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Interview with Gerard Lough
May 15, 2014 Rosy Hunt Leave a comment
Gerard Lough, an independent filmmaker based in Ireland, believes that short films are looked down on by some as the poor relative of the film world – at times almost feeling like the artistic equivalent of an endangered species. We spoke to him about his own short, the dystopian sci fi thriller NINETY SECONDS.
RH: How would you place your film in the current Irish cinematographic output, especially concerning shorts?
GL: Some have said that we are now witnessing the start of a “Irish New Wave”, which is to say a bunch of young directors all breaking out with feature film debuts that are commercial genre movies made with the intention of finding a wide audience. I don’t know if somebody has suddenly put something in the water over here, but I completely agree that something is up – as in the past year alone we have seen films like CITADEL, GRABBERS and THE LAST DAYS ON MARS all come out. Even this is going on in the short films, with a lot of the ones that are turning industry heads being ambitious sci-fi or horror. No one else has done cyberpunk here though; I think I got there first.
RH: What moved you to start this particular project – and what was the evolution of NINETY SECONDS?
GL: STRANGE DAYS was an important film for me growing up, as it’s one of those films that inspired me to want to be a film-maker in the first place. The kind of film that when you first see the trailer, you say to yourself, ‘I want to make a film just like that!’. Futuristic, stylish, visually stunning but full of ideas and has ambition to burn. So it was only a matter of time before I’d want to do something in the same rain soaked, high tech, neo-noir world where shady characters do dodgy deals -but always have a colourful philosophy to morally justify what they do.
” Is it a desire for far reaching control… or just pure voyeurism?”
When you combine that world with the subject of surveillance, I think that makes for an exciting mix. The questions it throws up about human nature. Why would someone have their partner followed? Why snoop on a business associate? Is it a desire for far reaching control… or just pure voyeurism? To trace NINETY SECONDS to its origin, I suppose I have to pin that on the Talking Heads song Television Man. That first gave me the idea about doing a story about a surveillance expert, with the chorus “I’m watching everything…”.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAhOJ1dLviQ
RH: What difficulties did you encounter during production – and how did you finance NINETY SECONDS?
GL: It got off to a difficult start, as myself and two producers went through the usual channels and applied to our country’s film board. This would have meant a pay day for all involved and fancier production values, but the downside was that it could be no longer than 12 minutes, which was a major concern as the story needed to be closer to half an hour to fulfill my ambitions. The board said “no”, the producers instantly bailed, six months wasted, so I said to myself, ‘Fuck it!’ and financed it alone. [Our budget] was about 2k with nobody taking a fee, and I shot it on a borrowed camera, then cut it at home. Scary, but… the 27 minute running time wasn’t a problem now!
The only problem during shooting was that when some people learned the film was about surveillance they ran a mile when we asked to shoot in their building. It was a controversial topic then, and has just got hotter ever since.
RH: Your editing/direction style is very idiosyncratic. Are you self-taught – not someone who learned the rules and breaks them to make a point, but someone who makes their own rules?
GL: You are right on the money. I did do a Diploma in Media Studies but it was a very broad course rather than a traditional film school, so even that far back I had my own ideas about how things should be done. I had the room to develop them as well as to learn to operate a camera, edit, be self sufficient. From there on in I got my own equipment and cut my teeth on music videos and short films. Naturally enough, as time has gone by the work has becomes technically slicker and I now have my own visual style (smoke… lots of smoke…).
I recommend busting your way in with a indie film instead of sitting around waiting for an invitation.
RH: Would you like to go back in time and give yourself some advice as a new filmmaker – or do you think it’s important to just be bold and learn as you go along?
GL: It is important to be brave / dumb (delete where appropriate), to just get stuck in and risk the possibility that your first few efforts will be crap – but take it on the chin, learn from where you went wrong and then go straight back at it. What I would have told a younger version of myself is the harsh reality, that it is very unlikely you will be offered a feature film directing gig. I call it the “first time director ghetto”. Nearly every filmmaker will start there, and each thinks of a shrewd way to break out and escape it. What I understand now is that it is very little to do with talent: it’s politics and human nature. Who is brave enough to take a chance on the director who hasn’t done a feature, when the other guy in the running has? Because the bottom line is, if the film is a failure its they who then look silly and could be out of a job as a result. So, I don’t blame them being risk averse. So I recommend busting your way in with a indie film instead of sitting around waiting for an invitation. Whatever the end result, at least they can never call you a first time director ever again.
https://www.facebook.com/ninetyseconds
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjgR7H7MV-E
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Art Encounters from 2014: Sculpture
October 22, 2015 Tyko Kihlstedt 1 Comment
This post presents sculpture in a manner similar to my painting post of August 27, 2015. In this instance, I have selected 32 photographs documenting sculpture which happened to catch my attention in my wanderings last year–mostly, but not entirely, in New York City.
The sculptures run the gamut from large, hard to miss, free-standing pieces to smaller works, some of which are relief sculptures, easy to overlook unless we are gazing down at our feet.
As usual, my inclination leans toward capturing interesting contexts rather than providing straight-forward, ideal photos of a particular work of art. And so, several of my pictures are simply details. Also, in the case of the final two works, I take the liberty of designating as sculpture two perfectly functioning, mass-produced machines.
Albert Paley, Ambiguous Response, 2012, detail, Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA
Albert Paley fabricates large-scale, abstract sculptures in his studio in Rochester, New York and, in 1955, became the first metal sculptor to receive the American Institute of Architects Lifetime Achievement Award.
Prior to this 2014 show of eleven large pieces by Paley, which had been installed on the rural grounds of Chesterwood, the country home of Daniel Chester French, Manhattan had hosted thirteen of Paley’s large pieces on the central malls of Park Avenue (from June to November of 2013).
Louise Bourgeois, The Couple, 2007-2009, Cheim Read Gallery, Manhattan, NYC
The French-American sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, completed this piece the year before she died at the age of ninety-nine. In this work, a cocoon of aluminum appears to encase two people, identified by protruding feet and hands.Is Bourgeois suggesting some form of imprisonment, or are those coils a metaphor for the power of a couple’s loving embrace? Bourgeois leaves the answer to us, simply noting that “hanging and floating are states of ambivalence.”
Mark di Suvero, Raft, 1963, Park Avenue Armory, Manhattan, NYC
A section of pipe, two pieces of milled timber and a cast left hand and forearm constitute the elements of di Suvero’s Raft. This early work by the Italian-American sculptor, Mark di Suvero, evokes some form of desperation, implied by that diagonally-thrusting forearm and its vise-like hand, gripping a timber beam. The rough, gnarly, re-used nature of all the materials further contributes to this mood.The title, Raft, is an obvious reference to Géricault’s painting of The Raft of the Medusa (1818). Still, wherever Géricault combines hand and timber, he represents those hands as lifeless and limp. At best, di Suvero’s reference to Géricault is general and indirect. It is much more likely that he owes the power of that hand to another Frenchman, the sculptor Auguste Rodin.
As I see it, this early, representational, small-scale piece by Mark di Suvero is not so different from his later, large-scaled, abstract work. Whether early or late in his career, di Suvero remains wedded to compositions of powerful, diagonal gestures and rough, re-used materials. The main difference is scale. And when working at a scale that requires cranes, hoists and industrial welding equipment for assembly, one naturally turns to abstraction and non-objective forms. We can find one example here in New York at the south-east corner of Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan.
Barnett Newman, Broken Obelisk, 1963-1967, detail of Base, Garden, Museum of Modern Art, Manhattan, NYC
Barnett Newman is one of America’s major abstract expressionist painters. He also made six sculptures. Broken Obelisk is his largest, over 25 feet of solid Cor-Ten steel. Robert Hughes called this work “the best American sculpture of its time…a steel pyramid from whose apex an inverted obelisk rises like a beam of light. Here, Newman bypassed the Western associations of pyramids and broken columns with death, and produced a life-affirming image of transcendence.”In my photograph, I give you that tiny “apex” from which another 6,000 pounds of steel soar upwards. It is from this point that “transcendence” begins.
Ewerdt Hilgemann, Dancers, 2013, Park Avenue at 59th Street, Manhattan, NYC
The German sculptor, Ewerdt Hilgemann, made seven sculptures that were exhibited on Park Avenue from August 1-November 5, 2014. He placed them–at the invitation of the Fund for Park Avenue Sculpture Committee and NYC Parks–between 52nd and 67th Streets and called the installation “Moments in a Stream.”
In the case of these two Dancers at 59th Street, one is a rectangular tube of Cor-Ten steel while its twin partner is made of highly-polished stainless steel. Hilgemann calls these “implosion” sculptures, and his process for forming them is as fascinating as it is simple. Essentially, it is something most everyone has done after draining the liquid contents out of a plastic bottle: suck out the air and let the atmospheric air pressure that surrounds us re-mold the bottle.
Of course, Hilgemann uses a vacuum pump instead of his mouth. He can’t determine the exact form his pristine steel tubes will assume once they begin to crumple, but he can control the degree of deformation by either stopping the pump or by pumping out more air. Here is a video [3:05] of the making of Habakuk 1, one of the other pieces that he installed on Park Avenue.
Rachel Feinstein, Folly: Flying Ship, 2014, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, NYC
From May through September, Rachel Feinstein installed three large sculptures in Madison Square Park. She named her installation Folly, a word conjuring up the gardens of 18th-century British and French nobility that contained extravagant and surprising architectural constructions intended simply for personal delectation.As was the case in those earlier gardens, Feinstein intended park users to interact with her pieces in imaginative ways. In her words, “I picture Folly as an empty Fellini-esque set….where the real people who occupy the park every day will stand in as Commedia dell’arte performers.”
Building on her reference to the Commedia dell’arte, she admits that “The Flying Ship came from a theatrical skit concerning Punchinello attempting to fly his ship to the moon.”
Linda Cunningham, Urban Regeneration 2, 2014, Westchester Square, Bronx, NYC
The juxtaposition of bent, warped and twisted structural steel beams and trusses with various types of stone makes an unusual sculptural idiom. Pictured above is one of a two-part installation on separate traffic triangles flanking the Westchester Square-East Tremont Avenue IRT subway station. It was commissioned as part of the Department of Transportation’s Art Program in support of temporary installations meant to invigorate the City’s streetscapes.If the structural steel is generic and ubiquitous, the stones are quite particular: volcanic rocks from California, coquina or fossil rocks from the waters off the coast of Florida, quartz from Vermont and limestone from the Delaware River Valley. Linda Cunningham, whose studio is in the South Bronx, thinks of the stones as objects for meditation and contemplation, much as they might be were they part of a Chinese or Japanese garden.
But the urban garden of the Bronx demands a radically different aesthetic and philosophy. And so, those sections of rusting steel and their insistent gestures refocus our meditation from the natural, geologic processes which formed those stones to our urban environment and the threats posed by industrial reality on nature.
Bernard (Tony) Rosenthal, Alamo, 1967, Astor Place, Manhattan, NYC
Alamo, aka: Astor Place Cube or The Cube, was one of several sculptures placed around New York in 1967 under the initiative of Doris Chanin Freedman, a major advocate for locating public sculpture in the city. Of those sculptures, only it has been retained, as local NoHo and East Village residents cottoned to it and it “became a favorite huddling place for hippies and students of nearby Cooper Union.”Certainly part of the appeal was that this Cor-Ten steel sculpture, measuring eight feet on a side and weighing 1,800 pounds, was mounted on a bearing, enabling it to be turned–slowly and with some difficulty. The sculptor, Tony Rosenthal, had said that “it is important to me that the sculpture interact with the public,” and over the decades it has been flyered, chalked, spray-painted and once even covered to resemble a Rubik’s cube.
As we see in the above photograph, Alamo still interacts with the public….and it still would except that it has been removed temporarily while Astor Place undergoes reconstruction and the sculpture is restored and repainted.
Sebastián, The Torch of Friendship, 2002, detail with signature, Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
I couldn’t resist taking a picture of Sebastián’s welded signature on his fifty-ton sculpture, located near the downtown entrance to San Antonio’s Riverwalk. (For more on San Antonio, see my post of January 29, 2015: “Discovering San Antonio: A Photographic Souvenir”).
Gregg Lefevre, Library Walk: Georges Braque, 1998, East 40th Street sidewalk, Manhattan, NYC
Manhattan Island Native American Settlements in 1600, 2002, Union Square pavement, Manhattan, NYC
Gregg LeFevre, the sculptor who made both these pavement plaques (and all of their many companions), has a studio in the Village and lives in Harlem. In the words of a New York Times article of 2003 by Kelly Crow, “of all the sculptors who have left their public stamp on this city, none rival the bronze ubiquity of Gregg LeFevre.”The Braque quotation stating, “only falsehood has to be invented,” is a pithy aphorism, whether in reference to the delightful artistic inventions he and Picasso were offering with their coeval cubist paintings or to the more recent, unethical political pronouncements made in justification of so many indefensible positions.
The Braque plaque is one of 96 quotations embedded in the 41st Street sidewalk (both sides) between Park and Fifth Avenues. This Library Walk, of course, leads directly to the main entrance of the New York Public Library, which sponsored the relief sculptures along with the Grand Central Partnership and the New Yorker magazine.
The lower photograph shows a plaque which maps lower Manhattan in 1600, and is one of 22 bronze reliefs set into the sidewalk surrounding Union Square. Each one of these documents or celebrates some aspect of history or labor history as they relate to the important activities/developments that took place in the area we now know as Union Square.
Berthold Nebel, The Council [top] & Buffalo Hunt [bottom], Doors for the original Museum of the American Indian, 1928, Audubon Terrace (West 155th Street), Manhattan, NYC
Swiss born Berthold Nebel emigrated to the United States with his parents as a young boy, studied art at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League of New York. He won the prestigious Rome Prize in 1914 and would direct the School of Sculpture in what is now Carnegie-Mellon University until returning to New York in 1925.These plaques, two of eight for the bronze doors of what is now known as the George Gustave Heye Center, depict basic activities of the American Indian. Heye opened the museum in 1922. It closed in 1994, and much of its collection is now housed in Lower Manhattan, in what was originally the U. S. Custom House.
Eugene Pfister, Grave Marker for John James Audubon, Base, 1893, Trinity Church Cemetery & Mausoleum, Harlem, Manhattan, NYC
Just a few blocks south of Audubon Terrace and the Heye Center, at 155th Street, is the Trinity Church Cemetery and the grave of John James Audubon. Here we see the north and west faces of the base of the monument showing, in relief, a bust of Audubon and his painting palette and brushes. Rising above this base is a single slab of bluestone, nineteen feet high, in the form of a Celtic cross. It, too, is covered with relief sculpture of birds and animals.The stone mason in charge of all the carving was a Eugene Pfister. All I could find was that he was the foreman at the R. C. Fisher & Co. marble yards in Corlears Hook, N. Y.
Plan of the Alamo, Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
In front of the entrance to the actual church of San Antonio de Valero is this cast bronze table showing, in relief, the several buildings, walls and plaza that make up the 4.2 acre compound that constitute the Alamo. Some of these features date back to 1744.Even though this relief is more a didactic teaching tool than a work of art, I think it quite beautiful, particularly when covered with beaded raindrops, as it is here.
Daniel Chester French (with Adolph A Weinman), The Four Continents: Africa, 1903-1907, Alexander Hamilton U. S. Custom House, Bowling Green, Manhattan, NYC
Daniel Chester French (with Adolph A Weinman), The Four Continents: Asia, 1903-1907, Alexander Hamilton U. S. Custom House, Bowling Green, Manhattan, NYC
The Custom House in Lower Manhattan, which has housed part of the National Museum of the American Indian collection on two of its five floors since 1994, was designed in 1902 by the American architect, Cass Gilbert. One element of Gilbert’s design concept called for the four sculptural groupings that front his building. The sculptor was Daniel Chester French (whose country home was the site of the very first sculpture pictured in this blog post).
Africa (the top photo) rests her arms on a sphinx and a lion as she sleeps; and even recently Africa is still sometimes called the “Sleeping Giant.” Asia sits aloof and upright on a throne whose base consists of human skulls. She holds a poppy as if it were a scepter and is flanked by a tiger on her right and three pitiful figures on her left. Those figures, as the sculptor explains, represent “the hordes of India and the hopelessness of life of so many of the inhabitants.”
Deborah Butterfield, Josephson, 2013, Danese Corey gallery, Manhattan, NYC
Deborah Butterfield, Josephson, 2013, detail, Danese Corey gallery, Manhattan, NYC
As one can see from the detail photograph of Josephson, this horse is made of gnarled, weatherbeaten tree trunks and branches. But then, there are no wires, no screws, and certainly no glue could possibly hold these pieces together. Only then does one realize that Butterfield’s horses are actually bronze, each piece an exact copy of the actual wood she first selected for assembly.Deborah Butterfield has been sculpting horses out of various scrap metals and wood for thirty years. As she recalled, “the first thing that I saw in my life that I remembered looking important and wonderful was a horse. I was just moved by them in a non-rational, passionate way before I even had words to describe it.”
In a revealing video [5:54] of 2012 that helps to explain her process of transforming wood to bronze, Butterfield equates those branches with drawing lines and sees them as generators of energy. She also says she always starts with the body, which then “tells” her “what happens to the neck and head.” Thus, her process of generating a life-like and expressive horse from the body shares a famous parallel in Michelangelo’s sculptures, his Slaves in particular, where he begins with the torso in order to free the spirit from the marble matter imprisoning it.
Xavier Figueroa, The Transfer, 2014, Bronx Museum of Art, “Bronx Speaks: No Boundaries” show, Bronx, NYC
Although Bronx artist Xavier Figueroa also paints and works two-dimensionally, many of his installations invoke certain urban environments from his memory, but made at a scale which invites viewer participation. The Transfer recreates a subway station from the 1980s, according to the artist.
Michael Ferris, Jr., Joe, 2013, Bronx Museum of Art, “Bronx Speaks: No Boundaries” show, Bronx, NYC
Michael Ferris, Jr., is both a painter and a sculptor who studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute and Indiana University. His sculptures are mainly portrait busts, as is the case with Joe–shown above in a detail.His technique is a variation of intarsia, a process of creating forms by inlaying wood that entered the west well over a millennia ago from the Near East and North Africa. However, where the western application of intarsia strove to create representational illusionism and a sense of depth, Ferris emphasizes surface pattern.
Where he does indicate depth, it is from creating actual depth through relief, as in Joe’s hair. One might infer that Ferris’ heads are influenced by the explosion of tattoos in the past two decades. However, the real source of his abstractly patterned intarsia surfaces derives from his family background. He grew up at home (in Chicago) fascinated by the inlaid wood patterns of two Middle Eastern backgammon tables that belonged to his Lebanese father.
Beatrice Goldfine, Golda Meir, 1984, Golda Meir Square, Midtown, Manhattan, NYC
Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel and the original “Iron Lady” of 20th century politics, became only the second historically important woman to be honored with a public statue in New York in 1984. This was a decade after she retired as Prime Minister.
But, then, the first historically important woman to be honored with a public statue in New York and most definitely the very first “Iron Lady”–Joan of Arc–had to wait some 484 years after she died. According to Allison Meier, New York today has only five such public statues.
Amazingly, I have found almost nothing on-line about the Philadelphia sculptor, Beatrice Goldfine. I encourage anyone who knows about her or has easy access to printed academic literature on her to start a Wikipedia entry.
Radcliffe Bailey, Pensive (Portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois), 2013, No Longer Empty show: “If You Build It,” Sugar Hill, Manhattan, NYC
This life-size bronze, showing a man sitting on four large, roughly-sawn fir logs, is much more than a mere portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois. Its pose consciously appropriates that of Rodin’s famous piece, The Thinker (1904), a figure which Rodin first had called The Poet and placed at the top center of his Gates of Hell (1880 ff).Rodin based his imagery for his Gates of Hell on Dante’s Inferno. Because of this obvious visual connection, I would argue that Radcliffe Bailey’s portrait, Pensive, celebrates Du Bois as the Dante of black America. After all, as Du Bois championed a “Black Aesthetic” in literature well before Langston Hughes (see his The Souls of Black Folk, 1903), so Dante championed the volgare, the vernacular Italian native language over Latin in the 14th century.
As Dennis Looney writes in his 2011 book, Freedom Readers: The African American Reception of Dante Alighieri and the Divine Comedy, “in Dante they [African Americans] find not only a politically engaged poet who speaks truth to power…they also find a master craftsman of poetic language who forges a new vernacular out of the linguistic diversity around him…this linguistic task is the ultimate political act.”
Pensive might appear no more than a simple portrait. In actuality, it is a political statement in support of Du Bois’ political militancy for black equality as well as of Dante’s political positions, which led to his exile from the City State of Florence.
In reference to Pensive, its sculptor, Radcliffe Bailey, stresses the importance of Du Bois’ concept of ‘double consciousness,’ in which black Americans are forced to see themselves through the eyes of others. With this in mind, I also would suggest that Pensive acts as the sculptural companion to the recent book by this years MacArthur winner, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me.
Anna Hyatt Huntington, El Cid Campeador, 1927, Audubon Terrace, Manhattan, NYC
In discussing the bust of Golda Meir, I made a lighthearted reference to Joan of Arc as the “very first ‘Iron Lady’.” It so happens that Anna Hyatt Huntington was the sculptor of that Joan of Arc, located on Riverside Drive at 93rd Street, and it was the first public monument in New York City to be made by a woman. Huntington also would become the first woman artist elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and among the few American sculptors of her gender to have a major career at the beginning of the twentieth century.In her late 40s, Anna married the Spanish scholar and heir to the Southern Pacific Railroad, Archer M. Huntington. In 1907, he had commissioned the grouping of Beaux-Arts buildings at Audubon Terrace, land that once had belonged to John James Audubon. Twenty years later, his new wife, Anna, “completed” the architectural complex by siting her monument to El Cid in front of the wall of the Hispanic Society Library. Her sculpture has been called “one of the finest ensembles of monumental sculpture in New York.”
Lee Lawrie, Two Marys, 1912-1915, Mullion Sculpture on main façade, Church of the Intercession, Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC
This is one of a series of carvings on the north side mullion that flanks and enframes the main portal of the Gothic Revival Church of the Intercession, designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. I can find no reference to the sculptor, but I would guess that it is the work of Lee Lawrie, a close friend of Goodhue and one who worked with him until the architect’s death.
Lee Lawrie, Tomb of Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, 1929, Church of the Intercession, Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC
Inside the north vestry of Goodhue’s church, Lee Lawrie designed this wall vault which contains the ashes of his long-time friend and professional colleague. Patterned after a medieval royal tomb, this memorial carries an inscription which reads, in part: “Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue….His great architectural creations that beautify the land and enrich civilization are his monuments.”The segmental arch at its top is carved with representations of several of Goodhue’s most famous buildings–“his great architectural creations”–of which the Nebraska State Capitol (at that point not yet completed) is shown top center.
For Goodhue’s effigy, which lies below this arch, Lawrie insured its accuracy by using Goodhue’s actual death mask as well as the post-mortem castings of his hands.
Fernando Botero, Adam, 1990, detail, Time Warner Center, Manhattan, NYC
I’ve never been very fond of Fernando Botero‘s sculptures or paintings, except when captured in details, as here. Because it is twelve feet high, Adam offers his penis at just about eye height. It gets rubbed and fondled for titillation, good luck and, of course, photographic souvenirs. Soon it loses its patina, which then is reapplied. Life goes on.
Arturo di Modica, Charging Bull, 1989, Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, NYC
If the genitalia of Botero’s Adam won’t satisfy one’s needs, whatever those may be, there is always di Modica’s Charging Bull. Simply leave the Time Warner Center, hop the #1 subway southbound, get off at the Rector Street Station and walk north one block up Broadway. It’s a lot cheaper and quicker than cooking up a dish of Soup #5.
Attilio Piccirilli, Courage, detail of the USS Maine National Monument (1901-1913), Columbus Circle, Manhattan, NYC
The Maine Monument, commemorating the explosion on the Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898, the brief Spanish American War, and the rise of America as a world power, was a design collaboration between the architect, Harold Van Buren Magonigle and the Bronx sculptor, Attilio Piccirilli–one of the renowned family of stone carvers who also sculpted the Four Continents for the Custom House discussed earlier and many other major American public monuments.Courage, or Courage Awaiting the Flight of Peace, is one of two lesser allegorical figures of the complex composition of the Maine Monument. The other is Fortitude Supporting the Feeble.
Jesus Ygnacio Dominguez, Fred Lebow, 1994, Central Park at East 90th Street, Manhattan, NYC
The sculpture of Fred Lebow, Romanian immigrant and founder of the New York Marathon, is the only public sculpture which moves each year–from this spot across Fifth Avenue from the Guggenheim Museum at 90th Street to the Marathon’s finish line.It depicts Lebow looking down at his watch as runners cross the finish line. Its artist, Dominguez, is from San Diego, and the sculpture was promoted by another Californian, Daniel Mitrovich. after he ran the race in 1990. The official name of this work is Forever at the Finish Line.
John Quincy Adams Ward, Statue of George Washington, 1882, Federal Hall (26 Wall Street), Lower Manhattan, NYC
John Quincy Adams Ward placed his George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall at the spot where Washington took the oath of office in 1789 to become the first President of the United States.Washington’s right hand extends out as if in blessing. But that gesture, in reality, is how his hand would be positioned as he took the oath of office. All that is missing is the Bible that would have been under his hand.
What replaces that King James Version of the Bible, we realize as we look out from behind the standing figure, is the New York Stock Exchange. Thus, J.Q.A. Ward has George Washington blessing “the global temple of capitalism.”
Customized 1949 Chevrolet, West 25th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan, NYC
It’s hard to pick out the make since this Chevrolet has been chopped, channeled, nosed, decked and frenched…and also given a completely different grille, loosely based on the toothed grille of an early Corvette.
Steve Heller, Fintasia, Customized 1959 Cadillac, Boiceville, NY
Steve Heller, who works out of Boiceville, NY, does some car customizing, as in this Cadillac, but chiefly makes unique furniture in which he integrates wood and car sections. His workshop and sales gallery on Route 28, Fabulous Furniture, is a sculptural paradise.
Filed Under: Art & Photography Tagged With: Art, Bailey, Botero, Bourgeois, Butterfield, Cunningham, di Suvero, Feinstein, Heller, Hilgemann, JQA Ward, Lawrie, Lefevre, Nebel, Newman, Paley, Piccirilli, Rosenthal, Sculpture
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Scott Wagner says
Thanks for the great angles and perspectives, and especially the comments that provide interesting contexts. The bronze horse video was particularly inspiring- such a powerful, specific way of going about art.
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» travelinos.com » Castles » Castles Romania » Bran Castle
Bran Castle
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Bran Castle is one of the most popular and interesting tourist attractions in Romania. The main reason for this is that Bran is also known as Dracula's Castle, and the action in the book of Dracula by Bram Stoker is also evolving in the Bran fortress. This Romanian national monument is situated on a hill to the town of Bran near Brasov and is lying on the border between the Romanian provinces of Wallachia and Transylvania.
The legendary stories about Bran Castle associate it as the main stronghold of the ruler of Wallachia - Vlad Tepes or as we know him - Count Dracula. Although Vlad the Impaler never lived permanently in the castle he is believed to had been locked for several days in the basement during the Ottoman rule in the territories of Transylvania.
The first building on the site of today's Bran Castle was built in 1212, when the knights of the Teutonic Knights built a blockhouse named Dietrichstein.
The castle was needed to control the way through the mountain valley of southern Transylvania, used by many traders for faster crossing the Transylvanian Alps. The first written record of Bran castle is a document from November 19th, 1377, by which the Hungarian King Louis I gave permission for the Saxons of Brasov to build a fortress of stone to replace the wooden building. Soon the town was growing around Bran Castle. For the first time Bran Castle was used in 1378 to protect against attacks by the Ottoman Turks and later became a customs post between Transylvania and Wallachia.
From 1920 Bran is one of the residences of the Romanian king. It became home to Queen Mary and is decorated with artifacts mainly of this time, including traditional furniture and tapestries, collected from her. Her daughter - Princess Ileana inherited it but the communist regime in Romania had it confiscated after deportation of the royal family in 1948.
In 2005 the Romanian government voted a law through which allows restitution of such properties as Bran Castle. In 2006, Bran is owned by Dominic of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, known as Dominic von Habsburg, an architect in the state of New York and son of Princess Ileana.
Today Bran castle is a museum open to visitors who can see art objects and furniture collected by Queen Mary. At the foot of the hill on which is built Bran, a small museum complex, presenting a traditional Romanian rural life and home is also operational.
Bran Castle ,
Wallachia
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Home / About Us / Principal
Mr. Trinkaus gained his experience in the surveying/engineering field by working for John W. Fuller, PELS for over nine years. He worked in the field as a party chief on survey crew performing boundary surveys and performing construction stake out work for over seven years. He performed the necessary office computations for completing boundary surveys.
Under the guidance of Mr. Fuller, Mr. Trinkaus learned how to delineate watershed boundaries, perform hydrologic analyses and design stormwater conveyance systems without the use of computer programs. He also designed the horizontal and vertical geometry of roads by hand and performed the necessary calculations to ensure that the designs met all local standards. He then acquired more engineering experience by working under William Peck, PE, principal at Groundworks, Inc. prior to becoming a self-employed consultant. While at Groundworks, he learned how to perform soil testing for on-site subsurface sewage disposal systems as well as designing the systems in accordance with State and Local Health Code requirements.
The training he received under Mr. Fuller and Mr. Peck had a large influence on Mr. Trinkaus’ s approach to civil engineering. He learned the principles of civil engineering from the ground up working under Mr. Fuller and Mr. Peck. He learned how to manually grade sites, calculate earthwork quantities by measuring proposed contour lines and performing average end area calculations. He also learned how to delineate watershed areas and perform hydrologic calculations by hand using the Rational and TR-55 methodologies. By learning how civil engineering designs and analyses were done prior to the introduction of computer, Mr. Trinkaus understands the inherent design limitations in programs such as AutoCAD and HydroCAD which simply allow calculations to be done in an expedited fashion, but their accuracy must be continually assessed against civil engineering principles.
He is an internationally recognized expert in the application of Low Impact Development strategies, including the creation of LID Design Manuals. He has been an invited presenter on LID topics in Taichung, Taiwan; Beijing, Zhenjiang, and Guangzhou, China; Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Gyeongju, Gunsan, and Seoul, South Korea.
Mr. Trinkaus’s current activities include chairing the Low Impact Development Model Ordinance Task Committee of the LID Standing Committee, Urban Water Resources Research Council, EWRI, which is part of ASCE. He is the primary author of a national LID Guidance Document developed for EWRI. He is also the chairman of the Filter Strip/Bioswales Task Committee of the same organizations noted above who purpose is to write a Manual of Practice for the design and construction of Filter Strips and Bioswales. He has made many presentations on LID at regional, national, and international forums in addition to presenting 8 hour workshops on LID for continuing education of other design professionals. View Current CV (PDF)
He is a member in good standing of the following professional organizations:
National Society of Professional Engineers
Connecticut Society of Professional Engineers
Soil and Water Conservation Society of America
International Erosion Control Association
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association
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CHED reaccredits Kasarinlan
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), through Memorandum Order No. 26, Series of 2013, reaccredits TWSC's Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies as a Category A-2 (very good to excellent) research journal for 2013-2015.
As per CHED Memorandum Order No. 05, Series of 2012, the accreditation means that "for faculty members evaluated in compliance to publication requirements per CHED Memorandum Orders, publication in the journal is credited as an international level publication."
Kasarinlan's full digital content is accessible for free at http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/kasarinlan/index
Nationalism and the Colonial State Building, 1872-1933: A Round Table Discussion with Yusuke Takagi
Nationalism and the Colonial State Building, 1872-1933:
A Round Table Discussion with Yusuke Takagi
Tuesday 13 August 2013 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m
TWSC, Lower Ground Floor, Palma Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City
The University of the Philippines Third World Studies Center (UP TWSC) will hold a round table discussion (RTD) with Visiting Research Fellow Mr. Yusuke Takagi from the Graduate School of Law at Keio University, Japan. Please see details below.
Yusuke Takagi was a researcher /advisor of Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. Before working as a researcher for the Embassy, he completed the course work for his PhD in the Graduate School of Law (Political Science), Keio University. He graduated from the faculty of law (Political Science), Keio University in 2004 and finished his master in the Graduate School of Law, Keio University in 2007. He has been interested in Philippine politics since his undergrad.
About the topic
The Central Bank of the Philippines led by Governor Miguel P. Cuaderno (1949-1960) was esteemed as “an island of state strength in an ocean of weakness [of state capability]” because of its impressive role in economic policy making and management. The island of state strength is a metaphor used to represent an administrative institution, which seeks for not special but national interests making use of expertise of professionals. The bank implemented the development policy through the allocation of the foreign exchange to encourage industrialization, which created the “golden age of manufacturing” in the 1950s.
While the writer studies the development of the politics of the Central Bank of the Philippines from the very first attempt to make a central bank in 1933 to the changing development policy regime in the early 1960s, this presentation revisits the historical development of the Philippine colonial state building from 1872 to 1933. Recent studies on intellectual history from the late Spanish colonial period and the colonial state under the American rule cast doubt on the assumption that the intellectuals lost their influence in the American colonial period or that the Philippine state did not develop enough to suppress the influence of oligarchs. These findings suggest a possibility to revise our understanding on the colonial state building as a foundation of the subsequent political dynamics which was not necessarily limited to history of the weak state. By revisiting the recent works on politics, this presentation aims at providing the necessary background in studying the politics of the central bank from the 1930s.
Photos from the event
Film screening of "Alas-as" and "Minera": A Student for Development Project
Thursday 15 August 2013 2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Audio-visual room PH 207, Palma Hall, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, UP Diliman
This is an open invitation to the film screening of two video documentaries "Alas-as: Sitting on a Volcano" and "Minera: The Women Miners of Benguet" (click on the active links to view the documentaries) The documentaries are part of a video documentary project between University of the Philippines and University of Montreal, where Filipino, French, and French-Canadian students produced documentaries focusing on issues of socioeconomic development and equity and the impact of extractive industries on people. This event is free and open to the public! Please help spread the word within and outside UP Diliman!
Some photos from the event:
More photos are available here.
Nationalism and the Colonial State Building, 1872-...
Film screening of "Alas-as" and "Minera": A Studen...
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Unless law is useless, it must be taken up as a shield, and a means of defence.
Home / about / about the initiative
The International Initiative to Prosecute US Genocide in Iraq was founded in November 2007 with the aimed of bringing the charge of genocide against the United States, its proxies and allies, in a court of universal jurisdiction.
The claim of genocide stems from the conclusions of an extended research paper written by Ian Douglas, Hana Al Bayaty and Abdul Ilah Albayaty in April-June 2007 that laid out the foundations of the law of genocide and the pattern of events in Iraq that suggests "specific intent" to destroy. This research paper, like the initiative that followed, takes the destruction of Iraq from 1990 as one singular, if shifting, attack on Iraq.
Initially, the initiative was conceived as a means of coordinating and combining the work of specialists drawn from the antiwar movement, in particular human rights lawyers, political analysts and researchers. The goal was to build an effective legal memorandum on US genocide in Iraq — one that could be used in international fora and become a legal reference point for the antiwar movement.
By Spring 2009, the window for bringing the case in Spain — until October of 2009, the most progressive locale for the practice of universal jurisdiction — was closing, under pressure of Israel and the United States that were already facing charges before the Spanish courts. In response, the longer-term vision of the initiative was put on hold and the Ad Hoc Committee for Justice for Iraq was formed, with the task of submitting a legal case against the United States and United Kingdom within three months.
We filed a legal case against four US presidents and four UK prime ministers one day before the Spanish Senate voted to radically circumscribe the law of universal jurisdiction in Spain. As we expected, the law was judged retroactive, and led to the closing of our case and others. But this is not the end of the struggle for justice for Iraq.
We remain committed to working towards the prosecution of high US and UK officials for the unspeakable crimes detailed in the case we submitted. Just as we look for allies in this work, we are ready to offer our insight and efforts to assist similar initiatives taken up by others.
We cannot allow the total destruction of a state and nation, entailing more than a million killed in violence, to be a precedent in this, our century. Unless law is useless, it must be taken up as a shield, and a means of defence.
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The 13th annual Israeli Apartheid Week is here
Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW http://apartheidweek.org/ ) 2017 is here, a series of events taking place in campuses and cities around the world, aiming to raise awareness of Israel's regime of settler colonialism and apartheid, and to build solidarity with the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.
IAW is a huge global annual event and PSC has been working for the past few months with partners including War on Want, the BDS national committee and others to provide support and resources to the fantastic groups of student activists who have organised events across UK campuses.
You will have seen media coverage of the attempts by pro-Israel groups to lobby universities to prevent events going ahead. Students are standing firm and PSC is working with all key partners to support students in bringing the issues of justice for Palestinians to campuses all over the UK this week.
This year's wide range of events includes the opening plenary in London on Tuesday 28th February, 100 years of Palestinian resistance against settler colonialism (https://www.facebook.com/events/1097869287008470/ ), with poet and Dream Defenders activist Aja Monet; Farid Esack, veteran anti-apartheid activist; and Dr Karma Nabulsi.
Many other events including talks, film screenings, and exhibitions are taking place across the UK - see the Israeli Apartheid Week website for more.
Taste of Palestine in Leytonstone
Join us on Saturday the 25th in Leyton
Palestine stall in Walthamstow tomorrow
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Tom Land
Tom is the owner and operator of Wild Country Outfitters. He grew up in the mountains of Northern Utah, enjoying everything the versatile region has to offer in the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, and skiing.
Tom started his guide career in 1984 on the Green River located in eastern Utah. In 1986 he married the love of his life Cindy McKenzie (Land). Shortly after being married they started a family and moved to the Island Park area of Idaho. Tom guided and operated Last Chance Outfitters on Henry's Fork of the Snake River. He guided fly fishers on the Madison River in Montana, the Henry’s Fork in Idaho, and throughout Yellowstone Park.
In 1991, Tom began Wild Country Outfitters as a fly fishing outfitter on the Deseret Land and Livestock Ranch and also as a fly fishing retail store in Ogden. After the first year, Deseret’s management gave Wild Country Outfitters the opportunity to outfit fishing and hunting trips on Deseret and he has been pursuing his passion ever since.
2011 was the beginning of the conservation lease program on Deseret. Wild Country Outfitters was contracted to manage this exciting new adventure. After all these years, Tom still has a love and desire for big game archery hunting, fly fishing, and guiding. He has traveled from Alaska to South America and countless places in between to enjoy these passions. Tom and Cindy have four boys (Tyson, Colton, Austin and Payton) that have found the same love, passion, and respect for the outdoors that Tom and Cindy do.
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[ WEAPONS of WWII ]
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Axis and Allies RTS Forum Index » The Arsenal
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Without firepower besides the aircraft carriers, the Allies could not have won the war without the battleship the wars would have been much longer. This battleship is the famous of all because it commemorated the surrender of the Japanese officially ending World War II. a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the third ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the US state of Missouri. Missouri was the last battleship built by the United States, and was the site of the surrender of the Empire of Japan which ended World War II.
Missouri was ordered in 1940 and commissioned in June 1944. In the Pacific Theater of World War II she fought in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and shelled the Japanese home islands, and she fought in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. She was decommissioned in 1955 into the United States Navy reserve fleets (the "Mothball Fleet"), but reactivated and modernized in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan, and provided fire support during Operation Desert Storm in January/February 1991.
Missouri received a total of 11 battle stars for service in World War II, Korea, and the Persian Gulf, and was finally decommissioned on 31 March 1992, but remained on the Naval Vessel Register until her name was struck in January 1995. In 1998, she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
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Man arressted for raping his 13-year-old sister-in-law
A man has been arrested for allegedly raping his wife's younger sister in Ogun state. Kingsley Chigbo, 35, reportedly molested the 13-year-old relative at Ijoko town, Ogun state. Chigbo's crime was exposed following an enlightenment talk given by the Child Protection Network, CPN, to students of Bannis College, Ijoko Ota.
After the talk, the victim approached the staff of CPN who gave the talk and informed of how her elder sister's husband has been forcefully having sex with her after which he would threaten to kill her if she told anyone. The incident was then reported to the police at Sango Ota Divisional Headquarters by Peju Osoba, the immediate past Ogun State Coordinator of Child Protection Network, CPN, and the suspect was arrested.
The police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed this to Premium Times and revealed that when the suspect was confronted by the victim, he owned up to his crimes. Further investigation is being carried out after which the suspect will be charged to court.
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^ Werner writes, "The word Yoga appears here for the first time in its fully technical meaning, namely as a systematic training, and it already received a more or less clear formulation in some other middle Upanishads....Further process of the systematization of Yoga as a path to the ultimate mystic goal is obvious in subsequent Yoga Upanishads and the culmination of this endeavour is represented by Patanjali's codification of this path into a system of the eightfold Yoga."[138]
Many teens suffer from mental health issues in response to the pressures of society and social problems they encounter. Some of the key mental health issues seen in teens are: depression, eating disorders, and drug abuse. There are many ways to prevent these health issues from occurring such as communicating well with a teen suffering from mental health issues. Mental health can be treated and be attentive to teens' behavior.[39]
^ For instance, Kamalashila (2003), p. 4, states that Buddhist meditation "includes any method of meditation that has Enlightenment as its ultimate aim." Likewise, Bodhi (1999) writes: "To arrive at the experiential realization of the truths it is necessary to take up the practice of meditation.... At the climax of such contemplation the mental eye … shifts its focus to the unconditioned state, Nibbana...." A similar although in some ways slightly broader definition is provided by Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 142: "Meditation – general term for a multitude of religious practices, often quite different in method, but all having the same goal: to bring the consciousness of the practitioner to a state in which he can come to an experience of 'awakening,' 'liberation,' 'enlightenment.'" Kamalashila (2003) further allows that some Buddhist meditations are "of a more preparatory nature" (p. 4).
According to Crangle, some researchers have favoured a linear theory, which attempts "to interpret the origin and early development of Indian contemplative practices as a sequential growth from an Aryan genesis",[54][note 4] just like traditional Hinduism regards the Vedas to be the ultimate source of all spiritual knowledge.[55][note 5] Thomas McEvilley favors a composite model where pre-Aryan yoga prototype existed in the pre-Vedic period and its refinement began in the Vedic period.[58]
Buddhist yoga encompasses an extensive variety of methods that aim to develop key virtues or qualities known as the 37 aids to awakening. The ultimate goal of Buddhist yoga is bodhi (awakening) or nirvana (cessation), which is traditionally seen as the permanent end of suffering (dukkha) and rebirth.[note 20] Buddhist texts use numerous terms for spiritual praxis besides yoga, such as bhāvanā ("development")[note 21] and jhāna/dhyāna.[note 22]
^ The Pāli and Sanskrit word bhāvanā literally means "development" as in "mental development." For the association of this term with "meditation," see Epstein (1995), p. 105; and, Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 20. As an example from a well-known discourse of the Pali Canon, in "The Greater Exhortation to Rahula" (Maha-Rahulovada Sutta, MN 62), Ven. Sariputta tells Ven. Rahula (in Pali, based on VRI, n.d.): ānāpānassatiṃ, rāhula, bhāvanaṃ bhāvehi. Thanissaro (2006) translates this as: "Rahula, develop the meditation [bhāvana] of mindfulness of in-&-out breathing." (Square-bracketed Pali word included based on Thanissaro, 2006, end note.)
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Description of an early form of yoga called nirodhayoga (yoga of cessation) is contained in the Mokshadharma section of the 12th chapter (Shanti Parva) of the Mahabharata (third century BCE).[109] Nirodhayoga emphasizes progressive withdrawal from the contents of empirical consciousness such as thoughts, sensations etc. until purusha (Self) is realized. Terms like vichara (subtle reflection), viveka (discrimination) and others which are similar to Patanjali's terminology are mentioned, but not described.[110] There is no uniform goal of yoga mentioned in the Mahabharata. Separation of self from matter, perceiving Brahman everywhere, entering into Brahman etc. are all described as goals of yoga. Samkhya and yoga are conflated together and some verses describe them as being identical.[111] Mokshadharma also describes an early practice of elemental meditation.[112] Mahabharata defines the purpose of yoga as the experience of uniting the individual ātman with the universal Brahman that pervades all things.[111] https://www.facebook.com/Buzzing-Offer-Digital-Marketing-1107247206148320/
"...[T]here is the cultivation of meditative and contemplative techniques aimed at producing what might, for the lack of a suitable technical term in English, be referred to as 'altered states of consciousness'. In the technical vocabulary of Indian religious texts such states come to be termed 'meditations' ([Skt.:] dhyāna / [Pali:] jhāna) or 'concentrations' (samādhi); the attainment of such states of consciousness was generally regarded as bringing the practitioner to deeper knowledge and experience of the nature of the world." (Gethin, 1998, p. 10.)
Many governments view occupational health as a social challenge and have formed public organizations to ensure the health and safety of workers. Examples of these include the British Health and Safety Executive and in the United States, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which conducts research on occupational health and safety, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which handles regulation and policy relating to worker safety and health.[63][64][65]
The Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 shlokas (verses),[118] with each chapter named as a different yoga, thus delineating eighteen different yogas.[118][119] Some scholars divide the Gita into three sections, with the first six chapters with 280 shlokas dealing with Karma yoga, the middle six containing 209 shlokas with Bhakti yoga, and the last six chapters with 211 shlokas as Jnana yoga; however, this is rough because elements of karma, bhakti and jnana are found in all chapters.[118]
Sleep is an essential component to maintaining health. In children, sleep is also vital for growth and development. Ongoing sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk for some chronic health problems. In addition, sleep deprivation has been shown to correlate with both increased susceptibility to illness and slower recovery times from illness.[47] In one study, people with chronic insufficient sleep, set as six hours of sleep a night or less, were found to be four times more likely to catch a cold compared to those who reported sleeping for seven hours or more a night.[48] Due to the role of sleep in regulating metabolism, insufficient sleep may also play a role in weight gain or, conversely, in impeding weight loss.[49] Additionally, in 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is the cancer research agency for the World Health Organization, declared that "shiftwork that involves circadian disruption is probably carcinogenic to humans," speaking to the dangers of long-term nighttime work due to its intrusion on sleep.[50] In 2015, the National Sleep Foundation released updated recommendations for sleep duration requirements based on age and concluded that "Individuals who habitually sleep outside the normal range may be exhibiting signs or symptoms of serious health problems or, if done volitionally, may be compromising their health and well-being."[51]
In 2008 between US$33 billion and $55 billion was spent annually in the US on weight-loss products and services, including medical procedures and pharmaceuticals, with weight-loss centers taking between 6 and 12 percent of total annual expenditure. Over $1.6 billion a year was spent on weight-loss supplements. About 70 percent of Americans' dieting attempts are of a self-help nature.[23][24]
PEAK's core responsibility is to provide practical training and education for undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Health. These types of opportunities foster the development of knowledge, skills, and abilities for the students and provide professional level health, fitness and wellness services to the University and Community members.
Samuel states that Tantrism is a contested concept.[182] Tantra yoga may be described, according to Samuel, as practices in 9th to 10th century Buddhist and Hindu (Saiva, Shakti) texts, which included yogic practices with elaborate deity visualizations using geometrical arrays and drawings (mandala), fierce male and particularly female deities, transgressive life stage related rituals, extensive use of chakras and mantras, and sexual techniques, all aimed to help one's health, long life and liberation.[182][265]
Equipment required? No. You don't need any equipment because you'll rely on your own body weight for resistance. But you'll probably want to use a yoga mat to keep you from sliding around in standing poses, and to cushion you while in seated and lying positions. Other, optional equipment includes a yoga ball for balance, a yoga block or two, and straps to help you reach for your feet or link your hands behind your back.
Ascetic practices (tapas), concentration and bodily postures used by Vedic priests to conduct yajna (sacrifice), might have been precursors to yoga.[note 9] Vratya, a group of ascetics mentioned in the Atharvaveda, emphasized on bodily postures which may have evolved into yogic asanas.[59] Early Samhitas also contain references to other group ascetics such as munis, the keśin, and vratyas.[67] Techniques for controlling breath and vital energies are mentioned in the Brahmanas (texts of the Vedic corpus, c. 1000–800 BCE) and the Atharvaveda.[59][72] Nasadiya Sukta of the Rig Veda suggests the presence of an early contemplative tradition.[note 10]
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#HALLOWEEN: HAPPY HALLOW'S
It's finally here. Go nuts. You've earned it.
Posted by TEOS at 12:00 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, jack-o-lanterns, macabre art, photography, photoshop, pumpkins
#HALLOWEEN: EVE OF HALLOWEEN
days of a haunting
eerie sounds of a ghastly glow
take a footstep to the front
and enter the beginning of the maze
the hassle itself to bring yourself down
as laughs in the back creep under your skin
the hectic fear harassing the fact that it's there
yet bounds like vines in a grappling play
the eve of Halloween
in the nearing of a haunted house
as they put up the slaying
and wander into a man-made trap
fall into the amiss
deep down in the black mist
and frighten yourself by a stare
as you watch another fight along beside you
as the eve of Halloween comes taunting back once again
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, eve of halloween, halloween, halloween poems, kevin wang
#HALLOWEEN: DVD REVIEW: WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
To drench yourself in my love for the WNUF Halloween Special, refer to my previous in-depth review. Everything I could have said about the film I believe was already said. Instead I'll be going through the DVD release that Alternative Cinema was kind enough to send me. Strictly put, it's essential Halloween viewing.
Writer/director Chris LaMartina gets things going with a solo audio commentary. If you're even a casual listener of audio commentaries, you may have found that when some folks go solo, they can tend to fill their recording time with long bouts of silence, having no one by their side to spur them on and ask questions. That's not the problem here. LaMartina hits the ground running with his inspirations behind the project, how it came to be, and what he ultimately envisioned. He speaks rapidly and throws a lot of information at you, none of which is ever superfluous. The nature of the film, which is essentially one huge montage, has him leaping from point to point, and in terms of words per minute, puts Tarantino to shame.
Much of what I wondered while watching the film for the first time - the origin of the footage used, if the filmmakers shot it themselves or sifted through public domain stuff - is answered. Basically, it comes from everywhere! He also confirms his shout-out to The Monster Squad, which makes me feel like a total nerd for even picking up on it the first time. Yay!
Also included are additional commercials created specifically for the film but cut from the final running time. They range from awkward to amusing to slightly faux-erotic (and even contain a reference to Motel Hell). You'll love the "safe sex" commercial. That AIDs gag amazed me.
The next feature shows a side-by-side comparison showing what the original footage looked like versus the final version, after copying one VHS to the next three times. It's neat strictly on a technical level and is quite brief. Generally some video labels, like Criterion, will do the exact opposite when showing just how well they were able to remaster a film. Not here!
Moving right along are an amusing collection of bloopers, line flubs, and alternate dialogue. (That fucking vampire in the crowd kills it every time.)
Finishing things off are "Rewinding the Fast Forward," which shows in their entirety the sequences fast-forwarded during the film; something called "Meadowlands Showcase," which, frankly, defies description; and some trailers.
DVDs are available directly from the distributor, Alternative Cinema, and I honestly can't recommend it enough. I have a very small collection of films I make sure to watch every Halloween week. Going forward, WNUF Halloween Special will be part of that list.
For decades, obscure film collectors and lovers of esoteric cinema have sought it...
Finally, the search is over… Originally broadcast live on October 31, 1987, the "WNUF Halloween Special" is a stunning expose of terrifying supernatural activity that unfolded at the infamous Webber House, the site of ghastly murders. Local television personality Frank Stewart leads a group of paranormal investigators including Catholic exorcist, Father Joseph Matheson and the prolific husband-and-wife team Louis and Claire Berger. Together, the experts explore the darkest corners of the supposedly haunted Webber House, trying to prove the existence of the demonic entities within. Did they find the horrific truth or simply put superstitious rumors to rest?
SPECIFICATIONS: 82 mins. (171 mins. TRT) / Horror / Color / Not Rated / 4x3 / Region 0 / English / Stereo
Audio Commentary with writer/director Chris LaMartina
WNUF Commercials
Bloopers and outtakes
“Rewinding the FF”
Meadowlands Showcase Halloween Show
Aging the Video
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, alternative cinema, chris lamartina, comedy, found footage, halloween, horror comedy, horror movies, wnuf halloween special
#HALLOWEEN: EPIC PRANK
A flying grim reaper wreaks havoc on park-goers. Laughs ensue.
Posted by TEOS at 6:37 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, pranks, videos
#HALLOWEEN: SHITTY FLICKS: ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN
Shitty Flicks is an ongoing column that celebrates the most hilariously incompetent, amusingly pedestrian, and mind-bogglingly stupid movies ever made by people with a bit of money, some prior porn-directing experience, and no clue whatsoever. It is here you will find unrestrained joy in movies meant to terrify and thrill, but instead poke at your funny bone with their weird, mutant camp-girl penis.
WARNING: I tend to give away major plot points and twist endings in my reviews because, whatever. Shut up.
Once upon a time, a homeless man dressed like a hippie clown said, “I’ll make movies, I guess.” He then made House of 1,000 Corpses, which was terrible; it featured people with a lot of hair doing a lot of screaming and included a fetishistic obsession with his wife’s butt. Then he made a sequel entitled The Devil’s Rejects, which was less bad; it featured a lot of hair, a lot of screaming, and maintained the fetishistic obsession with his wife’s butt.
Then, one day, this happened:
The Weinsteins: Rob Zombie, this is the Weinsteins. Would you like to make Halloween 9?
Rob Zombie: No way, that’s stupid. I’d rather remake the original.
The Weinsteins: But didn’t you famously say that remakes were the worst thing any filmmaker could do and why would anyone ever remake a movie that was already perfect?
Rob Zombie: Yeah, but, I’m an artist.
The Weinsteins: That’s true.
Rob Zombie: Can I make all the characters white trash and so annoying that you have no one to root for?
The Weinsteins: We’ve never actually seen the first film, but that all sounds fine with us. We’re artists.
Rob Zombie: I want to write my own script for it, too. I can spell and stuff – I know ALL my letters. I’m an artist.
The Weinsteins: We’ll leave you to it, as we’re courting Michael Berrymen to star in the direct-to-video Children of the Corn Something.
The Halloween universe took place in a rather picturesque town called Haddonfield, Illinois, based on Haddonfield, NJ. (Yes, it's a real place.)
Wisely, Rob Zombie has chosen to maintain this setting, as you can see from the below excerpt from the actual script he wrote:
And so we're off to a good...oh...oh, dear.
Cheap shots aside (which I do not plan on ceasing), John Carpenter's original film is a subtle exercise is slow-burn suspense and terror. It is low on violence, even lower on blood, and features a cast of legitimately likable and sympathetic characters.
Rob Zombie's film contains none of those attributes. It is a loud, flashy, ugly, unapologetic rock concert filled with unnecessary gore, not just unlikable but downright hateable characters, and an unnecessary retconning of Michael Myers' past. It is dumb. It is a film that endeavors to showcase psychological disorders, but is written by a man who knows absolutely nothing about them. This same man knows even less about screenwriting with an attempt for originality. In Rob Zombie's Halloween, cops asks, "Whatta we got?" Receptionists say, "Go in, he's expecting you." Bullies make fun of mothers. Halloween 2007 exists because Rob Zombie watched a few movies on television and said, "I can probably pull this off."
He didn't.
Michael Myers is no longer a mysteriously evil little boy from a middle-to-upper class suburban Illinois household. Because Rob Zombie wanted to explore the "why" of Michael's evil. So, true to his word, the film opens and little Michael Myers is already out of his mind, and arguably evil.
Is there an explanation for it?
No, there is not. But he does still live in Illinois (in the white trash section). This is so his entire family can all unrealistically scream at each other and make absurd sexual threats. Just like real life!
Then Michael goes to school, where bathroom bullies accost him and make absurd sexual threats about his mother and sister.
His mother, Deborah, who is a stripper at the Rabbit in Red Lounge (hey, someone rented the first movie at least once!) is having a meeting with the school principal and Dr. Loomis, a child psychologist. After the principal lets the cat out of the bag and tells Mrs. Myers her son is fucking nuts (by letting the cat out of his drawer [in a bag], get it?), she kinda believes him but not really.
Then Michael kills the bully kid from the Geico commercial, all the while the audience drowns in this overwhelming amount of explanation that Rob Zombie said he was going to provide for Micheal's back story.
Later, at Michael's house, everyone continues to be really mean. Even though his mother is fresh from a meeting in which she was shown the dead cat Michael had in his locker and the dozens of photos of animals he's killed, she shrugs it all off and lets Michael go trick-or-treating, anyway. She can't take him, though, because she's gotta work. And since the rest of his family hates him, looks like he's shit out of luck and shit out of trick-or-treating.
It then hilariously cuts to Michael sitting outside on a curb, looking immensely sad, as "Love Hurts" plays. I must say I am a little surprised, as I didn't know we were suddenly in Kentucky Fried Movie. Any doubt of what movie you're in is then suddenly washed away because look, there's the ass of the director's wife.
Upstairs, Michael's sister is in the seedy throes of pre-sex with her even seedier looking boyfriend. He takes out the iconic Shape mask and asks her if he can wear it while they bump uglies. She says no, much to my chagrin, as I would like this boy's face to go away forever.
And downstairs, Michael looks sad, eats some candy, and then thinks, "Oh, right, this is about when I go fucking nuts for no reason."
This is exhausting, isn't it?
Michael proceeds to kill everyone and then shove a baseball bat up his dead sister's ass, because Rob Zombie once watched the original Halloween and said, "This is fucking boring – where's all the faggot references?"
The only one Michael doesn't kill is his infant sister, whom he calls Boo. (Get it? Boo? Halloween? Can you stand the genius?)
Credit where credit is due: the sequence where Mrs. Myers comes home to her massacred family, which is complemented with the numerous news reports being transmitted at the site, is very well done and threatens to paint Rob Zombie as an actual filmmaker. With every character on screen freeze-framing so the only things moving are the lights from the police cars and Michael himself, it's actually a — dare I say it — well-executed sequence.
Likewise, the sequences of young Michael at Smith's Grove Sanitarium don't hurt, and even threaten to be interesting, but unfortunately not enough time is spent here. Everyone's acting is downplayed and actually good (even Rob's normally abhorrent wife) and the film is — again, dare I say it — interesting. Loomis' audio notes layered over the choppy 8mm footage of Michael under observation works pretty well.
These sequences are the biggest red herring in cinema, as you fool yourself into thinking the film isn't a total junkyard filled with needless backwoods profanities, unrealistic characters, and unintentional humor.
But don't worry, the movie then resumes its usual level of painful mediocrity as we cut fifteen years later. Dr. Loomis peaces out of Michael's care because he's honestly given up. Instead he takes to the touring circuit to plug his book on the Myers case. Luckily he has a bunch of "Michael making mean face" pictures to support his claims that Michael is actually a psychopath!
Fortunately, I am watching the "director's" cut of this film, which means I get twice the rape with none of the enjoyment. What's interesting about the director's cut of the film versus the theatrical is that they are nearly completely different films. Only a filmmaker with a definitive vision is capable of shooting an entire film, then shrugging and shooting a bunch of other shit to see what he can do with it.
I hear that's how John Huston did it.
So, after these two redneck hospital orderlies shove a female patient into Michael's room so they can rape her in front of him and maybe try to get him to rape her as well (?), they are VERY surprised when Michael, who is ten feet tall and has hundreds of different masks hanging all over his cell and who is clearly out of his fucking mind, suddenly springs into action and commits violence upon them.
After a quick cameo from Clint Howard (not his first appearance within the halls of Shitty Flicks), we then see the scene that propelled Zombie to make this film — the absolute unquenchable desire to answer the so-far unanswered question in the pantheon of unanswered questions which propelled Zombie towards his ultimate goal of fleshing out the origins of Michael Myers: we finally FINALLY find out how he got his jumpsuit.
He killed a guy taking a shit (who was wearing a jumpsuit).
From this point to the end, the film becomes a beat-for-beat remake of the original Carpenter film, which means it's the same, only far less good. We can no longer even find distraction in all the awful "new" stuff. All we can do is sit and watch and be reminded of when this was done previously, and much, much better. Even the original film's soundtrack is utilized — not re-orchestrated, mind you, but literally re-appropriated.
We meet Laurie Strode, perhaps the most famous heroine in all of horror cinema. Big shoes to fill — even more than Dr. Loomis — but Rob Zombie felt that Scout Taylor Compton was up to the task.
Let's just get this out of the way now: she just might very well be the worst and most irritating actress in all of everything. Try to contain your fury every moment she is on screen. Bet you can't — it's really, really hard.
Her friends don't fare much better. Zombie's depiction of Lynda makes her worse than Hitler, and poor Halloween-series alumni Danielle Harris is saddled with a very obnoxious version of Annie. These girls curse like Tarantino, call each other "bitches," and do nothing to be individuals. They all talk the same, act the same, and annoy the same. They are not in the least bit likeable.
We revisit the requisite Halloween beats: Sheriff Brackett makes his appearance, Judith Myers' tombstone is stolen, Loomis deals with a bunch of Smith's Grove bureaucrats.
Laurie babysits Tommy Doyle, educates him on the boogeyman, and looks bored with her life.
Dr. Loomis attempts to convince Sheriff Brackett that evil has come to his town.
Annie brings Lindsey Wallace over to the Doyle house.
Annie dumps Lindsey on her good friend, Laurie.
Annie tells Laurie she's set her up with Ben Tramer.
Paul picks Annie up.
Dear god, we've seen this movie already. WE SAW IT THIRTY YEARS AGO.
"It's so fucking warm!" Paul adds.
I know that Zombie set out to create a thrill-ride filled with unimaginable terror, but instead all that happened was my boner.
Ah, and here we are: the third-act twist/non-twist, which is the big reveal that Laurie Strode is Michael Myers' sister. Once asked in an interview if he had lifted this from the finale of the original Halloween 2, he replied, "Honestly, no, I had completely forgotten about that." Funny, being that the famously used song "Mr. Sandman," which appears in Halloween 2, also appears here. Must be some kind of insane coincidence!
But hey, who am I to call Rob Zombie a liar? It's not like he ever goes back on his word. (Like that time he said he'd never make a Halloween 2.)
Halloween takes way too long to end, as Laurie is chased through two houses, a pool, and a police car (during which Dr. Loomis very amusingly shouts, "Michael, what the hell!").
The film ends as it began: limply, and with little care or talent.
So much of this film feels like a passionless Google project. I liken it to the Republicans Googling random GOP governors to see who would make a good Vice-President during the last election and finding Sarah Palin. Even the fucking font chosen for the open and closing credit reeks of "Jeeves, what's that font they used for Halloween?" "Copperplate Gothic!" "Thanks, Jeeves." (It's not.)
And as these closing credits begin rolling (and I see "Based on a Film by John Carpenter and Debra Hill," as opposed to "Based on the Film," as if the connection between the two films were tenuous at best), I must admit I am terrified. Truly. Not because of anything the film presented, and not even by the idea that this film exists and is now attached to the legacy of the original Halloween forever.
No, what’s terrifying is…people actually like this thing.
But hey, we’re all open to our own opinions, right? That's what makes us human, after all — our own interests, passions, and ideas.
Having said that, if you want to slather yourself in cinematic excrement, be my...guess?
Where indeed.
Posted by TEOS at 12:00 AM 3 comments: Links to this post
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, halloween series, horror movies, michael myers, movie review, rob zombie, shitty flicks
#HALLOWEEN: IMPROVISATION
My little cousin, Devyn. She picked her own costume.
I am so proud we share the same blood.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, costumes, creepy dolls, halloween, trick or treaters
#HALLOWEEN: IMITATION
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins
#HALLOWEEN: HEY, KNOW WHAT'S NOT A SEQUEL TO HALLOWEEN?
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, hey know what's a real movie, levity, movie posters, the day after halloween
#HALLOWEEN: YOUR HOST
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, creepy images, halloween, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins
#HALLOWEEN: RECOMMENDED VIEWING: THE BLACK CAT
Edgar Allan Poe’s nickname should be Mr. Halloween. An infamous author who made a living writing some of the most beautiful but intimidating horrific poems and short stories perhaps in history has become intimately associated with that last day of October. The content of his prose certainly lends itself to the day we’re here celebrating, but – like so many other things – we don’t really know why. Perhaps his infamous short story, “The Black Cat,” was all he needed to become permanently married to Halloween. His infamous visage has even become adopted by the Halloween decoration world; you’ll find him on greeting cards and t-shirts with terrible super-imposed costumes.
“Masters of Horror,” a good-intentioned experiment created by not-that-good-a-filmmaker Mick Garris, was a two-season anthology show produced by Showtime. Though horror fans were immensely excited at this idea behind giving our most infamous horror directors one hour to go as balls to the wall as they wanted, sadly the show resulted with more bad episodes than good ones. “The Black Cat” was brought to us by the three-man team who also gave us Re-Animator; written by Dennis Paoli, directed by Stuart Gordon, and with Jeffrey Combs having the hardest gig of them all – bringing to life one of the most influential yet still mysterious authors of all time – “The Black Cat” is probably the best episode of “Masters of Horror.” It is a beautifully directed piece of Goth that honors the original story and brings to visual life the more gruesome aspects of the story you may not have realized were present. (A recent re-reading of some Poe stuff, this time with more mature eyes, resulted in a discovery of his ability for both surprisingly graphic depictions of violence as well as his knack for black comedy.)
For those unfamiliar with the original incarnation of “The Black Cat,” it is about a man confined by authorities for something we don’t yet know, and he goes on to explain the circumstances that have led to his current condemnation. He explains that he and his wife were avid animal lovers and would periodically bring home any creature upon which they stumbled while out and about. The man admits to his captors that, over time, he began to suffer from alcoholism. One night, while in a drunken stupor, he purposely injures one of his pets – a black cat named Pluto. The man then kills the cat by hanging it from a tree.
And then the man’s house burns down, and he and his wife barely escape. Upon returning to the ruins, the man sees a very haunting indication that Pluto is still alive. Or is he?
The man in “The Black Cat” shares more than one similarity with Poe, so it was a rather inspired move to take the real Poe (upon whom he likely based his character) and implant him in his own story, taking over for “the man” and giving him a name. With this metaphysical approach, our filmmakers have fun with the merging of these two worlds, and it is very clever to see Poe stumbling through the nightmarish world he has created – both artistically and literally.
As for the performances, well, the recent big-budget film The Raven should be embarrassed that it exists in the same posthumous Poe world as Jeffrey Combs. One of the many horror actors relegated to trashy direct-to-video nonsense, Combs is staggeringly good in his performance as Poe. There is a reason that, following the airing of this episode, our three-man team began touring with an independent show entitled Nevermore: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe (soon to become a feature film). Combs has received some of the highest accolades of his career with his one-man show/performance as the haunted writer. And it all began with “The Black Cat,” essentially a one-off television episode that soon blossomed into a one-night only live show event, which then matriculated into a cross-country tour. Here he plays Poe as a man we all assumed him to be: a talented writer with both a God complex and no confidence whatsoever; a man addicted to the bottle and madly in love with his wife; a man haunted by his own demons, which led him to his still unexplained death. Fake honker of a nose aside, he looks, sounds, and nails the part.
I love to watch this every October, as for me it nails what I think of when I think "Halloween." For me, in a sad kind of way, the most quintessential Halloween period is long behind us. Likely most realized by Washington Irving in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the idea of Halloween seemed most appreciated and pure during the time when people had stables next to their houses, not garages, and when towns had only a hundred citizens - all of them huddled around bonfires as the children played in their simple costumes that honored mythical creatures, not television personalities; when street lights were candles, and people kept warm with fireplaces; when belief systems were still so rudimentary that actual evil seemed like a real possibility, and therefore made the importance of the holiday's origins that much more awing.
There’s not much more I can say about “The Black Cat” other than it deserves to be celebrated just like any other 90-minute horror classic. Perhaps lost in the underwhelming haze that was “Masters of Horror,” “The Black Cat” is somber and gruesome and darkly funny; the real Poe would have been more than satisfied.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, dennis paoli, edgar allan poe, halloween, jeffrey combs, literature, masters of horror, stuart gordon, the black cat
#HALLOWEEN: LEVITY
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, commercials, halloween, levity, snickers, videos
#HALLOWEEN: HALLOWE'EN IN A SUBURB
The steeples are white in the wild moonlight,
And the trees have a silver glare;
Past the chimneys high see the vampires fly,
And the harpies of upper air,
That flutter and laugh and stare.
For the village dead to the moon outspread
Never shone in the sunset's gleam,
But grew out of the deep that the dead years keep
Where the rivers of madness stream
Down the gulfs to a pit of dream.
A chill wind weaves through the rows of sheaves
In the meadows that shimmer pale,
And comes to twine where the headstones shine
And the ghouls of the churchyard wail
For harvests that fly and fail.
Not a breath of the strange grey gods of change
That tore from the past its own
Can quicken this hour, when a spectral power
Spreads sleep o'er the cosmic throne,
And looses the vast unknown.
So here again stretch the vale and plain
That moons long-forgotten saw,
And the dead leap gay in the pallid ray,
Sprung out of the tomb's black maw
To shake all the world with awe.
And all that the morn shall greet forlorn,
The ugliness and the pest
Of rows where thick rise the stones and brick,
Shall some day be with the rest,
And brood with the shades unblest.
Then wild in the dark let the lemurs bark,
And the leprous spires ascend;
For new and old alike in the fold
Of horror and death are penned,
For the hounds of Time to rend.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, h.p. lovecraft, halloween, halloween poems
#HALLOWEEN: RECOMMENDED READING: THIRTEEN HORRORS OF HALLOWEEN
Isaac Asimov is a name that carries a lot of weight in the literary world, whether you’ve read his works or not. Personally, I never have and likely never will, as frankly his history of writing “hardcore sci-fi” just doesn’t appeal to me on a general level. For instance, I adore Ray Bradbury, but would never attempt to read his journey into the sci-fi realm, as it’s just not my thing—not to mention I probably wouldn’t even be able to follow along with either author’s prose.
So color me surprised that, like Bradbury, I one day randomly discovered a small book of Halloween short stories called Thirteen Horrors of Halloween compiled, edited by, and with a contributed story by Asimov. Naturally I gave it a shot – that H words gets me every time. What I found was a mixed bag; the stories that dipped their toes in the horror pool were fairly solid; those utilizing a safer genre (from mystery/noir to scientific espionage) were, sadly, less impressive. Though the day/night of Halloween was their constant, the stories’ tie to it were sometimes tenuous at best.
Anthologies by nature are usually a mixed bag. An anthology’s editor will attempt to compile great writers with different styles united in one common theme. Because of this, not every story will appeal to every reader. Kudos to any editor who ever broke that code, because I have yet to read an across-the-board anthological success. This collection is no different. Some of the stories are fantastic, some are average, and some, well…
Let's get with the good, first.
“The Forces of Evil” by Isaac Asimov (Foreword)
This introduction is incredibly interesting as it delves into the history of Halloween. Most Halloween compilations feel the need to do this, so some of this information will be familiar, but some of it will sound quite new—like Halloween’s connection to 500 B.C. Persia…or even the bible. And did you know that in certain parts of the world there is a second Halloween—May 1?
“Unholy Hybrid” by William Bankier
A rather simple story about a farmer named Sutter Clay, renowned for his keen ability to effortlessly grow the most impressive and even visually interesting crops in his small town. His crops are proudly displayed each year at the town’s autumn celebration; his fellow townspeople have come to expect nothing less. He’s a man who prefers a life of solitude, but one rainy night, a drifter knocks at his door asking for temporary refuge from the nasty weather. Described as a “homely” woman, she proves herself immediately useful by cooking him meals and cleaning the house. Soon it’s several months later and she hasn’t gone anywhere—she’s used to having a place to stay, and he’s used to having her cook and clean. Things get complicated, however, when one night she confesses to him that she’s pregnant—with a direct and unavoidable implication that it’s his—and he’s none too happy about that. Without a clear reason why, Sutter solves the problem the only way he knows how. And that’s when that thing begins to slowly grow out of his grounds and haunt him.
“Unholy Hybrid” is great Halloween pulp. It’s rather dark and bleak, and its plot rather simplistic. It’s like a scenario any burgeoning writer concocts in their own mind as a possible story idea to pursue before waving it off and rightly assuming it’s already been done. Still, that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. And I like that, unlike most Halloween-set tales, this one actually begins months before the holiday. Entire seasons pass during Bankier’s careful yet momentary details, and it all leads up to Sutter Clay’s final terror—in the late hours of a new-born Halloween night.
“The October Game” by Ray Bradbury
Honestly, if you’re even reading this and showing an interest in Halloween-based literature, it’s likely you have read perhaps the greatest Halloween short story of all time. I’m not even sure how you could have missed it, as it appears in nearly every Halloween anthology I own. (Read it now.) It’s a story about a man who has grown completely unhappy with his life – caused by his loveless wife, Louise, and who gains no feelings of fulfillment by the love of his young daughter, Marion. Forced to host a Halloween party for friends and their children, the story opens with him staring hard at a gun in his bedroom drawer and pondering potential futures before he plasters a fake smile across his face and begins to host the night’s festivities – including a rendition of a familiar Halloween party game involving a nasty story and pieces of food you’ll never forget.
Apropos for Bradbury, “The October Game” is as nasty and mean as it is darkly humorous. Bradbury is an absolute master of his craft and easily envelops his readers with the emotions of his characters. Bradbury is a man who loved life and remained wholly optimistic about it for most of his career, but his ability to write about despair, isolation, and sadness would make you think otherwise. The antagonist of “The October Game” isn’t a monster or a sociopath; he is the embodiment of a very real fear to which most people can relate – his life is the end-result of choices he wish he hadn’t made, and which has come to feel more like a prison than anything else. And he sees only one way out. “The October Game” ends with a wicked last sentence, which by itself is innocuous and even amusing, but takes on a much different meaning after having read the events leading up to it.
“Halloween Girl” by Robert Grant
One of the several tales in the collection that sheds the horror in lieu of something different. Timmy and Marcie became fast friends not long after Marcie and her family moved into town. The two discovered they have a lot in common – especially when it comes to horror. They love everything about the genre and have spent countless hours in libraries and movie theaters soaking up every dread-filled second. Naturally their most anticipated day of the year is Halloween and the next one is looming, but it’s also one that will prove to be incredibly unforgettable.
Grant’s tale is an extremely sweet and melancholy story. It’s about young love, death, and growing up over the course of one Halloween night. It does a fine job of keenly making the reader recall the same types of friendships from his/her own childhood and it works well because its own simplistic yet effective iteration of a shared childhood works in tandem alongside your own. The ending will bring a sad smile to your face, for sure.
“Night of the Goblin” by Talmage Powell
Told from the point-of-view of two fathers – one a caring and thoughtful man, whereas the other is anything but – two young children readying for a Halloween party will cross paths in a way that where one of them is changed for good, while the other will have no idea the part they played. And all it takes is one Karmel King.
“Night of the Goblin” is not horrific in an obvious way – there are no monsters or killers – but it does touch on themes of emotional and possibly physical abuse, and what a victim of said abuse is willing to do in order to save himself. And it uses an infamous Halloween urban legend to do it. There is a very clever re-imagining of "trick-or-treat." There is a plot within the plot, masterminded by one individual. This is the trick. But this mastermind will be utilizing the most mundane thing in his candy bag to pull it off. This is where the treat comes into play. Though not a challenging read, Powell's tale sets itself off from other Halloween tales in that focuses on something much more real and much closer to home. It's likely the story you won't think much about soon after finishing it, but will soon come back to fester somewhere in your mind.
“Pumpkin Head” by Al Sarrantonio
A little girl named Raylee, a shy introvert at a new school, is encouraged by her teacher to tell aloud a scary story during their class Halloween party. Raylee shares with her classmates the tale of Pumpkin Head, a sad and lonely boy born with a mutant head shaped like – you guessed it. It would seem Pumpkin Head could only take all the bullying of his students for so long before bringing something to the front of the classroom to show his teacher: a metal lunch back. And in that lunch box is a knife. “My lunch and dinner,” Pumpkin Head tells his teacher. “My dinner and breakfast.” Raylee’s teacher halts the story before its gruesome ending, but the kids seem to love it, anyway. One of the students smiles and invites Raylee to her Halloween party that night. It’s the last party many of them will ever attend.
“Pumpkin Head” by Al Sarrantonio has been printed in several different Halloween anthologies (just like Bradbury’s "October Game") and there’s a good reason: it’s fantastic. It is a very clever and accomplished amalgam of Halloween traditions, present both in the upfront setting, but as well as a thematic level. It’s about wearing costumes – obvious ones, not so obvious ones, and ones beyond our nightmares. It unfolds with suspenseful inevitability, but you're not quite sure for whom you're concerned. Is it Raylee, the introvert who just wants acceptance? Or is it her school mates, whose allegedly good intentions might actually instead be motive to make Halloween for little Raylee a lot more like hell?
“The Circle” by Lewis Shiner
A group of thirty-somethings continue their tradition of gathering together every year in an isolated cabin on Halloween night to share the scariest stories they could find – whether of their own creation or by a celebrated author. Among them is Lesley, somewhat pensive about attending this year’s meet after having a tryst with Rob, a former lover she had brought with her the previous. Their romantic whatever ended rather abruptly and she hadn’t heard from him since, but she attempts to forge ahead. Once the member stake their seats, one of the takes out a letter from Rob, explaining that he would not be attending that year’s get-together, but requests the enclosed short story be read aloud. After a bout of silence, Lesley agrees to read it. And things take a turn for the worse when she realizes that events in the story seem to be closely mirroring real life—VERY closely.
“The Circle” is a pretty great offering. It is a brief tale, but it packs a mean punch. Lesley is surprisingly fleshed out, given the brevity of the events, and it even manages to add a satirical bent, eager to go after what seems to be the target of literary critics. I can certainly get behind that! (Read the whole thing on the author's website.)
“Yesterday's Witch” by Gahan Wilson
A group of kids who one Halloween night tempt fate and knock on the door of Miss Marble, whom the children believe to be a witch. The yearly visitation of her house by neighborhood kids has become a Halloween tradition, but the most any kid was willing to do was knock on her door before hightailing it out of there. But this year, one particular boy has decided he's going to knock...and wait for her to answer. And who should answer the door? The elderly and harmless Miss Marble, who invites them in for treats? Or does a bonafide witch, like so many of the kids believe, answer the door?
Perhaps both...
Written less like a story and more like a childhood recollection, "Yesterday's Witch" ably captures the spirit of Halloween in a rather innocent fashion. It's certainly one of the more PG offerings in the book, but still manages to chill you, should you let it. Gahan's choice to recollect the story using a child's memory strengthens the details and even catches you off guard with its wicked ending.
The remainder of the collection offers stories either so-so or less so. “Halloween” by Isaac Asimov is a very brief mystery that takes place in a hotel on November 1. It would seem some plutonium has gone missing and the man who stole it is dead, his last words being – you guessed it – “Halloween.” There’s nothing horrific about this tale at all, and its ties to Halloween exist only to create a quick mystery before ably solving it. Even the most loyal fans of Asimov's work regard this as a curious but forgettable piece from the author's otherwise pretty expansive and impressive body of work.
“Day of the Vampire” by Edward D. Hoch is a pretty Tales from the Crypt-inspired tale of a vampire living among other citizens of a small town. It’s a decent little time-waster, and accept for taking place on October 31, it doesn’t really have anything to do with Halloween. And you know how I feel about that...
“Trick-or-Treat” by Anthony Boucher uses the traditions of Halloween as a plot device. It’s a ho-hum affair story with very basic ties to Halloween, but if you’re a fan of vintage mystery writing, you might appreciate it.
Ellery Queen is another famous figure in crime writing—both the actual name of the detective as well as a pseudonym for its author—and what we have with “The Adventure of the Dead Cat” is a mystery that needs to be solved at a costume party. It’s not one of my favorites.
Nor is “All Souls'” by Edith Wharton, an early 20th century author who, like her peers Poe, Lovecraft, and M.R. James, committed to paper some very intimidating and (now) antiquated writing. If I sound like an ignorant cretin, I guess I’ll accept that, but “All Soul’s’ ” is just dull, simply put, and its length was determined by masochists everywhere.
“Victim of the Year” by Robert F. Young is probably the most unusual. A man severely down on his luck runs afoul of a witch at the unemployment office who warns him that he has been targeted by a coven to bear a year’s worth of bad luck. You could argue the man finds redemption and even gets the girl, but still…the girl's a witch. What if you piss her off?
Thirteen Horrrors of Halloween hasn’t been in print for years, but used copies can be snagged on Amazon for literally a penny. It’s more than worth it, if only for a handful of great stories as opposed to an entire collection.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, book review, books, halloween, isaac asimov, literature, thirteen horrors of halloween
#HALLOWEEN: JACK-O-LANTERN
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, dorothy aldis, halloween, halloween poems
#HALLOWEEN: YIKES
You will never be the same.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, halloween music, levity, the worst witch, tim curry, videos
#HALLOWEEN: AUTUMN WINDOW
Autumn Window by Sam Wolfe Connelly.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, art, halloween, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins
#HALLOWEEN: YOUR FINAL SACRIFICE
"When Michael Myers was six years old, he stabbed his sister to death. He was locked up for years in Smith's Grove Sanitarium, but he escaped. Soon after, Halloween became another word for mayhem... If there's one thing I know, you can't control evil. You can lock it up, burn it and bury it, and pray that it dies, but it never will. It just... rests awhile. You can lock your doors, and say your prayers, but the evil is out there... waiting. And maybe, just maybe... it's closer than you think."
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, halloween, halloween series, michael myers, movie quotes, movie scenes, paul rudd
#HALLOWEEN: UNSUNG HORRORS: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW
Every once in a while, a genuinely great horror movie—one that would rightfully be considered a classic, had it gotten more exposure and love at the box office—makes an appearance. It comes, no one notices, and it goes. But movies like this are important. They need to be treasured and remembered. If intelligent, original horror is supported, then that's what we'll begin to receive, in droves. We need to make these movies a part of the legendary genre we hold so dear. Because these are the unsung horrors. These are the movies that should have been successful, but were instead ignored. They should be rightfully praised for the freshness and intelligence and craft that they have contributed to our genre.
So, better late than never, we’re going to celebrate them now… one at a time.
Dir. Frank De Felitta
"[I] seen it, Otis. The scarecrow. The same one. Bullet holes, everything. Just like before. Only now it was filled with straw."
Scarecrows have become infamous iconography of Halloween, though as far as I know, there are no myths about scarecrows that concern our favorite day of the year, and their history don’t lend themselves to such a connection. Perhaps we can thank Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1852 short story “Feathertop,” about a scarecrow brought to life by a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Their connection to farmland and harvest (and hence, autumn) could argue for their association as well. But regardless the link remains and I’m cool with it, because they make a fine addition to a fine holiday. Go to any Halloween party store and you’re likely to find a scarecrow mask or costume, or even a decapitated and blood-dripping scarecrow head. (Don’t think about that one too long, or you’ll ruin the fun.)
Sadly, scarecrows are slowly being phased out of regular usage, as farmers are opting to instead use wooden silhouettes of large predatory creatures or even beach-ball-shaped contraptions that do god knows what, but do apparently scare away birds. More effective they might be, they are certainly less interesting.
The scarecrow has been used only moderately throughout horror cinema, which is a shame, because their visage is effortlessly creepy and could make for a good on-screen threat given the right approach. Unfortunately, most of the scarecrow’s voyage into celluloid have resulted in count-them-on-one-hand entries actually worth your time. 1990’s Night of the Scarecrow is a fun and low-budgeted little thriller featuring a very young and beardless John Hawkes; 1988's Scarecrows is a flat, though sometimes bizarre, offering; 2011’s Husk is a decent time-waster that gets more right than it does wrong. And the less said about the direct-to-video Scarecrow Slayer series, the better. But 1981’s Dark Night of the Scarecrow will likely always reign supreme. Recently resurrected for an unexpected video release in 2010, and nearing the end of its license before it goes back out of print, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, for decades, belonged to that dubious club of horror films that continued to live on after their first theatrical or television appearance through bootleg networks. Following a 1986 VHS release (and going out of print soon after), legitimate copies of the film were nigh impossible to track down. It was one of those movies that risked being lost with time. But, as any loyal horror fan will do when denied their white whale of a film, they set out to horror conventions or to the many websites specializing in unavailable or never released films to secure themselves a copy likely created from a 37th generation VHS tape.
When the legitimate release was announced in 2010, I wasted no time in snapping up myself a copy. After all, I had heard nothing but praise for the film for many years, and having a rough idea what it was about, I was incredibly interested and excited to give it a watch. About scarecrows, set on Halloween, and allegedly scary. Of course I was all over it. After all, the quote from Vincent Price proudly blazed across the front – “I was terrified!” – was quite possibly the only marketing a horror film would ever need.
My copy soon arrived and I saved it for near-Halloween. And I watched.
And though I found the film to be well made and well acted, I was surprised by how…uninvolved in the story I found myself. And I was a little disappointed in another regard: the lack of scarecrows. I was expecting to see that infamous canvas-bag face sitting atop the shuffling straw-filled figure as it chased down its victims one by one. But that didn’t happen. In fact, the lone scarecrow remains limp and still for pretty much the entire running time – and is only on screen for about five minutes.
I remember at the time chalking it up to just yet another film I had lost to the hype machine, as nothing could have lived up to the years and years of folks saying they recall having watched it when it aired on television and how scary it was, etc., etc.
But something unexpected happened: though I thought the film was reasonably good, I held onto it. (This is important to note, as I was once an avid collector of films, CDs, and books, and would immediately get rid of anything I felt wasn't worth keeping.) And in the days following my first viewing, I found myself thinking back on the film, as it had somehow stuck with me. So, a few weeks later, I watched it again.
And I got it.
I saw what the big deal was and this time I simply allowed myself to be taken away by the story.
In a nameless mid-western town, a young girl named Marylee Williams and a simple-minded man named Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) play together in the middle of a field. These two are good friends – have been for some time – and this really bothers a few townspeople, namely Otis (Charles Durning), Skeeter (Robert F. Lyons), Philby, (Claude Earle Jones), and Harliss (Lane Smith). He and his cohorts believe that Bubba is potentially dangerous and perhaps even a pervert, and such should not be allowed near any young child. "He's a blight...like stink weed and cutworm that you spray and spray to get rid of, but always keeps coming back," Otis seethes. "Something's got to be done...but it has to be permanent."
