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European Society for Medical Oncology President joins Imugene Scientific Advisory Board
Instinctif Partners > News > Client News > European Society for Medical Oncology President joins Imugene Scientific Advisory Board
Sydney, Australia - 8 October 2018 – Imugene Limited (ASX:IMU), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company today announced the appointment of Dr Josep Tabernero, the President of the European Society for Medical Oncology, to its Scientific Advisory Board.
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) is the world’s leading professional organisation for medical oncology with 18,000 members representing 150 countries.
Imugene Managing Director and CEO Leslie Chong said, “I am honoured to have such a world leading oncologist and researcher join Imugene’s Scientific Advisory Board. Dr Tabernero is accepted globally as a leader in oncology research and I am priviledged to continue to work with him to develop Imugene’s technology. The calibre of recent appointments to our SAB underlines the strong and widespread international interest in the therapeutic potential of our promising B-cell cancer immuno-therapy strategy and pipeline.”
In addition to his work for ESMO, Dr Tabernero is head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Director of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology and leads the Research Innovation of Catalonian Cancer Centers Network. He directs the Barcelona-based Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology's gastrointestinal and endocrine tumors group and the research unit for molecular therapy of cancer.
Dr Tabernero is principal investigator of several clinical studies focused on targeted immune-therapies, novel chemotherapeutics and promising immune checkpoint targets.
He serves on the editorial boards of a number of leading journals including Annals of Oncology, ESMO Open, Cancer Discovery and Clinical Cancer Research and has authored and co-authored more than 350 peer-reviewed papers.
He is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and has been appointed as member of several international educational and scientific committees.
About Imugene (ASX:IMU)
Imugene is a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing a range of new and novel immunotherapies that seek to activate the immune system of cancer patients to treat and eradicate tumors. Our unique platform technology seeks to harness the body’s immune system to generate antibodies against tumours, potentially achieving a similar or greater effect than synthetically manufactured monoclonal antibody therapies. Our product pipeline includes multiple immunotherapy B-cell vaccine candidates aimed at treating a variety of cancers in combination with standard of care drugs and emerging immunotherapies. We are supported by a leading team of international cancer experts with extensive experience in developing new cancer therapies with many approved for sale and marketing for global markets. Our vision is to help transform and improve the treatment of cancer and the lives of the millions of patients who need effective treatments. This vision is backed by a growing body of clinical evidence and peer-reviewed research. Imugene is well funded and resourced, to deliver on its commercial and clinical milestones. Together with leading specialists and medical professionals, we believe Imugene’s immuno-oncology therapies will become a foundation treatment for cancer. Our goal is to ensure Imugene and its shareholders are at the forefront of this rapidly growing global market.
Issued for and on behalf of Imugene by Instinctif Partners.
For more information please contact: Imugene@instinctif.com
Sue Charles
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Pastor Joe McKeever
"Your words have stood men on their feet." Job 4:4
Speaking/Ministry Schedule
How To Tell If You Are A Baptist — (You might be one and not know it!)
Posted on July 29, 2005 by Joebot
1. When you go to Las Vegas, Times Square, or New Orleans’ French Quarter, it’s to minister to people in the name of Jesus.
2. When you hear about a church fight, you say, “So, where’s the news?”
3. When you hear of a foreigner thrilled at getting his first Bible, you feel guilty. You own 33 of them.
4. When someone tells you that old joke about the sinking ship and the captain asking someone to do something religious and so the Baptist took up an offering, you say, “So, what’s the joke?”
5. You know at least a dozen funny things that happened during baptismal services.
6. You complain about the pastor’s long sermons, but you would feel cheated by one under 20 minutes.
7. You have at times envied the Episcopalians because their adults don’t have to go to Sunday School.
8. You have sometimes felt superior to the Episcopalians because you know more of your Bible than they do.
9. You think a church building ought to look like a church building.
Posted in Articles
Helping A Child Through His First Faith Crisis
Six-year-old Matthew believed his mother totally, and that’s what caused the problem. He had swallowed whole all the stories of Santa and elves and the North Pole which she had fed him ever since he was a baby. Now, he’s a bright child and he listens to the other kids. That’s how he found out that not only Santa and the elves, but the whole gamut of childhood companions–the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy, etc.–are all figments of someone’s imagination. Fictions. Fantasies.
“You lied to me,” he said to his mother. Caught red-handed, she hemmed and hawed and tried to put the best face on it. “Honey,” she said, “these are childhood legends, every parent tells them, my mother and dad told them to me. It’s part of growing up.”
“You lied to me,” said Matthew.
The lady who told me about this child, the son of one of her co-workers, also informed me that he has recently prayed to receive Christ as His Savior and has joined the church. Most of us are a little older when we take these steps. But, as she said, he’s not your average kid. Which explains what he did a few days later.
A Friend Is God’s Apology For Your Relatives
When George Gravitte showed up on campus, everyone noticed. Now Berry College, near Rome, Georgia, in those days was geared to students from the rural and small-town South, but even among this bunch of unsophisticated youth, George stood out. He was six feet, five inches tall, weighed 165 pounds, and he wore a straw hat–the kind the rest of us used in the fields but only the securest guy on the planet would be brave enough to walk out onto the college quadrangle with it on his head. But there he was. He was who he was. And what was that? Think Gomer Pyle.
Now, if you know me at all, you know that’s not a putdown. The reason we all loved Gomer Pyle on the old Andy Griffith show was that, hailing from small town Alabama as he did, he came across as genuine and authentic and solid gold. There was a purity about him, a childlikeness. George always made me think of what our Lord said about Nathaniel, “An Israelite in whom there is no guile.” (John 1:47) That was my friend George Gravitte.
As soon as we could work it out, George and I became roommates. I still remember him slaving at the desk in front of the window, looking up and saying, “Joe, how do you spell ‘from’?” You can see one reason I adored him is he asked easy questions to which I readily had the answers. Years later, they discovered he had dyslexia. He also had leg cramps. Often in the middle of the night, he would come off that top bunk with a crash, jumping and hopping around the room until the muscle spasms quit. The first time he did it, we thought he had been shot.
Ain’t Love Grand? Only If It’s Also Upright.
As a pastor, I used to get so tired of people jumping in and out of marriage just because they fell in love or fell out of it. I said to one, “You sure are doing a lot of falling!”
The best thing I’ve read on the subject of love in ages is a small booklet which Margaret and I have used for our newlywed (and nearlywed) Sunday School class. “Romantic Love” has as its subtitle: “Using Your Head in Matters of the Heart.” Since it’s by Psychologist James Dobson, you know it’s filled with straight talk and biblical common sense. And a great story, which I’m saving for last. (No fair scrolling to the end!)
The trouble starts, says Dr. Dobson, when boy meets girl and the entire sky lights up in romantic profusion. “Smoke and fire are followed by lightning and thunder, and alas, the starry-eyed couple find themselves knee-deep in true love.”
At least, that’s the modern perception.
Think Of Life Like Climbing Everest…And Surviving It.
Monica Kalozdi is a New Orleans resident with a passion for climbing mountains. Ten years ago, after the birth of her third child, she came out of the experience with a yen to mountain-climb. Hey, I’m a husband who has gone through childbirth with my wife twice; it does strange things to people. I can guarantee you, this lady is not the first mother to take a look at her crowded household with three needy children and want to run as far away as she can get. In Monica Kalozdi’s case, she started climbing hills and then mountains, and pretty soon she got ambitious. She would climb the highest mountains on the seven continents of the world.
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune (Wednesday, July 13, 2005), Monica Kalozdi scaled Kilimanjaro in 2000, Aconcagua in South America in 2001, McKinley in 2003, and this Spring/Summer she reached Everest. That’s where the story lies and why I thought you would be as fascinated as I am.
For 55 days, she and her team lived in the frozen regions of Everest, eating dried food out of bags, living inside tents that were sometimes shredded by hurricane-strength winds. The story lies in the final 1500 feet of this 29,035 ft mountain. They call this the death zone. Monica says, “You’re exhausted. You feel your body giving out. You can’t see where you are stepping, and you know one misstep can kill you. You’re terrified to take another step because you know you could die. But you also know you can’t stop, because if you do, you’ll die.” Pretty terrifying, but it gets worse. “We knew we had not drunk enough water and hadn’t eaten any food. Those were mistakes.” She says, “It was the scariest, most terrifying thing I have ever experienced. It is a death zone.”
Just 1500 feet? A breeze, right? Monica says the path is not particularly steep, except for three places…where it’s straight up for anywhere from 50 to 200 feet. Sheer rock wall. Through snow and ice, the climbers walk with steel claws called crampons attached to their boots for traction. But in rock? Well, good luck. This is where people die.
It’s Different Down Here In New Orleans
Today (as I write) I spoke to a noon prayer/Bible study group that meets in a local cafeteria each Wednesday. At their invitation, I talked about “the challenge of ministering in New Orleans.” Since most of the 15 people admitted they too were not native to the area, they nodded in agreement at some of my observations on the neediness of this city and the strangeness of its customs.
A few years back, a family moved here from Baptistland (that large crescent above New Orleans that extends from Texas across Arkansas and into Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and on toward Georgia and Florida, an area peopled primarily by Baptists) and after visiting a half dozen local Baptist churches, they showed up at the one I pastored. That week I sat in their living room to welcome them. The husband wasted no time getting to the point.
“Our biggest disappointment on moving to New Orleans,” he said, “has been the churches.” He paused and said, “Pastor, there are no normal Baptist churches down here!”
I knew what he was talking about. It happens all the time. People move in here from Birmingham or Memphis or Dallas and expect to find churches like the one they left back home, and it doesn’t happen.
It’s VERY Different Down Here In New Orleans
I was telling someone that the other day, that of all the places I’ve served, there is something completely unique about living and working in New Orleans.
Take these situations for example.
I did a funeral one day for a 64 year old man and his 34 year old grandson. One funeral for both men. Study the ages and you quickly see something doesn’t quite add up.
The grandfather had been dead for 10 years and the family had kept his ashes in an urn, and had never had a funeral. When the grandson was murdered, they decided to get two burials for the price of one.
The young man was killed by his wife’s lesbian lover who lived in the house with them. She was of another race, and from what I’ve heard, another species. She was so manly they called her Charlie. When she began ruling the roost, eventually he moved out, but she would not let him take his kids. He kept coming back, of course–his wife and kids are there–and one day in a heated argument with Charlie, she planted a meat cleaver in his skull, then packed him away in the freezer. He was found several days later when family members and friends went searching for him. Charlie and the wife are now serving time in the state penitentiary for women.
The first funeral I had in one of New Orleans’ unique above-ground-cemeteries was back in 1990, just after we moved here from North Carolina. The day before the service,the wife of the deceased’s son said to me, “Now, pastor, tomorrow when we bury Raymond’s mother….” “Yes?” I said. “My mother will be in the casket with her.” I said, “How’s that?”
She said, “We cremated her years ago and haven’t known what to do with the ashes. We found out it’s legal, so just before we seal the casket, we are going to slip the urn inside and then put both their names on the marble slab.”
She got a little gleam in her eyes and said, “Just think–my mother and my mother-in-law in the same casket.” As we laughed, I said, “Did they get along well together?” She had a great answer. “It really doesn’t matter, does it?”
Two Strategies To Make Your Church Business Meetings Christian
Posted on July 8, 2005 by Joebot
(Today, in going through old blogs, I found this one which was identified as a draft, meaning it had never been posted. It’s a little dated–2005, actually–with personal references. I’m now in my fourth year of retirement. But the message is so on-target, perhaps some of our readers will benefit from it.)
I cannot tell you what I miss most about pastoring churches, but I can tell you what I miss least: church business meetings. After forty-plus years of pastoring, one year ago I moved across town to become the director of missions–sort of a bishop without any authority–for the Southern Baptist churches of metro New Orleans.
Every Sunday, I’m in a different church and often fill the pulpits for the ministers. I come in, greet everyone, confer briefly with the worship leader, then take my seat on the front pew and enjoy the service until time to preach. I walk to the pulpit and deliver the message God has given me, then extend the Lord’s invitation for people to come to Christ. After the benediction, I shake a few more hands, then get in my car and drive home. On the way, I stop at Wendy’s for a takeout salad and frostie, which I leisurely consume while working the crossword puzzle in the Sunday paper. That night, I’m usually in another church as a visitor, taking up space on the pew, greeting a few people, enjoying the worship, hearing a good sermon, and going home. It’s a great life.
No monthly church business meetings. No monthly deacons meetings. Not ever again. Can you hear the music in my words?
Now, the good people in my last church may be surprised to learn that I will not be unhappy if I never attend either of these meetings again. The last six or eight years, all our deacons meetings were harmonious and even spiritual while the monthly business meetings were benign and productive. As any veteran minister will tell you, however, it’s all those other meetings that forever poisoned me against them. The ones marked by dissension and bickering and negativism. The meetings where leaders chosen for their maturity acted like a bunch of children fighting on the playground.
The Tragic Passing Of A Thoroughbred
My friend Larry died recently. I had not seen him in 25 years, but the news still came as a shock.
Larry may have been the most gifted young preacher in the 1960s and 70s any of us will ever meet. At the age of 27, he became pastor of the First Baptist Church of Biloxi, Mississippi. Something happened while he was there that changed his life forever.
A hurricane named Camille hit the Mississippi coast and left much of it as clean as a sidewalk. Within days, gifts of food and clothing from a caring nation were arriving in Biloxi by the truckload. Not knowing what else to do, the mayor ordered it unloaded and stored on the tarmac at the airport. Within a couple of days, it formed a small mountain, yet none of it was being distributed because the city leadership did not have a clue where to begin.
Larry went to the mayor and volunteered to direct the distribution of those supplies. His one condition was that he be put in charge, that he would make the decisions. And that’s how the people of Biloxi and surrounding areas got through those first few weeks after the worst hurricane in U.S. history to that time.
It’s also why the U.S. Jaycees named Larry one of their ten outstanding young men of America a year or two later.
Angels Unawares?
I’ll just tell you what happened and you can decide what to do with it.
Doctor Jim is my dentist, but he looks like a weight lifter. He married the campus beauty, Celeste, right out of college, and they are the parents of two outstanding children. Their youngest, Eve, will turn four in a couple of days. This story is about her.
A couple of weeks ago, Celeste’s grandmother died at the age of 86. A photo of her on Celeste’s office desk shows a lovely white-haired lady with the two grandchildren adoring and being adored. Prior to her death, Celeste spent a lot of time ministering to her, and Dr. Jim was back and forth across the state with the children. A few days after the funeral, the three-year-old Eve said something that stunned Celeste.
“Mommy, I saw Aunt Barbara.”
“No, honey,” said the mother. “You saw Aunt Wanda, grandmother’s sister.”
“No, I saw Aunt Barbara. Bar-BRA!” As only a small child can emphasize it.
Celeste’s aunt Barbara, one of her favorite people, died when Celeste was twelve. She has never mentioned her to her child. So, this was puzzling.
“When did you see Aunt Barbara, honey?”
“I saw her in Grandmother’s room, standing by the bed.”
“What was she doing?”
“She wasn’t doing anything. Just holding her hand.”
Then Celeste said, “What did Aunt Barbara look like?”
“She had long blonde hair.”
Not only had Celeste never mentioned her aunt to the child, Dr. Jim says she had never even told him the beloved relative had long blonde hair.
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Jon Krakauer Menu
Three Cups of Deceit
By Jon Krakauer
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Greg Mortenson, the bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea, is a man who has built a global reputation as a selfless humanitarian and children’s crusader, and he’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. But, as Jon Krakauer demonstrates in this extensively researched and penetrating book, he is not all that he appears to be.
Based on wide-ranging interviews with former employees, board members, and others who have intimate knowledge of Mortenson and his charity, the Central Asia Institute, Three Cups of Deceit uncovers multiple layers of deception behind Mortenson’s public image. Was his crusade really inspired by a desire to repay the kindness of villagers who nursed him back to health when he became lost on his descent down K2? Was he abducted and held for eight days by the Taliban? Has his charity built all of the schools that he has claimed? This book is a passionately argued plea for the truth, and a tragic tale of good intentions gone very wrong.
100% of Jon Krakauer’s proceeds from the sale of Three Cups of Deceit will be donated to the “Stop Girl Trafficking” project at the American Himalayan Foundation (www.himalayan-foundation.org/live/project/stopgirltrafficking).
"Packed with interviews and anecdotes that undercut Mortenson's image as a cheerful do-gooder, Krakauer's account of good intentions gone horribly wrong is a stunning example of investigative journalism." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Krakauer forcefully claims that Mortenson improperly used his charity’s funds and failed to build all the schools he says he did.” –Chicago Tribune
Greg Mortenson doesn’t hide his light under a bushel. He makes more than 160 public appearances annually, in all parts of the country and abroad, and frequently appears in the news. For each of the past three years he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. President Obama donated $100,000 of the award money from his own Nobel Peace Prize, which he received in 2009, to the Central Asia Institute (CAI)—the charity Mortenson launched fifteen years ago to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Visiting classrooms wherever he goes, Mortenson has persuaded 2,800 American schools to become fundraising partners; last year, schoolkids collecting “Pennies for Peace” boosted CAI revenues by $2.5 million. All told, his vigorous promotion of the Greg Mortenson brand generated $23 million in donations to CAI in 2010 alone.
On March 29 of this year, I attended a lecture Mortenson gave in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As he walked onto the stage in the sold-out arena, more than two thousand men, women, and children leapt to their feet to express their admiration with cheers, whistles, and deafening applause. “If we really want to help people, we have to empower people,” Mortenson pronounced. “And empowering people starts with education.” A book cover depicting Afghan girls engrossed in study was projected onto the screen above the stage. “So I wrote this book called Three Cups of Tea,” he deadpanned. “Some of you might have heard about it…”
Laughter rippled through the crowd. Hoping to get an autograph from Mortenson, hundreds of fans were holding copies of his book, which had spent the previous four years and two months on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller list, and showed every sign of remaining there well into the future. Some five million copies are now in print, including special editions for “young readers” and “very young readers” (kindergarten through fourth grade). Moreover, the multitudes who have bought Three Cups haven’t merely read it; they’ve embraced it with singular passion. Since its publication in 2006, people galvanized by this autobiographical account of Mortenson’s school-building adventures have donated more than $50 million to the Central Asia Institute. The book’s popularity stems from its forceful, uncomplicated theme—terrorism can be eradicated by educating children in impoverished societies—and its portrayal of Mortenson as a humble, Gandhi-like figure who has repeatedly risked life and limb to advance his humanitarian agenda.
Told in the third person by Mortenson’s co-author, David Oliver Relin, Three Cups begins with Mortenson hiking down Pakistan’s Baltoro Glacier in September 1993, having failed to climb K2, the second-highest peak on earth. A trauma nurse by profession, he’d been invited to join an expedition to K2 to serve as the team medic.1 After two months of punishing effort, however, Mortenson realized he lacked the strength to reach the summit, so he abandoned his attempt and left the expedition early. Exhausted and dejected, the thirty-five-year-old mountaineer reached into a pocket as he trudged down the trail and “fingered the necklace of amber beads that his little sister Christa had often worn. As a three-year-old in Tanzania, where Mortenson’s Minnesota-born parents had been Lutheran missionaries and teachers, Christa had contracted acute meningitis and never fully recovered. Greg, twelve years her senior, had appointed himself her protector.”
In July 1992, at age twenty-three, Christa had suffered a massive epileptic seizure, apparently stemming from her childhood health problems, and died. Ten months later, Mortenson had trekked into the Karakoram Range with Christa’s necklace, intending to leave it on K2’s 28,267-foot summit, which is considerably more difficult to reach than the crest of Mount Everest. Now the defeated Mortenson “wiped his eyes with his sleeve, disoriented by the unfamiliar tears…. After seventy-eight days of primal struggle at altitude on K2, he felt like a faint, shriveled caricature of himself.” He wasn’t even sure he had the strength to make it to Askole, the village at trail’s end, fifty miles down the valley.
A week into his homeward trek through Baltistan, as this corner of Pakistan is known, Mortenson became separated from Mouzafer Ali, the Balti porter he had hired to carry his heavy backpack. Without Mouzafer’s guidance, Mortenson took a wrong turn and lost his way. A few hours later, he arrived at a village he assumed was Askole. As Mortenson walked into the settlement, a throng of local youngsters, fascinated by the tall foreigner, gathered around him. “By the time he reached the village’s ceremonial entrance…he was leading a procession of fifty children.”
Just beyond, Mortenson was greeted warmly by “a wizened old man, with features so strong they might have been carved out of the canyon walls.” His name was Haji Ali, the village chieftain. He led Mortenson to his stone hut, “placed cushions at the spot of honor closest to the open hearth, and installed Mortenson there…. When Mortenson looked up, he saw the eyes of the fifty children who had followed him,” peering down from a large square opening in the roof. “Here, warm by the hearth, on soft pillows, snug in the crush of so much humanity, he felt the exhaustion he’d been holding at arm’s length surge up over him.”
At that moment, though, Haji Ali revealed to Mortenson that he wasn’t in Askole, as the American believed. Owing to his wrong turn, he’d blundered into a village called Korphe. “Adrenaline snapped Mortenson back upright. He’d never heard of Korphe…. Rousing himself, he explained that he had to get to Askole and meet a man named Mouzafer who was carrying all his belongings. Haji Ali gripped his guest by the shoulders with his powerful hands and pushed him back on the pillows.” Surrendering to fatigue, Mortenson closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.
In Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson never indicates exactly how many days he spent in Korphe on that initial visit in 1993, but he implies it was a lengthy stay:
From his base in Haji Ali’s home, Mortenson settled into a routine. Each morning and afternoon he would walk briefly about Korphe, accompanied, as always, by children tugging at his hands…. Off the Baltoro, out of danger, he realized just how precious his own survival had been, and how weakened he’d become. He could barely make it down the switchback path that led to the river…. Wheezing his way back up to the village, he felt as infirm as the elderly men who sat for hours at a time under Korphe’s apricot trees, smoking from hookahs and eating apricot kernels. After an hour or two of poking about each day he’d succumb to exhaustion and return to stare at the sky from his nest of pillows by Haji Ali’s hearth.
During his protracted recuperation in Korphe, Mortenson became aware of the Baltis’ poverty, and “how close they lived to hunger.” He noticed the widespread malnutrition and disease, and learned that one out of every three Korphe children perished before their first birthday. “Mortenson couldn’t imagine discharging the debt he felt to his hosts in Korphe. But he was determined to try.” He gave away most of his possessions, including his camping stove and warm expedition clothing.
Each day, as he grew stronger, he spent long hours climbing the steep paths between Korphe’s homes, doing what little he could to beat back the avalanche of need…. He set broken bones and did what little he could with painkillers and antibiotics. Word of his work spread and the sick on the outskirts of Korphe began sending relatives to fetch “Dr. Greg,” as he would thereafter be known in northern Pakistan….
Often during his time in Korphe, Mortenson felt the presence of his little sister Christa, especially when he was with Korphe’s children…. They reminded [him] of the way Christa had to fight for the simplest things. Also the way she had of just persevering, no matter what life threw at her. He decided he wanted to do something for them…. Lying by the hearth before bed, Mortenson told Haji Ali he wanted to visit Korphe’s school.
The following morning, “after their familiar breakfast of chapattis and cha,”
Haji Ali led Mortenson up a steep path to a vast open ledge…. He was appalled to see eighty-two children, seventy-eight boys and the four girls who had the pluck to join them, kneeling in the frosty ground, in the open. Haji Ali, avoiding Mortenson’s eyes, said that the village had no school, and the Pakistani government didn’t provide a teacher…. Mortenson watched, his heart in his throat, as the students stood at rigid attention and began their ‘school day’ with Pakistan’s national anthem…. After the last note of the anthem had faded, the children sat in a neat circle and began copying their multiplication tables. Most scratched in the dirt with a stick they’d brought for that purpose.
“I felt like my heart was being torn out,” Mortenson declares in this passage. “There was a fierceness in their desire to learn, despite how mightily everything was stacked against them, that reminded me of Christa. I knew I had to do something.” As Mortenson stood beside Haji Ali that crisp autumn morning, gazing up at the towering peaks of the Karakoram,
climbing K2 to place a necklace on its summit suddenly felt beside the point. There was a much more meaningful gesture he could make in honor of his sister’s memory. He put his hands on Haji Ali’s shoulders, as the old man had done to him dozens of times since they’d shared their first cup of tea. “I’m going to build you a school,” he said, not yet realizing that with those words, the path of his life had just detoured down another trail, a route far more serpentine and arduous than the wrong turns he’d taken since retreating from K2. “I will build a school,” Mortenson said. “I promise.”
This, in Mortenson’s dramatic telling, is how he came to dedicate his life to building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He devotes nearly a third of the book to this transformative experience, which he says occurred in September 1993. It’s a compelling creation myth, one that he has repeated in thousands of public appearances and media interviews. The problem is, it’s precisely that: a myth.
Mortenson didn’t really stumble into Korphe after taking a wrong turn on his way down from K2. He wasn’t lovingly nursed back to health in the home of Haji Ali. He set no villagers’ broken bones. On that crisp September morning, shortly before returning to America, Mortenson did not put his hands on Haji Ali’s shoulders and promise to build a school. In fact, Mortenson would not even make the acquaintance of Haji Ali, or anyone else in Korphe, until more than a year later, in October 1994, under entirely different circumstances.
The first eight chapters of Three Cups of Tea are an intricately wrought work of fiction presented as fact. And by no means was this an isolated act of deceit. It turns out that Mortenson’s books and public statements are permeated with falsehoods. The image of Mortenson that has been created for public consumption is an artifact born of fantasy, audacity, and an apparently insatiable hunger for esteem. Mortenson has lied about the noble deeds he has done, the risks he has taken, the people he has met, the number of schools he has built. Three Cups of Tea has much in common with A Million Little Pieces, the infamous autobiography by James Frey that was exposed as a sham. But Frey, unlike Mortenson, didn’t use his phony memoir to solicit tens of millions of dollars in donations from unsuspecting readers, myself among them. Moreover, Mortenson’s charity, the Central Asia Institute, has issued fraudulent financial statements, and he has misused millions of dollars donated by schoolchildren and other trusting devotees. “Greg,” says a former treasurer of the organization’s board of directors, “regards CAI as his personal ATM.”
Classic Krakauer
The gripping articles in Classic Krakauer, originally published in periodicals such as The New Yorker, Outside, and Smithsonian, display the singular investigative reporting that made Jon Krakauer famous—and show why… More
Embrace the Misery
This classic essay from Jon Krakauer is now available as an unabridged audiobook download. This essay is also included in the Classic Krakauer collection. From the bestselling author of Missoula… More
Nan A. Talese
Reading Group Center
Weekly Lizard
Vintage Español
Everyman's Library
Copyright © 2019 Penguin Random House
Books Detail
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Pakistan needs to win Kashmir by winning the Kashmiris first
Ahmed Naveed
The Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains unresolved since 1947 even after three wars, loss of many innocent lives and vast destruction of property and massive violation of human rights. For the past seven decades, every government that comes into power in India and Pakistan, whether it is civilian government or military rule, vows to devotedly work for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue. But neither India nor Pakistan or the United Nations has been able to devise a solution that is mutually acceptable.
However, one can argue that both India and Pakistan twice came very close to finding a solution to the deadlock, first through the Chenab formula and then through Musharraf’s four points.
“Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic visit to Pakistan when he arrived in Lahore with his entourage in a bus raised hopes of improved relations between India and Pakistan,” Shaharyar Khan writes in his book. “There were clear indications that both prime ministers wanted to move towards a better relationship that could only be achieved through the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.”
Khan further mentions, “Kuldip Nayyar had told me that he had met Mr. Vajpayee who confirmed that a solution of the Kashmir dispute had been agreed in principle when the Kargil attack put paid to the process. The Chenab formula envisaged the handing over to Pakistan of a chunk of Indian-held territory in Kashmir on the west bank of the Chenab River which would form the border between Pakistan and Indian Kashmir.”
Prime Minister Vajpayee’s visit to Minar-e-Pakistan and signing the Lahore Declaration was an act of courage and determination that took the peace process forward. Shaharyar Khan writes, “Personally, I felt that Vajpayee was the only Indian Prime Minister who could have taken such a daring decision that went against India’s long-established position of not yielding ‘an inch of Indian (Kashmir) territory to Pakistan.”
As the Chenab formula was designed through backchannel negotiations, the general public in both countries were unaware of the advancements being made on the Kashmir issue. Agreement on the Chenab formula could have triggered massive uproar amongst the Indian population after being made public. But most importantly, the approval of the people of Jammu and Kashmir was to play the main factor in the success or the failure of the Chenab formula which was to divide the region permanently.
Musharraf’s four points on Kashmir concentrated more on joint collaboration to govern Jammu and Kashmir rather than dividing the region.
“During Pervez Musharraf’s time the leadership in India and Pakistan had made appreciable progress towards finding a solution of the Kashmir problem”, mentions Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat in an interview in March 2011.
Musharraf’s four points on Kashmir included self-governance without independence; demilitarization; same borders but free trade and free movement for people within the Pakistani and Indian held Kashmir, India and Pakistan; and joint supervision mechanism. Moreover, after a certain period of time people of the region were to decide if the arrangement was to be deemed final or not.
“General Musharraf and I had nearly reached an agreement, a non-territorial solution to all problems but then General Musharraf got into many difficulties with the chief justice and other forces and therefore the whole process came to a halt,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh revealed in May, 2009.
However, the question of utmost importance is: Can Pakistan and India rise above their differences and egos to agree on a joint mechanism and peacefully supervise the region?
“Where does self-rule begin and where does it end, if Kashmir does not possess sovereignty over its land?” asks Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai the secretary-general of World Kashmir Awareness.
In accepting these four points who is the winner? Pakistan, India or Kashmir?
“The solution (of Kashmir) should be such that a Kashmiri leader could announce it in Lal Chowk,” A.G. Noorani said in an interview to The Hindu in November, 2009.
A number of similar proposals have been presented vis-à-vis the Kashmir issue but none have been successful so the question remains: What now? The recent report by United Nations on human rights violations in Azad and occupied Jammu and Kashmir can be used by Pakistan to its advantage. The report mentions that the violations in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir are of a different caliber and of a more structural nature while Indian-administered Kashmir is a victim of more serious types of human rights violations. A better approach by Pakistan would be to accept that it lacks in certain aspects vis-à-vis governance in Azaad Kashmir rather than adopting the “atleast we are better than them” narrative. It is time Pakistan works on improving and strengthening democratic institutions and safeguarding rights in its part of Kashmir.
Winning the land of Kashmir is worth nothing at the cost of losing the people of Kashmir. Pakistan does not merely need the land of Kashmir, it needs the souls of Kashmiris who accept Pakistan as their country, a country that is their liberator and well-wisher. We cannot afford AJK to turn into another Bengali or Balochi type secessionist movement. It is high time that Pakistan allows the people of Kashmir to voice their concerns, so that their issues could be resolved.
Currently, the world is focused on terrorism. Pakistan can keep no hope of seriously highlighting the Kashmir issue until it actually shows that it is not a sponsor of terrorism. There is no short-term solution to Kashmir, especially not when the Modi regime is in power. When the rights of Kashmiris are safeguarded, Azaad Kashmir is presented as a model and Pakistan is no longer accused of sponsoring terrorism, then only can Pakistan raise its voice regarding Kashmir and the world will listen. It is time we keep our personal animosity, ego and illogical narratives aside and think of the people of Kashmir who have been suffering for the past 70 years.
FEAR IS NOT THE KEY Kashmir militancy could spill over to rest of India
articles • Events • Featured • History • History Of Conflict • History Of Kashmir • Human Rights • Info Page • Kashmir Conflict • Lastest News • Latest News
Shazia Ahad: India Keeping Forces Brutality in Kashmir Unreported
UK parliament report accuses India of mass murder of Kashmiris
Our world is not covered by Humanity but by Power Politics – Kashmir is the biggest example!
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The Us Is Developing Battery Management Equipment Or Increasing The Range Of Electric Vehicles By 50 Per Cent
China's energy storage net news: according to foreign media reports, a professor in the school of management at Vanderbilt university engineering practice Ken Pence and institute of electrical engineering PhD Tim Potteiger have developed a battery management device, which can reconfigure the electric car battery module.The two are using tesla's high-energy lithium ion battery to build models designed to boost battery life and boost the range of electric vehicles.The technology could increase the range of electric vehicles by 50 per cent.In addition, they added controllers for each battery's core.
Tim Potteiger said: "we realised that some of the cells in the core were burning faster than other cores, and that when they finished, the efficiency of the other cores would be reduced.
But we have found a way to keep all of the core energy in sync, and there is no difference in energy consumption.
Potteiger said the electric vehicle's electric meter would set aside a minimum charge to prevent the battery from running out, causing passengers to get trapped.When the charge is 10%, the electricity meter will show "no power" status.The device can also connect to electric vehicle car software, so the driver can accurately read the battery information and make maximum use of battery power to achieve maximum range of electric vehicle.Mr Pence says the older the battery, the more likely it is to be a problem, and the less efficient it is, the more useful it will be.
"After the device is used, the battery life will last longer," Mr Pence said.Drivers will not immediately notice a 50 per cent increase in the vehicle's range, but they will later find a longer battery life.
In addition, the two are working with the Vanderbilt university technology transfer and commercialization unit to bring the device to market.
Previous: Afghanistan Is Assisted By The Asian Development Bank To Build Solar Power Plants
Next: In The Next 10 Years, China's Energy Storage Industry Will Achieve Commercial Scale Development
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Theory & Programs
Catherine Sullivan
Installation view Catherine Sullivan, Kunsthalle Zürich, 2005
© Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography
The work by LA born artist Catherine Sullivan (1969) is based on qualities that the artist has fostered from both her educations, the realms of theatre and of fine arts. Since 1997, Catherine Sullivan writes and stages pieces that are based on theatre and which are presented within the visual arts context of video films and installations.
Simultaneously, she often implants her dramatic concepts within the local theatre scene by hijacking existing stage sets for her performances. The exhibition at the Kunsthalle Zürich will present for the first time in Switzerland a comprehensive survey of the artist's work, along with works such as the large 5-channel-video-installations «Big Hunt» (2002) and «Ice Floes of Franz Joseph Land» (2004) and the multi-screen projections such as «Gold Standard (hysteric, melancholic, degraded, refined)» from 2001, there will be a range of sculptures, photographs and single-channel works The central theme in Catherine Sullivan's work are the encoded forms of expression. She applies these as confronting elements of communication between content, performer and audience, which through their formal as through their stylistic repetitions become effective. The selection of works shown at the Kunsthalle Zürich therefore emphasise the artist's striking interest in choreography.
Catherine Sullivan's interest is based on the emotional tension, which arises between the portrayed, the portrayer and the audience. She explores the principles of dramatic conventions and the mechanics of expression, which she filters from a large range of historical references. Sullivan calls her works «second order drama». Her material emerges from various sources such as cinema, theatre, literature, musicals or for example a Trisha Brown Choreography.
Point of origin in «Ice Floes of Franz Joseph Land» (2004) is the brutal hostage take-over by the Chechens during the musical performance «North-East» at the Moscow opera in October 2002. «North-East» was seen as the first Russian musical, which reached an American format and attracted the Moscow audience in masses. The musical is based on the novel «Two Captains», a love and adventure story, which uses the Bolshevik Revolution and the Second World War as backdrop to portray an adventurous expedition into the Arctic region. As a symbol of Russia's expansion policy, Sullivan seems to affirm the musical's content as ideal symbolic target of the Chechens. Equally, this musical represented the charged relationship of adopting American entertainment culture. Catherine Sullivan took the novel «Two Captains» and developed roughly 50 pantomime-like actions from it, which all performers rehearsed, regardless of the character to whom the action originally was linked to. With a sequence of approximately forty archetypes and costume clichés, the artist evokes a system of representative impulses, which move in the realm of theatre but without "being" a musical. The work was filmed in the Polish American Army Veterans Association in Chicago, a social, multi-functional room serving the Polish community, which with their nationalistic and nostalgic emblems, military relics and the woodcuts by Polish artist Alex Kowalczuk spread a dark and dramatic atmosphere.
«Big Hunt» (2002) presents itself on five projection-screens, loops, each 22 minutes in length. In this work, Sullivan asks the question how and why emotional expression is of interest to us. In order to do so, she questions the role of the actor as central theme. How does emotional memory get formulated? What are the formal characteristics, which set the mechanics of the expressive and emotional content into motion? How does the body relate itself to the act of expression and how does this expression relate to the viewer's interpretation thereof? Her theory is, that the audience is less interested in the dramatic roles themselves but rather in the actors' virtuosity in transformation and empathy. Her starting points thus are normally based on film or real-life models, which can be homed in on through the skills of acting, conceptually or thematically. The scenes in «Big Hunt» relate to films like Arthur Penn's «The Miracle worker» (1962), which revolves around the mute and deaf Helen Keller and Robert Aldrich's «Whatever Happened to Baby Jane» (1962), which tells the story of a person's struggle between the glamorous "past self" and the degraded and desperate "present self". These films circle around the mental illness and derangement, whose dramatic essence is heightened through the contrast of the protagonist's physical beauty. In addition, Sullivan also makes use of true stories
such as the one of the 25 year-old Birdie Jo Hoaks, who pretended to be a 13 year-old orphan boy in order to receive social security contributions. Sullivan develops dramatic tasks from this library of references, which stylistically have been influenced by pre-existing templates. Through this matrix, an ensemble of 30 performers executed a tightly strung web, leading to a grand re-organisation of derivatives of physical capacities of expression, which feed from a rich pool of potential constellations of conflicts: The conflict between content and form (the beautiful actress versus the pitiful character), between the symbolic power of the theatre and ist representational forms, between hybrids of performative styles and their ability to emotionally involve the viewer into something, which has already been experienced through the codex of emotions displayed in theatre, television, or through the Hollywood movie culture. With this, Sullivan succeeds in creating a strange world originating from visual sources, which spread themselves through repetitive scenes, contents and performers assuming a form of decoding. This form of decoding lends her video installations and theatre pieces a quality, which stands apart from the normal content and referential systems, allowing the viewer a direct experience of emotional values.
In many of today's contemporary art practices, one can observe the reflection and exploration of transgressing the media in the '60s’ & '70s'. In contrast to these historic departures where the deconstructive process of transgressing limits became the central theme, it now appears that the formal requirements, specific to each media such as the visual arts, exhibition, theatre, performance, music, literature, etc become the central role. This goes hand in hand with the reactivation of the physical presence of the self in relation to the existing formal definitions as with the subjective reinterpretation of seeing this "merging" of media. In Catherine Sullivan's work the relationship of the diverse media is not formulated as a deconstructive way of lifting this media transgression or as a transportation of media specific expressions in a documentary mode from one context to the other, rather she infiltrates the forms of meaning and effects of the various media. Her video installations are impressive worlds, where the fascination of the theatrical gets transformed into the aesthetic form of a video-installation. Likewise, her theatre pieces build a form of piracy within the standardized theatrical context in which she implants aesthetic adoptions of her real-life experiments coming from performance and the visual arts and thus testing the potential impact physical expression holds. Sullivan addresses the transformation of the media itself by deplacing certain qualities, by inserting other formal existing codes, thus isolating, lifting and intensifying specific characteristics which allow the viewer a new, also different but direct encounter with the work.
Kunsthalle Zürich thanks: Präsidialdepartment der Stadt Zürich
Catherine Sullivan & Co. Film and Theatre Works 2002—2004
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Mr Andrew Paul
Addresses social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of staff, students and families.
Acts as a reference point for members of the school community on religious matters, spiritual issues, values, human relationships and well-being issues.
Provides support for grief, family breakdown and other crisis situations.
Acts as an advocate for students and/or staff of the school community.
Builds links with the local community, agencies, churches and other appropriate networks to support the school community.
Assists in special programs for students at educational risk.
As a member of the school's Student Services Team, Andrew the Chaplain's role involves support of all members of the school community. Engagement with the Chaplain's services is voluntary for students.
Andrew's role at the school involves counselling and support of students, staff and families. He also coordinates the school's Bush Ranger Cadet Unit and runs a variety of experiences, from leadership training and inter-school Girls Soccer to the Sea Explorers Program, Carols on the Lawley Lawn and Lawley Alumni. He also works closely with youth workers from a number of local churches to facilitate their involvement in the school.
Andrew is employed by an organisation called YouthCARE, and funded through donations, grants and fundraising in the local community. The Chaplaincy position has in the past (but not currently) funded through the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program.
At the local level, Andrew's support committee is called Mount Lawley YouthCARE. This group is made up of representatives from the local Christian churches, the school and the community.
Andrew has been School Chaplain at Mount Lawley SHS since January 1992.
Entertainment Books Fundraiser
Chaplaincy Support Committee
Andrew's Work as a Support Chaplain in Primary Schools
Chaplain's News Archive
Reflections on Our Chaplain
School Chaplaincy News
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Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
It's always a pleasant surprise when you see a tribute band that makes you fall in love again with the legendary band that they're covering. Having always been an AC/DC fan, that spark was once again ignited after seeing an incredible tribute band who respectfully honoured the Aussie band. Some may say it's all about the music, but admit it, the main attraction at any AC/DC show is watching Angus running around in a schoolboy outfit. If there was any doubt whether or not these guys could pull it off or not, it became evident by the end of the first song that they could. A last minute decision to go out ended up being an enjoyable not one, but two nights in a row seeing a great group of guys who know how to rock...AC/DC style.
It's my honour to introduce you to Friday & Saturday's lineup of 'Hell N Back':
Kyle Cyr - Lead Guitar
Jeff Collins - Rhythm Guitar
Tony Cappello - Bass
Calling the Greater Toronto area home, 'Hell N Back' have taken on the huge task of reproducing both eras of AC/DC. The boys rolled into Toronto's Seven44 club Friday night and SpotOne in Brampton on Saturday night.
Both nights, the haunting and hypnotic intro to 1975's 'Livewire' kicked off the show. Guitarist Kyle Cyr, in full schoolboy attire began to command not only the stage, but the dance floor. With ballcap pulled down low covering his eyes, he mirrored the signature Angus Young moves, all while continuing to play the leads with ease. It was an impressive site to watch him move around the floor. Assuming the role of both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson is no easy task. To have the ability to switch from the gravel, raunchy vocals of Bon to the high pitch scream-like vocals of Brian, would be daunting to most, but to James Alcock it seems to come almost effortlessly. He accepts the challenge and delivered successful performances of the late Bon Scott, as well as honouring Brian Johnson, all while showing no signs of stage jitters.
When it was necessary, James would change his voice and stage presence to recreate that signature Bon Scott stance and sound. Then, like a flick of the switch, he could take on the powerful and demanding vocals of Brian Johnson with ease. It was remarkable watching him switch from one to the other when the song required it. All of the guys performed well, but with the capability to have fun and skill to draw the audience in and keep them there till the song ended.
Both nights, the setlist ranged from the top hits to some that maybe only true AC/DC fans would know and appreciate. I respected the guys greatly for including those hidden gems. It was nice to hear such underrated tracks like 'Dog Eat Dog', 'Problem Child', 'Rock and Roll Damnation' intermingled with the hits that we all love and expected to hear from any tribute band, such as 'Highway to Hell', 'You Shook Me All Night Long', 'Back in Black' etc.
Kyle did a fantastic job embracing the Angus Young character. He appeared confident and comfortable in such an attention grabbing role. It was fascinating to watch him play as he would wander around the bar between people. He really shines in this role and is a young, but great talent on guitar.
Equally commanding in their roles and completing the 'Hell N Back' lineup were, Jeff Collins (guitar), Tony Cappello (bass) and Garry Lennox (drums).
Providing backing vocals, Jeff and Tony, equally strong in their guitar and bass playing respectively, contributed to the success of the band being able to pull off the AC/DC material. It was entertaining watching them, as they seemed to have fun both interacting with each other as well as the audience.
With any band, tribute or not, the key to success is having a strong beat keeper. 'Hell N Back' are fortunate to have the incredible drumming styles of Garry Lennox to finish off the lineup. A no frills drummer, fully capable of providing a great backbone to the band.
It's one thing to get up on stage and play the music of AC/DC well, but what 'Hell N Back' does to take this tribute act to a whole new level, is the incorporation of the visuals.
Case in point, during 'Bad Boy Boogie', mid-way through the song, Kyle put down the SG and began working the stage and floor, performing a strip tease that would have made Angus proud. For those familiar with AC/DC's 1980 VHS release of 'Let There Be Rock', (that documented their 1979 Paris concert), they did an amazing interpretation of that song. In fact, all of the songs contained little gestures that took me back to seeing that movie for the first time, as well as the occasions that I have seen AC/DC live in concert over the years. I was really impressed with 'Hell N Back', individually as well as collectively. They played with such passion and intensity at times, that it gave all of us in attendance two incredible back to back nights of great music. These guys know their stuff, both the music as well as what is required to produce a successful show.
'Hell's Bells' began with the prerecorded sounds of the familiar ringing bell. It was a nice touch and the crowd appreciated it by the cheers and excitement that could be felt in the venues. With minimal but effective crowd interaction during songs, James proved he was comfortable in the lead role. It was engaging to watch him, Garry, Jeff, Tony and Kyle perform these songs and put on a couple of fantastic shows. They gave me the impression that they enjoyed being on stage and interacting with the people who came out to see them.
The high energy that emitted from the entire band was contagious in the sense that at times it was hard not to smile and sing along with them. Egos and attitudes aside, they appeared to be having as much fun as the audience. A group of hard working musicians who succeeded in giving the audience at both venues a great night of straight up rock and roll.
'Hell N Back' successfully took all of us at both shows on a journey on the AC/DC rock and roll train. It was a great ride that left us wanting more even after three sets of music winded up the night.
Off stage, they were all very welcoming and approachable. The guys have a great sense of humour and charming personalities that made it very comfortable and enjoyable to chat with them after the shows. Five down to earth guys who enjoy playing the music from a legendary band that just makes you feel good and enjoy yourself.
Both shows were exciting and entertaining, they held the audience captive until the closing number each night, which of course was the iconic 'For Those About To Rock'. The music was good, the music was loud and everyone enjoyed themselves.
While they may be fairly new and just beginning to find their footing, it's no doubt that the future looks very bright for 'Hell N Back'. With the possibility of additional songs being added to the set, it's pretty positive that these guys will be rocking Southern Ontario for awhile to come. I wish them nothing but the greatest success and look forward to seeing them again in the future.
Many thanks to the guys in 'Hell N Back': James, Jeff, Kyle, Garry and Tony for two nights of amazing music and fun times. It was a blast and an honour to meet you all. Thanks to Garry and Kyle for the drumstick and guitar picks.
Special thanks to all of you for the poster and signatures.
To find out more about 'Hell N Back' and when they're playing next 'Like' them on Facebook:
Official 'Hell N Back' Facebook Page
Photo Galleries from both shows:
'Hell N Back' Flickr Collections
For more reviews and interviews check us out:
Official LedZepUFP Blog
Led Zeppelin~Ultimate Fan Page on Facebook
Labels: AC/DC, Garry Lennox, Hell N Back, James Alcock, Jeff Collins, Kyle Cyr, Tony Cappello
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Serving Ahousat families with their cremation needs for over two decades
Ahousat, British Columbia Cremation Services
Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services can offer you several creative ideas on personalizing your or a family member's funeral. After the death of a loved one, these Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services can help you celebrate his/her life rather than grieve his/her death by offering you expert advice on personalizing the funeral for a loved one at the cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia. The commemoration of an eventful and well-lived life cannot be carried out with regular funeral services provided at the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services. You have to take the help of professional funeral directors at the cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia to create a more innovative way to summarize the life and memories of the departed soul.
Do away with the grand yet boring flowers and ostentatious caskets at the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services and think out of the box. Always keep in mind whether the deceased would have liked his funeral to be arranged the way it is being conducted at one of the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services. Use your judgment o determine if the funeral arrangements made at one of these cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia correctly represent the aura, personality and life of the deceased.
Organizing a personalized funeral at the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services can start from something as interesting as designing the casket in the shape of an object that the deceased was passionate about. Imagine the relevance of a guitar shaped casket to pay last respects to the talent and achievements of a musician at one of the professional Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services. This may require extensive pre-planning by the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services and may turn out to be a bit more expensive than regular caskets, but it has tremendous value because it represents the life of the deceased perfectly.
Ask the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services to arrange for flowers that were the favorite of the deceased. Also request one of the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services for music that is apt for the life of the departed soul. Consider the option of giving something more socially relevant to the less fortunate in the memory of the deceased with the help of expert advice from one of the well-known Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services.
You can ask your visitors at the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services to contribute to a cause that was passionately espoused by the deceased. Abandon the routine flower-offering practice at the service at these Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services and opt for something more thoughtful like making contributions to the deceased's preferred charity or to a charitable cause that defined the life of the departed soul. For instance an educationist's life can be celebrated at one of the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services by making contributions in his name to a charity that sponsors the learning of disabled children.
Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services and include food and drinks which were relished by the deceased. These services offered by several Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services shifts the focus from the misery of the individual's death to honoring his life with the things he enjoyed. Feasting with other guests on the deceased's favorite dishes at one of the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services facilities will trigger happy memories about the time you shared the dishes with the deceased.
Together with the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services, you can come up with hundreds of creative ideas for a customized gravestone. The gravestones at a cemetery or burial ground of one of the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services should act as a true remembrance for the life of the deceased. This can only be done if you make the gravestone appropriate to the personality and acts of the deceased with the help of Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services.
Take the guidance of one of the reputed Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services in helping you model a perfect gravestone for the deceased at the cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia. Construct the headstone in the form of a customized crossword puzzle with the help of the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services if the deceased was fond of solving crossword puzzles. Alternatively, you can custom-order everything from car and computer shaped gravestones to animal and baseball shaped ones by making your request known to the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services. The headstones organized by the Ahousat, British Columbia cremation services can either represent the deceased's profession or his life's passion.
The cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia can also organize specialized memorial keepsakes that capture the essence of the deceased's life in a nutshell. Get the cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia to make special prayer cards with memorable quotes which have great relevance in the life of the departed soul. You can get the cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia to create special tribute videos in memory of the deceased. Cremation services in Ahousat, British Columbia can be requested to organize special postcards or small, personalized mementos that can be handed over to people at the service.
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CELEBRATES #CFMMERIAHRAYA OPEN HOUSE WITH THE LAUNCHING OF CFM NEW LOGO AND MASCOT
30 Jul 2015, by
KUALA LUMPUR, 30 JULY 2015 – “In the spirit of Aidilfitri, the Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia today celebrated #CFMmeriahRAYA open house with the launching of CFM’s new logo and mascot at D’Saji Titiwangsa Kuala Lumpur. The event, hosted by DR. Elistina Abu Bakar, Chairman of CFM and members of CFM council, was attended by industry players from the communications and multimedia sector. The event was officiated by Dato’ Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Communication and Multimedia Malaysia.
At the event, CFM revealed its new logo and mascot as part of its transformation to better protect the rights of the consumers in Communications and Multimedia industry. Both CFM’s new logo and mascot represents the continuous evolution that takes place to ensure a more relevant and meaningful engagement with all stakeholders in this sector.
“The introduction of new logo and mascot reinforces CFM’s determination as a forum to ensure the development of a dynamic and equitable self-regulating communications and multimedia services industry that will benefit both consumers as well as the country. I have no doubt that these various initiatives will contribute to a better and more learned consumer that is aware of their rights as well as the role that they play in the bigger picture of the whole industry.” said Dato’ Jailani Johari.
CFM’s new logo was designed and developed with convergence in mind. The organic and circular nature of the logo represents the overlapping structure that CFM has in relation to the government, the industry and the consumers in the sector of Communications and Multimedia. The new logo has four distinct colours with each representing the following changes;
Amber: The colour of Amber represents optimism and positive outlook that relates to social communications.
Magenta: The colour of Magenta reflects passion, strength and vitality. Positive attributes deeply embedded in the CFM DNA.
Cyan: The colour of Cyan represents clarity of thought, logical as well as analytical thinking.
White: The colour of white represents equality, efficiency and independence. As an organization protecting consumers rights, fairness and impartiality are at the core of CFM.
Besides that, the new blue CFM mascot was revealed today and it was inspired by one of the unique mammals in the animal kingdom that is seen to be strong, yet very friendly, the Elephant. Recently, CFM had organized “Name the CFM Mascot and Win” contest through CFM’s official Facebook account, consumer.forum.malaysia. CFM believes the new mascot will help deliver awareness messages to the target audience in a more engaging and entertaining way.
Mr Abdul Matin Abdul Rahim, a Facebook user from Kuala Lumpur was selected as the winner for CFM’s “Name the Mascot and Win” contest. The winning name, Fillo, was inspired from the Arabic translation of an elephant, Al-Fil. He won a brand new iPhone 6, sponsored by Maxis Berhad.
The second prize winner was Ms Aimi Sarah Rosli while the third prize winner was Ms Siti Sahara Md Nuran. They both won a brand new Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPad Mini respectively sponsored by Digi Telecommunications and Celcom Axiata Berhad.
“CFM received a total of 6,904 complaints from January 2014 to December 2014. This is an increase of 10% from the year 2013. Service quality was the top complaint category for the year 2014 followed by other cases such as bill and charge, SMS and unfair practice. With the launch of CFM new logo and mascot, as well with the existence of the Complaint Online Portal (COP) and Consumer Info Portal, we are ensuring that issues involving consumers are being given necessary attention.” said DR. Elistina Abu Bakar.
To date, we have received a total of 3,519 complaints from January 2015 to June 2015.
#CFMmeriahRAYA open house is one of the initiatives by CFM to meet with the members of the media, as well with Communications and Multimedia industry players whose have supported the development of CFM throughout the years. As part of support for the needs of the community, CFM has embarked on various activities, including CFM Knowledge Sharing Session which focuses on topics and issues that can help improve the lives of the consumers in the sector of Communications and Multimedia in Malaysia through better awareness and understanding of their rights and responsibilities.
______________________________END________________________________
About CFM
The Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia (CFM) was established and designated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in 2001. It is a platform for the industry and the consumers/public to make coherent and constructive contributions to service improvements and policy development.
CFM is tasked with, amongst others, to promote growth of Malaysia’s communications and multimedia industry and the protection of consumer interests by fostering the highest standards of business ethics and behaviour through industry self-governance. CFM is also a channel for complaints redress on Communication and Multimedia services.
If you have unresolved complaints about your Communication and Multimedia services, please lodge your complaint by calling CFM’s toll free number 1-800-18-222 or visit CFM’s website at www.cfm.org.my or write in to enquiries@cfm.org.my.
Noor Shahdiella Abd Manan
shahdiella@cfm.my
Roharrashidah Abdul Halil
roharrashidah@cfm.my
Razaleigh Zain
razaleigh@cfm.my
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Posted on July 13, 2014 by jrling
“THERE IS NO UNKNOWING WHAT WE KNOW.”
Brenda Jenkyns
Attempting to explain what lies in the heart, ascribing definitive language to an indescribable truth, revealing secrets to the magical, putting the depths of love into words…often reduce us to stammering, or even worse, silence. With so much inspiration to go around, how can that happen? For me, stampeding emotion tramples any intelligent or reasonable communication. And so, I have found solace at the page.
The massive population of Michael Jackson Fans confounds, more often than not, defying any understanding or acceptance. It is easier to discredit or disrespect the loyalty and love, in an attempt to create dissention…using the CON in controversy as a weapon. Since the media and those that hate do not rely on education or truthfulness, the general public is often bombarded with lies. The New York Times statement, “There is Michael Jackson and there’s everyone else,” applies to everything in Michael’s life…the unparalleled genius of his artistry, the unparalleled work ethic, the unparalleled catalog of music, the unparalleled performance, the unparalleled humanitarian efforts, and, the unparalleled attacks and false accusations and efforts to destroy. For Michael Jackson Fans, everything, everything, is taken personally, felt personally. The loyalty felt has been earned and is therefore unbreakable. The love that is felt has first been given and is therefore unbreakable. The determination and steadfastness that is felt has been taught and is therefore unbreakable. Elizabeth Michelle Billeaudeaux describes it as grokking…to understand something intimately, profoundly, and completely through intuition or empathy. THE RUSH OF WONDER WE ABSORB FROM MICHAEL GLISTENS WITHIN US. I wrote several articles some time ago and they still resonate in my psyche. John Shelby Spong describes it as LOVING WASTEFULLY. We in the Michael communities keep keeping on, never giving up, knowing that not everything we do works…but, also focusing our lens on respecting all that give even when some cannot.
Since beginning MICHAELJACKSONCHOSENVOICES, my mantra has been: If someone shares something of value and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.” This Chinese Proverb was given to me by my dear friend, Inge. It has meant recording thousands of words written about Michael by scores of amazing people, providing a modest repository of Michael Truths. Michael Jackson Fans Are A Rare Breed taken from Fantam Blog 2006 is a piece that comes the closest to describing this LOVE PHENOMENON we often find so difficult to describe.
“Michael Jackson Fans are a strange breed. One would be hard pressed to fnd another fan community whose object of admiration is the subject of so much unnecessary condemnation. Over time, Michael Jackson enthusiasts have watched their beloved’s seemingly global idolization transform into apparent worldwide mischaracterization and mistreatment by the press and the public alike. Yet, through it all, true MJ fans have abandoned him not. If anything, the harder Michael’s opponents try to shove him to the depths of despair, the harder his devotees love him, if only for summoning the courage to persist in the midst of it all. Michael’s continued endurance is an exercise of strength and resilience in the face of adversity and uncertainty. Michael’s fans have learned well the lesson, as they steadfastly brave the almost daily emotional roller-coaster ride that is requisite experience of every Jackson supporter. They marvel at his seemingly inexhaustible talents, and applaud his victories. They laugh with him in his happiness, weep with him in his sorrow, and pray for him in troubled times. Their hearts are warmed when he is embraced and bleed when he is ill-treated. Despite the stratospheric highs and seemingly cavernous lows that come with being a Michael Jackson Fan, they remain loyal.
They, like Michael, refuse to allow naysayers to steal their joy, obstruct their way or shape their opinions. They, like Michael, refuse to have their destiny defined or dictated by another. They also refuse to stand idly by, as others attempt to deny Michael his rightfully earned legacy. Simply, Michael Jackson Fans are just like Mike in that they will not be deterred.
By nature of their calling, Michael’s fans are constantly summoned to put on the full armor, stand on the front lines, and fight. Oftentimes with their pen as their sword, they fight alongside and for Michael’s right of humanity. By so doing, they fight for tolerance over prejudice, unconditional love over criticism, wisdom over ignorance and justice over inequality-not only for Michael but for themselves as well. The battles are never-ending, hard-fought and oftentimes mentally and physically exhausting. Still, rather than surrender or reconcile, Michael’s fans resist. They resist the desire to abandon Michael when all seems lost. They forsake the notion that theirs is a lost cause. They refuse to throw in the towel and resign themselves to the path of least resistance, which so often involved renouncing their fan support for Michael. When the going gets tough, with weary minds and heavy hearts, they press on. They press on through Michael’s tribulations and the attacks to which he is subjected. They press on despite mockery and question as to why they bother to fight at all for MJ, a man some deem undeserving of their adoration.
Hazrat Inayat Khan once said, ‘God breaks the heart again and again until it stays open.’ Michael’s devotees can see him as living proof of this idea, as he seems to be the embodiment of the notion. His own heart has been broken much, and his fans personally feel the sting of each break. By the grace of God, Michael’s heart does not become hardened as a result of its frequent fractures. To the contrary, his shattered heart allows for its tenderness and openness. Since out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, Michael’s Fans are able to truly see the fullness of his heart when they listen to him articulate his desire for acceptance, understanding, positivity, love and peace through song and speech.
As their efforts to break Jackson have continued to prove unsuccessful, some Michael Jackson opponents have turned their focus to attempting to disband the fan community by attacking defenders. Time after time, the press uses condescending, defamatory terms to describe Michael’s Fans…being referred to as ‘delusional’ and +++++ is not foreign to Jackson supporters. However, Michael’s devotees choose to ignore the juvenile name-calling and taglines bestowed on them by the media.
The fans refuse to allow the press to project its negative, inaccurate perception onto them. This is because MJ fans realize that such inflammatory terms do not depict their true nature as intelligent, grounded individuals with a healthy admiration for Michael’s music, vision and humanitarianism among other things.
Interestingly enough, MJ’s influence is global and thus, so is his fan base. His detractors are under the false impression that his fan base is minuscule as well as one-dimensional. To the contrary, MJ enthusiasts are nothing if not vast and multi-dimensional. They can be found on every continent, in every country worldwide. MJ fans transcend racial, age and socioeconomic boundaries. The fact that Michael’s fans are so diverse adds to their beauty. Few entertainers, if any, can lay claim to having the type of dynamic and varied fan base of which MJ can boast.
If it is true that our lives are open books for others to read, then the fan’s study of MJ has taught them more than they ever could have imagined about life, love and survival. Michael Jackson is a living testament of the notion that whatever one dreams and desires for his or her life can be achieved. Michael lives by the mantra that love should have no limitations- no conditions.
Michael has shown all who dare take notice, that it is possible not only to stay alive, but to thrive, with grace and fortitude despite adversity. By merely existing, Michael Jackson has taught his fans what it is to dream without fear, to create without boundaries, to listen without prejudice, and to love without judgment. Simply, Michael Jackson fans are a hard act to outshine.
Their loyalty, enthusiasm, intelligence and genuine adoration of their musical idol is unparalleled by other artists’ fan communities. However, for all their attitudes, when it comes to one particular matter, Michael Jackson’s admired fans will always be bested. For, try as they might, no matter to what infinite degree they say and believe they love Michael Jackson…The King of Pop, in true regal fashion, will always say and prove he loves them more.”
I give you these words because I believe they DO NOT FAIL in describing who we are and what we stand for…why we are here and why it is forever. I love you, Michael. I love you, Michael Jackson fans. OUR KNOWING IS IN THE WORLD TO STAY.
“MAKE LOVE YOUR WEAPON TO OVERCOME ANY EVIL.”
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged FANTAM BLOG 2006 by jrling. Bookmark the permalink.
2 thoughts on “WHEN WORDS DO NOT FAIL US”
BJ on July 13, 2014 at 9:39 pm said:
That was written in 2006? Oh how I wish I was there for him then, but it truly describes my experience over the last five years. Yes, yes, and yes to all of it.
Thank you Jude. <3
Thank you, Jude…for your continuing posts about Michael. I am inspired by your steadfastness…which is what he was. Always steadfast. My admiration and love for him grew every day…he could not be matched in any endeavor. I watched as he became more and more famous…also when the nastiness began. He did become the most famous person on the planet…and although he didn’t pay much attention to all that, many did. In the award shows, I watched how some people’s expressions changed when he was called up to the stage….One could just hear their thoughts….”Michael…AGAIN?” I was delighted, but others were so jealous… one could just see it on their faces. And he went on and on….there was no stopping that young man…as he grew into a mature artist. Never satisfied with just one take in a recording studio…he often did as many as twenty. Perfectionism is what he was about…and the ability to do all that was unparalleled…..!!!! Plus the stamina that it takes to have a career such as his…and perform the mammoth shows that he staged. I recall watching him sing and dance so many numbers with NO break, and marveling that he COULD do that. I didn’t then and still don’t know anyone who was as strong as he…or as determined. He insisted that everyone rehearse FULL-OUT every day…and run the show at least 3 times!!!! (This is on the days when there were no performances). So he and his crew never stopped or rested…except on their one day off. And then Michale went to hospitals to visit sick children…and bring gifts. The schedules he set for himself always inspired me to get up every day and practice the piano many hours…and never slack off. Whenever I am tempted to stay in bed and sleep, I think of Michael, and then I get up…ready for the day. THANK YOU…my dear Michael. I will never forget you and your steadfastness…and unselfishness…..NEVER!
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Rod Brunson
Dean of the School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University
Dr. Rod Brunson was appointed Dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University in July 2016. Dr. Brunson is an award-winning scholar, prolific author, and sought after speaker who is widely known for his expertise regarding the impact of concentrated neighborhood disadvantage, police-community relations, qualitative research methods, and youth violence – specifically, youths’ experiences in neighborhood contexts, with a special focus on the interactions of race, class, and gender, and their relationship to criminal justice practices. Since joining the faculty of the School of Criminal Justice in 2010, Dr. Brunson embraced various leadership roles at the School by serving as the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and the Doctoral Program Director, as well as participating in university-wide committees including the New Professoriate Study Group that grew out of the RU-N strategic plan, and the Honors Living-Learning Community curriculum committee.
Over the last two decades, Dr. Brunson published more than fifty articles, book chapters, and essays. His scholarship appears in numerous prominent academic journals such as, the British Journal of Criminology, Crime & Delinquency, Criminology, Criminology & Public Policy, Gender & Society, the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Sociological Quarterly, and Urban Affairs Review. He is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards (New Scholar Award, American Society of Criminology, Division on People of Color and Crime, 2008; Tory J. Caeti Outstanding Young Scholar Memorial Award, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Juvenile Justice Section, 2010), Dr. Brunson’s scholarship continues to gain national and international prominence.
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Photos From the DWU Women’s 78-64 Win Over Southeastern to Advance in NAIA Tourney
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) shoots over the defense of Southeastern University’s Emma Karamovic (12) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Madison Mathews (12) and Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) get tangled up fighting for a rebound during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
The DWU bench celebrates a Chesney Nagel 3-point basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) shoots around the defense of Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Madison Mathews (12) and Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) both reach for a rebound during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) looks for an outlet as Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
The DWU bench celebrates a Tigers basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) goes to the basket after a rebound as Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) can’t get around Dakota Wesleyan’s Sarah Carr (40) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) grabs a rebound past Sarah Carr (40) and Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Sarah Carr (40) shoots a basket as Southeastern University’s Emma Karamovic (12) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) and Dakota Wesleyan’s Madison Mathews (12) pound the floor after a Tigers basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) drives past a Southeastern University defender during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) hits a 3-point basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) is fouled going to the basket by a Southeastern University defender during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) tries to get the basket as Southeastern University’s Anissa Toumi (33) moves in to defend during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) shoots a basket over a Southeastern University defender during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) shoots over the reach of Southeastern University’s Ana Richter (2) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) carries fellow senior Chesney Nagel (32) after the Tigers defeated Southeastern University 78-64 following a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
The Tigers celebrate following their 78-64 win over Southeastern University during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
DWU and Southeastern University gather for a prayer at center court following their game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
The Tigers celebrate their 78-64 win over Southeastern University during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Jason Christensen and the Tigers celebrate their 78-64 win over Southeastern University during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Mikaela Stofferahn (42) fights her way to the basket through a trio of Southeastern University defenders including Southeastern University’s Megan Mosbach (1) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) helps Amber Bray (44) up off the floor after Amber was fouled going to the basket by Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) is fouled by Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) going to the basket during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Sarah Carr (40) celebrates a foul called on Southeastern University as Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) was going to the basket during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) is fouled by Southeastern University’s Anissa Toumi (33) going to the basket during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) goes to the basket as Southeastern University’s Anissa Toumi (33) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
DWU rushes the court during a Southeastern University timeout during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) shoots a basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) tries to drive between a pair of Southeastern University defenders during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) is fouled Southeastern University’s Jaycee Coe (24) following the inbound pass from Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) hits a 3-point basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) shoots in front of Southeastern University’s Jaycee Coe (24) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) puts up a basket in front of the Southeastern University defense during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) shoots a jumper over Southeastern University’s Emma Karamovic (12) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) shoots in front of Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Kynedi Cheeseman (30) hits a 3-point basket over a Southeastern University defender during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) is introduced prior to a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
DWU fans cheer on the Tigers during introductions prior to a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Kynedi Cheeseman (30) leads the Tigers in a huddle prior to a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) screams after hitting a 3-point basket during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) shoots a 3-point basket over Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) is fouled by Southeastern University’s Emma Karamovic (12) while dribbling up the court during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) tries to dribble past Southeastern University’s Emma Karamovic (12) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) brings the ball up the court as Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) makes a move to the basket as Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) grabs a pass between Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) and Southeastern University’s Anissa Toumi (33) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) brings the ball up the court as Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Lewis Hofer, center, celebrates with his friends including Sam Naasz, right, after hitting a half court shot during half-time of the DWU women’s game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
DWU fans applaud the Tigers during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) shoots a 3-point basket as Southeastern University’s Halee Printz (44) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) shoots a basket as Southeastern University’s Jaycee Coe (24) looks on during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) shoots a 3-point basket as Southeastern University’s Emma Karamovic (12) defends during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) celebrates with her teammates coming off the court during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Jason Christensen hugs Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) as she comes off the court during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) celebrates with the bench while coming off the court during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan seniors Ashley Bray (20), Amber Bray (44) and Chesney Nagel (32) are all smiles before walking off the court during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Kynedi Cheeseman (30) celebrates with teammates Chesney Nagel (32), Amber Bray (44) and Ashley Bray (20) before coming off the court during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
The Southeastern University bench watches the action late in the fourth quarter during a game against DWU in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Kynedi Cheeseman (30) brings the ball up the court past Southeastern University’s Maja Michalska (15) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Jason Christensen cheers on the Tigers during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Ashley Bray (20) grabs a rebound between Kynedi Cheeseman (30) and Southeastern University’s Anissa Toumi (33) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Kynedi Cheeseman (30) defends a shot attempt by Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
DWU fans cheer on the Tigers during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) shouts at the defenders on the court during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Southeastern University’s Marlena Schmidt (45) commits a charge on Dakota Wesleyan’s Rylie Osthus (10) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
DWU Cheerleaders perform during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
The DWU bench cheers on the Tigers during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Southeastern University’s Trisha Jacobs (14) tries to split the defense of Dakota Wesleyan’s Sarah Carr (40) and Amber Bray (44) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) brings the ball up the court during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) passes to Sarah Carr (40) after grabbing a rebound during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Southeastern University’s Halee Printz (44) tries passing through the defense of Dakota Wesleyan’s Chesney Nagel (32) and Amber Bray (44) during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Jessica Mieras (50) and Dakota Wesleyan’s Madison Mathews (12) cheer on the Tigers while waiting to enter during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan’s Amber Bray (44) grabs a rebound in front of a Southeastern University defender during a game in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
Dakota Wesleyan University Head Coach Jason Christensen calls out a defense during a game against Southeastern University in the third round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament on Saturday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. (Matt Gade / Republic)
10 Mar This entry was written by mgade, posted on March 10, 2018 at 4:08 pm, filed under General. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed. View EXIF Data
Older: Photos From the DWU Men’s Game Against College of Idaho in NAIA Tourney
The Dakota Wesleyan men huddle up after introductions before a game against College of Idaho in the second round of the NAIA Division II …
Newer: Photos From the DWU Women’s 81-66 Win Over Saint Xavier to Advance to NAIA National Championship
The DWU bench celebrates an Amber Bray 3-point basket during a game against Saint Xavier University in the semifinals of the NAIA Division II …
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I've linked to Jeff Huber's invaluable web site in the past (recently too) and will do so again, because he explains things SO well:
A first semester political science major at the most obscure community college in America can figure out that the less of its own oil an emerging nation burns, the more it can sell to finance its infrastructure and economic growth. Before said poli-sci major starts her sophomore year, she can piece together the strategic wisdom that says if you're the first Middle East oil nation to establish a functioning nuclear energy industry, you'll become a regional superpower.
And by the time she's picked up a full scholarship to finish her baccalaureate studies at Stanford, she'll realize that the Iran crisis has always been about nuclear energy, not nuclear weapons, because if Iran and its senior partners China and Russia can control when and how the world transitions from fossil fuel to the power of the sun, Dick and Dubya's big oil buddies will have to suck hind spigot on the global energy cash cow.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but THIS NYT headline & article:
Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back
BAGHDAD — Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power.
Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP — the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company — along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq’s largest fields, according to ministry officials, oil company officials and an American diplomat.
The deals, expected to be announced on June 30, will lay the foundation for the first commercial work for the major companies in Iraq since the American invasion, and open a new and potentially lucrative country for their operations.
The no-bid contracts are unusual for the industry, and the offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies, including companies in Russia, China and India. The contracts, which would run for one to two years and are relatively small by industry standards, would nonetheless give the companies an advantage in bidding on future contracts in a country that many experts consider to be the best hope for a large-scale increase in oil production. ...
For an industry being frozen out of new ventures in the world’s dominant oil-producing countries, from Russia to Venezuela, Iraq offers a rare and prized opportunity.
While enriched by $140 per barrel oil, the oil majors are also struggling to replace their reserves as ever more of the world’s oil patch becomes off limits. Governments in countries like Bolivia and Venezuela are nationalizing their oil industries or seeking a larger share of the record profits for their national budgets.
Any Western oil official who comes to Iraq would require heavy security, exposing the companies to all the same logistical nightmares that have hampered previous attempts, often undertaken at huge cost, to rebuild Iraq’s oil infrastructure.
[So, looks like we'll need U.S. armed forces in Iraq for a LONG time now - MG]
Yet at today’s oil prices [apx $135 pb] , there is no shortage of companies coveting a contract in Iraq. It is not only one of the few countries where oil reserves are up for grabs, but also one of the few that is viewed within the industry as having considerable potential to rapidly increase production.
The first oil contracts for the majors in Iraq are exceptional for the oil industry.
They include a provision that could allow the companies to reap large profits at today’s prices: the ministry and companies are negotiating payment in oil rather than cash.
[Because oil is worth a lot more than dollars]
... In an interview with Newsweek last fall, the former chief executive of Exxon, Lee Raymond, praised Iraq’s potential as an oil-producing country and added that Exxon was in a position to know. “There is an enormous amount of oil in Iraq,” Mr. Raymond said. “We were part of the consortium, the four companies that were there when Saddam Hussein threw us out, and we basically had the whole country.”
[This article leads me to speculate, that PERHAPS the American Invasion of Iraq was, after all, at least a little bit, about -- OIL]
Many wrongfully held at Guatanamo
A lie by any other name
Favored by Cheney's Handlers
Fervent Faith Blinds
Chalmers Johnson reviews Wolin
One out of every sixteen
NOW, or forever hold your impeach
Cheaper to hire thumb suckers and pundits
Global War on Wages
Democrats to back down
Truth slips out from time to time
The Axis of Energy
For the sake of the Children
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Nonprofitology
Technology Shop
Books of Note
The Nonprofit Advisor
News Release Service
Developing a New Vision and Strategic Plan after 125 Years
By Maicharia Z. Weir Lytle
Maicharia Z. Weir Lytle
A milestone anniversary can provide nonprofits an opportunity to reassess, and possibly refine, their strategic plan, and heeding a few caveats will help improve the likelihood of success.
In 2017, United South End Settlements (USES) celebrated its 125th Anniversary and unveiled Vision125, a five-year strategic plan, to better meet the needs of our community through high-impact programming and a more sustainable business model.
USES has long served families in need of support in Boston, dating back to 1892, but we had not addressed the demographic changes in the South End and surrounding neighborhoods in recent years and a growing need to focus on a holistic approach to supporting families.
Despite an influx of higher-income neighbors and gentrification in recent years, 36% of children in the South End live in poverty, 19% of residents over the age of 25 have not graduated high school, and 11% have less than a ninth-grade education.
Historically, USES provided programs for different audiences and our programs were siloed. Today, our target audience is children and parents/caregivers, and we have a clear goal of helping low-income families in the South End and neighboring communities access resources, become more resilient, and build a diverse and supportive network to break the cycle of poverty.
Weve adopted an integrated approach to programming to support the whole family. For example, children can participate in our early education and out-of-school programs, including Camp Hale in New Hampshire, while parents engage in workplace readiness with one-on-one coaching. When families are fully supported they are more resilient and able to cope with lifes ups and downs.
Additionally, USES faced financial difficulties for many years due to a variety of factors, including limited resources to support the siloed programming model over the long-term and the cost of maintaining our facilities. The status quo was no longer working. While financially solvent, we realized it was critical to change the model so that USES could be financially sustainable for the next 125 years.
Prior to starting the strategic planning process, initial feedback from participants in our programs, staff, donors, and community members made it clear that USES was at a pivotal moment in its long history.
We then spent approximately six months engaged in a strategic planning process. This included reviewing existing programs and resources, soliciting feedback from various stakeholders, taking a hard look at our financials, prioritizing steps forward, and, finally, implementing the strategy.
Here are a few core elements that helped make the effort a success.
Caveat: Get the Board On Board
Its not uncommon for nonprofit organizations to go through a strategic planning process only to put the results and research on a shelf, skipping the last step of implementation all together. At the beginning of this process we recognized getting commitment from our board of directors was critical, not only to develop the plan, but also to implement new programs and initiatives.
While nearly all board members were behind the effort from the beginning, a few were initially apprehensive of the changes we needed to make. However, board members and senior staff took the time to explain the challenges the organization faced and what would likely happen if we stood still. As a result, they became some of the most enthusiastic supporters of the new vision. This year, we welcomed four new board members to our now 18-member board, each of whom has supported the organization through meaningful volunteer work over the past several years.
Caveat: Clearly Communicate the Why
Throughout the process, feedback from the community helped inform our new vision and programming changes. We knew community input as well as our transparency about the process would be vital to ensure a comprehensive understanding and appreciation among our various stakeholders as to why we were engaging in a strategic planning process and making changes in the first place.
We have used multiple channels from blog posts and social media to community meetings, emails, and our annual report to keep our stakeholders updated. Still, there have been times when weve heard from community members who are unclear about some of our changes. We continue to make it a priority to communicate updates to our community.
Caveat: Look to Your Peers for Input
Throughout the strategic planning process, we looked to our peers at other organizations for guidance during the strategic planning process. Their insight and advice has been invaluable.
Were already seeing a positive impact from new programming ideas that resulted from our strategic planning process. A new coaching model we piloted last year takes our job training programs to another level by providing consistent, one-on-one support for participants, helping them define their goals and determine the steps to achieve them.
Additionally, through our new Change Maker Dinner series, weve been engaging small groups of individuals in conversations about inequities facing the South End and the city. The community has always played an important role in our history and these discussions continue that tradition, while at the same time expanding USESs networks to help effect change.
We have more initiatives underway, and additional decisions will be made in the coming months. Our history has provided a solid foundation, and our strategic planning has established a vision to help guide and ensure continued success.
Maicharia Z. Weir Lytle is president and CEO of United South End Settlements, which aims to harness the power of its diverse community to disrupt the cycle of poverty for children and their families.
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Home » Health and Social Issues » Suicides & Depression
77 Aboriginal suicides in South Australia alone
Gerry Georgatos The Stringer
Only dead people come into the dreams of South Australian Elder Tauto Sansbury. He dreams of the deceased, of young lives lost. Mr Sansbury has dedicated his life to helping troubled Aboriginal youth, to reduce the rate of suicides.
"Death is our life," said Mr Sansbury, describing the state of the Aboriginal landscape Australia-wide, of mourning and sadness for young lives lost far too often.
Mr Sansbury works pro bono through the South Australian community organisation, Garridja, - a Nurrunga word which means "to rise". Garridja works to address all areas of Aboriginal disadvantage.
Mr Sansbury said Aboriginal suicide is a national problem, reaching horrific proportions, and that it continues to be neglected by all governments. He said that between 2001 to 2011 there had been 77 Aboriginal suicides in South Australia alone. "I am working with an Aboriginal doctor and a non-Aboriginal doctor in investigating these deaths, as we are working towards collated reports. These deaths have received little attention and this makes no sense, this is an epidemic. Between 1980 to 1989 there were 99 Aboriginal deaths in custody nationally and these deaths led to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Here we have 77 deaths in South Australia alone in a similar time frame and no-one is responding."
Last year in January, Mr Tauto called for a 24/7 Aboriginal crisis centre in Adelaide following a eight deaths of young Aboriginal people in and around Adelaide in the first 13 thirteen days of the year.
"It's approaching two years later, and the State and Federal Governments have not responded. Indeed funding promises have been broken and our youth continue to languish with nowhere to go."
He said that an Aboriginal crisis centre, Aboriginal controlled and serviced is vital.
Mr Sansbury is a former CEO and general manager in Aboriginal health and employment. He is widely recognised for his considerable knowledge and expertise in working for change for Aboriginal peoples and was awarded an Australian Centenary Medal in 2003 by the Commonwealth in recognition of work as director of the Aboriginal Justice Advocacy Committee and the National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee. He was also the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Person of the Year, state and national, for NAIDOC in 1996. He is currently a delegate to the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and chairperson of the Narungga Nations.
"At this time many of us have immersed ourselves in working with others, specialists and experts, in finding the ways forward to address all that is wrong, and to give hope to our people, to our youth, and to ensure governments pay attention and fund what should be funded. If we have to call a national march on Canberra then we will do this, it will happen. 77 suicides in South Australia alone, and 8 deaths in thirteen days January last year speak it all. It is time for those who can help us to listen."
"We have been coordinating our people and raising awareness that we must move forward on all this. With deaths among our people it is a sensitive issue and many often do not want to speak about them, they just accept them but this suicides and young deaths should never become acceptable, so we must educate the best ways forward. Recently I spoke to a forum of more than 300 on all this. If we get it right for our people in South Australia, then the rest of the country may follow, but we need our State and national leaders to pay attention and be guided by us," said Mr Sansbury.
"We are working civilly towards outcomes."
The Stringer is highlighting the horrific rates of Aboriginal youth suicide, and the high rates of Aboriginal deaths, also underwritten by academic research from myself - it was my comparative global data research only a few years ago that confirmed that the prevalence of spates of suicides among Australian Aboriginal youth are the world's highest, and that these spates are becoming more prevalent and settling in to higher medians year in year out. I have further found that despite the spikes in Aboriginal youth suicide, and the rise to the medians, there has been no spike or median increases in government funding to help reduce Aboriginal youth suicides.
On the 13th day of January 2012 Mr Sansbury penned a now famous open letter:
"And on this day, I attended the funeral of the eighth South Australian Aboriginal person to die - the eight deaths in our small community this year. And it was only Day 13.
"These eight deaths are not of Aboriginal people who have lived to a ripe old age. The funeral were not celebrations of long and productive lives. No, they were all premature deaths, some of them violent, all premature and preventable.
"Aboriginal people are always at funerals. We attend out of respect for our people and community. We give our condolences and cry for our loved ones.
"On Friday the thirteenth it was the funeral of a young Aboriginal man, in his prime, who should have had so much to live for. Born 1990, died 2012 - death by suicide. I have been to too many funeral of similar circumstances.
"I watched a grandfather speak, an uncle sing a song to his dead nephew, and procession of young cousins and friends, there to say their last goodbyes, too soon, too early for all of this. The day before this I attended the funeral of an Aboriginal lady aged 52, ravaged by diabetes for many years. How sad that you are considered an Elder in the Aboriginal community if you live to age 50.
"And there were six other Aboriginal funerals. Of the eight premature deaths, three were by suicide and another was violent. How can this be considered right for Aboriginal people, in the 21st century, in a first-world country like Australia?
"And yet there is no mention of this continuing problem in the media apart from the obituaries, and the Aboriginal community itself reacts to this situation passively as if it is acceptable and just the normal course of things. It is not an issue for discussion or action, at any level of government or in any human rights forum. I tell you it's not the normal course of things.
"Three young Aboriginal people have already committed suicide in this State in the first week and a half of 2012, and it's not raised a ripple that they felt so hopeless that it was easier to end their lives than to live in this 'lucky country'. But lucky for who?
"While death is the natural conclusion to life, it's not natural for Aboriginal people to be dying of preventable causes at this rate, years and years before the rest of the population. And yet this is what's taking place, as eight funerals in 13 days show.
"The government says it's committed to Closing the Gap. This isn't occurring. In some areas things are getting worse.
"I'm compelled to stand up and say something about what's happening. Nothing is changing. It's not just an issue for me to raise; we need to stand up as a community and say that this is unacceptable and something has to be done. And we need to do something about it ourselves as Aboriginal people. We can't just keep ignoring it, from generation to generation. The issue is not going to go away. It needs to be fixed, and this can only be done through proper advice and communication to government.
"Our destiny is not entirely in the hands of those in power. It is also in our hands and it is time to take control of it."
A national body to end these high rates of youth suicides and premature deaths is being formed and by the year's end there will be a national march on Canberra to ensure the Federal Government cannot turn a blind eye any longer.
Australian Government not listening - while Aboriginal people die
Aboriginal suicide rates are at record levels, with Aboriginal youth suicide the world's worst. In response the Government has launched a national "inadequate" strategy.
Another death in custody - Casuarina Prison WA
A young Aboriginal man was found dead in his cell at Casuarina Prison. This death in custody comes on top of a spate of Aboriginal youth suicides and self-harm deaths
Spate of suicides grips Aboriginal community
In just a few months at Mowanjum community WA, five young people took their own lives. One teenage boy killed himself after arguing over a mobile phone.
Youth Suicide
Self Determination
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Cash laundering fear for Crown employees charged in China
Gaming is illegal in China and companies are not allowed explicitly to advertise gambling. Cases of this sort can take up to two years to progress from police to prosecutors and the court, this has taken nine months. After the detentions in October, casino companies in Australia and New Zealand reported declines in their VIP businesses, an indication the incident had kept some foreign customers away from their operations.
Trump's Approval Rating Dips Again
Reuters/Joshua RobertsDonald Trump's job approval ratings hit new lows in recent polls . "For June 10-12, Trump averaged 36 percent approval, one point above his low of 35 percent measured March 26-28". "If you look at the trend in Quinnipiac's polling since January, strong approval of the president's job performance has faded in a number of constituencies - including Republicans and whites without college degrees", The Washington Post reported, indicating that a lot of Americans ...
Australia frustrated by rain at the Oval
It leaves Australia's chances of progress hanging in the balance after their first game against New Zealand was also halted by rain while Bangladesh stay in contention, just, despite their opening loss to England . See what else Smith had to say on the matter in the video player above . "I'm preparing for that, but I'm prepared to play every game". Bangladesh vs Australia: Venue? Instead, it was Imrul Kayes (six) that was next to fall, slapping Pat Cummins' wide delivery ...
Actress Kritika Choudhary found dead, Murder suspected
According to the reports, the neighbours called the police, when they noticed the foul smell from Kritika's apartment. One team of Amboli police reached the spot on Monday afternoon and broke open the door. "Prima facie an accidental death report has been taken in the matter and investigation is underway", said Rashmi Karandikar , Mumbai police spokesperson.
British Prime Minister Theresa May's two chiefs of staff have resigned
In 1974, a minority Labour government was in charge for eight months because the Conservatives were willing to abstain on key votes. The future of the proposed alliance had already been thrown into confusion late Saturday after May's office announced that an outline agreement had been struck, only to backtrack and say that talks were still ongoing.
Even Austria Defender Thought Shane Duffy's Goal Should Have Stood
Walters was the goal-hero at the Aviva, with the Stoke attacker latching onto a long-ball before blasting past Heinz Lindner. Only the group winners qualify automatically for next year's finals in Russian Federation, with the eight best runners-up in the nine groups going into play-offs for the last four spots.
Senate Dems Ask for Obstruction of Justice Investigation After Comey Testimony
The team is also expected to file a submission with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee's Russian Federation investigation are expected to meet with Mueller to discuss its own investigation this week.
Who's in Theresa May's reshuffled cabinet?
Theresa May said the government would focus on social issues and "delivering a successful Brexit" as she completed a Cabinet reshuffle. Gove, sacked by Theresa May after she became prime minister a year ago, was unexpectedly recalled as part of the wounded PM's emergency post-election reshuffle.
DEVELOPING: Multiple people hurt in fire at London apartment building
Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London , Wednesday June 14, 2017 . At least 50 people were injured, according to authorities. "We are dealing with a really serious fire that spread throughout the building", a spokesman for the fire brigade said. London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire was still being investigated.
U.S. soldiers killed, 1 wounded in Taliban attack in Afghanistan
The three other US soldiers killed in Achin earlier this year "make up the entirety of USA combat fatalities in Afghanistan in 2017", according to the Washington Post . Three US troops were wounded in March when an Afghan soldier opened fire in Helmand, in the first known insider attack on worldwide forces this year.
Arlene Foster and Theresa May set for crucial talks in London
The words "strong and stable" will haunt the rest of the Prime Minister's political career, if she manages to survive what is the most turbulent time in British politics in over 40 years - and this after promising us stability. "After the general election it is very unclear to know exactly what the United Kingdom approach to Brexit now will be", Kristian Jensen said. "We hope soon to be able to bring this work to a successful conclusion".
Sinn Fein's Adams says will not take up seats in Britain's parliament
However Lord Trimble, leader of the UUP from September 1995 until May 2005 and one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, said the British government was also "taking a risk". All those involved must engage in the full knowledge that the deadline of 29 June is final and immovable. "We are nine days away from the talks starting and I don't think it's actually a bad thing at all, considering one of the most contentious issues will be the Irish border, to have the DUP involved with ...
President extends sympathy to London fire victims
The Grenfell Action Group , a community organization, says it has repeatedly warned about the risk of fire at the building since 2013. "The flames, I have never seen anything like it, it just reminded me of 9/11", said Muna Ali, 45. Another witness recounted watching someone jumping from it. The Rugby Portobello Trust said they are "with numerous residents" and have asked people to "hold off on dropping anything to RPT until we can put together a list of what is needed".
UAE Ambassador to US Suggests Removing US Airbase from Qatar
Eritrean forces moved in after the troops departed, Ali said. Eritrea's top diplomat to the African Union told The Associated Press: "We don't want any confrontation with Djibouti". "I am also extremely troubled to hear that the UAE and Bahrain are threatening to jail and fine people who express sympathy for Qatar or opposition to their own governments' actions, as this would appear to be a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression or opinion", he said.
UK urges Gulf states to ease blockade against Qatar
This statement comes a day after a visit by Qatari officials to Asmara and Addis Ababa seeking support in the ongoing crisis. The anonymous Gulf Arab minister had tried to bribe Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo with a large sum of money to cut ties with Qatar, and to assist in facilitating the blockade against the small Gulf state, according to Jaber al-Harmi, journalist and previous editor in chief of Qatari newspaper Al-Sharq.
Deadly blaze tears through 27-floor London high-rise
Officials warned that the toll may climb higher as they continue rescue and recovery efforts. One witness has claimed the blaze began when a fridge exploded in a floor flat on one of the lower floors while other residents claimed no alarm sounded as flames tore through the building.
Rita Ora: I used to play in Grenfell Tower block
At least six people have died after a huge fire destroyed a tower block in west London with witnesses reporting residents caught in the flames. "We can confirm six fatalities at this time following the fire in North Kensington", London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
London tower fire: What do we know?
Cotton said a number of people died in the fire , but she couldn't confirm how many because of the size and complexity of the building. Seventy-four people were injured and dozens were sent to five hospitals as a result of the blaze . A massive fire raced through the 24-story high-rise apartment building overnight. Numerous roads around the burning tower have been blocked off.
Some killed in London tower block fire - Fire brigade
Flames licked up the sides of the block in the north Kensington area as 200 firefighters, backed up by 40 fire engines, fought the blaze for hours. London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton told reporters: " This is an unprecedented incident . There's more firefighters going in there with the oxygen tanks and first aid kits and all sorts of stuff".
May starts DUP talks in bid to keep power
Johnson, meanwhile, has brushed off reports he is plotting to oust May, insisting he fully supports her attempts to form a minority government. The BBC said that would now not happen, a delay which could possibly postpone Brexit talks due to begin next week.
Morocco says will send food to Qatar after Gulf states cut ties
They cut air, sea and land links and ordered Qatari officials and nationals stationed in their countries to return home. Qatar is the most determined country that fights against IS terror organization alongside Turkey, rather than supporter of terrorism, Erdogan stressed.
GOP senator describes shooting in Virginia; 'People were dropping'
Scalise underwent surgery and is in stable condition at MedStar Washington Hospital Center , according to a statement by his office. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Fourth District) said on Twitter that he is horrified by the attack and praying for the people who were injured.
Uk: fire engulfs London tower block
Dany Cotton, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade , said early Wednesday morning that there were "a number" of fatalities, but she could not be more specific as the massive operation at the building was ongoing. More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines arrived at the scene, and the emergency services are still searching for residents who may be trapped in the building.
London on fire: Several Fatalities and many more hospitalized
On Twitter , London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the fire was declared a major incident; he and other city officials are spreading information about how survivors and families can find one another or report someone missing. A residents' action group said its warnings about safety had fallen on "deaf ears" . "People were starting to appear at the windows, frantically banging and screaming", she told London's Evening Standard newspaper.
Madhya Pradesh farmers' protest: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan ends peace fast
Farmers' leader Shivkumar Sharma had already said that there was no bigger liar than Chouhan. "The Chief Minister refused to consider our demand for a loan waiver , and consequently I and others began a protest in front of him". The district administration in Mandsaur , while taking a stock of the situation made a decision to relax curfew in Mandsaur on Friday. The protesters had also burnt a truck and four motorbikes at Rajgarh district headquarters on June 8.
Talks on DUP support for minority UK govt, to continue
Pressure on Theresa May to pursue a more cross-party approach to Brexit with greater focus on the economy is growing amid reports of secret talks between Cabinet ministers and Labour MPs. The Prime Minister needs the votes of the DUP's 10 MPs to support her minority government as she hopes to steer government business, like the Queen's Speech and Budget, through the Commons.
Spain and India PMs meet to boost economic, security ties
Modi, the first Indian PM to visit Spain since 1992, met top leaders and the interactions stressed that states and entities which encourage, support, finance terrorism , provide sanctuary to terrorists and glorify terrorism should be subject to worldwide laws including restrictive measures.
Republicans urge Trump on tapes; Sessions to testify Tues
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said on Fox News Sunday "there's a real question of the propriety" of Sessions' involvement in Comey's dismissal, because Sessions had stepped aside from the federal investigation into contacts between Russian Federation and the Trump campaign.
Britain's Brexit minister says May not a 'dead woman walking'
European Union states are getting impatient about the delays in the Brexit talks, with some warning Friday after Britain's inconclusive election that the country should not be given more than the allotted two years to settle its divorce.
Malaysia Airlines jet diverted in Australia over bomb scare
A few minutes later the voice can be heard explaining that the man claimed to have an explosive device but was "overpowered" by fellow passengers as he attempted to enter the cockpit. Passengers started leaving the plane about 1.30am. The crew members and passengers used belts from their trousers to tie his hands and kept him captured till the flight landed.
Trump blames Qatar for funding terror
On Trump's Air Force One flight to New Jersey, a senior White House official told reporters that Trump and Tillerson were on the "same page" on Qatar . Trump, in a series of Monday postings on Twitter , quickly congratulated the Saudis and claimed credit for the move. Early this week, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed sanctions on it on the grounds that Doha supports terrorism, with Libya, Yemen and the Maldives ...
Journalists barred from 'filming' interviews with US Senators in Capitol
However, according to reporters who were at the Capitol Tuesday, including a Globe reporter, the new edict was handed down around 11 a.m., when the director of the Senate Radio TV Gallery Director Mike Mastrian told TV crews that they needed to clear the hallway because they were engaging in an "unauthorized stakeout".
Top General: US Military Edge Is 'Eroding'
Committee Chairman Congressman Mac Thornberry and other Republicans bemoaned the increase as insufficient. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan , told Congress that thousands of more troops were needed in part because outside powers have increased their meddling in Afghanistan in the past year, making it tougher for the US-backed government in Kabul to quell the violence.
London Housing Project Fire Claims Multiple Fatalities
On its website , Rydon Construction said: "Externally, rain screen cladding, curtain wall facade and replacement windows were fitted, improving thermal insulation and modernising the exterior of the building". Assistant London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dan Daly said: "Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are working extremely hard in very difficult conditions to tackle this fire".
Afghan President Ghani gives Taliban ultimatum
Representatives of around two dozen countries will attend the meeting, which aims to build global support on ways to restore security in the conflict-torn country, the government said on Monday. "But this tragic week has already added too much civilian suffering to Afghanistan, and further violence will not solve any problems", he said. AS anger is growing in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan over utter failure of those at the helm of affairs to improve security, some elements in Afghan ...
Deadly fire engulfs high-rise in London
It's also not clear whether people are trapped. Meanwhile, a 29-year old Malaysian who lives about 3km from the scene said he was woken by the sound of fire engines and police siren and thought that there had been another terrorist attack following the recent horrifying incidents at the London Bridge and in Manchester.
Judicial Watch: Special Counsel Mueller Might Have to Go
White House officials confirmed that Ruddy was the White House Monday, but said he didn't meet with the president and never spoke with him about the issue. Senators on Tuesday questioned both Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on how the inquiry is being handled. He said Trump had called him Monday night and the two discussed Gingrich's concerns about the probe.
Trio detained by anti-terror police in east London following armed raids
In a statement , her family said: "We are deeply saddened at the tragic loss of our handsome daughter and sister of Harrison and Scott". The neighbour said the road was cordoned off and went into "lockdown". "How can you say something sensible about things that are absolutely senseless?" His name had also been flagged in 2015 by F.B.I. informant Jesse Morton who told authorities he had met Butt in an extremist internet chatroom used by Anjem Choudary, one of Europe's most prolific hate ...
Election a disaster for PM May: Sturgeon
He also called on Mrs May's Brexit plans to be scrapped. Ms Sturgeon's apparent willingness to reconsider her demand for an imminent Scottish independence referendum contrasts with a more bullish tone in recent months. "Now, we have to wait and see how things shake out". Asked about the party's losses in Scotland, Sturgeon said: "I'm not going to stand here and say I'm not disappointed the SNP lost seats".
Amidst ruckus over MLAs sting operation, GST bill passed in TN Assembly
Thought the bill was tabled in the Assembly and passed successfully, a ruckus was created when Opposition leader M. K. Stalin raised the issue of " cash for MLA " expose, carried out few days before by a Engligh news channel. Palaniswami . Mr. Dhanapal reminded the DMK members that in a similar situation in 2011, when there was a controversy over Niira Radia tapes, Electricity Minister P.
India rejects Trump charge that it linked Paris climate accord for aid
The protest is a rapid response to the news of Donald Trump withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement and the NZ government's weak response. "There is still much work to be done to reduce Delaware's share of global greenhouse gas emissions, and I look forward to working with our sister states through the U.S.
Jeff Sessions furiously denies Russian collusion as a 'detestable and appalling lie'
Sessions then gave a winding answer that exhausted the rest of Harris's time, and he did not answer whether he had seen a written rule. "You're impeding this investigation". "I'm not going to follow any orders unless I believe they are lawful", and that "it wouldn't matter what anybody said". He said Mr Comey expressed concerns afterwards about being left alone with the president, a point highlighted in the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director's testimony last week .
Presidential polls: 3-member BJP panel to meet Sonia Gandhi on Friday
Only a meeting with the ruling party will tell whether this new development will have any impact on our choice of candidate. The leaders were to discuss probable names for the post. "Today as the preliminary meeting as decided by all of us". Venkaiah Naidu called me and expressed desire to discuss the potential name. "If the parties arrive at a conclusion without a contest, it will be good for our democracy", said Subrata Mukherjee, a New Delhi-based political analyst and former political ...
Vladimir Putin Low-Key Dissed America in His Megyn Kelly Interview
She asked the tough questions about Russian interference in the election, but a smug Putin denied involvement and even mocked the US for "spreading disinformation". Still, an interview with someone as controversial as Putin makes for great TV regardless of the interviewer. "No, I haven't... because if there had been something meaningful he would have made a report to the minister, and the minister would have made a report to me".
US Attorney General calls Russian Federation collusion accusation "detestable lie"
He never, he insisted, knew anything about the Russian Federation probe or had any role in it. He said he had no memory of meeting Russian Ambassador Sergei Kisliyak at an event in April 2016, despite several media reports claiming he did.
London fire: Huge flames engulf 27-storey tower block, many people injured
London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton has confirmed there have been "a number of fatalities ". "The police have said at this stage they are concerned the building could collapse", said Joanna O'Conner who lives in the area. A number of people were brought to nearby hospitals with hundreds reportedly still stuck in the building. "The NFCC will continue to work United Kingdom fire and Rescue Services to assist landlords to ensure our guidance is constantly evolving to reduce the ...
Sessions to face sharp questions on Russian Federation contacts
While no new bombshell details emerged from the Sessions testimony Tuesday, there were a number of threads and themes that will be sure to crop up again as hearings continue in Russian election meddling. Comey's decision to announce previous year that Clinton would not be prosecuted over her emails was a "usurpation" of the Justice Department's authority, Sessions said.
Shots fired at GOP baseball practice near DC; victims reported
Brooks also said the shooter shot two officers working protective detail for the Congress members at the event. Alexandria Police have a PIO headed to the scene. U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, was at the baseball field where Scalise was shot during a congressional softball practice Wednesday morning, Johnson's Chief of Staff, Mike Smullen, told 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator's broadcast partner, this morning.
Jamie Oliver offers free food and shelter to Grenfell Tower residents
Many residents who gathered outside the smoldering ruins of the building said the fire had been caused by a faulty fridge in one of the flats, but the fire service told MailOnline it could not confirm the reports at this stage. The Grand Tour presenter Jeremy Clarkson took to Twitter to urge those living nearby to help Grenfell Tower residents. About 200 firefighters are in attendance.
Stuttering Murray faces Del Potro test in Paris
There is also the case of Asia's two highest ranked players in Kei Nishikori facing Hyeon Chung while in an-all French affair, Richard Gasquet faces Gael Monfils . Seeded losers in the women's third round: No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 14 Elena Vesnina, No. 26 Daria Kasatkina. Cornet's only moment of trouble came from a hard bounce of the ball as it flew under her racket at 30-15 in the final game.
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If Your Passport Says Valentine, WOW Air Wants to Give You a Free Flight
BY Michele Debczak
iStock.com/basiczto
WOW Air, the budget airline known for its cheap flights to Iceland and other destinations in Europe, is offering a deal for Valentine's Day that's hard to beat. As Thrillist reports, customers named Valentine are eligible for free a flight for their traveling partner if they're taking a trip around the holiday this year.
If the name of the patron saint of love is listed on your passport, WOW Air will refund airfare for a flight booked between January 24 and February 14 for trips taken between February 10 and February 19. The special offer is limited to flights to Reykjavik, Iceland leaving from either Boston, Detroit, New York, or Washington, D.C., and only the return flight will be paid back. Your trip doesn't need to be a romantic getaway, but WOW will only refund your ticket if the booking is for two or more passengers. (As they say, you're giving "the gift of a memorable trip to your loved one this Valentine’s Day!") Airport taxes and checked baggage fees for one bag are also covered in the free flight promotion.
The offer is open to anyone with the name Valentine, first or last (sadly, middle names don't count). Valentin (French), Valentina (Danish and German), and Valentijn (Dutch) are also acceptable forms of the name.
Valentines can make their namesake holiday memorable this year by booking a vacation and emailing a refund request to valentines@wow.is. Emails must include the booking confirmation and a picture of the passenger's passport to be approved. For travelers with any other name who don't qualify for a free flight to Reykjavik, a cheap flight is your next best option. Just make sure you book at the right time.
[h/t Thrillist]
holidays News
Hundreds of Kangaroos Roam the Green at This Australian Golf Course
burroblando/iStock via Getty Images
Anglesea Golf Club has all the makings of a regular golf club: an 18-hole golf course, a mini golf course, a driving range, a clubhouse, and a bistro. But the kangaroo mobs that hop around the holes add an element of surprise to your otherwise leisurely round of one of the slowest games in sports.
According to Thrillist, the kangaroos have been a mainstay for years, and the club started giving tours a few years ago to ensure visitors could observe them in the safest way possible. For about 25 minutes, a volunteer tour guide will drive a golf cart with up to 14 passengers around the course, sharing fun facts about kangaroos and stopping at opportune locations for people to snap a few photos of the marsupials, which are most active in late afternoon and early morning. Kangaroos are friendly creatures, but Anglesea’s website reminds visitors that “they can also be quite aggressive if they feel threatened.”
Post-graduate students and academic staff from Melbourne University’s zoology department have been researching Anglesea’s kangaroo population since 2004, and some of the animals are marked with collar and ear tags so the researchers can track movement, growth, survival, and reproduction patterns throughout their life cycle.
One of the reasons kangaroos have continued to dwell on land so highly trafficked by people is because of the quality of the land itself, National Geographic reports. The golf course staff regularly sprinkles nitrogen fertilizer all over the green, which makes the grass especially healthy.
If you decide to plan a trip to Anglesea Golf Club, you can book a kangaroo tour here—adult tickets are $8.50, and children under 12 can come along for just $3.50 each.
Animals fun nature News Sports travel
House Boasting a ‘Harry Potter Room’ Under the Stairs Hits the Market in San Diego
Cupboard under the stairs featured on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter in London.
Matt Robinson, Flickr // CC BY 2.0
When Harry Potter fans dream of living like the boy wizard, they may picture Harry's cozy quarters in the Gryffindor dormitory at Hogwarts. One home owner in San Diego, California is trying to spin one of Harry's much less idyllic living situations as a magical feature. As The San Diego Union-Tribune reports, a listing of a three-bedroom house for sale in the city's Logan Heights neighborhood boasts a "Harry Potter room"—a.k.a storage room under the stairs.
In the Harry Potter books, the cupboard under the stairs of the Dursley residence served as Harry's bedroom before he enrolled in Hogwarts. Harry was eager to escape the cramped, dusty space, but thanks to the series' massive success, a similar feature in a real-world home may be a selling point for Harry Potter fans.
Kristin Rye, the seller of the San Diego house, told The Union-Tribune she would read Harry Potter books to her son, though she wouldn't describe herself as a super fan. As for why she characterized her closet as a “large ‘Harry Potter’ storage room underneath stairs" in her real estate listing, she said it was the most accurate description she could think of. “It’s just this closet under the stairs that goes back and is pretty much like a Harry Potter room. I don’t know how else to describe it," she told the newspaper.
Beyond the cupboard under the stairs, Rye's listing doesn't bear much resemblance to the cookie-cutter, suburban home of 4 Privet Drive. Nearly a century old, the San Diego house has the same cobwebs and a musty smells you might expect from the Hogwarts dungeons, the newspaper reports. But there are some perks, including a parking spot and backyard space for a garden or pull-up bar. The 1322-square-foot home is listed at $425,000—cheaper than the median price of $620,000 for a resale single-family home in the area.
If you want to live like a wizard, you don't necessarily need to start by moving under a staircase. In North Yorkshire, England, a cottage modeled after Hagrid's Hut is available to rent on a nightly basis.
[h/t The San Diego Union-Tribune]
books entertainment Harry Potter home literature News Pop Culture real estate travel
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Rainbow Charter | Recognition of Sexual Orientation under International Human Rights Law
Rainbow Charter is a column on international law and queer rights, with a keen focus on macro international law as well as deeper micro LGBTQ laws. This column also maps the current LGBTQ laws based on geogaphic regions and also aims to summarise progressive LGBTQ judgements from around the world and how it shapes the international context.
“Some say that sexual orientation and gender identity are sensitive issues. Like many of my generation, I did not grow up talking about these issues. But I learned to speak out because lives are at stake, and because it is our duty under the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to protect the rights of everyone, everywhere.”
— Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Human Rights Council, 7 March 2012
Over the years, many cultural relativists around the world have argued against a unified international human rights norm. They defend the violation of basic International Human Rights by citing age-old cultural practices; for instance, the unequal rights of Muslim women under Sharia law or the African culture for the circumcision practices of women. They argued that while human rights are universal in nature, the enforcement should be defined by individual Nation’s cultural history and context. Despite these attacks on a universal human rights regime, the current International Covenants have provided some extension of its provisions to be gender inclusive and gender sensitive.
Typically, International Law is designed in a way to cater to targeted groups, for women, children, refugees, etc., but it has fallen short in the area of LGBTQ+ laws. There are no specific Conventions or Treaties that acknowledge and protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Instead, over the years, varied interpretations of existing International Human Rights regime has allowed for the recognition of sexual orientation within the framework of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). While the concept of sexual orientation is dynamic in this high-powered world, many countries are embracing LGBTQ+ rights within their national legislation and thereby laying a foundation for a new generation of international norms.
The First Wave of Change Under International Human Rights Law
Article 26 of ICCPR reads as, “All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law……guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status..”
The United Nations Human Rights Committee (herein known as Committee) in the case of Tonen v. Australia (1994), interpreted “sex” under Article 26 of ICCPR liberally. The Committee laid that, while sex would mean the gender of a person, it can also be understood to include sexual orientation. This changed the fate of ICCPR and essentially the interpretation of the word sex around the world for good. For the first time under the International Human Rights Law, non-discrimination on the basis of sex could mean non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Using Tonen as precedent, the Committee dwelled deep into Article 26 in the case of Young v. Australia (2004). The Committee held that same-sex partners cannot be denied the same rights as heterosexual partners on the basis of non-discrimination.
International Human Rights law derives its source mainly from treaties, custom and state practice, and general principles of law. In many instances, case laws like Tonen and Young are used to understand and interpret the meaning of the provisions. The Human Rights Committee, through these two landmark cases, read into the concept of sexual orientation within the existing provision and ruled in favour of same-sex rights in par with heterosexual rights.
Right to self-determination
International Human Rights Law allows for such a liberal interpretation of its provisions thanks to Article 1, common to, both ICCPR and ICESR. Article 1 guarantees the right to self-determination of individuals; it reads as “All people have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right, they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
The right to self-determination sets the tone for progressive and inclusive interpretation of International Human Rights Law. By means of this, the LGBTQ+ community can seek recognition of their rights under existing provisions. It paves way for individuals to approach the Committee or such appropriate authority mentioned in the Covenant if their State is a signatory to these Covenants and explicitly violate Article 1 (Right to self-determination), Article 17 (Right to Privacy) or/and Article 26 (Non-Discrimination) on basis of sexual orientation.
Where does the law currently stand?
In 2006, for the first time ever, 54 nations of the UN endorsed a joint statement entitled “Ending Acts of Violence and Related Human Rights Violation on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” at the Human Rights Council. Similarly, in 2008 about 67 nations and in 2011 about 85 nations issued such joint statements. The initial Statement read as “the Universal Declaration guarantees all human beings their basic rights without exception, and when individuals are attacked, abused or imprisoned because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the international community has an obligation to respond.”
The Statement highlights the international consensus of the Member States to recognise sexual orientations under the current International Human Rights Law and going further, to acknowledge abuses on the basis of sexual orientation. Following this, the UN passed its first-ever resolution in support of LGBTQ+ rights in the same year. The Resolution called for its member states to map laws that were discriminatory in its practice based on sexual orientation. For the first time, an UN Resolution recognised sexual orientation, causing a domino pressure on all the signatories of ICCPR and ICESCR to recognise the equality to all sexual orientations and protection of sexual minorities.
The interpretation of sexual orientation under International Human Rights helps identify larger issues pertinent to the LGBTQ+ persons that go beyond discrimination; such as, abuse, right to reproductive health, right to adoption, right to private life, immigration equality, etc. Notwithstanding all these milestones in making International Human Rights Law inclusive, it is not fully equipped to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ persons. Almost 25 years after Tonen, unhindered equality and protection of the rights of all sexual orientation still remains a dream.
Manasa Ramraj is a blogger at One Future Collective.
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Radiating risk and undermining public health
By Peter Karamoskos - posted Monday, 13 December 2010 Sign Up for free e-mail updates!
On several occasions in recent years uranium mining companies have brought guest speakers to Australia to argue that low-level radiation exposure is not only harmless but actually good for you. To promote such marginal views without any counter-balance is self-serving and irresponsible and it may be time for governments to step in to provide that balance.
Recent research has heightened rather than lessened concern about the adverse health impacts of low-level radiation. Moreover the latest science - concerning the health impacts of exposure to radon gas - is important in the context of the ongoing debate over uranium mining in Australia.
In 2009, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) stated that radon gas delivers twice the radiation dose to humans as originally thought and is in the process of reassessing permissible levels. At this stage, previous dose estimates to miners need to be approximately doubled to accurately reflect the lung cancer hazard.
At BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam underground uranium/copper mine in South Australia, the total dose per miner is approximately 6 millisieverts (mSv) per year allowing for the new ICRP dose coefficients). These doses are typical of modern mine practices.
The average miner at Olympic Dam is young (and at greater risk of developing lung cancer than older workers) and stays on average five years at the site. A typical calculation using the latest figures of radiation carcinogenesis risks indicates that the average miner has a 1:670 chance of contracting cancer, most likely lung cancer, as a result of workplace radiation exposure.
Most modern uranium mines have air extraction systems and radon levels are monitored. Miners are given protective equipment including masks to filter out radioactive particles. However, many underground miners find the masks extremely uncomfortable, especially in the hot underground environment they must contend with. It is estimated that around 50 per cent of underground uranium miners in Australia do not use their masks and are thus at greater risk of lung cancer. It is debatable whether miners are informed of these risks in a full and accurate manner so that they can make informed work decisions.
The industry peak body, the Australian Uranium Association (AUA), has a responsibility to act. AUA members include companies such as Toro Energy, Uranium One and Heathgate Resources that have been promoting the view that low-level radiation is beneficial, and funding the Australian visits of people prepared to promote those views.
Yet the AUA has made no apparent effort to counter those marginal views with the conventional scientific understanding that there is no threshold below which radiation is harmless let alone beneficial. And the AUA itself sends mixed messages. For example its website asserts that there is insufficient evidence to overturn the no-threshold model but also states that there is "no evidence" of harmful health effects of annual exposures of 1.5-3.5 mSv.
In fact there is evidence of harmful effects from low-level radiation exposure. For example, the 1999 Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation VI report reviewed 11 studies covering 60,000 underground uranium miners. The report found an increasing frequency of lung cancer in miners, proportional to the cumulative amount of radon exposure. A 15-country study of nuclear industry workers (excluding mining) published in 2005, the largest study of nuclear industry workers ever conducted, found a statistically-significant increased risk of cancer and leukaemia in nuclear industry workers, even at low radiation doses.
The Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation, convened by the US National Academy of Sciences, noted in a comprehensive 2006 review of the evidence that "… there is a linear dose-response relationship between exposure to ionising radiation and the development of solid cancers in humans. It is unlikely that there is a threshold below which cancers are not induced."
If the mining companies and the AUA do not improve their act in short order, federal and state governments ought to invest in an educational campaign to ensure that the self-serving, marginal views promoted by parts of the industry are not mistaken for rigorous science. My profession - the medical profession - also has an important role to play.
4 posts so far.
Dr Peter Karamoskos is a Nuclear Radiologist; a member of the National Council of the Medical Association for Prevention of War; and public representative on the Radiation Health Committee of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (for informational purposes and does not represent an endorsement of this article by ARPANSA).
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Home › Features › Dec 2017
Apply These 5 Techniques to Help Employees Return to Work After a Medical Absence
When a worker gets hurt or sick and misses a substantial amount of time, it can be hard for you as a business owner to know what to do. The situation can become even more challenging when it’s time for the employee to return to work after a medical absence.
If you don’t have a plan for dealing with people’s return as well as their absence, this could become a major distraction.
Balancing Responsibilities as a Business Owner
Any sort of employee sickness or injury — regardless of whether it was sustained on the job — is sensitive. Obviously, rules, laws and company-specific protocol have to be respected as well as the personal side of the matter.
On the one hand, you have a duty as a human being to be compassionate and caring for your employee in the person’s time of need. On the other, you have to keep the operation running efficiently and ensure people get back on the job as soon as possible.
It’s a fine line to walk, and you can appear insensitive or careless if you wander too far to either side. A correct answer or step-by-step process you could follow every time an employee went through a sickness or injury would be great, but every situation is wholly unique.
What works in one instance might be inappropriate or ineffective in another. The goal, however, should always be to encourage the employee to return to the job as swiftly as possible after recovery.
From there, the objective is to ensure the worker’s reunion with the company and his or her job is smooth and successful.
How to Ensure Employees Enjoy a Seamless Return to Work
Getting workers back to work after an injury or illness is hard enough. Getting them to return to work without any other issues can be even more challenging. It can be done, though, and the following tips should help you understand how.
1. Implement a Return to Work Program
Studies show that employees who remain out of work for more than 12 weeks as the result of a job-related injury have a less than 50 percent chance of ever returning. It’s also been shown that, in most instances, getting employees back to work sooner reduces the overall claim cost associated with the incident, since the most significant portion of workers compensation costs is payment for lost wages (indemnity).
Though there are obviously things you can’t control, such as serious injuries that require many months of recovery, it’s a smart strategy to design a formal return-to-work program that dictates a systematic approach to the process of reintegrating employees.
A return-to-work program also raises employee morale and helps workers return to their duties with minimal friction. According to AVMA PLIT, a provider of professional liability insurance, there are seven key benefits to developing a return-to-work program. Such a program will:
- Reduce the probability of fraudulent claims,
- Allow a business to receive production in return for wages being paid,
- Save costs of training and replacing employees,
- Speed up the healing process for the individual,
- Promote good morale throughout the organization,
- Help the employee stay mentally and physically acclimated to the work schedule,
- Reduce negative financial impact of the injury or illness.
Some businesses are automatically turned off by the notion of launching another costly program, but the fact is that return-to-work programs don’t actually cost much. According to one source, more than half of employers report no cost, while 38 percent experience only a one-time cost which is usually $500 or less.
2. Acknowledge Financial Issues
Speaking of money, it’s worthwhile for employers to recognize the total cost of a medical absence and encourage open discussions with the employee. Not only does the company have to deal with the financial ramifications of the incident, but so does the employee.
This is especially true if the medical absence is unrelated to work. If the employee is okay with it, sit down and discuss the financial pressures he or she is facing. A single hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and bills that are past due by even just 30 or 60 days will sometimes be sent to collections.
Supporting and educating employees as they deal with medical debt can go a long way toward improving employee morale and empowering everyone to focus on work.
3. Make Communication Paramount
On a related note, communication is vital in all phases of reunification. The employer should be in constant dialogue with the worker from the moment a medical absence starts until well after the employee has returned to normal work duties.
Encourage regular meetings with HR or company counselors to ensure the employee feels like his or her needs are being addressed in an appropriate manner.
4. Make Reasonable Adjustments
Throwing someone back into the work grind after an extended absence isn’t necessarily wise or healthy. You’ll want to facilitate a smooth transition and make reasonable adjustments to ensure the employee feels cared for physically, mentally and emotionally.
According to Fit for Work, workplace adjustments can be permanent or temporary, and may include:
- Additional training or retraining (depending on the circumstances),
- Modification of working hours and work patterns, such as part-time remote working,
- A phased return to work,
- Excused absences for doctor’s visits and rehabilitation or treatment,
- Modifications to work equipment.
The primary objective is to make sure the employee is able to do the job safely and effectively. In most cases, these modifications can be made with minimal financial investment.
5. Take Privacy Into Account
HIPAA laws always come into play any time an employee is injured or becomes ill. Though this usually isn’t an issue, it occasionally poses a problem when it involves an employee returning to work when he or she is still dealing with the lingering effects of a medical incident.
For example, say an employee returns to work in a warehouse where he operates heavy machinery. You know the worker is recovering from a very painful injury and that he may possibly still be on opiates, or other powerful pain medication.
It would likely be unsafe for him to do his job while under the influence of these drugs, but you can’t specifically discuss what medication he is on, unless he volunteers the information. In instances like these, it’s a good idea to hire some sort of intermediary who can coordinate between insurer, healthcare providers, employee and your company.
Many companies do this now, and it creates an added layer of protection for everyone involved.
Are You Doing Your Part?
There’s nothing easy about dealing with employee illness or injury. It’s unfortunate and can be uncomfortable for all parties involved.
As the employer, you have a duty to support the individual, while ensuring a speedy return that poses the least amount of hardship on the business. Are you fulfilling your dual obligations?
Courtesy: Small Biz Trends
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A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing by Lawrence M. Krauss
Should have stuck to the science and skipped the philosophy
In his 2012 book A Universe from Nothing, physicist and cosmologist Lawrence M. Krauss examines recent discoveries about the history and makeup of our universe in order to investigate the question of why there is any universe at all. Krauss begins by recounting how scientists arrived at the current prevailing estimates of the universe’s size, age, shape, and rate of expansion, and how the processes of determining these vital statistics led to the discovery of dark matter and dark energy. Then, in an attempt to explain how the Big Bang might have sprung from nothingness, Krauss delves into quantum mechanics, touches upon string theory, and ventures into the multiverse.
It isn’t until around Chapter 7 or 8 that Krauss really gets down to the nitty gritty of addressing the fundamental questions of how it is possible for matter to spontaneously spring from nothingness and why there is actually a necessity for it to occur. Krauss does manage to answer the how question, though not entirely and not very clearly, to the best of our scientific knowledge to date. For the question of why, however, he mostly falls back on the anthropic argument, which roughly paraphrased takes the philosophical stance that the reason there’s a universe so suited to human life is because if there weren’t such a universe, we wouldn’t be around to ask the question.
I’m not qualified to critique Krauss’s physics and cosmology, though judging by what he reveals about his career in this book, he seems to have accomplished great things in those fields. As a reader and a book reviewer, however, I am free to criticize his writing, and the fact is he doesn’t always get his points across very articulately. On the one hand, Krauss’s impressive résumé is a big part of the reason why one would want to read this book. On the other hand, a skilled science journalist could have done a much better job of explaining these concepts to laypeople. The prose of this book is more confusing and difficult to follow than, for example, an article in Scientific American, and it yields less information despite its lengthier text.
Another disappointing aspect of the book is the surprising amount of atheist rhetoric. I’m an atheist myself, so this doesn’t offend me personally, but I read this book because I wanted to learn about physics. Instead, Krauss wastes a lot of pages preaching on philosophical matters that readers of this book will likely have already figured out for themselves. He also does so in a rather snide way, with the intention not to convert theists but to shame them. So why bother? Rather than going to such great lengths to argue why intelligent design doesn’t belong in a physics book, he should have just left it out. If a Christian physicist spent the better part of three or four chapters espousing his religious views, he would be vilified by the scientific academy. So why is it any more acceptable when an atheist does it? To hammer it home even more, the book includes an afterword by prominent atheist spokesman Richard Dawkins, who only restates everything Krauss already said.
I did learn a bit about the origin of the universe from this book, but not as much as I thought I would. Admittedly, there were a few revelations, but even though I’m not the most ardent reader of science news, a lot of this was review even for me, and, as previously noted, much of it was irrelevant. Because of what I did get out of it, I can’t really give it a bad rating, but there’s got to be other trade books out there that explain this stuff much better than Krauss does.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R34UHH080N00IR/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Posted by Karl Janssen at 5:30 AM No comments:
Labels: 2.5 stars, American, Freethought, Philosophy, Recent books, Science
Legal procedural with Victorian histrionics
I had previously read a short story by mystery writer Anna Katherine Green entitled “A Memorable Night” which I enjoyed very much. Intrigued enough to want to read more of her work, I figured I would start with The Leavenworth Case, which, published in 1878, was her first novel and is probably still her best known work. Green has been hailed as the “mother of detective fiction” and can be viewed as the closest American equivalent to Britain’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Leavenworth Case does not live up to such praise, however, and proved a disappointing mystery novel and a tiresome read.
The narrator, Mr. Raymond, is the junior partner of a New York law firm. When one of the firm’s wealthy clients, Horatio Leavenworth, is found shot to death in his library, Raymond is called to the crime scene to lend whatever assistance he can. There he encounters police detective Ebenezer Gryce, the chief investigator on the case. Green would go on to write a series of novels starring Gryce, but here he is a supporting character, working on the periphery of the story while the narrative follows Raymond’s own investigation. Very early in the book it is established that three young women are the primary suspects in the case. Since the servant girl’s whereabouts are unknown, that leaves Mr. Leavenworth’s nieces, Mary and Eleonore, as the main targets of the investigation.
The fact that the suspects are female presents a frustrating problem for the reader. According to Victorian conventions, it would be ungentlemanly to accuse a woman of a crime and unchivalrous to cause her delicate sensibilities any distress by questioning her. A woman, the embodiment of all that is good and pure in the universe, could not possibly commit a crime (unless, of course, she’s of the servant class), and the more beautiful she is the more certain her innocence. This leads to much hemming and hawing in the investigation, as the ladies continually burst into tears, causing Raymond much personal discomfiture. The more Green beats this dead horse the more it becomes apparent that she actually believes the myth of the guiltless female, which makes it clear that the book’s ending will reflect such beliefs, thus drastically reducing the pool of viable suspects. Also bothersome is the fact that there is a man who was present at the Leavenworth house on the night of the murder, but it takes forever before anyone bothers to track him down and question him. Why? Because he’s a “gentleman”!
The first half of the book is excruciatingly slow, as Raymond spends more time apologizing to the Misses Leavenworth and fretting over their feelings than he does actually questioning them. An entire chapter is devoted to one character’s dream sequence, which is presented and considered as if it were actual evidence. Later in the book, a few characters relate extensive back stories which unfortunately do not reveal anything to the reader that wasn’t already stated earlier in the book. Green telegraphs her plot developments so far in advance I was always three chapters ahead of Raymond in solving the case. Adding insult to ennui, Green spends a great deal of time leading you down one path only to predictably swerve the story into an ending that feels more like a cheat than a surprise.
Given her reputation, I still hold out some faith in Green’s talents as a mystery writer, but I did not like this book. The character of Gryce shows promise, and he may have a good case somewhere in Green’s body of work, but I’m not sure I want to hunt for it.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R11L5PK1RJ16EL/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 2 stars, American, Classic literature, Green Anna Katherine, Mystery
All Flesh is Grass by Clifford D. Simak
Falls short of the author’s usual greatness
All Flesh is Grass, a novel by award-winning science fiction author Clifford D. Simak, was first published in 1965. As is often the case with Simak’s fiction, the narrative is set in Millville, the small town in rural southwestern Wisconsin where Simak was born. Unlike Simak, who moved on to become a newspaper editor in nearby Minneapolis, the novel’s narrator, Bradshaw Carter, decides to remain in Millville despite its poor career prospects. Early in the novel, Brad is on his way out of town to meet a friend for a fishing trip when his car strikes an invisible, impenetrable barrier. Further investigation reveals that this mysterious barrier completely encircles Millville, closing the town off from the rest of the world. What’s even stranger is that it appears that inanimate objects can still pass through the barrier, while living beings cannot.
This plot may sound remarkably similar to Stephen King’s 2009 novel Under the Dome, but Simak beat him to the idea by over 40 years. All Flesh is Grass does resemble a King novel in its small town setting, ensemble cast, and rapid-fire barrage of unexplained happenings. Given the number of twists and surprises in the story, I hesitate to reveal much about the story at all for fear of spoiling the plot. Though Simak keeps the reader guessing throughout the novel, habitual readers of his work will find each new revelation oddly familiar. Here Simak covers a number of pet themes that frequently show up in his fiction, and the novel feels like a mash-up of ideas recycled from other writings. I am currently about halfway through Open Road Media’s 14-volume series The Complete Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak, and at numerous times while reading this book I found cases where either the novel borrows ideas and imagery from previous stories or later stories lifted ideas from this novel.
Since this is a Simak novel, it is probably not giving too much away to reveal that the barrier is a product of extraterrestrial origin. Simak often wrote tales of alien visitors who come to Earth with good intentions, looking to collaborate with mankind through cultural exchange and offering to benevolently solve our problems. The visitors in All Flesh is Grass purport to do the same, but Brad has his doubts. As the one chosen to be their human liaison, Brad is the first to discover the nature of these other-worldly intruders, but he can’t figure out whether their intentions are honorable or suspect. Meanwhile, his inside knowledge makes him the object of suspicion among his fellow townspeople, who are understandably freaking out over their unexplained captivity.
For the most part, Simak does a good job of building suspense throughout the book, but I wasn’t riveted to the page the way I have been with Simak masterpieces like City or Way Station. All Flesh is Grass would have made a great novella, but as a novel it feels drawn out with far too many overly protracted conversations. What’s worse, after all the buildup, the novel disappoints with an ending that’s too abrupt, too vague, and delivers a rather easy, unsatisfactory resolution to the problem at hand. If ever a novel needed an epilogue, it’s this one, but Simak leaves you hanging.
If you’ve never read Simak before, you might be blown away by all the imaginative and bizarre ideas crammed into this novel. On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of Simak’s work, and a lot of what I found here just felt too familiar. Simak is always worth reading, however, and I will continue to gladly chip away at his complete works, but this is not one of his best books.
https://www.amazon.com/review/RCQKHE5Q3POU5/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 3.5 stars, American, Modern literature, Science Fiction, Simak Clifford D.
Cubism [Du “Cubisme”] by Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger
First brief manifesto of the revolutionary art movement
Portrait of Albert Gleizes
by Jean Metzinger
Originally published in 1912 under the French title Du “Cubisme”, this brief treatise by painters Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger was the first manifesto of the Cubist painting movement to be published in book form. While Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are recognized as the founders of cubism, and fellow painters Juan Gris or Fernand Léger might spring to mind as exemplars of the movement, Gleizes and Metzinger were two notable members of the Salon Cubists group who organized the Salon de la Section d’Or, an exhibition for showcasing Cubist paintings in opposition to the established academic salons. Though artists and critics had previously published articles on Cubism in art and literary magazines, this was the first attempt by members of the movement to release a self-contained tract on the subject.
The English edition of 1913, simply entitled Cubism, consists of about 64 pages of text followed by 26 reproductions of paintings. These illustrations are printed in black and white in the poor halftone printing technology of the time. The value of the illustrations today is negligible, given that all these artworks are likely now available to freely view in color on the internet, so the main attraction here is the text. Even the selection of illustrations is questionable, however, since Picasso, Braque, and Gris are only represented by one painting each, while the authors and their friend Léger each get to display five examples of their work. The other artists represented are Paul Cézanne (as a forebearer), Francis Picabia, Marcel Duchamp, André Derain, and Marie Laurencin.
Despite its level of abstraction, Cubism was considered a form of realism because it investigated the nature of reality, as opposed to Romanticism or Symbolism, which dealt with emotions, dreams, and the imagination. As realists, Gleizes and Metzinger cite the art of Gustave Courbet as a major influence for his breaking away from academic conventions, though they disagree with his representational method of depicting the world. Edouard Manet is likewise halfheartedly acknowledged as a kindred spirit. Not surprisingly, Cézanne is put forth as the Cubists’ primary progenitor for his pictorial analyses of form and space. Gleizes and Metzinger view the Impressionists as a sort of sister movement, as both schools of painting attempt to go beyond camera-image realism by applying scientific methods to painting, yet they condescendingly view Impressionism as Cubism’s inferior sibling. While the impressionists concentrate their efforts on duplicating how the eye perceives color, the Cubists engage in the more intellectual pursuit of exploring how the mind comprehends and constructs ideas of form and space. The Impressionists still operate under the illusion that they are depicting the world “as it is,” while the Cubists, reflecting the relativity of Albert Einstein and the philosophy of Henri Bergson, question the absolute perceptibility of nature by the senses and emphasize the mind’s ability to construct reality as it sees fit.
When it comes to the actual discussion of painting techniques and the treatment of form within the picture plane, Gleizes and Metzinger are less clear in their prescriptions. Like many a manifesto, the tone of the writing is more confrontational than explanatory. In the interest of staking their claim, they seem as much interested in excluding artists from their movement rather than gathering recruits. If you want to know what Cubism was all about, you’d probably be better off reading a recent retrospective by an art historian, but as a historical document Du “Cubisme” is an invaluable artifact of how the early Cubists viewed their movement and its aims. Art history buffs who love a good manifesto should certainly give it a look.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2UR91UKH6C9EF/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 3 stars, Art, French, History
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Timeless fun for kids and grown-ups
As the father of two young boys, I’m always looking for chapter books to read with my sons, and whenever possible I try to steer them towards the classics, just for an occasional break from Captain Underpants. I’m not one of those grown-up readers who seeks out kid lit for its own sake, but I did enjoy James and the Giant Peach quite a bit. Originally published in 1961, it was the first children’s novel by British author Roald Dahl.
The story is about a young English boy named James Henry Trotter who lives a dark and dreary existence until a stranger gives him a handful of magic “crocodile tongues.” James accidently spills these little green rice-like objects on the ground under a peach tree, which results in the startling growth of the titular gargantuan fruit. After discovering a hole in the peach, James climbs inside, where he finds and befriends a group of intelligent, man-sized insects. Together they embark on a wacky journey that takes them far from home.
As is often the case with the protagonists of children’s literature, James is an orphan. He is forced to live with his two aunts, who serve the same function as the Evil Stepmother or Wicked Witch in many a fairy tale. This pair of harpies makes James’s life a living hell by heaping upon him verbal and physical abuse. Most children to some extent see themselves as persecuted by authority figures who tell them what to do, so young readers will no doubt enjoy reading about how James liberates himself from these two terrible guardians. Dahl takes the aunts’ ill treatment of James to such an extent, however, that some young readers may even find it scary. Another aspect of the book that may not be suitable for everyone is Dahl’s repeated use of the A-word (synonymous with donkey) to describe a stupid person (If I actually type the word, Amazon’s database will reject this review). Sure, it’s not the worst case of profanity, but probably not something you want to add to your kids’ daily vocabulary either.
There really isn’t much of a lesson to learn from James and the Giant Peach, which makes it even more fun. James makes friends along the way, and they work together to solve problems, so I suppose friendship is a theme, but mostly you just follow along on the bizarre adventure and enjoy it for what it is. There’s no heavy-handed moral that Dahl is pushing. For moms and dads, he satirizes Cold War paranoia in a few scenes, but not nearly to the extent that he does in his 1982 novel The BFG. Mostly, James and the Giant Peach is just a weirdly fun adventure with a lot of delightfully silly humor in it. My sons enjoyed it even more than I did and laughed out loud over quite a few passages. Though neither brief for a children’s book nor particularly dumbed-down in its vocabulary, my second-grade son didn’t have any trouble reading the prose, but I think even kids as old as fourth or fifth grade would still get a kick out of the story.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R1IUET7EJJBC8U/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 3.5 stars, Children's literature, Dahl Roald, English, Modern literature
The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories by Ivan Bunin
Four brief tales of melancholy and mortality
In 1933 Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin became the first Russian writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. An objector to the Bolshevik revolution, he left Russia in 1920, before it became the Soviet Union. Bunin lived the rest of his life in France, though he continued to write in the Russian language. The Gentleman from San Francisco is a collection of four of his short stories. The title selection was originally written and published in Russia in 1915. It is unclear whether these four stories ever appeared together in a Russian volume, but in 1922 they were published in English by Hogarth Press, the publishing house run by British authors Leonard and Virginia Woolf. The stories were translated by English author D. H. Lawrence and Russian-born Samuel S. Koteliansky.
The stories take place in a variety of settings. In “The Gentleman from San Francisco,” a wealthy American businessman takes a sea voyage to Italy to see the wonders of the Old World. “Gentle Breathing” opens in a Russian cemetery, where we are first shown the headstone of a dead teenage girl and then told the tragic story of how she came to lie buried there. In “Kasimir Stanislavovitch,” the title character is called from Kiev to Moscow for reasons unbeknownst to the reader. A poor man in the big city, he is out of his element and forced to stay in a shoddy hotel. Not until the very end of the story is the purpose of his trip revealed. In the book’s final story and best entry, “Son,” a French married couple live for 14 years in Constantine, Algeria. When a friend of theirs passes away, her son begins to make frequent visits to the couple’s home. This young man falls in love with the middle-aged wife, but she only cares for him as the son she never had. Often Bunin leaves important details left unrevealed until the very conclusion, so the less said about these stories’ plots the better. One tactic he uses to build suspense is to switch the narrative perspective to one of the characters, who relates his or her story almost as if presenting evidence at an inquiry regarding a crime or an accident, the nature of which is kept from the reader until the story’s conclusion.
Stylistically, Bunin shunned modernism and chose to carry the torch of a more classic Russian realist style influenced by Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov. Though Bunin didn’t move to France until after he wrote these stories, one can nevertheless also detect the influence of French literature on his writing. Perhaps solely due to the mutual respect and cultural exchange between the French and Russian literary traditions, one can detect a hint of the naturalism of Emile Zola, particularly in the bluntness with which Bunin depicts death and contemplates mortality. While Bunin’s prose (or at least the English translation) is crafted with an exquisite elegance that calls to mind the era of romanticism, there is nothing conventional or prudish about his imagery or the subjects he depicts. If there is one naturalist or modernist theme that runs through these stories it is the cold indifference of the universe to any single human life. Though extraordinary events are depicted in the lives of ordinary people, the reader is often left with a feeling of existential insignificance. Life events like love and death are depicted more as indignities than glories or tragedies. Nevertheless, they are indignities that are universal to human experience, and in Bunin’s hands they become profoundly moving experiences. Though this book only runs 86 pages long, these stories deliver an emotional impact that far outweighs their brevity.
Stories in this collection
The Gentleman from San Francisco
Gentle Breathing
Kasimir Stanislavovitch
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2RKQ6O8X5AXDP/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 4.5 stars, Bunin Ivan, Classic literature, Nobel Prize, Russian, Short stories
Splendid isolation?
In his 2017 book The Stranger in the Woods, journalist Michael Finkel investigates the extremely unconventional life of Christopher Thomas Knight, the man formerly known as the North Pond Hermit. In the book’s opening chapters, Knight is arrested for burglarizing the kitchen of a summer camp for disabled children. What’s unusual about his crime is that Knight is not robbing the camp’s pantry for profit but for survival. In fact, for many years Knight has lived off the takings from over a thousand such burglaries at the camp and at neighboring cabins and vacation homes in the woods around a lake in central Maine. For decades, property owners in the area have exchanged tales and rumors of a “hermit” living in the forest, and with Knight’s arrest their legends have come true. Shockingly, Knight has lived his entire adult life alone in the woods, speaking only one word (“Hi”) to another human being in 27 years.
As someone who enjoys solitude and often longs to “get away from it all,” I was fascinated by Knight’s story of life “off the grid.” Finkel examines Knight’s solitary existence and survival techniques in great detail. The hermit’s quest for isolation came at the cost of great hardship, as Knight had to survive brutally cold Maine winters while never even building a fire for fear of being discovered. Yet, amazingly, during all that time he never got sick or suffered a serious injury. Knight lived surprisingly close to civilization, yet avoided human contact through sheer relentless willpower. Finkel delves into the hermit’s mind and analyzes his unique code of ethics, which are loosely based on a foundation of ancient Stoicism. Knight felt guilty for every robbery he committed, and there were certain illegal and unethical lines he would not cross. Finkel interviews members of the local community for their responses to the hermit and his crimes. Their reactions run the gamut from disbelief to sympathy to rage.
Finkel also goes beyond Knight’s story to examine the human need for solitude and its naturally beneficial effects. He looks at the history of hermithood and reveals that an astounding number of people around the world today are living in some degree of hermitude, often for religious reasons. Finkel digs into Knight’s past to try to determine what would have driven this man to live his life in such a way. One can’t help but draw parallels between Knight and Christopher McCandless, the subject of John Krakauer’s 1996 book Into the Wild and another social iconoclast who lived on his own terms. (If you liked one of these books, you’ll surely like the other.) However, while one can empathize with McCandless’s wanderlust and envy his nomadic adventures, it would be difficult to covet Knight’s experience of spending almost three decades in the same camp, often through undoubtedly miserable conditions. Knight’s obstinate endurance and unflinching devotion to his odd personal convictions is so far outside the realm of conventional reason that he makes for a delightfully unfathomable enigma. I wouldn’t want to live Knight’s life, but I’m glad there’s someone out there who did.
Finkel’s writing grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go. If I had two and a half hours of uninterrupted reading time, I would have gladly finished this book in one sitting. Only in the book’s last few chapters does enthusiasm begin to flag a bit as Finkel discusses Knight’s readjustment to society. It starts to get a little creepy at that point, not only because of Knight’s asocial behavior but also because of the way Finkel stalks the poor guy. Nevertheless, The Stranger in the Woods is a captivatingly addictive, profoundly moving, and memorably thought-provoking book.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R6DN91Z1SDY5O/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 5 stars, Biography, Nature, Recent books
Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge by Mike Resnick
Artful anthropological sci-fi short
Mike Resnick’s science fiction story “Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge” was originally published in the October/November 1994 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Though the publisher Phoenix Pick is packaging and selling this work on Amazon as if it were a novella, it’s really not long enough to qualify as one. In Resnick’s 2012 collection The Incarceration of Captain Nebula and Other Lost Futures, “Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge” only takes up 47 printed pages. So it’s really only a short story, or perhaps a “novelette,” which is fine, as long as you know what you’re getting before you spend your money. Fortunately, it happens to be a very good short story. It won the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novella of the year and was nominated for a number of other international sci-fi prizes.
Resnick has repeatedly traveled to Africa and frequently sets his science fiction stories there. For anyone who doesn’t know, Olduvai Gorge is a valley in Tanzania where many of the earliest specimens of human remains have been found. Much of our knowledge of the evolution of mankind has come from the fossils dug from the soil of Olduvai Gorge, which have fleshed out the human family tree with such progenitors and relatives as Homo habilis, Paranthropus boisei, Homo erectus, and early Homo sapiens. Resnick’s story thus falls into the category of anthropological and archaeological science fiction, a subgenre I always enjoy, though good examples of which are infrequent and hard to find.
The story takes place thousands of years in the future. The narrator, a member of an alien species, informs us that mankind is now extinct. While they lived, however, humans ruled the universe, mercilessly conquering millions of worlds and reigning over their interplanetary empire with an iron fist. Now, almost 5,000 years after humanity’s demise, an archaeological expedition made up of scientists of a number of extraterrestrial races makes a pilgrimage to Olduvai Gorge to learn what they can about mankind’s origins. The narrator, known as He Who Views, has the special sensory power of feeling the history of artifacts that are subjected to his examination. As members of the expedition uncover objects from the Gorge, the narrator reveals the stories behind the items, thus sketching out the history of humanity in the region from the prehistoric past to the far-off future.
“Seven Views from Olduvai Gorge” is hard to get into at first. The narrative’s unique time-travel device is admirably innovative, but the first few vignettes, taking place in the past, are more historical fiction than sci-fi, leaving the reader to wonder when Resnick is actually going to venture into speculation about the future of mankind. In its latter half, however, the story really takes off, and Resnick’s dystopian future brings into focus mankind’s destructive propensities for violence, avarice, and environmental degradation. The story succeeds both as mind-expanding science fiction and as thought-provoking social commentary. Resnick has the ability to render extraordinary concepts and events in a way that grounds them in the realm of the realistic. His writing reminds me of the work of Clifford D. Simak, which is one of the best compliments I could give any sci-fi writer. Whether a work of fiction this short is worth the cover price may be up for debate, but there’s no denying that “Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge” is a worthwhile read.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2FFD6J9X3RS0N/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 4 stars, American, Archaeology, Modern literature, Pulp fiction, Resnick Mike, Science Fiction
Free Air by Sinclair Lewis
Cross-country car-culture rom-com
Free Air, a novel by Sinclair Lewis, was first published in serial form in the pages of The Saturday Evening Post from May to June of 1919. It was the last novel Lewis wrote prior to hitting it big with his monumentally successful book Main Street. These two consecutive novels do share some common ground in that they both feature a female lead and both depict the small-town life of common American folk west of the Mississippi. The similarities end there, however, and the two works differ widely in literary quality. Though Main Street has its flaws, Free Air isn’t even in the same league with it. Lewis may have been the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, but you wouldn’t know it from this trivial piece of fluff.
