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FindLaw is a business of Thomson Reuters that provides online legal information and online marketing services for law firms. FindLaw was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen, and Tim Stanley in 1995, and was acquired by Thomson West in 2001.[1]
www.findlaw.com
FindLaw.com is a free legal information website that helps consumers, small-business owners, students and legal professionals find answers to everyday legal questions and legal counsel when necessary. The site includes case law, state and federal statutes, a lawyer directory, and legal news and analysis.
It also includes a free legal dictionary and magazine called Writ, whose contributors (mostly legal academics) argue, explain and debate legal matters of topical interest.
FindLaw offers website development and Internet advertising services for legal professionals and extended members of the legal community through lawyermarketing.com.
In 2010, following the 2009 acquisition of the solicitor recommendation service Contact Law, FindLaw launched FindLaw UK (www.findlaw.co.uk), a website for businesses and individuals in the UK looking for information on legal topics or a solicitor.
ComplaintsEdit
In 2018, a lawsuit was filed against FindLaw by a Pittsburgh personal injury law firm that alleges it was duped into paying nearly $300,000 for a shoddy website and lackluster social media presence. FindLaw responded to the firm's lawsuit by countersuing for $37,000 in unpaid fees and interest.[2]
^ Anderson, Brian (January 2001). "FindLaw.com Founders Discuss Entrepreneurship and FindLaw's Future". U.C. Davis Bus. L.J. 1 (1): 2.
^ "FindLaw Counters Pa. Law Firm's Suit Over 'Ineffective' Marketing With Claim for $37K in Unpaid Fees | The Legal Intelligencer". The Legal Intelligencer. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
FindLaw Home Page
FindLaw Australia
FindLaw UK
FindLaw Canada
Lexis Nexis
This article relating to law in the United States or its constituent jurisdictions is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=FindLaw&oldid=893471218"
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Keir Dullea
Keir Atwood Dullea (/ˈkɪər dʊˈleɪ/; born May 30, 1936) is an American actor[1] best known for his portrayals of astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and its 1984 sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact. His other film roles include Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) and Black Christmas (1974).[2] He studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.
Dullea (left) with Denver Pyle in Kraft Mystery Theatre's "Cry Ruin" (1962)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Margot Bennett
(m. 1960; div. 1968)
Susan Lessons
Susie Fuller
(m. 1972; died 1998)
Mia Dillon
(m. 1999)
Dullea has also had a long and successful career on stage in New York City and in regional theaters; he has stated that, despite being more recognized for his film work, he prefers the stage.[3]
Dullea was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Margaret (née Ruttan) and Robert Dullea. His mother was of Scottish descent and his father was a second-generation Irish-American.[4][5] He was raised in the Greenwich Village section of New York City where his parents ran a bookstore. He graduated from George School in Pennsylvania, then attended Rutgers University in New Jersey and San Francisco State University in California before deciding to pursue an acting career.[3][6]
Early careerEdit
Dullea made his TV debut in an adaptation of Mrs. Miniver (1960) with Maureen O'Hara, playing the German pilot. He was also in the TV movies Give Us Barabbas! (1961) and an adaptation of All Summer Long (1961).[7]
Dullea was in demand for guest shots on TV shows such as Route 66, The New Breed, Checkmate and Cain's Hundred.
Dullea made his film debut in 1961's Hoodlum Priest, cast off the strength of his work on Route 66.[8]
The performance was well received. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Disney offered long term contracts (roles in Two Weeks in Another Town and Bon Voyage) but Dullea turned both down. He did accept a non exclusive contract with Seven Arts. He shot a pilot for a TV series that was not picked up.[9][10] He appeared in LA on stage in The Short Happy Life.[11]
David and LisaEdit
In 1962, he starred with Janet Margolin in David and Lisa, a film based on the book by Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D., a psychiatrist who treated the two mentally ill adolescents portrayed in the film. It was a low budget film that became a break out hit, making over $2 million, and turning Dullea into an established name.[12] Film Daily voted him "find of the year".[13]
Dullea appeared on television in shows such as Empire, The United States Steel Hour, Bonanza, Naked City, Going My Way, The Eleventh Hour, Alcoa Premiere, Kraft Mystery Theater and Channing.
Dullea was second billed in his third feature, Mail Order Bride (1964) written and directed by Burt Kennedy.
He starred in the first screen adaptation of James Jones' The Thin Red Line (1964), then did a TV adaptation of Pale Horse, Pale Rider and went to Italy to star in The Naked Hour (1964). [10]
In 1965, he guest-starred as Lieutenant Kurt Muller in episode 20, "To Heinie, With Love", of Twelve O'Clock High. He took these roles to avoid being typecast as a troubled youth.[14]
Dullea went to England to make Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965), which co-starred Dullea with Laurence Olivier, Carol Lynley, and Noël Coward. Although they shared no scenes together in the film, when Coward initially met Dullea on the set, he uttered the often quoted line, 'Keir Dullea, gone tomorrow.' Nonetheless he was voted one of 1965's "stars of tomorrow".[15]
He played the son of Lana Turner in Ross Hunter's remake of Madame X (1966), which under performed commercially. However he appeared with Anne Heywood and Sandy Dennis in the Canadian film, The Fox (1967) which became a surprise box office hit..[16]
His first Broadway appearance was in 1967 in Ira Levin's Dr. Cook's Garden with Burl Ives, which only had a short run.
2001: A Space OdysseyEdit
In 1968 he appeared as astronaut David Bowman in Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey,[17] which became a box-office success and was eventually recognized by critics, filmmakers, and audiences as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. His line, "Open the pod bay doors please, HAL," is #78 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 movie quotes.
Dullea was offered the title role in movie De Sade (1969), playing the title role (the Marquis de Sade). The movie was a critical and commercial disappointment, despite a cast including John Huston.
Dullea had success on Broadway, starring in the 1969 hit comedy Butterflies Are Free alongside Eileen Heckart and Blythe Danner. The play detailed a blind youth's desire to break free from his overprotective mother and pursue love with a free spirited girl. In the play, he introduced the title song written by Stephen Schwartz (later recording the tune on an album for Platypus Records). The play was a huge hit, running for 1,128 performances, although Dullea did not appear in the film version.
LondonEdit
Dullea travelled to London to be in the production of Butterflies there and decided to stay. He did a series of TV movies, Black Water Gold (1970), Montserrat (1971), and A Kiss Is Just a Kiss (1971).[18]
He did a thriller in Italy, Devil in the Brain (1972), and guest starred on McMillan & Wife.
Dullea made a film in Canada, Paperback Hero (1973) and worked in that country for a number of years. He was offered the lead in a Canadian TV series The Starlost (1973) but it only ran 18 episodes.[19]
He was a regular vocal performer on CBS Radio Mystery Theater, which ran from 1974 to 1982.
Dullea was in Paul and Michelle (1974) and had a major role in the Canadian production, 1974 cult classic Black Christmas.
In 1974, he played Brick in the Tennessee Williams classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite Elizabeth Ashley and Fred Gwynne on Broadway which ran 160 performances. The production featured the now definitive rewrite of the play.[citation needed]
He also starred in the 1975 play P.S. Your Cat Is Dead. Dullea was one of the last people to see actor Sal Mineo alive. The two were rehearsing for P.S. Your Cat is Dead on the night of Mineo's murder.
He appeared in Law and Order (1976) for TV, the Canadian movies Welcome to Blood City (1977), The Haunting of Julia (1977), and Three Dangerous Ladies (1977), the British Leopard in the Snow (1977), the Australian Because He's My Friend (1978), and some films for US TV: The Legend of the Golden Gun (1978), an adaptation of Brave New World (1980), The Hostage Tower (1980), No Place to Hide (1981), and BrainWaves (1982).
WestportEdit
In 1981 Dullea moved to Westport, Connecticut.[20]
In 1982, Dullea starred in an off-Broadway production of A. E. Hotchner's Sweet Prince, under the direction of his wife, Susie Fuller.[21] The following year, the couple co-founded the Theater Artists Workshop of Westport.[3]
Dullea appeared as a regular cast member in the Canadian adult soap opera Loving Friends and Perfect Couples, which ran in 1983.[22] He was in Blind Date (1984) and The Next One (1984).
2010Edit
In 1984, he reprised his role as David Bowman in 2010: The Year We Make Contact,[23] Peter Hyams' sequel to 2001. 2010 was nominated for five Academy Awards.[24]
In July 1984, Dullea was guest artist aboard the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2. On July 11, he performed Anton Chekhov's one-act play The Harmfulness of Tobacco in the QE2 Theatre.
He returned to Broadway when he joined the cast of the successful Doubles (1985-86).[25]
He toured with a theatre show Keir Dullea and Friends (1988).[26]
In 1990 he said " My career has a lot to do with choices I made in my life. My focus over the last, oh, at least 10 years has been the theater. I really haven't made very much effort with films. I did more than 20 plays before I ever did `The Hoodlum Priest,' and (after that) I've done more than 20 films... It wasn't as if the industry had fired me; I had just made certain life decisions I suddenly was having to pay the piper for. So there was no film career at all. I'm always working (in theater). If I'm not engaged on stage in something, I'm working with my wife on another project. I no longer live my life waiting for my phone to ring to give me permission to work."[25]
He did The Servant on stage in 1990.
He was in Oh, What a Night (1992) and played F. Scott Fitzgerald off Broadway in The Other Side of Paradise (1992).[27]
In 2000, he appeared in The Audrey Hepburn Story as Hepburn's father Joseph.[28] That year he was also in Songs in Ordinary Time (2000), and episodes of Witchblade, Ed, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law and Order.
In 2002 he performed in The Little Foxes on stage.[29]
He could be seen in Alien Hunter (2003).
In December 2004, for their annual birthday celebration to "The Master", the Noël Coward Society invited Dullea as the guest celebrity to lay flowers in front of Coward's statue at New York's Gershwin Theatre, thereby commemorating the 105th birthday of Sir Noël. Around the same time, Sony Home Video released Bunny Lake Is Missing for the first time on DVD.
In 2006, he had a role as a US Senator and a "major influence and mentor" to Matt Damon's character, in Robert De Niro's film The Good Shepherd (2006). He was the narrator in an off Broadway production of Mary Rose (2007).
Dullea was in The Accidental Husband (2009), All Me, All the Time (2009), Castle, Fortune (2009), and Damages.
In April 2010, Dullea performed the role of Tom Garrison in the off-Broadway production of the Robert Anderson play, I Never Sang for My Father co-starring Oscar-nominated actress Marsha Mason (as Margaret Garrison) and film and stage actor Matt Servitto (as Gene Garrison).
In October 2012, Dullea performed the role of Heinrich Mann in the Guthrie Theater production of Tales from Hollywood by Christopher Hampton.
He was in Isn't It Delicious (2013) with his wife Mia Dillon, Infinitely Polar Bear (2014), Space Station 76 (2014), and April Flowers (2017).[30]
During August and September 2013, Keir Dullea starred as Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, playing opposite wife Mia Dillon in a joint production for Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater and Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival.
Between July 10-August 2, 2015, Dullea and wife Mia Dillon were joined by Todd Cerveris, Cameron Clifford, Don Noble and Christa Scott-Reed in the Bucks County Playhouse production of Ernest Thompson's On Golden Pond.[31]
He had a regular role in The Path (2014-16) and could be seen in Fahrenheit 451 (2018).
Dullea has been married four times, first to stage and film actress Margot Bennett from 1960 until their divorce in 1968. He was married from 1969 to 1970 to Susan Lessons. In 1972, Dullea married Susie Fuller, who had two daughters from a previous relationship. The couple met during the London run of Butterflies Are Free. Dullea, Fuller and her children lived in London for several years. She died in 1998 after 26 years of marriage. In 1999, Dullea married actress Mia Dillon. They divide their time between an apartment in Manhattan and a house in Connecticut.
1961 Hoodlum Priest Billy Lee Jackson
1962 David and Lisa David Clemens
1964 The Naked Hours Aldo
Mail Order Bride Lee Carey
The Thin Red Line Pvt. Doll
1965 Bunny Lake Is Missing Stephen Lake
1966 Madame X Clayton Anderson Jr.
1967 The Fox Paul Grenfel
1968 2001: A Space Odyssey Dr. David Bowman
1969 De Sade Louis Alphonse Donatien, Marquis de Sade
1972 Devil in the Brain Oscar Minno
Pope Joan Dr. Stevens Uncredited Role
1973 Paperback Hero Rick Dylan
1974 Paul and Michelle Garry
Black Christmas Peter Smythe
1977 Three Dangerous Ladies David Segment: The Mannikin
Welcome to Blood City Lewis
Full Circle Magnus Lofting
1978 Leopard in the Snow Dominic Lyall
1983 Brainwaves [it] Julian Bedford
1984 Blind Date Dr. Steiger
The Next One Glenn/The Next One
2010 Dr. David Bowman
1992 Oh, What a Night Thorvald Released Direct-to-Video
2000 The Audrey Hepburn Story Joseph Hepburn-Ruston TV film
fr:La Divine Inspiration William Shakespeare Short film
2003 Three Days of Rain
Alien Hunter Secretary Bayer
2006 The Day My Towers Fell Harry Gold Short film
A Lonely Sky Older Man Short film
The Good Shepherd Senator John Russell, Sr.
2008 The Accidental Husband Karl Bollenbecker
2009 Fortune Jonah Pryce
All Me, All the Time Jake
2012 HENRi Henri (voice) Short film
2013 Isn't It Delicious Bill Weldon
2014 Infinitely Polar Bear Murray Stuart
Space Station 76 Mr. Marlowe
2017 April Flowers Mr. X
2019 Valley of the Gods Ulim
1960 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Tim Dryden Episode: Cry Ruin
Mrs. Miniver German Pilot CBS TV-Movie
1961 Route 66 Paul Episode: Black November
Hallmark Hall of Fame Elisha Episode: Give Us Barabbas!
Play of the Week Episode: All Summer Long
The New Breed Frank Episode: Prime Target
1961, 1962, 1963 The United States Steel Hour
Donald 'Don' McCabe
Episode: The Big Splash
Episode: The Golden Thirty
Episode: Far from the Shade Tree
Episode: The Young Avengers
Alcoa Premiere Maples
Linc Ketterman
Eric Green Episode: People Need People
Episode: The Tiger
Episode:Ordeal in Darkness
Episode: The Broken Year
1961, 1963 Naked City Joey Ross
Les Gerard Episode: Murder Is a Face I Know
Episode: The Apple Falls Not Far from the Tree
1962 Checkmate Eddie Phillips Episode: A Very Rough Sketch
Cain's Hundred Alec Benden Episode: A Creature Lurks in Ambush
Kraft Mystery Theater Episode: Cry Ruin
The DuPont Show of the Week Lieutenant Episode: The Outpost
The Eleventh Hour Jerry Bullock Episode: Cry a Little for Mary Too
1963 Empire Skip Wade Episode: Stopover on the Way to the Moon
Bonanza Bob Jolley Episode: Elegy for a Hangman
Going My Way Dennis Brady Episode: One Small Unhappy Family
1964 Channing Episode: The Trouble with Girls
The Wednesday Play Episode: Pale Horse, Pale Rider
1965 Twelve O'Clock High Lt. Muller Episode: To Heine - With Love
1970 Black Water Gold Christofer Perdeger ABC TV-Movie
1971 Montserrat Montserrat PBS TV-Movie
1972 McMillan & Wife Buzz Simms Episode: Blues for Sally M
1973–1974 The Starlost Devon
1975 Switch Anthony Kirk Episode: The James Caan Con
1976 Law and Order Johnny Morrison NBC TV-Movie
1978 Because He's My Friend Eric ABC TV-Movie
1979 The Legend of the Golden Gun General Custer NBC TV-Movie
1980 Brave New World Thomas Grambell NBC TV-Movie
The Hostage Tower Mr. Smith CBS TV-Movie
1981 No Place to Hide Cliff Letterman CBS TV-Movie
1983 Loving Friends and Perfect Couples
1986 Guiding Light Dr. Mark Jarrett
1989 Murder, She Wrote Jason Reynard Episode: Test of Wills
2000 The Audrey Hepburn Story Joseph Hepburn ABC TV-Movie
Songs in Ordinary Time Sam Fermoyle CBS TV-Movie
2001 Witchblade Dr. Immo Episode: Convergence
2001, 2006 Law & Order Paul Lyman
Andrew Keener Episode: Hubris
Episode: Cost of Capital
2002 Ed Robert Stanley Episode: Nice Guys Finish Last
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Judge Walt Thornburg Episode: Justice
2009 Castle Jonathan Tisdale Episode: Flowers for Your Grave
2011 Damages Julius Episode: I'm Worried About My Dog
2016 The Path Dr. Stephen Meyer
2018 Fahrenheit 451 Historian HBO TV-Movie
Radio appearancesEdit
Episode/source
January 6, 1975 CBS Radio Mystery Theater The Premature Burial
January 27, 1975 CBS Radio Mystery Theater A Coffin For The Devil
March 18, 1975 CBS Radio Mystery Theater It's Murder Mr. Lincoln
March 19, 1982 CBS Radio Mystery Theater The Magic Stick Of Manitu
March 31, 1982 CBS Radio Mystery Theater I Am The Killer
1964: Nominated, "Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles" - David and Lisa
1962: Won, "Most Promising Male Newcomer"
1963: Nominated, "Top New Male Personality"
San Francisco International Film Festival
1962: Won, "Best Actor" - David and Lisa
^ "Keir Dullea". The New York Times.
^ "Screen: Murky Whodunit; 'Black Christmas' Is at Local Theaters". The New York Times. October 20, 1975. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
^ a b c Nash, Margo (April 8, 2007). "After 50 Years in Acting, Fully Relaxed in His Craft". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
^ "Keir Dullea Biography (1936-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
^ YOUNG 'DAVID' IN THE DEN OF MAKE-BELIEVE: Western Exposure Onward and Upward By HOWARD THOMPSON. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]12 May 1963: X7.
^ Teen Idol Dullea Likes His Image Los Angeles Times 28 Nov 1962: C19.
^ "Hoodlum Priest". The New York Times.
^ Keir's Haircut Was a Success Shortcut Beene, Wally. Los Angeles Times 22 Dec 1963: b13.
^ a b YOUNG 'DAVID' IN THE DEN OF MAKE-BELIEVE: Western Exposure Onward and Upward By HOWARD THOMPSON. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]12 May 1963: X7.
^ Play Drawn From Hemingway to Open Run Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]01 Oct 1961: M13.
^ "Top Rental Features of 1963", Variety. 8 January 1964, pg 71.
^ FILM DAILY POLL WON BY NEWMAN: Shirley MacLaine Is Named Best Actress of 1963 New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]11 Jan 1964: 14.
^ Dullea Returns With New 'Image': Once Typed in Psycho Roles, He Escaped in Films Abroad Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]12 Jan 1965: C6.
^ At 70, John Ford Still Makes History: His Next Is 'Seven Women'; Elke New Star of Tomorrow Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]01 Feb 1965: C15.
^ Looking at Hollywood: 'Greatest Story' Called Magnificent Spectacle Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Tribune 12 Feb 1965: c12.
^ Adler, Renata (April 4, 1968). "2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) The Screen: '2001' Is Up, Up and Away:Kubrick's Odyssey in Space Begins Run". The New York Times.
^ TV Today: Keir Dullea Shifts Roles in Attempt to Avoid Typecasts Kramer, Carol. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]30 Dec 1969: a7.
^ Keir Dullea's career more than movies: [FIN Edition] Henry Mietkiewicz Toronto Star. Toronto Star; Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]06 June 1990: F1.
^ Nash, Margo (April 8, 2007). "After 50 Years in Acting, Fully Relaxed in His Craft". New York Times. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
^ Rich, Frank (September 25, 1982). "Theater: Hotchner's 'Sweet Prince'". The New York Times.
^ "No more low profile for Keir Dullea". The Globe and Mail, August 13, 1983.
^ Canby, Vincent (December 7, 1984). "2010 (1984) '2010,' PURSUES THE MYSTERY OF '2001'". The New York Times.
^ "The 57th Academy Awards (1985) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
^ a b Never a dull moment for Keir Dullea: [SOUTH SPORTS FINAL Edition] Blank, Ed. Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext); Chicago, Ill. [Chicago, Ill]30 Aug 1990: 12.
^ THEATER; Keir Dullea Stars In Westport Show Klein, Alvin. New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]17 July 1988: A.13.
^ On the Wrong Side of Paradise: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition] By Jan Stuart. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]06 Mar 1992: 81.
^ Enjoying life after '2001' Ayres, Jeff. Northwest Florida Daily News; Fort Walton Beach, Fla. [Fort Walton Beach, Fla]13 Mar 2001: B1.
^ Actor Keir Dullea back on the stage Kilian, Michael. Knight Ridder Tribune News Service; Washington [Washington]19 July 2002: 1.
^ Keir Dullea To Do Q&A After 'David & Lisa' Screening In Ridgefield Dunne, Susan. McClatchy - Tribune Business News; Washington [Washington]03 July 2012.
Paul, Louis (2008). "Keir Dullea". Tales From the Cult Film Trenches; Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 68–74. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.
Keir Dullea on IMDb
Keir Dullea at the Internet Broadway Database
Keir Dullea at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
Keir Dullea at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keir_Dullea&oldid=906038120"
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(Redirected from Sportscaster)
Find sources: "Sports commentator" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the English-speaking world and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
English commentators Eddie Hemmings and Mike Stephenson
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer, sportscaster or play-by-play announcer) gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was the first medium for sports broadcasts, and radio commentators must describe all aspects of the action to listeners who cannot see it for themselves. In the case of televised sports coverage, commentators are usually presented as a voiceover, with images of the contest shown on viewers' screens and sounds of the action and spectators heard in the background. Television commentators are rarely shown on screen during an event, though some networks choose to feature their announcers on camera either before or after the contest or briefly during breaks in the action.
Types of commentatorsEdit
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Main/play-by-play commentatorEdit
The main commentator, also called the play-by-play announcer or commentator in North America, blow-by-blow in combat sports coverage or lap-by-lap for motorsports coverage, is the primary speaker on the broadcast. Broadcasters in this role are valued for their articulateness and for their ability to describe each play or event of an often fast-moving sporting event. The ideal play-by-play voice has a vocal timbre that is tolerable to hear over the multiple hours of a sports broadcast and yet dynamic enough to convey and enhance the importance of the in-game activity. Because of their skills, some commentators like Al Michaels in the U.S., David Coleman in the UK and Bruce McAvaney in Australia, may have careers in which they call several different sports at one time or another. Other main commentators may, however, only call one sport (Mike Emrick, for example, is known almost exclusively as an ice hockey broadcaster). The vast majority of play-by-play announcers are male; female play-by-play announcers have not seen sustained employment until the 21st century.
Radio and television play-by-play techniques involve slightly different approaches; radio broadcasts typically require the play-by-play host to say more to verbally convey the on-field activity that cannot be seen by the radio audience. It is unusual to have radio and television broadcasts share the same play-by-play commentator for the same event, except in cases of low production budgets or when a broadcaster is particularly renowned (Rick Jeanneret's hockey telecasts, for example, have been simulcast on radio and television since the late 1990s).
Analyst/color commentatorEdit
Main article: Color commentator
The analyst or color commentator provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, strategy on the teams and athletes, and occasionally anecdotes or light humor. They are usually former athletes or coaches in their respective sports, although there are some exceptions.
The term "color" refers to levity and insight provided by analyst. The most common format for a sports broadcast is to have an analyst/color commentator work alongside the main/play-by-play announcer.[1][2][3] An example is NBC Sunday Night Football in the United States, which is called by color commentator Cris Collinsworth, a former American football receiver, and play-by-play commentator Al Michaels, a professional announcer. In the United Kingdom, however, there is a much less distinct division between play-by-play and color commentary, although two-man commentary teams usually feature an enthusiast with formal journalistic training but little or no competitive experience leading the commentary, and an expert former (or current) competitor following up with analysis or summary. There are however exceptions to this — most of the United Kingdom's leading cricket and snooker commentators are former professionals in their sports, while the former Formula One racing commentator Murray Walker had no formal journalistic training and only limited racing experience of his own. In the United States, George "Pat" Summerall, a former professional kicker, spent most of his broadcasting career as a play-by-play announcer.
Although the combination of a play-by-play announcer and a color commentator is standard as of 2014[update], in the past it was much more common for a broadcast to have no analysts and just have a single play-by-play announcer to work alone. Vin Scully, longtime announcer for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, was one of the few examples of this practice lasting into the 21st century until he retired in 2016.
Sideline reporterEdit
A sideline reporter assists a sports broadcasting crew with sideline coverage of the playing field or court. The sideline reporter typically makes live updates on injuries and breaking news or conducts player interviews while players are on the field or court because the play-by-play broadcaster and color commentator must remain in their broadcast booth. Sideline reporters are often granted inside information about an important update, such as injury, because they have the credentials necessary to do so. In cases of big events, teams consisting of many sideline reporters are placed strategically so that the main commentator has many sources to turn to (for example some sideline reporters could be stationed in the dressing room area while others could be between the respective team benches). In motorsports, it is typical for there to be multiple pit reporters, covering the event from along pit road. Their responsibilities will include covering breaking news trackside, interviewing crew chiefs and other team leaders about strategy, and commentating on pit stops from along the pit wall. On occasion in motorsport, the reporter on the sideline is an understudy to the lead commentator, as Fox NASCAR has used this tactic numerous times based on the career of Cup lead Mike Joy, a former pit reporter. Those who made the switch included Steve Byrnes (Truck Series, 2014) , Vince Welch (Truck Series since late 2015), and Adam Alexander (did Cup for Fox-produced TNT broadcasts from 2010-14, Xfinity on Fox since 2015) did the same too.
Sports presenter/studio hostEdit
In British sports broadcasting, the presenter of a sports broadcast is usually distinct from the commentator, and often based in a remote broadcast television studio away from the sports venue. In North America, the on-air personality based in the studio is called the studio host. During their shows, the presenter/studio host may be joined by additional analysts or pundits, especially when showing highlights of various other matches.
Other rolesEdit
Various sports may have different commentator roles to cover situations unique to that sport. American football, for example, regularly employs rules analysts in its broadcasts; usually a former referee, a rules analyst explains penalties and controversial calls and dissects instant replay reviews to predict whether a call will or will not be overturned.
SportscasterEdit
In North American English, sportscaster is a general term for any type of commentator in a sports broadcast. It may also refer to a sports talk show host or a newscaster covering sports news.
ShoutcasterEdit
In video games, and particularly esports, commentators are often called shoutcasters; this term is derived from the free plugin for Winamp called SHOUTcast, which enabled users to live-stream audio-only feeds across the Internet.[4]
Michael Kay, Ken Singleton, and Paul O'Neill as the announcers of every New York Yankees game on YES.
See also: American Sportscasters Association and National Sports Media Association
While sports broadcasts took place from 1912, Florent Gibson of the Pittsburgh Star newspaper broadcast the first sports commentary in April 1921, covering the fight between Johnny Ray and Johnny "Hutch" Dundee at the Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh.[5]
In 1975, the National Hockey League (NHL) made headlines when two coaches from the NHL All-Star Game in Montreal allowed Robin Herman and Marcel St. Cyr. access into the men's locker room. Both were believed to have been the first women ever allowed to enter a professional men's locker room to conduct a post-game interview.[6] Sport organizations began to follow in the NHL's footsteps and allowed for other female sportswriters to be given the same access as men sportswriters.[7]
It was not until the year 1977 when Melissa Ludtke, a sportswriter from Sports Illustrated, was given the assignment to cover the New York Yankees playoff series but was denied entry into the men's locker room. Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn and other officials chose to discriminate against her based on her sex. Knowing that this would put Sports Illustrated in a disadvantage from other publishers, Time Inc. and Ludtke filed a lawsuit against Kuhn.[7]
The lawsuit was taken to the United States District Court in 1978 where Judge Constance Baker Motley ruled the act as violating the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The court ruled that the Yankees organization devise a plan to protect the players of their privacy while female sportswriters conducted interviews, suggesting the use of towels.[8]
After the access of allowing women in was put into effect, the Yankees organization allowed reporters to spend ten minutes interviewing players and was then asked to leave and wait. Male reporters were unhappy with this and blamed the women from keeping them out and not being able to do their job. For some men they finally understood what women reporters had been dealing with.[8]
In 1990, the issue made its way back into the headlines when Lisa Olson made a public statement revealing that players from the New England Patriots had exposed themselves while interviews were being conducted. This prompted other female reporters who had been harassed to come forward. Accusations were made that women appeared as being "too friendly" while performing interviews or conversing too long with players as though they were flirting. Their credibility became undermined. Thus, the issue of sexism was still present, despite the equal access to men's locker rooms.[7]
In professional wrestlingEdit
Professional wrestling commentators John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Michael Cole, and Jerry "The King" Lawler
Though not always the case, in professional wrestling, the color commentator is usually a "heel sympathizer" (or a supporter of the "bad guys") as opposed to the play-by-play announcer, who is more or less the "voice of the fans" as well as supporters of the "good guys" (or babyfaces). Though both are supposed to show neutral stance while announcing, the color commentators (especially when they support heels) are usually more blatant about their stance than the play-by-play announcers. Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan pioneered the "heel sympathizer" for color commentary in wrestling. Jerry "The King" Lawler later made a successful transition into the role, though Lawler has since shown more sympathy for faces (partially due to being over with fans after nearly forty years in wrestling). In some cases, commentators are also active managers for wrestlers, usually following continuity as heels. Former Extreme Championship Wrestling color commentator Cyrus was known for having dual roles as a heel manager and a somewhat neutral commentator. Acting as a commentator has also been used to keep injured wrestlers in the public eye while recuperating. Special guest color commentators serve a two purposes: the primary is usually to place them in position to interfere with the match they are calling, the second is to provide promoters with the opportunity to determine if this performer can speak well extemproraneously.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to sports commentators.
Announcerless game, December 1980 NFL game purposely broadcast without TV commentators as an experiment.
List of sports announcers
List of Major League Baseball retired numbers#Broadcasters
^ http://inklingmedia.net/2012/05/02/color-commentary-and-play-by-play-a-well-rounded-approach-to-facebook/#.Uk8WfhzN63Y Archived 2014-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
^ "How to Become a Color Consultant". Career Trend. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-02-03. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ Hill, Nathan (December 7, 2017). "The Overwatch Videogame League Aims to Become the New NFL". Wired. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
^ Patterson, Ted (2002). The Golden Voices of Baseball. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 12. ISBN 1-58261-498-9.
^ "The first woman through the locker room door, 35 years ago".
^ a b c "This is why female sportswriters can go in men's locker rooms".
^ a b "Suit won entry to locker room".
The dictionary definition of sportscaster at Wiktionary
Sportcaster Chronicles – Internet radio show in which John Lewis interviews leading American sports announcers.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sports_commentator&oldid=904469914"
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Home Startups Alibaba-backed facial recognition startup Megvii raises $750 million
Alibaba-backed facial recognition startup Megvii raises $750 million
One of China’s most ambitious artificial intelligence startups, Megvii, more commonly known for its facial recognition brand Face++, announced Wednesday that it has raised $750 million in a Series E funding round.
Founded by three graduates from the prestigious Tsinghua University in China, the eight-year-old company specializes in applying its computer vision solutions to a range of use cases such as public security and mobile payment. It competes with its fast-growing Chinese peers, including the world’s most valuable AI startup, SenseTime — also funded by Alibaba — and Sequoia-backed Yitu.
Bloomberg reported in January that Megvii was mulling to raise up to $1 billion through an initial public offering in Hong Kong. The new capital injection lifts the company’s valuation to just north of $4 billion as it gears up for its IPO later this year, sources told Reuters.
China is on track to overtake the United States in AI on various fronts. Buoyed by a handful of mega-rounds, Chinese AI startups accounted for 48 percent of all AI fundings in 2017, surpassing those in the U.S. for the first time, shows data collected by CB Insights. An analysis released in March by the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence found that China is rapidly closing in on the U.S. by the amount of AI research papers published and the influence thereof.
A critical caveat to China’s flourishing AI landscape is, as The New York Times and other publications have pointed out, the government’s use of the technology. While facial recognition has helped the police trace missing children and capture suspects, there have been concerns around its use as a surveillance tool.
Megvii’s new funding round arrives just days after a Human Rights Watch report listed it as a technology provider to the Integrated Joint Operations Platform, a police app allegedly used to collect detailed data from a largely Muslim minority group in China’s far west province of Xinjiang. Megvii denied any links to the IJOP database per a Bloomberg report.
Kai-Fu Lee, a world-renowned AI expert and investor who was Google’s former China head, warned that any country in the world has the capacity to abuse AI, adding that China also uses the technology to transform retail, education and urban traffic among other sectors.
China is beating the US on AI, says noted investor Kai-Fu Lee
Megvii has attracted a rank of big-name investors in and outside China to date. Participants in its Series E include Bank of China Group Investment Limited, the central bank’s wholly owned subsidiary focused on investments, and ICBC Asset Management (Global), the offshore investment subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
Foreign backers in the round include a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, and Australian investment bank Macquarie Group.
Megvii says its fresh proceeds will go toward the commercialization of its AI services, recruitment and global expansion.
China has been exporting its advanced AI technologies to countries around the world. Megvii, according to a report by the South China Morning Post from last June, was in talks to bring its software to Thailand and Malaysia. Last year, Yitu opened its first overseas office in Singapore to deploy its intelligence solutions to partners in Southeast Asia. In a similar fashion, SenseTime landed in Japan by opening an autonomous driving test park this January.
“Megvii is a global AI technology leader and innovator with cutting-edge technologies, a scalable business model and a proven track record of monetization,” read a statement from Andrew Downe, Asia regional head of commodities and global markets at Macquarie Group. “We believe the commercialization of artificial intelligence is a long-term focus and is of great importance.”
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Archive for October 21st, 2012
Christianity and Its Sects in the Statehouse…(Gov’nr Marriage Initiatives, etc.)
Reader warning: Not including this opening (rant?) this is an obnoxiously long (>=27,000 words) post,much of it quotes
Show and tell about some of the less publicized, or underappreciated, truths of mainstream powerful (that means financed and politically savvy, politically connected) beliefs of the truly religious who truly intend to run this place, the USA. That is, more than they already are.
Yes, I tell this from my point of view, and on some of this I’m a former insider turned conscientiously objecting outsider, as to the religious organizations I once felt free to circulate among believing they were a little more tolerant than too many are….
(I’M A LITTLE TOUCHY ON THE FORMATTING IN THIS POST — SKIP BELOW OPENING SKYBLUE, two or three vertical inches of my yakking , IF YOU WISH TO IGNORE. OR SCAN FOR YET ANOTHER TEACHING MOMENT..I’m full of information on this topic. See Election Day Upcoming….)
In defense of the outrageous formatting — I tried to keep some quotes separated by background color,painstakingly manually entering the HTML to do so for every single occurrence, choosing some individually, or a few basic html color-codes memorized. This includes line-height, font-changes, etc. My habit of explaining quotes in the middle of an existing one didn’t improve the situation.
Moreover, wordpress doesn’t save right all the time, so it would lose formatting. As the saying goes, simple designs are best.
Quite honestly, if you want a fantastic looking website — go look at fatherhood.gov, or go look at the healthy marriage resource center which has a color theme AND a logo. Then consider who paid for this nice stuff — because, most likely, given the backing — YOU did.
Don’t forget to read from HMRC a recent report on the results of pushing marriage to low-income couples, published under “OPRE” of the HHS (that’s USGOV, HHS/ACF/OPRE) + MDRC (a major corp. which was formed in 1974 as a Ford Foundation/Federal Agencies combo, which is where most of its funding comes from. I’ve blogged it..). This 2010 study (a six-pager press release, is what it looks like written by six individuals, whose careers it will help no doubt, is called:
Early Lessons from the Implementation of a Relationship and Marriage Skills Program for Low-Income Married Couples
and “only” took funding from THESE:
MDRC and its subcontractors, Abt Associates, Child Trends, Optimal Solutions Group, and Public Strategies, Inc., are conducting the Supporting Healthy Marriage evaluation under a contract with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), funded by HHS under a competitive award, Contract No. HHS-223-03-0034. {{that =the HHS link to the report}} The findings and conclusions presented herein do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of HHS.
Child Trends is an Annie E. Casey org; Abt Associates has done several of these evaluations (the name comes up); Optimal Solutions Group, I DNR for sure, but believe it’s related to Public Strategies, and Public Strategies, of course is a SMALL PR firm which is now a much more PROMINENT PR firm as it helped kickstart and manage the first welfare-grab action in Oklahoma, ca. 1999/2000. Which initiative (OMI) “only” took $10 million at that time from direct aid to needy families to, instead, run programs like this.
However these studies most not be cost-efficient because look who else had to then still pay more for them. Is anyone over-billing, I wonder….
Dissemination of MDRC publications is supported by the following funders that help finance MDRC’s public policy outreach and expanding efforts to communicate the results and implications of our work to policymakers, practitioners, and others: The Ambrose Monell Foundation(see last page here, + below/International Nickel), The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Kresge Foundation (think, K-Mart, older company), Sandler Foundation (Savings & Loan, sold to Wachovia for $25billion, netting $1.4 billion for a foundation, this one….making it one of the 30 largest in the country. That’s actually a fantastic write-up of the Sandlers, who also funded ProPublica ($30 million).They are progressive. Progressives are into this cause, too FYI…) , and The Starr Foundation. {{INSURANCE, it turns out}}. (More Kresge background)
The Starr Foundation was established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr, an insurance entrepreneur who founded C.V. Starr & Co. and other companies later combined by his successor, Maurice R. Greenberg into what became the American International Group, Inc. [[AIG]] Mr. Starr, a pioneer of globalization, set up his first insurance venture in Shanghai in 1919. He died in 1968 at the age of 76, leaving his estate to the Foundation.
Not that Starr was alive at the time, but didn’t we just bail out AIG to the tune of $182 million in 2008? (hover cursor)
The Foundation currently has assets of approximately $1.25 billion, making it one of the largest private foundations in the United States. It makes grants in a number of areas, including education, medicine and healthcare, human needs, public policy,
respectively (the ones I know offhand), UPS (AEC), steel (Carnegie, right?) retail stores, and ???? Back to the Marriage Study:
In addition, earnings from the MDRC Endowment help sustain our dissemination efforts. Contributors to the MDRC Endowment include Alcoa Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Ford Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Lizabeth and Frank Newman Charitable Foundation, The New York Times Company Foundation, Jan Nicholson, Paul H. O’Neill Charitable Foundation, John S. Reed, Sandler Foundation, and The Stupski Family Fund, as well as other individual contributors.
(The Stupski Foundation (not family fund) show him as coming from Schwab (+Princeton, Yale…) and her in Special Ed particularly; He has been on the board of MDRC….and is on the board of the Glide Foundation)
So supporting the MDRC Endowment which supports, studies on these matters in order to form a more perfect union between corporations and social scientists when it comes to government policies, we have contributing foundations who made their money in:
Cars (Ford AND Charles Stewart Mott of Flint, MI was a partner in the original General Motors)
Newpapers // Mainstream Media.
Metals/Nickel. Ambrose Monell of International Nickel Corp. is listed in a Harvard Business School Database of influential people. “Monel” is a trademarked nickel alloy (per wikip.): “Monel was used for US Military dog tags in WWI and WWII.” If it’s the same person, a cryo collection (comparative genomics, freezing tissue samples) is also named after him, at the American Museum of Natural History, etc.)
Banking? (Frank Newman a bit on the hot seat // Fundraising with his wife (photo below) $2.3 million on opening night (2004) for the New York Philharmonic)
THIS Paul H.O’Neill? (former Secretary of the Treasury, before that Alcoa Steel & RAND corp, critic of war in Iraq)
and other famous and obviously well-off individuals, or their foundations.
Grable Foundation: Rubbermaid (Ms. Grable lived to be 100 / 1990);
George Gund — Harvard grad (1909), Real Estate, Trust Company, “Kaffee-Hag Corp..” That gets interesting — because a man Roselius (not Gund) invented the DeCaffeinated Coffee process (Roselius) and founded this corporation in NY in 1914 — but we were at war. It (and the tradename) was Confiscated under “Alien Property” and sold to an American Company — so Roselius sold the product over here as “Sanka.” wonder which american company got Kaffee-Hag…
“On Sept. 21, 2004 at the post-concert New York Philharmonic Opening Night gala dinner, Gala Chairmen Hiroko and Hiroshi Tada (far left and far right) and Lizabeth Newman (third from left) with Maestro Lorin Maazel and his wife Dietlinde and Philharmonic Board Chairman Paul B. Guenther” {{to the right — NYT link above/unrelated: Herb and Marion Sandler.}}
The Newmans are married. Perhaps if every one stayed married we, too, could attend some NYPhilharmonic Opening Nights? Therefore, why not support studies of low-income couples and testing marriage promotion on them, funded federally…disseminated with help from the MDRC endowments these helped fund…)
The report (which I’m looking at) thanks:
Our appreciation goes to Andrew Cherlin, Kathy Edin,**(see “OMI”) Richard Heyman, Ronald Mincy, (search my blog — he runs a fatherhood research institute at Columbia) and Robert Wood for their thoughtful review of the report). On page 5 of the report, they show which curricula they used — four, in total. Two were based on PREP (federally-funded), and one on PAIRS (also federal grantee, or its originator). The fourth was based on a corporation called “loving couples, loving families, inc.” in Seattle and focuses on military families:
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/US-Naval-Special-Warfare-Training-Families-07010/
One example of the US military’s response is the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Resiliency Program, which recently issued a contract worth up to $44.4 million to Loving Couples Loving Children, Inc. in Seattle, WA. This LCLC program was originally developed by John and Julie Gottman for low-income couples expecting a child…
The Gottmans are highly involved in this field also….It’s big business, maybe instead of promoting marriage to low-income couples, someone should promote the “promoting marriage BUSINESS” to them (ALL of them!) which has a guaranteed federal grants stream behind it and infinite expansion possibilities. Who needs child care or housing subsidy after that? People could get off welfare in a flash — all they have to do is go forth and recruit. Make sure that a sizeable target population of low-income remains (supply & demand). I suggest perhaps captive audiences — like prisoners? Or adolescents enrolled in high school? (There’s competition, but not a monopoly already involved in those market niches). Go grab a mother with small children off a soupline and promise them better, chunkier soup — if they enroll….
OK, that’s enough — and this is the REAL post…..That was just the reader alert that this was a long, and messy, post….on volatile topics that are going to offend some people more than the appearance here….
At the bottom of this post is 2001 testimony in front of a U.S. Senate Subcommittee, on the subject of Welfare and Marriage. If you read nothing else, please read this, and the section introduced by Rep. Mark Anderson (a Unification church members)….
Romney is sure to promote and approve of this continued funding of marriage promotion, yet Obama has, every bit as much as George W. Bush did, all of this having been specifically enabled to start with by 1996 welfare reform, which tied federal aid to the states NOT to families receiving the aid — but as block grants, tempting certain individual with specific, evangelistic and religious agenda, to grab it for specialized programming.
My Background, not Uncommon, belies common Welfare and Religionspeak.
I was not raised religious, but became interested as a young woman in college, and continued this interest to this day. While never a traditional church attender (at least for religious reasons), I’ve had exposure to many traditions over time, after which an abusive marriage with religion at the forefront of said excusitis. I then got out of that and realized just how religious our overall culture had become in the meantime (the 1990s, 2000s in particular) — and how much of that resurgence of religion was in direct response to the challenge of feminism, and the challenge presented by women like me getting out of marriages like that. When I say “women like me” — many women in abusive marriages are targeted because of their education or professional ability — and not because of (as welfare funding presumes, patronizingly) because of a LACK of it. The abuse happens across the spectrum.
Women in my situation, while we are willing to speak out about, and if necessary boycott, religious groups on the basis of their overt abuse and treatment of women and children, are not usually ready to become so-called radical feminists and embrace the whole spectrum of, for example, N.O.W. or issues which would require us to utterly reject the foundations of a personal spirituality or understanding of life having spiritual components, however they are expressed in language and culture.
It has not helped induce even the moderately religious to speak out against misogyny, or minimizing/coverup up crimes committed against women (mothers, specifically) and constantly demeaning/minizing women, to have practically the only others who are doing this, insisted on the full spectrum of polarizing matters which some are divided on, for example, abortion “whenever,” or endorsing and promoting LGBT no matter what.
Moreover, most of recent history and a good deal of the records of human history (and civilization) have a religious underpinning — and superstructures — so to fail to LOOK at this from inside and outside, to me, makes no sense.
If I’d relied only on help from nice(?), religious people to survive and/or leave, and/or thrive after that marriage — I truly believe one nuclear family — or the majority of it — would be dead right now. When I then do the life-promoting thing, which is to separate, I truly do not appreciate living in a country run by forces which endorse the death-promoting thing, which is worshipping marriage as an idol, and sacrificing human life to it. Or being silent while others do this.
However, it is not going to take me much more to become a very radical feminist if we have much more of this stuff shoved down the collective, national throat as “good” for someone, when it’s basically good for those who have an extremely odd and convoluted view of the universe. Some of which I look at in this post. Specifically three Christian groups: Protestant Evangelical, Mormon & a bit of Catholic. I also gave a brief review (but have blogged elsewhere) of Unification church.
ALL of these have promoted the “teach marriage using welfare funds” theory and exploited the situation.
Then, of course we had the election of 2000 and an Executive Order on faith-based programming. A friend of mine sent me an “About.com” summarizing the situation — even as far back as 2005. Here is the link, plus some:
Federal Funding of Faith-Based Services
Why Not Give Federal Funds to Churches?
By Deborah White,
“The government gave more than $1 billion in 2003 to organizations it considers ‘faith-based,’ with some going to programs where prayer and spiritual guidance are central…” recently reported Laura Meckler, AP writer. . . .
In January 2001, President Bush created, via Executive Order, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Since then, Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives were established at five federal agencies, assistance and guidebooks were provided to religious groups to help them to apply for federal funds, and websites were created for speedy access to applications.
And in February 2004, the President issued an Executive Order earmarking an astonishing $3.7 billion to be doled out to faith-based and other organizations.
Apparently, Bush’s faith-based initiative was never intended to give religious-related groups equal footing in the federal grants process. Bush’s faith-based initiative was conceived to be the centerpiece of his administration’s domestic agenda, spearheading the final attack on the New Deal and the War on Poverty by replacing, not augmenting, federal social services.
Federal regulations now allow federal agencies to directly fund churches and other religious groups. Bush acted alone to rewrite these regulations after failing to persuade Congress to change the law.
That’s not enough, said Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. An additional $40 billion in federal money is given out by state governments, he said, and many states do not realize that federal rules now allow them to fund these organizations. ”
With neither Congressional approval nor oversight, and without Judicial review, President Bush has successfully implemented his vision of doling out multi-billions of federal taxpayer funds annually to faith-based groups to supplement or support their social services programs.
. . .(In H.R. 1261) . . . George Bush has effectively inoculated faith-based social service providers from complying with federal employment requirements as a backdoor method of implementing a new American social order that permits discrimination on any basis in the workplace.
And that was in 2005. We are now in 2012. I recently was reviewing a list of “megachurches” in a certain state, most of which got to be “mega” by their innate desire for evangelism, skillful use of the internet, and at least one was running PREP, Inc. and had just begun more associated nonprofits (social service) which were already delinquent in filing. Here’s a by-state searchable database from 2011 from
Hartford Institute for Religious Research (thanks to them for this research!)
Megachurches by State (separate smaller files)
So, I look at some distant AND recent history of some of these Christian groups, in addition to their self-portraits on the internet and as, again, presented before the Pope Congress, or Congressional subcommittee hearings re: what to do with the pooled wealth (which WELFARE and the right to collect funds and appropriate children here or there, regardless of parentage or existing law) of this enterprise we call our country.
This is addressed to atheists, skeptics, agnostics, and any “a-religious” innocents as to what they’re facing, here… and why the family (unified, conciliation, etc.) courts are producing a helluva a lot of “ex-“converts of these religions, and refusing to support them…
And such (women/mothers) can document what our various institutions covered up, excused, and how we were degraded in those institutions the moment we rejected domination by a resident male; unless we accepted a replacement dominator (of either gender).
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HomePosts tagged 'travel on the 13th day of any month'
travel on the 13th day of any month
Friday The 13th, Part Two.
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What do you know, it’s Friday 13th AGAIN.
Second one in two months and there will be another in November 2015 too.
How lucky is that?
Well, I guess not so lucky if you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia (also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia), which is a fear of Friday the 13th, or even triskadekaphobia which is the scientific name given to a fear of the number 13 itself.
It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise really. The longest period that can occur without a Friday the 13th is 14 months, and every year has at least one and sometimes, like this year, three Friday the 13ths.
There is no written evidence for a “Friday the 13th” superstition before the 19th century, the first reference to an unlucky Friday the 13th coming in an 1869 biography of the composer Rossini who died on Friday November 13, 1868.
The superstition only gained widespread distribution in the 20th century, although the origin is believed to have come from the Bible, the association stemming from the idea that the 13th guest at the Last Supper was the one who betrayed Jesus prior to his death, which occurred on a Friday.
Hotels, skyscrapers and even hospitals have been known to skip out on creating a 13th floor due to its unlucky connection and even airports sometimes quietly omit gate 13. The Curtis Hotel in Denver, Colorado, on the other hand uses the superstition as a gimmick to amuse guests by playing the “dun, dun, dunnnnn!!” theme in the elevator shaft for guests as they arrive on the 13th floor.
Sometimes research seems to add weight to the superstition. A study in Finland, for example, has shown that women are more likely to die in traffic accidents on Friday the 13th than on other Fridays.
And, according to a report from U.K.’s newspaper, The Mirror, 72 percent of United Kingdom residents have claimed to have had bad luck experiences Friday the 13th. The readers polled admitted to avoiding traveling, attending business meetings and making large purchases on this unlucky day, with 34 percent admitting to wanting to “hide under their duvet” for the upcoming dates. The study did not speculate if their luck would have been better if they had gone about their normal business!
Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a strong fear of the number 13 and refused to host a dinner party with 13 guests or to travel on the 13th day of any month. US President Herbert Hoover had similar fears.
Maybe he did what superstitious diners in Paris do – hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.
I don’t think Cuban leader Fidel Castro had the same fears because he was born on Friday, August 13,1926, as was the celebrated outlaw Butch Cassidy (born on. Friday, April 13,1866).
Speaking of outlaws, Oklahoma bandit Crawford “Cherokee Bill” Goldsby murdered 13 victims, and was captured after a reward of $1300 was posted. At his trial, 13 eyewitnesses testified against him, the jury took 13 hours to render a verdict of guilty. He was hanged on April 13,1896 on a gallows with 13 steps!
Stock broker and author Thomas W. Lawson, wrote a novel in 1907 entitled “Friday the Thirteenth,” about a stockbroker’s attempts to take down Wall Street on the unluckiest day of the month. Reportedly, stock brokers after this were as unlikely to buy or sell stocks on this unlucky day as they were to walk under a ladder, according to accounts of a 1925 New York Times article.
The independent horror movie Friday the 13th was released in May 1980 and despite only having a budget of $550,000 it grossed $39.7million at the box office in the United States – not unlucky for it’s backers. In fact the “Friday the 13th” film franchise continues to sweep up its box-office competition. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the dozen films named after the haunted holiday have raked in more than $380 million nationally, with an average gross of $31 million per feature.
Another director noted for his suspenseful psychological thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock, was born on the Friday 13th in August 1899, although he also had a run in with bad luck on that date too when his directorial debut movie called “Number 13,” never made it past the first few scenes and was shut down due to financial problems. He is supposed to have said that the film wasn’t very interesting. We’ll never know!
Also with movies in mind there was a feature film based on the unlucky events of Apollo 13, launched on 13:13 CST, April 11,1970, which barely escaped becoming a doomed flight when an explosion disabled the craft occurring on April 13th (not a Friday in case you are interested).
According to Thomas Gilovich, chair of Psychology at Cornell University, our brains are known to make associations with Friday 13th in a way that would give favor to the “bad luck” myths. He explains this by saying that “if anything bad happens to you on Friday the 13th, the two will be forever associated in your mind and all those uneventful days in which the 13th fell on a Friday will be ignored.” It’s a bit like remembering the good old days and forgetting the bad ones!
Always contrary, pagans believe that 13 is actually a lucky number since it corresponds with the number of full moons in a year and in Spanish-speaking nations, Tuesday The 13th is regarded as unlucky rather than Friday!
So I guess you just have to make up your own mind whether you believe Friday 13th is unlucky or not.
I’m hoping of course that the fact that you have landed on this blog today is good luck rather than bad.
It was good luck for me, please call again.
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Kieran Fisher
Shot by Shot with the 'Ad Astra' Trailer
James Gray's latest aims to provide a realistic portrayal of space travel.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo Moon landing, so it’s only fitting that the milestone event is celebrated with movies about space travel. There’s a bunch of space adventures being released this year, but one of the most exciting is Ad Astra, which looks set to depict a voyage into the unknown that even Neil Armstrong himself would want to be a part of.
In the film, Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, a man who must travel across the solar system in pursuit of his father, who left on a classified mission into outer space almost 20 years before and never returned.
Ad Astra was directed by James Gray, who previously told Collider that he wanted to create a realistic film about space voyage. As you’ll see from the trailer below, Gray and co. appear to have done an excellent job at presenting a far-out idea with seriousness. It also doesn’t hurt that Interstellar cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema lent his talent proceedings.
That’s an impressive trailer, and the movie has Best Picture nominee written all over it. Let’s break it down and take a look at some of the most interesting scenes.
Roy lies in bed with his significant other (played by Liv Tyler), staring dreamily at something. His wife asks our hero what he’s thinking about. We then cut to a drawing of a rocket ship, which was presumably created by a young Roy as it’s dedicated to his dad.
Tags:Ad AstraBrad PittShot by Shot
Kieran is a Daily Curator for the website you're currently reading. He also loves the movie Varsity Blues.
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Category Archives: prepa
The Governance Responsibility to Protect a City’s Children
Posted on October 10, 2018 by Frank Shafroth
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, we report on the physical and fiscal challenges of the Detroit Public Schools, before zooming south to assess whether the complex municipal financing in Puerto Rico’s recovery has perhaps exacerbated the U.S. territory’s debt challenges.
Protecting a City’s Children. A key challenge in Detroit’s plan of debt adjustment from the nation’s largest chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy was restoring trust in its public schools—a critical step if families with kids were going to move from the suburbs into the emptied city. That, of course, required making the schools not just trustworthy places for learning, but also safe—and not just safe from a gang perspective, but especially here from water contamination—Flint, not so far away, after all, is on many parents’ minds. Thus, the school district is developing plans to make drinking water safe inside its buildings, especially after a review of testing data shows one school had more than 54 times the allowable amount of lead under federal law, while another exceeded the regulated copper level by nearly 30 times. The Detroit News reviewed hundreds of pages of water reports for 57 buildings which tested for elevated levels of lead and/or copper in the water to provide a detailed look how excessive the metal levels were in the most elevated sources.
The News effort comes as Detroit Public School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti noted: “We discontinued the use of drinking water when concerns were identified without any legal requirement to do so, and hydration stations will ensure there is no lead or copper in all water consumed by students and staff, with the Superintendent yesterday reported the system expects to spend nearly $3.8 million enacting a long-term solution to widespread lead and copper contamination in students’ drinking water, with the cost including $741,939 to install 818 hydration stations and filters, $750,000 for water coolers until completed installation of the stations in the summer of 2019, $539,880 for environmental remediation costs, $1.2 million for maintenance services, and $282,000 for facilities maintenance—a tab unanimously approved yesterday by the Detroit Community Schools Board, with long-term plan to get drinking water flowing again inside the 106 Detroit schools after faucets were turned off ahead of the school year. The announcement followed Monday’s by Supt. Vitti, when he reported that he and the school board will reveal corporate funders for some $2 million in hydration stations he wants to install across the district.
The need, as the survey revealed, is urgent: among the elevated levels reported by the Detroit Public School District includes a kitchen faucet inside Mason Elementary-Middle School which had more than 54 times the amount of lead permitted the Safe Drinking Water Act; a drinking fountain inside Mark Twain School for Scholars was tested at more than 53 times the federal threshold; a drinking fountain on the first floor near the kitchen of Bethune Elementary-Middle School that had copper levels at nearly 30 times the permissible level—even as DPS officials still await the test results of 17 more buildings. Nevertheless, from the results so far, there is a failing grade: more than half of the 106 schools inside Michigan’s largest school district have contaminated water. Indeed, with EPA recommending lead limits of 15 micrograms per liter or 15 part per billion, water samples at Mason found extreme elevations of lead at Mason, Twain, Davis Aerospace Technical, and Bagley, and extreme levels of copper at Bethune Academy of the Americas elementary-middle school and Western International. Unsurprisingly, public health and water safety experts report that schools should use a tougher standard for lead levels, and nationally recognized Virginia Tech water expert Marc Edwards said: “Those are not good. There is no doubt there are worrisome lead levels: Whenever you take hundreds of thousands of samples in a school, you are going to get some results that are shockingly high.” At a Board of Education meeting last month, Superintendent Vitti said the most practical, long-term, and safest solution for water quality problems inside the schools would be to provide water hydration stations in every building—systems currently used in public school districts, including in Flint, Royal Oak, and Birmingham, as well as Baltimore: these stations, in addition to cooling water, more importantly remove copper, lead, and other contaminants.
Drinking water screening reports demonstrate that water was collected at some schools in April and others in August, with school district officials reporting sampling began in the district in the spring and continued through last August. In September, Superintendent Vitti said that DPS, through its environmental consulting firm, ATC Group, is following EPA protocol for collecting water samples, adding: “If testing occurred at a school after the regular school year, then it was done during summer school, where nearly 80 of our schools were offering classes,” adding that many of the schools with high levels had already identified for concern two years ago—and that those were the first group of schools to move to water coolers. Supt. Vitti initiated water testing of the 106 school buildings in May and August after initial tests results found that 16 schools showed high levels of copper and/or lead. Another eight tested for elevated levels in the spring after they were identified with concerns in 2016. Last month, the DPS District received more test results, which found an 33 additional schools with elevated contaminant levels, bringing the total number of schools with tainted water to 57 in a District already overwhelmed by some $500 million in building repair needs; moreover, the bad gnus could worsen: the total number of schools with high levels could increase as school officials await more test results on another 17 schools.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, noted for her expertise in Flint, who is a pediatrician and public health expert, concurred that Detroit’s policymakers need to set a much more aggressive limit on allowable amounts of lead in schools. In addition, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s school sampling guidance recommends that schools address fixtures which measure above 5 micrograms per liter, the same EPA standard as bottled water, according to Dr. Hanna-Attisha; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an action level of just 1 microgram per liter for drinking water in child care facilities and schools. Thus, as Dr. Hanna-Attisha warns: “This should be the District’s action level,” in a letter she co-authored with Elin Betanzo, founder of Safe Water Engineering, a consulting firm—a letter with which Superintendent Vitti said he agrees.
Dr. Hanna-Attisha, who witnessed lead levels in some Flint homes reach 22,000 micrograms per liter, said U.S. EPA school sampling guidance encourages schools to sample every drinking water tap a single time unless lead is detected at greater than 20 micrograms per liter, noting: “One low single tap sample is not sufficient to clear a tap as a potential source of lead, because lead release is sporadic.” Her words come with the benefit of her experience and practice as an associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, as well as Director of the MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. She adds: “It is not appropriate to use a single low sample that was taken as a follow-up to a high sample to conclude that a drinking tap is ‘safe to drink,’ although this is how many schools have interpreted sampling data.” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the Director and Health Officer for the Detroit Health Department, said she recommends parents of children 6 and younger be tested for blood lead levels, because of the Motor City’s history of elevated levels for children, which has been primarily due to lead paint in homes, adding that the elevated rates in the tests were concerning: “I think, broadly speaking, I support Dr. Vitti in testing every water source in every school…For any school that comes back with elevated lead levels, the actual reasons for that school is not clear. It can be the infrastructure or the drinking fountain. Providing bottled water and other sources is the right thing to do.”
According to Michigan health officials, children are at higher risk of harm from lead, because their developing brains and nervous systems are more sensitive. Lead can cause health problems for children, including learning problems, behavior problems including hyperactivity, a lower IQ, slowed growth and development and hearing and speech problems. That risk is not just physical, but also fiscal: A key part of Detroit’s chapter 9 plan of debt adjustment approved by the U.S. Judge Steven Rhodes was its focus on the importance of provisions to give incentives for families to move back to the Motor City‒a difficult parental choice in the wake of, four years ago, the Detroit News investigation which reported that nearly 500 Detroit children had died in homicides since 2000.
Notwithstanding the terrible health tragedy in Flint, Michigan has no rules mandating the state’s school districts to test for lead in their water supply, according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. According to the GAO, at least eight states require schools to test for lead, and many others assist with voluntary testing. Dr. Khaldun said she supports creating a state law to mandate testing of water sources inside schools—a proposal which would entail substantial costs, creating the query: who will pay—and how?
According to Tiffany Brown, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Department supports any schools which wish to test, and the Department can offer technical assistance and general information on sampling, result interpretation, and recommended remedial actions in the event of elevated lead and/or copper results, adding that there are fiscal resources “available through the Michigan Department of Education,” and that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is providing information and guidance on best management practices for drinking water in schools to protect the health of students and staff.” In the meantime, the Detroit Public School District is spending $200,000 on bottled water and water coolers for the next several months, with the cost to have stations in every school, one for every 100 students, projected to be $2 million, with Dr. Vitti noting the goal is to deliver clean water, not replace the pipes, or as he put it: “We are not looking to replace the plumbing. The stations address the issue of older plumbing along with weekly flushing.”
Unequal Treatment? The Financial Oversight and Management Board in Puerto Rico reports that over reliance on outside consultants with conflicts of interest and the failure to invest in a competent workforce have imposed huge costs on and severely weakened the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and other Puerto Rico government agencies, with the report including an entire chapter just on interest rate swap agreements, a complicated and high risk investment which, it estimates, has cost Puerto Rican government entities nearly $1.1 billion when they repeatedly bet the wrong way on interest rate movements—meaning that, instead of these investments reducing Puerto Rico’s debt, government entities, including PREPA, had to take on more debt to pay for the losses. It appears that the swaps, a novel means of transactions to Puerto Rico’s Government Development Bank (GDB), where officials made these interest rate bets, or, as the report found, many of the GDB Board members who were required to approve the swap transactions, “were not familiar with the mechanics and risks associated with swaps. Many told us outright they could not describe how a swap worked. Instead, the GDB Board members told us they relied on the advice presented to them by the swap advisor.” That appears to denote that the GDB board members effectively ceded control over their investments in these very risky financial instruments to a third-party swap advisor—an advisor that earned, and will garner fees for as long as the government of Puerto Rico continued to invest in the swaps, regardless of the outcome—an outcome in this case which entailed enormous losses. Moreover, the report demonstrated that, more generally, as the financial condition of Puerto Rico deteriorated, the deals became more complex and less transparent. An example of the utility PREPA’s overreliance on an outside restructuring advisor, AlixPartners, to lead PREPA’s debt restructuring negotiations with its municipal bondholders, as well as developing PREPA’s business plan and savings initiatives, revealed that PREPA paid Alix Partners $45 million in fees for a debt restructuring deal which was ultimately rejected by the PROMESA Oversight Board, which found the proposed financial agreement called for PREPA to pay more debt than the economy of Puerto Rico could support, and as the Puerto Rico Energy Commission found that the review lacked appropriate due diligence over the ongoing fees for legal counsel, financial advisors, and underwriters that would have accrued had the PREPA restructuring deal moved forward: the Commission specifically noted that the restructuring team charged with ensuring the reasonableness of advisor fees “includes the very advisors whose fees are in question…that is not the arm’s-length relationship necessary to protect consumers from excess fees.”
Investment in Good Governance. For elected state and local leaders, over reliance on consultants can go hand-in-hand with a failure to invest in the technical capacity and expertise of government staff. As noted by a Kobre & Kim report prepared on the evolving fiscal situation in Puerto Rico, PREPA has suffered over the years from a high degree of political interference, including the appointment of hundreds of political appointees to managerial and technical positions without regard for qualifications—appointments which appear to have not only cost considerably from a fiscal perspective, but also weakened the managerial competence of the agency. However, instead of recognizing this reality and implementing labor reforms designed to sharply curtail the influence of political appointees within the agency, the PROMESA Board has instead sought an across-the-board salary freeze and benefit cuts, even as the Board recognizes that PREPA has lost 30% of its workforce since 2012 and has severe shortages of skilled workers in key areas—and that it has developed no plan for workforce training and development, effectively seeming to force PREPA to continue to depend on consultants, rather than build its own expertise.
Posted in Administrative consulting, Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, assessed property values, Board Integrity, chapter 9, debt restructuring, Detroit, Detroit Public Schools, Drinking water & assessed property values, EPA, Financial Review Board, lead in drinking water, Michigan, Oversight Board, Plan of debt adjustment, prepa, PROMESA, property tax assessments, property taxes, public education, public infrastructure, public safety, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Oversight Board, restructuring plan, Safe Drinking Water, school boards, schools, Shutting down essential public services, Uncategorized | Leave a reply
Not Florence Nightingale: The Governance Challenge of Life Threatening Storms
Posted on September 12, 2018 by Frank Shafroth
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, as Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast, the President, yesterday, patted himself on the back for what he deemed an “incredibly successful” job he had done in leading the federal government’s response to the human, fiscal, and physical devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, boasting: “I think Puerto Rico was “an incredible, unsung success,” referring to the devastating hurricane which caused the death of nearly 3,000 Americans.
Hurricane Relief? President Trump patted himself on the back yesterday for an “incredibly successful” job done in Puerto Rico, where the President, in the wake of the storm, had travelled to Ponce and thrown paper towels, deeming federal response efforts as one of his administration’s “best jobs.” Asked what lessons his administration might have learned as it prepares for this week’s Hurricane Florence, headed towards the nation’s capital later this week, the President responded: “I think probably the hardest one we had by far was Puerto Rico, because of the island nature, and I actually think it was one of the best jobs that’s ever been done with respect to what this is all about…The job that FEMA, and law enforcement and everybody did working along with the governor in Puerto Rico, I think was tremendous: I think that Puerto Rico was an incredible, unsung success.” He added that his administration had received “A pluses” for its work in Texas and Florida following hurricanes last year. Yet, even as the official death toll in Puerto Rico has reached nearly 3,000—far in excess of FEMA’s original report of 64—and with electricity still not totally restored, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz yesterday stated: “If he thinks the death of 3,000 people is a success, God help us all.”
Speaking at the White House yesterday, the President sought to assure the public that the FEMA was ready for Hurricane Florence, noting: “We are as ready as anybody has ever been,” as he boasted that the federal government had earned excellent grades for its disaster response in Texas and Florida, but he complained that the even better job done in Puerto Rico had been ignored, describing his administration’s “incredible, unsung success,” by noting the Pentagon had deployed a “tremendous military hospital in the form of a ship” to the island, omitting mention of his failure to suspend the Jones Act and that the ship to which he referred was largely underused: prepared to support 250 hospital beds, it admitted an average of only six patients per day, or 290 in total, over its 53-day deployment. Yet the President described the White House response effort as “one of the best jobs that’s ever been done with respect to what this is all about,” adding, falsely, that Puerto Rico’s electric grid and generating plant “was dead” before Hurricanes Irma and then Maria struck within weeks of one another—or, as the President asserted: “[W]hen the storm hit, they had no electricity, essentially, before the storm.”
As readers are all too aware, electricity was not restored to every customer in Puerto Rico until a few weeks ago. Worse, according to the director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, approximately a quarter of the federally financed $3 billion in repairs will likely have to be redone. San Juan Mayor Yulín Cruz was more direct, posting on Twitter, yesterday: “If he thinks the death of 3,000 people is a success, God help us all.”
Jose Andrés, a Spanish chef who organized an emergency feeding program on Puerto Rico in the wake of one of the U.S.’s most devastating storms, deemed the President’s comments “astonishing: The death toll issue has been one of the biggest cover-ups in American history…Everybody needs to understand that the death toll was a massive failure by federal government and the White House. Not recognizing how many people died in the aftermath meant the resources and full power of the government was taken away from the American people of Puerto Rico.”
Chef Andrés stressed that the failures spread to food and water distribution—a failure belatedly acknowledged by FEMA in a report released in July, acknowledging the agency was unprepared, with empty warehouses and few qualified staff to attend to the disaster, that it had brought the wrong type of satellite phones to Puerto Rico, and did not have truck drivers to deliver aid from the port, adding that the federal disaster relief agency had been without “situational awareness” of what was happening outside. FEMA’s Michael Byrne, the coordinator for the agency’s Puerto Rico response, has ironically confessed that, unlike the White House, “I think one of the most courageous things FEMA has done is to be honest and frank in the after action and say, ‘We need to work on these areas…And we’re going to. We’re going to get better,” adding that among the areas which needed to be improved was the process to inspect damaged homes: many of the 300,000 homes damaged in the storm are still covered by canvas. To which, Amarilis González, a former English teacher who founded Toldos Pa’ Mi Gente, or Tarps for My People, a group that collected house coverings: “Anyone who flies in to Puerto Rico may notice the amount of blue tarps as they are landing, and that is only a small representation of the rest of the municipalities…If that is a ‘success,’ I do not understand the concept.”
The White House reference this week to Puerto Rico as a “colony” made it clear, however, as Gov. Ricardo Rosselló put it: “The historical relationship between Puerto Rico and Washington is unfair and un-American…It is certainly not a successful relationship,” as the Governor called on the President to extend federal coverage to continuing work on housing restoration and clean-up which is still ongoing, noting the hurricane had constituted the “worst natural disaster in our modern history: Our basic
Posted in Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, Donald Trump, Economic sustainability, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Gov. Ricardo Rossello, Hurricane Maria, prepa, public infrastructure, public safety, San Juan, Puerto Rico, The Jones Act, Uncategorized, What Are Essential Public Services? | Leave a reply
Remembering & Thanking Those Who Serve
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, we remember those who died on 9/11; we remember those leaders, like then Arlington County Deputy Fire Chief Jim Schwartz, who became the incident commander that morning, in command of all local, state, and federal responders, demonstrating that while the federal government can shut down, city and county governments are the only governments in this country that can never shut down, but rather, as Detroit’s Emergency Manager, on the first day of Detroit’s chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, emailed to every employee of the city: they were to report to work, on time—and the critical operations were to ensure every street light and traffic light was working—and there was a prompt and effective response to every 911 call. This foggy morning, we consider too, the challenge to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania—a municipality where the population has declined more than 50% since 1930–denied state fiscal assistance, and awaiting the physical wrath of Hurricane Florence, before, finally, assessing changes to halt the shipping discrimination against the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
The Bar against Wilkes-Barre. Officials in Wilkes-Barre are regrouping after the coordinators of Pennsylvania’s Act 47 program for struggling municipalities rejected the city’s request made last June 29th for distressed status—a denial having the effect of barring the city from filing for chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy. Mayor Tony George and the city’s consultant, Public Financial Management, were scheduled to meet this week with representatives of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, the overseer of the state’s program for distressed cities. Under the state’s Act 47, the Dept. of Community and Economic Development is authorized to declare certain municipalities as financially distressed—a declaration which provides for the restructuring of debt of financially distressed municipalities, limits the ability of financially distressed municipalities to obtain government funding, authorizes municipalities to participate in federal debt adjustment actions and bankruptcy actions under certain circumstances, and provides for consolidation or merger of contiguous municipalities to relieve financial distress. That means a scheduled call at the end of this week with Pennsylvania DCED could be determinative with regard to a possibility the state could reverse its position and declare the municipality financially distressed.
Mayor Anthony George, last June, had applied for Act 47 “distressed” status, the same month in which S&P dropped the municipality’s credit rating to BBB (minus) with negative implications, noting: “[T]he CreditWatch listing means we believe there is at least a one-in-two chance that we will lower the rating within the coming 90 days following the receipt of information from the city regarding its plans in response to the state’s rejection…Any action on our part regarding the rating—either keeping it the same or revising it downward—hinges on our better understanding of those plans.” DCED, five weeks later, convened a hearing at City Hall, where Mayor George projected an FY2019 shortfall of $3.5 million—one which, according to a DCED overview, could spike to $16 million by FY2021. Under Act 47, the city would have been enabled Wilkes-Barre to triple its emergency services tax to $156 a year, as well as gain access to a $3 million interest free, 10-year loan—as well as gain authorization to enact a commuter tax. However, DCED hearing officer and former York Mayor Kim Bracey, in her final report, wrote that Wilkes-Barre should continue to pursue measures through the state’s early intervention program, in which the city enrolled two years ago. State lawmakers formalized early intervention in 2014 as part of the DCED Act 47 process.
With the greatest number of municipalities of any state in the nation, the process, however, appears confusing—or, as Mayor George put it: “I don’t understand what you [DCED] want us to do.” According to Professor David Fiorenza, the city can fix the deficit with two or three financial decisions that can lay the groundwork for long-term surpluses: “Cities can’t have it both ways, that is, when they have surpluses in their budgets they want less state intervention and when there are deficits they want the commonwealth to be there for the bailouts.” (Professor Fiorenza was a former chief financial officer of Radnor Township.)
The Mayor and his staff expect to learn more from the state DCED Friday via a conference call—weather, of course, permitting. In this instance, the call comes a week Pennsylvania DCED Secretary Dennis Davin stated the state would not declare the municipality financially distressed—noting that, instead, Mayor George should pursue other options to avoid the invocation of Act 47. (According to the Department, a quarter of the city’s current budget relies on intergovernmental assistance, versus 55% from local taxes.)
The municipality’s request for distressed status, however, is not supported by its state representatives, Sen. John Yudichak (D-Plymouth Township) and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Wilkes-Barre), who had secured $260,000 in state funds to enable the municipality get Wilkes-Barre into the state’s Early Intervention Program (EIP), writing, in late July, in opposition to Mayor George’s request, noting that the intervention program also had a five-year timetable—from which the city had four years remaining, adding that the city was making progress with the help of PFM as evidenced in the municipal bond restructuring, which, they noted, had improved its cash flow, with Rep. Pashinski adding: “We’re trying to preserve the integrity of the city.”
At the end of last month, Sec. Davin had written: “Opportunities remain to keep the city out of financial distress status: Each and every viable option must be considered, including modest gains in the fund balance and earned income tax collections, the need to perform a property reassessment and recommendations for asset monetization.”
The clock on all this is ticking, with S&P indicating at least a “one-in-two chance” that it would lower its rating within 90 days of receiving any information from the city regarding its follow-up plans, adding: “Any action on our part regarding the rating–either keeping it the same or revising it downward, hinges on our better understanding of those plans.” From his perspective, Professor David Fiorenza of the Villanova School of Business noted: “The state made the right decision…I hope this decision will send the message to Pennsylvania cities and municipalities to take care of their financial house as these deficits can be remedied.” According to the Wilkes-Barre-based Pennsylvania Economy League, 44 of Pennsylvania’s cities, or 77.2%, have experienced population declines since 2010—complicating its efforts to refinance its long-term debt: the city issued $52 million in municipal bonds two years ago to refinance debt and adjust balloon payments to level, and tapped minimum municipal obligation relief under state law to reduce its 2017 pension payment to $5.6 million from $6.5 million. But the state relief program expires this year, while the city’s obligation is projected to spike to $7.1 million in 2020.
Hurricane Relief? Puerto Rico government officials are scheduled to meet at the White House this week to discuss a possible, temporary modification of the Jones Act (as opposed to the Jones-Shafroth Act) to create a five-year administrative exemption in U.S. cabotage statutes, amendments to allow maritime transportation of natural gas between the mainland and Puerto Rico on non-US ships. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, provides for the promotion and maintenance of the U.S. merchant marine–§27 of the Act addresses cabotage, as opposed to cottage cheese: it provides for the regulation of the U.S. merchant marine and the regulation of maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports, mandating that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on U.S. flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. Under the cabotage laws, the maritime cargo between U.S. ports and Puerto Rico must be accomplished in U.S. owned, registered, and crewed boats—that is, at a much greater than free market cost. A temporary administrative exemption, such as the one proposed by Puerto Rican leaders, would have to be granted “in the interest of the national defense” of the U.S., according to a 2013 report from the Government Accountability Office. The protectionist statute means the cost of providing relief to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria was far greater than for other Caribbean nations. Now, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), and Puerto Rico Senate Vice President appear hopeful that the U.S. territory and the Southern States Energy Board, a potent combination of the governors of 16 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, might be able to gain an exemption in these discriminatory cabotage laws, with a meeting scheduled next week at the White House to promote the idea that international vessels could also transport natural gas products between U.S. ports and Puerto Rico.
Unsurprisingly, the concept has the support of the Southern States Energy Board, which brings together 16 Republican governors along with the Democrats of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and proposes a more comprehensive exemption, to include all energy products. During their September 16-18 meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, the Southern States Energy Board anticipates considering a resolution by Arkansas State Senator Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch, Arkansas) seeking to have President Trump issue an Executive Order granting a 10 year exemption in the transportation of energy products between Puerto Rico and the mainland—and urging the Congress to enact a permanent waiver.
Posted in Act 47, Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, Arlington County, Va., cabotage, Detroit, Emergency services Tax, Jones Act, Jones-Shafroth Act, prepa, Puerto Rico, Uncategorized, Wilkes Barre | Leave a reply
Municipal Bankruptcies Are Complicated Affairs. Really.
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, we consider a rejection of an appeal challenging Jefferson County’s approved plan of debt adjustment from its chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, and the recurring governance challenge in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico whether the elected Governor and Legislature—or a federal Judge, or a Control Board ought to be making vital governing decisions.
Please note, there will be a temporary respite for eGnus and eBlog readers before publications resume the last week of this month.
A Fiscally Appealing Chapter 9 case? The U.S. Eleventh Court of Appeals has dismissed a challenge to Jefferson County’s chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy plan of debt adjustment, holding (please see Andrew Bennett et al v. Jefferson County, No. 15-11690, 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, August 16, 2018), holding that the U.S. District Court had erred when it dismissed Jefferson County’s appeal, holding that the Chapter 9 case brought by a group of ratepayers of Jefferson County’s sewer system could be brought due to the concept of “equitable mootness,” a doctrine the court wrote which, until yesterday, “we have not been asked to apply in a chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy case,” with the court adding: “Municipal bankruptcy proceedings are usually complicated affairs, and the chapter 9 proceeding for Jefferson County, Alabama, involving about $3.2 billion in total sewer-related debt—has proved no different.”
Under the terms of the decision, the County would cut over $100 million in general fund expenditures, and the creditors will write off a significant amount of outstanding debt—over the course of the next four decades, the County is directed to implement a series of single-digit sewer rate increases—totaling about 365%–an amount which the court noted was “not far off of the national increase in inflation in the previous 40 years.” The court, in effect, with its decision, rejected the assertion by County ratepayers that their plan “validated corrupt government activity.”
The court also reviewed, de novo, the lower court’s conclusion that the doctrine of equitable mootness applied to this case—at that lower court, Jefferson County had argued the doctrine of equitable mootness applied and barred the ratepayers’ appeal from the U.S. bankruptcy court. The court here agreed, explaining why said doctrine could apply in a municipal bankruptcy case. (Essentially, the doctrine, the court explained, the courts may, under certain circumstances, reject bankruptcy appeals if the underlying rulings which would have gone into effect would have been “extremely burdensome.” The court went on to decide that some of the principles “will weigh more heavily in chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy cases “precisely because of how many people may be affected,” unlike in a chapter 11 bankruptcy, noting previous chapter 9 municipal bankruptcies we have written about in Stockton and Vallejo, where the district courts’ reasoning involved the implications that “municipalities and their bankruptcies implicate issues of sovereignty; whereas corporations or individuals and their bankruptcies do not—and that, accordingly, it is important for us to tread carefully where self-governance is concerned.” The court further noted: “In addition, it is not at all clear in which direction the ratepayers’ federalism arguments will cut from one chapter 9 bankruptcy to the next. Given the interests of the municipality and those of its residents (among others), there is a countervailing argument that a court ought to be more solicitous to the municipality that has obtained confirmation of its plan….”
Finally, the court recognized that “given the centrality of the constitutional rights to the fabric of the republic, there is a fair argument to be made that we should allow some leniency when a party which has allowed a bankruptcy plan to go into effect asserts,” adding, with regard to federalism concerns, “it will be appropriate to note them when deciding whether the doctrine should bar an appeal in a particular bankruptcy case,” which, is, as the court noted: “precisely what we did.”
Jefferson County Commissioner David Carrington, a previous State & Local Leader of the Week, who led the county’s negotiations during its municipal bankruptcy case, said County leaders are pleased with the ruling, noting: “We were always confident in our Chapter 9 plan of adjustment,” but wincing that the years of litigation had come at great expense to county taxpayers running into “hundreds of thousands of dollars in frivolous litigation fees that could have been used for capital improvements to the sewer system.” (The County had filed its plan of debt adjustment in November of 2011—a plan subsequently approved by the court five years ago. Nevertheless, as the dean of chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, Jim Spiotto, noted, the case had become one of the longest municipal bankruptcy cases in U.S. history.
Another Appeal. Meanwhile, south of Jefferson County, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló confirmed yesterday that the executive branch will also appeal the decision of Judge Laura Taylor Swain, the judge assigned by the federal court to deal with the quasi chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy of Puerto Rico—a decision in which it was determined that the PROMESA Oversight Board has the authority to impose its certified fiscal plan and budget, with the Governor stating: “It has become very clear what is the unworthy colonial situation in Puerto Rico, where some courts have decided that in some aspects of the budget the hands are tied to the Legislative Assembly and somewhat to the executive to make determinations, so of course we are going to appeal,” with his comments coming in the wake of Judge Swain’s dismissal, earlier this month, of nine of the allegations presented in the suit of the Financial Advisory Authority and Fiscal Agency (Aafaf), as well as all the allegations of the lawsuit filed by the Puerto Rico Legislature—and the legislative leadership, where the respective leaders, Thomas Rivera Schatz and Carlos “Johnny” Méndez, already filed an information motion before the court notifying it they would attend the First Circuit of Appeals of Boston—albeit, Governor Rosselló, noted, he would not provide them with the power to “make executive decisions with the vehicle of the executive order.”
Colocar el Interruptor. Nearly a year after Hurricane Maria plunged Puerto Rico into physical and fiscal darkness, NPR’s Adrian Florida reports: “Now nearly 11 months after Hurricane Maria plunged Puerto Rico into darkness, officials there say they are done restoring the island’s power: no more lanterns, and no more “candles.” PREPA has announced its work restoring power to the island is done: it took almost a year, tens of thousands of new poles, thousands of miles of wire, and help from two federal agencies. She described it as a “restoration plagued by scandal and delays. It cost some $3 billion. And now that it’s done, experts agree the power grid is just as fragile as before the hurricane. This morning, Jose Ortiz, the fifth CEO to head the power utility since the storm, was offering a reality check on local radio station WKAQ. Some homes still don’t have power because they’re damaged
Posted in Alabama, Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, chapter 9, Commissioner David Carrington, Jefferson County, corrupt government activity, equitable mootness, Federalism, Hurricane Maria, Jefferson County, Jim Spiotto, municipal bankruptcy, prepa, PROMESA, Puerto Rico, sovereignty, Stockton, Uncategorized, Vallejo | Leave a reply
Rebuilding the Motor City, and Reconsidering Colonialism in Puerto Rico
Posted on July 27, 2018 by Frank Shafroth
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, we consider post-chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy challenges in Detroit, before turning to legislative and legal challenges to Puerto Rico.
A Foreclosed Motor City Future? In Detroit, time is running out for the owners of foreclosed properties under a new program which arose out of a legal settlement two years ago intended to protect the rights of low-income owner-occupants of foreclosed homes to purchase back their properties back for $1,000—a plan which provided that occupied homes on tap for this coming fall’s tax auction will instead be purchased by the City of Detroit and sold to owner-occupants who can prove they qualify for the city’s poverty tax exemption or have in the past—an exemption which would reduce or eliminate property tax liabilities for those who qualify. The plan is an indication of one of the most challenging aspects of fashioning a plan of debt adjustment for recovering from the largest chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history: how does one enhance the property tax base by attracting higher income families to move back into the city without jeopardizing thousands upon thousands of the city’s poorest families?
To date, with a looming deadline in a month, the United Community Housing Coalition has received about 140 applications—the foundation received funds from the City and foundations to purchase the homes—with the assistance available to prospective homeowners who can prove they could have qualified for the tax exemption between 2014 and 2017, but did not receive one—and that they agree to sign a sworn statement they would have qualified in the past. The effort matters: Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree estimates as many as 700 owner-occupied homes in Detroit are at risk of being sold at the fall tax foreclosure auction.
Quien Es Encargado? (Who is in charge?) U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain Wednesday stated she would issue an opinion soon with regard to the hard federalism question emerging from the by Puerto Rico versus the PROMESA Oversight Board over their authority, noting at the end of the Title II bankruptcy hearing: “I realize the urgency of the situation,” at the end of a Title III bankruptcy hearing in San Juan, referring to two adversary proceedings against the Board–one brought by Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, and the other by the Presidents of the Puerto Rico Senate and House of Representatives—while PROMESA Board attorney Martin Bienenstock described the Governor’s effort to challenge the Board’s efforts to preempt the legislative power and authority of the U.S. Territory’s elected Governor and Legislature as “ineffectual.” Mr. Peter Friedman, representing the Governor and Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (FAFAA), responded that the Governor was just trying to raise a narrow set of issues: they want the federal court to reject the notion that they have no meaningful role in governing. But the unelected Mr. Bienenstock said the Governor’s challenge is based on five discrete issues intertwined with the PROMESA Board’s ability to revive the economy, regain capital markets access, and do other things mandated by the PROMESA law, as he focused especially on two issues: what he characterized as the Board’s power over “reprogramming” the use of unused Puerto Rico government funds, arguing before Judge Swain that if the Governor were permitted to appropriate and authorize funding to carry out his responsibilities, then the PROMESA Board would have lost control over the budget, fiscal plan, and debt restructuring.
In response to this extraordinary claim, Judge Swain said that while she recognized the Board has some authority, she questioned whether it applies to funding lines that had been authorized before PROMESA’s passage, describing the issue as a “conundrum,” even as Mr. Bienenstock testified that the Governor wants to make it legal to “knowingly and willingly” spend more than the PROMESA Board budget authorizes. This raised an issue which goes to the heart of governance in a democracy: should those elected by the citizens of a jurisdiction have the final say as opposed to those who neither reside in nor come from such a jurisdiction have the final governing authority?
Crossing Swords. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, stated he would not testify before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee unless Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said he was sorry for a Tweet tweeted from the Committee’s account last week: “Call your office, @ricardorossello,” accompanied an invitation to the hearing, where invited witnesses were to be grilled on a management crisis at PREPA. Gov. Rosselló noted the tweet falsely suggested that he was hard to reach. Perhaps more importantly, for the Governor, the Chairman’s comments appeared to reflect a disrespect which would not be shown to the Governor of any State, emphasizing the perception that the federal government has a colonialist attitude toward the Commonwealth, where residents are U.S. citizens, but are barred from having a vote in the House and Senate. Chairman Bishop did not apologize for the demeaning tweet, asserting that its removal meant no apology was required—a position hard to imagine he would make to Utah Governor Gary Herbert.
Converting Swords to Plowshares? With Congress adjourning today for six weeks, Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenifer Gonzalez hopes her pro-democracy project can be discussed by Chairman Bishop’s Committee in September: her legislation, HR 6246, would enable the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State. Chair Bishop, according to the Commissioner, “has a plan” to move the prospects for statehood forward in the short 19-day legislative window before this Congress adjourns in November. Rep. Gonzalez affirmed that her legislative goal is to incorporate Puerto Rico as a territory, which would be considered as a promise of statehood, and create a Congress Working Group, so that, within a period of just over a year, there would be a report on changes to laws that would have to be put in place to admit the island as a state in January of 2021.
Lighting up PREPA? Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rosselló was a no-show at a Congressional hearing Wednesday afternoon on efforts to wrench control of the bankrupt Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority from Puerto Rico’s government—a hearing, “Management Crisis at the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Implications for Recovery,” with regard to which Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) had written: “Despite your recognition of the politicization that has plagued PREPA and your commitment towards allowing for independence, the recent departure of PREPA’s CEO after only four months of service and the resignation of the majority of PREPA’s governing board are the most recent signs of the utility’s continued dysfunction and a sign that ‘political forces…continue to control PREPA.’” The Governor, late Tuesday had announced he would not be able to participate in the hearing—a hearing at which there was to be a focus on corruption within the utility and the possibility of privatization—but at which the Committee was scheduled to receive testimony from the invaluable chapter 9 expert Jim Spiotto, as well as DOE Assistant Secretary Bruce Walker. In its most recent audit, Ernst & Young had noted there substantial doubt whether PREPA could continue as a going concern, since it does not have sufficient funds to fully repay its obligations as they come due and is restructuring its long-term debt. (PREPA utility filed for bankruptcy one year ago in the face of accruing $9 billion in debt, under PROMESA’s provisions in Title III.
Posted in affordable housing, Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, assessed property values, chapter 9, Congress, debt restructuring, Detroit, FAFAA, Federalism, Gov. Ricardo Rossello, governance, implementing a plan of debt adjustment, Jim Spiotto, muncipios, Oversight Board, Plan of debt adjustment, prepa, PROMESA, property tax assessments, property taxes, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Uncategorized, Wayne County, What Are Essential Public Services? | Leave a reply
Restoring Power–and Recovering Governing Authority
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, we consider the challenges of restoration of electric power (as opposed to political power) in Puerto Rico, and then try to explore the risks of powers of appointments of emergency managers by a state—here as the City of Flint, Michigan is still seeking to fiscally and physically recover from the human and fiscal devastation caused by the State of Michigan.
Adios. Walter Higgins, the CEO Puerto Rico’s bankrupt PREPA Electric power authority resigned yesterday, just months after he was chosen to oversee its privatization, an appointment made in an effort to fully restore power some ten months after the human, fiscal, and physical devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria. Now his resignation adds to PREPA’s uphill climb to not only fully restore power, but also to address its $9 billion in debt. Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said in a statement that Mr. Higgins had resigned for personal reasons, while Mr. Higgins, in his resignation letter, wrote that the compensation details outlined in his contract could not be fulfilled—with his written statement coming just one month after the Commonwealth’s Justice Secretary said it would be illegal for him to receive bonuses. According to a PREPA spokesperson, Mr. Higgins will remain as a member of the PREPA Board. Nevertheless, his appointment was stormy itself, after, last month, Puerto Rican officials had questioned how and why he had been awarded a $315,000 contract without authorization from certain government agencies—in response to which PREPA’s Board advised the government as a consultant, rather than filling the vacancy for an executive sub-director of administration and finance. Unsurprisingly, his departure will not be mourned by many Puerto Ricans in view of his generous compensation package of $450,000 annual salary compared to the average income for Puerto Ricans of $19,518.
Nevertheless, PREPA officials, announced that current Board member Rafael Diaz Granados will become the new CEO—with nearly double the compensation: he will assume the position on Sunday and receive $750,000 a year—a level which Puerto Rico Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz described as the “kind of insult that to Puerto Ricans is unacceptable,” as the government and PROMESA Oversight Board continue to struggle to address and restructure Puerto Rico’s $70 billion in public debt. Nevertheless, as PREPA crews continue restoring power to the last 1,000 or so customers who have been without power since Maria hit nearly a year ago and destroyed up to 75% of transmission lines across the territory, the federal government is still operating 175 generators across the island.
Indeed, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has scheduled a hearing for July 25th to assess and inquire about the status of the Electric Power Authority and to examine the functioning and plans for the privatization of PREPA assets, an issue which the territory’s non-voting Congressional Representative Jenniffer Gonzalez noted “has been under the Committee’s jurisdiction for the past two years.” Rep. Gonzalez added: “I’m surprised with the salary: I did not expect that amount. I do not know the elements which affected Mr. Higgin’s resignation, and I believe that these changes affect the process of recovery on the island.”
Meanwhile, Chairman Bishop had announced a second potential hearing—this one to assess the operation of the PROMESA statute and how the PROMESA Oversight Board is working, after, last week, postponing an official trip with a dozen Members of Congress to assess the physical and fiscal recovery on the island, after meeting, early last month in San Juan with the now former PREPA Director Higgins, and after, in the spring, Chair Bishop, Chair Doug LaMalfa (R-Ca.), of the Subcommittee on Island Affairs, and Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) had announced a probe into “multiple allegations of corruption and serious allegations of maladministration” during the restoration of the electric service after the storm.
Out Like Flint? Meanwhile, in a criminal and fiscal case arising out of Michigan’s Flint water crisis in the wake of fatal decisions by a gubernatorially appointed Emergency Manager, closing arguments in the involuntary manslaughter case against state Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon began yesterday before Genesee District Court Judge David Goggins, who will determine whether Director Lyon will go on trial in the Flint water crisis prosecution on charges of involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office connected to the 2014-2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the Flint region which killed at least 12 people and sickened another 79 people. A misdemeanor charge of “willful neglect” to protect the health of Genesee County residents was added last week. Director Lyon is receiving assistance in his defense from John Bursch, a former Michigan Solicitor General, who was hired for that position by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette—who has brought criminal charges related to the Flint water crisis against Director Lyon and 14 other current and former city and state government employees. Flint still faces financial questions after years of emergency management.
The criminal trial comes as questions still remain with regard to Flint’s long-term financial health, despite six years of state oversight that overhauled the city’s finances, after a 2011 state-ordered preliminary review showed problems with Flint’s finances and ultimately recommended an emergency manager for the city. Last April, State Treasurer Nick Khouri repealed all remaining Emergency Manager orders, with state officials claiming the city’s financial emergency has been addressed to a point where receivership was no longer needed, and, as the Treasurer wrote to Mayor Karen Weaver: “Moreover, it appears that financial conditions have been corrected in a sustainable fashion,” and Flint CFO Hughey Newsome said that while emergency managers had helped Flint get its financial house in order; nevertheless, Flint’s fiscal and physical future remains uncertain: “The after-effects of the water crisis, including the dark cloud of the financials, will be here for some time to come: We’re not out of the woods yet, but I don’t think emergency management can help us moving forward.” In the city’s case, the fateful water crisis with its devastating human and fiscal impacts, hit the city as it was still working to recover from massive job and population losses following years of disinvestment by General Motors. CFO Newsome said the crisis affected the city’s economic development efforts and may have left potential businesses wanting to come to Flint wary because of the water.
Flint’s spending became more in line with its revenues, changes were made to its budgeting procedures, and retiree healthcare costs and pension liabilities were reduced while under emergency management. Nevertheless, past financial overseers have warned the city about what would happen if Flint allows its fiscal responsibilities to slip. Three years ago, former Emergency Manager Jerry Ambrose, in a letter to Gov. Snyder, wrote: “If, however, the new policies, practices and organizational changes are ignored in favor of returning to the historic ways of doing business, it is not likely the city will succeed over the long term: The focus of city leaders will then likely once again return to confronting financial insolvency.”
Today, there are still signs of potential fiscal distress, notwithstanding the city’s recovery; indeed, Mayor Weaver’s FY2019 budget plans for a more than $276,000 general fund surplus—even as the municipal budget is projected to grow to more than $8 million by FY2023, with that growth attributed by CFO Newsome to ongoing legacy costs and a lack of revenue—or, as he put it: “My last two predecessors have really delivered realistic budgets: I definitely don’t see this administration being irresponsible in that regard, and I don’t see this Council rubberstamping such a budget either.”
And, today, questions about criminal and fiscal accountability are issues for the state’s third branch of government: the judiciary, in District Court Judge William Crawford’s courtroom, where the issues with regard to criminal charges relating to the governmental actions of defendants charged for their actions during the Flint Water Crisis include former Emergency Manager Darnell Early and former City of Flint Public Works Director Howard Croft, and former state-appointed Flint Emergency Manager Jerry Ambrose, who, prosecutors allege, knew the Flint water treatment plant was not ready to produce clean and safe water, but did nothing to stop it. The trial involves multiple charges, including willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office. (Mr. Ambrose was the state appointed Emergency Manager from January until April of 2015; he also held the title of Finance Director under former state appointed emergency managers Mike Brown and Darnell Early. To date, four others have entered into a plea agreement in their cases.)
Bequeathing a Legacy of healthcare and retirees benefit costs: When Mr. Ambrose left in 2015 and turned things over the to the Receivership Transition Advisory Board, he stated that Flint’s other OPEB costs had been reduced from $850 million to $240 million, adding that a new hybrid pension plan put in place by state appointed emergency managers had reduced Flint’s long-term liability; however, he warned, on-going legacy costs are still one of the most pressing issues for Flint’s fiscal future: “Remember, the reality we’re facing: we have a $561 million liability to (Municipal Employees’ Retirement System), and the fund is only at $220 million; we also have an obligation to our 1,800 retirees to make sure that we’re paying our MERS obligation.” (A three percent raise for Flint police officers approved earlier this year added to those liabilities, with those increases attributable to two different contracts, which were imposed on officers by former state-appointed Emergency Managers Michael Brown and Darnell Earley in 2012 and 2014, respectively.)
The RTAB asked CFO Huey Newsome in January how the city would pay the additional $264,000 annually in wages and benefits along with a projected $3.4 million in additional retirement costs over the life of the contract—a question he was unable to specify an answer to at the time: “To tell you exactly where those‒where those dollars will come from right at this point in time, I can’t say…I think the ‘so what’ of this is that, you know, the incremental impact from this pay raise is not going to be that large when you think about the three and a half million. The city still needs to figure out where that three and a half million is coming from.” Moreover, he added, because police negotiated the raise, it also could be an issue with other unions wanting a similar increase during their future negotiations, adding that the city is making increased payments to MERS to avoid balloon payments in the future. For example, Mr. Newsome said, Flint will pay an additional $21.5 million this year, adding that all the city’s funds currently have a positive balance. However, Flint’s budget projections show the water fund will have a $2.1 million deficit in FY2018-19, a deficit projected to increase to $3.3 million by FY2022-23; Flint’s fiscal projections eventually put the water fund balance in the red by 2022-23; however, CFO Newsome warned: “The water fund is probably the most tepid one, because it is expected to be below the reserve balance by the end of the year,” noting the city can only account for 60% of the water that goes through its system, adding that the city has an 80% collection rate on its water bills, which is about $28 million this fiscal year, telling the Mayor and Council: “One of our top priorities is better metering.”
The city’s most-recent budget for 2018-19 calls for a combined revenue increase of $1.09 million more than previous budget projections because of increased assessed property values, more income taxes coming in, and additional state revenue sharing. Nevertheless, one Board member, notwithstanding projections for increased revenue, is apprehensive that Flint’s “tax base is likely going to continue to shrink, and the city currently has limited resources to reverse this trend,” or, as CFO Newsome put it: “Right now, revenue is not there: The income tax is relatively flat. The property tax is flat. That’s reality.” The city’s current proposed FY2019 budget calls for an increase of $120,000 from property taxes, $339,000 increase in income tax revenue, and an additional $631,000 in revenue from the state of Michigan.
Posted in Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, assessed property values, Congress, Drinking water & assessed property values, emergency manager, Financial Review Board, fiscal sustainability, Flint, Gov. Ricardo Rossello, governance, Great Lakes Water Authority, Hurricane Maria, lead in drinking water, Michigan, municipal accounting, Oversight Board, pensions, prepa, PROMESA, property tax assessments, property taxes, Public Debt, public pension obligations, Public safety pension funds, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Oversight Board, Safe Drinking Water, Shutting down essential public services, state intervention, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Uncategorized | Leave a reply
“Who’s on First? Who’s in Charge–elected or imposed leaders?
Posted on June 22, 2018 by Frank Shafroth
Good Morning! In this morning’s eBlog, we consider the physical, fiscal, and mixed governance challenges which must be overcome in Puerto Rico.
Will There Be Luz? Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has signed into law a bill to partially privatize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, potentially affecting the authority’s $8.9 billion in outstanding debt. The new law is intended to provide for the sale of the public utility’s power generation units and make a concession of its transmission and distribution system, according to a statement by the Governor—a concession which could involve a lease arrangement, as was done for Puerto Rico’s main airport. Under the proposed privatization, revenues realized could be utilized to address PREPA’s debt. purchasers would not assume PREPA’s debt; instead the public utility would use proceeds from any sale of a power plant to pay off a portion of the debt, or, as the Governor put it on Wednesday, the money raised could be used, at least in part, to contribute to PREPA’s underfunded public pension system. The new legislation comes in the wake of, last April, the PROMESA Oversight Board’s certification of a fiscal plan which assumed PREPA privatization—but which did not impose assumptions with regard to how the proceeds would be used. Puerto Rico Senate Minority Leader Eduardo Bhatia, an attorney-at-law and the former 15th President of the Puerto Rico Senate—as well as a former Fulbright scholar, noted: “The bill that Governor Rosselló signed today essentially authorizes the Governor to proceed with a ‘market sound[ing]’ and identify any and all potential private sector interest in the development of a new energy system in Puerto Rico,” adding: “Notable is that the bill does not authorize any sale before the Puerto Rico Legislature prepares, within 180 days, a statement of public policy specifically mandating what the new system will look like in 30 years.” Gov. Rosselló noted that Puerto Rico’s Public-Private Partnerships Authority would oversee the potential leasing of the transmission and distribution grid—a process expected to occur over the next year and a half. From a governance perspective, the Governor, PROMESA Oversight Board, and advisory teams plan to form a working group to steer the process.