While harmlessly sneaking into a backyard to play with a decorative garden fountain, a dog viciously attacks Marylee and Bubba manages to save her. She is brought to the hospital bloodied and unconscious and Otis naturally assumes the worst. He gathers up his hateful posse and heads out to the Ritter farm to exert some private justice.
Bubba’s mother (Jocelyn Brando), having hidden her son within the scarecrow poled in their back field, forbids the men from entering the house. She attempts to lie and says Bubba is nowhere on the property, but the men know better. They instead begin their search outside, and through the holes on the scarecrow’s burlap-sack face, Otis sees Bubba’s terrified eyes. The men open fire, killing Bubba with an obnoxious amount of bullets. Then they find out the truth – that Bubba hadn’t been the one who hurt Marylee at all, but had actually saved the girl’s life from what everyone learned was a dog attack. Otis places a pitchfork in the dead Bubba's hand, his mind already piecing together a possible way out of trouble. An eerie wind picks up immediately after...announcing a vengeance soon to come.
Otis and his posse are tried for Bubba's murder (rather quickly), but they claim self-defense, and because the prosecutor can present no witnesses and no evidence, the men find themselves free – at least from the courts. Having just gotten away with murder, the men are feeling pretty good. But then each of the men begin seeing the Ritter farm scarecrow – the same one in which Bubba had attempted to hide – planted in the middle of their own fields. And then the men are picked off one by one by an unseen killer in the order following their visitation by the scarecrow, as if someone were taunting them…or letting them know who would be next.
There are plenty of red herrings provided to us. The killer could be anyone: Bubba's mother, who in a fit of rage loses her mind and begins tracking down the men who killed her son; or perhaps it's District Attorney Sam Willock, who tried to prosecute the men and was nearly thrown back in shock when they were set free; it could even be one of the men responsible for Bubba's death, buckling under the simmering guilt he has successfully hidden away from his friends.
Or perhaps it's the ghost of Bubba himself, back from the grave to take his revenge on the men who took him away from his mother and his only friend...
A friend of mine was killed the other night.
So I heard.
They all think it was an accident. I don't.
There's other justice in this world.
Besides the law?
It's a fact. What you sow, so shall you reap.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow is intelligently engineered so that our antagonists suffer for pretty much the entire film. Though they begin to succumb to the fear of their being murdered, and are haunted by the harbinger of doom that is the Ritter farm scarecrow, they never show regret. They never break down and say, “Oh, I wish we hadn’t killed that poor man!” And because of this, we watch without conflict or guilt as each of the men are hunted down. We pity none of them are they are each killed on their own farms in the middle of the night. We certainly don't pity Otis, as the film bravely dedicates much of its time with this man who is seemingly willing to do anything to save his own skin…and is very willing to kill again. It is a very bold move to have your audience spend the majority of the film following around a completely despicable character. After all, we’re never going to pity him, or show him our sympathies – there will be no catharsis for him – so in the interim until his inevitable fate, we will enjoy watching him squirm. His death, for us, will be a release – especially when young Marylee finds herself in peril once more.
There’s no reason at this point to reaffirm Charles Durning as one of the greats (RIP, sir), but I’ll reaffirm, gladly. At this time in his career, Durning was enjoying himself in little thrillers like this, as well as When A Stranger Calls and The Final Countdown, and he was certainly open to taking on the role of Otis, a complete scuzzball in every sense of the word. He’s an unapologetic murderer, this we know, and an insensitive asshole who doesn’t know when to quit as he takes it upon himself to begin harassing Bubba’s mourning mother, whom he assumes is behind the tragedies befalling his fellow vigilantes. But he’s also something else, too. Though the film does a very good job of straddling this fine line, it’s very carefully intimated that Otis is a pedophile. He’s a single male, one among many in the boardinghouse where he lives, and the earlier scene with Otis and Mrs. Ritter confirms as much, as she tells him she knows "exactly what [he is]. This is a small town. Everybody talks.”
This, frankly speaking, was a fucking ballsy move to impart on this otherwise straightforward ghost movie (made for television, no less). It also adds a very seedy new layer: Perhaps Otis hadn’t so impulsively killed Bubba simply because the man-child’s friendship with Marylee disgusted him. No… perhaps Otis was jealous, even being… territorial.
Larry Drake’s screen time as Bubba is understandably limited, as he’s shot full of holes within the first twenty minutes, but it’s nice to see him play a simple and innocent character like Bubba Ritter. He is so ingrained in our minds thanks to his villainous turns in Dr. Giggles or the Darkman films that typically our only affiliation we have with the man is being a cigar-cutting or pun-hurling sociopath. To Drake's credit, it’s always tough and potentially career-damaging to play a character with developmental deficiencies, but Bubba really just comes across as a child – easily prone to fear and shy around girls. He’s charming and even cute – by design, as I’m sure the filmmakers wanted you to feel especially angry towards the men who eventually take his life.
The film is very dissimilar from the previously mentioned Night of the Scarecrow, Scarecrows, and Husk – those films' directors were not afraid to make their straw-headed killers vicious and violent. People are hacked apart, strangled, even raped with penetrating straw spears. But in Dark Night of the Scarecrow, all the gruesomeness is left to your imagination. The men are killed, oh yes, and in imaginatively painful ways, but never on screen. It is old school in its execution because it is old school. A swinging shaded bulb complementing a man’s desperate screams is far more affecting than a man being folded in half by random farm equipment front-and-center on screen.
Despite the obvious constraints of a television budget, director Frank De Felitta (The Entity) shows real skill and creativity. The first scene of the ghostly Ritter farm scarecrow stuck into Harliss' field is captured in one extreme long shot, making the scarecrow barely visible, yet still unnerving and nightmarish. But the second sighting in Philby's field is perhaps better; we see the man looking horrified at something off-screen and in the distance, and he begins to run towards it. Finally he falls to his knees as the camera pulls back...and reveals the scarecrow.
Stationary bird scarers have never been creepier.
De Felitta also knows how to use the quiet mid-western night to maximum effect. What should be peace and solitude is instead interrupted by the humming of machinery kicking on by itself, or the squealing of disturbed pigs, or the crunching sound of methodical footsteps. It's classy yet familiar, yet also entirely effectively.
Honestly, the film is smart enough to know all it needs to be scary is this:
If you've read this far, then you're in luck. I'll be giving away one DVD copy of Dark Night of the Scarecrow to one lucky reader.
You only have to do two things:
1. "Like" The End of Summer on Facebook.
2. E-mail endofsummerblog@gmail.com (subject line SCARECROW CONTEST), verify your Facebook name, and share with me one of your favorite Halloween movies. It doesn't necessarily have to be about Halloween – just something you may watch every year to celebrate. Most importantly: Tell me why you watch it!
(Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23. Winners will be contacted via e-mail.)
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, charles durning, frank de felitta, halloween, horror movies, larry drake, scarecrows, tv movie, unsung horrors
#HALLOWEEN: THE DANGERS OF HALLOWEEN
The artist.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, art, halloween, marc schoenbach, vintage advertisements
#HALLOWEEN: MASQUERADE
Posted by TEOS at 1:15 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, creepy, vintage photography
#HALLOWEEN: TRICK OR TREAT
Don’t bother trying to find it. You won’t find anything about the name of the town or what happened here. This manuscript will be found long after the events that transpired in this place, but I hope against everything else that you’re someone in a position of power. I pray to God Himself that you can prevent this from ever happening again, but I don’t want to give you too much credit. Like me, you are only human, after all. They are not. They’ve been around for a very, very long time.
Fat chance, really. You probably don’t want that responsibility, and even if you did take it upon your shoulders to track them down, you can’t single-handedly stop the children. Their manipulators are not “on the grid.” Whoever engineered this is in control of the world on a very disturbing level.
This is what I want you to do. Read this, if they’re still legible, and take what you will from them. Don’t go on a wild goose chase, and realize that when you find this book that it will not be in the place where I left it. They’ll move it somewhere else, to deceive you. I’ve left my mark on a tree there. Only then, when you see my name, will you know, “this is the place.” You may have even heard of it in the history books, but be assured, any rumors on Wikipedia or Google pages that you pull up will be guess-work at best. None of them are even close to the truth. When you find the place, there may already be another town just like it. That’s what I’m trying to stop. If we’re not successful, then just realize, above all things, that evil exists. I’m not talking about bad people, or tragic accidents. I’m talking about real, intelligent, ancient evil. It is calculated, and it is always one step ahead of you. Should you decide to take my place and become the paragon to prevent the corruption of the hearts and minds of children, I thank you in advance.
I told you that I’m human. I lied. I used to be, before All Hallow’s Eve on that fateful night. I’ve been alive since then, far longer than any human being, and the reason is because I love children. I’ve always loved them in their purity and their innocence. That’s why I was taken in by their ruse. That’s why I’ve finally decided to put all this down, centuries later. I won’t be here much longer, and someone has to take up the burden.
I’ve waited… until I saw them return. They’ll be back this year. They’re planning the same thing again, and I can’t stop them. Again, I can’t expect that much from you, but I’m only giving you all this so you’ll believe me. I have to be believable. If you think I’m crazy, you’ll ignore this, and more people will disappear. It’s time to tell you what happened. I’m rambling.
Back then, All Hallow’s Eve was the time for evil’s ascension. You’ve all forgotten. If you left your house on that night in the old country, you were a devil worshipper. “Halloween” was not the term we used. We fled to the shores of this country because we were persecuted for our lifestyle choices. We worshipped nature, the changing of the seasons, the solstice of spring, autumn, winter, and summer. In the purest sense of the word, we were Druids. Our names and accents were English, but we were servants of the earth.
We were some of the first to celebrate it as a holiday. The natives here were puzzled by our behavior, but also frightened by it, and so they left us alone. They misunderstood. We were not the ones to be afraid of. At the time, I was relieved. They’d attacked us in our settlements, time and time again, but as it drew closer to the end of October, they stayed away. Maybe in their own noble bonds with the earth and soil, they knew something terrible was on the horizon.
They were right. John Hunter’s little boy wanted to be a native, with a bow and arrow and a real headdress. Little Mary Taylor made a dress that was crafted after the local schoolhouse teacher’s prettiest outfit. She idolized her educator, of course. They all had their get-ups; they were the first trick-or-treaters in what was to become the United States of America, one hundred and fifty years later. We sent them out to frollick about the settlement, collecting apples and tarts and other sweet things in to their burlap goody bags. There were no Snickers or Milky Ways, and yet, the magic of this “holiday” held no less sway over them than it does the youth of our current time. They dress up as the Joker, the Power Rangers, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These children were their predecessors.
I sent my daughter with Mary and John Hunter, Jr. Despite our mistrust and wariness of the Anglican church and the monarchs that presided over it, my little girl was dressed as the Queen of England. I refused to crush her fantasy world, and so I simply indulged her. We heard promises to return after sundown, to say yes ma’am and no sir, and not to linger too long if they were invited inside the households of our community.
We didn’t realize that the house on the edge of the settlement existed until we saw the children go inside. There were no lanterns or sources of light in the windows, no fire or harvest dolls on the outside of the dwelling. As we sat in the middle of the town hall, imbibing in the pleasures of distilled moonshine amongst our brethren, we watched our young ones gravitate across the middle of our town, to the foreboding household that had seemingly been constructed overnight. When we gazed upon it, it seemed as though the place were “shimmering.” It pained my vision to look upon the building, as if my senses were being forced and propelled in another direction. Such a thing is difficult to put in to words, but I seemed to be the only one who realized that our kids were all heading to the same place. When I questioned John Hunter as if something were odd about their actions, he stared at me as if I were insane.
“What do you mean?” he asked. “There’s no house there. They’re going to play by the stockades.”
The sun had set by that point, but as I said before, none of them were concerned. The natives hadn’t shown up for weeks. I decided to walk to the phantom dwelling that only I and the children could see, to peer inside and see who these new settlers were, and why it called to the youths as if it were a black hole in a sea of stars.
I tried to stand outside, to look through the window, but when I saw what was happening, it was too late. I breached the doorway with my buck-knife drawn, but there was nothing about the things inside that I could harm with a weapon.
There’s something deep inside of us, something embedded within the human spirit, that’s perfectly aware when we encounter something truly terrible. Fear, horror, evil, revulsion…. it all hits you in a spastic wave, like a fierce exploding bullet that shatters the innermost parts of your soul with a relentless and powerful fury. I saw it in that moment, standing in that darkened doorway.
They weren’t people.
They were halfway there, lingering over the unconscious bodies of my daughter and her peers in their hooded black robes of half-existence. There was one, in particular, who made me feel as though my eyes would pop like ripened cherries when I stared at it. It was the leader, the source of that tug, that pull... and it was slowly fading, disappearing like a gaseous black cloud of death, through my little girl’s nostrils and mouth. She was gasping for air, as if every breath after the one that preceded it were filled with acid... as if she were hungry for real, fresh air in her small lungs. With every breath, the figure faded deeper in to her, along with the rest of them.
I wish I could say that I was a hero, and that I hacked them all to bits; I wish I could say that I saved the day and made Halloween a night when the worst thing that children have to worry about is poisoned candy. It didn’t happen. There was one of them left, floating toward me on elongated, blackened tendrils of shimmering nothingness. By all real means of my imagination, it shouldn’t have BEEN there, but it was, and soon, it was going inside of me. The last thing I saw were their little feet, scurrying out of the phantom-house and in to the town. I FELT that something terrible was about to happen. I had no idea. Everything went black, and then, I was outside of myself. I was conscious, but observing my feet, my hands, doing things beyond my own scope of physical control.
They led me and our children in to our meeting hall, where, of course, the kids were embraced by the open, loving arms of their parents. I witnessed the betrayal, the brutal moments in which the truth instilled by the love for family and offspring would transform in to a cause for the destruction of our village.
They absorbed them. There’s no better adjective for what happened. One moment, they were there, and seconds later, they were nothing but dark essence, filtering in through the eyes and noses and mouths of their devil-children. It was over in minutes. A night that should have been a celebration of nature, of the seasons, had turned in to the end of everything that we knew and loved here in our new land.
I started to fight it. The kids knew. The moment I began to resist, to try and reclaim my limbs and mind from the corrupting influence within, their heads snapped back from their feast of souls to survey me in my struggle. My daughter’s eyes were sunken, black pools of the abyss, devoid of any emotion, any semblance of the bright-eyed stare that she once held for me in all her love and adoration for father. I miss that the most, really. The way she’d run to me when I came in from the fields every evening as the sun went down. I lived for that. What reason do I have to live now, other than to find her and stop them? I’m incapable. That falls on you, my friend.
They took the part of my daughter that counts, the part that I loved and cherished, and turned her into a servant. You ask me why I’m still alive, and again, it’s because I love her, so very, very much. Her body is a hollow shell, filled with the malice and blackness of evils beyond our world.
The black-robed things have grown as centuries have passed. They are from some place that is not of this universe, but their urgency, their hunger, to devour and destroy, is insatiable. It’s an exponential, amplifying contagion on mankind, and All Hallow’s Eve is their pinnacle, their Christmas. I’ve done my best to warn you throughout history, to leave my mark in places where their desolation has left nothing but dust on the wind and empty houses. A deserted football field in a Texas ghost town. A card room in the back of a night club in Chicago, right under the nose of civilization. Roanoke Island, North Carolina, before John Rolfe found it in the aftermath.
The thing that I expelled through sheer force of will alone has left me with an unusually long and empty life, devoid of anything but my desire for revenge. I have failed. I’m pleading with you. October 31st is not long away. My little girl, or what’s left of her, is going to lead them to the same place. It’s been re-founded, except now, it hums with sport utility vehicles and cell phones. I don’t want this to happen to your child.
Go to Roanoke, and stop them from repeating the ritual. Those bodies they inhabit now are frail, on their way out. It’s been almost five hundred years. They’ll need new ones on this Halloween. Look for a building that appears as though it shouldn’t be there. It will be across from that very tree where I signed my name, where I made my mark. I changed my title, named myself after the tribe of natives who knew it was coming…. who, perhaps, tried to warn us, but for some reason, we failed to heed or recognize their warnings. They were more closely attuned to the earth than us, and yet, they were still wiped out, eventually.
Go now. You don’t have much time.
- Croatoan
Story source.
Labels: 31 days of halloween 2013, creepypasta, halloween, short stories
REVIEW: JUG FACE
Jug Face is a tough film to breakdown and criticize. It is extremely well-made with what no one would refuse as an original story. It is an uncomfortable experience at times, and injected with the kinds of seediness you'd expect in a film featuring incest, filthy backwoods simpletons, roadkill for dinner, and Larry Fessenden.
In Jug Face, a young girl named Ada (Lauren Ashley Carter) looks her destiny literally right in the eyes and refuses it. This decision sets off a chain of events that will rattle her small backwoods community and leave behind a wake of blood. As simple a summation as I can make without sending readers less willing to sit through an uncompromising experience like Jug Face running for the hills. To offer up additional story details (as I'll do in a moment) is to risk turning off those looking for a more straightforward story about forest voodoo, but, you should know exactly what you're getting into.
Writer/director Chad Crawford Kinkle has crafted an interesting story here. It's layered enough to bring legitimacy to even the most absurd development, but purposely vague enough that the events of the present aren't overshadowed by the mythology of the past. And from a stylistic standpoint alone, Jug Face is very good. Its unique story is backed up by a great cast, including Larry Fessenden and Sean Young as Ada's parents, and Sean Bridgers ("Justified") as the simple-minded shaman of sorts.
Deep southern territory is always an interesting place in which to set a story. It is in these areas where ties to religion remain the strongest and the most unshaken. At first its people were only characterized by their religion, but recently, under the political microscope, their religion has come to define them. And it's made them an easy target for mockery. Their beliefs mixed with their unfortunate histories of offensive ideologies (and add a dash of that long southern drawl) can sometimes make them seem simple, foreign, and even intimidating. So, when you've got a film in which a small group of inbreeding families live deep, deep in the southern woods and who offer human sacrifices to a magical pit in exchange for said pit's healing powers, and when the person being sacrificed is chosen by a ceramic jug made by a simple-minded man with ties to a mysterious force, well, you might just respond with, "Yeah, and? This is the south, after all. Who knows what goes on there?"
None of that is really supposed to read as offensive; instead it's supposed to shine a light on the extreme chasm between the northern and southern sensibilities that have been in place since basically the formation of the United States. The north thinks the south are simple and crazy; the south thinks the north are godlesss baby killers. This is not something with which I necessarily agree, but a person can only resist such broad beliefs and stereotypes before some of them begin to take root. (I bet I'm one of the few with the balls willing to admit that.)
The events of Jug Face are far-fetched, ridiculous, and some might argue stupid. What's not far-fetched, ridiculous, or stupid, is that I could very easily read in tomorrow's paper that a small patch of isolated people living in the woods passionately believed in the power of a magical pit, human sacrifice, and anthropomorphic jugs. I'm not making fun. I'm saying this because this is where Jug Face is at its most affecting and powerful. When it comes to religion, people will believe anything. They will believe in the resurrected dead, angels, demons, magic, miracles, reincarnation, and anything else, so long as their parents before them believed it and bestowed it at a young enough age.
Jug Face is creepy, seedy, disturbing, startling, and a little fucked up.
And I highly recommend it.
Labels: horror movies, jugface, movie review, MVD, sean young
BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY BOOK! BUY MY B--
NEEDFUL THINGS
BEFORE THE PLAY: PREQUEL TO THE SHINING
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LET’S RAISE SOME HELL: ‘PET SEMATARY TWO’ IS A MASTERPIECE
[Spoilers follow for the entire Pet Sematary series.] Oh, sequels. On paper, you’re so weird . You’re a continuation that was neve...
SINISTER: THE "OTHER" SOUNDTRACK
From what I have seen, I am not the only one out there enthralled by Sinister 's music. Because of this, I've attempted to assemb...
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REVIEW: LITTLE MONSTERS
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BLU-RAY REVIEW: GRINDHOUSE RELEASING'S 'THE TOUGH ONES' (1976)
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RHODA DERRY
Rhoda grew up in Adams County, Illinois. During her teenage years, she fell in love with a farm boy, Charles Phenix, who lived a short dis...
WATCH: THE CONSPIRACY
There are certain factions of the American populace who are a little...off. If I were being as respectful as possible, I would say that...
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Jordan (Alix Elizabeth Gitter) is going through a rather bad patch. After the untimely death of her father, she finds herself living acr...
THE MONSTER SQUAD
Zombie Hall.
FILM FEST: The Unwatchables - Netflix Edition Vol. III
FEAR STREET
🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃
October Country
Review: Goblin by Josh Malerman
Two Guys, One Quip
SAMURAI COP
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
#HALLOWEEN: HEY, KNOW WHAT'S NOT A SEQUEL TO HALLO...
#HALLOWEEN: RECOMMENDED READING: THIRTEEN HORRORS ...
#HALLOWEEN: UNSUNG HORRORS: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCAR...
#HALLOWEEN: MOUNDSHROUD
#HALLOWEEN: RECOMMENDED READING: HALLOWEEN – MAGIC...
#HALLOWEEN: CRAPPYPASTA: THE ACCIDENT
#HALLOWEEN: THE OCTOBER GAME: EC STYLE
#HALLOWEEN: PUMPKINFACE RUM #CONTEST
#HALLOWEEN: THE BOY WITH NO SHADOW: AN INTERVIEW W...
#HALLOWEEN: SWANSON FIELD
#HALLOWEEN: BUY ME THIS: HAUNTED AIR
#HALLOWEEN: SIBLINGS
#HALLOWEEN: BLACK CAT
#HALLOWEEN: A VERY BUCKLEY HALLOWEEN
31 DAYS OF #HALLOWEEN
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Books on Mayan culture
Ancient Maya writing ... What is known and unknown, Archaeology
August 9, 2018 – 10:00 am
Ancient Maya writing ... What is known and unknown Over the years scholars have debated the question of what exactly the hallmarks of civilization are. Many consider the development of writing, mathematics, astronomy, stratified society, trade systems, etc. as a measurement of progression towards high culture. ( A foolish argument, in my judgement. By now everyone should know that true civilization is earmarked by hot showers and ice in your drink.) Nevertheless the use of writing traditionally been considered a gauge for determining how far a civilization has evolved from more modest beginnings.
In the case of the ancient Maya it is certainly true that their system of writing is hailed as one of the most remarkable achievements of the Pre-Columbian New World. The ability to record information in relatively permanent records which could be passed on from generation to generation insured continuity in the transmission of seasonal and astronomical data. This led to the refinement of mathematic systems and, as it turned out, development of a calendar far more accurate than that used in Europe well into the sixteenth century.
While it is certainly true that the Maya writing system was the most refined in all of Mesoamerica, other cultures eventually caught on to the idea. The Aztec and Mixtec cultures adopted a somewhat less sophisticated form of record keeping, with strong emphasis on picture-writing as opposed to the Maya system that was language oriented. In South America, the Inca developed a complicated system of record keeping using knotted strings which suited their needs in keeping track of herds of animals, but they never got around to writing things down.
The Maya, on the other hand, manufactured paper from the inner bark of certain kinds of trees, mainly the amate and ficus. Stone bark-beaters, oblong, flat grooved tools about hand-size were used to pound out the bark which was then bleached with lime, cut into strips and folded like a Japanese screen. A variety of paints were employed to illustrate these "books", which were painted on both sides and bound between elaborately decorated boards.
Nearly all of the Maya books did not survive the Spanish conquest because the Maya writing was deemed to have been inspired by the Devil, and the church and government officials went to extreme lengths to destroy these examples of "paganism". No telling how many hundreds or thousands of volumes were burned in the name of Christianity, but three books have survived. All are presently reposing in European museums having been sent to patrons and friends of Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century. Given the determination of Bishop Diego de Landa, the second bishop of Yucatan in the mid-sixteenth century, it is a wonder that anything Maya survived. Landa was something of a double-edged sword. As a scholar he was very interested in all aspects of Maya culture and went so far as to interview informants and record a great deal of data concerning the day-to-day life of the Yucatec Maya while systematically destroying the very culture he recorded. In a passage that accompanies Landa's description of Maya writing, he ironically discusses his role in the destruction of the Maya libraries: "We found a large number of books in these characters, and as they contained nothing in which there were not to be seen superstition and lies of the devil, we burned them all, which they regretted to an amazing degree, and which caused them much affliction."
No Maya books (called a codex, or plural codices) have been found in an archeological context. The climate of the Maya world is so moist and the mildew so pervasive it is highly unlikely any have survived. Fragments have been found in tombs in several Maya sites, including Altun Ha in Belize. It has been said the remnants of the codex had the consistency of a cigar ash. The so-called Mirador Codex, found at the early Classic site of El Mirador in Mexico remains unopened at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico. The paper portion of the book has long since rotted away, leaving only the lime coating and the painted characters which have melded into a solid block. Present technology does not permit further study, but it is hoped that some day a way will be found to extract the information contained is this rare treasure trove of Maya writing. Archeologists and epigraphers (students of ancient writing) alike are biting their nails over this one because nearly everything known about the ancient Maya mathematics, calendrics, astronomy and the religious pantheon...
Source: ambergriscaye.com
Mayan Indian culture
Modern Mayan culture
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Debt Rattle, October 16 2008: Lipstick on a Lizard
National Photo Co. Grease on Wheels 1926
Semmes Motor Co. Meadow Gold Butter truck. Washington, D.C. C Street N.W. at 10th.
Ilargi: So Dick Cheney has an abnormal heart rhythm. Well, ain’t that a shocker. They electrocuted him back to "life". Makes you think of Mary Shelley, don't it?
I watched parts of the debate last night, trying hard not to fall asleep. Jon Stewart must be secretly praying it won’t be Obama. That’s the most boring man we've seen in ages.
McCain is much better. Looking at him last night, I couldn't get rid of the impression that I was watching lipstick on a lizard.
That fake smile, the pale transparent skin, you just got to wonder what drugs that guy is on.
And all the time, I’m waiting for a 3 meter tongue to lash out, pick an insect off Bob Schieffer’s desk, and chew it up behind the lipstick.
Yes, I know, turn to economics. That’s what we do here. Well...
European exchanges plummeted once more, but since it was "only" 5-6% today, who’s surprised or alarmed anymore? "Better than expected" is a great way to put awful news in a sexy gift-wrap. The Dow Jones today is veering up and down like a junkie in between fixes, and we all know what that means: the little man is being relieved from the burden of actually having resources.
To know what is really going on, we have to get back to the real people I was talking about.
• US manufacturing notes the biggest plunge in 34 years. Hey, back then, at least we still had manufacturing.
• Banks’ numbers look awful, but wait for it: “Better than expected”.
• The New York Times runs a major piece that says American home prices have much further to fall
They can push a trillion dollars down every bankers throat, but it won’t make any difference. These boyos make mullah off lending money to people. And the people are already in waaay over their heads. So in order to be able to afford a "healthy" loan, Joe the plumber has to get out of debt first. How will he do that? Why, by manufacturing things of course. Oh wait, that’s the sector (well, the part that hasn’t been outsourced yet) that is collapsing. Sorry Joe. Back to the trailer park for you.
"We’re going to produce green vehicles on American soil", right, Barack? How many milllions are you willing to bet that will NEVER happen? Reptile McCain wants to buy up "bad" mortgages. But at what price? Down 10%, 20%, 80%? i bet he thinks 20% off is good enough, but what then if prices keep on falling? You’d have people too poor or too smart to buy a home, being forced to pay for their bloated neighbor to continue living in their Flipper Mansions. That’s a recipe for major mayhem.
The NYT article recognizes that prices will keep falling, but not by how much. As my regular readers know, Meredith Whitney, the princess of Wall Street, has already stated that we will end up "well south" of a 40% drop. She’s about the only one to say that in the "serious" world.
Except for me, but then I'm in the real world, and she'll catch up. I have said all along that the drop will be 80% or more. And all this time, no-one has stood up to explain why the plunge would stop at 40%, bad enough as that is. Why and where would it halt? Come one. challege me....
It’s not that hard. Take another look at this 2006 graph from the imcomparable ContraryInvestor.
Look at the trendline, and than add that the downturn oscillation will be as strong as the upturn one (they tend to do that). The drop will not stop at 30% or 40%. Don’t bet your savings on it. Or your kids’ college funds, or your health care.
Update 7.00 PM EDT Ilargi: I'm surprised to see that Reuters also calls McCain a lizard, on account of this pic. I thought maybe it was just me having that impression last night.
US Home Prices Far From Bottom
The American housing market, where the global economic crisis began, is far from hitting bottom. Home prices across much of the country are likely to fall through late 2009, economists say, and in some markets the trend could last even longer depending on the severity of the anticipated recession.
In hard-hit areas like California, Florida and Arizona, the grim calculus is the same: More and more homes are going up for sale, but fewer and fewer people are willing or able to buy them. Adding to the worries nationwide are rising unemployment, falling wages and escalating mortgage rates — all of which will reduce the already diminished pool of would-be buyers.
“The No. 1 thing that drives housing values is incomes,” said Todd Sinai, an associate professor of real estate at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “When incomes fall, demand for housing falls.” Despite the government’s move to bolster the banking industry, home loan rates rose again on Tuesday, reflecting concern that the Treasury will borrow heavily to finance the rescue.
On Wednesday, the average rate for 30-year fixed rate mortgages was 6.75 percent, up from 6.06 percent last week. While banks are moving aggressively to sell foreclosed properties, the number of empty homes is hovering near its highest level in more than half a century. As of June, 2.8 percent of homes previously occupied by an owner were vacant. Nearly 1 in 10 rentals was without a tenant. Both numbers are near their highest levels since 1956, the earliest year for which the Census Bureau has such data.
At the same time, the number of people who are losing jobs or seeing their incomes decline is rising. The unemployment rate has climbed to 6.1 percent, from 4.4 percent at the end of 2007, and wages for those who still have a job have barely kept up with inflation. In New York and other cities that rely heavily on the financial sector, economists expect that job losses will increase and that pay heavily tied to year-end bonuses will decline significantly.
One reliable proxy of housing values — the ratio of home prices to rents — indicates that in many cities prices are still too high relative to historical norms. In Miami, for instance, home prices are about 22 times annual rents, according to analysis by Moody’s Economy.com. The average figure for the last 20 years is just 15 times annual rents. The difference between those two numbers suggests that a home valued at $500,000 today might be worth only $341,000 based on the long-term relationship between prices and rents.
The price-to-rent ratio, which provides one measure of how much of a premium home buyers place on owning rather than renting, spiked across the country earlier this decade. It increased the most on the coasts and somewhat less in the middle of the country. Economy.com’s calculations show that while it remains elevated in many places, the ratio has fallen sharply to more normal levels in places like Sacramento, Dallas and Riverside, Calif.
The current housing downturn is much more national in scope and severe than any other in the postwar period, partly because of the proliferation of risky lending practices. Today, foreclosures are running ahead of the downturn in the economy, a reversal of previous housing slumps. “We are in uncharted waters,” said Brian A. Bethune, an economist at Global Insight, a research firm.
Colleen Pestana, a real estate agent in Orange County in California, said many people losing their homes in Southern California used to work at mortgage and real estate companies. Many of them bet heavily on real estate by upgrading to bigger houses every few years. Now, many are losing their homes. At the same time, Ms. Pestana said, her clients who are looking to buy are having a harder time lining up financing. One of her clients recently had to give up on a home after the lender that had offered a pre-approved loan changed its mind — a frequent occurrence, according to real estate agents and mortgage brokers.
“I am working harder than I have ever had to work to get a deal together and keep it together,” said Ms. Pestana, who has been a real estate agent for seven years. To cushion themselves from potential losses if homes lose value, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance companies that the government took over in September, have increased fees on loans made to borrowers who have good but not excellent credit records, even those who are making down payments as big as 30 percent.
Those higher fees are generally invisible to borrowers because banks factor them into mortgage interest rates. While the national average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 6.75 percent, according to HSH Associates, mortgage brokers say the rates for many borrowers in the Southwest or Florida can be as high as 8 percent, especially for so-called jumbo loans that are too big to be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (Those loan limits vary by area from $417,000 to roughly $650,000.)
Higher interest rates result in bigger monthly payments, pricing some potential buyers out of the market. For example, monthly payments are $2,700 on a 6 percent 30-year, fixed-rate loan of $450,000. If the interest rate rises to 7 percent, those monthly payments jump to $3,000. All things being equal, when rates rise prices generally fall.
This month, Fannie and Freddie canceled a fee increase that would have applied to markets where home prices are falling, but the companies still have many other fees in place. In an effort to help drive down rates, the Treasury Department has announced plans to buy mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie and Freddie. The government also recently increased the amount of loans the companies can buy and hold.
Still, those efforts will take time to have an impact and it is not clear whether they will be sufficient to get banks to lend more freely, especially in areas where jumbo loans make up a bigger percentage of lending, like New York and parts of California and Florida. Economists say that prices in those places will probably fall further. In some of those places, price declines are being driven by a sharp increase in sales of foreclosed homes.
Hudson & Marshall, a Dallas-based auctioneer that holds sales for lenders, reports that banks are accepting prices that they refused to consider just 12 months earlier. In a recent auction of 110 foreclosed homes in the Las Vegas area, for instance, the auctioneer’s clients accepted 90 percent of the bids submitted by buyers, up from 60 percent a year earlier, said David T. Webb, a co-owner of the company.
Single-family home prices in Las Vegas have already fallen 34 percent from their peak in the summer of 2006, according to the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller home price index. Prices in San Diego have fallen 31 percent since late 2005. While those declines have been painful to homeowners in those cities, economists said the quick decline might help the markets reach bottom faster than in previous housing cycles, said Edward E. Leamer, an economist at the University of California, Los Angeles. In a previous boom, home prices peaked in the Los Angeles area in 1990 but did not hit bottom until 1996. Prices remained near that low for more than a year before starting to climb again.
“In some areas of California, we are really at appropriate levels,” Mr. Leamer said of current home prices. But he added: “The risk is that we are going to get some overshooting, meaning that prices will be lower than they ought to be.” In Florida, Jack McCabe, a real estate consultant, said that while some cities, like Fort Myers, are showing tentative signs of a rebound, others like Miami and Fort Lauderdale are still under pressure. Two homes on his street in Fort Lauderdale that sold for about $730,000 apiece in 2005 recently sold for $400,000 — a 44 percent decline. “The rocket has run out of fuel, and now it’s plunged back down to earth,” he said.
US manufacturing sees worst drop in 34 years
Production at the nation's factories fell into a virtual tailspin in September, declining by the largest amount in nearly 34 years, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve on Thursday. Production for all industries fell by a seasonally adjusted 2.8% from the previous month. The decline represented a far greater loss than the economists' consensus estimate of a 0.8% decrease, according to Briefing.com. "This is consistent with a recession, there's no doubt about it," said John Silvia, chief economist for Wachovia.
The report said the enormous decline was in most part due to hurricanes Gustav and Ike's disastrous effects on the Gulf Coast industry. Mining output took a 7.8% nosedive due to the storms, and oil and gas-related production fell as well. But the impact was even greater than that of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, which resulted in a 1.8% decline in industrial production. Even without the impact of the hurricanes and a Boeing plant strike, which also curtailed total industrial output, national production still would have slumped.
Industrial production is one of the four factors that the National Bureau of Economic Research considers to determine if the nation's economy has fallen into a recession. The other three factors are employment, personal income and retail and wholesale sales of manufactured goods. Though industrial production has been volatile over the past year and a half, registering up-and-down growth since January 2007, it has only recently shown the kind of huge drop off that is typical in a recession.
After slight rises in manufacturing in June and July, production tanked a whopping 1.1% in August on a sizeable drop auto manufacturing. Production fell for 12 straight months during the 2001 recession. The Fed said for the third quarter, production fell 6%, nearly doubling the 3.1% decline of the second quarter. "Industrial production is a key input into the overall output of the U.S. economy," Silvia said. "For all practical applications, there is a one-to-one correspondence between production and how the economy is growing." "GDP is gross domestic product, and this is a measure of production," he added.
In other troubling news, The Philadelphia Federal Reserve reported that its regional manufacturing index decreased by 41.3 points, to minus 37.5 from positive 3.8 in October. It was the largest one-month decline in the history of the index. Economists polled by Briefing.com expected a decline of just 5 points. The report also showed that industrial capacity utilization - a measure that tracks the percentage of factories in use - posted a seasonally adjusted decrease of 4.6% to 76.4%. Economists had expected a decrease of just 0.7% to 78%.
Manufacturing output decreased 2.6% in September, and the factory operating rate fell to 74.5%, which is more than five percentage points below the average from 35-year average from 1972-2007. "Over the last six months we have seen utilization declines in manufacturing and mining," Silvia said. "Historically, lower capacity utilization rates have been consistent with weaker corporate profits."
Philadelphia Fed's Factory Index Plunged in October
Manufacturing in the Philadelphia region shrank in October at the fastest pace in almost two decades, a sign the worsening credit crush is pushing the economy into a deeper slump. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's general economic index plunged to minus 37.5 this month, less than forecast and the lowest reading since October 1990, from 3.8 in September, the bank said today. Negative readings signal contraction. The index averaged 5.1 last year.
The decline signals manufacturing isn't recovering after a separate report showed industrial output dropped in September by the most in almost 34 years. More reductions in production are likely as job losses and tougher lending rules hurt sales. "The manufacturing sector, which had already been feeling pain for several months, is now suffering pronounced weakness as domestic demand craters and export growth slows substantially," said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc. in New York.
Economists expected the Philadelphia index to fall to minus 10, according to the median of 54 forecasts in a Bloomberg News survey. Estimates ranged from 5 to minus 25. Production at factories, mines and utilities dropped 2.8 percent in September, exceeding forecasts and following a revised 1 percent decrease in August, the Fed said today. Last month's Gulf Coast hurricanes accounted for 2.25 percentage points of the decline and a strike at Boeing Co. subtracted another half point. The decline in output was the biggest drop since December 1974.
The Philadelphia Fed's index of new orders slumped to minus 30.5, the lowest level since August 1980, and the shipments index decreased to minus 18.8 from 2.6. The gauge of prices paid declined to 7.2, the lowest level since July 2003, after 31.5 the prior month, indicating that prices rose at a slower pace. An index of prices received was 5.3, down from 15.5. The employment index was minus 18 after being little-changed in September.
The headline index is a separate question unrelated to the individual measures and some economists consider it a gauge of business sentiment. Expectations for the next six months fell to minus 4.2 from 30.8, today's report showed. The New York Fed yesterday reported its Empire index of manufacturing sank in October to the lowest level since records began in 2001. The regional surveys provide early clues to the health of manufacturing nationwide, which accounts for about 12 percent of the economy.
Markets feel the chill from China
Stock markets around the world suffered another day of huge losses yesterday as fears of the global recession spreading to China prompted a renewed bout of negative sentiment. The FTSE 100 index of leading UK companies lost more than 7 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the US was down by almost 6 per cent by mid-afternoon.
The gloom in credit crunch-hit Western economies deepened with UK unemployment figures showing a 164,000 rise in the three months to August, and US reports of the biggest monthly fall in retail sales for more than three years. The sell-off overshadowed Gordon Brown's attempts to convene a global summit to tackle the economic crisis. There were also renewed concerns for the financial health of local authorities in Britain who have been hit by the collapse of banks in Iceland.
The sell-off was prompted in part by warnings that China's economy, which has been expanding at breakneck speed for years, would "pause for breath". Guy Elliott, the finance director of Rio Tinto, the mining giant, said: "We are confident about the future in China, but at the moment there is a deceleration of demand that won't pick up again until next year." His comments caused panic in the commodity markets. The oil price dropped by 5 per cent to a 13-month low, and copper, aluminium and nickel all slumped. Only gold, seen as a safe haven in troubled times, stayed stable.
Economists are already cutting forecasts for China. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week predicted growth of 9.7 per cent this year and 9.3 per cent in 2009. The danger is that the health of China's economy is hard to measure, and Beijing's economic policy even harder to predict.
And just as its semi-command economy was central to the cheap-credit era that is now causing such a hangover in Western economies, so its response to the aftermath is the key to the world's recovery, said Diana Choyleva, a director at Lombard Street Research, a think-tank. "The combination of macroeconomic data and anecdotal evidence, such at that from Rio Tinto, gives an ambiguous message because GDP data for the first two quarters of the year do not show anything yet," she said. "But China has to have a slowdown and what is important is how Chinese policymakers respond."
Mining stocks, which have been boosted by China's rampant demand for commodities, were hit particularly hard. Concerns about weakening demand from the global powerhouse wiped 16.6 per cent off Rio Tinto's value by the end of the day – and 19.6 per cent and 22.27 per cent were knocked off the value of Xstrata and Kazakhmys respectively.
China's economic growth – which ran at 11.7 per cent last year – is a key factor in the high oil and commodity prices causing extra problems for developed economies wrestling with toxic combination of the credit crisis and slowing consumer spending. But if China follows the West into recession, the effect could be even more severe.
But it is too early to tell to what extent the West's recession will infect China, and even at about 9 per cent, the economy is still growing fast. Robin Geffen, the manager of the Neptune China Fund, says the impact of developed economies' demand is overplayed. "Not only is the rest of Asia geared towards China but it has very fast-growing domestic consumption as a percentage of GDP and a massive infrastructure spend," he said.
The Chinese government has been deliberately slowing growth through tight economic policies for the past 12 months to cool off an otherwise overheating economy. Loosening monetary policy would have real effect, as would using some of the vast reserves of cash.
"Monetary policy in particular has been quite tight recently – such as not allowing the money supply to grow anywhere near as fast as industrial output and leaning on the banks to control lending," said Ian Beattie, the manager of New Star's Asia Pacific Fund. "There is a lot of firepower in both monetary and fiscal policy."
Ilargi: This is from the Guardian. While I like the fact that China’s banking system is scrutinized, the writer misses the main point about the banks. Chinese banks are in huge peril because they have -for westerners- unbelievable high numbers of bad loans in their books. When the country’s economy stops growing at present rates, re: 2009, they’ll have to write off tons of those loans. That’s when the vulnerability of the sytem will come to light.
Will China's banks collapse?
Is Chinese premier Wen Jiabao right to say that the credit crisis will have a negligible impact on China because its banks have limited involvement with global capital markets?
'We are confident that we can maintain the stability of Chinese financial markets,' says Jiabao in a statement on the Chinese foreign ministry website. He adds that the biggest contribution China can make is to keep its economy growing in a stable and fast manner. Quite So.
Assuming that the Chinese haven't been playing in the derivatives market or investing in 'toxic' US mortgage-backed securities, a systemic collapse of China's banks seems unlikely, especially as the country is sitting on hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign exchange reserves.
But comments from the ministry of commerce, quoted in the official Xinhau news agency, should be treated with more scepticism. A spokesman says: 'many Chinese export products are daily necessities, so we don't think that a slowdown in major economies will cause a sharp fall in demand for these products.'
Really? But western consumers have been huge buyers of Chinese finished products that include furnishings, furniture, toys, clothing and sports equipment. The truth is that Chinese industry, and employment, are going to suffer in the looming global recession as China's customers in the west rein back on spending in a way that will soon become painfully obvious.
Paulson Says Stock-Buying Aimed at 'Regulated' Firms, Not Hedge Funds
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said his plan to inject capital into financial companies is focused on banks and thrifts, indicating unregulated firms such as hedge funds won't initially get government aid. "Right now we're focused on financial institutions, regulated financial institutions," Paulson said in an interview with Bloomberg Television, when asked whether hedge funds might also be eligible. "The program right now is for banks and thrifts."
Paulson pushed Congress to pass a financial rescue package that gives him broad authority to pump money into cash-strapped banks. Earlier this week, he said the first $250 billion of the overall $700 billion rescue would go into the balance sheets of financial companies in exchange for non-voting, preferred equity. U.S. stocks have fallen for three straight days since Paulson's Oct. 14 announcement of the equity purchases. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index yesterday dropped 9 percent and fell much as 3 percent today.
"You don't want to react too much to the equity market any single day," Paulson said in the interview. "But if you look at credit spreads, if you look at some of the indicators that I look at every day, there's no doubt in my mind we've done the right things."
ECB goes nuclear as EU leaders plan to 'civilise' capitalism
The European Central Bank has taken dramatic action to unblock the credit markets, flooding the system with $170bn of dollar liquidity and accepting junk bonds as collateral at its lending window. "The ECB is doing whatever it takes to unclog the interbank market," said Gilles Moec, from Bank of America, who described the move as "spectacular" volte-face and a belated recognition that the credit crisis is deadly serious.
The monetary blitz was welcomed in Brussels, where EU leaders were meeting yet again, just days after agreeing to the most comprehensive bank bail-out in history. "We are not at the end of the crisis, we are still living in dangerous times," said Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg premier and Eurogroup chair. He issued a stark reminder that life is going be very different for the banking elite as governments move to restore the lost discipline of the Bretton Woods financial order and attempt to "civilise" capitalism, the code word for clamping down on the City – dubbed "the Casino" in Europe.
"Let everyone remember after this crisis, who solved it. Politicians did, not bankers," he said. Mr Juncker added that this episode would have a profound effect on the euro debate in Britain. "The British prime minister had to beg to be let into the room. I'm sure that when the storm is over, the British will think about whether they shouldn't become an equal in all decision-making bodies."
German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück echoed the warning. "When a fire's burning in the global financial markets, it has to be put out, even if it's a case of arson. But then the arsonists have to be held responsible, and spreading flames must be outlawed." In a key change, the ECB is providing unlimited liquidity for longer-term loans to force down the market rates used to price mortgages in the Eurozone. The aim is to help banks pass along last week's half-point cut in interest rates before the region's economy starts to seize up altogether.
The standard for collateral has been slashed from A- to the once unthinkable level of BBB-, allowing distressed banks to offload securities that cannot be sold on the open market. It greatly widens the range of instruments and – crucially – lets banks use their dollar assets for the first time. The radical shift in policy suggests that the ECB is now deeply alarmed by the crunch facing European banks as a violent unwinding of debt leverage across the world forces them to repay huge sums in dollars.
Goldman Sachs estimates that non-US banks have liabilities of $12 trillion (£6.8 trillion) on dollar balance sheets. The European, British, and Swiss banks make up the lion's share, and they have used leverage far more aggressively than US banks. Analysts say the European banks will need to raise $400bn in fresh capital – no easy feat at a time when burned investors are keeping their distance.
Paulson's $250bn bail-out is not enough - Meredith Whitney
The American banking sector is far from being "out of the woods" despite the US government's plan to inject $250bn (£144bn) into the nation's financial institutions, warns leading analyst Meredith Whitney. Ms Whitney, who played a crucial role in the downfall of Citigroup chairman Chuck Prince just under a year ago, believes that US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson's latest response to restore confidence in the banking system is not the panacea some have presented it to be.
The Oppenheimer analyst, well known for her bearish view on the sector, believes that although the move by Mr Paulson – one of several aimed at rebuilding trust in America's bank – is a step "in the right direction for US markets," it is not the final solution. "We are at least several quarters away from stabilising fundamentals," said Ms Whitney, who is still worried about credit cost and availability and the ability of banks to be able to produce profits in the way that they have in recent years.
She is also concerned that many of the banks who receive a balance sheet injection from the US Treasury will hoard the money in reserves, rather than putting it to work. The extent of the problems that remain in the banking sector were highlighted on Wednesday by quarterly results from JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo, which both report sharply lower profits. JP Morgan Chase saw profits fall in the three months to September plunge by a bigger-than-expected 84pc to $527m, - struck after a further $5.8bn of writedowns, losses and credit provisions.
Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive, warned that he expects all the bank's business lines to be hurt as a result of the slowing global economy: "We have to be prepared that it gets a lot worse." The results included $640m of losses linked to the bank's September takeover of troubled savings and loans bank Washington Mutual, with the overall results including a $1.2bn charge on the acquired institution's loan-loss reserves. But JP Morgan's existing business also suffered, with Celent analyst Bart Narter noting that around 18pc of its $13.4bn sub-prime mortgage book is non-performing.
At Wells Fargo, the Californian bank which recently fought off Citigroup to take control of Wachovia, profits in the third quarter tumbled by 24pc to $1.64bn, although earnings per share of 49 cents comfortably topped analysts' expectations. Chief executive John Stumpf stressed that the bank, which becomes a much larger player in the American banking scene as a result of its Wachovia takeover, retains a "conservative financial position."
Bernanke says U.S. economy faces big threat
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday gave a dour assessment of the U.S. economy, emphasizing a "significant threat" from turmoil in credit markets in remarks that suggested more interest-rate cuts could be coming.
Bernanke said it will take some time to restore normal credit flows and pledged the U.S. central bank would continue to act aggressively to fight the crisis. Importantly, he said inflation risks were ebbing, which suggests Fed officials see latitude to lower borrowing costs further. "By restricting flows of credit to households, businesses, and state and local governments, the turmoil in financial markets and the funding pressures on financial firms pose a significant threat to economic growth," Bernanke told the Economic Club of New York.
"We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to improve market functioning and liquidity," he said, adding that policy-makers' aggressive and quick response crucially distinguished this episode from the crisis of the 1930s. Another senior Fed official, Vice Chairman Donald Kohn, echoed Bernanke's downbeat view of the growth outlook and his qualified relief on prices, saying inflation seems "likely to move onto a downward track."
Kohn further said that any effect last week's emergency interest rate cut may have had on easing credit was "overwhelmed" by escalating mistrust among financial institutions unwilling to lend to one another. U.S. stocks, already down sharply on Wednesday on news of an unexpectedly big drop in September retail sales and weak factory data, sold off even more after Bernanke's remarks and finished the day with their largest percentage losses since the 1987 crash.
St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said the sharp 1.2 percent drop in retail sales increased the risk of recession. "The third quarter, I think, will be flat to slightly negative," he told reporters in Little Rock, Arkansas. "That is going to push up the probability that it will later be named a recession." The data contributed to expectations that Fed officials will follow up the emergency interest rate cut made last week with another reduction at their scheduled next meeting on October 28-29.
Last week, in concert with central banks around the globe, the Fed cut benchmark rates by a half point to 1.5 percent. It said an intensification of the financial crisis had raised risks to growth, while curbing the risk of inflation. In the latest bid to restore financial market stability, the U.S. government on Tuesday announced a dramatic plan to recapitalize banks, beginning with a $125 billion equity investment in nine major financial institutions.
But even with the government scrambling to restore credit, Bernanke cautioned it will take time for the economy to heal. "Stabilization of the financial markets is a critical first step, but even if they stabilize as we hope they will, broader economic recovery will not happen right away," he said. Analysts said Bernanke's words suggested the Fed chief saw the deteriorating outlook as calling for another rate cut. "Bernanke's comments ... reinforce the sense that the Fed will lower interest rates when it meets again," said Tony Crescenzi, chief bond market strategist at Miller, Tabak & Co in New York.
A Fed report prepared for the central bank's next meeting added to the gloomy news about the economy. The Beige Book said economic activity had weakened across the country in recent weeks as businesses revisited capital investment plans, consumers curtailed spending and labor markets softened. The Fed described business contacts as "pessimistic." In his speech, Bernanke said the housing sector remained the economy's weakest spot, but he also cited "marked slowdowns" in consumer spending, business investment and the labor market.
He added that credit markets would take time to unfreeze and said export sales, until recently a bright spot, were likely to slow as well. While inflation had been high recently, Bernanke said expectations of future inflation had held steady or eased, import prices were moderating and commodity prices had fallen. Those factors, along with the softness in the economy, "should lead to rates of inflation more consistent with price stability," he said. "I think the evidence is now in that the inflation problems are moderating and look to be returning to price stability at a reasonable pace."
Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren was more direct. "One of the characteristics of a recession is in each of these recessions the inflation rate has come down quite dramatically," he told a real estate group in Boston. "We're in a period when the economy is likely to grow quite slowly. The events of the last couple of weeks certainly aren't going to help."
Merkel defends rescue plan, sees economy hit by crisis
Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her 500-billion euro bank rescue package against jeers from left-wing opponents on Wednesday, calling it an essential step that would shield average Germans from the global crisis. Merkel told parliament the international financial crisis would weigh on the economy but not lead to a lasting slump.
"We have to expect a weakening of growth," she said. Merkel added, however, that a sharp, sustained economic downturn was not on the horizon. "We've seen...that the state is and has been the only institution capable of recreating trust between banks," she said. "That's happening to protect citizens and not to protect bank interests...We're taking up our responsibility to avert damage to the German people." Germany is expected to cut its growth forecast for 2009 to about 0.2 percent on Thursday, down from 1.2 percent before.
Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck, who has said Europe's largest economy could slip into recession, told parliament the economy faced significant risks but there was no need to pursue a stimulus package to cushion it from the crisis. "We will enter a very difficult period in 2009," he said.
The far-left Left Party, a rising force in German politics, sharply criticized the crisis management of the ruling grand coalition of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and Steinbrueck's Social Democrats (SPD). Left party leader Oskar Lafontaine called for measures to boost domestic demand, adding many Germans found the cabinet's multi-billion bank rescue package hard to fathom as they suffered the effects of a weakening economy.
"When we asked for more money for Hartz IV (unemployment benefits), the answer was 'There's no money'. When we asked for more money for pensioners, the answer was 'There's no money'," Lafontaine told parliament. "People are surprised that, all of a sudden, 500 billion euros are readily available to manage the crisis...The people doesn't understand that any more," he said.
Guido Westerwelle, leader of the opposition Free Democrats (FDP), warned the government not to give up their target to curb spending and balance the budget over the crisis. "Solid state finances must not be laid to rest to the detriment of the next generation," he told the assembly. Merkel defended her cabinet's approval of the bank rescue plan, which includes as much as 400 billion euros in guarantees to help banks get over a liquidity squeeze and up to 100 billion euros in state funds, mainly to recapitalize banks.
Merkel said Germany would push for new global rules for the financial system, reiterating her demand that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) take on a bigger supervisory role. She said Germany would set up a new expert group, which would assess the financial market system. Merkel's announcement that former Bundesbank president Hans Tietmeyer was to head the group drew jeers from Lafontaine's Left Party, which has sharply criticized Germany's banking elite in past weeks.
Switzerland to take on $60 billion of UBS assets
The Swiss government on Thursday became the first to take troubled assets off a bank balance sheet, reaching a deal to absorb up to $60 billion in mostly mortgage-related assets from UBS. In addition, the Swiss government is taking a 9% stake in UBS in return for a 6 billion franc ($5.25 billion) injection into the world's largest asset manager.
And rival Credit Suisse is being forced to raise billions as well to meet new adequacy standards, though it's been able to do so by turning to key shareholders, notably the government of Qatar. The Swiss National Bank said the moves by the country's banking giants "will result in a sustainable reduction of strains in the Swiss financial system. The stabilization thus reached will be favorable for the development of the Swiss economy as a whole and is in the interest of the country."
The move by the Swiss government is more in line with the original proposal of U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's Troubled Asset Relief Program than the current version, which calls initially for direct injections into U.S. banks. Like a related British plan, it gives banks the choice of raising money privately or publicly. In midday Zurich action, UBS shares rose 2.3% and Credit Suisse jumped 7.2%. But over the last year, UBS has dropped 65% and Credit Suisse has fallen 38%.
The pool of assets that UBS is offloading contains mostly debt backed by U.S. residential and commercial mortgages. UBS also is throwing in other U.S. asset-backed and auction-rate securities, notably those backed by student loans, as well as European and Asian bonds. UBS is going to sell the securities it doesn't want into a special-purpose vehicle, into which it will inject $6 billion to cover the pool's losses. The Swiss National Bank will then provide a loan of up to $54 billion to pay for the assets.
UBS will be able to claw back the profits from the pool, but it will have to repay the loan and hand over $1 billion and 50% of the remaining equity value to the central bank. "In these turbulent times we want to ensure that we do everything possible to safeguard the solidity of our bank. We are taking practical steps to eliminate legacy risks," said Peter Kurer, chairman of UBS, in a statement.
Credit Suisse meanwhile is raising 10 billion Swiss francs, through the sale of 3.2 billion francs of shares, 1.7 billion francs of mandatory convertible bonds and the issuance of 5.5 billion francs of non-dilutive hybrid Tier 1 capital. Credit Suisse said the move will bring its Tier 1 capital ratio, a way of measuring a bank's capital adequacy, to 13.7% from 10.4% at the end of the third quarter.
"Over the past few months we have had a constructive and close dialog with regulators about future capital requirements. We are very pleased to have reached a solution that further strengthens our capital base and ensures our competitive position," said Credit Suisse CEO Brady Dougan. UBS said it had a Tier 1 ratio of 10.8% at the end of the third quarter and said that would rise to 11.5% by the end of the year. The pair also provided more details of their third-quarter performance.
UBS said it earned 296 million francs, in line with its earlier announcement of a "small profit," mostly on its global wealth management and business banking division but also on the global asset management division. That helped offset a 2.75 billion loss before tax from investment banking. Credit Suisse said it expects to lose about 1.3 billion francs due to a 3.2 billion loss before tax from its investment bank. It took a write-off of 2.4 billion francs in the leveraged finance and structured products businesses and the "exceptionally adverse trading conditions in September."
Don't Blame Capitalism
Amid the chaos of recent days, as the federal government has taken gargantuan steps to stabilize the financial markets, realigning the U.S. economic system in the process, comes a nearly universal consensus: This crisis resulted from government reluctance to regulate the unbridled greed of Wall Street. Many economists and market participants who were formerly averse to government interference agree that a more robust regulatory framework must be constructed to cage the destructive forces of capitalism.
For the political left, which has long championed the need for such limits, this crisis is the opportunity of a lifetime. Absent from such conclusions is the central role the government played in creating the crisis. Yes, many Wall Street leaders were irresponsible, and they should pay. But they were playing the distorted hand dealt them by government policies. Our leaders irrationally promoted home-buying, discouraged savings, and recklessly encouraged borrowing and lending, which together undermined our markets.
Just as prices in a free market are set by supply and demand, financial and real estate markets are governed by the opposing tension between greed and fear. Everyone wants to make money, but everyone is also afraid of losing what he has. Although few would ascribe their desire for prosperity to greed, it is simply a rose by another name. Greed is the elemental motivation for the economic risk-taking and hard work that are essential to a vibrant economy.
But over the past generation, government has removed the necessary counterbalance of fear from the equation. Policies enacted by the Federal Reserve, the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (which were always government entities in disguise), and others created advantages for home-buying and selling and removed disincentives for lending and borrowing. The result was a credit and real estate bubble that could only grow -- until it could grow no more.
Prominent among these wrongheaded advantages are the mortgage interest tax deduction and the exemption of real estate capital gains from taxable income. These policies create unnatural demand for home purchases and a (tax-free) incentive to speculate in real estate. Similarly, the FHA, Fannie and Freddie were created to encourage lending by allowing primary lenders to turn their long-term risk over to the government.
Absent this implicit guarantee, lenders would probably have been much more conservative in approving borrowers and setting interest terms, and in requiring documentation of incomes and higher down payments. Market forces would have kept out unqualified buyers and prevented home-price appreciation from exceeding the growth in household income.
Interest rates contributed the most to creating the housing boom. After the dot-com crash and the slowdown following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Federal Reserve took extraordinary steps to prevent a shallow recession from deepening. By slashing interest rates to 1 percent and holding them below the rate of inflation for years, the government discouraged savings and practically distributed free money.
Artificially low interest rates invigorated the market for adjustable-rate mortgages and gave birth to the teaser rate, which made overpriced homes appear affordable. Alan Greenspan himself actively encouraged home buyers to avail themselves of these seeming benefits. As monetary policy caused houses to become more expensive, it also temporarily provided buyers with the means to overpay. Cheap money gave rise to subprime mortgages and the resulting securitization wave that made these loans appear safe for investors.
And even today, as market forces deflate the credit bubble, the government is stepping in to re-inflate it. First came the Treasury's $700 billion plan to purchase mortgage assets that no one in the private sector would buy. Now it has recapitalized banks to the tune of $250 billion, guaranteeing loans between banks and fully insuring non-interest-bearing accounts. Policymakers say that absent these steps, banks would not be able to extend loans. But given our already staggering debt burden, perhaps more loans are not the answer. That's what the free market is telling us. But the government cannot abide solutions that ask for consumer sacrifice.
Real credit can be supplied only by savings, so artificial steps to stimulate lending will only produce inflation. By refusing to allow market forces to rein in excess spending, liquidate bad investments, replenish depleted savings, fund capital investment and help workers transition from the service sector to the manufacturing sector, government is resisting the cure while exacerbating the disease.
The United States reached its economic preeminence on the strength of its free markets. So far, the economic disaster exacerbated by government policies is creating opportunities for further government interference, which will lead to bigger catastrophes. Binding the country to a tangle of socialist ideals will seal our fate as a second-rate economic power.
When the going gets scary, the scared buy yen
A bad day on Wall Street lately is almost always a good day for the Japanese yen, whose appeal has an inverse relationship with risk appetite. "Currency traders hold great stock in the value of the low-yielding yen as a barometer of global risk," said Andrew Wilkinson, senior market analyst at Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, Connecticut.
As the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 700 points Wednesday, marking its second-biggest point drop ever, the yen marched higher. In late trading, the dollar had slipped below the 100-yen level, buying 99.33 yen, down about 0.5%. The euro bought 133.45 yen, down about 1.1%. "It's no coincidence that the yen peaked against the dollar this year at the time of the Bear Stearns crash in March, when it reached 95.75 yen," said Wilkinson.
In recent years, the dominant theme affecting yen trading has been the carry trade, in which investors borrow lower-yielding currencies, such as the yen, and invest them in assets denominated in higher-yielding currencies, such as the Australian or New Zealand dollar. Such positions pressured the yen, because at 0.5%, Japan's benchmark interest rate is the lowest in the developed world.
But carry trades lose their appeal as risk aversion rises, and traders, fearing losses, liquidate their positions. The unwinding of yen-carry trades contributed to yen strength, despite Japan's still-rock-bottom interest rates. "The biggest beneficiaries of the sell-off in equities continue to be the two lowest-yielding [Group of Seven] currencies which are the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen," said Kathy Lien, director of currency research at GFT in New York.
"Low yielders tend do well in times of slower growth / high volatility because high yield equals high risk, and when risk aversion is strong, people shed high yielding currencies that are funded by the low yielders," she said. The yen's upward sensitivity to risk aversion means it sometimes referred to as a "safe-haven" currency, which might be bit misleading. Unlike classic safe-haven investment instruments, such as U.S. Treasury bills, no explicit guarantees back a currency.
But the yen is indeed backed by Japan's current account surplus, which, though on a shrinking trend, remains formidable. The trend in Japan's monthly current account surplus measured by the three-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted data dropped from above 2 trillion yen in late 2007 to about 1.2 trillion yen in August 2008, according to Tomoko Fujii, head of economics and strategy for Japan at Bank of America in Tokyo.
"We expect the current account surplus to be flat to modestly higher in coming months. As lower foreign interest rates limit the upside for net income receipts, the direction of the current account will be mostly subject to trade balance developments. Since late 2007, upward pressure arising from the current account surplus has thus moderated," Fujii said in a note to clients Wednesday.
But despite the moderation, the yen is still "vulnerable to upside risks reflecting risk aversion" in the near term, due to Japanese investors' reduced appetite for foreign currency assets in light of rising global risks, she said. Bank of America measures Japanese retail investors' demand for foreign securities by taking the sum of investment trusts' foreign equity and note/bond investment and foreign note/bond investment from brokers and "other" investors in Ministry of Finance broker data.
The latest data showed net sales of 155.9 billion yen in September -- the first net-selling figure since the Ministry of Finance began to disclose the broker data in January 2005, Fujii said. "Historically, the Japanese retail investor has been relatively indifferent to global economic developments and has focused on relative yields. Now, with the growing turbulence in financial markets and the sharp rise in economic uncertainty, the risk appetite of the retail investor has been curbed," Tohru Sasaki, chief forex strategist at JPMorgan Chase Bank in Tokyo, wrote in a recent report to clients. "The yen, which has now become the strongest currency in the world, looks set for further appreciation," he said.
US bail-out chief has credibility issues
Let's be optimistic, or just flat out pretend, that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson did not pick Neel Kashkari to run the bailout program just because he worked at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Let's hope that the 35-year-old whiz kid was chosen interim assistant secretary for financial stability on Oct. 6 because he is the Rain Man of asset valuation who may or may not be able to tie his shoes but can estimate within a nickel the losses on Alt-A mortgage-backed securities held to maturity.
Kashkari as prodigy, not Kashkari as favoritism, is clearly what Paulsonites at Treasury and their allies at the Federal Reserve want us to believe, considering they bypassed offers from people with much longer resumes including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who's clearly worried about losing his job, and Bill Gross, the bond king at Pimco, who offered to do it for free.
Gross and Bloomberg may have a shot at the long-term job of running the fund. Kashkari, technically, is temporary and needs to be confirmed by the Senate. By picking any of them, Paulson believes, or doesn't care, if there's anyone out there who can help who isn't wrapped like a mummy in conflicts of interest. Our Treasury Secretary also seems to believe that in order to fix this mess, you have to have had a hand in creating it.
Whoever ends up at the permanent post will be getting the leftovers. Consider that 36% of the funds already have been spent. The rest almost certainly will be used to buy bum assets. So much for the "flexibility" Kashkari talked about last week in his first major speech after being named to the post. The asset-purchase part of the program is voluntary for participants. If someone other than Kashkari gets the job, they will be left with only the thankless task of digging through the garbage and trying to put a value on it.
If Kashkari is on the job, does anyone think Treasury will be driving a hard bargain with Goldman on its mortgage assets? And while we're on the subject of Goldman, under what criteria did Goldman and Morgan Stanley qualify as two of the nation's nine strongest financial institutions? Just wondering.
Kashkari has not done much to assuage the market or critics that he's too green for the job. He began his career as an investigator in the aerospace division at TRW. That part of his resume has led to a lot of clever remarks about the job needing and getting a rocket scientist. But Kashkari's record looks more like a failure to launch. He's advised Paulson on security and other issues at the Treasury Department since 2006, which would have been a good time to start thinking about the consequences of the housing market bubble bursting.
It does not take an egghead to connect the dots and conclude that mortgage defaults would have an impact on the derivatives built from them. Instead, Kashkari urged U.S. banks to start a covered-bond market like they had in Europe. They probably would have, had they not been edging toward collapse. Missing the bubble is a big reason why critics think Treasury is too narrow-minded in its approach to the crisis. When some in the market were advocating a plan to take stakes in U.S. banks, Paulson and Kashkari were advocating baby steps: a bailout here, a rescue there. That course would have been fine had they made provisions should the crisis deepen, which it did, in part, because there was no back-up plan.
It's no wonder that the world is scratching its head. Congress approved a bailout of bad assets and the Treasury Department has used it to buy stakes in preferred banks. Some of those banks, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Bank of New York Mellon, look to be in decent shape. Others, such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman are highly leveraged firms that, regardless of what kind of charters they hold, are not too far from hedge funds.
The equity-for-cash plan that Paulson and Kashkari have implemented is the right way to go. Better to buy a bank dedicated to survival than its garbage. But let's be honest, they only did it because it was working in Europe. Paulson and Kashkari didn't have a choice. Ultimately, Kashkari is yet to prove himself as anything more than someone who can recognize a good idea that's working. On the surface, it may be good to know that Paulson isn't looking at the same tired, old retreads to get us out of this mess. There are no William Donaldsons or Roger Altmans. And thank God, there are, no Robert Rubins or Felix Rohatyns.
But to many investors and citizens, Neel Kashkari is just another Wall Street insider who has close ties to the Treasury chief. Kashkari joins Paulson, Josh Bolton, Steve Shafran, Ken Wilson, Dan Jester as former Goldman bankers who now saturate the administration's team handling the crisis. Kashkari came from humble beginnings, but he studied hard. You can guess the rest of the resume: Wharton Business School, homes on both coasts, he met Paulson and got his job by knowing the right people. He stayed up all night working on the bailout proposal even though the document, at a total of three pages, was politically inept and borderline unconstitutional.
He's young, but that doesn't mean he brings a fresh perspective or new and radical thinking. In short, he's really part of the elite that brought you The Biggest Financial Crisis Since The Great Depression. Bloomberg's done a good job both as a businessman and as mayor of the nation's biggest city. Bill Gross at Pimco might have his conflicts, but he knows a thing or two about bonds. If only either had worked at Goldman, maybe he would have landed an interview.
Iceland can avoid shortages, needs funds-importers
Iceland has food stocks for about 3 to 5 weeks, but needs quickly to restore a proper foreign exchange market so importers can get back to normal business and avoid shortages, importers said on Wednesday. Since crisis broke out on the north Atlantic island of 300,000 people, involving the government taking over the top three banks, suppliers to Iceland have cut credit to importers. Some have also demanded pre-payment for goods.
Though the central bank has said it has foreign reserves for eight to nine months of food, importers said a cash injection from abroad was the only solution to avoid shortages. They said Iceland imported about a half of its food products, but produced its own dairy products and meat. "The government has to get some currency in to back up the crown and build up credibility again," said Oli Johnson of the OJNK food importer, one of Iceland's biggest. "As soon as we can show we can pay without restrictions, things will open up again," Johson said. "Hopefully they plan to solve it in the next few days." He said Iceland on average had stocks of about 3 to 4 weeks.
The problem for importers was uncertainty about whether they would get foreign exchange, which they now have to apply for under a rationing system begun by the central bank. "The second problem is that we do not know what the exchange rate will be," he said. The central bank held a first auction to set the exchange rate on Wednesday and it was set at 150 crowns to the euro, versus 131 to the euro before currency trading halted last week.
Peter Thorginsson, chief operating officer of largest food importer, Olgerdin, said current food stocks would last about 4 to 5 weeks, with some supplies still coming in, he said. He did not anticipate major shortages, but said the situation could get acute if supplies to food producers, such as bakers, were affected. "They cannot produce if they are missing one or two ingredients," he said. On Tuesday, Iceland drew on Nordic help to get hold of 400 million euros ($546 million) and separately began talks with Russia over a possible multi-billion-euro loan. A team from the IMF is in Reykjavik, but Prime Minister Geir Haarde said on Tuesday that it was still an open question whether Iceland would borrow money from the Fund.
UK set on collision course with Iceland over Landsbanki assets
The Government has put Ernst & Young, the accountancy firm, on standby to step in as administrator of the UK assets of Landsbanki. The administration would have huge implications for the embattled British high street because a large part of it, including the Icelandic retail group Baugur, is funded by Landsbanki and its Icelandic rival Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander, of which Ernst & Young is already administrator.
The problems surrounding the future of the Icelandic-backed stores groups is becoming increasingly politicised. Baugur employs 55,000 staff and City sources say a £100 million loan granted by the Bank of England to the struggling Landsbanki on Monday helped to give the bank sufficent liquidity to start relending to the British retailers that banked there. The administration of Landsbanki would also have serious diplomatic repercussions for the already strained relationship between the UK and Iceland, which said yesterday that it would sue the British Government over the seizure of Kaupthing’s assets.
The Government’s call to E&Y at the weekend comes as the retail magnate Sir Philip Green seeks ministerial support to help him to buy Baugur, whose assets include House of Fraser, a stake in Debenhams and high street chains, including Whistles and Karen Millen. It is understood that Sir Philip has approached Gordon Brown, Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, and Treasury officials to ask them to support his move for Baugur. He wants assurances that if he buys assets from the Icelandic Government he will not have to deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if Iceland, as expected, turns to the IMF to stave off national bankruptcy.
Sources said that Sir Philip and rival bidders for Baugur’s assets - including Alchemy, Permira and TPG - fear that the IMF could try to claw back businesses sold by the Icelandic Government if the country went into default. It is understood that Alan Bloom, an Ernst & Young partner, was asked by the Government to prepare to go into Landsbanki this week as administrator if necessary. Ernst & Young, the Treasury and the Financial Services Authority declined to comment on the standby appointment.
Mr Bloom and his team are already advising on the Kaupthing administration and the administration of Heritable bank, Landsbanki’s UK subsidiary. On Monday the British Government lifted a freezing order on Landsbanki that was preventing all the bank’s corporate clients from drawing down more money on their overdrafts. Sources said the Government feared that restricted cash flow could put some retailers at risk of bankruptcy. It is believed that the Government wants to seize and sell on Landsbanki’s assets to cover the £588 million of local councils’ money deposited in Icelandic banks and now in the hands of the Icelandic Government.
Iceland slashes interest rates but warns of extreme troubles ahead
Iceland rushed to stave off economic ruin today by slashing interest rates by 3.5% and pursuing talks with Russia over the possibility of a multibillion euro loan. But despite the cut, which brought the policy rate down from a record high of 15.5%, the central bank issued a bleak forecast, predicting the collapse of Iceland's banks would be "extremely burdensome" and the economic contraction "very sharp".
In a statement warning of numerous job losses and reduced market demand, the bank noted: "The Icelandic economy has been subjected to unprecedented turbulence in the past few weeks. The banking system has not been able to withstand the trials it has faced as a result of difficult market conditions, global deterioration of confidence in economic affairs, and domestic risk appetite. "A variety of jobs have disappeared virtually in the blink of an eye, demand has declined precipitously and, by all measures, expectations are at a low ebb."
As the team of Icelandic officials sat down with their Russian counterparts for a second day of bail-out negotiations in Moscow, the country drew on swap facilities with Denmark and Norway, tapping them each for €200m (£155m) to kickstart its currency markets. The country has already accepted a £100m loan from the UK government to help it repay depositors in Landsbanki, one of the three Icelandic banks nationalised last week after the country's banking system fell apart.
Iceland is also due to present a plan to the International Monetary Fund over the next few days and is widely expected to seek funds further afield. The country has endured years of high interest rates as its central bank struggled to control inflation. A collapse of the Icelandic krona exacerbated the situation as the island nation is heavily dependent on imported goods.
Asgeir Jonsson, an analyst at Kaupthing, which was nationalised along with Landsbanki and Glitnir last week, welcomed the interest rate cut. "It will help companies that will now have to be financed by Icelandic banks," he said. "Going forward, we will not see any serious inflation in 2009 given that 20% of the CPI [consumer price index] is the housing market. Labour unions have said they would be willing to accept a two-year wage freeze. "The main thing is that they have to stabilise the currency and get the payments system going again."
The Icelandic prime minister, Geir Haarde, insisted he still had "full confidence" in the head of the central bank, David Oddsson, even though the governor has been criticised by some for his handling of the crisis. "This is not the time to assess blame for what happened; this is the time to find solutions," said Haarde. While Iceland tried to shore up its economy, the British government announced it had sent emergency teams into three of the 116 local councils that have a total of £858m deposited in Icelandic banks.
Thirteen local authorities said they may face short-term problems because of the blocked deposits, but ministers stressed there was "no reason to think that wages will not be paid or that services could be at risk". After talks this afternoon, the government and the Local Government Association released a joint statement saying they were working "to get the best and most rapid resolution of the situation relating to Icelandic banks and the £858m".
Meanwhile, speculation mounted over the future of the Icelandic retail investor Baugur, whose UK interests include Hamley's, House of Fraser, Karen Millen and Oasis. Although the British retail magnate Sir Philip Green had been regarded as the favourite to snap up Baugur's £1bn debt — and possibly its entire operation — reports suggestt other potential buyers have emerged, among them the equity groups TPG, Permira and Alchemy. TPG and Permira declined to comment, while Alchemy was not available to comment.
However, Green, whose high street empire includes Bhs and Topshop, said a deal was still being put together. Green, who flew to Reykjavik yesterday, added: "I need to do some more work." On Tuesday, Baugur dismissed reports that it had appointed advisors said it had not plans to put its UK business into administration.
Shipping Lines Say Tight Credit Cutting World Trade
Pacific Basin Shipping Ltd., Hong Kong's biggest dry-bulk carrier, and Precious Shipping Pcl. said demand for moving coal, iron ore and other commodities will fall because banks are guaranteeing fewer loads. "Letters of credit and the credit lines for trade currently are frozen," Khalid Hashim, managing director of Precious Shipping, Thailand's second-largest shipping company, said in Singapore yesterday.
"Nothing is moving because the trader doesn't want to take the risk of putting cargo on the boat and finding that nobody can pay." The lack of letters of credit, in which banks guarantee payment for merchandise, could become a "big issue" for world trade, according to Klaus Nyborg, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Pacific Basin. Tighter credit has contributed to this year's 80 percent drop in the Baltic Dry Index, a measure of commodity-shipping costs. About 90 percent of world trade moves by sea.
"This can have a significant effect on demand because you won't see the same volume of cargo moved," Harold L. Malone III, senior vice president at Jefferies & Co., said at a Marine Money conference in Singapore. "You have to figure out other ways to get trade done." The Baltic Dry Index dropped 8.5 percent to 1,809 points yesterday, the lowest since August 2005. Pacific Basin dropped 6.5 percent to HK$4.75 in Hong Kong and Precious Shipping declined 5.5 percent to 12.1 baht in Bangkok.
Banks worldwide have curbed lending because of increased concerns about getting their money back. Shipowners are already struggling to obtain funding for new vessels. Precious Shipping took as long as 15 months to secure financing for 18 vessels it has on order, Hashim said. The maritime sector needs about $300 billion over the next three to four years to fund construction of vessels that are already on order, according to Nordea Bank Finland Plc.
At least a quarter of container ships, dry-bulk vessels and oil tankers on order are not financed, according to Seaspan Corp., the Hong Kong-based ship lessor. Swings in the London interbank offered rate, which lenders typically use as a base for writing new loans, have made it difficult to decide what price to charge new customers. "The banks cannot fund at Libor rates at the moment," said Keishi Iwamoto, head of shipping for Asia at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. "The question is how do we tackle the additional costs for lenders."
German banks with funds to lend are offering about 200 basis points above Libor, double previous rates, while in Singapore the rate is plus-350 points, according to Tobias Koenig, managing partner of Koenig & Cie. In the main though, shipping lines aren't able to borrow, he added. "There is no rate because all banks are closed for business," he said. "You have a few banks rescuing their best customers, but that's it." More than two-thirds of 104 bankers polled said they were unable to obtain funding at or close to Libor, according to an October survey by trade publication Marine Money Asia.
About 80 percent expect shipping bankers will not be able to raise enough financing for clients this year and next, the survey showed. "There are a lot of banks that will do deals today but they will do it on a bilateral basis with good clients, which they have long relationships with," Tom Zachariassen, an executive at Nordea Bank, said yesterday. Libor, set by 16 banks in a survey conducted by the British Bankers' Association each day in London, determines rates on $360 trillion of financial products worldwide, from home loans to derivatives. The cost of borrowing in dollars for three months fell 12 basis points to 4.64 percent yesterday.
Citigroup losses rise on $13 billion write-off
Citigroup, the world's biggest bank by revenue, reported a fourth consecutive quarterly loss after recording a further hit from the credit crunch of at least $13 billion (£7.5 billion). The group reported a loss of $2.8 billion for the third quarter, down from a $2.2 billion profit the year before. However, the loss was smaller than the consensus analyst forecast of $3.8 billion.
Group revenues fell 23 per cent to $16.7 billion. Citigroup, which also said it cut about 11,000 positions during the third quarter, wrote down $4.4 billion in investments, recorded $4.9 billion in credit losses and took a $3.9 billion charge to boost reserves. Vikram Pandit, Citigroup’s chief executive, said: “While our third quarter results reflect both a difficult environment as well as continued writedowns on our legacy assets, we are making excellent progress on the parts of our business we control, including expense reduction, headcount, and balance sheet and capital management.”
“We expect these improvements will enable us to realise the full earnings power of our franchise as the economy stabilises,” he added.
It emerged this week that Citigroup is set to receive $25 billion from the US Government as part of its programme to inject $250 billion into America’s banks in return for equity stakes. Citigroup is the third major US bank this week to report better-than-expected third quarter results.
Yesterday, JPMorgan Chase reported an 84 per cent decline in third quarter profits, to $527 million, as bad mortgages inherited through its acquisition of failed bank Bear Stearns took their toll. But the profit equates to 11 cents a share and compares favourably with the 18 cents-a-share loss that analysts had predicted. Wells Fargo reported yesterday that its profits fell by 25 per cent to $1.64 billion for the third quarter as a $2.5 billion provision for credit losses dragged down the bottom line. It too came in ahead of analysts' expectations.
Bank of New York Mellon Net Declines 53% on Money Fund Bailouts
Bank of New York Mellon Corp., the world's largest custodian of financial assets, said third- quarter earnings fell 53 percent because of costs to prop up 10 money funds hurt by losses on Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Net income fell to $303 million, or 26 cents a share, from $640 million, or 56 cents, a year earlier, the New York-based company said today in a statement. Profit excluding some costs was 72 cents a share, topping the average estimate of 69 cents a share of 11 analysts in a Bloomberg survey.
BNY Mellon said last month it would spend $433 million to absorb losses for investors in six institutional funds and four mutual funds that held debt issued by bankrupt Lehman. While the global credit crisis reduced custody and fund-management assets, revenue rose 8.1 percent to $3.9 billion on a record $385 million in fees from foreign exchange and trading. "Their revenue is mixed, with some positive and some negative developments," Michael Kon, an analyst at Morningstar Inc. in Chicago, said in an interview before results were released.
BNY Mellon said this week it will receive a $3 billion equity investment from the U.S. Treasury. It was one of nine companies selected Oct. 14 in the first phase of the government's $250 billion program to inject capital into financial institutions in an effort to unfreeze credit. The government will purchase BNY Mellon preferred stock and warrants. Participating companies must abide by restrictions on dividend payments and executive compensation. The assets BNY Mellon invests for mutual funds, institutions and wealthy individuals fell 3.6 percent to $1.07 trillion. Money-management fees dropped 7.3 percent to $792 million.
Assets for which BNY Mellon provides record-keeping and other custody services decreased 1.4 percent to $22.4 trillion. Securities losses totaled $162 million, up from $152 million in the second quarter. Unrealized losses on the bank's investment portfolio rose 56 percent in the quarter to $2.8 billion. BNY Mellon was chosen two days ago to administer the U.S. Treasury's purchases of toxic securities from financial institutions, part of a $700 billion rescue package. BNY Mellon beat out rivals JPMorgan Chase & Co., State Street Corp. and Northern Trust Corp. for the three-year Treasury contract. The bank will provide custody, accounting and other services for the program. Financial terms haven't been disclosed.
BNY Mellon released results before the start of regular New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock dropped 16 percent yesterday and has fallen 40 percent this year. The Standard & Poor's Supercomposite Asset Management & Custody Banks Index has declined 45 percent.
Merrill Lynch Posts $7.5 Billion Loss
Merrill Lynch & Co reported a third-quarter net loss of $7.5 billion on Thursday -- worse than analysts had expected -- on write-downs and credit losses on complex debt securities. But shares of the brokerage house, which last month accepted a takeover bid from Bank of America Corp, climbed 4 percent on confidence that the merger -- which valued Merrill at $50 billion when it was announced last month -- will still go through.
"There's a lot of moving parts here but none of it is very surprising," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Asset Management, which owns no shares in either Merrill or Bank of America. Merrill posted more than $9 billion in write-downs and credit losses, most of which occurred in September. It cited the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc and wide market volatility as driving the losses.
The bank said it would issue $10 billion of non-voting preferred stock and related warrants to the U.S. Treasury under the government program that gave Bank of America a $25 billion capital injection earlier this week. In addition, because of the Bank of America deal, Merrill said it was no longer seeking to sell a controlling stake in its Financial Data Services subsidiary.
Merrill had said when it announced second-quarter results that it had signed a letter of intent to sell FDS, which provides administrative services to the company's mutual funds and retail banking businesses. The bank did receive a pretax gain of $4.3 billion from the sale of its 20 percent stake in Bloomberg, the media and data company, which had also been announced with its second-quarter results.
Merrill, like former peers Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns Cos, has struggled to survive the credit crisis, which has crippled its large mortgage and complex debt businesses. In July, Merrill sold a $30.6 billion portfolio of structured debt securities to private equity firm Lone Star Funds, taking a $5.7 billion write-down and raising capital in the process -- but this was not enough to solve its problems. The company's share price continued to fall, and Chief Executive John Thain engineered the speedy sale to Bank of America on the same weekend that Lehman Brothers was forced into bankruptcy.
There had been doubts about the deal going through, and the difference between Merrill's share price and the price implied by the deal was initially wide. But the difference has been narrowing in recent weeks. Merrill shares were at $19.00 -- about 10 percent below the price implied by the deal -- in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares had been as much as 35 percent below the deal price. "Certainly, this acquisition should be a concern to Bank of America shareholders, but we believe that Bank of America is acquiring these assets at a bargain-basement price," said Ghriskey.
On a conference call with analysts Thursday morning, Thain said he expected the shareholder vote on the deal to be held in mid- to late November. Merrill said its third-quarter net loss applicable to common shareholders widened to $5.58 per share from $2.82 per share, or $2.3 billion, a year earlier. The company posted a loss of $5.56 per share from continuing operations. Analysts' average forecast was a loss of $5.18 per share, according to Reuters Estimates.
AIG Bonuses, Retreats Violate NY State Law, Cuomo Says
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating "unwarranted and outrageous expenditures" at American International Group Inc., which received an $85 billion federal bailout last month. In a letter to AIG's board of directors, Cuomo demanded the company stop "extravagant" expenditures and recover millions of dollars in unreasonable payments, or face legal action.
Cuomo cited a $5 million bonus and a $15 million "golden parachute" AIG awarded its chief executive officer in March. Martin Sullivan was AIG's CEO at the time. Cuomo said the company also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on "luxurious retreats" for executives, including an overseas hunting party and a golf outing. "The party is over," Cuomo said today at a press conference on Wall Street in lower Manhattan. "No more hunting trips. No more luxury resorts. They are not going to have the party and leave the hangover for the taxpayers."
AIG has been castigated by officials since the New York- based insurer hosted a $440,000 conference at a California resort last month after agreeing to the federal bailout to avoid bankruptcy. In a letter released Oct. 10, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank told Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke the executives responsible for the gathering should "personally reimburse the government," and requested increased oversight of the company. Frank asked for a response by the end of this week.
Cuomo claimed in his letter that the expenditures violated the state's debtor-creditor law and demanded an accounting of AIG's executive compensation and benefits since January 2007. He said the government's financial rescue of AIG made the expenditures "even more irresponsible and damaging." The U.S. government offered AIG an $85 billion loan last month as the company slipped toward insolvency. The company may access an additional $37.8 billion from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to replenish liquidity.