Free Air may be the first road trip novel of the automobile age. It follows the travels of driver Claire Boltwood and her passenger father, two members of the wealthy smart set of Brooklyn Heights, New York, as they engage in a marathon cross-country drive from Minneapolis to Seattle. The book provides a glimpse into early car culture, when few if any western roads were paved, drivers were required to do much of their own repairs on the side of the road, and options for dining and lodging were spotty at best. Soon after departing on their journey, Claire and her father become acquainted with Milt Daggett, a small-town mechanic who also just happens to be traveling to Seattle. While lending roadside aid to the Boltwoods, Milt develops romantic feelings towards Claire, but surely their difference in social class makes an insurmountable obstacle to any possible relationship between the two. Or does it?
The tone of the novel is humorous throughout, though the laughs have faded over the past century. At first it seems that the road to Seattle will be paved with bad jokes, but the rapid-fire delivery of antiquated quips kind of grows on you after a while. The prose is littered with overly clever home-spun similes like “He looked as improbable as an undertaker’s rubber-plant” or “lonely as a turkey in a chicken yard.” My grandfather, who served in World War I, would have no doubt found this book hysterical, but the humor is tame and obvious by today’s standards.
Largely on the basis of Main Street, Lewis is considered an early proponent of feminism. In Free Air, Claire Boltwood may be an independent woman driving cross-country, but as a character she’s really a non-entity. She doesn’t need to work because she’s rich, her sole purpose in life is to make an advantageous marital match, and she really has no personality. She basically just serves as a receptacle for the affections of her suitors, who are the real characters in the book. As far as its perspective on womanhood goes, this novel is roughly the century-old equivalent of a romantic comedy starring Katherine Hiegl or Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Lewis is also known as a spokesman for the common man, but here he falls short on that score as well. Ostensibly, he wants to make fun of class distinctions by lampooning both the unwashed masses and the snooty upper crust, but really the lower and working classes take the brunt of most of his satire. The book is chock full of unflattering depictions of hayseeds, rednecks, and country bumpkins, some intended to be humorous and some just scary. The faults of the rich are by no means given equal time, and Lewis makes it clear that when members of disparate classes come together, they don’t meet in the middle; it is poor Milt Daggett who needs a makeover. Free Air is not a terrible book. It’s just rather tiresome and insignificant. Only the most diehard Lewis fans should spend their time on it.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R1AYDVRB0BXUVX/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 2.5 stars, American, Classic literature, Lewis Sinclair, Nobel Prize
Clarence Gagnon: Dreaming the Landscape by Hélène Sicotte and Michèle Grandbois
An authoritative retrospective of Québec’s premier painter-etcher
Canadian art is an unknown realm to most Americans, but undeservedly so. As an American myself, even having graduated from art school, I discovered far too late in life the many superb artists and unsung masterpieces from north of the border that deserve to be viewed, pondered, appreciated, and in some cases revered. In general terms, the qualities that historically characterize Canadian art as distinct from that of its southern neighbor is a greater respect for representational imagery, a healthier regard for the landscape, and a marked appreciation for raw talent and refined craft over a slavish devotion to conceptual innovation. One Canadian artist who embodied these ideals in his life and work is the Montreal painter Clarence Gagnon (1881-1942). Ample proof of his artistic excellence is evident in the stunning book Clarence Gagnon: Dreaming the Landscape, published in 2006 by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
Gagnon is best known for his landscape paintings of the Québec countryside. His depictions of the Laurentian Mountains combine the colorful people and architecture of rural village life with the stark natural beauty of the region. Among his most recognized works are a series of beloved illustrations he created to illustrate Maria Chapdelaine, a novel set in Québec by French author Louis Hémon. Though best remembered today as a painter, during his lifetime Gagnon received perhaps more international renown for his etchings. He traveled throughout Europe creating expertly executed intaglio prints of the beautiful scenery he encountered in locales like Venice, Florence, and Brittany. Dreaming the Landscape treats both of Gagnon’s strengths equally. The book is divided not only into two sections but also between two curators: Hélène Sicotte discusses Gagnon’s paintings while Michèle Grandbois handles his prints. Each does an outstanding job in her area of expertise. The text, rich in biographical detail and historical context, meticulously charts Gagnon’s intellectual and artistic development. Rather than pushing their own philosophical interpretations of Gagnon’s art, the authors rightfully put the artist’s life and accomplishments in the forefront.
With its beautiful images, gorgeous printing, and fine quality paper, this lovely tome makes for a perfect coffee table book, but it also succeeds as a scholarly monograph by providing an exhaustive retrospective of this great artist’s career. Given all the art books already in existence, as well as competition from the internet, there is no point in publishing another art book unless it is going to be an authoritative reference on its subject, and this book is certainly that. In addition to the main text, the book includes a chronology of Gagnon’s life, extensive notes, and a deep bibliography. Initially created as an exhibition catalog, the book includes a detailed listing of all the paintings included in the 2006 exhibition, as well as a complete catalog raisonné of Gagnon’s etchings, both illustrated with thumbnails of each work mentioned. But wait, there’s more! Not only is every exhibition in which Gagnon participated listed, but also a list of the works that he showed in each exhibition. The level of detail and depth of research that went into this volume is truly impressive.
This is no doubt an expensive book, especially now that it’s out of print, but any Gagnon enthusiast wondering whether it’s worth the cost will not be disappointed with this excellent volume. Clarence Gagnon: Dreaming the Landscape is everything an art lover would want in an art book and a fitting tribute to this important artist and his unforgettable art.
The Yellow House, 1912 or 1913, oil on canvas, 54.2 x 74.3 cm
The Great Drive, illustration for Maria Chapdelaine, 1932, monoprint, 20.5 x 21.2 cm
Rue des Cordeliers, Dinan, 1907-1908, etching and drypoint, 19.8 x 24.5 cm
https://www.amazon.com/review/RK3HKV8SM07X9/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 5 stars, Art, Biography, Canadian, Gagnon Clarence, Recent books
Honoré de Balzac: His Life and Writings by Mary Frances Sandars
The comic, tragic life of an extravagant genius
Honoré de Balzac: His Life and Writings, first published in 1904, is a biography by Mary Frances Sandars, an English author who penned several books on French history and literature. Here she traces the life story of the great writer who captured French society with such vivid imagination and exquisite detail in his series of over 90 novels and short stories known as the Comédie Humaine. Although I’m a fan of Balzac and wanted to learn more about his life, I was a little reluctant to start Sandars’s biography because of its length and the antiquity of its publication date. Immediately after I began reading it, however, I found the text to be surprisingly lively and engaging. Balzac lived a fascinating life, and Sandars does an admirable job of relating the exploits and personality of this complex genius in a thoroughly entertaining manner.
The inclusion of “and Writings” in the subtitle also had me worried that the book would contain a lot of literary criticism in addition to factual biography. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I didn’t want Sandars to give away the plots of all the Balzac books I haven’t read. Luckily, those fears were unfounded. Sandars only provides the barest general synopses of works in the Comédie Humaine, without dropping any spoilers. The fact is, she doesn’t have room for a lot of lit-crit in this book because Balzac’s life itself was every bit as interesting as one of his elaborate novels.
Balzac’s prolific literary career was a study in self-imposed Herculean labor, but his personal life was marked by continual emotional histrionics and extravagant spending. One could easily write him off as an overgrown child if he wasn’t such a workaholic. Despite his copious productivity, Balzac was constantly in debt and never managed to break even financially up until the day he died. To supplement his income as an author, he comes up with a number of get-rich-quick schemes to achieve financial security, from printing shops to silver mines to pineapple plantations. He initiates several literary journals, which fold after a couple issues; he runs for political office, but never wins; he lobbies for admittance to the Académie Française, but all for nought. Nevertheless, he approaches each new disaster with the comically boundless optimism of a lovable loser. The reader can’t help rooting for the guy through each financial setback and wishing him the best in his turbulent love life. His one true love was Madame Hanska, a married Russian countess, whom he pursued for most of his life even though she was above his station. Though much of Balzac’s life inspires mirth, Sandars’s account does turn tragic in the closing chapters as his brilliant life of creativity and vivacity comes to a pitiful end.
Researchers have no doubt turned up a lot of new information on Balzac over the past century. Graham Robb’s 1994 book Balzac: A Biography, the most recent comprehensive retelling of the author’s life, probably looks under at least a few stones that Sandars left unturned. There is something to be said, however, for the style of biographical writing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Biographers in those days approached their writing with the goal of crafting an informative and inspirational narrative of the subject in question, without digging for too much dirt or getting bogged down in a morass of detail. Even though Sandars does her due diligence, her research methods might not stand up to the exhaustive scrutiny of today’s academic literary scholars, but so what? Her book is fun to read, and you do learn a lot about the man and his art. Even if you’re just mildly curious about Balzac’s life, there is much to enjoy in this engaging biography.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R27YRTHE5TFBK3/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 4.5 stars, Balzac Honoré de, Biography, Classic literature, Comédie Humaine, French
A Plea for Pantheism by John Shertzer Hittell
Plagued by drunk-uncle reasoning
Pantheism is the belief that god exists in all matter and the entire universe is divine. This god is not the anthropomorphic god of the Judeo-Christian tradition but rather something more like a force of nature or an eternal universal intelligence. Pantheism has been around since ancient times, with some traditions taking the form of pagan nature worship and others philosophically approaching atheism. The 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza is considered the father of modern pantheism. With his concept of monism, he asserted that the universe is only made up of one substance (matter), thus denying the dualism of matter and spirt that is fundamental to so many religious traditions since Plato.
The scientific advances of the 19th century brought a resurgence in Spinozan pantheism, led by scientific-minded writers rebelling against the superstitious dogma of organized religions. One such writer of this “Golden Age of Freethought” was the historian and journalist John Shertzer Hittell. His book A Plea for Pantheism was published in 1857. In its first printing, the book only ran about 64 printed pages, but the prose and the typesetting are both dense enough to amount to a fairly substantial read. The contents consist of a brief preface and four chapters in which Hittell refutes the existence of the following: an afterlife, an anthropomorphic god, any ideal ethical basis for right and wrong, and the ability of man to ever discern any absolute truth about the universe.
For the most part Hittell’s reasoning is sound, but he occasionally lapses into antiquated prejudicial statements that resemble the kind of cringeworthy bigoted statements someone’s embarrassingly drunk uncle might spout after a few too many beers. In the first essay on the afterlife, Hittell uses physiological evidence to support his argument that the human mind is a function of the brain and therefore ceases to exist when the body dies. In doing so, he manages to offend just about everybody. For starters, he refers to non-Caucasian races as “the lowest tribes of savages” and emphasizes the similarity of these “brutes” to apes. There is also a stunning mention of human-animal hybrids which seems like a bizarrely out-of-place bit of science fiction until you realize what he’s talking about are interracial relationships. Hittell also points out that the average woman’s brain is ten percent smaller than the average man’s, and suggests that “their mental faculties may be that much weaker.” It’s a shame to find such repellent views in an otherwise well-reasoned philosophical argument. To some extent, such remarks are typical of European and American writers of this time period. The evolutionary biologist Ernst Haeckel, for example, lets one slip from time to time in his pantheistic writings, but never so blatantly or egregiously as Hittell does here.
The book is further hampered by an overall tone that is more antagonistic than inviting. Hittell writes the book as if he’s preaching to the converted. Though the text reinforces the arguments in favor of a pantheistic worldview, this tract is unlikely to win any new recruits to the cause. While Spinoza and Haeckel manage to work some optimism into their pantheistic proselytizing, Hittell is blunt and bleak throughout. He asserts that there is no right or wrong in the universe, only the indifference of natural forces, but never bothers to propose an alternate code of ethics by which mankind might live. Likewise, his essay on epistemology so strongly emphasizes the fallibility of human thought it makes one wonder why anyone would ever bother to write or read a book. I admire Hittell for tearing into age-old superstitions, but he doesn’t offer any alternative wisdom in place of the beliefs he debunks. For much better texts on pantheism, read Spinoza’s Ethics or Haeckel’s The Riddle of the Universe.
https://www.amazon.com/review/RMP4D4AEZXHS3/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 2.5 stars, American, Classic literature, Freethought, Pantheism, Philosophy
The Birth of God by Verner von Heidenstam
Romantic longing for classical antiquity
Swedish author Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1916. Though primarily known as a poet and novelist, he was also a playwright. His drama The Birth of God is a one-act play that would likely take up less than 15 minutes of running time on the stage. Nevertheless, it was translated into English and published in 1920 as a stand-alone book of 32 pages. This English translation is now in the public domain and available for free at HathiTrust.
A modern man, known only as Stranger, travels to Egypt. There, among the ruins of Karnak, he meets a seemingly ancient, possibly immortal man named Dyskolus, with whom he engages in conversation. In the background, idols of ancient Egyptian gods, with their animal heads, dance and occasionally speak. The Stranger tells Dyskolus that he has travelled the world looking for a god. He feels trapped by the “daily sham” of modern life and seeks true meaning and purpose. Dyskolus acts as an intermediary for the old pagan gods, who, now long forgotten, yearn for new worshippers to restore them to their ancient glory.
As you can tell from the plot description, with its heavy-handed symbolism and reverence for ancient Egypt, The Birth of God is about as romantic as romanticism gets. Because Heidenstam’s career crept into the age of modernism, his writing style is late enough in history to be called neo-romanticism. The Birth of God paints modern life, represented by the Stranger, as empty and meaningless, while classicism is held to be pure and profound. Modern man longs for a new deity to rescue him from his vapid life of industry and commerce. Heidenstam doesn’t really seem to be advocating that man should believe in these pagan gods; rather, he expresses an envy towards the ancients’ lives of superstition and worshipful purpose. There is veneration in this view, but also a hint of condescension: If only I could be as ignorant as these primitives, my existence would at least seem meaningful! The dialogue includes a brief mention of Giordano Bruno, a Dominican friar who was executed for heresy, perhaps suggesting that pantheism may be the answer to modern man’s spiritual crisis, but this thread is never followed up and the play just proceeds to an ending that’s not only rather simplistic and silly but also describes imagery that would have been difficult to pull off with the special effects of 1920. If a pantheism worthy of Bruno were established in modern times, it would have to be a pantheism that embraces science, yet Heidenstam seems to reject science along with the rest of modernity in favor of a nostalgia for more primitive superstitions.
If you are looking to sample Nobel Prize winners of the past, reading The Birth of God is probably the quickest way to get an idea of Heidenstam’s writing, since only a few of his works have been translated into English. Another brief play from 1919, The Soothsayer, is also available in the public domain. I’m sure there’s more to Heidenstam than what’s indicated by these 32 pages, but reading this play doesn’t really make the reader eager to invest a lot of time and energy into one of his longer novels.
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2REUHLIY3V910/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm
Labels: 2 stars, Classic literature, Drama, Nobel Prize, Swedish, von Heidenstam Verner
A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Ra...
Cubism [Du “Cubisme”] by Albert Gleizes and Jean M...
The Gentleman from San Francisco and Other Stories...
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story...
Clarence Gagnon: Dreaming the Landscape by Hélène ...
Honoré de Balzac: His Life and Writings by Mary Fr...
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As markets are becoming more and more competitive, firms must devise new strategies to preserve their advantageous market position. Making decisions from a product lifecycle perspective has become a popular means to advance companies' missions and achieve a better position in the market. According to Ameri and Dutta (2005), "Product Lifecycle Management is a business solution which aims to streamline the flow of information about the product and related processes throughout the product's lifecycle" (p.577). The Forio simulation provides a unique opportunity to test and analyze financial and market decisions, depending on the product lifecycle stage. The results of the strategic review suggest that, depending on the stage of lifecycle management, Research and Development (R&D) costs and prices should be adjusted to meet the changing needs of customers. An effective product lifecycle management strategy can increase total revenues and profits, and secure the firm from product and marketing failures in the long-term perspective.
A Review of the Products, Lifecycles, Price and Performance
Clipboard Tablet, Co. is a firm, which primarily develops and sells tablets. The current product portfolio comprises of three major products: X5, X6, and X7, accordingly. X5 has been in the market for three years and, at present, its price is much more important to consumers than its performance. In 2011, the product found itself in the growth stage of the product lifecycle, which is characterized by the companies' striving to build stronger brand recognition and create new distribution channels to ensure that more customers accept the product (Quick MBA, 2010). At that stage, the number of first-time customers still exceeded the number of the returning ones (882,729 vs. 86,250), and the price was fixed at $285 per unit. Sales were the highest among the three company products, and 33% of the R&D budget was allocated for X5.
X6 is another product, which has been in the market since 2009. It attracts customers because of its outstanding performance and makes them forget about the price. The price of X6 at the beginning of 2011 was $430 per unit. However, X6 was claimed to display better performance than similar products in its price segment. 34% of the company's R&D budget was allocated for X6. The product was in the growth phase of its lifecycle, when the analysis started.
Finally, X7 is the newest of all company's products and, probably, the most challenging its endeavor. In 2011, the product was only 1 year old, and its price was $190 per unit. 33% of the R&D budget were allocated for X7, and it was created for the customers, who cared both for the quality of its performance and its price. In the introduction phase of the product lifecycle, X7's brand identity was still being established; distribution was selective, until consumers would start accepting it (Quick MBA, 2010). Its performance was closer to that of X6. X7 held a promise to become a better alternative to most products in the market, but it was still new and unknown to most customers.
Financial Review and Market Review
It should be noted that, since 2011, the prices and R&D decisions have been the same for all three products. Nevertheless, they displayed different sales and market results during the period of 2011-2015.
As it was already mentioned, the price for an X5 unit was $285. Between 2011 and 2015, the amount of R&D resources spent to improve the product did not change and was fixed at $7,920,000 annually. Sales kept increasing steadily, from $968,979 in 2011 to $1,853,177 in 2014. However, when the product reached the maturity stage of its product lifecycle in 2014, its sales decreased by almost 50% and accounted for only $963,776 in 2015. Profitability also fell from 32% in 2014 to 17% in 2015, although it was still higher than in 2011 (16%). By 2015, the market saturation for the product reached a maximum of 94%, and the prevailing majority of consumers were those, who wanted to replace or upgrade their older gadgets (387,919 first-time consumers against 575,856 repeat sales). No decision to discontinue or upgrade the product in technological terms was ever made.
In 2011, the product was in the growth stage of its lifecycle. Its sales increased greatly during 2011-2014 and fell sharply in 2015. Compared to only $562,961 in sales in 2011, in 2014, X6 sales achieved an unprecedented level of $2,364,061, followed by a rapid decrease to $1,118,142 in 2015. Revenues showed the same tendency, increasing between 2011 and 2014 and falling in 2015 ($480,801,048 in 2015 compared to $1,016,546,240 in 2014). Meanwhile, the amount of R&D resources spent on the product stayed at the same level - $8,160,000 per year. Profitability increased from 16% in 2011 to 32% in 2014, but then fell to 27% in 2015. The product reached the stage of maturity, and its market saturation reached 93% in 2015. The number of first-time customers started to decrease and was only 488,152 compared to 629,990 repeat sales in 2015.
X7 is the newest of all three products offered by Clipboard Tablet, Co. In 2011, it was in the introduction stage of the product lifecycle. Before 2011, it was present for only 1 year in the market. The price for it was the lowest of all three products, $190 per unit, and it has not changed until present time. Between 2011 and 2015, the sales for X7 rose from $165,586 to $479,827. In terms of sales and revenues, X7 was the most successful of the three products offered by the company during the abovementioned period. Revenues increased from $31,461,253 to $91,167,056. R&D investments in the products were the same - $7,920,000 per year. From -73% in profitability, the profit margin for X7 increased to 21% in 2015. The rates of market saturation for X7 have never been high and ranged between 3 and 5 percent in 2011-2015. At the same time, the number of first-time customers increased two-fold from 202,513 in 2013 to 407,920 in 2015, followed by the similar increases in repeat sales.
It should be noted that, in all three products, the concept of the product lifecycle predetermines the trends and changes in their prices, sales, demand, profitability, and revenues. The product lifecycle concept remains one of the most fundamental in marketing (Vashisht, 2005). It has profound implications for the company's survival (Vashisht, 2005). For Clipboard Tablet, Co., the transition from growth to maturity stage of the product lifecycle has become a turning point in the evolution of the two products - X5 and X6. Both products reached the maturity stage in 2014, which was accompanied by a sharp decrease in sales and revenues. Apparently, the amount of R&D investments in each of the three products would vary, depending on the stage of the product lifecycle, but the patterns of R&D budget allocations did not change during 2011-2015 (Lin & Saggi, 2002). An alternative strategy could have been developed to account for the shifts in product development and popularity in the market; however, the firm chose to keep prices and R&D investments at the same level, generating the total revenue of $846,644,152, total profit of $194,198,305, and total profitability of 30% by the end of 2015.
Proposing an Alternate Strategy
The firm would have been operating much better, if its management had known how the product lifecycle concept influenced budget allocations for each product. In addition, the price of each product would have to be changed, depending on the market conjuncture and products' financial and technical performance. The end of 2011 showed that the price of X7 had to be lowered, given the dramatically low profitability of the new product and its relatively low popularity due to novelty. At the same time, R&D allocations would also need to be changed, since both X6 and X7 showed lower performance than similar products offered by competitors. In result, by the end of 2013, the total profits would increase to $854,746,514, while the total revenues would keep increasing.
Based on the results of 2013, more R&D investments would be made in X5 to improve its performance, while the price for X6 would be lowered to match the general price trends in the market for similar products. By the end of 2014, the total profits would be $1,259,638,269. In 2014, X7 would enter the growth stage of its product lifecycle, while X5 would become mature and saturated. This is where a decision regarding future R&D investments would have to be made. It appears that customers are extremely heterogeneous in their willingness to pay for the quality improvements made through R&D (Saha, 1999). Consequently, not all of them will be willing to pay for the mature but improved X5.
Most likely, any increase of R&D investments in X5 would lead to a rapid decline in sales and, by the end of 2015, the product would have to be discontinued. At the same time, the prices for X6 and X7 would slightly decrease, in order to make the products more attractive to customers. The proposed strategy would eventually result in a total profit of $1,348,533,233, compared to only $194,198,305 with the decisions implemented by the former manager. Price and R&D flexibility against changes in the product lifecycle would ensure greater responsiveness and sensitivity to the economic and marketing shifts in the company's strategy and environment.
Distance Learning Research
Turning the American Dream into a Nightmare
Reflective Report
Waking Life
"Glory" Film Review
Age Factor in Second Language Acquisition
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By Allison McCartney December 15, 2014
Identity in infrastructure: North Fair Oaks banks on road project to revitalize area
Colorful storefronts line parts of Middlefield Road, in North Fair Oaks, Calif. (Allison McCartney/Peninsula Press).
(Graphic by Allison McCartney/Peninsula Press)
Driving north on Middlefield Road from the affluent town of Atherton towards Redwood City, the thick tree canopy suddenly vanishes from above and the lush bushes and grasses morph into gravel and cement. Iron gates fronting set-back mansions are suddenly replaced with concrete business facades, and utility wires begin to crisscross the sky above like a spider’s web.
That moment marks the boundary between one of the wealthiest communities on the Peninsula and one of the poorest — the mostly Hispanic unincorporated residential area of North Fair Oaks. Yard sales, elaborate backyard birthday parties and live mariachi bands are common here, though outsiders regard it — if they’ve heard of it at all — as a sketchy passthrough between cities with little identity of its own.
“When you tell people that you live in North Fair Oaks, no one has a clue to what North Fair Oaks is,” said Kent Manske, a local artist and professor who has lived in the neighborhood for 24 years. “And in some regards I really like that we live in this little unincorporated pocket, that we don’t belong to Redwood City or Menlo Park. We’re our own entity. But it’s an entity without an identity.”
That may change now that the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors — which administers the one-square-mile area — has approved a plan to turn the rough stretch of Middlefield that runs through the heart of North Fair Oaks into a pedestrian and bike-friendly commercial district by widening sidewalks, cutting traffic lanes and painting new bike lanes.
The project is now in its formal planning phase, with a construction start date yet to be determined. County officials do not expect the project to be completed until 2018 or 2019.
The improvements come as Silicon Valley struggles with its well-documented problem of income inequality. Low-income pockets of the Peninsula that were long immune to the effects of the growing bourgeois tech industry are now feeling the pain of rising rent prices. With tech money fueling a building boom in neighboring downtown Redwood City, North Fair Oaks is struggling to keep life affordable for its residents.
North Fair Oaks residents have no greater advocate than Linda Lopez, the 64-year-old chairwoman of the North Fair Oaks Community Council, a position that allows her to bring the concerns of the district to San Mateo County, but has little independent governing authority.
Lopez, a 15-year union employee who has worked in the North Fair Oaks community since the early 1970s, has a long history of advocacy. As a student at Sequoia High School, she campaigned against racism and fought to close a napalm factory operating at the Redwood City port. More recently, she worked in juvenile and family court for San Mateo County.
At a recent community council meeting, she vigorously questioned a man applying for permits to turn part of his building into apartment units, trying to use what power she has to make those new units affordable housing.
“You can’t be renting out that place or leasing at market rate,” she said later. “People cannot afford to rent out a one-bedroom apartment for $2,000.”
North Fair Oaks is the only densely populated unincorporated area on the Peninsula, and it was long disenfranchised. But that’s changing, Lopez said.
“In the last couple of years there has been a change in the fact that some of the people in power in San Mateo County are supporting the social-economic redevelopment of North Fair Oaks. We’ve never had that,” she said.
She credits District 4 County Supervisor Warren Slocum, who has opened his door to his constituents since his election in 2012. Slocum has ushered in a new era of collaboration between the county and North Fair Oaks. Lopez says she returned to the council after a 10-year absence, in part because of his willingness to get things done in the community.
“If you look at where we were 10 years ago and you look at where we are now, it’s absolutely amazing,” she said. “Ten years ago, I would not have been able to call any supervisor and say, ‘Hey, you know I got this concern, I think we really need to do this.’ I couldn’t even get my calls returned.”
The county and the community council went through an extensive feedback process to create a project that reflects the community’s needs. The county met with business owners in person, distributed bilingual surveys and hung informational door hangers throughout the neighborhood.
San Mateo County created the North Fair Oaks Forward initiative in 2013 to guide its new proactive efforts in the area. Since February, the county and the community council have jointly held a slew of community meetings to offer residents a chance to speak up.
“Our goal is to make sure that there is no one who has not heard of this Middlefield Road project,” said Ellie Dallman, 24, an outreach coordinator for North Fair Oaks Forward. “We’ve invested a lot of time and effort into doing as much as we can to cover everyone within North Fair Oaks.”
Awareness is high, but some community members still say they want more information. The mostly small Latino-owned beauty shops, restaurants and vehicle repair shops along Middlefield fear the street project will disrupt or displace their businesses. Despite the county’s outreach efforts, store owners say they are frustrated by a lack of details.
“How can I talk about something I don’t know anything about?” said one beauty supply shop owner when asked about the proposed changes. She said most of what she does know comes from reading newspapers.
“The [community] meetings are always in the evening, when we are busy and have lots of customers,” she said. “I would like to go, but how am I supposed to leave my shop then?”
The fear of disruption or dislocation was common throughout the planning process, said Lopez, and one the planners took that seriously. Protections for business owners and neighboring residents were made a condition for any plan put into action, though particulars are still being determined.
“The purpose of this whole thing is to support and nurture what we already have, number one, but it’s also to welcome and invite in new business, new merchants to create that solid foundation for a diverse downtown district,” Lopez said.
The county is planning to cut the current four traffic lanes to two — plus a turning lane — and will convert two 45-degree parking lanes into bike lanes, parallel parking lanes and wider sidewalks. Utilities will be put underground, clearing the sky, and public art projects will be installed, including a planned living wall and a large mural.
“People want to make sure that Middlefield Road is safe for all users,” stressed Dallman. “Whether you’re driving your vehicle, riding a bicycle or walking trying to cross Middlefield Road or walk on the sidewalk.”
Area residents let the county know that pedestrian and bike safety on Middlefield was a key concern for the community. With inadequate crossing points, anxious mothers huddle their young children at intersections waiting for a break in the speeding traffic, and bikers live in fear being plowed over by drivers backing out of spots.
Beyond the safety improvements, the county has prioritized making the stretch of Middlefield a vibrant destination — not just a way station between Atherton and Redwood City.
Manske, 54, the artist, has been tasked with creating the entry signs into the community, telling unknowing visitors when they have entered North Fair Oaks. Instead of traditional signage, he’s planning four colorful 10-foot-tall metal figures that represent the people who live in the neighborhood.
“The concept that I wanted was as much North Fair Oaks community engagement as possible,” he said. “It’s actually really nice to go to a public place where you slow down and talk with people and reacquaint yourself with what is home.”
Read other stories in this special report series:
Shootings vanish as Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood transforms
Santa Clara County’s homeless hope for hotel rooms after shelter closes
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A peek inside recreational vehicle communities in the Bay Area
200-ton historic house finds new home across San Jose State campus
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Home Lifestyle Which is the most religious country in the world?
Which is the most religious country in the world?
Afghanistan has been ranked as the world’s most religious country, where 96 percent people pray daily.
According to the statistics by PEW Research, for each country we’ve included the most recent figures available.
Afghanistan is an Islamic republic where Islam is practiced by 99% of its citizens. As high as 80% of the population follow Sunni Islam and the remaining are Shias. Apart from Muslims, there are also small minorities – Sikhs and Hindus – living in the Asian country.
This West African country has been ranked in the second position with 95 percent people praying daily.
About 50% of Nigeria’s population is Muslim, 40% are Christians while 10% adhere to local religions.
Eighty-seven percent people in the Middle Eastern country pray daily and around 90 – 95% of Iranians associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 5–10% with the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam.
The remaining 0.6% associate themselves with non-Islamic religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, Mandeans, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians.
This Southeast Asian country stands at fourth in the list with the 84 percent people praying daily.
In Indonesia, 87.18% of people identified themselves as Muslim (with Sunnis more than 99%, Shias 0.5%, Ahmadis 0.2%); 7% Protestant Christian; 2.91% Catholic Christian; 1.69% Hindu; 0.72% Buddhist; and 0.05% Confucianism.
This South Asian country is ranked fifth in the most religious country’s list as 75 percent of the population offers prayers on daily basis.
India’s 1.3 billion people are about 80 percent Hindu and 14 percent Muslim, with the rest made up of Christians, Sikhs and other minorities.
Pakistan, another South Asian country, stands at sixth spot. Some 67 percent population pray daily in the country, with Islam as the state religion. Muslims make 96% of the country’s population.
The remaining 4% practice Hinduism (2.12%), Christianity (1.59%), Sikhism and other religions.
This South American country claims seventh position in the list with 61 percent people praying daily.
Christianity is the largest religion in Brazil, with most Roman Catholics adherents. Brazil possesses a richly spiritual society formed from the meeting of the Roman Catholic Church with the religious traditions of African slaves and indigenous people.
Turkey has been ranked eighth in the list with 60 percent of total population praying on daily basis.
Islam is the largest religion in Turkey, with 99.8% Muslims, while other religions include Christianity and Judaism.
The United States of America has been ranked ninth in the list of world’s most religious country.
Some 83 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Most of the rest, 13 percent, have no religion. That leaves just 4 percent as adherents of all non-Christian religions combined — Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others.
This East Asian country has been ranked 10th in the list with the 33 percent population praying daily.
Religion in Japan is dominated by Shinto (the ethnic religion of the Japanese people) and by Buddhism. According to surveys carried out in 2006 and 2008, less than 40% of the population of Japan identifies with organised religion: around 35% are Buddhists, 3% to 4% are members of Shinto sects and derived religions, and from fewer than 1% to 2.3% are Christians.
Least religious countries
The least religious countries, on the other hand, include Israel (27%), Canada (25%), Italy (21%), Russia (18%), France (10%), Germany (9%), and UK (6%), but China surpasses them all, with only 1 per cent people offering prayers daily.
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Home / Sustainability in SEA
The strategic vision of the SEA Group is founded on the sustainable generation of value. This is always considered from a multi-dimensional point of view (economic, environmental and social) and according to the mutual strengthening of the three components. The SEA Group draws up its strategies in such a manner that the resources, actions and instruments deployed in the social and environmental areas are true and proper investments, which can therefore support the proper management of company risk and in the final analysis feed the growth of the organisation.
The planning and decision making governance in relation to sustainable development within SEA is assigned to the Group Sustainability Committee, with the following objectives:
to propose to senior management the guidelines for development and the implementation and monitoring of sustainability policies to be integrated into the SEA business model;
to oversee, within the approved guidelines, the mapping of the principal stakeholders and the proposal of objectives and means for the involvement of such stakeholders in the drawing up of the companies choices or their implementation;
to ensure the development of synergies between the initiatives of the relevant departments put in place or considered significant for the achievement of the sustainability objectives;
to ensure, in line with the defined objectives and in maximisation of the synergies with the disclosure and operating processes already in place, the establishment of a reporting model which incorporates the sustainability performances and the oversight of its functioning;
to monitor the development of the significant corporate performance indicators in terms of sustainability and to propose any corrective actions.
Browse the site >
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HomeCD ReviewsCrosson - 'Invincible'
Crosson - 'Invincible' http://rocktopia.co.uk/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/200x200s/5a/57/75/crosson-invincible-58-1544126358.jpg Hot
Added by Central Electronic Brain December 06, 2018
Crosson
Metalapolis
A very average album.
The Australian band are back with the follow up to their 2016 album 'Spreading The Rock 'n' Roll Disease', and this effort 'Invincible', in the same way, is the brainchild of bandleader and founder Jason Crosson. The publicity surrounding this album describes the content as "Futuristic Theatrical Rock", and whilst one can't argue with the "Theatrical" part of that statement, I would question the "Futuristic" bit. It's certainly dramatic in places, but not always for the right reasons.
Musically the album is fine, but to my ears it's let down by average vocals and cheesy eighties lyrics. The opening track being a case in point, as 'Rock Warriors' allegedly pays tribute to all the bands and artists that laid the foundations of the music we love, but it sounds like it was written back in the day and, come to think of it, recorded back in the day as well.
Most of the songs on this album would pass comfortably on the West End stage as part of a Rock-style production, but few are memorable and the album is only really saved when Finnish vocalist Jessica Wolff joins the outfit for a duet on 'Unconditional Love'.
I am led to believe nothing can prepare you for the visual onslaught Crosson delivers in its live show. "Numerous costume changes, blended with high-energy choreography, smoke, sirens, and catchy Rock anthems makes the Crosson live show a seen-to-be-believed entertaining experience". Perhaps that makes up for a very average album.
A fellow Rock journalist who I know well once said "If you like the of idea of Kiss and Mötley Crüe crossed with The Darkness and Steel Panther, you're gonna love Crosson". I rest my case!
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Home>History
Historyadmin2017-09-27T08:39:47+00:00
If you believe in the
bridge of desire that leads
to Brigadoon and the knight
who fought through thickets
of thorns to rescue Briar Rose,
you will be able
to find Rose Valley,
then and now.
Also in this section:
If you believe in the bridge of desire that leads to Brigadoon and the knight who fought through thickets of thorns to rescue Briar Rose, you will be able to find Rose Valley, then and now. If you don’t know your heart’s desire, you’ll careen right past this legendary village experiencing only frustration and fear from maneuvering an automobile through the gauntlet of blind curves and thrilling hills on a tarmac road that services harried commuters.
Rose Valley now appears to the casual observer to be a tightly clustered group of homes on the outskirts of Media, Pennsylvania. There is no convenience store, no gas station, and no sidewalk, The hidden lanes and private drives do nothing to encourage the curious. Still, the intrepid who find a legal, safe parking spot will notice that the buildings in Rose Valley are very different from those in the surrounding suburban sprawl.
Some, like the Hedgerow Theatre, look like ancient structures from an unknown place and time. Hidden behind overgrown bushes and trees, others look like cottages in a storybook illustration.
There are curious consistencies: most have stucco walls with stone buttresses and colored tiles showing through here and there, and many have red tile roofs. Windows have a distinctive arrangement of panes. The grander houses are secluded at the ends of long drives. Others are so close together that on a warm summer day, neighbors can hold conversations with each other from open bathroom windows and kids can scamper to the hidden swimming pool on paths that wind through adjoining back yards. How did the Rose Valley we see now come to be this way?
Rose Valley looks the way it does because of the vision of one man, William Lightfoot Price.
See? Even his name has a hint of romance. “Lightfoot” was Will’s mother’s maiden name and can be traced back in Philadelphia Quaker families all the way to William Penn.
The Arts and Crafts movement was part of a larger reaction to the industrial revolution, which began early in the nineteenth century. The invention of the steam engine changed society profoundly. The agrarian/craftsman system that had been evolving for centuries became a factory-based system in less than two decades. Once, all of society in Western Europe and America was devoted to managing the land. Then, suddenly, all but the very rich became slaves to mass production. The land itself became a sort of factory where fuel to fire industrial machinery was gouged from the earth. Coal, gas, oil, and food had to be produced in huge amounts. For a while steam boats, trains and tractors, cast iron buildings, machinery, and furniture, and mass-produced food, clothing, and furnishings seemed quite wonderful. But it didn’t take long for those who had the luxury of time to contemplate life to notice that pollution was blackening every aspect of this new way of life. By the 1850s, designers like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin had begun to think about the way mass production influenced the quality of life in general and the role of the craftsman in particular.
Byrdcliffe
Roycroft
Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and William Morris codified a philosophy in which machine-made goods were thought to be inferior in beauty. To the Arts & Crafts philosopher, art and utility would give meaning to life if they could be wedded in a process that required imagination, creativity and personal responsibility. They thought mass production lowered the standards of design, workmanship and working conditions for the craftsmen and minimized their contribution to the finished product. Industry polluted and defaced the natural landscape thus reducing the quality of life for all, yet profits from the factory system went only to improve the quality of life of the factory owner.
In the United States, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, and Charles Elliot Norton among others helped formulate the Arts and Crafts philosophy. Philadelphia became the geographical center of the Movement when the Centennial Exposition opened in Fairmount Park. Maria Longworth Nichols attended the fair and Mary Louise McLaughlin exhibited her work at the Woman’s Pavilion. The two women went home to Cincinnati where they started their own art potteries. More significantly for Rose Valley, Philadelphia architect Frank Furness designed many of the installations at the fair and thus influenced the exposition’s overall style. Furness is now seen as an early proponent of ideas that form the core of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Among the Furness students who established a nationally important country-house style were Frank Miles Day and William Lightfoot Price.
Will Price was becoming a leading figure in a new social movement. Price and his wife, Emma, were free-thinking Quakers whose Overbrook, PA home became a meeting place for a group who gathered to discuss art, economics and social justice. This group decided to experiment with their ideas by establishing a single tax community. In 1900, Frank Stephens, Joseph Fels and William Price founded Arden, Delaware. In 1901,Will Price purchased eighty acres of land surrounding what had been Rose Valley Mills and immediately began to design and construct a new community based on the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement. The Rose Valley Association was established on July 17, 1901.
Although the establishment of Rose Valley predates most other Arts and Crafts communities in America by several years, the idea was already in the air. Boston, Chicago, New York and Minneapolis all had non-resident clubs to promote their ideals. Ralph and Jane Radcliffe-Whitehead were building the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony near Woodstock, NY and Elbert Hubbard was building the Roycroft Shops in East Aurora, NY. The latter was primarily a commercial venture as was Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman G. furniture enterprise. Each organization was characterized by their founders’ unique interpretation of Arts and Crafts ideals. Will Price modeled Rose Valley on the utopian English village described by William Morris in News from Nowhere.
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ETV’s Princess Diana doc heads to Facebook
ETV Media Group is making its documentary Diana: A Tribute to the People's Princess available to buy globally through Facebook, in the run up to the Royal Wedding.
By Kelly Anderson
ETV Media Group is making its documentary Diana: A Tribute to the People’s Princess available to buy globally through Facebook, in the run up to the Royal Wedding.
The London- and Australia-based digital media company will offer the doc by using the social gaming framework, GameShaper, developed by ETV’s social gaming subsidiary, Enteraction.
Diana: A Tribute To The People’s Princess is an 120-minute film telling the story of Diana’s final year, including her divorce from Prince Charles and the harassment by the press. The doc will cost Facebook members seven Facebook credits, the equivalent of US$3.50.
Mark Cullen, CEO of ETV Media Group, said: “We’ve taken the integration of Facebook Credits to the next level by enabling the purchase of premium content, as well as linking it to a global event such as the Royal Wedding. We’re thrilled to be the first to take this product to market with Facebook.”
Diana: A Tribute to the Peoples Princess, etv media group, Facebook
“Marley” to stream on Facebook during theatrical run
TruTV’s “Operation Repo” to air special episode on Facebook
BeActive heading to “350 South”
MIPTV ’14: Atlantic eyes Oculus Rift for “Conquest of the Skies”
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Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park breaks ground in Quang Ngai Province
Saturday, September 14, 2013 13:59
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in the central province of Quang Ngai on September 13.
PM Nguyen Tan Dung speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 5th Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (Photo: SGGP)
This is the fifth industrial park to be developed by the Viet Nam-Singapore Integrated Township and Industrial Park (VSIP) in Vietnam.
VSIP covers an area of over 1,200 hectares in Tinh Tho and Tinh Phong Communes in Son Tinh District in the central province of Quang Ngai. The first phase of the project for commercial and residential purposes has been kicked off with a total investment capital of US$125 million.
PM Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that these projects have become a trade name and symbol of a successful cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore. The projects have made outstanding contributions in Vietnam’s socio-economic development over the last 17 years.
VSIP is a world-class industrial park development company that was initiated by the Governments of Vietnam and Singapore.
Their first industrial park was built in Binh Duong Province in 1996, which today has become the leading industrial park in Vietnam. Some 240 investors from 22 countries around the world have chosen to base long-term investment projects here. The second park was officially launched in 2006 in the province.
In 2007, the company announced its expansion plans in the north with two projects, namely, the Bac Ninh Township and Industrial Park Complex over 700 hectares and the Hai Phong Township and Industrial Park Complex over 1,600 hectares.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong listens to a report on the industrial park(Photo: SGGP)
So far these have attracted over 490 investors from 22 countries and territories with a total investment capital of more than US $6,4 billion, and generated steady jobs for 140,000 workers.
By Ha Minh – Translated by Kim Khanh
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Judges Set to Hear Medicaid Challenges
Christine Sexton News Service of Florida
Twenty-seven legal challenges filed by managed-care plans protesting state decisions to award $90 billion in Medicaid contracts have been grouped into five cases that will be heard in administrative court next month.
A review of state Division of Administrative Hearings records shows that, for the most part, judges have agreed to consolidate challenges by the types of patients that managed-care plans would serve.
For instance, Administrative Law Judge Robert Kilbride consolidated three challenges that were filed by two companies about the provision of specialty care for people with HIV --- the virus that causes AIDS --- and AIDS. He is scheduled to hear the challenges Aug. 7.
The state Agency for Health Care Administration announced in April that it would sign a statewide specialty contract with Clear Health Alliance to provide services to people with HIV and AIDS. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which operates the managed-care plan known as Positive Healthcare, filed challenges in Medicaid regions 10 and 11, which encompass Broward and Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, respectively. The South Florida Community Care Partnership, a managed-care plan run by the North and South Broward hospital districts, filed a challenge in Region 10.
Managed-care plans filed the 27 challenges after the Agency for Health Care Administration awarded contracts in 11 different regions of the state to provide various types of care. The contracts range from caring for Medicaid beneficiaries with conditions such as HIV and AIDS to “comprehensive” contracts that include providing care to broad swaths of beneficiaries, including people who need long-term care.
Similar to the handling of the HIV and AIDS contract challenges, Administrative Law Judge R. Bruce McKibben, agreed to consolidate 14 challenges filed by three companies over the provision of specialty care for people with serious mental illness. He is scheduled to hear the cases Aug. 8.
McKibben consolidated challenges that were filed by Coral Care, which wanted to provide services to people with serious mental illness in Medicaid regions 8 and 11; one challenge filed by the South Florida Community Care Network, which wanted to provide specialty services to Broward County residents; and 11 challenges filed by Magellan Health Care, which wanted to provide care to people with serious mental illness statewide. Medicaid Region 8, sought by Coral Care, includes seven counties in southwest and south-central Florida.
Administrative Judge Lawrence Johnston, meanwhile, has agreed to consolidate nine challenges filed by two companies regarding the provision of specialty care to children with complex medical needs. Those challenges --- eight filed by Our Children’s Provider Sponsored Network and one filed by the South Florida Community Care Network --- are scheduled to be heard Aug. 6 and Aug. 7.
The only challenge that stands alone is a case filed by Best Care Assurance. The provider-sponsored network, a type of managed-care plan, filed a challenge after the state Agency for Health Care Administration agreed to award Molina Healthcare a “comprehensive” contract for Medicaid Region 8. Molina was awarded the contract as part of a settlement agreement reached with the state.
But Best Care Assurance said state Medicaid law limits to four the number of managed-care plans the state can contract with for Region 8, made up of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota counties. In its challenge, the health plan argues the state has contracted with five plans in the region. Administrative Law Judge Linzie F. Bogan will hear the challenge Aug. 15.
After approval from lawmakers in 2011, the Agency for Health Care Administration in 2013 launched a program that requires most Medicaid beneficiaries to enroll in managed-care plans. The agency initially signed five-year contracts with health plans across the 11 regions. It began reprocurement efforts in 2017, issuing an invitation to negotiate with managed-care plans that want new five-year contracts.
After months of reviews and negotiations AHCA has announced the 13 managed care plans it intends to contract with. In aggregate, the five-year contracts are expected to be worth about $90 billion, one top-ranking Medicaid official has said.
Some health plans with existing contracts, such as Positive Healthcare and Magellan Health Care, were not chosen for the new round of contracts, prompting them to file legal challenges. Other health plans that were new to the market also challenged the state’s decisions.
Meanwhile, with existing Medicaid managed-care contracts set to expire at the end of the year, AHCA announced last month a timeline for transitioning to the new plans.
Southeast Florida, from St. Lucie County south to Monroe County, will be the first area of the state that transitions from the old to the new contracts, with Dec. 1 as the target date.
The target date for the state to transition from the old to new contracts for Medicaid regions 5,6, 7 and 8 is Jan. 1. Those regions include 18 counties, stretching across Central Florida from Pinellas County to Brevard County and in Southwest Florida.
Most of the northern half of the state --- stretching from Escambia to Volusia and Lake counties --- will be the last area for the change in health care plans, with a Feb. 1 target date to transition to the new contracts.
To see AHCA’s proposed rollout click here.
"Judicial imperative" in
Permalink Submitted by C Breeze on July 25, 2018 - 7:01am
"Judicial imperative" in legislative situations;..A sure sign of unrestricted "population overgrowth",.. as well as increasingly inept Legislators.
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Happy Birthday Janet!
ODT Graphic Assemblage by Alistair Craig
Today's issue of the Otago Daily Times carries a feature article on the Dear Charles, Dear Janet fine edition launched in Auckland last Thursday at a wonderful event attended by family and friends, booklovers and wellwishers.
How appropriate that the article should appear as a celebration of Janet Frame's continuing legacy, on Janet Frame's 86th birthday.
Countdown to launch date
I finally saw this beautiful work of art today - a hand printed edition from Holloway Press, University of Auckland.
Several of us have put a lot of work into this project and it's so good to see the finished product. Seems like ages since I last saw a proof copy! It takes time to do things the old fashioned way...
The idea started out early last year as a simple tribute to Charles Brasch on his 100th birthday, made from the Janet Frame Estate. We gathered together some passages from the correspondence between the two friends, as well as some of the things they wrote about each other in memoirs, journals and poems. The material fell beautifully into a form of conversation between the two, punctuated by thoughtful asides.
We staged a very warmly received reading of an early version of the text at the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival in 2009. Then came the idea to set the text in a fine edition.
Please click on this LINK to see more details and to order a copy of the book. There are only 150 numbered copies in this "fine edition" so don't delay if you want to own this collector's item.
Launch date is 26th August and there will be a gathering to celebrate at the Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland, at 5.30 pm.
Posted by Pamela Gordon at 8:45 PM 2 comments: Links to this post
Was reading an interesting article the other day about things to look for to indicate that your child is "gifted". Couldn't help noticing that every single feature applied strongly to Janet Frame as a child (as reported by her family and by several of the close childhood friends who remained in touch with her for her whole life). Here is the list:
An early interest in surroundings.
Super-sensitivity to surroundings.
Strong curiosity and powers of observation.
An extensive vocabulary.
An exceptional memory.
May talk early and fluently.
The ability to read early - often self-taught.
Can choose to concentrate for long periods.
The propensity to ask shrewd or unusual questions.
The ability to grasp ideas quickly.
A quirky sense of humour.
It does pay to remember that I am talking here about the REAL Janet Frame, not about the fictional bio-pic portrayal of her. A rather misguided medical doctor once made news headlines around the world by apparently "diagnosing" that "Janet" had displayed some linguistic disabilities as a child. It turned out the researcher got this idea from watching the Jane Campion movie and mistaking the demeanour of the actors who played "Janet" for evidence of the behaviours and attributes of the real person.
Hard to believe anyone could be that naive, but the movie is a beautifully done authentic-seeming portrait and it is a great tribute to the actors and to the director, and of course to the script which was adapted from Frame's own bestselling autobiography, that viewers of the movie do feel that they have encountered and come to know the real "Janet Frame".
Some of those viewers even claim to know the real Janet better than she knew herself...
That "expert" has persisted in making the extraordinary claim that Janet Frame displayed delayed language acquisition as a child, when there is no medical or other evidence anywhere for this being true.
I've tried to understand why anyone would invent this supposed "proof", but then I finally realised it must have been based on the fact that an older actor played Janet Frame in the film from babyhood until secondary school age. That's a huge age range for one young actor to play! It works better when the actor plays Janet at roughly her own age, but misunderstandings can arise when a much older actor tries to represent the behaviour of an infant.
So the much older-looking child spoke in the babyish talk of Janet as an infant. Thus the older child seemed to have a language deficit. Such babyish talk, not perfectly pronounced, coming from the mouths of babes is not deviant or delayed. It's part of the usual developmental process.
It is hard to believe, again, that a medical doctor should treat a viewing of a movie as if it were a clinical consultation, and come up with a controversial "diagnosis" that contradicts all the claims made by Frame's own medical doctors and by her close family.
I have over the years carefully canvassed Janet's lifelong friends on what she was like as a child, and one neighbour in particular gave a striking picture:
"We were all in awe of Jean" she said (Janet was called "Jean" until she left school). "She was so obviously destined for greater things. The teachers all knew it too. Jean could stand up in class and challenge the teachers if she thought the wool was being pulled over our eyes. We wouldn't have dared do the things she did. Later on she was made a prefect even though the children of working men were not usually allowed to be prefects. It was just because nobody could ignore her qualities and abilities. She stood out, from a very young age."
Another ramification of giftedness in children is of course that they can feel lonely and isolated until they encounter their "own kind" and can mix with kindred spirits who can "get" them at the same level they are at. Janet Frame was unlucky in her early years, to be a fish out of water in a narrow provincial society.
She was accepted by her friends and family as a person, but there was something missing - someone to understand the depths of her giftedness.
When she first met other NZ writers, she felt accepted as an artist for a first time and that was a great liberation for her. But unfortunately the writerly clique she became mixed up with, was a predominately male and often misogynistic one. She was patronised both as a woman and as an ex-mental hospital patient, even though the men admired - and envied - her talent and her writerly success.
But by her own admission (cf her autobiography) she didn't feel truly accepted both as a person and an artist until she left "narrow-minded" New Zealand and stayed with other writers and artists in the USA.
Towards another cover
So far, nine different cover images (pictured above) have been published for the various international editions of Janet Frame's posthumously published novel Towards Another Summer.
Towards Another Summer was one of several manuscripts that Janet Frame held back for posthumous publication because she felt that people known to her might be embarrassed to recognise themselves as the inspiration for some of the fictional characters or events.
Editions published so far are:
Counterpoint USA: hardback and paperback; ebook
Virago UK/Commonwealth: hardback and paperback
Random House NZ: hardback and paperback
Vintage Australia: paperback
Bolinda worldwide: audiobook, mp3
Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Brazilian, Dutch.
Coming soon are the German, French, Turkish, and Italian translations.
Other texts Frame is known to have suppressed include Uncle Pylades and a novel set in the South of France which we have given a working title of The Watercress Novel.
It's a tremendous privilege and responsibility to be able to read and assess these always astonishing unpublished manuscripts and make the decision whether or not, and when, to publish them. And it is very satisfying, as in the case of The Goose Bath and Towards Another Summer, and the New Yorker and Granta and A Public Space stories, to have the estate's decisions vindicated by the warm critical and public response to the newly emerging work.
Marking the spot
This plaque honouring Janet Frame can be found just below the front steps of the Dunedin Railway Station.
The quote from Janet Frame's autobiography recalls her arrival by train in Dunedin as a school-leaver, overwhelmed and intimidated, ready to start her studies at University and teacher's training college.
"I was alone in my first city" she says. "My mind loomed with the fictions of the great cities of the world, and of Dunedin as such a city. I thought of the 'dark satanic mills' and of 'people caged like squirrels'; of fire, and plague, and the press gang; and although I was willing to follow the example of the writers, and eventually 'love' the new city, as Charles Dickens, Hazlitt, Lamb, loved their London, I could think first only of desolation, of the poverty I was sure I would find, and of how living in the city might destroy me."
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Woman's Weekly article now online
NZWW photograph by Jane Dawber
For those who missed the feature article on Janet Frame in the NZ Woman's Weekly of 17 December 2011, it is now online at this link:
Janet Frame's Private Life
I was interviewed by journalist Amie Richardson about my life as Janet's niece, friend, and literary executor. Jane Dawber took the photo of me sitting below my favourite portrait of Janet Frame, a painting by Jerrold Davis, one of Janet's American friends.
The first of several rose garden postcards Janet sent me.
The photo on the other side of this one is of the rose garden at Yaddo, Saratoga Springs New York
Posted by Pamela Gordon at 9:10 AM No comments: Links to this post
Educating a Prime Minister
To the Is-Land
The first volume of Janet Frame's autobiography
available in NZ as a Vintage paperback edition from Random House NZ
also available as an omnibus edition
in NZ and in the USA titled: An Autobiography
in Australia (Vintage) and the UK/Commonwealth (Virago)
under the title: An Angel at My Table
In the spirit of Christmas, New Zealand's union for Post Primary Teachers, the PPTA, is gifting our Prime Minister John Key a book a day for twelve days, accompanied by a public letter letting him know the enlightening social and economic lessons he might learn if he reads those books over his Christmas break.
The teachers have chosen To the Is-Land - the first volume of Janet Frame's autobiography as their gift for day nine of the twelve days of Christmas, and done a good job of explaining how important the educational reforms were than enabled a talented working class girl like Janet Frame to get a secondary school education when most others from her social class had formerly been denied that opportunity. Janet Frame went on to become a great and successful Kiwi icon world famous for her writing that never pulled its punches in criticising social injustices.
The lessons continue, and I know that Janet Frame would have applauded the message:
"This book is a reminder of our enlightened forebears for whom education was not only a right but a public good. Every New Zealander was guaranteed a world-class education at their local school, followed by low cost tertiary education or the opportunity to take up an apprenticeship nationally. Rather than being left to the whims of employers, apprenticeships were managed nationally and supported by a web of training through night classes and polytechnics."
Foreign Faces
Polish edition of Faces in the Water - Twarze w wodzie Publisher: Poznań : Zysk i S-ka, 2000.
Faces in the Water by Janet Frame is a novel significant enough on the world stage to have been included in the work 1001 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE, which describes Faces in the Water as "one of the most powerful descriptions of mental illness ever written":
"This book is a biting critique of the gross power differential between medical 'professional' and patient. While the skilful way in which the novel makes this point is enough to make it memorable, the prose's striking quality elevates it to a truly great novel."
As I said in an earlier post, 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Faces in the Water (1961).
Here are some more of the translations of this wonderful piece of writing:
French: Visages Noyes Joëlle Losfeld/Gallimard (cover above) also published in a Rivages Poche edition.
Swedish: Ansikten i vattnett
A new Swedish edition will be released from Modernista on the 30 May 2012
(No cover image yet)
Faces in the Water has also been translated into:
and ~
First edition Volti Nell'Acqua
Later editions Dentro il Muro
Ansikter i vannet
Schimmen in het water
Gesichter im Wasser
FACES IN THE WATER: 50th Anniversary
"Frame's best book" ~ Joyce Carol Oates
"A masterpiece" ~ Anita Brookner
Janet Frame published her influential novel Faces in the Water in 1961 - fifty years ago this year.
Time Magazine said:
"Janet Frame's evocation of madness is unforgettable... Faces in the Water is especially brilliant in its description of what happens inside the patient's mind"... "[Frame] writes with a cool eye, a detached sympathy, and a warm but unsloppy love of sane and insane alike."
In several parts of the newly released book Janet Frame In Her Own Words, Frame talks about Faces in the Water. She calls it an "exploration", then a "documentary" but also points out that "Faces in the Water was autobiographical in the sense that everything happened, but the central character was invented."
Frame drew from her experiences in New Zealand psychiatric hospitals of the 1940s, but she made it very clear that it wasn't until she wrote her autobiography An Angel at My Table (1984) that she had told "the true story". When she was writing Faces In The Water, she tells a confidant in a letter, she realised that her readers "would wonder what on earth a person thinking and observing so ordinarily and usually, was doing in a mental hospital". So Frame says she deliberately invented a fictional narrator and gave her what she "imagined might seem a 'madder' interior".
Even so, I have often times seen this baffled question expressed in reviews of Faces in the Water: How did we get this lucid view of such torment if this eyewitness is so disturbed herself?
In fact Frame's scorchingly critical picture of the mental institutions of the day, and some of the brutality and negligence of the staff, was one of the factors in NZ (and elsewhere) that led to a soul searching on the part of mental health professionals.
The immeasurable consequences of Frame's courage and honesty in her writings about her experiences as a misdiagnosed mental patient, is surely one of the reasons she is remembered, for instance, as one of the 60 Makers of Modern New Zealand (1930-1990) in an exhibition currently showing at New Zealand's Portrait Gallery in Wellington.
Faces in the Water has been used as a text for medical students and nurses, giving a salutary fly-on-the-wall view of life in an institution. Her empathy and ability to describe the intricate social interactions between patients, staff and family, give tremendous insights to the thoughtful reader.
In her autobiography Frame says that she wanted to speak for those who had no voice. That was one of the things that kept her going in the years she found herself with a label that seemed to mean there was no escape for her from an institutional fate.
(Anyone who tries to insist that Frame's New Zealand hospital admissions were 'voluntary' over the decade or so that she was mislabelled, is clearly ignorant of the power of the label over those who have been labelled, and of the coercive nature of hospital 'admissions' where the threat of being 'committed' into the care of the State, and its consequent loss of civil rights, was a weapon used to manipulate people into signing a 'voluntary' admission. Most if not all of Frame's multiple New Zealand hospital admissions were reluctant, as becomes clear on a careful reading of the evidence gathered by Michael King for his biography Wrestling with the Angel.)
Here is an earlier blog post about Janet Frame's groundbreaking novel Faces in the Water detailing some of its publication history and featuring a few of the covers:
"A shrewd and clever book" ~ Hilary Mantel
A strong independent influential woman
Janet Frame appears as one of the 60 Makers of Modern New Zealand in a exhibtion at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in Wellington, curated by prominent economist and commentator Brian Easton.
The 1989 photograph of Janet Frame was taken by the superbly talented photographer the late Robin Morrison.
I've only just noticed that this exhibition is on - it certainly looks worth visiting Wellington just to catch up with it! (It will be on show until the 12th February 2012.)
It was a bit disappointing to notice some errors in the short biographical sketch of Janet Frame that has been composed for the exhibition. Unusually for Wellington, which it seems these days is pretty much the home of preferring fiction about Frame to fact, this short bio is not a particularly toxic summary of Frame's life and work - it really does seem to try to be fair to her and to avoid pathologising, unlike the egregious 'official' government biography on the Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand website.
But in spite of the obvious good will, Frame's middle name Paterson is misspelled and there is the usual condescending claim that Frame was in need of a string of male patrons who "supported her" (some of them are even named, causing guffaws to anyone who is aware of the real story behind some of those relationships).
The misogynistic characterisation of Frame as dependent on strong male guardians was propagated early in her career and it was used at times to justify a fair bit of behind-the-scenes meddling as well as some overt attempts to bully her. The thesis of the Frame who didn't really know what was best for herself, was unfortunately embraced by Frame's biographer Michael King who shaped his biography with that pervading attitude. Maria Wikse in her monograph on 'Janet Frame's biographical legend', identifies the conceit of "a woman writer who has her career (and life) taken over by several men, without protest" as "the dominant narrative" of the King biography, and I, along with many other commentators on Frame, agree with her analysis in that case. Michael King seems to have adopted this patronising attitude towards Frame uncritically from his idol Frank Sargeson, whose biography King wrote first. As just an example, wherever King refers to a friend of Frame's whom Frame first met while she was staying with Frank Sargeson, that person is later always referred to as "Frank's friend". So even though Janet developed strong independent friendships, for instance, with Elizabeth Dawson and Jess Whitworth, King will subsequently refer to Dawson or Whitworth as "Frank's friends'. Frame it seems, only has 'patrons' not 'friends', and if she has friends, they are really borrowed from someone else.
Ironically, the effect of Sargeson's successful legend building of Frame as hopeless and dependent on male patronage, and King's popularisation of it, is shown in the fact that in the 250 word portrait exhibition biography of Janet Frame, Michael King's own name has now appeared on the fantastical list of the men who "supported" the "peripatetic" Frame. (If Michael were here, he would surely protest himself, at seeing his name on the list - and he'd protest at some of the other names too, for instance Denis Glover, whose alcoholic incompetence led to a five year delay in the publication of Frame's first book!) If anyone benefited professionally and personally from their collaboration, it was Michael.
These are but minor quibbles of course. So what if it's so hard to eradicate the sexist agenda? Frame triumphed anyway, and in this exhibition she is given fitting recognition for her achievements and for her influence.
Brava!
Happy Birthday Michael
Michael King, Opoutere
Janet Frame's friend and biographer, and my friend and colleague, Michael King would have turned 66 today. I took the above snapshot at his bush clad Coromandel home just weeks before his untimely death.
Over the several years that Michael King was writing and researching Janet Frame's biography, he was accepted by her and the rest of her close family and friends, a regular visitor to her home and to our homes, becoming so familiar that the members of her circle treated him almost like "one of the family" and we were devastated when he and his wife Maria were killed in a horrific car crash only two months after Janet Frame's death.
Michael & Janet 1998
They shared a wicked sense of humour
Despite some public misconception about the status of Michael King's biography of Janet Frame, it was not strictly an 'authorised biography' and it was certainly not controlled or manipulated by her; it was more, as he admitted himself, 'tolerated'. She did agree to cooperate with his research and gave him unprecedented access to her inner circle and to her archives and her papers. She was exceedingly unstinting with her time, having almost daily contact with Michael for several years as he wrote the biography (either face to face, by phone, fax, email or snail mail). Then he curated and toured an exhibition based on her life and work, and he followed that by publishing An Inward Sun: The World of Janet Frame (2002) a book of photographs of the exhibition also drawing from the photo albums of Frame and her friends.
Over the years Michael was engaged in his biographical work on Frame (with her generous patronage and assistance), Michael held numerous prestigious well-funded fellowships and scholarships and major residencies (at Auckland University, Waikato University, Otago University and at Georgetown University, Washington DC) and he also received some major grants, and the Prime Minister's Award for Non-Fiction ($60,000) in 2003. His biography Wrestling with the Angel: A Life of Janet Frame (2000) won the Wattie NZ Book of the Year Award. Perhaps for the first time in his career he was earning enough over those years (including advances and royalties from his prolific publishing, and his sizeable share of the NZ Library Fund) to keep his chronic severe anxiety about money (as he often mentioned) at bay. It was a terrible irony that it was right at the end of his life that his last book, A Penguin History of New Zealand, became a rampant bestseller and would have afforded him even more material comfort into his old age than he had ever enjoyed. And he had so many more plans. But as fate had it, among his last published works were the obituaries he wrote for Janet Frame.
A group of Michael's friends and associates have founded the Michael King Writer's Centre in Devonport Auckland as a very fitting memorial tribute to Michael King, that in his spirit will advocate for writers and provide the resources and the community for them to be able to do their work.
In Janet Frame In Her Own Words we have published for the first time the transcript of Janet Frame's opinions about the Michael King biography as given in a radio interview with Elizabeth Alley on the occasion of the Dunedin launch of the biography. At one stage Janet laughs and says:
"I believe that Michael King has done a wonderful job of work . . . if I forget that I’m the subject!"
Best Bookshops: vicbooks
Another of my favourite bookshops is a must visit when I'm in Wellington. It's the bookshop at Victoria University, and the bonus is you get to ride the cable car up to the campus.
Like the magnificent Dunedin University Book Shop, vicbooks is that rare beast, an independent store, and they take care to stock a wide range of high quality NZ and overseas titles. Not just text books. It's always a delight to browse there and as with the other uni book shops you know that there has been great care taken in the selection and ordering of the volumes on offer. Or if they have run out they'll get it in for you.
Vicbooks have a blog, and they've recommended Janet Frame In Her Own Words as one of their 'Ideas for Christmas Reading':
"Can’t think of what to read over the break or in need of some gift inspiration?"
"very readable and entertaining"
A new review of Janet Frame In Her Own Words calls it "very readable and entertaining".
The review is on the educational resource website Tomorrow's Schools Today.
The review states that this collection:
"gives great insight into the many different sides of Janet Frame and also challenges some long-standing myths about her. It is a great way to find out more about this extraordinary New Zealander. It reveals a woman who is sharp, affectionate, shy, mischievous, intelligent, and with a great sense of humour."
We're glad they feel that way. The book contains a varied mix of autobiography, memoir, essays, reviews, obituaries, interviews, letters to the editor, personal and work correspondence, meditations and jokes, and more, all in Janet Frame's own voice.
And of course from the point of view of a secondary school the hardback Penguin volume is also the authoritative collection of all of Janet Frame's published short non-fiction, a very useful resource.
"meticulously selected and edited"
There's another very appreciative notice for Janet Frame In her Own Words in the University Book Shop Newsletter The Book Window (December 2011):
"This stunning collection has been meticulously selected and edited by Denis Harold and Pamela Gordon."
"Harold suggests in his introduction that the book may be seen as a writer's handbook and indeed there is a wealth of insight to be found in Frame's reflections on writing, language and the imagination."
"A volume of lasting pleasure, a must for your book shelf."
The lovely little hardback book, so beautifully designed and produced by Penguin NZ, has also charmed its way onto the UBS list of
Staff Picks for Christmas.
Janet Frame in the Woman's Weekly
There's a feature article on 'Janet Frame's Private Life' in the New Zealand Woman's Weekly this week (December 19, 2011).
I spoke to journalist Amie Richardson about growing up with a famous aunty, and how Janet Frame's close family learnt to help protect her privacy, and about how the revealing new book Janet Frame In Her Own Words sheds new light on the author's life and work.
For instance, among the 35 interviews that we quote from in Janet Frame In Her Own Words, are two interviews Janet Frame herself did with the NZ Woman's Weekly. In 1963 she told the NZWW that she had taken a copy of Aunt Daisy's cookbook with her when she went to live in Europe:
"I am very interested in food, but don’t seem to have time to indulge my interest. I do like to think I can make a good Christmas cake, but if I had to I could exist cheerfully on just cheese and apples — New Zealand grown for preference."
And twenty years later in 1983, Janet Frame again spoke to the NZWW, saying that her mother had faithfully read the Woman's Weekly - a New Zealand institution - and so did she, making a point of collecting the hints: "They're very useful". By 1983 Frame was well aware of the errors of the 'Janet Frame Myth' and found it necessary to say:
"I really had quite an ordinary, quite happy childhood — certainly no worse than many others during those years."
An image of my aunt hovering over my shoulder
POSTSCRIPT: This article is now online:
'Janet Frame's Private Life'
"I want to send a special thought to all writers in New Zealand"
Janet Frame shared a joke with the University Chancellor after she received the Massey University Medal, 1993 (Manawatu Standard, Photo Dionne Ward)
Janet Frame received one of Massey University’s most prestigious awards, the Massey Medal, in 1993 in recognition of her extraordinary and outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature. In her acceptance speech Janet Frame said:
"... In my mind I see the map of New Zealand and during the grim, rewarding and often lonely pursuit of words to match the vision, I am always inspired and encouraged by the inward view of the map of New Zealand (and the world too of course) and my being able to think — Ah, there, by that cape or mountain, so and so is writing poems, and there — by the snowgrass, so and so concludes a novel, and there, in the city of sails and fury, so and so begins a new novel. And these writers inspire by their very being and their act of writing, of beginning, continuing, and concluding their projected work..."
Janet Frame's speech notes are published for the first time in Janet Frame In Her Own Words (Penguin NZ, 2001) selected & edited by Denis Harold & Pamela Gordon.
Sunday Star-Times Review
There was a very good notice in the Sunday Star-Times (Sunday 4 December 2011, page F16) finding the new collection of Janet Frame's short non-fiction 'welcome', as well as 'illuminating':
'Frame's intelligence and humour come through loud and clear. She is, particularly in personal letters, delightfully scathing of unintelligent questions, particularly around her autobiography ("narrow-minded people of the narrow-minded world".)'
Best Bookshops: Parsons
There is the Parsons Bookshop on Wellesley Street in Auckland, specialising in Fine Art Books: Art, Photography, Architecture, Fashion, Design books and Exhibition catalogues - and also with a reliably excellent supply of NZ, Maori and Pacific books.
There is also the Parsons Bookshop on Lambton Quay in Wellington, specialising in Music - and again, with a great range of the best books available.
You'll always find a good selection of Janet Frame books at both these CBD independent bookshops, and many other worthy finds besides.
I am on the mailing list of the Auckland store and was delighted a few days ago to see in their latest newsletter that they were featuring Janet Frame in Her Own Words on their list of CHRISTMAS BOOKS. Yay!
The founder of the original Parsons Bookshop in Wellington, Roy Parsons, was a generous and influential advocate of Janet Frame's work. She was deeply grateful for his support and of course she wasn't alone in appreciating his enormous contribution to the literary and cultural life of New Zealand.
NZ's Bookman Graham Beattie recently blogged a heartwarming and informative post in memory of Roy Parsons, that tells his story well.
Graham mentions the periodical Parsons Packet (1947-1955) for which Roy and Nan Parsons commissioned reviews and articles from writers.
One of those writers was Janet Frame, who wrote a review of a William Faulkner novel for the Oct-Dec 1955 issue of Parsons Packet. Her review 'Choked with Characters' is reprinted for the first time in Janet Frame In Her Own Words!
Just in time for Christmas
Something to ask Santa for.
Penguin NZ Christmas Catalogue.
NZ Listener Best Books 2011
Delighted to see that the current NZ Listener (December 10-16 2011) has named Janet Frame in Her Own Words (edited by Denis Harold & Pamela Gordon) one of their The 100 Best Books of 2011 since our book has only been out for a few weeks.
We are thrilled to see that our audacious attempt at revisionism in the face of some very hardened - even institutionalised - attitudes, is already winning hearts, and JFIHOW is certainly in some wonderful company in this list of 100 books.
