired Army surgeon and the “desultory and eccentric” chemistry student have begun with the latter’s words, “You have been in Albuquerque, I perceive”?
Yes, Watson, the game is afoot in Santa Fe.
To download the Conklin article in its entirety, Click Here.
The sign Shaw posted at his residence in Santa Fe, claiming the street for Sherlock Holmes.
The Yard Sign
Soon after arriving in Santa Fe, John posted this sign in the front yard at 1917 Fort Union Drive. Locals who were not familiar with the famous address of Sherlock Holmes soon learned all about it from their new neighbor. Very few residents of Santa Fe knew that John housed the most incredible collection of Sherlock Holmes books anywhere, but the word was out among the followers of Conan Doyle’s Super Sleuth. Before long, visitors began streaming in from all parts of the United States and beyond.
It was easy to spot John Shaw’s car in New Mexico.
The Car Tag
Not only did Mr. Shaw have a sign outside his home advertising his connection to Sherlock Holmes, he purchased this license plate for his 1981 Ford, carrying the banner of Holmes everywhere he went. Limited to seven letters, John had to go with SHERLOK, but it made the point that Shaw and “Sherlok” were a team.
The Big League Bubble Gum Baseball Card
Shaw kept dreaming up schemes to get his name “out there” where people needed to know more about Sherlock Holmes. In 1985 he hit upon the idea that a baseball style trading card would be the way to “get his foot in the door.” Shaw may have stretched the truth a bit, claiming his weight was 130 lbs. He may have weighed 130 in the eighth grade, but certainly not while he lived in Santa Fe. But, knowing John, he probably put that there to see if the person looking at the card had perception—did they see and observe. It was important to gauge how much work needed to be done with the Sherlockian newbie. He had handed out business cards all during his professional life; now was the time to be different and more casual—to make an impact.
The Brothers Three of Moriarty
Artist Jeff Decker contributed this cartoon of Shaw as an infant to the Baker Street Journal dedicated to Shaw (December, 1990).
I am convinced one of the reasons Shaw moved to Santa Fe, NM. was because the village of Moriarty was just an hour’s drive south, and around that little town John built his scion, The Brothers Three of Moriarty, which met at the Frontier Saloon. Professor Moriarty was Holmes’ arch enemy, no friend of John Shaw’s. He had enormous fun devising all kinds of scenarios around the name; one of the cleverest was the annual UN-Happy Birthday celebration, an idea that may have been suggested by Martin Gardner’s background with Alice in Wonderland. (“A very merry unbirthday to you”.)
And so it began, Shaw’s love affair with New Mexico and the shenanigans he devised around the name of this unsuspecting village of Moriarty.
Sherlockian Sonia Fetherston (BSI - 2014), a frequent contributor to the Baker Street Journal, visited the village of Moriarty, NM, in 2016 to trace Shaw’s lasting influence.
The name “Moriarty” is synonymous with evil, villainy, corruption and – God help us – math. Or, as Sherlock Holmes beautifully summed it up for Dr. Watson in The Valley of Fear, Moriarty is “in the highest degree sinister.” For the 1,900 souls who call Moriarty, New Mexico their home, however, the name means friendly people, warm welcomes, and unpretentious good humor. Pretty much like Mayberry, only with pinto beans and rattlesnakes. (Download her 11-page BSJ article: The Folks from Moriarty.)
Once he got The Brothers Three going on an “irregular” basis, the UN-Happy Birthday celebrations for (and at) Moriarty followed close behind. The program below is from the 10th Annual UN-Happy Birthday gathering. Presentations were given, toasts were lifted (sometimes with explicit language), a quiz was conducted, songs were sung, and the finale was the “Recessional”: a processional to the Moriarty Memorial with the annual deposit. (More on that below).
In a letter to Gael Stahl, Shaw had this to say about the 16th Moriarty Memorial Celebration (November, 1987).
“Our scion, The Brothers Three of Moriarty, met last Thursday in Moriarty, New Mexico. It was a memorable event, called by many the best meeting we have ever had. Best meaning loudest, wildest, and funniest. Crazy too. Forty-five members and a dozen townies. The locals put on a 30-minute melodrama with Holmes and Watson in Moriarty (a bar of course) 100 years ago. Even had bar girls and so on. The Mayor (was) also there and participating. Our deposits this year included Texas long-horn, Sea Gull and Coyote. Fortunately the wind was blowing out.”
There are so very many friends to thank for their contributions to the Friends of John Bennett Shaw Facebook page, and subsequently to this website. Let me mention three (behind the scenes) encouragers without whose assistance this project never would have been possible.
A Special Thank You to these :
Mattias Boström, author of From Holmes to Sherlock (Grove Atlantic, 2013),
who gave me the spark I needed to attempt this dream.
Tim Johnson, Curator of Special Collections & Rare Books / E. W. McDiarmid Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections, University of Minnesota Libraries, who opened the library resources to me
and made the outpouring of others possible.
Steven Rothman, editor of the Baker Street Journal, who signed on early, was generous with resources, and stayed enthusiastically behind the project.
Dean Richardson, co-editor of the Nashville Scholars newsletter, Plugs and Dottles,
was kind enough to edit all the text on this website. Any mistakes are mine, not his.
Airing on June 30, 2019 was an interview with Scott Monty and Burt Wolder,
hosts of the podcast, I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere about how this website
came to be. You can access the interview here.
Other important people are mentioned (and pictured) in the text of the website.
My sincere thanks to each.
MOVING WEST LIBRARY WORKSHOPS FRIENDS
EMAIL SENIORHAWK@GMAIL.COM
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Select CategoryAuto AccidentsBirth InjuryDaycare AbuseDrunk Driving AccidentsGeneralMedical MalpracticeNursing Home AbusePremises LiabilityProduct LiabilityTruck AccidentsWork AccidentsWrongful Death
From time to time, the personal injury lawyers at Rasansky Law Firm will report on certain current news events in an effort to keep our readers more-informed, as well as to offer personal or legal insight on certain aspects of the event or topic at hand.
News Rasansky Law Firm
Jeff Rasansky Honored by D Magazine as One of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas”
Attorney Jeff Rasansky has been named one of 2018’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas” by D Magazine. After being nominated by his peers in the legal community and evaluated by a panel of distinguished attorneys, Mr. Rasansky has been named one of D Magazine’s Best Dallas Lawyers for the fifth year in his career. With over…
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Child abuse is a serious problem in this country, and one which deserves more attention than it currently receives. In the US alone, nearly 700,000 children suffer from abuse and neglect every year. This April we ask that you consider either volunteering your time, or helping spread awareness through social media or the Blue Ribbon…
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is raising awareness during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in order to reduce the number of drivers who text behind the wheel. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Texas Department of Transportation is continuing to educate Texans on distracted driving through its TALK. TEXT. CRASH. campaign….
Nursing Home Chain Facing Several Lawsuits Files for Bankruptcy
A large nursing home chain with facilities across the country has filed for bankruptcy, citing lawsuits as the cause. Nursing home operator Preferred Care blames their financial woes on “predatory” lawsuits, but inspection reports and case filings indicate a history of poor care, inadequate staffing, negligence, abuse, and even wrongful death. Preferred Care was founded…
Postpartum Deaths Are on the Rise in Texas
Postpartum deaths are on the rise across the country, and maternal mortality rates in Texas have skyrocketed. According to a recent study published in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, maternal deaths caused by pregnancy-related complications rose by an unbelievable 27 percent between 2000 and 2014. Even more-stunning, maternal mortality rates in Texas had apparently doubled between…
Jeff Rasansky Named “10 Best” in Client Satisfaction
Attorney Jeff Rasansky has been recognized by AIOPIA as one of Texas’ 10 Best in Client Satisfaction. The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys (AIOPIA) has recognized the exceptional performance of Texas personal injury attorney Jeff Rasansky in both 2017 and 2018. The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys is a third-party attorney rating organization…
Scaffolding Worker Electrocuted Outside Lizard Lounge
DALLAS, TX — A construction worker was killed after coming into contact with an overhead power line outside The Lizard Lounge nightclub in Deep Ellum on Wednesday afternoon. Dallas Fire-Rescue was called to 2424 Swiss Avenue at around 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday (01/10/2018) in response to a report of an injured worker. Dozens of first responders…
Jeff Rasansky Selected as 2017 Texas Super Lawyer
For the 15th year in a row (2003-2017), personal injury attorney Jeff Rasansky has been named a Texas Super Lawyer. Super Lawyers serves to recognize outstanding lawyers from over 70 areas of law who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Once nominated, candidates are evaluated based on twelve separate benchmarks of professional…
New Texas Law Affecting Hurricane Harvey Property Damage Claims
WARNING TO ALL TEXAS PROPERTY-OWNERS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE HARVEY: Submit your storm-related property damage claims before the law changes on September 1, 2017. House Bill 1774, which was backed by the insurance industry and passed by the 85th Texas Legislature last month, goes into effect at 12:01 AM, Friday, September 1, 2017. This new law…
Jeff Rasansky Named to Best Lawyers in America 2018
Congratulations to attorney Jeff Rasansky for being named to 2018’s list of The Best Lawyers in America! Dallas personal injury attorney Jeff Rasansky has officially been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 24th edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in plaintiff’s personal injury litigation. Being named as one of 2018’s Best Lawyers…
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Massimiliano Allegri nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Coach 2018
24.07.2018 16:00 - in: The team S
The Tuscan tactician is nominated for the award for the second year in a row
Massimiliano Allegri has once again been recognised by FIFA for another extraordinary season at the helm of Juventus. This year marked the Bianconeri's seventh-straight title win and Allegri's fourth in-a-row, whilst he also won the TIM Cup for the fourth year running and took the Bianconeri to the quarter-final stage in the UEFA Champions League.
As a result, Massimiliano Allegri has been included in the Top 11 of the "The Best FIFA Men's Coach", and from now until 10 August he can be voted on, on the FIFA website. After registering, fans can vote for their top three of the best coaches, and the sum of the points, together with the judgment of a panel selected by FIFA within the football community, will determine the top three.
One of these finalists will then be awarded "The Best" at the ceremony in London on 24 September.
Here is the full list of nominated candidates:
Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus)
Stanislav Cherchesov (Russia)
Zlatko Dalic (Croatia)
Didier Deschamps (France)
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Roberto Martinez (Belgium)
Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Gareth Southgate (England)
Ernesto Valverde (Barcelona)
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)
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Today in Entertainment: Twitter has a field day over Anthony Scaramucci's exit; Celebrities mourn the loss of Sam Shepard
Jul. 31, 2017, 10:28 a.m.
By Randall Roberts
Sam Shepard: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor and ... avant-garde drummer?
Sam Shepard in 2014. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Sam Shepard, whose death at 73 was announced on Monday, will be remembered for his cross-discipline versatility. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, he penned classic off-Broadway plays including "True West," "Buried Child" and "Fool for Love."
An Oscar-nominated actor, he starred in films including "Days of Heaven," "The Right Stuff," "Crimes of the Heart" and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford."
To fans of underground music, however, Shepard served a lesser-known role as the drummer for seminal New York avant-garde folk band the Holy Modal Rounders, with whom he performed on the crucial late 1960s albums "Indian War Whoop" and "The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders."
CBS' 'S.W.A.T.' reboot 'will take on the Trump years,' #BlackLivesMatter, says Shemar Moore
Stephanie Sigman and Shemar Moore (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Don't let the funky theme song or the '70s origins fool you.
While technically a remake — of both the original series and the subsequent 2003 film based on it — CBS' upcoming cop drama "S.W.A.T." is very plugged into the current moment, according to its cast and creators.
In the series, former "Criminal Minds" star Shemar Moore plays a native Angeleno who runs a tactical unit for the LAPD and finds his loyalty torn between his fellow officers and the community in which he was raised.
Jul. 31, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
Netflix getting 'A Little Help' from Carol Burnett
What do you get when you pair up a living legend with a bunch of little kids? Comedy gold, if Netflix has its way.
The online streaming service announced Monday that comedy icon Carol Burnett will be returning to television with "A Little Help With Carol Burnett," an original unscripted series that pairs Burnett with children to tackle life's dilemmas.
“Someone once asked me how old I am inside,” Burnett said in a statement Monday. “I thought about it and came up with, ‘I’m about 8.’ So it’s going to be a lot of fun playing with kids my age.”
Anthony Scaramucci is out and Twitter is having a field day
To lift a line from the pop song "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," go ahead and kiss Anthony Scaramucci goodbye.
It's been a robust 10 days since the former Goldman Sachs investment banker, affectionately known as "the Mooch," started his new job as White House communications director. And what a whirlwind 10 days they were.
During that time, Scaramucci's estranged wife, Deirdre Ball, gave birth to their second child. Scaramucci was not present for the birth, busy as he was at his new job in Washington, D.C.
Jul. 31, 2017, 12:53 p.m.
Ken Burns explains why his Vietnam War documentary is more relevant than ever
Ken Burns in Beverly Hilton on Sunday. (Richard Shotwell / Invision)
"History doesn't repeat itself," Ken Burns told a room of journalists gathered Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills
"We’re not condemned to repeat what we don’t remember," Burns explained. "It’s that human nature never changes."
It's a curious statement from the storied documentarian, particularly given his latest project, the 18-hour, 10-part documentary series "The Vietnam War," directed with Lynn Novick.
By Emily Mae Czachor
Goodbye, MTV Moonman trophy. Hello, 'Moon Person'
The Moonman trophy has been an emblem of MTV's Video Music Awards. (MTV)
MTV's token space cadet just scored an identity revamp — and gender didn't make the cut.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, MTV President Chris McCarthy said the network's iconic Moonman trophy has been discontinued. From now on, the metallic figurine — whose impenetrably opaque helmet has become the unofficial "face" of MTV's Video Music Awards — will go by "Moon Person" instead. Because who knows what's really going on beneath that lacquered astronaut getup, anyway.
"Why should it be a man?" McCarthy told the Times. "It could be a man, it could be a woman, it could be transgender, it could be nonconformist."
Lady Gaga subpoenaed in producer Dr. Luke's lawsuit against pop singer Kesha
Lady Gaga (Collier Schorr)
The ongoing offstage drama between the pop singer Kesha and her former producer Dr. Luke has entangled another platinum superstar: Lady Gaga.
On Saturday, attorneys for Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, issued a statement regarding their attempt to depose Lady Gaga about relevant conversations she may have had with Kesha.
The artist, who was born Kesha Sebert, is the subject of a defamation suit filed in New York by Dr. Luke stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct, which the producer vigorously denies.
Jul. 31, 2017, 9:59 a.m.
'Ride on, genius': Celebrities mourn the loss of Sam Shepard
Acclaimed actor and playwright Sam Shepard died July 27 at age 73. (Charles Sykes / Associated Press)
Sam Shepard — Oscar-nominated actor and critically acclaimed playwright, author, screenwriter and director — died on July 27 after suffering complications from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). When news of his death broke Monday morning, Twitter erupted with posts to mourn, honor and remember one of show business' beloved renaissance men.
Macaulay Culkin got his first tattoo with goddaughter Paris Jackson, and it's a match
(Carl Timpone / BFA / REX / Shutterstock)
For Paris Jackson, getting inked is nothing out of the ordinary. With more than 50 tattoos already under her belt, the 19-year-old daughter of late pop king Michael Jackson collects body art like postage stamps.
According to E! News, the budding actress got her latest over the weekend: an understated sketch of a red spoon, just below the crook of her left arm.
A new tattoo might be old-hat for Jackson, but it wasn't for Macaulay Culkin, Jackson's 36-year-old godfather -- and first-time tattoo patron -- who emerged from West Hollywood's Tattoo Mania with a matching spoon on his own forearm.
Alex Jones' products are almost as bad as his conspiracy theories, says John Oliver
John Oliver (HBO)
Over the last year, conspiracy theorist and influential radio host Alex Jones has come under intense scrutiny for his fringe beliefs, most notably his claim that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax perpetrated by the government.
On Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver noted that Jones’ status as a Sandy Hook "truther" qualified him for an Easy Pass to “hell’s version of the champagne room.” But he spent most of his time on a relatively overlooked aspect of Jones’ conspiracy empire -- the wide range of products that he sells in order to fund it.
According to Oliver, Jones spends nearly a quarter of his airtime plugging InfoWars-branded merchandise, including Wake Up America Patriot coffee to Combat One Tactical Bath Wipes and a powder called Caveman True Paleo (made from “chocolate and domesticated bird corpses,” Oliver joked).
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Transactions and transformations with Rachel Weisz in 'Complete Unknown,' 'Denial' and 'Plenty'
By Mark Olsen
Rachel Weisz stars in the upcoming films "Complete Unknown," "Denial" and "The Light Between Oceans," along with the New York revival of "Plenty." (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times)
Rachel Weisz is that rare combination of both actress and star, the kind of performer equally at ease in offbeat arthouse films like "Youth" and "The Lobster" as well as big-budget movies like "The Bourne Legacy" and "Oz the Great and Powerful." It has remained fitting that the 46-year-old British-born Weisz won a best supporting actress Oscar for playing an enigmatic, predictably unpredictable woman in 2005's "The Constant Gardener."
So it also makes sense that in the new film "Complete Unknown," directed and co-written by Joshua Marston, she plays a woman who completely reinvents herself every few years with an entirely new identity — and in the process has lost track of who she really is. She manipulates her way into the birthday dinner party of a man (Michael Shannon) who knew her before she set off on this wild life of adventure. Over a long evening, she begins to rediscover her true self.
Weisz will also soon be seen in "Denial," directed by Mick Jackson and having its world premiere as part of the Toronto International Film Festival before opening in theaters Sept. 30. In the film, based on a true story, Weisz plays Deborah Lipstadt, a noted American historian who was sued for libel in a British court by a Holocaust denier. Co-starring Timothy Spall and Tom Wilkinson, the film is part courtroom drama, part defense of history over conspiracy and conjecture.
Weisz is also in the new "The Light Between Oceans" and will soon be appearing at the Public Theater in New York in a production of "Plenty." She recently found a few minutes to get on the phone to talk about this busy time.
In a way, "Complete Unknown" explores what makes a person a person. As your character adopts these new identities for extended periods, at some point she loses track of her real self. Is there any connection there to acting? Do you ever feel lost in between characters?
No. Absolutely not. I totally understand why you ask that question, but there is absolutely no similarity between the story of the film and acting. When you act, it's a transaction where everyone knows you're suspending disbelief with another group of people and you're telling a story that has a narrative, a beginning, middle and end. It's a bit of momentary madness if you like, but you know it's going to end and you'll go back to your life. People have been putting on plays for thousands of years, it's nothing strange about it. But this is … crazy, right? It's a crazy thing to do.
I like how your character has gone so far down the road with this idea of hers that she no longer understands how shocking it is to other people when they find out.
She doesn't question what she's doing, nor does the film. It's very weird. I kept saying to Josh, "Why does she do what she does?" And he wasn't really interested in answering that question. There's one line that I actually improvised that's like, "When everybody knows you, that's when they've got you trapped and you have to move on." And that's the only thing that even halfway begins to give you a sense of why she's doing what she's doing.
Right now you have "Complete Unknown," "The Light Between Oceans" and "Denial" all coming out and you're going to be onstage in "Plenty." From the outside it seems like a lot of work. Does it feel that way to you?
"Denial" and the play are major commitments. The play has only been performed once in New York, in 1982, it was written in 1978, and it's probably not performed very often because it's such a challenging play. It spans 20 years and my character goes through huge transformations and mental breakdowns and it's a big ole journey. I've been in love with the play for many years and I finally felt old enough to take it on. So that's a real massive commitment. "Denial," which is coincidentally also written by David Hare, the same writer as the play, was an undertaking because it was playing a real character, Deborah Lipstadt, who is from Queens and is just nothing like me. Physically, culturally, accent-ly, that was a real transformation. Those two things were challenging.
What interested you about "Denial"?
I think it's an important story and she's a very colorful character and interesting and a pain in the ass and no bull. She's larger than life and not a shrinking violet. She's complicated, she's a lot of things. I think David was inspired to write it really in response to Donald Trump. So people who are protected by the freedom of speech just lie and lie and lie and lie and lie and lie. There are situations where you can be held accountable for your lies, and this was one of them. There's a difference between a fact and an opinion. And the movie proves that. I hope that it inspires anyone, particularly young people, to stand up to bigotry and this casual racism.
Rachel Weisz, Andrew Scott and Timothy Spall star in "Denial."
There's a sequence in the film that was shot at Auschwitz. What was it like to shoot there? Had you ever been there before?
It's very hard to find the right words to describe it, because it's not like anything I've ever experienced. I've never been to Auschwitz before and walking around it, going through the museum and learning and seeing exactly what took place there, what struck me was the degree of organized, mechanized, industrialized. ... It was like the most efficient factory where nothing was left out.
I can understand a human in a fit of passion acting out in a visceral, primitive way, but this was not that. It was meticulously scientific. It's the coldness of it that you can't reconcile with being a human. I understand losing your temper, it's terrible and wrong, but I understand it. But this makes your mind not able to compute it.
You mentioned that David Hare wrote both "Denial" and "Plenty." Is there a connection there in how you came to the two projects?
There is no connection. I was offered "Denial" by the director and producer. I don't know if David had any say in the casting, but I imagine he would have said, "She's not really right for the part." I'm not an obvious choice for Deborah. And the play just happened because I've wanted to do it for a long time. I nearly did it in 2012 and then I didn't and it's just one of the plays I most love in the world. The character, Susan Traherne — I think she's one of the most interesting female characters in theatrical history. I hope I can live up to what he's written. I played Blanche DuBois in London a few years ago and I feel like this character is up there with Blanche.
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Movie news, screening invitations and reviews from the world of independent film and beyond.
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‘Spider-Man’ lands on top again at the box office, ‘Toy Story 4’ comes in second
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Indie Focus: Real lies and true emotions in ‘The Farewell’
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Essential Washington
Trump names GOP chairman Priebus as White House chief of staff and Bannon as top advisor
By Kristina Davis
Lawyers for the president-elect file a motion to delay Trump University trial
A motion to delay the Trump University trial until after the presidential inauguration was filed in San Diego federal court Saturday night, arguing a few extra months would give both sides time to videotape Donald Trump’s testimony or possibly reach a settlement.
In the motion, Trump’s attorney Daniel Petrocelli lays out a detailed plan that would postpone the trial, scheduled to begin Nov. 28, until sometime after the Jan. 20 inauguration to allow the president-elect to focus his time and energy on the transition to the White House.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2010, accuses Trump and Trump University of misleading students who signed up for seminars that promised to teach insider secrets to real estate investing. The students claim they were told instructors were “handpicked” by Trump, though they weren’t, and that the program falsely held itself out to be an accredited university, though it was not.
By Jonathan Kaiman
China's president to Donald Trump: Cooperation is 'the only correct choice'
China's President Xi Jinping called U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday night and told him that cooperation is "the only correct choice for China and the United States," Chinese state media reported on Monday.
Trump's presidential transition office confirmed that the phone call took place. "During the call, the leaders established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another, and President-elect Trump stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward," it said in a statement.
Trump repeatedly slammed China in his campaign, threatening to formally declare the country a currency manipulator and to slap 45% tariffs on Chinese imports to the U.S.
By David Willman
Trump names Priebus and Bannon as top White House aides and says deportations will begin immediately
Donald Trump made his first significant moves as the nation’s president-elect on Sunday, naming two campaign insiders with sharply contrasting approaches as his top White House aides while also signaling that he will seek to promptly deport up to 3 million immigrants with "criminal records’’ who are in the U.S. illegally.
The rapid-fire developments highlighted the challenges Trump faces in reconciling the rhetoric that helped propel him to victory with how he is prepared to govern.
By Jessica Meyers
Chinese official advocates stronger relationship with U.S. under Trump
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Conference Hall of the ministry in Budapest in 2015. (Attila Kisbenedek /AFP/Getty Images)
China’s foreign minister on Sunday emphasized a desire to mend bilateral ties under President-elect Donald Trump, though he accused China during his campaign of manipulating U.S. currency and stealing American jobs.
“We want to improve our relations under the Trump administration,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on an official visit to Ankara, according to Reuters.
Trump trounced China during his campaign, saying it was “raping” the U.S. on trade policy and calling climate change a “hoax” produced by the Chinese. He also threatened to hike up tariffs. But the country’s officials tend to take a pragmatic approach to rhetoric espoused during campaigns, waiting instead for actions taken in office.
By Amy Fiscus
Trump chooses Priebus as chief of staff; Bannon to play major role
Reince Priebus previously served as the Republican National Committee Chairman. Bannon was the chair of Brietbart News, a politically conservative news site.
President-elect Donald Trump signaled Sunday that the dual forces that helped get him elected — Republican loyalists and far-right conservatives — will share power in his White House, naming strategists to two top West Wing posts.
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus will serve as his White House chief of staff, suggesting an increased willingness by Trump to work within Washington's system to accomplish his agenda.
At the same time, however, Stephen K. Bannon, the campaign CEO who helped amplify some of Trump's most incendiary rhetoric about Muslims, immigrants and other minority groups, will serve as his chief strategist, according to a statement that called Priebus and Bannon "equal partners."
Paul Ryan says Republicans aren't planning a 'deportation force'
(Associated Press)
Donald Trump’s plan to deport up to 3 million people in the U.S. illegally was echoed Sunday by other Republican leaders, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, who said the party was focused on securing the border and not mass deportations.
Appearing on CNN’s "State of the Union,’’ Ryan said, "We’re focused on securing the border. … We’re not planning on erecting a deportation force.’’
Newt Gingrich, who served as House speaker in the 1990s and who is assisting Trump’s transition, also told CBS’ "Face the Nation’’ that the deportation of immigrants in the country illegally who have criminal pasts would be the new administration’s priority.
By Tre'vell Anderson
Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton on 'SNL': 'I’m not giving up, and neither should you'
In the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” since the election of Donald Trump as the next president, the show took a rather muted approach. With Kate McKinnon in a Hillary Clinton-style white pantsuit, the show also paid tribute to singer Leonard Cohen, who died Monday at age 82.
Sitting behind a piano, McKinnon sang and played Cohen’s signature “Hallelujah,” fighting back tears throughout the performance. And at its end, she turned directly to the camera and said: “I’m not giving up, and neither should you.”
Trump says he'll seek to deport up to 3 million people in the U.S. illegally
(Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)
President-elect Donald Trump says his administration will seek to promptly deport up to 3 million immigrants with "criminal records’’ who are in the U.S. illegally but will defer the far wider exclusions he called for during the campaign until "after the border is secure.’’
Trump’s comments, made in an interview to be broadcast Sunday night on CBS’ "60 Minutes,’’ highlight one of the challenges he faces in reconciling the rhetoric that propelled him to victory with how he is prepared to govern.
"What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records … probably 2 million, it could be even 3 million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate,’’ Trump said.
By David Lauter
Trump's victory surprised Americans, most accept his victory as legitimate
Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election took about three-quarters of Americans by surprise, including six in 10 of those who voted for him, according to a new Gallup poll.
Despite the unexpected result and the persistence of protests in major cities, however, a large majority of Americans appear ready to accept Trump's election as legitimate.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll, taken Wednesday through Friday, found that 74% of Americans said they "accept the election of Donald Trump as legitimate." On the other side, 18% said they "think Donald Trump is not the legitimate winner."
Nov. 13, 2016, 7:37 a.m.
Watch Dave Chappelle reflect on the election in his 'Saturday Night Live' monologue
Warning: Video contains racial epithets and a lewd term.
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Purpose & Scope
The Law School is committed to fostering and maintaining a community of mutual respect. The purpose of this Grievance Policy is to ensure that Law School students have a means and opportunity to resolve complaints alleging fundamentally unfair or other impermissible treatment. This policy applies only for those grievances not specifically addressed by any other Law School or University policy or procedure.
Who May Bring a Claim
The procedures set forth in this Grievance Policy may be used by grievants who: (a) are enrolled or registered at the Law School; (b) were enrolled at the Law School the immediately preceding term; (c) are on approved educational leave or other approved leave status; (d) are members of the University community but are taking a class or classes at the Law School; or (e) are participating in a Law School-sponsored educational event at the time of the incident being grieved. The person filing the grievance must be the alleged victim of unfair treatment; a person cannot file a grievance on behalf of another person.
What May Be Grieved
This procedure may only be used to resolve grievances regarding decisions or actions made by employees or agents of the Law School. The following claims may not be grieved:
Claims unrelated to an employee or agent’s job or role at the Law School;
Disciplinary decisions, since those decisions are covered by a separate Law School policy; and
Complaints of unlawful harassment and/or discrimination, as those grievances are covered by a separate University Law School policy.
With the exception of grievances related to grades or other academic errors, the procedure outlined in this Grievance Policy must be initiated within 60 calendar days of the decision, action, or events giving rise to the grievance. If the 60th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a campus holiday, the time period will be extended to the following working day. This time limit may be extended by the Dean of Students or the Dean of the Law School if the grievant makes the request for extension within the 60-day period, provided the grievant can show good cause for the extension.
Informal Resolution Process
The Law School seeks to maintain a professional environment, and a core aspect of professionalism includes learning to resolve disagreements in a collegial and mature manner. For this reason, all students are expected to make a good faith effort to resolve any and all conflicts with faculty, staff, and administrators directly. Further, prior to filing a formal grievance pursuant to this policy, a student must first demonstrate that he or she has attempted to resolve the matter informally with the person responsible for the action or decision being grieved, and/or that person’s supervisor (or higher administrative authority), or both persons.
In the event that the grievance does not concern a specific employee, but rather a policy, procedure, or regulation, the student should contact the faculty or administrator responsible for implementing or enforcing the policy, procedure, or regulation.
The student may contact the Dean of Students for assistance with informal resolution. If a student believes that efforts at informal resolution may result in retaliation or other unfair treatment, the student should contact the Office of the Dean of Students. If the grievance relates to the Office of the Dean of Students, the grievant should contact the Deputy Dean of the Law School.
Attempts to resolve the matter informally should be completed within 60 days from the time at which the student knew or could reasonably be expected to have known of the action the student seeks to grieve. Any student wishing to file a formal grievance must do so within the 60 day limit, regardless of the status of the informal process.
Formal Complaint Procedures
A student may file a formal written grievance for problems that cannot be resolved informally or if the student has received permission from the Office of the Dean of Students (or, in the event of a grievance related to the Office of the Dean of Students, the Deputy Dean of the Law School) to by-pass the informal resolution process.
A. Grade or Academic Grievances
Students with grievances based on grades or some other academic issue must submit a written request to the professor or faculty member describing in detail the nature of the grading or academic error, why the student believes an error occurred, and what the student believes is the correct grade. All grievances related to grades must be submitted within four weeks (20 working days) of the receipt of the course grade or evaluation.
Upon receipt of the grade or academic grievance, the professor shall review the student’s submission and the student’s exam and determine whether an error occurred. The professor shall then inform the student in writing as to the outcome of the student’s grievance (e.g., the grade will remain the same, the grade will be changed, etc.). The professor shall respond to a student’s grievance within 10 days from the receipt of the request, if practicable. The professor’s decision shall be final.
In the event that a student prefers to maintain his or her anonymity, the student may submit his or her grievance to the Office of the Dean of Students and the Dean of Students shall forward the grievance on to the professor.
B. Non-Grade Grievances
As with all other grievances, students with non-grade grievances must make every reasonable attempt to resolve the grievance informally. If, however, informal resolution is unsatisfactory and/or the time limit for filing a formal grievance is about to expire, the student should do the following:
Complete the Grievance Form or a written document that includes all of the substantive areas set forth in the Form.
Submit the Grievance Form to the Office of the Dean of Students (or, in the event of a grievance involving the Office of the Dean of Students, the Deputy Dean of the Law School) within 60 calendar days of the decision, action, or events giving rise to the grievance. If the 60th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a campus holiday, the time period will be extended to the following working day. This time limit may be extended by the Dean of Students, the Deputy Dean of the Law School, or the Dean of the Law School if the grievant makes the request for extension within the 60-day period, provided the grievant can show good cause for the extension.
In the event that a grievance is deemed to be untimely, the Office of the Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School (in grievances involving the Office of the Dean of Students) shall dismiss the grievance and send a letter to the grievant specifying the reason for the dismissal.
The Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School will review the grievance and conduct an investigation of the facts underlying the grievance. The investigation will include interviews of faculty and staff, if deemed appropriate within the discretion of the Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School. When weighing the merits of the grievance, the Dean of Students and/or the Deputy Dean of the Law School shall use a preponderance of the evidence standard.
The Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School will inform the student and the Dean of the Law School, in writing, of the decision regarding the grievance. The Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School will strive to reach a decision within three weeks (15 working days) of receipt of the written grievance.
If the issue cannot be resolved by the Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School, and/or if the student wishes to appeal the decision, the student may appeal to the Dean of the Law School. Any appeal of the Dean of Students’ or the Deputy Dean’s decision must be made in writing within 10 days of notice of the outcome of the investigation.
The Dean of the Law School (or his or her designee) shall consider all pertinent materials and determine whether the student’s grievance has any merit. The Dean’s (or the Dean’s designee’s) decision is limited to deciding whether the decision or action being grieved was fundamentally unreasonable, arbitrary or unfair.
The Dean and/or his or her designee may exercise discretion and request that the student and/or other witnesses appear before the Dean or his designee to answer questions or to present any new relevant information. In addition, the student also may request to appear before the Dean or his or her designee. In the event that the student appears before the Dean or his or her designee, the student shall be allowed to select an advisor for assistance. If the student elects to have an advisor present, the student must notify the Dean at least one full business day in advance of the student’s appearance before the Dean or his or her designee. Advisors are not advocates or active participants in the process and serve solely to support and advise the student.
The Dean of the Law School and/or his designee will make a final decision and communicate that decision to the Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School. The Dean of Students or the Deputy Dean of the Law School shall convey the decision to the student in writing. The decision of the Dean of the Law School and/or his or her designee shall be final and unreviewable.
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Oregon state senator who threatened police faces complaint
FILE – In this April 22, 2002, file photo, Brian Boquist is seen in Salem, Ore. A formal complaint has been filed against Boquist, an Oregon Republican senator who drew criticism for threatening state police amid a GOP walkout over climate legislation. Sen. Boquist drew criticism earlier this month by saying state police should come “heavily armed” if they attempted to bring him back to the Capitol during a Republican walkout over climate legislation. (Kobbi R. Blair/Statesman-Journal via AP, File)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A formal complaint has been filed against Oregon Republican state Sen. Brian Boquist, who drew criticism for threatening state police amid a GOP walkout over climate legislation, the chairman of the state’s conduct committee said Saturday.
Sen. Floyd Prozanski, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Conduct, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that the complaint will receive a hearing in early July. He declined to elaborate on the substance of the complaint, and would not say who filed it.