Cuomo's letter "will be brought to the immediate attention"' of AIG directors, said Nicholas Ashooh, a spokesman for the insurer.
"The events referred to should have been canceled, it's regrettable they weren't, but we've issued a policy canceling all such events and reviewing all expenses going forward," Ashooh said in a phone interview. He declined to comment on Sullivan's compensation. The hunting trip to the English countryside, an annual event for customers and executives, cost $86,000, the Associated Press reported.
AIG fell 37 cents, or 13 percent, to $2.43 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have slumped 96 percent this year. AIG said today in a statement it would "fully cooperate" with Cuomo's office. "AIG's priority is to continue focusing on actions necessary to repay the Federal Reserve loan and emerge as a vital, ongoing business," according to the statement. Cuomo also noted in his letter that an unnamed top-ranking executive, "who was largely responsible for AIG's collapse" and was fired in February, was allowed to keep $34 million in bonuses. Cuomo said the executive also apparently continued to receive a $1 million a month from the company until recently.
Joseph Cassano was head of AIG's financial-products unit until his retirement was announced Feb. 29. The business sold credit-default swaps, the contracts that plunged in value as the mortgage securities they guaranteed declined, causing more than $25 billion in writedowns at AIG. A Cuomo case against former AIG Chief Executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, over an alleged multibillion fraud at the company, is pending in New York state court. Cuomo wouldn't comment today on that case, or on whether Greenberg deserves any blame for AIG's condition.
Greenberg, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self- incrimination, refused to answer Cuomo's questions on Oct. 11, Fortune reported today. Greenberg's lawyer, Robert Morvillo, didn't immediately return a call from Bloomberg News seeking comment after business hours. Robert Willumstad, who replaced Sullivan as AIG CEO until the government takeover ended his three-month tenure, said today it would be "pretty tough" to recover compensation from former employees. "They got paid based on an agreement between the company," Willumstad said on CNBC. "It's pretty hard to go back and ask them to give back money they presumably earned fairly at the time."
Feds investigate Washington Mutual failure
Federal investigators have opened an investigation into the collapse of Washington Mutual Inc, the largest U.S. banking failure. Jeffrey Sullivan, U.S. attorney for the western district of Washington, said in a statement on Wednesday that he has set up a task force that includes investigators from the FBI, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and the Internal Revenue Service's criminal investigations unit.
"Given the significant losses to investors, employees and our community, it is fully appropriate that we scrutinize the activities of the bank, its leaders and others to determine if any federal laws were violated," Sullivan said in a statement. He said the probe comes on the heels of "intense public interest in the failure of Washington Mutual." Federal regulators seized Seattle-based Washington Mutual on Sept 25 after the savings and loan, once the nation's largest, had $16.7 billion of deposit outflows in 10 days.
JPMorgan Chase & Co bought the Seattle-based thrift's banking units on that date for $1.9 billion, in a transaction arranged by regulators. Washington Mutual later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. Washington Mutual collapsed amid soaring losses from mortgages and home equity loans, and less than three weeks after replacing its longtime chief executive, Kerry Killinger.
The Office of Thrift Supervision, which regulated the thrift, said on Sept 25 that Washington Mutual did not have enough liquidity to pay its debts, and was in an "unsafe and unsound condition to transact business." Regulators said the thrift had about $307 billion of assets, more than seven times the $40 billion that Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust had when it collapsed in 1984, in the nation's largest previous banking failure.
Economists warn of possible 2009-10 Canada deficit
The dust had barely settled on Tuesday's Canadian election when economists and a prominent business group said the newly returned Conservative government may need to adjust course to avert a possible budget deficit next year. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce urged Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday to give a fiscal update as soon as possible because the global economic outlook has worsened in recent weeks.
Harper said in Calgary, Alberta, that he plans to summon politicians back to work this autumn and will present an economic and fiscal update before the end of November. "The sooner it can be done, the better, because clearly economic conditions have changed substantially since the budget in the spring," Chamber of Commerce President Perrin Beatty told Reuters.
Commodity prices have slumped and weaker U.S. demand for goods will hurt Canada's export-oriented economy, while the higher cost of credit and financial market volatility will dampen domestic spending, the chamber noted in a letter sent to Harper. "The ability of the government to meet its commitments may be compromised by an economy that will show little or no growth over the next year, constraining government revenues," the chamber said.
"The affordability and timing of commitments will need to be reexamined to avoid risking a deficit next year." During the election campaign, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he expects a budget surplus of at least C$3 billion ($2.5 billion) in the 2008-09 fiscal year. While the government should be able to eke out a small fiscal surplus in the current year, its plan for a surplus next year "is at serious risk," Dale Orr, chief Canadian economist at research firm Global Insight, wrote in an article on Wednesday. Orr suggested the government identify spending that can be postponed.
Merrill Lynch Canada chief economist David Wolf agreed that a small surplus looks likely this fiscal year, due to better results in the first half, "but next year looks awful". Wolf's economic forecast is for a deficit of C$10 billion in fiscal 2009-10, "assuming no change in policy". The government could avoid a deficit by raising taxes or cutting spending, but those would put pressure on an already weak economy, Wolf said. "We don't know how the Conservatives will confront the looming fiscal hole, or what the opposition will be willing to support," he wrote.
Craig Wright, chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada, told a business luncheon in Ottawa that his team forecasts neither a Canadian recession nor a budget deficit. But if growth surprises on the weak side, Wright said he would not recommend avoiding a deficit at all costs. "If we were to be pushed into a deficit because the economy is weak, I wouldn't think we should panic and try to fight that off (by raising taxes) at the cost of more significant downturn to the economy," Wright said.
Their musings about fiscal pressures come as the Canadian government considers how to keep the country's financial system stable and competitive while governments elsewhere are propping up their weaker banking sectors. Ottawa should consider several actions on top of measures already taken to ease effects of the credit crisis, the Chamber of Commerce said in its letter.
The Bank of Canada should provide further short-term interest rate relief by cutting its overnight rate by half a percentage point on Oct. 21, its next scheduled announcement date, the chamber said. Other measures could include creating a commercial paper and bankers' acceptances funding facility, as the U.S. Federal Reserve has done, and insuring all bank deposits, regardless of size, "to boost confidence and remain competitive," it said.
US hedge funds suffer heavy withdrawals
Investors pulled at least $43bn from US hedge funds in September as market turmoil led to unprecedented withdrawals, an analysis by a leading research house shows. The data from TrimTabs Investment Research – which was to be sent to clients late on Wednesday – come as hedge funds are working to prevent far bigger redemptions by the end of the year, when many funds give investors a chance to take out money.
Withdrawals can lead to a vicious circle in the markets, as funds sell holdings to return money to clients, depressing prices and prompting further redemptions. To prevent such an outcome, some hedge funds had offered to suspend fees if investors kept their money in until March, said Marc Freed, of Lyster Watson, which invests in hedge funds on behalf of institutional and private clients. “Every investor fears other investors will pull their money and so they worry they will be at the back of the line if they don’t also pull,” Mr Freed said.
“Nobody will invest in anything illiquid because they think they may not survive long enough to see them rise in value.” A fundraiser for a major hedge fund said the period “between now and December 1 is a sort of death march” for the industry. The chief executive of a leading alternative investment manager said he expected the hedge fund industry to shrink by 50 per cent in coming months – with half the decline coming from withdrawals and half coming from investment losses.
Conrad Gunn, chief operating officer of TrimTabs, said the $43bn in September withdrawals would mark “the beginning of what we expect to be a series of outflows for the remainder of the year. We expect October outflows to be larger”. Mr Gunn said the September outflows were based on an analysis of preliminary data and that the final tally would probably be higher because funds with heavy redemptions tended to report data later. The industry, which manages close to $2,000bn, has experienced outflows during only a handful of months previously, including a small outflow in April of this year.
JPMorgan Chase has estimated that hedge fund outflows could total up to $150bn over the coming year. As investors take their money out of hedge funds, the funds have to sell assets. But because they use so much borrowed money, the amount of potential asset sales is far larger. For example, JPMorgan expects that an outflow of $150bn will lead to sales of about $400bn.
Hedge funds in Lehman assets call
The head of one of America's biggest hedge fund industry groups has written to Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, warning that a failure to free up an estimated $70 billion in assets frozen in Lehman Brothers' could trigger "systemic" losses.
Richard Baker, the head of the US Managed Funds Association (MFA), has warned delays could be “disastrous for UK plc”.
The plea comes on the eve of a meeting between the administrators of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) and regulators. The former Congressman believes that the handling of the wind-up of Lehman Brothers and the carving up of its remaining assets is adding new uncertainty to already panicky global markets and releasing the bank's securities would give the market “a much needed boost of liquidity and confidence.”
In the letter, dated October 13, Mr Baker said: “Prime brokerages are already withdrawing their assets from the UK prime brokers."
The MFA estimates assets held by Lehman Brothers International under prime brokerage accounts to be between $40 billion and $70 billion across 1,300 accounts.
In the letter, Mr Baker urged the Bank to work with the Financial Service Authority and the Treasury to stop making European administrators liable for any wrongful move to distribute the assets to clients. The plea by the MFA marks the latest in the saga of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which went bust last month. Even though, the US Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, had tried to devise a rescue plan for the struggling Wall Street bank, it was allowed to fail.
Businesses turn to hedge funds for loans
An unprecedented cash crunch is choking the ability of banks to lend and creating an opportunity for hedge funds to launch, or ramp up corporate lending facilities. Companies that have relied on bank borrowing to grow, or even maintain their business, are turning to hedge funds in a move that some say may signal a broad shift of lending from banks to asset managers.
"I have a very strong belief that the new investment banks will be the absolute return hedge funds and the managers of private equity," said Thomas Priore, Chief Executive at ICP Capital, an investment firm that manages $13 billion in fixed income assets, in New York. "They're not going to become banks, they're going to provide the functionality and interface with people looking for capital, like the investment banks used to, but with an asset management balance sheet approach," he added.
ICP began lending directly to companies earlier this year, focusing on making loans that are secured against cash flows. Most recently, the company arranged a $121 million financing package for the purchase of two ships that will be leased to a unit of Mexican state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. "The capital constraints on banks are opening up opportunities for new entrants, like our firm, who can take leveraged credit assets and loans from bank balance sheets," Priore said. "Banks, and other companies, will not be afforded the leverage they once were," he added.
Banks have been scrambling for capital to offset losses from bad mortgages and other investments at the same time as both credit and stock investors have been hesitant to back the companies. The U.S. government has scrambled for ways to shore up the sector, including a plan to pump $250 billion into institutions in exchange for equity stakes. Even when the financial sector does finally stabilize, however, banks ability to lend will remain constrained relative to recent years.
General Motors Corp, First Data Corp, AMR Corp and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co were among a number of companies that tapped their credit lines last month, as credit markets froze and in some cases on fears that if they waited the capital may no longer be available. And the more companies that tap their credit lines, the more pressure it puts on bank balance sheet. "Banks are already balance sheet-constrained and they're getting tapped, so it causes even tighter credit," said Greg Peters, chief U.S. credit strategist at Morgan Stanley in New York.
"What you're seeing also is secondary transactions occur where banks will sell out unfunded revolvers at a discount so they don't have to clog up their balance sheet," Peters said. Standard & Poor's said on Tuesday than anticipate more high yield companies will need to draw on the credit facilities as long as lending remains strained. "We expect firms will tap any prearranged credit lines or turn to private capital until conditions improve," analyst Diane Vazza said in a report.
NIR Group, an alternative investment firm that oversees $7 billion in investments and has been directly lending to small- and mid-sized companies for 10 years, now sees enhanced opportunity to expand the business, said Corey Ribotsky, Managing Member of the firm in Roslyn, New York. "Alternative investment vehicles are going to replace banks and investment banks as being the only financing source for a lot of companies, small, medium and large," he said. "That field has increased tenfold as traditional investment banks and traditional banks have not been able to lend to these companies at all."
As opportunities increase Ribotsky sees the potential to work with larger companies than it has traditionally lent to, as well as enter into more deals. "We're seeing an increase in the number of companies looking for capital and the ways in which they're going to be looking for it," he said. While asset managers look poised to take over much of the business of traditional banks, the way in which lending is done may take different forms. "To a large degree, I think companies are looking for a business partner," said ICP's Priore.
"Investment banks in the past have really been syndicators of risk, not principal risk takers," he said. "Companies want financing from organizations that have the banking skills but want to participate in their business as a principal as well."
Bush Says Taxpayers to Get Back 'Most' of Money in Bank Rescue
President George W. Bush said U.S. taxpayers will get back "most" of the federal money spent in an effort to calm financial markets and he's optimistic that the economy will recover. "We're not going to use taxpayers' money to enrich financiers," Bush said today after lunching with local business leaders in Ada, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.
"It's likely we'll not only get most of the money back, but in some cases actually make a little money," he said. "People aren't going to be able to have a golden parachute as a result of your hard-working money," Bush said, referring to executives' severance payments. U.S. stocks slumped for a second day, hammered by the biggest drop in retail sales in three years and growing doubt that plans to bail out banks will keep a recession at bay.
The Treasury Department is set to inject $250 billion of taxpayer funds into U.S. banks in an effort to end a credit freeze that threatens to bankrupt businesses and spur layoffs. The rescue is part of a larger $700 billion package and follows a massive stock sell-off last week, the largest since 1933. Michigan has the nation's highest jobless rate at 8.9 percent, having shed 40,000 factory positions in the past year, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. auto sales could see one the slowest sales months in a quarter-century, according to a Deutsche Bank AG forecast for October.
Bush signed a bill Sept. 30 that offers the auto industry $25 billion in low-interest federal loans. Detroit-based General Motors Corp., Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motors Co., Auburn Hills-based Chrysler LLC and others said they needed taxpayer help to finance a shift to more fuel-efficient cars.
Bush is in Michigan just two weeks after his would-be successor, Republican Senator John McCain, largely abandoned efforts to win the state. Republican presidential candidates have fared poorly in Michigan, with the state going Democratic in the last four elections.
Bush Rule Changes Could Block Product-Safety Suits
Bush administration officials, in their last weeks in office, are pushing to rewrite a wide array of federal rules with changes or additions that could block product-safety lawsuits by consumers and states. The administration has written language aimed at pre-empting product-liability litigation into 50 rules governing everything from motorcycle brakes to pain medicine. The latest changes cap a multiyear effort that could be one of the administration's lasting legacies, depending in part on how the underlying principle of pre-emption fares in a case the Supreme Court will hear next month.
This year, lawsuit-protection language has been added to 10 new regulations, including one issued Oct. 8 at the Department of Transportation that limits the number of seatbelts car makers can be forced to install and prohibits suits by injured passengers who didn't get to wear one. These new rules can't quickly be undone by order of the next president. Federal rules usually must go through lengthy review processes before they are changed. Rulemaking at the Food and Drug Administration, where most of the new pre-emption rules have appeared, can take a year or more.
The Bush administration's efforts to protect corporations that comply with federal rules from legal action have fueled a long-running power struggle between business interests, which support the efforts, and consumer groups and trial lawyers who have denounced the moves.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform supports pre-emption as part of its campaign to "neutralize plaintiff trial lawyers' excessive influence over the legal and political systems," according to its Web site. "It's exceedingly difficult for companies to comply with 50 different state standards," the Institute's president, Lisa Rickard, said in an interview.
The American Association for Justice, the trial lawyers' lobby, is trying to formulate a strategy to undo pre-emptive rules. "This is the gift that keeps on giving for corporations," said the association's chief executive, Jon Haber. The use of rulemaking to protect corporations from product liability was discussed from early in the Bush administration, said former Bush domestic-policy adviser Jay Lefkowitz, who was instrumental in the process.
One administration concern was the spiraling number of multimillion-dollar product-liability lawsuits against corporations based on state "failure to warn" rules, said Mr. Lefkowitz and other former administration officials. Some state consumer-safety laws on product warnings are tougher than, and conflict with, federal standards, particularly in the pharmaceutical area. "You can't ask companies to follow different standards," Mr. Lefkowitz said. The lobby for drug makers, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, says that such inconsistencies on drug labels "may be, at best, confusing, or at worst, life-threatening."
The Office of Management and Budget, which reviews regulations, has denied there has been a top-down plan in the administration to end lawsuits via regulatory changes. But in March, the OMB directed wording on railroad-tank-car safety. According to an email titled, "Preemption language for the preamble in the tank car rule," the Federal Railroad Administration and the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, were asked to use OMB's pre-emption wording. The rule hasn't been finalized.
Changing Rules
Some federal rules protecting industry from litigation:
MATTRESS FLAMMABILITY Rule requires mattresses that burn more slowly. Prevents suits if consumer is injured in fire.
DRUG LABELING A rule makes the FDA responsible for the wording of label warnings. Companies that comply get protection.
RAILROAD SAFETY Requires stronger construction for rail cars carrying hazardous materials. Suits barred if cars catch fire.
Mr. Lefkowitz said the administration decided not to press its pre-emption agenda in Congress, where it might lose. "There was already authority within federal government statutes and regulations to start the reform process without legislation," he said. "Using that and legal briefs, we proceeded."
The FDA began entering lawsuits and submitting briefs on the side of drug makers and supporting federal pre-emption in 2001, though the agency previously supported the right to sue. The Supreme Court will hear arguments next month in a case called Wyeth v. Levine that will be a big test of federal pre-emption authority. Diana Levine, a musician, lost an arm to gangrene after receiving an antimigraine drug made by Wyeth in a hospital emergency room. She claims the company didn't adequately warn about side effects under Vermont law. Wyeth says it followed federal warning-label standards and is protected from Ms. Levine's claims.
The FDA, through the Justice Department, is defending pre-emption in that case, citing its own 2006 rule that says federal safety regulations trump state ones. Pre-emption regulations are already affecting some pharmaceutical suits. The state of Alaska recently settled a case with Eli Lilly & Co. to recoup medical costs for the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for $15 million, a fraction of the original amount demanded, because of the Wyeth case, which could undo a large jury verdict, said the state's assistant attorney general Ed Sniffen.
Losing Las Vegas Shows How Americans Crap Out in Housing Casino
Leigh Sogoloff, who spends her evenings lap-dancing at Rick's Cabaret Vegas on Procyon Street, says she's making half her income of a year ago. "You don't shop, you don't buy stuff you can't afford," the 36-year-old Sogoloff said between dances at the Las Vegas club. She has postponed buying a house and is reading Deepak Chopra. "I know how to save money. I'm not a dumb stripper."
The city that sold Americans on the dream they could lay down a small wager and walk away millionaires is reeling from speculation in the housing market that helped bring down Wall Street. The quick profits that so easily spread from Nevada to Florida, just as casino gambling migrated to 37 states, are now proving what happens in Vegas rarely stays in Vegas. Las Vegas leads the nation in falling home prices, foreclosures and stalled construction projects. Rick's Cabaret International Inc., with 20 clubs in seven states and two in Buenos Aires, has lost 74 percent of its market value this year.
The "main nerve" of the American dream runs through this desert metropolis, Hunter S. Thompson concluded in his 1971 book, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Chopra, the spiritual teacher whose writings Sogoloff has turned to, said that less than 2 percent of the $3 trillion to $4 trillion that circulates in the world's markets daily is used for goods and services. "The rest is trying to make money off money," said Chopra, adjunct professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Illinois. "Our financial structure which, of course, is an American system but is now global, is pure speculation. It's gambling."
More than $10 billion of hotel and casino projects with 10,000 rooms have been delayed on Las Vegas Boulevard, better known the world over as the Strip, according to locally based real estate and economic consulting firm Applied Analysis LLC. Gaming revenue for casinos on the Strip fell for the eighth straight month in August from a year earlier, the longest streak of declines since records began in 1983, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board in Carson City. The 16 percent drop in May was a record. August revenue fell 7.4 percent. "The only comparable period was around 9/11, when we were down for five straight months," Frank Streshley, senior analyst at the board, said in an interview. "This is a very difficult time for the gaming industry."
All this in a state that led the U.S. housing boom with an estimated 275,000 new homes built from 2000 to 2007, a 33 percent increase that was the highest of any state, according to the Census Bureau. Now, many of those homes are empty and worth less than when they were built. The bust that started almost three years ago has brought down New York-based securities firm Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and led to the forced sales of investment banks Bear Stearns Cos. and Merrill Lynch & Co., and led to more than 137,000 job losses in financial services worldwide.
Las Vegas had the biggest home-price decline in the country in July and Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate in August. One in 91 homes in Nevada were in some stage of default, compared with one in 416 for the U.S. overall. California had the second-highest rate and the most foreclosure filings, and Florida had the second- most filings. The signs of decline are right on the Strip, where Boyd Gaming Corp.'s $4.75 billion Echelon casino and resort may be the most obvious symbol for the city's economic slowdown.
Boyd said on Aug. 1 it would halt construction of the Echelon, a 5,000-room property with five hotel towers, after investing $500 million. The company broke ground on the 87-acre development, on the site of the demolished Stardust hotel at the northern end of the Strip, in June 2007, just before the onset of the global credit crunch. Construction equipment, including two excavators and one backhoe, sat idle last week. Six tower cranes stood poised over the project's steel skeleton, which was halted at the ninth story. The tallest tower is to be 58 stories. The cranes may stay there until building resumes, said Ryan McPhee, a Las Vegas developer who monitors construction in town.
"With things slowing down, there may not be the demand" for the equipment, McPhee said. "There's almost no way to get financing for projects right now." Boyd will delay Echelon for "three or four quarters, assuming the economy turns and credit markets open up," said spokesman Rob Stillwell. "When a home-grown leader like Boyd builds a mega-resort framework, then suddenly says they're halting the project, that's a stunner," said George McCabe of B&P Advertising and Public Relations, which creates ad campaigns for Las Vegas's real estate industry. "It's scary."
A relative bright spot on the Strip may be CityCenter, an $11.2 billion joint venture between MGM Mirage, the world's second largest casino operator, and Dubai World, a holding company for the government of Dubai. About 60 percent of the development's 2,647 luxury condominium and hotel-condo units are under contract, with $350 million in non-refundable deposits. "Our product is different and we're selling real estate for future delivery," said Tony Dennis, executive vice president.
At Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport, the total number of arriving and departing passengers in August dropped 9.9 percent from a year earlier, when a record 4.3 million passengers went through the airport. Highway traffic declined 4.9 percent through July, the latest month for which figures are available, the visitors authority said. "We are uniquely positioned to be penalized by the global slowdown, because we're hugely dependent on the consumer getting in a car or plane to get away from their lives," said Jeremy Aguero, co-owner of Applied Analysis.
Southwest Airlines Co., which has more flights leaving Las Vegas than any other city, had a 7.3 percent drop in Las Vegas passengers in August, and starting in January the Dallas-based carrier will cut its daily Las Vegas departures to 227 from 240. Occupancy at Las Vegas hotels fell 2.4 percent and the average daily room rate dropped 6.6 percent in the seven months through July compared with a year earlier, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. In July alone, the latest month for which numbers are available, room rates were down 10 percent.
The unemployment rate for the Las Vegas metropolitan area rose to 7.1 percent in August, a 2.1 percentage point increase from a year earlier. Those numbers don't tell the story of people such as Dimi Doronis, a banquet server for Aramark Corp. Doronis worked just four days in July, six in August and 10 last month catering at conventions, down from about 25 days per month a year ago. She doesn't get paid when she's not given a catering assignment, and the Bulgarian native spends her days reading books about Eastern European politics. "I've been 18 years in this town, and I've never seen what's gone on like it has this last month," the 44-year-old Doronis said. "I don't know how I'm still alive. I'm digging into my savings right now, but soon it's going to be done."
Mark Stubbins, a cab driver in Las Vegas for two and a half years, watched his tips drop to as low as $30 a day from as much as $80 a day before business started slowing down in May. The 53- year-old said he's struggling to meet his company's daily fare goals, which were set a year ago, when more tourists and businesspeople were still coming to town. "You can't do what's not there," he said. Sogoloff, the stripper from Rick's Cabaret, said she moved to Las Vegas in 1999 because "I knew it was good out here." She's put her plans to buy a house on hold while she watches her money. "That's why I don't own a home right now."
Las Vegas's housing market is the worst in the U.S. Home values in the area at the end of the second quarter had fallen to March 2004 levels, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home-Price Index. Las Vegas prices fell 30 percent in July from a year earlier, the biggest drop among 20 U.S. metropolitan areas. The median price in August was $210,000, and three out of four home sales were bank-owned properties that were foreclosures, the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors said. Nevada's foreclosure rate was the highest of any state for the 20th straight month in August, according to RealtyTrac Inc.
Hotels are using new promotions to try to win budget- conscious visitors. Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest casino company by revenue, offered a "Two Cent Tuesday" deal this month at its Harrah's Las Vegas property. The promotion allows guests to stay for that price as long as they book two nights before or after Tuesday at the regular rate, said spokeswoman Suzanne Trout. At the 1.9 million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center, visitor volume declined 1.1 percent this year through July, and attendance at some retail and merchandising events fell, according to the visitors authority. The MAGIC apparel convention was cut to three days in August from four days a year earlier.
Gambling was legalized in Las Vegas in 1931, the same year work began on the Hoover Dam. Mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, a member of the Meyer Lansky crime organization, popularized Las Vegas in 1946 when he opened a hotel named The Flamingo, the nickname of his girlfriend, dancer Virginia Hill. Since then, the city has become the destination of millions, who come for the shows, the gambling tables or just to sit bleary- eyed in front of the slot machines, pumping in coin after coin, "still humping the American Dream, that vision of the Big Winner somehow emerging from the last-minute pre-dawn chaos of a stale Vegas casino," as Thompson wrote in "Fear and Loathing."
Some also come for entertainment that justifies the Vegas slogan, "What happens here, stays here." Rick's Cabaret Vegas was known as Scores Las Vegas until Houston-based Rick's bought the club last month. A dancer whose stage name is Louanna who works with Sogoloff said she made $6,000 performing in September, down from $8,000 a year ago and $30,000 in January 2007, her best month in the two and a half years she's been performing.
Vegas workers may see their pay continue to shrink as tourists, turned off by the casino-style wagers they placed on their homes and retirement funds, stay away, said Faith Popcorn, who tracks cultural trends and spending habits as chairman of New York-based Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve. "When we talk about gambling, that's a word we don't want in our vocabulary."
Ilargi: Wait a minute London Times... there’s a few people missing here!
Ten people who predicted the financial meltdown
The financial events of recent weeks have filled many of us with shock and panic. Surely no one could have predicted that we would be in this mess? Well, actually, they did. Here are ten people who saw the financial meltdown coming...
1. Vince Cable - deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats
Here is a question Mr Cable’s posed to Gordon Brown, then Chancellor, during Treasury Questions back in November 2003: “The growth of the British economy is sustained by consumer spending pinned against record levels of personal debt, which is secured, if at all, against house prices that the Bank of England describes as well above equilibrium level. What action will the Chancellor take on the problem of consumer debt?”
Mr Brown did not answer how he would solve the problem, merely replying that: “We have been right about the prospects for growth in the British economy, and the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Cable) has been wrong.”
2. Christopher Wood – chief strategist of CLSA, a broking firm in the Asia-Pacific Market.
In October 2005 Mr Wood wisely declared: "Investors should sell all exposure to the American mortgage securities market." In an interview in 2007, he said: "Some institutions have been behaving like leveraged speculators rather than banks… The UK economy is heading for a sharp shock. It just remains to be seen how bad."
3. Founders of www.stock-market-crash.net – website aimed at investors
The writers of this site claim that predicting crashes is, in fact, easy: “One of the greatest myths of all time is that market crashes are random, unpredictable events. The lead up to a market crash is often years in the making. Certain warning signs exist, which characterize the end of a bull market and the start of a bear market. By learning these common warning signs, you can liquidate your investments and prosper by shorting the market.”
4. Henry Weingarten - astrologer
Mr Weingarten is head of the Astrologers Fund, a New York firm that advises businesses on the basis of planetary movements. He forecast a major economic downturn in March 2007 – so hopefully his clients took note.
His website claims he has in fact made numerous successful predictions about worldwide financial affairs, including “both Mexican 1995 crises, the first 1995 dollar crisis, the 1998 oil collapse and 1999 recovery, and the decline of the Euro after its 1999 birth.”
5. Nouriel Roubini - economics professor
Aka Dr Doom, Dr Roubini is an economics professor at New York University. On September 7, 2006, at an International Monetary Fund meeting, he announced that a crisis was brewing. He said that the United States was likely to face a once-in-a-lifetime housing bust, an oil shock, sharply declining consumer confidence and, ultimately, a deep recession.
Homeowners would default on mortgages, trillions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities would unravel worldwide and the global financial system would shudder to a halt. These developments, he said, would cripple major financial institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
As Mr Roubini stepped down, his host said: “I think perhaps we will need a stiff drink after that.” They do now.
6. Nikolai Kondratiev - Russian Marxist economist
In the early 1920s, Mr Kondratiev proposed a theory that Western capitalist economies have long term (50 to 60 years) cycles of boom followed by depression. These business cycles are now called "Kondratiev waves", or grand supercycles. He predicted an imminent dip, and he was proved right with the Wall Street Crash in 1929. The current crisis may mean he is about 10 years out – but, still, not a bad prediction for a man who died in 1938.
7. Founders of Housepricecrash.co.uk – property website
HousePriceCrash.co.uk was established in October 2003 after its founders predicted “one of the potentially biggest economic boom bust events in living memory” was coming. Its aim, apparently, is to provide a “counterbalance to the huge amounts of positive spin the housing market receives in the main media”. Whilst there is not currently a lot of positive news about the housing market to counter, the site does provide a plethora of information, statistics and forums for those interested in the great house price crash.
8. Lord Oakeshott - Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman
He may not have predicted the entire financial meltdown, but he did warn the Government of the possible collapse of Icelandic banks back in July. He said last week: “"Alarm bells were ringing all over about the Icelandic banks and the Treasury must have been blind and deaf not to hear them."
In a written question to the government in July, he asked: "What steps [have] the United Kingdom financial authorities taken to satisfy themselves, independently of the Icelandic financial authorities, of the solvency and stability of Icelandic banks taking deposits in the United Kingdom?” Lord Davies, for the Government, replied that there was no concern about the liquidity or capital base of Icelandic banks operating in the UK.
9. Stephen Roach - senior executive at Morgan Stanley
In November 2004, Mr Roach predicted an “economic Armageddon”, in part due to the record US current account, trade and government deficits. His outlook was largely dismissed at the time. Having being proved right, he recently went on to accuse central banks of being “asleep at the switch” in failing to stop the escalating crisis. “The lack of monetary discipline has become a hallmark of unfettered globalization,” he said.
10. Ron Paul - Republican Congressman
Back in September 2003, Mr Paul told a House Financial Services Committee that: “Ironically, by transferring the risk of a widespread mortgage default, the government increases the likelihood of a painful crash in the housing market. “This is because the special privileges granted to Fannie and Freddie have distorted the housing market by allowing them to attract capital they could not attract under pure market conditions.” Of course, if we are going to give Mr Paul credit, than we should also highlight the efforts of Peter Schiff, his economic advisor and long-time economic hawk.
What Went Wrong
How did the world's markets come to the brink of collapse? Some say regulators failed. Others claim deregulation left them handcuffed. Who's right? Both are. This is the story of how Washington didn't catch up to Wall Street.
A decade ago, long before the financial calamity now sweeping the world, the federal government's economic brain trust heard a clarion warning and declared in unison: You're wrong. The meeting of the President's Working Group on Financial Markets on an April day in 1998 brought together Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt Jr. -- all Wall Street legends, all opponents to varying degrees of tighter regulation of the financial system that had earned them wealth and power.
Their adversary, although also a member of the Working Group, did not belong to their club. Brooksley E. Born, the 57-year-old head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, had earned a reputation as a steely, formidable litigator at a high-powered Washington law firm. She had grown used to being the only woman in a room full of men. She didn't like to be pushed around.
Now, in the Treasury Department's stately, wood-paneled conference room, she was being pushed hard. Greenspan, Rubin and Levitt had reacted with alarm at Born's persistent interest in a fast-growing corner of the financial markets known as derivatives, so called because they derive their value from something else, such as bonds or currency rates. Setting the jargon aside, derivatives are both a cushion and a gamble -- deals that investment companies and banks arrange to manage the risk of their holdings, while trying to turn a profit at the same time.
Unlike the commodity futures regulated by Born's agency, many newer derivatives weren't traded on an exchange, constituting what some traders call the "dark markets." There were now millions of such private contracts, involving many of Wall Street's top firms. But there was no clearinghouse holding collateral to settle a deal gone bad, no transparent records of who was trading what. Born wanted to shine a light into the dark. She had offered no specific oversight plan, but after months of making noise about the dangers that this enormous market posed to the financial system, she now wanted to open a formal discussion about whether to regulate them -- and if so, how.
Greenspan, Rubin and Levitt were determined to derail her effort. Privately, Rubin had expressed concern about derivatives' unruly growth. But he agreed with Greenspan and Levitt that these newer contracts, often called "swaps," weren't exactly futures. Born's agency did not have legal authority to regulate swaps, the three men believed, and her call for a discussion had real-world consequences: It would cast doubt over the legality of trillions of dollars in existing contracts and create uncertainty over how to operate in the market.
At the April meeting, the trio's message was clear: Back off, Born. "You're not going to do anything, right?" Rubin asked her after they had laid out their concerns, according to one participant. Born made no commitment. Some in the room, including Rubin and Greenspan, came away with a sense that she had agreed to cool it, at least until lawyers could confer on the legal issues. But according to her staff, she was neither deterred nor chastened. "Once she took a position, she would defend that position and go down fighting. That's what happened here," said Geoffrey Aronow, a senior CFTC staff member at the time. "When someone pushed her, she was inclined to stand there and push back."
Greenspan and Rubin maintained then, as now, that Born was on the wrong track. Greenspan, who left the Fed job in 2006 after an unprecedented three terms, also insists that regulating derivatives would not have averted the present crisis. Yesterday on Capitol Hill, a Senate committee opened hearings specifically on the role of financial derivatives in exacerbating the current crisis. Another hearing on the issue takes place in the House today. The economic brain trust not only won the argument, it cut off the larger debate. After Born quit in 1999, no one wanted to go where she had already gone, and once the Bush administration arrived in 2001, the push was for less regulation, not more.
Voluntary oversight became the favored approach, and even those were accepted grudgingly by Wall Street, if at all. In private meetings and public speeches, Greenspan also argued a free-market view. Self-regulation, he asserted, would work better than the heavy hand of government: Investors had a natural desire to avoid self-destruction, and that served as the logical and best limit to excessive risk. Besides, derivatives had become a huge U.S. business, and burdensome rules would drive the market overseas.
"We knew it was a big deal [to attempt regulation] but the feeling was that something needed to be done," said Michael Greenberger, Born's director of trading and markets and a witness to the April 1998 standoff at Treasury. "The industry had been fighting regulation for years, and in the meantime, you saw them accumulate a huge amount of stuff and it was already causing dislocations in the economy. The government was being kept blind to it." Rubin, in an interview, said of Born's effort, "I do think it was a deterrent to moving forward. I thought it was counterproductive. If you want to move forward . . . you engage with parties in a constructive way. My recollection was, though I truly do not remember the specifics of the meeting, this was done in a more strident way."
Rarely does one Washington regulator engage in such a public, pitched battle with other agencies. Born's failed effort is part of the larger story of what led to today's financial chaos, a bipartisan story of missed opportunities and philosophical shifts in which Washington stood impotent as the risk of Wall Street innovation swelled, according to more than 60 interviews as well as transcripts of meetings, congressional testimony and speeches. (Born declined to be interviewed.) Derivatives did not trigger what has erupted into the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. But their proliferation, and the uncertainty about their real values, accelerated the recent collapses of the nation's venerable investment houses and magnified the panic that has since crippled the global financial system.
Futures contracts, one of the earliest forms of a derivative, have long been associated with big market failures. Harry Truman's father was financially wiped out by agriculture futures, and rampant manipulation by speculators contributed to the market collapses of 1929. Regulators have long known that new trading instruments have a way of giving reassurance of stability in good times and of exacerbating market downturns in bad.
Futures -- essentially, a promise to deliver cash or something of value at a later time -- are traded on regulated exchanges such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, regulated by the CFTC. But Born was not questioning bets on pork bellies or wheat prices, the bedrock of futures trading in simpler times. Her focus was the arcane class of derivatives linked to fluctuations in currency and interest rates. She told a group of business lawyers in 1998 that the "lack of basic information" allowed traders in derivatives "to take positions that may threaten our regulated markets or, indeed, our economy, without the knowledge of any federal regulatory authority."
The future that Born envisioned turned out to be even riskier than she imagined. The real estate boom and easy credit of the past decade gave birth to more complex securities and derivatives, this time linked to the inflated value of millions of homes bought by Americans ultimately unable to afford them. That created a new chain of risk, starting with the heavily indebted homebuyers and ending in a vast, unregulated web of contracts worldwide.
By appearing to provide a safety net, derivatives had the unintended effect of encouraging more risk-taking. Investors loaded up on the mortgage-based investments, then bought "credit-default swaps" to protect themselves against losses rather than putting aside large cash reserves. If the mortgages went belly up, the investors had a cushion; the sellers of the swaps, who collected substantial fees for sharing in the investors' risk, were betting that the mortgages would stay healthy.
The global derivatives market topped $530 trillion as of June 30 this year, including $55 trillion in the suddenly popular credit-default swaps; that $530 trillion represents all contracts outstanding. The total dollars at risk is much smaller, but still a hefty $2.7 trillion, according to an estimate by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. To make sense of those figures, compare them to the value of the New York Stock Exchange: $30 trillion at the end of 2007, before the recent crash. When the housing bubble burst and mortgages went south, the consequences seeped through the entire web. Some of those holding credit swaps wanted their money; some who owed didn't have enough money in reserve to pay.
Instead of dispersing risk, derivatives had amplified it.
Born, after 30 years in Washington, found herself on President Bill Clinton's short list for attorney general in 1992. The call never came. Approached about the CFTC job four years later, she took it, seeing a chance to make a public service mark, colleagues say. For several years before Born's arrival at the futures commission, Washington had been hearing warnings about derivatives. In 1993, Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) issued a 902-page report that urged "regulations to protect against systemic risk" as well as supervision by the SEC or Treasury. Sen. Donald W. Riegle (D-Mich.), while acknowledging that swaps helped manage risk, saw "danger signs, on the horizon" in their rapid growth. He and Rep. Henry Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, introduced separate bills in 1994 that went nowhere. Mary Schapiro, Born's predecessor, made her own run at the issue through enforcement actions.
In an earlier decade, President Ronald Reagan had described the CFTC as his favorite agency because it was small and it had allowed the futures industry to grow and prosper. Born swept into the agency, the least known of the four major regulators with primary responsibility for overseeing the nation's financial markets, determined to enforce its rules and tackle hard issues. "One theory at the time was she was so disappointed not to be running Justice -- that she got this tiny agency as a consolation prize and was hell-bent to make it important. I'm not sure that was in her mind, but it was a point of criticism," said John Damgard, president of the Futures Industry Association. Damgard disagreed with Born's approach but said he respected her for fighting for her principles.
Daniel Waldman, Born's law partner at Arnold and Porter and her general counsel at the futures commission, said Born let the industry know she meant business. "She got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with the Chicago Board of Trade over the delivery points for soybean contracts," he recalled. "She believed it was her obligation under the statute to review decisions by the exchanges. If they didn't meet agency requirements, she was going to say so, not look the other way." Born didn't back off on derivatives, either. On May 7, 1998, two weeks after her April showdown at Treasury, the commission issued a "concept release" soliciting public comment on derivatives and their risk.
The response was swift and blistering. Within hours, Greenspan, Rubin and Levitt cited their "grave concerns" in an unusual joint statement. Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers decried it before Congress as "casting a shadow of regulatory uncertainty over an otherwise thriving market." Wall Street howled. "The government had a legitimate interest in preserving the enforceability of the billions of dollars worth of swap contracts that were threatened by the concept release," said Mark Brickell, a managing director at what was then J.P. Morgan Securities and former chairman of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.
Although Born said new rules would be prospective, Wall Street was afraid existing contracts could be challenged in court. "That meant anybody on a losing side of a trade could walk away," Brickell said. He spent months shuttling between New York and Washington, working on Congress to block CFTC action. "I remember getting on an overnight train and arriving at Rayburn by 5:30 a.m.," he said. "I watched the sun rise and then went to work on my testimony without a whole lot of sleep."
Born, who testified before Congress at least 17 times, tried to counter the legal question by saying that regulation would apply only to new contracts, not existing ones. But she relentlessly reiterated her conviction that ignoring the risk of derivatives was dangerous.
In June 1998, Leach, who had become chairman of the House Banking committee, thrust himself into the regulatory rift. He herded Born, Rubin and Greenspan into a small room near the committee's main venue at the Rayburn House Office Building, thinking he could mediate. "This is the most unusual meeting I've ever participated in," Leach recalled. "I have never in my life been in a setting where three senior members of the U.S. government reflected more tension. Secretary Rubin and Chairman Greenspan were in concert in expressing frustration with the CFTC leadership. . . . She felt, I'm confident, outnumbered with the two against one."
Leach thought the futures commission lacked the professional bench to handle oversight. He pressed Born not to proceed until the Treasury and the Fed could agree which agency was best suited to the role. "I tried to take the perspective of, 'I hope we can work this out,' " he said. "Both sides -- neither side, gave in." Rubin said, in the recent interview, that he had his own qualms about derivatives, going back to his days as a managing partner at Goldman Sachs. He later wrote in a 2003 book that "derivatives, with leverage limits that vary from little to none at all, should be subject to comprehensive and higher margin requirements," forcing dealers to put up more capital to back the swaps. "But that will almost surely not happen, absent a crisis."
Asked why he didn't suggest stricter capital requirements as an alternative in 1998, Rubin said, "There was no political reality of getting it done. We were so caught up with other issues that were so pressing. . . . the Asian financial crisis, the Brazilian financial crisis. We had a lot going on." When the warring parties faced off next, in the Senate Agriculture committee's hearing room July 30, 1998, it was not a neutral battleground to air their differences. Chairman Richard G. Lugar, an Indiana Republican, wanted to extract a public promise from Born to cease her campaign. Otherwise, Congress would move forward on a Treasury-backed bill to slap a moratorium on further CFTC action.
The committee had to switch to a larger room to accommodate the expected crowd of lobbyists representing banks, brokerage firms, futures exchanges, energy companies and agricultural interests, according to a Lugar aide. A dubious Lugar opened the hearing by telling Born: "It is unusual for three agencies of the executive branch to propose legislation that would restrict the activities of a fourth." Born would not yield. She portrayed her agency as under attack, saying the Fed, Treasury and SEC had already decided "that the CFTC's authority should instead be transferred to and divided among themselves."
Greenspan shot back that CFTC regulation was superfluous; existing laws were enough. "Regulation of derivatives transactions that are privately negotiated by professionals is unnecessary," he said. "Regulation that serves no useful purpose hinders the efficiency of markets to enlarge standards of living." The stalemate persisted. Then, in September a crisis arose that gave credence to Born's concerns.
Long Term Capital Management, a huge hedge fund heavily weighted in derivatives, told the Fed that it could not cover $4 billion in losses, threatening the fortunes of everyone from tycoons to pension funds. After Russia, swept up in the Asian economic crisis, had defaulted on its debt, Long Term Capital was besieged with calls to put up more cash as collateral for its investments. Based on the derivative side of its books, Long Term Capital had an astoundingly high debt-to-capital ratio. "The off-balance sheet leverage was 100 to 1 or 200 to 1 -- I don't know how to calculate it," Peter Fisher, a senior Fed official, told Greenspan and other Fed governors at a Sept. 29, 1998, meeting, according to the transcript.
Two days later, Born warned the House Banking committee: "This episode should serve as a wake-up call about the unknown risks that the over-the-counter derivatives market may pose to the U.S. economy and to financial stability around the world." She spoke of an "immediate and pressing need to address whether there are unacceptable regulatory gaps." The near collapse of Long Term Capital Management didn't change anything. Although some lawmakers expressed new fervor for addressing the risks of derivatives, Congress went ahead with the law that placed a six-month moratorium on any CFTC action regarding the swaps market.
The battle left Born politically isolated. In April 1999, the President's Working Group issued a report on the lessons of Long Term Capital's meltdown, her last as part of the group. The report raised some alarm over excess leverage and the unknown risks of the derivative market, but called for only one legislative change -- a recommendation that brokerages' unregulated affiliates be required to assess and report their financial risk to the government. Greenspan dissented on that recommendation.
By May, Born had had enough. Although it was customary at the agency for others to organize an outgoing chairman's going-away bash, she personally sprang for an ice cream cart in the commission's beige-carpeted auditorium. On a June afternoon, employees listened to subdued, carefully worded farewells while serving themselves sundaes. In November, Greenspan, Rubin, Levitt and Born's replacement, William Rainer, submitted a Working Group report on derivatives. They recommended no CFTC regulation, saying that it "would otherwise perpetuate legal uncertainty or impose unnecessary regulatory burdens and constraints upon the development of these markets in the United States."
Throughout much of 2000, lobbyists were flying in and out of congressional offices. With Born gone, they saw an opportunity to settle the regulatory issue and perhaps gain even more. They had a sympathetic ear in Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, the influential Republican chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and a sympathetic bill: the 2000 Commodity Futures Modernization Act. Gramm opened a June 21 hearing with a call for "regulatory relief." Peering through his wire-rimmed glasses, he drawled: "I think we would do well to remember the Lincoln adage that to ask a society to live under old and outmoded laws -- and I think you could say the same about regulation -- is like asking a man to wear the same clothes he wore when he was a boy."
Greenspan and Rubin's successor at the Treasury, Larry Summers, still held sway on keeping the CFTC out of the swaps market. But Treasury officials saw an opportunity to push forward on a self-regulation idea from the Working Group's November 1999 report: an industry clearinghouse to hold pools of cash collected from financial firms to cover derivatives losses. But the report had also called for federal oversight to ensure that risk-management procedures were followed. The swaps industry generally supported the clearinghouse concept. One amended version of the bill made federal oversight optional. Treasury officials scrambled to act, and a provision introduced by Leach requiring oversight prevailed.
The House passed the bill Oct. 19, but then the legislation stalled. Gramm was holding out for stronger language that would bar both the CFTC and the SEC from meddling in the swaps market. Alarmed, SEC lawyers argued that the agency at least needed to retain its authority over fraud and insider trading. What if a trader, armed with inside knowledge, engaged in a swap on a stock? Treasury Undersecretary Gary Gensler brokered a compromise: The SEC would retain its antifraud authority but without any new rulemaking power.
On the night of Dec. 15, with the nation still focused on the Supreme Court decision three days earlier that settled the 2000 presidential election in George W. Bush's favor, the act passed as a rider to an omnibus spending bill. The clearinghouse provision remained. At the time, it seemed like a breakthrough. A clearinghouse would have created layers of protections that don't exist today, said Craig Pirrong, a markets expert at the University of Houston. "An industry-backed pool of capital could have cushioned against losses while discouraging risky bets." But afterward, the clearinghouse idea sat dormant, with no one in the industry moving to put one in place.
In 2004, the SEC pursued another voluntary system. This one, too, didn't work out quite as hoped. For years, Congress had allowed a huge gap in Wall Street oversight: the SEC had authority over the brokerage arms of investment banks such as Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, but were in the dark about deals made by the firms' holding companies and its unregulated affiliates. European regulators, demanding more transparency given the substantial overseas operations of U.S. firms, were threatening to put these holding companies under regulatory supervision if their American counterparts didn't do so first.
For the SEC, this was deja vu. In 1999, the SEC had sought such authority over the holding companies and failed to get it. Late in the year, Congress passed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, dismantling the walls separating commercial banks, investment banks and insurance companies since the Great Depression. But the act did not provide for any SEC oversight of investment bank holding companies. The momentum was all toward deregulation. "I remember saying at the time, people don't get it -- the level of missed opportunities to address some of these problems," said Annette Nazareth, then the SEC's head of market regulation. "It was an absolute siege on regulation."
Five years later, the European regulators were forcing the issue again. Restricted by Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the SEC proposed a voluntary system, which the big investment banks opted to join. The holding companies would be permitted to follow their own computer models to assess how much risk they were taking; the SEC would get access to make sure the complex capital and risk-management models were up to the job. At an April 28 SEC meeting, commissioner Harvey Goldschmid expressed caution. "If anything goes wrong, it's going to be an awfully big mess," said Goldschmid, who voted for the program.
Last month, the SEC's inspector general concluded that the program had failed in the case of Bear Stearns, which collapsed in March. SEC overseers had seen Bear Stearns's heavy focus on mortgage-backed securities and over-leveraging, but "did not take serious action to limit these risk factors," the inspector general's report said. SEC officials say the voluntary program limited what they could do. They checked to make sure Bear Stearns was adhering to its risk models but did not count on those models being fundamentally flawed.
On Sept. 26, with the economic meltdown in full swing, SEC Chairman Christopher Cox shut down the program. Cox, a longtime champion of deregulation, said in a statement posted on the SEC's Web site, "the last six months have made it abundantly clear that voluntary regulation does not work." It was too late. All five brokerages in the program had either filed for bankruptcy, been absorbed or converted into commercial banks.
On Sept. 15, 2005, Federal Reserve Bank of New York president Timothy F. Geithner gathered senior executives and risk-management officers from 14 Wall Street firms in the Fed's 10th-floor conference room in lower Manhattan for another discussion about a voluntary mechanism. Also arrayed around the wood rectangular table, covered by green-felt tablecloths, were European market supervisors from Britain, Switzerland and Germany.
E. Gerald Corrigan, managing director of Goldman Sachs and one of Geithner's predecessors at the New York Fed, had reported in July that the face value of credit-default swaps had soared ninefold in just three years. Without an automated, electronic system for tracking the trades or collateral to back them, the potential for systemic risk was increasing. "The growth of derivatives was exceeding the maturity of the operational infrastructure, so we thought we would try to narrow the gap," Geithner said in an interview. Talks have continued on a range of issues, including how to set up a clearinghouse with reserves in case of default -- the same concept in the 2000 legislation -- and what kind of government oversight would be allowed. But three years later, there is no system in place. Some major dealers have preferred to go it alone, and no one in the government told them they couldn't.
With last month's death spiral of American International Group, the world's largest private insurance company until it was seized by the government, regulators saw their fears play out. AIG had sold $440 billion in credit-default swaps tied to mortgage securities that began to falter. When its losses mounted, the credit-rating agencies downgraded AIG's standing, triggering a clause in its credit-default swap contracts to post billions in collateral that it didn't have. The government swooped in to prevent AIG's default, hoping to ward off another chain reaction in the already shaky financial system.
The economic crisis has added momentum to the Fed's attempts to organize a voluntary clearinghouse. Geithner held two meetings last week with several firms and major dealers interested in setting up such a mechanism. Last week, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange announced it would team with Citadel Investment Group, a large hedge fund, to launch an electronic trading platform and clearinghouse for credit-default swaps. Other private companies and exchanges are working on their own systems, seeing opportunities for profit in becoming a shock absorber for the system.
The crisis has prompted second thoughts. Goldschmid, the former SEC commissioner and the agency's general counsel under Levitt, looks back at the long history of missed opportunities and sighs: "In hindsight, there's no question that we would have been better off if we had been regulating derivatives -- and had a clearinghouse for it." Levitt, too, thinks about might-have-beens. "In fairness, while Summers and Rubin and I certainly gave in to this, we were not in the same camp as the Fed," he said. "The Fed was really adamantly opposed to any form of regulation whatsoever. I guess if I had to do it over again, I certainly would have pushed for some way to give greater transparency to products which turned out to be injurious to our markets."
Come on Ilargi. Get some smarts. You and Pretti both know not to use a linear scale for a growth curve. Don't you?
Hello CMH,
Your story reminds me of my business partner here in France. He is Canadian, his parents came from Russia, fleeing some sort of persecution, had their children very late in life, etc.
Anyway, what pushed me to respond was this:
I have been told that it is dangerous to take them out as no one can time the market and no one knows where the bottom lies.
That is the classic line intended to make you sit on your investments until the market comes back up. My brother has exactly that opinion even today!
But, as I told him one year ago, if the market is heading down for a long time, simply pull your money out as soon as possible. We are not talking about timing the market, but rather about saving what is still to be saved.
Stoneleigh thinks we may be looking at a rebound coming up. Given how things stand today, you might as well try to take advantage of some of that rebound. If you have seen no progress in the next few weeks, then I would sell.
BUT, do not take my word for it, ask around, look for other opinions, particularly from people capable of looking at your holdings and making an informed decision.
"You and Pretti both know not to use a linear scale for a growth curve. Don't you?"
For some reason, all of a sudden and out of the blue, I'm-s-a thinking I never understood, until today that is, what the term "smart-ass" means.
I know another person, who predicted the end of the USSR and financial crash of the USA in early 80's.
His name is Jiri Polak, he's Doctor of Politology - international relations.
Watch at http://www.demokracie.info/index.php?id_kategorie=8
for the contact. He speaks English well, better than me and I'm sure he'll reply your question quickly.
When I talked to him last time, early this summer, he told me that it is too late to fix ill US economzy They're awaiting the total state bancrot already. Followed by worldwide crash of economy. The economs will be forced to found the new way, how the economy will work in the future.
Greetings from Czech Republic
Well, speaking of Calm & Boring vs. Freaky Lizard, check out this photo from the end of last night's debate:
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20081016/i/r1772410910.jpg
(or: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Republican-presidential-nominee-shaking-hands-Senator-Barack-Obama-presidential-debate/photo/081016/ids_photos_ts/r1772410910.jpg/;_ylt=AujAY6EXHmMQy5Zsha09SbsDW7oF )
Freaky Lizard link
Re the Freaky Lizard link- can this be a real photo. In what context was McCain behaving this way.Was he joking around? He looks like he is having a heart attack or something?
I didn't watch the debate- no television.
Came across a great quote on Jesse's Cafe Americain:
" Those entrapped by the herd instinct are drowned by the deluges of history. But there are always the few who observe,reason, and take precautions and thus escape the flood." Anthony C. Sutton
Numbered in the few are Ilargi and Stoneleigh
The Freaky Lizard photo is indeed genuine. Here's a link to the Reuters photo in context at Yahoo:
Yahoo News - McCain Is One Freaky Lizard
I believe this was at the end of the debate, when McCain couldn't decide which direction to go around the table to shake the moderator's hand.
el_pollo said...
The ghost of Jim Morrison must be pissed. A new Lizard King.
That picture, and the title Reuters filed it under, are real funny. I thought all night long last night that he looked like a lizard, and wrote about it this morning, without seeing that pic. Guess i wasn't the only on thinking of a big wet sticky 3 meter green tongue coming out of the jab any moment now. Thanks for the pic.
Speaking of market timing for entertaining porpoises. Anybody think S&P and Dow made their temporary double bottoms today? Say legs up into mid-November?
Bigelow -- I have no idea what the market will do, and if I did you could make a large fortune using me as a contrary indicator!! That said, I sincerely hope you are right about a rally coming -- I think we probably all have friends and family that need to sell in to it - if we can only persuade them to take that step! --(In this case, forget what I said about me being a contrary indicator...I'm just following the lead of Ilargi and Stoneleigh! Unfortunately, I am not nearly as persuasive as they are.)
GSJ
Bigelow -- Forgot to add that my main worry is that the market never seems to do what you need it to do...and hope turns into dispair. (And that is a very brief but complete history of my experience trading stocks and options in a different lifetime.)
Re the Freaky Lizard link- can this be a real photo. In what context was McCain behaving this way.Was he joking around? He looks like he is having a heart attack or something? I didn't watch the debate
I didn't watch the debate either. It's all such a farce.
My guess is that McCain was told by his handlers to act 'young and vibrant.' After mistakenly turning the wrong way off stage, he decided to (over)compensate by making the over-the-top animated facial expression.
Just a wild-ass-guess though.
Previous post...
Dark matter..Rabbits love Himalayan blackberries,the invasive species that is the same as living bob-wire all around my place.They like the shoots best,but will munch all the leaves you give them.This was a trick that the guy who supplied Fred Meyers stores w/rabbit taught me.The old boy lived up the road from me with his wife in a run-down trailer w/a processing house still attached.The name of his company was 'the violin rabbit company"which was a play on their names Violet and Lynn.He was well known in the rabbit world ,as a supplier of breeding stock to several countries...I was wise enough to soak up everything i could from him about raising bunnies.[I still have contact info to the pres. of the state rabbit org.ect for good breeding stock ect].This was a example of a old guy who started a business from nothing and handed over to a young couple who broke it in 6 months
If there is a interest Sparkle,There is always good Chinese,Korean,Lebanese,East Indian,Spanish ect. food in stumptown Any guess how many readers are from here in PDX?
EBrown said...
You are not the only one who thinks McCain looks like a lizard.
check out Sept. 29th full episode of the Colbert report (around minute 4) - www.colbertnation.com
I laughed uproariously at that last week.
After thinking about it,I vote for Born for the new treasury sec...or to be the one in charge of all that money we just handed "Hank".
Thanks for the photo of the fake smile, drugged lizard (poor lizards!). We had a good laugh, our sons were rolling. They can't stand McCain and are looking forward to vote for Obama. My husband and I are so disgusted with one party system that for a while we contemplated not participating in federal elections at all. However, we have decided to vote for Obama (no viable Greens in US) despite being cognizant that the handlers probably won't allow the execution of any reforms, assuming Obama is willing and gets to the White House. I wonder if elections will be rigged again -- 2000 and 2004 election-rigging is well documented.
McCain and Palin are dangerous, scary people. I'd rather see Obama, a more balanced person, in the White House in charge of nukes and managing the sinking Titanic than John McNut.
Dr. John McDougall examines the diet and drug habits of Obama and McCain.
McCain does use a bunch of drugs, even inducing sleep with pills.
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2008nl/sep/presidents.htm
GEAB 28: "...our researchers anticipate that, before next summer 2009, the US government will default and be prevented to pay back its creditors... According to our team, the period that will then begin should be conducive to the setting up of a « new Dollar » to remedy the problem of default and of induced massive capital drain from the US."
They also predict the Euro becomes a "credible safe haven." I was thinking the other day about how accurate their bulletins have been--but their political ambitions may blind them on outcomes.
Tom Sawyer said...
Banks Admit Bailout Won't Work
Henry Blodget | Oct 17, 08 8:47 AM
So much for that story. A few days ago, when Hank Paulson called the heads of the nine families to Washington and shoved cash down their throats, he announced that the banks would use this new taxpayer cash to lend. They won't, of course. They'll hoard it like a starving family who has just been given a grocery cart full of food.
And after a few days of silence, even the banks are finally admitting that. So it's back to the drawing board for Paulson & Co.
Next steps? Find a way to force the banks to write their assets down to nuclear winter levels, so 1) private investors don't have to worry about getting sandbagged and therefore invest more in the banks, and 2) the banks know they won't be forced to take more multi-billion dollar losses. Only then will the banks begin to lend again. And at that point, the only challenge will be finding people and companies to lend to, in an economy headed straight into the tank.)
NYT: , John Thain, the chief executive of Merrill Lynch, said on Thursday that banks were unlikely to act swiftly. Executives at other banks privately expressed a similar view.
“We will have the opportunity to redeploy that,” Mr. Thain said of the new capital on a telephone call with analysts. “But at least for the next quarter, it’s just going to be a cushion."...
“I don’t think that the market wants to see that capital being put to work to leverage the business up again,” said Roger Freeman, an analyst at Barclays Capital, which acquired parts of the now-bankrupt Lehman Brothers last month. “My expectation is it’s quarters off, not months off, before you see that capital being put to work.”...
Jamie Dimon, the chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan, said his bank was in a stronger position to use the money than some of its competitors.
“It’s clear that the government would like us to use the capital,” Mr. Dimon said on a conference call with analysts on Wednesday. “If you are a bank that is filling a hole, you obviously can’t do that.”
Who is "a bank that is filling a hole"? Seven of the nine that just got taxpayer money.
http://www.clusterstock.com/2008/10/banks-admit-bailout-won-t-work
dan w said...
Bailout Haiku:
“Hank”, said W
“his plan is right for the world”
Poverty’s a bitch
Looks like the TED is into a bit of a free fall. Rally time? Look at interday.
I think that the TED is dropping like hell because the 3m T-bill is going up like crazy today. Currently at .85%. Wasn't it like .22% a couple of days ago? Did Hankenstein announce that the treasury was defaulting on Monday :-) This may not representing a melt of the credit markets, but rather resistance to T-Bills. But that said, I am a plumber and don't know shit about it.
Thanks el pollo, but hey as far as knowing what is what, I don't even have a site to watch US T bills on!(don't tell ilargi but if I didn't figure I need to be watching this economic stuff I would be on the beach in Mexico painting pictures to chuck in the ocean). Do you think Warren Buffet trying to buy low today, and shouting all about it, had any influence?
Then again thinking that over I guess Buffet could maybe influence the stock market but not something like T bills. (don't ask me for investment advice, not wise.)
How is Tony Hankenstein going to cut interest rates further? Even the BofJ is not willing to drop its funds rate to an negative number - i.e. (at least on a nominal basis) pay people to borrow money.
As deflation sets into the real economy, including plummeting commodities, our savings should be appreciating on a real basis. As of Monday's auction, I should have 90% of my egg in currency and 13w T-bills. The other 10% is for day trading and the Tip Jar :-)
Hurricane Omar made a little hop and shuffle to the east at the last second while doing 120 mph and missed my hovel by 30 miles. Otherwise my Neanderthal presence would just be a grease spot on a rock. Omar was compact but cute.
Debt Rattle, October 31 2008: Scramble for Pennies...
Debt Rattle, October 30 2008: Swamps and Swaps
Debt Rattle, October 29 2008: The lone and level s...
Debt Rattle, October 28 2008: Like there's no tomo...
Debt Rattle, October 27 2008: Servants of the Peop...
Debt Rattle, October 26 2008: Merciless
Debt Rattle, October 25 2008: Ass Clowns
Debt Rattle, October 24 2008: Shot to Rippons
Debt Rattle, October 23 2008: A Massive Ugly War
Debt Rattle, October 22 2008: Shelling
Debt Rattle, October 21 2008: Diving For Dear Life...
Debt Rattle, October 20 2008: The Lord of More
Debt Rattle, October 19 2008: Deadly Sins and Scre...
Debt Rattle, October 18 2008: Empires Built on Deb...
Debt Rattle, October 17 2008: Crisis Equals Opport...
Debt Rattle, October 16 2008: Lipstick on a Lizard...
Debt Rattle, October 15 2008: The Real People
Debt Rattle, October 14 2008: Worse Than a Divorce...
Debt Rattle, October 13 2008: Money Flowed Like Wi...
Debt Rattle, October 12 2008: Money is no object
Debt Rattle, October 11 2008: Sleeping with the fi...
Debt Rattle, October 10 2008: Good Night America
Debt Rattle, October 9 2008: Debts no honest man c...
Debt Rattle, October 8 2008: The Last Bank
Debt Rattle, October 7 2008: Tidings From the Cuck...
Debt Rattle, October 6 2008: A Terrible Beauty Is ...
Debt Rattle, October 5 2008: In Your Face
Debt Rattle, October 4 2008: And The Law Won
Debt Rattle, October 3 2008: Permanent Emergency
Debt Rattle, October 2 2008: Showboating
Debt Rattle, October 1 2008: Pigs
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Chris Barrie
Honorary Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
Entered the RAN aged 15 in 1961 as Cadet Midshipman. Retired as Admiral in 2002 from full-time service, and command of the Australian Defence Force. Since 2002 work has focused on strategic leadership and decision-making matters, as well as Risk Policy, Crime Prevention and strategic affairs. He is also Chair of PTSD Australia New Zealand, whose subsidiary FearLess Outreach aims to support all people in the community who live with post-traumatic stress.
Chief of the Defence Force, Australian Defence Force
Australian National University, Honorary Professor
Australian National University, Visiting Fellow
Deakin University, Master of Business Administration
Companion Order of Australia
@chrisbarrie
cbarrie@ozemail.com.au
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To wrap up the workout, set one final timer. Then, do 10 forward rolls, 10 backward rolls, 100 sit-ups, 10 ground n’ pounds (place a heavy bag on the floor, mount, and strike it; this is what’s pictured), and 15 pushups. For the remainder of your timer—yeah, we know, you get it by now—jump rope. Slate this workout into your routine and you’ll be fighting fit in no time.
Ross training shows you how to make sandbags, but I have an easier/cheaper way. Just buy a $10 exercise ball and fill it up with water. Submerge to pump, you'll figure it out. I filled mine halfway, about 60#s. You can do Tabata front squats or cleans. They're pretty killer. So much so that I stopped doing them. But maybe you'll have more mental fortitue than I.
Boxers undergo some of the most intense training to prepare for just minutes in the ring. Sure, lifting weights and running endless miles will do the trick, but lets be real, nothing feels better than sweating it out like a true badass. Treadmills and stairmasters are child’s play in comparison to banging out a few rounds of speed rope or deadly one-two combinations.
The show primarily deals with the storylines of its three female leads – Diane, Lucca, and Maia – and contains considerable political and social commentary, exploring topical issues such as the alt-right, the Me Too movement, online harassment, and fake news. As well as starting again in a new firm with its own office politics to deal with, longtime Democrat Diane must navigate a world she hardly recognizes, becoming increasingly troubled by Trump-era politics and the actions of his administration. Lucca Quinn, a former employee of Diane's, has found firm footing at Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart and is a rising star on the partner track, balancing her dedication to her work and a romantic entanglement with US Attorney Colin Morello, a frequent opposing counsel. Meanwhile Maia, Diane's goddaughter, is trying to get her legal career off to a good start, while coming under pressure from the FBI over alleged involvement with her father's Ponzi scheme.
I always recommend some sort of dynamic warm-up/movement prep before starting a strength-training workout. I use this exercise with the majority of my clients, regardless of their profession. My MMA athletes are typically tight in the upper back from the various positions in which they put their bodies. For the "desk jockey" who spends hours a day at a desk, tight upper-back muscles are also common, as sitting for long periods of time wreaks havoc on one’s posture. To help combat poor posture, you need to facilitate thoracic spine extension and rotation with movements like this one.
Submission-Seeking is a reference to the strategy of taking an opponent to the ground using a takedown or throw and then applying a submission hold, forcing the opponent to submit. While grapplers will often work to attain dominant position, some may be more comfortable fighting from other positions. If a grappler finds themselves unable to force a takedown, they may resort to pulling guard, whereby they physically pull their opponent into a dominant position on the ground.[137]
While mixed martial arts is primarily a male dominated sport, it does have female athletes. Female competition in Japan includes promotions such as the all-female Valkyrie, and JEWELS (formerly known as Smackgirl).[145] However historically there has been only a select few major professional mixed martial arts organizations in the United States that invite women to compete. Among those are Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships, the all female Invicta Fighting Championships, and the now defunct EliteXC.[citation needed]
This is not to say all companies are guilty of this, but to acknowledge that there is, and continues to be, an “old guard” in the professional world. Racism in the workplace often manifests itself in this way, through institutional racism. There are ways to fight institutional racism from the outside, such as through business regulations, legislation requiring fair hiring practices, and an array of legal resources, ethics boards, incident reporting procedures, and more. Still, fighting from the outside can only do so much.
I attended the Alan Belcher MMA club in Dlbverville while I was in tech training at Keesler AFB this year. I wanted to find something that kept me engaged and active through all that studying. Never boxed before, these lady and gentleman were patient with me and I grew a love for boxing. I saw results regardless of if I was eating right (If I ate right would have been a lot more) the owner taught many of the classes! Now that I've graduated and went back home I just wanted to give a review to say If you're thinking about trying it you should!
In 2011, the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF) hosted the first MMA event in Shanghai sanctioned by China's governing body for combat sports, the Wushu Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport in China. RUFF formally crowned the first Chinese national MMA champions in 2013 with each champion receiving 1,000,000 RMB in prize money.[214] Other MMA promotions in China include the 'Real Fight Championship', which has produced three events in Henan and Beijing.
Barbara forces Diane and Lucca to work together on a case against assistant district attorney Colin Morello. The case involves a doctor who was arrested for performing surgery on a known terrorist. The partners have a meeting about their financial status and it turns out that a significant client has not paid their retainer this year. They are worried he may be moving firms now that Trump is in office. The firm investigator approaches Marissa to introduce himself. He is upset that she took it upon herself to round up the class action members last week. Maia visits her father in prison. She wants to warn him about her mother and Jax. The partners rush to find someone in their office who voted for Trump. Lucca has an unexpected run-in with Colin. Marissa works with the investigator to track down a crucial witness. The court rules in Diane and Lucca's favor, but the doctor is immediately arrested again. The partners make the individual who voted for Trump bid to the client. Maia visits her uncle where she finds evidence that could help her father. The court case turns again when a terrorist on the most wanted list gets involved.
Drop the white knight routine and face facts. Women on average a weaker/smaller than men. If a woman is going to be traveling down the street, it’s in her best interest to carry some form of protection in case some punk wants to mug/rape/kidnap her. Nothing sexist about it. It’s the facts of life. Hell, I’ve been studying martial arts for 15 years and I still carry something, be it a tactical flashlight/knife/keys between the fingers, to give me an edge over a thug who wants to start trouble.
The materials and information provided in this presentation, document and/or any other communication (“Communication”) from Onnit Labs, Inc. or any related entity or person (collectively “Onnit”) are strictly for informational purposes only and are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a qualified medical professional. Some of the concepts presented herein may be theoretical.
Integrate explosive resistance training. Fighter training is all about explosive power, and resistance training is an effective way to improve this. Granted, every weightlifting session doesn't have to focus on power, but try to incorporate this type of training, utilizing plyometrics, such as box jumps or medicine ball thrusts, or powerlifting techniques, once or twice a week. Perform two to four sets of six to 10 reps for each plyometric exercise.
Because each training method we use has a weakness, it's important to use a mix of methods so that every necessary element is trained. We can't strike our partners with full force, so we include pad drills to work on speed and power. It's unsafe to train defense against random attacks at full speed and power, so we use prearranged or scenario training to do that. The important thing is to identify the weak point in each training method and be sure you've got another that compensates for it.
MMA is legal in Bahrain. Bahrain National MMA Federation (BNMMAF) has been set up under the patronage of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the jurisdiction of the Sports Minister Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.[193] The development of MMA in the nation is convened through KHK MMA, which also owns Brave Combat Federation, which is the largest Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the Middle East.[194] Bahrain will be hosting World MMA Amateurs Championship 2017 supported by International Mixed Martial Arts Federation.[195]
10) Chicks dig fighters. Women love violence. They will say things like “I hate violence. I hate those meathead guys that fight all the time.” The women who say things like this have one thing in common: they're lying. Women absolutely love men who handle violent confrontation and come up the winner. It's in their nature, it's in their DNA. Something you won't read in a newspaper: Ghetto thugs who often beat up weak people are rewarded with sex by their ghetto mistresses. You're smarter than fighting all the time – but simply being able to handle violent confrontation (having the Eye of the Tiger) is enough to get them wet.
Anthony Yom – Yom is an AP Calculus teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, an area with a high population of underprivileged minority youth. His school contends with a 91% poverty rate. Despite many hurdles, Yom has achieved remarkable success with his students on the AP Calculus exam, with a 100% pass rate, and high average score. Yom is also the winner of our 2016 Escalante-Gradillas Prize for Best in Education.
The term no holds barred was used originally to describe the wrestling method prevalent in catch wrestling tournaments during the late 19th century wherein no wrestling holds were banned from the competition, regardless of how dangerous they might be. The term was applied to mixed martial arts matches, especially at the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[106]
Train with the best in the business. Our work ethic and attention to detail is what separates us from other performance training facilities when it comes to NFL Combine prep work. Having combined decades of experience coaching at the collegiate level at both West Virginia University and the University of Michigan, the NFL Combine has always been a top focus of ours and priority for our athletes. We tackle combine training from all angles, increasing your physical strength and speed as well as your mental toughness with a hands-on approach and an emphasis on walking our athletes through the proper biomechanical positions ensuring their performance on testing day as well continued performance throughout their careers.
Whilst training and assessing I look at the load, technique, the number of repetitions, and the speed at which the weight is moved, which is very important. All of the above are always logged for the future information. For example, let’s say that Richie deadlifts 80% of his 1RM x 5, but the bar moves slowly. He struggles with the last 2 reps but manages to complete them with correct technique. I have made a note in his training log, “1x 5 @ 80% 1RM DL.” A couple of sessions later, he repeats exactly the same drill, but this time the bar moves quickly. He doesn’t struggle and there is no decrease in the speed at which he moves the bar. Does it mean he got stronger? Yes, but if I only make a note “[email protected]% 1RM DL” it doesn't tell me that there has been an improvement. I must also note the speed of the bar.
What is it? The literal Hebrew translation of Krav Maga is “battle contact” and we can’t think of a better description. It was developed by the Israeli Defense Force to be used in real-life combat situations. In addition to punches, kicks and throws, it teaches real-life scenarios like how to disarm an attacker. Rubber knives and guns will make appearances.
MMA is a complex sport that involves many different art forms. Fighters are forced to balance all aspects of their fight training, including boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu, drilling, technique, sparring and more. On top of this, they also need to fit some type of strength and conditioning plan, pay their bills, eat, sleep, and manage to squeeze in a personal life (family, friends, kids, etc).
The HawaiianMiles rewards program is ideal for those traveling from the United States, Asia and the South Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian Airlines serves more than 25 domestic and international destinations and provides nonstop daily service to Hawaii from multiple U.S. cities. The HawaiianMiles program offers a variety of ways to earn miles, from booking flights and hotels to shopping at Hawaiian Airlines partner vendors. Earn more miles on everyday purchases by signing up and using the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard from Barclays. You can redeem your miles for future hotel stays, car rentals and flights on Hawaiian Airlines and its airline partners, which include JetBlue and Korean Air.
The AEROBIC system (also known as the oxidative system) is the slowest acting energy system in our body, yet it is capable of creating the most energy. At rest, around 65-70% of your energy comes from the utilization of fat, 25-30% comes from carbohydrates, while less than 5-10% comes from amino acids (protein). As intensity increases, these percentages shift - carbohydrates become more important because of its quicker availability in the body. That's why you need adequate blood sugar (carb) levels when exercising or doing intensive activity. The aerobic energy system is the predominant system involved in exercise lasting 2-3 minutes, to hours and even days. The aerobic system (aero meaning air) requires oxygen to utilize fat stores (body fat) and carbohydrate stores (in your muscles and liver).
“The physical benefits, which are great, for me pale in comparison to the great mental & emotional benefits I have received in the 4 years since I started training at the Warriors Cove. I am much more confident in myself. I have a greater sense of peace. My mind feels much sharper, and I am a much happier person now. I generally feel much more capable of dealing with whatever life throws at me. My day to day anxiety level is also much less. I couldn’t imagine my life without the Warriors Cove, and I am eternally grateful that Mr. Arnebeck started this school.”
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes taking an opponent to the ground and utilizing ground fighting techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and choke holds also found in numerous other arts with or without ground fighting emphasis. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are somewhat negated when grappling on the ground.
In March 1997, the Iowa Athletic Commission officially sanctioned Battlecade Extreme Fighting under a modified form of its existing rules for Shootfighting. These rules created the three 5 minute round, one-minute break format, and mandated shootfighting gloves, as well as weight classes, for the first time. Illegal blows were listed as groin strikes, head butting, biting, eye gouging, hair pulling, striking an opponent with an elbow while the opponent is on the mat, kidney strikes, and striking the back of the head with closed fist. Holding onto the ring or cage for any reason was defined as a foul.[50][51] While there are minor differences between these and the final Unified Rules, notably regarding elbow strikes, the Iowa rules allowed mixed martial arts promoters to conduct essentially modern events legally, anywhere in the state. On March 28, 1997, Extreme Fighting 4 was held under these rules, making it the first show conducted under a version of the modern rules.
MMA fighters train brutally hard to compete in their sport. Their workouts vary widely between working on skill-sets, extreme conditioning, and strength training. Some fighters also learn the hard way that it is possible to over-train for a fight, if you can believe it. Fighting might come from some of the earliest most instinctual place of human evolution, but modern fighters have taken training and preparation to whole new levels.
Finally, you’ll need to use fairly long rest intervals between each rep, as much 60-90 seconds – you can also use recovery to heart rates of 130-140 if you’re using a heart rate monitor. For the best results, you can perform these intervals twice per week, at least three days apart. The low work: rest ratio, along with the high resistance used, makes these high resistance intervals both unique and effective at improving explosive-endurance.
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Neil Gross immediately puts the firm to work when he wants hate speech, and the people responsible for it, removed from his websites. Maia takes the assignment personally when the hate speech sounds like threats she has been getting. Colin talks to his supervisor again about Kresteva. Marissa thinks about getting into investigating. Maia's uncle stops by the office to see her. He warns her that her father is up to something. She reaches out to Elsbeth for advice. Things are heating up between Colin and Lucca until he asks her to go to dinner. After the firm decides to implement an appeals process for banned users, one such user has a field day presenting his narrative. Information from the firm's discussions about the appeals process is leaked. Online users use it to their advantage. Lucca arranges a date so that they'll run into Colin but it doesn't produce the results she's expecting. When she confronts him later, she's surprised again. Maia shows up for a meeting with her dad and finds a party in progress. She's nervous when he tries to speak with her in private. Marissa steps in when the investigator needs some help tracking down a very specific kind of online user. Not surprisingly, she's good at it. Elsbeth stops by to warn the firm about the newest fake news story. Julius makes a surprising decision about his future with the firm.
There has been a growing awareness of women in mixed martial arts due to popular female fighters and personalities such as Megumi Fujii, Miesha Tate, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Ronda Rousey, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Holly Holm and Gina Carano among others. Carano became known as "the face of women's MMA" after appearing in a number of EliteXC events. This was furthered by her appearances on MGM Television's 2008 revival of their game show American Gladiators.[citation needed]
Camozzi's typical heavy bag routine consists of three, 5-minute rounds, each followed by 1 minute of rest. Each round focuses on a different aspect of training. "I like to start with one, 5-minute round of just boxing, hands only. This should be done at a high pace with a high volume of punches," he says, adding that you should mix up your speed and power, working long-range and close-range punches. "A lot of times I'll throw three- to four-punch combos fast, making one of those punches as hard as I can. It's good to change up the rhythm."
If the only boxing you’ve done involved a crate of oranges, you may want to look for a takedown in a fight-wrestling an opponent off his feet and onto the floor so he can’t hit you. “Some guys can get to the legs, but they lack the power to pick an opponent up off his feet to finish the takedown,” says Zach Even-Esh, a strength coach to MMA athletes in Edison, NJ. “To improve speed and strength, try the barbell burpee power clean.”
UFC Gym lives up to their motto “Train Different” by providing classes that combine strength training with cardiovascular conditioning. Instead of conventional cardio, you’ll push sleds, flip tires, and slam sand bags in their Daily Ultimate Training class. Modeled on high-intensity interval training, these taxing bouts of work and short recovery periods strengthen your cardiovascular capacity and torch calories long after you leave the gym.
If you’ve already got a solid base of training and a relatively high level of fitness, you can immediately begin incorporating higher intensity interval methods into your training. Remember though, you always want to begin by using the lowest amount of volume and intensity that produces results and then increase from there. Start by following the Pro Interval Training program below and get ready to see dramatic fitness and conditioning improvements.
Search online for classes in your area. Do a search online and look for gyms, dojos, and clubs that offer fighting or martial arts classes in your area. See if you can find general MMA classes that have both striking and grappling included in their curriculum. If a hybrid gym doesn't exist, you may have to go to more than one gym to build both your grappling and striking skills.[3]
Directions: Grab a pair of dumbbells. Start in a pushup position with your hands on the dumbbells. Complete two pushups. While in the “up” position, row one of the dumbbells to the side of your ribs. Place it back on the ground, then do another pushup. Repeat this step; only row with your alternate arm. Next, jump your feet toward your hands; clean and press the dumbbells. After, bring the dumbbells to waist-level and squat down until you can rest the dumbbells down, slightly in front of you. Jump back into pushup position.
Mixed Martial Arts is a regulated full contact combat sport between two fighters trained in various martial arts forms. Mixed Martial Arts or MMA involves both stand up and ground fighting so it employs both striking and grappling techniques from a variety of different martial arts styles such as boxing, submission fighting, catch wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, thai boxing, karate as well as others.
On February 27, 2014, 29-year-old Booto Guylain was transported to Johannesburg General Hospital to be treated for swelling and bleeding on the brain after suffering a KO loss via elbow in the last round of his fight in South African promotion “Extreme Fighting Championship Africa”. He was unable to make a recovery, and after one week in the hospital he was pronounced dead.[186][187]
The Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center at Philadelphia FIGHT is dedicated to providing high quality, comprehensive, primary care to address the physical and emotional health needs of Philadelphia’s children from birth through age 18, regardless of ability to pay. Located in Center City Philadelphia, we are specially tailored to care for children and adolescents who have experienced social adversity. Philadelphia FIGHT Pediatrics is home to some of the best pediatricians in Philadelphia. We have a pediatrician on our team who is also a certified lactation counselor, and we are also able to offer breastfeeding support onsite.
This program is put together and hosted by none other than mma nutrition guru and Roy Nelson’s worst nightmare Mike Dolce. If you can’t afford to have Dolce in your home making your smoothies every morning, this is the next best thing. A big part of any workout series is whether or not you like the host of it. If Dolce isn’t your cup of tea, there are a lot of similar workouts to chose from.
"Our mission at HBO Sports is to elevate the brand. We look for television projects that are high-profile, high-access, and highly ambitious in the stories they seek to tell and the quality of production in telling them," HBO Sports said in a statement. "Boxing has been part of our heritage for decades. During that time, the sport has undergone a transformation. It is now widely available on a host of networks and streaming services. There is more boxing than ever being televised and distributed. In some cases, this programming is very good. But from an entertainment point of view, it's not unique.
Dr. Serena Goldstein is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in hormone concerns such as weight, low energy, stress, PMS, peri/menopause, and andropause through nutrition, homeopathy, and botanical medicine. Dr. Serena has been published in well-known health and wellness resources, such as MindBodyGreen, Consumer Health Digest, and the Hearty Soul, and appeared on Sirius XM NYU Doctor Radio.
Japan had its own form of mixed martial arts discipline, Shooto, which evolved from shoot wrestling in 1985, as well as the shoot wrestling derivative Pancrase, which was founded as a promotion in 1993. The first Vale Tudo Japan tournaments were held in 1994 and 1995 and were both won by Rickson Gracie. Around the same time, International Vale Tudo competition started to develop through (World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), VTJ, IVC, UVF etc.). Interest in mixed martial arts as a sport resulted in the creation of the Pride Fighting Championships (Pride) in 1997, where again Rickson participated and won.[43]
The day after, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Delroy Lindo had been cast as "Robert" Boseman, an attorney who starts poaching Diane's associates and clients.[8] The first name of Lindo's character was changed to "Adrian".[31] Deadline reported on October 27, 2016 that the show had added Paul Guilfoyle and Bernadette Peters for recurring roles as Maia's parents. Guilfoyle would play Maia's father Henry, a wildly successful financial advisor who is phenomenally wealthy and universally loved. Peters' character Lenore was described as a woman who came from a tough working-class background and is a natively brilliant financial whiz.[14] It was announced on October 31, 2016 that Justified alum Erica Tazel had joined the cast as a series regular.[32]
Mom Throws Toddler Son From Upland Balcony, Then Jumps; Infant Daughter Dies After Being Found Unresponsive: PoliceAnaheim Officials Warn Drivers Not to Park by Hydrants: ‘Is a Closer Parking Spot Worth the Broken Windows?’Florida Mom Warns Parents After Finding Videos on YouTube Kids Showing Children How to Commit Suicide17-Year-Old Honor Roll Student Fatally Shot in Gardena Was Helping Mom Deliver Invitations, Police Say
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On the road with Stephanie Browning!
Feb 25, 2017 | Romance, Wishful Thinking, Writing
Shortly after the publication of Outbid by the Boss, our first co-authored romance as Stephanie Browning, Susan Brown and I both headed for England. Not together of course…that would be too simple! Separate planes, separate schedules and separate plans, with just enough of an overlap for one of us to leave the other a note in the women’s toilets at Heathrow.
Stephanie Browning was here! scrawled in hot-pink lipstick across the door of the fifth stall on the left!
It could have been me, or it could have been Susan! We were both on a bit of a busman’s holiday really, searching out future locations while visiting friends and family. Susan’s remit was to walk in the footsteps of our latest heroine, twenty-nine-year-old Alexis Kirkwood. As head concierge at one of London’s most prestigious hotels in Undone by the Star, Alex needed to know how to navigate the city’s major attractions, score last- minute theatre tickets and jump the queue at exclusive restaurants, and therefore, so did we.
Meanwhile, my husband and I had moved on to the south of France, staying in a village near the fortified city of Carcassonne. Which just happens to be in the grape-growing region of Languedoc-Roussilon where, coincidentally, one of Stephanie Browning’s future heroines (she’s “on the books” for the third in our Bedford County trilogy) will be interning at a chi-chi winery before coming home to start her own vineyard. Lucky me! You can’t write about wine unless you first sample the grape!
Being on location comes in handy, but when you are writing with a partner, having a shared “sense of place” is even better. England has been an ideal setting for Stephanie Browning. Susan and I have both spent a fair bit of time there over the years, and even hiked our way through Derbyshire’s Peak District — separately, of course — but when it came time for our main characters to set out for the hero’s ancestral home in Outbid by the Boss, we were “seeing” the same countryside.
And not just trusting it to memory, a lesson learnt when we were at a writers’ conference in Detroit, delivering a seminar on collaboration. During the afternoon break, we had tea with Gay Courter, author of The Midwife, River of Dreams and Code Ezra, among others. In preparation for Code Ezra, a novel of espionage and relationships, Gay had travelled to Israel with her family, a tape recorder and a camera. With her husband at the wheel, Gay was able to sniff the air and record the sights and sounds of Israel as an aide-memoire for a later date.