See the Listener review by academic Kim Worthington, published 23 November 2011, now archived online:
http://www.listener.co.nz/culture/books/janet-frame-in-her-own-words-review/
'The voice we hear in the non-fiction, interviews, speeches and letters of this collection is a far cry from the "stubborn myth" of a reclusive, socially uncomfortable genius tinged with madness: Frame is self-deprecating, anxious and sometimes hurt by misunderstandings, yes, but also self-assured, passionate, driven, and most clearly, given to sly wit and generous humour.'
Best Bookshops: The Women's Bookshop
Another excellent New Zealand bookshop, found on the pleasantly strollable Ponsonby Road in gloriously subtropical Auckland (where I grew up):
The Women's Bookshop
Penguin Group NZ "Independent Bookseller of the Year 2011"
Their Christmas Catalogue is out now and it has a nice little notice for Janet Frame in Her Own Words:
"A lovely little hardback book to cherish. Included are essays, reviews, letters & speeches. Fittingly identified & carefully edited, they offer a new view of the intelligent, fascinating life & work of our most internationally acclaimed author."
Art Award for Mona Minim illustrator
The Arts Foundation of New Zealand this week announced a new series of National Art Awards, and one of the first recipients was artist David Elliot, who illustrated the 2005 New Zealand edition of Janet Frame's Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun.
David Elliot received the Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award.
In 2003 Janet Frame received an inaugural Arts Foundation New Zealand Icon Award.
David Elliot is also no stranger to prizes. The Random House New Zealand edition of Mona Minim and the Smell of the Sun beautifully illustrated by him, won the title of 'Best Children's Book' in the 2006 Spectrum Print Book Design Awards, and was also named Runner-up to the 2006 Best Book overall.
See more of David Elliot's illustrations, publications and achievements at his website:
http://www.davidelliot.org
The other winners of New Zealand Arts Foundation awards and honours named in this week's announcement were: Whirimako Black, Ben Cauchi, Sam Hamilton, Eli Kent, Fiona Pardington, Neil Pardington, Emily Perkins, Lemi Ponifasio and Leanne Pooley.
Christ's right-hand woman
"I went recently into Takapuna to see Frank and we had dinner at the
Chinese restaurant and he spent all dinnertime telling me what is
wrong with my writing. I was furious. He wouldn’t shut up. Perhaps
I invite that kind of treatment. I would never dream of trying to tell
him how to write. I guess I just have to be tolerant and do as my
mother taught me, find excuses for the behaviour of people. She used
to call it ‘charity’. Be charitable, she said. (She had the idea she was
Christ’s right-hand woman.)"
~ Janet Frame to Bill Brown, 1973
From Janet Frame in Her Own Words (Penguin 2011)
(In memory of Janet's mother Lottie C. Frame who died on the 2nd December 1955.)
"Delve in and enjoy"
Another wonderful review of Janet Frame in her own words in today's Fairfax newspaper Dscene (Wednesday 30 November 2011, page 20):
"Delve in - and enjoy the insights"
"The joy of this volume is every reader will discover different points of interest."
One of the reviewer's personal highlights was "the inclusion of Frame's notes alongside some of her interviews, as well as letters that recount her impression of specific interviews. This reminds readers interviews are not a transparent source revealing the 'real' Janet Frame."
"Keep it by your bedside, allow its pages to fall open randomly, delve in and enjoy an artist of the written word".
You can read this newspaper online at http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
The review is on page 20.
"It's an utter gem"
Radio NZ Afternoons With Jim Mora
Book Review with Vanda Symon
Here's the review I've been waiting for, of Janet Frame in her own words - a review from the perspective of the general reader, an openhearted generous response to what is actually on offer in this book, without any of the professional agendas that can hamper the genuineness of the pontifications of some 'experts', especially if they have territory to defend or scores to settle.
"It's an utter gem."
This is the sort of overwhelming feedback we have been getting from readers - the book is wonderful, it is fascinating. It's readable, consisting of such a wide variety of short pieces, ranging from witty, mischievous, moving, thoughtful, that you can dip into it as you will, and always find something interesting.
It is not just for the pointy-heads, and it is certainly not just for the "Janet Frame completists" (unless you define 'Janet Frame completists' as the tens of thousands of readers in NZ alone who are eager to see new work by Janet Frame and to hear what she has to say for herself.)
As Vanda Symon says, you don't need to have even read any of Janet Frame to enjoy this book - anyone who likes reading biography will find "It's a fascinating insight into a person".
Among other things, "It gave a glimpse of her own personal frustration at the way she was portrayed in the media."
And of course 'It's a gorgeous little hardback and it's really tactile and nice to hold."
Tim Curnow on his father's centenary
Lovely to hear Tim Curnow's voice on Radio New Zealand Arts on Sunday the other day (20 November 2011). The son of poet Allen Curnow, Tim was his father's literary agent for decades, and he was Janet Frame's friend and literary agent for over 25 years as well.
Tim gave a short interview with Lynn Freeman which you can listen to here, in which he talks about his input into gathering the tribute poems for Allen Curnow's centenary that have been published in Landfall 222. Tim says his favourite of the poems is the one by Janet Frame, which I had sent to him several years ago and he has always loved it, but it is only published for the first time in the Landfall centenary tribute.
Janet Frame, who had a great admiration for Curnow's poetry and also of course knew him socially, wrote the poem in 1987 and after Allen Curnow's death she decided to use it as her memorial to him. She recorded the poem in 2002 for the Aotearoa New Zealand Poetry Sound Archive which is lodged in Auckland University Library.
It's fascinating to hear Tim talk about his father the great poet, and also to hear his perspective as a New Zealander who has lived in Australia for many years, on his view of "the three most significant cultural figures" in the New Zealand landscape - judging by their substantive body of work and the influence they have had on so many people internationally - and they are: Allen Curnow for his poetry, Janet Frame for her fiction, and Colin McCahon for his art. Tim was lucky enough to have grown up among and known all three of those great creative New Zealanders.
A tribute to Allen Curnow
LANDFALL 222 is out this week, and it contains a tribute section for New Zealand's greatest poet, Allen Curnow, on the year of his 100th birthday.
As part of this tribute to Curnow a new poem of Janet Frame's is published for the first time. Frame wrote the poem in 1987 while she was in Auckland living in Albert Park as the inaugural Frank Sargeson Fellow. The poem describes a party at Karl and Kay Stead's place, with Allen Curnow one of the other guests. Allen tosses off a comment: 'Auckland is wonderful in March', and with her typical wry humour and acute observation, Frame describes the ripples that this casual statement sent through the literary gathering:
The poet in his seventy-plus body
he's a great poet
long live his heartfelt asides
extracted wih precision and power
toned and tuned as the brilliant harmonious gift,
that in secret, away from the party, makes his poem.
As well as the section commemorating Allen Curnow, this issue of Landfall also devotes a section to work arising from the shock waves of the Christchurch earthquake.
Listener review
There's a review of Janet Frame in her own words in the NZ Listener (26 November - December 2), on newsstands currently but it's not online yet.
The full text of the review will be archived on the NZ Listener website on the 5th Dcember2011.
Considering the literary and historical significance to New Zealand of a new work of non-fiction by arguably its greatest writer and certainly one of its most famous cultural 'icons' Janet Frame, the space given to the Listener review is fairly ungenerous. Reviewer academic Kim Worthington perhaps reflects a little frustration by saying:
It is impossible in a short review to do justice to the sheer force and power of Janet Frame's many writings, or her often incisive and insightful comments, especially when she discusses her own work
The issue of shrinking space allocation for literary features and reviews is of course one that breaks the hearts of book page editors and their readers in this day and age, not just the reviewers. But the watchful reader might note that the Listener has found plenty of room in the recent past to squander on squalid appropriations of Janet Frame, and in association with that, on critiques of the Frame estate that appeared quite unfair to many readers (as I have been told privately), so much so that a prominent literary figure was prompted to write a letter to the Editor in our and in Frame's defence.
Nevertheless, this is an excellent review and it lays out the relevant points, especially that in this groundbreaking collection Frame is allowed to "speak for herself" and to "challenge the stubborn myths" that have "built up around her". Worthington is simplistic in identifying what she understands those "myths" to be, confining them to the realm of the mad genius and the social recluse, and overlooking the many other common misconceptions about Janet Frame that this book disproves.
FYI these other 'myths' would include: that Frame didn't have a sense of humour, that she was depressing and depressive; that she never spoke in public; that she never spoke about her work; that she only did a handful of interviews with the success of those attributable only to the exceptional sensitivity of the interviewers, without whom Frame would have been unable to utter any coherent thoughts; that she was incapable of appearing at festivals and socialising with other author and industry personnel; that she consistently refused to and was unable to promote her work; that she was a weak, lost, passive person always under the care of some guardian or mentor; that her books didn't sell well in NZ, when in terms of literary fiction she was one of the highest earners in NZ; or that her books didn't sell well overseas when she was one of the few NZ authors who could even get published internationally, and her works were widely translated; that she wasn't well known here in NZ, or that she was little known 'overseas'; that she moved restlessly from place to place with no reason; that she only wrote about a limited range of subjects and that those were all concerned her own tragic life; that she was a 'primitive', uneducated, who stumbled upon the great themes of the twentieth century only through contemplating her own misery; that she had fled teaching because she was too afraid of the inspector, that she had 'fled' teaching because she was incapable of functioning in the real world; that she constructed reality only through language (a particularly toxic myth rampant currently); and I haven't scratched the surface of the myths, here are more: it is commonly said that Frame only came to prominence because a movie was made of her autobiography, when the genre of autobiography is the province of the already prominent person; that the reading public are more interested in her life than in her work; that she had an unhappy childhood; that she never had sexual or love relationships; that she was 'pathologically' or 'cripplingly' shy, when in fact she was just [no modifier] shy, and she wasn't always shy, she was 'shy' only when people were being jerks. And she was not, by her own declaration, 'fragile', but she was in fact of a strong and cheerful disposition, opinionated and didactic. Etc. These kinds of myths are even harder to fight because the public don't even know they are myths. The "mad genius" legend is easy enough to ridicule, but these others that derogate Frame's professionalism, belittle her career successes, call into question her vocation, her dedication and her ambition, are more insidious.
I guess time will tell whether this volume really manages to slay any of these myths - the response to Frame's own attempts to "set the record straight" through her three volumes of autobiography was for some Frame 'scholars', such as Patrick Evans, to claim that Frame was a liar and couldn't be taken at face value in her non-fiction, that you really need to look into her fiction to find the 'truth' about her (his truth, that is, his patronising biographical speculations that had Frame close to suing Evans: "I resent this myth", she says in this new book, and "I have even contemplated legal action to subdue it.").
But now of course, Evans would rather you eschew Frame's work altogether and instead read his novel about 'Janet' and become acquainted with a completely false Frame - a cuckoo of his own invention that he has laid in a nest he seems to have assumed was by now up for grabs.
As Worthington says, there's a lot in Janet Frame In Her Own Words, a lot to absorb; so I am predicting it will take a while for the aficionados to digest, and even to comprehend the ramifications of this massive amount of new information, and of the old information stripped of its cottonwool wrapping, for the future shape of the Frame Legend.
Meanwhile, please enjoy "the sheer force and power", the "sly wit and generous humour", and so much else.
Looking for Janet in all the wrong places
The latest newsletter from the Victoria University writing academy IIML has this quirky little item:
A possible Janet Frame sighting?
Literary spies of our acquaintance recently visited the St James Station woolshed, a huge 1870s structure, pit-sawn timbers, on the banks of the Clarence River, North Canterbury. The interior is full of shearers' graffiti - names carved, stencilled and written, dating from 1877 to 2008. Writes our correspondent:
'Among the shearers' stencilled graffiti, by a ladder leading to the loft, I found "J. Frame. 1940 41". This was written in red sheep raddle in a cursive style, below it in capital letters was "J. FRAME. 1940" and below that also in the red sheep raddle which is unique in the graffiti, "Pte Adams 1940 OAMARU" and below that deeply carved in half inch letters was "J. FRAME. 1940". Could this be Janet Frame at 16?'
Our verdict? Could be.
This isn't the first time somebody has assumed Janet Frame is the only J. Frame in the known and unknown universe, despite the fact that Janet Frame had a sister J. Frame (my mother, who more than once found her work reproduced based on the misunderstanding that her poem signed "J. Frame" was actually written by her sister). Janet's father was one of twelve siblings and the aspiring poet JF likely had a brace of uncles and first cousins with the same first initial and surname, let alone second cousins, not to mention the pool of unrelated Frame families that also settled in the South Island.
Why anyone would even speculate that the teenage Frame would spend two years in a sheep shed in Northern Canterbury in the company of an Oamaru soldier beggars belief, especially when at the time she was busy being a prefect of her college, excelling at her school work and being a key member of the debating team.
Oh and by the way, what is "red sheep raddle"? According to Google it's a red pigment used for marking sheep.
This is the kind of "make-a-wild-guess based on the slimmest of coincidences, and that will be good enough" that has characterised the decades-long patronising biographical guesswork made by Patrick Evans in his obsessive search for "clues" to the "riddle" of Janet Frame.
The riddle, or the raddle?
I must say this 'sighting' is at about the level of accuracy that I have come to expect from much of the 'citing' emerging from English Departments of Universities.
This anecdote fits in nicely with the Evans-led current backlash against the historical Frame. Evans (along with, it seems, the Wellington School whose darling he now appears to be despite the fact that he has been their most acerbic critic in the past, deriding them for their churning out of mediocre Manhire-lite overly workshopped monotonous pap), rejects the fact that Frame was a sophisticated, highly educated, self-directed, well-read, intellectual, strong, independent, determined and ambitious author. Evans in his notoriously eccentric academic work and in his demeaningly sexist appropriation of Frame in his fan fiction, attempts to annihilate the real Janet and and replaces her with a monstrous cuckoo: a waif that comes from nowhere, knows nothing and nobody, and invents modern Western philosophy and cutting edge literary movements in her head. She dwells in an unreal world and constructs reality only through language. Accidentally she taps into the avant garde from a rural shed, or an urban one, because she's a bit 'gifted' (and a bit touched too, one infers).
Frame is no threat to the men then, because it all pours out of her without touching the sides, while the boys can pride themselves on their craft. What's more Frame's chief genius appears to consist of ridiculous word games and pathetic puzzles - and Evans really has hit a nerve with this misrepresentation. Because then Frame is no threat to anyone, least of all the kiddies young and old who are fantasising that they will be the next great thing. No wonder they've embraced the fake Frame, you don't even have to read her to claim to have an insight into her....
Let's just make a joke of her instead, and that has long been Evans's chief stance. As far as I know he's still compiling an album of the off-the-wall anecdotes that people tell about Frame ("no need for it to be true").
Do you detect a snide undertone in the IIML newsletter item? Maybe I'm being too sensitive? But you can look back over time and find that this newsletter (and the IIML Twitter account) do occasionally throw in a bit of a Janet Frame snigger. I've noticed from time to time they source something they can have a giggle at from my blog - it seems to interest them more than the serious literary news concerning her work. I can't remember the last time they had a positive spin. Meanwhile on the whole the Wellyterati social network has been furiously promoting the demeaning novelisation of Janet Frame by Patrick Evans that was published by their pet University Press, and the sneering subtext of that novel seems to have infected their attitude to Frame in general.
What a shame the literary spies of the IIML aren't alert enough to have noted the recent publication of a lifetime of Janet Frame's writings and speech about her life and her work. Instead of tweeting another of their bizarre snippets about Frame, they might like to as eagerly tweet about her new book Janet Frame in her own words. It's been disillusioning to observe the eagerness with which the IIML coterie has accepted and promoted a despicable distortion of Frame's theories of writing, but when the aspiring authors have a chance to celebrate the real thing they would rather indulge in a piece of pseudo-biographical trivia.
The Scottish Diaspora
Janet Frame's father, son of 19thC Scottish immigrants to NZ
There's a Scottish Festival on currently in Janet Frame's city of birth Dunedin - 'the Edinburgh of the South'.
Dunedin New Zealand today still retains strong characteristics of its role as one of the settling places of "the Scottish Diaspora".
Festival events will include a Ceilidh, unveilings of memorials, St Andrew's Day celebrations, the crowning of a Queen O' The Heather, a Robert Burns Poetry Competition, Scottish Dancing, bagpiping, Scottish Highland Games (caber tossing etc), films showings and Scottish literature.
Scottish historian Tom Devine will give several addresses on such topics as : The "Death" and Reinvention of Scotland; The Lowland Clearances and the Scottish Exodus to New Zealand; and The Puzzle of Scottish Sectarianism. He will also promote his new book To The Ends of the Earth: Scotland's Global Diaspora.
Janet Frame was a typical product of the Scottish immigration to New Zealand. Janet Frame's grandparents Mary Paterson and Alexander Frame travelled to Dunedin, New Zealand, married here and had twelve children, one of whom was George Samuel Frame, Janet Frame's father, who was a dedicated player of the bagpipes (as you can see in the photograph above).
Mary Paterson had worked in a Paisley cotton mill from the age of eight and in 1874 she made the journey to New Zealand as a domestic servant on the Mairi Bhan. Three years later, at the age of twenty-one, she married Alexander Frame who originated from Hamilton in the Clyde valley in Scotland. (His four older brothers also left Scotland, but they all settled in North America, three in the US and the fourth in Canada.) Mary was illiterate when she arrived in New Zealand but by the end of her life she had learned to read and write and had worked as a midwife in Port Chalmers, Dunedin. Alexander worked as a blacksmith. (For more details see chapter 1 of Wrestling with the angel: a life of Janet Frame by Michael King.)
The Mairi Bhan (image courtesy National Library NZ)
Best Bookshops - Dunedin
There's a marvellous bookshop in Dunedin, situated on the edge of the Otago University Campus: The University Book Shop (fondly known as 'The UBS'). It's one of the best bookshops in New Zealand actually, and frequently wins prizes for that. I'm a frequent visitor and frequent purchaser too. They always have some new release that is just too tempting. They generously host book launches for the many excellent authors who live in Dunedin. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and love books, and if they don't have what you're after then they'll get it for you. They have a good stock of Janet Frame In Her Own Words located on NZ books new releases table near the front door!
But the Paper Plus in the heart of town, in the Golden Centre Mall also has an excellent selection of New Zealand books for sale, and with a strong fiction and poetry section. In fact they have all Janet Frame's New Zealand editions on their shelves. There are seventeen Janet Frame titles in print in New Zealand currently, so that's a remarkably well-stocked shelf, and Paper Plus Dunedin provides a much better turnout of Frame's books than many an independent bookshop that might normally think they were entitled to look down their noses on such a mainstream franchise store. Not this one though! Go Golden Centre Mall Paper Plus! I hope you have lots of literate and discerning customers who will appreciate the service you offer!
Paper Plus Dunedin (Golden Centre Mall) finds space on their NZ non-fiction new release table for Janet Frame In Her Own Words, among the cookbooks, earthquake mementos, and rugby albums. Bravo for a chain store to extend themselves beyond the blatantly commercial!
Writing advice from Janet Frame
Ruth Dallas and Janet Frame, NZ delegates to the 42nd International PEN Congress
Photographed at the conference, Sydney Australia 1977
One of the many gems from Janet Frame in her own words:
I just would like to say that a writer can’t choose her characters. Someone says, ‘Why don’t you write about this, why don’t you write about that, why don’t you write about these people?’ A character chooses a writer, a writer doesn’t choose a character, and there must be, before the writing, a feeling of haunting by this character, a deep feeling of being haunted. I think that is the only basis for writing. It may not emerge worthwhile, but anyone who sits down and says, ‘I think I’ll write a poem’, is to my mind, well — I don’t think that’s a favourable beginning for a writer. ‘I must write a poem', yes, but not 'I think it would be a good idea to write a poem'.
(This quote is from a recorded interview with Janet Frame in Australia in 1977, made when Janet Frame was a NZ delegate to the 42nd International PEN Congress in Sydney. The transcript of the interview is published for the first time in Janet Frame in her own words.)
The ODT's 150th birthday
Arts Philanthropist Fred Turnovsky and Janet Frame at a Wellington Award Ceremony, 1984
'The ODT' - The Otago Daily Times - is frequently referred to as "The Oddity" by those familiar with it.
New Zealand's oldest daily newspaper celebrates 150 years of publication this very day, and there have been festivities and commemorations in the weeks leading up to this milestone.
When she was a little girl my mother June misheard the name Otago Daily Times and thought it was the "Tiger Daily Times" (a linguistic phenomenon now referred to as a mondegreen).
The Otago Daily Times was an important part of the Frame family life - in fact as far as I know Janet Frame's first published writings appeared in the pages of that paper - by the time she was ten years old old she was regularly sending letters and poems to "Dot" of Dot's Page. Along with her four siblings, Janet was one of 'Dot's Little Folk' or DLF for short.
The Frame family also had a tradition of writing letters to the editors of newspapers and Janet's mother Lottie used to fire off stern letters whenever an occasion demanded it. Janet Frame herself took up this practice as is so well attested in the new book Janet Frame In Her Own Words which includes a selection of Janet Frame's letters to the editors of publications, written over fifty years of her life (from the age of 10 to the age of 60).
So Janet Frame, probably the greatest writer so far to emerge from New Zealand, who was born in Dunedin and died here too, had a long a fruitful relationship with the local newspaper the OTAGO DAILY TIMES, the first publication where she saw her name (as well as her pseudonym AMBER BUTTERFLY!) in print.
For the 150th anniversary the ODT has raked through the 150 years of issues of the paper to pick out some representative and notable news items and today the paper was bulging with a commemorative edition: a varied and rich smorgasbord of reprints of significant stories from throughout those 150 years.
News isn't just about war and sport and disasters and new buildings and commerce; arts and education and cultural pursuits must figure too, so I was curious to see what the journalists would choose to include from the many dozens of reports about Janet Frame over the years (if indeed they chose to recognise her at all - which was always a possibility - we all know the saying that "a prophet isn't recognised in their own hometown"!)
Reporters would have had to select a Janet Frame-related item from an awful lot of material: from her childhood correspondence to 'Dot's Page'; to her first notice in 1952 that her book THE LAGOON had won the Hubert Church Award for prose; to the notices about and reviews of her twelve novels and her five books of stories, her two books of poetry, her children's book and her three books of autobiography, as well as the film adaptation made of her autobiography. Then there were the conferences and books published about her writing, and the celebrated biography by Michael King, launched in Dunedin at a party attended by Janet Frame and by the Prime Minister Helen Clark. Also there were the documentaries made about Frame, and the prizewinning Vincent Ward film and the Globe Theatre dramatic production, both based on her novel A State of Siege. And many classical musical adaptations of her poetry and a couple of documentaries were made about her life and work, all rating notices and reviews.
Then there were the interviews and reports: her triumphant return to NZ in 1963 after 'becoming famous' overseas - or her return to live in Dunedin a couple of years later to take up the Burns Fellowship - or the various other literary and civil honours and prizes and awards and fellowships she picked up over the years. There was of course the CBE investiture and later the Order of New Zealand bestowed by the Queen. Each notable event in Janet Frame's stellar career merited a bit of a write-up in the ODT - as well as other NZ newspapers too of course. A highlight for Janet Frame - and Dunedin - would have been the bestowal of the honorary doctorate from Otago University in 1978. Frame later was awarded another doctorate and a medal from two other universities, but the prestigious honour must have been especially sweet coming from her home town university - the one where as a young woman she had studied English, Education, Philosophy and French.
There were overseas fellowships too, and the Commonwealth Literary Prize for Best Book in the late 1980s. Appearances at Festivals, and overseas honours as well as the constant stream of prizes for her books. All would have their notice, and often a photo, in the ODT.
And then in her later years Janet Frame returned to live in her home town of Dunedin and was frequently snapped around town for the pages of the ODT - attending a Mayor's reception, attending the ceremonies for writer's walk plaques of her old friends including Charles Brasch, Ruth Dallas and Hone Tuwhare. Then she attended the Burns Fellow reunion in the late 1990s and was snapped with all the other old Fellows - she was the esteemed elder of the tribe as one of the younger ones put it. And she attended book launches and art gallery openings in Dunedin, and in Gore, with her photo taken or a few words spoken to a reporter frequently making the pages of the ODT. And she was in the news again whenever it was rumoured she was on a "short list" for the Nobel Prize in Literature, there being a particular fuss about that in 2003.
And then she fell ill and died in the arms of her family, at Dunedin Hospital. Being widely accepted as one of the great writers of the 20th Century, the news of her death flashed around the world and obituaries appeared in every major paper from the New York Times to the Guardian to the Sydney Morning Herald. Then there was her state memorial in 2004 held at the Dunedin Town Hall, attended by the Dunedin mayor, the Prime Minister and the Governor General, and televised live for the rest of the nation with a live satellite feed overseas picked up by the BBC and other news organisations. That was big news locally, nationally, and internationally, but in the way of a great writer, whose words are their legacy and so they never really die, it wasn't the last the ODT had heard of Janet Frame, because there's been a steady stream of posthumous publishing, of news from the estate and from awards given by the charitable trust Janet Frame set up. Her significant archive of papers and correspondence was bequeathed to the Hocken Library. And in the town where she grew up, Oamaru, her childhood home has been rescued and has become a cultural tourist attraction visited by fans from all around the world, and news of which frequently features in the regional pages of the Otago Daily Times, its geographical reach still encompassing Oamaru as it did when Janet Frame was a child writing to its children's page.
The item chosen by the ODT to appear in their birthday edition today was suitably representative - it was a report from June 9, 1984, of Janet Frame winning a major prize for "Outstanding Achievement in the Arts", endowed by philanthropist Fred Turnovsky
In the ODT's quirky fashion the item referred to Janet Frame as "Miss Janet Frame" - an anachronism by 1984, and it seems a patronising way to refer to such a renowned author, but the conservative and fiercely provincial and independent ODT was the last newspaper in NZ to adopt the "Ms" usage and it was not their policy to attribute Janet Frame with the title "Dr" despite her several honorary doctorates.
(The photo above is from Wellington's Evening Post , taken at the award ceremony held later that year.)
"I want to send a special thought to all writers i...
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poverty eradication and gender justice
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Social Watch statement on the 2010 UN Summit: "We need justice, not business as usual"
Published on Sat, 2010-09-11 15:04
Next September the presidents and prime ministers of the world will meet in New York to assess a decade of antipoverty efforts and discuss the way forward in moments of unprecedented combination of global crises in climate, food, energy, finances and the economy.
The United Nations was created more than six decades ago around the belief in a world free of “fear and want” and with “dignity for all” in a framework of a “just and lasting peace”. In 1995, after the end of the Cold War that dream became the solemn commitment by all heads of State and government to eradicate poverty from the world and to achieve gender equity. In 2000 the Millennium Declaration set the date of 2015 to achieve the most urgent of the internationally agreed social development goals, known as “Millennium Development Goals” or MDGs.
Over a hundred presidents, monarchs and prime ministers signed this pledge: “We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected.” The first of the MDGs promises to reduce by half by 2015 the proportion of people living in poverty and with hunger.
In September 2008, ministers from around the world stated that “however, 1.4 billion people—most of them women and girls—still live in extreme poverty...” and in January 2010 the World Bank announced that “an estimated 64 million more people may be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2010 due to the crisis“.1
With around 1.5 billion people in extreme poverty in 2010 (1.4 in 2008 plus 64 millions added by the crisis in 2009), the poverty reduction promise seems almost impossible to achieve!
In fact, according to the report of the secretary general of the United Nations, the number of people under the $1 a day poverty line “went up by 92 million in sub-Saharan Africa and by 8 million in West Asia during the period 1990 to 2005”. Further, “the poverty situation is more serious when other dimensions of poverty, acknowledged at the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, such as deprivation, social exclusion and lack of participation, are also considered”.
Goal 8 of the MDGs called for the establishment of global partnerships around trade, aid, debt cancellation and technology transfer in order to enable developing countries to achieve the other seven goals on health, education and sanitation.
Some progress has been made since in cancelling the bilateral and multilateral external debts of some of the poorest countries, but this is far from enough. On trade, there are no positive moves. A development round of trade negotiations started in Doha in September 2001. Its development component is insignificant and even so is still far from being concluded. Technology transfer has been made even more expensive by the strict enforcement of intellectual property rules. Foreign aid has not increased at all. It was 0.44 per cent of the income of the donor countries in 1992 and 0.43 per cent in 2008. One fourth of the total aid goes to just six countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The non-compliance of developed countries with their commitments under Goal 8 is certainly not unrelated with the insufficient progress on the other Goals. The uneven domestic distribution of resources is another major obstacle. During the first years of the 21st century, many developing countries experienced high levels of economic growth, but poverty reduction and job creation lagged behind. This “failure to deliver on the necessary finance, services, technical support and partnerships2” was “aggravated by the global food and economic crises as well as the failure of various development policies and programmes”. Thus “improvements in the lives of the poor have been unacceptably slow to achieve, while some hard won gains are being eroded”.
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations acknowledges these failures honestly and explicitly recognizes the MDGs as “an expression of basic human rights: the rights of everyone to good health, education and shelter”.
To approach the MDGs as basic human rights implies linking poverty eradication with enhancing equity and social integration. According to the recent “Rethinking Poverty” report “an integrated approach to economic and social policies for the benefit of all citizens (…) calls for more developmentally oriented and progressive State activism and universalism—as opposed to selectivity—in the approach to social policy”. 3,
There is always a need for focalized social policies in emergency situations, but the observations of our members in the last decade show that those policies are no substitute for the universal provision of social services and rights-based approaches.
The 2009 Social Watch Report additionally found a lot of evidence that to invest in the poor, through social services or even direct cash transfers makes for a better stimulus package for the economies as a whole then subsidizing the already rich. The reason for this match of the ethical imperative with economic good sense is simple, in times of crisis affluent people save when they can and risk-aversion demoralizes investors, whereas those living in poverty can only spend any support they get.
The Social Watch network, with members in over 70 countries, will actively participate in the process leading to next September Summit, contributing to it with the findings and analysis of civil society organizations from around the world.
“If the poor were a bank, they would have been rescued”, is the sarcastic comment that many people make when the additional money needed to achieve the MDGs (estimated at around $100 billion a year) is compared with the trillions of dollars disbursed in the last two years in the richest countries to rescue failed banks and try to reverse the effects of the financial crisis.
In practice, though, the less privileged in rich and poor countries alike not only suffer the direct consequences of the crisis in the form of loss of jobs, savings and even their households, but are also required to pay for the rescue and stimulus packages through higher taxes and reduced salaries and social benefits.
In this context, to call for “more of the same” is not the answer. More aid money and better trade terms for developing countries are an ethical imperative now even more than before. But, to face the dramatic social and environmental impacts of the current multiple crises, we need to move beyond a “business as usual” approach and start work towards a comprehensive justice programme:
Climate justice (recognition of the “climate debt”, investment in clean technologies and promotion of a decent job creating green economy)
Financial, fiscal and economic justice (the financial sector should pay for the crisis they created, through a financial transaction tax or similar mechanism, speculation needs to be regulated, tax heavens and the ‘race to the bottom’ in tax policies ended or reverted, developing countries allowed defensive control of capital flows and policy space)
Social and gender justice (achieve the MDGs, promote gender equality, universal basic social services and “dignity for all”) and…
Plain old justice (judges and tribunals) to demand the basic social rights.
In times of unprecedented crisis, courage to be bold and innovative is required from leaders. Ten years ago the Millennium Declaration promised “a more peaceful, prosperous and just world”. Social Watch is committed to help citizens from around the world to hold their governments accountable to that promise.
Dar-es-Salaam, April 2010
1 From the "Accra Agenda for Action”, adopted by the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, September 4, 2008.
2 Keeping the promise: a forward-looking review to promote an agreed action agenda to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, General Assembly document A/64/665, United Nations 2010
3 Rethinking Poverty: Report on the World Social Situation 2010 (United Nations, 2010)
SW-MDG10.pdf 142.61 KB
2010 UN Summit
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The Gracekeepers
The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook
Find Momo Coast to Coast: A Hide-and-Seek Photography Book
Don Martin: Three Decades of His Greatest Works
with a foreword by Nick Meglin
(Running Press, $30)
Reviewed by Larry Cox
Don Martin, perhaps more than anyone else, defined the zany madness that was Mad magazine. Martin’s work appeared in virtually every issue of Mad until 1988. In addition to his work for the magazine, he also illustrated record jackets for such music legends as Miles Davis and Stan Getz.
Martin was born in Patterson, New Jersey, in 1931. He studied at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art before eventually graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1952. He worked at various jobs before getting his first real break when a submission was accepted by Mad magazine and published in its September 1956 issue.
In this latest installment in the Mad’s Greatest Artists series, more than 200 strips of Martin’s work are featured, including such classics as his “Guide to Some Very Obscure Comics Sound Effects,” “Spider-Man,” “Conehead The Barbituate,” and, of course, “Scenes We’d Like to See.”
As Nick Meglin, longtime editor of Mad magazine, points out in his foreword, Martin’s coloring-book approach “was amazing visceral, and leapt from the page in a way that defied passing over it, especially when sandwiched between other Mad articles featuring caricatures of real people: depictions of movie and TV stars by Mort Drucker, athletes by Jack Davis and politicians by Jack Rickard.”
Meglin adds that it wasn’t Martin’s art alone that catapulted his work to the top of readership popularity, but also his zany humor that delighted magazine’s nearly 3 million regular readers.
Humor, really good humor, is timeless, and Martin’s work is perfect proof. Much of it is just as amusing today as it was when first published decades ago. If you aren’t familiar with Don Martin, grab this book, make yourself comfortable and prepare to laugh out loud.
Stuff Every Groom Should Know
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Photo: Kleinschmidt/MSC, CC BY 3.0 de
By Gunther Braun, Sunday, 14.8.2016, 14:52 News
In the annual summer interview with German public television station ZDF (which airs tonight), German President Joachim Gauck fully backed the politics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (both CDU), merkur.de reports today, August 14, 2016.
President Gauck said he backed Angela Merkel's often repeated phrase, "We can do it," to describe the country's ability to handle the refugee crisis. He said that he couldn’t imagine a Chancellor saying “We can’t do it”. "The country is not like a sinking ship in the middle of a powerful hurricane," Gauck said. "Rather, there are just gusts of wind rocking the boat," dw.com reports.
Gauck also backed the new security measures which were proposed by Thomas de Maizière last week. The German government is planning a host of new security measures in the wake of a few violent incidents in Würzburg, Ansbach and Munich. The measures include an increase in police personnel, a central crime unit for pursuing crime on the internet, easier deportation for migrants who have committed crimes, and depriving Germans who join foreign "terror militias" of their citizenship. De Maiziere also announced an increase and upgrade of video surveillance technology in German railways stations.
"I am convinced that these proposals will increase security quickly," Interior Thomas de Maizière told reporters in a special press conference held in Berlin on Thursday, August 11,2016 before adding that all the proposals could be implemented in this legislative period, which ends next fall.
Gunther Braun
Born in northern Germany, Günther moved to Bavaria at an early age, falling in love with Munich and its magical mountains and lakes to the south.
A keen hiker and computer programmer by profession, Günther is keen to make the world of Munich more accessible to the English-speaking world. You can contact him on [email protected]
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Chef Chat: Interview with Andrea Griffith
Photo courtesy of Pursell Farms
My latest culinary road trip took Brad and me to Pursell Farms, where I recently had the opportunity to sit down with award-winning Chef Andrea Griffith during our Easter weekend visit (read about our fun weekend HERE!).
With over 13 years of experience, Chef Griffith is no novice and is using her passion for farm-to-table southern cuisine to create exciting new menus and culinary experiences at Pursell. She was gracious enough to sit down with me after a long day to answer a few questions, which I think you'll really enjoy. Read on as she talks about trying to duplicate an elusive Canneles de Bordeaux, her advice for home cooks, and making authentic Polish Pierogies with her grandparents:
Let's start with what everyone wants to know about an award-winning chef: What are 5 items that you always have stocked in your kitchen?
1. Sriracha
2. Sweet chili sauce
3. Grits
4. Greens (collards, turnips, etc)
5. Bologna (for my kids!)
I love that you're passionate about farm-to-table Southern cuisine. What are some key points about this philosophy that you think readers should know?
My biggest thing is the importance of what you put in your mouth. Nowadays, everyone is so conscious of health, and they're so conscious of any kind of pesticides, bacteria or any sort of crazy growth products, hormones, or chemicals given to the animals and things that are sprayed on foods. There's nothing better than for a chef to be able to say I know exactly where your food came from, exactly how it was treated, how it was sprayed, if anything was put on it, how it was picked and cared for, how it was cleaned, washed and prepared.
From the beginning stages, I'd be able to tell even more about the soil because Pursell Farms has been doing soil tests for so long. So, information about what's in it, where it's from, what minerals are in it, and what nutrients are in it is available. It's not just so much the fact that I can go in my yard and grow something. Everyone can do that. But, they can't do it on such a big scale. We are doing it in a huge way at Pursell. We're even trying to grow enough so that we can eventually go to the market and sell it.
An outstanding meal can be life-changing. Tell me about your most unforgettable meal.
I would have to say it was when I staged at The Inn at Little Washington. Since I worked in the kitchen, they wanted me to try everything, so it was a 9 course meal with pairings. My husband drove up to meet me, and I didn't know he was coming, which made it a big surprise. They have these huge Dalmatian dogs as mascots in the restaurant with you. It was just a very unique experience. Of course, my husband surprising me made it even cooler. There's nothing in particular that made it the best thing in the entire universe, but it was the experience - the feeling, how everyone was so interactive, and the great service.
I remember the dessert best, because I am a chocoholic. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream, and it was the one thing I didn't see when I was working there. I was trying to decide what to have for dessert, and they told me they'd bring me their famous ice cream, and said "I hope you like mint!" They brought it out in a bowl. The bottom of the bowl was smeared flat with green ice cream and covered with chocolate ribbons piled up on top. The server picked the spoon up and started cracking the chocolate ribbons, and mixing it in, turning it into mint chocolate chip ice cream. My husband got a brandy snifter, and it had rum raisin ice cream in the bottom and a disc of white chocolate on top. They poured this hot rum sauce over the white chocolate, so that it melted and dripped into the bottom, becoming like a hot toddy.
The one thing that I had there that I still to this day try to duplicate are the Canneles de Bourdeaux. You have to have a certain brass mold to cook them in, which I haven't been able to find. They almost look like a Charlotte mold. They are golden brown on the outside, and when you bite into them, they are crunchy, buttery, yummy, and almost like creme brulee on the inside. I have no idea how they did it. You have to get these certain molds, pour beeswax into them, and then pour it out. They sell different molds now, but you have to have this certain type in order to make it happen. No one I've ever met has made them like that.
The Inn at Little Washington does a lot of really cool things. They're in a historical little hotel, and their whole thing is focused around culinary, so it reminds me of what we're doing here at Pursell Farms. They do cool, little intricate things.
When it comes to developing new recipes, what inspires you the most?
The product. There's nothing better than the simplest little things, like an egg. Everyone thinks that it's just an egg, but, an entire dish can be built around that egg. There's nothing better than when a farmer from two doors down comes and brings you eggs that are still warm. When you crack them, they are neon yellow. You just can't get that kind of color, richness and flavor from a grocery store. Then you start building from that point. The sky's the limit. As soon as you see something, that's what drives me. I see a product and ask myself "How can I cook this, and what can I do to make it different from anything else I've ever done?" I try to be more creative. Before, it used to be all about manipulating a product to the point where it's overly touched, and the integrity of what you've taken out of the ground has now been beaten to heck and put back together. I just don't think that's the right way to be. I've dabbled in molecular gastronomy and have done some sous-viding, but the product itself needs to speak in the dish. You need to be able to taste every single flavor and every single bit of dirt and earth that's on it. So, I think about how you're going to taste something the best and what's going to bring those natural flavors out the best.
Is there a particular culinary trend for 2013 that you're most excited about?
I'm excited for the molecular gastronomy to go away (laughs). The big trend now is farm-to-table. It's what everyone wants. It's a matter of being able to be in the right place to do so. I believe that with where I'm at, I've found that place. I look forward to continuing to develop my farm-to-table, and the farm's concept for it. I don't think I'm going to change anything I do because of what other people are doing. It just makes sense here.
If you could eat dinner tonight anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would you order?
There's so many answers. I'd have to say I'm a total daddy's girl. I would definitely want to go to a place called Tony Luke's. That's my dad's and mine's favorite place in the entire world to go to eat together in Philadelphia, which is where I was born and raised. My father and I haven't both been back in Philadelphia at the same time in probably 3-4 years. So, I'd love to go there with my dad.
At Tony Luke's, I would order either a Pork Sandwich or Fried Hots. To make Fried Hots, you take hot peppers, roast them in the oven, peel off the skin, let them sit in a little olive oil with crushed garlic and then put them in a pan and fry them in that same oil/garlic. Then, stick them right on top of your steak. It's amazing! Also, you can't get a roll like you can get at Tony Luke's. They call them Amorosa rolls. People who go to Philadelphia get these rolls and individually wrap them to take home!
Then again, I could probably also eat at Joel Robuchon's, or Gordon Ramsay's The London, Thomas Keller's French Laundry, or Alinea. I also would have loved to have gone to dinner at Charlie Trotter's closing.
What would people be surprised to find in your kitchen?
It would probably be Country Crock spread. People would think that was weird, especially for a chef. My husband is a total Country Crock-a-holic, and if I buy normal butter, he won't eat it. And a chef would totally be like, "Why do you have plastic?!?" Because it's plastic...that's basically what's in it. It's gross.
What advice would you give a serious home cook?
Follow your palate and follow your heart. Look at something, taste it and experiment!
What are your favorite foods from childhood?
My mom's version of spaghetti when we were kids was elbow macaroni with ketchup and butter. So, I ate that for probably 12 years of my life. As a chef, I make all this wonderful stuff like my own spaghetti with bolognese sauce, but if I'm having a really weird day I'll still make it and eat it. It's gross, but I like it.
I also have really fond memories of my grandparents, who were always cooks. Before my grandmother passed away, we'd always make fresh homemade Pierogies because she was Polish. They sell Mrs. T's Pierogies at grocery stores, but it's nothing like a fresh Polish Pierogie. It doesn't taste anything like that. We'd make the dough and all the fillings. If you go to the old Polish markets in Philadelphia, you can find them still like that today. A Pierogie is made out of a real fine sour cream kind of dough and is rolled out. Classically in Poland, they'd make a filling out of cabbage that was cooked in rendered down bacon fat and butter. The cabbage would be cooked really slow for almost 4 hours, until it almost broke down completely. Then they'd add a pinch of salt, so that it had almost a caramelly, buttery smokiness. Then they'd let it cool, and then fill the pierogies with it, crimp the dough, boil them and then pan fry them with caramelized onions and a little sour cream. They're amazing. I have some of my grandmother's recipes, so every now and then I'll make them.
If you were deserted on an island and could only have one ingredient and one tool, what would they be and why?
I would bring jerky and a knife. The jerky will preserve itself forever, so I'd have a protein. A knife would help me cut fruit, climb trees and hunt!
Thanks again to Chef Griffith for taking the time to chat with me!
Posted by Celeste at Monday, April 08, 2013
Labels: Chef Chat, Tid Bits
Quinoa Salad with Strawberries, Crispy Prosciutto,...
Quinoa with Pork, Parsley & Bell Peppers + A Gourm...
Greek Potatoes with Lemon Vinaigrette
A Weekend at Pursell Farms - A Culinary Treasure
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Are the police afraid to arrest Land Cruiser drivers?
botchway July 2, 2019
The use of the siren in Ghana is regulated by law, and according to Road Traffic Regulation 2012, [L. I. 2180], only the Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Police, Armed Forces, Prison Service, bullion vans registered with relevant authorities and other recognised security agencies are supposed to use it. But, despite the existence of this law, motorists continue to abuse it with impunity.
Somewhere in 2015, the Police Service, in a statement signed by its then Director General in charge of Public Affairs, Mr Ampah Bennin, issued a warning to the public about the misuse of sirens in traffic by individuals who are not supposed to so do.
“In view of the above, the police are going to mount a nation-wide operation to arrest and prosecute all motorists, who violate the above-stated road traffic regulations. The general public is entreated to co-operate with the police in this exercise, and motorists warned to desist from committing motor traffic offences for the sake of sanity, and law and order,” the police statement said at the time.
But, four years down the line, nothing has changed in terms of compliance with the law and the fear of the warning issued by the police. Nowadays, it is common to see 4×4 vehicles and cars, especially Land Cruisers, driving through heavy traffic with their sirens on.
Because of the respect Land Cruisers command in our society, the police look on helplessly whilst users of these vehicles abuse the traffic regulation with contempt. To the police, the person driving the ‘big car’ may be top government official, and cannot, therefore, be arrested.
Though these government officials are not above the law and should be arrested, the plain truth is that most of the drivers of these Land Cruiser vehicles are not government officials, but individuals abusing the law.
Drive on the Kasoa-Winneba and Tema-Prampram-Junction roads on Saturdays, and see how these individual Land Cruiser owners use sirens to dodge being caught up in heavy traffic.
In most of the cases, motorists who are fed up with being held up in traffic also join the fray, thus worsening the already difficult traffic situation. If you are a driver and you want to follow the law, all your fuel will be burnt in traffic.
This is an unfortunate development, but the police have failed to live up to expectation, despite their threat in 2015 to deal with the situation. It is sometimes disheartening to see these cars driving through red traffic lights with their sirens on. Others too have flashing lights in front of their car, as if it is a security vehicle asking motorists to give him or her way in traffic.
As we alluded to earlier, because Ghanaians, including the police, think those driving Land Cruisers are ‘big people,’ individuals have simply taken advantage of it and are abusing the traffic rules.
Notwithstanding the posture personnel of the Police Service have adopted towards these cars, The Chronicle is nevertheless happy that, at long last, they (police) have mustered the courage to arrest one of these Land Cruiser drivers who was abusing the use of the siren on the Tema-Aflao road.
According to Citi FM, an Accra-based private road station, the Deputy Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) was arrested for using the siren in traffic, when he was not supposed to do so.
According to the story carried by the radio station, the Deputy MD claimed he was abusing traffic because he had funeral donation on him, but was getting late in arriving at the funeral grounds. If this Deputy MD, indeed, made this claim to justify his action of using the siren, then it is unfortunate, and The Chronicle expects the police to deal with him according to the laws of the land.
Our development as a country is not going at a pace everybody would have expected, because we tend to respect personalities, and not the law. If the police were to enforce the mandate given them by the Constitution of Ghana, these abuses on our roads would have ceased.
As the former US president, Barrack Obama, advised when he visited Ghana a few years back, it is time we started as a country to build strong institutions and not strong men.
If we are afraid to arrest strong men abusing the law, we will be building a weak institution, and this will not augur well for us as a country.
My dream confirmed by another dreamer
Arrest of two journalists shocking -PRINPAG
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Home Sports Grinding it out on the court
Grinding it out on the court
by Jeffrey Muntu November 29, 2016
Stingers basketball rookie Olivier Simon talks about his career
Michael Jordan.
That is who Stingers men’s basketball rookie Olivier Simon was quick to name when asked who he models his game after.
“I first saw him in [the movie] Space Jam. I started reading all of his books,” Simon said. “He was the greatest player to ever play in the NBA. He was the model to follow… playing hard, working hard. It’s the only way you can get to this point.”
Standing at six-foot-seven and tipping the scale at about 220 lbs, it would be easy to assume that basketball was something the Terrebonne native was always good at. However, as a youngster, Simon played hockey until he was introduced to basketball at the age of 10.
“The basketball coach [at the time] was a really good guy,” Simon said. “He was there in the gym at six o’clock in the morning before class to help kids [play] because, at that age, we have a lot of energy.”
Simon added that participating in those extracurricular activities is what lead him to embrace the game of basketball. He developed a passion for the game which lead him to CEGEP Édouard-Montpetit, despite it being about an hour away from his hometown.
“[Édouard-Montpetit] was the only one that recruited me,” Simon said. “If it wasn’t for that school, I would have probably stopped basketball.”
After three years of relative success in CEGEP, Simon had plenty of offers to play at the collegiate level.
The five Quebec university teams—McGill, Bishop’s, Laval, UQAM and Concordia, all wanted to recruit Simon. Simon said he chose Concordia because of the atmosphere and head coach Rastko Popovic set the school apart from the others.. For Simon, everything just seemed to fall into place.
“The team is young—we’re going to build together. I have five years, so that was a big point,” Simon said. “When I talk with coach Popovic, it’s easy. We have the same mentality when it comes to basketball.”
“Saying that he trusted me was the biggest thing you can say to prove to a guy you want him,” Simon added.
Simon smiles for the camera before a game.
When he is not on the court, the rookie forward describes himself as an easygoing person who likes to hangout with friends and family. He particularly likes movies, claiming he watches “lots of Netflix” when he has time.
Besides training on and off the court and juggling his social life, Simon is enrolled in the leisure science program.
“It’s nice. I have a communication and psychology class that I like,” Simon said. “It’s not like math or science with all the numbers. It’s really concrete. We get to know more about us—how we think, how we interact.”
Simon said he wants no part in sitting at a desk with a computer for the rest of his life. He wants to work primarily with kids and be able to give back to the community. He said ideally he would like to stay involved in basketball and even become a part of the program at Concordia.
Simon has already helped make an impact with the Stingers this year, aided by a strong work ethic which he feels came to him early in his career.
“[My work ethic] came from my high school. The CEGEP I went to was the only one that recruited me because, in high school, I wasn’t that good of a player. I always worked hard to get what I want,” Simon said. “It wasn’t always easy to go on the court and do what I have to. I had to overwork. It’s always been like that.”
The Terrebonne native said he knows what his role on the Stingers team is. While he may not play 40 minutes a night, he wants to continue to improve on the little things, each and every game.
Looking towards the future, Simon said he would love to go pro at some point.
“That would be a huge experience,” Simon said.
For now though, Simon is more focused on the Stingers and his university career. He hopes that, while he’s at Concordia, the team can win a championship. Simon would also like to be a leader.
“In my fourth and fifth year, I want to set an example for the new recruits. Like, when they’ll come in the gym, I want them to see me and do the same things because I want everybody to work as hard,” said Simon.
basketballconcordiaConcordia Stingerssportsstingers
Jeffrey Muntu
Born and raise in Montreal/Laval. Just a big couch potato sport geek !!!
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Home Music Heavy metal punk band Gutser
Heavy metal punk band Gutser
by Emily Vidal January 17, 2017
Chris Aitkens is a Concordia student by day and a rockstar by night
Behind the screaming vocals of the heavy metal-punk band Gutser is Concordia undergraduate student Chris Aitkens. Aitkens is currently pursuing a BA in the Journalism program. The singer-songwriter founded the band in 2014, and said he feels he has finally found his place in the music world. “I think this is the band that I was meant to play in after all those years,” he said. “I finally found my voice. I finally found my sound.”
Aitkens first got involved in the music scene at 14 years old, after going to an all-ages Halloween show at Club Lambi. “I saw these incredible bands and I just really wanted to be part of what they were doing,” he said. “The first band that I saw was Trigger Effect, which to this day is still my favourite band, even though they dissolved a few years ago. I started going to more shows and started to develop my taste in music, and then wanted to be in my own band.”
At 16 years old, Aitkens formed his first band with high school friend James Armstrong, and went on to start other bands after that. “Most of them were terrible to begin with,” said Aitkens, adding that Gutser actually took off by accident. “It started off with myself singing, James Armstrong playing bass and James Thomas playing drums,” he said. The bassist, Armstrong, has been with Aitkens since the very beginning of his musical career. “I’ve known him for half of my life, so we’re really good friends,” said Aitkens.
Aitkens then started talking with Thomas, the drummer, who at the time was playing with the band Bearmase. “I kept on annoying him, [saying], ‘Yo, man, we’ve got to be in a band together,’” Aitkens said. They were still missing a guitar player, but, according to Aitkens, when Thomas brought along guitarist Paul McWhaw, they immediately hit it off. “We’ve been playing, every single week for almost three years now,” he said.
Rocking out at the Buckfest. Photo by Miguel Mendes
Aitkens said he feels he can fully rely on his Gutser bandmates, a connection he never had with previous bandmates. “It’s often very difficult to find people who are as enthusiastic [about music] as you are,” he said. “It took me a while to finally find a band that was stable enough [to play with].”
However, being a Concordia student by day and the frontman of a heavy metal-punk band by night does have its challenges. “There’s this whole lifestyle of staying up very late and drinking. But when you have school the next day, then it’s kind of difficult to maintain that rockstar lifestyle,” said Aitkens. What makes it all worthwhile is the fact that he loves performing on stage. “I’m a bit shy in real life, but when I’m on stage, I’m the centre of attention and I can say anything, do anything,” he said. “It just feels really good. I don’t have to be such a lonely person all the time. I can be part of something bigger than myself.”
The band is set to release their first EP titled Gutser Sucks within the next month. “We still have a bit more recording to do and there’s the whole technical aspect of mixing, mastering and getting our CDs together. Hopefully we’ll get that done in about a month,” he said. While they are not sure what venue they will be having their launch party at, Aikens said he would like for it to be held at Turbo House in Saint-Henri. It is run by his favourite band, Trigger Effect, so he said that there is a certain sentimentality about that place. Aitkens said that he hopes people will enjoy their new songs. “I want people to listen to our music and think, ‘Oh wow, this is a really intense and energetic band. I would love to go see them live, and I would love to party with them,’” he said.
Photo by Miguel Mendes
According to Aitkens, their music has an in-your-face tone that’s also humorous. “The way I like to describe it is: it’s painful for us to play and it’s painful for people to watch, just because it’s so fast and so demanding. It takes every ounce of our energy to get through one song,” said Aitkens. A theme that is present in their EP is disillusionment. “[It’s about] being pushed to be a certain way and then snapping out of it all of a sudden and just realizing, ‘Wait a second, I can think for myself, I don’t have to do what the television tells me to do, I don’t have to do what the church tells me to do’ or anything like that,” Aitkens said.
On Feb. 4, Gutser will be performing at On Rock Community Services in Pierrefonds, an annual benefit show for the homeless. Aitkens said this could be a very good opportunity for the band. “There’s most likely going to be children there, so I’m wondering if I could inspire any young kids to pursue music the same way I was inspired 10 years ago,” he said.
concordiaGutserHeavy MetalmontrealPunk Band
Emily Vidal
Injury Reserve – Floss
Montreal’s eclectic DJ: Amir Javasoul
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Claims ibuprofen ‘will wipe out Alzheimer’s’ are misleading
April 25, 2018 admin Alzheimer, Dementia, Health, News, NHS 0
“Painkiller ibuprofen could ‘wipe out dementia’,” is the deceptive headline from the Sun.
The study that prompted such an optimistic headline was in fact a small piece of research that looked at a saliva test that measures the amount of a protein called amyloid beta protein 42 (Abeta 42).
Some experts, such as the current researchers, think that having higher than average levels of Abeta 42 could be an initial warning sign of the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
But the test was only used on 23 people with Alzheimer’s and 31 without, which isn’t a large enough sample size to have any confidence in the results.
Even if the test were to prove accurate, there isn’t enough evidence about any preventative treatments.
The potential preventative treatment suggested by the researchers is a group of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), rather than ibuprofen specifically, as the headlines imply.
This study didn’t test the ability of ibuprofen for preventing or slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, either.
NSAIDs can cause serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal bleeding.
Before they can be used in combination with a test that detects Alzheimer’s disease early, well-designed clinical trials need to be conducted using larger sample sizes.
Based on the limited results presented in this study, there’s currently no evidence that taking ibuprofen or other NSAIDs can prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s the basis for these current reports?
This study was carried out by researchers and the founders of the pharmaceutical company Aurin Biotech.
It was published in the peer-reviewedJournal of Alzheimer’s disease.
No funding sources are declared. It’s possible there’s a conflict of interest, given the researchers themselves produced the test.
This research is based on a saliva test, and looked at whether the test can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and predict it developing in the future by measuring the concentration of an amino acid called amyloid beta protein 42 (Abeta 42).
Abeta 42 is an amino acid made everywhere in the body, but deposits of it only occur in the brain.
The deposits are seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease, but their exact role in the reduction in brain tissue and memory loss that are characteristic of the condition isn’t known.
Based on observational studies, scientists at Aurin believe that for NSAIDs to be effective for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, they have to be started at least 6 months (preferably 5 years) before diagnosis.
They wanted to see if a saliva test was capable of identifying people at risk of Alzheimer’s at an age well below when it would typically develop.
This is estimated to be 65 and above for every 1 in 14 people, and over the age of 80 for 1 in every 6 people.
It’s not as common for people to receive a diagnosis between the ages of 40 to 65, but is still possible, with 1 in every 20 cases diagnosed at this age.
What did the researchers find?
The researchers concluded people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease exhibit the same elevated Abeta 42 saliva levels as people who already have it (around 40-85 pg/ml), compared with people who aren’t at risk (around 20 pg/ml).
The researchers said that these elevated levels are displayed throughout a person’s lifetime. But they only performed the test once, so we don’t know how the levels fluctuate over time.
If this were the case, then theoretically this means people could get tested at any time using the saliva test and start preventative treatment.
The researchers advised that based on these findings, people should be tested at the age of 55. If they show elevated Abeta 42 levels, this is the time to begin taking NSAIDs.
But only 23 people with Alzheimer’s disease were tested. These people had similar Abeta 42 levels to 6 people researchers said were at high risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but we don’t know what this was based on.
The other group of 25 people, who had lower levels, were deemed not to be at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but we don’t know if any of them went on to develop the condition or not.
This saliva study is early-stage research. It was only a cross-sectional study, so we don’t know whether levels of Abeta 24 change over time or whether people with higher levels will develop Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers acknowledged that much larger sample sizes would also be needed to confirm these preliminary results.
This study doesn’t provide anything new regarding the use of NSAID drugs like ibuprofen for preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
As the exact causes of the disease remain unknown, it also doesn’t tell us anything new about preventing the disease.
There are, however, a number of things that are thought to increase your risk of the disease.
These might include one or a few of:
increasing age
a family history of the condition
previous severe head injuries
lifestyle factors and other conditions associated with cardiovascular disease
There are currently only 3 drugs recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)for managing mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and while there’s preliminary research supporting their use, NSAIDs aren’t one of these treatments.
Source: https://www.nhs.uk/news/neurology/claims-ibuprofen-will-wipe-out-alzheimers-are-misleading/
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We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
The Soundtrack of The Vietnam War
About Craig Werner
About Doug Bradley
What’s Your Song?
“THEY HAVEN’T BEEN FORGOTTEN” New book on music of the Vietnam War, including Springsteen’s
November 10, 2015 ReviewsBy admin
The cover of the book “We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War.”
In both his art and his activism, Bruce Springsteen has long maintained a stance of opposing war while simultaneously supporting and sympathizing with those who are forced to fight wars. Springsteen’s stance, which will be evident once more with his presence at tonight’s Stand Up For Heroes event, can be traced directly to the Vietnam War, an event that had a deep, lasting impact on his life. Bruce lost several friends to the war and, but for an injury sustained in his late teens, most likely would have been drafted himself.
From his first album’s “Lost in the Flood,” which opens with a young Vietnam veteran returning home to a nightmarish society riddled with violence and repression, to his most recent album’s “The Wall,” inspired by the wartime deaths of friends and fellow musicians Walter Cichon and Bart Haynes, the Vietnam War and its aftermath remain major themes in Bruce’s music. They continue to hold a heavy influence over his social activism, as well.
Doug Bradley and Craig Werner’s new book, We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War, explores in depth how and why U.S. troops used music to cope with the complexities of the U.S.-Vietnam War both during their time of service and after returning home. Bradley is a Vietnam veteran, journalist and educator. Werner is a writer and educator whose book A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America was named 1999 Book of the Year by UNCUTMagazine. The authors also collaborate in teaching a course on music, media and the Vietnam War at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The book’s narrative strength is derived from Bradley and Werner’s gathering of personal reflections contributed by a diverse array of Vietnam veterans: black and white, Latino and Native American, men and women, conservative and liberal, officers and “grunts.” The vets talk about the records that helped them to process and survive their experiences, and Bradley and Werner supplement the vets’ reflections with commentary from many of the musicians who created those records.
Not surprisingly, the book includes material on Bruce Springsteen’s music and activism centered around Vietnam veterans. Bobby Muller, who co-founded Vietnam Veterans of America, recounts Springsteen’s now-famous “A Night For The Vietnam Veteran”concert towards the end of The River Tour. (Muller not only was there; he was introduced to the audience by Bruce and given the opportunity to deliver a brief, moving speech just before the concert began.) “When he did that [concert],” Muller recalls, “no joke, he took us out of the shadows and put us in the light of day, made us okay publicly — gave us [Vietnam Veterans Of America] one hundred thousand dollars, a staggering sum of money…. If it wasn’t for Bruce coming forward, there would not have been a coherent, national movement on behalf of Vietnam vets.”
Bradley and Werner’s book has its roots in “The Vietnam Vets’ Top 20,” a list of the records most frequently mentioned by vets during the authors’ initial set of interviews, including Springsteen’s most famous Vietnam War-themed song: “Born in the U.S.A.” In the spring of 2010, Craig and Doug presented and discussed each record on their initial list at the LZ Lambeau “Welcoming Home Wisconsin’s Vietnam Veterans” weekend gathering, which was held inside Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers’ football stadium. (“LZ” stands for “landing zone,” a term that became all too familiar to soldiers in Vietnam with the proliferation of helicopter warfare.) The event, Bradley tells Backstreets, “brought together nearly 70,000 Vietnam veterans and their families…. During our presentation, many heads nodded and many lips moved in sync as we played a bit of ‘Born in the U.S.A.'”
Werner adds, “The vets we’ve talked to have consistently expressed their appreciation and understanding of what Bruce was doing with ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ No one mistook it for flag-waving jingoism. They understood the struggles and the fight against going under all too clearly; several talked about their own versions of the ‘little hometown jam.’ But above all, they knew what it meant to be ten or twenty or thirty years down the road, and they knew that way too many guys hadn’t found their way home. At LZ Lambeau, the playing field was filled with empty chairs, one for each vet killed in Vietnam. But one of the most moving moments came when Native American vet Jim Northrup, who gave what to my mind was the most powerful speech of the event, reflected on the fact that at least as many vets had died of suicide, one-car accidents, drug, alcohol or Agent-Orange-related health problems since they came back. I think that’s what they hear in ‘Born in the U.S.A.:’ an acknowledgment that they haven’t been forgotten and their story didn’t end with the fall of Saigon.”
For more information on We Gotta Get Out of This Place, including where to buy the book and upcoming events featuring Doug Bradley and Craig Werner, visitwggotp.com, the book’s official website.
Review By: Shawn Poole
Rolling Stone’s #1 Best Music Book of 2015
If you only read a single book concerning Vietnam veterans this year, make it this one
Alabama musician and veteran recalls ‘The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War’
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War” Review by Steve Nathans-Kelly
Buy Now at UMass Press
Buy Now at Amazon
Buy Now at Barnes & Noble
Buy Now at IndieBound
A volume in the series Culture, Politics, and the Cold War
University of Massachusetts Press
Amherst & Boston www.umass.edu/umpress
240 pp., $26.95 paper,
Doug Bradley, a Vietnam veteran, teaches a course on the war with Craig Werner, professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and author of Higher Ground: Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and the Rise and Fall of American Soul.
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What's Hot in China Today?
Not the regular, serious news from China. Here you will find what the Chinese people are really interested in. Research and discuss the hottest internet search keywords in China on a daily basis.
Colorful Highway
This is the No.1 most searched keyword on Yahoo China today, 1,755,931 searches in one day.
(http://www.china.com.cn/news/txt/2007-09/29/content_8980466.htm)
The newly renovated Zhengzhou-Luoyang Highway in Henan Province debuts on 29th September. What's so special about it is that parts of the highway have been coated with a colorful layer of high tech materials as seen in the photos above.
The coating is a mixture of resin glue and ceramic particles, and the function of the coating is to increase friction on the road surface and hence better safety in rainy seasons. Noise reduction is another useful feature. The bright colors also serve to attract drivers' attention. The coatings are concentrated primarily in accident-prone areas such as downhill paths, entrances and exits of tunnels.
The coated surfaces add up to about 30,000 meters square. If this concept is taken well by the public, the Henan government is planning to do more of it.
http://news.shangdu.com/category/10003/2007/09/28/2007-09-28_787917_10003.shtml
Colorful Highway to Debut in Henan
Posted by Fuji Fan at 10:21 PM 0 comments
Bush Ruining Children's Education
This is the No. 1 most searched keyword on Yahoo China today, 1,729,768 searches in one day.
The American President's grammatical mistakes are being laughed at even in China these days. Bad words travel fast.
(news.bn.gs/article.php?story=20070926153426893)
During the filming of a promotional video for his "No Child Left Behind Act" at a school in New York a couple of days ago, Bush gave new meaning to the term, plural, by saying "childrens" instead of "children".
"As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured," he said.
The White House dropped the "s" in the official transcript. Ironically, he was trying to sell the centerpiece of his education policy.
"Childrens do learn," Bush tell school kids
布什 误人子弟
Posted by Fuji Fan at 1:46 AM 0 comments
Win In China 赢在中国
This is the name of the hottest TV program in China right now (although strictly speaking it should be "Winning In China" but I guess that doesn't really matter), a reality show aired on CCTV that lets budding entrepreneurs compete against each other. The final winner will get to be the CEO of a newly established company that is worth no less than 10 million RMB. In addition to the power to reign, he/she will also get 35% share of the company.
It's a little like The Apprentice except that there is no one Donald Trump who decides which guy gets kicked out. The audience can have a say by voting for their favorite player on-line and a panel formed by various supposedly very successful business people makes the final decision. I found one clip that is subtitled. I watched it but I couldn't really make out what they were competing on. Maybe you can.
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=SWeYC_44Xh8&mode=related&search=)
Winning is almost a must nowadays in China. Everybody wants to win and succeed. I remember at my ex-company, all the local employees constantly said that they wanted to succeed. Sometimes I really wanted to ask them what they would do AFTER they succeeded. "Successful" and rich people are looked up to big times, and this mentality is infused into the education system deeply. Remember your school motto? I remember my school motto was something to do with science and truth. Once I saw this Chinese school's motto on TV, it was: "I want to be Number 1!".
If everybody is No. 1, who is No. 2?
Rain in Shanghai
"Rain" here does not pertain to the weather patter; it is the name of a hugely popular Korean pop star.
Rain shaking hand with the representative from the snack food manufacturer that he is endorsing. Guess you don't need me to point out which one is which.
(http://ent.sina.com.cn/x/p/2007-09-23/17511727146.shtml)
This 25-year-old from Seoul is the king of R&B and hiphop dancing in Asia right now. Yes, he is another so-called "Korean Wave" phenomenon. Recently he has decided to establish his own company. In other words, he will not have to split all these handsome endorsement fees with anyone anymore. No information on this particular endorsement contract, but Rain is currently estimated to worth 200,000,000 RMB.
"The Way To Avoid The Sun" by Rain
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=sJab5yCLD7w)
The TIME 100 -- Are They Worthy?
K-Pop Star Rain Make Time Magazine
"Panda" Virus
On Monday, Li Jun, the creator of the infamous "Panda Burning Joss Sticks" (熊猫烧香) computer virus, was sentenced to fours years in jail; three other defendants were sentenced to between one year and two and a half years in jail for spreading the virus.
Li Jun
(news.xinhuanet.com)
The virus was named so because the infected computer would display a picture of a panda holding three joss sticks in the style of traditional incense offering at Buddhist and Taoist temples. Li Jun made 145,149 RMB from selling the virus on-line. The purchasers of the virus would use it to steal people's QQ accounts as well as on-line gaming accounts, then they could sell these accounts for a profit. Additionally, they would use the infected "zombie computers" to form a Botnet to increase the traffic of certain websites.
According the Xinhua news, China is in urgent need of legislation on cybercrimes. More the 133,000 new viruses were detected in China in the first half of 2007 alone.
China jails creator of "panda" computer virus for fours years
"Panda Burning Joss Sticks" Virus Suspects Detained
Mayors On Buses
The is No. 3 most searched keyword on Yahoo China today, 1,610,776 searches in one day.
(http://www.gov.cn/gzdt/2007-09/16/content_750659.htm)
September 16 - 22 was China's first "Urban Public Transportation Week", 108 cities around the country participated in this act to clean up the air. To set a good example for the people, all government officials were supposed to use public transportation on the Car-Free Day.
Mayor of Chongquing Riding Bus To Work
(http://www.cq.xinhuanet.com/news/2006-08/17/content_7802766.htm)
According the the preliminary estimate, one Car-Free Day in China could potentially save 33,000,000 liters of fuel, eliminate 3000 tonnes of toxic emission and save hundreds of people from car accident related injuries/deaths.
However, netizens complained that these government officials were really just putting on a show. This show attracted a lot of media reporters who followed the officials onto the buses and subway, worsening the already overloaded transportation system.
Just another typical day in China
(ddclub.ddmap.com/pc/pc_help.jsp?help_title=whypc)
Microsoft's Greater China Guy Quits
(news.xinhuanet.com/.../19/content_6753745.htm)
On September 19, it was announced that Chen Yongzheng (陈永正), Chief Executive of Microsoft Corp's Greater China business, has resigned to join NBA China. Microsoft has now begun it's global search for Chen's replacement. In the meantime, Microsoft China R&D director Zhang Yaqin is acting as the interim CEO of the company.
The NBA is having high hopes for the Chinese market. There are 300 million basketball players in the country and it is the most popular sport among youths. Yao Ming, the top draft pick in 2002, is basically deemed as a national hero.
There are rumors flying around regarding Chen's resignation although none has been confirmed. According to Chen himself, he just wanted a fresh challenge and NBA was really hard to pass.
Microsoft's China Boss Resigned to Head NBA in China
Microsoft Greater China CEO Resigns To Join The NBA
http://www.it.com.cn/f/news/079/19/480020.htm
Worm Grass (aka Vegetable Caterpillar)
This is the newest and hottest item of speculation in China right now, guess how much it is worth: 300,000 RMB per kilogram (for your reference, I just checked the live gold price and it was about 174,400 RMB per kilo). This "worm grass" is worth 1.7 times the price of gold.
But what the heck is it?
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2007-08/30/content_6637017.htm)
I turned to my good friend Wikipedia:
"Caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps sinensis) is a species of parasitic fungus that grows on insect larvae from the genus Thitarodes. Its name is Chinese (dong chong xia cao 冬虫夏草) means "winter worm, summer grass".
"...The fungus invades the body of the Thitarodes caterpillars, eventually killing and mummifying it. The dark brown to black fruition body (or mushroom) emerges from the ground in spring or early summer..."
"...is highly prized by practitioners of Tibetan medicine, Chinese medicine and traditional herbal Fold medicines, in which it is used as an aphrodisiac and as a treatment for a variety of ailments, from fatigue to cancer. It is being regarded as having an excellent balance of yin and yang..."
I guess the magic word is "aphrodisiac" then.
Unfortunately, a trend like this in China will only lead to two things: one, the market will get flooded with fake worm grass and sooner or later someone is going to get really sick; two, the suppliers will just harvest the plant like crazy thereby disturbing the ecosystem of the Tibetan highlands, the place where worm grass is found. Apparently this is already happening, the overall production volume of worm grass is now 3.5% of that 25 years ago, and there is 61500 square kilometers of soil erosion around the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra River's upstream in Tibet).