“I will not make any comments as to what’s alleged or what’s in the report because it is pending before the committee,” Prozanski said. “As the chair, I do not believe it’s appropriate for me to make comment until we, as a full committee, take what actions we’re going to take.”
Sen. Brian Boquist came under fire this month after saying Oregon State Police should “send bachelors and come heavily armed” if they attempted to bring him to the Capitol amid a Republican walkout that shut down the Senate for nine days.
Republicans, who make up the minority in the Legislature, refused to come to the Capitol in protest of legislation aimed at lowering the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Democrats have an 18 to 12 majority in the Senate but need at least 20 members — and therefore at least two Republicans — present to vote on legislation.
Gov. Kate Brown deployed the Oregon State Police to track down the missing Republicans and hit them with a $500 fine for every day they missed.
Boquist publicly lashed out against the Senate president just prior to the walkout, saying “if you send the state police to get me, hell’s coming to visit you personally.”
Days later, the Senate leader ordered the Capitol closed because of a “possible militia threat” from far-right groups, who said they would join a peaceful protest organized by Republicans. The threat, however, never materialized.
One of those groups, the Oregon Three Percenters, joined an armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 and has offered safe passage to senators on the run.
Boquist was one of three senators not to appear on the floor Saturday morning, though Republican staff members expected him to return later in the afternoon. He did not return requests for comment.
Information from: KOPB-FM, http://news.opb.org
More National News Stories
by DAVID CRARY, Associated Press / Jul 15, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Government restrictions on religion have increased markedly in many places around the world, not only in authoritarian countries, but also in many of Europe's democracies, according to a report surveying 198 countries that was released Monday.
The report released by the Pew Research Center, covering developments through 2017, also seeks to document the scope of religion-based harassment and violence. Regarding the world's two largest religions, it said Christians were harassed in 143 countries and Muslims in 140.
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‘American positivity’: Baseball popular with British fans
by: GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press
Characters including from left, King Henry VIII, the Loch Ness monster and Winston Churchill participate in a mascot race during a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, Saturday, June 29, 2019, in London. Major League Baseball made its European debut game Saturday at London Stadium. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
LONDON (AP) — America’s national pastime made a positive impression on British fans the first time they got to see the game up close and personal on British soil.
That may have been helped by a warm, picture-perfect day in often overcast London — baseball weather at its best, played on a midsummer’s eve with sunlight that seemed to never fade — and by a slugfest that, to say the least, emphasized power over precision pitching.
Things American fans take for granted, like standing for the national anthem, or joshing rival fans without getting overly crude, struck many Brits in London Stadium as a refreshing change.
“It’s brilliant, it’s amazing, it’s so American as well,” said Jack Lockwood, a 23-year-old who pitches and plays catcher in an amateur baseball league in the city of Sheffield. “I’ve been to hundreds of football (soccer) games and it’s just such a different atmosphere. I just like the American positivity.”
Lockwood spent about six hours on a train to get to and from London for the game, but he considered the trip well worth it, even though his favorite team — the Los Angeles Dodgers — wasn’t playing.
He said it would be impossible to have fans from two rival English soccer teams sit in the same stands — intermingled as New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans were at Saturday’s game — without violent scenes.
“You put two rival football teams’ fans in the same stands, you’ll get a fight,” he said. “In baseball, you can put the fans together and you can have a laugh with anyone.”
There were some British touches at the game, like the roaming vendors selling Pimm’s cocktails and gin and tonics, but the focus was generally on typical American ballpark fare: hot dogs, nachos, burgers and beer. There were even supersized hot dogs, checking in at 2 feet long.
“It’s the way the Americans do sports,” said pleased British fan Stuart Graham, 45. “The way they have the spectator in mind. You know you’re sitting there and the man comes around with your beer and your hot dogs and you can relax and enjoy the game. It’s really very different to what we’re used to.”
He and Ian Muggridge bought the tickets months ago, spurred in part by the storied Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, which promised to bring top talent to the British capital.
“Two big heavyweights of U.S. baseball, sort of like Manchester United playing Liverpool in the UK,” he said, referring to British soccer rivals. “Great spectacle to come and see.”
He did find one disappointment to baseball in Britain: The hot dogs weren’t as good as the ones he’d enjoyed at an American park.
Muggridge appreciated the mood in the park, with the playing of the U.S. and British national anthems before the game.
“I like the fact that it’s got quite a patriotic feel about it,” he said. “You don’t often get that in British sports. We tend to avoid that, whereas in America you just put it out there.”
While many British fans only had to jump a Tube train to get to the park, thousands of American fans flew across the Atlantic at considerable expenses to catch the historic games.
This bunch included Yankees fan Danielle McCauley of Clifton, New Jersey, who built a weeklong British holiday around Saturday’s game.
“It’s been fun, the whole thing has been really cool,” she said, although she found the crowd far less raucous than those she had been part of in Yankees Stadium and Fenway Park. Call it British reserve.
“It’s quiet,” she said. “It’s the quietest sporting event I’ve ever been to.”
Warriors GM Bob Myers moves on from Durant with appreciation
by JANIE McCAULEY, Associated Press / Jul 15, 2019
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bob Myers has accepted Kevin Durant's departure for the Brooklyn Nets with an appreciation for all the superstar forward accomplished with the franchise, even if the Golden State general manager would have loved to keep KD around a little longer.
"I have a peace about it," Myers said Monday as he discussed the Warriors' flurry of moves in free agency.
by CHRIS LEHOURITES, Associated Press / Jul 15, 2019
LONDON (AP) — An epic day of sports in London came down to two unprecedented endings a few minutes — and miles — apart.
Novak Djokovic won the Wimbledon title in a brand new fifth-set tiebreaker just as England played the first Super Over in history to win the Cricket World Cup . Djokovic beat Roger Federer just after 7 p.m. on Sunday evening (GMT), while England beat New Zealand in the cricket final about 20 minutes later.
by JOHN ZENOR, Associated Press / Jul 15, 2019
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey considers the mental health of athletes an important issue to be considered when it comes to legalized betting on college sports.
Sankey opened the league's media days Monday with plenty to say about sports gambling and continuing efforts to improve football officiating before yielding the podium to coaches talking about their hopes and concerns for the season.
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Lake Lifestyles Magazine
Boat recalls early days of Lake of the Ozarks
AMY WILSON, awilson@westsidestar.net
According to research by owner Bill Overman, articles from the May 31, 1931 Kansas City Star and the September 1931 issue of Power Boating report on the vessels.
It is a boat that recalls the earliest days of Lake of the Ozarks, representing the romance of a reconstruction of the landscape and the birth of a new lifestyle.
With its mahogany exterior, leather and wood interior, chrome accents, not to mention the original Inline 8 Graymarine motor — the fine touches of the antique boat Duchess of Leawood make it a beautiful vessel on its own, an artifact of days of fine craftsmanship and more formal living. The Phantom Racing 8, a 24-foot Hacker-Craft runabout, was carefully constructed in 1931 and still retains 95 percent of her original planking.
Created the same year that Bagnell Dam was completed and the Lake of the Ozarks arose, the Duchess of Leawood appears to be a near match to the first boats purchased by Union Electric Land and Development Company for use on Lake of the Ozarks.
Power Boating made special note of the boats’ speed capabilities, running up to the top speed of the era, 35 miles per hour. The Kansas City Star makes of the Niangua and another unnamed vessel, both 1931 24-foot Hacker-Crafts. Purchased for an officer of Union Electric and UE head, Louis H. Egan, the speed of the vessels likely came in handy for covering various points on the large new reservoir.
A Hacker-Craft inventory from March 3, 1931 shows how close the three boats Overman believes were Union Electric’s and his were. The serial numbers are within a few numbers of each other meaning they were likely worked on at the same time, though there are some differences.
Now the Union Electric boats are gone, but the Duchess remains. Overman believes from talking with other local antique boat owners that this vessel is the oldest operating vessel on the Lake of the Ozarks, due to operational issues with a 1926 cabin cruiser owned by Terry Hart.
The elegant runabout helps make the Overmans’ home at the 54 mile marker a popular spot on amateur tours in his vicinity of the lake. Neighbors from a mile away or more bring guests by to see the vessel, along with the Craftsman style home.
If you go by the Overmans’ home though, you may or may not see it docked there. One of his joys is taking the vessel out for a spin between the first of April and the first of November.
Overman has little concerns about operating the boat in his area, located in the quieter upper reaches of the Lake of the Ozarks.
“It’s night and day difference. We’re on the main channel, and we don’t have wake breakers. There’s a little bit of traffic, but we’re on the dock all the time. We swim off the dock, waterski in the area,” says Overman.
Retiring as a sales manager who traveled across the U.S. five days a week, he and his wife are self-described home bodies and love their corner of the lake. This is their 10th summer in this particular house after first moving to the Lake of the Ozarks in 1984.
Overman does have a new vintage-style boat though that he uses for longer trips on the lake. The three-year-old Chris Craft Launch 27 is somewhat rare for the Midwest, he says, being more popular on the east coast, but it has the design characteristics of an antique with a good size for entertaining and comfort. They also recently upgraded their personal water crafts.
“[In the 1931 boat] I can probably take any wake, I may slow down, but I have no worries from a safety perspective. For me, it’s more the idea, the busier it gets, the less enjoyment in the ride. Particularly on weekends, I’m confident, but guests are not as confident. With the Chris Craft, I can take nine people out. And with a 1931 [boat], I don’t want to be driving at 20 miles per hour and decide to jump wake because it’s possible I could break something,” explains Overman.
The Duchess’ top-of-the-line engine, for 1931 that is, and wooden structure is running fine though thanks to Overman’s careful maintenance. A vessel like this takes more maintenance than the typical fiberglass models today. Overman found a spare motor in anticipation of future trouble.
“A motor like this is slowly killing itself. It has fresh water, lake water, circulating to cool it. The natural water inside the block is causing rust, and there’s no way to stop it,” he says. “With a motor of this vintage, there are certain places you have to oil and grease regularly like farm machinery. It’s no choir to me because I like to mess around with them.”
The important thing for this longtime boat lover is to be in his boats whether he’s running them down the lake, fiddling with the engine or vacuuming out water.
But due to this natural wear as well as other accidental losses over such a span of time, very few original motors from this era still exist, according to Overman. Natural water has been cooling down this engine for nearly 88 years now.
Growing up in Wichita, Kan., a block from the Little Arkansas River, Overman remembers making his “first boat” around the age of 8 for he and his younger brother’s use on the shallow river. Quickly caught and told to go home by a passing police officer who happened to work for their father, that watercraft didn’t last too long, but a passion for boating had begun.
He bought his first “real” boat, a canoe, while he was in middle school, his father away for a training class. Spying the sale ad in the Sunday morning classifieds and a little money in his pocket from a newspaper route, Overman persuaded his mother to take him by “just to see it.”
“I had no more than looked than I gave the man some money. Somehow we got it on the car and got it home,” he recalls.
While in college his father purchased a boat, which Overman says he quickly confiscated, and the boating lifestyle improved even more when his parents retired to the Gravois Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks. Overman would go on to keep his father’s boat 15 years after he passed away.
Over the years Overman has owned sailboats, motorboats, PWCs, and still enjoys searching for boats for sale, though these days it’s strictly day-dreaming, he says..
The Duchess came into Overman’s possession mainly through sheer availability.
While the dream sparked long before in Overman’s love of boats as a child, the path to ownership of an antique boat started in earnest when his wife noticed a multi-page Ralph Lauren ad in FYI magazine in 1998 featuring models dressed in styles from the 1920s and ‘30s. Several of the models were pictured sitting on a wooden boat.
His wife, Jackie, liked the look of the boat. Hearing her interest, Overman jumped on opportunity.
“I’ve always been somebody who takes advantage when my wife is interested in something,” he says.
The search began, though it would take a circuitous route to finale.
They initially attempted to purchase from a maker of new wooden boats built to look like the antiques. When they didn’t deliver on time and attempted to sell him a different size and configuration, Overman declined and switched to looking for the real deal. He approached a few antique boat brokers in the Midwest and was surprised to find out that antique boats didn’t cost as much as he thought they would.
Then finally lightning struck — figuratively that is. Overman found his boat in St. Louis in 2000, renaming it the Duchess of Leawood, a fond nickname for his wife.
In addition to making the boat’s interesting historical connection to the Lake of the Ozarks, Overman has spent winters researching the vessel’s provenance, considering himself lucky to have been able to track down the names of all of the Duchess’ past owners, back to the very beginning when it was first christened The Helge. The name is Norwegian for Henry, the first owner. Its home port was on Rainy Lake, International Falls, Minn. Rolled out amidst the depths of the Great Depression, it took a wealthy family to purchase what would have been a high dollar, luxury item in its day. According to Overman, the owner was a physician who owned a small island on Rainy Lake.
Another home for the boat was in Iowa under the name Tri Elegant for the owner’s three daughters.
Now the boat has given years of enjoyment on Lake of the Ozarks as well.
Perhaps the Kansas City Star story from May 1931, “Exploring Reaches Of The Southwest’s Greatest Lake,” describes the Phantom 8’s ride and the joys of boating best, the reporter experiencing the then novelty of pleasure boating on the new Lake of the Ozarks.
“The whole front half of the boat was out of the water and she was riding over it like an aquaplane, leaping, as if to spring clear of it and mount up like an airplane leaving the ground, the waves slapping the flat bottom with a force that made the boat quiver. From the waist of the boat two great waves spread out, one on each side. I stood up and looked behind at our wake in the water, where four blue waves rolled and spread out in fan shape, gradually widening away astern until they reached the shore.”
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On board at Lake of the Ozarks
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Home Religion L.A.’s First Dawoodi Bohra Mosque Gets Its Blessing
The Mohammedi Center in Woodland Hills
Photograph courtesy aamerj.wordpress.com
L.A.’s First Dawoodi Bohra Mosque Gets Its Blessing
His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin made a very important stopover this weekend
Shayna Rose Arnold
The members of a Woodland Hills mosque had a blessed weekend. Sixty-eight-year-old spiritual leader His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin arrived in Los Angeles to bless the city’s first Dawoodi Bohra mosque in a ceremony that was attended by 1,000 worshipers, reports the Los Angeles Daily News. Although the $6.5 million Mohammedi Center has been open for years, Muslim families have been unable to pray inside its 18,000-square-foot masjid—which is designed to stand for 1,000 years—pending Saifuddin’s visit.
During his time in Los Angeles, Saifuddin took an opportunity to accept a U.S. flag from representative Brad Sherman and also to address members of the community about peace and patriotism. Mufaddal Ezzy told LADN that he especially appreciated Saifuddin’s “first gesture in his first address on American soil: patriotism, loyalty and being active in the community in which you live…I had tears in my eyes.”
Mohammedi Center
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin
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The Results of the 2014 Midterm Elections are In
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The Jones Beach tower, now a familiar Jones Beach State Park landmark, was modeled on the campanile of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. It is 200 feet high, made of brick and stone, and houses a 315,000 gallon water tank for storage of water from four deep wells, each over 1,000 feet deep.
Captree State Park features a boat basin with open and charter boats available for fishing, sightseeing and excursions as well as scuba diving. It is known for its excellent Flounder and Fluke fishing and during fall, Blackfish and Sea Bass are common. Seen here with some fresh snow on this January afternoon
Fire Island Light house located to the east of Robert Moses and is 168 feet tall with white and black stripes. It was Deactivated in 1974 and deemed unrepairable. The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1982 and the next year the National Parks Service acquired the site.
Jones Beach Fee Booth waiting out the winter
Montauk Point Lighthouse, Montauk New York
The Jones Beach tower during the first few hours of the blizzard in Januay 2005 that buried Long Island in over 2 feet of snow.
The Robert Moses Causeway
Grumman Memorial Park is located on Route 25 near the Route 25A intersection and is situated on a one-acre site. Seen here on this very cold snowy evening.
2005 Jones Beach Airshow with Thunderbirds F-16 going back to JFK
Closeup of Camp Hero's Radar
This is the famous Deer eating at Rt. 111 Manorville just north of Sunrise Hwy
The Central Islip Psychiatric Center shut its doors in 1996.
Belmont Lake State Park water tower
Oakdale Windmill was torn down in in Late 2004 and early 2005. It was part of a the F. G. Bourne dairy farm. Later it was turned into Windmill Gate, a 110-unit complex for residents 55 and older. After hearing that it would cost $2000.00 per household to fix the windmill, most residents chose to have it leveled for $1000.00 per household.
Montauk Light House is the most famous of all Long Island Light houses. It is made of sandstone and located atop Turtle Hill on the furthest piece of land on the south fork. It is 110 feet tall and flashes white light every five seconds. Completed in 1796
The Central Islip Psychiatric power plant looking up the southern stack....One of my personal favorites
The F-14A Tomcat - Bureau Number 160902 Delivered to Fighter Squadron One-Hundred-One (VF-101, "The Grim Reapers") on September 27, 1979. This Tomcat's career began with a mid-air collision with another F-14 from VF-14 on December 5, 1979. Although it managed to return to USS John F. Kennedy, the other F-14 was lost at sea. Located at Grumman Memorial Park Calverton N.Y.
Runway at Calverton National Weapons Labratory. A site many Grumman aircraft have seen for their test flights.
Downtown Mountauk N.Y.
Greenport Long Island - From the dock you can see a 25-foot sculpture of an osprey, titled "Morning Call." Made of welded bronze wire by the artist R. J. Bessim, it depicts the bird alighting on a perch fashioned from beams salvaged from the World Trade Center. It was dedicated in 2002. For a closer look, walk over to the ancient (with the rust to prove it) Greenport Yacht & Shipbuilding Yards; the sculpture is at the end of its dock.
The Central Islip Psychiatric Center shut its doors in 1996. Some of the remaining buildings were used as a university and others were torn down to make way for suburban sprawl. This power plant was taken down in August 2005.
A nice overview of Robert Moses tower, The U.S. Coast Guard station and the bridge that connects fire Island to the rest of the world. Taken early January 2004, It is a lot colder than it looks!
Grumman Memorial Park, Calverton N.Y. http://www.grummanpark.org/
The Jones Beach Amphitheater has been a staple of Long Island's most exciting summer entertainment for nearly 80 years. Projecting out over the calm, cool waters of Zach's Bay, the amphitheater had humble beginnings as The Jones Beach Marine Stadium, a temporary wooden structure built in the early 1920s as a work relief project. In the early days of the theatre, aquatic sports events and musical entertainment were featured. In 1945, the first theater was removed because it had become unsafe. The current amphitheater, completed in 1952, seated 8,200. Additional seating was added in 1991 to bring the capacity to 11,200. However, around 1996, Nassau County and the promoters realized that another seating increase was necessary. 4000 seats were added to the theatre in 1998.
Sphinx on 27A in Bayport located on the Fontana Cement Co. property and has been located on this piece of land since 1974. It was originally part of the Anchorage Inn in Blue Point. Seen here just after the winter of 2004/2005 had cracked part of the cheek off. DAYS LATER it would loose the Nose and mouth. Lets hope it will look good again some day.
ONLY MINUTES LEFT and the second demolition company makes a pile of rubble from this in less then 1/2 hour. Oakdale Windmill was torn down in in Late 2004 and early 2005. It was part of the F. G. Bourne dairy farm. Later it was turned into Windmill Gate, a 110-unit complex for residents 55 and older. After hearing that it would cost $2000.00 per household to fix the windmill, most residents chose to have it leveled for $1000.00 per household. I have many shots of this windmill and its final months.
Sunset shot on the 4th of July BALD HILL VIETNAM MEMORIAL PARK on No. Ocean Avenue.
The Rose Garden in located in Bayport and I can not find much info on this. If you can help, please leave a comment
Fire Island Light house located to the east of Robert Moses seen here on Long Islands protective "Barrier Island"
the Indians made a pact with Smith, an English settler who knew a good real-estate deal when he saw one: He could keep whatever land he circled in a day's time riding atop his trusty bull named ``Whisper.'' Smith waited for the longest day of the year, circa 1665, to undertake the trek. He started at the east end of what is now Smithtown, go south to Raconcamuck, now known as Ronkonkoma, then west to Hauppauge and north along what is today Veterans Highway and on to Town Line Road, which marks the town's western border, and finally north to the edge of Long Island Sound. At noon, he -- and the bull -- rested. Smith munched on bread and cheese in a hollow, inspiring the name Bread and Cheese Hollow Road. Naturally, Smith got 'round, and Smithtown was his.
Camp Hero was the US Air Force base charged with protecting the east coast
The Jones Beach tower during the blizzard in Januay 2005 that buried Long Island in over 2 feet of snow.
The Robert Moses Causeway with moon
The Central Islip Psychiatric Center power plant was taken down in August 2005. 8/30/2005 at Noon
Sunset shot BALD HILL VIETNAM MEMORIAL PARK on No. Ocean Avenue.
The magnificence of Port Jefferson Harbor continues to attract mariners, visitors, tourists, businesses and families to an area where natural beauty is the setting for a wide variety of human activities.
Hmmmm..... I do not know about the locations, I went for a cloud shot and got all this other crap in the way.
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Islamic State leader urges uprising in Saudi Arabia and attacks in Israel
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the so-called Islamic State (Daesh)
Beirut (AFP) – Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the secretive leader of the Islamic State group, called for an uprising in Saudi Arabia and pledged to attack Israel, in an audio recording released Saturday and attributed to him
The 24-minute recording would be Baghdadi’s first in seven months, during which IS has been dealt several blows in Iraq and Syria.
There was no way for AFP to authenticate that it was Baghdadi speaking, but the voice appeared to match previous recordings of him.
And it was not clear when the recording was made, but it referred to a 34-nation anti-IS coalition announced by Saudi Arabia on December 15.
“They announced lately a coalition… falsely called ‘Islamic,’ and announced its goal is to fight the caliphate,” said the speaker in the recording circulating among pro-IS Twitter users.
“If this coalition were Islamic, it would have announced victory and aid to the people of Syria,” he said.
He called on Saudi citizens to “rise up against the apostate tyrants, and avenge your people in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen”.
Baghdadi regularly attacks the Saudi kingdom in his recordings.
In his last message, he accused Saudi rulers of launching an air campaign against Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen only to please the West.
Baghdadi also pledged to attack Israel, saying IS has “not forgotten Palestine for a single moment”.
“And soon, soon with God’s permission, you will hear the footsteps of the mujahedeen… We are getting closer to you day by day,” he said.
The recording did not appear to be accompanied by multilingual transcripts, which has been in the case with other Baghdadi audio messages.
Baghdadi made his first and last public appearances in the summer of 2014 in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which IS holds
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Cindy Loughridge, Lifestyle Photographer - Film
Join Cindy Loughridge for an in-depth discussion in this video Cindy Loughridge, Lifestyle Photographer - Film, part of Cindy Loughridge, Lifestyle Photographer.
I think it's important to enjoy sharing our work. If I'm looking at a photograph someone uploaded on their stream, I think, "That looks "really good, I might have to try that." With Flickr, it was a treasure chest of information and the biggest inspiration I could ever get. Instagram is the same way. You inspire people when you post photos. People have gone to traditional photography from Instagram that, you know, they've only shot on their phone and all of a sudden, "This is it, this is my calling, I want "to be a photographer." So it is a gateway for them.
I'm Cindy Loughridge and I'm a San Francisco based photographer. I feel like I can always do better and so that's why I practice a lot and I shoot a lot. So you see a lot of photos just sitting around on my desk. It's because I'm practicing. They're not perfect, but I'm trying to get it right. I like the quiet scenes. It's more of still life. Very clean and simple. It has a human element to it, even if it's just a hand in the photo.
I usually shoot with all my primes. My 50 is always on my camera unless I need to get a little closer or farther away. As a family, we are always shooting each other. You know, practicing in different lighting situations, outside in bright sun or in shade. I shoot with both my digital and film. If I were to shoot a scene, it's kind of embarrassing, I will shoot with my phone and all my cameras if they're loaded with film.
You know, because each camera has a different feel to it. I got back into film after I met my friends from Flickr. I had a nine to five job and the minute I got home I would go on Flickr or I would shoot if there was enough available light left and that's how it all started. It was just a hobby and something extra for me. I was documenting Emma, my daughter. And I would see a scene in my house and I would just shoot it. I really enjoyed that.
I was learning a lot and when I got onto Flickr there was so many different groups. Like using prime lenses, I joined a 50 millimeter group. It consumed my life for a while, you know, because it was so new and there was that social aspect to it. I spent hours just looking through the photos on Flickr, learning the different techniques people use and then I would try to apply it. I practice a lot, you know, I just try different things on my own. If I got stuck on something I would ask or read one of the groups.
(quiet guitar music) There was a lot of companies that were looking through the images on Flickr. I got lucky when this advertising company purchased a photo for a big campaign with Walmart. That was, like, my first big thing. It was a photo of Emma. One thing led to another and, from there, I would get lifestyle requests and editorial. And that was really cool. I don't think any of us that joined Flickr thought that we would be shooting professionally.
And it's only been recent that I'm doing this full time. After Olive goes to bed, I'm working. She goes to bed every night, and I'm in front of the computer working on photos. I'm lucky and I get to do something that I really, really love. It's a lot of work, but you know, I enjoy it. (chatting in background) Yesterday Seth and I hosted our friends for a little Flickr reunion. Small group, but it was really fun.
Cindy always talks about how, over the course of 365, like, her photography changed and developed and actually improved and that it was like the discipline of doing 365 every single day forced you to be creative about it. I had gone through the group and looked at all the photos and I was thinking, "That's "really good, I mean, that's a huge project," and I thought I would tackle it and then within the first week I was like, "Yeah, I don't "really want to do it anymore, but ..." (laughing) I didn't realize how hard it was.
But I stuck with it and I did finish it. I mean, I think there were, like, a few days where I would miss but I would just make up for it. I think some people took it as an opportunity, [unintelligible] to also think about what they wanted to be known for and what they wanted to become good at. Some people really love portrait photography, maybe, and decided to focus on it and develop a style that people would recognize. (chatter in background) Some meet ups had themes, certainly, like we would do print swaps for the holidays and everybody would bring prints and there was some amount of pressure by then not to have those prints sucks because the group was improving noticeably.
We were also pushing each other and so we would always try to dig up some things that are novel and you would bring those and then they would get swapped. It was always exciting to wait to see who would post first or what they would post and then- Something you would look forward to afterwards- And then the minute someone started posting there would be just, like, comments and then it would just be this snowball effect of everybody else started to post after that. It was like the after the photo block fun.
We went out for a walk and it was fun. It was fun just getting out and taking them up through our neighborhood. If someone wanted to do a photo walk, we would post it into the group and people would respond and meet up. There was quite a few people in the group. We got together a few times a month and then people's lives got busy and we didn't meet up as much but we're still friends to this day and we learned so much from each other.
It's funny how, like, the borders are always really fuzzy. Yeah, all sides except maybe the top, yeah. Yeah. I think it's just the rollers or the pressure. Seth was the one that pulled out a Leica at our first meet and we all went, "What the "heck is that?" I think he was the only one shooting film on that first meet up and we were all quite impressed with him (laughs). Then Pablo started shooting with his Yashica. And then our other friend Angelo rented a Hasselblad one day and then I think everybody started, like, "Okay, I'm going "to go buy a film camera and I'm going "to start shooting film." The same with lenses, you know.
Even if it's a DSLR. You know, just only one person has to pull out something different and we all want to do it. Film is so beautiful, I mean, you get your photos back and you look at it and digital can't even compare to it. The images are really romantic and I know people think, "What does that mean?" You know, I'm shooting a still life scene and I'm thinking it's romantic. I just do think it just has a softer feel. The photos jump out at you. And you don't really have to do much.
You just, you meter correctly, you get it developed and it comes back and you're like, "Wow." You don't have to mess around on Photoshop with it. Crop it, maybe levels and curves and that's it. You know, with digital you're slapping on all these different presets and actions to look like film. Okay, you guys can relax. That's pretty good, huh? With Instagram, I use the square crop immediately, you know, in my camera.
And with Snapseed I keep the processing minimal. I kind of have to work with what I have with the phone, you know, the lens is a little bit wider, but I like the fact that I can just whip out my phone and I think everybody feels that way. I've met even more people via Instagram, too. It just an overflow of Flickr, I feel. You use that to show your vision. We enjoy our time together shooting. We always have a camera on us, all of us.
Seeing the results of an outing. That's always special. It's our little family walk. We pull out our cameras and phones and it's on. I pursue perfecting the craft but I don't think I've perfected anything yet. With traditional photography there's so much to learn. I'm always looking at images for inspiration or I look back at mine just to see how I can improve.
There's a million photographers out there so you go to hustle if you really want the gig and my hustle is just shooting every day and trying to improve my game.
Cindy Loughridge
How does an aspiring photographer transition from a 9-to-5 to doing what they love full time? Cindy Loughridge is an inspiring example. Finding communities online were crucial to her development as photographer—and getting her lucky break. Learn how she capitalized on the treasure trove of information available through Flickr and Instagram, and how the support of other photographers there led her to film. We also join Cindy and her Flickr friends on a photo walk through the streets (and on the beaches) of San Francisco.
Tony Cruz's iPhone Surf Photography: Start to Finish
with Tony Cruz
7m 22s Intermediate
Creative Inspirations: Richard Koci Hernandez, Multimedia Journalist
with Richard Koci Hernandez
2h Intermediate
Cindy Loughridge, Lifestyle Photographer - Preview
Photography Sharing Photos
Video: Cindy Loughridge, Lifestyle Photographer - Film
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Multiple Factor Explanations Should Not Appear One-Sided
byStefan_Schubert5y7th Aug 201432 comments
In Policy Debates Should Not Appear One-Sided, Eliezer Yudkowsky argues that arguments on questions of fact should be one-sided, whereas arguments on policy questions should not:
On questions of simple fact (for example, whether Earthly life arose by natural selection) there's a legitimate expectation that the argument should be a one-sided battle; the facts themselves are either one way or another, and the so-called "balance of evidence" should reflect this. Indeed, under the Bayesian definition of evidence, "strong evidence" is just that sort of evidence which we only expect to find on one side of an argument.
But there is no reason for complex actions with many consequences to exhibit this onesidedness property.
The reason for this is primarily that natural selection has caused all sorts of observable phenomena. With a bit of ingenuity, we can infer that natural selection has caused them, and hence they become evidence for natural selection. The evidence for natural selection thus has a common cause, which means that we should expect the argument to be one-sided.
In contrast, even if a certain policy, say lower taxes, is the right one, the rightness of this policy does not cause its evidence (or the arguments for this policy, which is a more natural expression), the way natural selection causes its evidence. Hence there is no common cause of all of the valid arguments of relevance for the rightness of this policy, and hence no reason to expect that all of the valid arguments should support lower taxes. If someone nevertheless believes this, the best explanation of their belief is that they suffer from some cognitive bias such as the affect heuristic.
(In passing, I might mention that I think that the fact that moral debates are not one-sided indicates that moral realism is false, since if moral realism were true, moral facts should provide us with one-sided evidence on moral questions, just like natural selection provides us with one-sided evidence on the question how Earthly life arose. This argument is similar to, but distinct from, Mackie's argument from relativity.)
Now consider another kind of factual issues: multiple factor explanations. These are explanations which refer to a number of factors to explain a certain phenomenon. For instance, in his book Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond explains the fact that agriculture first arose in the Fertile Crescent by reference to no less than eight factors. I'll just list these factors briefly without going into the details of how they contributed to the rise of agriculture. The Fertile Crescent had, according to Diamond (ch. 8):
big seeded plants, which were
abundant and occurring in large stands whose value was obvious,
and which were to a large degree hermaphroditic "selfers".
It had a higher percentage of annual plants than other Mediterreanean climate zones
It had higher diversity of species than other Mediterreanean climate zones.
It has a higher range of elevations than other Mediterrenean climate zones
It had a great number of domesticable big mammals.
The hunter-gatherer life style was not that appealing in the Fertile Crescent
(Note that all of these factors have to do with geographical, botanical and zoological facts, rather than with facts about the humans themselves. Diamond's goal is to prove that agriculture arose in Eurasia due to geographical luck rather than because Eurasians are biologically superior to other humans.)
Diamond does not mention any mechanism that would make it less likely for agriculture to arise in the Fertile Crescent. Hence the score of pro-agriculture vs anti-agriculture factors in the Fertile Crescent is 8-0. Meanwhile no other area in the world has nearly as many advantages. Diamond does not provide us with a definite list of how other areas of the world fared but no non-Eurasian alternative seem to score better than about 5-3 (he is primarily interested in comparing Eurasia with other parts of the world).
Now suppose that we didn't know anything about the rise of agriculture, but that we knew that there were eight factors which could influence it. Since these factors would not be caused by the fact that agriculture first arose in the Fertile Crescent, the way the evidence for natural selection is caused by the natural selection, there would be no reason to believe that these factors were on average positively probabilistically dependent of each other. Under these conditions, one area having all the advantages and the next best lacking three of them is a highly surprising distribution of advantages. On the other hand, this is precisely the pattern that we would expect given the hypothesis that Diamond suffers from confirmation bias or another related bias. His theory is "too good to be true" and which lends support to the hypothesis that he is biased.
In this particular case, some of the factors Diamond lists presumably are positively dependent on each other. Now suppose that someone argues that all of the factors are in fact strongly positively dependent on each other, so that it is not very surprising that they all co-occur. This only pushes the problem back, however, because now we want an explanation of a) what the common cause of all of these dependencies is (it being very improbable that they all would correlate in the absence of such a common cause) and b) how it could be that this common cause increases the probability of the hypothesis via eight independent mechanisms, and doesn't decrease it via any mechanism. (This argument is complicated and I'd be happy on any input concerning it.)
Single-factor historical explanations are often criticized as being too "simplistic" whereas multiple factor explanations are standardly seen as more nuanced. Many such explanations are, however, one-sided in the way Diamond's explanation is, which indicates bias and dogmatism rather than nuance. (Another salient example I'm presently studying is taken from Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature. I can provide you with the details on demand.*) We should be much better at detecting this kind of bias, since it for the most part goes unnoticed at present.
Generally, the sort of "too good to be true"-arguments to infer bias discussed here are strongly under-utilized. As our knowledge of the systematic and predictable ways our thought goes wrong increase, it becomes easier to infer bias from the structure or pattern of people's arguments, statements and beliefs. What we need is to explicate clearly, preferably using probability theory or other formal methods, what factors are relevant for deciding whether some pattern of arguments, statements or beliefs most likely is the result of biased thought-processes. I'm presently doing research on this and would be happy to discuss these questions in detail, either publicly or via pm.