Quein Es Encargado II? Meanwhile, the seemingly unending governance question with regard to who is in charge appears to be escalating. In putting an end, yesterday, to Puerto Rico’s debate on Law 80-1976, the Law on Unjustified Dismissal, the Puerto Rico Senate not only opened the door to annul the agreement reached by the Executive and the Oversight Board around the budget, but also appeared to intensify the power struggle between Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz; Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares, and the PROMESA Oversight Board. Upon learning the Puerto Rico Senate did not support the repeal of the statute—as demanded by the PROMESA Board, the Governor accused Senate President Schatz of acting to the detriment of Puerto Rico, for political reasons, even as PROMESA Board Chair José Carrión, who, like the Senate President, was in Washington, D.C. yesterday, warned that keeping the labor statute in force would imply reversing the certified tax plan, which includes cuts in vacation leave, days of sickness, and the Christmas bonus, stating: “There is a certified plan. If not (repeal it), we revert to the fiscal plan,” in the wake of his participation at forum sponsored by the Heritage Foundation.
Chair Carrión warned that reversion to the certified fiscal plan would mean at least $300 million in additional budget cuts over the next five years. He noted that the proposed structural reforms seek to “generate economic growth: We have limited powers (to make decisions that boost economic growth), but one of them is the labor area.”
The Board is scheduled to meet a week from today to discuss the upcoming fiscal year budget—scheduled to take effect at the end of next week.
In criticizing the actions of Senate President Rivera Schatz, Gov. Rosselló Nevares said that the upper House leader had opted to “hinder” his administration, and held him responsible for the millions of dollars in cuts that may wreak fiscal harm to the island’s municipios, as well as other governmental entities, noting, in a written statement: “Puerto Rico has just seen how politics is made and not how a future government should be made in times of challenges and difficulties, with this regrettable decision by the President of the Senate. We will follow the path of change and transformation that we have forged; however, this was the time to unite and together to get out of the shameful past we inherited. He chose to hinder, chose to follow the tricks of the past that have put us in this situation: the risk of the loss of billions of dollars for Puerto Rico as a result of restructuring the debt falls on this action. Likewise, the loss of millions of dollars in appropriations for the municipal governments that we had achieved also falls on the President of the Senate. Sen. Rivera Schatz added that he anticipated he would appear before a judicial forum to challenge the powers of the unelected PROMESA Oversight Board to alter Puerto Rico’s budget, noting: “The Senate ends the matter of Law 80. It is not going to repeal Law 80. If it were up to us to go to court to litigate against the Board, I advance that I already talked with lawyers to do so.” (The repeal of Law 80 was a specific condition presented by the Board in exchange for disbursing additional financial aid to municipios, the University of Puerto Rico, and guaranteeing holiday leave and sick days for private sector employees.)
At the same time, during the meeting of the majority caucus of the New Progressive Party, a proposal by Sen. Miguel Romero to ascribe to the Law against discrimination in employment (Law 100-1959) by adding some amendments to Law 80 was defeated 15 -5, with the prevailing majority choosing to defer consideration of the issue during the current session—which ends Monday. Sen. Romero proposed creating a system of fixed payments for dismissals that violate only the Anti-Discrimination Law 100, but insisted on repealing Law 80, which deals with another area of labor law by providing remedies for severance without just cause.
Not unlike in the U.S. Congress, the Puerto Rico House and Senate do not always see ojo to ojo (eye to eye). The House intends to address Puerto Rico’s relationship with the Oversight Board differently, with House President Carlos “Johnny” Méndez stating, yesterday, that he has to study what is the probability of prevailing in a lawsuit with the Oversight Board defense of budget items, adding that he considers the controversy over Law 80 to be over. In response to a question whether the House would join a lawsuit initiated by the Senate to combat the cuts applied by the Board, Senate President Méndez replied: “We have to sit down to see what the arguments are and make a decision: the Promise law has supremacy over everything. It does not even allow us to sue the Oversight Board. We have to see what the arguments are, the legal basis for making a decision. It is not going to be a futile exercise. If we have more than a 50% chance of prevailing, of course we will be there.” He added that, if he opts for litigation, he would challenge the authority and ability of the unelected Oversight Board to establish public policy.
What about Manana? Even as the question of governance proceeded, two PROMESA Board members yesterday concurred with a panel of other experts that an overhaul Puerto Rico’s local labor laws is a key for the territory’s future growth. At a session in Washington, D.C. at the Heritage Foundation, PROMESA Chair Jose Carrion joined Anne Krueger, economics Professor at Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, and fellow Board Member Andrew Biggs—with their discussion coming on some of the same issues. With Puerto Rico’s elected leaders considering instituting the same at-will employment statutes used in many states, as well as adding more restrictive rules for receiving food stamps and instituting an earned income tax credit to encourage work, the panelists described Puerto Rico’s labor laws as more restrictive than any state—a factor, perhaps, that could help explain the exodus from Puerto Rico of so many better economic opportunities on the mainland. The panelists noted the challenge will be to convince the people of Puerto Rico that a more competitive labor market will produce more jobs, with PROMESA Board member Andrew Biggs, noting that economists predict there would be an additional one percentage point of annual economic growth if the reforms were adopted. PROMESA Board Chair Jose Carrión noted he, as an employer in Puerto Rico, is only too well aware of how “onerous” the labor laws are, adding: “[I]t does not make Puerto Rico competitive with places to where we are losing our population such as Florida.” Employers in Puerto Rico, for instance, are required to give workers 24 hours off after they work 8 hours, said Professor Anne Krueger of Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, noting that the labor force participation rate is only 38% on Puerto Rico compared to 63% on the mainland, she said. In the end, the PROMESA Board appeared to reach an agreement with the Governor on proposed labor law changes. Now, warns Chair Carrión, if the legislature does not agree, the PROMESA Board will govern in place of Puerto Rico’s elected leaders.
Posted in Alternative to municipal bankruptcy, Board Integrity, demographics, Economic sustainability, Fiscal stress monitoring systems, Gov. Ricardo Rossello, governance, migration, muncipios, Oversight Board, population loss, prepa, privatization, PROMESA, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Oversight Board, restructuring plan, Uncategorized | Leave a reply
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Americans View News Media as Biased
Sep. 17, 2009 , at 9:38 PM
By Andrew Gelman
Aleks Jakulin pointed me to this report:
The public’s assessment of the accuracy of news stories is now at its lowest level in more than two decades of Pew Research surveys, and Americans’ views of media bias and independence now match previous lows. . . . Republicans continue to be highly critical of the news media in nearly all respects. However, much of the growth in negative attitudes toward the news media over the last two years is driven by increasingly unfavorable evaluations by Democrats. . . . The partisan gaps in several of these opinions, which had widened considerably over the past decade, have narrowed.
And some specifics:
Partisan differences in views of Fox News have increased substantially since 2007. Today, a large majority of Republicans view Fox News positively (72%), compared with just 43% of Democrats. In 2007, 73% of Republicans and 61% of Democrats viewed Fox News favorably. [emphasis added]
Though the public is increasingly critical of news media organizations, most people think it would be an important loss if major news sources shut down. . . . Although fewer young people cite television and newspapers as their main news source than do those 60 and older, young people are actually more likely to say it would be an important loss if national news sources such as network TV evening news (83% 18-29 year olds vs. 74% 60 and older), cable news (82% vs. 70%) and large national newspapers (78% vs. 60%) shut down. And while more Republicans than Democrats express critical views of the performance of news organizations, Republicans are about as likely as Democrats to say the loss of major news outlets would be important. The only exception is network evening news; even in this case, 69% of Republicans say the shutdown of network evening news would be an important loss, compared with 85% of Democrats.
We’ll have to get these data and do some further analyses. But the basic numbers are interesting and, I think, important.
Media (88 posts)
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Congressional Foreign Politics
Nov. 5, 2009 , at 12:00 PM
By Renard Sexton
One vote that occurred this election day did not pit Democrats and Republicans against one another in an effort to win seats or change policy. Instead, it was a widely bi-partisan effort, meant to show solidarity with a U.S. ally. In a vote under suspended rules (requiring 2/3 majority) the U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday in favor of a resolution that called on “the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration” of the UN-endorsed Goldstone Report which investigated whether violations of human rights law were committed by Israel and Hamas during the Israeli assault on Gaza a year ago.
Regardless of the merits of the report or the resolution, the 344-36 final vote with 22 voting present (30 not voting) signified widespread support in both parties for the House’s rejection of the document.
In the House Committee on Foreign Relations, from which the bill originated, there was an almost identical vote share in favor (on the final bill), though the “not voting” contingent was a higher percentage and included key members. Committee Vice-Chair Gary Ackerman, who is also the Chair of the Sub-committee on the Middle East affairs and Donald Payne, Chair of the Sub-committee on Africa and Global Health, both chose not to vote on the bill. On the Republican side of the committee, only Ron Paul voted against.
For all of its bluster and bi-partisanship, the non-binding resolution does not have a direct practical impact on either the consideration of the Goldstone report at the UN General Assembly or Security Council, or the Obama Administration’s overall strategy in Israel-Palestine. Indeed, like many other resolutions that express the “sense of the House,” the legal and policy implications are tenuous at best.
The role of the legislative branch in the development of foreign policy is constantly changing, based in part on the interest and timeliness of the Congress and in part of the relevance of Congress’ main tools to issues at hand. The political aspect plays a major role as well, with members of Congress eager to vote on resolutions that bolster their standing in their home districts, without bearing the brunt of responsibility for the impacts.
For making a serious impact, however, veteran congress-people identify a few key tools that the legislative branch has to adjust the foreign policy priorities and actions by the executive. The last two, treaties and appointment holds, are restricted to the Senate.
1. Power of the purse: On large scale initiatives, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the use and deployment of weapons systems, troops or warships, Congress can delay, deny or put guidelines using appropriations measures. The most recent major example was a slew of amendments and bills with regard to the Iraq war, which was largely unsuccessful at actually changing US activities in the country. This strategy requires constant pressure on the President by Congress as well as strict spending guidelines, and therefore requires a great deal of political capital and commitment.
2. War powers: Congress has the power to “declare war,” and “call forth the militia,” though in modern practice, this authority is rather unclear. In conventional activities of the US military against another country, such as the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, Congress’ purview of the main operation was clear. However, for many military activities of the US abroad, conventional war authorization is not particularly relevant. For example, after September 11th, Congress passed a resolution authorizing the ” Use of Military Force Against Terrorists,” which has been interpreted in quite broad terms.
3. Individual lobbying: Congress(wo)men and Senators, particularly those on the Foreign Relations committees, are able to travel around the globe and bring back to the President pet causes, whether localized (hunger in a rural developing country) or more broad (e.g. human rights violations against the Tibetans).
4. Senatorial holds on Presidential appointments: In the Senate, preventing executive appointments to sensitive positions, such as a senior staff to key departments or ambassadors abroad, can be used for leverage.
5. Senate’s treaty powers: The U.S. Constitution requires that all treaties be approved by the Senate by 2/3 majority before they become law. Ignoring that the legal question of what qualifies as a “treaty” has had a long and circuitous history, the fact is that many agreements negotiated with foreign governments include consultation with the Senate, whether an official vote is held or not.
Since the President often plays the dominant initiating role on most foreign policy issues, he or she therefore holds the majority of political responsibility (read: risk) for the success or failure of the initiatives. As the leading edge, the executive has to deal with the nuances of diplomacy and foreign engagement, while in the background, Congress can deal in more black and white absolutes that are more linked to politics than policy. For example, the debate over restricting funding for the Iraq war in the 110th Congress (2006-2007) was framed in terms of withdrawal or surge, with little gradation in between.
As a result, there is often little risk for Congress to pass aggressive yet myopic policy resolutions or amendments, even in cases where the impact on U.S. actions is real. But when the time comes for re-election, there is adequate ammunition for touting strong commitment to ideals, defense and allies.
In the case of the Goldstone report, it is possible that the actual contents of the report did not matter much to most voting members. Except for the relative few who are closely engaged on the Goldstone report itself, for example Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, the roll call was merely a “Pro-Israel or not” vote, supported by both the Democratic and Republican leadership as a point of bipartisan cooperation. In fact, apparently the initial mark-up of the bill had a number of factual errors in it, such as characterizing the Goldstone mission as investigating only the Israeli conduct in the operation rather than both Israel and Hamas, which were only corrected after the author wrote a letter to the bill’s sponsors.
Given that the House’s effort on this is largely symbolic, using none of the tools discussed above, it is clear that the resolution is largely rhetorical. But the question remains about what kind of action the current Congress would take if they were intent on solidly changing the Obama administration’s approach on something broader, such as the Iran negotiations or the Afghanistan conflict. Would they follow a similar path as was taken in 2006 and 2007, which failed to change the Bush administration’s conduct of the Iraq war? Or would a different track be taken, perhaps threatening to reduce or change the 2001 anti-terrorism war resolution or more informal techniques such as Senatorial blockage?
Nonetheless, with many incumbents looking vulnerable going into the 2010 midterms, it could be that Congress does not really want to engage in foreign policy making in the short term, instead focusing on the soft-edge political votes like the one from Tuesday. For a case like Afghanistan or Iran, there may be simply too much risk for little reward, particularly in a political environment where domestic issues continue to dominate.
Renard Sexton is FiveThirtyEight’s international columnist and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. He can be contacted at sexton538@gmail.com
International (138 posts) Foreign Policy (44)
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HomePoliticsBiden is Democrats’ Top Choice in South Carolina
Biden is Democrats’ Top Choice in South Carolina
June 20, 2019 Focus Washington Politics
Former Vice President Joe Biden is the top choice for his party’s nomination among South Carolina Democrats, according to the latest CBS News Battleground Tracker. But Democratic voters in the Palmetto are considering other candidates too. And this is true of African Americans as well, who could make up 60% of the electorate in the state’s primary next year.
Most African-Americans are considering Biden and half are considering Sanders. A third of black voters are considering supporting Kamala Harris.
South Carolina will be the first Democratic contest in 2020 where a majority of the voters will likely be African-American. The poll was conducted before Biden made his remarks about working with segregationist senators in the past.
Biden’s ties to President Barack Obama are helping boost him to the front of the pack in South Carolina and across early voting states. More than eight in 10 (including most whites and blacks) say his history as President Obama’s vice president is a reason they are considering backing him, outranking things like his policy stances and his time in the Senate, CBS News adds.
South Carolina voters considering Sanders, Harris or Warren are more likely to cite these candidates’ policy stances as a reason for their potential support, ahead of their time in the Senate.
Like white Democrats in the state (78%), most blacks (76%) say it’s extremely important that a candidate convince them he or she can beat President Trump. Right now, most considering supporting Biden think he can probably do that.
Democrats in South Carolina do differ some ideologically from Democrats in other states holding early contests. Fewer Democrats here identify as liberal (47%), compared to those in New Hampshire (63%) or Iowa (57%).
Along those lines, South Carolina Democrats are a bit less likely than those in Iowa and New Hampshire to say they prefer the Democratic nominee be someone who is progressive, CBS News noted.
Still, in all three states most say a candidate needs to understand their economic situation in order to get their vote, ahead of other issues asked about in the poll.
The CBS News survey was conducted by YouGov online between May 31 – June 12, on a representative sample of 1,600 registered voters in South Carolina, including 644 self-identied Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents.
Middle East Clashes Increase Oil Prices
China, U.S. to Resume Trade Talks, Beijing Warns Demands Must Be Met
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Starbucks apologizes for coffee shop arrest of two black men
Posted on April 16, 2018 by Sunfire
Following accusations of racial profiling, the CEO of Starbucks has promised to personally meet two men arrested at one of the coffee giant’s stores for a “face-to-face apology.”
Kevin Johnson, who has been in the top job a year, apologized on Sunday after two men were reportedly escorted from a Starbucks café by police in Philadelphia. According to eyewitness Melissa DePino, who filmed the incident at the Spruce Street store last week, Starbucks staff called police on two black men waiting at a table for a friend without ordering.
“The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing,” she posted online. “All the other white people are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing.”
Footage of the incident shows Philadelphia police officers arresting the two men while another man asks why such action is being taken. “What did they get called for, because there are two black guys sitting here?” he can be heard to say.
Philadelphia police commissioner Richard Ross has since defended the officers involved, saying they were responding to a 911 call from Starbucks staff regarding two men “trespassing.” He added that the pair were eventually arrested after refusing requests to leave by Starbucks staff as well as police.
The incident is said to have started after one of the men sought to use the bathroom having not ordered.
“It is important to underscore that these officers had legal standing to make this arrest,” Ross said in a statement.
“Again, they were called to the scene because employees said they were trespassing. It is important for me to say that in short, these officers did absolutely nothing wrong. They followed policy, they did what they were supposed to do, they were professional in all their dealings with these gentlemen and instead they got the opposite back,” he said.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson has since offered his apologies for the company’s part in the arrests, promising to investigate the circumstances and “make things right.”
“The video shot by customers is very hard to watch and the actions in it are not representative of our Starbucks mission and values. Regretfully, our practices and training led to a bad outcome – the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong,” Johnson said.
He added: “Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did.”
https://www.rt.com/news/424217-starbucks-caf%C3%A9-arrests-philadelphia/
This entry was posted in News, Videos. Bookmark the permalink.
4 Responses to Starbucks apologizes for coffee shop arrest of two black men
TxRdKill says:
Another Starbucks commercial, haha…
Clean clothes, new sneakers. They didn’t even look homeless. This is going to hurt Starbucks, and that’s a good thing.
JoeSTP says:
Its free press, losing market share!!!
Martist says:
Yes, this is another ad for starbucks commie coffee shop. It appears as bad press initially, but they are able to stir up the race baiting pot in the process and shine for sjw types who believe this was about race. It had nothing to do with their race. My girlfriend’s niece is the assistant manager for this location but she was not on duty at that time. She said they were asked to leave after they refused to order anything and it is a center city location where $pace is a premium.
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Movie review: X-Men: Apocalypse
Welcome to the 4th comic book movie review of 2016! This time, we are discussing the latest entry into the X-Men franchise – Apocalypse.
IMDb summary: With the emergence of the world’s first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.
X-Men was probably the first superhero trilogy that I have ever watched, even though I wasn’t a big movie fan back then – and by ‘then’ I mean the early 2000s when I was still a kid. At about the same time, I also used to watch the reruns of the 1992-1997 X-Men Animated Series. In 2010, I started getting into movies a lot more and only a year later, First Class came out and I was hooked. The Wolverine’s spin-offs were kinda a hit and miss for me – I always preferred the team up movies. Days of Future Past was the biggest and most welcomed surprise of the 2014 summer movie season – that film restarted, fixed, and reinvigorate the franchise. I have reviewed DOFP back in 2014 when it just came out and I also looked back at the whole franchise in greater detail – you can find that post here. Nowadays, I am also starting to get into comics – I picked up Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes Wolverine edition, which features Incredible Hulk #181 and Get Mystique! storylines, at my local second-hand bookshop. This edition seemed like a great way to star reading the X-Men comics because it featured a character that I was somewhat familiar with (that meant that I wouldn’t be completely lost in the lore while reading the story). It also provided me with a glimpse into the history of the comic books. The first story of the edition was originally published in 1974, while the second in 2008, so I was not only able to see how the character has changed throughout the years but how the stories and the art have progressed as well. Basically, I had a Crash Course on Wolverine in Comics.
!SPOILER ALERT!
Writing and Story
The 9th X-Men film was written by Simon Kinberg, who has a mixed track record. Kinberg has previously written such great films as Mr. & Mrs. Smith and 2014’s Days of Future Past. However, he has also worked on X-Men: The Last Stand and last year’s Fantastic Four – two of the worst comic book movies of the decade. With Apocalypse, Kinberg succeeded for the most part. In general, writing was probably the strongest part of the movie.
To begin with, Apocalypse had this old school feeling, reminiscent of the first two X-Men films from the early 2000s. At the same time, the picture was new and fresh in that it continued the reboot/new timeline version of the franchise. This film made a lot of verbal references to The First Class and tied up the loose end of DOFP. The film’s buildup was also kinda slow, with a few small action scenes in between dialogue. The pace really picked up at the end of the 2nd act and during the final battle.
Apocalypse as a villain was also not a bad choice. I appreciated the religious undertones that he had, which were especially obvious in his motivation/purpose. The False God accusations reminded me of BvS a bit as well. His Survival of the Fittest way of thinking was very Darwinistic/Eugenics like. The scene, where Apocalypse was learning about the new world, was also an interesting setup and tied the franchise to the Cold War setting quite nicely. When Apocalypse was destroying those nukes and shouted No More Superpowers!, I felt that this was a partial verbal nod to the famous Scarlet Witch’s line – No More Mutants!. The way Apocalypse could transfer his consciousness but could keep the power of his previous hosts was an interesting idea and his mental battle with Xavier was also pretty neat.
X-Men: Apocalypse also continued the versus idea of this year’s comic book movie season, since, in this picture, the mutants were fighting their fellow mutants. Although, that has always been the basic idea of all X-Men movies – mutant friends becoming mutant enemies and either trying to protect humans or destroy them. Generally, X-Men: Apocalypse felt like a formulaic movie but a well written one. It was not as surprising as DOFP and definitely did not accomplish as much. Nevertheless, it fit into the timeline perfectly and made sense – and that’s the most important aspect that Kinberg should be praised for.
The film also had a few funny moments. The stand-outs to me were the scenes between Moira and Xavier. Seeing Professor X act as a teenage boy was both awkward and amazing. Another nice scene was that Star Wars discussion between Jean, Scott, Jubilee and Nightcrawler. I especially liked Jean’s line how the 3rrd one if always the worst. It was such an obvious jab at The Last Stand (the 3rd X-Men movie that butchered The Dark Phoenix Saga) but it was perfect.
Directing and Visuals
Bryan Singer, once again, directed the film and did a pretty nice job. The stakes felt high and the action was pretty sweet. The X-Men franchise is probably the craziest and the most comic-booky- comic book movie franchise of all time, so I just wish that they would fully embrace the comic book-y-iness and gives us some colorful costumes.
The opening credits sequence was a really cool way to open the movie and nicely showed the passing of time, from Ancient Egypt to the 1980s. Speaking about the 80s, the fashion and the style seemed pretty tame, especially after watching Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!!. That film embraced the campiness of the 80s, while Apocalypse seemed to only be inspired by it.
The X-symbolism as well as the Phoenix shape teaser during the last battle were also nice visual references to the comics. The action scenes where the mutants combined their power were also pretty sweet. My favorite action sequences of the film were: 1. Magneto killing those soldier/guards with the necklace. 2.Quicksilver saving everyone (almost) from the fire. The song, featured in that sequence, was also excellent .
Actings and Characters
The film had a lot of characters and, while the majority of them were really nice additions to the story, others were kinda wasted.
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier / Professor X – McAvoy was really good in the role, once again. I liked him both as a teacher and the war leader. The scene, where he was transmitting Apocalypse’s message, was relly good and showcased McAvoy’s acting abilities nicely. If you want to see more of McAvoy, I really liked him in 2013’s Filth – a really dark and ironic look at mental illness.
Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto. Fassbender also nicely portrayed the emotional damage of Erik. The Forest scene with Magneto’s family was amazing. I only wonder if his double crossing was true (‘I didn’t betray you, I betrayed them’). Magneto is known for switching sides, so I, if I was Xavier, I would keep an eye on him, even though it seems like they are friends at the end of the film. If you want to see more of Fassbender, may I suggest Inglourious Basterds, Prometheus, Frank or Steve Jobs.
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkhölme / Mystique. Lawrence was also amazing in the role, I especially liked that she led the new X-Men, being The First Class alumni herself. I only wish that we would have seen more of her in the blue form. I liked her line about the fact that the lack of war doesn’t mean peace. You have probably seen a lot of Lawrence’s movies (THG), but I suggest you check out her first breakthrough role in Winter’s Bone.
Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast. Hoult has always been one of my favorite actors and I am glad that the filmmakers found some space for Beast in this film. I loved his scene with Raven – ‘I love you!’. Hoult’s movie suggestion – Mad Max Fury Road, although I also want to check out Kill Your Friends.
Evan Peters as Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver. Quicksilver was my favorite part of DOFP and I was so happy that they didn’t leave him at home in Apocalypse. He was my favorite character – the most efficient in action scenes, the funniest and the one with most potential – I would love to explore his and Magneto’s relationship. I haven’t seen any other films starring Peter, but if you want to check out more of him, I suggest American Horror Story.
The new successful additions to the cast in the familiar roles were Sophie Turner as Jean Grey / Phoenix and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler. I’m so happy that Turner is getting more work because of Game of Thrones and I believe that she will be great as the Dark Phoenix. Smit-McPhee also played the Nightcrawler nicely and provided some great comedic relief. I wish we would have seen more of his adaptation to the capitalist world of the west.
The medium:
Oscar Isaac as En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse. When the look of Apocalypse was revealed, I did not really like it, and, after seeing the film, I still don’t fully understand the need to cast such a good looking and expressive actor, only to cover him underneath tons of makeup. Although, I, at least, appreciated the eye movements of Apocalypse, but those also felt CGI and not real. Issac’s film suggestions: Star Wars The Force Awakens, Inside Llewyn Davis and Ex-Machina.
Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert. Moira only had two roles in the film: exposition and being a love interest for Xavier. She succeded in both places, but I wanted her to be used more. Byrne is a comedic actress, so all of her movie suggestions are comedies: both Neighbors and its sequel, Bridesmaids and Spy.
Tye Sheridan (Mud) as Scott Summers / Cyclops, Olivia Munn (Mordecai) as Elizabeth Braddock / Psylocke, Alexandra Shipp (In Time, minor role) as Ororo Munroe / Storm, and Ben Hardy (EastEnders) as Warren Worthington III / Angel / Archangel were okay additions to the cast. Scott was more interesting in a few scenes before his brother’s death – he turned into a brodding, not-fun, James Marsden’s version of the character way too quickly. Psylocke and Angel were cool in the action scenes, but didn’t have much to do, except stand around Apocalypse. Storm at least had some extra development, with that saying that Mystique is her hero.
The bad (or wasted):
Lucas Till as Alex Summers / Havok. Till’s Havok had two purposes in the film – to destroy Cerebro and to die. I don’t really think he was needed at all.
Lana Condor as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee was the most wasted character of all. She didn’t even use her powers, so I don’t even know why she was included in the film.
Post-Credits and Future
It has been annouced that the next X-Men film will be set in the 90s and the X-Men team that was formed at the end of Apocalypse will probably be back. I do not know if the Proffesor X, Magneto or Raven will return, as the actors who play them might be working on other projects. Rumours have been floating around that Kinberg wants to try to make The Dark Phoenix Saga again and, after that jab at The Last Stand, I kinda believe this to be true.
Another future project, which is also set in X-Men universe, is the 3rd solo Wolverine movie. In Apocalypse, we found out that, after Stryker got Wolverine at the end of DOFP, he experimented on him. It seems that it is innevitable for Logan not to get the metal claws, even when the timeline changes. When Wolverine showed up, the only thing on my mid was: Well, you can’t make an X-Men movie without Hugh Jackman. I wonder if his solo movie will pick up where Apocalypse left off – with Logan running off into the woods. His and Jean Grey’s scene was kinda creepy and yet somewhat nice callbacks to their relationship in the original trilogy. The post-credits scene showed the Weapon X base being infiltrated by Essex Corpor., which has ties to Mister Sinister from the comics. I wonder will the Weapon X serum(?) have a role in Wolverine’s film or in the next X-Men film. I was kinda expecting the 3rd Wolverine’s standalone film to be an adaptation of the Old Man Logan story, so I don’t know how Essex corp. and Mister Sinister can figure into that.
All in all, X-Men: Apocalypse was a thourougly enjoyable film. It had a great story and a few nice actions scenes. Some characters could have been cut or could have received more development. The 9th installment of the longest running comic-book franchise was not its best entry but defintely not the worst either.
Rate:4/5
Trailer: X-Men: Apocalypse trailer
May 18, 2016 May 29, 2016 Lou Tagged academy awards, acting, action, activity, actor, actors, actres, america, american horror story, apocalypse, avengers, beauty, black widow, book, books, bridesmaids, bryan singer, captain amerIca, celebrities, cinema, comedy, comic bokks, comic book, comic book movie, comic books, comic con, comics, dark phoenix saga, days of future past, directing, disney, divergent, drama, eastenders, easter eggs, erik, essex, europe, evan peters, event, ex-machina, family, fantasy, fashion, film, film review, film reviews, filming, films, filth, follow, frank, freetime, game of thrones, graphic novel, havok, history, hugh jackman, inglorious basterds, inspiration, iron man, james mcavoy, jennifer lawrence, journalism, jubilee, kaunas, kill your friends, lithuania, lucas till, mad max fury road, magneto, marathon, marvel, michael fassbender, mister sinister, mordecau, motion capture, motion picture, motion picture review, motion pictures, movie, movie film, movie preview, movie review, movie reviews, movies, mud, music, nature, neighbors, nicholas hoult, nightcrawler, oscar isaac, oscars, photos, post credits, postcredits, proffesor x, prometheus, quicksilver, raven, review, rose byrne, running, science fiction, simon kinenberg, sophie turner, sport, star wars, star wars the force awakens, steve jobs, style, swimming, the fault in our stars, the hunger games, uk, usa, winning, winter's bone, writing, x men, x-men apocalupse, x-men origins wolverine, x-men the last stand, x-men: apocalypse, x2, xavier, xmen 28 Comments
Collection: Posters + other wall decorations
Welcome to another segment of Collections. I have shared my nail polish and postcards’ collection with you before but now I will show you my room’s wall decorations. Mostly, my walls are covered with posters that represent all of my obsessions (TV shows, movies, books, comics, singers and so forth). All of the posters are custom made or bought at the concerts. Other decorations include a wall clock, couple of paintings I have painted myself, couple of inspirational quotes, my medals from various sports I do and two flags of the countries I wish to live in someday. Let’s begin, shall we?
I have 11 posters, I use to have more but now I have taken them down. My first poster (TVD and GG) are about 5 years old.
The Vampire Diaries poster
Twilight series poster
Glee poster
Gossip Girl poster (+ couple of postcards with quotes)
Marvel poster
Pretty little liars poster
Wizards of Waverly place poster
One Direction poster
Lana del Rey poster (bought at the concert in 2013)
Lady Gaga poster (bought at the concert in 2012)
My o’clock is very girly: its Disney pink clock with Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
These 4 paintings are all painted by me using Paint by numbers canvases. The quote underneath them is the quote I saw on one of the swimmers from London 2012 Olympics T-shirt and found it really inspiring, so decided to hang it on my wall.
Here you can see 55 medals that I have won in swimming, running, bicycle sport and aquathlon. Above them are numbers from running and cycling competitions.
And here is my favorite part of my room (although, I do love all of it) – US and UK flags. I wish to study in the US and then live for a while in the UK.
My walls used to be white but 4 years ago we repainted them into orange. I also have an inspiration/mood board above my desk with inspirational quotes, sayings, tiny paintings and symbols that mean something to me, but I am going to save it for a separate post.
So, I hope you liked seeing my room, even if it was just a tiny bit of it. Bye!
August 27, 2014 August 27, 2014 Lou Tagged a clash of kings, a feast for crows, a game of thrones, a song of ice and fire, a storm of swords, actor, america, america's flag, american flag, aria montgomery, ashley benson, avengers, balloons, beauty and the beast, belle, black widow, blake, blake lively, breaking dawn, british flag, candice accola, captain aerica, cersei, chade crawford, cindirella, clock, concert, cory monteih, cycling, dance with dragons, david henrie, decor, decorations, directioner, disney, disney princess, drax the destroyer, eclipse, ed westwick, emilia clarke, emily fields, english, flag, flags, game of thrones, gamora, gerge rr martin, glee, gossip girl, great britain, groot, guardians of the galaxy, halle berry, hana marin, harry shum jr, harry style, hawkeye, hul, ian somerhalder, iron man, jake t austin, jessica stone, joffrey, jon snow, kat graham, kit harrigton, kristen stewart, lady gaga, laim payne, lana del rey, lea michelle, leighton meester, lena heady, lobster, loki, louis tomlinson, lucy hale, magneto, maisie williams, mark ruffalo, marvel, marvel cinematic universe, medals, mike chang, mystique, natalie dormer, nature, new moon, nial horan, nikolaj coster walday, nina dobrev, north america, one direction, orange, paintings, paul wesley, peter dinklage, pink, postcards, poster, posters, pretty little liars, proffesor x, quotes, rachel berry, robert downey jr., robert pattison, rocket racoon, room tour, running, santana lopez, scarlet johhanson, selena gomez, singer actress, skay mitchell, sleeping beauty, sophie turner, spencer hastings, star lord, starry night, steve rogers, storm, swimming, taylor lautner, taylor momsem, the born this way ball, the fosters, the iron throne, the others, the wampire diaries, thor, tom hiddelston, tony stark, tour, troian bellisario, twillight, uk flag, united states of america, us, us flag, usa, usa flag, wall decorations, wallpaper, wizards of waverly place, wolverine, xmen, ygritte, zayn malik 3 Comments
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The State of France
BBC Home Service Basic, 12 June 1957 22.40
A conversation between Paul Bareau, Francois Walter, and Bertrand de Jouvenel
Monsieur Mollet's government fell on May 21 on the question of economic policy. The present economic difficulties of France, their causes, and the proposed solutions have never been more anxious subjects of controversy than they are at present.
Francois Walter and Bertrand de Jouvenel have been invited to come over from France to discuss these questions with Paul Bareau, economic adviser to the News Chronicle. Francois Walter , who was for some years economic adviser to O.E.E.C. and is now making a study of the economic situation in France, approaches the subject as an economist. Bertrand de Jouvenel is a well-known French writer on political and economic subjects.
Unknown: Paul Bareau
Unknown: Francois Walter
Unknown: Bertrand De Jouvenel
Feedback about The State of France, BBC Home Service Basic, 22.40, 12 June 1957
Please leave this link here so we can find the programme you're referring to: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9498ef4643c745e491cd94ac2b9de981
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RetailFashion
Fashion Retailers Sidestepping Trump’s Trade War with China
Arun Devnath
Bangladesh garment manufacturers are seeing an increase in orders from U.S. companies shifting business from China.Photo by Ziaul Haque Oisharjh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
For the first time in 30 years, Newage Group, a Bangladesh-based garment manufacturer, is sensing an opportunity to sell in the U.S. And it has President Donald Trump’s battle with China to thank.
Newage, a supplier to Hennes & Mauritz AB, has been doing business with European companies for three decades but is now getting inquiries from Macy’s Inc. and Gap Inc., Asif Ibrahim, vice-chairman of Newage Group, said in an interview. Rival Viyellatex Group forecasts its annual exports to the U.S. will more than double to $25 million in the year that began July 1, buoyed by rising orders, according to Chairman David Hasanat.
About 30% of Viyellatex’s clients, including PVH Corp.—the owner of American fashion labels Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein—are from the U.S., compared with 20% a year ago.
The South Asian nation of Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest garment exporter, has seen the value of its overseas sales rise to a record $40.5 billion in the year ended June 30, coinciding with Trump boosting tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%. The tit-for-tat trade war has seen American and Chinese orders for more than half of the 1,981 tariffed products so far being re-routed to other countries, including Vietnam and Malaysia.
“The rate of inquiries has gone up by 30%,” Newage’s Ibrahim said. “Tariffs are being imposed unilaterally by one person at this point in time. That made some retailers a bit nervous. They are shifting their orders to this country to lower their business risks.’’
Macy’s said in May the company has been working for a “number of months, and really for a couple of years, about moving production out of China,” while the same month Gap said it has been migrating sourcing out of China for the last several years.
For Bangladesh, which aims to double total exports to $72 billion by 2024, snaring part of the $41 billion of the clothing business that goes to China will provide a fillip to an economy that the Asian Development Bank forecasts will expand a record 8% for the next two years. Bangladesh’s garment industry, which employs 4 million people, accounts for 13% of gross domestic product.
A potential boon for Bangladesh, Vietnam
Finished clothing has so far been excluded from the list, but should talks fail and Trump raises tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese products in the next round, textiles will be hit. Bangladesh and Vietnam are well-positioned as apparel manufacturing hubs and will be obvious choices as retailers with exposure to the U.S. move their production out of China, Fitch Solutions said in a report.
To tap rising demand, Newage, which has an annual revenue of about $100 million, tied up with a Chinese investor to set up a $20 million garment factory in Kaliakoir on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka. The unit expects to start production in four months.
“There’s a huge potential to further expand investment” in the garment industry, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a speech to Chinese businessmen in Beijing on July 4. “We highly value the huge interest demonstrated by the Chinese investors in our country and as such we are setting up a special economic zone for the Chinese Investors.”
Infrastructure impediments
But for Bangladesh companies there’s a roadblock to winning more orders from Western firms. With its infrastructure ranked at 103 in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, compared with 29 for China, Bangladesh needs to improve its supply chain, modernize its garment factories, build highways and reduce red tape at ports to lure more buyers.
Prime Minister Hasina opened two four-lane bridges on the highway to the Chittagong Port in May and another bridge earlier in March, cutting travel time to the nation’s main port by almost half. The government has also been accelerating construction of highways. Still it takes 168 hours for exporters in the nation to ship from Dhaka, while it takes just 23 hours in Shanghai, according to the latest Doing Business report by the World Bank.
“Of course, we are not as good as Hong Kong or China,” said Khalid Quadir, co-founder and chief executive officer of Brummer & Partners Asset Management (Bangladesh). “There’s congestion at the port, but congestion may be the function of more and more containers going there. Our ports aren’t ready.”
Exporters also need to improve productivity, said Fahmida Khatun, executive director of Dhaka-based Centre for Policy Dialogue. “In order to increase productivity, we need to go for technological upgrade and automation in the garment industry. There are some companies that have adopted automation, but it has to be done across the sector,” she said.
Then there’s the price advantage. China exports garments at about $2.3 a piece, compared with $2.79 for Bangladesh and $2.52 in Cambodia, according to Rubana Huq, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. China’s price dominance over other nations along with technological superiority may keep exports from the north Asian nation resilient, she said.
—Etsy wants sellers to include free shipping
—The global fashion industry designs a sustainable future
—Checkout startup Bolt raises $68 Million in bid to counter Amazon
—Shiseido Launches Internet of Things Skincare System
—Pink peacock lattes at a SoHo pop-up to promote colors and TVs
—Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune500 Daily
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XPRIZE awards $15M for open source, scalable education software
Admas Kanyagia
Open source software can be a powerful tool to help solve the social problems we see in the world around us—from climate change to poverty, and even the lack of education for those who need it. Nonprofits, governments, citizens, and developers leverage open source tools and projects on GitHub to address important issues in their communities. We get excited when developers can share and collaborate on open source solutions like XPRIZE that have a positive impact in society.
The XPRIZE Foundation creates competitions to crowdsource solutions to worldwide challenges like literacy, pollution, and more. XPRIZE recently announced the winner of their $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE after wrapping up a challenge to help children with self-education.
The Global Learning XPRIZE challenged teams from around the world to develop open source, scalable software to help children learn basic reading, writing, and arithmetic within 15 months. The challenge began with 198 teams and was narrowed down to five finalists. Each team was instructed to use software and technology to help children with little to no schooling. Among the many guidelines, teams were required to create tools that are easy to use and engaging for children, so they could use them alone or in self-organized groups.
Global Learning XPRIZE partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Government of Tanzania to test the software solutions over 15 months. Roughly 2,700 children in 170 villages in the Tanga region of Tanzania participated.
We’re pleased to announce that we have two winners—it’s a tie between Kitkit and onebillion! All five finalists were successful in providing significant improvements in reading, writing, and arithmetic through their software. This makes it even more impactful that each team has provided their code as open source for you to access and modify.
We want to congratulate all the participants who have worked towards creating social change—proving that change can start with a single line of code.
Curious to see their work? Check out the source code from each of the five finalists:
Chimple
Kitkit
onebillion
RoboTutor
The teams delivered, but they still need help with localizing the software into different languages and cultural contexts as well as sourcing and loading the software on hardware. Reach out to a team’s repository to learn about the ways you can get involved.
You can also support open source solutions for education by signing the Impact Pledge. Help us and the XPRIZE Foundation address the educational challenges that face many children around the world with open source technology.
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Maintainer spotlight: Fatih Arslan
We’re sharing interviews from several open source contributors about their projects, challenges, and what a GitHub sponsorship means to them. This week, hear from Fatih Arslan.
Paul Oliver
Yarn support for security alerts
Yarn now supports security alerts for public and private repositories.
Justin Hutchings
Maintainer spotlight: Daniel Stenberg
We’re sharing interviews from several open source contributors about their projects, challenges, and what a GitHub sponsorship means to them. This week, hear from Daniel Stenberg.
Devon Zuegel
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Home › Business › Apparel › Fashion retailers turn to Cambodia and Vietnam as tariffs hit China
Fashion retailers turn to Cambodia and Vietnam as tariffs hit China
By globalapparelforum on August 22, 2018 • ( 0 )
Source: https://www.digitalcommerce360.com
The next designer handbag you buy is less likely to bear a “made in China” label.
Fashion companies, eager to diversify their supply chains, were already expanding into production sites in Southeast Asia as alternatives to China. Then the trade war happened.
Now, with tariffs on products such as Chinese handbags set to rise, nations like Cambodia and Vietnam are looking more attractive than ever for consumer-goods makers such as Steven Madden Ltd. (No. 612 in the Internet Retailer 2018 Top 1000) and Tapestry Inc.’s Coach (No. 179). And while the Trump administration has slapped duties on goods from many of its largest trading partners this year, it’s allowed some Cambodian products to continue duty-free access to the U.S. market.
“The shift has been under way,” said Steve Lamar, executive vice president of American Apparel & Footwear Association. The talk of tariffs has created “a lot of anxiety,” and companies are gauging how fast they can make more changes to their sourcing, he said.
A study released in July by the U.S. Fashion Industry Association showed that, while all of the companies participating in the survey sourced goods from China, 67% expected to decrease the value or volume of production in the country over the next two years. U.S. trade protectionism was listed as the number one challenge for the industry.
Moving output
Steven Madden CEO Edward Rosenfeld said on the company’s most recent earnings call that it has been shifting production of its handbags to Cambodia from China. The maker of shoes and accessories sees 15% of its handbags coming from Cambodia this year, with this percentage doubling in 2019.
“That gives us frankly about a three-year head start on most of our peers, because many folks are just now trying to make that move,” Rosenfeld said on the July 31 conference call. “Our head of handbag sourcing is actually over there right now, working on a plan to ramp that up.”
Tapestry, the luxury company behind Coach and Kate Spade handbags, has adopted a similar strategy, boosting its Vietnamese production and leaving less than 5% of its sourcing from China. Vera Bradley (No. 386), meanwhile, mentioned last December it is looking at sending manufacturing operations to Cambodia and Vietnam from China.
“Cambodia does offer pretty good investment incentives like tax holidays,” said Matt van Roosmalen, country manager for Cambodia at Emerging Markets Consulting, an investment advisory firm focused on Southeast Asia. “As long as the tariff exemptions persist, companies will be more incentivized to invest production capacity in Cambodia.”
The moves to shift production have had an impact in China: Hong Kong-based Stella International Holdings Ltd.—which develops and manufactures footwear for brands like Prada Group (No. 329) and Guess Inc. (No. 389)—has seen its stock drop to its lowest point since 2009 as China and the U.S. ratchet up the trade rhetoric.
Cambodia footwear exports rose 25% in 2017, while garment exports increased 8% in the same period, according to an annual report by the National Bank of Cambodia, which attributed the growth in part to increased demand from the U.S.
Vietnam, meanwhile, has enjoyed a foreign investor-led economic boom for years, attracting billion-dollar investments from the likes of Samsung Electronics Co. and Intel Corp. It is transforming from mainly an exporter of agricultural commodities, such as rice and coffee, to a Southeast Asian manufacturing hub.
“The country enjoys relatively low inflation, a stable currency, and political stability—all of which helps to attract foreign investment,” said Adam Sitkoff, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi. “The opportunities are clear—Vietnam is a country of 95 million people traveling pretty quickly on the path from bicycles to motorbikes to BMWs.”
Even before China and the U.S. escalated trade tensions, Cambodia enjoyed duty-free privileges for products such as handbags, suitcases and wallets, part of a U.S. program to help boost development in low-income countries. This designation has so far been maintained by the Trump administration.
In addition to the tariff threat, wages have risen steadily in China, while Cambodia remains one of the lowest-cost countries when it comes to labor. According to estimates provided by Oxford Economics, labor cost in Cambodia is a quarter of China’s.
‘Not easy’
Lamar, of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, does recommend caution, however.
“The reality, unfortunately, is that shifting out of China is not easy,” he said.
One reason is that cheap labor does not necessarily equal effective production. Cambodia’s productivity rates are low compared to China, making it a challenge to manufacture more elaborate products. In a survey by the Hong Kong Development Council, which promotes trade and investment for the territory, factory managers suggested that the average labor productivity of Cambodian workers was about 50-60% that of Chinese workers.
Another reason is that Cambodia’s infrastructure is well behind China’s. The nation’s infrastructure ranked 106 out of 137, behind neighbors Vietnam and Laos, in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.
This can cause difficulties in getting merchandise out of the country, Lamar said.
‘Flawed’ elections
Then there’s politics.
The U.S. government recently said that Cambodian elections in July, in which the ruling party won all 125 seats in the National Assembly, were “flawed.”
As a result, the U.S. and Europe could review their trade policies and “potentially stop giving tariff preference to Cambodia’s garment industry,” said Tommy Wu, senior economist at Oxford Economics. Such a move would be a blow for the nation, where garments make up 64% of total exports.
“Setting more output in Cambodia should be taken with caution until the political dust settles,” said Sophal Ear, associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles.
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Categories: Apparel, Asia, Brands, Business, Cambodia, China, Europe, Hong Kong, Retail, USA, Vietnam
Tags: Apparel, Brands, Business, Cambodia, China, Europe, fashion, garment, Hong Kong, Retail, USA, Vietnam
10 Trends That Will Define the Fashion Agenda in 2018
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On July 18, 2017, Ulyana Podkorytova presented a solo project in the center of Baku’s Old City. Podkorytova, a Russian artist, was the inaugural participant in the Gogova Foundation Artist Residency, a new initiative from the Gogova Foundation for the Support of Contemporary Art and Culture.
A reference to one of the five canons of rhetoric, the project’s title, INVENTIO, captures its polyphonic texture. Over the course of her two months in residence, the artist has collected sounds that struck her as particularly characteristic of the city of Baku. As Podkorytova sees it, in an era of globalization, when people have began to interact less and less with their physical and sensory fields, the only possible way for an artist to discover new ideas is through the experience of the world around us, which means conducting live conversations with real people. After spending a little time in her new surroundings, the artist has slipped into the fabric of a city still so unfamiliar. As she starts to pick up on the issues underlying the city, she serves as both an explorer and an integral component of the local society.
In addition to these sound pieces, the exhibition includes a painting revealing the structure of the etudes, as well as video recordings in which Podkorytova sings the resulting score, thus mimicking the urban environment.
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Austin, Texas has spawned a variety of world-renowned bands over the years that covered a wide variety of styles - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, the Sword, Scratch Acid, Dangerous Toys- and a band that one day may very well be mentioned in the same breath is the fast-rising/hard rocking Empty Trail. Comprised of members Rick Lambert (vocals/guitar), Shane Wallin (bass), and Rom Gov (drums), the band was actually started elsewhere. “The band essentially formed here in Austin,” recalls Lambert. “However, It has been a personal project of mine since the spring of 2013 while I was living in Los Angeles. I thought it would be better to start a band in Austin because of the highly saturated market in Los Angeles. I went through a couple of members, but eventually found the full live band in the summer of 2016. I decided to keep it as a 3-piece. It seemed a bit less expected.”
“I remember lying in bed trying to think of a good band name. I was substituting a couple words that seemed odd to use together, because I wanted something that hasn’t been used before. Every band name has already been thought out, it seems! I’ve always searched for meaning, ever since I was young. I still find myself in existential battles in my mind. “Empty Trail” is what I’ve felt for a long time. I know it seems a bit dark, and I suppose it is. I’m on a path, but where is it leading? What is the point of it all? I guess, sometimes it’s felt empty, and I try to give my whole existence a purpose. Something deeper. A reason to keep going. I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s felt this? Maybe this is relatable?”
Lambert describes Empty Trail as “a personal endeavour,” and is the best man to ask which artists inspired the trio musically. “Metallica was one of the first bands that moved me. Frankly- and I know I’m not the only guitar player to say this- they were what created my passion and drive to play guitar. After this point, I was the biggest Megadeth fan, and I think you could see this in our guitar work. I mean, all of the greats influenced me, and I believe the rest of the band would agree. From a vocal standpoint, the 90s era grunge made the biggest impact for me. All the depressive topics just resonated with me. The depth and emotion in the lyrics and singers really drew me in.”
And as evidenced by such standout tracks as Empty Trail’s most recent single, “My World,” Lambert and company have already solidified their sound. “I think Empty Trail’s sound takes bits and pieces of the most iconic hard rock/metal bands while maintaining authenticity. I’ve always wanted things to be relatable and believable. I don’t really want to be limited to a box. I’m sure every artist says this, but it’s true! I think the music fits the mold of catchy and even pop-y at times, which seems to be what’s going around, but it comes from a real place. I’m in music because this keeps me going. I have something I need to say, something that I need to let out, because if I bottle it up it is destructive. Yes, it’s rock, and it’s exciting and I want everyone to have a great time, but if you are listening, I hope it makes you feel understood. Somewhere where you can be free and not judged for who you are.”
And speaking of the single - which manages to combine the metallic with the melodic - the singer/guitarist offered some insight behind its creation: “I remember when I told my producer, Kfir Gov, I wanted to record a single with him. He wanted me to start writing and we would decide together what song we felt was the strongest. ‘My World’ just clicked. It essentially just came out and I knew it was a good song. Kfir agreed and we produced it together. Kfir pushed me out of a lot of comfort zones, but I’m really happy with what we accomplished, especially since this song has stirred up a lot of positive attention. I would say that everyone in this band is a pretty stellar musician, so the recording process was pretty quick.” And what about the meaning behind the song, lyrically? “We ALL have a ‘world’ of our own that very few people know about- for some of us, no one. It’s about having to put on a fake face and get through the day, when inside you are fighting a battle no one knows. An urge to be honest with the world. I can’t be the only one who’s feeling this way? No one says anything; we just ignore it. I think that’s where true connection lies, as we are much more alike than we are different. Although everyone wants to point out our differences.”
As is the case with many modern-day rock bands, Empty Trail plans on issuing a steady stream of singles - rather than an album’s worth of tunes. “I’d like to just focus on singles. As much as a full-length would be cool, I don’t see how it makes sense for how the market is. I’d rather spend time on specific songs than on an album that only a few people will have the patience to listen through. Sad but true.” Hopefully, the buzz surrounding Empty Trail will soon lead to a full-on tour. “I would love to tour when it makes sense to. I want to connect with people who get this in any fashion. Maybe this is my personality, but I want to go where we are wanted!”
And lastly, where can fans connect and correspond with the band? “We are almost everywhere you would imagine. The most activity tends to be on Instagram, until a new platform comes around and knocks that one out. Connect with us there!”
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1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku
Tucked between the neon of the Ginza and the gardens of the Imperial Palace, the ten-year-old Peninsula Tokyo is a combination of old and new. Guests are still transported to the hotel in one of its traditional Rolls-Royces (including a pristine 1934 model that, like all of the hotel’s cars, is painted the company’s signature Brewster Green), white-suited bellhops still greet you at the entrance, and the Peninsula afternoon tea is stately enough to make a monarch to feel at home. But there are modern accents as well, including fully automated (and surprisingly spacious) rooms with controls for lights, windows, and even humidity. Not to mention thoughtful, if ridiculously decadent, touches, like a two-way compartment that lets housekeeping collect room service dishes without making you lift a finger, and something every hotel should have: in-room nail polish dryers.
1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
The Palace Hotel has 290 rooms, seven restaurants, three bars, a pastry shop, and the first Evian spa in Japan. This is actually the third hotel to sit on the enviable chunk of real estate next to Tokyo’s Imperial Gardens—the first hotel, the Teito, was demolished and replaced in 1961 by the first Palace Hotel, which was subsequently razed and replaced by today’s Palace in 2012. The new Palace retains some of that old-world glamour (lobby staff clad in kimonos, the same bar from the original Palace) while upgrading it with all of today’s modern conveniences, like coffee makers and the most beautifully scented, nontoxic Bamford bath products in the suites. If you have the chance, be sure to book one of the rooms with a balcony—you’ll be one of the few people in Tokyo with your own private outdoor space.
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Vital Truths About Managing Your Costs
B. Charles Ames
James D. Hlavacek
From the January–February 1990 Issue
View more from the
January–February 1990 Issue
Few truisms apply universally in the business world, but four related ones are valid in every business situation.
1. Over the long term, it is absolutely essential to be a lower cost supplier.
2. To stay competitive, inflation-adjusted costs of producing and supplying any product or service must continuously trend downward.
3. The true cost and profit picture for each product, for each product/market segment, and for all key customers must always be known, and traditional accounting practices must not obscure them.
4. A business must concentrate on cash flow and balance-sheet strengths as much as on profits.
These truths are more important than ever because there is increasingly less margin for error in our increasingly more competitive global business environment.
The Lower Cost Supplier
No company, whether industrial, high-tech, or service, can succeed over the long term unless it is a lower cost supplier than all others providing equivalent products or services. Short-term survival might be possible but not long-term success. Proprietary advantage never lasts. Maturity and decline come to products and businesses as they do to life, and prices and margins inevitably succumb to pressures. As competitive product distinctions fade, price becomes increasingly important in buying decisions. The more effective suppliers will constantly improve productivity and reduce costs. Thus, even when price pressures get intense, margins will at least be maintained. When this is not done, profits and market position almost certainly fall. Summarizing retrospectively, Paul Allaire, president of Xerox, told a reporter in 1988, “Until the mid-1970s, we were the undisputed copier king. (Finally) we realized the Japanese were selling quality products for what it cost us to make them. We learned the hard way how quickly our competition can turn market supremacy into market oblivion.”
Being a lower cost supplier doesn’t necessarily mean being lowest cost among all competitors. Nor does it mean that you can’t or shouldn’t have a strategy of producing at a higher cost and selling at a higher price. But it does mean that one’s total costs should be well below the average of all competitors offering equivalent products or services to the same customer segments.
Costs don’t mean just production costs. Overhead or other costs like designing, selling, delivering, or servicing can throw the total cost structure out of line. These tend to overaccumulate in good times when there’s no pressure for tight performance and common sense.
Inflation is another enemy of sense and effectiveness. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it provided a cushion that allowed companies to avoid addressing their costs properly. It was easy to raise prices when costs went up, because demand was bullish and often exceeded supplier capacity. Situations like this lead to indiscipline. The health care industry is a good example. For 20 years, it was a cost-plus reimbursement industry where prices were allowed to ride up with unmanaged costs. When third-party payers (government and insurance companies) and then employers finally came to their senses, a lot of health care providers that had let costs go uncontrolled got into trouble. Abbott Laboratories escaped that fate. In an interview last year, its longtime Chairman and CEO Robert Schoellhorn, decreed.
“To simply raise prices along with the industry is not the Abbott way. Our overall corporate measure of productivity is sales per employee. Price increases don’t get factored in. Paying close attention to such things as head count becomes second nature. You must develop an attitude throughout the company that you can always find a better and lower cost way to do things. Our constant effort to lower unit costs also makes more money available for new products and for price-cutting assaults. They help keep old competitors at bay and new ones away.”
Logic suggests that, over time, the real, inflation-adjusted costs of doing business should be downward—because as organizations learn how to do things better, they also get more efficient. This is the underlying principle of the experience curve, and it really works: from 1981 to 1989, the computer hardware cost of processing a million instructions per second dropped 76% for mainframes, 86% for minicomputers, and 93% for PCs. In color-film processing, a 3”x5” print fell from 50 cents for 5-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for 1-day service in 1984. In the manufacturing of power hand tools, the cost fell 29% with each doubling of output between 1965 to 1984. And in the low-value-added category of broken and crushed limestone, costs fell about 25% over the 30-year period ending in 1973.
But these continual cost reductions did not come automatically with experience or the passage of time. They required constant management attentiveness in all matters to continuing productivity gains and cost reductions. Too often products and costs drift out of competitive line, and no one realizes it until it is too late. Managers who claim that they are a lower or even the lowest cost producer rarely know what their true costs are or how they compare with competitors’. Even when there is clear evidence that competitors are selling at a lower price, many managers will deny any kind of a cost disadvantage. Instead they will say that their competitors are “stupid” or “aren’t as concerned about profits as we are.”
To know exactly what your costs are and to manage them well, you must carefully isolate various costs and assign them to specific products, accounts, or markets. Such assignments are often done badly. The most common mistake is to work on the basis of “average” costs, as if all costs were equally shared by all products and customers. Average costing ignores important differences among products and the fact that different products, different markets, and different customers incur different overhead costs. The broader the product line, the more distortions result from cost averaging, which nearly always leads to “average” price increases or decreases. In average pricing, some products or customers are overcharged while others are subsidized. Across-the-board price changes ignore true product-line cost differences and differences in customer price sensitivities. Average costing that results in average price changes can lead to a loss of profit, reduced volume, declining market share, and the dulling of management spirit.
What All This Means
No company can be successful over time if inflation-adjusted total costs do not follow a steadily declining pattern.
Management must place unrelenting pressure on the entire organization for measurable cost reductions and productivity gains, year after year. The rate of improvement may vary annually but should never fall below inflation. Vigilance is critical because it is so difficult to regain cost competitiveness once it has been lost. Costs should not be allowed to get out of line in the first place.
Companies should add large increments of capacity grudgingly, especially as the business matures, but even in growing businesses. In today’s fast-moving world, life cycles are shorter and payback cycles must be shorter. Furthermore, companies should evaluate capital appropriations against profits from the least profitable part of the business, since they can always drop the less profitable parts or not make the contemplated addition or both.
If your costs have become noncompetitive, then probably traditional expense reductions alone—cutting back here and there, reducing overhead, saving on travel—won’t do the job. Even deep cuts along the way generally won’t do. You need to think in a different way—to eliminate big chunks of structured cost, to design cost out of the product and system, and to greatly improve efficiencies everywhere.
Understanding Costs and Profits
An important reason companies get their costs out of phase with their competitors’ is that they don’t usually know what their true costs are. To ascertain costs, you must be able to answer accurately the following questions for each important product, market, or account:
1. What are the directly attributable and fully allocated costs for each major product line, from procurement to customer delivery, including postsale service and warranties?
2. What is the present break-even point, how does it relate to capacity, and how much can volume be increased before it will have to move up?
3. What is the incremental cost and profit on each unit that is produced and sold over the current break-even point?
4. How do costs change with changes in volume? What costs are inescapable if volume declines?
5. How do the current cost structure, capacity utilization, and historical cost trends compare with those of competitors? What cost advantages or disadvantages exist?
Most managers, and particularly those in multiproduct-line businesses, routinely make critical decisions without these facts. Managers in rapidly growing businesses are especially uninformed. Both are vulnerable to serious troubles.
Consider a manufacturer of plastic injection-molding machines with a 20-year record of successful growth and profits. The company generated reasonable profits during down cycles by reducing the work force and bringing back into its plant a lot of work that had been subcontracted out in good times. To improve margins, management invested heavily in automated equipment and decided to reduce subcontracting greatly. Projected returns were very attractive. But in the next downturn in capital spending, losses accumulated for the first time in 20 years. The investment in automated equipment had raised the fixed costs and the break-even point significantly. The latitude to reduce costs by eliminating direct labor hours and subcontract work no longer existed. No one had raised this point when the company had evaluated the new equipment.
Revisiting Accounting 101
Most managers agree that it is important to understand the costs and profits of their businesses, though often they don’t know what that really means. Those who do know are often frustrated because their information systems do not present the data to develop this understanding, and they don’t know what to do about it.
To resolve this problem, let’s go back to basic accounting principles. In the table “Common Cost/Profit Ranges,” we have added target ranges for the key cost/profit components of one kind of manufacturing operation and created a framework for developing an initial understanding of cost/profit structures and requirements. The ranges would be quite different for a process industry because of the much higher plant and equipment investment with the consequent greater pressure for high-capacity utilization. The opposite is true of most service businesses with lower investments and fixed costs.
Exhibit Common Cost/Profit Ranges
The framework in the table is designed to yield a sustainable 15% to 20% pretax profit on sales, a 30% to 40% pretax return on assets employed, and a somewhat higher return on equity, depending on the amount of debt leverage in the capital structure. These profit returns must be achieved in order to be a truly outstanding profit performer. Operating consistently within this framework requires the following.
1. Manufacturing operations must generate a gross margin (after all manufacturing costs, including variances) of at least 35% to 40% (and in many cases, much higher) to cover research and development and market-development costs.
2. R&D activities for product and process technology obviously vary by industry but can range up to as high as 15% of sales, depending on the nature of the business and the stage in the product’s life cycle.
3. Sales expense typically runs in the 5% to 10% range—lower if sales agents or distributors are used, higher in the early stages of market development.
4. General and administrative cost is usually in the 10% to 15% range and should include all the overhead costs of conducting the business, including interest (at least for working capital) and allocated division, group, or corporate overhead.
5. Total assets employed for plant and equipment and working capital should not run more than about 60 cents on each dollar of sales in a manufacturing company, with variations in the split between them, depending on the type of business.
A company can be profitable if its performance does not fall precisely into this framework. In fact, the ranges show that there will probably be significant differences in the percentage for any cost element, depending on the nature of the industry and its business strategy. Two numbers are crucial, however, to meet or exceed the profit targets shown. First is the gross margin, which is the profit-generating fuel for any business. No manufacturing business can continuously generate satisfactory profits if gross margins drop much below 40%. Even this margin rate is questionable unless it is clear that R&D and sales, general, and administrative (SG&A) requirements are near the low end of the ranges shown. There simply aren’t enough margin dollars to cover the costs of doing business and still generate a 15% to 20% pretax profit. The business may be able to generate attractive profit margins if it can operate with less R&D and/or SG&A expense. Given the pace of technology, however, most manufacturing businesses cannot sustain product and market position while effectively managing and controlling the business with less cost in expense areas. Pursuing a “copier” or “follower” strategy means R&D expense is probably on the low end of the range, but that doesn’t mean that it is zero or that SG&A is necessarily less.
The 60% of sales allowed for total assets employed is also a key number. While this percentage again will vary widely, depending on the nature of the business, it is a reasonably good standard for most manufacturing companies. It is clear that the business must generate higher earnings than indicated in our framework in order to yield the desired return if the percentage of total assets to sales is higher. Conversely, the earnings could be much lower and still yield a satisfactory return if the assets were lower, as they are, for example, in many distributor or service businesses.
None of this should come as a surprise to anyone who has been involved in the business world. But it is surprising to find so many managers who continue to struggle to improve profit results by building volume without focusing on basic problems in their cost/profit structure. The problems become readily apparent in this framework. While it is always nice to have more volume, the bottom line will not be helped much if the cost/profit structure is out of line.
The inescapable fact is that any industrial or high-tech company must have a cost/profit structure that makes sense in order to be an attractive profit contributor over the long term. It is essential to first determine what it should be for each particular business and then to make sure the business actually operates around this structure. For no amount of hard work or management brilliance will lead to outstanding profit returns if the business’s basic cost/profit structure is not sound.
The Cycle of Decay
When profits decline or disappear, companies might tighten the belt in the wrong way in the wrong places. This can easily generate a self-feeding cycle of competitive decay. There is a natural tendency for managers to shortchange sales or market development, R&D, or forgo manufacturing improvements for the short term to make the business and profits look better.
The diagram “The Self-Feeding Cycle of Competitive Decay” shows how a viciously deteriorating cycle can work itself out into worsening conditions. The most common (and almost most hidden) thing that sets off such a cycle is management operating with the wrong type of data—that of accounting rather than that of control. Unfortunately, most data management uses are derived from accounting systems designed primarily to meet outside financial reporting requirements.
The Self-Feeding Cycle of Competitive Decay
In addition, these data present aggregate numbers for “large chunks” of business rather than costs or profits for a number of discrete product/market businesses. Even when the data present the cost and profit picture for individual product lines, they are often focused on gross or operating margins, not the true picture after all manufacturing, engineering, sales, and administrative overhead costs are taken into account. Finally, traditional accounting systems typically do not provide a clear picture of how costs and profits behave as unit volume moves up or down. Thus they are not particularly helpful to managers who must evaluate sales, marketing, and manufacturing alternatives that involve different levels of activity.
For these reasons, you should reorganize, reorder, and reformulate these financial data. This may mean extra effort, but it is not as difficult as it sounds. First, you must agree on a few commonsense cost definitions that provide the basis for categorizing all costs associated with each product or product-line business. The following cost categories can provide a definitive framework for any manager.
1. Bedrock Fixed. These costs are related to physical capacity and include plant and equipment costs such as depreciation, taxes, and facility maintenance that cannot be avoided unless the facility is sold or written off the books. These are the only true fixed costs. Typically, they are not as large a factor in the cost strucure of companies as you would think, though they become greater as companies automate.
2. Managed Fixed. These costs are largely related to people and structure—the so-called “overhead” of management, accounting, finance—and even activities like advertising, sales, R&D, or market development. All tend to build up as a business grows. Once in place, managers often treat them as integral and bedrock fixed costs. They are not. You can and should manage them. Understanding their makeup is important to keeping them under control and distinguishing them from the overhead costs that organizations share.
3. Direct Variable Costs. These costs rise or fall directly in proportion to the business volume. They are easily identified and can be traced back to the specific units produced or services rendered where, again, they can be better examined and managed.
4. Shared Costs. These are all the other costs incurred to support the business that are not readily traceable to any one product or line or activity. They normally include overhead of the corporation, division, and/or plant, as well as selling and general and administrative expenses. They can also include operating costs for plant and equipment. All are manageable.
Agreeing on these cost definitions is the first step. The second step is assigning the various operating costs to these classifications. In most businesses, few costs are either absolutely fixed or variable. Most costs lie in the vast area of managed costs shown in the accompanying table “Most Costs Are Manageable.”
Exhibit Most Costs are Manageable—Few Are Fixed or Variable
Make no mistake, costs in the managed category are not fixed, even though they are commonly bundled under this label. Generally, as a business expands, costs tend to be far more variable than they should be, and when it contracts, they are far more fixed than they should be.
Once there is agreement on these cost categories and definitions, the next step is getting help from the accounting or controller’s department to determine how to divide and assign to specific product/market businesses the costs incurred in each of these categories. This is not easily done. Many accountants are reluctant to divide fixed costs into these categories or to allocate shared costs to specific product areas, because it is impossible to do this with the precision that accounting professionals normally use to develop traditional financial statements. There is a natural aversion to shifting numbers around in any imprecise manner. There is simply no way, however, to know how well or how badly a product or product line is doing without getting these cost data clear—without knowing which are bedrock fixed, managed fixed, direct variable, or shared and without allocating them to their various business units and product lines. At the divisional or business unit level, cross-functional teams of all the department heads and the general manager should be responsible for hammering out the allocations according to the actual activity levels of each cost category.
In many cases, general management must ensure that the data are reordered along the lines necessary for intelligent product/market management. Shared costs are a particularly difficult problem for most companies and difficult to attack as a lump. You must break them down and assign them to discrete business units or product lines, even if it means being “arbitrary” by some standard. Managers with hands-on profit responsibility will argue about the fairness of the allocations. But it is critical to take a stand lest discussions get endless, acrimonious, and fruitless. There is no other way. Allocating all costs is the only way to know what is really going on.
The table “Full Costing Changes the Profit Picture” shows the result of changing to full-cost allocations in the instrumentation division of a large corporation. When done, product groups traditionally regarded as the best profit producers were not as profitable as everyone thought, and some of the worst were actually near the best.
Exhibit Full Costing Changes the Profit Picture (in millions of dollars)
The instrumentation division overall had a reported gross margin of 45.6% and a generated 11% pretax profit of $30.1 million. Sales and gross margins were reported by product line, but pretax profit was reported only for the division overall. Reported gross margins for the product groups varied from a high of 54% to a low of 40%. Fully loading all producing lines with their real costs resulted in adjusted gross margins that varied between 38.1% and 15.9%. Because of their relatively lower reported gross margins, standard products D and E (at 41% and 40% respectively) had often taken a backseat when the company assigned sales, manufacturing, and engineering priorities. When it analyzed and allocated plant, engineering, and SG&A overheads according to actual need or usage, it was clear that the standard products were being penalized by standard formulas that distributed these overheads according to sales volume. Adjusted gross margin percentages for standard products D and E improved their relative pretax profit performance dramatically; gross margins on custom-engineered products A, B, and C declined by several percentage points once appropriate overhead costs were allocated against them.
Looked at in another way, products D and E contributed less than half (48.6%) of reported gross-margin dollars but almost two-thirds (63.1%) of pretax-profit dollars after all costs were allocated. It is obvious that the way that management assigns its sales, manufacturing, and engineering priorities can change drastically once the actual cost-profit pictures become clear.
Net profitability statements also help bring management pressure on big chunks of overhead or shared costs (for example, SG&A, engineering, manufacturing, and corporate overheads) that are otherwise difficult to evaluate and control. When companies allocate these costs to specific products or profit centers, they show up as a charge against earnings, and managers responsible for profits carefully scrutinize and challenge them. This can be a powerful force toward reducing and getting large chunks of overhead costs under control that would otherwise never be scrutinized by someone with a direct profit responsibility.
Strategic and Daily Considerations
Selecting Product/Market Segments. Knowing the true cost and profit structure for product groups is also an immense help in selecting products, markets, and customers for emphasis. Remarkably few managers consider profit potentials when they assess and select product/market segments. They more often focus on sales potential—with the assumption that profits will follow. Managers can justify this in a company’s or a product’s early stages but never later. When the fight for share in a stable or slow-growth or declining market intensifies, managers must specialize in what’s more profitable rather than in what’s bigger.
Companywide Cost-Profit Awareness. Once costs are known and detailed for product lines, markets, and key customers, you should share detailed cost and profit information with many people in the business unit. If top and general management confine the known cost-profit facts to a select few who “need to know” them, fewer people will feel committed to cost management.
William LaMothe, chairman and CEO of Kellogg, the $4 billion ready-to-eat-cereal manufacturer, said in an interview, “At Kellogg’s, we all focus on details, and cost details are a big part of that. By being geared to saving pennies on everything we do, that turns into a lot of dollars when you’re dealing with the volumes we move. Hand-in-hand with driving unit costs down is the need for leading-edge production technology and an obsession about quality. As a result, we can produce a box of cereal at a lower unit cost than anyone else in the world. We have many teams of production workers that are responsible for keeping quality up and keeping costs down… We have a very disciplined approach to costs across and up and down the organization. We spend a lot of time talking about costs, because cereal is the only business we have. The drumbeat is that we will remain a lower cost supplier. Kellogg’s has earned a ten-year average EPS growth of 12.5% and a ten-year average return on capital of 26% and our return on equity for the same period is approximately 40%.”
Managing Cash and Liquidity. Finally, there is the matter of cash. Cash returns can be more important than reported profits. Cash returns lead to liquidity, and liquidity is a top priority whenever there are high risks and great uncertainties. Cash and liquidity help withstand surprises, facilitate adaptation to sudden changes, and can help you capitalize on the narrower windows of opportunity that are common in a turbulent environment.
Any entrepreneur who has lived through a startup and built a market position knows the importance of cash and liquidity. A business can go bankrupt while reporting profits. But it will never go bankrupt as long as its cash and liquidity positions are strong. Most senior corporate executives understand this, but many do not make sure it is sufficiently stressed or understood at the operating level.
The results are apparent in most corporations. Capital expenditure proposals tend to be “wish lists” justified on projected volume gains or cost savings without regard to the availability of funds or to cash-carrying costs. Working capital is allowed to build without adequate regard for its carrying costs. Over-investment in plant, equipment, and working capital often disguises sloppy business practices and control. These are practices that inevitably lead to a bloated investment base—too big for the business and too marginal for profits.
Many operating managers are unaware of the costs of excessive capital tie-ups. For example, most of them will acknowledge that it costs money to carry their inventory—these days, usually 8% or 9%. But few know that total carrying costs should include storage, taxes, obsolescence, and shrinkage, and that total costs (including interest) actually run closer to 30%. The reason that so few managers know this is that the costs of working capital are not charged against their earnings, even though they are real costs of doing business.
A manager who makes pricing, capital investment, personnel, and even strategic and/or tactical decisions without this product/market cost information—and then does not create a companywide discipline to manage costs—will face unpleasant surprises and serious questions of survival as the competitive world gets increasingly turbulent.
Cash management deserves far greater attention than it gets in most companies. Management must put more emphasis on, and be held accountable for, managing liquidity. Planning and reporting systems should be modified to highlight actual cash flow and liquidity against objectives. Finally, the reward system should be adjusted to pay those who meet cash objectives and penalize those who don’t.
None of these actions are difficult if senior management has the will and as long as the accounting system is set up to do so. They can be impossible, however, if the accounting systems are designed around big divisions of business rather than around discrete product/market segments and if big chunks of structured or managed fixed costs are not divided and allocated to these smaller business units.
Ideally, every manager should think like a small-business entrepreneur whose own money is at risk and who has little of it at hand. If managers did this, we would see fewer companies with bloated balance sheets and marginal returns and see lots more that thrive efficiently.
A version of this article appeared in the January–February 1990 issue of Harvard Business Review.
B. Charles Ames is chairman and CEO of Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company and a partner at Clayton & Dubilier, Inc.
James D. Hlavacek is managing director of a Charlotte-based management training and consulting firm and is professor of management, on leave, at Wake Forest University. The authors’ book, Market Driven Management: Prescriptions for Surviving in a Turbulent World (Dow Jones-Irwin), was published last year.
This article is about ACCOUNTING
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Home / Videos / LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony Pull Up to Watch Bronny in Nike Basketball League
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony Pull Up to Watch Bronny in Nike Basketball League
By Brady Klopfer
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were all in attendance at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) competition on Wednesday to watch James’ son, LeBron James Jr.
James Jr., nicknamed “Bronny,” put on quite a show for his superstar dad and friends. And the three NBA players, who have a combined 38 All-Star appearances, seemed pretty impressed.
It was the first EYBL showing for LeBron James Jr., who is already attracting attention from scouts of colleges and NBA teams.
He won’t be able to join the NBA for a while, as he’s only 14 years old. Still, if he continues on his current trajectory, he may make it to the pros.
His father has expressed a desire to play until then. James just completed his 16th NBA season, but he averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. He has a lot of gas left in the tank.
James has stated that he would like to stay in the NBA long enough to play a game against his son. That’s looking like more and more of a possibility.
It wasn’t the first time this week that James, Wade and Anthony had taken in an EYBL game. Just a few days prior they watched Wade’s son, Zaire, put on quite a show.
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About Brady Klopfer
Brady Klopfer is a basketball writer and editor based out of Los Angeles. His work can also be found at The Athletic, SB Nation, and Bballbreakdown.
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Home Celebrities Tony Parker’s Height, Weight And Body Measurements
Tony Parker’s Height, Weight And Body Measurements
His name is as American as they come, but this French football player has achieved rock star status in the world of basketball. So, when it comes to the topic of Tony Parker’s height, weight and body measurements all we can say is ‘why not’, but before we get to that, let’s check out a few facts about the star himself.
See also: Floyd Mayweather’s Girlfriend, Wife, Daughters, Kids, Mother
He was born William Anthony “Tony” Parker, Jr. on 17 May 1982 in Bruges, Belgium, and raised in France.
You best believe that basketball runs in his veins as he is, in fact, a second-generation athlete. His father, Tony Parker Sr. who is of African American descent, played basketball at Loyola University Chicago as well as professionally overseas.
He is not an only child, the star has two younger brothers called T.J. and Pierre.
Being bilingual (he speaks fluent English and French) isn’t the only way that the star is flexible, apart from being a pretty talented basketball player, he also has an affinity for music, with rap and hip hop being his favorites. He even has his own album named TP.
His mother is Dutch and his dad is African American, so you might be wondering how the star is actually French. Well, he’s a French citizen and he even plays on the French National basketball team. In addition to that, he is the largest shareholder in a professional basketball club in France, Asvel.
This probably already common knowledge, but we will tell you anyway. The star was involved in a high-profile relationship with Eva Longoria. The two were even married, but it was rumored to have ended due to his infidelity. The star has not owned up to that claim.
That did not put a dent on his love life at all though, as the star is currently married to French journalist Axelle Francine and the couple currently has two sons.
Well, that’s about enough random information on the star, let us move to the topic at hand beginning with Tony Parker’s height.
See also: Lionel Messi’s Wife, Son, Girlfriend, And Family
Tony Parker’s Height
Well, he is a basketball player so it is expected of him to be very much on the tall side, it is definitely one of the few criteria that would make one a good basketball player, alongside being good at the sport. It’s not like football or golf that may not require much in terms of physical appearance, but much like sumo wrestling, basketball does.
Taking the information above into account, we are in no way surprised that the star stands tall at 6 feet 2 inches, now that’s a basketball player’s height. Using other notable personalities as a reference point most would say that the star is at least two inches tall, but you know how it goes down in these parts… the listed height stands.
Here is a list of notable personalities who stand as tall as the star according to his listed height. Will Smith, Gerard Butler, Daniel Day-Lewis, James Cameron and Thierry Henry all share Tony Parker’s height.
See also: Michael Jordan’s Kids, Sons, Daughters, And Family
Tony Parker’s Weight
He is a sportsman so we are just going to go out on a limb here and say that the star is quite fit… of course he does look quite fit, all 84 kilograms of him. For someone with his height and stature, that is actually quite an adequate weight for him. So how does the star achieve this?
It’s all about balance, he does not have a specific diet that he follows, but he takes everything in moderation, including booze seeing as he is a wine lover. That’s not all he does though, there is also a lot of training and exercise involved in sculpting him. He specifically pointed out that he does a lot of lifting to keep him strong and in turn keep his weight down. That seems doable, but you will never know until you try… so try.
Tony Parker’s Body Measurements
In addition to Tony Parker’s height and weight, here is a summary of his body measurements.
Weight: 84 kilograms
Arms/Biceps: 14 inches
Feet/Shoe Size: 11 US, 45 EU, 10.5 UK
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George Washington Journal of Energy & Environmental Law
A student-run publication of The George Washington University Law School
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Shapiro Environmental Law Symposium
Murky Waters: Indian Tribes and Natural Resource Damage Assessments
Posted on February 28, 2011 October 18, 2013 by Senior Projects Editor
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the 1990 Oil Pollution Act (OPA) Indian tribes may serve as trustees over natural resources damaged by various types of pollution incidents.[1] Some tribes, like the Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin have seized this opportunity and participated in Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs).[2] Hundreds of other tribes have not participated in the NRDA system. A closer examination of these two statutes, their associated regulations and the federal structure that guides most NRDAs reveals several significant barriers to increased tribal participation. In fact, due to a combination of statutory ambiguity, a lack of a robust regulatory structure and reluctance by the federal government to promote tribal participation, Indian tribes are automatically the weakest and most disadvantaged participants in the NRDA process. This situation is unfortunate because these statutes were not designed to make tribal trustees inferior to their federal and state counterparts. Furthermore, the persistence of this problem over 20 years after these statutes were enacted is disturbing.
Tribal reservations and trust lands held for tribes by the federal government cover 56.2 million acres of land in the United States.[3] The lands held by tribes have been (and continue to be) popular areas to site hazardous and toxic waste disposal facilities.[4] The presence of hazardous and toxic waste always brings with it the potential for CERCLA liability. Likewise, concerns about oil spills from pipelines, drilling rigs and shipping, which would trigger the OPA, are also common among tribal communities.[5] In other words, the potential for participation by Indian tribes or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in NRDAs under CERCLA and the OPA is significant, if tribes and the BIA fully participate in the process. Meanwhile, some tribes are actively working to conserve and restore their tribal lands. In California, ten tribes have formed the Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness which protects some of the last of the lush redwood old-growth forests in the state.[6] Similarly, in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe and descendants of Chief Joseph are restoring the ‘precious lands.’[7] This phenomenon has been acknowledged among legal scholars as well, as part of the growing conservation trust movement.[8] NRDAs could play an important role in the increase of environmental stewardship by tribes because one of the primary goals of an NRDA is to restore damaged ecosystems.
Congress enacted the OPA in 1990 after the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill.[9] The NRDA provisions in the OPA, and CERCLA before it, were built upon state common law public trust and police power doctrines.[10] These doctrines were enriched in the OPA and CERCLA to apply to federal and tribal trustees, and to better measure the true costs of harm to natural resources.[11] The OPA creates a strict liability regime applicable to all responsible parties[12] for removal costs[13] and damages resulting from discharges of oil. Damages include harm to natural resources and subsistence use, among other categories.[14] When natural resources are harmed in a spill, the responsible party is liable to the U.S. government, any state and any Indian tribe[15] for “natural resources belonging to, managed by, controlled by, or appertaining to…” each of these entities.[16] Similarly, CERCLA permits tribes, like state and federal trustees, to pursue natural resource damage claims for damages resulting from releases of hazardous substances.[17] NRDAs are developed under both the OPA and CERCLA by trustees to establish their claims against the responsible party.[18] These documents are a hybrid of scientific and legal analysis and trustees often cooperate with each other and with the polluter during the creation of an NRDA.[19] DOI and NOAA have drafted similar optional regulations for NRDAs under CERCLA and the OPA, respectively, that break NRDAs into four steps: preassessment; injury determination and quantification; damage assessment; and restoration implementation.
The process of bringing Tribes into the NRDA system is convoluted and poorly adapted to the reality of tribal interests in natural resources. While there are a host of regulations discussing the NRDA procedures once the state, federal and tribal trustees are established, there is very little guidance on how tribal trusteeship is determined. Tribal jurisdiction is difficult to determine and in some ways undefined under the applicable statutes and regulations. What’s more, many tribes have unique hunting, fishing, subsistence and water rights that are not addressed by the statutes or their regulations resulting in much legal uncertainty in this area. The sparse tribal NRDA case law reflects the uncertainty created by CERCLA, the OPA and their accompanying regulations.
In the ongoing and joined U.S. v. Asarco Inc. and Coeur D’Alene Tribe v. Asarco Inc. CERCLA litigation, the issue of tribal jurisdiction is hotly disputed.[20] In a 2003 Order, the District Court denied that natural resources on, under, over or associated with tribal owned or administered land “appertain to” tribes and further found that use of certain resources for cultural activities failed to create a trusteeship over them.[21] The Court additionally limited both federal and tribal trusteeship by stating “which entity, if any, exercises the hands on day-to-day activity of the various natural resources” is the trustee and found “mere statutory authority” to be insufficient to establish trusteeship.[22] In 2005, the District Court returned to the matter of trusteeship and sua sponte altered portions of its prior opinion.[23] First, the court noted that “the remedial purpose of CERCLA was to give the statute a broad interpretation so as to restore and make whole the environment for the protection of the public and guard against destruction and damages to our natural resources.”[24] In light of the purpose of the statute, the District Court decided to interpret the tribal and federal trustee’s claims of natural resources equally broadly. The back and forth of the Idaho District Court confirms the problems created by the vague notions of tribal jurisdiction from CERCLA that have contributed to a protracted litigation involving 100 years of mining history.[25]
Similarly, off reservation resources remain unaddressed by the statutes and regulations. Tribes in Washington and Idaho have off reservation fishing rights grounded in treaties negotiated by Isaac Stevens.[26] Several tribes in Michigan and Wisconsin also have off reservation hunting, fishing, and gathering rights established by treaty.[27] In Alaska, Alaska Natives, who do not have reservations, have a legal right to engage in hunting and subsistence activities under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.[28] These Alaska Native rights are further protected by the federal government’s trust responsibility.[29] The particularly complex issue of NRDAs and Alaska Natives, who are included in the definition of Indian Tribe under both the OPA and CERCLA, remains as a significant gap in the NRDA legal framework. A recent settlement in Michigan between the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, the state of Michigan, the United States (as plaintiffs) and General Motors Corporation, and the Cities of Bay City and Saginaw (as defendants) is illustrative.[30] As part of the settlement, tracts of land were set aside as wildlife preserves and one 110-acre tract was conveyed to the Tribe.[31] According to an article analyzing the settlement, “the land transfer was explicitly made to make the Tribe whole in compensation for the damage done to the Tribe’s hunting and fishing rights.”[32] While this is certainly a positive development for tribes, settlement language does not create binding law. Unless the regulations are amended, a consistent government policy is developed, or a court ruling is made on hunting and fishing rights, this type of claim will have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Moreover, tribes have reserved water rights under the Winters[33] doctrine.[34] The Winters doctrine recognized that tribes with federally established reservations have implicitly preserved water rights to meet the basic needs of the tribe.[35] Over time, this doctrine was expanded to cover non-Indian public lands and resources.[36] To the extent that there is pollution incident that affects water flowing onto the reservation or into the groundwater beneath the reservation, a tribe would have an interest. Again, the statutes and regulations under CERCLA and the OPA fail to address how tribal water rights fit in to the NRDA scheme and further regulatory or policy guidance is needed.
Huge increases in regulatory and policy guidance are needed to inform tribes of how they can enter these processes and to guide the co-trustee agencies that work with tribes. Specifically, additional regulations establishing the role of the BIA in NRDAs is critical, as well as regulations guiding the establishment of tribal jurisdiction and clarifying trusteeship by Alaska Native villages. Federal agencies also need to stop avoiding including tribes in NRDAs and should start reaching out to tribes in the same manner they reach out to state agencies. If all these actions were taken, tribal participation would be more organized and streamlined, to the benefit of both tribes and the agencies themselves. Tribes should no longer be denied the full opportunity to participate in NRDAs and to restore their lands and natural resources. This is an opportunity for tribes to improve their quality of life as well as the quality of the environment used by all U.S. citizens and it should no longer be permitted to go to waste.
-Emily Hildreth, Senior Projects Editor
[1] Clay Smith & Larry Long, eds., American Indian Law Deskbook, 455 (University Press of Colorado, 4th ed.)
[2] NOAA, Damage Assessment Restoration and Remediation Program, http://www.darrp.noaa.gov/index.html (last visited Dec. 3, 2010).
[3] Bureau of Indian Affairs, FAQs, http://www.bia.gov/FAQs/index.htm (last visited Dec. 3, 2010).
[4] See e.g., Daniel Brooks, Environmental Genocide: native Americans and Toxic Waste, The Am. J. of Econ. & Soc. (Jan. 1998), available at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0254/is_n1_v57/ai_20538772/pg_3/?tag=content;col1. See also, Scientific American, Reservations about Toxic Waste: Native American Tribes Encouraged to Turn Down Lucrative Hazardous Disposal Deals (March 31, 2010) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=earth-talk-reservations-about-toxic-waste.
[5] See e.g., Indigenous Environmental Network, IEN Fights to Shut Down the Tar Sands, http://www.ienearth.org/ien-pipeline.html (last visited Dec. 5, 2010).
[6] Charles Bowden, Native Lands, Nat’l Geographic, Aug. 2010, at 90.
[7] Id. at 95.
[8] See generally Mary Christina Wood & Zachary Welcker, Tribes as Trustees Again (Part I): The Emerging Tribal Role in the Conservation Trust Movement, 32 Harv. Envtl. L. Rev. 373 (2008).
[9] See Donna R. Christie & Richard G. Hildreth, Coastal and Ocean Management Law 297-98 (Thomson/West 2007).
[10] See Allan Kanner & Mary E. Ziegler, Understanding and Protecting Natural Resources, 17 Duke Envtl. L. & Pol’y F. 119, 124-29 (2006); Laura Rowley, Comment, NRD Trustees: To What Extent are they Truly Trustees?, 28 B.C. Envtl. Aff. L. Rev. 459-63 (2001).
[11] Id.
[12] Responsible parties include owners, operators, permittees and lessees of vessels, onshore facilities, offshore facilities, deepwater ports and pipelines. 33 U.S.C. §2701(32) (2006).
[13] Removal costs are costs incurred by the U.S., a State or an Indian Tribe in accordance with applicable federal or state laws, and costs incurred by any person consistent with the National Contingency Plan. 33 U.S.C. §2702(b)(1).
[14] See 33 U.S.C. §2702(b)(2).
[15] Indian Tribes are defined in the statute as “any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, but not including any Alaska Native regional or village corporation, which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and has governmental authority over lands belonging to or controlled by the tribe.” 33 U.S.C. §2701(15). The same definition is used by both the OPA and CERCLA.
[16] 33 U.S.C. §2706(a).
[17] 42 U.S.C. § 9607(f)(1) (2006). See also Carole Goldberg et al., Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law 803 (2005 ed.)
[18] Valerie Ann Lee, et al., The Natural Resource Damage Assessment Deskbook 2 (Environment Int’l Ltd. 2002).
[20] Coeur D’Alene Tribe v. Asarco Inc., 280 F. Supp.2d 1094 (D. Idaho 2003); United States v. Asarco Inc., 471 F. Supp.2d 1063 (D. Idaho 2005).
[21] Coeur D’Alene Tribe v. Asarco Inc., 280 F. Supp.2d 1094, 1116 -1117 (D. Idaho 2003).
[22] Id. at 1115-1116 (emphasis added).
[23] United States v. Asarco Inc., 471 F. Supp.2d 1063, 1067 (D. Idaho 2005) (“Regarding the particular issue of trusteeship, the Court finds after completing further research that it may have been in error with its prior ruling.”)
[25] Coeur D’Alene Tribe v. Asarco Inc., 280 F. Supp.2d 1094, 1101 (D. Idaho 2003).
[26] See Washington v. Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Assoc., 443 U.S. 658, 664-69 (1979).
[27] David H. Getches, et al. Federal Indian Law 876-80 (West 2005).
[28] Rebecca Tsosie, Climate Change, Sustainability and Globalization: Charting the Future of Indigenous Environmental Self Determination, Envtl & Energy L. & Pol’y J. 188, 200 (2009).
[30] Jacqueline P. Hand, Protecting the Seventh Generation, Mich. B.J. 28 (July 2004).
[33] Winters v. United States, 207 U.S. 564 (1908).
[34] Hope M. Babcock, Reserved Indian Water Rights in Riparian Jurisdictions: Water, Water Everywhere, Perhaps Some Drops for us, 91 Cornell L. Rev. 1203, 1220-29.
[35] Id. at 1220.
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EXHIBITIONSEVENTSNEW YORK CITY
NYC Gallery Scene – New Shows to Know Opening Through May 7, 2017
May 2, 2017 by Genevieve Kotz EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS, GALLERIES, Galleries Scene, Minamilism, NEW YORK CITY
Frieze Art Week is upon New York City and galleries are pulling out the stops for new shows opening this week through May 7, 2017. This week's list of new exhibitions opening in New York galleries include shows presenting art from the Light and Space movement, minimal abstraction and paintings by Eric Fischl that continue his studied look at the underside of life presented through suburban scenes. Gallery exhibitions can be found in a range of NYC neighborhoods including Chelsea, Noho, the Lower East Side and Uptown on 57th Street. Attending the art fairs? Check out our "Ultimate Guide to the NYC Art Fairs of Frieze Week 2017."
DOWNTOWN:
TOTAH: “Transient: Helen Pashgian and Brian Wills”
May 3 through July 31, 2017
TOTAH gallery brings together two generations of the Light and Space movement with “Transient: Helen Pashgian and Brian Wills.” The exhibition features work by Helen Pashgian, a pioneer of the original Light and Space movement, alongside Brian Wills, a member of its next generation. The two artists focus on experimentations with the conditions of vision, with Pashgian showing molds of epoxy adhesives and Wills showing myriad hued nylon and rayon threads against wood frames. In “Transient,” the artists reveal a shared interest in what a gallery press release calls “the proto-light of the west, that blue, harsh light … reflecting and refracting off surfaces, smog, mist.”
Helen Pashgian, from Pasadena, California and currently based in Los Angeles, is a pre-eminent member of the Light and Space movement. Her sculptures often utilize signature forms such as columns, discs and spheres featured along with isolated elements activated by light to create new forms and areas of spatiality. Pashgian received a National Endowment of the Arts Individual Artist Grant in 1986 and was a recipient of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles Awards to Distinguished Women in the Arts in 2013.
Multimedia artist Brian Wills, based in Los Angeles, blends sculpture and painting through wrapping colored thread around strips of wood, which is later encased in paint and mounted on a wall. His work, which is often geometric and linear, has been the subject of a solo show at Praz-Delavallade (Paris) as well as in group shows, such as the 2017 Armory Show (New York) and with Ochi Projects Gallery (Los Angeles).
TOTAH is located at 183 Stanton St, New York, NY 10002. www.davidtotah.com.
Click here for exhibition details.
Eric Firestone Gallery: “Michael Boyd That’s How the Light Gets In: 1970 – 1972”
May 4 through June 2017
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 4 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Eric Firestone Gallery presents works from the late Michael Boyd in “That’s How the Light Gets In: 1970 - 1972,” square canvases from the period that explored space and light through hard edges and contrasting gradients. The body of work, which has not been presented together since Boyd’s solo exhibition at Max Hutchinson Gallery (New York) in 1973, shows how Boyd furthered his abstract art by distilling paintings down to their core structure. The works, which feature bright greens against grays and sunrise-like color schemes against soft blues, celebrate color, form and the primacy of paint.
Michael Boyd (1936-2015), who began his career as an Abstract Expressionist before moving toward hard hedges and minimalism, created art in Ithaca, where he taught both ecology and design at Cornell University, and in New York City. His work is in public collections such as the Albright Knox Gallery (Buffalo), the Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse) and the Chrysler Museum of Art (Norfolk, Virginia).
Eric Firestone Gallery is located at 4 Great Jones, New York, NY 10012. www.ericfirestonegallery.com.
CHELSEA:
Skarstedt: “Eric Fischl: Late America”
May 2 through June 24, 2017
Opening Reception: Tuesday, May 2 at 6 p.m.
Eric Fischl will present new paintings at Skarstedt Gallery
Eric Fischl presents new paintings at Skarstedt Gallery in “Late America,” an exhibition that continues the artist’s theme of exploring moral ambivalence and social malaise while depicting scenes around suburban pools. The paintings show a variety of personal dramas that reflect larger social issues. The painting that gives the show its title, Late America, was painted just after the American presidential elections; in it a young boy draped in an American flag looks over a naked older man lying in a fetal position at the edge of a pool as two day laborers work in the background. The painting shows a divided nation, not only through class and ethnicity, but in terms of hope and potential up against inequality and a sense of defeat.
In another painting, Daddy’s Gone, Girl, Fischl returns to an earlier subject for the first time ever, depicting the subject from his 1984 painting Daddy’s Girl, as she is now, older and fatherless. Like all of Fischl’s work, these paintings suggest narratives both within and beyond the scenes depicted.
Eric Fischl, born and based in New York, studied at the California Institute of Arts in Valencia and began his art career in Nova Scotia before relocating back to New York City. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe and has been part of exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The Musee Beaubourg (Paris) and the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York). Fischl also founded America: Now and Here, a multi-disciplinary exhibition of American artists, musicians, poets, playwrights and filmmakers and is a Fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Letters and at the American Academy of Arts and Science.
Skarstedt is located at 550 W 21st St, New York, NY 10011. www.skarstedt.com.
Lisson Gallery: “Carmen Herrera: Paintings on Paper”
Carmen Herrera presents new paintings on paper at Lisson Gallery, exhibiting 15 works from the past six years. Continuing to use arithmetic guidelines and calculations to create her work, Herrera establishes balanced relationships between compositional variants of symmetrical or asymmetrical forms. In her recent work, Herrera continues to explore the role of color while introducing new juxtapositions of forms and line. Her focus is on primary colors along with green, orange and black. Viewers can also get a glimpse of Herrera’s earlier works from the late 1940s, when she lived in Paris, in the Lisson Gallery space at TEFAF New York from May 4 through May 8, 2017.
Carmen Herrera, who was born in Havana, Cuba, is currently based in New York. Her geometric abstract work features formal simplicity and striking sense of color through crisp lines and contrasting chromatic planes. Her work has been the subject of solo shows at Museo del Barrio (New York), Museum Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern (Germany) and Ikon Gallery (Birmingham). Her work is in private and public collections including at the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), the Tate Collection (London) and the Hirshhorn Museum (Washington, D.C.). Her paintings were recently the subject of a large-scale survey “Lines of Sight” at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Lisson Gallery is located at 138 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. www.lissongallery.com.
"Untitled" by Carmen Herrera, 2014. Acrylic and pencil on paper, 19 x 27.5 inches. © Carmen Herrera; Courtesy Lisson Gallery.
Matthew Marks Gallery: “Ellsworth Kelly Last Paintings” & “Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawings”
In its two spaces on West 22nd Street, Matthew Marks Gallery presents two concurrent exhibitions of work by the late Ellsworth Kelly with “Ellsworth Kelly Last Paintings” and “Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawings,” to show how Kelly progressed as an artist.
“Ellsworth Kelly Last Paintings” is composed of 10 canvases that Kelly created in the months leading prior to his death in December 2015. To create these paintings, Kelly had revisited earlier works or studies, some made as far back as decades before. A new diptych, for example, revisits a single-panel painting from 1963; a three-panel painting is a variation on his 1954 collage Study for Four Color Panels.
“Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawings” includes 25 drawings spanning nearly 60 years of the artist’s career. Kelly said of his drawings from plant life that they “seem to be the bridge to the way of seeing that brought about the paintings in 1949 that are the basis for all my later work.” The drawings, all made from life, show Kelly’s commitment to direct visual impressions and his fascination with the effects of negative space and overlapping planes. The exhibition allows viewers to see how Kelly began his early style that would become his signature.
“Ellsworth Kelly Last Paintings” will be at 522 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10011. “Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawings” will be held at 526 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10011. www.matthewmarks.com.
Click here for exhibition details on “Last Paintings” and here for exhibition details on “Plant Drawings.”
"Branch of Leaves" by Ellsworth Kelly, 1970. Graphite on paper, 29 x 23 inches; 74 x 58 cm. © Ellsworth Kelly, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery
.
UPTOWN:
Marian Goodman Gallery: “Nairy Baghramian: Dwindle Down”
Marian Goodman Gallery will present Nairy Baghramian’s first solo exhibition in New York in “Dwindle Down.” Baghramian’s sculpture and installation references architecture, the fragmented human body and plumbing through its use of floor-to-ceiling glass pipes, zinc bands and chemical adhesive patinated with smoky residues. The sculpture commands and redefines the gallery space while addressing temporal, spatial and social relationships and creating dialogue about the assigned relationship between an object and its meaning and pointing to larger social and intellectual considerations.
Nairy Baghramian, who hails from Iran and is currently based in Berlin, has had solo exhibitions at institutions including Marian Goodman Gallery (London), S.M.A.K Museum of Contemporary Art (Ghent), Museo Tamayo (Mexico City) and the Art Institute at Chicago. She has been part of group exhibitions at MUMOK (Vienna), Punta della Dogana (Venice) and the 8th Berlin Biennial. She will have a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Denmark in the fall of 2017 and solo presentations at the Nasher Center in Dallas, Texas, and Madrid’s Reina Sofia Museum in 2018.
Marian Goodman Gallery is located at 24 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019. www.mariangoodman.com.
The "NYC Gallery Scene" column publishes weekly with exhibitions selected by Hamptons Art Hub staff. This edition was written by Genevieve Kotz.
Copyright 2017 Hamptons Art Hub LLC. All rights reserved.
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Leila Pinto Taps Financial Market & Brexit News for her Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Next Act Art Artist Group Returns to Ashawagh Hall July 12 – 17, 2019
Next Act Art Artist Group Returns to Ashawagh Hall July 12 - 17, 2019
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Documents filtered by: Recipient="Boston Patriot" AND Period="Madison Presidency" AND Date="1809-09-19"
From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 19 September 1809
Quincy, September 19, 1809.
Sirs,
1781, January 18—wrote to Mr. Mazzei, at Florence: “Yesterday I received yours, of the 19th of October. Some time since, I received the other, of the 19th of August: both went to Paris, and I being here, Mr. Dana and Mr. Thaxter forwarded their enclosures to America, according to my desire, but I am not able to say in what vessel. In consequence of Mr. Laurens’s calamity, I am ordered to reside in Holland for the present, and should be glad to be informed by you, whether it is probable that any money might be borrowed in Italy for the United States, by the authority of Congress. Your letter for Governor Jefferson, I sent with my dispatches in the time of it, but I am not able to say by what vessel. The English are in a fair way to have enemies enough. They do not love their enemies like good Christians: but they love to have enemies, and I think their passion will be abundantly gratified. The Dutch are already added to the French, Spaniards and Americans; and it is likely that the Russians, Swedes and Danes, will soon increase the list.—Will the English make a great figure in the contest?”