Sign....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_caterpillar
http://shehui.daqi.com/ztnew/252679/1/index.html
Posted by Fuji Fan at 9:34 PM 9 comments
Beauty At The Shaolin Temple
The 36 finalists of the 2007 Global Kung-fu (Chinese Martial Art) Star Competitions finished their 1-week training at the Shaolin Temple, the Mecca of Chinese Kung-fu, yesterday. Female finalists complained to the media that they had more barriers to overcome than the guys because the monks were avoiding them. Well, monks ARE monks, you know. They have rules to follow.
The 9 Female Finalists
(http://www.huaxia.com/gd/cf/2007/00685549.html)
To avoid touching the girls, the Shaolin masters would stand several feet away and just point with their fingers to direct them during training; with the male students, the masters were more comfortable with all the hitting, bending, kicking and twisting to correct their posture, like real Kung-fu training should be.
The Global Kung-fu Star Competition is a reality TV show jointly held by the Shaolin Temple, Shenzhen Satellite TV and Hong Kong's TVB. I managed to find 2 interesting clips about the game on YouTube. The first one is the part of the selection game for the HK region; the second one, quite an interesting one, is an overview of last year's game put together by the first runner-up, 2006, an American called Philip Sahagun. Enjoy!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDFwRrD5SrA)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OanwWXAwTE4)
More Reading:
Global Kung Fu Star TV Competition Starts
College Girls Find Military Training Officers Hot
This is No. 8 most searched keyword on Yahoo China today, 1,487,401 searches in one day.
As a college freshman in China, your first lesson of any kind is not an orientation of the campus or a welcoming party organized by well-funded clubs where you can drink beer for free, it is a several-week-long military boot camp that is supposed to "inspire patriotism, revolutionary heroism and the spirit of teamwork". And yes, it is compulsory for both boys and girls.
The Opening Ceremony for the boot camp at one college
And boys
(www.cugb.edu.cn/ReadNews.asp?id=2728)
The thing is, the training officers are real PLA soldiers who are not a lot older than these kids, and currently there is a tendency for girls at the camp to fall in love with the manly and uniformed training officers. After weeks of sweat and tears, some girls feel that the officers are their ideal lovers and exchange phone numbers and QQ (Chinese instant messenger)usernames with them just like they would with friends. They cry like crazy on the last day of the camp and run after the officers' cars as they drive away from the camp.
As a preventative measure, some colleges are making new rules for the students. They are required to "act cultured" (you hear this phrase a lot in China) and will be banned from crying and exchanging QQ and phone numbers with the officers when the camp finishes.
Tearful boot camp trainees and their idol
(http://news.big5.enorth.com.cn/system/2007/09/17/001985752.shtml)
More on military training for kids in China:
Chinese Kids Undergo Required Military Training
Chinese Government Imposes Nationwide Military Training For Students.
Benz May Sue Chinese Copycat
This is the hottest topic on the Daqi forum today.
In short, Mercedes-Bens is considering legal action against the Chinese automaker Shuanghuan because the "Little Noble", a new microcar by Shuanghuan, bears more than just coincidental resemblance to SmartForTwo. Judge for yourself from the pix below:
Shuanghuan's Little Noble
Mercedes-Benz' SmartForTwo
The Little Noble will be priced around 7,000 Euros if it goes to market in Germany, and this new low price is probably gonna shake up the market quite a bit.
Incidentally, Little Noble is not the only copycat Shuanghuan has, apparently it's "CEO" looks a lot like BMW's X5.
Shuanghuan's CEO
BMW's X5
Shuanghuan seems very comfortable with all these accusations, afterall, it went from a little nobody to a big name overnight due to another copycat related legal suit with Honda. Moreover, that culprit copycat car became a huge seller, totaling 200,000,000 RMB in sales dollars. Any publicity is good publicity, it seems Shuanghuan is getting another push from Mercedes this time. One German distributor who is considering selling Little Noble said that all this criticism is helping a great deal by putting it into the same class with Mercedes and BMW.
Shuanghuan's "own self-designed" Logo
Haha! This reminds me of another picture I came across the other day: Fuwa (mascots for the Beijing Olympics) and Keroro Platoon.
(www.chine-nouvelle.com/pekin2008/keroro.html)
Coincidence, coincidence!
http://auto.daqi.com/ztnew_index/250467/12/index.html
http://www.egmcartech.com/2007/08/21/mercedes-may-sue-over-chinese-smart-copycat/
http://www.chinacartimes.com/2007/08/22/mercedes-might-sue-to-stop-shuanghuans-little-noble/
Posted by Fuji Fan at 12:48 AM 1 comments
Shave off Your Hair To Learn Crazy English
It is not common for the same person to make it to the top 10 keyword on two consecutive days, but Li Yang did it (yesterday's blog entry about Li Yang).
This time, he was doing a promo talk at one college in Wuhan. During this talk on 12th September, he told the students of that college that they needed determination to learn English. Then, he asked if any girl would show her determination by shaving off her hair completely. One girl out of the 4000 present raised her hand, and Li Yang signed a "contract" with her to promise that if she would really do it, then he would take her in as his disciple.
The girl changed her mind after she went home because her parents didn't like that idea.
Crazy English Made Students Kowtow
This is the third most searched keyword on Yahoo China today, 1,351,266 in one day.
(http://www.nmgnews.com.cn/information/article/20070911/109278_1.html)
Last week, Li Yang, the guy who started "Crazy English" gave a one-hour English training session followed by an "inspiring" speech at a high school in Inner Mongolia, and he told these 3000 kids to show their gratitude to their teachers by kneeling down to perform a "kowtow". This of course attracted a lot of negative comments, although some students claimed that they were genuinely moved and they kowtowed willingly.
(same source)
"Crazy English" is Li Yang's own invention. He believes that anyone can learn English well by shouting out aloud. He advises his students to go to the back alley, the roof or wherever to shout. He also has "rallies" where thousands of people gather to listen to his speeches and yell out together with exaggerated hand gestures that he believes can help with the pronunciation. These rallies are really scary in my opinion, they are almost like brain-washing cult gatherings or mega pyramid scheme information sessions. I really don't understand the big deal with learning English. People talk as if speaking good English can change the future.
(www.pardo.ch/1999/htm/prog/CAT/f081.html)
Ang Lee Wins Again
This is the second most searched keyword on
Yahoo China today, 1,347,203 searches in one day.
(http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2007-09-10/18091710613.shtml)
The Taiwanese director took home yet another golden lion from the Venice Film Festival, second one within three years, a record that is hard to break.
"Lust, Caution" (blog entry) won the Best Film Award. Ang Lee said he actually felt a little bad since it is the rule of the Festival that once a movie has won the Best Film, the actors in the movie are automatically excluded from their respective categories. Ang Lee mentioned that he was especially impressed by Tang Wei's performance in "Lust, Caution". Tang had to bare quite a lot of skin and perform physically challenging love scenes. The movie has been rated NC-17 in the States and hence making it's Oscar chance slim, but Ang Lee doesn't seem to be too worried about it.
"Lust, Caution" Trailer
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=4gVk0ZqO8vg)
Interestingly, apparently Ang Lee did consider Zhang Ziyi (blog entry) for the role, but he thought he needed someone a lot younger and fresher than Zhang, and he chose Tang Wei the newbie. Later on Lee found out that Zhang is actually just one year older. Zhang complained about it when she called Ang Lee to congratulate him after the ceremony.
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2007-09-10/09081709456.shtml
Hottest New Chinese Idol
"Chen Chusheng" (陈楚生) is the most used search keyword on Baidu.com today, 215,481 searches in one day.
If you are familiar with the whole "Super Girl" thing or read the blog entry on Li Yuchuan, then you will get this right away : Chen is Li's male counterpart. For those who are not familiar with "Super Girl", it is like American Idol but all contestants are girls.
Like Li Yuchuan, Chen became the newest overnight reality TV success after winning the "Super Boy" singing contest held by Hunan TV at the end of July this year. This 26 year-old singer from Sanya, Hainan already got several endorsement contracts (soft drinks and electronics) within one week of the conclusion of the TV show. Each of these contracts is estimated to worth millions of RMB, and of course more is coming. So if your company is considering getting this face to sell your products, act fast before his price goes up even higher. Just in case you want to find out how well he sings, here is a Youtube clip:
Super Boy Official Website
http://enjoy.eastday.com/e/20070908/u1a3095530.html
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HuO_WeuC-is
Free Samples Sites
This is the fastest rising search keyword on baidu.com today.
Websites that distribute free samples are becoming popular in China, after all, who doesn't like freebies? Especially if the freebies are genuine products from big brands. Because the users have to register first so it also allows companies to give samples out to the desired demographics. However, the users do have to pay for the postage, so it's not really entirely free per se. Anyway, the idea is not that new.
What really surprised me was the web design of this top free samples site:
http://www.itry.cn/2.0/index.jsp
Finally, there is a website in China that's clean and uses lots of clear pictures and doesn't try to do too much. Although I still have problems with the font, it is such a big improvement from the usual wordiness and ugly color coordination. What's more, there is no flashing floating banners that follow you everywhere you scroll! Worth considering if you are an FMGC trying to break into China without a mega advertising budget.
Match Making Party
This is one of the most viewed news on eastday.com today.
Last week, one lifestyle magazine that primarily targets young women held several outdoor match-making parties at the busiest shopping district in Shanghai, and it attracted 50 participants and thousands of onlookers.
One hopeful candidate feeding his target a piece of sushi as part of the match-making game.
(http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.sh.xinhuanet.com/2007-09/03/content_11030196.htm)
Match-making is hardly new in China. It is also a really old-fashioned thing in a lot of countries such as Japan, Korea, India and many more. However, even nowadays, people sometimes just need a little bit of extra help, and match-making seems to be quite a popular thing especially if it's got a bit of glossy marketing spin to it, like this outdoor party/magazine promotion campaign. I kind of wonder if these people are genuine participants or they are models hired by the magazine because they are so much better looking than the average Shanghainese (well, the ones that I know of, but maybe my sample is not representative).
Another type of match-making party that's popular (but less fashionable) in China is classifieds-in-a-park. Pieces of paper with people's personal details are "aired" on strings like laundry and interested parties (usually parents) just shop around in the park. Much less interactive, well, it's not exactly a party.
(www.lznews.gov.cn/.../lyfg/20060731/105307.shtml)
In Japan, match-making parties are called 合コン(Gokon), and it seems to be a must for all university students. It's like a group date, so people are who shy or nervous can safely tag along more talkative friends to meet guys/girls. I guess it's also less of a commitment as it's not one on one.
Gokon Party in Japan
(http://9.pro.tok2.com/~cosmos/photoroom/sc1/09.jpg)
I once witnessed a Gokon party at an izakaya (居酒屋) in Roppongi (六本木). It was three guys and three girls. At the beginning they were all polite and reserved, as dinner went on and also with the help of alcohol, things started to get more heated. Eventually one girl was totally drunk and passed out in the lap of one of the guys. Not sure what happened after that, though.
http://sh.eastday.com/qtmt/20070903/u1a348123.html
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.sh.xinhuanet.com/2007-09/03/content_11030196.htm
Reconstruction of the Fragrant Concubine
This is the No. 7 hottest keyword search on Yahoo China today, 1,246,859 searches in one day.
The Fragrant Concubine (香妃)was more of a legendary figure than a real person in the Chinese history. She was believed to be an Uyghur girl named Iparhan and was the grand-daughter of a local Muslim leader (the Uyghur are a Turkic people in Central Asia). She was presented as a gift to the Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. Qianlong was not only captivated by her exotic beauty, but he was even more interested in the mysterious fragrance emitted from her body.
Recently one forensic professor at the China Criminal Police University did a reconstruction of the Fragrant Concubine's face based on a photo of her remains (maybe he didn't have anything else better to do), and it instantly became a hot topic.
Many people are saying that the picture of the Fragrant Concubine looks a lot like Li Bingbing, one popular TV star; some say another TV star, Fan Bingbing looks more like her (it's a pure coincidence that they have the same given name).
Li Bingbing
Fan Bingbing
Personally I think the professor's work was more like a joke and shouldn't be taken seriously. He probably just did this for fun and it's of no academic value. However, it seems to have provided a lot of entertainment value for many people. I think both Li Bingbing and Fan Bingbing look a lot like the Fragrant Concubine based on the reconstruction picture, but the FC definitely wore less make-up back then.
http://cq.xinhuanet.com/2007-09/05/content_11055554.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2007-08/28/content_6614175.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragrant_Concubine
Hottest Salesman: "Boss Hou" (侯总)
"Boss Hou" (侯总) is the hottest salesman in China right now. People are finding his sales pitches on TV shopping channels so amusing that now he has become a new celebrity in both China and Taiwan. His fans wait in front of TV at late night to catch a glimpse of his performance.
Apparently "Boss Hou" used to be just one of the many salespeople on TV shopping channels in Taiwan. In 2001, one of the new shopping channels tested the luxury goods market with Rosdenton watches, and Hou sold 1000 watches within an hour. The TV channel was so impressed with the result that it decided to become a major shareholder of Rosdenton's distributor so that its watches can only appear on this particular shopping channel. Hou was made General Manager of the company.
"Boss Hou" selling "Rosdenton" gold watches for only 998 RMB!
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=-2C7X-M9Vkk)
Now Boss Hou has expanded his territory to China and has instantly became a huge hit. Mainlanders have never seen such an exaggerated way of selling expensive items. Usually, the salesperson of a luxury good will pretentiously create an elegant and romantic atmosphere, emphasizing how it's imported from Europe and the superb design. Hou does the opposite. He yells at the top of his voice and waves his arms to show how crazily cheap the product is. Then halfway through the show, he appears frustrated because the price is just too low. Towards the end of the show, he gets angry with the co-host because this other guy isn't talking fast enough and is taking up precious time of the audiences so that they are about to miss out on this great opportunity. Thumping his fist on the table he tells the other guy to shut up while looking like he is about to have a heart attack. Then he looks away angrily to let the co-host end the show. Unlike other salespeople, Hou never smiles. He is just too angry that everything he sells is always "below cost". How can you not buy?
A popular parody show in Taiwan does an imitation of "Boss Hou"
(http://youtube.com/watch?v=YTI1Z1yT-jo)
http://www.tdiy.cn/houxingzu/
http://whb.eastday.com/w/20070903/u1a348087.html
Lust, Caution (Se Jie)
This is the title of Ang Lee's newest movie, and it's also the second most talked about movie in China right now (the first being Jay Chou's Secret That I Can't Tell).
Poster of Lust, Caution
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lust,_Caution)
For details of the film, please visit:
http://www.focusfeatures.com/home.php
The story is basically about a girl in WWII Shanghai trying to assassinate a Japanese collaborator by getting intimate with him first. However, she kind of falls in love with this bad guy in the process. The story is based on a short story written by the famous Chinese author Eileen Chang, and many say that the main character in the story is based on Chang herself. Chang had a tragic life. She lived in isolation in the U.S. in her final years and eventually died alone.
I have never read the original story so I don't know how much "lust" there is in the book. However, Ang Lee's silver screen adaptation seems to be a super steamy one based on the first media reports after the movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival a few days ago. Apparently the Tang wei (who plays the girl) bared it all(hair and all...) and Tony Leung (the bad guy) pretty much did the same (some of the reviews I read say that you can see his testicles in the movie...omg!). The film has so much sex (and very graphic, too) that it has been give an NC-17 (i.e. X-rate) rating in the States. Unfortunately for Ang Lee's fans in China, the movie will be edited to remove all the sex scenes to make it suitable for screening in China.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6962280.stm
http://worldfilm.about.com/b/a/257325.htm
Note to self: The fashion style back then is just so cool! I love it!
Eight-year-old Girl Runs 3500 km To Beijing
Zhang Huimin is probably the most famous kid in China at this moment. She just finished her 3500 km run from Sanya, Hainan to Beijing. Hainan is the most southern province of China, and Beijing, well, is all the way up north. The state media said that she did this to celebrate the 2008 Beijing Olympics but at the same time this extraordinary performance also brought her father accusations of child abuse.
Zhang Huimin runs with her father following behind on a motorized bicycle
(www.chinareviewnews.com/doc/48_0_100435637_1.html)
I find it extremely hard not to think this as child abuse. Apparently little Huimin gets up at 2:30 a.m. every morning and trains for several hours before school. Her mom was so fed up with the father's crazy training method that they have become separated. Huimin started her marathon training when she was just 3. Her father's plan? To make into the national professional team by the time when Huimin is 13 and compete in the 2016 Olympics.
A medical doctor has announced that Huimin is dangerously underweight for her age and one blood test revealed that her body showed various signs of fatigue and malnourishment.
The father's response to the accusations?
"She loves running. I didn't impose my will on her."
"It's worth paying the price and making sacrifices for the glory of the country."
Strange thing that he didn't mention fame and money, because apparently he is making his daughter practice her autographs at home.
More readings:
http://planetultramarathon.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/zhang-huimin-runs-3500km/
http://www.google.com/search?q=zhang+huimin&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Onemanbandwidth: An Amercian Professor In China
Japan Probe
Korea Beat
What's up in Taiwan
Fresh Brainz 新鲜脑汁
在地铁站
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The Vic Mensa, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, Tyler The Creator Episode!! We review "The Autobiography As Told By Vic Mensa" & "Flower Boy". We also celebrate the 10 year anniversary of "Graduation", "The Cool", and "Good Girl Gone Bad"!!!
On this episode we review the albums "Wins & Losses" by Meek Mill, "Jungle Rules" by French Montana, "Sounds From The Other Side" by Wizkid, "Can We Talk" by Tone Stith, "The Mink Coat Killa LP" by Jarren Benton.
On this week's episode we review the albums "Girl Disrupted" by Sevyn Streeter, "Funk Wav Bounce Vol. 1" by Calvin Harris, "Passion & Patience" by Ye Ali, "Issa Album" by 21 Savage, "13" by Denzel Curry, and "Meekend Vol. 1 & 2" by Meek Mill.
On this weeks episode we review 5 Jay-Z albums. "Vol 2. Hard Knock Life", "Blueprint", "The Black Album", "Kingdom Come", and "American Gangsta".
On this weeks episode we review the albums "4:44" by Jay-Z, "Grateful" by DJ Khaled, "The Bar Exam 4" by Royce Da 5'9, "New Waves" by Bone Thugs, "The Big Fish Theory" by Vince Staples, "Stack Now, Cry Later" by B. Simone.
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ITV Box Office Trademark
Posted by Trademark Ninja | Aug 9, 2016 | Trademark Ireland | 0
Here’s the most recent trademark applications filed in the Irish Patents Office
The standout application is probably:
ITV BOX OFFICE
This was filed on 05 August 2016 and there’s lots of rumours doing the rounds online about what’s planned for it:
Here’s the basic details
And here’s what goods/services the application refers to:
Class: 9
Cinematographic and photographic films; sound and video recordings; recorded television and radio programmes; motion pictures; recorded programmes for broadcasting or other transmission on television, radio, mobile telephones, PDA’s and on PCs; video recordings; audio tapes and video tapes; apparatus for recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or images; apparatus for broadcasting, transmission, receiving, processing, reproducing, encoding and decoding of radio and television programmes; magnetic data carriers; recording discs; sound, video and data recording and reproducing apparatus; records, discs, tapes, cassettes, cartridges, cards and other carriers, all bearing or for use in bearing sound recordings, video recordings, data, images, graphics, text, programs or information; memory carriers; interactive compact discs; CD-ROMs and DVDs; films and programmes prepared for television; recorded programmes for broadcasting or other transmission on television, radio, mobile telephones, PDAs and on PCs; online posters, photographs, pictures, articles, vouchers and tickets (downloadable), online electronic dictionaries, encyclopaedias and reference texts; publications in electronic form, supplied on-line from databases or from facilities on the Internet; digital music provided from the Internet; digital music provided from MP3 Internet websites; computer software; computer software and computer programmes for distribution to, and for use by, viewers of a digital television channel for the viewing and purchase of goods and services; computer games software and computer quiz software; computer programs for interactive television and for interactive games and quizzes; interactive video game devices comprised of computer software namely software for operating game controllers; music, sounds, videos, images, text and information provided by a telecommunications network, by on-line delivery and by way of the Internet and the world-wide web or other communications network; computer software for transmitting, receiving, synchronizing, displaying, backing-up, monitoring, controlling, sharing, coding, decoding, encrypting, accessing, remotely accessing, creating, collecting, storing, securing, removing, transferring, disseminating, locating, organizing or otherwise utilizing data, voice, multimedia, audio, visual, music, photographs, drawings, images, audiovisual, video, text, graphics or other data, including over a global communications network; computer software for synchronizing data, files, e-mails, contacts, calendars, task lists, text messages, photos, music, audio, visual, audio visual, video, text, graphics, programs and other information between computers and hand-held or other devices and vice versa; interactive sound and video recordings; music, video, sound and audio recordings (downloadable) provided from MP3 Internet websites; telephone ring tones (downloadable); apparatus and instruments for the reception of radio and television broadcasts including the reception of cable, satellite and digital broadcasts; downloadable media content, including video and films, television programmes, computer games, music, images and ring tones provided by internet, telephone line, cable wireless transmission, satellite or terrestrial broadcast service; encoded programs for computers and for data processing and telecommunication; educational software; computer software in electronic form, supplied on-line from databases or from facilities on the Internet; computer software to enable connection to computer databases and the Internet; computer software to enable searching of data; computer software for providing access to movies, videos and television programmes to viewers on demand and near on demand; computer software for accessing pay-per-view television programmes, films, videos, audio and visual material and motion pictures; computer games, electronic games; video games, handheld computer games; smart phone apparatus and software relating thereto; WAP phone apparatus and software relating thereto; parts and fittings for all the aforesaid goods.
Class: 16
Books; printed matter; periodicals; monographs; photographs; booklets; calendars; newsletters; manuals; diaries; magazines; posters; note pads; note books; address books; personal organisers; photograph albums; gift boxes; cartoons; stationery; office requisites; pens; pencils; erasers; greetings cards; artists’ materials; paint brushes; postcards; stickers; instructional and teaching material (except apparatus).
Telecommunications; communications services; television broadcasting; wireless broadcasting; broadcasting and telecommunication services; transmission and communication services; broadcasting and transmission of television, radio, cable, satellite and Internet programmes and films; transmission of audio, video, and or audio visual programming (by any means); broadcasting and transmission of television programmes and films to personal computers; broadcasting and transmission of pay-per-view television programmes, films, videos, audio and visual material and motion pictures; broadcasting and communications by means of, or aided by, computer; transmission of audio, video and audio visual programming by Internet protocol (IPTV); satellite, cellular and radio communication services; satellite, DTT, cable, DSL and broadband broadcasting and transmission of audio and audio visual programming; transmission of text, messages, sound and pictures; telecommunication and communication and broadcast and transmission of audio visual content; television screen based information broadcasting and retrieval services; telecommunication, communication, broadcast and transmission of radio programmes, television programmes, films and motion pictures; transmission of radio programmes, television programmes, films, motion pictures, pre-recorded video tapes, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, DVDs or pre-recorded video discs; delivery by telecommunication of media content, including video and films, television programmes, computer games, music, images and ring tones provided by internet, telephone line, cable, wireless transmission, satellite or terrestrial broadcast service; transmission of information by communications satellite, microwave or electronic, digital or analogue means; audio visual communication services; data communication services; provision of communication services for accessing entertainment, education, information and data via telephone, line, cable, wire or fibre, database or computer network; provision of communication services for accessing and retrieving radio and television programmes; provision of a connection between website and television viewers via an interactive television portal; computer aided transmission of messages and images; electronic bulletin board services; electronic mail; message sending; providing internet chatrooms; providing online forums; providing telecommunication channels for teleshopping services; providing user access to global computer networks; data broadcasting services; delivery of messages; provision of telecommunications access and links to computer databases and the Internet; transmission of messages, sound and images; data transmission; consultancy, synchronization, transfer and transmission of programs, data, files, e-mail, contacts, calendars, task lists, text messages, photos, music, audio, visual, audio visual, video, text, graphics, programs and other information via telecommunications and global communications networks; online telecommunications services to enable the accessing and retrieving of data, files, e-mails, contacts, calendars, task lists, text messages, photos, music, audio, visual, audio visual, video, text, graphics, programs and other information via a computer or computer network or electronic device including services provided over a global communications network; online telecommunications services relating to webcasting and podcasting including services provided over a global communications network; transmission of digital information by means of cable, wire or fibre; receiving and exchange of information, messages, images and data; telecommunication of information (including web pages), computer programs and any other data; messaging; teletext services; communications by and between computers and computer terminals; communications for access to a database; communications services for provision and display of information from a computer stored databank; communications services for the electronic, digital and analogue display of information, messages, images and data; electronic, digital and analogue display of information, messages, images and data; website portal services; providing access to, leasing access time to, and providing search and linking capabilities to the Internet and electronic communications networks; transferring and disseminating information and data via computer networks and the Internet; providing access to, leasing access time to and providing search and linking capabilities to electronic databases; news agency services; provision of access to news, current affairs and sports information; telecommunications services dedicated to retailing goods and services through interactive communications with customers; interactive television services being telecommunications, communications, broadcasting and transmission services; interactive services for television viewers including those watching on mobile telephones and PCs being telecommunications, communications, broadcasting and transmission services; television broadcasting services incorporating interactive services for viewing guides and intelligent automated selection for programme recordal; providing interactive television viewers (including those watching on their mobile telephones or PCs) with access to information, data, graphics, audio and audio-visual content from a restricted group of Internet websites or portals; broadcasting and transmission of interactive television, interactive games, interactive news, interactive sport, interactive entertainment and interactive competitions; video on demand and near on demand telecommunications, communication, broadcast and transmission services; streaming delivery of video on demand streams to viewers; providing access to movies, videos and television programmes to viewers on demand and near on demand; Interactive services for television viewers including those watching on mobile telephones and PCs being telecommunications, communications, broadcasting and transmission services; provision of interactive polling services being telecommunications, communications, broadcasting services; professional consultancy services relating to broadcasting; factual information services relating to television broadcasting; information and advisory services relating to any of the aforesaid services.
Entertainment; entertainment services; entertainment services in the form of television programmes, radio, cable, satellite and Internet programmes; production and presentation of shows, films, videos and DVDs; production and presentation of programmes transmitted by television, the Internet or other telecommunication channels for the conduct of the interactive viewing, selection and purchase of goods; production and presentation of television, radio, cable, satellite and Internet programmes; production, presentation, distribution, syndication, networking and rental of television, radio, cable, satellite and Internet programmes and of films, sound recordings, video recordings and DVDs; audio and video recording services; dubbing; film production, other than advertising films; organization of competitions [education or entertainment]; production of music; production of radio and television programmes; production of shows; radio entertainment; recording studio services; subtitling; television entertainment; videotape film production, videotaping; provision and production of audio visual content relating to entertainment, education, training, sport and culture; education and entertainment services by means of radio, television, telephony, the Internet and on-line databases; production of films for television and cinema; production, presentation and distribution of radio and television programmes, interactive television, interactive games, interactive entertainment and interactive competitions; production, presentation and provision of competitions, contests, games, quizzes, studio entertainment and audience participation events; interactive television programme selection services for viewers; provision and production of interactive entertainment, news, cultural activities and sport for television viewers; interactive entertainment, educational, sporting and cultural services for television viewers; distribution of radio programmes, television programmes, films, motion pictures, pre-recorded video tapes, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, DVDs or pre-recorded video discs; production of radio programmes, television programmes, films, motion pictures, pre-recorded video tapes, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, DVDs or pre-recorded video discs; editing of radio programmes, television programmes, films, motion pictures, pre-recorded video tapes, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, DVDs or pre-recorded video discs; hire, leasing or rental of radio programmes, television programmes, films, motion pictures, pre-recorded video tapes, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, DVDs or pre-recorded video discs; exhibition of radio programmes, television programmes, films, motion pictures, pre-recorded video tapes, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, DVDs or pre-recorded video discs for entertainment, educational, sporting or cultural purposes; organisation of entertainment; preparation and production of radio programmes, television programmes, films, pre-recorded video tapes, DVDs, audio and visual material, pre-recorded video cassettes, pre-recorded video discs or motion pictures for distribution for transmission or broadcast by any means; provision of radio programmes, television programmes, films, audio and visual material or motion pictures online (not downloadable); provision of pay-per-view television programmes, films, videos, audio and visual material and motion pictures (non-downloadable); organisation, production and presentation of events for educational, or entertainment purposes; organisation, production and presentation of competitions, contests, games, game shows, quizzes, fun days, exhibitions, shows, roadshows, staged events, raves, theatrical performances, concerts, live performances and participation events; training services; leisure services; theatre productions; organising or hosting awards ceremonies; educational services relating to entertainment; provision of news, current affairs and sports information; news, current affairs and educational information services; news reporting services; online news reporting services; online provision of information and general encyclopaedic knowledge relating to entertainment, education, training, sports, culture, news, current affairs, satellite, television and radio programmes, music, films, books and other printed matter, video games, computer games; provision of online classes, seminars, workshops, exhibitions and displays; ring tones (not downloadable) provided via the Internet; electronic publishing services; publication of printed media and recordings; publication of books; publication of electronic books and journals on-line; publication of texts other than publicity texts; publication of magazines, books, texts and printed matter; publication of electronic books or journals on-line; online dictionaries, encyclopaedias, and reference texts; provision of online publications, including newspapers, magazines (periodicals), comics, journals (publications), books, user manuals, instructional and teaching materials; online posters, photographs, pictures, articles, tickets; digital imaging services; video tape editing; video taping and filming services; film production; rental of motion pictures; movie studios; providing movie theatres facilities; video film tape production; presentation of films; production of special effects for films; rental of audio equipment; rental of lighting apparatus for theatrical sets or television studios; production of artwork for animated films; movie studio services; hire of recording studios; live show production services; box office services; reservation services (included in this class) for sporting, scientific, political and cultural events; ticket reservation services relating to entertainment; viewing guide services; viewing guide services facilitating the recordal and fixed term rental of programmes and movies; video on demand and near video on demand entertainment, educational, sporting and cultural services; providing movies, videos and television programmes to viewers on demand and near video on demand; pay to play games services; educational or entertainment games played online; provision of video and audio content by rental, whereby the consumer is entitled to single or multiple viewings of the media content via any form of playback device, all relating to entertainment, education, sports and culture; factual information services relating to television and radio programmes, news and sport; instruction services; information relating to entertainment or education, provided on-line from a computer database or the Internet or by communications satellite, microwave or other electronic, digital or analogue media; publishing; information and advisory services relating to the aforesaid services; information relating to television and radio programmes, to education, recreation, entertainment, music and to sport; information relating to television and radio programmes, to education, recreation, entertainment, music and to sport, provided on-line from a computer database or the Internet or to mobile telephones; the provision of any of the aforesaid services to mobile telephones, via a mobile network, by communications satellite, by microwave or other electronic, digital and analogue media, live, electronically, via a computer network, via the Internet, via extranets, on-line and through the medium of television.
An idential application was filed in the UK on the same date – You can find that here – https://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/UK00003178682
And here’s the rest of the applications:
Trademark Number
Date of Application / Registration
Applicant / Proprietor
Goods & Services Classes
2016/01622 OSBORNE 04/08/2016 Pending
Attentius Associates Limited
2016/01623 Notorioji 05/08/2016 Pending
Anthony O’ Callaghan
2016/01624 Mama Bud 05/08/2016 Pending
Sarah Martin
2016/01625 ARAN MILLS 05/08/2016 Pending
Carrolls Irish Gifts
2016/01626 ezewarm E… 05/08/2016 Pending
EZEWARM IRELAND LIMITED
2016/01627 ezewarm a warmth for every season 05/08/2016 Pending
2016/01628 Wine Gums 05/08/2016 Pending
Dunhills (Pontefract) Plc
2016/01629 Snowman 05/08/2016 Pending
2016/01630 FLAVOURS OF SUMMER 05/08/2016 Pending
2016/01631 THE LITTLE MILK CO 05/08/2016 Pending
Irish Organic Milk Producers Limited
2016/01632 Mastering Series 05/08/2016 Pending
BPI Services
2016/01633 ITV BOX OFFICE 05/08/2016 Pending
ITV Digital Channels Limited
2016/01634 Jimmie Lee’s Brewing Joint co. Jimmie Lee’s Brew Joint co. 05/08/2016 Pending
Jimmie Lee’s Juke Joint
2016/01635 New You by Claudia McGloin 05/08/2016 Pending
Claudia McGloin
2016/01636 FACE THE FEAR 06/08/2016 Pending
Mark McGuinness
2016/01637 ARTPENTREE 07/08/2016 Pending
ARTPENTREE
PreviousEuropean Trademarks – Hyundai RN30, Holodeck & Hollister London
NextJaguar XJ13, & Coca Cola Frozen
Sony, Victoria’s Secret and IP Gaffe Prone Presidential Hopefuls – Today’s Interesting IP
Samsung Light+ Camera Trademark Application
US Trademark application for MowGoPro GoPro
A car company applying for tradmarks for mobile phone software
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Woza Albert! Comes to South African State Theatre
The original actors of the internationally acclaimed classic Woza Albert! Mbongeni Ngema and Percy Mtwa, together with their original crew, are headed to the South African State Theatre this March.
Woza Albert! explores how the second coming of Christ (Morena) would affect the lives of poor black people, and how the white apartheid authorities would react. The two actors, directed by Christopher John, present a compelling view of a multitude of black and white characters as they explore themes of race and class and expose the power structures of white supremacy.
State Theatre CEO, Dr Sibongiseni Mkhize comments: “Even in the current democratic climate, the question that was asked by Ngema and Mtwa during the days of apartheid is still relevant. There is a lot going on in our maturing democracy which arguably makes those who died with a revolutionary sword to turn in their rested graves. Constant contestation over the meaning and direction of the new South Africa’s socio-economic and political dispensation, the debilitating effects of corruption and relentless economic inequalities, are some of the things that perhaps await the second coming of Morena!”
Tickets for Woza Albert are available on Webtickets and the show runs from the 8th to the 31st of March.
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Strong Female Protagonists, Doing More Posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2012 in Images
Strong women protagonists: It is definitely by design that I feature them in my fiction. I’m not the first to write strong female characters. Fiction is full of them as it should be, since real-life women are so often truly strong. Where I hope to be unique (or at least unusual) is giving my strong female protagonists a chance to bend more than the course of their own lives or those of their family. Choosing WWII as the setting for An Owl’s Whisper and Cotton and Silk wasn’t arbitrary. By inserting my characters into such a titanic event and giving them a role at crucial points in that world-changing time, their strength and courage, bending the course of history, can come through for readers.
Of the three protagonists (the central characters; the ones whose dramatic arc is the story) in my two novels, two are female. In An Owl’s Whisper, Eva sabotages crucial elements of the Nazi plan to reverse the course of the war in the decisive Battle of the Bulge. She didn’t singlehandedly win the war, but if not for her courage and determination…imagine if the Germans had broken through and changed the war’s outcome! In Cotton and Silk, several times in the mission to spirit the secret of the Zero fighter through Siberia, the mission aimed at changing the course of the war in the Pacific, it was Eri, not Nik, who acted decisively to save the day.
Eva and Eri are both strong women who refuse to sit back and let history happen to them. But they are hardly copies of each other. Eva starts off as a girl who only wants to be normal. One who’s been relentlessly molded into compliance by Uncle Henri and her Nazi nation. Remarkably, she has the spunk and character to rebel against her indoctrination, to rise up into something much more than normal, when during the Occupation, she sees the hollowness of the vision she’s been fed. From that point on, Henri’s in trouble, thank goodness.
In Cotton and Silk, Eri is, from the beginning, her own girl. Amazing for a female growing up in pre-war Japan. Credit her father Hiroshi in part for that. He raised her to be a thinking individual, willing to stand on her own two feet, willing to go her own way. He sent her overseas to university to train for a journalism career – unheard of in 1930s Japan. But most of Eri’s moxie comes from within. This is a woman willing to take on all of society to be herself. Willing, like her father, to be an outcast. Eri’s fearlessness made both of their lives difficult. It was what ripped their love apart from 1942-1948. But her fearlessness was untimately tempered with loyalty. In the end, it was her loyalty and love that allowed Eri to save Nik, to find Franklin, and to reunite with her father. To redeem herself.
Email: (will not be public)
All content © Copyright 2011 Michael J. Smith
Design by Eva Giselle
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Shmuptember - Wild West Hero (ZX Spectrum)
by Paul Morrison
It's no use. I can't play this game or even write about it without getting Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero" in my head. I don't even like that song. Damn you, Foreigner!
Take that, ya pesky varmints!
Onto the game though which, with such a title, conjures up images of rootin' tootin' cowboys shootin', with varmints everywhere and pesky bandits assailing you from all sides. That's kind of what you get, too, albeit not in the manner you might expect. You see, Wild West Hero is a clone of the arcade classic, Robotron 2084.
Yeah, I bet you weren't expecting that (unless you've played the game before, obviously). The plot says simply: "EVADE AND DESTROY DEADLY BANDITS. AVOID CACTI AND OTHER OBJECTS". And that's all there is to the game. Sometimes, simplicity is best.
Dagnabbit, don't you guys ever take a hint and quit?
As with Robotron, every screen sees you warping into the centre while enemies and objects materialise around you. Each level is populated by a terrifying amount of enemies and they only get more numerous the longer you last. Fortunately you're quick on the draw and have a fast-firing weapon, so at least you have half a chance of getting out alive.
Wild West Hero is the sort of game that arcade fans would have lapped up back in the day. The reviewers in CRASH called it a Berzerk type game which leads me to believe they didn't play many arcade games. Even the title screen is a rip-off of Robotron 2084! To be fair, it wasn't a game that was widespread in British arcades, but it's not really anything like Berzerk.
See? Robotron 2084. Berzerk doesn't even have a title screen to rip off!
Although Wild West Hero lacks the subtleties and different enemies of that game, it's quite a rush to fight your way out of the pack before turning the tables on your assailants. Once you get to level ten you're going to need some serious skills to progress. I love that about a shooter though, and this one keeps you on your toes for every single second.
From Bedrooms VS They ...
Shmuptember - Encounter ...
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Home / Legal Expertise / Foundations
Malta Foundations
Means of Establishment: A foundation can only be constituted in writing, either by a public deed or by a will. The foundation deed must be registered with the Office of the Registrar of Legal Persons. Assets: The assets of a foundation may originate from any lawful business or activity and may consist of present or future assets of any nature. The minimum endowment of money or property to set up a foundation must be worth at least €1,165 (and €233 for a foundation established exclusively for a social purpose or as non-profit making).
Foundation deed: The foundation deed must contain the following information:
• The name of the foundation, which must include in it the word ‘foundation’;
• The registered address in Malta; • The purposes or objects of the foundations; • The constitutive assets with which the foundation is formed; • The composition of the board of administrators, and if not yet appointed, the method of their appointment; • The legal representation (a local representative is necessary, if the administrators of the foundation are non-Maltese resident); and • The term for which it is established.
• In the case of a private foundation, the deed of foundation must contain the names of the beneficiaries, or in the absence of such indication, a declaration that the foundation is constituted for the benefit of the beneficiaries. In the latter case, the beneficiaries must be indicated in a separate legal instrument, known as a beneficiary statement, which must be signed by the founder, addressed to the administrators and authenticated by the Notary Public who has published the foundation deed. In order to protect confidentiality, the beneficiary statement does not need to be filed; in its stead a note of reference referring only to the founder is filed with the Registrar of Legal Persons.
Legal Form: Once the foundation is established and the deed is filed, a new legal person is created and the foundation itself becomes the owner of the foundation property. Key Features of a Foundation Termination: Except when foundations are used as collective investment vehicles, in securitisation transactions or in the case of purpose foundations (which may be established for an unlimited term), foundations are valid for a maximum term of 100 years from their establishment.
Founder: Rights of the founder: • The founder may exercise supervision over administration of the foundation, obtain a copy or copies of accounts, inventory and descriptive notes of property; • He/she may intervene in court proceedings concerning the appointment of administrators or the disposal of assets.
Conditions for the founder: • The founder may also be an administrator; • The founder may be a beneficiary during his lifetime but in this case, he/she cannot act as sole administrator of the foundation. Administrator: Duties of the administrator: • The administrators (whether natural or legal persons) are responsible for maintaining possession and control of the property of the foundation, safeguarding such property and ensuring compliance with the statute of the foundation and the law; • They are bound by fiduciary obligations stipulated in the Civil Code. Any fiduciary who breaches such obligations shall be bound to return any property, together with all other benefits derived by him, whether directly or indirectly, to the person to whom the duty is owed.
Conditions for the administrator: • The administrator can be based outside Malta. However, a person resident in Malta must be appointed to act as the local representative of the foundation in this case; • The administrator may be the founder; however, in such situation, the founder cannot be the sole administrator.
Supervisory Protector: The deed can provide for a supervisory council or the office of protector. They usually exercise supervision over the acts of the administrators, and may be vested with powers of appointment or removal of administrators.
Please contact us for further information.
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Posts Tagged ‘California Prop 37’
Why California Prop 37 Matters To Us All – Even Here In Idaho
There is growing sentiment in favor of reforming American agriculture and interest in questions about where our food comes from and how it is produced. But sentiment is not the same thing as a political movement, which is capable of influencing politicians and moving concerns onto the national agenda.
California’s Proposition 37, which would require that genetically modified foods carry a label, has the potential to change the politics of food not just in California but nationally. What is at stake with Prop 37 is not just the fate of genetically modified crops but the politically-recognized public’s confidence in the industrial food industry.
Monsanto and its allies have fought the labeling of genetically modified food vigorously since 1992, when the industry managed to persuade the Food and Drug Administration — over the objection of its own scientists — that the new crops were “substantially equivalent” to the old and so did not need to be labeled or regulated. This represented a breathtaking exercise of political power (the FDA policy was co-written by a lawyer whose former firm worked for Monsanto).
Until now, the whole food movement has grown via changing sentiments. Big Food’s grip on Washington has not been challenged. But, next month in California, a few million people will vote on a food issue. Prop 37 has ignited precisely the kind of debate — about the risks and benefits of genetically modified food; about transparency and the consumer’s right to know — that Monsanto and its allies have managed to stifle in Washington for nearly two decades. If Prop 37 passes, and polls suggest its chances are good, then that debate will most likely go national and a new nationwide, political dynamic will be set in motion.
Corporations Sell Organic Yet Fight Consumers’ Right to GMO Labeling
Corporations owning some of the nation’s most popular organic brands (Horizon, Silk, Kashi, Cascadian Farms, R.W. Knudsen’s, etc.) have joined Monsanto and the biotechnology industry in fighting California citizen initiative, Proposition 37, that will mandate GMO labeling.
Why should we in Idaho and elsewhere care about Prop 37? Democratic and Republican administrations, and Congress, have repeatedly ignored the overwhelming majority of Americans who favor labeling genetically engineered food in the marketplace. Our politicians seem to be listening to corporate executives instead of the citizenry. But in California, the people have a right to craft laws of their choosing. Proposition 37, on the ballot in California on November 6, would mandate labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients. If prop 37 passes in California, companies will then likely be forced to label GMOs nationwide.
Download a poster (4.2MB, PDF) listing both both the corporate charlatans who are selling organic while fighting Prop 37 and the organic companies who have donated money in support of Prop 37.
Just Label It: Genetically Engineered Foods
92% of Americans want the FDA to label genetically engineered foods. More than 40 nations require genetically engineered foods to be labeled; the U.S. is one of the few that does not.
Watch the new video from Food, Inc. Filmmaker Robert Kenner to hear why we have the right to know what’s in our food. Then join the 1.2 million Americans who have asked the FDA to require labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, also referred to as GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Learn more at justlabelit.org
Syngenta Seeks Approval for New Insecticidal GMO Bt Corn; Deadline to Comment Looms
Many countries have banned genetically modified (GMO) “Bt” crops, which are engineered to produce their own insecticides by expressing toxins from the soil-dwelling bacteria bacillus thuringiensis or Bt, because of documented harm to people, animals and beneficial insects. However, in the US, there are 16 different GMO Bt varieties of corn already approved for food and feed. Now, Syngenta, a large, global, Switzerland-based chemicals company which notably markets seeds and pesticides, is asking the US Department of Agriculture to approve another.
Read More ⇒
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Australian universities to offer free classes online
August 3, 2013 6:50 pm 0 comments Views: 234
MOOCs: Will university life be a thing of the past? Photo: Louise Kennerley
Courses from two of Australia’s major universities will be online and free to anyone in the world next year, as more institutions embrace a mass online model of providing free classes described as the “iTunes of higher education” in a new report.
The University of NSW, along with the University of Western Australia, will announce on Wednesday they are fully embracing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), partnering with the world’s largest providers of the free courses, Coursera, which already runs online courses for Stanford and Columbia universities in the United States.
MOOCs are short courses offered exclusively online and free of charge by universities, which provide education in a subject but generally do not result in a formal qualification or credit.
A report published on Wednesday by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney about MOOCs argues that, rather than posing a threat to traditional universities, free online courses could offer opportunities to universities to better use technology and gain a greater global profile.
But critics argue the advent of MOOCs has been over-hyped, pointing to high non-completion rates and continuing preference among employers for qualifications gained at an institution.
UNSW’s acting vice-chancellor Professor Iain Martin said the partnership with Coursera would help boost the university’s digital education profile.
“Importantly, it is also an excellent opportunity to incorporate some of the best online teaching practices and technological advancements into degree programs taught at UNSW,” he said.
Initial UNSW courses offered will be in science and engineering and will begin in 2014.
The announcement comes as a new report says the free courses, also offered by universities including Harvard and Princeton, are here to stay.
The report argues the internet is challenging universities in the same way it has challenged other businesses such as the music industry, and swift adaptation is required.
University degrees are increasingly like a live concert by a band, the report says – immersive, at a cost and only available to a limited number of people – while the providers of MOOCs are the “iTunes of higher education”, making a much cheaper version of the music available to all online.
“It’s not as if iTunes killed the Rolling Stones or going to a Rolling Stones concert, in fact maybe those are even more attractive now because you can buy a playlist on iTunes,” said Professor Geoffrey Garrett of UNSW, co-author of the report.
“Yes it’s true people can access your material now more conveniently than they ever could before, but some people still want to experience the real concert, or the real education.”
Open Universities Australia made a foray into MOOCs this year, offering free courses to 25,000 students with a completion rate of about 26 per cent.
Mr Garrett said at the moment the MOOCs were about the experience of learning, not an accreditation, so were in some respects, akin to adult education courses.
“Instead of getting it from the local TAFE, you get it from a Harvard philosopher.”
Poll: Would you enrol for an online course at university?
Yes, online education is the way of the future
Yes, but I’d prefer to attend a university course in person
No, there is no substitute for physical attendance
Total votes: 4253.
Poll closed 1 Aug, 2013
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
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Reinhausen near Göttingen
Waldschlösschen, Schanze opposite main entrance Names and Stones - Nature Forte since 17 November 1994
80 names
Since 1986, the Academy Waldschlösschen with its focus on seminars for gay men has been a central place in Germany, where HIV-infected people or people suffering from Aids meet. They attend seminars to gain new strength and new impulses for their lives with HIV and experience solidarity and support as well as networking with other HIV-positive people.
But also many gay friends and companions from the „time before AIDS," who influenced the development and atmosphere of Waldschlösschen (among) made the political and cultural work - in terms of the gay and later the people with HIV and AIDS - their topic. Lots of them, among them Joachim Prüss, Manfred Salzgeber, Melitta Sundström, Celia Bernecker-Welle, Andreas Salmen, Hans-Peter Hauschild, Jörg Sauer, Ulrich Doms, died of AIDS in the past 25 years .
The staff of Academy Waldschlösschen and the association „Positiv e.V.“, the group who organize the nationwide meetings of people with HIV/Aids in the Waldschlösschen in cooperation with the Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung in Bonn and the artist Tom Fecht from Berlin constructed a place of remembrance: The Nature Forte as part of "Denkraum project Namen und Steine“.
The inauguration took place during the 46th meeting of people with HIV/Aids in the Academy Waldschlösschen in November 1994.
Since then, about 80 bricks have been installed in the wall. Today not so many stones are added, but if, they are installed during the meetings with a special ritual.
The wall still stands with its names not only for the development of the disease, but also for the power of initiative and self-empowerment of people with HIV, which still has its place at Waldschlösschen, especially expressed by the meetings of people with HIV/Aids (there will be the 150th meeting in March 2012).
Akademie Waldschlösschen
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10 Magical Reasons To Visit Canada
Mohd Huzaifah Muntalip | April 24, 2011
10 Magical Reasons To Visit Canada | Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world’s second largest country by total area. Canada has more to offer than just mounties and maple syrup. It’s a majestic country filled with sports, film and lots of natural wonders. Here’s a list of the top ten places and reasons to visit Canada.
10. Halloween Fun
Some of the scary Halloween creatures at Bear Creek Park. Photo: Mecc
There are many great things to do in Canada around Halloween. Whether you’re taking the kids trick or treating or going to the club with friends, Halloween is a great time to put on your Halloween costumes and go out on the town. One very popular attraction is the Haunted Forest Scream Train at Bear Creek Park in Surrey, BC. The train runs every night from 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. from October 24 until October 31. Both kids and adults can join the fun on this spooky ride.
9. Toronto
Toronto is one of the most popular city in Canada. Photo: City Image
Toronto is probably the best known city in Canada, yet not the capital of the country. It is a lively city full of culture and events, especially the best Toronto hotels, comparable to New York or Chicago. Tourists often flock to this city during the Toronto International Film Festival and the Toronto Santa Claus Parade. This parade is the world’s longest running children’s parade. Along with the endless entertainment, its seasons in Toronto are very distinct: hot, muggy summers, cool, snowy winters and incredible foliage in the fall.
8. Niagara Falls, Ontario
The beauty of Niagara Falls – a view from Ontario side. Photo: Yohan
Niagara Falls, Canada, is home to the most powerful waterfall on the North American continent. Located about a 15-20 minutes from Buffalo, New York, the weather is about the same as Toronto with hot summers and cold winters. The falls light up from November until January every year and there are many events during this time with fireworks and concerts for both children and adults, including the annual Festival of Lights.
7. Calgary, AB
Winter in Calgary. So beautiful. Source: Calgary Realestate
Calgary is a destination for tourists and adventurers. The city’s proximity to the Canadian Rocky Mountains offers winter sports and ecotourism. Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 and is considered the center of country music in Canada. Calgary is the site of the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, a performing arts and community facility. This auditorium holds 2,538-seats and has hosted hundreds of stage, Broadway musical, theatrical and local productions.
6. Victoria, BC
Oldest city in Canada – Victoria British Columbia. Photo: Travelpeach
Victoria, BC is one of the oldest cities in the northwest with settlement beginning in 1841. It is the capital of British Columbia and is located on Vancouver Island. Victoria can be reached by plane or ferry from Seattle, WA or Port Angeles, WA. Victoria is a popular city for students, as it is home to Comosun College, University of Victoria, and Royal Roads University.
Many tourists and retirees are attracted to Victoria’s temperate climate. Victoria has damp, mild winters and dry, mild summers. The rain shadow effect from the Olympic Mountains located south of Victoria gives the city more sunshine than the surrounding areas, getting about 2,223 hours of sun each year.
5. Canadian Rocky Mountains
Stunning view of nature in Canadian Rocky Mountain. Photo: Infopics
The Canadian Rocky Mountains straddle the border between the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. These mountains run north to south from the US/Canada border to northern British Columbia.
The Canadian Rockies offer some of the most breathtaking, beautiful and serene scenery. The Canadian Rockies are different than the American Rocky Mountains because they have been heavily influenced by glaciers. These mountains are sharply pointed, with wide valleys where the earth was gouged by glaciers, while the Rocky Mountains in the US have a much more rounded shape.
4. Aurora Borealis
Aurora Borealis is an amazing nature occurrence that only can be found at northern countries like Canada. Photo: Fanpop
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, can be seen as far south as the United States/ Canada border, but are easier to see and more spectacular as you travel further north. It is a luminous display with shimmering colors that dance across the night sky. The northern lights can be viewed all year in Canada, but the best views are seen in the winter and fall because of the long nights. Escorted tours to see these lights are available, but are a gift from mother nature that can be seen by anyone in the right area.
3. Dinosaur Provincial Park
Some breaking dinosaur findings were coming from this barren place. Photo: Snuffleipagush
Dinosaur Provincial Park, located in the badlands of Alberta, contains some of the most important dinosaur fossil discoveries ever made. Fossils were found from about 35 different species of dinosaurs. Some of these fossils date back nearly 75 million years. More than 300 dinosaur skeletons have been taken from the ground in Dinosaur Provincial Park by the Red Deer River. Paleontologists began digging in the area in the 1800s and the fossils they have found are displayed in museums around the world.
2. Viking Trail
An adventurous journey along the ancient Viking Trail. Photo: Coldmountainlife
The Viking Trail is a themed highway that stretches from the west coast of Newfoundland to southern Labrador. The trail winds through the northern coastline where there are many fishing communities and views of migrating whales. There are even views of icebergs that are about 10,000 years old. The Viking Trail marks land that was discovered by Vikings and was traveled by Basque whalers in the 16th century. Modern exhibits, archaeological digs and interpretive centers can be found along the Viking trail.
1. Baffin Island (Oikiqtaaluk)
The no. 5 world largest island located in Baffin, Canada. Photo: Fotomedia
Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. It’s located between Greenland and the Canadian mainland and known to the local Inuit as Oikiqtaaluk. Baffin Island is raw and untouched with small Inuit villages interspersed with abundant wildlife of the Arctic Circle. Tourists arrive by air and there are opportunities for tours by dogsled or snowmobile. Baffin Island is also a popular destination for BASE jumpers and kayakers. Most communities in Nunavut have air service available and many tours include a return flight back to your origin.
Hilton de Pattaya, Unique and Luxury Hotel in the City of Pattaya, Thailand
Bars In The Sky - PART 2
Tenerife Attractions: Why Go to Tenerife?
Incredible Cheap Caribbean Holidays
Yellowstone Firehole Fish Parked at Bank
Magnificent Croatia: A Memorable Vacation
Tags: Aurora Borealis, Baffin Island, Calgary, Canada, Canadian Rocky Mountains, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Halloween Fun, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Top 10, Toronto, Travel, Victoria, Viking Trail
Category: Featured, North America, Travel
3Fortune says:
I’ve been there, great tourism in canada
I cant wait to visit Niagra in september, will be my first time! 🙂
Mohd Huzaifah Muntalip says:
Been in Niagara couple of times. Really nice place.
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Home / Features / A.I.M. Interviews / AIM Interview: LANL’s José Olivares
LANL's José Olivares
The AIM Interview: LANL’s José Olivares
July 28, 2010, by David Schwartz
National security is at the root of the nearly seventy-year old Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the world’s leading scientific research institutions. While originally organized for a single purpose: to design and build the atomic bomb, this Northern New Mexico advanced science center has played a key role in developing other modern technologies important to our national security, including hydrogen fuel cells, supercomputing, and applied environmental research.
Dr. José Olivares, an analytical chemist and 22-year veteran at LANL, has been managing large programs at the Laboratory for the past ten years. Aside from government-sponsored research, many private organizations approach the Laboratory for their development assistance on a wide variety of projects. “The technology transfer mission is a very nice part of the laboratories,” says Dr. Olivares. “Essentially a company calls the Laboratory and asks to look at technology we have available for licensing, or what capabilities we have to help them in a collaborative research project.”
About three years ago LANL’s Bioscience Division started working on small projects in algae — in New Mexico, with the Center for Excellence in Hazardous Materials Management (CEHMM), and on a DARPA project with General Atomics. These projects largely involved understanding the metabolic processes of microorganisms.
LANL, around that time, also became involved with a large laboratory directed research and development project in understanding the structure of cellulose. Those three projects were the beginning of LANL’s biofuels effort, and eventually led to their participation in the DOE Office of Biomass Program’s Roadmap for Algal Biofuels.
From the Roadmap work, José and his biofuels research associates at the lab realized that a major push was going to come from the DOE for algal biofuel advancement, so they started developing a prospective research partnership with other institutions in the Southwest. That evolved into a national group of 34 institutions, and became the basis for the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-products (NAABB) which was officially launched in April, 2010, with Dr. Olivares as its Executive Director.
José Olivares and student Daniel Kalb showing prototype acoustic focusing harvesting cell.
“Essentially we had a vision within the Laboratory that this could be a large effort here, and that the Laboratory has capabilities to offer that would be significant,” says José. “So we started developing a regional consortium of universities and other laboratories and companies that were interested in partnering. And then last July, when DOE came out with a funding opportunity announcement for an algal biofuels consortia, we essentially led the whole team in writing the proposal. We won it and it was announced in January by Secretary Chu. We started operations for the whole consortium in early April of this year.”
So far the DOE has committed $49 million in federal funds to the NAABB, with an additional $20 million contributed in cost share from the consortium partners. “The distribution of the funding among the partners is a fairly complex formula that originated with the proposal itself,” notes José. “Each partner associated themselves with a particular part of the project and they told us what resources they needed, we negotiated a little bit, and the distribution of funds varies from partner to partner.”
After a tour of their impressively equipped laboratories, situated in the surprisingly spartan environs of the seemingly World War Two era building construction that houses this iconic institution, we continued our conversation.
Q: So what are the overall goals of the NAABB?
A: This is a three-year total program, and the goal is essentially to have technologies that are ready to go for the industry in algal biofuels, ones that our partners can take directly into commercial scale capability. Number two, it is also to develop a feasibility study of the technologies, or components of the technologies, as to their economic viability, their environmental impact, and energy efficiency.
Q: How do you coordinate the work of this large and diverse partnership, and how do you monitor their development?
A: The DOE has a fairly regimented project control process that we follow, so the Department of Energy’s Office of Biomass Programs’ Golden, Colorado office monitors our program. We have monthly reports, quarterly reports, and financial status reports that have to be given on a regular basis. And then we also have, on a weekly to monthly basis, team meetings with our investigators to discuss technical progress as well as direction and strategy.
Brenna Fearey (student) showing one of the flow cytometers used to analyze algal lipid content.
Q: How do you balance the effort in this group between research and commercialization?
A: We have seventeen universities associated with this consortium, two national labs and fourteen companies, plus one non-profit (Danforth Plant Science Center, our lead institution). Obviously you can see that there is a lot of the research component, but one of the things that DOE required through this funding opportunity announcement, and also the way in which the Office of Biomass Programs directs their research, is that there has to be an industrial component associated with all of the projects.
So, our fourteen companies are really doing the technology pull, and the idea is to be able to take technology from the academic laboratories, and from the national laboratories, and translate it very quickly into our commercial partners’ laboratories and into the test bed capabilities they are developing.
Q: You are in the unique position of having a window view into the labs and engineering departments of leading developers of algae research and production technology. Who do you see developing the promising or most valuable technologies at the moment?
A: Some groups are starting out more advanced than others, but we’re now only two months into the process, so it’s really too soon to start predicting which will be the first successes.
It is important to know, though, that we are working across the whole development chain of algal biofuels. The algal biology area that Cliff Unkefer is helping us lead is one of the areas we are working on at our lab. The cultivation area is another area of research, along with harvesting and concentration, the fuels conversion area, including research for animal feed and other valuable products, and then a sustainability area. All of those are different components that we’re bringing to the picture throughout all 34 organizations.
In Cliff’s area, for example, there are five or six main projects, including a crop protection development project, which will be using genetic engineering to optimize the growth of particular algae while minimizing their ability to leave the pond and grow somewhere else.
There’s also pathway engineering, such as with the Botryococcus braunii strain, to increase some of the chemical intermediates that we’re interested in. We’re not sure we can speed up the growth, for example, but we can take the genes that do well in the isoprene pathway and put them into an organism that already grows faster naturally. Within other organisms we are looking at growth mechanisms. In Nannochloropsis and Chlorella we are looking at both lipid and growth enhancement.
Within the cultivation area we are looking at both open pond and closed photobioreactor systems. Our partners, such as Solix Biofuels, that have a closed photobioreactor system are trying to prove the economic feasibility of that system. We have partners, such as HR BioPetroleum, that are primarily focused on optimizing performance of open pond systems.
Algal cultures being prepared in incubator.
We have other research components going on that may affect how things go in one direction or another. For example, out of the University of Arizona they’re developing a new technology called the Arid reactor, which is an open system that also allows for cooling and evaporation control of the pond. The way they’ve designed the fluidics of the pond and the utilization of the water from day to night allows them to control the pond in a different way than in a totally open system. So those kinds of technologies will be brought to bear and will influence at some point the full production system.
In harvesting and extraction we have five different technologies being developed: the acoustic focusing capability that’s being developed here at Los Alamos (2010 R&D 100 Award Winner). We have two commercial partners that are working in that area: Solix Biofuels, which is also working directly with Los Alamos in a separate creative project using acoustic technology, and Kai Bioenergy which has its own acoustic focusing technologies that they are developing.
We have a membrane technology being developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. We also have an electrical conductivity cell for concentration that’s being developed by Texas A&M, and there’s a flocculation component and a nanoparticle technology being worked on by Catalin.
Within the conversion area, we have research going all the way from fermentation, pyrolysis systems, hydrothermal processing, gasification processing, to both supercritical extraction and supercritical conversion into fuels.
Q: How is IP determined in all of these situations? Does it get murky as to who owns what?
A: It could, but we’ve got a very nice intellectual property agreement between all 34 organizations which sets up the principles under which we operate for sharing of intellectual property and information. We have a memorandum of understanding as part of this, a multilateral non-disclosure agreement, and then the intellectual property agreement, which essentially says that all technology invented by a particular institution belongs to that institution.
NAABB does not hold any technology or any IP for the consortium. Secondly, for any IP that is needed for NAABB research purposes, and held by one of our partner institutions, there is a non-commercial research-only license ability between those parties. For any new technology that is developed, there is a thirty-day window in which the developer needs to disclose that technology to the whole consortium, and then there is a sixty-day period from there during which any partner can come in and license that technology for a commercial process.
Cliff Unkefer demonstrating GC-GC-TOF mass spectrometer used to characterize lipid and metabolic profiles of algae.
Most licensing agreements happen pre-patent, because patenting can usually take two to three years. So, all of our partner organizations have a right of first refusal within that 60-day period. After that the developer is allowed to take on that technology and license it out through its normal mechanisms. If more than one partner wants that technology, then a non-exclusive license needs to be negotiated between all of the partners. And those negotiations happen directly between the partners. If a dispute happens on who developed the technology, we have to take it through our board of directors, and then DOE as a neutral arbitrator.
Q: Three years from now, if all goes according to plan and each step of the process has been optimized by the diverse skills and talents represented by this consortium, it sounds like there is a good chance we will be ready for commercial scale algal biofuels. Are you optimistic?
A: Again, the goal for our consortium is to bring all of the technologies that we’re taking on to success. Obviously some will be more successful earlier and some will take a longer time. But we hope that we can bring them all to success at some point or another. Yes, I am very optimistic.
Photos: Rebecca McDonald, LANL Bioscience Division
Copyright ©2010 AlgaeIndustryMagazine.com. All rights reserved. Permission granted to reprint this article in its entirety. Must include copyright statement and live hyperlinks. Contact editorial@algaeindustrymagazine.com.
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42 Technology has been appointed by LabXero, acoustic particle filtration technology company, to help develop pilot-scale biomanufacturing equipment that could significan...
Alexander Richter writes in thinkgeoenergy.com that Israel-based Algaennovation last week signed a 15-year contract with Icelandic energy utility and operator ON Power fo...
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Filed under A.I.M. Interviews, Research · Tagged with Atomics, Dr. José Olivares, LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory
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My MCU Predictions for Comic-Con 2014
Comic-Con International opens tomorrow night. In advance of that, here are my predictions for the titles of the Phase Three films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Prepare for most of these to be completely disprove within the next few days...)
Next year, Marvel's Phase Two will conclude on May 1st with Avengers: Age of Ultron. So far, we know we are getting Ant-Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Thor and Avengers films in Phase Three, but we don't know the other four, nor do we know the titles for most of these. We know the release dates, but we do not know the order.
Here, then, are my predictions:
An aging scientist (Michael Douglas) helps a thief-with-a-heart-of-gold (Paul Rudd) pull off a heist to stop the bad guys and save the world.
Captain America: The Secret Empire
Captain America is back, along with a host of his B-list Avengers friends (Falcon, Hawkeye, etc.) as they unravel a mystery going back to the 1950s. This film introduces us to Black Panther's Wakanda and also gives us more of the Winter Soldier.
10/28/14 UPDATE: this film will be titled Captain America: Civil War and will pit Captain America and Iron Man against each other - which is even more awesome than I could have imagined. I assume it will also carry forward the Winter Soldier thread in some way, and we have been assured that Black Panther will in fact make an appearance.
The origin film for Marvel's master of magic shows us the formerly smug surgeon Stephen Strange finding humility and a new purpose in life through sorcery. But behind the magic there are dark forces at work, and he realizes he must wager his own soul to save our universe. Look for head trips and Lovecraftian horror elements, as well as the typical Marvel humor.
10/28/14 UPDATE: the titled was confirmed, but the date was shifted to November 4, 2016.
The Incredible Hulk: Days of Rage
Bruce banner wrestles with his inner demons, and with threats that neither he nor the Hulk can defeat alone—but maybe they can by working together. I'm thinking that "The Leader" is the big bad in this one, and there will be a ton of other heroes and villains besides just the Hulk. Could we possibly even get a Tony Stark cameo?
10/28/14 UPDATE: we did not get a solo Hulk movie. Instead, this date will be filled by the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, which as of now is titled Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Director James Gunn has hinted that Peter Quill's father will play a role, and it can be assumed that Thanos will continue making his presence felt as well. Also, there have been some rumors that the Hulk may make an appearance in Guardians 2, so there's an outside chance I may still get my gamma-fueled rage fix in May 2017 after all...
Mainstream comics' first Black superhero finally gets his own movie as we delve into the fascinating backstory of the tiny, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda and its mysterious king, the "Black Panther," T'Challa. This is seriously one of the most bad-ass superheroes in existence, so I'm really hoping Marvel does this and does it right.
10/28/14 UPDATE: this date will be used for the third Thor film, which will be titled Thor: Ragnarok as predicted. Kevin Feige pointed out that Ragnarok is "the end of all things."
The stakes are ratcheted up, as the Jane Foster subplots are dumped and Thor has to deal with the possible end of Asgard itself. He finds himself in conflict with a host of big Asgardian villains like Surtur the fire demon, the Enchantress, and of course his "brother" Loki. Oh, and Thanos makes an appearance as well.
10/28/14 UPDATE: this date will be used for Black Panther. Woot! Chadwick Boseman (42, Get on Up) has been cast in the title role.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Annihilation
Now we really get into Thanos. This sequel loops in some more cosmic characters, including Nova and Adam Warlock. In the end, there is a small victory, but Thanos cannot be stopped and is headed to Earth. All hope is lost. Sorry.
10/28/14 UPDATE: this date will be used for Captain Marvel, Marvel's first female-led superhero film. Think of Carol Danvers, who has also gone by the alias "Ms. Marvel," as a cosmic version of Wonder Woman.
The Inhumans
The Inhumans are a secret race of augmented humans with special powers, and they tie into a bunch of loose threads already established in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the Kree (an alien race seen in the first season of Agents of SHIELD) and most likely the "miracle twins" Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Pietro (Quicksilver) Maximoff from Avengers: Age of Ultron. They also could have ties to Thanos. Most of all, though, there are some incredibly groovy characters here that I can't wait to see on the screen: most importantly Black Bolt, one of the coolest cats Jack Kirby ever created. And I think this film could also be the perfect vehicle to introduce us to Ms. Marvel / Captain Marvel, if Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't beat it to the punch. Kevin Feige has hinted that an Inhumans movie could eventually come our way, so here's hoping...
10/28/14 UPDATE: Inhumans confirmed for this date! Vin Diesel has been rumored for the role of Black Bolt. That would be perfect. Although he already has a voice-only role in the MCU as Groot, Black Bolt doesn't speak, so this would be an everything-except-voice role.
Avengers: Infinity
This is it, the final battle with Thanos. By now, he has all six infinity gems and absolute, unlimited power over everything in the universe, so there's nothing the Avengers can do. Oh well.
10/28/14 UPDATE: The third Avengers 3 outing will actually be split into two parts. We will get Avengers: Infinity War Part I on May 4, 2018 and Avengers: Infinity War Part II on this date, May 3, 2019.
7/23/14 UPDATE: Marvel Studios just announced a third film for 2018 on May 4 of that year. I'm going to guess that means they've come to some kind of agreement with Robert Downey, Jr. and that Iron Man 4 will factor into their Phase Three plans after all. There are a ton of other possibilities, though: it could be Nova, Namor, Miss Marvel, a Black Widow/Winter Soldier team-up, the long-rumored Runaways, or even the Thunderbolts movie that James Gunn has been wanting to make. Hopefully, they'll make an announcement soon...
10/28/14 UPDATE: It was three months later than expected, but Marvel finally announced their full Phase Three movie schedule.
May 6, 2016 - Captain America: Civil WarNovember 4, 2016 - Doctor Strange May 5, 2017 - Guardians of the Galaxy 2July 28, 2017 - Thor: RagnarokNovember 3, 2017 - Black Panther May 4, 2018 - Avengers: Infinity War Part IJuly 6, 2018 - Captain MarvelNovember 2, 2018 - InhumansMay 3, 2019 - Avengers: Infinity War Part II
How did I do? Well, I got the easy ones. And I nailed that Inhumans release date, for what that's worth. (Hint: not much, really.) But the schedule was full of surprises, and I bet there are a lot more to come. I am absolutely thrilled that we will get Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and the Inhumans in Phase Three. WOW! My only disappointment was the lack of solo Hulk and Black Widow movies, but studio president Kevin Feige gave assurances that we would see them co-starring in other Phase Three movies, along with Hawkeye and other supporting characters.
Labels: Ant-Man, Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hulk, Inhumans, Iron Man, movies, superheroes, Thor
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Etymological explorations and cultural connections.
Show Notes & Credits
An Alliterative Blog - A Gallery of Ideas
culture and thought
interconnectivity
linguistic relativity
ways of knowing
Meta Etymology and a Slice of PIE
Mark Sundaram December 1, 2016
This month’s video is on the etymology of the word “Etymology”:
The idea to do a video on the word etymology actually came from my 10-year-old son, and since I was already planning on doing a video explaining Proto-Indo-European, proto languages, and sound changes, the two fit together really well. The core of the script comes from a putative book I’m putting together based on the videos, so I actually had a bunch of material written already.
So one extra wrinkle on the story of Grimm’s Law is that there are some exceptions. Let’s go back to the example of father. We would expect from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) form *pəter to get the Old English (OE) form *fæþer but instead we have OE fæder. In other words the voiceless stop t should become the fricative th-sound ([θ] for those who want an IPA transcription) but instead becomes a voiced stop d. (As a side note, the d in OE fæder eventually does become th, as in Modern English father, but that’s a later sound change that doesn’t happen until later in the Middle English period). The voiceless p at the beginning predictably becomes the fricative f, but the t doesn’t seem to follow the rule, so what gives? Well it turns out that this isn’t random and it took the Danish philologist Karl Verner to spot the regular pattern. Basically it had to do with the stress pattern in PIE. If the voiceless stop was at the start of the first syllable of the word or if it was immediately preceded by the stressed syllable of the word, it followed the usual Grimm’s Law pattern. But if the syllable before the voiceless stop was unstressed in PIE, the stop instead becomes voiced. We now refer to this addition to Grimm’s Law as Verner’s Law. By the way, if you’re interested in PIE and etymology, you might want to check out my review of Calvert Watkin’s Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, and pick up a copy to play around with. It’s inexpensive and a lot of fun.