*Edit: Pinker's argument. Pinker's goal is to explain why violence has declined throughout history. He lists the following five factors in the last chapter:
The Leviathan (the increasing influence of the government)
Gentle commerce (more trade leads to less violence)
The expanding (moral) circle
The escalator of reason
He also lists some "important but inconsistent" factors:
Weaponry and disarmanent (he claims that there are no strong correlations between weapon developments and numbers of deaths)
Resource and power (he claims that there is little connection between resource distributions and wars)
Affluence (tight correlations between affluence and non-violence are hard to find)
(Fall of) religion (he claims that atheist countries and people aren't systematically less violen
This case is interestingly different from Diamond's. Firstly, it is not entirely clear to what extent these five mechanisms are actually different. It could be argued that "the escalator of reason" is a common cause of the other one's: that this causes us to have better self-control, which brings out the better angels of our nature, which essentially is feminization and the expanding circle, and which leads to better control over the social environment (the Leviathan) which in turn leads to more trade.
Secondly, the expression "inconsistent" suggests that the four latter factors are comprised by different sub-mechanisms that play in different directions. That is most clearly seen regarding weaponry and disarmament. Clearly, more efficient weapons leads to more deaths when they are being used. That is an important reason why World War II was so comparatively bloody. But it also leads to a lower chance of the weapons actually being used. The terrifying power of nuclear weapons is an important reason why they've only been used twice in wars. Hence we here have two different mechanisms playing in different directions.
I do think that "the escalator of reason" is a fundamental cause behind the other mechanisms. But it also presumably has some effects which increases the level of violence. For one thing, more rational people are more effective at what they do, which means they can kill more people if they want to. (It is just that normally, they don't want to do it as often as irrational people.) (We thus have the same structure that we had regarding weaponry.)
Also, in traditional societies, pro-social behaviour is often underwritten by mythologies which have no basis in fact. When these mythologies were dissolved by reason, many feared that chaous would ensue ("when God is dead, everything is permitted"). This did not happen. But it is hard to deny that such mythologies can lead to less violence, and that therefore their dissolution through reason can lead to more violence.
We shouldn't get too caught up in the details of this particular case, however. What is important is, again, that there is something suspicious with only listing mechanisms that play in the one direction. In this case, it is not even hard to find important mechanisms that play in the other direction. In my view, putting them in the other scale, as it were, leads to a better understanding of how the history of violence has unfolded. That said, I find DavidAgain's counterarguments below interesting.
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NEWS: Moncur goes out on loan
Midfielder joins Bishop's Stortford
The Club can confirm midfielder Freddy Moncur has joined National League South side Bishop's Stortford on loan.
The 21-year-old has agreed an initial one-month deal, and is made his debut as a second half substitute in the Blues 3-1 victory at Gosport on Saturday.
Moncur, who penned a new one-year deal in E10 during the summer, also spent time on loan at Stortford last season.
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My letter to Theresa May
I wrote to the Prime Minister at the weekend to reiterate how a people's vote is the only way forward with regards to Brexit. Read my letter here:
By Vince Cable, Jan 21, 2019 3:01
Last Tuesday night Theresa May lost the vote on her Brexit deal by 432 votes to 202. It's the biggest defeat by a Prime Minister in Commons history.
The next day, Jeremy Corbyn called a no-confidence vote in the Government. It failed.
Now, Theresa May wants MPs to vote on a deal that's barely different to the one we already rejected.
Neither of them are facing reality.
I spoke to the PM on Wednesday night after the failed confidence vote. I told her MPs won't accept a tweaked deal. She needs a mandate from the people, now that we know what Brexit actually means. You can read the letter I sent her below:
I appreciate the opportunity to have had a proper conversation with you about our views on the way forward on Brexit and my colleagues have had a useful discussion with yours about the practicalities of a referendum and its timing. We have followed up the discussions with a note to David Lidington setting out our views on how a People’s Vote could be organised quickly.
Our positions are, at first sight, far apart. But I reiterate the point that, as it currently stands, your plan has been emphatically rejected by parliament; but it would have a 50:50 chance of succeeding if put to the country against the option of remaining in the EU.
Moreover, the most plausible way of introducing the option of a referendum would be in the form of a government resolution to parliament seeking approval of your plan, subject to a referendum. Opposition parties would be asked to vote with the government to break the deadlock and return the issue to the people. Providing a People’s Vote were built firmly into the resolution, the Liberal Democrats would respond positively.
If the government cooperates with the 150 plus declared supporters of a People’s Vote (and many more who are undeclared) there would be more than enough votes to succeed even if Mr Corbyn continues to sit on the fence or oppose.
The next step, sought by some of your colleagues as well as the opposition parties for a variety of reasons, is postponement of the departure date to consider other options and averting the dire prospect of a ‘no deal’ Brexit for which the country is patently unprepared. You have clearly not reached that point but will need to do so for serious discussions with opposition parties to make headway.
My party is ready to resume discussions at any time and communication can be maintained through the usual channels.
The same applies to Jeremy Corbyn - until the DUP shift their stance, confidence votes are a waste of time. He needs to listen to his own MPs, members and voters - it's time for Labour to back a people's vote.
We'll continue to take every opportunity to persuade more MPs to back a people's vote. Will you sign our petition calling for Parliament to give the people the final say on Brexit?
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Harmony Information Systems Announces iPad Compatibility in New Version of Adult Protective Services Solution
Home > Harmony Information Systems Announces iPad Compatibility in New Version of Adult Protective Services Solution
New Mobile Accessibility Enables APS Investigators to Respond Immediately to the Needs of Vulnerable Adults
RESTON, VA – October 17, 2012 – Harmony Information Systems Inc., the leader in integrated health and human services management, announced today that Harmony for Adult Protective Services™ (APS) is now compatible with the iPad Tablet, iPhone, and Safari web browser. This new compatibility enables highly mobile Adult Protective Services investigators to respond immediately to the needs of vulnerable adults and to manage cases in real-time from the field.
“The nature of Adult Protective Services requires APS investigators to spend much of their time in the field. Forcing them to rely on cumbersome manual processes to manage their investigations or to return to the office to work their cases electronically interferes with their mission of protecting the vulnerable adults in their community,” said Keith Ewell, Ph.D, vice president of product management for Harmony. “With 24×7 mobile access to Harmony for APS via the iPad or iPhone, APS investigators can manage their cases in real-time from the field, allowing them to efficiently respond to the needs of victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation no matter their location.”
Harmony for APS is a comprehensive on-demand case management system for state and county adult protective services organizations that meets their full range of requirements. With Harmony for APS, organizations can reduce the risk of a catastrophe involving case participants through tools and reports that detect problems and prompt corrective action.
The Harmony suite of solutions is rapidly becoming the standard for aging services organizations throughout the country. Harmony for Aging and Adult Services is the most widely-used solution in the United States for home and community-based care and is relied on by the majority of agencies across the national aging network. Harmony for APS, which was introduced in 2009, is live in five state-wide deployments. Together, these two Harmony products make up the only fully integrated suite of off-the-shelf solutions for aging services organizations and their web-based delivery model shortens implementation times, decreases upfront capital expenses and provides anywhere, anytime access by case workers.
To learn more about Harmony for APS visit: https://www.mediware.com/human-services/aging/aps/.
About Harmony
Harmony Information Systems Inc., (Harmony), the leader in integrated health and human services management, provides comprehensive solutions that enable organizations to manage growing consumer case loads with existing resources. The company’s end-to-end solutions manage the delivery of care for elders and intellectually disabled persons, enabling organizations to maximize outcomes while increasing service delivery efficiency, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, and automating Medicaid waiver processes. Harmony products are used by more than 450 state, local, and private provider human service organizations to manage both traditional and consumer-directed models of service. For more information on Harmony products and solutions, visit www.harmonyis.com or call us at 866.951.2219.
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King Global Coal (NYT article parsed)
By Robert Bradley Jr. -- November 28, 2018
“Home to half the world’s population, Asia accounts for three-fourths of global coal consumption today. More important, it accounts for more than three-fourths of coal plants that are either under construction or in the planning stages — a whopping 1,200 of them….”
– Somini Sengupta, The World Needs to Quit Coal. Why Is It So Hard? New York Times, November 24, 2018.
It’s a fossil-fuel world. Dense, storable, portable mineral energies are winning despite much government-directed misdirection at home and abroad. And the Paris global climate accord, three years old next month, is reeling as a result.
Every now and then, the anti-fossil-fuel media owns up to the harsh reality of consumers choosing the most economical, convenient energies. This was the case of a recent New York Times feature, The World Needs to Quit Coal. Why Is It So Hard? (November 24, 2018).
Author Somini Sengupta assumes climate alarmism (what’s new?) and then gets to the reality of the matter.
“… three years after the Paris agreement, when world leaders promised action, coal shows no sign of disappearing…. Last year, in fact, global production and consumption increased after two years of decline.”
“Cheap, plentiful and the most polluting of fossil fuels, coal remains the single largest source of energy to generate electricity worldwide.”
“… coal is a powerful incumbent. It’s there by the millions of tons under the ground.”
“And even while renewables are spreading fast, they still have limits: Wind and solar power flow when the breeze blows and the sun shines, and that requires traditional electricity grids to be retooled.”
“The battle over the future of coal is being waged in Asia. Home to half the world’s population, Asia accounts for three-fourths of global coal consumption today. More important, it accounts for more than three-fourths of coal plants that are either under construction or in the planning stages — a whopping 1,200 of them, according to Urgewald, a German advocacy group that tracks coal development. Heffa Schücking, who heads Urgewald, called those plants ‘an assault on the Paris goals’.”
“Indonesia is digging more coal. Vietnam is clearing ground for new coal-fired power plants. Japan, reeling from 2011 nuclear plant disaster, has resurrected coal.”
“The world’s juggernaut, though, is China. The country consumes half the world’s coal. More than 4.3 million Chinese are employed in the country’s coal mines. China has added 40 percent of the world’s coal capacity since 2002, a huge increase for just 16 years. ‘I had to do the calculation three times,’ said Carlos Fernández Alvarez, a senior energy analyst at the International Energy Agency. ‘I thought it was wrong. It’s crazy’.”
“Chinese coal consumption grew in 2017, though at a far slower pace than before, and is on track to grow again in 2018, after declining in previous years.
“China’s coal industry is now scrambling to find new markets, from Kenya to Pakistan. Chinese companies are building coal plants in 17 countries, according to Urgewald. Its regional rival, Japan, is in the game too: nearly 60 percent of planned coal projects developed by Japanese companies are outside the country, mostly financed by Japanese banks. That contest is particularly stark in Southeast Asia, one of the world’s last frontiers of coal expansion.”
“Born in 1976, a year after the end of the war, [Nguy Thi Khanh] remembers doing homework by the light of a kerosene lamp. In her northern village, the electricity failed several hours a day…. Today, pretty much every household in Vietnam, population 95 million, has electricity.”
“Hanoi, the capital, where Ms. Nguy now lives, is in a frenzy of new construction, with soaring demand for cement and steel — both energy guzzlers. The economy is galloping. And, up and down the coast, 1,600 kilometers in length, foreign companies, mainly from Japan and China, are building coal plants.”
“Coal accounts for 36 percent of [Vietnam’s] power generation capacity now; it is projected to grow to 42 percent by 2030, according to the government. To feed those plants, Vietnam will need to import 90 million tons of coal by 2030.”
“Most plants in Vietnam use old, polluting technologies that many investors, including Marubeni, have recently promised not to back in future projects. A company spokesman said by email that it would continue with the Nghi Son project ‘to contribute to stable power supply and to economic growth’.”
“Telangana [India] now has round-the-clock electricity. Its farmers get it free to pump water. It sweetens the re-election bid of Telangana’s top elected official, K. Chandrashekar Rao, in state polls later this year. ‘We have coal,’ Mr. Mishra said. ‘We are producing more every year. For the next 100 years we have it’.”
“So deeply is India invested in coal, this, like other mines, is state owned. So are most power plants. Coal subsidizes the country’s vast rail network. That person at the top of that system, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has sought to cast himself as a champion of clean energy. But Mr. Modi has been inaugurating new coal mines, too.”
“In an interview in the capital, New Delhi, India’s energy secretary, Ajay Bhalla, said some 50 gigawatts of additional coal capacity were under construction. That’s a fraction of what was under development even a decade ago, when India’s energy demand was projected to soar. Many of those plants are meant to replace older, more polluting ones. But coal would not sunset anytime soon, he predicted, not until there’s a cheap and efficient way to store energy from solar and wind energy.”
“For now, though, coal accounts for 58 percent of India’s energy mix. ‘It’s not that I’m using the coal very willingly,’ Mr. Bhalla said. ‘But I have to’.”
It gets back to William Stanley Jevons who saw that there was no turning back from the coal age to the dilute, intermittent renewable energies of before. “Coal, in truth, stands not beside but entirely above all other commodities,” he stated in the introduction to The Coal Question (1865).
It is the material energy of the country—the universal aid—the factor in everything we do. With coal almost any feat is possible or easy; without it we are thrown back into the laborious poverty of early times.
“Weekly Climate and Energy News Roundup #337 | Watts Up With That? • December 3, 2018 at 6:03 am
[…] https://www.masterresource.org/coal-international/king-coal-nyt-2018/ […]
"Why Greens are Turning Away from a Carbon Tax" (POLITICO documents a turning point) - Master Resource • January 23, 2019 at 9:35 am
[…] The about-face in Australia. The province rebellion in Canada…. (And don’t forget the global coal boom that makes any political jurisdiction’s carbon tax largely irrelevant.) The political […]
Mark Bahner • April 5, 2019 at 11:07 am
“It gets back to William Stanley Jevons who saw that there was no turning back from the coal age to the dilute, intermittent renewable energies of before.”
Jevons never saw a photovoltaic cell, nor an 5+ MW offshore wind turbine. By 2040 at the latest, photovoltaics and wind will produce more electricity worldwide than coal.
Kent Hawkins • April 10, 2019 at 10:56 am
I do not agree with your comment that suggests wind and solar electricity generation are not dilute and intermittent because they clearly are, regardless of the time frame of reference.
Because of their intermittency, electricity produced by them, typically a sum over time (often a year) is not, by itself, useful electricity. This commonly reported measure ignores their intermittent nature, which is very problematic. See https://www.masterresource.org/hawkins-kent/evaluating-wind-impact-part-i-basics/ and https://www.masterresource.org/hawkins-kent/evaluating-wind-impact-part-ii-ramping/ for a representation of this. Geographic dispersion does not mitigate this.
To be useful, wind and solar electricity production require other generation support, on a very short time frame (minutes) to deliver reliable and steady electricity. So, you cannot compare electricity data published for wind or solar delivery to that of reliable sources such as coal, gas, nuclear and, to a large extent, hydro.
I am not aware of your source, but it is possible that the electricity production data presented includes a compilation of all renewables including wind, solar, hydro and biomass for example. In any event, the claim to producing more electricity than coal is questionable even using the crude measure for wind and solar of a total amount generated over time.
On dilution, an important measure is power density as explained by Vaclav Smil at https://www.masterresource.org/smil-vaclav/smil-density-comparisons-v/, and the subject of a book by him referred to in the post. Although, the power density of wind and solar may be improving with newer technology, it is still a serious, and growing, problem for both.
The reason for this is that power density is more than the simple comparison of large modern wind turbines to antiquated windmills for example. In the modern world of electricity generation, power density encompasses the power density of societies use relative to generation capabilities. In modern societies our overall energy needs are very great, and electricity has a very large, and growing, role in fulfilling these needs. Smil considers power density to be perhaps the most revealing variable in energetics.
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It is a matter of taste which activity one wants to call "minigolf" rather than "golf", but probably the best candidate as the "first minigolf course in the world" is the Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, which was founded in 1867, and still today is operating and open for public. This 18-hole course of putting greens, called "the Himalayas", was founded by some members of the notable Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews. Women had become interested in golf game, but the conservative social norms of the era deemed it unacceptable for women to publicly perform such violent movements that a golf swing requires. Therefore an 18-hole course of short putting greens was constructed for women � apparently the first "miniature golf course" in the world. A few decades later it became customary for many American and British hotels to offer their guests a miniature-sized golf course, using the same designs as actual golf courses, but at one tenth the scale. The game was played with a golf putter and a short driver, and was called "garden golf", "pitch and putt golf", "clock golf" or "par 3 golf".
Geometrically-shaped minigolf courses made of fake materials began to emerge during the early 20th century. The earliest documented mention of such a course is in the 8 June 1912 edition of The Illustrated London News, which introduces a minigolf course called Gofstacle.
The first standardized minigolf courses to enter commercial mass-production were the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and the 1927 Tom Thumb patent of Garnet Carter from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Thomas McCulloch Fairbairn, a golf fanatic, revolutionized the game in 1922 with his formulation of a suitable artificial green�a mixture of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye. With this discovery, miniature golf became accessible everywhere; by the late 1920s there were over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone, and tens of thousands across the United States. This American minigolf boom of early 20th century came to an end during the economic depression in the late 1930s. Nearly all minigolf courses in the United States were closed and demolished before the end of 1930s.
European Origins
One of the first documented minigolf courses in mainland Europe was built in 1926 by Fr. Schr�der in Hamburg, Germany. Mr. Schr�der had been inspired by his visit to the United States, where he had seen minigolf courses spreading across the country.
In 1930 the gentlemen Edwin O. Norrman and Eskil Norman returned to Sweden from the United States, where they had stayed for several years and witnessed the golden days of the American minigolf boom. In 1931 they founded a company "Norman och Norrmans Miniatyrgolf", and began manufacturing standardized minigolf courses for the Swedish market. During the following years they spread this new leisure activity across Sweden, by installing minigolf courses in public parks and other suitable locations.
Swedish minigolf courses typically had a rectangular wooden frame surrounding the playing area made of tennis field sand (while the American manufacturers used newly-developed and patented felt as the surface of their minigolf courses). Felt did not become popular as a surface material in Sweden until in the mid-1960s � but since then it has become practically the only surface material used in Scandinavia and Britain, due to its favourable playing qualities in wet weather. (Minigolf courses with a felt surface can be played also in rainy weather, because water is absorbed through the felt into the ground. The other commonly used surface materials, beton and eternite, cannot be used in rainy weather, because the rainwater collects into large pools on them, stopping the ball from rolling.)
The Swedish Minigolf Federation (Svenska Bangolff�rbundet) was founded in 1937, being the oldest minigolf sport organization in the world. National Swedish championships in minigolf have been played yearly since 1939. In other countries minigolf sport federations were not founded until the late 1950s, due to the post-war economical depression (from which Sweden was largely spared due to its successful neutral non-militant policy during the World Wars).
Expansion of competition
Nearly all European countries have an official national federation for promoting minigolf as a competition sport. The bi-annual European Championships attract competitors from more than twenty European countries. Up until 2010, there had been little participation from countries outside Europe in international minigolf competitions are USA, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. However, this has expanded recently as Australia, New Zealand, Ghana Brazil, Canada, China and India have all had delegations at international competitions and more countries are seeing local and national tournaments being developed.
World Minigolfsport Federation represents over 40,000 registered competition players from 63 member countries. The national minigolf federation of Germany has 11,000 members with a competing license, and the Swedish federation has 8,000 registered competition players. Other strong minigolf countries include Austria and Switzerland, each having a few thousand licensed competition players. Also Italy, Czech Republic and Netherlands have traditionally been able to send a strong team to international championships, even if they cannot count their licensed players in thousands.
The sceptre of competitive minigolf rests quite firmly in mainland Europe: no player from other countries (such as UK, USA, Japan et cetera) has ever reached even the top 50 in World Championships (in men's category). Nearly all national federations outside Europe were founded only quite recently (within the last 10 years), and it will take time before the players of these countries learn all secrets of the game. USA has a longer history of minigolf competitions, but the standardized European competition courses are practically unknown in USA, and therefore the American players have been unable to learn the secrets of European minigolf. On the traditional American courses the best American players are able to challenge the European top players into a tough and exciting competition.
The British Minigolf Association (BMGA) has an additional � and quite surprising � problem on their way to greater success in competitive minigolf. While the minigolf federations in mainland Europe receive annual funding from the government, in Britain the national sports organisation Sports England has refused to accept BMGA as its member � which means that BMGA is left without the public funding that other forms of sports enjoy. The rules of Sports England declare that only one variant of each sport can be accepted as member � and minigolf is interpreted as a variant of golf.
No person is known to be earning his living by competing in minigolf (although David "Doc" O'Connor has come close. His temper has reduced his earning capacity), so "professional" minigolf players do not exist in the full meaning of the concept. Many course owners and employees naturally earn their living by working at minigolf courses, and some of the best minigolf players earn their living from minigolf-related work, such as giving putting lessons to golf players.
The highest money prizes are paid in USA, where the winner of a major competition may earn up to 5,000 US dollars. In mainland Europe the money prizes are generally quite low, and in many cases honour is the only thing at stake in the competition. International championships usually award no money prizes at all.
In the US there are two organizations offering national tournaments: the Professional Putters Association and the US Pro Mini-Golf Association (USPMGA). The latter of these represents USA in the World Minigolfsport Federation, having been an active member since 1995. USPMGA President Robert Detwiler is also the WMF representative for North and South America.
All competitions approved by World Minigolfsport Federation are played on standardized courses, whose design has been checked to be suitable for competitive play. The WMF currently approves four different course types:
Beton (abbreviated B, sometimes called "Bongni", "Minigolf" or "Abteilung 1")
Eternite (abbreviated E (in Sweden EB), sometimes called "Europabana", "Miniaturgolf" or "Abteilung 2")
Felt (abbreviated F or SFR, sometimes called "Swedish felt runs")
Minigolf Open System (abbreviated "O", "OS" or "MOS"). The latter non-standardized playing system, MOS, covers all minigolf courses that the three standardized systems (B, E, F) do not cover.
The world record on one round of minigolf is 18 strokes on 18 holes. More than a thousand players have officially achieved this score on eternite. On other playing systems a perfect round of 18 hole-in-ones is extremely rare, and has never been scored in an official national or international tournament. Unofficial 18-rounds on beton and felt courses have been reported in Sweden.
In addition to classical outdoor miniature golf, indoor "glow in the dark" miniature golf has achieved some popularity, especially in colder climates like Canada and Finland. It can be played throughout the year, and climate control allows building elaborate obstacles that would not withstand inclement weather. There are also a variety of portable miniature golf fairways or 'tracks'. that can be set up as temporary courses indoors or outdoors. The fairways are usually constructed of wooden or fibre-glass frames. Portable fairways are often used for summer festivals and fairs, corporate events, team-building events and product launches.
World Minigolfsport Federation (WMF), a member of AGFIS, organises World Championships bi-annually (on odd-numbered years), while the continental championships in Europe and Asia are organized on even-numbered years. Many of these competitions are arranged for three age groups: juniors (under 20 years), adults (no age limit), and seniors (over 45 years). Men and women compete separately in their own categories, except in some team competitions and pair competitions. The difference in the playing skills of men and women is very small on top level, however: it is not unheard-of that the best player in a major international tournament is female. Typically the winner in women's category would be very close to medals also in men's category.
World and European Championships have so far never been arranged on MOS courses (which are popular in USA and UK, and were approved by WMF for competition use only a few years ago). International competitions are typically arranged on two courses of 18 holes, of which one course is eternite, and the other course is usually beton, less commonly felt. In the future the WMF is expected to use also MOS courses in international championships � which will give American and British players a chance to show their skills on their own traditional course types.
The most prestigious MOS minigolf competitions in the world are US Masters, US Open, British Open, Irish Open, and World Crazy Golf Championships.
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Buy in Canada
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Benefits of Green
Minto Communities presents home of the week at Sun City Center
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Minto developed Sun City Center using its own funding sources, electing not to utilize Community Development District (CDD) funds, and saving residents the burden of an annual assessment on their tax bill ranging from $1,000 to $2,000.
The Sun City Center sales center is located at 105 Commercial Center Drive, Sun City Center, Florida. Sales center hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For information, call 888-253-1567 or visit mintofla.com.
About Minto Communities
Founded in 1955, Minto is a family-owned business that has grown over the last 60 years into one of North America’s leading builders, with more than 70,000 homes built, including 20,000 in Florida. Minto creates a wide array of award-winning new homes and resort-style master-planned communities to meet every lifestyle. The company has earned national awards and recognition that include consistently high rankings from Eliant Customer Service Surveys, Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) and multiple national awards in community and home design. For information, visit mintofla.com.
Margaritaville community coming to PCB
Amenity spaces attract buyers to apartment-style condos
Take a Jimmy Buffett Tour of Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head SC
Some 170,000 homes planned for Bay, Walton counties
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In Selig's legacy, civil rights is at the core
Commissioner makes honoring Jackie, baseball's civic history a point of focus
By Richard Justice MLB.com @RichardJustice
HOUSTON -- It had been a long day, an emotional day. It had been a good day, too.
"You're proud to be a commissioner of baseball when you have a day like this," Bud Selig said.
View Full Game Coverage
He'd spent time with Hank Aaron, a friend for almost 60 years. He'd visited with Jackie Robinson's widow, Rachel, and daughter, Sharon.
"They are like family to me," he said.
He began it with one of the most powerful speeches he has ever given, a tribute to baseball and civil rights, to sacrifice and service.
He finished it by contemplating again the complicated, incredible story of Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson.
One of these days, we'll look back and attempt to assess Selig's amazing legacy as commissioner.
We'll agree he reshaped his sport in ways large and small, that baseball has gone places that seemed absolutely incomprehensible when he took over in 1992.
Among his accomplishments: Interleague Play, Wild Card playoff berths, competitive balance, a generation of new ballparks and one of the great success stories in American business -- Major League Baseball Advanced Media.
To some of us who've known and admired him through the years, it's a day like he had on Friday that might be No. 1.
Under Selig, baseball has embraced and celebrated its role as an agent of change in the American civil rights movement.
Selig is proud that Jackie Robinson's breaking of the sport's color barrier in 1947 was a catalyst for change.
"As much as any man, Jackie Robinson helped make the nation complete," Selig told the Beacon Awards luncheon Friday afternoon.
Later, he again contemplated all that was riding on Rickey's decision to sign Robinson and Robinson's ability to play well and keep his cool.
"It is emotional," Selig said. "I've often said that April 15th, 1947, was the most powerful and important moment in baseball history. In fact, that day elevates Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey. It was amazing if you think back on it.
"Think of the pressure on [Robinson]. Branch Rickey brings a player to the big leagues even though he knew the other 15 clubs didn't want him. The pressure on Jackie Robinson. ... I can't even imagine. And Henry Aaron. We've been friends for 58 years. He said he wouldn't have played but for Jackie Robinson. What if Jackie had failed? It eventually would have happened, but who knows what eventually means? Twenty years? Thirty years?
"So here's baseball, clearly a social institution. It has all the indigenous characteristics. Three and a half years before Harry Truman desegregated the United States Army, seven years before Brown versus Board of Education, Jackie Robinson comes to the big leagues. Amazing story."
Selig has made Robinson's legacy a focus of his 22 years as commissioner. He retired Robinson's No. 42 throughout baseball and set aside a day to celebrate Robinson's memory once a year.
As a result, an entire generation of fans -- and players -- understands both Robinson's pain and his importance to the game.
That's also what the Civil Rights Game is about. This is the eighth one. The Astros beat the Orioles, 2-1, at Minute Maid Park on Friday.
It was a day that began with Maya Angelou, Berry Gordy and Jim Brown being honored at the Beacon Awards luncheon for their contributions.
"The Civil Rights Game has become our platform to commemorate the courage and dignity of those who contributed to our sport during this ground-breaking era," Selig said to the packed ballroom. "We applaud those who've broken barriers, paved new paths, enriched our culture in various ways.
"Ultimately, the great American game became the catalyst for social change. That's why we're here today -- to remember and reflect and shine a light on a chapter in our history that put us on the road to equality."
He saluted the host team, the Astros, for their charitable works, saying, "These powerful examples show how our clubs use their stature for the best possible end."
He also quoted President Woodrow Wilson, who in 1913 said, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."
And that was the theme for the entire event. Much has been accomplished. Much remains to be done.
"I recognized a long time ago that there's nothing greater than helping another human being take a positive step," Brown said.
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U.
Read more: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros
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Critics Agree—These Are the 9 Best Documentaries of 2019 (So Far)
by Megan Beauchamp
Megan Beauchamp is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor with over seven years of experience in digital publishing in the home interior and lifestyle space.
Stocksy
Heads up: Documentaries are having a moment. Films in the genre—some of which premiered mere months ago—are already among the most notable movies and television series of 2019. So far, we've seen an uplifting biographical documentary about renowned sex therapist and Holocaust survivor Dr. Ruth Westheimer and not one, but two documentaries about the now infamous unraveling of Fyre Festival—and it isn't even June yet.
With even more highly anticipated documentaries poised to come out in 2019, like One Child Nation and Salvatore Ferragamo: The Shoemaker of Dreams, now is the perfect time to call out the critically acclaimed films that have already hit screens this year. Spanning an eye-opening look at our planet (narrated by David Attenborough, of course) to an insider's view into four groundbreaking 2018 political campaigns, these are without a doubt the best documentaries of 2019 so far.
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Two documentaries about the failed Fyre Festival came out earlier this year—this one, which premiered on Netflix, and Fyre Fraud, which is available for streaming on Hulu. "If you love a story of absolute, no-holds-barred, extravagant disaster, you'll probably want to watch both," writes Linda Holmes in a review for NPR. "But if you just want a better idea of what the heck happened here, the truth is that either film will serve."
Surviving R. Kelly
This six-part documentary series sheds light on previously suppressed accounts of R. Kelly's predatory misconduct by giving survivors a platform to share their harrowing experiences. "Surviving R. Kelly calls on music fans to consider how their support, while seemingly innocuous on an individual level, is one of the many threads upholding a predator's web—and how, in some cases, it can be the catalyst," writes Briana Younger in a review for The New Yorker.
Lorena recontextualizes a notorious case from 1993 in which Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband's penis in the Me Too era, revealing the abuse she'd suffered at her husband's hand prior to the severing. "One of the many striking elements of Lorena, though—despite the film's unflinching examinations of the ways the American culture of the '90s failed its star and subject—is that it offers no such assurances," notes Megan Garber in a review for The Atlantic.
In The Inventor, acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney delves into the downfall of Elizabeth Holmes, the world's youngest self-made billionaire, and her supposedly groundbreaking health technology company Theranos. "Like a lot of Gibney documentaries, it compresses a juicy, complicated story into a smooth, coherent retelling that occasionally glances at that story's deeper implications," writes Justin Chang in a review for The Los Angeles Times.
The case that captured the attention of millions via the hit podcast Serial gains renewed interest in the form of a four-part documentary series, courtesy of HBO and director Amy Berg. "In refusing to shy away from the less savory aspects of our cultural obsession with true crime, Berg deliberately uses the camera's lens as a way to illuminate the humanity of everyone who was affected by the murder," writes Arielle Bernstein in a review for The Guardian.
Boasting footage captured across all seven continents and 50 different countries, Our Planet captures the incredibly rich biodiversity of Earth—and its fragility. "David Attenborough's Netflix series offers a strange waltz between wonder and melancholy," writes John Powers in a review for NPR. "The show thrills us with the marvels of nature, and then saddens us that we are rapidly wiping them out."
Netflix's Knock Down the House offers a behind-the-scenes view into the grassroots campaigns of Democratic hopefuls Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin. "Try making it through Rachel Lears' documentary, about four fearless working-class women challenging powerful incumbents in the 2018 primaries, without getting fully fired up," challenges Mary Sollosi in her review of the documentary for Entertainment Weekly.
Featuring heartbreaking interviews with dozens of survivors, At the Heart of Gold shines a harsh light on the win-at-all-costs culture that enabled a sexual predator to abuse young Olympic athletes for years. "What [director Erin Lee Carr] manages to indict in the film is both a specific environment and a more general culture disinclined to believe what women say about their own body," writes Sophie Gilbert in a review for The Atlantic.
Ask Dr. Ruth
Holocaust survivor and sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer is the subject of this Hulu documentary. "The experience of watching Ask Dr. Ruth is a bit like that of meeting someone unaccountably delightful and almost being knocked backward by the gale-force strength of her personality, and then wanting to go out and buy one of her books so as to actually learn something about her ideas," writes Justin Chang in a review for The Los Angeles Times.
Up next: This Documentary Genre Will Change Your Life in One Night
Here's Exactly Where (and When) to Shop for Fourth of July Savings
Hands Down—This Is The Only Type of Rug You Need for the Summer
PSA: These Are the Best Furniture Stores, According to Interior Designers
PSA: These Are the Best Couches for Any Budget
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These 18 Plant Stands Will Double as Mood Enhancers
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Week Ahead: House oversight panel to probe growth of copycat fentanyl
Week Ahead: Senate committee to vote on surprise billing proposal
Data Points: CFO concerns
Medical schools overhaul curriculum to better prepare future docs
InDepth: The problem with IRS Form 990 Schedule H
Competing for kids: Children's hospitals face challenge from emerging megasystems
Beth Kutscher
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is facing heightened competition in the pediatric-care market.
Over many decades, the stellar reputation of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt allowed it to corner the central Tennessee market for specialty services for children with highly complex healthcare needs.
But three years ago, its Nashville neighbor, TriStar Centennial Women's and Children's Hospital, began making its own push to expand its pediatric service offerings. The HCA -owned facility opened a new pediatric intensive-care unit and started recruiting pediatric specialists. It introduced Kids Express, an outpatient concierge-style service center providing respiratory and intravenous therapy as well as laboratory and imaging services.
The intensified competition has pushed both organizations to launch dueling marketing campaigns in places such as day-care centers and preschools across the region.
Vanderbilt isn't alone among children's hospitals in facing heightened competition in the pediatric-care market. “We're seeing a number of regional systems that want to build their pediatric capabilities even in areas where there's an established children's hospital,” said Mark Grube, managing director at consulting firm Kaufman Hall. “They want to keep more services in-network.”
In the past, most general hospital systems didn't have enough patient volume to support the large number of pediatric subspecialties required to offer a comprehensive service line. But megamergers are changing the landscape. “The system formation work that's going on is supporting the development of pediatric programs,” Grube said.
In suburban Chicago, Alexian Brothers Health System last year signed a letter of intent to form a pediatric partnership with Loyola University Health System. The alliance will allow both systems to share hard-to-find pediatric subspecialists and treat some of the patients who might have otherwise traveled downtown to Lurie Children's Hospital, which is affiliated with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
“I'm seeing that in every market,” said Raphe Schwartz, a director at the Chartis Group, an advisory firm. “Children's hospitals are facing increased competition from integrated delivery networks.”