We take a similar approach, whether we visit a location in real time or check it out online, because capturing that sense of place is an all-important part of our writing journey. Knowing what type of spring flowers are blooming in Hyde Park during our story’s timeline, or what grapes are likely to thrive back in Bedford County are as necessary as picking the right shade of lipstick.
We figure another two or three trips per book, and we’ll have it sorted. After all, research does require sacrifice, and that’s what writers do.
…Did somebody just say, “Italy!”
Pirates & Prowlers Treasure & Gold…
Bundle Power!
Revenge might be sweet…but me? Not so much!
A short primer on going indie…
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Antifungal Mechanisms of Action and Resistance
Authors: David S. Perlin, Emilia Mellado
The development of antifungal resistance is complex and relies on multiple host and microbial risk factors. In Aspergillus fumigatus, specific resistance to triazole drugs results from selection pressure caused by drug exposure. The echinocandins are broadly active against a wide range of fungi without cross-resistance to existing antifungal agents and therefore are effective against azole-resistant yeasts and molds. Importantly, due to their critical effect on the cell wall, echinocandins are fungicidal with yeasts. Secondary or acquired resistance emerges in previously susceptible isolates during or after antifungal drug exposure. In A. fumigatus, this kind of resistance is mainly associated with exposure to triazole drugs. The ultimate role of susceptibility testing is to detect potential clinically resistant isolates. For this purpose, two procedures have been extensively employed, and it has been demonstrated that they identify resistant samples and/or molds with high MICs of antifungal drugs. The characterization of phenotypic resistance in clinical isolates can help in evaluating their frequency and suggest possible therapeutic options. Detection of well-defined resistance mechanisms can serve as surrogate markers for phenotypic resistance. Epidemiological surveillance is necessary to detect trends in A. fumigatus azole resistance and to anticipate resistance emergence against new antifungal drugs in clinical use.
Prophylaxis for Aspergillosis
Author: Jo-Anne H. Young
Prophylaxis of aspergillosis involves manipulation of the environment to create minimal exposure to both airborne and food-borne spores, as well as pharmacologic prophylaxis during periods of greatest risk. Prophylaxis against Aspergillus infections is important for several patient cohorts, primarily hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients and burn victims, and to a lesser extent leukemia patients undergoing chemotherapy, lung transplant recipients, and liver transplant recipients. For burn victims, prevention of wound colonization is the key to prophylaxis for infection. Environmental surveys of airborne contamination related to construction are helpful in facilitating prevention of nosocomial aspergillosis outbreaks. In 2 years prior to institution of prophylaxis, 11% of historical controls developed invasive aspergillosis, but these patients were in rooms without high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration. One study reported no cases of invasive aspergillosis among 92 HSCT recipients who received voriconazole prophylaxis. There was a 10% rate of infection among 223 HSCT recipients who received other systemic antifungal agents for prophylaxis. As management of cases of invasive aspergillosis has improved, an increasing number of patients are recovering from the infection and can subsequently require additional chemotherapy or undergo HSCT. These patients are at high risk for infection relapse unless secondary prophylaxis is used. Lung and liver transplant recipients, as well as burn victims, are the other patient groups that will require invasive aspergillosis prophylaxis at select times. Prophylaxis against these infections requires minimization of exposure to airborne and food-borne spores as well as pharmacologic agents.
Invasive Aspergillosis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients
Authors: Hsin-Yun Sun, Patricia MuÑoz, Emilio Bouza, Nina Singh
This chapter discusses the current status and evolving trends in the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnostic laboratory assays, and the approach to antifungal prophylaxis and treatment of invasive aspergillosis in Solid Organ Transplant (SOT) recipients. Most invasive fungal infections in these high-risk patients occur within the first month posttransplant; the median time to onset of invasive aspergillosis after renal replacement therapy and retransplantation was 13 and 28 days, respectively, in one study. Other factors associated with invasive aspergillosis in liver transplant recipients include transplantation for fulminate hepatic failure, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, and prolonged intensive care unit stay. A retrospective survey documented invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in 7.5% (19/251) of lung transplant recipients, of whom 47% (9/19) had disseminated aspergillosis. In a survey of antifungal prophylactic strategies in lung transplant units in the United States, aerosolized amphotericin B was the most frequently employed antifungal prophylactic agent. In order of preference, the prophylactic agents used in lung transplant centers in this study were inhaled amphotericin B (61%), itraconazole (46%), parenteral amphotericin formulations (25%), and fluconazole (21%); many centers used more than one agent. Preemptive therapy, where antifungal prophylaxis is directed towards lung transplant recipients colonized with Aspergillus spp. immediately before or within 6 to 9 months after transplantation, is another approach to the prevention of invasive aspergillosis in lung transplant recipients.
Source: Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillosis
Cryptococcosis and Other Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System
Authors: Roger J. Bedimo, Daniel J. Skiest
Source: The Spectrum of Neuro-AIDS Disorders , pp 347-361
Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. Cryptococcus neoformans is the most important fungal pathogen in AIDS patients throughout the world. Other important but less frequent fungal pathogens include Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Aspergillus spp., the zygomyces, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and Candida spp. Histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and blastomycosis are limited to certain geographic areas, whereas the other pathogens are relatively ubiquitous. In the developed world the incidence of invasive fungal infections has declined with the widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART); however, in the developing world, where the vast majority of HIV-infected individuals are not receiving HAART, these pathogens, especially C. neoformans, continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Major advances in the management of cryptococcosis in the past few years have led to significant improvements in mortality, but morbidity remains elevated. The optimal management of other, less common CNS fungal infections in AIDS is less well defined due to the paucity of controlled trials. The advent of the worldwide AIDS pandemic led to a sharp increase in the number of cases of cryptococcosis. Further decreases in cryptococcosis have paralleled the decline in other opportunistic complications observed in the HAART era. In much of the developing world C. neoformans remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality and is one of the most common AIDS-defining conditions.
Microbiology for Gastronomes
Source: Animalcules , pp 43-47
This chapter on microbiology for gastronomes talks about problem of antibiotic resistance. The preparation of cecina was originally an entirely natural process, starter cultures are now used. The twin aims are to introduce organisms that contribute to flavor and taste and at the same time inhibit the proliferation of mycotoxin producers. A potential drawback has come to light, however, as medical microbiologists have grown increasingly concerned about the problem of antibiotic resistance. Most widely used starter cultures contain Penicillium nalgiovense. Unfortunately, many strains generate penicillin, as well, prompting anxieties that this could contribute to the development of beta-lactam resistance in the gut flora. Starter cultures containing newly developed P. nalgiovense strains do not generate the antibiotic, but do retain the desirable qualities of the wild types. For gastronomes everywhere, bitterness is an ambiguous quality, sometimes enhancing and sometimes impoverishing the quality offoods and drinks. An extensive screening program based on the natural flora of orange peel, citrus compost, and soil, has yielded several organisms that are likely to be harnessed to remove limonin from citrus juices. The strains of Microbacterium flavescens and Enterobacter cloacae, have been identified as very efficient biocatalysts for debittering juices. The alga Haematococcus pluvialis has long been recognized as a rich source of ketocarotenoid, which is used as a food additive for the pigmentation of farmed fish and shellfish. However, the development of an efficient industrial process based on the organism has proved extremely difficult.
Non-albicans Candida Infections
Authors: Jack D. Sobel, Sanjay Revankar
There has been an increase in both the proportion as well as prevalence of non-albicans Candida species, including patients who experience breakthrough infection with non-albicans Candida strains. C. glabrata was the least common cause of bloodstream infection (BSI) in Latin America (7.5%) and the most common in Canada (20.1%) and the United States (18.3%). Understandably, local institutional antifungal pressure affects the local epidemiology of candidiasis as well as affecting antimicrobial resistance. C. guilliermondii was more frequently seen in patients with hematologic malignancies in one study. While some centers have reported an increased mortality associated with non-albicans Candida species compared to C. albicans, there is no consistent pattern. In discussing mortality, it should be emphasized that multiple host factors and treatment variables other than the virulence of the yeast strain involved can contribute to and influence mortality. Testing was always indicated for persistent and recurrent candidemia and for unique clinical scenarios, e.g., C. endocarditis, particularly with the presence of non-albicans Candida species. The explanation for this phenomenon is still incomplete but includes small numbers of patients with non-albicans Candida species infections and the impact of host factors, e.g., inconsistent catheter removal, abscess drainage, etc., diluting the importance of species differences in drug susceptibility. Individual cases have also been reported in which the reduced susceptibility or resistance of individual isolates, especially those of non-albicans Candida species, do influence clinical outcome and validate the importance of in vitro susceptibility tests.
Introduction to Aerobiology
Author: Linda D. Stetzenbach
Source: Manual of Environmental Microbiology, Third Edition , pp 925-938
This chapter introduces the study of airborne microorganisms and their by-products, discusses indoor and anthropogenic outdoor sources of airborne microorganisms that affect human health and the environment, reviews the association of bioaerosols and indoor environmental quality, and briefly presents background information on airborne microorganisms as potential bioterrorism agents. The transport and ultimate settling of a bioaerosol are affected by its physical properties and by the environmental conditions that it encounters while airborne. The most important physical characteristics are the size, density, and shape of the droplets or particles, while the most significant environmental conditions are the temperature, relative humidity, and magnitude of air currents. Numerous anthropogenic activities serve as the origin of bioaerosols in outdoor environments, especially agricultural practices and wastewater treatment processes. In summary, interest in the populations of airborne microorganisms in agricultural and industrial settings, health care facilities, residences, offices, and classroom environments has increased in recent years. The threat of purposeful release of microorganisms as bioterrorism agents has prompted renewed interest in aerobiology, and research activity in this area of environmental microbiology has rapidly expanded.
Airborne Fungi and Mycotoxins
Authors: Chin S. Yang, Eckardt Johanning
This chapter reviews existing literature on airborne fungi, with emphasis on indoor fungal growth and contamination as well as the health effects of mycotoxins and fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A wealth of literature on outdoor airborne fungi can also be found in reviews by various researchers. The majority of airborne fungi collected on samplers and grown on agar media are Deuteromycotina and Zygomycetes. The detection of airborne fungi does not necessarily suggest growth and amplification of fungi indoors. However, it is believed that actively growing fungi in the indoor environment are the primary cause of the adverse health effects due to exposure to indoor fungal allergens, mycotoxins, and fungal VOCs. Fungi are commonly known to cause infections of the skin and other body organs, as well as allergies and respiratory problems. These conditions are briefly discussed. Fungal by-products (i.e., mycotoxins) have ciliostatic effects in the respiratory tract, which can be one of the important pathological mechanisms causing diminished mucociliary clearing and local inflammatory effects in the airways and sinuses. Organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS), also called toxic pneumonitis, is a nonallergic, noninfectious form of an acute inflammatory lung reaction to high-level fungal dust exposure. An overview of clinically important health disorders based on various case reports and results of disease cluster investigations is presented for the most important mycotoxin producers.
The Evolution of Human Fungal Pathogens
Authors: Judith N. Steenbergen, A. Casadevall
Source: Evolution of Microbial Pathogens , pp 327-346
This chapter focuses primarily on the subset of human pathogenic fungi. Even among this relatively small subset of organisms, there is extensive variation in phylogenetic ancestry, pathogenic strategies, ecology, prevalence, and outcome of infection. The major fungal pathogens constitute a diverse group of organisms. With the exception of Candida spp. and Malassezia furfur, all other pathogenic fungi discussed in this chapter are saprophytic. Pathogens can be classified as generalists or specialists depending on their host range. The chapter also focuses on broad areas of the macroevolution of fungal pathogenesis. In fungi, the two important genetic changes that result in microevolution are genetic rearrangements and point mutations. Macroevolution in terms of speciation has led to the development of multiple pathogenic fungal species. The chapter proposes different hypotheses and supporting data on the evolution and development of fungal pathogenesis. Though the specific mechanisms of evolution and development of virulence factors have not been elucidated, there are clear data implicating soil amoebae as a natural predator that may maintain virulence in the fungal habitat. Given increasing interest in this area, future studies will shed additional light on the evolution of fungal pathogenesis.
Fungal Molecular Pathogenesis: What Can It Do and Why Do We Need It?
Authors: John R. Perfect, Arturo Casadevall
Source: Molecular Principles of Fungal Pathogenesis , pp 3-11
As molecular studies are applied to study the pathogenesis of invasive mycoses, it is essential that the parameters of the host-parasite interactions are known. The issue of clinical antifungal drug resistance and the impact of molecular studies on these invasive mycoses can be discussed under several categories: (i) diagnosis, (ii) immunomodulation, (iii) drug prescription, (iv) surgery, (v) prevention, (vi) new antifungal agents, and (vii) drug combinations. This chapter talks about how molecular studies of medically relevant fungi have begun to find uses in the clinical arena and discusses their potential to make a major impact on the outcome of human mycoses. There are two major issues in clinical diagnosis in which molecular biology is likely to lead to significant advances. First, despite the availability of several new diagnostic tests for invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis, there remain, from a clinical standpoint, opportunities to make an earlier specific fungal diagnosis or prevent the use of empirical antifungal therapies. The second area in which molecular biology is poised to make a major diagnostic contribution in the clinical mycology laboratory is in strain or isolate identification. The use of antifungal combinations to treat invasive mycoses has been a controversial topic because there are few evidence-based studies that support their widespread clinical use. In today's environment of constant fungal threat, it is both exciting and helpful that fungal molecular pathogenesis is maturing into a science with practical applications.
Signaling Pathways in the Dimorphic Human Fungal Pathogen Penicillium marneffei
Authors: Alex Andrianopoulos, Sophie Zuber
Source: Molecular Principles of Fungal Pathogenesis , pp 441-454
This chapter focuses on the heterotrimeric G proteins and their role in growth and morphogenesis in the thermally dimorphic human pathogen Penicillium marneffei. Signaling is terminated when the intrinsic GTPase activity of the α subunit leads to the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP, thus leading to the reassociation of the α subunit and the βγ complex. There are three a subunits encoding genes identified in P. marneffei: gasA, gasB, and gasC. The gasA and gasC genes play distinct roles in P. marneffei morphogenesis yet show some overlap. Two major differences may explain this difference in regulation in P. marneffei compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Ustilago maydis. First, the latter organisms are both predominantly yeasts that undergo a yeast-to-hypha transition while P. marneffei is predominantly hyphal and switches between a hyphal and yeast form. Second, the inducing signal(s) for dimorphic switching for the latter organisms is chemical in nature while the signal for P. marneffei is temperature, a physical signal. A growing number of genes encoding α subunits have been cloned from various fungal species, and their biological functions have been investigated. These studies have demonstrated the importance and the complexity of G protein signaling in the regulation of key processes of fungal life cycles, such as dimorphic switching, mating, asexual development, and pathogenicity.
Acquired Antibody-Mediated Immunity to Fungi
Authors: Liise-Anne Pirofski, Arturo Casadevall
The importance of antibody-mediated immunity (AMI) for resistance to fungal disease has not been rigorously examined for most clinically relevant fungi. Information from the fungi that have been studied suggests that AMI can play an immunoregulatory role. Despite uncertainty about the importance of AMI in natural resistance to fungi, the efficacy of antibody (Ab) against Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans, Histoplasma capsulatum, and Pneumocystis jiroveci is now established in experimental models. The demonstration that Ab can mediate protection against these fungi provides proof of the principle that AMI can be effective against medically relevant fungi. A human monoclonal Ab (MAb) to glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) produced from lymphocytes of a volunteer GXM-tetanus toxoid (TT) recipient reacted with all four GXM serotypes, albeit better with serotypes D and A. MAbs produced from human immunoglobulin (Ig) transgenic mice were largely specific for serotype D GXM but were reactive with serotype A C. neoformans cells, suggesting differential expression of the epitope(s) they recognize. Proof of the principle that AMI can prolong survival and enhance host immune mechanisms against experimental cryptococcosis fueled a paradigm shift that has resulted in reconsideration of Ab-based therapies for many infectious diseases. Protective and nonprotective Abs to Candida represent another system in which anti-fungal Abs can be distinguished by their structure and specificity and further clarifies the basis of historical difficulties in establishing the efficacy of sera against fungi.
Mycotic Agents of Human Disease
Author: Wiley A. Schell
Source: Biological Safety , pp 163-178
Traditional distinctions regarding inherent virulence and portal of infection provide a useful starting point for considering the pathogenic fungi. Discussion of fungal agents of human disease in this chapter is organism based rather than disease based. This discussion is not exhaustive for all documented fungal pathogens, but instead seeks to address those fungi that are seen with regularity in clinical and environmental mycology laboratories. The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 required establishment of regulations regarding the possession, use, and transfer of select biological agents and toxins. Only one fungal genus, Coccidioides, contains species pathogenic for humans and other animals and is classified as requiring Biosafety level (BSL)-3 containment precautions. Coccidioides immitis recently was split into two species based on DNA analysis. The two species, C. immitis and Coccidioides posadasii, have identical potential for causing infection, disease, and death in humans and other animals. Containment and biosafety issues are more problematic for molds than for yeasts because molds have evolved the capacity to form airborne spores routinely as a dispersal mechanism. Dematiaceous fungi can cause infection when traumatically inoculated to skin and subcutaneous tissue, and disease from inhaled spores is possible as well. In contrast to fomite specimens, medical specimens pose little hazard of airborne fungal infection. Routine containment practices for specimen handling and processing provide sound protection for laboratory personnel as well as protection of specimens and cultures from extraneous contamination.
Author: Thomas B. Nutman
Source: Manual of Molecular and Clinical Laboratory Immunology, 7th Edition , pp 555-556
This is the introductory chapter to the section Mycotic and Parasitic Diseases. Parasitic diseases are historically defined as infectious illnesses caused by unicellular protozoa or multicellular helminths distinct from viral, bacterial, or fungal etiologic agents. Parasites encompass a heterogeneous group of organisms with extremely diverse biologies. Protozoa are usually a few micrometers in size, whereas worms are typically centimeters to meters in length. Tissue-dwelling protozoa are often intracellular parasites. Both protozoan and helminth pathogens have complex life cycles, often with two or more developmental stages present in the host during infection. Immune responses directed against a single stage may be circumvented by parasite differentiation. The diagnosis of mycotic infections cannot always be definitively addressed by culture or histology.
Systemic Antifungal Agents
Authors: R. Grillot, B. Lebeau
Source: Antimicrobial Agents , pp 1260-1287
Schematically, the current systemic antifungal agents can be divided into two categories: that of the antifungal antibiotics, which include griseofulvin and amphotericin B (AMB), and that of the chemical agents, which comprise all of the other molecules, flucytosine (5FC), the extremely rich series of azoles and, more recently, the allylamines and echinocandins. Given their value in the treatment of systemic mycoses, the authors discuss the three systemic azoles currently commercially available in parallel with voriconazole, which is currently available under an authorization for compassionate use, and conclude with the most recent triazoles under development. The azole compounds possess a relatively broad spectrum against numerous pathogenic or opportunistic fungal species, a spectrum that is exceeded only by that of AMB. Although all of these derivatives share good activity against some of these fungi (such as Candida albicans, Candida neoformans, and dimorphic fungi), major differences have been found in vitro and subsequently confirmed in animals and in clinical trials. Despite the considerable advances in antifungal therapy over the last few years, we are still far from possessing the ideal antifungal and progress is still necessary. Fungal infections remain a matter of concern, particularly in severe neutropenia (frequent inefficacy in disseminated mycoses) and AIDS (frequency of relapses and/or resistance in oroesophageal candidosis and cryptococcosis).
Commercial Methods for Identification and Susceptibility Testing of Fungi
Authors: Donna M. Wolk, Glenn D. Roberts
Source: Manual of Commercial Methods in Clinical Microbiology , pp 225-255
The methods described in this chapter are meant to represent those that are commercially available, Food and Drug Administration-approved, and published in peer-reviewed journals. The advantages of the nonautomated and automated identification systems discussed in the chapter include the fact that identification is based on databases that include a variety of substrate utilization patterns and that contain many yeast biotypes. Reproducibility was determined as results were compared in an interlaboratory study with broth macrodilution as the reference standard. In this report, the E test quality control limits were 1 dilution greater (4 dilutions overall) than those of the NCCLS broth tube macrodilution method for the following combinations: ketoconazole with C. krusei and amphotericin B and ketoconazole with C. parapsilosis. When the Premier EIA method was compared to the microimmunodiffusion (MID) test and the laboratory CF test for a total of 168 sera, including 68 from proven cases of histoplasmosis, the sensitivity of the EIA for IgG was 97%and that of the MID was 100%, and the specificities were 84 and 100%, respectively. In this study, three sera from histoplasmosis patients which were positive for the histoplasmin antigens tested negative for IgG, specific precipitins, and complement-fixing antibodies. Due to the interest in rapid, cost-effective testing for fungi, the pace and number of publications devoted to diagnostic practices in clinical mycology laboratories are growing.
Overview of the Fungal Pathogens
Source: Immunology of Infectious Diseases , pp 25-38
This chapter provides basic knowledge of fungal biology that is necessary for proper comprehension of the intimate mechanisms and strategies that fungi have adopted in causing infections and diseases. Fungal morphogenesis, dimorphism, and phenotypic switching are now beginning to be explored at the molecular and genetic levels. Unlike mammalian cells, fungi possess a multilayered rigid cell wall immediately exterior to the plasmalemma. The major polysaccharides of the cell wall matrix consist of glucans, made up of β-1,6-linked D-glucose residues with β-1,3-linked branches at frequent intervals; mannan, an a-1,6-linked polymer of D-mannose with a-1,2 and a-1,3 branches; chitosans (polymers of glucosamine); and galactans (polymers of galactose). The chapter focuses on various fungal diseases. Adherence to host tissues is considered the pivotal first step in the pathogenesis of fungal infections. Fungi secrete a variety of enzymes, such as proteases, elastases, and phospholipases, which are considered to be major virulence factors. Subversion of host phagocyte receptors by fungal pathogens represents a most successful strategy to escape elimination by the host immune system. Progress toward understanding the epidemiology and pathogenesis of fungal infections has been slow, as has the progress in the area of diagnosis and treatment. There is a need for additional strategies of prevention and treatment of fungal infections. This demands the continuation of studies aimed at the molecular typing of fungi, fungal virulence genes, and host-specific immune reactivity that limit fungal infectivity.
Source: Immunology of Infectious Diseases
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Home » Towns » South Australia » Eyre Peninsula » Wudinna, SA
Wudinna, SA
Wheatbelt town with easy access to the Gawler Ranges National Park
The appeal of Wudinna lies not in the town, which is a typical wheatbelt town dominated by the grain silos and the railway, but in the extraordinary natural beauty of the area to the north of the town which is dominated by the Gawler Ranges National Park. The Gawler Ranges and the desert areas around them are one of the great hidden treasures of outback Australia with the impressive Organ Pipes formation, the wave-like Pildappa Rock and the truly remarkable pristine white salt of Lake Gairdner.
Wudinna is located 564 km north-west from Adelaide and 259 km west from Port Augusta on the Eyre Highway.
The town is named after Weedna Hill which was the site of the first land claim in the area. It was made in 1861 by Robert George Standley. It is said that 'weedna' later was corrupted to Wudinna which may be an Aboriginal word meaning 'the granite hill'.
The Australian Farmer Sculpture
This impressive granite sculpture was designed and sculpted by Marijan Bekic as a symbolic representation of all Australian farmers. It was crafted from two pieces of local pink granite over a 17 year period. One side of the sculpture is male and the other side is female. It is located next to the Gawler Ranges Visitor Information Centre on the Eyre Highway.
Other Attractions in the Area
Mount Wudinna Touring Route
Head north on Naylor Terrace and after 11 km you will reach the granite outcrops of Mount Wudinna, Turtle Rock and Pygery Rocks. The drive, known as the Mount Wudinna Touring Route, passes a number of interesting granite outcrops including the Polda Rocks which are 7 km outside of town, the Pygery Rocks which are 8 km, Little Mount Wudinna (9 km), Turtle Rock (12 km) and Mount Wudinna (11 km). If you are in a 4WD it is possible to continue east to Peella Rock (30 km), and Corrobinnie Hill (32 km). These granite outcrops were probably formed over 1500 million years ago at the same time as the Gawler Ranges.
Mount Wudinna and Turtle Rock
Located 10 km off Highway One (the Eyre Highway), Mount Wudinna is 260 m high and covers an area of about 112 ha and Turtle Rock really does look like a huge turtle stretched out across the plains. All the rocks are believed to be remnants of a much larger granite mass which has been weathered over millions of years. The distinctive geological features of the rocks include rillen (eroded channels on the sides of the inselbergs) and tafoni (caves found on the granite outcrops).
Mount Wudinna, which is by far the largest of the granite outcrops, was first sighted by Europeans in 1844 when the explorer John Charles Darke passed through the area looking for good pastoral lands. He was fatally speared a short time later by Aborigines at Waddikee, between the present day sites of Kyancutta and Kimba.
Mount Wudinna is recognised as one of Australia's largest granite monoliths. It has an Interpretative Trail which provides a pleasant walk and information about the rock, its history, formation and local flora. At the base are picnic sites with barbecue facilities and a parking area. There is an easy walk to the top of Mt Wudinna which offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside
The Heritage Places Database notes: "Mount Wudinna is the largest and most impressive of the granite outcrops on north-west Eyre Peninsula and is a good example of a stepped inselberg. This inselberg, together with the group of outcrops in the vicinity, displays a wide range of geomorphic features associated with granite, including rillen, domal sheet jointing, flared slopes, tafoni and spectacular examples of 'A' tents, the result of the release of compressive stress."
Gawler Ranges National Park
Lying 26 km north of Wudinna is the southern border of the Gawler Ranges National Park which was proclaimed in 2002. It is an unusual and impressive outback park which combines history, Aboriginal culture and a commitment to environmental conservation. It protects rare and threatened plants and animals, including Crimson Mallee and the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby. As well the park has large communities of kangaroos and emus. The park is ideally traversed by 4WD vehicles but, when it has been dry, most of the roads are accessible to 2WD vehicles although they should have a decent level of clearance. For those wanting to go on an organised tour there are a number offered by Gawler Ranges Wilderness Safaris, tel: (08) 8680 2045 or check out http://www.gawlerrangessafaris.com.
The Highllghts
Organ Pipes
The Organ Pipes, formed over 1500 million years ago as a result of volcanic eruptions, are the park's main attraction. They are actually basalt columns which have been formed by the cooling and cracking of molten lava. The Organ Pipes walk (it takes around 30 minutes each way) requires a reasonable level of fitness as there are some loose rocks and slippery sections. The walk passes through open eucalypt woodland to a natural amphitheatre surrounded by these ancient basalt rock formations. For more information and downloadable maps and brochures check out http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Find_a_Park/Browse_by_region/Eyre_Peninsula/Gawler_Ranges_National_Park.
The Barngarla, Kokatha and Wirangu Aboriginal people have lived in and around the Gawler Ranges for over 30,000 years and still have a strong connection with the land. It is significant that their traditional ceremonies and practices are still carried out in the park.
The Gawler Ranges are located between mallee country to the south and an arid, desert zone to the north. There are over 400 different plant species in the park and many are located at the extremity of their geographical distribution. Other plants such as the Gawler Ranges Hop Bush and the Gawler Ranges Grevillea are unique to the area. The Gawler Ranges is home to a wonderland of wildlife including the Australian Ringneck Parrot, the Superb Fairy-wren and Australia’s only protected population of the Short-tailed Grasswren, a shy creature which relies on spiny shrubs and bushes for protection from predators. The park is also home to colonies of Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby, the delightful Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat, the Central Long-eared Bat and flocks of Major Mitchell Cockatoos.
There are only a few marked walking trails in the Park but the land is sufficiently open that experienced bushwalkers can carve their own routes through the area. There is a trail from the Waganny campground (defined as an easy to moderate walk) which passes through woodlands and grasslands to a dramatic rocky outcrop which offers magnificent 180° views. It takes around 90 minutes for the round trip.
There is an excellent and detailed brochure on the Gawler Ranges National Park. Check out http://www.wudinna.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/gawler-ranges-bro.pdf.
Lake Gairdner
Lake Gairdner is a huge salt lake located approximately 170 km north of Wudinna, mostly on dirt roads. It is also accessible via Mount Ive Station (see http://www.mtive.com.au/) which has a dirt road via Iron Knob which reaches the shores of the lake.
Lake Gairdner is a spectacular site with a glistening white salt pan surrounded by the blood red foothills of the Gawler Ranges. Lake Gairdner, Lake Everard and Lake Harris form the Lake Gairdner National Park which was proclaimed in 1991 to protect the unique flora, fauna and the scenic features of the area. The park covers a total of 5,507 square kilometres. Lake Gairdner is about 160 km long and it covers an area of roughly 4,300 square kilometres. It is Australia's fourth largest salt lake. It is usually dry. There are also several small islands within the lake. The salt is over a metre thick in some parts, mostly in the southern area. There are six creeks and rivers which, when it rains, feed the lake: Garden Well Creek, Gorge Creek, Yeltabinna Creek are the most substantial. It is worth noting that the annual rainfall across Lake Gairdner ranges from a paltry 190 mm per annum near the northern shoreline to 270 mm near the southern boundary.
Lake Gairdner is acknowledged as the best site in Australia and one of the best in the world for land speed record attempts and has therefore attracted considerable international interest. The depth of salt, its stability and lack of surface irregularities over considerable distances, make it a highly sought-after location for this specialised activity.
The Geology of Lake Gairdner
The Lake Gairdner Management Plan (2004) explains: "Lake Gairdner National Park is located on the Gawler Craton, an ancient and stable landmass that has not been subject to major tectonic activity for over 1000 million years. The Gawler Craton stretches from near Tarcoola in the north, to the tip of Eyre Peninsula in the south, and was formed as a result of volcanism and igneous activity over a period of 1100 million years. The orogenic (mountain-building) activity had ceased approximately 1580 million years ago but was followed by a period of vulcanism and ash and lava flows. These extrusions, now called the Gawler Ranges Volcanics, occurred over an area of 25,000 square kilometres about 1525 million years ago. The Gawler Ranges Volcanics underlie and form the elevated southern and western boundaries of the park. A later extrusion of Hiltaba Granite took place about 1480 million years ago. The rocks are acidic, often fine grained and classified as rhyolite to dacite. The cooling history of some of the lava flows is complex, with both fast and slow periods of cooling giving rise to both large and small crystal sizes in the porphyritic dacites and rhyodacites. The thickness of the extruded Gawler Ranges Volcanics was estimated by Blissett (1975) at 1500 m ... Today, the drainage pattern is localised, with intermittent streams carrying relatively small amounts of rainfall to the lake. It should be noted that the lake does not receive its salt inflow from surface drainage but from saline groundwater which, through evaporation, deposits sodium chloride (salt) and calcium sulphate (gypsum) at the lake surface. The surface composition of Lake Gairdner varies considerably. Generally, the lake bed is made up of gypsiferous muds, clays and silts with some gypsum crystals. A layer of salt crust, mostly from 30 mm to 75 mm thick covers this. This crust, however, can range in thickness from a few centimetres to over one metre, although in the northern third of Lake Gairdner and also in parts of Lakes Everard and Harris, there is in fact no identifiable salt crust, the lake surface in most years comprising merely saline clays."
* Prior to the arrival of Europeans the around around Wudinna was occupied by the Nawu Aboriginal people who were settled right across the Eyre Peninsula.
* The first European into the area was the explorer John Charles Darke who, in 1844, passed through the area looking for good pastoral lands. He was subsequently fatally speared between Kyancutta and Kimba.
* The Wudinna area was first settled by Europeans in 1861 when Robert George Standley lodged a claim for 6,400 acres (2,590 ha) of land surrounding Weedna Hill.
* In 1896 W. A. Barns and A. J. Inkster acquired the Wudinna Hill lease.
* Wudinna Hill was transferred to W. A. Barns in 1905.
* The property was sub-divided for agricultural development in 1912.
* Wudinna township was surveyed in 1915.
* It was gazetted in 1916.
* The General Store and Post Office were built in 1917.
* School was held in the local hall from 1919.
* In 1922 the South Australian government built a wall, drains, silt trap and tank on Mount Wudinna to conserve runoff water for use on nearby farms.
* A local school was opened in 1927.
* In the 1990s granite blocks were quarried in the local area.
* Today Wudinna is a service centre for travellers across the Nullarbor Plain and the farmers who live on the surrounding wheat and sheep farms.
Gawler Ranges Visitor Information Centre, 44 Eyre Highway, Wudinna, tel: (08) 8680 2969
Gawler Ranges Motel & Caravan Park, Eyre Highway, tel: (08) 8680 2090
Wudinna Hotel/Motel, 15-17 Burton Terrace, tel: (08) 8680 2019
There is a useful local website. Check out http://www.wudinna.sa.gov.au.
Got something to add?
Have we missed something or got a top tip for this town? Have your say below.
Email (required, not published)
I was born in Wudinna in 1946. We lived on the Government Seed Wheat Farm at Minnipa until late 1950. I was surprised recently to discover that this research facility still exists.
Is the hospital in Wudinna still operating?
Terry Earle
on May 17, 2017 at 7:02 am
Yes it does it now include a facility to care for older citizens. It is named in honour of Dr Trudinger who may well have delivered you.
M Weeks
Like so many South Aussies, my family roots trace back to country SA. My grandpa farmed here when the town first came into being. Don’t just drive through this town, stop & have a great meal at the local pub. I went back there with my older brother who was born here in 1950 & had a fantastic mixed grill. The bakery, while small, is just as good. The towns caravan park is well worth a stay too.
Brett Kempster
to explore Mount Wudinna, reputedly the second largest monolith in Australia
to marvel at the wave-like Pildappa Rock
to journey across the desert to Lake Gairdner
to inspect the impressive Organ Pipes formation in the Gawler Ranges National Park
to drive to Minnipa via the Gawler Ranges National Park
Other attractions in the Region
Driving through the Gawler Ranges National Park.
Mount Wudinna - north of Wudinna.
Turtle Rock lies north of Wudinna.
Like the famous Wave Rock in Western Australia, Pildappa Rock lies 15 km north of Minnipa.
It is possible to climb to the top of Pildappa Rock which offers panoramic views across the surrounding countryside.
The Organ Pipes formation in the Gawler Ranges National Park.
The vertical formations of the Organ Pipes in Gawler Ranges.
Saline water in Lake Gairdner.
The pristine white salt pan that is Lake Gairdner.
About the Photographs
2019 Aussie Towns. All rights reserved.
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New Early Human Identified
Partial reconstruction of a skull of Homo gautengensis, a two million year old human species. Credit: Darren Curnoe
By Stephen Luntz
The human family tree is turning bushy with the announcement of yet another new species named Homo gautengensis by University of NSW anthropologist Dr Darren Curnoe.
H. gautengensis lived around the same time and place as “the missing link” Australopithecus sediba (AS, June 2010 pp.14–17), and is a closer relative of ours, belonging to our genus. Nevertheless, publication of the finding in HOMO – Journal of Comparative Human Biology has aroused much less media interest than A. sediba, which Curnoe attributes to the new species being a reclassification of previously known fossils rather than a new find.
Bones that Curnoe has now identified as being from H. gautengensis were found as early as the 1940s. In the 1970s more were found, and they were recognised as being from the Homo family. However, South Africa was isolated at the time by the scientific boycott of Apartheid and progress was slow. Even today Curnoe says “there are far more scholars working in East Africa and Europe” on early human remains than in southern Africa.
In the 1990s Curnoe classified these bones as coming from Homo habilis. However, he has now concluded that H. gautengensis ate a different diet from H. habilis, and was sufficiently different to deserve categorisation as a new species.
The classification makes H. gautengensis the oldest known species of Homo. However, it’s unlikely to be the original member of the genus. Fossils from East Africa that clearly belong to the Homo genus, but have yet to be assigned to a specific species, are up to 300,000 years older than the two million-year-old H. gautengensis skulls, jaws, teeth and other bones Curnoe that worked on.
“The most likely thing is that Homo evolved in East Africa and spread to southern Africa where the species diverged,” says Curnoe. “So this is not a direct ancestor – more of a close relative of our ancestors at the time.” Curnoe has found 40 features that indicate his species belong in the Homo genus, notably the small teeth, jaws and chewing muscles.
H. gautengensis appears to have used fire and quite sophisticated tools for the time. Curnoe says there is some evidence that animal bones were cooked in the campfires. The bones were found in the Sterkfontein and nearby caves, along with Australopithecus bones, but Curnoe doubts either species lived there, suspecting these were death traps or that the bones washed there after death.
The discovery of so many new human species may force a rethink of how we come to be unique today. “We don’t know if we wiped our relatives out or if we were lucky enough to survive climate change at the end of the last ice age and other species were not,” Curnoe says.
July and August 2010
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Members of the public asked to ‘name the road’
Members of the public are being invited to suggest a name for a new boulevard leading to Olympia Leisure Centre.
The road will lead from Boucher Road to the recently refurbished leisure centre, providing access for cars and pedestrians to the new 3G pitches, play park and multi-use games area – all due to open at the end of May.
Councillor Matt Garrett, chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, said: “This new road is being constructed as part of the £21.75m investment at Olympia – a project which sits within our £105m Leisure Transformation Programme being delivered across the city.
“Olympia Leisure Centre reopened to the public last January and is a state-of-the-art facility. These additional outdoor facilities will further enhance that offering, and we’re very much looking forward to the official unveiling in May.”
Councillor Garrett added: “Asking the public to suggest names for the new road is a great way to get the local community involved and to take ownership of this new facility. People can email their suggestions or pick up a form at venues in the local area. All the information is on our website.”
Members of the public can share their suggestions between now and Sunday 18 March by completing a simple form on our website, emailing nametheroad@belfastcity.gov.uk or by picking up a form at one of these venues:
• Olympia Leisure Centre
• Morton Community Centre
• Greater Village Regeneration Trust
• Windsor Women’s Centre
Once all the suggestions are received and validated, a shortlist will be drawn up by a naming panel and put to a public vote. Voting will be available online and at a number of venues in the area, by email and by post.
All suggested names must adhere to the council’s naming guidelines which can be found here www.belfastcity.gov.uk/nametheroad - along with more information about the naming process.
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Next BUG Jam
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Sue Rogers posted on November 01, 2016 21:36
Download the Lyrics and Chords
Wonderful World (WORD) (18.0 KB)
Wonderful World (PDF) (56.0 KB)
Wonderful World (3.02 KB)
YOU CAN PLAY ALONG WITH THE FIRST VIDEO!
"Wonderful World" (occasionally referred to as "(What A) Wonderful World") is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. Released on April 14, 1960 it had been recorded during an impromptu session the previous year, Cooke's last recording session at Keen Records. He signed with RCA Victor in 1960 and "Wonderful World," then unreleased, was issued as a single in competition. The song was mainly composed by songwriting team Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, but Cooke revised the lyrics to mention the subject of education more.
"Wonderful World" ended up becoming his biggest hit single since "You Send Me" (1957). The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number two on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart.
Herman's Hermits charted better with a cover of the song in 1965, reaching number four in the United States and number seven in the United Kingdom, respectively. Another cover by Art Garfunkel with James Taylor and Paul Simon charted at number 17 in 1978.
~~~ChordPro Version UPDATED NOV 07, 2016 CEL~~~
A video for this song:
Posted in: Individual Songs, November 2016 Anything Goes Favourites (0 Comments)
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BUG Jam July 17 - Anything Goes!
UKE Camping 2019 on the St. Lawrence River with BUGs, VUPs, and any other ukers who'd like to join us!
Bring your uke and join us..
The Clocktower Brew Pub offers their facilities and hospitality to us at no cost so please support our home pub and wonderful servers by planning to purchase a beverage and/or food at every jam you attend. As a bonus, there's a special on appetizers ordered before 6 p.m!
Clocktower Brew Pub Lower level 575 Bank St Ottawa
Website designed, developed and hosted by:
Mike Cox - Owner
Sound system provided by:
Mark Rogers - Owner
Claude Lacelle - Owner
BUG bags thanks to Farm Boy
Bytown Ukulele Group
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Super Fans from LA Meet Star of Harry Potter Movies in London
James Phelps with Adam, Daniel and Victoria Johnson at Warner Bros. Studios.
(NewsUSA) - Sponsored News - A Los Angeles family visiting the British capital was left amazed when they came face-to-face with actor James Phelps (aka Fred Weasley), who then took them on a one-off VIP tour of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London -- The Making of Harry Potter.
Phelps, who played one-half of the Weasley brothers in the blockbuster movies, met the Johnson family as they visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London -- The Making of Harry Potter. The actor then took them on a very special tour of the studio.
The family, consisting of mum Sam, Victoria (14), Daniel (13) and Adam (11) knew the trip involved a Harry Potter theme, but had no idea they would be embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime tour with one of the stars of the movie series.
The Johnson family, which runs a successful LA-based charity that helps local children overcome bullying, were picked by the city's official tourism body, VisitLondon.com, for a special trip as part of the Fans of London tourism drive for the capital.
Speaking about his day with the Johnsons, Phelps said: "I had such a great time with Adam, Victoria and Daniel, showing them around the film sets, telling them stories about when we shot the films and even teaching them a few magic tricks...London is one of my favourite places in the world and fans of Harry Potter can still enjoy so much of its magic across the city."
"My mum used to read the books to me and my brother and sister even before we were born," said Harry Potter 'super fan', Adam Johnson. "When I think of Harry Potter I always think of London. Our trip was so much fun, especially meeting James Phelps, and I really wish I had a real-life Firebolt broomstick so that I could fly back to London whenever I want!"
Fans of London celebrating the blockbuster events across London this year, such as The Queen's 90th birthday celebrations, 400 years of Shakespeare's legacy and the world's first exhibition on the Rolling Stones, EXHIBITIONISM. For the chance to win a trip to London, go to www.visitlondon.com/fans.
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Home | News Archive | Tegid Goodman-Jones reaches final of Rotary Musician competition
A gifted singer at Rydal Penrhos is celebrating after reaching the regional final of a prestigious competition.
Tegid Goodman-Jones, a Year 9 pupil at the school, performed well to achieve a second placed finish at the Rotary Young Musician District final, which was held at Poulton Hall in Bebington on Saturday, February 4.
The Urdd National Eisteddfod winner will now move on to the competition’s regional final, which will take place at the Lady Chapel of Liverpool Cathedral min April 8.
The 14-year-old booked his place in the next stage with his of renditions of 'Panis Angelicus', 'Bachgen Bach y Dincer' (a traditional Welsh song) and 'Close every door' from Joseph.
He was praised by judges fat the event for the “excellent quality of his singing, powerful communication to the audience and his ability to sing unaccompanied and in tune throughout”.
There was further success for Rydal Penrhos in the form of Amy Yue, who finished joint-third in the same category thanks to her outstanding performances of 'Rollin in the Deep' and 'Flashlight'.
In the instrumental category, lower sixth pupil Linda Wang finished third in what was a highly competitive section, rounding off a hugely successful evening for the school.
Director of Music Pete Williams, said: “This was a hugely successful day for our department, and I would like to congratulate all three on a wonderful effort.
“Each pupil was highly praised by both audience members and the judges, and for Tegid to reach the regional stage of the competition is very pleasing.”
A group of Preparatory School eco warriors have earned another...
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December 27, 2002:
WIBC Championship Tournament To Invade Reno With More Than 13,000 Teams
12/27/2002 - Bowling Newsline
GREENDALE, Wis. - The Women's International Bowling Congress announced that approximately 65,000 WIBC members on more than 13,000 teams have registered for the 2003 WIBC Championship Tournament in Reno, Nev., March 20-July 8 (unless extended).
To date, the 2003 total of nearly 13,000 teams is far greater than the total number of entries for the 2002 tournament in Milwaukee. The 2002 event featured 8,178 teams (40,890 WIBC members). The last WIBC Championship Tournament held in Reno, in 2000, had 14,274 teams participating.
An economic impact for Reno of more than $73 million is expected to accompany this year's tournament. Each team brings an average of 1.7 guests to the event and each individual spends an average of nearly $1,000. The average person stays four days and more than 50 percent of visitors participate in local sightseeing tours.
This year's WIBC Championship Tournament is the 84th overall and will be the third held at the National Bowling Stadium. Reno's facility hosted the event in 1997 and 2000. When Reno hosted the 1997 WIBC Championship Tournament, it set records for total participants, 88,279, and prize purse, more than $2.2 million.
The WIBC Tournament features the following divisions: Classic for bowlers with averages of 190 and above, Division 1 for averages of 170-189, Division 2 for averages of 150-169, Division 3 for averages of 131-149 and a new test Division 4 for averages of 130 and below. The goal of the new test division is to give lower average bowlers an opportunity to compete with others bowlers of similar abilities.
The WIBC Championship Tournament attracts bowlers from every U.S. state and Canada, as well as international participants from Bermuda, Japan, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. It is the largest participatory sporting event in the world for women.
Reservations may be made one of three ways: the tournament telephone line at (414) 423-9006, the fax line at (414) 421-9789 (download the reservation form online at WIBCtournament.com) or through regular mail sent to: WIBC Championship Tournament, Box 78870, Milwaukee, WI, 53278-0870. Phone reservations take precedence over fax or mail reservations. The deadline for entries is Jan. 24, 2003. Visit WIBCtournament.com for available dates.
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“Having made a name for himself in Canadian music circles as a pianist of rare ability,” 29-year-old Canadian pianist Clinton Giovanni Denoni has performed in North America’s most prestigious recital halls including Cleveland’s Mixon and Kulas halls and Vancouver’s Chan Centre to name a few. He has been deeply inspired by his teacher and mentor Shoko Inoue; “I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Clinton. He has a limitless ability to strive for the hidden beauty found within each piece of music. Clinton's complete dedication to his art, no matter the cost, is inspiring. He has a mastery of technique and control on the piano that few have. On top of his respectful reading, he pours characteristics of life and profound depth, which comes directly from his genuine heart, into every piece of music he touches.”
In September of 2008, Mr. Denoni was accepted into the University of Victoria and awarded the Cathcart scholarship annually for outstanding academic and pianistic achievement. In June of 2012, he graduated from the University of Victoria with his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. In September of 2012, Mr. Denoni was accepted into the Cleveland Institute of Music and was awarded and maintained a $25,000 annual scholarship for outstanding pianistic and academic achievement. During this time, he had the privilege of collaborating alongside Daniil Trifonov in performance master classes. In May of 2014, he graduated with his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Mr. Denoni’s most recent orchestral collaborations include The Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra, Thompson Valley Orchestra and Orchestra Philomusica performing Grieg’s A minor Concerto, Beethoven’s Concerto No. 1 and Mozart's Concerto No. 21, respectively. Mr. Denoni has had the immense pleasure of studying with Shoko Inoue, Edward J. Parker, Ian Parker, Dr. Jamie Syer, Marc Durand, May Ling Kwok and Emanuela Friscioni among others.
Currently, Clinton Giovanni Denoni is actively teaching both privately and on faculty at UBC’s Mozart School of Music as well as adjudicating and performing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This past summer, he was a guest artist and clinician at The Eckhardt- Gramatté Conservatory of Music at Brandon University where he performed and lectured on Dalcroze Eurhythmics.
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Update on the application for 75 affordable homes at Bulwark
10:32 Friday, October 28, 2016 Andrew Wallis Affordable Housing, Bulwark, Nansloe Affordable Site
There is a rather substantial update on the application for 75 affordable homes at Bulwark Road which could put the whole site in jeopardy. This is an objection from Secretary of State for Defence. The MoD’s detailed objection can be found HERE.
It is important to highlight that the MoD does supports the basic principle of new residential development in the local area. However, it wishes to outline its concerns regarding the Planning Application in the following points.
The applicant proposes a residential development of 75 houses and flats (and associated development) on the application site, land within close proximity of RNAS Culdrose. In view of the nature of operational and training activity undertaken at RNAS Culdrose, and its close proximity to the application site, the MOD has significant concerns regarding the proposed development and its appropriateness for the application site. These concerns revolve around the issues of the potential noise levels that would be experienced by the future occupants of the proposed dwellings, vibration and public safety.
The operational and training activity undertaken at RNAS Culdrose will likely constitute a source of noise disturbance to the local area for a number of reasons. Flight movements of fixed and rotary wing aircraft in/around RNAS Culdrose, helicopters remaining operational (i.e. rotors turning) for extended periods of time pre/post landing, engine ground runs and helicopters hovering above the ground (this is likely to be 30 minutes or more during training activity) would generate noise which would likely result in noise disturbance of some description. It is important to note that these activities produce a significant low frequency noise signature with a distinct dominant tone which can be particularly disturbing. Please be advised that RNAS Culdrose is not subject to planning control with regards to restrictions which limit the nature of the rotary or fixed wing training activity undertaken at the site.
However, the MoD does acknowledge documentation in reference to noise has been submitted, but believes this information is insufficient to fully asses the impact of noise for anyone living in this development.
The MoD also highlights the impact of vibration and makes reference to the impact on the following points:
Noise emissions, associated with predominant low frequency sound components, can be transmitted into the structure of buildings causing vibrations of the primary components of the building, e.g. the vibration of floors, walls and windows, which in turn may result in the rattling of internal objects within the building.This effect could lead to an annoyance response in the occupants of the proposed building. This annoyance can be a subjective response, which can be classified as: intrusion, distress, startle, disturbance, loss of control. Please be advised that the annoyance caused by vibration can often result in more disturbance than the noise itself.
If Cornwall Council decides to grant planning permission The MOD want the Council to imposed Planning Condition that will require the Applicant to undertake a vibration survey and assessment, in accordance with BS 6472:2008 (Part 1), post construction but before the occupation of the proposed development. This assessment would be needed to be approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, in conjunction with the MoD. The risk is you build the homes, but they cannot be lived in because of the failure to address the impact of the previous points on vibration. No developer will take that risk of building if it is not guaranteed to be able to use them.
The last point the MoD raises in its objection is on public safety. This is the weakest objection as you could argue most of Helston is ‘at risk’ from an air accident. However, the MoD makes the following point in its objection to the planning application:
At present the application site comprises agricultural land. Should planning permission be granted and the proposed development be built out, it is suggested that the occupants of the proposed dwellings will be at a greater risk of incursion in the event of an aircraft emergency (for example in the case of an aircraft suffering a bird strike or a mechanical fault, etc.) in comparison with the existing land use.
Therefore, in reference to the three main points of concern, the Secretary of State for Defence formally objects to this Planning Application and in doing so respectfully request that the Cornwall Council refuse planning permission for the proposed development.
This objection from the MoD is very serious, but they have given the planning applicants, Coastline the opportunity to address the concerns by means of more detailed reports on noise and vibration. However, in a recent meeting with the planning officer I had over this, it is clear if the objection from the MoD are not removed, this application will be refused.
It is important to re-highlight this application is here because this is a 100% affordable site and there is a proven need of this type of housing in Helston. I have heard many people say this is just the first stage, but it is not, as the area which is commonly known as HX3 is not in the town frame work plan, and the numbers of housing within Cornwall Council’s Local Plan for the next 15 odd years have already been met. So further mixed-use development is highly unlikely.
Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in Cornwall
10:08 Tuesday, October 25, 2016 Andrew Wallis Unaccompainied Asylum Seeking Children
I am sure you are aware there has been a lot of media interest concerning Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. Following the announcement over the weekend that the Government is placing 70 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children at a hostel in North Devon we have been asked about the situation in Cornwall.
Here at Cornwall Council, we are supporting the humanitarian policy to provide support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and is part of the South West Councils’ scheme, which has been set up to co-ordinate this work in the region.
We are currently best placed to support children aged 16-17 years and have already welcomed a small number of children to Cornwall under the scheme. We have set up a multi-agency steering group, including representatives from health, education, the police and the voluntary and community sector, to ensure a co-ordinated response to meet the needs and risks of these young people.
We are doing what we can to ensure that the scheme is implemented in such a way that we can meet the needs of these children and to keep them safe. The safety and wellbeing of any child or young person, especially if they are vulnerable, is our utmost priority and we need a sound assessment of their needs and risks before accepting transfer.
We do have reservations about the way the scheme is being implemented by the Government and concerns that this could create an unsustainable pressure on diminishing local authority budgets. The current funding arrangements do not cover the full costs and the Government’s commitment to funding is only clear until April 2017. The shortfall in the Government funding is being met within the Council’s existing budget.
We have initially agreed to provide support for up to 10 children and young people aged 16 to 17 years up to April 2017 and are continuing to talk to the Home Office about the level of resources and financial support we need to deliver this, as well as arrangements for welcoming further children and young people in future years.
We were not consulted about the Government’s decision to place 70 young people with a private provider in the hostel in Great Torrington and are currently seeking more information about these arrangements and the implications for Cornwall.
The children who come to Cornwall will be placed either with foster carers or with supported lodgings providers, depending on their age and individual needs. We have invited expressions of interest from existing foster carers and supported lodgings providers, as well as from members of the public in joining one of our placement schemes. If you are interested in helping, please contact our fostering recruitment team by phone: 01872 323638 or email: fostering@cornwall.gov.uk”
We must resist selective education and Grammar Schools in Cornwall
14:20 Thursday, October 20, 2016 Andrew Wallis Selective Education
One of the many frustrations I have with this current Government is their constant tinkering, or should I say wholesale change to the education system. It goes without saying we all want the very best education system. Which for me is an inclusive comprehensive system.
Since the mid-1970’s Cornwall has had no form of selection in its schools. Cornwall has a proud tradition of a ‘family of schools.’ For example when the then Labour Government introduced a form of selection in 2000 which enabled schools to select 10% of their population, Cornwall’s schools rejected that notion of selection.
Yet the Governments Green paper titled Schools that work for everyone again changes the education system to a more selective system. It is rather ironic the very title of the Green hardly endorses the theme of schools working for everyone. As a selection system is not working for everyone.
The main points in the Green paper are:
Expecting independent schools to support existing state schools, open new state schools or offer funded places to children whose families can’t afford to pay fees;
Asking universities to commit to sponsoring or setting up new schools in exchange for the ability to charge higher fees;
Allowing existing selective schools to expand and new selective schools to open, while making sure they support non-selective schools;
Allowing new faith free schools to select up to 100% of pupils based on their faith, while making sure they include pupils from different backgrounds.
The deadline for submissions to the Government consultation is 12th December 2016.
A fundamental point in changing any system is there is clear evidence this change will be for a positive, and actually improves a system. Yet, this Green paper is without clear evidence of improvement and is more about political dogma, than improving the educational system.
Research shows that children from deprived backgrounds are much less likely to attend (existing) grammar schools than better-off children. Only about 3% of pupils at grammar schools are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). A recent article by Sam Freeman highlights research from OECD which found that not only are the selective systems socially segregated, they are also less effective than inclusive ones. Furthermore, all the top educational systems in the world, which includes Korea, Finland and Canada are comprehensive.
The outgoing Chief Inspector of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw is critical of the plan to return to the Grammar School system. In his recent speech at the London Councils education summit in central London, Sir Michael makes some very valid points.
“If grammar schools are the great answer, why aren’t there more of them in London?
If they are such a good thing for poor children, then why are poor children here in the capital doing so much better than their counterparts in those parts of the country that operate selection?
I appreciate that many grammar schools do a fine job in equipping their students with an excellent education. But we all know that their record of admitting children from non-middle-class backgrounds is pretty woeful.”
He went on:
“The notion that the poor stand to benefit from the return of grammar schools strikes me as quite palpable tosh and nonsense – and is very clearly refuted by the London experience.”
“Let’s not delude ourselves. ‘A grammar school in every town’, as some are calling for, would also mean 3 secondary moderns in every town – a consequence rarely mentioned.
That is why I am in no doubt that a return to selection would be a profoundly retrograde step that would actually lead to overall standards sliding back, not improving.”
Whilst I support Sir Michael’s viewpoint on selective education, I believe a lot of London’s success is because of their generous funding arrangements as I have highlighted HERE. If Cornwall was given the same level of funding as London, then we would be able to do so much more.
I do not think the Government has thought about rurality in its social engineering plans for schools – otherwise known as Schools that work for everyone. For Cornwall with its distinct geographic layout we have a diverse pattern of school provision from smaller schools of less than 30 pupils to larger urban towns of more than 1500 pupils. If this Green paper is implemented, it adds an additional complexity to the introduction of any selective provision. Furthermore, which the Green paper fails to address is the significant pressure on the Home to School transport budget.
If this the selective system is implemented, there is a grave danger of a ‘bidding war’ between schools for the most able students. This is not how an education system works. Children and young people are not a commodity who can be brought by the highest bidder.
I am against the principle of selective education not only as the Lead Member for Children’s Service at Cornwall Council and Councillor, but as a parent too. I am very pleased that the Cornwall Association of Secondary Heads (CASH) in Cornwall remain committed to the comprehensive principles that we have in Cornwall.
If the Government really wants to help schools, it has to look into fairer funding. Yet sadly, like pumping over £500m into the free school provision, it is likely to put more money into the selective system, which could be better spent on all schools.
I will also highlight the issue of fairer funding for schools, the Government has let this slip right from 2017 to 2018 (and likely to slip again) and the word fairer has been removed in the policy looking at school funding.
This issue will be discussed at the Young People’s Advisory Committee on Friday and will be debated by the full council in reference to the Motion against Grammar Schools I have seconded.
Derek Thomas MP for West Cornwall visits Porthleven Town Council
12:18 Monday, October 17, 2016 Andrew Wallis MP, Porthleven Town Council
Last Thursday, the Member of Parliament for West Cornwall, Derek Thomas visited the members of Porthleven Town Council. Since I have been on the town council, this is the first time a MP has visited a town council meeting. The aim of the meeting was to meet the town councillors, and to see what help they need in achieving the council’s priority and any ‘wants’ it may have.
Derek Thomas, MP for West Cornwall in talks with Porthleven Town Council
During the discussion, councillors raised the issue about telecommunications and how Porthleven has been plagued with intermittent services; mostly from one provider. In responding to this, Derek said he would personally take it up with the provider.
An aim of Porthleven Town Council is to look at creating a footpath between the town itself and Penrose. This had been looked at previously, but an agreement could not be found between all landowners. Back then, there was also a pot of money for new footpaths, which was used to add a few paths in and around Penrose. The Council asked Derek to see what Government pots of money were available for such projects.
Support was also asked for the regeneration of the Bickford-Smith Institute by the working party in its fundraising ambitions and any funding bids. The more support the Council has in any funding applications, the more chance it has.
A final point I raised is in reference to community policing. This is not about having a go at front-line officers, but the way information to Town and Parish Council’s has stopped. In the past a police officer or PCSO would attend a meeting to give a report on the last month, and for those present (both councillors and the public) were able to put a series of questions to the Police. However, now Council’s are told to go to the Police website. This website has some great information, but sadly, and this is the flaw, it is at least two-months out of date. This is not only a concern of Porthleven Town Council, but other Town and Parish Councils too. Derek said he would take this up with senior officers.
I am pleased Derek turned up, and hopefully those issues raised the town council will be taken forward.
Porthleven new skate park at week four of the build
9:37 Thursday, October 13, 2016 Andrew Wallis Skate Park
On Tuesday I met Maverick the company who are building Porthleven’s new £125k skate park to go through a few contractual checkpoints as part of the build. The building of the skate park is estimated to take ten weeks. The good news is we are already at the four-week mark and the park is really starting to take shape.
It is hard to image what something is like via a picture or diagram, but let me tell you, having been close up to the park, it is going to be one, if not the best skate park in Cornwall.
From today and for the next few weeks, the concrete will start to be laid.
Porthleven CIC offers its mini bus for hire
16:23 Monday, October 10, 2016 Andrew Wallis Porthleven CIC
Porthleven CIC has now completed all of the projects it set out to achieve as part of the grant award of £99,950 from the Coastal Community Fund. These projects were: Up-lighting the Bickford-Smith Institute in partnership with the Porthleven Lights Committee; a new 72 space car park named Withy Field in partnership with Coodes Estate and Porthleven Football Club; a website; Marquee Hire business and the Porthleven Town Trail with smart app. All this was achieved on time and under budget.
As part of the Marquee Hire business, the CIC needed a towing vehicle. Our grant funders allowed the CIC to purchase a nine-seater mini bus with support from the South Kerrier Alliance CIC. This mini bus will not only tow the marquee equipment, but also carry the installation team to the various jobs. However, rather than just the mini bus sitting idle when not being used by the CIC; we want to allow community organisations and groups to have access to a cheap form of transport.
Porthleven CIC understands community organisations and a multitude of different groups have difficulty with transport, or find hiring a mini bus an expensive option. This is why we as a CIC want to help those groups and organisations. Therefore, Porthleven CIC are pleased to announce the mini bus will be available to hire for a small fee of £50 per two days. This offer is open to all groups and organisation, not just those in Porthleven.
If you are interested in hiring this vehicle please email enquiries@porthlevencic.co.uk
Aiming Higher and making sure disabled children’s voice is heard
11:30 Thursday, October 6, 2016 Andrew Wallis Aming Higher, Disability, Get Out There, Molly Watt
This week I attended and opened the annual Aiming Higher Conference in Wadebridge. It was great to see so many parents, carers and professionals making the time to attend. Over the years this conference has provided parents and professionals with an opportunity to come together and discuss how we will improve services for disabled children, young people and their families.
Sadly, over the last few years, our discussions have been over-shadowed by the scale of government cuts to public services. To put it in perspective, this is a cut of £45m since 2011 or one-third of the budget cut to the Children’s Services budget at Cornwall Council. This is why it is all the more important to find solutions together.
Genuine partnership working can be difficult to achieve because it requires mutual respect and trust as well as a solution-focused approach to the challenges and problems we are facing. I believe that we are fortunate in Cornwall that there has been a strong tradition of co-production to innovate service design and delivery. Comments from parents at last year’s conference said that they wanted to work in partnership, not just at the margin but to be fully engaged in some of the more difficult areas of service design. The conference is also a time for reflecting and celebrating what has been jointly achieved through partnership working between parents and professionals.
There are some examples of what has worked well and we need to listen to what does not work well. We also need to welcome the national recognition for Cornwall on how improvements can be made through co-production – even in the most challenging context of cuts to local government children’s services.
It is very important to look to the future, and to spend time asking ourselves; what services will be needed for disabled children, young people and their families in Cornwall over the next 5 or 10 years?
I put several questions to those in attendance. These were:
Do we have a shared understanding of the need?
Do we have an agreed set of outcomes we want to achieve for disabled children in Cornwall?
Do we agree what works and what does not work, and;
How are we going to balance an increase in demand, with further cuts in funding and an increase in individual expectations?
One thing for sure is we are going to have to do things differently. We will have to explore together those areas that will need to change. And most importantly, we will have to discuss how we can continue to work together to make the best use of limited resources.
This is why the experience, views and ideas from parents and Carters will help shape services for Disabled Children in Cornwall. We must together, truly aim higher for disabled children in Cornwall.
Part of the conference were heard from various keynote speakers. It was good to hear from Amanda Harvey from the Council of Disabled Children giving the national context.
We also heard from an inspirational young speaker called Molly Watt. Molly is registered visually impaired and deaf. She explained the difficulties in her educational journey and how she overcame them. From these experiences she set up her own company, The Molly Watt Trust to help raise awareness of Ushers Syndrome. Molly advises how government and companies make their services more accessible. Please have a look at her website HERE. She had a standing ovation from the audience on completion of her talk.
It is also not often you go to a conference and are handed a plastic water-proof cape. This meant I was going to get wet. However, I was more than willing to get wet and was honoured to be part of the Get Out There Act play (GOT Act). This play highlighted the journey of the group from where it started to where it is now. I have blogged about this fantastic group before. You can see their great work HERE. It was a great performance with a important message, made the audience laugh.
Government set to cap at least seven of Cornwall’s Town and Parish councils Precepts from 2017
17:26 Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Andrew Wallis Council Tax, Porthleven Town Council, Town and Parish Council Precept
I have received news today that from a technical guidance issued by the Government it is minded – which basically means it is going to do it – to cap town at least seven town councils in Cornwall from 2017. With a further threat of all Town and Parish Council precepts if there is a too large of a rise in the precept.
Since 2012/13 the Government has applied a core Council Tax referendum principle of 2% on major authorities, such as Cornwall Council. If an authority wished to increase its Council Tax above that level (excluding the Adult Social Care precept that was introduced in 2016/17) it would be required to carry out a referendum of its residents. A referendum of this sort would cost in excess of £750k to hold. So the likelihood of holding one is slim.
In the past these referendum principles have not been applicable to local Town and Parish Councils, although the Government has always indicated that it would keep this under review.
Nationally, the increase in the average Band D Council Tax levels set by Town and Parish Councils in 2016/17 was 6.1%, which was markedly higher than in previous years. One of the reasons for this increase is these Town and Parish Councils have taken on more services and responsibilities like in Cornwall due to the staggering cuts to local government funding. In Cornwall the increase in these precepts is around half of the national average. As follows
2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
Parishes 2.3% 3.9% 5.2% 4.3% 3.3% 6.1%
Due to the larger increases in Town and Parish precepts, the Government has now indicated that it is minded to apply the referendum principles to ‘higher spending’ Town and Parish Councils in 2017/18.
A higher spending council is defined in the consultation paper as one whose Band D charge in 2016/17 was higher than £75.46 (equivalent to the Band D charge for the lowest charging District Council) and which had a precept in 2016/17 of more than £500,000.
Such parishes would face the same referendum principles as shire districts; increases of less than 2%, or up to and including £5 on the Band D charge (whichever is higher).
However, to make things more complicated (as anything to do with tax and the Govt is), the Government has also said that it wants to ensure that parishes continue to have the flexibility to be able to take on responsibilities from other tiers of local government.
Therefore a degree of complexity has been added to the proposal; in that the referendum principles would not apply where there has been a transfer of responsibilities and where the following three conditions are satisfied:
The parish council and a principal council covering the area of the parish council have each resolved that a particular function carried out by the principal council in relation to the parish council’s area in the financial year 2016-17 is to be carried out instead by the parish council in the financial year 2017-18;
The parish council and the principal council have agreed the reasonable cost of the exercise of that particular function in the parish council’s area by the parish council in the financial year 2017-18;
That the agreed cost, if collected by way of the parish council precept, would take the parish council over the threshold of a 2% or £5 increase on the previous year.
Using the 2016/17 precept information, eight of the Town Councils in Cornwall would be affected by the above proposal. These are: Bodmin, Bude-Stratton, Camborne, Falmouth, Newquay, Penzance, Saltash and Truro. As far as I can tell, Helston with a precept of £303,691 would be excluded from the cap, and therefore, Porthleven would be excluded too.
Importantly however, it should also be noted that the final two paragraphs of the consultation paper state:
A large proportion of parishes are modest in size – for example, around 4,000 parishes have precepts of £25 or less. However, the Government is aware that increases in these precepts continue to concern local tax payers and is therefore prepared to consider extending referendums to all parishes.
Which basically means you raise the precept too much, and we will cap you.
The consequences of capping are huge. As Town and Parish Council have been taking on services for Cornwall Council to safeguard them rather than see them close. I know local council’s have not always like taking on services, but they have taken a more pragmatic approach rather than losing a service. Like in Porthleven; where the town council now owns and runs the public toilets and all green spaces (which it does not already own).
Of course, the Government is saying it is consulting, but from my experience of the Governments consulting it should be interpreted at a ‘heads-up’ we are about to do this. This heads-up consultation lasts till the 28th October 2016 – just over three-weeks away.
Tell Cornwall Council what you think about your household rubbish and recycling collections
11:03 Tuesday, October 4, 2016 Andrew Wallis Waste/Rubbish
What do you think of the household rubbish and recycling collection? For the majority of people putting out our rubbish at the allotted date is hassle free and works like magic as you put it out and it disappears.
If you did not know, Cornwall Council works with Biffa Environmental Municipal Services (was Cory, but they were aquired Biffa) by to provide rubbish and recycling collections, street and beach cleaning services across Cornwall.
As I said, whilst most have a hassle free service, Cornwall Council would still like to know what you think about the services you receive. The Council therefore would appreciate it if you would complete the short survey (which should take about 10 minutes).
Your responses will help Biffa evaluate and if needs be improve the services they provide here in Cornwall. Plus help Cornwall Council take those views into account on the next waste collection contract.
Porthleven’s Pram and Raft Race makes a big splash
16:07 Monday, October 3, 2016 Andrew Wallis Charity, Porthleven, Pram Race, Raft Race
Porthleven’s now combined Pram and Raft Race (now called the Ram Race) took place on Sunday in rather pleasant October weather conditions. This year’s theme was Port-Heaven.
The route for this race is from Out of the Blue, and a dash to the harbour and down the slipway into the water. A mad paddle – some more successful than others – out past the gap. Then returning up the slipway and a last dash to the Ship Inn. It is purely coincidental that this race starts and finishes at licensed premises….
Whilst this event is a lot of fun, it is also used to raise a little bit of money for local organisations. This year over £230 was raised. Thanks must go to Suzie Williams of Four Crows who organises this event, all the race marshals (Karen Richards, Sibby Barnes, Julia Scofield and Abbey Hines) and Jeremy Richards who used his fishing boat as water safety. And of course all those who took part in the event.
And now for the images…
School Places Coronation Park Harbour Development Road Crossing Pasty Tax Tax Police Unaccompainied Asylum Seeking Children Bulwark Residents Association Porthleven Neighbourhood Plan Budget Scrutiny Licensing PorthlevenCommunityGroup Nansloe Academy Youth Services Voting Awards Leader Chairmans Cricket Match The World Gone Mad Hayle Raft Race Cabinet Porthleven Raft Race Press Bursaries Visits and Hosting Pride in Porthleven Helston Buses Universal Credit Shared Services Government White Paper on Academies Religion DBS Radio Town/Parish Schools and Families OSC My Blog Children's Services Olympics Cornwall Storm Devonwall Armed Forces Bills Elections LEP Empty Homes School Funding Mayor of Porthleven Porthleven Lights Committee Poverty Consultants Mental Health General Election Flooding Child Protection Holiday's CEO Panel Pink Bottles Standards Board Local Planning Planning Highways Porthleven Fishermens Association Dentistry / Oral Health Tourist Tax Diamond Jubilee Party Truro Poppy Appeal Free School Meals Residents Groups Broadband Scrutiny Parking Filming Helston College Uncategorized Children in Care Conessionary Fares Public Transport Post Office Reprieve Child Sexual Exploitation Play Parks Adoption and Fostering Section 106 Cuts Cornwall Council Tie Public Toilets Me Police and Crime Commissioner MYP Coastal Communities Governance RSE Cormac Town Warden Porthleven Town Band Unauthorised Absence Health Helston Carnival Supermarkets Duck Race Independent Group Census Coastguards Budget 2014/15 CAMHS Parody Porthleven Storms Tourism Solar Panels Troubled Families Programme Blue Buoy Steps Consultations Social Media Helston TC Fire Service Beaches For Fun Torchlight Procession Devolution Young Carers School Terms Budget Cornwall Boating Lake CEO Royal Visit Waves Dog Bins CSF Rail Social Workers Leadership Crisis Relationship and Sex Education Boundary Review RAAS Libraries Staffing Post Offices STEM Bickford Smith Institute Harbour and Dock Local Government Funding Bookstart Children and Young People Portfolio Skate Park Gypsies
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10 Terrible Airline Pilots? We hope we to never fly with them
By Capt. Ivan | July 6, 2013 - 10:45 PM | July 6, 2013 Aviation News from around the Web
With all the job pressures and uncertainty in the airline industry, it’s a wonder more pilots don’t run afoul of the law the way Klobjorn Jarle Kristiansen did last week. The 48-year-old American Eagle pilot showed up to work drunk, was suspended and faces both prosecution and the loss of his job. While a commercial plane has never crashed due to drunk flying, there are plenty of instances where pilots have misbehaved throughout history – some of them almost hilariously. Here, a look back at some very memorable misfeasance.
#1 The JetBlue pilot who went nutter butters mid-flight.
“We’re not going to Vegas,” announced Clayton Osbon, before launching into a rambling sermon, telling his co-pilot that “things don’t matter,” and that “we need to take a leap of faith.” Problem: JetBlue Flight 191 was in fact headed for Vegas – with Osborn as the captain. The worried co-pilot called out into the cabin for help; passengers eventually were able to restrain the increasingly out-of-control pilot and the plane made a safe, emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas. Turns out, the pilot — later found not guilty by reason of insanity – was right after all.
#2 The IndiGo Airlines pilot who wasn’t really a pilot.
Just because they’re wearing the uniform, doesn’t mean they can fly the plane. Crew members on a Goa-Delhi flight might have been tipped off to Captain Parminder Kaur Gulati’s lack of credentials after a hugely bumpy landing at Goa Airport back in 2011. Turns out, that was just beginners luck. On the return, Gulati’s dangerous dearth of know-how was outed rather spectacularly when the fraudulent flyer touched down at Delhi, nose first – a major, Landing Of Planes 101-type error that could have gotten everyone killed. It was later discovered that Gulati had forged the necessary documents to receive her pilot’s license.
#3 The Southwest pilot who clogged up air traffic control airwaves talking about his bad sex life.
First rule of business? If you’re going to trash your co-workers, make sure they can’t hear you. James Fritzen Taylor learned this the hard way back in 2011 after he was suspended without pay for a hate-filled rant over the airwaves about his general lack of satisfaction with the physical appearance of the flight crews he’d been working with the past few weeks. Unfortunately, the audio went out over the air traffic control frequency – and to every other plane in the Houston area, which is particularly unfortunate, considering a) that air traffic control needs the airwaves to give out potentially lifesaving instruction to pilots, including Taylor and b) that Taylor had just called Houston flight crews the “ugliest.” He later issued a canned apology to his poor colleagues, who wasted no time leaking the document – and Taylor’s name and personal information – to the media.
#4 The Lion Air pilots with a meth problem.
Indonesia’s largest domestic airline has issues. Over the past year, a handful of crew members, including 44-year-old captain Syaiful Salam, have been arrested after random employee drug tests came back positive for methamphetamines – in Salam’s instance, just hours before he was scheduled to fly. Known as “shabu,” crystal meth has become increasingly popular in Indonesia; the airline was sanctioned by the country’s Transportation Ministry after the embarrassing episode.
#5 The America West pilots who showed up for work drunk.
Back in 2002, Thomas Cloyd and Christopher Hughes narrowly avoided becoming even more infamous after being ordered by authorities to turn the plane around and come back to the terminal at Miami International Airport. Turns out, the terrible twosome had spent the entire night drinking at a Coconut Grove bar, showing up late to their flight; their irregular behavior tipped off staff, who summoned the police. They were later tried and sent to prison.
#6 The Northwest pilots who overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles.
Missing your turn isn’t a huge deal when you’re driving, but when you’re driving a plane full of people, Timothy Cheney and Richard Cole found out the hard way that the consequences can be rather harsh. En-route from San Diego to the Twin Cities, the veteran pilot and co-pilot at one point got so engrossed with what they were doing in the cockpit – messing around on their laptops, it turns out – that they not only overshot their destination by 150 miles, they forgot to stay in touch with air traffic control. Predictably, panic ensued.
#7 The cargo pilot who got drunk and crashed a plane in Alaska.
So far – fingers crossed – pilot drunkenness has never resulted in the crashing of a commercial airliner, but that’s cold comfort to the dozens of cattle and four crew members who died at the hands of an intoxicated Japan Air cargo pilot back in 1977, shortly after takeoff from Anchorage, Alaska. It was a quick flight – after getting up to just 160 feet above the ground, the DC-8 stalled and sank to the ground.
#8 The Jetstar pilot who was too busy texting to lower the landing gear
You know how you forget to turn your phone off when the plane lands, and as you head toward the ground, your service comes back and your phone starts blowing up with texts from all your pals? It happens to pilots, too – right when they’re supposed to be landing the plane. The co-pilot of this Australian budget flyer watched in disbelief as his colleague chose one of the most dangerous times in flight to start playing with his phone. A near-miss with the ground – sans landing gear – jolted the pilot back to reality; the plane eventually touched down safely.
#9 The Air Canada pilot who cracked up.
Of all the times…the co-pilot of a London-bound Boeing 767 had to be restrained and removed from the cockpit after suffering a mental breakdown midflight back in 2008. “His voice was clear, he didn’t sound like he was drunk or anything, but he was swearing and asking for God. He specifically said he wants to talk to God.” After moving him away from the controls, the pilot was able to make a speedy and safe emergency landing in Ireland.
#10 The Air India pilots who started a brawl.
Passengers on a Delhi-bound flight from the United Arab Emirates back in 2009 were treated to a spectacular bit of inflight entertainment when the two pilots began fighting with two crew members over an allegation of sexual harassment from a female flight attendant. The confrontation escalated considerably, moving out of the cockpit and into the cabin for an all-out melee, during which time the controls were decidedly unmanned. Oops.
George Hobica is a syndicated travel journalist and founder of the low-airfare listing site Airfarewatchdog.com.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2013/02/01/10-terrible-airline-pilots-hope-to-never-fly-with/#ixzz2YHSmIBor
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Colts Stun Pack
October 2012 by Paul Nedorostek
Photo by: Ric Tapia/Icon SMI
The Colts came into Sundays game filled with emotions surrounding head coach Chuck Pagano. With the way they played, their head coach would have been proud. The Colts were able to upset the Packers 30-27. Both Andrew Luck and Reggie Wayne had their best games of the season thus far. The two showed a great connection that has grown each week that the team has played. Sunday they showed how great they can be together. Luck and Wayne connected at the most critical moments Sunday, including a 4-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left to complete the Colts’ second-half rally and stun Green Bay on one of the most emotional day in Lucas Oil Stadium history.
“I’m sure we were all lying to everybody the whole week, trying to downplay it,” Luck said after throwing for a career-high 362 yards. “I think we all went out there wanting to do it for Chuck more than anything else. To see all the emotions on Mr. Irsay’s face, BA’s, everyone in there, I think it’s one of the greatest athletic moments I’ve ever been a part of.”
Luck was 31 of 55 throwing with two touchdowns and one interception, and ran for a TD, too. Wayne finished with 13 receptions for a career-high 212 yards — the second-highest total in Colts history behind Hall of Famer Raymond Berry in 1957. “I’ve got 12 years of (special) games,” said Wayne, who has known Pagano since the two were at the the University of Miami together in the late 1990s. “But this did mean a lot, just with the whole deal with how the week’s been going. You know, I talked to coach Pagano and he wanted us to win so bad. Is it a high? Yeah. I don’t necessarily have one other than the Super Bowl game. But it’s up there.”
The sometimes emotional team owner, Jim Irsay, sniffled as he spoke inside a silent locker room before dashing off to the hospital where Pagano is undergoing treatment for leukemia. He wanted to personally deliver the game ball to Pagano, who celebrated his 52nd birthday Tuesday.
The Colts take on the Jets next week in New York.
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Chris Parry
Senior Practitioner
Chris Parry is an entrepreneur and in her early career in financial services she became the youngest women to reach senior management level in NatWest. She subsequently set up and was the CEO of her own highly successful leadership development firm which she grew to 250 people, with offices in London and New York. She sold this four years ago and it has recently been acquired by IBM. As well as being a successful entrepreneur and business leader herself, Chris is an experienced coach and team facilitator and has worked with literally hundreds of senior executives around the world helping them achieve their true leadership potential.
View Chris’ profile on Linkedin:
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Book Club /
Review: Escapement by Kristen Wolf
Gorgeous historical lesbian drama.
By Rachel Wells
Much of what is published under the lesbian fiction category is straightforward romance, queer chick-lit, if you will. Every now and then, though, someone writes something that while still having a lesbian character at its heart, lifts up into the realms of literary fiction that leaves you shaking your head in wonder at the skillful storytelling, the use of language, and the depth of characters. This is one such book.
The story is set in an unnamed country, which could be Germany, or Austria. It is also set in an unnamed year, but its topical references hint at somewhere in the 1860s or 1870s. It is narrated by Henri, an androgynous woman, often deliberately passing as, or mistaken for, a man. She is employed as the housekeeper to an up-and-coming composer, Christofer Vaughn, seen by many as a direct rival to Wagner. However, Henri possesses many talents beyond mere housekeeping, talents which a woman is not supposed to possess in this era: she is also a composer, and probably an even better one than Christofer. While it is Christofer’s name that goes on the final, published music, Henri has more than a helping hand in bringing that music to life. However, she always declines recognition, as she holds a secret fear of what her talents have caused in the past and could cause in the future.
Her sexuality is no secret to Christofer and their closest friends, Clara and Richard Thorne. She has loved seriously once in her life, and it ended badly, so she fears to ever love that strongly again. A new sponsor has recently been found for Christofer, a pig of a man called Jacque who has a beautiful wife, Ava. Then, one day while passing as a man, Henri is put forward as a piano tutor for Ava…
There is so much wrapped up in this book that I can’t really do it justice in a short review. There is drama, as the secrets that all the characters possess risk breaking free, with many lives facing ruin if they do. There is a wonderful historic setting, detailing the manners of the times, and the restrictions placed on women to prevent them from being the talented humans they are. There is a rich tapestry of classical music references woven throughout – I knew very little of the pieces mentioned, or how an orchestra’s different instruments combine to produce those pieces, but the author’s incredible use of language to describe such music completely sucked me in. Sometimes the prose itself was like music, lilting one way and that, interspersed with frantic phrases as the action unfolded and key moments came to head.
Henri is a wonderful character, equal parts fearless to live as who she is, and terrified of realizing her full potential. She has faults that you can’t help relating to, and a depth of platonic love for Christofer and her friends that really pulls at your heartstrings. If you want something very different to delve into with a strong lesbian lead, you definitely want to put this book on your shopping list.
Order your copy of the book here.
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Stage 10: Tour de France
By Lukas Knöfler July 10, 2019 10:50pm
Updated: July 10, 2019 10:50pm Race: Giro d'Italia Internazionale Femminile
Can anyone challenge Van Vleuten at the Giro Rosa?
Van der Breggen resigned to fight for podium spot
Anna van der Breggen
Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) wins the stage 6 time trial at the Giro Rosa and extends her overall lead
Ahead of the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile, many expected a head-to-head fight for the win between the two strongest riders in the women’s peloton – defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten (Mitchelton-Scott) and 2017 winner Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans).
Van Vleuten all-in to defend Giro Rosa title
Giro Rosa: Annemiek van Vleuten wins queen stage on Passo Fraele
Van Vleuten turns GC upside down at Giro Rosa
Giro Rosa: Van Vleuten wins stage 6 time trial
Van Vleuten attacks to avoid danger at the Giro Rosa
Van Vleuten helps Spratt onto Giro Rosa podium on final mountain stage
Van der Breggen had consciously opted out of a defence at the 2018 edition to focus on mountain biking and preparation for the Innsbruck World Championships, where she lined up as the big favourite and duly won the road race. A few days earlier, Van Vleuten had won the individual time trial world title for the second time in her career.
But like last year, Van Vleuten has so far been on a level of her own. After six of ten stages, the time gap to her nearest competitors is huge: Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), the previous race leader from the stage 1 team time trial, is on the same time as Van der Breggen at 4:17 minutes. To compare, the time gap from Niewiadoma and Van der Breggen to 13th-placed Demi Vollering (Parkhotel Valkenburg) is only 4:14 minutes.
“Annemiek was insanely strong,” Niewiadoma said after Tuesday’s stage 5 where she had to relinquish the maglia rosa to Van Vleuten. “When she was riding up the climb, I was thinking of us in the peloton as an apple and her as a grater. She just grated us into small pieces. She was extremely strong and definitely deserved that win.”
When Van Vleuten attacked on stage 5, Niewiadoma and Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb) briefly tried to keep up but soon gave up. After the ITT, Brand now sits in fourth place overall, 5:17 minutes behind Van Vleuten.
Despite moving up in GC, Brand was’t happy with her time trial: “I can’t help but feel dissatisfied with this. The time differences are too big, and I am I can do better. The result isn’t bad, but I want to do more than that and that’s what I’m going to try to do over the next days.”
After losing another 52 seconds to Van Vleuten in Wednesday’s time trial, Van der Breggen seems to have resigned herself to the fact that unseating Van Vleuten will be near-impossible. Thursday’s stage 7 is very hilly, followed by stage 8 with two climbs in the middle and another mountaintop finish on Saturday – but making up more than five minutes on this course appears to be too much to ask even of the road race world champion.
“Annemiek was clearly the strongest yesterday, and I didn’t try to follow her,” she said. “Today’s time trial went well, resulting in a second place. I am looking forward to the coming days and the fight for the podium. That is not what we originally came for, but it is a good goal for the rest of the race.”
Boels Dolmans press officer George Deswijzen confirmed this: “Annemiek is superior at the moment. In this shape she seems unbeatable and we are focusing on reaching the podium with Anna. A lot can still happen but it’s going to be a hard final of this challenging Giro. We are pleased with the fitness and strength of the team, in particular with the support Katie [Hall] gives to Anna when the climbing starts.”
Van Vleuten herself, meanwhile, stayed focused on the task at hand.
“It’s not over until Sunday. But now I can go to sleep a bit more relaxed, knowing that I don’t need to sprint for bonus seconds, for example. I just wanted to put my best time trial out there. I didn’t feel yesterday’s attack in my legs, so I recovered well. I went all out, and it hurt to the max, otherwise you don’t gain enough time. But as the winner, maybe it hurts a little bit less after the finish.”
'I've been so focused on the Giro Rosa' says Mitchelton-Scott leader
'This was my opportunity and I grabbed it' says new maglia rosa after Passo Fraele victory
'To attack is the best way to defend' says maglia rosa
Moolman-Pasio recovers to move into fourth overall, Brand suffers late mechanical
Mitchelton-Scott Women
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Composer: Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
Wharf Rat was first performed by the Grateful Dead in February 1971. It was then played, usually somewhere between 10 and 30 times a year, every year except 1975 through to June 1995.
The title of the song was adopted by the Wharf Rats, a support group for drug and alcohol free deadheads.
Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses), 1971
Dick's Picks, Vol. 3, 1995
Ticket to New Year's (video), 1996
Terrapin Station (Limited Edition), 1997
Dick's Picks, Vol. 12, 1998
Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead, 2000
The Golden Road (1965-1973), 2001
Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72, July 2002
The Closing of Winterland, 2003
The Closing of Winterland (DVD), 2003
Rockin' The Rhein, 2004
Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack, 2004
Grateful Dead Download Vol. 7: 9/3 & 4/80, 2005
Live at the Cow Palace: New Year's Eve 1976, 2006
Grateful Dead Download Vol 11: 6/20/91, 2006
Three From The Vault, 2007
Road Trips: Vol 1, Number 1: Fall 1979, 2007
Road Trips: Vol 1, Number 2: October 1977 (Bonus CD), 2008
Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings, 2008
Road Trips: Vol 1, Number 3: Summer 1971, 2008
To Terrapin: Hartford '77, 2009
Road Trips: Vol 2, No 3: June 1974, Wall Of Sound: Bonus CD, 2009
Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings, 2009
Road Trips: Vol 3, Number 1: Oakland Dec 28, 1979 Bonus CD, 2009
Road Trips: Vol 3, Number 2: Austin, Nov 15, 1971 Bonus CD, 2010
Crimson, White and Indigo, 2010
Road Trips: Vol 3, Number 4: Penn State/Cornell, 1980, 2010
Road Trips: Vol 4, Number 2: April Fool's '88, 2011
Road Trips: Vol 4, Number 3: Denver 1973, 2011
Road Trips: Vol 4, No. 5: Boston Music Hall 6.9.76, 2011
Europe '72, The Complete Recordings, 2011
Europe '72: London, 4/7/1972, 2011
Europe '72: Dusseldorf, 4/24/1972, 2011
Europe '72: Paris, 5/3/1972, 2011
Europe '72: Amsterdam, 5/10/1972, 2011
Europe '72: London, 5/25/1972, 2011
Dave's Picks Vol 1: Richmond, VA, 5/25/77, 2012
Dave's Picks Vol 2: Hartford, CT, 7/31/74, 2012
Dave's Picks 2012 Bonus CD, 2012
May 1977 (box set), 2013
Dave's Picks Vol. 11: Wichita, KS, 11/17/72, 2014
Spring 1990 (The Other One), 2014
Dave's Picks Vol 14: Academy Of Music, 3/26/72, 2015
Dave's Picks Bonus CD 2015
Dave's Picks Vol 15: Nashville, 4/22/78, 2015
30 Trips Around The Sun Box Set, 2015
Capitol Theatre, 4/25/77, 2016
July 1978 Complete, 2016
Red Rocks: 7/8/78, 2016
Dave's Picks Vol 22: New York, 12/7/71, 2017
May 1977: Get Shown the Light, 2017
July 12 & 13, 1989, Washington, DC, 2017
Dave's Picks Vol 25: Binghampton, 11/6/77, 2018
The Best Of The Grateful Dead Live, 2018
Dave's Picks Vol 26: Albuquerque, 11/17/71, 2018
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Complete Recordings, 2018
Pacific Northwest '73�'74: Believe It If You Need It, 2018
Dave's Picks Vol 28: Passaic, 6/17/76, 2018
Boise, ID, July 1 , 2004
Salt Lake City, UT, June 29, 2004
Hartford, CT, August 3, 2004
Dead '09: Los Angeles, CA, May 9, 2009
Dec 12, 2009, Asbury Park, NJ
Feb 6, 2010, Orlando, FL
Mar 3, 2010, Chicago, IL
July 2, 2010, Columbus, OH
July 7, 2010, Ottawa, ON
July 30, 2010, Bridgeport, CT
September 22, 2010, Las Vegas, NV
November 16, 2010, Reading, PA
November 20, 2010, New York, NY
December 31, 2010, San Francisco, CA
February 13, 2011, Broomfield, CO
March 10, 2011, New York, NY
March 20, 2011, Upper Darby, PA
July 19, 2011, Saratoga Springs, NY
Sept 23, 2011, Eugene, OR
Oct 2, 2011, Morrison, CO
Oct 8, 2011, Monterey, CA
Nov 8, 2011, Charlottesville, VA
Nov 18, 2011, Rosemont, IL
Dec 30, 2011, San Francisco, CA
April 21, 2012, Live Oak
July 10, 2012, Alpharetta, GA
September 25, 2012, Seattle, WA
October 4, 2012, Las Vegas, NV
April 17, 2013, Port Chester, NY
July 16, 2013, Gilford, NH
Sept 20, 2013, Morrison, CO
Sept 29, 2013, Berkeley, CA
Dead & Company
Manchester, TN, 12 June, 2016
Flushing, NY, 25 June, 2016
Elkhorn, WI, 10 July, 2016
George, WA, 23 July, 2016
Burgettstown, PA, 15 Jun, 2017
Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 28 Jun, 2017
Boston, MA, 17 Nov, 2017
Atlanta, GA, 29 Nov, 2017
Orlando, FL, 27 Feb, 2018
Camden, NJ, 1 Jun, 2018
Darien Center, NY, 19 Jun, 2018
Mountain View, CA, 2 July, 2018
Arrington, VA, 25 Aug, 2018
Mountain View, CA, 31 May, 2019
Saratoga Springs, NY, 18 Jun, 2019
Charlotte, NC, 28 Jun, 2019
Baltimore MD: October 20, 2003
Geneva NY: October 28, 2003
Chicago IL: November 3, 2003
Ft. Wayne IN: November 11, 2003
Little Rock AR: November 19, 2003
Los Angeles CA, March 1, 2004
Bozeman MT, March 10, 2004
Washington, March 30, 2004
Cleveland OH, April 5, 2005
Wilkes-Barre PA, April 13, 2005
Ridgefield CT, April 25, 2005
South Burlington, VT, August 24, 2005
Toronto, Canada, October 31, 2005
Tucson, AZ, December 6, 2005
North Charleston, SC, March 16, 2006
Phoenix, AZ, June 28, 2006
Ridgefield, CT, August 21, 2006
Columbus OH, October 26, 2006
York PA, November 7, 2006
Seattle WA, February 17, 2007
Jim Thorpe PA, March 16, 2007
Cleveland OH, July 16, 2007
Lowell MA, August 12, 2007
Norfolk, VA, November 7, 2007
Hampton Beach, NH, July 23, 2009
Spokane, WA, August 25, 2009
Washington DC, February 18, 2014
Burlington, VT, February 28, 2014
Grand Rapids, MI, June 10, 2014
Phil Lesh & Friends
April 10, 2014, Port Chester, NY, 2014
April 19, 2014, Las Vegas, NV, 2014
May 30, 2014, Port Chester, NY, 2014
September 6, 2014, Arrington, VA, 2014
November 29, 2014, Port Chester, NY, 2014
March 18, 2015, Port Chester, NY, 2015
November 5, 2015, Port Chester, NY, 2015
May 2, 2015, New Orleans, Voodoo Dead, 2015
Other recordings
Deadicated, Various Artists, 1991
Sometimes - Live (UK EP), Midnight Oil, 1992
Sometimes - Live (Aus. single), Midnight Oil, 1992
Fire On The Mountain: Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1996
The Best Of The B-Sides, Midnight Oil, 1997
Swingin' To The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1999
Built To Grass (Grass Is Dead, Vol. 2), Grass Is Dead (Crazy Fingers), 2001
Long Strange Trip: Swingin' and Pickin' on the Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 2001
Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares, Various Artists, 2005
Bruce Hornsby Live: July 11, 2002, Salt Lake City, UT, Bruce Hornsby, 2005
The Best of the Jammys, Vol. One, 2006
Oriental Theatre, Denver, CO, March 17, 2007, KVMW, 2007
Spun, Lauren Pennington, 2009
At Page Auditorium, Duke University, Durham, NC 10/15/10, The American Beauty Project, 2010
Live At The Blue Light, Charlie Shafter & The Gnomes, 2010
Keys, Keller Williams, 2013
Surrender, Jon Wayne And The Pain, 2013
Songs Of Their Own, Various Artists, 2015
It's a Hand-Me-Down, David Gans, 2015
4/17/15, Morrison, CO, Disco Biscuits, 2015
03/22/16, Mill Valley, CA, Jackie Greene, 2016
10/26/2016, Brooklyn, NY, Jackie Greene, 2016
Day Of The Dead, Various Artists (Ira Kaplan & Friends), 2016
Better Left Unsung, Holly Bowling, 2016
Cut The Dead Some Slack, Stephen Inglis, 2018
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#894. Drums in the Deep South (1951)
Directed By: William Cameron Menzies
Starring: James Craig, Barbara Payton, Guy Madison
Trivia: The King Bros., who produced this film, borrowed James Craig from M-G-M for the production
By the time he directed 1951’s Drums in the Deep South, William Cameron Menzies was already an award-winning Production Designer, having lent his creative talents to a number of early films like The Thief of Bagdad in 1924 and D.W. Griffith’s 1930 biopic of Abraham Lincoln. So respected was his work that David O. Selznick hired him to design Gone with the Wind, going so far as to send a memo to his crew informing them that, in matters of set decoration, “Menzies is the final word”. Unlike Selznick’s extravagant 1939 film, Drums in the Deep South was made on a limited budget, but with Menzies at the helm, the picture ends up feeling a lot bigger than it actually is.
The movie opens in 1861, on the eve of the U.S. Civil War. Braxton Summers (Craig Stevens) returns to his vast Atlanta plantation to tell his wife, Kathy (Barbara Payton), that he’s invited two of his former West Point classmates, Clay Clayburn (James Craig) and Will Denning (Guy Madison), over for dinner (knowing full well Kathy and Clay were once in love with each other). But their meal is cut short when Kathy’s uncle, Albert (Taylor Holmes), rushes in to announce that war has broken out. Jumping ahead several years to 1864, we learn that Clay and Will, who were the best of friends, are now fighting on opposite sides, with Clay a Major in the Confederate Army and Will an officer for the Union. Unbeknownst to the two, their paths are about to cross once again.
In an effort to slow down Sherman’s march through Georgia, Clay is ordered to lead a platoon to the top of Devil’s Mountain, which overlooks a railroad track the North has been using to shuttle supplies to Sherman’s army. Aided by several cannons, Clay’s men manage to destroy a Union train, and in response, his old pal Will is sent in to prevent any further damage. As it stands, neither Clay nor Will realize they’re facing off against one another. Will they learn the truth before it’s too late?
As mentioned above, Drums in the Deep South wasn’t nearly as large as Gone with the Wind, yet director Menzies pulls out all the stops, making it feel every bit as ambitious as its famous predecessor. Acting as the film's Production Designer as well, Menzies’ eye for detail is present in every lavish set and period costume, and he even employs a number of matte paintings (including the wide shots of Devil’s Mountain) to help enlarge the picture’s scope. Dmitri Tiomkin’s grandiose score is another of the movie’s strength, using traditional tunes like Dixie and Battle Hymn of the Republic to accentuate the more dramatic sequences.
Still, there’s no getting around the fact that Drums in the Deep South was a small motion picture; there are more scenes of men preparing for battle then there are of actual combat. That Menzies managed to make the film seem as big as he did was a clear sign of his talent, leaving me to wonder what Drums in the Deep South might’ve been had he had the deep pockets of David O. Selznick behind him.
Robert M. Lindsey said...
Never heard of it, but sounds like something I should look up.
#869. Ted (2012)
#870. My Voyage to Italy (1999)
#871. Resident Evil (2002)
#872. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
#873. 13 Conversations About One Thing (2002)
#874. The Mutations (1974)
#875. Chinatown (1974)
#876. The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
#877. Dracula: Spanish Version (1931)
#878. Chronos (1985)
#879. Spartacus (1960)
#880. Walkabout (1971)
#881. Bride of the Monster (1955)
#882. West Side Story (1961)
#883. Lovely & Amazing (2001)
#884. Nightmares in Red, White and Blue (2009)
#885. Seven Samurai (1954)
#886. Contact (1997)
#887. Sextette (1978)
#888. Nashville (1975)
#889. Gone with the Wind (1939)
#890. Brain of Blood (1971)
#891. 2069: A Sex Odyssey (1974)
#892. The Chiefs (2004)
#893. Glory (1989)
#895. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
#896. El Cid (1961)
#897. In Hot Pursuit (1977)
#898. The Hours (2002)
#899. Princess Mononoke (1997)
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Tip: Importance of Itemizing. Charitable contributions are deductible only if you itemize deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A. Those who take the standard deduction cannot deduct their contributions.
According to Giving USA 2017, Americans gave an estimated $390.05 billion to charity in 2016. That’s the highest total in more than 60 years since the report was first published.1
Americans give to charity for two main reasons: To support a cause or organization they care about, or to leave a legacy through their support.
When giving to charitable organizations, some people elect to support through cash donations. Others, however, understand that supporting an organization may generate tax benefits. They may opt to follow techniques that can maximize both the gift and the potential tax benefit. Here’s a quick review of a few charitable choices:
Direct gifts are just that: contributions made directly to charitable organizations. Direct gifts may be deductible from income taxes depending on your individual situation.
Charitable gift annuities are not related to annuities offered by insurance companies. Under this arrangement, the donor gives money, securities, or real estate, and in return, the charitable organization agrees to pay the donor a fixed income. Upon the death of the donor, the assets pass to the charitable organization. Charitable gift annuities enable donors to receive consistent income and potentially manage taxes.
Pooled-income funds pool contributions from various donors into a fund, which is invested by the charitable organization. Income from the fund is distributed to the donors according to their share of the fund. Pooled-income funds enable donors to receive income, potentially manage taxes, and make a future gift to charity.
Fast Fact: Contributions by individuals, couples, and families accounted for 72% of the $390.05 billion donated to charitable organizations in 2016.
Giving USA Foundation, 2017
Gifts in trust enable donors to contribute to a charity and leave assets to beneficiaries. Generally, these irrevocable trusts take one of two forms. With a charitable remainder trust, the donor can receive lifetime income from the assets in the trust, which then pass to the charity when the donor dies; in the case of a charitable lead trust, the charity receives the income from the assets in the trust, which then pass to the donor’s beneficiaries when the donor dies.
Donor-advised funds are funds administered by a charity to which a donor can make irrevocable contributions. This gift may have tax considerations, which is another benefit. The donor also can recommend that the fund make distributions to qualified charitable organizations.
Some people are comfortable with their current gifting strategies. Others, however, may want a more advanced strategy that can maximize their gift and generate potential tax benefits. A financial professional can help you assess which approach may work best for you.
Remember, the information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice. And it may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.
Giving and Net Worth
Charitable giving appears to trail household net worth by about one year. When household net worth dipped in 2008, charitable giving dipped in 2009.
Chart Source: Giving USA Foundation, 2017; Federal Reserve, 2017
The biggest percentage of charitable contributions — 32% — went to churches and religious organizations. A variety of different types of groups were on the receiving end of charitable gifts.
Chart Source: Giving USA Foundation, 2016
The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. Some of this material was developed and produced by FMG, LLC, to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG Suite is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright 2019 FMG Suite.
Eastern Trust Wealth Management
12 Congress Street
mike@easterntrustwm.com
Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial. A registered investment advisor. Member FINRA & SIPC.
The LPL Financial representative associated with this website may discuss and/or transact securities business only with residents of the following states: CT, FL, ME, MA, NH, NY, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WA.
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Home Technology Most Expensive Cars
Most Expensive Cars
Edward Griffin
The Most Expensive Cars. Last week, Dr. Peter D. Williamson’s estate sold the 1936 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic for the ultimate auto collector to the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Calif., For between $ 30 million and $ 40 million, according to Person familiar with the transaction.
Any figure in that range would make the Williamson Atlantic, a harrowing piece of European automotive sculpture, considered the epitome of the French Deco style, the most valuable car known to have changed hands.
The most valuable car ever sold at a public auction was a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa from 1957, which was sold in Maranello, Italy, in May 2009 for $ 12.2 million.
The sale of Bugatti was negotiated by Gooding & Company, the car auction house based in Santa Monica, California, and it is said that it has been working on the works for some time.
It is not unusual for such transactions to remain private because buyers and sellers like to remain anonymous.
However, the world of car collectors knew that after Williamson’s death in 2008 it was only a matter of time before the car, widely recognized as the most desirable classic car in the world, was sold.
The Mullin Automotive Museum, founded by the famous automobile enthusiast Peter Mullin and located in a facility formerly owned by the Los Angeles Times editor Otis Chandler, is dedicated to the preservation of the classic French cars of the 1930s, including brands such as Delahaye, Delage, and Talbot Lake. The museum opened its doors to the public in April.
1936 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic
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ANA Becomes the First Japanese Airline to Launch the Boeing 777 Freighter
Introduction of Boeing 777F positions ANA to better serve changing transportation needs in Asia and the U.S.
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest and 5-Star airline for seven consecutive years, is introducing the Boeing 777 Freighter to its fleet today to aid with increased cargo transportation demand in Asia and North America. The start of operations for these aircraft is the culmination of expansion plans that ANA HD announcedOpens in a new window in 2018.
ANA received its first Boeing 777F, nicknamed "BLUE JAY," on May 24, 2019 at Tokyo Haneda International Airport. The specially-designed aircraft has the ability to transport large items ranging from aircraft engines, to semiconductor manufacturing equipment as well as cargo requiring a high degree of care such as lithium batteries and pharmaceuticals. From July 2 through Aug. 25, 2019 the BLUE JAY will operate connecting cargo flights from Narita International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport with a stop at Kansai International Airport. Starting from Aug. 26, 2019 ANA will offer a direct cargo flight from Narita International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
"The Boeing 777F aircraft elevates the ANA fleet to a new level," said Toshiaki Toyama, President of ANA Cargo INC. "These 777Fs are significantly larger than the Boeing 767F models used to ferry cargo in Asia, giving ANA additional flexibility in how the aircraft are used. The aircraft will aid in the expansion of ANA's services to include a whole new set of customers and increase ANA's ability to safely transport larger cargo."
ANA currently boasts a strong Asian flight network centered around the Okinawa freight hub and is planning to expand its network in North America this year with the addition of large-scale cargo flights complementing its current passenger air travel options. Starting on Oct. 27, 2019 ANA will use Boeing 777F to transport items from Narita International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Furthermore, ANA is providing bespoke "PRIO SENSITIVEOpens in a new window" service for delicate cargo being transported by its Boeing 777F aircraft. This service offers an additional layer of protection to fragile cargo, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment and medical equipment. ANA is also offering a unique "PRIO VEHICLEOpens in a new window" service that will allow for the transportation of a variety of vehicles ranging from compact cars to SUVs.
The addition of the Boeing 777F aircraft will increase ANA's ability to provide top-of-the-line service to its customers. As the first Japanese airline to make use of the freighter, ANA is equipped to meet emerging customer needs while providing hassle-free transportation options for all cargo no matter its size or composition. As ANA's international cargo operation grows to include North America, the carrier is committed to bringing the same level of service and convenience that has made it a leader in both Asian cargo transportation and international passenger air service.
News \ ANA Becomes the First Japanese Airline to Launch the Boeing 777 Freighter
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Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong (3rd from left) Picture: HKEJ
Ben Kwok - Mar 20, 2014 5:29pm
Lan Kwai Fong’s Zeman to help build Shanghai’s Broadway dream
A formidable group of media and entertainment entrepreneurs have joined forces to build China’s version of Broadway or West End in central Shanghai.
Dream Center, a 15 billion yuan (US$2.45 billion) cultural complex in the heart of the country’s financial capital, is the brainchild of the United States’ Dreamworks Animation, mainland private equity group China Media Capital and Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) Group, and is expected to be completed by early 2018.
“This will be the most iconic entertainment district in China where people can come to work, play, relax and watch shows,” says Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong, one of the lead partners in the consortium. “This is going to be the new media and cultural hub of Shanghai.”
DreamWorks Animation chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg added, “With the addition of Dream Center, Shanghai will become the world third largest urban centre of entertainment and arts alongside New York’s Broadway and London’s West End. Together with the West Bund Media Port, Dream Center will be an exciting hub for local residents, and a magnet for international tourism.”
The 4.64 million square foot cultural district will rise opposite the Shanghai Expo site from across the Huangpu River, and compares well with Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, a public-funded arts and cultural project.
In fact, the two waterfront projects with similar cultural ambitions may symbolize the sibling rivalry between Hong Kong and Shanghai, which are also trying to outdo each other in the financial arena.
The West Kowloon Cultural District will only have the first four of its 17 planned facilities, including a performance venue Xiqu Centre and contemporary art museum M+, completed in 2017 and is likely to need more funding to get fully operational by a yet unknown date.
Meanwhile, the consortium behind Dream Center has been talking to cultural operators with international presence and local cultural interests as part of efforts to find tenants for its 12 buildings that will include a dome theater, music halls, art galleries, black-box theaters and iMax cinemas.
Zeman, who also sat on the board of West Kowloon Cultural District, said the two projects have different thrusts and follow different schedules, although he admits being worried more about Hong Kong.
“I see the speed of China’s moving and Hong Kong seems to be stuck at the moment,” he said. “We need to pull ourselves and really start to work together — not criticize every single aspect and forget the big picture.”
Dream Center marks LKF Group’s return to Shanghai, having first invested in an entertainment business in the city 15 years ago before selling it after eight years of operation. Dream Center is the biggest mainland investment for Zeman’s property business, which also operates in Chengdu, Wuxi and Haikou, the latter involving project in cooperation with Mission Hill Group that is due to open by year-end.
About 18 months ago, Zeman was invited by Dreamworks Animation chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg for a possible joint investment in a cultural district with China Media Capital.
China Media Capital founder Li Ruigong, the man behind the wildly popular TV singing competition “The Voice of China”, immediately flew to Wuxi to meet with Zeman and they hit it off as they shared the vision of turning the place into something dramatic, like China’s version of New York’s Broadway or London’s West End.
The three parties would each bring their specialties and business expertise to the project, with Dreamworks contributing its creative acumen and moving its headquarters to the site, while Li would leverage his media background in creating a media hub.
Zeman would bring in not just LKF Group’s dining and entertainment partners, but also its property development management experience, and has been tasked to put together 15 designer firms for the project.
“China is a very exciting place at the moment and a good place to be,” Zeman said during the media preview of the Shanghai project on Thursday. “Shanghai has become my second home. I come here almost every week for work.”
– Contact the reporter at [email protected]
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Is Hong Kong losing its world economy status?
EJ Insight writer
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TO MILLENNIUMS WHO MIGHT USE A PROTEST VOTE by JEAN SCHILD
Senator Bernie Sanders is supporting Hillary Clinton 100% as is Senator Elizabeth Warren. Bernie Sanders made a great run but unfortunately he lost. Donald Trump made a successful run, unfortunately.
I do not believe a true liberal could vote for Trump no matter how angry you are at the establishment. Trump is ill-suited and ill-equipped to to be President. He was born into and still is the 1%. Ours is a world he does not understand. He has misused the system with four bankruptcies to cheat his creditors. He isn't for, nor has he ever been for blue or white-collared workers. His economic plan has shown it will lose extensive jobs and cost billions as countries react to his proposed tariffs and isolationism. His Russian business ties, for decades, has been worrisome. Putin can manipulate Trump, and will do so, being the consummate opportunist. In addition, Trumps' bigotry and bully-tactics have no place in a civil, democratic society.
Bottom line, politics is pragmatic. This political race is too close and the stakes too high to make this year year a protest vote. Bernie Sanders has requested all of his supporters that this is not the time for a protest vote. Jill Stein has her points but it is a given she cannot win. Instead, for those of you who know history, she will become a Ralph Nader at the polls. The votes Al Gore lost to Nader in Florida would have secured Gore in Florida and the presidency. Instead the nation got Bush, Cheney, Iraq, and the horror show that they created in the Middle East. Hold you nose, if you must, but do vote for Hillary Clinton.
Numerous and admirable heads of state support her and are trying to educate the public on facts instead of a GOP agenda to keep her out of the White House. All candidates arrive with their own baggage that become political fodder, but Clinton has what Trump has not shown: she has a well-appointed economic plan; she understand Putin's dangers; the complexity of the Middle East; and she has a deep understanding of foreign policy. She has never been a bigot, and consistently champions children's and women's rights throughout the world. Hillary Clinton is respectful of the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and comes with her own excellent intellect.
Idealism is a beautiful thing, but not in this very ugly election. Please be pragmatic and vote for Hillary Clinton in order to stop Trump. You will look back in ten years and be glad you did.
pragmatism definition. An approach to philosophy, primarily held by American philosophers, which holds that the truth or meaning of a statement is to be measured by its practical (i.e., pragmatic) consequences.
Presently, not accepting any Guest Writers.
Photos used under Creative Commons from thedescrier, Jordi Cucurull
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China's largest marriott hotel over guangzhou China hotel on November 1, from the marriott
Guangzhou China hotel is the first sino-foreign cooperative domestic large five-star hotel, opened in 1984, and the white swan, garden, the Oriental hotel in guangzhou in the 80 s the most exotic place, has also been identified as the historic buildings in guangzhou in 2014.
China joined the marriott hotel in 1998, it is also one of the earliest marriott hotels in China, is also China's largest marriott hotel, have 850 guest room.
Contract signed 20 years, China's hotel in guangzhou with marriott, the expiration of the term of the contract will be held on October 31, November 1, from the marriott.
Guangzhou China hotel issued a statement before National Day
Hotel is located in guangzhou city in the heart of the central section, opposite the hotel is located in bustling downtown liuhua JiaoYiGuan, five-star hotel, apartment, and the main commercial buildings, office buildings and shopping malls) of three parts.Adjacent to sun yat-sen memorial hall, the western han dynasty nanyue king's tomb museum, location.
This is also the earliest hotel subway export superior position in China, China hotel is at the gate of yuexiu park station.
Guangzhou China hotel opened in 1984, is China's first sino-foreign joint venture hotel, the hotel developers is the Hong Kong new world development, cheung kong, Henderson, sun hung kai properties, hopewell holdings and sun hung kai securities firms.
At the beginning of the reform and opening up, guangzhou invited Hong Kong entrepreneurs to invest in the mainland.During the talks, patriotic hong kong-invested Gordon wu put forward to Suggestions from the construction of hotels, and get together to attend the li ka-shing, Guo Desheng, Feng Jingxi, Mr Lee shau-kee and cheng yu-tung agreed., they raised hk 文章 billion to form the new synthesis co., LTD., and put forward Gordon wu for the general manager, in charge of planning and construction.
In April 1980, the new synthesis with the guangzhou municipal government signed a contract of construction of China hotel., both sides agreed by party a with free land (guangzhou), party b (the new synthesis) to raise money to construction, and with 20 years for a period, the period of independent operation, by party b after the expiration of all property in normal business case handed over to party a.
Thus, starting the BOT mode (construction - operation - transfer) precedent.Guangzhou China hotel became China's first entirely by enterprises with foreign investment and management.
Guangzhou China hotel
So far, which opened in 1984, China hotel has always been one of the best hotels in guangzhou.And in the early days, as China's five-star hotel model, training a large number of hotel management talents.
Gordon wu of vision thinking, has won widespread praise, its engineer level also get affirmation and praise, and won the second prize of China's best design award and the national ministry of construction building.At the same time, he will also is a world leading technology and equipment, "sliding mode" in after the completion of the hotel, all presented in guangdong province.
Renovated in 1998.At present the hotel owner is guangzhou lingnan group.
Delisting marriott, the hotel will include lingnan system.
Lingnan group and members of the SLH, guangzhou best boutique hotel - guangzhou lingnan 5, and another legendary hotel, garden hotel in guangzhou.
Lingnan group chief executive should be the original Beijing JW GM opened in Shanghai.Lingnan hotel brands including the lingnan number five, lingnan garden hotel, lingnan Oriental hotel, lingnan garden resort hotel, lingnan garden hotel five hotel brands, and lingnan selected hotels, nearly 50 series brand hotel.
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Learn French Idiot!
Anniversarys, Chess History, Duchess of Blunderboro, Humour No Responses »
Continuing with the recent anniversary theme, today we acknowledge a recent significant birthday for one of the game’s true titans.
The 10th Chess World Champion, Boris Spassky celebrated his 75th birthday on the 30th of January. I’m not going to regurgitate his wonderous achievements or indulge in any sentimental recollections about the ‘good old days’ here – well, not much anyway! There are plenty of folks out there better qualified to do that than I. Chessbase being just one example.
Boris was disappointed to see that, once again, his wife had ordered a chessboard-shaped birthday cake with pieces for candles
What I will say is that I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Spassky and my feelings were reinforced when I saw the recent celluloid about Bobby Fischer. It seemed to me that Fischer was able to complete his match with Spassky in ’72 due in no small part to the Russian’s patience, generosity and sportsmanship. Spassky wanted to play that match and he put up with Fischer’s shenanigans despite the fact that they undoubtedly had an adverse effect on his psychological equilibrium and therefore his playing standard.
I could re-publish any number of Spassky’s great masterpieces. The one against Bronstein (Leningrad 1960) or the one against Larsen (Belgrade 1970) are the ones that most readily spring to mind and get trotted out whenever his masterpieces are considered. However, I’ll resist the temptation in order to bring you a less prominent encounter that may have escaped your attention.
Spassky’s 16th move of the first game in viewer at the bottom of this post was adjudged by Tim Krabbé to be the most fantastic of all “The 110 Most Fantastic Moves Ever Played” back in 1998. The game was played in the 1959 Russian Championship play-off in which Spassky and his opponent, Yuri Averbakh were competing with Mark Taimanov. I’ve put the whole game into the viewer but move 16 is the point at which Spassky (playing Black), after sadly reflecting on the misery of his situation, decided that 16…Nc6! was required. On his website Krabbé annotates this move as follows:
About his #1 greatest move, Spassky wrote to me: I have played 16…Nc6 because I did not see any other practical resources because my position was so passive. I was very surprised that Yuri Averbakh was thinking about 1 hour (!!) (55 min.) I considered that after 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.h6! Bh8 White would have two pieces up and they could manage the win very easy. Mark Taimanov: “I would rather resign the game than to make such a move…
It would be greatly amiss of me not to add that Spassky’s opponent in this game, Yuri Averbakh, was 90 on the 6th of February! I believe he is currently the oldest living Grandmaster. Chessbase also has a nice tribute and interview with him on their website.
To end this appreciation I would like to set straight a record that was recently made public by Vladimir Kramnik. I was listening to the Full English Breakfast podcast last week in which Macauley Peterson interviewed Vlad right after his win in the London Chess Classic. At one point in the interview Kramnik was talking about living in Paris (were Spassky also resides) and the fact that he hadn’t yet learnt French. He recounted thisanecdote about his illustrious countryman.
He’s been living in France since ’73 or’74 and actually his French is still not great. Once I visited him at his place and he had a big sign on the door of his bureau cabinet in Russian which was saying ‘Learn French idiot!’
— Vladimir Kramnik interviewed by Macauley Peterson for the FEB
Readers may think nothing of this apparently amusing story but, in yet another exclusive for this website, I can now reveal the true and rather more poignant origin of that handwritten note. At the beginning of last week I was alerted to the Kramnik interview by our erstwhile guest columnist, Lady Cynthia Blunderboro, who sent me this e-mail.
Dear Intermezzo,
Perhaps you will have come across the recent interview of Vladimir Kramnik by the chaps at the Full English Breakfast. In it he mentions a note stuck to Boris Spassky’s bureau cabinet that he naively assumes must have been written by Spassky himself and refers to his failure to learn the language of his nation of residence.
Setting the record straight, Lady Cynthia Blunderboro
I say “naïve” because Kramnik clearer failed to consider some plain facts which point to the true origin and nature of the note, which I should add, I witnessed being written with my own eyes.
First of all, the note is, as I mentioned above, handwritten and if Kramnik had given it any more than a perfunctory glance he could not have failed to notice that the handwriting was not Spassky’s. Secondly, if he had taken a further moment to inspect the note he wouldn’t have missed the familiar size and stock of the paper which is clearly a score sheet from a chess game. Finally, if he had been minded to consider a potential alternate meaning for the three words in the note he might have deduced that the word “French” could in fact refer to the chess opening of that name and not the language.
The tragic truth behind that note must cause poor Spassky to suffer a pang of anguish every time he reads it. In 1977 he had qualified to play in the final Candidates Match of the World Championship cycle against Viktor Korchnoi, for the right to play Karpov. The match was played in Belgrade just a year after Korchnoi had defected from the Soviet Union. The bad blood between Viktor and the Soviet bureaucracy was just beginning. In fact some of the antics and psychological chicanery that distinguished the subsequent World title matches between Karpov and Korchnoi originated from the acrimonious dénouement of this Belgrade encounter.
The match started very badly for Boris who went five games behind. The main instrument of his agonies was Korchnoi’s use of the French Defence which Spassky for some reason found very challenging to overcome. In seven games across the match where Korchnoi played the French Spassky managed a score of only +1, =2, -4. Desperate for a break, in game 10 Spassky suddenly decided to consider his moves in his designated “relaxation box”, using a large demonstration board to analyze his moves. He would only go to the board to play his moves, record them and press the clock and then return to his box. This tactic drew a protest from Korchnoi, but he was clearly unnerved and Spassky fought his way back almost to equality in the match winning games 11, 12, 13 and 14 by which time Korchnoi had begun mimicing Spassky’s behaviour to no avail.
Belgrade 1977. Spassky is the one in the sun visor!
The match descended into farce and relations between the two men had become very poor. By the time they played the 17th game Spassky had returned to consider his moves at the board but had taken to wearing a silver sun visor and sunglassed underneath a pair of goggles. He lost that game (probably because he couldn’t see properly!) and Korchnoi now needed only one more point to win the match. Fittingly, in game 18 (the second game in the viewer at the bottom of this post) Korchnoi deployed the French once more and Spassky tried the Advance Variation.
I was lucky enough to be sitting in the front row of the auditorium when this game was played and I can assure you the atmosphere was very tense indeed. Eventually Korchnoi overcame his opponent and when the formality of swapping and signing each other’s score sheets arrived I noticed Korchnoi turn his sheet over and scribble something on the back of it before passing it to Spassky. I saw that Boris took a look at the note and immediately turned pale with anger before leaving the stage humiliated.
Later on that evening, at a party held in honour of Korchnoi’s success, I got the opportunity to ask Viktor what he had written on that score sheet that had obviously distressed Spassky so deeply. Korchnoi chortled and said,
I hope that this e-mail will go some way to redressing the inaccuracy of Kramnik’s statement which was in no way intentional on his part. How could he have known that this note of admonition was in fact a spur to drive Spassky’s opening studies and not his linguistic deficiency?
Posted by Intermezzo at 1:37 am Tagged with: Boris Spassky, Chess Anniversarys, Chess History, Chess Humour, Chess Titans, Duchess of Blunderboro, French Defence, Viktor Korchnoi
Kasparov’s special date
Chess History No Responses »
Kasparov takes on Korchnoi (notice Karpov lurking in the background) in 1982
Considering he was/is one of the greatest players of all time Garry Kasparov has featured surprisingly infrequently on this website. It’s time to put the record straight with a post dedicated to the ex-World Champion who is one of my chess heroes.
November the 9th is a date that Kasparov remembers with great fondness as I discovered recently when watching an interview clip with him on You Tube. There are two reasons for this. The first, and most prominent, is that he won the World title from Anatoly Karpov on the 9th of November 1985. Not only that but he won the match with a game that is considered to be a masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it, I’ve put it into the game viewer below. The annotation is Raymond Keene’s.
The second game in the viewer was also played on the 9th of November. This time Kasparov draws his happy memories from his famous victory against Victor Korchnoi at the Lucerne Olympiad in 1982. Kasparov was just a young man then and of course Korchnoi was persona non grata with the Soviets due to his defection and the acrimonious clashes he’d had with Karpov for the World title in 1978 and 1981. When the USSR were due to play Korchnoi’s adopted nation, Switzerland, Karpov immediately said he wouldn’t play in the match and that forced young Kasparov into the limelight to play on board 1 for his country against the defector.
[Event "World Championship"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "1985.11.09"] [Round "24"] [White "Karpov, Anatoly"] [Black "Kasparov, Garry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B85"] [WhiteElo "2720"] [BlackElo "2700"] [Annotator "Raymond Keene"] 1. e4 c5 {Requiring only a draw, Kasparov still selects the sharpest possible defence against White's opening move.} 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. f4 O-O 9. Kh1 Qc7 10. a4 Nc6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Bf3 Rb8 13. Qd2 Bd7 14. Nb3 b6 15. g4 {This position had already occurred earlier in the match, but Karpov's 15th move constitutes an aggressive departure for him. The disadvantage is that this pawn move leaves a vacuum in its wake which may present a future source of weakness.} Bc8 16. g5 Nd7 17. Qf2 {Varying from the game Sokolov-Ribli, just played at the Montpellier Candidates' tournament and published in Moscow only two days before the game. There White tried 17.Bg2 which was met by 17...Na5. Karpov tried to improve White's conduct of the attack.} Bf8 18. Bg2 Bb7 19. Rad1 g6 20. Bc1 Rbc8 {This is not best. Black should play 20...Nc5!} 21. Rd3 {Introducing an apparently crude, but nevertheless dangerous, attacking scheme.} Nb4 22. Rh3 Bg7 23. Be3 $2 {White hopes to follow up with Qh4 and f5, but his slow offensive is hampered by the distance of his knights from the main scene of action. Very dangerous is 23.f5! } Re7 24. Kg1 Rce8 $1 {Kasparov's defence is extremely profound, culminating in this apparently mysterious massing of his rooks in the confined spaces of the closed king's file. The main idea is to discourage White from playing f5 when the answer ...exf5 will permit Black's rooks to rampage down the newly opened central file.} 25. Rd1 f5 {Kasparov breaks out and his rooks soon begin to play their part in his counterattack. The text involves an imaginative sacrifice of his b-pawn.} 26. gxf6 Nxf6 27. Rg3 {If immediatley 27.Bxb6, then either 27...Qb8, as in the game, or even 27...Ng4.} Rf7 28. Bxb6 Qb8 29. Be3 Nh5 30. Rg4 Nf6 31. Rh4 {Karpov should have retreated with 31.Rg3, but this would have allowed 31...Nh5 drawing by repetition of moves and giving Kasparov the title. Striving to avoid disaster, Karpov stumbles into a brilliant new sacrifice, curiously of Black's other knight's pawn.} g5 $3 {An unexpected blow that sweeps the remaining shackles from Black's forces. In the last few minutes of play, with the World Champion in desperate time trouble, the White position is now utterly routed.} 32. fxg5 Ng4 33. Qd2 Nxe3 34. Qxe3 Nxc2 35. Qb6 Ba8 36. Rxd6 $2 {This loses a piece. 36.Qxb8 Rxb8 37.Bh3! was forced.} Rb7 37. Qxa6 Rxb3 {Also rushed for time, Kasparov misses the crushing 37...Nb4!} 38. Rxe6 Rxb2 39. Qc4 {Threatening mate on e8 which Kasparov sidesteps.} Kh8 40. e5 Qa7+ 41. Kh1 Bxg2+ 42. Kxg2 Nd4+ {White now resigned the game and the title.} 0-1 [Event "Lucern Olympiad"] [Site "Lucern"] [Date "1982.11.09"] [White "Korchnoi, Victor"] [Black "Kasparov, Garry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A64"] [WhiteTeam "Switzerland"] [BlackTeam "U.S.S.R"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 c5 5. d5 d6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Nf3 e6 8. O-O exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 Re8 11. Nd2 Nbd7 12. h3 Rb8 13. Nc4 Ne5 14. Na3 Nh5 15. e4 Rf8 16. Kh2 f5 17. f4 b5 18. axb5 axb5 19. Naxb5 fxe4 20. Bxe4 Bd7 21. Qe2 Qb6 22. Na3 Rbe8 23. Bd2 Qxb2 24. fxe5 Bxe5 25. Nc4 Nxg3 26. Rxf8+ Rxf8 27. Qe1 Nxe4+ 28. Kg2 Qc2 29. Nxe5 Rf2+ 30. Qxf2 Nxf2 31. Ra2 Qf5 32. Nxd7 Nd3 33. Bh6 Qxd7 34. Ra8+ Kf7 35. Rh8 Kf6 36. Kf3 Qxh3+ 0-1
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I’ve added the link to the interview with Kasparov where he tells the fascinating story behind this game with Korchnoi – the passage about Lucern 1982 starts at 0:55. It’s really interesting and the game analysis is excellent. If you want to follow the analysis through for the whole game then you’ll need to watch parts 28 and 29 in this series as well. You’ll be directed to the next part at the end of each video.
Below is a later segment of the interview where Kasparov talks about and analyses the famous game with Karpov. This is a long video which is well worth watching in full. However, if you just want the segment about the final game of the 1985 World Championship then you should skip to 40:00.
So there you are. Two good reasons why Garry Kasparov will be smiling today!
Posted by Intermezzo at 11:00 pm
Who is "T.M.W.D.W.M.T"?
Chess History 1 Response »
I’ve been light heartedly toying with the idea of referring to club members only through the medium of amusing pseudonyms during the course of the forth coming season. I probably won’t do it but it for a few minutes I enjoyed brain storming a few ideas. One idea came very quickly to mind and that was a ‘handle’ for one of our club’s newest members, Pete Leonard. Pete joined us last year and quickly made a name for himself by scoring 6/7 for the ‘C’ team during the latter half of last season and ending it with a new Yorkshire rating of 158. Quite a debut!
Over the summer months I’ve had the chance to play a few games against Pete and chat to him about his ‘first’ chess career back in the 1970’s and 80’s. After an analysis evening at the club he mentioned that he’d once played in a simultaneous event against one of my chess heroes and member of the true all time greats, Mikhail Tal. When my jaw dropped open in amazement Pete proceeded to dumbfound me even further by telling me that he secured a draw against the former World Champion with the Black pieces and using Alekhine’s Defence! Now I was really impressed and asked him if he would send me the moves for publication here on the blog. Today I am delighted to be able to present Pete’s draw with Mikhail Tal.
As Pete himself points out the game was not particularly in keeping with the great man’s usual modus operandi. In fact it’s pretty dull and all those who attended the analysis evening that Pete was asked to host at the beginning of August to replay this historic game were probably a little surprised to spend most of their time analysing a technical endgame rather than a labyrinthine, tactical, atom bomb. Never mind. I did at least manage to dig out some further details of the simultaneous display itself with help of the chess historian par excellence, Edward Winter from Chess Notes.
I sent Mr Winter an e-mail and asked if there was any good way to find out about the details of the simultaneous display which, at that point, Pete thought had been played in 1977. Mr Winter kindly and politely responded that he couldn’t really help because if he did then he’d open the flood gates for similar requests that he simply didn’t have the time to deal with. But he did say that he’d had a cursory glance through some reference material and wondered whether I had provided him with the right date because the only simultaneous display he could find that had been played by Mikhail Tal in Luton was given in 1973.
Of course Mr Winter’s brief research turned out to be completely accurate and Pete later confirmed that on closer inspection of his handwriting it turned out his game had indeed been played in 1973. I was therefore pleased to be able to tell him that both Tal and Svetozar Gligoric participated in that simultaneous event at Stockwood High School in Luton on the 16th of July, 1973. Tal’s score that day was +39 -0 =3!
Now I truly am impressed because achieving one of only three draws out of 42 games played that day is a fantastic effort. In fact, ever since I found out about Pete’s back story I have been jokingly referring to him as “The Man Who Drew With Mikhail Tal” or, palendromically, as “T.M.W.D.W.M.T” for short. Maybe we’ll use that acronym to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies next season for if we can deploy “T.M.W.D.W.M.T” in the lower reaches of our ‘A’ team then how good must the rest of the side be?
Posted by hedbenbridge at 9:59 am
The Hardest chess problem in the world?
Chess History, Duchess of Blunderboro, Humour 1 Response »
Hebden Bridge Chess Club members will be well acquainted with my passion for digging up chess curiosities from across the ‘interweb’. Recently I came across the perplexing puzzle below. It’s White to play and mate in 1.
White to play and mate in 1
Yes, in 1! Try putting that one through your computer and it will fry it’s chips before it finds the answer. If I told you that the solution is a VERY unusual move that is no longer strictly within the bounds of the rules of the game then that might help you a little bit. The solution will be revealed at the bottom of this post.
Anyway, the legend around this particular problem is shrouded in mystery. No-one knows who composed it, nor do they know when, but it is evident that this puzzle pre-dates the publication of FIDE’s official rules of the game (another little clue there).
As usual, I was not satisfied with this lack of provenance and so, having tried to cultivate a lead from the internet and failed, I turned to this blog’s old friend and oracle on chess history, the Duchess of Blunderboro, to see if she might be able to provide me with a clue. So, last week I sent her an instant message with the problem attached. Here is how our chat developed:
Intermezzo: Hi Duchess. Any idea who composed this problem?
Duchess: Oh yes! That one is one of Grand Fathers. It’s a funny story actually.
Intermezzo: Wow! Care to elaborate for me? How about a blog post?
Duchess: Certainly!
So, without further ado, I’ll hand over to the Duchess, who will explain all.
The Duchess of Blunderboro
“I first encountered this position in June 1937 and I was 15 years old. It was a warm summer’s day. I had taken my chess set out to the conservatory and was thumbing through one of my Grandfathers old score books in a bid to convince my Father that I was taking my chess education seriously. I had idly played through several games without taking too much time to consider the ideas behind the moves when I reached the final stages of the game in which the position in question appeared. Noticing that the game lasted only a few moves more I paused for a moment to visualise them as I couldn’t be bothered to play them out over the board. As I did this a voice from just behind me said “There’s an amusing story behind that position”.
Jumping with the shock of the sudden interruption, I turned to see that Daddy had sneaked up behind me and was smiling at the recollection of some long distant memory. “It looks like a perfectly straightforward position to me. Black should really have resigned long ago” I observed a little put out that I was being spied upon.
“I’d have to agree with you,” said my Father as he moved round the table to sit down opposite me. “But how about if I told you that Granddad had missed a very unusual and extremely witty mate in one in this very position?”
A cursory glance at the board told me that there was no such mate in one. “Impossible!” I announced. There is no way for White to mate in one move, even by some such sneaky means as an under promotion.”
“Again, I agree with you,” my Father beamed back, “and so did Granddad. But when you’ve been told that there is a mate in one by non-other than the great Adolf Anderrsen, you have to take it seriously.”
“What? “ I spluttered. “Anderssen saw this game and found mate in one?”
The Cafe de la Regence
“Indeed he did,” confirmed my Father. “Your Granddad played this game in Paris at the Café de la Regence in 1878. It was a casual game against a fellow of no particular consequence but, as was his habit in those days, he recorded the score so that he could study the game at a later date. It just so happened that there was a big international tournament taking place in Paris at that time and consequently several of the world’s best were taking their leisure in the café which was renowned as a venue for chess playing. Anderssen, who was nearly 60 years old at that point and competing in what turned out to be his last tournament, happened to be one of small group kibitzing Granddad’s game right at it’s very end and had had a joke with him at it’s conclusion saying
Adolf Anderssen in later life
“Did you know that you missed a very amusing check mate in one a couple of moves before the end?”
Your Granddad had been dumbstruck as he well knew who Anderssen was but was totally convinced that no such mate existed so he didn’t know how to respond. Anderssen had quickly set up the crucial position on the board again and then said.
“The solution really is most unusual. In fact I’d say it would make a striking problem. Check mate in one move. Can you find it?”
Your Granddad told me that he, his opponent and the growing group of kibitzers stared in stunned silence for a couple of minutes trying to find the answer. After a while it became evident that they couldn’t do it so, quietly, Anderssen reached across the board and pushed the White pawn to b8. He then picked it up and replaced with… a black knight!”
As he said these words my Father replicated the great man’s actions, under promoting the pawn to a black knight. He chuckled merrily as he did so. I starred open mouthed in amazement for it was, undeniably, checkmate.
1. b8=N (black) and check mate!
“But, surely that’s illegal,” I stammered.

“Yet again, I must agree with you,” laughed my Father. “But in fact, at the time this game was played there was no specific rule stating that a pawn had to be promoted to a piece of the same colour!”
So, this then is the story behind the position which has since become known a chess problem of unknown origin. For myself I like to think that the origin was Anderssen himself for he was a renowned composer to chess problems and had said himself that the position would have made a striking puzzle. Being as he died not long after the Paris tournament I often imagine that this position might have been found amongst his documents after he died unpublished and uncredited. This is fanciful of me perhaps, but it’s plausible.”
Thanks, as ever, go to the Duchess for bringing us this ‘exclusive’ story. As a final note on this, the hardest of chess problems, I should add that FIDE’s official rules require that a pawn on the eighth rank must promote to a piece of the same colour
Posted by hedbenbridge at 2:50 pm
Lenin vs Hitler: Who won?
Chess History, Duchess of Blunderboro, Humour No Responses »
Did Lenin and Hitler face off over this chess board?
Like many chess enthusiasts I was interested to see some news coverage (just over a year ago) about an etching from the 1900’s of Hitler and Lenin playing chess together. Well, the story has now been resurrected from the bowels of the internet by Telegraph journalist, Guy Walters. Evidently both the etching, and the chess set that the two men are supposed to have contested said game upon, are being auctioned by Mullocks in London today. If you have a spare £10,000 or so, you might fancy bidding.
For the historians out there I suppose that the debate about the provenance of these artifacts is all very interesting but as a chess player what I’m really interested in is the missing piece of the puzzle. I am talking of course about the scoresheet for the game which would surely refute any lingering doubts about the authenticity of the other items. Not only would the missing scoresheet add exponential value to the board and the picture it would also answer the crucial questions that every chess player really wants to know the answers to. “Who won the game and what moves were played?”
Fortunately for you dear reader the answer to these tantalising questions is close at hand for, in the year or so since the story first came to my attention, I have been conducting my own investigations into this fabled over-the-board encounter. I must confess that for a long time my best efforts were totally ineffectual but then, quite by chance only a few weeks ago, after a pleasant exchange of banter with someone I played a game against online, I stumbled across our humble blog’s first exclusive scoop!
You see, the person I had been playing against turned out to be none other than Lady Cynthia Blunderboro whose Father, Horace (the 4th Duke), was instrumental in organising the game and was actually present when it was played. Most importantly of all however, he kept Hitler’s copy of the score sheet! A player of no little ability herself, Lady Cynthia has kindly agreed to re-tell the story of the game and provide some commentary on the moves exclusively for this blog.
I must confess that I was rather surprised when Intermezzo mentioned the sudden appearance of the Lenin and Hitler etching and chess set during the course of our online chat. I say this only because I had hitherto assumed that the encounter was common knowledge. Daddy first told me the story when I was a teenager and I remember the morning vividly. It was the 31st of January, 1933 and Adolf Hitler had just swept to power in Germany. Daddy had almost choked on his toast when he read the story about it in that morning’s newspaper.
“Good God!” he spluttered “who would have thought it possible?”
Naturally, I had enquired as to the nature of his outbourst and he quickly explained that “young Addy” had been an acquaintance of his during his time at the British Consulate in Vienna during the early 1900’s. He went on to recount that they had met at a chess club (he forgot which!) and played a few friendly games. Despite the fact that Daddy described the then 20-year-old as “an uncouth and loutish layabout with absolutely no class whatsoever” the two of them became regular playing partners. In fact I suspect that Daddy only tolerated Hitler’s company because he was rather easy to beat.
On one such night of contemplation Hitler prevailed upon my Father on the subject of political dogma which, even then, was a favourite hobby horse of his. At some point, quite inadvertently, Daddy found himself proclaiming that some of his “best friends” were political thinkers. By the end of the evening (and, I fancy, rather too much schnapps!) Daddy found that he had agreed to introduce Hitler to Lenin the next time the latter was in town. Never one to let anyone renege on a promise, Hitler pestered my Father remorselessly until the meeting had been arranged, the more so when he discovered that Lenin was a keen and very proficient chess player.
Finally, and after much pulling of strings, Daddy managed to arrange for the pair to meet and play a game of chess as the pretext to an “intellectual discourse” on the merits of Bolshevism. I should add that in order to achieve this he had to considerably over-inflate both Hitler’s chess playing strength and his intellectual regard for Lenin. The two men met at the home of a prominent Viennese Jew who knew Lenin well and who owed my father several quite large favours. Daddy described to me that on the night of the encounter, after the exchange of some brief and rather stiff pleasantries, it was agreed that the game of chess should take place immediately.
[Site "Vienna"] [Date "1909"] [White "Lenin"] [Black "Hitler"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B00"] [Annotator "Cynthia Blunderboro"] 1. e4 a6 2. d4 b5 {Surely it can be no surprise that Hitler should employ the Polish Defence, an opening that commits black to rapidly deploying the pieces on his right wing? In fact, Daddy told me that Hitler employed this opening quite frequently with black and had decided to use it for this game in order to try and bypass Lenin's superior experience in this phase of the game.} 3. Nf3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. dxc5 Bxc5 6. O-O {Lenin adopts a sensible approach to his opponents unconventional choice of opening. Instead of trying to directly refute Hitler's play he simply occupys the centre and develops his pieces harmoniously. We will see in a moment that this strategy will enable him to counter black's right wing expansion at a judicious moment.} Bb7 7. Qe2 {Up to this point the play has followed what we now know to be fairly standard theory. } Qb6 $2 {This is premature and, unfortunately, typical of Hitler's impatient nature. If he must develop his queen now then it should be to c7 but best of all would be 7....d6, 7....Nc6 or even 7....Ne7.} 8. a4 {The correct response. This thematic break (which would have been played fairly soon anyway) is all the more powerful due to black's last move. The point is that white now threatens to play 9.a5, which gains a tempo and also locks up the queen's side for the moment.} bxa4 {Normally black would like to meet 8.a4 with} (8... b4 { but with his queen already on b6, this option is not really available to him as white will now continue} 9. Nbd2 d5 10. a5 Qc7 11. Nb3 Nd7 12. e5 Ne7 13. Rd1 Nc6 14. Bg5 {0.65/0 with a pleasant space advantage.}) 9. Nc3 {Quite right too. Of course there is no need to recapture the a-pawn immediately, it isn't going anywhere and now Lenin threatens to put the knight on a4 which will completely expose the mis-placement of black's queen.} a3 $6 {Rather than admit that his right wing policy has been a mistake, Hitler chooses to plough on regardless. This stubborness was, of course, a characterisitc that would later exasperate his high command during the Second World War.} 10. bxa3 {This time Lenin makes the wrong selection. He should have continued with his plan to play} (10. Na4 {when black would have been forced into an ignominious retreat and to accept a weakened position after} Qc7 11. Nxc5 Qxc5 12. b3 Qh5 13. Qe3 Nc6 14. Bxa3 Nge7 15. Bd6 Nc8 16. Qf4 {1.47/0 and white totally dominates the dark squares and controls the centre.}) 10... Qa5 $2 {Of course the right square for the queen was still c7 but playing this move would have been an admission that this was where it belonged in the first place! It would appear that, even at the tender age of 20, young Adolf simply couldn't find it in himself to admit he was wrong in order to salvage a tricky situation. The right way to play would have been} (10... Qc7 11. Bb2 Nf6 12. e5 Nh5 13. Be4 Nc6 14. Na4 {0.75/11}) 11. Bb2 {11.Rb1 or 11.Bd2 would also have been perfectly acceptable ways to continue his development but, with this choice Lenin elects to begin menacing the enemy's king's side from afar.} Nf6 { Finally the threats persuade Hitler to finish his king's side development. Unfortunately in doing so he selects the wrong square for his knight. There was no immediate threat to the g7 pawn so instead of the text move he should have instead played 11....Ne7.} 12. e5 {Good move! At first it may seem odd for white to block the long diagonal that he has only just chosen to occupy with his bishop but bare in mind that this pawn on e5 will have a significant cramping effect on black's game and that, in order to free his position black will, at some stage have to play d5 or d6 when white will be able to capture on d6 and re-open the long diagonal. Bare in mind also that white has a comfortable lead in development and therefore he should be aiming to create simple threats in order to compromise and stretch blacks position even further. Observe what happens in the next few moves.} Nd5 13. Nxd5 Bxd5 14. Ng5 {A logical follow up. Now Hitler faces serious issues on his white squares on the king's side and all his pieces have been cut off from that wing by the pawn on e5.} Qd8 {Suddenly sensing the danger, Hitler hurries his queen back to defend, but it's an over reaction. Simply advancing the h-pawn would have been a more useful method for the moment. For example} (14... h6 15. Ne4 Bxe4 16. Bxe4 Nc6 17. Qg4 Bf8 18. Rab1 Rb8 19. Qg3 {1.10/0 when it is still grim for black but he is just about hanging on.}) 15. Qg4 {Putting the question to the black g-pawn as well as defending the knight. Lenin's development advantage is growing and growing.} h5 {Daddy recalled to me that at this point in the game Hitler's face had visibly coloured with the realisation that his position had become very difficult indeed. Always one to show his feelings at the board he evidently banged out this move and the next one quite quickly and energetically as if to demonstrate to Lenin that the game was developing according to his own plans. In reality these two moves serve no purpose whatsoever other than to weaken his king's side further.} 16. Qg3 h4 17. Qg4 { The advance of the h-pawn has done little to stem the tide. Hitler now considers that he must advance his g-pawn in order to survive.} g6 ({Of course Hitler had to give} 17... Qb6 {a try although the following continuation hardly looks promising for black} 18. Bc3 d6 19. Rab1 Qc7 20. exd6 Bxd6 21. Bxg7 Bxh2+ 22. Kh1 Rg8 23. Ba1 Nc6 24. f4 {with white very much on top.}) 18. Nxf7 $1 {A pretty way to finish matters off! Hitlers position is a smouldering ruin, his white squares are fatally weak. That Lenin only needs two pieces to deliver a checkmate says everything.} Kxf7 {Alternative move simply drop a rook so Hitler takes the piece hoping that white has miscalculated.} 19. Bxg6+ Kg7 ({All roads lead to checkmate here. For example} 19... Kf8 20. Qf4+ Kg7 21. Qf7+ Kh6 22. Bc1+ Be3 23. Bxe3+ Qg5 24. Qf6 Qxe3 25. Be4+ Kh5 {#7/0} 26. Qg6#) 20. Bh5+ Kf8 21. Qf4+ Kg7 22. Qf7+ {and with 22....Kh6 23.Qg6 coming Hitler resigned in a rage and stormed out leaving a chortling Lenin to remark that it appeared his opponent had "no appetite to pursue our intellectual discourse any further".} 1-0
By means of a closing remark I should mention that Daddy only saw Hitler once more after that night in 1909 and on that occasion Hitler went so far as to cross the street to avoid having to talk to him. Daddy later told me that he didn’t even recall having kept Hitler’s scoresheet from that night until, many years later, he was turning out the pockets of a very old smoking jacket in search of a telegram from the King that he had misplaced. His search for the telegram was unsuccessful but he did turn up two fluff covered lemon drops, a saucy picture postcard and Hitler’s scoresheet.”
Posted by hedbenbridge at 11:09 am
The most iconic chess set of them all
The Lewis Chess Men at The British Museum
Over the weekend I was in London and had the opportunity to visit one of my favourite places – The British Museum. I’ve been hankering after a visit ever since the ‘History of the World in 100 Objects’ series started on Radio 4 at the beginning of this year.
Of course I took in all of the sites but the artifacts that always capture my imagination the most are the Lewis Chessmen. For me they are the most iconic set of chess pieces in existence (at the very least in Europe anyway!) I first saw them when I visited the museum as a child and, even though I couldn’t play the game then, those little walrus ivory pieces were so full of character that they burned themselves into my memory banks. I suspect that my romanticised notions of the medieval era and the game of chess, which played such a big part in spurring my interest in the game when I did learn to play it properly in my late teens, probably originated from that first visit to the British Museum all those years ago.
On this trip I learned something new about the Lewis Chessmen. Evidently some of the pieces used to be stained red in colour and it appears that, in the medieval period, it was common practive to have white and red pieces and a white and red checkered board. Black and white evidently only become the norm in more modern times.
Anyway, any visitor to our Hebden Bridge Chess Club website can’t help but notice that I have a passion for these particular chess men and I do urge anyone of you planning a visit to London to try and squeeze in half an hour or so to visit the display in The British Museum – it’s free! If you aren’t going to London any time soon then you can download or listen to the 15 minute episode of the ‘History of the World in 100 Objects’ about the Lewis Chessmen on the BBC website.
Posted by hedbenbridge at 12:45 pm
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Delivering A Great Local School For St Albans
Victoria University Secondary College students will have world-class facilities, with a re-elected Andrews Labor Government to build the first stage of the school’s masterplan.
Funding of $23.9 million will be provided to Victoria University Secondary College for the construction of the Science Tech Engineering Arts Maths (STEAM) Building, the Learning Village Building, and the Performing Arts and Food building.
The Liberals slashed $1 billion out of our education system, leaving schools to crumble and decay across the state.
The Andrews Labor Government has already funded the Victoria University Secondary College masterplan but there’s more work to do and only Labor will deliver the upgrades students and staff at Victoria University Secondary College need to achieve their best.
Quote attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“Only Labor will build the state-of-the-art schools our communities need – so everyone can get a first-class education, closer to home.”
Quote attributable to Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman
“Families in the western suburbs deserve access to great local secondary school facilities and that is exactly what we will deliver.”
Quote attributable to Member for Kororoit Marlene Kairouz
““We’re investing in the schools and services this local community desperately needs, while the Liberals plan to cut education funding.”
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Beckham on Letterman tonight
I haven’t liked Letterman for years, but I like him a whole lot better now after David nails David with a couple of zingers in this interview excerpt many Galaxy fans will wholeheartedly agree with:
Posted in Weird/Humorous Soccer | 3 Replies
Costa Rica’s Puntarenas punts another player to Chivas USA
This time it’s 24-year-old midfielder/forward Jos Macotelo who comes to the club on loan, Chivas USA announced today, following in the footsteps of recent acquisition defender Daro Delgado.
“Jos is a young and dynamic attacking player who can bring a lot the club,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Martn Vsquez
Macotelo has scored nine goals in 79 appearances for the Costa Rican club, where he spent his entire professional career.
Posted in Chivas USA | 1 Reply
Waiting for the weekend: Soccer on TV & more
The English Premier League is coming down to the closing stages with a thrilling title battle under way, the playoffs are starting in Mexico and this weekend the PDL cranks up with a trio of games in Southern California.
Oh, and the Galaxy play the expansion Philadelphia Union Saturday at Home Depot Center.
As always, click the link at top right for an overwhelming look at all the televised games.
And, as always, I’ve sifted through the chaff and recommend the following games:
7 a.m. Fox Soccer Channel Manchester City-Aston Villa
1 p.m. Telefutura D.C. United-Red Bull New York
1 p.m. GolTV Villarreal-Barcelona
3 p.m. KMEX Pachuca-Monterrey
5 p.m. KAZA Monarcas-CD Guadalajara
5:30 p.m. KDOC Chicago Fire-Chivas USA
7:30 p.m. FSN Galaxy-Philadelphia Union
8 a.m. FSC Sunderland-Manchester United
10 a.m. ESPN2 Real Madrid-Osasuna
11:30 a.m. FSC Lazio-Inter Milan
7 p.m. KMEX Club America-Toluca
I plan to blog from the Galaxy game Saturday night, so if you can’t be there in person join me back here then.
Posted in Serie A | Leave a reply
Chivas USA Update
El Salvador international Osael Romero did not travel with Chivas USA to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Fire after spraining his right ankle Tuesday in a scrimmage against the U.S. U-18 team.
Backup keeper Dan Kennedy likewise stayed home after sustaining a minor hip strain Wednesday in training.
As noted earlier, they will presumably train with Herculez Gomez beginning Monday at Home Depot Center, while Chivas USA completes their two-game road swing.
Chicago’s Brian McBride, though, is still going strong.
Posted in Chivas USA | Leave a reply
World Cup Update: U.S. Coach Bradley speaks about Buddle, Gomez, Davies & more
Former Galaxy striker Herculez Gomez is a contender for the World Cup squad, U.S. Coach Bob Bradley confirmed today. (AP Photos).
Former Galaxy striker Herculez Gomez, seen here celebrating a goal for Mexican team Puebla, is scheduled to start training with Chivas USA at Home Depot Center on Monday, although most of the squad is out of town until next Thursday on a two-game road trip. Reports he was training there this week were incorrect, Chivas USA officials confirmed
Here’s more on how the U.S. squad is coming together, essential reading for any American fan:
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. coach Bob Bradley is uncertain whether Charlie Davis will recover enough from severe injuries sustained in a car crash last fall to earn an invitation for the Americans’ pre-World Cup training camp next month.
Davies resumed full training this week with his French club, Sochaux, for the first time since an Oct. 13 accident in Virginia, The crash left the 23-year-old forward with two broken bones in his right leg, a broken and dislocated left elbow, a broken nose, forehead and eye socket, a ruptured bladder and bleeding on the brain.
“I think the fact that Charlie is that far along is great, but certainly even within the
framework of being back in training, let’s face it, there’s different levels there,” Bradley
said Thursday at Major League Soccer’s office.
Bradley will announce his 30-man preliminary roster on May 11 and expects to call in 26-28 players for a training camp at Princeton, N.J., that opens four days later. He said only 16-18 spots likely are set.
By the time the U.S. leaves for South Africa on May 30, following exhibition games against the Czech Republic (May 25 at East Hartford, Conn.) and Turkey (May 29 at Philadelphia), he will have picked a final 23-man roster, which is due to FIFA by June 1. He can make substitutions up until 24 hours before his team’s World Cup opener against England on June 12.
Bradley said his fitness coach, Pierre Barrieu, speaks with Sochaux about Davies every week. National team head athletic trainer Ivan Pierra was in Europe and will visit Davies in several days for a personal update. Bradley realizes making the World Cup has been a major motivation in Davies’ rehabilitation.
AC Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu is another injury concern. He hasn’t played since tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica on Oct. 15.
AC Milan said Thursday he has been alternating training on his own and with the team but still wasn’t ready to play. Even before getting hurt, Onyewu appeared in just one of 10 competitive matches for AC Milan, entering as a 60th-minute substitute in a Champions League match against Zurich on Sept. 30.
“Our expectation is that it may be hard for him at the end of the year to get back into the
team there, play games, but certainly good news just in terms of regular training,” Bradley said.
Bradley said Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones, sidelined with a shin injury all season, had almost run out of time to get healthy.
“If it’s not going to happen for the summer, he may need to have another surgical procedure that would then get him back in time for the start of the season next year,” Bradley said. “We’re at that sort of cross in the road. We’ll know in the next week whether there’s any hope.”
Bradley also is monitoring forward Brian Ching, who still has not resumed full training after injuring his left hamstring during Houston’s home opener April 1.
“Again, a guy that in the next two weeks we have to assess,” the coach said.
Bradley said Glasgow Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, a veteran of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, was “on the radar screen” for the training camp, but “there are still clearly some questions.”
“DaMarcus has been tricky in this last year,” Bradley added. “He had some very good games in December, got back into the team and I think did well. And since then it’s been up and down, more down certainly of late.”
Bradley said there could be a hidden reason for Beasley’s lack of playing time.
“It may be a factor of late that his contract is up at the end of the year,” he said.
Midfielder Stuart Holden, who broke his right leg in a March 3 exhibition loss at the
Netherlands, is close to resuming full training. Bolton manager Owen Coyle has said Holden may not be ready by his club’s Premier League finale against Birmingham on May 9.
Bradley said players will be allowed to compete in club matches on May 15-16 before reporting to training camp.
He said Los Angeles forward Edson Buddle and Puebla forward Herculez Gomez
have put themselves in contention with outstanding seasons.
Buddle, who has scored all seven Galaxy goals during a 4-0-1 start, was selected MLS’s player of the month for April on Thursday. He made his only national team appearance as an 80th-minute substitute against Venezuela in 2003.
“The easy thing to see so far this year is that he scored some incredible goals,” Bradley
said. “That actually fits if you look back over Edson’s career. As a young striker in the league, his talent came through based upon his ability at times to score some great goals — a variety of goals, goals from outside the box, goals where he dribbled, goals with his head. I think that part is not new, but that’s been there of late.
“And quickly I think there has been a lot of maturing that has taken place, so in less obvious ways he seems to be doing a lot of little things on the field that make a difference for his team.”
Gomez, like Buddle 28, became the first American to gain a share of the Mexican scoring lead, getting 10 goals for Puebla. He made his only national team appearances under Bradley in the 2007 Copa America, two years after he combined with Landon Donovan to help the Galaxy win the MLS title.
“He came into the scene in LA and what you would say is everything he touched went into the net — his pure ability to strike a ball was pretty obvious. And I think that that’s kind of come back again a little bit at Puebla,” Bradley said.
Bradley wouldn’t say whether Marcus Hahnemann or Brad Guzan is his No. 2 goalkeeper behind Tim Howard, but referred to 37-year-old Hahnemann’s strong second half of the season for Wolverhampton and discussed the potential of the 25-year-old Guzan.
He said Maurice Edu, in addition to midfield, could be used as a central defender, and that captain Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Spector, Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce all were options at left back.
At the Niketown store Thursday, Bradley helped unveil the U.S. home World Cup jersey — white with an off-white sash that echoes the jersey from the 1950 World Cup, when the Americans upset England. Each jersey is constructed from eight recycled bottles.
Bradley said that when the U.S. plays England in Rustenburg, stopping Rooney is a key.
“He’s been in incredible form. He’s been slowed down a little bit of late with injuries, but
there’s the starting point of things,” Bradley said.
Posted in U.S. Men's National Team | Leave a reply
Thursday Kicks: Le Toux, Buddle, Klinsmann & more
*While it’s not yet definite, it doesn’t like Philadelphia Union top scorer Sebastien Le Toux will play Saturday against the Galaxy.
*Meanwhile, Galaxy striker Edson Buddle’s seven goals in five games to start the season earned him MLS Player of the Month honors, the league announced today.
*The U.S. officially unveiled their World Cup jerseys today in New York. Will England be afraid, very afraid?
The new home jersey, which will debut when the U.S. takes on the Czech Republic in East Hartford, Conn. on May 25, is white with a tonal grey sash across the front of the right shoulder to the left side, and includes an obsidian blue round-neck collar.
Designed by Nike with the national culture and identity of the U.S. in mind, the jersey echoes the uniform worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 1950 FIFA World Cup in which they defeated England 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets in the history of soccer.
*German soccer great and Orange County resident Juergen Klinsmann is joining ESPN as an analyst for the World Cup, the network announced today.
From the AP story:
A star striker for his country when it won the 1990 championship, Klinsmann also coached his nation to third place four years ago in Germany. He will be a studio analyst on ESPN and ABC for the tournament, which runs from June 11-July 11.
Also hired by ESPN are former South African national team player Shaun Bartlett, who played in the 1998 World Cup, and Robbie Mustoe, Middlesbrough’s longest-serving player.
They join previously announced analysts Ruud Gullit, John Harkes, Alexi Lalas, Efan Ekoku and Steve McManaman.
Klinsmann will appear on prematch, halftime and postgame shows from South Africa, and on “SportsCenter.”
Jurgen Klinsmann will likely be considerably less tense as a TV analyst than he was as a coach with Germany and Bayern Munich (AP Photo).
Klinsmann was the first player to score at least three goals in three World Cups, 1990, ’94 and ’98. He remains Germany’s second-leading World Cup goal scorer with 11.
“Very few people in the world possess the firsthand knowledge and experience of playing and coaching in a FIFA World Cup match, and Juergen is one of them,” said Jed Drake, ESPN executive producer for the World Cup.
Added Klinsmann: “I hope that I can give American viewers insight into the world’s greatest game. Living in the U.S. for more than 10 years, I’ve seen soccer grow incrementally, and I think ESPN’s coverage of this exciting World Cup will take it to a new level.”
*Finally, Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena will serve as an analyst for Fox when the network airs its first-ever soccer game May 22, the UEFA Champions League final, which is also being played for the first time on a Saturday, the network announced today.
Martin Tyler (play-by-play) and Andy Gray will call the game between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. Kickoff is 11:30 a.m. and there will also be a one-hour pre-game show.
Eric Wynalda will also serve as an analyst with Arena.
Posted in World Cup | Leave a reply
Wednesday wrap: SuperLiga, Special One & more
In 60 seconds (or so):
Home Depot Center (and presumably Chivas USA) will host SuperLiga games July 15 and July 21. Chicago, New England and Houston are also playing in the tournament; the four Mexican clubs have yet to be determined. … Trivia: what is the distinguishing feature of all three SuperLiga championship games? … Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan beat Barcelona today and will meet Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final later this month … Pachacua won the CONCACAF version … You can help the Galaxy’s Riot Squad grow here and we’ve got to see that gone-viral miss again, don’t we? Ladies & gentlemen: Lawndale’s Kei Kamara:
And that trivia question? All three championship games have been determined by penalty kicks.
Posted in Video | 2 Replies
Bocanegra, Slovenia exchange World Cup warnings
France improbably seems the epicenter of U.S. World Cup news today.
U.S. striker Charlie Davies endured his first tackle and scored his first goal today as he trained with French team Souchaux.
And UCLA product and defender Carlos Bocanegra of Alta Loma, right, had this to say about the chances of the U.S. advancing out of its group:
PARIS (AP) — Carlos Bocanegra is expecting his team to play without fear at the World Cup because coach Bob Bradley has players brimming with confidence.
The U.S. captain says the team’s performance at last year’s Confederations Cup is proof Bradley’s attacking soccer is paying off. And he is certain the Americans can reach the latter stages and cause an upset against any of the top teams in South Africa.
“When it hits the knockout stages it’s a one-off game, and who knows what can happen? We always take the example we beat Spain in the Confederations Cup,” Bocanegra said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Before that we beat Egypt 3-0, the champions of Africa. So on our day we feel like we can beat anybody.”
Bocanegra was part of the American team that was eliminated in the first round four years ago, losing 3-0 to the Czech Republic, holding eventual champion Italy to a 1-1 tie and then losing to Ghana 2-1.
This time the United States opens against England on June 12, plays Slovenia six days later and closes the first round against Algeria on June 23.
“It’s a great chance for us, and we thought we got a fair draw and we have a good chance,” said Bocanegra, a defender for French club Rennes. “We feel like we have a good team and we have gained a lot of confidence and experience over the past four years.”
Having played more than 100 Premier League games for Fulham, the 30-year-old defender knows just how passionate English fans are, and he is relishing the first competitive match for the U.S. against England since the Americans’ famous upset win at the 1950 World Cup.
“That is a cool way to kick off the tournament. It’s a big game. They are a country rich in
football history,” Bocanegra said, predicting the game “will be quite highly viewed in the
Although Bocanegra is fully settled in France, where he has one year left on his Rennes
contract, he is aware that good performances at the World Cup could earn him a move back to England.
“If you play really well you have a chance to move,” he said. “If something arises there I
would never say, ‘No.’ But I am quite happy in France, actually. I enjoy the style here. I
enjoy the life off the field. But obviously the Premiership is the cream of the crop, right?”
But Slovenia’s captain, below, has warned the U.S. and England not to the Eastern European nation lightly:
WEST BROMWICH, England (AP) — Slovenia captain Robert Koren isn’t afraid of World Cup group rivals England and the United States, setting a target for his team to advance to the knockout round in South Africa.
(AP Photo).
The Slovenes went home from the 2002 World Cup in disarray after three straight losses and a damaging rift between the coach and the team’s best player. But this Slovenia team, Koren said, is well organized, does not rely on a big star and thrives on being the underdog.
After all, Slovenia wasn’t even supposed to beat Russia in the playoffs.
“A few months back when we met Russia in the playoffs, everyone was saying Slovenia was the underdogs. Slovenia will lose this game. Russia is in the World Cup,” Koren said. “But, at the end of the day, we are in the World Cup, the Russians aren’t and we deserved that.
“It’s difficult to say what is realistic to expect at the World Cup but we are full of confidence. The last seven games we played together we won six of them. We have a great team spirit, we are really good friends and we do everything for each other on the field and that’s the main thing. Our target is to go through the group stage.”
Slovenia faces another Group C underdog, Algeria, in its first game, and then faces the two teams which are expected to make the last 16, the United States and England.
A victory over the Algerians in Polokwane on June 13 would give the nation with a population of only 2 million its first ever World Cup points and that, Koren said, will boost confidence ahead of the tougher games to follow.
“England is the favorite (in the group) and people are saying that USA is the second
favorite,” the midfielder said. “But we are not bothered about these things. We will go into each game, try to win it and try to get points.”
Although Koren is proud to be captain and joked that he is the star of the team, he stressed that this Slovenia lineup won’t be brushed aside in the same way the 2002 squad did when coach Srecko Katanec fell out with Zlatko Zahovic and sent the player home after the team’s opening game.
“It was a massive thing for our country for the national team to get into the World Cup (in
2002) and some bad things happened down there. First of all, we didn’t get the right results and that was a big disappointment because everyone expected that we would at least get some points,” Koren said. “There were problems in the national team between the manager and the players and that was no good for anyone.
“Now it’s completely different. Before, we had one star in the team, Zahovic was our best
player. Now we are trying to play more as a team than have one star in the team. We are really good friends and developing a team spirit.”
Koren, whose goals and consistent performances have helped West Bromwich Albion gain promotion to the Premier League, has played against many of the England players before, both with the national team in a 2-1 loss at Wembley and when West Brom last made it to the top flight two seasons ago.
“It’s a massive game not just for me but for everybody in our team. Of course, I play here in England, so it’s special for me,” he said. “But when you’re playing soccer you’re not thinking this way at all. We will stick with our plan and every player wants to play his part. We will play 11 against 11 and we will try to do our best.
“But of course it will help me a lot that I am playing in England and I will try to use my
experience to help the rest of the team and give the manager some information.”
Posted in World Cup | 3 Replies
Wednesday Kicks: Philly’s top scorer could be out against the Galaxy & more
The big news this morning for Galaxy fans anticipating Saturday’s home game against the expansion Union at Home Depot Center is that Philadelphia could be without top scorer Sebastien Le Toux.
The former Sounders player, who has four goals in four MLS games to start the season, added another Tuesday in Philadelphia’s 2-1 U.S. Open Cup loss to Red Bull New York before being injured and stretchered off .
“He probably has an MCL sprain, but this is probable and we have to run the tests tomorrow to see what the verdict is going to be,” Coach Peter Nowak told the MLS site after the game. “I can’t tell you right now, it’s too early. He feels some pain, we’ll see how the swelling is going to come. He just got hit in (a) stationary (position) and his (left) leg actually got shifted to the right. It was a late play, that’s why (Andrew Boyens) got the yellow. (Le Toux) already played the ball and then got kicked.”
I’ll provide an update on Le Toux’s status later in the day, assuming the Union releases more information.
In other news this morning:
*Excellent article from the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Mark Ziegler on Galaxy reserve and San Diego County native Jovan Kirovski as his playing days wind down. Kirovski never fulfilled his potential. I recall talking to him at the outset of his first Galaxy stint way back in 2004 and he said then his goal was to make it back into the national team picture. Despite scoring eight goals in his first MLS season that never really happened.
*For what it’s worth Brazil has reclaimed the top spot from Spain in the latest FIFA rankings released today. The U.S. is 14th, up two places, and six behind England, the Americans’ first World Cup opponent. Complete table here.
*Speaking of international football, don’t miss the last of the UEFA Champions League semifinals today (11:30 a.m. Fox Soccer Channel) when defending champion Barcelona seeks to claw back a 3-1 first leg deficit to meet Bayern Munich in the final. Bayern beat Lyon Tuesday.
*Meanwhile, the under the radar CONCACAF equivalent wraps up today with Pachuca seeking to overcome a 2-1 deficit to Cruz Azul (5 p.m. FSC).
*Cal State Northridge announced today it has signed seven players to national letters of intent. The main prize: the aptly named Sam Ball of Westlake High who was named Marmonte League MVP last season after scoring a record 22 goals. Other locals signed were midfielder Carlos Benavides of Woodland Hills’ El Camino Real High and defender Shawn Berenji of Sunland’s Village Christian High.
*Chivas USA hosts a soccer tournament before its May 8 game against the Houston Dynamo at the HDC. The $195 fee includes five tickets to the game. More info here.
*Finally, the Conejo Valley-based Santos FC Academy is moving to Oak Park and merging its two U-13 boys teams under the auspices of the California Stars Soccer Club of Calabasas.
From the news release:
Santos FC Academy plans to further develop these existing teams and build the boys and girls under 11-14 teams with community players, and welcomes youth soccer players to Wednesday & Friday clinics at Oak View High School Field from 5:30-7:00. Cost is $15 per person. Tryouts for the U13 Silver & Bronze teams are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7:30pm.
Posted in Youth Soccer | Leave a reply
Galaxy host Argentina’s Boca Juniors May 23
The Galaxy announced the 5 p.m. game against the famed Argentine club today, while tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday starting at $20 for non-season ticket holders.
The roster of Boca Juniors, who have won 23 Argentine titles, includes midfielders Juan Romn Riquelme and Sebastin Battaglia and forwards Martn Palermo and Nicols Gaitn of Argentina.
“We are very excited to be hosting Argentina’s Boca Juniors, who are one of the most prestigious clubs in the world with an incredible tradition of winning championships,” said LA Galaxy President of Business Operations Tom Payne. “It is a thrilling game for our fans and one that will feature Argentina’s Riquelme and Palermo, and continues our commitment to provide our fans the chance to see the Galaxy face off against some of the best international competition.”
The game is the first of a planned U.S. tour for Boca.
Posted in International Soccer | 8 Replies
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CLAWED
Lalena's Music
CLAWED Rob
There's this guy named Rob.
He uploaded a set of royalty-free vocal samples. The pack included 3 construction kits and 7 songsets in styles such as R&B, Rock, Pop and "Old school".
I don't think this is what Rob had in mind when he put his vocals up on the internet for free use, but this is what CLAWED does to Rob. We bring you CLAWED Rob.
All artwork and music created by CLAWED. Created in Vancouver 2014-2016.
Note: These works include audio frequencies that span the full range of human hearing. For best results, please play back using a system that provides a wide dynamic frequency response (20Hz - 22,000 Hz).
All artwork and music created by CLAWED.
The First Magic Number by CLAWED
Explore the music in everyday noise. Soundscapes, environments and explorations in musique concrète, noise and visual music.
Recorded in and around Toronto 2012-2014. The exception is Horses, which was originally created in 2004, then re-arranged and recorded in 2011.
ONE by CLAWED
An experimental work combining drone, musique concrète, noise and visual music.
Recorded in and around Toronto 2008-2012. The exception is Presence, which was recorded live in North Carolina on tape in 1996, then re-arranged and mixed in 2012 for this release. Enhydris Enhydris contains LHC sound.
Please note that these works include audio frequencies that span the full range of human hearing. For best results, please play back using a system that provides a wide dynamic frequency response (20Hz - 22,000 Hz).
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Church Invites Members to Join in Special Prayer Event This Weekend
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inviting its membership to join others across the United States in prayer this weekend for those whose lives have been touched by suicide and those struggling with suicidal behavior and mental illness. September 7–9, 2018, is the National Weekend of Prayer for Faith, Hope, and Life.
Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. of the Seventy joined other faith leaders at the Utah State Capitol Friday, September 7, 2018, to promote the weekend of prayer and continue the Church’s participation in Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert’s Teen Suicide Prevention Task Force. Lt. Governor Spencer Cox spoke at the event, along with Elder Curtis, Pastor Logan Wolf of Crosspoint Church and Laura Warburton of Live Hannah’s Hope.
“We encourage our congregations and the members of our congregations to participate in this prayerful endeavor,” Elder Curtis said. “Join your prayers with the many others participating this weekend in such a worthy cause. Together, we can help to provide hope, from the true source of all hope, to those who desperately need it.”
In his initial letter inviting faith leaders in Utah to participate in World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10, 2018) and the weekend of prayer, Governor Herbert said suicide prevention must be a community-wide effort.
“I believe everyone plays a role in suicide prevention and that faith communities play a unique role,” Governor Herbert said. “I hope we will use the power of our collective faith and prayers to bring about miracles in the lives of our residents, especially in their darkest hours.”
Elder Curtis concluded his remarks with a note of gratitude to live in a community that comes together to help those in need. He also spoke of what he will be praying for this weekend.
“My prayer is that we will all recognize things that we can do to help those around us who might be struggling and that we will have the courage to do those things,” he said. “I pray for those who feel marginalized and alone that they will know they are our brothers and sisters. I pray that they will feel loved, valued, and needed in their homes, their congregations, and their communities. I pray they will know of the genuine love and concern we have for them. Their struggle is our struggle.”
Read Elder Curtis’s full remarks.
From The Church ,From The Church
How Does God's Time Work? How Can He Listen to All Our Prayers at Once?
C. Robert Line
5 Talks That Helped Me on My Mission (And Could Help Your Missionary, Too)
Aubrey Porter
Family Counselor: Why Misunderstanding How Blessings Work Can Make Us Feel Like We're Not Enough
Christy Kane PhD, CMHC
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North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island. Originally a farming community, today North Providence is home to over 32,000 residents.
A popular hiking spot in the town is the Peter Randall Reservation. The former state park has wooded areas with trails that can be used for hikes and nature walks.
Popular architectural home styles around town include Colonial and Ranch, however, there are a variety of homes for sale in different styles in budgets. Real estate in North Providence not only includes singlefamily homes, but multifamily homes, apartments and condominiums are available as well.
North Providence Information
North Providence is centrally located in the Providence metropolitan area, but borders on more suburban communities. One of the main thoroughfares, Mineral Spring Avenue, offers a myriad of regional restaurants, goods and services.
Impressions / Character
North Providence is the proud home to the main campus of Rhode Island College. Outdoor recreation abounds in its nearby parks, as well as Triggs Memorial Golf Course. North Providence is another one of those farmer’s markets towns where fresh, local fruits and vegetables are shared and enjoyed. Being right next door to Pawtucket, you are thus afforded all of the entertainment and nightlife options of the nearby city. The Pawtucket Arts Festival brings major artistic and cultural attractions in the warmer months of the year. McCoy Stadium is home to the Pawtucket Red Sox, the minor league baseball triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. This is all in addition to the theatre, nightlife, and dining options Pawtucket provides. Housing options in North Providence are broad, including condominiums, rentals, and both small and large single family homes.
Villages / Neighborhoods
North Providence is made up of the villages of: Allendale, Centerdale, Fruit Hill, Geneva, Greystone, Louisquisset, Lymansville, Marieville, Wanskuck and Woodville.