Amsterdam, January 18th, 1781—wrote to Congress. “At length, one act has appeared which looks like war. The following placard was resolved on, the 12th of the month.
The States General of the United Provinces of the low Countries, to all those who shall see, or hear read, these presents, greeting. Know ye, that the King of Great Britain having thought proper, without any lawful cause, to attack in an hostile manner this republic; and as we are obliged to neglect nothing which can serve for our defence, and to use at the same time the right, the example of which, the conduct of the said crown has commenced by setting us, and to act against it in the same manner as they act against us, and consequently to do to the said King, and to his subjects, all the prejudice which shall be in our power: for these causes, and for the protection of the commerce and of the navigation of this country, we have thought fit to establish and to permit to all the subjects of this State, who shall take or destroy, any English vessels of war or privateers, the following rewards.
Article 1. All those who shall fit out a privateer, and shall have obtained of his Highness the Prince of Orange and Nassau, in quality of Admiral General of these countries, suitable commissions, after having given before hand, the requisite securities, shall not be held to furnish the third man of their crew, as it is ordained by the placards of their High Mightinesses, of the 26th of June, 1780; excepting those who will load with merchandizes, and take at the same time the said letters of marque. Those who shall have taken and conducted into one of the ports or roads, within the jurisdiction of one of the colleges of admiralty of this country, a vessel of war or privateer of the King of Great Britain, shall draw moreover a bounty of 150 florins for each man who shall be found at the commencement of the combat, on board of the said vessel of war or privateer; as also a like sum for each pound of ball, which the artillery which shall be found on board the said vessel, at the time aforesaid, can discharge at one time, not including the swivels or the balls of the new artillery, called cannonades, valued only at one quarter of their weight.—In such sort, that if one of our privateers shall make herself master of an English vessel of war or privateer, mounted, for example, with forty pieces of cannon, carrying altogether 350 pounds weight of ball, that is to say, forty cannonades and 1400 balls of eight pounds, and the crew of which shall be 220 men, shall receive for bounty or reward, by calculating each man and each pound of ball, upon the footing of 150 florins, the sum. of 85,800 florins, and thus more or less in proportion to the crew and the calibre of the cannon which shall be found at the time of the combat, upon the English ship, besides the booty and the prize, and all the effects which shall be found on board, without any other deduction to be made from it, than the tenth for the Admiral.
2. The said recompences assigned for prizes, shall also take place in case the English vessel of war or privateer shall be totally destroyed: whether our armed vessel shall have sunk her, or burnt her, or shipwrecked her, or whether the said vessel shall have perished in any other manner, after having been taken. Provided, nevertheless, that this recompence is not to be claimed in the whole, at least, if the crew of the vessel destroyed has not been taken or killed. And if it should happen that they have only driven the enemy’s vessel on shore, so that the vessel has perished, but the crew has saved itself, our letters of marque shall not enjoy, in this case, but one half of the bounty or reward promised; so that in the case last mentioned, they shall receive only 48,900 florins, instead of 85,800.
3. Provided nevertheless, that neither the prize nor the bounty, shall ever be adjudged to any of our letters of marque, until after the affair shall have been carried before one of the colleges of the Admiralty of this country, and the sentence shall have been there pronounced in her favor.
4. The said colleges of the Admiralty may not adjudge these rewards until after the captain, lieutenant and pilot of the privateer, as well as those who shall have freighted her, their book-keepers, and others authorised, shall have declared by a solemn oath, that the vessel of war or privateer of which they have made themselves masters, has been duly taken, without any collusion, directly or indirectly, with the English, or with any other known to them. In case the freighters who claim the adjudication of prizes and bounties, are out of the country, absent, or hindered by some other obstacle, it shall suffice that the bookkeeper, or some other authorised, take the oath but so far as it is of his knowledge for himself and his freighters, conformably to the special procuration which he shall have for this effect. The freighters, nevertheless, shall be obliged to take an oath before hand, before the magistrate of their residence, or before other persons competent, whose testimonies they shall send.
5. And for the better encouragement of the said ships which shall have armed as privateers, we ordain that those who shall have been wounded in a combat with an English, shall be maintained at the expense of the state, without its costing any thing to the proprietors of the privateer, or those who shall be on board. We ordain also, that those who shall be maimed in fighting an English ship, shall be gratified on the part of the state, and without its costing any thing to the freighters, with the moiety of the recompence granted by the republic to those who serve on board vessels of war: they shall not, however, have a right but to those rewards which are given once, and not to those which shall be granted weekly or monthly, or otherwise. As to what respects the maintenance of the wounded, the account of it shall be presented to the competent college of the Admiralty, to be there examined, and duly regulated: so that the maimed, to the end that they may enjoy the moiety of the recompence proposed, may procure themselves an act of the said college of the Admiralty, after having furnished it with the necessary proofs.
6. For the encouragement of the ships of war, as well as the merchant vessels which may be provided with commissions, to make use of in case of need, to cause to the English ships all the prejudice possible, we intend that the English ship, of which they may make themselves masters, of what nature or denomination soever it may be, shall be given them entire, the tenth for the Admiral excepted, without pretending, however, to any other recompence.
7. If it should happen, that our privateers, merchant vessels, or others, armed for a cruise, at the expense of individuals of this country, shall retake any vessels or effects belonging to the subjects of the state, and that such re-capture shall be made in the space of twice twenty-four hours after they shall have been in the hands of the enemy, they shall enjoy in that case one fifth of the just value of the vessels or effects which they shall have delivered; but if the re-capture shall be made in the space of four times twenty four hours after the vessel shall have been in the hands of the English, they shall then have one third of said value; and if the re-capture shall be made after four times twenty-four hours, they shall have the moiety of it, without having any further regard to the greater or lesser time, that the said vessels or effects retaken, shall have been in the hands of the English, after the expiration, of the four times twenty four hours.
8. The adjudication of any one of the said recompences, as well as the acts of the respective colleges of the Admiralty, in favor of the maimed or wounded, being shewn to the receiver general of the duties of entry and clearance, to receive the appointed recompence, the payment of it shall be promptly made by the said receiver general at the Hague, or in the place of the college of Admiralty in which the sentence or the taxation shall have been pronounced, as it shall be most convenient for the said receiver general.
9. Which receiver general shall be provided with sufficient sums of money to satisfy the said payments, and he shall always take care, that after having paid some bounties, he has always wherewith to satisfy, promptly, those which may be demanded of him in the sequel; either by the second moiety of the duties of Last and Veilgeld, or by negociating successively the sums which he shall have occasion for as a supply.
10. In all cases, the privateer who shall have taken or destroyed any English vessel, ought to take care to give, without delay, and as soon as he arrives, notice to the said receiver general of the value of the bounties which he has a right to claim; to the end that the said receiver general may be in a condition to make prompt payment.
11. And in all the respective colleges of Admiralty where the case shall be brought, they shall take care to render prompt sentences; even by postponing to other times, the affairs that may be before them.
12. And in case an appeal or revision should be demanded, and by this means the sentences of the said colleges shall be annulled; we have desired, that in this case, the recompences assigned by the sentences of the Admiralty should be delivered to the said privateers; so that the demand of revision may not suspend or hinder the payment; we mean, at the same time, that the sureties which the ships going to cruise ought to furnish, shall be obliged in that case to augment the surety, and to promise a prompt restitution of what shall have been paid to the said privateers, in consequence of sentences of the Admiralty, in case that those sentences shall be reversed, in the revision, and the privateers denied their demand. And to be the more sure that the sums delivered in such cases, be restored, we have declared, and do declare by these presents, that the vessels, and all that belongs to them, with which the prizes shall have been made, shall be held juridically to make restitution of the bounties received; and that the laid juridical obligation shall commence from the day that the said privateers shall have received their commissions, and shall go upon a cruise.
13. And this Placard shall have its effect from the day of this publication, and that nobody may pretend ignorance, we request and demand the Lords, the States, the Stadtholder, the Counsellors, Committees, and the deputies of the States of the respective Provinces of Guilderland, and the earldom of Zutphen, of Holland and West Friesland, of Zealand, of Utrecht, of Friesland, of Overysell, and of Groninghen, and Ommelandes, and all other members and officers of justice, that they announce, publish, and post up this ordinance immediately, in all the places of this country where it is customary to make such annunciations, publications and postings: We charge and enjoin, moreover, the counsellors of the admiralty, the advocates of the treasury, secretaries general of convoys and licences, receivers, masters of convoys, controulers and searches, and at the same time the receiver general of the augmentation of the duty of Last and Veilgeld, and all others to whom it belongs, to govern themselves exactly according to the tenor of these presents.
Their High Hightinesses have also published the following.
The States General of the United Provinces to all those who shall see, or hear read these presents, greeting. We make known, that to the end to encourage the loyal inhabitants of this state, we have thought proper, by the present publication, to notify to all and every one, and to assure them, that all those who employed in the service of the republic, in the war at sea, may be maimed in such a manner as to become incapable of gaining their livelihood by labor, and shall desire to be assisted by a sum of money payable once for all, shall receive in proportion to the importance of their wounds, that which follows:
1. For the loss of two eyes 1500 florins; for the loss of one eye 350 florins. As to other accidents which may happen under the case mentioned, gratifications shall be given according to the good pleasure of the respective colleges of the admiralty.
2. For the loss of two arms 1500 florins; for the loss of the right arm 450 florins; for that of the left arm 350 florins. And for other accidents and wounds in these members, at the discretion of the colleges of the admiralty, upon which each one depends.
3. For the loss of two hands 1200 florins; for the loss of a right hand 350 florins; for that of the left hand 300 florins. As to lesser accidents, valuable at sums less considerable, at the discretion aforementioned.
4. For the loss of two legs 700 florins; for the loss of one leg 350. For accidents less serious, the gratification shall be fixed by the colleges of the admiralty.
5. For the loss of two feet 450 florins; for that of one foot 200 florins, and for smaller wounds at the discretion of the respective colleges.
Moreover, all those who in the service of the republic shall be maimed to such a degree as to be no longer able to gain a living by labour, nor to provide in any manner for their subsistence, shall receive during their lives, one ducat on a week and all other wounds or mutilations less considerable shall be paid in proportion.
Amsterdam, January 21, 1781—wrote to Mr. Luzac.: “I have received your favor of the 19th and am much obliged to you for your frank and candid account of the paragraphs mentioned.
I could not wish to diminish the utmost freedom of speculation, on American affairs, and especially of your observations and reflections which are generally made with a great deal of knowledge of the subject, and upon honest and amiable principles. But in this case I hope your conjectures will prove to be mistaken. Georgia is so connected with South Carolina that it is impossible ever to give it up: and Vermont is so situated that the southern states will with difficulty agree that it should be distinct, on account of the balance of votes. I do not know that it is the secret wish of the New-England states that Vermont should be distinct. I rather think otherwise. Perhaps it would be better both for Vermont and all the states if the inhabitants of it would consent to be divided between New-York, New-Hampshire and Massachusetts, or come altogether under any one of them. How I do not mean to enter into a discussion of the question for which I might perhaps be justly censured. I am glad to find that those ideas were not held up to the public, by any one, who meant to do mischief, or to carry any point.[”]
John Adams.
Printed Source--Boston Patriot.
Early Access Link What’s this?
Boston Patriot
“From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 19 September 1809,” Founders Online, National Archives, accessed April 11, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-5434. [This is an Early Access document from The Adams Papers. It is not an authoritative final version.]
From Adams to Boston Patriot [16 September 1809]
All correspondence between Adams and Boston Patriot
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Tagged: Poverty Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
Masoud Dalvand 4:09 pm on 9 Jul 2019 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Iran ( 661 ), Iran Poverty ( 7 ), Iran Protests ( 96 ), Iran Regime Change ( 88 ), MEK ( 276 ), Poverty
Rising prices, poverty and homelessness, the results of mullahs’ rule in Iran
Iran, July 9, 2019 – In a recent article, Keyhan, the news outlet that reflects the views of the Iranian regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, acknowledged the country’s unsolvable housing crisis. “A person who could live in an 80-meter house with an 800-million-rial bond and 4-million-rial monthly rent last year must pay 12 million rials to rent the same house this year,” Keyhan wrote on July 1.
The housing problem has become so critical that some of Iran’s people have foregone buying or renting homes and have resorted to living in tents.
“The people no longer have the power to pay for rent. The problem has become so serious that I’ve received calls from people in my constituent, asking to receive tents from the Red Crescent to continue living in tents in parks. This has become a national issue,” said Ahmad Safari, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) from Kermanshah.
The state-run Resalat newspaper wrote on July 2, “More than 40 percent of the Iranian population is under the line of poverty. The rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. The tax system is in total service of the rich. The banking system has put 70 percent of its wealth into the hands of 2.5 percent of the society.”
Abrar-e Eqtesadi newspaper wrote on July 3, “The price of some food items has increased by 300 percent.”
Ironically, before coming to Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the mullahs’ regime, had promised to build homes and give free water, electricity and transportation to Iranians. However, after 40 years, his regime has only achieved poverty and misery for the people of Iran.
The current situation in Iran is the direct result of systematic embezzlement by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and other institutions of the regime, which has come directly out of the pockets of the Iranian people.
At the end of 2017, people in more than 140 cities across Iran poured into the streets despite the heavy presence of security forces and the regime’s brutal suppressive measures. Many of them were fed up with the corruption and mismanagement that of regime officials, which has driven their lives into poverty, inflation and unemployment.
The protests, which continue to this day, blame the regime and its destructive domestic and foreign policies for the current economic conditions in Iran.
The protesters are regularly chanting:
“Let go of Syria, think about us!”
“One less embezzlement and our problems will be solved”
“Death to dictator”
Masoud Dalvand 7:37 pm on 3 Dec 2018 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Child Labor ( 7 ), Free Iran ( 155 ), Iran Poverty ( 7 ), Iran Protests ( 96 ), Iran Regime Change ( 88 ), Poverty
How the Iranian regime caused a tsunami of poverty
Iran, Dec. 2, 2018 – In a cold, cloudy November morning in Tehran, a chill breeze sweeps the leaves in one of the main streets of Tehran, drawing the gazes of passersby to a man lying on a piece of cardboard beside the pavement.
Seeing homeless people, labor children, and drug addicts wandering and lying in the streets has now become a common scene in Iran.
“70 percent of the population is under the poverty line.” These are statistics that even official state-run media cannot hide and have to reveal in a bid to maintain a modicum of a reputation as news sources.
On October 31, state-run news agency ILNA revealed, “In the recent circumstances almost 70 percent of the population lives in a vulnerable situation that will extremely affect the low-income strata of the society. However, mid-class strata will suffer as well.”
Tasnim, a news agency with ties to the terrorist IRGC Quds force, talked about the collapse of the middle and lower classes of the society. In a quote from Hassan Rouhani’s advisor on November 19, Tasnim wrote, “Previously, 20 percent of the society was categorized as low-class, 60 percent was classified in mid-class, and 20 percent was the rich strata. The situation has changed and now we have 40 percent low-class, 40 percent mid-class, and 20 percent high-class in the society. This is while the incomes of mid-class families has decreased twofold.”
The above-mentioned figures are just the tip of the iceberg. The more you focus on social issues published by state-run media, the more you can find facts and figures about the disasters happening in Iran under the tyrannical rule of the mullahs.
The extreme poverty rate has doubled
On October 30, state-run Pana news agency exposed that “the extreme poverty has doubled this year.” Pana then quotes a member of the regime’s parliament, “Poverty has increased in the country in comparison to past years. Previously, almost 15 percent of the Iranian population was under the extreme poverty line, but that figure has now doubled. In addition, the worker’s ability to purchase goods has plummeted due to an increase in expenses.”
On October 26, Tasnim also exposed that laborers’ income can only provide 33 percent of necessities of their families, “Laborers must have three jobs in order to afford all the basic needs of a family of three. Otherwise, all three members of the family must have a job.”
Laborers’ wages under the poverty line
According to official statistics, there are more than 13 million laborers in Iran. Assuming that on average, laborers have a family of three, there are approximately 39 million Iranians who are under the poverty line and are suffering from economic problems.
According to official reports by the regime’s organizations, which provide the most optimistic figures, the poverty line is any income that is below 50 million rials per month (approx. $446 according to the free market rate). Meanwhile, state-run website Tabnak wrote on March 19, 2018, “The Supreme Council of Labor set the lowest monthly wage for labors as 11.4 million rials ($102) for 2018.”
It’s worth mentioning that all abovementioned figures are for full-time workers under the supervision of the labor law. However, the regime’s media say that 96 percent of Iran’s laborers are contract workers, who are even less privileged.
Poverty among contract laborers
The growing joblessness in Iran has forced Iran’s laborers to accede the contract work without any benefits.
The state-run economic news website published an article on July 17, 2017, titled “12 million contract laborers.” Revealing damning statistics in this regard, Eghtesad writes, “There are now over 13 million laborers under the coverage of Social Security Insurance, 12 million of whom are contracted. In other words, 96 percent of laborers are contracted and most of them have contracts that last between three to six months. Unfortunately, the number of contract laborers is increasing. Nearly 4 percent of laborers are full-time, and most of these laborers are elderly people on the verge of retirement. The conclusion is that we have no full-time laborers in the country.”
In addition, the state-run news agency ISNA published an article on May 3, 2018, titled “Signing white paper as a contract, crime against laborers.” The article revealed the inhumane treatment of government employers toward laborers, “signing white papers as a contract between employers and labors is a crime committed against labors. Labors have to work with the lowest wages and without any benefits and insurances. By signing white papers, laborers are compromising their own lives. Eyewitnesses reported that in some cases, employers imprison workers in a room during the government inspections, in order to cloak the real number of workers that should be insured in the compound.”
Body organs market in Iran, an indicator of poverty
One of the shocking sides of poverty in Iran is a thriving human organs market. The extreme poverty forces many people in Iran to sell their organs, and in some cases sell their children in order to overcome the living expenses for a while.
Regrettably, this unjust phenomenon is now a common scene in Iran. You cannot find any free spaces on the street walls beside main hospitals—papers are all around containing phone numbers of organs sellers. In November, the state-run website Titr Yek Online described the situation as such: “Touring in the city of Tehran and many other cities in Iran, you will face many shocking views. Now the organs sale centers are public and people are ready to chop their bodies due to the extreme poverty in the society.”
If you think that the story of organs sale just applies to those jobless and homeless people, you’re wrong.
State-run ISNA news agency aired a report in October in which it revealed that the personnel of the Khomeini hospital in (the capital of Alborz Province) are now selling their kidneys due to poverty.
“Some personnel of the hospital sold their kidneys as they were under economic pressure after the denial of the hospital management to pay their overdue wages during past months. The personnel is protesting about their denied rights saying they cannot afford their house rent or their children’s education fees,” ISNA reported. This is worth mentioning that the protest is still ongoing and the personnel are in a protesting strike.
Poverty in Iran’s villages
Life situation in villages provides a more realistic picture of poverty in the country and the effects of the corrupt policies of the mullahs ruling Iran.
Dry arable lands, deserted houses, children carrying water tanks for bringing water, desperate men sitting in the wall shad, dried wells, etc. are now the new face of villages in Iran.
Internal migration from villages to cities is a new crisis in Iran. Water crisis and poverty are the main elements contributing to the phenomenon. Now more than 70 percent of the Iranian population, which amounts to 56 million people, are living in cities and 28 percent are in villages. It is estimating that soon many more villages will be deserted, joining the poor suburbanite stratum.
The state-run news agency Shabestan published an article in late November discussing the situation. “According to social experts, the migration of suburbanites to metropolises in 2018 has increased 17 fold in comparison with 1982, which means that social problems have escalated at the same rate,” the report says. The article also says, “According to statistics, unofficial habitation, old structures, and villages that are located in city expansions, are home to 18 million people in Iran.”
ISNA news agency also published an article titled “Stop the village disappearance” and revealed, “While the parliament is supporting the conversion of large villages as the source of food and agriculture, to non-facilitated cities, village disappearance is accelerating in Iran. National Institute for Demographic Studies stated that 40,000 villages in the country are now deserted.”
The story is continuing in Iran and there are uncountable facts that can prove the unbelievable situation in Iran.
It is very clear that poverty in Iran is the flip side of the coin of corrupt policies of the government and growing massive systematic embezzlement of government institutions.
Iranian people are crying out for a better situation. Iran is now facing nationwide protests and strikes. Every day a city, factory laborers, organization employees, etc. rise and join their voice to other protesters. These are people who are seeking the regime change in Iran for freedom and a better life.
Masoud Dalvand, thoughtsmakeu1007, indianeskitchen, and 1 other are discussing. Toggle Comments
wizzymedpower 6:26 am on 4 Dec 2018 Permalink
“Iranian people are crying out for a better situation”. God come and intervene in the Nation of Iran.
Masoud Dalvand 8:31 am on 4 Dec 2018 Permalink
Amen! thanks so much for your kind words dear Israel. God bless you.
indianeskitchen 7:01 pm on 4 Dec 2018 Permalink
Masoud Dalvand 7:09 pm on 4 Dec 2018 Permalink
Yes, It’s so sad. Thanks for your kindness dear friend.
thoughtsmakeu1007 7:10 am on 14 Dec 2018 Permalink
It’s heart wrenching to read about these. Wish world countries should unite for a cause & give their support.
Masoud Dalvand 9:28 am on 14 Dec 2018 Permalink
Thank you so much dear for your comments, It shows your humanity feelings.
Masoud Dalvand 8:03 pm on 14 May 2018 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Child Labor ( 7 ), Children ( 6 ), Children in Iran ( 7 ), Iran Poverty ( 7 ), Poverty
Let’s get the Mahnaz to sleep!
Perhaps she dreams rainbow in sleep?
For a few moments, let’s get away her from the bitter world of the reality that made her childhood!
Masoud Dalvand 8:26 pm on 18 Jan 2018 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Iran ( 661 ), Iran Poverty ( 7 ), Iran Protests ( 96 ), Iran Uprising ( 46 ), Poverty, Uprising ( 25 )
Primary Causes of Poverty and Popular Uprisings in Iran
The Enormous Cost of the Regime’s Warmongering, Terrorism and Domestic Suppression
As the uprising against the clerical regime engulfed various Iranian cities, protestors’ slogans expressed some aspects of the cause of that movement, namely grueling high prices and economic strains on an array of social sectors. Giving rise to these circumstances is the fact that the religious dictatorship has channeled Iran’s human resources and economic reserves toward domestic suppression, warmongering and expansion of terrorism abroad, leading to increasing poverty and deprivation among the population in Iran.
The cost of war and terrorism: Not declared in official state budget
According to assessments conducted by the Iranian Resistance and international experts, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has spent close to $15B to $20B a year in Syria over the past six years.1 The regime’s warmongering and fatal intervention in Syria alone cost the Iranian people at least $100B between the start of the war to the end of 2017.
In addition to Syria, Tehran has used its military and terrorist arm, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to interfere in conflicts in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Afghanistan while exporting terrorism to dozens of other countries in five continents around the world.
The cost of manufacturing weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, and of acquiring illicit material and equipment for the nuclear program can also be factored into the regime’s overall expenditures. A high-level assessment reveals that the regime spends at least $25B to $30B in these arenas from sources that are not declared in its official annual budget.
In order to pay for its warmongering and domestic suppression, the regime has created a private network outside of official state structures. Particularly after 2005 (during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad), Khamenei expanded his economic reach considerably by transferring the ownership of state enterprises, taking control of the financial market, and eliminating state subsidies.
With the help of his enterprises and institutions, which operate through front organizations masked as private companies, Khamenei has taken over the bulk of Iran’s economy. This is how Khamenei pays for the undeclared and unofficial costs of war and suppression. These organizations and institutions, which include the IRGC, now control over 50% of Iran’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Official state institutions have no control or oversight on these entities’ sources of revenue or expenditures. They are also either exempt from taxes or simply do not pay them.
Some of the most important of these entities include but are not limited to the following2: The IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbia Construction Headquarters, other IRGC-affiliated economic powerhouses, Khamenei’s Setad (Headquarters for Executing Imam’s Orders), the Mostaz’afan (Oppressed) Foundation, Astan-e Qods Razavi (religious foundation in Mashhad), Shahid (Martyr) Foundation, Emdad (Aid) Committee, IRGC Cooperatives Foundation, Bassij Cooperatives Foundation, Qadir Investment Company (tied to the Ministry of Defense), the Armed Forces Social Welfare Organization (SATA), Khatam al-Osia Base (tied to the Ministry of Defense), State Security Forces Cooperatives Foundation (NAJA), and the Islamic Republic Army Cooperatives Foundation (BTAJA).
The cost of war and terrorism: as declared in the official state budget (military and security organs)
An overview of the budget bill submitted to parliament (Majlis) in December 2017 by the Hassan Rouhani administration for the new Persian calendar year (March 2018 to March 2019) indicates a total budget of 425000 billion tomans (121.5 billion dollars. )3 Out of this amount, 93937B tomans ($26.8 billion dollars )4, or 22% of the entire budget, has been allocated to military and security-related spending, as well as to the export of terrorism and fundamentalism abroad. Details of the regime’s military and security costs are as follows:
Security affairs (including the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the State Security Forces, the Special Tribunal for Clerics, etc.): 19745.9 billion tomans (5.641billion dollars) or 4.6% of the entire budget
Military affairs (IRGC, Bassij, army, etc.): 68483 billion tomans (19.5 billion dollars) or 16.17% of the entire budget.
Export of terrorism: 5708 billion tomans (1.6 billion dollars) or 1.34% of the entire budget
An assessment of annual expenditures on warmongering and suppression
A high-level assessment reveals that the minimum cost of keeping the clerical regime in power in Iran through warmongering and internal suppression is comprised of the following:
– 26.8 billion dollars : Funds allocated to military and security-related affairs and export of terrorism in the official state budget
– 27.5 billion dollars: Money channeled to military and security-related activities and export of terrorism, funded by revenues obtained from institutions controlled by the supreme leader’s office and the IRGC
Based on these figures, the regime spends a total of at least 55 billion dollars (official and known unofficial sources of funding) in order to advance domestic suppression, warmongering and foreign terrorism.
It is important to note that the Iranian regime spends an amount that is at least close to the officially declared budget on war, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction by revenues generated from enteties tied to the supreme leader. This analysis reveals that the structure of the dictatorship has been shaped in a way that allows the advancement of the clerical dictatorship’s own goals and objectives. In other words, the Iranian people’s resources are being used to prop up the dictatorship.
Case studies: How funding of warmongering and suppression fares against other state expenditures
In order to see how the dictatorship’s warmongering and suppression have seized wealth from the Iranian people, resulting in widespread poverty, a few examples and case studies are provided below.
Compared to the rebuilding costs after a recent earthquake: In November 2017, an earthquake shook the western province of Kermanshah, resulting in at least 1000 deaths and thousands wounded, while more than 100000 people were rendered homeless. In a preliminary analysis5, the Kermanshah provincial government said the earthquake has resulted in at least 5632 billion tomans (1.61 billion dollars) in damage. The analysis added that this amount is equal to the province’s total budget for 11 years (approximately 140 million dollars per year). This means that the price tag for the clerical regime’s warmongering and suppression in a single year is 40 times more than the total damage resulting from the 2017 Kermanshah earthquake or more than 440 times the official annual budget of the entire Kermanshah province.
Compared to the health care budget: The 2018 budget for the provision of health care to 80 million Iranians has been officially declared as 57000 billion tomans (16.3 billion dollars). This is a mere third of the regime’s annual warmongering and suppression costs. This means that every year, the entire Iranian population is forced to pay an amount that is three times higher than their total health care budget for warmongering and terrorism.
The Iranian people’s welfare compared to salaries paid to Iranian regime mercenaries in Syria:According to statements made by Afghan mercenaries of the Iranian regime during public interviews with state-run media, each are paid 2.5 million tomans, (600 or 700 dollars) per month, every month. Nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals are dispatched to Syria by the IRGC. As such, every month, the regime pays 12 million to 14 million dollars to its Afghan mercenaries in Syria. This is while the Rouhani government spokesman, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, has said that the government is planning to pay a monthly stipend of 250 thousand tomans or nearly 70 dollars to every Iranian living under the absolute poverty line. So, an Afghan sent to Syria is paid 10 times more than an Iranian living under the line of absolute poverty. This is while Afghans are sent to Syria by the IRGC as cheap soldiers, and their salaries represent a miniscule portion of the regime’s constant expenditures in Syria.
Expenditures in Syria compared to financial aid to all people living under the absolute poverty line in Iran: On September 17, 2017,6 the head of the Emdad Khomeini Committee (Aid Committee), Seyyed Parviz Fattah Qarebaghi7, said it is estimated that the number of people living under the absolute poverty line in Iran ranges from 16 to 20 million. Assuming these people do receive a stipend of almost $70/month, the regime would have to come up with a monthly total of 1.4 billion dollars or an annual total of 17 billion dollars. This means that the amount the regime is spending in Syria alone (not the entire cost of warmongering and suppression, which is several times higher) could have been re-allocated to pay the monthly stipends of nearly 20 million impoverished people in Iran.
That is why during the recent uprising in various Iranian cities, protestors shouted slogans like “Leave Syria, think about us” and “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I dedicate my life to Iran.” They also targeted the entire regime, demanding its overthrow by chanting “Death to Khamenei” and “Khamenei, shame on you, let go of the country.” They realize that the only way to obtain the Iranian people’s rights is through the overthrow of the clerical regime in its entirety.
1. Khamenei’s velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule) has allocated Iran’s official and unofficial revenues and national wealth to serve foreign warmongering and terrorism as well as domestic suppression in order to ensure the regime’s survival. This is the primary cause of the backbreaking poverty haunting the country.
2. As the regime’s armed entity, the IRGC has had the largest share in stealing the national wealth. A substantial portion of economic deals and control over key industries like oil and gas belongs to the IRGC. In addition to embezzlement, the IRGC then allocates resulting revenues to warmongering and terrorism as well as to suppression inside Iran.
3. Any deals with the Iranian regime will strengthen the velayat-e faqih dictatorship and its armed entity the IRGC, resulting in the escalation of suppression of the Iranian people’s uprisings and the massacre of peoples across the region.
4. In order to eliminate the dictatorship’s machinery of war and suppression, all of the regime’s officials, the IRGC and the array of economic organizations and institutions in their orbit of influence must be placed under international sanctions.
1- Based on Bloomberg estimates quoting Steven Heydemann at the U.S. Institute of Peace; and “How Iran Fuels Syria War: Details of the IRGC Command HQ and Key Officers in Syria,” NCRI- U.S. Representative Office, November 2015.
2- See “The Rise of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Financial Empire: How the Supreme Leader and the IRGC Rob the People to Fund International Terror,” NCRI-U.S. Representative Office, March 2017. The detailed study shows how ownership of property in various spheres of the economy is gradually shifted from the population writ large towards a minority ruling elite comprised of the Supreme Leader’s office and the IRGC, using 14 powerhouses.
3- 425,000,000,000,000 tomans: converted to dollars based on exchange rate of $1=3,500 tomans. This exchange rate has also been used for the regime’s official state budget.
4- Equal to 93,937,000,000,000 tomans
5-See “Damages Resulting from the Earthquake Equal to Kermanshah’s Budget of 11 Years,” state-run Entekhab daily, November 25, 2017 (in Farsi).
6- See IRGC-affiliated Fars News website, September 17, 2017 (in Farsi).
7- Qarebaghi is an IRGC Brig. Gen., who controls the Emdad Committee, an entity affiliated with the regime’s supreme leader.
Masoud Dalvand 8:14 pm on 15 Aug 2017 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Human Rights ( 131 ), Iran ( 661 ), Iran Poverty ( 7 ), Poverty, Women ( 52 )
Feminine Face of Poverty in Iran
This video clip has been posted on the internet from Iran:
Look. Behind me is a woman covered up in veil (chador); she’s wearing a mask to prevent being identified. She is looking through the garbage and trash containers in this late hour of night. She’s looking to find and collect something that she might need to stay alive.
I don’t know but such people seem to be really honorable. When a woman wraps up herself in a chador and does not want to be recognized and looks through the garbage, it means that she’s been left no other way. There is no organization and no agency in our country to support them and they have to live in this way.
Is this really what the situation in our country is? Is this the motto in this country about chastity and veil and is this the way they support women?
Tags: Iran ( 661 ), Iran women's rights ( 31 ), Poverty, Women ( 52 )
Iran’s women and their lost dreams
There are stories of Iran that mainstream media unfortunately refuse to cover. These days it is all talk about the smiling “moderate” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani launching his second term.
One dark side of Iran the mullahs’ regime have kept a lid on is the status of Iran’s young women. Despite having a highly educated young population, with women comprising the majority of Iranians going to college, the end result, however, is mostly heartbreaking.
Shahindokht is a young woman in her twenties working at a women’s clothes shop in Tehran’s Haft-e Teer Square. When interviewed she did not allow the reporter from Iran’s state ILNA news agency take photo of the store she works in, not even a small shot for a video-take, and nor will she allow the reporter name the store. She is afraid. Afraid of losing the job she was lucky to even find. When she talks about her conditions, one gets more familiar with the drastic circumstances young Iranian women are enduring these days:
“I was in my last year of college, unemployed and literally broke to the point that I was going crazy. My father had been unemployed for a few years and barely making ends meet. He had been a factory worker and I don’t know how he was retired after 20 years, while earning less in comparison to others like him. My older brother drove taxis for a while, until he became a drug addict. For the past few years he sleeps until noon at home, then smokes one cigarette after another until evening. He may work a few hours, just to make his drug money. And that’s it.”
She wants to share more of her pains, about life and her family, about a sister who has divorced, a mother who soon will most likely be diagnosed with Alzheimer… but she prefers to talk about her job, about working in the clothing store:
“For a few days I would buy a newspaper and look through the ads. I couldn’t find a job in my field, history. As I looked more I started to become hopeless. I came to understand I either had to start selling on the streets or down in the metro, or take a job as a typist or a salesperson. Typing wasn’t easy for me. I started looking for stores selling women’s clothing, and finally, a month later, I found this place. The day when I came for the interview there were many women in line. Such a long line, you should’ve seen it.”
Now it’s exactly eight months since Shahindokht is selling women’s clothing, and as she said, living on tips and percentage. She doesn’t have a written contract or a fixed paycheck. No insurance either…
“We receive a monthly salary of two million or three million rials in cash from the storeowner (the equivalent of around $100), for cleaning the place, making tea, providing some service. The rest is from how much we sell. At New Year my salary reached 15 million rials (around $500), but now it’s mostly no more than seven to eight million. I am waiting for late August and September. With schools and colleges opening, young ladies and school girls come flocking in to this square to buy new clothes. That’s when we sellers see better days…”
In the middle of her sentence two or three ladies enter the store. Shahindokht looked in despair, upset at why she had been standing outside talking. She has to go in or else the other sellers will receive the percentage, and who knows when two or three more customers will come by this store again.
There are many such young women in Iran’s huge capital, Tehran. Women who are deprived of having a decent job, forced to work in such conditions without a guaranteed future… These women can only afford a very minimum lifestyle if their storeowners are lucky in their sales… if not, they just come and go. Meaningless labor, without any light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
This is the destiny awaiting young educated women in Iran ruled by the mullahs’ regime.
via Iran’s women and their lost dreams — Iran Commentary
Grandtrines and Masoud Dalvand are discussing. Toggle Comments
Grandtrines 3:13 am on 14 Aug 2017 Permalink
Reblogged this on Still Another Writer's Blog.
Reblogged this on Debatable News: Mainstream to Tinfoil Hat and more.
Reblogged this on Weekend Forecast: Astrology for Your Weekend.
Masoud Dalvand 7:06 am on 14 Aug 2017 Permalink
Thanks for reblogging.
Grandtrines 8:30 pm on 14 Aug 2017 Permalink
Masoud Dalvand 6:38 am on 24 Jul 2017 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Human Rights ( 131 ), Iran ( 661 ), Iran crackdown ( 39 ), Poverty
Suicide increasing in Iran due to crackdown and poverty
Mazandaran Province, northern Iran – July 22 – An 18-year old girl committed suicide by throwing herself off a 6-story building.
Tehran Province – On Friday, July 21st, with the mother absent, the father of a 6-year old girl and 2-year old boy gave them suicide pills, and he too committed suicide. All three lost their lives.
Karaj, west of Tehran – July 22 – A construction worker climbed a crane and threw himself off, protesting not receiving his wage. He lost his life.
Masoud Dalvand 6:51 pm on 4 Apr 2017 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Children Marriages ( 3 ), Human Rights ( 131 ), Human Rights Violations ( 55 ), Iran ( 661 ), Middle East ( 63 ), Misogynism, Poverty
Iran’s Children: Mandatory Marriages
The mullahs ruling Iran are actually encouraging, and forcing, families to wed off their girls at young ages
Yet another hideous phenomenon seen in #iran under the mullahs’ rule is the unthinkable practice of children forced off to mandatory #Marriages. The victims, who are placed into such situations at extremely young ages due to poverty, are left to face physical and psychological damages.
Young girls are the main targets of such inhumane measures, with the mullahs institutionalising these acts under Iran’s misogynist laws. And yet, based on human rights covenants, “child marriages” are considered acts of slavery and crimes against humanity. In such marriages, girls are actually sold to relieve their families of their economic burdens.
Iran’s children damaged in early marriages
This shocking phenomenon is so widespread the regime’s own state-run media is forced to react. The depth of this disaster can be comprehended from the words of an Iranian regime official, “Currently, 43,000 girls between the ages of 10 to 15 are married.”
“We have even witnessed girls under the age of 10 getting married,” said Shahindokht Molavardi, Iran’s deputy vice president.
There are families who cannot make ends meet and force their girls into marriages with individuals twice their age, according to a report wired by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. In Iran, 890,000 girls under the age of 18 were married off from 2006 to 2015.
“Iran has 10 million completely illiterate and another 10 million semi-illiterate individuals across the country. These are dangerous statistics and are directly related to the number of child marriages,” state-run Mehr news agency reported.
“The income division in Iran is yet another reason behind increasing child marriages,” the report reads.
“17% of all marriages are related to girls under the age of 18 and in 2015 more than 5% of all marriages were registered to individuals under the age of 15. These statistics do not include non-registered marriages.”
According to Iran’s civil law girls are permitted to marry at the age of 13 and boys at 15. This reactionary law even permits marriages prior to these ages, only in need of permission from a court and the parents.
“If these two parties confirm, #Children at the age of six can be legally married,” said Iranian MP Fateme Zolqadr in reference to this law.
Shahla E’zazi, a sociologist and member of the Tabatabaie University Board of Science said in 2015 the number of child marriages increased by 10,000 in comparison to 2014 and their divorces have also increased.
In Iran under the religious fascist mullahs’ rule access to true statistics of child marriages is impossible and the media expressed in the regime’s controlled media most certainly reflect only a tip of the iceberg.
Iran’s mullahs encouraging child marriages
Considering all the damages caused by child marriages, the ruling mullahs in Iran continue to promote such a practice. Mullah Mohsen Ghera’ati made repulsive remarks in this regard.
“There must be an urgency regarding marriages. Boys and girls must get married in high school (and not in college),” he said. This is a clear resemblance of the mullah’s misogynist ideology.
Children involved in early marriages suffer social and physical damages. The social damages includes unregistered marriages, lack of identification papers, number of “child widows” on the rise, violence at home and spouse beatings, significant rise in population of city outskirt residents, prostitution, children fleeing their homes, number of homeless people, deprivation from education, significant age different between spouses, self-immolation and suicides, low social and legal support, rise in drug addiction, lack of skills to enter the job market, lack of knowledge to grow children, rise in poverty and rise in child workers. (State-run Iran Online website)
via Iran’s Children: Mandatory Marriages — Iran Commentary
Ivana - Orbis Marketing and Masoud Dalvand - Freedom Star are discussing. Toggle Comments
Ivana - Orbis Marketing 7:46 pm on 4 Apr 2017 Permalink
This is a real crime against children..I feel so angry when I read all this and see that the world is silently watching and doing nothing to prevent it.
Masoud Dalvand - Freedom Star 7:51 pm on 4 Apr 2017 Permalink
Yes, unfortunately It’s sad real in Iran under rule of religious dictatorship. Thank you dear Ivana for comment that shows your high level humanity.
Thank you for your valuable insights. You write about things that are almost impossible to find in media and newspapers.
Masoud Dalvand - Freedom Star 8:49 am on 5 Apr 2017 Permalink
You’re welcome my friend, and you are my great friend that I learn a lot about social media from you. Thanks and have a great rest of the week Ivana.
Ivana - Orbis Marketing 9:40 am on 5 Apr 2017 Permalink
Thank you and I wish you too great rest of the week.
Tags: Child Workers ( 2 ), Free Iran ( 155 ), Human Rights ( 131 ), Iran ( 661 ), Iran Nuclear Deal ( 27 ), Poverty
With the Mullahs at the Helm, There Can Be No Solution to Widespread Poverty in Iran
By Heshmat Alavi
Iranian authorities periodically launch campaigns to round up child workers and beggars roaming the streets. But can such campaigns be successful in a nosediving economy?
Officials sidestep this issue, as is clear in remarks made by the Iranian Deputy for Social Affairs, who claimed that the reason the issue is not being resolved is that there are too many organizations trying to tackle it, and not enough coordination among them. Similar assertions were made in a state TV program on the topic earlier this month.
Anyone versed in the topic, however, knows that the real culprit is the nationwide poverty caused by the atrocious economic policies imposed by the mullah-led regime. People who are not hungry do not send their children into the streets to beg or look for work, when they should be in school and enjoying the precious years of their youth.
Even the state-run Salamat News website admitted that the regime’s repressive plans aimed at containing social crises have completely backfired.
“Rounding up drug addicts, homeless people living in the streets, runaway girls, beggars and many others that have ended up in such situations as a result of poverty and the class gap in our society have ended in failure as a result of hasty measures carried out by authorities,” its report reads.
Other reports indicate the middle class in Iran has nearly vanished altogether.
“One of the simplest methods thought about by each official after they come to office is to round up such individuals. There was hope to resolve this issue from our society, yet due to known reasons these individuals have only been seen fleeing and returning to the streets. In the past 12 months, there have been many different plans and efforts launched by the municipality and the police, most leading to nothing but failures,” the website added.
Many Iranian officials, too, have admitted that the practice of rounding up people and holding them in special centers is not a strategic solution to the problem. They now acknowledge that the real solution would be to improve the public’s living conditions through major economic reforms.
Of course, the mullahs — whose plundering has left nothing for the people and who hae wasted billions in the nuclear program and global terrorism — will have nothing to do with such suggestions, and therefore any expectation from Tehran in this regard is an illusion.
Indeed, as long as they remain at the helm, no end to these woes will be in sight.
via With the Mullahs at the Helm, There Can Be No Solution to Widespread Poverty in Iran — Iran Commentary
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Standing with the Muslim community following the Christchurch terrorist attack
Janet Rice 2 Apr 2019
It's a humbling privilege to be able to stand here this afternoon to send my love, for my heart to go out, to everyone who is grieving from this hateful, awful attack; to send my love to the friends and the families of those who were so brutally murdered; to send my love to the survivors, who are suffering so much, having survived and their lives having been changed completely forever; to send my love to the wider New Zealand Muslim community, who will be feeling the attacks on the people of their faith in New Zealand; to send my love to the wider New Zealand community, because this was an attack on New Zealanders, on New Zealand soil; to send my love to Muslims in Australia, because Australia and New Zealand are family, and the Muslims in Australia that I have spoken to over the last 2½ weeks feel so deeply the attack on their brothers and sisters in New Zealand; and to send my love to everyone in Australia and New Zealand, because this was an attack on all of us. In fact, it was an attack on our shared humanity and it was an attack that was based in Islamophobia and racism.
What we must learn from this attack is that we must reject that Islamophobia and racism everywhere in society, including in our parliaments. If this is not the time to take stock and to realise what this attack was based on, I don't know what will be. Fear and division are being used as a weapon by right-wing extremists, by the media and even by some politicians, including some sitting in this very chamber, to separate our communities and to fuel the fires of racism and Islamophobia. That hate-filled violence will continue to cost innocent lives unless we can commit ourselves wholeheartedly, completely, to take the hard actions to make sure that it changes. Together we have to unite—unite against hatred, wherever it is, particularly in online forums and where it appears in our communities. We have to tackle extremism in all of its forms. We have to work together and reaffirm and recognise the strength in our diversity, recognise the contribution that people from different cultures, different faiths, different language groups and different countries have made to our society.
Australia is an incredible success as a multicultural society, and it brings incredible richness to our lives. Whether we are Australians from First Nations people whose ancestors have walked this land for more than 40,000 years or refugees who have walked amongst us for just a few weeks, we need to reaffirm our belief that everyone in Australia is loved, and that they are recognised and supported for who they are. This is our Australia, where people from all over the world have come together to build a peaceful society that celebrates and supports all people for who they are, where we have no tolerance of prejudice and discrimination, and where we build bridges. Where we see those flames of division, we build bridges rather than letting them fester and letting that fear and that division enflame and grow in our society.
I call upon all of us to do everything we can. I was so pleased, in the days and weeks following, to be able to visit mosques, to reach out and to support and to hug and to send my love to my Muslim brothers and sisters. We must all take on doing that. We must be building that completely, to be protecting our vibrant and diverse society and supporting those people, supporting minority groups, listening, taking hate threats seriously and redoubling our efforts to address them. So I'm standing here today, sending my love, standing with Muslim friends, the Muslim community here in Australia, in New Zealand, around the world, during this very difficult time, and I commit to working to ensure that our community is safe and welcoming for everyone.
Turnbull and Tudge should stop dividing
Nick McKim 20 Jul 2018
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CSR to Build World’s First Carbon-Neutral High-Speed Locomotive
under Green Transportation, Innovation, News
The Coalition for Sustainable Rail (CSR) has announced plans to create the world’s first carbon-neutral high-speed locomotive. Working with the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment (IonE) and the nonprofit Sustainable Rail International (SRI), CSR plans to “create the world’s cleanest, most powerful passenger locomotive, proving the viability of solid biofuel and modern steam locomotive technology”.
The project, known as CSR Project 130, will draw on a wide range of skills and technology – from carbon-neutral solid biofuel research to modern steam mechanical engineering – in order to develop the most powerful carbon-neutral locomotive to date. It will also be able to reach a top speed of 130 mph.
Although some may dismiss the project’s green credentials (‘biocoal’ sounds just as ridiculous as ‘clean coal’), the departments stress how green the fuel source actually is. Biocoal is a biofuel that is created by processing cellulosic biomass. While biocoal exhibits the same energy density and material handling properties as coal, it is carbon neutral, contains no heavy metals, and produces “less ash, smoke and volatile off-gases”. The team hopes that biocoal will revolutionize the way the United States generates clean electricity.
“Participation in the Coalition for Sustainable Rail has enabled our team to pursue one of the more exciting and potentially groundbreaking research projects in the history of IonE,” said Rod Larkins, Special Projects Director of IonE’s Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. “Once perfected, creating the world’s first carbon-neutral locomotive will be just the beginning for this technology which, we hope, will later be used for combined heat and power energy in the developing world as well as reducing the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels.”
Research has also shown that the carbon-neutral locomotive will cost less to maintain and fuel than the diesel-electric locomotives available today. Modern steam locomotives are still based on decades-old technology, but the new carbon-neutral model will have less impact on the environment while displaying significantly better horsepower output at higher speeds.
“This project presents a novel approach to U.S. locomotive development, looking to technologies of the past to inspire solutions for today’s sustainability challenges,” said SRI President Davidson Ward. “I’m confident that the leading energy researchers we’re working with at the University of Minnesota, along with our team of engineers, will be able to bring this technology to the forefront of America’s energy and transportation conversations.”
To test their claims, SRI has acquired a large test bed steam locomotive from the Great Overland Station Museum in Topeka, Kansas. This locomotive was originally built in 1937 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, and it will be reconfigured by SRI’s locomotive modernization team. If successful, CSR Project 130, will serve as key step in proving the viability of biocoal for use in the developing world.
+ University of Minnesota /Coalition for Sustainable Rail
Via Clean Technica
CSR to Build World's First Carbon-Neutral High-Speed Locomotive
SRI Locomotive 3463 - After
The Coalition for Sustainable Rail (CSR) has announced plans to create the world’s first carbon-neutral high-speed locomotive. Working with the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment (IonE) and the nonprofit Sustainable Rail International (SRI), CSR plans to "create the world’s cleanest, most powerful passenger locomotive, proving the viability of solid biofuel and modern steam locomotive technology".
SRI Locomotive 3463 - Before
locomotive 3463
SRI Locomotive 3463
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2019: A year of political standstill in Belgium?
On 21 December 2018 the King accepted the resignation of the government of Charles Michel. Why did the Belgian government fall only months before its official end (elections are due in May 2019) and what are the consequences for companies?
14 November 2018: Theo Francken (N-VA), then Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, declares in De Standaard, a leading Flemish newspaper, that N-VA, the Flemish nationalist party which is the largest party of the government coalition, will not sign the UN Migration Pact. He also claims that there is not yet an official government position. The statement kicks off a government crisis, which leads to the exit of N-VA on Saturday 8 December, and reaches its climax on Tuesday 18 December 2018 with the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel.
The real cause of the collapse of the Swedish coalition, however, is the outcome of the local elections. The expected large-scale breakthrough of N-VA at the local level did not happen and, in addition, it lost voters to the extreme right Vlaams Belang. In Wallonia and Brussels the shift to the left was confirmed to the detriment of MR, the Francophone liberals and the only francophone party in the government coalition. As a result, N-VA decided to harden its line on the migration issue and MR had to prove they were not manipulated by N-VA within the federal coalition. The tension between both partners became too high and the government collapsed.
Despite an attempt to run a minority government towards the next election in May, the pressure of the opposition did not give any other choice to Prime Minister Charles Michel but to present the resignation of his government to the King, who accepted on 21 December, sending the government into a state of current affairs until the election of 26 May.
The option of current affairs was chosen, rather than having early elections, as the N-VA would have preferred.
It is not entirely clear what a government in current affairs will be able to do, and in particular if they could approve key reforms such as the labour deal in the coming months.
Theoretically this is possible because the federal parliament can step forward and take the legislative initiative. Leading politicians of both the majority and the opposition have already indicated this.
However, the probability that this will actually happen is small. With the fall of Charles Michel’s government the campaign for the elections has definitely taken off. Political parties will therefore no longer allow each other political victories to claim. Moreover, in line with the constitution, the federal parliament will be dissolved mid-April 2018, 40 days before the elections. As a result, the federal parliament has only 3 months left to complete its agenda.
Taking into account the period that is needed to form a new federal government – about 5 months in 2014 and 541 days (!) in 2010/2011 – there is a fair chance that political Belgium will be in standstill for a year or more, in a time of considerable turmoil due to Brexit, domestic social unrest and ongoing pressure on the national economy by global economic competition.
Baudouin Velge
Executive Chairman, Belgium
Global Office
TechnologyFinancial Services & InvestmentsEnergy & EnvironmentFood & DrinkConsumer & LeisureTransportation & AviationDefense & SecurityEvents
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of the Collection
Learn about the many historical treasures in the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Lost Sermons
Joseph Smith: Prophet and City Leader
Museum Treasures
The sign that once labeled Joseph Smith’s office in Nauvoo’s Red Brick Store draws attention to his position as prophet, yet it hung in a place where he filled many additional roles.
David W. Patten’s Rifle, Watch, and Powder Horn
Before sunrise on October 25, 1838, David W. Patten donned this watch and carried his rifle and powder horn, intending to rescue three Latter-day Saint hostages from renegade Missouri militiamen.
Brigham Young’s Thimble
This particular sewing aid is known as a tailor’s thimble, and it belonged to a skilled carpenter, community builder, and latter-day prophet—a man some now call an American Moses.
Sally Phelps’s Hymnal
In July 1830, Joseph Smith received a revelation directed to his wife, Emma, that would bring greater harmony to congregations and homes for generations to come. The Lord called Emma to “make a selection of sacred hymns” (D&C 25:11), thus confirming divine approval of worshipful music in church services and solidifying what would become a longstanding tradition of reverent hymnody among the Latter-day Saints.
Mary Whitmer and Maria Louise Cowdery Samplers
Mary Whitmer and Maria Louise Cowdery belonged to families who played vital roles in the Restoration of the gospel from its earliest days.
Samuel Smith: Missionary to Prophets
Samuel H. Smith, though not as well known as his older brothers Joseph and Hyrum Smith, played an influential role in the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Book of Mormon from Manuscript to Press
The original manuscript of the Book of Mormon contains few punctuation marks or paragraph breaks. Though the Book of Mormon text has since been updated with corrections, the precious truths it contains have remained unchanged through the centuries.
George Q. Cannon: A Mighty Instrument
Joseph Smith’s Heritage
Both of Joseph’s grandfathers had experiences and beliefs that influenced the Smith family and prepared Joseph to be the Prophet of the Restoration.
A True Treasure Chest
This simple wooden box may not be an impressive sight on its own, but what it held—even briefly—is one of the greatest treasures of our time.
Lucy Mack Smith’s Gold Bead
This tiny gold bead is easy to overlook among all the larger pieces in the museum, but it carries a story that gives us important insight into the faith and character of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s parents.
Foundations of Faith Exhibit
Treasures from the Church's Historical Collections
This new exhibit, available online and at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, tells the story of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ through some of its most treasured documents.
Hyrum Smith: A Man of Mildness and Integrity
These artifacts are perhaps the most intimate remembrance of the martyrdom of Hyrum Smith: they are the clothes Hyrum was wearing when he was killed, the watch he carried in his pocket that day, and a pair of sunglasses he owned.
The Articles and Covenants of the Church
This document is one of several known handwritten copies of the Articles and Covenants of the Church, which would later become section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
“A Day of God’s Power”
This red silk handkerchief is a vivid reminder of both Joseph Smith’s compassion and the power of God to heal the sick.
Jesus the Christ: The Story behind the Story
In the century since its publication, Jesus the Christ has become a classic work among Latter-day Saints. Celebrate the book's 100th anniversary, learn the story behind its creation, and glimpse Talmage's original manuscript.
The Nauvoo Temple: Built by Faith and Community
When the Prophet Joseph Smith proposed that the temple in Nauvoo be built by tithing Church members, the Saints responded with energy.
Sermons of a Palmyra Preacher
Joseph Smith likely heard from many preachers in the years preceding the First Vision. Two he may have encountered in his search for the true Church were Reverend Jesse Townsend and Reverend George Lane.
Martin Harris, the Great Benefactor
This simple leather wallet belonged to Martin Harris, who is arguably one of the more complicated figures in early Church history.
Mourning the Prophet
Thirteen-year-old Mary Ann Broomhead stitched this sampler as a tribute to Joseph and Hyrum Smith shortly after their martyrdom.
“Something Extraordinary”: The Beginnings of the Relief Society
This chandelier hung in the upper room of the Red Brick Store, where the Relief Society was organized.
Who Killed Joseph Smith?
While we do not know the name of the man who owned this powder horn, we do know the names of several men who helped organize and carry out the plan to kill the Prophet Joseph.
John Taylor’s Miracle
This watch was in John Taylor’s vest pocket during the martyrdom at Carthage Jail, and Brother Taylor, who later became President of the Church, believed that it saved his life.
Stephen Markham’s Cane
Stephen Markham's hickory “rascal beater” was made famous when it helped defend Joseph Smith from attackers at Carthage Jail.
William Weeks: Architect of the Nauvoo Temple
The original Nauvoo Temple was an inspired masterpiece of architecture and craftsmanship. The Prophet Joseph Smith directed the work, but architect William Weeks translated those directions into workable plans.
Newel K. Whitney: A Man of Faith and Service
Even the most unremarkable item becomes a treasure when it is connected to someone we care about. What makes this particular lap desk a treasure is that it was owned and used by Newel K. Whitney, an early member of the Church and a friend and support to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
John Taylor, October 10, 1852
Reflections on Government and War
Shortly after his return from missionary labors in France, Germany, and Great Britain, John Taylor gave this sermon in the five-year-old city of Salt Lake. The sermon gives insight into the climate of the times and the sense of possibility Latter-day Saints felt as they began to create their own communities in the Rocky Mountain region.
Brigham Young the Carpenter
Many who know of Brigham Young know little of his life before he became a prophet. This wood lathe from Brigham Young’s carpentry shop in Mendon, New York, sheds light on a lesser-known chapter in the life of this great man.
Blessings amidst Tragedy
This piece of cast-iron machinery is one of the few remaining pieces of the gristmill owned by Jacob Hawn. This mill was the site of what is now known as the Hawn’s Mill massacre.
A Window of Heaven
Built by brothers Brigham and Joseph Young, this gothic-arched window originally hung in the main floor assembly room of the Kirtland Temple, a silent witness to the devotion of early Latter-day Saints and the outpouring of spiritual knowledge and manifestations they received.
David Whitmer’s Trunk
This hide-covered traveling case belonged to David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. Although it is unclear when or where David may have used this case, it is a tangible link to a key figure in early Latter-day Saint history.
Nauvoo: A Temporary Refuge
This map of Nauvoo was first printed in 1842 by Gustavus Hills, a recently converted member of the Church, and it illustrates the Saints’ optimistic expectations for their city. Members of the Church thought they had finally found a permanent home in Illinois. This is where they would build Zion.
Lewis A. Ramsey’s Painting of the Angel Moroni
Church leaders commissioned this painting from artist Lewis A. Ramsey in 1923 for the centennial of Moroni’s first visit to Joseph Smith. It was perhaps the first depiction of this sacred event in Church history by a trained artist, and for many years it was included in the large-print edition of the Book of Mormon.
The Grandin Press: A Vital Tool of the Restoration
This printing press is from the shop of Egbert B. Grandin in Palmyra, New York. Modern for its time, the Smith Patented Improved Press greatly simplified the printing process and allowed the pressman to make an impression with one pull of a lever. It was this very printing press that issued the first copies of the Book of Mormon in 1830.
Nauvoo Temple Sunstones
To early Church members, the sun breaking through clouds symbolized the dawning of the Restoration and the coming of gospel light to illuminate a dark earth. It is little wonder, then, that sunstones were featured prominently on the Nauvoo Temple.
Heber C. Kimball’s Tool Chest
When we speak of building the kingdom of God today, most of the time we mean it in a figurative sense: we serve in the Church, share the gospel with others, and follow the counsel of the living prophet. Heber C. Kimball did all of these things, but as a blacksmith and potter, he also built the kingdom in a literal sense.
The Nauvoo Temple: Destruction and Rebirth
By the time London–trained artist Frederick Piercy traveled through Nauvoo in 1853, the crumbling facade was all that remained of the Nauvoo Temple.
The First Vision Stained Glass
Although stained glass is no longer popular in Latter-day Saint meetinghouses, this window is a beautiful reminder of the First Vision, a pivotal moment in history and a cornerstone of Latter-day Saint faith.
Joseph and Hyrum Death Masks
June 27, 1844, was a dark day in Nauvoo, Illinois, as Church members received word that their beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum had been killed at Carthage Jail. Friends guarded their bodies in Carthage until the next day, when they were brought home to Nauvoo.
A Man of Courage and Refinement: Willard Richards’s Grooming Kit
This grooming kit, owned by Dr. Willard Richards, shows the refined side of a faithful and courageous man of God. Richards was trained as a doctor of herbal medicine and cultivated an air of respectability and refinement appropriate to his profession. He shaved his face clean until his death in 1854 and regularly had his hair cut, combed, and curled.
Remembering Nauvoo
A young English girl named Ann Eckford created this cross-stitch sampler of the Nauvoo Temple sometime between 1846 and 1849, probably as part of her formal education. The sampler represents some of the “growing pains” in Latter-day Saint history, when policy and procedure were still unestablished.
Brigham Young's Travel Case
If you were forging a trail across unfamiliar territory in a covered wagon, what would you bring with you? How would you carry it?
Hymns of the Trail
In their journals and reminiscences, many Mormon pioneers write of singing while crossing the plains, often ending the day with music. In the 19th century, most hymnals included only the words to the hymns, not the music. Hymns and other songs were sung to familiar tunes and could often be sung to more than one tune.
The Gift of Music
When George Wardle played music, people listened. Music was part of his very being. One of his granddaughters recalled, “He would play any and every musical instrument.”
Levi Hancock Journal: “All the Good I Can”
In January 1847, the Mormon Battalion staggered into San Diego, California, having just completed a grueling march from Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
Mormon Battalion Bullet Pouch
Captain Daniel C. Davis of the Mormon Battalion carried this bullet pouch the entire way from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to California, but he never fired a shot in combat. None of the battalion members did. Although the battalion was formed in a time of war, its legacy is one of peace.
This Leg Walked to Zion
Imagine the faith and perseverance needed to pull a handcart more than 1,000 miles across the plains. Now imagine the faith and determination you’d need to pull a handcart while walking on a peg leg. Thomas David Evans had that kind of faith, wearing this leg as he crossed the plains from June 23 to October 2, 1856.
The Center of the City
Have you ever wondered why Salt Lake City addresses sound like math coordinates? It’s because they are. Salt Lake City is laid out in a grid, with a center point at the intersection of a base line (running east-west) and a meridian (running north-south). But how did that center point get decided?
Brigham Young’s Spyglass
Brigham Young used this collapsible brass and leather spyglass on the first trip to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Members of the company used spyglasses like this to scout the trail, search for game, and watch for danger.
One Tool That Built the West: Orson Pratt’s Odometer
When you’re traveling an unfamiliar road in the wilderness, how do you accurately measure the distance between landmarks? How do you record the route to help the people who follow?
Brigham Young, September 1864
Sermons during a Trip to the Southern Settlements
Extracts from sermons given by Brigham Young at various settlements in Utah during a trip south in 1864.
Deciphering Shorthand
Shorthand Specialist Unlocks a Trove of Early Sermons
Watch this brief video to learn more about George Watt, shorthand, and the Lost Sermons project.
Milo Andrus, July 17, 1853
Including His Testimony of the First Vision
Erastus Snow, February 20, 1853
Recollections of the Danish Mission and Teachings on Zion
Excerpts from an address by Erastus Snow on February 20, 1853, in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
Lorenzo Snow, April 4, 1866
Sermon on Our Divine Potential
Excerpts from an address Lorenzo Snow, delivered April 4, 1866, in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
Brigham Young, October 6, 1867
Address and Prayer at the First Meeting in the Tabernacle
Address and prayer of dedication at the first meeting held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, given by Brigham Young on October 6, 1867, in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
A Bit of Old String
Mary Whitmer’s Unheralded Contributions
The string that bound the Book of Mormon manuscript reminds us to celebrate the unsung contributions of early Saints such as Mary Whitmer.
Sermon on the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Excerpts from two sermons delivered by John Taylor on October 30, 1859, in the Old Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
Brigham Young, September 23, 1852
Sermon at the Funeral of Mary Fielding Smith
Excerpts from an address given at the funeral of Mary Fielding Smith, September 23, 1852, at the home of Heber C. Kimball,
Lost Sermons Introduction and Explanation
Where They Came From, What They Are
The Lost Sermons series recaptures early teachings of Church leaders, publishing excerpts of sermons recorded by George D. Watt and others beginning in 1852.
Wilford Woodruff, January 9, 1864
Sermon to the Saints in Farmington
Address given by Wilford Woodruff on January 9, 1864 in Farmington, Utah, recorded by George D. Watt.
Parley P. Pratt, October 31, 1852
Report of His Mission to Chile
Excerpts from an address by Parley P. Pratt on October 31, 1852, in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
Orson Pratt, June 20, 1852
Two Sermons on the Sacrament
Excerpts from two sermons delivered by Orson Pratt on June 20, 1852, in the Old Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
Heber C. Kimball, October 7, 1853
Sermon on the Trials of the Pioneers
Excerpts from an address by Heber C. Kimball on October 7, 1853, in Salt Lake City, recorded by George D. Watt.
Joseph Smith’s First Journal
Prophet’s Record Keeping Began with Simple Volume
Joseph Smith began keeping a personal record a month before he turned 27. He kept his first journal only sporadically, but the little book opens a window into the Prophet’s personality.
Contact Church History
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Audi RS history - picture special
With Audi revealing the new RS3, we take a look back at the German manufacturer’s halo range of performance cars
The first Audi RS model was released in 1994, with the launch of the RS2 Avant
The Audi RS brand can trace its roots back to 1983 and the beginning of Audi's Quattro tuning arm
The RS sub-brand continues to thrive for Audi, and rightly so
The RS2 Avant is described by Audi as a "trendsetter" combining high performance with a large boot and cabin
The RS2 Avant was powered by a five-cylinder turbocharged 2.2-litre engine
Altogether, the RS2 had 311bhp on tap
The RS2 could reach 62mph in 5.4 seconds
The car had a top speed of 163mph
Following the launch of the S6 in 1996, Audi followed it with the RS4 Avant in 2000
Cosworth was heavily involved in the production of the RS4 Avant, tuning the 2.7-litre V6 to give 375bhp
In 2002 Audi introduced the RS6, which came in both saloon and Avant body styles
The RS6 was powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.2-litre V8 engine with 444bhp
Perhaps the best known of the RS models, the new Audi RS4 was introduced in 2005
This second generation RS4 was available in Avant, saloon and cabriolet body styles
It was powered by an all-new, high-revving 4.2-litre V8 engine
It's cabin was driver focussed, but with all the luxuries of the most modern business saloons
The RS4 had 414bhp on tap, meaning it could sprint to 62mph in 4.8 seconds
The RS4 also included Quattro drive, with a new asymmetrical torque distribution system
The car also came with carbon-ceramic brakes as an option
The RS4 was built on Audi's B7 platform, the same as the regular A4
The car made its international debut at the Detroit motor show in 2006
Internet sources suggest over 10,000 second-generation RS4s have been sold
Of those, 2500 are registered in the USA
Although, officially, the RS4 had a top speed of 155mph...
...some owners report the limiter can be rather "liberal", allowing them to achieve faster speeds
In a break with convention, Audi introduced the saloon model of the RS4 first, offering Avant and cabriolet models later
The second-generation RS6 was introduced in 2008
Described as the most powerful series-production Audi, the RS6 had 572bhp from its 5.0-litre V10 engine
The second-generation RS6 gained two cylinders from the original car
The RS6 made a good name for itself with titantic performance, excellent refinement and quality throughout
It was let down, however, by a lack of ride compliance
The RS6 Avant came with a six-speed tiptronic gearbox
The RS3 Sportback came in 2011
The RS3 had a nice interior, but one that looked dated by the time it went out of production in 2012
The RS3 used a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine which produced 335bhp
The RS3 Sportback could accelerate to 62mph in 4.6 seconds
The car featured a seven-speed S tronic transmission
The Audi RS Q3 was introduced earlier this year
The RS Q3 was the first Q vehicle to be badged as such
The car features a 2.5-litre TFSI engine producing 306bhp
The RS5 is one of Audi's best successes, and is a very capable sports coupe
The RS5 has also won fans for being a very competent long distance cruiser
Power in the RS5 comes from a 4.2-litre V8 engine that's closely related to the unit in the R8 supercar
The cabriolet version of the RS5 had undeniable appeal
That said, we'd have the drop-top BMW M3 given the choice
The RS5 cabriolet has 444bhp on tap from its 4.2-litre V8 engine
It's the same V8 engine used in the RS4, and is a very capable unit
The RS5 posted a very respectable performance in the Autocar Britain's Best Driver's Car contest
Many of our testers think the RS5 is the best front-engined Audi since the RS4
The new Audi RS3 has been revealed, so we've taken a look back at the RS brand's beginnings. Click through our picture gallery above, and read about its history below.
Audi’s RS brand has been deeply rooted into the hearts of petrolheads for some time now, having solidified its reputation as equal company for the likes of BMW’s M and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG divisions. But where did it all begin?
After the success of Audi’s S2 coupe and the original ‘C4’-derived S4 saloon from 1991, the German carmaker decided to push the envelope further, when in 1994, Audi’s high performance Quattro GmbH division spawned a new halo performance sub-brand called RS – standing for RennSport, literally translating to ‘racing sport’.
Later that year, Quattro GmbH gave birth to the first two-lettered badge Audi in the form of the RS2 Avant. A brawny variation of the Audi 80 ‘B4’ model, the RS2 Avant (only available in estate form) was co-developed with Porsche; adopting the 993-generation 911’s wheels, fog lights and exterior mirrors and Porsche-designed brakes and suspension.
Peugeot needs its all-new family hatch to be a hit. Is it up to the job?
A highly potent car in its day, the RS2 Avant was powered by a 2.2-litre five cylinder 20-valve turbocharged engine, producing 311bhp and hooked up to a six-speed manual, shooting the car from 0-62mph in 5.4sec and on to a top speed of 163mph. The first RS-badged Audi proved a trendsetter in its day, with room for five adults, luggage and the ability to keep pace with the likes of the Honda NSX and Porsche 993 Carrera.
Fast-forward six years and a new mid-size platform of the ‘B5’ Audi A4 laid the foundations for the next S and RS derivatives, the halo model becoming the RS4 Avant – again only in estate form. The B5 RS4 Avant came propelled with a Cosworth-fettled 2.7-litre V6 twin-turbocharged unit, making 382bhp.
Engine aside, the B5 RS4 was Audi’s own project, having severed its ties with Porsche. The 0-62mph sprint was now dispatched in 4.9sec and the estate would accelerate on to a limited top speed of 155mph. Demand for the B5 RS4 Avant was so high that Audi doubled its production volumes. Production ceased after only a year in 2001, with over 6,000 examples made.
In 2002, Audi unleashed an entirely new model to its RS line-up – the A6-derived RS6 saloon and estate. With a muscular body, aluminium mirror caps and two large oval pipes for the exhaust, both the estate and saloon had an intimidating presence.
Again, Cosworth handled the engine - its 4.2-litre V8 endowed with two turbochargers for good measure, serving up 444bhp. Partnered with Audi’s five-speed tiptronic transmission, it enabled the RS6’s hefty frame to dash from 0-62mph in 4.7sec, while again being reigned in at 155mph. The RS6 plus debuted in 2004, with power increased to 480bhp and speed limited to 174mph. However, the C5 RS6 was plagued by vague steering feel and a heavily-understeering character.
Read the Audi Q3 RS review
Audi regained form in 2006, when it launched the new RS4 after a long hiatus. Available in saloon, Avant and cabriolet guise, the B7 RS4 variant is still regarded as Quattro GmbH’s ‘sweetspot’ and finest RS model. Drive was supplied by an all-new, high-revving 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8, pumping out 414bhp at a heady 7800rpm and mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Zero to 62mph was taken care of in 4.8sec while (still conforming to the voluntary agreement) being limited to 155mph. De-restricted B7 RS4s were capable of cracking 180mph. After just 18 months Audi brought a premature halt to the B7 production line.
To this day, the beautifully proportioned B7 RS4 is fondly remembered at Autocar for its fluid ride, engaging handling and superb powertrain.
In 2008, the engineers at Neckarsulm went on a power craze, launching the ‘C6’ Audi RS6 with a 572bhp twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V10, spearheading its BMW M5 and Mercedes E63 AMG rivals in the evident ‘power war’ at that time. Despite a chunky kerb weight of 2025kg the beefy RS6 could still hustle to 62mph in 4.6sec, though even on a combined cycle fuel consumption was poor. Despite possessing very fast acceleration for such a big car, some questioned the integrity of the RS badge – it was refined, almost too civilised and heavier at the front than perhaps was necessary.
The following year and Audi had the Porsche Cayman firmly locked in its crosshairs when it released the TT RS. Possessing a more anabolic appearance and a lower ride height over the standard TT with a large rear spoiler, the TT RS looked a much meaner machine. A 335bhp 2.5-litre five-pot turbocharged engine provided power. In 2012, the TT RS plus was launched, lifting power to 355bhp and removing the top speed limiter, enabling the TT RS plus to hit 174mph. The TT RS was famed for being blindingly quick, unexpectedly economical but with a jarring ride.
Read the first-generation Audi TT RS review
With an aim to rekindle some of the B7 RS4 magic, Audi launched the RS5 coupe in 2010. Powered by the same naturally-aspirated 4.2-litre V8 as the B7, but with mild tweaking to increase power to 444bhp with an all-singing 8500rpm redline, it was only available with a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox. Zero to 62mph was covered in 4.6sec and it had genuine all-weather performance. However, it lacked just a touch of engagement and still felt weighty.
That same year, the Audi RS3 was hastened into production. With the TT RS’ 2.5-litre five-pot turbocharged engine shoehorned into the bonnet and mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the RS3 proved to be a more than capable performance hatchback. Despite the engine character, everyday usability and practicality, the RS3’s dynamic prowess was dampened by its inert steering and lack of chassis finesse.
In 2012, Quattro GmBH reverted back to its traditional format for the new RS4, launching it in estate form only. The styling was turned up a notch, with steroidal wheel arches, triangular air intakes on the front fascia and large oval-tipped exhausts at the rear, which added up to a wonderfully macho-looking car. It utilised the same 4.2-litre V8 444bhp motor from the RS5 with 0-62mph covered in 4.7sec while being limited to 155mph. An optional extra would allow this to be stretched to 174mph.
That year also saw the debut of the C7 RS6, with Audi retiring its predecessor’s mighty V10 powerplant in favour of a downsized 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 making 553bhp. Even with the reduced engine capacity, the new RS6 remains quicker than its predecessor – rattling off the 0-62mph sprint in a staggering 3.9sec and passing the quarter-mile mark just three-tenths slower than a Porsche 997 GT2.
Now, with the new Audi TT RS, forthcoming updated RS3, and an ambitious target to double the RS offerings in the next 18 months, Audi looks set to continue the high-performance sub-brand's impressive legacy.
RS family tree
And out of all of those, the one i still really want is the RS2.
BigZoot
tuga wrote:
good shout! 3 door coupe
RS4Deano
RS4 B8 4.2 completely different to B7 4.2
"Powered by the same naturally-aspirated 4.2-litre V8 as the B7, but with mild tweaking to increase power to 444bhp with an all-singing 8500rpm redline"
The B8 RS4/RS5 CFSA engine is completely different to the B7 BNS (and the R8 V8 BYS). It shares nothing other the fact that it is a 4.2 V8.
It's actually related to the audi/lambo 5.2 V10 just with a couple of cylinders chopped off, wet sump and revised intake to fit it under the bonnet.
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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio showcased at the 2017 Dubai Motor Show
25/11/2017 - 12:52 | Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Alfa Romeo, 2017 Dubai Motor Show | Sagar Parikh
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio went on sale internationally at the beginning of this month. Weeks after the sales launch, Alfa Romeo displayed its first SUV’s high-performance variant at the 2017 Dubai Motor Show.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio itself is quite a sporty looking SUV, and its Quadrifoglio variant strengthens that impression. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s styling isn’t notably unique, and there are only minor visual changes on the outside. It has dedicated bumpers & wheel arches, intercooler side air vents at the front, bonnet air vents, side skirts with a carbon insert and a quad-tip exhaust. Interior highlights include red ignition button, Quadrifoglio insurgent cluster, machined aluminium gearshift paddles and carbon-fibre trim.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio sports a 2.9-litre bi-turbo V6 petrol engine developed with inputs from Ferrari technologies and engineering know-how. This all-aluminium engine produces 510 hp at 6,500 rpm and 600 Nm of torque at 2,500-5,000 rpm. An 8-speed automatic transmission teams up with the Q4 AWD system to send drive to the wheels.
Alfa Romeo has equipped the Stelvio Quadrifoglio with the exclusive Alfa Chassis Domain Control unit that acts as the brain of the SUV and assigns specific tasks to the various active systems including he Q4 AWD system, as well as the four-mode Alfa DNA Pro selector, the Alfa Active torque Vectoring system, the Alfa Active Suspension system and the ESC. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio can reach from 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. The fastest SUV in its class has a top speed of 283 km/h.
Alfa Romeo will launch the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio in the Middle East in Q1 2018.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio at 2017 Dubai Motor Show
Alfa Romeo Stelvio News & Updates
Image of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio's headlamp surfaces
More from Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Mito Veloce, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce - Bologna Motor Show Live
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce - Bologna Motor Show Live
2016 Alfa Romeo Mito, Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe - Geneva Live
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia - Geneva Motor Show Live
2016 Alfa Romeo Giulietta (facelift) - Geneva Motor Show Live
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Land For Kangra Central University Awaits Environment Ministry Nod
by Arvind Sharma
It was more than a decade ago, in October 2007 that the central government had allotted a central university of Himachal Pradesh, which the then Congress government had decided to set up in Dharamshala.
Dharamshala: Nearly 280 hectares of land at Jagrangal near Dharamshala and over 80 Kanals of land at Dehra still has to be transferred for establishing the Kangra Central University. Deputy commissioner Rakesh Prajapati, after a review meeting stated that officials had been asked to speed up the land transfer for both the North and South Campus. After transfer, the land in question would need to be cleared by ministry of forest and environment (MoEF).
The deputy commissioner informed that for the North Campus at Jadarangal about 25 hectare land had already been transferred and about 35 hectares had been transferred for setting up the South Campus in Dehra.
Kangra Central University
Prajapati said,” the state government is serious about starting the construction of the university very soon, for which special steps are being taken to fulfil all the formalities related to land transfer.”
It was more than a decade ago, in October 2007, that the central government had allotted a central university of Himachal Pradesh, which the then Congress government had decided to set up in Dharamshala. An IIT institute was also allotted at the same time. It was decided to set up the IIT at Mandi and today IIT Mandi is one of the most prestigious institutes among the newer IITs set up in the country, but the Kangra central university has been a bone of contention about setting it up at Dharamshala or Dehra.
Caught up in politics the university is still to be set up and till date even the full land required for the institute that is to be funded by the central government has not been transferred for the purpose.
Arvind Sharma
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 12 years of experience behind him. He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI new agency. In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism awar. He has intensively covered the Tibetan Government in Exile and regularly reports on varied issues which include sports, tourism and others. Arvind Sharma lives in Dharamshala in Himachal.
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Art & Heritage
Dr Faustus – a life in sin without hope of redemption
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‘Tis the Season for Stories: 20 Picture Books for Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa
December 13, 2011 at 6:00 am (Books, Chanukah, Cheli Mennella)
Tags: Book Review, Chanukkah, Christmas, Hanukkah, Holiday Reading, Kwanzaa, Picture Books, Solstice, Winter Solstice
Open Sesame (photo credit: Cheli Mennella)
‘Tis the season for stories. And what better way to share a story than snuggling up with your favorite kids and turning the pages of a beloved holiday book. Here are twenty suggestions for Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Some are brand new books and some are not-so-new favorites, but all are sure to get you and your kids into the holiday spirit.
The Polar Express written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. Published by Houghton Mifflin, 1985. A boy takes a magical Christmas Eve train ride to the North Pole.
Chanukah Lights written by Michael J. Rosen and illustrated by Robert Sabuda. Published by Candlewick, 2011. Follow the Festival of Lights through time and place from Herod’s temple to an Israeli kibbutz, by way of poetry and exquisite pop-ups.
Seven Candles for Kwanzaa written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Published by Dial Books for Young Readers, 1993. Describes the festival of Kwanzaa, its origins and practices, while pictures follow a family through the seven-day celebration.
The Longest Night written by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Ted Lewin. Published by Holiday House, 2009. On the longest night of the year, a crow, a moose, and a fox think they can bring back the light, but it is the song of the chickadee that wakes the sun.
The Third Gift written by Linda Sue Park and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Published by Clarion Books, 2011. A boy and his father collect the tears of myrrh trees, then bring them to market, where they sell them to three men who need a special gift for a baby.
The Jolly Christmas Postman Written by Allan Ahlberg and illustrated by Janet Ahlberg. Published by LB Kids, 2001. As the Jolly Postman delivers holiday letters and gifts to fairytale characters readers can join in the fun by finding messages tucked into pocket envelopes.
Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins written by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Published by Holiday House, 1994. Clever Herschel of Ostropol uses pickles, eggs, and a dreidel to outwit the hill-dwelling goblins and save Hanukkah.
The Little Tree written by E. E. Cummings and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Published by Hyperion books for Children, 2001. A little tree from the country and a little family from the city find each other at Christmastime.
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story written by Angela Shelf Medearis and illustrated by Daniel Minter. Published by Albert Whitman & Co., 2000. When given the task of turning thread into gold, seven Ashanti brothers embody the principles of Kwanzaa to attempt the impossible.
The Money We’ll Save written and illustrated by Brock Cole. Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2011. When Pa brings home a turkey poult to raise in the family’s 19th century New York City tenement, hilarity and problems arise, but the family pulls together and saves Christmas from being ruined.
The Shortest Day: Celebrating Winter Solstice written by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Jesse Reisch. Published by Dutton Children’s Books, 2003. Explains what the winter solstice is, and how it’s been celebrated through history and in different parts of the world. Includes solstice activities.
Moishe’s Miracle written by Laura Krauss Melmed and illustrated by David Slonim. Published by Chronicle Books, 2005. On the night before Hanukkah, with no money for eggs and flour to make the latkes, the kind and generous milkman, Moishe, receives a magical frying pan that will make all the latkes he wants.
Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa written by Donna L. Washington and illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Published by Katherine Tegen Books of HarperCollins, 2010. Li’l Rabbit searches for the perfect Kwanzaa gift for his ailing Granna Rabbit and in the process, brings family, friends, and neighbors together for Karamu.
The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore and illustrated by Jan Brett. Reissued by Putnam Juvenile, 2011. The classic Clement Moore poem brought to life by illustrator Jan Brett, now on video with music by the Boston Pops Orchestra and narration by Jim Dale.
Great Joy written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Published by Candlewick, 2007. Just before Christmas an organ grinder and his monkey show up on the sidewalk outside of Frances’s apartment building. When she realizes he is homeless, she knows one thing she can do to share the spirit of Christmas.
The Legend of the Poinsettia retold and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Published by Putnam Juvenile, 1994. In this retelling of a Mexican legend, Lucida has no gift for the baby Jesus at the church, so she gathers a handful of weeds, which miraculously blossom into flaming, red stars.
Hanukkah Hop! written by Erica Silverman and illustrated by Steven D’Amico. Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011. As Rachel and her parents prepare the house for Hanukkah, friends and family travel from near and far to sing, feast, tell stories, and dance the Hanukkah Hop.
The Little Drummer Boy Song and music by Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati, and Harry Simeone and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. Published by Puffin, 2000. Set in a desert landscape, Keats portrays a young boy’s simple but heartfelt gift.
The Story of Hanukkah written by David A. Adler and illustrated by Jill Weber. Published by Holiday House, 2011. A recounting of the story of the Maccabees and the miracle that happened at the Temple of Jerusalem.
The Winter Solstice written by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis. Published by Millbrook Press, 1994. Facts and folklore about the shortest day of the year.
Cheli Mennella
Cheli has been involved with creative arts and education for most of her life, and has taught many subjects from art and books to yoga and zoology. But she has a special fondness for kid’s books, and has worked in the field for more than 20 years. She is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Valley Kids and teaches a course for adults in “Writing for Children.” She writes from Colrain, where she lives with her musician-husband, three children, and shelves full of kid’s books.
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Jim premieres songs from “Witch’s Night Out” at the Dreamworks/ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop
February 7, 2017 Broadway
Last weekend, Jim participated, with his collaborator Rye Mullis, in the acclaimed Dreamworks/ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop, where songs from his new musical Witch’s Night Out were premiered. The selections were musically directed by Christy Crowl, with performers Brooke deRosa, Susan Boyd Joyce, Randy Crenshaw, Alex Back, Brian Gallagher, Brooke Engen, and Katharine Leonard, and Chandra Lee Schwartz.
The workshop is run by Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, whose credits include hit Broadway shows Wicked, Godspell and Pippin, the Walt Disney films Enchanted, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the DreamWorks film The Prince of Egypt.
Witch's Night Out
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Why “in that howling infinite”?
Featured November 25, 2017 November 26, 2017 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
It refers to Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”, a magnificent study in mania and obsession:
“But as in landlessness alone resides highest truth, shoreless, indefinite as God – so better is it to perish in that howling infinite, than be ingloriously dashed upon the lee, even if that were safety!” Chapter 23
In a figurative sense, it speaks to me of the themes and schemes that are addressed in the thoughts, ideas, songs, poems and stories that will feature in this blog.
Other memorable quotations follow:
“For long months of days and weeks, Ahab and anguish lay stretched out in one hammock as his torn body and gashed soul bled into one another, and so interfusing, made him mad”. Chapter 41
“Drink, ye harpooneers! drink and swear, ye men that man the deathful whaleboat’s bow — Death to Moby Dick! God hunt us all, if we do not hunt Moby Dick to his death!” Chapter 36
“Now small fowls flew screaming over the yet yawning gulf; a sullen white surf beat against its steep sides; then all collapsed, and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago”. Chapter 135
In That Howling Infinite is the title of Poems of Paul Hemphill, Volume Five.
For more on Captain Ahab and Moby Dick, see Chapter 41 and Ahab’s Madness.
Check out In That Howling Infinite on FaceBook:
Ahab’s Paranoia The New Yorker
Drink, ye harpooneers! Drink and swear, ye men…
July 15, 2019 July 15, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
They were standing on the shore one day
Saw the white sails in the sun
Wasn’t long before they felt the sting
White man, white law, white gun
Don’t tell me that it’s justified
‘cause somewhere, someone had lied
And now you’re standing on solid rock
Standing on sacred ground
Living on borrowed time
And the winds of change are blowin’ down the line
Goanna
You’d have thought that the recognition of Indigenous Australians in our constitution would be a no-brainer, and that their participation as stakeholders and advisers in matters of government policy affecting them, much as many other bodies and institutions do, would be a reasonable and worthwhile proposition. It would, one might’ve thought, be simply the right thing to do.
But you’d be disappointed. Not in today’s Australia, it would seem. The things that divide us are greater than those which unite us.
Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Sydney has written a clear and concise response to the naysayers, fear-mongers and purveyors of misinformation. It ought to be required reading, but as it is behind News Ltd’s paywall, I republish it here.
It is followed by an opinion piece by one time journalist and now academic, Stan Grant, on why the plan for a referendum proposed by our new Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, may be a forlorn hope (both Grant and Wyatt are indigenous Australians); and after this, an informative article by conservative columnist Chris Kenny.
Kenny is normally a caustic and predictable member of News Corp’s right wing comments racy, ,but here, he provides a good analysis of the obstacles facing Wyatt and the ambivalent PM Scott Morrison.
“There appears to be no sphere of our national political debate – indigenous groups, conservatives, progressives, media, business, sporting organisations – mature enough to deal with this issue in a meaningful, pragmatic or generous fashion. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the toxicity, shallowness and incompetence of our past decade of national politics, we seemed to have learned nothing about how to conduct this discussion. Instead of reasoned negotiations we have positions shouted and rejected across the airwaves, exaggerations and scare campaigns run against various options … (for) constitutional change that is neither detailed, settled or easily understood. Everyone wants to parade their view … but are less prepared to do the hard work of grinding out a workable compromise. The nation’s first indigenous Minister for Indigenous Australians must despair at the kneejerk responses since he reopened this debate”.
Malcolm Harrison, an old friend of mine, makes the following observations”:
”The liberal, progressive left, identity politics movement seems to have met some severe headwinds of late, and the growing apprehension about some of its more extreme aspects may halt it for the forseeable future. Various forms of conservatism are definitely gaining ground at least in the short term. The voices of oppressed indigenous peoples, and those colonised like India, are growing louder, and demands for financial compensation are becoming more common. It’s only a matter of time before this becomes a very real issue. If I were the government of Australia, I would be making secure deals with what’s left of the indigenous peoples, while I still could. Excluding them from the constitution only strengthens their future case. From the perspective of identity politics, if I were an aboriginal I would be righteously aware that from a human rights perspective, I had a lot to complain about. And sooner or later, the conscience of my society might be forced to acknowledge this in practical ways that at present it is not prepared to countenance or even consider. But, as I imply in the first paragraph, we may not get there in the short term, and indeed we may never get there at all. Indeed, if some of the extreme ideas being privately discussed among our present neoliberal aristocratic elites come to fruition, many more of us might be joining our indigenous brothers on the fringes, beyond the pale”.
There is a darkness at the heart of democracy in the new world “settler colonial” countries like Australia and New Zealand, America and Canada, where for almost all of our history, we’ve confronted the gulf between the ideal of political equality and the reality of indigenous dispossession and exclusion. To a greater or lesser extent, with greater or lessers success, we’ve laboured to close the gap. It’s a slow train coming.
Also, in In That Howling Infinite: Down Under – Australian History and Politics
Fright-monsters keen to deny voice a fair go
Anne Twomey, The Australian, 13th July 2019
The most remarkable thing about a proposal for an indigenous voice to parliament is how moderate and reasonable it is. It is not a demand to dictate laws. There is no insistence upon a power of veto. There is simply a cry to be recognized — to be listened to with respect.
It means no more than that indigenous views can be channeled into the parliament by a formal mechanism so that they can be taken into account and parliament can be better informed when making laws that affect indigenous Australians.
How many people would prefer that the parliament be poorly informed? Who thinks it is a good idea for parliament to waste money on ineffective programs that achieve nothing?
The proposal is so very reasonable that it has shocked people into imagining hidden conspiracies and conjuring up fright-monsters, because they cannot bring themselves to believe that a proposed change could actually be good.
The best way to dispel fright-monsters is to expose them. The first is the claim that any indigenous voice that could channel its views and advice into the parliament would be a “third house of parliament”.
To state the obvious, it would be a third house only if it was given the power to initiate bills, pass and veto them, and be defined as a constituent part of the parliament in section 1 of the Constitution.
The only people suggesting this are those who are opposing it, so we can strike this off the list of problems.
If the suggestion is that any person or body that formally advises parliament in relation to bills or policies is a third house, then we would have a parliament of very many houses indeed.
Take, for example, the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, whose role is to provide independent oversight of national security legislation and make recommendations about it, which are tabled in parliament. The monitor is currently conducting an inquiry into laws that terminate the citizenship of people involved with terrorism. Does this make the monitor a “third house of parliament”?
If so, the monitor would join the Auditor-General, the Productivity Commission, the Australian Law Reform Commission, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the many other bodies and people whose job it is to ensure that the parliament is better informed about particular subject matters.
All of these bodies and officers have influence, and should be listened to with respect because of their experience and expertise, but that does not mean they dictate legislation and government policies.
Governments have to take into account broader issues as well, such as the budgetary position and the general wellbeing of the entire country.
There is no greater threat in having an indigenous body advise and influence the parliament than there is in relation to any of these other bodies. Instead, there is a benefit in having a better informed parliament and hopefully better targeted laws and policies.
The next argument is that if this indigenous voice is enshrined in the Constitution, the High Court will get involved and every time indigenous advice is not followed there will be litigation and the High Court will force the parliament to give effect to that advice. This view is misguided. It is part of the principle of the separation of powers that the courts do not intervene in the internal deliberations of the parliament.
The High Court has held that it will not enforce constitutional provisions, such as sections 53 and 54 regarding money bills, because they concern the internal proceedings of the houses. As long as the constitutional provisions concerning an indigenous voice were drafted to make it clear that consideration of its advice was part of the internal proceedings of the houses, the matter would not be one that could be brought before, or enforced by, the courts.
The third argument concerns equality. Some have argued that there is a fundamental principle of equality in the Constitution and that division on the basis of race should not be brought into the Constitution.
First, there is no general provision of equality in the Constitution. For example, Tasmanians have, per head of population, far greater representation in the federal parliament than voters from NSW.
Members of parliament might also be aware by now that section 44 disqualifies them if they are dual nationals.
Second, the Constitution has always provided for distinctions based upon race. From 1901 to 1967 section 127 provided that for certain purposes “aboriginal natives” were not counted in the population.
This did not mean that they weren’t counted in the census. Every census, from the very first, has included detailed information about indigenous Australians. But it did mean that when determining the population for the purpose of calculating how many seats a state had in parliament, indigenous Australians were excluded from the statistics until this provision was repealed in the 1967 referendum.
Section 25 continues to provide that if a state excludes people from voting on the basis of race, it is punished by having its population reduced for the purposes of its representation in the federal parliament. Section 51 (xxvi) continues to allow the federal parliament to make laws with respect to the “people of any race for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws”.
There are good reasons today to remove sections 25 and 51 (xxvi) from the Constitution, but there will still be a need to include some kind of power to make laws with respect to indigenous Australians.
This is not because of race. It is because of indigeneity.
Only indigenous Australians have legal rights that preceded British settlement and continue to apply today.
Only indigenous Australians have a history and culture unique to Australia.
It is not racist, divisive or a breach of principles of equality to enact laws that deal with native title rights or protect indigenous cultural heritage.
Nor is it racist, divisive or in breach of principles of equality to allow the only group about whom special laws are made to be heard about the making of these laws. Indeed, it is only fair, and fairness is a fundamental principle that Australians respect.
Anne Twomey is a professor of constitutional law at the University of Sydney.
Ken Wyatt, a man in the cross-hairs of history
Stan Grant, Sydney Morning Herald, 13th July 2019
Ken Wyatt is a man of history. He has defied a history of Indigenous children stolen from their families. He has defied a history that locked Indigenous people out of Australian political life, that for too many years denied Aboriginal people full citizenship. This week he made history, speaking at the National Press Club as the first Aboriginal person to be a cabinet minister in a federal government – an Aboriginal person leading the portfolio for Indigenous Australians.
Ken Wyatt, the Minister for Indigenous Australians (Alex Ellinghaussen)
But when it comes to constitutional recognition of Indigenous people, history is against him. There have been 44 referendums put to the Australian people and only eight carried. It has been more than 40 years since the last yes vote. We set a high bar: change requires a majority of voters in a majority of states. Fifty per cent of the national population plus one is not enough.
The numbers are against him: Indigenous people are fewer than 3 per cent of the Australian population seeking to win over 97 per cent. Politics is against him: he is in the wrong party; more than half of all referendums have been put by the ALP. Right now, Ken Wyatt cannot even count on the full support of his own side of politics.
If a referendum won’t succeed, there will be no vote, he says. He’s hoping for consensus, bringing together political opposition including influential politicians such as Pauline Hanson. He wants a conversation with the Australian people around barbecues and dinner tables. His hardest conversation will be with Indigenous people.
Black Australia has already spoken. The Uluru Statement from the Heart remains the clearest expression of the aspirations of Indigenous people, emerging out of an exhaustive and emotional process of negotiation and consultation. It is itself a compromise, a conservative position, achieved in spite of understandable hostility from some Indigenous people who have no faith in Australian politics. Now they are being asked to compromise again.
What was all of that for? Where is the trust? The previous Turnbull government rejected the key recommendation of the Uluru Statement, that there be a constitutionally enshrined “voice” – a representative body allowing Indigenous people to advise and inform government policy. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among many who called it a “third chamber” of Parliament. He reportedly has not shifted from that view.
Wyatt has already framed future negotiations by indicating that he may prefer some symbolic words of recognition in the constitution and a legislated statutory voice. He is testing the resolve and agility of Indigenous leadership. Will they walk back their demand for a constitutional voice? Can they accept symbolism? He’s already sought to recast constitutional recognition as the preserve of urban Indigenous elites, disconnected from impoverished remote black communities.
Ken Wyatt is also on a collision course with the Labor opposition. Senior Indigenous ALP figures Linda Burney and Patrick Dodson have reasserted their commitment to the spirit of the Uluru Statement and full constitutional recognition. It sets up a divisive political battle, which would scuttle any hope of a successful referendum.
Constitutional lawyer George Williams knows how difficult referendums are. He has previously laid out a roadmap to a yes vote. It requires political bipartisanship and popular ownership. It cannot be perceived as political self-interest. The public must know what they are voting for, so it requires popular education. Referendums, Williams warns, are a minefield of misinformation.
And there must be a sound and sensible proposal.
Professor Williams has cautioned that the referendum process itself may be out of date – not suited to contemporary Australia. He says referendums should be expected to fail if there is political opposition or if the people feel confused or left out of the process.
On that basis, as it stands right now, an Indigenous constitutional voice looks a forlorn prospect.
But there is a glimmer of hope and it comes from our history. In 1967, Australians voted in overwhelming numbers – more than 90 per cent, the most resounding yes vote ever – to count Aboriginal people in the census and allow the Parliament to make laws for First Peoples.
Ken Wyatt is invoking the spirit of ’67, but he also knows its lesson: it was a victory of fairness over difference. Australians are wary of difference, suspicious of questions of rights. Australia has no bill of rights; our constitution is a rule book, not a rights manifesto. Australia is a triumph of liberalism where people are not defined by their race, religion, ethnicity or culture. Australia is a place where migrants are encouraged to leave their histories and old enmities behind. Nationally we are more comfortable mythologizing our own history than probing its darkest corners.
Indigenous people live with their history; they carry its scars; it defines them. In a country founded on terra nullius – empty land – where the rights of the First Peoples were extinguished, where no treaties have been signed, this – as the Uluru Statement says – is the torment of their powerlessness.
When it comes to Indigenous recognition – symbolism or substance – black and white Australia speak with a very different voice.
Ken Wyatt, a man of history, is now in the cross-hairs of history.
Stan Grant is professor of Global Affairs at Griffith University. He is a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man.
The key to an indigenous voice’s success – it must be practical
Chris Kenny, The Australian, 13th July 2019
For all their best intentions, it might have been a mistake for Ken Wyatt and Scott Morrison to put indigenous constitutional recognition back on the agenda and commit to getting it done in this term of government. There appears to be no sphere of our national political debate — indigenous groups, conservatives, progressives, media, business, sporting organisations — mature enough to deal with this issue in a meaningful, pragmatic or generous fashion.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the toxicity, shallowness and incompetence of our past decade of national politics, we seemed to have learned nothing about how to conduct this discussion. Instead of reasoned negotiations we have positions shouted and rejected across the airwaves, exaggerations and scare campaigns run against various options, and groups as diverse and seemingly irrelevant as national sporting organisations and major businesses running jingoistic campaigns supporting constitutional change that is neither detailed, settled or easily understood.
Everyone wants to parade their view and, yes, signal their virtue, but they are less prepared to do the hard work of grinding out a workable compromise. The nation’s first indigenous Minister for Indigenous Australians must despair at the kneejerk responses since he reopened this debate.
Completely lost in the debate is the genesis of the “voice” proposal as a compromise proffered by conservative thinkers looking to deliver a meaningful outcome for indigenous Australians while preserving the integrity of the Constitution. This concept, first devised by indigenous leader Noel Pearson building on work by now Liberal MP Julian Leeser, conservative philosopher Damien Freeman and others, was assiduously workshopped and then explained and promoted to politicians, commentators and activists.
At the heart of this proposal, and a key to understanding this debate, is the desire to ensure constitutional recognition provides more than a cursory or symbolic mention of Aboriginal people in our nation’s founding document but delivers a practical outcome for indigenous advancement. This would be done by guaranteeing indigenous input into decision-making over their affairs — something that happens informally now but under the plan would be genuinely representative and underpinned in the Constitution.
In return, the Constitution would be protected from more radical change and a statement of national values would make more poetic exclamations about the shared indigenous, British and immigrant strands of our national bounty, outside of the Constitution. Incredibly, all the work devising this approach occurred outside the official channels such as the expert panel and select committee inquiries.
Initially its prospects seemed likely to match those of a snowflake at Uluru. It was attacked as a sop by the activists on the left who argued for a racial non-discrimination clause to be inserted into the Constitution as well as an indigenous affairs power and recognition clause that looked like a broad-ranging, de facto bill of rights. The right branded this voice approach as a divisive attempt to give additional rights and representation to indigenous Australians — an attempt to inject race into the Constitution.
Never mind that race is already embedded in our Constitution and that whatever happens on recognition the detailed constitutional changes are likely to remove those redundant race-based clauses. Never mind that by dint of legislation such as the Native Title Act there already are very specific measures that fall under the constitutional responsibility of the federal government that demand special consideration for indigenous people. And never mind that successive governments, Labor and Liberal, have had informal bodies to provide advice from Aboriginal people on these issues.
Somehow, mainly because of the power of the ideas but also thanks to the persuasiveness of Pearson and his team, the thrust of these ideas was embraced by a summit of indigenous community leaders at Uluru in May 2017. It was a monumental achievement but the grandiloquence of the “Statement from the Heart” would always frighten many horses.
Talk of “first sovereign nations” and spiritual links to the land was anathema to calculated, clinical constitutional change. Having invested some time in comprehending this process, I recall being immediately dismayed by the emotive words of the Uluru statement because I foresaw the political resistance they would trigger. It is a beautiful statement in many ways, and certainly encapsulates a wise position, but constitutional change is no place for emotionalism. Still, at its core are two proposals: “the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution” and “a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history”.
This is now characterized as indigenous people asking too much of their non-indigenous compatriots. It is actually the opposite; these proposals can be seen as a generous offer of compromise from Aboriginal Australia to try to advance reconciliation in a practical but meaningful way.
Instead of demanding a racial non-discrimination clause and direct recognition of their rights in the Constitution, indigenous Australia is merely looking to have a guaranteed, advisory and non-binding input into legislation that affects them. And instead of demanding a treaty, they have come up with a regionally based process of agreements and truth-telling under the Yolngu (Arnhem Land) word of Makarrata, which encompasses conflict resolution but helps to avoid divisive arguments over treaties.