As a result some children's hospitals, such as Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, are moving to strengthen alliances with larger provider systems and developing regional expansion strategies. In addition, to fortify their position at a time when health plans are shifting to narrower networks of lower-cost providers, children's hospitals are backing a bill in Congress that would give states the option to establish nationally designated children's hospital networks operating across state lines to provide coordinated care for medically complex children.
Some observers worry that too many pediatric programs in a local market could create problems for all competing hospitals. They must not only vie for pediatric patients, but also for the limited pool of physicians with advanced pediatric training. “Pediatric specialist talent can get diluted and leave the market,” Schwartz said. “Premier children's hospitals need about 500,000 kids to really support pre-eminent programs.”
Centennial did not respond to a request for comment. But Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is seeing its best year of the past five, CEO Luke Gregory said. The children's hospital does not break out financials from the Vanderbilt health system.
“We still continue to grow market share,” Gregory said. “We have very robust specialty programs here. We really feel like we are the comprehensive provider throughout Tennessee.”
Pediatric care represents about 9% to 10% of healthcare spending, but offering a comprehensive set of services popular with young families allows systems to compete more aggressively for broader contracts with health plans, Schwartz said. Newcomers in the space also are attracted by the higher rates paid to the field's highly complex specialties.
Indeed, children's hospitals last year enjoyed higher margins than the hospital sector as a group, according to data from Modern Healthcare's financial database. The nearly two dozen children's hospitals tracked by Modern Healthcare had an average operating margin of 8.5% in 2014 compared with 3.4% for the broader group of 380 systems, independent hospitals and specialty hospitals in the database.
Elite children's hospitals, once dominant because of their prestige and comprehensive services, face growing competition from emerging integrated delivery systems that want to keep patients in-house.
"We're seeing an umber of regional system that want to build their pediatric capabilities even in areas where there's an established children's hospital. They want to keep more service in-network."
Mark Grube
Kaufman Hall
But as the operating environment becomes more competitive and challenging, children's hospitals are beginning to feel the pinch. Their 8.5% average operating margin last year was down from 9.2% the previous year, according to Modern Healthcare's financial database.
The number of staffed beds at freestanding children's hospitals increased 9.6% between 2010 and 2014, perhaps due to a number of completed construction projects during that time period, according to the Children's Hospital Association. Occupancy rates, meanwhile, have declined, with the 2014 patient to bed ratio at 71.6%, down from 73.6% in 2010.
Many of the newcomers are concentrating on a smaller scope of services that are often procedure-based, said Mark Wietecha, CEO of the Children's Hospital Association. “A lot of times when these bigger systems get into pediatrics, they're doing this off the base of a large obstetrics practice,” he said. “If you're in a good payment area, with 80% commercial, you can run a good business.”
Children's hospitals that pursue regional strategies are better positioned to fend off the new entrants. Monroe Carell has three off-site neonatal clinics, soon-to-be five after-hours clinics and 14 multispecialty medical clinics in the suburbs and exurbs that ring Nashville. This summer, it also opened a pediatric tower and emergency department at Williamson Medical Center in nearby Franklin, Tenn.
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago also has a regional expansion strategy. It plans to open an ambulatory-care center in the northern suburb of Northbrook in September. It also provides specialty services at two other suburban hospitals, Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox as well as Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.
It is confident it can maintain its market position as merging systems expand their pediatric service line. “Our number of transports continues to increase year over year from centers we'd describe as our competitors,” CEO Patrick Magoon said. “There are services we provide that others do not.”
Premier children's hospitals still have the edge over newcomers in higher-acuity care, Kaufman Hall's Grube said. “Even in situations where you do have regional systems developing children's hospitals, they're often not quite at the same level in offering the super-specialized services” such as caring for children with rare cancers or severe heart conditions, he said.
The average daily census at freestanding children's hospitals increased 5% between 2010 and 2014, suggesting that children's hospitals are seeing patients with more complicated conditions, requiring longer inpatient stays.
But that doesn't mean children's hospitals aren't facing pressure. The higher prices they've typically commanded are under scrutiny as the entire healthcare industry transitions to insurers' narrow provider networks and capitated payment models. Seattle Children's Hospital found itself on the sidelines in 2013 after being left out of a number of plans being offered on Washington's health insurance exchange. The hospital sued and ultimately reached a settlement with the insurers.
“Even very well-respected children's hospitals are concerned that they're not going to be a must-have organization because of all the focus on rates,” Grube said. “They're trying to maintain a level of essentiality in the market.”
Most dedicated children's hospitals are the sole regional providers for highly specialized services such as cardiac surgery and transplants, and they offer more than six times the number of services as general hospitals, according to the Children's Hospital Association. “There is no redundancy,” Wietecha said. “And it's not something most consumers understand until they need it.”
Free-standing children's hospitals are facing the greatest challenges, Schwartz noted. “It's really impossible for children's hospitals to take accountability for an entire population,” he said. “They really have a strategic imperative to partner with the integrated delivery network.”
"I'm seeing that in every market. Children's hospitals are facing increased competition from integrated delivery networks."
Raphe Schwartz
Chartis Group
Lurie had a strong 2014, when it reported a net operating surplus of $37.5 million, up from $5 million the previous year. Its operating margin increased to 7.4% from 3.9%. But the results are leveling off, and Lurie is operating under the assumption that it will continue to face pressure on pricing, including from Medicaid, its primary payer, as well as pressure to move more care from inpatient to outpatient. “We're looking at just minor improvement in 2016,” Lurie CEO Magoon said.
The hospital has committed to cutting $150 million from its operating budget. About $40 million was cut in fiscal 2014, with another $17 million this fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31. It plans to cut another $23 million from its 2016 budget. Reducing its cost structure will help Lurie compete on price. The hospital expects some of those savings will come from care-coordination initiatives focused on efficiency. Lurie also began entering into value-based contracts through Illinois' new Medicaid managed-care program. Over the past six to eight months, it has signed similar agreements with several commercial insurers.
One advantage children's hospitals have is that the shift by most state Medicaid programs to reliance on private managed-care plans has given them more experience than general hospitals have with shared financial risk models. Medicaid represents from 40% to 70% of a children's hospital payer mix, Schwartz said.
The Children's Hospital Association is backing the bipartisan Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act, introduced in both the House and the Senate, which seeks to increase coordination among state Medicaid programs by facilitating data- sharing and reducing hiccups in care when a patient travels across state lines. It also seeks to raise the bar on quality. The fragmented state-by-state system prevents national data from being collected and quality standards from being set, the bill's supporters say.
Quality of care is where children's hospitals see their greatest strength, even as much of the market's attention has shifted to price. Many children's hospitals see using their quality credentials to pursue partnerships with larger health systems that would forestall head-to-head competition.
Northern California's Bay Area, for instance, is home to a number of large integrated-delivery networks, including Kaiser Permanente. But Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford sees its role as complementary to those bigger systems, especially given the challenge of recruiting pediatric subspecialists. “We classically are not a general pediatric provider, we're a specialist provider,” said Kim Roberts, CEO of Packard Children's Health Alliance. “As large as Kaiser is, they don't offer every service. We very much have taken a partnership philosophy.”
Packard Children's has eight partnerships around the Bay area and is exploring other alliances in California and other states. One example is its 2012 joint venture with John Muir Health system, which expanded pediatric specialty services in the East Bay. The partners recently opened a pediatric intensive-care unit in April in Walnut Creek.
Pediatrics is often lower on the list of areas where general acute-care hospitals invest, Roberts noted. “Most people are worried about aging baby boomers,” she said. “What we're finding is that others are turning to organizations like ours. By doing only kids, we have a breadth and depth of specialties.”
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Review: Bookworms (Toronto Irish Players)
October 24, 2014 Logan Brown
The Toronto Irish Players bring the comedy of book club meetings to the Alumnae Theatre stage with Bookworms
To me, the idea of women inviting their husbands to a meeting of their book club is both intriguing and hilarious. Luckily, playwright Bernard Farrell wrote a play based on this very premise – and although it is undoubtedly a comedy, it can also be considered an in-depth character study. The Toronto Irish Players opened their 40th season last night with Bookworms, which is now playing at the Alumnae Theatre.
Set in a recession-ravaged Dublin, Bookworms takes place in the home of Ann and Larry, who on this particular evening are acting as hosts for Ann’s book club. However, this time the women’s respective husbands are also invited to participate, with disastrous results. It’s shows of this type that tend to be my favourite – a single location where characters are forced to co-exist, and end up revealing more about themselves than they’d prefer.
The results are typically hilarious and awkward, as evidenced in similar shows such as God of Carnage and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Bernard Farrell’s Bookworms is no exception. Along with the obvious battle of the sexes that takes place, this play manages to go deeper, offering insight into the human condition and displaying how different people behave in social situations. The strength of the script is what carries the show.
This production is not without its flaws, however. With pacing that lagged in the second half of the show, I also felt there was a lot of inconsistencies in regards to the performances. In the cast of seven, four actors spoke with an Irish dialect, while three did not. I found this to be jarring in terms of the rhythm of the play. And the dialects that were being used ranged from extremely thick to extremely spotty where only certain lines were delivered with said dialect.
I think this production would’ve have benefitted from having a consensus on the use of an accent. Everyone one uses one or nobody does. All or nothing. While it’s more faithful to the source material to use a dialect, I would have been more forgiving if none of the cast used dialects instead of splitting it down the middle.
I also felt the casting of Shane Flynn as Larry was a bit of an odd choice, as he seems far too young to be playing the role. As a result, he had to “play” old, which is a hard sell. But he does a commendable job at doing so, to the extent that he was my favourite character in the play. As a reluctant participant in the book club, his character acts very much as the voice of reason and his quips provide much of the play’s most humorous moments.
Also of note was Maureen Lukie, who plays Dorothy, a widowed book club member. Her characterization of Dorothy was spot on, and reminded me of several people I’ve met at similar social gatherings.
Setting those elements aside, the Toronto Irish Players production of Bookworms does have its moments. As mentioned earlier, its strength is its script. Its humour and insight helps mask some of the technical faults of the play.
Bookworms (Toronto Irish Players) is playing at the Alumnae Theatre from October 24th-November 8th.
Showtimes: Thursday-Saturday 8pm, Sundays 2pm.
Tickets are available online for $21 at torontoirishplayers.com or by phone for $20 at (416) 440-2888 (seniors and student tickets are $18)
Previous PostPreview: Les Coquettes Bid Farewell with a BANG!Next PostReview: L’Implorante & L’éternel voyage (Harbourfront Centre)
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View source for Founding Fathers
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[[Image:Founding_fathers.jpg|frame]] The prophets in the [[Book of Mormon]], who preached among ancient inhabitants on the American continent, predicted that European explorers would "discover" America, and that Europeans would settle there. They predicted that the Lord would raise up men who would form a free nation, where the Church of God could be established unmolested. "For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth" (3 Nephi 21:4). Nephi recorded that the Founders “were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations” (1 Nephi 13:19). Nephi had prophesied hundreds of years before that “this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land” (2 Ne. 10:11). Thus, members of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], or [[Mormon Church]], view the [[Constitution of the United States]] as an inspired document, and the '''Founding Fathers''' of the United States of America as inspired men raised up by the Lord for a special purpose. :The principles and philosophies upon which the U.S. constitutional law is based are not simply the result of the best efforts of a remarkable group of brilliant men. They were inspired by God, and the rights and privileges guaranteed in the Constitution are God-given, not man-derived. The freedom and independence afforded by the Constitution and Bill of Rights are divine rights—sacred, essential, and inalienable. In the 98th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord indicates that the “law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:5). <ref>M. Russell Ballard, “Religion in a Free Society,” ''Ensign'', Oct 1992, 64.</ref> According to James Madison, often referred to as the father of the Constitution: “We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of the government—far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” <ref>Russ Walton, ''Biblical Principles of Importance to Godly Christians'', New Hampshire: Plymouth Foundation, 1984, p. 361.</ref> In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said that he had “raised up … wise men” for the “very purpose” of writing the Constitution of the United States (Doctrine and Covenants 101:80). President George Albert Smith added, “I am saying to you that to me the Constitution of the United States of America is just as much from my Heavenly Father as the Ten Commandments” (Conference Report, April 1948, p. 182). ==Who Were the Founding Fathers?== We can divide the fifty-five men who attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 into three groups. First, there were those who wanted a strong central government; they believed that the states had already demonstrated their inability to survive as a loosely knit confederation and that governmental power must be centralized or America would be split into small, warring nations as was Europe. Second, another group feared the overpowering control of a strong national government above all else and felt that the states were the only place to trust the bulk of governmental power. They believed that the federal government’s chief function should be to protect the United States from foreign nations and wanted to limit the federal government to regulating foreign trade and to maintaining an army. The third group wanted a strong central government, but also believed that the states must play an important role in the affairs of their own citizens. So significant that they must be considered separately: One, George Washington, was elected president of the Convention and therefore did not participate in the debates except as a moderating influence. The other was the aged Benjamin Franklin, whose role was to mold divergent opinions into a working compromise. These men were so revered by their countrymen that their very presence gave the Convention’s work a stamp of approval. Three absent men had a great effect because of their writings or the power of their philosophies—John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Samuel Adams, whose hatred for a strong centralized government had been a major “cause” of the Revolutionary War. The framers of the Constitution were mostly young men, aggressive and energetic. Their average age was forty-four. Only four were sixty or older. The Founding Fathers were well educated—yet they were significantly more than scholars—they were men of wisdom. “In no other period of history,” writes Edmund Morgan, “would it be possible to find in politics five men of such intellectual stature as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson; and there were others only slightly less distinguished.” <ref>Edmund S. Morgan, “The American Revolution Considered as an Intellectual Movement,” in Morton White and Arthur M. Schlesinger, eds., Paths of American Thought (Boston, 1963), p. 23.</ref> The Founding Fathers were men of affairs. The Convention delegates were natural leaders. The Convention delegates had few illusions about human nature. The Founding Fathers were men of vision and hope. The Framers were religious men—in their own way. Most of the Convention’s leaders were Deists. These framers of the Constitution saw man’s intellect and his ability to act for himself as the surest evidence of the wisdom and power of a Divine Creator. Consequently, they viewed any infringements upon the freedom of that intellect as the most flagrant obstructions of the divine purpose. Thomas Jefferson expressed this philosophy in this single sentence: “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” <ref>Paul L. Ford, ed. ''The Works of Thomas Jefferson'' (New York, 1904–5), 9: 460.</ref> The writings of the Founding Fathers overflow with references to God and the divine nature of man. Freedom was their watchword, and reverence for the individual was their driving principle. In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord says that he raised up these “wise men” to establish a government which would nurture and defend individual freedom, “that every man may act in doctrine and principle … according to the moral agency which I have given unto him” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:78). The fundamental philosophy of the Founding Fathers was very consistent with that purpose. The Lord revealed to the Prophet [[Joseph Smith]] that he had “raised up unto this very purpose … wise men” to write the Constitution which he “suffered to be established and [which] should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:80, 77). The creation of such a government was a necessary prerequisite to the [[restoration]] of the gospel. There would have been little point in the Lord’s establishing his church among people who were not free to accept it. For a thousand years he had carefully prepared the world for the restoration of the gospel, and the American Constitutional Convention was one of the final events in that preparation. The writing of the Constitution was a miracle. But the miracle was not that the Lord found fifty-five men who understood so well the principles of a representative government. It is unlikely that any one of those men could have written the Constitution as it was in its finished form. The miracle lies in how that great document was produced: The spirit of revelation is the spirit of peace, and there was a prevailing spirit of peace among them. It was a miracle that these men—who represented extremely diverse political philosophies and who, in some instances, almost hated each other—sat during that sweltering summer to talk and compromise until they had written a document which is an expression of what the Lord called “just and holy principles.” They created a government so well balanced that it prevented any one of its social or geographical factions from getting dominance over the other, a government so strong that it could protect the individual rights of all its citizens and yet so weak that it could not invade their private lives or infringe upon the exercise of their free agency. <ref>The above paragraphs have been quoted from the following article:Frank W. Fox and LeGrand L. Baker, “Wise Men Raised Up,” ''Ensign'', Jun 1976, 27. [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=c971fd758096b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1]</ref> ==The Founding Fathers Appeared to Wilford Woodruff== President [[Wilford Woodruff]] spoke in these words: “Before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. (See [[Baptism for the Dead]].) Said they, ‘You have had the use of the Endowment House (temple) for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God’.” <ref>The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1946, p. 160.</ref> “These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. … “I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon Brother McAllister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men.” These noble spirits came there with divine permission—evidence that this work of salvation goes forward on both sides of the veil. At a later conference, in April 1898, after he became President of the Church, President Woodruff declared that “those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits … [and] were inspired of the Lord.” We honor those men today. We are the grateful beneficiaries of their noble work. ==Staying True to the Founding Fathers== First and foremost, we must be righteous. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” <ref>The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31.</ref> If the Constitution is to have continuance, this American nation, and especially the [[Latter-day Saints]], must be virtuous. The Book of Mormon warns us relative to our living in this free land: :“Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever” (2 Nephi 1:7). “And now,” warned Moroni, “we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity” (Ether 2:9). Said Abraham Lincoln:“We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of their own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!” <ref>A Proclamation “to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation.”</ref> Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. As Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free … it expects what never was and never will be” (Letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, 6 Jan. 1816). Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented. The Lord said that “he holds men accountable for their acts in relation” to governments “both in making laws and administering them” (Doctrine and Covenants 134:1). We must follow this counsel from the Lord: “Honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:10). Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice. <ref>[[Ezra Taft Benson]], “Our Divine Constitution,” ''Ensign'', Nov 1987, 4. [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=632e79356427b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1]</ref> ==References== <references/> [[Category:Beliefs]]
Return to Founding Fathers.
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Court Rules DoD’s JEDI Procurement Can Proceed
The Court of Federal Claims ruled today that the Department of Defense’s procurement of the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) has appropriately followed regulations, and can continue to an award of the contract. […]
DISA Strategic Plan Pushes Modernization, Acquisition Reform
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) on July 10 released its strategic plan that aims to sharpen the Defense Department’s (DoD’s) military readiness, drive acquisition reform, and push modernization efforts through FY 2022.
Navy Casting Wide Net for AI Tools Through Competition
The U.S. Navy has kicked off its Artificial Intelligence Applications to Autonomous Cybersecurity Challenge (AI ATAC), sponsored by the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) and Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (PEO C4I).
White House Flags House NDAA on Cyber Ops Provision
The White House on July 9 released a lengthy list of concerns it has with the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2500) set for debate in the House, and said the current bill would likely earn a veto recommendation from President Trump’s advisors. The list of issues that concern the White House runs to several dozen items, and in all likelihood does more to stake out negotiating positions rather than present a list of eventual deal killers.
DISA Adds 23 Small Businesses to $7.5B SETI Contract
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) announced on July 8 an award that will add 23 small businesses to the agency’s $7.5 billion Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI) contract.
U.S. Army Issues EITaaS Pilot Solicitation
The U.S. Army is looking to pilot an Enterprise IT as a Service (EITaaS) approach as an alternative to the service’s current owned and operated IT network, according to a July 9 solicitation. Responses are due by August 9.
NSA Audit Finds FISMA Challenges
The National Security Agency (NSA) may have deep knowledge of signals intelligence and cyber, but the agency still faces challenges in implementing a strong cybersecurity posture under FISMA (the Federal Information Security Modernization Act), according to the agency’s inspector general.
JAIC to Use Streamlined Pilot Procurement Process
The Defense Department’s (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) is seeking to procure innovative commercial software and services solutions to provide comprehensive data management, end-to-end platform integration, and model/capabilities development for technologies to assist in disaster relief through a new pilot program.
Jul 8, 2019 | 1:43 pm
DoD Seeks AR, VR to Train Troops for Nuclear Scenarios
The Defense Department’s (DoD) Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is looking to adopt augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) solutions to train soldiers for battlefield nuclear warfare (BNW).
DoD’s JAIC to Call for Private Sector Cyber Tech Pitches
The Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is preparing to call for private sector technology pitches at “Solutions Meetings” that are planned for late summer and early fall in the northern Virginia area.
Army Looking for Inventory Management Solution
The Army is looking to commercial-off-the-shelf solutions as the service modernizes its inventory management system, according to a request for information released July 4. Responses are due by July 19.
ODNI to Expand Tech Industry Outreach Program
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is expanding one of its industry outreach programs that aims to modernize the intelligence community’s (IC’s) IT through accelerated tech acquisition processes.
DARPA Seeks Automated Tech to Enhance DoD Software Capabilities
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that it’s launching a new program to identify and put into use technologies that will enable rapid software adaptation for the Defense Department’s (DoD) systems.
Air Force Awards EITaaS Contract
The U.S. Air Force announced in a press release the award to Accenture Federal Services of a Compute and Store agreement on June 21.
Jul 2, 2019 | 9:16 am
Report Suggests Cyber Strategies for NATO Space-Based Assets
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) needs to study and address its own and member countries’ space-based asset cybersecurity challenges, a July 1 Chatham House report said.
Senate Version of NDAA Passes 86-8
By a vote of 86-8, the Senate voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1790) which includes funding to accelerate artificial intelligence solutions within the Defense Innovation Unit, enhancing cybersecurity, and cloud capabilities.
Digital Transformation Improving Critical Infrastructure
U.S. critical infrastructure is in solid shape, according to defense officials, and a digital transformation has helped define a proactive approach to protecting data and implementing cyber operations.
Jun 28, 2019 | 9:42 am
Can Government Keep Up in Race to 5G?
In the race to 5G dominance, the U.S. government might not have the capacity to handle the technology to lead the field, which could greatly impact information sharing, said a top intelligence official.
DoD may be too Large for Broad AI Implementation
In establishing a foundation across an organization as large as the Department of Defense, it takes an organizational shift that’s supported by allies across industry and academia – and the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) is building towards that.
DoD Nets Highest FITARA Grade Yet
The Department of Defense (DoD) netted its highest grade on the FITARA (Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act) Scorecard yet, earning a C+ on the eighth version of the biannual scorecard released today by the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
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Mike Pence Doesn't Understand How Condoms Work — Or How Sex Works, For That Matter
By Leigh Cuen
Donald Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, has a terrible track record when it comes to sexual health and reproductive rights.
Back in 2002, Pence publicly responded to advice dished out in an MTV forum about safe sex, including statements about HIV by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, by saying "condoms are a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases." He even said contraception is "too modern" and "liberal" for his taste.
Source: Eric Gay/AP
Of course, Pence is wrong. According to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, condoms are "98-99% effective in preventing HIV transmission." Even for viruses that are spread through skin-to-skin contact, like herpes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that "consistent and correct use of the male latex condom reduces the risk of sexually transmitted disease."
But that wasn't the first time Pence has shared his terrible ideas about sexual health. During his political career, Pence has redirected millions of dollars to fund abstinence only education, said we should outlaw porn sites using common domain names to keep children from seeing porn and relentlessly passed legislation against abortion.
"I long for the day that Roe v. Wade is sent to the ash heap of history," Pence said in 2011 while addressing Congress. "Let's end taxpayer support for abortion providers, specifically Planned Parenthood, once and for all." God help us all.
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Waterboard Whinigstein
Michael Weinstein we hate you!
All red blooded Americans hate you. God hates you.
Get out of America NOW!
How dare you support the ousting of that brave airman at the retirement ceremony from simply reaffirming that America and its flag are God-given and that America is God-blessed. You atheists and jews can’t get it through your stiff-necked heads that we are a Christian nation intentionally by birth and history. And we always will be. Why do you think the pilgrims said prayers at Plymouth Rock. God His Son and the Holy Spirit are what America brings to the fallen world.
Our Muslim president may support you but his term is over thank God in January.
You need to be locked up and waterboarded until you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the full sinner you are.
From: (name withheld)
Subject: Re: Waterboard Whinigstein
Date: June 21, 2016 at 4:58:54 PM MDT
To: Mikey Weinstein <[email protected]>
Wow. Love letters like that explain the secrecy of you’re travels and PSD.
I initially thought “How could they do that to Rodriguez?” Them you pointed out that they requested no religious deviation from the approved version. And military folks don’t know all the rules while they serve.
I’m a religious conservative and I like you. You offer more rational thought than those who oppose you with emotionally charged arguments.
Take care and stay in touch.
(name withheld)
Hi (name withheld), (That would make a great alias, by the way)
You’re just flat wrong about so many things it’s hard to know where to start.
I’m a red-blooded American and Mikey is a friend of mine. You don’t know him and choose to hate him out of ignorance, which is sad.
As your use of the word “support” suggests, the “ousting of that brave airman,” as you choose to think of him, wasn’t Mikey’s idea, nor was it his doing.
That was the action of the commander in charge who, if you’d bother to read and understand the reports, specifically barred the man from speaking as it was an official event and there are official, actually authorized, words to be said at that moment. “(T)hat brave man” had evidently been specifically told he was not to participate and chose to push his way forward anyway. At a private, not-military-endorsed event, people can say what they choose, but that’s not the case at an official event.
You’re welcome to your opinion about the formation of this country, but you have the history and the facts wrong.
It is interesting, may I add, that you appear to believe what you suggest about the president of the United States and also are apparently a fan of waterboarding. Sad, but interesting.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)
Are you the modern day inquisition that believes in torture for those that you oppose? What type of Christian are you that you believe a person should be tortured to make him confess a belief in Jesus when He said to preach the gospel instead?
You should get your facts straight before you fire off an email containing un-Christian hate mail because the truth has been distorted in the media.
We are neither an atheist organization nor are we anti-Christian. Mikey is Jewish (and prays to the same Father we do 3 times a day) and 80% of the Board, Advisory Board, volunteers and supporters of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) are Christians. In fact, 96% of our 45,500+ soldier clients are Christians – Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodist, Lutherans, Baptists, Evangelicals, etc. We fight for the rights of these Christians more than any other religion but it never makes the news.
Here are some facts:
“A source who was present at the event told the military blog that Rodriguez was there at the request of the retiree, but had been banned from the base by the squadron commander.
A spokesman from the reserve said that the confrontation stemmed from “an unplanned participation” at the event.
Rodriguez ignored numerous requests to respect the Air Force prescribed ceremony and unfortunately was forcibly removed,” a Travis official said in a statement to FoxNews.com. “We will continue to investigate the situation fully.”
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/04/06/air-force-reserve-probes-video-showing-retiree-removed-ceremony.html
He was banned from the base by the Commander and never should have been there. His participation was “an UNPLANNED participation” and he ignored the only flag folding ceremony the Air Force allows for retirement ceremonies.
http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/133672/new-flag-folding-script-focuses-on-history-af-significance.aspx
Here is the wording of the flag folding ceremony allowed by the Air Force:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUnqeOrweq8
Just because a retiree asks someone to speak about the flag folding with different meanings doesn’t give him the right to flaunt the formal wording for it on an Air Force base. He was told to stop but wouldn’t and had to be forcefully removed because he was fighting against them.
As defenders of the Constitution we fight for the separation of church and state.
“…but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” (Article I, III)
This means that from the President to Congress to the military – no one’s job is based on their religion.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (Establishment Clause), or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (Free Exercise Clause).”(First Amendment)
The Establishment Clause means that you cannot favor one religion over another even though it is in the majority. This clause respects the RIGHTS of all religions. Our military is SECULAR and there are people of other faiths that don the uniform that love this country.
The Free Exercise Clause (which is subservient to the Establishment Clause) means that our soldiers are free to exercise any religion they want or no religion at all but cannot elevate one God above others.
“Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person’s life, freedom of religion affects every individual. Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the “wall of separation between church and state,” therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.” Thomas Jefferson, to the Virginia Baptists (1808) ME 16:320.
This is his second known use of the term “wall of separation,” here quoting his own use in the Danbury Baptist letter.
This wording of the original was several times upheld by the Supreme Court as an accurate description of the Establishment Clause.
“Jefferson’s concept of “separation of church and state” first became a part of Establishment Clause jurisprudence in Reynolds v. U.S., 98 U.S. 145 (1878). In that case, the court examined the history of religious liberty in the US, determining that while the constitution guarantees religious freedom, “The word ‘religion’ is not defined in the Constitution. We must go elsewhere, therefore, to ascertain its meaning and nowhere more appropriately, we think, than to the history of the times in the midst of which the provision was adopted.” The court found that the leaders in advocating and formulating the constitutional guarantee of religious liberty were James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Quoting the “separation” paragraph from Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists, the court concluded that, “coming as this does from an acknowledged leader of the advocates of the measure, it may be accepted almost as an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the amendment thus secured.
In 1878 “separation of church and state” became part of the Establishment Clause BY LAW.
The Supreme Court heard the Lemon v. Kurtzman case in 1971 and ruled in favor of the Establishment Clause.
Subsequent to this decision, the Supreme Court has applied a three-pronged test to determine whether government action comports with the Establishment Clause, known as the Lemon Test:
Government action violates the Establishment Clause unless it:
1. has a significant secular (i.e., non-religious) purpose,
2. does not have the primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion
3. does not foster excessive entanglement between government and religion
Parker v. Levy:
“This Court has long recognized that the military is, by necessity, a specialized society separate from civilian society… While the members of the military are not excluded from the protection granted by the First Amendment, the different character of the military community and of the military mission requires a different application of those protections. … The fundamental necessity for obedience, and the consequent necessity for imposition of discipline, may render permissible within the military that which would be constitutionally impermissible outside it… Speech [in any form] that is protected in the civil population may nonetheless undermine the effectiveness of response to command. If it does, it is constitutionally unprotected.” (Emphasis added) Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 1974
AFI (Air Force Instruction) 1-1, Section 2.12:
2.12. Balance of Free Exercise of Religion and Establishment Clause. Leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for their own free exercise of religion, including individual expressions of religious beliefs, and the constitutional prohibition against governmental establishment of religion. They must ensure their words and actions cannot reasonably be construed to be officially endorsing or disapproving of, or extending preferential treatment for any faith, belief, or absence of belief.
To place the Christian god above all others is in violation of Reynolds v. U.S., Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Lemon Test, Parker v. Levy and Air Force Instructions 1-1, Section 2:12
As far as our country being founded as a Christian nation you couldn’t be more wrong.
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/america-did-not-start-with-the-pilgrims/
The Treaty of Tripoli was signed at Tripoli on November 4, 1796.It was submitted to the Senate by President John Adams, receiving ratification unanimously from the U.S. Senate on June 7, 1797, and signed by Adams, taking effect as the law of the land on June 10, 1797; a mere 8 years since our Constitution went into effect. If what was written was wrong in anyway, there would have been uproar. But, it passed unanimously and confirmed that America was not founded on Christianity.
Treaty of Tripoli:
As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Mohammedan] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
The Constitution reflects our founder’s views of a secular government protecting the freedom of any belief or unbelief.
The historian, Robert Middlekauff, observed, “The idea that the Constitution expressed a moral view seems absurd. There were no genuine evangelicals in the Convention, and there were no heated declarations of Christian piety.”
“The Salem witchcraft was the rock on which the theocracy shattered”. George Lincoln Burr (1857 – 1938), Professor of History and Librarian at Cornell University
“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, then that of blindfolded fear.”
Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787
“History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.”
Thomas Jefferson: in letter to Alexander von Humboldt, December 6, 1813
“The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.”
John Adams, “A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America” 1787-1788
“If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded, that no one would be more zealous than myselfto establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution.”
George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia, May 1789
Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814
“The civil government functions with complete success by the total separation of the Church from the State.”
James Madison, 1819, Writings, 8:432, quoted from Gene Garman, “Essays In Addition to America’s Real Religion”
“Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies, may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history.”
James Madison; Monopolies, Perpetuities, Corporations, Ecclesiastical Endowments
“God has appointed two kinds of government in the world, which are distinct in their nature, and ought never to be confounded together; one of which is called civil, the other ecclesiastical government.”
Isaac Backus, An Appeal to the Public for Religious Liberty, 1773
“During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.
What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not.”
James Madison 1785 Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments
“Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting “Jesus Christ,” so that it would read “A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;” the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.”
As Thomas Jefferson wrote in his Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom
The Unites States is not a theocracy and according to our Founding Fathers the Constitution is not based on Christianity or biblical law.
As retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said “We do not count heads before enforcing the First Amendment.”
This means that just because the majority of Americans are Christians doesn’t give them special treatment.
Not “all red blooded Americans hate us” especially our soldiers.
We’re not going anywhere, but if you want to live in a theocracy, there are many countries you can move to.
Joan Slish
MRFF Advisory Board Member
Alan Geiger
Posted June 21, 2016 at 4:09 PM
Wow, there are just no limits to craziness and hate. I almost feel guilty for finding this one hilarious. Mikey, I can’t believe that you’ve become the prime target of so many religinuts.
Anyone who tells Weinstein to get out of the country needs to go back to their country of origin since their ancestors came here legally, illegally, as indentured servants, as slaves, or as political, social, and economic refugees.
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Rath Yatra 2019: Here are Some Lesser Known Facts About Puri Gundicha Temple
Gundicha temple remains vacant for most of the year. It is only during the Rath Yatra that it becomes a hub of all activities.
Updated:July 4, 2019, 11:11 AM IST
Devotees throng Puri for Rath Yatra today. (Image: Twitter/@ANI)
Rath yatra 2019 | One of the biggest festivals in India, the Rath Yatra at Puri celebrates Lord Jagannath, and his siblings’ (Balabhadra and Subhadra) journey to the Gundicha temple some 3 kilometres away from Shrimandira (main temple) of Lord Jagannath.
This year the Jagannath Rath Yatra falls on July 4 and will continue for the next nine days.
Gundicha temple that plays a major role during the Rath Yatra, interestingly, remains vacant for most of the year. It is only during the Shukla Paksha of Ashada month every year that the deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra spend seven days at the temple and it becomes the hub of all activities.
Here are a few legends and lesser known facts surrounding the Gundicha temple:
1. The Gundicha temple is believed to have been named after the wife of Indradyumna, who was a Malava king, and according to the Mahabharata, was the son of Bharat and Sunanda.
Legends say that when the celestial architect was building the Jagannath temple, the queen Gundicha chanced upon the magnificent site and was so awed by it that she requested her husband Indradyumna to build another similar temple in honour of the deity.
2. Local lore says that the temple is dedicated to the goddess Gundicha, who is Durga herself. According to folklore, she was the maternal aunt of Jagannath, who visited her annually, accompanied by his siblings. Gundicha is thought to possess the ability to cure small pox and other diseases. Interestingly, Gundi translates from Odia to mean small pox.
3. Another legend speaks of Jagannath and his consort Lakshmi and how he locks Lakshmi in the store room of the Jagannath temple and goes to reside in the Gundicha temple for a week. This resonates with the legends of Lord Krishna since it is believed that Jagannath was rumoured to have been attended to by devadasis, symbolic of Krishna’s gopis, led by Radha at the Gundicha temple.