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North Providence, RI 02904 $419,900 | Single Family 3 Bed | 2 Bath
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No Min $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 $900 $1,000 $1,100 $1,200 $1,300 $1,400 $1,500 $1,600 $1,700 $1,800 $1,900 $2,000 $2,100 $2,200 $2,300 $2,400 $2,500 $2,600 $2,700 $2,800 $2,900 $3,000 $3,100 $3,200 $3,300 $3,400 $3,500 $3,600 $3,700 $3,800 $3,900 $4,000 $4,100 $4,200 $4,300 $4,400 $4,500 $4,600 $4,700 $4,800 $4,900 $5,000
Max_Price No Max $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 $800 $900 $1,000 $1,100 $1,200 $1,300 $1,400 $1,500 $1,600 $1,700 $1,800 $1,900 $2,000 $2,100 $2,200 $2,300 $2,400 $2,500 $2,600 $2,700 $2,800 $2,900 $3,000 $3,100 $3,200 $3,300 $3,400 $3,500 $3,600 $3,700 $3,800 $3,900 $4,000 $4,100 $4,200 $4,300 $4,400 $4,500 $4,600 $4,700 $4,800 $4,900 $5,000
Full Baths Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 6+ 7+ 8+ 9+
Min 100 200 300 400 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000
Max_SqftTotal Max 100 200 300 400 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000
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Title XLVII
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND CORRECTIONS Chapter 943
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT View Entire Chapter
943.131 Temporary employment or appointment; minimum basic recruit training exemptions.—
(1)(a) An employing agency may temporarily employ or appoint a person who complies with the qualifications for employment in s. 943.13(1)-(8), but has not fulfilled the requirements of s. 943.13(9) and (10), if a critical need exists to employ or appoint the person and such person is or will be enrolled in the next approved basic recruit training program available in the geographic area or that no assigned state training program for state officers is available within a reasonable time. The employing agency must maintain documentation which demonstrates that a critical need exists to employ a person pursuant to this section. Prior to the employment or appointment of any person other than a correctional probation officer under this subsection, the person shall comply with the firearms provisions established pursuant to s. 943.17(1)(a). Any person temporarily employed or appointed as an officer under this subsection must attend the first training program offered in the geographic area, or the first assigned state training program for a state officer, subsequent to his or her employment or appointment. A person temporarily employed or appointed as an officer under this subsection must begin basic recruit training within 180 consecutive days after employment. Such person must fulfill the requirements of s. 943.13(9) within 18 months after beginning basic recruit training and must fulfill the certification examination requirements of s. 943.13(10) within 180 consecutive days after completing basic recruit training. A person hired after he or she has commenced basic recruit training or after completion of basic recruit training must fulfill the certification examination requirements of s. 943.13(10) within 180 consecutive days after completion of basic recruit training or the commencement of employment, whichever occurs later.
(b) In no case may the person be temporarily employed or appointed for more than 30 months. A person shall not be eligible to transfer to another employer while employed pursuant to this subsection. However, a person who is temporarily employed or appointed and is attending the first training program offered in the geographic area, or has been assigned to a state training program, may continue to be temporarily employed or appointed until the person:
1. Fails or withdraws from a basic recruit training program within the time limits specified in this subsection;
2. Fails to achieve an acceptable score on the officer certification examination within 180 consecutive days after the successful completion of the basic recruit training program within the time limits specified in this subsection; or
3. Is separated from employment or appointment by the employing agency within the time limits specified in this subsection.
(c) No person temporarily employed or appointed under the provisions of this subsection may perform the duties of an officer unless he or she is adequately supervised by another officer of the same discipline. The supervising officer must be in full compliance with the provisions of s. 943.13 and must be employed or appointed by the employing agency.
(d) Persons employed under this subsection are subject to the provisions of s. 943.1395.
(e) Persons who have had a certification administered pursuant to s. 943.1395 revoked by the commission or have voluntarily relinquished such certification shall be ineligible for employment pursuant to this subsection.
(2) If an applicant seeks an exemption from completing a commission-approved basic recruit training program, the employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center must verify and document that the applicant has:
(a) Successfully completed a comparable basic recruit training program for the discipline in which the applicant is seeking certification in another state or for the Federal Government or a previous Florida basic recruit training program. Further, the employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center must verify that the applicant has served as a full-time sworn officer in another state or for the Federal Government for at least 1 year provided there is no more than an 8-year break in employment or was a previously certified Florida officer provided there is no more than an 8-year break in employment, as measured from the separation date of the most recent qualifying employment to the time a complete application is submitted for an exemption under this section. The employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center shall submit documentation of satisfaction of this requirement to the commission; or
(b) Served in the special operation forces for a minimum of 5 years, provided there is no more than a 4-year break from the applicant’s special operations forces experience, as measured from the separation date from the special operations forces to the time a complete application for an exemption under this subsection is submitted. The employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center shall further verify and document the specific training and experience the applicant received during his or her special operations forces service that is relevant to law enforcement. The employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center shall submit documentation of satisfaction of these requirements to the commission.
(3) The commission shall adopt rules that establish criteria and procedures to determine if the applicant is exempt from completing the commission-approved basic recruit training program and, upon making a determination, shall notify the employing agency, training center, or criminal justice selection center. The commission may require an exempt applicant to complete additional training as it deems appropriate based on the applicant’s prior training and experience.
(4) Within 1 year after receiving an exemption, an applicant who is exempt from completing the commission-approved basic recruit training program must:
(a) Complete all additional required training as required by the commission.
(b) Demonstrate proficiency in the high-liability areas as defined by commission rule.
(c) Complete the requirements of s. 943.13(10).
If the proficiencies and requirements of s. 943.13(10) are not met within the 1-year period, the applicant must seek an additional exemption as provided in this subsection. Except as provided in subsection (1), before the employing agency may employ or appoint the applicant as an officer, the applicant must meet the minimum qualifications described in s. 943.13(1)-(8) and must fulfill the requirements of s. 943.13(10).
History.—s. 7, ch. 84-258; s. 72, ch. 85-62; s. 7, ch. 85-224; s. 42, ch. 86-183; s. 2, ch. 86-286; ss. 5, 6, ch. 87-186; s. 5, ch. 91-429; s. 7, ch. 93-252; s. 1630, ch. 97-102; s. 3, ch. 97-225; s. 5, ch. 2000-226; s. 3, ch. 2002-205; s. 3, ch. 2003-278; s. 5, ch. 2010-62; s. 3, ch. 2018-46.
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The Financial Services Act 2012 (Mutual Societies) Order 2013
5.—(1) Section 6(1) (the lending limit) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (5)(a), for “Authority” substitute “appropriate authority”.
(3) For subsection (12)(a), substitute—
“(a)in respect of its business in effecting or carrying out contracts of long term insurance in accordance with rules made by—
(i)the FCA under section 137A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, or
(ii)the PRA under section 137G of that Act,
which require an authorised person who has permission to effect or carry out contracts of insurance to identify assets which belong to that person and which are maintained in respect of a particular aspect of that person’s business; or”.
(4) In subsection (15), for “Authority” substitute “appropriate authority”.
Section 6 was substituted by the Building Societies Act 1997, section 4 and amended by S.I. 2001/2617 and S.I. 2001/3649.
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Houston Lee Goodman
Name Houston Lee Goodman [1, 2, 3, 4]
Born 16 May 1866 Tennessee [1, 2, 3, 4]
Died 26 Jan 1958 [3]
Buried Tracy City, Grundy County, Tennessee, USA [3]
Person ID P32221 Lemon-Knapp
Family Julia Ann Roddie, b. 22 May 1866, Tennessee , d. 12 May 1948, Tracy City, Grundy, Tennessee (Age 81 years)
+ 1. Myrtle Sallie Goodman, b. 8 Oct 1885, Tracy City, Grundy, Tennessee [Natural]
[S-2113927563] 1920 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (- Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City. - United States of America, Bureau of the Cens), Year: 1920; Census Place: Tracy City, Grundy, Tennessee; Roll: T625_1741; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 41; Image: 541.
[S-1794679775] 1940 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Year: 1940; Census Place: Tracy, Grundy, Tennessee; Roll: T627_3897; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 31-8.
[S-1083692057] U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current, Ancestry.com, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.).
[S-2113879941] 1900 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (- Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.: United States of A), Year: 1900; Census Place: Civil District 11, Grundy, Tennessee; Roll: 1573; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 0038; FHL microfilm: 1241573.
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February 24, 2014 by Antonio
This week we look at the language and influence of another contemporary giant in the world of literature, Gabriel García Márquez. Born in Aracataca, Colombia in March 1927, his full name is Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez, though he is known throughout the Latin American world simply as ‘Gabo’, a mark of the great affection in which he is held.
Márquez began his writing career as a journalist and went on to pen a number of acclaimed short stories and non-fiction works. He is, however, best known for his novels. His first full-length novel, ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ (Cien años de soledad), won him international recognition when it was published in 1967 and popularised the literary style known as ‘magical realism’, which blends supernatural elements with events and experiences in the natural, everyday world.
Márquez went on to write several 20th-century classics in the same genre, employing his vivid imagination, great storytelling prowess and again combining the fantastical with the mundane. His stories often centre on a dead, dying or about to die character, such as in ‘Autumn of the Patriarch’ (El otoño del patriarca), which studies the character, corruption and tyranny of an archetypal dictator as he faces his impending death.
Márquez was recognised with the Nobel Prize for Literature 1982. Very sadly, it was announced in 2012 that his writing career was effectively at an end after the onset of dementia. He leaves a fine body of work for future generations to enjoy, including ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ and ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’ amongst his best-known novels. He also leaves several titles which, to date, are only published in Spanish. Our Private Spanish Lessons could equip you with the skills you need to discover them.
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A group of free museums and galleries housing varied collections
Our museums and galleries
Hear the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery. Historical and contemporary slavery.
Visit the International Slavery Museum website
A beautiful building housing one of the UK's finest collections of fine and decorative art. Paintings, Wedgwood and Chinese ceramics.
Visit the Lady Lever Art Gallery website
Uncover objects from the Titanic, find out about life at sea and learn about the port of Liverpool. The Titanic, life at sea and Liverpool's port.
Visit the Merseyside Maritime Museum website
This museum tells the story of Liverpool with diverse exhibits housed in a stunning building. Liverpool's history and popular culture.
Visit the Museum of Liverpool website
Explore a Victorian merchant's house with its period furniture and beautiful paintings. Paintings, vintage fashion and furniture.
Visit the Sudley House website
Beautiful paintings, sculpture and decorative art from the 13th century to the present day. Paintings, sculpture and decorative art.
Visit the Walker Art Gallery website
Discover treasures from around the world, explore outer space and meet live creatures! World cultures, space and live creatures.
Visit the World Museum website
Drawing on Nature: Taki Katei's Japan
Whistler and Pennell at Sudley House
Rembrandt in Print
Daliso Chaponda performs at World Museum
Blitzed: Liverpool Lives
As seen on screen: art and cinema
Matisse and Rembrandt
Blockbuster exhibitions see Liverpool's figures soar
Baroque Art from Rome to England
About National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool Breaks Visitor Record
Also in this section…?
2019 Exhibitions announced
40 Years of Grange Hill
Fashion star comes home to Sudley
Gary Lawrence wins John Moores Painting Prize 2018 Visitors' Choice
Jacqui Hallum wins the John Moores Painting Prize 2018
Journey to Justice
Liverpool landmark finds new home
Longlist announced for John Moores Painting Prize 2018
Museum awarded £50k
National Museums Liverpool announces new Director
Quentin Blake and John Yeoman: 50 Years of Children's Books is
School children march to the Warriors
Sean Scully: 1970
Seized! family day
Shortlist announced for John Moores Painting Prize 2018
Slavery Remembrance Day 2018
Terracotta Warriors Generates £78m for Liverpool
Terracotta Warriors joined by Golden Horse
The Blind School: Pioneering People and Places
The Provincial Grand Orange Lodge of Liverpool
Jewish Heritage Symposium
Walker Art Gallery announces 2018-19 exhibition programme
Whistler and Pennell
Posted on Tuesday 26th June 2018
Highest ever visitor number in year of Terracotta Warriors exhibition
Exhibition contributes over £20m to local economy in first three months
National Museums Liverpool has achieved its highest annual visitor figure ever in 2017/18 across its eight venues. It welcomed 3,305,671 visitors in a year which also saw the opening of its China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors exhibition at World Museum.
With a visitor increase of 9% compared to 2016/17, and a 16% increase on the year before, National Museums Liverpool has also beaten its own previous best ever year for visitor numbers in 2012-13, when it achieved 3,277,303 visits[1].
In February 2018, National Museums Liverpool opened its blockbuster exhibition, China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors. With five months left to run, and tickets still available, it is already proving to be the most popular exhibition National Museums Liverpool has ever held with around half a million people expected to visit throughout the exhibition’s run.
2017/18 was also a very strong year at the Walker Art Gallery, where visits increased by 53%, with a vibrant exhibition programme including Slaves of Fashion: New Works by The Singh Twins and a new partnership with the Arts Council Collection.
At National Museums Liverpool’s museums and galleries located on the city’s iconic waterfront, highlights included Tales from the City, a ground-breaking exhibition at Museum of Liverpool, Black Salt at Merseyside Maritime Museum and the 10th anniversary of the International Slavery Museum. A vibrant and popular events programme on the waterfront, including taking part in Royal Albert Dock’s events such as Heritage on the Dock and the Pirates Festival, as well as National Museums Liverpool’s own popular events such as the Border Force open day, contributed to the high footfall.
Tracey McGeagh, Director of Marketing and Communications, National Museums Liverpool said:
“Our mission is to be the world’s leading example of an inclusive museum service. In 2017/18, we welcomed a record number of visitors and it is incredibly rewarding and important, that we are attracting so many people into the museums and galleries to share in the collections and hear the stories told in our exhibitions.
“This cultural offer also brings unprecedented profile to the city region and value to the visitor economy.
“More than three quarters of visitors told us that our Terracotta Warriors exhibition was the main reason for their visit to Liverpool[2]. We also know from our wider research that there is a substantial upward trend in the number of visitors to our museums and galleries from abroad this year: at least 40,000 more than last year[3].”
An estimated 36% of visitors to National Museums Liverpool venuesare on staying visits from outside the city region – more than twice the city’s average of 17% of visitors coming to Liverpool on a staying basis. Using this data, National Museums Liverpool estimates the Terracotta Warriors exhibition has already driven around 65,000 staying visits to Liverpool and a wider contribution to the local economy of over £20m in its first three months.[4]
Since China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors launched, National Museums Liverpool has sold more than 370,000 tickets for the exhibition, which has so far attracted media coverage reaching over 29 million people, and with an equivalent advertising value of over £1.2 million[5]. Tickets are still available but anyone who wants to see the exhibition is advised to book in advance as specific dates and times sell out quickly: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/warriors.
As a whole, National Museums Liverpool, which comprises the Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Walker Art Gallery, Border Force National Museum, Sudley House, Lady Lever Art Gallery, World Museum and the Museum of Liverpool, is the most-visited group of museums in England outside London according to ALVA figures[6].
National Museums Liverpool comprises eight venues, including some of the most visited museums in England outside of London. Our collections are among the most important and varied in Europe and contain everything from Impressionist paintings and rare beetles to a lifejacket from the Titanic. We attract more than 3.3 million visitors every year. Our venues are the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Seized! (UK Border Force National Museum), Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. National Museums Liverpool is regulated by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Museums and galleries regulated by DCMS are exempt charities under Schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011. Registered Office: World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EN.
[1] National Museums Liverpool Visitor figures
[2] Terracotta Warriors Visitor Evaluation survey by National Museums Liverpool. April 2018
[3] National Museums Liverpool Visitor Profiling Survey 2017-18
[4] National Museums Liverpool Visitor Statistics and North West Research Visitor Profiling Information, May 2018
[5] International Press Cuttings Bureau and National Museums Liverpool, November 2018 – March 2019
[6] ALVA (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions) Latest Visitor Figures, 2017 http://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423
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PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton / National Security / Republicans
{{show_title_date || "Benghazi smears attacks warrant an apology, 5/17/13, 7:37 PM ET"}}
Where’s the apology for Susan Rice?
By Morgan Whitaker
Last fall Republicans launched a series of scathing attacks on Susan Rice as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations became the primary target in an attempt to smear the Obama administration in the wake of Benghazi. They accused her of purposely misleading the country on the nature of the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi during her appearances on the Sunday news shows. At times, the attacks turned personal.
Arizona Senator John McCain accused her of “not being very bright.” New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte said Rice showed “incompetence” or was “blatantly misleading the American people.” South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham claimed she was “so disconnected to reality, I don’t trust her.”
As supportive as the president remained of her throughout the process, the attacks eventually led Rice to withdraw her name from consideration for Secretary of State. And Republicans, still not satisfied, continued to tarnish her name.
But this week, she’s been vindicated. The 94-pages of emails released by the White House show that Rice had nothing to do with crafting the talking points she read on September 16.
As the Washington Post’s analysis of the emails found:
“Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who did not directly participate in the e-mail exchanges, appeared on a series of Sunday shows two days after the Petraeus briefing. ….
White House officials have argued that Rice was using talking points that reflected the administration consensus at that time, and the e-mails appear to support that contention.
The talking points, which were edited a dozen times between Sept. 14 and 15, did not reach Rice, whose office made several pleas for them to be sent as quickly as possible, until after 3 p.m. the day before she appeared on the shows.”
So now that she’s been cleared, where’s the apology?
“The GOP smear campaign against Ambassador Rice was vicious, personal, and wrong,” said Rev. Al Sharpton on PoliticsNation on Thursday. “That’s why she deserves an apology, but I won’t hold my breath.”
She may still have the last laugh. New reports indicate that Rice is expected to be named to the role of National Security Adviser, a post that will bring her into the Obama cabinet–without sending her to the Senate for confirmation.
Middle East, National Security and Republicans
Blacks voted at higher rate than whites...
Help bring free health care to New Orleans
Where's the apology for Susan Rice?
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Trenton Bath House
The Trenton Bath House is a building served as the entrance and changing area for outdoor swimming pool by Louis I. Khan. The building is located at 999 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing, New Jersey. In 1984, the building was listed as Historic Places and listed at National Register of Historic Places.
the design of the building is quite simple. The building has four square concrete block rooms with wooden rectangular pyramid roof on top of each rooms. In the corner of the rooms, there is rectangular column with a hollow on it. The column used to support the construction of the pyramid roof and some of the column used as the entrance of the room too. But altough the building has a simple form, Khan showed his thinking about the utilitarian purposes of the various spaces and become his first notion of spaces serving and spaces served.
Design of Building, House
Tags: bath house, Building, design, House, National Register of Historic Places, New Jersey, room, Swimming pool,
Comfortable and Pleasant Residence in Floating Concrete Structure – Casa Curato
Advanced Pavilion Design That Optimizes Solar Energy Occupation – Endesa Pavilion
3-Dimensional Triangular House Design in a Very Narrow Space – Keret’s House
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My translation: A 'loaded' American provocation of Syria
A ‘loaded’ American provocation of Syria
By Abd al Bari Atwan of al Quds
The latest acts of president George Bush’s administration are characterised by confusion and indecisiveness, especially in the Middle East. The latest operation carried out by the US military in the Abu Kamal region within the Syrian borders, which resulted in the deaths of eight Syrian civilians, is the most prominent example of this.
This unprecedented raid by air has raised numerous questions with regards to its timing, motives and expected results. Especially with regards to the repercussions which will follow it not just with regards to Syrian-American relations but within Iraq and the Arab world as a whole. What was unique this time was the near complete silence of US official spokespeople, with only the slightest of comments regarding the raid, as opposed to the ‘unprecedented transparency’ with which Syrian politicians and media have dealt with the crisis, granting journalists unfettered access to the Syrian civilians there and to the targeted building as well as providing photographs and information about the incident. The Americans have said that the targeted area was a base of operations for an al Qaeda cell, but there is no tangible evidence to show that this is true. Even if what the Americans say is true, then dealing with such issues could have been coordinated through the relevant security channels which are active, either between the American command in Iraq and its Syrian counterpart or between the Iraqi and Syrian governments themselves, as has been done before on numerous occasions.
Even if we assume that there was some al Qaeda cell in the area, that does not give the United States and its forces the right to raid on the territory of a sovereign country and commit a massacre of innocent civilians. This is a clear act of terrorism which confirms that the US administration pays no heed to the international treaties and documents that it so ardently defends and upholds, punishing others who transgress with sanctions and isolation.
In our estimation the situation involves much more than the presence of some cell of al Qaeda, or even the presence of a major coordinator for smuggling arms and volunteers into the Iraqi hinterland. For it is no coincidence that the raid took place at a time when US hopes of a security agreement with the government of the “New Iraq”, which should have been ratified by the parliament before the end of the year to grant ‘legitimacy’ to the presence of over 150,000 American soldiers on Iraqi soil.
It is no secret to anybody that Iraq’s neighbours, Iran and Syria in particular, oppose the presence of US troops permanently in Iraqi bases, which pose a strategic threat to them. For the latest security agreement, and the clauses within it, places Iraq under an American mandate for decades to come. This makes the United States a permanent feature in the area.
The Iranians did not hesitate for an instant to openly oppose the agreement, issuing fatwas from Shia authorities forbidding the signing of the treaty and enjoining its allies, of whom it has many, in Iraq to stand against it. Even the government of Nouri al Maliki refused to ratify it, delaying presenting it to the parliament whilst requesting that the US administration modify a number of clauses to which it had previously agreed to, in fear of provoking Iranian anger. An anger that wil threaten grave implications should it be ignored.
The Syrians also oppose the treaty, though in their own special way – under the table. This whilst they give out clear signals indicating their wish to cooperate with the Iraqi government and the American project for Iraq through the opening of an embassy after twenty years of broken relations as well as receiving Iraqi leaders with noticeable warmth.
The US administration, which has lost 4200 American soldiers in Iraq and 700 billion dollars, is currently behaving like a wounded bull as it sees the allies it helped to power refusing to ratify an agreement that would legitimise its presence, in spite of its continued threats with grave consequences if they continue in this position, and for this it is starting to get desperate in its actions and decisions.
In other words, the administration cannot send its helicopters to strike the Iranian Revolutionary guards inside Iranian territory under the pretext that they arm and train militias opposed to the US presence in Iraq. That is because it knows full well that any such attack would provoke a painful response through sleeper and active cells which are operating in Iraq. It also, the US administration, is aware that it cannot dismiss al Maliki’s government because it knows that such a move would cost them, not only for the lack of a better alternative to him, but also because of the economic crises, military defeats and financial collapses which surround them from all sides.
The attack on Syria was the least expensive option for president George Bush Jnr. And his military command in Iraq, due to the fact that Syria is the weakest link in the chain. It has recently been subjected to numerous Israeli air raids, the most prominent of which targeted an alleged nuclear facility in the North-East of the country, as well as the carrying out, by the Israeli Mossad, of several high profile assassinations of Lebanese and Syrian personalities, such as General Muhammad Suleiman and al Hajj Imad Mughniyeh the head of the military wing of the Lebanese Hezbullah. The common denominator in all these raids and killings was the absence of any Syrian response and the adherence by the Syrian leadership to the highest levels of self restraint, avoiding falling into the trap of American backed Israeli provocation.
The American raid on Abu Kamal confirms this new development in America’s confused policies, which is that the US military leadership has decided to carry out its revenge on Syria by provoking it into a response for these attacks, instead of using the Israelis as was the case previously. This indicates that the new American strategy is to target Syria, paving the way for attacks on Iran, Hezbullah and Hamas the main backbone of the ‘Axis of Evil’ of the American presidential elections.
The Syrian government has shutdown the Cultural centre and American school in Damascus as an initial response to the raid, also delaying a meeting of the Syrian-Iraqi association which was due to take place in the next few days. It has also demanded explanations from the US and Iraqi governments regarding the raid. However, it is apparent that the Syrian response will not exceed the framework of non-violence at the present time. There are numerous cards in the hand of the Syrian government and which could lead to catastrophic results for the American project in Iraq if it decides to play them, individually or collectively. It is enough for the Syrians to scale back their cooperation on policing the border with Iraq, and ignore the smuggling operations which bring in weapons and fighters into Iraq, as well as stopping coordination with the American and Iraqi commands. For when the border with Iraq was open for volunteers to join the ranks of the Iraqi resistance, the number of operations targeting US forces exceeded 1000 a month, whilst al Qaeda was able to carry out over 700 suicide operations within a period of three years.
We do not expect the Syrian government to abandon its position of self-restraint, and risk provoking the raging American bull with wounds in the closing months of this defeated administration. It is behaving as other countries in the region and the world are, biding its time until the curtain is lowered on one of the most hostile American administrations towards Arabs and Muslims ever, in the hope that a new administration would learn from their mistakes and choose a policy of dialogue rather than confrontation in the Middle East.
Posted by Maysaloon at 3:36 pm
Labels: Abd al Bari Atwan, Iraq, Syria, United States
Chet said...
Well said, and I hope you are right about the new administration learning from the mistakes of Bush.
boxthejack said...
Thanks for taking the time to translate this.
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Jewellery shows how early medieval Finland was trading with rest of Europe, study shows
A recently completed study indicates that the material of the jewellery found together with human remains at the Levänluhta water burial site originates in southern Europe, contrary to what researchers had previously thought.
The Levänluhta water burial site, dating back to the Iron Age (300–800 CE), is one of Finland’s most famous archaeological sites. Nearly one hundred individuals, mainly women or children, were buried in a lake located at Isokyrö in Southwestern Finland, during the early Middle Ages. Some of the deceased were accompanied by arm rings and necklaces made out of copper alloy, bronze or brass.
“The origin of the metals used in these pieces of jewellery was determined on the basis of the objects’ geochemical and lead isotope compositions. The jewellery of the deceased is stylistically typical Finnish Iron Age jewellery, making it probable that they were cast in local workshops. However, the metals used to make these objects are unlikely to be originally from the region, since copper ores had not yet been discovered here during the Iron Age,” says Elisabeth Holmqvist-Sipilä, a postdoctoral researcher.
Up to now, archaeologists have assumed that copper used in the Iron Age came mainly from the copper ores discovered in southern Scandinavia. However, this interpretation has in recent years been called into question, since the copper found in archaeological metal discoveries in Sweden has also been determined to be imported.
In a study conducted in collaboration between archaeologists at the University of Helsinki and the Geological Survey of Finland, the origin of the bronze and brass jewellery found at Levänluhta was investigated by comparing their geochemical composition and lead isotope ratios to known copper ores in Finland, Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. The study was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Copper tracks lead to southern Europe
“The results demonstrate that the copper used in the objects was not from Finland or the nearby regions; rather, it has travelled to Finland along extensive exchange networks, most likely from southern Europe,” says Holmqvist-Sipilä.
Based on the lead isotope ratios, the copper in the objects has its origins in the copper ores found in Greece and Bulgaria. These regions produced a large quantity of copper in the Bronze and Iron Age, which spread around Europe as various object forms, distributed as presents, loot and merchandise. Metals were also recycled by melting old objects into raw material for new casts. It may be possible that metals that ended up in Finland during the Bronze Age were recycled in the Levänluhta region.
The findings of this project, funded by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, demonstrate that products of the copper exchange network of continental Europe also reached Finland across the Baltic Sea, thus making it possible to link the region with the extensive copper exchange system known to have extended throughout Europe. The results also illustrate the temporally and technologically multi-layered nature of prehistoric metal artefacts: raw materials found their way here through a number of hands, most likely over a long period of time and across very great distances. In domestic artisan workshops, these metals of international origin were manufactured into pieces of jewellery in domestic Iron Age fashion, perhaps embodying the local identity and place of residence of the bearer.
Click here to read the article “Lead isotope and geochemical analyses of copper-based metal artefacts from the Iron Age water burial in Levänluhta, Western Finland”
Top Image: Archaeological findings of Levänluhta in the Finnish National Museum’s exhibition. In the front arm rings and necklaces found from the burial site, made out of copper alloy. Photo: Elisabeth Holmqvist-Sipilä
TagsFinland • Medieval Archaeology • Medieval burials
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Thriving Communities / News & Views / Like Food, Local Music Can Grow Economy
Joshua Davis is part of burgeoning TC music scene
Hans Voss is the executive director of the Traverse City-based the Michigan Land Use Institute. One of his favorite things to do on a Thursday night is hop on his bike and go see Billy Strings and Don Julin at Lil’ Bo’s.
** A version of this column appeared in the April edition of the Traverse City Business News
Joshua Davis performs Sting's "Fields of Gold" on the April 27 broadcast of NBC's "The Voice." (Photo: NBC)
Joshua Davis is a gifted and hard-working guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who can play the Delta Blues like Mississippi John Hurt and work a crowd into a dancing frenzy with his band Steppin’ In It. He’s been playing venues across Michigan for 20 years, so when Josh settled down in Traverse City a few years back, people like me who love live music were excited for what he would add to our growing base of local musical talent.
The last time I saw Josh live he was playing his heart out at a local bar for about a dozen people. It’s a scene that happens too often in our town: great musical artists performing for sparse crowds.
The next time I saw Josh, I watched him on television—along with 14 million other people. He was on NBC’s popular show “The Voice.” Josh performed a jaw-dropping version of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” that had pop star judges like Adam Levine and Blake Shelton falling over themselves to praise his genius and recruit him to their team.
Josh Davis is among a growing group of talented musicians based in Traverse City who are making a name for themselves nationally.
Katie Larson and Savannah Buist began playing music together as teenagers. They cut their first album as The Accidentals when they were students at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and they’ve taken off like a rocket ever since. They funded their first national tour with an online campaign that included a gig last month at the coveted South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
When 22-year old Billy Strings started picking his hard-driving bluegrass with veteran Traverse City mandolin legend Don Julin three years ago, they lit up the local music scene. Nobody around here ever saw anyone energize traditional bluegrass like they do. Billy and Don still play around town, but as most of us expected, they’ve cracked the national scene and spend more time touring the country playing big festivals than local venues.
It’s a joy to celebrate local musicians making it big—but what can we do to push Traverse City forward as a destination music town that cultivates new talent and supports the musicians who gain national traction when they come back home?
I asked professional musician Seth Bernard, the founder of the Earthwork Music who lives in Williamsburg with his wife and musical partner May Erlewine Bernard. They are widely regarded as leaders in building the Michigan music scene.
Seth said it takes a multi-faceted commitment that unites the local media, business leaders, community organizations, and fans to come together around a common goal of supporting local music. Towns like Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids work hard to get the community engaged in local music, and they go out of their way to give the musicians a warm welcome. In Kalamazoo, music supporters even give musicians free lodging after the shows.
Seth sees that kind of potential in Traverse City.
“We have the opportunity locally to reinvent the music scene,” he said. “It’s like buying local—you’re not only doing the artist a favor, you’re doing your town a favor. You’re creating community and making a music destination that will grow the economy.”
In cities like Austin and Nashville, music is at the center of their local economies. But even in Detroit, which is long past Motown’s heyday, music is big business. A 2013 study found that 6,000 people were employed in the Detroit area music industry. There are 486 music establishments with a total sales volume of over $1 billion.
We’re a much smaller town, of course, but we have some of the music infrastructure. Interlochen is a world-renowned musical institution that attracts some of the very best. Porterhouse Productions brings in national acts and gives local musicians great opportunities for exposure. Radio stations WNMC and WIAA, and print media like the Northern Express and the Traverse City Record-Eagle play important roles, too.
But we aren’t there yet. My hunch is that three-quarters of the people who live in Traverse City area don’t go out with the primary intention of seeing live music (although I bet most of them watch “The Voice” on TV).
What we need in Traverse City is a coordinated campaign to build up the local music scene. What if local music supporters, the media, and the venue owners teamed up with business, tourism, and nonprofit organizations for a coordinated effort to publicize and support local music—to put Traverse City on the map as a music town?
The first priority should be promoting live local shows to local people. We need to tell the stories of these talented local musicians to get the community excited. As that excitement grows, so too would our reputation, and people would come here expecting to find great music. It would be similar to how some of our region’s leading restaurants established Traverse City as a culinary destination, or how the State Theatre made our town a center for film.
And there is a real community-building benefit that is hard to quantify, but just as important. Great music can both entertain and inspire, and when people from different walks of life come together to celebrate the musical arts, a connection develops.
Traverse City has shown that anything is possible. The arts are a growing and important part of our local culture and economy. Now it’s time to ramp up the local music scene to a level that meets the high standards of our terrific town .
1535 days ago, 4:01pm | by Mario | Report Comment
Great article Hans Well written and an important message.
1534 days ago, 11:14pm | by Pat Weber | Report Comment
The music tradition in Traverse City begins in its schools- the feeder system as it were. Traverse City Area Public Schools has had a long and rich music legacy in both vocal and instrumental instruction. Interlochen Arts Academy enhances and broadens this. It would be interesting to know how many former students continued on into musical careers.
1532 days ago, 7:24pm | by Pete Farmer | Report Comment
Nice to read about the big picture of music around here. I am sure the scene will only get bigger as TC grows. We plan on helping in our own little way with a small venue at our workshop. All proceeds go to musicians so they can make a living.
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Android Apocalypse (2006)
31st December 2006 30th August 2018
Canada/USA. 2006.
Director – Paul Ziller, Screenplay – Karl Schiffman, Producers – Kim Berlin & Gail Tilson, Photography – Mark Dobresco, Music – Todd Bryanton, Visual Effects Supervisor – Yves Beland, Special Effects Supervisor – Leo Weiser, Special Effects – Big Bang Studios, Production Design – Bob Bottieri. Production Company – Independent Moving Pictures/Sci Fi Pictures/Space, The Imagination Station/Movie Central/SaskFilm and Video Development Corporation/IMP Inc
Scott Bairstow (Greydon Jute), Joseph Lawrence (DeeCee 142), Troy Skog (Professor Varrta), Amy Matysio (Rachael Jute), Anne Nahabedian (Tranc), Wendy Anderson (Mrs Carlson), Corey Livingstone (Borka), Aidan Simpson (Polton), Brian Hlusko (Eric Carlson)
In the future, humanity lives in domed cities, protected from the desolate wasteland outside. Androids, derogatorily nicknamed ‘cogs’, have been employed to provide labour. Greydon Jute, a labourer in the city’s furnaces, is angry after he is replaced by an android. In a barroom brawling competition, Jute takes on an opponent that he knows is an android. Later outside the bar, Jute challenges the android to finish the fight but is shocked when he kills it. He is arrested and sentenced to Terminus prison in the middle of the desert. On the journey there, every human prisoner is chained to an android via an unbreakable link. Jute’s companion is DeeCee 142, an android that has been sentenced to Terminus for reprogramming after it appeared to demonstrate feelings. Jute and DeeCee are able to make an escape when the prison van is attacked by rogue robotic drones. They try to make it back through the desert. In the course of doing so, both end up having to rely on the other and in so doing come to change their views.
Android Apocalypse is a routine made-for-dvd film that was sold as an sf/action hybrid. Conceptually it emerges as a science-fictional reworking of The Defiant Ones (1958) – the classic film that featured Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis as a Black and White prisoner who escape from a prison gang while chained together and during the cooperation imposed in the course of their flight end up moderating their prejudices about the other. Android Apocalypse substitutes a human and an android but essentially features the same conflict – of a bigoted man and a minority forced to cooperate while chained together. It should be noted that the The Defiant Ones premise was also borrowed by science-fiction before as the cheaply made Wedlock/Deadlock (1991).
In Android Apocalypse, this concept transpires as a story that is mostly cliches. The journey across the desert where we see the two characters mellowing in their views works with modest effectiveness. The film becomes considerably less interesting during the second half once it drops its Defiant Ones scenario. Thereafter it becomes only a standard prison-revolt story, added to the old hat plot of a mad scientist wanting to turn the whole world into androids, which we have seen in a host of other films – Scream and Scream Again (1969), Futureworld (1976) and Vexille (2007).
Sometimes the logic the film operates by is uneven. I had a problem with the central notion of the hero being sentenced for the murder of an android, especially in a society where there seems such unease and prejudice against androids. Rather than murder, surely the more likely option would be for the hero to be charged with the destruction of property? It also does not seem credible that Scott Bairstow would destroy an android in a fit of resentful anger and then have a crisis of conscience that he has killed one, especially if he does not regard them as anything more than machines. It is a character twist that seems implausible.
Joseph Lawrence, who looks like a young Jean-Claude Van Damme, does the impassive, emotionless android thing well. It is here that the film rigorously follows the logic of androids, rather than allowing them to freely portray facial expressions as most actors playing androids do. In actuality, every facial expression an android shows would have to be a learned response – if an android does not know the emotion of fear or surprise, then how can its’ face display such? Unfortunately, when it comes to other androids – notably Anne Nahabedian’s pursuing nemesis – she is inconsistently shown to be relishing the cruelty of the hunt and not impassive at all.
There are a number of action scenes, which are competently handled if nothing exceptional. The special effects are passable for a low-budget film of this type, if occasionally spotty. The insectoid robot drones are highly effective and lethal looking. There are some decent cityscapes of the domed city interiors.
Android Apocalypse was a Canadian production. Director Paul Ziller has made a number of low-budget action films, thrillers and genre entries. These include:- the slasher film Pledge Night/A Hazing in Hell (1988), the serial killer film Breaking Point (1993), the virtual reality film Virtual Seduction (1995), the mutant fish film Snakehead Terror (2004), the sun goes nova film Solar Attack (2005), the insects amok film Swarmed (2005), Beyond Loch Ness (2008), the horror film Ba’al (2008), the monster movie Troglodyte (2008), Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon (2008), Polar Storm (2009), Ice Quake (2010), Iron Golem (2010), Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010), Collision Earth (2011), Garden of Evil (2011), Ghost Storm (2011), Iron Golem (2011), Seeds of Destruction/The Terror Beneath (2011) and The Philadelphia Experiment (2012).
Director: Paul Ziller
Actors: Scott Bairstow, Joseph Lawrence, Troy Skog, Amy Matysio, Anne Nahabedian, Wendy Anderson, Corey Livingstone, Aidan Simpson, Brian Hlusko
Themes: Androids, Future Scenarios, Prisons, Robots, Canadian Cinema, Films of 2006
Space Milkshake (2012)
Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006)
Tomorrowland (2015)
Crash and Burn (1990)
2103: The Deadly Wake (1996)
Ratchet & Clank (2016)
The Bad Batch (2016)
Borealis (2013)
Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
Turbo Kid (2015)
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (2008)
Tamala 2010 (2002)
Jetsons: The Movie (1990)
The Last Chase (1980)
Bunker Palace Hotel (1989)
Electroma (2006)
The Philadelphia Experiment (2012)
The Colony (2013)
Ghosts With Shit Jobs (2012)
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Syria crisis spillover worries Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has warned against smuggling of weapons and infiltration of foreign terrorists from Syria into his country.
“The weapons provided to those killers in Syria have been smuggled to Iraq and those wolves that came from different countries to Syria are now sneaking into Iraq,” Maliki said on Saturday.
The Iraqi premier also condemned the flow of weapons to Takfiri militants operating inside Syria.
Maliki stated that the arms provided by some countries to the militants in Syria are adding to the violence inside Iraq.
On August 14, the Iraqi prime minister said his country would continue to fight against terrorist attacks.
“The operation that we started in chasing terrorists, and those who stand behind them, will continue until we protect our people,” Maliki noted.
More than 4,000 Iraqis have been killed in the violence since the beginning of 2013.
The United Nations said on August 1 that a total of 1,057 Iraqis were killed and another 2,326 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in the month of July, making it the country’s deadliest month since 2008.
Reports say Iraqi border guards frequently clash with militants and smugglers who attempt to move across the borders.
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Kansas Wesleyan University String Orchestra: 10 a.m. Friday, Strataca, 3650 E. Avenue G, Hutchinson. Free. The orchestra will be accompanied by the Manhattan High School Chamber Orchestra. The two orchestras will be performing as part of the KWU’s Kansas Tour, said Jesse Henkensiefken, Director of Orchestras and String Studies at KWU and Assistant Conductor of the Salina Symphony.
Calendar Girls: 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, McPherson Opera Housen, 219 S Main St, McPherson. McPherson Community Theatre's production of "Calendar Girls." When Annie's husband John dies of leukemia, she and her long-standing best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. With varying levels of encouragement, they persuade four friends and fellow members of the Women’s Institute to pose nude with them for an "alternative" calendar. Tim Firth’s hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven members who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukaemia Research Fund in 1999. Tickets are $13, and $10 for students and seniors at mcphersonoperahouse.ticketforce.com.
Suitcase Junket: 4 p.m. Oct. 28 at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, 177 W. Hickory Street in Hesston. Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children 18 and under. Acclaimed singer-songwriter to perform. More information at http://dyckarboretum.org.
Open house: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 27, Hutchinson Moose Lodge, 1401 E. First, Hutchinson. Free lunch, including hot dogs, chips and a drink, child IDs, corn hole, Hot Wheels and more.
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What's Happening? ›
The Oliver Good Citizen Award was donated in 1950 by the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
First Recipient was Harold Wright
In 1961 the Junior Chamber of Commerce ceased to exist, and the trophy was reintroduced in 1966 by the Oliver Board of Trade, later to be renamed "Oliver Chamber of Commerce".
In 1990 it was decided to make two presentations; one to honour the pioneers who have helped to establish our community and the other to honour our more recent good citizens.
Hence two plaques: "The Citizen Award" and "The Pioneer Award".
Community Roots This award honours individuals or groups that may have settled in greater Oliver following the establishment of the Fairview Townsite and surrounding areas including Osoyoos Indian Band lands.
The Winner is Jane Stelkia
Group This award recognizes a community group that demonstrates an outstanding contribution to the community. The Winner is Oliver Lions Club.
Youth This award recognizes an individual youth member who has demonstrated a commitment to our community and has made extraordinary volunteer contributions. The Winner is Abby Teigen.
Individual This award recognizes the volunteer work of an individual adult or couple who have contributed significantly through voluntary service involving a variety of projects, groups and/or programs. The Winner is Fiona Wood.
Community Builder (Oliver Parks & Recreation Society Award) This award recognizes an individual or group that through voluntary activities have left a legacy that builds and improves our community and will enhance the quality of life of children, youth and families. The Winners are Jan and Larry Shannon.
Heritage or Pioneer Family This award honours all those pioneers that settled in greater Oliver following the establishment of the Fairview Townsite (1887). The original townsite of Oliver was surveyed in 1921 and through their spirit and perseverance helped build Oliver.
For 2018 the decision was made to change the award to recognize a Pioneer Family No nominations received for the Pioneer Family Category
Group This award recognizes a community group that demonstrates an outstanding contribution to the community. The Winner is Highway to Healing.
Youth This award recognizes an individual youth member who has demonstrated a commitment to our community and has made extraordinary volunteer contributions. The Winner is Simi Gill.
Individual This award recognizes the volunteer work of an individual adult or couple who have contributed significantly through voluntary service involving a variety of projects, groups and/or programs. The Winner is Greg Norton.
Community Builder (Oliver Parks & Recreation Society Award) This award recognizes an individual or group that through voluntary activities have left a legacy that builds and improves our community and will enhance the quality of life of children, youth and families. The Winners are Amanda Workman and Randee Ede.
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Home/2015/November
Haety Owines November 30, 2015
Cheap Auto Repair Mechanics in Michigan Located Online
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Luxury Cars Come in a Wide Variety of Collectible Vehicles
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Understanding All About Horsepower to Enhance Your Car Performance
Enhanced horsepower on cars could be achieved in a plethora of ways. Let us look at the reason for increasing…
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Nina Hossain Bio, Salary, Net Worth, Height, Married and Wiki
Date of Birth/Birthday: Thursday, May 1, 1975
Bio: Who is Nina Hossain?
Career, Salary, and Net Worth: What is Nina Hossain salary per year?
Is Nina Hossain married? Who is Nina Hossain husband?
Body Measurements: How tall can Nina Hossain be?
Winning Regional Presenter, Nina Hossain is one of the prominent figures in the journalism sector. She is talented British journalist and presenter employed by ITN as the main newscaster on ITV Lunchtime News and lead anchor on ITV News London. Moreover, she does exclusive interviews of the high-profile celebrities and figures. In addition, she is the regular presenter of ITV News at Ten.
Hossain was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England on born 15th December 1973 to a Tabarek Hossain and mother Pamela. She joined the University of Durham and later enrolled at the University of Central Lancashire earning Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism.
Hossain interest in journalism leads her to reach the status she has now. She started off as a presenter for The Medical Channel. Moving on, she became a presenter as well as the reporter of the BBC London News. She worked as the word pronouncer for the Series of Hard Spell. She received offer to join ITV as the main co-presenter for the ITV Evening News. She became a relief presenter for the ITV News London and ITV Lunchtime News, ITV Evening News, ITV News at Ten and ITV News weekend bulletins. She was the guest presenter for GMTV. At present, she anchors the ITV Lunchtime News.
Hossain was not only limited to anchoring and presenting. She expanded her horizon; she is the wonderful actress too. She was starred in a movie, Trauma. She has performed the voice of the satellite navigation on Blame the Machines. Being a philanthropist, she is the charity ambassador of Whizz-Kidz, where she had raised funds for 2017 Virgin London Marathon. Nina won the RTS Journalism Award for Nations.
Hossain chairs the conferences and numerous seminars. She is highly trained conference facilitator and after dinner speaker. Hosting events and award ceremonies in and out of countries she has a wealth of experience. Nina Hossain's net worth is estimated to be around $4 million. At ITV, she was said to receive salary near to $200,000 per month. At this pace, her salary will increment which will surely increase her net worth.
Hossain is leading a single life now. Nina Hossain was married to former husband Craig O'Hara. He works as an editor. The couple was together for eight years, but they part on 2004. She now lives between London and the Midlands. Hossain has been married to her current partner, former editor Stuart Thomas. The duo is blessed with three kids; Will Ridley Thomas, Clara Thomas, and daughter Nate Thomas.
Growing older, Nina Hossain has been able to maintain her weight all these years. Standing tall at 5 feet 4 inches, she carries a weight of 54 KG.
Off work Nina enjoys spending time with family and friends, she enjoys reading a good book. She is the keen traveler and took time out in 2003 to sail around the world and also loves snowboarding. She is active in social outlets, Twitter and Instagram where she regularly updates her fan followers. Follow Nina Hossain wiki and bio to be updated about her work and personal life.
URL : http://www.networthbio.com/nina-hossain-bio-salary-net-worth-height-married-and-wiki.html
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John Lockrey
John Lockrey, the oldest of seven children, was brought up in suburban Chicago.
An honor student in high school he was captain of an undefeated football team, and the wrestling team. In college he was an All-American wrestling champion - and lead singer for a regionally touring R&B band.
Receiving a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree, the author worked for two major Universities, and started his own investment banking company.
Married, he and his wife had one child who, tragically, died at age twenty-nine, losing his talented singer/songwriter daughter, changing him forever.
Travelling extensively nationally (a public speaker in more than 35 states) and overseas (Ireland, Thailand, Panama, Mexico, Canada 30 trips cruising the Caribbean), the author expanded his view of the world.
A passionate golfer and sports fan, John also loves to cook, especially Caribbean cuisine.
John retired in early 2016, embarking on writing as a full-time career, represented by New Authors Collective. The author is now working on his work in the James Wagner series, feeling more creative than ever.
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The Komodo Dragon
The Komodo dragon is a carnivore species belonging to the Varanidae family. It is currently the largest living lizard on Earth. Residing in a handful of islands across Indonesia; Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Gili Dasami, the origin of these giant lizards there date back to over 140 million years. Remarkably, they have survived all cataclysms, probably thanks to a favorable morphology. In addition to amazing diving, during each itinerary in the Komodo national park we can organize a tour on Komodo or Rinca Island to meet the Komodo Dragon.
Estimates have been made on the number of dragons still at large. As you can see, they live mainly in the Komodo National Park:
• Komodo Island (3000 dragons)
• Rinca Island (900 dragons)
• Motang Island (150 dragons)
• North of the town of Labuan Bajo and north of the island of Flores
The living area of the Komodo dragon
Physical description of the Komodo Dragon
This reptile is between two and three meters long and weighs about 70kg in adulthood. However, this data has already been exceeded by a number of specimens in captivity (some sources say that a male can weigh up to 170kg and measure 3.1m long). Its tough skin is composed of small bones and is also often referred to as side mesh. Combined with its dark color, it ensures the dragon remains camouflaged. The Komodo dragon has a long and powerful tail (the length of its body) and a forked tongue. Its claws are long, curved, sharp and deadly while its teeth are terrible and reminiscent of ancient dinosaurs. The Komodo’s jaw is also extremely flexible, which greatly contributes to its dangerousness.
Komodo dragon claw
The Komodo dragon has acquired its surprising size naturally, over generations, giving it an advantage in terms of survival. This phenomenon has often been observed with species living on islands, and is also called “island gigantism”.
The Komodo dragon has a very special sense of hearing. Although the Komodo Dragon is able to hear sounds from very far away, this animal is actually deaf to sounds below 400 Hz and above 2000 frequencies. This means, if you are brave enough to shout in its ear it won’t hear you!
These giant lizards can actually see up to 300 meters, while, their night vision is also excellent. Moving targets make them confused and frightened, so due to feeling threatened, they tend to attack. Therefore, it is certainly not advisable to be running when you are next to a Komodo dragon.
The sense of smell of the Komodo dragon is also unique, because their nostrils are not actually very useful. The Komodo Dragon can smell blood from many miles away. It has no diaphragm, preventing it from sniffing odors accurately and drawing water. All these weaknesses are offset by its forked tongue, which helps to both feel and locate its prey and enable it to drink water.
LThe Komodo Dragon’s lifestyle
This lizard will hunt wild boar, deer, water buffalo, birds, smelling prey with its tongue. It is not very fast but it is very smart. The dragon understands that the key to defeating his victims is surprise – once they have been bitten, the bacteria contained in the Komodo’s mouth will infect the victim over a period of a few days to a week and overcome its prey, negating the need to chase. The Komodo dragon is often considered as a scavenger because it eats prey which has already been killed, however, it is a predator because it eats the animals which it itself has bitten up to a week earlier.
After mating the females lay up to 20 eggs, which hatch after a period of 7-8 months. Young lizards are defenseless, so they will climb trees when threatened, where heavy adults can not follow them. In fact, newborns represent 10 percent of the feed of adult dragons and are the leading cause of death among young Komodo dragons. It will take them five years to mature, and they can then live up to an age of 50 years old. Recent studies have even shown that if females were in an isolated environment conducive to the development of the case without the presence of males, they would actually be able to procreate to ensure its descent through genetic degeneration.
Young Komodo dragon
Warning: Komodo dragons are good swimmers, so do not mistake their clumsy gait because it is misleading. Although they appear slow, these lizards can also run as fast as a man, if their stomach orders them to!
By sharing its prey and its territory, the Komodo dragon is exposed to extinction. Indeed, this species has survived on some Indonesian islands, because they are the only carnivorous predators there. These conditions are mandatory; the Komodo dragon must dominate the ecosystem within which it exists to survive. Moreover, since the arrival of humans who hunt the same prey in their territory, the Komodo dragon’s space has become threatened. A striking example is what happened at the island of Padar which now does not include any lizards. Indeed, in the mid-70s they became extinct because of both a lack of prey and exterminated by poachers.
The Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species and is also on the IUCN Red List. To address this concern, the Komodo National Park was established in 1980 by the Indonesian authorities to protect populations of Komodo dragons. Worryingly, in 2002, after the census there seemed to be only 350 breeding females from about 5,000 Komodo dragons.
Researchers have recently argued that the introduction of these lizards in Australia could partly fill the large carnivore niche left vacant by the extinction of the giant lizard, Megalania (a lizard from the same family of the Komodo dragon, measuring up to 8m long and which became extinct there 40,000 years because of man disturbing the Australian ecosystem).
Megalania, the giant lizard
For the record, the natives of the island of Komodo believe that Komodo dragons are the reincarnation of deceased citizens and therefore treat them with the greatest respect. The Komodo dragon and man can live together successfully; the natives have proven this over the last hundred years. The question is, how long will this continue?
Perjuangan boat is part of Nyaman Group, visit Nyaman Group website and discover its various companies.
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Sydney Metro Tunnel boring machine breaks through at Waterloo
Posted on May 16, 2019 by Lauren Jones
The second boring machine on Sydney’s Metro Tunnel project has broken through a wall of rock at the new Waterloo Station in Sydney.
This boring machine named ‘Mum Shirl’ started digging from Marrickville on 5 November 2018.
It is estimated the machine has carved through about 304,000 tonnes of rock, opening a 3.1-kilometre tunnel in six months.
‘Mum Shirl’ is one of five tunnel boring machines on the Sydney Metro project that were designed, built and delivered by German manufacturer, Herrenknecht.
John Holland and Ghella, the partnership that won the $2.8 billion contract, purchased the five boring machines from Herrenknecht which were built specifically for the conditions of this job.
The five machines will build the 15.5-kilometre twin railway tunnels between Chatswood and Marrickville.
‘Mum Shirl’ will spend two weeks at Waterloo Station to undergo planned maintenance and will then be relaunched at the opposite end of the station box, towards central station.
Sydney Metro says machines that work underground on major tunnelling projects around the world are typically given female names.
The name ‘Mum Shirl’ references an indigenous Australian woman who dedicated her life to the Redfern community, close to the site of Waterloo Station, raising 60 foster children.
Two other machines are currently working on 8.1 kilometres of the tunnels from Marrickville to the new Sydney Metro sites at Waterloo, Central, Pitt Street, Martin Place and onto Barangaroo, where they will be removed from deep underground.
The first tunnel boring machine broke through at Waterloo in April 2019.
Tunnel boring machine on its way to Melbourne
Sydney Metro tunneling begins
First tunnel boring machine on its way to Sydney Metro
Posted in Latest News Tagged civil construction, civil works, construction, engineering, infrastructure, infrastructure construction, Marrickville, Metro Tunnel, New South Wales, NSW, NSW Government, Rail, rail infrastructure, Sydney, transport, transport infrastructure, tunnel boring machine, Waterloo
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Bringing Together Research on Work Scheduling Policy
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Susan J. Lambert, University of Chicago
Lonnie Golden, Pennsylvania State University
Co-funded with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
New work hour standards for workers in hourly-paid jobs—such as “fair workweek,” “secure,” or “predictive” scheduling policies—have been implemented in San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, and the state of Oregon, and elsewhere. Similar legislation is being considered in cities such as Chicago, states including California and New York, and nationally in the Schedules That Work Act. However, the extent to which these laws are effective in addressing actual scheduling practices has not yet been evaluated. The extent to which firms have implemented the provisions also remains unclear. While several studies are in progress, current efforts to monitor this legislation are largely disjointed. Organizational psychologist Susan Lambert and economist Lonnie Golden will organize a conference at the Russell Sage Foundation to coordinate ongoing research on work scheduling policy between scholars across several disciplines and stakeholders in scheduling legislation, such as staff from policy organizations, labor groups, business organizations, and government.
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Randolph College Home Page Give Today! Support Randolph College
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Academic Honor Societies
Academic work of superior quality is recognized by the College through membership in the following national academic honor societies:
Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts achievement and scholarship)
Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology)
Alpha Sigma Lambda (adult students)
Chi Alpha Sigma (scholar athletes)
Eta Sigma Phi (classics)
Iota Sigma Pi (women in chemistry)
Lambda Pi Eta (communication studies)
Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics)
Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership)
Phi Alpha Theta (history)
Pi Delta Phi (French)
Pi Sigma Alpha (political science)
Psi Chi (psychology)
Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish)
Sigma Pi Sigma (physics)
Sigma Tau Delta (English)
Sigma Xi (research in the sciences)
Theta Alpha Kappa (religious studies)
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious of academic honor societies. It was founded at William & Mary in 1776, and few American colleges and universities have a chapter.
The Delta Chapter of Virginia was installed in 1917; its charter, obtained in 1916, was the first to be granted by Phi Beta Kappa to an independent college for women in the South.
Each year certain members of the senior class are elected to membership in the society in recognition of their high achievements in scholarship and maintenance of a balanced program of study in the liberal arts.
Alpha Kappa Delta
The Pi Chapter of Virginia of Alpha Kappa Delta, an international sociology honor society, promotes interest in sociology and social problems.
Its membership is composed of juniors and seniors who have demonstrated serious interest in sociology and high academic achievement.
Alpha Sigma Lambda
The Lambda Phi Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda was established in October 1997.
This national honor society for students in continuing higher education honors those dedicated adult students who, while ably handling their responsibilities at home and at work, achieve and maintain academic excellence. Each year membership is awarded to Prime Time students on the basis of their scholastic achievements.
This chapter of the National College Athlete Honor Society was established in March 2006 and honors those student-athletes who have earned a varsity letter while maintaining a 3.4 or better QPR throughout their junior and senior years.
The society also serves to foster citizenship, moral character, and friendship among academic achievers in college athletics.
Eta Sigma Phi
The Delta Alpha Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi was established in April 1961.
This society encourages classical scholarship and appreciation of ancient learning. Each year students in advanced Latin and Greek courses are elected to membership on the basis of excellence of scholarship.
Iota Sigma Pi
A national chemistry honor society for women, the Lanthanum chapter (for Lynchburg Area) of Iota Sigma Pi was established in 1998.
Founded in 1902, the objectives of the society are to promote interest in chemistry among women students, to foster mutual advancement in academic, business, and social life, and to stimulate personal accomplishment in chemical fields.
The local chapter was founded by faculty at Lynchburg College, Sweet Briar College, and Randolph College, and serves to foster scientific and social interaction between the three colleges.
Lambda Pi Eta
The Omicron Omega Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association, was established in April 2005.
The society seeks to recognize outstanding scholarship in the area of communication studies, stimulate interest in communications fields, and promote professional development for majors. This society represents what Aristotle described as the three ingredients of persuasion: character, credibility, and ethics.
Omicron Delta Epsilon
The Phi Chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society in economics, was established in the spring of 1998. Omicron Delta Epsilon has among its objectives the recognition of scholastic attainment, the honoring of outstanding achievements in economics, and the establishment of closer ties between students and faculty in economics.
Membership is awarded to undergraduates who have a genuine interest in economics and who have attained an outstanding performance level, not only in their economics courses, but also cumulatively in all courses.
Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national leadership honor society, was established in the spring of 1989. ODK was founded upon the idea that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility should be recognized.
The society recognizes and encourages achievement in scholarship; athletics; social service, religious activities and campus government; journalism, speech, and mass media; and the creative and performing arts. Membership is awarded to juniors and seniors and to members of the faculty and administration.
Phi Alpha Theta
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history, was established in the fall of 2001. Founded in 1921, Phi Alpha Theta seeks to promote the study of history through recognition of academic excellence, encouragement of scholarly research and good teaching, and facilitation of the exchange of ideas among students and faculty.
Membership is not limited to history majors, but is open to anyone who has demonstrated serious interest in history and has met the societies’ standards of academic achievement.
Pi Delta Phi
A chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the national French honor society, was established in spring of 2002. The purpose of the society is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literatures, to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world, and to stimulate and encourage French and francophone cultural activities.
Pi Delta Phi was founded in 1906. Students will be nominated in recognition of their academic achievement in at least one semester of upper division French.
Pi Sigma Alpha
The Alpha Gamma Eta Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, was established in April 2005. Founded in 1920, Pi Sigma Alpha seeks to stimulate scholarship and intelligent interest in political science and to create an enriching environment by raising critical issues of public concern.
Membership is not limited to political science majors but to any juniors and seniors who meet the standards of academic achievement set by the society.
Psi Chi
A Chapter of Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, was chartered in April 1993. Founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology, Psi Chi is open to graduates and undergraduates who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests.
Psi Chi is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society.
Sigma Delta Pi
Chapter Web Site
Chi Beta, a chapter of the national Spanish honor society Sigma Delta Pi, was installed September 29, 2005. Sigma Delta Pi seeks to deepen understanding of the Hispanic world, to foster an appreciation for Hispanic culture, and to recognize high student achievement in advanced Spanish courses. Membership is not limited to Spanish majors.
As part of its mission of greater understanding of Hispanic culture, Sigma Delta Pi offers travel scholarships to countries where Spanish is the primary language. Any student member may apply for these competitive awards.
Sigma Pi Sigma
A chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national honor society in physics, was established in 1999. Sigma Pi Sigma is an honor society which operates within the Society of Physics Students.
Sigma Pi Sigma nurtures a spirit of professional community among its members. Students elected to membership must attain high standards of general scholarship and outstanding achievement in physics. Membership is not limited to physics majors, but is open to anyone who has met the standards and who has demonstrated an interest in physics.
Sigma Tau Delta
A chapter of Sigma Tau Delta was established in 2006. Sigma Tau Delta, was founded in 1924 to recognize academic distinction among undergraduate students of English language and literature.
Membership entails enrichment opportunities, including eligibility to submit creative work and literary criticism for publication in the Society’s journals.
Sigma Xi
Sigma Xi was founded in 1886 to honor excellence in scientific investigation and encourage a sense of companionship and cooperation among researchers in fields of science and engineering.
Faculty members of Sigma Xi can nominate graduating seniors who are going on to do research, and who have met the academic standards.
Theta Alpha Kappa
The Alpha Theta Omega chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa was established in November 2007. The society cultivates scholarship in religious studies through various media, including its journal and awards.
Seniors of quality and high attainment in religious studies and of general academic excellence are eligible.
Marwa Helal joins M.F.A. faculty for summer residency
Poet and nonfiction author Marwa Helal is joining Randolph’s Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program at Randolph College as a guest member of the faculty. She will teach poetry and creative nonfiction courses during the upcoming summer residency. Helal is the author of Invasive Species (Nightboat Books, 2019) and winner of BOMB Magazine’s Biennial 2016 Poetry
Randolph has prepared me for graduating and pursuing a career in museums through various internship and work study opportunities. I interned with the National Gallery, London, the Maier Museum, Lynchburg Museum, and the Academy Center of the Arts.
Desiree Page '18, Emerging Professionals program at Glenstone Museum
The Randolph Plan Randolph students work with faculty mentors to explore a broad range of disciplines as they chart their academic path.
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REQUEST ADMISSION INFO SCHEDULE A VISIT APPLY NOW GIVE TODAY
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By Salt Magazine Lifestyle March 24, 2015
Stroke of Fate – Emily Tanui’s Story
When you meet Emily Tanui, a vibrant and active member of Adelaide’s African community, it is hard to imagine that in June 2012 she suffered a life threatening stroke, so severe, that even if she survived, doctors held little hope that she would ever be able to lead a normal life again. Yet, survive she did, and with the support of her family, expert medical attention and her own gritty determination to succeed, Emily overcame all the obstacles and now shares her story with us.
A stroke is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. In Australia it remains the second biggest killer after heart disease, with about 50,000 cases recorded every year….that is about 1000 occurrences each week. Emily suffered a haemorrhagic stroke which accounts for about 15% of stroke cases and tends to produce more severe consequences.
Emily remembers the day she was struck down.
“I was busy with household chores before heading to a party I was organising for a close friend. After finishing my chores I felt a sharp sudden headache and decided to get some Panadol. But for some reason I kept dropping the tablets. Britney, my daughter noticed and yelled out ‘Mum stop playing with your medicine!’
But I again dropped the tablets and I began to feel really dizzy and leaned against the wall to support myself. That’s when Britney became worried and called my husband to help.”
From that point Emily said the rest is a blur, but luckily for her Bernard, her husband, didn’t hesitate and called an ambulance straight away.
“I was in a coma for 4 days,” Emily continues, “When I finally opened my eyes I saw Bernard, and some other relatives by my bedside. But I couldn’t recognise any of them, although I felt that Bernard was somewhat familiar.”
It was then that her doctor told her that she might not make a full recovery and she began the long, painful process of rehabilitation. The next 12 months were challenging times, and she remains very grateful for the support and encouragement she received from her family and friends.
Her hard work and persistence was rewarded, and she has now made a full recovery with no loss of faculties.
Emily’s husband, Bernard was her rock during those trying times. “He was my everything, my care giver and my comforter,” she said, “He was there for me one hundred percent, he stayed by my side through the most difficult time of my life. I am also so grateful to the Australian Government who granted my mum a carer’s visa so she could come and care for me too.”
We asked Emily what effect the experience has on her life.
“I learned there are risk factors that I was not aware of, weight, and blood pressure especially. I now have a new vigour for life, I have been motivated. I have completed a Master’s degree and I am about to begin another one. Oh, you have no idea just how much I have been motivated to make the very best of my life.”
That Emily has become a proud recipient of African Australian Celebrates ‘Young Leader Award’ and the UN International Women’s day ‘Irene Krastev Award’, is positive proof of both her full recovery and her motivation.
In sharing her story, Emily hopes to make people from the African community more aware of the dangers of a stroke. “It can strike anyone at any age – I was 37. We need to know more – the causes, the symptoms, and the treatments. These are the things we need to talk about.”
SALT Magazine urges our readers to find out more from the official website here.
Going Back
Role Model – Redefining African Australian Style
Timely rescue in the Namibian desert
We decided to enjoy our 2 weeks holiday and go on a roadtrip with our girls. Everyone we know here in Windhoek said the…
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Daniel Akaka, first Native Hawaiian in Congress, dies at 93
Sat, 04/07/2018 - 11:38am
HONOLULU (AP) — Former Sen. Daniel Kahikina Akaka, the first Native Hawaiian elected to Congress who served for more than three decades, died Friday. He was 93.
Akaka died in Honolulu after being hospitalized for several months, said Jon Yoshimura, the senator’s former communications director.
The Democrat served 14 years in the U.S. House before he was appointed to replace Sen. Spark Matsunaga, who died of cancer in spring 1990. Akaka won election that fall for the rest of Matsunaga’s term, and voters sent him back for consecutive terms until 2012, when he chose not to seek re-election.
His legislative style was described as low-key, a characterization he embraced.
“I have a Hawaiian style of dealing with my colleagues,” he said.
Akaka developed a reputation as a congenial legislator who made many friends while making few waves in pressing the interests of the 50th state.
“Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka embodied the aloha spirit,” Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii said in a statement. “He dedicated his life to serving the people of Hawaii as an educator, and in the U.S. Army, state government, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate. In Congress, Senator Akaka’s care, empathy, and collegiality served as an example for us all.”
In 1996, Akaka sponsored federal legislation that ultimately resulted in Medals of Honor — the Army’s highest honor for bravery — for 22 Asian-American soldiers who fought during World War II. Those soldiers included the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, who was severely wounded in Italy while serving with the famed Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Akaka once said his main accomplishment in Congress was obtaining federal funds for Hawaii for education, energy and Native Hawaiian programs.
In the 2006 general election, the then-82-year-old senator stressed the value of his Senate seniority and his opposition to the war in Iraq. Akaka went on to become chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
He expanded his harsh criticism of the George W. Bush administration, getting involved in a number of issues with a more aggressive congressional staff. A World War II veteran, Akaka often stressed the hidden damage of war, including mental illness among veterans.
“As we work to meet the needs of all returning service members,” Akaka said, “we must pay close attention to the full range of war wounds, from eye trauma and damage to service members’ hearing, to (post-traumatic stress disorder) and depression, to burn injuries.”
He introduced several measures to improve services to veterans, help aging Filipino vets who fought for America in World War II and end contactor waste and fraud in Iraq.
But Akaka gained the most attention for his fight to pass legislation that carried his name.
The Hawaiian Recognition Bill, known widely as the Akaka Bill, was intended to give Native Hawaiians the same recognition as Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Opponents called it unconstitutional favoritism toward one race even though it had broad bipartisan support in Hawaii, a state where no ethnic group makes up the majority of residents. Even some Native Hawaiians expressed doubts, arguing it would give the federal government too much immunity from their claims regarding land or other issues.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi remembered Akaka as a strong advocate for all Native people.
“Daniel Akaka was a clarion voice for the rights and needs of Native peoples, ensuring that our commitment to Tribal nations and Native Hawaiians was never forgotten,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Akaka’s first foray into elective politics was an unsuccessful primary race for lieutenant governor in 1974. He eventually became a special assistant to then-Gov. George Ariyoshi.
Two years later, Akaka easily won election in Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District — encompassing rural Oahu and the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Niihau — and was re-elected six more times with at least 86 percent of the vote.
Born in 1924, Akaka grew up in a devoutly Christian home in Honolulu. He was the youngest of eight children of a Native Hawaiian mother and a Hawaiian-Chinese father.
After serving in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, Akaka earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education at the University of Hawaii. He was a public school teacher, principal and program specialist for 18 years before becoming director of the Hawaii Office of Economic Opportunity in 1971.
Akaka is survived by his wife, Mary Mildred “Millie” Chong, four sons, a daughter and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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Carrion joins Life Care Center as nursing director
Wed Feb 15th, 2012 2:35am
Formerly of Federal Way
Mercedes Carrion has been appointed director of nursing for Life Care Center of the San Juan Islands.
Carrion is a former director of nursing for Life Care Center’s health care facility in Federal Way and brings a decade of experience as a nursing director to the company’s San Juan Island center. Prior to her appointment at Federal Way, Carrion, a certified dementia practitioner, was director of nursing at Presbyterian Retirement Communities Northwest in Seattle.
“Mercedes brings many years of experience to the table,” San Juan’s Life Care Center Director Aaron Marson said in announcing Carrion’s appointment. “And I’m confident she will prove to be a tremendous asset to the facility and community.”
Originally of St. Crois, U.S. Virgin Islands, Carrion, a registered nurse for 21 years, resides on San Juan Island.
Life Care Center of the San Juan Islands, 660 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, is one of 18 nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Washington state operated or managed by Life Care Centers of America. Headquartered, in Cleveland, Tenn., Life Care operates or manages more than 220 nursing, post-acute and Alzheimer centers in 28 states.
For more info, lcca.com
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Family owned and operated, KO’s Subs lands a knockout punch | Business Beat
Fri Jun 24th, 2011 2:04am
KO's Subs Ken Oberreit put the finishing touch on a sub sandwich
Islanders may not be too keen on the idea of a franchise restaurant setting up shop in town.
But a family owned and operated subway sandwich shop, well, evidently that’s quite a different matter.
And Ken Oberreit of KO’s Subs has been delighted by the embrace.
“I can’t be more pleased with the amount of business we’ve been getting just by ‘word of mouth’ from islanders,” Oberreit said. “Our call-in orders are really picking up steam.”
Oberreit brought along a wealth of experience behind the counter of a delicatessen when he relocated to San Juan Island a little over a year ago.
In fact, he owned and operated three delicatessens, known as OBO’s Market and Deli, in the vicinity of Pinedale, Wyo., located south of Jackson Hole, for more than a decade.
He sold each of those markets and then made the trip out west to San Juan Island.
Oberreit is replicating his past success by featuring specialty meats, custom-made sandwiches and by giving each sub a quirky family nickname, such as “The Max” and “The Ricky Van”, which has proven the most popular to date.
Customers can choose whether to spice-up their sandwich with a dose of Oberreit’s specialty sauce.
“We have to main varieties, traditional or ‘KO’ style,” he said. “People seemed to like the ‘KO’ spice.”
Oberreit found a home for KO’s Subs near the ferry landing and in the space formerly occupied by Sail-In Laundromat.
He opened KO’s in early spring with the help of daughter Marliese, 19, who man’s the counter and the cash drawer as well.
“There are a lot of subs to choose from, but we can do special orders as well,” Oberreit said. “We’ve got one woman who brings in her own bread and we use it to make hers.”
Contact KO’s Subs at 360 370 5496
— Scott Rasmussen
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Cushman & Wakefield to Merge With DTZ
John Jordan | May 2015
NEW YORK—Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ have reached a definitive agreement to merge and are set to become one of the largest global real estate services companies. The deal was announced by both firms on May 11th.
The new company, which will operate under the Cushman & Wakefield brand, will have revenues of more than $5.5 billion, over 43,000 employees and will manage more than four billion square feet globally on behalf of institutional, corporate and private clients. The expanded full-service offering will provide a unique combination of deep, local market presence with significant scale in core services in the major global markets.
“DTZ is elated to be merging under the prominent Cushman & Wakefield brand. The companies have remarkably complementary skills and reach in different geographies—whether in New York, London or Shanghai, this will be a formidable combination,” said Brett White, who will assume the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. White added, “While breadth and depth are important to serve clients, it’s not just about size. It’s also about local expertise and deep customer service, which are strong traits of Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ, and ultimately what will differentiate us going forward.” White who has more than 30 years’ commercial real estate experience, was previously CEO of CBRE.
“This transaction builds upon the considerable momentum we’ve achieved over the past 18 months and positions Cushman & Wakefield to deliver incremental value to clients worldwide from a broadened and strengthened global service platform,” said Edward C. Forst, president and CEO of Cushman & Wakefield. “The combined company will truly represent the best our industry has to offer, with an enhanced ability to help clients achieve their goals and to deliver rewarding prospects for the tremendous Cushman & Wakefield team.”
Upon completion of the merger, Carlo Barel di Sant’Albano, current International CEO of Cushman & Wakefield and EMEA CEO, will take a senior global leadership role. John Santora, current CEO of North America at Cushman & Wakefield, will become Chief Operating Officer and Chief Integration Officer and Tod Lickerman, current Global CEO of DTZ, will assume the role of President of the global company.
The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year and is subject to customary closing conditions.
John Jordan
Editor, Real Estate In-Depth
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After Dark My Sweet by Jim Thompson
Like many titles of paperback originals, this one has no connection to what happens in the novel, at least none that I can detect.
The hero of this short novel is Kid Collins, an ex-boxer, so punch-drunk he flew into a rage and killed a man in the ring. Thompson wrote other books featuring killers, notably The Killer Inside Me, but the hero of After Dark My Sweet, is different. He knows killing is wrong and knows he can't control himself.
Collins runs into Uncle Bud, a grifter who has a plan to make a quick fortune. Collins joins in the plan, but Uncle Bud apparently doesn't know how dangerous he is. When the day comes to put the plan in motion, will Collins do what he knows is right, or will he lose control?
In the film adaptation of the same title, Jason Patric gives a fine performance as Kid Collins, and Bruce Dern as Uncle Bud once again shows the world how to play the kind of characters that reliably turn up in noir films.
Rachel Ward gives a fine performance as Uncle Bud's girlfriend, Faye Anderson, but readers of the novel won't recognize the character. In the novel she's an alcoholic in a downward spiral, and her lust for Kid Collins has Oedipal overtones. The screenwriters made her into a woman who is too young for Uncle Bud, and therefore a better match for Collins.
It is not unusual for Hollywood to make noir a little less bleak.
Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson
Pop. 1280 occupies a special place in Jim Thompson's catalog of novels. Like The Killer Inside Me, it is about a sheriff in a small town in Texas who convinces everyone he is a fool while cleverly manipulating criminals and upstanding citizens alike to keep the peace and make life as easy and enjoyable for himself as he can.
The two books are so similar it is tempting to think that when Thompson wrote Pop. 1280 in 1964, he was trying to repeat the success he had with The Killer Inside Me in 1952. Whether or not that was his motive, he accomplished much more. Pop. 1280 is a better novel.
Lou Ford, the sheriff in "Killer" is a psychopath. He is consistently cruel and profoundly unfeeling toward his fellow human beings. Many have remarked that Thompson's portrayal of this type of criminal is unequaled, perhaps because the story is narrated by him in the first person.
Nick Corey, the sheriff in Pop. 1280 is more complex. While capable of being cruel and manipulative, he has genuine feelings for the three women he visits for sex. He has a sense of justice and will do what he must to set things right in his town, even if that means breaking some rules. And he feels guilty when circumstances force him to hurt an innocent person.
Perhaps Thompson was able to treat this subject with greater nuance because by 1964, he was a more experienced writer and as a more mature man
Texas by the Tail by Jim Thompson
I haven't read all of Jim Thompson's novels. Once I had read those recommended as his best, I stopped keeping a list titles. But when I saw this one in a bookstore, I grabbed it on a whim. I'm glad I did.
Mitch Corley, the hero of Texas by the Tail, is more relatable than many of Thompson's main characters. He's not a psychopath like Lou Ford in The Killer Inside Me; he isn't an assassin like Charley Bigger in Savage Night; he isn't a thief and murderer like Doc McCoy in The Getaway.
Mitch Corley is a professional gambler who knows how to make the dice do what he wants and is always happy to separate a fool from his money. Like several of Thompson's other heroes, he's trying to make a good life for himself and the woman he loves, despite his flaws.
What makes Texas by the Tail so surprising and satisfying is the narrative voice. "Texas" is not narrated in the first person as are the Thompson novels critics like best, Also, this omniscient narrator is more authoritative than those of After Dark My Sweet, and The Grifters, for instance,
In "Texas," the narrator occasionally takes a paragraph or two to describe the social character of the places where the action is set, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth. He also editorializes on Mitch's dubious assumptions and decisions. The reader feels the author hovering over the action more than in other novels by Thompson.
Probably this is because "Texas" was written late in Thompson's career, 1965, when he had been writing for film and television for several years. His most productive years as a novelist, 1952 to 1955, were behind him. It is as if he returns to the novel, feeling free of the requirements of the paperback originals he had turned out at an astonishing rate (twelve books in three years).
Texas by the Tail reads more like a mainstream novel than those earlier books, though the dread of watching the hero make his way in a corrupt world is just as profound. This probably shouldn't be a reader's first novel by Thompson, but it is not to be missed.
Thompson's Colleagues
Gold Medal was one of the publishers offering paperback originals in the 1950s. A Trio of Gold Medals from Stark House Press contains three short novels of that era. Reading them has been an eye-opener.
It's easy to see these authors were writing for the same market as Jim Thompson. The world in which their stories are set is dark. Law enforcement is corrupt. The hero is a criminal. Women are just as likely to be greedy and cruel as men. There's a lot of drinking.
And yet, these books were not as satisfying as Thompson's. I know from Robert Polito's biography of Thompson, Savage Art, that the first 30 years of his life were dark, violent, full of cruel desperate people, and there was a lot of drinking. When Thompson wrote a novel with those elements, he was writing about his life.
I don't know the backgrounds of these authors, but their books read as if they are writing about things they have only read about in other books. They write very well, but they seem to be telling someone else's story.
However, this is my first glimpse of the other paperback original authors, Stark House press has more than sixty of them on their list of crime writers, and some of them may be well worth reading alongside Thompson. The quest continues.
Jim Thompson's Biography
Reading that brief online biography of Jim Thompson by Patrick Deese prompted me to seek out the book-length biography by Robert Polito, Savage Art, published in 1995. It is 500 pages of detailed research, served up in easy-to-read prose.
Among its revelations is the idea that Thompson never set out to be a writer of crime fiction. In 1931, he majored in Agricultural Journalism at the University of Nebraska. While there he wrote and published nonfiction except for one detective story in Nebraska Farmer.
During the 1940s, he published Now and on Earth and Heed the Thunder, novels based on his years working on the farms of Nebraska and Oklahoma and in the oil fields of West Texas. He seemed on the way to a career comparable to that of his contemporary, John Steinbeck.
Thompson turned to crime---crime-writing that is---out of necessity. His mainstream novels would not pay the bills. In 1949, at the age of 42, he published his first crime novel, Nothing More than Murder.
Thanks to the introduction of paperback originals in the 1950s, a lucrative market for genre fiction opened up, and publishers called out for writers to supply it. Thompson went on to produce what some call the greatest American crime novels.
How Writers Used to Get Started.
In the biography by Patrick Deese I quoted in my last post, I found not only a good illustration of how Jim Thompson learned to write crime stories but also an indication of how different things are today for writers starting out.
Deese says, "Thompson made ends meet for a few years by writing pieces for true crime magazines . . . ." Today, I doubt anyone is making ends meet by writing for any kind of magazine. I haven't tried it, but from what I hear the best one can do is pick up a little side money.
To prove his point, Deese says, "At the height of their popularity, in the 1930's, these magazines (with titles like True Detective, Master Detective, and Intimate Detective) paid very, very well, $250 for a 6000 word article, the exact rate they now offer in the 1990's."
Without doing the arithmetic, I think it's obvious that $250 was a good week's income in the 1930's, and was still worth something in the 1990s. Yet I doubt there are many magazines paying $250 for any kind of short story in 2018.
It seems as if this entry-level income is no longer available to writers getting their start. These days, the writer's apprenticeship, like so many others, is unpaid.
How Jim Thompson Learned Crime-Writing
Reading through the references on Jim Thompson's Wikipedia page, I enjoyed this biography by Patrick Deese. In particular, Deese offers this insight into how Thompson learned to write crime stories:
"Thompson made ends meet for a few years [in the early 1930s] by writing pieces for true crime magazines . . . His wife and sister would comb the newspaper archives, looking for murders, which Thompson would then rewrite into a popular set of first-person view point articles. It was here that Thompson cut his teeth and honed his sinister style. "
When Deese says "first person view point" he refers to the way these magazines presented crimes stories "as told to" a writer by the detective who solved them. If Thompson and other writers worked from news stories, the detective may have done no more than endorse the story as written.
Re-writing news stories from the point of view of someone involved sounds like a great writing exercise. Thompson would have developed an ability to make a story sound like it was being told by a big-city homicide detective, a small-town chief of police, or other law officer.
This facility for writing in the first person served Thompson well. Many critics think his best novels are those written in the first person---The Killer Inside Me, Pop. 1280, Savage Night, and others. Arguably no one has done first person better than Thompson.
The Kill-Off by Jim Thompson.
Many think Jim Thompson was at his best writing novels about bad-guy heroes, as he did in The Killer Inside Me, Pop. 1280, and others. I would agree he is among the best at that kind of suspense novel, along with James M. Cain, Patricia Highsmith, and some more recent writers. But he wrote other kinds of books, and some of them are amazingly good.
The Kill-Off is a murder mystery such as Agatha Christie wrote. We meet a character who is so unlikable we wish someone would murder her. We meet a small community of characters each of whom has a good reason to do the deed. When someone does, we try to figure out who did it, or, as fans say, whodunit. Obviously this is in the tradition of Murder at the Vicarage, Murder on the Orient Express and other Christie classics.
At first, it's hard to see the similarity because Thompson's setting has little in common with Christie's English country houses. There is no elegance, no sophistication. His fictional resort town is down on it's luck and populated by people just trying to get by. He wrote about the world he knew.
Though working in a familiar form, Thompson did something extraordinary in The Kill-Off: there is no sleuth. No equivalent of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, or, for that matter, Sherlock Holmes or Nero Wolfe. No genius to solve the mystery. Christie did this as well, though I am aware of only one example, And Then There Were None.
And Thompson did something I've never seen anywhere else. Each chapter is narrated in the first person by a different character---twelve chapters, twelve characters telling their own stories of past connections to the victim and others in town and telling where they were on the night of the murder . . . except when they're lying.
Patricia Highsmith and Jim Thompson.
Jim Thompson and Patricia Highsmith were geniuses at making the bad guy the hero. They didn't invent the idea. For instance, Shakespeare gave us a heroic villain in Richard III. But Highsmith and Thompson created an American art form based on following the bad guy instead of the good guy. Their work carries on today with books like Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, in which, as many have pointed out, every character is a scoundrel.
They seem to have accomplished this almost simultaneously. Thompson published his first suspense novel in 1949; Highsmith published hers in 1950. Thompson published arguably his greatest work, The Killer Inside Me, in 1952; Highsmith published hers, The Talented Mr. Ripley, in 1955.
Their careers ran parallel in several ways. He published twenty-five novels; she published 22. Both of them saw many adaptations for film and television, and their stories continue to be adapted to this day, although Highsmith had notably better luck in her lifetime, beginning with her first novel, Strangers on a Train, which was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's classic film of the same title.
Highsmith was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1921 and grew up there. At that time, Thompson, lived in Fort Worth, working odd jobs, selling his first stories, and gathering experiences that would turn up in his novels.
But for all that, they seem to have been unaware of each other. Andrew Wilson's biography of Highsmith, Beautiful Shadows, makes no mention of Thompson; Michael J. MacCauley's biography of Thompson, Sleep with the Devil, makes no mention of Highsmith.
Their careers also differ in several ways. Highsmith methodically published a novel about every other year throughout her adult life. Thompson published almost half his novels in just three years: two in 1952, five in 1953, and five in 1954. His biographer, MacCauley, notes these were essentially the only years of his life when he was sober.
The most important difference between them was the point of view they used in their novels. Highsmith wrote in the third person, thus referring to the hero-bad-guy as "he," and she had a good reason for doing so: "I have quite a bit of introspection in my heroes, and to write all this in the first person makes them sound like nasty schemers, which of course they are, but they seem less so if some all-knowing author is telling what is going on in their heads."
Apparently Thompson wasn't concerned what his bad-guys sounded like. He wrote in the first person, referring to the hero as "I." Here's a bit of introspection from Nick Corey the hero of Pop. 1280, recalling why his father beat him, "The fact was, I guess, that he just couldn't stand for me to be any good. If I was any good, then I couldn't be the low-down monster that had killed my own mother in getting born. And I had to be that. He had to have someone to blame."
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
A fellow writer asked what I was reading. When I said Jim Thompson, she asked what kind of novels he wrote. I told her The Killer Inside Me, published in 1952, is considered his masterpiece. It's a novel about Lou Ford, whose father, a physician, explained to him that his personality fits the definition of psychopath.
"Like Dexter," said my fellow writer, referring to the popular TV series with Michael C. Hall. True, except that Lou Ford's father does not teach him a moral code. Lou freely indulges his sadistic tendencies and does whatever serves his own interests. Since he is the sheriff in his hometown, he remains above suspicion.
As if that weren't chilling enough, The Killer Inside Me is in the first person. Lou Ford tells his own story. He speaks directly to us. The Killer Inside Me is not Thompson's only first-person, bad-guy novel. Pop. 1280, A Hell of a Woman, and Savage Night are also fine examples.
Though most critics think Thompson was at his best with this type of novel, I think his others are well worth reading. The Grifters, After Dark My Sweet, and The Getaway are powerful examples of noir suspense told in the third person.
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Sciedu Press Information
Sciedu Press – A journal publisher
Home » SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES
Category Archives: SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES
Sciedu Press Emphases the Importance of Enhancing Communication among Research Organizations
Sciedu is a short form of ‘science and education’. The press is a scientific publishing house established on a private basis that publishes various kinds of research journals in the fields of medicine, management, social sciences, business, engineering, and science. Along with the journals, the press also publishes educational and scientific books. The mission of Sceidu Press is to publish great works in the fields of culture, education, and science so as to make the educational and scientific worlds better.