Conservative politicians as different as Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott have dismissed the entire voice proposal as a “third chamber” that is too radical to contemplate. This has made the voice a third rail in the debate.
This is disappointing and ultimately dishonest because there are so many options available to arrange the representation and functions of a voice that if anyone has concerns it might be directly elected and wield some kind of informal veto power over parliament then a way to deal with the issue is to propose an acceptable format rather than just create fears over a third chamber. Otherwise, are they really suggesting the Aboriginal advisory councils reporting to Labor and Liberal governments over past decades have operated as third chambers of parliament?
Not all the blame for the emptiness of this debate rests with the conservatives — let me remind you, conservative thinkers were at the genesis of this proposal. The sloganeering on the progressive side has probably created more concern in the community than the scare campaigns from the Right.
People like Marcia Langton have been so aggressive towards their perceived ideological enemies that they burn goodwill faster than others can create it. And when big business and big sport start pushing loosely formed ideas about Recognition or a Voice onto customers and supporters — out of context and without formal proposals even being in existence — they raise the suspicions of voters, if not their hackles.
The most likely avenue for compromise now is for Morrison to prevail, as hinted at in Wyatt’s speech, and have a voice formalised through legislation but not mandated in the Constitution. This will disappoint many indigenous people but might fly.
Another idea worth consideration to assuage the doubters might be some sort of sunset provision. There is a legitimate argument to be made that one race-based grouping should not have separate consideration in our political processes. For reasons I have outlined previously (mainly recognizing historical disadvantage and accepting special status under native title rights), I think an exception should be made for indigenous Australians. But perhaps in the spirit of the Closing the Gap initiative, any changes could recognize that once those crucial gaps in social outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous are closed, then special representation might no longer be required.
That will be a long way off. But it might provide extra emphasis on the need to focus on practical outcomes rather than mere symbolism. Let us see where the debate takes us in coming months. Success for Wyatt would be success for the nation. But he and Morrison need to be wise enough to walk away from their self-imposed time frame if necessary.
This will be worthwhile only if it delivers something practical that can help indigenous advancement and provide closure to decades of debate. A trite phrase dropped into a preamble to make the majority feel good about themselves won’t be worth the effort and could create more trouble than it is worth.
Read also: Walk with me, Australia: Ken Wyatt’s historic pledge for Indigenous recognition
June 26, 2019 July 1, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.
Death in slow-mo
Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s only elected president died last week after collapsing in a courtroom, the place where his face has been seen most often, behind metal bars, since he was removed from power in 2013.
The old tyrant Hosni Mubarak whom Morsi had replaced in 2011 in the wake of the Tahrir Square protests, died in pampered confinement. Not so his successor, held in solitary confinement for six years – thanks to the hard hearted Pharaoh who followed him.
Morsi’s fall led to a military regime more brutal and corrupt than any that preceded it, and with full support from the US and it’s European allies, and of the Egyptian elites, has consolidated the rise and rise of Egypt’s new rais and of the Arab autocrats who have transformed an already volatile Middle East into a powder keg.
Veteran journalists Robert Fisk and David Hearst are among the few to have called out the deafening silence of the world when Morsi died in the dock (see their tributes below). It’s was like as if a tree falls in the forest – does anybody hear? Certainly not the pusillanimous, obsequious rulers of the so-called “free world”. “How useful it is”, Hearst wrote, “for Western leaders to shrug their shoulders and say, in true Orientalist fashion, that a regime such as Sisi’s is business as usual in a “rough neighbourhood”.”
It was if he had never lived. And death in the dock was perhaps the only way he could escape – he had in a fashion been rescued and gone home to his family and to those who had supported him through his long travail.
Sixty seven year old Morsi was imprisoned in 2013 after being toppled in a military coup by Egypt’s current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He was back in court facing a retrial on charges including espionage – part of a swag of cases that had initially seen him sentenced to death.
Egypt had only known a handful of military rulers until Mubarak was ousted in February 2011, following weeks of protests centred around Cairo’s Tahrir Square. These were the heady days of the brief “Arab Spring” and the fall of longtime dictators Zine el Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Mubarak. It was precipitated by the yearning of their oppressed and impoverished people, and particularly the young, for freedom, justice, dignity and employment, and an end to endemic corruption, nepotism and brutality.
When elections were held a year later, Morsi, standing for the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, emerged as president. After decades of repression of the Muslim Brotherhood under Egypt’s military rulers, Morsi promised a moderate agenda that would deliver an “Egyptian renaissance with an Islamic foundation”.
A year later, he was gone, replaced by And al Fatah al Sisi, his own defense minister, who threw him in jail and cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood, putting hundreds of its members in front of courts that sentenced them to death in mass trials.
His year in office was turbulent, however, as Egypt’s competing forces struggled over the direction the country should go in. Opponents had accused him of trying to impose an Islamist agenda on the country and mass protests began on the anniversary of his election. After more than a week of spreading protests and violence and talks with Sisi in which Morsi reportedly was prepared to make concessions to the opposition, the army announced it had removed Morsi and taken control on 3rd July 2013.
Morsi’s supporters had gathered in Cairo’s Rabaa Square before he was toppled, and there they remained, demanding he be reinstated. On 13th August, the army moved in, clearing the square by force. More than a thousand people are believed to have been killed in the worst massacre of peaceful demonstrators since China’s Tienanmen Square in 1999.
Morsi faced a number of trials, including on charges of spying for Qatar and of participating in prison breaks and violence against policemen during the 2011 uprising against Mubarak and was sentenced to death and multiple decades-long prison sentences. However, the death sentence and others were overturned by Egypt’s appeals court in 2015, prompting the retrial proceedings.
The conditions in which Morsi and tens of thousands of jailed dissidents were being held, as well as concerns raised by his family and supporters about his state of health, had long attracted the attention of activists and international human rights organisations. British MPs warned in March 2018 that Morsi was facing an “early death” because of the conditions he was being held in, which included 23 hours a day of solitary confinement, sleeping on a cement floor and being fed only canned food. He was reportedly suffering from diabetic comas and was losing his eyesight.
Morsi collapsed on Monday inside the infamous cages in which defendants are held in Egypt’s courts, and was pronounced dead soon after. Egypt’s public prosecutor declared that a medical report showed no signs of recent injury.
In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
To show that all’s equal and that the courts are on the level
And that the strings in the books ain’t pulled and persuaded
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Once that the cops have chased after and caught ’em
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom
Bob Dylan, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
Morsi’s mixed legacy
Safeguard the revolution. Safeguard the revolution, which we have acquired with our sweat and with the blood of our martyrs, as well as with our two and a half year march. You should all safeguard it, whether you are supporters or opponents. Beware, lest the revolution is stolen from you. Mohamed Morsi’s last speech as president
David Hearst writes that for all his faults, Morsi was an honest man and a true democrat, but (that) for much of the year he was in power, he was not in control, caught up in a maelstrom that became too big for him.
Fisk adds: “ … it’s true that Morsi was a second-choice president – the man the Brotherhood originally chose was barred from standing on a technicality – and it’s correct to say that Morsi’s near-year in power was also second-rate, uninspiring, disappointing, occasionally violent and tinged by a little dictatorial ambition of his own … Trotting out of cabinet meetings to phone his chums in the Brotherhood for advice was not exactly running a government through primus inter pares. But he was not a bad man. He was not a terrorist and he did not lock up 60,000 political prisoners like his successor – who is, of course, regarded as “a great guy” by the other great guy in the White House”.
The world today appears to be the play-pen of the ‘big man’, and of it’s Arab equivalent, az-zaim, the boss: the autocrat with the big mouth and the large persona, with the power of patronage and the heft of the security services behind him – Tony Soprano bereft of all his redeeming features.
Morsi’s demise demonstrates to every ‘big man’ in the Middle East and beyond that their misdeeds will go unpunished and unthought of, that justice will remain unredeemed and history books unread. On the bleeding edges of the Middle East, the bin Salmans and Assads, the emirs of the Gulf, and the militias of Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, Sudan and Congo, will not be losing sleep. Nor, of course, will Abd al Fattah al Sisi.
Hearst writes: “The Egyptian president stands above the law – beyond elections and parliament, out of any legal reach, or indeed that of the constitution. All of these are his playthings; soft wax in his hands. He will rule for as long as he lives, as absolutely as anyone in Egypt or the Middle East. Asked if he backed the efforts to allow Sisi to stay in power for another 15 years, Trump said: “I think he’s doing a great job. I don’t know about the effort, I can just tell you he is doing a great job … great president.”
But whilst the caged Morsi died alone and unsung, he will be remembered.
He is mourned by many millions of Muslim Arabs the world over, a martyr for the faith and a symbol of what might have been. The grief is more a remembrance of what he stood for more and the brief flickering of happiness and hope that accompanied his ascension than for what he accomplished during his tenure. His presidency was brief and bewildered, caught between many rocks and hard places in th turbulent tides of the short-lived Aran Spring, between the seemingly irreconcilable demands of democracy and the deity, between what the Egyptian people wanted and needed, and between what his Ikhwan believed they needed, even if their conception of what was good for themselves and Allah was not what the youths of Tahrir Square, men and woman both, had fought and bled for.
Critics have argued that Morsi opened the door to the Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood – and indeed, he appeared to dance to their tune – but it is his successor and el Sisi’s allies, financiers and armourers, west and east, who by their actions and indeed, inaction, who are stoking the fires of radical fundamentalism.
To borrow from Bruce Cockburn, keep millions of people down down takes more than a strong arm up your sleeve.
There will be a reckoning.
There will be hell to pay.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
A thundercloud
And they’re going to hear from me
See also in In That Howling Infinite, A Middle East Miscellany
The KIng of the Hill
The West is silent over the death of a man it once called the great hope of Arab democracy
Robert Fisk, The Independent, 21st June 2019
The lack of comment from our heads of state is positive encouragement to every Middle Eastern leader who now knows their own misdeeds will go unpunished
Ye Gods, how brave was our response to the outrageous death-in-a-cage of Mohamed Morsi. It is perhaps a little tiresome to repeat all the words of regret and mourning, of revulsion and horror, of eardrum-busting condemnation pouring forth about the death of Egypt’s only elected president in his Cairo courtroom this week. From Downing Street and from the White House, from the German Chancellery to the Elysee – and let us not forget the Berlaymont – our statesmen and women did us proud. Wearying it would be indeed to dwell upon their remorse and protests at Morsi’s death.
For it was absolutely non-existent: zilch; silence; not a mutter; not a bird’s twitter – or a mad president’s Twitter, for that matter – or even the most casual, offhand word of regret. Those who claim to represent us were mute, speechless, as sound-proofed as Morsi was in his courtroom cage and as silent as he is now in his Cairo grave.
It was as if Morsi never lived, as if his few months in power never existed – which is pretty much what Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, his nemesis and ex-gaoler, wants the history books to say.
So three cheers again for our parliamentary democracies, which always speak with one voice about tyranny. Save for the old UN donkey and a few well-known bastions of freedom – Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood-in-exile and all the usual suspects – Morsi’s memory and his final moments were as if they had never been. Crispin Blunt alone has tried to keep Britain’s conscience alive. So has brave little Tunisia. Much good will it do.
Yes, it’s true that Morsi was a second-choice president – the man the Brotherhood originally chose was barred from standing on a technicality – and it’s correct to say that Morsi’s near-year in power was also second-rate, uninspiring, disappointing, occasionally violent and tinged by a little dictatorial ambition of his own. Trotting out of cabinet meetings to phone his chums in the Brotherhood for advice was not exactly running a government through primus inter pares.
But he was not a bad man. He was not a terrorist and he did not lock up 60,000 political prisoners like his successor – who is, of course, regarded as “a great guy” by the other great guy in the White House.
It’s instructive to note how differently Morsi was treated after the coup d’etat that destroyed him. Banged up in solitary, unable to talk to his own family, deprived of medical help; just compare that to the comfort in which his predecessor Hosni Mubarak lived after his own dethronement – the constant hospital treatment, family visits, public expressions of sympathy and even a press interview. Morsi’s last words, defending his status as the still existing president of Egypt, were mechanically muffled by the sound-proof cage.
Our pusillanimous, disgraceful silence is not just proof of the pathetic nature of our public servants in the west. It is positive encouragement to every leader in the Middle East that their misdeeds will go unpunished, unthought of, that justice will remain unredeemed and history books unread. Our silence – let us be frank about it – is not going to have the Bin Salmans or Assads or the princes of the Gulf or the militias of Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq shaking in their boots. Nor, of course, Sisi.
But yes, for many millions of Arab Muslims, Morsi was a martyr – if you imagine that martyrs have a cause. The trials and executions and mass imprisonments of the Brotherhood, “a terrorist organisation” in the eyes of Sisi (and almost in David Cameron’s until his security flunkeys told him it was a non-starter) will not destroy it. But are there any other Morsis around, willing to risk death in a prison cell as a price of their overthrow? Morsi himself told one of his senior advisers, Egyptian-Canadian physician and academic Wael Haddara, that if he could navigate Egypt towards democracy, he expected to be assassinated. Which, I suppose – given his ill treatment, isolation and unfair trials – was his ultimate fate.
The only western newspaper to give a friend of Morsi a chance to speak about him appears to be the Washington Post – all praise to it – which allowed Haddara the room to demand that Egypt must answer for the ex-president’s death. At a last meeting before he became president in June of 2012, Haddara asked Morsi to autograph an Egyptian flag.
And this is what Morsi wrote: “The Egypt that lives in my imagination: an Egypt of values and civilisation; an Egypt of growth and stability and love. And its flag, ever soaring above us.”
Would that a crackpot president or our own ignorant Tory masters were capable of such eloquence – or such honour.
Who killed Mohamed Morsi?
David Hearst, Middle East Eye, 18 June 2019
People hold pictures of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi during a symbolic funeral ceremony on 18 June in Istanbul (AFP)
Egypt’s first democratically elected president met an end as dramatic as his one and only year in power. The man feted on social media as Egypt’s ‘martyr president’ will enjoy a status in death that he never achieved in life. The date alone on which it happened is significant. Mohamed Morsi died on 17 June, seven years to the day from the second round of his presidential election.
For all of his time in prison, Morsi was held in solitary confinement. He was allowed only three visits from his family in nearly six years. The state had ample opportunity to kill off a diabetic who suffered from high blood pressure in private, but if they wanted to convince the Egyptian people that their former president was dead, the job would have to be done in public, which is what Monday’s events were all about.
The cruellest pharaoh
We will never know the truth. Morsi’s nemesis, the man he handpicked to lead the army and who went on to depose him, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will never allow for an international investigation. Egypt is ruled by a pharaoh as absolute and cruel as any in its long history.
But even if Morsi died of natural causes, who are the people responsible before the court of history?
How easy and convenient it would be to place all the blame for Morsi’s death on Sisi himself. How useful it is for Western leaders to shrug their shoulders and say, in true Orientalist fashion, that a regime such as Sisi’s is business as usual in a “rough neighbourhood”.
Another variation on the same theme was former US President Barack Obama’s private reaction to the massacre at Rabaa Square in the weeks following the military coup. He reportedly told aides that the US could not help Egypt if Egyptians kill each other. That comment alone explains why the West is in decay: Obama’s reaction to the worst massacre since Tienanmen Square was to go back to his game of golf.
Morsi was held in solitary confinement for nearly six years. How many times in that period did Western leaders put pressure on Sisi to get access to him? None.
When State Department aides attempted to convince the former secretary of state, John Kerry, of the need to pressure Sisi to allow the Red Cross access to detainees in prison, Kerry rounded on him: “Give me a policy the Egyptians will not scream at me for,” a source with knowledge of the incident later told me.
How many high-profile visits was Sisi allowed to make during the period of Morsi’s detention? He was feted on the international stage all over the world. France flogged him Mistral class warships. Germany flogged him submarines.
In Sharm el-Sheikh this year, Sisi was allowed to play host to world leaders from the EU and Arab League, purporting to uphold the world order. Far from taking lectures on human rights at the summit, Sisi gave them. Talking of the spike this year in executions, he told European leaders that executing detainees was part of “our humanity”, which is different from “your [European] humanity”.
“The global rules-based order is clearly under threat,” opined European Council President Donald Tusk. “We have agreed here in Sharm el-Sheikh that both sides will work together to defend it. Multilateral solutions remain the best way to address threats to international peace and security.”
What, Mr Tusk, has Sisi to do with the “rules-based” order? Who are you kidding?
The Egyptian president stands above the law – beyond elections and parliament, out of any legal reach, or indeed that of the constitution. All of these are his playthings; soft wax in his hands. He will rule for as long as he lives, as absolutely as anyone in Egypt or the Middle East.
Morsi rotted in jail, forgotten by all but a handful of human rights advocates, who found themselves screaming into an empty room. The world moved on and forgot all about the man to whom they had briefly flocked.
With the arrival of US President Donald Trump, Sisi’s suppression of his political opponents was not simply sidelined; it was lauded. Asked if he backed the efforts to allow Sisi to stay in power for another 15 years, Trump said: “I think he’s doing a great job. I don’t know about the effort, I can just tell you he is doing a great job … great president.”
So who is responsible for Morsi’s death? Look around you. They call themselves the leaders of the free world.
Morsi’s legacy
Morsi did not die in vain, although it may seem like that today. I and my fellow journalist Patrick Kingsley were the last journalists to interview him, just a week before his ouster. Morsi struck me as a good man in the middle of events that were rapidly sliding out of his control. Even the palace in which we filmed him was not his main seat of power, from which he and his staff had been moved earlier. Power was slipping from his grasp, even as he proclaimed to me that he had absolute faith in the army.
He was better one-on-one than in public. He could communicate privately far better than he did publicly.
Morsi addresses Egyptians in Tahrir Square after his 2012 election (AFP)
His speeches often failed to be understood, but he made two important ones during his time as president. The first was the day he was sworn in as president. Morsi wanted to be sworn in, in Tahrir Square, in front of the revolution that had brought him to power. He was told that it had to be in front of the Constitutional Court, packed full of the deep state, with members who vowed by hook or by crook to oppose him.
In the end, in true Morsi fashion, he was sworn in twice – once before the court and the deep state, the other before the Egyptian people in Tahrir Square.
What he said in Tahrir Square is worth repeating. “People of Egypt, you are the source of the authority. You give it to whoever you want and deny it from whoever you want,” Morsi said.
And he meant it. This is closely based on a verse in the Quran, which says that God gives glory to whomever he wants, and he takes it away from whomever he wants. But here was an Islamist telling the people that they were sovereign.
‘Safeguard the revolution’
His last speech as president bore an equally resonant democratic message. He addressed future generations.
“I want to safeguard the girls. They will be future mothers who will teach their children that their fathers and forefathers were truly men who do not succumb to injustice and who never go along with the opinions of the corrupt and who would never give up on their homeland or their legitimacy.
“Safeguard the revolution. Safeguard the revolution, which we have acquired with our sweat and with the blood of our martyrs, as well as with our 2.5-year march. You should all safeguard it, whether you are supporters or opponents. Beware, lest the revolution is stolen from you.”
Which is exactly what happened. The revolution was stolen by more than just the army, which was never going to allow a Muslim Brotherhood president to continue. It was stolen by Cairo’s elite class of liberals, who decried Morsi as an Islamist dictator. It was stolen by the politicians who lied that Morsi had seized all power for himself and was incapable of sharing it.
As we know now, both journalist Hamdeen Sabahi and politician Ayman Nour were offered high posts by Morsi. Nour was told to form his cabinet as he wanted. It’s ironic that Morsi told Nour he had to include one post – that of Sisi as minister of defense. They did not say it then. They admit it now.
We also know now, from the participants themselves, that Tamarod, the grassroots movement founded to register opposition to Morsi, was a creation of military intelligence.
This is not to absolve the Brotherhood of responsibility for what happened. A Muslim Brotherhood president was in all probability doomed from the start. There were many points in which the Brotherhood abandoned Tahrir Square for the warm, treacherous embrace of the army. They made huge misjudgments, but those misjudgments were not, in and of themselves, the cause of what was to follow.
A democratic hero
Morsi himself was an honest man and a true democrat. For much of the year he was in power, he was not in control, caught up in a maelstrom that became too big for him.
Mohamed Morsi, confined to a courtroom cage
Who is responsible for Morsi’s death? We all are. There will only be two forces that profit from his death: Sisi and the military regime around him, and the Islamic State (IS) group, which “wished him hell and the worst of states”.
Morsi devoted his life to a people who abandoned him. If Sayyid Qutb before him became a hero for Islamists, both the Brotherhood and al-Qaeda, Morsi’s legacy will be a democratic one.
Morsi quoted a poem before his collapse :
“My country will still be dear to me no matter how much oppressed I’ve been treated, and my people will still be honourable in my eyes no matter how mean to me they have been.”
The man now feted on social media as the “martyr president” will enjoy a status in death that he never achieved in life. He vowed to his end never to recognise the military coup that overthrew him, and he stayed true to his word. That is Morsi’s legacy, and it is an important one.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
David Hearst is the editor in chief of Middle East Eye. He left The Guardian as its chief foreign leader writer. In a career spanning 29 years, he covered the Brighton bomb, the miner’s strike, the loyalist backlash in the wake of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in Northern Ireland, the first conflicts in the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in Slovenia and Croatia, the end of the Soviet Union, Chechnya, and the bushfire wars that accompanied it. He charted Boris Yeltsin’s moral and physical decline and the conditions which created the rise of Putin. After Ireland, he was appointed Europe correspondent for Guardian Europe, then joined the Moscow bureau in 1992, before becoming bureau chief in 1994. He left Russia in 1997 to join the foreign desk, became European editor and then associate foreign editor. He joined The Guardian from The Scotsman, where he worked as education correspondent.
May 31, 2019 June 15, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
America’s national bard set the song lines for a young nation, and what was seen at the time as its promise and its bold, independent identity. He reflected his country’s growing up and coming of age to his own personal awakening and awareness, in his seeing and being enlightened. “Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose” (Song of the Open Road).
From his rural roots on Long Island, where, in youth and early adulthood, he lived and worked as an itinerant schoolteacher and newspaper editor, Walt Whitman would go on to become one of the most influential and significant American poets. He’s viewed today as a modern voice even though he lived two centuries ago, a poet of the people for the people, without pretension or pomp, who wrote verse that captured everyday speech, both its fluency and its clank. “The best writing,” Whitman would say, “has no lace on its sleeves.”
Whitman scholar Brenda Wineapple has written of how the poet was unequivocally declaring his own independence from poetic conventions and niceties:
”In 1855 no one had yet heard anything like the raw, declamatory, and jubilant voice of the self- proclaimed “American, one of the roughs, a kosmos” – Walt Whitman, who in Leaves of Grass, his dazzling poetic debut, announced, ‘I celebrate myself,/And what I assume you shall assume,/For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you’.”
Whitman’s reputation as an innovator, she says, is partly based on Whitman’s then-radical use of free verse – poems that are not developed around a rhyming structure. “Every poet that comes along is looking for his new voice, and their own tradition and they look to Whitman to see how he did it”.
Regarding his “American-ness”, author Karen Karbenier asks us “… to approach Whitman and his work not as a hero or a villain but as a mirror. “Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes),” announces the narrator of “Song of Myself.” Walt Whitman the man was as conflicted and complex as the country he sought to embody. He may still be regarded as a representative American — but representative of who we have been and continue to be, not just who we claim we are … When examining Whitman’s racial slurs alongside his most egalitarian poetic lines, we should feel discomfort and regret and the need for renewal and change. This complicated and conflicted American also envisioned, described and celebrated a truly democratic society that neither his era nor our own has yet realized. What could America need more right now than a poetic figure whose work spotlights the chaos and division that have long defined what it means to be an American?”
Celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of his birth, I republish here one of my favourite Whitman poems, Out of the Cradle Restlessly Rocking.
The poem contained three intertwined motifs: the boy, awakening to nature and himself; the bereaved mockingbird, futilely hopeful and lost in his loneliness; and the sea, it’s waves forever breaking on the shore. It is a bittersweet song, an aria transforming, expanding, transcending into a pantheistic opera. That encompasses the wheel of life: the child, the youth, the lover, the man, the poet awakening – discovering, uncovering, and learning, sensing and seeing and being.
When first published in 1859 (it was included in the 1860 and subsequent editions of Leaves of Grass), A reviewer called it “unmixed and hopeless drivel” and a disgrace to its publisher.
Such is the lot of the poet …
See also, Walt Whitman – Citizen Poet; and, in In That Howling Infinite, The last rains came gently – Steinbeck’s dustbowl ballad, and The Sport of Kings – CE Morgan’s “great American novel” ; and, listen to my musical tribute to Walt Whitman; Valances (early in the morning at break of day)
Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
Out of the cradle endlessly rocking,
Out of the mocking-bird’s throat, the musical shuttle,
Out of the Ninth-month midnight,
Over the sterile sands and the fields beyond, where the child leaving his bed wander’d alone, bareheaded, barefoot,
Down from the shower’d halo,
Up from the mystic play of shadows twining and twisting as if they were alive,
Out from the patches of briers and blackberries,
From the memories of the bird that chanted to me,
From your memories sad brother, from the fitful risings and fallings I heard,
From under that yellow half-moon late-risen and swollen as if with tears,
From those beginning notes of yearning and love there in the mist,
From the thousand responses of my heart never to cease,
From the myriad thence-arous’d words,
From the word stronger and more delicious than any,
From such as now they start the scene revisiting,
As a flock, twittering, rising, or overhead passing,
Borne hither, ere all eludes me, hurriedly,
A man, yet by these tears a little boy again,
Throwing myself on the sand, confronting the waves,
I, chanter of pains and joys, uniter of here and hereafter,
Taking all hints to use them, but swiftly leaping beyond them,
A reminiscence sing.
Once Paumanok,
When the lilac-scent was in the air and Fifth-month grass was growing,
Up this seashore in some briers,
Two feather’d guests from Alabama, two together,
And their nest, and four light-green eggs spotted with brown,
And every day the he-bird to and fro near at hand,
And every day the she-bird crouch’d on her nest, silent, with bright eyes,
And every day I, a curious boy, never too close, never disturbing them,
Cautiously peering, absorbing, translating.
Shine! shine! shine!
Pour down your warmth, great sun!
While we bask, we two together.
Two together!
Winds blow south, or winds blow north,
Day come white, or night come black,
Home, or rivers and mountains from home,
Singing all time, minding no time,
While we two keep together.
Till of a sudden,
May-be kill’d, unknown to her mate,
One forenoon the she-bird crouch’d not on the nest,
Nor return’d that afternoon, nor the next,
Nor ever appear’d again.
And thenceforward all summer in the sound of the sea,
And at night under the full of the moon in calmer weather,
Over the hoarse surging of the sea,
Or flitting from brier to brier by day,
I saw, I heard at intervals the remaining one, the he-bird,
The solitary guest from Alabama.
Blow! blow! blow!
Blow up sea-winds along Paumanok’s shore;
I wait and I wait till you blow my mate to me.
Yes, when the stars glisten’d,
All night long on the prong of a moss-scallop’d stake,
Down almost amid the slapping waves,
Sat the lone singer wonderful causing tears.
He call’d on his mate,
He pour’d forth the meanings which I of all men know.
Yes my brother I know,
The rest might not, but I have treasur’d every note,
For more than once dimly down to the beach gliding,
Silent, avoiding the moonbeams, blending myself with the shadows,
Recalling now the obscure shapes, the echoes, the sounds and sights after their sorts,
The white arms out in the breakers tirelessly tossing,
I, with bare feet, a child, the wind wafting my hair,
Listen’d long and long.
Listen’d to keep, to sing, now translating the notes,
Following you my brother.
Soothe! soothe! soothe!
Close on its wave soothes the wave behind,
And again another behind embracing and lapping, every one close,
But my love soothes not me, not me.
Low hangs the moon, it rose late,
It is lagging—O I think it is heavy with love, with love.
O madly the sea pushes upon the land,
With love, with love.
O night! do I not see my love fluttering out among the breakers?
What is that little black thing I see there in the white?
Loud! loud! loud!
Loud I call to you, my love!
High and clear I shoot my voice over the waves,
Surely you must know who is here, is here,
You must know who I am, my love.
Low-hanging moon!
What is that dusky spot in your brown yellow?
O it is the shape, the shape of my mate!
O moon do not keep her from me any longer.
Land! land! O land!
Whichever way I turn, O I think you could give me my mate back again if you only would,
For I am almost sure I see her dimly whichever way I look.
O rising stars!
Perhaps the one I want so much will rise, will rise with some of you.
O throat! O trembling throat!
Sound clearer through the atmosphere!
Pierce the woods, the earth,
Somewhere listening to catch you must be the one I want.
Shake out carols!
Solitary here, the night’s carols!
Carols of lonesome love! death’s carols!
Carols under that lagging, yellow, waning moon!
O under that moon where she droops almost down into the sea!
O reckless despairing carols.
But soft! sink low!
Soft! let me just murmur,
And do you wait a moment you husky-nois’d sea,
For somewhere I believe I heard my mate responding to me,
So faint, I must be still, be still to listen,
But not altogether still, for then she might not come immediately to me.
Hither my love!
Here I am! here!
With this just-sustain’d note I announce myself to you,
This gentle call is for you my love, for you.
Do not be decoy’d elsewhere,
That is the whistle of the wind, it is not my voice,
That is the fluttering, the fluttering of the spray,
Those are the shadows of leaves.
O darkness! O in vain!
O I am very sick and sorrowful.
O brown halo in the sky near the moon, drooping upon the sea!
O troubled reflection in the sea!
O throat! O throbbing heart!
And I singing uselessly, uselessly all the night.
O past! O happy life! O songs of joy!
In the air, in the woods, over fields,
Loved! loved! loved! loved! loved!
But my mate no more, no more with me!
We two together no more.
The aria sinking,
All else continuing, the stars shining,
The winds blowing, the notes of the bird continuous echoing,
With angry moans the fierce old mother incessantly moaning,
On the sands of Paumanok’s shore gray and rustling,
The yellow half-moon enlarged, sagging down, drooping, the face of the sea almost touching,
The boy ecstatic, with his bare feet the waves, with his hair the atmosphere dallying,
The love in the heart long pent, now loose, now at last tumultuously bursting,
The aria’s meaning, the ears, the soul, swiftly depositing,
The strange tears down the cheeks coursing,
The colloquy there, the trio, each uttering,
The undertone, the savage old mother incessantly crying,
To the boy’s soul’s questions sullenly timing, some drown’d secret hissing,
To the outsetting bard.
Demon or bird! (said the boy’s soul,)
Is it indeed toward your mate you sing? or is it really to me?
For I, that was a child, my tongue’s use sleeping, now I have heard you,
Now in a moment I know what I am for, I awake,
And already a thousand singers, a thousand songs, clearer, louder and more sorrowful than yours,
A thousand warbling echoes have started to life within me, never to die.
O you singer solitary, singing by yourself, projecting me,
O solitary me listening, never more shall I cease perpetuating you,
Never more shall I escape, never more the reverberations,
Never more the cries of unsatisfied love be absent from me,
Never again leave me to be the peaceful child I was before what there in the night,
By the sea under the yellow and sagging moon,
The messenger there arous’d, the fire, the sweet hell within,
The unknown want, the destiny of me.
O give me the clew! (it lurks in the night here somewhere,)
O if I am to have so much, let me have more!
A word then, (for I will conquer it,)
The word final, superior to all,
Subtle, sent up—what is it?—I listen;
Are you whispering it, and have been all the time, you sea-waves?
Is that it from your liquid rims and wet sands?
Whereto answering, the sea,
Delaying not, hurrying not,
Whisper’d me through the night, and very plainly before day-break,
Lisp’d to me the low and delicious word death,
And again death, death, death, death,
Hissing melodious, neither like the bird nor like my arous’d child’s heart,
But edging near as privately for me rustling at my feet,
Creeping thence steadily up to my ears and laving me softly all over,
Death, death, death, death, death.
Which I do not forget,
But fuse the song of my dusky demon and brother,
That he sang to me in the moonlight on Paumanok’s gray beach,
With the thousand responsive songs at random,
My own songs awaked from that hour,
And with them the key, the word up from the waves,
The word of the sweetest song and all songs,
That strong and delicious word which, creeping to my feet,
(Or like some old crone rocking the cradle, swathed in sweet garments, bending aside,)
The sea whisper’d me.
May 26, 2019 May 26, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
Drax!
It sounds like a villain in The Avengers series.
We first saw it when visiting my niece in Yorkshire a few years back. But we did not know then that this huge, redundant coal-fired power station outside the historic town of Selby had been re-purposed as Britain’s largest biomass plant.
It has been touted as a pioneer of clean, green, renewable, carbon-neutral and sustainable power, and is one of villains of the documentary BURNED: Are Trees the New Coal?
BURNED is an excellent but scary film about the burning of wood on an industrial scale for energy, telling the little-known story of the accelerating destruction of forests for fuel. It probes the policy loopholes, huge subsidies, and blatant green-washing of the burgeoning Biomass power industry.
BURNED describes how the European Union’s desperation to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels kicked off a demand for wood pellets for burning to generate electricity that in turn created an industry. Promising clean, green, renewable, carbon-neutral and sustainable power, it came for what it called forest waste, and then it came for the forest itself.
The film reveals a green-wash built on shonky accounting and corporate conjuring, corporate deception and misrepresentation, complicit economists and regulators, and semantic sleight of hand.
It reveals how an accounting error determined biomass burning to be carbon neutral, whilst a mechanism to prevent counting carbon twice became a rule that carbon wasn’t counted at all. Indeed, it was declared that the burning of biomass was “instant carbon sequestration” whilst emissions exuding from the new-age power stations were actually “biogenic carbon” – green power!
And it exposes the hoodwinking of ordinary folk in economically depressed areas who now suffer the environmental and health consequences of born-again power plants that become, in reality, incinerators.
BELLINGEN BEWARE — vast areas of our closely surrounding public forests have been reclassified as ‘low quality’ for wood-chip export … the bio-fuel industry will be coming for us next!
As Bob Dylan once sang, “It’s all just a dream, babe, a vacuum, a scheme, babe, that sucks you into feelin’ like this”.
PLEASE WATCH THIS IMPORTANT FILM NOW — free-streaming via LinkTV (30-minute concise edition) here
See also in In That Howling Infinite, The Return of the Forest Wars and If You go down to the woods today.
The bonfire of insanity: Woodland shipped 3,800 miles to burn in Drax, emitting more CO2 for a cleaner and greener Britain!
David Rose, The Mail on Sunday, 16th March 2014
On a perfect spring day in the coastal forest of North Carolina I hike along a nature trail – a thread of dry gravel between the pools of the Roanoke river backwaters. A glistening otter dives for lunch just a few feet away.
Majestic trees soar straight and tall, their roots sunk deep in the swampland: maples, sweetgums and several kinds of oak. A pileated woodpecker – the world’s largest species, with a wingspan of almost 2ft – whistles as it flutters across the canopy. There the leaves are starting to bud, 100ft above the ground. The trees seem to stretch to the horizon: a serene and timeless landscape.
But North Carolina’s ‘bottomland’ forest is being cut down in swathes, and much of it pulped and turned into wood pellets – so Britain can keep its lights on.
The UK is committed by law to a radical shift to renewable energy. By 2020, the proportion of Britain’s electricity generated from ‘renewable’ sources is supposed to almost triple to 30 per cent, with more than a third of that from what is called ‘biomass’.
The only large-scale way to do this is by burning wood, man’s oldest fuel – because EU rules have determined it is ‘carbon-neutral’.
So our biggest power station, the leviathan Drax plant near Selby in North Yorkshire, is switching from dirty, non-renewable coal. Biomass is far more expensive, but the consumer helps the process by paying subsidies via levies on energy bills.
That’s where North Carolina’s forests come in. They are being reduced to pellets in a gargantuan pulping process at local factories, then shipped across the Atlantic from a purpose-built dock at Chesapeake Port, just across the state line in Virginia.
From the States to Selby
Those pellets are burnt by the billion at Drax. Each year, says Drax’s head of environment, Nigel Burdett, Drax buys more than a million metric tons of pellets from US firm Enviva, around two thirds of its total output. Most of them come not from fast-growing pine, but mixed, deciduous hardwood.
Drax and Enviva insist this practice is ‘sustainable’. But though it is entirely driven by the desire to curb greenhouse gas emissions, a broad alliance of US and international environmentalists argue it is increasing, not reducing them.
In fact, Burdett admits, Drax’s wood-fuelled furnaces actually produce three per cent more carbon dioxide (CO2) than coal – and well over twice as much as gas: 870g per megawatt hour (MW/hr) is belched out by wood, compared to just 400g for gas.
Then there’s the extra CO2 produced by manufacturing the pellets and transporting them 3,800 miles. According to Burdett, when all that is taken into account, using biomass for generating power produces 20 per cent more greenhouse gas emissions than coal.
And meanwhile, say the environmentalists, the forest’s precious wildlife habitat is being placed in jeopardy.
Drax concedes that ‘when biomass is burned, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere’. Its defence is that trees – unlike coal or gas – are renewable because they can grow again, and that when they do, they will neutralise the carbon in the atmosphere by ‘breathing’ it in – or in technical parlance, ‘sequestering’ it.
So Drax claims that burning wood ‘significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared with coal-fired generation’ – by as much, Burdett says, as 80 per cent.
These claims are questionable. For one thing, some trees in the ‘bottomland’ woods can take more than 100 years to regrow. But for Drax, this argument has proven beneficial and lucrative.
Only a few years ago, as a coal-only plant, Drax was Europe’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, and was often targeted by green activists. Now it boasts of its ‘environmental leadership position’, saying it is the biggest renewable energy plant in the world.
It also gets guaranteed profits from the Government’s green energy subsidies. Last year, these amounted to £62.5 million, paid by levies on consumers’ bills. This is set to triple by 2016 as Drax increases its biomass capacity.
In the longer term, the Government has decreed that customers will pay £105 per MW/hr for Drax’s biomass electricity – £10 more than for onshore wind energy, and £15 more than for power from the controversial new nuclear plant to be built at Hinkley Point in Somerset. The current ‘normal’ market electricity price is just £50 per MW/hr.
Mr Burdett admitted: ‘Our whole business case is built on subsidy, like the rest of the renewable energy industry. We are simply responding to Government policy.’
Company spokesman Matt Willey added: ‘We’re a power company. We’ve been told to take coal out of the equation. What would you have us do – build a dirty great windfarm?’
Meanwhile, there are other costs, less easily quantifiable.
‘These are some of our most valuable forests,’ said my trail companion, Derb Carter, director of the Southern Environmental Law Centre in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. ‘Your government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change claims what’s happening is sustainable, and carbon neutral. But it’s not. What you’re actually doing is wrecking the environment in the name of saving the planet.
After our hike through the forest, Mr Carter and I drove to a nearby airfield, where we boarded a plane. From 2,000ft up, the forest spread beneath us. Soon, however, we reached an oblong wedge, an open wound in the landscape. It was a recent ‘clear cut’ where every tree had been removed, leaving only mud, water and a few stumps. Clear cuts are the standard means of harvesting these forests, and this one covered about 35 acres.
Enviva yesterday confirmed that some of its wood was turned into pellets for Drax.
In the next 10 minutes, we flew over at least a dozen such holes in the tree cover. Finally a looming smokestack appeared up ahead: Enviva’s pellet plant at Ahoskie. To one side lay the material that provides the plant’s input: a huge, circular pile of logs: tens of thousands of them, each perhaps 30 or 40ft long. In the middle was a heavy-duty crane. It swivelled round and grabbed bunches of the logs as if they were matchsticks, to feed them into the plant’s machines. Later, we inspected the plant on the ground. It’s clear that many of the logs are not branches, but trunks: as Carter observed, they displayed the distinctive flaring which swampland trees often have at their base.
Here the story becomes murky. At Drax, Burdett said that in making pellets, Enviva used only ‘thinnings, branches, bentwood . . . we are left with the rubbish, the residue from existing forestry operations. It’s a waste or by-products industry.’ He insisted: ‘We don’t actually chop whole trees down.’ But looking at the plant at Ahoskie, Carter said: I just don’t get this claim that Drax doesn’t use whole trees. Most of what you’re seeing here is whole trees.’
Pressed by The Mail on Sunday, Enviva yesterday admitted it does use whole trees in its pellet process. But according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Woodworth, it only pulps those deemed ‘unsuitable for saw-milling because of small size, disease or other defects’.
Not so green: By using pellets, Drax produce three per cent more carbon dioxide than coal, not including the CO2 produced by manufacturing the pellets and transporting them 3,800 miles
She claimed such trees, no more than 26 inches in diameter, make up a quarter of the wood processed at Ahoskie. Another 35 per cent comes from limbs and the top parts of trunks whose lower sections went to saw mills. To put it another way: 60 per cent of the wood cut by the loggers who supply Enviva is turned into pellets.
The firm, she added, was ‘committed to sustainable forestry… replacing coal with sustainably produced wood pellets reduces lifecycle emissions of carbon dioxide by 74 to 90 per cent.’
How fast do these forests, once cut, really regrow?
Clear-cut wetlands cannot be replanted. They will start to sprout again naturally quite quickly, but according to Clayton Altizer of the North Carolina forest service: ‘For bottomland sites, these types of forests are typically on a 60 to 100-year cycle of growth depending on the soil fertility.’ Other experts say it could easily take more than 100 years.
That means it will be a long time before all the carbon emitted from Drax can be re-absorbed. For decades, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere will be higher than it would have been if Drax still burnt only coal.
Drax’s Nigel Burdett yesterday admitted he did not know how long a North Carolina clear-cut bottomland swathe would take to regrow, but insisted this simply doesn’t matter. What counted, he said, was not the areas which had been cut, but the whole region from which the pellets were sourced.
Drax’s website implies unmistakeably that biomass deserves its ‘carbon neutral’ status because the wood cut for pellets regrows. But Mr Burdett said: ‘The rate at which it re-grows is irrelevant. The crucial issue is how much there is across the whole catchment area.’ He said that in North Carolina, as in other southern states, more wood is growing than being cut so the ‘sustainable’ claim is justified.
There is an obvious objection to this: the forests would be growing still faster, and absorbing more CO2, if they weren’t being cut down.
Burdett’s argument gets short shrift from conservationists.
Danna Smith, director of North Carolina’s Dogwood Alliance, said the pellet industry increases the pressure to ‘over-harvest’ forests, as landowners know they have a guaranteed market for material which they could not otherwise sell: ‘It adds to the value they get from clear-cutting.’
The pellets are supposedly a step in reducing CO2 emissions, but have, in fact, made it worse
Moreover, she added, if this incentive did not exist, they would wait until the smaller trees were big enough to cut for furniture and construction – and all that time, they would be absorbing carbon.
A recent study showed that bigger, older trees absorb more CO2 than saplings. As for Drax’s claim that what counts is regrowth across the region, ‘that just doesn’t capture what’s happening around the mills where they’re sourcing the wood’.
According to a study by a team of academics, published in December by Carter’s law centre, Enviva’s operations in North Carolina ‘pose high risks to wildlife and biodiversity, especially birds’.
The Roanoke wetlands are home to several rare or endangered species: the World Wildlife Fund said in a report that the forests constitute ‘some of the most biologically important habitats in North America’ and constitute a ‘critical/endangered resource’.
Meanwhile, in North Yorkshire, the sheer scale of Drax’s biomass operation is hard to take in at first sight. Wood pellets are so much less dense than coal, so Drax has had to commission the world’s biggest freight wagons to move them by rail from the docks at Hull, Immingham and Port of Tyne. Each car is more than 60ft high, and the 25-car trains are half a mile long. On arrival, the pellets are stored in three of the world’s largest domes, each 300ft high – built by lining colossal inflated polyurethane balloons with concrete. Inside one of them, not yet in use, the echo is impressive. Light filters in through slits in the roof, like a giant version of the Pantheon church in Rome.
To date, only one of Drax’s six turbine ‘units’ has been converted from coal to biomass: another two are set to follow suit in the next two years. Eventually, the firm says, its 3.6 gigawatt capacity – about five per cent of the UK total – will be ‘predominantly’ biomass, burning seven million tons of pellets a year.
From the domes, the pellets are carried along a 30ft-wide conveyor belt into a milling plant where they are ground to powder. This is burnt in the furnaces, blown down into them by deafening industrial fans.
All this has required an investment of £700 million. Thanks to the green subsidies, this will soon be paid off. Even if all Britain’s forests were devoted to Drax, they could not keep its furnaces going. ‘We need areas with lots of wood, a reliable supply chain,’ Mr Burdett said.
As well as Enviva, Drax buys wood from other firms such as Georgia Biomass, which supplies mainly pine. It is building new pellet-making plants in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Last month, the Department of Energy and Climate Change issued new rules on biomass sourcing, and will insist on strict monitoring to ensure there really is ‘sustainability’.
In North Carolina, this will not be easy: as Carter points out, there is very little local regulation. But wouldn’t a much more effective and cheaper way of cutting emissions be to shut down Drax altogether, and replace it with clean new gas plants – which need no subsidy at all?
Mr Burdett said: ‘We develop our business plan in light of what the Government wants – not what might be nice.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2581887/The-bonfire-insanity-Woodland-shipped-3-800-miles-burned-Drax-power-station-It-belches-CO2-coal-huge-cost-YOU-pay-cleaner-greener-Britain.html
May 22, 2019 July 13, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
“The Iranian regime took action today to increase its uranium enrichment. It was a mistake under the Iran nuclear deal to allow Iran to enrich uranium at any level. There is little doubt that even before the deal’s existence, Iran was violating its terms”. Statement from the White House Press Secretary 1st July 2019
The White House has not subsequently explained how a country can violate the terms of a deal before that deal existed. But, as New York Times commentator Roger Cohen wrote recently, ”President Donald Trump has been all over the place on Iran, which is what happens when you take a serious subject, treat it with farcical superficiality, believe braggadocio will sway a proud and ancient civilisation, approach foreign policy like a real-estate deal, defer to advisers with Iran Derangement Syndrome, refuse to read any briefing papers and confuse the American national interest with the Saudi or Israeli”.
There is transparent angst and disappointment among many in the US Administration that that Iran’s Islamic Republic has endured for forty years with no sign of collapse (there are parallel palpitations and peregrinations with regard to Cuba and more recently, to Venezuela). Iran ‘hawk’ John Bolton might declare that the Islamic Republic would not celebrate its fortieth anniversary the Iranian Revolution. But the anniversary is upon us already. Iran is not going anywhere else soon.
Presently, it would appear that the administration is backpedaling on its bellicose rhetoric as it responds to Congress’ concerns about what is perceived as a lack of a unified US strategy. The dispatch of an American battle fleet to the Persian Gulf in response to unexplained and indeterminate Iranian threats and provocations has now been re-framed as having successfully deterred Iran’s hardliners from miscellaneous mischiefs and miscalculations. And yet, others in the US and elsewhere are attributing such follies to the US itself?
By ironic synchronicity, I am rereading historian Barbara W Tuchman’s acclaimed The March of Folly – From Troy to Vietnam. Her opening sentence reads: ‘A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than most any other human activity’. Her many definitions of folly include dangerous delusions of grandeur and “and obstinate attachment to unserviceable goals”. History has shown us – I refrain from saying “taught us” because we rarely learn from history – the consequences of single-minded determination amounting to a tunnel vision that is akin to stupidity. Charging ahead regardless only works for those who are stronger than all obstacles. Only those holding all the trump cards can ignore the other players at the table. With the US ratchetting up the pressure on Iran, the law of unintended consequences is in play with many observers perceiving the American leadership as part of the problem and not part of the solution.
In recent moves that recall the US’ lurch into Iraq sixteen years ago on the basis of nonexistent – or at the least very well hidden – weapons of mass destruction, war drums are beating across the Potomac as Iran hawks boost the potential for war with the Islamic Republic. Curiously identical damage to Saudi and Emiratis vessels in the strategically important Persian Gulf point to Iranian sabotage. rather than signally Iran’s provocative intent, it looks more like a clumsy false-flag frolic by the geniuses who gave us thrillers like “how to murder a dissident journalist in plain sight”, “let’s bomb one of the poorest countries on earth back into the Stone Age”.
This can be set against a historical record that the US has not initiated a major war – that is one with congressional approval – without a false flag since the USS Maine blew up in Havana Harbour in 1898, thus taking the US into a war with Spain that resulted in the colonization the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Cuba. This includes the fabricated Gulf of Tonkin incident 1964 escalated an ongoing “skirmish” in Vietnam into an all-out conflict, and those Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that arguably brought us to where we are now.
Most folk who are into history like to draw parallels and identify patterns in the past that reflect upon the present. As I do also, albeit in a more ambivalent way. Cleaving to Mark (Twain, that is) rather than Marx, I am fascinated more by the rhymes than the repetitions. But “remembering’, as Taylor Swift sings. “comes in flashbacks and echoes”. Over to Bob Dylan:
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
Where the neon madmen climb
They all fall there so perfectly
It all seems so well timed
An’ here I sit so patiently
Waiting to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of
Going through all these things twice
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
The story of the Iranian Revolution is a complex, multidimensional one, and it is difficult for its events and essence to be compressed into brief opinion pieces of any political flavour, no matter how even-handed they endeavour to be.
The revolution began slowly in late 1977 when demonstrations against Shah Reza Pahlevi, developed into a campaign of civil resistance by both secular and religious groups. These intensified through 1978, culminating In strikes and demonstrations that paralyzed the country. Millennia of monarchy in Iran ended in January 1979 when the Shah and his family fled into exile. By April, exiled cleric and longtime dissident Ayatollah Khomeini returned home to a rapturous welcome. Activist fighters and rebel soldiers overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah, and Iran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic republic on April 1st 1979. A new constitution saw Khomeini became Supreme Leader in December 1979.
The success and continuing durability of the Iranian Revolution derived from many sources, and many are not touched upon by commentators and pundits. Here are some of my own thoughts on disparate but intrinsic parts of the Islamic Republic’s story.
One can’t ignore the nature of the monarchy that preceded it – modernist on the one hand, and brutally repressive on the other; nor the unwavering and hypocritical support (including infrastructure, weapons, and intelligence) provided to it by western “democracies” since Britain and the US placed Reza Shah Pahlevi on the throne in 1953. And nor should we ignore the nature of the unprecedented regime and state that was established forty years ago – a brutal, theocratic, patriarchal, quasi-totalitarian system that endeavours to control all aspects of its citizens’ lives, its rule enforced by loyal militias like the ruthless Basij and by the Revolutionary Guard, a military-industrial complex more powerful than the regular army.
The support and succour that the US gave to the deposed Shah and his family and entourage, and later, to the opponents of the revolution, served to unite the population around a dogmatic, cruel and vengeful regime, which, in the manner of revolutions past and present, “devoured its children”, harrying, jailing, exiling and slaughtering foes and onetime allies alike. One of the ironies of the early days of the revolution was its heterodox complexion – a loose and unstable alliance between factions of the left, right and divine. History is replete with examples of how a revolution besieged within and without by enemies actual and imagined mobilizes it people for its support, strength and survival. Recall France after 1789 and Russian after 1917. The outcome in both was foreign intervention and years of war and repression.
I fought in the old revolution
on the side of the ghost and the King.
Of course I was very young
and I thought that we were winning;
I can’t pretend I still feel very much like singing
as they carry the bodies away.
Too often, in modern times, the US administration of the day has been called upon by a new and potentially radical regime to take sides, and indeed, to accept a tentative hand of friendship. And too often, for reasons political, ideological, economic, religious even, the US has made what historians of all colours would deduce was the wrong call – with disastrous consequences for the newly freed nation and, with perfect if partisan hindsight, the world. Think Vietnam, Egypt and Cuba. In each, there was a pivotal moment when the US could have given its support to the new rulers and potentially changed the course of the revolution, and the freshly “liberated” people, and our world, might have been better off for it. And, so it was in 1979, with Iran.
The US’ steadfast support for the Shah during his reign, and its enmity towards Iran’s new rulers, predictably reciprocated by the mullahs and their zealous supporters, created “the Great Satan”, a symbolism sustained by the reality that many in US political circles actively sought to undermine and destroy the revolution (and still do, championing the late Shah’s son as their annointed one.
Time and folly have not softened the fear and the fervour.
Here are but a selection from a sorry catalogue: the long-running embassy hostage drama, and failed and ignominious rescue attempts; the subsequent and continuing economic sanctions; the moral and material support provided to Saddam Hussein during the bloody eight year Iran-Iraq war (1980-88) which cost the lives of over half a million soldiers on both sides; the years of wrestling and wrangling, politicking and posturing over Iran’s quest for a nuclear deterrent against perceived US aggression, and the western powers’ push-back; the expansion of Iranian influence in the Middle East and beyond through proxies and patronage, subterfuge and subversion – often through those latter day sell-swords the Revolutionary Guards – a form of what strategic analysts now call “offshore balancing”, or, simply put, fighting your foes outside rather than within your own borders; and today’s quixotic tango in which a false move or miscalculation could have catastrophic consequences.
There have been moments of what reasonable folk might perceive as farce, such as when in February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, sparking violence and protests around the world. Or as tragedy, as in July 1988, when the USS Vincennes blew Iranian Flight 655 out of the sky above the Persian Gulf, killing 290 men, women and children. The ship’s captain was exonerated.
In February 2019, a Middle East Security Conference was convened in Warsaw by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It brought together sixty countries, including Arab states and Israel, ostensible to discuss a range of issues, including Syria and Palestine, but in reality, it was always about Iran. The Warsaw gathering was a strange beast – its very title was a misnomer, Vice President Pence making it quite clear Iran was the ‘greatest threat’ to peace and stability in Middle East that it’s transgressions be punished. He even implied that it was God’s will.
The conference was most notable for who wasn’t there – Russia, Turkey, China, and the EU leaders British, France and Germany, all of whom are opposed to Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran nuclear deal to restrict Iran’s nuclear program. It is indicative of the US’ isolation with regard to Iran, and its inability to call the shots in a Middle East where Russian, Turkey and Iran hold all the cards. Pence and Pompeo meanwhile talk about regime change and democracy in Iran but ignore what is going on in the US’ lacklustre autocratic allies Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain – this and international reaction to the US’ alleged complicity a slow-motion, as yet unresolved and unconsummated “coup” in Venezuela only serve to remind the world of Uncle Sam’s not altogether successful track-record of hypocrisy and hubris, interference and inconsistency.
Israeli prime minister Netanyahu had initially tweeted that the conference was convened to discuss what he called the “war with Iran”. Although he amended his tweet soon afterwards, he was not exaggerating. There is indeed a war between Iran on one hand and Israel and the Gulf monarchies on the other with other countries lending their support to one side or the other. America and its Middle East allies have been at war with Iran for forty years, and Iran has reciprocated.
It is said, not without reason, that Iran has long been preparing for a war with the US, and that the US has psyched itself into a martial mindset that justifies Iranian fears. If push did indeed come to shove and the present cold war turned hot, Iran might appear to be at a disadvantage. Compared to the US, its forces are poorly equipped and lacking in battle experience, although they are indeed well-provided for by the sanctions-hit regime, whilst the Revolutionary Guard’s Al Quds brigade has been given real battlefield experience in Syria and Iraq’s civil wars. They would however be defending their homeland, which for Iranians is holy ground regardless of who rules it.
The American people are weary and wary of foreign military commitments, and doubtless confused by the administration’s mix of pullback and push-back. For all it’s manpower and materiel, it’s experience and equipage, after its problematic excursions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US armed forces cannot be said to be a uniformly committed, effective and high-morale fighting force. It would be dependent on allies of dubious intent and ability, and on free-booting contractors and mercenaries like Erik Prince’s hired guns and sell-swords.
As the Warsaw talk fest demonstrated, the US would have to act very much on its own against Iran, with Israel being its only potential partner of any value. And yet, even Israel appears to be reticent, having of late toned down its bellicose rhetoric.
Despite Bibi’s bark and bluster, Israel does not want anyone to go to war with Iran, and it does not want to be blamed if a conflict does erupt. Nothing focuses the mind more than the thought of thousands of Hezbollah’s Iranian-sourced precision missiles raining down on the Galilee. The Gulf states are tin-pot tyrants with meagre military skill and no desire to throw away their toys when the US (and Israel?) will do the fighting for them. Russia, Turkey, and, potentially, China, would be implacably opposed and would indeed run interference, and provide diplomatic, economic, military and logistical support.
Iran itself is not without the ability and the means to set up a multitude of diversions and distractions, whether it is playing with the US administration’s head, as it has been for forum decades, encouraging Hezbollah and Bashar Assad to make mischief on Israel’s northern border and the Golan, inciting its Palestinian pawn Islamic Jihad in Gaze, providing Yemen’s Houthis with the means to better target Saudi cities, or, perhaps counter-productively, initiating espionage and terrorist incidents on the US mainland and in Western Europe.
The US may opt for measures short of a “hot” war, as it doing right now with limited success, but the hawks are circling over Washington DC and may have the President’s feckless and fickle ear – and, as they say, fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Here are some recent articles on the latest Iran-US tango:
Talk of war only makes it is harder to contain Iran
Iran and The US have been at way for 40 years – so what is different this time?
For forty years Iran has been preparing for the war the US is threatening
The US wants to bring back the Shah
Iran’s revolutionaries, masters of chaos, mark 40 years of the Islamic Republic
For more on the Middle East in in In That Howling Infinite, see A Middle East Miscellany
Bob Dylan’s 116th Dream – a Jerusalem reverie
May 8, 2019 May 8, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
The Kushner Peace Plan, the long awaited solution to the seventy year old – no, century old – conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is, so we are informed via leaks and leading articles (see those at the end of this post), is about to finally be plonked down on the rickety and sloping negotiating table.
What President Trump has dubbed “the deal of the century” – presumably the now twenty years gone by 21st Century – has been developed, with varying degrees of involvement and disdain from both Israel and the the Palestinians, and from several significant others, including the US’ exclusively autocratic and repressive Arab allies. But the primary architects have been presidential adviser Jared Kushner, special envoy Jason Greenblatt, and US ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
Whether this bird can fly is a subject for much current discussion and conjecture in mainstream and left of mainstream media; and we really can’t predict what will happen at this point in time.
But, if indeed we did need a person with Jewish genes to nudge the Israelis and the Arabs to realize peace in the Holy Land, then maybe Trump should have dispatched the Bobster to the Middle East instead of his ingenue and arguably disingenuous businessman son-in-law Jared Kushner and JK’s highly partisan, blinkered and thus discredited amigos.
You gotta serve somebody
Bob Dylan once sang “… there’s no success like failure, and failure is no success at all”. He also crooned: “it ain’t dark yet, but it’s getting there”. And to complete a trifecta of wisdom: “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”.
He has even worked out the Palestinians cannot be pushed to the negotiating table by the US and it’s corrupt, brutal Arab allies: “So many roads, so much at stake. So many dead ends, I’m at the edge of the lake. Sometimes I wonder what it’s gonna take to find dignity”.
And few could match Bob’s credentials for the gig. How’s this for resumé:
“I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains. I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways. I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests. I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans. I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard”.
And what will you do now, Mr Dylan?
“I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest where the people are many and their hands are all empty, where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters, where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison, where the executioner’s face is always well-hidden, where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten, where black is the color, where none is the number”.
“… I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it, and reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it. And I’ll stand on on the water until I start sinkin’, but I’ll know my song well before I start singin’”.
And so, there’s Bob “flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight, flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight, an’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night”.
He’s “tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake, tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an’ forsaked, tolling for the outcast, burnin’ constantly at stake … tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail, for the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale, an’ for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail”.
And yes, “he’s tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed, for the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an’ worse, an’ for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe” …
But the question remains, will Palestinian youth, wild at heart and wired to the world, be “wishin’ and hopin’, and thinkin’ and prayin’”, to quote another zeitgeist philosopher, that one day they’ll be able to “gaze upon the chimes of freedom flashing”.
And will Israelis, with their weapons, walls and wire, their soldier boys and girls, and two millenia of yearning for for a place of greater safety, no longer be “condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting”.
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind ….
See also, in In That Howling Infinite, A Middle East Miscellany
Some FaceBook background
I’m finding The Independent’s Middle East correspondent Bel Trew’s reportst very worthwhile and insightful, alongside those of her colleagues Robert Fisk and Patrick Cockburn. Here is Bel’s take on the long awaited Kushner “Plan”, so succinctly encapsulated by Fisk himself:
‘How many times can you fit a South Sea Bubble into a Bermuda Triangle?’
He continued, in fine form:
“Trump’s fey and vain son-in-law, a supporter of Israel’s colonial expansion on Arab land, set off with Trump’s “special representative to the peace process” Jason Greenblatt (who says “West Bank settlements are not an obstacle to peace”) to work out the economic underpinning of Trump’s “deal of the century” …
… Kushner recently went to visit some Muslim killer-states, some of them with very nasty and tyrannical leaders – Saudi Arabia and Turkey among them – to chat about the “economic dimension” of this mythical deal. Middle East leaders may be murderers with lots of torturers to help them stay in power, but they are not entirely stupid. It’s clear that Kushner and Greenblatt need lots and lots of cash to prop up their plans for the final destruction of Palestinian statehood – we are talking in billions – and the Arab leaders they met did not hear anything about the political “dimension” of Trump’s “deal”. Because presumably there isn’t one …
… This very vagueness is amazing, because the Kushner-Greenblatt fandango was in fact a very historic event. It was unprecedented as well as bizarre, unequalled in recent Arab history for its temerity as well as its outrageous assumption … this was the first time in modern Arab history – indeed modern Muslim history – that America has constructed and prepared a bribe BEFORE the acquiescence of those who are supposed to take the money; before actually telling the Palestinians and other Arabs what they are supposed to do in order to get their hands on the loot”.
Read Bel Trew’s article here; and Robert Fisk’s, here.
The agony of Julian Assange
April 16, 2019 June 13, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
I walked, with other souls in pain,
Within another ring,
And was wondering if the man had done
A great or little thing,
When a voice behind me whispered low,
‘That fellow’s got to swing’.
Oscar Wilde, The Ballad of Reading Gaol
A nice dilemma we have here that calls for all our wit
Gilbert and Sullivan, Trial by Jury
The Road to Belmarsh Gaol
Julian Assange, the Australian co-founder of online media organization WikiLeaks is in deep shit. He’s pissed off the Yanks, frustrated the Poms, and angered his Ecuadorian hosts, and now the Swedes want to have another bash …
He was arrested on April 11th by British police at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had been claiming political asylum for almost seven years having lost a final appeal against his extradition to Sweden to face charges of sexual assault. He was then charged with failing to surrender to the court.
While in the embassy, Assange could not be arrested because of the international legal protection of diplomatic premises, which meant police could not enter without Ecuador’s consent. On April 11, British police were invited into the embassy and made the arrest. On the same day, Assange was found guilty on that charge of failing to surrender, sentenced to fifty weeks for jumping bail. and is serving his time at HM Prison Belmarsh.
On April 11, the United States government unsealed an indictment made in March 2018 charging Julian Assange with a conspiracy to help whistle-blower Chelsea Manning, former soldier and pardoned felon to crack a password which enabled her to pass on classified documents that were then published by WikiLeaks – in effect, conspiracy to hack US computer systems, a charge which carries a maximum five year sentence. The US has requested that the UK extradite Assange to face these charges before a US court. Assange has now been indicted on seventeen charges under the espionage act, which if proven, could mean life imprisonment. There is no guarantee that once he enters the the legal system he will ever re-emerge.
In 2010, a Swedish prosecutor requested Assange’s transfer to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations, which he denies. Whilst appealing a British High Court decision to extradite him, he spent eighteen months under house arrest at the home of a supporter (in effect, he has been incarcerated for almost a decade). In 2016, Assange was questioned by Swedish authorities by video link while he remained in the Ecuadorian embassy. In 2017, they closed the case against him, but after his arrest, the lawyer for one of the Swedish complainants indicated she’d ask the prosecutor to reopen the case. Sweden’s Prosecution Authority has reviewed the case and is renewing its request for extradition.
[By mid June 2019, the Swedes appear to be backing off. But the British Home Secretary Sajid Javid has signed off on the US’ extradition request. It must now go through the British courts. The process could take years, and possibly beyond Assange’s current fifty weeks incarceration. Will he be freed then, pending a final decision? Who knows?]
Stay angry, get even
The current US administration cleaves to the maxim “stay angry and get even” – Uncle Sam neither forgets nor forgives. Just wait and see what happens if it can get its hands on exiled hacker and Now Russian resident Edward Snowden. The British Government, relieved to have restored a corner of Knightsbridge to its sovereignty, and currently knee deep in the Brexit “Big Muddy”, probably won’t lift a finger to help him even though by any standard of much-vaunted British ‘fair play’, his self-imposed punishment hardly fits his alleged crimes, an by any liberal and democratic benchmark, he’s certainly served his time.
And we too, in Australia, lost in our own short-term political preoccupations will bleat from the distant sidelines that it’s not our problem – which politically and diplomatically speaking, it isn’t, other than the fact that he is an Australian citizen (albeit a longtime absentee) and therefore warrants consular assistance. Simplistically put, there are no votes in it.
Will our government now help him out? Demand his return to Australia? Oppose the calls from the US to extradite him from the UK?
Our tepid and tardy response to the detention in Thailand of footballer Hakeem al-Araibi on a dodgey Bahraini extradition order and the asylum plea of Saudi teen Rahaf Mohammad – ironically, again from Thailand – does not auger well for a resolute and reasonable response. The way we left erstwhile al Qaida fellow-travelers David Hicks and Mamduh Habib to rot in Gitmo, and the lack of enthusiasm with which we took up journalist Peter Greste’s case in Egypt – his family and journalists worldwide maintained the struggle for his release – suggest that after what we call “diplomatic representations” (what ordinary folk call “going through the motions”), we will face political realities and bend to the US’ will.
Caught up between our subservient relationship with the US, our slavish pandering to economic and strategic interests, placing these above considerations of human rights, and our government’s susceptibility to the malign influence of shock-jocks and populist politicians, Australia’s official behaviour in such cases is often predictably and reflexively disingenuous.
Nowadays, most governments are desperate to stop leaks, data dumps, whistle-blowers and uncomfortable revelations. Democratic governments have attempted to use ostensibly benign legal and security powers to restrict media oversight and criticism. Witness here in Australian how the Victorian Director of Prosecutions is seeking to put thirty-six media outlets, editors and journalists on trial over allegations that they breached a suppression order in reports published after the prominent and well-connected Cardinal George Pell was convicted of child sex abuse charges. The powerful look after their own.
Less squeamish, more thuggish autocratic regimes have few qualms about consigning journalists and editors to jail and worse whilst their western allies and armourers ‘see no, hear no, speak no evil’. Narrow, national interests as ever trump (an apposite word, indeed) human rights. Witness the hundreds of Egyptian and Turkish journalists jailed without trial, the harassment and even killing of reporters in Eastern Europe and Russia, and, of course, the gruesome murder of Saudi scribbler and stirrer Jamal Khashoggi.
The US, the land of the free and the First Amendment has truly shown its hand, and its true colours, proving that Assange’s fears of extradition were quite justified. The UK, meanwhile, has long ached to nail him for contempt of its bail laws, and just plain contempt, really – and a seriously extravagant waste of already straitened police resources. When Assange had worn out his Ecuadorian welcome, lubricated, it is alleged (by WikiLeaks), a $4.2 billion IMF bailout plus another $6 billion from other financial institutions, the Met was ready to roll. Meanwhile, Australia’s political class, having long regarded his Australian nationality as an embarrassing inconvenience, just hoped that we could be left out of it all.
Rally ‘round the fall guy
The media, mainstream, extreme, any stream really, including social media and sundry supporters and detractors, are rushing to both praise Assange and to bury him. They defend and demonstrate, denounce and demean. So Julian Assange, simultaneously icon and bête noir, is the ideal fall-guy “pour decourager les autres”: for everyone on the left and the right who dig him, there’s another who can’t stand him for reasons political, personal, or perverse.
There’s the role he played in the demise of Hilary Clinton and election of Donald Trump, as if, some believe, he was hoping for some kind of “get out of jail free” card from a Trump administration. There’s his hanging out, in a confined space, with the likes of UKIP’s irritating and arguably obnoxious Nigel Farage. All this has forever tarnished his reputation as a warrior of the left. There’s those problematical charges in Sweden that we now learn have never gone away.
During the Australian Federal election before last, the party running his senate bid in absentia gave its preferences to right-wing libertarian nut-jobs ahead of Labor and the Greens, his erstwhile natural allies – and then put it all down to clerical error.
Sadly, stories about his tantrums, visits by Yoko Ono, Lady Gaga and onetime Baywatch hottie Pamela Anderson (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!) and neglecting to clean up after his cat – lurid tales of his hygiene habits appear have been concocted to dehumanize him in tabloid tittle-tat – have rendered him an object of ridicule. And the images of him being dragged out of the embassy, pale and blinking in the unforgiving daylight, grey-haired, bearded, wide-eyed and disheveled, like some mad old street person, have engendered pathos and pity.
There can be little doubt that his mental and physical health deteriorated during his confinement. For sure he is not the confident man who entered the embassy so many years ago; but the law doesn’t recognise this – it demands a reckoning. And many love to kick a man when he’s down.
In the end, Assange was in so many ways his own worst enemy. It is hypothesized that he could’ve surrendered to the Brits long time passing and took his chances at law instead of hiding, a much diminished figure, in the embassy of a small Latin American republic. The sad irony is that if he’d faced the music all those years ago, he might’ve been a free man by now, either having done his time or been exonerated, or else, a credible and respected political prisoner supported worldwide as a champion of press freedom and free speech.
Lights in dark corners
Amidst all the commentary and partisanship swirling about the Assange’s unfortunate circumstances, there has been remarkably little explanation of what he, Manning, WikiLeaks and Snowden have actually done in a substantive security sense. Robert Fisk and his colleague at The Independent, Patrick Cockburn, address just that.
Fisk wrote on 31st May: “ … the last few days have convinced me that there is something far more obvious about the incarceration of Assange and the re-jailing of Manning. And it has nothing to do with betrayal or treachery or any supposed catastrophic damage to our security”.
Cockburn succinctly belled the cat with on the same day: “ … the real purpose of state secrecy is to enable governments to establish their own self-interested and often mendacious version of the truth by the careful selection of “facts” to be passed on to the public. They feel enraged by any revelation of what they really know, or by any alternative source of information. Such threats to their control of the news agenda must be suppressed where possible and, where not, those responsible must be pursued and punished.”
Fisk continues: “The worst of this material was secret not because it accidentally slipped into a military administration file marked “confidential” or “for your eyes only”, but because it represented the cover-up of state crime on a massive scale. Those responsible for these atrocities should now be on trial, extradited from wherever they are hiding and imprisoned for their crimes against humanity. But no, we are going to punish the leakers – however pathetic we may regard their motives … Far better we hunt down other truths, equally frightening for authority. Why not find out, for example, what Mike Pompeo said in private to Mohammed bin Salman? What toxic promises Donald Trump may have made to Netanyahu? What relations the US still secretly maintains with Iran, why it has even kept up important contact – desultory, silently and covertly – with elements of the Syrian regime?
Assange was not, in Fisk’s opinion an investigative journalist; he is nevertheless, a scapegoat, and also a salutary warning for all who shine a light into the dark corners of power: “… what we find out through the old conventional journalism of foot-slogging, of history via deep throats or trusted contacts, is going to reveal – if we do our job – just the same vile mendacity of our masters that has led to the clamour of hatred towards Assange and Manning and, indeed, Edward Snowden. We’re not going to be arraigned because the prosecution of these three set a dangerous legal precedent. But we’ll be persecuted for the same reasons: because what we shall disclose will inevitably prove that our governments and those of our allies commit war crimes; and those responsible for these iniquities will try to make us pay for such indiscretion with a life behind bars. Shame and the fear of accountability for what has been done by our “security” authorities, not the law-breaking of leakers, is what this is all about”.
Back to Cockburn who writes that one reason Assange was being persecuted was for WikiLeaks’ revelations about US policy in Yemen: “Revealing important information about the Yemen war – in which at least 70,000 people have been killed – is the reason why the US government is persecuting both Assange and Yemeni journalist Maas al Zikry … (who) says that “one of the key reasons why this land is so impoverished in that tragic condition it has reached today is the US administration’s mass punishment of Yemen”. This is demonstrably true, but doubtless somebody in Washington considers it a secret.”
A nice dilemma
WikiLeaks and Julian Assange has done the world many favours. They’ve exposed war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere; they’ve shine an unwelcome light on wrongdoing, shabby deals, and hypocritical, incriminating and ofttimes embarrassing goings-on in the corridors of power and diplomacy worldwide. And they’ve passed all this on to reputable media sources throughout the so-called free world to sift, analyse, question, join disparate dots, and disseminate.
Yet, in what may seem in retrospect to be a bad dose of overconfidence and hubris, they aspired to be players in the power games of others rather than remaining a neutral and discerning watchdog. And this was perhaps Assange’s undoing – if undone he indeed becomes. This story has some distance to run …
His faithfully longtime lawyer Jen Robinson declared that his arrest, after seven years of self-imposed internal exile, has “set a dangerous precedent for all media and journalists in Europe and around the world”. His extradition to the US, she said, meant that any journalist could face charges for “publishing truthful information about the United States”.
And yet, much of the legal argy-bargy around the charges Assange is likely to face in the US hinge on the question of whether he is actually a journalist and whether WikiLeaks is actually a news organization. He and his supporters have long portrayed him as a champion of a free press, but some experts believe that the US Department of Justice’s decision to charge him with conspiring to hack government computers limits his ability to mount a vigorous free speech defense. Assange has long said WikiLeaks is a journalistic endeavour protected by freedom of the press laws, and in 2017, a UK tribunal recognized WikiLeaks as a “media organisation”.
Political prisoner, maybe, whistle-blower, certainly, but “not a prisoner of conscience”, at least by Amnesty International’s definition. Compared to many prisoners on Amnesty’s books, innocents and activists banged up by oppressive regimes, Assange has been pretty well treated. The consistent reference in many media reports to a potential death sentence in the US is egregious insofar as the UK will not allow extradition if a death sentence is on the cards. Many would also dispute the tag “investigative journalist” that some have bestowed upon him, seeing as he and Chelsea Manning released classified US and other information. They did not ferret it out, sift it and analyse it for publication as investigative journalists generally do. As for making Assange a “working class hero”, as some on the far-left have done, that is drawing a long bow. Friends and foes alike are now dancing around these distinctions.
In a concise recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Greste, who got to know very well the inside of a squalid Egyptian prison cell and the Egypt’s kafkaesqe judicial system for allegedly publishing what a government didn’t like, makes a few points that Jennifer, her colleague, the eloquent and famous Geoffrey Robertson, and others have skated lightly over:
“Julian Assange is not a journalist, and WikiLeaks is not a news organisation. There is an argument to be had about the libertarian ideal of radical transparency that underpins its ethos, but that is a separate issue altogether from press freedom … Journalism demands more than simply acquiring confidential information and releasing it unfiltered onto the internet for punters to sort through. It comes with responsibility. To effectively fulfill the role of journalism in a democracy, there is an obligation to seek out what is genuinely in the public interest and a responsibility to remove anything that may compromise the privacy of individuals not directly involved in a story or that might put them at risk. Journalism also requires detailed context and analysis to explain why the information is important, and what it all means”.
Yes, Julian is in deep shit. But, you animal lovers and sharers of kitty pics out there in the twitterverse and Facebook world, his cat and companion Michi has gone to a good home …
Read more about politics in In That Howling Infinite here: A Political World – Thoughts and Themes
Las Trece Rosas – Spain’s Unquiet Graves
April 2, 2019 June 6, 2019 Paul Hemphill 1 Comment
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
WB Yeats, Easter 1916
On the morning of August 5th 1939 thirteen young women were put against the walls of Madrid’s La Almudena Cemetery and shot…
Eighty years ago this month, the Spanish cities of Madrid and Valencia fell to the nationalist forces of Francisco Franco. Victory was proclaimed as Franco placed his sword to rest upon the altar of a church declaring that he wouldn’t raise the blade again until Spain was in peril. The Spanish Civil War that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives (upwards of half a million, possibly up to two) was at an end; the long march of the generalissimo was over and the reign of the Caudillo had begun. It endured until his death in 1975.
The Spanish Civil War was long, brutal and bloody, and medieval in its savagery. It was a war of armies and of militias, of men and women, of skirmishes and set-piece battles, of massacres and reprisals, and of wars within wars. It saw cities besieged and starved into surrender and towns destroyed by bombers and heavy artillery. It cut a swathe across the country leaving scars that endure to this day.
It became a proxy war for three dictators – Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin – who dispatched men and machines to fight under false flags in what would appear in retrospect to be a rehearsal for wars to come. It was a magnet for idealists and activists of disparate political creeds and from many lands who were to fight and die on both sides, including the celebrated International Brigades. It lured writers and poets who were to chronicle its confusion and carnage, including Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, WH Auden, André Malraux and Arthur Koastler. Many perished, the most famous being the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, murdered by Nationalist militia and buried in an unmarked grave, one of many unquiet graves scattered throughout the land.
Since Franco’s death, successive Spanish governments have endeavoured to heal the wounds of the war and the dictatorship by condoning what could be described as historical amnesia. And yet, such official forgetfulness, well-intentioned as it might be, is often suborned by our species’ instinctive need to remember and to memorialize our dearly departed.
Valle de los Caidos, the Valley of the Fallen, in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains near Madrid, is one such monument. This grandiose necropolis hosts a mass grave of some 34,000 war dead of all sides, as well as the tombs of an embalmed Franco and of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of the fascist Falange Española. It is a shrine and a place of pilgrimage for nationalists and Falangists old and young, and a bitter reminder for the families and friends of the vanquished.
The current socialist government has shattered the deafening silence. it is determined to move Franco’s remains out the basilica and to make the Valley of the Fallen a more neutral place to honour the victims of the war and its vengeful aftermath.
The mass graves of Spain’s civil war victims is a live issue as the nation comes to terms with its history. Even the weather compels the soil to give up its dead, revealing the scale and the savagery of the slaughter that followed the victory of Franco’s Nationalists. Recent storms have swept away soil in an area of Madrid’s La Almudena public cemetery, exposing the bones of three thousand people executed on the orders of Francoist military courts in the five years after Spain’s civil war ended in 1939. They include, it is believed, the remains of Las Treces Rosas, the Thirteen Roses.
Outside the history books and the stories, songs and folk memories of ageing socialists and anarchists, there is but limited interest, knowledge and understanding of the causes, chronology and consequences of the civil war – and I am not about to rectify that in this post. Click here to and here to read reasonable synopses.
Rather, I will take the opportunity to publish a story about the war – one tragedy among so many – that illustrates its systematic ruthlessness. Here is the story of those thirteen young victims.
Thirteen roses ..and forty three carnations
By Rafael Narbona. Translation by Diarmuid Breatnach; original version published in Spanish in Rafael Narbona’s blog August 2013, also republished by kind permission in Rebel Breeze.
On the morning of August 5th 1939 thirteen women were shot dead against the walls of Madrid’s La Almudena Cemetery.
Nine were minors, because at that time the age of majority was not reached until twenty-one. Ranging in age from 18 to 29, all had been brought from the Sales women’s prison, a prison that was designed for 450 people and in 1939 contained 4,000. Apart from Brisac Blanca Vazquez, all belonged to the Unified Socialist Youth (JSU) or PCE (Communist Party of Spain). Although they had not participated in the attack that killed Isaac Gabaldon, commander of the Civil Guard, they were charged with being involved and conspiring against the “social and legal order of the new Spain”.
The trial was held on August 3rd and 56 death sentences were issued, including the perpetrators of the attack. The Thirteen Roses went to their execution hoping to be reunited with their JSU comrades. In some cases it would have meant a boyfriend or husband but their hopes crumbled upon learning that the men had been shot already.
The brick wall clearly showed the bullet holes and the earth had been turned dark by blood. Some days, the death toll exceeded two hundred and machine guns were used to facilitate the work. Between 1939 and 1945, four thousand people were shot in the Eastern Cemetery, including Julián Zugazagoitia, Minister of the Interior with Juan Negrín and remarkable writer and socialist politician.
According to Maria Teresa Igual, prison officer and eyewitness, the Thirteen Roses died with fortitude. There were no screams or pleas. In an eerie half-silence, only the steps of the firing squad were heard, the sound of the guns striking the straps and the voice of the commanding officer. Lined up shoulder to shoulder, after the shooting all received the coup de grace, which was clearly heard in the Sales women’s prison. Apparently, one of the condemned (whether Anita or Blanca is not known), did not die immediately and had shouted, “Am I not to be killed?”
Antonia Torre Yela was spared execution by a typing error. In transcribing her name, the letters danced and became Antonio Torres Yera. The error only postponed death for Antonia, a member of the JSU and only 18. She was shot on February 19th, 1940, becoming the 14th Rose. In her farewell letter, Julia Conesa, nineteen and member of the JSU, wrote: “Let my name not be erased from history.” Her name and that of her comrades has not been forgotten, unlike those of their tormentors, who enjoyed impunity for 38 years of dictatorship and a shameful amnesty which only helped to deepen the hurt suffered by all victims of Francoism.
The PSOE (main social-democratic party — DB) tried to appropriate the Thirteen Roses, concealing that at the time of the executions the PSOE had split from the JSU to found the Socialist Youth of Spain (JSE), with the purpose of clearly distancing themselves from the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). In fact, the Law of Historical Memory of Zapatero’s government (the first PSOE government after Franco — DB) did not even consider overturning the dictatorship’s judicial verdicts. It should be remembered that nearly fifty men were also shot dead that sad August 5th, the “43 Carnations”. Franco showed the same ruthlessness to men and women.
A hell
Sales jail was a hell, with children, elderly and mothers with children huddled in hallways, stairs, patios and bathrooms. Manuela and Teresa Basanta Guerra were the first women executed against the walls of the Eastern Cemetery. They shot them on June 29th 1939 along with a hundred men. Some historians claim that other women preceded them but their names were not recorded in the cemetery’s files. Like others on death row, the Thirteen Roses could only write to their families after receiving confession. If they did not take confession, they gave up the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Brisac Blanca was the eldest of the thirteen and active in no political organization. Catholic and one who voted for the Right, she nevertheless fell in love with a musician who belonged to the PCE, Enrique Garcia Mazas. They married and had a son. Both were arrested and sentenced to death in the same trial. In fact, Enrique was in Porlier prison and would be shot a few hours before her. Blanca wrote a letter to her son Enrique, asking him not to harbour ill-will towards those responsible for her death and to become a good and hardworking man.
In postwar Madrid there was vicious persecution and resentment of any citizen suspected of “joining the rebellion”, the technicality that was used to reverse the law, accusing supporters of the Second Republic of violating the law in force. Only the military, the clergy, the Falange and the Carlists could breathe easily. No one dared to walk around in workers’ overalls or wearing the traditional local bandanna (worn by men around the neck and by women as a kerchief around the head, it is still worn today at festival in Madrid — DB).
The city was a huge prison where “hunt the red” was taking place. The earlier militia-women aroused particular animosity. The Arriba newspaper edition of May 16th 1939, featured an article by José Vicente Puente in which his contempt does not mince words: “One of the greatest tortures of the hot and drunk Madrid were the militia-women parading openly in overalls, lank-haired, with sour voice and rifle ready to shoot down and end lives upon a whim to satiate her sadism. With their shameless gestures, the primitive and wild, dirty and dishevelled militiawomen had something of atavism, mental and educational. … …. They were ugly, low, knock-kneed, lacking the great treasure of an inner life, without the shelter of religion, within them femininity was all at once extinguished.”
In this climate of hatred and revenge, denunciations proliferated — they were the best means of demonstrating loyalty to the fascist Movement.
The interrogations …. copied Gestapo tortures
The interrogations in police stations copied Gestapo tortures: electric shock on the eyes and genitals, the “bathtub”, removing fingernails with pliers, mock executions. Women suffered especially because the torture was compounded by sexual abuse, castor oil and hair cut down to the scalp. In some cases they even shaved eyebrows to further depersonalize. Rapes were commonplace. The testimony of Antonia Garcia, sixteen, “Antoñita” is particularly chilling: “They wanted to put electric currents on my nipples but since I had no chest they just put them in my ears and burst my eardrums. I knew no more. When I came to I was in jail. I spent a month in madness”.
Among those responsible for the interrogations was General Gutierrez Mellado, hero of the Transition and Captain in the Information Service of the Military Police (CPIS ) during the toughest years following the war. He regularly attended executions, seeking last-minute confessions. On August 6th 1939 he pulled Cavada Sinesio Guisado, nicknamed “Pioneer”, military chief of the JSU after the war, out of the execution line. “Pioneer” had been lined up against the Eastern Cemetery wall and was awaiting the discharge of lead along with the rest of his comrades. Gutiérrez Mellado stepped forward and ordered his release. He forced him to witness the executions and asked for more information about PCE clandestine activity. Although he was cooperative and diligent, he was shot in the end on September 15th. Some claim that Gutierrez Mellado witnessed the execution of the Thirteen Roses but I was not able to verify the data.
The women’s prison in Sales was run by Carmen Castro. Her inflexibility and lack of humanity found expression in the conditions of life of the children in prison with their mothers. No soap or hygienic facilities — almost all had ringworm, lice and scabies. Many died and were placed in a room where the rats were trying to devour the remains. Adelaida Abarca, JSU activist, said the bodies were only skin and bones, almost skeletons, for hunger had consumed them slowly. Another prisoner said: “The situation of the children was maddening. They were also dying and dying with dreadful suffering. Their glances, their sunken eyes, their continuous moans and stench are branded on my memory.” (Testimony given to Giuliana Di Febo in Resistance and the Women’s Movement in Spain [1936-1976] , Barcelona 1979).
The prisoners lived within the shadow of the “pit”, the death penalty. Since the execution of the Basanta Guerra sisters, they knew that the regime would have no mercy on women. On the morning when the Thirteen Roses were shot, Virtudes Gonzalez ‘s mother was at the jail doorway. When she saw her daughter climbing into the truck that was carrying prisoners to the cemetery walls, she began shouting: “Bastards ! Murderers ! Leave my daughter alone!” She chased the truck and fell. Alerted by the commotion, the Sales jail officers went outside and picked her off the ground, taking her into the prison. She was kept inside as yet another prisoner.
“If I had been sixteen they would have shot me too”
No less dramatic were Enrique’s repeated attempts to find out the whereabouts of his parents, Blanca and Enrique Garcia Brisac Mazas. In an interview with journalist Carlos Fonseca , author of the historical essay Thirteen Red Roses ( Madrid, 2005 ), Enrique gave his bitter account: “I was eleven years old when they shot my parents and my relatives tried to conceal it. They said they had been transferred to another prison and therefore we could not go to see them, until one day I decided to go to Salesas and there a Civil Guard Brigadier told me they had been shot and that if I had been sixteen they would have shot me too, because weeds had to be pulled up by the roots.
My grandmother and my aunts, my mother’s sisters, who had fallen out with my mother, ended up telling me that if Franco had killed my parents it would be because they were criminals. They even concealed my mother’s farewell letter for nearly twenty years.”
I will not end this article by invoking reconciliation, because the Transition was not based on repairing the pain of the victims, but rather on the acquittal of the executioners. In fact, the reform of the criminal dictatorship was designed by those as low as Manuel Fraga, Rodolfo Martín Villa and José María de Areilza. Martín Villa concealed and destroyed documents to bury the crimes of Francoism and the dirty war he organized against anarchist and pro-independence activists of the Basque, Catalan and Canaries areas, from his post as Minister of the Interior between 1976 and 1979. Among his achievements one should list the Scala case (an attack that killed four workers, which was blamed on the CNT), the attempted assassination of Canaries independence leader Antonio Cubillo, the machine-gunning of Juan Jose Etxabe, historic leader of ETA and his wife Rosario Arregui (who died from eleven bullet wounds), also the murder of José Miguel Beñaran Ordeñana, “Argala”.
The impunity of the perpetrators
He is now a successful businessman, who gets excited talking about his role in the Transition. He lives quietly and no one has called for his prosecution. His example is an eloquent one of the impunity of the perpetrators, who continue to write the narrative while demonizing those who dared to stand against the miseries of the dictatorship and false democratic normalization.
No justice has been done. So it is absurd to talk of reconciliation, because nobody has apologized and repaired the damage. Franco committed genocide but today Manuel Gonzalez Capón, Mayor of Baralla (Lugo), of the Partido Popular (the main right-wing party), dares to declare that “those who were sentenced to death by Franco deserved it.” The Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Academy of History, funded with nearly seven billion euros of public funds, says Franco “set up an authoritarian but not totalitarian regime”, although in his speech in Vitoria/ Gastheiz, Franco himself said that “a totalitarian state in Spain harmonises the functioning of all abilities and energies of the country …”. The current scenario is not a reconciliation but instead is a humiliation of the victims and society, obscenely manipulated by a media (ABC, El País , El Mundo, La Razón), playing a similar role to newspapers of the dictatorship (ABC, Arriba, Ya, Pueblo, Informaciones, El Alcázar), covering up and justifying torture cases and applauding antisocial measures that continue reducing working class rights.
Let us not remember the Thirteen Roses as passive and submissive but instead for their courage and determination. With the exception of Blanca, trapped by circumstances, all chose to fight for the socialist revolution and the liberation of women. I think that if they were able to speak out today, they would not talk of indignation and peaceful disobedience, but would ask for a rifle to stand in the vanguard of a new anti-fascist front, able to stop the crimes of neo-liberalism. Let us not betray their example, forgetting their revolutionary status, they who sacrificed their lives for another world, one less unjust and unequal.
Just as the Civil War stirs Spain’s historical memory, so the spectre of the Paris Commune of 1870 haunts still the French soul. One can walk through the centre of modern Paris from the Louvre to the celebrated Père Lachaise cemetary Père Lachaise retracing the steps of defeated communardes as retreated to to last stand among the tombstones. It was there, in front of la Mur des Fédérés that the bloodied and ragged survivors were lined up and shot.
The beautiful church of Sacre Coeur was built as a penance for, and a solemn reminder of the bloodletting of what is aptly called la semaine sanglante – in much the same way as Justinian raised the glorious Hagia Sophia in Constantinople as a form of contrition after the Nika Riots when his soldiers slaughtered tens of thousands of his rebellious citizens and buried their bodies under the Hippodrome.
See also in In That Howling Infinite:
A House Divided – the nature of civil war
Pity the Nation
Land and Freedom (Ken Loach’s movie)
The Spanish Civil War – a brief overview
80 years ago today in 1939, as the world waited with bated breath on Hitler’s next move in Central Europe, in Spain, with the help of allies within the city, Madrid fell to the Nationalist forces of Generalissimo Francisco Franco. The next day, beleaguered Valencia would also fall and a few days after that victory was proclaimed as Franco placed his sword to rest upon the altar of a church declaring not to raise the blade again until Spain was imperiled. The Spanish Civil War that had claimed hundreds of thousands of lives was thus at an end, and the reign of the Caudillo had begun in earnest that was to last until his death in 1975.
Born in 1892 in Galicia, Franco belonged to a devoutly Catholic upper class family with a long tradition of serving in the Spanish navy. Unable to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers, Franco had chosen the army instead at the age of 14 and conducted himself with disciplined excellence from the outset, swiftly gaining a reputation as a highly professional and trusted leader of fighting men at a time when the Royal Spanish army was characterized by a general sloppiness and lack of discipline. A severe and austere man who placed his faith in tradition, Catholicism, and the monarchy, Franco had risen up through the ranks as the youngest officer in the army in Spain’s colonial wars in Morocco as an example to them all. When the Spanish monarchy was abolished in 1931 Franco was disgusted, not least because shortly afterwards the new republic laid him off and placed him on the inactive list. Franco accepted his fate like a soldier and patiently waited until a conservative government came to power and he was called back to service, jumping back into military life with alacrity as Spain’s political system steadily disintegrated. By 1936 however he could stand by no longer and watch his country fall apart, after much hesitation he joined with his fellow officers and rebelled against the Republic, marching an army into Spain from North Africa and starting the long and bloody struggle against the Republicans supported by the USSR and the International Brigades whilst Franco received aid from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. With the death of all the other major military leaders by late 1936, Franco was chosen as the man to lead the Nationalists to victory and as the war drew to a close his government was recognised by the British and French governments.
Despite popular depictions of him as a Fascist dictator akin to Hitler and Mussolini, Franco in truth had little time for Fascism. While he certainly presided over a one-party state, unlike in Italy and Germany, the party firstly was not on a par with the state and secondly only a component of it, the Phalange, were Fascists, the rest were Carlist monarchists, traditionalists and conservatives. As a committed Catholic and monarchist, Franco had no time for the esotericism and mysticism of National Socialism and Fascism. While Hitler and Mussolini both had experience of war along with much of their inner circle, they were not of the upper officer echelons as Franco was. He was a military dictator, not a messianic god-like figure of a mass movement. The characterization of his regime as totalitarian is also problematic too since totalitarian would imply that he ruled through terror, annihilating segments of the population beyond those who were openly opposed to his regime. Tens of thousands did indeed perish under his regime with summary executions in the White Terror that followed his Civil War victory coupled with the brutal campaigns against sporadic rebellions and expressions of dissent in subsequent years, however he did not go beyond crushing those he did not need to to stay in power, he did not seek out a helpless ‘objective enemy’ that was to be continuously exterminated as was the case in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. His interest was not a radical reshaping of the world but as might be expected of a man of his background and career, order, stability, and a restoration of traditional norms.
That all being said he was undoubtedly predisposed towards the Axis powers due to his hatred of Communism and no doubt a certain degree of debt he owed to them after their help in the Civil War. Despite his country having gone through three hellish years of war he was more than eager to join the Axis after the Fall of France in 1940. He envisioned the formation of a Latin Bloc to dominate the Mediterranean consisting of Spain, Italy, the Vatican, Vichy France, and Portugal. That year he met Hitler in Hendaye to discuss this possibility. At this meeting between the Caudillo and the Führer, Franco laid down his conditions: he wanted food, fuel and supplies for his country in the event of an Allied naval blockade, in expectation of Britain’s defeat he wanted Gibraltar along with French Morocco, a portion of Algeria and the colony of Cameroon. This proved too high a price to pay, the demand on Cameroon was especially jarring to Hitler since this had been a German colony prior to 1919. Mussolini moreover had his eye on Algeria. In the end the three dictators could not reconcile themselves to one another and Spain remained neutral though volunteers were sent to aid the Axis against the USSR in the form of the Blue Division. Franco likewise refused any prospect of the Wehrmacht being allowed to march through Spain to take Gibraltar themselves, a move which had it been made could have crippled the British position in the Mediterranean and altered the course of the war completely. Spain remained independent, remaining friendly with the Axis but not so much as to be roped into their ungodly self-destruction. During the war he was credited by having given sanctuary to tens of thousands of Jews fleeing the Nazi Empire.
Spain found itself isolated in the immediate aftermath of the war and was excluded from the Marshall Plan. With the mounting tensions of the Cold War however the Western powers slowly started to align themselves with the conservative anti-communist military dictator. In 1953 President Eisenhower visited the country and concluded the Pact of Madrid which brought Spain out of isolation and eventually led to the country joining NATO. Many of the old guard in charge of the economy were replaced by technocrats who brought in a free market economy. By the 1960s economic growth rocketed upwards, resulting in the Spanish Miracle, giving rise to a new middle class. The colonial empire moreover which Franco had so passionately fought for in the past was steadily let go of with both Morocco and Equatorial Guinea let go of by the end of the 1960s. Behind this economic prosperity however the regime remained as traditional as ever, with strict Catholic morality on abortion, divorce, homosexuality and prostitution holding sway in both law and society. Women were confined to the home and had practically no rights, their financial affairs managed by their fathers and husbands. Any languages or traditions not considered Spanish enough were systemically suppressed. When university students protested in the 1960s and the 1970s against the regime, Franco resorted to his old ways and crushed them.
The Caudillo was an old man now though and by the early 1970s he recognised that death was moving upon him. Before death could claim him he decided to restore the monarchy – even though the country had always officially been a monarchy since he had taken power. Though he initially offered the throne to Otto von Habsburg, the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, in a bid to restore Spain to her Habsburg Golden Age and to avoid another Carlist War of succession. In the end however he gave it to the Carlist pretender, Juan Carlos of the House of Bourbon. Franco died in late 1975. His regime was swiftly converted to a democracy with the help of the new king.l
Children of Abraham
March 23, 2019 March 23, 2019 Paul Hemphill 3 Comments
The ancient and holy city of Hebron is rarely out of the news; and the news is never good. “There’s this thing that happens here, over the Hell Mouth”, says Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “where the way a thing feels – it kind of starts being that way for real. I’ve seen all these things before – just not all at once”.
In May 2016, we visited Hebron, a fault line of faiths and a front line of an old war still being waged for possession of the Holy Land. It is a hot spot, a flash-point, where tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are usually followed by calamity, and bad things happen. It is the seemingly intractable conflict in the raw, a microcosm of the Occupation, and there is no denying the brutality of the place. Most western journalists and commentators give their readers an impression that Israel absolutely dominates this Palestinian city of some 200,000 souls. In reality, the area under military control, immediately surrounding the ancient Ibrahimi mosque, holy to two faiths, is very small. But in this pressure cooker of a ghetto reside some 700 settlers and thirty thousand Palestinians, segregated from each other by walls and wire, fear and loathing – and by two soldiers to every settler.
On our return, the e-magazine Muftah published the following article.
Children of Abraham and the Battle for Hebron
You who build these altars now to sacrifice these children, you must not do it anymore.
A scheme is not a vision and you never have been tempted by a demon or a god.
You who stand above them now, your hatchets blunt and bloody – you were not there before,
When I lay upon a mountain and my father’s hand was trembling with the beauty of the word.
Leonard Cohen, The Story of Isaac
I recently returned from Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The city is a fault line of faiths and a front line in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It is a “hot spot,” a flash-point, a place where tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are usually followed by calamity. Hebron has been a key focus of the tension and violence that has characterized the troubled relationship between Palestinians and Israelis. Since October 2015, over 200 Palestinians and thirty Israelis have been killed across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel, in the latest flare-up in the decades-long conflict.
In March this year, an Israeli soldier was filmed shooting and killing a wounded twenty-one-year-old Palestinian, following a stabbing attack on Israeli soldiers. The soldier, just nineteen years of age, is now facing trial, amidst massive outcry on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide.. In June, not long after we left Israel, a young Palestinian murdered a thirteen-year-old Israeli girl as she slept in nearby Kiryat Arba. Hours later, a Palestinian woman was shot dead by Israeli soldiers outside of the Ibrahimi Mosque. Later that afternoon, Palestinian gunmen ambushed an Israeli car on a road just south of Hebron, killing a father and wounding his family. Local Palestinians gave emergency first aid to the victims and shielded the children from any further attack.
A Holy Land
Hebron has long been sacred to Muslims and Jews as the last resting place of the prophets Abraham and Isaac – the founding father of Judaism, and the son he had resolved to sacrifice until God ordered him to stay his hand. In the first century BC, Herod the Great, famed builder and bad boy, raised a mighty mausoleum above the cave where Abraham was laid to rest. Abraham’s wife Rachel, and his son, Isaac, Isaac’s wife Rebecca, and Isaac’s sons Joseph and Jacob – whose wrestled with an Angel to represent man’s struggle with God – and Jacob’s wife Leah are also buried there.
As time went by, Christians and then Muslims revered Hebron as a holy place. Abraham was the founding father of both religions and his sons and grandsons, buried in the cave, are considered prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In time, a mosque was established on Herod’s edifice, and for a short while, during the hundred years of the Crusader kingdom, a basilica too.
In the thirteenth century, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars expelled the Christians from Hebron. A small community of Jews continued to reside in the town of Hebron, however. In 1929, amidst rising religious and nationalist tension in the British Mandate of Palestine, some seventy Jewish men, women, and children were killed by Palestinians who had been incited to violence by rumours that Jews planned to overrun the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam. Many local Palestinians also helped save Jewish neighbors from the bloodshed. Following the riots, Hebron’s Jewish community largely ceased to exist, until the an-Naksa, or ‘setback’, of 1967, when Israeli military forces occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the Golan Heights.
In the early days of the occupation, Israeli authorities did not encourage Jews to return to Hebron. One of the first illegal Israeli settlements was established outside Hebron in what is now Kiryat Arba, and thereafter, a small settlement was built around the Mosque of Ibrahim. Beginning in 1979, some Jewish settlers moved from Kiryat Arba to the former Jewish neighborhood near the Abraham Avinu Synagogue which had been destroyed in 1929. Other Jewish enclaves were established with the Israeli army’s support and more homes were subsequently purchased or forcibly taken over from their Palestinian owners.
With the establishment of a Jewish presence in and around Hebron, the religious right-wing demanded that Jews be permitted to pray at the tombs of the patriarchs, and the 700 years old restriction on Jews praying here was lifted. Muslims and Jews were now obliged to share the holy place, although it was formally administered by the Muslim Waqf. Thus, even prayer became a focus of conflict and tension, and sometimes, violence, particularly during each faith’s holy days.