4. Another myth speaks of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is thought to have walked towards the Gundicha temple unnoticed by his servants and followers and disappeared forever.
Interestingly, the temple has two gates. The western gate is the main temple gate, through which the deities enter the temple during Rath Yatra. The eastern gate, known as Nakachana gate, is used for the departure of the deities. Except for the 9-day Rath Yatra when Jagannath is worshipped in Gundicha temple, the temple remains empty the rest of the year.
5. A particular feature in the worship of the deities at Gundicha Temple is that Brahmin temple servants, instead of daitas offer the puja. Daitas are the traditional non-Brahmin servitors of Jagannath.
6. Another unusual feature is that the images are smeared with larger quantities of sandalwood paste, twice a day, as a "cooling agent" (as is commonly done to the goddess Gundicha).
7. A major ceremony celebrated in the Gundicha Temple during the Rath Yatra is on the Panchami. On Hera Panchami, the furious goddess Lakshmi arrives, in the form of the image of Subarna Mahalakshmi, at the Gundicha Temple to meet with her husband and inquire after him.
8. Another ritual is the ceremony of Dakshina Moda (turning south) which is observed on the day after Hera Panchami. In preparation for the return journey, the chariots are turned to face towards the main temple in the southern direction and are parked near the Nakachana gate (eastern gate) of the Gundicha Temple.
9. Dakshina Moda also marks the beginning of the three-day Rasa Lila of Jagannath. The return journey of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra to the main temple, after spending seven days in the Gundicha temple, is known as the Bahuda Yatra.
Gundicha Temple
happy rath yatra
jagannath
jagannath image
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But the process ultimately delivered far greater socio-economic balance in schools with high concentrations of race and poverty. Those changes drove levels of academic growth, particularly for lower-income and minority families, that were unprecedented for our state and linger to this day. Just four years ago, for example, our state’s four-year high school graduation rate reached an all-time high of 80 percent, while the dropout rate hit an all-time low of 3 percent.
Forces driving success
Those successes are central to Batchelor’s second, and far less uplifting, story – which explains how much of the progress made in equalizing educational opportunity in North Carolina is coming undone. The tale of how we went from segregation to desegregation to re-segregation is the focus of another book that Batchelor’s writing now. It is, he says, “depressing as hell.”
The situation wasn’t always this way. In the decade after the Brown v. Board ruling, a coalition of progressive business, civic, faith and government leaders methodically fought off attempts to undermine desegregation. Three forces, Batchelor says, fueled their success. First, these leaders shared a moral vision, not widely accepted at the time, that all children should receive a quality education regardless of race or income level. Second, they were pragmatists who recognized that North Carolina’s economy would never fulfill its potential if the minority population didn’t have fair access to education. Also, the civil rights movement could bring the economy to a virtual standstill if acceptable progress did not occur. The third factor, legal action spearheaded by the federal government, accelerated the pace of desegregation.
Because most neighborhoods were and still are racially and socio-economically segregated, busing was needed to accomplish true desegregation. By the late 1970s, that system was in place. There followed a wave of major school reforms, supported by both Republicans and Democrats, that invested in early childhood education, reduced classroom sizes, prioritized the development and advancement of teachers and more accurately measured student’s academic growth year over year. The reforms made quality education more accessible than ever and elevated student achievement across the board.
Then it all began to unravel.
Reforms being dismantled
As Batchelor tells it, the trouble started with federal court rulings in the 1990s, particularly involving judges appointed during the Reagan years, that prioritized local control of schools over federally-mandated desegregation. School boards here and across the country used their new freedom to end busing in favor of neighborhood schools, which leads to de facto segregation in many communities. Meanwhile, the public charter school movement, of which North Carolina has been in the vanguard, hasn’t helped.
A Duke University study released last year found that about 30 percent of students in North Carolina attend regular schools that are highly segregated, defined as those with enrollments that are more than 80 percent white or less than 20 percent white. But two-thirds of charter school students attend schools that are highly segregated and about two-thirds of charter school students are white, contributing to the growing racial and socio-economic imbalances in our schools.
As a result, Batchelor says, too many schools are once again becoming isolated pockets of race and poverty. Strong evidence shows those conditions will significantly diminish the performance of schools. While our education system still benefits from investments in the ‘80s and ‘90s, many of those reforms are being dismantled or scaled back. It will take some time to measure the impact. But when it comes to public education, Batchelor warns, our state has “embarked on a period of great risk.”
Christopher Gergen is CEO of Forward Impact, a fellow in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Duke University, and author of “Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives.” Stephen Martin, a director at the nonprofit Center for Creative Leadership, blogs at www.messyquest.com. They can be reached at authors@bullcityforward.org and followed on Twitter through @cgergen.
John Batchelor’s “Race and Education in North Carolina: From Segregation to Desegregation.”
A new startup is engineering food right here in RTP
Gov. Cooper announces ABB job expansion for Orange County
By Laura Brummett
Dillard’s will leave Cary Towne Center by the end of November. The company said it’s a strategic closing. With Sears, Macy’s and JC Penney already gone, Belk will be the only anchor department store left.
New Jersey governor planning official trip to India
How major US stock indexes fared Monday
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NEWS RELEASE: OpUSA Readies Aid for Haiti in Wake of Hurricane Isaac
LOS ANGELES, CA (August 25, 2012)—Los Angeles-based International relief agency Operation USA announced today that it will send emergency aid to Haiti as necessary as part of relief efforts responding to Hurricane Isaac, which made landfall yesterday and continues to bring torrential rain. The hurricane caused widespread flooding and at least 3 deaths to the island nation which is still working to recover from the devastating earthquake that hit in 2010—and the world’s largest cholera epidemic in this century affecting 600,000 people.
Operation USA will focus its efforts in the city of Jacmel—where the agency rebuilt a large public school in partnership with Honeywell, which opened in 2011. The 1.5 acre, 9 building campus has been designated as an emergency shelter location, and Operation USA staff on the ground are assessing shelter, safe water, food and other needs.
HOW TO HELP:
Donate online at www.opusa.org, by phone at 1.800.678.7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 7421 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036.
Text AID to 50555 and donate $10 to Operation USA’s disaster relief efforts. Corporate donations of bulk quantities of disaster-appropriate supplies are also being requested. United and Continental air miles can also be donated to Operation USA through United Airlines Charity Miles program at www.united.com.
As part of large-scale disaster relief efforts following the Janaury 2010 earthquake that devastated much of Haiti, Operation USA and Honeywell partnered to rebuild the destroyed public school, Ecole Nationale Jacob Martin Henriquez, in Jacmel. This public primary school now serves 900 students grades K-7 who couldn’t otherwise afford to go to school. Rebuilt as a nine-building school complex, the campus now includes a soccer field, basketball court, library and computer lab. An on-site cafeteria provides each student a free daily meal—for many of the school’s students, the only guaranteed meal they may eat each day.
Operation USA is an international relief agency that helps communities at home and abroad overcome the effects of disasters, disease and endemic poverty by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction and development aid. Since 1979, the Los Angeles-based Operation USA has worked in 100 countries, delivering over $375 million for relief and development projects.
Learn more and make secure donations at www.opusa.org.
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OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health to meet Dec. 1-2; seeks nominations for six seats
OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health to meet
Dec. 1-2; seeks nominations for six seats
WASHINGTON - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health* will meet in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 1-2 for updates and discussions with agency officials.
Three working groups - on Health Hazards, Emerging Issues and Prevention through Design; Temporary Workers; and Training and Outreach - will meet Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 1 - 5 p.m. The full committee meets the following day from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Both meetings will be in Room N-4437, A-D, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20210. The meetings are open to the public. Comments and requests to speak may be submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal, by mail or facsimile. See the Federal Register notice* for details. Comments and requests to speak must be submitted by Nov. 13, 2015.
The tentative agenda includes remarks from Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, followed by updates from the Directorate of Construction and information about OSHA data and the 2015 National Safety Stand-Down. The group will also discuss a recommendation to eliminate from OSHA standards the requirement for employee social security numbers.
Additionally, OSHA is accepting nominations for six new members to serve on the 15-member committee. Nominations are sought for members representing employees (2), employers (2), the general public (1) and state safety and health agencies (1). Nominations may be submitted at www.regulations.gov. Submissions may also be sent by mail or facsimile; see the Federal Register notice* for requirements. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 28, 2015.
The committee, established under the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, advises the secretary of labor and assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health on construction standards and policy matters.
* Accessibility Assistance Contact OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 for assistance accessing PDF materials.
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Posted: Mar 17, 2015
Researcher discover a high performance cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries
(Nanowerk News) Drexel researchers, along with colleagues at Aix-Marseille University in France, have discovered a high performance cathode material with great promise for use in next generation lithium-sulfur batteries that could one day be used to power mobile devices and electric cars.
Lithium-sulfur batteries have recently become one of the hottest topics in the field of energy storage devices due to their high energy density—which is about four times higher than that of lithium-ion batteries currently used in mobile devices. One of the major challenges for the practical application of lithium-sulfur batteries is to find cathode materials that demonstrate long-term stability.
An international research collaboration led by Drexel’s Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Distinguished University and Trustee Chair professor in the College of Engineering and director of its Nanomaterials Research Group, has created a two-dimensional carbon/sulfur nanolaminate that could be a viable candidate for use as a lithium-sulfur cathode.
Drexel University materials researchers have created a material from MAX Phase etching that could be a good candidate for cathodes in Lithium-Sulfur batteries.
In a paper they recently published in the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie ("Synthesis of Carbon/Sulfur Nanolaminates by Electrochemical Extraction of Titanium from Ti2SC"), Gogotsi, along with his colleagues at Aix-Marseille University explain their process for extracting the nanolaminate from a three-dimensional material called a Ti2SC MAX phase. Their paper was selected as a VIP article and will be featured on the journal cover.
The MAX phase, which is one of a family of layered ceramics discovered two decades ago by Michel Barsoum, PhD, Distinguished professor in Drexel’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, has been used as the basis for much of Drexel’s materials research intended to find better materials for batteries.
The researchers found that carbon/sulfur nanolaminates have covalent bonding between carbon and sulfur and an extremely uniform distribution of sulfur between the atomically thin carbon layers. This structure is key to their potential for being used as electrode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries.
Currently, sulfur infiltrated carbon nanomaterials have demonstrated to be the most promising cathode materials for Li-S batteries. In these materials, the uniform distribution of sulfur in carbon matrix and the strong interaction between carbon and sulfur are two important factors that affect the performance.
The carbon/sulfur nanolaminates synthesized by Gogotsi’s group demonstrate the same uniformity as the infiltrated carbon nanomaterials, but the sulfur in the nanolaminates is uniformly deposited in the carbon matrix as atomically thin layers and a strong covalent bonding between carbon and sulfur is observed. This may have a significant impact on increasing the life-span of next generation batteries.
“We have enough evidence to show that that the electrochemical etching can be a powerful method to selectively extract the ‘M’ elements from the MAX phases, to produce a variety of ‘AX’ layered structures, that cannot be made otherwise,” said Meng-Qiang Zhao, Gogotsi’s post-doctoral associate and the lead author on the paper.
This is a significant discovery, because there are more than 70 MAX phases in known existence. Gogotsi estimates that odds are with the MAX phase’s new “AX” progeny becoming the materials that find use in next-generation electrical storage devices.
“It is not difficult to foresee that the ‘AX’ structures represent a new family of nanostructured materials, much of which will probably be 2D,” Gogotsi said. “The various ‘A’ and ‘X’ combinations already known make the ‘AX’ structures highly attractive for a number of potential applications, such as electrical energy storage and catalysis.”
Source: Drexel University
Chip converts waste heat into electricity
Imprinted nanoparticles fight breast cancer
Charge transfer within transition-metal dyes analysed
Spraying nanopaper
Carbon nanotube tape stays sticky in extreme temperatures
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'Instant acid' method offers new insight into nanoparticle dispersal in the environment and the body
(Nanowerk News) Using a chemical trick that allows them to change the acidity of a solution almost instantly, a team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has demonstrated a simple and effective technique for quantifying how the stability of nanoparticle solutions change when the acidity of their environment suddenly changes ("Dynamic light scattering investigations of nanoparticle aggregation following a light-induced pH jump"). The measurement method and the problem studied are part of a broader effort at NIST to understand the environmental, health and safety implications of nanoparticles.
Successive test runs at NIST show how clumping of typical nanoparticles in a solution depends on changes in acidity. Time after acidity jump is shown on the horizontal axis, while the vertical axis is a measure of the size of the nanoparticle aggregates. As pH goes down (and acidity up), both rate of aggregation and size of clumps of nanoparticles goes up.
Any change in nanoparticle solubility with local acidity (pH is the common measure used by chemists of how acidic or basic a solution is. The scale runs from 0 to 14; lower values are more acidic, higher values more basic; 7 is considered neutral) ultimately affects how they are distributed in the environment as well as their potential for uptake into organisms. This is crucial when designing nanoparticles for use in medicine, explains NIST chemical engineer Vivek Prabhu. "Cells in the body are very compartmentalized. There are places within the cell that have vastly different pH. For instance, in the sea of the cell, the cytosol, pH is regulated to be about 7.2, which is slightly basic. But within the lysosome, which is where things go to get broken down, the pH is about 4.5, so it's very acidic."
Nanoparticles designed for use in drug therapy or as contrast agents for medical imaging typically are coated with molecules to prevent the particles from clumping together, which would reduce their effectiveness. But the efficacy of the anti-clumping coating often depends on the pH of the environment. According to the NIST team, while it's relatively easy to put nanoparticles in a solution at a particular pH and to study the stability of the suspension over long times, it is difficult to tell what happens when the particles are suddenly exposed to a different level of acidity as often occurs in environmental and application contexts. How long does it take them to react to this change and how?
"Our idea borrows some of the materials used in photolithography to make microcircuits," says Prabhu. "There are molecules that become acids when you shine a light on them—photo acid generators. So instead of manually pouring acid into a solution and stirring it around, you start with a solution in which these molecules already are mixed and dissolved. Once you shine light on it …bam! Photolysis occurs and it becomes acidic." The acidity of the solution can be made to jump a major step—an amount chosen by the experimenter—without needing to wait for mixing or disturbing the solution. "It gives you a way to probe the nanoparticle solution dynamics at much shorter timescales than before," says Prabhu.
Using their "instant acid" technique and light scattering instruments to monitor the aggregation of nanoparticles, the NIST team followed the growth of clusters of chemically stabilized latex nanoparticles for the first few seconds after inducing the pH transition with light. Their results demonstrate that under certain conditions, the stability of the nanoparticles—their tendency to resist clumping—becomes very sensitive to pH. Studies such as these could provide a stronger foundation to design nanoparticles for applications such as targeting tumor cells that have levels of acidity markedly different from normal cells.
Source: NIST
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Godsmack blues offshoot band plays South Street in Naples
"Blues is the first true American music. If it wasn’t for the blues, there wouldn't have been Elvis Presley and rock 'n' roll.”
Godsmack blues offshoot band plays South Street in Naples "Blues is the first true American music. If it wasn’t for the blues, there wouldn't have been Elvis Presley and rock 'n' roll.” Check out this story on naplesnews.com: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/09/07/godsmack-band-apocalypse-blues-revue-south-street/1223833002/
Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News Published 2:00 p.m. ET Sept. 7, 2018
The Apocalypse Blues Revue features two members of hard-rock superstars Godsmack.(Photo: Special to The News-Press)
He's performed before 20,000 fans throughout the world yet Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin says his favorite show was at a Naples bar.
He was performing with The Apocalypse Blues Revue, which he formed with Godsmack bandmate and guitarist Tony Rombola, before a couple hundred people at South Street in Naples last year.
Larkin described the mood as celestial.
“I felt like at that moment in that setting that every single person was with us: The band became part of the audience and the audience became part of the band," Larkin said Friday.
“I was completely having an out-of-body experience in this small club.”
Larkin of North Fort Myers and Rombola of Cape Coral return to South Street (southwest corner of Pine Ridge and Goodlette-Frank roads) tonight and Saturday. The cost is free and both shows begin at 10 p.m after warmup bands perform.
As a youngster, Larkin said, he appreciated blues music and saw how great musicians including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and others were influenced by the music.
"Blues is the first true American music," said Larkin, 51, in his 35th year of playing in bands. "If it wasn’t for the blues, there wouldn't have been Elvis Presley and rock 'n' roll.”
Larkin said about a half-dozen years ago he was "kicking a slow, simmering blues beat and I heard Tony play."
?With (Apocalypse Blues Revue), I?m free to do whatever I want. It does showcase the guitar more, I would say,? said Tony Rombola. Seth Graves / For the Enquirer Godsmack guitarist Tony Rombola (Photo: Seth Graves / For the Enquirer)
"I had been with him in the band for 20 years and never heard him play like that," Larkin added. "And Tony was influenced by the same blues musicians that I’d been influenced by."
From there, the two began creating The Apocalypse Blues Revue and tapped Florida musician and bass player Brian Carpenter, a former member of Jacksonville-based Blackfoot.
Their mission, he said, is to attract hardcore Godsmack fans to blues music.
“Tony and I, we’re in this big band," Larkin said of Godsmack, who has been a headliner at the Fort Rock musical festival outside JetBlue Park in recent years.
"Our intent was to perhaps get into these people’s head and ears that have never been really exposed to blues music because they’re hard rock fans," Larkin said.
"We're hoping they reach back and discover blues bands and therefore expand blues into the consciousness of America again, the same way Stevie Ray Vaughan brought blues back into the consciousness of America in the mid-1980s."
Apocalypse Blues Revue dropped its latest album, The Shape of Blues to Come, this summer and will play songs from it and its other album. They also will perform other music at South Street, with some Doors covers thrown in as well.
"Naples is a quirky little town," Larkin said, "B=but I know it sounds really good in that bar and everybody there is super cool."
The Apocalypse Blues Revue, featuring two members of Godsmack, will play a fundraiser for Toni Hall-Mcenery and her battle with cancer. special to The News-Press Special to The News-Press The Apocalypse Blues Revue are Shannon Larkin, Ray “Rayfer John†Cerbone, Tony Rombola and Brian Carpenter. The Apocalypse Blues Revue are (left to right) Shannon Larkin, Ray "Rayfer John" Cerbone, Tony Rombola and Brian Carpenter. (Photo: Special to The News-Press)
Read or Share this story: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/09/07/godsmack-band-apocalypse-blues-revue-south-street/1223833002/
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Roaches at restaurants? In SWFL it's a fact of life
Restaurant news: Popeyes opening, Golden Gate gets food truck and more
'The Office' star Jenna Fischer visits Shy Wolf Sanctuary
Martha Stewart to visit Naples, tickets available
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Joel Robuchon, Michelin-starred French master chef, dies at 73
"Joel Robuchon will undoubtedly go down as the artist who most influenced the 20th-century world of cuisine," one food writer said.
Joel Robuchon attends the second day competition of the two-day world final of the Bocuse d'Or contest at the Sirha on January 25, 2017 in Lyon, France.Arnold Jerocki / Getty Images
Aug. 6, 2018, 3:51 PM UTC / Updated Aug. 6, 2018, 3:51 PM UTC
PARIS — Joel Robuchon, a master chef who shook up the stuffy world of French haute cuisine by wowing palates with the delights of the simple mashed potato and giving diners a peek at the kitchen, has died at 73.
His career was one of superlatives: Named among the best craftsmen in France in 1976, crowned cook of the century in 1990, chosen to be one of the cooks at the "dinner of the century," and, for years, holder of the most Michelin stars in the world.
A spokeswoman for Robuchon confirmed his death, with French TV station BFM and newspaper Le Figaro reporting that he died Monday in Geneva from cancer.
Robuchon was known for his constant innovation and even playfulness in the kitchen — a revelation to the hidebound world of French cuisine. He built an empire of gourmet restaurants across the world —from Paris to Tokyo, Las Vegas and New York City.
"To describe Joel Robuchon as a cook is a bit like calling Pablo Picasso a painter, Luciano Pavarotti a singer, Frederic Chopin a pianist," Patricia Wells, a cook and food writer, wrote in "L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon," a book about the chef and his students. "Joel Robuchon will undoubtedly go down as the artist who most influenced the 20th-century world of cuisine."
Many of France's greatest chefs echoed those sentiments.
French chef Marc Veyrat, whose restaurant holds three stars from the Michelin guide, said "he was someone I love, formidable, extraordinary." He called Robuchon the "prince of French cuisine" on RTL radio, adding "I'm not afraid to say he inspired me."
French chef Pierre Gagnaire, also a Michelin three-star chef, wrote on his Instagram account that "the best among us is gone. All my thoughts to his family."
While Robuchon was no stranger to the fancy — truffles and caviar were among his favorites — his food was often described as simple because he preached the use of only three or four ingredients in most dishes. His goal was always to show off, not mask, their flavors.
He started a revolution with his "Atelier" (workshop in French) business model: small, intimate restaurants where diners sat at a counter surrounding the kitchen. They didn't take reservations and many didn't even have tables.
His goal, Robuchon said, was to make diners feel comfortable, let them interact with the chef and, above all, put the focus back on the food. It was partially a rebuke to the Michelin star regime, which awards points not just for technique but also for the ambiance and service.
But Michelin, and just about everyone else, gobbled it up. And thanks to Ateliers around the world, Robuchon reached a total of 32 Michelin stars in 2016 — a record — and still held 31 stars this year, including five three-star restaurants.
Born just before the end of World War II in the French town of Poitiers, south of the Loire Valley, Robuchon studied at a seminary from a young age and considered becoming a priest. But hours spent cooking with the nuns convinced him that he had another calling. He got his professional start at 15 at a local restaurant and by 29 was running the kitchen at a large Paris hotel, in charge of 90 chefs.
For years, his culinary home was at Jamin, a restaurant near the Eiffel Tower that he opened in 1981. The restaurant racked up a Michelin star a year for its first three years — a feat no one had ever accomplished before. The wait for a reservation was two months, even though the price without wine was $200.
Even at this classic restaurant, signs of the ways Robuchon would shake up the culinary scene could be found. For one, his most famous dish was the lowly mashed potato.
"These mashed potatoes, it's true, made my reputation. I owe everything to these mashed potatoes," he said once during a demonstration of how to make the almost liquid dish. "Maybe it's a little bit of nostalgia, Proust's madeleines. Everyone has in his memory the mashed potatoes of his mother, the mashed potatoes of his grandmother."
The idea that a restaurant might be a warm, casual place, rather than a stuffy temple to awkward food, was taking root. It was, in part, a rejection of "nouvelle cuisine," the movement that made French chefs notorious for small plates, exquisitely presented but often not all that satisfying.
But, as long promised, Robuchon hung up his whisk in 1996, at the age of 51.
"You have to know when it's time to quit," the chef told The Associated Press at the time. "A great chef has to be in great shape. Cooking is tough. It's like being an athlete who has to stay really fit."
He would still consult with other chefs, work on a line of prepared foods, oversee restaurants across the world, but he declared that he was done with slaving away all day at the stove.
And that, some say, is when his career really took off.
In 2003, he came out of retirement to create the Atelier — one opened in Paris and one in Tokyo nearly simultaneously. From there, he brought them to cities all over Asia, Europe and the U.S., and the Michelin stars followed fast and furious.
Guy Job, who produced Robuchon's cooking shows, called it "3-star food with stainless steel cutlery and glass glasses, not crystal ones."
His latest new project came this year in Paris with the opening in April of Dassai, a restaurant and tea and cakes salon with, importantly, a bar for tasting sake, the rice-based alcohol of Japan, where the French chef established a presence, and drew inspiration, decades ago. The establishment, not far from the French presidential palace, was opened in collaboration with Dassai sake producer Hiroshi Sakurai.
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New craft beer laws could be first of many needed alcohol reforms
By Becki Gray
Lawmakers have offered several proposals to repair the broken, outdated way the state governs alcohol through the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control system.
About a dozen bills, in fact, are moving through the General Assembly, and one, House Bill 363, the Craft Beer Distribution and Modernization Act, is now law.
H.B. 363 allows breweries that sell fewer than 100,00 barrels — up from 25,000 — to self-distribute and market their products without being required to use a wholesaler.
It’s past time North Carolina gets out of the liquor business, opens the market to competition, and encourages opportunities for entrepreneurs.
About a dozen additional proposals are being considered this session that would support a free and open market by increasing competition, expanding consumer choice, and encouraging entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses.
In the end, this isn’t really about alcohol. Rather, it’s about government’s role in encouraging North Carolina businesses to grow.
Alcohol bills lawmakers are considering this session would move the state’s system toward more competition, open up markets, expand consumer choice, and encourage entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses.
House Bill 91: The Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Division makes several recommendations for changes to the ABC laws, including requiring the merger of local boards when two or more are in the same county, allowing the option of ABC stores to open Sundays, and allowing spirits tastings at ABC stores. Consumers could buy one bottle rather than a case when placing a special order.
H.B. 536, ABC Omnibus Regulatory Reform, would allow tasting of spirits in ABC stores, flexibility with store hours and the option of Sunday sales. Consumers could buy products directly from distilleries and remove limits on the number of bottles a consumer could purchase (it’s currently a five-bottle per year limit). Breweries would be allowed to sell product-featured merchandise and conduct tastings at farmers markets.
Further reforms for distilleries are proposed in Senate Bill 290, which would allow, among other things, consumers to purchase a mixed beverage while visiting a distillery, allow distillers to sell to out-of-state customers, and allow distillers to provide tastings of their products in ABC stores.
H.B. 389 would allow public colleges and universities to sell alcohol during on-campus sporting events.
S.B. 290 and H.B. 389 are scheduled for votes Wednesday in the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee.
With all the reforms being considered, there’s no suggestion of loosening enforcement of ABC laws, but there is an effort to strengthen enforcement of alcoholic beverage laws. The Alcohol Law Enforcement Division would move under the SBI to a separate division under the Department of Public Safety, and its duties and jurisdiction would be clarified, under H.B 99.
An ABC Regulation and Reform proposal, S.B. 11, would strengthen the commission’s oversight of bars by increasing fines for violations, increasing the minimum age for bar managers from 18 to 21, and change definitions of “private club” and “private bar.” It has passed the Senate and is on Thursday’s House calendar.
As the craft beer and craft distillery business continues to grow, lawmakers should encourage their growth by removing barriers and encouraging further investments. As consumers expect business to respond to their needs, lawmakers should encourage competition and open markets.
In the end, it’s not really about alcohol. It’s about government’s role in allowing the N.C. economy to grow.
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Home Research & Funding Division of Behavioral and Social Research Global Aging
DBSR
Division of Behavioral and Social Research
About BSR & Staff Listings
Funding opportunities & applicant resources
Behavioral & Social Research on Alzheimer's Disease
BSR Centers Programs in Behavioral and Social Sciences
Research Networks in the Behavioral & Social Sciences
Data Resources in Behavioral and Social Sciences
BSR Publications
Global Aging
Science of Behavior Change
Unprecedented changes are occurring worldwide as fertility and mortality rates decline in most countries and as populations age. These changes affect individuals, families, governments, and private-sector organizations as they seek to answer questions related to health care, housing, social security, work and retirement, caregiving, and the burden of disease and disability.
BSR is committed to improving health and aging‐related outcomes both nationally and internationally. Research on chronic diseases and the health of older adults is important in order to understand the growing global burden due to these conditions, as well as understanding better the specific challenges of aging in the United States. The Division has been a driving force in the investigation of aging and health outcomes in the international arena, sponsoring collaborative international projects, and disseminating findings in aging-related conditions and concerns affecting people worldwide. The rapid demographic, epidemiologic, and risk‐factor transitions in the United States and around the world make this an opportune time to invest in cross‐national comparative research on the health and well‐being of older adults and their determinants. Significantly, NIA’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS) has served as the model for large-scale longitudinal studies in other countries.
NIA also collaborates with the World Health Organization and others on additional research efforts on global aging issues.
Gateway to Global Aging
The Gateway to Global Aging Data is a platform for population survey data on aging around the world. This site offers a digital library of survey questions, a search engine for finding comparable questions across surveys, and identically defined variables for cross-country analysis.
International Datasets
BSR has encouraged the development of harmonized international studies that use measures that are comparable to the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).
Mexican Health and Aging Study
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe
Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health
Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
Longitudinal Aging Study in India
The Indonesian Family Life Survey
Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement
Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA)
Additional international datasets not under the HRS family include:
Midlife in Japan
Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study
Global Health and Aging Report (PDF, 1.6K)
As both the proportion of older people and the length of life increase throughout the world, key questions arise. Will population aging be accompanied by a longer period of good health, a sustained sense of well-being, and extended periods of social engagement and productivity, or will it be associated with more illness, disability, and dependency? How will aging affect health care and social costs? Are these futures inevitable, or can we act to establish a physical and social infrastructure that might foster better health and well-being in older age? How will population aging play out differently for low-income countries that will age faster than their counterparts have, but before they become industrialized and wealthy? This brief report, jointly issued by the WHO’s Department of Ageing and the Life Course and the NIA attempts to address some of these questions, emphasizing the central role that health will play in coming years.
An Aging World: 2015
Issued in March 2016, this update to the Census Bureau series on global aging was commissioned by the NIA to examine the demographic, health, and economic aspects of global population aging, and includes trends identified in 2007 by the NIA and the U.S. Department of State (Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective). An Aging World: 2015 contains detailed information on aging trends; the dynamics of population aging; life expectancy, health, and mortality; health care systems and population aging; work and retirement, and; pensions and old age poverty. For additional information, please visit the Census Bureau.
Strengthening the Scientific Foundation for Policymaking to Meet the Challenges of Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean: Summary of a Workshop (PDF, 482K)
This report summarizes the proceedings of a workshop convened in May 2015 to consider priorities for strengthening the scientific foundation for policymaking regarding population aging in Latin America and the Caribbean. Topics of discussion included: (1) global perspectives on aging in Latin America and the Caribbean; (2) health status, disability, and mortality; (3) health care systems, access, and quality; (4) labor market participation/retirement; (5) family and social transfers; (6) resilience and aspects of well-being in older age, and; (7) provides opportunities to generate evidence on older adults and move the research agenda forward. The workshop was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Mexican National Academy of Medicine, with additional support provided from the University of Texas Medical Branch, the University of Michigan, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Pan American Health Organization.
Sharing Research Data to Improve Public Health in Africa: A Workshop Summary (PDF, 1.3M)
This report summarizes a workshop convened in South Africa in March 2015, which focused on the benefits of and barriers to sharing research data in order to improve public health. The purposes of the workshop were to raise the profile of issues around the sharing of public health data in Africa, enable international partners to highlight findings of previous sponsored research on this topic, identify issues that mitigate against public health data sharing and pathways through research and policy venues to foster increased sharing (i.e., enabling data discoverability, linkage, and reuse), and, in general, serve as a way to bring more African voices and perspectives into the dialogue. The latter includes “next steps” to maximize the use of data to improve public health and outcomes. The workshop was sponsored by the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The workshop summary report was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and is a product of the Committee on Population of the National Academies of Sciences.
Aging in Asia: Findings from New and Emerging Data Initiatives
The population of Asia is growing both larger and older. Demographically the most important continent in the world, Asia’s population, currently estimated to be 4.2 billion, is expected to increase to about 5.9 billion by 2050. Rapid declines in fertility, together with rising life expectancy, are altering the age structure of the population so that in 2050, for the first time in history, there will be roughly as many people in Asia over the age of 65 as under the age of 15. To address these matters, this publication shall explore four large areas of aging in Asia: (1) new and emerging initiatives (including strengthening infrastructure for science and policy); (2) economic growth, labor markets, and consumption (including population aging, intergenerational transfers, and economic growth; facilitating working lives; retirement processes); (3) family roles and responsibilities (including household dynamics and living arrangements; social networks, family, and caregiving; effects of social activities on cognitive functions), and; (4) health and well-being (including health care and insurance; aging, health, and chronic conditions; life satisfaction). This publication was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Carnegie Foundation, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Indian National Science Academy, and the United Nations Population Fund.
Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective (PDF, 1.5K)
This booklet provides a succinct description of population trends that are transforming the world in fundamental ways. The report, using data from the United Nations, US Census Bureau, and the Statistical Office of the European Communities as well as regional surveys, identifies nine emerging trends in global aging. These trends present a snapshot of challenges and opportunities that will stimulate a cross-national scientific and policy dialogue. The booklet was prepared for the March 15, 2007, Summit on Global Aging, hosted by the U.S. State Department in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging.
The National Institute on Aging: A Catalyst for Global Aging Research (PDF, 81K)
NIA leads the Federal research effort to increase our understanding of the nature and implications of aging and to find ways to extend the healthy, active years of life. Established in 1974, NIA’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of older people through research.
Research Highlights: Cross-National Research on Aging (PDF, 117K)
In nearly all regions of the world, the population ages 65 and older is growing faster than the total population,challenging existing health services, family relationships, social security, and pension programs. To help address these challenges, the Behavioral and Social Research Program of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) sponsors a wide range of data collection efforts and research related to population aging. This Research Brief highlights cross-national datasets partially or fully funded by NIA, how these data are used to address key research questions, and where people can go for more information.
Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recommendations for Furthering Research (PDF, 2.1M)
In 2006, 64 percent of the worldwide population aged 60 and older resided in developing countries, and this proportion is projected to increase to nearly 73 percent by 2030. Yet the limited understanding of the demographics of aging in most developing countries stands in stark contrast to the comparatively well-documented course and implications of aging in developed countries. (National Research Council, 2006)
Preparing for an Aging World: The Case for Cross-National Research
The projected growth in the numbers and proportions of the world's older population poses an array of challenges to policy makers. How do changes in the ratio of workers to retirees affect the ability of societies to fund old-age security systems? Are we living healthier as well as longer lives, or are our added years accompanied by disabilities and generally poor health? In what ways can the structure and the delivery mechanisms of health systems best adapt to the needs of older populations with a higher prevalence of chronic disease? How do changing family structures affect the demand for public transfers of money, time, and living space? Will population aging lead to lower levels of aggregate saving, investment and productivity growth? Will health care costs rise or decline relative to other costs? (National Research Council, 2001)
Population Clock
https://www.prb.org/agingpopulationclocks/
NIA Extramural Research
Division of Aging Biology
Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology
Division of Neuroscience
Office of Special Populations
Training and Career Development
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Policy Communications
Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Policy Communications”
FTF Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project Delivers Policy Communications Training for NASS Press Corps
Category: Capacity Building, Featured
Elisabeth Douglas, IFPRI-NSSP’s Communications Specialist, facilitating one of the sessions at the Policy Communications training organized for members of Nigeria’s National Assembly Press Corps in Abuja (c) 2019 IFPRI/Bisola Oyediran On 12-13 March 2019, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has delivered on behalf the FtF Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project a training on Policy Communications to journalists in Nigeria’s National Assembly (NASS) Press Corps in Abuja. The 22 journalists (20 male, 2 female) represented diverse news media firms, all united in their shared focus on the activities of the country’s federal legislature. The training exposed them to the basic principles of Policy Communications, publicly available and accessible sources of information relevant to agricultural policy, other tools for policy engagement
Enhancing Policy Communications for Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector
On 13-14 February 2019, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) trained on behalf the FtF Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project 25 staff members (18 male, 7 female) of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Policy Communications in Abuja. The training introduced the participants to basic concepts around policy communications, as long as more contemporary tools, such as policy briefs/notes and social media, which are used for communicating and disseminating evidence and promoting engagement on policy issues. The training was geared at boosting the ability of Nigeria’s researchers and policy analysts to make widely available the evidence required for effective policymaking for Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Especially for NBS, which is a major supplier of statistical data for government and other
Policy communications training courses delivered to government officials, and farmers in Kebbi State
From 28-31 January 2019, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) delivered two policy communications training courses for a total of 60 government officials (28-29 January) and farmers (30 – 31 January) in Kebbi State. Facilitators and participants of the Policy Communications Training held for the Kebbi Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (c) 2019 IFPRI The 25 government officials (23 male, 2 female) work at the Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Kebbi State Agricultural Development Programme. On the other hand, the 35 participants (27 male, 8 female) represented various farmer groups in Kebbi State. In the two trainings, participants were introduced to basic concepts of Policy Communications, the use of social media for disseminating information and engaging in policy discussions and sources of information relevant to agriculture. Government officials were introduced to policy notes, an effective contemporary tool for informing,
Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Policy Project trains Ebonyian journalists, and farmers on Policy Communications
Posted on 8th February 2019
Group photo of participants and trainers at the Policy Communication training for journalists in Ebonyi State (c) 2019 IFPRI/Bisola Oyediran Elisabeth Douglas, Communication Specialist with IFPRI, making a presentation on the concepts of Policy Communications during one of the training in Ebonyi State (c) 2019 IFPRI/Bisola Oyediran In two trainings organized between 21 and 24 January 2019, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) trained 35 journalists (21-22 January 2019) and 15 farmers (21-22 January 2019) in Ebonyi State on Policy Communications. The 50 (25 male and 25 female) participants were introduced to basic concepts of policy communications, the use of social media for both disseminating and tracking policy communications effectively and publicly available sources of information related to agricultural
IFPRI Delivers Intermediate Policy Communications Training for Journalists in Minna
Posted on 23rd November 2018
Category: Capacity Building, Featured, News
Facilitators and participants of the Introductory Policy Communications training course held for journalists in Minna (c) 2018 IFPRI/Bisola Oyediran On 15-16 November 2018, two Communication Experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Nigeria Strategy Support Program (IFPRI-NSSP) delivered an intermediate level Policy Communications training course for 15 journalists based in Niger State. The participants (11 male, 4 female) all work with various news media organizations, including radio, television and newspapers. The training covered the design and implementation of communication strategies and plans as well as the use of online platforms and social media for researching, reporting and disseminating information, particularly those related to agricultural policy. Elisabeth Douglas, Communications Specialist with IFPRI-NSSP, introducing participants to the concepts of Policy Communications
Policy communication training delivered for journalists in Niger State
Members of the training team and participants of the Introductory Policy Communications training course in Niger State (c) 2018 IFPRI/Bisola Oyediran Journalists, are key players in the policymaking space. As such, it is essential that they are well-equipped to be able to effectively drive public conversations around policy issues. It is on this basis that the Nigeria Strategy Support Program of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI-NSSP) delivered a policy communications training for 27 journalists based in Niger State from 13-14 November 2018. The participants (13 male, 14 female) at the training were all professionals working with various news media firms, including privately, federal and state-owned organizations. The training provided journalists with an introduction to the concepts of policy
Improving Evidence-Based Reporting on Agricultural Policy in Kebbi State
Bisola Oyediran, one of IFPRI’s communications experts, facilitating a session on social media audiences at the Policy Communications Training held in Kebbi (c) 2018 IFPRI/Elisabeth Douglas. It is difficult to refute the importance of the role that journalists play in setting the agenda and shaping national discussions on issues. As gatekeepers of information, they are vital stakeholders in ensuring an environment where policy decisions are sound and evidence-based. In recognition of this fact, two Communications Experts from the Nigeria Strategy Support Program of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI-NSSP) trained 23 journalists on the basics of Policy Communications on 31 October – 1 November 2018 in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State capital. Facilitators and participants of the Policy Communications Training held
Policy Communications Training Course “Extremely Beneficial” for Agric Policy Reporting-Journalists in Kebbi state
Participants and facilitators of the Policy Communications Training held in Kebbi State (c) 2018 IFPRI/Bisola Oyediran On 29-30 October 2018, the Nigeria Strategy Support Program of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI-NSSP) has carried out an intermediate Policy Communications training in Kebbi state capital, Birnin-Kebbi, as part of efforts towards further strengthening the capacity of Nigerian journalists to drive evidence-based discussions on agricultural policy. The 21 participants (11 male, 10 female) represented a diverse mix in terms of news media ownership with representation of journalists from radio, television and newspapers owned by Kebbi State Government, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the private sector. Elisabeth Douglas, Communications Specialist with IFPRI, facilitating a session during the Policy Communications training for journalists
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Richmond Fontaine – How many syllables in Vlautin?
Archive Posted On April 1, 1996
“I didn’t know there were six syllables in alcohol,” jokes Richmond Fontaine bassist Dave Harding, referring to bandmate Willy Vlautin’s singing style. “He’s exorcising his personal demons,” explains wisecracking drummer Stuart Gaston.
Alcohol seems to be one of the more predominant themes for this country-punk trio. The band came together about a year and a half ago after Vlautin relocated to Portland from the musical wasteland of Reno, Nevada. Since then they’ve played regularly around Oregon and Washington and will release their first full-length CD on Cravedog Records in April.
Their first 7-inch single, “Trailways”/”Whirlpool”, is a good indication of what we can expect. The A-side is a metaphorical tale of a fellow splitting with his girlfriend in favor of drinking in front of a closed-down bus station. The B-side is Vlautin’s semi-autobiographical account of visiting a drinking buddy in prison and the shallow relationship between the two: “But there’s nothing much to say/’cause I hope that you get out/hope that you don’t dry out/and I hope you still like me when you get out.”
“Whirlpool” is one of the songs to be included on their first CD. An early demo shows the band capable of mixing several styles at ease: blustery punk rock, dirgelike anthems and more melodic material. The band hopes to also add piano, pedal steel and banjo to a few tracks, though not so much as a means to define themselves as an experiment.
Vlautin’s lyrics tend to focus on the darker side of personal interactions. “All of my songs sound the same,” admits the humble guitarist and lyricist. Once the band gets together to jam, the songs start to take on their own direction. Gaston’s jazz-informed drum technique and Harding’s solid bass provide the foundation for the songs that Vlautin’s understated guitars and vocals build on. All of the band members agree that the music shouldn’t overwhelm the lyrics. Good thing, since Vlautin’s narratives are a good focal point for this young band.
If any of this reminds you of a certain country-punk trio from Belleville, Illinois, you’re not alone. While the band members consider the Uncle Tupelo comparisons a compliment, they don’t necessarily agree. “The [alternative-country] genre is not that common…so it’s easy for people to make those kind of comparisons,” notes Gaston. When pressed, band members cite a wide variety of influences but agree that the Replacements and early ’80s cowpunk outfits are central. In particular, Vlautin cites the Long Ryders as a personal favorite.
While the band members are all excited about the opportunity to tour and play with other bands around the country of similar ilk, they find a lot of satisfaction with their consistent schedule of gigs in Portland, including a soon-to-be-memorable gig at the Oregon State Penitentiary. “We gotta get a girl backup singer for that show,” quips Vlautin.
It’s obvious the guys are enjoying themselves, and the opportunity to make friends with similar musicians who’ve played around town for years has been particularly rewarding. Ultimately, Vlautin is happy to continue for “as long as we get to play and hang out and drink free beer.”
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Whiskycast on Japan and the King Car distillery, Taiwan
King Car distillery, Taiwan
I forgot to mention that Mark Gillespie of the Whiskycast podcast (itunes), which is essential listening for anyone interested in whisky, interviewed me in the middle of the New Year festivities over here. I am not sure how much light I shone on Japanese whisky but Mark was his usual professional self while I stumbled over my sentences (link to interview on Mark's website).
Perhaps of more interest was an interview in the very next episode of whiskycast (episode 234, January 10; interview link) with Ian Chang from the King Car distillery in Taiwan. I try to interpret Nonjatta's brief broadly and like to take note of developments in whisky across Asia, the continent which seems to hold the future of whisky in its hands. I must admit I had never heard of King Car before listening to Mark's interview (having only heard of rip offs from Taiwan before) but the company sell four different bottlings of single malt whisky, including ex-Bourbon cask and Sherry cask single cask expressions.
The whisky is still very young (King Car only started distilling in 2006) but it seems to be good. The sherry, ex-Bourbon and "Concertmaster" single malts won Bronze medals in this year's Malt Maniacs awards and Jim Murray gave the sherry version a 90 rating in the 2009 Whisky Bible. The main Kavalan single malt won a silver medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in March 2009 and a silver medal (best in class) at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. The judges said the whisky had “a delicate, gentle nose … with a sweet sensation making for easy flow.”
That sweet, smooth style seems to be what King Car are aiming at. They did extensive research of the Taiwanese market before launching their products and found that their countrymen preferred a slightly sweeter, more oily taste. Their main challenge at the moment seems to be the relatively hot weather conditions. I found distillers wrestling with similar problems at the Eigashima White Oak at Akashi, Japan's most southerly distillery: the angels' share can be astronomical (I have heard of 7 per cent a year losses in Japan). However, King Car, with help from the British distilling expert Jim Swan, reckon they have it under control. They say, as I have heard Japanese distillers working in these conditions claim, that the warmth also makes the whisky mature more quickly.
Make no mistake, King Car have aggressively ambitious. Andy Chang, a section chief at the distillery, said: “Our goal is to become one of the world’s top five whisky distilleries. And we will prove to the rest of the world that Taiwan is actually an ideal location for making whisky.
“From the very beginning, our goal has been to build a distillery that will stand for hundreds of years for whisky lovers from around the world,” Chang said.
The distillery began operations in 2006 with copper stills made in Scotland and imported malt but, the very next year, another set of stills was imported from Germany. Its total capacity is now a very substantial 9 million bottles per year.
The company behind the operation, King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd., is no minnow. It has established itself as one of the country's major food and drink makers since its foundation in 1979 and has ploughed 31 million dollars (US) into the distillery at Yuanshan Village in northeastern Taiwan. The single malt's name, "Kavalan", sounds a bit European but in fact comes from the name of an indigenous clan that lived in the region.
With a domestic market that is the sixth biggest in the world (Ian Chang told Mark that the Taiwanese like to drink whisky on special occasions and can down a bottle each in a night) and the potentially huge Chinese market on their doorstep, their future looks very interesting indeed. Currently, over 90 per cent of Taiwan's whisky is imported from Scotland. King Car intends to change all that.
Some quotes and information taken from Taiwan Today. The rest from Mark's podcast. Photograph from King Car website.
Posted at 12:29 PM
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NORTHLAND PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB BYLAWS
(revised October 4, 2012)
ARTICLE I - Name The name of this organization shall be:
the Northland Photography Club
ARTICLE II - Purpose · To develop, share, and display the photographic interests and works of its members. · To hold regular meetings devoted to photography and photographic activities in their various phases · To generally promote interest in and present photographic techniques
ARTICLE III - Membership Anyone interested in photography may become a member by the payment of dues and signing a membership information and waiver form. Active membership shall have two (2) sub-classes: Regular (individual) and Family. Regular membership shall be for a single individual. Family membership shall be for members of the same family living in the same household related by birth, marriage, partnership, adoption or other dependant of the member. For family members under age 26, residence in the same household is not required if attending school or serving in United States military service. Membership of any person may be suspended or revoked by the Executive Board for non- payment of dues or for other good and sufficient reason. The Board shall have full discretion as to what constitutes "good and sufficient reason". Examples of what could constitute good and sufficient reason include, but are not limited to: obscene or threatening behavior and personal behavior that disrupts or interrupts meeting(s) to the detriment of other members' participation and enjoyment. The suspended member may appeal the suspension to an open meeting of the club, in which case the action of the board will be upheld or rescinded by a majority vote of the membership. The vote is to be taken by secret ballot. Privileges of Membership: · All members, whose participation meets the requirements set forth in these Bylaws, may speak, make motions and vote during club meetings · Any member in good standing may be elected to or retain office · Any member in good standing may serve on standing or special committees · Any member in good standing may participate in club meetings, programs, workshops, field trips, competitions, and other events. · Some meetings, programs, workshops, field trips or other events may be designated as private and limited to members only and/or may have age restrictions due to the venue.
ARTICLE IV - Dues The annual dues for individual or other types of membership shall be set by the Executive Board with the approval of a simple majority vote of the membership at the December club meeting. Any changes in the annual dues will be effective for the following year. Annual dues shall be paid on a calendar year basis.
ARTICLE V - Meetings Regular meetings of club shall, if possible, be held on the first Thursday of each month. The dates of regular meetings may be changed when necessary, or a special meeting may be convened when it is deemed in the interest of club. Such action may be taken by the Executive Board or, in the event of an emergency, by the President or Vice-President and one other Officer. Reasonable notice of such change or addition shall be given to club members.
ARTICLE VI - Executive Board The Executive Board shall consist of the following nine members: the current president, vice-president i, secretary, treasurer, four elected directors, and the immediate past president. The management of the club shall be directed by the Executive Board. The Board shall handle all routine business of club and shall authorize the expenditure of funds for all Club expenses such as speakers, equipment, supplies, printing, fees, and mailings. For issues that can be decided without a formal meeting, the Board can conduct a vote via email or phone. Five members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. The Executive Board shall set its own time, place, and frequency of meeting. Any member who wishes to bring items requiring Board action to the attention of the Board may do so at any time by alerting the President or any other Board member. The Board will discuss the issue(s) at the next Board meeting.
ARTICLE VII - Elections and Terms of Service The following officers shall be elected by the membership: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four directors. The Executive Board shall act as nominating committee for president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. The secretary will contact the nominees to verify willingness to serve. The nominations shall be presented at the November membership meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor after the presentation of the nominating committee. Nominations for the offices of directors shall be made from the floor. The election shall be held at the December membership meeting. Members must be present at the meeting to vote. Absentee voting is not allowed. Officers and Directors shall be elected for one year terms beginning at the close of the December meeting where the election is held and ending at the close of the December meeting the following year. Voting method will be determined by the Executive Board. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected and their term will start immediately after the December meeting is adjourned. No Officer or Director can be elected to the same office for more than two consecutive terms, unless he or she is elected to that office by more than 80% present at the meeting where elections are held. If the President vacates office during the year, the Vice-President shall become President. If any other Officer or Director vacates office during the year, a successor shall be appointed by the president and approved by the Executive Board. A request for removal from office of any officer may be made by any member in good standing. The request must be made to the Executive Board with proof of negligence or misconduct with regard to the activities of the club. Final action for removal shall require a majority vote of the membership present at a regular monthly meeting. The vote will be taken by secret ballot.
ARTICLE VIII - Committees The club standing committees and their duties shall be: · Program Committee - Under the direction of the Vice-President, the program committee shall arrange the programs for all Club meetings. · Field Trip Committee - Organize, promote, and administer field trips for club members · Print Competition Committee - Organize, promote, and administer print competitions for club members · Exhibition/Selling Committee -Organize, promote, and administer exhibits and selling venues for Club members As soon as possible after being elected to office the President shall appoint the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees. The Secretary shall immediately notify the Chairpersons and the Board of the appointments. The Chairpersons shall recruit members to assist them as required. The President may at any time appoint an ad hoc committee for a special purpose, but the actions of such committee shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Board in accordance with the intent of these Bylaws.
ARTICLE VIIII - Amendment of Bylaws An amendment to these Bylaws may be proposed by any member in good standing, submitted to the Executive Board, and discussed at the next regular membership meeting. Written or emailed notice shall then be sent to each member stating the proposal and that itwill be voted on at the next regular meeting, providing twenty-eight days have elapsed between the notice to the membership and the balloting. Subject to the above, these Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the club by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.
ARTICLE X - Duties of the Officers The President: · Preside at all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board · Appoint all committee heads · Act as club spokesperson · Call Executive Board meetings when necessary to formulate policies or conduct urgent and essential business, and conduct general management of the club · Serve as an alternate signatory to the club’s checking account The Vice-President: · Assume the duties of the president in the latter’s absence · Direct the work of the Program Committee · Serve as an alternate signatory to the club’s checking account The Secretary: · Record and submit minutes of all business and educational or recreational meetings · Notify members of club meetings and events · Conduct the correspondence of the club, via regular or email · work with the treasurer to maintain an up-to-date membership list from which voting eligibility can be determined The Treasurer: · Maintain a record and have custody of the club’s funds and dues · Discharge funds for club expenses and keep a record thereof, in accordance with the approved budget or on approval of the Executive Board · Issue membership cards · Make periodic reports of the club finances · work with the secretary to maintain an up-to-date membership list from which voting eligibility can be determined · Present his or her books for annual audit to a club member who is not currently serving on the Executive Board.
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Newport Verdict
Chris Wilder looks back at last night's game
Against Newport County last night United created some good chances but ended up drawing blank in a goalless draw that keeps the U's at the head of Sky Bet League 2. We asked manager Chris Wilder his thoughts on the game:
"It was a frustrating night. We possibly should have gone ahead pretty early in the game, especially in the first half. We were disappointed to go in at half time not leading. It was very stop-start but not from our point of view. We tried to get the game going and flowing but obviously it kept getting broken up in various parts of the game.
"There was plenty of effort and plenty of endeavour. I’d like to have seen Sean Rigg on the pitch because he would definitely have given us an outlet there but Josh and Callum mixed the game up and that’s the story of the night."
With results elsewhere largely going in Oxford's favour, the U's remain top of the table going into a difficult trip to Fleetwood on Saturday. Chris was philosophical about the result, telling us: "We didn’t really gain much on Saturday and we’ve managed to stick another point onto the total. We’ll have to go to Fleetwood on Saturday and hopefully keep our superb away record intact. I don’t think we’ve had an okay start, I think it’s been an absolutely superb start with the things that we’re having to cope with.
"Kits has been really unlucky with two or three fantastic passes that on another day could have got Beano in. We’ve had two or three things, especially in the first half, that flashed across the face of the goal, so it was just not our night."
You can hear the full interview right now on Yellow Player.
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"We'll do whatever it takes..."
Karl Robinson gets ready for the new season
Karl on Barnsley
Karl Robinson gets set for the big kick off
Manager Karl Robinson is determined that his players bring success to Oxford United over the next 12 months
The U’s are at St George’s Park today training ahead of the game at Barnsley on Saturday and Karl told iFollow that he is determined that the U’s make the most of the opportunity they have this season.
“It’s exciting” he said. “Every fan of every club should be excited right now and thinking it might be their year. But in reality only 3% of those fans will see their team have success. We just hope we will be in that small percentage and that we can make fans happy and proud of our team.
“We are ultra-excited and I want to say a massive thank you to all the staff and all the players as well as all the fans who have supported us over the last four or five weeks. It has been a lot of hard work for everyone but the more they have pushed themselves the more they will achieve and the more they prevent injuries.
“It has been hard but it has never been silly- it has always been under control.
“We know, and the players know, what we expect. We all have a strong desire to be successful as a group.
“Let’s not waste a year. You only remember the successful years so don’t waste a year of a short career. To be successful is difficult. The hardest choice you have to make as a sportsman is to be successful. Losing is easy. It happens if you just turn up. But winning takes a lot more hard work, application and dedication away from the games. That’s why it is harder to achieve and why it means so much.
“But we are willing to put our bodies on the line and do whatever it takes to bring success to this football club over the next 12 months.”
See the whole interview plus the thoughts of Simon Eastwood, Curtis Nelson and Cameron Brannagan, all in iFollow right now.
Barnsley vs Oxford United on 04 Aug 18
Karl Robinson
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Explore Career Services
Get Experience
Teaching Greatness
Nicholas Wang ’16
Westchester/Pleasantville Campus
Some people take a lifetime to discover their passions and talents, which lead to fulfilling careers. But Nicholas Wang ’16 has known for years. “I wanted to be an elementary school teacher since the first grade—I stuck with it, and found a passion in teaching and educating. I like helping people because I’m able to relate to young individuals,” says the childhood education major. Since he’s come to Pace, Wang has certainly made an impact on campus, academically and socially. He’s made the Dean’s List and is also keeping busy as the vice president of Alpha Phi Delta fraternity, vice president of the Future Educators Association, and a member of the Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC).
Wang has taken his passion for education and found new ways to channel it; his work with TOC has led to the development of new programming for Pace students. Recently, they put on a series of “TOC Talks” discussing different concepts and how they can be applied to teaching; one such TOC Talk discussed magic in the classroom. “What we did was left it really vague—we had the members discuss what they thought it meant. We got a variety of answers, from magic and performance in the classroom, to finding the magic in students and helping them find their niche and their passions. But ultimately, it was about making those real connections between the teachers and the students.”
Wang is hoping to create some magic in the classroom in other ways. With his art concentration, he hopes he can ensure that his students develop artistically during their classroom experiences. “For example,” says Wang, “I did a lesson on the parts of a leaf and had students use colored pencils to rub an imprint of the leaf onto paper to see the parts more clearly. It was a way where students could use art to visualize what they’re doing, and take ownership of their work.”
His passion for helping children develop and learn also led him to get involved with the Pace4Kids Dance Marathon, as the special events and projects director and a morale dancer, which benefits the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center. The 12-hour marathon raised more than $30,000 for the hospital last year.
“It’s definitely challenging, but one of the coolest things about it is visiting the Children’s Hospital. You walk into the Children’s Hospital and there’s a giant walk-through aquarium, a dollhouse—every wing has a different theme,” he says. “Just to see the facilities, patients, and families that we were helping is amazing.”
Wang has simple advice to freshmen and new students: consider Greek life and get involved on campus. Wang didn’t expect to join a fraternity at Pace himself, but says after connecting with current and alumni brothers, the experience has been a backbone of support for him, with ample opportunities and internships available from alumni members.
“Pace offers a lot of leadership opportunities, but it’s up to individual students to take advantage of those opportunities. There are a lot of chances to evolve, and the connections that Pace has on campus—and outside of campus—are great. But it’s up to the students to take the steps to get them.”
“As a student who has dreamed of being a teacher since the first grade, I was looking for a strong and intense education program. Pace offered a combined five-year degree program where I would be able to receive both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years."
Crispino
From internships at Nickelodeon to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Amoreena Crispino is well on her way to conquering the media world.
Ahuja
For Salil Ahuja ’19, being a member of Pace’s award-winning Federal Reserve Challenge Team was the experience of a lifetime.
Skopp-Cardillo
Filmmaking runs in the family for Rachel Skopp-Cardillo ’20. She’s a third generation Pace student on the PLV Campus who just wrapped up working on PaceDocs’ Hope in the Dark last year.
Zakiya
Zakiya Sims ’18 is a coding wiz with an impressive resume, customizing her academic accomplishments as easily as the HTML and CSS in her old Myspace account. She even landed a job as a software engineer for Disney!
“The first reason why I chose Pace was the world of opportunity,” says Danielle Graziano ’18. Hear how she landed internships at Warner Music Group, Live Nation, and more!
Alyssa Ortega ’20 is a Childhood Education major on the PLV Campus who is deeply passionate about teaching—both as an educator, and a peer. There’s one lesson in particular, however, that really changed her perspective.
Argenys
Morban
Argenys Morban ’19 is the COO of a nonprofit, a member of Pace’s award-winning Fed Team, a Goldman Sachs analyst, and in his spare time? He shreds it on the drum and bass.
“In addition to its ideal location, Pace makes it easier to get a job or internship. They offer numerous resources, such as Career Services, which prepare students for success outside of the classroom.”
Sports fan and softball player Tara Bernstein ’18 had dreams of pursuing a career in sportscasting. At Pace, she interned at NY1 News, NBC Sports, and the New York Mets. After graduation, she was hired as a field reporter at Verizon Fios 1 News. Talk about a home run!
Nweke
“I believe what sets Pace apart from other universities lies in its diversity, various majors, and tools for success.”
Finance major and rising Wall Street star Mason Murray ’19 is on the path to some serious success. He’s interned for a number of heavy hitters in the industry including JPMorgan, and he recently participated in Goldman Sachs’ Pride Summit. This guy’s going places!
From interning at IBM to restarting a nonprofit foundation in the Dominican Republic, Rohana Sosa ’19 is making the most of her time at Pace.
Economics major Noelle Howard ’19 has been busy: she’s an Honors College student, Model UN award winner, and—get this—a former competitive ballet dancer. Her ambition is on pointe!
Joseph Colella ’19 founded the Political Science Society to spark more dialogue about politics on campus. Before his grand ambitions at Pace? He was part of the Grand Awkward, a band that’s actually on Spotify.
Blake Rozelle ’20 has worn many hats: DJ and President of WPAW, YouTuber, PaceDocs filmmaker, small business owner, and much more. What got him started? Making videos with his grandmother.
Abby Fox ’19 is all about the NYC experience—and every big opportunity the Big Apple has to offer. That kind of drive brought her work all the way to the desk of Amy Poehler!
Taslim
Tavarez
Intern. Volunteer. Filmmaker. Prestigious award winner. Taslim Tavarez ’18, a first-generation student, is making a difference at Pace and around the world.
James Best ’18 had his sports journalism dreams come true when he had the opportunity to intern in the NBCSports.com and NBC Olympics newsrooms. After graduation, he landed a full-time job at NBC Sports as a digital editor.
Eiman
Through research, internships, and industry leadership, Eiman Ahmed ’18 is well on her way to a bright future in STEM.
Szymanski
Through heavy involvement with student government, Bartek Szymanski has been able to merge his studies and achievements in an unorthodox, yet extremely meaningful way.
DellaSala
BriAnna DellaSala ’17 is ready to take her masterful skills in marketing and her flair for fashion to a career in the fashion industry.
Sasha Ariel
Through her recently published children’s book and a number of other initiatives, Sasha Ariel Alston is helping to change the face of STEM.
Porretta
Be it a high-stakes race or a patient in need, nursing student Nick Porretta ’17 is prepared for anything that may come his way.
DelToro
Pace School of Education student Jamie DelToro ’19 turns her own development as a mentor and childhood education major into a way of helping her peers reach their full potential.
Borrero
Amber Borrero ’17 made her mark at the marketing company TMPG. In this Q&A, she shares her advice to students and gives an inside look at what it's like to work for an award-winning marketing company.
Cati Amaral ’18 injects her heart for helping others into her daily life at Pace, from advocating for students through her roles in the Honors Council and Student Government Association to excelling as a nursing student and resident assistant on the PLV Campus.
“Being in an environment where one day you’re working on Sunday Night Football content, and the next day on the Olympics, is actually a dream come true.”
Krawsek
From going behind the camera for a live shoot, to seeing the process of building a television project from the ground up, Rachel Krawsek ’17 is ready to conquer the production field after interning at Al Roker Entertainment.
Sarah Davis ’18 has drawn upon her bond with Professor Leora Trub to produce some truly compelling research, and establish herself as an expert on the evolving digital realities of therapy.
Shahzaib
“I noticed that at Pace University, I have been setting higher goals. When I graduate, I don’t want just a job, I want the best of the best.”
“Pace gives you the opportunity to stand out. The school really focuses on getting its students on track for the real world. They require you to have internships, ask you what your goals are, and teach you on a different level that stimulates your mind.”
Castelblanco
"Far from being only academically focused, Pace offers its students a lot of help in getting internships and on-campus experiences in their field of study."
Katie and Kimberly
Katie and Kimberly Mitts ’17 are forever grateful for the lessons, experiences, simulation scenarios, and mentoring they have received along their Pace Path.
Communication Studies and Film and Screen Studies double major Joshua Lovell ’18 took his love of leadership to new heights last summer after he was selected to participate in the highly prestigious Hesselbein Global Leadership Summit.
From pitching a Pace partnership with Lyft to completing a summer internship at Comcast, Julian Alston ’18 is preparing to conquer the business world while taking in all that the PLV Campus has to offer.
“Pace has given me a real edge. We have clinical placements early, and we work in the field and in labs far more than what’s required for licensing. That’s where so much of the learning is, and I’m there.”
Posner
Balancing internships, travel, class, and leadership roles may be a challenge for some, but for Seidenberg student Ava Posner '18 , she knows it is her code to success for rising to the top as a woman in technology and landing a job at a leading startup after graduation.
Hilary McManus ’15 shares her story of inspiration, her academic successes, and how Pace helped her on her journey to become a pediatric audiologist.
Global marketing student Nicholas Casanova ’16 combines his passion for politics and skills in marketing to make a difference in his community and for his fellow classmates.
Through seeking out volunteer work and extensive research into the non-profit sector, Ali Phelan ’18 is making a positive impact both at home and abroad.
Vinona
Rugova
From managing one of Pace’s student-run business to interning at GroupM, Vinona Rugova is getting down to business.
W. Paul
Law student W. Paul Alvarez '16 is in the classroom, in the courtroom, and making a difference in the lives of immigrants thanks to his experience at Pace Law School's Immigration Justice Clinic.
Scholarships and prestigious awards have enabled political science and peace and justice studies student Jessie Meredith ’16 to travel around the world and back again in pursuit of a career in urban planning and peace and justice.
Arts and entertainment management and quantitative business analysis double major James Park ’17 gets down to business in the classroom. But in his residence hall, he’s working on the perfect recipe to land his dream career as a television food personality.
Kristin Stein ’15, ’17 discusses how transferring to Pace during her junior year—her third school as an undergraduate—turned out to be just the right fit for her.
Boustany Jost
Film, Television, Voice-overs, and Commercials (FTVC) student Noura Boustany Jost ’18 is well on her way to becoming a force in the motion picture business. After just two years at Pace, she’s already produced, written, directed, and starred in her own Screen Actors Guild (SAG)-approved film.
Andre Arias ’18 discusses how a gift from a family member propelled him into a world of possibilities in communications, and how the right planning and experiential learning can get students ahead.
Gianacopoulos
Elliana Gianacopoulos ’18 conducts medical research, leads the Pre-Professional Medical Society on campus, and spends her days volunteering in hospitals and medical programs across New York City all with one goal in mind: to help others in need.
Rinosa
During his undergraduate career at Pace, Marc Rinosa ’17 has challenged the conventions of the business world, learned from a professor who knows Beyoncé, and has strived to establish recruitment channels for diverse and underrepresented students on campus.
Vecchione
“I’ve found that I’ve had a ton of support at Pace, and being a woman in computer science hasn’t deterred me in any way.”
Washington. Brussels. Tirana. Studying at Pace doesn’t mean you have to stay in New York. With his prestigious grants and internships, finance student Anthony J. Leo ’15 shows how Pace can turn you into a globetrotter.
Gentilella
“I definitely wanted an education along with pursuing my acting career, and Pace allows for me to have both in my life.”
One year after launch, the founders of the booming Pace Mart talk about their success, the obstacles they faced to get there, and the invaluable lessons they learned along the way.
Commercial dance student and a winner of the 2014-2015 Ted and Pat Levine Proof of Concept Entrepreneurship Initiative Juliette Nieves ’15 is getting down to business to pursue a passion that pays.
Lemus
Pace student Giovanni “Gio” Lemus ’16 knows what it’s like to live passionately and with purpose. He shares his thoughts on the importance of getting involved, planning for the future, and inspiring the next generation.
From New York to Los Angeles to Rio, Carolyn Phillips’ internship with Special Olympics New York and passion for volunteering and the Olympics is changing her life one game at a time.
“[The Performing Arts Department] is absolutely incredible. It’s why I came to Pace.”
“I knew how to make clothes, I needed to know accounting, marketing, and all the things fashion school leaves out.”
McCatty
Communication Studies student Alanna McCatty is funding her entire Pace education through merit and outside scholarships and shares her tips for landing scholarships, internships, and other opportunities at Pace.
Entrepreneurship student Amit Shah ’16 manages his classes and his own business as the CEO of an international niche staffing company.
“I always felt that I had to build my life, and the only way to do that was to put myself out there, starting with the resources at Pace.”
Ossipov
Thanks to his Pace education, Army veteran and information technology student James Ossipov '15 is on the front lines of fighting cybercrime, one mobile phone at a time.
Czirr
“Though Teaching Fellows places you at a school, I was lucky to get placed at Pace. The School of Education has been really supportive and really helpful.”
Minneo
“Everything that you put in to Pace, that is what you’re going to get out of it.”
“I took full advantage of the opportunities offered here at Pace. We have one of the top internship/co-op programs in the nation.”
"When you put a child’s education in my hands, I’m basically saying ‘I’m going to prepare them for you, lawyers; I’m going to prepare them for you, doctors...’ They have to go through me first. And it’s a really big responsibility."
Oluwabukola
Oyalabu
Oluwabukola Oyalabu ’16 revisits her childhood roots while helping build playgrounds and teaching children the value of sustainability through her Wilson Center Summer Funded Internship at the Trust for Public Land.
"Pace has a very special program that not every school has. Your senior year at Pace you do a preceptorship, which means that rather than go to the hospital in a clinical group…you’re one-on-one with a nurse."
Borgella
"How many times do you have two campuses in the same school?” she says. “At any other school I couldn’t do that."
Paskowski
"I chose Pace for its reputable nursing program and was able to have the chance to play Division II Soccer. Not many athletic programs allow student-athletes to pursue a career in nursing while being an athlete but I was lucky to find Pace."
Gray Page
"Winning the Pace Business Plan Competition means that I’m on the right track. It’s exciting and it’s validation—that I wasn’t completely crazy for taking a risk and quitting my corporate job to pursue 50ROOTS.com."
"What keeps me here is definitely the faculty. Early on, I developed a good working relationship with the faculty at Pace and, on top of that, got a good scholarship."
Agbulos
"Being with other students who are just as passionate about these issues…besides being eye-opening, was also a wake-me-up moment."
Raheem
"I don’t see myself as a success story yet. I’m more of a rough draft of what I expect myself to do later in life."
Kyeong Hun (Christopher)
Kang '14
“I knew that I wanted an experience that was not only extraordinary, but life changing.”
Cano
“I chose Pace because they had an outstanding reputation and the Lubin School of Business had so much to offer incoming undecided freshmen.”
“Career Services was a huge part of me starting off my internships with DeedCast and Sony Corp.”