Sciedu Press sponsored certain scientific related research projects and promoting cooperation in education, culture, and science, as well as international networks. The press aims to ensure that more and more people can have access to good quality information from a single platform, no matter what their field of research and study is.
It is great to enhance the communication between various research organizations. This will ensure more flow of information and data between different institutions, and therefore would result in more availability of information. When there is abundance in the availability of information, researches, students, professors, and people from a wide variety of fields would find it much easier to gather all the information they find relevant from a single platform instead of having to look around at various places.
Enhanced communication among various research organizations would also ensure that people have more access to data that has been structured properly so that it can be readily taken for different purposes.
Sceidu Press is considered to be a highly serious publisher with a great sense of responsibility. This can be seen from the policies that the press has established for all its publications. There is a high level of authenticity in all of the publications at the press and this is achieved by properly reviewing all the submitted articles before they are finally published.
Also, all the authors are given copyrights for any of their articles that may have been published, with all the journals being easily accessible free of cost for all the readers. The sole purpose of the organization is to make sure that all of the valuable information is made abundantly available to all the people and institutions, and this can be made possible through the increase in the communication and openness between various research organizations.
Sciedu Press is an authentic publisher of research journals dedicated to making sure that more information is available to people all around the world in various fields of the sciences, education, culture, and technology. In today’s world, the availability of concrete and structured information is very important, and this is exactly what you can expect from this organization.
Sciedu Press Became a Sustaining Supporter of Callforpapers.info
Sciedu is actually a shortened combination of ‘science’ and ‘education’. Sciedu Press is a private scientific publishing house, which specializes in publishing scholarly journals, and scientific and educational books. The journals cover a broad range of fields like management, business, engineering, science, medicine, and social sciences. Apart from the necessary publishing functions, Sciedu Press also sponsors research projects and promotes international cooperation in science, education, and culture.
Callforpapers.info provides a platform for research based communication between publishers and scholars. It functions by encouraging publishers to post their call for papers information and guidelines on their website, which provides exceptional assistance to scholars when they wish to print their articles. Currently sponsored byCanadian Center of Science and Education, which provides funds, web hosting facilities and ect, callforpapers.info has helped a large number of researchers get their work published.
Recently, Sciedu Press started sponsoring callforpapers.info to help them achieve their aim of creating a superior platform where researchers can connect with publishers easily.
The best part about Callforpapers.info is that a ‘call for papers’ ad can be posted for free on the website. However, if the ad is from an illegitimate journal, it is automatically removed. Journals are identified to be legitimate or note-based on following considerations:
The journal conducts a thorough peer-review
The journal conducts plagiarism detection for all submissions
The journal has an ISSN number
A username and login can be registered free on callforpapers.info, where the journals can then select the ‘call for papers’ sections where they can choose the category to post the ad in. The journal title or conference name is also to be mentioned in the post subject.
Callforpapers serves as a valuable platform for scholarly publishers. It allows them to easily post ads on their website to bring in research papers from around the world. Any legitimate scholarly publisher wanting to post an ad for their journals can utilize the Callforpapers ad feature conveniently. The best part is that through sponsorships from Canadian Center of Science and Education and Sciedu Press, Callforpapers provides startup website to promote scholarly journals and research in the fields of science and education.
There aren’t many websites around that provide a platform that allows publishers and scholarly researchers to connect. Callforpapers is doing an exceptional job by benefitting both researchers and publishers, along with making the research available internationally. It is not a profit-based organization, and all the operations are based on sponsorships and support. You can also be a part of Callforpapers.info by donating or sponsoring as much as you can. This would not only be a great step on your behalf to create awareness and promote education regarding important research around the world, but you will also be able to help a large pool of scholarly researchers get their work published!
Step up and donate now!
Sciedu Press Develops an Innovative Publishing Solution for Scholarly Journals
What is Sciedu Press?
Sciedu Press is a leading online publisher of scholarly journals and e-articles. The publisher uploads thousands of articles every year for users to download for free.
The Gold Open Access Model
The Sciedu Press follows a Gold Open Access model, which makes it much easier for authors to upload their work. The Gold Open Access model is accessed for free. Publishing fee is usually recovered through subscription fee or through funding by external sources and supporters. This allows research work to be spread in a timely manner, fulfilling Sciedu’s aim of free flow of information while giving authors a break on huge publishing charges. In fact, less than 30 percent of authors have to pay for the publishing fee, which is quite a small percentage compared to the green access model of publishing.
The Sciedu Press Advantage
The Sciedu Press firmly believes in giving authors credit where it is due. This is why Sciedu Press emphasizes copyright belongs to authors ( Sciedu Press’s policy: Copyrights for articles are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal).the online publisher provides the most versatility for both authors and universities looking for research work.
Our Corporate Responsibility
All of the articles published through the Sciedu Press are peer reviewed and go through a strict checking process in order to meet the quality requirements that the various fields of study demand. This is why only about half of the journals received are published on the open access journal.
The Sciedu Press encourages the free flow of information and firmly believes that the Gold Open Access Model will encourage authors to publish more of their work online to speed up advancements in their respective fields. The Sciedu Press only holds first publisher rights, which means that authors are free to publish their research work anywhere else they desire.
In fact, the publisher encourages authors to upload work on their own website in order to gain more recognition in their respective fields. The authors hold full copyright for their work, with Sciedu Press only retaining first publisher rights.
Sciedu Press Calls for Authors to Retain Copyright on Their Articles
Sciedu Press (Linkedin) is an open access publisher, boasting a vast variety of scholarly publications and journals in extensive fields such as Biology, Humanities and Economics. We aim to make the access of information easier, and through our journals, hope to facilitate advancements in various fields of study.
We believe in a strong ethical code, where authors should retain the copyrights to their work, with the publisher holding first publication rights. Authors should be able to share and post their publications on other websites as well, and our mission is to make it possible for them to do so.
As the world advances at an unprecedented rate, it has become a necessity for researchers to be able to learn from their colleague’s research, so that they may be able to facilitate their research. In today’s modern era of the internet, where information is available at the click of a button, this process is made easier with online publishers such as Sciedu.
We respect the author’s hard work and dedication in compiling a research, and understand the frustration of not being able to share their findings with the rest of the world. Many for-profit websites charge a substantial fee for access to research documents, which can cause a hindrance in research and development.
As we believe in the free flow of information, most of our documents and publications are available free of cost. Not only this, but we also allow the authors to share their work elsewhere, including their own website, to facilitate the spread of knowledge. Through our balanced policy, the author gains recognition in his field of study, while having the freedom to use his work elsewhere as well.
Due to the recent Elsevier takedown notice controversy, where thousands of educational institutes, including Harvard, were sent notices to take down published journals from their websites, many authors are a bit hesitant to publish their work through a publication. We ensure authors a sense of security to share their work, giving them due credit by entitling them full copyrights for their published journals.
Through our contributions to the various fields of study, we wish to facilitate professionals, by making thousands of research documents accessible to them with the click of a button. Along with that, we encourage authors to share their research on their own website as well.
Sciedu Press Adopts New Policy for Journal Reviews
Sciedu Press (Linkedin) is a publication agency in Canada that publishes and promotions scientific research and education. The agency aims to disseminate scientific knowledge all over the world in the effort to raise maximum awareness in the field of research and education.
Sciedu’s Reviewers Selection Policy
Like many publishers, Sciedu has a double blind peer review policy. This means that the identity of the author(s) of a publication and it reviewer(s) remain anonymous. The objective of this policy is to make reviews as unbiased as possible.
Double-blind peer review also saves the reviewer from the pressure and anxiety of being associated with a stereotype. It has been seen that performance in academic contexts can be diminished by the awareness that one’s behaviour might be viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype about his/her social group.
There are several forms of bias that are not regularly discussed. For instance, there is implicit bias, where the reviewers do hold prejudices in their mind even if they do not express it openly. Then there also the issue of prestige, where affluent writers are seen negatively and their success is linked with their status instead of theiracademic work.
Finally, keeping the identity a secret ensures that new reviewers do not feel pressured or fear of backlash from the scientific community while critiquing an authoritative paper. In the absence of the double blind peer review policy, reviewers may be forced to approve of mediocre papers just so they can hold on to their job, funding, or scholarship.
Within this framework, Sciedu Press also accepts recommendations from editors and reviewers, which can trigger a second round of peer review. This means that review process for scientific publications has now become even more robust. And even though the agency accepts recommendations only on rare occasions, these policies clearly demonstrate Sciedu’s commitment to excellence and integrity.
Unbiased reviews will only help solidify Sciedu’s position as a rigorous and serious publishing agency. Most importantly, quality reviews ensure that students and researches across the globe have access to the most accurate scientific data available, none of which will be influenced by the negative factors
Sciedu Press: Launching International Journal of Diagnostic Imaging
A research publication agency in Canada, Sciedu Press (Linkedin) handles the promotion and publication of all scientific research and education. The goal is to spread and increase awareness of scientific knowledge all over the world. Their dedication and love for knowledge can be seen by their name Sciedu, which is an amalgamation of science and education. What sets them apart is that they don’t only handle research work from Canada, but from all over the world.
The major expertise of Sciedu Press lies in the field of education, culture, engineering, business, medicine, as well as biological and social sciences. They publish scholarly journals, educational books and pamphlets. They also support and sponsor research projects through international networks and corporation in science, education and culture. Sciedu wants to be able to bring scientific educational research into the hands of the masses.
Sciedu Press has based its values on the pillars of excellence and integrity. This is what sets them apart from all other professionals in the field. They believe that only through mutual respect and a complete devotion to the subject is what can lead to success.
International Journal of Diagnostic Imaging is a new way of allowing open access, peer-reviewed online journal, which promotes and publishes original research based articles about and related to the clinical practices for Diagnostic Imaging. Since it is based on modern approach, the idea is to propel all scientific researches and advancements in diagnostic imaging.
The best thing about this open access online journal is that researchers, academics and scientists throughout the globe would be able to communicate with each other, share information and discuss their individual findings. This in turn would help expand the field in vast proportions.
Diagnostic Journal aims to make administrative costs cheaper, which is why it accepts both email and online submissions. No more is there a need to send copies through post, just submit all the material online and become linked with other professionals. Since the idea is to promote scientific research, a strict no plagiarism policy is followed and only original articles are accepted.
Recent times have revealed that diagnostic imaging is not only feasible, it is a must. As scientific knowledge about human body increases, the need for newer technologies also increases. Diagnostic imaging allows doctors and researchers to have better view of the body functions and be able to make accurate diagnosis of maladies and ailments.
This is reason why readers should join the reviewer team. By becoming part of this scientific journal, they would show their support and appreciation of the project. After all, the future lies in the advancement, rise and spread of scientific education.
Sciedu Press has a strong sense of responsibility, which is why they want to spread scientific and original research education throughout the world. They are rigorous and serious publishers, who understand the demand for renovation as well as innovation. This is the reason they launched their Diagnostic journal so that no student, researcher or internist is left without adequate scientific data. This journal will lead to the facilitation of publication and an easy access for one and all.
It will also result in minimized administrative costs, as libraries and individuals would be able to access research online. Sciedu Press understands this rising need and meets the challenge heads on through the publication of its International Journal of Diagnostic Imaging.
Accounting and Finance Research Published by Sciedu Press Gets Indexed in Econlit
Sciedu Press (Linkedin) fully understands the importance of scientific publishing. It presently specializes in scholarly journals, scientific publications and educational books in the areas of medicine, social sciences, engineering, business and management. In addition to delivering scientific publications to professionals across the globe, Sciedu Press promotes world-wide, barrier-free networks and cooperation in science, education, and culture. The publishing house can also be contacted for the sponsor of scientific research projects which is in the best interests of the academic community. At Sciedu Press, professionals can focus on what really counts, i.e. instant access to accurate and updated research.
The Journal of Accounting and Finance Research
Published by Sciedu Press, the Journal of Accounting and Finance Research provides researchers, educators, academic professionals and students the most accurate and advanced research in a broad range of areas including accounting, investment, corporate finance, insurance, monetary banking, stock exchange and capital markets.
Sciedu Press is committed to providing advance learning, knowledge and research to all professionals world wide and the Accounting and Finance Research journal is published in both online and printed versions. All published content is open access and can be downloaded for free. The dedication of the Journal of Accounting and Finance Research to advancing knowledge is quite evident within their online and printed journals.
Econlit
Econlit, the electronic bibliography published by the American Economic Association is the most reliable source for research, literature, abstracts and citations related to economics. Researchers can find a comprehensive index of articles, journals, book reviews, books, articles, dissertations and working papers in an easily searchable format.
With researchers able to access extensive full-text journals seven days a week, 24 hours a day, Econlit has now become the number one source of citations and abstracts related to economics and other allied disciplines.
Econlit Indexing and the Journal of Accounting and Finance Research – The Impact
Econlit uses high-quality standards set by the Journal of Economic Literature to index articles, books, working papers, dissertations and journals. The database contains more than one million records related to economic research and there’s something for every professional.
The authors and editors at Sciedu Press do a great job as accounting and finance research published by the organization is indexed in Econlit. At its Core, what Sciedu Press shares with Econlit is a deep dedication to knowledge and research. Of the thousands of scientific publishing houses, not many have established the same exceptional research base as Sciedu Press. What really makes this publishing house different from others is the strong sense of responsibility and commitment to support education and research.
Sciedu Press Support the New Open Access Policy of Canadian Institutes of Health Research
A Canadian based company, Sciedu Press (Linkedin) is an open access scholarly journal publisher that deals with all scientific research. Their main expertise lies in the field of education, culture and biological as well as social sciences. Their basic aim is to spread awareness and give scope to all writers who want to publish their research that is based on facts and figures, authenticating any subject and/or topic.
The dedication and passion of Sciedu Press can be validated by the idea that even their name implies their work. Sciedu is a short formed combination of science and education. This shows that they firmly believe in educating the masses scientifically.
They also sponsor as well as support research projects, international networks and corporation in science, education and culture.
Since its conception in 2000, under the authority of Canadian Institutes of Health and Research Act, Canadian Institutes of Health and Research has been working to improve the health services and products provided to all citizens. Their aim is advance, promote and build up the strength of the Canadian health system.
CIHR is basically an independent health research investment agency that is made up of 13 institutes and is answerable to the Parliament. They provide assistance and support to more than 14,100 trainees and health researchers throughout Canada. They are closely associated with the Minster of Health to ensure the fitness and wellness of all the Canadians.
The first question that comes to mind is what is open access policy? It is a policy that supports the publication and accessibility of research by international research community, increasing the research result’s application in open domain. What this is basically does is that it increases reliability, trustworthiness and a general sense of ‘no hiding’ or shady research.
Since Canadian Institutes of Health Research is an organization dependent upon public funds, their purpose is to let a huge audience be able to access all research publications. This barrier less approach ensures that public health research improves thereby improving medical conditions across the country. With the help of internet, this task has not only been made easier, it has also been made interactive.
The Open Access Policy commits to freedom of academics for one and all. And this is why Sciedu Press is a huge supporter. They agree with the concept of spreading research publication as widely as possible, so that everyone can have access to it. It would create an effective diffusion of results generated by research.
Sciedu Press has been working hard in the research publishing community to create awareness and show support of promoting widespread scientific research and education. They believe that nothing is more important that allowing everyone to be on equal footing when it comes to education, the availability and accessibility of research material. For them, the utmost importance is of their user experience and they want to bring scientific research to the hands of the masses.
How the Sciedu Press Protects Intellectual Property
Sciedu Press (Linkedin) is a Toronto-based scientific publishing house. It offers scholarly journals and books that cover a broad range of fields like sciences, education, social sciences, engineering and business. Through its publications, Sciedu Press aims at providing professionals with the latest research findings of their peers. That aside, the publisher also sponsors scientific research efforts and promote international networks across the globe.
When it comes to journal publication, Sciedu Press takes thorough measures to ensure that all publishers, editors, authors and reviewers abide by the strictest ethical guidelines. As a result, a strong network of knowledge is established between researchers from across the globe. The following lines will further explain how this Canadian organization ensures the authenticity and integrity of intellectual property.
Sciedu’s Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication
Journal publishers should be dedicated to supporting the efforts of the editors, authors and reviewers. If you are one, you should make sure that the publication process is smooth and free from hurdles. In addition, you need to ensure that all the entities working on the journals carry out their ethical duties.
The Sciedu Press has established a set of responsibilities for journal editors:
Editors should inform Sciedu of receiving a submitted manuscript within two days. This will ensure an efficient and timely process.
As an editor, you are required to ensure the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts from all entities aside from the author, reviewers and publisher.
In case of any conflict of interest with the journal’s author or the institution funding its research, you should back down from your duties.
An editor should never disclose the details of the journal’s reviewers to a third party without their consent.
You have the power to accept or reject a manuscript if you have issues with its importance, authenticity, clarity and relevance to the journal.
You shouldn’t use the information from unpublished articles in your research.
You need to respond quickly and take action if an ethical complaint has been submitted about a manuscript or published paper. In case an error has been detected, you may need to write a formal retraction and correct the document.
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Tag Archives: High Noon
Film, Film on TV
Film on TV: 24-30 Nov 2008
9:00pm EST / 8:00pm CST – IFC – The Proposition
One of the best reviewed westerns in recent memory hails from Australia; the “proposition” is that outlaw Guy Pearce, in order to save himself and his younger brothers from corrupt lawmen, must find and kill his estranged oldest brother. I honestly didn’t like the movie as much as most critics – a bit too realistically violent for me – but it’s been influential already on newer westerns like 3:10 to Yuma. And director John Hillcoat is currently working on the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, which should be pretty stark (in a good way), if this film is any indication. (repeats at 1:00am, Tuesday Nov. 24)
10:15pm / 9:15pm – TCM – Witness for the Prosecution
The last great film for three classic Hollywood actors: Charles Laughton (as a brilliant but ailing laywer), Tyrone Power (as the murder suspect Laughton defends), and Marlene Dietrich (as Power’s wife and the titular witness). Billy Wilder writes and directs this twisty-turny courtroom drama, which is beginning to creak a little more than Wilder’s best, but is still worth it for Laughton and Dietrich’s performances.
1:15pm / 12:15pm – TCM – Arsenic and Old Lace
One of the zaniest comedies you’ll ever see has kindly old ladies poisoning lonely men for their own good. When their nephew Mortimer (Cary Grant) finds out he tries to get them committed, but even more hijinks are in order when another murdering relative turns up (Raymond Massey, with sidekick Peter Lorre in tow). A change of pace for director Frank Capra, and a good one at that.
12:00pm / 11:00am – TCM – High Noon
An Oscar-winning performance by Gary Cooper and an early role for Grace Kelly in Fred Zinnemann’s classic cowboy showdown drama. Follow it up with Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo, something of a response to High Noon, which Hawks disliked.
8:00pm / 7:00pm – TCM – West Side Story
Stylized musicals based on Shakespeare for the win!
10:45pm / 9:45pm – TCM – The King and I
I still love Oklahoma! the best of all the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, but The King and I is a really close second. Having Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr around doesn’t hurt.
1:00am / 12:00am (27th) – TCM – My Fair Lady
You oughta see My Fair Lady at least once, so here it is.
6:30am / 5:30am – TCM – That’s Entertainment!
In 1974, MGM celebrated its glorious musical past by producing this compilation film hosted by Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, and others looking back on MGM’s history (specifically musicals) from the advent of sound through the 1950s. It’s a great overview of Hollywood’s golden age, studio-specific as it is, and chock-full of great musical moments. Two years later, That’s Entertainment! Part 2 showed that MGM had more than one feature worth of great moments, and added in some non-musical sections as well.
10:15am / 9:15am – TCM – Guys and Dolls
Damon Runyon’s slice-of-Broadway-life musical comes to film with Marlon Brando as an unlikely musical leading man, but he muscles through, with the help of Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine, who steal the show as a fast-talking gambler and his long-suffering fiancee. Some great tunes, including “Luck Be a Lady,” don’t hurt either.
1:00pm / 12:00pm – Sundance – Monsoon Wedding
A good intro to Indian film (though it’s not really an Indian film) from Mira Nair – she’s got a great visual eye and this is easily her best film.
4:45pm / 3:45pm – TCM – Fiddler on the Roof
A Tzarist-era Russian Jewish village doesn’t seem a particularly likely place to set a musical, but Fiddler on the Roof does a good job of it, exploring the clashing cultures as patriarch Tevye tries to marry his daughters off to good Jewish husbands with decreasing success.
3:15am / 2:15am – TCM – You Can’t Take It With You
Frank Capra’s Best Picture Oscar winner from 1938 is still a wacky good time, as Jean Arthur’s unconventional family bumps heads with her new boyfriend Jimmy Stewart’s family of conservative bankers. There’s perhaps more fluff than substance here, but that’s not always bad.
10:00am / 9:00am – IFC – Picnic at Hanging Rock
I have a love-hate relationship with Aussie director Peter Weir. His films are almost always slow and methodical, which works for me sometimes and not others. It works in Picnic at Hanging Rock, one of his earlier films, in which a group of schoolgirls goes into the wilderness for a picnic and mysteriously disappear. (Repeats at 4:05pm EST.)
6:00pm / 5:00pm – TCM – Mildred Pierce
I used to roll my eyes at the very idea of melodrama. Mildred Pierce is one of the films that changed my mind, and taught me to see value in the melodrama as a legitimate genre. Joan Crawford, despite her star status, isn’t a terribly versatile actress, but Mildred is possibly her most perfectly fitting role – a working class woman who claws her way to prosperity in any way she can, much as Crawford herself had done working her way into the movies in the 1920s. Oh, and there’s murder and evil children and stuff along the way, too.
11:30pm / 10:30pm – TCM – The Misfits
I swear I have seen this, but I couldn’t tell you much about the plot. *sets own DVR* What I can tell you is that this is the last completed film for both Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable, and they both go out at the top of their game.
6:15am / 5:15am – IFC – Everyone Says I Love You
Nowhere near Woody Allen’s best, but a sunny fun time nonetheless, with a great cast randomly breaking out into song and dance. I will admit a large soft spot for movies in which people randomly break out into song and dance. Just for the record. (Repeats at 2:45pm EST.)
8:00am / 7:00am – IFC – Throne of Blood
Akira Kurosawa does Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I haven’t seen this one myself, but it’s got a good rep, and if it’s anything like as good as Ran (his version of King Lear, which is essentially the only version of King Lear I like, including the original play), it’s pretty darn good.
8:00pm / 7:00pm – TCM – The Postman Always Rings Twice
Sizzling adaptation of James M. Cain’s classic pulp novel has Lana Turner as the unhappy wife of a middle-of-nowhere gas station owner and John Garfield as the drifter who drops in and plots her husband’s demise with her. Skip the 1982 remake, from what I’ve heard, but if you’re feeling adventurous, check out Luchino Visconti’s Ossession, a 1943 Italian adaptation of the novel widely considered to be a forerunner of the Italian Neo-Realist movement.
10:00pm / 9:00pm – TCM – Hannah and Her Sisters
Say what you want about Annie Hall, I throw my vote for best Woody Allen movie ever to Hannah and Her Sisters. It has all the elements Allen is known for – neurotic characters, infidelity, a tendency to philosophize randomly, New York City, dysfunctional family dynamics, acerbic wit – and blends them together much more cogently and evenly than most of his films do.
10:00am / 9:00am – TCM – Twentieth Century
In one of the films that defines “screwball comedy” (along with The Awful Truth and Bringing Up Baby), John Barrymore plays a histrionic theatre producer trying to convince his star Carole Lombard to come back to him – both professionally and personally. Lombard is luminous as usual, and Barrymore can chew scenery with the best of them, which is precisely what his role calls for. Howard Hawks directs, yet more proof that the man can do anything.
Arsenic and Old LaceEveryone Says I Love YouFiddler on the RoofGuys and DollsHannah and Her SistersHigh NoonMildred PierceMonsoon WeddingMy Fair LadyPicnic at Hanging RockThat's EntertainmentThe King and IThe MisfitsThe Postman Always Rings TwiceThe PropositionThrone of BloodTwentieth CenturyWest Side StoryWitness for the ProsecutionYou Can't Take It With You
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Difference between revisions of "TicTactics"
From TheAlmightyGuru
TheAlmightyGuru (talk | contribs)
The expert level AI will always win or tie on a 3x3 or 3x3x3 game if it goes first, and, while a 4x4x4 game has been mathematically solved, the AI doesn't employ the algorithm, so you can still win if you're the second player.
This was pre-loaded on my family's Packard Bell 386SX computer, and I played it a little in 1991. At 11-years-old, I could always beat or tie the AI in the 3x3 mode at any difficulty, but I was rarely able to beat the AI on 3x3x3 or 4x4x4, even on beginner difficulty, so I didn't play it much. Years later, in 2018, I tried again and was finally able to beat the AI on expert mode on the 3x3x3 and 4x4x4 boards, provided I got first move.
This was pre-loaded on my family's Packard Bell 386SX computer, and I played it a little in 1991. At 11-years-old, I could always beat or tie the AI in the 3x3 mode at any difficulty, but I was rarely able to beat the AI on 3x3x3 or 4x4x4, even on beginner difficulty, so I didn't play it much. Years later, in 2018, I tried again and was finally able to beat the AI on expert mode on the 3x3x3 board with first move, and the 4x4x4 board even with second move.
==Status==
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 1/10
* '''Best Version:''' Windows 3
===Bad===
* The game is media challenged. There's no music, sound effects, or interesting animation upon victory.
* The game doesn't scale to larger screen resolutions, even though it could have been made to do so fairly easily.
===Ugly===
* There's just not much to do with the game. You can play tic-tac-toe, and that's it.
* For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You must play the AI.
* For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You're forced to play the AI.
==Screenshots==
==Media==
TicTactics - WIN3 - Screenshot - 3x3.png|Traditional 3x3 board which will end in a cat's game.
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows] - MobyGames (Entertainment Pack).
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack] - Wikipedia (Entertainment Pack).
* [https://tcrf.net/TicTactics tcrf.net/TicTactics] - The Cutting Room Floor.
TicTactics.
TicTactics is a tic-tac-toe game developed by Robert Donner and published by Microsoft in their Microsoft Entertainment Pack For Windows for Windows 3 in 1990. In addition to traditional 3x3 tic-tac-toe, the game includes 3x3x3 and 4x4x4 boards and three varying levels of AI.
2.2 Bad
2.3 Ugly
I do not own this game, but I have beaten the expert AI on all boards with first move, and the 4x4x4 with second move.
Best Version: Windows 3
The game nicely implements the rules of three tic-tac-toe boards.
The AI features three levels of difficulty.
The graphics are quite nice for such a simple game.
The game is media challenged. There's no music, sound effects, or interesting animation upon victory.
The game doesn't scale to larger screen resolutions, even though it could have been made to do so fairly easily.
There's just not much to do with the game. You can play tic-tac-toe, and that's it.
For some reason, the game doesn't even allow you to play against a human player. You're forced to play the AI.
Traditional 3x3 board which will end in a cat's game.
Blue wins in this 3x3x3 game.
Red is in a strong position in this 4x4x4 game.
mobygames.com/game/win3x/microsoft-entertainment-pack-for-windows - MobyGames (Entertainment Pack).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack - Wikipedia (Entertainment Pack).
tcrf.net/TicTactics - The Cutting Room Floor.
Retrieved from "http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Wiki/index.php?title=TicTactics&oldid=15558"
Games I've Beaten
Single-Screen
4-bit Color Graphics
About TheAlmightyGuru
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Matt Cardle ‘Intimate and Live’ Tour 2016
June 2016 sees winner of The X Factor and Brit Award nominee, Matt Cardle, launch his sensational UK-wide tour: ‘Intimate & Live’.
Matt Cardle adds an extra dimension to the term ‘household name’. As the resounding winner of The X Factor’s highest rating series, his breathtaking four-octave vocal range stunned millions of people in homes across the UK. Having since sold over 2 million records in the UK and seen all three of his albums reach the top 10, Matt could easily have been content with the achievements of a lifetime.
But since his spectacular introduction to the UK charts in 2010, he has tirelessly sought out new and impressive avenues through which to exercise his vocal and song-writing talent. In addition to his acclaimed output as a solo artist, Matt has also shown a keen intuition for collaboration: from his top 10 hit ‘Loving You’ with pop royalty Melanie C, to his more recent live performances with double MOBO award winning Saxophonist YolanDa Brown. Perhaps the most unique among his recent achievements is his 2015 award for ‘Best West End Debut’, won for his show-stopping stage performance alongside Beverly Knight, in the acclaimed West End production, Memphis.
As this impressive inventory suggests, one of the key factors of Matt’s enduring appeal is his remarkable versatility, and the ‘Intimate & Live’ Tour has been specially devised to showcase this rare musical and creative dexterity. The clue to the tour’s character is in its name. With these 16 dates, Matt will give audiences an intimate and exclusive insight into the various aspects and inspirations of his musical life. A powerful performer who commanded a crowd of 2 billion in Bali, back in 2013, on this tour Matt will sing for closer, cosier crowds, but with no less passion and intensity.
Alongside hits from his previous albums and some personally selected covers, Matt will also be previewing some of the outstanding new material from his forthcoming studio album, ‘Higher Power’ for the first time.
Tags : Horsham, intimate and live tour, june, matt cardle, The Capitol
Previous Story Horsham Ladies give East Grinstead a scare
Next Story Oldest Surviving Member of Dads Army TV Series and Recent Coming to The Capitol
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What If ... Attack of the Clones
One of the biggest disappointments of Attack of the Clones, for me anyway, was the ending. For most of the movie we're under the impression that Count Dooku and the Separatists are convinced that the Republic has become corrupt and they legitimately want to split off. Dooku even lays all of that out for Kenobi, asking the latter to join them.
Then it turns out that Dooku is really Darth Tyranus and working for Palpatine. Ugh.
Here's my idea for what could have been. Dooku was really leading what he thought was the right side in the war. Yes, he might have been manipulated behind the scenes, but he knew that he was on the side of the just. The offer he makes to Obi-Wan is genuine, and not the last on he will make to a Jedi. The fact that he's giving Palpatine exactly what he wants then become a tragedy.
Even more of a tragedy is the fact that the Jedi, those lovers of peace and protectors of the rights of all beings, are on the wrong side and DON'T KNOW IT! The Jedi bring about, unknowingly, the destruction of the one group that could have overthrown the soon-to-be Emperor, or at least give a safe haven for all of those that eventually became oppressed under his rule.
Making both sides of the war under the control of one man just ended up with a much more boring story in the long run. Entirely in my opinion, of course.
Labels: Star Wars, What If
Aaron Henley April 20, 2017 at 8:15 AM
The Separatists goals always seemed to matter little to the plot. All we see of the leadership are guys we already know to be bad and others who are OBVIOUSLY designed to look evil as well. It wasn't until we got to that single episode of Clone Wars that we even got more a balanced view of the other side and even then we never really returned to it afterwards. I like the idea of Dooku just being an unwitting pawn of Palpatine's...which he kinda is anyway but there are still so many unanswered questions. How did Palpatine turn Dooku to the dark side? When did he do that? Who paid the Kamioans for the initial Clone Army, and not just the army but the vehicles, armor, weapons, food!...since apparently keeping it going was going to bankrupt the Republic during the war according to Clone Wars. It's a little hard to hide the amount of credits and materials to build a space and ground fleet of that scale from EVERYONE. But back to the main point...we already knew Palpatine was a master manipulator but still one guy being in control of both sides of a GALAXY-spanning war is a little much especially when there are so many variables with all the different commanders and battles and what-not going on simultaneously that it's just a little much for just one evil Sith Lord controlling all the pieces on the board. So the story is a little weak but still enjoyable...plus Christopher Lee...so it's not all bad but it could have been better as you point out Gene.
Gene Hendricks May 4, 2017 at 6:08 AM
Palpatine wouldn't need to be in complete control of both sides, but he could have acted as an instigator. He would have had spies everywhere, so he could suggest that the Jedi go to System X, which just happens to have a Separatist base. Or accidentally leak information about Jedi troop movements to the other side.
Mike Zummo April 20, 2017 at 9:08 AM
The entire Separatist movement were unwitting pawns of Darth Sidious.
That episode of Clone Wars makes it tragic. Unfortunately the films never showed us that so we don't care about it.
Just like I didn't really care about when the Republic senate was destroyed in TFA. I didnt' know them so it had no emotional resonance.
At least the prequels told us, in general, what the Separatists were doing. TFA didn't even bother to tell us why Leia was on the outs with the Senate.
Vacation Recovery
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July 2, 2019 Joon Park *Korean Players Abroad*, Koreans in Europe, Transfer Rumors and News 6
Welcome to the third and final installment of the Summer 2019 Tavern Transfer Roundup! Here, David and Joon present their thoughts about the transfer rumors surrounding Korean soccer veterans Jo Hyeon-woo, Koo Ja-cheol, and Son Heung-min. If you have your own insight about some of the opinions presented, let us know in the comments below. Also, feel free to let us know if we’ve missed out on anybody. Thanks for reading!
Jo Hyeon-woo to the Bundesliga?
According to Sports Donga in Korea, Daegu FC GK Jo Hyunwoo is very close to moving to FSV Mainz 05 in Bundesliga. #KLeague
(link: https://t.co/8HhBeBPkPE)
— Daegu_freak (@Daegu_freak) June 17, 2019
This is actually a pretty amusing situation. The hype from San Cho’s performance at the 2018 World Cup was so monumental that fans were linking him to last season’s most goalie-deprived team in Europe, Liverpool. This prospective signing was dubbed a dream move by the press at the time, but now it seems as if Korea’s World Cup savior could be making a dream move to Europe after all. After winning gold as a distinguished overage player at the 2018 Asian Games, JHW has lifted the monkey of compulsory military service off of his back for an opportunity to have a club career abroad. This had been made more clear when Daegu FC had cleared JHW for a foreign transfer two weeks ago. Subsequently, some Bundesliga clubs immediately began reaching for their telephones to sign the star keeper during this summer’s German transfer window. FSV Mainz 05, in particular, aggressively approached Daegu for a deal involving JHW. JHW has established himself as a Daegu FC veteran, having made 173 domestic appearances for the K-League club over a span of seven years. A move to the Bundesliga, however, would be a historic one, considering JHW would be the only KNT goalie in history to have played in a European league. However, is the move necessary? Does it even make sense?
Joon’s View
From 1993 to 2010, Korean national team legend Lee Woon-jae made 133 international appearances, including appearances in four World Cups (1994, 2002, 2006, 2010). Undoubtedly, Lee Woon-jae is Korea’s most internationally decorated goalkeeper, and guess what? He played his entire career in the K-League. Judging from the past, it would be a badge of honor if one of the KNT’s goalkeepers ended up playing in one of the biggest leagues in the world. But it’s not necessary.
If JHW were to make a move to Mainz, he’d be competing against the likes of youngsters Robin Zentner and Florian Muller for a starting spot between the sticks next season. And the competition isn’t a joke. Having been called up to German youth national teams these last few years, Muller has established himself as a major contender to become the Bundesliga’s next big goalkeeping star. In addition, JHW would have to learn a new language and become accustomed to an entirely new environment at the prime of his K-League career. The move would be historic, but it would also prove to be a major risk for someone who has already had everything going for him in his country these last few seasons.
This situation is strikingly similar to the one Mexican national team goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa faced after his splendid performance at the 2014 World Cup. In the same way Ochoa had his standout game against hosts Brazil in 2014, JHW had his against Germany in 2018. And just like Ochoa, JHW is a great goalkeeper from a country lacking in global stars who play between the goalposts. Ochoa, who was once linked to Arsenal and Liverpool immediately after his World Cup heyday, has now played modestly for the last few years at Belgian club Standard Liege. And he was honestly a better goalkeeper in 2014 than Jo is now. Simply put, JHW just happened to show up at the time he needed to show up the most. And the media hype for him is still lingering in the air. The move would make for great speculation and entertainment for most Korean football fans, but it’s not necessary at all.
Verdict: With that being said, I’d like to see this happen. It’s never been done before, and I’d like to see a piece of KNT history unravel amongst my very own eyes next season. Will it happen? Maybe. But I’ve yet to see any source from outside of Korea having anything to reveal or even say about this potential move. I’m going to have to call this one a miss, but I wouldn’t be mad at it.
David’s View
Cho Hyun-Woo transfer speculation has been a novelty go-to for Korean media ever since his heroics against Germany in that fateful 2-0 win. It almost feels like a “come grab him” desperate plea from Korean media at this point, with Daegu denying several transfer speculations linking Cho to Germany in the past.
That’s certainly not to say Cho is undeserving of a move abroad. A fantastic and loyal servant to Daegu FC, he has a fantastic track record in the K-League, having being named in the Best XI each year he has played since 2015. Albeit, in two of these seasons Daegu were languishing in the second division, his consistency speaks for itself. Although he has been predominantly linked to FSV Mainz, it seems unlikely due to the fact that Mainz already boast one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. Cho is 27 this year and quickly approaching the peak of his career and thus, it doesn’t seem likely that he’d leave for Mainz to play second fiddle to a young talent.
Amongst other issues is the problem of Cho’s distribution. Bento has showcased his preference for Kim Seung-Gyu due to this very problem on multiple occasions. European football is much more demanding of their goalkeepers and especially with how ubiquitous the “sweeper keeper” role has become in modern football, less and less European teams will look to bring in foreign shot stoppers who aren’t capable with the ball at their feet.
Verdict: I am being overly pessimistic about these rumours ever since I too, was baited by promises of a Korean goalkeeper in Europe. Let me make this clear, Cho Hyun-Woo is a fantastic keeper and definitely merits a move to Europe somewhere. However, it is rather a question of whether or not there is genuine interest in his services, or if it’s just Korean media agenda linking him to Germany just for the heck of it.
Koo Ja-cheol to stay in the Bundesliga?
S. Korean Koo Ja-cheol rejects 3-year offer from FC Augsburg: agent https://t.co/Xn86sQiFRe
— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) May 20, 2019
As confirmed last May, Korean players Ji Dong-won and Koo Ja-cheol will be making their departures from FC Augsburg this summer. While Ji Dong-won has been confirmed to be leaving for Mainz next season, Koo Ja-cheol’s whereabouts are mostly unknown to the public. Augsburg originally attempted to strike a three-year deal with KJC, which would have likely marked the remainder of the recent national team retiree’s Bundesliga career. But according to the Korean media, KJC is in search of “a new challenge,” likely to be found in one of the big three leagues in East Asia or another Bundesliga club. Leaving the prime of his career at the age of 30, it’s unclear where KJC could end up in the Bundesliga that would be prove a worthy enough challenge and fit for him next season. Last season, Augsburg required upset wins over Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt to keep them ahead of Stuttgart in the race against the Bundesliga relegation playoffs. It would be hard-pressed to see KJC anywhere outside of the mid-table if he were to come back to the Bundesliga next season. In all, KJC has been in the Bundesliga since January 2011 with three clubs. This includes 211 Bundesliga appearances including 140 coming from his two stints with FC Augsburg. Since 2016, though, the Chinese media has linked KJC to a move to the Chinese Super League. With his international career at an end and his club career winding down, may he end up enticed to leave for the big money of Chinese ownership?
The first time I was exposed to KJC’s play, I was only eleven years old. At the time, I was following the Korea U-23 NT’s run in the 2012 London Olympics. After having dispatched the likes of Gabon, Switzerland, and Great Britain, Korea met Japan in the bronze medal match only to defeat their archrivals in a convincing 2-0 victory. KJC’s scoring the second goal in that match proved to be a miraculous moment. It meant that Korea was going to win Asia’s first Olympic medal in men’s football since 1968 and achieve their greatest ever youth footballing achievement.
And even in that time, KJC was in the Bundesliga, sharing time between VfL Wolfsburg and FC Augsburg on loan between 2010 and 2014. Before Son Heung-min, KJC was the Korean player in Germany that many people believed would make a mark on both the club and international stage. Commended for his vision and “uncanny ability to find the back of the net,” KJC looked as if was going to be a pioneer for Asian footballers in the Bundesliga. And that he was. The playing career of KJC, amongst others, will prove to be the precedent for Asian footballers who aspire to have careers in Germany.
I don’t see how KJC would have received a better deal from anywhere else but Augsburg to conclude the rest of his European footballing career. Judging from last season’s Bundesliga standings, I also don’t see how KJC would fit in any other team in Germany being at the ripe age of 30, falling from the peak fitness of his career. After 200 appearances in the German top flight, it seems that KJC is ready to take his career to the next stage in China next season. With nearly a decade of European playing experience under his belt, KJC will likely be offered the big bucks for a secured starting spot on a CSL roster.
Verdict: KJC could stay in the Bundesliga or elsewhere in Europe, but it won’t do anything to further his career. Being a bit past his prime but still possessing some valuable experience under his belt, I believe KJC would be better off making a pretty penny at a Chinese club next season. As far as his club career is concerned, it also doesn’t hurt that KJC is no longer playing with the KNT, meaning that he can spend more time integrating into his new environment. An environment that isn’t all to far away from home anyway.
It’s fair to say that Koo Ja-Cheol’s career has plateaued and taken a slow decline thanks to multiple recurring injuries. There was much promise for Koo and Ji after the 2011 AFC Cup saw them net 5 goals and 4 goals respectively. Koo fulfilled some of that promise early in his Bundesliga career, scoring some howitzers from midfield during his initial stint with Augsburg.
Koo has given his best years to the Bundesliga and if he were to leave the Bundesliga now, no-one would blame him. Big bucks in China could tempt him away, but it’s hard to imagine Koo playing anywhere but Germany.
Truth be told, to most of us it would be much more satisfying if he finished his career where he began it all, in the K-League. Jeju FC are struggling after it seemed they were beginning to consistently challenge for the ACL places and a legendary return wouldn’t be out of the question. It is more likely that Koo will go somewhere that can afford his services and after his retirement from the national team in order to preserve his body for first-team football, I doubt he will be leaving Europe anytime soon.
Verdict: Koo should still have plenty more left in the tank and after his retirement from international football, should still have something to prove. I’m going to logically opt for a stay in the Bundesliga with a mid-table side, but it would be tremendous to see him return to the K League as a veteran and a leader.
Son Heung-min to Real Madrid? Bayern Munich?
https://t.co/d5CGUPRsRH
Son Heung Min del Tottenham suena para el Madrid (si no viene el Lagarto o Salah o João Félix)
— El Madrid de los culones (@MadridDeCulones) June 11, 2019
This is just for fun. However, there have recently been some strange reports about Real Madrid’s purported interest in Son this past month. This proceeds the Bayern Munich transfer rumors that were sprouting up about him at the beginning of the Premier League season. In his Tottenham transfer rater after the Champions League final, ESPN FC pundit and former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley was faced to make many tough predictions about the whereabouts of Spurs players next season. Understandably, Burley struggled to foretell the future of highly demanded, highly contemplated Spurs talents Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld. Son Heung-min, though? Easiest decision in the world. Burley put him in the “stay” pile without a second doubt.
Nonetheless, the prospect of SHM leaving Spurs does raise some questions. As a fan, where do you see him ending up in the immediate or distant future? How long do you think he’ll stay in the white part of North London? Let us know in the comments below.
Whether it’s for the Spanish or German football giant, I don’t expect SHM to leave North London anytime soon. He’s happy where he’s at, and, in fact, I don’t even think this will happen in the distant future. SHM’s contact with Spurs ends in 2023 when he’ll be at the ripe age of thirty-one, probably past his prime by then. He could extend his stay in the Premier League or return to the Bundesliga for a few more years. Personally, I’d like to see SHM in the MLS one day. LAFC, perhaps?
Verdict: Over the last few seasons, Son has established himself as a Spurs starter and fan favorite, having progressed consistently every year he’s played under Mauricio Pochettino. After a disappointing end to a memorable Champions League campaign last season, I know Son is hungry to achieve more with his current club. There’s no way he’s leaving anytime soon.
I think a player like Son will usually only leave a club when they believe that they have either outgrown the club’s ambition, or they are forced out of the starting lineup. In Son’s case, it’s neither. They have a hungry group of players, arguably the best number 9 in world football and a fantastic manager to boot. Their playstyle revolves mainly around Son’s strengths and doesn’t ask for more than what he can give. Son does have limitations, as we are all too familiar with when he slips on that KNT Jersey, especially when he has too much asked of him. Thus a marquee move to smaller club seems even less likely than that of Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.
Verdict: Son loves Tottenham. Tottenham loves son. Not happening.
Koo Ja Cheol
Maybe a smaller league like the belgian, austrian, or even maybe the ligue 1 for JHW is more feasible, I think. But unlikely that he would leave the K-league for that.. it would be awesome to be able to see him stop the shots from the likes of Lewandowski, reus, and james rodriguez every weekend.
SHM should stay at the spurs at most two more years. Hopefully win some silver. If not, I think he should move to a club that is in a better position to win a league title or lift an european trophy. Needs to solidify his legacy like Ji. Or maybe I’m being an overly ambitious fan..?
Hi GK, so I agree with you on JHW. However, I think that he would accept an offer to go to these leagues! I think he wants to play in Europe and he’s going to take any offer that he can get. The problem may be that his profile is highest in Germany. He had all his heroics against them and clubs there must rate him quite highly after what he did to them in Russia! I’m hoping that a Bundesliga or 2.Bundesliga club with a true GK need comes on and signs him. Joon was right, not really an improvement if he goes from Daegu FC, a club where he is a guaranteed starter, to a Bundesliga club where he must fight to be the No. 1 GK. I mean, he’s already fighting with KSG to be KNT No. 1, so he definitely doesn’t want to add another fight at club level.
On Sonny, I so agree. If Spurs still can’t find a way to win any silverware I think he can be ambitious and leave the club for a club better positioned to win a trophy. Many clubs would definitely want him and would pay Spurs a huge transfer fee to get him! That being said, I think that Spurs will win a trophy very soon. They are getting closer and losing the Champions League final will motivate them and spur them on, pun intended. I imagine an FA Cup win is very possible this season.
Feel like Son has a good setup right now, and it would be a shame to see him go to a bigger club only to ride the bench. He’s about to turn 27 so there’s some, albeit not much, time for him to take that next leap. Kane’s just a year younger and still at Spurs (for now) so it would be cool for them all to win a trophy or two together.
I hope Jo can make the move to Europe, but I’m a realist that he’s unlikely to be a starter for a top tier league.
Finally, I was hoping Lee JS could make a move from 2. Bundesliga but there don’t seem to be any rumors.
LJS performance has been very average imo. I think he could have a breakout year this upcoming season tho. He just doesnt play the same as he did when he was at jeonbuk…if he can play like that, he is bound to go to a bigger club.
Yeah, it’s so true Gk. Lee Jaesung really did have a tough adjustment year to 2.Bundesliga. I think if he rebounds this season and gets back to Jeonbuk form a lot of clubs will come calling!
Summer 2019 Tavern Transfer Roundup Part 3: Veteran Transfer Rumors - Tavern of the Taeguk Warriors - SportNews.com.ng
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Home > About the Trust > News, blogs and publications > Latest news > 2015 > UHS response to Ashya King article in The Sun on Sunday
UHS response to Ashya King article in The Sun on Sunday
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is appalled at the content of an article which refers to Southampton General Hospital on page 19 of today's The Sun on Sunday entitled 'NHS CLIMBDOWN ON ASHYA SMEAR'.
The Trust would like to confirm a full comment and background information was supplied to the newspaper's reporter Mike Hamilton. None of this information was included or referred to in the article.
As a result, the copy is not only incorrect but extremely misleading. The newspaper has shown complete disregard for fairness, balance and ethical standards.
Above everything, the biggest concern is for patients, parents and their families who may see or hear about the report - which is in no way representative of evidence-based clinical opinion - and find it deeply upsetting and concerning. This is distressing for all clinicians who treat children with brain tumours and it is extremely regrettable.
There is a clear international consensus that the gold standard of treatment for medulloblastoma is surgery to remove the tumour followed by radiotherapy (either photon (standard) or proton) and chemotherapy. Proton beam radiotherapy is a type of radiotherapy and not a new treatment. In patients with medulloblastoma, the dose of radiation delivered is the same whether delivered by standard photon or proton beam radiotherapy. The only difference may be a potential reduction in some side effects in this patient group but that is still subject to ongoing research.
With the gold standard combination, the rate of survival among this patient group is 80% after five years. Without this combination, survival is reduced from 80% to 50%. These statistics are not Southampton-specific, they are quoted by all cancer specialists in the field of paediatric neuro-oncology. They are backed up by two clinical studies, Deutsch et al. Journal Clinical Oncology. 2000 and Packer et al. Journal Clinical Oncology. 2006.
The trust could never admit not having this information as it is not the trust's information to hold. The Sun on Sunday was told explicitly that the reference to survival statistics applies to all patients with medulloblastoma and that, if the newspaper wished to dispute this data, it should contact the Children's Cancer & Leukaemia Group and NHS England to discuss, which it did not do.
The trust has never suggested this data is incorrect and will not apologise for referring to evidence-based statistics.
It is of great concern that a national newspaper felt it appropriate to ignore the information presented to it and seriously misrepresent the facts to members of the public, families and patients.
On behalf of the paediatric oncology community and families of children who have received treatment for brain tumours or are newly-diagnosed, this newspaper should correct this and offer an apology.
Posted on Sunday 20 September 2015
Last updated: 19 March 2016
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The Policy
Panda and I watched: Green Lantern
Panda and I love us some comic books. There are some brands (or titles) that appeal for different reasons than others. We like Watchmen, but we also like Green Lantern, Justice League, Hawkworld and both hold a particular fondness for Adam Strange. Normally when a franchise we like comes out we get in line psychologically. We don't actually line up. We're too lazy for that kind of behaviour. It is probably better to say that we put it on the to-do list. It becomes imbedded in our psyche, which we share, as a thing that will be done, and until it gets done we check and re-check release dates, figure out who we want to see it with, and speculate over the goings on that will be witnessed of which we are already emotionally involved. That is our modus operandi and that is exactly how we rolled on the whole John Carter situation. This is also how we rolled when Green Lantern was approaching, but due to poor responses that often included the word 'shit' we started avoiding it. We were worried. We didn't want to be disappointed, but I have been feeling unwell lately and that means that Panda gets what he wants, so we watched it.
It is not a good movie, but more than this it is not a good Green Lantern Story. I feel like they missed the point of making a movie and the point of telling a Green Lantern story, then to top it off they cheated us. When I say us I am not just talking about Green Lantern fans, but the story consuming public as a whole.
I'm going to digress and regress for a little bit. When I was nine I went to the US of A for five weeks with my friend Gabriel, who himself has made some interesting points on stories and story telling in his time. While there I bought some comic books and the pen and paper role-playing game DC Heroes. These materials introduced me to the Green Lantern Corps which took my fancy straight away. On a a not unrelated note: It was on this trip that I became curious about and eventually obsessed with how a game with actual rules could possibly cover the seemingly infinite uses for the GL power ring, which in turn rekindled a fascination with how games work.
Once I got back to Australia I started picking GL comics up whenever my local newsagent stocked them. I didn't really have access to the funds to procure back issues or trade paper backs at the time so I just read what came my way. I was reading pretty avidly for a couple of years when the "Emerald Twilight" storyline came along, which is a story of how a grief stricken Hal Jordan becomes the mind-controlling reality-bending Parallax.
Where is that story?
We won't get that story, because that was the end (for a while) of Hal Jordan being the Lantern. It wasn't an origin story. I know that they retconned it so that he had actually been hanging around "Since the beginning", but Parallax (who eats fear?) doesn't really belong in Hal Jordan's origin story. He comes later on when you are invested in the character. When the impact of him creating a construct of his recently deceased girlfriend because he isn't coping with the loss really hits you hard.
After I finished high school I would duck in and out of Green Lantern and from time to time I would pick up the odd omnibus or trade paper back, amongst them were "Emerald Dawn" parts one and two, "Secret Origin" and "Sinestro Corps War", which all catalogue Sinestro's fall from being one of the Green Lantern Corps' greatest heroes to becoming one of their most persistent enemies. This is a big story that explores the concepts of the ends justifying the means and the often horrific preemptive nature of order and control of a populace.
Where is this story?
We won't get this story because the creative forces behind the movie felt that it was important that Sinestro first dons his yellow ring in a mid credits sequence giving the event little to no impact. The creation of the ring itself feels a lot like it was added as an after thought. I am aware that Sinestro was a villain from early on in the piece as far as the comics are concerned and most of this story was told later, but I feel like they tossed away a great opportunity so that they could bust a grizzly for themselves (it's a term for masturbate).
Neither Panda nor I are total sticklers for continuity and neither are we hell bent on remaining true to all the details of the original source material, which rarely stays true to itself these days, but these divergences are just cheats that turn Green Lantern into another piss-weak origin film that doesn't really have an engaging story. My experience with the Green Lantern comics is that at their very core they are about will, fear, grief and varying concepts of what is right. Powerful stuff if you can show it. The recent film talks about some of these things a lot, but doesn't really give anyone an opportunity to convince the audience.
A lot of people have complained to me about Reynolds' casting, but as far as I can tell it is the writers of the film that have failed to convey the true heft of Green Lantern, and at the same time prevented themselves from being able to really give two of the most important stories in the franchise the weight they deserve. Likewise there is no real opportunity for Reynolds to really sink his teeth into the role of Hal Jordan. This says nothing of the daylight robbery of Mark Strong's role. Imagine his surprise when, after being cast as one of the most interesting villains in the DC multiverse, they gave him a handful of dunce scenes and dialogue to match. It doesn't really matter if you are a Lantern fan or not, you have been cheated.
I would love to see a sequel, but I hope they really drill down to the core of the franchise and find the themes and the stories that don't get explored anywhere else, otherwise it is just another superhero movie based on a comic book, and there are a lot of those.
Panda agrees.
Posted by Jacob Henwood at 21:31 No comments :
Labels: comics , film , Panda , Superheroes
Playing old games
I recently made the conscious decision to return to a method of writing I have often (and repeatedly) turned my back on. When it comes down to it my only really useful skill as a writer is to be able to sit down and knock out a couple of thousand words of story in an hour. Which is about as much as you need if you want to write a new version of a chapter from scratch.
I actually highly recommend cultivating this as a method for essay writing. It is the one I used during my short stints at university. Sitting down and writing four drafts and then cribbing from all of them for the final is a much more fruitful and less time consuming method of writing just about anything. Write, review, write review, write, review, and so on. and so on. I know that it is a lot less stressful than mulling over a single draft wondering what is missing or isn't working. You pick those things out in the review.
Whatever other benefits there may be, I know that it is by far the fastest and least stressful method of writing that I have ever used. If it doesn't work you can have another crack. Try something different, try adding different characters to the scene, or try moving the scene to another room or geographical location.
My recent return to this method have tightened up the early chapters in the Book, and given me three of the best chapters I have written in months.
I swear by it.
Some assembly may be required,
dependent on the degree of care taken during shipping.
Labels: Productivity , writing
Everyone? Yes, everyone!
When I was a wee lad of about nine, or thereabouts, I read a few books from the Barsoom Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Though I have carried this around in my head ever since, it has been only recently that it was jostled to the forefront of my mind and I felt the need to say something about it. This is no doubt due in no small part to the ad campaign for John Carter, which hits Australian cinemas tomorrow.
I loved these books. I always thought that I got them from my cousin, who passed on many of his books to me. This may have actually been arranged by our parents and been without his knowledge, leaving him to wonder where all of his books were going. I believed that this was how I must have acquired the few Barsoom books that I had, but I recently discovered that he hasn't read them. I distinctly remember not reading A Princess of Mars first because it didn't sound nearly as interesting as The Warlord of Mars.
There were a number of reasons that the Barsoom series might be appealing to a lad of about nine, or thereabouts. It is full of sword fights, high adventure, amazing battles, ancient mysteries, fabulously monstrous aliens, and not a small amount of nudity. As E.R. Burroughs presents it, everyone on Mars is naked! The heroes don't wear pants, the princesses don't wear pants, and the giant aliens, whether they are green, red, white or kangaroo men, certainly don't wear pants. Discovering this made A Princess of Mars seem a lot more interesting, and it also made my reading them feel somewhat clandestine. I was starting to be curious about 'the ladies' and here they were. Naked. Naked in words.
I'm not at all bothered by the apparent lack of nudity in the upcoming film. I say apparent as I haven't yet seen it. Actually I know "a guy", he worked on it, and he swears there isn't any nudity. The aliens in the ads look pretty naked, but I didn't question him too closely on this. Perhaps Disney sees them like horses. No one ever wonders why the horses don't get pants. I would never expect a film based on this series to stay true to the original costuming, regardless of whether Disney was involved or not. It really would be a lot of nudity. There isn't really a point to be made here. I think some part of me just wanted to bring up the naked martians of my youth.
It is also worth mentioning that most of E.R. Burroughs' works are now in the public domain, a great many of which are available from Project Gutenberg, and many of them are also available free from the iTunes Store.
Labels: Adaptations , books , film , public domain , sci-fi
All the slow chapters...
I've reached a point with the Book where all of the chapters are there. The story is complete,...
...BUT...
(there it is)
my first instinct was to rewrite chapters, specifically early chapters with lots of dialogue. In rereading some of this dialogue I'm glad that this is an instinct that comes to me without provocation, but the next thing that I started doing I now want to stop doing. I think it is a similar instinct to that of chronic renovators. That little moment when the imp on your shoulder starts a sentence with "While you're down there you might as well...".
I've started rewriting whole chapters, expanding settings, and last night I wrote out a character. A character that appears in four more chapters, which now need to be rewritten to accommodate his absence.
I do this to my self. I really do.
Cultural Invader J
I am a student again. This was an ongoing state for me for some eighteen years.
I am training to become a linguistic missionary so that I can take part in what remains of the great English tradition of imperialism.
"You there, boy! Speak as I speak. Don't worry though, we will take some of your words like thieves in the night. We will sprinkle them throughout our own dictionaries as exotic linguistic gap filler. In decades to come most people will only guess that they were once yours by the awkward spelling. We will however have smoothed out your nasty little tripthongs by then. Run now! Tell all that you see!"
An unrelated note:
I am continually frustrated when clever premises for films trade off the original ending for something more salable. Minority Report is a film that often springs to mind when this topic comes up. In this Spielberg creation the premise simply acts as the set up for a series of chase sequences. The ending could be on the end of another film, and you probably wouldn't notice. I am bothered by this, because the source material has a fantastic ending that ties directly into the premise and the themes, and leaves you thinking "Well...shit!" (in a good way).
I bring this up because Total Recall is being remade and it is another film that is guilty of this story telling faux pas, though to a lesser extent. The ending in the original "We can remember it for your wholesale!", like in "The Minority Report", is a much neater fit with the premise (and themes). That said, Total Recall is one of my favourite films, despite its many flaws.
I will make time in my schedule for the remake.
For other examples of this see:
Repo Men (which suddenly becomes Abre los ojos/Vanilla Sky)
The Island (which makes a half hearted fourth quarter return)
Labels: Adaptations , books , film , Languages , sci-fi
The Search Function
Tools for Improved Wordy Prowess
There are purists that argue that if you are a 'real writer', all you need is a pen and some paper. Maybe a few pens. The quanti...
Some people stand in the darkness, afraid to step into the light
“When I feel difficulty coming on, I switch to another book I am writing. When I get to the problem, my unconscious has solved it.” - Is...
The Least I Could Do
I usually take a little time away from United by Glue around the end/beginning of any given year. January 2015 has been no exception. I...
Not Blade Runner Trivia
As a Blade Runner fan who talks about their affection for Blade Runner in the public arena, I am subject to people telling me Blade Runn...
Not even space trains
I rode some trains. I like trains. I like to ride trains. Panda too. He likes it because he thinks it makes him faster than the other pa...
The Subjects
Adaptations anime Batman blog books comics DC Comics Doctor Who Edutainment fantasy film fractal genres franchises freeware Games Great Tradition ICT Justice League Languages life Music Octo-Hoff Panda Productivity Programming public domain sandwiches sci-fi Snacks space Statistics Superheroes Superman Technology Television WebComic Wonder Woman writing
The Give Me Your E-mail Address
The Followers
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Five Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery Anime Movies with Kickass Mythology
Mythology is what has made me a fan of DC Comics from the day I had decided to take upon alternative reading, from my usual novel escapades. Since insuing on my comic book-enthusiast career, I've come across a variety of lores of monsters, gods and magic, and I have since been on a quest to find stories that carry suchlike potency and attention to detail.
That's What You Get When You Let Your Heart Win (10 Movies With "Bleak" Endings)
By lucidunicorn
Okay, okay it’s been awhile since I’ve done a recommendations list of top 10 movies, so I have decided to gift you guys with this list of awesome movies with what some might call “bleak” or “unhappy” endings-ish (p.s there will be typos/grammar mistakes). I had to dig deep into my memory of films that I’ve seen in my entire 24 years of existence so that I can compile this list of movies that had characters listen to their hearts and well that didn’t end very well (and sometimes it wasn’t their hearts just circumstances).
Three theme-heavy animated movies that will leave you emotionally screwed
Traditional animation is generally kid-friendly, although Pixar often manages to push the boundaries by embeding underlying adult/explicit themes as seen in the movies Up and Wall-E, as well as the the more recent Inside Out. It's not very often that you come across animated movies that are bare bat-shit heart-rendering and grievious.
Do You Trust this Computer (Documentary): What I've learnt about artificial intelligence
"We created it, so I think as we move forward this intelligence will contain parts of us. And I think the question is, will it contain the good parts or the bad parts?"
Top 10 Fantasy Movies You've Probably Never Heard Of
Fantasy might not be a genre that can be viewed as having works that transcend the art of cinema like sci-fi however there have been films that have done so, like the Middle Earth saga which kinda saw a revival of the genre. Fantasy is one of my favourite cinema genres, so I’ve decided to compile a top 10 list of fantasy films I’ve seen, that the majority hasn’t seen (p.s if you’ve seen all of these you are a big NERD).
Martin Scorsese's Silence: A Meditation on Christian Imperialism
By TefoWritesStuff
Beginning in the 14th century during what is now known as the Age of Discovery, overseas exploration became an integral part of European culture and marked the emergence of colonialism as the policy of various European nation-states. It is also during this period that, first, the Catholic church and, then later on, the Protestant churches began a major effort to spread Christianity to what was then known as the New World and to convert the indigenous peoples of those previously unknown lands.
Spotify SA for the Movie Lover
By serumula-lerato
Movie soundtracks are an important part of the experience. To cinephile is to be a collector of soundtracks. It's not very often that you get a platform that gathers all your favourite composers for easy access, so that you may always have just the cinematic experience you crave long after your favourite movie is done. Spotify satisfyingly has in mind and accomodates the movie lover!
Black Panther: The Theory of the POC Saviour Mentality
Marvel’s Black Panther has arrived and to be really honest I was expecting a messy, chaotic, high octane enjoyable mess. I was dead wrong because Ryan Coogler and co gave a very important film that is filled with black pride, black power and black excellence. The film surely created a ripple effect that will echo throughout pop culture and might be the very reason Hollywood studios do more POC lead blockbusters.
The Heroes Burden: Zack Snyder's cinematic portrayal of the superhero
For years in comic book heroes have been portrayed as being perfect individuals who possess all the most ideal virtues like bravery, valor, kindness, wisdom & selflessness . These larger than life characters would be incorruptible & serve justice to all people to all walks of life. People have always loved comic book heroes because they show us the best of the humanity but also more notably they provide people with a euphoric sense of escapism because in reality such heroes do not exist.
Why Diversifying Film & TV is Crucial in the Age of Social Media Activism
We live in the age of intense Internet-based social activism. It's thanks to the world wide web and social media for providing an effective and efficient platform for the unapologetic call for representation of Black people and other minorities in the entertainment industry. Social media has made it so much easier to spread the word far and wide that since this movement took to practice, we've seen a lot more satisfying changes than ever before.
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5m t UREA PRODUCTION CAPACITY
Adnoc, OCI join forces to set up giant nitrogen fertiliser JV
ABU DHABI, 28 days ago
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has announced a new strategic partnership with OCI, a global producer and distributor of natural gas-based fertilisers and industrial chemicals based in Netherlands.
The partnership will see the Emirati group combine its fertiliser business, Adnoc Fertilisers, into OCI’s Middle East and North Africa (Mena) nitrogen fertiliser platform to form a new joint venture.
The JV will become the largest export-focused nitrogen fertiliser platform globally and the largest producer in the Mena region with a production capacity of 5 million tonnes of urea and 1.5 million tonnes of sellable ammonia.
As per the deal, Adnoc will own a 42% stake, while OCI will have the rest 58% in the JV. Annual revenues for the combined entity are set to hit $1.74 billion, based on 2018 pro forma figures.
This combination brings greater geographic diversity to the platform's Mena production channels, enabling greater combined market access to strengthen market share and better serve its customers around the world.
It will have a centralised commercial team, supported by a robust storage and distribution infrastructure with access to key ports on the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, said the statement.
The JV will operate a young, state-of-the-art asset base with low maintenance costs and strong free cash flow generation. As a result, the company will be well-positioned to pay its shareholders attractive dividends and to fund future organic and inorganic growth opportunities.
In conjunction with this joint venture, Adnoc Fertilisers has also signed a new long-term gas supply agreement with Adnoc, which will provide its facilities in Ruwais with the required feedstock for its operations based on a competitive pricing formula.
The JV will be based in Abu Dhabi and registered in the emirate’s international financial centre, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), furthering the development of fertiliser expertise and trading in Abu Dhabi.
The new venture will headed by Dr Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Adnoc Group CEO as the board chairman. It will consist of six members nominated by OCI and four by Adnoc.
Nassef Sawiris will assume the role of CEO of the new company, alongside his current role as OCI chief. His leadership will be supported by a joint management team of experienced key executives from OCI and Adnoc, which will help drive value creation through the unlocking of substantial operational, supply chain, marketing and trading synergies across the combined platform.
Dr Al Jaber said: "We are extremely pleased to have created this new joint venture with OCI who is a world leader in nitrogen fertilisers and share our ambition and vision to grow our new combined fertiliser business."
"Pooling our assets and capabilities is a value-enhancing step for both companies, allowing us to leapfrog competitors to become the top nitrogen export platform globally. It will also enable us to access new markets, benefitting both existing and new customers," he added.
On his new role, Sawiris said: "I am very pleased to start a long-term strategic partnership with Adnoc, a company which has a clear downstream strategy and drives to unlock value. This partnership creates a first-of-its-kind export platform with best-in-class cash conversion metrics."
"I believe that this platform has significant potential for future growth and value creation, with the support and under the guidance of its two key shareholders," he stated.
Adnoc Fertilisers has a track record of more than 35 years in fertiliser production, operating two plants in Adnoc’s integrated downstream complex in Ruwais in the UAE.
The first plant, Fertil-1, began production of ammonia and urea in 1983, and the second plant, Fertil-2, became operational in 2013. The plants combined have an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes of gross ammonia and 2.1 million tonnes of urea.
Central to Adnoc’s 2030 strategy is the significant expansion of Adnoc’s Downstream business. In May last year, Adnoc announced its new downstream strategy that includes an Dh165 billion ($45 billion) investment programme that will see the Ruwais Industrial Complex upgraded to significantly increase its flexibility and capabilities to produce greater volumes of higher-value refined and petrochemical products.
The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, subject to legal and regulatory conditions.
Citi acted as exclusive financial advisor and Shearman & Sterling as legal counsel to Adnoc on the transaction. JP Morgan Securities acted as exclusive financial advisor and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as legal counsel to OCI on the transaction.-TradeArabia News Service
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July 1, 2019x
July 10, 2019x
August 1, 2019x
Shilpa Gupta, Sumakshi Singh, Surabhi Saraf, Avinash Veeraraghavan
Gallery Crawl: September 25, 2015 - 5:30pm-10pm
INDIA in Focus : Plus One
Part of the India in Focus Festival
Using contemporary technology and methods of art production across large scale video installations, sound works, prints and installations, the artists in Plus One also invoke the repetition and pattern making or traditional of Indian visual culture.
Artists include: Shipa Gupta, Sarabhi Saraf, Avinash Veeraraghavan , Sumakshi Singh
Shilpa Gupta
Flapboard (motion flapboard, 19 min loop)
Shipla Gupta (b.1976) lives and works in Mumbai, India where she has studied sculpture at the Sir J. J. School of Fine Arts from 1992 to 1997.
She has had solo shows at Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati, Museum voor Moderne Kunst in Arnhem, Arnolfini in Bristol, Castle Blandy in France, OK Center for Contemporary Art in Linz amongst other institutions. She has had gallery solos with Gallerie Yvon Lambert in Paris, Chemould Prescott Road in Mumbai, Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, and at the public gallery, Lalit Kala Akademie hosted Vadehra Gallery, New Delhi.
Shilpa has been invited to the Younger Than Jesus Triennale at New Museum, New York; Lyon Biennale ‘09 curated by Hou Hanru; Gwangju Biennale ‘08 directed by Okwui Enwezor and curated by Ranjit Hoskote; Yokohama Triennale ‘08 curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist; Liverpool Biennale ‘06 curated by Gerardo Mosquera and biennales at Auckland, Seoul, Havana, Sydney and Shanghai.
Gupta’s work has been shown in leading international institutions and museums such as the Tate Modern, Serpentine Gallery, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Daimler Chrysler Contemporary, Mori Museum, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, Louisiana Museum and Devi Art Foundation in Gurgaon amongst others.
In 2012 she designed the book ‘dates.sites: Project Cinema City Bombay/Mumbai’, edited by Madhusree Dutta. She has co-facilitated ‘Crossovers & Rewrites: Borders over Asia Museum of Contemporary Art, World Social Forum, Porto Alegre’ in 2005 and ‘Aar Paar, a public art exchange project between India and Pakistan alongwith Huma Mulji from 2002 – 2006.
In 2013 she had solo shows at the MAAP Space in Brisbane, Australia and Galerie im TaxisPalais in Innsburg, Austria and will participate in Sharjah Biennale curated by Yuko Hasegawa and No Country at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Sumakshi Singh
Objects of Light: Existence is strobic but I have not moved” (Embroidery and Projected stop-motion animation on silk)
Sumakshi Singh is an artist and an educator who has taught for several years at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and lectured at Oxford University, Columbia University and The Chicago Humanities Festival among other museums and colleges. She has mentored residencies for the Victoria and Albert Museum, TheWhyNotPlace 2010 and 2011 and was a visiting artist advisor at KHOJ Delhi.
Her interactive installations, paintings, drawings and sculptures have been presented in solo and curated group gallery and museum exhibitions in India, China, USA, France, Italy and Switzerland. Recent venues include Kochi Biennale, Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon, France, MAXXI Museum, Rome, Italy, UCCA Beijing, Mattress Factory Museum of Contemporary Art, Pittsburgh, PA, Van Harrison Gallery New York, NY, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, Illinois State Museum, IL, Kashya Hildebrand Galerie, Zurich Halsey Gallery, Charleston, SC and ArtHouse Texas, TX. She was awarded a Zegna Grant in 2009, an Illinois Arts Council award in 2007 (in recognition of outstanding work and commitment within the arts) and Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award in 2005 (to support and encourage excellence, artistry, focus, direction, maturity, and originality in the visual arts). Her shows have been reviewed by Younger Than Jesus – the New Museum Catalogue, Art in America, the Village Voice, ArtLovers, Austin Chronicle, Chicago tribune, Reader, Chicago Arts Critics Association, Charleston City Paper, New Haven Register, Platform magazine, Art Etc., Take on Art and Andpersand among other journals and papers. Artist residencies include Mac Dowell Colony- USA, Djerassi Foundation -USA, Fondazione Pistolleto – Italy, Camargo Foundation – France, Skowhegan – USA, CAMAC – France and Sculpture Space – USA. She was a finalist for the Rijksakademie in 2006. Singh received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and a BFA from Maharaja Sayajiro University, Baroda, India.
Sumakshi Singh’s work traverses lines between Metaphor, Reality and Illusion and ranges from plays on space-time theories to cultural, historic and physical critiques of place, manifested in performance, installation, painting and animation. Singh’s work uses disconcerting phenomenological encounters to ask questions about permanence and transience, object and image, fact and illusion, mapping and displacement, perception and knowledge, here and there while critiquing notions of “fixed“ universes and exposing the fragile set of givens upon which meaning is constructed. The artist has an extensive practice that varies from appropriating subtle microcosmic activity, to mapping perceptual objects in spaces and interacting with them as if they were real.
FOLD (video)
TABLETS (video)
Surabhi Saraf is a new media artist, composer and a performer who uses her background in experimental sound and Indian classical music to create audio and video works. She is particularly interested in creating multi-channel surround sound experiences in her performances and has created multiple 5.1 surround compositions for her videos and installations. With a diverse array of techniques such as repetition, fragmentation, and multiplication, Surabhi designs sequences of rhythmic movements, creating multi-layered structures of evolving patterns that slow down our perception of time. In her recent audio-visual performance ‘Spinning Four’, Surabhi layers the sound of her voice over the droning percussions of aged fans that are augmented by lights and live video, creating an immersive sound & visual scape.
Surabhi recently released a limited edition version of her debut EP Illuminen as part of her solo exhibition at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke in Mumbai. The EP encapsulates her live performance and sound design practice from past five years. Her collaborative work with has been performed at NETMAGE 10 International Live Media Festival, Bologna, Soundwave Biennial ((5)), San Francisco, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco and Links Hall, Chicago. Surabhi has performed solo at Currents 2011 & 2012: International New Media Festival, Santa Fe, SOMArts, San Francisco and Max Mueller Bhavan Goethe Institut, Mumbai & New Delhi among others.
She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2009 with an MFA in Art and Technology. Prior to that, she obtained her BFA in Painting from MSU Baroda (India) in 2005. Surabhi is the winner of Art vs Design (2009) organized by Artists Wanted, New York and Celeste Prize (2009), Italy. Her videos have been shown at TIMES SQUARE, New York, the Hunter Museum of American Art Chattanooga, TN and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Vojvodina, Serbia. In 2012 Surabhi received the Djerassi Resident Artist award and was nominated for the SECA Award, SFMOMA. . Her recent videos have been screened at multiple international video art festivals and galleries in Spain, Netherlands, South Korea, Israel, Greece, Australia and Italy.
Surabhi Saraf is represented by Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai.
On view – FOLD (video)
Fold is the second video in the series Video Choreographies. It is single channel audio visual installation composed of a gird of 96 small videos. Fold creates a multifaceted view of a single day’s solitary act of folding laundry; the mass repetition of small videos magnifies subtle nuances while blurring the whole ensemble into a swarm of activity. The elementariness of simple gestures of a seemingly mundane daily activity (such as those of pulling out a t-shirt from the laundry bag or putting hair behind the ear), gets morphed into a complex choreography when multiplied. Fold is an attempt to create layers of structures and overlaying patterns, patterns that are always evolving.
On view – Tablets (video)
“Tablets” is inspired by the artist’s family’s pharmaceutical factory in Indore, India, where seventy people, using quasi-archaic machinery, produce tablets, capsules and syrups. This work reflects on the production of the tablets, involving a central video projection and video box sculptures. The video projection features performers enacting a choreographed sequence that echoes the repetitive motions of the equipment and the factory workers.
Surabhi Saraf will perform “Grains” at the Peirce Studio at 10pm, on September 25, admission is free.
GRAINS is an original audio-visual performance deals with expanding the sonic energy that resides in a single grain of sound.. Layering her vocals on top of the flowing grains, Surabhi Saraf weaves a rich tapestry of sounds, multiplied and fragmented, creating dynamic textures and immersive architectural soundscapes.. In this collaboration with Ian Smith-Heisters, the visual space is transformed by projections that pulsate alongside the sound, magnifying the performance’s granular energy.
Credits for Grains:
Vocals + electronics: Surabhi Saraf
Visuals + custom software: Ian Smith-Heisters
Avinash Veeraraghavan
In the Upper Room (digital print on wallpaper)
Home Sweet Home (3 channel HD video)
Avinash Veeraraghavan is a contemporary Indian artist who draws on his interest in the visual language of popular culture and digital imaging to create graphic books, layered prints, and multichannel video installations. His interest in visuals extends to images of all kinds, from photographs, patterns in print and textiles, wallpaper patterns, wrapping paper to motifs taken from different cultures. Veeraraghavan has been involved with the practice of image construction through meticulously manipulated digital images that are skilfully layered and juxtaposed to open up new possibilities of meaning. The complex visual collages reflect a deep-rooted and often manic exploration of the structure of emotions and the interstices of the mind.
In 2011 his work was part of a two-person show titled Crazy Jane and Jack the Journeyman at Galerie Krinzinger in Vienna. His work has been selected to be shown at the Prague Biennale in 2011 in a section titled, Crossroads: India Escalate.
Previously Veeraraghavan has participated in many Indian and international shows including Indian Highway, Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, Denmark (2010) and Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo (2009); Still Moving Image, curated by Deeksha Nath, Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi; Post Visual World, curated by Gitanjali Dang, Priyasri Gallery, Mumbai, both in 2008. I Fear, I Believe, I Desire, curated by Gayatri Sinha at Gallery Espace, New Delhi (2007); Urban Manners, curated by Adelina von Furstenberg, Art For The World at Hangar Bicocca, Milan (2007); Watching Me, Watching India, curated by Gayatri Sinha and Celina Lunsford, Fotografie Forum international & Kommunale Galerie, Frankfurt (2006); Around Architecture, curated by Marta Jakimowicz, Colab, Bangalore (2006); Indian Summer, curated by Henri Claude Cousseau, Deepak Ananth and Jany Lauga, Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris (2005); Dispelling Asian Stereotypes, Public Art Project, Denmark (2004); City Park, Project Arts Centre, Dublin (2003).
In 2009 Veeraraghavan received the Illy Sustain Art prize at Arco, Madrid
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Start a heart today
23rd October 2018
The Economic Impact of Health and Safety
Sanjay Munnoo
True causes of unsafe behaviour
Andrew Sharman
Fundamentals of good safety
Brian Darlington
Effectively combat spills
St John draws a crowd at A-OSH
RegularsSharman on Safety
The Frontier Psychologist
How can we revitalise employee motivation and interest in workplace safety? Andrew Sharman believes his new research shows the way forward.
Traditionally, companies, around the world and across international borders and industries, have focused on building effective safety-management programmes to reduce workplace accidents.
However, now that the safety performance of many companies has levelled off, they’re wondering what to do next.
Dying for their jobs
The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that almost 2,8-million fatal accidents occur at work every year. This means that every day almost 7 700 people die of work-related disease or injury. By the time you’ve finished reading this article 80 people will have lost their lives at work.
In addition, there are around 374-million non-fatal, work-related injuries and illnesses each year. Many of these result in extended absences from work. It’s certainly a sobering picture of the modern workplace – where workers have the potential to suffer serious consequences as a result of simply “doing their job”. It’s quickly apparent that the way we’re doing things isn’t working.
In a bid to understand why, we conducted research interviews with more than 60 safety directors, CEOs and operational vice presidents from leading multinational blue-chip companies based in Europe, Asia, North and South America, as well as the Gulf region and across Africa.
The findings are indicative of views from a diverse range of industries, with over 30 different industry sectors represented, including food and beverage production, power generation and supply, automotive, oil and gas, aviation, public transport, chemicals, mining, heavy engineering and fast-moving consumer goods.
The questions posed reflected four strategic themes: Drivers for and challenges to great workplace safety; Safety innovation and inspiration; Confidence and competence; and Future focus.
By assuring the participants’ anonymity, the ensuing dialogues provided a rich source of thought and opinion from some of the most influential international safety practitioners and business leaders around the world.
Current workplace safety motivators
A number of important themes emerged from the interviews. The first was that safety performance in around half (49 percent) of the companies is driven by the desire to reduce injuries and fatalities through a “zero harm” campaign or initiative.
A third of respondents see this as their moral duty and feel the need to meet stakeholder and industry peer expectations.
The same percentage (34 percent) also believes that good safety performance is necessary to protect corporate reputation. Penalties in the form of regulatory fines and also the fear of enforcement action are a relatively small motivator, being cited by only around a fifth (18 percent) of interviewees.
However, the proportion of companies to have enshrined safety in their organisational values (as opposed to simply reciting a slogan of “Safety First!”) is equally small at just
The biggest challenges
Asked what their top three challenges were, 65 percent of safety leaders cited the lack of sufficient capability of senior leaders to take on a guiding role in safety, or their inability to provide middle management with the right tools for safety improvement.
Interestingly, this picture was reflected by the operational leaders, too. Without doubt, there’s a massive opportunity here for forward-focused safety practitioners.
Approximately half of all organisations interviewed struggled to maintain consistent levels of safety performance across a large, multinational organisation.
Further down the scale of common challenges came the ability to keep safety at work fresh, inspiring and interesting (31 percent) and influencing behaviours
(31 percent). An ageing workforce, governance and relevance of safety initiatives were also named, each by
20 percent of respondents.
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) featured occasionally in the operational leaders’ feedback, with an underlying concern and a fear of “not knowing” what AI might mean for their businesses.
The cutting edge of safety
How do organisations feel they can use the motivators that they are aware of, and tackle the main challenges they face?
Among the innovative solutions named in the survey, the one that was cited most frequently was the psychology of safety and a focus on proactive behaviours. Various approaches were mentioned, including nudge theory, heuristics and our own perspective, “cultural safety”.
More than a third (35 percent) of companies listed gamification, app-based mobile technology and other novel approaches as a good way to enliven communication, as well as conducting mindset assessments (or attitude surveys) to truly understand what their workers are thinking.
Other innovative solutions named were predictive analytics to forecast the likelihood of the next accident (30 percent), rolling governance programmes
(20 percent), balanced, integrated, leading key performance indicators (20 percent), competency building to improve personal judgement capabilities (20 percent), and driver safety risk programmes (20 percent). Six Sigma and Lean methodologies were also mentioned, but, surprisingly, by only ten percent of respondents.
New inspiration
Companies have learned about these new developments by various means. More than 60 percent of respondents use informal networks and peer-to-peer forums to find new inspiration for workplace safety.
More than half (53 percent) read online blogs, articles and use Twitter for information from thought leaders such as Andrew Hopkins, Daniel Kahneman, Leandro Herrero, Daniel Pink, Dominic Cooper and Sidney Dekker. (Full disclosure: the author’s name did occur in several feedback sessions on this topic).
Approximately a third of interviewees attend executive-level safety conferences – such as those held by Saiosh, the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the Institute of Leadership and Management – for their professional networking as much as their technical knowledge base.
As one respondent remarked: “Benchmarking and networking with peers is the best way to see where challenges are, and how people are handling them in new and unique ways.”
Confidence in safety systems
The survey interviewers asked leaders about their views on different areas of workplace safety in their own organisation. Despite recent push back against the merit and value of lagging indicators, around 50 percent of those surveyed continue to judge their company’s safety performance by its injury and fatality rates.
Formal reviews and independent audits give 35 percent of respondents the confidence that their systems are effective, while safety observations and perception assessments provide around a third with good insight into the effectiveness of current safety efforts.
Several respondents mentioned their expected confidence in the new ISO 45001 standard as a way to bring about a robust structural framework for managing workplace safety risks.
However, more than half of the safety directors questioned believe that their senior leaders and managers lack workplace safety competency. They also cited a lack of internal capability in process safety, governance and competency among themselves as health and safety professionals. Interestingly, both of these positions were supported in the views from operational leaders. It’s time to raise the game, isn’t it?
A third of respondents said that the philosophy behind safety required attention. They see the need to further develop the safety culture in their organisation through the consideration and incorporation of employee attitudes, decision-making in safety, behavioural influences and organisational thinking.
Taking these points together, there’s a very clear sign pointing in the direction of better understanding of the cognitive psychology behind workplace safety.
Challenges to future occupational safety and health risk management
As a result, when asked about planned future efforts, 40 percent of the safety directors mentioned the intention to focus on psychology, new behavioural safety models, human-error reduction and culture, while 35 percent said safety leadership is also a key area.
However, the same percentage believe that a change in safety culture and behaviour is held back by a reluctance of front-line managers to “own” safety, while more than a quarter also said that senior leaders do not demonstrate commitment to leading the safety effort.
Geographical, cultural and behavioural diversity also play a role in making a company-wide change in safety culture difficult, according to a third of interviewees. Clearly, there’s more to be done to engage operational leaders everywhere.
Workplace safety: what more can we do?
All of the companies interviewed have invested in building a strong safety culture in their organisations, yet all believe that their culture needs an invigorating impetus to help maintain and further improve it. They are, almost without exception, casting around for inspiring, innovative ideas that will appeal to employees and give them a fresh approach.
As one safety director put it: “Our safety maturity has changed. We’re better and stronger – though we still have more to do – but there isn’t really anything available for us at this advanced stage.”
Another said: “We need some leading-edge innovation in modern safety philosophy. Something from occupational psychology that will help people to know what to do in
the face of workplace risk – because it is ‘the right thing
Respondents said they believe that innovative offerings are lacking in the safety industry. One interviewee said: “Very little is innovative right now in safety to be honest. This is an area that gets overused and overthought. What else could we do?”
A similar reaction came from another respondent, who added: “We don’t see much that is innovative or leading edge in safety anymore.”
What the companies surveyed want is “real, helpful, practical, experienced and well-focused advice, as there is a dearth of this available from regulators, standard setters, researchers, academics, consultants and professional bodies. We don’t want to just reuse or recycle something tried in the 1980s (for example behavioural-based safety, human factors, safety training), we want to find new, novel and inventive solutions to culture change, through care and belonging, for example”.
A Brave New World
Although behaviour is still integral to changing workplace safety performance, safety professionals now want solutions that take into account the psychology affecting worker behaviour to achieve continuous improvement.
They are also ready and willing to try innovative ideas, such as new technologies to detect the mental state of employees pre- and post-accident, and are keen to find ways to influence not just the hands, but also the hearts and minds of workers and make organisational safety fresh and appealing for everyone involved.
This is where psychology-based approaches to safety come in. Using a blend of holistic psychology and cognitive science – to bring about a focus on the intrinsic motivators that determine behaviour, affect decision-making, and build risk literacy – is key.
In order to build sustainable safety improvement, we need to engage people through three different psychological aspects of safety: the cognitive (how we think), the affective (how we feel) and the behavioural (what we do) to help companies understand what drives employees’ risky actions and allow them to approach safety from a new angle.
Although the research shows that some safety professionals are, indeed, aware of new approaches to influencing workers, many are not yet embracing or understanding how these might truly benefit their own organisations.