Tensions and Divisions
Since 1979, tensions have continued to increase between the small community of Israeli settlers living in Hebron (several hundred) and the tens of thousands of Palestinians whose lives have been turned upside down by their presence. These tensions reach boiling point in February 1994, when US-born Israeli doctor Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims worshippers during the dawn prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque. He killed twenty-nine people and wounded another 125 before he was overcome and killed by survivors. Hundreds more Palestinians were killed or injured in the Israeli military’s response to the ensuing violence.
Goldstein had been inspired by a boyhood mentor, the ultranationalist New York Rabbi Meir Kahane, and had belonged Kahane’s militant Jewish Defence League, founded ostensibly to protect Jews from antisemitism, but implicated in numerous acts of violence in the USA and elsewhere. On emigrating to Israel, he joined Kahane’s right-wing Kach Party.
The Israeli government condemned the massacre and responded by arresting Kahane’s followers, and criminalizing Kach and affiliated organizations as terrorists, forbidding certain settlers from entering Palestinian towns, and demanding that those settlers turn in their army-issued weapons. It rejected a demand by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation that all settlers in the occupied territories be disarmed and that an international force be created to protect Palestinians.
UN observers came to keep the peace, but, after Israeli and Palestinian authorities could not reach agreement on resolving the situation, they departed. The Hebron Protocol was signed in January 1997 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat under the supervision of US Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Under its terms, Hebron was divided into in two. H1, 80% of the city, and home to over 120,000 Palestinians, was placed under the Palestinian Authority’s control. H2, which was home to nearly 40,000, was placed under the exclusive control of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in order to protect some 600 Israeli Jewish settlers who lived in the area.
Jewish Israelis were barred from entering HI, whilst Palestinians found it nearly impossible to Access H2 unless they lived there. Palestinian residents of H2 experienced forcible displacement, restrictions on their movement, the closure of their businesses, IDF checkpoints and searches, and verbal and physical harassment by settlers protected by the IDF.
In a surreal, sad parody, the mosque too was divided, with a separate mosque and synagogue. The IDF controls access, closing it to Muslims on Jewish holy days and to Jews on Muslim holy days. There are frequent bans on the call to prayer on the grounds that it disturbs the settlers, and likewise on exuberant
Dual Narrative
We travelled to Hebron on a “dual narrative tour”. It was run by Abraham Tours, which operates out of the Abraham Hostel at Davidka Square in Jerusalem, and caters for independent and mainly young travelers on limited budgets. One half of the tour was conducted by a Palestinian guide and the other by a Jewish guide. They walked us though the streets surrounding the Mosque of Ibrahim, and gave us the opportunity to meet and talk with several members of each of the communities.
We visited the Muslim side of the mosque, which retained the wide prayer hall, the empty catafalques of Isaac and Rebecca, the qibla and minbar, and the beautiful dome; and the larger Jewish side, which was, once upon a time, the open courtyard leading to the mosque. Abraham and Sarah occupy the neutral ground between the two halves.
The area around the divided holy place is a ghost town. On one flank, a deserted street is patrolled by young Israeli soldiers in full battle gear, leading to the settler neighborhood. On the other side, past checkpoints and security screening, is Shuhada (martyrs) Street, an impoverished souq with more shops locked up than open, a small number of Palestinian storeowners, and a bevy of children endeavoring to sell us souvenirs. Above the few shops that are still open, there is a wire mesh to catch rocks, garbage, and various unmentionables thrown at Palestinians from Israeli settler families who have literally occupied the higher ground, abutting and overlooking the souq.
Scapegoating the Other
The Palestinians we met told us that Jewish settlers have been trying to drive them out of H2, to claim it for themselves, and that they will resort to all manner of harassment to do so, including throwing stones, and assaulting Palestinian children on their way home from school. Indeed, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently confirmed that movement restrictions, along with on-gong settler violence, reduced income, and restricted access to services and resources, has led to a reduction in the area’s Palestinian population.
It is a desperate, hard life for all the Palestinians who live there. They cling on, refusing to leave or sell their ancestral homes. Offers, some very large, have been made in the past, but people will not trade their birthright, even when they are faced with physical threats to their lives. One Palestinian whose home we visited told me that his late wife was shot by Israeli soldiers, while his children were attacked by settlers. Nowadays, he and his few neighbors have no choice but to remain or flee without compensation as the Palestinian Authority has forbidden selling property to the settlers. And so they remain, in poverty and punishment.
The rebuilt and refurbished settler zone is a mix of run-down apartments. waste grounds, new community buildings and playgrounds, and a street of shops that once served the settlers’ needs but are now locked and neglected in a dusty, empty street. Here, the settlers too play the victim card, claiming that they area harassed, insulted, and killed. We met the administrator of the small Jewish museum and library who told us of how her grandfather was killed in 1929, and how her father was killed by an assailant in his own home.
Today there are two Israeli soldiers for every Jewish settler. They are youngsters, barely out of high school. Heavily armed and nervous. With the power to end or destroy the lives of the Palestinians they occupy, many of them youths just like themselves.
“You who build these altars then to sacrifice these children, you must not do it any more”.
If only it was that simple on the fault line of faith and nation.
Below is a selection of photographs taken during our visit.
Read more in In That Howling Infinite on the Middle East : A Middle East Miscellany
You can read more about the pain and passion of Hebron here:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/hebron-tombs-of-the-patriarchs
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict_in_Hebron
Little Sir Hugh and Old England’s Jewish Question
March 16, 2019 March 17, 2019 Paul Hemphill Leave a comment
Out came the thick thick blood, out came the thin
Out came the bonny heart’s blood till there was none within
She threw him in the old draw well fifty fathoms deep
Little Sir Hugh
On a visit to Lincoln Cathedral a few years back, we chanced upon a small memorial in the South Choir Aisle commemorating the long-dead ‘Little Saint Hugh’, the subject, I recalled, of a gothic folk-song resuscitated during the British folk revival and popularized by Steeleye Span back in the seventies. Little Sir Hugh, a tale of the death of a young lad at the hands of a mysterious lady, had been shorn of its true context – a fabricated ‘blood libel’ that led to the trial and execution of nineteen Lincoln Jews. It is believed that high churchmen exploited the incident to lure a profitable flow of pilgrims to the shrine of a martyr and saint. The mystery surrounding the boy’s demise was the first time that the English Crown gave credence to ritual child murder allegations with the direct intervention of Henry III. As a consequence, unlike other English blood libels – and there were many – the story entered the historical record, medieval literature and popular ballads that circulated until the twentieth century as the folk-rock song demonstrated. Read more here. See also below, in the last segment of this blog.
That northern summer, we’d spent a month in the historic northern city of York where we visited Clifford’s Tower, the remnant of a thirteenth century castle on the old city walls, and the site of a medieval pogrom. The English Heritage sign at the gate recalls how in 1190, 150 Jewish men, women and children fled thence to escape townspeople’s wrath, and when the latter had set the tower alight, chose to do a Masada rather than surrender to the bloodthirsty mob. The tourist spiel, reluctant to disturb the squeamish, does not call it out as murder – but the stone walls do, as does the city’s historical narrative: English Heritage; History of York.
In the words of Taylor Swift, history often comes in flashbacks and echoes: an intriguing BBC programme called History Cold Case reveals how seventeen bodies of men, women and children had been discovered at the bottom of a well in Norwich. The findings of the forensic anthropologists were both tragic and terrifying.
Mother mother make my bed
Make for me a winding sheet
Wrap me up in a cloak of gold
See if I can sleep
The devil that never dies
England has long had an ambivalent, discriminatory, and often deadly relationship with its Jewish people, from medieval days to the present, as illustration, ther is as apocryphal story of how in 1290, when Edward 1 ordered the expulsion on all Jews from England, a sea captain taking a ship full of Jews to France, asked them to walk with him on the sand whilst the tide was out. He deliberately deserted them and scarpered back to his boat before the tide came in, leaving them to a watery fate.
Oliver Cromwell allowed Jews to return to England in 1657; the Lord Protector saw no difference between Judaism and any other faith of ‘the Book’. But it took another two hundred years for male Jews in Britain to be granted equal civil rights, including the right enter Oxford and Cambridge Universities, to join the public service, run for municipal office, and eventually, to stand for parliament. Just as catholics had to wait some three hundred years for emancipation, for jews, it was indeed a slow train coming …
But even thereafter, the living wasn’t easy. In the Nineteen Thirties, there were running battles as Oswald Mosley’s Nazi-styled Blackshirts marched through the Jewish neighbourhoods of East London. During the hot, austerity-pinched summer of 1947, there anti-Jewish riots throughout England following the hanging of two British sergeants in Palestine by the Jewish terrorist Irgun in response to the hanging of three of its members by the British Mandate authorities. Manchester witnessed its own mini-Kristalnacht. Ironically, one of the sergeants was Jewish.
I recall walking through London’s cosmopolitan Notting Hill with an Israeli friend in the summer of 1976. There were big swastikas daubed on a wall. “That is why we have Israel”, Miri said. A few weeks later, these very streets became a war zone as racial tensions escalated into violence as the August Bank Holiday Notting Hill Carnival gave way to running street battles.
Today, the British Labour Party is tying itself in literal and figurative Gordian knots with accusations and counter-accusations of antisemitism (whilst the US Democratic Party is likewise tossing and turning over the badly thought-through, naive comments of an ingenue congresswomen). Meanwhile, the transparent xenophobes and antisemites of the alt- and ofttimes mainstream right hide in plain sight in the corridors of power and preen on streets and social media.
It has been said, with reason, that antisemitism is the devil that never dies. And yet, is antisemitism a unique and distinct form of racism, or a subset of a wider fear and loathing insofar as people who dislike Jews rarely dislike only Jews?
Fear of “the other” is a default position of our species wherein preconceptions, prejudice and politics intertwine – often side by side with ignorance and opportunism. it is no coincidence that what is regarded as a dangerous rise in antisemitism in Europe, among the extreme left as much as the extreme right, is being accompanied by an increase in Islamophobia, in racism against Roma people, and indeed, in prejudice in general, with an increase in hate-speech and incitement in the media and online, and hate-crimes.
We are seeing once again the rise of nationalism and populism, of isolationism and protectionism, of atavistic nativism and tribalism, of demagogic leaders, and of political movements wherein supporting your own kind supplants notions of equality and tolerance, and the acceptance of difference – the keystones of multicultural societies. It is as if people atomized, marginalized and disenfranchised by globalization, left behind by technological, social and cultural change, and marginalized by widening economic inequality, are, paradoxically, empowered, energized, and mobilized by social media echo-chambers, opportunistic politicians, and charismatic charlatans who assure them that payback time is at hand. These days, people want to build walls instead of bridges to hold back the perceived barbarians at the gates.
Lately, I have been working my way through British historian Peter Ackroyd’s six-volume History of England. I’ve enjoyed a re-acquaintance with half-remembered names and places, moments and movements from long-gone school and university history classes. Given his arduous brief – he’d resolved to recount the story of England from its birth in the Neolithic Age to the dawn of the Twentieth Century -it is relatively lightweight but informative, family friendly with the nasty and naughty bits toned down, and inspirational precedents and premises accentuated to illustrate evolution and progress, whether it be of language or lifestyle, ideologies or institutions. He wears his liberal heart prominently on his sleeve, whether it is in describing the casual cruelty of the slave trade or the plight of children in the “dark satanic mills” of the industrial revolution. A recurring leitmotif is England’s unique and intractable Irish Question, and particularly its responsibility for and response to An Gorta Mór, ‘The Great Hunger’. An he confronts England’s medieval Jewish Question head on, describing a not so happy and glorious period in its history.
Antisemitism, he implies, has always been with us. I have reproduced in full below a short chapter from the very first volume of his history. It is a readable précis of many other sources. Read more in The Jews of Medieval England, and History of the Jews in England (1066-1920)
Peter Ackroyd, Foundation – The History Of England Volume 1, Chapter 20
King Edward 1 was known as ‘the hammer of the Scots’ but he could more pertinently be known as the hammer of die Jews. He exploited them and harassed them; finally he expelled them. Their crime was to become superfluous to his requirements. The history of the ]ews in medieval England is an unhappy and even bloody one. They had arrived from Rouen, in the last decades of the eleventh century; they were first only settled in London across a broad band of nine parishes but in the course of the next few decades they also removed to York, Winchester, Bristol and other market towns. The previous rulers of England, in the ninth and tenth centuries, had not welcomed them; Jewish merchants would have provided too much competition for Anglo-Saxon traders.
William the Conqueror brought them to England because he had found that in Normandy they had been good for business; in particular they provided access to the silver of the Rhineland. The Jews of Rouen may also have helped to finance his invasion of England, in return for the chance to work in a country from which they had previously been barred. Another reason can be given for the favour they found with the king. Since Christians were not allowed to lend money at interest, some other group of merchants had to be created. The Jews became moneylenders by default, as it were, and as a result they were abused and despised in equal measure. But they did not only lend money; they were also money-changers and goldsmiths. money; they also exchanged plate for coin. They provided ready money, a commodity often in short supply.
The Norman kings of England, therefore, found them to be very useful. They could borrow from them but, more profitably, they could tax them. They could levy what what were known as ‘tallages’, and succeeding kings were able to take between a third and a quarter of the Jews’ total wealth at any one time. As a result the Jews, in the twelfth century were afforded royal protection. No Jew was allowed to become a citizen, or to hold land, but the neighbourhood of the Jewry was
like the royal forests exempt from common law; the Jews were simply the kings chattels, who owed life and property wholly to him. They were granted the protection of the royal courts, and thier binds were placed in a special chamber of the royal palace at . Westminster. A Jewish exchequer was established there, with its own clerks and justices.
In return for royal favour the Jews brought energy and prosperity to the business of the realm; their loans helped to make possible the great feats of Norman architecture, and the unique stone houses of Lincoln and Bury St Edmunds are credited to them. Jacob le Toruk had a grand stone house in Cannon Street, in the London parish of St Nicholas Acon. The Jews also introduced the more advanced forms of medical learning, and were able to serve as doctors even to the native community. Roger Bacon himself studied under rabbis at Oxford.
More dubious legal tactics were also enforced. William Rufus decreed, for example, that Jews could not be converted to Christianity; he did not want their number to fall. That may not have If) been a very Christian act but William Rufus was never a very good Christian. He supported the Jews partly because it offended the bishops; he enjoyed causing affront to his churchmen.
That royal protection did not necessarily extend very far. At the time of the coronation of Richard I in 1189, some Jews were beaten back from the front row of spectators; the crowd turned on them, and a riotous assault began upon the London quarters of fresh outrages as the of Jewry. The incident became the cause of fresh outrages as the news of the attack spread; it emboldened native hostility, and gave an excuse for further carnage. 500 Jews, with their families, took refuge in in the castle at York where they were n besieged by the citizens; in desperation, the men killed their wives and children before killing themselves.
Richard 1 was even then malting preparations for his crusade to the Holy Land; violence and religious bigotry were in in the air. His successor, John, renewed his protection in exchange for large sums of money. In 1201 a formal charter was drawn up, giving the Jews their own court. They were allowed to live ‘freely and honorably’ in England, which meant that they were here to make money for the king. Nine years later John took overall the debts of the Jews, living or dead, and tried to extract the money from the debtors for his own benefit. It was another reason for the barons’ revolt that led to the sealing of the Magna Carta.
Antisemitism was part of the Christian condition throughout Europe. The Jewish people were abused for being the ‘killers of Christ’, with convenient forgetfulness of the fact that Jesus himself was Jew, but other more material reasons account d for the racial hatred. By the middle of the twelfth century, several prominent Jewish moneylenders had extended very large loans to some of the noblest men in the kingdom; men like th famous Aaron of Lincoln were the only ones with resources large enough to meet the obligations of the magnates. If they could be attacked or killed, and their bonds destroyed, then the great ones of the land would benefit. The myth that they were engaged in the ‘ritual murder of Christian infants became common at times of financial crisis when the populace could be incited to take sanguinary vengeance. It is a matter of historical record that England took the lead in the execration of the Jews.
The first rumour of a ritual crucifixion emerged In 1144, with the story of the death of William of Norwich, and thereafter the tales of ritual murder spread through Europe. England was also the first country to condemn all Jews as criminal ‘coin-clippers’, and the iconography of antisemitism is to be found n the west front of Lincoln Cathedral.
In 1239, during the reign of Henry III, a great census of the Jews and their debts was carried out. The representatives of all the Jews in England were then obliged to convene at Worcester and agree to pay over 20,000 marks to the king’s treasury. This measure effectively bankrupted some of them, which meant that their usefulness had come to an end. Fourteen years later, Henry III ordained a Statute of Jewry that enforced a number of disciplinary measures including the compulsory badge of identification, This was or tabula of yellow felt 3 by 6 inches (7.5 by 15 cm) to be worn on an outer garment. it was to be carried by every Jew over the age of seven years. Two years later Henry investigated the death of a boy, Hugh, in Lincoln; he believed or professed to believe that this was a crime of ritual murder and as a result, 19 Jews from the city were executed and 100 dispatched to prison in the castle.
Edward I was even more ferocious. He ordered that certain Jews, who had been acquitted of the charge of ritual murder, be retried. In November 1278, 600 Jews were imprisoned in the Tower of London on charges of tampering with the currency. 269 of them were hanged six months later. In 1290 he expelled all of the remaining Jews from his kingdom; they were now approximately 2,000. He did not take this step out of misplaced religious zeal; it was the measure demanded by the parliament house before they would agree to fresh taxation. In fact the expulsion was seen
by many chroniclers as one of the most important and enlightened acts of his reign. The antisemitism of the medieval English people is clear enough. Some have argued that in subtly modified forms it has continued to this day.
The tale of Little Saint Hugh
from The National Anglo-Jewish Heritage Trail
A unique form of religious persecution, the ‘Blood Libel’ or ‘ritual child murder allegation’, arose in England for the first time in Norwich in the 12th century when the body of a boy was found in the depths of Thorpe Woods outside of the city. Periodically, Medieval English Jews were falsely accused of ‘ritual child murder’ by local Christians. It was usually claimed they tortured and killed little Christian boys in a mockery of Christ’s crucifixion, and that they used their blood for magical purposes. The idea of Jews attacking children for blood may have been partly derived and adapted from East Anglian rural folklore, where evil fairies, called ‘Pharisees’, lived underground and sucked the blood of children. The children were probably the victims of accidents or lawless violence, while the accusers’ motives are now generally accepted to have been for financial, political, or religious gain. It set a pattern for future persecution.
In Lincoln, in 1255, ‘Little Hugh’ was found dead near the Lincoln Jewry. The Jews were accused of ritual child murder, not by popular hue and cry, but five weeks later at the instigation of John of Lexington, the brother of Bishop Robert Lexington (1254-58). He had traveled from the North, with the deeply impoverished King, who was desperately raising funds to pay to the Pope for his son Edmund to be crowned King of Sicily, partly by pardoning murderers for cash. Henry III was under threat of excommunication if he did not pay the money to the Pope. Lexington supported by the King secured a forced confession from Copin the Jew, who was then killed despite having been promised a pardon for his confession. In consequence 91 Jews were imprisoned in the Tower of London. Eighteen were summarily executed by the King, for the temerity of requesting a trial by Jury and not trusting the mercy of the King. The rest (including a convert to Judaism called John) were eventually released due to the intervention of the Friars. The boy was then venerated as a local saint (but never canonized) after a miracle was claimed, and he was enshrined in the Cathedral until the Reformation. There is little evidence that the shrine was popular and some doubt that there was ever a proper cult of Hugh. The King was clearly the prime mover in the Blood Libel, aided and abetted by John of Lexington and probably also by the Papal Nuncio. He took the lead in choreographing the rapid events over several days in Lincoln, leading to the confession and condemnation of the Jews. He was the main financial beneficiary. The Papal Nuncio, Rostand Masson, was apparently present with the King throughout the events as part of his retinue. Seven days afterwards he declared Henry’s son, King of Sicily. Therefore it seems that the Jews of Lincoln were sacrificed for the King’s Sicilian business. The motives of the Bishop and the Cathedral cannot be accurately determined, though they played their role in supporting and not resisting the drama. Joe Hillaby asserts that John of Lexington’s actions were extraordinarily timely and fortuitous in assisting his brother the Bishop in his task to magnify the existing cult of Hugh of Avalon and the task of building the Angel Choir, as well as establishing the new cult of the ‘Little Hugh’.
The boy martyr was later celebrated in numerous ballads and songs as well as in Chaucer’s ‘Prioress’s Tale’ (Canterbury Tales). The gruesome lyrics of the ‘Ballad of Little Sir Hugh’ (but usually without mention of any explicit Jewish identity of the alleged perpetrators) are still performed today in folk music circles, frequently without any explanation or apology. As such, ‘Blood Libels’ became one of the most pernicious and enduring of all anti-Semitic fabrications, spreading through Europe and beyond, even up to the present day.
During the 1290s, soon after the general expulsion of the Jews from England by Edward I, the remains of Little Hugh were translated to a new shrine intruded into the South Choir Aisle Screen, but there is little evidence that the cult was ever a success. The architectural evidence (as interpreted by Stocker and Hillaby) suggests that Edward I had a significant role in its construction. Two out of four original coats of arms on the shrine were Edward’s, and we know that he made a gift to the shrine in 1299 / 1300. The style of the shrine seems to be modelled on the architectural tabernacles for the statues on the original 12 Queen Eleanor crosses, erected by Edward I on the path and resting places of his wife’s body, on its way to London from Lincoln, rather than upon usual sepulchral design. It seems entirely likely that the shrine was intended to be linked to the visceral tomb of Queen Eleanor, at the end of the same aisle in the Cathedral. Hillaby asserts that the shrine may have also been intended as a symbol and a piece of royal propaganda, to deflect hostility from Edward and his wife who trafficked in Jewish debts, and to build on the gratitude of the nation in his subsequent action as ‘defender’ of Christianity in expelling the Jews in 1290.
The original plinth and raised back panel of the shrine of the c. 1290s still survive. There are also two broken stumps of the former canopy at the back that made what would have been part of a panel at the side of a small side arch forming the upper structure of the shrine. There are still visible traces of rich green and blue pigment used to decorate parts of the shrine. At the end of the 19th century it was said that there were remnants of gilding as well.
The pierced base of the shrine has gone, along with its ornate canopy, with tall side pinnacles, niches, and the decorative finial with a niche illustrated in Dugdale’s drawing. These were all removed in the Civil War. It seems that there was also a figure of Little Hugh in the shrine. Overall the shrine was a tall monument, reaching at least up to the top of the choir wall, if not higher.
In 1736 the painted, freestone figure of a little boy, about 20 inches high, still existed and was recorded by an antiquarian, Smart Lethieullier. It was by tradition part of the original shrine. The figure was supposed to bear the marks of crucifixion. The head had by that time been broken off and it had been removed from the shrine and was in ‘a by-place just behind the High Altar, where we found it covered with dust and obscurity’.
In 1791, the tomb was opened, when the Cathedral paving was renewed. The remains of Little Hugh were found in a stone coffin just below the paving and seen for the first time since the Middle Ages. The boy was apparently four feet and two inches tall and was thought to have a rather long thin face. No doubt modern forensic work, if available, would have been able to say something about the circumstances of his death. The skeleton provided a refutation of one allegation, as his teeth had not been smashed, as alleged in the blood libel stories.
A careful examination of the surroundings of the shrine shows other significant features. The former upper superstructure of the shrine was skillfully and well integrated into the screen wall of the choir and looks as if it had been carefully planned and positioned so as to be a focus of the aisle in which it stands, even though it was not part of the original design. An impression is gained that the canopy may have been rested, afterwards, above, and onto, an existing tomb, which was itself much more crudely inserted into the Choir wall. It rested on and above the base and back of the tomb (the surviving elements) and was structurally separate, and not built in one piece, which is why the dismantling of the canopy at the Reformation did not destroy the tomb beneath.
The evidence suggests that an original tomb of Little Hugh was significantly embellished to become a major feature of the south side of the Cathedral and in its day represented not only the cult of Little Hugh, but garnered a royal meaning and patronage as well and was quite imposing in its improved state after 1290.
The Cathedral for many years placed a notice by the shrine of Little Hugh to explain its meaning, but it is easy for the casual visitor to completely miss the remains. The notice has its own history and has evolved over the years. Before 1959, a notice largely repeated the traditional libel. But in 1959, it was replaced by the then Dean, the Rev D.C. Dunlop, who was reported by the Daily Telegraph as saying that the Chapter did not wish, ‘to see things that are not true up on the walls of the Cathedral’ and that a new notice would correct the record. This new notice, cancelling the libel, remained in place for a good many years, but recently has been further revised and then improved again, most recently through a collaboration project between the Cathedral and the Jewish community.
Between July 2008 and September 2009, the notice was entirely re-written in an interfaith collaboration, by Professor Brian Winston (for the Lincoln Jewish Community), Carol Bennett (for the Cathedral) and Marcus Roberts (JTrails) as part of the Trails Jewish heritage project in Lincoln, working in the first instance with the Lincoln Jewish Community. The American academic Elisa van Court had criticised the wording of the existing signage in 1997 and again in a publication in 2006. The new plaque refers to ‘Little Hugh’ without referring to him as ‘Saint’ since he was never officially recognised as such by Rome. Calling him a ‘saint’ confers false credibility for the blood libel in Lincoln. The new signage also draws notice to the terrible consequences for the medieval Jewish community (the most notable omission in the original signage as high-lighted by van Court) and the contemporary relevance of the shrine. The new notice is the result of excellent interfaith relations between the communities and a desire to show the real significance of the Lincoln Blood Libel today.
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US Museums Confront the Ai Weiwei Question
Kyle ChaykaMay 20, 2011
The Palace Museum in Beijing (image via maderon on panoramio.com)
Here’s the latest on detained Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Ai’s studio has been charged of and, according to the government, proven to have committed, tax evasion. On the US side, museums are debating whether or not cooperating with Chinese museums is hurting the case to free Ai Weiwei.
Tax Evasion Charges
Xinhua reports that Ai Weiwei’s FAKE studio evaded tax and intentionally destroyed accounting documents. US museums debate the ethics of working with Chinese organizations. Art Basel buys the Art HK fair, provoking some to call for a boycott.
China.org.cn cites a Xinua report that “A company under the control of artist Ai Weiwei was found to have evaded “a huge amount” of tax, the Beijing police authorities said on Friday.” Ai’s studio company, called Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., “was also found to have intentionally destroyed accounting documents, the police authorities told Xinhua, citing an initial investigation.”
This is the first news we’ve heard in terms of a concrete crime “committed” by Ai and his studio, though I’m very hesitant to believe that these charges are true. More likely, they’re made up of trumped up accusations and falsified proof by a government and police force who have previously used the same tactic to imprison dissident writers and academics.
Institutional Ethics
The Milwaukee Art Museum is currently hosting a loan exhibition and having a staff exchange with the Palace Museum in Beijing. At the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, art critic Mary Louise Schumacher writes on the conflicts and contradictions that plague museums working with China. The Milwaukee Art Museum will be hosting an enormous exhibition of Chinese artifacts from the Qianlong era in an exhibition to open soon, a unique project organized in conjunction with the Palace Museum. Schumacher asks if the museum should rethink its cooperation with the Beijing government in light of Ai’s continued arrest:
Should the museum join many of the world’s other cultural institutions in signing petitions and speaking publicly? Would China pull the show? And if they did, would MAM lose the exhibition fee, presumably in the millions? If MAM is mum, however, will it run the risk of the appearance of appeasement?
Milwaukee Art Museum (image via bc.edu)
In the article, an impressively diverse group of art worlders gathered by Schumacher comment on the situation. There’s no general agreement, with some saying that museums should take a stand (including Artinfo’s Ben Davis) and still others arguing that it’s not a museum’s place to get involved. I don’t think the planned show should be canceled, but I do agree with Schumacher’s note that there’s room in the museum’s event programming schedule for talk about Ai’s predicament, including panels with Chinese art world figures and other lectures. That’s where politics and critique should come in with a show that’s already been planned (and paid for) pre-arrest. The Palace Museum is not the enemy.
Schumacher is to be applauded for writing what is the most definitive look at the conflicts US museums face when thinking about their relationship with China and Chinese museums. The article speaks to the complexity of dealing with a country whose government seems intent on interfering with the art community, even while the Chinese art community has nothing to do with those political policies.
At Modern Art Notes, Tyler Green interviews Virginia Museum of Fine Arts director Alex Nyerges on the museum’s own collaboration and staff exchange with Beijing’s Palace Museum and questions the impact of Ai Weiwei’s arrest. The director says:
On a practical level in terms of the staff, certainly Ai Weiwei’s arrest was a topic of conversation, but quite simply our partnership and relationship with the Palace Museum has nothing to do with the Ai Weiwei situation whatsoever.
Probably the wrong answer! To flat out deny any relationship with Ai’s arrest is wrongheaded, but I still see nothing wrong with working with the Palace Museum, particularly on a staff exchange. This kind of interconnectedness will make things better, not worse.
Facebook commenters are in a tizzy over the reported purchasing of contemporary art fair Art HK by Art Basel. The “entire art world” is participating in Art HK despite Ai’s arrest, and commenters ask if gallerists should be boycotting the fair. I have to say, this is stupid. As a largely autonomous territory, Hong Kong has been the site of the strongest protesting of Ai’s arrest. Boycotting Art HK would just be a blow to Hong Kong’s own art scene.
In an interview today with Creative Time, we discovered that Ai Weiwei had planned to create a work for their upcoming Creative Time Tweets commissions of art projects on Twitter. Needless to say, the artist won’t be participating. More art institutions should be more vocal about the commissions and exhibitions Ai is now missing, as the New York City “Zodiac Heads” unveiling did so well.
In an interestingly similar case, the Metropolitan Museum has frozen museum loans to Russia as the country banned “all art loans to the U.S. following an American court’s ruling that Moscow must give back a disputed archive to Brooklyn’s Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement,” reports Artinfo. Should the US be freezing all museum loans to China because of Ai’s arrest?
Ai WeiweiAi Weiwei ArrestBeijingChinaChinese ArtMary Louise SchumacherMilwaukee Art MuseumMilwaukee Journal-SentinelMuseum LoansPalace Museumpolitics
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Archives for posts with tag: Australia
The Exploration of Identity in Contemporary Aboriginal Art
touching my mothers blood
1988 etching and black ink
A New York University academic, Fred R. Myers states that an intractable problem with Aboriginal art is that while it exists outside the art system the more it is valued. However, once it is in the art system unprepared viewers do not know how to respond to it because, without the information they receive in an ethnographic museum, they cannot relate it to other contemporary art. They cannot see an informed consensus providing the basis for the work (Myers 1998). This retrogressive view of the adaptability of Aboriginal art is fortunately not the way it is viewed within the Australian contemporary art world. Changing attitudes have allowed both remote and urban artists to benefit from a growing popular interest. Aboriginal artists have extended the parameters of how their art is viewed, and this has allowed them to present their work in new contexts such as installation art and photography. This essay will explore the background to the advent of the careers of the artists Gordon Bennett, Robert Campbell Jnr, Fiona Foley, Tracy Moffatt, Lin Onus and Judy Watson. It will also explore how these artists have contributed to change through their work.
By the 1970s, viewing Aboriginal art through a primitive paradigm was becoming unpopular. New ways were being developed to look at global arts and liberate them from the pigeon holes of Western art history. An exhibition in Paris in 1989, Magiciens de la Terre, attempted to challenge primitivist paradigms by showing the work of fifty artists from the West together with a similar number of artists from non- Western traditions. The exhibition presented all the artists as ‘contemporary’ with an example being a huge mud circle painted on a wall by the British environmental artist Richard Long, alongside a ground sculpture by a group of Aboriginal artists from the Yuendumu community in Central Australia (Morphy 1999).
The background to this exhibition began in the early 1980s when, for the first time, Aboriginal artists were included along with other contemporary white artists in the Sydneyexhibition of Perspecta 1981. In 1983, the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris exhibited a large ground painting made by twelve Warlpiri men from the Lajamanu community. The ground painting’s ephemeral quality reflected the exhibition’s theme of Dream and Reality. It also created an avant-garde interest because it was an ephemeral ‘dematerialized’ art object and was considered to follow on the legacy of avant-garde challenges to mainstream expectations of an object-orientated art world (Myers 1998). However, although the recognition of Aboriginal art as being contemporary rescued it from being marginalised, it was only the art of remote communities in the north and centre ofAustralia that were achieving recognition. The art of the south that was being done by Aboriginal people in urban and rural areas remained unrecognized in what W.E.H. Stanner called ‘the great Australian silence’ (Morphy 1999).
Although Aboriginal artists in south-eastern Australiacontinued to produce art and craftworks, and some such as Ronald Bull (1942- 79) gained a reputation in the art world, they were negatively viewed as either producers of tourist art or, if they were mainstream contemporary artists, as being assimilated into Western culture. In 1993 the Aratjara Exhibition that touredEurope attempted to rectify the situation. The curators adopted the broad conception of Aboriginal art because, as the art historian Ian McLean notes, it was ‘not until 1990 were there signs of an institutional shift towards the inclusion of urban Aboriginal artists’ (Morphy 1999, p.378). Many of the artists included in this exhibition had been developing from the 1970s onwards in the art world and art schools of urbanAustralia. They drew their inspiration from many different sources reflecting the diversity of their backgrounds. Many found inspiration through personal pilgrimages back to the country of their forebears or in visiting fellow artists in remote communities (Morphy 1999).
Dijon Mundine facilitated communication between Aboriginal artists in the south-eastern states and those in Central Arnhem Landcreating ‘an environment of shared experiences in which mutual understanding developed’ (Morphy 1999, p. 392). Some of the artists that visited Arnhem Landduring this time were Campbell, Fiona Foley (b.1964) and Gordon Bennett (b. 1955). Bennett, a Brisbane-based artist, says that his paintings are ‘an ethnography of representation’ (Morphy 1999, p.399). He characteristically uses a representational system to draw complex analogies between Western art history and the colonial domination of Aborigines. In Outsider (1988) he uses Vincent Van Gogh’s Bedroom at Arles (1889) to show a headless Aboriginal person standing over a bed with two classical heads lying upon it. This postmodernist appropriation seems to challenge both his understanding of his formal art education and his sense of identity within that framework.
After graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Bennett had first major solo exhibition in 1989 and has since achieved critical acclaim. He continues to engage his work in questions of cultural and personal identity (National Gallery of Victoria 2008). He describes this personal journey: “I was socialized into a Euro-Australian system of representation which included an art school education. However, my approach to aesthetics is to seek to extend my concepts of it and by extension to expand my concepts of representation’ (Morphy 1999, p.403). His paintings include much graphic detail, narrative, words, grids and commercial logos During the 1990s his Home Décor series uses the aesthetics of the De Stijl art movement to depict stylized Aboriginal figures, (appropriated from the work of 1940s print artist Margaret Preston), as decorative artefacts entrapped upon a Modernist grid. After travelling toNew York in 1998, he developed a street-style appropriated from the 1980s neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat to convey the graffiti of racial and political activism.
The complex nature of the influences and history that involves much contemporary Aboriginal art is exemplified in the work of Fiona Foley. After graduating from the SydneyCollegeof the Arts in 1986, Foley, along with other ‘urban’ artists such as Tracy Moffatt, Bronwyn Bancroft and Michael Riley, was a founding member of the Boomali Aboriginal Arts Cooperative in Sydney. She has worked in many different types of media and became well-known for her collaboration with the artist Janet Laurence on the installation The Edge of Trees (1994) for the Museum of Sydney (Allas 2008). Drawing on other Aboriginal art forms, Foley’s work becomes a commentary on the history of racism and oppression. The sculpture The Annihilation of the Blacks (1986) looks much like Fish on Poles (1962) an Aurukun sculpture that formed the focal point for a ceremonial dance. Foley’s sculpture, rather than being hunted fish, show dead bodies of Aboriginal people being hung upon poles. Also, in 1996 she made a ground sculpture much like traditional ground sculptures. Using flour as a material signified its importance in subjugating Aboriginal people in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Foley’s photographic work, such as Native Blood (1994), explores the Western representational genre through photographing herself as an ‘erotic primitive’ (Morphy 1999). Again, like Bennett, she works from the position of postmodernism to change historical context.
The academic Chris Healy describes Foley as a witness; ‘her work is all about determined efforts of remembering- bearing witness to both specific instances and pan-Aboriginal experiences of colonialism- and refusing to remain silent’ (Healy 2003). Originally from FraserIsland, also the birthplace of the poet Oodgeroo Noonucal, her work brings a connection between art, Aboriginality, and place. Djon Mundine observed about her work; ‘this raw material- [is] a form of cultural memory- from FraserIslanditself… For Foley, this was an art practice carried out in a custodial role, a way of reclaiming the history of her people and their land’ (Healy 2003). In her piece Lie of the Land (1997), Foley lists the names of objects traded with Aboriginal people in the 1835 ‘treaty’ with John Batman. These words are engraved on seven sandstone slabs three metres in height and effectively records on giant headstones the objects which cost so many lives (Healy 2003).
While the urban Aboriginal art movement has grown in significance since the 1990s, the focus of it being somewhat marginalised has changed into it joining, without differentiation, to mainstream contemporary art. With this change, artists such as Bennett, Foley and photographer Tracy Moffatt (b.1960) insist on their recognition as artists not simply ‘Aboriginal artists’ (McCulloch 2001). Moffatt explores issues of race, history and gender through staged Surrealist photographs and films. Nice Colored Girls (1987) was a film that staged contemporary encounters between Aboriginal women and European men montaged with references to colonial history and racist attitudes (Morphy 1999).
Like Bennett and Foley, Moffatt was born in Brisbane, and took her first snapshots at the age of 13 in the backyard. These formed a series of coarse-grained off-set prints called the Backyard Series (1998), with one of the photos featuring a nativity scene played by children. Moffatt was adopted into a white family and these garden photographs reflect both the normality and surreal undercurrents which strain relationships in society. The film Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy (1989) is an ambiguous story about the relationship between an elderly white woman and her half-Aboriginal child (Versloot 2000). In a Moffatt wrote to theNew York curator Lynne Cooke she explained: ‘Making art is quite therapeutic, like chopping vegetables, it calms me and keeps me off the streets’ (Moffatt 1997). She went on to state how important it is to advance your art and be influenced by others; not to be scared of taking anything new. She also states that her influences were mainly women artists such asFrida Kahlo,Georgia O’Keefe and the photographer Anne Brigman (Moffett 1997).
Lin Onus (1948-1996), who was also introduced to the artists of Arnhem Land by Mundine, had a different background to Foley, Bennett and Moffatt. His art also grew from a personal pilgrimage, but he was born in Melbourne where his father was an Aboriginal entrepreneur and craftsman, and his mother was Scottish. Onus grew up in an atmosphere full of Aboriginal art and, although he had no art school training, by the age of seventeen his early paintings were being sold by his father. These paintings were landscape inspired by the work of Albert Namatjira (1902-59) and Ronald Bull. However, the late 1970s and early 1980s brought a change in his work inspired by Trevor Nickolls (b.1949), an Aboriginal artist who went to art school in the early 1970s and was exposed to a wide range of contemporary art. He then spent much time in Arnhem Land and was taught clan paintings by artists such as Jack Wunuwun and Johnny BulunBulun. He painted a series of portraits of these artists in a hyperreal style on a background of their own paintings.
Towards the end of his life Onus turned increasingly to sculpture, using parody as a theme. His group Dingoes (1989) are realistically formed but painted in ochred colours of the Aboriginal flag. The group illustrates the life cycle of a dingo and includes a dingo breaking through a dingo-proof fence which was, according to Onus, ‘a commentary on the treatment of these native animals which in Aboriginal eyes approximates the treatment of Aboriginal people themselves’ (Morphy 1999, p.391). He also used three-dimensional installations to display his strong sense of irony and humour. Fruit Bats (1991), is an example of the cross-cultural references and meticulous detailing for which he became so well-known (McCulloch 2001).
Aboriginal art has now become part of the mainstream in contemporary art inAustraliaas it is collected by the same institutions, exhibited within the same gallery structures, and written about in the same journals. This has come about because of the struggle by Aboriginal artists to have their work incorporated rather than assimilated into the institutional structure. Artists such as Judy Watson (b.1959) show how the adaptability of Aboriginal art contributes to an overall push in it being judged on its aesthetic qualities rather than its story-telling properties (McCulloch 2001).
Watson uses painting, sculpture and print media to create complex, subtle works that evoke the spirit and feeling of place. Her style is predominantly non-figurative, using the texture and surface qualities of the painted canvas, lithographic stone, or plywood base to express meaning. Her set of sculptures the guardians/ guardian spirit (1986-87) represent the matrilineal part of her family. The figure forms allude to termite mounds and the spirits that they represent. Many of her paintings are designed to hang without frames like textiles (Morphy 1999). Another Brisbane-based artist, in 1990 she was able to experience her Aboriginal heritage when she visited her grandmother’s country in north-westQueensland.
Although art from the south-east of Australia generally fits into a global category of contemporary art that emphasizes individual style, there are common themes and patterns of influence that distinguish Aboriginal art. Many artists draw on themes of their identity, past and also shared experiences of oppression. The subject matter of Robert Campbell (1944-1993) ranged from the history of racism in rural NSW to its mundane existence. Growing up in Kempsey, he learnt to draw at the primary school at Burnt Bridge Mission where he also helped his father decorate boomerangs. Whilst working as a seasonal worker around Kempsey and a labourer in Sydney, he developed what Djon Mundine calls a ‘confident’ and ‘idiosyncratic’ style (Mundine 2008) painting for tourists and local art shows using available materials.
Campbell’s work is both humorous and insightful and he wrote: ‘As an urban Aboriginal artist my work does not look “typically Aboriginal”… My paintings are in fact very much what I feel in my own heart. Very personal’, (Morphy 1999, p.380). A characteristic of his work is the contrast between the bright optimism conveyed in the colours of the paintings and the dark themes they explore. In Death in Custody (1987) he documents an important issue of contemporary Aboriginal politics; that Aboriginal people are the most imprisoned segment of the Australian population and the number of young men who die in custody (Morphy 1999).
It is because of the starkness of the statistics of Aboriginal poverty, infant mortality, sickness, and prison populations that these artists continue to address these issues. However, this should not necessarily pigeon-hole them as “Aboriginal” artists. Their work is political as well as being concerned with identity. These are subjects which interest many contemporary artists. By extending the boundaries of popular response through the use of new contexts, these artists have been able to change attitudes to the way their art is viewed. Furthermore, there is a need for Aboriginal artists to continue to explore their Aboriginality and through their work, aid non-Aboriginal people in understanding the impact of racism and disinheritance.
Gordon Bennett, 2008, Retrieved January 23, 2009 from http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/gordonbennett
Healy, C., 2003, Fiona Foley. Silent witness? Retrieved January 26, 2009, from http://www.anu.edu/hrc/research/WtoS/Healy.pdf
McCulloch, S., 2001, Contemporary Aboriginal Art- A guide to the rebirth of an ancient culture-Revised Edition, Allen & Unwin Sydney
Moffatt, T., 1997, A letter from Tracey Moffatt to Lynne Cooke, curator of Dia Centre for the Arts, New York, in advance of her show “Free Falling”, Retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://www.diacenter.org/exhibs/moffatt/project/traceymoffatt.html
Morphy, H., 1999, Aboriginal Art, Phaidon Press,London
Myers, F., 1998, Uncertain Regard: An Exhibition of Aboriginal Art in France, Ethnos Vol. 63, No.1, Retrieved January 22, 2009 from http://www.homepages.nyu.edu
Versloot, A., 2000, Roller Queens and Narrow-minded Machos- The World of Tracey Moffatt, Retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://www.radionetherlands.nl/features/cultureandhistory/moffatt000602.html
Allas, T. (n.d), Fiona Foley, Retrieved January 30, 2009 from http://www.daao.org.au/main/read/2575
Gordon Bennett (n.d.), Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/gordonbennett/
Green, C., 1999, Beyond the Future: The Third Asia-Pacific Triennale Art Journal Vol.58, No.4 pp.81-87, College Art Association
Judy Watson (n.d.), Retrieved January 26, 2009 from http://www.nga.gov.au/Landscapes/Wat.htm
Ladds, A. (n.d.), The Reconciler, Retrieved January 31, 2009 from http://www.theblurb.com.au/Issue27/LinOnus.htm
Mundine, D. 2008, Robert Campbell (Junior), Retrieved January 26, 2009 from http://www.daao.org.au/main/recent
Nelson, R., 2007, Gordon Bennett, Retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts-reviews/gordon-bennett/2007/09/19/11898815568
Through artists eyes: Tracey Moffatt and Gordon Bennett Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://www.artmuseum.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=97971&pid=0
White, A., 2000, Aboriginal Art: Sacred and Profane, Review of Susan McCulloch, Contemporary Aboriginal Art: A Guide to the Rebirth of an Ancient Culture, Art Journal Vol. 59, No.4, pp.105-107, College Art Association
Tags Aboriginal, Australia, Contemporary Art
Categories 21st century, Aboriginal, Art, art as a weapon, continual struggle, eminent artists, social criticism, Uncategorized
The Incredible Journey of Rover Thomas
Judith Ryan wrote about the artist Rover Thomas in her 1993 catalogue essay for the National Gallery of Victoria exhibition of Aboriginal art: ‘As an artist Thomas is not locked inside language patterns or ritual structures of the Western Desert; he looks beyond them to another world of reality and enjoys the freedom to depict this expansively…’ (McCulloch S., 1999). Acquiring his own individual style, Thomas’ paintings are characteristic for their highly textured ochre surface, minimal imagery and sense of space. A restricted palette, in which black usually predominates, leaves an aesthetic impression of a highly resolved abstract painting. As an overview of Rover Thomas’ life, this essay will attempt to understand how he developed so fully as an artist at such a late stage of his life, and why his work had such an individual character.
During the early decades of the twentieth century the cattle industry was established in the Kimberley region of far northWestern Australia. The Indigenous people of the area lost all their land as European settlers took it for their cattle stations. These stations then used the Indigenous people as forced labour. Along with Europeans staking claim to these people’s lands, they expected them to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes that would make life easier for the settlers. However, it also suited the pastoralists to have a compliant workforce so the Aboriginal people were also left much to their own devices, allowing them to sustain the values and traditions of their tribal lives (Carrigan B., 2003). Rover Thomas Joolana was born into this new and relatively dependent relationship in an Aboriginal camp around 1926 near Well 33 on theCanning Stock Route. His birth was not officially recorded, but it is known that both his fathers (his actual father and the man who raised him) were Wangkajungka, his mother Kukaja. These are two adjacent language groups in theKimberley. Thomas never knew first hand the world his parents had known before white settlement, but still was able to understand the rules of Dreaming which continued to shape the local Indigenous world.
When he was about ten his mother died and he was moved to Billiluna Station, where he worked as a jackaroo and was initiated into traditional law by a man from Sturt Creek. Another Kimberley artist, Queenie McKenzie, told of how she sewed Thomas’ scalp back on after it was trodden on by a horse (McCulloch S.,1999). He then worked with a fencing contractor in Wyndham and later the Northern Territory. He eventually returned toWestern Australiawhere he worked as a stockman on the Bow River Station. Later, he worked at the Texas Downs Station for nine years and then Old Lissadell and Mabel Downs stations. He then returned to Texas Downs where he married his second wife. By the 1960s changes in popular views forced the government to introduce new pastoral laws which mandated equal pay for both Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal workers. Unfortunately this saw the majority of Aboriginal workers dismissed as they were no longer a source of cheap labour. They gravitated towards the towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Kununurra. In the eastern Kimberley a camp called Warmun was established by the Gija people at Turkey Creek, whose traditional lands surround Halls Creek to the south.
Back in 1974 when Thomas moved to Warmun, it was a small government reserve and a difficult place to live. It had few facilities and makeshift housing was all that was available. Only a few buildings had electricity and there was no running water. The social conditions were difficult as tensions increased with the expanding and diversified population. Turkey Creek was more of a refugee camp rather than a community; many felt excluded and longed to return to their country, and most were apprehensive of the encroachment of mineral and energy exploration. Fortunately, the prevailing government was interested in Aboriginal conditions and investment in community infrastructure began. A school was to be established, a community store constructed, houses built, a bore sunk, pipes and taps installed, electricity provided and pensions and welfare benefits became available, allowing basic needs to be met. It was to this paradoxical but burgeoning community that Rover Thomas moved to and it became the background for him ‘finding’ the Kurirr Kurirr, a ceremonial narrative dance cycle (Carrigan B., 2003).
Thomas’ story about how he became an artist is entwined with an event in 1974, in which one of his elderly female relatives was badly injured and died after a car accident near Turkey Creek. Her spirit visited him soon afterward and related to him Dreamtime stories and songs. Thomas shared these dreams with his community, who evolved a ceremonial song and dance cycle from them called Kurirr Kurirr (Genocchio B., 2008). The Kurirr Kurirr is an embodiment of the spirit of the old woman who died while being flown to Perth for medical treatment. The narrative sequence of the cycle follows her spirit back across her country; along the way encountering Dreamtime beings, as well as events from the historical past such as a particular massacre. The Rainbow Serpent predominates in Kurirr Kurirr, being associated with the swollen creek in which the accident happened, Cyclone Tracy, and the tidal whirlpool at Derby over which the old woman dies. The Rainbow serpent also underlies this cycle of work in a profound way by linking the region’s diverse language groups and giving them chains of communication and cooperation (Carrigan B., 2003).
As the Warmun community developed this song/dance cycle they travelled and performed it over much of the north of Western Australia, even into the Northern Territory. The most important part of the ceremony was the painted boards, left over from community building work and carried by the dancers. The first of these boards were painted by Thomas’ uncle Paddy Jaminji from the stories that Rover related to him. Jaminji was recognised as the artist of the community as he had been known for his wooden carvings and ochre patterning on boomerangs (Genocchio B., 2008). Mary Macha, a government art consultant was incredibly excited when she saw these boards for the first time: ‘Paddy showed it to me…More paintings were added and, of course they suffered in their travels… But they were powerful!’ (McCulloch S., 1999, p.118). Even though Jaminji was initially not interested in selling them to her, he eventually sold her two sets on condition that she brought him more boards.
However, Thomas perhaps became frustrated at his lack of recognition as ‘Dreamer’ of these paintings and strode up to Mary Macha a few years later and said: ‘Rover Thomas, I want to paint’ (Thomas R., 1994, p.49). At first, Thomas and Jaminji worked together on a level piece of ground then, when houses were built, they were able to paint on the concrete floor. An example of their first collaboration is The Spirits Jimpi and Marginta (1983), depicting the two devils that accompany the spirit of the old woman (McCulloch S., 1999). It was painted in thickly applied ochre pigments mixed with gum collected from the surrounding trees. Later the two artists began to paint on their own and, although these paintings by Thomas and Jaminji could appear to be a recently invented style through which it is hard to see continuity with earlier styles, the Australian National Gallery curator Wally Caruana states that the style is deeply rooted in the traditional pictorial conventions of the east Kimberley rock art. It is also associated with the patterns of body painting traditions (Thomas R., 1994).
Paddy Jaminji and Rover Thomas
The spirits Jimpi and Manginta 1983
natural pigments on plywood
60.0 x 120.0 cm
National Gallery ofAustralia
Jaminji’s paintings show a careful and precise stippling of white clay dots delineating the different coloured forms in the work, whereas Thomas’ own work of 1983, such as The Dog and the Emu at Lake Gregory shows more impatience with the same method. Jaminji is also careful to compose the imagery of his paintings with a certain balanced symmetry while Thomas’ composition is quite haphazard. Most of Thomas’ work of 1983 is also rough in execution, according to Mary Macha due to his use of bush gums that were mixed with his pigments. It resulted in a rough, loose textures finish that made it difficult for the overpainting of white dots to adhere to the ground. It was when he was introduced to the water-soluble gum of the Kurrajong tree that the artists of Kulumburu used, that he was able to achieve stability and the matt surface that he desired (Rover Thomas Joolama n.p.).
The Dog and the Emu at Lake Gregory 1983
natural pigments on hardboard
One of the most striking works of that year is Wungurr is the name for that Snake (1983). Two snakes, one charcoal black, the other yellow ochre are entwined forming a powerfully graphic presence on the orange-coloured raw plywood base. Again, Thomas has executed the white dot outlines quickly, with the outer dots of the black snake allowing the yellow snake to become part of the interior space. It is the embodiment of the Rainbow Serpent and depicts the junction at Turkey Creek where the woman had her accident (Thomas R., 1994). An extension to the story of this painting is Ngamarrin (The Snake near Turkey Creek) (1984). It depicts the Snake crawling over the hills, the darker areas representing burnt grass and shadows. Where the serpent shows its head, depicted in lighter ochre with a white dot for the eye, is the place where the car accident happened (Thomas R., 1994). There are three separate colours used in this painting, a large area of dark red-brown which is applied in differing layers of transparency, a lighter more orange ochre that provides a background, and a large central single area of charcoal black that represents the landscape. The painting also shows a more steadfast and persistent effort in its depiction of area, and is a precursor to the later more austere compositions.
Ngamarrin (the Snake near Turkey Creek) 1984
A good example of a more simplified composition is Bedford Downs Massacre (1985) which shows a complete break from figurative imagery to illustrate a narrative of an incident that occurred between European and Aboriginal peoples around 1924 in theEast Kimberley. The massacre at Bedford Downs relates to an incident in which, after the collection dray loads of wood by the Aboriginal workers, the manager of the station distributes poisoned rations of food to them. Along, along with the manager’s neighbours, they shoot the victims while they are incapacitated and writhing in agony. They then use the wood to cremate the dead (Thomas R., 1994). The pale ochre that is used in the three key spaces of the painting conveys a sinister image of ash on dark red ground and, along with its title, the starkness of the narrative.
Again, in 1986, he simplifies both his composition and palette further in Lake Argyle. Only two colours are used, charcoal and red ochre, to effectively show a topographical view of the dam on the OrdRiver. Again the pigments are laid on quickly, with the gum to add translucency, to create four simplified shapes outlined in white clay stippling. Thomas describes it as a place where a star fell during the Dreamtime. ‘The water, lake, go right down… my drawing, water go in there, he go all the way water. Long time ago, but still a hole there’ (Thomas R., 1994, p.58). This still relates to the Kurirr Kurirr cycle in which water, as a manifestation of the Rainbow Serpent, plays a role of transportation.
Lake Argyle 1986
natural pigments on canvas
Much of Thomas’ work also relates to places that he has travelled through, and portrays both the intimacy and enjoyment he had through his connection with the landscape. The unusual painting Roads meeting (1987) shows a crossroads where a bitumen road and a dirt track meet. The two outstretched hands are supposed to represent the stop signs on the road. It is unusual because of its graphic, diagonally geometric representation and lack of organic shapes. The hands are similar to hand stencils found in rock art traditions, and seem to be reaching out to each other. It could be interpreted as a conceptual portrayal of the traditional, represented by the dirt track, and the modern, represented by the bitumen road, meeting and reaching out to each other. Thomas was quite individualistic within his community. He lived on his own outside the settlement and spent much of his time working inPerth at his main benefactor, Mary Macha’s, house (Carrigan B., 2008).
Roads meeting 1987
Thomas returned to the theme of the Bedford Downs massacre in 1988 with the painting Kananganja (Mount King). Here, the large main shape is representative ofMountKing, and the long, thin areas are where it casts its shadow. The small circle in the lower left corner represents the place where the bodies of the poison victims were burnt. Verse 15 of the Kurirr Kurirr Cycle describes how Thomas dreamed the event:
The shade from the hill comes over and talks in language: ‘munga lurrlungu’,
The Devil Devil and woman look around and see the shadow [spirits] of people killed long ago by Kartiya [white people].
They see where the bodies had been burned.
They make a song about those people.
Rover Thomas (Thomas, 1994, p. 26)
The painting, like the first Bedford Downs Massacre of 1985, is sombre in its choice of colours. There is little contrast between the tones of orange-yellow ochres chosen, except for the dark red circle where the bodies were burned.
Kananganja (Mount King) 1988
Grugrugi: Owl 1989 is a return to full figurative representation and uses a more detailed motif of a previous painting in 1984, Ngarrangkani. The white ochre owls are depicted in a vertically reverse form of each other, yet are similar in most other respects. They are Dreamtime spirits, maybe the spirit of the woman, and bear a resemblance to the Wandjina figures through their large eyes and simplified noses and mouths. The eyes of the upright owl show red amongst the browns and pale yellow ochres of the rest of the painting.
Another massacre depicted as part of the Killing Times series is the Ruby Plains killing in which the owner and manager of the Ruby Plains Station come across some Aboriginal men butchering a stolen bullock. They shoot and decapitate the men and place their heads in a hollow tree. The men’s friends are alerted to where they are by the crows that gather over the dead bodies (Thomas R., 1994). Ruby Plains killing 2 (1990) shows the heads of the murdered people in the hollow of the tree trunk, as well as depicting the place where the murders happened through the use of a topographical plane. It shows the Ruby Plains Station as a circle in the upper part of the painting and the road to Balgo which extends in two ways from it. The longer black lines represent the creek which feeds into the OrdRiver then Lake Argyle (Thomas R., 1994). The depiction of such murders by Thomas seems to suggest that his intention was to create an historical record of the events which had never been officially recorded, other than by Aboriginal oral tradition.
Ruby Plains killing 2 1990
In 1983 Thomas painted a very simple composition called The Rainbow Serpent destroyed Darwin which illustrated the movement of Cyclone Tracy. In Cyclone Tracy (1991) he painted a more elaborate version of these events. The black line rising from the bottom of the painting shows the starting place of the wind, then as the line turns and widens into a large space it shows the full force of the cyclone. The yellow ochre lines running into this large black area show more winds feeding the cyclone and the red ochre portrays the wind filled with red dust (Thomas R., 1994).
Looking across from Kununurra they see that Darwin has been flattened by the cyclone.
The Rainbow Serpent destroyed Darwin.
Verse 31 Kurirr Kurirr Cycle
Rover Thomas (Thomas, 1994, p.27)
The painting is significant in being able to successfully convey an effective impression of the crescendo of the cyclone. The black area swallows the yellow ochres like a large mouth. The blackness swallows everything in its path.
Cyclone Tracy 1991
In 1991 Thomas went on to paint his birthplace on the Canning Stock Route and his father’s burial place, these became the subjects in which he was interested in the latter part of his life (Carrigan B., 2003:78). He painted the things that were important to him and were directly related to his own experiences Mary Macha relates that he was a traveller and did not constrict himself to painting ‘his own country’, saying in an interview: “Once, when he was painting down here, someone asked him, ‘is that your country?’ And he just laughed and said, ‘no I steal anybody’s country’” (Carrigan B., 2003, p.63). After being the first Aboriginal artist, along with Trevor Nicholls, to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale of 1990, Thomas received a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Australia in 1994. However, his health was failing and after 1995 he was only able to paint sporadically. Illness and failing eyesight were taking their toll when he died in 1998. His unique vision and style reflect his affinity and understanding of the landscape and events. Also, without being a part of any major international art movement, the power and the simplicity of his work cannot properly place his work in the realm of contemporary abstractionism, but reveals it as a visualization of transcendental thought.
Ackerman, K. 1998, Rover Thomas- tribute http://www.artlink.com.au/articles.cfm?id=1390 Retrieved: 4.1.09
Artists Biography- Rover Thomas Joolama c. 1926-1998 www.ngv.vic.gov.au/rover_queenie/rover.html Retrieved: 4.1.09
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/media/archives_2004/rover_thomas Retrieved: 4.1.09
Carrigan, B. Ed. 2003, Rover Thomas- I want to paint, Heytesbury Pty Ltd T/ as the Holmes a Court Gallery,Perth
Gennochio, B. 2008, Dollar Dreaming- Inside the Aboriginal Art World, Hardie Grant Books,Melbourne
Mc Culloch, S., 1999, Contemporary Aboriginal Art: A guide to the rebirth of an ancient culture, Allen and Unwin,Sydney
Morphy, H, 1998. Aboriginal Art, Phaidon Press,London
www.ngv.vic.gov.au/iwanttopaint Retrieved: 4.1.09
Thomas, R. 1994, Roads Cross- The Paintings of Rover Thomas, The National Gallery ofAustralia,Canberra
Tags Aboriginal, Australia, Kimberley, Painting, Rover Thomas, The Philosophy of Art, Western Desert
Categories Australia, Uncategorized
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Tillie Leblang
With her husband and daughters, Tillie LeBlang created a multi–million–dollar box office that transformed the way Broadway shows sold tickets. Tillie Richter married Joseph LeBlang, a shopkeeper, in 1900. At the time, store owners could make deals with press agents to display theater posters in their stores in exchange for free tickets. Joseph not only began selling his tickets but convinced theater owners to sell him unsold tickets at a discount, which he then passed on to customers. By 1897 he had turned his cigar store into a full–time box office, helping even unpopular shows stay afloat by selling discount tickets. The couple also bought five theaters. When Joseph died in 1931, Tillie took over the business and expanded it, producing two plays herself in 1932: Tell the Truth and The DuBarry. She helped the business survive the Depression and after she became ill in 1944 she transferred ownership to their three daughters. LeBlang also served as founding president of Ivriah, the women’s division of the Jewish Educational Alliance; director of the Children’s Welfare League, and director of the Blue Bird Camp for Children.
Topics: Entrepreneurs, Summer Camps, Theater, Philanthropy, Organizations and Institutions
More on Tillie Leblang
Encyclopedia Article: Tillie Leblang
Entrepreneur, Theater Producer, Founder, Organizational Leader
Jewish Women's Archive. "Tillie Leblang." (Viewed on July 15, 2019) <https://jwa.org/people/leblang-tillie>.
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He moved to Antwerp that November, and rented a room above a paint dealer's shop in the rue des Images (Lange Beeldekensstraat).[91] He lived in poverty and ate poorly, preferring to spend the money Theo sent on painting materials and models. Bread, coffee and tobacco became his staple diet. In February 1886 he wrote to Theo that he could only remember eating six hot meals since the previous May. His teeth became loose and painful.[92] In Antwerp he applied himself to the study of colour theory and spent time in museums—particularly studying the work of Peter Paul Rubens—and broadened his palette to include carmine, cobalt blue and emerald green. Van Gogh bought Japanese ukiyo-e woodcuts in the docklands, later incorporating elements of their style into the background of some of his paintings.[93] He was drinking heavily again,[94] and was hospitalised between February and March 1886,[95] when he was possibly also treated for syphilis.[96][note 6]
Between February and April 1890 Van Gogh suffered a severe relapse. Depressed and unable to bring himself to write, he was still able to paint and draw a little during this time,[168] and he later wrote to Theo that he had made a few small canvases "from memory ... reminisces of the North".[169] Among these was Two Peasant Women Digging in a Snow-Covered Field at Sunset. Hulsker believes that this small group of paintings formed the nucleus of many drawings and study sheets depicting landscapes and figures that Van Gogh worked on during this time. He comments that this short period was the only time that Van Gogh's illness had a significant effect on his work.[170] Van Gogh asked his mother and his brother to send him drawings and rough work he had done in the early 1880s so he could work on new paintings from his old sketches.[171] Belonging to this period is Sorrowing Old Man ("At Eternity's Gate"), a colour study Hulsker describes as "another unmistakable remembrance of times long past".[90][172] His late paintings show an artist at the height of his abilities, according to the art critic Robert Hughes, "longing for concision and grace".[114]
Those of you who have followed this saga and supported my efforts with your countless emails will understand when I say that regardless of money, ethics, William Morris Agents and their lawyers, and anyone else who has the guts to call this project their own, I can honestly say that I am sitting here in my apartment in New York City SMILING BIG SMILES because I know in my heart (and so does EVERYONE ELSE) that this whole bloody thing...and all of your happiness....was because of something I did.
^ Theo and his wife, Gachet and his son, and Signac, who all saw Van Gogh after the bandages were removed, maintained that only the earlobe had been removed.[142] According to Doiteau and Leroy, the diagonal cut removed the lobe and probably a little more.[143] The policeman and Rey both claimed Van Gogh severed the entire outer ear;[142] Rey repeated his account in 1930, writing a note for novelist Irving Stone and including a sketch of the line of the incision.[144]
By this time van Gogh was ready for such lessons, and the changes that his painting underwent in Paris between the spring of 1886 and February 1888 led to the creation of his personal idiom and style of brushwork. His palette at last became colourful, his vision less traditional, and his tonalities lighter, as may be seen in his first paintings of Montmartre. By the summer of 1887 he was painting in pure colours and using broken brushwork that is at times pointillistic. Finally, by the beginning of 1888, van Gogh’s Post-Impressionist style had crystallized, resulting in such masterpieces as Portrait of Père Tanguy and Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel, as well as in some landscapes of the Parisian suburbs.
We also love our new sectional! Art Van had a ton of options to choose from and it took us a second visit to nail down which one we wanted most. Pretty much everything can be customized from fabric to power options as well, which worked in our favor. They offer great long warranties, too, which was important to us since we have a dog. We were able to find a sectional with a chaise, center console, and power reclining seats which was so hard to find any where else. We got exactly what we wanted.
The exact sequence of events which led to Van Gogh's mutilation of his ear is not known. Gauguin stated, fifteen years later, that the night followed several instances of physically threatening behaviour.[138] Their relationship was complex, and Theo may have owed money to Gauguin, who was suspicious that the brothers were exploiting him financially.[139] It seems likely that Van Gogh had realised that Gauguin was planning to leave.[139] The following days saw heavy rain, leading to the two men being shut in the Yellow House.[140] Gauguin reported that Van Gogh followed when Gauguin left the house for a walk, and "rushed towards me, an open razor in his hand".[140] This account is uncorroborated;[141] Gauguin was almost certainly absent from the Yellow House that night, most likely in a hotel.[140]
In 1980, the company issued its first credit card and in 1985 the company introduced clearance centers attached to many of the stores offering overstocked merchandise.[3] In 2009, the company's half-centennial, Art Van Furniture was named furniture retailer of the year by Furniture Today magazine.[7] In 2013, the company made a $50 million investment in the State of Illinois to open a sequence of new establishments in the state.[8] In 2015 Patti Smith wrote about Art Van stores as a favorite hang-out of hers during the 1970s.[9] The CEO of the company is Ron Boire.[10] Art Van also operates Scott Shuptrine Interiors retail locations. In March 2017 the company was purchased by Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) a private equity firm based in Boston.[1]
The time in Arles became one of Van Gogh's more prolific periods: he completed 200 paintings, and more than 100 drawings and watercolours.[115] He was enchanted by the local landscape and light; his works from this period are rich in yellow, ultramarine and mauve. His paintings include harvests, wheat fields and general rural landmarks from the area, including The Old Mill (1888), a picturesque structure bordering the wheat fields.[116] This was one of seven canvases sent to Pont-Aven on 4 October 1888 in an exchange of works with Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, Charles Laval and others.[116]
I remember in the book that Caractacus was married. There was no love interest, no love story. So I think bringing Truly Scrumptious in works very well because we had assumed he was a widower. And they couldn't have picked a better Truly Scrumptious than Sally [Sally Ann Howes]. They came up with Sally Ann and I heard her voice, and it was the richest contralto. She auditioned with "The Lovely Lonely Man" and I thought, "My God, this girl is great!" and then she was stunningly beautiful. She loved those kids and they loved her, which I think comes across on the screen. They just thought a great deal of her and she spent a lot of time with them, you know, between shots - telling stories and playing games during all those long waiting periods.
Limited access to life outside the clinic resulted in a shortage of subject matter. Van Gogh instead worked on interpretations of other artist's paintings, such as Millet's The Sower and Noonday Rest, and variations on his own earlier work. Van Gogh was an admirer of the Realism of Jules Breton, Gustave Courbet and Millet,[164] and he compared his copies to a musician's interpreting Beethoven.[165]
Despite being a relatively unknown actor, Van Dyke got starring billing in his breakthrough 1961 TV series, The Dick Van Dyke Show. The now-classic comedy series was created by Carl Reiner, formerly a writer and performer on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Van Dyke drew from his own life for the show, which centered around the lives of TV writer Rob Petrie and his wife, Laura (played by Mary Tyler Moore). Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam played Petrie's friends and co-workers on the program.
Vincent van Gogh, in full Vincent Willem van Gogh, (born March 30, 1853, Zundert, Netherlands—died July 29, 1890, Auvers-sur-Oise, near Paris, France), Dutch painter, generally considered the greatest after Rembrandt van Rijn, and one of the greatest of the Post-Impressionists. The striking colour, emphatic brushwork, and contoured forms of his work powerfully influenced the current of Expressionism in modern art. Van Gogh’s art became astoundingly popular after his death, especially in the late 20th century, when his work sold for record-breaking sums at auctions around the world and was featured in blockbuster touring exhibitions. In part because of his extensive published letters, van Gogh has also been mythologized in the popular imagination as the quintessential tortured artist.
The piece comes back and looks horrible. The fabric was torn and stapled back together unevenly. We called Art Van to complain and were promised to be contacted by the manager. In the meantime we moved and didn't get a chance to call manager back. We called back and were told manager would contact us. Nothing. I finally called the manager, Kathy Smith, today and received the worst treatment I've ever experienced from a store. Right away she had a chip on her should and said because it's been 8 months since original purchase, we couldn't get a replacement and basically it wasn't her problem. I wasn't rude and didn't say anything to anger her but she acted like I was trying to steal from her. I explained that if we could not get the piece replaced (which is ridiculous by itself), could we get a decent discount on the purchase of two new pieces? We need to get the reverse pieces for the new house and were hoping after all the inconvenience, that they could work with us since the original piece looks terrible from being serviced.
In 1892 Émile Bernard organised a small solo show of Van Gogh's paintings in Paris, and Julien Tanguy exhibited his Van Gogh paintings with several consigned from Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. In April 1894 the Durand-Rue Gallery in Paris agreed to take 10 paintings on consignment from Van Gogh's estate.[269] In 1896, the Fauvist painter Henri Matisse, then an unknown art student, visited John Peter Russell on Belle Île off Brittany.[270][271] Russell had been a close friend of Van Gogh; he introduced Matisse to the Dutchman's work, and gave him a Van Gogh drawing. Influenced by Van Gogh, Matisse abandoned his earth-coloured palette for bright colours.[271][272]
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Heroines of Beauty and Lust: An Interview with Projekt Wolfenstahl
Posted on November 22, 2015 by Neko-chi
Even though Japan is considered the dominant producer of erotic art worldwide, slowly but steadily we see more and more Westerners trying to earn a share of the market. One of the newest teams of people devoted to this effort is Projekt Wolfenstahl, a dynamic duo that enjoys creating lewd images and storylines. During this interview we’ve had the opportunity to talk about the past, new projects, hentai and much more.
Neko-chi (N): Introduce yourselves to us.
Wolfensahl (Wo): Hello, I’m Wolfenstahl, I guess I’m known to some people for being a hentai game developer on the games from Projekt Wolfenstahl as well as the story writer of the Deathblight webcomic. But aside from programming and developing characters and stories, I’m also taking care of our team-members as well as maintaining contact with partners, clients and fanbase. Basically I’m helping out in many ways.
I’m a bit shy when it comes to giving personal information on the internet, but… well, I do love dogs, cats and bears (basically all kinds of animals, especially carnivores). I also love anime like Fairy Tail, Jormungand, Akatsuki no Yona, Magi, etc. When it comes down to food, I guess Asian food is the way to go! This is probably because I’m half-Asian and I have been brought up this way, hahaha. I particularly love sushi and adobo!
Personality wise, a lot of people say that I talk a lot. And I guess they say that I’m a warm and nice person? Oh yes, and that I love to socialize with others! There’s quite a lot of stuff I “love”, right? Hahaha… Well, I think there isn’t much I dislike. Thinking about it, I dislike dishonest people. And that’s it I guess? I’m very tolerant towards others, so there’s nothing I really dislike.
Crescentia (C): Ahoy~ I’m Crescentia and I’m the artist of Projekt Wolfenstahl. I love anime and manga a lot (what a surprise xD) and I try to live from my passion which is drawing. So here I am saying hi! ^v^
(N): On your blog’s first post, back in 2012, you wrote that Projekt Wolfenstahl was something you were already working on for years. What inspired you to come up with and invest on this idea?
(Wo): Phew… that’s a long time ago! It started out as some sort of hobby, we never intended to make something big out of it. In fact, back then I had a regular job and money, and I basically paid for everything. I dreamed of creating games and stories with my characters, possibly for “free” (kinda, well, since I would have been the one to pay for the developement).
But, at one point, everything changed and we needed to rely on the things we created. Honestly I don’t remember when that happened… but it happened somewhere along the way. I think it was when I got kicked out of home? Somewhere around that time. After that I decided it would be best to try to turn our “hobby” into our actual everyday work. Even if this sounds silly to some people, we decided to invest our time into it, so we can build up our future.
(N): What were the biggest challenges you faced at the beginning?
(Wo): The biggest challenge at first was to gain enough “experience” to do what we wanted to do. Basically I had to get better at programming, but we also needed to earn money for our everyday needs. So I had to help out Cres with artworks as much as possible. After we overcame the first obstacles, we needed to expand our fanbase and constantly deliver new stuff. That’s where the webcomic comes in, I believe it helped us a lot in gaining more fans as well as building up some basic monthly income. We still need to work on commissions on a regular basis, especially with all the troubles and expenses 2015 brought us…
(C): For me it was a whole new thing. I did work digitally before, but never to the extend that was necessary for Paperheads, so I wasn’t very efficient at drawing. Everything took extremely long to complete and I had to fight against the frustration that I didn’t have time to draw on paper -which I was more used to back then. Also I faced difficulties with animating the sprites, because I hadn’t done anything like that before. It was very exhausting. Plus the fact that I wasn’t used to drawing for 6-8 hours on a daily basis. Until then I usually drew for about 1-2 hours per day.
(N): Tell us a few words about your creative process; how do you come up with game concepts, what steps follow after the basic structure has been found, the tools/software you use, etc.
(Wo): It depends. Most of the time I’m thinking about what other games lack. Sometimes I’m thinking about what might be exciting but doesn’t exist in a specific game genre yet. Of course it’s pretty much impossible to invent something entirely new. But I usually try to come up with something that is unique in one way or another. Often we have more than one game idea, so we discuss the different possibilities and decide for one of them. Afterwards, we discuss it in detail with our core team members, the planning process usually takes several weeks. Depending on game size, this can take up to 8 weeks with roughly 8 hours of work per day.
That’s a lot of time, but I prefer my projects structured and well planned out. During this time all the details and mechanics, as well as graphics, are all being decided on. Also this helps a lot with cost estimations and identifying potential production problems ahead of time. In the past we didn’t plan well enough, so we often ran into problems later on. But since we switched to planning out things well, we never ran into this problem again. Once this is done, we’re starting the initial project. For most of our projects we’re using Game Maker Studio, but we’ve also been looking at RPG Maker VX Ace and other software.
(N): Why did you decide to work on hentai instead of other, more mainstream and/or easily promoted genres?
(Wo): We started out with hentai games since it’s common that people with less game developement knowledge create hentai games. I don’t mean this in an insulting way! It’s just, if you look at the overall quality, gameplay-wise and often art-wise, it’s more tolerable to start out at an amateur level in this genre. Putting that aside, we’ve been fans of hentai games and we wanted to create such games ourselves. By now we’re not at that level anymore but… trying to get noticed with mainstream games while earning experience is way more difficult. Despite this, we want to create games for a wider audience eventually.
(C): If you are a small fish, it’s easier to get attention in a small pond with other small fishes instead of an ocean full of whales.
(N): It’s time to talk about your games.
Last Demon Hunter (completed)
(Wo): I think this one was a nice experiment. Sometimes I’m wondering how well it might be received if we flesh out the graphics and artworks more. But on the other hand I think it’s better to move on to the rest of our planned projects. On this project I learned a couple new things, programming wise. Some of the gained knowledge can be used in creating our future games, so this is a good thing! Overall I’m satisfied by how this one turned out to be.
(C): A small and nice experiment. Graphic wise we were able to experiment a bit more with the variations in the CGs since they are all sketches. And I’m curious if coloured artworks would get more people interested in this particular game, but on the other hand the way the CGs from LDH are done, it would be a hellish amount of work to flesh them out, because of the many variations in the scenes, so I prefer them to stay sketches. It’d be better to work on other projects that are more wanted from our supporters.
Geisterhand (dropped)
(Wo): Sometimes I really want to finish this project but the truth is this is most likely not going to happen. Cres’s art style has simply progressed too far, the contrast in skill level would be too great, and instead of remaking all the CGs we could do an all new game. I’d also need to redo all the programming, as well as all the levels and stuff. Basically starting from square one again. Furthermore, the game is already being viewed as a game that has no pixel sprite hentai, which was a huge let-down for a lot of people. From my own experience I know that once you view a game as a huge let-down, you won’t come back to check it again, since in the back of your mind it’s labeled as something unenjoyable. All these led us to the decision that we can’t continue on with Geisterhand, sadly.
(C): Compared to Paperheads a big step forward CG wise. Sprite wise I had to learn how to do pixel animations of which I think…..I’m not good in^^” I mean they aren’t that bad, for a newbie they are probably good, but they are far away from how I would like them to look. But they saved us working time and that way we made sure that those issues Paperheads had wouldn’t occur again. I think I still have to improve a lot on pixel animations.
Paperheads (completed)
(Wo): Phew… well honestly, I’m pretty much dissatisfied with this game. It was our first project and we did lots and lots of mistakes, as we had no experience and we didn’t plan ahead before we started working. The software we used at the time was a bit flawed, or rather, we didn’t realize its limits. The consequences were, in my opinion, devastating. We had to remove content from the already finished game, since it wouldn’t start up on some people’s computers, because of the way the software handled data. In the end we realized that we’ve been using too many and too large graphics and CGs. With today’s experience I can say for sure that removing CGs from the game was the only possible way to fix this issue. Back then we nearly gave up, but Kyrieru (another hentai game developer) helped us out and I’d say he played a major role in making the end result playable. Without his help, only a small number of people would have been able to play the game. I can’t say this enough: Thank you very much, Kyrieru! To sum things up, these frustrations makes me dislike Paperheads… but to be honest, at least it was a valuable experience. We learned a lot out of it and never repeated those mistakes from the past again. We also won’t be using the same software in the future.
(C): That’s one big brick wall that we did overcome somehow xD
Today I can’t even look at most of the CGs I did without screaming, because the quality is so much different from what I can do today. I’m absolutely not happy with it anymore, and I sometimes wish I could just wipe this game away, but on the other hand it was my first experience in creating graphics for games and I learned a lot from it. Especially when it comes to drawing digitally. Because of Paperheads we discovered some techniques to make the drawing process more efficient. So even if I don’t like the game anymore, it was a very important lesson. In the end I’m glad that we took this pretty ugly first step into game development. It was like a baptism of fire for me.
Deathblight Apocalypse (work on progress)
(Wo): I’m very excited about this game, and I think this will become one of the major projects we’ll be working on for the next couple years, most likely. Even though it’s already playable, there’s just 1 enemy and no hentai content in the game yet. We want to expand on this in the next couple months, most likely we’ll be giving early demo versions to our patrons on Patreon for feedback and content suggestions. But we’ll hold back a public release until there is enough content. I think a good first impression is very important, so I don’t want to release anything to the general public too early.
(C): I have to admit that I’m not sure what I can say here. I did the first graphics a while after I got my carpal tunnel problem and I haven’t worked on it for a long time now. So I wonder if I should redo the existing graphics or not. Well… I at least should rework the buildings for the background. They look flat °3° Besides that, I can’t say much about that game.
(N): On a recent online poll of popularity Paperheads 2 lost to Deathblight Apocalypse. Even so, is a sequel to Paperheads still in your future plans?
(Wo): It certainly is! At this point we can’t say when or how, but we certainly want to create a game similar to Paperheads. Most likely it will follow a similar theme/setting, but it might feature new or even entirely different heroines. Yes, heroines, as there will most likely be more than one playable character. Other than that, Paperheads 2 will of course be improved on the gameplay as well as the graphical level. Some things that made no sense or were simply no fun will be thrown out, and new things might find their way into the game. And of course, this time around we will be planning out things before starting work on the game! So the end result will be a lot better than the first one.
(N): Let’s focus a bit on another project you’re currently publishing, a webcomic called Deathblight. What is its premise and what makes it different to your games?
(Wo): Well, the webcomic basically tells the background story to some of our more important characters. You could say that the Deathblight-universe is consisting of all the characters and games we created so far. It’s like one big world in which all the characters inhabit. Well, the most confusing part would be the different timelines and dimensions but… let’s not talk about that now. In the webcomic we decided to focus on Ferania and her friends, who are a group of demon-hunters, living in a medieval fantasy world. Since it’s difficult to tell stories in games, we decided to have a webcomic do that instead. As it moves on, it will basically cover all the characters’ personalities, backgrounds etc. All the things that can’t be conveyed through a game without cluttering it with wall of texts. At first it started out to be some sort of extra content for our loyal supporters and fans. But it somehow grew larger than we first expected it to be, and now it’s probably the most important of our products.
(C): We started the webcomic because some of our fans asked for it. First it was just something like a small goodie, but it turned out to be a very important project. The difference to our games is that we are able to show relationships, personality and backgrounds of our characters way better than in our games.
This entry was posted in Interviews, Projects and tagged Crescentia, hentai, Projekt Wolfenstahl, video game by Neko-chi. Bookmark the permalink.
5 thoughts on “Heroines of Beauty and Lust: An Interview with Projekt Wolfenstahl”
Christin Eleven on November 26, 2015 at 19:43 said:
Awesooooome! >.^.^<
Neko-chi on November 27, 2015 at 03:30 said:
Thank you! XD
LOL! XD I didn´t expected the Interwiev guy to thank me XXDD But well you are welcome ; P
interview girl* Much love ❤
Hu? A Girl that likes Hentai? °.° Awesome! It´s like me! XD
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Spot where Abby Sunderland sounded beacon considered to be difficult for sailors
TV satellite trucks were beginning to gather outside the modest Thousand Oaks home where teen sailor Abby Sunderland lives with her parents. Occasionally, reporters would knock on the front door of the home covered with ivy and geranium. But no one answered.
Students from nearby Thousand Oaks high school walked down the street wondering why news trucks were here. Gage Guzman, 17, said he hoped that Abby would be found safe. "She's younger than me and she's sailing around the world, and by herself, that's even crazier," he said. "She's brave, I don't even go into the ocean by myself."
Guzman's younger brother, Shawn, 15, said he didn't think her attempt to sail around the world was reckless. "If it's her dream to sail, and she wants to follow her dream, that's courageous. "
Sunderland, out of necessity, abandoned her quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone, nonstop and unassisted. However, the 16-year-old was continuing her mission to become the youngest person to sail around the world.
Sailing experts said the Southern Indian Ocean where Sunderland was sailing when she apparently signaled emergency beacon locating devices on Thursday is known to be a difficult challenge. Charlie Nobles, executive director of the American Sailing Assn., said that winter storms in the Southern Hemisphere are fast approaching, creating rough waves that can reach dozens of feet high. He also said that there are fewer hours of light during the day, which can make navigating the waters difficult.
"There's just not a lot of land in that part of the world," Nobles said. "You have to follow certain patterns because you need the trade winds. Where she is right now is in between Australia and South Africa."
Sailors had criticized Sunderland for leaving so late in the year for her journey. She departed from Marina del Rey on Jan. 23, later than she had wanted to because of equipment issues. She also had to make a stop in Mexico to make repairs, which wasted precious time before the approaching winter southern storms.
Nobles said that sailing around Cape Horn between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula was speculated to be Sunderland's greatest challenge. But she rounded the cape in April without many issues, he said.
"A lot of people talk about the Horn because that's what you hear about in National Geographic specials," Nobles said. "But it wasn't that big of a deal, fortunately, for her."
Shortly after setting sail, Sunderland abandoned her quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone, without any stops or assistance.
"I don't know enough facts to know whether this is something she necessarily could have avoided or if it was a bad decision," Nobles said. "My hope was that if she was at a certain point in her journey, she would say, 'I'm less concerned about a record than to try to make it through safely.' "
Abby Sunderland's brother, Zac, last year completed his solo sail around the world at age 17.
Sunderland's latest entry on her blog Wednesday described hitting rough weather and winds at 45 knots. "Wild Eyes was great through everything, but after a day with over 50 knots at times, I had quite a bit of work to do," she wrote about her vessle.
Her parents have said in news reports that they had persuaded Abby to get to the nearest port in the event that dangerous conditions arose.
-- My-Thuan Tran in Los Angeles and Catherine Saillant in Thousand Oaks
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Nintendo 3DS price dropping to $170
Nintendo is dropping the price of its latest handheld videogame system, the 3DS, to $169.99, as the device has failed so far to match the sales power of its predecessors -- the DS, DS Lite and DSi.
The drop from the 3DS launch price of $249.99 will go into effect Aug. 12, Nintendo said.
So, unless you like paying a higher price for the things you buy, it might be a good call to just wait until August for a 3DS purchase.
Nintendo said that in the United States, it has sold more than 830,000 of the 3DS -- which does not require 3-D glasses to play 3-D videogames and watch 3-D movies -- since its March 27 launch.
Those who have already bought a 3DS might not be too happy about the price drop so soon, which is why Nintendo is planning to give them a bit of a thank you gift.
"These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo's most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop," Nintendo said.
But there's a bit of a hitch.
The early adopters have to use "a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11" to get the free games, which Nintendo is calling its "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program." Half the free games will be available in September, the other half by the end of the year.
Nintendo said Thursday that it has sold more than 4 million 3DS systems worldwide since the device launched in February in Japan.
Last year, Nintendo sold more than 27 million DS consoles.
"We feel the price change and several prominent software releases by the end of the year will definitely change the situation," Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told Reuters and other reporters in Osaka, Japan.
Iwata was referencing new high-profile titles for the 3DS set to launch this year, such as new Super Mario and Mario Kart games. So far, the biggest release has been a 3-D remake of the classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
News of the price drop also comes as Nintendo posted its first-ever quarterly operating loss, a loss of 37.7 billion yen, or about $48.4 million, on lower-than-expected sales of DS systems and the Wii home gaming console, Reuters said.
Nintendo 3DS could be hazardous to children under 6
Nintendo's Wii U features tablet-sized touch-screen controller
Zelda, Street Fighter, Madden part of Nintendo 3DS launch lineup
-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles
twitter.com/nateog
Photo: Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata holds a 3DS prototype at the E3 convention last year. Credit: Alex Pham / Los Angeles Times
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Home > Environment > Water > What is devolved?
What is devolved?
The National Assembly for Wales generally has legislative competence in relation to all aspects of water quality, water resources and water industry. This is subject to the reservations in Schedule 7A to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (GOWA 2006).The National Assembly’s competence in relation to water industry in particular must be read in light of the reservations in section C15 (water and sewerage) of Schedule 7A to GOWA 2006. These reservations provide that the Assembly does not have competence to do anything which relates to the:
• appointment and regulation of any water or sewerage undertaker whose area is not wholly or mainly in Wales (i.e.water and sewerage undertakers operating wholly or mainly in England) ;
• licensing and regulation of any licensed water supplier (this reservation is subject to an exception for regulation of water or sewerage licensee in relation to licensed activities using the supply or sewerage system of a water or sewerage undertaker whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales – i.e. the Assembly has competence in relation to the regulation of water and sewerage licensees using the systems of undertakers operating wholly or mainly in Wales)..
These reservations recognise that the water industry is organised by reference to undertakers whose appointment areas do not correspond to the geographical border between Wales and England. Rather, some undertakers’ areas such as Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, straddle the border. The intention is that the governance of undertakers whose areas are wholly or mainly in Wales is for the National Assembly for Wales, and this intention is generally reflected also in the way in which Ministerial powers are conferred (that is, the Welsh Ministers have functions in relation to any undertaker whose area is wholly or mainly in Wales).
In November 2017 the UK and Welsh Governments agreed an Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources to safeguard water resources, water supply and water quality for consumers in England and Wales. The Protocol came into force on 1 April 2018 and coincided with the replacement of the previous intervention powers the UK Government held in relation to the exercise of functions in Wales that had an affect on water related matters.
Water resources and water quality
Abstraction and impounding
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Wike Condemns Withdrawal Of Gov Obiano’s Security Details
BY ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt
Rivers State governor, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, has condemned the decision of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to withdraw the security details of Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, describing the action as a sign of overzealousness.
This is as the governor called on all Nigerians to work towards the promotion of the unity of the country and its corporate existence
Wike, who spoke at Awka, the Anambra State capital during the 6th Zik Lecture Series in honour of the first President of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe, said that no amount of intimidation will solve the challenges of Nigeria.
He decried the level of impunity displayed by the Idris in the withdrawal of the security details of Obiano, pointing out that he suffered the same fate during the legislative rerun elections in Rivers State.
Wike stated that Nigerians will resist the plot to manipulate the 2019 polls, saying that the lawless actions of the Inspector General of Police reveals the plan to use intimidation as a political weapon.
The governor said, “Irrespective of the side of the political and social divide we may belong, we all share a common responsibility as leaders and ordinary people to advance and preserve the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria, which for me, is the greatest honour we can ever give to the memory of the Great Zik of Africa.
“But in committing ourselves to this mission, we cannot also continue to deny the challenges that we presently face as a nation and the choice that we must make to preserve the nation’s unity in the midst of increasing agitations for political and economic restructuring sweeping across the country”.
He stated that like every other pluralistic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society, Nigeria’s diversity remains the abiding source of the country’s collective strength and resilience.
Wike said, “However, our diversity is under severe stress and even becoming rather a threat to our collective progress because of embedded fault lines in the existing political and economic structures of the country.
“Unfortunately, our failures as a people to resolve these structural defects continue to trouble and negate national cohesion and development.
“For, it is vain to expect peace in injustice; unity in inequity and progress where governance is bereft of accountability, respect for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, and where national institutions are easily politicized, weakened and rendered ineffective.”
The governor commended founder of the Zik Lecture Series and secretary, caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ben Obi, for the very creative initiative.
He also commended the authorities of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka for providing the intellectual platform for the effective propagation of the timeless ideas and enduring values of the Great Zik of Africa.
Wike said, “Today, we are gathered here to honour the memory of one of the greatest sons of Igboland, of Nigeria and of the black race, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe under the auspices of the Annual Zik Lecture Series instituted by my senior brother, Senator (Dr.) Ben Obi.
“Whatever verdict history records, no one can deny that Zik was not just one of the foremost architects of the Nigerian nation; he was also among the most towering figures in the history of Africa’s politics.
“The Great Zik therefore deserves all and every honour his apostles, and in deed a grateful nation, can bestow to keep his memory alive and in the consciousness of the people.”
Earlier in his speech, founder of the Zik Lecture Series, Senator Ben Obi said that the lecture series was initiated to cerebrate the legacies of the first Nigerian President and to immortalise him.
Delivering the lecture, former Minister of Information and the President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, traced the developmental challenges facing the country to the foundational problem orchestrated by the colonial administration.
Nwodo called for restructuring of the country on the premise of a knowledge based economy and agriculture.
Alleged N2bn Fraud: EFCC Re-arraigns Former Gov Aliyu, Nasko
FG To Build Naval Base In Niger State
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Discography/Videography Videography
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Bernstein in Berlin: Ode to Freedom: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
Symphonieorchester des BR; June Anderson; Sarah Walker; Kalus König; Jan-Hendrik Rootering
Concert, Burton, Humphrey, 1:33:36
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Orchestre National de France; Stuart Burrows
Harold in Italien
Orchestre National de France; Donald McInnes
Symphony fantastique
Leonard Bernstein in Salzau 1989: Romeo und Julia (Teil 1: Romeo allein)
Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival
Probe, Hohlfeld, Horant, 0:44:03
Leonard Bernstein in Salzau 1989: Romeo und Julia (Teil 2: Liebesszene)
Concert, Hohlfeld, Horant, 0:44:57
Bernstein, Leonard
Young People's Concerts: What Does Music Mean?
Video Director: Roger Englander
TRT 00:59:07
Young People's Concerts: What Does Orchestration Mean?
TRT: 00:58:12
Young People's Concerts: What is American Music?
Young People's Concerts: What Makes Music Symphonic?
Other Amazon
Young People's Concerts: Humor In Music
Young People's Concerts Vom Concerto zum Konzert
Concert, Englander, Roger, 0:59:17
Young People's Concerts: What is Classical Music?
Young People's Concerts: Who is Gustav Mahler?
Young People's Concerts: Folk Music in the Concert Hall
Young People's Concerts: What is Impressionism?
Young People's Concerts: Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky
Young People's Concerts: What is a Melody?
Young People's Concerts: The Latin American Spirit
Young People's Concerts: Jazz in the Concert Hall
Young People's Concerts: A Tribute to Sibelius
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News & Opinion » News
The county's laissez-faire approach to the library
Kurt Brownell Hoping for a "zero-percent increase" in county funding: the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building.
by Chris Busby
It's no big deal to have an overdue library book or two. Almost everyone has done this at one time or another. And most folks return the books in short order and pay the small fine, mildly rebuking themselves for their absent-mindedness.
Monroe County's Republican leaders have a similar attitude about their responsibilities to the Monroe County Library System. But the consequences for the cash-strapped system --- which has already slashed operating hours, jobs, and services to a bare-bones level --- are potentially much greater.
For example, members of the MCLS board of trustees are nominated or reappointed by the president of the county legislature --- in this case, Republican Dennis Pelletier --- and confirmed by the legislature as a whole. Roughly half of the 11 trustees are currently serving beyond their terms, because Pelletier hasn't gotten around to addressing the matter.
This isn't the end of the world, as trustees can legally serve beyond their terms. And, as Pelletier points out, the county has other, more pressing matters to attend to. "Sometimes, if things are running and there's no apparent problems, you don't tend to fix them, even though some of the appointments may be late," he says. "We have other boards and committees that have some of those similar problems."
"The [library] board is functioning," he says. "They do continue to serve, so I assume that they're still being a valuable asset to the board."
Fair enough. Carole Joyce, the library system's interim director, isn't overly concerned either, though she did bring the matter to Deputy County Executive Dick Mackey's attention in April. "I don't think they had realized it had gotten to that point," she says of the late appointments. "Legally, there is not an issue. But when it goes on for a while, it's sort of like --- you like to keep things up to pace."
Joyce says Mackey told her the appointments would be on the June legislative agenda. They're not. Pelletier doesn't have a specific timeframe. "I would like to get to it this summer, but I don't want to unduly commit myself," he says, reasoning that if he misses a deadline he himself sets, he'll be criticized.
The library system is also supposed to have a liaison in the county legislature. This legislator, chosen by the majority party (again, the Republicans), attends library board meetings and works and advocates on behalf of the system.
For example, Joyce says library liaison Karla Boyce --- a Republican representing parts of Pittsford, Mendon, Rush, and Wheatland --- helped the library secure a grant to help people with disabilities access its computers.
That was a couple of years ago, as Joyce recalls. She also recalls that it's been a couple of years since Boyce was the liaison.
She says she also mentioned this need to Mackey. "I did ask him if we could have someone from the legislature, because it's very important from our side, and I think also from [their side]," Joyce says. "His office is supposed to be working on it," she adds, though she says she's not sure how the process works.
In fact, says Pelletier, it's his responsibility to appoint a liaison. But, again, he just hasn't gotten around to it.
However, he says the library still does have a liaison: Karla Boyce. She's just been too busy with other things --- a new job, kids, other meetings --- to fulfill that obligation.
(Boyce did not return a call from City seeking comment; Pelletier said he was responding on her behalf, at her request. Last summer, when City contacted Boyce for comment on the library's budget crisis, she failed to respond at all. Boyce is listed as the liaison in the county's official 2002 and 2003 directories. However, a library advocate says Boyce has been telling people who contact her expressing concerns about the library's fate that she is not the liaison.)
"We are on many boards and commissions, and represent various towns," says Pelletier, who, like Boyce, represents parts of four towns. "There's monthly committee meetings and other responsibilities --- Eagle Scout awards, I mean, you know, the whole gambit. It's a matter of finding someone who can have the time and devote it. However, that's not to say not having one is, generally, in any way, deleterious to the board.
"Keep in mind that most, I think, of the legislators, with the exception of myself, work a full-time job outside of the legislature," he adds.
Finally, and most importantly, the county is one of the library system's principal sources of funding. It's specifically responsible for the Central Library --- which consists of the Rundel Library Building and the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building --- providing over 65 percent of the Central Library's budget.
An agreement reached between the county, the library system, and the city (another key funder) in the late 1960s stipulates that the county provide the other two parties with its library budget figure in April. Because the three entities have different fiscal years, knowing what the county's share will be come fall helps the city and system budget accordingly.
The county has now failed to provide that figure for the second year in a row. When this happened last year, former MCLS director Richard Panz said the delay was unprecedented in his 13 years in the position ("Library in limbo," City Newspaper, July 3, 2002).
Joyce says the library got $6.4 million from the county this year, $940,000 less than it received the year before. The county budget office, she says, "has told us that we can expect a zero-percent increase" in 2004.
Even that level of county funding, however, is not guaranteed. Again, the county has not provided its 2004 budget figure. Mackey did not respond to a request from City for comment.
"We were able to cut this year, but there's not anything else left," Joyce says, noting that, among other austerity measures, the Rochester Public Library has eliminated 50 fulltime positions. She says another cut in county funding this time could force a decrease in operating hours, which in turn would jeopardize state funding. "Then it becomes a real issue," she says.
News Rundel Library Monroe County
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304GH Allen Bldg, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
Duke Box 90015, Durham, NC 27708
Tuesday & Thursday 1:40 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.
Ranjana Khanna is Professor of English, Women's Studies, and the Literature Program at Duke University. She works on Anglo- and Francophone Postcolonial theory and literature, and Film, Psychoanalysis, and Feminist theory. She has published widely on transnational feminism, psychoanalysis, and postcolonial and feminist theory, literature, and film. She is the author of Dark Continents: Psychoanalysis and Colonialism (Duke University Press, 2003) and Algeria Cuts: Women and Representation 1830 to the present (Stanford University Press, 2008.) She has published in journals like Differences, Signs, Third Text, Diacritics, Screen, Art History, positions, SAQ, Feminist Theory, and Public Culture. Her current book manuscripts in progress are called: Asylum: The Concept and the Practice and Technologies of Unbelonging.
Ph.D., University of York 1993
B.A., University of York 1988
Radcliffe Institute Fellowship. Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. 2006
Seminars in Historical, Global, and Emerging Humanities awarded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (Principal Investigator). 2014 to 2018
Promoting International Perspectives at the Feminist Theory Workshop awarded by Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation (Principal Investigator). 2009 to 2010
Khanna, R. Technologies of Unbelonging. 2009.
Khanna, R. Asylum: The Concept and the Practice. 2009.
Khanna, R. Algeria Cuts: Women and Representation, 1830 to the Present. 2007.
Khanna, R. Dark Continents: Psychoanalysis and Colonialism. Duke University Press, 2003.
Khanna, R. “The stranger at the gate: An interview.” Against Life, 2016, pp. 257–67.
Khanna, R. “Hope, Demand and the Perpetual.” Unconscious Dominions: Psychoanalysis, Colonial Trauma, and Global Sovereignties, Duke University Press, 2010.
Khanna, R. “Isaac Julien: Paradise Omeros.” Gerst Foundation Catalogue, 2010.
Khanna, R. “Psychoanalysis before 1966.” Blackwell Encyclopedia of Literary Theory, 2010.
Khanna, R. “The Age of Asylum: Mona Hatoum.” Communities of Sense, edited by Jaleh Mansoor, Duke University Press, 2009.
Khanna, R. “Fabric, Skin, Honte-ologie.” Shame and the Visual Arts, Routledge, 2008.
Khanna, R., and Srinivas Aravamudan. “Interview with Fredric Jameson.” Ed. Ian Buchanan, Fredric Jameson, Jameson on Jameson: Conversations on Cultural Marxism, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2007, 2007, pp. 203–40.
Khanna, R. “Frames, Contexts, Community, Justice.” Meaning, Frame, and Metaphor, edited by Joyce Goggim and Michael Burke, University of Amsterdam Press, 2003, pp. 149–71.
Khanna, R., et al. “Cartographies of Scholarship: The Ends of Nation-States, International Studies, and the Cold War.” Encompassing Gender: Integrating International Studies and Women’s Studies, edited by Mary M. Lay et al., The Feminist Press, 2002, pp. 21–45.
Khanna, R. “The Experience of Evidence: Language, Law and the Mockery of Justice.” Algeria in and Out of French, edited by Anne Berger, Cornell UP, 2001.
Khanna, R. “Speculation; Or, living in the face of the intolerable.” Journal of Middle East Women’S Studies, vol. 14, no. 1, Mar. 2018, pp. 109–15. Scopus, doi:10.1215/15525864-4297159. Full Text
Khanna, R. “Stranger.” New Literary History, vol. 49, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp. 279–84. Scopus, doi:10.1353/nlh.2018.0018. Full Text
Khanna, R. “On the name, ideation, and sexual difference.” Differences, vol. 27, no. 2, Sept. 2016, pp. 62–78. Scopus, doi:10.1215/10407391-3621709. Full Text
Khanna, R. Fabric, skin, honte-ologie. Jan. 2014, pp. 159–79. Scopus, doi:10.4324/9781315787626. Full Text
Khanna, R. “The lumpenproletariat, the subaltern, the mental asylum.” South Atlantic Quarterly, vol. 112, no. 1, Dec. 2013, pp. 129–43. Scopus, doi:10.1215/00382876-1891287. Full Text
Khanna, R. “Touching, unbelonging, and the absence of affect.” Feminist Theory, vol. 13, no. 2, Aug. 2012, pp. 213–32. Scopus, doi:10.1177/1464700112442649. Full Text
Khanna, R. “Racial France, or the melancholic alterity of postcolonial studies.” Public Culture, vol. 23, no. 1, Dec. 2011, pp. 191–99. Scopus, doi:10.1215/08992363-2010-022. Full Text
Khanna, R. “Unbelonging: In motion.” Differences, vol. 21, no. 1, Aug. 2010, pp. 109–23. Scopus, doi:10.1215/10407391-2009-020. Full Text
Khanna, R. Hope, Demand and the Perpetual. Duke University Press, 2010.