“Career Services is one of the best services Pace has to offer. I’m not saying that because I worked there. I worked there because of that.”
Moroney
“The experience that has helped enhance my career development and goals has been the support I received from Pace University as a whole. It changed my entire life.”
Emerich
“It isn’t uncommon for students with internships to become hired by the company once the internship ends. I was fortunate enough to have this scenario become a reality for me.”
Szarka
“I feel like I’ve gotten so much from Pace and my mentor teachers. I’m ready to do this.”
Buzzell
"From the moment I came to New York City, I was determined that I would take advantage of everything the city and Pace had to offer. I followed my passion and Dyson was instrumental in helping me figure out how to get where I wanted to go."
“Being an intern while a student means having the freedom to feel secure enough to take professional risks and to explore sectors that you might not have considered as a full-time career choice post-graduation.”
“I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to my internships."
“I was inspired to apply to Pace University after seeing a presentation on the Pace Pitch Contest. It is incredible how almost four years later, I have competed in the competition and came in first place.”
“I’ve had opportunities [at Pace] that I don’t think I would’ve have had at another school.”
Akdemir
"I applied to Pace University because I was advised that the School of Education was fabulous and had a great relationship with RCC and that my credits would transfer over very smoothly… I am happy I made the decision to come to Pace."
"Many of my peers are already chief PAs in their departments. This reflects on the caliber of the program at Pace that teaches character, leadership, and knowledge."
"I wouldn’t be involved in so much if I didn’t love the school; I think it’s so amazing how much we’re able to offer students at our University."
Neurauter
"I feel that I have an edge over other students throughout the country. The extensive marketing classes I have taken have truly helped me talk intelligently about my field when interviewing and discussing aspects of the business."
"Pace has shown a real commitment to my professional development. I’ve been given the tools to figure out not only what I’d like to do as a profession, but who I’d like to be as a person."
Pease
"The work that I did with Seidenberg Creative Labs and [Professor] Hill while I was at Pace was instrumental in my professional life. It was invaluable to work with real-world clients."
"The professors build you up to become a leader, not a follower. They helped me a lot to be autonomous."
"The Media and Communication Video Arts program at Pace University really helped prepare me for life in the very competitive production industry. Coming in, I knew nothing about production, but I learned everything I needed to know, and now I’m an associate producer."
"I work hard doing what I like to do, which is helping people and communities. If you’re passionate about something, you should go for it… The best thing about being a Pace student is when you work hard, it all pays off."
Using his experience opening up an on-campus café, entrepreneur Chris Gaur started a telehealth company, Vital Health Services.
"I feel that Pace is a school that prepares its students. I’m really glad I took advantage of all the opportunities it afforded me."
McDougle-Stamey
"I was accepted into Vanderbilt, but Pace was my first choice because it has such incredible opportunities. I wouldn’t be able to get those opportunities in Dauphin Island. Between conflict analysis research and Model UN, I really think that Pace was the perfect choice for me."
"Most students don’t get involved in research until their junior year, but at Pace I was able to engage in research at the end of my freshman year, beginning of sophomore year."
Acevedo Buontempo
"I am very grateful for the opportunities I’ve received through my Pace education. I realize how an education can change your life. From my marketing undergraduate degree to my MPA in non-profit management, everything I’ve learned at Pace has helped me get to where I am now."
Janelle Wallace ’14 aspired to work in the television and film industry. Now, as a graduate student in educational technology, she will have the distinction of publishing in only her first year of graduate study.
Rumit
Mehta
From architecture to entrepreneurship, Rumit Mehta used his MBA in International Business to found one of National Geographic’s top "50 Tours of a Lifetime."
"My priority was finding a school that would be willing to work with me…and be supportive and understanding."
"How many people can be in school and say they can work at some of the biggest corporations in not even just America, but the world? It’s just crazy to think that coming here as an 18-year-old girl who just wanted to be in New York, my dreams are honestly coming true."
Sofya
Sternik
"I think that what sets Pace apart is that we know when to study, and we know when to have fun. That balance of working with and enjoying your time with the team, and studying as much as you can, is what makes us great and won us the Lloyd Bromberg Teamwork Award."
"The best thing about the program is that it is very involved and very one-on-one, personal. It really helped me figure out what it is that I want to do."
Kelleher
"I chose to study abroad to immerse myself in a place that is unfamiliar to me, to reflect on my education in America, and to see what other institutions have to offer. Receiving the Gilman Scholarship is a true blessing and I can’t wait to share my experience with my fellow Pace students."
Kazinec
"After four years of part-time jobs, internships at leading companies, … and a full load of classes—all while maintaining a GPA above 3.5 in the Honors College—my hard work has finally paid off... I have been offered a position at a leading media and marketing company."
Zanjani
"Every year I’ve gotten an internship through Pace University. They’ve been my guidance and my support in my career development here."
Steet
"After only a semester at Pace University in the master’s in Media and Communication Arts program, I landed an internship in the Public Relations Department at Revlon, Inc., one of the world’s top leading makeup brands, in their Manhattan office."
"There is a huge advantage when you are coming to school at Pace, and specifically Lubin, because your internship opportunities are endless."
Elsey
"Instead of just having lectures in class and going through the textbooks and Powerpoints, Lubin professors really stress the importance of going out to NYC and for us to get a really good handle of what it is to be a young professional within the Hospitality and Tourism industry."
Kristhy
"Every finance company is here in New York, accounting companies, so I thought there are a lot of opportunities here. The companies are constantly coming to Pace to recruit, to look for, students."
"I came to Lubin primarily because Pace just has this rich history within accounting. The faculty at Lubin have been stupendous."
Spozmi
Nouri
"Being in NYC, all of the students who attend Pace have so many opportunities presented to them. Several of my internships and job opportunities, I’ve been able to leave Pace and it’s been a 10 minute walk away from the University."
Cailan
"One of the best parts of this program is that you’re here, you’re in the middle of it. You can do a workshop or a reading and go to school, and take literally what you learned in the classroom and apply it that night."
Valerie Cayo '14 has been whetting her app-etite working on two mobile app projects. Hear what little monster app inspires her and words of advice to aspiring developers.
"Pace statistics speak for themselves. Regarding economic or business majors, Pace University is just the top of the class. This is one of the reasons I chose Pace."
Rajan
"Pace University has given me a solid nursing foundation and a diverse range of invaluable experiences, from ICU preceptorships to working at the Henry Street Settlement…. I am truly grateful and proud to be an alumna of the Lienhard School of Nursing."
Knell
Matthew Knell has spent the last 14+ years designing, developing, marketing, and strategizing at some of the most well-known brands in the country: About.com, AOL, CafeMom, Scholastic, JetBlue, and Viacom.
April Bukofser and
Marin Milio
"We dreamed about this in college, we made it come true, and we love what we do. Pace gave both of us a well-rounded base, and we’re using those skills every day in all aspects of the business… Our roots are at Pace and if it wasn’t for Pace, we wouldn’t be here."
"When I was a high school student and touring Pleasantville, the Seidenberg academic adviser told me about the program and Pace’s affiliation with the DoD. I came to Pace because of the program and the scholarships it offers."
Vadhan
“As a girl who has always had big dreams, Pace has given me the opportunities to make them come true.”
"Pace in general has really fostered a lot of work ethic and career opportunities for me that I don’t know if I would have had at other schools. I’m finally starting to see my high school dreams come true. I owe a lot to Dr. Mandel."
"Most other schools don’t do a five-year program. I saw some schools, but Pace was so much better. You could see that students got jobs after they graduated from Pace."
"That internship gave me the experience that led me to McGraw-Hill. I was more confident after that internship."
Lemmey
"I’ve spoken to other people that are in different nursing programs, and Pace has a very rigorous program, which makes it stand out from the rest. I feel extremely confident that my education at Pace has prepared me for the NCLEX and beginning my career."
These experiences have greatly influenced my future career plans because I learned that I do not want to be just ‘a number’ in a corporation but I want to matter in the output of the company that I work for.
Cherian
"It’s really taking what I’m learning in the textbook and what I’m doing on the job and tying it all together. It’s an integration of the two. I’ve always studied business and IT separately, so to see how they tie together is something that’s huge for me now."
Embrey
"Because the faculty at Pace is amazing and they’re working in the industry, it doesn’t feel like there’s a glass wall between myself and a professional career in the performing arts. If I keep putting in the hard work and making connections, it’s going to happen."
"I fell in love with Pace. UNC only gives its first 10 veterans full aid and then covers 20% of the cost of attendance. Pace gives 100%."
Hatsue
Masuyama
"Pace allows education majors to have fieldwork experience earlier than many other universities, and it is also one of a few schools that uses the Avatar TeachLivE™ Lab where education majors can practice their classroom skills in a realistic simulation."
"I chose Pace because I already had a family at the computer science school before I came in. It was the type of community that I wanted to spend my time in."
Vicioso
Taking his childhood passion for toy and LEGO building to the next level, Seidenberg student Josué Vicioso talks about the Seidenberg Creative Labs, his work with the video game inspired adventure gym Exerblast, and more!
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JFK Another Essay. by tucsonmike on 16 December 2010 11:46pm
Fifty years ago today I was thirteen, which because I skipped a grade, puts me somewhere at Ponce de Leon Junior High. (They call them middle schools today but the reality is probably the same...you're kind of not a kid anymore and you're dealing with heavy-duty issues like periods and pimples but you still don't have a clue and whatever you're doing isn't good enough for high school even though you're blissfully too young to know that yet).
Anyway, that's where I was when John F Kennedy ran for president. As I recall, I wasn't all that involved. (My mind was probably more focused on Steve Brody who used to come over to my house and play these great pieces on the piano....)
I sure as heck wasn't thinking about presidents. I was born when Truman was president but I was well into my forties before I even began to look into the legacy that man left. Even today if you gave me a word association test and said president: I would answer Eisenhower. I grew up with the balding, WWII hero, grandfatherly figure with the reassuring smile that everyone "liked". Nothing wrong with that or him when you were a kid!!! I honestly don't think I even noticed who was vice-president although as anyone my age is already guessing, "tricky-dick" was hiding in the shadows of my youth ready to pop out when I least expected it!
Okay, it's 1960 and I'm on the precipice of high school, maybe even riding a superficial wave at good old Ponce and JFK beats Nixon. Honestly, I'm not sure I even cared. What I remember most were personal memories when my father was president elect of the Orange Bowl and then president and Kennedy came down for the games. By that time I'd moved on to Gables High School, (fight right down that field...). I had other things on my mind.
That was probably true that November day in 1963 when I sat in Joan Rietzma's political science class. We were seated alphabetically so in the first row it was Maria Alvarez, me, Steve Brody (remember him?) and Bob Brown. On the wall to our left was a photograph of President John F Kennedy that I'm certain nobody in the room was paying any attention to that day. It was sort of a contentious time at Coral Gables Senior High. After the Bay of Pigs our halls were filled with a number of contemporaries suddenly dropped in our midst from Cuba, most of which didn't speak English very well and who most probably as we were, were uncomfortable and unsure of how to react to each other. (In the Gidget world in which most of us were raised being pinched on the behind by the Cuban boys as we changed classes was not something we easily adjusted to.)
November 22, 1963 was the day our Principal Norton came on the PA system and announced that President Kennedy was shot. In front of me Maria Alvarez sprang from her seat and spat on the picture of the president and said, "Good, I hope he dies." Behind me like some kind of a missile Steve Brody slammed into her and Bob Brown found his feet and managed to pull Steve off of her. They rolled around for a while and that's all I remember before I got home. There was no sadness in my house although looking back I wish there had been. There was no right of passage even if deep in my heart I think I knew even then that this country had passed a milestone.
Looking back on all of it now I feel almost robbed of the history. Of course I watched the images we'll never forget of LBJ taking the oath, of the funeral and John-John saluting his dead father, but I was a long way from understanding what it meant. It took years, many of which living in Washington, to get to that place. I'm glad to say I finally believe I'm looking back on all of it with a reflection that might only come from age.
So if this is the anniversary of the election of John F Kennedy that started it all maybe we should all look back and forward at the same time. What happened after November of 1960?
-we know that not only Jackie Kennedy (Onassis) but JFK junior are no longer with us; that Caroline has lived a more than admirable life as a wife and mother and has promise as a possible political candidate in the future
-Bobby Kennedy was assassinated and buried near the eternal flame that marks his brother's grave at Arlington, RIP Bobby.
-Ted Kennedy, in spite of his past, managed to live out his life as a respected member of Congress and when he died he rightfully earned the grief of many and left a legacy still to be seen.
-Maria Shriver (Swartzenagger), possibly the best of the bunch, still has a lot to teach us.
-Patrick, (D-Rhode Island) retired this year making 2011 the first time since the year I was born that there won't be a Kennedy in Congress.
What does that say about fifty years ago? Frankly it makes me feel old and reminds me that as our own lives evolve we seldom see how it reflects history until we've been given enough time to put perspective on it.
What was I doing on November 9th, 1960? I haven't got a friggin clue but I hope it was a good day because in the long run I think we were lucky to have JFK as long as he lasted and I'm glad to take this time to think back on him.
Re: JFK Another Essay. by Loretto on 21 December 2010 12:51pm
Wow! Mike, I think this is fantastic. I also think there's a great short story or even a novelette about Maria Alvarez in here too! I never imagined there were people who celebrated Kennedy's death.
Re: JFK Another Essay. by mrsteabag on 21 December 2010 5:19pm
Good job, Mike...thanks.
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Lady Gaga has called off her engagement to Christian Carino
''It just didn't work out.''
Lady Gaga has officially called off her engagement to talent agent Christian Carino, a rep has confirmed.
Speculation that the couple had split began circulating after the Grammys earlier this month, when the singer and actress showed up to the awards ceremony solo and sans her eye-catching sapphire engagement ring.
The 32-year-old's rep confirmed to People that the couple had indeed ended their relationship.
An additional source told People, "It just didn't work out."
"Relationships sometimes end. There's no dramatic story."
Lady Gaga and Christian Carino at last year's Grammy Awards. (Image: Getty)
The couple, who had only officially confirmed their engagement in October last year, looked incredibly loved up just weeks before the split, while attending the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards together, for Gaga's role in the film A Star Is Born.
Gaga and Christian were first linked in January 2017, around six months after she had ended her five year relationship with actor Taylor Kinney.
Lady Gaga was previously engaged to actor Taylor Kinney, they ended their five year relationship mid-2016. (Image: Getty)
In recent years Lady Gaga has been incredibly open about her struggles with mental illness and fibromyalgia, a form of chronic pain.
At the end of the 2016 the hit-maker was forced to cancel her performance at the Rock In Rio festival after being hospitalised, with the star saying she was "devastated" she couldn't perform.
"I would do anything for u but I have to take care of my body right now," the star wrote to her fans in an Instagram post.
"I ask for your grace and understanding, and promise that I will come back and perform for you soon."
"I'm so sorry, and I love you so much."
MoviesBradley Cooper explains how he found a muse in Lady Gaga for his directorial debut in 'A Star Is Born'
Celebrity NewsLady Gaga opens up about suffering from PTSD
Lady Gaga,
Taylor Kinney,
Split,
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The SOARCA Process
Step 1: Selecting Accident Scenarios to Model
Step 2: Modeling Onsite Accident Progression and Mitigation Measures
Step 3: Modeling Offsite Release of Radioactive Material
Step 4: Modeling Emergency Response
Step 5: Modeling Health Effects
Home > About NRC > How We Regulate > Research Activities > State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses > The SOARCA Process > Step 4: Modeling Emergency Response
SOARCA Process, Step 4: Modeling Emergency Response
Nuclear Facility Response
Emergency Planning Zones
Protective Action Recommendations
Principles of Evacuation
Title 10, Section 50.47, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.47), "Emergency Plans"
Frequently Asked Questions About Emergency Preparedness and Response
Backgrounder on Emergency Preparedness at Nuclear Power Plants
In the unlikely event that a severe accident resulted in a release of radioactive material from a nuclear power plant, the plume of radioactive material would disperse from the site into the environment by expanding and moving downwind. In conjunction with modeling offsite release of radioactive material in Step 3 of the State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses (SOARCA) process, the project team modeled the implementation of emergency plans during a severe accident. To learn more, see the following topics on this page:
Emergency Preparedness and Its Importance to SOARCA
To reduce the consequences of a radiological event, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires each site to demonstrate reasonable assurance that adequate protective measures can and will be taken in the event of a radiological emergency. Examples of NRC requirements include periodic exercises of emergency response capabilities, providing and maintaining adequate emergency response facilities and equipment, and establishing procedures to notify state and local response organizations and emergency personnel.
In order to protect public health and safety in the event of a radiological accident and to meet these requirements, the facilities develop emergency preparedness (EP) programs. Nuclear power plant EP programs include plans, training, exercises, and resources designed to protect public health and safety in the event of a radiological accident. These EP programs are developed, tested, and evaluated and are in place as another level of defense to protect the public. (For additional detail, see Emergency Preparedness and Response.)
The project team used MACCS2 (MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System, version 2) to realistically model the exposure of the surrounding population. To do so, MACCS2 integrated a simulated evacuation and other protective actions with the atmospheric transport and dispersion model. For greater realism, the team created models with network evacuations. The network evacuation model is based on the routes of the planned site evacuation. The map to the right depicts representative routes for a planned site evacuation.
For the purposes of evaluating accident consequences in the SOARCA project, the most evident part of a plant's emergency response plan is the evacuation of the public in the 10-mile (16-km) plume exposure pathway Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). Actions in this EPZ could be expanded if the plume projections suggest that the population in a wider area need to take protective actions. Thus, the project team assessed additional aspects of emergency response, including relocation from areas of relatively high potential for exposure, as well as variations of evacuation and sheltering of population groups outside the 10-mile EPZ to a distance of 20 miles from the plant.
This step of the SOARCA process also recognized that offsite response organizations (OROs) will take necessary actions as detailed in their offsite emergency plans to reduce the risk to the public in the unlikely event of an accident. Consequently, the project staff obtained site-specific information from OROs to support protective action timelines for use in the models. In addition, the licensees provided evacuation time estimates (ETEs) and other relevant information. These ETEs provided a significant level of detail, including the evacuation characteristics of several segments of the public, known as "cohorts," predicted to behave in a similar fashion following an accident.
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, January 03, 2018
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What We Regulate
Home > Radioactive Waste > High-Level Waste Disposal > Licensing Process
Recent Activities Timeline
The Licensing Process
The Adjudicatory Process
The NRC received an application from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on June 3, 2008, for a license to construct and operate the nation's first geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
On March 3, 2010, the DOE filed a motion with the Board seeking permission to withdraw its license application. The Board denied that request on June 29, 2010, and the parties filed petitions asking the Commission to uphold or reverse this decision.
On October 1, 2010, the NRC began orderly closure of its Yucca Mountain activities. As part of the orderly closure, the NRC staff prepared reports summarizing NRC staff's technical review of DOE's application.
Yucca Mountain
On September 9, 2011, the Commission issued an order stating that it found itself evenly divided on whether to take the affirmative action of overturning or upholding the Board's June 29, 2010, decision. Exercising its inherent supervisory authority, the Commission directed the Board to complete all necessary and appropriate case management activities by the end of September. On September 30, 2011, the Board suspended the proceeding.
Yucca Mountain activities remained suspended until August 2013, when the staff resumed its license application review following a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 gave the DOE the responsibility to site, construct, and operate a geologic repository for high-level waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was directed to develop radiation protection standards for a repository, and the NRC was given responsibility for regulating geologic disposal of the waste. In 1987, amendments to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act directed DOE to focus solely on Yucca Mountain, approximately 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the site for a repository. DOE made its determination in 2002 that Yucca Mountain would be a suitable location; President George W. Bush and Congress accepted that determination and directed DOE to submit its license application.
High-level nuclear waste consists primarily of spent fuel from the nation's commercial nuclear power plants, spent fuel from U.S. Navy reactors, and certain waste generated by DOE during development of nuclear weapons. DOE's proposed repository would hold about 70,000 metric tons of high-level waste, including about 63,000 metric tons of commercial spent nuclear fuel. More than 78,000 metric tons of commercial spent fuel are in temporary storage at nuclear power plants and decommissioned facilities across the country as of the end of 2016.
See also Additional background information.
Docketing Review and Environmental Determination
The NRC staff's review began with an initial look at the DOE application to see if it was complete enough to docket and begin a thorough technical review. At the same time, the staff began reviewing DOE's environmental analysis. On September 8, 2008, the agency docketed the application and adopted DOE's environmental impact statements, noting more analysis was needed on groundwater impacts. In February 2015, the Commission directed NRC staff to develop the supplement on the groundwater impacts.
Licensing Review
Entrance Tunnel at
Once the application was docketed, the NRC's technical staff began a detailed and comprehensive review. This review involved NRC staff and contractor employees with expertise in many technical and scientific disciplines. They were experts in geochemistry, hydrology, climatology, structural geology, volcanology, seismology and health physics, as well as chemical, civil, mechanical, nuclear, mining, materials and geological engineering. The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (the Center) in San Antonio, Texas, the NRC's federally-funded research and development center, provided technical assistance.
As part of its review, the NRC staff asked for more information from DOE regarding the application. These requests and DOE's responses are publicly available, unless they contain sensitive security, privacy or proprietary information.
As noted above, the NRC staff's Yucca Mountain review activities were closed in September 2011 and resumed in 2013. In January 2015, the NRC staff completed its safety evaluation report (SER) containing its findings on the proposed repository. The SER explains the staff's determination as to whether the facility meets NRC regulations. The NRC staff recommended adoption of DOE's EISs in September 2008, but noted the need to supplement the study of groundwater effects in the Yucca Mountain aquifer beyond DOE's analyzed location at the site boundary. In May 2016, the NRC staff completed the supplement to DOE's Environmental Impact Statement.
NRC adjudicatory hearings are conducted by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, which is composed of administrative judges who are lawyers, engineers and scientists.
After docketing the application in 2008, the NRC published a notice of hearing and opportunity to participate in the hearing. The Panel appointed multiple Boards of three judges to hear a variety of legal and technical contentions regarding the Yucca Mountain construction authorization application. The Boards determined if the contentions were admissible to the proceeding. Nearly 300 contentions were admitted before the proceeding was suspended on September 30, 2011. If the adjudication were to resume, one or more Boards would hear evidence and issue decisions on admitted issues contesting DOE's application or the NRC staff's decision to adopt the DOE environmental impact statement. A Board could also hold "limited appearance" sessions to allow members of the public to make brief oral statements about the proposed repository, and may invite the public to submit written statements.
The Boards would likely issue several decisions on contentions before the NRC makes a decision on whether to authorize construction. Parties may ask the Commission to review these decisions. The Commission's final decision may be appealed to a U.S. Court of Appeals.
If the NRC were to authorize construction of the Yucca Mountain repository, before beginning to operate the facility, DOE would have to update the application to request NRC approval to receive and possess high-level waste at Yucca Mountain. This application would be subject to the same technical review and hearing processes as the construction authorization application.
Licensing Support Network
Under the Commission's rules, a hearing on DOE's application is required in the public interest before the Commission decides whether to authorize construction. In anticipation of the large number of technical documents related to the application that would be produced by DOE and the other parties, the NRC began preparing for the adjudicatory process long before DOE submitted its license application. The NRC created a Web-based Licensing Support Network (LSN), which was intended to be primarily a discovery tool. At the time the application was submitted, the LSN included over 3.6 million documents the parties had designated as relevant to the proceeding. Some of these were expected to be entered into evidence during the Yucca Mountain evidentiary hearings. The NRC deactivated the network in 2011. The parties submitted their document collections to the Secretary of the NRC and these documents were held in storage. When work resumed in 2013, they were loaded into NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System to allow access by NRC reviewers working on the SER. In February 2015, the Commission directed that the LSN documents be made available to the public through ADAMS, assuming sufficient Nuclear Waste Fund monies remained after the staff's completion of its SER to first allow the staff to prepare and issue an environmental impact statement supplement regarding groundwater discharge impacts. In August 2016, the LSN Library became operational through ADAMS, once again providing public access to the complete document collections of the parties, including those of the staff, that were in the LSN at the time the network was shut down.
The NRC's regulations can be found in Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). See also, the primary regulations relevant to the Yucca Mountain review and hearings
Currently, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) does not have active safety oversight responsibilities at the potential Yucca Mountain repository site. When the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, discontinued site activities and closed its Yucca Mountain Project Office, the NRC closed its Las Vegas On-Site Representatives Office.
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Monday, February 12, 2018
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Olympics|Wambach Breaks Leg in Exhibition
Wambach Breaks Leg in Exhibition
By JERÉ LONGMAN JULY 17, 2008
U.S. forward Abby Wambach signaled for the team doctors after sustaining a injury to her leg against Brazil on Wednesday. Credit Donald Mirelle/Getty Images
The United States women's soccer team received an apparently devastating blow to its chances for winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics when its top player, forward Abby Wambach, suffered a broken left leg Wednesday night in an exhibition against Brazil.
Wambach broke the tibia and fibula in the leg and will undergo surgery on Thursday to have a titanium rod inserted, a team spokesman said. She is expected to be out of action for three months and will miss the Beijing Games, where the United States women begin play on Aug. 6.
Thirty-one minutes into Wednesday's exhibition, played in San Diego, the fearless and powerful Wambach charged ahead at full speed, seemingly to take a shot from nearly 30 yards, when she collided ferociously with the Brazilian defender Andreia Rosa and helicoptered to the ground.
Immediately, Wambach signaled for assistance in the nationally televised match. Her left leg was immobilized in a brace, and she was taken off the field on a stretcher. Wambach was placed in an ambulance and taken to a San Diego hospital for X-rays, where the fractures were confirmed, Aaron Heifetz, a team spokesman, said by telephone.
Without Wambach in the lineup for the Olympics, the United States would appear to have little chance of defending its 2004 gold medal at the Beijing Games against such stiff potential competition as Germany, Brazil and North Korea. Wambach is the team's leading scorer, with 99 career goals in 127 matches, and is considered one of the world's top forwards.
The United States defeated Brazil to win a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but has lost its international dominance. The Americans were soundly defeated by the South American champions, 4-0, in the semifinals of the 2007 women's World Cup.
Even before Wambach got hurt, injuries had begun to deplete the American depth. Defender Cat Whitehill and midfielder Leslie Osborne have already been lost for the Olympics after tearing anterior cruciate ligaments in their knees.
The United States won Wednesday's exhibition 1-0 on a header by substitute forward Natasha Kai after a free kick in the 85th minute. It also defeated Brazil 1-0 on Sunday, though the outcome of the two exhibition matches meant little, as Brazil was absent three of its star players, including Marta, considered by many to be the best women's player in the world at the moment.
The United States begins Olympic play Aug. 6 against Norway, the 2000 Olympic champion. The American women will also face Japan and New Zealand in group play.
The Americans are now 21-0-1 this year under new coach, Pia Sundhage, but they will enter the Olympics minus Wambach, their assertive leader and one of their most experienced international players. In her absence, the United States will have to rely on young, largely untested forwards like Kai and Amy Rodriguez.
Wambach has been an evolutionary player for the United States women, serving as a bridge from the seminal teams led by such stars as Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers to today's younger, far more inexperienced squad.
Hamm and Akers have retired, along with such stalwarts as Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett and Brandi Chastain. Briana Scurry, who started as goalkeeper as the United States won the 1999 women's World Cup and the 2004 Athens Olympics, was cut from the 2008 Olympic squad. Kristine Lilly, another longtime star, is on maternity leave.
Without the steadying, forceful influence of Wambach, the American women will enter the Beijing Games undefeated this year but suddenly uncertain.
"Obviously, it's devastating, but above everything else, I'm only one player, and you can never win a championship with just one player," Wambach said in a statement. "I have the utmost confidence in this team bringing home the gold."
Her teammates seemed stunned, less sure.
"My heart sank," Kai was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. "We need her. She's a big piece of a great team."
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: Wambach Injures Leg in Exhibition. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Opinion|Where the Jobs Aren’t
Where the Jobs Aren’t
David Brooks SEPT. 5, 2011
With the economy stagnating and unemployment high, where are the jobs of the future going to come from? A few years ago, it seemed as though the Green Economy could be a big part of the answer.
New clean-energy sources could address environmental, economic and national security problems all at once. In his 2008 convention speech, Barack Obama promised to create five million green economy jobs. The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimated in April 2009 that green jobs could account for 10 percent of new job growth over the next 30 years.
Alas, it was not to be. The gigantic public investments in green energy may be stimulating innovation and helping the environment. But they are not evidence that the government knows how to create private-sector jobs.
Recently, Aaron Glantz reported in The Times on some of the disappointments. California was awarded $186 million in federal stimulus money to weatherize homes. So far, the program has created the equivalent of only 538 full-time jobs. A $59 million effort to train people for green jobs in California produced only 719 job placements.
SolFocus designs solar panels in the United States, but the bulk of its employment is in China where the panels are actually made. As the company spokesman told Glantz, “Taxes and labor rates” are cheaper there.
There’s a wealth of other evidence to suggest that the green economy will not be a short-term jobs machine. According to Investor’s Business Daily, executives at Johnson Controls turned $300 million in green technology grants into 150 jobs — that’s $2 million per job.
Sunil Sharan, a former director of The Smart Grid Initiative at General Electric, wrote in The Washington Post that the Smart Grid, while efficient and environmentally beneficial, will be a net job destroyer. For example, 28,000 meter-reading jobs will be replaced by the Smart Grid’s automatic transmitters.
A study by McKinsey suggests that clean energy may produce jobs for highly skilled engineers, but it will not produce many jobs for U.S. manufacturing workers. Gordon Hughes, formerly of the World Bank and now an economist at the University of Edinburgh, surveyed the landscape and concluded: “There are no sound economic arguments to support an assertion that green energy policies will increase the total level of employment in the medium or longer term when we hold macroeconomic conditions constant.”
David Brooks Credit Josh Haner/The New York Times
Many of the most celebrated green tech companies are foundering despite lavish public support. Evergreen Solar, the recipient of tens of millions of dollars in state support, moved its manufacturing facility to China before filing for bankruptcy protection.
The U.S. Department of Energy poured $535 million in loans into Solyndra, a solar panel maker backed by George Kaiser, a major Democratic donor.
The Government Accountability Office discovered that Solyndra had been permitted to bypass required steps in the government loan guarantee process. The Energy Department’s inspector general criticized the department for not maintaining e-mails that discussed how the loan guarantee winners were chosen.
Late last month, Solyndra announced that it was ceasing operations, laying off its 1,100 employees. The Department of Energy placed the wrong bet, potentially losing the taxpayers half-a-billion dollars.
All of this is not to say that the government shouldn’t be doing what it can to promote clean energy. It is to say that the government isn’t very good when it tries to directly create private-sector jobs.
In 2009, Josh Lerner of Harvard Business School published a useful book called “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” He found that for each instance in which the government has successfully promoted entrepreneurial activity, there is a pile of instances in which it failed.
Lerner details case after case where public investments produced little or nothing. But he also makes an important distinction between government efforts to set the table for entrepreneurial activity and government efforts to create jobs directly. Setting the table means building an underlying context for innovation: funding academic research, establishing clear laws, improving immigration policies, building infrastructure and keeping capital gains tax rates low. Lerner notes that one of the most important government initiatives to encourage innovation was the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which gave universities automatic title to research paid by the federal government.
These table-setting efforts work. The problem is the results are indirect, the jobs take a long time to emerge and the market may end up favoring old-energy sources instead of shiny new ones. So politicians invariably go for the instant rush. They try to use taxpayer money to create private jobs now. But they end up wasting billions.
We should pursue green innovation. We just shouldn’t imagine these efforts will create the jobs we need.
Correction: September 9, 2011
This column incorrectly describes the size of SolFocus's China-based workforce. According to the company, it employs more people in the United States than in China, not fewer.
A version of this op-ed appears in print on September 6, 2011, on Page A27 of the New York edition with the headline: Where The Jobs Aren’t. Today's Paper|Subscribe
THE BAY CITIZEN
Number of Green Jobs Fails to Live Up to Promises AUG. 18, 2011
Politics, culture and the social sciences.
Will Gen-Z Save the World? JUL 4
Moderates Have the Better Story JUL 1
Dems, Please Don’t Drive Me Away JUN 27
How Artificial Intelligence Can Save Your Life JUN 24
Your Daily Dose of Optimism! JUN 20
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Baseball|In Japan, 100 Years of Glory Days for High School Baseball
In Japan, 100 Years of Glory Days for High School Baseball
Hotoku Gakuen celebrated its win on Thursday during the annual national high school baseball tournament at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan. The single-elimination event concludes on Tuesday.CreditCreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
By Brad Lefton
World Cup soccer banners adorned the lockers throughout the Yankees’ clubhouse for the early weeks of summer, but when Komazawa University Tomakomai High School was whipped, 15-2, in the final of the Hokkaido South regional baseball tournament shortly after, no one knew enough to console or even rib Masahiro Tanaka, an alumnus.
The loss eliminated his high school from advancing to Japan’s biggest sporting spectacle, which has roots even deeper than soccer’s World Cup.
Too bad he didn’t have Miles Mikolas as a teammate. A right-hander, Mikolas signed with the St. Louis Cardinals this year after pitching for three seasons in Japan, where he discovered its annual national high school baseball tournament.
“It’s kind of like March Madness,” Mikolas said, referring to the men’s college basketball tournament that grips America each spring. “The whole country is enthralled with these kids playing high school baseball. Fifty thousand people attend the games, and they’re on TV everywhere, even in our locker room and our food room. Some of my teammates would show up in T-shirts and hats of their schools, and you could hear them yelling in the locker room about the games.”
The players from Takaoka Shogyo lined up to bow to the field after losing on Thursday to Osaka Toin at Koshien.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
Game action from Osaka Toin’s victory against Takaoka Shogyo.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
The band and cheerleading squad from Kochi Shogyo supported their team in its game against Saibi.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
This year’s edition of the summer extravaganza at Koshien Stadium outside Osaka is the 100th. It was created in 1915, 15 years before Uruguay won soccer’s first World Cup.
From Hokkaido to Okinawa, the tournament begins regionally in each of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Every high school with a baseball program throughout the archipelago participates — 3,871 of them this year. Earning the crown for best team in the region is nice, but it is merely passage to the ultimate prize, a berth in the single-elimination tournament at Koshien that runs through Tuesday this year. With 12 titles, Osaka is Koshien’s Brazil and U.C.L.A.
Beyond the tournament’s widespread popularity, the skill level impressed Mikolas. “They’re very, very refined at a young age,” he said of the Japanese high schoolers. “The way pitchers can manipulate the ball so well with a split-finger action is not something you see at an American high school. Also, it’s a very practice-oriented society, and the Japanese culture comes out in that those kids are so disciplined and they do the little things so, so well.”