While they cite a lack of safety improvement tools as one of the main challenges facing their organisation, commitment to safety by senior leaders is another – and perhaps of more major significance. This may be the biggest barrier preventing many companies from trying a new approach.
With the research concluded, what is clear is that a new impetus is needed to break through the performance plateaux and achieve sustained safety improvement for organisations around the world.
Safety practitioners need to think outside the box to understand what triggers unsafe actions in their workplaces and to find solutions to engage employees in order to improve risk literacy and positively change behaviour.
An awareness of the cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of psychology could well be key to future approaches. This is the new frontier of safety. Are you ready?
More lessons from the military
Watch Out – The Emotional Circus is in Town
Professor Andrew Sharman is Chief Executive of RMS - consultants on leadership and cultural excellence to a wide range of blue-chip corporates and non-government organizations globally. He’s an international member of SAIOSH; Vice President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health; and Chairman of the Institute of Leadership & Management.
Better behavioural safety
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Southern Shrimp Alliance Trade Antidumping Litigation Southern Shrimp Alliance Strongly Supports Executive Order on Duty Collection
Southern Shrimp Alliance Strongly Supports Executive Order on Duty Collection
March 31, 2017 September 17, 2017
This morning the President issued an Executive Order calling upon U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to improve the collection of duties assessed on imports of merchandise into the United States. CBP has previously reported that it has been unable to collect over $2 billion in assessed antidumping duties. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that these uncollected duties can be traced to foreign entities and lightly-capitalized companies that disappear when bills come due. The GAO has explained that some of the people behind these unpaid bills simply start new companies and begin to act as importers of record under new names.
Over the last several years, the Southern Shrimp Alliance has tracked shrimp importers that have ceased operations in response to large duty bills issued by CBP and documented how these companies continue operations after re-forming under new names. The Southern Shrimp Alliance has also documented how shell companies that exist on paper only and foreign companies – nonresident importers of record – facilitate trade fraud in the U.S. shrimp market. The use of these companies allows shrimp exporters and distributors to limit the consequences of the discovery of import fraud and quickly resume supply chain operations with minimal inconvenience.
“U.S. producers operate in a highly regulated environment and must compete against imports that are manufactured in countries without regulations. The customers that decline to buy domestic in favor of cheaper imports call that a comparative advantage,” said John Williams, the Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “I don’t know what they call it when importers skip out on monies owed to the U.S. Treasury, only to come back with a different shirt on and a new name to continue doing what they’d been doing before. I know what I call it: a crime.”
With a membership comprised of hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses involved in all aspects of the U.S. warmwater shrimp commercial fishery stretching from Texas to North Carolina, the Southern Shrimp Alliance has consistently supported initiatives to prevent importer evasion of U.S. laws. Chief among these proposals is the imposition of increased security requirements, such as requiring importers to obtain bonds, on imports that pose significant risks to revenue. CBP currently has the authority to require single-entry bonds (a bond issued for an individual import entry) as well as higher levels of continuous bonds (a bond issued for an individual company’s importing activities) where a risk to revenue has been identified. More frequent use of this authority, along with meaningful limits on the ability of foreign entities to act as importers of record and better tracking of importers that close down and re-open under new identities, would make it much more difficult for bad actors to circumvent U.S. laws.
“Thousands of men and women in this country’s commercial shrimp industry pay their bills and operate in fear of the fines and penalties that come with a failure to meet the strict technical requirements of all the regulations upon their businesses,” Mr. Williams said. “It’s well past time that we require the same of importers. The entire shrimp industry is grateful to President Trump for making this a priority for his Administration.”
The Southern Shrimp Alliance Submits Comments to…
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Report to…
New Cash Deposit Rate in Effect for Vietnamese…
SSA Participates in Training Course for Trade…
It’s Official: Shrimp Is Under SIMP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Reports That Over…
bondingCustoms and Border Protection (CBP)Duty CollectionGovernment Accountability Office (GAO)uncollected duties
U.S. Government Accountability Office Forum on Commercial Fishing Vessel Classification Standards
New NIOSH Report: Gulf Shrimp Fleet the Safest
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Hall and Oates, I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Posted in Hall and Oates, Youtube Favs on December 20th, 2011 by Willie
Oh the hits keep rolling for Hall and Oates. “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” was a #1 for Daryl and John in 1981, and another track that set the tone for 80s pop. Their embarrassing cover art for the single also help set trends of decadent ugliness for the 80s as well. Pop music from the 1980s had many uniting broad themes from futurism, celebration, dark sexuality, and paranoia. “I Can’t Go For That” has those trademarks in spades. It also holds the distinction for being the first song by a non-African American group to top the R&B charts. Daryl Hall, the songs primary writer, was most pleased with this achievement, stating, “I’m the head soul brother in the U.S. Where to now?” Good question. One direction led to an even bigger hit, Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Michael admitted to Daryl that he copped the bass line from “I Can’t Go For That” for his own ultra-smash hit, to which Daryl replied, ‘I took that bass line from someone else to begin with, and that it’s “something we all do.”‘ That reminds me of another theme in 80s pop, superstar collaboration. It’s as if their was one continuous party of mega rich famous rock stars, who all inflated each others egos, and played on each others records. Heady times, heady coke fueled times indeed…
Tags: 80s pop, 80s rock, Billie Jean, Blue-eyed Soul, dance rock, Daryl Hall, Hall and Oates, Hall and Oates I Can't Go For That Music Video, Hall and Oates Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates Private Eyes, I Can't Go For That, I Can't Go For That (No Can Do), John Oates, Michael Jackson, MTV, MTV in the 80s, New Wave, Pop, Private Eyes, R&B, Rock and Roll, snyth, snyth rock, willie simpson
Hall and Oates, You Make My Dreams Come True, FTW
I never thought I’d be adding a “Hall and Oates” section to my website, but on December 17th, 2011, it apparently has happened. Actually, I’ve been slowly enjoying Hall and Oates a bit over the last few years, getting hooked on the single “I Can’t Go For That,” and hearing a fantastic sounding Daryl Hall on the Howard Stern show a few weeks ago. The song in the cross-hairs today is “You Make My Dreams Come True,” a top ten hit from 1980. It has popped up irrepressibly in a bunch of modern Hollywood movies and TV shows including “500 Days of Summer,” “Step Brothers,” and “King of the Hill.” The song just makes people happy and want to dance, and I’m tired of denying its power. I’ve come to have embrace its gorgeous keyboard/electric guitar attack rhythm section and blue eyed soul vocal delivery. That addictive and high pitched guitar stutter reminds me of the Beatles’ “Getting Better,” possibly the happiest song of all time, and its doo-wop heavily processed backing vocals make it a total 80s classic, paving the way for the general sound of 80s pop. So, in conclusion, my advice is this; turn this song up to 11, pour some lemonade, and play this song 4 times in a row. Hall and Oates, FTW.
Tags: 500 days of summer, 80s music, 80s pop, 80s rock, Blue-eyed Soul, dance rock, Daryl Hall, Daryl Hall Howard Stern, doo-wop, funk rock, Getting Better, Glee, Hall and Oates, Hall and Oates FTW, Hall and Oates FTW meme, Hall And Oates Internet Meme, Hall and Oates You Make My Dream Come True Music Video, Hall and Oates You Make My Dreams Come True, Howard Stern, I Can't Go For That, John Oates, MTV, MTV in the 80s, pop rock, Rock and Roll, Step Brothers, the Beatles, Voices, willie simpson, You Make My Dreams Come True
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The Eighteenth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was organized at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and mustered into the service of the United States on March 15th, 1862. It left the state March 30, and disembarked at Pittsburg Landing, TN, April 5, 1862, at once moving up to the front. The battle opened early next morning and the Eighteenth shared the varying fortunes of the brigade to which it had been assigned during the battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862. After the battle the Eighteenth participated in the advance on and siege of Corinth, MS, April 29 to June 10, 1862, and the battle of Corinth, October 3-4, 1862.
Thereafter it engaged in various expeditions preceding the assembling of the Union forces at Grand Junction in November preparatory to the advance on Vicksburg. After the change of plans, the Eighteenth marched to Memphis, from which it embarked down the Mississippi reaching Young's Point, LA on January 25, 1863. Later the men were employed on the canal which was dug to enable Grant's army to pass below Vicksburg. Crossing the Mississippi River below Vicksburg the regiment reported to General McPherson at Raymond, MS on May 13, and moving with the union forces took part in the battle of Jackson, MS, May 14, which was soon thereafter followed by the battle at Champion's Hill, May 16, and Black River Bridge, May 17, 1863. Soon thereafter it took its position in the trenches encompassing Vicksburg, where it remained until the surrender. (Siege of Vicksburg, May 19-July 4, 1863). After the surrender the Eighteenth remained in the vicinity of Vicksburg doing guard and fatigue duty until September.
Thereupon it was transferred to Memphis, TN and thence to Corinth, MS. Here the Union forces were assembled to assist in the relief of Chattanooga. The Eighteenth as a part of the Fifteenth Army Corps, after a march of about two hundred fifty miles with these forces under General Sherman, reached Chattanooga, and on November 24th crossed the Tennessee river and participated in the attack on Missionary Ridge November 25. Thereafter the Eighteenth was assigned to the work of protecting the lines of communication. Assigned at times to Huntsville, Stevenson, AL, Chattanooga, TN and Allatoona, GA and south of Chattanooga on the road to Atlanta, with headquarters at Allatoona. In the attack on that place October 5, 1864, the Eighteenth was actively engaged in the famous defense. A portion of the regiment accompanied General Sherman on the Savannah and Carolina Campaigns. That portion remaining in Tennessee joined the detachment accompanying General Sherman at Goldsboro, NC, the latter part of March 1865.
After the surrender of the Confederates under General Johnston April 26, 1865, the Eighteenth participated in the Grand Review at Washington, D.C. and was transferred to Louisville, KY as a part of the Provisional Division, where the regiment remained until mustered out July 18. It returned to Madison, WI and was disbanded July 29, 1865.
Sept 1863, Gilbert & Hubbard, Conserved in 1989
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All Women's Shortlists: An Alternative View From Avondale
Posted by Women for Independence Women for Independence March 27, 2015 2:17 PM
Debate has been raging this week over an SNP motion proposing compulsory all-women shortlists, to address the gender imbalance in the Scottish Parliament. Here, Gillian Wales of Strathaven Women for Independence sets out why she believes that, while not perfect, all-women's shortlists are necessary in both Scottish and UK-wide politics.
Like many other people, I felt encouraged by Nicola Sturgeon’s plan for all women shortlists. Finally, progressive action was being taken to deal with the gaping chasm between men and women in politics. However, not everyone is in agreement with this approach. Avondale SNP, which covers Strathaven and the surrounding area, has tabled an amendment that calls for a deletion of the plan, in its entirety. Their secretary, Pat McGuire, stated that roles should go to the “best person, regardless of gender”. To live in a world where that happened, eh?
Of course, all women shortlists should not be necessary and there is a genuine concern that they could be patronizing to women. However, if gender balance in politics was going to occur in an organic manner, wouldn’t it have happened by now?
Mr. McGuire claimed that that women, “…for whatever reason – have not put themselves forward for these positions.” Perhaps to some extent this is true. However, the key words here are ‘for whatever reason’.
The only way meritocracy will ever work for women is if numerous other barriers are eroded. These include the gender imbalance regarding caring duties and other forms of unpaid labour. Women account for 48 per cent of the Scottish labour force (ONS, 2014). However, 42 per cent of those women employed work part-time, in comparison with 13 per cent of men. Familial and domestic pressures often lead them into part-time work and women frequently experience a reduced status at work after they have taken time off to have a family. Women disproportionately bear the burden of unpaid labour and frequently return home for what Hochschild (1989) termed ‘the second shift’.
Additionally, there are cultural aspects to consider. Lesley Riddoch commented earlier this week on her own experience of a recent public meeting in Strathaven. So dominant were the male voices in the room that she had to request questions specifically from women. When they did ask, the quality of the questions was, of course, extremely high.
One of the main arguments against all women shortlists is the concern that they will ride roughshod over the democratic process of meritocracy. That argument is dubious in itself; something is clearly going wrong when women make up over half of the population and less than a quarter of MP’s. But meritocracy – if our society is meritocratic– simply isn’t the way to transcend economic and social inequalities. The UK is one of the most unequal countries in the world, with the gap between rich and poor increasing year on year. Even in its most basic sense, meritocracy isn’t working; if it were, then middle aged, rich white men would not dominate the political system.
Women continue to be grossly underrepresented in public and political life, both in Scotland and across the UK. Women account for only 22 per cent of MP’s, 35 per cent of MSP’s, less than one quarter of Scottish local councilors, 26 per cent of both judges and Scottish university principals and 28 per cent of NHS chief executives. Not recognising the structural reasons why women aren’t represented properly means that we are expected to believe that women either don’t want these roles or that they are aren’t capable of achieving them. I do not believe either is true and the wealth of talent, skill and drive I witnessed during the referendum tells me nothing is further from the truth.
The post referendum phrase ‘not going back in my box’ may be overused, but it could not be more relevant than for women. With all women shortlists, Nicola Sturgeon has demonstrated her desire to facilitate real change, giving women the opportunity to catapult themselves into positions of influence and inspire future generations of other women. There are several reasons why women do not, or rather cannot, put themselves forward for roles and these can no longer be ignored. We must find conclusive ways to overcome these restrictions and support women to realize their true and deserved potential. If this means all women shortlists for a time, then so be it.
Niels Bohr commented 2015-03-28 23:01:50 +0000
There are several glaring problems with quotas (gender quotas or otherwise) when they are applied to humans. Firstly, they are discriminatory by nature (due to exclusion), and therefore are in opposition to equal rights & equal opportunities. This leads to valid criticisms that quotas for people are undemocratic.
The author of this article says “The only way meritocracy will ever work for women is if numerous other barriers are eroded. These include the gender imbalance regarding caring duties and other forms of unpaid labour.”
This is an issue. Meritocracy already works for women, this is why women have been leaders of the three main parties in Scotland within the last six months, as well as occupying the highest post of the Scottish Parliament. Any gender imbalance regarding caring duties for family are at the personal discretion of the families involved, and do not appear to hinder the 35% of elected female MSP’s.
The author’s goes on – “One of the main arguments against all women shortlists is the concern that they will ride roughshod over the democratic process of meritocracy. That argument is dubious in itself; something is clearly going wrong when women make up over half of the population and less than a quarter of MP’s.”
No, this argument is not dubious. Quota’s, when introduced don’t just ride roughshod over meritocracy, they abandon it altogether. Merit-based systems cannot co-exist with non-merit based systems, they are mutually exclusive. Removal of meritocracy is dangerous for many reasons.
As for women making up over half the population and significantly less of the elected candidates, has the author considered that this may be a reflection of personal choice, rather than either discrimination against women, or a system that holds them back? At the 2011 MSP elections, women made up just 28.4% of the candidates, yet achieved 35% election rates.
Why should the solution to poor candidacy rates amongst women, be to exclude men?
Further – “Not recognising the structural reasons why women aren’t represented properly means that we are expected to believe that women either don’t want these roles or that they are aren’t capable of achieving them. I do not believe either is true and the wealth of talent, skill and drive I witnessed during the referendum tells me nothing is further from the truth.”
Well, if your assertion is correct, then we already have the ideal set of conditions to allow women to flourish in any field they so wish. We have free education to University level. We have free, open, democratic elections to determine governance, and we have decades of equal rights and equal opportunities legislation enshrined in the Equality Act 2010. Very few nations offer these set of egalitarian conditions.
However, equality of opportunity, does not always return equality of results.
Robert Burns commented 2015-03-27 16:58:15 +0000
I’m sure that we would all agree with the statement of Pat McGuire, that “best person, regardless of gender”, would be the right way to choose any candidate, but where is this happening?
It’s only when there is a catch-up law put in place to correct the imbalance of men that are already in power, and who are also in those positions to choose the “best person” after them.
(There are countries where voting for only women candidates has already happened – and it’s a great success)
“Best person”, has for far too long, nearly always meant men, and we all are losing so much talented, intelligent and skilful people to shape our country and its purpose, when we exclude most of its people from being at its helm.
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LABOUR RELATIONS ACT, 1995 (ACT NO 66 OF 1995)
GUIDELINES ISSUED IN TERMS OF SECTION 95(8)
I, MEMBATHISI MPHUMZI SHEPHERD MDLADLANA, Minister of Labour, hereby, under section 95(8) of the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act No. 66 of 1995), and after consulting NEDLAC, issue the guidelines in the Schedule hereto.
M M S MDLADLANA
GUIDELINES ISSUED IN TERMS OF SECTION 95(8) OF THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT, NO. 66 OF 1995
THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT
1. This document contains guidelines published by the Minister of Labour, in consultation with Nedlac, that are to be applied by the Registrar of Labour Relations in determining whether an applicant for registration in terms of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) is a genuine trade union or a genuine employers' organisation. In terms of section 95(7) of the Labour Relations Act, the Registrar may only register a trade union or an employers' organisation if the Registrar is satisfied that it is a genuine trade union or a genuine employers' organisation. In addition, in terms of section 106 (2A) of the LRA, the Registrar may cancel the registration of a trade union or an employers' organisation that is not, or has ceased to function as, a genuine trade union or employers' organisation, as the case may be.
2. These guidelines deal separately with trade unions and employers' organisations.
3. In order to determine whether an organisation is genuine, it will be necessary for the Registrar to examine the actual operation of the organisation. In the case of an applicant, particular attention will have to be paid to the manner in which the organisation was established and formed. In the case of an existing organisation, attention will have to be paid To its actual activities and functioning. In evaluating whether a trade union or employer's organisation is genuine, the Registrar must take into account all relevant factors.
4. These guidelines are not concerned with evaluating whether the constitution of a trade union or employers' organisation complies with section 95(5) of the LRA.
The Definition of a Trade Union
5. The LRA defines a trade union as follows:
"An association of employees whose principal purpose is to regulate relations between employees and employers, including any employers' organisations."
6. Therefore, an organisation cannot be registered as a trade union or continue to, operate as a registered trade union unless -
(a) it is in fact an association of employees;
(b) the principal purpose of the activities is to regulate relations between its members and their employers (or employers organisations representing those employers).
It will therefore be necessary to raise and examine the actual process of forming a trade union, its composition and membership and the activities it undertakes on behalf of its members. These issues are examined in greater detail in this document.
Formation of a trade union
7. The process followed to form a trade union can give important indications as to whether an organisation is a genuine trade union. Key aspects of the process that should be examined include -
- the number of founding members who attended the inaugural meeting(s) to establish the trade union and who completed signed registers indicating their names and place of work;
- the means by which the constitution of the trade union was drafted and adopted;
- the election of an executive committee or council of members and the election of office-bearers.
The crucial issue that must be addressed is whether the formation of a trade union involved employees associating with one another to establish an organisation to regulate relations with their employees).
Qualification for membership of a trade union
8. In terms of section 95(5)(b) of the LRA, the constitution of a trade union must prescribe the qualifications for membership. There is no requirement in the LRA that a trade union confine its membership to employees in a particular sector or sectors of the economy or a particular geographical region. However, the failure to place appropriate qualifications on membership may indicate, together with other factors, that the trade union is not a genuine trade union.
Membership of a trade union
9. The LRA does not create any membership threshold that trade unions must meet to register. Nevertheless, the size of the membership may be an indication that a trade union is not a genuine trade union. It is legitimate for trade unions to restrict their membership to small groups of workers; for instance, the employees of one employer or within one bargaining unit or a small trade or profession. However, an extremely small membership in relation to the number of employees qualified to join, may indicate that the trade union is not a genuine trade union.
10. When evaluating the membership of a trade union, attention should be paid to its history. The fact that the membership of a trade union with a long history of representing its members' interests has declined to small numbers is not an indication in itself that it has ceased to be a genuine trade union.
11. The primary purpose of a trade union is to regulate relations between employees and employers (or employers' organisations). In particular, this includes the regulation of these relationships through collective bargaining. A trade union will only be able to seek organisational rights in terms of the LRA or demand collective bargaining where it recruits members from the employees of particular workplaces or bargaining units. The fact that a trade union has not sought to gain a critical mass of members in any particular workplace or bargaining unit that would allow it to gain organisational rights may be an indication that the trade union is not a genuine trade union.
12. In order to have a primary purpose of regulating relations between employees and employers (or employers' organisations) a trade union must recruit as members employees who are in employment. The fact that a significant proportion of a trade union's membership only become members after the termination of their employment is an indication, together with other factors, that the trade union is not a genuine trade union.
Activities of the trade union
13. A trade union may seek to regulate relations between its members and their employers and employers' organisations by -
(a) seeking and/or obtaining organisational rights in terms of chapter 3 of the LRA;
(b) seeking and/or obtaining recognition from employers as the collective bargaining representative of its members;
(c) submitting and negotiating in respect of demands on behalf of their members for approved wages and working conditions.
14. Failure to engage in these activities does not in itself indicate that a trade union is not a genuine trade union. There may be reasons why a trade union had not succeeded in gaining organisational rights or obtaining recognition. These may include difficulties in recruiting members and hostility from employers. However, the failure to seek to obtain organisational rights or recognition is a strong indication that the trade union is not a genuine trade union as these rights provide the basic platform for representing members' interests.
15. It is a legitimate function of a trade union to seek to resolve grievances on behalf of its members, including those who have been dismissed, and it can be expected that all genuine trade unions would undertake activities in this regard. However, the fact that a trade union's activities solely, or to a large extent, consist of referring disputes and cases on behalf of its members to the CCMA, the Labour Court or other courts, is an indication that a trade union is not a genuine trade union.
Independence from employers
16. A trade union may only be registered and continue to operate as a registered trade union if it is independent. In terms of section 95(2), a trade union is not if it is under the direct or indirect control of any employer or employers' organisation and is not free of interference or influence of any kind from any employer or employers' organisation.
Factors that would indicate that a trade union is not independent are -
(a) That any of the officials or office-bearers of a trade union are also officials or office-bearers of an employers' organisation;
(b) That the trade union operates from the same premises or shares facilities with an employers' organisation;
(c) an employer assisted with the formation of the trade union or that the trade union operates as a "sweetheart" union (i.e. a trade union that exists to further the interests of the employer or to undermine independent trade unions).
Association of employees
17. A trade union must be an association of employees. Indicators that a trade union is an association of employees are
(a) the establishment and effective functioning of branches;
(b) the holding of regular meetings of members;
(c) the election of shop stewards or other trade union representatives in workplaces;
(d) the election of members as office-bearers.
Association not for gain
18. In terms of section 95(5)(a) of the LRA a trade union must state in its constitution that it is an association not for gain. The purpose of this requirement is to prevent trade unions from being used as vehicles for enriching individuals or as a cover for profit-making businesses. In evaluating whether a trade union is a genuine trade union, it is important to examine the actual financial operation of the trade union. Among the factors that may indicate that a trade union is operating in fact for the gain of certain individuals are the following
(a) Unrealistically high salaries and allowances are paid to the officials, office-bearers or employees of the trade union.
(b) Interest-free or low interest loans are made to officials, office- bearers or employees, and those loans are not repaid.
(c) Family members of office-bearers or officials are employed by the trade unions.
(d) Income earned by the trade union is not used for the benefit of the organisation and its members but is paid out to officials, office- bearers or employees.
19. It must be borne in mind that it is not inappropriate for trade unions to pay competitive salaries to attract competent and qualified officials and employees. Likewise, there may be circumstances in which established trade unions may decide to provide loans on favourable terms to their officials, office-bearers or employees.
20. Usually the major source of revenue for trade unions is a subscription usually paid on a monthly basis. In general terms this will be a flat rate payment or a payment expressed as a percentage of the members' income. Trade unions may have other sources of income, such as investments.
21. The financial arrangements made with members of a trade union on behalf of whom litigation, particularly dismissal disputes, is instituted, is an indication of whether the trade union may not be a genuine trade union or may be operating as an association for gain. Where a trade union charges its purported members a substantial proportion of the settlement reached in disputes, this may be an indication that the trade union is not a genuine trade union. This does not mean that it is not appropriate for genuine trade unions to require members to make realistic contributions to the costs of bringing cases on their behalf. However, the fact that a member is required to pay a substantial percentage of the settlement to the union, would be a strong indication that the organisation is not a genuine trade union.
Federation affiliations
22. The fact that a trade union is affiliated to a federation of trade unions, the other members of which are genuine trade unions, is an indicator that the trade union is a genuine trade union.
EMPLOYERS' ORGANISATIONS
Definition of an employers' organisation
23. The LRA defines an employers' organisation as follows:
"Any number of employers associated together for the purpose, whether by itself or with other purposes, of regulating relations between employers and employees or trade unions".
24. Therefore, an organisation cannot be registered as an employers' organisation or continue to operate as a registered employers' organisation unless -
(a) the employers who are members of the organisation have in fact associated together;
(b) the purposes for which they have associated together include regulating relations between employers and employees or trade unions.
25. It will therefore be necessary to examine the actual process of forming an employers' organisation as well as its composition and membership and the activities it undertakes on behalf of its members.
Formation of an employers' organisation
26. The process followed to form an employers' organisation can give important indications as to whether the employers who are members of the organisation have associated together. The key aspect of the process that should be examined include -
- the number and/or size of the founding members who attended the inaugural meeting to establish the employers' organisation;
- the means by which the constitution of the employers' organisation was drafted and adopted;
- the election of executive committee or council members and the election of office-bearers.
27. The crucial issue that must be addressed is whether the formation involved employers associating with one another to establish an employers' organisation.
Qualification for membership of an employers' organisation
28. In terms of section 95(5)(b) of the LRA, the constitution of an employers' organisation must set out the qualifications for admission to membership. There is no requirement in the LRA that an employers' organisation should confine its membership to employers in a particular sector or sectors of the economy or a particular geographical region. However the failure to place appropriate qualifications on membership may Be an indication, together with other factors which are discussed below, that the employers' organisation is not a genuine employers' organisation. Where an employers' organisation has extremely wide qualifications for membership, it is appropriate to consider whether its members are in reality associating with each other for the purpose of regulating relations between themselves and their employees or the trade unions.
Membership of an employers' organisation
29. The LRA does not create any membership threshold that employers' organisations must meet to register. Nevertheless, the size of the membership (in terms of number of employers or number of employees employed by them) may be an indication that the employers' organisation is not a genuine employers' organisation. It is legitimate for employers' organisations to restrict their membership to employers in small sectors of the economy.
Activities of an employers' organisation
30. The operation of an employers' organisation must involve employers associating with one another, inter alia, for the purpose of regulating relations between themselves and their employees or the trade unions to which the employees belong. This would be the case where the employer members meet together for the purposes of jointly engaging in collective bargaining with trade unions. The fact that the activities of the employers' organisation consist largely or solely of individual consultations between the employers who are members and officials of the employers' organisation, would be an indication that the employers' organisation is not a genuine employers' organisation.
Independence from trade unions
31. The fact that an employer's organisation is under the direct or indirect control of a trade union is an indication that it is not a genuine employers' organisation. Factors that would indicate that the employers' organisation is under the control of a trade union are -
(a) that any of the officials or office-bearers of the employers' organisation are officials or office-bearers of a trade union;
(b) that the employers' organisation operates from the same premises and shares facilities with a trade union. , Association not for gain
32. In terms of section 95(5)(a) of the LRA an employers' organisation must state in its constitution that it is an association not for gain. The purpose of this requirement is to prevent employers' organisations from being used as vehicles for enriching individuals or as a cover for profit- making in business. In evaluating whether an employers' organisation is a genuine employers' organisation, it is important to examine its actual financial operation. Among the factors that may indicate that an employers' organisation is in fact operating for the gain of individuals are the following:
(a) Unrealistically high salaries or allowances are paid to the officials, office-bearers or employees of the employers' organisation.
(b) Interest free or low interest loans are made to officials, office- bearers or employees, and those loans are not repaid.
(c) Family members of office-bearers or officials are employed by the employers' organisation.
(d) Income earned by the employers' organisation is not used for the benefit of the organisation and its members but is paid out to officials, office-bearers or employees.
33. It must be borne in mind that it is not inappropriate for employers' organisations to pay competitive salaries to competent and qualified officials and employees. Likewise, there may be circumstances in which established employers' organisations may decide to provide loans and favourable terms to their officials, office-bearers or employees.
34. Usually the major source of revenue for employers' organisations is likely to be a subscription paid on a regular basis. The financial arrangements made with members of an employers' organisation in respect of litigation, particularly dismissal disputes, may be an indicator whether the employers' organisation is in fact operating for the gain of certain individuals.
NOTICE ISSUED BY THE MINISTER OF LABOUR, AFTER CONSULTING NEDLAC, IN TERMS OF SECTION 33A(13) OF THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT, NO. 66 OF 1995
(1) An arbitrator conducting an arbitration in terms of section 33A of the Labour Relations Act, No. 66 of 1995 ("the Act") may impose a fine in terms of section 33A(8)(b) of the Act subject to the maximum fines set out in Tables One and Two of this item.
(2) The maximum fine that may be imposed by an arbitrator in terms of section 33A(8)(b) of the Act -
(a) for a failure to comply with a provision of a collective agreement not involving a failure to pay an amount of money, is the fine determined in terms of Table One;
(b) involving a failure to pay an amount due in terms of a collective agreement, is the greater of the amounts determined in terms of Table One or Table Two.
Table One: Maximum permissible fine not involving an underpayment
No previous failure to comply
R100 per employee in respect of whom the failure to comply occurs
A previous failure to comply in respect of same provision
A previous failure to comply within the previous 12 months or two previous failures to comply in respect of the same provision within three years
Three previous failures to comply in Respect of the same provision within three years
Four previous failures to comply in respect of the same provision within three years.
Table Two: Maximum permissible fine involving an underpayment
25% of the amount due, including any interest owing on the amount at the date of the order
A previous failure to comply in respect of the same provision within three years
A previous failure to comply in the respect of same provision within a year, or two previous failures comply in respect of the same provision within three years
75% of the amount due, including any interest owing on the amount at the to date of the order
100% of the amount due, including any interest owing on the amount at the date of the order
Four or more previous failures to comply in respect. of the same provision within three years
Last modified onWednesday, 19 December 2018 23:24
Has South Africa’s labour movement become a middle class movement?
South Africa has a new trade union federation. Can it break the mould?
More in this category: « Guidelines on Misconduct Arbitration Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 »
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Review of "Boy"
By Roald Dahl
HarperCollins, 1984
Review by Christian Perring, Ph.D. on Oct 4th 2002
Originally released in 1984, Roald Dahls memoir Boy has been newly recorded as an unabridged audiobook read by the distinguished British actor Derek Jacobi. Dahl recounts stories about his family and more from his youth, of his life at home and at school. His father died when Dahl was young, and the family moved from Norway to Wales. When he was seven years old, he started at Llandaff Cathedral School. But he did not stay for long, because his mother removed him from the school after Dahl received a severe beating from the headmaster for a prank he thought up, which involved putting a dead mouse in a sweet (candy) jar at a sweet shop on the way to school. He moved on St. Peters prep school in England, where he was a boarder which is to say that he lived there the whole time. He became very homesick, and wrote home to his mother every week. His mothers wisdom in taking him out of his first school is thrown in doubt as he tells of the violence he suffered from teachers beatings at his new school. The school, reminiscent of The Austere Academy of Lemony Snicket, is populated by adults who seem to delight in the suffering of children. Dahls life did not get much easier when, at the age of thirteen, he moved on to Repton, a prestigious school. Here he, like all other boys, had to work as a fag for the older boys, which means that he had to both do menial chores for older boys and also suffer from their hazing rituals. All this experience helps to explain the many horrible adults featured in his stories for children. One of Dahls main consolations was the pleasure he took in sports, at which he excelled.
Many of Dahls stories of his youth are reminiscent of his tales for children, and Jacobi reads them wonderfully, bringing the different characters to life and ensuring that Dahl is a sympathetic narrator. Dahl manages to show the reader the perspective of himself as a boy, both in his delight in simple pleasures such as the variety of sweets in the sweet shop, and in his horror at the cruelty of some of his teachers. The book is a fine example of Dahls vigorous writing. It shows how childhood experiences can leave a lasting mark on the rest of a persons life, but it is also a testament to the resiliency of children.
· Publishers web page with RealAudio excerpt
· Offical Roald Dahl website
© 2002 Christian Perring. All rights reserved.
Christian Perring, Ph.D., is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island. He is editor of Metapsychology Online Review. His main research is on philosophical issues in psychiatry. He is especially interested in exploring how philosophers can play a greater role in public life, and he is keen to help foster communication between philosophers, mental health professionals, and the general public.
<a href="//www.wyomentalhealth.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=1357&cn=28">Boy</a>
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VNS Message Board » VNS DISCUSSIONS » Legislative Activism In Regards to VNS » Armpit
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 All Go Down
Author Topic: Armpit (Read 16329 times)
Re: Armpit
It was reported that the patient was experiencing discomfort at the generator implant site and was concerned that the generator had moved into her armpit. There was more discomfort noted when a shoulder seat belt and backpack straps were present. The generator was noted to be palpable sitting medially to the anterior axillary line incision. The patient was referred for surgery where the generator was going to be repositioned and potentially replaced. No additional relevant information has been received to date. No surgical interventions are known to have occurred to date.
Device evaluation is not necessary because the reported event(s) have been determined as not related to vns therapy, but rather to the presence of the device.
Manufacturer reviewed x-rays of implanted device. Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of manufacturing records confirmed sterilization for both the generator and lead prior to distribution. X-rays reviewed by the manufacturer, migration of the generator was not able to be confirmed on the x-ray views received.
It was reported to manufacturer that the treating vns physician saw the vns pt due to swelling in the left armpit and possible generator migration. X-rays were sent to manufacturer to review, and the migration event could not be confirmed as there were no baseline x-rays to compare them to. Diagnostic tests were performed following the onset of the reported event and revealed normal device function. Approximately a week later, the swelling appeared to be improving. Further info received revealed that the treating physician saw the pt again at a later date due to the continuation of the migration of the generator, which the pt believed was causing painful stimulation. Additionally, it was reported that the pt was experiencing an increase in seizure activity. The physician discussed with the pt, the possibility of surgical intervention. The pt then reported that she was seen by the primary care physician and stated that an infection was present, and that the swelling has gotten worse had moved down the left arm. The pt reported that antibiotics were prescribed. Additional info received from the treating vns physician's office revealed that the pt went to an emergency room and was treated with antibiotics and was subsequently released. The fever had resolved, and the swelling was improving. The vns device was disabled and they are continuing to monitor the pt. Good faith attempts to obtain additional info have been made, but have been unsuccessful to date.
On (b)(6) 2011 a vns implanting surgeon reported that the vns pt wants to have her device explanted because she is experiencing a "voice tick", heart fluttering, coughing, and numbness on one side of cheek and throat. The pt had been implanted (b)(6) 2011. She was scheduled to see her nurse practitioner on (b)(6) 2011. On (b)(6) 2011 clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2011 from the vns treating nurse practitioner were received. The clinic notes report that the pt is experiencing an uncontrolled cough and clearing of the throat (worse with stress), pain at the vns generator site, numbness and tingling to chin through her left ear/facial, and was very nervous describing the increasing discomfort the vns has caused. The pt went for f/u with the surgeon and after the pt told him about the numbness and tingling he suggested immediate removal of the vns. The pt's medical history lists migraine headaches, esophageal reflux, and tia; it is unk the relationship of the events to vns. The pt's neurological exam showed headaches associated with dizziness and seizures and the pt feels like her device moves around from the chest area to under her armpit at times. The physician is referring the pt for vns removal and educated the pt about how some of her symptoms may be related to stress and not completely due to vns implant, since they were ongoing after the device was disabled that day. Good faith attempts for additional info from the pt's nurse practitioner have been to no avail thus far.
Device failure is suspected, but did not cause or contribute to a death.
It was reported that the vns patient was having issues with pain and with device migration. Clinic notes were received indicating that the patient had severe fatigue and tremors over the last two months. She later reported having a strange tremor in her head that occurred several times per day. It was noted that patient¿s device had migrated from its original position and was located at the wall of the axilla. Chest and neck x-rays were ordered because the patient reported occasional shocking sensations to the left side of the neck. The patient was instructed to temporarily disable her device with the magnet to determine whether her symptoms would subside. An implant card was received indicating that the patient underwent generator and lead replacement surgery due painful stimulation, shocking sensations and lead discontinuity. The patient¿s lead reportedly fell off the patient¿s vagus nerve and caused high impedance. The explanted generator and lead have not been returned to date. Attempts for additional relevant information have been unsuccessful to date.
It was reported that a patient underwent generator revision surgery due to vibrating pain that occurred in the left axilla during stimulation on times. Once the patient's device was replaced, the pain appeared to resolve. Good faith attempts to obtain additional information from the patient's treating physician have been unsuccessful to date.
On (b)(6) 2011, it was reported by a vns implanting surgeon to the case manager that the vns patient was seen on (b)(6) 2011, complaining of a "burning sensation" in her neck. The patient's generator had been recently replaced and the generator was placed in her axilla region instead of the clavicular region. The patient is having discomfort with the generator in her axilla region, especially when she sleeps at night, therefore, she was referred to the surgeon for repositioning of her generator. No diagnostics were performed. On (b)(6) 2011, the surgeon moved the patient's generator to just under the clavicle. However, the surgeon used electrocautery to open up the patient. The manufacturer's consultant was advised that there is a safety alert regarding the use of electrocautery with vns because it could possibly disable the generator or affect the battery life. The consultant was informed that he needed to review the safety alert with the surgeon. It was reported that they were able to communicate with the generator and everything was fine after the surgery. Good faith attempts for further information from the patient's physician have been to no avail thus far. If additional information is received, it will be reported.
Reporter indicated the patient developed seromas in the chest and neck that later developed into abscesses, which is why the patient's vns was explanted. The events are felt to be related to trauma to the arms and neck by the patient's attendants while repeatedly moving the patient. The patient is recovering satisfactorily from the explant surgery. Analysis of the explanted vns generator was completed. Visual observations showed that the header was detached from the pulse generator case, which is not typical in a surgical procedure. It is very likely that the header was detached from the pulse generator case during or after the explant process. This is based on the location of the tool marks observed on the pulse generator case and header. In addition, the generator shows no evidence of bodily fluid remnants in the case/header areas. Therefore, this observation/finding is not considered a device failure, but instead the result of extensive manipulation of the product during or after the explant process. A comprehensive automated electrical evaluation showed that the pulse generator performed according to functional specifications.
Reporter indicated that a patient presented on (b)(6) 2011 with vns generator migration to the axilla along with generator extrusion through the skin. No infection was present. It was unknown what caused the migration or generator extrusion to occur, or if anything precipitated the events. It is not known if the patient had any trauma or if device manipulation occurred. The patient is developmentally delayed. The generator was surgically repositioned on (b)(6) 2011 in a new pocket under the pectoralis muscle and was secured to the fascia with a silk suture. No devices were explanted. The patient was also given antibiotics and is healing well.
Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of the device manufacturing records confirmed sterilization for both the generator and lead prior to distribution.
It was reported on (b)(6) 2012, by a caregiver to the manufacturer that the vns patient had surgery on (b)(6) 2011, due to generator migration, infection and wound dehiscence at the generator site. The patient recovered per the caregiver until (b)(6) 2012, when it was noted there was swelling and redness along the vns lead wire in the neck area. On (b)(6) 2012, the patient had surgery to debride the neck area, and the patient was given antibiotics. The wound was also packed daily with gauze. 8 weeks after the surgery the wound opened up and the patient was again put on antibiotics. It was previously reported by the treating surgeon that no infection was present at the generator site at the time of surgery on (b)(6) 2011, but wound dehiscence and migration at the generator site had occurred. Clinic notes were also received from the treating surgeon documenting the neck abscess/dehiscence reported by the caregiver, and that cultures of the neck wound site noted rare (b)(6) bacteria. The patient had developed a neck abscess that had healed, but subsequently opened up recently and was very superficial. The area was cauterized with silver nitrate. The patient was also on oral antibiotics. The patient also has a chest seroma in the area of the vns generator that may be due to trauma, and is being watched for now. Additional manufacturer follow-up with the treating surgeon revealed the neck abscess/dehiscence was felt to be due to trauma and patient manipulation. No medication changes contributed to the events, and no additional interventions have been performed for the neck abscess/dehiscence or chest seroma. The patient is recovering per the surgeon.
Reporter indicated the patient may be reimplanted with the vns in the future, but no surgery has been scheduled to date. The vns has been helpful for the patient's seizures in the past per the reporter.
Reporter indicated the patient would have vns lead and generator explant surgery due to infection at the left chest generator site. Prior to the surgery, it was noted on (b)(6) 2012 that the chest wound was opened. The patient had developed seromas of the neck and chest over the last year, which were opened up and packed. The seromas had abscesses. The neck wound had recently healed. The chest wound was packed with nu gauze, and the patient was to continue daily wound packing. The patient later had generator and lead explant surgery performed on (b)(6) 2012. No new devices were implanted. The generator only was returned and is pending analysis. Attempts for further information are in progress.
Product analysis of the explanted generator has been completed. Results of diagnostic testing indicated that the device was operating properly and communicated properly. Post burn-in electrical test results showed that the pulse generator performed according to functional specifications.
It was initially reported that the patient that after losing (b)(6) lbs. Intentionally, she feels like her generator has migrated to her armpit. The patient is also having severe headaches on the left side and has been experiencing them for the past (b)(6). The pain in intermittent and feels like it is occurring when the device stimulations. The pain is sharp and does not resolve with medication treatment. The patient was instructed to follow up with her physician. Later information was received indicating that the headaches resolved when the magnet was used to disable the device. The patient is going to be referred to a surgeon for the migration. The pain was quite significant in that the patient had absolutely no relief unless the magnet was secured over the generator site however then the patient ran the risk of not getting the therapy. The reason they believed the device was malfunctioning was because the patient did not have these headaches before and the pain began rather quickly and worsened only to improve when the device was disabled with the magnet. There were no medication changes or other factors preceding the onset of the headaches. There were no reports of trauma either. The generator was replaced and the patient has been doing well since replacement with no further pain. The explanted generator has been returned to the manufacturer and is currently undergoing product analysis.
Additional information received revealed that 3-0 vicryl sutures were used to secure the generator to the fascia during implant on (b)(6) 2010.
Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2011, were received from case management which revealed that the patient had experienced chest pain for the past (b)(6) months, which radiated down her axilla and arm. The patient has had catamenial seizures affecting her right arm since age fifteen. She has had spells of right arm stiffening two years prior to her first generalized tonic-clonic seizure at age (b)(6). It was reported that vns has "reduced her seizures from daily to only associated with menses. " the patient was seen on (b)(6) 2011, on an urgent basis due to a new onset of headaches that required hospitalization, as well as seizures. The patient's seizures have been variable over the years from five seizures per day, to as many as twenty per day (30% during wakefulness and 70% waking her from her sleep), especially during ovulation and onset of menses. However prior to vns, she had them outside her menses as well. The patient experiences multiple focal seizures around her menses. The patient's chest pain is described as sharp affecting the lateral and posterior region of her left chest. However, palpation does not recreate pain, rather, the pain is created by stretching. The patient takes hydrocodone and ibuprofen for the left chest pain. The patient was concerned that vns may be causing the pain. Further more, the patient called the physician on (b)(6) 2011, as documented in the clinic notes because she was having chest pain and went to a cardiologist who alleged that she has a "broken wire" in her vns. The patient reported that the cardiologist felt around it and stated that he "felt a pulse where it was broken. " the patient reported that the pain was so bad, when she got home that she took a percocet, but the pain still persisted around her heart area, left axilla, and down her left arm to her hand. The patient wanted to know what to do because the pain was progressing. The patient was referred for a stat chest x-ray to check the leads. However, no lead breaks were noticed by the physician during a review of the x-rays. The patient was prescribed percocet. The patient was also referred for a consult with a surgeon for a new generator or vns adjustment. The x-rays were not sent to the manufacturer for analysis. The patient had generator replacement surgery on (b)(6) 2011. Attempts for additional information from the patient's neurologist's office have been unsuccessful thus far. The reason for generator replacement is not known at this time. The diagnostics performed on (b)(6) 2011, did not indicate that there was a device malfunction. A batter life calculation was performed with the history available in the in-house programming database, and the results were approximately 3. 91 years until eri=yes.
Analysis of programming history. Device failure is suspected but did not cause or contribute to a death or serious injury.
Only a portion of the lead was returned for analysis which did not reveal any anomalies. Device failure is suspected in the lead portion not returned, but did not cause or contribute to a death or serious injury. Type of report, corrected data: initial report inadvertently did not indicate "30-day. ".
Attempts for additional information have been unsuccessful to date.
The explanted lead and generator were returned and underwent analysis. An implant card and returned product form were received indicating the reason for replacement was lead discontinuity. The entire lead was not returned. No anomalies were observed in the returned lead portions except two abraded openings in the outer tubing. Analysis of the generator found it performed to functional specifications.
It was reported that the patient's vns was now indicating high impedance. The patient's mother indicated that the patient's generator is implanted underneath his armpit due to his young age. The mother indicated that the patient roughhoused on occasion and they also frequently picked the patient up from under his armpits. Per the mother, the patient had been experiencing an increase in seizures below the pre-vns baseline seizure frequency since (b)(6) 2011. The magnet no longer was aborting seizures and the patient's voice no longer changed with stimulation around this time as well. No x-rays have been taken to evaluate for a lead fracture. The device has reportedly not been disabled as recommended in manufacturer labeling. Review of the programming history available to the manufacturer found that the lead impedance was normal on (b)(6) 2010 at 2900 ohms however, a significant change in impedance occurred on (b)(6) 2010 when the impedance changed from 5386 ohms to 2700ohms. This could be indicative of an intermittent lead issue beginning at that time eventually developing into the current issue. Surgery to replace the patient's lead and generator has occurred. Attempts for the return of the explanted products and for additional information are in progress.
It was reported that the patient was referred for vns repositioning surgery due to severe pain around her neck and chest region and muscle spasms radiating to the axillary region. No relevant surgical intervention is known to have occurred to date. No additional relevant information has been received to date.
Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of manufacturing records confirmed sterilization prior to distribution.
It was reported through clinic notes received on 8/21/2012 and dated (b)(6) 2012, that the patient had been fighting recurrent left axillary abscesses and had recently been put back on medications. No additional information is known.
The device manufacturing records for the implanted generator were reviewed and sterilization, prior to distribution was confirmed.
A registered nurse at the treating physician's office reported on (b)(6) 2012 to the company representative that the patient complained of left mid axillary pain and thought it was due to the vns having moved. A chest x-ray was ordered, and the nurse reported that it appears to have shifted slightly inferomedially. The electrode reportedly has moved as well. Previously, it was reported on (b)(6) 2012 from the surgeon's office that they were planning on seeing the patient for evaluation of the patient's reported complaint of pain at the generator site. The neurologist's office referred the patient to the ent to see if the complaint she had was related to another reason other than vns. An ent evaluated the patient and concluded that there may be generator migration which may be causing the discomfort at the generator site. Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2012 reported that the patient still remains with difficulty tolerating the device. She has intermittent dysphonia, pain in the neck radiating to the ear and the mandible and sometimes problems swallowing. The previous visit they discussed referral to ent for evaluation, and the patient requested for the referral. The referral requested for evaluation of the neck, ear and mandible pain related to vns to see if there is a need to revise the area where the device is placed. On the previous visit on (b)(6) 2012, the patient presented with no side effects. Follow up with the referring neurologist revealed that the pain was first observed on (b)(6) 2010. The dysphonia and trouble swallowing are reportedly recurring problems noticed in (b)(6) 2010. The patient was advised to have x-rays taken and to be evaluated by a neurosurgeon. No patient manipulation or trauma occurred that is believed to have caused/contributed to the events, and no causal or contributory changes preceded the onset of the events either. The neurologist reported that the pain, trouble swallowing, and dysphonia are associated with stimulation. The patient does not have a pre-existing medical history of having difficulty swallowing prior to vns. Although surgery was still being considered in (b)(6) 2012, it had not been scheduled to date due to the physician wanting the patient undergo imaging studies. Attempts for additional information from the surgeon and treating physician's office have been unsuccessful to date. Although surgery is likely, it has not occurred to date.
Additional information was received from the treating neurologist which revealed that medical/surgical intervention was planned with regards to the migration and discomfort at the generator site due to patient comfort and not to preclude a serious injury. The outcome of the repositioning surgery was "good", per the physician. The lead migrated due to "body habitus" (patient physique), however details were not provided. No causal or contributory programming or medication changes precede the onset of the lead migration. X-rays of the patient's vns were taken but have not been received by the manufacturer to date. The x-ray report was provided by the physician which indicated that the patient "complained of pain in the region of the vns device. Also states that she feels the device has shifted. Exam was done for vns placement. " chest x-ray of (b)(6) 2012 and also compared to soft tissues of the neck x-ray of (b)(6) 2010. The vns generator reportedly appeared to have shifted slightly inferomedically relative to its position previously. The electrode coursing into the base of the left neck appears intact; however, it also appeared to have shifted slightly, per the report. Previously, it was overlying the 2nd rib and on (b)(6) 2012 appeared to have shifted interomedially and was overlying the left apex. It coursed into the base of the neck as previously.
The patient had vns repositioning surgery on (b)(6) 2012. Further details were not available. Attempts for additional information have been unsuccessful to date. The clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2012, reported that the generator appeared to have shifted slightly inferomedially which was believed to have caused pain to the neck and left face area.
Device Problem Fluid leak
Device failure is suspected, but did not cause or contribute to a death or serious injury.
The patient reported that the surgeon informed her that the lead had fluid in it when it was explanted which he believed caused her pain.
Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of manufacturing records confirmed that the lead passed all quality and functional testing prior to distribution. Device failure is suspected, but did not cause or contribute to a death or serious injury.
It was reported by the patient's physician that the patient had been experiencing some adverse events associated with stimulation. The events started on (b)(6) 2012 and were described as a shocking pain, at the collar bone, which did not occur with every stimulation cycle. Additionally, the patient reported that she could see the lead pulsating during the stimulation. The patient was swollen all the way along the leads from the generator to the electrodes. The device was checked on (b)(6) 2012 and the diagnostics results were all normal and within normal limits. There was no reported trauma. It was reported that when the pulse width was lowered from 500usec to 250usec, the swelling went way within 15 minutes. X-rays were performed and the device was left enabled as the patient could tolerate the events and was doing well with vns therapy. Ap and lateral views of the neck and chest for patient were reviewed. The generator is seen in the left chest area. The filter feedthru wires appear intact and the lead pin can be seen past the second connector block indicating that it is fully inserted into the generator. A portion of the lead appears to be behind the generator. The electrodes were observed in the neck and appear to be in proper alignment. The lead is seen routed down toward the generator. No lead breaks or fractures were observed. Based on the x-ray images provided, it appears that the generator and lead were implanted per labeling guidelines and no fractures or discontinuities are present. The cause of the reported issues could not be identified. Clinic notes were later received for this patient which indicated that the patient was also experiencing increased hoarseness with stimulation and protrusion of the lead. The swelling was said to noticeable and cause redness of the area. Additionally, the patient indicated that she was experiencing muscle spasms with stimulation as well. Following the decrease in settings, the muscle spasms and electrical shocks continued to a lesser degree and the patient also started experiencing an increase in seizures thought to be related to the lowered settings. On (b)(6) 2012, the pulse width was increased again to 500usec, and these settings were tolerated without issue for an hour. On (b)(6) 2012 the patient reported that she continued to have daily "shocking sensations" and "fluttering sensations" in the neck and near her armpit. These were said to be not severe. Additionally the patient reported that she is not performing any particular movements or actions when these feelings are occurring as it can happen when she is not moving and at rest. On (b)(6) 2012 the patient again reported daily electrical shocks with the shocking occurring 4 times on (b)(6) 2012. Additionally she reports neck swelling but indicated that she would not disable the device as therapy has been working for the patient. The patient was seen again on (b)(6) 2012. She reported that her shocking is dally and she can have up to 2 of the "shocking symptoms that startle her and make her jump" otherwise does feel the fluttering (feels electrical flutter) and pain with stimulation along the lead wires just under left collar bone. If she has those shocks, her neck swells and then it becomes red, then it goes into a chest pain/pressure. Diagnostics performed on that date were still within normal limits. While the patient indicated that there had been no manipulation or trauma, her husband indicated that there was pain in her chest caused by their dogs jumping on her. The patient was referred for revision and underwent a lead replacement procedure on (b)(6) 2012. It was reported by the patient's neurologist that, during the procedure, the surgeon identified small pin holes in the lead and bodily fluid inside the insulation. Attempts for product return have been unsuccessful to date as the hospital indicated that they do not have anything to return.
Additional information was received on (b)(6) 2012 indicating that the revision surgery had resolved the pain issues. Additionally a review of the device manufacturing records indicated that the lead had passed all functional and electrical tests, as well as all quality inspections prior to distribution. A user facility report; number: (b)(4), was also received. This reported that the patient was experiencing "electric like shock above the stimulator and over the pectoral region". During revision, fluid was observed inside the lead insulation. The generator was tested during the procedure and was found to be functioning properly. No additional information has been made available.
Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of device history records confirmed that both the lead and generator were sterilized prior to distribution.
On (b)(6) 2012, it was reported that this vns patient had an infection. The patient's device was explanted. On (b)(6) 2012, the patient underwent re-implant. The patient had autism and picked at the incision which caused infection. During revision, the generator was re-implanted far under the patient's armpit. It is unknown when the patient's device explanted prior to replacement. No additional information is available. A review of device history records showed that both the lead and generator were sterilized prior to distribution.
Additional information was received that the patient¿s arm paralysis was approximately six years prior. The event had resolved, was no longer an issue, and was not believed to be related to vns.
Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2013 indicated that the patient suffered from seizures, headaches, and hemiparesis. Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 0213 indicated that the patient experienced increased back pain and that her hips were still sore because of injections. Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2013 indicates that the patient had increased back pain with a possible event in her hips. The patient had to use her magnet over the last few days. Additional information was received indications that provided recent diagnostics results. The patient was referred for generator replacement. Surgery is likely but has not taken place.
The generator analysis was completed on (b)(4) 2013. An end-of-service warning message was verified in the pa lab and found to be associated with the output being disabled by the pulse generator. Burn marks were observed on the pulse generator case, which indicated that the pulse generator may have been exposed to an electro-cautery tool during device explant. A reset of the pulsedisable bit in the generator memory was performed to allow for an output to once again be provided by the generator for subsequent testing. In the pa lab, the device output signal was monitored for more than 24-hrs, while the generator was placed in a simulated body temperature environment. Results showed no signs of variation in the pulse generator¿s output signal and demonstrated that the device provided the expected level of output current for the entire monitoring period. The pulse generator diagnostics were as expected for the programmed parameters. In addition, a comprehensive automated electrical evaluation showed that the pulse generator performed according to functional specifications. The battery shows a non-ifi condition. Other than the noted condition, there were no performance or any other type of adverse conditions found with the pulse generator.
On (b)(6) 2013, it was reported that this vns patient was having breakthrough seizures and now feels tired all the time. The patient reported that the generator was put in arm pit, a pointy thing sticking out of the armpit that she had to get used to. The patient wasn't sure if the surgery caused nerve damage for she had a problem with her arm for 1 year post operatively and could not move her arm. Surgery is likely but has not taken place.
On (b)(6) 2013, this vns patient underwent generator revision. The explanted generator was returned on (b)(4) 2013 and is pending analysis.
Manufacturer reviewed x-rays of implanted device. X-rays reviewed by the manufacturer, lead pin not fully inserted past the connector block of generator.
Device failure is suspected, but did not cause or contribute to a serious injury.
Reporter indicated intermittent high lead impedance was noted for a patient who recently had vns generator replacement on (b)(6) 2013. The patient had no known trauma. The patient is also experiencing painful stimulation at the electrode site in the neck. X-rays were reviewed by the manufacturer. The electrodes are visualized at approximately t1 and are in alignment; the electrodes are implanted lower than what is usually seen. The generator is implanted in the left axilla. This is much more lateral than what is normally seen. The view does not allow full assessment of the lead pin insertion. The lead wire is intact at the lead pin. The filter feedthroughs are intact. There is a small amount of lead behind the generator that cannot be assessed. The cause of the high lead impedance is unknown at this time, but may be due to inadequate pin insertion or a lead fracture. Attempts for additional information are in progress.
Reporter indicated the patient had vns lead pin reinsertion surgery performed on (b)(6) 2013. After the lead pin was reinserted into the generator header, diagnostics were within normal limits (3218 ohms). No new devices were implanted.
Manufacturer review of the device history records for the vns lead and generator confirmed both devices passed all final testing prior to distribution.
Additional x-rays were reviewed by the manufacturer. The lead pin did not appear to be fully inserted. No additional anomalies were noted. The surgeon indicated he felt the lead pin had been fully inserted as two audible clicks were heard when tightening the setscrew. However, the possibility of a lead fracture may also exist. Reporter indicated the patient was also having increased seizures and that the plan of care is to have vns revision surgery; however, this has not occurred to date.
Information was received that the patient was seen on (b)(6) 2013 for consult. The notes indicated that the patient¿s pain in the chest was not consistent with vns. It was stated that the (b)(6) event was a recurrent infection ((b)(6)), but it is unknown when this started as this information was provided by the patient. There was no documentation was available regarding the ¿heart problems¿; however, it was documented that the patient was negative for murmurs or gallops. No additional information or x-rays were available. Attempts for product return have been unsuccessful. An implant card indicated that the patient was explanted due to painful stimulation.
On (b)(6) 2013, this patient underwent generator revision. The product has not been returned to date.
On (b)(6) 2013, it was reported that this patient's device has shifted due to weight loss beginning in 2011. This was not causing the patient pain that began four days prior. For the past month, the patient had been observing a lump over the generator site, and since then, it has tripled in size. There was no manipulation/trauma and no medication changes or programming changes. The patient stated that she was last seen two months prior by her vns physician, and her device was found to be functioning properly. Additional information was received indicating that the a little over a month ago, a quarter-sized nodule was noticed near her generator. Now the area is swollen from the left side of her sternum to her arm pit, approximately the size of a hand. The outline of the generator is visible. The area is painful and bruising. There is no drainage or opening in the incision area, and there was no trauma to the area. Vns had controlled her seizures as she has gone from 15 per day to 2 to 3 per month. Clarification was given that the generator migrates from mid-left ribs to under the arm pit settings and diagnostics from (b)(6) 2013 were provided. The patient was referred for prophylactic replacement and pocket revision additional information was received that there may be a disc in the patient's neck that is out of place. (the left side of her neck had been swollen for several months, and she has limited movement on her left side. ) this is not related to vns. It was also suggested that the patient had heart problems, and the patient is a (b)(6) carrier. Surgery is likely but has not taken place.
Event description, corrected data: previously submitted mdr inadvertently omitted information received during follow-up. This report is being submitted to correct this information.
On (b)(6) 2013, it was reported that this vns patient required a lead revision for an unknown reason. Follow-up showed that the surgery was for repositioning of the lead. During surgery on (b)(6) 2013, the patient's generator was in the axillary position and moved to chest area. It is unknown where in the chest the device was initially implanted. Attempts for additional information have been unsuccessful.
Corrected data: previously submitted mdr indicated the patient was the operator of the device. Additional information was received indicating that the physician may have contributed to the error. This report is being submitted to correct this data.
Additional information was received indicting that the patient was referred for surgery due to pain/pinching in her axillary area. It is unknown exactly when this began. The surgery was for patient comfort. No patient manipulation or trauma occurred that is believed to have caused/contributed to the event. A non-absorbable suture was not used to secure the generator to fascia during implantation of the generator.
The surgeon reported that a non-absorbable suture used to secure the generator to fascia during implantation of the device on (b)(6) 2012.
Review of manufacturing records performed. Review of the generator manufacturing records confirmed all quality tests were passed prior to distribution.
It was initially reported that the patient reported to the neurologist that her generator migrated to the left axillary area. The neurologist¿s office reported on (b)(6) 2013 that they were referring the patient back to the implanting surgeon as they suspect that the lead has come disconnected from the generator, and the patient was having an increase in seizures since the early part of the prior week. Additionally, the neurologist¿s office was unable to interrogate the generator on (b)(6) 2013. It was unknown by the nurse at the neurologist¿s office if patient manipulation or trauma occur that is believed to have caused/contributed to the generator migration. The patient later reported on (b)(6) 2013 that she is considering having her device removed. She reported that three days after implanted, the patient began to experience frequent chest pains, shortness of breath, and difficulty speaking; these events are captured in mfg report number: 1644487-2013-01474. She also reported experiencing hot flashes. She reported that her seizures have reduced from daily to 5 times in the last year. The last vns dosing adjustment was (b)(6) 2013, in which she reported that the neurologist turned the vns settings up. However, this has not been confirmed by the neurologist to date. Attempts for information from the neurologist have been unsuccessful. Additionally, attempts to the surgeon regarding type of suture used to secure the generator to the fascia during implant surgery have been unsuccessful to date. Although surgery is likely, it has not occurred to date.
On (b)(6) 2013 information was received that the physician had had a visit with the patient that morning for follow-up after a recent generator replacement surgery. The physician noted that the patient¿s generator site was exposed by approximately 1 cm, that the generator was visible, but that there appeared to be no signs of infection. The patient¿s mother stated that the patient had been picking at the incision site. The physician stated that the site appeared to be healing and that he would see the patient after another week to monitor the healing process. If the site is not healed by then, the surgeon was considering removing the generator and placing it in another site. The physician did not prescribe any antibiotics during the visit because the site did not appear to be infected. A review of manufacturing records confirmed that both the generator and lead passed all functional tests prior to distribution, as well were properly sterilized prior to distribution. Follow-up with the physician indicated that at the follow-up visit he had observed that the implant, which had been implanted into the axillary incision from prior implant, was visible through the sutures. The physician stated that at the (b)(6) 2013 visit there had been erythema around the generator site and that at the follow-up visit the erythema had decreased considerably so and that the site was beginning to look better and beginning to granulate slowly. The physician stated that if the site does not granulate completely that he would have no choice but to explant the generator and either let the incision heal completely before reimplanting again in that location or placing the generator elsewhere instead. The physician will continue to monitor the situation. Attempts for additional information are still in continuation.
A comprehensive automated electrical evaluation showed that the pulse generator performed according to functional specifications. The battery, 3. 072 volts as measured during completion of test parameter 7. 16. 10. 2 (measured diagvbat) of the final electrical test, shows a non-ifi condition. The data in the diagaccumconsumed memory locations revealed that 2. 826% of the battery had been consumed. There were no performance or any other type of adverse conditions found with the pulse generator. Note that a small portion of the lead assembly (body) including the electrode section was not returned for analysis and therefore a complete evaluation could not be performed on the entire lead product. The condition of the returned lead portion is consistent with conditions that typically exist following an explant procedure. No obvious anomalies were noted except for the set of setscrew marks found near the end of the connector pin indicating the lead had not been fully inserted into the cavity of the generator. The additional setscrew marks found on the lead connector pin provide evidence that, at one point in time, a good mechanical and electrical connection was present. Dried body fluids inside the outer and inner tubing was observed in some areas. Continuity checks of the returned lead portion were performed, during the visual analysis, and no discontinuities were identified. Based on the findings in the product analysis lab, there is no evidence to suggest an anomaly with the returned portion of the device. Note that since a small portion of the lead assembly (body) including the electrode array section was not returned for analysis, an evaluation and resulting commentary cannot be made on that portion of the lead. No other information has been provided.
Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of manufacturing records confirmed sterilization for both the generator and lead and that they passed all functional tests prior to distribution.
Additional information was received stating that the vns patient was re-implanted with a new generator and lead on (b)(6) 2014.
On (b)(4) 2013 information was received by the reporter that the patient had been tentatively scheduled for a vns revision surgery on (b)(6) 2013 due to the generator being exposed at the chest incision site. Follow-up determined that the patient instead underwent surgery on (b)(6) 2013. The patient had completely removed the generator from his chest and approximately 5 cm of the lead wire was also exposed. The generator and lead were both explanted by the physician and the physician intends to wait a month to allow the incision sites to fully heal before reimplanting vns in the patient. It was also reported that the patient had a skin condition and will be referred to a dermatologist for diagnosis. The explanted lead and generator have been returned to the manufacturer and will soon undergo product analysis. Attempts for additional information will remain in continuation.
It was reported that the patient underwent explant after experiencing a severe wound infection. It was reported that the patient was seen at a hospital and was given antibiotics. Then approximately a month and a half later, the patient was seen by the physician to have the device explanted. It was reported that cultures were negative, but that they were most likely negative due to the antibiotics the patient took. The physician indicated that the patient may have induced the infection by "scrubbing" the infection and because of his low socio-economic status. Further follow-up revealed that the patient experienced a focal axillar dehiscence three weeks post op which had reported healed after a few days. It was reported that two months post op the patient experienced major wound dehiscence with purulent discharge. Attempts to have the device returned for analysis have been unsuccessful to date. It was reported that the hospital is refusing to release the device.
Further follow-up revealed that the patient's surgery occurred as planned on (b)(6) 2013. Only the generator was explanted. It was reported that the surgery was for patient comfort. It was reported that the patient was not using vns therapy as prescribed because the patient wasn't being followed by a psychiatrist and having the device programmed as needed. No known causal or contributory factors preceded the onset of the events. It is unknown if a non-absorbable suture was used to secure the generator to the fascia during the implant surgery. Attempts to have the generator returned for analysis have been unsuccessful to date.
Initially, it was reported that the patient has been experiencing difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath. The patient reported that this is more often than not. The patient also reported that it feels like the device is shocking her from the generator to up under her tongue. The patient reported that taping the magnet over the generator was attempting, but was too painful. The patient also reported that the generator feels like it is slipping down into her armpit. The patient reported that the device has not been checked in three to four years. The patient was later seen by a surgeon and surgery was scheduled. It is unknown whether or not surgery occurred as planned. Attempt to obtain additional information have been unsuccessful to date.
Device manufacturing records were reviewed. Review of manufacturing records of the generator confirmed all quality tests were passed prior to distribution.
It was reported that the patient was experiencing generator migration in the breast and armpit areas, protrusion, and pain to the point where it was noticeable. The generator was believed to have either never been secured, or the stitch had broken. The generator was also larger than her previous model. No surgical intervention to correct the migration/protrusion has occurred to date.
Device Problem Mechanical issue
It was reported that the patient was scheduled for a full revision. It was reported that since the time of the patient¿s battery replacement in (b)(6) 2017, the patient has complained of intermittent shocking pain that travels from his armpit area up to his lateral left neck and only occurs when the vns is on. The device was turned off and the events stopped. X-rays were stated to show nothing. The patient underwent a full replacement. The surgeon state that the lead insulation near the generator was no longer present, causing the wires to be exposed. This was the area the patient was feeling the shocking sensations. System diagnostics were performed before surgery and impedance was ok. The generator was on prior to the surgery staring. It was stated he was on rapid cycling according to the surgeon¿s notes. However it was stated he was in patient for an emu stay at some point in the last 24 hours and his settings were changed. The explanted generator and lead were received for analysis. Analysis is underway but has not been completed to date. No additional or relevant information has been received to date.
It was reported that surgery was being taken to reposition the patient's generator as the generator had migrated to an axillary position. It was also reported that the generator had been replaced recently and since there had been issues with wound healing and the wound had opened. No additional or relevant information has been received to date.
It was reported to the manufacture from explanting physician in (b)(6) that he had a patient with lack of efficacy with their vns therapy and who was having pain at their generator site, left infraclavicular. In the last 2 years, the patient had experienced pain in the area of the generator in the left infraclavicular and axillary regions. The generator had been turned off for 3 years due to battery exhaustion. The patient insisted on having their vns system explanted related to their pain events. It is unknown if this surgery was for patient comfort or to preclude a serious injury to the patient. During the explant procedure at a depth of about 1. 5 cm, the first securing clip was found. The suture was detached and the clip dissected from the fibrin sheath. The cable was followed in the proximal direction and the next securing clip found after 1 cm at the level of the carotid. Here, the suture of the securing clip had pierced the adventitia of the carotid artery. The fibrin sheath surrounded the securing clip, forming a cuff on the carotid. Since the stimulator cable ran through a scar between the jugular and carotid arteries into the depths, dissection was attempted here as well. The project had to be aborted, however, because it was too risky, and both the carotid and the jugular could have been injured. Their explanted generator was returned for analysis. In the product analysis laboratory, it was determined that the device was at and end of service condition; an open can measurement of the battery voltage confirmed that the battery was depleted. Based on the bench analysis and the electrical test results, the device exhibited current consumption rates that were within specification; thereby, demonstrating normal battery depletion to an end of service condition. No programming history records were found; consequently, a battery life calculation could not be performed. The device performed according to functional specification. Therefore, the electrical performance of the generator, as measured in the product analysis laboratory, will be used to conclude that no performance or any other type of adverse condition was found with the generator.
Clinic notes were received indicating that the vns patient may have experienced some sort of an axillary infection in (b)(6) 2014 from poking and scratching at his device. The patient¿s device was reported to be functioning well at the time. Attempts for additional relevant information have been unsuccessful to date.
Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2014 reported that the patient had been treated for an ¿abscess¿ in the left axillae with an incision and drainage by his primary care physician on two occasions recently. The most recent was about a week and a half prior. The patient denied any antibiotic prescription given. The patient reported that it had returned somewhat. Upon physical examination, there was an approximate 1. 5 inch length palpable lesion in the left axillae which was soft but not mobile. There was no redness or skin breakdown. There was no tenderness to palpitation. The physician¿s assessment at that time was that the lesion may represent a sterile cyst versus infection abscess with the infection abscess less likely. Clinic notes dated (b)(6) 2014 reported that the patient had an axillary cyst which had since been drained and appeared to have improved at that point.
Manufacturer device history records were reviewed. Review of the generator device history records confirmed sterilization was performed prior to distribution.
It was reported that the patient's vns had migrated from the chest to the underarm and was causing pain. The patient expressed her desire to have the device removed. It was later reported that the patient was referred for generator replacement surgery. Device diagnostics were reported to be normal. No relevant surgical intervention is known to have occurred to date. No additional or relevant information has been received to date.
Type of report, corrected data: initial report inadvertently did not indicate "30-day. ".
It was reported that the patient's vns was now indicating high impedance with dcdc=7 during a system diagnostic test. The patient has not had any adverse events however the physician indicated that she believes the generator has been migrating towards the patient's armpit. The physician indicated that this migration could have contributed to the high impedance. X-rays were taken that reportedly did not indicate any issues however they will not be sent to the manufacturer for review. No trauma or manipulation is believed to have occurred. Last known diagnostics were taken on (b)(6) 2010. Attempts for additional information have been unsuccessful to date.
Surgery to replace the patient's lead and generator has occurred. Diagnostic results following lead and generator replacement were normal following replacement. It was noted that a non-absorbable suture had been previously used to secure the generator. Attempts for the return of the explanted lead and generator were unsuccessful as the implant hospital indicated they believe the explants had been discarded after surgery.
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Netball: Heller's Mainland impress on and off court
Thursday, 7 June, 2018 - 17:16
Heller’s Mainland performances on court have pushed them to the top of the Beko Netball League table, while their coach’s performance off court has also been making a significant impact.
Last year’s finalists are one point clear at the top of the league table after four rounds and impressed to net victory over the previously unbeaten Waikato-BOP last week.
New coach Ronelle van Dongen has also found herself in the spotlight when she assisted a member of the public en route to a Beko League match.
The former Canterbury representative, who worked as a nurse while living in Australia before returning home last year, was with her Mainland team at Christchurch airport preparing to Auckland to take on the Northern Comets when she was involved in a medical emergency.
"We noticed someone had collapsed and so I went to assist," van Dongen said. "The training just sort of kicks in and fortunately there was also a doctor on hand, but it was reasonably serious.
"I sort of lost track of time but was lucky that my manager and assistant coach were onto it and had grabbed my gear, checked me in and sorted everything. And fortunately our flight had been delayed."
Her quick actions left an impression on the Mainland netballers who named van Dongen ‘player of the day’ after their Beko League match.
"It was a nice touch," she said with a laugh. "It’s so easy to get caught up in busy lives so it was actually nice to sit down with the girls and talk about what had happen. It was just a reminder that netball is a sport."
Now they are back on the road with a trip to Rotorua where they back up against Waikato-BOP, the team they beat by seven goals in Ashburton last week to leapfrog into top spot on the points table.
Van Dongen said she was pleased to see her charges rise to the challenge in a dominating fourth quarter which turned the match on its head.
"We haven’t always been able to run out 60 minutes so it was nice to see the girls do that," she said. "It was also our first home game and there was a lot of support for us which also made a difference I think."
But she is expects Waikato-BOP to "come out firing" when they meet again this weekend.
"Competition has been so close between all of the teams which I’ve been really impressed with," van Dongen said. "This is my first year looking at the Beko Netball League so I’m getting a good look at all of the teams now."
Van Dongen started coaching in Australia in 2008 and went on to guide the Storm in the national league. She was also assistant coach of the Northern Territory Institute of Sport netball programme and in 2016 achieved the Netball Australia elite coaching accreditation.
But with a young family, the lure of returning home prompted a shift last year which opened up new coaching opportunities.
"It’s been really nice to catch up again with some familiar netball faces and I’ve been enjoying the challenge that comes with the Beko Netball League."
Meanwhile, in other matches this weekend the Northern Comets are at home to South while Central hosts the Northern Marvels on Sunday.
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How can Virginia wineries do a better job of selling their products beyond the boundaries of the Virginia wine country? One way to do that is to open retail establishments dedicated to selling Virginia wines in the heavily populated Washington, D.C. suburbs of Northern Virginia. Another is to look north to New York State to see how the wineries there are able to sell their wines to the busy New York City market. There, a chain of wine shops, Vintage New York (www.vintagenewyork.com), is dedicated to selling New York wines to New Yorkers.
The farming and marketing situation in New York State is similar to that in Virginia. Virginia has around 100 wineries. New York has 175. Virginia has 2,500 acres of grapes. Not including Concord grapes, used to make juice and cheap wine, New York is somewhat larger with their largest grape-growing region, Long Island, growing 4,000 acres. While both states produce excellent wines from both small and medium-sized wineries, both states have yet to find a wide national and international following.
Robert Ransom and his partner Susan Wine operate two Vintage New York farm winery shops in Manhattan. While Virginia wines are sold through distributors in New York City--Horton, Barboursville, Kluge, and Williamsburg wines are all sold there--only New York wines may be sold in New York under the New York farm winery law. This means Vintage New York is able to operate as a distributor for the smaller wineries. The reason for this is Robert holds a winery license for his Rivendell Winery in the Hudson Valley.
New York City is, of course, unlike another other city in America. While Robert Ransom does not exactly dismiss Washington as a provincial backwater, he does say that New York is the "most important wine market in the world." Certainly at first glance the situation vis-à-vis retail sales is different there. Senator Hillary Clinton has visited New York's Finger Lakes and Long Island grape growing regions with both her star-quality appeal and New York City sommeliers in tow. The result is that some prominent New York restaurants now include New York wines on their wine list. Regarding legislation, currently the wineries and distributors are fighting each other in court over the legality of direct shipment. Robert Bork, Ronald Reagan's failed nominee to the Supreme Court, represents the distributors while Kenneth Starr, Bill Clinton's prosecutor, represents the wineries. (That lawsuit includes one Virginia plaintiff, Swedenburg Winery.)
Robert Ransom calls himself a full-time "proselytizer" who is constantly trying to sell New Yorkers on the merits of New York wine. Almost every day he is conducting tasting at either one of his two Manhattan locations or giving lectures at such venues as the famed lecture hall, the 92nd Street Y.
About selling New York wines to New Yorkers Robert says, "It's not difficult to get them to enjoy and appreciate the wines once we get it into their mouths. The whole reason that we opened this store was to expose New Yorkers to their own local product that they probably didn't have an exposure to before."
Robert Ransom says that New Yorkers are sometimes loath to drink what is grown in their own backyard. He says that some of his best customers are tourists. They amble into his wine shops in Soho and the Upper West Side and are somewhat incredulous that wines are made in New York. They ask, "Where do you grow grapes? In Central Park?"
Robert's experience in New York bodes well for Virginia wineries were a similar chain of wine shops to open in Northern Virginia. For Robert Ransom says, "We are probably every one of our suppliers biggest customers." (Granted there is a wine shop, Ye Olde Wine Shoppe, devoted to Virginia wines in Occoquan. But that is outside the heavily populated D.C. suburbs.)
The wine retail business is a tough one with lots of competition for both Virginia and New York wines coming from heavily-marketed, emerging wine regions in Australia and New Zealand and low cost regions like Chile. And California is currently suffering a so-called "grape glut" that has seen prices drop to as little at $1.99 for Charles Swan's wines, better known by the short-hand notation "Two Buck Chuck". Commenting on all the competition, particularly in New York, Robert Ransom says, "New York City is a very loud place. There's a lot of advertising. It's very hard to get heard among all that noise. "
Robert's answer to all this clutter is to make New York wines his niche. He says, "This day and age everyone, with the exception of Walmart, is a focused niche retailer. We took that [NY wine] and made that our niche."
Continuing, "We have chosen 200 wines from maybe 65 of so different wineries and that's all we sell. But they key is everything that we sell is open for the tasting. So people can come in and taste these wines. It's a tasting room environment."
There are several possibilities for Virginia wineries to broaden their reach beyond customers who travel to their tasting rooms, small wine shops in small towns, and Giant and Safeway grocery stores, which sell but do not promote their products. Shawn Walker is special agent in charge of the Virginia ABC. He says that a Virginia farm winery can operate up to 5 remote locations. Prince Michael Vineyards has one such location at Fashion Square Mall in Charlottesville.
Another possibility is American Wine Country (www.americanwinecountry.com) which will be opening a 75,000 square foot retail establishment that in Northern Virginia. One of the San Francisco partners in this firm, Terry Marasco, says, "American is an important distinction as we will be emphasizing American agricultural products--both wine and food." He adds that while a gourmet wine shop selling both American and imported wines will anchor the mall, Virginia wineries will be able to rent floor space on a temporary basis to peddle their wares. Terry says Virginia wineries can, "Rent long term space and set up retail cooperatives." He says the mall staff can help man the booths when the wineries own personnel are not available. Terry adds that, "This is a trend in the California wine business now as is opening retail shops for a specific winery."
Agent Walker says that Virginia wineries are also able to act as their own distributor. So they could sell their wines directly to a wine shop that, like Vintage New York, operate under a farm winery license. But Terry Marasco and Robert Ransom point out that the larger wineries perhaps would not want to make an end-run around their distributors. In the case of Vintage New York, Robert Ransom buys some wines directly from wineries and other wines he buys from the winery's distributors.
Chris Pearmund, of Pearmund Cellars, commenting on the prospects of a Vintage New York style wine shop in Northern Virginia says, "I and few other wineries have thrown this idea around for 2 years, knowing it is a good idea and should do very well." He adds that, "Customers have been proving themselves by coming to where wine it made; [it's] time to bring a dedicated wine shop to them."
Bruce Zoecklin, enologist of Virginia Tech says, "We are making world-class products and could do a better job of marketing them."
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How Will The Resignation of Steve Jobs Affect Apple?
On Wednesday, Apple announced that CEO Steve Jobs will be stepping down from that role. Jobs has been battling health issues – including pancreatic cancer – for several years, so the move was not completely unexpected.
For most people, Steve Jobs IS Apple. Co-founder Jobs was forced out of Apple during a 1985 power struggle with CEO John Sculley (whom Jobs had hired). By 1997, Apple was in a death spiral and its stock was hovering around $13 per share. At the close of day yesterday, Apple’s stock has trading at $373.60. That’s impressive enough – but there have been two stock splits since then, meaning that a single $13 share has turned into 4 current shares worth a total of $1494.40. As a longtime fan of Apple products, it was great to see Jobs initiate such a dramatic turnaround.
The big question is how this will affect Apple long-term. Will the company endure a recurrence of Jobs withdrawal? I think things will be different this time, and these are the reasons:
This separation is different – The separation in 1985 was far from amicable. Jobs was essentially fired. This is a very different situation, with Jobs continuing as chairman of the board, as well as an Apple employee in some capacity. He’ll be around to mentor new CEO Tim Cook as needed. Barring a dramatic downturn in his health, Jobs is not going to simply fade into the background – he’ll still represent Apple.
The company culture is different – When Jobs was forced out in 1985, Apple was a company with a lot of infighting. The Apple II division and the Macintosh division considered themselves to be rivals, with the Macintosh division flying a pirate flag over their building. There was no strong sense of direction. In fact, the Apple IIe line was not discontinued in 1993 … nine years after the introduction of the Macintosh. While I loved the IIe as a kid, the Mac was an exponentially superior product by the time 1993 rolled around. At the time Jobs left, the company was just 9 years old – still not fully mature.
The company is more diversified – When Jobs took over in 1997, Apple basically offered just Macs. Jobs streamlined the number of different Mac models (at the time, there were a large number of models being sold, creating confusion for customers). Since then, Apple has branched out into new areas (iPod, iTunes, iPhones, iPad, etc). This diversification makes the company less vulnerable to a downturn in a specific market.
In a nutshell, I expect Apple to continue to charge forward. Tim Cook has been with Apple since 1998, had been serving as Chief Operating Officer, and was the man Jobs had hand-picked to succeed him. I expect that Jobs will still be involved in a lot of design decisions, while distancing himself from the more “boring” types of work.
Apple, Steve Jobs
http://www.thesoapboxers.com/how-will-the-resignation-of-steve-jobs-affect-apple/
HP Touchpad: Chaos Rick Perry Leads The Race?
One Comment (+add yours?)
Evan @40Tech.com
I think there will be changes, but Apple will be fine. It could hurt them in the long run, though, if he is as involved in every small decision as the stories say. Vic Gundotra, a Google VP, was telling an interesting story on Google+ yesterday about getting an urgent voicemail while in church on a Sunday some years back. The message was from Jobs, asking him to call right away about a matter of high importance . Gundotra was in charge of mobile for Google back then, so he dealt with Jobs all the time. He called Jobs back, and it turned out Jobs was concerned because the yellow color in the second “O” in Google on one of the native iPhone Google apps (Maps maybe) wasn’t quite the right shade, and Jobs had somebody on it to take care of it and wanted him to work with Gundotra to get it fixed ASAP.
Total Comments by Evan @40Tech.com: 172
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PRESENTING A VISION
CLIENT: WESTERN REGION MUNICIPALITY
CATEGORY: Experiential & Digital Marketing |
The Western Region Municipality is a government entity that oversees Al Gharbia, a vast region west of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE. It represents around 80% of the total area of the Emirate and contributes over 40% to its GDP. The region has diverse resources and is one of the richest areas in oil and gas.
The Municipality aims to set up a kiosk that showcases its vision to elevate the infrastructure and quality of life of Al Gharbia, particularly in its six urban areas, namely Liwa, Madinat Zayed, Marfa, Ghayathi, Sila and Delma. The information about the Municipality, the vision overview and detailed information of plans for the six cities have to be included and portrayed in an impressive manner.
To communicate the complex information in an engaging manner, a multi-touch interactive pod were created as the platform for the communication. Through user-friendly interface design, the public can have fun browsing while being educated via satellite maps, 3D visualisation and animations to accompany various segmented written information. The result is a suite of information on the Municipality’s vision, integrated into a single compact interactive contact point that is easy to access.
CONVERSATIONS WITH TALENTS
BRANDED URBAN DISTRICT
TROPICS IN THE DESERT
THE RAINFOREST PAVILION
GLOBAL MARKETING TOOL
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JEFF TOYNE COMPOSER FOR AUDIENCE'S 'HIT THE ROAD'
Jeff Toyne, the composer for the Audience Network's recent hit series Hit The Road has the talent to make it in Hollywood. Created by and starring Jason Alexander, the series follows a dysfunctional family band as they travel across the country trying to hit it big.
A seasoned composer, Jeff has previously worked on the scores for films such as Life on the Line, starring John Travolta; Thom Pain, starring Rain Wilson; and 9/11, starring Charlie Sheen and Whoopie Goldberg. He's also the composer on the upcoming documentary The Volunteers, documenting the Kurdish YPG movement and its recent skirmishes with Isis fighters. Previously, he has also worked as an orchestrator on films such as The Mummy, Fast Five, District 9, and the upcoming My Little Pony Movie.
AUDIENCE NETWORK COMPOSER HIT THE ROAD JASON ALEXANDER JEFF TOYNE
Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Weavers Way to Open Third Store in Ambler ›
Title: Ambler Food Co-op Board President
Title II: Part-time deputy project manager at Weavers Way, acting as a liaison between the Ambler Food Co-op and Weavers Way and working on the development of the new store.
Some Background: Has her Ph.D. in Communication and Science Studies from the University of California, San Diego. Organized 12,000 graduate employees there, and went on to help organize 5,000 graduate employees at the California State University system.
How she got here: She and her husband joined Weavers Way after moving to Germantown in 2006. They moved to Fort Washington in 2010, but continued to try to shop at the Co-op with their young children. (She still shops at the Mt. Airy store, and is a big fan of The Incredible Bulk.) When she found out about the effort to bring a food co-op to Ambler, she volunteered to be on one of the original committees.
Why she (and others) want a co-op in Ambler: “At the most basic level, it’ll provide food to people who currently don’t have access. This is a town that is built around a walking culture… and they deserve to have groceries that they can get on foot if need be.
In addition, folks used to say more politics took place in the aisles of the Acme than anywhere else. Everybody would see their neighbor and talk about the town. And right now, that space doesn’t exist.”
Family matters: Husband Mark Warshaw, son Thomas (9), daughter Rosa (6) and several chickens.
What she likes about the Weavers Way gig: “Progress is always exciting, and we’ve never gone through a period of not making progress — so there’s always momentum, and it’s hard to walk away from anything when you see that momentum.”
Challenges: “There’s so many people who haven’t joined, and have said very explicitly, ‘When Ambler Food Co-op has a store, that’s when I’ll join.’ And I understand that sentiment.”
Why she does what she does: “I get really excited about helping people organize their community, because I’ve done it before. The people who have started this, the vast majority are still involved in the project, which is remarkable. …We have this core group of people that are just absolutely so dedicated. It’s great to work with all of them.”
— Karen Plourde
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