Khanna, R. “Disposability.” Differences, vol. 20, no. 1, Aug. 2009, pp. 181–98. Scopus, doi:10.1215/10407391-2008-021. Full Text
Khanna, R. Participant in MLA Radio Program “What’s the Word?” on Gillo Pontecorvo’s Battle of Algiers. 2006.
Khanna, R. “From Exile to Asylum” Audio section of Bloomsday 100 created by The James Joyce Center, Bloomsday 100, and Hyperfecto CD-Rom 2005. 2005.
Service to the Profession
Vulnerability, Dispoability, Desubjectivation. October 16, 2009
Isaac Julien: Mobility, ‘Unbelonging’ and ‘Asylum’. September 10, 2009
Arendt, the Refugee, and the End of the Nation State. May 20, 2009
Technologies of Unbelonging: Mona Hatoum. May 15, 2009
Hope, Demand, and the Perpetual. May 7, 2009
What's the Difference?. April 10, 2009
Technologies of Unbelonging: Isaac Julien. April 8, 2009
Psychoanalysis Today: The Belated, the Perpetual, and Futurity. April 4, 2009
Hope, Demand, and the Perpetual. March 14, 2009
Duke Reads Participant. January 26, 2009
Feminist Theory Workshop. 2009
Dark Continents: Psychoanalysis and Colonialism
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Little Bookroom Lists
Families Families Families
Author(s): Suzanne Lang
Families | Rainbow Families
If you love each other, then you're a family...Do you have two dads? Or one step mum? Or what about the world's biggest grandpa? Discover a whole host of silly animal families in this hilarious celebration of the love found in families big and small. Max Lang's award-winning art style and Suzanne Lang's hilarious rhymes will tickle the tail feathers of readers big, small and everything in between.
Mums and dads and grandparents and cousins and stepbrothers and aunts and great-grandchildren...this is a laugh-out-loud introduction to all sorts of different families!
Suzanne Lang (Author) Suzanne Lang produces, develops and writes for children's television. She is a producer for Nickelodeon international's animated-shorts program and previously worked for Cartoon Network. Suzanne loves animals (especially cats and monkeys) and chocolate (especially with praline filling.)Max Lang (Illustrator) Max Lang is an animation director, storyboard artist, character designer, and illustrator. He codirected the film adaptation of The Gruffalo, which was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA, as well as the Oscar-nominated adaptation of Room on the Broom, which has won numerous awards, including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, and the Cristal for Best TV Production. Suzanne and Max live in England with their daughter and a trouble-prone cat.
Imprint : Picture Corgi
Dimensions : 141mm X 141mm X 4mm
Availability date : May 2015
Illustrator : Max Lang
Author : Suzanne Lang
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Wednesday of week 5 of Easter – First Reading
Commentary on Acts 15:1-6
We begin today an account of the very first Church council.
Scripture scholars find many conflicting difficulties in the structure of the narrative in chapter 15. All these difficulties may be explained by supposing that Luke has combined two distinct controversies in one text with their varying solutions. Paul distinguishes them more clearly in Galatians chap. 2. For our purposes here, we need not go into these textual problems.
As often is the case, the matter did not concern a central doctrine of faith but a tradition. Two issues are going to come up:
1, Should Gentile converts be obliged to observe the Jewish Law?
2, What should be done to assuage the mutual cultural sensitivities between Gentile and Jewish members of the Christian communities?
Then, as now, the community could be said to be divided between conservatives who saw the need for continuity with the past and those who saw the need for change with changing circumstances. The issue at stake was circumcision.
Many of the early Christians, especially those in Jerusalem, were converts from Judaism. And among these were Pharisees. They believed that Christianity was simply a development of their Jewish faith and not a renunciation of it and that they should continue observing their Jewish traditions.
Circumcision, like many of the other practices of the Jews, was, at least for men, a crucial identifying mark of God’s people, even though the original reason for the practice may well have been hygienic and preventive. (Nor was it by any circumstances a custom confined only to the Jews of ancient times.)
With the acceptance of Gentiles into the Christian community, the issue of circumcision became a delicate one. Should the new non-Jewish converts be forced to undergo such a painful (and perhaps in their view a disfiguring) operation? Was it really central to the Christian identity?
It seems that the Christians in Antioch were not enforcing it on their new Gentile converts and this was causing some concern among Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. They sent delegates to Antioch with the strong message: “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” Although they were given a hearing, they may not have represented all the apostles and elders in Jerusalem but a more legalistic group within the church there.
It is clear from Luke’s account that there was a deep conflict between the Jerusalem delegates (who may have been predominantly Pharisees) and Paul and Barnabas who had seen how genuinely many Gentiles had accepted the Christian faith. They did not see that compulsory circumcision should be part of the package. It was, of course, a telling point that Paul himself, a Pharisee, was against compulsory circumcision for Gentiles.
As a result, a group from Antioch, including Paul and Barnabas and “some of the others”, went down to Jerusalem. Among those “others” could have been Titus, who was of mixed parentage, part Jewish, part Gentile. Paul mentions his presence in Galatians 2:1-3.
On the way they passed through the territories of Phoenicia and Samaria telling the Christians they met about their successes in evangelising the Gentiles in Asia Minor. This, in a way, was a clever public relations act because they picked up a great deal of support from those they met on their way. They therefore brought with them to Jerusalem a fairly considerable constituency of support.
When they reached Jerusalem they gave the same message about their great success in bringing Gentiles into the Christian communities. And it is clear that they were cordially received by the Jerusalem church.
But they were challenged by the conservatives of the day, converted Pharisees who again, as in Antioch, insisted on the absolute necessity of circumcision for all converts. Perhaps they had Titus in mind. Although his mother was a Jew and his father a Gentile, he had not been circumcised nor had Paul insisted on it.
The whole group then proceeded to discuss the matter in depth. Tomorrow we will see the outcome.
There is much for us to learn from this experience of the early Church. There is certainly a need for continuity if the Church is to retain its identity and its links with its origins. That is why the Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, is the foundation on which our faith is built and why we need to come back to it all the time.
At the same time, if the Church is to present its message in a way that is meaningful it must also be ready to make the necessary adjustments in areas which, though they may have a long tradition, are not central and have outlived their meaningfulness.
We see this happening both in situations where the Church is trying to make itself at home in cultures which are far removed from that of Europe and, even in Western areas where deep cultural changes are taking place. We see this happening especially today in the area of sexual morality and sexuality generally – artificial contraception, treatment of AIDS/HIV, married priests, women priests, homosexual priests, same-gender unions… Churches are being torn apart by these issues.
There will always be a measure of tension between these two movements, the conservative and the progressive. And both are necessary and a sign of a living church. As long as it is a matter of diversity and not division.
What is vital is that people on each side be open to frank and sincere dialogue. In spite of serious differences, we see that dialogue taking place in today’s reading.
Comments Off on Wednesday of week 5 of Easter – First Reading
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Physics and writing provided by Nils Mulder.
We have all come across magnets, whether it is from simple refrigerator magnets, to train sets we played with as kids, or even ultra-powerful magnets from access-restricted physics labs. When we released the Magination GIFs on the internet, the response was enormous, and the most frequently asked question was “How do they work?”*
*Yes, usually in reference to Insane Clown Posse’s well-known song “Miracles”.
This seems like a straightforward question to answer, but to come up with a simple and sophisticated answer without spewing out too much hardcore physics seems tough. Why? Well, magnets are complicated.
Magnetism is a property that not all materials possess. To understand why, we have to dive deep into some physics – but don’t worry! We’ll keep it relatively simple. For starters it’s good to know that magnetism is closely related to electricity; they are like close buddies who enjoy being in each other’s presence.
Back in the year 1831, English scientist Michael Faraday conducted a world famous experiment to show that magnetism and electricity are in fact related. He did this by leading a bar magnet through a looped copper wire which was connected to a Galvanometer (a sensitive current-measuring device). The motion of the bar magnet made the Galvanometer react – a current was going through the wire! So the motion of the magnet near the copper wire induced a current!
*This is not how the experiment actually looked like in 1831!
In fact, it was also discovered that moving charges (like electrons) induce a magnetic field! So it works both ways.
At the time, there was no broad interest in this phenomenon; at the very best it was a cool party trick. Make the needle on the galvanometer jump by moving a magnet close to it. Yey! It is even said that the Prime Minister at the time asked Faraday about his discovery and what it was good for, upon which Faraday replied; “Sir, what good is a newborn child?”. His point is that you don’t know if your child, or for this sake the relationship between electricity and magnetism, will grow up to do something huge. In this case, huge is an understatement. Because of this relationship we have electricity to keep our food cold, our water hot and our computers online. As a matter of fact, you probably wouldn’t have any of the things you see around you today, if it wasn’t for this startling discovery!
So, electricity and magnetism are related. Now what?
To understand why some materials are magnetic and some not, we have to look closer at how materials are built up. Everything around us is built up by atoms. In the simplified version, all atoms contain a positively charged nucleus (consisting of protons and neutrons) and negatively charged electrons orbiting the nucleus. In this simplified view, you can think of the electrons as the planets orbiting the sun, which here is represented by the nucleus. The electrons orbit the nucleus at different distances – just like the planets!
As we now know from Faraday’s discovery, magnetic fields arise from charge in motion – and this is exactly what the electrons are. As they orbit the nucleus they induce a magnetic field!
In addition, the electrons have a property called spin. It would be tempting to explain the spin of electrons as the spin the Earth has around its own axis. This is because the Earth’s spin gives rise to a magnetic field (the Earth consists of a bunch of charges), and this is also what electron spin does. The similarities however, stop there. The electrons only act like they’re spinning very, very quickly, thus producing a magnetic field. In addition, electrons have spin up or spin down (counteracting directions). Why they only act like they’re spinning very fast is more thoroughly explained by quantum mechanics (the physical laws for things that are smaller than about 100 nanometers, where all sorts of craziness happens), but we’ll leave that one alone. Why? Well, an electron isn’t really a particle with well defined radius or volume; it is more like a point in space, and therefore it doesn’t have an axis to spin around. But if it could in fact spin, the measured magnetic field that is produced by this motion is so big that the electrons would have to spin faster than the speed of light, which Einstein and about a zillion others (small overstatement) proved to be impossible. Let’s not go deeper into the woods here.
The take away message is that an electron’s spin gives rise to a magnetic field, and this property is called spin because it’s kind of (but not at all) like, the Earth’s spin around its own axis.
Okay, so atoms with electrons that act like they spin create a magnetic field, but why isn’t everything magnetic then? In most cases, the net magnetic field is cancelled out because the atoms contain equal amounts of electrons with spin up and spin down. When they don’t, the result is a charge in some direction, and the atoms are magnetic!
Having a bunch of magnetic atoms isn’t necessarily enough to be magnetic, as the atoms have to align their magnetic fields as well. When they do, the material is “ferromagnetic”. The only common ferromagnetic materials in room temperature are iron, cobalt and nickel. Within these materials we find “domains”, which are clusters of atoms aligned the same way. If all these domains point in different directions, even they can cancel each other out! With a strong external magnetic field, you can force these domains to align, creating a magnet!
A magnet has a north pole and a south pole. Equal poles repel each other, while opposite poles attract each other (you have probably experienced this already). The poles are places where the magnetic field is concentrated and either leave, or go into the magnet. By convention, the place where the magnetic field leaves the material is called the north pole, and the place the field come into the material is called the south pole. You might be surprised to hear that the geographical North Pole is basically the same as the magnetic south pole. In fact, the north pole on a compass points towards the magnetic south pole, not the North Pole! A cool thing about the magnetic field is that it has no specific point of origin. It just goes in loops between the north pole and the south pole and through the magnet again.
The thing to understand is that magnetic poles always show up in pairs – never alone. They’re kind of like an annoying couple who never have time to be with their friends unless they come together. There are theories about magnetic monopoles, but these have never been confirmed experimentally. So if you one day decide to cut a magnet in half, you would end up with two magnets (the metaphor about couples ends here – do not try to cut them in half to see if they’re still a couple). Want to see it for yourself? Stack some Single pieces – the stack will have one north and one south pole altogether, and act as “one magnet”. Now split the stack in half and you’ll have two magnets – each one with a north and a south pole!
In one of our GIFs we played magTension. When you put a lot of individual magnets close to each other in a confined space, crazy things may happen. At a certain point, the repelling fields will be so strong, that the slightest change in it will cause a strong repulsive force on its neighbour – which might flip over.
https://maginationgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/clip1.mp4
This will disturb the magnetic fields of the magnets next to it – which suddenly will be attracted by the flipped Single piece. They will hurry towards it, and in the flustercluck of changing magnetic fields, they might align and smack together into a smooth looking magnetic bar.
You now know a little more about magnets! Go dazzle your friends with your magtastic skills and knowledge!
We have only scratched the surface of what humanity knows about magnetism in this manual. Hopefully, we have tickled your curiosity. There are still many mysteries out there that have yet to be discovered. How are particles like electrons are charged in the first place? Nobody actually knows this. Yet. That’s what makes magnetism and science so exciting. There are theories and experiments being conducted and tested every day. Who knows what the future will bring? We don’t know that either, but you can be a part of it!
TL;DR too long; didn’t read:
A magnetic field comes from a magnet. A magnet consists of many small magnets aligned in the same direction.
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Home » Tag Archives: Keesler Air Force Base
Tag Archives: Keesler Air Force Base
USM’s Maugh Funderburk selected for Keesler Honorary Commander Program
MBJ Staff April 8, 2018 Leave a comment
Dr. Casey Maugh Funderburk, Vice Provost for The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus, has been selected to the 81st Training Wing Honorary Commander Program at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB). The Honorary Commander Program offers an opportunity for civic and community leaders to gain insight and experience about the U.S. Air Force and Keesler AFB operations and programs. ...
Keesler Medical Center set to begin $74M renovation project
MBJ Staff October 30, 2014 Leave a comment
BILOXI — Construction is ready to begin on Keesler Medical Center’s $74 million renovation project. Officials expect the work to modernize health care delivery and enhance the overall patient experience for the Keesler Air Force base community. Col. (Dr.) Tom Harrell, 81st Medical Group commander, said, “The renovation will offer our beneficiaries a pleasing ambiance and, by locating clinics and ...
USM offering accelerated nursing program to military service members
LONG BEACH — The University of Southern Mississippi recently received a three-year grant in excess of $1 million that will allow the university to offer a specialized, accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree program designed for former and active-duty military service members. “It’s a great match with what we have to offer with this program, because these young ...
Congressional delegation applauds Air Force's decision on Keesler, but not satisfied
MBJ Staff July 29, 2014 1 Comment
BILOXI — U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) along with Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), are welcoming a U.S. Air Force decision to rescind personnel restrictions on the 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base, and have indicated their continuing commitment to demand that the Air Force justify its targeting of the squadron for deactivation this ...
Cochran looking to pull more Coast voters in runoff
June 22, 2014 Leave a comment
PASCAGOULA — Hundreds of workers arrive at sunrise at the Ingalls shipyard on the Gulf Coast, and there to greet them are a dozen campaign volunteers with fliers and signs that say, “Save our Jobs.” In the middle is a small, white-haired man shaking the hand of anyone willing to take his own. “I’m Thad Cochran,” the 76-year-old U.S. senator ...
Report: Keesler's economic impact exceeded $1B last year
MBJ Staff March 20, 2014 Leave a comment
BILOXI — Keesler Air Force Base’s total economic impact for fiscal year 2013 was more than $1.1 billion. The figure was finalized as base officials completed the annual process of data assimilation and validation. In addition to employee payroll figures and construction and purchases ($592 million), the total economic impact includes military retiree pay and the value of volunteer services ...
Air Force delays plans to shift aircraft from Keesler
BILOXI — Air Force Reserve Command headquarters has announced a delay of plans to move 10 C-130Js from Keesler Air Force Base to Pope Airfield, N.C. Keesler officials said in a news release yesterday received by the Sun Herald the movement of planes from 815th and 345th airlift squadrons was scheduled for Oct. 1, but has been delayed until April, ...
Short-handed Hurricane Hunters face challenges, tough choices
BILOXI — The commander of the Hurricane Hunters says the squadron is facing some tough choices as to which storms they fly into and how often. “Three we can’t do. Two I can do for a short time,” Col. Craig LaFave, commander of the 403rd Reserve Wing at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, tells WLOX-TV. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance ...
Keesler AFB’s impact is measured in more than dollars
Lisa Monti June 28, 2013 Leave a comment
Keesler Air Force Base’s presence in Biloxi and South Mississippi is so extensive that it has to be measured from several angles, including historical, economic and community service. The base is rooted in the region’s history, dating back to June 1941 when the War Department activated Army Air Corps Station No. 8, Aviation Mechanics School in Biloxi. The War Department ...
Read June 28 issue of the MBJ
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Major Amy Elkins Acquired by the Newcomb Museum / Tulane University
I am thrilled to share that the following pieces by artist AMY ELKINS have been acquired by the Newcomb Museum. These works will continue to be on display as part of the group exhibition Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women in Louisiana through July 6th! While it is hard to see in these small images, each portrait was constructed meticulously out of hundreds (if not thousands) of catalog images of prison uniforms. If you are in New Orleans make sure to go check it out to see it in person.
Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women in Louisiana
January 19th, 2019 – July 6th, 2019
Newcomb Museum
Curated by Monica Ramirez-Montagut and Laura Blereau
In partnership with Syrita Steib-Martin and Dolfinette Martin
Works by Kira Akerman, Ron Bechet, Allison Beondé, Lee Deigaard, Lynn Drury, Keith Duncan, Amy Elkins, The Graduates, Glenn Ford, Butch Frosch, L. Kasimu Harris, Cherice Harrison-Nelson, Ana Hernandez, Maria Hinds, Epaul Julien, MaPó Kinnord, Kimberly Rivers Roberts (Queen Koldmadina), Henrietta Mantooth, Tammy Mercure, Anastasia Pelias, Shelia Phipp, Sarah Quintana, Rontherin Ratliff, Devin Reynolds, Jackie Sumell, Nubian Sun, Taslim van Hattum, Carl Joe Williams, Ryn Wilson.
Until last year Louisiana was known as the “Incarceration Capital of the World.” With the exception of Oklahoma, our state tops every other state in its incarceration rate and even outpaces many other nations, with about one in 75 adults in prison or jail at any given moment in Louisiana. Per the Sentencing Project, the number of incarcerated women in the United States increased more than 700 percent between 1980 and 2014. According to the ACLU only 18 percent of our female inmates have committed violent crimes and, today, about 80 percent of female inmates are mothers, 86 percent are survivors of sexual violence (according to a report by the Vera Institute of Justice).
Newcomb Art Museum has partnered with formerly incarcerated women, community organizations, stakeholders, and those directly impacted by the prison system to create the exhibition Per(Sister), which is intended to share the stories of currently and formerly incarcerated women in Louisiana, and shine a light on the myriad issues as identified and expressed by the women themselves.
Read more about the exhibition here.
#amyelkins #markmoorefineart
Ending Soon: Josh Azzarella Featured Show on ARTSY
Mark Moore Fine Art is proud to present artist JOSH AZZARELLA’s new body of work in an exclusive ARTSY online exhibition ending on July 7, 2019. In this new series of photo-based works, Azzarella explores time and space and contemporary culture through the medium of film.
View this exhibition now at: http://bit.ly/2ZNjTOO
Josh Azzarella (b. 1978, Ohio) creates videos and photographs that explore the power of context in the authorship of memory, oftentimes utilizing seminal moments in pop culture and news media to create accessible confrontations with historiography. By illuminating the individual encounter with communal experiences, Azzarella evaluates the perception of realness – which can ultimately be rooted in both the fantastic as much as the pragmatic.
“Time exists somewhere between memory and anticipation” – Carlo Rovelli
Ones first impulse is to think of time as a large expanse. However, time is also that slim moment between what has just happened and what we anticipate will happen next. In cinema, this moment materializes in the unimaged space between two frames of film – 1/24th of a second.
This body of work collects pieces of film that have been screened in cinemas throughout the world, and which portray moments of transition in the narrative. One image or understanding is leaving the frame, and another is about to appear; the black space in between is for a moment the liminal space between these realities. These fragments are scanned and enlarged (including their scratches, blemishes, and detritus gained from use) and reproduced at large scale.
Further, the mechanics of the projector and the lens system in the theater have been undone. When a film is viewed using a projector, the film is fed through the projector upside down and backwards and the mechanics of the lens corrects the image so it is oriented properly. Undoing the corrections creates images that are upside down and backwards, both of which complicate our understanding of images with which we may be familiar.
Josh Azzarella was the recipient of the 2006 Emerging Artist Award and related solo exhibition from The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (CT). He has previously shown at the California Museum of Photography (CA), University Art Museum, Long Beach (CA), Vancouver Art Gallery (Canada), Kavi Gupta Gallery (IL), Academie der Kunste (Berlin), Sean Kelly Gallery (NY), Catharine Clark Gallery (CA), Mississippi State University (MS), the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (CA) and DCKT Gallery (NY). His work is included in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (CA), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (CA), the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PA), the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (TX), the San Diego Museum of Modern Art (CA), the Margulies Collection (FL), Western Bridge (WA) and JP Morgan Chase (NY). He lives and works in Easton, PA.
For additional information on the work on this artist, please contact us or go to: www.markmoorefineart.com
#joshazzarella #markmoorefineart
Upcoming Events for artist KARA MARIA
Image: Kara Maria, An Exercise of Freedom, 2006 – 2018 / 56 x 46 inches / acrylic on canvas
Solo Exhibition:
Kara Maria: Vanishing Fauna
July 3 – August 3, 2019
Solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper featuring endangered animals.
Reception: Saturday, July 13, 6-9pm
sakata garo
923 Twentieth Street
http://www.bsakatagaro.com
DETAIL Image: Kara Maria, An Exercise of Freedom, 2006 – 2018 / 56 x 46 inches / acrylic on canvas
Group Exhibitions:
August 21, 2019 – January 5, 2020
Group exhibition featuring diverse works from BAMPFA’s collection that invoke strangeness and resonate with the spirit of Surrealism
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)
2155 Center Street
https://bampfa.org/program/strange
Encounters: Honoring the Animals in Ourselves
September, 14 – December, 29, 2019
Group exhibition of artwork depicting revelatory encounters with animals, real or imagined
Palo Alto Art Center
1313 Newell Road
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/artcenter/exhibitions/upcoming.asp
Kara Maria produces paintings and work on paper that reflect on political themes such as feminism, war, and the environment. She borrows from the broad vocabulary of contemporary painting; blending geometric shapes, vivid hues, and abstract marks, with representational elements. Maria received her BA and MFA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States at venues including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University; the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, Texas; the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art; and the Katonah Museum of Art in New York; among others.
In 2016, Maria’s work was featured in a solo exhibition, Head Over Heels, at the University Art Gallery at California State University, Chico, which included an accompanying monograph. Her work has garnered critical attention in the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Art in America. Maria has completed residencies at the Montalvo Arts Center, Recology Artist in Residence Program, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, and at the de Young’s Artist Studio. She is recipient of multiple awards and honors, including a grant from Artadia and an Eisner Prize in Art from the University of California, Berkeley. Maria lives and works in San Francisco.
For more information, contact: mark@markmoorefineart.com
#karamaria #markmoorefineart
Closing Soon: Joseph Rossano at The Bellevue Arts Museum
April 12, 2019 – August 11, 2019
The Joseph Rossano Salmon Project
School, an exhibition spearheaded and conceptualized by artist Joseph Rossano, casts light on the diminished state of global salmon and steelhead populations. The installation features a life-size school of mirrored salmon, sculpted from molten glass by concerned glassmakers from around the world. Participating makers send their contributions to a central location where the glass fish are silvered by Joseph Rossano and then sent to join the exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum.
Rossano’s project is inspired by the Skagit River, the fourth largest outflow to the Pacific Ocean in the continental United States, and its dwindling run of salmon and steelhead. Once numbering in the millions, the Skagit’s salmon stocks now number barely in the tens of thousands. Whereas the river’s steelhead population, which historically numbered in the tens of thousands, now numbers only in the hundreds. Because the steelhead return to the Skagit in the late winter when cupboards were bare, they once served as an important food supply to indigenous peoples. The stories of the region’s people and their use of its land over thousands of years offers captivating and actionable insights that Rossano hopes will bring disparate groups together for the benefit of these fish and those dependent on them.
To kick off the project, the Museum of Glass will host a makers event on October 12, 13, and 14. During that long weekend, the MOG team will work with Rossano and a range of other glass artists to create fish for the exhibition. Trout Unlimited, an organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of wild fish populations will co-host the event, making it a celebration of the fish with refreshments, films and talks from scientists, indigenous peoples, and sportsman.
Check out “School” The Joseph Rossano Salmon Project – A Collaboration in Conservation on Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/article/mark-moore-fine-art-school-joseph-rossano-salmon-project-collaboration-conservation
#jospehrossano #school #bellevueartsmuseum #markmoorefineart #rossanosalmonproject
Penelope Umbrico featured in: “Maan/ Moon” On View Now through October 10th at FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerpen – Antwerp, Belgium
Penelope Umbrico featured in:
Maan/ Moon
June 6th – October 10th, 2019
FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerpen – Antwerp, Belgium
PENELOPE UMBRICO offers a radical reinterpretation of everyday consumer and vernacular images. Umbrico works “within the virtual world of consumer marketing and social media, traveling through the relentless flow of seductive images, objects, and information that surrounds us, searching for decisive moments—but in these worlds, decisive moments are cultural absurdities.”
She finds these moments in the pages of consumer product mail-order catalogs, travel and leisure brochures; and websites like Craigslist, EBay, and Flickr. Identifying image typologies—candy-colored horizons and sunsets, books used as props—brings the farcical, surreal nature of consumerism to new light.
Penelope Umbrico (born in Philadelphia, 1957) graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York. She has participated extensively in solo and group exhibitions, including at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York. Umbrico is core faculty in the School of Visual Arts MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media Program. Selected public collections include the Guggenheim Museum (NY), International Center of Photography (NY), McNay Museum of Art (TX), Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Museum of Contemporary Photography (IL), Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego (CA), Museum of Modern Art (NY), and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (CA), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (CA), among others. She lives in New York City.
For more information, go to:
http://bit.ly/2Lm1TGt
#markmoorefineart #penelopeumbrico
Rebecca Manson’s Installation “Come Closer” In Tribeca Park Ending Soon!
The artist Rebecca Manson invites viewers to “Come Closer and the View Gets Wider” with her installation in Tribeca Park in New York City.
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/rebecca-manson-come-closer-and-the-view-gets-wider-1
“Come Closer and the View Gets Wider” is a monument to collective consciousness and an invitation for viewers to look, touch, feel, and perhaps shift perspectives. The sculpture is composed of thousands of bone-like ceramic pieces, each hand-made and uniquely glazed. From a distance, the large textured globe evokes unity and delicacy. Up close, the sculpture mimics the sensation of peeking through a hole in a wall and catching a glimpse of an intimate moment.
REBECCA MANSON’s work stretches the limits of ceramics, challenging preconceived notions regarding fragility. “My work uses ceramics as a metaphor for the individual and societal body,” says Manson. “This sculpture was informed by the process of working with clay, a nature that wants to collapse. For me, ceramics is tied to personal resilience and rebuilding in the face of adversity.”
Rebecca Manson graduated with a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2011. She received a Windgate Project Grant in 2016 and a Windgate Fellowship Award in 2011 from The Windgate Foundation and the Center for Craft Creativity and Design in Asheville, NC. She served as artist-in-residence at Zentrum Fur Keramik (Berlin, Germany) and California State University (Long Beach, CA). Manson has exhibited at galleries and institutions including Hard and Soft at ACME Gallery, Line Describing a Cone at the Katonah Museum of Art and Fun House at 520 W. 28th by Zaha Hadid Architects. Her first exhibition of public art, “Come Closer and the View Gets Wider” is currently on display in Tribeca Park in New York City. Manson lives and works in Brooklyn.
For additional information, go to:
https://www.artsy.net/show/mark-moore-fine-art-rebecca-manson-come-closer-and-the-view-gets-wider-at-tribeca-park
For images of available works, or pricing inquiries, please email: info@markmoorefineart.com
www.markmoorfineart.com
#markmoorefineart #rebeccamanson #comecloser
ARTSY Show of the Week: David Klamen “Untitled 2015” at Mark Moore Fine Art
David Klamen Untitled 2015 (Blue Meta-Painting Installation)
An Exclusive ARTSY Online Exhibition on view now at: http://bit.ly/2vZSGLr
In recent years, the work of David Klamen has used various visual images and processes to investigate the question of how we know our cultures and ourselves. In his most recent variation on this theme, Klamen has created a collection of paintings of paintings, or “meta-paintings.” This multi-canvas installation consists of an historically diverse set of twenty-four separate paintings, each inspired by a masterwork, carefully arranged together to create a unified installation.
Consistent with his other works, Untitled 2015 (Blue Meta-Painting Installation) overlaps multiple artistic traditions into a single work, combining the installation style of the nineteenth century salon with his trompe l’oeil meta-paintings. From a distance, the large oval installation offers an intricately composed play of fractured angles that suggest a nearly cubistic sense of space. Rectangular canvases depicting paintings at tilted angles ricochet our attention across the picture planes. From the sparkling gilded frames of the old masters to the punctuated color of Mondrian and Monet, Klamen compresses the scale of the originals into a carefully orchestrated intertextual performance. Like an art historical library, this meta-painting installation offers an experience of ongoing comparison, discovery and contemplation.
Klamen is represented in the Public Collections of the following Museums (to name but a few): Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, Wisconsin; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, Illinois; National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea; The Searle Collection of Contemporary Art, Chicago; University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California; McNay Art Museum, San Antonio; Elmhurst Art Museum; and the Berkeley Art Museum.
#davidklamen #markmoorefineart
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Uncategorised / Oct 21, 2018
Marmalade goes to Westminster for the Loneliness Strategy
This week Marmalade Trust was invited to the launch of the Government’s much-awaited Loneliness Strategy in Westminster. Our founder Amy Perrin was amongst a select number of influential names in loneliness who personally implemented into the strategy. Says Amy: “It was a fantastic evening recognising the importance of our work and recognising loneliness as something that is part of our daily lives. I was particularly delighted to see that this strategy has normalised loneliness and has put it on the national agenda.”
The extent of the mental, physical, social and economic effects of loneliness are now being recognised and 2018 has been the year that loneliness has become part of a national conversation. In January the UK announced the appointment of the world’s first Loneliness Minister and earlier this year Prime Minister Theresa May announced that £20 million pounds will be put into raising awareness of loneliness and providing practical solutions. Amy said: “We are particularly excited to see that one of the major points of the strategy is the need to develop a national campaign raising awareness of loneliness. Marmalade Trust launched the UK’s first Loneliness Awareness Week in 2017. After the initial exceptional interest the campaign has grown year on year to reach an incredible four million people. Loneliness still has a stigma of negativity and it’s hugely important as a society that we realise that we are human beings who need human interaction. We know first-hand from launching LAW the amazing power of bringing people together to remind them of the importance of connecting.”
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Some Statistics on the Growth of Math.SE
May 10, 2015 by mixedmath. 11 comments
(or How I implemented an unanswered question tracker and began to grasp the size of the site.)
I’m not sure when it happened, but Math.StackExchange is huge. I remember a distant time when you could, if you really wanted to, read all the traffic on the site. I wouldn’t recommend trying that anymore.
I didn’t realize just how vast MSE had become until I revisited a chatroom dedicated to answering old, unanswered questions, The Crusade of Answers. The users there especially like finding old, secretly answered questions that are still on the unanswered queue — either because the answers were never upvoted, or because the answer occurred in the comments. Why do they do this? You’d have to ask them.
But I think they might do it to reduce clutter.
Sometimes, I want to write a good answer to a good question (usually as a thesis-writing deterrence strategy).
And when I want to write a good answer to a good question, I often turn to the unanswered queue. Writing good answers to already-well-answered questions is, well, duplicated effort. [Worse is writing a good answer to a duplicate question, which is really duplicated effort. The worst is when the older version has the same, maybe an even better answer]. The front page passes by so quickly and so much is answered by really fast gunslingers. But the unanswered queue doesn’t have that problem, and might even lead to me learning something along the way.
In this way, reducing clutter might help Optimize for Pearls, not Sand. [As an aside, having a reasonable, hackable math search engine would also help. It would be downright amazing]
And so I found myself back in The Crusade of Answers chat, reading others’ progress on answering and eliminating the unanswered queue. I thought to myself How many unanswered questions are asked each day? So I wrote a script that updates and ultimately feeds The Crusade of Answers with the number of unanswered questions that day, and the change from the previous day at around 6pm Eastern US time each day.
I had no idea that 166 more questions were asked than answered on a given day. There are only four sites on the StackExchange network that get 166 questions per day (SO, MathSE, AskUbuntu, and SU, in order from big to small). Just how big are we getting? The rest of this post is all about trying to understand some of our growth through statistics and pretty pictures. See everything else below the fold.
Filed under all levels, expository
Tagged: data-analysis, meta, statistics
On the Möbius function
April 11, 2015 by Sabyasachi Mukherjee. 7 comments
The Möbius function is a rather useful one, especially when dealing with multiplicative functions. But first of all, a few definitions are in order.
Definition 1: Let \(\omega(n)\) be the number of distinct prime divisors of \(n\).
Definition 2: The Möbius function, \(\mu(n)\) is defined as \((-1)^{\omega(n)}\) if \(n\) is square-free and \(0\) otherwise. (A number \(n\) is square-free if there is no prime \(p\) such that \(p^2\) divides \(n\).)
It may be a good idea to compute the following: \(\omega(n)\) and \(\mu(n)\) for \(n=64, 12, 17, 1\) to get an idea of what’s going on.
A Möbius function is an arithmetic function, i.e. a function from \(\mathbb{N}\) to \(\mathbb{C}\). Can you think of some other arithmetic functions?
Definition 3: If \(f(n)\) is an arithmetic function not identically zero such that \(f(m)f(n)=f(mn)\) for every pair of positive integers \(m, n\) satisfying \((m,n)=1\), then \(f(n)\) is multiplicative.
Theorem 0: \(\mu(n)\) is a multiplicative function.
Proof: The proof is left to the reader.
Theorem 1: If \(f(n)\) is a multiplicative function, so is \(\displaystyle \sum_{d|n} f(d)\).
Before we jump to the proof, let us be clear on the notation. For \(n=12\), \(\displaystyle \sum_{d|n} f(d)=f(1)+f(2)+f(3)+f(4)+f(6)+f(12)\) i.e. the sum taken over the divisors of \(n\).
Proof: Consider the sets \(A= \{d : 0<d, d|n \}\) and \(B= \{d_1d_2 : d_1|m_1, d_2|m_2, (m_1,m_2)=1,m_1m_2=n\}\).
(Note that such \(m_1, m_2\) exist. Take \(m_1=1,m_2=n\)).
Now take \(d \in A\). Then \(1\cdot d\) divides \(1\cdot n\) which means that \(d \in B\) and so \(A \subset B\).
Now take \(s \in B\). So \(s\) is of the form \(d_1d_2\) where \(d_1|m_1\) and \(d_2 |m_2\) such that \((m_1,m_2)=1\) with their product \(n\). So, \(s\) divides \(m\) and hence \(B \subset A\). From these, we infer that \(A=B\).
Now, suppose that \((m,n)=1\). Then \(\displaystyle F(mn)=\sum_{d|mn} f(d)=\sum_{d_1|m,d_2|n,d_1d_2=mn}f(d_1d_2)=\sum_{d_1|m}\sum_{d_2|n} f(d_1d_2)\)
So, $$F(mn)=\sum_{d_1|m}\sum_{d_2|n}f(d_1)f(d_2)(\text{since f is multiplicative})=\sum_{d_1|m}f(d_1)\sum_{d_2|n}f(d_2).$$
Now with this theorem in hand, let us a prove a few more theorems.
Theorem 2: \(\displaystyle \sum_{d|n} \mu(d)\) is \(0\) if \(n>1\) and \(1\) if \(n=1\).
Proof: The case \(n=1\) is trivial.
Suppose that \(n>1\).
Since \(\mu(n)\) is multiplicative, so is \(\displaystyle F(n)= \sum_{d|n} \mu(d)\). Now let us recall that \(n>1\) can be written as a product of primes, say \(\displaystyle n=p_i^{a_i}\dots p_k^{a_k}\). So, we can write \(F(n)=F(p_1^{a^1})\dots F(p_k^{a_k})\).
As \(a_i\ge 1\), \(F(p_i^{a_i})= 0\) (using the definition of \(\mu\).)That means \(F(n)=0\). The desired conclusion now follows from this discussion.
Before we now move on to a theorem which shows a connection between the Euler’s \(\varphi-\)function and the Möbius function, let us state a really important theorem, also known as the Möbius Inversion formula.
Theorem 3: If \(\displaystyle F(n)=\sum_{d|n}f(d)\) for every positive integer \(n\), then \(\displaystyle f(n)=\sum_{d|n}\mu(d)F(\frac{n}{d})\).
Proof: We will flesh this proof in somewhat lesser detail because we have developed most of the techniques related to his proof.
Note that \(\displaystyle \sum_{d|n}\mu(d)F(\frac{n}{d})\)
\(\displaystyle =\sum_{d|n}\mu(d)\sum_{k|(n/d)} f(k)= \sum_{dk|n}\mu(d)f(k)=\sum_{dk|n}\mu(k)f(d)\).
Can the reader now complete the proof? (Hint: Use Theorem 2).
Theorem 4: \(\displaystyle \varphi(n)= n\sum_{d|n} \frac{\mu(d)}{d}.\)
Proof: To write the proof, we use a lemma.
Lemma: \(\displaystyle \sum_{d|n} \varphi(d)=n\).
Proof of the lemma: Note that for \(n=1\), this is true. Suppose that \(n>1\). Then \(\displaystyle n=p_1^{a_1}\dots p_k^{a_k}\) for some primes \(p_1,\dots, p_k\). As \(\varphi(n)\) is multiplicative, so is \(\displaystyle F(n)= \sum_{d|n} \varphi(d)\)
That means \(\displaystyle F(n)=\prod_{i=1}^k F(p_i^{a_i})\). A quick calculation reveals that \(F(p_i^{a_i})=p_i^{a_i}\) which gives \(F(n)=n\).
We can now use this lemma and the Möbius Inversion formula to finish off the proof.
Here as some other problems on multiplicative functions.
Problem 1: \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{\varphi(n)}=\frac{1}{n}\sum_{d|n}\frac{\mu(d)^2}{\varphi(d)}\).
Problem 2: For each positive integer \(n\), \(\displaystyle \mu(n)\mu(n+1)\mu(n+2)\mu(n+3) = 0\).
Problem 3: \(\displaystyle \sum_{d|n}|\mu(d)| = 2^{\omega(n)}\).
Filed under High School, Undergraduate
Tagged: elementary-number-theory, Mobius function
When can we do induction?
March 10, 2015 by Tobias Kildetoft. 5 comments
Every so often, the question comes up (either here or elsewhere) of why induction is a valid proof technique. And this is of course a very natural question. Induction is after all rather mysterious compared to the other usual proof techniques. At the same time, it is a very useful one, so it is important that people can be given a satisfactory answer. The question is more precisely “why can we do induction on the natural numbers”, but I am not going to answer that question here. For one thing, the answer depends entirely on how one defines the natural numbers, and for another, induction has nothing to do with the natural numbers. “But wait” you might say. “Did he really just claim that induction has nothing to do with the natural numbers. How can that be? Is induction not something like, we prove something holds for \({0}\) and that if it holds for \({n}\) then it holds for \({n+1}\). How does that even make sense if we are not talking about the natural numbers?” And indeed, the “nothing” was a bit of an overstatement to get your attention. But it turns out that induction is a proof technique that can be used in a much more general setting than that of the natural numbers. This is the viewpoint I will try to explain in detail in this post: Given some set \({X}\), what do we need to be able to use induction to prove that something holds for all elements of \({X}\)?
The usual case
To get started, let us look at the way induction is usually formulated (I will formulate this as a theorem, but as mentioned, I will not give a proof).
Theorem Let \({A\subseteq {\mathbb N}}\) such that \({0\in A}\) and for all \({n\in {\mathbb N}}\) we have \({n\in A\implies n+1\in A}\). Then \({A = {\mathbb N}}\).
At first glance, it seems like this uses some special properties of the natural numbers, namely the facts that we have a \({0}\) and a way to add \({1}\) to any element. But let us look at a different version of induction (often called “strong” induction). Often, we are told that this version is “equivalent” to the usual induction. But as will be seen later, this is either trivial (as both are true statements about the natural numbers), or false (as the theorems do not hold for the same sets when we start to generalize).
Theorem Let \({A\subseteq {\mathbb N}}\) such that for all \({n\in {\mathbb N}}\) we have \({\left(m < n \implies m\in A\right)\implies n\in A}\). Then \({A = {\mathbb N}}\).
(Note that I have the “baseless” version here. But clearly any set satisfying the above will contain \({0}\) since if \({n=0}\) then \({m < n}\) is always false and hence the first implication becomes true regardless of whether \({m\in A}\), which means that the second implication can only be true if \({n\in A}\)). So now we have a version of induction that only uses the ordering of the natural numbers, and this seems like it might be easier to generalize. So let us take a set \({X}\). What sort of ordering must we put on \({X}\) in order to be able to prove that something holds for all \({x\in X}\) by induction? The common answer is “a well-order”, but this is not quite correct, mainly because a well-order is a total order, and it turns out that it is possible to use induction with just a partial order. But let us still start with the more specific question: What sort of total order on \({X}\) allows us to do induction?
Total orders
In this case, the answer is indeed “a well-order”. So let us first look at the definition.
Definition A total order on a non-empty set \({X}\) is called a well-order if any non-empty subset of \({X}\) has a smallest element.
So my claim is that if \({X}\) is a totally ordered set, then we can do induction on \({X}\) if and only if \({X}\) is well-ordered. But this then refers to the “strong” induction. What happened to the other kind? Can we make sense of the other kind if we just have a total order? The answer to the last question is: Almost. If we have a well-ordered set (with a small additional condition), then we can in fact make sense of the usual kind of induction. But it need no longer be a true statement, unless we change some details. Before we move on to the first kind of induction, let us prove the above claim that being well-ordered is both necessary and sufficient. First, we prove that if is sufficient.
Theorem Let \({X}\) be a well-ordered set and \({A\subseteq X}\) be such that for all \({x\in X}\) we have \({\left(y < x \implies y\in A\right)\implies x\in A}\). Then \({A = X}\).
Proof: Let \({B = X\setminus A}\) and assume for the purpose of contradiction that \({B}\) is not empty. Since \({X}\) is well-ordered this means that \({B}\) has a smallest element, call it \({b}\). But now, if \({x\in X}\) with \({x < b}\) then \({x\not\in B}\) since \({b}\) was smallest in \({B}\). Hence for all \({x\in X}\) with \({x < b}\) we have \({x\in A}\), and thus by the assumption on \({A}\), this means that \({b\in A}\) contradicting the choice of \({b}\). \(\Box\)
And then that it is necessary.
Theorem Let \({X}\) be a totally ordered non-empty set such that whenever a subset \({A\subseteq X}\) satisfies \({\left(y < x \implies y\in A\right)\implies x\in A}\) for all \({x\in X}\) then \({A = X}\). Then \({X}\) is well-ordered.
Proof: Let \({B\subseteq X}\) be a subset and assume that \({B}\) does not have a smallest element. Let \({A = X\setminus B}\). We need to show that \({A = X}\) and thus by assumption it is enough to show that if \({x\in X}\) and \({y\in A}\) for all \({y < x}\) then \({x\in A}\). But if \({y\in A}\) for all \({y < x}\) then \({x}\) cannot be in \({B}\), since it would then be the smallest element in \({B}\) (since all strictly smaller elements are not in \({B}\)), and thus \({x\in A}\) as we needed. \(\Box\)
So now the question remains how we can make sense of the first kind of induction, where we needed to have a \({0}\) and needed to be able to add \({1}\) to any element. But there is a very natural way to make sense of these things in a well-ordered set \({X}\), if we just assume one extra thing: \({X}\) does not have a largest element. Namely, we can take \({0}\) to be the smallest element of the set (which exists by assumption). As for adding \({1}\), this really just means “take the next element”, and this makes sense since for any \({x\in X}\) we know that the set \({\{y\in X\mid y > x\}}\) is non-empty (this is where we need \({X}\) to not have a largest element), and thus it has a smallest element, which is the “next” element after \({x}\) (called the immediate successor of \({x}\)). So with these definitions in hand, given a well-ordered set \({X}\) which does not have a largest element, can we do induction on \({X}\)? The answer turns out to be “no”, as the following example demonstrates. The example also illustrates what we need to change to make things work.
Example Let \({X = \{0,1\}\times {\mathbb N}}\) and order \({X}\) lexicographically (so \({(m,n) \leq (m’,n’)}\) if \({m < m’}\) or \({m = m’}\) and \({n\leq n’}\)). It is then easy to check that \({(0,0)}\) is the smallest element of \({X}\) (i.e. we denote \({0 = (0,0)}\)). It is also easy to check that with “\({+1}\)” defined as explained above, we have \({(m,n)+1 = (m,n+1)}\). Let \({A = \{(0,n)\mid n\in {\mathbb N}\}\subseteq X}\). Then the above observations show that \({0\in A}\) and \({a\in A\implies a+1\in A}\) but \({A\neq X}\). But \({X}\) is indeed well-ordered (this is a standard exercise that I leave to the reader), so this is a well-ordered set without a largest element where we cannot use the first kind of induction.
So what is it that goes wrong in the above example? If we look at the usual proof of why induction works for the natural numbers, it is very close to the proof I have presented here that “strong” induction works on any well-ordered set, except that at one point, one will need that if \({n\neq 0}\) then \({n-1}\) makes sense (one considers the complement of the given set, takes the smallest element \({n}\) and notices that this cannot be \({0}\) and then uses the inductive assumption on \({n-1}\)). But how would we define “subtract \({1}\)” in a general well-ordered set? This turns out to not be doable, and this is precisely what goes wrong in the example. More precisely, “subtract \({1}\)” should mean “take the immediate predecessor”, and such need not exist. In the given example, the element \({(1,0)}\) does not have any immediate predecessor, since the elements smaller than \({(1,0)}\) are precisely those in the chosen set \({A}\), and an immediate predecessor would be a largest element in \({S}\), which clearly does not exist. The above suggests how we can remedy the situation: Replace “\({0\in A}\)” by “\({x\in A}\) for any \({x\in X}\) which does not have an immediate predecessor”. And indeed, with this version, we can do induction (I leave the proof as an exercise to the reader. It is just a small change compared to the other proof given).
Back to the more general case: Let \({X}\) be a partially ordered set. What do we need to assume about this partial order in order to do induction on \({X}\) (from now on, by induction I will mean “strong” induction since we cannot really make sense of the other kind in this larger generality). Here the answer turns out to be that we need \({X}\) to be well-founded (actually we do not need an ordering, just any well-founded relation, but I will stick with an ordering). So let us define this.
Definition A partially ordered non-empty set \({X}\) is said to be well-founded if any non-empty subset of \({X}\) has a minimal element.
Let us as previously prove that this condition is both sufficient and necessary to do induction. First, sufficient.
Theorem Let \({X}\) be a well-founded partially ordered set and \({A\subseteq X}\) such that for all \({x\in X}\) we have \({\left(y < x \implies y\in A\right)\implies x\in A}\). Then \({A = X}\).
Proof: Let \({B = X\setminus A}\). Assume for the purpose of contradiction that \({B}\) is not empty, and let \({b\in B}\) be a minimal element. Now it is clear that if \({x\in X}\) with \({x < b}\) then \({x\in A}\) since otherwise \({b}\) would not be minimal. But then \({b\in A}\) contradicting the choice of \({b}\). \(\Box\)
And necessary.
Theorem Let \({X}\) be a partially ordered non-empty set such that whenever a subset \({A\subseteq X}\) satisfies \({\left(y < x \implies y\in A\right)\implies x\in A}\) for all \({x\in X}\) then \({A = X}\). Then \({X}\) is well-founded.
Proof: Let \({B\subseteq X}\) and assume that \({B}\) does not have a minimal element. Let \({A = X\setminus B}\). Now if \({x\in X}\) and \({y\in A}\) for all \({y < x}\) then also \({x\in A}\) as otherwise \({x}\) would be a minimal element of \({B}\). But then by assumption, \({A = X}\) so \({B}\) is empty. \(\Box\)
So now we know when we can do induction. But is this ever useful? And it sure is! For a concrete example of a well-founded set with a non-total order, we can take \({{\mathbb Z}}\) with the ordering \({m\leq n}\) if \({m = n}\) or \({|m| < |n|}\) (the “closer to zero” ordering). Sure, we could also mess a bit with the ordering to make it total, but this makes for a simpler description (for an example where this ordering is used, see my answer here). A useful and easy result for proving that certain sets are well-founded is the following.
Proposition Let \({X}\) be a partially ordered non-empty set such that for all \({x\in X}\), the set \({ \{y\in X\mid y\leq x \} }\) is finite. Then \({X}\) is well-founded.
Proof: Let \({A\subseteq X}\) be a non-empty subset and let \({a\in A}\). Now the set \({ \{x\in X\mid x\leq a \} \cap A}\) is finite and non-empty and thus has a minimal element, which is a minimal element in \({A}\). \(\Box\)
An exercise for the readers
Finally, to end the post, I have an exercise for the readers. Go and find good examples of proofs by induction where the set in question is not the natural numbers. Even better, find ones where the set in question is not the natural numbers, but where the proof ended up being more complicated because the author has taken pains to only do induction on the natural numbers (this need not reflect poorly on the author. If the proof is meant for inexperienced people, then it is often better to give the less direct proof which uses the sort of induction the readers will be familiar with). Go ahead and fill the comments with such examples.
Filed under Advanced High School, Undergraduate
Tagged: Elementary-set-theory, Induction
Another proof of Wilson’s Theorem
February 16, 2015 by mixedmath. 7 comments
While teaching a largely student-discovery style elementary number theory course to high schoolers at the Summer@Brown program, we were looking for instructive but interesting problems to challenge our students. By we, I mean Alex Walker, my academic little brother, and me, David Lowry-Duda. After a bit of experimentation with generators and orders, we stumbled across a proof of Wilson’s Theorem, different than the standard proof.
Wilson’s theorem is a classic result of elementary number theory, and is used in some elementary texts to prove Fermat’s Little Theorem, or to introduce primality testing algorithms that give no hint of the factorization.
Theorem 1 (Wilson’s Theorem) For a prime number \({p}\), we have $$ (p-1)! \equiv -1 \pmod p. \tag{1}$$
The theorem is clear for \({p = 2}\), so we only consider proofs for “odd primes \({p}\).”
The standard proof of Wilson’s Theorem included in almost every elementary number theory text starts with the factorial \({(p-1)!}\), the product of all the units mod \({p}\). Then as the only elements which are their own inverses are \({\pm 1}\) (as \({x^2 \equiv 1 \pmod p \iff p \mid (x^2 – 1) \iff p\mid x+1}\) or \({p \mid x-1}\)), every element in the factorial multiples with its inverse to give \({1}\), except for \({-1}\). Thus \({(p-1)! \equiv -1 \pmod p.} \diamondsuit\)
Now we present a different proof.
Take a primitive root \({g}\) of the unit group \({(\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})^\times}\), so that each number \({1, \ldots, p-1}\) appears exactly once in \({g, g^2, \ldots, g^{p-1}}\). Recalling that \({1 + 2 + \ldots + n = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}}\) (a great example of classical pattern recognition in an elementary number theory class), we see that multiplying these together gives \({(p-1)!}\) on the one hand, and \({g^{(p-1)p/2}}\) on the other.
As \({g^{(p-1)/2}}\) is a solution to \({x^2 \equiv 1 \pmod p}\), and it is not \({1}\) since \({g}\) is a generator and thus has order \({p-1}\). So \({g^{(p-1)/2} \equiv -1 \pmod p}\), and raising \({-1}\) to an odd power yields \({-1}\), completing the proof \(\diamondsuit\).
After posting this, we have since seen that this proof is suggested in a problem in Ireland and Rosen’s extremely good number theory book. But it was pleasant to see it come up naturally, and it’s nice to suggest to our students that you can stumble across proofs.
It may be interesting to question why \({x^2 \equiv 1 \pmod p \iff x \equiv \pm 1 \pmod p}\) appears in a fundamental way in both proofs.
This post appears on the author’s personal website davidlowryduda.com and on the Math.Stackexchange Community Blog math.blogoverflow.com.
Filed under Advanced High School, expository
Tagged: number-theory
Welcome the new trio of moderators of 2014
January 26, 2015 by Community Blog. 3 comments
The MSE elections are over. Sure, this is a bit late, but that’s no excuse not to be excited. Welcome the new moderators!
We should also take a moment to thank the retiring moderators Alex Becker and Willie Wong.
This was also the biggest election we’ve had, both in the number of candidates and the number of voters. For some comparison, look at the growth. In blue is the number of eligible voters on all of the site. In red, the number of visitors during the election phase. And in green, we have the number of voters.
Well, from this angle, it’s not as clear that the number of voters is growing. But if we look at just the voters, we see that there’s really been a lot of growth!
Why was there such a spike in interest? Who knows? But perhaps greater community interest is a good thing.
Filed under Announcements
Climbing the ladder of hyper operators: tetration
January 5, 2015 by George Daccache. 17 comments
Arguably the first math lesson we’ve had – ever – dealt with counting. Soon, we’re exposed to addition, and later, multiplication. Finally, when we’re fresh into middle school, we take on exponentiation. And every step of the way, we learn that each new operator is shorthand for repeatedly applying the previous one: addition as repeated counting, multiplication as repeated addition, and exponentiation as repeated multiplication. We quickly see that the above operations can be formalized as follows:
0. Succession: \( a’ = a + 1\)
1. Addition: \(A(a, b) = a + b = \underbrace{a + 1 + 1 + \cdots + 1}_{b \: times} = \underbrace{(a’)’\cdots’}_{b \: times}\)
2. Multiplication: \(M(a, b) = a \times b = \underbrace{a + a + a + \cdots + a}_{b \: times}\)
3. Exponentiation: \(E(a, b) = a^b = \underbrace{a \times a \times a \cdots \times a}_{b \: times}\)
Several natural questions spring to mind: Can’t we continue this sequence of operators? Can’t another operator be defined as repeated exponentiation, and can’t we repeat that to get a new operator, ad infinitum? The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, the first such an operator already exists and has several applications in various fields: the tetration operator.
Tetration is defined as, $$T(a, b) = {}^ba = \underbrace{a^{a^{a^{…^{a}}}}}_{b \> times}$$ As is readily seen, the notation is the exact same as exponentiation, but with the ‘exponent’ to the left. For the sake of this article, we’ll refer to tetration \(n\) times as nth order tetration. That is, if \(b\) in the definition is equal to \(2\), then it is 2nd order tetration, and so on.
Before we go any further, we must specify how to compute values with the tetration operator, as the notation for repeated exponentiation might lead to a certain measure of ambiguity in that regard. For example, given \({}^4 3\), the definition rewrites it as, $$3^{3^{3^3}}.$$ Is this equal to $$((3^3)^3)^3$$ or $$3^{\left[3^{\left(3^3\right)}\right]}?$$ It happens that the second expansion is the correct one, as tetration is defined as right associative, which means it simplifies from the innermost nesting outward. Thus the value of \({}^4 3\) is, $${}^4 3 = 3^{\left[3^{\left(3^3\right)}\right]} = 3^{\left(3^{27}\right)} = 3^{7625597484987}.$$
To put this number into perspective, the above number has approximately \(3.638 \times 10^{12}\) digits, or somewhere over 3 trillion.
Tetration Functions:
In many cases, it is advantageous to define the family of tetration functions so that \(t_n(x) = {}^nx\). The most common functions in this family are \(t_2(x) = {}^2x = x^x\), and \(f_3(x) = {}^3x = x^{x^x}\). Using Wolfram|Alpha, I was able to quickly make two graphs of \(t_2(x)\), shown below:
From the first plot, we note just how fast \(t_2(x)\) grows. (Its exponential counterpart, \(f(x) = 2^x\), is only \(16\) at \(x = 4\), whereas \(t_2(x)\) is already \(256\).) From the second, we see the function’s complex behavior for negative \(x\). The only points where \(t_2(x)\) is real for negative values are precisely at the negative integers.
We also note from the second plot how purely real \(t_2(x)\) decreases over a small interval. It is left to the reader as a simple calculus exercise to verify that the real interval where the \(t_2(x)\) decreases is \((0, 1/e)\). It happens that this decreasing behavior occurs for all \(t_n(x)\), where \(n\) is even. A plot of \(t_n(x)\) as \(n \to \infty\) verifies this.
Instantly remarkable from the graph is how half of the functions tend to \(1\) as \(x\) tends to \(0\), and the other half tend to \(0\). In fact, we have, $$\lim_{x \to 0^+} t_n(x) = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{if } n \text{ even} \\ 0 & \text{if } n \text{ odd} \end{cases}$$
Growth of Tetration:
From the previous graphs and calculations it is immediately obvious that tetration outputs very large numbers in exchange for very small ones, on an order even larger than its predecessor, exponentiation. It seems reasonable to hope that we can prove that its growth rate dominates that of exponentials. Let’s take a look at the following theorem which does just that.
Theorem: for all \(x\) and all \(a > 1, b \geq 2\), we have \(a^x = o({}^bx)\).
Proof: By definition, we have \(a^x = o({}^bx) \Leftrightarrow \lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{a^x}{{}^bx} = 0\). Thus, it suffices to prove the limit for all \(a > 1\) and \(b \geq 2\): With a quick rewrite in terms of exponentials and logarithms, we have, $$\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{a^x}{{}^bx} = \lim_{x \to \infty} \exp{\left(x\ln{\left(\frac{a}{{}^{b-1}x}\right)}\right)}$$ $$ = \exp{\left(\lim_{x \to \infty}x \lim_{x \to \infty}\ln{\left(\frac{a}{{}^{b-1}x}\right)}\right)}$$ Clearly the first limit is infinity, but the second limit isn’t as obvious. We argue as follows:
Since it is trivial that tetration increases without bound towards infinity, we have \(\lim_{x \to \infty} {}^n x = \infty\). It follows that \(\lim_{x \to \infty} \frac{a}{{}^n x} = \frac{a}{\infty} = 0\), becoming increasingly small and staying positive. We know that \(\ln{(x)} < 0\) in the range \(0 < x < 1\), and so we conclude that \(\lim_{x \to \infty} \ln{(a/{}^{b-1}x)} = -\infty\).
We can now directly compute the limit: $$\exp{\left(\lim_{x \to \infty}x \lim_{x \to \infty}\ln{\left(\frac{a}{{}^{b-1}x}\right)}\right)} = e^{[(\infty) \cdot (-\infty)]} = e^{-\infty} = 0.$$ Q.E.D.
Properties of Tetration:
Unfortunately, tetration defies simple rules such as \(a^b \cdot a^c = a^{b + c}\), but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any rules at all. What is hard about deriving properties of tetration is that intuition is not able to play a major role, since no one has a ‘feel’ for tetration as they do for exponentiation. If we restrict ourselves to second-order tetration, however, we find several interesting properties, the most important of which I have stated below.
Property 1 (addition rule of tetration):
$${}^2(a + b) = (a + b)^a \cdot (a + b)^b$$
Property 2 (multiplication rule of tetration):
$${}^2(ab) = {}^2a^b \cdot {}^2b^a$$
Property 3 (hyperbolic rule of tetration):
$${}^2x = \sinh{(x \ln{(x)})} + \cosh{(x \ln{(x)})}$$
While theorems 1 and 2 seem reasonable, theorem 3 seems completely out of the blue. In fact, the theorem both relates tetration to the hyperbolic functions and also provides a way of expressing second order tetration without actually using tetration! Below is the derivation:
Proof:
Start with the relation,
$$e^\theta = \sinh{(\theta)} + cosh{(\theta)}$$
Substitute \(\theta = \ln{({}^2x)}\) into the equation and simplify:
$$e^{\ln{({}^2x)}} = \sinh{( \ln{({}^2x)})} + \cosh{(\ln{({}^2x)})}$$
$$ \implies {}^2x = \sinh{(x \ln{(x)})} + \cosh{(x \ln{(x)})}$$
Q.E.D.
To my knowledge, I have never seen any of the above theorems appear in literature on the subject; I derived them myself.
Heading to Arbitrary Bases and Orders:
From the definition of tetration, we see that it can easily be extended to arbitrary bases: \({}^3 0.2\) is easy enough to compute, provided you express it in terms of exponentiation first. The questions, “What is \({}^{-1}2\)? Or \({}^{0.25}6\)?”, however, are not as easy to answer. This question about extending nth order tetration to arbitrary heights, or orders, is the elephant in the room of unsolved questions about this hyper operator. (An analogue of this question would be how to extend factorials to the reals, with the gamma function being the answer.)
Till now, there is no general consensus on tetration’s extension to arbitrary or even negative heights, but there are several competing theories, all with varying levels of difficulty. Perhaps the easiest approach to understand is that of Daniel Geisler, founder of the webpage tetration.org, who attempts to rectify the problem using Taylor series. Another very promising approach given by Kneser much earlier was proven to be both real analytic and unique and works by constructing an Abel function of \(e^x\) and using a Riemann mapping. As the scope of this article is meant to be for undergraduates and/or very bright high school attendees, I shall not discuss the detailed procedures in the constructions but will give links to relevant sources at the end.
For many, it is enough to study the properties of tetration simply because of its existence, but for the more applied of the readers among you, it might come as a relief to find out that both tetration and its inverse (and variants thereof) find application in many areas, with other fields also being candidates for its use.
Starting from mathematics itself, one finds that the modern version of the Ackermann function is actually equal to base-two nth order tetration, and can thus help in easily expressing the outputs of such a function. We have,
$${}^n2 = A(4, n-3) + 3.$$
(Note: This \(A(a, b)\) is the Ackermann function, and not the “addition” function given at the beginning of the article, even though they both are denoted \(A\).)
The original three-argument version of Ackermann’s function gives rise to tetration more generally:
$$φ(a, b, 3) = {}^ba.$$
Note that the Ackermann function is discrete, so finding a continuous version of the function is equivalent to extending tetration to all heights.
Another application is in computing the number of elements in the Von Neumann universe construction in set theory: the number is \({}^2n\), where here \(n\) is the stage of the construction. It serves as an aid in understanding the rapid growth of the elements in each stage.
If one considers the inverse function of second order tetration, called the super square root \(\text{ssrt(}x\text{)}\), we find several other applications, mentioned below.
Define $$\text{wzl(}x\text{)} = \text{ssrt(}10^x\text{)}$$ This function is called the ‘wexzal’ (a modification of the German word for ‘root’), and was coined and studied extensively in the self-titled paper, found below. According to the paper, using plotting software and extensive numerical tables for comparison, the authors found a more accurate equation for modeling velocity decay in ballistics which is the equation, $$v = \frac{a}{\text{wzl(}e^{bx}\text{)}}$$ as apposed to the traditional equation, $$v = \frac{a}{e^{bx}}.$$ Note that \(a\) and \(b\) are parameters depending on each case. This new equation also has the advantage of being integrable to find the flight time, so nothing is lost from the less accurate equation’s advantages.
Similarly, we can find using this variation of tetration’s inverse significantly better fits for various firearm quantities such as muzzle velocity as well as for motor vehicle acceleration.
So what’s the whole point of this? This article serves as a reminder that there are many areas of mathematics left untouched despite the vast compendium we have now. It simply examines one such unturned rock and gives a look into possible developments into the theory of hyper operators. Regrettably, some topics were not discussed for the sake of brevity, such as tetration’s inverse operation and calculus with the tetration function. For the eager reader, though, I have included some resources to further knowledge on the subject.
Further Reading and References
Wexzal paper, discussing quite thoroughly the tetration function and its inverse as well as the wexzal function and its applications.
Daniel Geisler’s site on tetration and his proposed extension.
The tetration forum, which hosts mostly higher-level math discussions on tetration and related concepts.
Kneser’s analytic extension procedure of tetration and its inverse and a proof of its uniqueness
My own brief research on the properties of second-order tetration.
Tagged: Ackermann function, hyper operator, large numbers, super square root, tetration
Dealing with Risk
December 15, 2014 by nomen. 1 comments
Consider a small company which uses a million dollar machine as an essential part of its operations. Suppose that there is a 10% chance that the machine will break down and need replacement in a given year. If the machine breaks down and the company replaces it, they can continue their operations for the rest of the year. If they machine breaks down and the company is unable to pay for a replacement, the company will have to cease its operations permanently. What is the probability that the company will have to cease its operations permanently?
To be fair, this is not really a question about mathematics. It is a question about business and risk. A business must find a strategy that minimizes its costs and maximizes its income, even in the face of uncertainty. Of course, the company will receive no income if its machine breaks down. So the company must balance the possibility of a break down with the certain costs to protect itself from a break down.
A Particularly Ineffective Strategy
The company might have heard of the expected value principle, an axiom of actuarial science that tells us the economic value of a random variable amount of money is the expectation of the variable, and decide to put $100,000 in a savings account to protect against the loss of the machine. This strategy is too naive. Obviously, the $100,000 isn’t going to pay for a replacement machine when the old one breaks down. So in any given year, the company faces a 10% chance of having to cease its operations. Worse yet, since the money the company saved offers no protection, it was used non-productively.
A Slightly Better Strategy
The company might have realized that, as stated, the number of years until the machine has its first break down is a geometric random variable \(N\), whose probability mass function is given by:
$$ \newcommand{\P}[1]{\mathbf{P}\!\left[#1\right]} \P{N = n} = (1 – p)^{n-1} p, $$
where, in this case, \(p = 10\%\).
The company might decide to save $100,000 at the start of every year, until they have saved enough money to replace the machine. Observe that the company will not have saved enough money until the 10th year. That is to say, they will face a 10% risk of having to cease operations permanently, every year, for the first nine years of operation. After that, they will have a 0% risk of having to cease operations. Since \(N\), the number of years until the first break down, has a known probability distribution, we can compute
$$ \begin{align} \P{N \leq 9} &= 1 – (1 – p)^9 \\ &= 1 – 0.9^9 \\ &\approx 0.613 \end{align} $$
That is to say, there is approximately a 61.3% chance that the first break down will occur in the first nine years of operation, which would put the company out of business.
This strategy is wasteful even if the company manages to beat the odds. By the tenth year, the company will have saved up a million dollars which could be put to use productively.
How Insurance Works
At its most fundamental level, insurance is a system for reducing the adverse effects of random events. Insurance does not eliminate risks, but it transfers the financial burden of a loss to an insurance company, in exchange for a certain sequence of payments from the customer. By pooling together a large number of these risks, an insurance company is able to increase the “predictability” of its losses. Analyzing the process by which pooling works essentially requires a central limit theorem, which tells us that the sum of large numbers of random variables (with finite variance) converges in distribution to a normal random variable. By modelling its pool in this way, an insurance company is able to budget for losses much more efficiently than any one of its consumers could by themselves.
So, let’s suppose that there are 1000 small companies in the pool, and each face the same risk of a breakdown, with the same distribution of losses. Then the total expected losses are one hundred million, since we expect that 10% of the machines will break down. Using the central limit theorem, we see that the losses the insurance company will face are approximately normally distributed, with a mean of one hundred million, and a standard deviation of about 9.5 million dollars.
This means that if the insurance company collects approximately 109.5 million dollars in premiums in a year, then there is about a 84% chance that they will be able to pay for every loss that year. If they collect approximately 119 million dollars in premiums, then there is about a 97.6% chance that they can pay for every loss that year. If they collect approximately 128 million dollars in premiums, there is more than a 99% chance that they can pay for every loss.
Calculating the risk each individual company now faces is involved, but we can make some observations. For a company to close in the current year:
its machine would have to break down
at least 128 other machines would have to break down before before it
It is clear that the latter event will be rare, especially when compared to the risk the company originally faced in a year. Indeed, we will demonstrate that the probability that any one company closes is less than 1%.
We will do this by using the law of total probability. Let \(F\) be the event that the company fails. Then
$$ \begin{align} \P{F} &= \P{F|N \leq 128}\P{N\leq 128} + \P{F|N > 128}\P{N> 128} \\ &= 0\cdot \P{N\leq 128} + \P{F|N > 128}\P{N > 128}\\ &= \P{F|N > 128}\P{N > 128}\\ \end{align} $$
Notice that the argument so far agrees with the observations made above. In fact, it was informed by the observations.
Now we must compute \(\P{F|N > 128}\P{N > 128}\). This is not straight-forward, and in fact, we do not have enough information to do it without making additional assumptions. The issue is that we do not have any idea how failures are distributed in time. For example, it seems intuitively plausible that a machine in a factory with poor maintenance would fail before a machine in a factory with good maintenance.
We will assume that if there are \(N\) break downs, all \(N!\) orders in which they can occur are equally likely. We can make some observations. First, 128 out of \(N\) companies will get paid. The rest are out of luck. In particular, the probability that our company gets paid is \(\frac{128}{N}\). The probability that our company doesn’t get paid is \(\frac{N – 128}{N}\).
So, using the law of total probability again, we compute:
$$ \begin{align} \P{F|N > 128}\P{N > 128} &= \sum_{n=128}^\infty \P{F|N = n}\P{N = n} \\ &= \sum_{n=128}^\infty \frac{n – 128}{n} f_N(n) \\ &= \sum_{n=128}^\infty \frac{n – 128}{n} F_N(n) – F_N(n+1) \end{align} $$
which is approximately equal to 0.00003915. Again, this number represents the approximate probability that any given company will fail because its machine breaks down in any given year. This is a vast improvement over the situation where there was a 10% chance of failure. To put it in perspective, the distribution of the number of years until the company fails is geometric, with \(p = 0.00003915\), so that the average number of years until a specific company fails is 25.5 thousand years.
This sort of insurance represents a benefit to society in a variety of ways. Insurance lowers the amount of money a business has to raise to protect itself from failure. And so insurance frees capital for more productive purposes.
This model presents property insurance at its most basic level. Real insurance companies have operating costs, and have to follow federal and state regulations for how much they collect in premiums and how they manage the pool of risk. Real policies might have deductibles and other stipulations to fine-tune the amount of risk that gets transferred. Real insurance customers have preferences about how they want to spend their money. The insurance business is what happens when these complex factors meet the basic risk transfer model. An actuary’s job is to understand this basic model and all the fiddly exceptions, laws, and business practices in order to make insurance companies possible and profitable.
Where to find out more:
An actuary must achieve mastery of several topics, including basic and intermediate probability and statistics. If you want to learn more, check out Be An Actuary or talk to a math, business, or finance professor.
Adapted with permission from Poisson Labs.
Tagged: Actuarial Science, applications, probability
Homology: counting holes in doughnuts and why balls and disks are radically different.
November 24, 2014 by Daniel Robert-Nicoud. 0 comments
There are some questions that are really easily posed, have an obvious answer, but are in fact really, really hard to answer in a mathematically satisfactory way. Two examples are:
How many holes does a doughnut have?
Are a ball and a disk “the same thing”? Meaning: can I deform the first to make it the second in a way that locally preserves its structure, i.e. without tearing, and without “squishing” things too much?
The intuitive (and actually correct) answers are: one, and no. However, in order to prove them true, we’ll have first to formalize the questions in mathematical language, and then to develop a theory that will allow us to work on them.
Let’s start with the first question. “A doughnut” can be interpreted in two ways: it could be a filled doughnut, that is the space \(S^1\times D^2\), where \(S^1\) denotes the circle, and \(D^2\) the \(2\)-dimensional disc , or it could be a hollow doughnut, corresponding to the torus \(T^2=S^1\times S^1\). Both of them are examples of topological spaces, so we will generalize the question to: given a topological space \(X\), how many holes does \(X\) have? If you don’t know what a topological space is, just take \(X\) to be one of the examples of doughnuts given above, unless otherwise specified.
The next question we have to answer is: what is a hole? We have many different examples of things we would like to consider holes. One is our hole in the doughnut, but we could also take the space, \(\mathbb{R}^3\), and take away a ball from it, or a infinitely long filled cylinder. Notice that the last two examples are fundamentally different, in the following way: if we take away an infinite cylinder from the space and draw a closed curve around it, we will never be able to deform it to a path not containing the cylinder, or to a single point, without “breaking” it, while we deform every closed curve to a single point in the very last example. However, if we were to put a sphere around the ball we removed in the last example, then we could not deform it to a point, while we could do it for every sphere in our space without a cylinder.
Noticing that a closed path looks very much like a circle, we can use this to distinguish between various kinds of holes. We will informally call an \(n\)-dimensional hole an \(n\)-sphere \(S^n\) that cannot be deformed to a single point without tearing it, where we define: $$S^n=\left\{x\in\mathbb{R}^{n+1}:\lvert x\rvert^2=1\right\}$$ Notice that \(S^1\) is the circle, and \(S^2\) is the sphere. Now, spheres look like really simple spaces, but are in fact quite difficult to work with. However, there’s something we can do to avoid working directly with spheres while keeping intact the essence of what we have said until now: we can cut up spheres in smaller “triangular” pieces. We make the following definition:
Definition: Let \(v_0,\ldots,v_n\in\mathbb{R}^{m}\), where \(m\ge n\). We define the affine \(n\)-dimensional singular simplex \([v_0,\ldots,v_n]\) as the closed convex hull of the points \(v_0,\ldots,v_n\), that is: $$[v_0,\ldots,v_n]=\left\{\sum_{k=0}^nt_kv_k:t_k\in[0,1]\forall k,\ \sum_{k=0}^nt_k=1\right\}$$ We also define the standard \(n\)-simplex as \(\Delta^n=[e_0,\ldots,e_n]\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\), where \(e_i\in\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) are the standard basis elements.
Notice that the standard \(2\)-simplex is in fact a triangle, and the standard \(3\)-simplex is a tetrahedron. So this definition gives a sensible generalization of what a triangle of dimension \(n\) should be. Let’s now cover the circle \(S^1\) with \(1\)-simplices, and the sphere \(S^2\) with \(2\)-simplices. We immediately notice that they have something special with respect to a random collection of simplices: they have no boundary, that is, the triangles composing them have the sides glued together in such a way that they cancel each other. This leads us to make the next definition:
Definition: The \(i\)-th face of an \(n\)-simplex \(a=[v_0,\ldots,v_n]\) is the \((n-1)\)-simplex \(a^{(i)}[v_0,\ldots,v_{i-1},v_{i+1},\ldots,v_n]\). The boundary of the simplex is the (formal) sum of \((n-1)\)-simplices: $$ \partial a=\sum_{k=0}^n(-1)^ka^{(k)}$$
Notice that the boundary of a simplex is a sum of simplices of lower dimension, so we would like to define some set of simplices where we are allowed to take sums in a sensible way. Also, we would like our simplices to live in our topological space \(X\), and not only in \(\mathbb{R}^m\). So we define the group of \(n\)-simplices in \(X\), denoted by \(S_n(X)\), as the free abelian group generated by continuous maps \(\sigma:\Delta^n\to X\). This simply means that the object (called chains) of \(S_n(x)\) are finite sums of simplices of dimension \(n\) in \(X\) (this is why we take maps from the standard simplex to \(X\)), and that we can sum two such objects in the obvious way, for example if we have two chains \(\sigma_1\) and \(\sigma_2\), then we have: $$(2\sigma_1+\sigma_2)+3\sigma_2=2\sigma_1+4\sigma_3$$ The boundary defines then a map (in fact, a group homomorphism) from \(S_n(x)\) to \(S_{n-1}(X)\), defined on the generators \(\sigma:\Delta^n\mapsto X\) as: $$\partial \sigma=\sum_{k=0}^n(-1)^k\sigma^{(k)}$$ where \(\sigma^{(k)}\) is simply the map \(\sigma\) restricted to the \(i\)-th face of \(\Delta^n\). The sequence of groups \(S_n(X)\) together with the boundary maps defines a sequence: $$\ldots\stackrel{\partial_{n+1}}{\longrightarrow} S_n(X)\stackrel{\partial_{n}}{\longrightarrow} S_{n-1}(x)\stackrel{\partial_{n-1}}{\longrightarrow}\ldots\stackrel{\partial_{2}}{\longrightarrow} S_1(X)\stackrel{\partial_{1}}{\longrightarrow} S_0(X)\to 0$$ where the composition of two consecutive arrows gives the zero map (this can be easily checked by writing down what happens to a generator and rearranging a couple of sums). This kind of sequence is really important in some areas of mathematics, and they have a special name: they are called chain complexes. As we have seen, of all the elements in the chain complex we want to consider those with no boundary, that is, elements in: $$Z_n=\ker(\partial_n)=\{c\in S_n(X)|\partial c=0\}\subseteq S_n(X)$$ We call these elements cycles. They represent in some sense “closed things”, like circles, spheres, but also for example tori (i.e. our hollow donuts) and similar stuff. Moreover, we would like to identify two cycles whenever they represent, for example, two closed paths that can be deformed in such a way that the first becomes equal to the second. Notice that if this is the case, then during the deformation the first curve will draw some kind of annulus, which we can cover with \(2\)-simplices and (as a chain) will have as boundary the first path minus the second one. This leads us to the idea of identifying two cycles whenever their difference is a boundary. Thus we define the homology groups of \(X\) by: $$H_n(X)=Z_n/B_n$$ where \(B_n=\partial_{n+1}(S_{n+1}(X))\) is the set of boundaries.
These groups have a great deal of nice properties. First of all, they are topological invariants. This means that if two spaces are “essentially the same” (the technical term is homeomorphic, meaning that there exist a continuous bijection with continuous inverse between the two), then their homology groups are equal. Another similar thing is that if \(Y\) is a subspace of \(X\), and we can deform \(X\) to \(Y\) without deforming \(Y\), then \(X\) and \(Y\) have the same homology groups. The other useful properties are mostly too technical to be stated here without making this post excessively long. Also, unfortunately, we don’t have enough tools to compute the homology groups of spaces more complicated than, say, finite unions of points, or balls, or \(\mathbb{R}^n\). So when needed I will just state the results, and if you are interested in the computations, you can try to consult one of the bibliographical references I will give at the end.
Whew! We’ve come a long way from the original question of counting the number of holes in a doughnut! But finally we can answer the question. From our definitions, the \(n\)-th homology group should more or less count the number of \(n\)-dimensional holes in the space. For example, for the filled doughnut we have: $$H_n(S^1\times D^2)=\begin{cases} \mathbb{Z}&\text{for $ n=0,2$} \\ 0 &\text{else } \end{cases}$$ The \(0\)-th group doesn’t really matters to us, in fact all it does is to count the number of “pieces” of which our space is made of. The \(1\)-st homology group, however, gives us the information we needed: up to equivalence, there is exactly one \(1\)-chain which is not a boundary (we get \(\mathbb{Z}\) because we can also count twice the same chain, or three times, etc.). This means that there is one circle (or something analogous) that cannot be deformed to be a point, and thus that there is exactly one \(1\)-dimensional hole. Similarly, for the hollow doughnut we have: $$H_n(S^1\times S^1)=\begin{cases} \mathbb{Z} &\text{for $n=0,2$}\\ \mathbb{Z}^2 &\text{for $n=1$}\\ 0 &\text{else}\end{cases}$$
Thus we have one \(2\)-dimensional hole (the whole hollow part of the doughnut), and two \(1\)-dimensional holes (the circle going around the central hole of the doughnut, and the circle going around the hole formed by the hollow part).
As a bonus, we can also use homology to answer our second question. As I have stated, two homeomorphic spaces (“essentially the same”, remember?) have the same homology groups. Now if a ball \(B^3\) in space were homeomorphic to a disk \(B^2\), then removing exactly one interior point in each of those spaces in a sensible way we would again get homeomorphic spaces. However a ball without a point deforms nicely to a sphere, and a disk without a point to a circle, and we have: \begin{gather}H_n(S^1)=\begin{cases}\mathbb{Z} &\text{if $n=0,1$}\\ 0 &\text{else}\end{cases},\\ H_n(S^2)=\begin{cases} \mathbb{Z} &\text{if $n=0,2$}\\ 0 &\text{else} \end{cases}\end{gather}
which is exactly what we would expect from our intuition about \(n\)-dimensional holes. Since these are not equal, the two spaces cannot be homeomorphic, and thus we are done.
Those two problems we just solved are two of the many applications of homology theory, and indeed of the larger framework, which is called algebraic topology. If you want to know more on the subject, here are three books you can try to read:
Allen Hatcher, Algebraic Topology
Glen E. Bredon, Topology and Geometry
Edwin H. Spanier, Algebraic Topology
Filed under Advanced High School, expository, Graduate, Undergraduate
Tagged: Algebraic Topology
More than Infinitesimal: What is “dx”?
November 3, 2014 by Robin Goodfellow. 11 comments
Many people have asked this question, and many will continue to do so. It is the natural question of someone first learning the subject of calculus: what is “\(\mathrm{d}x\)”, and why is it everywhere in calculus?
Frankly, it’s mostly Leibniz’s fault. Leibniz, a brilliant philosopher and mathematician who may or may not have invented calculus depending on whom you ask, introduced the notation. His view of derivatives was as the ratio of related infinitesimals. In slightly more modern terms, $$\lim_{\Delta x\rightarrow 0}\frac{\Delta y}{\Delta x}=\frac{dy}{dx}.$$ Unfortunately, people have carried this view for an unhealthily long amount of time. A branch of analysis known as “nonstandard analysis” found a clever and eponymously nonstandard way to make the idea of the infinitesimal rigorous. Still others have questioned the validity of the law of the excluded middle, which says that a proposition must be either true or false. By not accepting this law, some finagling and rather nonstandard logic can bring about the idea of an infinitesimal. The list goes on. In short, there is a myriad of “nonstandard” ways to realize \(\mathrm{d}x\).
This brings us to a much more refined question: is there a standard way to define \(\mathrm{d}x\)?
We will defend the claim that the answer is a resounding “yes.” What’s more, we will attempt to demonstrate that the concept is intuitive and natural, even to those relatively new to the subject of analysis. more »
Filed under expository
Tagged: calculus, differential forms, differential geometry
Matching Theory
October 1, 2014 by Michael Greinecker. 0 comments
Matching theory is an active field in mathematics, economics, and computer science. It ensured a [Nobel memorial prize][1] for [Alvin E. Roth][2] and [Lloyd S. Shapley][3] in 2012. The theory is applied in the real world to match students and colleges, doctors and hospitals, and to organize the allocation of donor organs. It all started with a beautiful paper by [David Gale][4] and Lloyd Shapley in 1962: [College Admissions and the Stability of Marriage][5] (read it!). In this post, we study the simplest version of what is known as the stable marriage problem and take a look at inherent conflicts. The exposition follows chapter 22 of the wonderful book [Game Theory][6] by Michael Maschler, Eilon Solan, and Shmuel Zamir.
What are stable matchings?
There is a set \( G \) of \( n \) girls and a set \( B \) of \( n \) boys. All girls and boys are heterosexual and desperate enough to prefer every member of the opposite sex to staying single. Each girl \( g \) has preferences over the boys, represented by a [total order][7] \( \succeq_g \) on \( B \). Similarly, each boy \( b \) has preferences over the girls, represented by a total order \(\succeq_b\) on \( G \).
We want to pair up the girls and the boys. Formally, a matching is simply a [bijection][8] \( M \) from \(G\) to \(B\) and if \( f(g)=b \), we say that \( g \) and \( b \) are matched (under \( M\)). Now, nobody can force the girls and boys to be together, so we have to look at matchings in which the boys and girls are relatively content with whom they get. To be precise, a matching is stable if we cannot find a girl and a boy who prefer each other under their preference ordering to whomever they are matched with.
Are there any?
Before we go into a deep study of stable matchings, we ought to make sure that there are stable matchings. We do so by giving an explicit algorithm for finding a stable matching, the boy courtship algorithm.
Filed under expository, Undergraduate
Tagged: combinatorics, game theory
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Russia: Fighting the 3rd totalitarianism in 70 years?
Is Russia today saving our World from yet another totalitarianism, this time of a One World Dictatorship of Bankers and Their Military?
Russia’s Remarkable Renaissance
Something remarkable is taking place in Russia, and it’s quite different from what we might expect. Rather than feel humiliated and depressed, Russia is undergoing what I would call a kind of renaissance, a rebirth as a nation.
This despite or in fact because the West, led by the so-called neo-conservatives in Washington, is trying everything including war on her doorstep in Ukraine, to collapse the Russian economy, humiliate Putin and paint Russians generally as bad. In the process, Russia is discovering positive attributes about her culture, her people, her land that had long been forgotten or suppressed.
My first of many visits to Russia was more than twenty years ago, in May, 1994. I was invited by a Moscow economics think-tank to deliver critical remarks about the IMF. My impressions then were of a once-great people who were being humiliated to the last ounce of their life energy. Mafia gangsters sped along the wide boulevards of Moscow in sparkling new Mercedes 600 limousines with dark windows and without license plates.
Lawlessness was the order of the day, from the US-backed Yeltsin Kremlin to the streets. “Harvard boys” like Jeffrey Sachs or Sweden’s Anders Aaslund or George Soros were swarming over the city figuring new ways to rape and pillage Russia under the logo “shock therapy” and “market-oriented reform” another word for “give us your crown jewels.”
The human toll of that trauma of the total collapse of life in Russia after November 1989 was staggering. I could see it in the eyes of everyday Russians on the streets of Moscow, taxi-drivers, mothers shopping, normal Russians.
Today, some two decades later, Russia is again confronted by a western enemy, NATO, that seeks to not just humiliate her, but to actually destroy her as a functioning state because Russia is uniquely able to throw a giant monkey wrench into plans of those western elites behind the wars in Ukraine, in Syria, Libya, Iraq and well beyond to Afghanistan, Africa and South America.
Rather than depression, in my recent visits to Russia in the past year as well as in numerous discussions with a variety of Russian acquaintances, I sense a new feeling of pride, of determination, a kind of rebirth of something long buried.
Sanctions Boomerang
Take the sanctions war that the Obama administration has forced Germany, France and other unwilling EU states to join. The US Treasury financial warfare unit has targeted the Ruble. The morally corrupt and Washington-influenced Wall Street credit rating agencies have downgraded Russian state debt to “junk” status. The Saudis, in cahoots with Washington, have caused a free-fall in oil prices. The chaos in Ukraine and EU sabotage of the Russian South Stream gas pipeline to the EU, all this should have brought a terrified Russia to her knees. It hasn’t.
As we have earlier detailed, Putin and an increasing number of influential Russian industrialists, some of the same who a few years ago would have fled to their posh London townhouses, have decided to stand and fight for the future of Russia as a sovereign state. Oops! That wasn’t supposed to happen in a world of globalization, of dissolution of the nation-state. National pride was supposed to be a relic like gold. Not in Russia today.
On the first anniversary of the blatant US coup in Kiev that installed a hand-picked regime of self-professed Neonazis, criminals, and an alleged Scientologist Prime Minister Andriy Yansenyuk, hand-picked by the US State Department, there was a demonstration in downtown Moscow on February 22.
An estimated 35,000 to 50,000 people showed up—students, teachers, pensioners, even pro-Kremlin bikers. They protested not against Putin for causing the economic sanctions by his intransigence against Washington and EU demands.
They protested the blatant US and EU intervention into Ukraine. They called the protest “Anti-Maidan.” It was organized by one of many spontaneous citizen reactions to the atrocities they see on their borders. Internet satirical political blogs are making fun of the ridiculous Jan Paski, until last week the fumbling US State Department Press Spokesperson.
Not even an evident False Flag attempt in the London Financial Times and Western controlled media to blame Putin for “creating the climate of paranoia that caused” Boris Nemtsov’s murder is being taken seriously. Western “tricks” don’t work in today’s Russia.
And look at US and EU sanctions. Rather than weakening Putin’s popularity, sanctions have caused previously apolitical ordinary Russians to rally around the president, who still enjoys popularity ratings over 80%. A recent survey by the independent Levada Center found 81 percent of Russians feel negatively about the United States, the highest figure since the early 1990s “shock therapy” Yeltsin era. And 71 percent feel negatively about the European Union.
The renaissance I detect is evident in more than protests or polls, however. The US-instigated war in Ukraine since March 2014 has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, one which the US-steered German and other western media have blocked out of their coverage.
More than one million Ukrainian citizens, losing their homes or in fear of being destroyed in the insane US-instigated carnage that is sweeping across Ukraine, have sought asylum in Russia. They have been welcomed as brothers according to all reports.
That is a human response that has untold resonances among ordinary Russians. Because of the wonders of YouTube and smart phone videos, Russians are fully aware of the truth of the US war in eastern Ukraine. Russians are becoming politically sensitive for the first time in years as they realize that some circles in the West simply want to destroy them because they resist becoming a vassal of a Washington gone berserk.
Rather than bow to the US Treasury’s Ruble currency war and the threat that Russian banks will be frozen out of the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) international interbank clearing system, something likened to an act of war, on February 16, the Russian government announced that it had completed its own banking clearing network in which some 91 domestic credit institutions have been incorporated. The system allows Russian banks to communicate seamlessly through the Central Bank of Russia.
That is inside Russia among banks that otherwise were vulnerable even domestically to a SWIFT cut. Russia joined the Brussels-based private SWIFT system as the Berlin Wall crumbled in 1989. Today her banks are the second largest users of SWIFT. The new system is inside Russia.
Necessary, but not sufficient, to protect against SWIFT cutoff. The next step in discussion is joint Russia-China interbank clearing independent of SWIFT and Washington. That is also coming.
The following day after Russia’s “SWIFT” alternative was announced as operational, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping said China will build up its strategic partnership with Russia in finance, space and aircraft building and “raise trade cooperation to a new level.”
He added that China plans to cooperate more with Russia in the financial area and in January Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said that payments in national currencies, de-dollarization, were being negotiated with China. China realizes that if Russia collapses, China is next. Failing empires try desperate measures to survive.
Russians also realize that their leaders are moving in unprecedented ways to build an alternative to what they see as a morally decadent and bankrupt American world.
For most Russians the disastrous decade of poverty, chaos and deprivation of the Yeltsin era in the 1990’s was reminder enough what awaits should Russia’s leaders again prostitute themselves to American banks and corporations for takeover, Hillary Clinton’s infamous “reset” of US-Russian relations she attempted when Medvedev was President.
Russians see what the US has done in neighboring Ukraine where even the Finance Minister, Natalia Jaresko, is an American, a former State Department person.
Russia and its leaders are hardly trembling behind Kremlin walls. They are forging the skeleton of a new international economic order that has the potential to transform the world from the present bankruptcy of the Dollar System.
Moscow and Beijing recently announced, as I discussed in a previous posting, their project to create a joint alternative to the US credit rating monopoly of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. President Putin’s travel agenda in the past year has been mind-boggling. Far from being the international paraiah Washington and Victoria Nuland hoped for, Russia is emerging as the land which has the courage to “just say No!” to Washington.
Russia’s president has been in Cyprus where possible basing for the Russian navy was discussed, in Egypt where General al-Sisi warmly welcomed the Russian leader and discussed significant economic and other joint cooperation. Late last year Russia and the BRICS states agreed to form a $100 billion infrastructure bank that makes the US-controlled World Bank irrelevant. The list grows virtually every day.
The special human side
For me, however, the most heartening feature of this Russian renaissance is in the generation which is today in their late thirties to early forties—young, highly intelligent and having experience of both the depravity of Soviet communist bureaucracy but as well of the hollow world of US-led so-called “free market capitalism.” I share some examples from the many Russians I have come to know in recent years.
What is unique in my mind about this generation is that they are the hybrid generation. The education they received in the schools and universities was still largely dominated by the classical Russian science. That classical Russian science, as I have verified from many discussion with Russian scientist friends over the years, was of a quality almost unknown in the pragmatic West.
An American Physics professor from MIT who taught in Moscow universities in the early 1990s told me, “When a Russian science student enters first year university, he or she already has behind them 4 years of biology, 4 of chemistry, of physics, both integral and differential calculus, geometry…they are starting university study at a level comparable to an American post-doctoral student.”
They grew up in a Russia where it was common for young girls to learn classical ballet or dance, for all children to learn to play piano or learn a musical instrument, to do sports, to paint, as in classical Greek education of the time of Socrates or Germany in the 1800s. Those basics which were also there in American schools until the 1950s, were all but abandoned during the 1980s. American industry wanted docile “dumbed-down” workers who asked no questions.
Russian biology, Russian math, Russian physics, Russian astrophysics, Russian geophysics—all disciplines approached their subject with a quality that had long before disappeared from American science. I know, as I grew up during the late 1950’s during the “Sputnik Shock,” where we were told as high school pupils we had to work doubly hard to “catch up to the Russians.”
There was a kernel of truth, but the difference was not lack of American students working hard. In those days we worked and studied pretty hard. It was the quality of Russian scientific education that was so superior.
Teaching of the sciences especially, in Russia or the Soviet Union, had been strongly influenced by the German education system of the 1800s, the so-called Humboldt Reforms of Alexander von Humboldt and others.
The strong ties in Russian education with classical 19th Century German culture and science went deep, going back to the time under Czar Alexander II who freed the serfs in 1861, following the example of his friend, Abraham Lincoln.
The ties were deepened to German classical culture later under Czar Alexander II prior to the 1905 Russo-Japanese War when the brilliant Sergei Witte was Transport Minister, then Finance Minister and finally Prime Minister before western intrigues forced his resignation.
Witte translated the works of the German national economist Friederich List, the brilliant opponent of England’s Adam Smith, into Russian. Before foreign and domestic intrigues manipulated the Czar into the disastrous Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907 against Germany a pact which made England’s war in 1914 possible, the Russian state recognized the German classical system as superior to British empiricism and reductionism.
Many times I have asked Russians of the 1980s generation why they came back to Russia to work after living in the USA. Always the reply more or less, “The US education was so boring, no challenge…the American students were so shallow, no idea of anything outside the United States…for all its problems, I decided to come home and help build a new Russia…”
Some personal examples illustrate what I have found: Irina went with her parents to Oregon in the early 1990s. Her father was a high-ranking military figure in the USSR. After the collapse he retired and wanted to get away from Russia, memories of wars, to live his last years peacefully in Oregon.
His daughter grew up there, went to college there and ultimately realized she could be so much more herself back in Russia where today as a famous journalist covering US-instigated wars in Syria and elsewhere including Ukraine, she is making a courageous contribution to world peace.
Konstantin went to the USA to work as a young broadcast journalist, did a master’s degree in New York in film and decided to return to Russia where he is making valuable TV documentaries on dangers of GMO and other important themes.
Anton stayed in Russia, went into scientific and business publishing and used his facility with IT to found his own publishing house. Dmitry who taught physics at a respected German university, returned to his home St Petersburg to become a professor and his wife also a physicist, translates and manages a Russian language internet site as well as translating into Russian several of my own books.
What all these Russian acquaintances, now in their late 30s or forties share is that they were born when the remnants of the old Soviet Russia were still very visible, for better and for worse, but grew to maturity after 1991.
This generation has a sense of development, progress, of change in their lives that is now proving invaluable to shape Russia’s future. They are also, through their families and even early childhood, rooted in the old Russia, like Vladimir Putin, and realize the reality of both old and new.
Now because of the brazen open savagery of Washington policies against Russia, this generation is looking at what was valuable. They realize that the stultifying bureaucratic deadness of the Soviet Stalin heritage was deadly in the USSR years. And they realize they have a unique chance to shape a new, dynamic Russia of the 21st Century not based on the bankrupt model of the now-dying American Century of Henry Luce and FD Roosevelt.
This for me is the heart of an emerging renaissance of the spirit among Russians that gives me more than hope for the future. And, a final note, it has been policy among the so-called Gods of Money, the bankers of London and New York, since at least the assassination in 1881 of Czar Alexander II, to prevent a peaceful growing alliance between Germany and Russia. A prime aim of Victoria Nuland’s Ukraine war has been to rupture that growing Russo-German economic cooperation.
A vital question for the future of Germany and of Europe will be whether Germany’s politicians continue to kneel to the throne of Obama or his successor or define their true interests in closer cooperation with the emerging Eurasian economic renaissance that is being shaped by President Putin’s Russia and by President Xi’s China.
Ironically, Washington’s and now de facto NATO’s “undeclared war” against Russia has sparked this remarkable renaissance of the Russian spirit. For the first time in many years Russians are starting to feel good about themselves and to feel they are good in a world of some very bad people. It may be the factor that saves our world from a one world dictatorship of the bankers and their military.
First published by our partner The-4th-Media under tittle: “Russia Saves the World from a One World Dictatorship of Bankers and Their Military”.
Related Topics:EconomicsEuropean UnionRussiaUkraine
Russia Proposes BRICS Parliamentary Group
Why Vladimir Putin is the man the West loves to hate
Elena Alekseenkova
The official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Italy on July 4, 2019, the first in the past four years, became yet another confirmation of the “special relationship” between Rome and Moscow, but did not, however, signal a breakthrough. For Italy, the meeting came as another attempt to restore its role of a “protagonist” on the international scene, a role the country has been dreaming of playing for over two decades. It was not by chance that Guiseppe Conte, during his recent visit to Moscow, “rebuked” Vladimir Putin for not paying sufficient attention to the Italian people. In Italy, this lack of attention is seen as a sign that the country is not coping well with its role of a “protagonist” and a “bridge” between the West and the East. For Russia, a dialogue with Italy is more than just a conversation with a partner who is willing to listen and establish relations based on mutual trust — it is an opportunity to convey Russian opinions on key issues related to cooperation between Russia and countries of the Euro-Atlantic bloc.
The visit of Guiseppe Conte to Moscow in October 2018, and now Vladimir Putin’s visit to Rome, the “friendly” meetings of Guiseppe Conte and Donald Trump in July 2018 during a period of acute tension in the Euro-Atlantic bloc, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s visit to Washington in June 2019, and the signing of a memorandum of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative reached with Xi Jinping all testify to Rome’s ambitions for a more independent and autonomous foreign policy. Italy, under the leadership of the new “government of change,” is trying to play its own foreign policy game, guided by the principles of national sovereignty and national interests. However, at the moment, the hands of the yellow-green coalition are tied by the threat of sanctions from the European Commission for non-compliance with financial discipline. Naturally, this imposes significant restrictions on the potential of Italian foreign policy. In addition, the elections to the European Parliament in May 2019 and the subsequent distribution of top posts in the EU testify to Italy losing a significant share of its say in relations between Russia and the EU. In this context, the visit served as a confirmation of the two parties’ intentions but did not produce any practical solutions to problems of mutual concern.
Bilateral political dialogue: dreams and reality
Improving relations with Russia is a separate clause of the “government contract” concluded between the two parties that form the governing coalition in Italy. This is the first time that such an agenda is set at such a high level. Generally speaking, this is evidence of the consistency of Italian foreign policy which was formed in the post-war years,the purpose of which is to fulfill the role of a “bridge” between the North and the South, the West and the East. Perhaps, the historical peak of this strategy occurred when Italy carried out active mediation to establish the Russia-NATO Council in 2002. Nevertheless, the Italian foreign policy is still following this strategy.
According to experts, the status of “privileged partnership”, which was repeatedly voiced at the level of heads of state and by official representatives of Russia and Italy, does not match the real level of relations. A more realistic description of relations between Russia and Italy is “the best among the worst” compared to other partners in the EU, or a pragmatic cooperation that is still a problem to implement at the European level. This time, the leaders of the two states, speaking of existing relations, used such epithets as “excellent”, “constructive” and “businesslike”, and several times addressed each other using the word “friends”.
Meanwhile, we can be confident that a political dialogue between Russia and Italy is gradually regaining strength after the crisis of 2014–2015, particularly following the arrival of the yellow-green coalition in Italy. In October 2018, the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte visited Moscow. On the eve of his visit, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League Party, Matteo Salvini, arrived in Moscow too to meet with representatives of Italian businesses working in Russia. In 2019, Vladimir Putin and Giuseppe Conte met at the “One Belt – One Road” forum, and also at the G20 summit in Osaka. Bilateral contacts are gradually being restored between the defense and interior ministries, consultations are under way on international information security, and an inter-parliamentary dialogue is back on track too.