Discussion of etymology inevitably brought up Isidore of Seville’s Etymologiae, and as I pointed out, it’s much more than just a book of etymologies. One of the other important things to come out of that book is the so-called T and O maps of the world, which were the standard map arrangements of the middle ages. The T and O maps are based on Isidore’s description of the world in the Etymologiae. Though I don’t explicitly discuss the map, I do visually refer to it, including in the background, which is a manuscript image of the Etymologiae. And as I said Isidore’s book is really an encyclopedic work.
And so, the other side branch of this video is about encyclopedias. I mentioned Diderot’s Encyclopédie as one of the first modern encyclopedias, and I had been wanting to work Denis Diderot into a video for some time. He got a brief visual reference in “Sublime” and a brief mention in the associated blog post, as an iconic example of Enlightenment thought, which he wove into his encyclopedia. There’s a nice TED-Ed video on Diderot if you want more info.
I also mention Wikipedia in the video, and because of its interconnected nature, it’s one of the ways I track down all the connections for the videos I make. One useful tool for doing this is an app called Wikiweb, a reader for Wikipedia which maps out the interconnected links between the Wikipedia entries. It gives you a kind of trace of the links you’ve followed jumping from one Wikipedia entry to another. Here’s an example of what it looks like:
Excitingly, there’s a new Wikipedia-based app on the way that’s based on the Connections-style approach of James Burke, whom I’ve mentioned as inspiration of mine several times before. It’s called the James Burke Connections App, and will exist as both a web-based version and a native mobile app, and you can support its creation through Kickstarter. There’s a prototype of the app already available to play around with. Here’s an example of what it looks like:
Most excitingly, apparently the full app will have the ability to trace out chains of connections on its own. From what I understand, you give it starting and end points and it finds the connection. If you want to hear more about the project, check out the excellent interview that David McRaney did with James Burke himself. It’s a very engaging interview and it gives full details about the app and how it works. (I’m also a big fan of McRaney and his You Are Not So Smart Podcast.) Please consider supporting this worthwhile project at Kickstarter, and help support new and exciting avenues in education. I personally endorse this project and have backed it myself. I’d love to see this app become a reality, so please check it out.
James Burke’s other Connections-style project is his Knowledge Web or K-Web. You can play around with the prototype version of the K-Web implemented on TheBrain platform. As it turns out, one of the facts in my “Etymology” video comes from the K-Web, the connection between Warren Hastings and Denis Diderot (which you can read about here). It was through the K-Web that I found out about TheBrain software (which I also heartily recommend). I keep track of my own research through TheBrain, and have constructed my own database, a kind of etymological dictionary crossed with an encyclopedia, which when you think about it is kind of the ground this video covers, so very appropriate. So I’ll leave you with one last screenshot of The Endless Knot research that lies behind the video.
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Alliterative Musings
Mark Sundaram
RT @WannabeLinguist: “Binary” comes from the Late Latin “binarius” (consisting of two) and “bini” (two-by-two), stemming from the PIE “*… https://t.co/r0Fq1QnWUx
RT @GretchenAMcC: it's a new language files video about typographical tone of voice!!! featuring #BecauseInternetBook which is comi… https://t.co/eIR5uThRsg
RT @lynneguist: DIfference of the Day: In BrE this is mostly a 'yoghurt pot'. AmE is less sure (and doesn't use 'pot' for plasti… https://t.co/0QvsPI7J5I
RT @OED: Finally, TURING MACHINE and TURING TEST cement Alan Turing's name into the English language. (4/4) https://t.co/2mlCBO5wJQ
RT @OED: Turing is also quoted in the entries for MORPHOGEN, LEARNING MACHINE, and RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR. (3/4) https://t.co/bHirq0HGCF
RT @OED: Turing provides our first evidence at the computing senses of SCAN, MACHINE, and RULE. (2/4) https://t.co/wA9YCOL3Zm
RT @OED: Today, it was announced that mathematician and pioneer of modern computing, Alan Turing, will be the face of the ne… https://t.co/JZJ2aDZWMu
RT @turnofphrases: It’s new episode day! https://t.co/KKGnyAFj1w #turningphrases #lendmeyourears #toppers #quotablequotes… https://t.co/SkgTxqICNJ
RT @tomscott: New video! After four years, the Language Files return, with "why typing like this is sometimes okay.": https://t.co/pW1anbjV2W
RT @britishmuseum: The Rosetta Stone was discovered #onthisday in 1799. It’s regarded as one of the most important ancient Egyptian… https://t.co/cfNbYel9Zv
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All images, unless otherwise noted, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Endless Knot
The Endless Knot: Language, etymology, history, cocktails, pop culture, and more. A YouTube series and a podcast.
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About Us >
1 Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) #9153
3 Bellefonte Central Railroad Snow Plow #100
4 Bellefonte Central Railroad Caboose #103
5 Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) Track Car #1
7 Pennsylvania Railroad | Fairmont M-9
9 BHRS Track Car #4
10 BHRS Track Car #5
Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) #9153
Budd Company's Rail Diesel Car (RDC), serial number 7001, was built in November of 1962, in Philadelphia. It was bought by Reading Company (RDG) and became #9153. When RDG became Consolidated Rail Corporation (CONRAIL), this RDC was given to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where it served until 1984. This RDC was then sold to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in June of 1985 and was retired in November of 1989. Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) purchased this RDC in 1991, and partially refurbished it. The car was in service for BHRS from 1991 to 2005 when operations were suspended. The car is currently out of service and it's future is uncertain.
Click here to learn more about Budd Company's Rail Diesel Cars!
Owner Number Purchased Sold
Reading Company #9153 11/1962 Unknown
Consolidated Rail Corp. #9153 Unknown Unknown
SE PA Transportation Auth. #9153 Unknown 03/1984
MA Bay Transportation Auth. #9153 06/1985 11/1989
BHRS #9153 10/1991 Present
Budd Company's Rail Diesel Car (RDC), serial number 5718, was built in March of 1953. It was bought by the New York, New Haven & Hartford ("New Haven," reporting mark: NYNH&H) and became #40 (see photograph). Due to the merger of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) into Penn Central Transportation Company ("Penn Central," reporting mark: PC), and then NYNH&H into Penn Central in 1969, the RDC came under the control of PC and served as #98. In 1972, it was sold to a dealer. Between 1975 and 1976, the RDC was leased to the Baltimore & Ohio. In 1976, it was sold to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). PennDOT refurbished the RDC at the Reading shops where it became #9167. It was then used as an extra train to Valley Forge during the Bicentennial. It was then given to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). In 1984, the RDC was given to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission since the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania already had an RDC 9167 was loaned to BHRS and partially rehabilitated in June 1985. It was in service for BHRS from 1985 to 2005 when mechanical, and regulatory, and operational issues forced BHRS to suspend service. In April of 2008, title of the car was transferred from PHMC to BHRS.
As of December 15th, 2014 the car is under repair at Rail Mechanical Services in Columbia, PA. It is expected to return to service for BHRS in late Summer or early Fall of 2016. Photos of the restoration can be found here.
New York, New Haven & Hartford #40 03/1953 1969
Penn Central Transp. Co. #98 1969 1972
Baltimore & Ohio (lease)
PA Dept of Transportation #9167 1976 1976
SE PA Transp. Auth. #9167 1976 1984
PA Historical & Museum Comm. #9167 1984 04/2008
Bellefonte Central Railroad Snow Plow #100
Former Bellefonte Central Snow Plow #100 is on display in Talleyrand Park next to Bellefonte Train Station. Built by The Russel Snow Plow Company, in Ridgway, PA, sometime near the turn of the 20th century, it was acquired, second hand, by the BFC in 1924 from an unknown source. BFC installed a flanger apparatus, which it purchased new from Russel, and also rebuilt the cupola. The railroad made other updates, in later years, including a significant modification of the plow blade sometime in the 1940s. Both the snow plow and BFC caboose #103 were purchased by BHRS in 1987 when the final assets of BFC were sold off. A partial restoration of the plow was completed in 1997, and BHRS is currently raising money to fund a thorough historical renovation of the plow and caboose.
Bellefonte Central Railroad Caboose #103
New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad | Caboose, class NE
On display in Talleyrand Park next to Bellefonte Train Station, is Caboose #103, which was acquired by Bellefonte Central Railroad, in 1960, through Rail Industrial Equipment Company of Landisville, PA. The caboose was built at the Readville shops of the former New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H), as one of 269 class NE cabooses built, circa 1922. It has a wooden superstructure and steel underframe. BFC applied exterior sheeting and painted it gray & green to match its two locomotives.
Caboose #103 brought up the rear of the last train BFC ran to State College, in July of 1974. It was removed from service soon after the abandonment of the line to State College, as it got in the way when the railroad shifted cars at its last remaining customer, the National Gypsum plant. Both the caboose and snowplow were purchased by BHRS in 1987 when the final assets of BFC were sold off. A partial restoration of the caboose was completed in 1997 and BHRS is currently raising money to fund a thorough historical renovation of the plow and caboose.
Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) Track Car #1
Bellefonte Central | Northwestern Motor Company (?) Heavy Duty Gang Car
Status: Under restoration.
Pennsylvania Railroad | Fairmont M-9
Status: In storage pending repairs/restoration.
Fairmont Railway Motors, Inc, | M19, Series E Inspection Car
Status: Operational
Former Seaboard Cost Line, acquired from a private owner by BHRS in June of 2010.
For a video of this speeder in action, click here.
Fairmont M19 Operator's Manual
BHRS Track Car #4
Kalamazoo | 27A-F (?) Heavy duty gang car
Status: In storage pending restoration
We believe this is a Kalamazoo model 27A-F based on the 4-cyl Ford engine, all-steel frame, and brake/axle configuration.
More information on this series of cars can be found here: 1956 Kalamazoo Railway Supply Co. Catalog
Fairmont | MT-19A
Status: Awaiting minor electrical and cosmetic repairs.
Purchased Spring 2017 from a former BHRS member, this car will help us to provide speeder rides in Lemont and other locations until the heavy duty gang car is returned to service. Up until now, speeder events have been powered by member-owned equipment, as our only operating speeder (Car #3) is under-powered and awkward to operate with passengers. The MT-19A uses a chain-driven axle through a 2 speed gear box with conventional clutch, and a much more reliable 2-cylinder Onan with electric start and slightly more modern / reliable ignition compared with the older buzz box style ignition found on #3.
Subpages (1): RDC
SpeederServiceManual.pdf
Andrew Cobaugh,
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Christina Wahl Named Best of the Bar
Christina Wahl has been named to the “Best of the Bar,” the Kansas City Business Journal ‘s annual recognition of the city’s local lawyers in private practice. Wahl is among 56 honorees this year. Wahl’s practice is primarily focused on government and internal investigations, and business disputes.
Berkowitz Oliver Supports Association for Women Lawyers
Berkowitz Oliver is a 2018 Gold Sponsor of the Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City . On October 5, Berkowitz Oliver attorneys Jennifer Wieland and Megan Costello piloted the beverage cart at AWL’s annual “I’m Not Serious About Golf” golf tournament at Hillcrest Country Club. Costello is currently on the AWL Board and serves as Vice-Chair of the Community Support subcommittee. AWL was formed in 1976 to advance the role of women in the legal profession. Its mission is to make Kansas City the best place in the nation to …
Firm Welcomes New Associates
Berkowitz Oliver recently welcomed two new associates to the firm. Jordan Glasgow is a 2016 graduate of UMKC Law School where she served as Comment Editor on the Law Review. Ross Weimer is a 2016 graduate of Boston College where he participated in Moot Court. Both Jordan and Ross come to the firm with strong backgrounds in civil litigation.
Berkowitz Oliver Joins Ford Motor Company’s Legal Alliance for Women in Global Day of Service
Joining volunteers around the world on September 27, 2018, Berkowitz Oliver took part in the inaugural Global Day of Service, a worldwide initiative spearheaded by Ford Motor Company’s Legal Alliance for Women (LAW), the company’s professional organization focused on women in the legal practice. The coordinated global efforts assisted organizations supporting the empowerment and well-being of women and girls in their respective communities. Berkowitz Oliver is among more than 90 law firms around the world that partnered with LAW to …
David Oliver Named Chairman of MRIGlobal Board of Directors
David Oliver has been named Chairman of the Board of Directors of MRIGlobal, the organization announced recently . David has been a member of MRIGlobal’s Board of Trustees since 1998 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2015. Based in Kansas City, MRIGlobal is an independent organization performing contract scientific and engineering research for government and industry. Its Board of Directors governs and directs the leadership of the organization.
Megan Costello Co-Chairs KC Hospice Event
Berkowitz Oliver attorney Megan Costello served as co-chair with her husband Joe for the Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care’s 2018 signature fundraiser event, Sunday Night Live , on September 23. The event raised more than $430,000 to help patients and their families, as well as for Kansas City Hospice’s many community programs that serve individuals dealing with loss and other life transitions. Berkowitz Oliver also sponsored the event’s live entertainment. In attendance was 29-year-old hospice patient Matt Allen and his closest friends who are also his caregivers. A video about …
Paralegal LeeAnn Parmenter Named President of Kansas City Paralegal Association
Paralegal LeeAnn Parmenter was named President of the Kansas City Paralegal Association (KCPA) at its annual meeting on September 11, 2018. LeeAnn previously served as First Vice-President of the organization. The KCPA is a non-profit corporation which was incorporated on September 24, 1975. Its goals and purposes are to promote, enhance, and encourage the development of the paralegal profession; to provide opportunities for networking among paralegals on the local, state, and national levels; and to offer quality continuing education for paralegals. Partner Jennifer Wieland also presented …
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Amazon Removes Anti-iPad Mini Ad after Incorrect Stereo Speakers Claim
After it was discovered that Apple’s iPad Mini features stereo speakers, Amazon has pulled their advertisement that slams the iOS tablet on their website.
It should be recalled that the Amazon Kindle Fire HD ad was posted after the Cupertino-based company announced that they were able to sold out their 7-inch tablet. The retailer’s ad also stated that their high-definition tablet could offer “much more for much less.”
The marketing material is actually a comparison chart that is designed to promote the online retailer’s $199 high-definition tablet. Additionally, the ad criticizes the $329 worth of iPad Mini. Amazon also claims that their device features a dual stereo speaker, while Apple’s product also has mono speakers.
Aside from the comparison, a quote from Gizmodo calling Apple “ballsy” is also prominent on the front page of the online retail store:
…your [Apple’s] 7.9-inch tablet has far fewer pixels than the competing 7-inch tablets! You’re cramming a worse screen in there, charging more, and accusing others of compromise? Ballsy.
But now that the iPad Mini is in the hands of the reviewers, it was discovered that the 7-inch tablet has in fact stereo speakers. The feature is considered as an upgrade from previous iPad models, which only have a single mono speaker.
Pulling Out an Incorrect Claim
According to a review posted by The Verge’s Joshua Topolsky, the iPad Mini has a “good-sounding set of stereo speakers”, which are at either side of the Lightning port.
All of the standard iPad button and switch placement is intact here, save for the move of the speaker grille to the bottom of the device (it’s been around the back for iPads previous to this version), along with the new Lightning port. And that’s a good-sounding set of stereo speakers, by the way.
On the other hand, the regular iPad only has one speaker unit at the right side of the port connector. The stereo sound, however, can be achieved through external speakers or headphones. In turn, Amazon pulled out their ad with an incorrect claim after the first reviews were published last Wednesday.
While the online retailer touted the stereo speakers of their Kindle Fire HD during its launch last September, Apple decided not to reveal that their iPad Mini has the same feature. In fact, the company’s website also led users to believe that the 7-inch tablet only has mono speaker. That’s because the device’s tech specs only refer to a singular “built-in speaker.”
← Microsoft Rolls Out Halo 4 Interactive Guide
Google Nexus 7 Sales Reaching 1 Million Monthly →
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Home > Best Bands > Coldplay
From London, UK
Year Formed 1998
Members Chris Martin (vocals, piano), Jonny Buckland (guitar), Guy Berryman (bass), Will Champion (drums
Band Bio
In 1996 Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met during freshers weeks at University College London. They got together to form a band they called Pectoralz. Next university friend Guy Berryman joined them, and the band's name was changed to Starfish. Local clubs showed some interest in them, and the band played a number of small gigs in the Camden area. Early in 1998, Will Champion joined the band to play drums (he'd never played them before, but was an all-round musical talent, quickly mastered them). Not long after Will joined, the band's name underwent a final change - to Coldplay
The first record released by the band was the Safety EP. Only 500 copies were made, and most were given away as demos. The profile of the band slowly rose as they made a series of EPs and played to every growing audiences - in the summer of 1999 they appeared at Glastonbury festival.
At first, relationships in the band were strained. After a bustup Champion left, but then came back after the rest of the band pleaded with him to return. Together they put in some ground rules to help the band survive - all income was to be shared equally between the members, and everyone would receive equal credits on albums and sheet music.
Coldplay released their first album in 1999, called Parachutes. The hit singles Yellow and Trouble spun off the album to achieve chart success. The band embarked on their first tour of North America to promote the album.
In 2002 the band�s second album A Rush of Blood to the Head was released. Brilliant tracks on the album include In My Place, Clocks and The Scientist. A Rush of Blood to the Head went on to serious chart success - it was number one on both sides of the Atlantic. The band then toured for over a year, visiting over 20 countries.
X & Y, Coldplay's third album, came out in 2005. Favorite tracks off the album include Speed of Sound and Fix You.
Coldplay returned to the studio as early as 2006 to start work on their next record. But disagreement and disillusionment struck, and it was a difficult and long process till 2008, when the album Viva La Vida became available. The first single off the album Violet Hill, a beautiful and mesmeric song, proved the band's creativity and musicianship.
As an aside, Chris Martin is now married to Gwyneth Paltrow, a famous Hollywood actress, who has starred in a string of blockbuster movies, like Emma.
Beautiful lyrics, beautiful melodies. Just awesome.
Anything you'd like to say about Coldplay?
Listing contributed by Louise
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Coldplay Videos Playlist
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Best Bands - Coldplay - Band Bio, Photos, Wallpapers 1280x1024,1024x768,1280x800, Videos - 98 votes
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Home > Best Movies > The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Producer Peter Jackson, Tim Sanders, Fran Walsh
Screenplay Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
Stars Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood
Hobbits,Elves, Dwarves, and Men formed a fellowship to save Middle Earth.
The most imaginative fantasy epic ever put on screen.
Buy The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Official Website
Anything you'd like to say about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?
Listing contributed by John
Best Movies - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Information, Plot, Stills - 76 votes
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Personal injury lawsuits are filed by people (or their representatives) injured due to the negligence of someone else. The injury may be either physical or emotional, and it can arise from a variety of sources or types of conduct. Some of the most common types of personal injuries that give rise to legal liability on the part of the wrongdoer include slips and falls, automobile accidents, assaults and battery, medical malpractice, and injuries caused by defective consumer or pharmaceutical products. The general goal of personal injury actions is to determine who was responsible and to compel them to compensate the injured person for the losses sustained. If you or someone you know has been injured by the careless or reckless actions of another, contact a personal injury attorney at Brewster & De Angelis, P.L.L.C. in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to learn more about your rights.
Personal injury damages
Personal injury lawyers work hard to ensure that their clients receive the damages to which they are entitled by law. Some of the items for which injured parties are legally entitled to compensation include lost wages, past and future medical expenses, damages for both physical and emotional pain and suffering, and damages for disfigurement or disability. Sometimes, a close family member of the injured person, such as his or her spouse, may also be entitled to damages. This award is often referred to as loss of consortium damages, which is intended to compensate the loved one for the loss of the injured or deceased person's services, benefits and companionship.
Other kinds of damages may be awarded, depending on the laws of the state where the lawsuit is brought and the facts of the particular case. These include "hedonic damages," which are awarded to compensate the plaintiff for the loss of enjoyment of activities that he or she once valued but can no longer participate in as a result of the injuries suffered. In addition, "punitive damages" may be awarded when the defendant's conduct was particularly egregious and the court or jury determines that the defendant should be punished by paying an amount above and beyond the plaintiff's actual damages. Punitive damage awards may also serve to deter the defendant and others from engaging in similar wrongful conduct in the future.
"Legal causation" of personal injuries
Not every injured plaintiff is entitled to recover damages for the injury he or she sustains. Besides the injury, the plaintiff must also establish, through credible and relevant evidence, that the defendant is legally responsible for his or her injuries. The plaintiff must present proof of causation both in terms of "actual causation" and "proximate/legal causation." Actual causation is determined by literal cause and effect. Whether legal causation is established will depend on the facts and circumstances of the particular case.
In some personal injury actions, legal causation may be established if the plaintiff can show that the defendant engaged in intentional conduct. This means that the wrongdoer intentionally or purposefully harmed the plaintiff or knew that the conduct in which he or she engaged gave rise to a substantial likelihood that harm would result.
Negligence and strict liability
Other personal injury actions are based on a looser concept of fault called negligence. Under the negligence theory, a defendant is held liable for the results of action or inaction when an ordinary person in the same position should have foreseen that the conduct would create an unreasonable risk of harm to others. Still other types of personal injury actions are based on strict liability, which is a no-fault system under which liability may be established regardless of the fault of the various parties, including the injured party. Strict liability is often applied in products liability cases, such as when a manufacturer or seller of a defective product puts that product into the hands of consumers and users of the product are injured.
The defendant can be held liable for actions taken, or for actions not taken. A driver who fails to stop at a red light and hits another vehicle and injures the other driver or passengers is liable based on her negligent acts. A property owner who fails to clear the ice and snow from the front steps of a business open to the public may be liable for his inaction if a patron falls and breaks her leg when attempting to enter the premises.
Defenses to liability in personal injury cases
In some situations, the defendant's conduct, while questionable, may not give rise to damages. If, for instance, a plaintiff knowingly and willfully chooses to encounter a known hazard, then the law provides that he or she has assumed the risk of injury and therefore the defendant should not be liable. The "assumption of the risk" theory may apply, for example, in a case in which the plaintiff engaged in a friendly game of tackle football and another player broke his arm. In such a case, the plaintiff may be unable to recover for his injuries because he knew of the risks inherent in the game and willingly chose to encounter them.
The following are possible defenses to personal injury claims.
Statute of limitations. Statutes of limitations are laws setting forth the period within which a lawsuit must be initiated.
Sovereign immunity. Sovereign immunity provides that certain government agents and entities are immune from civil liability for actions taken in the course of their official duties.
Intentional misuse. Injuries caused by a plaintiff's intentional misuse of a product, particularly in disregard of provided instructions or warnings, may be a defense in a products liability case.
Contributory or comparative negligence. Contributory or comparative negligence exists where the plaintiff's own conduct caused or contributed to his or her injuries.
A personal injury lawyer can explain these and other defenses and determine whether they apply to a particular case.
Contact a personal injury lawyer
Personal injury actions often require a lawyer's careful examination of the surrounding facts and circumstances to determine whether the defendant is legally responsible for the plaintiff's injuries. Many personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they charge no legal fees unless and until the defendant pays the damage award. A personal injury attorney at Brewster & De Angelis, P.L.L.C. in Tulsa, Oklahoma, can look at the facts of your case and determine whether you have a legally valid claim, how soon you must act to preserve your rights, the damages to which you may be entitled and whether you may be entitled to some type of financial benefits before your lawsuit is even resolved.
DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.
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climateSpy.com
Palm Springs, CA weather in April 1944
Temperature for April 1944
In April 1944 the average high temperature in Palm Springs, CA was 83.5°F, and this was 4.1°F cooler than the average of 87.7°F. The hottest day in April 1944 was 6 April when the temperature reached 90.3°F. Overnight the average temperature in April is 55.0°F and in 1944 the average overnight temperature was 1.2°F warmer at 56.2°F.
Precipitation for April 1944
In April the average monthly rainfall in Palm Springs, CA is 0.40 inches with rain usually falling on 1 days. In April 1944 there was a total of 0.00 inches of rain, that fell on 1 days.
The climate summary for this page is based on data from the Global Summary of the Day and is based on weather observations between July 1943 and December 2012.
Show Year
© climateSpy.com 2012 - 2014
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Michael Duff
Trace Ritter
Orlando Sims 1955-2014
Toby Scarbrough
Michael Duff is the singer and guitarist of Chalk FarM. Originally called “Michael Duff & Chalk FarM” while a Trio (with Orlando & Toby), the band picked up lead guitarist Trace Ritter and dropped Duff from its name. It’s a give-and-take type of affair!
Originally from Massachusetts, Duff and his family moved to the Syracuse, NY region for his High School years. Graduating from Cicero High School, Duff went on to attend SUNY New Paltz to study Photography and Marketing, and where he was recently inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame for his Soccer and Volleyball performance.
Playing guitar and singing began early, lip-syncing to records for family and friends in the neighborhood and eventually writing his own songs. Music took a back seat to sports for the few final years in MA, but when the family moved west to Syracuse, he found the guitar an easy friend.
His debut performance was at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in North Syracuse, NY, during his sophomore year, singing “Little Drummer Boy” at a Christmas Midnight Mass. Duff was hooked after this and spent the next few years performing at Church, coffee houses and anywhere else an under-aged performer could play.
College brought more performances and an acceleration of writing and guitar. Cover bands helped with both as well as the experience and influence of other players.
After College, Michael lived in Levittown, Long Island, where he performed more and more until his employer, Marshall Amplifiers in Westbury, NY, offered him his dream of moving to Los Angeles, which he accepted at once.
Landing in Hollywood in the days of Poison, Motley Crue and other glam rock with really big hair, Duff’s more acoustic rock style tried to fit in as best he could, playing in various bands in the LA scene. It was in one of those bands that he met Orlando Sims. After surviving a suffocating producer who said Duff would never sing in the band, he struck out on his own and started Michael Duff & Chalk FarM.
Within a year after hooking up with Trace, Chalk FarM was recording with Columbia Records and touring North America. in fact, one year to the day of their first gig with Trace, the foursome were in the studio with Matt Hyde recording “Notwithstanding.”
After a couple years of touring with the band and eventually leaving Columbia Records (you can read about that whole thing on the “About Us” page), Duff called it quits from playing altogether.
“It just stopped being fun.” says Michael. “I’d always said that I’d stop when it wasn’t fun anymore, so I did. Plus, my daughter was only 3 and I’d missed a good part of her life already. I figured this was a good point to get some Dad time in.”
The band broke up in January of 2000, just after the release of the Three 2s record on Duff’s own TIC Records imprint.
About a year later he had gone to Paris, France for a religious freedom rally to support his Scientology beliefs and some freedom rights that were being challenged there. “There was going to be a big concert, and I knew my friend David Pomeranz was going to be performing so I asked him if he needed a guitar player. He said no, but told me to bring my guitar anyway. I did, and as it happened someone on the bill had to cancel so they asked me to perform in that slot. And there I was, for the first time in years performing my own songs – on my own – for the few thousand people there, and a light bulb went on and I said to myself: That’s right! THIS is what I do!”
Duff spent the next few years collecting recordings ultimately becoming the Award-Winning “Unbreakable.” He recorded much of it in Nashville with many of Nashville’s finest studio players and co-wrote the songs with many award-winning writers. The work resulted in a Los Angeles Music Award for Best A/C Male Vocalist. “That was really cool.” said Duff. “Unexpected, but cool. In fact, I wasn’t even able to get into the hall the night of the ceremony to accept the award because the ‘Security’ was so overblown and it was generally an unorganized scene that half of the people who were supposed to be inside got stuck outside. So my wife and I went to the movies.”
He recorded a Christmas CD entitled “Christmas Time with Michael Duff,” a reaction he says to the live Benefit Christmas Variety Show he has been the Musical Director for for the past 8 years in Hollywood. “Christmas songs are so great. I’ve sung a bunch of them in the show, I just thought it was time to record some.”
Duff has performed in places as far and away as Russia (Moscow & St. Petersburg), Tokyo, Germany, London and all over the U.S on his own. Most of these performances have been solo acoustic. And he had been thinking about the “Old Days” in Chalk FarM when Trace called him and said “I just saw some acoustic show we did in Austin way back when. We should do an acoustic Chalk FarM show!”
And the ball began to roll.
© 2013-2018 ChalkFarM.com. All Rights Reserved.
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Bollywood Comedy Movies
List of all Bollywood Comedy Movies with starcast, confirmed release date, reviews, genre, duration and other details.
Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
Release date: 10th March 2017
This Holi, witness India's first love franchise film. Starring Varun Dhawan as Badrinath Bansal and Alia Bhatt as Vaidehi Trivedi, the film is more than just your boy meets girl love story. It is the coming together of raw and refined with a touch of desi-pan and a hatke definition of pyaar! Join them in the journey of...
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Veere Di Wedding (2018)
Release date: 1st June 2018
Veere Di Wedding is an upcoming 2018 Indian Hindi female buddy comedy film, directed by Shashanka Ghosh. The film is co-produced by Rhea Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Nikhil Dwivedi and stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania in lead roles, as four friends attending a wedding....
Director: Shashanka Ghosh
3 DEV (2018)
India is generally a superstition dominated country. And the people here strongly rely on God to resolve the problems or issues that are beyond them. This is where beliefs and superstitions come into the picture. But what is really superstition or belief or God?...
Director: Ankoosh Bhatt
Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se (2018)
Genre: Comedy,Drama
Release date: 31st August 2018
The film would not be a continuation of the earlier parts, but a completely new story with Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol playing new characters....
Director: Navaniat Singh
Total Dhamaal (2018)
Release date: 22nd February 2019
Total Dhamaal is an upcoming Indian comedy film, directed and co-produced by Indra Kumar. It is the sequel to 2011 film Double Dhamaal and the third installment of the Dhamaal film series. It will be first multistarrer adventure comedy film to be released in 3D. Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi and Jaaved Jaffrey repr...
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Ellie Lascore has been a waitress for most of her working life. On Dec. 13, she worked her last shift at the Putney Diner and retired.
Last shift for a legend
Long-time waitress Ellie Lascore retires from Putney Diner
PUTNEY—Ellie Lascore stayed at the Putney Diner hours after her shift ended on Dec. 13.
Instead of going from table to table to take patrons’ orders and bring them food and coffee, as she had done for 17 years there, Lascore sat down and a line of customers brought things to her. Cards, gifts, hugs, kisses.
“Oh, I got everything!” Lascore said. “A lot of flowers. And a lot of money!”
Lascore’s boss, Putney Diner owner Eleni Maksakuli, threw her a retirement party that afternoon. The kitchen was closed, but Maksakuli set up two buffet tables with sweet and savory treats.
Even though, when the clock struck three, Lascore had officially retired from waitressing, she couldn’t help herself.
“I have that tea you like,” she said to Nancy Olson. “They might not have it here any more,” she noted, and disappeared for a few minutes, coming back with a box of her customer’s favorite lemon herbal tea.
To another guest, Lascore said, “Are you sure you don’t want something to drink, honey?"
“You’re not working anymore, Ellie!” the guest replied, and went to get herself a cup of tea.
Old habits die hard.
“I’m a career waitress,” Lascore told The Commons. “I’ve been waitressing since I was 15 years old.” She turned 80 this year.
’I didn’t like anything else’
Lascore began working at the Putney Diner in 1990. Before that, for seven years she was at Jad’s, the Brattleboro family restaurant on Canal Street in the space now occupied by the Flamingo Diner.
Her first gig in town was at the Riverview Diner in Brattleboro, where the Whetstone Station restaurant and brewery now sits. She worked there for 19 years.
When asked if she ever held any other type of job, Lascore said, “I didn’t like anything else."
She said she loved working at The Putney Diner.
“I felt bad today. I started to cry. I’m going to miss my customers,” Lascore said.
“I loved it here. There’s a lot of nice people — the customers, and the people I work with. I made a lot of good friends,” she said. “I’ve had some very good luck."
But maybe Lascore’s success isn’t entirely due to luck.
Her advice to anyone interested in waiting tables: “Do you like people? You have to like people. You also have to remember a lot."
Em Richards, who was Lascore’s customer for 17 years, said, “she always knows what you want and when you want it."
Carolyn Holt remarked, “Did you know Ellie never wrote anything down when she took [customers’] orders? She always gets ’em right, too. She’s incredible."
Lascore also kept a firm grip. When asked for some funny moments in her career, Lascore said, “when my customers made me laugh and I dropped the coffee. I never dropped the food, though!"
After 65 years of waiting tables, what does Lascore plan to do with all of her free time?
“I think I’ll stay home for awhile. I’ve never done that,” she said, and added, “I’m going to read, watch TV, and lay around. I love doing that! I don’t care what people think of me.”
Enduring connections
Lascore will soon move to Hinsdale, N.H. Former diner owner Robin Wright built Lascore an apartment in the Putney Diner building five years ago, but she is leaving it to live closer to her family.
A guest asked Holt — a longtime customer and friend of Lascore’s — “will Ellie be lonely, being so far from this community that loves her?"
“At first,” Holt said, “but she’ll make new friends."
After Lascore commented to a guest about that day’s wintery temperatures, he asked her, “Are you sure Hinsdale is south enough for you?”
“I know! It’s freezing cold!” replied Lascore, who added, “Your coffee gets cold before you can drink it."
When another guest offered Lascore her shawl to help keep her warm, she responded, “I don’t want your shawl, honey. I don’t want to look like a baby."
Many customers refused to break ties with the woman who served them for so long.
“Now you take care, honey,” said Tom Goddard. “If you ever need anything, you can call any one of us,” he added. Another customer chimed in: “If you need anything, you know how to get a hold of us."
She was frequently asked when she’ll return — but not necessarily to work.
“Many of my customers today said, ’You can come in and sit with us every darn time you want to,’” Lascore said.
“Are you coming back to visit?” Richards asked, and offered an idea: “I think we should have a bulletin board with the days you’re coming to visit."
“I might fill in,” Lascore said. “Eleni doesn’t want me to leave."
“I know you’re retired, Ellie, but what days will you be here?” a man asked her. Another wanted to know, “What time is breakfast at your new place?”
Originally published in The Commons issue #439 (Wednesday, December 20, 2017). This story appeared on page A1.
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More Local News on DHHSC Outreach Specialist Feta Fernsler Emergency Prepardness Classes in Bedford County
Maryland Law Firm Settles Deaf Access Complaint
ADA Accessibility and Advocacy
From The Disability Law & Policy e-Newsletter 2/7/2013
http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/ and http://bbi.syr.edu
On January 3, 2013, the Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights announced a settlement with a Maryland-based debt collection law firm over allegations that the firm had discriminated against individuals who are deaf. Multiple complainants claimed that the firm refused to accept phone calls through video relay services, a type of technology that allows a person who is deaf to communicate with another party through the use of a video sign language interpreter. The complaint further alleges that firm employees hung up on one complainant and informed another that she had to call back at a specific time when a manager was present.
The settlement requires the firm to pay $30,000 to the complainants, to revise its policies and procedures to ensure that the office accepts video relay service calls and treats people with disabilities equally, and to train its employees on ADA obligations. In regard to the settlement, Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez stated that people with disabilities cannot be denied services simply because they use alternative ways to communicate and that the Justice Department will not tolerate this type of discrimination.
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Law Firm Over Discrimination Against Deaf Individuals, U.S. Department of Justice Press Release, Jan. 3, 2013, available at:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/January/13-crt-005.html
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DW.com: Khat is big business in Ethiopia
Khat is a thriving business in Ethiopia. The country is the world's biggest exporter for the amphetamine-like leaf. Despite health risks, trade is so lucrative that it is unlikely to slow down any time soon.
Author Maria Gerth-Niculescu
Jarra Teklay Yohannes had had just settled down on the floor of his office in Awoday – a small, carpeted room with belongings scattered around - when a young boy popped his head round the metal door. "Someone is missing at their post," he said.
"I have my people everywhere, it's all about information," Jarra said, his eyes still focused on the calculations of last night's income, a thick book lying on his lap. "Without trust, you can't run the khat business." It is a business worth millions in the highlands of eastern Ethiopia.
Located a few kilometers from the sacred Muslim city of Harar, Awoday is the world's biggest market for the amphetamine-like leaf, a stimulant said to enhance concentration and reduce tiredness while producing euphoria. An estimated $80 million (€71 million) are said to change hands on the market in one night alone, but it is impossible to track the true numbers.
A booming, lucrative business
The market operates 24 hours a day in a hustle and bustle of trucks, merchants and women who sell small amounts of khat on the roadside. Buildings are filled with teams of young men cutting, cleaning and packaging the branches in a mix of frenzy and trance. The peak of activity starts after sunset. "The sun burns the leaves, so the trucks need to be gone by early morning," Jarra explained. He usually works from about 7 p.m. until the early morning. "But during the busy season, I sometimes stay in my office for an entire month. My family comes to visit me here," he added. Time is really money in Awoday; khat has to be consumed within 48 hours of its harvest, after which the effect will be only minimal.
Trader Jarra Teklay Yohannes counts the day's income
The cheerful 50 year-old Jarra is one of hundreds of traders who work in this booming business. They export the leaves to neighboring Djibouti or Somaliland. Some trucks also head to other Ethiopian cities, such as the capital, Addis Ababa, 500 km (310 miles) to the west. Jarra is proud to be one of the six most successful exporters, with seven trucks leaving every day to Somaliland. It's a lucrative business not only for the traders but also for the government. "Last night, I gave 40,600 birr [€1,268, $1,420] of my earnings to customs. For the biggest exporters, this can go up to $91,000 dollars for a single day. But it's a very tiny percentage of the total income," Jarra boasted. Many say the numbers are even higher and corruption is endemic. It is believed that the government earns much more from khat sales than it does from coffee, which is officially the country's first export product. "Ten times more," according to the trader, who is one of the few Christians in the khat business in Awoday. "But they will never say so, because some countries consider it to be a drug."
Manifold health risks
Many countries have banned the consumption of khat, although there are no international controls in place. In Ethiopia, especially around Harar, chewing khat is commonplace. "It's part of our culture and our life. If you want to make peace with someone, you 'khat and chat'. If you go to a wedding, or if you want to ask to marry my child, you bring khat."
Khat consumption can be traced back to Sufism, a branch of Islam widely practiced in Harar since its arrival in the 11th century. The leaf is now consumed by Muslims and Christians alike, and is very popular among students countrywide. The use of the psychologically addictive leaf has also become the symptom of a largely unemployed youth. It is common to see young men sitting at the roadside, chewing the green-reddish leaves. In Ethiopia, people consume about 400 grams (14 ounces) per day on average, and sometimes much more.
Activity around the khat business peaks during nighttime
Too much money at stake
"There is a problematic use of khat in the country. It is dangerous and produces adverse health consequences," says Ephrem Engidawork, professor of pharmacology at the University of Addis Ababa. He has been researching the health impact of khat for over a decade. He says about 20% of all Ethiopians chew khat to an extent that can have negative consequences for their health. "The most common adverse effect occurs on the cardiovascular system," the professor explains. "People experience myocardial infarction. That is the most deadly risk of khat chewing during a prolonged period of time." It is also believed to impact on the liver and teeth, and has psychological effects. "Prolonged use of khat is associated with schizophrenia. Many schizophrenic patients have a history of khat chewing. We also confirmed that in our animal studies," Ephrem said.
This public health aspect is not considered a priority by the government, judging by the lack of attention and resources it has set aside for research purposes. It has also shown no interest in regulating consumption. Ephrem said he once suggested creating a research institute for khat in order to address the challenge. But his idea "fell on deaf ears. Nobody is interested," he said.
Considering the amount of money khat presents for the country, it is unlikely that production and consumption will slow down anytime soon. On the contrary, more and more farmers abandon coffee and other crops to cultivate the stimulant. Currently, about 70% of agricultural land in the Harari region is allocated to khat.
Proud to be a khat grower
Khat generates so much money in Ethiopia that the government seems loath to fight its use and sale
Chala Jemal and his family are among the many households who have relied on khat for decades."Khat produces lots of income per kilo. You reap it three times a year, sometimes even four or five times. Other crops are harvested only once," Chala said, proudly showing off his father's farm. The family owns about five hectares (12 acres) of khat land, passed down through several generations. The cold harvest nights are part of Chala's most cherished childhood memories. His favorite time of the year is the rainy season, from June to September. "During the rainy season, khat will be surrounded by different plants, so I have to clear the ground to give it more life. It's green everywhere and the plants need my support," he said.
One kilogram of export khat can be sold for around €20, but prices can go up significantly according to the quality of the produce. "We use the income from khat to build up our capital, to buy a car or run different businesses. In parallel, we grow maize, sorghum, peanuts, for everyday sustenance," explained Chala, squatting next to a young khat tree. He passed his fingers gently through the reddish leaves at the top of the branches. "These will give you merqana," an expression which describes the high one gets from chewing khat. Chala talks about it with delight. "Merqana will keep your stress away. If you are tired, weak, it will take it away, make you forget everything and make you feel who you are," he added. Others say merqana is the depressive moment which comes right after the euphoria.
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Difference Between the Nokia N8 and N900
• Categorized under SmartPhones | Difference Between the Nokia N8 and N900
Nokia N8 vs N900
Nokia’s N8 and N900 are the most notable phones that featured a different OS; Nokia’s attempt at establishing a successor to the antiquated Symbian S60. While the N8 used Symbian^3, the S60’s supposed successor, the N900 uses Maemo. Maemo is a total departure from Symbian as it is based on Linux and makes the N900 function more like a computer than a phone. One thing that both operating systems have in common, though, is the absence of native apps which is quite understandable given that they are quite new.
Because of this, it was essential to provide the N900 with a slide-out keyboard aside from the touch-screen interface which the N8 has. Although the keyboard certainly has its advantages, it also has disadvantages; including the added bulk as the N900 is roughly 50% thicker and heavier than the N8, making it cumbersome to hold and use.
To say that the camera of the N8 is better than that of the N900 is probably the biggest understatement that can be made. The camera is the focal point of the N8 while the N900’s camera is more of an afterthought. The N8 has a 12 megapixel sensor with specialized optics that result in pictures rivaling many digital cameras while the 5 megapixel camera of the N900 is, at best, just at par with what other smartphones have. The Xenon flash of the N8 can also produce more light than the LED flashes of the N900; allowing it to produce significantly better pictures when there is no light available. Lastly, the N8 is capable of shooting 720p video while the N900 can only manage WVGA video resolution.
One prime advantage of the N900 is its massive amount of memory; it has 32GB of flash memory and a microSD slot for additional storage. The N8’s memory, even though it’s just half at 16GB, isn’t too shabby and is still more than what you would typically find on most other smartphones.
Despite being totally different from each other, the two phones of Nokia seem to share the same fate as the Finish phone giant leaps into the Microsoft wagon and adopts the Windows Phone 7 OS. It is highly unlikely that development of the two would continue at the given rate, and it is more likely that their successors would also be using Windows Phone 7 OS.
The N8 uses Symbian^3 while the N900 uses Maemo.
The N900 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard while the N8 doesn’t.
The N900 is considerably thicker and heavier than the N8.
The N8 has a better camera than the N900.
The N900 has more memory than the N8.
Help us improve. Rate this post! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Difference Between Nokia N8 and Windows 7 Phone
Difference Between Nokia N8 and Nokia N900
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Ben Joan. "Difference Between the Nokia N8 and N900." DifferenceBetween.net. April 27, 2011 < http://www.differencebetween.net/object/gadgets-object/smartphones-gadgets-object/difference-between-the-nokia-n8-and-n900/ >.
Written by : Ben Joan. and updated on April 27, 2011
See more about : nokia
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Homeschooling Mom of 3 lives Zero Waste in Belleville, Ontario
When you first meet Alissa Brennan, you'll notice that she holds a calm, peaceful energy. Her three, energetic children are happy, polite and kind. In this ever growing, fast-paced world of technology, it was refreshing to sit still with Alissa and learn about how she manages to live simply in today's world. She is an urban homesteader, a supplier of essential oils and a homeschooling Mama striving to live a zero waste life in Belleville, Ontario. When you think of all of this combined, by no means does it sound like it would be "simple" in any way. But Alissa manages to navigate life smoothly on their 1/8 acre lot with three, beautiful children and a cuddly dog.
After chatting with Alissa for some time and learning she too was a single Mom, I asked her how she managed her bills, her home and her lifestyle. Although not currently single, Alissa shared with me how terrified she was when she first became a single parent. I nodded knowingly, like most people no one ever expects to become a single parent. She shared how she had just started homeschooling her daughter and knew she needed to find a way to continue. With her three kids packed in a van, she drove from Nova Scotia to Belleville to be closer to family. Alissa spoke openly about her determination to find a mortgage broker who would "go to bat" for a single Mom with no income. After being rejected five times, she finally found one. Three years later, she continues to build upon her gorgeous little home where we sit and listen to her beside a warm fire.
"I made a decision that I wanted to buy a house and homeschool my children. And we live in a beautiful country where the government provides support, for example with the Canada Child Tax Benefits. It made it easier for me to do this."
Having found myself in a similar position, being single and also wanting to stay at home with my child, I understood the feeling of being so determined to do something that nothing would get your way. As Alissa states, "When you make a conscious decision to do something, everything works out."
While our visit was far too short, it was so nice to be around a woman and Mother, who shares similar values and lifestyles. Although I can continue to write about her, I'll let Alissa's documentary sum up what she strives for in life: to live a Simple Life in the City with her family.
Thank you Alissa, for taking the time to meet with Jodi and I and share your story.
Learn more about Alissa on her website: http://www.simplelifeinthecity.com/category/zerowaste/
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In INSPIRATIONAL HUMANS Tags simple life in the city, homeschooling in Belleville, how to live a zero waste life in ottawa, how to live zero waste in belleville, families who live zero waste canada, families who homeschool in Belleville, families who homestead in the city, homesteading in the city, single mom lives zero waste and homeschools
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Deleuzepdf
Jon Bialecki
Initially published 11 Jan 2018
http://doi.org/10.29164/18deleuze
This entry takes on two subjects. First, it addresses the influence that anthropology had on the work of the mid-twentieth century French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, and second, the influence that Gilles Deleuze’s work has subsequently exerted on anthropology. In Deleuze’s encounter with anthropology, he ended up seeing anthropological structuralism as a limit to thought. However, he saw Anglo-American anthropology, and some later French anthropology, as powerful tools for conceiving different arrangements of the world, and he ended up relying heavily on these materials when he constructed his own Nietzschian longue durée speculative anthropology. As a discipline, anthropology has had little interest in Deleuze’s speculative anthropology; however, it has seen both Deleuze’s overall aesthetics and many of his concepts as theoretical engines that could be used piecemeal at will, with little concern for the role they played in Deleuze’s overall thought, or for how having these ideas reterritorialized in anthropology might affect them. In the end, this entry suggests that despite the outsized reception of Deleuze in anthropology, a real encounter with Deleuze’s thoughts have yet to occur; despite this lack of a true, sustained engagement, anthropological use of Deleuzian concepts has still been incredibly productive in the discipline.
Gilles Deleuze’s (1925-1995) reception in anthropology has had multiple, and often incommensurable, dimensions. That may not be a problem, however. It certainly wouldn’t have been a slur for this thinker who has been treated in so many different and disjunctive ways, because if there ever were a figure that would be happy being a multiplicity, it would be Gilles Deleuze. This entry will present what anthropology was for Deleuze, and also what Deleuze would be for the subsequent anthropologists that would read him. In the end, it will argue that despite a high degree of mutual interest between the thinker and the discipline, there has not been a real encounter between anthropological thought and the thought of Deleuze; this entry will also suggest that this may be just as Deleuze would have wanted it.
Deleuze was a twentieth century philosopher, known both for his own works as well as for a series of collaborations with the psychiatrist and political activist Félix Guattari.[1] To reduce this thought to a few rough intellectual axioms, it could be said that the center of Deleuze’s project was prizing difference over identity, privileging immanence over transcendence, the pre-subjective over the subjective; an attention to intensity as the other side of seemingly extensive objects and processes; an interest in the promise of novelty that could be found both in combinatory logic of different objects, processes, and thought; and in underdetermined potentiality that these objects, processes, and thought contained. Deleuze is often presented, especially in an American academic context, as being ‘postmodern’ or ‘poststructural’ or as a part of ‘French Theory’, even though these categories are an artifact of Anglophone reception instead of an expression of any common value or signification in the so-designated works (see, for example, Cusset 2008). Even if these categories were intelligible, however, there would be good reason for setting Deleuze and his oeuvre apart from the rest of the mid-twentieth century thinkers that he is often lumped in with. The reason that Deleuze should be set apart is that his work is singular when held up not just against post-war French thinking, but arguably when held up against the history of modern philosophy as a whole. The British analytic philosopher W.B. Moore has stated that Deleuze was a ‘remarkable … polymath’ who achieved a break with previous philosophical tradition that is on the order of the ‘Copernican turn’ effectuated by Immanuel Kant (2013: 542). That Deleuze, of all people, could be credited with such a break could be considered surprising, especially since it would be easy to see him as an intellectually (as opposed to politically) conservative thinker. He spent a large part of his career working in the history of philosophy, and even after he became established as a philosopher in his own right, he continued to write what were essentially pedagogical précis on the works of canonical philosophers such as Hume, Leibnitz, Kant, and Nietzsche. Furthermore, his own original work is self-presented not as a break with western metaphysics, but as a continuation of it, even if he understands himself as expressing a particular ‘minor’ philosophical tradition, one that runs (in his telling) from Spinoza to Heidegger, that he considers to be at odds with the more established modes of philosophy. Deleuze likened his work to that of picking up the arrows of ‘great thinkers’ so that he could ‘try to send them in other directions, even if the distance covered is not astronomical, but quite small’ (1993: xv).[2]
However, there is no consensus on what direction he was shooting these metaphorical arrows, or how true his aim. He has been seen as both a continuation of traditional philosophy and a break with it, a subjectivist and a realist, a champion of postmodernity and a critic of postmodernity, an ontologist and an enemy of ontological thinking, a thinker of pure difference and a monotonous thinker of ‘the one,’ a Leninist enemy of capitalism and a proponent of an unfettered hypercapitalism.[3]
If we want to operate in the very ‘un-Deleuzian’ register of blame (Deleuze felt that blame was supersaturated in the toxic Nietzschian affect called ressentiment), then it should be acknowledged that some of the responsibility for this wide variation in the reception of Deleuze’s work lies with Deleuze himself. Deleuze’s writing style and technical vocabulary does not invite any easy understanding. Part of it was his interest in variation, change, and in ‘multiplicities,’ which meant that he was more interested in exploring all the various forks in a line of thought rather than in didactically tracing a thought’s borders.[4] Further, he has produced a dizzying array of neologisms, and he often purposefully uses already-extant technical terms in idiosyncratic and sometimes perverse ways. His work is full of odd terms such as ‘rhizomes’, ‘arborescent’, ‘smooth and stratiated space’, ‘desiring machines’, ‘the body without organs’. But perhaps the chief reason for Deleuze to receive such a varied and vertiginous reception lies in his critique of what he called the ‘dogmatic imagine of thought’, which he understood to be the grounding assumptions behind almost the entirety of western philosophy. This ‘dogmatic image’ includes a suspicion of the primacy of representation, skepticism that ‘good will’ is all that is needed to reach the truth, and even doubt about the primacy of truth. It was not that he did not believe in truth; he did not deny truth as a mode of thought or measure of validation across the board. Rather, Deleuze observed that most true statements are banal statements, and that relevance, importance, or novelty were often more vital measures of evaluation.
While Deleuze claimed that he was an empiricist in the style of Hume, his work seems distant from the sort of empiricism that constitutes most of ethnographic writing and thought (but, see Rutherford 2012). Therefore, his concern with both nose-bleed level metaphysics and with radical critiques of the history of western philosophy would seem to suggest that any anthropological hybridization with Deleuze would be stillborn. But this is not the case. Not only has there been substantial anthropological interest in Deleuze, but Deleuze himself was also a close reader of anthropology. Deleuze even produced what might be called an ‘anthropology’ of his own, not in the sense of a philosophical theory of man, but more along the line of Kant’s anthropology, a large-scale rubric to think through the forms and histories of various human collectivities. The rest of this entry will consist of rehearsing this anthropology, and of discussing how anthropologists have repurposed Deleuze for their own intellectual project. The reader should be prepared for multiple infelicities in these discussions. Despite Deleuze’s familiarity with the then-current state of the discipline, his anthropology has features that make it indigestible to most contemporary anthropological sensibilities. And while there are some important exceptions, the contemporary anthropological engagement with Deleuze suggests a lack of command of his system of thought. This feature does not invalidate these anthropological works, of course; Deleuze would most likely applaud having his work deployed in different intellectual environments; having it mutated so that it works to new ends; having it vivisected and sutured to other theoretical systems. But this does mean that these theoretical hopeful monsters may in the end not be very Deleuzian, despite their apparent intellectual paternity. In the opening passage of A thousand plateaus, which Deleuze co-wrote with Guattari, the authors invoke the imagine of a wasp and an orchid to illustrate the way two heterogeneous systems could engage in a ‘double capture’, each repurposing the other to their own ends without at the same time assimilating the other or erasing the fundamental differences between them. The wasp treats the orchid as a sexual partner or rival, and the orchid treats the wasp as a pollen vector. The attentive reader, however, will note that there is some ambivalence in French between when one should use the term ‘guêpe’ (or wasp) and when one should use the term ‘abeille’ (or bee), and that while both bees and wasps pollinate orchids, there are few orchids that are pollinated by both species. There is always, therefore, the possibility of confusion and misuse; and we should also remember that for one of the two parties, such a mating is always sterile. What is true for bees and orchids may be true in some cases for Deleuze and anthropology as well; but whether either is necessarily the wasp or the orchid will remain an open question.
What anthropology was for Gilles Deleuze
Engagement with Structuralism
Any discussion of Deleuze and anthropology has to begin by addressing the former’s relation to structuralism. Structuralism is a topic too complex to completely rehearse here; it can perhaps be best summarized as the claim that sense is not inherent in any one sign, but is produced by systems of reciprocal differences between two signs, or sets of signs (Stasch 2006). While structuralism as a theoretical framework has its roots in the linguistic work of authors such as Jacobson and de Saussure (Percival 2011), and there were also ‘structuralisms’ in fields as diverse as literary criticism (Barthes 1974), political philosophy (Althusser 1971), and psychoanalysis (Lacan 2007), it seems fair to say that the most influential formulation of structuralism at the period that Deleuze was intellectually active was the anthropological one promulgated by Lévi-Strauss. Like many other Francophone intellectuals of that time, Deleuze had an ambivalent relation with structuralism. As can be seen in his 1967 essay[5], ‘How do we recognize structuralism’, there seems to be moments where Deleuze takes this approach up without hesitation or qualification (Deleuze 2004). Deleuze’s essay is expressly written as a dispatch from a particular moment. It is careful to situate where it sits in intellectual history: this essay starts out with the statement ‘This is 1967’. It goes to great care to mark itself as being written in an early moment, and several times marks important elements of structuralism as having still open, though possibly determinable, questions (for example, when discussing the symbolic order, it states that ‘We do not yet know what this symbolic element consists of’) (Deleuze 2004: 173). While not endorsing structuralism outright, he presents a meticulous re-articulation of it using language almost identical to that found in his first two ‘non-history-of-philosophy’ books, Difference and repetition (1993) and Logic of sense (1990a). But this also means that Deleuze’s structuralism, even as it acknowledged its debt to Lévi-Strauss, was very much his own. What interests Deleuze is seeing structure as a net of potentiality, nodes of which are only transitorily inhabited by particular actualized figures. What is more, Deleuze’s structuralism is one that is very concerned with the tempo and rhythm of the time and events that are the expressions of structure: while the architectonic aspects of structuralism are not absent, they are secondary to the variation that occurs in different iterations of a set of structural relations (see Alliez 2005: 92-93). Because of this, is it possible to read Deleuze and Guattari’s later rejection of structuralism in A thousand plateaus not as a retrenchment or reposition, but rather as emphasizing that any reading of structuralism must take temporal unfolding into being. For instance, Deleuze and Guattari complain that Lévi-Strauss presents myths where humans transform into animals (and where animals engage in their own strange transformations) as ‘a correspondence between two relations’. Such a framing, Deleuze and Guattari note, ‘impoverishes the phenomenon’, and that myth as Lévi-Strauss presents it is ‘a framework of classification [that] is quite incapable of registering these becomings, which are more like fragments than tales’: Lévi-Strauss’s structuralism has no role for either ‘graduating resembles’, or ‘resemblances in a series’, instead inevitably producing an ‘order of differences’. Worst of all, structuralism ‘denounced the prestige accorded to the imagination’ (Deleuze & Guattari 1999: 236-7). It is not the poles in structural oppositions that interests Deleuze, but rather the extended continuum between them.
This later stance should not be taken as an across-the-board rejection of Lévi-Strauss, or as indicating an actual fundamental incapability between these thinkers. Understanding Deleuze and Guattari as presenting a total critique of Lévi-Strauss might be going too far. Eduardo Viveiros de Castro (2015), a close reader of both Deleuze and Lévi-Strauss, has stated that the latter’s four volume Mythologique series is more Deleuzian than perhaps Deleuze himself appreciated. The endless variations expressed in Lévi-Strauss’s kaleidoscopic recounting of the imagination of the indigenous Americas suggests not just a controlling logic of difference and differentiation, of translation and transformation. Further, the refusal of any transcending code or horizon that apparently characterizes Mythologique by the project’s end is read by Viveiros de Castro as an instance of pure immanence of thought, a mode of thinking that Deleuze prized over transcendence. Of course, one could be skeptical of this reading: others have seen Lévi-Strauss as too caught up in the concrete to throw themselves into a Deleuzian play of pure difference; under this reading, the senior anthropologists unable to make the leap into iterative abstraction (Kaufman 2007) (though again, to some anthropological sensibilities, such a limitation is not necessarily a fault). However, even if one is skeptical of Viveiros de Castro’s reading, it is obvious that, regardless of his attitude towards structuralism as a totality, certain anthropological claims made by Lévi-Strauss were accepted by Deleuze. While some of Lévi-Strauss’ claims were rejected as being too centralized, too interested in locking down transformations in the service of a rationalizing logic, others, such as the social organization outlined in ‘Do dual organizations exist’ are ratified (Deleuze & Guattari 1999: 209-10). Likewise, Lévi-Strauss’s groundbreaking work on kinship is acknowledged, albeit as one that only addresses ‘extension’, which is only one face of a common Deleuzian extensive/intensive diptych (Deleuze & Guattari 1983: 157).
Deleuze as a reader of anthropology
Of course, even granting his importance during the time that Deleuze was active, Lévi-Strauss did not exhaust all of anthropology; Deleuze both read widely and borrowed freely from other contemporary anthropologists. ‘Flux’ and the ‘war machine’, important categories in Deleuze and Guattari’s jointly authored works, are both credited to French anthropologist Pierre Clastres (Deleuze & Guattari 1983; Guattari 2008; Biehlo 2013: 584). Likewise, Gregory Bateson’s (2010) concept of plateaus as ‘a continuous, self-vibrating region of intensities whose development avoids any orientation toward a culmination point or external end’ were important enough for Deleuze and Guattari that they used it as the framing conceit in their second major work (Deleuze & Guattari 1983: 22). But this is just the tip of the iceberg. It is in in Capitalism and schizophrenia (1983), Deleuze’s first collaboration with Guattari, where we see Deleuze engaging in depth with anthropology as a body of literature and as a discipline. In this work, we have substantive references to what almost amounts to a mid-century ‘who’s who’ of the field. In presenting his argument, Deleuze and Guattari invoke: Paul and Laura Bohannan’s work with the Tiv on spheres of exchange and the way that they react to the introduction of cash (176, 248); Victor Turner’s work on healing and symbolism among the Ndembu (167, 350); George Deveroux’s conjecture on social structure and sexuality (33, 165); Jeanne Favret on segmentary organization (152); Myer Fortes on filiation, including an off the cuff reference to the classic Oedipus and Job in West African religion (142, 146); Malinowski’s work on Kula exchange, but also his consideration of the (lack of a) Trobriands’ Oedipal concept (53, 159, 171-2); Edmund Leach on possible (again) filiation, on critiques of Lévi-Strauss’s understanding of presentation and counter-presentation, as well as on the relevance of possible psychological origins of social symbols (146, 150, 164, 172, 179); Marcel Mauss on the Gift (150, 185); and so on. This pattern is repeated in A thousand plateaus, where, in addition to many of the aforementioned authors, the list is expanded to include figures such as Marshall Sahlins and Robert Lowie.
This engagement with anthropology and ethnography was something that Deleuze deeply desired to get right. When writing on this subject, he broke form and did something he rarely did: he consulted with actual experts in a different discipline (Dosse 2010: 201). But this engagement should not be taken to mean that the joint project he and Guattari were engaged in was itself an instance of conventional anthropological thought, or in harmony with the mainline form of the discipline. For all its breadth, their reading of the literature has been strongly criticized for being superficial, for having numerous factual errors, for being blind to some of the complicity with colonialism that characterized some of the anthropology of the period, and for being quick to catapult from particular ethnographic depictions, such as leopard cults in the Belgian Congo or Kachin witchcraft, to ungrounded generalities (‘the sorcerer’ or ‘becoming animal’ in ‘Black Africa’), making concrete populations into philosophical metaphors (Miller 1993; see Holland 2003 in defense of Deleuze and Guattari on many of these points). It should also be noted that anthropologists who went to the field familiar with Deleuzian conceptions abstracted from specific collectivities have found it hard to use those concepts to describe the very social practices that Deleuze and Guattari relied upon, and have often had to modify them substantially in order to make them fit (see, e.g., Pedersen 2007).
Deleuze’s Speculative Anthropology
Deleuze and Guattari’s interest in anthropology should not be taken to mean that they were interested in repeating the form of the anthropological essay or the ethnographic monograph. This is indicated by what they present as the ultimate template for their anthropological project: ‘[t]he great book of modern ethnology is not so much Mauss’s The gift as Nietzsche’s Genealogy of morals’ (Deleuze & Guattari 1983: 190).[6] This engagement with anthropology was in service of a longue durée historical anthropology, the sort of stratigraphic, teleological projects as such nineteenth century authors as Lewis Morgan (1907) or E.B. Tylor (1871a, 1871b). The specific history that they want to trace out is that of production, both in the specific Marxist sense, but also as a general rubric which would encompass the creation of other material, with the most central material being libido.
This interest in seeing both capitalist production and the production of desire could make their project seem to be just another example of the sort of Freudo-Marxism that characterized so much of critical thought during the immediate post-war years of the twentieth century (see, e.g., Marcuse 1974). But it is in the details that Deleuze and Guattari’s project separates itself from others of its kind. Rather than seeing Marx’s process as, in essence, an epiphenomenon of Freudian forces, or as reversing the process and privileging Marx as base and seeing Freud as superstructure, Deleuze and Guattari see both Marxist production and Freudian libido as different instances of the same abstract ‘universal primary process’. This is corrosive not only of these two separate theoretical framings, but also of the actors that Freud and Marx saw as central to their respective projects; it also undoes the ‘modern constitution’ of the Nature-Culture split (Latour 2012) in as much as socio-cultural production and psycho-biological drives are subsumed under the same mechanism. In Anti-Oedipus, there is no subject, whether that subject be conscious, unconscious, or a labor-producing class acting in accordance with its species-being. Rather, everything is just an endless concatenation of semi-autonomous units that Deleuze and Guattari refer to as ‘machines’. These machines (rechristened in later works of theirs as ‘assemblages’) include the various biological bodily features that would be considered ‘part objects’ under more mainline psychoanalytic thinking (examples include an ‘anal machine, a talking-machine, [and] a breaking machine’) (Deleuze and Guattari 1983: 2) But also actual biological processes, human or otherwise, are machines as well. The category of machines is more capacious than the category of physiology or biology. Machinery in the more traditional sense in included as ‘machines’ in the Deleuzian sense of the word, as are various institutions, social arrangements, and psychological and biological systems. In the understanding of Deleuze and Guattari, the function of all these machines can be grasped as either connective, disjunctive, or conjunctive, and the synthesis of these operations allows for broader operations such as production in the common sense, recording, and enjoying.
The reason that the mechanic nature of things is invisible to us is that these operations are situated on what Deleuze and Guattari call the ‘socius’. The socius organizes production by being the site where all these disparate machines are woven together, but the socius is also misrecognized as the source of all this production as well.[7] The socius is an abstract or cognitive space, and as such the kinds of regions where it is ‘located’ can and have changed over time (or at least can and have changed in their account). This brings us to the crux of Deleuze and Guattari’s anthropology. It is shifts in the location of socius, and in the way that the flows on it are organized, which give structure to Deleuze and Guattari’s anthropologic ‘big history’, and demarcates objects of ‘traditional’ anthropological inquiry from the sort of large-scale societies that anthropology only turned to as it matured.
What are these shifts in the socius, and what effects fall from them? In a way that is again not dissimilar to Lewis Morgan’s (1907) Savagery/Barbarism/Civilization triad, Deleuze and Guattari divide humanity’s periods into tribal, empire, and capitalist dispensations. In the tribal period, the socius is understood as being the body of the earth, and flows are situated or ‘territorialized’ on it. In periods of ‘tribal’ organization, both territorialization and the (re)organization and situating of flows on the socius are done through what they call ‘inscription’, which might best be understood as including all forms of ‘leaving one’s mark’ on social life. Inscription is done directly, whether as a mark or as a social action, and because of its unmediated nature it therefore cannot be held to be signification; this means that ‘tribal’ societies are ecologies of effects and not systems of meaning. For Deleuze and Guattari, the business of making kin is the premier form of inscription. It is the creation of kin which organizes bodies in relation to one another and to the ground that is worked upon, ‘coding’ the earth. In their eyes, this is the most important mode through which the flows of intensive filiation are made into the code of alliance and affiliation.
In the following period of ‘empire’, the socius shifts from the surface of the earth to the body of the despot, with the body of the despot discussed in a sense not dissimilar to that found in Kantorowicz (1985). Various agents and subjects of the despot take up the role of his ‘eyes’ or ‘hands’ (or whatever other body part that mapped onto the function that was at issue), thus constituting a sort of leviathan where the focus is more on the outline of the total body than of the composite bodies that constitute the subsumed parts. This means not just a reorganization of the socius, and a concomitant ‘deterritorialization’ of the various already-situated machines, but also an ‘overcoding’ of the already-extant mechanic systems from the previous dispensation as they are utilized by and thought of in relation to the primitive tyrant. The stage is eventually supplanted by capitalism. In this stage, capital itself is the socius, and codes are replaced by axioms. Axoims are half imperative, half algorithm, at once demanding, instructing, and measuring the maximization of flows, accelerating them as surplus value is ‘skimmed off’ of these streams. The speed causes ‘everything solid to melt into air,’ (Marx & Engels 1970: 35) and create a torrent of deterritorialization as flows are decoded, mathematized, and mapped onto the individual bodies of workers and consumers that have been assimilated into the socius. This last mapping is to create the minimum territoriality needed to keep capitalism from running off the wheels, and is also the point of entry to the Oedipal complex, a mode of control that is treated as much as an institutional dispositif as a psychoanalytic reality.
It would be a mistake to see this system as being foundational to either Deleuze and Guattari’s collaboration, or to Deleuze’s own conception of the order of things. In later works by these authors, machines are replaced by assemblages, and the tribal transforms into the nomadic, a dispensation constituted by disciplined itinerants whose rootlessness operates as a Clastres-like (2007) self-inoculation against the formation of the State. Nor should this be seen as exhausting Deleuze’s concerns. Very little of this material or terminology is referenced in Deleuze’s own work. However, it was in articulating this systemitization of the world that Deleuze had his greatest and most prolonged encounter with ethnography and anthropology.
What Deleuze is for Anthropology
Reception of Deleuze’s Speculative Anthropology
That deep engagement does not mean that this system caters to anthropological tastes. Even the anthropologists that Deleuze was in conversation with as he crafted his system expressed to him anxieties about his epoch-spanning periodization (Dosse 2010: 201). And as has been pointed out by Ian Lowrie, while Deleuze and Guattari’s picture of ‘tribal’ societies does seem to resonate with some classical cybernetically-informed ethnographies of small-scale societies (such as Roy Rappaport’s Pigs for the ancestors [2000]), Deleuze’s vision of capitalism as a space and time where mathematics has replaced semiotics seems unlikely to agree with the anthropological palate, and Deleuze and Guattari’s teleological periodization would not be that welcome, either (Lowrie 2017). The social-evolutionary element of the argument is also a bone that many anthropologists would choke on, even though Deleuze and Guattari deny that their schema could be described as social evolution. Finally, their reading of flows and circulation in tribal economies seems more informed by Nietzsche’s concept of debt (which has not received much ethnographic confirmation) than by Mauss’s vision of the Gift (which has) (Graeber 2011: 402).
Depth and breadth of Deleuze’s influence in Anthropology
It is not surprising that Deleuze and Guattari’s account has been given very little time by anthropologists. But that should not be taken to mean that anthropologists have accorded the same low level of respect to Deleuze himself. And while Deleuze does not have as deep a gravity well in the discipline as ‘Planet Foucault’ (Boyer 2002), many anthropologists have turned to Deleuze to hash out their ethnography, or to provide the ligaments for their theoretical constructs.
However, any attempt to pinpoint the influence of Deleuze immediately runs up against one difficulty: the fact that Deleuze’s thinking not only has been dispersed to the degree of being almost atmospheric in the present age, but also the fact that his thinking seems, in many ways, to have presaged the present age as well. Foucault infamously once stated that perhaps the present period would be remembered by historians as ‘Deleuzean’ (Foucault 1998: 343). And while Deleuze brushed this off as ‘a joke meant to make people like us laugh, and make everyone else livid’ (Deleuze 1995: 4), it seems that his work in some ways anticipated much of our zeitgeist. The difficulty is that anticipating the zeitgeist, and being an intellectual influence on thinkers who express it, are two different things (and this is putting to the side the possibility – and to be honest, the high likelihood – that the current era is informing our reading of Deleuze in such a way that other readings of Deleuze, including readings that Deleuze himself might have endorsed, are either foreclosed to us or unrecognizable.) There is also the question of what counts as influence, and what simply counts as being a part of an intellectual genealogy. To take one example, the sociologist of science and self-proclaimed philosopher Bruno Latour has not been shy about the influence that Deleuze’s works have had on him; but does this mean that those who have in turn been influenced by Latour should ‘count’ as being influenced by Deleuze at one remove?
We will put to the side a discussion of ‘accidental’ Deleuzians,[8] and focus on those who have explicitly acknowledged Deleuze as being an important plank in their thoughts. Most anthropologists have declined to take on Deleuze’s thought whole hog (Jensen & Rödje 2010, Markus & Saka 2006), and generally tend to take a single concept and conjoin it to concepts or framings that originate elsewhere. A loose map of anthropologically-repurposed Deleuzian part-concepts would have to include Deleuze’s vision of modern society as he presented it in his essay ‘Postscript on the society of control’, the ‘rhizome’ and ‘the assemblage’ (two ideas of which are given the greatest elaboration in Deleuze’s collaboration with Guattari), Deleuze’s understanding of affect, Deleuze’s concept of temporality, and finally his use of virtuality.