Another cultural aspect revealed is the significance of baseball’s amateur roots in Japan. The professional game did not exist in 1915. Koshien Stadium was constructed as the tournament’s permanent home in 1924, 12 years before a pro league was established and the Osaka Tigers, a charter member, were housed there.
Now known as the Hanshin Tigers, they still have second-class status at their home park. Each August, they are essentially evicted, banished to an unthinkable stretch of away games known as “the death road” just as the pennant race heats up. This year, Hanshin had 25 straight games scheduled away from Koshien.
Koshien Stadium, home to Japan’s high school baseball championships, was constructed as the tournament’s permanent home in 1924, 12 years before a pro league was established.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
Two of Takaoka Shogyo’s players comforted each other after a loss.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
Teenagers become national heroes on Koshien’s diamond. Even when they ascend to the professional ranks, they are still defined by their performance in the tournament.
In his first year of high school, the future Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda was handed the ball to start his team’s opening game. It lost, and he never returned to Koshien. But as with any other teenager, the tournament proved formative in his baseball development.
“Of course, kids watch the pro game, but it’s Koshien they aspire to,” Maeda said. “For me, I was captivated by the performance of Daisuke Matsuzaka. He was everything I wanted to be, and I still remember his performance today.”
Maeda was a 10-year-old in 1998 when Matsuzaka, a senior at Yokohama High School, electrified the nation in the quarterfinals with a 250-pitch, 17-inning, complete-game victory. The next day, he saved the semifinal victory and followed it the day after that with a no-hitter to win the championship.
Such workloads are celebrated in Japan for demonstrating perseverance. Limits on pitch counts and consecutive days pitched do not exist there. Matsuzaka’s performances endeared him to Japanese fans, which helps explain why his popularity never waned even as he struggled at times during eight major league seasons with the Boston Red Sox and the Mets.
Playing in the tournament at Koshien is such a big deal that players collect dirt from the field to take home as a keepsake.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
No current major leaguer is deeper ingrained in Koshien lore than the Yankees’ Tanaka. He electrified the nation as a junior in 2005 by throwing a 93-mile-per-hour pitch, the fastest in tournament history by a nonsenior. The memorable pitch also happened to be the final one of the tournament, an up-and-away slider that was flailed at, clinching his school’s second straight national championship, the first repeat in 57 years.
Tanaka’s legend grew his senior year. He pitched the final 12⅔ innings of the championship game that was called a draw after 15 innings. The game was replayed the next day, starting from scratch, and Tanaka was summoned to finish the first inning after the starter pitched shakily. He never exited. His yeoman effort was not rewarded with a three-peat, though, as his team lost, 4-3, and Tanaka suffered the agony of swinging and missing at the game’s final pitch.
The silver lining, though, is everlasting. “Having the spotlight shine on you like that at such a young age by playing in front of packed crowds and national TV cameras was unbelievable preparation,” Tanaka said. “When I had to pitch under similar situations as a pro, I wasn’t nervous because I had already experienced it at Koshien.”
Pitcher Yuki Saito, left, of Waseda Jitsugyo High School, celebrated after striking out Masahiro Tanaka, of Komadai Tomakomai High School, the future Yankees pitcher, to win the finals rematch in 2006 after the original final ended in a tie.CreditThe Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images
Americans may have never heard of Yuki Saito, the pitcher who defeated Tanaka, but in Japan he is a household name. As a senior, Saito led Waseda Jitsugyo of Tokyo to its first national championship by starting all seven games his team played in the tournament. His last four starts came on successive days and included pitching all 15 innings of the championship game, which ended in a tie, and all nine innings of the replayed game.
His 69 innings and 948 pitches are tournament records, and his 78 strikeouts were the most in 48 years. Furthermore, he endeared himself to the nation by pulling a handkerchief from his uniform pocket and wiping his brow whenever the going got tough, earning him the nickname Handkerchief Prince.
Now a pro with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Saito has struggled over eight years to a 15-24 record with a 4.33 E.R.A. Nonetheless, his starts continue to draw big crowds, and his 30th birthday this summer was headline news, all because of his performance as a high school player on Japan’s biggest sporting stage.
Media members took photographs and video of Takaoka Shogyo’s players leaving the field after they were eliminated at Koshien.CreditKo Sasaki for The New York Times
Wallace Matthews contributed reporting.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section SP, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: Celebrating 100 Years of Glory Days. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
A Passion to Pitch
Matsuzaka Masterpiece: Glimpses of Greatness in Arm of Teenager
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Statement of Principles
On the Morality of: Privacy of the Dead
April 24, 2017 by Adam Lee
On the Morality of: Privacy of the Dead April 24, 2017 Adam Lee
[Note: This post contains major spoilers for the S-Town podcast.]
I’ve been listening to S-Town, the popular and controversial new podcast from NPR reporter Brian Reed. It was undeniably fascinating as a work of literature, a modern spin on the Southern Gothic genre. But after finishing it, I shared the concerns that others have had about it, and I wanted to write about why.
The genesis of the podcast came when Reed was contacted out of the blue by John B. McLemore, a resident of a rural and deeply conservative region in Alabama, who wanted a journalist to look into a rumor that the police in his town had been paid off to cover up a murder. Under John’s insistent prodding, Reed eventually comes to town to investigate, and the two of them strike up a friendship.
The true-crime angle is a red herring, as the murder-and-coverup story turns out to be nothing but a rumor. The real subject of the podcast is John himself, and the big twist comes at the end of the second episode when he suddenly, shockingly commits suicide. The remainder of the podcast is Reed’s attempt to understand John, to unravel his life story and figure out why he did it.
At first, John seems to be the stereotypical colorful Southern eccentric, a liberal gadfly living in the poorest, reddest region of a deep-red state. But as Reed peels back his life story in excerpts from the many interviews he did with him, John’s hidden depths emerge. As it turns out, he was a brilliant but misanthropic genius: he was an expert in the field of antique clock restoration, one of only a handful of people in the world who were capable of it. He excelled in repairing clocks for which there’s no manual and no standardized parts, guided by nothing but an ability to guess the intentions of the original designer. His hobbies included carpentry, horticulture, chemistry, metallurgy, and recreating ancient technology like astrolabes for fun.
But while John had a voracious and wide-ranging intelligence, it was corroded by deep pessimism. His life was animated by the cynical certainty that everyone and everything was irredeemably corrupt, whether it was rampant crime and ignorance in his hometown or his certainty that climate change will destroy civilization. (“S-Town” is a bowdlerization; the real name of the podcast is Shittown, after the epithet John used to describe his home.)
While John made a worthy subject for a biographical portrait, I felt an uncomfortable sense of voyeurism while listening to the podcast. There was no wider relevance to the story, no news value beyond its deep dive into the life of one admittedly complex, fascinating and flawed man. Reed leaves no stone unturned when it comes to John’s life: his love-hate relationship with his hometown; his sexuality and his homoerotically charged friendships with troubled younger men; his mental state and his addiction to a masochistic ritual that was half BDSM, half self-mutilation; the rumors that he had a fortune in gold buried on his property; and even the last moments of his life and the text of his suicide note.
Granted, John contacted a reporter in the first place, and willingly spoke to him at length knowing he was being recorded. He did ask Reed to keep a few things private, and Reed complied with those requests. Even so, it’s not clear to me that he knew he was going to be the subject of the podcast. There wasn’t even the excuse of him being a public figure whose life can rightfully be of interest to others.
One of Reed’s justifications for releasing this story as he did is that John was an outspoken atheist who, by his own stated position, would cease to exist upon death. Therefore, he couldn’t be harmed by anything said about him afterwards.
I wanted to examine this argument and the larger question of whether the dead have privacy rights that the living ought to respect.
It’s true that the foundation of morality is harm. Nevertheless, common sense supports the idea that the dead have some rights which the living are obligated to respect. For instance, a dead person can make a will setting out their wishes for what to do with their property. It would also strike most people as wrong to dispose of dead bodies by, say, putting them out with the trash.
Strictly speaking, no one would be harmed by this. Even so, a society that follows the principle of respect for the dead is better than one that doesn’t, because of the suffering it would cause people who are currently alive to know that their last wishes wouldn’t be honored.
The same reasoning leads to the conclusion that a person’s privacy rights aren’t extinguished by their death. It would cause any reasonable person distress and dismay to know that, as soon as we die, the intimate details of our lives become fodder for the curious to gawk at. Although I reject the idea that you can no longer criticize someone after they’re dead, it also seems unfair to present a possibly distorted or incomplete picture of someone who can’t offer their own version of the facts.
At the same time, there have to be limits to this principle. As Thomas Jefferson put it, the dead are nothing and nothing cannot own something. To grant limitless rights to the dead would end up in a world where the past could never be studied, because living people’s rights would be enclosed and choked off by the far greater number of rights claims of the deceased.
As an example, it strikes me as ridiculous to suggest, as some have, that we shouldn’t do research on ancient Egyptian mummies out of privacy concerns. People who lived centuries or millennia ago – King Tut, Richard III or Kennewick Man – have long since passed beyond the point where they could have any expectation of continuing to exert their wishes against the scientific curiosity of the living.
It seems like a reasonable compromise to say that, immediately after their death, the dead should enjoy the same privacy protections as the living, but those protections slowly diminish with time. That would mean that the recently deceased, like John McLemore, are entitled to peace free from scrutiny. But fifty or a hundred years later, when their lives and their culture are more distant from ours, that consideration may no longer apply.
Other posts in this series:
On the Morality Of…
The Fountainhead: A Randian Guide to Retirement
April 26, 2017 Do Right-Wing Christians Want People to Be Destitute?
"You wrote:I point out that I too have a massively irrational belief, namely that the ..."
Can We Avoid Insulting Believers?
"I can't believe I'm actually hoping that you're just trolling."
"Or believe that very doctrine?"
paradoctor
The Mother of All Questions
"Of those 64 kg of fissiles, a dime's mass turned into energy."
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Life at PEB
Giving to PEB
Foreign Information
Message from Project Director
SHE Project
SHE Products for Sale
SHE Services
Higher Secondary Schools In Pakistan
Christian Girls Higher Secondary School Pasrur
PEB School System C.G. Higher Secondary Branch Sangla Hill
Christian Boys Higher Secondary School, Rawalpindi
High Schools In Pakistan
Christian Girls High School Kasur
Christian Girls High School Martinpur
Christian Boys High School Martinpur
CTI Boys High School Sialkot
PEB English Medium School Sialkot
PEB English Medium School Sargodha (Girls Section)
PEB Boys High School Sargodha
Christian Girls High School Sargodha
Kinnaird Academy High School for Girls Lahore
Solomon Standard High School Rawalpindi
Christian Girls High School, Haji Pura Sialkot
Christian Boys High School Rang Mahal, Lahore
Primary Schools in Pakistan
Christian Primary School Lal Kurti Rawalpindi
Village Primary Schools
CTI Boys Boarding School Sialkot
Christian Girls Boarding House Pasrur
Christian Girls Boarding House Sargodha
Christian Girls Boarding House Sangla Hill
Christian Girls High School Kasureducation2016-08-10T20:56:43+00:00
Christian Girls’ High School Kasur is situated in Kasur, a city to the south of Lahore and close to the Indian border. The school was founded in 1960. It was nationalized by the government of the Punjab in 1972 and was finally returned to the Presbyterian Education Board in September 2000. At that time there were only 115 students at the school and the academic standards were very low with only a 13% pass rate at Matriculation. The school was without furniture, electricity and rest rooms. Since then, the Presbyterian Education Board has worked to improve the physical conditions at the school as well as the academic standard. There are now 390 students studying at the school from Class Nursery to Class 10 and the Matriculation results over the past few years has been over 90%. In the Matriculation Examination 2015, there was a 100% pass rate with 21% of the students obtaining A+ or A grade. The highest mark was 923/1100. Graduates of the school have gone on to higher studies at local colleges or into nursing and other professions.
The school provides an environment which encourages all students to reach their full potential in academic studies, as well as helping them develop in character, in line with the school’s core values of self discipline, tolerance, integrity and respect. The school is open to both boys and girls up to Class 5 and then girls from Classes 6 to 10. Scholarships are available to deserving students who are unable to pay full fees. The school has a fully equipped science laboratory as all students study Science at Matriculation.
Students are also encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities, which include participation in the inter-school competitions run by the Presbyterian Education Board: English Debate, Urdu Debate, Carol Singing, Science and Sports. These competitions not only give students the opportunity to show their talents, but also teach students important skills such as working together as a team, public speaking, management and leadership, which are needed in every walk of life. We hope that in the future our students, having learned these skills, will be able to make a positive contribution to their communities.
Education is a lifelong process. We want to give our students the skills they need to be able to continue that journey into a bright future.
Over the course of its history, more than 22,000 girls have been educated at this school.
Classes Offered:
Nursery through Class 5 (co-educational); Class 6 through Class 10 (girls only) Enrolment: 340 students (52% Christian; 48% Muslim)
Ongoing School Goals
To increase enrolment.
To increase the involvement of parents in their children’s education.
To create students’ confidence in speaking English.
To improve students’ handwriting.
To organize different competitive events at the school.
Involving Parents in their Child’s Education
Parent-Teacher meetings are held on a regular basis to encourage parents to be more involved in their child’s education. Special calls are made to some parents to discuss students who are facing particular problems in school. Parents are also invited to school functions, for example, Results Day, Sports Day, and Graduation.
Professional Development of Teachers
Teachers participate regularly in training workshops organized by Presbyterian Education Board. They also take part in teacher training provided by US educators who travel to Pakistan during July each year (when available).
Kot Ghulam Muhammad
Kutchery Road
Kasur, Pakistan
Principal: Mrs. Meena Khushi
Email: cghsksr@peb.edu.pk
Download PEB Brochure
© Copyrights 2016 Presbyterian Education Board | All Rights Reserved | Developed by ANIFAR TECHNOLOGIES
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Biography Channel chronicles witches, past and present
Lisa Guerriero
Most biographies explore the life of a single individual, but recently, a television documentary delved into the collective history of witches.
Biography Channel’s “Witches” chronicles the evolution of witches over the past 700 years, from Bridget Bishop to the Blair Witch.
“They are mysterious people,” the narrator says in the opening sequence. “Revered by some, considered peculiar by others. Misunderstood by many. Long persecuted for their beliefs, tens of thousands have been tortured and executed. They are witches.”
The documentary demonstrates how witches’ status changed from the respected shamans of early European communities to the scourge of the Inquisition. It charts the progression of public sentiment in America — from the notion of witches as worthy of fear and murder in the Salem Witch Trials to the later image of a scary but somewhat silly figure put forward by Hollywood.
In between, the program mingles footage of the thoughts and lives of modern-day witches and their quest for public understanding of their lifestyles.
Such a trip through history wouldn’t be complete, of course, without a stop in Salem.
Filmmakers from Towers Productions, working for the Biography Channel, spent five days in Salem in February. They shot re-enactments at Pioneer Village and other locations around the city to capture the early-American part of the narrative, and interviewed local historians as well as Salem witch Laurie Cabot.
“We made one visit and it was in February, so it was kind of quiet. But it was a great time to film, and we were able to get footage we couldn’t have otherwise,” said associate producer Jessie Rogowski, who worked on the program with producer/writer Ken Rowe.
Rogowski said Towers Productions has created numerous films for the Biography Channel, and pitched the idea of the witches theme to executives there.
“What we came up with was a good balance of telling the past and the modern-day,” she said.
The documentary aired, naturally, during the week of Halloween. It is expected to replay on the Biography Channel, part of the A&E Network, which also runs the History Channel.
The team shot Gordon College’s theater group performing “Cry Innocent” to illustrate the witch trials events. They had the student actors, along with child actors hired through Craisglist.com, participate in reenactments of colonial life in Salem Village and Salem Town. They interviewed Alison D’Amario of Salem Witch Museum and Richard Trask, a Danvers-based witch trials archivist, among others.
These images and interviews create the scenes of witches in early America.
The modern witches are depicted mainly through interviews with several Wiccans and witches, including Laurie Cabot and her disciple, Christopher Penczak. They each discuss a childhood predilection for magic, whether supported by their families or not.
And they each discuss the battle for public awareness — combating stereotypes of a creepy, green-faced witch and working to make people understand and be tolerant of their lifestyles.
As the segment on Cabot begins, the narrator says, “she is perhaps the most famous witch in the country,” noting that former Gov. Michael Dukakis recognized her as the state’s “official witch” in the 1970s — something that came back to haunt him during his presidential campaign.
The stigma on witches and Wiccans, and the belief that it is not a religion, runs that deep, Cabot says. “[Dukakis] regretted every moment of even mentioning the word witch,” she says in the interview, with a laugh.
The film includes scenes of Cabot and her coven engaged in rituals at the Lyceum, where they held a ceremony in honor of the pagan holiday Imbolc.
It also talks about the fight to include pagan and Wiccan symbols on soldiers’ graves who observe those faiths — a battle that involved some Salem witches and activists, including Jerrie Hildebrand.
Cabot said she hasn’t seen the documentary yet, but she enjoyed the serious approach taken by the producers. They spent three days filming her, she said, and they didn’t try to sensationalize her practices and rituals.
“Other people have watched it and they thought it was really good,” she said this week. “It was a great experience, because the crew and the producers were very gracious and unlike Hollywood.”
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Home › Free Resources › Evangelization Exchange Archives › September 2017
September 2017 Evangelization Exchange
Welcome back from Summer!
Here’s is our monthly Evangelization Exchange. You’ll see we are focusing on the theme of “missionary disciples” – with grateful reference to Pope Francis urging us to think of ourselves this way.
In this issue and the next, Jonathan Lewis, of the Archdiocese of Washington, writes on inviting Young Adults into missionary discipleship. Other experts will write on different areas as we go through the months. I’m beginning a series on this theme as well, and inviting you to use the ideas as they can be of help to you and your parish: bulletin materials, discussion materials, or for adult faith formation.
We have an article by our Fr. Ken Boyack on the Eucharist and discipleship, and a variety of articles showing discipleship in action. A link from PRRI will give an overall picture of “America’s Changing Landscape” – something that will affect all of us who do ministry in the Church.
We also invite you to learn more about our 40th Anniversary which we are celebrating this year, and how you can support our ministry’s future.
May our efforts in the Lord’s vineyard be amazingly fruitful this year!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Frank
There’s been a lot of conversation since the publication of “The Joy of the Gospel” on the idea of being missionary disciples. What does this mean? And, in particular, what does this mean for everyday Catholics?
This year, the essays in the Evangelization Exchange will focus on how we can help form Catholics as missionary disciples. This series, entitled “Catholics. Disciples. Missionaries.” will offer concrete examples of forming missionary disciples from various pastoral viewpoints, as well as an exploration of the theme in terms of Catholic evangelization and faith formation.
We are happy to have ministry leaders from across the country writing on how to help form missionary disciples from various perspectives-young adults, families, Latinos, etc. In addition, Fr. Frank DeSiano, will be offering a series of essays on Catholics and discipleship. We hope that both these contributions will encourage our common goal of forming missionary disciples in our parishes, communities, and schools today.
Catholics. Disciples. Missionaries – An Introduction
by Fr. Frank DeSiano, CSP
I remember being surprised when a priest challenged me during one of my talks. “All of us are called to discipleship,” I was giving a talk on the US Bishops’ document, “Go and Make Disciples.” He put up his hand: “Where did you get that idea?” he asked.
At first, I dismissed his question as being picky, but I then realize the layers of biblical and Catholic tradition that could make someone ask that question. After all, doesn’t Jesus, particularly in the gospels of Matthew and Mark, distinguish between the “crowds” and “the Twelve-the disciples”? And didn’t we for centuries imply that there were several levels at which we could be part of the Church-those who really gave their lives to Jesus as clergy and religious, and then everyone else who didn’t? Were we not content to think of Catholicism as basically going to Church, receiving communion “at least once a year,” and supporting the works of the Church? Didn’t we have a Church that almost anyone could belong to-unless you were some notorious mobster who was refused a Catholic burial?
So it may come as a surprise to many Catholics that, today, we are all expected to be disciples. Perhaps it was St. Pius X who forced the issue when he urged frequent communion among all Catholics. When we think about it, it’s hard to receive Holy Communion and think that someone is not a disciple. St. Pius X was saying that to be a Catholic was to receive Holy Communion every Sunday; he was building upon decades of research and reflection that came to the conclusion that it made no sense to go to Mass, the “Supper of the Lamb,” and not actually eat the Sacred Food which is what the Mass is all about.
Discover Successful Approaches to Serve Young Adults
Is Your Parish Ready to Reach Out to Young Adults?
In “20s-30s Ministry: A Guide for Parishes,” Fr. Nicholas Lombardo, O.P., shares his experience and learning from his successful Young Adult Ministry.
In direct and practical ways, Fr. Lombardo gives advice that any parish can use in trying to reach this crucial group. Available to order from Paulist Press or PEM for just $14.95.
Peace can start by grabbing drinks, Pope tells Colombian youth
By Elise Harris – From The Catholic News Agency – Copyright © CNA
Credit: David Ramos, CNA
Speaking to youth in Colombia Thursday, Pope Francis urged them to move away from the violence of the past and to work toward healing and building a culture of encounter, which he said often begins simply with a drink or a cup of coffee.
“For you, young people, it is so easy to encounter one another. All you need is a good coffee, a good drink or any other excuse to meet,” the Pope said Sept. 7, his first full day in Colombia.
Topics such as art and music can often bring people together, he said.
“Even a final between Atlético Nacional and América de Cali is an opportunity to be together,” he exclaimed, referring to the rival association football teams from Medellin and Cali who compete in Colombia’s premier tournament league.<
Youth are able to teach their elders that “the culture of meeting is not in thinking, living or reacting to everyone in the same way; it is rather in knowing that beyond our differences we are all part of something greater that unites and transcends us; we are part of this wonderful country.
“Help us, your elders, to enter into this culture of encounter that you practice so well,” he implored them.
Continue Reading at CNA
The Vital Role of the Eucharist in Forming Missionary Disciples
By Fr. Kenneth Boyack, CSP
Pope Francis invites every Catholic to be a missionary disciple. He teaches that “Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are “disciples” and “missionaries,” but rather that we are always “missionary disciples” (no. 120, The Joy of the Gospel).
Since Catholics are indeed missionary disciples, it follows that each Catholic has his or her mission territory. Catholics who live in the United States can claim their mission territory not in some far away country like India but here: our families, work places, and areas in which we recreate.
A study titled “America’s Changing Religious Identity” (see below) by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), released on September 6, 2017, reveals that 24 percent of the adult population of the United States have no religious affiliation. The 24 percent represent around 60,000,000 Americans, based on the 2016 census. The graph below shows the dramatic rise in the religiously unaffiliated from 1990 to 2016.
Celebrating 40 Years of Service to the Church
Did you know we’re celebrating our 40th Anniversary this year?
The decades have flown by since Fr. Illig, CSP, began our ministry in 1977. But the purpose of our missionary work remains the same: to reach out to those who are not connected to a community of faith and help them know all that the Catholic Church can offer them; and to equip Catholics and parishes with the resources to help us be the missionary disciples that Pope Francis calls us to be.
Over the course of these forty years, a variety of initiatives have begun, from the original “We Care, We Share” program that Fr. Illig developed, to Share the Word, to Another Look, to Disciples in Mission. In recent years we have developed Living the Eucharist to help Catholics connect the Mass with their life as disciples; Seeking Christ to make it possible for parishes to invite seekers all year long; and The Journey/El Camino to connect Catholics and others with a deeper personal encounter with Christ
We are always thinking of what’s needed to help our Church be more evangelizing. Use of technology provides opportunities that didn’t exist when our office began. The training and webinar sessions we provide are harbingers of future engagement with Catholics, with those seeking faith, and with those who have drifted away from the practice of their faith.
Thank you for being part of our ministry – and our Celebration!
Learn more and find out how you can help us celebrate here!
America’s Changing Religious Identity
By Daniel Cox, Ph.D., Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., – From PRRI – Copyright © 2017 PRRI
The American religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. White Christians, once the dominant religious group in the U.S., now account for fewer than half of all adults living in the country. Today, fewer than half of all states are majority white Christian. As recently as 2007, 39 states had majority white Christian populations. These are two of the major findings from this report, which is based on findings from PRRI’s 2016 American Values Atlas, the single largest survey of American religious and denominational identity ever conducted. This landmark report is based on a sample of more than 101,000 Americans from all 50 states and includes detailed information about their religious affiliation, denominational ties, political affiliation, and other important demographic attributes.
Among the major findings:
White Christians now account for fewer than half of the public. Today, only 43% of Americans identify as white and Christian, and only 30% as white and Protestant. In 1976, roughly eight in ten (81%) Americans identified as white and identified with a Christian denomination, and a majority (55%) were white Protestants.
Continue Reading at PRRI
Star NFL Linebacker:
By Trent Beattie – From The National Catholic Register – Copyright © 2017 EWTN News, Inc
Anyone could guess that being named to the Pro Bowl roster would require years of dedication to football. What many might not guess is that someone with that dedication could be equally or more devoted to faith or family.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Paul Posluszny was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2013 after having been named an All-American at Penn State University in 2005 and 2006. These are high honors for anyone, but especially for someone who wasn’t sure he’d be good enough to play in college or the pros. Posluszny simply took football one snap at a time, not getting hyped up over possible success in the future.
This humble outlook has helped Posluszny not only in football, but in other areas of life. The 32-year-old Butler, Pennsylvania, native, whose surname can be translated as “obedient” or “dutiful” from the Polish, is profoundly appreciative of having been raised Catholic by his parents. Instead of seeing them as adversaries, his parents, in his mind, were people who should be respected, loved and obeyed.
Continue Reading at The National Catholic Register
Copyright © Paulist Evangelization Ministries | PO Box 29121 Washington, DC 20017 | 202.832.5022 | Email | Website
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J Van Praagh
Born in New York, James Van Praagh took comfort in spiritual visions from an early age. After graduating from San Francisco State University he spent 10 years as an aspiring scriptwriter before finding his true calling as a medium. In the course of his career, he has worked with tens of thousands of people, including many celebrity clients, and his TV work includes two appearances on Larry King Live and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The TV film Living With the Dead is a dramatisation of his life and work. See his website www. VanPraagh.com
Meditations with James Van Praagh James Van Praagh, J Van Praagh
A bestselling author and one of the leading mediums in the world offers a practical guide to meditation to help us reflect on our own path of self-discovery
Be the first to find out about J Van Praagh.
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Eric Klinenberg
Photo: © Lisa DeNeffe
Eric Klinenberg is a professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Modern Romance and the author of the acclaimed books Going Solo and Heat Wave. He has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and This American Life.
Sign me up for news about Eric Klinenberg
Books by Eric Klinenberg
Palaces for the People
Fri , Jul 19
Mill Valley Public Library
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Mill Valley, CA 94941 USA
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Chilmark Community Center Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Chilmark, MA 02535 USA
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Stuart, Jill & Pete Briscoe
The Holy And The Lowly - One Year Devotions for Men
How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl. . . . For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. - Luke 1:47-49
Modern society rewards its celebrities handsomely. They are welcome in the best hotels, and they are forgiven the worst behavior. The longest limousines await them, the shortest waiting lines confront them, and the fattest bank accounts provide for them. Their fans press to intercept them, and the media mass to interview them. Young people imitate them, while older people tolerate them. Fame and fortune are lavished upon them, but maturity and responsibility are not expected of them. They live charmed lives—if not always charming, they become accustomed to enjoying life’s luxuries and unaccustomed to dealing with life’s necessities. For many of their admirers, their status is something to be aspired to, and their exalted position something to be longed for.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is known the world over. She has been the model for a million works of art, the topic of theological debates, the subject of encyclicals, the object of veneration. Dogmas have been attached to her, superstitions and mystical beliefs have clustered around her. But how did she view herself?
Her song of praise was directed away from herself. The topic of her heart was “Oh how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46-47). The reason for her adoration was this: “For he took notice of his lowly servant girl” (v. 48). She had no illusions about herself and no confusion about the Lord: “He, the Mighty One, is holy,” she affirmed (1:49). The Holy One had taken note of the lowly one. She interpreted the “great things” he had done for her in the context of something far greater and grander than her own interests. She knew it had to do with his mercy extended “from generation to generation” (1:50)—what he had done for her he had done for “his servant Israel,” in accord with what he had promised (1:54).
There was no trace of haughtiness in Mary. Her only claim to fame was that the Lord had “exalted the lowly” (1:52). Mary had no room for self-congratulation, because she knew that the Lord “scatters the proud and haughty ones” (1:51). She had no reservation in praising the Holy One and no desire to see herself other than as a blessed lowly one.
How sobering it is to realize that the Lord takes notice of the “lowly” and that it is the “hungry” who are satisfied with good things from his hand. How sad it is to think that the Lord will send “away with empty hands” many of today’s “rich” (1:53). Better to be a lowly one before the Holy One!
For Further Study: Luke 1:46-56
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Men, Copyright ©2000 by Stuart Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Stuart Briscoe, please visit tellingthetruth.org.
Contact Sermons Devotionals Articles Cancel
About Telling the Truth
Telling the Truth exists to make available sound biblical teaching, practically applied, with a view to producing lives that glorify God and draw people to Christ. The whole of our ministry is to encourage, console, strengthen, teach, and train.
About Stuart, Jill & Pete Briscoe
Stuart Briscoe uses wit and intellect to target your heart, capture your attention and challenge you to grow! You will find his logic compelling as he brings a fresh, practical perspective to the Scriptures. Born in England, Stuart left a career in banking to enter the ministry full time. He has written more than 50 books, received three honorary doctorates and preached in more than one hundred countries. He was senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for thirty years, and currently serves as minister-at-large.
Jill Briscoe was born in England and found Christ when she was 18 years old. She never looked back. Upon graduating from Cambridge University, she began working as a teacher by day and had a vigorous street ministry to the youths of Liverpool by night.
She met Stuart at a youth conference and they married in 1958. In the 50 years since, Jill has become a highly sought-after Bible teacher and author who travels around the world ministering to under-resourced churches and speaking at international seminars and conferences. Since 2000, she and Stuart, who was formerly senior pastor of Elmbrook Church for 30 years, have had the joy of equipping and encouraging believers across the globe in their roles as ministers-at-large for Elmbrook.
Jill has authored more than 40 books including devotionals, study guides, poetry and children's books. Her vivid, relational teaching style touches the emotions and stirs the heart. She serves as Executive Editor of Just Between Us, a magazine of encouragement for ministry wives and women in leadership, and served on the board of World Relief and Christianity Today, Inc., for over 20 years.
Jill and Stuart call suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin their home. When they are not traveling, they spend time with their three children, David, Judy and Peter, and thirteen grandchildren.
Pete Briscoe leads Telling the Truth, a multi-faceted media ministry he shares with his parents Stuart and Jill Briscoe, broadcasting Bible teaching across the United States on more than 500 radio stations and across the world on the internet and Sirius XM Satellite Radio, to help more people come to know Christ and experience fullness of life in Him. Pete also served as senior pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas for nearly 30 years after completing his seminary training at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Pete and his wife, Libby, have three adult children and find great joy in experiencing the Life of Christ each day
Contact Telling the Truth with Stuart, Jill & Pete Briscoe
E-mail: info@tellingthetruth.org
Website: https://www.tellingthetruth.org
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As big night arrives, Nicolas Claxton 'confident' where he fits in NBA draft
Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer
Nicolas Claxton has put himself in position to hear his name called Thursday night as a first round NBA draft pick.
Whether it unfolds that way—as many are projecting—or not, the Georgia star will be on hand in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, ready to pose with commissioner Adam Silver.
The 6-foot-11, 217-pound Claxton received an invite Tuesday night to sit in the “green room." Claxton was planning on being in attendance at the draft anyway, but joining the 20 other top prospects in the staging area is further validation of how much his stock has risen since he declared for the draft following his sophomore season.
Claxton said he is expecting to go in the range analysts generally have him pegged from No. 17 to No. 31.
“I feel confident about everything, honestly,” Claxton said in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald. “Going through the whole pre-draft process, I feel like it really was a success for me. My name really skyrocketed up the draft boards. The combine (in Chicago) really helped me out. Just me going to my workouts and taking care of my business and showing the teams what I could do. …I’m ready to see what will happen.”
Around 30 family members will be with him. His goal is to be taken in the first-round, which is 30 picks.
“There will be a lot of people there supporting me,” he said.
The first day Tom Crean stepped on campus as the Georgia coach, the first name he mentioned of a player he inherited in his introductory press conference was Claxton. He didn’t have gaudy stats in his first college season but had seemingly unlimited potential.
“I look at Claxton and say this is the epitome of a young player who comes into college,” Crean said that day. “I look at him and I watch him play throughout the year and I say that is the living proof of somebody that can be versatile and multi-dimensional on both ends.”
The forward/center could have another new coach gushing him after Thursday night.
The two-round draft on ESPN starts at 7:30 p.m.
Claxton said he visited 11 NBA teams, including the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Crean called him after that workout.
“He’s been sending film out to teams and putting in a good word throughout the league,” Claxton said. “He’s been a great help ever since I’ve met him, ever since the press conference at Georgia. He’s been a great mentor, leader, coach, friend and everything to me. I really enjoy our relationship.”
Claxton took a huge leap as a sophomore last season when he led the team in scoring at 13 points per game, rebounding at 8.6 and ranked 10th nationally in blocked shots per game in a season in which he totaled 81.
“He got better,” Crean said the day after Claxton announced he was staying in the draft. “He epitomized what we wanted to have happen in the sense of somebody that brought a lot of energy to your team and was a big part of your player development. When that happens, you’re going to lose some of those guys and unfortunately we did.”
Hailing from Greenville in the upstate of South Carolina, Claxton didn’t grow up a fan of the Charlotte Hornets or Atlanta Hawks, but instead the Miami Heat because his father, former Georgia player Charles Claxton, grew up in the Carol City area of Miami.
The Heat brought Nicolas Claxton in for a workout, which gave Claxton not only a chance to hang out with former Georgia and current Heat player Yante Maten, but meet coach Erik Spoelstra and president Pat Riley.
“That was a big moment for me being a basketball fan,” Claxton said.
It’s his defensive versatility—being able to guard big men and guards—that Nicolas Claxton thinks will him starting out in the league “and keep me on the floor from the jump."
Charles Claxton instilled in his son at a young age to take pride in defense.
“Offensively, I continue to develop my offensive game, develop my jump shot and stretching the floor,” Claxton said.
For draft night, Claxton said his parents helped him pick out his suit.
“I can’t tell you, it’s going to be a surprise,” he said, “but I’m going to be dripped out for sure.”
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