Even though Moscow highly values Russian-Italian relations, Russian leaders regularly emphasize that Italy could do more in the EU to improve relations with Russia. In a report on Russian-Italian relations, which was recently released by the Russian International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, Italy is systematically criticized for following the general course of the Euro-Atlantic partnership, be it NATO’s bombings in Yugoslavia in 1999, the U.S. operation and coalition in Iraq in 2003, the bombing of Libya in 2011, or the adoption of anti-Russian resolutions on Crimea. In all these cases, the report says, Italy, even though it is not completely in agreement with the United States and other European leaders, did not come out actively against them. Similarly, in 2015, Italy did not protest against the lowering of the status of Russia-EU relations, which had previously been known as a “strategic partnership”. In addition, Italy, whose political leaders often publicly speak in favor of the lifting of sanctions, has never used its right of veto when voting in the EU to extend sanctions.
In particular, Russia points out that, having burned its fingers on the situation in Libya in 2011 and still paying for hasty decisions back then, Italy has been acting more carefully in Middle Eastern conflicts. It refused to participate in ground operations in Syria. Instead, it opted for providing humanitarian and logistical support. In Libya, Rome is actively trying to establish a dialogue between key warring parties, including with the help of Russia. In November 2018, Italy invited Russia to a conference on Libya in Naples, hoping to win the support of the Russian leadership, who at that time had better negotiating positions with Marshal Haftar than their Italian counterparts. On the issue of refugees, the Italian leadership took a number of independent measures and decisions to restrict migrants’ access to the territory of Italy (“porti chiusi”, or closed ports), and adopted a security law changing the rules for granting refugee status. This triggered criticism not only in Brussels, but also in the UN. Italy refused to recognize self-proclaimed Juan Guaido as the new president of Venezuela, thereby making it difficult for the EU to strike a common approach on this issue. On March 23, 2019, during Xi Jinping’s visit, Italy and the People’s Republic of China signed a memorandum of cooperation within the One Belt One Road Initiative, despite the numerous warnings against the move from Brussels. Such “independence” of the Italian leadership in foreign policy shows that Italy is at the epicenter of the conflict of national and supranational sovereignty in the EU, articulating this conflict as clearly and consistently as possible.
Italy-EU-Russia: not a love triangle
Such independence on the part of Italian leadership and their desire to assume some of the decision-making has triggered controversy domestically in Italy. On the one hand, these moves contribute to the status of Italy, both within the EU and on the international scene. On the other hand, some Italian experts say there is the risk of the country becoming isolated within the EU. Brussels, Paris and Berlin tend to view Rome’s moves in a negative way – as detrimental to European solidarity and hindering the development of further supranational integration.
The EU systematically criticizes Russia for prioritizing bilateral relations above dialogue with Brussels. As for Italy, the situation is aggravated by the fact that, from the point of view of Brussels, the “anti-system” forces have developed a special liking for the Russian leader, while Russia, in turn, uses them as agents of influence in the EU. In February 2019 the leader of the “League” Matteo Salvini was reported to have received 3 million euros from the Kremlin for running the election campaign in the European Parliament. Therefore, on the eve of his visit, Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Italian news agency Corriere della Sera that Russia is ready for dialogue with any political forces that come to power by legitimate means, “regardless of their political affiliations.” However, after Vladimir Putin’s interview with The Financial Times, one cannot but notice that the Russian president’s criticism of liberalism, being addressed, above all, to U.S. president Donald Trump, echoes the rhetoric of the Italian “government of change”. Both in matters of migration management and in terms of governments’ ability to respond to people’s needs, the views of the Russian and Italian leadership are fairly close. In this context, Vladimir Putin’s visit to Italy should certainly be considered not only as a bilateral dialogue, but also as an attempt to get across to leaders of the Western world the need to establish a dialogue with those political forces that express a different point of view on further socio-political and economic development in Europe and the United States.
The recent developments in the EU show, however, that the political mainstream is not prepared to heed alternative political groups. After the May 26, 2019 elections, Matteo Salvini, together with representatives of the “sovereignists” of Poland, France and a number of other countries, succeeded in building the largest coalition of “populists” in the entire history of the European Parliament – 73 deputies. This, however, did not provide them with enough say to affect the choice of candidates for key posts in the EU. The results of the EU summit on July 2, 2019, in which appointments to senior positions were made, testifies to Rome losing its influence in the EU. Unlike before, when representatives of Italy had occupied three key posts in the EU (Antonio Tajani – President of the European Parliament, Mario Draghi – Chairman of the ECB, Federica Mogherini – High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), now only one Italian – a representative of the opposition Democratic Party Divid Sassol – is part of the EU top management, having been given the position of President of the European Parliament. This yet again demonstrates that Paris, Berlin and Brussels are not ready for a serious dialogue with representatives of the yellow-green coalition of “sovereignists” and continue to rely on center-leftists.
In addition, the appointment of Ursula von der Leyen, German Minister of Defense with extensive experience in foreign policy and defense, as President of the European Commission is likely to lead to attempts at greater EU integration in the sphere of foreign policy, which may narrow the window of opportunity for more independent foreign policy initiatives of EU countries, including Italy.
What also restricts Italy in its efforts is the looming threat of EU sanctions for breaching fiscal discipline and exceeding the budget deficit. After the EU summit on June 2, Giuseppe Conte said that he had reached an agreement that sanctions would not be applied if Italy cut down the previously planned budget expenditures. However, the threat of sanctions is still there, and this is likely to be one of the most effective instruments of influence from Brussels on the country’s position on many issues, including relations with Russia. Any harsh statements during the visit of Vladimir Putin or any so-called “big deals” would certainly cause even more irritation in Brussels, which means they could lead to a tougher policy towards Italy. Therefore, Vladimir Putin’s visit was, of course, an important confirmation of Italy’s proactive foreign policy but was not a breakthrough, since Italy is connected with the EU not only by the historical bonds of Euro-Atlantic solidarity, but also by tangible economic mechanisms that allow the EU to impose sanctions against the Italian economy.
The economy depends on politics
The economic dialogue between Russia and Italy does not correspond to the declared high level of bilateral relations. In 2017, after a three-year decline (from 2014 to 2016), bilateral trade regained momentum but is still far from the pre-crisis level ($ 27 billion in 2018 against 54 billion in 2013). Russia maintains a clear lead in Italian exports, being the fifth among top importers. The Italian presence is felt in almost all sectors of the Russian economy. About 500 Italian companies operate in Russia, which, however, holds no candle to Germany (4.7 thousand). Even though about 100 Russian-Italian joint ventures were set up during the period of sanctions as part of a program to move Italian production to Russia (“made with Italy”), this figure does not yet correspond to the existing potential. As for an economic dialogue, Italy is considerably behind Germany and France. While in Germany and France there have been functioning “Petersburg Dialogue” and “Trianon Dialogue” respectively, and the Sochi Dialogue has recently been launched with Austria, the Russian-Italian economic dialogue has yet to acquire an appropriate status. The Council for Economic, Industrial, Monetary and Financial Cooperation, which last gathered in Rome in December 2018, is still little known to both countries’ general public. The “Russian-Italian Forum-Dialogue on Civil Society”, which Vladimir Putin and Guiseppe Conte attended in course of the visit, has not received support from the Italian authorities since 2014. Only now is it approaching a new level of development. In addition, during the visit, the two parties agreed that the Russian Export Center and Vnesheconombank (VEB) would set up a bureau to support Russian exporters in Italy. Thus, the economic dialogue, which for a long time needed a new impetus, has finally received it following Vladimir Putin’s visit to Rome. It is worth noting that the Italian leadership is acutely concerned about competition with Germany and France in two vast markets – Russia and China.
Russia, however, is waiting for more decisive steps from Italy to secure the lifting of the sanctions. However, according to Pasquale Terraciano, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to Russia, “Italy has never considered sanctions a smart decision, but Italy is part of the Western bloc and cannot stand against it alone.”[1]. Italy’s agenda, he said, is to change the EU’s opinion through the use of consistent steps. At the same time, as a practical measure aimed at expanding economic cooperation, Italy proposes to unfreeze the funding of small and medium-sized enterprises at the level of the EBRD and the European Investment Bank. As he addressed a press conference after the meeting, Giuseppe Conte pointed out that Italy is ready to assume the role of a consistent promoter of the idea of lifting the sanctions but the conditions for this lifting had to be “ripe”.
Energy is a major area of cooperation between Italy and Russia. Russia is the fourth most important supplier of oil and the first of natural gas to Italy. Supplies from Moscow account for more than 40% of the total gas consumption. However, as Italian experts remark, Italy expects an increase in prices in connection with the construction of the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline, which will make Germany the number one transit country for Russian gas in Europe, bypassing Ukraine. Therefore, negotiations on the development of southern transportation routes are more than relevant for Italy. The meeting, however, yielded no breakthroughs on this issue either.
Regional cooperation: identifying problems, lack of solutions
Italy, just like Russia, sees a great potential for dialogue not only on issues related to bilateral cooperation, but also on those of the regional and global agenda. The priority for Italy is the Mediterranean, which produces the greatest number of challenges and threats to the country’s national security. Simultaneously, Italy is fully aware of the fact that the country will not be able to cope with these challenges alone, although it is taking independent measures, in particular, in matters of migration. Quite recently, Matteo Salvini held talks with the Libyan leadership in Tripoli to curtail illegal migration. However, Rome knows only too well that the solution to the problem lies not so much in reaching agreements with specific countries as in assisting the development of countries the migrants come from and in settling regional conflicts. Italy greatly appreciates the role of Russia as a non-regional player whose influence has increased significantly in recent years. During a press conference following the elections, Vladimir Putin, however, said that Russia is not ready to plunge head-on into resolving the Libyan crisis, and that forces that destroyed Libya’s statehood during the armed operation in 2011 should be involved;that is, NATO and the EU coalition. In solidarity with the Russian president, the Italian Prime Minister emphasized that Italy had warned from the very beginning that a military solution would not lead to peace. Under current conditions, the parties have indicated their readiness to participate in fostering a dialogue between all political forces in Libya.
As for Ukraine, Italy’s official position should be in line with the EU policy providing for no new opportunities to change the situation. In an interview before Vladimir Putin’s visit to Italy, Giuseppe Conte directly linked the issue of lifting of the sanctions with the observance of the Minsk agreements, implicitly suggesting that Russia is a party to the conflict and urging both sides to demonstrate more understanding. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, and during a press conference following the meeting, President Putin reiterated that the new leadership of Ukraine should fulfill its election promises and enter a direct dialogue with representatives of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic. Guiseppe Conte repeatedly pointed out that, although Italy is not part of the Normandy format (a negotiation apparatus designed to resolve the Ukrainian conflict), it is nevertheless ready to play a role in resolving the conflict if necessary, which once again confirms the country’s willingness to play a greater role on the international scene.
The Russian president and the Italian prime minister also hold similar views on the situation in Venezuela, expressing concerns over foreign interference, which in their opinions will only aggravate the situation inside the country.
On the whole, it is essential to emphasize that Vladimir Putin’s visit to Italy did not bring any breakthroughs, either in bilateral relations or in formulating common positions on issues of regional and global concern. Although the parties demonstrated identical views on the causes and nature of some of the issues on the international agenda, they proved unprepared to suggest concrete practical solutions. For Italy, the meeting provided yet another opportunity to identify its own national interests in promoting relations with Russia and to demonstrate its readiness to act as a “bridge” in the development of a dialogue between Russia and the Euro-Atlantic bloc. At the same time, it has revealed limitations in Italian foreign policy, linked to the economic situation in the country and the weak positions of the current leadership in the renewed European institutions.
1. Speech by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Russian Federation Pasquale Terracciano at the conference, at the Institute of Europe RAS, June 19, 2019
From our partner RIAC
Putin: Russia Ready to Work with Legitimate Leaders
Kester Kenn Klomegah
President Vladimir Putin accepted the credentials of 18 newly appointed foreign ambassadors, among them seven from Africa, in a traditional ceremony in the St. Alexander Hall of the Great Kremlin Palace on July 3, and tasked them to facilitate the development of multifaceted relations between their individual states and Russia.
He reiterated that “Russia is open to mutually beneficial cooperation with all states without exception based on equality and respect for each other’s interests, non-interference in internal affairs and strict compliance with international law.”
Putin used the opportunity to outline upcoming key events as follows:
In the near future, Russia will host a series of major international events. In June, Russia assumed the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and will also preside on BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) from early 2020. Russia is steering towards a joint-partnership, and aims to advance common priorities in such areas as politics, security, economy, finance, culture and humanitarian ties.
In September 2019, Vladivostok will host a regular Eastern Economic Forum. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will be the guests of honor.
Russia is planning to review cooperation prospects and the implementation of major joint investment projects in the Asia-Pacific region and to exchange opinions on ways of merging various integration processes so as to create a major Eurasian partnership.
In early October, Moscow will host Russian Energy Week, whose participants will discuss ensuring global energy security, providing all-round energy access and reducing volatile prices on global energy markets.
Russia is preparing actively for the first Russia-Africa Summit late October in Sochi and will be preceded by the Russian-African Economic Forum. President of Egypt and incumbent Chairman of the African Union, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, will co-chair the Sochi forum together with Putin.
Accordingly, invitations have been sent to all heads of the African states, as well as the leaders of major sub-regional unions and organizations. It is, however, expected that this summit to propel a dialogue between Russia and Africa to a qualitatively new level, help ensure peace and security in the region, as well as a stable development on the African continent.
Further in his address, Putin told Ambassador Denis Kalume Numbi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, that Russia was interested in further developing cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in politics, trade, and international affairs, and would continue assisting Congolese partners in improving the socioeconomic situation in their country.
He noted that Russia’s relations with Sierra Leone has been based on the traditions of friendship and mutual understanding, and Russia hoped for joint work in such sectors as mining, agriculture and fishing. Sierra Leonean Ambassador is now Mohamed Yongawo.
At the ceremony was Alemayehu Tegenu Aargau from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Putin expressed satisfaction on the level of cooperation with Ethiopia.
Last year, Russia and Ethiopia marked the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Over the years, bilateral dialogue has covered a range of important political, economic, research and education topics. Besides, Russia and Ethiopia continue to strengthen cooperation in international and regional affairs.
Russia satisfied with cooperation with Namibia. “Cooperation with Namibia is successfully developing in such sectors as mineral resource development and uranium mining, as well as in the energy, fisheries, agriculture, tourism, military-technical and cultural areas,” Putin told Clemens Handuukeme Kashuupulwa from the Republic of Namibia.
Namibia pursues a balanced policy in international affairs and plays an active role in peace-making efforts of the Southern African Development Community. Russia has a long history of bilateral engagements with the Southern African countries, which constitute the Southern African Development Community.
“We work together with Mauritania in marine fishing and hydrocarbon production. Our Mauritanian partners make a significant contribution to the fight against terrorism in the Sahara-Sahel zone,” the Russian leader said while receiving Ambassador Hamid Hamouni.
Louis Sylvestre Radegonde (Republic of Seychelles) and Ms. Chandapiwa Nteta (Republic of Botswana) presented their credentials. Russia maintains friendly relations with the Republic of Seychelles. It counts on further joint work to expand cooperation including tourism.
Relations with Botswana encompass the trade, economic and humanitarian spheres; the intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation is currently in force. Last year, Russia and Botswana signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in defence.
Russian authorities have pledged to help and offer necessary assistance to the foreign envoys in pursuit of their official assignments in the Russian Federation. Present at the ceremony were Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia and Yury Ushakov, Aide to President Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s State Duma and Foreign Parliaments Ready to Influence Global Politics
Russia’s State Duma has gathered parliamentarians from Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, creating a three-day solid platform to discuss the development of international parliamentarism and the most pressing national, regional and global issues and adopt some effective approaches to determine the future of mankind in the modern world.
The program also included topical issues on international security and stability, the development of a digital economy, youth and environmental policies. Within the framework of the forum the Russia-Africa parliamentary conference was held.
Dubbed as Development of Parliamentarism International Forum, it has attracted representatives from more than 130 states, 40 speakers and 800 parliamentarians and experts participated, according to official sources. The forum was held in the World Trade Center (WTC) overlooking the Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya in Moscow.
Welcoming the guests to the grand opening ceremony, Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin acknowledged the growing enthusiasm and interest of foreign parliamentarians to express opinions on many common issues and the importance of inter-parliamentary relations and parliamentary diplomacy in the modern world.
“The forum is becoming an authoritative platform for the exchange of best legislative practices and parliamentary experience,” he noted, and further urged parliamentarians of all countries to work together for the protection of digital sovereignty. At the same time, he stressed that it was necessary to work together on the development of the digital economy as the economy of the future.
According to the Chairman of the State Duma, through constructive communication, parliamentarians could possibly increase the efficiency of interaction on issues requiring joint decisions, including on sustainable development, international security, environmental protection, fighting poverty and inequality, countering terrorism, drug trafficking, and illegal migration.
Chairperson of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvyenko, used the opportunity created to urge all parliaments to participate in the World Conference on Inter-faith and Inter-civilizational Dialogue, which will be held in Russia on May 21, 2022.
In May 2018, the UN supported the organization of the World Conference on inter-faith and inter-civilizational dialogue with the participation of state leaders, parliamentarians, and representatives of leading world religions in its resolution.
In his speech delivered at the forum, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said “the situation in the world remains challenging, and is getting even more challenging in some parts. Old conflicts are not settled, and new tensions arise. In this context, cooperation between legislative bodies becomes especially important.”
Parliamentary diplomacy has to make a significant contribution to supporting trust and mutual understanding between countries and nations in their search for compromises and balanced solutions to acute international problems, according to Foreign Minister.
He unreservedly appreciated efforts made by the State Duma for bringing participants together for a common purpose of deliberating on the widest range of topical issues, such as global security, global sustainable development, the fight against poverty and environmental problems. This is exactly what people need.
As expected, Lavrov praised Russian parliamentarians are making an important contribution to the implementation of Russia’s foreign policy. He described Russia as permanently open to broad, fair and equal cooperation with all countries without exception – large and small – in any formats, and his country will continue promoting synergy of the world’s efforts to effectively respond to common challenges, above all fight against the threat of international terrorism, which Russia is playing a leading role.
Lavrov further said that Russia considers it unacceptable to create obstacles to the work of parliamentary delegations on international platforms, and hopes that the situation with the deprivation of Russian parliamentarians of their rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe would not happen again.
“As representatives of the legislative power, it is necessary to pay increased attention to the legal aspects of international cooperation. This is especially needed in a situation where individual UN member states, bypassing the Security Council, impose unilateral illegitimate sanctions, including discriminatory restrictions on parliamentarians,” said Lavrov.
Pedro Agramunt, who was President of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 2016 to 2017 and a member of the Spanish Senate, informed that he had worked hard to ensure the return of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
“It was a huge mistake to keep Russia outside PACE,” he said. “As the former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, I would like to express my satisfaction in connection with the return of the Russian Federation to PACE. I fought a lot for this. I struggled a lot to change that,” said Pedro Agramunt.
Parliamentarism is the foundation, the canon of democracy. And there is no democracy without parliamentarism, without parliamentarians, argued Agramunt. “I believe that parliamentarians have a special mission – they represent the opinion of all citizens, not only those who are in the government but those who are the essence of the state,” he reiterated.
Inter-parliamentary organizations are of fundamental importance for the stability of the world, he stressed at the gathering, adding “We must be on guard with those who are the defenders of globalism, with those who are trying to resolve problems unilaterally. And our fate is in our hands – in the hands of parliamentarians.”
Similarly, others also expressed positive sentiments on Russia’s return to PACE. “Allow me to congratulate the Council of Europe on solving the problem, how to return the Russian delegation to PACE,” said the Honorary President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Chairman of the Finnish Parliament’s Defense Committee Ilkka Kanerva.
He stressed that “this ia a very important signal for today, it is a signal for all of us as [it is necessary] to move on.” He was supported by President of PACE in 2005–2008 René van der Linden who complained that national parliaments often “look too much inside their country.”
“It is important that we develop an international perspective and convince everyone that the future of each country depends on what happens in other countries. In one country some processes take place but we see their consequences in other countries. It’s extremely important to work together,” said René van der Linden.
Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Filip Vojtech, said that “sanctions against Russia – it’s not a solution” He stressed that the Czech Republic had argued against unreasonable restrictions, the Moscow forum presented the platform for and the creation of new opportunities for cooperation between nations.
Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Andrej Danko, pointed to the issues discussed at the forum. “All these issues have a common character — the need for cooperation between states and continents. Legislators are pillars of democratic legitimacy and we represent citizens,” he said.
While congratulating Russia on returning to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Danko also said that the Russian Federation should participate in the discussion and resolution of global problems and common challenges.
“We are pleased that Russia can again take the full-fledged part in the work of PACE. Europe needs Russia, and I am glad that the votes of Slovak parliamentarians contributed to this,” Danko added, appreciation the return of Russia to PACE.
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa Şentop, stressed that all countries of the world “need channels for dialogue and cooperation. We believe that parliamentary diplomacy has begun to play a very important role,” which is confirmed, according to him, by such a representative Forum. He also expressed the hope that the Forum would strengthen bilateral ties between Russia and Turkey.
Mustafa Şentop urged parliamentarians to join efforts to counter the threats of international terrorism and extremism, as well as to enhance the role of international law institutions, adding that “international organizations like the United Nations should protect all people, not just individual countries.”
Chairman of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asad Qaiser, stressed that the parliamentarians should be mediators in resolving various international conflicts. Asad Qaiser noted “it is important to know that this Forum is increasingly helping to strengthen inter-parliamentary ties around the world. We, the parliamentarians, should be on the front line struggling for universal equality, fighting against poverty and other challenges.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Egypt, Ali Abdel Aal Sayyed Ahmed, noted that the forum was being held at the time when economic, political and cultural conflicts are taking place in the world. “Parliaments, as representatives of nations, play a very important role in countering these conflicts and are at the forefront of combating these challenges,” he said and stressed that it is necessary to find solutions together to overcome these problems.
The development of parliamentarism can play an effective role in this, he said, and further explained that parliamentary platform is an important mechanism that can contribute to further in-depth discussion of the issues facing the whole world. He also urged to discuss the role of young people as the “main nerve of society” in the development of parliamentarism.
This was an important and new platform for equal dialogue of all countries united by common problems and challenges, and find possible ways to resolve the existing issues for the benefit of voters and for the benefit of all nationals in the world.
Just like all foreign parliamentarians who arrived to the forum, the Speaker of the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates, Amal Al Qubaisi, expressed her deep gratitude to the Russian Parliament and separately to the Chairman of the State Duma, Viacheslav Volodin, for the invitation to the Forum.
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A database of 50 years of FORTUNE's list of America's largest corporations
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Island Creek Coal
1967 rank: 482
FORTUNE 500 appearances:
FORTUNE 500 DATA
Revenues 135.2 N.A. 482 500
Profits 7.5 N.A. 401 373
Assets 112.7 402 388
Stockholders' Equity 80.9 359 345
Employees* 6,879 385
1966 ($) 3.31
10 years prior 3.95
10-year growth rate (%) -1.8
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Chinese Torture?
Posted on Sep 15, 2015 Updated on Sep 15, 2015
Anyone over 50 (at least in the UK.) will no doubt have learned of so-called Chinese Water Torture, which was discussed in the playgrounds of schools the length and breadth of the country during the 50s, and 60s – perhaps this misplaced discussion was just childish minds being over imaginative, or the result of the war films that were the standard fare of the era, or perhaps just the result of propaganda by a biased media, or just by ill-educated professionals, who had been mis-informed and we juniors picked up on it – we can but speculate.
According to the stuff of legend, this involves suspending a bucket or other recepticle full of water in which a small hole has been punctured, such that water will drip out at a fairly consistent rate over a fairly lengthy period of time.
The torture victim, is placed under this recepticle, and strapped in a fixed position. The slow but monotonous dripping, at first appears to offer no threat to the intended victim, but over time, first becomes an inconvenience, then a minor irritation, then an annoyance, then a major irritation, then downright torturous.
The slow drip, drip, drip, ratchets up the pressure on the intended victim…
Applying the Torture?
So, this analogy brings me to the reason for this tortuous piece.
As I wrote some weeks ago, China informed the world, back in May, that they had improved their Gold holdings over the previous six years from April 2009 at 1,065 tonnes to 1,658 tonnes (allegedly – since many commentators think this was significantly under-reported)
According to reports, China announced it had purchased an additional 19 tonnes in July, but news released a few days ago, says they have also now added an additional 16 tonnes in August. This now brings their total to 1,693 tonnes, and according to silverdoctors.com, they’ve imported “a whopping 112 tonnes” so far in the first half of this year from the LBMA, up from the 110tonnes in the whole of 2014.
So is this “Drip, Drip” of additional purchases the equivalent of the torture method mentioned earlier for the FEDs?
China sold some $94 Billion in Treasury Bills, which might also be sending a signal to those in the non-BRICS Banking world.
And according to Alisdair Macleod, who referenced a Zero Hedge article, he said that if nothing else, it confirms the gold market is plagued by disinformation, not limited to Comex. Besides the conflict between the bears in the futures market and the physical bulls, on one day we are told of record Indian gold and silver imports at 126 and 1,400 tonnes respectively for the month of August (Koos Jansen), and of Indian gold demand “remaining weak” (HSBC). The former is a hard number, the latter an opinion, but it is opinions that are quoted most in the mainstream market commentaries.
Also in August, Chinese public demand reported on the Shanghai Gold Exchange totalled 265 tonnes, so between India and China identified demand exceeded the world’s monthly mine output by about 56% – Over half. Given anecdotal evidence of increasing physical demand from elsewhere in Asia and also in western markets by the general public, the drainage of physical gold previously available to cover futures and forward contracts, as well as unallocated bullion bank accounts is at very high levels. No wonder there is so little registered gold in the Comex vaults.
Alisdair Macleod September 3rd 2015, interview…
Now we hear via Jim Willie interviews, that the Tianjin explosion, may MAY, have been a Langley (i.e. CIA) inspired or managed incident. Remember, this was in an industrial park, port, and the home of a chinese super-computer, which according to JW, managed not only financial transactions of the emerging Chinese Banking and Financial Services Industries, but Chinese Military, and with a footprint of 1,000 square feet is HUGE. Within days of the explosion, the whole of the North-East of the U.S. Airline databases went down. Was this a revenge attack by Chinese hackers? We shall never really know, but we can speculate.
As things stand, the British, German and American Financiers, who essentially rule western industry and politics, will have control wrested from them, when the Chinese wrest control of the Gold market, and Precious Metals are priced in Yuan/Renminbi (RMB) and Chinese currency will be required in most trade deals, and many east-asian nations may, MAY only accept Renminbi for their products, and that will help seal the fate of the dollar.
As things stand now, 32 nations have currency swap facilities with China in Chinese currency, as I suggested some months ago, when Saudi-Arabia began discussing oil deals with China, as a way of balancing the emergence of the changes in the oil markets which have driven down oil prices largely because of fracking, and deep water production made possible by cheap money loaned out in the form of Corporate Bonds, we may see oil wars, but therein lies the problem.
As oil prices have collapsed from their 2007 high of $147/barrel, those corporate bonds, and finance raised to drill for shale oil, will come due, and many of those companies, are now struggling to make money. According to Jim Willie, the oil bond market collapse could be greater than the sub-prime crisis, that exploded onto our screens in 2008.
And at this particular point in time, the world credit markets stand on $700 TRILLION worth of derivatives. When the derivatives market collapses, perhaps as a result of those oil bonds, we could be seeing the end of the dollar empire, and thus the end of Western hegemony.
But this is of course all speculation…
However, when this collapse happens those who have savings in Banks, Savings in Stocks, Savings in Pension Funds, IRAs, SIPPs and bonds, will all suffer. When all those savings – excess savings as “Conant” once in the late 1890s called them, sought out productive assets overseas, in the round advocating a dollar Empire in the process, rush for the exits, from assets with counter-party risk, to assets with none, then the long awaited price reset in Precious Metals will begin.
And this price reset, will cause a spike in metals prices as many of those manipulators, who are currently shorting the price using leveraged shorts in such products as ETFs, ETPs, Options, Covered Warrants, CFDs, Spread-Betting accounts, and Binary options accounts, will all be rushing for the exits at the same time.
And where will the carnage lead them? To the one asset class with no counter-party risk.
Have you got yours yet? The sand in the hour-glass may be fast running out, as reports emerge of severe shortages in small denomination coins and bars. 100 Kilo bars are still plentiful in Silver, and larger bars. This may be a fabrication issue – i.e. refineries struggling to keep up with coin and small bar demand, or it may be that there is an emerging shortage of silver in the supply chain. If you were a miner, would you sell your ore into a falling market?
Remember, no-one will sound the bell identifying that now is the time to act. If you haven’t already begun to prepare, time may be fast running out.
It will be prudent too if Jim Rickards and Bill Bonner are correct, who have been following this inevitable crisis from its inception in the 1970s to its current conclusion, advise us to take currency from our bank account, and keep it outside the banking system, while we still can. About a month’s currency should suffice.
The banking crisis in Cyprus, in 2013, and Greece in 2014/15 were just stepping stones on the way to this one. Legislative changes forcing European Banks to seize their depositors’ currency rather than hit tax-payers for another bailout have been put in place. The digits on the banks ledgers are now theirs, not yours. You have been warned.
This entry was posted in Geo-Politics, Investing, Political Economy & Finance, Precious Metals and tagged Bankers, Central Banks., China, China's Gold, COMEX, Commodities, Debt, Demise of the Dollar, Disasters Financial, Economics of Disasters, End of Empire, Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve System, Gold, Gold and Silver - Banking, Hyper-inflation, Investments, Liberty and Freedom, QE, Renminbi, Silver, Silver-Coins, Treasurys, Yuan.
The State and the Dollar (Wednesday 6th November)
Posted on Nov 6, 2013 Updated on Nov 14, 2013
So, who’d have thought it? Our very own Guy (Guido) Fawkes being raised as the flag-bearer against oppressive and unjust governments. In the U.S., people have been wearing the Guy Fawkes mask and adopted it for their Occupy Wall Street protests, against what they see as an oppressive Executive, Congress and Senate that exists merely to serve the interests of the Corporate State – BIG Business and Big Banks…
It is perhaps too easy for Governments, eager to please their political pay-masters, to believe that serving business, serves wider society’s interests too…
It seems so nice and simple.
The President can have a nice cosy fireside chat with the CEO of one large company or other, and reach a conclusion and both part feeling like they’ve resolved or headed off some crisis or other.
Rather than consult more widely, making laws or giving access to one or other CEO, can help one company at the demise or sufferance of thousands of others who, because they don’t command major public presence on National Newspapers or in National Media Corporations, don’t have their particular problems addressed.
When one company has a large dominant position in the economy, political figures can occasionally appear to bend over backwards trying to protect that business, because headlines that shout “1,000 employees to be laid off” as happened here in the UK by BAe, can drive many people, ignorant of the bigger picture that is being hidden behind the financial news, to seek simplistic solutions.
Charles Mackay’s Book, “The Madness of Crowds” should be required reading for all – especially politicians.
And Banks and Senior Bank Executives and those who ultimately decide the fate of Governments through their control of the Money supply with their claim on your taxes via the national debt is just one more example of this, as people scream: “The government must do something to help”, when quite often the actual long term solution is to do precisely the opposite.
In Britain we the people owe over £1 TRILLION and Central Bank Governor Carney, seems only too keen to add to this.
To use that American Phrase – Economics 101 (meaning the first course of an economics degree at level 1, year 1) teaches us that our income equals our expenditure over our lifetime, I = E.
The only way we can spend more than we earn is by borrowing, and that borrowed money takes spending power away from the person or institution from whom the money is borrowed. If we borrow at the national debt level, we borrow not from rich people who have the money sitting idle, but we borrow from our children.
And in so doing we impoverish THEM.
THEY will have to work, and pay taxes to pay the Principal plus the Interest (P+I) the principal being the sum borrowed, for those not familiar with the term. The plutocracy (those with immense wealth who influence the political systems from behind the curtains) merely watch their immense wealth grow, as THEY OWN THE BANKS.
The Federal Reserve – set up in 1913, was deliberately so named to avoid the name “Central Bank” and is owned by these plutocrats. Those who were involved were the immensely wealthy Banking families of early 20th Century America, – JP Morgan, the Seif family of Israel, the Warburgs of Switzerland, the Baker, Rockefeller and Rothschild Banking families of Europe.
These powerful interests were whisked off in a private rail-car in the dead of night on November 22nd 1910 and then onto a motor launch to a small Island – Jekyll Island, off-shore Virginia where they could plot their Banking futures – sorry – they could devise a system, and drive the legislation to create the most powerful organisation on the Planet – The Federal Reserve.
At the head of this cabal of Bankers was a politician, Senator Nelson Aldrich who had been tasked with setting up a system to manage the currency of the U.S. by being appointed head of the National Monetary Commission.
A system that had already been decided upon in its founding constitution was to have ONLY GOLD AND SILVER as money, and Certificate’s of Deposit (CODs) and Gold and Silver Certificates as its currency.
BUT, Gold and Silver don’t grow on trees, and these metals merely hinder wealth creation when you don’t control the supply of them – as the Bankers don’t.
So, the goal of the Federal Reserve was to rid the world of monetary metals.
Its true goal was best summed up by George Howard Earle, Jr. of the Real Estate Trust Company.
In 1908 he wrote:
A Central Bank as a Menace to Liberty
The solution of the problem of a central bank, with power to control the currency of the United States, to be at all adequate, must depend upon and be controlled by ultimate political principles.
The same principle that underlies the never-ending conflict between the advocates of a strong centralized government and what are called “states rights,” governs this question.
Taught in the school of experience and adversity, the early English and American patriots learned the salutary lesson that the development of peoples, as well as their happiness, depended more upon liberty – that is, the power to control and govern themselves, rather than to be controlled or governed by anybody else – than upon any other single thing; and they, therefore, in drafting our Constitution, always viewed government as an evil made necessary by the weakness and defects of human nature, and never extended it beyond that necessity.
Under the plan of freedom, of self-reliance, self-dependence, self-government, we have become the greatest, the happiest, the most powerful people of the world.
So without freedom, without liberty, there is no happiness. (I will return to this in a future post)
But by giving one segment of the population a clear preference, a clear assistance or help, you inevitably steal a little from someone else.
By giving the NSA the power to snoop, into people’s lives, you force people who wish, for whatever reason, to remain private, to use less efficient methods of communication or to be devious in other ways.
And that can only end one way, with the slow strangulation of the economy.
Ultimately, this will end in the demise of the currency as it is currently operated. people will always strive for freedom and liberty.
China has been steadily accumulating Gold and Silver since the mid 1970s, and they have been producing Gold in increasingly larger quantities for themselves. In 2012, they mined over 300 million ounces of Gold, and imported over 1,000 metric tonnes of the yellow metal in preparation for the currency being internationalised. When that happens, the dollar will be replaced as an international reserve, and the price of all commodities will rise significantly.
People adapt to laws, and people use their ingenuity to sidestep legislation they deem unworkable, unjust or just plain not in their interests. The changes take effect over time as people adapt their behaviours, and it is changes like these that slowly affect the economy then the elastic snaps causing the unemployment we see today. A free currency system that allows people to use the monetary metals as they were intended, will raise all ships. But that will take the people by surprise as politicians and the media hide the realities from the people.
As Mao Tse Tung once cleverly stated – “A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step”
The battle between east and west may be bloody, and at its heart will be the value of money. A fiat currency like the dollar? Or one backed by precious metals, as used for upto 5,700years?
PS: You can read more on this topic in my e-book “The Coming Battle”.
This entry was posted in Money, Politics, Finance and Economics. and tagged Big Banks, China, Dollar, Financial Systems, Liberty Freedom, NSA, Pound, U.S. BIG Government, Yuan.
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Some Final Backstory On Geithner
By Noam Scheiber
I've tried to lay out the reasons why Obama would want Tim Geithner as his Treasury secretary. Now that the day of the big announcement is here, I figured I'd address the "how" of it, too.
My sense is that two Obama transition officials--Michael Froman and, to a lesser extent, Sonal Shah--played important roles. Froman, a friend of Obama's from law school, started off as an economic aide in the Clinton White House, then became a deputy assistant secretary on Treasury's international side around the same time Geithner was promoted to a similar position. He also served as then-Treasury secretary Bob Rubin's chief of staff between 1997 and 1999, at which point Geithner was promoted to assistant secretary and then under secretary. For her part, Shah was a special assistant to two colleagues of Geithner's at Treasury and ended up working with him closely.
I'd guess they favored Geithner at Treasury for two reasons:
1.) Both Froman and Shah were personally very fond of him, according to former colleagues. Not that this was unusual at Treasury. Geithner was very well-liked by co-workers generally, especially so among those lower on the organizational chart. As I wrote in my recent piece:
At meetings with subordinates, he'd rarely sit at the head of the table. In fact, he'd rarely sit at all, preferring to pace around the room prompting people for input. When he briefed a higher-up, Geithner's habit was to bring along the bureaucrat who'd worked with him on the issue. ...
Within the building, Geithner became legendary for his self-deprecating humor. Shortly after taking over at Treasury in 1995, Rubin convened a meeting with his senior officials and asked them to introduce themselves, prompting an arms race of resume embellishment. Finally, it was Geithner's turn. "Well, I've mostly been in high school," he cracked. Everyone doubled over in laughter.
2.) My hunch is Froman and Shah were keen to see a new face at Treasury. Froman is roughly Geithner's age; Shah is five-to-ten years younger. While former colleagues say both of them liked and respected Summers, he was always several rungs above them at Treasury. It would hardly be surprising if they wanted to see someone closer to their own cohort get the top job.
That's not to say these were the only factors in play. Or that Froman and Shah were the lone, or even most important, decision-makers in the Geithner appointment. (Geithner obviously had a lot to do with it himself; I'm sure other transition officials were involved as well.) But I doubt it hurt his chances either.
--Noam Scheiber
Business, Entertainment, Environment, Politics, Health, Michael Froman, Tim Geithner, Person Career, Employment Change, Sonal Shah
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Faith-based alternative to Fifty Shades Of Grey to put God deep inside you
Vowing to reclaim the acts of submission and flagellation for Jesus, the filmmakers behind youth minister porn God’s Not Dead have announced their faith-based riposte to Fifty Shades Of Grey, which they hope will provide a holy alternative to the hole-y romance next Valentine’s Day. Titled Old Fashioned by producers who have clearly never watched South Park, the “Godly romance” is set to open the same weekend as Fifty Shades, in what its writer, director, and star Rik Swartzwelder says will create a “David v. Goliath comparison,” in that it will be the Christian version of getting one’s rocks off. But also in that he’s “hopeful that we are not alone in our belief that there are others out there who desire more from love—and the movies—than objectification or domination,” unless it’s being dominated by God.
Like Fifty Shades, Old Fashioned is the story of the meek giving themselves over to a powerful sociopath who randomly inflicts suffering—their reward being the kingdom of heaven, which is the ultimate in really nice apartments. It stars Swartzwelder as “a former frat boy” and Elizabeth Ann Roberts as a “free-spirited woman,” who overcome their respective checkered pasts as university students and women who are not laden with humility and child, presumably through sessions of wild, sweaty thumping of bibles. And as they put themselves in this missionary position, spreading the word of God as wide as it can go, the Holy Spirit fills them to the point of bursting.
Promising a return to the good old days before “love” meant wealthy billionaires hiring women to spank, the tagline for Old Fashioned is “Chivalry makes a comeback.” Female moviegoers will thrill to seeing their dirty, secret wish realized that a man might come along and open their back door—holding it open and holding it open, until they just can’t stand it anymore. They’ll allow themselves to be bound by church doctrine forbidding premarital sex and blindfolded by faith, falling to their knees to service the Lord, again and again. And finally, they will give themselves over completely to the contract that promises love, if only they strictly obey the rules governing their body. Holy crap.
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Elementary Students Discover Hands-On Learning
Northwestern introduces Evanston youth to STEM topics in first Spark Expo
December 02, 2013 | By Caitlin Tucker
Silly putty, paper bridges and sandwich-making robots -- oh my! On Nov. 17, Evanston elementary school students dove into the wonderful world of science, technology, engineering and math at Northwestern University’s first annual “Spark” STEM Expo.
Graduate students from the Segal Design Institute at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Boy Scouts of America invited 100 first, second and third graders and their parents for a fun afternoon of educational activities on Northwestern’s campus.
The students used science to create silly putty, engineering to solve problems like crossing a car over a paper bridge, and technology to communicate with a sandwich-making robot.
“We invented some of these events and cherry picked some from elementary science curriculum to cover a broad range of topics in the STEM category,” said Sam Schwartz, one of the graduate students in charge of the expo.
“The goal is not really to educate so much as we’re trying to inspire,” he continued. “Each event is designed to show the kids that these kinds of career paths exist.
One activity involved student volunteers pretending to be robots. The elementary students had to instruct the “robot” to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The exercise taught children how to think logically and communicate in a manner similar to computer code. For example, the robot only responded to specific commands such as, “use a knife to spread jam on a slice of bread,” instead of, “put jam on bread.”
“That whole activity is introducing the idea of computer coding, but it also lets children know that there are people out there whose job it is to program computers,” said Schwartz. “We’re trying to both introduce the subject and then also explain a little about the people who work in that field.”
Kofi Anaman, the Potawatomi district director for the Northeast Illinois Council of the Boy Scouts of America, first approached the Segal Design Institute in August to plan the event.
“I had no idea how they would receive my message but it has turned out to be great,” he said. “Many people only associate scouting with outdoor activity but we will always be a partner in education. Our goal here is to simply encourage natural curiosity.”
Anaman worked with Schwartz and three other members of Segal’s Engineering Design and Innovation masters program: Lindsey Engelbert, Andrea Fraga and Halle Murray. An additional 22 Northwestern undergraduate volunteers also assisted with the day’s activities.
Topics: Curriculum, Engineering, Innovation, McCormick School of Engineering, Student Experience, Technology
Shortening trainee doctor hours hasn’t harmed patients
from The Associated Press
Nanotechnology pioneer Chad Mirkin wins Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine
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Newsroomhome page
Ontario Newsroom
Province Supports Solar Energy Project In Upsala
Archived Bulletin
McGuinty Government On The Side of Northerners
December 1, 2006 2:19 P.M.
Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
SUDBURY - The McGuinty government is helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of a small business in Upsala by investing in the installation of solar panels that will reduce annual energy costs for the business. Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro made the announcement today on behalf Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci.
"Reducing energy costs is becoming increasingly important to the sustainability of small businesses," said Mauro. "By investing in projects such as this, we are helping to sustain the economic vitality of communities across Thunder Bay-Atikokan and throughout the North."
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is providing the Upsala Garage and Restaurant with $12,485 to install four solar panels. The panels will help reduce the cost of heating water at the garage and restaurant by heating up to 1,090 litres of water per day in the summer, and 725 litres per day in the winter.
"We are on the side of northerners. That's why we are supporting small businesses across the North, with programs like our Small Business Energy Conservation Program," said Bartolucci, who is also chair of the NOHFC. "We are pleased to be helping many small businesses in their transition to more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly means of energy consumption."
Other McGuinty government initiatives for northerners include:
• Providing $2.2 million to establish the Cancer and Cardiac Research Centre in Thunder Bay
• Investing more than $1.8 billion over five years to upgrade and expand northern highways
• Investing nearly $7.6 million to date, from the NOHFC, to provide internships and work placements to help some 423 young northerners launch their careers in the North.
These initiatives are part of the government's Northern Prosperity Plan. It has four pillars: Strengthening the North and its Communities; Listening to and Serving Northerners Better; Competing Globally; and Providing Opportunities for All.
Laura Blondeau
MNDM - Sudbury
Michel Lavoie
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This document was published on December 01, 2006 and is provided for archival and research purposes.
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Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2019
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Nietzsche, Godfather of Fascism?: On the Uses and Abuses of a Philosophy
11. Nietzsche, Mussolini, and Italian Fascism
Jacob Golomb, Robert S. Wistrich
235 11 Nietzsche, Mussolini, and Italian Fascism Mario Sznajder Most of the writings dealing with the intellectual origins of fascism mention the name of Friedrich Nietzsche as one of the philosophers whose work influenced Nazism.1 However, when examining the central sources of Italian Fascism as a political regime and movement, little or no mention is made of Nietzsche’s influence. Here we will try to assess the relationship between Nietzsche’s work and Italian Fascism through an examination of Gabriele D’Annunzio, the warrior poet who interpreted and introduced Nietzsche into Italy and was one of the main figures of Italian culture between the 1890s and the advent of fascism; and we shall also look at Mussolini’s uses of Nietzsche during his transition from socialism to fascism and subsequently as Duce of Italy. In the 1930s, at the zenith of fascist power, Mussolini had pronounced D’Annunzio as Italy’s greatest living writer, yet the poet never held any official position in Fascist Italy except that of President of the Royal Academy. Still, D’Annunzio’s influence on Fascism was considerable . He was, for example, seen as one of its cultural precursors, having co-authored with Alceste De Ambris (a national syndicalist leader closely related to Mussolini and the “fascism of the first hour” in 1919) the Carta del Carnaro. The constitution of the Regency of Fiume in 1920, was seen as a model for Italy. Fascism even claimed that its corporative model and ideas were inspired by it. D’Annunzio also invented the political style later adopted by Mussolini and fascism, stressing the 236 䡲 mario sznajder theatrical side of politics, the mise en scène of political rallies, and direct dialogue between the leader and the masses. D’Annunzio later supported fascism in the critical year of its ascent to power and saw in Mussolini a modern Italian hero. In this context, it is interesting that Nietzsche’s ideas not only played a central role in shaping D’Annunzio’s views, but also, through the poet’s literary and political activities, they became a vehicle for the dissemination of a distinctive brand of Nietzscheanism in Italy and in the fascist movement. Mussolini’s views on Nietzsche also became at a very early stage important in the shaping of his political vision and leadership style. Already as a revolutionary socialist, Mussolini began using concepts and a terminology drawn from Nietzsche and relating to the German philosopher as one of his main sources of inspiration. With varying levels of intensity, the future Duce of Italian Fascism kept relying on or referring to Nietzsche throughout his political career, in different contexts. Although Mussolini did not place Nietzsche among the intellectual ancestors of Italian fascism, there is little doubt about the strong influence that the German philosopher’s thought had on his views, however manipulative Mussolini’s use of them may have been. An examination of how these two bridging figures dealt with Nietzsche demonstrates a striking paradox—namely his ideological influence on fascism despite the highly individualistic views and aristocratic ethos that he espoused. Yet leaders like D’Annunzio and Mussolini could personally identify with major themes of Nietzsche’s thought—such as life as art, the “Overman,” or “living dangerously,” while translating these ideas into a political movement, oblivious to the highly distorting effect of “Nietzschean” mass politics. Nietzsche on Politics The political dimension in Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought is inseparable from his general philosophical approach in all its logical, ontological, and aesthetic manifestations. There has been a marked tendency to see Nietzsche’s political thought only in terms of his philosophy of power. Yet Nietzsche argued that social habit and custom were the elements that keep society together, that functional hierarchies were superior to social and economic equality. The ideal historical model of society for Nietzsche was the one that governed the ancient Greek polis and the European aristocracy of the Renaissance. In modern terms, his political preferences could be characterized as neo-aristocratic conservatism, hostile to democratic rule but also to the state and the German nationalism that developed in the Second Reich, as well as to anti-Semitism.2 nietzsche and mussolini 䡲 237 In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the state is depicted as “the coldest of all monsters” that likes to surround itself with heroes and honorable men (Z, I: “On the New Idol”). According to Nietzsche’s view, the politics of domination would eventually give way to a society without...
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Home » Musicians » Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
The distinctively unpretentious, deep, rich, and smooth voice of Rosemary Clooney earned her recognition as one of America's premiere pop and jazz singers. According to Clooney's record company press biography, Life magazine, in a tribute to America's “girl singers” named her one of “six preeminent singers ... whose performances are living displays of a precious national treasure ... their recordings a preservation of jewels.” First-class crooner Frank Sinatra stated, as was also reprinted in Clooney's press biography, “Rosemary Clooney has that great talent which exudes warmth and feeling in every song she sings. She's a symbol of good modern American music.”
The singer noted for her decades-long mastery of American popular song started life amid the poverty of small-town Maysville. Her childhood was a difficult one; Clooney and younger siblings Betty and Nick were shuttled among their alcoholic father, Andy, their mother, Frances—who traveled constantly for her work with a chain of dress shops—and relatives, who would take turns raising the children. When Clooney was 13 her mother moved to California to marry a sailor, taking Nick with her but leaving the girls behind. Her father tried to care for Rosemary and Betty, working steadily at a defense plant, but he left one night to celebrate the end of World War II—taking the household money with him—and never returned. As Clooney described in her autobiography, This for Remembrance, she and Betty were left to fend for themselves. They collected soda bottles and bought meals at school with the refund money. The phone had been disconnected, the utilities were about to be turned off, and the rent was overdue when Rosemary and Betty won an open singing audition at a Cincinnati radio station. The girls were so impressive, in fact, that they were hired for a regular late-night spot at $20 a week each. “The Clooney Sisters,” as they became known, began their singing career in 1945 on WLW in Cincinnati.
This work brought them to the attention of bandleader Tony Pastor, who happened to be passing through Ohio. In 1945 The Clooney Sisters joined Pastor's orchestra. They toured with Pastor as featured singers until 1948, at which point Betty decided to return to Cincinnati and her radio career. Rosemary continued as a solo vocalist with Tony Pastor for another year. Then, in 1949, deciding she needed to expand her professional career, she left the band; at age 21 Clooney struck out on her own and headed for New York City.
Enlistment in World War II and the draft drastically depleted the personnel of most bands, creating the need for orchestras to highlight a charismatic singer. After the war, singers who had stolen the limelight from bands became even more indispensable as audiences increasingly came to demand them. Leaders of popular bands discovered and nurtured singers like Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington and became associated in the public eye with their finds. Clooney's arrival in New York was perfectly timed with the rage for orchestra-backed singers; she was immediately signed to a recording contract with Columbia Records. By then “girl singers,” as they came to be known—Kay Starr, Day, and Lee—were emerging as recording stars.
It was at Columbia that Clooney began an important association with Mitch Miller, one of the company's A&R [Artists and Repertoire] representatives and top entertainers. In 1951 Miller convinced Clooney to record an oddball song, “Come On-a My House,” written by Ross Bagdasarian with lyrics by William Saroyan. When Miller first suggested the song, Clooney was highly skeptical, insisting the song was not her kind of material. She felt it was silly and demeaning; she believed the double-entendres were a cheap lyrical device and felt uncomfortable putting on an Italian accent. But Miller was persistent and finally persuaded Clooney to record “Come On-a My House.” He conceived a novel instrumental effect utilizing a harpsichord to accompany Clooney. Much to her surprise, the song was an immediate and enormous success, topping the charts to become a gold record. “Come On-a My House” made Rosemary Clooney a star. A household name, she became known simply as “Rosie.”
In the early 1950s radio made a strong bid to issue a challenge to the growing magnetism of television. Star-studded variety programs were created, and week after week Hollywood studios offered musical programs by big names. Clooney was signed to co-host, with beloved vocalist Bing Crosby, a songfest radio show, which aired every weekday morning on CBS radio. Film roles abounded; Clooney's appearance in White Christmas was generally credited with the film's enormous success, which made it the top grosser of 1954. Costarring with hot properties Kay and Crosby and accompanied by the music of Irving Berlin, Clooney was lauded for her performance, in which she sang the ballad “Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me.”
As her popularity swelled, Clooney began a romance with dancer Dante Di Paolo, her co-star in the films Here Come the Girls and Red Garters. Nonetheless, to her friends' and the public's amazement, Clooney eloped in the summer of 1953 with Oscar-winning actor Jose Ferrer, 16 years her senior. “Rosie” and her whirlwind marriage became a favorite topic of the tabloid journals. Clooney and Ferrer moved into a glamorous Beverly Hills home once owned by composer George Gershwin and entertained with lavish poolside parties attended by the toast of Hollywood. Their first child was born in 1955 and by 1960, they had five children.
Clooney became the star of her own television series in 1956. The Rosemary Clooney Show, which ran through 1957, was syndicated to more than one hundred television stations. But by that time, Clooney had begun to feel the strain of stardom and her relentlessly hectic schedule. The pressure of raising five children while pursuing careers as a television, movie, radio, and recording star, coupled with the deteriorating state of her marriage, soon took its toll. Clooney developed an addiction to tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Although her life appeared idyllic to the public, the singer's addiction to drugs worsened. Clooney and Ferrer divorced in 1961, reconciled for a few years, then divorced again in 1967. Recalling in her autobiography how she fell prey to “the '50s myth of family and career,” the singer confessed, “I just did it all because I thought that I could, it certainly wasn't easy.”
For Clooney, the world came crashing down in 1968. She was standing only yards away when her close friend Bobby Kennedy, then campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, was assassinated in Los Angeles at the Ambassador Hotel. The tragedy, compounded with her drug addiction, triggered a public mental collapse: At a Reno engagement she cursed at her audience and stalked off the stage. She later called a press conference to announce her retirement at which she sobbed incoherently. When a doctor was summoned, Clooney fled and was eventually found driving on the wrong side of a dangerous mountain road. Soon thereafter she admitted herself to the psychiatric ward of Mount Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Clooney remained in therapy for many years. She worked when she could—at Holiday Inns and small hotels like the Ventura and the Hawthorne and selling paper towels in television commercials.
In 1976 Clooney's old friend Bing Crosby asked her to join him on his 50th anniversary tour. It would be Crosby's final tour and Clooney's comeback event. The highlight of the show came when Clooney joined Crosby in a duet of “On a Slow Boat to China.” The next year, Clooney signed a recording contract with Concord Jazz, taking the next step on her comeback trail—one that would produce a string of more than a dozen successful recordings, inaugurated with Everything's Coming Up Rosie. “I'll keep working as long as I live,” Clooney vowed in an interview with Lear's magazine, “because singing has taken on the feeling of joy that I had when I started, when my only responsibility was to sing well. It's even better now ... I can even pick the songs. The arranger says to me, 'How do you want it? How do you see it?' Nobody ever asked me that before.”
Along with her renewed recording efforts, Clooney created a living memorial to her sister Betty, who died in 1976 from a brain aneurysm: the Betty Clooney Center in Long Beach, California, a facility for brain-injured young adults. The first of its kind in the U.S., the center is supported by grants and donations. After receiving the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal in 1992 in recognition of her contribution to American music, Clooney told the Washington Post, “It's for showing up day after day, for small increments of time and achievement.” Claiming that singing has become her salvation, Clooney added, “I'm the only instrument that's got the words, so I've got to be able to get that across.” As her top-selling jazz albums indicated, Clooney was still able to mesmerize audiences with her warmth, depth of feeling, honesty, and unsurpassed craft.
Rosie Solves The Swingin' Riddle by David Rickert
Jazz Singer by Jim Santella
The Last Concert by Jim Santella
Sweet Melody by Jack Bowers
Let It Snow: Christmas with Rosemary Clooney by Dave Hughes
Let It Snow by Jack Bowers
Sentimental Journey: The Girl Singer and Her New Big Band by Dave Nathan
Sentimental Journey by Jim Santella
Legacy of Song - Original Recordings by Dave Nathan
Rosemary Clooney: The Songbook Collection by AAJ Staff
Brazil by Dave Nathan
Brazil by Jim Santella
Songs from the Girl Singer: A Musical Autobiography by Jack Bowers
Songs From The Girl Singer: A Musical Autobiography by Jim Santella
At Long Last by Jim Santella
Seventieth Birthday Celebration by John Sharpe
A Seventieth Birthday Celebration by Jack Bowers
A Seventieth Birthday Celebration by Robert Spencer
Half-Dozen Rosemary Clooneys
Rosemary Clooney: CBS, 1955-61
Bette Midler Withdraws in Favor of Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney: Highly Regarded Pop-Jazz Singer Dies at 74
Photos (6) Slideshow
The Rosemary Clooney...
Concord Jazz
This Ole House
Come On-A My House:...
Rosie Solves The...
Blossom Dearie
Keely Smith
Instrument: Vocalist
Died: June 29, 2002
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← Four top-30 D-backs prospects on Cougars roster
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Pirates sign Harrison to 4-year contract extension
Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Josh Harrison bats during a game at Wrigley Field last September. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed All-Star third baseman Josh Harrison to a four-year contract extension with club options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the team announced Wednesday.
The deal overrides his previous $2.8 million contract for 2015, and guarantees the former Peoria Chiefs player $27.3 million through 2018. If both club options are exercised, Harrison will get $50.3 million.
This is his fifth season in the major leagues, all with the Pirates. He was an All-Star and finished ninth in the National League MVP vote in 2014, when he batted .315 with 13 HR, 52 RBI and 18 SB in 143 games.
Harrison was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2008 and was still part of that organization when he played in the Midwest League in 2008 and 2009. He played a total of 110 games with the Peoria Chiefs, cumulatively batting .315 with 5 HR, 37 RBI and 22 SB. He played second base, third base, and the corner outfield positions for Peoria.
The Cubs traded him to the Pirates in July 2009.
Josh Harrison fields a groundball for the Peoria Chiefs in 2009. (Photo courtesy of the Peoria Chiefs)
This entry was posted in Midwest League, Peoria Chiefs. Bookmark the permalink.
2 Responses to Pirates sign Harrison to 4-year contract extension
lviewbob says:
Do you have any info on Lake County’s roster? Robert
Craig Wieczorkiewicz says:
Not yet. The Captains are the only MWL team that hasn’t released its roster. I’m sure they are still waiting for release approval from the Indians.
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Trends in Individual and Household Giving
About #GivingTuesday: Will Larger Trends Show Up as Reduced Community Revenue?
Ruth McCambridge
“Putting all our eggs in one basket,” Jessie Pearl
As we head into #GivingTuesday, where modest donations in high volume are king, we are reflecting on a larger-donor dynamic that suggests a wait-and-see attitude toward predictions for more than 20-percent growth in overall fundraising for the day, at least as the event will be experienced in local communities. We would note that the daylong fundraising event will be spread across 50 countries this year, so readers should see our analysis as focused on our domestic scene.
There is good and bad news in the latest quarterly report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP). While giving overall increased significantly over the third quarter of 2018, the number of households giving continues to trend downward; this is the result of increases in the dollar amounts of large gifts.
As readers may recall, NPQ noted this confluence of trends in an article by Dr. Patrick Rooney at the beginning of this year, and both components of the phenomenon appear to be becoming more extreme. This may place an event like #GivingTuesday, which depends upon smaller dollar donations for the most part, firmly in the crosshairs of these inequitable times.
Granted, FEP’s definition of a major gift is any donation of $1,000 or above, but that category increased over 2017, while revenue from general donors ($249 and under) and mid-level donors ($250–$999) still lags behind last year. The mean donation on Giving Tuesday in 2017 was $120.
“At this point, there’s one major reason giving is increasing, and that’s money raised from donors giving larger gifts,” said Elizabeth Boris, chair of the Growth in Giving Initiative. “We are concerned that we are seeing increases essentially from only one group of donors, and that the total number of donors continues to lag.”
In line with the combined trend lines, the total number of donors has decreased by 4.3 percent in 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
“What we’re trying to do with our Quarterly Reports is track the flow of giving and see if there are trends we can determine that will give us a sense of how giving will do overall,” said Boris. “However, there are a lot of factors that can influence giving, such as changes in the tax law, natural disasters, or even an important political election. While the number of people giving is lower in 2018 so far than it was in 2017, a strong fourth quarter can change everything. Even if we have a great #GivingTuesday and fourth quarter, though, the FEP wants to remind charities of the continuing long-term challenges we face, such as the slowly shrinking pool of donors.”
But how likely are nonprofits to see a comeback in a year where the tax incentive that sparks end-of-year giving has been removed for most donors, replaced by a higher standard deduction per the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017? According to the Detroit Free Press, about 46.5 million taxpayer households itemized deductions for 2017, “but that number is expected to drop to 18 million for 2018 returns—or about a bit more than 10 percent of individual returns, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.”
In recent years, charities have organized their fundraising campaigns to take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas, pushing for end-of-year gifts so donors can take advantage of charitable deductions. When that deadline no longer factors into when most people give, will the last month of the year be as lucrative as it has been in the recent past? Even at NPQ, which does not generally believe that donors are overwhelmingly influenced by tax breaks, we could imagine that the removal of the deadline will have some effect.
Higher-dollar donors will still be able to itemize charitable deductions, of course, and this may only worsen the existing dynamic of more large-dollar donations and fewer small-dollar ones. Predictions for 2018’s #GivingTuesday call for a 21-percent increase in overall revenue raised and an estimated total of $363 million. This would be a $63 million increase over 2017. Stranger things have definitely happened, and for those who have placed eggs in this fundraising basket, we wish you a very strange day indeed.
Ruth is Editor in Chief of the Nonprofit Quarterly. Her background includes forty-five years of experience in nonprofits, primarily in organizations that mix grassroots community work with policy change. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Ruth spent a decade at the Boston Foundation, developing and implementing capacity building programs and advocating for grantmaking attention to constituent involvement.
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2018 Philanthropy and its Big Implications for Nonprofits: A Webinar on Giving USA with Dr. Patrick Rooney
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The Growth in Total Household Giving Is Camouflaging a Decline in Giving by Small and Medium Donors: What Can We Do about It?
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What the “New Normal” of the $100 Million Mega-Gift to Universities Means
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Today’s guest post is by Joshua Stanton, a man I am lucky to call both a good friend and a colleague at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue in my work as the Managing Director of State of Formation. In this post, Josh offers a thoughtful, personal reflection on why it is essential for the interfaith movement to stand up against anti-atheist rhetoric and action in the way that it does when particular religious communities come under fire. As an atheist, I couldn’t appreciate this post more. Many thanks to Josh for his important perspective, and for using his voice to advocate for people like me. Without further ado:
The interfaith movement is beginning to rack up successes. While outbursts of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia (among other expressions of prejudice against religious communities) are nothing new, the growing and remarkably diverse chorus of voices trying to drown bigots out certainly is.
To take but one recent example, when the Park51 Muslim community center in Lower Manhattan was subjected to undue criticism this past summer, the groups that gathered behind closed doors to support its besmirched but beloved leaders included atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims and more. It was heartening — as were the rallies led by Religious Freedom USA and New York Neighbors for American Values, which drew thousands to the streets to support the rights of all religious communities to assemble on private property. You could feel the interfaith movement surging forward on its remarkable course.
But I am uncertain, if not outright skeptical, that members of the interfaith movement would equally protect non-religious communities that come under similar scrutiny. To take a personal (and rather confessional) example, when a friend was excluded from an interfaith peace-building initiative because of being non-religious, people told him they were sorry. But nobody refused to continue participating in the group. It just didn’t seem like a reason to protest the decision or leave the group altogether.
I am among those guilty of not speaking up — cowed by diffusion of responsibility and the glow of opportunity that the group provided. I am certain, based on the numerous stories my humanist and atheist friends have told me, that this was not an isolated occurrence, nor an unusually cowardly reaction on my part. Yet it is something for which I am still performing teshuvah — answering as a Jew and human being for wrongdoing to my friend, in this case through wrongful inaction.
Why is it that when someone criticizes or excludes atheists, it feels like the interfaith movement forgets its identity, if only for a split second? Why is it that well-meaning interfaith leaders defy their identities and fail to speak out against those who threaten or undermine the status of the non-religious? Individually, we may comfort our friends, but by and large we are not sticking our necks out, writing op-eds, holding protests and publicly condemning those who single out the non-religious.
In part, I would suggest that members of the interfaith movement have not yet developed reflexes for protecting the non-religious. There is somewhat less of a history of hatred for atheists in the West (and even less education about the hatred that has been made manifest), so it does not always register in our minds when someone speaks ill of atheists in a way that it would if someone spoke similarly about people of a particular religious group.
But guilt for the repeated historical failure of Western countries to protect religious minorities is hardly an excuse for inaction in the present to protect the non-religious. It is time that we, most especially in the interfaith movement, recognize, denounce and speak out against anti-atheist bigotry.
Admittedly, many religious individuals feel intellectually and theologically challenged by atheists. But this challenge is one we must greet and learn from, rather than respond to with aggression, passive and active alike. If God is truly powerful, non-believers can hardly break our belief, much less the Divine we believe in. If God is loving, then why should we hate — or ignore hatred directed towards others? If God is a Creator, how can we allow others to speak ill of the atheists and non-believers God gave life to? Non-belief is a reality for hundreds of millions of people around the world, and the religious can hardly condemn atheists without running into contradictions rendered by their faith.
If religious affiliation is a protected category in our laws, our minds and our actions, so too must non-affiliation and atheism. The interfaith movement must lead the way, and so too must its believing members. They — we — cannot allow this double-standard to persist.
This post originally appeared on The Huffington Post Religion.
Joshua Stanton serves as Program Director and Founding co-Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue at Auburn Theological Seminary and co-Director of Religious Freedom USA, which works to ensure that freedom of religion is as protected in practice as it is in writ. He is also a Schusterman Rabbinical Fellow and Weiner Education Fellow at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City.
Filed in Discussion ·Tags: agnosticism, anti-atheism, atheism, community, dialogue, diversity, freethought, fundamentalism, identity, interfaith, islam, joshua stanton, journal of inter-religious dialogue, park51, pluralism, religion, religious freedom usa, secular, secular humanism, secularism, skepticism, story, tolerance
God, We Need Atheists
Today’s guest post, by my friend Frank Fredericks (Co-Founder of Religious Freedom USA and Founder of World Faith), addresses the gaping cultural divide between Christians and atheists. Like Amber Hacker’s NonProphet Status guest post, “A Committed Christian’s Atheist Heroes,” Frank writes as a dedicated Christian interested in finding ways to work with and better understand his atheist friends and neighbors. As someone who knows Frank and respects his work, I’m delighted to share his thought-provoking reflection here. Take it away, Frank:
The discourse between evangelical Christians and atheists has been antipodal at best. Whether it is Richard Dawkins calling faith “the great cop-out,” or countless professed Christians using “godless” like an offensive epithet, we’ve reached new lows. In fact, generally the discussion quickly descends into a volley of talking points and apologetics. I abhor those conversations with the same disdain I reserve for being stuck in the crossfire between a toe-the-line Republican and slogan-happy Democrat, rehashing last week’s pundit talking points.
I believe we need to revolutionize the way we interact. As an evangelical Christian, I recognize that my community equates atheism with pedophilia, like some dark spiritual vacuum that sucks out any trace of compassion or morality. Even in interfaith circles, where peace and tolerance (and soft kittens) rule the day, the atheists are often eyed with suspicion in the corner — if they’re even invited.
I thank God for atheists. During my college years at New York University, I had the superb opportunity to have powerful conversations with atheists who challenged me to have an honest conversation about faith. I appreciate and a value how atheist friends of mine encouraged inquiry. Remarkably, while this may not have been their intent, it only strengthened my faith. While I was able to begin weeding out the empty talking points from the substantive discourse, I hope they also got a glimpse of the love of Christ from an evangelical who wasn’t preaching damnation or waiting to find the next available segway into a three-fold pamphlet about how they need Jesus in their life. The point is, Christians need to stop seeing their atheist neighbors, co-workers, and even family members as morally lost, eternally damned, or a possible convert.
What lies at the bottom of this is the assumption, as pushed by many Christian leaders, is that religious people have the monopoly on morality and values. That, in a sense, you can’t be good without God. This is troubling on several levels. While at first glance this seems theologically sound to assume the traditional concept of salvation, most haven’t grappled with the problematic idea that Hitler could be in heaven and Gandhi could be in hell. That should be troubling for us. Also, the cultural and social ramifications of this leads to an antagonizing relationship. The Bible is littered with examples of non-religious, non-Christian, or non-Jewish people who do good in the eyes of God. It shouldn’t be shocking to see atheists teach their children integrity, or volunteer in a soup kitchen.
While I reserve the bulk of my frustration for those misusing my own faith, atheists aren’t blameless in this tectonic paradigm. Rather than taking the inclusive road of respectful disagreement, many of the largest voices for atheism find it more enjoyable to belittle faith, mock religion, and disregard their cultural and sociological value. In fact, many consider it their duty to evangelize their beliefs with the same judgmental fervor they fled from their religious past. Knowing that many came to define themselves as atheists against rigid religious upbringing, I don’t judge their disdain and frustration. However, like venom in veins, it keeps them from moving forward to having a more productive discourse. So often, when the religious and non-religious traditions grapple with the big question, like ontological definition, theorized cosmology, or the inherent nature of man, these discussion happen separately, without an engagement that is both fruitful and intriguing. I know many of those atheists have something wonderful to bring to that discussion, if they would stop throwing rocks at the window and come sit at the table.
So this is what I propose to my Christian and atheist friends: If we Christians challenge ourselves, our communities and congregations, to treat our atheist brothers and sisters as equitable members of our communities, nation, and in the pursuit of truth, will atheists recognize the value of faith to those who believe, even while they may respectfully disagree? As atheism quickly becomes the second largest philosophical tradition in America, the two communities will only have a greater need of a Memorandum of Understanding to frame how we can collectively work together to challenge the greater issues that face us, which starts by recognizing that it’s not each other.
Not sure where to start? Let’s feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and protect human dignity. While community service can be utterly rational, I am also pretty sure Jesus would be down for that, too.
Frank Fredericks is the founder of World Faith and Çöñár Records; in his career in music management, he has worked with such artists as Lady Gaga, Honey Larochelle, and Element57. Frank has been interviewed in New York Magazine, Tikkun and on Good Morning America, NPR, and other news outlets internationally. He also contributes to the interView series on the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. He currently resides in Astoria, New York, leading World Faith and working as an Online Marketing Consultant.
Filed in Discussion ·Tags: agnosticism, anti-theism, atheism, Christianity, community, community service, conar records, dialogue, discourse, diversity, freethought, fundamentalism, identity, interfaith, morality, new york city, pluralism, religion, religious freedom usa, secular, secular humanism, secularism, skepticism, tolerance, world faith
Tell Bill Maher About a Mohamed
Today’s guest post, by my friend Frank Fredericks (Co-Founder of Religious Freedom USA and Founder of World Faith), calls out Bill Maher for his recent narrow-minded comments on Islam. All the more, it’s a call to action — and one I plan on participating in. Take it away, Frank!
Last Friday on Bill Maher’s show on HBO, he had an epiphany that should trouble many of us. After discovering that the various spellings of Mohamed together comprised the most popular name for baby boys in the United Kingdom, he claimed he was “alarmed” and later divulged, “I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years?”
Now, I know that Bill Maher has it out for all faiths. I saw his feature-length documentary, Religulous, where he found ignorant religious people to mock, and his spurn for faith leaves no religion untouched. However, I think for many religious and non-religious people alike, whose faith and intellect are not at odds, it is time to challenge Bill Maher.
I think he makes two errors that undermine the ethos of pluralism in America. Firstly, naming your child with a religious name doesn’t necessitate faithful devotion in the child’s life. I know plenty of Marys who avoid mass, Sauls who rarely go to synagogue, and yes, even Mohameds who really love bacon on their cheeseburgers.
The second issue is that Bill Maher implicitly proposes that religious observance of Islam is a threat to Western Civilization. This assumption of incapability of faith and patriotism is the same crime committed by the groups he makes a living mocking. We have an opportunity to reveal to Bill Maher that one’s religious observance is not a hindrance to patriotism.
Since Maher already made it clear that he isn’t interested in apologizing for his statements, I think we can one up him. Religious Freedom USA is announcing a campaign, asking people to email Bill Maher a story about a person you know named Mohamed. Perhaps your friend Mohamed is religious, non-observant or converted to another faith. Maybe Mohamed has an accent, whether an Indian accent, or a Brooklyn accent. Whoever your friend is, share with Bill Maher how your friend’s name has not somehow caused him to inadvertently undermine the foundation of Western Civilization, and that he’s even a productive member of society.
This is important here and now in America. Genuine Islamophobia is becoming increasingly frequent and its perpetrators unrepentant. Given the climate for such inflammatory language, this poses an opportunity to reframe the discussion on Islam in America, with a human face of our Muslim friends and neighbors.
We’ve written detailed instructions on the RFUSA website, which you can use to email and send your friends. If he gets a thousand emails from all of us, perhaps Bill Maher will rethink his sloppy analysis of Islam in America.
This article originally appeared on The Huffington Post.
Frank Fredericks is the founder of World Faith and Çöñár Records; in his career in music management, he has worked with such artists as Lady Gaga, Honey Larochelle, and Element57. Frank has been interviewed in New York Magazine and Tikkun and on Good Morning America, NPR, and other news outlets internationally. He also contributes to the interView series on the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. He currently resides in Astoria, New York, leading World Faith and works as an Online Marketing Consultant.
Filed in Discussion ·Tags: agnosticism, anti-theism, atheism, bill maher, campaign, comedy, conar records, diversity, frank fredericks, freethought, identity, interfaith, islam, mohamed, pluralism, religion, religious freedom usa, secular, secular humanism, secularism, skepticism, tell bill maher about a mohamed, tolerance, united kingdom, world faith
A Call to Love With Our Feet
September 11th is a difficult anniversary. “Love” is perhaps the last word we might associate with that day.
On September 11th, 2001, I was fourteen-years-old and ignorant to a lot of what was happening in the world outside of my home of Minnesota. That day was a wake-up call to me, to be more aware of what was happening outside of my own context. To listen more and to learn more. But love was far from my heart.
Nine years later, we are experiencing another wake-up call. The call is the same: we must listen more and learn more. And, with a surge in anti-Muslim sentiment and hate crimes enveloping our nation, love again seems far from our collective hearts.
On Saturday, September 11th, 2010, I participated in a day of prayer and reflection. Granted, I did not pray, but I was glad to be there among those who do. On such a day, little else seems more appropriate than prayer or reflection.
On the ninth anniversary of 9/11, at that day of prayer and reflection, I listened to a woman who was in Lower Manhattan on the day of the attacks reflect on her experience. Through tears, she recounted the horror and fear she experienced that day. But she added that 9/11 was a wake-up call to her: it was a call to love more, not less. She spoke of her God’s vision of inclusion and integration for all people; it was a message I carried with me when I hit the road for New York City just an hour later to attend Religious Freedom USA‘s Liberty Walk: An Interfaith Rally for Religious Freedom.
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
Yesterday, September 12, 2010, was a rainy day. In spite of the rain, at least 1,000 people came out to march for religious freedom in support of the Cordoba Initiative‘s Park51. We gathered at St. Peter’s, the oldest Catholic church in NYC, to listen to speakers including the Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky, Father Kevin Madigan, Religious Freedom USA founders Joshua Stanton and Frank Fredericks, author and environmentalist Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Auburn Theological Seminary President Rev. Katharine Henderson, and Charles Wolf, who was the husband of a 9/11 victim. After being inspired by their calls for inclusion and interfaith cooperation, we took to the streets.
It was a cold and rainy day, but as a diverse group of people of all faiths and none at all walked the streets of NYC arm in arm with flags in hand, it felt like a moment of transformation. It was not “us” supporting “them” — it was all of us, together, walking in hope and mutual loyalty. We were listening. We were learning. We were loving one another.
One man stopped us and asked what we were marching for. When we explained that we were walking for religious freedom, particularly in support of the Cordoba Initiative’s Park51, he scoffed and said, “The whole country’s against you!”
In one sense, he’s right: the road to religious freedom in America has been long and it will continue to be. But he also couldn’t be more wrong: pluralism will prevail. Those of us who walked the NYC streets that day proved it.
Our nation will heal from the wounds we sustained on September 11th, 2001, but we must do so together. Let us extend the call to be more than it is. It is not enough to listen more and learn more – we must, as both a survivor of 9/11 and a crowd of people walking in interfaith solidarity taught me, love more.
The Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said of his interfaith efforts for the Civil Rights movement: “When I march in Selma, my feet are praying.” At the Liberty Walk, a group of people marched for religious freedom. And though I am a Secular Humanist who does not pray, truly it felt like all of our feet joined together in a common call: to listen more, learn more and, above all, to love more.
Filed in Discussion ·Tags: 9/11, agnosticism, anniversary, anti-muslim, atheism, charles wolf, community, cordoba initiative, dialogue, father kevin madigan, frank fredericks, freethought, hate crimes, ibrahim abdul-matin, interfaith, interfaith rally for religious freedom, islam, joshua stanton, liberty walk, march, new york city, nyc, park51, pluralism, prayer, rabbi abraham joshua heschel, rabbi jeremy kalmanofsky, rally, reflection, religion, religious freedom, religious freedom usa, rev. katherine henderson, secular, secular humanism, secularism, september 11th, skepticism, tolerance
Jon Stewart Takes on Islamophobia
Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart took on the islamophobic critics of Park51, aka the “Ground Zero” “Mosque.” Everyone needs to watch the video — you can see it here. Best line? “Why does everyone think America is divided? It appears distrust of Muslims is the only thing that goes from ‘sea to shining sea.'”
Filed in Discussion ·Tags: agnosticism, anti-theism, atheism, community, conservative, constitution, controversy, daily show, dialogue, first amendment, freedom, freethought, fundamentalism, ground zero, ground zero mosque, huffington post, identity, interfaith, islam, jon stewart, new york city, park51, pluralism, politics, propaganda, religion, religious freedom usa, secular, secular humanism, secularism, skepticism, tolerance
Why This “Mosque” Matters to Atheists
From a recent rally against the "Ground Zero Mosque."
I remember the first time I was invited to attend an Islamic prayer meeting with a friend. As I sat and observed, I closed my eyes and listened to “as-salamu ‘alaykum“ sound against the walls of the mosque. Though it was my first time at an Islamic prayer meeting, the words rang familiar. I was transported back to my years of Christian worship attendance before I stopped believing in God, to services that concluded with an equivalent wish: “Peace be with you.”
As most folks now know thanks to Sarah Palin’s liberal use of the english language (never thought I’d put “Sarah Palin” and “liberal” together), there is a controversy brewing in lower Manhattan. Park51, a proposed Muslim community center, is coming under significant fire for its proximity to Ground Zero. The very conservative right, once again conflating the individual actions of an extremist fringe with the larger religion of Islam, has taken to calling this Muslim community center a mosque and is demanding that the city forbid its construction.
Yesterday my friend Joshua Stanton, in collaboration with a diverse group of young leaders, launched Religious Freedom USA, a counter-movement in support of Park51. In a write-up for the Huffington Post, Josh and Frank Fredericks offered a poetic explanation of why they are establishing this initiative:
Some may wonder why a Born Again Christian and a future rabbi, both under the age of 25, are working to build support for a Muslim community center. To us it seems natural: this is not simply a Muslim issue, a Jewish issue, or a Christian issue. This is an American issue, and members of all religious communities are affected by a threat to religious freedom.
We Atheists, Agnostics, Secular Humanists, Freethinkers, Skeptics and the like should be leading the charge in support of Park51 alongside Josh and Frank. We value freedom of choice when it comes to religion — because of it, we are able to choose “none.” Which means we should rally behind the right others have to practice their religion of choice, and stand in solidarity when their right to do so is threatened.
As we well know, surveys show that the non-religious are among the most marginalized groups in this country. We understand what it is like to have our non-religious beliefs and identities diminished or dismissed. So too is Islamophobia rampant in our culture; yesterday the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee was quoted as saying that he is “not sure” if the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to Muslims, calling Islam a “cult.” Such inflammatory rhetoric should sound very familiar to our community, which is often accused of being a cultish and immoral outlier in a religious nation.
Park51 is under attack because of how demonized Muslims are in America, plain and simple. Many Americans see nothing but godless, immoral, savage heathens when they think of Muslims. As a community comparably cast, we should empathize and come to their defense. Defending their freedom is defending our own. Josh and Frank get it just right when they write that “more extreme voices want this right to apply only to their own religious communities, and not to others. But when one group’s freedoms are threatened, the religious freedom of all Americans is at stake… This is about protecting the civil rights assured to all Americans in the Constitution.”
If we want to ensure that our non-religious freedoms are protected, we must stand up for our Muslim neighbors. This is not merely a civil imperative: it is a moral one. Our Humanistic values call us to act on behalf of the oppressed. The first Humanist Manifesto states that Humanists should “endeavor to establish the conditions of a satisfactory life for all, not merely for the few. By this positive morale and intention humanism will be guided, and from this perspective and alignment the techniques and efforts of humanism will flow.”
Another central value of Secular Humanism is reason; the propaganda being put forth by those who oppose Park51 is entirely irrational and unethical. We can and should call them out. Let’s join the Religious Freedom USA campaign and stand up for Park51. I can see the headline now: “Atheists and Muslims Band Together!” The political right would have a field day. It may sound farfetched but it’s happened before. It can and should happen again now.
You don’t need to be a Muslim or a Christian to wish peace, or salam, for us all. Now, let us have freedom too.
Filed in Discussion ·Tags: agnosticism, anti-theism, atheism, Christianity, community, conservative, constitution, controversy, dialogue, first amendment, frank fredericks, freedom, freethought, fundamentalism, ground zero, ground zero mosque, huffington post, humanist manifesto, identity, interfaith, islam, josh stanton, new york city, park51, pluralism, politics, propaganda, religion, religious freedom usa, sarah palin, secular, secular humanism, secularism, skepticism, tennessee, tolerance
@urjudgyfriend Thank you dear 💜 1 hour ago
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« Writer's choice 156: Anne Cassidy | Main | Music for atheists »
Eurovision yesterday and today
There being some public discussion about the state of the Eurovision Song Contest, I feel I should lay out the normblog view.
Some background. There was a period of several years when we regularly watched Eurovision in this household. Then as now, it required some stamina since most of the songs were so awful, and over the course of an evening even enjoying the awfulness gets harder and harder. But there was always the vote at the end to look forward to: seeing how the songs you thought best came nowhere; wondering what was going to win; getting excited about a close-run thing; and so on. Then, when our daughters grew up and lost interest, for WotN and me half the fun went out of it anyway, and later the voting system was changed; where, before, each country's judgement of the songs had been exercised by a selected panel, the voting was given over to the public in each country, and strong regional voting patterns clearly began to emerge. It became harder, given all these circumstances, to retain any interest.
I should say that I give less than a single small hair on the carcass of a dead animal who wins the Eurovision Song Contest; and I have no idea whether Russia's entry this year was or wasn't a worthy winner. We watched about half a dozen of the songs in the middle of the programme, laughed, laughed again, laughed again, and then turned to better things. If the event is supposed to be a competition, however, it is ridiculous to have it adjudicated in the way it is, democratic as that may be, with partisan audiences determining the outcome. As far as it is humanly possible, the determination should be in the hands of judges who are bound by their own consciences to judge impartially.
Reflect on the fact that footballers, football managers and club supporters often complain about refereeing decisions that have gone against them, but scarcely ever complain when these go in their favour. Now imagine that the same decisions were handed over to the crowd watching the game. Can anyone believe this would improve the quality of decision-making?
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Soggy South Carolina to get more rain as flooding continues
September 26, 2018 Jeffrey Collins | The Associated Press News
Marvin Singleton and Michele Larrimore motor past the Pine Grove Baptist Church on the way to check out Larrimore's home on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Brittons Neck, S.C. The flooding from the Little Pee Dee River is cresting on Saturday, but many residents are concerned that the floodwaters will increase damage to their community. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)
YAUHANNAH, S.C.— The soggy remnants of Florence keep causing chaos in coastal South Carolina long after the hurricane swirled ashore, with rivers still flowing far beyond their banks and a new storm gathering more rain just offshore.
Authorities urged up to 8,000 people leave their homes in Georgetown County, on the South Carolina coast, as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overflowed with a record 10 feet of flooding reaching a crest in their communities Tuesday.
Some places along Georgetown’s waterfront were predicted to flood for the first time since record keeping began before the American Revolution.
The National Hurricane Center said a broad area of low pressure about 300 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is producing showers and thunderstorms on its north side. Forecasters said it could become a tropical depression Tuesday as it approaches the coast, but will dump rain regardless on coastal areas of North and South Carolina.
Pastor Willie Lowrimore and some of his congregants initially stacked sandbags around their South Carolina church as the hurricane approached. Then they moved the pews to higher ground. Finally, the rank black water seeped around and over the sandbags on Monday, flooding the sanctuary.
“I’m going to go one day at a time,” Lowrimore said as the river ruined the church he built almost 20 years ago. “Put it in the Lord’s hands. My hands aren’t big enough.”
Ten days after Florence came ashore, the storm caused fresh chaos Monday in Yauhannah and elsewhere across South Carolina, where rivers kept rising and thousands more people were told to be ready to evacuate.
Georgetown County offered free transportation to emergency shelters from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday in Pawley’s Island, saying pets are welcome as well as long as they’re kept in crates and have food and supplies. Georgetown County spent days under hurricane warnings before Hurricane Florence made landfall about 110 miles. up the coast near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
The worst of the initial landfall of storm stayed well north, causing only minor flooding in Georgetown and some downed limbs.
“We had a hurricane party,” Gantt said. “Now I don’t know what to do.”
Several blocks up Front Street, the main business district was busy, but with people leaving. All along the sidewalk were piles of artwork, antiques, and boxes as owners emptied out their inventory to take to higher ground.
Tomlinson department store sent an empty truck normally used to stock stores and employees rushed to fill it with everything. The store has never flooded, but predictions call for up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water by Thursday. “The anticipation has been nerve-wracking. Though, I’m glad we had the time to do this,” said district manager Kevin Plexico.
Georgetown positioned ambulances and firetrucks in the busy, tourist section along the beaches in case the floods cut off the U.S. Highway 17 bridges as expected. National Guard troops prepared to float more equipment across the river if needed. Exhausted emergency officials said they have lived nothing but Florence for more than two weeks.
“The work has been done,” Georgetown Mayor Brendon Barber said. “We just need to pray.”
The economic research firm Moody’s Analytics estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The worst disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in today’s dollars. Last year’s Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion.
Early results boost hopes for historic gene editing attempt
NC farmers could take billions in losses from Florence
Special session passes bipartisan hurricane recovery plan
October 3, 2018 By David Larson for the North State Journal Article, News
RALEIGH — Both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly returned to Raleigh on Tuesday for a special session to address issues in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. The two bills had support from both […]
NOTHSTINE: Saving Texas and America
August 29, 2017 Ray Nothstine Opinion
Many of the images from the Texas Gulf Coast and its biggest city Houston are heartbreaking and haunting. One eerie photo captured nursing home residents calmly sitting in waist deep water waiting for evacuation. Already […]
Defensive stand helps South Carolina beat NC State
September 2, 2017 The Sports Xchange College Football, Sports
CHARLOTTE — South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel scored three touchdowns, and the Gamecocks’ defense made a huge stop in the waning seconds to preserve a 35-28 season-opening victory against NC State on Saturday at Bank of […]
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Archive for the ‘Noémie Lenoir’ Category
numerology for Noémie Lenoir
Posted in 52 (Queen of Swords), 54 (Page of Swords), Noémie Lenoir, numerology, real-world, real-world numerology on May 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »
6:28PM BST 12 May 2010
Miss Lenoir, 30, was staying with Claude Makelele, the former Chelsea football star with whom she has a son, when she is thought to have taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol at his home on Sunday, a police source said.
Miss Lenoir, who also fronts campaigns for l’Oréal, Gap, Next and Victoria’s Secret, is believed to have called an ambulance before cancelling it a short time later.
She then left the house in the suburb of La Celle-Saint-Cloud, but passed out by a forest footpath, where a passer-by found her shortly afterwards.
She was taken to hospital where she was found to have consumed drugs and alcohol. Her life was not in danger, the source added.
Mr Makelele – who played for Chelsea from 2003 to 2008 and now plays for Paris St Germain – met Miss Lenoir in 2004 and their son Keylan was born the following year. The pair reportedly have had a turbulent relationship, and separated last year.
Miss Lenoir has reportedly been suffering from “extreme angst” as a result of her new relationship with Swiss millionaire Carl Hirschmann, who is embroiled in a sex scandal in his home country.
Mr Hirschmann, whose family sold their Jet Aviation company for £2.1 billion in 2008, faces charges of having forced young models into sex acts at his Zurich nightclub, le St-Germain.
Mr Hirschmann, 29, is on £300,000 bail in Zurich, and Miss Lenoir regularly visits him there. However, a friend said she had been depressed about the charges he faces.
“Noemie is extremely worried about Carl and has been suffering extreme angst,” said the friend. “Her relationship with Claude Makelele is important to her, but only because he is the father of her child. The real love of her life at the moment is Carl.”
Miss Lenoir is said to have been upset by the claims from three women, which could have made uncomfortable reading for Marks & Spencer, who rewarded her with a £10 million contract for her advertising work.
“Hirschmann can’t leave Switzerland while he is under investigation, so Noemie is spending all of her spare time going to see him, flying to Zurich at every opportunity,” a friend said.
“Knowing that he’s involved with the police and investigating judges in such a serious case is tearing her apart. It’s a living hell and often Noemie doesn’t know which way to turn.
“The truth is that, despite all of the accusations being levelled against Hirschmann, Noemie is besotted with him.” In an interview with Sontag, the Swiss newspaper in December, Mr Hirschmann said Miss Lenoir “has all the qualities for a common future”.
Miss Lenoir has never been married to Mr Makelele, who retired from international football two years ago and turned down an offer this week to join France’s World Cup squad from football coach Raymond Domenech.
She recently posed alongside fellow models Twiggy and Laura Baily in a Marks & Spencer campaign. The French-born model has also starred in five films including Asterix and Obelix and Rush Hour 3.
from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/7716365/MandS-model-Noemie-Lenoir-attempts-suicide-in-Paris.html
Noémie Lenoir was born on September 19th, 1979 according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No%C3%A9mie_Lenoir
9 + 19 +2+0+0+9 = 39 = her personal year (from September 19th, 2009 to September 18th, 2010)
39 year + 4 (April) = 43 = her personal month (from April 19th, 2010 to May 18th, 2010)
43 month + 9 (9th of the month on Sunday May 9th, 2010) = 52 = her personal day = Hell hath no fury like woman scorned.
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May 31, 2019, 7:05 PM PDT|
Filed under: Featured, Games, Highlighted
Diablo creator David Brevik has released the action survival RPG, It Lurks Below through his studio Graybeard Games.
Several elements of his earlier work are combined to create an action-oriented survival RPG. There are eight classes, deep randomization, and a retro side-view perspective. All of this of course takes place in a pixelated world ravaged by a demon invasion.
It Lurks Below has been in development for several years now, and I’m delighted to put this eagerly-awaited product into hands of gamers. I wake up every day excited to be working on this game and now I get to share it with the world.
David Brevik, Graybeard Games Founder
Brevik’s last major launch was Marvel Heroes in 2013 when he led the now defunct Gazillion Entertainment. Diablo and other title’s alike have inspired the role-playing mechanics while games such as Terraria, Minecraft, and Starbound have inspired survival elements It Lurks Below. With both these aspects coming together a whole new experience is created.
Players start off by selecting a custom character and a class. From there they dive deep into the mysteries of the evil that lurks below. Subterranean levels wait for brave adventurers ready to acquire new items and encounter deadly monsters.
It Lurks Below Release Trailer
The game has been in Early Access since last April and has received a consistently positive response and feedback. Some players within the close-knit community have logged hundreds of playtime hours. Over the last year, Brevik has been carefully listening to the community and fine-tuning the game while adding more content.
I’m flattered by the overwhelmingly positive response I received during Early Access and my personal streams of It Lurks Below. The experience of developing this game with the passionate community has been wonderful. I read every piece of feedback I receive, and directly interact with the community every day. There is so much fun packed into this game.
It Lurks Below is now available on Steam for Windows PC at a price of $19.99 USD. More information along with a WIKI can be found on the game’s website at itlurksbelow.com.
It Lurks Below | Graybeard Games
Graybeard Games (@GraybeardGames Twitter) is based out of San Francisco, CA. The one person studio was founded by David Brevik who is a 28-year veteran game developer and best known for co-founding the studio that became Blizzard North and creating Diablo and Diablo II. Later he would go on to co-found Flagship Studios to create Hellgate: London and then Marvel heroes as the CEO of Gazillion Entertainment.
Tagged with: Action, David Brevik, Graybeard Games, Pixel Art, RPG, Survival
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The digital era
Oil and Gas 4.0
Dr Sultan Al Jaber
Daniel Yergin interview
New breed of explorer
The rise of AI
Blueprint for a national oil company
Oil & Gas 4.0
The implementation of digitisation, Big Data, automation and the Internet of Things, together with the lucrative opportunity created by rising demand in Asia are driving producers in the Middle East and beyond to evolve and change
The National in partnership with Adnoc
The oil and gas sector is changing in the digital era
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A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR OIL AND GAS TO POWER THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Adnoc to embed innovation into every part of its operations to meet the energy demands of this era, writes its chief executive Dr Sultan Al Jaber
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Adnoc Group chief executive and UAE Minister of State. Photo: Courtesy Adnoc
Last month, the world reached an important tipping point. For the first time in history, more than half of the global population is made up of middle-class consumers. This marks a pivotal moment in human progress and is the outcome of a remarkable period of economic growth over the past 50 years. The bottom line is that prosperity is not only growing in the traditional centres, it is spreading from West to East, North to South and throughout the entire world.
Fundamental to this accelerated pace of progress are breakthrough technologies, which are driving unprecedented rates of productivity and introducing an era that has been defined as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Just as the oil and gas industry was essential to powering economic growth over the past half century, so this sector will remain absolutely essential to this next big leap forward in global progress. To enable this massive step change in development, the oil and gas industry must think differently, embrace disruption and step out of our comfort zone. At Adnoc, we are giving this mission a simple name: Oil and Gas 4.0.
Oil and Gas 4.0 is where our industry meets the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an era where digital innovation is catalysing economic progress and driving demand for everything that depends on the humble hydrocarbon molecule –from power, to fuel and the countless products that enable modern life. Oil is set to break the 100 million barrel per day barrier in global consumption and will add another 10 million barrels a day at least by 2040. Natural gas will experience even stronger growth of 40 per cent over the same period. Petrochemicals, plastics and polymers will show the sharpest growth of all – increasing by 60 per cent.
The UAE, Abu Dhabi and Adnoc are stepping up to responsibly and reliably meet the energy demands of this era. Following this month’s Supreme Petroleum Council directive, we have committed to increasing oil production capacity to 4 million barrels per day by 2020 and extending to 5 million barrels per day by 2030. In addition, we will increase gas production to first attain self-sufficiency and then transition to become a net exporter.
To meet these ambitious goals we are leveraging our partnerships and in particular technology. This week we announced a first of its kind concession agreement with Total to explore and develop vast unconventional fields in Abu Dhabi. This is one of a series of initiatives that will support our efforts to commercially unlock our vast gas resources. We also entered into a strategic framework agreement with Saudi Aramco to explore natural gas and LNG investment opportunities. This builds on our strategy to venture beyond our borders, to seek out greater value and provide the energy that growth economies need.
At the core of Oil and Gas 4.0 is the recognition that while technology is transforming all industries, it is time to really focus on how it can evolve the oil and gas industry to be more efficient, more productive and to generate more value. At Adnoc, we believe artificial intelligence, Big Data and blockchain can enhance our operational efficiency, maximise our performance, drive our profitability and empower our people. We are applying the science of predictive analytics to significantly reduce maintenance costs. We are building up our state-of-the-art Panorama Digital Command Centre to mine for, monitor and measure terabytes of information across our operations. Yet we are still only scratching the surface of how technology can unlock our potential and greater value. Our ambition is to extend its power across our entire value chain from drilling platforms to trading platforms.
By embedding innovation into every aspect of our business, we are determined to make Adnoc the destination of choice for a highly skilled, digitally native workforce and a home for the best and the brightest of our young people.
We are at the beginning stages of an exciting chapter in the history of our industry. By embracing Oil and Gas 4.0 and opening up ourselves to the benefits of technology, we will transform our business, benefit our people and enable the next phase of global development.
KNOWLEDGE IS EVERYTHING...HOW THE INDUSTRY IS TAKING THE NEXT EVOLUTIONARY STEP
The increasing symbiosis between energy producers and technology companies has the prominent expert Daniel Yergin optimistic, with Oil & Gas 4.0 leading to a new world of increased efficiencies and prosperity
Daniel Yergin is one of the world's leading experts on the oil and gas industry. Photo: IHS
A key characteristic of the new digital era for the oil gas sector, is the convergence between the industry and Silicon Valley’s biggest companies, where data increasingly becomes a valuable commodity.
That’s according to Daniel Yergin, the eminent energy expert and economic historian who authored two seminal books about the oil and gas sector; best sellers The Quest and The Prize – the latter winning him a Pulitzer Prize.
“Hydrocarbon molecules are the product of the industry but data is a product too,” says Mr Yergin, who is also vice chairman of IHS Markit, the global information and research company.
“There are companies that produce oil and gas and generate data, the two are wholly inter-dependent.”
Oil and Gas 4.0 which describes the nexus of technology and energy is increasingly palpable with the rise in the number of partnerships between the oil industry and technology giants. Microsoft, for example, has a number of strategic alliances with entities like Chevron and Shell.
Between 2013 and 2018, the proportion of announced partnerships with a digital emphasis, between the oil and gas industry and the supply chain, grew from 22 per cent to 55 per cent, Mr Yergin says. It’s not surprise as the partnerships support the digital transformation of international oil companies.
The push towards incorporating digital tools to improve efficiencies to lower costs and expand production capabilities has triggered the Oil and Gas 4.0 era.
“The industry has continually gone through periods of technology changing the business and developing new skills and capabilities, both internally and drawing on the wider benefits of technology and I think we are in one of those periods."
Daniel Yergin, energy expert and author of The Quest and The Prize
The evolution is linked to the broader Industry 4.0 trend, driven largely by technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; namely artificial intelligence, Big Data, and the internet of things (IoT).
The collapse in oil prices following peaks of more than $110 per barrel in the summer of 2014, to below $30 in January 2016, also accelerated “the push to digitisation that has become very pronounced,” Mr Yergin says, adding, “because companies need to be more efficient…[it’s] part of a survival and prosper strategy.”
With price cycles so extreme, it’s futile to try and be in control, but costs can be managed during such periods. The three-year price slump that began in 2014 magnified this.
“You can manage your cost, be more efficient, be more productive”, Mr Yergin says.
The shift in gears creates greater resilience and in this case, the adoption of new digital tools such as sensors, wearables and automation - all of which have been key to maintaining momentum even as oil prices rebounded to more than $80 per barrel earlier this year.
“About every decade has a shock [for producers] and then people forget and the new normal is back,” Mr Yergin says. “You did have companies in the eighties and nineties that adjusted their cost structure and then costs started going up again. Now a company has tools it didn’t have before.”
Digital tools enable and empower companies to redesign processes across all aspects of the industry – production, refining, drilling – in addition to bringing in new skills, he says.
The trend, in many respects, is like the development curve of autonomous vehicles which were not possible in 2000s because of the absence of data analytics present a decade later, he adds.
The ‘de-manning’ of oil and gas facilities is another example of a trend that was not possible a decade ago.
“[You can] automate a lot of what is done. Capabilities were not there a decade or a decade and a half ago,” he says. “You don’t need a lot people on an oil platform, maybe almost no people but very powerful digital tools to manage it from onshore.”
In marked contrast to the past, companies today are pursuing greater efficiencies and capabilities regardless of the price of oil. That invariably is because technology has empowered them in a way it has not been able to before. That’s very evident with smaller, independent producers, which had been until recently the backbone of shale oil and gas in North America. The application of digitisation has given them the ability to bring down costs “and at the end of the day this is about costs and capabilities,” says Mr Yergin who has been investigating the impact of technology on the industry.
“Shale is growing dramatically again, US production last month reached 11.4 million barrels per day. There are other things involved too – general cost cutting and so forth – but this is a very clear example of what the application of technology means,” Mr Yergin says.
For larger oil and gas companies, wide-encompassing digital strategies are required. Their organisational transformation hinges on harnessing the technology, from drilling and production to safety where sensors can illuminate what’s taking place in a well, he says.
This not only applies to IOCs but also national oil companies (NOCs). Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is at the forefront of NOCs on Oil and Gas 4.0, with it proactively embracing the digital transformation of the industry.
“We are going to see Adnoc emerge as one of the leaders in the global industry and [it] has made this trend a high priority,” he says.
A big advancement for the sector in the 4.0 era, is predictive maintenance. Thanks to a massive increase in the number of sensors being deployed across operations, companies can monitor what’s happening in real time, which markedly improves safety levels.
“Being able to see problems before they become problems, see what is happening with rotating equipment, see what is happening with pipes, this is part two of what we are talking about [with Oil and Gas 4.0],” says Mr Yergin. “Bringing that [scale of] data and information together is extraordinary, [and enables] the industry to operate upscale, efficiently and productively.”
Leveraging data analytics to achieve results within the oil and gas industry mirrors the activities of Silicon Valley’s biggest technology companies. Each has begun borrowing from the other, Mr Yergin says.
“At the CERAWeek [oil and gas conference in Houston] suddenly the big tech companies engaged in a way they have never been so obviously engaged before,” he says.
Essentially its because technology companies have come to the realisation that the oil and gas industry produces large amounts of data that can define and shape processes and bring about efficiencies.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, which has put data at the heart of its business. Photo by AFP
“I went to a dinner with Jeff Bezos and [from him] you understand Amazon is a massive manager of data and the capabilities are constantly improving,” says Mr Yergin. “It is a new frontier of technology and a frontier the oil and gas industry is very much moving into.”