The Anthropological Assemblage
Some of these terms have also been adopted with greater degrees of fidelity than others: the assemblage is likely the instance where use differs most from the original sense (see Marcus & Saka 2006). Assemblage is a term taken from A thousand plateaus. The various translators represented the word agencement as ‘assemblage’, but the more common English translation of this term in other contexts would be ‘layout’ instead (on this point, see also Phillips 2006). This was a bit of a “traduttore traditore” moment. For Deleuze and Guattari, agencement was their term to describe cognitive/linguistic or physical arrangements where each element in the set was in a determinate relation to the others, and which acted in concert. In their minds, assemblages did very specific things, and operated in a particular manner. Assemblages both territorialized some space or material, but also deterritorialized others as it undid whatever organizing or emergent logic preexisted it. Further, not only did all assemblages have content (the material organized in a determinate pattern) but all assemblages also had expressions, which could be either physical or communicative. And most of all, each assemblage was specific to a particular ‘strata’, which might be thought of as a particular domain, space, or classification (see Deleuze & Guattari 1999: 503-5). Finally, assemblages can be thought of as particular instantiations of purely abstract relations (or ‘diagrams’: see Bialecki 2016, 2017b; Zdenbik 2012) that can also be found in other assemblages located in different strata. Given all this structuration, one can see why ‘layout’ may have been more on point than ‘assemblage’. Anthropology, by comparison, has taken the assemblage as something different. For anthropology, assemblages are not determinate relations, but conglomerations of contingent, heterogeneous material that by chance or design (mostly the former) have congealed together to form the ephemeral assemblage (Collier & Ong 2004; Marcus & Saka 2006; Rabinow 2003; Rudnyckyj 2010; Zigon 2010, 2011, 2015). Rather than serving as expressions of an iterable, abstract relationship, each anthropological assemblage is an underdetermined, random, and possibly unique, collage.[9] As Marcus and Saka phrased it, ‘none of the derivations of assemblage theory…is based on a technical and formal analysis of how this concept functions in [Deleuze and Guattari’s] writing’ (2006: 103).
This does not render the anthropological repurposing (reterritorialization?) of the original Deleuzian concept of agencement ethnographically deficient, or their anthropological conclusions manqué. But it is probably a symptom of what divides Deleuze from contemporary Anglo-American anthropology (apart from, of course, discipline, language, subject matter, and history). While both Deleuze and contemporary anthropology share an interest in novelty, they have differing senses for the frequency and ease with which novelty is brought about. Anthropology often sees its objects as ‘haecceities’: as unique and therefore valuable expressions of human imagination, capacity, and resistance. Even when they are treated as tokens of a more general type, they are presented as if they are not just representative, but exemplary: this retains their novelty while still making them of particular interest for those investigating a more general phenomenon. Deleuze was interested in haecceities as well, but he also held that novelty, and particularly novelty in the form of thought, is relatively rare. For him, it was not subjects agentively producing novelty, but rather passive subjects who were forced to produce novelty by the press of events, when all other existing conceptual or material tools were exhausted.
Anthropological discussions of ‘becoming’, another Deleuzian trope, can be juxtaposed productively with the anthropological assemblage. In Deleuzian parlance, becoming is about a process of continual transformation without a complete transition into some other form or mode; it is used to characterize an asymptotic movement towards a particular local telos. Unlike assemblages, which seem to litter the landscape, in anthropology many ‘becomings’ are hard won. In an article by Biehl and Locke that is probably the most cited discussion of Deleuzian ‘becoming’ in anthropology, there is no claim to be taking up Deleuze’s thought as ‘a theoretical system of or set of practices to be applied normatively to anthropology’ (2010: 317). Rather, they merely wish to take up aspects of Deleuze’s conception of desire and of a socially-informed but still-specific capacity for transformation as a corrective to Foucauldian conceptions of biopower and governmentality. But the two ethnographic circumstances presented (destitution and psychic disintegration in Brazil, and the collective continuing aftermath of conflict in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina) underline the claim that the sort of transformations that Deleuze is interested in are often the result of a press of circumstances beyond the ordinary. It is of course possible to see these two case studies as a further post-culture-concept anthropological interest in what Joel Robbins (2013) has called ‘the suffering subject’. But it would also be possible to see this not as a focus on abjection and trauma as a human universal, but rather as an impetus to experimentation.[10] Biehl and Locke do not exhaust the anthropological use of Deleuzian becoming; like the Biehl and Locke essay, becoming is invoked thematically rather than technically, to communicate an interest in variation in and through the repetition of acts and forms, as opposed to some other more totalizing approach that would be blind to internal gradations and mutations (see, e.g., Khan 2012, Ahmad 2017). Often these works do not share Deleuze’s arid anti-humanism: they often favor explorations of subjectivity over Deleuze’s interest in the pre-individual and the pre-subjective. But because these works foreground a thematic interest in Deleuze, as opposed to an interest in his technical concepts, to judge them for this seems wrong (putting to the side the fact that judging authors in this way, instead of merely contrasting works as intellectual mechanisms, seems a particularly un-Deleuzian exercise).
Differences between the anthropological assemblage and the Deleuze-Guattarian agencement can also be better understood by contrasting it with anthropological discussions of the ‘rhizome’. For Deleuze and Guattari, rhizomes are decentralized networks. In rhizomes, individual nodes in the network can have quite different expressions from one another; the network itself is capable of qualitative variation; its internal multiplicity and variety means that it cannot be reduced to any dualisms or structural oppositions; and, because of its decentralized nature, the rhizome is resistant to being broken apart. The term rhizome is taken from botany (again via anthropologist Gregory Bateson), but it is not limited to the vegetative. Examples of the rhizome include: pack animals, hive insects, human-virus relations, and at one point, the music of Glenn Gould.
Anthropologists have used the rhizome in ways not dissimilar to the ways that they have invoked the assemblage: as emergent systems of pure difference that are characterized by lateral, as opposed to hierarchical, relations. The rhizome is frequently invoked in discussions of globalization, particularly as it interacts with other complex systems such as biology, ecology, and demographic representational regimes (see, e.g., Mauer 2000, Muehlmann 2012, Rosengren 2003). In contrast to most anthropological discussions of the assemblage, though, many authors working on rhizomic arrangements have noted that it has a relationship with other organizational modes that exceed mere opposition. Deleuze and Guattari state that the rhizomes at times become arboreal: if sufficient pressures are placed upon a rhizome, or sufficient cuts administered to it, rhizomes will in effect become trees, with an internal hierarchy controlling the way the rhizome can spread, and the internal organizational logic of its constituent nodes. As it appears in anthropology, various bureaucratic or top-down processes are quite deft in this sort of pruning. Political moves to present a dispersed and open population as a discrete political actor, or to identify, and thus demarcate and bind, ‘at risk’ groups, are shown as repeatedly creating arboreal systems out of dispersed rhizomes (Muehlmann 2012, Rosengren 2003).
Other anthropological uptakes of Deleuze differ from Deleuze’s prior concept not because of different interests and priorities in the anthropologists engaging with his thought, but rather because of what might be called an ‘interference pattern’ from other conceptual homonyms. An example of this is the almost cosmic-inflation level of growth in discussions of affects in anthropology. Interest in affect, particularly as a force that has a special relation with late-capitalist and neoliberal forms of social organization, has been increasingly common (see, e.g., Mazarrella 2009, Muehlebach 2012, Navaro-Yashin 2012, O’Neil 2013, Richards & Rudnyckyj 2009, Rudnyckyj 2011, Stewart 2007). Influenced either by Deleuze’s account of affects, or more commonly, influenced at one remove by Brian Massumi’s (2002) account of Deleuze’s accounts of affects, they understand affects as a pre-linguistic, embodied intensity.
There is some confusion in discussions of affects: for instance, there is the representational problem in using language to narrate a pre-linguistic, pre-subjective phenomenon (see Bialecki forthcoming). But even more confusing is the simultaneous influence in anthropology of the concept of ‘affect’ as understood by the psychologist Silvan Tompkins, who understood affect as a limited number series of cognitive modules that, in various combinatory constellations, could co-produce the entire run of human emotion (see Tompkins et al. 1995). This second understanding, in which affect is heavily psychologized, as opposed to the Spinoza-influenced Deleuzian reading of affect as a force that either dilates or contracts human capacities at any single moment, has muddied the conceptual waters, as these are actually quite different phenomena (see Schaefer 2015). Most anthropological authors have not been careful to both specify whether they are dealing with affect as a pre-linguistic mix of a Spinozian illocutionary force (affectus) and perlocutionary capacity to be affected (affectio), or whether they are dealing instead with cognitive/psychological modules. This failure to specify has meant that elements of a very American psychological subjectivity can be found in many discussions of what purports to be a pre-subjective, pre-linguistic affective register.
Societies of Control
Other discussions, though, have tended to hue closer to Deleuze’s self-presentation of the issues. These tended to either address minor works in Deleuze’s oeuvre, or (interestingly enough) some of his most demanding technical exercises. Let’s take an example of the former first. In a short essay entitled ‘Postscript on the societies of control’, Deleuze (1992b) presented the thesis that the advancement of networking and information technologies in the twentieth century has allowed a shift away from the sort of societies organized around disciplinary enclosures described in the middle period of Foucault; rather than creating standard, generic subjects through individually targeted disciplinary means, the society of control allows for decentralized monitoring and shaping of continually-evolving aspects of the person through processes that are not confined to any one space such as the factory, the barracks, or the schoolroom. As Deleuze says, this is a society of ‘passwords’ and ‘surfing’, where persons are grasped as data and not subjects. This 1992 piece, which seems to have grasped presciently much of the first-world present, has been well received, particularly by anthropologists interested in deploying Foucauldian concepts of discipline and biopower to contemporary neoliberal societies (see, e.g., O’Neill 2015: 230-1).
Temporality and the Virtual
As for the more technical concepts that have been taken up with greater degrees of fidelity, we have Deleuze’s presentation of both time and of virtuality. Deleuze’s temporality is marked by its disjunctive logic, where numerous different autonomous modalities of time co-exist, operating at different scales and with different degrees of intensity, and hence creating emergent effects. Deleuze’s Henri-Bergson-informed concept of time as duration, a kind of qualitative flow, has been taken up with success, where the experience of time’s unfolding is seen as a vital part of any process. These discussions, which often also invoke the language of becoming, have been particularly fruitful when addressing creative endeavors (see Pandian 2012). Others have highlighted the clashing constituent elements of Deleuzian temporality, with cyclic temporalities of habit, a temporality of continual fissure with the present already yet continually being sundered into the past and future (or, to put it differently, the present always consisting entirety and only of the past and of the future), and a disruptive temporality of the event which consists of series of breaks with extant states of affairs (see Williams 2012; see also Bialecki 2017: 22-47). Matthew Hodges (2008, 2014) has relied on this polychronic aspect of Deleuze’s account of time to suggest ways in which now-dominant narratives of temporality such as ‘process’ and ‘flux’, which he associates with late capitalism, might actually be challenged, rather than ratified, by Deleuze’s thoughts.
Like temporality, virtuality is another Deleuzian conceptual tool that has received more rigorous amounts of attention. This should not be understood in the sense of ‘virtual worlds’, digital milieus that aim to wholly or partially create creditable simulations of, or rift on, aspects of the larger analogue universe (see, e.g., Boellstorff 2008). For Deleuze, the virtual is a concept that is meant to replace the possible. The problem with the possible is that it seems to be indicating states of affairs that were already complete, but simply lacking reality. This makes the possible, in essence, a static lack. Instead, Deleuze wanted to underscore the virtual as something that is real, albeit in way different from more conventional modes of existence. Rather than lacking existence, the virtual is an extant, open set of potentials that are always ready to be actualized. But the actualization of some virtual form may look quite different in different places and different times. This is not only because the actualizations may happen in different places and different times, and thus be part of different ecologies of sense. It is also because the virtual can be actualized in different manners, through using different material. For that reason, Deleuze stresses that the virtual and the actual do not ‘resemble’ one another; the virtual is not a platonic ideal. Rather, the virtual could be thought of as a series of variables set in a determinate relation to one another, or, as Deleuze put it, a series of multiplicities that are effectively topological, and thus capable of quite different instantiations, in the same way that a donut and a coffee cup are both actualizations of a torus, a purely mathematical entity.[11] This means, in a sense, that every entity or phenomenon is double faced; on one hand, there is a virtual aspect, a set of relations implicit in an object that can be repeated with or without distention, depending on the state of forces, and then on the other hand, there is the actual object, which in turn gives rise to the set of virtual relations that will be the ‘quasi-cause’ of the next instantiation.
Again, there are several ways to understand what Deleuze meant by this discussion of virtuality. It is clear that the virtual included the conceptual, or at least involves it. Deleuze’s conception of philosophy was as a retrospective mapping of the virtual, a way to trace back the virtual from what falls from an event, and thus identify other possible ways in which that virtuality could have been made actual; this practice of working from the actual to the virtual is called “counter-effectuation” in Deleuze’s parlance (Deleuze & Guattari 1994). To some, this makes the virtual in effect ideational, or at least a prelude to the experience of thinking particular thoughts. For others, though, this suggests that virtuality is a way to speak not merely of human ideational processes, but of all phenomenon (Delanda 2002).
The open nature of the concept of the virtual has again catalyzed different anthropological uses of it as a core idea. For some, the idea of the concept as a way of mapping possibilities has become their understanding of what it is that anthropology works towards, with these new concepts either being framed as creations of the anthropologists that are sufficient to think through ethnographic phenomena in a way that is adequate to the description given by those people they speak to, or by granting the thought of the informants themselves with the same kind of stature and formal qualities that are credited to western philosophy (Holbraad & Pedersen 2017, Viveiros de Castro 2014; see similarly Willerslev 2011). Virtuality and the virtual is also being used by anthropologists to account for variation and difference without having to adopt pure nominalism (that is, a mode of thought characterized by the rejection of universalisms and abstractions; see Bialecki 2012 ). This includes using virtuality to think of the sort of variation and potential inherent in either a particular practice or a mode of religiosity (Bialecki 2012), or variation that results when similar abstract forms or operations are expressed in different material (Bialecki 2016). Suzanne Kuchler (1999), for instance, has argued that the various senses of the word ‘Malanggan’, as used in New Ireland, which includes a memorial right, a carved object used in such rites, and for a larger system of ideas and practices that seems to envelope the rite and the object, are not three separate objects or categories, but instead are all expressions of the same virtual topological form.
Another use of virtuality is to account for the effectiveness of religious and ritual practice. The claim here is that much of ritual and religious activity can be understood as an attempt to work back to the virtual through practice or sensual experience instead of thought, and thus open up ethical, social, or even ontological possibilities that are currently blocked by the arrangement of the current state of affairs (see, e.g., Kapferer 2004, 2007; Viveiros de Castro 2007). It has also been proposed that the engine of religion, if we can speak of such a thing, lies in a virtual pliability found in modes of religiosity that allows for it to take on an infinite number of expressions, all with different material entailments and therefore different effects as they combine with other assemblages (Bialecki 2016b, 2017).
This conversation does not exhaust discussions of Deleuze in anthropology.[12] But despite the partial nature of this discussion, a pattern should be apparent. The first aspect of the pattern concerns Deleuze’s thought. While shot through with a host of self-invented or repurposed terminology, the logic of each of these terms resonates with each other. The diagrammatic logic of the assemblage and particular instances of the assemblage shares aspects with the virtual/actual distinction, aspects of Deleuzian becoming and Deleuzian temporality seem to parallel one another, and Deleuzian discussions of the society of control seems to be a particularized and historically-situated exemplar of the play of rhizomic and arboreal modes of organizing. It would be wrong to consider Deleuze a monolithic thinker, since each of these concepts have their own utility and targets, but one can see how together they seem to be themselves examples of Deleuze’s interest in the intimate relationship between repetition and difference.
The second aspect of the pattern is that anthropology has, for the most part, had a cafeteria approach to Deleuze, taking just an element or two that is to their liking, rather than the whole set of mechanisms. This has created an interesting phenomenon. At what was (at least in terms of the temporality of academic publishing) the same time, two assessments were presented of Deleuze’s reception of anthropology. One assessment was that ‘relatively few anthropologists had made use’ of Deleuze (Jensen & Rödge 2010: 1). The other assessment was the claim that in American anthropology, 2010 was the year of Deleuze (Hamilton & Places 2011). Both assessments may be right. While we are no longer at the point where we can say, as Marcus and Saka once did, that we are lacking ‘technical and formal’ encounters with Deleuze (2006: 103), it is also true that rather than dedicate themselves to the intellectual mechanisms that Deleuze constructed, many anthropologists have decided not to, in João Biehlo’s (2013) words, let theory get in the way of ethnography. This may be for the best: Deleuze, interested in creativity, would honor sly theft over dutiful exegesis. But while such redeployments may be fruitful, they also run the risk of being glib, or of not even understanding how the pilfered tools work at all. It remains to be seen which anthropological borrowings of Deleuze are the pollinated flower, which uses some alien presence to perpetuate its own being, and which borrowings are the wasp, pointlessly copulating with an alien other due to an act of complete misrecognition.
The author would like to both thank and lay blameless Ian Lowrie and Razvan Amironesei for their contributions on some technical matters. The author, of course, owns all breaks from the image of thought.
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Rudnyckyj, D. 2011. Circulating tears and managing hearts: governing through affect in an Indonesian steel factory. Anthropological Theory 11(1), 63-87.
Rutherford, D. 2012. Kinky empiricism. Cultural Anthropology 27(3), 465-79.
Shaefer, D. 2015. Religious affects: animality, evolution, and power. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.
Silverstein, M. 2004. ‘Cultural’ concepts and the language-culture nexus. Current Anthropology 45(5), 621-52.
Smith, Daniel W. 2012. Essays on Deleuze. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press.
Stasch, R. 2006. Structuralism in anthropology. In Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics vol. 2: 167-70.
Stewart, K. 2007. Ordinary affects. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.
Tampio, N. 2009. Assemblages and the multitude: Deleuze, Hardt, Negri, and the postmodern left. European Journal of Political Theory 8(3), 383-400.
Tompkins, S., E.K. Sedgwick & A. Frank 1995. Shame and its sisters: a Silvan Tomkins reader. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.
Toymentsev, S. 2015. Review of Phillipe Mengue, Faire l’idiot: la politique de Deleuze. French Studies: A Quarterly Review 69(2), 263-65.
Tylor, E. 1871a. Primitive cultures: researchers into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom vol. 1. London: John Murry.
——— 1871b. Primitive cultures: researchers into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom vol. 2. London: John Murry.
Viveiros de Castro, E. 2007. The forest of mirrors: a few notes on the ontology of Amazonian spirits. Inner Asia 9(2), 153-72.
——— 2015. Cannibal metaphysics. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Voss, D. 2013. Conditions of thought: Deleuze and transcendental ideas. Edinburgh: University Press.
Wagner, R. 1975. The invention of culture. Chicago: University Press.
Willerslev, R. 2011. Frazer strikes back from the armchair: a new search for the animist soul. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 17(3), 504-26.
Williams, J. 2012. Gilles Delezue’s philosophy of time: a critical introduction and guide. Edinburgh: University Press.
Zdenbik, J. 2012. Deleuze and the diagram: aesthetic threads in visual organization. London: Continuum.
Zigon, J. 2015. What is a situation?: An assemblic ethnography of the drug war. Cultural Anthropology 30(3), 501-24.
Žižek, S. 2004. Organs without bodies: Deleuze and consequences. New York: Routledge.
Zourabichvili, F. 2012. Deleuze: a philosophy of the event: together with, the vocabulary of Deleuze. Edinburgh: University Press.
Note on contributor
Jon Bialecki is an honorary fellow with the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh. His first monograph, A diagram for fire: miracles and variation in an American charismatic movement, is a study of the miraculous and differentiation in American religion, with a focus on ethics, politics, language, and economic practices. He is currently working on his second manuscript, A machine for making gods: Mormonism, transhumanism, and speculative thought.
Dr Jon Bialecki, The Lihosit Research Institute, 8434 via Sonoma #65, La Jolla, California, 92037-2722, United States. Jon.Bialecki@ed.ac.uk
[1] Following a convention that has arisen in the secondary literature regarding Deleuze (despite the fact that even those who inaugurated it feels that it is a grotesquely unfair distribution of credit), in this essay Deleuze’s co-authored works will be treated as if they were an extension of ‘his’ thought, even as we will try to acknowledge when we are referring to collaborative material.
[2] This modesty should not be mistaken for unwavering respect: he referred to his work in the history of philosophy as a ‘sort of buggery’ where he takes the philosopher he is writing on ‘from behind…giving him a child that would be his own offspring, yet monstrous’ (Deleuze 1995: 6).
[3] The claim that there are multiple, incommensurable readings of Deleuze may be to understate the argument. For instance, he has been described as continuing Kant’s transcendental project (Voss 2013) even though he has claimed that he treated Kant like ‘an enemy’ (N: 6). At the same time, Deleuze’s work has been described as ‘essentially phenomenological’, and deeply indebted to Husserl (Hughes 2008: ix). But before we see him as rejecting any knowledge of the noumenon, or as centering himself on the subject and on subjectivity, we should also note that he has also been called a ‘realist philosopher’ who broke with idealist ‘postmodernity’ by affirming an anti-idealist, anti-subjectivist ‘mind-independent reality.’[3] (Delanda: 2). His project has been cited as centered on creating an ontology that purposeful erases the human/nature opposition (Ansell-Pearson 2012), and, conversely, he has been described as writing against ontology, and instead presenting an ethics of immanence and the ‘event’ (Zourabichvili 2012). He has been called a philosopher concerned with the production of difference and the new (Smith 2008). However, his detractors argue that he was actually a ‘monotonous’ thinker, obsessed with a philosophy of the one (Badiou 2000), a gnostic who rejects the actual and the political to favor aesthetics and a realm of never-materializable phantasmic possibilities (Hallward 2006, Žižek 2003). Because of this, many critics claim that Deleuze offers no political project, though at this point the reader will be little surprised to hear that there are differing opinions on this front, too. He has been depicted as someone taking up a democratic, emancipatory Foucauldian micropolitics of short-term tactical action by collectives of disparate parties (Bialecki 2017), as someone whose ascetics and ethics drives him to reject democracy (Mengue 2013, see also Toymentsev 2015), as someone whose politics are essentially Leninist, and as someone who has inoculated himself against any Leninist appropriation (Tampio 2009), as a staunch anti-capitalist, and as a wild-eyed precursor of the accelerationist desire to chase the dragon of late capitalism all the way to its likely ugly, possibly inhuman, end (Mckay and Avanessian 2014).
[4] These ‘multiplicities’ are taken in part from Deleuze’s reading of Bergson, but also from the work of the nineteenth century mathematician Bernard Reinmann; Reinmann’s mathematical concept of space, not as a totalized Euclidian grid, but rather as a series or collectivity of local spaces, each of which may be characterized by different dimensions, and thus escape any global determination; in the standard English translation of Riemann’s work the concept of the constituent elements of a topological space is translated as manifolds, while Anglophone scholars of Deleuze translated the term as multiplicities, following the French translation of Reinmann’s work, multiplicitê. See Plotinksy 2009.
[5] It should be noted that this was a piece that was not published until 1973.
[6] To an extent, this emphasis on Nietzsche could be seen not only as an attempt to address the whole expanse of the history of the species, but also as Deleuze presaging a later anthropological interest in ethics, which has acknowledged the importance of Nietzsche (Laidlaw 2002), though perhaps not fully embracing what a Nietzschian psychology would entail (Bialecki 2016c).
[7] Despite its fictive location, the socius is actually located ‘on’ the body without organs, the term Deleuze and Guattari use for the entirety of production before any ordering or ranking is visited upon it.
[8] Among the anthropologists and anthropological sub-fields that constitute ‘accidental Deleuzians’, one of the most surprising may be mainline American linguistic anthropology; while this does not prove kinship, both Deleuze and linguistic anthropology share an antipathy for structural linguistics and Chomskian linguistic formalism, an enthusiasm for Labov’s sociolinguistics, a high regard for Austin’s speech-act theory, and a facility with the Peircian semiotic triad of icon, index, and sign. This is also almost certainly completely accidental, as suggested by the divergent approaches taken towards other core issues. Take, for example, materiality and language. Linguistic anthropology tends to deal with issues of ‘semiotic ideology’ (Keane 2003), which can be glossed as metapragmatic concerns for the communicative potential and ethical valence of not just speech, but of material culture as well. In contrast, Deleuze handles material aspects of communication through ‘collective assemblages’, a term for ecologies or arrangements which include both material objects and speech acts or writing (Deleuze and Guattari 1999: 7). Even greater distance can be found in the respective treatment for affect. Affect, as will be discussed shortly, is a foundational concept for Deleuze, which he takes in the Spinozan sense of a force measured by its intensity and not by way of any extension (Deleuze 1990b, 1992a), while linguistic anthropology (Silverstein 2004) tends to see any differentiation between speech and affect as an idiosyncratic western understanding (see Bialecki 2015, in press).
Another accidental – or perhaps crypto- – Deleuzian field in anthropology is the line of thought that is referred to as the ‘New Melanesian Ethnography’. Roy Wagner and Marilyn Strathern, the two most exemplary thinkers in this movement, display certain tendencies in their thought that are strongly Deleuzian, though in different ways. Roy Wagner’s concept of culture as invention, with both the achieved elements and the elements that are understood as fixed and conventionalized requiring continual creation though both effort and through being thrust into new contexts, echoes Deleuze’s concerns for fluid and emergent forms, and for the way that thoughts, practices, and material are at times decontextualized and deconstructed to allow for novelty (‘deterritorialized’) or are at other times set in determinate relation with one another (‘territorialization’, which maps onto Wagner’s counter-invention) (Wagner 1975). Marilyn Strathern’s interest in privileging relation over identity also has a Deleuzian cast, as for Deleuze it is the web of connections, rather than the essence of a thing itself, that often controls how some person, process, or object is expressed; this in part could be an expression of Strathern’s and Deleuze’s common interest in the nineteenth century sociologist Gabriel Tarde. The commonality between these three thinkers has been noted by many of the later authors that they have influenced, with the ‘ontological turn’ often articulating their thought, and justifying their project, through explicit references to Deleuze (see, e.g., Holbraad & Pedersen 2017). But Wagner has never cited Deleuze, and while Strathern has at times acknowledged Deleuze’s work, it has been more along the lines of noting a commonality than acknowledging intellectual descent.
[9] When I make this claim, I am sometimes met with protestations that Paul Rabinow has a more nuanced concept of the assemblage that is closer to that of Deleuze’s own understanding; particularly, Rabinow’s assemblage is presented as a more enduring form. However, as Rabinow himself asserts, his assemblages are ‘comparatively effervescent’, operating on a time scale of ‘years or decades’ which is much shorter than the other conceptual objects Rabinow relates them to (2003: 56). The comparative life spans of social objects can be seen by tracing what appears to be a Rabinowian great chain of social-ontological being, in which ‘problematizations’ (which are thematic, open ended, and sometimes millennia-old running grand challenges, such as ‘discipline’ or ‘sexuality’) trigger the emergence of assemblages, which will in turn either ‘disaggregate’ or mature in an ‘apparatus’. Sandwiched between human conundrums and long running social formations, the assemblage is, like most other anthropological assemblages, again just a short-lived, emergent form.
[10] This should not be read as a critique of Robbins take on Biehl’s 2005 book Vita, nor as an endorsement of it; rather, it is an observation that an anthropology of suffering and an anthropology of the good may have a more intimate connection with one another than appears on the surface (see Bialecki 2014).
[11] See footnote four, infra.
[12] This already overly long entry does not have space to discuss Deleuze’s extensive writings on cinema, which have been used not just to think through the production of film as a creative enterprise (see, e.g., Baxstrom & Meyers 2016; Pandian 2015) but also analogically to think through other social phenomena (see, e.g., Baxstrom 2008; Bialecki & Bielo 2016; Kapferer 2013). We have also not addressed the role of Deleuze in ethnographies of science, multi-species relations, or infectious disease, which have their own engagement with Deleuzian concepts such as assemblage, becoming, or rhizomes (see., e.g., Lowe 2010). Nor have we addressed what a Deleuzian politically engaged and applied anthropology look like.
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Religion, Theory
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May 2017 by Paolo Heywood
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Jeff Weinstein's Cultural Mixology
Next Round: Bill Viola Versus the Pope
September 14, 2009 by Jeff Weinstein
Who Would Expect a Video Artist To Be a Hero?
Every week’s cultural and political news is actually a puzzle to be solved, a jigsaw set with antagonistic pieces. Here’s one part of the puzzle that I find heartening, though others may not.
Artnet.com is an auction and art-market site that also has a kind of magazine attached, Late last week the mag lifted part of a story almost verbatim from Catholic New Service. I myself will borrow the beginning of the original:
Pope Benedict XVI has invited hundreds of artists to meet with him in the Vatican in an attempt to rekindle the special historical relationship between faith and art.
More than 500 personalities from the worlds of art, theater, literature and music have been asked to gather with the pope under the legendary Michelangelo frescoes in the Sistine Chapel Nov. 21.
Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, said the meeting was to be the first of many initiatives aimed at bridging the gap that has developed between spirituality and artistic expression over the last century or so.
Though the list of invitees hasn’t been released, the story says, the following were named: “Italian film score composer Ennio Morricone, avant-garde theater director Bob Wilson, architect Daniel Libeskind, and Bono, the lead singer of the group U2. American video artist Bill Viola was asked but has already said he won’t be able to attend.”
So Ennio, Dan, and “Bob” could be ready for Rome, but Bill? Artnet, to its immense internet credit, didn’t let that sleeping dog lie. Here’s its contribution:
According to a source at James Cohan Gallery, which represents the artist, more than just a scheduling conflict is involved. “Bill Viola doesn’t agree with many of the policies put forth by the Vatican and the Catholic Church and this is his reason for declining to participate.”
I wish the source had been named, but here’s the question: Can the art ever trump the context? Years ago, an extremely talented artist I know — and an exceedingly fine person — told me that she made something expressly for the Nixon White House. It was work that actually could be used by the president (I won’t say more) and probably was.
Do I still like my friend? Yes, of course. I must have asked why she had agreed to add her beauty to the home of a war-mongering crook, but I can’t recall. The look on her face, which I do remember, told me she was confident that her pristine work would remain inviolate. After all, Michelangelo too pleased murderers and thieves.
So come November, Ennio, Dan, “Bob,” and so many unnamed others may meet Il Papa right under that heavenly ceiling, painted by a man who loved men.
Wonder if they will.
For an automatic alert when there is a new Out There post, email jiweinste@aol.com.
Filed Under: main Tagged With: art, artnet, Bill Viola, Bono, Daniel Libeskind, Morricone, Pope Benedict, Vatican
C-Mon says
am now incredibly curious about what your friend made… let me guess: a pair of bedroom slippers? a bowling bag? a lopsided clay coffee mug that says ‘World’s Greatest Plumber’?
Based in New York, I've been an editor of arts coverage at New York's "Soho Weekly News" (1977-79); of visual arts and architecture criticism and much else at the "Village Voice" (1981-95, with a stint as managing editor of "Artforum"); of the fine arts at the "Philadelphia Inquirer" (1997-2006); of arts and culture at "Bloomberg News" (2006-07). Until recently... Read More…
The media make a potentially fatal mistake by dividing arts coverage into high and low, old and young, and by trivializing our passionate attraction to things. In Out There I propose that all creative expression has the potential to be both … [Read More...]
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Recently & Elsewhere
I wrote and narrated a Daylight Magazine slideshow (click on "Read more" below to access it and the rest), an appreciation of the late photographer Milton Rogovin. Also one about the late photographer Helen Levitt. To go back in time, kindly click … [Read More...]
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Carol Felsenthal on Cold, Dead White: “I don't know about the dish--although the ingredients and the photo look/sound delicious--but boy, i love the literary references.…” Jul 9, 13:41
Bill Stern on The Good Knife: “As sharp -- and funny-scary -- as a short story should be. Thank you once again for a tasty read.” May 20, 18:01
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A Brief History of Estate Taxes
Tip: Regardless of your net worth, it’s critical to understand your choices when developing an estate strategy.
Federal estate taxes have been a source of funding for the federal government almost since the U.S. was founded.
In 1797, Congress instituted a system of federal stamps that were required on all wills offered for probate when property (land, homes) was transferred from one generation to the next. The revenue from these stamps was used to build the navy for an undeclared war with France, which had begun in 1794. When the crisis ended in 1802, the tax was repealed.¹
Estate taxes returned in the build up to the Civil War. The Revenue Act of 1862 included an inheritance tax, which applied to transfers of personal assets. In 1864, Congress amended the Revenue Act, added a tax on transfers of real estate, and increased the rates for inheritance taxes. As before, once the war ended the Act was repealed.²
Fast Fact: Estate Income. Between 2016 and 2025, the estate tax will generate about $246 billion.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2015
In 1898, a federal legacy tax was proposed to raise revenue for the Spanish-American War. This served as a precursor to modern estate taxes. It instituted tax rates that were graduated by the size of the estate. The end of the war came in 1902, and the legacy tax was repealed later that same year.³
Until 1916. The 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1913 — the one that gives Congress the right to “lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived.” The Revenue Act of 1916 established an estate tax, and in one way or another, it’s been part of U.S. history since then.
In 2010, the estate tax expired — briefly. But in December 2010, Congress passed the Tax Relief Act of 2010 and the new law retroactively imposed tax legislation on all estates settled in 2010.
In 2012, the American Tax Relief Act made the estate tax a permanent part of the tax code.
As part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, estate tax rules were again adjusted. The estate tax exemption was raised to $11.2 million, a doubling of the $5.6 million that previously existed. Married couples may be able to pass as much as $22.4 million to their heirs. The 2017 Act is set to expire in 2025, so it’s possible the estate tax law may be adjusted at least once during the next few years. If you’re uncertain about your estate strategy, it may be a good time to review the approach you currently have in place.
Estate Taxes and Overall Federal Revenues
Estate taxes typically account for less than one percent of total federal revenue.
Chart Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2015
Exemption through the Years
Federal estate taxes exempt a share of estates from federal estate taxes. For the 2017 tax year, if an estate’s worth less than $5.49 million, no federal estate taxes may apply.
Exclusion Amount
Highest Tax Rate
1916 $50,000 10.0%
1918-1923 $50,000 25.0%
1926-1931 $100,000 20.0%
1977 $120,000 70.0%
2002 $1,000,000 50.0%
2010 $0 or $5,000,000 0% or 35%
Chart Source: Internal Revenue Service, 2017
1,2,3. Internal Revenue Service, 2016
The care of special-needs children continues into their adult years, and may survive the passing of their parents.
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Pope Francis' Istanbul visit
Pope Francis is in Turkey. This trip aimed at building bridges with Islam and supporting the Christian minorities of the Middle East. Pope Francis is the fourth pope to visit Turkey after Pope Benedict in 2006, Pope John Paul II in 1979 and Pope Paul VI in 1967.
During the 3 days visit, In Ankara Pope Francis visited the mausoleum of the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
In Istanbul Pope Francis conducted a prayer alongside a senior Islamic cleric in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. Pope marvelled at the vast scale of the Blue Mosque, so known for the elaborate blue tiles that adorn its interior, which sits on a hill overlooking the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara.
Pope Francis also paid a visit to the Hagia Sophia, the most important cathedral of Orthodoxy for almost 1,000 years. Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city of Constatinople and the building was converted into a museum in 1934 by the orders of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Pope's visit was followed by a mass in the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics sat alongside Bartholomew I, head of the 300 million Orthodox believers worldwide.
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, also known as the St. Esprit Cathedral or Cattedrale di Santo Spirito or Cattedrale dello Spirito Santo is the second largest Roman Catholic Church in the city of Istanbul after the Basilica of St. Antonio di Padova on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu. The church was built in Baroque style in 1846 under the direction of the Swiss-Italian architect Giuseppe Fossati and his colleague Julien Hillereau.
St. Esprit has been a destination of several papal visits to Turkey, including those of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI. A statue of Pope Benedict XV stands in the courtyard of the cathedral.
Giuseppe Donizetti, a musician at the court of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, is buried in the vaults of the church.
The pope's next stop was the Orthodox Patriarchal Church of St. George which is the fifth Patriarchal church in Constantinople and home to the Ecumenical Patriarchate since the fifteenth century.
The mixed Christian community in Turkey is very small, estimated at about 80,000 in a country of 75 million, and only the few Roman Catholics regard the pope as their spiritual leader.
Pope Francis did not visit House of Virgin Mary in Ephesus unlike Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis visiting Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Pope Francis visiting Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Pope Francis visiting Istanbul
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URL: www.eu2006.at / Presidency of the Council 2006 / About the EU / Member States / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland /
Area: 244 820 km2
Population: 58.6 million (rounded)
Capital city: London
Currency: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence, 1 euro = 0.69 pounds sterling (GBP) (dec. 2005)
National day: Queen's Birthday (celebrated on second Saturday in June)
EU membership: 1 January 1973 (EC)
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Head of Government: Prime Minister Tony Blair
Foreign Minister: Margaret Beckett
Government: Labour Party (Lab, 353 seats)
Parliament: Bicameral: House of Commons, 646 members, elections every 5 years, no threshold, House of Lords, 725 members
GDP: €1 715 791 million (2004, rounded)
GDP per capita in PPS: €26 600 (2004, estimate, rounded)
Economic growth in real terms: + 3.2 % (2004, rounded)
Head of State: http://www.royal.gov.uk
Head of Government: http://www.number-10.gov.uk
Foreign Minister: http://www.fco.gov.uk
Parliament: http://www.parliament.uk
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Home Latest Issue
Garden Updates
Garden Flora & Fauna
The Golden Showers
Senna spectabilis, better known by the vernacular names of Drooping Cassia and Crown of Gold Tree is native to North America (Mexico), Central and South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru), where it grows in the forests up to 20 m of altitude. Senna is the Latin form of an Arabic word for a thorny bush, while its species name spectabilis is Latin for ‘worth seeing’.
Feature Garden
An Island Resort Garden
A quiet weekend in a resort in the island of Langkawi not only rested the body and mind but also awakens the intrinsic artistic nature in you. It is subtly done as one gets settled in a house depicting a typical wooden house from a certain state in Malaysia. You then realised that the other five houses have different architectural forms, which naturally awakens your curiosity. That is Seri Chenang Resort and Spa, an exclusive resort in the Chenang beach area, Langkawi.
Garden Gallery
The OMORA Ethnobotanical Park – The Southernmost Garden of the World
A trip to the end of the world will bring amazing discoveries and one does not wonder why the earlier explorers were fascinated by the Patagonia region and the Antarctica. If on the way to Antarctica, a stopover in Puerto Williams, on the island Navarino is recommended where botanists, environmentalists and garden enthusiasts will discover the wonders of nature, even in such cold climate region.
Speaking of Gardens & Parks
The Gardens of Patagonia
The southern end of South America shared by Argentina and Chile is known as the Patagonia region, named so from the word patagon used by Magellan to describe the natives, when he explored the region in 1520. The region stretches from the southern section of the Andes mountain range in the southwest to the Pacific Ocean. In the east it stretches from the mountain range to Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean. In the west the region also include the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and Cape Horn.
Garden Science
How Plants Are Named
Eichhornia crassipes is a free floating aquatic weed which is highly invasive, and reportedly has invaded freshwater systems in over 50 countries in 5 continents. It is a fast-growing aquatic plant that is very closely related to anchored Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia azurea). Due to its fast-growing, persistent and invasive characteristics, some countries such as Australia have subsequently designated this species as prohibited imports.
Garden Wise
Planting Roses
Roses come in a tremendous number of varieties making them a wonderful choice for your garden. It is one of the most popular flowers in the world especially among home gardeners due to their allure and deep symbolism. Are you considering growing roses in your garden? Is this your first time? Or perhaps this is your second attempt? Many people feel that there is a mystery to roses, or that they are difficult to grow. They are not, but you do need to make sure that the roses that you choose to grow are the right type for your garden.
Plant Breadfruit
Artocarpus altilis or in English, breadfruit, belongs to the Moraceae or mulberry family. The genus name is derived from Greek word artos, meaning bread, and karpos, meaning fruit. The species name altilis means ‘fat’. Endemic to South East Asia, it is also grown in most Pacific Ocean Islands and in Africa.
Young Gardener
Wayside Trees – Acacia mangium
Have you ever noticed a particularly large tree randomly growing in areas, especially open areas or roadside looking like it was not meant to be there? The tree is most likely a wattle. Wattles, of the species growing in humid tropical lowlands of Asia grow extremely vigorously, tolerating acidic and low nutrient soils. It propagates easily from the seeds and hence we see them growing everywhere and they will grow big and tall if not cleared.
Herbal Corner
Clinacanthus nutans
Locally known Belalai Gajah, Hempedu Ular or Sabah Snake Grass in Malaysia, You Xun Cao in Mandarin and Phaya-Yor in Thailand, this herb grows well in tropical countries and was widely used in folk medicine. It is a low-growing shrub that has round stem and long leaves, thus making it convenient to propagate. In Thailand this plant is used as a healing herb to treat poisonous snakebites and herpes infection.
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Government Agencies for Radioactive and Nuclear Regulation
MANY FEDERAL AGENCIES AND THE STATES HAVE IMPORTANT ROLES IN PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC AND THE ENVIRONMENT FROM RADIATION
Nuclear waste overview
Types of radiation
Low-level radioactive wastes
Man-made radiation
Uranium mining - Uranium mill tailings
Nuclear waste from weapons production
Naturally-occurring radioactive waste
Nuclear emergencies
Nuclear / radioactive guidance documents
How to assess the danger from radiation
Links to many federal government, scientific and reputable sources of information about radioactive materials
Links to State nuclear agencies
The states have agencies responsible for regulating the use of radiation and for addressing radiation questions and problems. They are the best first source of information about radiation issues which affect their constituents. The states regulate the use of x-ray machines. some are also licensed to regulate other sources of radiation within their state on behalf of EPA, NRC, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
EPA issues standards and guidance to limit human exposure to radition. EPA works with the public, industry, the states and other government agencies to inform people about radiation's risks and to promote actions that reduce human exposure. EPA also measures environmental levels of radiation and assesses radiation's effects on people and the environment.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC)
NRC implements EPA's and its own standards for protecting the public from radiation. NRC regulates the civilian uses of nuclear materials in the United States by: licensing facilities that possess, use, or dispose of nuclear materials; establishing standards governing the activities of licensees; and inspecting licensed facilities to ensure compliance with its requirements. These regulatory functions relate to both nuclear power plants and to other users of nuclear materials for purposes such as nuclear medicine at hospitals, academic activities at educational institutions, research work, and industrial applications such as gauges and testing equipment.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS)
HHS's Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health establishes standards for x-ray machines and other electronic products to ensure that human health is protected from the radiation produced by these products.
DOE is responsible for the development of the disposal system for spent nuclear fuel from the nation's civilian nuclear power plants. This activity is totally funded by a tax paid by the users of nuclear-generated electricity. DOE is also responsible for the management and disposal of nuclear waste and other radioactive materials associated with nuclear weapons production at federally-owned facilities. The Department is working to clean up its present and former nuclear sites. DOE is cooperating with state governments and private industry to clean up other locations around the United States that were contaminated with radiation as a result of government programs. DOE also provides technical advice and assistance to states and the private sector in the management and disposal of low-level radioactive waste.
While DOE is responsible for the safe handling of radioactive material at defense production facilities, DOD is responsible for the safe handling and storage of nuclear weapons and other military uses of nuclear energy.
DOT, in cooperation with NRC and the states, governs the packaging and transport of radioactive materials. The Department also regulates carriers of radioactive materials.
OSHA develops and enforces regulations to protect workers not covered by other agencies from radiation exposure.
This page was updated on 2-Apr-2018
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Elections » Infographics » Jharkhand (JH) Infographics
Jharkhand (JH) Infographics
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Jharkhand: Climbing on the Development Bandwagon
Initially a part of Bihar, Jharkhand became a state on 15th November 2000. The movement for a separate state began some 50 years back, where the people of Jharkhand – mainly adivasis and non-adivasis - fought for development and upgradation of the socio-economic conditions in that area. Finally, the relatively underdeveloped southern part of Bihar managed to get an identity of its own and went on to become the 28th state of India.
The government of Jharkhand is unicameral in nature. The Legislative Assembly or the Vidhan Sabha consists of 81 members who are elected from single state constituencies. The state has many national and regional political players – the main ones being Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The other parties that have influential presence are the Indian National Congress (INC), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (U), Communist Party of India (M), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), etc. At the Centre, Jharkhand sends 14 members to Lok Sabha and 6 members to Rajya Sabha.
Naxalism in Jharkhand
Jharkhand is known for Maoist-Naxalite insurgency. The reason behind Naxal uprising is attributed to people living in abject poverty despite having abundance of natural resources. The local tribals are believed to have been prevented from claiming any stake in the resources extractions, which has led them to live in abject poverty. The insurgents claim they are fighting for the rights and welfare of these deprived people.
Chief Ministers in Jharkhand
In a span of 14 years, the state has seen the seat of Chief Ministership changing hands many times .
Name: Hemant Soren
Party: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
Tenure: 2013 till now
Son of former Chief Minister and JMM founder Shibu Soren, Hemant is the youngest Chief Minister of the state. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2009 to 2010. Subsequently, he served as a Cabinet Minister in the state. He also served as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Arjun Munda ministry. In 2013, he was sworn in as the Chief Minister with support from Congress and RJD after President’s rule was revoked.
Hemant Soren is believed to have proposed several initiatives for the development of various sections of the society, especially the backward, deprived tribal areas, dalits and the minority communities. His government has given jobs to prominent sportspersons hailing from the state and has promised more such jobs in the future. Soren has a vision of setting up 100 agriculture tool banks by the end of the fiscal year and has also urged the industries set up in the state to provide employment to locals. He has also proposed a Government Helpline for women to deal with the various atrocities that they face.
Brickbats
Hemant Soren’s government has been accused of illegal mining and an alleged nexus between mafia, politicians and bureaucrats.
Name: Babu Lal Marandi
Party: Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM)
Tenure: 2000-2003
Babu Lal Marandi was the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He was a teacher by profession. His political career began when he joined the Vishva Hindu Parisad in Jharkhand as the organising secretary. He was given a ticket from the Dumka constituency in 1991, but he lost the elections. In 1996 too he lost the elections. By then, he had become the president of BJP’s Jharkhand unit and it was under his leadership that the party won 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in the 1998 elections. In 2000, Marandi went on to become the Chief Minister of Jharkhand. However, his tenure did not last long as, under pressure from the NDA allies, he had to make way for Arjun Munda. Later, in 2006 he formed his own party called Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.
Marandi is believed to have initiated several developmental projects in the state like building and strengthening the road network, among others. With a view to reduce crowding in the city, he had even proposed the idea of Greater Ranchi.
Even as Marandi seems not to be involved in any unethical activity, he is said to have made a “deemed appeal” to pastors and bishops to support him in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. He was let-off by the Election Commission with a warning.
Name: Arjun Munda
Party: BJP
Tenure: 2003-2005; 2005-2006; 2010-2013
Arjun Munda was the second Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He has been in and out of the Chief Minister’s office and has been succeeded by the current chief Minister Hemant Soren. Munda began his political career as a teenager by joining the JMM movement that sought for a separate state for the tribals. He then went on to become a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) strongly supported the Jharkhand case and promised to grant statehood if they were elected to power. Munda was very impressed with BJP’s ideologies that he decided to join the party and got elected again to the Bihar Assembly through the BJP ticket. When Jharkhand was formed, he went on to become the Tribal Welfare Minister in the Babulal Marandi-led NDA coalition government in Jharkhand. His work towards the people’s cause raised his popularity and he soon went on to become the Chief Minister of the state in 2003 at a very young age of 35.
During Munda’s regime, Jharkhand got its first Lokayukta (anti-corruption ombudsman) and participated in Panchayat elections. The state successfully held the 34th National Games in 2011. With a view to bring transparency and increase efficiency, his government introduced the e-tender system for government contracts. He was also responsible for introducing welfare schemes and setting up new power plants.
The Opposition parties have accused Munda of being involved in a string of scams, especially in giving away projects to companies without following the proper procedure of passing tenders. He is also accused of granting special favours to the Abhijeet Group through which the coal-scam-tainted company was able to set up a 25 million tonne per annum integrated steel plant at Kharsawa-Saraikela district of Jharkhand.
Economy of Jharkhand
The average gross state domestic product (GSDP) of the state has grown by 9.4 percent in the years between 2004-05 and 2011-12. As per the Economic Survey of Jharkhand 2013-14 released in February this year, the GSDP is expected to reach Rs 188,225 crore at the current prices and Rs 113,127 crore at constant prices in 2013-14. In 2014-15, the GSDP is expected to reach Rs 218,251 crore at the current prices and Rs 123,885 crore at constant prices, respectively.
The services or the tertiary sector, which grew at 11.37 percent between 2004-05 and 2012-13, contributed mainly to the GSDP. Banking and insurance, and storage and public administration contributed significantly, among the other sectors.
Jharkhand is one of the richest mineral zones in the world and is home to 40 percent of India’s minerals and 30 percent of coal reserves. Under the Industrial policy 2012, Jharkhand offers a wide range of fiscal and policy incentives to industries. The state’s proximity to Kolkata, Haldia and Paradip ports makes it easy to procure raw materials.
Literacy in the state, though less compared to national average, has increased over a period of time. About 67.3 percent of the people in Jharkhand are literate. The number of male literates amount to 78.45 percent, while the female literates work out to 56.21 percent. Special efforts are being undertaken by the government to improve the literacy levels among the underprivileged sections of the society. Various scholarships have been introduced to support the students belonging to scheduled castes and tribes. The Department of Welfare has also been providing hostel facilities to students staying in remote areas.
Unemployment has been a concern in the state. As per the CSDS-IBN National Tracker Poll conducted in 2014 before the General Elections, unemployment has been one of the top issues among voters. The overall employment has increased marginally over the years, however, the employment in rural areas has declined significantly. The government has been trying to set the situation right. The Jharkhand Industrial Policy 2012 has been formulated with an aim of providing quality employment to people. Apart from this, efforts are on to give a boost to the tourism sector, which has been generating jobs directly or indirectly in the state. Yet, the government has a long way to go.
There are supposed to be five airports in Jharkhand – Birsa Munda Airport, Chakulia Airport, Deoghar Airstrip, Jamshedpur Airport and Noamundi Airport. In 2013, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, under its flagship regional and remote air connectivity policy, had included five cities of Jharkhand - Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Deoghar – for a possible aviation boom.
Road and infrastructure
Jharkhand has very poor road connectivity. As per the national survey on road density, the state has 86.26 km per 1000 sq km against national average of 182.4 km per 1000 sq km. Overall, it has just about 26,277 km of tarmac, out of which about 5,000 km is in poor condition. To improve the situation, the current government has sanctioned new bypasses, city and district roads.
Poverty in Jharkhand has reduced by about eight points between the years 2004-05 and 2011-12. As per the Economic Survey of Jharkhand 2013-14, about 37 percent of the people live below poverty line. A UNICEF report cites that about half the children below three years are malnourished and over 3.73 lakh people live in slums.
Health and Sanitation
The infant mortality rate in Jharkhand has reduced from 48 per thousand live births in 2007 to 38 in 2012 – well below the national average of 42 per thousand live births. Similarly, the state has also performed well in reducing maternal mortality ratio to 219 per lakh live births in 2010-12, from 261 per lakh live births in 2007-09. The state is also in the process of developing the public health infrastructure as per the Indian Public Health Services norms and has introduced several programmes to mobilise the community towards health care. Access to safe drinking water is a concern in the entire state as the water contains traces of fluoride, arsenic and iron. Recently in six backward districts, the government has rolled out the Rs 900-crore rural water supply and sanitation project. Besides this, programmes such as Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme, Swajaldhara and Total Sanitation Campaign have been launched to serve the rural areas with water and sanitation related services.
Women security and social security
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, Jharkhand has seen a sharp rise in the rate of crime against women. The cases have almost doubled in 12 years, from only 2,229 cases in 2001 4,536 cases in 2013. The number of rape cases between January and August 2013 surpassed the number of cases in 2012. The rise in the crime is being attributed to lack of security as more and more women venturing out of the homes for studies and jobs. The government is setting up a panel for women security, besides taking measures like women cops patrolling on two wheelers and pink autos for women.
As per the National Crime Record Bureau report 2012-13, Jharkhand has registered about 45,436 cases, out of which 9,566 were oral complaints and 34,080 were written complaints.
WBMN25.09.2014
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On Telling the Truth
I was listening to a podcast today from an NPR program called On Being. This is the information from their website:
On Being is a spacious conversation — and an evolving media space — about the big questions at the center of human life, from the boldest new science of the human brain to the most ancient traditions of the human spirit. The program began as an occasional series on Minnesota Public Radio in 1999, then became a monthly national program in September 2001, and launched as a weekly program titled Speaking of Faith in the summer of 2003.
On Being is heard on a growing number of public radio stations in the U.S. — 240 and counting — and globally via Internet and podcast. In 2008, the program was awarded the highest honors in both broadcasting and electronic media — our first Peabody and our second Webby Award. Being is the only public radio program in the U.S. to achieve this distinction.
The specific program I listened to was entitled "Words that Shimmer". It was a conversation between the host Krista Tippett and Elizabeth Alexander about how poetry is filling a specific need right now; how people seem to be hungering for the straight truths that are told in poetic form.
Ms. Alexander is a professor of African American Studies at Yale University and wrote and delivered the poem "Praise Song for the Day" at President Obama's Inauguration. On the day before the Inauguration, she was on The Mall as they were making preparations and doing sound checks. The audio technician asked her to say a few lines of poetry into the microphone so they could check the sound quality. She began reciting a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks called "Kitchenette Building". Hundreds of people were milling about The Mall, but as soon as Elizabeth began reciting the poem, they stopped their movement, paused and listened to the poem. When she was done, they applauded. She said it was incredibly inspirational to realize the power of poetry in that moment. She came away with an even deeper understanding of the emotion conveyed through a few lines of fine verse.
For the many poetry lovers and lovers of words on Open Salon, I encourage you to listen to this enlightening podcast. You will find the link below.
Poetry is accessible, valuable and transcends the soundbite jargon that currently consumes most of the airwaves and print technologies. We have an opportunity through poetry to tell the truth in a way that is accessible and desirable. I wrote a poem called "On Telling the Truth" to add to the discussion..
I will speak the truth
In words
That resonate
Deeply,
They will not deceive
Or leave you holding
An empty vat
Of hollow sound,
A sound that
Neither sates your hunger
Nor fills the void
Of longing,
Longing for the truth,
That’s what you wish for,
If I tell you the truth about life
And death
Will you believe me?
What if I tell you I have no answers,
But I will search with you
Until we find the truth?
Then don’t believe me,
I do not know the truth,
I cannot find the truth,
For deeper meaning,
Deeper understanding,
Of all that exists,
And we will come closer
To the truth;
That I can promise,
Is the willingness to search
Together enough,
Even knowing the truth can’t be found?
Seeking the truth may be
the only truth
we can hope for.
Please enjoy the video of Ms. Alexander's Inaugural poem:
On Being link: http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/words-that-shimmer/
Libby January 29, 2011 at 10:26 PM
I agree that searching for truth is what we must do and that we will never really find it. At least not on this side of life. And that's ok. Thanks so much in helping us all on that journey.
Rita January 30, 2011 at 12:02 AM
And thank you for being on the journey with me.
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Online Store Blessed Karl Plaque
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Blessed Karl Plaque
The Emperor Karl League of Prayer U.SA. and Canada is pleased to offer this devotional image of Blessed Karl of Austria by American artist Janet McKenzie. This painting was commissioned by friends of The League of Prayer in 2012 for Br. Nathan Cochran, O.S.B. (1957-2014), a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, who served as The Emperor Karl League of Prayer Delegate for the U.S.A. and Canada for nearly a decade. Br. Nathan was instrumental in planning the Beatification of Emperor Karl and worked at Vatican City in 2004 as a special secretary where he coordinated and organized the various beatification celebrations and wrote, edited and oversaw the translation, printing, and distribution of various publications and press releases in eleven different languages. The original painting, beloved and treasured by Br. Nathan, hung over his personal desk where he conducted his correspondences between members and friends of The League of Prayer from around the world. To honor Br. Nathan's numerous contributions in the Cause of Canonization of Emperor Karl, The League of Prayer is pleased to offer reproductions of this beautiful painting by Janet McKenzie to honor his memory.
The Emperor Karl League of Prayer U.S.A. and Canada is grateful to Janet McKenzie for her support of The League and for allowing us to reproduce the painting of Blessed Karl.
8" x 10" semi-matte print mounted on 3/8" thick wood. Black beveled edge. Keyhole notch at back for easy hanging.
Janet McKenzie is an internationally-renowned artist known for her distinctive iconography of sacred subjects that glow with an inner, spiritual light. Her Jesus of the People was selected as First Place winner in the National Catholic Reporter’s global competition by juror Sr. Wendy Beckett, the famed art historian and BBC personality. It was revealed for the first time on the Today Show in New York and generated enormous worldwide interest and discussion. The controversial painting challenges stereotypical thinking by including two groups traditionally left out of iconic imagery of Jesus — people of color and women.
Her art is featured in Holiness and the Feminine Spirit – The Art of Janet McKenzie, which won the 2010 First Place Award for Spirituality from the Catholic Press Association. Another book, The Way of the Cross – The Path to New Life, features her Stations of the Cross with reflections by leading religious writer, Sr. Joan Chittister, O.S.B.
Her solo exhibitions include: The Haggerty Museum of Art, Milwaukee; Loyola University Museum of Art, Chicago; Carlow University, Pittsburgh; and the Saint John Paul II National Shrine, Washington D.C. Her works can be found in the collections of: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Carnegie, PA.; St. Mary’s University, Winona, MN.; Daughters of the Heart of Mary, Holyoke, MA.; the Archdiocese of Chicago; and Harvard University, Cambridge. In 2013, she was the William Belden Noble Lecturer at The Memorial Church, Harvard University.
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From the War of Nature
Derek Turner writes . . .
What if our representations of dinosaurs sometimes say more about us than about the animals themselves?
Why, for example, do we so frequently represent dinosaurs as fighting? One classic example of this is Charles Knight’s famous painting of the gladiatorial face-off between Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex.
T. rex couldn’t really box, but look at how the animals are squaring off like prizefighters on opposite sides of the ring. Or like cowboys facing off at high noon. We’re looking at dinosaurs, but the ritual being enacted here is familiar. And human. I observed many fights when I was in junior high school, and every single one of them started with a ritualized face-off, just like this. Or like this:
The trouble (as Brian Switek explains here), is that there is not a shred of evidence that such duels ever actually happened. That bears repeating: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT TRICERATOPS EVER ENGAGED IN COMBAT WITH T. REX. There are a few suggestive tooth marks in Ceratopsian frills, but toothmarks do not necessarily imply combat, since they could easily have been made post-mortem.
None of this is to say that representations of T. rex fighting Triceratops are inaccurate. The point is that such representations are only loosely constrained by the empirical evidence. Even as our understanding of dinosaurs has changed a great deal, certain ways of representing them have remained deeply entrenched. For example, this was the cover of a book that was one of my own favorites, when I was a kid:
But even as scientists like Robert Bakker led the dinosaur renaissance in the 1980s, the dueling dinosaur motif persisted.
Seen in historical context, there is nothing terribly heretical about the depiction of dinosaurs fighting.
Prehistory as a Mirror for Humanity
The evidential slack means that that there is room for us to read our own human foibles and predilections back into nature. We reconstruct prehistoric life—and dinosaurs in particular—in our own violent image.
In an earlier post, I suggested that part of what draws us back to the Mesozoic is nostalgia for a wilder world where humans have no place. But we also populate that wilder world with animals that can seem a lot like us, animals that wasted their time on Earth in perpetual conflict and combat. My claim is that representations of prehistoric life can function as a mirror that shows us something about ourselves, if obscurely.
Recently on a visit to Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, I saw a (quite famous) dinosaur skeleton that, amazingly, drove both of these points home at the same time. It was Deinonychus—a specimen that, interpreted by John Ostrom, helped to launch the dinosaur renaissance. But there's poetry in the decisions about how to mount the skeleton:
The animal is pouncing, in the middle of an attack. The dynamic pose contrasts with earlier representations of dinosaurs as sluggish, such as Knight’s painting. But combat is the common thread. Why not portray Deinonychus as sitting, or napping? Many predators spend most of their time lazing around. One part of the answer is that we like to watch violence. Another part of the answer is that we like being told that our own violent tendencies are natural.
What is Deinonychus pouncing on? You! The museumgoer. Even though it’s just a skeleton suspended from the ceiling, the museum exhibit places you, the visitor, in the wilderness before time, where animals like Deinonychus might leap at you and eat you. The exhibit places you in a fight with a dinosaur, and one that you are guaranteed to lose. There is a fascinating double movement here: the exhibit cuts humanity down to size, but the animal doing the slashing is strangely humanized. It is using its weapons to attack you in the way another person might do.
Dinosaur Weaponology
This obsession with dinosaur fighting also, I suggest, has some impact on paleontological research. A lot of work goes into the functional morphology of dinosaur weapons. Consider the thick cranial domes of some pachycephalosaurs. In the dinosaur books I loved as a kid, the animals were often portrayed like this:
These, presumably, are males, ramming each other into submission to see who gets the territory, or the females. The thick skulls evolved by sexual selection. Or so the story goes.
Along the way, however, some scientists have expressed skepticism about this picture. For example, Kenneth Carpenter argued (here) that the tops of pachycephalosaur skulls have too little contact area for the head butting to work. Instead, he hypothesized that the animals must have engaged in "flank butting." Others have wondered about the morphology of pachycephalosaur necks. Was the curvature of the neck vertebrae well designed for withstanding impacts? Perhaps the skulls were instead used for display or recognition. Meanwhile, other researchers have looked at pathologies--at the frequency of bone lesions in pachycephalosaur skulls--and argued that those are suggestive of injuries due to head-butting. Debates about the head-butting hypothesis have also gotten plenty of public attention.
My worry about all this is not that the head-butting hypothesis is wrong. My worry is just that there is so much attention lavished on research on dinosaur weapons--and on what are thought to have been male weapons, at that. There are lots of interesting questions that could be asked about pachycephalosaurs--about their ecology, about other aspects of their behavior--and yet it almost seems like the only thing we see when we look at the animals are their weapons. When dinosaur weaponology research gets disproportionate public attention, that creates the impression that the weapons were their most important features. Indeed, we often treat dinosaurs' weapons and armor as their defining features. But there's no deep reason why we have to do that.
Stereotypes about Dinosaurs?
We also represent dinosaurs in a way that showcases their weapons. If you take time to observe carnivores—your pet dog counts, as do the backyard coyotes—you might notice that they do not spend much time with their mouths hanging open. If we wanted to, we could adopt a practice of always portraying dogs like this:
But this would be a kind of reputational injustice to dogs. The representation isn’t exactly wrong—dogs do sometimes act like this—but it’s biased. Just try, however, to find a museum exhibit in which a carnivorous dinosaur is reconstructed with its mouth closed.
There are interesting cases where people have messed up stereotypes about other animals. (Actually, these can interact in complex ways with stereotypes about people. These are complicated issues, but this book by Vicki Hearne might be one place to start exploring them.) For example, many people think of pit bulls as especially ferocious and aggressive dogs. But people who’ve hung out with snuggly, well cared for pit bulls know otherwise. It's not even entirely clear what breed, if any, the term "pit bull" is supposed to pick out. They are just dogs. Perhaps we are guilty of stereotyping dinosaurs in somewhat the same way.
This tendency to read of our own interests and predilections back into nature is nothing new. Darwin did the same thing. Many people have cited the famous closing sentence of the Origin of Species, the one that opens with, “There is a grandeur in this view of life . . .” For many years, Stephen Jay Gould wrote essays for Natural History magazine under the heading, “This View of Life.” However, the sentence that precedes the famous closing line is just as revealing--and, I would argue, kind of problematic. Here it is:
“Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows”
(p. 425. All page numbers are from this version of the Origin, which is available online.)
Nor is this the only place where Darwin uses war and battle as metaphors. In his chapter on the struggle for existence, he writes that “battle within battle must ever be recurring with varying success . . .” (p. 71). In the discussion of sexual selection, he refers to “the law of battle,” according to which males of most species must use their “weapons” to fight for access to females (p. 84). Remember the pachycephalosaurs.
Just to be clear: there is absolutely nothing in the theory of natural selection that obligates us to think of it as involving war, or combat, or fighting. In familiar schematic form, all you need for natural selection is heritable variation in a population that makes some difference to survival or reproductive success. Darwin’s line about the “war of nature” is gratuitous. So why is it there? Of course predation is violent. But war and battle are, in the first instance, human activities. These metaphors are optional.
Darwin’s penultimate line looks a lot like theodicy. The war of nature is horrible and gruesome, but maybe it’s justified by its results—the “most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving.” Of course, that most exalted object is us. So our own human activity—war—is made to seem natural, because that’s what all other creatures have been doing all along anyway. But the war of nature is then supposed to be justified by the fact that it has produced “higher animals” like us that make war with each other.
It’s hard to see the grandeur in this view of things.
This post builds on some ideas about war as a metaphor that I developed in an earlier paper. There may also be a connection between seeing nature as a scene of constant warfare, and seeing ourselves as being at war with nature.
Tags dinosaurs, paleontology, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, fighting, combat, pachycephalosaurus, sexual selection, Darwin, war, pacifism, social constrution, Deinonychus, Connecticut College, philosophy, underdetermination, metaphor, paleoart
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promise it!
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Home > Newsroom > Latest News > Haven Sponsors Para Athlete Of The Year Award
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Haven Sponsors Para Athlete Of The Year Award
Libby Clegg is pictured with her Haven Para Athlete of the Year award and Paralympian David Weir along with (left to right) Matt Harley, Shonaid Bowie and David Whyte of Haven.
Social enterprise firm Haven was the proud sponsor of the Para Athlete of the Year Award at this year’s Scottish Athletics awards celebration.
The winner of the prestigious title was Libby Clegg who has picked up silver medals at the last two Paralympics – and now has the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games firmly on her mind.
The sprinter was named Haven Para Athlete of the Year at the annual awards ceremony - with the presence of David Weir, who won four gold medals at London 2012, making the presentation adding to her excitement.
Clegg won a silver medal in the T12 100m in London in September, competing with guide runner Mikhail Huggins. And, with the hard work for next season and 2014 already started, she was thrilled to accept the Haven award from Paralympic icon Weir.
Libby said: “It has been an amazing few months but I don’t think something like this is just about that – I see it as a reward for years of hard work and dedication.
“To receive it from David Weir definitely made it that but more special for me. He is such a big hero of mine.”
Libby, who attended the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh and whose family are based in the Scottish Borders, added: “I am pleased Haven sponsored the award. Sponsorship is so important in sport.
“I know they are a company who employ people with a disability in Inverness and Glasgow. It is good they are giving people an opportunity just as we must give athletes with a disability an opportunity. That’s something David Weir has championed for a while.”
David Whyte, director of Haven, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Haven Para Athlete of the Year 2012. A key part of our mission at Haven is to support disabled people to help them achieve their goals by providing employment and training and preparing them for job opportunities in mainstream employment.
“All of the athletes short-listed for this award are a true inspiration to both the disabled and the non-disabled and show just what can be achieved with hard work and determination.
“Our congratulations go to the winner of the award, Libby Clegg, whose dedication and will to succeed has made her one of the top athletes in Scotland and a role model to so many in overcoming challenging obstacles to be the very best.”
Despite London 2012 being such a recent memory, Clegg has already got her next ambitions clearly targeted.
“I have World Championships in mind for next summer but Glasgow 2014 is a really big part of my plans at this moment, too,” said Libby.
“The big thing for me is that my event is included in the Commonwealth Games programme which means I am entitled to run. London for the Paralympics was fantastic and I’m sure there will be full stadiums in Glasgow as well.”
Owen Miller of Dunfermline and West Fife AC and Robert Ferrol of Shettleston Harriers were the other two athletes to make the short-list for the Haven award.
Haven is part of the
Momentum Scotland is a company limited by guarantee and having charitable status. Registered in Scotland no SC127950. Scottish Charity No SC004328
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Daily Giz Wiz 686: T-Mobile's G1
Subject: Review of T-Mobile's G1
Released: Monday 27 October 2008
Download file: DGW-686.mp3 (14.2 MB)
The Wi-Fi, GPS, keyboard-included T-Mobile G1 smart phone, running on Google's Android.
Link: T-Mobile G1
As hinted at in Episode 673 and last week, Dick and Leo finally talk about T-Mobile's G1. Made by HTC, the G1 is the first phone featuring Google's open-source smartphone operating system Android.
It has bluetooth, wifi, GPS (though not turn-by-turn), 512 MB built-in memory, although it has an microSD card slot and comes with a 1GB card; a back-lit qwerty keyboard (which is revealed by sliding out the screen) and a replaceable battery; a 3.2MP camera, but like the iPhone, it does not shoot video, and like the iPhone it does not support Flash on the internet. Unlike the iPhone, it supports voice dialling and "cut and paste".
Physically, it weighs just under 6 ounces. At the bottom is a panel of buttons: a big Menu button, underneath which at the centre is a trackball (for navigation and as a select button). To the left of the trackball are the "Call/Send" button and the "Home" button; to the right of the trackball are the "Back" and "Hangup/Power" buttons.
On the left hand side of the phone is a Volume toggle, and on the right hand side the camera button. For the earphones, unfortunately it's a microUSB connection and you'll need an adapter for your 3.5mm jack earphones.
The display is 3.2 inches at 480 x 320 resolution, with a capacitive touch-screen. It does not support multi-touch, but does support long presses (through which you get a context menu including "cut and paste"). It has an accelerometer and is supposed to adjust itself to Portrait/Landscape mode, at least when the qwerty keyboard is open.
Since Android is open-source, many applications are expected to come out supporting the platform, and will not be filtered as in the case of the iPhone. You can access the apps from the Android "Market", and Google will tell you in relation to each app what types of access the app may have on the phone - such as communications, your location and your personal information.
The phone comes with the standard Google apps, such as Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, and like the iPhone, offers a mobile version of YouTube. If you don't use Gmail, there is another mail application. Unfortunately, this other mail app cannot open attachments (which Gmail can by HTML conversion), nor save them. The IM app supports major instant messengers such as AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo and of course Google Talk. Like Google's desktop browser the Chrome, the Android browser is WebKit-based. Another app that comes with the phone is AmazonMP3, with access to Amazon's DRM-free mp3 downloads - which only works with Wifi, and not 3G or Edge. The phone also has its own music player software.
At the moment, the phone is available in T-Mobile stores only in cities which has T-Mobile's 3G coverage.
Favourite Episodes
In Episode 679, Dick and Leo were asked if they had a list of their 20 favourite/funniest episodes. Ludwik Trammer of gizwizsearch can answer for them. Search queries on his site show which episodes are most frequently accessed - 182 Titanium Spork, 465 Electron Echo Piano, 462 MP4 Watch, and of course 282 Toothpick Bird.
Ludwik also tells us that the accumulative length of all the DGW shows now exceeds 7 days.
Ludwik is going to introduce a new feature on his site. In fact it is already operational. Just go to his site and see if you can spot the difference. Otherwise, just wait for an announcement through Dick and Leo in tomorrow's recording session, or in next week's episodes.
Video Podcasts To Wait
The last time Leo talked about video podcasts (with hopes of getting DGW on video) was Episode 671. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn, Leo has decided to be a little more prudent, and maybe putting that on hold, although he may still put out a weekly "best of" video podcast.
Second Longest Episode
At 31:03, today's show is the second longest episode, just 12 seconds short of Episode 634, the Lexmark X9575 Professional.
Tags: Smartphone
Sprint Instinct
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Egypt Remains Among the Middle East’s Worst Countries for a Woman to Seek Divorce
A panel on Gender, Justice and the Law in the Arab States Region // Left to right: Neziha Labidi, Maya Morsy, Sima Bahous, Ulrika Modeer, Salma Nims
BY MIRNA ALSHARIF –
Amina asked her husband of three years for a divorce in Cairo in 2012. He refused.
What followed was a process Amina, 35, described as time-consuming, unfair, and humiliating.
“My ex and I sat down with the patriarchs of our families and a ma’zun [religious notary] who tried to convince me not to go through with the divorce,” said Amina, who asked that her last name be withheld for fear of reprisal. “I endured several of these meetings where these men weren’t listening to me. I had to waive my financial rights from my then-husband just so he can agree to divorce me. He also demanded that I give him back every gift he ever got me.”
Azza Soliman, Egyptian human rights lawyer and founder of the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance, has represented countless women in divorce cases.
“Divorced women are entitled to the mu’akhar, or a deferred portion of the dowry paid to the wife upon divorce or the husband’s death, ‘idda, or maintenance payments while the divorce is being finalized, and mut’a, which usually goes on for about two years,” Soliman said. “They’re also entitled to the furniture in the marital home. If there are children involved, then the woman also has the right to stay in the apartment with her children until they turn 15 years old. But when a woman dares to initiate her own divorce, she has to be willing to sacrifice all that.”
Divorce legislation falls under a portion of the Egyptian constitution called “Personal Status Laws.” In Egypt and according to Shariah law, a man may unilaterally divorce his wife by uttering the words “you are divorced” three times. To finalize the divorce, the man simply has 30 days to register it with a ma’zun, or religious notary. As a result, Egyptian women can be divorced against their will.
Although Egypt ratified the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the country’s divorce laws are weighted against women. According to the 2018 Global Gender Gap Index, put out by the World Economic Forum, Egypt ranks 135 out of 149 countries.
In 2017, President Abdelfattah El-Sisi attempted to reform divorce laws in Egypt so that men would have to go to a court to obtain a divorce. The proposal was unanimously rejected by the highest religious power in Egypt, the Council of Senior Clerics at Al-Azhar, who claim that this practice has been undisputed since the seventh century.
“Talaaq, or divorce, is the right of the husband and doesn’t take place unless it is done by him,” said Abu Yusuf Khaleefah, the imam of Nur Allah Mosque in Corona, Queens who studied Islam in Egypt. “Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said divorce is the right of the one who consummates the marriage. The woman has to seek to be released from her husband and he is the one who releases her. If he refuses, she can take the matter to the courts for them to force the release.”
Khaleefah is referring to the Tatliq (fault-based divorce) and Khula’ (no fault-based divorce), two methods that allow a woman to initiate divorce in the event that her husband refuses to grant her one. “Khula’,” which was incorporated into the Egyptian constitution in 2000, literally translates to “forcibly removing something” in Arabic; in this case it’s a woman forcibly removing a husband.
“When Khula’ was first introduced, it was like a magical tool for Egyptian women,” said Soliman. “Women who had suffered abuse for years and were forced to become part of polygamist marriages finally had a way out. But Khula’ takes much more energy and time than a traditional divorce, and I’ve seen many women suffer as a result.”
Under Tatliq, a woman has to prove that her husband has some major fault that prevents her from being with him, such as mental illness, inability to support her, incarceration, or abuse. The woman must obtain legal counsel and provide official documents and two witnesses to prove to a judge and a jury, most of whom are men, that she has suffered at the hands of her husband. As with all court cases in Egypt, the testimony of a woman is literally worth half that of a man, so the witnesses must either be two men, four women, or one man and two women. This type of divorce often takes a long time to accomplish.
“The idea that I needed witnesses to prove that my ex had been abusive towards me is ridiculous,” said Amina. “Abuse is cowardly by nature, it only happens in private.”
Amina was married at the age of 26 in 2009. A year into her marriage, she realized that her ex-husband was unpredictable and had a terrible temper.
“One day, he was yelling at me with such intensity that it scared me, so I locked myself in the bedroom to get away from him,” said Amina. “He ended up breaking the door down and charging at me. I knew it wouldn’t be safe for me to stay with him after that.”
Soliman has assisted many women who had similar experiences.
“If a woman comes to me and tells me she has been abused by her husband, I immediately start seeking proof,” said Soliman. “For example, a medical report proving that my client was hit or that her husband is mentally ill. And this is why women suffer so much, because they’re tasked with securing proof that justifies their own safety and freedom.”
Khula’, on the other hand, – what Amina opted for to speed the process – doesn’t require women to provide any evidence to establish why they should be granted a divorce.
In the case of Khula’, a woman must stand in front of the court and admit that although there is nothing actually wrong with her husband, she is seeking a divorce because she can’t trust herself to stay true to the sanctity of marriage. To put it simply, a woman must admit that she is no longer attracted to her husband and might one day consider cheating on him.
Other than this admission, which Amina described as humiliating, women also have to give up all the financial rights the law usually entitles them to. While Khula’ takes less time than Tatliq, women without a good financial standing are more hesitant to pursue this kind of divorce.
In both cases, the judge is given considerable power to decide whether to grant the divorce. For example, a judge may argue that a woman’s request for divorce is inadmissible if she had tolerated her husband’s abuse for several years.
“Many of these laws and practices stem from the belief that women don’t have the same ability to make critical decisions or practice faith as men do,” said Soliman. “This is why a man can end his marriage easily while the woman can’t. The law paints women as untrustworthy and emotional while men are somehow the defenders of faith.”
While divorce is a complicated matter for women to initiate, it’s even more complicated for mothers.
In a divorce, the mother retains custody of the children, but should she remarry, custody is passed down to her mother. If the woman’s mother is dead or unavailable, custody is granted to the mother-in-law, and then to either the sister of the mother or the father. Custody is passed down to the father as a last resort.
“Mothers are punished for remarrying, while fathers never have to worry about it,” said Soliman. “Worse, fathers are last to assume responsibility of the child they helped create. It’s contradictory because in one instance we’re trusting the woman to have custody and love and protect her children, then if she attempts to remarry we revert back to the idea that she’s untrustworthy and lacks sense.”
According to Khaleefah, the Queens imam, this law is rooted in Hadeeth, or the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
“The mother has more right to custody as long as she doesn’t remarry based on the authentic Hadeeth,” said Khaleefah. “The purpose of custody is the protection of the child and so it’s best if the child goes elsewhere if the mother remarries.”
Amina didn’t have any children with her first husband. But her sister, Sondos – who was granted a divorce after going to court for a no-fault based Khula’ – has a daughter. Sondos has been single ever since, too afraid to remarry and lose custody of her daughter.
Amina was remarried in 2015 but was also subject to a similar punishment.
“The ma’zun who married us put the name of my ex, the year we got married, and how long we were married for, in my new marriage certificate,” said Amina. “Why do I have to live the rest of my life with my ex’s name in my marriage certificate? When will the shaming end?”
This is not a practice that Egyptian men are subjected to.
Women’s rights organizations have advocated for the reform of gender-biased divorce legislation in Egypt for decades. Since it was founded in 2000, Egypt’s National Council for Women has attempted to target the personal status laws to no avail.
Last month at a panel for the 63rd annual Commission on the Status of Women, Minister and President of Egypt’s National Council for Women, Maya Morsy, said that a revised version of the personal status laws was in the works. She refused a request for comment regarding what the change would be.
Soliman, on the other hand, doesn’t believe this issue is prioritized by Egyptian government.
“There are people who say these laws are rooted in Sharia, or Islamic law, and we cannot change them,” said Soliman. “But then how do you explain Muslim-majority countries such as Tunisia and Morocco who have adopted human-rights-friendly interpretations in their laws?”
In Tunisia, both men and women need to turn to court to obtain a divorce. In 2003, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI hired a commission to look into divorce laws, which led to more rights for women and the creation of new types of divorce, including “irreconcilable differences.”
“In a nutshell, our law is telling us that if we want to leave our husbands, we must suffer tremendously,” said Amina. “A woman will find herself in a situation where she is overpowered by men. And it can all lead to humiliation, abuse, poverty, and judgment.”
Soliman and the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance are looking to draft and release a set of proposed civil laws for all Egyptians with the aim of eradicating bias on the basis of gender.
“The whole law has to change,” said Soliman. “The way we view women has to change. Sharia is being used as an excuse and a tool to keep women down. But religion is meant to help people, not oppress them.”
MIRNA ALSHARIF is a master’s student at Columbia University’s Journalism School. Mirna is passionate about using her background and personal experience to report on social justice, women’s rights, and social norms in the Middle East, topics that are heavily speculated about in today’s world and often misconstrued.
Posted in 2019, Gender, Middle East Tagged CJS19, Commission on the Status of Women, GCPress, Women
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Corey wary of Orchard threat
Monaghan's Vinny Corey with Barry Gilleran and Dermot Brady of Longford.
©INPHO/Presseye/Andrew Paton.
Monaghan veteran Vinny Corey says the Farney men will have to “up the performance levels” if they are to overcome Armagh this Saturday evening in Clones.
Malachy O’Rourke’s charges bounced back from their first round loss to Cavan with an unconvincing victory over Fermanagh in Round 1 of the qualifiers and Corey knows that a better performance will be required against the Orchard County.
“They have a lot of fires that need to be put out, a lot of boys on top of their game. Attacking-wise they seem to be a very potent threat,” the 36-year-old told The Irish News.
“They didn’t seem to have any problem playing Fermanagh in the league: Fermanagh were going for promotion and Armagh beat them easily. Likewise, in the first round of the championship Down were set up very defensively and they had no problem breaking them down. They are very attacking, but they have a bit more about them than just playing off-the-cuff.
“Worried would be the wrong word but there’s a sense that there has to be a bit of urgency. There’s a good chance, in a lot of people’s eyes, that we could be going out of the championship on Saturday night because Armagh’s coming in with a bit of form. Many people would feel they’re playing the better quality football and we haven’t reached those levels yet.
“It’s definitely not a draw to be complacent about, you can’t just ride your luck, we’re going to have to up the performance levels”.
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Feature Stories Latest
LedgerOnline / May 11, 2016 / No Comment
May is Mental Health Month: Tara’s Closet brings mental illness out into the open – and helps women in need
By Cindy Mindell
WEST HARTFORD – A new Jewish communal initiative will help those coping with mental illness inspired by a young woman who lost her life to bi-polar disorder.
Tara Savin
Tara Savin grew up in West Hartford and attended the Kingswood Oxford School, where she co-edited the yearbook and was voted “Best Dressed.” She graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a BA in International Studies and a minor in Women’s Studies, and stayed on to earn a master’s degree in Mass Communications. After working at Town & Country Magazine in Manhattan, she completed her Master of Social Work degree at Fordham University and returned to Hartford in 2010 for an internship with Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford (JFS). That year, at age 38, Tara Savin took her own life.
This month, JFS will launch Tara’s Closet, a program that brings together Savin’s two greatest passions. “Tara was a great humanitarian and she also had incredible jobs in New York in fashion,” says Savin’s mother, Barbara Roth.
Tara’s Closet comprises a dual mission: to provide clothing to JFS clients in a confidential and dignified manner, and to raise funds to spread awareness about mental illness and the related help provided by JFS.
“Our overriding goal is to take mental illness out of the closet,” says Roth. “We hope to break the ceiling on mental health and mental illness in the community because people are very much afraid of it and afraid to talk about it.”
Organizers are working to raise funds to promote JFS programs and services, and plan a community-wide conference featuring a well-known speaker who has learned to cope with mental-health issues.
The initiative has already inspired a response from community members.
“I have received so many personal phone calls from people who have stepped forward and told me their stories about people in their immediate and extended families who have suffered from mental illness,” Roth says. “I think we are opening a very important door for conversation and we are taking the shame out of it.”
For five years, Roth struggled to find a meaningful way to honor her daughter’s life. She was at a Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford women’s philanthropy event last year with friends Jill Stoner and Fredda Goldstein when they met Kim Margolis, director of development at JFS.
“We were talking with Kim about women of a certain age who are in transition and who seem to have lost their place in the community,” Roth recalls. With Margolis’s help, the three started a group at JFS for Baby Boomer women who wanted to reconnect and give back to the Jewish community.
One day, the women noticed people walking into the Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry at JFS. “I said to the others, ‘They look just like us and here but for the grace of God, we’re not in that position at the moment, but you never know what life is going to do to you,’” Roth says. “I asked Kim, ‘If people are coming in to feed their families, how are they clothing their families?’ We realized that there was nothing in the Jewish community any longer to address that need and a lightbulb went off in my head: this would be a perfect way to honor Tara’s life and all of her accomplishments.”
Over the past year, Roth has formed a 40-member steering committee, which she co-chairs with Stoner and Goldstein. JFS is inviting individuals and businesses to support and sponsor Tara’s Closet. Jeffrey Ellenberg, owner of Esquire Cleaners in West Hartford, is generously donating dry-cleaning and laundering services. Congregation B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom in Bloomfield is providing both clothing-storage and sorting space and the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Debra Cantor, who will serve as rabbinic advisor to the program.
“This is a wonderful hands-on opportunity for men and women of all ages to give back to the community and perform mitzvot and be involved in tikkun olam; increasing the well-being of humankind is one of the essential elements of repairing the world,” says Margolis. “Helping those who are in need, no matter in what capacity, is vital and ‘holy’ work.”
Tara’s Closet will be open four times a year and staffed by volunteers who will help JFS clients choose items for themselves and their families. Donations of clothing or funds are welcome.
“The obvious reason for people visiting the closet is that they need clothing, but the underlying issue is that they’re experiencing challenges in their lives, and many of them are suffering from mental illness,” says Margolis. “Through donations to Tara’s Closet, we hope to make people aware that Jewish Family Services is a resource in our community for people to turn to in times of need, and not only with the greatest challenges. We provide counseling, education, and community support to help people of all religions advance along the path toward emotional well-being, self-reliance, more positive relationships, and a renewed sense of possibility.”
Roth and Margolis note that the launch of Tara’s Closet resonates with the theme of this year’s Mental Health Month: “Life with a Mental Illness.”
“If telling my story can help even one person, it is worth it,” says Roth. “I just hope that we can help people who are suffering from mental illness because it is truly the most debilitating, painful thing that I have witnessed. If you just have one person in your family who is suffering, the emotional and financial drain is overwhelming because there is very little help financially out there in the insurance world and other sources for people suffering from mental illness.”
Roth says that mental illness carries the same societal stigma that cancer evoked when she was a child. But it is even more crucial to lift the taboo from mental illness.
“There’s a danger with mental illness which touches everyone,” she says. “Not every person who suffers from mental illness turns violent, but there is that component in our society today and I think none of us feels safe when we go to the mall or the movies or send our children to school. There is not an area in this country that is not touched by the possibility of a violent act by someone who is suffering and can no longer cope and unfortunately takes it out on the population. For me, that’s one component that is very important in the educational process of Tara’s Closet, because if we can make people understand the red flags, maybe we can prevent some of this violence.”
Roth also wants to bring the issue of suicide into the public conversation, which is “like an epidemic in our country today,” she says. “Prior to Tara’s death, I probably didn’t notice it as much but I hear of it almost on a daily basis, whether it’s our servicemen coming back from war or teenagers or young people going to college. There’s something wrong in our society and we need to try to help these people and stop suicide before it happens. With organizations like Jewish Family Services, we can hopefully slow it down.”
As someone who has first-hand experience with mental illness and suicide in her family, Roth offers some essential advice for others.
“The most important thing is, if someone suspects or sees any sign in a family member that seems slightly irregular or different from the person’s usual behavior, they should immediately go for professional help to better understand what’s going on,” she says. “For both the person who is observing the changes and the person who is feeling slightly odd or unsettled or different, it’s very important to talk to a medical profession – even with their general family physician and go from there – because this does impact the entire family.”
Margolis hails Roth as an inspiration for her courage and dedication to helping others. “While these issues are very hard to publicize in the community, Barbara has given us a platform to promote our mental-health services in a way that is accepting for others to feel comfortable, to come forward, and talk about something that has been taboo for so many years,” she says. “We are moved and motivated by Barbara’s strength and leadership honoring her daughter.”
In addition to donations of clothing and funds, Tara’s Closet also offers giving opportunities in honor or in memory of loved ones. Roth’s daughter, Candi Savin, recently asked a group of friends to donate clothing in lieu of birthday gifts. A Tara’s Closet clothing-donation bag will be available at upcoming launch events and at JFS. Three monthly “Tuesdays for Tara” in May, June, and July, will precede the August 1 opening of Tara’s Closet.
TO DONATE CLOTHES TO TARA’S CLOSET^
Tara’s Closet is grateful for donation of lightly worn clothing and out
outerwear for men, women, teens and children
We cannot accept: undergarments: shoes, boots, socks and swimwear
Collection dates: Donations may be dropped off at Congregation B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom in Bloomfield, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, May 31, June 28, June 26.
TARA’S CLOSET COMMUNITY-WIDE EVENTS
Monday, May 23: Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford’s Women’s Philanthropy event, “Living with Intention”
Thursday, June 23 at the Mandell JCC and Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford: opening reception of “John Meyer of Norwich: An American Original” exhibit; special guest, Elise Meyer
In November, Tara’s Closet will be highlighted at the Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford “Helping Our Hungry” annual fundraiser.
For more information call Kim Margolis, (860) 236-1927 or email kmargolis@jfshartford.org.
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Alfred Cornell Koelling Ph.D., former Curator of Botany
Petersburg, IL—Dr. Koelling died at his home in Menard County, Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Charlene, son, Geoffrey, daughter, Jill, nephew, Roger Michael, and niece, Mary Lou Holzauer.
Dr. Koelling received his Bachelor of Science at the University of Illinois, his Master of Science in Botany at the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in Horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University, and his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Illinois. He taught at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and Auburn University. He was the Curator of Botany at the Illinois State Museum for 33 years. During this time, he identified plants and mushrooms for the community and curated the herbarium at the museum. Dr. Koelling also served as a long-time member on the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and helped create nature preserves across the state of Illinois.
Memorials can be made to the Nature Conservancy, the American Lung Association or plant a tree in his memory.
Cremation rites are accorded by Hurley Funeral Home in Petersburg.
George Rabb, former Illinois State Museum Board Member
Ellen Gantner, former Director of the Illinois Artisans Program
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International Labour Conference
14th regional meeting
10th European Regional Meeting
9th European Regional Meeting
Growth, Structural Change and Employment ...
Growth, Structural Change and Employment
The consultation held in Tokyo, 15-16 May 2012, aimed to stimulate discussions amongst multi-stakeholder experts on issues relating to growth, structural change, productive capacities, and employment, as they relate to both the MDGs and any framework that may come after 2015.
Conference paper | 25 June 2012
Concept note for the Global Consultation: Building the Post-15 Development Agenda
1. Purpose of the consultation
The consultation aims to stimulate discussions amongst multi-stakeholder experts on issues relating to growth, structural change, productive capacities, and employment, as they relate to both the MDGs and any framework that may come after 2015.
2. The global jobs challenge
According to the ILO, global unemployment is estimated to have increased from 170 million in 2007 to 197 million in 2011. During this period, labour force participation also declined by 29 million. Projections are that unemployment will increase to 200 million in 2012 and 206 million in 2016. ILO figures also show that there are now 75 million unemployed young people in the world, up from 71 million in 2007. About 29 million people globally are also ‘discouraged workers’, meaning that they have stopped looking for work. Of these, 6.4 million are young people.
It is widely recognized that, especially in developing countries, the employment-to-population ratio can be a better indicator of inadequate access to a job than the unemployment rate. According to this measure, the ILO states that 40 percent of the global labour force is unemployed, inactive or discouraged. Employment-to-population rates are significantly lower for women, ranging between 20 and 30 per cent in countries in South Asia, Middle East and North Africa. There are an estimated 1.5 billion own-account and contributing family workers (vulnerable employment).
Long-term unemployment is also worrying. For instance, 29% of the unemployed in the United States have been looking for jobs for over one year. Although the share of the working poor globally declined from 34.9% to 29.5% between 2007 and 2011, about 910 million workers still live in households with incomes below the US$2 a day poverty line.
The global challenge is how to create productive and decent jobs for the working poor and the 200 million out of work and for the 40 million people entering the labour force every year plus those ‘discouraged workers’. In addition, the world is experiencing demographic shifts. Even if fertility rates decline in the future, since we have a large and growing youth population especially in the least developed countries, an increasing number will enter the labour market in the future. At the same time, due to increased longevity and advances in health, many older adults in developed countries will keep working beyond the conventional retirement age.
The question is: can the world economy create such volume of jobs? Can we ensure the new jobs are productive and decent?
The MDG agenda helped focus development policy making towards achieving poverty reduction; it galvanized resources for this objective and helped form a global coalition for advocacy. Many least-developed and Sub-Saharan African economies made significant progress towards achieving the MDG targets. Donors have also responded to the MDGs by progressively allocating more aid to countries with the highest MDG achievement needs. However, despite having employment-related targets for achieving poverty reduction and gender equality, the MDG framework overlooked the fact that growth can be jobless. The framework, with its principal focus on social sectors, also overlooked the structural changes and the consequent decline in productive sectors that would worsen the employment crisis. The Post-2015 thinking would start from recognizing decent employment as the key component for achieving human development. Employment in turn is generated where growth and structural changes do not weaken productive capacity and mechanisms are in place to ensure workers are productive, safe and adequately remunerated, thereby encouraging inclusion, equity and steady growth in aggregate demand.
3. Growth and structural changes
In the period before the global economic and financial crisis, particularly from the early 2000s, many economies achieved high growth rates. However, the response of employment to growth (what economists call the employment elasticity of growth) has been low. The employment-to-population ratio stagnated around 60% when the world economy was growing steadily. While it may mask regional and country level successes, at the global level, there is little evidence to suggest employment is responsive to growth.
One reason why growth fails to generate significant employment can be explained by the structural changes that the global economy is undergoing. The structural change required is not that only change the composition of jobs along the formal-informal sectors but that absorbs the large increases in the labour force/working age population.
First, we are experiencing rapid technological advances. Labour saving techniques and mechanization are increasingly becoming substitutes for human labour. A study of sixteen European countries show that “The employment structure in Western European countries has been polarizing over the period 1993-2006 with rising employment shares for high-paid professionals and managers as well as low-paid personal services workers and falling employment shares of manufacturing and routine office workers”.
Second, globalization has also meant that employment has shifted to ‘low cost’ regions and countries. Outsourcing and trade-in-tasks are two examples, which effectively exported jobs out of relatively ‘high cost’ developed and developing economies. The upshot of globalization in developed nations is sectoral shifts towards high skill ‘knowledge sectors’. These sectors do not absorb low to medium skill labour. Education and skill developments have not kept up with the fast paced structural changes towards ‘knowledge sectors’. A study by UNCTAD shows that some African and Latin American economies have been deindustrializing. This means that labour-intensive and high productivity sectors, such as manufacturing have been out-competed by ‘low-cost’ producers.
Third, the upshot of deindustrialization, coupled with rapid urbanization, is the informalization of employment in low-productivity sectors. As the upcoming World Development Report 2013 by the World Bank argues, unlike the predictions of tradition models, the labour force in many developing economies is not moving from traditional activities such as agriculture into manufacturing. Increasingly, workers are moving into traditional service sectors, which have low productivity features as well as informality and casual nature of jobs. New entrants to the labour market especially in rural and informal urban settings cannot afford the luxury of not working; they are registered as employed if they work at least one hour a week, in any casual, off-contract informal kind of activities. Low productivity and poor earnings, in turn, impede growth of consumption and investments that could be a catalyst for job creation.
Fourth, economies are facing adjustments to ensure environmental sustainability in their production and consumption patterns (in the fight against ‘climate change’). While this is not yet happening in large scale, a shift to low carbon-emission production and consumption requires a new set of technologies and human skills. Adjustment to a ‘green economy’ inevitably implies loss of labour as economies shift to new production processes and consumption patterns. As we venture into sustainable economic models, workers that are skilled in the new technologies as well as retrained workers are needed. Social protection and safety nets are also required to lessen the inevitable impact of these adjustments.
Fifth, the above structural shifts were sustained thus far through a globalization process that is largely based on export-led strategies and unrelenting global demand. In the case of many developed nations, this demand was chiefly supported by sovereign and household debt accumulation. The model worked well until the recent economic and financial crises exposed the fragility of this unbalanced model. Growth becomes ever more important to resuscitate global demand. In addition, the decline in global demand will have to be compensated by ever greater demand from emerging economies.
Sixth, one such demand is for commodities, which increased the income of resource-rich economies and propelled their growth rates significantly, but had limited impact on employment. Some estimates show that the extractive sector only absorbs 2-4% of the work force, despite contributing over two-thirds of GDP. In oil, gas and mineral producing economies, income is derived from capital-intensive production processes. This has meant limited expansion in non-resource related productive capacity with potential for job creation.
4. Exclusion, inequity and deterioration in human development
The conclusion we reach from the above discussion is that: 1) growth is not a sufficient condition for employment generation, despite it being a necessary condition (since it enlarges the resources for making people’s choices larger); and 2) the structural changes the world economy is undergoing, and likely to undergo, do not seem to be conducive to employment creation. These two factors explain the employment crisis and the subsequent inequity, exclusion and unsustainable human development.
First, close to 55 million people were added to the number of working poor between 2008 and 2011, indicating the negative impact of the economic and financial crisis. A study by the ILO shows that in the past 15 years, the distance between the highest and lowest paid deciles of workers increased in nearly two-thirds of the thirty countries studied. The widening pay gap is both a result of falling wages at the bottom and momentous increases for the top earners. The decline in the wage share of national income in developed countries, especially the US and the UK, is shown to be the cause of rising inequality.
Second, beyond inequity in income distribution, the labour market, mainly in the developing economies, is closely related to exclusion. Studies show that low pay and unemployment are aggravated by workers characteristics, which are not always of their choice. These attributes, such as gender, race, age as well as level of education, bargaining power and residence status (migrants, for instance) determine wage levels and access to work opportunities.
Third, even when the excluded find jobs, the likelihood that they will be in vulnerable and casual employment is high, where women and the youth make up the majority. There are an estimated 1.5 billion vulnerable workers globally, including the self-employed and unpaid family workers. The economic and financial crisis added another 34 million people to this number. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia host a large number of vulnerable workers, about 77% of the total work force. Not only do developing countries have a large proportion of workers in vulnerable employment, but the recent growth in their employment figures are also related to jobs created in the informal sector (which are largely classified as vulnerable). About 70% of the growth in employment in Sub-Saharan Africa; 50% in South-East Asia and the Pacific, 25% in Latin America and the Caribbean are in the informal sector.
Fourth, as UNDP’s International Assessment of the MDGs pointed out, inequity and exclusion have direct impacts on human development. Earning poverty wages and loss of income from unemployment lead to poor nutritional intake, as households either purchase less food or opt for low quality dietary sources. The impact is also greater on women and children. Besides the mental trauma caused by loss of income and employment, households also reduce their spending on healthcare and cut back the number of visits to health centers. Children remain unattended as parents increase working hours. In many reported cases, children also drop out of school either to supplement household income or simply because parents are unable to afford school fees, uniforms and learning materials. Household assets such as land and cattle are also sold to compensate for loss of income and employment. Depletion of assets has been found to be a good predictor of long-term poverty and vulnerability to future shocks.
Fifth, job insecurity threatens human security in general. Unemployment, under-employment as well as the combined effects of inequity, exclusion and worsening human development represent a threat to human security. As indicated above, workers are increasingly facing insecure working conditions. What are called the precariat are growing in number. These are a class of workers in precarious employment – with no social security; no career identity and prospect; no safety and security at work; and trapped in casual and temporary jobs. Inequity and exclusion constitute a serious threat to social cohesion and might result in political instability and violence. The absence of equity and inclusion weakens societal values, trust in political leadership and institutions. A study of 69 countries finds that joblessness translates into reversal in democratic progress and increased desire for uprising.
5. Prospects for employment generation and the Post-2015 Agenda
Recognizing employment as the greatest means for achieving the MDGs or similar development goals, the Post-2015 agenda needs new thinking for reversing the jobs crisis. Such thinking has already begun at various forums. This consultation is an attempt to shed lights on the prospects for employment creation in recognition of the patterns in growth and structure of the global economy. The questions to be addressed at the consultation include:
1. Why did the MDG agenda underplay growth, employment, the productive sector and structural changes? If so, what do we learn moving forward to a new agenda?
2. What kind of ‘new industrial policy’ is needed that recognizes the structural shifts unfolding and provides incentives for building productive capacity in employment-intensive sectors?
3. What are the policy options for incentivizing agricultural productivity and small-scale enterprises that are notably employment generating sectors?
4. What are the new education and skill sets required for the ‘knowledge economy’? How to raise skills for all those working in the informal economy?
5. How do we manage the labour market transition to ‘de-carbonized’ economies of the future?
6. How will the emerging economies be a new source of the sustained global demand necessary to reverse the employment crisis?
7. How will the resource-rich economies tap into increased flows of revenues and direct them towards developing employment-intensive and productive sectors?
8. In what way the goals of inclusion, equity and inequalities, as described above, can be achieved by global and domestic policy responses?
9. What is needed to ensure that gender is considered as a key determinant of growth and employment policies address this fact?
Tags: employment, economic and social development, development aid, globalization, sustainable development, economic growth, role of ILO, Global Jobs Pact
2015: What next? Employment, equity and human development Structural transformation and employment Employment trends and jobs challenges
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Bowlers gave India something they never tasted down under
India have done it, at last, winning the first Test of a series in Australia. It took 70 long years, starting from their inaugural Test two months after the country attained independence.
The victory at the Adelaide Oval on Monday is only India's sixth Down Under and the sweetest as it was hard fought and came 10 years after Anil Kumble's team won at, of all venues Perth, on a pitch considered pace-friendly. The second Test of this series is at Perth, but not at the good old WACA. It is at the new Perth Stadium hosting its first Test.
The series opener was a test for the Indians who lost their first Test in England by the identical margin of 31 runs they won at Adelaide. A couple of months earlier, they were beaten by South Africa by 72 runs in the first of the three-Test series after both the teams collapsed for 130 or so in the second innings.
Despite their hold on the game by the end of the fourth day's play, the Indians were haunted by their previous experiences and things did not make any better as the lower-order Australian batsmen got stuck with a bit of pluck and luck.
Nathan Lyon's prophecy of "we definitely believe we can win this and we still believe we're in this game," adding that Shaun Marsh is also confident and has the belief he can be the hero of Australia's victory, is proved right, though only partially.
The Australians may not have won, but they were very much in the game till the end. Marsh couldn't keep his word and once he and his overnight partner Travis Head's departure by the 73rd over at 156 for six, India looked well on their way.
Lyon himself was there till the last wicket fell as the leeway came tantalizingly close to the Indians' comfort. Skipper Virat Kohli put it in perspective, "I wouldn't say that I was cool as ice, but I tried not to show it." He could not have been more truthful seeing the last four Australians, all bowlers, adding 104 runs.
If only the Indian bowlers had applied themselves similarly in the second innings and the last five wickets had not crashed for 25 runs, the last four for four runs, they could have batted Australia out of the Test.
To pick an Indian hero would be unfair to the eleven that played. Yet, Cheteshwar Pujara is the man who held the innings together, getting the others to play around him. If the lower-order stood by him in the first innings after the top-order folded and in the second he and Ajinkya Rahane gave the Indians a score that could be defended.
This inexplicable collapse should be a worrisome aspect of Indian batting, all so frequently, when their four-man attack has been unfailingly getting 20 wickets in a Test. It is more glaring looking at the way the Australian tail fought resolutely on a fifth day Adelaide pitch against the world's top off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and three never-say-die pace men Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.
The value of Man-of-the-Match Pujara's 194 runs in the two innings (123+71) should be weighed in gold. All the rubbish heaped on him of not the ideal Number 3 because he doesn't rotate the strike or not a quick runner between the wickets has to be put at rest for ever after this Test.
Pujara has shown there is no better player than him for any situation. He is the one top-order batsmen who has shown how to hold an innings in trying conditions and also how to farm the attack nursing the tail-enders. Rahane is not far behind.
The other subject close to the Twitterati's heart is Rohit Sharma and Rishab Pant. Both look the two sides of a coin, except that Pant is a little more predictable in his tonking. Both will have to curb their instincts and take Test cricket more seriously, particularly Rohit who is experienced enough not to throw his wicket away.
Pant's 4,4,4,6 off consecutive deliveries of the crafty Lyon looked the right at that stage in the game, though gifting the wicket away to the next ball looked silly. At 21, he can be expected to learn soon to be a good wicket-keeper-batsman.
Pant's wicket-keeping should be seen in different shades. He looks safe standing back and has to get the hang of Ashwin's variations soon. You can't talk about his consistency behind, and he will remember how he missed setting the world record for the number of catches, by dropping Lyon before the game got nerve-wracking. His 11 catches in the match is a fantastic effort.
Coming to the bowling, rarely have India been blessed with three genuine pace bowlers who consistently clock 145 km plus while maintaining their line and length. What was heartening at Adelaide was their use of the bouncer, particularly Ishant who has developed into a bowler who keeps his ball up. Shami and Bumrah always look like getting a wicket on the Australian pitches. They looked clearly superior to the much touted Australian pacers.
With hardly any time to rest before the Perth Test, all the Indian bowlers need to relax as there is no scope for any changes in the winning side, except if Prithvi Shaw is fit he can come in for Murali Vijay.
Even the DRS is getting more curious and the Indians, who objected to its introduction for a long time before falling in line, should be happy that they were the ones to benefit the most at Adelaide.
More excitement is in the offing in the series.
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Why Liverpool Will Rue Losing Out On Arsenal Fan Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Dortmund
Football is a sport full of fascinating stories of sons who follow in the footsteps of famous fathers. For some, such as Jordi Cruyff, son of Johan, the burden of the family name is too much. Others, like Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara, son of Brazilian World Cup winner Mazinho, relish the pressure. Perhaps the greatest father and son pair ever to have played the game are the Maldinis, Cesare and Paolo. Far less heralded he may be, but Borussia Dortmund’s new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan may yet prove one of the best players to follow in his father’s footsteps into the game.
Born in 1989 in Yerevan, into a country of Armenians, in common with the rest of Eastern Europe increasingly expressing their desire to leave the fast crumbling Soviet Union, Mkhitaryan’s father Hamlet played for Ararat Yerevan and was one of the stars of Armenian football in the 1980s before moving to play for Valence in France. Tragically, he died from a brain tumour at the age of just 33, but his football legacy lives on in the shape of his son Henrikh. Part of a family steeped in football, Mkhitaryan’s mother heads up national team operations for the Armenian Football Association and his sister is a translator working for UEFA.
The gifted playmaker was seemingly destined to play the game from the moment he arrived in the world, and started his career with local side Pyunik Yerevan, establishing himself in the first team quickly and equally as rapidly he made an impact in Armenia’s youth teams. Mkhitaryan played for the country’s Under-17s, Under-19s and Under-21s before making his senior debut at the age of just 18 in 2007. It was clear back then that Mkhitaryan was destined for greatness, according to Vardan Minasyan, his coach at Pyunik Yerevan, who explained that the midfielder “can win games on his own. He seizes control at the crucial moment and scores for fun."
By the time he was 20, four Armenian league titles had already been won, and interest was coming from other European sides, including Lyon, Lille and Lokomotiv Moscow. Even Argentina’s Boca Juniors wanted to hoover up the young Mkhitaryan. Eventually he joined Metalurg Donetsk in the Ukraine, before moving across the city to Shakhtar Donetsk a year later after netting 12 goals. He was even made Metalurg Donetsk’s youngest ever captain before switching to the Miners.
At Shakhtar Donetsk, Mkhitaryan became vital to Mircea Lucescu’s free-flowing side, who have been renowned for developing equally talented Brazilians from South America, such as Willian, Fernandinho and Alex Teixeira. Alongside them he was arguably the star of the team as they enjoyed a superb start to 2012/13, winning the first 15 games of the Ukrainian league season and impressing in a Champions League group containing Serie A champions Juventus and then-holders Chelsea. If Luiz Adriano and Willian provided the goals, Fernandinho the lung-busting forward runs and Teixeira the skill from out wide, Mkhitaryan was the brains of the team, although he was still extremely prolific.
Replacing Jadson, who returned to Brazil, as the attacking midfield spearhead, the Armenian schemer had scored 16 times in his first 14 games of the season, smashing his tally from last year and finished the campaign with 25, a Ukrainian record. That reflects the fact that unlike some playmakers, who prefer to play the final pass but lack a killer instinct in front of goal, Mkhitaryan is deadly when given a chance to score. And where most playmakers prefer naturally to pick the ball up in deep positions, Mkhitaryan has a desire to get beyond the last defender as well.
He may possess an eye for goal, but superb vision and fluent passing characterise all he is about. Two-footed, calm and capable of unlocking a tight defence, he is an ideal modern playmaker, with a selfless instinct and fierce determination. It also means that he will give Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp an option to use him as a ‘false nine’ should he choose, as Mkhitaryan has the attributes required to play that role. The idea of him linking up with another skilful and creative midfielder in Marco Reus, and supplying the ammunition for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Robert Lewandowski, would give Dortmund a potent threat going forward next season. Able to speak five languages already, including Portuguese, French and English, his confidence and intelligence mean he should be able to adapt well.
Mkhitaryan is also blessed with humility and team ethic, perhaps surprisingly so for such a talented playmaker. Typifying that mentality, he once squared the ball when perfectly placed in front of goal in the final game of a season so that a team-mate could finish as the league’s top scorer.
Already the greatest player in Armenian football history, Mkhitaryan has the world at his feet. He grew up an Arsenal fan and dreamt of being coached by Arsene Wenger, but in Klopp he should find a manager who is sympathetic to the way he likes to play the game. Mkhitaryan says the reason he likes Arsenal is because of their speed, willingness to attack and giving young players a chance. With Klopp firmly developing those principles in his Dortmund reign, Mkhitaryan may find it an ideal place to burgeon in the years ahead.
The young Armenian was persistently chased by Liverpool this summer and indeed looked set to land at Anfield. Mkhitaryan was seen as the man to set the tempo for Brendan Rodgers’ team from an advanced midfield position and in so doing assume the role which has been the preserve of Steven Gerrard for the best part of the last decade. Now though he is in the Bundesliga and must turn his talent to helping Dortmund claw back the large gap Bayern Munich opened up over their fierce rivals last season; Mkhitaryan has the talent to make a real difference to Klopp’s men. And by the end of 2013/14, Liverpool may rue the day they let the Armenian slip through their fingers.
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Published: Monday, 8th Jul 2013
Arkadiusz Milik Ready to Prove Tottenham Wrong with Bayer Leverkusen Switch Champions League Finalists Bayern Munich and Dortmund Lean On Total Football Forget Financial Fair Play, Bayern Need a Chelsea or Man City to Save Bundesliga
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Board index » Politics & Ethnic Conflict » Military Operations & Heroes of our time
Eelam War I - 'Operation Liberation' - Vadamarachchi
Post subject: Eelam War I - 'Operation Liberation' - Vadamarachchi
Source: SL Army / The Broken Palmyra
@ LL / 2006
In October 1981, a soldier of the army was killed in Stanley Road Jaffna. Since then skirmishes took place on and off until the 23rd of July 1983 when 13 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were ambushed and killed by the LTTE at Thirunelveli, in Jaffna. This single incident created a new dimension in the northern conflict in Sri Lanka and also affected the country's image adversely.
Since then the separatist war in Sri Lanka was converted into a conflict, which yet obstructs the development of this country due to soaring defence expenditure. During the past fourteen years, there were many major operations conducted against the LTTE.
'Operation Liberation' was conducted to wrest control of the Vadamarachchi area in the Jaffna peninsula, and was aimed at forcing the LTTE to enter negotiations. For the first time in the military history of Sri Lanka, two brigades were launched into an offensive operation in the early hours of 26th May 1987. These two brigades, under the command of late Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa and late Maj. Gen. Vijaya Wimalarathne were able to complete the capture of the Vadamarachchi area within five days.
Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa
Probing and diversionary action for the operation to recapture the peninsula had begun by 18 May. Operation Liberation was planned and executed with commendable efficiency. Being a small country with limited resources, the manner of deployment of resources and timing was of crucial importance. To this end the capacity to gather and analyse intelligence had been strengthened with foreign, and particularly Israeli, help to an admirable degree. As far as this approach went, the government had in Mr. Athulathmudali, the National Security Minister, a competent man.
On 18 May, a diversionary column of troops had marched Northwest from Elephant Pass. Around 20 May, diversionary actions were also launched in Navatkuli and Palaly. Colonel Radha, the L.T.T.E. commander for the Mannar district was killed in action at Navatkuli. Radha, a mild-looking ex-bank officer, was noted for his daring. The Ceylon army made a rapid advance towards Atchuvely through Iddaikkadu from Palaly. When the advance commenced, the L.T.T.E. is said to have had 15 men in the area. More men were then ferried in by vehicles and the advance was fiercely resisted. This thrust too turned out to be diversionary as the army withdrew on the 23rd. Throughout the whole operation, the Sri Lankan forces enjoyed unchallenged freedom of the air. India had seemingly decided that the L.T.T.E. should at best be able to do no more than an arduous holding operation. It did not possess anti-aircraft weapons.
Operation Liberation proper, commenced on 26 May. The opportune moment to commence the operation came when the security forces learnt from intelligence reports that the L.T.T.E. leader Prabhakaran was in Valvettithurai. The populated area of Vadamaratchi is in the form of clusters towards the Northern sea coast. A wide open space which extends from Thodamanaru lagoon geographically separates Vadamaratchi from the rest of peninsular Jaffna. Movement across this open space is relatively easy to monitor. Prabhakaran's presence together with this geographical factor gave military sense to an attempt on Vadamaratchi. The control of Vadamaratchi and the rest of the northern coastline would leave the remainder of the Jaffna peninsula exposed along a broad front, stretching the L.T.T.E.'s resources to impossible limits. Although Prabhakaran's presence at Valvettithurai was then denied by the L.T.T.E., it was later admitted by L.T.T.E. men in a conversation with Colonel Wimalaratne of the Sri Lankan army.
The conversation took place in Palaly shortly after the Indo-Lanka Accord of July 1987 and was reported in the Situation Report Column in the Weekend of 27 September, 1987.
The operation was executed by Colonel Wimalaratne and Brigadier Kobbekaduwa. One infers from this conversation that not only were the Sri Lankan forces aware of Prabhakaran's presence in Valvettithurai, but also had pretty good intelligence of his location. To the question why the Ceylon army failed to seal off Prabhakaran's escape, the Colonel replied that the army had lost some time in negotiating booby traps.
Here is an extract from the report:
Kumarappa, one time L.T.T.E. "commander" for Batticaloa and now in the Tiger hierarchy and his colleagues last week talked over coffee to one of Sri Lanka's top military men in the anti-terrorist battle, Colonel Vijaya Wimalaratne at the I.P.K.F. headquarters in Palaly. The conversation, interestingly enough centred on some of the battles the two sides fought. A Tiger militant asked Colonel Wimalaratne who led one brigade through Vadamaratchi during Operation Liberation, why he did not overrun a sector in Valvettithurai where Tiger leader Prabhakaran and area leader Soosai were trapped. "I wish we knew that," replied Colonel Wimalaratne, "When troops began surrounding Valvettithurai, a section of soldiers, who encountered booby traps, delayed to reach their areas to seal off that spot. That is where the Tiger leader slipped out from."
Independent sources have said that both houses belonging to a businessman in Valvettithurai who had entertained Prabhakaran were bombed a short time after the latter had left. An unspecified number of the L.T.T.E. cadre reportedly lost their lives in the gruelling process of getting Prabhakaran to safety by moving Eastwards and then through Mulliveli, Southwards. Preoccupation with this had alone created considerable disarray in L.T.T.E. ranks.
The army moved out of Thondamanaru on the 26th. This was accompanied by heavy aerial bombing and shelling, particularly in Valvettithurai. There was also military activity, bombing and shelling near the Jaffna Fort. The Government later claimed that this was diversionary. By the 28th Udupiddy and Valvettithurai had been taken. This was the difficult part, involving several landmine barriers. After this the L.T.T.E. resistance petered out and Vadamaratchi was taken by 1 June. One group of soldiers were heli-dropped at Mulli. One column took Nelliady and advanced northwards to Pt. Pedro. Another group of soldiers advanced eastwards towards Pt. Pedro by running in three lines. The L.T.T.E. was not given the time to regroup or to put up fresh land mine barriers. The L.T.T.E. made a quick withdrawal abandoning its vehicles and a large quantity of arms.
About 8000 troops from the Gemunu Watch and Gajaba Regiments were involved in the recapture of Vadamaratchi. The L.T.T.E. was taken by surprise by what had happened. The Ceylon army had over the past three years been motivated and trained to make a steady disciplined advance under fire. It was not the so-called rabble army of 1983.
Air and naval support had also been boosted with the annual defence expenditure running at U.S. $500 million or 20% of the national budget. There was something to be said for the technocratic approach. The killing rate during the army's recapture of Vadamaratchi was of a low order compared with when an unprepared army took on Sinhalese insurgents of the J.V.P. in 1971.
Surprise and initiative continued to be on the side of the Sri Lankan army. It had the northern coast under its control from K.K.S. eastwards. It now moved Westwards along the coast and advanced Southwards towards Tellipallai meeting with next to no resistance. Atchuvely was again taken after a barrage of shelling. The B.B.C.'s Mark Tully quoted the army command at Palaly as having hopes of taking Jaffna within the next 48 hours. The L.T.T.E. was in a bad way. Though rhetoric abounded, the fleeing southwards into Sri Lankan held territory or to India of even the L.T.T.E.'s most ardent supporters was a reflection of current expectations.
Then came the well publicised convoy of fishing vessels from India with relief supplies on the 3rd June, their being refused entry and then the Indian air drop of 25 tons of relief supplies on Jaffna the following day. This marked the end of the Sri Lankan offensive.
The L.T.T.E. knew that its image had taken a beating. The initiative was now firmly lodged across the Palk Straits. Prabhakaran issued a statement welcoming what was termed India's humanitarian concern. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose government was reeling from extensive press exposure, particularly by the Indian Express, of corruption in high places and payment of kickbacks in arms deals (estimated at ,20,000,000 from Bofors of Sweden and ,15,000,000 from the West German submarine deal), now became the instant hero of the Tamils of Ceylon.
As a result of this Operation, the entire area of Vadamarachchi was brought under the control of the Security Forces. This was a severe blow to the LTTE as Vadamarachchi is the birthplace of the Tiger leader, V.Prabakaran, and also most of the senior cadres of the LTTE are natives of Velvettithurai, the main township of Vadamarachchi. Consequent to this operation, the Army was entrusted with the administration of a large number of civilians.
The 'Hearts and Minds' campaign was at its height and the population was gradually being drawn towards the Government and the Security Forces. Before the Security Forces commenced the next phase of the operation, aimed at gaining control of the entire Jaffna peninsula, Indian pressure started mounting and climaxed with the forced food drop by the Indian Air Force.
The Peace Accord with India was signed on the 29th of July 1987, and the Indian Peace Keeping Force, (IPKF), began arriving, thus making a new dimension in the separatist war in Sri Lanka.
The Army was confined to barracks in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. This enabled the troop withdrawal from this region in large numbers, to facilitate their deployment in the southern part of the Island to suppress the JVP uprising.
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Where is the best law school in the world?
Where's the best law school in the world? The first time I attended a law school I went to the University of Southern California. I dropped out and now I want to go back somewhere. So, where is the best law school? Here, in the states, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale are kings; but what about elsewhere around the world. For example, if I want to focus on international practice, should I stay in the states or go to law school overseas? Is there a law school in Europe that is more prestigious than Harvard, Stanford, or Yale?
Re: Where is the best law school in the world?
Presumptuous much?
Maintain FL 350
That's a tough question because law is so unique to the individual country. In other words, there really is no "global" law school. However, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, etc. are probably the closest thing to the best law school internationally. A good indication of this is how many foreign students each attracts. Many foreign students apply to LL.M programs at top U.S. law schools, far more than any other country in the world. Some remain in the U.S. and others return home after graduating. But here's the point: even if you're a Chinese lawyer in Beijing, or a Brasilian lawyer in Rio, an LL.M from Harvard is still considered entirely badass. Everywhere you go, that degree is instantly recognizable and respected.
You might be able to say the same about Oxford or Cambridge, but Harvard and Yale are generally (not just for law) considered the top universities in the world. Statistically it's much tougher to get into many top U.S. universities than it is to get accepted at Ox/Cam. In fact, it's a funny thing about the U.S. that we have such crappy k-12 education but such great universities. The Chinese govt sponsored a ranking of international universities a few years ago, and I believe 17 out of the the top 20 were in the U.S. As far as other internationally recognized law schools, I think that their reputations are far more limited. The universities of Sydney, Munich, Tokyo, and Toronto are all very well respected in law within their regions, but I don't know that they carry the same weight as the top ten or so U.S. schools followed by Oxford and Cambridge.
Julie Fern
hillary clinton say "boo!"
it floating in carribbean.
jonemike
i thing Villanova School of Law is the best in 299 North Spring Mill Road Villanova, PA 19085, United States
(610) 519-7000s
oh, you thing so, doo yoo?
HolmesBoy
Quote from: jonemike on June 26, 2012, 05:56:26 AM
Siri, where is the best law school to study pirate law?
SoCalLawGuy
I think it really depends on the country, every country has its pride. There are different good universities in different parts of Europe so first you need to decide what country would you like to study in.
Thane Messinger
Quote from: Nathaniel on June 22, 2012, 01:39:40 PM
There are the usual suspects, of course--Oxbridge, Paris, Tokyo--usually because the competition is so fierce (with Tokyo and other Asian schools making Yale look a bit tepid by comparison). The Gourman Report is (or was) the reference for international comparisons--loose as those necessarily are--for those blue-bloods out there. I've no idea if there's a link, as they are (were) an old-fogey reference, long since overtaken by US News.
More to the point, anyone attending any Top 5 law school in the U.S. or any Top 2 law school anywhere else can get a cappuccino with surprising efficacy.
Thane.
Quote from: Thane Messinger on September 21, 2012, 11:25:18 PM
I went to the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and I can make tons of money. That was ranked 17 back then. I am thinking about going back to law school to finish, although I have my doubts that I'll return to USC.
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Summary: There are fresh calls for an inquiry into the way the government assesses eligibility for a key disability benefit, after claimants with mental health conditions described how they had been asked in assessments why they had not taken their own lives.
There was a horrified reaction on social media when disabled activist Alice Kirby revealed on Twitter how the healthcare professional who assessed her eligibility for personal independence payment (PIP) had asked her: “Can you tell me why you haven’t killed yourself yet?”
After she shared her experience, many other claimants came forward to say that they had been asked the same, or a similar, question by their assessors.
Kirby, co-founder of the user-led group Disabled Survivors Unite (DSU), told Disability News Service (DNS) that the question was asked by an assessor employed by the government contractor Atos at her PIP assessment in November.
Kirby tweeted: “During my #pip assessment I was asked why I hadn’t killed myself yet. This is standard, assessors regularly ask this question.”
This was retweeted more than 850 times, while she received more than 140 comments, many of them from other PIP claimants with mental health conditions.
Kirby told DNS: “We know cuts to disability benefits cost people their lives, but these assessments themselves also put us at risk.
“The DWP urgently needs to launch an investigation into the assessment process and the effect questions like this have on us.
“People are terrified about being assessed, and many find their assessments so traumatic that it has a detrimental effect on their health.
“This is simply unacceptable; we should not be living in fear.”
Kirby’s concerns are just the latest to be raised about the PIP assessment process, and come as DNS continues its investigation into claims of widespread dishonesty and other poor practice by assessors working for both Atos and fellow contractor Capita on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
DNS has now collected many more than 100 cases of PIP claimants who have raised serious concerns about their assessments, in addition to those collected by Kirby.
The assessor’s question was described by those who read Kirby’s tweet as “horrendous”, “unacceptable”, “horrific” and “absolutely flabbergasting”.
In a follow-up tweet, Kirby said: “Let that sink in – government are hiring companies and telling them to ask disabled people why they haven’t killed themselves.”
She added: “It should be more widely acknowledged how humiliating and uncomfortable #pip and #esa assessments are made for disabled people.”
DNS has seen comments posted on social media – collated by Kirby – by at least 30 other disabled people who say they have been asked similar questions during PIP assessments or work capability assessments.
One of them, who was assessed by Capita, told DNS that she had been discussing her mental health with a PIP assessor last summer, and mentioned that she had been treated in A&E on a number of occasions after wishing to take her own life, when the assessor asked: “Why didn’t you kill yourself?”
Another said they were “aggressively questioned about why I hadn’t killed myself ‘yet’ and what methods I’d use”.
One said: “I also got asked this because I have PTSD and have attempted in the past. They asked why I failed.”
Another said: “I was asked that. True low point.”
One PIP claimant told Kirby on Facebook: “I got asked this, I felt very, very, very degraded. It’s a question that should not be asked.”
Another said he had heard it twice when attending other people’s assessments, and when he objected was threatened with being thrown out of the assessment.
Others said they had been asked, or heard, other disturbing questions and comments about self-harming behaviour during the PIP process.
One said he was told: “You’ve considered suicide? That’s understandable.”
Another Twitter-user told Kirby that a friend had been asked at a tribunal appeal to prove that she had tried to kill herself.
When she showed the panel the healed scars on her arm, she was told: “Long time ago then.”
So far, neither DWP, Atos nor Capita have denied that assessors have asked such questions.
A DWP spokeswoman said: “We expect the highest standards from the contractors who carry out PIP assessments.
“Both Atos and the DWP take allegations of this kind very seriously and will investigate any complaints made.”
An Atos spokesman said: “We are unaware of a complaint but we will investigate if one is made.
“Our role is to provide a well evidenced report based upon information obtained using the criteria laid out by government.
“The professional and compassionate service we provide to claimants is our primary consideration.”
A Capita spokeswoman said: “Our assessments are carried out in line with guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Disability assessors are equipped with knowledge, skills and continuous training in order to understand how various mental and physical health challenges impact upon a claimant’s daily function.
“While we cannot comment on specific cases, we expect all assessments to be conducted in a professional and empathetic manner.”
When asked whether such questions were offensive and potentially dangerous, and whether Capita would take action to ensure they were no longer asked in assessments, she refused to comment further.
But Kirby added: “The fact that neither the DWP or Atos have denied that I was asked this, or that it is a question regularly asked, is very telling.”
She said that some people on social media had cast doubt on what she wrote and had demanded proof.
But she said: “Assessments are purposefully made very difficult to record, and in any case we are not allowed to publish recordings.
“This ensures assessors are not held accountable for what they say, while we are seen by some as unreliable sources.
“Until our testimonies are heard and believed, this fight for justice will continue to be a difficult one.”
Source: Disability News Srevice
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The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Transitional Provisions) (Controllers) Order 2001
2001 No. 2637
Improperly acquired shares
13.—(1) Where, before commencement, a direction has been served on a person pursuant to regulation 44(2) of the ISD Regulations or paragraph 7(2) of Schedule 13A, that direction is treated after commencement as if it were a restriction notice served under section 189(2)(b), but subsections (3) to (9) of that section do not apply to such a notice.
(2) Where, before commencement, a direction has been served under section 26(2) of the Banking Act or paragraph 5 of Schedule 2D, the direction is to be treated after commencement as if it were a restriction notice served under section 189(2) and subsection (3) of that section has effect as if the shares which are the subject of that notice were shares to which section 189 applies.
(3) Where, before commencement, the Authority had power to serve a direction under regulation 44 of the ISD Regulations or paragraph 7 of Schedule 13A but had not given such a direction, the Authority may exercise the power in section 189(2) but only to impose the restriction mentioned in subsection (2)(b) of that section.
(4) Where, before commencement, the Authority had power to serve a direction under section 26 of the Banking Act or paragraph 5 of Schedule 2D, but has not served such a direction, the Authority may exercise the power in section 189(2).
(5) This article applies only where the holder of the shares which are or will be subject to the restriction notice is, after commencement, a controller of a UK authorised person within the meaning of Part XII of the Act.
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Life Insurance Lab
Life Insurance from The Lab
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Military Bases and Biodiversity
A Life and Natura 2000 project
Human visitors
Garrigues camp
Study into the interactions
Administrative and financial management
Project impact assessment
Aspretto naval base
The Aspretto naval base is located to the south of Ajaccio, the capital of southern Corsica. It covers an area of 42 acres and includes a sea port protected by a sea wall and a heliport. The sea wall covers an area of 4 acres and consists of 70% land and 30% marine environment. It has been a Natura 2000 site since 2007.
Military activities
The naval base was opened in 1938. It was originally a base for seaplanes, and was subsequently used as a sea search and rescue centre. At present, the port housesboth militaryand pleasure boats, but the site is also home to severalpublic service departments (Customs, Departmental Land and Sea Division (DDTM), Coastguard and Sea Police, National Coastguard Rescue Service (SNSM) and French Navy).This ensures maximum coordination during operations. The Regional Operational Monitoring and Rescue Centres Corsica subdivision (sous-CROSS de Corse) is also housed at the base. It is responsible for monitoring maritime navigation throughout Corsica and handling communications.
The site is home to a colony of rare Audouin's Gulls (Larus audouinii), which is why it is a designated Natura 2000 site (ZPS FR9412001). This species is found almost exclusively in the Mediterranean and its IUCN conservation status is "Near Threatened". The military base is also home to other native, protected species such as the Ribbed Mediterranean Limpet (Patella ferruginea) and the Mediterranean House Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus).
The Audouin's Gull
Corsica is the only place in France in which the Audouin's Gull nests. A colony has nested at the port sea wall at the Aspretto base in April each year since 1990, where it has bred and made a valuable contribution to the tranquillity of the site. The adult birds build their nests directly on the ground and raise between one and three chicks. The site is currently home to up to 60 breeding pairs, or 70% of the total population of this species in France.
The site is also an excellent place to observe and monitor the colony, which can be observed form a distance of 80 metres. The young birds are ringed, and returning adults are monitored remotely using binoculars, telescopes or high-quality cameras.
Until recently, the main threat to the colony was competition from the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis), its more precocious and corpulent cousin, who would evict the Audouin's Gulls from their nests and expose their eggs and chicks to predators. A series of authorised dissuasion, nest destruction and controlled culling operations were therefore performed on the Yellow-legged Gull population. These operations yielded excellent results, and this species has not nested at the site since 2011.
The Audouin's Gull is particularly vulnerable during the nesting period, and any disturbance, even temporary, can lead to lost chicks and breeding failures. One of the key aims of the conservation programme is therefore to manage human visitors to the site.
The sea wall also features a weak point close to one of the breeding areas, where a strong storm caused severe damage in 2009-2010.
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Catalog » Romance » Nice To Come Home To [DD]
Nice To Come Home To [DD]
Author: Flowers, Rebecca
Narrator: Fran Tunno
Length: 10 Hours
A smart, funny, entertaining novel of love and family for our times, Nice to Come Home To breaks the mold of the conventional love story and will have listeners cheering. Everyone around Prudence Whistler, thirty-six, seems to be settling down. Her once-single girlfriends have lately married and had babies. Her gay best friend is discussing marriage with his partner. Even her irresponsible younger sister, Patsy is the single mother of a two-year-old.
But when Pru loses her lackluster boyfriend of two years, she fears she's lost her chance at a traditional family of her own. What she then stumbles upon, however, may actually be even better. Setting about redesigning her life, Pru finds herself accumulating an unusual ad hoc family around he, both within her crowded apartment and in the broader community of Adams-Morgan in Washington, DC.
With her new life come the confidence to realize her dress-shop dreams, and a new understanding of family and happiness--one that may just deliver true love in the bargain. Endearing, romantic, witty, and satisfying, Nice to Come Home To is a charming, crowd-pleasing debut.
Rebecca Flowers has been a radio producer and a commentator for NPR's All Things Considered, and a recipient of the Donald Barthelme Prize for short fiction. She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband and their two children. This is her first novel.
RebeccaFlowers.com
Carrington MacDuffie is a recording artist and spoken-word performer whose voice acting has been featured in several independent films. Her one-woman show, "On the Dreaming Earth," has been staged at various venues across the western United States. She has received 5 AudioFile Earphones awards for audiboook narration, and two Audie nominations.
Joshilyn Jackson, author of Gods in Alabama
"This well-written story rolls toward a satisfying finish."
"Though the base plot of National Public Radio producer and commentator Flowers' almost flawless, utterly charming, and engrossing first novel is fairly straightforward, the characters are likable, and the narrative is funny and realistic.... [two-time Audie Award nominee Carrington MacDuffie] does justice to Prue and her surrounding cast of characters, and the production quality is excellent. All told, highly recommended for all public library collections."
Audio Nuggets: The World's Most Exclusive Private Clubs [DD]
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QLD FLOODS 2013
THE BRISBANE EKKA
OKTOBERFEST BRISBANE
BRISBANE FESTIVAL
RIVERFIRE
Watchwords - The BWFestival 2013!
Enthusiastic Brisbane Writers Festival fans meet their favourite authors. Photo courtesy of the Brisbane Writers Festival.
Welcome to the Poor Woman's Guide to the Brisbane Writers Festival
Celebrating Everyside of the Story: reading, writing and challenging ideas in the sub-tropical City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
The Brisbane Writers Festival at Southbank, Brisbane ran from Wednesday, 4 September 2013 to Sunday, 8 September 2013. Through these four pages you can get a taste of what was on offer on the final day of BWF 2013!
The Event: BRISBANE WRITERS FESTIVAL
Date and time: From Wednesday, 4 September 2013 to Sunday, 8 September 2013.
Venue: State Library of Queensland, Southbank, Brisbane, and various other locations including Brisbane City Council libraries. Go to the Brisbane Writers Festival website at http://www.bwf.org.au for more. The printed program insert from the Courier-Mail on Saturday, 27 July 2013 should now be available from some Brisbane City Council libraries. If they don’t have any left, the full program along with a list of participants is available on the BWF website above.
Ticket price: For program sessions and ticket prices go to the Brisbane Writers Festival website at http://www.bwf.org.au. Many events are FREE.
What’s happening: Celebrate words and challenge your ideas with a range of writer talks and feature events. Catch up with some of your much-loved authors and discover new writers. Browse the bookstore for new books and many old favourites. Take the opportunity to improve your own wordsmithing with practical workshops and advice from experts. Relax with a drink at the end of the day in the Festival Club while listening to talented singer/songwriters.
Kids aged 3–8 years will love the Alphabet Zoo with a variety of free activities for the whole family, and students in grades 4–10 will once again be enthralled by World Play, an academic challenge for young readers, writers and illustrators. Return to Watchwords regularly at http://www.ljmaywatchwords.com for a blow by blow coverage of the BWF, along with updates and author profiles.
A Potted History of the Brisbane Writers Festival
A group of Queensland writers and their organisations, including Queensland’s oldest writers’ association, The Fellowship of Australian Writers (QLD) Inc. (FAWQ), got together to hold the Annual Writers Convention, which later morphed into Warana Writers Week in 1962.
For 30 years the Warana spring festival was a significant part of the Queensland calendar. Writers Week was held in the Botanical Gardens and inhabited a few scattered tents where authors hoped their readers would find them. I recall curmudgeonly author, Bill Scott, mumbling something about money and telling me, ‘I’m not going to do this again. This mob couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery!’
Happily, things improved, and in 1986 the Warana Writers Week was expanded to include public events. Some functions were shifted to our brand new South Bank and a few city venues, and there was funding to the tune of about $50,000 from the Australia Council, the Queensland Government and various corporate sponsorships. Bill’s 'brewery' was taken over by a ‘you beaut’ administration and technical services.
In 1988, on a Saturday in September, Brisbane was in serious party mode. The Spring Hill Festival was still going on the City’s northern slopes, Expo was jam-packed on South Bank and nearly 145,000 people gathered in the central business district for the Warana parade. I remember that one; it took nearly three hours for the parade to pass by.
In the wake of Expo 88, Warana was starting to look a bit dated and in 1992 a fire which destroyed most of Warana’s floats and displays spelled the death knell for the former city stopper.
In 1996 the Brisbane Writers Festival became an incorporated association and rapidly became a must see event. It also became a can participate event with 4,000 places for the Schools Program in 2005, rising to 10,000 places in 2006.
The Courier-Mail in Brisbane initially carried the BWF program, but in 2006 a partnership with The Australian ensured that the program was distributed nationally. Brisbane residents who normally got The Courier-Mail as a matter of course, promptly forgot to buy The Australian and plagued Brisbane City Council librarians for the inserts instead.
Until 2007, the Festival occupied marquees erected on the forecourt and lawns in front of the Cultural Centre precinct and the Queensland Art Gallery on South Bank. It was possible to see from buses, trains and river ferries that something special was happening.
People who wouldn’t normally go to a writers’ festival if you paid them, dropped in to find out what was going on and stayed because they became both informed and entertained. That casual attitude was possible because most of the sessions were free and people could just wander in and out at their leisure.
As the people of Brisbane got hooked, the atmosphere fairly hummed with excitement and I personally think that had it not been for this period of relaxed outdoor participation, the Festival would have been hard put to attract the crowds once it relocated to the State Library of Queensland on Southbank in 2007.
The State Library, of course, has everything that opens and shuts and is probably a very suitable venue for a large international writers’ festival as opposed to a smaller local one, but the building is formidably large and the security officers seem to be convinced that everyone carrying a handbag or backpack has a bomb stashed in it and is up to no good. I’m happy to report that this attitude has eased somewhat lately.
The BWF says that in 2010 the Festival audience increased to 30,000 places with 30 international, 90 national and 150 local Festival participants including writers and chairs, so it seems that the transition to an international festival was successful.
The 2011 Festival introduced the BWF Professional development Series, including Australian Writers Marketplace and Publishing in the Young Adult and Children’s market.
There was also a terrific 'Online Literature Festival' for 1,200 students online in regional and remote classrooms to make sure they didn’t miss out and the Word Play program for young readers, writers and illustrators (Grades 4–10) increased in 2011 to 12,000 places – so the youngsters are well catered for.
The Brisbane Writers Festival has become a festival for everybody.
The big tent on Maiwar Green between the State Library of Queensland and GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) hosted sessions during the day and a free entry evening program at night. Photo courtesy of the Brisbane Writers Festival.
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Louis Lagalante
Composer | Music Director
Navigation Infinite Music Director Mirror Image Contact
Announcing "The Facebook Songs"
December 12, 2017 by Louis Lagalante
Follow The Facebook Songs blog for the latest updates on the project!
Between March 8th, 2008, and June 20th, 2011, I wrote and recorded 45 songs which spanned three concept albums - Cult, A Year in the Life, and Passersby - and shared them in Facebook Notes (with recordings available for download on Mediafire.com). These were the days of Facebook chain notes and status updates that required "is," and everyone could just tell that Facebook was about to really blow up; I would leave my mark before it got too big, and I'd do it by posting some songs in Notes.
When I went to college, I forgot most of those songs - though I didn't forget about them - and my pace of writing dramatically slowed. Over the next few years, Mirror Image became my sole creative outlet, serving as a place for both newly-written songs and for old Notes songs that I felt deserved new life (and full orchestration).
Since then, my creative energy has been dedicated exclusively to new projects, exclusively to looking into the future. Lately, it seems that the only reason I've been interested in looking to the past has been to plunder the best of it and toss the rest down the memory hole. I think I needed to work this way for a while; the path to being a better artist is to keep on making new stuff, after all.
Recently, though, I've come to feel that the path to being a better person - that is, happier, more fulfilled, and not packed to the gills with constant existential dread - is to sift through all of the "stuff" that has already accumulated in my life and see the story it's been trying to tell. When I run toward the future, I am also running away from the present before I even understand it fully. When I run toward the past, however, I open myself up to understand both the present and the future more deeply.
It is in that spirit that I introduce The Facebook Songs, a weekly series in which I revisit one of those 45 high-school songs. Sometimes I will try to do something new with the song, and sometimes I'll leave it as-is, but no matter what, I will be learning about myself and about my songwriting process. My hope is that everyone who follows along with the project will learn more about themselves too.
Here's the content schedule, plus a couple of notes about my hopes and dreams:
A new song will be posted every Monday - that's lyrics AND the original recording AND reflections from me in 2017 - on The Facebook Songs blog.
A new recording of that song, possibly with a new arrangement, will be posted every Friday on Facebook and YouTube.
In between, I'll be posting video clips, audio snippets, and blog text as I develop the song.
In my dream world, this development process is a conversation between myself and any interested party.
In my dream world, my Facebook page becomes a hub for collaborative art-making.
Does this sound interesting to you? Check out the blog tomorrow to learn about the inaugural song, and like me on Facebook to catch every update!
December 12, 2017 /Louis Lagalante
In the basement of my childhood home, I will record a new EP. Just like old times.
Announcing my Untitled Six-Song EP
On Tuesday, the crowdfunding campaign for Infinite ended. Thanks to all those who donated! I'll be publishing more updates on the concept album in the coming weeks - I promise, things are happening! But right now, I'd like to focus on a new project that I'm very excited to announce - an Untitled Six-Song EP to be completed by January 8th. That's one song for every week I've been back in New York for the holidays :)
Why? Because I've been writing for Infinite since 2015, the process has often been difficult, and I have learned a lot about myself along the way. Now, for the 2017 holiday season, I want to take a break from the big picture to focus on the little one. Life moves so fast, and I want to take some time to step out of that fast flow and look inside myself. It's a journey that I believe is long overdue, and I'm ready to take it. And if you're interested, I'd like to invite you along with me.
I don't know if I'll finish the EP, or if I'll even come close. But I will work on it every day, and I will write about working on it every day. Or at least I'll try to. I'll also be experimenting with video content, Live broadcasts, and other ways to bring a hypothetically interested audience member (such as you) into my creative process.
That's all for now. Like every aspect of my EP at the moment, the announcement is vague and unfocused. I have faith that it'll come together. If you do too, follow me on Facebook now and take the journey with me.
Home EP, New music
More Pictures - Week 1 in the Studio
November 10, 2017 by Louis Lagalante
I've already posted these on social media, but in the interest of posterity, here are some more pictures. Here, also, is a requisite link to our Fractured Atlas Fundraising campaign - Album.InfiniteTheMusical.com.
Please, consider donating today if you haven't. And if you have, please share our campaign on social media (the more relentless, the better).
November 10, 2017 /Louis Lagalante
Concept Album Update #1
Updates and mp3s from the Infinite band's first weekend in the studio!
Welcome to The Blog! Let's talk about Infinite.
October 30, 2017 by Louis Lagalante
Learn all about sponsoring Infinite: A New Musical through Fractured Atlas. Go to Sponsorship.InfiniteTheMusical.com & Album.InfiniteTheMusical.com for more information.
October 30, 2017 /Louis Lagalante
(c) Louis Lagalante, 2015-2018
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A $789B Asset Manager Dodges "Deep Cuts" At Its Parent
The parent of a publicly traded, multinational asset management giant is going through a restructuring, but the fund firm is apparently coming through the big changes unscathed.
Christian Sewing
"This restructuring has no impact on DWS," a DWS Group spokeswoman told Pensions & Investments. She was referring to the "significant strategic transformation" outlined on Sunday by publicly traded Deutsche Bank, which owns 70 percent of DWS (which is also publicly traded).
Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank, acknowledged via an open letter to the Deutsche Bank team that the restructuring will involve "making deep cuts" and "sizeable workforce reductions." Sewing also confirmed that Asoka Woehrmann will continue to lead Deutsche Bank's asset management business while reporting to president Karl von Rohr.
"This is a rebuilding which, in a way, also takes us back to our roots," Sewing wrote. "We are creating a bank that will be more profitable, leaner, more innovative and more resilient."
As of March 31, DWS had 704 billion euros (about $789 billion) in AUM; 27 percent of that comes from the Americas.
Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor
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