In turn oil and gas companies have begun mimicking tech companies. They’re more venture-led, invest in startups, learn from their innovation in areas such as clean tech, analytics and IoT.
Changes related to the era of Oil and Gas 4.0 are not exclusive to how companies approach their operations. The shifting dynamics also impact how individuals approach their jobs which will bring with it challenges such as reskilling existing employees or bringing in new ones with different capabilities, says Mr Yergin.
“It was already happening but [it] accentuates the need for people that these technologies are a part of their training,” he says. Increasingly the oil and gas industry will compete with the tech industry for human capital. “Computer science is going to be a bigger part of the curriculum of becoming an oil industry professional,” says Mr Yergin.
The challenge now for companies is how to implement new efficiencies, how to manage costs while moving into Oil and Gas 4.0. That’s why strategic discussions are so important. The shift “at this scale and at this intensity, this is new terrain,” says Mr Yergin.
“Execution and strategy and implementation [are risks] that are very much on the mind of the industry; the capabilities are there but how to do it productively and in what timeframe.”
An advantage is that the oil and gas industry is populated by engineers and scientists.
“There is a natural affinity and curiosity but it is also doing what you have done in the past differently and doing new things. It is not just a process of implementation and execution but also a process of learning.”
That the industry has come so far and regularly demonstrates its extraordinary capabilities notwithstanding the ability to drill 10,000 feet under the sea bed makes Mr Yergin optimistic.
“Oil and gas has been at the forefront,” he says, adding “and it is undergoing another step change to ensure it is at the forefront again.”
NEW BREED OF EXPLORER IN OILFIELD DISCOVERIES
Drones, robotics and other tech are increasing efficiency and productivity – while protecting the environment – in all stages of energy production
The impenetrable virgin forest of Papua New Guinea was always a formidable challenge to oil and gas companies searching for hydrocarbons without disturbing the flora and fauna of the south-west Pacific island.
But late last year, French oil major Total, which has a stake in an onshore block in the country, came up with a new tool to penetrate the forest.
It used drones with dart-shaped wireless geophysical sensors that engaged with a relay antenna to transmit and process seismic data in a method called “carpet recording”.
Through the use of Total’s Multiphysics Exploration Technology Integrated System, or Metis, the pilot project will help the company in its quest to build more predictive 3D models. This technology, which cuts costs and minimises health, safety and environmental risks, will soon be used in the desert environment of the UAE on an onshore field for the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Oil majors are increasingly using technology such as drones to improve operational efficiencies. Photo: Courtesy Sky-Futures
The French company holds a 10 per cent stake in the 40-year concession that covers Abu Dhabi’s 15 main onshore fields and represents more than half of the emirate’s oil production.
Metis is only one aspect of Total’s experience in using technological tools.
“Total has developed expertise in predictive maintenance for rotating machines based on big data,” says Bastien Januel, a technical specialist for Total in Abu Dhabi.
“The collection of very large amounts of data coming from gauges but also from specific events allows us, by applying artificial intelligence algorithms, to identify in advance some possible failure of equipment and to intervene before any event occurs.
“This is aimed at preventing any major issue in production shutdown.”
Total is just one of several foreign energy companies that have partnered with Adnoc, introducing new technology that will cut costs, improve exploration and operations, and help the company to achieve its targets. Adnoc plans to boost output capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2030, up from about 3 million bpd now.
Its partners are using Big Data, the Internet of Things, drones, robotics and other tools to help the company in its quest for better management of reserves and boosting production capacity at minimal costs and damage to the environment.
Consultancy Bain & Co says using Big Data analytics and other technological tools can help oil and gas companies to improve oilfield and plant performance by an average of six to eight per cent.
British oil giant BP, another partner with a 10 per cent stake in Adnoc Onshore, is also harnessing technology in its UAE operations.
“The computer power available today has enabled processing sub-surface data in hours and days, instead of months and years.”
Mohammed Al Nakhi, technical lead for BP UAE
“This has enabled teams to make decisions based on current reservoir conditions, which saves costs and improves the value. We have also conducted some benchmarking visits with Adnoc to some of our operations in the region to showcase drilling and operational technologies.”
BP has extensive expertise working in difficult environments around the world.
In Oman, BP operates and holds a 60 per cent stake in the giant Khazzan gasfield, which has very hard old rock that is locked in low permeability reservoirs also known as tight gas.
“We have also conducted some benchmarking visits with Adnoc to BP’s Khazzan operations to showcase our success with tight gas drilling and completion technologies including hydraulic fracturing, which is helping Adnoc and Adnoc Onshore to plan their future drilling strategies,” Mr Al Nakhi says.
Adnoc is already working with oil services provider Baker Hughes on fracturing onshore gas formations, taking a lead in the Middle East on the exploration for gas onshore through fracking, as it seeks to achieve gas self-sufficiency.
It is no surprise that oil majors are using technology in their operations in the UAE and worldwide.
US company ExxonMobil is one of the Adnoc partners developing the offshore Upper Zakum field. Photo: Reuters
The trend is gaining traction, according to a 2016 survey by Accenture.
Over the next three to five years, 80 per cent of upstream oil and gas companies plan to spend the same, more, or significantly more (30, 36 and 14 per cent) on digital technology as they do now, the survey found.
Meanwhile, US company ExxonMobil, one of the partners developing the offshore Upper Zakum field through its 28 per cent stake in the company operating the reservoir, is also using technology in its operations.
Upper Zakum, the world’s second largest offshore field, is supported by four artificial islands, the largest of which is the size of 135 American football fields.
Development plans incorporate the use of technological tools to increase recovery, reduce capital requirements and minimise environmental footprint, ExxonMobil says. The company is using its proprietary technology – Empower – to achieve many of these results.
“Empower complemented advanced existing practices and tools in Adnoc Offshore, and contributed to the resulting reservoir models, which have been some of the largest in ExxonMobil’s global experience,” says Christian Lenoble, ExxonMobil UAE lead country manager and president of Exxon Al Khalij.
“Millions of cells or gridblocks are used to describe the reservoirs and run-flow simulations, generating enhanced value in terms of reservoir management and field development, and unlocking potential from previously underdeveloped reservoirs.
“The development plan also employed the first combination of artificial islands, extended reach drilling, and maximum reservoir contact well technologies in the world.”
IMAGINE A FUTURE WHERE COMPANIES WILL HAVE AS MANY DATA SCIENTISTS AS GEOLOGISTS. WITH AI, THAT FUTURE IS HERE
Adnoc's technology-led Thamama and Panorama centres are leading the way in the use of analytics
At Adnoc’s Thamama subsurface collaboration centre, large screens flash with three-dimensional models of reservoirs under layers of rock in in Al Dhafra’s desert.
The flashing screens display data and chart graphs, so that the geologists, engineers and scientists there can work out the optimal location to drill a well or install a rig, and thereby generate billions in cost savings.
Thamama, the nerve centre behind the new generation of upstream activity at Abu Dhabi’s state producer, is at the heart of a drive for efficiency that Big Oil and regional national oil companies are determined to chase.
Screens flash with data at Adnoc's Thamama subsurface collaboration centre, which has become critical towards optimising productional efficiency and save costs. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Adnoc, which opened the centre last year, hopes that incorporating artificial intelligence into the way it spuds wells and gets oil to market could reduce drilling time by 30 per cent next year and generate efficiency savings of up to $1 billion from last year.
It is not alone in expanding exploration to include optimal use of Big Data to respond in a leaner, quicker and more resilient manner to the vagaries of the oil markets.
Occidental Petroleum, which generates 45 per cent of its business from the Middle East and is one of Adnoc’s long-term partners in gas has already begun to lower costs by integrating AI and automation into its systems.
“Occidental have already said they’re looking at saving somewhere in the region of $325,000 a rig, where they can actually start using analytics to more accurately predict drill locations,” says Gareth Kirkwood, managing director Middle East and India at Lloyd’s Register.
The company specialises in digital and automation solutions for the industry.
“Certainly from the Middle East perspective, we have clients who have avoided costs of around $7 million thanks to implementing analytics,” Mr Kirkwood says.
The methods used to generate such cost savings are called predictive analytics, which is the ability to predict the future of an asset and its performance based on the evidence from data gathered by sensors.
Gathering such a high amount of data requires enough expertise to interpret its findings, leading some consultancies such McKinsey to predict that as many data scientists as geologists would be required to run operations in the future.
“We have a headline of 57 out of the world’s 100 largest oil and gas companies are using or have plans to use predictive analytics, so I think the industry is now moving in that direction,” Mr Kirkwood says.
“And out of that 57, 34 have already reported positive impact in terms of using predictive analytics for cost savings.”
Apart from operational cost savings, which have become a priority for oil companies particularly during the three-year price downturn in the market, the firms are also wary of catastrophic costs that could badly affect their bottom lines.
“Occidental have already said they’re looking at saving somewhere in the region of $325,000 a rig."
Gareth Kirkwood, managing director Middle East and India at Lloyd’s Register
A case in point was BP’s disastrous 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which caused the loss of 11 lives and cost the firm more than $20bn in fines and penalties.
The spill, which led to the loss of about five million barrels of oil, was caused by defective cement on a well, implicating BP, rig operator Transocean and contractor Halliburton.
“When you have a bad connection in a well and it leaks, it can lead to huge, huge remedial costs,” says Dean Bell, president of the well construction global business unit at oilfield services operator Weatherford.
“You’re talking about numbers of $15m to $14m and up to $300m in costs to go back and intervene in those wells.
“And so this technology prevents that from happening, because humans will never be infallible.”
At Adnoc’s Panorama control centre, data scientists carefully pore over real-time feedback on the company’s assets across upstream – both onshore and offshore – midstream, referring to transport of crude and product, and downstream, which refers to chemicals and refining.
The Panorama Command Centre and Artificial Intelligence space at the Adnoc headquarters. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Mr Kirkwood says that while AI sensors are beginning to monitor upstream activity, mid and downstream still lag in terms of adoption.
Woodside, an Australian energy company, “has already begun to implement sensors across their network”, Mr Kirkwood says.
“That’s when you start to see a real shift from that point of view,” he says. “Midstream I think is still a challenge.
“The intended adoption of tools as opposed to actual implementation is, I would say, split.”
While he remains coy on the costs of implementing AI across an energy company’s value chain, Mr Kirkwood says that companies such as his introduce pilots on a project-by-project basis, and then manage a full rollout of their analytics solutions based on need.
AI technical capabilities are now being developed in-house and outsourced, with interpretation of Big Data largely done by independent outsiders.
“We develop everything we can and we also know that we don’t have a monopoly on good ideas or brain power,” Mr Bell says.
“So we’re always searching the world for good ideas and good technologies and that makes sense to either acquire or work in joint ventures.”
The future, he says, is moving towards a world where rigs will become unmanned.
Oil and gas professionals who get their hands dirty onsite will be gradually moved into control rooms and poring over collated data instead.
“I think eventually, yes. You need some innovation to put it all together and get it working in concert, but more and you’re seeing more automated tasks on the rigs,” Mr Bell says.
INDUSTRY-WIDE BLOCKCHAIN ADOPTION IS A MATTER OF LEADERSHIP
Companies that have introduced the distributed ledger technology show it can bring down costs
Introducing blockchain applications to the oil and gas industry is a matter of leadership rather than the value of the distributed ledger technology, a leading expert on digital innovation says. Geoffrey Cann, who worked as a consultant at Deloitte for 30 years, says that while the industry “is only beginning to explore the early stages where blockchain technology could make the difference”, there is clear evidence of its potential to bring down costs and improve the efficiency of energy companies.
Blockchain, or distributed ledger, technology has potential benefits for a number of industries including oil and gas. Photo: Bloomberg
The new era of Oil and Gas 4.0 has driven changes across the industry as new digital tools, including blockchain, allow companies to reorganise their processes and operations to maximise revenues and hold on to savings, even as they produce more hydrocarbon products.
Blockchain is best known in relation to the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, which it underpins by providing a transparent, secure and de-centralised system for transactions.
Some oil and gas companies have moved into the very early stages of adopting blockchain for their supply chains and trading.
For example, last year, the VAKT consortium – which comprises Gunvor, BP, Shell and Statoil, Koch Supply and Trading, Mercuria, ABN Amro, ING and Societe Generale – developed an oil-trading platform based on blockchain.
Oil trading is still very much a paper-led practice and the VAKT platform will help to support the change to digital, which can reduce errors and costs.
Mr Cann says there has been evidence of a dramatic reduction in the time taken to resolve disputes between parties thanks to the ability of the blockchain to codify and store contracts, which can then be automatically executed in the event of an issue arising.
He says that in Alberta, Canada, a leading oil and gas region, there could be $2 billion in savings by avoiding royalty disputes if there were widespread use of “smart” contracts and distributed ledger technology.
Beyond royalty agreements, the technology could be applied to all kinds of contracts, such as those for leasing and rental of equipment.
Mr Cann says that an oil well, with its own distributed costs, revenues and ownership is ideal for blockchain applications.
“The challenge compared to other technologies is that you cannot adopt it on your own,” he says.
“It requires business partners to change the way they do business, which requires a firm hand, with clout, to push the supply chain along.”
Unlike other industries, the oil industry is fragmented and lacks a Maersk or Walmart that dominates the supply chain to insist that certain technologies are used, “so the adoption curve will not be as quick” with blockchain.
“It is a matter of leadership, Mr Cann says.
In the Middle East, a national oil company is in the perfect position to transform the way it does business with its relatively small number of trading partners and because it has the clout to, he says.
Mr Cann has a book coming out in January on digital transformation in oil and gas.
A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR A NATIONAL OIL COMPANY
Adnoc’s transformation of its culture and structure has positioned it well for the future
With the oil and gas industry moving into a technology-led phase driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the nature of how national oil companies (NOCs) should operate becomes a critical issue if they are to not be left behind in this new era.
In the Arabian Gulf, many of the NOCs have acknowledged that their traditionally more passive roles as custodian of their nations’ hydrocarbon resources will no longer be effective enough to provide the same level of revenues as in previous decades, regardless of the market price of crude.
Oil and Gas 4.0 is as much about evolving mindsets - from top to bottom - as it is about incorporating AI, Big Data or other technologies.
Emiratis graduate from Adnoc’s advanced drilling training centre. Photo: Adnoc
In this vein, by the end of this year it is expected that six oil and gas concessions in the emirate of Abu Dhabi - the first time ever major onshore and offshore blocks were offered in a competitive round – will be awarded.
This landmark move illustrates how Adnoc - over the past two and half years – has successfully pursued a strategy designed to transform itself from a traditional national oil company (NOC) into a dynamic, innovative international energy company, capable of creating new revenue streams and maximising profit in the era of Oil and Gas 4.0.
In July last year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces said: “Adnoc’s initiative will expand strategic partnership opportunities, deliver strong financial returns, and support the UAE’s future growth”.
“Expanding strategic partnership opportunities of our national companies enhances their competitiveness and leadership regionally and globally,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
Much of the rationale for the timing of this effort came in the aftermath of the drop in oil prices from their summer-2014 peaks of over $110 a barrel. Brent crude fell below $30 a barrel in January 2016. The next month, Dr Sultan Al Jaber was appointed group chief executive of Adnoc – itself a new role created to lead a new kind of company in an era in which profitability would become harder to grow.
The drop in prices had been instigated by rising production – particularly in the United States – helped by a drilling revolution that has made exploring for unconventional oil and gas more profitable.
Consultancy EY’s global oil and gas leader Adi Karev wrote in a blog in August this year that “the dramatic fall in prices unleashed a chain reaction with far-reaching consequences on government budgets, sovereign investment, economic development incentives, and critically on subsidy support and social welfare programmes”.
“The expansion plans for Ruwais will also support Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s economic development and diversification."
Adnoc group chief executive Dr Sultan Al Jaber
State-owned oil companies across the Middle East and North Africa have, as a result, been seeking to extract greater value from existing assets in what had been a persistently low oil price environment.
“We are improving operational efficiency, optimising resources and adapting the mindset of our people to focus on our strategic objectives and on maintaining our competitive edge,” Mr Al Jaber, who is also UAE Minister of State, said in April 2016. “We are being proactive and looking across the entire group to find ways to improve and optimise operational efficiency.”
There was an example of this that same month, when Adnoc awarded its first “mega tender” – for 100,000 tonnes of steel tubing over three years, to the French company Vallourec – as part of the company’s drive to streamline its procurement process.
Adnoc says it is accelerating the rate of new discoveries, increasing recovery rates, maximizing efficiencies, driving down costs, and increasing value across the full integrated value chain.
Part of the strategy has been to highlight Abu Dhabi’s status as a global energy centre – across the chain and not just in terms of upstream. In May, Adnoc said it will invest Dh165 billion in partnership with global energy companies over the next five years to develop the world’s largest integrated refining and petrochemicals facility in Ruwais, in Al Dhafra. By 2025, the expansion of Ruwais will have added 1 per cent to the UAE’s economic output annually and created 15,000 jobs, according to Adnoc.
“The expansion plans for Ruwais will also support Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s economic development and diversification, create high-skilled jobs and enhance the country’s status as a globally attractive destination for energy investments,” said Dr Al Jaber in May.
Cracking towers stand at the Ruwais refinery and petrochemical complex, operated by Adnoc. Photo: Bloomberg
Adnoc has also found creative strategies and more dynamic business models, that bring together people, partnerships and technology, to drive growth and make it more resilient.
The BP onshore concession agreement was a prime example of Adnoc’s ambitions to structure new types of partnerships. In an unusual move, BP paid for its 10 per cent share with a 2 per cent stake in itself, the shares to be held on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Government. The IPO of service station operator Adnoc Distribution in December last year was another.
Adnoc is also working with Saudi Aramco to jointly invest in a $44 billion refinery on the west coast of India. Last month, US oil services provider Baker Hughes said it will pay $550 million for a 5 per cent stake in Adnoc’s drilling subsidiary as part of a partnership aimed at capitalising on the efficiencies that can be achieved from the GE company’s expertise and on growing the business including expansion into other markets in the Middle East.
Adnoc has also identified and brought along the next generation of the company’s leadership. Abdulmunim Al Kindy is running exploration and production for the group. Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri is in charge of marketing, sales and trading. Abdulaziz Abdulla Alhajri is responsible for downstream.
Abdulmunim Al Kindy, head of upstream at Adnoc. Photo: The National
“The manner in which these NOCs are operating…It’s a transformation so profound that it stands next to the nationalisations of decades past as the most defining moments of their respective histories,” EY’s Mr Karev wrote.
For those NOCs that are able to successfully change their corporate cultures, strategies and ambitions, the future should be a very rewarding place.
Mustafa Alrawi, Dania Saadi, Jennifer Gnana
Paul Stafford, Massoud Derhally, Stephen Nelmes
Photo editor:
Jake Badger
Nick Donaldson
Erica Elkhershi
Aneesh Grigary
Production editor:
Nic Ridley
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← AQAP´s Religious Leader Ibrahim al-Rubaish Seen In New Video
Saif al-Islam´s Silver-Plated Rifle →
British Jihadis Killed By US Drone In Pakistan
Ibrahim Adam, a 24 year-old Briton from East London disappeared in May 2007 along with his older brother Lamine. Both men had been put under a control order after they had previously tried to travel to Iraq and were stopped in Syria. Nevertheless they managed to leave the UK to wage Jihad abroad.
Another brother of Ibrahim and Lamine Adam, named Anthony Garcia, was jailed for life in 2004 for plotting to blow up a night club in London with a fertiliser bomb. Garcia had attended an al-Qaida training camp in 2003 from which wrote a letter to his younger brothers telling them about the virtue of martyrdom and Jihad.
In August Ibrahim Adam and another British Islamist named Mohammed Azmir Khan were killed in a U.S. drone strike in the Waziristan region of Pakistan. Adam was one of the most wanted terrorists in the UK. His passport photographs were found in an al-Qaida safe house in Norway alerting intelligence agencies around the world.
Mohammed Azmir Khan, a 37-year old father of three, and the Adam brothers were part of a group of Islamic militants from Illford (Essex). Khan´s brother Mohammed Jabbar Ahmed known as „Abdul Jabber“, was killed by a U.S. drone in North Waziristan on September 8 2010.
Read about the two British Jihadi militants killed in August this year in this great piece by „The Telegraph“
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8900443/Britains-most-wanted-killed-in-drone-attack.html
Dieser Beitrag wurde unter Uncategorized abgelegt und mit Abdul Jabbar, Afghanistan, al Qaeda, al Qaida, Anthony Garcia, Attack, British, Briton, CIA, drone, Dschihad, Florian Flade, Ibrahim Adam, Illford, Islamist, Jihad, killed, London, Mohammed Azmir Khan, most wanted, North Waziristan, Pakistan, strike, Taliban, Telegraph, Terror, terror attacks, terrorist, UK, US drones, Waziristan verschlagwortet. Setze ein Lesezeichen auf den Permalink.
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Home Column Puttin’ and poutin’
Puttin’ and poutin’
The legislature of the state of Alabama never ceases to amaze me. Especially when it comes to passing innovative laws to get around other laws. And of all the laws gotten around innovatively, liquor laws are the most innovatively gotten around.
Consider. Back at the start of the 20th Century, in an effort to shut down honky tonks, the legislature passed a law that prohibited the sale of draft beer in the state. The theory behind the plan was that since draft beer was consumed on the premises of such places, not allowing draft beer would reduce the number of premises where beer was sold. (Think about it, and when it makes sense you’ll know you are one of us.)
It probably sounded like a good idea at the time. Like the law that made it illegal to serve a drink to someone standing up, passed on the logic that if you keep drunks seated they won’t get in fights ‘cause no one ever got in a fight sitting down.
But the legislature soon had second thoughts about the draft beer prohibition. (I’m back up on the first point, work with me now.) Legislators learned that some of the immigrants who came to dig potatoes and mine coal were gonna leave if they couldn’t get beer on draft. So our representatives, to keep cheap labor on the job and the Big Mules happy, passed another law that said that counties with a significant immigrant population could have draft beer – which is why some off the best seafood joints were in Baldwin County.
You still with me?
Now jump ahead. In 1992, legislators found themselves facing a bigger problem. How to keep the rich and powerful tipsy and happy when the poorer, weaker, prohibition-minded majority didn’t want them to be either. Specifically, legislators were distressed to learn that one of their former members was having trouble getting folks interested in a golf course community he wanted to build in dry Marshall County. It seems that the rich and powerful didn’t want to buy into a place where the country club didn’t have a bar. So the legislature passed a law that created dry-county “community development districts” in which beer, liquor and wine could be sold, so long as one municipality in the county was wet. (That’s another example of a law to get around a law, letting cities be wet when the county is dry, but let’s not go there now.)
All you needed to get yourself one of those “districts” was a wet town, 200 residential sites, a country club with membership requirements, and an 18-hole golf course. Those living outside the district had no say in the matter.
But the problem didn’t go away. Over in Blount County the golf course community of Limestone Springs wanted to get in on the “community development district” deal. Sadly they are a little short of residential sites and Blount is bone dry. But fear not, Sen. Pat Lindsey from down in South Alabama saw the problem and introduced a bill that cut the number of home sites by half and dropped the wet municipality provision. And before you could say, “make mine a Miller” the Senate said OK.
One of those dry counties affected by Lindsey’s bill was the one in which my Daddy lived. Here, I thought, was an economic opportunity that could secure him comfortably in his twilight years and leave a legacy for him son – that would be me. Back behind the family home are sites for 100 or more mobile homes and trailers. Down by the creek is about five acres ideally suited for an 18-hole course, complete with windmills, dinosaurs and all those obstacles folks love to putt around. And Daddy’s Poutin’ House, where he and his friends gather every Wednesday night to cuss and discuss matters at hand, would make a first-rate country club — membership included with the purchase of a lot.
Daddy has a friend with a bush-hog and another with a dozier. They could clear and level. And we’ll sell the sites electricity from an outlet at the “club” — just a nominal charge. The whole thing can be up and running in six weeks, tops.
There’ll even be a few acres left over for those who don’t golf to plant a patch and put up a deer stand.
POUTIN’ AND PUTTIN’ — that’s what we’ll call it.
Carpe diem, y’all.
Unfortunately Daddy died before the scheme could be set in motion and my tee-totaling Mother frowned more Poutin’ so the matter died.
If anyone wants to revive it, I can be reached at the address below.
Harvey H. (“Hardy”) Jackson is Professor Emeritus of History at Jacksonville State University. He can be reached at hjacson@cableone.net.
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Faultline
By Shobana Jeyasingh Dance
Episode 2 of Surface Tension turns the spotlight on Faultline from 2007. Presenter Sanjoy Roy recollects his memories of the piece, the style, aesthetic and evocative atmosphere. The anxiety, the coolness and the swagger of what it meant to be young, British and Asian at that time. A shift in cultural climate after the 2005 bombings - when young Asian men became suspicious in society. He speaks to Shobana Jeyasingh about the triggers that shaped the piece; the 2005 London bombings, subsequent raids and the hysterical unease that was pervasive in every day life. All of which contributed to the look and feel of Faultline. Shobana talks about the various creative collaborations that all knitted together in the final piece; the film which acted as the prologue, the initial introduction of the dancers, characters and music - in particular the voice of Patricia Rozario. Plus the direct influence of Gautam Malkani’s book Londonstani, published in 2006, which had a profound effect on the movement generation phase of Faultline. We talk to author Gautam Malkani about his own experience of growing up in London, the culture adopted by Asian rude-boy gangs. He talks about the hyper masculinity, language, posing and posturing that characterised his book and reads some excerpts. We hear Gautam’s reaction on hearing that his book had inspired a dance piece and how Shobana was able to encapsulate the essence and themes in a very direct choreography of raw aggression. We speak to Robin Rimbaud (Scanner) who composed the score for Faultline. Shobana wanted him to create a soundscape that produced a dark, charged and intense atmosphere; a sonic picture of London in 2007 using electronic music. Composer Errollyn Wallen joins the conversation to talk about how she collaborated and shaped the music to compliment Robin’s soundscape. In the final section we interview artist and filmmaker Pete Gomes who produced the visuals and the approach he agreed on with Shobana. Series Producer, Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg Shobana Jeyasingh @SJeyasinghDance Born in Chennai, India, she currently lives and works in London. Her acclaimed, highly individual work has been seen in all kinds of venues, including theatres, outdoor and indoor sites and on film. Her work taps into both the intellectual and physical power of dance, and is rooted in her particular vision of culture and society. Shobana’s work is often enriched by specially commissioned music composed by an array of contemporary composers — from Michael Nyman to beat-boxer Shlomo. Her eclectic band of creative collaborators have included filmmakers, mathematicians, digital designers, writers, animators, as well as lighting and set designers. Gautam Malkani @GautamMalkani Robin Rimbaud (Scanner) @robinrimbaud Errollyn Wallen @ErrollynWallen Pete Gomes @gomespete Sanjoy Roy @sanj0yr0y Sanjoy Roy (London, UK) has been writing on dance for the Guardian since 2002, and has contributed to many other publications including the New York Times, New Statesman, Dance Gazette and Dancing Times, and is London correspondent for Dance International magazine. He is currently also the editor of Springback Magazine, a Europe-wide online dance journal launched in 2018. First writing about Shobana in 1997, he has since written reviews and articles on her work, as well as interviews, programme notes and education materials for her company.
Featured on Configurations
Listen to Faultline now.
Listen to Faultline in full in the Spotify app
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Case Summary: Smart, Eric J.
Office of the Secretary
Findings of Research Misconduct
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case:
Eric J. Smart, Ph.D., University of Kentucky: Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of Kentucky (UK) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Eric J. Smart, former Professor of Pediatrics and Physiology, Department of Pediatrics and Physiology, UK, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 HL062844, R01 HL058475, R01 HL064056, R01 HL068059, and R01 HL073693, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH, grant R56 DK063025, and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), NIH, grant P20 RR105592.
ORI found that the Respondent engaged in research misconduct by falsifying and/or fabricating data that were included in ten (10) published papers, one (1) submitted manuscript, seven (7) grant applications, and three (3) progress reports over a period of ten (10) years. Respondent reported experimental data for knockout mice that did not exist in five (5) grant applications and three (3) progress reports and also falsified and/or fabricated images in 45 figures included in the following:
J. Biol. Chem. 277(7):4925-31, 2002
Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 291(6):C1271-8, 2006
Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 294(1):C295-305, 2008
J. Lipid Res. 42:1444-1449, 2001
J. Biol. Chem. 275:25595, 2000
J. Biol. Chem. 277(26):23525-33, 2002
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101(10):3450-5, 2004
J. Biol. Chem. 273:6525-6532, 1998
Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 282:C935-46, 2002
"Effects of HIV protease and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors on macrophage cholesterol accumulation in humans," submitted August 6, 2008
R01 HL078976-01
R01 HL078979-01A1
R01 DK063025-01A2
U54 CA116853-01
Progress reports HL078976-02, -03, and -04.
As a result of its investigation, UK recommended that the publication(s) listed above be retracted or corrected.
Specifically, ORI finds that Respondent:
Falsely reported in Figure 14 and associated text in NIH grant applications R01 HL07897601 and -01A1 that experiments were performed to determine if endothelial-specific caveolin-1 null mice were protected from saturated fatty acid-induced atherosclerosis, when these mutant mice did not exist in the laboratory at the time; Dr. Smart also falsely reported the use of these mice in related progress reports R01 HL078976-02, -03, and -04 and in three (3) additional NIH grant applications: Figure 11 in R01 HL088150-01, Figure 11 in U54 CA116853, and Figure 9 in DK063025-01A2.
Falsified and/or fabricated images in NIH grant application R01 HL078976-01A1 by duplicating and altering bands in 14 Western blot images and one (1) RT-PCR image included in Figures 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15; false Western blots were also included in the earlier version of the grant application R01 HL078976-01, Figures 3, 6, 11, 13, and 14
Falsified and/or fabricated Western blots and one (1) RNase protection assay by duplicating and altering bands in thirty-three (33) figures included in ten (10) published papers, one (1) submitted manuscript, and two (2) NIH grant applications.
Specifically, false or fabricated images were included in:
Figures 5 and 7, J. Biol. Chem. 277(7):4925-31, 2002
Figure 4B, Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 291(6):C1271-8, 2006
Figures 2A, 3A, 6A, and 7A, Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 294(1):C295-305, 2008
Figures 3, 5, and 6, J. Lipid Res. 45:1444-1449, 2001
Figure 2A, J. Biol. Chem. 275(33):25595-99, 2000
Figures 2A/B/C and 4A/B, J. Biol. Chem. 277(26):23525-33, 2002
Figures 2B/D and 4, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101(10):3450-5, 2004
Figures 1A and 5B, J. Biol. Chem. 280(33):29543-50, 2005
Figures 1A, 2A/B, and 4A, J. Biol. Chem. 273:6525-6532, 1998
Figure 1B, Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 282:C935-46, 2002
Figures 2A, 4, 6B, 7, and 8 in a submitted manuscript
Figures 7A, 8A, 9A, and 10B in grant application HL093155-01
Figures 4, 7, and 13 in grant application HL068509-01A1.
Dr. Smart has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement and has voluntarily agreed for a period of seven (7) years, beginning on October 23, 2012:
(1) To exclude himself from any contracting or subcontracting with any agency of the United States Government and from eligibility or involvement in nonprocurement programs of the United States
Government referred to as "covered transactions" pursuant to HHS' Implementation (2 CFR part 376 et seq.) of OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Govermentwide Debarment and Suspension, 2 CFR part 180
(collectively the "Debarment Regulations");
(2) To exclude himself voluntarily from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS including, but not limited to, service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant; and
(3) To request that the following publications be retracted or corrected: J. Biol. Chem. 277(7):4925-31, 2002; Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 291(6):C1271-8, 2006; Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 294(1):C295-305, 2008; J. Lipid Res. 42:1444-1449, 2001; J. Biol. Chem. 275:25595, 2000; J. Biol. Chem. 277(26):23525-33, 2002; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101(10):3450-5, 2004; J. Biol. Chem. 280(33):29543-50, 2005; J. Biol. Chem. 273:6525-6532, 1998; Am J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 282:C935-46, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8200.
David E. Wright,
Director, Office of Research Integrity.
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 20, 2012)]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [http://www.gpo.gov/]
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Sovereign Order of Malta and Guyana celebrate 20th anniversary
InternationalPolitics
By Editor On Mar 29, 2019
The Sovereign Order of Malta, known in Guyana especially for the St John’s Association, which carries out First Aid training and medical care in poor communities, Thursday evening marked its 20th anniversary in Guyana.
It hopes that with the wealth from oil and gas, Guyana will in the future be able to assist other lands in need of medical care.
“We wish Guyana success as it develops its oil industry and hopes that one day Guyana may be instrumental in assisting the poor and the sick of other less fortunate lands,” said Viscount Roland Donin De Rosière, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
He was speaking at the Georgetown Club where celebrations were held to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Guyana and the Order.
The Order is a global institution operating medical, social and humanitarian projects in 120 countries. It has bilateral diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union and permanent observer status at the United Nations.
The foundation of the Order is in the Catholic Church.
In Guyana, the Order is primarily known by its Alliance, the St John Association, of which President David Granger serves as patron.
Minister of Foreign Affair Carl Greenidge said that since its establishment in 1953, the Association has trained thousands of Guyanese in first aid, nursing, patient care and disaster preparedness.
“The training provided by the Association has made an invaluable contribution to the health sector of Guyana, often serving as a foundation for the many Guyanese that have pursued careers in nursing and other elements of the medical field,” said Greenidge.
The Order’s Ambassador to Guyana pointed out that its contribution to Guyana has been modest, because of having no national association here. He pointed to the Order’s work with the Mercy Hospital and the interior community of Port Kaituma and assisting orphan children to attend school.
Minister Greenidge said that at the heart of the St John’s Association is the value of giving, providing care to those in need and doing so without the expectation of receiving a reward, and that is something worthy of imitation.
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Diplomats urge political leaders to abide by the Constitution
U.S commits to increasing trade, investment in Guyana
Granger can appoint new GECOM Chair by Monday if Opposition is prepared
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The Alps Are Changing #1: ‘I can feel it’s getting warmer and warmer’
Freeskier Max Kroneck has lived in the Alps for his whole life and even in that short timeframe, he has been able to feel the effects of climate change.
Jonny Tiernan
The Alps Are Changing
When we first speak with Max Kroneck, you can hear his passion and enthusiasm dripping down the phone line. Our idea of doing series of stories on the effects of climate change in the Alps is resonating with him, and now his words are bubbling over. He starts to talk about the changes he has been feeling in recent years, and the concern that it has been producing. Already you get a sense of how much the mountains mean to him, and it’s clear we are talking to the right person.
We meet a few days later in his hometown of Kochel am See in deep southern Germany, close to the Austrian border. It’s a picturesque town, unspoiled and far removed from the urban sprawl. Max is warm and friendly, keen to show us around and to talk. He was born and raised in the area, taking to the slopes not long after he could walk. Now he’s primarily a professional freeskier – which encompasses a lot more than just skiing down a mountain face. He’s involved in filming, photography, competing and more. As a freeskier, the focus is on skinning (climbing) a mountain using your own power, and taking a backcountry, off-piste, route down.
Unlike most resort-based skiing, a freeskier will often just have one run per day. Rather than taking a chairlift up and down the slope, a freeskier will skin their way up the mountain at the crack of dawn and then spend the next hours making their way back down again. Exploration is as much of a part of the mission as the act of skiing. It’s a job that has taken Max traveling throughout the world – Japan, Canada and more – but the Alps are where he calls home. And he doesn’t just ski there; he’s in the mountains every day – climbing, riding, walking.
We’re here so that Max can show us round the town and show us first hand the changes that he has seen in in the Alps in recent years, how different things are. When most people think of those who are suffering from the direct effects of climate change, coastal areas with rising sea levels are often what first spring to mind, but mountain regions are being heavily affected too. The rising global temperature is leading to the recession of glaciers, plus various impacts on low lying mountain regions and a lot of knock-on effects for the people who live and work in the Alps.
“The future of ice climbing is a little bit rocky!”
The first location Max takes us to is a waterfall where he learned to ice climb as a kid. Ice climbing is exactly what it sounds like – scaling up walls of ice using special attachments for your boots and other climbing equipment. When he was younger his dad used to bring him to this spot all the time, and it’s where he first developed his skills and abilities. We’ve climbed a short way to get here, standing at the foot of the waterfall you can hear the water cascading down the rock face. It wasn’t always this way. Max explains that despite this being the best winter conditions in around ten years “there still isn’t enough ice to be able to climb.” He demonstrates the problem by putting one of the ice screws into the frozen waterfall. The water just pours through the screw and it’s completely unsafe.
What does this mean for the future of ice climbing? “The future of ice climbing is a little bit rocky!” Jokes Max. “Without much ice you’re only able to do it at really high altitudes, and less people will do it.” You can tell from speaking with Max that he really cares about the mountain and that he has a special relationship to it. When we press him about what he loves about ice climbing, the insight he gives us helps us understand this relationship more. “The great thing about ice climbing is that even if like at this spot you are only a few meters away from the street, you feel separate from everything. You feel super alone and in nature. It’s always great to just walk up alone sometimes and enjoy being here, but I don’t think it’s that possible anymore.”
"I think in every valley there are at least two resorts like this one that have had to close.”
We move on from the waterfall and drive a short distance to our next location. Max has taken us to the ski resort where he first started to hone his skiing skills. There are patches of snow scattered around the slope, but it’s mainly grass peeking through. “This is the best winter in around ten years and it’s still not enough snow,” he laments. It’s a slope in one of the lower regions of this area of the Alps, and the rising temperature resulting from climate change is hitting this type of resort hard. There just isn’t enough snowfall to ski on in the winter months. And the reduction is snowfall isn’t the only issue for these smaller places, competition from other resorts is hitting them too, and it’s not an isolated problem “The small resorts like this have to close. The bigger ski resorts, that they build up with snow cannons and produce their own snow, they’re growing up and getting bigger and bigger, so the small ones have to close. I think in every valley there are at least two resorts like this one that have had to close,” explains Max.
It’s sad to think of how much these areas have decimated as a result of climate change. To go from buzzing local resort filled with skiers and people enjoying themselves barren area with no one around is a disheartening journey. It’s especially sad for Max. This was his local ski spot when he was a kid and now it’s just gone.
The bigger resorts Max is talking about are ones that use snow cannons to produce artificial snow for the slopes by forcing water and pressurized air through the snow cannons. While snow cannons have been around since the 1950s, their popularity has risen in recent times. This is in part due to the steady decrease in the length of the snow season of around five days per decade. The artificial snow means that these resorts can guarantee snow all season, even when there isn’t enough natural snowfall. To be able to guarantee good snow is a real advantage for these places, and it makes sense. If you’re a family that has booked a week-long holiday, you want to know there will be snow when you’re there.
" I think the only way to change it is for people to get more spontaneous again."
We move along to the final destination of our tour with Max. It’s at the foot of a chairlift that is currently out of service for repairs. Skiers have long stopped using it as a ski lift, but it still gets a lot of people taking the ride to the top to enjoy the view, both in the winter and during the summer months. In the brief time that we spend there speaking, dozens of people turn up hoping to scale the mountain, only to be disappointed when they find out it’s closed. It’s a fitting backdrop to finish our conversation to – some parts of the Alps are no longer in service due to climate change, and this is a crying shame.
Our talk returns to the change in how people use the mountains during the ski season, and how people’s expectations have changed. Max has a theory about where this has came from, and what can be done. “Maybe that’s the change of society,” he says. “They are really planned through, so they only have the one week a year and then they want to go skiing and they don’t want to be anywhere else so they have to do this timetable and they can’t change it. Maybe this is the point. I think the only way to change it is for people to get more spontaneous again, to have more time for themselves and not just being busy running from one business to the other, being on their mobile phone and ‘Bam bam bam bam!’ They need more time for themselves, so they can have a look and see what is good to do, and say ‘Ah, OK, maybe today we do this or this’ but not just ‘Bam, it’s planned and we have to go skiing today’.”
Max is right. Everything is moving faster these days, and society doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In the relatively short time that Max Kroneck has been alive and living in the Alps, he has seen and felt the effects of climate change – that’s a startling reminder of how severe it is. When we ask how he feels about the future, he responds with: “Fearful. A little bit fearful.” But there is hope. More and more ski companies are aware of the effect that climate change is having on the Alps, and they are switching to sustainable methods of producing skis and ski products. This is a movement that Max is firmly behind. He explains that he has been undergoing a bit of a change within himself recently, and he is more and more conscious and aware of the importance of being sustainable. If more people keep getting on board with this change, then hopefully the Alps will be protected for future generations.
The Alps Are Changing #4: ‘We’re seeing a temperature rise in The Alps’
Glacier scientist Lea Hartl works in Innsbruck, studying glaciers and permafrost in the region and...
The Alps Are Changing #2: ‘You’re definitely leaving a footprint somewhere’
Sebastian Steinbach is the owner of Black Sheep, an independent freeride ski shop based in...
Posted in The Alps Are ChangingTagged The Alps Are Changing
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Idealistine
Documentary Shoot for NRK Norway
Idealistine was a 4-part documentary from NRK Norwegian Broadcasting, profiling four influential Norwegians who travel the globe working to promote human rights, healthcare and democracy in many of the world’s most troubled nations. The series was broadcast in Norway during February / March 2013.
The section shot by Nick follows Werner Christie – Norway’s first Minister of Health (1992-1995) and former Science and Technology Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beijing – as he travels to Shenzhen to meet and discusses future cooperation with the Chairman of the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), now the world’s largest gene sequencing lab.
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Schlagwort-Archive: AU
American Carries Out Suicide Bombing in Somalia
Two suicide bombers attacked an African Union (AU) base in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Saturday, October 29. According to the AU the assault which also involved several armed fighters failed. Both suicide bombers have detonated their explosives too early, the AU claims.
Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab on the other hand claims to have killed more than 80 Ugandan soldiers.
„In a fierce battle that lasted over two hours, the Mujahideen have yet again dealt another fatal blow to the African Crusaders“, a statement by Al-Shabaab reads, „Two martyrdom seekers infiltrated the AMISOM compound – the former metal factory – situated along the Industrial Road, near Mogadishu Stadium, and where divisions of the Ugandan soldiers and TFG militia were based, successfully killing the commander as he addressed the Ugandan forces along with several other soldiers.“
Two audio tapes of the alleged suicide bombers – Aden al-Ansari and Cabdi Salaam al-Muhajir – have also been released. Al-Muhajir („the immigrant“) speaks in fluent English and is described by Al-Shabaab as an American citizen.
„My brothers and sisters, do jihad in America, do jihad in Canada, do jihad in England, anywhere in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, in China, in Australia – anywhere you find kuffar. Fight them and be firm against them!“, the suicide bomber says on his farewell tape.
He urges Muslims living in the West to join the Jihad abroad instead of „sit around and be a couch potato and just chill all day“.
Meanwhile in Minneapolis (Minnesota) Muslim community leaders say they have identified the suicide bomber as 22-year old Abdisalan Hussein Ali, one of 20 Somali men who left the city in November 2008 and traveled to Somalia. Abdisalan Hussein Ali´s voice on the audio tape was recognized by his friends.
If confirmed to be from the U.S., Cabdi Salaam al-Muhajir, would be the third American suicide bomber who carried out an attack in Somalia as a member of Al-Shabaab. Shirwa Ahmed from Minneapolis became the first American suicide bomber when he and four other bombers blew themselves up in October 2008 killing 28 people in the Somaliland and Puntland region.
Mohamad Beledi known as „Abdullah Ahmed“ is said to have carried out a suicide bombing against a AU base in Mogadishu in May. Two AU and one Somali soldier died as a result of the attack.
For years know U.S. counter-terrorism officials monitored the travel movements of young Somali-American men, especially from the Twin City Region (Minneapolis) who have joined the Jihad in Somalia. Dozens of men, many of them U.S. citizens and the children of refugees who have fled the Somali civil war in the 1990s, left the U.S. to participate in the fight against Ethiopian occupation forces or African Union troops in Somalia.
A number of these American Jihadis – including a White convert to Islam – died in Somalia, most of them were shot during gun battles. One of those Americans who joined Al-Shabaab is Omar Hammami aka „Abu Mansour al-Amrikki“, a Syrian-American born and raised in Alabama. He is believed to be a high ranking commander in the „Muhajirun“ unit of Al-Shabaab, consisting of foreign Jihadis.
Verschlagwortet mit Abdisalan Hussein Ali, Abu Mansour al Amrikki, Aden al Ansari, African Union, al Qaeda, al Qaida, Al Shabaab, America, AMISOM, Attack, AU, audio tape, Cabdi Salaam al Muhajir, Dschihad, Florian Flade, Islamist, Jihad, killed, militant, Minneapolis, Mogadischu, Mogadishu, Omar Hammami, Selbstmordattentäter, Somalia, statement, suicide bomber, Suicide bombing, Terror, terror attacks, terrorism, Ugandan soldiers
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breaking: OKCPS board denies application to create dual-immersion charter school in Wheeler DistrictThe Latest: Democrats plan vote on resolution against TrumpJason Momoa coming to Oklahoma event
Oklahoma ScissorTales: Assessing next steps for OK County jail
by The Oklahoman Editorial Board
Published: Sat, June 15, 2019 2:20 AM
Per a vote last month by county commissioners, a nine-person trust now oversees finances and operations of the Oklahoma County jail. The trust’s to-do list is significant.
After being elected chairwoman of the trust this week, Tricia Everest said: “For now, our priorities will be understanding what our authority is, making sure that we work well with the county and the sheriff’s office and with the commissioners to determine how best to proceed, and to certainly fix any of the immediate needs presented to us.”
As to the last point, the Oklahoma County engineer outlined the jail’s most pressing problems, among them poor ventilation, mold and bursting pipes. Work is being done to address those but “no solutions are simple and are always very costly,” he said.
The trust will need to decide who will manage the jail — the sheriff’s office, an administrator or a private company. It also will need to decide whether to build a new jail and deal with funding issues.
Everest, who has long been active in the city’s civic and philanthropic affairs, is a former assistant attorney general. “I look forward to working with the county budget and putting together the puzzle the best we can,” she said. It’s a good attitude for what figures to be a difficult job.
What’s in a name? In this case, emotion
Concerns about the Oklahoma City school district’s realignment plan involve, in one case, the new name of one of the schools impacted. Classen School of Advance Studies is being merged with Northeast Academy, 3100 N Kelley, and the site is to be renamed Classen School of Advanced Studies High School. Northeast patrons and alums don’t like that idea, and are urging the district to come up with a name that includes Northeast. One woman who graduated from Northeast in 1971 and has a daughter who graduated from Classen SAS made a good point to the board at a recent meeting. She noted that Classen SAS is “a world-class school” but that some compromise was needed. “I think we have the opportunity for a small and significant win-win to have both names, Northeast Classen.” That seems reasonable, and simple, and is something the board should consider.
Some good deeds don’t count for much
Devon Energy Corp. announced this week that it plans further cuts to methane emissions from its oil and gas operations in the United States. The aim is to reduce detectable emissions by at least 12.5 percent in six years. Devon plans to track emissions across all its operated assets, even those where reporting isn’t required by the federal government. It’s doing so voluntarily, to reflect one of its core values of being a good environmental steward by managing climate risk. At least one environmental group, though, downplayed the announcement. The head of the Oklahoma Sierra Club said he was pleased by the news, but that “continuing to extract fossil fuels — including natural gas — is not how to address the climate crisis.” Such organizations won’t be pleased until all fossil fuel use, and the jobs they provide, are eliminated.
Fort Sill called on to help with border crisis
The continuing surge of migrants at the southern border of the United States is now impacting Oklahoma. The government announced this week that Fort Sill would be used to house detained migrant children. The number of children coming to Lawton isn’t known, although Gov. Kevin Stitt said he heard it would be about 1,000. This move is being taken because space elsewhere is becoming unavailable. Fort Sill has been through this before — in 2014, it served as a temporary home for roughly 1,800 unaccompanied migrant children fleeing Central America. U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, whose district includes Fort Sill, said the government’s decision “certainly highlights the dire need for a permanent solution to manage the border crisis.” Cole is right, but immigration reform remains on high center in Congress and shows no sign of getting off it any time soon.
Making it a “snap” to support adoption
The Wendy’s fast-food chain is teaming with Snapchat to help foster children find permanent homes. Wendy’s late founder, Dave Thomas, was adopted as a youth and later put considerable effort into helping foster children, including creating a foundation for that purpose in 1992. In 2004, two years after Thomas’ passing, his foundation began its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Initiative, which funds professionals who help foster kids find families. In an expansion of that initiative, Wendy’s patrons can “Support adoption in a snap” by taking a picture with Wendy’s new fundraiser “Cause Cup” and posting it to Snapchat. For each one, $5 is donated to Thomas’ foundation. This is a nice change of pace from the increasingly bitter arguments over abortion in the United States.
Some common sense from the Golden State
Attention coffee drinkers: Regulators in California ruled recently that there is not a significant risk between coffee and cancer. Last year, a judge ordered coffee retailers to post warning signs about cancer’s risk as mandated by a proposition approved by state voters in 1986. Proposition 65 requires warning labels on any product known to cause cancer; among the 900-plus chemicals now on the carcinogen list is acrylamide, a byproduct of roasted coffee beans. However, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment now says coffee is in the clear. The regulators based their decision on the results of more than 1,000 studies that found no substantial link between coffee and cancer. Now retailers can take down the warning signs and raise an espresso to a little common sense.
The Oklahoman Editorial Board
The Oklahoman Editorial Board consists of Kelly Dyer Fry, Publisher, Editor and Vice President of News; Owen Canfield, Opinion Editor; and Ray Carter, Chief Editorial Writer.. To submit a letter to the editor, go to this page or email... Read more ›
CommentsOklahoma ScissorTales: Assessing next steps for OK County jail
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Alonso leads Toyota to victory at 24 Hours Le Mans race
Published: Sun, June 16, 2019 6:50 PM Updated: Sun, June 16, 2019 6:51 PM
Spanish driver Fernando Alonso jubilates as his team win the 87th 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, in Le Mans, western France, Sunday, June 16, 2019. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
LE MANS, France (AP) — Fernando Alonso won the 24 Hours Le Mans endurance race for the second straight year after the Toyota Gazoo team's other car came unstuck on Sunday.
It was the two-time Formula One champion's last race in the World Endurance Championship, and also sealed the WEC title. Alonso and his co-drivers Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, who took the checkered flag, had luck on their side in securing the title.
With about one hour left, the Toyota No. 7 car driven by José María López had to pit for a tire change when comfortably leading. The driver was not sure whether it was a sensor or a suspected puncture, but his enforced stop effectively handed the race lead to Alonso's No. 8 car.
It was an identical result to last year with the No. 7 car — again featuring Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway — finishing second.
Although Toyota secured another 1-2, questions will be asked within the team about how No. 7 lost the race.
Buemi and Nakajima must have felt for them, too, having lost the 2016 race on the final lap after a mechanical failure.
"We really have the impression we didn't deserve the win. Unfortunately they punctured right near the end," Buemi told broadcaster Eurosport. "We're well placed to know how it feels because of what happened to us in 2016. We deserved the world title after all the work we've done this year, but the No. 7 deserved the win today."
Alonso echoed that.
"They really deserved the victory," he said. "Luck is a very important part of motorsport."
He should know after his McLaren team failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 following a calamitous series of errors .
The 37-year-old Spaniard still needs to win the Indianapolis 500 in order to match British driver Graham Hill's feat of completing the Triple Crown: winning Le Mans, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500. He has won Monaco and Le Mans twice, both of them back to back.
A total of 252,500 spectators attended the 87th edition of Le Mans, which was first held in 1923.
It was another frustrating result for Kobayashi, who drove four full seasons in F1 with one podium finish.
Kobayashi was hit by a gear box failure overnight while comfortably leading the 2017 race and had to abandon.
On Saturday, he secured pole position in about 3 minutes, 15 seconds on the 13.6-kilometer (8.43-mile) track in northern France.
Kobayashi's No. 7 car then led the first seven hours of the race, before Alonso's No. 8 briefly took the lead in the next hour.
Although No. 8 re-took the lead in the 11th hour, No. 7 quickly regained it and looked to have held it all the way.
Until the late incident undid 23 hours of hard toil.
The Toyota team quickly tweeted: "Dramatic and unexpected end to the race, but it's a TOYOTA one-two nonetheless. We feel so sorry for our #7 crew, but big congratulations to our new @FIAWEC World Champions and two-time Le Mans winners."
Two people familiar to Alonso finished in third place in the No. 11 SMP Racing car.
One was Stoffel Vandoorne — his former F1 teammate at McLaren — and the other Vitaly Petrov.
In the deciding race of the 2010 F1 championship, Alonso had a very good chance to seal a third world title.
But despite starting third, his Ferrari got stuck behind Petrov's Renault at the Abu Dhabi GP and he ended the race in seventh spot. It cost him dearly, as he finished second in the title race — only four points behind Sebastian Vettel.
This time, the luck went Alonso's way as he celebrated becoming a double world champion across two motorsports.
He still found time to commiserate with Kobayashi, giving him a long hug.
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris contributed to this report.
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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CommentsAlonso leads Toyota to victory at 24 Hours Le Mans race
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Posts Tagged ‘Crystal structure’
Deciphering Mode of Action of Functionally Important Regions
Posted in Proteins, Proteomics, tagged Crystal structure, Curve fitting, Fats, Focal adhesions, Intrinsically disordered proteins, Polymerase chain reaction, protein interactions, Solubility on March 19, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP, Curator
LPBI
Deciphering Mode of Action of Functionally Important Regions in the Intrinsically Disordered Paxillin (Residues 1-313) Using Its Interaction with FAT (Focal Adhesion Targeting Domain of Focal Adhesion Kinase)
Muniasamy Neerathilingam , Sneha G. Bairy , Sumukh Mysore PLoS One Feb 29, 2016 http://dx.doi.org:/10.1371/journal.pone.0150153
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play a major role in various cellular functions ranging from transcription to cell migration. Mutations/modifications in such IDPs are shown to be associated with various diseases. Current strategies to study the mode of action and regulatory mechanisms of disordered proteins at the structural level are time consuming and challenging. Therefore, using simple and swift strategies for identifying functionally important regions in unstructured segments and understanding their underlying mechanisms is critical for many applications. Here we propose a simple strategy that employs dissection of human paxillin (residues 1–313) that comprises intrinsically disordered regions, followed by its interaction study using FAT (Focal adhesion targeting domain of focal adhesion kinase) as its binding partner to retrace structural behavior. Our findings show that the paxillin interaction with FAT exhibits a masking and unmasking effect by a putative intra-molecular regulatory region. This phenomenon suggests how cancer associated mutations in paxillin affect its interactions with Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK). The strategy could be used to decipher the mode of regulations and identify functionally relevant constructs for other studies.
Neerathilingam M, Bairy SG, Mysore S (2016) Deciphering Mode of Action of Functionally Important Regions in the Intrinsically Disordered Paxillin (Residues 1-313) Using Its Interaction with FAT (Focal Adhesion Targeting Domain of Focal Adhesion Kinase). PLoS ONE 11(2): e0150153. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150153
Genomic data suggests that a large proportion of eukaryotic proteins appear to adopt disordered structures in physiological conditions [1, 2]. Mutations/modifications in such IDPs are shown to be associated with various diseases (like cancer) [3]; therefore, understanding their structural behavior is critical for various applications like drug-targeting, mapping protein interactions, deciphering mode of action and finding functional relevance. However, deciphering mode of action in IDPs has been challenging given that unstructured segments render poor chemical shift dispersions and electron density in major techniques like NMR and X-ray, respectively [4]. For example, it took almost 10 years to decipher the mode of action of Sic1, a disordered protein involved in inhibition of a cyclin-dependent kinase [5]. One way to map and study the functional regions is to make truncated constructs by dissecting the whole construct rationally. A limited number of dissection constructs are usually generated; this is due to the time-consuming and challenging process of generating soluble and functionally relevant constructs when studies are performed in-vivo and constructs are prepared and tested sequentially. Here we present a simple high throughput (HTP) screening strategy (Fig 1a), which focuses on finding functionally relevant regions in IDPs based upon its interaction with a binding partner. Close to thirty dissection constructs of the IDP were generated and studied in parallel to understand the importance and functionality of the various regions of the protein. We perform cell-free expression followed by solubility check and GST pull-down interaction study in HTP format. Though both cell-free expression and GST pull-down assay have been individually performed in HTP format [6, 7], we did not find previous studies that combine the two methods in HTP format. Although the nature of interaction of IDPs with respective binding partners may vary, our strategy may be used to derive crucial insights into “structural behavior” of the unstructured segments in modulating the interaction. The strategy can also be used to identify functionally important regions in the IDP that would be suitable for further structural studies.
Fig 1. Dissection of paxillin constructs (residues 1–313) followed by expression and interaction studies.
(a) Timeline for overall-strategy. (b) Illustration of solubility and activity level of linear dissected human paxillin (residues 1–313). (c) Phosphor screen image of filter assay for optimization of temperature for paxillin constructs (left). Tabular representation of paxillin constructs, negative and positive controls corresponding to each well in filter assay [1].(d) Phosphor screen image of 10% SDS PAGE of 35S labeled cell-free expressed samples after GST pull-down assay of the paxillin constructs A1–E1; The right panel shows fraction of interaction of each construct with respect to B2 (since B2 showed maximum level of interaction) (e) Illustration of solubility and activity of dissected C3 constructs. All experiments were performed in triplicates and averaged. To rule out non-specific interactions that might occur with GST tagged FAT, GFP that was expressed in cell-free system and a reaction without DNA template were used as negative controls. http://dx.doi.org:/10.1371/journal.pone.0150153.g001
Disorder/Intrinsic disorder seems to be a common feature of hub proteins in eukaryotes [2], thus highlighting the need for studying the mode of action of unstructured segments in such proteins. Here we used paxillin (residues 1–313), an intrinsically disordered construct, for demonstrating this approach. Paxillin (residues 1–313) consists of multiple protein interaction sites that are connected by flexible disordered sequences [8]. The disordered regions in paxillin have been detrimental in efforts to study the complete structure of the protein due to the demerits mentioned previously. This explains the lack of structural details of regulation of paxillin binding. Residues 1–313 of paxillin consist of five leucine-rich sequences LD1-LD5 (with consensus sequence: LDXLLXXL), termed LD motifs, which are highly conserved between species and other family members such as Hic-5, leupaxin and PAXB [8]. Paxillin interacts with multiple proteins involved in cell migration, actin rearrangements and cell proliferation [9]. Mutations in paxillin are shown to be associated with lung cancer [3, 10]; and the differential expression of paxillin is associated with various forms of cancer and other diseases such as Alzheimer’s and inflammation [11–13]. This implies the importance of studying the structural and functional characteristics of paxillin. Most paxillin studies focus on interactions of LD motifs with proteins such as focal adhesion kinase (FAK), vinculin and v-crk, providing clues towards their importance in deciphering the functionality of paxillin [8, 14, 15]. Though regions of paxillin that bind to various partners were deciphered through previous studies, the basis of effect of mutations in paxillin on binding its partners was not explained. Mutations in paxillin, some that were observed to be associated with cancer were positioned in the intrinsically disordered regions between the LD motifs and not on the motifs themselves [3, 10]. For example, P30S, G105A and A127T mutations lie between LD1 and LD2 motif; P233L and T255I mutations lie between LD3 and LD4 motifs. This shows that the LD motifs alone do not govern the functionality, but unstructured regions linking the LD motifs could play a major role. In normal conditions, FAT (Focal adhesion targeting domain of FAK) binds hydrophobically through its HP1 (Hydrophobic patch 1) and HP2 (Hydrophobic patch 2) sites to paxillin LD motifs—LD2 and LD4 [16, 17], which lead to activation of binding sites for other proteins on paxillin. LD2 preferentially binds to the HP2 site, whereas LD4 preferentially binds to the HP1 site [18]. In a state of cancer caused by mutations in paxillin, the LD interactions could be hindered, as mutations in the unstructured segments result in abnormal binding of FAK to either of the LD motifs [9]. Here we wanted to locate the region involved in the structural modulation of paxillin-FAT interaction by adopting a simple approach (Fig 1) that involves dissected proteins generated using cell-free protein expression coupled with protein-protein interaction study. We map the disordered proteins’ structural importance to understand the function and modulation of paxillin-FAT interaction in days rather than months (Fig 1a).
Dissection and identification of fragments of paxillin (residues 1–313) with functional relevance
We dissected paxillin (residues 1–313) (Fig 1b) into nested sets using PCR such that each of the constructs had either or both LD2 and LD4 motifs (S1 Fig and S1 Table). Further, these constructs were expressed in soluble form using small-scale cell-free expression system in a 96 well format (Fig 1c). However, all constructs except A6, B6, C4 and C5 expressed detectable amounts of protein (S2a Fig and S2 Table). The failure in expression of the above constructs could be due to the instability of the smaller peptide fragments that might be susceptible to proteolytic cleavage [19]. Soluble protein from small-scale expression of the dissected constructs namely A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, C1, C2, C3, D1, D2, and E1 were pulled down and analysed (Fig 1d). Although constructs A1–A5, B1–B5, C1, C2, D1 and E1 interacted successfully, C3 (containing LD2) and D2 (containing LD4) failed to interact (Fig 2c) despite containing LD motifs. However, based on previous reports [8, 16, 17], we expected all constructs containing either LD2 and/or LD4 to interact with the FAT domain. Therefore, this led us to suspect that intra-molecular auto-inhibition in unstructured segments modulated binding of FAT to LD motifs in paxillin.
Fig 2. Regulatory and masking regions around paxillin’s LD2 and LD4 and their circular dichroism spectra.
(a) CD spectra of paxillin LD peptides (LD1-LD5) and constructs: B2, C3, C35 and D2. CD spectra of LD2, LD4, C35 and D2 constructs showed negative bands at 222nm and 206nm and a positive band at 192nm that confirms the presence of alpha helical content thus may behave as folded effector binding sites. However, LD1, LD3, LD5, B2 and C3 do not show the characteristic peaks of secondary structures, thus may behave as unfolded effector binding sites. (b) LD2 regulatory region (54–130) and masking region (167–224) evidenced by constructs B3, B4 and B5. (c) LD4 regulatory region (216–257) and masking region (280–313) evidenced by constructs D1, D2 and E1.
http://dx.doi.org:/10.1371/journal.pone.0150153.g002
Identification of regulatory regions and their mechanisms
To investigate the non-interaction of C3, a series of C3 deleted constructs (C31 –C310) (Fig 1e,S1 Table) were generated to determine the internal region that influenced the non-functioning of C3. C36 linear template could not be amplified for expression. As solubility of C3 could play a critical role in determining interaction, the homogeneity of the sample was confirmed by capillary electrophoresis under non-reducing conditions [20] (See S3 Fig). The linear templates—C31, C32, C33, C34 and C35 were successfully expressed in soluble form, The other C3 deleted constructs did not express due to issues related to small size as described earlier. Surprisingly, none of the C3 deleted constructs interacted with FAT despite the presence of the LD2 motif, although constructs such as B3, B4 and B5 that contain regions overlapping with C3 showed interaction (S2b and S2c Fig, Fig 1d and 1e). Here B3 that included the whole of C3 and unstructured segment 54–130 showed interaction (Fig 1b). Constructs B4 and B5 also containing residues 54–130 showed interaction despite differing from B3 by lacking regions 167–224 and 155–224, respectively. Interestingly, the non-interacting constructs C3 and C35 do not contain 54–130 residues, but include the regions 167–224 and 167–189, respectively (Fig 1b). Here constructs containing region 167–189 but lacking 54–130 did not interact with FAT despite LD motif alone showing interaction (switch off) (Fig 3a). Whereas, if 54–130 was included, interaction was reinstated (switch on) (Fig 3a). This clearly shows that interaction of LD2 in construct C35 is masked by residues 167–189 (masking region) (Fig 2b). The constructs B3 and B4 binding to FAT despite the presence of the masking region led us to conclude that the region 54–130 (regulatory region) acts to remove the masking effect (Fig 2b).
Fig 3. Binding studies of paxillin constructs using Bio-layer Interferometry on OctetRed96.
(a) Switch off in C3 and D2 on LD2 and LD4 respectively; Hypothesis of partial switch on when regulatory region of LD2 is absent, as evidenced in C2. (b) Concentration calibration curves depicting binding of constructs B2, C35, ‘54–189’, ‘79–189’, ‘105–189’ with GST-FAT. The data is representative of a single experiment. Each experiment was performed at-least thrice. (c) Illustrations of C35, C35_1, C35_2 and C35_3. http://dx.doi.org:/10.1371/journal.pone.0150153.g003
Similar to LD2, LD4 in construct D2 containing 216–257 (masking region) requires additional residues of paxillin 280–313 (regulatory region) for FAT binding (Fig 2c), which was demonstrated by showing the interaction with constructs D1 (spanning region 216–313) (Fig 1b) and E1 (spanning region 258–313). To visualize the non-binding of FAT to C35, in-silico methods were employed to model the C35 construct and docked with the crystal structure of FAT (1K05, residues 916–1050 [21]) (Fig 4). The docking results showed a clear masking effect in the C35 construct by the 167–189 (masking region) residues. The constructs B2, C3 and C35 were also structurally characterized using CD analysis (Large scale cell-free expression was performed for this purpose, see S3 Fig). The percentage of alpha helical content was found to be much higher in C35 (95.32%) as compared to B2 (12.43%) (Fig 2a, S3 Table). Therefore, the dissection(s) of B2 to C35 allowed the identification of structured regions (C35) as compared to the disordered B2. Further, it showed that the LD2 peptide and C35 have significant alpha-helical structures that do not translate into functional similarity as evidenced by the inability of C3, C35 and D2 to bind to FAT. Moreover, LD2 peptide binds to FAT while C35 does not (Fig 1e and S2b and S2c Fig). A similar observation was made when comparing the ability of LD4 peptide and the inability of D2 to bind to FAT despite both having detectable α-helical content (Fig 1b). Thus, these results confirm the existence of masking and regulatory regions (Fig 2b and 2c) that determine switch on and off and in turn, intra-molecular auto-inhibition. C2 showed activity despite missing regulatory regions for both LD2 and LD4 (similar activity observed in C1). This could be because the unfolded nature of LD3 effector binding site that is located between LD2 and LD4 is flexible to mask only a single LD motif but not both (Partial switch on, Fig 3a).
Fig 4. In-silico analysis of non-binding of C35.
(a) LD2 crystal structure from PDB id: 1K05 (left) being compared with the LD2 structure in the side view and top view of C35 structure showing the masking of the hydrophobic binding region predicted through HMM based SAM-T08 software. The LD2 binding region and the masking regions are depicted by the bracketed region. (b) Docking control showing FAT (co-ordinates from PDB id: 1K05) and LD2 (co-ordinates from PDB id: 2L6F, NMR model # 1) interaction using Hex 6.3 software. (c) Docking of C35 with FAT showing non-interaction due to masking effect. The sidechains of the active residues are shown as red sticks. The hydrophobic patch—HP2 in FAT molecule, which preferentially binds to LD2 is shown as a space filling model in orange (part of helix 1 of FAT) and grey (part of helix 4 of FAT) colors. http://dx.doi.org:/10.1371/journal.pone.0150153.g004
To predict the influence of this structural modulation, the state of LD motifs structurally before and after binding to FAT had to be understood. CD spectra of LD1, LD3 and LD5 peptides showed characteristics of random coil (Fig 2a, S3 Table) thus validating that the LD1, LD3 and LD5 motifs could exist as unfolded effector binding sites (not available for interaction) in our study and could fold upon undergoing allosteric changes after binding to their respective targets.
Validation of protein-protein interaction study using bio-layer interferometry studies
Bio-layer interferometry studies were performed to further validate the interaction studies and also to get insights into the binding affinities. Here apart from constructs B2 and C35, three other constructs that include different lengths of the regulatory region along with the C35 region were used for the studies, namely—Construct C35_1(54–189); Construct C35_2 (79–189) and Construct C35_3 (105–189) (See Fig 3b and S4 Fig). As seen in Fig 3c and Table 1, B2 shows maximum binding with KD value in the nano-molar range and the curves fit into a 1:1 binding model. C35 shows negligible binding and the rest of the constructs show binding lower than B2 with KD values in micro-molar range and the curves fit into a 2:1 binding model (See S5 Fig).
According to previous reports, FAK has to bind to both LD2 and LD4, failing which phosphorylation during signalling is reduced [8], which is observed in case of cancer [3], thus resulting in abnormal functioning of paxillin. We investigated this by analysing B2, which showed higher interaction than B1, despite missing the regulatory region of LD4 (Fig 1b). Similarly, C2 showed activity despite missing regulatory regions for both LD2 and LD4 and the presence of masking regions (similar activity observed in C1). This suggests that the masking region that is located between LD2 and LD4 is flexible to mask only a single LD motif but not both (Fig 3a). Interestingly, paxillin mutations associated with lung cancer were observed in the unstructured segments, particularly the regulatory region of LD2 and masking region of LD4 [3]. We hypothesize that these mutations prevent proper functioning of the regulatory regions, thus resulting in masking of either of the LD motifs causing abnormal functioning of paxillin. Evidence that these regions regulate FAT-paxillin binding was further provided in our study in the form of the bio-layer interferometry results; where C35 did not show any binding, but the constructs that included different lengths of the regulatory region along with the C35 region showed binding with KD values in the micro-molar range. This suggests that the LD2 region in these constructs is not masked, since it is seen in previous studies that the KD value for FAT binding to a single LD motif of paxillin is in micro-molar range. It also suggests that the region between residues 105–131 is sufficient for preventing the masking of LD2 region, thus allowing interaction with FAT (See illustrations in Fig 3b). Except B2 (that had a 1:1 binding stoichiometry and higher binding affinity), all other constructs (C35_1, C35_2, C35_3) showed a 2:1 binding stoichiometry. This suggests that both LD motifs of B2 engage both the FAT HP sites thus resulting in higher affinity; whereas in the other 3 constructs (C35_1, C35_2, C35_3), each FAT HP site (HP1 and HP2) interacts with individual molecules thus giving a 2:1 stoichiometry. This is in agreement with previous studies where both the LD motifs were found to interact with both HP1 and HP2 hydrophobic patches of FAT [16]. The higher affinity of B2 to FAT could be due to presence of both LD2 and LD4; the proposed intra-molecular regulatory regions could also play a role in the increased affinity. Therefore, we understand that the abnormal modulation in cancer involves redirection of FAK to a single LD motif; and targeting drugs for re-establishing the function at regulatory regions could be critical.
Unlike many existing techniques like array based yeast two hybrid assay, phage display method and tandem affinity purification; the strategy used here (combination of cell-free expression, filter based solubility assay and interaction study in HTP format) facilitated quick identification of the role of unstructured regions involved in paxillin-FAT interaction in HTP format. Particularly, in paxillin-FAK interactions, which determine focal adhesion and cellular signalling, we understood the structural masking and unmasking behaviour of unstructured segments in paxillin to determine FAK interaction. The structure of paxillin is not yet elucidated due to difficulties with respect to its disordered nature. In this study, the templates that we generated using the high throughput dissection strategy allowed us to analyze various regions of paxillin, with respect to structure, solubility and function. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of switch on and off mechanisms working together in controlling allosteric modulation/auto-inhibition in a human hub protein. As many eukaryotic proteins are disordered, our study opens avenues for analyzing novel modulations at allosteric sites using appropriate interaction studies, which could lead to identification of new drug target sites. In this regard, we hope the above strategy will be instrumental in understanding mechanisms of other disordered proteins as well, in days rather than months. This strategy could also be used as an initial screening method for techniques like SAXS, smFRET and others.
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Hong Kong’s online TV shambles
Posted: August 15, 2014 | Author: hongkongblogger | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 4G, broadband, HKTV, hong kong, internet TV, IT Pro Hong Kong, net TV, online TV, ricky wong, smart TV | Leave a comment
I’ve just finished a feature slightly out of my comfort zone – Hong Kong’s online TV market, or lack thereof.
The Chinese SAR has a huge appetite for net TV – you just have to get onto an MTR, visit a dim sum restaurant or try and get past a local ambling on the pavement whilst staring at their phablet, to realise that.
The former colony also has an ideal set-up – 4G is commonplace; the locals are pretty tech-savvy early adopter types relative to the rest of Asia; and broadband penetration is amongst the highest in the world.
Yet thus far it still doesn’t have its own online TV service. Hongkongers have to get their content from mainland China or further afield to satisfy their lust for internet telly.
Local entrepreneur Ricky Wong tried his best with HKTV but hit a brick wall in the form of a government shamelessly protecting the vested interests of the region’s incumbent broadcasters.
It’s a shame because this model of broadcasting, whilst probably never fully replacing traditional modes, will definitely come to play a major part in our content consuming lives over the next decade.
Gartner’s Terick Chiu explained to me that it’s not just the online TV players and content producers who stand to benefit.
“In their efforts to drive engagement with consumers, both incumbents and new entrants are likely to invest in the technology of second-screen applications. These applications are built on top of automatic content recognition (ACR) technologies, which enable an application to detect content metadata — usually contained in a digital watermark — and synchronise the application with the on-screen programming,” he said.
“For service providers and advertisers, these second-screen apps will become an important element of the future of TV, given their ability to provide an ongoing stream of information about consumer preferences and interests. These apps also enable a form of e-commerce or ‘embedded merchandising’, which links a viewer to products/services that are featured in video programming”.
IDC’s Greg Ireland, meanwhile, argued that internet TV would “usher in a new wave of competition” in the broadcast industry – which should spell good news for viewers.
“One item to watch is how these services, or other new services, emerge as ‘true’ competitors to traditional pay TV,” he told me. “That is, will any begin to license linear content and offer a pay TV service of live and on-demand content entirely over the internet?”
It’s going to happen sooner or later in Hong Kong, as around the world, so the government might as well get out of the way and let it happen now.
China’s Yulong Coolpad: One to watch for 2014?
Posted: January 6, 2014 | Author: hongkongblogger | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 4G, china smartphone, china wireless, coolpad, FDD_LTE, huawei, IDC, lenovo, LTE, samsung, shenzhen, TD-LTE, xiaomi, yulong, zte | Leave a comment
In the world of Chinese smartphone makers the name on everyone’s lips at the moment is Xiaomi, but how many of you have heard of Yulong?
Well, it’s a name which may well become more familiar to tech-watchers in 2014 if its sales predictions for the year turn out to be more than the usual new year marketing hype.
The Shenzhen-based firm, which is slightly better known under its Coolpad brand, said it’s hoping to shift 40 million 4G handsets this year in China, in addition to 20m 3G devices.
Some local media reports have the company claiming this will help it topple global leader Samsung in the 4G stakes, even though the Korean giant is currently way out in front in the Middle Kingdom with a market share of nearly 20 per cent – almost double that of Yulong.
They would appear to be a combination of mis-reporting and vendor hype, though, as Samsung told me it hasn’t even released any predictions on how many 4G handsets it will sell this year.
A Lenovo spokeswoman, meanwhile, said: “It’s not our practice to comment or make prediction on unannounced products.”
That aside, however, Coolpad has been gradually creeping up the smartphone rankings in its home country over the past few years, largely without the media attention that has greeted Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and, of course, Xiaomi.
That might be because it has neither Xiaomi’s flair, Huawei’s big bucks, nor ZTE’s propensity to court controversy.
It’s currently third in the rankings just behind Lenovo, according to IDC stats for Q3 2013. If it’s to continue to climb it’ll need to make sure it’s competitively priced relative to Samsung, around the 1-2,000 RMB mark, IDC’s Bryan Ma told me.
Apart from that, “speed to 4G” will also count, he added. To this end, Yulong has already struck a deal with China Mobile to sell its TDD/FDD-LTE handset the Coolpad 8920 and there’ll certainly be more to follow.
So will the firm join Huawei, ZTE and others in aggressive overseas expansion? Well, it already is selling in markets like the US, but headway there has been more difficult given its low brand recognition.
It might have overtaken Apple in the Middle Kingdom last year but 2014 will be a tough year for Yulong and its parent company China Wireless to make an impact abroad – that is, outside of emerging markets where the appetite for cheap smartphones is greater.
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They Aren’t Even Asking For An Estimate for Syria
by Digby | Sep 5, 2013 | Economy, The Jobs Challenge, The Sequester | 0 comments
I haven’t heard much concern about the cost of this Syrian operation which is kind of surprising since the last four years has been a non-stop barrage of rhetoric about the need to cut government spending, from members of both parties. We’ve had epic unemployment (much of it driven by government cutbacks), proposals from a democratic president to cut social security benefits, credit downgrades, and a brutal sequestration process that is resulting in painful cuts all over the country. But the only person I’ve seen even question the cost of a new military operation is Congressman Alan Grayson. Note the cavalier way Secretary Hagel dismisses the concern:
Grayson: “Secretary Hagel, will the military action in Syria, if it does take place, require a supplemental appropriation and, if you think not, then will you commit to that not?”
Hagel: Well, it depends on the option that the president would select. I have said that we will work with the Congress on whatever the cost of that is.”
I’m going to guess that it won’t be a problem getting supplemental money for this should it be necessary.
On Wednesday, the Department of Agriculture released a 2012 survey showing that nearly 49 million Americans were living in “food insecure” households — meaning, in the bureaucratic language of the agency, that some family members lacked “consistent access throughout the year to adequate food.” In short, many Americans went hungry. The agency found the figures essentially unchanged since the economic downturn began in 2008, but substantially higher than during the previous decade.
About half the births in the United States are paid for by Medicaid — a figure higher than previous estimates – and the numbers could increase as the state-federal health insurance program expands under the Affordable Care Act, according to a study released Tuesday.
All pregnant women with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, just below $15,300 for an individual, are eligible for Medicaid, and many states provide coverage to women earning well above that amount.
While previous research has estimated about 40 percent of the nearly 4 million annual births in the United States were paid for by Medicaid, the latest study by researchers at George Washington University and the March of Dimes looked at individual state data and estimated that in 2010 48 percent of births were covered by Medicaid.
Forty-eight percent of newborn Americans are considered to be in or near poverty. We’re cutting food stamps.
But when it comes to the cost of yet another misbegotten military operation halfway around the world, which even the proponents acknowledge is nothing more than a symbolic gesture, we don’t even ask for an estimate.
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Kale is known for being a bit bitter. But that bitterness is what makes it so nutritious. So don't fight it, dive into the taste. Lacinato (or dinosaur) kale tends to be slightly less bitter but a more earthy, nutty flavor than the curly variety. But it has all the same health benefits with explosive amounts of vitamin K.
Chop the leaves and braise in a pan with olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic, chili flakes...Or can it be lightly roasted in the oven.
Put in a plastic bag in the fridge (increased humidity) and it'll last for around 7 days. If it gets a bit wilty, just use it for braising or put it in an egg scramble!
Kale was the most common green vegetable in Europe until the end of the Middle Ages. Disocorides, a Greek physician and botanist, wrote in one of his books that kale can be used to treat bowel issues as well. Kale arrived in North America in the 16th century, where it was brought in by the colonists. At a later point in time, Russian kale was introduced (by the Russian traders) to Canada and the United States.
Nash's Organic Produce
Dried Beans, Windsor Fava
1 Pint (~3/4 lb)
Alvarez Organic Farm (WA)
Dried Pepper, New Mexico
Each (~1 oz)
Kamayan Farm (WA)
Lettuce, Red Butterhead
Health & Lejeuene (CA)
Turmeric Root
1 Root Clump (~1/5 lb)
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Interview with Author Tom Swiss
Shadowdancer September 1st, 2014
Tom Swiss: Why Buddha Touched the Earth
Tom Swiss has been a practicing Pagan since 1990, and a student of Asian culture through the lens of traditional martial and healing arts since 1985. He is a karate student and instructor He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and has a keen interest in how technological changes affect societies.
Shadowdancer: How challenging was the research for Why Buddha Touched the Earth?
Tom: I hadn’t had to do this sort of research since my college days, so it was a challenge to pull out some of those old skills. But the Web made it possible to get previews of books and to search inside (via Google , for example) and even to find some rare texts that, decades ago, I might have had to drive across the country to read.
So finding the bricks of the story I wanted to tell about Paganism and Buddhism wasn’t too hard, in retrospect. What was hard — but also the most rewarding part — was figuring out how they fit together.
Shadowdancer: What’s been the most rewarding aspect of writing and publishing your book?
Tom: I called “Why Buddha Touched the Earth” an essay in the original sense of that word: a work where the writer makes an attempt, by means of the writing process, to organize their thoughts. I feel like I succeeded in that part at least, and that my relationship to the Universe is more coherent as a result.
Besides all the things that I learned along the way, it’s been a delight to have people I’ve never met give the book good reviews. It’s one thing to have someone who comes to your workshop say, “Hey good job,” that can just be a social nicety. But complete strangers are going to be honest.
Shadowdancer: Do you plan to write other books?
Tom: I’m currently at work on a novel. It’s not really Pagan related, though it does deal with some masculine archetypes I’ve been working with the past few years.
Meanwhile I’m blogging monthly at Patheos Pagan’s Agora as under the title “The Zen Pagan”
[ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/agora/category/columns/the-zen-pagan/ ], and I’ve got my personal blog at infamous.net [ http://infamous.net/blog/ ], so there are some ideas coming up there that could go into a future book.
Shadowdancer:. Did your interest in karate have any influence on this book?
Tom: It was through karate that I first connected with Zen, so that’s certainly been an influence. And I think next month’s “The Zen Pagan” is going to be about martial arts as magical practice.
Shadowdancer: Who do you hope will get the most from this book or who do you hope to
reach?
Tom: When I was writing the book proposal — which is about selling the book, and unless you’re a well-known author often comes *after* the book is written — I thought that the person most likely to pick it up would be the sort of reader who had, say, _Drawing Down the Moon_ on their bookshelf next to something by Thich Nhat Hanh, in other words someone who already had some background and interest on both the Pagan and Buddhist side.
But after talking to someone I met at Starwood who is completely new to Paganism, I think this book serves very well as an introductory orientation, and perhaps the people who will get the most out of it are those just sort of stepping out of mainstream culture and religion.
Shadowdancer: Is there a key message you would like to get across to readers?
Tom: We are in the midst of a time of change unmatched since the beginning of civilization. In order to build a spirituality suitable for the next phase of human existence, we’re going to need an attitude that regards nature as sacred, and we’ll need to master the tools of meditation, and ritual, and mindfulness, and critical thinking, and ethical behavior…and a robust sense of humor!
Shadowdancer: Do you see the influence of Zen and Buddhism as expanding into Western culture?
Tom: It’s interesting that while Zen was the first form of Buddhism to make an impact on American pop culture, it seems to be being eclipsed by Tibetan Buddhism — when people think of Buddhism they think of the Dali Lama. Now, I’ve got nothing against Tibetan Buddhism or the Dali
Lama, I’d sit down to a cup of tea with him any time. But I do worry that the Tibetan diaspora has put people in teaching positions they weren’t really ready for. Chogyam Trungpa, for example, is a big name Buddhist teacher who did some pretty messed-up stuff.
There’s also a concern that a sort of ersatz Buddhism is being promoted as “mindfulness practice” in corporate boardrooms and the like, mental training meant to make executives better at exploiting the rest of us and so on, without any of that inconvenient ethical and
spiritual stuff.
But I think that the core of the Buddha’s message is robust enough to survive this nonsense and will eventually flourish in the West.
Tags: author, Tom Swiss: When Buddha Touched the Earth
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Useful articles / Law / Flag and the coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory: description, history and meaning of symbols
Flag and coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory: description, history and meaning of symbols
Looking at the official symbols of the Stavropoledge, one can draw one remarkable conclusion: the inhabitants of this region love their land, honor and respect their past and present. Both the flag and the coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory reflect the natural, geographical and historical features of this southern region.
Brief introduction to the region
Stavropol Territory - a region in the south-western partRussia, comparable in area to the Netherlands. Most of it is located within the same elevation. The region also occupies the foothills of the Greater Caucasus with a maximum point of 1603 meters above sea level. It is here that are famous for the whole country balneological resorts: Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki and others.
There are few forests in the Stavropol Territory.The most common landscapes in this region are steppe and semidesert. The largest rivers of the region are distinguished by their unusual names - Kuban, Kuma, Malka, Zolka, Egorlyk.
The region is home to 2.8 million people.The Stavropol Territory is inhabited by representatives of dozens of different peoples - Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azeris, Greeks, Gypsies, Turkmen and others. In the foothill areas Kabardins, Karachais and Abazins live compactly.
The Stavropol Territory stands outhighly developed industry, in particular, energy. Each year, the region's power plants produce up to 18 billion kW / h of electricity. In addition, the Stavropol region is well developed agriculture, food production and construction materials.
The coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory
The history, culture and nature of any region, likerule, is reflected in its official symbolism. If you study the marginal heraldic symbols of modern Russia, then the coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory will be one of the most interesting and original. It was approved relatively recently - May 15, 1997. Although some of its elements were borrowed from the old provincial coat of arms of the 1878 model.
So, what does the coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory look like?Today? The general proportions of its sides are 9:11 (height to width). The coat of arms is represented by a shield and a frame consisting of oak leaves (on the left side) and wheat ears (on the right side). This wreath of plant elements is wrapped with Russian national ribbon-tricolor. Above the coat of arms crowns the two-headed eagle - the main figure of the state arms of Russia.
The shield itself is divided into two identical in sizefield. In the upper (blue) field there is an ancient fortress on a silver elevation, to which the road leads. In the lower (blue) part of the shield you can see a schematic representation of the map of the region. And, on the left (in the place of the city of Stavropol) a white cross is placed, through which a horizontal line with the signature "45" passes. This is nothing but the 45th parallel of the northern latitude, on which stands the city of Stavropol.
Flag of the Stavropol Territory
The Stavropol flag has the form of a rectangle withthe standard proportion of the sides (2: 3). A canvas of golden color is dissected by a white cross, slightly shifted to the left. In its central part, at the intersection, the coat of arms of the edge, which was described above, is placed.
What is the symbolism of this flag?The choice of the primary color for it is quite obvious. The Stavropol region is a southern solar region, which has traditionally always been considered an agricultural region. In addition, in heraldry, golden color also means wealth and prosperity. The white color on the flag, in turn, symbolizes the wisdom and peace of the inhabitants of the region.
Cross on the flag of Stavropol, too, did not appearaccidentally. It is known that the name of the city of Stavropol is of Greek origin and is translated as "the city of the cross." In addition, the white cross on the flag reminds us that the center of the Orthodox Diocese of the entire North Caucasus is located in this region.
The current flag of the Stavropol Territory was also approved on May 15, 1997.
The arms of the city of Stavropol: description and history
The administrative, economic and cultural center of the region is Stavropol. This city was founded in 1777. And this beautiful date can be seen on its official coat of arms.
The modern coat of arms of Stavropol was approved in June1994. Although the first (not very successful) attempts to develop it were implemented in the middle of the XIX century. The year the city was founded, by the way, was also present on the Soviet version of the Stavropol emblem.
The present coat of arms of the city is presented in the form ofA classic French shield framed with a wreath of oak branches. A straight yellow cross breaks the shield space into four fields. In the upper left part (on a red background) we see the elements of the Soviet coat of arms of Stavropol in 1969: a flame of eternal fire and a fragment of a cogged gear. The top right side of the shield (on a white background) depicts a Cossack rider on horseback. In the lower left part (on a white background) there is a picture of a multi-domed church - as an image of Orthodox Russia. Finally, in the lower right part of the shield (on a green background) you can see a fragment of the fortress wall on the hill, to the gate of which the road leads.
By the way, the fortress and the road are depicted on the armsStavropol is not accidental. In the past centuries the city was the main defensive outpost in the south of Russia. And it was through Stavropol that an important path passed between Russia and the Caucasus region.
The coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory, perhaps, can be attributedto the number of the most original regional arms of Russia. It successfully displays the historical and natural-geographical features of the region. No less interesting and interesting is the coat of arms of the administrative center of the region - the city of Stavropol.
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Flag of Morocco: description and history. The coat of arms of Morocco
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What does the ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ mean?
Kuni Miyake
Nine months ago, in this column, I wrote about the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy. Some argue that it was initiated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as early as in 2012. Other claim that the originally biogeographic concept was first used, as a strategic term, by an Indian Naval officer back in 2007.
No matter who initiated the FOIP strategy, however, it is now the official policy of Japan and the United States. The Foreign Ministry states that the “key for stability and prosperity” is the “dynamism that is created by combining ‘Two Continents’: Asia and Africa, and ‘Two Oceans’: Free and open Pacific and Indian Oceans.”
The U.S. government seemed to have signed onto the FOIP strategy in November 2017, when the Trump administration started referring to the “Indo-Pacific region” during President Donald Trump’s first tour to Asia. Washington now uses this concept as its regional strategy with close cooperation among the “Quad”: Japan, India, Australia and the United States.
Fifteen months have since passed, but we still don’t know what the FOIP really means as a strategic concept. Is the FOIP strategically viable? Is there a new strategic space in the Indian and Pacific Oceans for the Quad or nations in Southeast Asia? If so, how would China react to this new strategic reality?
To answer those questions, the Canon Institute for Global Studies (CIGS), a Tokyo-based independent think tank whose foreign policy/national security shop I direct, conducted a 24-hour policy simulation (or so-called “war game”) last weekend over contingencies........
© The Japan Times
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Music Review //
Andy Kong
"Westfalia"
https://open.spotify.com/album/0tvQZwDH6dVIcSBGh0NFhM //
You know how everyone has that one song (or twenty) that they hear and they automatically know it? I'm not talking about a song by a band or artist that you might follow in a traditional sense or maybe you don't even know who the artist is but you know the song. There's this one song I hear in ads that goes "My heart is in Havana-nah-nah-nah" and I've looked up who sings it and I don't remember but I know the words somehow. We all have songs like that, right?
"Westfalia" feels like a song like that, in *one* sense of it. There this slow, smooth feeling of acoustics becoming electronic. In some ways, it reminds me of that one Uncle Kracker song everyone knows- and regardless of how you might feel about Uncle Kracker you know there was at least one summer where you were singing along to that song. As I make that comparison, I also realize it is because "Westfalia" just feels like such a great summer song, with the sunshine and just being outside.
Now when I say all of this it might make this song sound bad but in a good way. It might make it feel like this song will get stuck in your head, but then over time you'll forget about it or maybe not want to listen to other songs by Andy Kong. But through those slick stylings of the chorus you will hear a sound which goes above and beyond what you might hear on the radio. I know when you think of music on the radio you don't hear this word often, but this song has substance.
Perhaps one of the best ways to think of this song is as a cool pop folk number. Somewhere between Jack Johnson and Milky Chance is where you'll find Andy Kong. It's the type of song where when you hear it for the first time, you will immediately fall in love. But this song will not be enough for you. You will be left craving more songs from Andy Kong as they could explore various avenues but you feel confident that wherever they lead us it will be to such a good, good place.
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R A L P H L I
I started RCH in 2013 as a platform for producing video content that examines the convergence of art, music, culture, creativity and technology. With limited resources, I embarked on a mission to be as creative as possible with what was available to me: two entry-level DSLRs, an iPod Touch converted into a field mic (Tascam iM2 with a makeshift windscreen), one tripod, Final Cut Pro and a plethora of ideas.
Inquiry: Taipei is an interview series that focuses on cultural identity and the exchange of ideas in Taipei City. I believe everybody has a unique story to tell, no matter where they're from and where they end up going, even if it's miles away from home.
Ebrima Nyassi
Alex Chen
Jennifer Eh - Part 1
Ralph Li: co-producer, videographer, editor / Harrison Chao: co-producer
Interlude is a series that explores the evolving nature and relevance of classical music in art and culture today. We hear from the musicians themselves as they share their varying perspectives on navigating their profession, one that draws significantly from the past in a world obsessed with discovering the future.
Alex McDonald
Ralph Li: producer, videographer, editor
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Tag Archives: Aldeburgh Festival
Britten Films: An Exploration
The young Benjamin Britten wrote:
1936… finds me earning my living – with occasionally something to spare – at the GPO film unit… writing music and supervising sounds for film
In 1933 Britten became a member of the General Post Office film unit, which was originally set up to produce sponsored films relating to the GPO’s activities. As a result of Britten composing the music for the short films, there was a quick turnaround time and this helped Britten to refine and nurture his compositional tools.
The nine short films he worked on – covering subjects ranging from postage stamps to pacifism, the abolition of the slave trade to the electrification of the London-Portsmouth railway – are wonderfully made and fascinating historical documents. For example, Night Mail is a documentary about a London, Midland and Scottish railway mail train. The rhythm of the poem imitates the stages of the train journey, where the increasing rhythmic pace throughout the poem symbolises the acceleration of the mail train.
A still from Night Mail showing the mail train on its journey
Britten’s music brilliantly reflects, amplifies and underpins the screen images with scores of rich variety and invention. It is a celebration of composer’s craft and filmmaker’s technique, an insight into 1930s Britain, and a snapshot of the art of propaganda before the term became besmirched forever by the extreme forces of political repression.
Aldeburgh Festival will be screening Britten’s nine GPO films in June with a live orchestra in the event Britten Films. Before the screening commences there will be an illustrated discussion, Britten Films: An Exploration, looking at the astonishing artistic collective which was the GPO film unit and how some of Britten’s very first professional commissions were to leave a powerful impression on his future creative life.
For more information on the events visit www.aldeburgh.co.uk or phone 01728 687100. The website’s ‘visiting us’ page helps you find out about where to eat, where to stay, and how to find us of course. Tickets can be purchased from the website and through the box office on 01728 687110.
Leanne Cox – Aldeburgh Festival
The Projection of Britain: A History of the GPO Film Unit is available from the BPMA Shop.
Tagged Aldeburgh Festival, Benjamin Britten, British Documentary Movement, cinema, composer, film, film music, film score, General Post Office, GPO, GPO film unit, mail trains, music, Night Mail
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:: Home :: Get Hosted :: PPM FAQ :: Forum FAQ :: Privacy Policy :: Search :: Memberlist :: Usergroups :: Register :: Profile :: Log in to check your private messages :: Log in ::
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The time now is Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:59 pm
Forum index » Modding Central » Media Hut » 3D Models
Classic APCs
Moderators: Global Moderators, Media Hut Moderators
Page 1 of 1 [5 Posts] View previous topic :: View next topic
Chem Warrior
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 8:26 am Post subject: Classic APCs
Subject description: Source files
QUICK_EDIT
Attach signature (signatures can be changed in profile) close
More of the same.
The Max (9) & 3DS files include pristine and wreck models, it also includes the pieces that go into creating a destruction object creation list(these files do not contain texture files, you must download the separate _Art .zip file).
Has a M113 with mine layers and Active protective systems, and another that is plain (bar a couple of fuel tanks).
The M113 with mines can use two Nod themed textures. The Plain M113 can use six texture camo variations!
3D Max shader provided by spyVSspy & Lauren.
For those who do not like messing around with source files, get the C&C3-ready version.
Credit me for any public usage!
NodAPC_Render.jpg
Also has an Urban Camo
APC_Camo.gif
Plain M113 (allies) variants.
ClassicAPC_Max.zip
Models in .Max format (3D Max 9)
Filename: ClassicAPC_Max.zip
ClassicAPC_3DS.zip
Models in .3DS format
Filename: ClassicAPC_3DS.zip
ClassicAPC_Art.zip
Textures in .TGA
Filename: ClassicAPC_Art.zip
Last edited by Madin on Wed Nov 04, 2015 9:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
Allied General
Nice models
I was wondering if you ever considered the http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Phase_transport variant.
It seems similar to the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M901_ITV
Allied General wrote:
I was going to do something like that originally.
Something similar to the APB design.
I might still do it in the future sometime.
malius123
Disk Thrower
the apc model was exactly what i was looking for, but having a nosey in the 3ds files i came across this hidden gem, unfinished but great for someone like me whos learning. is the tank also public use.
Image0000.png
hidden model found in the 3ds files of the oringnal post
Filesize: 23.95 KB
malius123 wrote:
http://www.ppmforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=22921
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Write only two of the following words separated by a sharp: Brotherhood, unity, peace!
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Adult Lures 15-year-old for Liquor & Sex
08 January 2016 Dwight D'Evelyn
15-year-old for Sex – Detectives locate Suspect in Phoenix
On January 7, 2016, 25-year-old Phoenix resident Ruben Castellanos was arrested for charges including Sexual Conduct with a Minor and Furnishing Liquor to a Minor.
In late November of 2015, detectives developed information from an unrelated case involving sexual conduct between an adult male and a 15-year-old girl occurring in the Cordes Lakes area. It was determined the male initiated contact with the victim via social media while lying about his age, claiming he was 18-years-old. He also provided a false name. During the ongoing social media exchange, the male who was later identified as Ruben Castellanos, was able to convince the victim to meet him at an agreed location in the Mayer area. Suspect Castellanos was aware the victim was 15-years-old prior to this meeting. In mid-September of 2015, the suspect drove from Phoenix and met the victim. He transported her to a previously rented hotel room in the area, provided liquor to her and engaged in sexual intercourse. The victim also noted the suspect was armed, but never threatened her.
Without many positive initial leads, detectives began the task of identifying and locating the suspect. Their work included follow-up on social media sites and obtaining evidence from the hotel where the suspect rented a room. After the suspect’s name was discovered, a vehicle registered to the suspect was identified that matched the description provided by the victim along with evidence from hotel video.
Detectives eventually tracked Castellanos to his home in Phoenix on January 7, 2016, and during an interview, he admitted to sexual contact with the victim knowing she was 15-years-old. He was arrested and booked at the Camp Verde Detention Center on the indicated charges. Bond has not been set.
LESSON – As shared in prior media reports, YCSO has conducted numerous ‘sting’ operations resulting in the arrest of suspects who intended to have sex with children. Cases like this one are why Sheriff Mascher will continue to make it such operations a priority with the hope of dissuading such activity and keeping our children safe.
PARENTS – The suspect and victim did not know each other until he began communicating with her via social media. This situation could be been even more tragic if the suspect had intentions beyond the circumstances shared here.
THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES AND IMMEDIATELY QUESTION UNUSUAL ACTIVITY AND ANY CONTACT WITH OTHERWISE UNKNOWN PERSONS.
Around the country, similar situations have resulted in the death of victims after contact with predators.
Please see the following web site for further information - http://www.netsmartz.org/Predators
Citizens can contact the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with information or questions at 928-771-3260 or the YCSO website: www.ycsoaz.gov
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The Fluid Dynamic Basis for Actuator Disc and Rotor Theories
van Kuik, G.A.M. (TU Delft Wind Energy)
The first rotor performance predictions were published by Joukowsky exactly 100 years ago. Although a century of research has expanded the knowledge of rotor aerodynamics enormously, and modern computer power and measurement techniques now enable detailed analyses that were previously out of reach, the concepts proposed by Froude, Betz, Joukowsky and Glauert for modelling a rotor in performance calculations are still in use today, albeit with modifications and expansions.This book is the result of the author's curiosity as to whether a return to these models with a combination of mathematics, dedicated computations and wind tunnel experiments could yield more physical insight and answer some of the old questions still waiting to be resolved. Although most of the work included here has been published previously, the book connects the various topics, linking them in a coherent storyline. This book will be of interest to those working in all branches of rotor aerodynamics – wind turbines, propellers, ship screws and helicopter rotors. It has been written for proficient students and researchers, and reading it will demand a good knowledge of inviscid (fluid) mechanics.
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:45821f64-7948-4aa7-9753-16282e61671e
https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-866-2-i
© 2018 G.A.M. van Kuik
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Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Celebration Nears
Filed Under:Crissy Field, Don Richards, Doug Sovern, Fireworks, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge 75th anniversary, Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Celebration, Golden Gate Bridge Anniversary, Highway 101, Kary Witt, Marina Green, Pedestrians, San Francisco
Waves crash against a rock at Baker Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to San Francisco on May 27th to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. But this time, festivities won’t take place on the landmark structure.
There will not be another bridge walk for pedestrians, like the one that took place in 1987 for the 50th anniversary celebration. Back then, hundreds of thousands of people jammed onto the bridge, causing it to flatten.
In fact, the bridge will be closed on May 27th to pedestrians from 6 p.m. until after an 18-minute fireworks show that begins at 9:30 p.m. Event organizers are warning commuters that traffic on the bridge will briefly be stopped during the fireworks display.
KCBS’ Doug Sovern Reports:
Organizers are saying there will be no shortage of festivities. Don Richards, the producer of the event, said instead there will be a waterfront festival from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Fort Point to the Marina.
Bridge manager Kary Witt thinks it’s a good idea.
“With the bridge as a backdrop, Crissy Field along with Marina Green; the waterfront of San Francisco is an ideal location for that many people to come celebrate, but also to have adequate food, water, facilities, etc. to have a really fun day,” he said.
That day will include vintage cars, a flotilla of ships, a popup museum of bridge history, performances by Mickey Hart and Beach Blanket Babylon, along with the fireworks show, according to Richards. But he didn’t reveal everything planned for the celebration.
“It’ll be a surprise, there are a few things that we’re not letting out of the bag and it’s really exciting,” Richards said.
Richards said come by foot, bike, bus or boat, but leave the car at home.
Spectators will also be able to take it all in from the Marin County side of the bridge as well.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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